The Sun. — London, England, 1844-04-02 00:00:00

LL. peti4oo rievbe t he eta . ine 1' isfactel et bythii ap point: e subjeo aected presln t, i g ht pry irßunic j v engsgv" endo' e of 9 0 ' stood I 5 non M ery de of th e ngd,4lls onunitte. he meo lr goti. tbe on of ti lf nd tb° ° d to fir" , of tb 'red O. en Of oniCe hick W. le HowoF'Yrigi mts, his day ,' number of in Tra.and without an occupation fr anchisee But i tthey made an occupation franchise, he * agreed with his Noble Friend that the amount Should be fixed so low as to enable the voters to pro tect each other. Ile thought 301. was too high an amount. He entirely agreed with the Noble Lord in thinking that if they were to create a vote arising from property in fee, there was no reason why the amount required should be higher in Ireland than in Er!gland.—(Hear, hear.) On the contrary, Ireland bei ng a'poorer country, a 40s. fee there was a larger amount than the same fee in England, -light The Hon. and Learned Gentleman opposite bad stated that if there was one thing which it was more desirable to do than another it was to en courage per'sons in Ireland to acquire a small pro perty in land.. He thought that a I3oard of Franchise poor -pWould be most valuable in Ireland, testing it by the oor-law valuation. He was very . glad to hear that la Mjesty's Government were in favour of encou laging the tee , acquisiti on o f the right of voting by small aun p les . - He hoped h er M a j esty ' s Government would adopt some means to render more easy, cheap, l'ild NoAmple, th e conveyance of land.—(Hear, hear.) thing so much te n d e d to interfere with th'is salu urY small process tie th e diffi culty and expense attending co nveyances of land. He trusted that the Inquestion of stamps would not be excluded from con n.eration wh enever that was discussed. He could not but express his satisfaction at finding that they quer:tionn"r iheantering upon the discussion of this manner which was likely to load to a aa.teaotor settlement of the franchise.—(Hear.) mentrmit•kli'EEL expressed a hope that Hon. Gentle iltitrqvu!s onfot prejudge this question, and deprive the opportunity of giving a deliberate Ifirlael:t after examining the details of the Bill, and _ ,vi._ g withccess to the information which might be sup (ruesearpec,t to the effect of any particular pro toPensrtion.— hear.) The course which the Go c. rn.ment proposed to take with respect to the muni ,, l a P,l_and county franchise in Ireland was this. They _ti. .d . found some disqualifiCations existing in Ireland, whkch they proposed to remove. In Great Britain 130!cupation was not required as a necessary condition latnydoti" as the case in freehold franchise. In Ire- Leit was required. They proposed to remove the astriction in Breland,l and to place the 101. freehold Great as occupation on the same footing as in eat Britain. In Ireland they did not permit joint 14tezatit i s to exereas' e the right of voting ; they did per -1‘• them e to do 80 in. England. Again the overnment proposed to remove that disparity. fey did no t propose to take away any existing right, but to continue for the period of Pied years, every such right, without any other cuestio* than the continuance of the same qualifica tion, But they proposed to make concurrently with these changes a very grea t i ncrease o f th e f ranc hi se ; !band he cited these two concurrent enactments, viz., e pfotection of every existing right, and the con `erring of a suspended right, as a proof that the inea- Zurs Was conceived in the spirit of fairness. It had beets constantly alleged that there was a great dis parity between the municipal franchise in England and in Ireland. Th ey h a d ava i led themselves of the first opportunity of placing the municipal franchise ...in Irel an d on the same footing on which it existed in E ngland. Th ey gave an alternative franchise in Ire land,, either occupat i on amounting to 101., or the "°i•ding of a tenement subject to the payment of the rates. So. far as the municipal franchise was concerned it would stand upon the same footing as it been ng m . ade as to the r es t r i c ti ons upon t h e r i g h t o f They proposed i n f u t ure t o prevent t h e voter in'_,lll bein g disqualifi e d, on account of the difficulty ever 'er which he n ow l ay o f prov i ng the payment of y rate. That was the general effect of the mea sure which th e Government proposed. They were quite aware that there was a tendency in Ireland to restrict the franchise, on account of the operation of natural causes, and that legislative enactments would probably have the same effect. They provided, how ever, a substitute which would make ample compen sation for the operation of both these causes, and Which would fulfil the expectations which the people of Ireland had a right to form on this subject. As the Noble Lord had justly said, the subject was one of ex treme difficulty. With respect to leases, he thought Chat d ithey made th e f ranch i se dependent on the holders 4 a lease, the power of the landlord to restrict its Ventured to say, that in a short time, the franchise uld be reduced to a degree which no one could desire to see. They propard, that the man rated to a given amount should have the right s o l f . voting. They now proposed, for the first time, a franchise- in fee. On this subject, he must observe, that some of the worst description of voters had been those who voted under a 40s. franchise in fee; and they had selected a Si, franchise as insuring a more Ithsepend ent class than it was possible to get with the smaller amounts.—(Hear.) He would not enter into the details of this which on` as brought forward to fulfil the declaration s ma de the part of her Majesty's Government.—(llear, h ear. ) He re peat to consid er t h e th at he hoped Hon. Gentlemen wou ld t a k e ttme s question, and weigh the infor- Mation to which they had access instead of expres sing a precipitate opinion as to the effect of the ' Measure. Mr. FRENCH would follow theadvice which had Baronet.. just been . given by the Right Hon be . _ if r a e l c f e received benefits n l e r fi e t - s not anticipate that the Bill would . land as a very great concession. .He did ven by the Reform Bill The Noble Lard confessedwered to be taken away. that two-thirds of the electors 'would be deprive of the franchise, and these, it must be remembered, were the most popular class of v° ters; and for this franchise he proposed to sub stitute what he could not but designate as a Chandos clause He thought some of the alterations proposed by the Noble Lord would have the effect of producing 'eater purity in the exercise of the franchise in Ireland. Mr. Introdired, be cause • lIIJME Was glad the . present Bill had been through Which, for athgede d e t ermination had been broken h time, seemed to prevail en both sides of the House, that the Reform Bill must be final. The question wad People of Ireland , would this measure , satisfy the —would it remove that unfortunate desire for separation from this country so universally Prevalent there ? He feared not ; and more, he thou ht it ought not to satisfy them. At present Th r ! were onl y 60,000 voters for 8,000,000 people. ..NOble Lord proposed to add 30,000 to them, li n akin t ~,v , a total of 90,000—not more voters than one Riding o f contained—not more than the West Irish g. of Yorkshire contained. With respect to the vil, ooroughs, they had at present hut a constituency e d u'a° oo , and the Noble Lord did not propose to add to that number. He admitted that the principle of Pllng' ,the electoral franchise contained in the No ble orris Bill was an improvement. The fran chise Inust'be greatly extended in Ireland in order to afford sati.sfaction to the people of that country. Every irarvidual who contributed to pay the taxes ought to :la at elections. The Irish franchise ought as 0 events. to be assimilated to the English as much th ' e p issible in order to give the people a confidence in tient nitoPerial Parliament, and to enable the Govern risoned trove some of those troops which now gar countriy. He had no doubt that the pre • ..ult.--(Cries of as sen a t f m r e e s as h lir e Nv oil d be held forth to the Irish people R. Peel.) " Hear, hear," from Sir tie understood the Right Hon. Baronet, nonpdinibeong,g4tilaseavaeto tell him that, in his (Mr. Hume's) racterised sue. fresh. insult, and deserved to be tha ne we ' re an 1 1 . and if' the Right Hon Baronet visionsin th no other light. ,r,lalisehrtnean he would look upon it in Bmililg;htit be some salutary pro fit r a - th i e ne r tpi icrea7wc calculated posed f deonoessmioingh; t hi b it e , c o o n n t s h id e e w re h d ol a e s , it Wa s • satisfied—a:rear, hear,) to make the Irish people dis- Mr. M. GO RE, t tot refrain from ex hough an English Member, could the Principles and felt confidentedin ein C d e i ssing his entire concurrence in greirVt.ttijs.faoct,iconoisitoNth therismthhe Bill of the Noble measure Co to must give the justice to his own f protest against the Bill . LI, said he should not do fling s if he did not enter hid the Reform the Noble Lord. It extended a portion of 11—the Chandos clause— which, though he had been nine years in that House, he Re objected to tri uever beard an increased on. Mmber say a good word of. on the landlords, e power the Bill conferred Tlie increase of 3:0 already possessed a great deal. . ,000 in the county voters would not m uc h whucalderetakthan i counterbalance the diminution which every day at ;Yorke p ace from causes which were corn, and, the high rents s e e li f ts the reduced prices of their produce was of land tl taken at a period when Present greater value. In the state of agriculceethe stringent enforcement of the test of value wsitil on the franc_ fears of the hise.—(Hear, hear.) have a most injurious effect He thouht the Hon. Member for M tthat 13 . 