The Sun. — London, England, 1830-04-02 00:00:00

Mr. admits, who We.% then a Member of Parliament. At at time a Memhtr's frank consisted simply of the super •riptims of h name, on the back of the sheet of paper .nth the wnr,i ".free" prefixed, the rest of the address lila he tined up by soy batty. This Hale got several of hese franks with the words "free," " R. Gibson," written ut the back of the fetters, which he altered into the words, " fur" " R. Gibson," then making each piece of paper tt prominw•y note with the member's name attached to it in this manner. Salisequent to that period, as the tatsisess of the various pubic departments extended, fresh statutes were from time to time called for, and passed, he apprehended, with very little consideration on the case of each department, which had sought some particular pro tection, until at !meth the state"-hook arrived to such a volumitions magnitude as to acite general attention; and as Blackstone shoved, to accumulate no less than 120 tatutes,applyitv: env penalty of death to the crime of for- _ _ • . • gery. These might bc. divided into two classes—the first relating to public And gerier,sl concerns ; the second, to official tnd departrnets,al. In the first he classed all those offences which comprehended forgery of the public funds and national securities, bills of exchange, promissory notes, . . and all those acts concerning the bequest and succession of property, marriage registers, and, in fact, all transactions of that nature which related to the public and general concerns Of the community. In the second clasa. which comprehended official and departmental concerns, he included naattets re lating to the business of the army, navy, customs, excise. tee. It would not be difficult to consolidate and simplify the principles which governed the first class ; but respect ing tha second class, there were in the acts teferring to the land a tax alone, upwards of 200 separate clauses, but the forgery clause (section 194) over-rode and referred to all the preceding sections, and affixes the penalty of death for eh- forgery of any of them. It was exactly the same way in the Navy pay-office, where there were about 20 acts re sting to the pay of seamen, all full of clauses to which the capital punishment for forgery remained in force : for instance, there was a power given to seamen to allot a por tion of their pay to their families or friends, and there was a special clause attached to this power of allotment, which rendered it necessary to have the signature of the seaman's commanding officer, and then to have the paper transferred through various offices, in all of which the penalty of forgery was applicable. There was, he :ex plaine4, great diffieulty in consolidating and simplifying atteh voluminous and complicated details ; and he proposed ao leave to each department the condensation of the acts re lating to forgery which belonged to it. The department of the customs had already proceeded upon that plan, and re duced 360 acts to 10. The stamp department teas doing the same; the navy boards, Greenwich and Chelsea hospi tals,vrere engaged in accomplishing the amine object. What lie proposed therefore to do was, to insert in his Bill every offence of forgery, the commission of which should be really subject to the penalty of death. He would begin at once by repealing the whole law relating to the punishment of death for forgery in all the general or departmental eancerns, and provide that the capital punishment should attach to no other - than those hereinafter to be mentioned. H e meant to comprehend in four clauses of his Bill the Whole of the offences of forgery, which were now spread through such a voluminous masa of statutes.—(Hear, hear.)—He avowed himself a derided advocate for the gradual mitiga tion of the severity of capital puniahmenta.-a-(Heatabear.) --In the various efforts which for years he had the honour of making to reform the criminal code„:his ptintipal object was to remove the punishment of death from all offences in which a less severe penalty could be inflicted, without disadvantage to the community. It was impossible, indeed, to conceal from the world that the British criminal code as it stood on the statute took, was mote tek/ere than that of any other country.--(l4eart)aaahlt explained that of late years a two-fold opetttlon was in force to mitigate this se verity—first, they had diminished the number of offences to which tapital punishment applied ; and next, they had not inflicted it upon conviction as often to wgs the fortner practice. It was singultit, in hAfitig eti the rettirna of capital punishtnents in Landon and Middlesex, to observe how crimes of an aggravated character always increased - hen a time of peace followed one of war, and decreased is the aaniq proportion when war succeeded to peace; mpw ..eng the general impression that the occupation "L had the immediate effect of removing from ‘ /fiend society a number of desperate characters, whose ^bits were lawless and predatory. In the seven years' peace which followed the war of 1783, when how ever, the population was les., and the number of crimes scot specifically so great, the executions in London and Middlesex were 378, making an average of 54 execu tions during etch of these seven years. In 1785 thette *were 97 executions, and in 1787 there were 92. In the *eve* years peace, which followed 1816, the executions were 192, making the average of each year 27, only half the number which appeared in the previous seven years of peace after 1783. Now, from 1823 to 1829 the execu tiona in London and Middlesex were 102, or an average of 17 each year, being one-third less in comparison than the first estimate. He now proceeded to enumerate the cases In which be proposed to remit and to retain the capital punishment for the crime of forgery. He should retain it in all forgeries of the great seal, privy seal, and sign ma nual; in forgeries of wills, on the public funds, on Bank tlr money, notes, or orders for the payment of money ; in short, of all documents which represent money, and are negotiable and transferable for it. He would remit the capital punishment in all those cases where serious doubts overhung its iutlicti , in, and where the complainants by due caution could have saved themselves—(Hear).snch as forging receipt's form ney, orders for the delivery of goods, forging stamps, uttering forged ■tamps, attempting to 0 4cfrand by issuing forged orders for goods, the fabrica tion of the suwerial Of Bank