The Sun. — London, England, 1845-07-26 00:00:00

TMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 25 Their Lordships met at Five o'clock. Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition on the subject of pauper lunatics, praying for further inquiry. The petition was from inhabitants of the borough of Finsbury. PRIVILEGE. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from J. Thomas Russel, of 37, Percy-street, Bedford-square. It was a very respectful petition. The petitioner complained that he had been grossly slandered In evidence given before one of their Lord ship's Committees by George Ledbitter, William M'Culloch, and John Pope, who were witnesses there. He complained that his character and good name had been injured, and prayed that their Lordships would grant him some mode of clearing himself from those imputations, which he was fully pre pared to do. By a recent decision of their Lordship? House, he perceived that it would be a breach of privilege to bring an action against those parties, and but for that he would have done so. He moved that the petition be laid upon the table, and next session he would move that it be referred to a Com mittee for investigation. The LORD CH ANCELLOR said he would be very will ing to render the petitioner all the assistance in his power, but he should have laid his complaint before the House at an earlier period. Lord BROUGHAM said the petitioner stated in his peti tion that it was not until last Saturday he saw the printed evidence. The LORD CHANCELLOR—Bat he knew the nature of the evidence before them. A -NOBLE Loan said, that surely, it was not too late for a man to clear his haracter if unjustly accused. Lord C AMPBELL said he should certainly support the motion of his Noble &Id Learned Friend, as their Lordships ought to throw their doors open to persons who felt themselves aggrieved, If it should turn out that the petitioner had been unjustly traduced, and that his character had been injured, they ought to allow him to bring an action against his traducers, and make provision that by doing se he should not outrage the pri vileges of the House. The LORD CHANCELLOR—ProbabIy my Learned Friend is acquainted with this gentleman.—(Laughter). A NOBLE LORD said he was a member of the Committee referred to, and recollected that the persons named in the petition gave evidence before it. . _ . • 'I he Earl of WICKLOW said it did not signify who the person was who had been aspersed. They should disregard his position, and give him some remedy by which he might c!ear his character, if it had been injured by evidence delivered in one of their committee-rooms. The period when the cir. cumstance complained of occurred was immaterial. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he only referred to a particular date. DUBLIN AND GALWAY. The Earl of HARDWICK said he had to present a petition to the same effect (we did net hear the name of the petitioner or petitioners). The petitioner stated that he had purchased a number of shares in the Dublin and Galway Company at a large premium, in consequence of the favourable report of the Board of Trade, and that he should suffer grievous injury if the Bill was not allowed to proceed, in consequence of the way in which the contract deed was signed. He therefore prayed that the parties aggrieved might be heard at the bar of their Lordships' House. Lord BROUGHAM regretted that the petitioner had net invested his money in a better project than the one he did. However, he had a remedy in his Learned Friend on the wool saa, who had funds at hodisposal to reimburse parties who had lent their money in such speculations.—(Laughter.) The Earl of DAL H OU S 1 E defended the report of the Board of Trade en the Irish Great Western, and considered that the Board of Trade perfectly justified in the course it took. If the petitioner.had lost his money it was his affair, and not that of those who made the report. The Earl of BESBOROUGH said, as he bad moved for the Committee which had inquired into the allegations against the Company in question, he wished to say a few words with respect to their report presented to the House yesterday. The Committee reported that they had heard evidence on the allegations, and had arrived at the opi nion that systematic frauds had been committed to obtain signatures to the subscription contract; that no proper atten tion had been paid to the distribution of the letters of allot ment; that letters had been sent to country postmasters that they might be posted and sent to London as applications for Shares; also, that a petition had been presented to the House of Commons with respect to these frauds, but that it had been withdrawn on account of the payment of 2501. to the party who had petitioned that House, and that 5001. morsewas Pro mised on the Bill passing the standing orders; that the sub tieription deed had not been executed in a bona fide manner, and at an amount insufficient to enable it to pass the House. He doubted whether it was true, as had been stated, that the same system was adopted in ether Railway Companies. He blamed the Standing Orders' Committee for not paying greater attention to the subscription deed. Unless they paid great attention to this, no security would he afforded to the pre lie. The parties now stated by petition that they were ready to insert the necessary number of names as security for the amount required by law ; but this ought not to be done after the Bill had passed the Standing Orders' Committee. He regretted that parties had taken shares in the Company, and he also regretted that the important railway accommodation which was proposed in that part of Ireland could not be carried out by what bad occurred, and which could not be too highly repro bated, as it would have employed those who at that period of the year stood much in need of employment. He should therefore move that the further consideration of the Bill be postponed to that day three months. The Marquis of CLANRICARfIE was of opinion that the debate should be adjourned, that the report and evidence might be printed and placed in the hands of Noble Lords. He did not hold one share in that or in any other Company. He spoke as a disinterested party. Lord BROUGHAIII said that having been a member of the -Select Committee appointed to inquire into the allegations set forth in the petition, he wished to make a few observations on the question before the House. They should remember that there were two different kinds of fraud that might be practised in Fueb a case—one on the Company by forging names, for the purpose of obtaining shares, and the second for pereetraling a fraud upon the House, viz., by an inferior agent of the. Company making a fictitious allotment for the purpose gelling up a hat of the number of shares taken. Ile would tell them now in what way these fraud., being actually coalesced. hail been both practised on the Company and the Hou.e. If a set of parties went about to gamble in the ma k , -t—if surrey-r:, eeginsers, agent &c., for the our, ose of obtainine planes and employment, and having an interest in promoting the Bill, cither by fabricating letters or forging names, foisted tip the names of Irish vaulters, deceased trades tern, peeies reedent in the West Indies, or other such ficti tious representatives, as shareholders in the company, that was a gross impestufe. Put there was another course which was equally efriictual in committing a fraud upon the House. Par tic, issurd a prospectus, contriving a puffing account iif a scheme, and invited the world to apply for sharso. In ;inured applications from all quarters, and, even if they posieseed them, they titsik no means to see that those applications were genuine. They shut their e;e:s to the character of the references, they never inquired into the respectabili'y of any parties, and it was just the same thing as if the fabrication bad been practised by the company to defraud the Ilouse. In the present case 970 vrsor.s appiied for shares, out, of whieb t 1 I only gave any proof of soiv.ncy. Was that the course the London and York Company pursued? When they got a letter without a re ference they threw it in the fire, but out of 11l applications made to the Dublin and Galway Company, only twenty:nine were inquired into, out of which about one-half or fourteen were totally unknown. No inquiry was instituted when they had proceeded so far, fearing, he supposed, that the further they went the worse they would fare. Therefore without knowledge, or attempting to know the nature of their qualifications, shares were given to the other eighty. Amongst others, a chimerical man, to whom the name of Tenbury was accorded, but who never had an existence, whose address was stated to be Crosby Chambers, received an allotment of shares. Another, called lialtiran, resident for the last seven years in the West Indies, received thirty shares ; and Margaret Mere dyth, a pauper, the inmate of a workhouse, whose residence was made to be Lower Tooting, Surrey, obtained shares to the amount of 7,5001 , upon which a deposit of 751. was expected, when, in reality, she had not 75 pence in the world !—( A laugh.) Feurteen hundred and fifty applications were inquired into, anti took four hours in their examination, or at the rate of about ten seconds each. Two hundred and forty recommenda tions were received from Hesseltine, the broker, founded upon these applications, and such was the way of pro ceeding in this notable Company, the very reverse, be it remembered, of the method pursued by the London and York. There was a rule in law that if a person had the means of discovering a fraud and did not avail himself of it, he was respodsible for his wiifal negligence. That principle was founded upon justice and common sense, and was squally applicable to parallel cases like the present. As tolhe scheme and its merits, per se. he had every reason to believe it was a good public work. He had no objection to it as a project brought forward to promote social and commercial prosperity ; on the contrary, he believed that under better auspices, with greater priidence and circumspection, it might, in a future session, be reintroduced advantageously, if not successfully. Nevertheless, the House was bound to protect itself against fraud, and he, therefore, felt bound t o support t h e motion of his Noble Friend (Lord Besborough.) Lord MONTEAGLE said that having been a Member of the Committee which inquired into this Bill, he also wished to offer a few remarks. When it was proposed on a former occa sion to go on with the Bill he advised their Lordships that it would be better to deny all railway communication whatever to the country than to refuse an inquiry into the allegations of fraud. The question was referred to a Select Committee, and when fully discussed the evidence adduced before it was laid on the table of the House; and he thought it so clear from that evidence that mal-practices had existed, that he imme diately proposed the postponement of the Bill. What he now wished to call the attention of the House to was, the course that had since been taken. Their Lordships did not come to the conclusion he desired, but referred the Bill, with the report and evidence of the Select Committee, to another Committee. This latter tribunal had taken further evidence, and made a report to the House. The motion now made by the Noble Marquis was, that the evidence taken be fore the second Committee should be printed before their ,Lordships finally legislated on the Bill. He thought this pro position was fair and rational, was consistent with the .pro ceedings and practice of the House, and with what was just. He did not think that any doubt could be entertained of the ultimate result, but still he considered that in a case charging nuthing short of personation and forgery, involving the ques tion of the grossest criminality, the House, after having them selves asked for the evidence, could not, consistently with jus tice, venture to decide absolutely without the production and publication of that evidence. He therefore felt that the motion of the Noble Marquis being calculated to afford information, anti conduce to the promotion of justice, it was his duty to give it his support. Lord BROUGHAM—Undoubtedly, if the evidence goes to rebut the evidence which was given before the other Commit tee, let it be brought forward. He, however, misunderstood that report. He thought they had got additional evidence in the other Committee. What he said was, however, that if the n ittee—if the se con d C omm i ttee , had taken evidence to e* rebur the evidence given before the other Committee, by all means let them have it. They had carried th e c ase further, but he th o u g h t they.shoul d have an opp or t un ity o f h ear ing it.