The Sun. — London, England, 1833-09-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. The Standard, last night, in the citation of the article from the Globe, copied into the Chronicle of yesterday, wasted a column and a half in futile commentary on the Corporation Commission ; reviving the old 6 , hobgoblin" alarm, on the laughable position that " the com mission ought to be an object of terror in the country." The simple error of our affrighted contemporary consists in the notorious fact, that the commission is a natural terror to the self elected Corporators who have usurped the muni cipal franchise of the people, and a correspond ing delight to all the liberal advocates of secu rity of property and renovation of political rights. As the Standard condescends to state no rea sons for its nervous agitation, we shall not fight with shadows. We pass over the often-re peated abuse of Lord Grey, the Lord Chan cellor, and the reformed House of Commons — spiced with unfounded and frivolous reflec tions on the commissioners—because such un meaning spleen is unworthy the superior powers of our contemporary, or any serious reply. The only redeeming topic is the gratuitous recommendation to the corporators to pay obe dience to the powers of the Commission—very sensible advice, which we do not doubt the Municipal Authorities will accept and act upon, as throughout the country they have hitherto done. The Corporations, indeed, well know that they can no longer retain usurped and mis used power. The day of reformation is arrived, and a contumacious Town Clerk or Mayor would not like to stand at the bar of the House of Commons, or become an inmate of Newgate. The shrewd Corporators have too much discern ment to jump from the frying-pan into the fire, and, like the close boroughs, the only wonder when they are reformed will be, that such shame ful nuisances so long existed. Our contem porary recommends the Corporators to hire reporters : a great advantage would result from such a precaution, viz., that the coun try would know still more of the mysteries of Corporations, and Corporators would know more of themselves—self-knowledge not being a natural consequence of self-election. The Sun closely and sharply comments on the subject ; " The public interest in the progress of the Corporation Commission continues to increase, as is natural from the incomparable political im portance of the inquiry. We yesterday extracted two able articles from the Times and Morning Chronicle on this great question of Municipal Reform. They embrace all the topics of the present Conservative discussion and objections. Doubtless the corrupt, close bodies would desire to perpetuate that power, authority, and sinister possession so palatable to their pride and politi cal prejudices; but their throes of expiring life are only the tail-splashing of an harpooned whale. They will soon be laid high and dry,' and their blubber securely lodged in the safe hold of an early remedial mea sure of the Reformed House of Commons. The amendment of the representation was their certain death-blow; and this the crafty Corporations discerned when, as a body, with a few honourable exceptions, they so fiercely and virulently opposed the recent great national measure of political regeneration. The muni cipal question is treated by the Tories much in the same cunning way the priests deal with the popular reformation of Church Establishments. The evil practices and exclusive privileges of cor porators, when attacked, are said to be designs against municipal institutions, as churchmen con veniently describe a reform of church abuses and the control of priestcraft as an attack on natural and revealed religion. But these feints and perversions of logic will no longer avail the evil dcers. 'f he people are too wise, determined, and omnipotent, to be humbugged by such trashy arguments, miscalled reasoning. The town clerk of Leicester, and his magisterial mas ters, will not cloak their evil acts, nor any longer secure impunity. We agree with the Times, that there is no such thing as justice, if the Leicester Corporators are not legally forced to replace the scandalous misappropriation of the public funds to the promotion of their individual politics and local Toryism. In the meanwhile, the Commissioners may expect and deserve abuse from the Tory press and its blind readers ; and the more gross and repeated the calumnies, the more assured we are that the Commissioners are effectively and zealously discharging their in valuable office of a public and searching inquiry." The puerile alarm about " insecurity of pro perty is a Cock-lane Ghost.—Morn. Chron. We insert a letter from Mr. Cooper, a inem• ber of the Society of Friends, denouncing a great enormity, but suggesting a questionable remedy. An immense step has been taken towards the complete suppression of the slave trade in all foreign vessels by the concession of the mutual right of search between England and France, stipulated in the French and English conven tion of March in the present year. While such a right was denied on the part of France, all the conventions of her Government, and all the pro fessions of her Ministers, were of little avail. Vessels might be fitted out at Nantes or Bor deaux, and might proceed to the coast of Africa, under French colours, to supply the Spanish or Brazilian markets with negroes, and no British " preventive service" men could interrupt or question the infernal traders, though seen with the evidence of their guilt on board. We had tardily obtained the suppression of the trade from Spain and Portugal,—we had tardily secured the right of search over Spanish and Portuguese vessels. The North Americans, though justly jealous of our naval interference, were more deeply impressed with the laudable motives of our conduct, and had agreed to the mutual right of search, but the French flag remained as the protec tion or excuse for a traffic which the