11 W ould not on rose the i be well received in Ireland were well great grounded. desiderat a It was acknowledged to be a of .tn to remove the present state landlordertaintY that and tena n t prevailed between the every way but the present Bill was There was a calculated to promote that uncertainty. lord s t o positive inducement in the Bill to land that the reserveltillw aldstate of uncertainty, and he feared and emb'tt ' ou have the effect of perpetuating land i ering those unfortunate differenc es between hhd lord and tenant, which much. crime and discontent. had been the source of d so aulg_polling in counties much neededregu a lt i e o r ns tio re n gar ln :.orl an polling-booth 100 votes would be polled __ en number by a single clerk, whereas in Ireland the Mme s ____ l?ber in a day was considered a great deal. h e __7°°, lol not oppose the introduction of the Bill, but ol zAlla not for a moment think that any registration '‘atie Could be satisfactory whic h imposed higher rate.of auaii6o . a peopl e , ' P le t -- (liear h ation on the poorer than on the richer mt.. w....,... , ear.) Vilai c h.. th 16 E bad been pleased with the manner in 5 Noble Lord introduced his Bill, and would • . not dissent from any of the praises which had been bestowed on the measure by Hon. Members on that side of the House. 'With regard to the right of voting derivable from freeholds, he entirely concurred with the observations which had been made on both sides of the House. He thought the great point was to es tiblish proprietorship, for a small proprietor was very often more independent than a large leaseholder. He regretted that the amount had not been fixed at a lower value than 51.. He believed that if the Govern ment had adopted the 405., freehold it would not have been abused now as it formerly was. He hoped the Noble Lord therefore would see the propriety of lowering the qualification. With regard to the muni cipal improvements which the Noble Lord suggested, he (Mr Wyse) was glad the Noble Lord recognised the same necessity for an extension of the franchise in towns as in the case of counties. He (Mr. Wyse) repeated that he was glad that this Bill had been in troduced as it had elicited from the Right Hon. Baronet and the Noble Lord, the expression of prin ciples which he hoped the Government would be pre pared to carry fully into operation. Sir R. PEEL said there were one or two points which he wished to explain. He had said that in some towns in Ireland it was impossible to apply the English principle, namely, to give the right of the municipal franchise after occupation for two years, and the payment of all rates and taxes. He had since been informed that it was possible to apply this prin ciple to all the towns in- Ireland, and therefore he proposed to substitute that provision at once. The Noble Lord' (Lord J. Russell) had expressed an ap prehension that the assimilation of the stamp duties would have the effect of increasing the charges of conveyance. Now, the reverse was the fact. Before the assimilation of the duties, the stamp duty on a conveyance of property up to the value of 1001. was 1/., but now it was reduced to 10s. Lord ELIOT did not mean to discuss at any length the occupation clause, but he would just allude to an observation which had fallen from the Noble Lord respecting it. The Noble Lord said that in point of fact it was a'Chandos clause. This was not so, for by the Chandos clause the qualification con sisted of the payment of a certain amount of rent to the landlord, while the proposed occupation clause in the present Bill made the qualification to depend upon the tenant being rated to the poor. He did not think that the Hon. Member for Kerry had answered the question of his Right Hon. Friend. His Right Hon. Friend said, "If you do not admit a qualification by this description how are you to provide sufficient con stituencies in the Irish counties ?" The qualification proposed he (Lord Eliot) believed, so far from strengthening the disinclination on the part of land lords to grant leases, would have a directly contrary effect. He believed that the present disinclination to grant leases arose from .a disinclination to give poli tical power to those who were disposed to use it against the landlords. He b e li eve d th a t th e propose d qualification would operate irrespective of the grant ing of. leases, which wo u ld b e gran t e d on the probability of their being as conducive to improvement in the cultivation of the soil. He would make one observati on as t o th e manner of claiming to be registered. The Bill proposed that the person claiming should merely send his name to the baronial constable, to be placed in the list ; it would then be sent to the cl e rk o f th e peace , b y w h o m it would be transmitted. to the revising barrister, and the party claiming would not be called upon to ap pear unless he should be objected to. This was pre cisely the same as the law stood in England. The Honourable Member for Montrose had asked whether this Bill would satisfy the people of Ireland ? He asked if the constituencies had been established in just proportion to the population ? Why this principle had never been admitted by any statesman. The principle always acted upon had been to take property and population, and combine them together. He be lieved that the Hon. Gentleman would find that the franchise was wider, and upon a more extended basis, than it was either in Scotland or in England. The short coinings arose out of the different distribu tion of property. To 'give the same proportion to the population in Ireland as in England, they must admit every 51. rate-payer in the country to the franchise, quite irrespective of any tenure whatsoever. The Noble Lord had—asked what would have been the" effect of the Bill of last session, with regard to the rating of persons under 81. in large towns, and under 41. in small ones? His (Lord Eliot's) answer was, that by the 33d section of the 3d and 4th of Victoria, an occupier might claim to be rated whether he was liable or not. The Act of last session did not in any way affect or take away that right. With re gard to the observations of the Hon. Member for Kerry as to the oaths to be administered, he had only to state that there would be but one oath to be taken, and two queries would be put, namely, " Are you the same person ? Have you already voted ?" Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL thought it would be better to administer the general oath, that true an swers should be made to all questions, and then -any questions could be put. He thought this would save time. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, and Lord Eliot, the Irish Attorney-General, and Sir James Graham were ordered to bring it in. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (IRELAND). Lord ELIOT then moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend that part of the Act passed in the 3d and 4th year of the reign of her present Majesty, intituled, "An Act for the regulation of Municipal Corporations in Ireland," which relates to the qualification of bur gesses and of voters at elections held under the said Act. Mr. SHAW thought that was an excellent oppor tunity of introducing . uniformity with respect to the boundaries of municipal corporations in Ireland. This would have the effect of increasing the county con stituencies. The city of Cork occupied a space of four square miles, while the municipal district occupied a space of seven miles. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. PRIVY COUNCIL BILL On the Order of the Day being put for going into a Committee of Supply. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, in pursuance of the motion of which he had given notice the other night, he wished to put a question to the Right Hon. Baronet, with respect to a Bill now in progress in the other House of Parliament. It would at a future period be brought before this House, when he would have another opportunity of speaking. When his Noble and Learned Colleague (Lord Cottenham) was in office, he had expressed his opinion that it was not desirable that two additional judges should be appoiated,, although he (Lord J. Russell) knew that another Chancellor, con nected with a different Government, might think those appointments necessary. With respect to all the judicial establishments of the country, especially that part which was connected with the Privy Council, it might be ex pedient that the Crown should originate such establish ment, and make particular appointments, and then state to Parliament what the additions were. The Bill to which he had alluded had been brought into the other House on the 4th of March, by which a new judge was to be appointed with a salary of 2,0001. There were already two with salaries' of 1,5001. and 1,200/. respectively. On the 15th of March, the Bill was referred to st-CoMmittee, and from that period up to the present they had heard n o thi ng of i t. Now what he feared was, that in the present complicated state of the Parliamentary business the Bill would not be brought to this House until near the close of the session, when it could not receive that attention which it demanded. He wanted to call the attention of the Right Hon. Gentleman to an extraordinary statement which had been made. It was stated that a very eminent per son was to be placed at the head of the Judicial Com • mittee of the Privy Council as Judge.