—(A Noble Lord said that in that case they would have to hear counsel at the bar of the ba House.) Oh no, if they allowed counsel to be heard at the the House, he considered that that would be an infraction oittfeetoVers of 1837, of far greater been be n committed. consequence than any that had Lord WHARNCLIFFE said ' that traekthey beforetook any ta e newf ur ther steps, they should hear the evideucefo Committee. A desultory conversation then ensued, on the point whether or not they should wait till they heard the evidence taken be fore the other Committee, before th ey came to a decision. The debate was then adjourned till Monday. PORTSMOUTH DIRECT RAILWAY. The Earl of HARDWICK then brought up the report on this Bill, and was proceeding to read it when he was inter rupted by Lord BROUGHAM, who rose to order, and asked if it was a special report ? The Earl of HARDWICK—No ; it is not a special report. The Noble Lord then continued to read. Lord BROUGHAM—This,. my Lords, is the most extraor dinary proceeding I have ever witne,sed. The Ear! of HARD WICK ;..‘tntinued to read, and was again interrupted by Lord BROUGHAM. My Lords, I rise again to order. We cannot now enter into the subject at all. Unless the Noble ) Lord is about tg make a motion on the.... • • ' • t • • _ The Earl of HARDWICK—No ; I will make no motion on the subject.—( The Noble Lord resumed the reading of the re port amidst great laughter.) The Earl of SHAFTESBURY and the Earl of DEV )rr having declared their opinion that the presentation of the leport was irregular, the motion was withdrawn. SCOTCH POOR-LAWS. Lord COTTENHANI presented a petition fraying that Mr. Henry Miller might be heard by counsel at the bar of their Lordships' House, against the Scotch Poor-law Bill. COAL DUTIES. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY moved for a return of the quantity of coal imported into the City of London during the years 1843 and 1844, and to June in the presnt year, dis tinguishing the quality of each kind. PAUPER LUNATICS. On the motion that the Pauper Lunatics Bill be read a se cond time, Lord BEAUMONT moved, as an amendment, that the Bill be referred to a Committee up stairs, on the ground that it had not yet received that consideration hich its nature warranted. He wished to know, would the Bill include within its provisions other lunatics than paupers? The Noble Lord was proceeding to notice, seriatim, the objections to the Bill, when Lord WHARSCLIFVE said those objections might be much more suitably urged in Committee, where they would receive full consideration. He wished to inform the Noble Lord that the Bill merely referred to pauper lunatics. The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the question, and the House divided. The numbers were— Contents Non-contents Majority for the second reading.. —l6 CRIMINAL LAW CODE. The LORD CHANCELLOR then handed in a report on the criminal code of this country. He said that the Commission which drew up the report was not issued while he was in office. It was issued when the great seal was entrusted to his Noble Friend, and be had no concern in their appointment, but he felt it his duty to bear his testimony to the admirable manner in which they had discharged the duties entrusted to them. It was impossible to read these reports without feeling strongly a consciousness of the industry, intelligence, accuracy, and acuteness which were applied to this complicated subject, and to admire also the comprehension and masterly manner in which the Commission treated every part of the report. Should it be their Lordships' pleasure to legislate on the subject of the criminal law in next session of Parliament, it would be quite unnecessary for them 'to apply to any other sources of information. There was ample information in the volumes of these reports. He felt it his duty to bear his testimony with respect to the manner in which those reports had been executed, and to express his gra titude, as one of the public, for the industry which they ex hibited in the discharge of their duty. Lord BROUGHAM said, that though he was in office when the Commission was issued, yet his Noble Friend on the Woolsack added one or two individuals to it whose services were invaluable. They had now before them the whole crimi nal code. It was reduced to a digest and presented last session, and afterwards postponed until the Learned Commis. sioners should complete their report, which was this evening presented and laid upon their Lordships' table. It was done in a manner so satisfactory, that little more remained for them to do to make a digest of the criminal law for both judges and the people, than to reduce these two reports—these invaluable documents—into the form of a statute. He would implore her Majesty's Government, and particularly his Noble Friend on the Woolsack, in whose department it was, not to omit the op portunity of securing the services of such men as these Com missioners in the formation of a board for systematically and constantly revising the statutes from time to time. He threw this out for their consideration. Lord CAMPBELL said that though be concurred in the view of his Noble Friend as to the value of the reports, he nished to express his_desire that they would not be allowed to remain on the table till they were covered with dust. There was not a country in Europe which had not a criminal code published for the benefit of those who were to administer and those'who were to obey the law. Lord BROUGHAM said that he did not wish that they should lie covered with dust. He wished last session to reduce one of them into the form of a Bill. He, however, postponed it till it should be revised by the Commissioners. They should have the whole reduced into one digest, or into two codes, as in France, the code penal and the code de procedure. The reports were then ordered to lie on the table. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH presented a petition from the inhabitants of Norttfleet, against a certain clause in the Poor law ( Scotland) Bill. The Unclaimed Stock and Dividend Bill went through Committee, as also the Rothwell Prison Bill. The Highway Bill was read a second time. The Excise Duties on Spirits (Channel Islands) Pill went through Committee, as also the Spirits (Ireland) Bill. On the motion that the Waste Lands ( Australia) Bill be read a third time, Lord STANLEY moved that the 7th clause be expunged, which was agreed to. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. The Geological Survey Bill was read a third time and passed. The other Bills on the table were advanced a stage, and their Lordships adjourned. FIOUSE OF COMMONS, July 25. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The House resumed at Five o'clock. The Earl of Onslow's Estate Bill was read a third time, and passed. BOLTON AND LEIGH, &c., AMALGAMATION BILL. On the order of the day for the consideration of the Bolton and Leigh, Kenyon and Leigh Junction, North Union, Liver pool and Manchester, and Grand Junction Railway Companies Amalgamation Bat being read, Mr: WILSON PAtTEN moved the insertion of the clauses brought forward in the former debate. A discussion ensued, in which Mr. Escott, Sir George Clerk, and Mr. T. Duncombe took part, and which was totally unin telligible to the gallery. Mr. DARBY thought that every system of amalgamation agreed to ;:hould be such as to oi'erate for the benefit of the public as well as fur the shareholders. Care should be taken that the tolls and fares should not be extmtionate. After a few words from Mr. ALDAM, the Bill was read a third time and ppssed. 1 li E MALT. TAX. Mr. DARBY presented a petition from a place in Cornwall in favour of a repeal of the malt-tax, and several other peti tions on various aubjects, but their purport we could not learn, owing to the low voice in which the Hon. )(ember spoke. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. Mr. SPOONER pre!ented petitions frotn Birmingham and other places, cornplair:ing of the agricult oral distress. TEN 11(1111IS' BILL Air. BANKES prefuted a petition from his constituents in favour of the Ten lEurs' S}L DEBTS BILL. Mr. HOPI; presentedapetitiiin from Southampton in favour of the Small Debts Bill. NEW ZEALAND. Mr. J. F. DENISON pretested a petition from the friends and relations of the settlers in New Zealand, praying that their case should be, taken into con,ideration. He knew he was not at liberty to read the petition, but he could tell the House it was signed by The Duke of Norfolk, and many others of the highest rank in the country. IRISH POOR. Lord CLENIENTS wished to put a question to the Secre tary of the Treasury, as to whether he could inform the House of the amount of the salary and allowanci's which Mr. Frank Robarts Bestolacci was to receive out of the funds subscribed for the relief of the poor of Connaught and Munster in the year 1822 ? Mr. YOUNG said that the salary was to be 2001. a year, and 1/. a day when travelling. These allowances were to be paid out of the funds of the Reproductive Loan Society, and n , t out of the funds subseribed for the relief of the Irish poor in 1822. IRISH CHARITABLE BEQUESTS BILL. Mr. SHELL said, he had a question to ask, the purport of which had previously been asked by arother Hon. Member in that House. He wanted to know if her Majesty's Government intended to make any alteration next session of Parliament in the Charitable Bequests ? Sir J. GRAHAM answered thaithern was an intention on the part of her Majesty's Government to effect an alteration. There were three points in which it was proposed to make alterations. The first poitit was respecting the doctrine and discipline of the Roman Catholic Church. As the law stood, in any dispute arising respecting the title of bequests left to Roman Catholic priests, it was referred to the Commissioners under the Bill. Now this was contrary to the canons of the Church. According to the canons of the Church, ail such matters were to he referred to the diocesan. This point was one he proposed to alter. The second point had reference to monastic institutions. The Bill of last session was not intended to affect, directly or indirectly, those institutions, but as there had been some doubts entertained on this head, it was intended to remove those doubts in the amendments he intended to propose by a declaratory clause. There was one other point as to which it was intended to vary the Act of last session. By that Act the law of mortmain was extended to Ireland, where it operated with more weight than it ever did in this country, so that it was impossible for a party to leave any quantity of land, however small, for the site of a chapel, glebe house, or hospital. The Government proposed to relax this provision so as to allow land not exceeding five acres, for instance, to b e left for such purpose. lie hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman would think this answer quite explicit.