French Go vernment itself affected loudly to condemn. The Government of the Bourbons, while at all Con gresses, and in all negotiations, it pretended to concur in our policy, refused to agree in the right of mutual search ; nay, the dominant party in France pretended to think that the English Government had a selfish motiv e in our humane policy, and that the treaty of abolition, which deprived the French colonists of an al leged privilege in our favour, ought to be as loosely interpreted, and as often violated, as possible. We even find such ungenerous sus picions announced in the speeches and writings o f M. de Chateaubriand, who, from having been in England, and from being acquaint e d with the sentiments both of our statesmen and of the nation, ought to have held a different lan guage. The only party which during the detest able government of the Restoration zealously in si,ted on the execution of the treaties for the abo lition of the African slave trade was the party of the Liberals, who were suspected of being the enemies of England. Among them M. B. Con stant, the Duke de Broglie, and M. de Stael never ceased to exert themselves in the cause of African humanity, in opposition to Ministe rial indifference and colonial cupidity. Baron de Stael even went to Nantes, and procured some of the fetters and other apparatus for slaving, al ready on board a slave ship, for the purpose of showing the Government of Paris how openly and audaciously the traffic was conducted. Yet nothing would move the Villele Adminis tration to a more rigorous prohibition of the trade, or to a more cordial union with Great Britain for its entire suppression. We were even told that the national jealousy would not permit the French Government to concede a right of search to England, and that the English people must rely on the faithful discharge of their duties by the French cruisers, whose own Government showed no disposition to stimulate their activity or to punish their negligence. The recent conventions of November, 1831, and March, 1833, between the Government of Louis Philip and the Reform Ministry of England show how groundless all these assertions and alarms have been. By these treaties the right of mutual search is conceded in its fullest ex tent, with certain necessary limitations, and the condemnation of the ship and captain engaged in the traffic secured. Our philanthropic cor respondent, in alluding to the late cnnvention between France and England, has forgotten some of its provisions. In order that a vessel may be condemned, it is not necessary, as he supposes, that it should actually have slaves on board. If it is fitted up as a slave ship its condemnation may be secured. Without having room to enter on a further discussion of the subject at present, and without attempting to explain the affair at Bonny, we shall merely confront the statement of our correspondent with the following article of the convention : " Any merchant-vessel of either of the two nations vi sited and detained in pursuance of the Convention of the 30th of November, 1831, and of the provisions hereinbe fore recited, shall, unless proof be given to the contrary, be held and taken of right to have engaged in the slave trade, or to have been fitted out for the purposes of such traffic, if any of the particulars hereinafter specified shall be found in her outfit or equipment, or on board of her, Vii, :- " 1. Having her batches fitted with open gratings, in stead of being close hatches, as usual in merchant-vessels. "2. Having more divisions and bulk-beads in the hold, or on deck, than necessary for trading vessels. "3. Having on board spare planks, either actually fitted in that shape, or fit for readily laying a second or moveable deck, or slave deck. " 4. Having on board shackles, bolts, or handcuffs. " 5. Having on board a supply of water, more than sufficient for the consumption of her crew, as a merchant vessel. " 6. Having on board an unreasonable number of water-casks, or other vessels for holding water, unless the master shall produce a certificate from the custom-house from the place at which he cleared outwards, stating that sufficient security had been given by the owners of such vessel that such casks or other vessels should only be used for the reception of palm-oil, or be employed in any other lawful trade. " '7. Having on board a greater quantity of mess tubs, or kids, than requisite for the use of her crew, as a mer chant vessel. " 8. Having on board two or more copper boilers, or even one larger than requisite for the use of her crew as a merchant vessel. " 9. Having on board a quantity of rice or farina, flour of the manioc of Brazil, or cassada, or maize, or Indian corn, beyond any probable requisite provision for the use of her crew, and such rice, flour, maize, or Indian corn, not being entered on the manifest as part of the cargo for trade." TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Respected Friend,—Although fully aware that the pages of the Times are constantly assailed with a vast press of important matter, yet, the Session of Parliament being over, I earnestly entreat, for the cause of humanity, which has frequently been so powerfully pleaded in its columns, the admis.ion of a few remarks on the present state of the African slave trade. The convention made between the British and French Governments, about the commencement of 1832, by which mutual right of search within certain limits is granted, has removed ore disadvantage under which our vessels employed to prevent the slave trade have long laboured; but it is deeply to be regretted that vessels fitted for this infernal traffic cannot be captured unless slaves are actually found on board ; and until this be conceded, and all vessels fitted expressly for the slave trade are liable to capture, our attempts to suppress it, which, according to Chief Justice Jeffcott, have cost this country nearly 7,000,000/. . . sterling in the