The Sun. — London, England, 1845-06-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF COMMONS. June `_'o. The SPEAKER took the chair at Four o'clock. LONDONDERRY AND COLERAINE RAILWAY. The Londonderry and Coleraine Railway Bill was read a third time. Certain agreements were agreed to, and the Bill was passed. CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY. The report on the Cork and Bandon Railway was brought up. GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN (IRELAND, RAILWAY. The report on the Great Southern and Western (Ireland) Railway Bill was brought up, and the amendments were agreed to. BOLTON, LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, AND GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY AMALGAMATION. The Bolton and Leigh, Kenyon and Leigh Junction, North Union, Liverpool and Manchester, and Grand Junction Rail way Companies Amalgamation Bill was read a second time. EASTERN COUNTIES UNION ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The Eastern Counties Union Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. NORTH WALES MINERAL RAILWAY. The North Wales Mineral Railway Bill was read a third time and passed. MANCHESTER, BURY, AND ROSSENDALE RAILWAY. The report on the Manchester, Bury, and Rossendale Rail way Bill was brought up. BROAD AND NARROW GAUGES. Mr. HENLEY presented a petition from Chipping Norton in favour of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Rail way Bill. Mr. SPOONER presented a petition, signed by the mer chants, bankers, and manufacturers of Birmingham, on the subject of the broad and narrow gauges. The petitioners were, the greater number of them, not interested at all in railways as shareholders, and they prayed the House not to pass either of the rival Dills until a full inquiry had been instituted into the relative merits of the broad and narrow gauges. Sir C. DOUGLAS presented petitions from Warwick, Strat ford-upon-Avon, and some other places, with a similar prayer. Mr. SCOTT presented petitions from Oxford, Bewdley, and various other places, with a similar prayer. Mr. MUNTZ presented petitions from Stonrbridge and Kidderminster with a similar prayer. Lord INGESTRE then moved that the report on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway Bill be brought up. He had looked through the evidence which had been taken on this subject, and had considered it with very great care, and the great bulk of the evidence seemed to him to be in favour of the broad gauge.—( Hear, bear, and cheers.) The matter %I as one of national interest to the country at large, and also of local interest to the county which he represented, and on both accounts he considered the broad gauge was the preferable one of the two. —( Cheers.) The House also should be cautious how they upset the verdict of a Committee of that House.--(Hear, hear.) He would not detain the House longer, but move at once that the report of the Committee on the Oxford, Worces ter, and Wolverhampton Railway Bill be brought up. Mr. PA KINGTON seconded the motion. Mr. COBDEN then moved as an amendment " That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire whether, in all future Acts for the construction of Railways, provision ought to be made for securing one uniform gauge, and whether it would be practicable and expedient to bring existing lines of railway in England and lines now in course of construction, into uniformity of gauge, and if so, to report upon the best mode of carrying these objects into effect in the present session of Parliament." He said this was a question of a particular line. It involved an im portant principle. They could not disguise the fact, that out of the House the proceedings of that night were looked to with great anxiety. It was a most important question, and ought not to be decided rashly, or without due deliberation. This was, perhaps, the most important question that had vet arisen in the course of railway legislation, and of the greatest national importance. They had fallen into a ggeat error in railway legislation in not laying down a proper system for the regulation of railways. It was, however, a remarkable fact, that in the early stage of railways they took steps to secure an uniformity of gauge. In the London and Birmingham and in the Grand Junction Railway Bills clauses were introduced providing that the gauges should be uniform. But when railway communication was extended into the south of England this principle was departed from, and a different gauge adopted. There were two questions involved in this subject. First, the prevention of evil to the subject from the want of uniformity in the gauge; and second, the possibility of bringing the existing lines of railway into one uniform system. They were all he was sure agreed on the necessity of having only one gauge. There could be none but what admitted that two gauges were a great evil. They produced the greatest inconvenience to passengers and traffic, and would interfere with the traffic going forward in all parts of the country, unless steps were taken to avert the evil. In the Midland counties, in Oxfordshire, Worcester, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire there was a war on the subject at present raging. Now, in those coun ties tliere was yet a vast area not supplied by railways, and it was here that the battle was going forward, the London and Birmingham and the Great Western Corn pan les contending which should occupy the vacant space. The war would go forward, gathering strength, unless they stepped in and settled the question. Not only in the Midland Counties was the contest going forward, but it was extending itself to Somersetshire, Wiltshire, and Dor setshire, where as yet railways had made but slight progress. Well. now they had projects for new lines in connexion with the Great Western. There was a line from Southampton to Salisbury, which had been nearly completed, and there was another from Bath to Bristol. But if these lines should be completed according to the present plan, the inconvenience would arise of transhipment from the Salisbury line to get on to the Bath line, and that was a monstrous ab surdity. In DorsetEhire it was the same way ; and he under stood that a line now about to be made in Wales would cause a like inconvenience by reason of the narrow and broad gauges coming in contact. This was a question which, if nut disposed of now, would be attended with a great deal of labour and trouble hereafter, and rivalry, and dispute, and discord, would continually he the result. For this reason alone, he did think there could not be a second opinion as to the necessity of having a uniform gauge.—( Hear, hear.) He knew there were some Hon. Members in that House who would go so far as to argue that it was no inconvenience to tranship goods from one line of carriages to another ; but surely it would not for a moment he argued that it was no inconvenience to remove loads of coals, or droves of cattle, from one train of carriages to another.—( Hear, hear.) He believed that a greater annoy ance or inconvenience could not be conceived.—( Hear, hear. ) Well then. that fact being admitted, now let him call attention to the fact that the narrow gauge was the first one en which railways were constructed; and at the pre sent moment there were more kinds of railways constructed upon the narrow than on the broad gauge, while the projected lines were ten to one in favour of the narrow gauge. On those grounds alone he did think the narrow gauge should have the first consideration.—( Hear, hear. ) NVhat were the objections to the narrow gauge ? They were not in a position now to delay the question between them ; and even if there were a preponderance of utility of the broad over the narrow gauge, they were not, he rereated, in a position to defer the settlement of this question. But what was the ob jection to the narrow gauge? It had existed in this country for fifteen years. It was general throughout America, and there the width of the rails, instead of being as in this country, 4 feet 8 inches, was but 4 feet 6 inches. It was com mon in France, in Belgium, and he might say over the Continent, with the single exception of Russia. Well then, they had ample experience on the subject. There had been no accident, he believed, that could be really attributed to the narrowness of the gauges. They hail had experience of its we, anti its spread was so extensive that they were not now in a position to interfere with it. If, at this time, they were attempting to conform their narrow to their broad gauges, they would require to alter their tunnels, their viaducts, their embankments, and, perhaps, most difficult of all, their bridges, and that in some cases would be altogether impossible. They might come to this House for power to do so. But if the broad gauge were conformatory to the narrow gauge, it would be moat expedient. This would require no alteration of tunnels, of viaducts, of embankments, or of bridges; nothing would be required but an alteration of the rails and plans. Well this, he said, was the proper time to legislate upon the subject. lie was aware that it would be a hard matter to interfere by a legislative enact ment to compel the Great Western Railway to conform to the narrow gauge. But he contended that the evil would be less felt at that time than at any future period. They were now going on con structing railways, and they would in all probability live to see railways wherever turnpike-roads at pre sent existed. The railway combined the advantages of turnpike roads and canals ; the expense of transit was less, and they were still going on improving the construction of them. They did now experience the difficulties which had attended the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Could there be any doubt, then, that soon they would have railways over all parts of the country, and were they to risk the inconvenience of these rival gauges, withont endeavouring to find some meats of remedying this crying evil ? —( Hear.) He was sure that looking at the subject the House .woul say, and he agreed in the opinion, that the report of the Committee should not be lightly set aside ; and it would only be on a subject of such paramount importance that he should ask the House to reverse the decision of the Corn mittep. This was a question which must be met soon, and he was anxious that the House should do so on the present occa sion. He was sure that no Hon. Member there would reproach the Committee for the decision to which they had come, and he would say that the Committees as now constituted (and he knew, for he sat on cne for a month past), approached as nearly as regarded probity, to perfection as they possibly could do. He did not mean to impugn the decision of the Committee. His object was not to inquire into the reason which had moved them to that decision, but still on the grounds of an impartial consi deration of the public interests, he thought that the decision might be reviewed by the House, and their resolution altered, without an infringement of the respect that was due to the Committee. He was ready to allow that their decision was, whether the House were to blindly follow their decision, or take the evidence which had enabled the Committee to come at their conclusions for the guidance of the House. This was a matter of importance, for the question was, not whether a present convenience or inconvenience was to be satisfied, but how they were to provide for the welfare of future generations ? Colonel WOOD said that this was a question on which all par ties might amicably meet. It was neutral ground, on which they were prepared to state their opinions; but having taken the elements on which the Committee had founded their report, l he hoped that he was not tr t a o nsg e essing his usual principle in n adopting a plan opposed decision ri which been Laid befor e the Houw. In doin this he would impress on the Committee, that he was guilty ‘ of no direspect in second ing the motion of the flon !ember opposite. But there were other reasons why he hould ask for a consideration, or, rather, a reconsideration of s this i motion. The five gentlemen on this Committee had refuse, their adherence to the recom mendation of the Board of Trade, which was in conformity with the side of the question he t h h ad. taken. The five gentlemen of that Committee had stated their Trehaesosfor narrow gauge to the broad g a u e . Committee preferringh ad taken th e an interest in this question which s highly creditable to them. but they nail not calculated on theinterest which it was likely to excite in others who were Members incon of that House. It was true that they had considered the ven an ie , iice of the narrow gauge, and an immense amount of time had been expended in endeavouring to ascertain the rm"neY' merits of the two gauges, but it appeared to ehrm""vtheat Committee had come to their decision, and determinede between the two gauges from s t rong ex paste reasons, The future was, however, so full of i mportance that he thought they might well review their decision, and the consideration of the Board of Trade was so important that it ought not to be eas t aside without sufficient consideration. He thought therefore that the House were interested in the fact that that report had been made and that it o ug h t in some degree at least to be relied on. Th e Honourable Committee had reported that the broad g auge was preferable to the narrow gauge. The Board of Trade wa s is favour of the narrow gauge. T here were many reasons which perhaps might be urged in favour of both lines. He was quite satisfied, as far as speed and the saving of lime was concerned, the broad gauge was prefer able. In the conveyance of some kinds of traffic however, spend was not the principal object to be obtained. For PA pi 1~~~; ~.