—(Hear, hear.) It was within the discretion of Government, he was per fectly aware, to make up their minds with respect to this appointment, or that such a Bill should be intro duced ; but he thought it seemed an extraordinarycourse —not to say a suspicious one—to admit that any individual, however eminent, should be named to an appointment before the office had been created, and at a time when the Government might forego their intention of creating it. If the Government thought fit that there should be such an appointment, surely it was right that they should state their reasons. The whole question depended on whether any one individual was ready, or had engaged to accept this office. Now here was the Bill introduced, and likely to be brought down to this House at a late period of the session, and in con sequence he wished to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Govern ment to bring the Bill before the House at an early period, and whether there was any foundation for the statement to which he had alluded? Sir R. PEEL, who spoke in a very low tone of voice, said he thought the Noble Lord would agree that he (Sir R. Peel) was entitled to exercise his unfettered dis cretion in the matter. He could assure the Noble Lord that the Bill would be brought before this House as soon as it was possible in accordance with the due course of business. He did not concur in the opinion of the Noble Lord opposite, that the Noble and Learned Lord (Cottenham) was opposed last year to the appointment of a juelge to pre side in the Privy Council. With respect to the state ment concerning which the Noble Lord put the other question, he should say, it was the impression of the Government that the Crown had the power of creating such an office, and under this impression it had been offered to a Noble and Learned Lord in the other House, but he declined to accept it, stating at the same time that he did not consider at that moment that such an office was required. The Bill had been brought into the other House independent of the Government by the Noble and Learned Lord. Mr. R. YORKE protested strongly against this Bill, and whenever it should come before this House, he would use every means which the forms of the House allowed to oppose it. SUPPLY. The House then went into a Committee of Supply. Sir G. CLERK rose to move the civil contingencies and miscellaneous estimates. He felt glad to be able to assure the House that a considerable reduction would be made in the grant this year from what it had been last year. For the last year, the sum required was 130,000/, while for the present, he should only move for 100,000/. for the payment of the civil contingencies. Air. WILLIAMS protested against the enormous sums which were voted an nually to defray th e expenses o f Ambassadors at Foreign Courts. There was a charge of 4,10/ for the expenses of the embassy to Hammer. Now, the least thing, he thought, which the King of Ha nover could do, in return for the 21,000/. which he received annually from this country, was to take care of its inte rests at his own Court. He objected also to a charge which he saw for the conveyance, in some of the vessels of war, of two Princes of Prussia and their respective suites—Prince Adelberg from Rio de &micro to Pere, and another Prince from Java to Beyrout, and thence to Constantinople. He thought it quite enough to furnish them with vessels to convey them and their suites from one place to another without at the same time paying the ex penses of their passage. There was another charge, of a very singular nature, to which he had an objection. It was 774 ls. 4d., the amount of Messrs. Vizard and Main's bill of costs in an action brought against Lord Brougham, in his official capacity, when Lord Chan cellor of England. He thought that if the Lord Chan cellor left himself open in his official capacity to such a charge, he ought to pay it himself. He objected also to the very heavy charges that were made for sending out Governors to some of our petty colonies—for instance, to Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand, in each of which the cost was 8001. That was a monstrous charge. Why the population of New Zealand did not amount to more than 5,000 persons altogether. It ought to be shown whether such charges were at all necessary. There were several others of a similar kind, but he referred to these as being of the largest amount. Again, the ex penses for robes and collars for the Knights of the seve ral Orders were charged at 1,2021., and the bill of Messrs. Gerrard and Co. for repairing the same was no less than 1,152/. Now this was an expenditure to which he altogether objected, for he thought the Knights themselves ought to pay for their own decorations. Then there was the funeral of the late Duke of Sussex. No one more highly esteemed that lamented nobleman when alive, nor had greater veneration for his memory, but still he thought that a charge of 1,352/. for his funeral expenses could and ought to have been avoided. With respect to colonial bishops, they had been often told in that House when the matter was discussed, that they gave rise to no public expenditure. Now, he found that no less than five of those colonial bishops were receiving the public money, and employing our ships of war and steamers, in conveying them from one place to another. They were the Bishops of Jamaica, Newfoundland, Tasmania, Gibraltar—and with respect to the latter he found a charge of 2101. for the conveyance of him self and suite on board her Majesty's steam-vessel, the Devastation, from Gibraltar to Constantinople and back. He thought it was quite enough to have sup plied the Right Rev. Prelate with the passage in a Go vernment vessel, without also paying for the expenses of his suite. There was another item, which he re quested the Right Hon. Baronet to be good enough to explain. It was to the Bishop of Chester for preachers in Lancashire, for eleven years and a half, begin ning on the 15th of April, 1832, and ending on the 10th of October, 1843, 1,3221. Bs. He sup posed that the money had been refused by the late Government, and hence the present demand. He should like to know the reason that could be assigned for another another singular vote, namely, for watering Parkgate-street, in Dublin, in the summers of 1841 and 1842, 68/. 17s. 6d. There was another vote to which he wished to call attention, namely, the sum of 4001. for the College of St. David's. He did not regret that there was such an item ; he only complained of the sum as being too small, being quite inadequate to supply a good system of education for the clergy of Wales who were educated there. In fifteen parishes, in the immediate neighbourhood of that college, the tithes were in the hands of one lay impropriator to the amount of not less than 6,0001 each parish, thus furnishing 4,0001. to that single layman, while the twenty-one clergymen who served those parishes received 71/. 10s. from each. He mentioned these facts to show that there was no induce ment held out to men of ability and education to enter the Church there, and that to those who did enter it, the means of obtaining a good education was not furnished. He thought, if the fugds of St. David's College were en riched, it would confer a most important benefit on the Established Church in that part of the country. The two richly endowed universities, Oxford and Cambridge, re ceived 2,0001. annually from the public funds ; and the colleges and universities of Scotland received annually 7,0801. from the same source ; and the Dublin Society in Ireland received 12,6781., besides 1,5001. a year for the ordinary purposes of education and last year the London University received 4,548/ from this House. When sums were thus liberally expended in other quar ters, he trusted that the case of St. David's College would be taken into consideration by the Government, and he assured them that the cause of the great extent to which Dissent existed in that part of the country had been mainly owing to the want of sufficient provision for the clergy of the Established Church there, and to the not affording them the means of a liberal and en lightened education, which every clergyman of the Church of England ought to have. Dr. BOWRING said there was one item on which he would take the liberty of asking a question. The Noble Lord the Member for Tiverton (Lord Palmerston) when in office had pointed out the disadvantage of having our diplomatic interests dependent in a great measure upon strangers, who were used as intepreters by our Minis nisters in eastern countries, and had shown the neces sity of educating some young men of this country in the languages of the East, for the purpose of acting as interpreters in negotiations. He (Dr. Bowring) there fore wanted to know whether there were any young men exercising public functions of that nature in Con stantinople ? Sir G. CLERK said that the expenses of the embassy at Constantinople were necessarily increased by having an establishment of dragomans, and the inconvenience of employing foreigners in that capacity had been very strongly felt. English subjects had in consequence been instructed for some time back in the Turkish language, in order that they might, when oppertunity offered, take the place of those foreigners. There could be no doubt that solid advantages would be derived from the em ployment in this capacity of persons having the interests and feelings of this country at heart, instead of merely employing foreigners. The system which had been referred to by , the Noble Lord the Member for Tiverton was still carried on. The Hon. Member for Coventry had alluded to the expense arising'from foreign princes and foreigners of distinction on the occasion of their obtaining a passage in some of her Majesty's ships. The saving of the sums included in this item would be very small, and not worthy of the consideration of this country. With regard to the sums allowed for the con veyance of governors of colonies, it should be considered that the charges for many years past had been anything but extravagant. With respect to the charges for con veying out the colonial bishops, the expenses had been very small, and as the salaries of those bishops were also very small, he thought it could not be complained of that the Government had undertaken that charge upon itself. As to the charge for sending back the envoy from the Imaum of Muscat—the fact was, that the envoy had brought hither very valuable' presents, which were the more valuable on account of the effect which they had of more strongly cementing our friendship with a useful ally, and as the envoy was accompanied by a very large retinue, it would not have been worthy of this Government to allow him to go back at his own expense. The charge of 2001. for the Bishop of Chester was for the purpose of enabling him to pay for four preachers in his diocese. Sir C. N.A.PIEIt said that the charge in some instances for the removal of functionaries from one station to another was no more in each ease than it would cost the func tionary to remove from his country house to his town house; but he did not care whether the expense was only 1/. or 1,0001, the principle was the same.