The Sun. — London, England, 1836-07-29 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS CUSTOMS. Umier the Bill to amend the laws relating to the Customs, which is new before the House of Commons, Goods, the pro perty of perscns resident abroad, may be entered by Bill of Store, if property be not changed. Spirits may be imported in casks of twenty gillons, and to bacco or snuff in hogsheads, &c., containing 3001bs. Goods may be exported in vessels of 69 tons. Cr , minissioners of Customs to grant general Transires. Goods reported to Customs as jetsam, flotsam or lagan, and not claimed within 12 months, to be deemed condemned as Drnits of Admiralty. Bat used in fishing on the coast of Scotland not required to have Licenses. Prosecutions. not to be instituted in cases where spirits, tobacco or snuff arc found on board vessels in legal packages within cer tain distances of the coasts of the liriited Kingdom. The new Table of Duties follows, which has already ap peared in The Sun. COMMON LAW COURTS. A Bill is now before the House " to abolish certain offices in the superior Courts of Law, and to make provision for a more effective and uniform establishment of officers in those Courts." According to the preamble, " the continuance of such sinecure and useless offices tends to impair the effective administration of justice, and to cast upon the public and the suitors in those Courts unnecessary burdens and costs." Thirty-seven of such sinecure offices arc, it is proposed, to be substituted by the appointment of five Masters on the plea side of the Court of King's Bench, four for the Common Pleas, and five on the plea side of the Court of Exchequer. BENEFIT BUILDING SOCIETIES. Power is given to make rules and provide forms of conveyance. Exemption from Stamp Duties is proposed, and a receipt en dorsed on mortgage is to be held sufficient to discharge with out reconveyance. There is a clause to prevent the invest ment of funds in Savings'-banks, or with the Commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt. All Societies esta blished prior to June, 1936, to come within the meaning of the Act. METROPOLITAN POLICE. In some returns recently ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, on the motion of Mr. Hume, we see that the total expenditure of the Metropolitan Police Establishment in the year 1535, was 208,221/. 19s. 9d. The two Commis sioners, it is of course known, enjoy salaries amounting to 1,726/. The receivers salary is 7001. The number of consta bles or policemen was 2,977. The aggregate expense of the nine Police Establishments last year was 51,724/. ss. 5d.; Bow-street and the Thames Police each cost more than double most of the other establish ments. It appears that 9,383/. 18s. came into the coffers of the Police from gratuities, fees, and penalties levied, no portion of which, it is stated, was given to clerks or officers, but lodged with the respective receivers to defray the expenses of the se veral establishments. A THIEF WHOSE LUCK WAS WORN OUT.—It is a well-known adage all over the United Kingdom that, when "the old one" has encouraged his followers far enough in wickedness "he leaves them in the lurch." This opinion having been borne out by numberless facts, is, therefore, not to be controverted ; and the following instance is a curious corroboration of that principle. At the Assizes, just now ended at Buckingham, a man was tried for stealing a large quantity of harness from the premises of Mr. Depree, of King's Langley, in that county. After being arraigned, however, the thief pleaded guilty, and would not retract his plea, and the Judge, finding that he was a regular burglar, sentenced him to 14 years' transportation. The manlier of his apprehension was singular. This fellow, who was a noted cracksman (housebreaker) had taken a trip in the country for recreation and business, and in pursuing his rural taste, he had fallen in with Mr. Depree's coach-house and stables, into which he soon made his way, and bagged all the harness. Having done this to his satisfaction, he carried his booty down a by-lane, which led from the pre mises to the Bristol and London road. Here he planted him self to await the coming up of some of the Western coaches ; one from Bristol soon came on, and be hailed it; but there was not room for him. In it, however, was a Bow-street officer, who, peeping slyly out, soon discovered that the " way worn traveller" was a regular Jemmy from town. Being, how ever, a discreet man, he recollected that verbum sat, &c. He therefore went on. The bagman was, however, more success ful with the next coach ; he was stowed with his luggage on the outside, and at Hounslow they came up with the first coach, which was changing horses. Here Bow-street got a better view of his man and bag, but still adhered to his Latin adage. On the coaches went gaily until they reached Ham mersmith, when Jemmy got inside. Bow-street suspected he had bolted, and thought he would look after the sack. How ever, on looking into the coach, he saw the bagman sitting between a lady and gentleman: in a moment he said, " Jem, I want you." Jem came directly. " Now," said the officer, "is it all leather you have got in the bag ?" " No, it's only a few bits of harness." So he put the ruffles on Mister Jem, and he was soon introduced to the Magistrates, who lost no time in sending him on another excursion into Buckingham.. shire, to account for his stock of leather, and from thence he goes on his travels to the antipodes. KIDDERMINSTER.—On Wednesday afternoon this town was visited by a violent storm of hail and rain, attended with thunder and lightning. The electric fluid struck the north side of the tower of St. George's Chapel, and shattered it very much, leaving a fissure up the pinnacle, and melting the lead in the jointings of the stone. The lightning then passed to a tree in Mr. Cureton's garden, exactly at right angles with the tower, stripped a part of the bark off it, entered a brewhouse at the bottom of the tree, and tore out a quantity of bricks from the side of the furnace ; it then passed to the front of the house, and entered the ground with a great noise. The damage done to the pinnacle is so great, that it is feared it will have to be taken down. The sexton, who was filling a grave at the time, was thrown down by the electric fluid, but sustained no further injury ; as were also several other per sons.—Kidderminster Messenger. On Friday evening last, a servant man, in the em ploy of Mr. Thomas Jones, of Oldswinford, having loaded a gun with small pebble-stones, for the purpose of shooting sparrows, left it in a barn, when a little boy who was there, on seeing it, brought it into the yard, unconscious, no doubt of its being loaded, and pointed it at Mr. Jones's niece, but, fortu nately, it missed fire ; he then pointed at Mrs. Jones, and be fore she had time to go near him, he had pulled the trigger, but it luckily missed fire a second time ; he then turned round and pointed it at a valuable horse which was standing in the yard, and shot it dead on the spot.— Worcester Herald. OLD WOMAN.—There is now living in Barrett's court, Wigmore-street, a woman who, if she survives till No vember next, will have completed 110 years. In the main, her faculties are not much impaired, considering her advanced age ; and she subsists upon a small allowance from the parish, assisted by occasional contributions from the few to whom her case is known. Since she became a hundred she has travelled from Dublin to London, walking all the way from Liverpool. TOLERATION.