The Sun. — London, England, 1844-05-10 00:00:00

I tough be- Ll the o the like )ntrol erests He tistry. row 6 May, Dt 'tbe nister, lamed :Hear, tefenee The )ended and ehend. was * )üblin, Being a irce of mimic riarchi :ted to LOt the )W, he which March, oyaltp• Letter, io pur applied The not 50 goners,, au WAY Gentle now, not systoot ite in IP he Lord' , Gentle' , ated th e rantaget i Lion las inions Of ;the 0' , e d to P°- A it. .A l - !fore the ork e" ;. Secretary—(Hear, hear)—and if the Hon. Gen tleman Wished to see a stable, uniform, and permanent system in Ireland, he had nothing to do but to support Ine Government now i n power .—(H ear , h ear .) H e really thought that the Hon. Gentleman's objection was Tnnoet mere applicable t o th e p resent sys t em o f govern int lreland, than it was to the present system of' toeerninent in England, or indeed to any system of go iernment which w as f oun d e d on representat i on .—(H ear .) would n t go furthe r i n t o thi s su bj ec t ; b u t b e f o re he heleded Must express his dissent from the opinion of sntte ntrtia l C e l ili9Gentleman, that Ireland was not repre t House. He• could not at all agree that /Irelend was placed on th e same footing as the (t. her pertions of the United Kingd esom, eith regard to ° _ r e'gn commerce, she was not reprented merely be ;ittse she h a d a L ord- Lieutens.nt; and nothing, he be red would t en d more to create dissat i s f act i on i n Ire 711d than to remove the present Government from that wi ntry and transfer it to England. for Lord JOHN. RUSSELL said he had occasion, at a able period, to consider whether or not it was advis a.,l4 aiiolish the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland; ill ue f he thought- there were reasons of great force Which of the abolition, yet the conclusion at that " .he arrived was, that it was not at t h i ' time expedient to abolish it. •He thought that t he also was atime in which it was not expedient that '„u e change should take place.—(Hear, bear.) But if question were merely a general one, he had no less I,wtterheenligoatn t o h p e ini b o e n s t t hat government by a Lord-Lieutenant kind of government for Ireland. tk 0131 - Lord said there were many things done in 0e eeitineil by the Lord-Lieutenant; but there could be ledoubt that if the office were abolished, other arrange "lerinnts could be made. There was a great difference of e at i a tt n. on that subject :at the time of the union with that Lord Somers gave it as his opinion Th e N s not desirable to continue the Council. ob.e Lord stated that Scotland had different in se se:l°" and laws from England, while Ireland pos taaBd. t l lle same institutions and the same laws as Eng sehu°4l:dllut neither was. that a reason why Scotland in ot b eeeme united with England. Another diffi- Lieete- become W ay of the abolition of the office of Lord- Castlenoaful)w" crises, deco-7 questions the numerous references made to the Egg thet blin neethe local magistracy of Ireland. In were, in the greater number of in Irel an d'''. by the local magistrates themselves. But the cast, there was a disposition to refer everything to rhi th e This was not an advantage, but an evil, ;.abreition of the office would tend to diminish. 4f theme offi ce questions , came for discussion to the Home rn 'England, there would be a much stronger feel the_as' to what was the right and just course to take on re e se particular occasions than now. But with all these 18ea s against the existence of the office, he thought no Ders o ,,, were so capable of judging of the question as the it -- ' ut ive Government itself. If it was its opinion that' tewras desirable to continue it, • he should be sorry to in earZa with it by a vo te of that House. He, therefore, not support the motion. f S RAW said that all his prepossessions were in °I retaining the office of Lord-Lieutenant. He thoughtin the trade of Dublin and its society would be V iti e rla uslY affected by its removal. At the same time eider aware that public opinion had undergone a con hie - 1 , 4 „ u1e change on this subject; and notwithstanding not . .: rsen al prejudices in favour of the office, he was sa4 ,PLepared to say that he differed materially from the tio ae t ee, 'Ks he had formerly expressed, and which the quote;. and Gallant Member had done him the honour to L oie. : Ile agreed with him that the position of the itedehLieute.nant of Ireland must be an anomalous one, f eoi believed it would ultimately be the unanimous p e , e ll e of all parties in Ireland that it would be for the 017trient interests of that country for either the e re ' n al Government or the real authority to be more koener local control. He hoped the Hon. Member for pat loca l would not press his motion to a division. ai s L e a P e t ain LAYARD said that, after a twelve years' re ad-re' in Irela n d, he was convinced it would be a dis ten:atage to Ireland to abolish the office of Lord-Lieu- Ise ; and he believed the majority of the people of e h o pd were of the same opinion. If the office were ece e i s s i hed . it would tend to create absenteeism, and would a n a • still greater want of employmentehan was ow felt not at • He contended that the case of Scotland was emurall: a il analogical, b ecaus e the people of Ireland were ice ris y t e "'a , ghis ay H and fond of amument. He was sur on. and Gallant Friend, who was so t aie g to Ireland, should support the motion. He (Cap mLaYard) sh ou ld certa i n ly vo t e a gainst the motion. ti ne r 'o l . l BELLEW said he was willing that this ques oud be tried u p on its merits, and upon its merits eitan • T here was no doubt whatever but there was a t orc fe necessary in the present system. The Noble i t d h e e nt S if e y c in re g tary for Ireland, talked in one breath aed the interests of England and Ireland, 1 , 43 Lille next moment appeared anxious to preserve what Tf e , r er med the last vestige - of Ireland's independence. th e r ea sons expressed by the Righe Hon. Gentleman, eires.tLord of the Treasury, and by the Right Hon o . the of 4 1 ) ,. e 110y of the Exchequer for co . ntinumg the n Dose '" - Lientenant of Ireland were widely different front . elimentioned by the Noble Lord on that e . vening : e outt zt was not without other resources than a viceregal liga was had court of law, a garrison, and was con eau_ans to the sea. If the office were abolished, .of tee 'le the salary at present enjoyed by the Lord-Lieu sea ika t would ,b e con f erre d on t h e coun t r y in some other f er Y e • The people in th e coun t r y p a rts were quite indif eaur o e it as the continuance of the office ; indeed, he flo e a ( 1 , 1 the general feeling was in favour of its aboli blw - Ln Louth, which was only thirty miles distant from o ,'n e the inhabitants did not know or care when the " Lieutenant wits in Dublin, and when he was not. lee t hought it would be much more conducive to the t e ' ests of Ireland if the business of the two countries 11 1; 1 - , n ar nalgamated, and if the Members of the Ca binet made immediately responsible in that House for the overnrnent of Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) Sir R. PELL said he thought the Hon. Member who h ad just satedown would have acted more wisely if he e :cconfined his observations to the subject matter be .)r.e in House, and not have wandered 25 years I(o4lrtnn. Peel)quest f nut Montrose,be wise to poa-sssorne passages in speeches which he might have delivered. He thought it would the motion of the Hon. Member for unless they were prepared at once to abolish 0 a ins T e e? H off ea g ice of L or d -Lieutenant, for the recorded vote of t i the tenure of the office would have the t f paralysing the executive government of Ire les ; and they- should not abolish the office un esbey weld substit u t e some thi ng b e tter in its stead. ee t.Far, hear.) He would be sorry to express de= L7d opinion in favour of the continuance of that office. j va ( r tl eae, hear.) It was impossible to deny but there thein trong arguments why Ireland should be goVerned said same manner as E ng l a nd and Wales. It had been 0 e that th e G overnment were unw i ll i ng to abolish the , because it took away so much patronage. Why, e v e w as a foolish argument,' for he apprehended that I,44teeer Church patronage was at present vested in the th eeutive, would be then conferred on' the First Lord of 1„., Tr easury. The members of the Cabinet did not ask tr at was the amount o f p a tronage, and really . Irish pa- TV er lt g a was not what they were most anxious for. reside was no doubt but the Lord-Lieutenant's L atl ee in rreland encouraged a good deal of l'tPenditure, and he feared its removal wt InF r n .i els ' absenteeism. It was urged that they s ?''t have a fourth Secretary of State ; but he was ietL rel Y against this proposition, and thought it would irt to - "uee endless confusion, and, perhaps, dissensions I,th,e Cabinet. Such an office had been a great ano hat)." this country. The present Lord-Lieutenant, seh () gh having a high. name and privileges, was yet er et ° rd iale to the Secretary of State, but this new Se qui-is`rY of. State would be, according to the proposition, te a ,'" e , an indeedent nd almost irresponsible officer y . He Bpw be absen p t n from a Ireland six months of the ear. Irish Ireland to be governed in his absence, or how will - ' lri sh questions to de discussed in the Cabinet it e l „ e ut his presence during . the other six months? But ties - taald pOwer might be intrusted to other high func tealues, sen - lething as it now is during the absence of b d ,„*"` a rd-Lieutenant. He apprehended that this would iier v ery dangerous investiture of power indeed, and the a enee and authority of the Chancellor might become ePter than was desirable for the fair and equitable ad ter-12,4teation of Irish affairs. There was a very or a ,L4 argument, indeed, against vesting the powers 1 - 1 0 ," office in the. Secretary of. State for the b e bepartment. He feared the duties would at , vastly en too onerous. There was a limit to human F'R t h , but he feared such an accumulation of Ilitt ess would be beyond the capacity of any man alive. in Ilia tress Hon Friend, thepresent Secretary of State— see"t",aise praise ' he would not say more, as he was pre leetethat' he was eminently qualied, from know he Z e e a nd experience, to fill it—would, he felt confident, te s c'etleal to such a tusk. There were numerous mat such' referred to the Lord-Lieutenant, wffil in such an event, be transferred to the Home-o _ce, W ork " grand jury affairs . , the control over the Board . of N o a, and such like things. In his opinion, nothing tee," he more ill advised than to take any step for the ea ,7°eal of the Court from Dublin without due and that thelte information; because he thought it essential t ei a ' l• e should be a central source from whence the exer- Vauthority in that country should emanate. Hon. • bILLON BROWNE differed from the e h e,e'oer for Montrose. If the people of that country and na Placed i n th e sa me position as those of Scotla nd, d not to pay for a Church establishment fr?m a Lteh they -dissented, they would give up the point or, t e e d by the Hon. Member. But in the present state y ett `ne case, the people of Ireland would exclaim, t e k e ,, have taken away our Parliament, you have es ',away our aristocracy, and now you seek to deprive r e e.,°,t the last remnant we possess of our national ti n "tY, because you are called upon .to pay a paltry a ie r r e nd to its maintainance. He certainly was most b„' a e rl e gly in favour of supporting a Viceregal Courtinun, because whet.- Ireland possessed a local Parlia ment,t a t -7 and the precincts of the Castle were more pure, ld be the source of much benefit to the people. th e ` r • HUME sa id th a t a lthough diff er ing entirely from e, ei !'rgneaents which had been adduced against him, yet hatial ueg satisfied with the expression of opinion which T h en manifested, he should withdraw his motion. " a 'Lox. ME3IDER then withdrew his motion. CHIEF JUSTICE PENNEFATHER. 4 After a desultory conversation, in Which Lard Eliot. Port,O'Connell;Mr. D.-Browne, and Mr. Shaw took a g 4 l r• BUTLER, who was very indistinctly heard in the vi ce er Y , rose to move for a copy of an opinion and ad ti given by Mr. Pennefather, the present Chief Jus 28e of the Court of Queen's Bench in Ireland, on the th day of February, 1820, in a case of toll, namely, kiiinerbroke v. Kingsmill," in which the Corporation of p ot was interested, the original of which was in the e it 'eesen of the present Mayor and Corporation of t e cor Y of lilkenny. Ho said that many . years ago, the te4P,oration of the City of Kilkenny imposed certain st ,,, and upon one occasion the inhabitants offered • sough ePposition to them. The corporation .thereupon d e ught the opinion a Mr-. Perinefather, the , Chief tie e . , (The Hon. Gentleman here read the opinion ela ILr. Pennefather on the 28th of February, 1820, in the ,case of Pembroke v. Kingsmill. The ac tion was brought to try the right of the corporation of Kilkenny to levy certain tolls, to which they laid claim under a charter of James I. It appeared that in the mu niments of the corporation there was also a charter of James 11. Mr. Pennefather, who was counsel for the corporation, advised them, in the opinion referred to, to avoid all allusion or reference to the charter of James 11., as if produced it would falsify the pleadirigs; and he further advised them to employ a person to search in their muniments, who was ignorant of the existence of this charter of James 11., to, take care that he should have no knowledge of its existence, and then to put him into the witness box to prove the charter of James 1., as it might tell against them, if, on cross-examination , tha t person should admit that he knew anything of the charter.ofJarnes II.) Now, if he had read this paragraph in an amusing novel which was lately published,called" Ten Thousand a Year;" if he had read this paragraph as the production of Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap—or if he had received it as the production of two solicitors who were lately before .that llouEe, and who had at ' tempted to extort money from certain Noble Lords and Hon. Gentlemen opposite, he would have expressed his surprise at it; but he hardly knew how to express his great astonishment when he found attached to this document the name of an eminent lawyer, who was now Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench in Ireland. Now, he had stated the grounds upon which he founded his motion; and if this document were in existence he thought her Majesty's Government ought to grant the motion. In making this motion he had not been actuated by any I wish to see his name flourishing at the head of a long speech in the newspapers, his only object had been to elicit truth. Lord ELIOT could not think that the House would comply with this motion. The House would recollect that the document to which reference had been made was the opinion of counsel given in confidence to his clients ; and if they were to grant this motion, it would be establishing a most dangerous precedent. He appre hended that the document was correct as read by the Hon. Gentleman whO had brought forward the motion ; and he (Lord Eliot) would content himself by merely opposing the motion upon that ground. Ile understood that the Right Hon. Member for Dublin, University would more fully explain the circumstances under Which this opinion of Mr. Chief Justice Pennefather had been given, and the ground for it. .11e (Lord Eliot) un derstood the circumstances to be shortly these :—that the corporation o: Kilkenny claimed certain tolls in right of a charter granted by James the First. Subse quently to this James the Second issued a second char ter, but which the corporation of Kilkenny repudiated. It was, therefore, under these circumstance that Chief Justice Penefather advised his clients not to pro duce the second charter, as it would only have the effect of throwing doubt on the question - which the Court had to adjudicate upon, but to rely entirely on the charter of James the First. This, then, was the whole case. In conclusion he would say that no man in public life had exhibited more probity, honour, and integrity in his professional capacity that had Mr. Chief Justice Pennefather, and he (Lord Eliot) therefore regretted that this motion had been brought forward. Mr. SHAW was persuaded that the Hon. Gentleman who had brought forward this motion was altogether in capable of intending to support s.n attempt which had been made to overrule and defeat justice in Ireland, in a case now pending in the Court of Queen's - Bench there. This matter had occurred twenty years ago. He un derstood that Chief Justice Pennefather had no distinct recollection of having given this opinion in the words stated, but he recollected giving the opinion, and he (Mr. Shaw) contended that he was perfectly justified in doing so. The facts of the case were these. The cor poration of Kilkenny were at that time about to com mence a suit respecting certain tolls, which tolls were derived under a patent of James the First. A subse quent patent was in their possession which had been granted by James the Second, but which patent hey had repudiated. It was, therefore, necessary that formal proof should be adduced of the non-ex istence of an anterior patent to that of James the First. Mr. Pennefather, assuming that there was no such anterior patent, stated, he was consulted 'as the confidential adviser of the corporation of Kilkenny, directed them to give formal proof of the non-existence of an anterior patent, and he directed that the person who gave that formal proof should be a person not ac quainted with the subsequent patent of James the Se cond ; or, if lie were so, the fact coming out on cross examination might fetter the case. He was right .in doing so. Did any person say that a counsel ought to advise his client to produce evidence against himself ? The idea was absurd. He (Mr. Shaw) had referred to some of the most eminent men in the profession of the law in Ireland, and they all confirmed him in the opi nion that Mr. Chief Justice Pennefather had acted as became his position-and character. The- opinion which he had given was a perfectly justifiable one, and one for which numerous examples could be found. Let them take the case of an action for use and occupation. In such an action a verdict could fairly be obtained upon oral evidence as ,to the occupation of the house. In many cases there existed a written docu ment, or letter, which was unstamped. It was an every day practice to direct that somebody should be produced to prove occupation, who did not know of the-existence of the unstamped agreement, be cause if they were to produce it, it would defeat the action, although without it that action would be main tained upon oral evidence without