of England paper, and forging deeds abd bonds. These, he thought, came within his principle of prevention by the exercise of more diligence and caution in the transactions of boxinesa. The Right Firliouralsle Gentleman here quoted an extract from the report of the Committee upon criminal law in 1817, which recommended a reform of the code n e on three great principles-Ist, the certainty, and not the fluctuation of capital punishments, where they were to he inflicted ; 2dly, the perfect intelligibility of the principle upon which that infliction proceeds ; and idly, the removal if those dormant laws, which remained a dead letter until they were called into life by the appearance of some great criminal, against wbom the indignation of mankind was excited, so as to make the law applicable to the Individual lather than to the cr:toe. The Right Hon. Gentleman here returned to the wise A'nd 9agacioos remarks of Lord -L iam, upon the principles which ought to govern code criminal i gn . , an d ex p resse d I is aniAlement that it was "erred for the present times to apply the maxims of that eat and profound philosopher. When he thought of great man he always; preferred to read pia character i n . ittc ;lines of the, poet Cowley, than in those of another et *at peet who ,coupfed Lord Bacon's failings with his ii gh renown; ne preferred to adopt Cowley's sublime ttpAglit9fi"; itina, when he said that, like Moses, /laid front the mountain top of his exalted wit, `'* He taw the blessed promised land, and showed us it." 11 would be found that there was no material variation inetvreen the present Bill and that which had been intro slimed in nig', nor was it very dissimilar from the code Napoleon. The French law and the law of England, so far as related to the crime of forgery, would be thus in a great degree assimilated, if this measure should be adopted by the Legislature He was quite sensible that it behoved us to be cautious how far we might miti ate the severity of punishment consistently with a due regard of the extent to which injury on society might be inflicted by the frequency of a crime so pecu liarly dangerous in a commercial country like England. The amount of the forgeries perpetrated by Fauntleroy alone was not short of 400,0001. He was also unfavour able to the infliction of secondary punishments in certain apses, where the education, intelligence, and, previous respectability of the party were calculated to create sympathy in his fate, when he should be degraded to as sociated with classes from which the accidents o►` a higher yank had placed him at an unmeasurable distance. Even in New South Wales this natural sympathy would so far operate as to produce a general desire to concede the con vict those advantages which he had habitually enjoyed, as the necessary consequence attendant on his station in seciety. When they considered further the great loss of property, the total ruin of families, and distrust in com mercial intercourse, which this offence induced, he was sure they would join him in deprecating a sudden and entire exemption from capital punishment, and content themselves with silently watching the effects that might result from their partial abolition. Should a frequent recurrence of the crime ever compel them to retrace their steps, such a retrogression would greatly retard their advancement to the great object which they all professed to have in view. Sixty-one Acts on the Statute-book, inflicted death, on an average for five offences of this description, which were specified in each; but whilst he moderated their rigour, h e w i s h e d at the same time to facilitate the infliction of the lenient punishments that were substituted. There was one offence which was wholly overlooked by the law as it ' now stood—he alluded to the forgery of acceptances and endorsements of foreign bills of exchange. This was nevertheless a serious crime, and was accordingly made clearly penal in the Bill that he had in c ontemplation. Other defects in the law as it now stood would be supplied by the new measure, as they were rendered the more in convenient by our increasing awl'ntercourse with the Conti- De pt. .The forgery of i made by an English testator who had died at Paris, would be equally punishable as if the will had been executed at home. In whatever part of the world any instrument specified in the Bill might be executed, if it were forged here, or if the forgery were uttered in this country, the perpetrator would come within the meaning of the law. He likewise intended to alter the state of the law relative to venue, and should dispense with the necessity of proving the place where the crime had been committed, provided dn.. , fact itself could be clearly brought home to the accused. The Right Hon. Gentle man here went into a summary recapitulation of the pro. visions of the Bill, and proceeded to state his intention also to consolidate the laws affecting coining, with a view to mitigate capital punishment in some of the offences against those laws as they were now constituted. If this could be (lone during the present Session, all the criminal law that would still remain to be consolidated might be considered comparatively unimportant. He was encouraged to pro ceed in this work by the gratifying experience of the good effects which had already resulted from the exertions of his predecessor and himself, as they had hitherto in no one instance proved injurious to the public interests. It was his duty to express the obligations which he owed now as well as on former occasions to his Hon. Friend, Mr. H. Hobhouse, formerly Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, who had lived in retirement for se veral years, but whose zeal in the service of his country had not slackened with his abandonment of office. To his valuable assistance in preparing this Bill, and also to that of Mr. Gregsten, he was most materially indebted, nor had he any doubt that the time was at hand when the House and the country would recognise the able and beneficial ser , vices of those two gentlemen with gratitude proportionate to their merits. The Right Hon. Secretary, in conclu sion, expressed his thanks for the indul;ent manner in which his statement had been listened to by the House at that late hour, when their attention might have been ex hausted by the length to which the previous debate had ex tended.