~ ~~~ instance, coals would not have a very swift transmission, and in this instance the broad gauge would be objectionable, as the ra pidity of the motion would tend to chip the coa., and break it into small pieces, and spoil it for a profitable market. Another article of traffic that would be injured by a speedy motion was limestone. This would not bear rapid motion. 1 here were many points on which the narrow gauge was superior to the broad gauge ; and again, in some instances, the broad was pre ferable to the narrow gauge. He entirely approved of the ap pointment of a Committee of inquiry. —( Hear, hear.) Mr. SHAW said that, as the Chairman of the Committee, he was bound to say a few words in support of the report. The Committee had paid great attention to all the evi dence—( Hear, hear)--and he hoped that the House would hear what he had to say on the part of the Committee. He thought it would have been unnecessary for them to do so, and he thought it would have been unwise for the Com mittee to have volunteered an opinion upon it. And if it had been necessary he believed that it would be extremely, if not insuperably, difficult, because no two engineers, or professional, or scientific men, who were examined before the Committee, agreed in defining what was the broad and what was the narrow gauge, and at that moment he (Mr. Shaw) was ignorant on the subject. He knew perfectly well that the London and Bir.. mingham Railway was called the narrow gauge, and the Great Western the broad gauge, but no two engineers and no one professional man would give an opinion as to which would be the best gauge, if railways were about being established through the country for the first time. This was a subject of great national importance, but he did not see why one company should be made to bear a heavy expense during the discussion of the question.—(Cheers. ) He would tell them his opinion upon the subject, and that was that both gauges were wrong. All th e eng i neers seeme d to have agree upon that. They all agreed that one was too wide and the other two narrow, but they would give no opinion as to what should be the medium width. Last year papers were laid before the House containing the correspondence of General Pasley on this subject. From those papers it would appear that the opinion of General Pasley was that a gauge, varying from five feet to fi ve f ee t s i x, wou ld b e the bst gauge. The Great Western gauge was seven feet ; the London and Birminghan four feet eight inches. He would read one sentence from General Pasley's correspondence, to show what difficulties surrounded this subject. Now what did General Pasley say upon the subject? Why, he says " Mr. Miller admitted in conversation with me that it would be of great importance if the narrow gauge were 5 feet 3 inches instead of 4 feet ei inches, which latter has been considered highly inconvenient not only by him but by all the locomotive engine makers who had been consulted upon the point, except by Messrs. George and Robert Stephenson, who first in troduced it." He hoped, therefore, that the House would not consent to allow an Hon. Member to pass an amendment which evidently had no other object in view than that of ob structing the progress of a private Bill.—( Cheers.) General Pasley evidently seemed to think that the narrow gauge was objectionable, and yet the Honourable Member, notwithstanding that nearly all the scientific men of the country ceneurred in that opinion, sailed upon the House to establish the narrow gauge by breaking up the existing broad gauge, but he had been diverted from explaining to the House the proceedings of the Committee. They had to deal with the existing state of things, and not with the question of which was the best gauge, the broad or narrow. It was not very distinctly given in evidence as to the extent of the one or the other; but a map was produced, upon which was marked the extent of the broad and narrow gauge upon railways in existence, and upon railways in progress, or in course of construction, and from this map it would appear that there were about three thousand miles of railway on the narrow and one thousand miles on the broad gauge. Now, he would ask, was it likely, with this map before them, that the Committee would enter into a speculation as to which was the best of the two gauges to be broken up? It was contended before the Committee that they ought not to allow the broad gauge to drop into the narrow territory. Well, then, on the other hand, they ought not to allow the broad gauge to be interfered with by the narrow, so that the same objections might be urged on both sides, but more forcible on behalf of the broad gauge, because it had advanced nearer to the district of the proposed railway than the narrow. Well, then, the Board of Trade had reported that the district was in want of railway communication, and the only question for the Committee was, which of two lines proposed by two great companies, who were clearly able to carry out their projects, was the best to accommodate the district? The differences of the respective gauges had been, he thought, misunderstood by the Hon. Member for Stockport, and by his Hon. Friend near him ; nor had the consequences of the inter ruption of " the breaks" been clearly defined. The Board of Trade said this " break" would be better in one place—one in another. The inconvenience of the breaks was admitted en both sides—it was all a question of degree. The Committee, after hearing a great deal of evidence, were impressed with the belief that there were many new facts which had es caped the notice of the Board of Trade, and which, in fact, had not been made public until their report had been issued. The Board of Trade could not be aware of these facts, because the experiments had not been made until after the report of the Board of Trade was made. The argument of the Board of Trade, in favour of the narrow gauge on the Birmingham and London line was, that by sub stituting the broad gauge the line must be broken. Mr. Esk said he had taken measures to carry the narrow guage from Birmingham to Bristol, having determined in any event to carry it. The Great Western Railway Company had decided upon making two separate lines of railway, broad and narrow, between Worcester and Wolverhampton, an important district, embracing some of the first mines in England. This, too, was since the report of the Board of Trade. He admitted to the fullest ex tent that there was a certain degree of inconvenience when ever the two gauges met. He had endeavoured to state to the House, briefly but imperfectly—( Hear, hear)—he had endea voured to put them in possession of the principal grour de on which the Committee rested their decision. He h.,cl now pointed out that the question did not turn upon the relative merits of the gauges. The interruption of " the break" was overlooked, but they had chiefly directed their atten tion to more general and far more important considerations. With respect to the route taken by either line, that was a subject which met with the most anxious consideration of the Committee. The Great Western Company, first in the field, proposed to construct one direct line fifteen miles shorter than its rivals. The London and Birmingham Company had, therefore, besides the disadvantage of distance, the objection of circuitous route and questionable utility to be considered. The Great Western Company, connecting, as it would, its present with its previous construction, would endeavour to attract, rather than divert the traffic from the main line. It would be its interest to work it efficiently, and thus improve the prospects of the original railway. But it would be the interest of the London and Birmingham Company to conduct the line that would connect its rival with the great manufacturing and consuming districts, with negligence or, at least, inefficiency, its object being to draw all traffic away from the trunk line.—( Hear, hear.) The ques tion of competition had not been overlooked in the decision of the Committee; it was another and a most im • portant objection to the line they had disavowed.--( Hear. ) Competition, he was willing to admit, was frequently invalu able, and the cause alike of public benefit and private conveni ence. Butcom petition in railroads was widely different from other cases ; to use technical language " side by side" lines were not calculated to enhance the interests of any part of the com munity.—( Hear, Lear ) The London and Birmingham and Grand Junction Companies had in conjunction constructed the line to Liverpool ; the former had arranged to effect the same, independent of the Grand Junction, by a line diverging at Rugby : and the latter would, by the decision of the Committee, be enabled to work, independent of the Lon don and Birmingham, by a branch striking off at Wolver hampton : both Companies thus providing an independent line to Liverpool. ( Hear, hear.) Before he sat down he wished to inform the House on what principles, and in what manner the proceedings of the Com mittee over which he presided had been conducted, believing that in an assembly so crowded as he then addressed, there must be many—and he said it with all respect—there must be a great proportion who were compara tively, if not so holly, ignorant of the details.—( Hear. ) They had sat for twenty-five days, and they had examined upwards of a hundred witnesses. They had heard counsel at great length, particularly the counsel for the parties who had been unsuccessful, because they had opened the ease. The Committee had been most unremitting in the attention, which it had paid to the evidence, and at the close of the case they had separated without any member of the Committee communi cating to another his opinion on the subject.—( Hear, hear.) During the night which had intervened he had thought it his duty to put upon paper all the points of the evidence bearing either favourably or unfavourably on either side. He believed that the other members of the Committee had done the same. In addition to which, during the whole course of the investigation every member of the Committee had taken copious notes. They met on the following morning and read their papers to each other, and after remaining in deliberation two hours the Committee came to an unanimous decision in favour of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line.— ( Cheers.) He was sorry to hear an Honourable Friend of his, who had served on that Committee, say that he differed from that Committee, because the Committee were unanimous in coming to the decision that the preamble of the Bill was proved. On that point there was no difference of opinion. His Hon. Friend had differed from other Members of the Committee in this respect : when the time came for the consideration of the clause respecting the gauge his Hon. Friend had proposed an amendment to the effect that the line should be made upon the narrow gauge. But that proposition did not touch the opinion which the Committee expressed on the preamble. The preamble was passed unanimously, because the Commit tee was unanimously of opinion that the proposed line was the best one.