producing the docu ment in question. Now, he did not think that the Hon. Gentleman himself was at all ready to deny—and he (Mr Shaw) would affirm—that there was no man in the pro fession, either in this country or in Ireland, who was more eminent for propriety and delicacy of conduct than Chief Justice Pennefather, nor was there a man more distinguished in all the relations of life for his purity and integrity of character and of conduct. Now he re collected one instance himself, when he was practising at the Irish bar twenty years ago ; he remembered in the Court of Queen's Bench that Mr. O'Connell had re ceived a brief, and was objected to on a point of form by the attorney in the cause. Mr. O'Connell said on that occasion that he had such a high opinion of Mr. Edward Pennefather, that he would leave him to decide the point, and by him it was decided. Now he (Mr. Shaw) heard Mr. O'Connell make that offer himself ; yet this was the gentleman against whom the charge which was contained in the Hon. Gentleman's motion was made. It had been attempted to make it appear to the public that Chief Justice Pennefather had recom mended that a person should be provided to prove that there was no subsequent patent in existe nce ; whereas, his advice was that a person should be produced formally to prove that there was no anterior patent. It was per fectly well known that the patent of James the Second was in existence, but it was a repudiated patent, and the whole case turned on the proof being given of the non existence of an anterior patent. He looked on this motion as an attempt at intimidation ; it was part of a system of intimidation against the Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench with reference to the depending State trials in Dublin. And if the House permitted him he would read a paragraph from a letter which he had re ceived from the Chief Justice himself. The Chief Jus tice said, " This motion is of a character quite in keep ing with that which has preceded it. I have, during the course of these trials, received letters of violent abuse, containing very serious threats and menaces both towards myself and my family. Public insult has been offered to me in my judicial capacity ; but of none of these do I make complaint, for they could have no effect upon me in the conscientious dis charge of my duty ; but I feel that it is an attempt to injure and prejudice the true administration of justice." Now he (Mr. Shaw) would ask the House whether the conduct of Chief Justice Pennefather had warranted the motion which was then before them ? Dr. BOWRING said he was one of those who had never taken part in Irish debates - but he thought that this was a question in which he could take a part, for he was of opinion that when there was an, imputation cast on a public officer—that he had recommended the sup pression of truth—it was a question which every Mem ber of that House had a right to inquire int " o. There had been a suppression of truth. — (" No, no, from Mr. Shaw.) The Learned Judge had advised that a certain person should be produced to give evidence of the non existence of a certain document. ; and that another cer tain document should be kept from his knowledge. That document had been repudiated, but not rejected. He thought, under these circumstances, that the Hon. and Learned Gentleman opposite was not justified in in dulging, as he had done, in vituperation. He, for one should support his Hon. Friend below him in the privi lege which he had asserted, of inquiry into this subject. Mr. DARBY said that he had known the Chief Justice during his whole life, but certainly if it were possible to put this interpretation upon the opinion de livered by him which had been attempted by the Hon. Gentleman opposite, he (Mr. (Darby) would not for a moment attempt to defend that Learned Judge. But it was impossible for him to believe that such interpretation could be put on it. He' had known the Chief Justice dur ing his whole life, and he had known him to be an honourable man, whose worth had been acknowledged in that House by the Hon. and Learned Member for Cork himself. He contended that they were unable to judge this matter without knowing the whole facts of the case, as they were laid before Chief Justice Pennefather. The charter, which he recommended should not be produced, it was well known was in existence, and was known to be in the possession of the corporation. This was a very _common occurrence in Ireland, for it was matter of history that almost, all James .the Second's charters were repudiated by the corporations to whom they were granted. He had not the slightest hesitation in saying that Mr. Justice Pennefather was perfectly justi fied in what he did. He was bound in duty to his clients to advise as he did. He (Mr. Darby) confessed that when he first saw this opinion in the newspapers he was astonished at the construction which at the first view was put upon it, and he immediately came to tho conclusion that it had never been given by Chief Justice Pennefather. But when he came to calmly consider it, and to read as it ought to be read, he said that it had been put forth merely to prejudice the character of that Learned Judge. He thought it was a monstrous thing that when a man had been fifty years a member of the legal profession, at this moment, for what purpose, he would not inquire, the whole of his professional career was to be raked up and an opinion produced that was given a quarter of a century ago which bad been printed in a manner that totally misrepresented it. The dishonour would fall not on the accused party, but on those who had mutilated his opinion so as to mislead the public altogether. Mr. MAURICE O'CONNELL thought that the lapse of time since the opinion was delivered did not diminish its dishonesty. Much stress had been laid on the shape in which the opinion had been printed ; and the lion. Member who spoke last had gone so far as to say that it was mutilated. In answer to that - charge let them have the document in its original form. It had been asked why had it snot been produced before? , But it should be recollected that it had always been in the' possesiion of the old corporation of Kul kerillYl and that the new corporation did not come iiit9 THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 10, 1844. GRAND DINNER AT MERCERS' HALL. The Surveyor-Accountant of St. Paul's School, and the Master Wardens and Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, gave a most magnifi cent dinner to the company who attended the apposition at the school, and they extended their imitations to many distinguished guests. Amongst the company invited, and whom we noticed as present, were—Sir Robert Peel ; Lord Hawarden; the I.ord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, the Bishops of Durham, Lichfield, and Ripon ; Sir Thomas Fremantle, Sir George Clerk, Sir Charles Clark, Mr. Richard Lambert Jones, the Chairman of the Joint Gresham Committee ' • Mr. Tite, the architect of the New Royal Exchange ; Mr. George Palmer, M.P. ; the Examiners and the Masters of the school, and the Court of the Mercers' Company. The chair was taken by Mr. Walney, the Master of the Company. The dinner consisted of every delicacy of the season. The wines were Of the 'finest quality, selected from the well-stocked cellars of the Company. After the usual loyal toasts were drank amidst accla mations, The MASTER proposed the health of their distin guished guest, Sir Robe% Peel, whom he characterised as the greatest man and the kindest gentleman who had ever honoured the Company with his presence. Sir ROBERT PEEL; who appeared to be in excellent health and spirits, acknowledged the toast in a manner that delighted the whole company. He always, he said, felt great pleasure in dining with the citizens of London; but the pleasure he now,„felt was greatly increased by the interesting occasion on which he was invited, and the distinguished company by which he had been in vited. The Right Hon. Baronet then spoke very highly of the Irish estate of the Company, and declared that they had set a noble example to all landlords; that they had utterly disregarded considerations of pecuniary gain in carrying out the great objects of promoting religion amongst, and in increasing the happiness and comforts of, their tenants. So intent had they been in accom plishing these most liberal and useful ends, that with a large nominal rental they never suffered any part of it to be employed for other purposes than such as made their estates an example to the whole of Ireland. He was most happy to hear of- the flourishing condition of the school, which had furnished no less than three gentlemen, now living, who had filled the high and ho nourable ffice of Attorne3t s iG-eneral, viz., Sir Charles Wetherell, Sir Thomas Wilde, and his Noble Friend, the present Chief Baron, Sir Frederick Pollock.—(Loud applause.) Here Sir Robert Peel warmly and justly eulogised the character of the Chief Baron, and said that that able and enligl*ned individual had attained his present distinguished position, not by the smiles of Court favour nor by aristocratic patronage, but by his own legal skill and knowledge, aided by . his great private integrity and worth.