—( Hear, bear.) MR. ROLLS. Captain FITZ UAURICE asked a question, why it was Mr. Rolls had been prevented from having any friends attend ing on him in his examination, and why it was the short- hand writer had been excluded ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was not aware that the short-hand writer had been excluded, but he would inquire, and see that proper arrangements were made for taking the minutes of the evidence. As the examination was private, he did not see that any friends of Mr. Sholls had a claim to he admitted. THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. On the motion for the House to go into a Committee of Supply, Mr. P. M. STEWART rose to call the attention of the House to the petition of Patrick Macfarlan, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland (presented 24th June), compl a i n i ng of the refusal of sites to congregations of that church. The Honour able Gentleman then read the petition, which stated that about two years ago one-third of the inhabitants of Scotland separated from the Established Church, and organised them selves into the religions community termed the " Free Church of Scotland." Upwards of 470 ministers seceded at that time, and the number had since been increased to 620. The subscrip tions to a general fund for the erection of churches and the endowment of schools amounted to 726,000/., and of that sum 320,0001. had been already expended in the building of churches. The Hon. Gentleman then read several communi cations from various parts of Scotland, describing the hardship and suffering of the people of the Free Church compelled to w orship in tents by the road-side, exposed to the incle mently of the weather. He was sure that he was doing no more than justice to the landed proprietors of those districts when he said that they could not know what was being done on their estates. The House had an in stance of the effects to be produced by such a system of perse cution in the very parish in which the building was situated? There never was greater immorality, even in this great metro polis, than prevailed in the very precincts of the House. The population of parishes of St. Margaret's and St. John's was. were returned as belonging 6,000 as Dissenters, making, in 56 , t o h oo e , un of it w ed hich 7,900 to the Established Church, and religion.—( Hear, hear.) in all, but 13,000 of any prof e ss ed _ _ But, even of this small number, there were 5,00 y persons The eause with out any means of religious worship or instruction. the of that destitution was the insertion of a c laus e in all leases prohibiting th e building of any school-house or chapel for Dissenters. But there was no clause to prevent the em ployment of the houses on the collegiate estate for immoral purposes._( Hear, hear.) There were 130 houses of that character upon this est a t e o f th e Church. The Hon. Member then read extracts from a correspondence between the Earl D'Aubeney and Dr. Chalmers , . whichthe Lord said in Noble that a foreigner e t . ' of things unkno c ering Scotland would be struck by a state He the . unknow n to the most despotic State in n continued by . • Europe. have tres , ...sling he regretted being obliged to ti so n t he had no doubt that t h e he Mention of the House ; but induce the House to afforrdessult this discussion would be to creatures other than that I.Nhierleffectual relief to those poor Sir J. GRAHAM said he had heardpplied. great attention, and he could assurethe Hon. Member with sincerely deplored the events to which e him that he deeply and Bat he feared that the subject w had drawn.attention. Rae one whi c h • • ) while it had been operated on by public opinion, was one also upon which it would scarcely be possible to legislate. It should be remem bered that the Episcopalian form of religion prevailed in Scot land ; but even that fact should be no reason why the meanest peasant in the country should not have the same protection from the law as the largest landed proprietor. He admitted that the people whose complaint the Hon. Member had stated, had a just and irresistible claim for toleration in their form of worship, and that they should have suitable places af forded them as sites on which to build their places of public worship.—(Hear.) But while he would be anxious to see this object carried out, on the other hand he would hope that one temple of worship should notbe placed in a position that might be regarded as one of offensive rivalry with other churches. He could state instances where a Noble Friend of his, and other Noble Lords, had been very liberal in granting sites on their estates for those places of worship; he hoped their examples would be followed by many others. But while he again should express his regret that it was not possible to legislate on this subject, yet he did hope that this discussion would, as the Hon. Member opposite had said, operate beneficially, and that so useful an example would be most extensively followed in Scotland. Mr. HAWES said he deeply regretted that he should differ from the Right Hon. Baronet opposite, and express his fear that the hopes he entertained would never be realised ; for it had been seen that while sites were liberally granted for the erection of places for Roman Catholic worship—those for the Dissenters were denied. He had also received petitions on this subject, and their prayer fully established the fact that there were many instances in that country also of the forget fulness by the landlords of the maxim that property had its duties as well as its rights. The Honourable Member con cluded by saying he cordially concurred in the motion of his Honourable Friend. Mr. CARDWELL defended the conduct of the landlords who had • been alluded to, and contended that their acts had not been dictated by feelings of religious intolerance. Mr. HUME felt assured that the Government would do all it could to put an end to religious intolerance of this descrip tion in Scotland. Mr. SHEIL was sorry to see Scotland assuming a position which betrayed a state of things similar to that existing in his own country. The Seceders were zapidly increasing in Scotland, and surely it was the duty of the Government to prevent that. If the Government deemed it incumbent to grant a regium donum to Ireland, surely it would be an anomalous state of things to refuse it to Scotland, or to grant it when it would be too late.—( Hear, hear.) He knew it would be presumptuous of him to say anything upon this subject ; but from all he had heard and read in reference to it, he did think that though the Hon. Baronet had said that legislation would be impossible as a remedy, because a man could not be forced to give a part of his estate, yet it would be very easy for the Government to provide a fund for the purpose. Mr. PRINGLE was of opinion that many of those disputes existing in Scotland between landlord and tenant had been the result of bad advice. There never would have been any mis understanding but for untimely and injudicious interference. He would caution the House against giving too much credit to ex parte statements which were often gross exaggerations. He trusted that by forbearance and kindness harmony would yet be restored to the Church of Scotland. Mr. HINDLEY said he very much rejoiced - at the separation which had occurred in the Church of Scotland. It had excited a wholesome spirit of religions zeal, and was attended with the best effects. The sum of 776,0001. had been collected by the Free Church of Scotland, of which 320,0001. had been em ployed in the erection of churches. He thought it right to divest religion as much as possible of mere pecuniary consider ations, and objected to making the clergy the mere tenants of the State, so that the great lookout was, not the promotion of the interests of religion, but to obtain a good benefice. He regretted the conduct of many noblemen and landed proprietors towards the members of the Free Church. The Hon. Gentleman opposite had defended the Duke of Buccleuch, but he thought the conduct of that noble man was not dictated in the true spirit of Christianity, and that he might have acted more nobly than by refusing a site for a Free Church chapel, because some of the supporters of it had abused him. When that Noble Duke saw that many of his own tenants were anxious to obtain a place of worship, he should have shown them that he was for freedom of conscience, and evinced a desire to see them worship their Creator accord ing to their religious belief, by selling the land to them. When the Earl of Cawdor -was applied to for a site, he refused any other than one on some waste lands, and provided that the chapel should be built of wood, to be removed upon three months' notice. Surely such conduct as this was rather calcu lated to exasperate than restore harmony in Scotland. . After a few words from Mr P. BORTHWICK and Mr. P. M. STEWART the subject dropped. Mr. EWART then gave notice that he would postpone the following motion until Monday next. I. That a statement be made, on the part of the Government, of the condition and prospects of such educational establishments as are supported wholly or partially by a vote of this House. 2. That it is ex pedient that the formation of public libraries, freely opened to the public, be encouraged. 3. That it is expedient that schools for the training of masters be more extensively promoted. 4. That it is expedient that appointments to the subordinate offices of Government be made (as far as possible) by ex amination of the merits of the candidates for such offices. LIGHT GOLD. Mr. HUME then, in pursuance of notice he had given, said he wished to call the attention of the House to the loss to the puhlie by light. sovereigns ; and that some offices should be appointed by the Government to receive light gold at the in trinsic value, according to the number of grains deficient in the average weight., and not allow the loss of six pence, m')re or less, to the holder of the coin, accord ing to the will of the person who is to receive the coin. No man in Scotland or Ireland lost a penny by gold, and it was not fair that the people of England should be made to suffer. It was nothing less than a system of plunder upon the working classes. It was owing to the neglect of the Chan cellor of the Exchequer that such a thing took place, and he ought to be called to account for it. He maintained that the Government, in the case of light gold, ought to bear the loss. The Hon. Member concluded by moving the resolution. Mr. SPOONER seconded the motion. He considered the Hon. Member had referred to the working classes, but there was another important class that suffered—the small tradesmen and shopkeepers. They were obliged, in the course of busi ness, to take light sovereigns as full weight, and when they par' ed with them at the Bank, or to the small dealers, they were obliged to lose at least fourpence in every sovereign. With the losses and inconveniences attending on these light sovereigns, the value was often reduced tenpence or a shilling. lie cm . sidcred the Government ought to be made to bear the loss. There ought to be places in every town, regularly appointed,- where gold could always be changed at its intrinsic value. But this was only a small part of the question. The question was one of the widest ch , rec!er, and involved the whole question of the cur rency. He was sorry that the two Bight Hon. Baronets con nected with the Government were not present, as the Right Hen. Baronet at the head of the Government, on a previous cceasion, in reference to a book published in Birmingham on the currency, said he believed there were only two men in Bir mingham that could write so much nonsense. Now he ( Mr. Spooner) adopted all the leading views of that book, and was prepa-ed to maintain them against that Right Hon. Gentle man. He would, however, only call their attention to a few facts, illustrative of what had been called so much nonsense. In 1797 a measure was passed, which the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of the Home Department had called a fatal measure. That measure was the act of Mr. Pitt, and by its ope ration they were enabled to raise means to carry on the great war subsequent to the French Revolution, supporting the Bri tish arms in all their efforts, till their standard was planted on the walls of Paris, after the battle of Waterloo. The policy of that measure had been denounced by a disciple of Mr. Pitt, though there was a very scarce book, which supported the principle of that measure in a very able manner, and the argu ments of which ought to be in the hands of every Hon. Mem ber. It was entitled " Graham's Corn and Currency ( Laughter )—a book which was as plentiful as need be one day, hut all on a sudden disappeared, no one knew why, until at last it was extremely difficult to obtain a copy at all. That measure, the act of Mr. Pitt, led to an extensive issue of paper money, with:eit which it would have been