—(Hear.) He saw some estimates for the expenses of the civil service in China. He -did not understand thoroughly the nature of the disagreements between Sir IL Pottinger and Admiral Parker, and he, should like to have an ex planation from the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite. There was another point which le - did not understand —the expenses under the head of civil and military service in the Levant. _ _ _ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the estimate was for expenses incurred in 1841, and paid in 1843. Sir C. NAPIER could not see why the country should be put to so much expense for the benefit of those civil officers. When an admiral was sent out he got an allowance of plate—that was to say some half-dozen old silver spoons.—(A laugh.) But he was at once charged ten per cent. upon the value of the plate, which he was required to return, and which he could procure from any Jew (upon the same condition) for seven per cent. —(A laugh.) He thought that all ought to be placed upon equal terms. When civil officers and governors were sent abroad, it would be better for the naval ser • vice and for the public purse if they were sent out in the Government steam-packets, instead of sending upon such a service a fine frigate, and putting the captain to great inconvenience by compelling him to give up his cabin. When Sir Robert Wilson was sent out to Gibraltar, a fine frigate of fifty guns was em ployed to convey him, and was occupied five or 'six months in the service, although the Government had at their disposal at the time a magnificent steam ship upon the station, which would have carried him in a few days, and had the most splendid accommodations for the Governor and his suite. The accommodations were quite good enough for her Majesty—(A laugh)— and, in fact, her Majesty had sailed in that very ship.— (Hear, and a laugh.) He would take the sense of the House on this part of the estimates.—(Hear.) Mr. HUME said that his Hon. Friend had been mis understood. He had not complained of the expenses of the establishment for the education and training of dragomans at Constantinople. He had only asked how many young men there were under instruction, and what progress had been made. He wished an explana tion respecting a sum of 6001. stated to have been paid for the expenses of Mr. M'Gregor in Norway, and in respect to some negotiations as to the Stade duties. It was pro. mired last year that something should be done as to these duties, and before he proceeded with any further remarks he would give the opportunity to the Govern ment of stating any thing in reference to them they might be enabled to do. Lord STANLEY said, before the Hon. Member's question was answered, the House, perhaps, would permit him to give an explanation in reference to the remarks of the Gallant Officer (Sir C. Napier) on the way in which Sir Robert Wilson had been conveyed to Gib raltar. He (Lord Stanley) would take the liberty of stating that there was no class of persons who suffered such great losses from the expenses-necessary to take them to their destinations as Governors. Tn sending out Ministers a grant was made, but there was none for Governors, and nine-tenths of them were for the first, second, and sometimes for the third year, out of pocket for moneys they were compelled to raise to enable them to accept and get out to their appointments. There was no outfit ; but there was a certain fixed rate for them- selves and families—be the family large or be it small —according to the length of passage, and each Governor had a right to demand that sum of money. It did so happen sometimes that a ship was going out the very— Sir C. NAPIER—The Warspite was hot going out anywhere. She was _lying at Spkileati ? and was not under ordorS. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, APRIL 2, 1844. Lord STANLEY—Yes, she was at Spithead or Ply mouth. Now, the passage-money to which Sir Robert Wilson was entitled for going out was 200/, and Sir Alexander Woodford was entitled to the same sum for his passage-money homewards. The Warspite was lying idle, and it cost no more to send her out with Sir Robert Wilson to Gibraltar, and bringing Sir Alexander home, than to pay to those two officers their passage money. On the contrary, it cost less for the payments actually made to them, which amounted to 911. 10s. each ; so that on the point of economy the cost had been less than that if the one had gone out and the other had come back in the ordinary packet. But he would ask the House whether there was not a certain amount of consideration attached to a representative of her Ma jesty in going out thus to his government.—(Hear.) He did not by any means say that expense was to be no consideration, but if a ship was thus in commission and was lying idle, he did consider it had been, under the circumstances, advantageously employed in conferring power and consideration upon an officer going to take the command of so important a Governorship and for• tress as that of Gibraltar.—(Hear.) Sir C. NAPIER did not like that sort of reasoning at all. It was not the mere expense of going from Spit head to Gibraltar and back, but it was the expense of . putting a ship in commission, and getting her crew, and making her fit for sea and for duty, that was to be looked at. Ships were not fitted out but at an enormous cost to the country ; they were not fitted out for passage boats, but for far different work. He recollected well being captain of a ship for two years, and all he had to do during that period was to take out a Governor and a Commissioner to the West Indies.—(Laughter.) He called it great waste.—(Hear, hear.) He repeated, and he was sure the country and the service would agree with him, that British ships of war ought not to be made into passage-boats. Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE, in reference to the Hon. Gentleman's (Mr. Hume's) other que stion, begged to say that the expenses now charged for Mr. M`Gregor were incurred in the year 1842 and in the early part of 1843. With regard to the general question as to the Stade duties, he was happy to say an arrangement was likely to be come to very speedily, but the nature of that ar rangement it would be improper in him to communicate. Mr. HUME said, he observed in these estimates that the public were charged with fees for the conferring honours upon individuals. If there were such fools to be found as to seek these things, he really thought they ought themselves to pay for them.—(Laughter, and Hear, hear.) He thought a Committee upon this and some other items would do a deal of good, and he did not know but what he should move for one. Again, in p. 11. he found an item,lol/ for a surgeon for the Scilly Isles, and 421. for medicine for the Scilly Isles. He wished to know who were the proprietors of these Scilly Isles ?—(Laughter.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I do not exactly know who the proprietors are.—(Laughter.) Mr. HUME—Then what business have you paying doctors and medicines for them.—(Laughter.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the fact was, a communication had been made to the Go vernment representing that the people in these isles were sorely afflicted with disease, and were in the most de plorable state for medical help, which they had no means of procuring, and it was thought a duty not to refuse as sistance so dreadfully needed, and the cost of which was so small.—(Hear.) Mr. HUME said he perceived there was a sum of 2,3001. set down as the salary and expenses of the Mar shal of the Queen's Bench Prison for three-quarters of a year. The former Marshal of the prison, he understood, had 6,0001. a year. He had complained of it again and again, and he had been assured that the salary would in future be more moderate. He wished to know what the salary of the present Marshal'was ? Mr. M. SUTTON said that the salary of the Marshal of the Queen's Prison was 700/. a year. Mr. HUME said he should move for a detailed ac count of the salary and allowances of this officer. He also complained of the sum of 3201. charged for bring ing silver from the Bank of Ireland to the Bank of England. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ex plained that the silver was brought over to accommodate the Bank of England, during the great demand for silver. Mr. HUME thought the item ought to have been carried to the general account of the expenses of calling in the coinage. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER again explained that there was at the time a great accumula tion of silver in the Bank of Ireland, which was lying there useless, while there was a great demand for it in England, aad therefore it was brought over here, but t u attwh t oa h ut e dw ß ao i ru g i lshdet whenHa r arise that the expense could not be charged to the Bank of England, M the coinage was first called in. The gold was called in for o E r the t s aid he he great eahtad warneddemand inconvenie nce without any provision being made by the Mint or for silver, in consequence of so • ereigns being made receivable only at a cert • v • am weight. Great incon venience was felt in consequence; some bankers had had to give one per cent. for silver to furnish their custo mers with, and in some cases silver was not to be pro cured at all. There was great culpability somewhere the large establishment of the Mint was at such a junc ture perfectly useless, no additional coinage of silver the Gentleman r B • aHn Bank having been made ;it went on in its old jog-trot man ner. This was not the way in which a great public de partment ought to be conducted. It had the power of working four times as much as it did, yet no increase was made, notwithstanding the great pressure for silver felt by the public. This charge of 3201 ought to be paid either by the Master of the Mint or by the Right Hon. Gentleman, he did not know which—(Hear, hear)—it was a charge the public revenue ought not to be subjected to. But though he made these observations, he begged to say that the present estimates were the best he had ever seen submitted to the House of Corn mons.—(Hear, hear.) But still they might have been better.—(Hear, hear.) Captain PECHELL thought that the Committee had not had a sufficient explanation of the charge made of sending out one of the largest class of ships to Gibraltar with the Governor, Sir Robert Wilson. He objected to the employment of large ships of war for such a purpose. It had been made to appear that it was the cheapest mode, but this could not be ascertained unless they had a return of the cost of the wear and tear of one of these large ships during a passage of fourteen days in the winter season. Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH objected to several items of expenditure, such as 5501. for abstracts of the accounts of turnpike trusts, and 459/. 11s. 2d. to the Poor-law Commissioners for preparing certain returns ordered by the Government. Mr. COLLETT said he perceived there was a sum of 2,945/. for the cartoons which were exhibited in West minster Hall. He wished to know whether this was the amount, after deducting the money which was re ceived from those who paid Is. each to see them before the public was admitted ? Sir G. CLERK said the sum referred to by the Hon. Gentleman was the amount paid as premiums. The sum received from the public went to defray the ex penses of fitting up the Hall, and for the payment of those who attended. There was a balance remaining of 2001, which would go to meet the expenses of the other works of art which were advertised to be seen in the ensuing month. Sir C. NAPIER said he understood there was a con siderable disagreement between Sir H. Pottinger, their Minister in China, and the naval and military officers employed there, the latter not liking to be placed under a civilian. Tie wished to know from the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies whether there was any truth in this report ? He wished also to know why it was that a frigate should be employed to convey Sir R. Wilson to such a petty place as Gibraltar, while Sir C. Metcalf was sent to Canada in the Columbia ? The Noble Lord talked of the dignity of sending a Governor in a man-of-war, but he did not see what dignity there could be in sending out a frigate to Gibraltar. Lord STANLEY said he had no hesitation in telling the Hon. and Gallant Officer that general instructions had been sent ont to the naval and military officers, in consequence of the anomalous position of their affairs in China, at the time, that they s h ou ld render Sir H. Pot tinger every service in carrying on his operations. He believed there was some difference of opinion with regard to the nature of the services they were to perform, but there was not the slighest difference of opinionduring the whole course of their military operations. Whatever con struction might be put on the instructions, he did not believe that there was any difference with regard to the cordial discharge of their duties by the officers. With regard to the second question, - he thought that it would create more respect for him if they sent out the Go vernor of Gibraltar in a frigate, particularly as there was one to spare. Sir C. Metcalf went to Canada in the Columbia, because it was more convenient for him than if he went in a frigate, which could not, at the period he went out, take him to the seat of Government. Sir C. NAPIER expressed himself satisfied IN ith the answer of the Noble Lord to the first question, but he could tell the Noble Lord that a most deserving officer, Lord John Hay, gave up his ship in disgust at being constantly employed in this service. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL objected to the payment of 80/. to Mr. Brownrigg, the inspector of constabulary, for making an analysis of the Arms Act, which was of no use, and very badly drawn up. Lord ELIOT said in reference to what had been said by the Hon. Member for Roscommon, that he did not think the items to which he referred could be objected he was supposed make an abstract of ttoo.belaVpitehrsroenspevcetrytocoMmrp.eSternotw ntorigg, the Act referred to by the Hon. Gentleman, and the 801. was for the expenses of preparing a number of copies for the different constabulary stations. Mr. M. O'FERRALL, in allusion to the item of 591. 175., for the expenses of a Commission of Inquiry into certain alleged malversations on the part of certain officers of Kilmainham gaol, in connection with the ex pense of convicts, co mplained, that although Major Palmer (who had been, according to the report of the Commissioners, guilty of gross negligence), had been dismissed by the Treasury from the office he held in connection with the convict establishment in Kilmain ham gaol ; yet he had been continued by the Irish Go vernment in the office of Inspector-General of the Prisons of Ireland. Sir G. CLERK admitted that, although the report acquitted Major Palmer of all knowledge of a participa tion in the malversaions alluded to, yet it stated that he had been guilty of gross negligence, and, therefore, he had been removed from his office ; but no complaint had been made against him in his office of Inspector- General of Prisons. He had satisfactorily performed the duties of that office for twenty-three years. He had introduced many and great improvements into the ma nagement of the prison, and, therefore, it had been deemed advisable to contin ue him in his office. Mr. M. O'FERRALL'S complaint was against the Noble Lard for continuing in office a man whom the Treasury had dismissed for gross neglect. Mr. F. T. BARING did not confider the explanation of the Baionet to be at all aatiaitctorp Lord ELIOT said that Major Palmer was an old and distinguished officer. He had held his office for twenty three years, and no complaint had ever been made against him. He would be entitled to no retiring allowance, and the Government thought that the loss of the office, the duties of which he had neglected, was sufficient punishment for that neglect, without making him destitute by depriving him of that office the duties of which he had satisfactorily discharged. Mr. EWART asked if it was the intention of the Government to bring in a Bill for the regulation of charities during the present session, and if it was likely that any digest of the criminal law, founded on the report of Mr. Justice Wightman, Mr. Sergeant Starkie, and other eminent lawyers, was likely to be brought forward. Sir R. PEEL soli that with regard to the first point his Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department had been in communication with the Lord Chancellor on the subject of introducing a Bill. Mr. HUME complained of the fees to Attorneys and Solicitof-Generals. He understood that some of these officers had received the enormous sum of 18,0001. a-year. Now 5,0001. a-year would buy the best At torney-General that ever stood in Westminster-hall. Mr. BARING had been always very hostile to fees, but a Commission appinted by that House had recom mended the system of fees to these officers. He thought a substitution of salaries for these fees would be very advantageous to the public. Sir R. PEEL expressed himself to a similar effect. Colonel SIBTHORP wished to know what salary was paid to Mr. Bulwer as ambassador to Madrid. He (Colonel Sibthorp) was surprised that the Government should have selected a person opposed to them in politics for this important situation. Sir R. PEEL said he must decline answering the question. Mr. Bulwer was a highly talented gentleman, and every way calculated for the situation in which he had been placed. He (Sir R. Peel) did not think it was the duty of the Government to look to party in making such appointments as these, but rather to the capabili ties of the person to be appointed. It was upon these considerations that Mr. Bulwer had been appointed, and he was sure that no one could object to the appointment on the ground of incapacity in the person appointed.; The vote was then agreed to. The sum of 112,1901. was then proposed to defray the the expenses of public buildings, &e. Mr. W. WILLIAMS objected to the vote. He found that the average sum voted for this purpose for the last five years, was 120,0001. The whole sum voted for the whole five years, was 686,0001. for the expenses of public parks, palaces, &c. He thought the Right Hon. Baronet opposite would agree with him that proper economy had not been observed, as this large sum had increased year after year. Lord LINCOLN said, it was not until lately that his attention had been drawn to the subject of the parks. He was surprised that the Hon. Gentleman could have found fault with the expenditure upon the royal parks, as they were entirely appropriated to the public accom molation. So far from the expense of the Parks being on the increase, there was at present a decrease. It was true, that in some of the metropolitan parks, the ex penses had been increased owing to the greater number of persons who latterly visited them. Hampton Court had been occupied by some Members of the aristo cracy, but