—(Cheers.) He wished for the per petuity of the Company, because he was satisfied that they would exercise their powers and wealth for the promotion of religious and sound education amongst the youth of that class to which his Hon. Friend belonged. —(Cheers.) Sir Robert Peel concluded by saying, that if he might take the applause with which they had done him the honour to receive him as an evidence of their approval of his public conduct, he should feel most grateful, and that it would constitute to him the highest reward for the past, and the most powerful incentive for the future.—(Loud and long continued cheering. Even after the Right Hon. Baronet had sat down for some time the applause was frequently reiterated.) The next toast was " The Chief Mercer," who re plied with remarkable feeling, and stated, that twenty six years ago he had sat as a schoolboy at a similar banquet; that under the auspices of the Mercers' Com pany he had proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became a student, and was subsequently ap pointed a fellow.—(Cheers.) He concluded by propos ing " The health of the Master, the Warden, and the Surveyor-Accountant, Mr. R. Sutton." The Master acknowledged the toasts ; and having drank the healths of the Recorder, the Examiner, and the Master, the meeting broke up after an evening of the highest enjoyment. EARLY CLOSING OF TRADES MEN'S SHOPS. The Lord Mayor yesterday stated at the Mansion house that his attention had been called to a subject, which appeared to him of a very important nature. A highly respectable firm in the borough of Southwark who, to their credit, took an interest in the intellectual and moral welfare of that numerous class of persons, shopkeepers' assistants, had urged him in a letter, backed by an address from the town of Liverpool, to make an effort for the limitation of business hours in the metro polis and its environs. The following are the letter and address to which his Lordship alluded, and the publication of which would, in his opinion, materially aclvance the great object of the humane writers : "TO THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD MAYOR. " My Lord,—The receipt of the enclosed address from one of our correspondents in. Liverpool has again forcibly impressed our minds with the necessity for shortening the hours of labour in the retail, `wholesale, and manu facturing establishments of the metropolis and its en . wrens. " The spirit that is at 'work at Liverpool and other provincial towns would, we doubt not, spring into lively exercise in the metropolitan city under the influence and sanction of your Lordship. " My Lord, when you reflect upon the immense amount of moral good that may be effected, the de velopment of intellect, the comfort of families, and, above all, the promotion of Christian principles, likely to arise from the adoption of measures so wise and salutary, we feel confident that your Lotdship will not hesitate to bring them before the public in that way and manner which may be most accordant with your Lordship's views. " Christianity, philanthropy, interest, all demand that this subject should be seriously considered; and should your Lordship be pleased to take the lead in a course so noble, we feel assured that a victory would be achieved that would gladden the hearts of thousands who are living under your Lordship's judicial influence.—We servants, BIKER' ON AND SONS. Lord ?our Lordship's obe dienthave the honour to b , e , , 51 and 52, Castle-street, Southwark." " COMMITTEE " For promoting the Closing of the Shops at Seven o'clock in the Evening. His Worship the Lord Mayor in the Chair : " Rev. H. M'Neile, Rev. Fielding Ould, Rev. Thomas Nolan, Rev.T. Parry, Rev. F. Barker, Rev. D. Raffles, Rev. W. Bevan, Rev. John Kelly, Rev. Dr. Crichton, Rev. C. M. Birrell, Rev. Dr. Beaumont, Rev. D. Fer guson, John Cripper, Smith, Esq., W. B. Hodgson, E s q. e Robertson . Bushell, Adam Hodgson, Esq., Thom as Blackburn, Esq., John Shuttleman, Esq. (Treasurer). " At a meeting of the Committe, held in the Town-hall of Liverpool, on Tuesday, April 26, 1844, it was re solved to adopt and circulate the following " ADDRESS TO THE TRADESMEN OF LIVERPOOL. " The Committee appointed to carry out the designs of the public meeting, held en the 10th instant , co nsider that they would fail in their duty if they did not prompt l y call your attention to the object they have in view with reference to the h ours o f desire foe officious interfe re n ce . They have no wish to prejudice your interests ; but they cannot remai n i n silence when humanity business. They disclaim all an justice demand vigorous ef forts in behalf of 15,000 persons, retained in your em ployment, and in whose character and wellbeing your own prosperity is m a t er i a ll y i nvo l ve d. "The Committee are persuadedthat to many of your selves the inconvenience and injury resulting from late hours, are as great as to your assistants, and that you would hail a longer evening for personal improvement and family comfort with delight. They are in posses sion of information which leads them to believe that in many cases the gains of these houses are small, and in adequate to compensate for the expenditure of money, health, and time ; that in a few no real profit accrues from nightly transactions ; and, hence, that many among you would soon appreciate the economical argument. They are, also, firmly of opinion, and this opinion they place prominently in the view of your customers, that all the demands of general convenience may be met in every department of business before seven o'clock in the evening, while provision may be specially made for the unfrequent cases of urgent necessity ; and, therefore, that you would be in every point of view the better, but in none the worse, for the adoption of their principle, and the release of your assistants at that hour. - "The Committee cotinbine with their appeal to you an earnest call upon- the community at large. They will endeavour to sustain a system of operations which, is its effect upon the public mind, will be productive of advantag6 rather than damage to yourselves. Their object is not to secure immuni ties to one class at the expense of another, but to pro mote the weal of all. They desire to destroy all neces sity for the extension of your business hours beyond the suggested limit, not that your business may be con tracted, but so concentrated within a reasonable time, that your profits may be increased. Not less do, they seek that you should have the satisfaction of seeing your assistants enter into the proper enjoyments of their being, having time both for obtaining and doing good. At present they have neither ; and it is no matter of surprise that they should seek, as tke only brief grati fication they can command, that which is alike ignoble and prejudicial. "The Committee are gratified in observing in some of the shops a notification (honourable to those who have spontaneously put it forth), that henceforth they will be closed at seven o'clock. They wish you all to co operate in the plan, and prove that you respect the rights of men, cf minds, of souls, in those whom you employ. " The Committee consisting, as it does, of not a few ministers of the Gospel, attached to various religious denominations, feel assured that if the opportunity were afforded, measures would-be taken to advance the moral and spiritual improvement of your assistants, while through other channels they would obtain the means of intellectual elevation. Is it wise, is it just, is it safe, that they should be as they now are, entirely cut off ? We appeal to you as those who are accustomed to esti mate the profit of every transaction, whether it be not more advantageous to you to be surrounded by persons of intelligence and virtue fitted to discharge aright the social duties under the commanding influences of the Christian religion? " The Committee solicit from you the recognition of their principle—its conscientious adoption—its constant observance. Let all your assistants be released froth business every evening at seven o'clock. Let it be the honourable distinction of the tradesmen of Liyerpool that they stand foremost in this beneficent movement. Those who refuse so equitable and expedient a proposal, will then be held in public estimation as the known sup porters of a system which public opinion, public mo rality, and Christ ian principle-have concurred to con - THOMAS SANDS, Chairman." demn .