The Sun. — London, England, 1854-03-31 00:00:00

Yeames, which was received by the Government on the 15th of April "I beg to refer to my letter of the 4th inst., and I have now to inform you that the movements of the sth corps have of late been hastened, so that the three diiisi ons o f intently are to be assembled-in the positions descried be fore the end of the present mouth (0. S.), It is in par ticular to be observed that the 14th division, as well as the 13th, is prepared for an expedition by sea. The troops, including the officers, are to c irry rations for four days, and knapsacks for the officers are now made for that pur pose. I hear there is to be no big•zitge further than can be thus carried, and no horses will be embarked. • . . Great exertions continue to ba inada by the Admiralty at Nicolaieff and " Sebastopol to have everything that can swim ready for sea." He now came to the despatch making the well-known announcement with regard to the proposal by Russia to Turkey to enter into a secret treaty, to be unknown to England and France. It was from Colonel Rose to . Lord Clarendon, and was received on the 15th of . April : "Prince Menschikoff, as I learnt yesterday from the Grand Vizier, has tried to exact a promise from Rifaat Pasha, before he makes known to him the nature of his mission and of his demands, that the Porte shall make a formal promise that she will not reveal them to the British or French representatives." • The next and last despatch to which he would refer was one from Vice Consul Cunningham, which was re ceived on the 15th of April : " Galatz. "My Lord,—l beg to inform your lordship that fresh orders have been received in Bessarabia to prepare for the passage of troops and to get waggons ready for the transport of baggage. It is said, and such appears to be the case from the amount of preparation ordered, that two corps d'armee (upwards of 120,000 men), will pass,'and waggons are ordered to be ready for the 10th of May (0. b.) When ever orders are given to make preparations the greatest 'secrecy is enjoined. Hitherto, no troops, in addition to, the five battalions men ti one d i n m y last, h ave entered • Bessarabia ; but it is understood they are marching for : ward from all directions." . He would troub'e the house with no more extracts. He had given all, the information that was sent to her Ma .; jesty's Government,' beginning on the 7th of January . and ending on the 15th of April. It began by informing them that 144,000 Russian ,troops were advancing to the Turkish frontier ; it then told them that a secret proposition was made by the Emperor of Russia to Eng-- land for a partition of the territories of Turkey. - it next informed them of the demands made on Turkey by the . Russian ambassador at Constantinople, and of the alarm which was inspired by those demands ; it also acquainted them with the fact that a secret treaty was proposed to Turkey by Russia, and it concluded by informing them that Russian troops were adv timing in all directions towards the Turkish frontier. He wished the house to mark this fact, that the last despatch which he had quoted was received by the Government on the 15th of April, and the right hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed hi.i budgeton the 18th of same month. When the budget was proposed the Government were in possession of all the information lie had now read to the house. The question he would ask was, —could a Government, know all these facts, and having received all this information, shut its ee es to the real state of the case, and not be convinced that in all human probability. and so far as human foresight could discern, a war must ensue —either that England must become a party to an iniquitous partitioning of the Turkish empire, or be in volved in a war with Russia ? Tiiese were clearly the only alternatives ; and was that the moment fora pru dent Minister, holding the-high office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, to come down to the house and make a financial proposal, the clear tendency of which was to weaken and imp tir the-e national resources which at such a moment it was his paramount duty to guard with peculiar jealousy ? It was, at that very moment, how ever, that the right hon. gentleman undertook certain . financial operatinee, which mielit have been very pru dent had all that those despatches contained been false and unfounded ; but, under the actual circumstances of the country, with a war imminent, with a war, if not certain, strongly probable, was that a moment to under take such a financial scheme am the right hon. geetlernan, proposed, which, if not successful, could not tail to pro duce most serious effects upon the resources of the country ? What, in the first place, had been the effect in regard to the balances in the Exchequer—that re source which every prudent, Minister should reserve to himself, in case events should (incur that demanded an immediate supply of means 1 By a statistical abstract, :furnished annually by the Board of Trade, there was a statement of the balances in the Exchequee for the last 10 or 12 years. He would pass over the years 1841 and 1842, because the house would recollect the circumstances of these years•and the financial difficulties which had arisen in the country. It was when Sir Robert Peel was beginning his new commercial system ; but what had always been the policy of that great financial minis ter 7 Why, to take care of the balances in the Exche quer, and guard against the country being left without resources. Beginning with the year 1844„be found that the balance in the Exchequer for that year was 6,254,1131. ; in 1845, 8,452,0901 . ; i n 1846, 9,131,2821.; in 1847, 8,457,6911. ; in 1848, 8,105,561/. ; in 1849, 9,748,5391. ; in 1850, 9,245,6761.; in 1851, 8,381,6371.; and in 1852, 8,841,8221. But, by the commencement of the following year, the right hon. gentleman had re duced the balance one-halt the amount in 1853, being 4 ,485,230/. He (Sir J. Pakington) felt himself justified therefore in saying, as he had done on a former occa sion, that this country was entering upon a war with an empty Exchequer, and that th was one of the main causes of the heavy tax which the right lion. gentletuanti bad imposed on the counter. But that part of the sub ject bad already been amply dealt with, and severely, and, as he thought, justly, censured in former discus sions. He woul I now arithert to the plans submitted to the house by the right hon. gentleman in his budget of 1853, and it was here that he thought the house and 'the country had a right to complain. They bad a right to complain that the war which was now coming upon them should involve them in so obnoxious an impost as a doubled income tax. Not that that house objected to any impost which the country might be fairly liable to for carrying on a just war ' • but they wer e b oun d i n jus tice to the co untr y to show that a prudent financial policy would have prevented the necessity of that ob noxious impost. The right hon. gentleman had dealt with the finances of the country in the past year in a manner which was not justifiable ; and he was confident of this, that if the House of Commons had known, and if the country had known, that which they did know now, and that which her Majesty's Government knew then, if they had known the actual state of Europe and the almost certainty of a coming war, they would not have passed the budget of the right hon. genttemen, nor have allowed him to endanger the resources of the comi c/A*4o the extent that lie had done. He was always fermithembitter the discussio ns of that house by.any thing like personal altercation, and there was no one on whom he was less disposed to cast any imputation than the right hon. gentleman ; he, therefore, hoped the right hon. gentleman would not suppose he meant anything like a personal offence when he said - that the proposal which the right hon. gentleman made to the house in respect to the income tax in 1853 was not perfectly fair and ingenuous under the circumstances under which he made it. (Cheers from the Opposition.) The right honourable gentleman came down to the house and asked it to renew the income tax fir seven }ears. When he made that propesal, he frankly allowed that the income tax, as he proposed it, was an un equal and therefore an unjust tax ; he admitted to the house that a particular class of property would be called upon to pay 9d. in the pound, while all other descrip tions of income would only pay 7d. in the pound. But the right hon. gentlenisri accompenied this announce. ment by this proposal—" If (siiit he) you will adopt the income tax for seven years I will only ask you for 7d. in the pound for the first two year ; I will ask 6 , 1. in the pound for the next two years ; and for the three last years I will only ask sd- - in the pound, and then the in come tax will expire.' It was true, when the right hon. gentleman was asked whether the tax would, at the end of the seven years, really expire, he took very good care not to involve himself in any kind of pledge. But cer tainly the house did not then know that the right hon. gentleman at that very moment had in his possession information in virtue of which, arid as the natural result of which, that income tax of 7d. in the pound, before 12 months had elapsed, hid become doubled. It was now Is. 2d. in the pound. (Loud cheers from the Opprisi tion.) The right hon. gentleman himself would hardly deny, that if the house had known the state of our nego tiations at that moment, they would not have so readily Lien into his proposal. They gave an income tax for seven years, on the principle that the tax was to be gra dually diminished in amount till, at the end of seven years, it should altogether expire. It would have been more candid on the part of the right hon. gentleman, and 'quid have done more credit to his character for fairness, if he had frankly told the house the state of Et;reDean affairs, and had said that the income tax could not expire at any given period ; but that, if the ne cessity should arise, he would be obliged to appeal to the house again. Th e r i g ht h on. gentleman would do that (the Opposition) side of the house the justice to recollect, that, although he had himself admitted that incomes derived from land and ho uses p a id a muc h higher tax thyi other descrietions of income— a differ ence amounting t() 22 per cent.