still he thought that it would be wrong if the Crown had not the power of appropriating apartments to those persons, and the connections of those persons, who had rendered eminent services to the country, and who might be destitute of house and home. But at the same time it should be remembered that in this building there was a large suite of rooms, which were solely appropriated to the public. Sir CHARLES NAPIER said a large sum of money would be likely to be expended upon removing 'the buildings in St. James's Park on the side of St. James's street. Dr. BOWRING complained of the item of 3001. being expended upon a Government building in the Isle of Wight. He thought they ought to be allowed to manage their own financial affairs, and then they would be wil ling to pay such expenses as those now sought to be in cluded in the estimates. In reply to a question from Mr. EWART, Lord LINCOLN said that the proposed improvements in the locality between the Regent's-park and Primrose hill had been retarded in consequence of the negotiations pending with Eton College. Mr. HUME objected to this mode of passing all the estimates for public parks and mansions in one vote. He did not wish at this late hour to oppose the vote, but he thought the Government ought to allow the House to have the separate expenses of each establishment for the previous year laid before it. After a few words from Captain PECHELL, the vote was agreed to. Mr. BROTHERTON then moved that the Chairman report progress. Sir G. CLERK said that the next vote was only for the expenses of the temporary Houses of Parliament. Mr. BROTHERTON gave way. Sir G. CLERK then moved for a grant of 5,4001. for the expenses of the temporary Houses. The vote was agreed to. The next vote was 60,0001 for the Houses of Parlia ment In answer to a question upon this vote, The Earl of LINCOLN said the new House of Lords could be fitted up temporarily for the next session if ab solutely required, but he thought it would be in such a state as to cause great prejudice to health, and therefore he hoped their Lordships would see fit to alter their wishes. Both the Houses could be made comfortable by the session following—that of 1846. The vote was then agreed to. The next and last vote was 7,0001. for Trafalgar square, which being agreed to the Chairman reported progress and asked leave to sit again. COUNTY COURTS (LANCASTER.) The House having resumed, Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET obtained leave to bring in two Bills ; one to amend the jurisdiction of the County Court of the County Palatine of Lancaster; and the other to alter and amend the jurisdiction of the Chancery Court of the same Court. ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAYS. Mr. SHAW moved for a Select Committee to inquire into the merits and importance of atmospheric railways. —(Much amusement was caused by the President of the Board of Trade, in whose department the appli cation came, being in a sound sleep, on the cross bench behind the Speaker's chair. Having been aroused by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Hon. Gentle man proceeded to his place, amid the laughter of the Hon. Members present.) Mr. Shaw then proceeded to state that at that hour of the night he would not go into the question ; he would merely say that he would follow any course the Right Hon. Gentleman might suggest as the most desirable. _ _ Mr. GLADSTONE said he should suggest, as most advisable, that the Honourable and Learned Gentle man should postpone his motion till after Easter. The Honourable Gentleman must be aware of the difficulty that attended any proposition for a Select Committee to inquire into the success of scientific expe riments ; it might lead to many similar propositions. There could be no doubt that, on the small scale on which it had been tried; the experiment had succeeded ; the question was whether it would succeed if -tried on a more extensive scale. He had another objection to the motion, which was this. The Hon. Gentleman asked for an inquiry into the importance of the experiments on this railway ; he (Mr. Gladstone) thought that they had already got to that point, and he doubted if he would get further by havieg the Select Committee he asked for. He did not propose to inquire into any particular plan, but into the importance of the atmospheric prin ciple, which he believed was generally admitted. Who were the persons most interested in this plan ? The proprietors of railways—the possessors of vast masses of capital, and who had the best means of investigating the plan for themselves. The House could better ascertain the merit of the system if these parties were before it, which at present was not the case. Lord H. VANE said that as this was a matter of na tional importance, it was right that the session should not be allowed to elapse till the House had made a practical inquiry into the principle. He therefore hoped that the House would consent to the motion of the Right Hon. Gentleman. Mr. SHAW said that at this moment when there were many important railways in contemplation, he was most anxious to have the principle of atmospheric rail ways tried in this country. If the question was not decided this session it would be too late, but as the Right Hon. Gentleman seemed to think it would be better to withdraw the motion till after Easter, he had no objection to do so. The motion was then withdrawn. CHARITABLE PAWN SOCIETIES. On the motion of Mr. COWPER, leave was given to bring in a Bill for the establishment of Charitable Pawn Societies. IRISH TEMPORALITIES. Mr. P. DRENCH moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the laws relating to Temporalities of the Church in Ireland. He would not ask for more than leave to have the Bill printed. If the Government had any objection to it, he would not proceed further with it. Lord ELIOT said he would not give any opinion on the subject, but he would not oppose the introduction of the measure. Mr. SHAW said he did not think that there was any chance of the Bill passing. It was opposed by the heads of the Church in Ireland, and he regretted that the Government gave leave to have it introduced. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS. Sir R. PEEL moved—That Sir Thomas Fremantle be discharged from further attendance on the Contro verted Elections Committee ; that Lord Ashley be added to the said Committee. The Noble Lord was chairman of the chairman's panel, and had been included in his original draught of the Committee. The name of his Noble Friend had only been omitted through inadver- , tence, and he considered it very important that the Com mittee should have the advantage of his Noble Friend's services. Mr. HAWES admitted the necessity of having the Noble Lord on the Committee, but considered that the Committee ought not to be deprived of the services of Sir Thomas Fremantle. He would suggest to the Right Hon. Baronet the propriety of moving that Lord Ashley should be added to the Committee. The SPEAKER said that the motion could not be made without notice. Sir R. PEEL trusted the House would recollect that it was on the suggestion of the Hon. Gentleman that he acted, although at the same time he admitted that it was the course most consonant to his own feelings. He would therefore withdraw his motion, and give notice that he should this day (Tuesday) move that the name of Lord Ashley be added to the Committee. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at One o'Clock. The old* son of Sir . Ben jamin Hall, Bart., M.P., is, we understand, in a most precarious state —having arrived iii Portman-Ru V' g° dangerously frofro Sandhurst College a MI din I POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (YESTERDAY.) MANSION-HOUSE. Mr. William Read, the owner of the brig Colina, and Captain Simpson, the master of that vessel, were brought up before the Lord Mayor and Sir John Pixie, Bart., for re-examination upon a charge of having con spired together to sink the said brig, for the purpose of defrauding the Alliance Marine Insurance Company, with whom the vessel was insured. - Several gentlemen connected with the shipping interest in the City were in attendance in the Justice-room, to listen to the pro ceedings. Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Bodkin appeared as counsel for the prosecution. The prisoner Read was represented by Mr. Wontner. Mr. Clarkson, addressing the Lord Mayor, said he had to inform his Lordship that, since the prisoners had been before him, the master of the brig Colina—the pri soner Simpson—had made a statement in reference to the loss of the vessel in question. The statement was a general one, which he (Mr. Clarkson) was not then in a condition to lay before his Lordship. It was enough for him to say that it materially affected the prisoner Read. The statement went the length of showing that the loss of the brig was wilful—that it was after some delibera tion, and by arrangement, she was lost— and that the circumstance took place at the instigation of the prisoner Read. On the previous examination, Mr. Wontner ex pressed his determination to apply to the Judges, in order that the prisoner Read might be allowed to find bail. If it was still Mr. Wontner's resolution to do so, he (Mr. Clarkson) would feel it to be his duty to submit the statement, to which he had referred, before the Lord Mayor at the earliest possible moment. If, after Mr. Wontner saw the nature of the statement in question, he should feel it to be his duty to make an application to the Judges, he, of course, might do so. He now begged his Lordship would remand the prisoner to such a day as would enable him to complete the case, so as that the prisoners might be committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court at the ensuing sessions. Mr. Wontner expressed a hope that the remand would be to an early day, as it might be necessary, after hear ing what the nature of the statement referred to was, to make inquiries respecting it. After a short conversation, the prisoners were ordered to be remanded till three o'clock on Saturday next. The depositions taken on the last day of the examina tion were then read over by Mr. Goodman, and the wit nesses bound over to prosecute. One of the witnesses, George Gardner, clerk to Read and Page, of Ipswich, said that the gentleman who came into his employers' counting-house, with a newspaper containing the loss of the brig, was Mr. Taylor, ship owner, of Ipswich. Mr. Wm. Henry Moss, a clerk in the Ship Registry office of the Custom-house, produced an office copy of the registry of the brig Colina, dated sth January, 1841, showing the ownership of the vessel to be in the prisoner Read and his partner. The prisoners were then remanded till Saturday. TREATMENT OF MR. 131RNARD GREGORY IN NEW GATE.