—(Cheers.) Neverthe less, he had no overweening confidence in the decision of the Committee. He had felt from the first that great responsibility rested upon that Committee, and he and his colleagues had acted under a full sense of that responsi bility. It was with great reluctance that the Committee bad felt themselves bound to differ from the Board of Trade, and not until after they had given great consid era ti on t o th e su bj ect. But it should be remembered that the opinion of the Board of Trade was only a preliminary opinion, and that the Board of Trade had not had the advantages of hearing the viva voce testimony of witnesses, of hearing their cross-examination, or the opportunity of hearing the speeches of counsel, all of which the Committee had en joyed.—( Cheers and laughter.) If any member of the BoaPd of Trade, or of her Majesty's Government, or any Gentle man of experience or, either side of the House, would get up and say that he was altogether unconnected with either of these great companies, but that on public grounds he wished the matter to be referred to the decision of a more competent tribunal, he, for one, would not say anything against it. He should always be happy to have his opinion revised. Let them take ten as the number of this Committee, instead of five, if they pleased. Let them form a competent tribunal, and he should be willing to submit any decision of his to their revision. With respect to the appointment of a Select Committee, he had no objection. But he hoped the House would not take any step that would set aside what had already been done for pri vate or personal interests. He trusted they would do nothing from such considerations, not only for the sake of the Commit tee they had appointed, but the credit and honour of the House. On the part of the great public, private, and pecuniary inte rests, he protested against it. The duties of the Committee had been exceedingly onerous. They had listened with the greatest patience and attention, for five weeks, to the evidence adduced, and it was too bad that the decision they had come to should be put aside by a personal phanta s y, w hi c h certain gr ea t companies had raised, supported by personal and interested friends.—( Hear.) if such a course was to be pursued—if that House was to be made the scene of such in terested proceedings —if Hon. Members were to be induced to support measures, not on public, but on private ;•,s ef reunds, th e sooner they transferred the decision for :I?ehhorruersThe IZusean a o n t d he t r he i t n r t i e b r u e n s a ts l . at t id he presi l e e r tt it e y r of rtthhe..cLoAunßtzi—jc(ilLEoußdzetrsa could not allow the que s ti on to pas s b y w i thout giving his opinion on thesubject, as it was one of the greatest importance, involving as it did the cha racter of the House. He had heard the pre sent conte s t ca ll e d the battle of the gauges, an d h e i believed th e two great companies e at issue had b een canvassing raensdp:eseotlii,ceitifnergeefosrfothr e th la e st se t t h t r e etne w n e t e es f , t s h o as to m ars h a l their anxious that the gam bli ng spirit of s e:ulqautieositii%:hielfalewas Phad developed itself, o f w hi c h this was a manifestation, and which was beginning to pervade the public to such an injurious extent, should be met at the doors of that House ? There was but one way of successfully opposing it, and that was, by adhering strictly to the rules which }1 ~..... N, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING .TUNE 21, 1815. I had been laid down for the management of the private business of the House, and by taking great care how they interfered with the decision of any Committee they might appoint for the purposes of investigation. This %cal not a question of broad and narrow gauges, as it was stated to be by the Hon. Member for Stockport. The ques tion before the House was, whether they should stop the further progress of the Bill ? And there was no pretence for their doing so. They had heard from the Right Hon. and Learned Member, the Chairman of the Committee, that it was not a question of gauges but a question of line.—(Cheers.) It was utterly impossible that the House could form any opinion on the subject. They had not the power of investigating the subject as the Committee had, and they certainly ought to repose some confidence in the Members who composed it. With regard to the argument that the Committee had decided contrary to the report of the Board of Trade, he did not see that they should pay a slavish respect to those reports. He well knew that when he was appointed a member upon a Railway Committee, that Com mittee had given the most marked attention to those reports, but he did say, that when a Committee had investigated the subject brought before them, and when they h a d cons id ered' the report of the Board of Trade, surely it was no groun d f or " distrustine the decision of that Committee—a d ec i s i on come to after full consideration—that they were opposed to the opinion of the Board of Trade.—( Hear.) On these grounds it was his intention to support the further progress of the Bill ; but, after hearing the speech of the Right Hon. Chairman of that Committee, he (Mr. Labouchere) was not prepared to deny that some special circumstances connected with this Bill required special consideration. He would also admit that they had asserted a principle which he believed to be perfectly ne w in railway legislation, namely, that the line was to be con stricted on both principles—both the broad and the narrow gauge. He could not himself give an opinion on the subject ; but it was asserted by the Board of Trade that this course was likely to be attended with public danger. But that was no reason why they should stop this Bill, for this error it would be an easy matter to remedy. They might introduce a claude in the Bill on the third reading to oblige the Company to lay down eit'.er the broad or the narrow gauge. He hoped that before the conclusion of the debate some 'Mem ber of the Government would inform the House whether they were prepared themselves to look into this question, and to make some report to the House on the subject, or whether they would consider a Committee the preferable mode of mak ing the inquiry. He certainly thought that the question ' should be fully investigated by the House and the Govern ment. He should be exceedingly sorry that the House should insist on an alteration in the decision of the Committee. If they should attempt to alter the decision of the Committee, they would at once throw a slight on the whole of their pro • ceedings, and by a declaration that their decision was other wise than impartial and judicious, in dealing with the large pecuniary interests on which they had to adjudicate, be cause they were in opposition to the decisions of the Beard of Trade, they would be unsettling the confidence of the whole country in the most important decisions. It would be be lieved that this could only be done by the aid of pecuniary in terests in that House. and through a system of canvass and solicitation, and would only lead to a state of confusion, and occasion injury to the whole community. Mr. BERNAL was inclined to give all the respect which was due to the decision both of the Board of Trade and the Committee, but still he could not help saying that all the speeches were on one side, and he felt in the situation of being compelled to call upon the Right Hon. Boronet to state his opinion. The Right Hon. Baronet was in possession of great mental and physical power.—( A laugh.) He was serious ; for it was well known that the Right Hon. Baronet possessed a power which it was almost impossible to oppose; and he called upon him not to give the weight of his influence against the Bill, on account of its being opposed to the Report of the Board of Trade. He must take it that the principle of this Committee had been an impartial one, that it was a serious and intelligent tribunal. Nothing could be said against the ability, attention, and integrity of the five Members of which it had been composed ; and when he heard of the mistake of one of the Honourable Gentlemen who had spoken, he was glad to learn that the decision at which the Committee had arrived was the unanimous approval of the preamble. But the question was not respecting the line on which the Bill was opposed. The ground of opposition was the difference between the broad and narrow gauge. It was proposed to adopt the broad gauge from Oxford to Rugby, and from Oxford to Worcester, and it. was to be considered whether the broad or the narrow gauge. should be adopted on all sub sequent lines. He did not, therefore, see any sufficient neces sity for disturbing the decision of the Committee and opposing the progress of the Bill. He believed that even yesterday in the .City there was the wildest speculation going on as to the question of the broad and narrow gauge.—( Here the Hon. Member became almost inaudible, amidst loud cries of " Divide, divide.") He was understood to say that, Mr. Walker, the engineer, when examined, stated that though it would be for his own interest to recommend the narrow gauge, yet for the benefit of the public lie would recommend that the narrow gauge should be uprooted throughout the kingdom, and one broad gange adopted. There might be some doubt as to the extent of the broad and narrow gauge, and when he tweed it asserted that the narrow gauge was uniformly adopted throughout the Continent, he thought there was a doubt as to the exact width. He believed that they would find it five feet in some places, and six feet in others. The length of junction was in favour of the arguments produced on the London and Birmingham line. It had been already stated that the Board of Trade had not an opportunity of considering how to remedy the evils of transferring passengers on the narrow aid broad gauge.—(Loud cries of " Divide, divide.") 'He would call upon the House most earnestly, and more par ticularly on the Right Hon. Baronet opposite, to confirm the decision of the Committee. The Committee had been ap pointed a properly constituted judicial authority, and he re quested the House to support them in the position they had assumed as arbiters of the most beneficial mode of laying down rails on railway lines. Sir G. GREY said there were some particular circumstances affecting this question which he thought made it a proper question to bring before the House, and he expressed a hope that the Go vernment would see fit to express their opinion on the subject before any division was come to. When the question came before the Committee on the Bill, there was a peculiar circumstance which arose between them and the Commissioners of the Board of Trade. One of the differences between the Committee and the Board of Trade was a ques tion of competition. It had been stated that the London and Birmingham line was an integral independent railway, and it was asked that another competing independent line should be established by means of the Great Western Company. His opinion was in favour of it, but he really thought it would he desirable to have some expression of the ideas of Govern ment. The Right Hen Gentleman had stated at length, the circumstances connected with the whole proceedings of the Committee, how it was proposed to lay down four lines of rail way without making a new railway. He would read a few passages in support of that idea. The House was called upon to forbid the construction of a line of railway which had been adopted be the Committee contrary to the expressed report of the Board of Trade, which could not be adopted without occasioning great inconvenience both to passengers and traffic. They stated that laying down a double line of railway would in many cases be disadvantageous. The difficulty of maintaining the permanent way with a double set of rails would be very great ; the difficulty was so great as