—(Cheers. ) Mr. F. BUXTON thought that the Right Hon. Gentle man had deserved the gratitude of the country for the many improvements which he bad introduced since his entrance into office, but for none more than that which he had just submitted to their consideration. Although he was of opi nion that the law would still retain but too much of its original ferocity, he felt gratified that the enlarged and en lightened mind of the Right Hon+ Secretary was directed to the subject, and It se'erned matter for congratulation that be should have held forth a prospect of doing more than he had hitherto attempted. The Hen. Member for Knaresborough had instructed him to express his regret at his Unatoidable absence on the present occasion, and to give notice that lie should soon move for the abrogation of capital punishment in all cases of forgery whatsoever. Indeed he believed that that the Hon. Gentleman contemplated a sweeping proposal for the retreal of eS'ery statute that in flicted the punishment of death, except only in cases of murder and attempts to murder. Hnw far he might be induced by the explanatinns of to-night to depart from such intention was not for him to say, until he should have conferred with tail Hon. Fritnd open the subject. Mr. LENNARD was gratified by the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman, and felt no inclination to distrust the sincerity of his desire for a snore extensive reform, al though the responsibilities of office might act as a draw back Up:in bit godd intention" Mr. S. RICE approved of the measure in contempla tion, and requested Members to bear in mind that they ought not to outrun public opinion, as it would occasion the most pernicious consequences if society should become alarmed for the security of property, which a Bill of a more extensive character might be suspected to affect. He wished the discussion had come on at an earlier pei iod of the evening, when he would have bad an opportunity of delivering his sentiments snore fully on the subject ; but he could not refrain from giving his testimony to the most satisfactory statement made by the Right Hon. Gen , tlernan:—(Hear, bear.) Mr. Alderman '1 HOMPSO.N was glad to hear that the forgery of Bills of Exchange was not to be excepted from the punishment of death. He thought the Right Hon. Gentleman had acted most wisely in not abolishing the capital punishment for all cases of forgery at present. H e was perfectly satisfied with the course which the Right Hon. Gentleman had pursued. Mr. TRANT thought the country would be disap poined on learning that a greater mitigation, or rather the total abolition of the punishment of death, had not been proposed. He declared that were he a juryman and had to give his verdict on a man who had been guilty of sheep-stealing, he would rather commit the minor crime of perjury, by giving a verdict contrary to his oath, than, by condemning the man, be accessory to what he considered nothing short of the crime of murder. Mr. MARTIN could not make up his mind to the total abolition of the punishment of death ; but if such a mea sure were to he adopted, it should at all events be carried slowly into effect. He had therefore heard the Right Hon. Gentleman's statement with great satisfaction. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL should be sorry that the present Bill should be impeded in its operation by an impression going abroad that it was only a preparatory one. He believed great alarm would be excited in the country if it was understood that this was only a prepa ratory measure. Mr. BENSON was of opinion that the Rigbt Hon. Gentleman had gone as far as the state of feeling in the country would allow him. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, which was shortly after done by Mr. Peel. It was read a first time, and the second reading fixed for Monday, the 26th April. Mr. DAWSON brought in the Four per Cents. Bill, which was read a first time and fixed for tt second reading to morrow. Mr. PEEL presented the convention of commerce and navigation between his Britannic Majesty and the Em peror of Austria. The other orders of the day were afterwards disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Three o'clock. RAMSGATE, MARCH 31.—1 n dragging in the basin of this harbour, one of the horses stumbled over what was considered a pile that had been driven and left; a crane-lighter was employed to remove it, when it was discovered to be the bottom of a vessel, which, by the size of the timbers, is considered to have been upwards of 100 tons ; she was, no doubt, loaded with brimstone, as a quantity of that article was found in her. The vessel must have been lost before the harbour of Ramsgate was formed, consequently she has been buried several hundred years. She appears to have been foreign built, is of oak, and some of her planks are twenty inches broad. She is wood fastened. About twelve o'clock yesterday, several Go vernment Officers of rank were drawn by Mr. GURNEY'S steam-carriage from the Regent's-park to the Horse Guards in a private carriage belonging to one of the party. It passed down Regent-street, Waterloo-place, and returned the same route, after remaining in the yard of the Norse Guards shout half an hour. The visit was on business. It was then propelled towards Pall Mall, quite under con troul, being turned in and out among the various car riages with the utriic„t, ease. THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.--A numerous meeting of the members of this Society was held yesterday, at the Society's house, Lord AUCKLAND in the chair, when the minutes of the last meeting were confirmed, and the Marquis of Douito (son to the Duke of WELLING TON,) Sir A. Cooritn, and others, were balloted for, and elected fellows. A scene of some bustle was witnessed on the Old Hungerford Stairs on Wednesday, at noon, when the City Navigation Committee met the Hungerford-market Committee, to confer on the projected wharf and jetties to be constructed there. The inhabitants of Fetter-lane have for some days past been subjected to a nuisance to which the prompt attention of the City Authorities should be directed, in order that the public health may not be injured. For a long time past burials have been performed in the vaults below Elina Chapel, in Fetter-lane, and there are at pre sent many hundred coffins which are wholly uncovered with earth, the bodies being in different stages of decompo sition. Very recently it has been discovered that the water, either from springs or other causes, has flowed into the vaults. A day or two since there was not less than three feet of water in the vaults, which, from its