—Signedf by order of the Committee, The LORD MAYOR observed that the re was everything 44 in t h e important results of such a ch an g e t o rec o mmend it to the adoption of every thinking man, an d untiaini ABINGDON ELECTION. RETIREMENT OF DIR. pIIFFIELD ; MR. THESIGER A CANDIDATE. (From the Oxford Chronicle.) The inhabitants of this place were greatly surprised on Saturday morning by an address from Mr. Duffield resign ing the representation of the borough, and by an address from Mr. Thesiger, soliciting the suffrages of the electors. The borough was completely taken by surprise, and the day appears to have been chosen as affording particular advan tage to the candidate, as there is no post to London on that day, and the next day being Sunday, when no meetings, or business arrangements could be made. • The principal agent of Mr. Duffield was engaged for Mr. Thesiger, and was very early on foot ; retainers were also offered to every professional man in the place, and taken with one exception, in the case of a gentleman who was not sufficiently professional to accept an engagement to promote a cause to which he was not favourable. Mr. Thesiger; therefore, commenced his canvass, surrounded by a body of retainers and followers sufficient to hunt down a constituency of much greater magnitude than that of Abingdon. The electors are about three hundred - in number, and may be classed withopt any great inaccuracy as follows ; One hundred Liberals, not of the most hearty and patriotic species. . . . . One hundred Conservatives, with no veryeettled princi- pies or defined objects, but who think they know on . which side their bread is buttered, and moreover are gregarious, and do together what they are bidden. One hundred loose fish, and dependents, on whose account the costly machinery of agency is worked ; all things being equal, a majority of this class would prefer to vote for a Libe ral candidate. The Liberals have for years forborne attempts to gain the seat, partly from respect to Mr. Duffield as a neighbour; but with good reason looked forward to a successful contest when ever Mr. Duffield was out of the field. But the late member has so played the cards that he has contrived to nominate his successor. _ _ It is observable that Mr. Thesiger, in his address, does not say a single word having any bearing upon either of the great branches of a Member's duty. He does not say a word re specting taxation, nor about any improvements in the laws, or their administration. So secretly has this job been managed, and so prompt have Government officials been, that the election, of which only those in the secret were aware this time last week, will be over before the week ends. Some of our readers will hear of the resignation and the new election at the same time. Mr. Duffield will lose much of the respect hitherto enter tained for him, by being i party to tricky and dishonourable proceedings such as these, which Lord Stanley would cer tainly call " thimble-rigging." Some of the trafficers think to make use of Mr. Thesiger, and already, chuckle over the advantages they hope to gain through his influence ; some, like Tony-Fire-the-Faggot, of Cumnor, think to convert their borough leaseholds into free holds for an easy cGnsideration. Of this more anon. Our readers will remember that the Lords of the Treasury have not yet sanctioned the new and partial terms which the Town ' Councillors have slipped into their leases ; nor has the borough property yet been converted into private property.' - MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCES ON THE RIVER. On Wednesday evening, between the hours of half-pas five and eight o'clock, no less than three accidents, each at tended. by fatal consequences, took place on the river. The first accident occurred at Battersea-bridge, the second at Putney-bridge, and the third and last opposite the old church, Chelsea. It appears that about half-past five o'clock a gentleman, who is apparently not more than 22 or 23 years 'of age, was rowing up the river in a wager boat, a n d had nearly cleared the arch on the Middlesex side of the centre of Battersea-bridge, when his scull caught in one of the cross pieces of the wood-work. In the endeavour to extricate it the scull snapped in two, and the boat capsized, throwing the gentleman headforemost into the water. The circum stance was witnessed. by. George Bulger, one of the carpen ters employed on the bridge, and who was at the time cut ting away a cross-piece from one of the adjoining piers. He immediately jumped into his boat, and rowed towards the place where the gentleman had sunk. On his way thither he saw him rise twice, but on reaching the spot he had alto gether disappeared. Some watermen put off, both from . the Chelsea and Battersea shores, with drags, and commenced searching for the body. Bulger collected the deceased'seloth ing, which was floating, and took it, with the broken scull, to the Old Swan Tavern, Battersea, and Mr. Luttell, the landlord, took charge of thtm. In one of the pockets of a tweed wrapper was found a letter addressed to " Charles Wilson, Esq., 6, Doncaster-place, Old Kent-road." A water man went to that address, and about nine o'clock at night two gentlemen came to the Swan, and identified the cloth ing and other property found as belonging to that gentleman, who, they stated, was a solicitor, a very talented and ami able young man, and the sole support of his father and mother, and four sisters. No pains have been spared in the attempt to recover the body, but all efforts have as yet been unsuccessful. Scarcely had the melancholy circumstance become known to the numerous gentlemen who were rowing up the river, when their feelings were further shocked by hearing that a gentleman had been upset out of his boat and drowned at Putney-bridge. A gentleman, about twenty years of age, named Archer Ryland, who had offices at 36, Carey-street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, and residing at 24, Grove-lane, Camber well, and we believe the second son of Mr. Ryland, barrister, undertook to row againit another gentleman, whose name we have not learned, from Chelsea-bridge to Putney. Both combatants were seated in very large wager-boats. The match was well contested, and - Mr. Ryland's opponent got through Putney-bridge first, some boats' length ahead. Mr. Ryland was following, when his boat struck the abutments of the fifth arch on the Fulham side, and directly went down. Mr. Ryland sunk instantly, and it is supposed that the ex hausted state he was in prevented him-making any efforts to save himself. He screamed once, and his right hand came above water twice,but after that nothing more was seen of him. The most extraordinary cart of thr affair is, that there were at least twenty boats encircling him, many of them cutters, and yet none of their crews acted promptly. Every one seemed to be panic-stricken. There were at the time several matches ready for starting from the bridge. In less than five minutes after the accident had happened the drags were used, but without success. A most melancholy circumstance attended the case. Two of his brothers, one about 18, and the other 12 years of age, were in a wherry, accompanying the match, and they witnessed the striking of the boat against the pier of the bridge, and the sinking of their brother. Their dis tress was beyond description, and they were taken, in an al most lifeless state, into the Eight Bells Tavern, where Mrs. Avis, the landlady, paid them every kind attention that could tend to soothe their mental anguish. The elder brother fainted away soon after he was brought in, and some time elapsed before he exhibited symptoms of returning anima tion. The search after the deceased gentleman was con tinued until late at night, and commenced again at sunrise yesterday morning, but up to the time of our writing, the body had not been discovered. The third and last accident that took place on the river occurred off the old church at Chelsea. Four persons, viz., three men and a woman, were passing down the river in a wherry, about 8 o'clock in the evening, and had reached the old church, when one of the men got up to relieve the woman, who was rowing. This action caused theboat to cant on one side, and in an instant the whole four. persons were in the water. They cried loudly for assistance, and several water men put off. The woman and two young men were picked up by two watermen, named South= and Foot, and taken to the Cricketers, but the othei man, who was the husband of the woman saved, was drowned. His name is Henry Wench, he was a scala;beam-maker, and resided in Waterloo-place, Kennington. Dr. Gardener, of Cheyne-walk, was called in to Mrs. Wench, and with much difficulty restored her. Mr. Wench's body has not been found. WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES AND WOOL.—Accounts of the quantities of wool imported and exported in the, year 1843, also of the quantities and declared value of British woollen manufactures exported from the United Kingdom in that year, have been printed, on the motion of the Members for London and Leeds, Mr. Masterman and Mr. W. Aldam, jun. It appears from this paper, that the gross total quanti ties of sheep and lambs' wool imported into the United Kingdom in 1843 amounted to 47,785,0611 b. • and that the nett total quantity retained for home consumption amounted to 46,443,0321 b., of which 17,736,3841 b. were entered at a duty of Id. per lb.; 7,804,9181 b. at id. duty per lb. ; and 20,901,7261 b. duty free. The total quantities re-exported from the United Kingdom in the year 1843 were 2,734,5411 b., and the quantities remaining warehoused in bond on the sth of January, 1844, 3,827,5831 b. By far the greatest quantity of the above wool, &c., comes from Germany and New South Wales. The total quantity of British sheep and lambs' wool and woollen yarn exported from the United Kingdom in 1843 amounted (the former) to 8,179,6391 b., and the latter to 7,410,3131 b. The total quantity of Alpaca and Llama wool imported into this country last year was 1,458,0321 b., and that of mohair, or goats' wool, 575,5231 b. More than two-thirds of our exports of sheep and lambs' wool are taken by Belgium, and the remaining third (on a rough calcula tion). by France. 'We also find that the gross total declared value of Bt itish woollen manufactures exported from Great Britain and Ireland during the year 1843 amounted to 6,790,232/. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.