to prevent experiments being tried to any extent. He ( Sir George Grey) thought that the House was not justified in stopping the progress of this Bill, even though the Board of Trade, after the evidence which had been adduced before the Committee, should be still of the same opinion as that which appeared in their report. He thought it would he well for the Government to appoint a com mission to inquire into this subject ; but he did not think that the House would be justified in postponing this Bill. Sir G. CLERK said that after the appeal which had been made to him by the Right Hon. Gentleman it was impossible for him to allow that debate to close without saying a few words on the subject. He perfectly concurred with the Right Hun, Gentleman as to the importance of supporting Committees of that House. Ile believed that no tribunals had bestowed greater attention in the discharge of most arduous duties than had the Railway Committees of that House. This was a question of very great importance. They were not called upon now to decide, for the first time, as to which was the best width of gauge. That question had already been decided. He was of opinion that the laying down of another kind of gauge would not be of that advantage which was be lieved, and that the loss would more than counterbalance the gain. Yet, the Committee in passing the preamble of the Bill, gave a decision in favour of a particular company, and practically decided the question. The London and Birmingham railway ran through one of the most important districts in the kingdom, and was of considerable length. Great traffic might be expected on any branch lines connecting the contiguous districts, which abounded in minerals, with the main line, so that the question was one of great importance to that line. It was on that ground that the Board of Trade, looking at the traffic which might be expected on that railway—that three-fourths of the traffic would come from the north, and either terminate at Bristol, or before it reached it, and that a very small pro portion would come from the south, arrived at their decision. With regard to the transfer of the goods from one line to an other being of great inconvenience, he did not thi n k t h at ob jection h a d b een sustained. But he was ready to admit that the change from one line to the other should take place at a place where it would be attended with the least possible de lay.—( Hear, hear.) However, all the traffic of which the Hon. Member had spoken as passin g south of Bi rm i ng h am, about nine-tenths of it term i nated at Bristol—(Hear, hear)__ and no inconvenience whatever could, therefore, be felt from the fact of a change of the gauges there, for there was very little through traffic there.—( Hear, hear.) It had been said that this subject had not been before the Board of Trade. Now, he begged to assure the House that no subject hail come before the Board of Trade which had occupied so much of their time and attention as this very question.—( Hear, hear, ) The difficulty of mechanical contrivance might be got rid of by adopting the report of the Committee, but the waste of time and expense never could. The Board of Trade thought the transhipment of goods, as it was called, was attended with great expense and labour—the proposition of a double line of rails emanate] voluntarily from the Committee. The opinion of the Board of Trade was, that danger and inconvenience would result from the proposed combination—that opinion re mained unchanged, particularly as regarded the line of com munication between Woburn and Worcester. It was perfectly impossible that trains passing along at various rates of speed, some on a narrow and some on a wide gauge, could long con ' tinue to run without some fatal accident occurring. The Com mittee did not expressly recommend either system. Notwith standing the disposition of the House, he must say its natural disposition, he still thought the decision of the Board of Trade the right one, and he should support it. If the House confirmed the opinion of the Committee they would be es tablishing the principle that the broad gauge ought to be ex tended throughout the country. Sir THOMAS WILDE had no personal interest in the question, except so far as it related to his constituents. He must confess that it was an unfair thing that these matters should he referred to the Board of Trade, where the investiga tions were carried out in private—(Cheers) —particularly when they had no means of knowing the source whence the in formation was obtained upon which the Board acted. When a report came out they found quotations in them apparently from impartial persons, but when they got into Committee they turned out to be extracts from private letters of inte rested persons, and yet they were put forth under the autho rity of the Board of Trade, and afterwards supported i n th at House by Memb ers o f th e Government. He must say that the parties had just grounds for complaint. Wheu he attended as one of a deputation at the Board of Trade, from Worcester, he was told by a gentleman of the name of Laing, who came out of the room, that the whole quest ion hid been fully investigated on both sides. He inferred, therefore, that a careful consideration had been given to the case of both parties, and he now asked the lion. Gentleman if he could produce the evidence which had induced the Board of Trade to come to such a decision. The Board of Trade had stated certain opinions as to the difficulty of trans ferring from the one gauge to the other; but the Committee ' thought there would be no such difficulty. The Great Western had never received any communication on the subject. The Board of Trade had alluded to the great difficulties That would arise from the transfer. When a witness was called and was asked if he wrote to the Board, he said that he had written a private letter in reply to a private communication which he re ceived from the Board of Trade. He then asked the Right Hon. Gentleman if the other side had had any similar infor mation?--(Hear, hear,) He also asked him if he could pro duce the evidence of those who said that the change could be effected with the greatest facility. It was proposed to be done in two ways, either by lifting up the waggons, or by putting them on a truck, and they gave the number of minutes in which it could be done, and the expense that would be incurred. When Mr. Brunell had stated this his cross-examination was ad journed, while Mr. Stephenson's evidence on the other side was closely gone into. But there were also other parts of the report of the Board of Trade which, though strong in expres sion, were quite unsupported by such evidence as was adduced before the Committee. What were the facts told to the Board of Trade ? They were not known. Were both sides heard before them? They knew that they were before the Corn mittee. There counsel were instructed on both side's of the case. Witnesses were called, and surely those objections which had weighed strongest with the Board of Trade could not be utterly unknown to the London and Birmingham Company. ( Hear, hear.) They could have in structed counsel to refer to those objections. Did it appear that their attention had been directed to this ? Wit ness after witness was called, not making ex parte statements, but examined, cross-examined, and re-examined, and now he should wish to know which of these reports ought to li/en titled to most credit? Whether was an examination taken in private by the Board of Trade—let them be given credit for the greatest intelligence and diligence, still such an accumulation of business could not be properly attended to by them. The inquiry was more satisfactory when both parties made their statements face to face, and where perhaps twenty-five days of examination was the average. The report of the Board of Trade had nothing at all to do with the question. This Bill would be subject to all the legislative enactments which passed on the subject of railways, and it might be an easy matter to bring in a clause in the Bill to alter their gauges. They have done this in the line between Worcester and Bristol, where the gauges were both broad and narrow. They had heard the evidence of engineers on the subject, and it was a matter yet in doubt which of these gauges was the better one. He was astonished that the Hon. Member for Stockport had not exercised that great intelligenc e which belonged to him, before he had expressed the hope that they had chosen a uniform gauge in the beginning of these railway speculations. They did not know then, they did not yet know, which was the better gauge, for they had not hail sufficient experience on the subject. It was quite easy to insert a clause in this Bill to give the power of making either the broad or narrow way. But he thought that it was highly unjust that this Bill should be cast aside by a side-wind. There was the utmost desire to give every facility to the necessities of the country. The broad gauge was proposed as absolutely necessary for the wants of the district through which the lines had to pass, and the inte rests of the parties concerned in the narrow gauge might be met by the introduction of the additional line of rails. He did not know on what evidence the. Board of Trade had come to their decision, or why they should make so strong a re port as they had done on this subject; but he must say that the decision of the Committee was much more valuable, for it had been made with the report of the Board of Trade before them. It was made with the parties advocating both systems face to face, and the counsel employed on both sides fully instructed to state the circumstances woich should give that decision a judicial character. He, therefore saw no reason why this Bill s h oul d not be suffered to pass: There had evide n tly b e e n a f u ll i nquiry, and he ', ruste d t h e Right Hon. B aro net (Si r R . P ee l) would assist ' in giving effect to the report of the Committee. He lookes!, forward with great confidence to the advantages which would result in future throughout the whole country. rfe trusted, therefore, that the House would affirm the .enision of the Committee. Sir G. CLERK said } .,at the Hon. Gentleman had thrown out an imputation against the Board of Trade for which there was not the sliriote,t ground. Th e B oar d o f T rade hail not decided with o ut receiving all the te s ti mony t h ey cou ld desire. They ha(l every one before them who could give any informa tion. They had seen the Directors of the Great Western Company, and with them all those at all competent to express an opinion on the merits of both systems. The principle had been fully discussed ; and they had not only had one interview, but a second and a third, and had not come to their conclusions without the tidiest investigation. Mr. H. WARD said that he should not have spoken on this question but for the undue warmth which the Chairman had thrown into Isis vindication.—(" No, no," from Mr. Shaw.) The Hon. Gentleman said that his decision (lid not coincide with the report of the Board of Trade ; but he had not shown how it furthered the public interest.—( Hear, hear.) He thought that the observations of the Hon. Member for Stock_ port (Mr. Cobden) were worthy of the fullest consideration by the House. Without disputing the qualification of the Com mittee to adjudicate on so important a question, he thought it ought not finally to be decided by the incidental interposition of any committee, and they ought not to complain if the House analysed the details of their decision, and expressed an adverse opinion. The cuages were to be judged of by their relative speed, safety, and means of carrying great weight. The report of the Committee itself stated that the same speed could be obtained on both. The Hon. and Learned Member for Worcester had given an opinion on the proposition of tran shipment of goods at the point of the change of gauge, and had expressed a rather strong opinion on the feasibility of such a practice. Ile (Mr. Ward) having had a little more expe rience in such matters than his lion. Friend, having had the misfortune to be a director of a railway company for a consi derable time, he could bear witness to the great inconve nience ever arising- from changes of a like description, in re spect of stoppages, tr ans f err i ng , waste o f time, Sec.