last 10 years, must prove utterly abortive. But this is not the worst feature of the case, for it appears that our ineffectual efforts are the means of even adding greatly to the cruelty of the system. A short extract from the " Records of a Voyage to the Coast of Africa in 1830, 1831, 1832," by P. Leonard, surgeon in the Royal navy, will place before thy readers, in a clear light, the defects of our present system : " On the 10th of Sept. our two tenders (the Black Joke and Fair Rosamond) chased into the river Bonny and captured the Spanish brigs Rapido and Regulo, both bound for Cuba. " Connected with the capture of these vessels a cir eutnstance of the most horrid and revolting nature occur red, the relation of which will afford an additional in- 'tance of the cruelty and apathy of those who carry on ,he slave trade,—of the imperfection of the laws enacted for its suppression,—as well as of the additional inhu manity entailed upon it by ourselves, as a consequence of the very imperfection of these laws. Both vessels were discovered at the entrance of the Bonny, having just sailed from thence; and, when chased by the tenders, put back, made all sail up the river, and ran on shore. During the chase they were seen to throw their slaves overboard by twos, shackled together by the ancles, and left in this manner to sink or swim as they best could. Men, women, and young children were seen in great numbers struggling in the water by every one on board of the two tenders; and, dreadful to relate, upwards of 150 of these wretched creatures perished in this way, without there being a hand to help them, for they had all disappeared before the tenders reached the spot, except two, who were for tunately saved by our boats from the element with which they were struggling. Several managed with difficulty, is may be supposed, to swim on shore, and many were thrown into large canoes, and in that manner landed and escaped death; but the multitude of dead bodies east upon the beach during the succeeding fortnight pain fully demonstrated that the account given to us by the natives of the banks of the Bonny of the extent of the massacre had been far from exaggerated. The individuals whose lives had been saved by the boats were two fine intelligent young men, rivetted together by the ancles, in the manlier described. Both of them, when recovered, pointed to tie Rapido as the vessel,from which they were thrown into the water. On boarding this vessel no slave was found ; but her remorseless crew having been seen from both tenders busily engaged in their work of destruction, and as the two poor blacks, who endeavoured to express gratitude for their rescue by every means in their power, asserted, with horror and alarm depicted in every feature, that this was the vessel from which they were thrown, she was taken possession of. On board the Reyulo only 204 slaves were found remaining of about 450. All of those found on board of her were branded with the letter T on the right shoulder. Had the com mander of the Black Jobe (which had been cruising off the river Bonny for a long period), who knew that those vessels were lying there, ready to take slaves on board, been permitted to use every means in his power to sup press the slave trade, he could and would have gone up the river with his vessel and destroyed them with the greatest ease, and thereby prevented the merciless cruelty which subsequently took place. But, no ! lle dared not, because he was liable in heavy penalties had he even detained a Spaniard without having slaves actu ally on I oard. These inhuman scoundrels are fully aware of this ; and it was this very legal impediment to the capture of Spanish vessels which induced them to throw their miserable captives into the river, so that, no slave being found when boarded by the tenders, they and their vessels aught be suffered to escape. But they could effect, their n e f ar i ous des i gn completely, for our not teu ders were close at their heels, and they were detected in their crime, and consequently detained. As, how ever, there were no slaves actually found on board of the Rapido, and as th e mem b ers of thee Court of Mixed Com mission at Sierra Leone usually adhere e theto the letter instead of the spirit o f t h e law, s oiltreaties hav • ing for their object the suppression of the slave trade although the fact of her having slaves bona fide on board ' and having thrown them out in the murderous manner described, was witnessed by some hundreds of persons, it is questioned by many here, on a consideration of the cir cumstances attending the trial of cases somewhat similar, whether this court, from whose verdict there is no appeal, will condemn her or not. It is quite certain, whether this may be the case or not, that there will be no punish ment inflicted upon the perpetrators of so great a crime." The Rapido was, however, afterwards condemned on the evidence of the two slaves who were fortunately saved. Thus we have the mortification to see, that by the im perfection of our measures, we are increasing the mi series it is our object to prevent. Now, if the fittings of slave vessels were at all similar to those of vessels en. gaged in any legitimate trade, there might be some ex cuse for this legal impediment, but, as everybody knows that slave vessels are fitted up in a totally different way to all others, there is not even the colour of excuse for this inhuman absurdity. Let but the British and French Governments declare that vessels fitted for the reception of slaves are liable without slaves being actually on board to capture, and we shall no longer have to regret that the humane exertions and heavy expenditure made to put down this scourge and curse of Africa are neutralized and derided by the most inhuman and abandoned of mankind. I remain respectfully thy friend, JOSEPH COOPER. Southwark, 20th of 9th month. [ Times.' Among a multitude of mistakes which Baron D'Haussez, the