remain ing stagnant, emitted the most noisome effluvia that can possibly be conceived. The inhabitants residing in the immediate vicinity of the chapel were compelled to keep their windows and doors closed, and, in deed, such was the stench that it was scarcely possible to transact business. The nuisance was increased by its being found absolutely necessary to pump out this water ; and the horrid smell occasioned thereby may be conceived but cannot be adequately ex pressed. Application was made to the City Surveyor's , office, and Mr. MONTAGUE yesterday sent a gentleman to inquire into the matter. Mr. Deputy Rocuas, and one ~Itcti : a o n co e f the Common Council, also attended, and found . I .at r e misance, exceedingly great. It is hoped that immo , O i l . steps will be taken to prevent the continuance of this as, in the event of a prevalence of hot weater, owtie,icthh,aninprothbeabdleenstehlayt crowded d a s ts t ' a o t u e ld o b f e Fetter- lane, be productive of a great aacrifiee of human life. DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. VKlti OF STOCKS THIS .17. a% ".tc^k pcc Ctn. - 4.. Red liver Cent_ Cons. 9 2 ! ,‘ per Cent. shut icti, Red. — t * et Cent. Ann. lO2 1i,..2 Ditto, 182 E •' ~ shut 4 mk 1.. Ann. ........5...... Gh lit Ditto 30 ) ears Ditto 50 years India Stock shut )itta Bonds pm. South Sea Stock ... Old Annuities New Ditto Ex. Bills, £l,OOO 2d. '79 78 pm. Ditto lid. 79 78 pm. Ditto .50 , 2d. '79 '7B pm. Ditto Ditty Mnall 2d. '79 '73 pm. Ditto lid. 19 '7B pm. Bank for Account 22 0 U India for Account —24114 45,4 Cons. for April 16 9 - 2 1.,; 4 N PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONR O'CLOCK. Austrian Bonds 3razilian Bonds: • • 69 !'s !;i i Peruvian Bonds Buenos Ayres Bonds ... ;Poringliege bonds .•: — Chili= Bowls ... 2.6! Prussian, Old Colombian Bonds — Ditto, New — Ditto, 1824 Danish 74 % 1A Spanish. 1521 WVYs Greek Bonds — l—.lB7e3 1)1i Ditto, :825 Guatimala — Exchange ...... 23f. 70 . 'demean Bonds ...... .. . ... . . Ditto. 1825 — Exchange ...... —l. —c. PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AY ONE O'CLOCK. Paid. Per Share. Anglo Mex. Min. Co. (iss. at 51. pm. £lOO Tili Brainlian Imp. Mm. Co. (iss. at 51. pm.) £2O W 4 81 Ditto National.., lO i 91,4 Real dcl Monte Mining Co. ...... £loo 52 United Mex. Min. Co. (W. at 21. pm.) Zi<A6 20 1 4 Alliance Fire and Life Insurance Co. 10 1014 Awcr 1" 7 *14344 " ' LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 2, 1830. The French Papers of Wednesday, and the Evening Papers dated Thursday, have been re ceived by Express. Their contents contain nothing positive with respect to VILLELE's joining the Ministry of POLIGNAC ; but the Times says on this subject, that " a private letter brought us by this Express, and on which we can rely, states positively that there is not a word of truth in the accounts published in the Liberal journals respecting M. DE VILLELE. No negotiations have taken place between M. DE VILLELE and M. DE POLIGNAC. No one has been authorized on either side to make overtures to the other. M. DE VILLELE is a cool calculator, and is well aware of the great difficulty of the present crisis. He observed the other day to a friend, that the circumstances of the country did not render his entrance into the Ministry advisable. He would like to see a few more of his old rivals humiliated, like poor LA BOURDONNAYE. The two divisions of Royal ists are indeed irreconcileable." M. DE VILLELE leaves Paris, it is supposed, on Monday week. (Extracts from the Papers.) " Rumours of a change in the Ministry continue to prevail. M. de Peyronnet is mentioned for the Interior; M. Ferdinand de Berthier for the Mirine; M. Dudon for the Finance Department ; and M. Guernon Ranville, for Keeper of the Seals ; the latter to be succeeded as Minister of Public Instruction by M. Berrier.—Journal du Com merce. " The Prince de Polignac left Paris yesterday, at two o'clock, for his seat at Millemont, from whence he is ex pected at Paris this morning, to attend a Council of Mi nisters. " The departure of the Count de Villele for Toulouse is said to be definitively fixed for Friday next. —Le Temps. "The Courier de Smyrne contains the following article :—" Letters of a recent date from Syra state that England has ceded to Greece four of the lonian Islands, so as only to keep Corfu, Zante, and Cephalonia. We know not what reliance is to be placed on this intelli gence, but it does not appear improbable, if it be con sidered that the possessions in question, which would add to the territory of Greece, are of little importance to England, and, in fact, are a heavy expense to her." " The National says—' We are of opinion that England will be disposed to throw every kind of ob stacle in the way of our expedition, in order to thwart its aim if there should be any intention of forming a colony on the African coast. It is even reported that Lord Stuart de Rothsay has expressed himself clearly on this subject.' " In lieu of the budget usually presented to the Cham bers, a report to the King on the administration of the finances for the year 1830 has just been addressed to the Peers and Deputies. This report, which embraces all the parts of the most important branch of the public service, contains a summary statement of the measures that for a number of years have gradually improved the system of the Central Administration of the Finances, by procuring important savings. The recapitulation which cl oses the report computes at 20,760,000 francs the savings hitherto made, owing to the gradual developement of parliamen tary inquiries and discussions.— Courier Francais. " It is reported,' says the Temps, that soon after his accession to the throne of Greece, Prince Leopold will marry the only daughter of the late Duke of Piacenza, who is heiress to a fortune of 30,000,000 francs, and whose beauty is only equalled by her mental accomplish mentor. She is at present at Egina with her mother." FaaNcl FUNDS.—PARIS, MARCH 31..—Five per Cents., 106 f. 40e.35c. 10c.45e.; Four per Cents.,lolf.:lsc.; Three per C?nts., 83f. 75e. 80c.7be. 70e. 73e. ; Bank Stock, 1,915 f. ; Rentesde Naples, OA 90c. 95c. ; Rentes d'Espagne, 13 12% ; Royal Spanish Loan, 90'41. 90f. % ; itentes Perpetuelled'Espagne, 78XE Si 17; Haytian Loan, 550 f. 547 f. 60e. MoE—Exchange on London —One month, paper, 2.5 f. 65e. ; three months, paper. 25f. bUc.