—.inconve niences so great, as h e f e lt assure d must prevent it ever b e i ng used on an extensive scale.—( Hear, hear.) The real ques tion was, whether two members of a Committee should settle this important point ; and whether a small party in a Commit tee should decide that which reepired the wisest heads and the most practised minds, invocirtg, as it did, the best interests of the -country.—( Hear, leear.) Sir T. ACLAND said, that if the questi on was ta k en up at all it ought tooe ta k en up seriously. He a d m i tte d t h at an inquiry into t !tie m er it s o f t h e gauges was a very necessary in quiry, but. the present was not the time to make it. It was not F:ir to raise the question now, after having allowed the two rival companies to pull themselves to pieces, and let so doing spend 10,000/.—( Hear, hear.) This was not the time to settle the general principle of the gauges, but the question was the merits of the two present railways. On their comparative merits the Committee had given a decision, and if the Boise did not agree in that decision, it would reflect no credit on them.—(Cheers.) Why was not the question of gauge brought up when railways were agreed to be constructed between Reading and Basingstoke, in which the broad and narrow gauges came in contact. Other railways had like wise been constructed, in which this question might have been agitated. If it wan right to interfere now, why did they riot interfere then? Sir R. PEEL said it was exceedingly difficult for those who were Alinisters of the Crown to divest themselves of any influ ence they might be possessed of, in giving an opinion on a subject of so peculiar a nature as the present ; and he thought that, as a general rule, Ministers of the Crown should refrain ' from expressing any opinion on such matters. He had heard the discussion, and he would pronounce his opinion in a purely judicial manner, unbiassed by any considerations except those of general benefit. The Right Hon. Gentleman had asked him to exert all the influence he possessed on the subject. lie would, however, exert no influence whatever. He would not interfere with the report of the Board of Trade, nor, looking at the construction of the Committee, would he attempt to influ ence them. At the commencement of the present sea-ion, he had made a public statement that the report of the Board of Trade did not constitute a final decision. He considered that they might be extremely useful in enabling Committees to ar rive with greater facility at a more correct judgment; but the reports were never intended to form a definite opinion. The Committee had been presided Over by a Right lion. Gentle man, than whom a person of greater experience, or more fit to perform an office of that nature, could not be found, and he had informed him (Sir Robert Peel) that the Committee were unanimous in the opinion which had been expressed in their report. The opinion which he had formed regarding the matter, and formed purely in the exercise of judicial authority was, that it would not be wise to overrule the decision of the Committee. He had acted ex tremely judiciously in the matter, and he could prove it by stating that he held in his hand a petition from his own con stituents adverse to the course which he was now pursuing. He thought it would be inadvisable and replete with difficulty to overrule the opinion of a Committee on matters of this kind, and he should most unhesitatingly give his support to the de cision of the Committee. Mr. W. 0. STANLEY said he thought there were some points in the subject before the House which deserved their attentive consideration. The Hon. Member quoted something from a blue book which he held in his hand, but such were the cries of " Oh," and " Divide," that it was impossible that even the Hon. Member who sat next him could hear him. Mr. SHAW said the facts were exactly opposite to what the Hon. Member wh o had just sat down stated. The Committee was not in f avour o f any particular line, but would approve of the best. Mr. MUNTZ had no share in any railroad and no interest in any gauge. The difficulty was to have to settle the subject at last. The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite said he would not determine in favour of arty gauge. Who, then, was to determine? It was a most important question, and the expense of determining the best gauge ought to be paid out of the con solidated fund. —( Laughter.) It was very we ll f or Hon. Members to laugh, but wituld they l aug h w h en the adoption of both gauges caused loss of money, l oss o f t i me, and loss of life? He ought to know something of these matters, and he pre ferred having one gauge to two. Would the House pledge itself to carry out one of those gauges without further informa tion. The question was of the utmost importance. How were they to get large trucks into little tunnels ? He thought the Board of Trade was composed of very sensible painstaking men, and the House should not lightly disregard its recommen dation. He had no interest or feeling in the matter, but would again recommend them to inquire into the subject of dispute before they decided upon it.—(Cries of " Divide.") He knew Hon. Members wanted to get to their dinners ; he, too, was hungry; but a broken neck was no such light matter. Mr. VILLIERS STUART said there would be no danger whatever in adopting the recommendation of the Committee, which he thought should be preferred to the decision of the Board of Trade. Lord INGESTRE said, as his constituents were much inte rested in this question, he must say a few words. Ile hoped the Hon. Member for Stockport would bring forward his motion on a subsequent day—it was far too important a question to be hastily decided upon. Mr. GODSON rote amid loud cries of "Divide," but each time he attempted to speak he was met by such a storm of " Oh, oh !" that he could get no further than the first syllable. He, however, continued standing with a bundle of papers in his hand, looking vacantly round the House. After the lapse of a few minutes he proceeded to say that the Committee had no confidence in their own report, and he would undertake to say that the Committee could not receive it. After the noises with which he was assailed had in some degree subsided, he proceeded to say that the original Bill contained fifty-two clauses, and that the Committee had added fifty-eight —more than doubling it. He called upon the Chairman and the Members of the Committee to point out the clauses which they supported in their report._( Oh, oh.) On the small five lines by the side of the main line, for the use of coalmasters at Stour- ' bridge and Dudley, they increased the toll from Id. to lid. par ton, thus increasing the profits of the company fifty per cent., and the company were empowered to charge as much for the conveyance of coals and iron a hundred yards as for miles. Thus the coil -masters of South Staffordshire would have to pay 1,000/. per cent. more than by any other line. Such was the report whieh they were called upon to pass. He held in his hand a petition from those carrying on business in the mining districts of that county, in which they complained of the manner in which the Committee had treated them.— (Cries of " Oh, oh," and" Divide, divide.") Now, proceeded the Hon. Member, amidst the most discordant noises, and with a peculiar action and emphasis, which called forth repeated peals of laughter, I call on any three of the file Committee men to rise in their places and say that they read the clauses which they inserted in the Bill.—(Laughter.) The report which they brought tip is contradicted by the clauses which they have passed, and the House should send it back, that it may be re considered, for I hold that the public have no right to be taxed in the way they have laid down. Colonel ANSON, on the authority of the coal-masters and iron-masters of South Staffordshire, stated, that altbesigh there was some ambiguity in the Bill, yet they were perfectly satis fied with the tolls which it irnposed.—( Cheers. ) The House then divided, when there appeared— For receivi ng t h e report Against it ..... Majority f or rece i v i ng i t The report was then adopted. OXFORD AND RUGBY RAILWAY BILL. On the motion that the report on this Bill be adopted, Mr. LOCKHART said, on the receipt of the Oxford and Rugby Railway Bill, he had said that the two schemes had been supposed to be so assimilated with the one which had just been discussed that they ou g ht t o go t oget h er . But though he kn ew that this to a great degre e was t rue , th e re was indeed so great a resemblance, that what had induced him to vote against one Bill would induce him to vote against the other, He should, therefore, move that the report be received that day six months. Mr. COLLETT said that the decision had certainly sur prised him. The inhabitants on this line were not as in the other case divided in opinion, and he should, therefore, feel it his duty to divide the House, not so much on this particular line, but on the great question of the broad and narrow gauge, as it affected the whole country, and he should, therefore, second the amendment. Mr. SHAW said that the decision of the Committee had been fully dicussed in Committee. The honourable Member for Sheffield had stated that Oxford was a less impoi tant place than Rugby. Without assenting to this, he was yet quite prepared to concur in the arguments which had been adduced by that Hon. Member. He must say, how ever, that this was not a question as to the broad and narrow gauge, for the broad and narrow gauge they had, and they could not get rid of it; and the only question was the incon venience to be incurred, and he thought that no places were more convenient for the alteration than Oxford and Rugby, and he should, therefore, adhere to his resolution. Mr. GISBORNE said that he quite agreed with the Board of Trade, that Oxford was in itself a place of great im portance, and Rugby, on accsunt of its consumption, was of no importance at all. The Birmingham Company were in such a position, from the abstraction of the traffic on one hand from Liverpool, and on the other by the new line from Bed ford to Leicester, that they were certain to provide all the ad vantages which the public could require. The Hon. Member said, that if the railway were lost now, the county would never have a line at all. From this he was compelled to dis sent, for from the experience which they had lately derived from the proceedings from one end of the country to the other, he had very little doubt but that a project would be brought forward next year, and he should, therefore, vote for the amendment. Mr. ri-lACLEAN said that the House was not yet sufficiently in possession of information to enable it to judge of the ad vantages of those two gauges. A little more time would not be lost if this question were postponed for a few month. longer. The alteration which it was proposed to establish would require an alteration in every one of the coal waggons which were employed on the Birmingham line. Those wag orTthh,ey and m wag gnus cost from 301. to 40.. eac h , and as to the attempt to ght another eta b i lift those waggons i n t o o th er waggons and trucks, it would be so expensive that th e a tt empt could never be made with any a p l r l o l b m a e b s ili r t u y n o ning fadv t a o n t t h ag e e n . n i'h t h one os e gauge i n i g n to the west. Mr. NE WDEGATE said that it so nearly affected his con stituents, that he could not ref,: se to occupy the House for It few moments. The n o . - se in the House was so great, that it was next to impo s _,inle to hear what the Hon. Member said ; but we unde I. :stood him to say that, as th e w h o l e di str i ct on hi s side of oxford mu s t be supplied from the coal districts be } °:.a Birmingham, there would be an increased difficulty in getting their supplies if this interruption of the gauges was to be made. Mr. TANCRED said that the coal from the south and western districts was already so cut off by the existing rail ways, that it was of the utmost importance that no additional impediment should be thrown in their way. Their only sup ply now was from the Leicester coal field, am . the coal of that district was of so friable a