late Minister of Marine under Charles X., has made in his work entitled " Great Britain in 1833," we nevertheless re cognise many very shrewd and just remarks, which both the Government and the people of this country may very essentially profit from. Among these we may notice the following ob servations which occur in his chapter on agricul ture. " The agricultural population," says the Baron, ‘: has degenerated from an easy condi tion to a state of suffering, contemporaneously with the abolition of small farms, and their union with large ones. The first step to make towards a more rational order of things is the gradual, well-considered returns towards the system best adapted to the genius of the people —I mean the system of small farms. The landed proprietor will be a gainer by it, for there will be a greater competition for the letting of small farms than for that of larger ones, and his income will be augmented in the ratio of the little value which the fat mer generally attaches to the labour of the members of his family. The small tenant will herein also find his account for in giving a higher rate of rent for a certain extent of land than the larger farmer (who would give that portion to ten others of the same value) he would obtain by his own and his children's labour, and by the effects of a minute and care ful cultivation, an abundant equivalent for the increase of his rent. Social order is no less interested in this question ; for if once solved, there would be an end of that subaltern aristocracy, always dangerous, always disposed to be jealous of those above it, and to turn its irreflective masses against power, no matter in what hands authority is placed." In the whole of these observations we most cordially agree, and should rejoice to see their spirit animating the landowners of England. Till within the last half century the land was divided in very different numbers and species of holdings to those which the great bulk of it now exhibits ; and there are still many per sons living who can remember what are now large farms, held in numerous small portions, principally by copyholders and leaseholders for lives, and when, instead of the peasantry being dependant, as now, on the poor rate for support, such a thing as poor rate was scarcely known. It is true that the first germs of returning to the system here recommended are already sown —we mean in the allotments of land to la bourers, which has already been partially adopted with so much success. As a begin ning, this augurs well ; but cottagers' gardens and small farms are very different things, even to say nothing of the dependent and precarious te nure of the former ; and much, therefore, as we admire and applaud the practice, as far as it has hitherto gone, we admire it principally as leading, as we trust it will, to the re-establish ment of a class of persons, the loss of whom may be truly said to have been one main cause of the evils with which our agricul ural popula tion have been of late years afflicted. In every point of view such a change, wisely and pru dently brought about, would be of the highest national advantage ; and it reflects, perhaps, no great credit upon the discernment of those whom it most concerns, that it should devolve upon a foreigner to point out those advantages, with a clearness and an obviousness which no native reasoner has hitherto displayed. At the same time we do not go the length of saying that large farms can be entirely abolished, or that it is desirable they should be. That is a point which must rest entirely upon localities. Where large sheep walks, for instance, prevail, large breadths of arable land must necessarily accompany the in nor, it must be admitted, could the various breeds of sheep for which England is so emi nently distinguished have ever risen to their present state of perfection in the hands of small farmers. But it is not in such districts that small farms have been thrown into large ones, nor in which the land can be divided in the manner suggested. Taken up, however, upon a large scale, and combined with the cultivation of our waste lands, there is no doubt that much might be done to bring about a vast mass of public and individual benefit ; and i❑ thus adverting to it, we trust we are performing an acceptable ser vice to the country.—Morning Herald. We persevere in our opinion, as already re peatedly expressed, upon the state of affairs in Portugal, that there has not been the slightest symptom of anything like flinching on the part of the Royalists since they arrived in sight of the fortified lines of their enemies, and conse quently that nothing has occurred which indicates an approximation of the contending parties. No wishes for a conciliation were ever uttered from without, although there is every reason to believe that within Lisbon something of the kind was expected. It was even thought that after so many advantages, such as the occupation of the Portuguese capital by the invaders, and the re cognition of Donna Maria by England, next by France, would have produced dismay in the King of Portugal's councils, and at least stag gered the hitherto unsubdued spirit of the Portuguese army and people. Nothing of this, however, has happened, and consequently over tures were impossible. The hostile feeling which previously existed, far from bei ng a ll aye d, has rather increased through Don Pedro's acts. Seduced by the pomp and novelty of the scene in which he suddenly became the prin cipal actor, he lost all command of temper, and every species of discretion. It would, perhaps, be wrong to make him responsible for all the deeds of private vengeance which have occurred since his troops occupied Lisbon ; nevertheless his decrees and enactments, since he himself arrived there from Oporto, have been marked by a more than usual degree of that shameless injustice which has characterized all his measures against Portugal. Don Pedro thinks, and has always