—The 49th annual meeting of this Society took place yesterday at Exeter-hall. With the exception of the Sunday School Union, this was by far the *lost numerously attended. meeting of the season. The chair was occupied by Mr. W. Evans, M.P., who, in opening the business, adverted to the - large amount of good effected by that Society during the last half century, -and congratulated its friends upon the increased prosperity of the finances. The secretary then read the report of the managing ' directors. As it was the first, so it was the greatest of the missionary societies, its sphere of operations being confined to no particular country or continent, but spreading all over the habitable globe.. The report then gave a minute detail of the Society's domestic and foreign operations. It was "stated that the Bible haying. been translated into the Hindostanee language, through the liberality of the British and Foreign Bible Society, there were upwards of 400,000 of the natives of India receiving religious instruction. I n the W e st Indies, where slavery had so lately existed, and where it appre hended was that the transition to freedom would have be education at tended by fatal 'results, the effects of Scripturaloi,duct of the negro were happily demonstrated in the orderly; p fu o n p d nlatbo u n r , i m ng an t y h , eofpwasltiomyealrdiad 11;ecTun,i,eicclioiantarissbuocitoarteiotnostliine t ia i ised a subscription for the London and the provinces h f sail P - acitic Ocean. Th wi purchase ichlwas a of s t o a missionary i) thearye ouship,thersae of nest c ar g oo a n o s , f The total missionaries for the islands in the evaanis Intl.dVearn\.e, receipts of the yearnaemot i , n ss tel f t t o li B ,b l l , l B r l s 2 en l . l — en t t h s e o zi r iepditure to income of 83,5231" but as had been reduced ioousse to of thet e year r comparedinease of t o t that subscriptionso fthep overre t N h ' year, and extent of 4,320/., the committee t • en ertamed no t doubt but that the deficiency would be made good by in creased 43 exertion. The meeting was addreised by Mr. C. s i o i n hi , d t i l e me y, u 3 e r ;,. l ) . J .,.. tshhepeor Sherman, leeisnoceni.et'3l:ll,se objects re clergymen and t .g e fe rn ntht linated. "AN ASKER."—A lady was recently visited by a female servant who had been married, and seeing that . she presented an appearance of having very much bettered her circumstances, she inquired the nature of her husband's profession. To this interrogatory the Young woman replied, "Heis an asker, ma'am." "An asker I" inquired the good lady with amazement, " and what in the world is that ?" " Oh, ma'am, he stands in the street and asks." " Why, you don't mean to say that you have married a beggar, do you?" "Yes, ma'am, but it's a very good business. My . husband thinks it very bad work indeed, if he don't bring home more than five shillings a day." MR. DISRAELI'S " CONINGSBY ; OR, TIIE NEW GENERATION."—We are requested to state that " Con ningsby ; or, The New Generation," by B. D'lsraeli, Esq., M.P., in 3 vols. post Bvo., is published this day by Mr. Colburn, of Great Marlborough7street, and may now be had at all ;the libraries, and o all the booksellers throughout the kingdom. Agents for Scotland, Messrs. Sell and Bradfute, Edinburgh ; for Ireland, Mr. John Cumming, Dublin. being until last year. Any application to inspect papers ' would have been refused by the eld corporation. Then it was said that the charter in question was worse than nothing. Why, then, in the name of God, what harm could there have been in any one seeing it ? Why was there such ingenuity employed in putting it out of the way ? If it was mere waste parchment, what harm could have been done by its production ? But the fact was, that the corporation of Kilkenny at its convenience sometimes acted on one charter and some times on the other. Where the charter of James 11. bound the people the corporators acted upon it, and where the people got an immunity by the former char ter, the latter was brought into play. Thus they had a double-handed blow at them. What could be thought of the character of - the man who could deliberately ad vise that a person should search the public records in the Auditor-General's office, in the Birmingham Tower, where the records of Ireland were kept, for the purpose of directly falsifying the public records of the country? Was not that the fact ? Let them imagine a similar case with regard to wills, and that a barrister had ad vised the suppression of a second will in order that a party might inherit under a former one. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman said he had consulted the Irish bar, and that their opinion was that it was a mere customary . matter to give such advice. For his (Mr. O'C.'s) part he had a considerable acquaintance among the Irish bar, and the general feeling amongst them seemed to be one of astonishment and surprise that such a man could have given such advice. There was a disposition to pass it over, and to attribute it to one of those moments of weakness to which every man was liable. But surprise it certainly did occasion. He was also assured that a legal gentleman was at that time asked to give his opinion on the case, and he abso lutely refused to give such advice as that which was given by Chief Justice Pennefather, on the ground that it would be derogatory to his professional character. Still he would not press his Hon. Friend to go to a division, because in the first place they were sure to be beaten, and, in the next, because the sense of the House seemed to be against it. Mr. ESC()TT said the Hon. Gentleman did not un derstand the question. Nothing was more common than for counsel to object to the admission of evidence that they thought irrelevant. Nothing could be more improper than for a counsel, under pretence of searching for evidence, to come forward with a witness to prove that they had made a search for that which they wished to keep out of sight. But was that the case here? The whole matter turned on the word "anterior." He did not instruct theta to keep out of sight any evidence that was anterior to the charter of James the First, but ad vised them not to embarrass their case with anything subsequent to that charter. Mr. DILLON BROWNE denied that they were actuated by factious motives ; but advised his Hon. Friend to withdraw his motion. Mr. BLEWITT said the opinion was the most dis graceful and the - most disgusting that had ever come within his knowledge. After a few words in explanation from Mr. M. O'CONNELL and Mr. SHAW, The motion was negatived without a division. TURNPIKE ACTS (IRELAND). Lord ELIOT moved for leave to bring in a Bill to continue, until the 31st day of July, 1845, and to the end of the then session of Parliament, expiring Turn pike Acts (Ireland). —Granted. MEDICAL CHARITIES (IRELAND). _ . Mr. FRENCH moved for a return of the sums sup plied by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to the dis pensaries and other medical charities in Ireland. Lord ELIOT did not see what object could be attained by such a return.—Motion refused. COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PETITIONS. Mr. HUME moved that it be an instruction to the Committee on public petitions that they do not record any petition on which the name of the Member present ing it is not written. Mr. THORNELY seconded the motion. Mr. GREENE thought it would be very desirable that some such resolution should be come to. Motion agreed to. SAVINGS' BANKS BILL. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EX CHEQUER, the Savings' Banks Bill was read a second time. EDINBURGH AGREEMENT BILL. This Bill passed through Committee. STAMP DUTIES BILL . . On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EX CHEQUER the Stamp Duties Bill was read a second time. The House then adjourned, at Half-past Nine o'Clock. THE ELECTION FOR SOUTH LANCASHIRE. On Tuesday the Anti-Corn-law League met at Man chester, and, after some discussion, agreed to the fol lowing address to the electors and other persons in terested : " Gentlemen—A vacancy has most unexpectedly occurred in the representation of this important division, We feel it incumbent to address you on this deeply momentous occasion, when your voice is to be given either for or against the great commercial and manufac turing interests of this county, and of our country at large: " For several years the attention of the public has been turned to the consideration of the question of free trade, with an extending belief that on its solu tion depend the security and prosperity of our national interests. In this county especially has the principle of monopoly been repudiated, and that of per'ect free dom of industry recognised as the only safe basis of legislation. It is to the electors of the most important division of this county that we now appeal. The monopolists ask your support, to enable them by law to make certain articles of common and extensive consumption dearer than they would be if not interfered with by the law ; for example, they would maintain a corn-law, so that, when we- have deficient harvests in this country, we are shut out from supplying ourselves from abroad, except at most extravagant prices, under which vast multitudes of the poorest of our population suffer grievous privations ; they would main tain monopolies • also in the articles of sugar and coffee, by which prices are raised about one-third, and a large portion of the people are cut off from their fair and natu ral supply. It is not, however, in the increase of price that the most destructive features of these monopolies are seen, but in their operation upon trade ; in their limiting trade ; in their shutting • some foreign markets against us, and injuring all ; in their direct results in di minishing the demand for labour, and reducing at once the profits of capital and the wages of the workmen. Lancashire is the great home of the manufacturing industry of Great Britain ; it is in this county that its greatest triumphs have been gained ; it is here that the ased. Free by s t ru ggles for its emancipatio n must,be manfully carri e d principle and a policy the very op opt r n oa . sii tee % i l r tso e offerrecthoa recom mended on which n d a ed monopolies to you, not a system are which particular interests will p ros p er at the expense of other based. interests, bat as a syste m b y which all industry, and skill, and capital are left f r e e to find their own channels of employment and reward , without the melmeddling all th inter vention of laws passed to ke e p down one class that an other may rise upon its ruin. Free trade in ings, revenue, and especially in article; of foo d, would be to us more trade, more employment ,. mo re wa g es, more without increase of taxation; less of poor-rates, without hardship to the poor; more of social harmony, and more of security to all than are even possible under a policy of restriction, which all experience condemns as absurd in principle, and most unjust and mischievous in practice. " But we do not deem it needful, in this brief address, to enter at length into the arguments on behalf . of free trade. We are convinced that a very large majority of you agree with us in the opinion we have formed on that question and - that could the voice of each individual elector be taken, uninfluenced by other motives, there would be a decision all but unanimous in its favour. What are these other motives ? Among these, perhaps, the strongest is the adherence to party ties and party leaders. We have long ago abandoned party names and party warfare ; they are, for the most part, a delusion, and serve only to lead the people away from the sub stantial, to pursue, at the best, an imaginary good. Free trade is strictly of no party, and yet of all parties ; it is a benificent and just principle offered to all, promising good to all, without the sacrifice of any, and may be espoused by the intelligent and the honest of every party, without inconsistency, and without the abandon ment of other duties. " This election has come upon us wholly without warn ing ; it does not, however, find us unprepared. The seed has been sown widely, almost universally, in this county ; it has sprung up, and gives promise of fruit in minds which heretofore have viewed each other with hostile feelings. The past is gone—let us avoid its jealousies — let us forget its errors, except to shun them. A season of terrible distress has visited us since our last exercise of the electoral franchise. We have seen trade pros trated, capitalists ruined, farmers and shopkeepers sink ing, multitudes of honest artisans of every kind beg gared, the hives of industry a scene of threatened tumult and danger, and every man asking of his neighbour— " What is the cause of these calamities ?" and the future is before us less clouded for the moment, but promising greater perils, if our course be marked by no greater wisdom than the past. "Electors! we ask you to think on these things. Go vernment can only be what you make it. It is a being of your own creation. Send honest and enlightened men to Parliament, and you will have a Parliament that will pursue an honest and enlightened policy. Be no longer the sport of party names; they never can save you. Be united, as a great commercial, and industrious, and intelligent community, and your free voices, given at this election, shall go far to determine the duration of that system under which your country has suffered, and is still suffering, so heavy misfortunes. "In conclusion, we implore you at this election to weigh well the principles of the candidates who offer themselves for your suffrages, and to vote only for the man whose votes in Parliament will be given in favour of the abolition of all monopolies, and for the full adop tion of the great and just principle of ' free trade with all the world. "By order of the Council, ." GEORGE WILSON, Chairman. "Manchester, 7th May, 1844." WHOLESALE MARRIAGES.---DUring. the whole of Tuesday, Duke's-place, Aldgate, and its vicinity presented a gay and animated appearance, in consequence of the nu merous weddings which had taken place amongst the " ancient people." In the Roman Catholic Church mar riages are prohibited, except under peculiar circumstances, during Lent, so that it is a very common custom in Ireland, especially the humbler classes, for a number of couples to get married on the Shrove Tuesday. Amongst the Hebrew community a similar prohibition for twenty-eight days exists, and yesterday being the day preceding the commence ment of the prohibition, no fewer than twenty-eight mar riages were said to lmve.been solemnised - at the three eastern Synagogues—namely, Dukes's-place, Great Saint ibletee , .; and Dada:dull-street. ' ' so far lisle could perceive, to discourage the-attempt as impracticable. He understood that in Liverpool the ex periment was in progress, and, he was happy to say, with every prospect of success. Why should it not be equally successful here? He could only say, for his own part, that he would most willingly apply his endea vours in any way that could be pointed out to forward a proceeding so benevolent in its objects, and so truly bene ficial in all its consequences. Under the existing custom of keeping the shops open until late hours, the whole time .of those •who attended was occupied in busi ness, without affording any opportunity for mental culture and reflection, at a period of life when it was of the utmost importance that the mind should be exercised in useful and virtuous pursuits. These young p'rsons who were employed in shops were so wholly occupied in business that when the hour of relaxation came they were too much exhausted to employ it in mental exertions, It was true there were numerous in stitutions and libraries at which, for a trifling expense, knowledge was to be acquired ; but of what use were they to the young young man whose whole time was occu pied in his daily employment ? The most common me chanic was better off in that respect than the poor people whose case the Liverpool Committee was So warmly advocating. The mechanic's work was over at six in the evening. Now, if the shops were closed at seven o'clock, ample time would be afforded for business, and some portion of that invaluable possession, with the whole of which no man ought to be required to part, as it in cluded in the bargain a surrender of intellectual. and moral, and religious advantages, which degraded him as a thinking and responsible being, from the station he ought maintain—a portion of that invaluable posses sion would be left for the improvement of his mind, and his general elevation in the scale of existence. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S.—YESTERDAY. THE DERBY. 1000 to 10 agst Dawson's lot—taken 6 to 2 agst Mr. John Day's The Ugly Buck 3 to 1 agst Mr. Crockford's Ratan 18 to 1 agst Mr. Wood's Running Rein 25 to 1 agst Mr. Scott's Bay Momus 30 to 1 agst Sir G. Heathcote's Campanero—taken 30 to 1 agst Mr. Osborne's Mount Charles—taken 30 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's T'Auld Squire—taken 30 to 1 agst Sir G. Heathcote's Akbar 40 to 1 agst Mr. Ongley's King of the Gipsies—taken 40 to 1 agst Mr. Ford's Qui Tam—taken. 1000 to 7 agst Mr. —'s Nisrock 2000 to 5 agst Mr. Bradshaw's Sir Isaac 1000 to 12 agst Nisrock and Radnor 2000 even between King of the Gipsies and Loadstoue 1000 even Mount Charles agst King of the Gipsies 300 even Orlando agst lonian It was impossible to make any mistake as to which of the two favourites . had the advantage ; 5 to 2, taken once to a small sum, having been the outside offer agst the Ugly Buck, while 3 to 1 went begging against Ratan ; one even bet of 500 between them was laid early in the afternoon, and 300 on the field against them jointly, the field having a decided call at the close. Several attempts were made to back Col. Peel's two at 10 to 1, but with out success, no biddings whatever having been made against them. Takers of 20 to 1 about Running Rein, and of 30 to 1 about Mount Charles and T'Auld Squire. Sir G. Heathcote's two went back to 30 to 1, and Bay Momus from 23 to 1 taken to a pony, to 25 to 1, layers. The King of the Gipsies retreat is th e conse q uence of Roderick 's defeat for the Tankerville Stakes at Shrews bury. 1,000 to 5 was laid agst Sir Isaac, and double the odds afterwards offered agst him. OAKS. 6 to 1 agst Mr. Osbaldeston's Sister to Martingale—taken and afterwards offered. 8 to.l agst Mr. Gregory's Barricade—taken. 14 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Merope—taken. 25 to 1 agst Mr. Rawlinson's Charming Kate—taken. 100 even between Crenoline and Merope. Sister to Martingale was backed for 100/., Barricade for a " rouleau," Merope freely, and Charming Kate for a pony, at the price returned. GORHAMBURY RACES. The Cure it is said will not go for the Gorhambury Handicap. NEWMARKET SECOND SPRING MEETING. (CONCLUDED.) THURSDAY.