impossible to carry out the gigantic operations of the country at that time. The Hon. :Member then referred to the evils which had arisen from 1797 up to 1819—the very year when Sir Robert Peel's, then M-. Peel's, famous Bank-note Restriction Bill was passed—in suddenly restricting the paper currency. The measure—that of 1319—was really to be called a fatal measure, and one that had been most ruinous in i's operations. He was not one of those who thought it was not right to change the character of the coin ; but by doing so, when they took the single standard of gold, they had inflicted a heavy penalty on the country. In addition to this, they went on to say that though the landlords might change their estates, they at the same time were doing an injustice to all parties by preventing the possibility of ever returning to the true principles on which this country ought to be governed. He held in his hand the ablest book that had ever been written on the subject ; and in that book these prin ciples were laid down. In 1819 this Bill was passed, in 1820 the pressure was felt, in 1821 it began to be insupportable, and in 1822 Lord Castlereagh came down to the House, and stated that it was impossibl e to retu r n to c ash pay men t s . Then came the evanescent prosperity of 1524, and after that, on the in ' fliction of the weight again, the terrible reflux of 1825. Well did he remember the Chancellor of the Exchequer coming down to the House in 11524, and stating, in the most glowing picture that had ever been drawn in that House of the prosperity of the country, and asserting that it was founded on a rock. What took place? In the spring following the same Right Hon. Gentleman came down to the House, and in the most doleful strains complained that it had all passed away. • Again the same thing occurred in 1828—prices had risen, a I state of prosperity had returned, the cornaletion of the mea sure took place. Again the gold left the,ountry, and then through a long period came the struggle again : prices fell to the level of the Continent, the gold returned, and there was again a partial return to prosperity. The gold left again, and again distress ensued. The- same course had been going on ever since, and be warned the landed gentry, on the authority of his Right Hon. Friend (Sir J. Graham), that either the rents must be conformed to that of the Continent, or the standard must be conformed to the rate of rents. At the standard of 31. 17s. 10 1 ,4 d., prosperity had never been long continued in agriculture, manufactures, and commerce toge ther. When the reflux took place commerce took the lead, then manufactures, then agriculture ; but the prosperity of agriculture being inconsistent with low prices, the gold im mediately left the country, and a panic ensued. This would be, and must be, the consequence of attempting to carry on this struggle. A new race would be called into ex istence, by the great profits of the capitalist. Old forms would disappear, new ones would arise, ,and a complete revolution in the value of property would take place, and he warned the Right Hon. Baronet that if the system succeeded, it would be productive of evil at the best, and if it failed, it would bring on such a panic as never occurred before. Im ' perfect as his views were, they were honestly felt, and were formed after a careful consideration of the subject since 1810. He would not, however, take up their time any longer, but conclude by seconding the motion. The CHANCELLLOR of the EXCHEQUER confessed that he had not formed the idea when he came down to the House that the subject would run over such an extensive range as it had done under the Gentleman who last addressed the House, embracing, as it did, a period of nearly half a century. He would not, however, travel beyond the motion before the House. A proclamation was made in 1843, calling in the light sove reigns. The Honourable Gentleman must be aware that since 1816, no notice whatever had been taken of the depre ciation of the light sovereigns, and so great at length had be come the clamour in consequence of this evil, that a memorial was signed by all the bankers and principal men of the kingdom, calling upon the Government to redress the grievance. At the moment the change took place, in compliance with that application, preparations to a large extent were made in the Mint to supply the amount of coin that would be required. With regard to the poor, he denied that no measures were taken to guard against the loss they sustained, but be would say that no measures they could adopt would remedy the evil. It was a hardship he admitted, but it was impossible to apply a remedy where frauds were so easily effected. He should be very glad to give an opportunity of weighing light sovereigns in every town in the kingdom, but, when it was recollected that no less than 500,000 sovereigns were annually depreciated from tear and wear, he said that the complexity of the machinery requi site td carry such a proposition into effect, was a sufficient argu ment against its adoption. The Post.office accepted every light sovereign, subject to the deduction of 3d. each. He trusted, in conclusion,That the same occurrence which happened in 1842 would never happen again, and that every future Go vernment would take care to give notice that such sovereigns were not a legal tender. Mr. WILLIAMS never expected that any one would have risen in that goose to give tlito another dusertetion on the Birmingham system of currency. He would not now follow the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Spooner) through the arguments which he brought forward, but confine himself to the subject before the House. With respect to the difficulty pointed out by the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, of finding persons in the various towns of the kingdom to undertake the business of weighing sovereigns deficient in weight, he considered it was totally unfounded, for any banker in those towns, or the persons to whom the taxes were paid in the district, would, for a small consideration, perform such a duty. The loss on each sovereign on an average was 2 3 4 d, now the loss to the public on the present arrangement was 6d., and sometimes* ls., and it was net unusual to find sovereigns of full weight being rejected unless the redaction was submitted to. After the Ist of January, 1841, sovereigns were sold as bullion, and only 31. 16s. 6%d. being given per ounce, 4 1 %d. was lost upon every ounce o the 3,000,000 sovereigns then called in, and something was necessary to prevent the recur renee or continuance of so serious an inconvenience. Sir ROBERT PEEL regretted very much that he had not been present during the commencement of the speech of the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Birmingham, not from curio sity, but interest in everything that fell from such a talented Gentleman. It was a pity that he had not given notice of his intention to second the motion of the Member for Montrose, as Honourable Gentlemen would have then been aware of the prospect of an amusing disquisition on the Birmingham system. However, from thelfew audibly urged arguments of the Hon. Member, he could say that he (Mr. Spooner) had proved him self a worthy representative of the opinions of Birmingham.— ( Laughter.) But the Honourable Member had assumed a rather inconsistent position in the course of his latter observa tions. He had traced the whole question and course of the currency, from the monetary transactions in 1797 to the final change in 1844, and had said that in the • year 1822 the greatest distress prevailed, at which period the Marquis of Londonderry proposed an extension of the currency. The prosperity that followed this change was, they were told, temporary and delusive, and had been followed by a ruinous depression in the year 1825, caused by the change in the value of the currency, arising from the large issue of paper. But it would have been supposed that If the Hon. Member at tributed the distress at that period to this unlimited issue of paper, he would have concluded that a still greater crisis would have ensued from the adoption of a system which would cause the issue of inconvertible paper. As to the authority of Mr. Alison, whom his Hon. Friend considered a paragon of philosophers, he would quote one sentence from that authority, to show w hat credit should be given to his views, and he thought that pamphleteer and his Honourable Friend the Member for Birmingham would make a fair couple— Castor and Pollux—in the expression of their unique opinions.—(Loud laughter.) Mr. Alison, after intro ducing a few curious original apothems, advised that paper should be paid in gold, according to the standard value of the metal, so that notes issued at the rate of 3/. 16s. 10d. per oz. might afterwards receive payment at the rate of 61. or 71. per or t And when forsooth the coin ran up to the value of 101. per oz., which under such a system it very speedily would, the banker need not pay in gold, and of course he would only have to depreciate the value of paper, and raise that of gold, to render himself virtually irresponsible.—( Loud laughter.) Really such arguments were absurd, and he could scarcely de scribe his surprise at hearing the Hon. Member subscribe to such opinions. As he said before, he hoped the Hon. Mem ber would, on another occasion give notice, of his intention to speak, and he for one would like to be present and listento him. Mr. J. STEWART saitl he trusted the present debate would lead to some efficient and satisfactory change in the arrangements for specifically correcting the monetary system. Mr. NEWDEGATE was rejoiced that the attention of the House had been called to the state of the currency. The effects of a metallic currency were every day felt more and more stringently. There had been spread abroad so strong a feeling in favour of Sir Robert Peel's currency policy 'that it was looked upon as a sort of treason to impeach it. But the fact could not be denied, that it was impossible to go on paying the interest of the national debt in the present cur rency, If free trade principles were to be carried out with the present monetary system the greatest evils must be ex. pected. He had not intended to trespass so long upon the House this evening, but he would take an opportunity next session of bringing the attention of Parliament to the subject.