—and, although the agricultural cle 39 had long suffered under the injustice of payin g upon ti le• grhte rent, while others paid holy upon the net rent, Yet' they inade no objection to going on'tvith the tax "P'' i t P i e e Mltlitloll of having only to pay the income tax foe peried w hi c h he proposed. But if the right hon. gee'-'7was at that tim e looking forward to the income tax r d eeteeying, the expenses of a war—if war tax and that as' ta such x wa t s to be Nrded essentially as a e ih a eincreased again and , again, the n th e coun try had a i t o d eman d t hat that tax should be 'm a de a just and equbletier, and the right hon. gentleman was boniid to lik tplo t a k en one o f two courses —eithe r to h a ve imposed a actuated tax according to the different descriptions n is, or if he was disposed to t a k e th e o ther course. and' , saythat all incomes oug ht to be taxed then, on pro", a wn rule, the difference ,of the tax of 9d. on landed and of 7d. on other property—being 22 per pe rty should be done away with, and all jemmies shiula b e placed• on the same footing. He would now advert to another part of the right honourable gentleman' s budget, by which, in hi s mi n d, t h e r i g ht hon. gentle man did unwisely arid improvidently weaken the re sources of the country. He alb' led to the repeal of the duty on soap, and tothe re m i ss i on o f d ut y on tea. He had heard out of doors that, although taxes had been taken off to a very large extent, yet th at t h e revenue did n ot suffer. He did not think the right lion. gentleman was in a position to say that. • He (SirJ. Pakington) could not acknowledge the justice or the propriety of the course which was taken - iist year, with a war pending over our heads. In his opinion the right hon. gentleman was not justified, under the circurdstno of impc iliing or weakening the resources, of the country. If the right hon. gentleman considered himself obliged to increase direct tfuatica—aad to adopt a aucclagion-taz (which was a tax originally regarded by Mr. Pitt as a war tax), he (Sir J. Pakington) maintained, that at that moment with a war so pending—the right and prudent course would have been to have husbanded those resources for .a - time of actual war, and to have retained those-reve 'nues which he had in his possession, and which he was perfectly at liberty to retain ; and which if one word had fallen from him on' the subject that house would have supported him in retaining. Those additional taxes which he brought forward in his budget, as a compensa tion for those he had remitted, ought to have been re served for a time of danger; and if he had then proposed them for defraying the expenses of the war, however objectionable they might have been, th e coun t r y wou ld, no doubt, have adopted them rather than have submitted to this objectionable income.tax. But what was the course which the right hon. gentleman pursued ? He rashly and imprudently abandoned the soap-tax, the gross amount of which was 1,397,0001., the net loss being 1,111,090/. That was at once completely thrown away —most imprudently and unnecessarily thrown away ; fot he need not point out how much more easy it would have been for the right hon. gen tleman to have retained that tax than it would be to revert to it if the necessities of the country should re quire it. With regard to the remission of the tea, duty, h e observed that the right hon. gentleman had had another correspondence with his old friend, a Birming ham cltrk, and he saw that the Birmingham clerk and the right hon. gentleman were rather at issue. The Birmingham clerk did not think that the right hon. gen tleman had given him full compensation in the remission of duty on his tea for the double amount of income tax taken out of his pocket. That, however, was not the light in which he (Sir J. Pakington) was dealing with the subject. The view which he took of it was this— whether, with a coming war, with an almost certainly coming war, it was wise to tamper with these great and important means of revenue ? That was not the position of thingi when his right hon. friend near him, the mem ber for Buckinghamshire, was in office. He (Sir J. Pakingtoe) said, and he said so with pride, that the overtures for the partition of Turkey were not made to the late Government. On the contrary, there was every appearance of a continuance of peace during the period that that Government remained in ()Nee, and therefore the circumstances under which his right hon. friend, the member for Buckinghamshire, proposed a reduction in the tea duties, were entirely different from those which obtained when the right hon. gentleman opposite, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made his proposition to tire same effect. (Hear.) Estimating the reduction on 3,100,000 lbs. of tea, the reduction would amount to 336,000/. in the first year, 510,6001. in the second, 454,0001. in the third, and 604,000/. in the fourth, making a total of 1,934,6001. spread over a period of four years—a proposal for tampering with an im portant branch of the revenue, in his opinion, altogether unjustifiable under the circumstances. He moved no amendment, and had no intention of im peding the progress of the bill before the house. In a few minutes that tax would be imposed upon the people, and, so far as that house was concerned, the measure would be complete. He hoped, and believed, in the unhappy event of this war continuing, that the represen tatives of the people would continue to act in the same spirit, arid, if so, while representing the right feeling of the people who s -nt them there, should the right lion. gentlemen opposite continue in place, and be charged with the responsibility of conducting- the war, he believed that they—that this country would furnish the means, without hesitation, and with an unanimity never exceeded in this country, provided only they conducted that war with energy and vigour ; and might God grant they would conduct it with victory and suc cess ! (Cheers.) So long they would continue, not to refuse to the Government, but, on the contrary, with an unparallsied unanimity, to grant it all it asked, that the result might not be doubtful. But they had a right to expect of the Government that in their financial ar rangements in dealing with that solemn state of affairs we were now entering upon, they had a right to expect that they would manage their expenses prudently, and not for the sake of an ephemeral popularity waste the re. , ources of the country ; and that if we were obliged or called on to bear fresh bur4ens, which he doubted not would be borne, at least he hoped they would be so imposed as to be equal and just. (Hear, hear.) Mr. CARDWELL professed himself at a loss to un derstand why the right hon. gentleman had raised this discussion on the third reading of the bill. The right hon. gentleman said be did not mean to oppose the mea sure. Then, what was his object? It was not to de bate the Eastern question, for the right hon. gentleman had expressed a hope that it would not be discussed on this occasion ; and, as far as lie (Mr. Cardwell) was con cerned, he would gratify the right hon. gentleman's wish by not saying a word on the subject. There was, to be sure, one point which he hoped the right hon. gentleman would hereafter bear in mind. The right hon. gentleman had given the house to understand that if it had been his duty to bring forward a budget in April last, and he had at that time been acquainted with the contents of the despatches which the Government had in its possession, he would have done so under the settled conviction that the Crown of England must either go to war or be a concerting party to the dis graceful partition of the dominions of an ally. When the E.sstern question should come under discussion, the right hon. gentleman would have an opportunity of re conciling that view of the case with the oft-repeated as sertion that war might have been averted by a greater display of vigour on the part of the Government at a later period, namely, on the occupation of the itiee. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman .. it only regnired firmnewe and ear.. 4 -.or on the part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to have retained the soap duty and other imposts. If the Chancellor of the Exchequer, anxious to retain the income tax, had alarmed the House of Commons, and inspired them with greater apprehensions than he really entertained, that might have been an inducement to them to retain the income tax, but he could not understand by what stretch of imagination it could be argued that the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, desirous of retaining the tax, had concealed from the house the magnitude of his ap prehensions with regard to the state of our foreign af fairs. But when his right hon. friend was pressed on the subject of advertisements, of attorneys, and of hops, had he always obtained that unanimous support which the right hon. gentleman said he would have obtained if he had chosen to retain these imposts ? How deep must have been the right hon. gentleniin's conviction of the certainty of war in the middle of April if it would have induced him to have reversed his vote on all these occasions in favour of remission of taxation, and to have withheld from the country the boon of the remis sion of the tea duty! ("Hear," from Sir J. Pakington.) If that were the case, let him not hear the war imputed to anything that had occurred since the middle of April. What was the object of raising this discussion on the third reading of the Income-tax bill ? If it was argued that the Exchequer ought to be replenished, that it was not sufficiently full, why address that argument to the house on the third reading of this bill ? The right hon. gentleman had referred to a return for the purpose of pointing out a minute alteration which he thought ou.ght to be made in one or two lines, but if he would appeal to the statistical history of the country, contained in that return, he woulsl fiud that an important moral lesson, never AO valuable as at a time like this, when