—Mr. Wells, the barrister, appeared before the Lord Mayor, for the purpose of calling his Lordship's attention to the case of Mr. Barnard Gregory, and the treatment which it was alleged that individual was suf fering from in the gaol of Newgate. He knew nothing whatever of Mr. Gregory personally, and he was only induced to come forward respecting him, in consequence of the statement which had appeared in some of the public journals, as to the conduct which had been pursued towards him, in the gaol in question. If the statement put forth in the journals referred to was a true one, he must say, that the treatment from which Mr. Gregory was suffering was more cruel than any he had ever read of, in connexion with the Bastile, the enormities of Robespierre, or even the Government of Algiers. The Learned Gentleman then read the statements in question, from which it appeared that Mr. Barnard Gregory was compelled to associate with felons ; that he was denied the use of pens, ink, and paper, or even of a black-lead pencil ; that he was not allowed any books to read ; that he was not permitted to have candles, and was conse quently in darkness for fifteen hours out of the twenty four ; that he was obliged to sleep on an iron bedstead, with rope mattress and rug covering ; that he was only allowed the prison diet ; that he could only see his friends under the order of a magistrate ; and that al though a certificate signed by two physicians and four practical surgeons, had been transmitted to the Secre tary of State for the Home Department, showing that Mr. Barnard Gregory had since his imprisonment burst a blood-vessel, and that if the present treatment was continued the result would be the death of Mr. Gregory; yet, up to that time, no notice had been taken of the re presentation by the Home Secretary, and the prisoner was still treated in the same manner and subjected to the same hardships and privations as heretofore. The LORD MAYOR said that the case of Mr. Gregory had already been under the consideration of the Magis trates of the City of London, and the attention of the Home Secretary had been called to it. Mr. Wells said that his Lordship must no doubt be aware that the prison discipline did not apply to persons incarcerated in the gaol of Newgate on account of libels, and added that he was determined not to allow the matter to sleep. Me would either apply for a habeas corpus on the first day of term, or call a public meeting to address the Queen, who, he was sure, could l not be aware that one of her subjects was treated so unjustly. The LORD MAYOR said he would take care the matter should be inquired to. MARYLEBONE. William Crouch, the man charged with the murder of his wife, and against whom a verdict of wilful murder had been given by the Coroner's jury, was brought before Mr. Rawlinson for further examination. On being placed at the bar, he appeared in a very weak state, and was accommodated with a chair. He shed tears, and looked much paler than when before the Coroner. _ _ _ _ The same witnesses having been examined before Mr. Rawlinson as gave testimony at the inquest, Elizabeth Haines, whose evidence was additional, was called, and stated that she was the wife of Samuel Haines, and lived at 7, Great Chesterfield-street. The prisoner and the deceased had lodged at her house. OR Saturday he went out to look for work. On his return he was accompanied by a man; she spoke to him, and he went out again. He returned a second time in about an hour and a half, and appeared in liquor. She told him that he was so, but he denied it. He talked of taking a room, which she told him she thought was let, and said that he was better as he was, as his wife had left him. He then sat down, and said, "If it must be done, it must be done." She gave him some clothes, and he said, " I shall never want these ; I shall never wear them." He then opened the bundle, took out a shirt, and said, " Here's a shirt to wear ! it has lain in the box six weeks, and she was too lazy to mend it or sew the buttons on." lie afterwards said, " Why, the b— 11—, could not she mend my stockings ?" He went into another room locked his box, and put the key into his pocket. He shortly afterwards went away without saying anything. On a previous occasion, about a fortnight ago, the very night she had left him, he said he would lie in wait for her, and give her a good hiding; and if he had had her there then, he would cut her throat with a razor. The Magistrate having asked the prisoner if he had anything to say, the wretched man merely replied, the mother and sister of his wife had persuaded her to leave him, and that had undone him. lie had been out on Saturday drinking, and took more than he could manage. The thoughts of her leaving him had so wrought upon his mind that it was more than he could bear. He had wished to cut his own throat, but the handkerchief pre vented it. Mr. RAVILINSON—Have you any more to say?' Pri soner—Nothing more. Mr. RawuNsoN—Then you are committed to New gate, to take your trial. The crowd around the Court was very great, and it was with difficulty that the mob could be prevented from laying violent hands on the prisoner, both on his being taken to and removed from the Court. CLERKENWELL. Henry Williams was charged with obtaining money on false pretences from several housekeepers. The first case against the prisoner was that of a poor woman named Hayes, who keeps a little shop in Peter street, Clerkenwell, whose son is a seaman, and went out to China in the Castor at the commencement of the war with that empire. The prisoner told the mother that he had been serving on board the same ship with her son, and mentioned the name of the vessel. He added that he had parted with Hayes about two months previously at Rio Janeiro, and that Hayes had given him a parcel for his mother, containing two damask shawls and a letter. He had taken the greatest care of the parcel, and having been steward on board the Amelia, which arrived in Liverpool on the 16th March last, he thought there would have been nothing to prevent his removal of it. The vessel had, however, no sooner anchored in the dock than the Custom-house officers boarded her, seizing the parcel, and refused to give it unless 14s. 6d., Custom-house fees were paid upon h it. The poor woman, upon his promising t o send up t e parcel by railway on the following Wednesday, gave him the money, which she ma de u p with difficulty. No parcel arrived, and the whole story turned out to be fabulous. The second case was that of Mr. James Alexander Mathews, a glass merchant, residing in the Dover -road. To him the prisoner stated that his name was James Edwards, and that he was second steward on board the Amelia, which had arrived from the West Indies on the previous Monday, the sth of last February. He asked Mr. Mathews if he had not a son in the colonies, and on his replying in the affirmative, told nearly the same tale as h i in mat h d k e e f r o c r h m i e e f r s, c a a s w e , r i s t t i a n t g i n d g es th k at the ppaarrccee parcels ot cigars. contained k e was sorry to inform Mr. Mathews that the cholera was then raging with great violence in the district in which his son resided. The parcel was detained for 18s. 6d., Custom-house fees. This sum he obtained on the same promise as in Mrs. Hayes' case. They never heard more of him until his arrest. Mr. Mathews wrote to Liver pool, and was informed by one of the officers of the docks, that there was no such vessel there as the Amelia, and he (the officer) regretted to say, that Mr. Mathews was only one of a large number of London housekeepers who bad been made the dupe of some swindler, as he had received a large number of commu nications to the same effect. Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, No. 2, Cockpit court, Poppin's oourt, Fleet-street, deposed, that on the 22d of Decem ber the prisoner came to her, and ask,A her if she had not a son in the West Indies. She replied in the affir mative, and he made the same representation to her as in the former case regarding the parcel, and obtained 98. 