— Caurs Amthentique. German Papers have been received this morn ing to the 28th March. Their contents relate chiefly to the recovery of Colonel HEIDEGGER —the death of the Prussian Ambassador Extra ordinary at Hamburg—the elevatio❑ of an English Bishop, THOMAS WELD, Bishop of Ainyclea, in Upper Canada, to the dignity of Cardinal, chiefly for his protection of the Jesuits —and the dismissal of the REIS EFFENDI, be cause he did not conquer the Russians, with the continuance of the plague at Adrianople. VIENNA, Mai cit 22.---Metalliques, 1031; Four per Cent. do., 98i ; Bank Stock, 1343 ; in the evening, 1350. We understand that a clerk, only 18 years of age, in a German house in Broad -street, has absconded with money of his employers to the amount it is said of 5,000/., and it is supposed has escaped in the Cambria, which sailed from Portsmouth yesterday morning at nine o'clock, for New York. He has taken with him a. female, a child, and a livery servant, the latter having been stationed at Portsmouth up wards of a week to make the necessary ar rangement for the flight. Mr. GATES, the solicitor, has gone in pursuit of him, but with slight hope of success. The Returns to be ordered by Government, at the instance of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, of the quantities of gold and silver that shall hereafter be exported from the South American States, will be highly useful, provided they can be ascertained with any degree of accuracy. There will probably be difficulties arising from the very imperfect manner in which the South American Custom-houses take account of these exporta tions, and of the frequency of shipments without any Government visitation, but though the Re turns be somewhat rough, they will throw much light upon the effect which the pres en t diminu tion in the supply of the precious m e t a l s may have on prices throughout the world. If the supply of silver from Ameitca be now only about Jue-seventh of the eight millions sterling which used to be produced, and if the gold has likewise decreased, this diminution must already have been sensibly felt, though counterbalanced by ;lie increased supply from the Ural Mountainp which, according to Baron HUMBOLDT, appear to have yielded gold and silver to the value of three millions and a half sterling since 1824. The cost of obtaining the precious metals expresses the value of the wages of la bour, and consequently of all profits and in comes in every country ; and it is therefore a very interesting speculation in what degree that cost may have been lately enhanced by the greater scarcity of the precious metals themselves, al . stractedly from other catiaesz Prices do not, it is true, bear anything like an exact proportion to the actual quantity of bullion, for they have risen only about four or five times since the dis covery of America, though the quantity of bul lion in circulation has since that time been so enormously enhanced ; but they are regulated by it to a sufficient extent to make the inquiry of importance. When we know that in 1514 the value of a hectolitre (about 34 bushels) of wheat was equal to 333 grains of pure silver— that in 1640 it was 380 grains—in 1789, 1,342 grains—and in 1820, 1,610 grains—and that prices haVe been regularly rising up to within a few years of the last-mentioned date ; and when we consider that the present re duction in wages and profits has been contem poraneous with the falling off of the supply of bullion, we 'cannot but think that this subject requires much further investigation than has hitherto been bestowed on it. Mr. HUME, who paid much attention to this topic, observes in his " Essay on Money," that " though the "'absolute quantity of the precious metals is a " matter of great indifference, yet two circum " stances are of importance, viz. :—their gradual " increase, and their thorough concoction and " circulation through the State," and it is, at ail , events, certain, that a state of things in which they are increasing is as beneficial, as that in which they are on the decrease is injurious to industry. The condition of our industry is, that the precious metals are on the de crease, and the difficulty of procuring them is becoming greater and greater. It is therefore imperative upon the Government to ascertain as nearly as possible the degree in which this state of things is attributable to the diminished supply of the precious metals themselves, for, that being once settled, the remaining causes of the stagnation of industry fall within the range of those which it is in the power, and forms part of the duty, of the Legislature to remove. Viewing this matter as quite distinct from what is commonly ,called " the Currency Question," it is not necessary to mix it up with the opinions of those who hold that the with drawal of four or five millions of small notes by the Act of 1826. has created such a demand for gold in England as to raise its value all over the world. The withdrawal of twenty millions of sovereigns, says Mr. PAULET SCROPE, from the quantity of gold available for purchase in he civilized world must make a very large hole in it. Not so considerable a hole, Mr. SCROPE, as the abstraction of a pot out of a barrel of beer, for 20 million sovereigns are but the two hundredth part of the 2,000 millions sterling of the precious metals which are in use throughout the world, even admitting that a demand for 20 millions had been created. We think both Mr. Sc ROPE, and his panegyrist in the Quarterly Review, to be in error as to the effect they attribute to the Bill of 1826, but we entirely agree with them in the necessity of putting our Banking Establishments on a very different footing from that on which they at present stand. The Quarterly Review, in the article on Banking, has well described the advantages that Scotland has derived from her most excellent system of Joint Stock Companies carrying on business upon paid-up capital—re ceiving deposits of any amount, however small, on which interest is paid—and lending on the other hand at such a rate of interest as will yield a profit over that which they pay. The Scotch Bankers do not, like ours, derive a profit from floating balances left in their hands without in terest, or make the discounting of bills their re gular business, but advance money upon -Go vernment or real securities, or upon those excel lent helps to industry—cash credits. There is no fear from the issue of their notes, because they trade upon paid-up, not merely subscribed capital ; nor would there be any from One Pound Notes in England, provided measures were taken for the security of the public, by restricting the issue of