thought, since he obtained his first in spirations at the Clarendon Hotel in London, that, according to his sovereign will and pleasure, everything ought to bend before him in Portu gal. He has been so much flattered and deluded, that he has actually brought himself to believe that at his nod, at his approach, the proudest monuments of ages ought to crumble into dust; in a word, that the nationality and independent existence of Portugal are be blotted out by his mere fiat. With these high pretensions, how then is it possible that a protracted dispute can be settled by the willing co-operation of any umpires, however powerful or interested they may be ? It is not a matter that regards two brothers only—it is not a question that in terests the Braganza family alone. It is a con test in which every Portuguese, having rank or property in the country, has an immediate stake ; and, after all, the mind and soul of a nation live in the people. Don Pedro offers reform, and commences its introduction by re sorting to revolutionary measures. At the end of ten years, during all which time he was the Sovereign of a foreign and independent kingdom, which alone would vitiate and defeat his rever sionary claims upon Portugal, even if he had not abandoned them, he returns and says that all that has been done and enacted during his absence is to be void and of no effect. One of the last numbers of his State Ga zette, the Chronica, contains a decree declar ing that all the acts of the Government of Don Miguel, even those enacted during the Regency, are revoked, and the decrees of Angra put in force. Now was there ever any thing more monstrous than this ? When at Angra, that is, in the Azores, Don Pedro was legally invested with no power. He assumed the autho rity of Regent, even in opposition to his own Charter, as his own friends have been obliged to confess. To the exercise of that power the Por tuguese were no parties. At the time they knew nothing more of what was passing at Angra than in China, and yet they are now to be bound by such decrees as it pleased Don Pedro, with the aid of a band of exiles, to pass there, annulling the legislation of ten years, including acts of the Cortes, &c. ! Really this is much more than a Charles or a James ever did among us, and if Ministers were only to reflect a little they might, without much trouble, find a better cause than that of Don Pedro for their partiality and favouritism. We need not say that we consider the little Queen as no party in the affair, since, if she were separated from the father, it is a fact that her cause could not exist a single week, and so Ministers in the sequel will find. Appearances every day con vince us more and more that th e Portu guese will never sit down quietly under the dominion of a Prince whose public career, first in Brazil and next in Portugal, has been marked by a series of base, ambitious, and re volting acts. He accepted, and for ten years wore, the Brazilian Crown on the express con dition of renouncing that of Portugal, and he swore to a Constitution which he afterwards endeavoured to subvert. Ejected for his mis deeds in one country, he goes to the other, supported by a band of foreign adventurers, in order to play the same pranks over again,—for it was with foreign adventurers that he sought to deprive the Brazilians of their Charter. And is this the cause that is favoured with British protection ? The Brazilians rejected him as the bane of their happiness, and can the Portu guese accept him as the promoter of their wel fare ? Time will answer this question.—Morn ing Post. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HO USE. FORGERY.- Philip Harvey was brought up for final examination, on the charge of having forged bill of exchange for 3001., in the name of Mr. Ar doine, of Mark-lane. The prisoner had obtained the sum of 2501. upon the bill, from Messrs. Under wood and Chalk, the bill brokers. That bill was not yet due ; but not the least suspicion was ex cited in the minds of the brokers who advanced the money, until the prisoner called at the office, and wanted them to give up the pretended acceptance of Mr. Ardoine, and to take in lieu of it a bill purport ing to be drawn by that gentleman, and accepted by the prisoner, for the sum of 2641. ISs. Mr. Chalk then made inquiries and learned that Mr. Ardoine had had no bill transactions with the prisoner ; and it was subsequently found that the name of Richard Carpenter, a gentleman of fortune, and a cousin of the prisoner, had been forged upon several other bills of exchange, to a very considerable amount. Yesterday the Justice-room was crowded to excess by mercantile men, many of whom had cashed bills for the prisoner, and others had given bills to him to get cashed. Mr. Bennett, the solicitor for the prosecutors, stated that forgeries had been committed by the prisoner upon Messrs. Gurney, Overend, and Co.; Messrs. Coles, Nicholls, and Co.; and Messrs. Stephen, Nicholson, Barber, and Co.; and that it had been already ascertained that the prisoner had got within the last month 6001. by sheer forgeries. Mr. Carpenter, whose name appeared upon several of the bills, had seen those bills on the preceding day, and pronounced them to be forgeries, so far as his name was concerned. In fact, Mr. Carpenter denied that he had ever endorsed a bill for the prisoner. The LORD MAYOR had no doubt that gentlemen were ashamed to come forward and admit they were overreached, at a time when forgeries formed so extensive a portion of the business of the metro polis. The respectable house of Messrs. Gurney and Overend, and others of the Society of Friends, must be aware to what the increase of forgeries was attributable. Mr. Gurney said that the house to which he be. longed no longer felt any hesitation at prosecuting in cases of the kind. The LORD MAYOR—You will be very shy of taking bills in future. Forgery is now almost alto gether wholesale. Mr. Gurney—We'll