all the na tions of the world, and particularly that nation with which we had been drawn into collision, were examining the condition of this country, would be read to him upon the advantages of making the remissions of which he had complained, and the growth of the strength and influence of the country consequent upon them. That paper would tell him that, improvident as was the budget of last year, and although the income tax had notproduced 2,000,0001., and although the soap duty had been remitted, neverthe less the balance of revenue beyond expenditure was 3,250,0001. He would also tell him of the remission of the debt, to which he had not alluded ; it would tell him that there. had been a resoisiien of the debt last year to the amount of nearly 8,530,0001., and if the balance in the Exchequer had been reduc e d more than 4,000,0001., there was still a clear advantage amounting to 4,000,0001. to the credit of the country on the face of the account. Exchequer-bills were lower in amount than they had ever been known in this century, and, in spite of a har vest which had compelled us to make almost unpara lelled imports of corn, .and in spite of the apprehensions of war, our trade had been increasing, and we had every evidence of the growing prosperity and strength of the country for purposes of peace or war. It was encourag ing to know that if the right hon. gentleman had been in power, and had possessed the knowledge that these despatches would have given him, he would not have pursued that course of policy which the house, in its wisdom bad thought proper to pursue He concurred with the right hon, gentleman in acknowledging the spirit with which the present exigency had been met on both sides of the house, and he thought it was a circum stance of pride for this country, and of discouragement for our enemies, that, from the position in which it appeared from this paper we were placed at the com mencement of hostilities, we should be enabled to meet the expenditure which had been sanctioned by the house without the necessity of imposing fresh burdens, or of withdrawing remissions already given to the great body of the people. These were the circumstances under which, at the conclusion of alion g period of peace, the country was unhappily plunged into war. As there was no motion befo're the Ions; except the third reading of the Income-tax Bill—to which no amendment had been moved— and every argument used by the right hon. gentleman had tended to prove the necessity of replen ishing the Exchequer, and therefore the propriety of passing the bill, he did not understand why the light hon. gentleman should have thought it necessary, in giving his cordial concurrence to the principle and objects of th bill, to draw the house into a discussion upon budgets of former years. (Hear, hear.) Mr. MALINS asserted that the President of the Board of Trade had left all the main points of his right hon. friend's argument untouched. The right hon. gentleman askNl why raise a discussion on the third reading of the income tax bill, but he should bear in mind that the increase in the income tax formed the whole of the budget for the preient year, and that in deprecating discussion upon it, he deprecated financial disCussion altogether. Again, be said that they (the Opposition) proposed no amend ment, and contemplated no division. It had been proved to the house that the result of those financial operations, if they had been carried into effect last week, would have most the country 700.0001., and that now they would cost the country 800,000/. Such was the lamentable failur e of the right hon. gentleman's first effort in fin ance The success of future efforts of the right hon. gentleinan might, indeed, ultimately prove that he would be cheap to the country even at that price. At present, however, that was the price which they had had to pay for him. , In answe r to the taunt of the right lion. gen tleman who had last addressed the house, " Why do yon renew these discussions if you are not going to divide?" he (Mr. Malins) answered, that he renewed them because he desired to raise his voice, as he ahoutd continue t o raise it so long as ho had a seat in that house, against the proposition that this war could be carried 011 vagmo.'"..ll6. c ~.~- means of direct taxes. He could have understood the right hon. gentleman proposing to double the income tax if he had still belonged to the great Peel party, but he was at a loss to understand it, associated as he now was , with the noble lord the member for London, the noble lord the member for Tiverton, and others who had over and over again denounced it as the most detestable and obnoxious tax that had ever been imposed upon the people of this country. These associa tions of men who had no opinion in common, led to act ing upon no opinion at all ; and it was this constitution of the Government which had led to the war which they were now considering how we should pay for. He wished to ask the right hon. gentleman when he saw the Three per Cents, still falling, railway shares reduced not less than 10 per cent., and every kind of property going down rapidly, whether he was still of opinion that the expense of the war could be defrayed by direct taxation raised from year to year ? If he did, he ventured to warn the right hon. gentleman that he had not deceived him self more when he proposed to reduce the South Sea Annuities in 1853 than he was now deceiving himself in making this proposition. If this were to be a great war, and the expenses of the first year should turn out to be 10,000,0001. or 14,000,0001., how was the right hon. gentleman to raise so large a sum by direct taxes ? Did he think that he could double the income tax a second half-year ?—that he could go on indefinitely doubling the income tax ? Ha told the right hon. gentleman that he might pass an Act of Parliament to do it, but that he would be unable to collect the money, or, if he did, he would lose some other taxes, because there was a limit beyond which direct taxation could not be carried, and, if so heavy an income tax were imposed, the public would, he might rest assured, indemnify themselves in some other way. He beseeched the right hon. gentle. man to consider how he was to meet the serious amount which, he feared, was to be expended in this war. Would he propose indirect taxes, re-imposing some which he had before remitted ; or would he at once make up his mind to raise money by way of loan ? He (Mr. Malins) believed that it would be found impracticable, either by indirect or direct taxes, to raise the means of carrying on the war within the year, and, if so, it would be neces sary to make a proposition by which money could be raised for the purpose. If it were to be a great war, in tended to curb the ambition of Russia, and to secure last ing benefits for those who were to follow us, why should we of the present generation pay the whole expenses of the war ? He said that it was not a right principle that those who were to benefit by our efforts should not have thrown upon them some of the weight of the war, and he called upon the Government to act in this mat ter on the same principle as the great landed proprietor would act who, when making extensive permanent im provements, bore some portion of the expense himself and threw the remainder upon his successors. He trusted that the right hon. gentleman would take these matters into consideration, and that the session would not terminate before the house, acting upon an enlarged vies of the subject, would settle a system of finance by which the war might be carried on without proving unduly burdensome, grinding, and oppressive upon the present generation. If this were not done, but direct taxation were increased, those energies of the nation which now supported the Government might be de stroyed, and the war become so unpopular that we might be compelled to submit to an ignominious peace. (Hear, hear.) Mr. LAING pointed out the successful results of the remission of indirect taxes during the last ten years, and inferred thence that the great majority of the country would prefer a double income tax to retracing our steps by reverting to a system of indirect taxation. Mr. VANSITTART said, although he did not intend to oppose the present measure, he considered that there were ample grounds for discussion, and having seen that the Government had been guilty of such rashness, they would nut be doing their duty if they did not impress on them the necessity of using great caution and of taking bold measures when they were required. The bill was then read a third time and pas-ed. CONVENTUAL AND MONASTIC INSTI TUTIONS 104 ' - •.'71 g 4" , 4ce 4" SUN OFFICE, Seven o'clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.