—On Tuesday se'nnight, the Nisi Prius Court, in York Castle, presented the singular though gratifying spectacle of having a Jew for the foreman of its jury. In taking the prescribed oath, this gentleman put on his hat, and swore upon the Old Testament. What a contrast ! A Jew exercising the most important trust which our free Con stitution assigns to the people, in the very spot where, a few centuries ago, the persecuted professors of " the ancient faith" were cruelly butchered, and compelled to commit suicide by the persons then called Christians.— York Courant. FLAG OF THE UNION —Since the 4th of July last the flag of the United States has been spangled with 26 stars, two being added in consequence of the admission of the States of Arkansas and Michigan into the Union. In 1818, the number of States then being 20, an Act was passed, " That on the admission of every new State into the Union, one star be added to the flag of the Union ; and that such addition shall take effect on the 4th day of July then succeeding such admis sion." The 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original States, were, on the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, increased to 16 ; but as the number of States was further enlarged, it was per ceived that the flag would not eventually admit of a stripe for each, and so an Act was passed limiting the number to 13, as before. The last star added to the flag was on the 4th of July, 1822, in honour of the State of Missouri, which was ad mitted into the Union on the 10th of August, 1821. The star for Maine was added on the 4th of July, 1820. CRUELTY OF THE CAItLISTS.—The truth of the following fact is unquestionable:—One of the Royal Marine battalion, and an artilleryman of the Legion, whose horse was shot on the late retreat, in their attempt to save the harness and place it on a pony, were closely pursued by the Carlists. They were obliged to fly, and made for the sea, and swam round a promontory, where they concealed themselves in the rocks for the night, and joined at St. Sebastian next day. While they were pursued they saw two English women and a child taken by the Carlists. The women were immediately shot, but it is supposed the child was spared. FINE CABRAGE.—A remarkably fine spring cab bage was lately cut in the garden of Mr. Bolt, of Goran Haven, the white heart of which weighed ten pounds; had the whole of the leaves been weighed with it, no doubt it would have exceeded twenty pounds. The cabbage was one of the " Paington" sort, the seed having come from that place last summer. It was sown in July, and the plants set in October. Many very good ones have been cut from the same seed, and came very early.— West Briton. THE POOR.—The Essex Herald states that the Rev. Mr. Maberley has visited that county, and addressed large assemblages of the labourers on the subject of the new Poor Law 13ill—a measure which he loudly condemns. The Herald, in animadverting on the course pursued by this Rev. Gentleman, asks, " Would he leave the labourer, steeped to the lips in pauperism, and stained with crime, to drag on an idle and a wretched life by drawing from the overseer, without one blush of honest shame, the means of existence for a still more wretched family, till he drops without a tear to honour him, and is hurried from the workhouse to a parish grave? Would he leave the daughter of the poor man, in her moral degradation, to subsist upon the sums which the law wrung from her profligate paramours to support the living witnesses of her own infamy ? Would be abridge the comforts of the little tradesman and the half bankrupt farmer that the able bodied labourer, broken in spirit, and sunk in the social scale, may clamour for parochial charity as a right, and look upon the enforcement of honest toil as a punishment."—lt is per haps equally undeniable that all these wide -spreading national evils did necessarily make part and parcel of the old system, and also that severe individual hardship is, incidentally, suf fered under the new system. We' have great pleasure in stating vigour tatingtl a la n t d t p h r e m L p i t b it e u r d a e l party, in this town, have acted with with reference to the registration, Last year many voters were struck off the list, because small arrears of rates, some of several years' standing, had not been paid. A few weeks ago a proposal was made to the Tories by the Liberals, not to take notice, on either side, of any arrears of more than one or two years' standing ; but the former said that they should not omit to take advantage of every possible legal objection. The Li berals have consequently taken steps for preventing any of their friends being disqualified on that ground; and have not only made a tender of rates on behalf of every Liberal in the bo rough, but have obtained from the overseers an acknowledg ment that all arrears have been paid, The Tories were not aware of this proceeding until it was too late to take a similar step themselves, and their vexation may be easily conceived. We understand that several of their own party are likely to be disqualified, by the non-payment of rates. —Halifax Express. On Friday, a girl about ten years of age, who was standing by the side of a well in Barrack-lane, Chelmsford, with an infant in her arms, while in the act of reaching across it to put the cover on, overbalanced herself and fell in. An other little girl, eight years old, a sister to the other, instantly gave the alarm, and an old man let down the chain and de scended to the surface of the water, where he paw the infant floating. He instantly brought it up, but was not aware that the girl was in the well until asked by the mother, " Where is the other ?" She was afterwards found at the bottom of' the well, under ten feet of water, quite dead, although only about ten minutes bad elapsed from the time the infant was rescued ' The SPEAKER considered that, notwithstanding the prayer was in the alternative, it was substantially for money, and therefore, according to the rules of the House, could not be received, unless the Government assented to it. Mr. ROBINSON would then ask whether the Admi ralty would waive the objection in point of form, and allow him to bring it up ? Mr. C. WOOD said that, so far as the Admiralty were concerned, they could have no objection to the petition. The person who, in his opinion, was to be called upon to give leave was the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. ROBINSON would withdraw the petition for the present, and in the mean time he would endeavour to effect some arrangement with the Chancellor of the Exchequer upon the subject. LAW OF PATENTS. Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from certain manufacturers interested in the Patent law. The Honourable Member complained that for the last four or five weeks he had been prevented from having his Bill for the amendment of the law of Patents, read. If Hon. Gentlemen on the other side choose to have a dinner, or absent themselves, or wished to shirk a Bill, they ought to meet it in a manly and straightforward man ner, instead of making no House on Wednesdays. • Mr. BERNAL thought the Hon. Member rather sweeping and incorrect in his observations. He did not know why the remark of the Hon. Gentleman should be applied to that side of the House rather than the other.— (Hear, hear.) Mr. HUTT would beg to ask whether the Hon. Mem. ber for Lymington was himself present when the House was counted out ?—(Much laughter.) POOR LAWS. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said it was his intention to move that the Poor Laws Amendment Bill be postponed for the present. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. T. ATTWOOD had some petitions to present, and hoped the House would allow him to do so. The SPEAKER observed that by a resolution of the House, the public business was to be proceeded with at half-past four o'clock. Mr. ATTWOOD was not aware of any such arrange ment. Several Hon. Members stated that they had petitions which they were anxious to present. Major BEAUCLERK begged most distinctly to deny the inferences which the Morning Papers had drawn from his speech of last night. He had not the slightest intention of casting any blame upon the Speaker. The SPEAKER hoped he would be allowed to say a few words upon this matter. When he was placed in the Chair, there was a very general complaint made of the time consumed in the presentation of petitions —(Hear, hear)—and there was also the same general feel ing against Morning Sittings. He was anxious to find out some remedy, and then found that there was a report of a Committee of 1833 which had never been acted upon, and he took upon himself the ungracious and unpleasant task of attempting to bring back the HousQ to the practice which CITY OF LONDON POLICE. Payments, to Marshalmen, 1,6751. 65.; Day Police 12s. Force, 7,2621. ; Nightly Watch, 34,9241. 18s. 9d. ; making altogether the expense of the City Police for the year 1835, 43,8621. 16s. 34a., which it will be seen is nearly equal in amount to the expenses of keeping up Bow-street and the eight other Police Establishments, and rather less than one fifth of the sum expended by the new police establishment employed under the Act of 10 Geo. IV., cap. 44. JUSTICES OF PEACE COURTS' (SCOTLAND.) There is a Bill now before the House of Commons for the more effectual recovery of small debts in the above Courts. The Act passed in the late reign for the recovery of small debts, al though found beneficial, requires certain alterations which it is the object of the proposed measure to effect, by extending and rendering more effectual what is good in the former Act, and consolidating its provisions, and those of the present Bill, into one Act. COMMON FIELDS INCLOSURE. The following are the principal provisions in Mr. Pelham's Bill for facilitating the Inclosure of open and arable Fields in England and Wales. The consent of two-third parts in value of the parties inte rested in such lands shall be binding upon all Commissioners to be appointed by the parties consenting to the enclosure. These Commissioners, among many other functions, are to exercise that of directing the course of husbandry to be followed. Cattle are not to be allowed to graze on inclosed lands for seven years. There is a special reservation protective of the rights of Lords of Manors, which are not to be affected by this Act. COPYRIGHT. In the Bill to extend the protection of Copyright Prints and Engravings to Ireland, there is a clause giving to pro prietors the power to bring separate actions upon the case, in any Court of Law in Great Britain or Ireland. POOR LAW AMENDMENT ACT. The following will furnish a brief summary of the Ministerial Bill to facilitate the Administration of the Poor Laws in England and Wales : Some alterations are made in the Act passed in the 4th and sth years of the present reign, as well as in the Act to facili tate the Conveyanik: of Workhouses and other Parochial and Corporate property. Clause 1, empowers the Poor Law Commissioners to dele gate their powers to Assistant Commissioners. The remaining clauses up to the sth arc interpretative ; the titles of the others will mark their scope. Power to convey lands of the Duchy of Cornwall. Purchase by guardians and parish officers, with consent of Commissioners, declared valid. Declaration that guardians are and were empowered by 5 and 6 Will. 4, c. 69, to exchange, convey, and demise, by their common seal. Receipt of person authorised by Poor Law Commissioners to receive money, a good discharge. Statements and recitals in conveyance under seal of Poor Law Commissioners, to be evidence of fact stated or recited. Declaration that provisions of recited Acts apply to copy holds. Provision for enfranchisement of copyholds. If Lord of Manor dissatisfied further valuation to be made. Voluntary agreements may be completed. Steward of Manor to enter certificate on rolls of manor, and furnish parchment copy thereof to Poor Law Commissioners. Mode of conveyance. Instruments under recited Act, and this Act, exempt from Stamp Duty. The meaning of the words " Grant and Convey," " Surren der and Assured" in conveyances and surrenders to guardians. Meaning of words " Assign and Transfer" in assignment of chattel interests. Meaning of the like words in conveyances and surrenders by guardians; Meaning of words " Grant and Demise." Hereditaments taken in exchange confined to uses for which those originally granted were limited. Effect of transfer of security, and meaning of words " As sign and Transfer." Extension of time for paying off Loans to Twenty years. Not less than One-twentieth to be paid off annually. Parish having paid off proportion of Loan, discharged from liability pro Canto. Loans made before 4 and 5 Will. IV., c. 76, declared valid in certain cases. Power to appoint Assessor or Returning Officer. No Assessor or Returning Officer capable of being elected at election where lie acts as such. Penalty on Churchwarden or Overseer refusing to act. Persons having paid up arrears of poor rate entitled to vote at election of Guardians. No owner or proxy entitled to vote, unless claim be sent or objection overruled previous to a day to be fixed by Poor Law Commissioners. Owners to enter claims to vote at annual elections on or be fore the Ist February in each year, and objections to be en tered on or before the Ist March. Poor Law Commissioners may assign one guardian for two or more parishes. Power to divide parishes into wards. Consent of person E nominated as guardians may be called for before voting. Overseers not being Churchwardens, and Females, ineligible as guardians. Appeal to Poor Law Commissioners in disputes at election of guardians. Acts of guardians not affected by irregularities of election. Continuance of first Board of guardians. 4 and 5 W. 4. c. 76. a. 2 and 12. Power to guardians to call for Papers and Returns from parish officers. Power to appoint Auditors. Power to appoint officers in case of neglect or disobedience of overseers or guardians. Salaries of Auditor, or Assistant Auditor, &c., to be fixed by the Commissioners and to be charged on rates of unions and parishes. Powers of Collectors of Rates transferred to colle?tors ap pointed by guardians. Receipt of Treasurer of Union or parish a sufficient dis charge to collector. Relieving Officers to have powers of overseers as to their duties under 4 and 5 W. 4. C. 76. s. 46. When parish becomes part of union, office of Assistant Overseer, &c., to cease. Power to the Poor Law Commissioners to add parishes to unions, and to alter and remodel unions formed by them under the provisions of the Poor Law Amendment Act. This clause contains a reservation of rights of third parties. Union for settlement and rating to be deemed one parish where added to other parishes. Compensation to be made for workhouse' property in form ing, alterin g or di sso l v i ng un i ons . Power to direct parishes and unions to contract under 9 G. 1. c. 7. s. 4. Parishes or unions having workhouse may enter into contracts for receiving the poor of other parishes or unions. Wards to be set apart for lunatic, insane and idiot paupers. Wards to be licensed under 2 and 3 Will. IV. e. 107. And to he visited by Justices and Inspectors under 2 and 3 Will. IV., e. 107, and 9 Geo. 4, c. 40. Lic,nse of lunatic wards exempted from stamp duty. Posse,- for Commissioners, with consent of owners of pro perty and rate payers, to place parochial trusts under manage ment of Boa:d of Guardians of any parish. Trusts for s.stting poor on work to be subject to Rules of Poor Law Commissioners. By the 49th clause children may be removed to or from any place where employment is offered ; if under 16 years of age the consent of the parent