— ( Hear, hear.) The effect of the present law was to give a pre mium to the money lender at the expense of the rest of the community. Mr. MUNTZ said that he could not understand how his Hon. Colleague could go the length he had done, of abolishing all metallic payments. He did not think that his Hon. Friend had shown his usual discretion in bringing forward a currency debate on this question. He thought that currency had nothing at all to do with it. He wished that the standard should be fixed in silver. He had himself often seen women with children in their arms unable to get food, in consequence of not being able to get change for their gold. He thought that the object of the motion was a very proper one. He thought it much better that they should have 11. notes than that they should be rubbing sovereigns together to the loss of the poor, who would lose 6d. in consequence of their beinz light. He hoped the Government would well consider the matter, and introduce some measure which would enable the poor to avoid this loss. After a few words from Sir W. CLAY, The House divided, when there appeared— For the motion Against it 64 Majority against the motion Mr. SPOONED said he did not intend to speak in favour of any remedy for the present difficulty ; but he did say he was still of the same opinion he before expressed upon the question. SUPPLY. On the motion that the Speaker do leaie the Chair, and the House go into Committee of Supply on the Colonial Estimates, Mr. TUFNELL said he would wish to call the attention of the House to the regulations lately issued with regard to the compulsory disposal of lands held in the Island of Ceylon, and purchased from the Governor of that colony by the members of the civil service, and the reflections that had been cast upon their character as public servants in the Governor's minute, dated the 14th February, 1844. He held before him a state ment of the quantity of land so circumstaneed, in the different years from 1833 to 1842, and he found it to be as follows : In 1838, the quantity of land in that position was 10,000 acres; in 1839, 39,000 acres ; in 1840, 42,000 acres; in 1841, 78,000 acres; and, in 1842, which was the latest period to which his information came down, it was 48,500 acres. Now, he did contend for it, that it would be a great hardship upon the officers of the civil service who had purchased this land, and had brought it to a high state of cultivation, should they be ordered either to sell the property they had so acquired, or resign their situa tions as public servants. He thought it right .to read a re monstrance which the colonial servants had addressed to the Mible Lord at the Head of the Colonies, in which they state, that the Government had encouraged them to engage in agricul tural pursuits, and not unfrequently participated in their profits They then expressed a strong hope •that the Noble Lord would not Interfere with them, ant that n regulations such as those sent out from the Colonial-office would be persevered in, as they would have the effect of involving them in great loss and sa crifices. The miuntrs of the Government had been printed and published in the papers of India, and article s o f the m os t insulting nature, in consequenee, written, reflecting on the civil service. If there had been carelessness in the manage ment of the colony, it was the Governor's own fault ; and what business had the Government now to come forward and reflect on those who had been engaged in the civil service? The No ble Lord ( Lord Stanley), if he sent out the dispatch which he did, censuring the civil service, on the allegations contained in the Governor's minute, he acted very unfairly towards the parties who were reflected on. The Hon. Member concluded by proposing his motion. Mr. HOPE said it was not his intention to justify that minute, as it was not published under Lord Stanley's direction. The dispatch was not the same as the minute; it was not founded on 'the minute, being different in some essential par ticulars. The dispatch of the Noble Lord reflected on the junior members of the civil service. The Noble Lord, as well as his predecessor in office, had received repeated communica tions setting forth the carelessness and inattention of that branch of the service. The charges were not new ones, but of anoldyedaartse date; for all parties connected w i t h t h at i s l an d f or many had complained of the manner in which meme hers of the civil service had neglected their public duties for their private interests. All parties there holding civil offices took an oath not to engage in any trade unless licensed by the Government so to do. That rule still existed. I n 1b33, a reduction was made in the sala ries of the officers, the cowequence of which was that those officers engaged extensively in trade, and the regulation be came indispensable. Those parties were allowed to export, but not to grow cinnamon, and the reason of it was, that they said they could not make remittances to this country without so far engaging in the cinnamon trade.- Hewould oppose the moti•sn. Lord EBBING TON supported the motion, and believed the facts stated by his Honourable Friend (Mr. Tuffnell) were perfectly correct. Dr. BOWRING thought a more satisfactory explanation should be made by the Government respecting the reculations issued as to the forcibly sending land into the market, and their compulsory disposal of it at a great depreciation. Mr. AGLIONBY considered the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Under-Secretary for the Colonies as calculated to irritate rather than allay the wounded feelings of those parties, injured by the tyrannical order of the Government of Ceylon. And as to his casting censure on the Governor of that island, it appeared that the only fault in that officer was his publication of an unjust and cruel order, whose publicity had been forbidden by the Colonial-office at home. Mr. HOPE explained that he meant to cast no blame whatever on the Governor of C e yl on . Mr. C. BULLER considered 'that a case of great hardship had been made out, and that if the course pursued by Lord Cornwallis in his Government of India had been pursued in the island of Ceylon, all these unjust occurrences would have been prevented. At the same time he admitted that the Governor of the islatd was above all suspicion of being actuated by any insidious motives ; he had known him personally for a considerable period, and regarded him as a most humane and exemplary man. Mr. TUFNELL briefly explained, and the subject dropped. After a desultory conversation on the subject of the House going into Supply, which Mr. BROTHEILTOX opposed in conse quence of the lateness of the hour (a quarter past twelve) — The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER consented to postpone it till Monday at five o'clock. The House then went into Committee pro forma, and im mediately after resumed. BRAZILIAN SLAVE TRADE BILL. Sir ROBERT PEEL fixed Thursday next for the second reading of this Bill; and, in answer to Mr. A glionby, said that he would take the vete on the New Zealand question on Wednesday next. DEATH BY ACCIDENT COMPENSATION BILL. Mr. BOUVERIE moved that the report on this Bill be received. The AT TORNEY-GENERAL opposed the motion, whereupon the Haase divided, when there appeared For the Bill . . ..... 7 Against it .......................... —32 39 Majority aga i nst t h e Bill LIBEL BILL. The House then went into Committee on the Action for Libel Bill, which was read a third time, and the House then resumed. The other orders of the day w ere then disposed of, and the House adjour ne d at a Quarter to Two o'clock. [ADVERTISEMENT]. —AN EXTRAORDINARY CURE OF AN ABSCESS IN THE KNEE EV HOLLOWAY ' S OINTMENT AND PILLS. —Henry Croft, residing at 18, Castle-street, Southwark, was an in-patient at St. George's Hospital for an abscessed knee, and came ou t a s incurable on the I st of June last year, after being there three months. In July last he left St. Thomas's Hospital, where he had been four weeks, and pronounced i ncurable —indeed they recommended his leg to be taken off---yet, however wonderful it may appear, he has just been cured by the use of Holloway's Pills and Ointment.— Sold at Professor Holloway's establishment, 244, Strand (where advice may be had gratis), and by almost all respectable ven ders of medicine throughout the civilised world. ABOLITION OF THE SEAL-OFFICE. —Yesterday the Act of Parliament, which received the Royal assent on Monday, was printed, to abolish the separate Seat-office of the Court of Queen's Bench and Common Pleas. From the 31st of December next the Seal-office in the Inner Temple-lane will be closed, and the writs issued by the Courts of Queen's Bench and Common Pleas will be sealed at the respective offices in the same manner as they are sealed in the Exchequer. The offices of Receiver-Gene. ral and Comptroller of the Seal will w holly cease and determine on the day named. The Duke of Grafton will be paid an annuity of 8431., which will be continued under the letters patent, and his deputy 30u a year for life. PARLIAMEN TARP DIVISIONS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) FRIDAY, JULY 25. SUPPLY. Order for Committee read; Motion made, and Question proposed, " That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair :"—Amendment pro posed, to leave out from the word " That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words " an humble Address be presented to her Majesty, to represent that, on the last occasion when the light gold coin of the Realm was called in, a considerable loss, attended with much inconvenience to her Majesty's poorer subjects, occurred, having been in a great degree caused by the neglect of her Majesty's Ministers, in not making timely preparations for receiving the light gold coin at its intrinsic value at convenient places in the several towas and districts of the United Kingdom, and humbly to request that her Majesty will be pleased to give directions to guard against similar scenes of loss and trouble for the future," instead thereof:— Question put,' " That the words proposed to be left out stand part Of the Question." The House divided : MAJORITY—AYES, 64. Austen, Colonel Estcourt, T. G. B. Jones, Captain Baird, W. Flower, Sir James Lygon, General Barkly, Henry Fuller, A. E. Mackenzie. W. F Baring, W. B. Gardner,J. D. M`Neill, Duncan Benbow, John Gaskell, J. M. Manners, Lord J . Borthwick, Peter Gladstone, Captain Masterman, John Botfield, Beriah Gordon, Captain Meynell, Captain Bowles, Admiral Gore, M. Nicholl, John Broadwood, Henry Goulburn, Henry Pakington, J. S. Bruce, Lord E. Graham, Sir J. Patten, J. W. Cardwell, Edward Greene, Thomas Peel, Sir R. Clive, Viscount Hamilton, George A. Peel, Jonathan Clerk, Sir G. Hamilton, W. J. Smith, T. B. C. Clive, Robert H. Harris, Captain Somerset, Lord G. Cockburn, Sir G. Hawes, Benjamin Tennent, J. E. Collett, John Henley, J. W. Thesiger, Sir F. Corry, Henry Herbert, Sidney Trench, Sir F. W. Cripps, William Hope, G. W. Wellesley, Lord C. Darner, Colonel Hotham, Lord Darby, George Howard, P. 11. TELLERS. Denison, E. B. Hussey,' Ambroso Young, John Douglas, Sir H. Jermyn, Earl Lennox, Lord A. Ent wisle,,William Jocelyn, Viscount MINORITY-NOES, 34, Aglionby, H. A. Ewart, William Plnniridge, Captain Aldam, William Fielden, John Rashleigh, William Berkeley, Captain Forster, Matthew Sheridan, R. B. Blake, M. J. Hindley, Charles Smith, J. A. Bowes, John Hutt, William Strickland, Sir G. Bowring, Dr. Mites.lfe, Henry Tufnell, Henry Brotherton, Joseph Mitchell, T. A. Wawn, J. T. Buller, Charles Morris, David Williams, William Butler, P. S. Muntz, G. F. Clay, Sir W. Napier,:Sir.C. TELLERS. Crawford, W. S. Newdegate, C. N. Hume, Joseph Duncan, George Norreys, Sir D. J. Spooner, Richard Ebrington, Viscount Ogle, S. C. . DEATH BY ACCIDENTS COMPENSATION BILL, Reported, with Amendments; Motion made, and Question pro posed, " That the said Amendments be now read a second time :" Amendment proposed to leave out from the words " That the" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words " Report be taken into further Consideration upon this day three months," instead thereof: —Question put, " That the words proposed td be left out stand part of the Question." The House divided : MINORITY-AYES, 7. Clements, Viscount Smith, J. A. TELLERS. Crawford, Sharman Somerville, Sir W. Bouverie, E. P. Norreys, Sir D. Wawn, J. T. Pechell, Capt3la O'Connell, M. J. MAJORITY—NOES, 39. Baring, W. B. , Fretnantle, Sir T. Mackenzie, W. F. Borthwick, Peter Fuller, A. E. Masterman, John Broadwood, H. Gaskell, J. M. Nicholl, John Brotherton, J. Goulburn, Henry Palmer, - Robert Bruce, Lord E. Graham, Sir J. Rashleigh, W. Buller, C. Greene, T. - Sandon, Viscount Buller, Sir J. Y. Hamilton, IV. J. Smith, T. B. C. Cardwell, Edward Hamilton, Lord C. Somerset, Lord G. Courtenay, Lord Henley, J. W. Spooner, Richard Cripps, W. Herbert, Sidney Thesiger, Sir F. Darby, George J ermyn, Earl Wellesley, Lord C. Duckworth, Jir J. Irton, Samuel TELLERS. Entwisle, W. Lefroy, Anthony Young, John Ferguson, Sir It. Lincoln, Earl Lennox, Lord A. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. FRIDAY, JULY 25. Standing Orders Committee,—Resolution reported ; " That in the case of the Bolton and Leigh, Kenyon and Leigh Junction, North Union, Liverpool and Manchester and Grand Junction Railway Companies Amalgamation Bill, clauses and amendments on third reading, the amendments to clauses 10 and 44 may be adopted by the House, if• they shall think lit ; but that clauses A, B, and C ought not to be adopted by the House at that stage." Report to lie on the table. The following Bills were read a third time and passed : Bolton and Leigh, Kenyon and Leigh Junction, North Union, Liverpool and Manchester and Grand Junction Railway Companies Amalgamation. South Eastern Railway (Branch to Deal, and Extension of the South Eastern, Canterbury, Ramsgate and Margate Railway). PRIVATE BUSINESS FOR MONDAY, jum 28. REPORT. Eastern Counties Railway (Cambridge and Huntingdon Line) (to be considered, by Order). NOTICE GIVEN AT THE PRIVATE BILL OFFICE. Scottish Midland Junction Railway,—Lords' amendments to be considered, Monday, July 28. COURT OF UHANCEIM, TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sia,—The question of qualification for the office of chief clerk to the Masters in Chancery, which you have alluded to in your journal, is assuming a graver aspect than it has yet presented. The profession, who, though tardy in movement, are not deficient in energy when roused, have now taken up the matter in earnest, and have presented a petition, signed by upwards of thirty of the leadine , officers in Lincoln's-inn, calling for in quiry into the circumstances under which a gentleman exercises an office of trust and importance in the Mas ters' offices by deputy. When it is known that fees ex ceedieg 4,0001. are annually taken from the pockets of the suitors by the Masters' clerks, it is not unreasonable to suppose the suitors will expect there should be some sup (vision over these gentlemen. And , 'the Legislature having assigned a salary for the office, sufficietitto cure the services of gentlemen of professional educ'ation and skill, the Lord Chancellor will not surely allow the office to be held by a person whose incompetency obliges him to perform the duties of his office by deputy. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Monday next fur the hearing of the petition. I am, &c. A FORMER CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE. Law Institution, July 25, 1815. QUALIFICATION OF CHIEF CLERK TO THE MASTERS IN CHANCERY. (From the Legal Observer of July 19. ) We have received a copy of a petition presented to the Lord Chancellor in the matter of Thomas Whiting, the chief clerk of Andrew Henry Lynch, Esq., one of the Masters of the Court of Chancerly ; and as this is a subjeet which concerns the profession generally, we feel bound to submit it'-to=bur• readers. _ It is the petition of thirty-two of the solicitors of the Court of Chancery, whose respective names and residences are there unto subscribed. It states that the petitioners are, and for many years have been, solicitors duly admitted to practise, and actually prac tising, in this Honourable Court, and in the course of their said practice the petitioners have the conduct and management of suits in progress through the offices of the Masters in Ordi nary, and divers of the petitioners have now the conduct and management of suits in which references have been directed to Mr. Lynch. one of the said Masters, and which references are still pending. That the officers in the said Masters' offices consist of the Masters themselves and their chief clerks and copying or junior clerks, one chief clerk and one copying or junior clerk being attached to the separate office of each of the said Masters. That according to the usual course and practice of the said offices, it is the duty of the chief clerk to assist in the prosecu tion of all inquiries and accounts rt ferred to the Master to whose office he is attached, in which an exercise of the per sonal discretion of the Master is not involved ; and it is like wise, according to the same practice, the duty of the said chief clerk to prepare the drafts of the reports of such Master, and to settle such reports in the presence of the solicitors concerned. That a very large amount of the business of this Honour able Court is, in fact, transacted by attendance before the chief clerks of the said Masters, and that in the prosecution of suits in the said Masters' offices the solicitors of this Honourable Court have to attend before the chief clerk more frequently than before the Master, and that it is of the highest import ance to the interests of the suitors of the Court, as well as due to the solicitors of the Court, individually and as a body, that an officer before whom such solicitors have to lay statements, and to whose judgment they are called upon to defer, should not be selected from a lower rank in society than themselves, and should be qualified by his station to attain their respect and confidence. That from the earliest time the said office of chief clerk to any of the said Masters in Ordinary has been executed by the holder thereof for the time being in person, and not by deputy. That the copying or junior clerk in the office of each of the said Masters is usually a person who was clerk to the Master while at the bar, and that the duty of such copying or junior clerk is to wait personally upon the Master, and to receive the fees in the office, and to make the appointments for attendance before the Master and the chief clerk respectively, and to enter and copy accounts, reports, and proceedings. That by an Act of Parliament passed in the session of the third and fourth years of the reign of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled " An Act for the regulation of the proceedings and practice of certain offices of the High Court of Chancery in England," it was among other things enacted, that no person should be ippointed to be chief clerk of any Master in Ordinary of this Honourable Court, unless he should have been admitted on the roll of solicitors or at torneys in one of the Courts of Westminster Hall, for not less than five years, or should have been a junior clerk in the office of one of the said Masters for a term of ten years. And it was thereby among other things further enacted, that each and every of the Masters in Ordinary, registrars, and clerks of the said registrars, master of reports and entries, clerk of affidavits, and examiners of this Honourable Court, should hold their said offices during their good behaviour, and so long as they should personally give their attendance upon their respective duties, and should conduct themselves honestly and faithfully in the due execution of the duties of their said offices respec tively • and that the officers and clerks in the several offices of this Honourable Court should give their personal attendance in their respective offices during the times they should be so di rected to attend, as by the said Act provided, unless otherwise engaged in the business of their respective offices, or prevented by sickness or other unavoidable cause. And it was further enacted, that there should be paid by the accountant-general of this Honourable Court out of the fund to be placed to his account, to be entitled " The Suitors' Fee Fund Account," to the several officers named in the schedule thereunder written the several salaries or yearly sums set opposite to their respec tive names or titles in such schedule, being (among other things) the salary or yearly sum of one thousand pounds to the chief clerk of each of the said Masters in Ordinary other than the accountant-general, and the salary or yearly sum of one hundred and fifty younds to the junior clerk of each of the said Masters ; and it was further thereby enacted, that it should be lawful for the copying or writing clerk of the said Masters to receive and take the sum of one penny halfpenny per folio of 90 words, and no more, for every copy of every document or writing, or a part of any document or writing, made in the Masters' offices, from the parties requiring the same, and also for the transcript of every report, and that such sum of one penny halfpenny per folio should be retained by the said writing or copying clerks to be employed by the said Masters in their respective offices, and that no part thereof should be re ceived or retained by, or applied tithe use or benefit of any other person or pers ons on any pretence whatsoever. ' That in the month' of December, 1843, Andrew Henry Lynch, Esq., one of the said Masters in Ordinary appointed Thomas Whiting, who h a d th en b een copying or junior clerk in the office of another of the said Masters for more than ten years, to be chief clerk of him the said Master Lynch, and in the month of June, 1844, the Lord Chancellor was pleased to order that the salary of one thousand pounds, provided for per sons filling the said office of chief clerk, should be paid to the said Thomas Whiting, since which time the said Thomas ; Whiting has annually received such salary. That notwithstanding such appointment of the said Thomas Whiting, and sncli receipt by him of the said salary, he has never performed, or in any manner attempted to perform, and does not now perform the important duties belonging to the said office of chief clerk to the said Master Lynch, but that such duties have been ever since his said appointment per formed by, and the same are now continuing to be performed by, Edward Wright, the junior or copying clerk in the said office of the said Master Lynch, who is not himself qualified, according to law, for the office of such chief clerk, and by such means the duties of chief clerk to the said Master Lynch are, in fact, performed by a deputy and an unqualified person. And the said Thomas Whiting has ever since his said appointment performed the duties of copying or junior clerk, and no other duties, in the said office of the said Master Lynch, and the petitioners believe that the said Thomas Whiting is, in fact, incompetent to discharge the duties of chief clerk to the said Master., That the petitioners are advised, and humbly submit to the Lord Chancellor, that an office of so much trust and import ance es that of chief clerk to one of the said masters ought not to be executed by deputy, and that to permit the same to be so executed would be establishing a principle injurious to the interest of the suitors of this Court, and contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said Act of Parliament, and would have the effect of depriving the said suitors of the security intended to be given to them by the said Act for the performance of the duties of the said office by persons possess ing the experience and legal attainment indispensable for the efficient discharge thereof ; and the petitioners, in their cha racter of solicitors of this Honourable Court, and also as re presenting the interests of the suitors of this Honourable Court confided to their care, feel aggrieved by the premises. The petitioners therefore pray his Lordship to cause inquiry to be made into the matters aforesaid, and into the manner in which the duties of the office of chief clerk to the said Master Lynch are now, and have been since the appointment of the said Thomas Whiting thereto, been executed and performed. And that his Lordship will be pleased to order that henceforth the duties of the said office may be performed by the said Thomas Whiting while he shall continue such chief clerk in person, and not by the copying or junior clerk of the said Master or by any other deputy, and that in case the said Thomas Whiting shall neglect personally to perform such duties, or shall be found incompetent thereto, that he the said Thomas Whiting may be removed from being such chief clerk of the said Master Lynch, and that in such case his Lordship will be pleased to make order for the due appointment of some other properly-qualified person to the said office of chief clerk in the place and stead of the said Thomas Whiting. TEAN & DOVE VALLEY RAILWAY, AND CIIURNET VALLEY RAILWAY. TO THE „EDITOR OF THE SUY: Sea r —l, in common with many others, have been consider ably amused by the efforts which a certain officious individual has recently been making, not only to divert the attention of the public from the merits of the projected Tean and Dove Valley Railway, but also to puff and bring again into notice the Old Churnet Valley line, a scheme which though once notori ous is now almost forgotten by all but its unfortunate share holders. The gentleman to whom I allude, has been industri ously dancing attendance upon the editors of several provincial papers, with a capfull of articles manufactured by himself, and aiming at the two objects I have mentioned. The whole of these articles, it may be observed, are anonymous, and although some of them bear a suspicious resemblance to editorial articles, yet the secret of their authorship peeps out from all, yes, verily, " The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." Now, Mr. Editor, I know that, it is your disposition to afford fair play to all parties who