nature, that it was lifted into the carriages in large pieces, and if transferred from one carriage to another would inevitably be made worthless for all domestic purposes. Mr. VILLIERS STUART thought that so much had been said against the Committee that he thought it was high time that something should be said in their favour. He, as one of the members of that Committee, could assure the House that the utmost care had been taken by the Committee to make a full investigation into the merits of the rival schemes. He had himself seen, not models, hut carriages of the two descrip tions which it was proposed to employ in the transference fie m one gauge to the other, and there was neither danger nor ex pense in the original outlay or the current expense. And with respect to the friableness of the coal, there was not the least probability that it would he in any way injured. Mr. WARD thought that the inconvenience that would arise from the shifting of 60,000 tons of coal from one rail to another would not be compensated for by any advantages arising from the use of the broad gauge. He thought one of the very first objects in a railway was an uniform line. Mr. BRAMSTON said that the Bill now before the House would greatly facilitate trade in the districts which it traversed. The Hon. Member for Sheffield had in the course of that debate referred to a member of the Committee who could not make up his mind on which side to vote. He did not know to which of the in -mbers of the Committee the Hon. Member referred, hut if he referred to him (Mr. Bramston) he was not ashamed to say that where great interests were in volved he did consider on which side, as an honest man, he , ought to give his decision. Mr. SPOONER said that if any Hon. Member would but take the trouble to look how the great northern lines were carried out, he need have no hesitation afterwards in supporting the narrow gauge. He trusted that the House would remember that this was not the decision of a united but a divided Com mittee, and that they would reject the report. After a few words from .11r. Drummond, Lord George Bentinck, and Sir T. Acland, The House divided, when there appeared— For the adoption of the report 79 Against it Majority 36 ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Lord G. SOMERSET moved that the House at its rising do adjourn till Monday.—Agreed to. COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGE. Sir F. THESIGER brought up the report of the Com mittee of Privileges, and fixed Thursday next for its consi deration. CUSTOMS. The House then resolved itself into a Committee on the Customs Bill. BUTTER AND CHEESE. Mr. EWA RT, conceiving that the House, at that late hour, was not in a position to do justice to the subject of which he had given notice, obtained leave to postpone his motion on the subject of butter and cheese till the next supply night. REDUCTION OF THE DUTY ON TALLOW. Mr. E. BULLER then brought forward his motion for a reduction of the duty on tallow. He said that, in 1842, the duty on articles similar to tallow was very materially reduced, and the result had proved most satisfactory. It was unfortunate that both then and in 1834 the article of tallow was omitted from the reductions made in the tariff, because it was an article largely imported into this coun try, and one considerably used by manufacturers. In the pre sent year the duty on articles of the same description was again reduced, but still the article of tallow remained untouched; and it was because he thought it was an ascertained principle that articles of a similar character ought to be dealt with in the same manner, that induced him to ask for the abolition of the duty on tallow. After a few words from Mr. EWART, which were not dis- Lnctly heard, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that whilst he opposed the m,tion upon financial grounds, he was ready to admit that the subject of the motion required the serious consideration of the Government. Sir R. PEEL opposed the repeal, on the ground that the Government was not prepared to make the reduction. Mr. WILLIAMS said that that was no ground for the re tention of this tax. The weight of taxation was thrown upon the great mass of the working class. It was better than con tinuing it upon the poorest class. Mr. MITCHELL said that a great advantage would be de rived from taking the import duty off tallow. Mr. E. BULLER then replied and withdrew his motion. COPPER ()RE. On the motion of Mr. PARKER that all duties on the im portation of copper ore should cease and determine, Sir C. LEMON spoke of the value of foreign copper ere, particularly that brought from France and Chilia, and con- tended that the trade of the country in copper would be greatly benefited if the House should accede to the motion of the Hon. Member. Mr. TRELAWNEY made a few observations which were not audible in the gallery. Sir G. CLERK contended that it would by no means be beneficial either to this country or to foreign countries to have the duty altogether abolished. Mr PARKER withdrew his motion. Dr. BOWRING moved that the duty on One logs, not exceeding 10 feet in length, and 11 inches square, be reduced to 12s. 61. per load. He considered that if the duty were re duced to the amount he had proposed, that the trade in tim ber with Sweden and Norway and the Baltic would be greatly increased, more particularly at the present moment, when great quantities of timber were required for the railways in the course of construction. Sir GEO. CLERK opposed the motion, on the ground that when the motion was under the consideration of the House in 1842, the duty on foreign timber was greatly reduced, and he now saw no reason to make the alteration proposed. The galleries were elearked for a division, but none took place. The House resumed. SUPPLY. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr. WILLIAMS objected to their going into a Committee, to vote away large sums of money at that hour of the night, and advised the Government to postpone doing so until Monday. Many Members had left the House on the understanding that the Customs' Duties Bill would have 0.;.1...pied the whole of the night. Sir ROBERT PEEL said Hon. Memb.,:s frequently com plained that they did not bring on the estimates on the days which were appointed for doing so. Dr. BOWRING said the lion. Baronet must know that it was generally understood that the House would not go into a Committee of Supply that night. Mr. WILLIAMS moved the adjournment of the House. The galleries were cleared for a division, but none took place. THE CASE OF MR. MAYER. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr. WILLIAMS, after complaining of the motion for supply being brought se suddenly forward, brought under the con sideration of the House the case of Mr. Mayer. who was some time back charged with an assault before Mr. Twyford. The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Williams) entered into a detail of the circumstances of the case, which was reported in the police re ports at the time. Mr. Mayer went to the house of his brother-in-law, who had seduced his daughter, and inflicted a blow upon him with a stick. Mr. Mayer was taken before Mr. Twyford, who committed him for trial, and refused to take bail, although Mr. Mayer had received such provoca tion. The conduct of the person assaulted was most horrible, and would justify almost any violence. He thought the country had a right to know the grounds upon which that magistrate had acted in direct opposition to his duty, and then the public would see whether the Right Hc,i. Baronet had discharged his duty in merely censuring him. If proper precaution had been taken, such repeated complaints would not be made of the misconduct of almost every magistrate on the police bench. If the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department had not systematically neglected to apply those correctives which it was his duty and in his power alone to inflict.—(Hear, h ear .) At present the censure o f the public press was the only notice taken of magisterial misconduct, and the only protection which the public possessed. The public were deeply indebted to the press for the exposure it from time to time gave of abuses, and for the defence it invariably accorded every class of the injured and oppressed. Had he been aware that between eleven and twelve o'clock at night he should h ave been called on to discuss a question of spelt intense interest to the public, he would have been prepared with documents to lay a case of oppression before the House which must have compelled the Right Honourable Barouet, unwilling as he was, to accede to the wishes of the community, and have agreed to the following proposition with which he would conclude. The lion. Member then read the motion of which he had given notice—" For copy of the correspondence between the Secre tary of State for the Horns Department -anti Mr. Twyford, the Police magistrate, in reference to his commitment of Mr. Mayer, an inhabitant of St. Marylebone , to Newgate, for an assault, under circumstances of gross prov ()cation, after his re fusal to accept bail for him, although tenth red to any amount." Mr. S. CRAWFORD seconded the motion. Sir J. GRAHAM thought that after the Speaker had be 3n left sitting at half-past two that morning, and had since been sitting ten hours uninterruptedly, it was too bad for an Hon. Member to rise and speak against time, solely for the purpose of preventin g the Hous e go i ng i nto Supply. The Honourabl e Member had called upon him for an explana tion, and he would detain the House only for a few n toments. The provocation which Mr. Mayer had receiw.scl, he t idmitted was great, but the assault he had committed was very de, liberate. lie left his house after dark, armed with a blu dgeon, pc oceeded to the house of his brother-in-law, knocked at ths s door, and when it was opened, struck at and stunned him. The gentleman assaulted was attended by a vogeon —he WI re- ceived a concussion of the brain, for a short time his life was despaired of. Mr. WILLIAMS—No, no. Sir J. GRAHAM—The Honourable, Gentleman has asked me for an explanation, and he should not interrupt. On the morning after the assault had been committed, the police took Mr. Mayer before the magistrate. The evidence with respect to the assault was gone into, and he would say that he did nut think that Mr. Twyford exercised a very sound discretion in act ing in the manner he had, but he was quite satisfied it was only an error of judgment, and that Mr. Twyford was not swayed by any sinister motives, and he could not see sufficient reLson for removing Mr. Twyford from the exercise of his judicial func tions. Mr. BEEtNAL said he felt hound to concur in what bed fallen from the, Right Hon. Gentleman. Mr. Mayer had, after having committed the assault, declared that if he had the opportunity he would again commit a similar assault. Now, supposing he had had the opportunity, and had again com mitted an assault, and death had iensued, what would have been said to the magistrate for allowing such a person after havin4 uttered a threat of murder to go at liberty on bail. He would have been considered almost an accessory. He thought that his Hon. Friend would have done wisely to have let the matter rested where it was. Sir C. NAPIER said the Maryleboue vestry were perfectly satisfied with what the Home Secretary had done, and wished the matter to remain as it was. After a few words from Mr. WILLIAMS, the motion was put, and negatived withou'. a division. SUPPLY. Mr. DUNCOM BE said that with regard to the question of supply, he wished to remark that that was not a fit hour for going into a Committee of Supply. It had always been the cust , sm, before going into a Committee of Supply, to fix an hour for it, and to give regular notice.—(Cries of " No, no," from Mr. Cardwell.) 