them to such bankers as could give the Government a satisfactory assurance of their possession of capital, either by the deposit of securities, or otherwise. To a paper currency, convertible always into gold at the will of the holder, there can be no valid objection ; so far from it, that its tendency is proved, by the ex ample of Scotland, to be highly beneficial in affording the means of procuring capital to those whose labour would otherwise remain unpro• ductive. Under the system, or want of system, upon which banking in England is conducted, small notes were, and would, if restored, be an enormous evil ; but if once the solvency and good conduct of the Banks are secured, the source of mischief is removed, and the notes do as much good as they otherwise could do harm. The President of the Board of Trade has expressed himself favourable to a revision of the law concerning Banking ; and the ap proaching expiration of the Charter of the Bank of England affords a most favourable oppor tunity of putting the whole system on a new footing. If the Bank Directors raise obstacles, a s it is hardly to be thought they will, to mea sures which the public good requires the Go vernment has but one course to pursue, with re gard to the Bank Charter, which will expil e in three years. The Government may make its own terms with the Bank, and there is, there fore, no reason why it should not forthwith pro ceed to such a reformation of our monetary sys tem as appears to be imperatively required. SHIPPING INTEIItGENCE.v.(TiIiS .) FROM LLOttlq.3. DEAL, APRIL I.—Wind, E.N.E. fresh.—iiiiiVed from London, the Faith, Jackson, for St. Kitts ; Royal George, —, for India ; rfautilus t Dunsford, for Toulon. PORTSMOUTH, APRIL I. E. N• E. --Arrived -*rom London, the Boddington, Noyes, for 3ladras ; George, Kaltensbury, for Van Diemen's Land. ga3e4 the William Beasley, Small, for Quebec; Centurion, Btu ke,fo7 Quebec, utd Colombia, Delano, for New York. PLYMOUTH, MARCH :31. —Arrived from London, The Nfaytlower, Martin, for America. LIVERPOOL, APRIL !I.—Wind E.S.E.—Arrived the Saracen, Hammond, from New Orleans; and the Ceres, Ada, from Ancona. MEMEL, MARCH 20.—There has been a strong thaw this week, which has greatly diminished the snow, and ')egins td lia*.e influence on the ice, but a free navigation is nut expected bdort the middle of April: There is no open water on the coast. THF MARKETS.-(THIS DAY) CORN EXCHANGE. There are considerable sup'pnn• this week of all kinds of Grain except Oats. Of Flour the quantify t 6 large. There is still a scarcity of superfine Wheat, but other strrte being more • plentiful than of late are Is. to 2s. per quarter cheaper. Barley meets a very heavy sale at declining prices. Beans and Pease folly maintain Monday's rates. Oats meet a slack sale, but are nut simper. Flour very dull. ARRIVALS. Wheat. Barley. English I 7,100 qrs. 10,9' ()qrs. Irish Foreign - Oat 9. I flour. 7,300 qrs. l Flour. 550 -- brls. CITY. MARKETS.-(TWO O'CLOCK.) COFFEE.-The business by private contract, is small. ' By public sale, ordinary to fine ordinary Jamaica, has sold Is. to 2s. per cwt. cheaper. Fine Coffees are, how ever, in demand, and 645. to 70s. are paid for middling to good middling, for shipment. Berbice, favourite quality, sold from 675. to 795. About 60 bales of Mocha, sold from 755. to 855., being ss. lower than last sale pri,:es. East India went off at 31s. Gd. per cwt. Good Mocha realizes 100 s. to 105 s. 6d. freely. Toßacco.—The demand for Virginias continues limited. For the ,Antwerp and Holland markets ordinary qualities realize 2i-d. to 2 1 1(1., and middling 3d. per lb. Of Stem med few purchases are.making for home use, and the stock is considerable. , A few sales have lately been made for Ireland at 3d. to 4id. and lid. per lb. THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.) CITY, TVrEL riff O'CLOCK We understand that a young man, about 18 years old, has absconded with a large sum of money ; he was clerk in an eminent merchant's house in the vicinity of the Royal Exchange. He left London in a post-chaise and four, for Portsmouth, accompanied by a girl of Drury lane Theatre, with a child 10 months' old, and it is much feared that he will be in time to get on hoard the fast sail ing ship, Cambria, bound to America. Two officers have gone after him. Accounts from Constantinople of the same date as the last, state that Count Gip° d'lstria was going to issue a Manifesto to the Greek Senate, owing to his having re ceived a communication from the Plenipotentiaries of the Grand Powers. A very animated communication is kept up with Alexandria, and Mohemed Ali is again in favour with the Porte. It is also positively known that the Sultan will not take any part in the French expedition to Algiers, and which is not approved of by the Porte. The Belle Gabrielle, of 60 guns, has sailed from Cher bourg for Toulon, and the Melpomone, of GO guns, has sailed for Brest : they are both frigates, the former having 800 men on board. Twelve men deserted from the Ga• brielle. A trial has been made at Toulon of a newly invented Congreve rocket, which is thrown to a great dis tance, and the fire cannot be extinguished. THE FUNDS. We are again without any arrivals of ship-letters, and the Express from Paris contains no information of import ance. Had it not been for the report of hie Majesty's be ing much indisposed, our city speculators would have had nothing to do. Console, which left off yesterday at 92i for the Ac count, opened at 921 I, owing to the above report, and have receded to 921 I, both for money and time. To the present hour the speculations in the market have not been to any great extent. In the Foreign Market nothing doing. Greek may be quoted a shade better. Bank Stock, India Stock, S per Cent. Cons. 92= 1 8 Do. for Account, 92i-, 1 ,- Ditto Reduced, FOREIG Brazilian, 69i Buenos Ayres, 32 34 Cbillan, Colombian, 201 Danish, 74 French, 5 per Cent. 106 7 Ditto, 3 per Cent. 83i 411 FUNDS. 31 per Cent. New 4 per Cent., 102 i 4 per Cent. 1826, India Bonds, 81 82 Exchequer Bills, 78 79 FUNDS. Greek, 40 41 Mexican, Slf 2 Peruvian, 20 Portuguese, 60 Prussian, Russian, 1101 1 Spanish, 144 TWO O'CLOCK. The unfavourable state of the weather causes a great dulness in the City, and but few persons have made their appearance on 'Change. Up to the present hour we have no authentic information in regard to his M tjesty's health, therefore his indisposition only rests on reports, but it has had a little effect on the Funds. Consols are rather better than in the early part of the morning, when they were at 92+, and may at present be quoted 92k, buyers, fur the Account, and 92+, sellers, fur Money. Accounts from Memel, of the 20th of March, state that there his been a strong thaw during the week, which has greatly diminished the snow ; but a free navigation is not expected until the middle of April : there is no open water to he seen. _ . _ In the Foreign Market the only business doing is in Greek Bonds, which have rather improved. 