certainly look at both sides of a bill, and our assistance shall not be wanting to prevent the prisoner from escaping. Mr. Bennett—My Lord, we found, upon search ing the prisoner's premises, at No. 68, Broad street, as many bills, foreign and domestic, us would paper a room. He (Mr. Bennett) would not say whether they were generally forgeries or not, but he would supply the solicitor ! to the pri soner with notice of any additional indictments. The LORD MAYOR—Prisoner, have you anything to say why I should not commit you fur this forgery ? Prisoner—l'd wish to ask Mr. Barber a question ? Here he wrote upon a piece of paper, Enid handed it to the gentleman he named, who holds, we un derstand, bills which had been cashed for the pri soner to the amount of about 5001. on account of the supposed endorsement of Mr. R. Carpenter. Mr. B erber handed the paper to the LORD MAYOR, and said he had no answer to return. The LORD MAYOR read the question, which was, whether Mr. Barber believed the offence had been committed from fraudulent motives or necessity ? His LORDSHIP—What have you done with the 6001. which you obtained in this manner within the last month. Was it necessity that compelled you to commit that amount of plunder ? Are not all these bdls an answer to your question ? Pi isoner— I hope, my Lord, some of that will be forthcoming. The LORD MAYOR—Where is it—what have you done with it ? I understand you have a ship ready to move out of the port; no doubt you could have got off in her very much to your convenience and satisfaction, if you had escaped a little longer the hands of justice. Mr. Bennett—A bunch of keys were found in his possession, and they do not open any trunk or drawer on his premises. The LORD MAYOR—No, but they open the place where he has deposited his plunder. He has a safe, and other premises, no doubt. - - The prisoner —I beg to ask Mr. Chalk, whether, after lie knew I supposed that he suspected the acceptance of Mr. Ardoine was a forgery I could not have escaped ? Mr. Chalk—l am sure I need not say it was with . great regret I caused to be taken into custody a man with whom I had been drinking wine but a very short time before. I did not think of such a thing until I had ascertained that the acceptance was a forgery. Some mercantile men stated, that good bills which they had given to the prisoner to get ac cepted had been taken out of his possession, and were in the hands of the officer, and they requested that the Lord Mayor would order them to be de livered up to the owners. The LORD MAYOR consulted with the Chief Clerk, and then stated that he could not consider himself justified in ordering the bills to be given up. The prisoner sighed, and shook his head, but did not answer. He was then fully committed for trial. Like all other prisoners who have been committed of late from the Mansion-house for forgery, he seemed to think no more about the charge than if it were for an offence of a venal character. MARLBORO UGH-STREET. A gentleman connected with the firm of Burnard and Co., Paternoster-row, silversmiths, came yes terday before Mr. CHAMBERS, to a'certain if lie could not adopt measures against Mr. Wm. Barnes, the jeweller (recently committed for the possession of a 50/. bank -note, under very extraordinary cir cumstances), for having obtained from the firm a large quantity of sill'.'er plate, under representations which were assumed to be of a questionable cha racter. The applicant said, that Mr. Barnes had called at his warehouse, and had requested a variety of articles of silver plate to be furnished on appro bation to him, which plate, from the very respectable character Mr. Barnes bore in the trade, was sent in without any hesitation. Mr. CHAMBERS, in reply to the application, said he had taken some pains to look into the Act of Parliament on the subject, as he suspected that ap plications of this description were not unlikely to be made to him. He had found in the Act, that it was necessary for the applicants to prove the fact, that such property bad been unlawfully obtained. Now it appeared, in this instance, that the goods had been supplied to Mr. Barnes, without any proof of such unlawful mode of obtaining them. The applicant replied, that the goods were cer tainly furnished to Mr. Barnes according to the usual custom of the trade ; that Mr. Barnes bad sent a written order for a certain description of goods, which he stated were wanted for selection by a lady who intended to send them to India ; but these goods, within an hour or so of the delivery at his house, had been pawned, as could be proved by a reference to the duplicates found in the maid-ser vant's box. Mr. CHAMBERS answered, that the duplicates showed the property had not been pledged by Mr. Barnes. The applicant observed, that he had applied to the pawnbrokers who had the property in . pledge, with the request to be allowed to inspect the ar ticles, for the purpose of identifying some of them, as it was in contemplation to found a separate in dictment on this matter; but the pawnbrokers had absolutely refused to allow the goods to be in spected. One of them had received four new silver coffee-pots in pledge in one day. Mr. CHAMBERS recommended the applicant to let _ . _ . . _ this subject rest until the result of the prosecution of Mr. Barnes on the offence for which he stood committed was ascertained. The best course would be for the applicant to give the pawnbrokers notice not to part with the property, but to wait and see if a conviction occurred. The applicant thanked the Magistrate for his suggestion, and remarked that he had been legally advised to make the present application. It may be proper to state, in order to prevent undue prejudice in this very singular case, that the above application, as well as all the previous exa minations and statements, are of an car park cha racter. The olject of wit attempting any defence to the charge at present is understood to