must be first obtained. Orphans, of course, of any age, are entirely at the disposal of the Corn rnrssioners. t r ;itntracts for hiring and service of poor children to be as valid as apprenticeship. Contracts and parties thereto subject to jurisdiction of Justices. No settlement to be acquired under such contract. Ropeal of 56 Geo. 3, c. 39, s. 1. Amendment of 95th section of Poor Law Act. Power to mulct overseer, master of workhouse, &c., for not carrying into effect Poor Law Commissioners Rules. Guardians liable to penalties for contempt of Poor Law Commissioners. No penalty to attach on guardians attending and voting in minority. GuardiTw ‘vho shall have attended four-fifths of meetings of Board exempt from parish offices for ensuing year. Record of attendances to be kept. Person making false entry or alteration guilty of misdemeanor. Penalties may be proceeded for in name of guardians. Officers to have the power and protection of constables. The period to elapse before Rules come in force is 15 days. The 58th and last clause repeals parts of Acts repugnant to this Act. The after-dinner practice that obtains more, we be lieve, in this country than in any other, of drinking toasts, calls forth occasionally strange specimens of home-brewed elo quence. Last week a party assembled at the house of a friend on the banks of the Canal, when, in the course of the evening, the host proposed the health of one of the guests, who, upon rising to reply, floundered sadly about " want of words," " proudest day of his life," &c., till suddenly finding the tide of language fast ebbing, he exclaimed, by way of climax— " Gentlemen— Eh ! there's a Canal boat pun by !" Scotsman. 11V1PERI AMEN T. 110 USE OF COMMONS, JULY 28. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. TRINITY (NORTH LEITH) HARBOUR AND DOCK. Sir ANDREW L. HAY brought up the report of the Committee on the Trinity North Leith Harbour and Dock Bill, which recommended that the Bill should be withdrawn. The llon. and Gallant Member said wished to state broadly the circumstances under which the Committee reported that an informality had occurred of such importance as to induce them to recommend tile Bill to be withdrawn, otherwise it might become an improper precedent on future occasions. The manuscript copy of the Bill introduced into the House was different i❑ some respects from the print which was afterwards circu lated, and which was referred to the Committee. Words had been then introduced in a way that the Committee con sidered informal ; they would not permit the Bill in that shape to proceed, and therefore they agreed to report to the House that the Bill should be withdrawn, and another Bill introduced. He would therefore move that a Bill be intro duced to construct a Harbour and Dock in Leith. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL submitted whether the House would for a third time allow a Bill to be introduced. It was from very great indulgence that a second Bill had been al lowed to be introduced in the same Session, especially when the informality had arisen from the 'gross negligence of the promoters of the Bill. He did not wish to charge any thing beyond gross negligence. There was a unanimous vote that the Committee could not proceed with the Bill, and his Hon. and Gallant Friend was allowed to try his hand a third time. He trusted, however, the House would not, by permitting the introduction of this Bill, sanction such gross negligence. As the necessity for the third Bill bad confes sedly arisen from the negligence of the promoters of the other two, he hoped the House would at once reject it. Mr. POULTER supported the motion for the Bill. The ground upon which the Committee had sanctioned the application for a new Bill was totally different from that stated by the Attorney-General, and he hoped the House would allow the parties to remedy that defect. Sir J. GRAHAM said the Committee could not have proceeded with the second Bill without doing great injus tice to the merits of the case. He hoped the Hon. and Gallant Member would postpone his motion till next session. Sir G. CLERK said the Bill was one which, consistently with the rules of the House, could not be proceeded with. It would be one of the worst and most injurious of prece dents, and he hoped it would not be sanctioned by the House. This was not a case of the preamble not being proved ; and, of course, the parties were at liberty to ask for the further indulgence of the House. He would only say that he was one of the Members appointed upon the Standing Orders Committee ; and they had deferred many very important measures, from March last to the next year, for much less informality than was contained in this Bill. Sir. A. L. HAY complained of the Hon. Baronet not stating quite correctly that which had passed in the Com mittee. Not one Member of the Committee had objected to his making the present application. The LORD ADVOCATE said the Committee could not possibly take any cognizance of such a matter. They had done all their duty allowed them to do, viz., to decide upon the Bill which was before them. The gallery was then cleared for a division. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the motion Against it Majority for the motion 8 ASSESSED TAXES. Mr. WILKS presented a petition from the Assessed 'FRx Collectors of the Metropolis and its vicinity, praying for compensation, in consequence of the great reduction in taxation that had taken place under the Act of George 111. The Collectors of Assessed Taxes received 3d. in the pound on the amount of their collections. At the time the Act passed, the amount received for the Assessed Taxes amounted to one million five hundred thousand pounds. In the year 1822, a considerable diminution was made in favour of the country in the Assessed Taxes, and by this and other things considerable reductions had been made of the profits of the Assessed Tax Collectors. They did not make complaints of that ; but, in 1834, the House Tax had been also removed, and the result was, that the amount now to be collected by the three hundred persons who filled these important offices did not exceed 600,060/. a-year ;so that where they before received 741., they now only received 32/. Yet still their vocations were greater than they were before. Such being the case, the petitioners had made repeated applications, but without ef fect, to the different successive Governments ; and there fore the present application had become necessary. The SPEAKER interrupted the Hon. Member, and said that it was very desirable that Hon. Members should confine themselves to the statements of their petitions. Mr. WILKS said that the statement of the petitioners was, that they had only half the amount of revenue, whilst they had at least the same amount of labour. Under these circumstances he hoped that his Majesty's Government would take the matter into consideration, and that they would be prepared with some measure of redress. If this were not done, he should feel it his duty early in the next session to move for certain papers on the subject. Mr. F. BARING hardly knew what course they could pursue on this subject. He was very sorry that there should he any appearance of hardship towards the petitioners. The subject had been for a long time under the considera tion of the Government ; but there was this difficulty in the case, that if they acceded to the memorial that had been presented by the petitioners, they would be adding largely to the expenditure of the public money. There was a difficulty in complying with the prayer of the petition, although there was a wish to do so on the part of the Treasury, if they could comply without raising a host of parties. They had every wish to redress the grievance of the