6d. from her ; but the most cruel part of his con duct was telling the poor old woman that he had left her son dangerously ill of„the yellow fever, which grieved her exceedingly. He told Dirs. Brown his name was John Phillips. Two other • elderly women, named Rainsforth and Burgess, residing in the Borough-road —the one having a son in Sydney, and the other in New Zealand—deposed that they had been defrauded of small sums of noney by like representations. The Court was crowded with the victims of the pri soner's artifice—they were mostly old women. Police-constable 136 G, who arrested the prisoner, de posed that he could complete thirty cases of the saris description against the prisoner. Housekeepers of every condition, and residing in different parts of London and its vicinity, had been defrauded by him. Mr. COMBE said he would commit him for trial, and depositions in theabove-mentioned three cases were taken down. ASTLEY'S THEATRE. This theatre has been entirely remodelled: the boxes, pit, galleries, and ceiling have been altered and greatly imp rove d. It will be remembered by the visitors of last season that the boxes were inconveniently narrow, which objection has been completely removed, and they are now both elegant and comfortable. New private boxes have been built on a greatly improved. plan ; and the whole theatre has a very elegant appear ance. We were much struck with the beauty and elegance of a new dome ceiling amongst the other many improvements, which greatly adds to the effect and beauty of the house, rendering the improvements per fectly unique, from the centre of which a splendid glass chandelier is suspended. The dress circle will be lighted by fourteen elegant glass lustres. The outlay by the spirited proprietor must have been very great : the word expense, we should say, does not belong to his vocabulary; and we cannot refrain from wishing him the success which he so well deserves, , for having in the first place, at an enormous outlay, built the theatre ; in the second place, for the spirited way in which he conducted it for a season of longer duration than ever was attempted by any other manager before him ; and, thirdly, for the promise which he gives, by his present improvements, that he never loses an oppor tunity of catering for the public amusement. The house will open on Easter Monday, when will be produced ft , grand historical spectacle founded on the Norman con quest, supported by a very powerful company ; after which the usual business of the circle, the dames of the menage will be led through various cavalcades by Mrs. Batty. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL' S-7YESTERDAY. Cif ESTER. CUP. 12 to 1 agst Mr. Bristow's Pharaoh 14 to 1 agst Mr. Collett's Cattonite 16 to 1 agst Col. Cradock's Pagan—taken 18 to 1 agst Mr. Plummer's Alice Hawthorn 20 to 1 agst Lord G. Bentinck's Bramble—taken 20 to 1 agst Mr. Stanley's Vakeel 25 to 1 agst Lord Miltown's Scalteen 25 to 1 agst Mr. Dawson's Merry Andrew 33 to 1 agst Mr. Most y n's General Pollock—taken 50 to 1 agst Mr. Igoe's The Broken Dewn—taken 50 to 1 agst Lord G. Bentinck's Emma—taken • Very little general betting on the above race, the only horses backed with any spirit were Vakeel and Alice Haw- thorn, the first at 20 and 25 to 1, and the mare at 18 and 20 to 1. mitnv. 9 to 1 agst Colonel Peel's lot—taken 18 to 1 agst Sir G. Heathcote's lot 30 to 1 agst Forth's lot—taken 6 to 1 agst Mr. Crockford's Rattan 6 to 1 agst Mr. John Day's The Ugly Buck 14 to 1 agst Col. Peel's Orlando 16 to 1 agst Mr. A. Wood's Running Rein 22 to I agst Lord Maidstone's Cockamaroo • 35 to 1 agst Sir G. Heathcote's Campanero 40 to 1 agst Sir G. Heathcote's Akbar—taken 40 to 1 agst Mr. Thonrhill's Apprentice—taken 40 to 1 agst Mr. John Scott's Bay Momus (Sister to Grey Momus colt—taken • 40 to 1 agst Mr. Lichtwald's Leander—taken 50 to 1 agst Mr. Ford's Qui Tam—taken 66 to 1 agst Mr. J. Osborne's Mount Charles—taken 100 to 1 agst Mr. Ford's Sir Diggory Diddle—taken 100 to 1 agst Mr. Warwick's Phalaris 2000 to 15 agst Mr. Death's Radnor—taken 1000 to 25 each agst Campanero and Akbar, in one bet—t 1000 even between Mount Charles and Apprentice. A considerable outlay upon Rattan and 'Ugly Buck at 6 to 1, and two bets of 500 even between them, followed by repeated offers to take 13 to 2 about either, enables ns to re turn them equal favourites. We may add, however, that the Ugly Buck was backed for the largest amount, and (speak ing from impression) had a shade the best of it at the Mush. 600 to 200 was laid against them jointly early in the day. Offers to take 15 to 1 about Orlando, and to lay 16 to 1 agst Running Rein. Akbar and Bay Momus (the sister to Grey Momus colt) were backed in several quarters at 40 to I—Campanero at 35 and 40 to I—Apprentice at 1,000 to 20, and 1,000 to 25 several times—Qui Tam freely at 1,000 to 15, and towards the end at 1,000 to 20—Sir Diggory Diddle and Phalaris at 1,000 to 10 each (after wards offered),--Mount Charles at 2,000 to 40 and 2,000 to 30—Colonel Peel's lot for about 300/., at 28 and 30 to 1 (this lot includes Qui Tam, Sir Diggory Diddle Chuckfarthing, Barley Sugar, and Phaligis). The betting commenced early, and was kept up with a good deal of' animation to the close. OAKS. 10 to 1 agst Forth's lot—taken to 650 12 to 1 agst Mr. Gregory's Barricade—taken 15 to 1 agst Lord Westminster's Fanny Eden—taken. COURT CIRCULAR. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, ac companied by the Princess Mary, arrived in town yes terday from her residence at Kew. and visited her Majesty and the Queen of the Belgians at Buckingham Palace. _ _ The American Dwarf, General Tom Thumb, accom panied by Mr. Barnum, his guardian, attended at Buck ingham Palace yesterday, and had the honour of giving his "Imitations" before her Majesty and the Queen of the Belgians, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and the Royal Family. Major-General Wemyss has relieved Colonel the Hon. Charles Grey in the duties of Equerry in Waiting on her Majesty. . The Royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace yes terday evening included her Royal Highness the -Duchess of Kent, Lady Anna Maria Dawson, the Earl of Aber deen, Hon. Sir Edward Cust, Mr. George Edward and Hon. Mrs. Anson, and Sir George Couper. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by the Dowager Lady Clinton and the lion. Miss Boyle, left her residence, Marlborough House, in a carriage and four, at twenty minutes before three o'clock yesterday afternoon, for Bushy House, BushyTtrk. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday, at Gloucester House., Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge honoured Sir William Newton with a sitting yesterday, at his residence in Argyle-street, for his picture of the Marriage of her Majesty and Prince Albert. A numerous meeting of Members of the House of Commons took place yesterday afternoon at the official residence of Sir Robert Peel in Downing-street. Sir R. Peel, Lord Stanley, Sir J. ehraham, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir H. Hardinge, Lord Eliot., and Sir E. Knatchbull were present. Among the Members who attended the meeting, were the Earl of March, Earl Jer myn,Viscount Clive, Viscount Adare, Viscount Marsham, Lord Saudon, Lord Ernest Bruce, Lord Ossulston, Lord J. Manners, Lord Granville Somerset, Lord Charles Wellesley, Right Hon. G. Dawson Darner, Right Hon. F. Shaw, Hon. C. E. Law, Hon. Francis Charteris, Hon. H. Manners Sutton, Hon. W. B. Baring, Hon. R. Scar lett, Hon. G. Rice Trevor, the Attorney• General, Sir John V. Johnstone, Sir Horace Seymour, Sir John Yarde Buller, Sir William Codrington, Sir Howard Douglas, Sir James Flower, Sir Walter James,. Sir J. Walsh. General Lygon, Colonel Hugh Bernie, Colonel Wood, Co'onel Thomas Wood, Colonel Sibthorp, Captain Gordon, Captain Meynell, Cap tain Reus, Colonel Wyndham, Mr. Alderman Cope land, Mr. Thesiger, Messrs. Balfour, G. W. Hope, Milnes, Arkwright, Baskerville, Beckett, Borthwick, Buck, Colquhoun, Eaton, W. Tatton Egerton, Estcourt, Plumptre, Montague Gore, Ormsby Gore, Greene, Hogg, Ketnble, Lyall, Maclean, Marton, J. Masterman, Mundy, J. Neeld, O'Brien, Palmer, Wilson Patten, John Round, C. Round, Smythe, and Cresswell. The meeting broke up soon after three o'clock. . A deputation, including Sir Robert Inglis, Mr. Foster, and the Rev. E. Hawkins, had an interview with Lord Stanley yesterday, at the Colonial-office. A meeting of the Commissioners for the g overnment of Pentonville Prison was held at t he Counoil-office on Saturday. The Commissioners present were Lord Wharnclitfe, the Earl of Chichester, Lord John Russell, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Benjamin Brodie, Dr. Fergusson, Majo r Jebb, Mr. Crawford, and Mr. Russell. A deputation respecti n g the Duch y of Cornwall, in eluding the Earl of F almouth, Earl of Lincoln, Lord Eliot, Sir Charles LemOn, and Mr. Buller, had an inter view with Sir Robert P eel y esterda y . and Mr. George Hen nie A r l d P S ' tanley yesterday at the S , C o l on ial -office. i irlad Wil in li te am rvi C el o v d s ri N nzt h on Lo , Lady Peel and family left town yesterday fcr Dray ton Manor, Staffordshire. _ . The Duke of Wellington visited Mr. Burford's Pano rama of Hong-Kong yesterday. The Noble Duke ye mauled a considerable time at the exhibition. The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Edward Codrington, Sir G. Staunton, and Sir Geo. Cockburn visited the panorama laid week. Mr. Lever's new work; "Arthur O'Leary," illus trated by Cruikshank, is just published, in three volumes. The Wanderings and Ponderings of Arthur O'Leary cannot fail of affording all the entertainment expected from a new work by the lively author of " Harry Lorrequer." It is ad mirably diversified, full of adventure, rich in character—a rattling, dashing, narrative; now touched with genuine inte rest, and now with humour, equally new and striking, and possessed of a degree of variety that must supply amusement even to those most difficult to please. The hero escapeafrom the cut-throats of Paris:--to be cheated by the' blacklegs of Brussels—partakes of the enjoyments of the chase with Bel gian islimrods—shares in all the pleasures of the Brannens of Germany—falls into the power of Dutch smugglers—has an extraordinary adventure in the mountains of spa—and be comes acquainted with all sorts of strange .persons and sin gular incidents upon the Rhine. Every description of cha racter likely to fall in the way of the tourist in his continen tal trips, and more than all the anecdotes, escapes, perilS, marvels, and pleasures the most adventurous or experieteed traveller could hear or meet with, will be found chronicled in the Wanderings and Ponderings of Arthur O'Leary, in a style that must render this work one of the most popular of the' Season. 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