be for the purpose of preventing the nature of the defence from publicly transpiring. G UILDHALL. Yesterday a city policeman, named Stanton, ap peared to answer a charge of having rescued a felon from the custody of Thomas Tipper, a policeman of the F division. Tipper having apprehended two men in Fleet-street on a charge of stealing a hand kerchief, the city officer then came up and said the metropolitan officer had no authority, and by his interference he enabled one of the prisoners to escape. Stanton denied this statement, and said that he merely went up to assist Tipper, in consequence of there being a crowd; but Tipper wanted to have the honour of securing two thieves single-handed. Sir J.KEY referred the case to a police committee. QUEEN- SQUARE. Yesterday Mr. Samuel Pope, coal-merchsnt, of Abbey-wharf, Little Abingdon-street, renewed his application for a peace warrant against Mr. Cham bers, the Magistrate of Marlborough-street, for having threatened to run his umbrella through his thick skull. Mr. Pope had written to Lord Mel bourne on the subject, but his Lordship declined to interfere. He now wanted a peace warrant against Mr. Chambers, as he expected to meet him at the Bankruptcy Court on the ensuing day, and he should have to put questions to him respecting some commercial transactions, when he; feared Mr. Cham bers might carry his threat of violence into execu tion. The Magistrates, however, refused to grant the warrant. UNION- HALL. Yesterday John Bowler, an old man of seventy, was brought up by the parish officets of Lambeth, to show cause why he should not maintain an ille gitimate child, of which a young woman said he was the father. It appeared on investigation, that the young woman had cohabited with a young man, and therefore the old man thought. it was not fair to fix him with all the cost. " However," said he, " go halves; I'll pay 2s. per week towards the maintenance of the child." The young woman declared the old man was the father. " A good joke," said she, "to suppose I don't know who's the father of my little un." Under these circumstances, the old man was ad judged the father. He did not appear much vexed at the decision. THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN.—What an enviable situation is that of a great country gentleman in this beautiful little garden of England ! lie may unite all the happiest opposites—indolence anti occupation, health ful exercise and literary studies. In London, and in public life, we may improve the world, we may benefit our kind ; but we never see the effect we produce, we get no gratitude for them ; others step in and snatch the re - wards; but in the country, if you exert equal industry and skill, you cannot walk out of your hall but what you see the evidence of your labours. Nature smiles in your face anti thanks you ; yon trees you planted ; yon corn ,i-Ids were a common; your capital called them into ex istence ; they now feed a thousand mouths where ten years ago they scarce maintained stuna half a dozen starveing cows; but above all, as you ride through your village, what satisfaction creeps around your heart By half that attention to the admini stration of the poor laws which in London you gave to your Clubs you have made industry replace sloth, anti comfort dethrone pauperism. You, a single individual, have done more for your fellow creatures than the whole Legislature has done in centu ries. This is the true power ; it approaches men to Coati ; but the country Gentleman often refuses to acknowledge this power ; he thinks much more of a certificate for killing partridges !—England and the English. BANKRUPTCY COURT, SEPT. 26. CAMPBELL AND MACDONALD'S BANKRUPTCY. A meeting of the credito rs un d e r the fiat o f , bankruptcy awarded again s t M essrs . Campbell and Macdonald, army agents, was held in Mr. Commie sinner Evmsrs's room, convened by the assignees for the purpose of considering various matters for the benefit of the creditors. The propositions brought before the meeting were the assenting to, or diss en ti ng f rom , a Pr°P; sition for selling by p u bli c auct i on or pr i v ate c Aden tract all or any of the p o iici es o f i nsurance on the life of the bankrupt, Mr. A. Campbell, 8 4. ; , but it being consider e d necessa to consult . Campbell before ultim a t e p r o ce edings were O P " the decision of the question was postponed. nr Some further debts h ave b een proved, tra",;,-t; the total of proofs and c l a i ms aga i nst t he 01- gt nearly 100,0001. No ide a h as y et b een f orm ed W" - dividend will be paid upon the joint estate. (Before Mr. C ormissioner FANE.) PLOWRIGHT AND BOND'S BANKRUPTCY. A meeting of the creditors under the fiat against these bankrupts, who carried on an exteal i 'd business us linen-drapers, &c., at the cornet Id Stamford-street, Blackfriars-road, was also h e to-day. The debts of the firm are at present estimated about 18,0001., and the dividend is expected to v" about ss. or 6s. in the pound. IMPORTANT DECISION REGARDING BILLS (5/1 EXCHANGE. A proof was tendered for 2501. on bills of er , change obtained under the following circuit? stances : Mr. JONEs said he hal some questions to subnii / for the c ons id era ti on o f t h e Commissioners vihic"h he considered of great importance as regarded the negotiation of bills of exchange. The bills, for th e amount of which proof was requested, had, he v/ 51 , informed, been sold in the Exchange at Hansha r a for a much less sum than they were drawn fo r ' He considered, therefore, that the holder of th e bills could only prove for the amount he had give n for them. Ile wished to have the opinion of ti le Commissioners on this point, it being one of it portance. The COMMISSIONER stated the bills had been i ° circulation. The first holder having given full value ' for them would, if be had held them, be entitled t i ° , claim in full. If th e hold er b a d so ld t h em for ha" value as a bad debt the party now holding them w as clearly entitled to prove for the full amount. Mr. JONES said if that was the Commissione r opinion he must submit to it. There was also an other question he had to put. A bill was tendered for proof which was drawn in anticipation of sal es of goods made in Hamburg to the bankrupts, but which had been sto pp e d i n t rans it u w h en it 0 45 known the bankrupts had failed. The COMMISSIONER said the proof must be B i " lowed, and the parties s toppi ng t h e goo d s co mpelle d to forward them. THE MARKETS. Set. 25. This day's SO suppIy UTHALL of Beasts MARKET.