petitioners. FACTORIES' BILL. Mr. GULLY:presented a petition from Pontefract, in favour of the 10 hours' Factory Bill. IMPORTATION OF SPECIE. Mr. ROBINSON said he had a petition in his hand which was of great public, as well as individual, importance ; but before he proceeded to state the substance of the peti tion, he felt it to be his duty, in consequence of the prayer being somewhat equivocal, in regard to the forms of the House, to state what the prayer was. The petition prayed that a sum of 13,800/. charged by the Admiralty upon the Underwriters, of the wages and provi sions of the officers and seamen of the ships employed for the protection of specie, and for the wear and tear of his Majesty's ships, might be restored to the parties ; or that the House would make inquiry into the circumstances, and adopt such other measures, as in its wisdom it might think fit. prevailed when he first - entered Parliament, when petitions were presented withoTt any discussion. It was a most un gracious attempt ; but he was strengthened by the conviction that he was supported by the House. He bad thought so till last night, when that conviction was shaken by seeing Honourable Members on both sides of the House get up, and recommend the Honourable Member for Berkshire to proceed in the breach of the practice. There was another class of petitions, where individuals wished to make motions upon them ; those, in his opinion, were only to be made upon the condition that notice was to be given. He had considered it his duty to make these statements out of respect to the House, and be now left the subject with them to deal with it as they thought best. Mr. ATTWOOD thought the rule laid down by the Speaker completely put an end to the presentation of pe titions. Lord J. RUSSELL thought that the greatest inconve nience had taken place in consequence of Members making observations, and stating their own views upon peti tions which they had to present. He felt indebted to the Chair for the course it had pointed out, for unless some such rule was adopted, if the House was to devote from 9 to I() o'clock for the presentation of petitions, only two or three would be presented. If any discussion was to take place on the subject of petitions, it ought to occur on the motion for the reading of some Order of the Day upon notice. HAND-LOOM WEAVERS. Mr. MAXWELL had felt every inclination to give to the Honourable Members who had opposed this Bill every opportunity of having it thoroughly considered. He had asked from the Noble Lord opposite whether Govern thent intended to remain neutral? If, however, unfortunately the Bill, which in his opinion would be attended with the greatest good- Mr. WARBURTON rose to order—the Hon. Mem ber was commenting upon the effect of his Bill, and no person would have an opportunity of replying. Mr. MAXWELL would only add a few words. He wanted merely to give publicity to the prices.—(Loud cries of " Order," and " Chair.") Lord JOHN RUSSELL hardly knew how to answer the Hon. Member's question, because he was really afraid of a misunderstanding on this subject. Certainly, if the Hon. Member wished him to express his concurrence in this Bill, he was unable to do so. But if the Hon. Member wished him merely to say that he wished that this Bill should have an opportunity of having a full deliberation, and that the Government would not interpose any obstacle to such deliberation, he was ready to say thus much, and he was quite ready to say that if without concurring in the Bill there were any regulations on the subject that might be useful, he would look certainly most impartially to the subject. POOR LAW AMENDMENT. Mr. HUME had a question to put respecting the Poor Law Amendment Bill. Lord J. RUSSELL was going to move that the Order of the Day be read for the purpose of postponing it to this day three months. .'Mr. HUME wished to make one observation. He sub mitted that if the Noble Lord, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, saw no objection when a Bill of so much importance, calling for the alteration of the existing laws, and giving extraordinary powers to the Com missioners, was brought forward, whether he did not think that the Board of Commissioners ought to lay on the table of that House the reasons why these various enactments were required. It would save a vast deal of time, and would have prevented much misunderstanding. He was satisfied that much of the alarm that had been raised was owing to the object of this Bill not being understood. He, therefore, hoped that the Noble Lord would take the subject into consideration. Lord JOHN RUSSELL agreed in the opinion expressed by the Hon. Member for Middlesex, and could assure the Hon. Member, that it was the intention of the Board to have laid their Report before that House and the public, previous to the Bill being brought in—( Hear, hear)—that Report had unfortunately been delayed, it having extended much further than was anticipated. Mr. T. ATTWOOD rose amidst cries of " Order." He begged to read the Order of the Day of the 7th of July, by which he had been prevented from presenting his petition. The words of it were, " that during the remain der of the present Session public business should commence at half-past four, or at four o'clock, in case the private busi ness was sooner disposed of." Major BEAUCLERK hoped that in the next session the Noble Lord (Russell) would allow the whole subject of the Poor Laws to come before a Select Committee of that House. He had no objection to the Noble Lord naming the Committee, as all he wanted was a fair investigation. He admitted that much good had arisen from the Bill, and he only wished to have an opportunity of pointing out some serious evils which he conceived to exist in the present system. Lord JOHN RUSSELL could not answer the question of the Hon. and Gallant Member at present. His mind was made up to refuse the appointment of a Select Com mittee to consider the whole question of Poor Laws ; but, at the same time, that if there was any particular part of the present law that inflicted an unnecessary hardship or that infringed upon the the poor with any severity, he would not refuse, respecting that particular point, to make any alteration that was called for, consistently with the maintenance of the law. The Bill was then ordered to be read a second time that day three months. PRISONERS' COUNSEL BILL. Mr. EWART brought up the Report of the Select Committee, which had been appointed to consider the amendments made by the Lords to the Prisoners' Counsel Bill. The Committee disagreed to the amendments made by the Lords, depriving prisoners in cases of felony of the last word. Sir E. WILMOT said, that not being present last night, he wished to say he thought all difficulty might be got rid of by at once adopting the amendments of the Lords. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then rose to address the House, but was interrupted by the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod, who summoned the Speaker to the other House to hear the Royal Assent given to certain Bills. The SPEAKER, on his return, informed the House of the Bills which had received the Royal Assent, for which see Lords' Report. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL would in a very few words dispose of the arguments he was using when the Speaker was called away. He deprecated in the strongest terms the Bills being lost by any disagreement with the other House, for even as the Bill now stood, it was a great gain if the Bill became the law of the land ; in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred the prisoner would have the last word, for it was comparatively few who called witnesses to cha racter. He most strenuously advised the House to accept the Bill in its present shape. Mr. EWART said, if the House adopted the amend ment of the Lords it would make the law worse than it at present was ; for though it gave him one speech, it gave two against him. The Report had been agreed to unani mously by Members of all shades of politics ; be sides, it was not to be supposed that the Bill would be lost if the proposed plan were carried into effect —for the Commons gave up part of their original Bill, in the hopes of inducing the Lords to compromise. All that was asked was that justice should be extended to cases of felony and misdemeanour. In his opinion instead of the Bill being thrown out, as suggested by his Honour able and Learned Friend, it would be much better to have a conference with the House of Lords ; and if they would not agree to the alterations proposed, then the ques tion would be, whether that House should go along with them, or give up the Bill altogether ? Mr. C. BULLER thought the great objection in the House of Lords was applying the provisions of the Bill to treason and misprision of treason.--(Hear.) The Report was then ordered to lie on the table ; Lords' Amendments to be taken into further consideration on Monday next. POOLE CORPORATION BILL. Mr. POULTER moved the third reading of the Poole Corporation Bill. Mr. A. TREVOR considered that the Bill interfered most improperly with the rights of parties, and if he stood alone he would take the sense of the House upon the third reading of the Bill. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. The House divided, when the numbers were— For the third reading 74 Against it 30 Majority -44 The Bill was then read a third time and passed. GREEK LOAN. The House, on the motion of Lord PALMERSTON, went into Committee on the Greek Loan Bill,—Mr. BER NAL in the Chair. Lord PAL MERS TON said that the object he had in view had been pretty well explained by the papers he had laid before the House, which showed the course of the communication which had taken place between the Government of this country and the Government of Greece on the one hand, and the Governments of France and Russia on the other, with regard to the further guarantee of the remaining por tion of the loan of 1832, which the Three Powers had gua ranteed. He wished to reiterate to the Committee the grounds on which he felt it his duty to make the present proposition. The House was aware that after the termination of the contest between Greece and Turkey, and when the latter power consented to acknowledge the independence of Greece, by virtue of certain authorities given to the Three Powers by the Greek nation, those Powers proceeded to exercise the trust that devolved upon them in the choice of a Sovereign for Greece. That choice fell upon Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg ; and in the communications that had taken place between that prince and the Conference consisting of the three Powers, those three Governments agreed to guarantee the interest and sinking fund of a loan of sixty millions of francs to he raised for the use of the Government, of Greece. The House was aware of the circumstances which had led to the resignation of Prince Leopold, and the appoint ment of Prince Otho. When the proposition was made to Prince Otho, the Government of Bavaria asked whe ther the same accommodations would be afforded to him, which had been afforded and secured to his predecessor, and substantially had asked, whether the same accommo dation would be given to him, to enable him to administer the Government of Greece. The three Powers consi dered themselves bound by their former engagement, and consented to continue to Prince Otho the engage ment they had made to Prince Leopold —not made to this or that individual, but made to the Greek na tion, in furtherance of the accomplishment of those pur poses. which the Three Powers had laboured to establish. In consequence of this an article was inserted in the Treaty between the Three Powers and the King of Bavaria, signed in 1832, by which the former Government was formally regarded in the Treaty, with this difference, that whereas in 1830 the engagement made was general, and without restriction, to guarantee sixty millions of' francs. By the treaty of 1832, that loan was to be divided into three instalments of twenty millions each, and were to be raised in succession instead of the whole being raised at once ; and the raising of the different instalments was to be made in virtue of that Treaty. Two out of three instalments had already been granted, and the l oa n t o th e ex t ent o f 40,000,000 francs had already been received. With regard to the two first instalments, when the original engagement was made with Greece in 1830, it was supposed by both parties, that the whole of the 60,000,000 world go in aid of the general revenues of Greece. Subsequently to 1835 a negociation had been entered into at Constanti nople, which was attended by the most successful termina tion, from the zeal and ability of his Right Honourable Friend, the Member for King's-Lynn, by which negociation a large and important district had been added to the territories of Greece, on condition that the Greek States should pay to Turkey a sum of 40,000,000 piasters. The Greek Government had, therefore, had the two first instalments, but from them was to be deducted the 40,000,000 of piastres, amounting to about eleven million three hundred francs, which had been paid to Turkey. In the course of last year the Greek Government repre sented that there was still a deficiency of revenue, and that they required the further advance. The application was not unexpected by the parties. Discussions arose between the Conference and the Greek Government as to the amount of the advance which was required, and as to what portion it was necessary to advance for the service of the Greek State—the Conference, of course, requiring strict proof of what was actually necessary for the expenses of the year. In doing so, he thought they acted with that due caution and attention which the subject demanded, and not only for the benefit of the three States, but also of Greece herself ; for, of course, it could be no benefit for her Go vernment to have more money in her coffers than she required. The Greek Government satisfied them that there was a deficiency, and that it amounted to from four to six millions of francs. There was a doubt on the part of the Government of France as to the amount which ought to be advanced ; but at last she had concurred with the British Government, that the loan ought to be six millions of francs. In the early part of last year disturbances had broken out in the northern provinces —not from the inhabi tants, but an inroad of banditti from Turkey. It was repelled not only by troops brought from the Southern provinces, but also by taking into active employment the population of the country. It became necessary to raise 2,000 men, in addition to the army, and when he stated that it was raised from that population which were thought to be turbulent, and they, forgetting their old habits and jea lousies, joined closely together and repelled the enemy. When he stated that, he afforded a strong proof that the Government of Greece was founded upon the affections of the Franks. The French Government and the English Government being of opinion that the loan of sixty millions of francs was necessary and sufficient for the exigencies of the Greek Government, the Russian Government enter tained a different opinion, and having in the first place de clined to concur in any advance, they afterwards proposed to the Conference not to join in that, but proposed that the Three Powers should immediately guarantee the whole amount, which should be issued by annual payments of 2,500,0001. His Majesty's Government and the Government