-(THIS EVENING.) In consequence of to-day being fixed for the conside ration, in both houses of Parliament, of her Majesty's most gracious message, announcing the suspension of all negotiations with the Emperor of "All the Russias," large crowds of persons collected in Palace-yard, in Westminster Hall, and along the different passages lead ing to each house, in order to witness the arrival of the various Peers and members of Parliament, and great anxiety was evinced by them to see the most prominent members of the Cabinet. The interior of the House of Lords presented a more exciting appearance than it has done on any other occasion we recollect, except at the opening and close of Parliament, when her Majesty attends in person. The galleries on each side of the house, which are usually appropriated to peeresses were en tirely filled with ladies upon whose splendid dresses the reflection of the brightly shining Nun, through the coloured glass windows, had a very peculiar and brilliant effect. The space in front of the throne and behind the bar, as well as the strangers gallery were crowded with spectators. All the Ministers were on the Government benches and there was a large attendance of Opposition members. THE WAR. In reply to the Earl of RODEN, The Earl of ABERDEEN said it was the intention of the Government to advise her Majesty to set apart a day for national humiliation and prayer to Almighty God for the success of her arms in the present war. . The Archbishop of CANTERBURY expressed his satisfaction at the declaration made by the noble earl. It had been always the practice in this country to appoint a day of humiliation previous to entering upon a war, and never was there a time when we could more properly invoke the blessing of God on her Majesty's arms. (Hear.) Mr. F. SCULLY presented a petition, signed, as we understood, by 5,000 persons attending St. George's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Southwark, against the pro posed committee of inquiry into monastic institutions. On the question being put, on the nomination of the committee, that the name of Mr. Chambers be agreed to, Mr. GOOLD rose to move, as an amendment, that the name of Mr. Chambers he omitted, with the view of substituting that of Mr. Sotheron ; and afterwards, that the names of the Marquis of Stafford and Mr. Newdegate be omitted, and those of Mr. Ker Seymer and Lord H. Vane be substituted. (Hear, hear.) He deprecated any personal discourtesy to the hon. and learned member for Hertford in bringing forward this motion, but, knowing that hon. and learned member's strong prejudices on this subject, and presuming that probably he might be the chairman of this committee, if appointed, he felt it his duty to enter his protest against his being appointed to serve on it, and also against the appointment of the committee itself. (Hear.) Sir J. FITZGERALD briefly supported the motion for the omission of Mr. Chamber's name, and contended that the present time was most unseasonable for the in troduction of such a measure as that of the hon. and learned member for Hertford. The only effect of such a measure, he believed, would be to excite again those religious differences which had for so long a time so un happily distracted Ireland, but which were now, to a certain extent, stilled.; and which, if ❑ot again impru dently excited, would, he believed, in the course of time, be entirely ohliterated. (near. The house then divided, when the numbers were -117 60 Ayes ... Noes .. On the second name, that of Mr. Walpole, being put— - Mr. LUCAS moved,. as an amendment, that the further nomination be proceeded with on that day six months. The hon. gentleman contended that folly and bigotry were the foundation of the whole proceeding. Mr. D. O'CONNELL support4d the amendment. Mr. MASSEY deprecated the selection of names which had been proposed as a committee, no less than seven of them having already expressed strong opinions against these institutions. He also objected to other names who were in favour of them. In fact, he ob jected to nearly all the names proposed, thinking the committee should be composed of hon. members who were, as far as possible, impartial ; whereas those pro posed were the most part pledged on one side of the question or the other. Mr. SPOONER could not see how any committee could be formed upon the principles laid down by the hon. gentleman. He denied that there was any inten tion of bringing the inmates of convents' before the house, for no gentleman would lend himself to such a proceeding, but they would be able to prove that there was a system of inducing young women of property by moral influence to enter convents, with the view of gaining for those establishments the property to which they were entitled. Mr. J. BALL thought the house bound, out of respect to its own character both in this country and in Ireland, to take care that this inquiry was conducted with some decent regard for impartiality and justice. If five mem bers known to entertain hostile opinions to the nunne ries, five members favourable to them, and five members whose opinions were unbiassed, formed the tribunal, it would be fair ; but, as at present constituted, it would have the appearance to the country of being nothing less than a packed committee. (Cries for a division.) Mr. KINNAIRD, as his name had been called into question, begged to offer a few words to the house. The doctrine of the hon. member for Newport (Mr. Massey) was the most extraordinary he had ever heard. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Kinnaird) had never expressed an opinion on this subject, either in or out of the house ; and, although he had opinions with regard to it, he should be preparedto enter on the inquiry in a perfect spirit of impartiality. (Hear, hear.) Mr. GOOLD, in explanation, said, he had wished to convey his conviction that those members were incapa citated from serving on such a committee who were active members of societies in hostility to Roman Catho lics. He thought he had, seen the name of Mr. Kin naird as one of the managing committee of the Protes tant Alliance, which had circulated tracts most offensive to Roman Catholics, and be objected to the presence of members on the committee whose hostility to Roman [LEFT SPEAKING.] THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) BUCKINGHAM PALACE, Mallon 29. This day had audience of the Queen ; Her Royal Highness the Infanta Dona Anna, Grea, Aunt to his Majesty the King of Portugal and the Al garves : her Royal Highness was attended by the Count de Lavraido, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo tentiary from his Most Faithful Majesty : To which audience her Royal Highness was introdr...7ed by the Right Hon. the Earl of Clarendon, K.G., her jesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and con imbed by Major-General the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, K.C.H., her Majesty's Master of the Ceremonies. BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, MARon 29. The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Plantations have receives, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a despatch from her Majesty's Acting Consul-General at Bucharest, announcing the prohibition of the exportation of corn and meat from Wallachia and the ports on the Danube. BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, MARCH 29. The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Plantations have received, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a French Imperial decree from het Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, to the effect that "the ports of Boulogne and. Calais are added to the list of ports into which the im portation of Chinese crape shawls in the piece, of foreign origin, destined to be embroidered in France," is permitted BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL—MARINE DEPARTMENT, MAnCH 30. The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Plantations have received, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a despatch from her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Elsinore, transmitting copy of a notice issued by the Danish Marine Board (a translation of which is subjoined), relative to the Light Vessels in the Cattegat. (Copy. :Translation.) NOTICE TO MARINERS. All the floating-li g ht s are now l a id ou t a nd lighted. Moreover, it is made publicly known hereby :—That the Light-vessels at " Lcesso-Trindelen," at " Kobbergrun den," and at the " Anholt-Knob," aro in future to be laid up on the 31st of December, supposing the ice permits them to remain on their stations till then, and they will not then be laid out before the let of March. That tho light-vessels in "Drogden" and the Lcesso strait, aro ordered to keep their stations as long as the icc permits them to do so.. If the floating-ice sould force them to leave their stations, they will uut be laid out aguiu before the Ist of March. When the Light-vessel in the " Leesso-strait" is not on her station, on account of the ice in the Cattogat, a white flag with a blue perpendicular stripe will still, according to the notification of the 9th November, be hoisted on the lighthouses of Hanstholm and Skagen ; if, from other rea sons, it shall be obliged to leave the station, a red ball will appear on the lighthouses of Skagen and Hirtsholm. Ministry of Naval Affairs, the 11th March, 1854. (Signed) STEEN BILLE. (Signed) SUENSON. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE.—MARCH 30. Royal Regiment of Artillery—Lieutenant-Colonel Chas. Dalton to be Colonel, vice G. E. Gordon, deceased ; Capt. John William Ormsby to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Dalton ' • Second Captain Percy Francis Gother Scott. to be Captain, vice Ormsby ; First Lieutenant Robert John Hay to be Second Captain, vice Scott; Second Lieutenant Horace Percival, to be First Lieutenant, vice H.ay, March 17. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, MARcH 31. Corps of Royal Engineers—Captain William Turnbull Renwick to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Molesworth; re tired on full pay; Second Captain James William Gosset to be Captain, vice Renwick; First Lieutenant John Gor don Jervois to be Second 'Captain, vice Gusset ; Second Lieutentant Lonsdale Augustus Hale to be First Lieuten ant, vice Jervois, March 31. Catholics argued prejudice and a foregone Conclusion on the subject to be decided upon. Such persons ought not s - sit .as jurors on the conventual institutions - of the Church of Rome. (Divide, divide.) Mr. V. SCULLY rose amidst vociferous cries for a a division. He found that he could not be heard, and therefore he moved the adjournment of the debate. (Hear, and divide, divide). The question was then put, and the house divided-- Against the adjournment l5O For it .. Majority against it... ........ -76 Mr. KENNEDY did not regret the division which bad taken place. An insult had been offered by the votes of the Protestant members of Great Britain to the Catholics ; and he owed it, therefore, as a Protestant to his Catholic fellow-countrymen to move the adjournment of the house. Captain BELLEW seconded the motion. He inten ded to substitute other names— one for that of the member for East Surrey, and another for that of another member—and ho appealed to the house, therefore, to adjourn the debate. Mr. Sergeant SHEE, in an energetic speech, de nounced the proposed inquiry, defended the convents, and made a personal attack upon Mr. Chambers for his conduct in promoting it. Towards half past one the house became so impatient, that every new sentence of the learned Sergeant elicited a burst of interruption.; The house then divided, when the numbers were— For the adjournment 6B Against it l2l-53 Mr. MOORE moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr. HUTCHINGS seconded the motion. Mr. CHAMBERS said that at that hour of the night ho thought it would not be proper to press the subject, and therefore he would consent to the adjournment The debate was accordingly adjourned, and in a few minutes afterwards (at a quarter to two o'clock) the house adjourned. Th 3 Lord Chancellor has appointed the following gentle men to be Commissioners for administering oaths in the High Court of Chancery John Park Sweetland, Queen -square, Bloomsbury. John Taylor, Gray's-inn-square. John Thomas White, Bedford-row. Thomas William Southam, Uppingham, Rutland. William Henry Trinder, John-street, Bedford-row. Thomas Gibson Brewer, Phi!pot-lane, City. Peter Wickens Fry, Cheapside. John Henry Taylor, South-street, Finsbury-square. COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD LIEUTENANTS. County of Stafford—William Henry Chetwynd, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant, March 25. 2d Regiment of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Militia— Samuel Hodder, Gent., to be Lieutenant, March 24. Royal Radnor Rifles—Hugh Powell Prickard, Gent., to be Lieutenant, vice William Edward Prickard, resigned, March 15. Royal Monmouthshire Militia--John Segrave, Gent., to be Ensign, March 29. Royal Cardigan Regiment of Militia—Captain William Thomas Rowland Powell, late a Captain in her Majesty's 37th Re g iment of Foot, to be, Lieutenant-Colonel Com mandant, vice Colonel William Edward Powell, retired. MEBIORANDII3I.—The Queen has been graciously pleased to command that Colonel Willa gdyrnrcl rowou shad be [ADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway's Pills the greatest wonder of modern times.—They correct bile, prevent flatulency, cleanse the liver, purify the system, renovate the debilitated, strengthen the stomach, increase, the appetite, invigorate the ne rves , p romo t e h ea lth, and re instate the weak to an ardour of feeling never before ex perienced. The extraordinary daily sales of these in valuable pills in all parts of the globe astonish everbody, convincing them that there is no other medicine in ex istence equal to Holloway's pills for removing the com plaints which are incidental to the human race ; they are, indeed, a blessing to the afflicted, and a boon to those who suffer from any disorder, internal or external. —Sold by all druggist, and at Profeimin,UOUOM'ii Edablithalient 244 Strand, London. THE SUN, LONDOW, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 31, 1854. a Sovereie.m, whose further aggrandisement would be dan gerous to the independence of Europe." It was true there was something most soul-stirring in " the pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war," but. it was impossible to think of war without also thinking of the miseries it caused, and the prosperity it interrupted. It was under a full sense of those circumstances that he appeared there to advise the house to give its cordial assent to the demands now made upon them. Lord Stratford had been long acquainted with Turkey, and he said, not yesterday or the day before, but for a series of years, that the inde pendence of Turkey could not be maintained without the assistance of the other Powers of Europe, and that it was absolutely necessary the Porte should extend equal justice to all her subjects in general, and to her Christian subjects in particular. (Hear, hear.) It had been the practice of Russia to interfere more and more in the internal affairs of Turkey; and if we looked to Russia we should find that the other powers of Europe had, during this long peace, been attempting to imp rove th e i r social position, it had been almost the sole object of the Government of Russia to' form and maintain an almost overwhelming army. We had, therefore, at the present moment an immense military power on the side of Russia, prepare 1, and, as we have learned within these few days, commencing an attack on the independenoa of the Sultan. We have, on the other side, the sympathy of the world, and two nations at the head of the civilization of Europe combined together to resist that,aggressian. He (Lord J. Russell) would keep entirely out of view the question of the Holy Places ; what he had to speak of were other questions, and other remarks. They must always keep in view that the Empress Catherine, after a success ful war, obtained from the Sultan a treaty for the protection of his Christian subjects. The 7th article of the treaty of Kainardji provided that those Christian sub jects should be protected, and their churches; and, there fore, if there had been any persecution of their religion, the Emperor of Russia might justly have complained of it. But there was no pretext of this kind put for ward. Corning to the events which took place last year the house will have perceived, that no sooner was the question of the Holy Places set tled than fresh demands on the Porte were made by Russia. The noble lord then read a despatch from Count Nesselrode to Baron Brunow, on 7th April, in which the Count said the reports of threatening language held by the Russian Ambassador towards the Porte was wholly without foundation ' • and also an extract f rom a d es p a t c h from Lord Stratford, complaining of the attempt of Prince Menschikoff to conceal from him a knowledge of the threa tening and hostile language actually used by him. He (Lord J. Russell) believed that Lord Stratford was per fectly well-grounded in that complaint, and that the con duct of Count Nesselrode on this occasion was characteris tic of that deception and concealment which unhappily characterised the whole of the conduct of Russia in those negotiations. (Hear, hear.) The conduct of the Emperor of R,ussla himself, with respect to the secret despatches, had forced the Government of the Queen to publish that correspondence'; and he believed the Government had nu reason to regret the publication of those des patches. (Loud cheers.) The noble lord then entered into a very full detail of the course of our diplo matic negotiations with Russia in reference to Ttirkey. He was not going to enter into the niceties of the Vienna Note, but what he wished to convey was, that that Note as amended by the Porte, contained every guarantee that the Emperor of Russia could expect for the protection of the Christian subjects of the Porte; and it was clear the intention of the' ussian Government was to accept this Note iu one sense at London, at Paris, at Berlin, and at Vienna, but to insist upon another sense being put upon it at Constantinople (Hear.) With respect to the war declared by Turkey against Russia, it was quite clear that the wrong was with Russia. That declaration of war of course greatly added to the embarrassment of the negotia tions. He thought, considering how much Austria and Prussia had be n connected with Russia for many years, Turkey must have been greatly in the right to get such proposals as ,were made by the four Western Powers. The moderate proposals of Turkey and the inadmis sible proposals of Russia, however, showed how hope less a peaceful solution had become. Recent events had proved that Russia was all the while preparing for war, and under those circumstances her Majesty's Ministers consulted with the Government of France, to consider if any other step than war was possible, and they agreed that no ether step than war was 'pos sible. (Hear, hear.) They considered it would be im possible to hope to maintain theintegrity and independence of Europe if Russia were allowed to impose her own terms upon Turkey. Under those circumstances her Majesty's Ministers felt bound to advise her Majesty to de clare war, and war had been declared. (Hear, hear.) That war they would have been willing to avoid, but it was forced upon them. (Hear, hear.) There were few people, he believed, in this country who thought they could take any other course. Some there were, he believed, who said they ought not to interfere when an independent kingdom was about to bo blotted from the map of Europe. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) But that was not the line for us to adopt, who believed that we had a part to play in the history of Europe, nor a part for us to play and thus abandon our position which was absolutely es sential to our own independence as a nation. (Hear, hear.) He might be asked with what right we were about to un dertake this task. He might answer that we were about to do so in the full and cordial concurrence with the entire people of this country,and withthe close andcordial,alliance with France. (He ar , h ear .) W e had, then, to consider the position of those other two Powers with whom we agree:l to act. He must say he could add but little to a former statement, that while it was clear to us what the interests of those great German powers demanded. he hail no document from them to lay before the house of their intention to• join us in the war. And though the conduct of the Emperor of Russia had been frank and honourable, yet when Austria was asked what her conduct would be in the event of a rupture with Russia, Austria referred to Prussia before she could give a defi nite reply, and if Prussia had then acted straight• forward, and honourably, it would be now in his (Lord J. ItusselVs) power to lay an important paper from Austria and Prussia on the table of the house. But he stated the facts as they were ; and now the Russians having crossed the Danube, had not induced Austri a t o j o i n us, th oug h , at the same time, he felt bound to say, that Prussia not having expressed any determination to join us, Austria was restrained by fear for her own safety. (Hear, hear.) He must, however, say that it was as much the interest of Austria and Prussia, as much as the interest of England to join in this war. THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE. The Earl of CLARENDON then rose to move an address in answer to her Majesty's message, and after expressing his sense of the solemnity of the occasion, he said he was glad to find that the lengthened negotiations which had been persevered in by the Government, in order to avert the calamity of war, had not now, when they had failed, damped tne ardour and enthusiasm of the