7 HREE 0' CL 0 CK. A message has been received at the Foreign market from Lord Aberdeen, in answer to 11r. Longhman'a Cor • respondence in October last, which made a strong claim in behalf of the British subjects is regard to the Greek Loans, begging his Lordship to interfere on the subject for their payments; we understand the answer of Lord Aberdeen to Mr. Loughnan, is that Mr. Dawkins, Charge d'Affaires, had twice applied to the Greek Government for the pay ment of the loans, but at the latest date he had not received any precise answer• from the President, who had already pointed out to the Senate to provide for the foreign debt. COURT CIRCULAR. The Duke of CLARENCE attended yesterday morning a meeting of the corporation of the Trinity-house, on Tower-hill. His Royal Highness, as Master, presided at the dinner given by the corporation in the evening. . . The Duchess of CLARENCE dined with the Duke and Duchess of GLOUCESTER, at Gloucester-house, yesterday evening. Their Royal Highnesses honoured the perform ance of Monsieur PoriEß, in Les Plaideurs, Le Jeuf, and Le Cuisinier de Thar" at the fisyruarket Theatre, with their presence in the evening. The Duke of CLA RENCE subsequently joined the party. A Cabinet Counsel was held yesterday afternoon at the Foreign Office, which was attended by the Duke of WEL LINGTON, Earls BATHURST, ROSSLYN, and ABERDEEN, Mr. Secretary PEEL, Sir GEORGE MURRAY, and Mr. lIERRIES. The LORD CHANCELLOR. arrived at the Council about an hour after it had assembled. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was prevented from attending the meeting, owing to being engaged on a Committee of the House of Commons. The Ministers remained near two hours in deliberation. The Spanish and Hanoverian Ministers had interviews with the Earl of ABERDEEN yesterday, at the Foreign-office. The Earl of CLARENDON and Lord ASHLEY had inter views with the Duke of WELLINGTON yesterday, at the Treasury. THE KING.—We are extremely to sorry to announce that his MAJESTY is so unwell as to render the attendance of more than one of the Royal Physicians neces sary. His MAJESTY has been occasionally indisposed in the course of the last two months, but the late fine weather seemed to have restored him to perfect health, and he con tinned so until within these two last days, when he again became so unwell that the physicians were summoned ; and we understand the indisposition is so serious as to con fine his MAJESTY to his bedchamber.—Morning Paper. TOBACCO.--It has been determined by Go - vernment to allow the growth of Tobacco in Ireland, subject to a certain fixed excise duty. It is understood that a bill will soon be brought into Parliament on this subject. The duty to be imposed has not yet transpired, but it is generally reported that it will amount to from Is. 6d. to 2s. 2d. per lb. _-.-~-~. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.. We beg to direct the attention 0 f our readers to the proceedings in the Hous., of Cemino.ns, on Lord Ellen- borough's Divorce Bill. In a questio n in its nature •,, indicial, and requiring the strictest imp, vtialitY, we aril - sorry to observe any symptoms of party 6 yirit, either in., those who oppose or tilose who support the I iiii• Let. tbe • ease be discussed like that of any other plaintiff:. Tb e paint . to be proved are--let, the adultery; that pros , ed, a 1 giinct facie right of divorce is established; but such . right, may . ,L_ , e defeated, and is in nine cases out of ten I ' lefeated,. 'by the establishment against the husband of all, or even one profligacy. .. of the t°')llowing facts :.--Collusion or connivan es witt , the wife—get,,l negligence of ker morals or comt *nrts--1 'ross t : ma o t f ter th ( e s se dis f e a t e it ts si, mp.rovce dinthe adultery, poin is xv h n i , i e e i t t i t i p ey po t :e re ,ire a a l n o y ne — i •i s s t h(. e m , tl u te e r d e er cazt: m. , e no doubt; on the, 4 +the r this case? nil' nsideration of thtee om petent triburai, it does present to hear it, to the i. ellling the attention of th, Ise Membt.Ts who were. not not become us to speak, 1)07 and however, could evidently tell s.ll e ssential. That foi ry. Steele: most of it is new, and , knows? Who is that person--a la‘ -a z : o , r i t r at e i t if e, Steele: en:e t s a f : i :e s , iy . it seems--again ,t questioned. Why is she not called whose society she particularly warned L upon to state 91/ a he lenborough ? Whatever the rank of tha, -I appear. li ke ord and Lady p - , person may fie, though she be a Princess, her name shout, warning was disregarded in the present cas the consequences. Let the name of this dank Terous me t k,„ e, and we 6 4 6 4 " e ber of " respectable society," as Sir H. Hardi t. ‘ge h call ay s . its, be generally known , that other p ersons ma y means of avoiding that rock which Lord Eite l g thor.ou the, h' chose to run against. For the prese nt we sa y n ° more, except to entreat the fullest , the most f e arless, and above all, the moat impartial investigation of, this extraoro laarY/ ease.--Times. • . Lord Ellenborough's Divorce Bill passed OM Commit I* B ' in the House of Commons last night, and it did not appeL that any material" oppsitiOn is intended. 