of France felt that this proposal was not applicable to the present wants of the Greek Go vernment. There could be no doubt that the meaning and spirit of' the treaty was, that the Government of Greece should have the loan of 60 millions of francs, but the proposal of the Russian Government would place at the disposal of the Government of Greece only forty millions out ofsixty, and would, therefore, place Greece in a state of absolute insolvency The object he had in view was to propose to the House a Bill, the purport of which was not to authorise the Crown to go to a greater extent than the former Act authorised it —not to guarantee more than the third of the sixty millions which the country had already guaranteed, but to enable England to go step by step with France, even although Russia should not be satisfied to guarantee her portion of the loan. It was a Bill not to increase the liability of this country, but to enable the Crown to render that liability useful. The total amount which this country had con tracted to pay would be six millions and upwards of francs. The question now was, not whether the Crown should stop short, and refuse any more of the money so guaranteed, or whether it should go on to increase the guarantee. The country was bound to guarantee to Greece by the stipula tions of the treaty the whole of that six millions of francs —the residue of its share in the sixty millions ; and if the Russian proposal were to be adopted the Government should proceed to charge the country prospectively with the whole amount. The question, then, was not whether the Government should do it, but how they should do it ? It might be satisfactory to the Committee to hear what were the prospects which Greece held out, that the en gagements which it entered into with this country in the Treaty of 1832 would not bring a charge upon the finances of England ; for though he (Lord Palmerston) could not for a moment admit, that even though Greece was not able to fulfil her engagements the course he was now about to propose to the Committee should not be taken, still he thought it would be satisfactory to the Committee to know how matters stood in that re spect. He was happy, then, to be enabled to state to the Committee that the revenue of Greece was progressively increasing, while its expenditure was, on the contrary, pro gressively diminishing. From 1832 up to the present year he could show that to be the case ; and it was only fair to infer that it would continue so during the existence of the causes which conduced to it :.--. In 1833 the expenditure was 134)00, Franc o. 1835 1834 1836 15,000,000 The amount of the former years was certain, that of the present year was the estimated expenditure. Fi ancs. 2,500,000 4,800,000 3,300,000 4,900,000 In 1828 the revenue was 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 7,000,000 1834 9,400,000 1835 ... 10,700,000 1836 11,300,000 The revenue of 1832 could not be ascertained with any thing like precision, inasmuch as it was a period of confu sion, as the country was in a state of anarchy, and as no public accounts were kept. The revenue of 1836 was the estimated sum. It appeared, therefore, that while the re venue was increasing the expenditure was diminishing, anti that the difference between them was— In 1834 a b ou t A . ancs. 1835 10,000,000 1836 4,000,000 It was natural to suppose that a country situated as Greece was would, when her Government was organized, have a revenue sufficient for all her wants. He had no great means of ascertaining the general nature and amount of the foreign commerce of Greece ; but he thought safe conclu sions might be drawn from the returns made by the British Consul at Patras, inasmuch as that pot t, from its geogra phical position in regard to the country, might be taken as a key to the entire. The British tonnage entered at Patras— ps. i Taus. In 1831 amounted to ShB containing 1,000 1832 ............... 20 1833 ............... 23 1834 • 28 1835 The value of the imports from Great Britain to Patras was— In 1831 about In 1835 while the value of the exports at the same period were— In 1831 In 1835 £ 33,00 g 1 I 7,000 If the Government of Greece was found able to carry on the affairs of the country—to pay their troops, their civil servants, and their employers of every kind—to causo the laws to ho feared and good order to be respected—he thought he was justified in saying that, should such a pro gressive state of things continue, the revenue of the country would progress in the same ratio, and a sufficient surplus would be soon available, not only to pay the interest upon the debt, but also to place against a portion of the capital fund guaranteed by the three contracting Powers. But even if a doubt of the immediate ability of Greece to pay this debt existed, at the present crisis no man of sense could refuse the remainder of the loan, so as to enable the Government of that country to be carried on for this year, .~ If there was one more period more than another in t • t cent politi ca l ex i stence of that country fraught with most dan ger t o h er f urther being, it was the a present. , refusal of the residue of the loan would bring the ma chine o f G overnment there to a dead standstill, and all hope of recovery would be at an end. H e (Lord Palme rs t on ) cou ld not bring himself to believe, after the efforts made by this country to secure the independence of Greece and the active co-operation of Parliament with th e p u bli c on that occasion, that the present House Commons would preserve a total indifference as to its future fate, or stand altogether neutral while its political exist ence was at stake. He was persuaded that the feelings regarding Greece which formerly actuated this country were not so altered as to induce the House of C o mmons by a deliberate act to condemn it to anarchy and ruin—to destroy the fiihric of its freedom, and to consign it o ver to slavery. The Noble Lord then proposed the following resolution :—" That it is the opinion of this Committee that his Majesty be authorised and empowere"), to guarantee: that portion agreed to by this country of the third and last in s t a l ment o f the loan contracted by th e King of Greece with the Three Powers, in pursuance of the Con vention to that effect ; and that prevision be made to pay the int eres t an d expenses thereof out of the Consolidated Fund." Mr. HUME asked the Noble Lord whether the monies, stated by hi m to h ave been paid to the Greek army an d navy had been disbursed out of the revenues o f that country ? Lord PALMERSTON was understood to reply in affirmative, with the exception of the present y ea r, the avarage revenue of which having been taken on a probable estimate only could not be applied to that purpose. Mr. HUME wished to know whether the statements of the revenue and expenditure made by the Noble Lord were derived from the official documents or public acts, and if so, by whose authority had they been presented to him ? Lord PALMERSTON said that they were taken from the accounts presented to the Government by the G r eek Minister in London, as well as from the statements of the English Minister at the Court of Greece. He did not know and could not say whether they had ever been pub lished in Greece. Mr. ROBINSON was sorry to oppose the resolution , but he did not consider the Committee was bound by any obligation of national honour or national faith to concur with the Noble Lord ; and he thought it might safely, a s I well as ju s tl y , re f use i ts concurrence with his resolution. t was a most important matter for the Committee to know , that when the loan was contracted for the King of Bava ria, on the part of Greece, his Ambassador undertook, as party to the contract, that the surplus revenues of the country