country. On the contrary, the people had risen as one man to the call of duty to vindicate the national hon our, and he rejoiced at the imposing attitude which it had assumed. He believed the verdict of the country was in favour of the Government, and that it was owing to their persevering efforts to maintain peace that the unanimous support which they had received was to be attributed. (Hear.) The noble earl then briefly re ferred to the secret correspondence which he said would have remained in the archives of the Foreign-office if they had not been compelled to publish it in conseqUence of the conduct of the Emperor of Russia. The communi cations contained in it were neither desired nor solicited by the British Government, but having received them as confidential, they had preserved them as such with scrupulous honour; but he was glad they had been pro duced, because they proved that the English Govern ment had acted honestly both towards the Sultan and the other powers In Europe. (Hear, hear.) They had treated with silent contempt the territorial bribe held out by Russia to induce them to agree to her proposols. The noble earl then read a letter which the Government had received from the Czar himself, declaring, in the most distinct terms, his desire to uphold the independence of Turkey,. and said the Government were not to blame for placing faith in- his declarations, which might have been relied on even if guaranteed upon the word of gentlemen, not to say that of an emperor. (Laugh ter.) A sense of duty and of honour now made it the bounden duty of England and France to bring the question to a final issue. It was well known that they bad no selfish object to serve, that they sought no territorial extension and no advance of political in terests, but only desired to uphold the integrity of the Turkish dominions against the encroachments of Russia. (Hear, hear.) The more they examined the subject, the more gigantic would appear the struggle in which we were engaged. It was no less than a battle of civilisation against barbarism. (Cheers.) (LEFT SPEAKING.) HOUSE OF COMIONS.-(THIS EVENING., The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The three following bills were read a third time and passed : Enniskillen Waterworks ; North London Rail. way; Whitehaven Junction Railway. PETITIONS. Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from Swan see, in favour of the establishment of Reformatory Schools. Mr. HINDLEY presented a petition from the Fisher men of Faversham, complaining of the dues charged by the corporation of the city of London, on oyators brought to London by eon.. Mr. MOWBRAY presented a petition from Durham, against the Oaths Bill. Sir J. V. SHELLEY presented a petition from Mr. George Bailey, of Wrexham, complaining that the Board of Inland Revenue had refused to stamp a local monthly publication, and praying that steps might be taken to compel that board to alninister the law impartially. Mr. HADFIELD prese , ted a petition from the legal profession, praying the Courts at Westminster might be removed to the immediate vicinity of the Inns of Court. Mr. L. KING presented a petition from Kingston, com plaining of the toil charged for crossing Kingston bridge, and praying that steps might be taken with the view to its abolition. Mr. WARNER presented a petition from Norwich against the Oaths Bill. Mr. C. BRUCE presented several petitions from various places in Scotland against the Education (Scotland) Bill. Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition agreed to at a meet ing, held last night in the Music hall, Store-street, com plaining of the secresy observed in our Foreign Affairs, and praying for a committee to inquire into the conduct of Foreign-office with referionce to Turkey, and that hostili ties be suspended until such committee should have made its report. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Mr. CRAUFORD presented petitions from Cheshire and Lancashire against the Medical Practitioners Bill. Sir J. V. SHELLEY presented a petition from a public meeting of stone-masons against the fourth clause of the Friendly Societies Bill. Sir B. HALL presented a petition from the Society for the Protection of Trade in favour of the Judgment, Execu tion, &c., Bill. DUNGARVON ELECTION. Mr. NAPIER brought up the report of the Dungarvon Election Committee, declaring Mr. Maguire to be duly elected, though bribery and treating were carried on at the election in 1852, but without the knowledge of the sitting member. The committee also reported that a peti tion was presented against the return of 1852, but it was subseqilently comprised, and the enquiries of the com mittee had, therefore, been only of a limited character. The report was ordered to lie on the table. NEUTRALS. Mr. PHILLIMORE gave notice that after Easter he should call the attention of the house to the doctrine which the Government had adopted with regard to neu trals, with the view of eliciting a declaration from the house that the maxim, free bottoms make free goods, was inconsistent, as a general rule, with the honour and in terest of the country. MAD DOGS. Sir J.V. SHELLEY said memorial had been presented to the Home-office, from the Royal Agricultural Society, pointing out that mad dogs were greatly on the increas3 in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and requesting that additional precautions might be taken for protecting the inhabitants against such rabid animals. He wished to know what has been done in this matter ? Mr. FITZROY said, in consequence of this memorial, the noble lord at the head of the Home Office had given in structions to the police to keep a vigilant look out for all dogs of suspicious character or vagrant habits. (A laugh.) ROYAL ESCORTS. Mr.WARNER asked the Secretary at War, whether the Government are willing to consider the expediency of en trusting the ordinary escort duty of her Majesty to the Queen's Guard of the Hon. Corps of Gentleman at Arms, instead of e m ployi ' , g a cavalry regiment? Mr. S. HERBERT said in consequence of having re ceived notice of this question, he had caused inquiry to be, made into the subject, and as ho found that the corps re ferred to had not been in possession of horses for the last 150 years—(a laugh)—he was afraid it was incapacitated from undertaking the duty which was performed by the Guards. IRISH REFORM BILL. Mr. T. FRENCH asked the noble lord the member for the City of London when the house might expect to receive the Irish Reform .Bill. Lord J. RUSSELL said the bill was in an active state of preparation, bat he was afraid it would not be ready in sufficient time to admit of its being laid on the table before Easter. THE OATHS BILL. In reply to Mr. SPOONER, Lord J. RUSSELL said it was not his intention to pro ceed with the Oaths Bill until after. Baster. (Hear.) THE W.R. THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE, On the motion for taking into consideration the Royal Message on the war, moved by Lord. J. Russell, Mr. SPEAKER read the Message, which has already appeared in print. Lord J. RUSSELL then rose and moved the adoption of the following address : "That a humble address be presented to her Majesty, to return to her Majesty the thanks of this house for her most gracious message, and for the communication of the several paperi which have been laid before it in obedience to her Majesty's command. To assure her Majesty of the just sense we entertain of her Majesty's anxious and uniform endeavours to preserve to her people the blessings of peace, and of our perfect confidence in her Majesty's disposition to terminate the calamities of war whenever that object can be accomplished consistently with the honour of her Majesty's Crown and the interests of her people. That we have observed with deep concern that her Majesty's endeavours have been frustrated by the spirit of aggression displayed by the Emperor of Russia, in his invasion and continued occupation of the provinces of Wal lachia and Moldavia—in the rejection of equitable terms of peace, proposed under the sanction of the four principal powers of Europe—and in the preparation of immense forces to support his unjust pretensions. That these pre tensions appear to us subversive of the independence of the Turkish empire. That we feel that the trust reposed in us demands on our part a firm determination to co-operate with her Majesty in t gotous resistance to the projects of permitted to retain the titular rank and uniform of a retired Colonel. B A NKRIIPTCIES ANNULLED. Charles Crake Hamilton, ironmonger, Little Queen-street, Lincoln's-inn-Fields. _ _ _ James Mitchell Lawton, dealer and Chapman, Manchester. BANKRUPTS. SsHernia Sterne, merchant, Great St. Helen's, to sur render, April 5, at two, and May 2, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham official assignee ; Norton and Son, New-street, Bishopsgate. Henry Wilson the younger, currier and leather seller, Old-street-road, April 12, at two, and May 9, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee ; Finch:and,Shepheard, Moorgate-street. Andrew Burn, tailor, .Piccadilly, April 7, at twelve, and May 12, at half-past one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Fraser and May, Dean-sti eet. John Withers, chemist and druggist, Oxford, April 7, at two, and May 13, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basingball-street ; Holmes, Bedford-row. Thomas O'Brien Gleadah, musicseller, Leamington, April 11, at two, and May 12, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Lee official assignee, Moorgate-street Parkinson, Argyle-street, Regent-street; William Clarke and Thomas Boulton, check manufac turers, Manchester, April 10 and May 3, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Pott, official assigneO, Man chester ' • Faulkner, Manchester. John Lyons, packing-case maker, Alie-place, Goodman's fields, and Minories, April 13, at half-past twelve, and May 18, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee, Baainghall-street ; Solomon, Fenchurch street. Henry Gladwell Mortimer, builder, Lee, Kent, April 11 and May 9at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-court, Basinghall-street ; Keigh ley, Basibghall-street. Joseph.Scudamore, draper, Gloucester, April 12, and May 10, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Hutton, official assignee, Bristol ; Davidson and Bradbury, Lon don ; Whittington and Gribble, Bristol. Robert Thomson, linendraper, Foss-gate, York, April 21 and May 5, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, official assignee, Park-row, Leeds ; Slater, Mosley street, Manchester; and Blackburn, Aluion-street, Leeds. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. David Birreil, yarn nierchant, Dunfermline. Robert Tait, Hampson, and Company, merchants, Glasgow. BANK OF ENGLAND. An Account pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria, cap 32, for the Week ending on Saturday the 25th day of March, 1854. ISSUE DEPARTMENT. Notes Issued .. • • .... 27,871,3101 Government debt.... 11,015,100 Other securities...... 2,944,900 Gold coin and bullion 13,871,310 Sliver but ion ........ - Z 27,874,310 £27,874,310 SIA.RSIIALL, Chief Cashier, Dated the 30th day of March, PARTMENT. Government securities (i ncludg.Dead N eight Ariinuiti; 11,792.' 16 Other securities...... 15,757,604 Nutes • • .... ........ 6,610,535 Gold and silver coin .. 754,972 £34,933,227 lf ARSTIALL, Chief Cashier. BANKING DE Proprietors' capital .. 14,553.000 ,st 3,744,205 Public , deposits tin eluding Exche t iter, Commissioners of National I iebt, Sav- ing's Banks, and Dividend Aecouns) 4,423,827 Other ,deponns Seven'Day and other Bills . 1,124,909 £34,938;227 Dated the 30th day of March, Mt PRICE OF SUGAR. The average price of Brown or Muscovado Sugar, computed from the returns made in the week ending the 28th clay of March, 1851, is 255. lid. per hundredweight, exclusive of the duties of Customs paid or payable thereon on the im portation thereof into Great Britain. COURSE OF EXCHANGE-V:lm DAY. Amsterdam .... ........ 11 13 Gibraltar Ditto, three months .. 11 15 i,eghorn .............. 30 70 %otterdo.m ...... • • .... 11 1514 Genoa 25 57% Antwerp .............. 25 20 Milan ................ Brussels .............. 25 20 Venice ................ llamburgh 13 4% Naples 414 Altona ,Palenuo ........ .... • • 1 ' 2 6 Paris .... 25 0 laitessina 126 Ditto, throe months •.25 35 :Lisbon ................ 5 3 1 4 Marseilles........ 25 373¢ Oporto .............. 53% Bourdeaux ............ ,Rio Janeiro ............ Frankfort-on-Maine 118% Buenos Ayres ...... .. Berlin ................ INew York, 60 days' sight Vienna .. ••••••.•• • • • • • 11 40 Philadelphia •• • • •• • • --- Trieste • • 11 45 PRICES OF BULLION, PER OZ. Petersburgh.... •• .... 31 Foreign Gold in liars £3 17 9 Madrid . ...... ......... 50 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0 Cadiz .........• 50% .Mexican Dollars .... 0 5 54 Barcelona .• •• •. •• • • New Dollars ...... 0 0. Seville •••••••• • • • • • • • • ;liver in bars •• •• • . 0 5 1% MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of this day.) SUGApt.—Today demand was not better for B.P. Sugar still the rates obtained were generally equal to this day week. At auction 92 hhds. Demerara, crystalized soil at the full value oral to tine yellow 35s to 39s 6d, and brown 31s 7d to Us 6d. Sales to-day were 260, making 1313 hhds, &c. for the week. REFINED.—To-day refined sugar was purchased with caution for home trade purposes, brown lump are 43s to 44 6,1, and low to fine grocery 44s to 475. Crushed Sugar wanted for export at previous terms. 111.A.urarms.—To-day Mauritius Sugar was in fair de mand, and the auctions of 5920 bags went genera!ly at full prices. Fine and good yellow at 35s 6LI to 38s, low to mid 33s to 355, ord to fine grey 35s to 365, brown 28s 61 to 32s 6d, very ord 27s 6d to 2Bs, and mid to fine grainy yellow 37s to 40s 6d. EAST INDIA.—To-day Madras sugar attracted more at tention, and at auction 3010 bags sold at the full currency; B3nares kind at 38s to 33s 6d, good to fine yel3Bs 6 1 to 393 6d. Of Bengal 1.148 bags went at 26s to 29s for soft brown, and at 30s to 32s for ord yellow. Penang is more plentiful, still 2,811 bags in auction all sold, and generally at full terms; soft brown at 29s to 31s 6d, and yellow 32s to 33s 6d. FORElGN.—lmports are 2,500 tons more than in the former year; export deliveries are 2,000 l ess , an d 4 . 300 larger for home trade purposes ; there is a decrease in stock of 5,000 tons. To-day purchases were on a small scale in foreign sugar for all purposes, but lower rates were not taken. COCOA.—Sales of Trinidad, grey made at 305 6d to 33s 6d, red 348 to 395, and Grenada 30s to 335. In Foreign several purchases hase been made, Bahia at 263 to 275, eara 28s to 295, and Guayaquil, 31s to 34s 6d per cwt. TALLOW. —ln the early part of the week speculators and the trade were extensive operators, producing a rapid ad vance ; first sort P.Y. Candle on the spot realising 70s 6d to 71s, and for delivery up.to 71s :id to 71s 6d. Since which the market has been less excited, and prices are notysustai tied, 68s 9d to 69s having been accepted for present, and 6'3, 6d to 70s for future delivery, these rates are 3s to 3s 6d per cwt above those of Friday last, but the market has closed quietly. Home melted has realised 67s 6d to 63s cash, but demand is not so brisk as on Tuesday last, still there is uo increase of supply. At the public sales this afternoon the rates obtained were 3s to .4s per cwt above last Friday's, still biddings wore not brisk. The quantity offered was 1,000 pkgs, Australian, mid to fine mutton realised 66s to 70s, beef 64s to 665, South American 66s to 70s , and French ; town melted 65 s 6d t o 69 s per cwt. these rates are 24s to 26s above last y ear . St oc k i s 2,000 larger, and deliveries 2,600 smaller. COFFEE.—To-day there was a reluctance to operate in plantation Ceylon coffee, ai,d a further decline took place, making a fall of is to 2s per cwt. for the week. At auction a part only of 54 casks, 35 bags found buyers at 54s to 55s for fi ne fi ne or d , and at 56s to 58s for mid and low mid. Of Tellicherry 10 cases taken in at 563 for fine ord, and 100 paekages. Mocha only in part sold at 63s 6d for mid clean short berry ; the long was taker_ in at 755. For native the market has a dull aspect, and 43s Gd. to 44s is the value of low to good ord. TEA.—Prices for congou continue to decline. The terms accepted aro for law to good old 114 d to Hid, rather blackish to blackish leaf 1 to is 30, and strong to pekoe sorts is 4(1 to 2s sd. Although all sorts of green can be ob tained at rather lower terms, still operations are unimpor tant, and the market is now abundantly supplied. OILS.—The demand has been animated for Linseed Oil for all purposes, and advanced rates are obtained—sales made at 43s 3d to 43s Gil for present, and 45s to 46s for future delivery. In palm large purchases have been made; mid to fine quality at 488 to 52s per cwt. An active d eman d for Cocoa Nut, Cochin 55s to 565, and other sorts 53s to 555. A good business is doing in rape oil, and the currency is firm ; brown at 44s to 468.6 d, and refined 46s to 46s 6d. Olive has been operated in with freedom ; Gallipoli at 631. to 641., and other sorts 591. to 621. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. NORTHAMPTON "AND PYTCHLEY HUNT RACES.—TRuusnAr. The INNKEEPERS' PLATE of 50 sovs., added to a handi cap sweepstakes of 5 sovs, each, for three years old and upwards. Certain winners extra. Once round tone mile four furlongs 180 yards). 10 subs. Mr. Death's Cranbourne, 3 yrs, Est 101 h ...... (Wells) 1 Mr. C. Formby's John Bull, 4 yrs, Bst 51b (Flatman) 2 Mr. Webb's f by Verulam —Jennala, 3 yrs, Est 61b hma The following also' sm :.L.Tomboy, Florist As , Sir Georn) 3 ge, Switch. - EARL SPENCER'S PLATE of 100 sovs-, added to a handi cap sweepstakes of 15 sore. each, 5 ft. if declared, &c., for horses of all ages (two-year-olds excepted). Certain winners extra. Five furlongs. 66 subs., 29 of whom paid 5 sovs. each. Lord Lonsdile's Welham, by Cowl, 3 yrs, Est 61b (S. Steggles) 1 Mr. J. Shelly's Koh-i-noor, 5 yrs, Bst 111 b (including 71b extra) ..... . (Kendall) 2 Lord Strathmore's Cyrus, 3 yrs, Est 101 b (Ashmall) 3 The NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CUP STAKES of 10 sovs. each, for horses of all ages. The winner to be sold for 500 sore. if demanded, &c, &c. About two miles and a furlong. (15 subs.) Lord Exeter's Ilex, by Beiram, 5 yrs, 9st 1113 1 Capt. Lowth er ' s Rackapelt, 4 yrs, BQt 71b (Rogers) (Norman) 2 Mr. Johnstone's Gabriel,:3 yrs, Est 91b (B a t es ) 3 Mr. And erson ' s f by. John o'aunt—Blanchie, 3 yrs, 6st 91b (Wells) 4 The ALTHORP PARK STAKES of 10 BOWL each, with 50 added ; for two-year-olds ; colts, Bst 71b ; fillies, Bit 31b; a winner before starting, slb extra. T.Y.C. About half a mile. (32 subs.) Mr. Powell's Flatterer (brother to Elirt), Bst 71b (Yates) 1 Mr. Scott's Louvat, Bst 71b (E. Harrison) 2 Lord Chesterfi e ld' s f by E p i rus —P e li on ' s d am , Bst Sib ( Ash , The DELAPRE STAKES of 5 sovs , eac h, with 2 ;lies and :,in ) 3 added . for three-year-olds 7st ; four, Bst 101 b ; fi geldings allowed 31b. One mile. (9 subs.) Baron Rothschild's Orestes, by Orlando, 4 yrs, Sst 101 b (Charlton) 1 . . Mr. Morris's Eulogist, 4 yrs, Bst 101 b _(B tsharn) 2 Mr. Reeves's Pollard, 3 yrs, 7st ......... (T. Sherwood) 3 Mr. Brown's Danube-( 1 b), 3 yrs, 6,t 111 b (C ow l ey ) 4 Betting-5 to lon Orestes, who won, hard held, b y five lengths The others finished at wide intervals. 841414.1% rIiATZ Of 40 fionth, '4(44 to a l'irmxiyie of soya. each, for 3-yrs-old and upwards. Optional sel ing weights, &c. One mile. (3 subs.). Mr. Liley's Prevarication, by John o' Gaunt, 3 yrs (300, sst 71b ... Mr. 'Reeves's Lioness, 3 yrs MO, sst 71b...(Cresswetl) 2 Betting-2 to lon Prevarication, who made all the running, and won by three lengths. She was afterwards sold by auction to Mr. Hadland for 67 guineas. The race for the Nene Stakes, intended to be run on the first day, was off by consent. The weather, though no so fine as on the previous day, was altogether favourable, and from first to last th e meeting was emin en tly succ essful. To the Race Committee and to Mr. Marshall, the in defatigable Clerk of the Course, all praise is due. We understand that it is in contemplation to extend the meeting next year to three days • the original fixturea are, however, to b e k e pt i n t ac t, an d an entirely new pro gramme modelled for the third day, the leading feature of which will be a New Handicap Stakes, with a liberal amount of money added from the Fund. Plenty of money is in hand to render the additional day extremely attractive. Considerable improvements at the Stand are also projected. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. NOTICE TO MARINERS. LIGHTHOUSE AT THE ENTRANCE OF PORT PHILIP. The second lighthouse at Portland's Bluff, being now nearly completed, mariners aro requested to take notice that on and after the Ist (lay of January next, a " fixed. red light Fill be exhibited thereon, from sunset to sunrise.' The leading lighthouse tower is built of wood, paint white, and stanits at an elevation of 80 feet above the level of the water, bearing from the centre of the upper light house on Shortl an d' s Bl u ff south, 33 degree's west, distant 670 feet. The leading light will be seen in ordinary weather 10 miles to seaward, within the bearing of south one quarter west round (westerly) to south-west one qu'lrter west. The two lighthouses by day, and lights .. by night, kept in one line of bearing, lead in mid-channel between Point Lonsdale and Nepean ; but.strangers are cant; ouzi not to attempt the entrance by night, nor against the strength of the ebb tide by day. BEACON OF SWAN RIVER. • A eone-shaped irou beacon, painted white, vlev-tted 50 feet above the level of the water, has been erc;(. on Swan Point, bearing from the low lighthouse or: ,Hatn.rl Bluff, north 41 d egrees eas t. Thi s b eacon, ') the eastward of the low lighthouse,,leads"in cleat 4„ , Lonsdale Reef, and the flagstaff on Shortland's IP ;„ ~r, - half a cable's length open to the westward of the low light house, leads in clear of the Corsair Rock, and the other sunken dangers lying off Point Nepean ; but in all prac ticable cases, mariners waiting the turn of the tide, enter ing or leaving the harbour, are re c omm en d e d t o k ee p th e Point Lonsdale shore aboard, as the tide there runs fairer, and in bad weather small vessels incur less risk on the Point Lonsdale shore, from the tide ripples, than towards Point Nepean. No alteration has taken place in the upper lighthouse on Shortland's Bluff, which is, as heretofore, a bright station ary lig tt, 105 feet above the level uf the water, seen in ordinary weather 20 miles to seaward, within the bearings of south round by west or south-west by west. The bearings are by compass, and heights at mean high water. January 3rd, 1554. The Danish Government have issued notice, that all the floating liglits are now laid out and lighted. The light vessels at Lesso Trindelen, •at Kobbergrunde•n, and at Anholt Kolob, are in future to be laid up on the 31st of December, and not replaced before the Ist of Ma:T.oh. The light-vessels in Drenen and the Laesso Strait are ordered to keep their stations as long as the ice permits. ..Tf the floating ice should force them to leave their stations they will not be laid out again before the Ist of March. When the light-vessel in the Laesso Strait is not on her station, on account of ice in the Kattegat, a white flag, with a l,lue perpendicular stripe, will be hoisted on the Lighthouses of Handthohn and Skagen. If from other reasons it shall be obliged to leave the station, a-red balloon will appear on the Lighthouses of Skagen and Kirtsholm. ' AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING. MELBOURNE.—From London, arrived the Stebonheath, Dec. 16 ;.Henry Gillespy and Ida, 17th ; Ratcliffe, 20th ; Willem and Carl, 24th ; Countess of Yarborough, 24th ; William Ackers, 27th; Java and Windsor, 29th; Fairlio and Flying Dragon, 30th ; Australian, steamer, Jan. 1 ; Tubal Cain, 2nd ; Eastern State, 4th ; Poictiers, 7th ; Chance, Bth; Maria Somes, Bth; Tuscan, Bth; Kenart Hasselaar, 11th ; Kent, 12th; Little Pet, 14th ; Hope, 16th ; Jannetjee, 16th; Omega, 17th ; Marion, 20th ; Oriente, 22nd ; Wanat a , 22 n d; Mallard, 22nd ; Burger meister Jansen, 22nd ; Wyvern, yacht, 22nd ; Duke of Northumberland, 24th; Tudor, 25th ; General van.' den. Bosch, 27th ; Juno, 27th ; Hendrika, 28th. From Liverpool, arrived the Banshee, Dec. 14 ; Chimera, 17th ; Winterhur and I rene , 22nd ; Lady Bute, 23rd; Nelens, Post-office packet, 24th ; Gipsy Queen, 24th; Nova Beila, 29th ; Daring, 30th ; Wave, Jan. 2 ; Birming ham, 2nd; Martaban, 2nd; Swallow ' 4th; South Caro lina, 4th ; Midas, 7th; Gulnare, Bth; Thomas Lowry Bth ; Robert Henry, 12th ; Aerolite, 12th ; Mooresfoart, 13th ; Merlin, 17th; Aurifera, 18th ; Boomerang, 22nd; Marco Polo, 25th ; Allegro, 27th. From the Clyde, arrived the Lyra, Dec. 14 ; Verona, 17th ; Linn, 23(1; Hurkaree, 24th: Sea Nymph, 24th; Ada, 30th; Nile, 31st; Ripley and-X: L., 31st; Templar Jan. 2; Thomas Hamlin,- Eleutheria, and Scotia, sth; Leipzig, 16th ; N e lson, 16th ; Heatherbell, 19th ; Eliza Stewart, 19th ; Mischief, 21st ; Lady Amherst, 23d ; Ro bertina, 24th ; Queen, steamer, 2 . ;th ;' Harbinger, 25th ; Sarah and Ann, 27th ; Annabella, 28t1.. From Bristol, arrived the Melbourne, Dec. 17 ; Svbilla 27th ; Cotfield, Jan. 6 ; Balgownie, 9th ; John Wesley 231 ; Express, 25th. From Calcutta, arrived the Hindoo, Dec. 17 ; Queen, 20th ; Macedon, 27th ; Paradise, Jan. 4. From Dundee, arrived theJes,ica, Dec. 22 ; Polonaise, Jan. 2. From Mauritius, arrived the Emma Colvin, Dec. 2 9 • , Roscoe, 29th ; Marmion, Jan. 19. From the Cape, arriv e d the Bell, Dec. 2¢ ; Norden, Jan, /th; America, 20th; Rienzi, 23d. From Plymouth, arrived the Salvadora, Dec. 26. • From Scilly, arrived the Guardian, Dec. 30. From Gloucester, arrived the Caroline; Dec. 30 ; Ma. donna, Jan. 23. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH. The Maranon, March 18, in lat. 43 N. long. 59 W. The Montreal, bound west 25th, in lat. 51 N. long. 26 W. The City of Manchester (s.), supposed same day, in lat. 51 N. long. •23 W. The Hayti, from Jacmel, 26th, in lat. 51 N. long. 19 W. The Buenos Ayrean, for Liverpool, 27th, lat. 51 N. 13 W. The Woodcock, rom New York to London, March 7, in lat. 40 N. loi g. 65 W. The American Union, 16th, in lat. 48 N. long. 32 W. The Andover, f-^m Plymouth to Melbourne, in lat. 26 S. long. 28 W. - . An American L .ig, from Liverpool to Melbourne, 139 days out, in let. 39 S. long. 118 E., had encountered a gale off St. Paul's, and lost spars. The Rose Standish, from Boston, supposed bound for Australia, Dec. in let. 38 S. long. 16 E. The New England (ship), from New Zealand to New London, mate in charge, master ,dead, Dec, 13, in lat. 36 S. long. 45 W. 1- 711 7NTRY MARKETS. DERBY SMITHFIELD—MAnau 24. Thr . allowing were the quotations :—Beef, ''Cd to 61d ; mutton, 7d to 70. ; land , Od to Od ; veal, Td to Od per lb. ; pigs, 9s 9d to lOs per score ; rough fa, 5s 9d to Os Od per 141 b.; hides, 24d to 3d per lb ; ealf-skinq 3id to 4d per lb. EDINBuitGIE GRAIN.-21ARen 29. The supply of grain in the market to-day MIS With the exception of barley and beans everytiting rose in price. Wheat on the top 2s Gd, and the average is lid, up. Barley on the top 3s up, and the avra-ago dowta. Oats on the top 2s down, and the average 3d up. Beau on the top the same as last week, and the Average 4d down. [ADVERTISE NI ENT. j -- TELESCOPES. —Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, for valuable and extraordinary im provements in the most powerful and brilliant Telescopes to know the distancsis of objects viewed through them— of great importance to the army and navy. Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street Piccadilly. Observe—oppo s it e th e Y or k Hotel.—These telescopes pos sess such extraordinary powers that some, 3,i inches, with an extra eye-piece, will show distinctly Jupiter's itions, Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same ele scope can be seen a person's countenance throe miles and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 2 . 9,x41e5. They supersede every oth er ki n d f or the waistait-poc, i et, and are of larger and all sizes, with increashfrpowers accordingly.— The Royal Exhibition,. 1851. -Small glass for the waistcoat-pocket. .A.,valuable, newly invented, very small, powerful waistcoat-pocket glass the size of a walnut, by, which a person Can be seen and known lA mile distant ; they answer every purpose on the race-course, at the opera-houses, country scenery, and ships aro clearly see e at 12 to . 14 miles. - They are invaluable for shooting, dear stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonder-CAA power; an object can be clearly seen from 10 to 12 miles distant. Newly-invented • Spectacles ; immediately they are placed before extremely imperfect vision, • every object becomes clear and distinct ; the most aged , •ile , - fective sight is brought to its youthful; natural, and ell ginal state. Deafness—New Discovery—The Organic brator, au extraordinary powerful, small, newly - invontis 1 instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all otl. o - m, to surpass anything of th e ki n d th a t has been, o r pro . bably ever can' be, produced. Being of the Sam a colour as the skin, DI not perceptible ; it enables des,f persons to hear distinctly at c hurch and at f lu bli e semblies ; the unpleas a nt sensation of singinr no i ses in the ears is entirely removed ; and it affords all the assist ance that possibly could be desired —OO. Albemaria-qtreets Piccadilly., Observe, opposite the York Hotel. BIRTHS. of A. SON. Portsmouth, th e wife of the Rekv. E.OWn.tmliou2n9etrhrat ? at . ! OF A DAUGHTER. On the 24th November last, at Wellington, New Zea lrud, the wife of Lient.-Col. M'Cleverty, Deputy Quar termaster-General. MARRIED. On the 2d of Pebruary last, at Calcutta, John D'Oy/y baby, officer of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship Bengal, to Ann Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late W. Greenaway, Esq., of Calcutta. DIED. On the 27th inst., at Dartmouth, Devon, Sir Thomas Swinnerton Dyer, Bart. On the 28th inst., at 4, Dorset-plac e , S usanna h, re li ct of the lat e A . C . Hutchison, surgeon, R.N., aged 72. On the 30th inst., S. Rutherfoord, Esq., surgeon, of St. George's-in -the-East. LONDON: Printed and Published by MUM° YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tice Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in tho county of WziclAy s *arch N, 4.6154,! / .~"'