'I Chancellor of the Exchequer, having nothing else to do, ought, in his opinion, to fix a time for entering upon business of that kind. He at all events objected to going into Supply at that hour of the night, as he bad given notice of a motion which could not be entered upon at such a time. Mr. CARDWELL said he had never expressed any other impression of his intention than that Supply would be gone 'nto if there was an opportunity. Mr. S. CRAWFORD moved that the Heuse do adjourn. Mr. DUNCOM BE seconded the motion. Sir CHARLES NAPIER in'imated that the Hon. Gen tleman the Secretary for the Treasury had so expressed him self in reference to the question of Supply. Mr. WILLIAMS said his complaint was, that the Supply should be forced on at so unseasonable an hour. None of them got home that morning until three o'clock, broad day light, and at midnight on the same day they were called upon to vote away 2,280,000/. of the public money. It was worse than absurd, and doing a great injustice to the public. Sir R. PEEL said he would relieve the Hon. Gentleman from the obligation of consuming the public time by not press ing the estimates on that night.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. S. Crawford's motion for adjournment was then with drawn. Mr.DUNCONIBE wished that an hour could be fixed for going into supply. Sir R. PEEL jocosely observed that any limit as to time might sometimes deprive the House of the opportunity of wit nessing the peroration of some of his speeches, which he would be obliged to cut short in order to get into supply —( Laughter.) The Government was most desirous of bring ing on the supply at as early an hour as the other business of the House admitted. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply to Mr. Williams, said a few words to the same effect. Mr. HINDLEY hoped that some arrangement would be made for bringing on the navy estimates at a definite hour in the evening., if possible. Sir R. PEEL said the Hon. Member had better come into the House, when he saw, by the paper, that it was a supply night. No definite time could be fix , d. ASSESSED TAXES COMPOSITION BILL. This Bill was read a second time. BILLS OF EX CEIANGE, &c., BILL. On the motion that this Bill be read a second time, Sir R. FERGUSON hoped the Bill would be renewed for five years. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER considered that this was rather a s queqion for the Committee than for the House at the preient stage of the Bill. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be corn mitted on Monday. MEEiCHANT SEAMEN'S BILL. On the motion, that this Bill be read a second time, Mr. WA WN objected to it as being unnecessary. Sir GEORGE COCKBURN trusted the Hon. Member would withdraw his opposition, and that sufficient time might be allowed, before it went into Committee, for all necessary inquiries. ;iit CHARLES NAPIER said that he trusted the Gallant Admiral would persevere wish the Bill, and he only regretted that it did not go far enough. It was an excellent measure, and he only regretted that it was not accompanied by the Registration Bill. WEST INDIA ISLANDS RELIEF BILL. This 8111 went through Committee, and was ordered to be read a third time on Wednesday next. SIR HENRY POTTINGER'S ANNUITY. The Bill went thr.)ugh Committee, and the report was ordered to he brought up on Monday. SEAL-OFFICE ABOLITION BILL—COMPENSATION TO OFFICERS. This Bill also went through Committee. The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the House adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'clock. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, June 20. Sittings at Nisi Prius, before Mr. Justice SALE and Special Juries. ) wAnE V. SIMEON. An action had been brought in the Court of Exchequer by this plaintiff against this defendant for certain cheques to the amount of 2,0001. The case stood for trial on the 7th of Le• cember, and it appeared that to the declaration the defendant had pleaded, amongst other things, gaming, fraud, and notice thereof to the plaintiff. On the 4th of December the plaintiff received notice of a motion, on the part of the defendant, in Chancery, for an injunction to prevent him from levying execution, in the event of his obtaining a verdict and judg ment in . the court of common law. But on the 6th of De cember, Mr. Russell, the attorney for the plaintiff, in conse quence of a request made to him by the attorney for the defendant, Mr. Westmacott, called at the latter gentleman's office in Lincoln's Inn, and there saw his managing clerk. Mr. Shuttleworth, who suggested to him the propriety of arranging the matters in dispute, and asked him if it might not be done. Undoubtedly Mr. Russell entertained the pro position, and a contract was made between the parties that on the 14th of December :3,0001. with interest arid costs, to be taxed, were to be paid to the defendant, or in default thereof judgment against the plaintiff with the consequent power of personal arrest, while on the other side the plaintiff was to stay all proceedings (except the taxation of costs), and to withdraw the record. A notice to this effect was drawn up, and thereupon a judge's order was obtained to stay proceedings on those terms, and the record was withdrawn. For the plaintiff it was alleged that there was a further consideration to be given on the part of the defendant, namely, the withdrawal of the suit in Chancery ; and on this point, and this only, the evidence in the trial to-day was contradictory. The money had not been paid to the defendant on the 14th of December, and the action was brought on the contract. Russell's evidence went to prove that it was positively agreed between him and Shuttleworth that the motion in Chancery was not to be made on the 7th, and that all further proceedings were to be dropped. And it appeared he acted absolutely on this impression, for he withdrew one of the two briefs he had prepared for counsel and delivered, the other not having been yet delivered. On the defendant's side the motion was not made, and the briefs were not delivered at all. Shuttleworth admitted that Russell had asked him what was to become of the Chancery proceedings, law stated he told him he could not tell at the moment, and then went to his principal, the attorney, Mr. West macott. At his return Shuttleworth said he made no answer upon this point, but concluded the arrange ment generally, and sent off a clerk, named Dewy, with Russell, to see that proceedings were stayed, and the record withdrawn. Dewy confirmed this, and declared that no measures were agreed to or taken in his presence to put a stop to the suit in Chancery. Mr. Westmacott deposed that, after the arrangement had been made with Mr. Russell, so far was he from contemplating the abandonment of the suit in Chancery, that he consulted Mr. James Russell, Q.C., to ascertain whether he could move for the injunction on the morrow ; and he found from that Learned Gentleman that he could not, and this was the reason why he did net. These were the dominant facts of the case, as deposed on either side. Mr. Watson, Q. C., and Mr. Sergeant Byles were for the plaintiff; Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Barstow for the defendant. An earnest attack upon the credibility of the witness Russell was made by Sergeant Shee, the materials for which may be found in the •' Second Report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the laws respecting gaming, and to report thereon, with the evidence of James Thomas Russell, taken before tl - e Committee. 1844." We will simply say that this witness was the attorney for his brother, as informer plus some very mysterious personage who, after the old diabolic fashion, supplied the funds, in the renowne d qui tam action against Lord Eglintoun. The Learned JUDGE said he felt that, in this instance, the case lay in a nutshell, and that upon the main point of the contract, the evidence of Russell was something more than corroborated by that for the defence ; and he desired the jury to dismiss, as gentlemen of experience, all considerations of the individual's personal claaracter from their minds. All of the contract, except the very subordinate part relating to the proceedings in Chancery not proceeded with by the defendant, had been admitted to be true—the substantial part of it was true—at the same time to enable them to give a verdict for the plaintiff, they must satisfy themselves that the whole was true. There were eight pleas ; the first, which set forth the defendant had not contracted, was, in his mind, the only one with which they had to deal. No evidence bore upon any other, not even upon the eighth, which went to suggest that a second agreement, vitiating the first, was, by a process of imagination, supposed to have taken place. He only mentioned it, because his attention had been called to it by counsel. Verdict for the plaintiff, 2,000/, with interest to Dec. 14, and costs as taxed. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. When the necessity for making the approaches to London bridge rendered it indispensable that several of the parishes should be re-assessed, the united parishes of St. Benet, Grace church-street, and St. Leonard, Eastcheap, were amongst those in which the parishioners assembled to establish a new assessment of the rates. The refusal of Mr. Walter Owen Hills, one of the parishioners, to pay the amount of the rate assessed to him according to the new arrangement, and his resolute opposition to those who were expected to enforce its observance, gave rise to disputes which led to appeals to the Court of Aldermen, which appeals were decided against Mr. Hills, but without at all altering or qualifying his disin clination to pay the demands of the parish. The principle tit on which the assessment was made was that of the poor rate, so that each inhabitant paid. or was expected to pay, according to the amount of the value of the premises occupied —a regulation which the mass of the parishioners considered t o b e th e most equ i ta bl e , an d M r . Hills objection was, that as the chapel, arid the school-rooms, and the vestry-rooms, and the church-yard of the Quakers' meeting house in White Hart -court, were not assessed, he ought to be exempt from the operation of the tithe. To that doctrine the Court of Aldermen showed three or four times, the utmost repugnance upon the representation of Mr. Hubbard, the vestry-clerk of the above united parishes. Or, Thursday a joint meeting of the two parishes took place, for the purpose of appointing assessors, according to the Act of Parliament, to make the annual rate in lieu of tithes, and Mr. Hills attended as a parishioner. An objection was suggested, as we were given to understand, to permitting him to vote, upon the ground that his claim was forfeited in consequence of his re fusal to pay any of the rates assessed , whereupon a row took place, out of which a serious charge sprang against the dis sentient parishioner, and the parties immediately appeared be fore the Lord Mayor. The following evidence was given : Mr. J. J. Hubbard, of No. 1, Queen -street-pla c e, South wark-bridge, solicitor, and vestry-clerk of St. Benet, Grace church-street, and St. Leonard, Eastcheap, stated that about one o'clock he was attending his duty as vestry-clerk at a vestry of the united parishes, when the defendant, Mr. Hills, without any provocation whatever, threw his body with great force intentionally against him, and hurled him against be wainscot behind. Mr. Hills had just previously said, wtb reverence to certain transactions which had taken place befoe, that he knest It w.. Mr. Hubbard; that the parishes ha,4 bee humbugged for many yeers past through him (Mr. Hub bart), and he mode use of other violent language. In ecnteque l of that conduct, and previous offensive condu ct on the parto the defendant, Mr. Hubbard declared that he considered aid his person was in danger unless the defenda nt was restrained' nbbas , In answer to questions put by the defend ant, Mr. H said that lie neither made offensive observations nor offs'Lla i r a gesture , . Mr. John Crossland (one of the Society of Friends) of No. /I Fenehurch-street, stationer, stated that he ha d been in the Ye' try, and heard Mr. Hills claim to see the rate-book. 3lr. made a rush tsgainst him, arid said he would do sornethit; against the tithe. Witness said, "Do it," and the defend ran at him with doubled fist, and threatened to lay him on its floor ; and witness apprehended danger from him unless he WO rest rained. Mr. Gar,n, of Fenehurch-street, hosier, stated that he alto attended the meeting. He saw• the defendant conducing himself peaceably, but the defendant said he demanded to its the rate-book, and a gentleman