should be applied to the payment of the interest on it, as well as to the creation of a sinking fund, before they were applied to any other purposes. So far from that condition b e i ng comp li ed with, the interest remained unpaid, and the Noble Lord was unable to state in what man ner the resources of the country had been applied. Th e Noble Lord had not clearly explained the course which France had taken ; the House, however, had a right to know it. It was quite idle to say that if the Committee agreed with the Noble Lord, England would only have to guarantee the six millions, her share of the twenty millions—she world timately have to guarantee the entire of it. And, ev en this country were not prepared to uphold Greee e still fur" ther it would be idle to guarantee that. The Noble Lord had said that the Government of King Oen° was popular in Greece. He (Mr. Robinson) had reason to know the contrary. He believed the Bavarian rule in that country was highly unpopular, and that King Otho would never be popular with the martial chiefs over whom he had bee° called to reign. The resources of Greece also were highly estimated by the Noble Lord. Now, if he (Mr. Robinson) underst oo d r i g h t, they were never in a more dilapidate state. How could they be otherwise ? The whole country was hi a ferment : all the Peloponessus was in arms, and only kept from rebellion by the presence of a Bavariao force. This country had been so often the victim of ott.ters , and the several Governments had come down to the Ij o use so repeatedly for a sanction to immense expenditure i n that way, that it was time to look about before it pre.,ceedean further. I n a l most all the transactions in which England had been engaged with the other Powers , . of Europe she had been left to pay the whole. lb should move as an„ amendment, for the purpose of keeping the question s he treat " That it is the opinion of this Committee th a t the treaty of 1832 not having been fulfilled on the p ar t of Greece it is virtually cancelled, and that it is not expedient to guarantee any portion of the third instalment of the loan stipulated by it without the concurrence of all the par' ties thereto." Mr. PRYME should vote against both the resolution and the amendment. Lord DUDLEY STE WART felt great pain in opposing the motion of his Noble Friend on this occasion. If the ob ject of the loan were to establish Greece as a thorough in dependent State, and not, as he knew it was, as little b e tter than a Russian province, it should have his ready a sse nt but when lie considered that this money, when paid, would be applied, not to Government purposes, but solely t o the purposes of the Russian faction in Greece, he felt himself bound to give it his decided opposition. Mr. HUME deprecated that invariable language strong complaint against the conduct of Russia which the Noble Lord was in the habit of using on every occas ion- Much of the power of Great Britain depended on her faith ful performance of her engagements ; but as we had sacri ficed so much money already, and as Greece had not fulfilled her engagements, and as the Government of Greece Was contrary to the spirit and feelings of the people, the n it be came a serious question whether they ought to grant anY further sums of money in support of a despotic Govern' ment, and against the feelings of that people whose good opinion we were desirous to conciliate. After the conduct of Russia he saw no reason why we should throw away our money for such a purpose. Greece was, in point of fact' far too poor for a Monarchy. The only Government for that country was a Federative Government. Mr. B. HOY opposed the motion. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER com plained of the indiscriminate abuse of. Russia which fell from the Noble Lord (Lord D. Stur4rt) on all occasions' He denied that this was a proposition made in favour of Russia, but it was a proposition from which Russia ;tself dissented, and therefore the Noble Lord was certainly mis taken in his chief ground of objection. He called on the Committee to consider whether, if they now refused this advance, if they were to cut off all the resources of Greece at one blow, there was much probability of their obtaidng the repayment of the two-thirds of the loan which they,. had al rea d y a d vance d ? He thought as a question 0 ' finance it wou ld b e a most unwise act, and as a q u estion of policy a most cruel act. He should certainly s upport the resolution. Major BEAUCLERK having lived in Greece, could bear testimony to the anti-monarchical feeling of the Greeks'', The Greeks were Republicans, and whether Hon. Gentle" met, liked Republicans or not, such was the fact. The Hon. and Gallant Member entered into a review of the re.' cent affairs of Greece, and declared it to be his o pinion that it was impossible to force a Monarchical Government on Greece, and therefore that the best service the Houle• could do to the Noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was to negative his motion. It was in consequence of Russia finding that she could not succeed in establishing a kingly; Government in her interest in Greece—in consequence et her finding that a German and English party had sprung tip—(" Hear, hear," from Lord Palmerston)—there, that Russia had withdrawn from her engagements, and left the burden of fulfilling them on England. If they voted this money it would only be for Russian purposes, and he should therefore oppose it. Mr. T. BARING opposed the motion. Dr. BOWItING could not agree with the Hon. Gen' tleman in his approbation of Russian policy, which was decidedly barbarous with respect to Greece. He (lid not think that it was the policy of Russia to tranquilize Greece in reality, or that the advance of 200,000/. more would effect that desirable object, or insure the bona fide inde pendence of that State. If the Hon. Gentleman would modify his motion so as to admit of a little delay in exa mination he would not oppose it. Lord SANDON did not agree with Hon. Gentlemen who were inclined to depreciate the financial and agricul tural condition of Greece, and who asserted that there wag o °' thing to be hoped from that country in the scale of European Powers. The Noble Lord read an extract from the work of the Rev. Mr. Wordsworth, stating the improved state of Athens, where very lately half an acre of land was sold. for 300/. He felt it his duty to support the motion. Mr. G. F. YOUNG had consideredthe question deeply, and lie thought the Russian Am l 'Atssador's view of assisting Greece in her financial and P:,;litary difficulties by the aP plication of small sums ar:nually was far more correct al politic th an th a t o f t h e Noble Lord. On every view ° the case, whether 'looking to the policy of not allowing Russian influence to act uncontroulled in this matter, or to the treaty by which we were bound to take part in the preservation of the tranquillity and independence of Greece , he thought it would be exceedingly inconsistent and ii politic in this country to withdraw its aid, or to attempt to pursue a separate line of policy with respect to eoat State, Mr. GOULBURN felt it out of his power to co'acur in tho policy of the Noble Lord, as it went to establiSh a Go; vernment inappli ca bl e to the present political state 1:" Greece, and not at all in accordance with the. feelings ° r interests of its inhabitants. He believed that, notwitlk" standing what had been insinuated, Russia was prepared 1 ° fulfil its engagenients, in strict accordance with the terms of the treaty, and under circumstance% calculated to rend er the contributions for the benefit erg Greece most effective. It would, therefore, appear peeu l liarly injurious to the cha racter of England and its ml interests, with respect to