— was sufficiently numerous, but .. 0 1 chiefly of inferior qu a lity ; o f Sh eep, L am b s, C a lves, 5 0 0 Porkers, moderately goo d . Th e assem bl age of both I,l.the and country buyers was rather numerow, but most 0 + . 0 . former having purchased th e greater part of their weal:st ply at Smithfield on M on d ay , was very dull throug hou the following prices per stone of 81b. to sink the offals Beef. 3s. OW to 4s. Od. 3s. Bd. to 4 ,'" 6 I Mutton 3 6 4 8 3 6 Lamb 4s. 6d. to ss. 2d. 2d. P r The foregoing :quotations w ere p r i me sma ll M u tton stone dearer than on this day se'nnight ; prices of Beef, ms's, Veal, and Pork, stationary. Be as t s , 272 ; Sh ee p and La, ,ps 2,650; Calves, 62 ; Pigs, 48. A c ons id era bl e p r oportion o f stock left the market unsold. LEWES MARKET.—Sept. 3s. 4d. to 4s. 2d. Veal 4s 4d to M'M I on 4 0 5 0 Pork w. 4 0 4 o t hSupply s e g r o a% e; Lamb 4s.to ss. 4d. r trade with prime met somewhat brisk, 10 It K ET.—Sept. 24. RUMFORD MA it. (I. tos. d. Beef 3 0 4 0 Veal Mutton 3 8 4 8 Pork Q. d. ~ ( je 3 4 8 g 3 4 lamb Suckling Calves, I4s. to 345.; Qt Supply limited, al 4s. 4d. to ss. Od. uarter old Store Pigs, 12'. to 20. 1 . nd trade sluggish. coUNTRY CORN MARKEi'S DURING IHE Wk:EL,C* Wheat. Barley. I Oats. rean°' Per Quarter. Is.to s. s. a. s. to a. 11 . 1° BlandtOrd 56 28 2 0 35 Brigg - 40 58 33 40 15 22 3 0 54 Cambridge 54 31 18 42 Chard . 52 58 24 03 17 20 40 a 4 Huntingdon.......... 58 63 21 23 14 20 31 55 Long Sutton— 56 64 17 22 32 A s Louth Lynn .50 60 22 25 16 20 3 7 40 , Newark 57 60 29 40 16 2 2 Nottingham ..,..w,.48 62 25 27 20 24 du. 41 Peterborough —,. 48 60 30 36 14 22 30 Plymouth —..... 50 64 30 34 20 23 49 67 48 27 43 Sleaford 65 70 38 38 22 28 41 Uppingham 50 60 28 36 18 26 95 Wisbech 48 62 20 33 14 22 LEEDS CORN MARKET.—Sept. 24. yo .l . LEEDS CORN MARKET. 4.24. Wheat, Norfolk and Suflblk, 60Ib. .--- York. and Lincoln. 601 b. 3sa. to Barley, Norfolk and Suffblk • 2Bs. to •sv',,,: Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Grinding Beane 63lb. Oats, Potatoe —Alealing, For. 12d. to lad. Shelling Rapeseed, English, 251. to 27s ForeEignng,22.-19:1...t 0 t t0 2: 284 ,11:14:11°:edtle;I: . LIVERPOOL CORN EXCHANGE,—Sept . - 24 64,id* WHEAT, English, White, per 70Ib. ....-- Red 7 6 ~,. 0 • —. Scotch, Welch, and Manx Irish, White 7 9 1 0 Red 6 6 B n a Foreign l4 4 6v„ OATS, English, Welsh, and Scotch, per 451 b 2lO 9 1,,,u Irish Foreign a BARLEY, English, Malting, per Imp. quarter 3O 0 4 „ Scotch and Irish, per 60Ibs. Feeding 3lO 4 6 n v BEANS, English, per Imperial quarter 43 049 4 ii Irish, &c. Foreign 0 PEASE, English, per Imperial quarter 42 0 4 ry a Foreign • FLOUR, English, per 2801 b. 42 0 4 9 v o Irish OATMEAL, English and Irish, per 2401bs 22 0 56 s 8 , INDIAN CORN, per 4401 b. 36 0 RYE, per imperial quarter 32 0 6 0 v MALT, per Imperial quarter 0. fi t ' IMPORT OF GRAIN fur the Week endin g Sept. oyedo, Wheat.' Oats. I Barley Flour. Ors. Qrs. Qrs. 'Foreign, Brls.llrish,&c. Scks.l J 0 4 1 17,917 . 4,433 842 2,513 I 4,271 , MEETINGS OF CREDITORS ,r. AT THE COURT, BASINGHALL-STRE, (From the London Gazette.) fl , TO-MORROW, Sept 28. - 1 0 DIVIDEND& ~ A t .. A J. A. Harvey, hardwareman, High-street, St. Gileetl ....... 1 7 J. A. Taylor , lboarding.house-keeper t George-street, . 7 ... II ver-square ............................................................ W. Quinton, victualler, Walsall, Staffordshire ............. BIRTHS. so n ' es , On the 26th inst., M rs . V ar d y, o f Bl ac kf r i ars-r oad, o f mo o On the 24th inst., at th e R ectory h ouse, Aldertont : h ier• o f tershire, the lady of the R ev. Ch ar l es C ovey, of a JO° la - On the 26th inst., at H amptonw i ck, Middlesex, th e Frederick R. Crowder, Esq., of a daughter. r•% "iu" . On the 25th inst., at Stratford-green, the wife of a son, who survived only half an hour. --- MARRIED. ms ler th e On the 26th inst., at St. Pancras Church, Hugh — the t Drummond, Esq., to Jemima, youngest daughter of - Captain Hass ard 24th inst.,a Stcpoole, R.N. id , Stan , On the at Alderley, by the Rev. Edw ard gen! 4 ,' co on the 2 C 6 h t h e i t n e s r t .. Marcus Theodore Hare, Esq., to Lucy Anne Stanley' . n Ow daughter of Sir Thomas Stanley, Bart , of Ald erleb 1, e 'A ro, t , at St. Mary's, Paddington, by th Gifford, Frederick Marriott, Esq., of 25, Cambridge r e r oci l Edgware-road, to Mary Anne, only child of the late Gibbons, Esq., of Wellingborough, NorthaMPtu nshie. DIED, do" tb Wel est 0 On the 25th inst., at Dover, Laura Maria, young In of Thomas Walford, Esq , of Bolton.street, Piccadilly, 19th year of her age. M eg"' On the 24th inst., at Leytonstone, Isa bella, Yo ungest ter of the late John Tebbutt, Esq., of Limehouse. deeply f; On the 25th inst., at her residence at HighburY, %pan! gretted, and within three days after her lamented n vo in Elizabeth, the widow and relict of William Hort on, the 79th year of her age. 0 the id Bagel , 2 On the 24th inst., Mr, William Brown, 01 46th year of his age. Mare On the 22d inst., at Dover, on her way to POW, wife of Mr. James Bantleld, of Oxford.street. r P 4° : 0 rea- • On the inst., at the Rectory, Abbot's Ann, ei 00 ver, Charlotte Willis, wife of the Hon. and Rev. Sar a° and youngest daughter of Sir James Burrough- ell PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY 11%URDO YOUr."P'' SUN OFFICE, 112, STRAND.