may have occasion to trouble you, and I am sure you will allow me to make a few remark, by way of reply to our friend of the Churnet Valley. In the first place, then, I must beg to tell him that, however necessary the North Staffordshire Line (i. e. from Macclesfield aid the Potteries to Colwick) may be to the important district which it embraces, it is rather too much to expect that the Lon don and Manchester traffic is to be dragged along so circuitous a route. A glance at the map will cenvince the public that the North Staffordshire line is not and never will be a London and Manchester line. The other portioh of the North Staffordshire scheme (i.e. from Macclesfield to Wellington,) does not profess to be a London and Manchester line, and it may fairly be questioned whether one and the same company can have any serious inten tion of making the two lines, running as they do parallel and within a few miles of each other nearly the whole of the distance. That the North Staffordshire Company may intend to apply for an Act for constructing both lines, no one who is at all con versant with railway tactics..can doubt. The obtaining of an Act for that purpose would give them absolute possession of the ground, and keep their opponents at bay ; but the:actual making of both lines is another and very different matter, and is an idea which, to my certain knowledge, many influential parties con nected with the Potteries portion of the North Staffordshire scheme consider themselves privileged to laugh at. But, sup posing on the other hand, and for the sake of argument, that there really exists on the part of the North Staffordshire Com pany an intention of carrying out the whole of their scheme, what then ? The whole, be it remembered, is at present only a project, and if the Tean and Dove Company can offer a much better and more profitable line than the Churnet Valley portion of the North Staffordshire project, what earthly' reason is there to prevent it? Are we to be gravely told, that because the North Staffordshire Company think fit to project a line of railway in a certain direction, that the Tean and Dove are precluded from projecting a better line, simply because it will traverse a por tion of the same country_?... Surely, Mr. Editor, you are sufficiently:acquainted with these matters to know that the time has gone by in which such nonsense might have been insisted upon. The country is now in a situation to make choice of the best line, and the simple business-like question to be asked and answered is, which possesses the greatest merits, the Team and Dove, or the Churnet ? The advocate of the latter harps a good deal upon the fact of the Board of Trade having already reported in its favour, bat " as things go," the Report of the Board of Trade upon a railway project, is a " rather dis cordant string to play upon." " The light of other days is faded," with reference to the decisions of that unfortunate hoard. In short, Mr. Editor, you are well aware that the Railway Department of the Board of Trade has been regularly cashiered by Sir Robert Peel. You will think, Sir, that I am scribbling on to a most in convenient length, but there is one little fact connected with the Churnet and the Board of Trade, which deserves to be re corded. Before I state it, I will gratify our Churnet Valley ' friend by assuming for a inoment•that some degree of importance is to ba attached to the Report of the Board of Trade. Under what circumstances, then, was that vaunted report made ? Was it when the Churnet was in its present " mongrel and sense less shape ?" Certainly not. That report was made when the Churnet was a London and Manchester line, which it has now voluntarily, and to suit its own selfish purposes, ceased to be. So much then for the Churnet Valley and th e Board of Trade. Now for the Tean and Dove Valley scheme. This is a London and Manchester line, and (as compared with the North Staffordshire line), will effect a saving of seven miles of actual distance. Whilst doing so it will embrace the important towns of Leek, Cheadle, Tean, Uttoxeter, and Burton upon-Trent (in respect of which latter town alone it is computed that 50,000/. per annum is paid for carriage), and it will also (to adopt the language of its prospectus), open the rich and extensive coal-fields of Bid dulph, Poynton, A dlington, Cheadle, Gresly, Swadlincote, and Moria to the whole . kingdom. Such, then, are some ref the merits of the Tean and Dove Valley scheme, - and ? Of- its claims upon public attention and support. If our Churnet Valley friend wishes for further discussion, I am prepared to afford it him when and where he likes. In the meantime I can assure him that, notwithstanding the various guises in which he has appeared, I am well acquainted with his real position as to the old Churnet Valley line, and will, in conclusion, give him the benefit of an anecdote, the application of which I will leave to himself and his conscience. Coleridge takes up the old idea that the Jews have a peculiar odour, and may be known by it, just as Cobbett affirmed that he could scent a black man at the distance of a mile. " Once," says Coleridge, ," I sat in a coach opposite to a Jew— a sym bol of old clothes bags—an Isaiah of Holywell-street. He would close the window, I opened it. He closed it again ; upon which, in a very solemn tone, I slid to him, ' Son of Abraham, thou smellest ; son of Isaac, thou art offensive ; son of Jacob, thou hast a bad odour ! See the man in the moon, he is holding his• nose at thee at that distance? Dost thou think that I, sitting here, can endure it any longer ?' My Jew was astounded, opened the window forthwith himself, and said he was sorry he did not know before I was so great a gentleman." I am, Sir, you r o b e di en t servant , A SUPPORTER OF THE TEAN AND DOVE VALLEY RAILWAY. .[ADVERTISEMENT.]—TO THE L A DIES.—It is uni versally acknowledged by every one of taste that however beau tiful a woman may be, if h er hair is deficient either in quantity, quality, or colour, one of her greatest charms is wanting. A complete remedy for all this is to be found by visiting the esta blishment of Ross and Sons, and choosing head-dresses that sur pass nature herself, fronts, bands, or ringlets that assist her, or splendid plaits that, encircling the thin hair, give it all the appearance of a luxuriant growth. The partings are so admirably contrived that the nearest inspection is confounded ; the transparency of the web, admitting the skin of the head to be seen through, they may be described as being as light as a feather. —Address Ross and Sons, 119 and 120, Bishopsgate street, London, who have lately invented the Depinquitory for cleansing the skin, parting of fronts, &c. EWEN MACPHEE.—Our readers may recollect the story of this singular Highlander, which we gave to the world a few years since. He still lives in his solitary little island in Loch Quoich, as free and almost as agile as one of the red deer on the hills. Last week Provost Sutherland of this town happened to allude to Ewen's history while proceeding in the Glasgow steamer to Corrychoillie's sale, when another passenger, Bailie. Macphee, sugar refiner, of Leith, was so struck with the character of his namesake, that he gave the Provost W. to present to him, adding also another U. bank note in the name of his brother, Provost Macphee, of Greenock. This unexpected windfall Provost Sutherland had an opportunity of presenting to Ewen at Corrychoillie, and we need not say that such a recognition of clanship was joyfully received. Ewen never cared much for the " authorities" in any shape, but this union of 'two Provosts and a Bailie to relieve his necessities is as curious a matter, and fully as kind hearted, as Bailie Nichol Jarvie's affec tion for Rob Roy. Nor is there any occasion for our Prevost being afraid, like the ancient worthy of the Saltmarket, that the members of the Council would not think it creditable in one of their body to be aiding a wild Highlandman !—lnverness Courier. THE GENERAL POST L ETTER. CARRIERS.—On Thursday night, at a late hour, a meeting, attended by nearly 200 letter-carriers of the General Post office, was held at the Owen alendwr Tavern, Aldersgate-street, for the purpose of preparing alpetition to the Postraaster-General, expressive of the grievances under which this body of men consider they labour, and praying his Lordship to abolish the system of payment by fees, and to esta. blish a graduated scale of permanent salary. Mr. Robert Grapes, being unanimously called to the chair, the draft of a petition, pre. viously prepared by a committee chosen for the purpose, was, after considerable amendments, adopted, and arrangements made for placing it in the hands of the inspector of letter-carriers without delay for presentation to his Lordship the Postmaster- General. The business of the meeting was not concluded before twelve o'clock, at which hour the bedrof letter-carriers quietly separated. COBBETT ON DUELLING.—Cobbett, when chal lenged to fight, recommended the challenger to draw a Cobbett in chalk upon a door, and if he succeeded in bitting it, to send him instant word, in order that he might have an opportunity of ac knovledging that had the true Cobbett heen there, he, in all pro bability would have been hit too. But hit or not hit, the bullets would have no effect whatever, he maintained, on the original cause of quarrel. • _ _ . _ A QUAKER WOMAN ' S SPEECH. —Dear friends, there are three things I very much wonder at. The first is, that children should be so foolish as to throw up stones, brick-bats, and clubs, into fruit-trees, to knock down the fruit—if they would let it alone, it would fall itself. The second is, that men should be so foolish, and even so wicked as to go to war and kill one another if they would let one another alone, they would die of them selves. And the last thing I wonder at most of all is, that of young women—if they would stay at home, the young men would come after them. ASYLUM FOR AGED AND DECAYED FREEMASONS.— Pursuant to an order of Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, in a suit in which this charity is concerned, by which it was re ferred to the Master to appoint trustees to the institution, Master Dowdeswell on Wednesday approved of Lord South ampton, the Earl of Aboyne and Enzie, the lion. Col. Ans Jll, B. B. Calsbell, Esq., and Dr. Crucefix, as such trustees. Baron de Cetto, Bavarian Minister, transacted business yes. terday, at the Foreigu. ! oftice. . LAW INTELLIGENCE. VICE-CHANCELLORS' COURT, July 25. MATHEWS V. WEBSTER. Mr. ROGERS moved in this case for an ex parte injunction , restraining Mr. Webster, the lessee of the Haymarket Theatre, his agents and servants, from performing or representing , yr causing to be performed or represented, the well-known fare , Used Up, without the permission of the plaintiff, Mr. Charles Mathews, by whom the play bad been translated and adapted from L' H6rnme Blase. Mr. Mathews's affidavit stated that in February, 1844, he had composed and prepared for dramatic representation the farce Used Up from the French play, all had adapted it for the English stage. He had himself play in it until very lately, when, in consequence of a quarrel with Mr. Webster, he had ceased to do so. The farce bad been represented seventy-seven nights, and had been announced as the work of Mr. Mathews, who had altered, transposed, and re-written the greater part of it. He claimed, by virtue of the recent Copyright Act, to be the author of the farce, and until the 22d instant, had been represented as such in the play-hil issued by Mr. Webster. Since that time it had been announce, to the theatrical world and the public with the name of • Bourcicault, and Mr. Mathews had not played at the theatre. It was advertised for performance this evening. The VICE-CHANCELLOR--What is announced for tomor row night ? You had better wait until to-morrow. Acting it for one night cannot do you much harm, and the injunction would cause some inconvenience probably, this motion beiug made without notice. All cases of ex parte injunction you know are discretionary. Mr. Roszxs—Perhaps your Honour would be kind enough to look at the playbill (handing it up). VICE-CHANCELLOR—I am engaged for this evening, M r ' Rogers.