'We trust that the expectation we arc now induced to entertain may be realised, since it will then be seen that the House of Cosa tnons has ao sympathy with the propagators of cenvilet insinuations which at this time are disgracin a portion of the Press. To explain our meaning i n a j e er , words those persons would attempt to force a belief tha);- collation exited between the parties, that Lord Ellenbdeosig,ll con nived at the criminal conduct of his wife! Dieepst;rs; as it is to allude to such infamous machinations , we esavOt but put it to the public judgment to say, %Out tame mi the constitution of those minds which could givibirtfr tea so revolting a suppostion. To establish the, fait that atto' man could be a party to his wife's dishonont, for such the broad assertion, the most conclusive, the most , damning proofs would be necessary; but how stands• the fact in the present instance ? Thus : that not a shadOW of evidence has or can be adduced to warrant even a suspicion ; so far from it, that the evidence of re lations, of acquaintances, and of servants, irresOttly leads to the opposite conclusion. The examinAtion , of Mr. Freshfeld also on this point last night ',le-- serves to be attended to. " From the first communicit , tion witness had from Lord Ellenborough upon the subject, his Lordship never swerved from his purpose of proceeding legally, but stated to the witness that he considered it due to his own honour, and to the honour of Lady Ellenbe— rough, as-he had her assertion of her innocence, to havee the reports investigated, and said the matter could not be' allowed to stand still. Does not believe that Lord Elk's-- borough bash any knowledge of an acquaintance between , Lady Ellenborough and Prince Schwtwtsenburg until the public reports reached him." To what, then, does the charge amount? To no more than this, that Lord Ellen borough placed a, degree of confidence in his wife which events proved to be unmerited. The report that Lord El lenborough contemplates a second marriage we have al ready contradicted ; it is obviously forced into circulation with the view of giving some plausible colouring to the other calumny ; they are worthy of each other, and of those who imagined them—persons whose miserable afrectation of morality tends only to expose more fully the blacknessa4 the heart beneath.—Morning Post. The 1-2 . onse of Commans edified itself last night, if it didi not edify the public, by diving a little more—as a Scottish, Presbytery ca" divines and elders of the Kirk—videlicet,. that of Alford— -expressed itself on a similar occasion—, into the affair of Lady Ellenborough—a most disgusting; and immoral affair e very Inc will allow, but with the de-., tails of which it ti" data appear that • the prurient curiosity; , of certain parties will nut be satiated. It,is but little-. creditable to the English Ar:stocracy that such a flagrant: case of adultery—we mention tlo.ngs by their right names— should have occurred among them,. It is indeed in these days, when their influence is de.pidedly on the de— cline, a matter of somewhat serious moment that, at will be perceived on a perusal of the evidence ad. duced last night before a Committee •of the House of Commons, the visitors of a Cabinet Itinister dfid his lady, though extremely fashionable, alm;uld not, even in the estimation of the parties minglin /vita% them, be considered respectable ; but while in applyiec: this; evidence to the case in hand, we allow the full for% 'e of the doctrine, that the man is most culpable—say, alosCit a particeps crinzinis—who permits his wife to aesseiata.' with such persons, we must also, on the other hand, pro,. test against the doctrine that, because a husband does not. shut up his wife at home, as is the case in Turkey and Hindostan, or does not watch her in all outgoings and in— ' comings, he had, therefore, no reason to expect any other,- result than that which has befallen Lord Ellenborough. The doctrine is insane, and the practice recommended not only likely to lead to mischievous effects, but ut. terly subversive both of individual happiness and of do mestic comfort and confidence. We protest against it with all our might, and cannot for our life conceive what could possibly have induced Lord Radnor to state in the debate of the 17th ult., in the House of Lords, as a reasons why the Divorce Bia should not pass, that " the un-- " happy lady had been suffered to go abroad, driving her • " ponies to Harley-street, without the least restraint ! '"' Away with such twaddle. If women are only to be pre served in purity while under the immediate eye of their husbands, why they are not worth preserving; and if, on the other hand, every man is to be deemed a party to the guilt of his wife when she commits adultery, who does not attend her on her visits, there are few, we think, who would think of binding themselves, for better or for worse, to such a plague. Such practice would put an end - at once to all good faith in the most intimate and confidential re lations of life ; and instead of conducing to the happiness of individuals, render the most solemn tie the greatest of curses. We scout the doctrine as baneful in practice-- degrading a n tdo utterlythe of fidelity th e Nobleo fo u r o c r o d u country women; t— ient it the sanction of his name.—Morning Advertiser. ENGLISH BIRTIIS. On the 31st ult. in Gower-street, Bedford square, the lady of J. Matteson, Di. of a son. On the 31st ult. the lady of J. F. W. Herschel, Esq., of Slough, Bucks, of a daughter. On the 30th ult. at Crayford rectory, the lady of the Rev. G. E. Gillett, of a son. MARRIED. On the 31st ult. at Bath, George Parkhnuse, Esq.,. Secretary to the Commissions for Arcot and Tanjore, to France,, daughter of the late Edmund Armstrong, of Gallen, Esq., King's County, and niece of the Right Honourable Lord Ashtown. On the 30th ult. at Southwell, R. Warrand, Esq., late of the Enniskillen Dragoons, to Sarah Sophia, youngest daughter of the Rev. W. Claye, of Westhorpe, Notts. On the 30th ult. at Cheltenham, G. Basevi, Esq. of Saville-row, London, to Frances Agnew, fifth daughter of J. S. Biseoe, Esq., of Cheltenham. On the 30th ult. at Shalford, Surrey, J. Sparkts, Esq. of Gosden-house, to Emma, third daughter of the late J. M. Molyneux, Esq., of Loseley-park, Surrey. On the 30th ult. at Alton, Hants, Mr. Hepworth, of Gosport, to Mary, eldest daughter of the late T. Gunner, Esq., of Will-hall. DIED. On the 27th ult. at St. Helier's, Jersey, in the P s th year of his age, Robert Fraser, E•q., of Struy, Inyerness slire,whoseo liberalf heart, mind, social endear his men l qualities , to integrity or and kindness those who best knew bitn. On the SOth ult. at Reading, W. Neal, Esq. of Tower bill, to Elizabeth, widow of the late Wm. Forbes, Eeq., of Yeovil. At Bath, aged 72, Mrs. A'Bcckett Turner, widow of the late A'Beckett Turner, Esq. of Penleigh-house, and mother of Lieut.-Col. Phipps, of the Royal Dragoons, and T. H. H. Phipps, of Leighton-house, Wilts. On the Ist inst. in Chailotte-street, Blackfriars-road, A. Lean, Esq., aged 86, many years Secretary to the Hudson's Bay Company. On the Ist inst. Maria Georgians, daughter of Wm. Wainewright, Esq., of Fludyer-street, Westminster. PRINTED AND PUELISHED fir MURDO YOUNG, Al TIM SYN Ormr, 11% "PIItAX/x, LONOO.O. 7 2_ --e , fa! ti in] Ad