said he had n o ri g ht to see t. unless he paid the rate, whereupon he insiste d u p on seeing book, and rushing at it like a mad bullock , ran against 1.1, Crossland arid several others. Said witness was a d—d because witness said that he (Mr. Hills) did not know vs° honesty was, and pushed violently against witness. di Mr. Shaw, a solicitor and parishione-, came forwa rd to a his testimon), but The Loin s Al A yo said there was no occasion for furthe! ft statements before him, as it was his determination to se nd t , l O the , case to the sessions. His Lordship then ca lled upon e. fendant to fi n d suretie s in each of the three cases of ald r.' si. to the amount of 1001., :and be himselfrres pon siblel leg e t() o amount of 100/. Yesterday Mr. Hills entered into the required su retie n s th tc , the amount of 6001., to answer the charge at the sessions o sth of July. Mary Allen, who was stated to have bee n once an accore 'dished woman, was put to the bar upon the extraordinary c Y ," of having attempted to destroy herself by swallowing the ite a chamber-door. I los t het The unfortunate creature had, it appeared, lately testate °r hue lather, to whom sh e h a d been greatly attach ed, ant. band, who seemed to be respectable, ascribe d the losvhsentaj " the ( mind to which she had been reduced to that calamity.a_,fied excitement c aused by i n t ox i c ating liquors to wh ich she as a retuge. d locked From the evidence given it turned out that she had door of the room on Saturday, and that on SundaY morn the o in n g i ,b o e n t d w on ee . n l„r s i e dg ve , n ha a v n i d na eight, a , policeman who Was at' keys t her to St d Thomas'sHospital, w ere ~,h t co from her throat, down which it had gone out of w ith pletely, and from which it was extracted by Mr- Le u g e " sihe hatdheswkaelylowvraeds cait,ejj the assistance of another surgeon. he conduct imi ot,Tailmr:hieyete,n:Ltrdt, porter ea ! ,ar e nri n od) d riws a lhat n iyeA : ed:secolacaaillntyda declared he could not account for ";„ f a having i t o a n h c :a c c t u r had r i s r b e h re i t e n .en g i it ta t k o e e t :111rB thae of ndeepa nctect her. ass Neal, charged with b a c' : e i n dt ,: hoe r k t r i regret, desired her husband to take her home 13 ;o r b acc °llPe Laurence was re" into the eye of Edward Russell, in a 'public-h°uae' manded till Friday. BOTV-STI?EET. Gillingh aole ' i Yesterday J o h n T a yl or a li as Johnson, o f 7, „, r. g a ll, street, Vauxhali, was placed at the b ar before and ot her charged with steal :n a quantity of silver Pl ate ertf 0f her vawable articles from Buckitighain Palace, the POP Majesty. d his 'cereals On the bench were the Lord Chamberlain an o p, Sir W. hlartin, who attended to hear the investigah 't Treasury, Mr. Hayward, from the office of the solicitor to resente d by conducted the prosecution, and the prisoner sees re! ' ha ho a Mr. Wolff, from Mr. Fl ower ' s office. From the evi d ence i t a ) e are d that the Prislrt'hewliallee' been empl o y e d several a . ea i r p s ' as a cabine t maker ae evening, thof engaged a cab in Et on : stree t, Pintheo, on FrideaYhegot °lat n til 13th inst., and p rocee d e d to L on g-acre, wh er m° m otto o f the vehicl e a nd d es i re d t h e d r i ver t o wait a fe 4,.. Some°. late, his return. H e p rocee d e d to t h e s hop of a ' broke n uP P Bh 38, Long acre to whom he had often sold 1 e deroa nd i e o d s . t h te e and produced a quantity of silver, for ' chich i ur iit' vt * The superiority of the plate inducted Mr. Seyriseoner, whci tt r e °,4 ' first time, to ask the name and address of the P r serno ar• ha d on a sup of paper " John Johnson, i-JlW e the Pri' °ner whe s-toan. A deal was e ff ected, and w hl ir. seymo ur, aye Somer- • " left the shop a policeman wassent after bin' b ; Yi, i i eVit 4 1, d i g he , acquainted the officer with the nature of h'' i' n or der him the address furnished by the pr.is°n,r;,' - The C`' n „,,,,ed might set an inquiry on foot respecting iii• - ; et ,..malter"" n - Richardson, where he was informed F 206. followed him to the she? of a e l l ' . n n me"red a uentlY a p ps ri son who hd,ju,t entered was Taylor he Consse.q...d: The !hit t hat the . him of his s suspicious. and took him into Cu t" d h is fears , ho soner, on his way to the police station, exre,lea, t he man ,' he should get into a bother about the c here• affair' Taylor. knout ' at gave him the plate had gone abroad, he did n 1 r. ) ; W [ h ir en her He also admitted that his real name wa s T if e ° do' r ' n- er t—tatbles the police-office he addressed a letter to his se' ,_., a f o reign i : to say that the property had been left vs ith thettl:Y thou P e l f who had been lodging with them, and who ge, ._ a rerio his sion to dispose of it, if he did not claim it itniric, kw i n ,tris u L s . o , h e rs' Til • three months. The letter contained other w fe, which fully implicated himself, and, quested her to pay the bearer of it os. 6d• en e qt. I%i° 'Coq in ' nr , cabman, meanwhile, had been patiently Wal ' , wap pesrs , e tin's-lane for the return of the prisoner, who t° tn. at the expiration of three hours induced him to d the Pr i. Bow-street station, where, to his surprises he fourontainiog : soner in custody. In the cab was found a bag ' ed had "e valuable china vase, which it was afterwards foun in condeliivteroy. , e nd stolen from the Palace with the other propertY. ate dly t Mr. Seymour stated that the prisoner had rer , spra re a plate of considerable value at his shop, but from h i o btain' respectability he had never suspected him of haring_ A o f hil it dishonestly. Some few weeks ago he had purcha,f;,, go, a quantity of silver which had been partially melted o , t' oci, and a-hich he thought at the time had been a telescop e $ 1 t *JO his part of some silver figures. I n Mr. HALL thought that it was a pity he did 00. j inquiries at that time. , larg ineu Mr. Saunders, inspector of the Royal Palaces, bo th 0 the plate produced, as well as the vase, and identified ft o the property of h er M a jesty. The former was pa, , t,,,ca i, equestrian statues, st an d ing a b ou t t we l ve i nc h es high' - of 1 "" presenting Louis XIII. and Marshal Saxe; the valu e .: o the ornament being 200/. The other p or ti on o f the silv er ” beiei produce of a microscope and stand, worth 401., be f°l o ttec e ' melted down, and sold to Mr. Seymour at 4s. 6d. per d be et The silver articles arid the vase (valued at 100 hi or t be stolen from a bookca se i n a c l ose t adjoining the libr ari d ther e, Palace, to which the prisoner had access when emPl e t he Pr; but from which the property had not been missed O n far nite .e r sent transaction became known at the Palace. S° ln ! e • to b had been also found in the p r i s oner's house bel on g' ''. Majesty—the royal initia's being obliterated. • the ° III The witnesses having been severally bound over 1 ,7 of 1001. each to appear against the prisoner at his trial , f pe el. Mr. HALL remanded him for further examination ' bee ° nary. A remarkable circumstance has been disclosed bYhtehepalseei inquiry. About a year ago two women servants in I lici or, 7 named Lindsey, were brought before Mr. Hall f n !n u ttitt ed ' g stealing furniture from the royal residence , an° t',,,eque n b ' u 't though discharged from her Majesty's service. Si 7 e theft' .1-1-4 a cabinet-maker, named Fletcher, was accused of t" _ d his ' l ' i g not taken into custody. Still the imputation affecte„bsogi_A so deeply, that he soon afterwards committed suicide olocafere•• himself. The furniture then missed has been no in the above prisoner's house. .--• -.......---. v ia. —___ - ilv o . -Ito co It 3 k.DVERTISEMENT.] SIGHT AND ''''' l i ti ferl i ', B.s \ pce . cia 9 cie r s k , lb T em e i e is s l c e o - p st e r s t;et bp P e i r e a cad G il l l a y; ses N , " 24 1) 1c - t , ns t e : li S e it : Patronised by General Sir Edvvard Vor,g-,13000 1.? ' 1, 1 1 . e 0 n Lloyd Ailaiston, Frederick Goodli•11°', ,`,-/eduie, store, P. Morrison, Dyott Robertson, ila : L . ' r ricef iawaYi Biggs' Woolf, Murray Wslker, 1.7' ']p a s ' 1 5 . , 3. and -1 e t r i3 '' )ek, l).raulel Lieutenant od Lindsay, and Thackray, Maj ,r2General Sir I ' rr i one r, B: nY uverie, Sir J. M4cdonall, Sir R. Barton, S., 'I• it and Sir Wm. Eustace, Admirals Lord John I ,.' 3" ci Y. S hf. .oHenaernraill s to : re 1,.... . ; 0:111 i fI r g i , Cockburn, Sir David Milne, Sir George MI: G°' - c i George Martin, Sir James 11. Whitshed, Sp o il'4 $ 1) Ross, Alexander, Curzons, Tornpkinson, a'aiirals Price, Vice-Admiral :..it F. Austen, liear* 10 0 5 ' Brown and Ribouleau, &c. Messrs. S. and 13 ,;,, - ; $ s ; r u ev Opticians, have invented Spectacle Lena°, 7, e fore " h ",. construction—lmmediately they are plac . " D ear -; perfect vision, that mist and dullness which stProceratlet fore the eyes is at once removed, every ° b j..,, r ice , '-'l,b clear and distinct, so that the most aged ifol-•-.v yO. , becomes bright and brilliant, and is brough c t .„ ° , l, ic .11 ful, natural, and original state. Also Achrl e uad ' scopes, Opera Glasses, Microscopes, j u visi° w re n ! kinds of Acoustic Instruments, for relief of ' s ' 4 s °P ti deafness. Caution—Messrs. S. and B. S° l°r : r ° s lj oi; oc t o b ; cians, are not in any way connected with $ Poor in • us, apnraaldrntwoo,rbsitn(h,retviceie,o—iurn(t)irrnliy.mediate neighbourhood, ra ° • • kea b e str es " Piccadilly, opposite the York pasi9s,taAlberorle . ~: oni eo ol_b, be rk hadri prevento at et 1 . Indi a '''tch l% Dispatches from the Governors of the west Digo were received yesterday at the Colonial-once,i'lius. were also received from the Governor of the lua- man-square, of a son. •111:11-4:17----•;51:er' of ".k.-41re On the 16th inst., Mrs. I? DP . e t ' Bit . tosn'squ William...oO i t l i t t h ti e e yl l :e 6th inst., in Bryanston-street, for $1 . 4 xrs. Humpage, of a son. . the lstdthehriincskt•F'ltklY of B fi ld Plc' Voget and heir. W S ' O,IS. C. D. , als son, of a son. inst.,O. On the - D a u r r r i i s i a t l o u r - - p a l t a - c l a e 7 L , o a t n . l a b e son. ui 1, th inst., at West- Totten'Totten hani , green, c Drigg" Hope, of a , son. fT. C. b On the IStli inst., at Hans-place , the lady 0 - o f 2 a r t ar, et C r l ; a 3h rg ds e qd s ,. - : : t or r of e c e , tr,sa t3.e:::::tsb, s o f $ f 00 8 ,,, tt P 4 ' t , On the 15th inst., the lady of James J-- ---ne ' •cp Dirs. ror' On the 15th inst., in loity."des°-pna.rkv-gardens, Cruilishank, of a el , iforri iage' He O n n ry the 16th son. at Barnes, Mrs. Marrnatiu , Jobe of a daughter. inst., On thie,ell.l6yt,htisnqS.t.,ofaat Balls -park, Ilerts, the 13'11 011; Ste el° On the 14th inst., the lady of R. Macdonald Esq., of a daughter. ____...--------- At Gla,ow, q.4IiRIE D. 39 Leo d I%fr• On the Bean, t o m anet, eldest daughter of 31r. Joh of , by the Rev. Dr. Mac iJeno net's, N. her g i ! l ti ;e On , the 14th inst., Captain Harr}' Edgell, 11 , ,use, Bucks. ail fare ' t Y 8 ship Siren,' to Miss Caroline Ilossiter, h, G ut coo to Iloriev, Silas S. Stedman, Esq., of Arundel, laughter of James Stedman, Esq., of uildford. 17th inst., at St• Nicholas's Churc John Thomson, of --------- iv sir• On Tuesday, at C )lii p h're, very sadder' -, e 'd 6 4 lved.,o,tcbebre,ySrroorg. s a t e i , years, deeplyr~•p reirsretted. l'el , -I‘, On the 17th just Emma, wife of John Collett, . 2 .! _ ds to , On the 1-.1 • " , .--' lzector , near SN 00 Ellen ,.. i inst., at lacklev ReLtory,. „1„...,,e, „to, ~ Mars', only (laughter of the Rev. li. A. '' II le On the 18th inst at St. John-street-roa( , Martha relict " tl lB ' of Mr. Randolph Howell. v" bctli AO, On the 18th ' • . T lu st., in reror-square, i...,za wife of "I'}starer ' Al° homas Jackson, Esq• On the 17th inst., at Great. Esling, MidLlleses, relict tli 6 of James Lawson, Esq a Norwood, Surr. n On the 16th inst., at T" ti , DeVOll, 31ail A __T. _. . wife of \A illtain furner IIay• I.:sq. ~i f ., On the 16th inse - W il• te rrace St. job ° " —, in e ington-, George Afeaden, Esq., solicitor. ... c hard 9erb On the 19th inst., at Blandford-square, Sarah ,t,, J of Lot - lttad and P—u—blisr—hed by-----1111JC111)-0 No. 112, Strand. Printer, at The SOS Otliee'omintY Strand, in the Preciligt of the, Savoy, in. We Middlesex, Saturday, 'Juno 21, 1845" ~..-,, . ,•4 *7:') ;