—(Laughter.) Mr. ROGERS—It is a very popular farce, and the lessees mat probably realise a large sum by this evening's performance. , VICE-CHANCELLOR—Perhaps many of the public will n o t go if they know Mr. Mathews does not play. The inconveni• ence of waiting until to-morrow cannot be very great. It was understood that the solicitor of the Haymarket The atre, who happened to be in Court, consented to accept shor t notice of the motion for to-morrow (this day). ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME ClRCUlT.—Maidstone, July 24. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice COIZRIDGE.) CHARGE OF MURDER AND ARSON. —Charles Minos' aged 23, a well-dressed young man, was indicted for having wilfully and feloniously set fire to a certain dwelling-house , a t Faversham, he well knowing that ofie Thomassin Pymrn Par was therein at the time. The prisoner was likewise arraigned upon the Coroner's in quisition for the murder of Thomassin Pymm Payn. The first indictment was proceeded with. Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Deades conducted the prosecutio n ' and Mr. Bodkin, with whom was Mr. Horne, appeared for the prisoner. The trial commenced on Thursday, and occupied the Court from mid-day until past eleven o'clock at night, during the whole of which time the Court was crowded, and the case ap peared to create great interest. A considerable number of witnesses were examined, but the case will be much better understood in the form of a narra tive. tive. It appeared that the prisoner h a d b een f orme rly in t he service of a grocer at Canterbury, but last October be came to Faversham, and set up in business for himself. He at first occupied, with his wife and an infant child, two room° ie West-street, in that town. This was in October ' • a nd in the February following he removed to another house in the same street, which was jointly occupied by himself an d it person named Payn, and where he again carried en the business of a grocer ; he living, with his family, on one side of the house, and Payn and his family on the other, the passage from the street-door being between them. It has been stated that the family of the prisoner consisted of himself, W e wife, and an infant ; and Payn, his wife, and a cousin, the 11F fortunate deceased, constituted the other family. The fire 10 question took place between eleVen and twelve o'clock on the night of the 29th of April. Smoke was first seen issuing from the passage of the house, and very soon afte rwar ds the side . the house occupied by the prisoner and his family was cu s c i covered to be in flames. An alarm was speedily given, o e the prisoner with his wife and child w e r e t a k en f ro m the boo s in their night clothes, and Mr. and Mrs. Payn were also taken out in safety; but the deceased was either suffocated, she unfortunately the terror was too much fo r h e r ; but, however , e; unfortunately lost her life, and was found dead to her room, apparently in the act of 'attempting ;: e open the door of her chamber. It was remarked at ts, time of the fire that the flames burnt very brightly, t e r suddenly, and appeared as suddenly to be exti n gui s hed ; bete l the time there did not appear to be any particular suspicion eee, - tertained upon the subject of the fire. Upon an examinatle" or the premises being made, it appeared that the fire come, e , menced near the cellar, and from the fact of all the doors he lve fastened on the inside, it became apparent that if the fire e 02 . 1 ,8 wilful one it must have been com.nitted by some person teit'' the house. Upon more minute search it appeared that the fl e d had been what was called a surface fire, and the lames see m to have spread all along the floors and the shelves of the sbei t i and all along the passage the same appearance presented ibex so far as the cellar door. On the rubbish in the passage ti n de r removed a shawl and a piece of liven were found un e ,"e it, both of which artic,es were strongly imprege a u - 5 , t o o k picion, the spirit of camphine. This e xc it e d greater s ook picion, and a more minute examinati on o f th e ru bbish place, and under another portion of it was found a new n l oe dow blind that had been sent home to the prisoner a day .o two before, and had only been used once, and this sea s strongly impregnated with camphine. The mat at the etrlii door was also wet with the same spirit,, and the carpet in e ` it , prisoner's sitting-room was also wetted nearly all over ieitu i t, Two cans that appeared to have contained camphine were W ed . in the shop, and one of them appeared to have been overtar e tes The fire' appeared to 'have ex t en d e d as f ar as the third eb leading to the cellar, and the su s pi c i on was th a t the &e rne % commenced at that spot ; and the shawl a n d the piece et . ' l eo saturated with the spirit being found near the place led te ase d inference that they had been the means of Causing the fire' by that the fierce manner in which it ignited was occasioned to the camphine spirit. These suspicious circumstances l; a pe further inquiry, and the jury who sat upon the body of t".b ov,ict of fortunate young woman who lost her life returned eer a t wilful murder against the prisoner. In addition to the ase ere facts it appeared that before Mr. Payn went to bed hed that tamed that his side of the house was p er f ec tly s afe, A n ar t of there was not the slightest appearance of fire in ale a etere it. He went to bed before eleven o'clock,- and shortifri wards he heard some one, whom he believed t o h e the the come in at the street-door, and he heard him walk along ee d passage to the cellar, and h ear d th e d oor o f t h e cellar ape very gently, and the alarm of fire was given before he .4elo, sleep. It likewise appe are d th a t on t h e 'Wednesday or T 1 1 ") i t , day before the fire, the prisoner, who used a camphine 10110, his shop, purchased a g a ll on o f cam phi ne at a shop in fur ther ie ham, and on the day before the fire he purchased a a p• quantity of camphine. In addition to these facts, it al'! ~e to peered that a few days before the fire the prisoner had ewe de a the agent of the Phoenix fire-office in Faversham, and tr: th e proposal to effect an insurance with that establishment amount of 4001., of which 3001. was to be for his stock t he trade, and 100/. for furniture ; but it appeared that afteresia fire the goods and stock that were saved, and which it v v , as e nos constituted the greater portion of it, did not fetch 5 0 'ee - ue et gether. There were some other minor circumstances hr," eo lee forward, but the above are the principal points of the ev against the accused. Wit h The witnesses were cross-examined by Mr. Bodki n t eat very great care and minuteness, and he elicited from them yore when the alarm of fire was given, the prisoner and his i ee , and child were rescued by means of a ladder, with greatseeap, culty, and with nothing on but night c l o thes. It likewiet the peared, that upon the ,people g o i ng i n t o the house " f the time of the fire, there was not th e s li g ht es t a ppearance an d removal of any property, the priso ner ' s wa t c h an d a pur se . s, it money being found in one of th e rooms . B e sides t h re e I likewise appeared, that although th e p r i soner h a d made rto posal for the insurance, the policy had not been handed 0 : 00 . him, so that he would have had no legal claim upon theerd to parry for any loss he su s t a i ne d by the fire ; and With r e g - the the amount at w hi c h t h e stock and furniture were sold afte r the b fire, it was admitt e d th at i t was a ll very muc h dammed bi fire and wat e r, an d t h a t t h e rice fetched at a forced O cr ite. auction, under such circums tances, was not at all afe ir non as to its actual value. Off Mr s B in his address to the jury, commenteL,'.ooer forcibly upon these circumstances, in favour of the 1 0 ` 5 - 00 er, and urged that the utmost that appeared against the pre lived , o was that a ease of suspicion had been made out, and be an if it even amounted to that. He sub m itt e d that ther e as tiv absence of anything like direct evidence, and that it sc_ffeece. possible for him to have committed so dreadful an u . an d without, as it appeared, the slightest assignable inotieeei'oare with regard to what had been proved _respecting th b e , ance, if his object had really been' to defraud the CornPa - lo u o le asked the jury, as risen of common sense, whether 17 i; have committed the offence until he had secured the P e le e 00 whether he would have destroyed his property, when % r oe have been aware that he had no legal claim upon the office for any portion of his loss ? orY the to Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, having summed Up, ,i9ll deliberated for a short time, when they expressed a ea retire. They were absent, about five minutes, into Court, finding a verdict of Not Guilty. . se" were 0 . A number of persons in the Court, among whom veral ladies, clapped their hands when the verdict w_ae' es sea nounced ; ut this ebullition of feeling was promptly r e p by the officers. c July 25. ama in P'e r The prisoner, Charles Simms, was this morning it i e n at the bar, sad arraigned upon the coroner's melee' flew when they reoill the murder of the deceased young woman, Thonaasi tate'ne. Paen, who perished in the conflagration, as above s Mr. CLARKSON declined to offer any evidence, and The jury, therefore, returned a verdict of Not Guiltt c barr The prisoner was also arraigned upon an indictment Joie' ing him with feloniously setting fire to a certain dwelliefi, a with intent to defraud the Phoenix Insurance Comleal e d, one e d Upon this also a verdict of Not Guilty was rel isc esrfi Mr. Justice CoLERIDG E orde re d the prisoner to be from custody. ed l er eai David PTaylor, assmore 5B, solicitor, was indict est indecent assault upon Eliza Spain. wa de ae as The circumstances under which the charge was übe, the prisoner will be f res h i n th e reco ll ec tion of the h ave al' the facts, so far as they admitted of being detail ed, peared in the police reports within the last few daY_siendaat was The jury returned a verdict of Guilty, and the de sentenced to be imprisoned for one year. M.01611•••••1•00.1016i , .- ....._.. A............................. • •••• -'n o( BIRTHS. ._ Whi` l3e P On the 25th inst., Mrs. William Underwood - Great College-street, Westminster, of a son. ~, 111x`• p. On the 23d inst., at St. Ann's-hill, wwidsvirori.., P l. Bel On l, of a 23 daughter. ii ,(I wire , the d inst., at Grenville-street, Ri 1 .0° .3 " -- • James Johnstone, of a son. f W"t -° On the 23d inst., Mrs. Oliver, wife of Ur. Oliver' of ham, Essex, solicitor, of a son T ., the 11"11. On the 23d inst., at Over Compton, Dorset, John Goodden, Esq., of a son and heir. Airs. J ob° On the 24th inst., at Gresham-place, Dals ton, On eoe- Guillmard, of a son. . s :i • the 24th inst., at Clapham-rise, Mrs. C. 1 ,, ,, e .a 91 ? 0 . 11. 4 Y -e , • On the 24th inst., the lady of Louis Lucas, •'-'"'" of park-gardens, of a son. ~ EA"' of On the 24th inst., the lady of James Ingra" Sussex-place, Regent's-park, of a daughter. A Mancha' On the 24th inst., the lady of Mr. Joaquin .-to Swinton-street, Pentonville, of a daughter. Car ALARR/ED. , ...ie On the 12th inst., at St. George's, Hanover-!ejapt, tain P. C. N. Ami, to Sarah Foule, only child e` John Bennett. Al pe, DIED. balm `- On the 20th inst., at'Brandon House, Chrlten , t 0 Countess de Ponthieu. e jug° On the 20th inst., at St. John's-wood-terra c d ,:tibe. . 1 of park, Lady Feli c he Perpetue Paul de LaMalloll ~,,, c hili , On the 23d inst., at Wilton, James Edward, env y o r,. - the Hon. and Rev. C. A. Harris. —ter, On the 19th inst,, Mr. William Jones, P° Stlll3' '' ' 1,- Jall ie.' terrace, Regent's-park. ox.-, e g gent's - P On the 22d inst., at Chester-terrace, Robinson Hayward, Esq., aged 58. _. 7 —, cf --, ' I I L!l'io.ri . 2' rilitt:d rnti fu;ii:Eshk. , oy DI i • P.lcl. ° Lran; , Print i . at: 2 'ice Sun 04 1 4 , 0 0 0 X Strand, n S . P the recinct w of the Savoy , is the ,liiiddlesex, Saturday, July 26, 1845. c( la fr P] L t 1 • • THE SUN, LONDON, SATUII,OAI EVENING, JULY 26, 18t5.