—So feeble a prospect of sport did the list hold out, that at least three-fourths of the company took flight yesterday afternoon, putting Derby or any other betting out of the question, and making the reading of the list an empty ceremony. The select few who re mained were agreeably surprised with two races, one more than they calculated on. They came off as fol- lows : , Sweepstakes of 25 sous. each; for two yrs old colts, Bst 71b, and fillies, Bst 41b. T.Y.C. (3 Subs.) Lord Lonsdale's be b 7 Emilius, out or Rint (Rogers) 1 Col. Anson's fby Emilius, d by Taurus , 2 Lord Exeter's Petrowna 6t04 on Petrowna. The Rint colt made all the run ning, and won cleverly by a length. Sweepstakes of 10 soya. each; for 3 yrs old, 7st 71b; four, Bst 91b; five, &c. 9st. T.Y.C. Winner to be sold for 2001. (4 Subs.) Lord Orford's cby Clearwell, out of Nininka (Price) 1 Col. Peel's c by Slane, out of Jason's dam Lord Exeter's Mocha Mr. Rogers's Clara Even on Nininka, who followed the example set her in the first race, made all 'the running, and won by a length. The following matches were made in the course of Tuesday and Wednesday: — NEWMARKET JULY MEETING, 1844. Tuesday.—Lord E. Russell's Glen Fishie, 3 yrs, Est 121 b, igst Lord Exeter's Petrowna, 2 yrs, 6st 121 b. T.Y.C. too h ft. SECOND OCTOBER MEETING, 1844. Thursday.—Duke of Rutland's Crenoline agst Lord Exeter's Merope; both 3 yrs old, Bst each. R.M. 200, HOUGHTON MEETING, 1844. Wednesday.—Duke of Bedford's Minotaur, 4 yrs, Bsl 71b, agst Duke of Rutland's Crenoline, 3 yrs, ist 71b Ab. M. 100, h ft. INTELLIGENCE EXTRA. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE RACES.—WEDNF.SDAT. Handicap for the Northumberland Plate. Alice Hawthorn, 6 yrs, lOst 41b—The Shadow, aged, Bst 121b—Atilla, 5 yrs, Bst 121 b — Ar istotle, 5 yrs, Bst 121 b Reviewer aged, Bst 121b — The Squ ire, 6 y rs, Bst 91b—Pagan, 6 yrs, Bst 81b—Moss Trooper, 5 yrs, Bst 81b--Knight of . the Whistle, 6 yrs, Bst 71b--John-o'-Gaunt, 6 yrs, Bst 71b—Wine sour, 4 yrs, Bst 41b—Riot, listrs, Bst 41b--Galanthus, 5 yrs, Bst 21b—Heslington, 6 yrs,—Pompey, 4 yrs, Bst—British Yeoman, 4 yrs, 7st 111b—Trueboy, 4 yrs, ist 101b—Scalteen, 5 yrs, ist 101b—Whistle Binkie, 5 )n.5, 7st 81b—Queen of the Tyne, 5 yrs, 7st 81b—Priscilla Tomboy, 5 yrs, 7st 71b — Aristides, 4 yrs, 7st 71b—Arundo, 4 yrs, 7st 61b—The Ca. , ter, 4 yrs, • ist 61b—General Pollock, 4 yrs , 7 st 61 b —Freedom, 4 yrs, i s t 61b—Parthian, 4 yrs, 7st 51b—Thirsk, 6 vrs, 7st 41b—A;canus, 5 yrs, 7st 41b—Armytage, 4 yrs, 7st 21b--Smike, 5 yrs, 7st 21b—Mustapha Muley, 6 yrs, 7st 21b—The Era, 4 yrs, 7st lib—Mania, 4 yrs, 7st—The Currier, aged, 7st--Ermengardis, 6 yrs, 7st—Sir Robert, 5 yrs, sf 131b—Merry Andrew, 4 yrs, 6st 131b—The Broken down, aged, 6st 131b—Red, Rose, 6 yrs, 6st 121b—Arnagill, 6 yrs, Est 121b—The Attorney-General, 4 yrs, Est 121b—The Prior, 5 yrs, 6st 121b—Irony, 5 yrs, 6st'lolb—Belle Dame, 5 yrs, Est 101b—Lady Skipsay, 4 yrs, fist 101b—Dumpling, 4 yrs, Est 101b — Ameer , 4 yrs, Est 101b---What, 4 yrs, Est 81b —Naworth, aged, Est 71b- - The Conqueror, 5 yrs, 6st 71b— Beeswax, 5 yrs, 6st 71b—Shaftoe's Muley Moloch colt, 4 yrs, 6st 61b—Polish, 4 yrs, 6st 51b—Glossy, 4 yrs, 6st 51b—Tele graph, 4 yrs, Est 41b—Quebec, 4 yrs, Est 41b--Broadholin, 4 yrs, 6st 41b—The Cure, 3 yrs, Est 41b—Reviewer, 4 yrs, 6st 41b—Hippona, 4 yrs, Est 41b—Crikey Billy, 4 yrs, Est 21b Jamie Falshaw, 4 vrs, 6st 21b The Bashaw, 4 yrs, 6st 21b —Little Benton, 4 yrs, 6st--;-Emilie, 4 yrs, 6st—Shocking Mamma, 4 yrs, 6st— Poussin, 4 yrs, sst 131b—Dog Billy, 3 yrs, sst 111b—Best-of- Three, 3 yrs, sst 111b—Benbow, 4 yrs, sst 111b—Bay Momus, 3 yrs, sst 101b--Saddlebow, 3 yrs, sst 101b—Granite, 3 yrs, sst 101b—Mickey Free, 3 yrs, sst 61b—Spinster, 3 yrs, sst Beaufront, 3 yrs, 4st 101b—Advice, 3 yrs, 4st 81b—Deuce Ace, 3 yrs, 4st 41b—Misconception, 3 yrs, 4st 41b—Dr. Sangrad, 4 yrs, sst 101 b. To declare on or before Friday, the 17th inst. Nominations for the Hunters' Stakes—Robinson, Amagill, William le Gros, The Conqueror, Christopher, Crickev Thirsk, The Era, b g by Napoleon, Blindfold, Heslington, Contract, Hamlet, and Ranger. Houmnr,E ACCIDENT.—An occurrence of a very distressing character took place in Freckleton Marsh, on Monday morning last. A young man, named Walton Kirby, a native of Freckleton, about twenty-one years of age, by trade a tailor, set off from that village about ten o'clock on Monday morning, with the intention of proceeding to Preston with his intended bride, Alice Allanson, to make some neces sary purchases previous to their being married. The latter, it appeared, had started before him, but not being aware of this, was loitering to the road with the expectation of meeting her. He was, however, passed by a man who informed him that she was some distancein advance of him. On hearing this he took a short pipe, which he was smoking, from his mouth, and put it in his coat pocket,' and then stinted off at a quicker rate. A brisk wind was blowing in the face of the poor fellow as he walked, and it is believed that this caused the fragments of the tobacco in the pipe to set fire to his coat, which he did not perceive till it was beyond his power to extinguish the flames. A cottager, named Henry Harrison, living on the heights overlooking the Marsh, having his attention attracted by flames proceeding from the side of the road, ran to the spot. On ap proaching it he saw a man prostrate on the ground, but before he reached it the poor fellow had started off in the direction of the toll-gate, then disrant about a quarter of a mile. The flames had spread over his garments so rapidly, that when he arrived at the gate-house, scarcely a fragment of clothing was left upon his person. a belt which he wore only being entire ; even his shoes were calcined by the fire. When Harrison arrived at the gate, the poor woman was imploring assistance from the gate keeper, which, however, was inhumanly refused, and Har rison was under the necessity of taking him to his own cot tage, distant upwards of a mile, where he furnished him with his clothes, and afterwards conveyed him to his own friends. We are informed that no hopes are entertained of his reco very. The conduct of the inhuman gatekeeper towards the unfortunate man cannot be too strongly reprobated, as doubt less his sufferings might have been much alleviated had timely assistance been rendered.—Preston Chronicle. COPENHAGEN, APRIL 29.—The island of i lli b rt t s; holm, in the Cattegat, which is well calculated for:caoniaredoby of refuge for merchantmen, if only nature were t seconded d wished to art, has lately become a subject of attentions. I_ the i of greatest convert it into a sea-port., because our h draught never anchor there. It is ..asidipthat gne English Govern t f mercantile house is in treaty with the menfor the purchase of the island, and the: Kzobenshavnsport inclined to give credit to the report. NT N otw i t h standing SINGULAR "DIsAPPOINTHE • the inconveniences attendant upon a location in prison, there appears to be some palliatory circumstances ccunected with it, of which th e following is an instance :—A young wom an , who has often bad occasion to appear before the magistrates, and is pretty familiar with the interior of the New Bailey, was again placed at the bar of the Borough Court, on some disorderly charge, on Thursday last. It appeared that she had only been released from prison two or three days pre.. v i ous ly, but so far from being wearied of her stay there, she seemed to look forward to' her entrance again as a happy event ; remarking to the officer, when he took her into cus tody, "Well, -, it, I can't get in to-day now, and it's beef day at the Bailey." The ,magikrates, in order to atone tor the serious disappointment, afforded her all opportunity of a nticipating severatiorthcoming beet-cl,ays,. by committing her for three MollthE—Manchater Guardia'. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Were there such a society as a Royal Musical Humane Society, for rewarding those who restore to existence operas from a state of suspended animation most assuredly Signor Forna sai i wou ld be entitled to the society's gold medal. Donizetti's opera of Belisario had long been, to all appearance, defunct. Fornasari chose it last season for li s deb fit, and now it never fails to draw a crowded house. The same good office which lie prepared for Donizetti's Belisario last season, he performed last even ing for Ilerold's Zampa, which when pro duced for - the infelicitous debut of Signor Felice, at the commencement of the season, was quite a fiasco, but which, with Fornasari, as the hero, bids fair to become one of the most popular operas in the repertoire of the theatre. The cast was very strong, including Fornasari as Zampa, Lablache Dandolo, Corelli as Alfonso, and Madame Per siani as Camilla. The chef ar ceuvre of Herold has never been so efficiently represented as it was last evening. The character of Zampa is exactly suited to Fornasari ; that energetic power by which the acting of this admirable artist is so distinguished, and which perhaps prevents his Don Giovanni (in many respects a cognate character to Zampa) .from being so , perfect as it otherwise would be, tells admirably in the character of the libertine corsair. His opening scene was very fine, and the drinking song, " Che l'onda gergogliante," in the last scene of the first act, was given in a thorough reckless spirit of boisterous, almost ferocious gaiety. The audience were loud in their expressions of approbation, and unanimously called for its repetition. His :toting was very fine at the close of this scene, when, in bitter mockery, hav ing p'aced his ring on the finger of the statue of Albina, the victim of his perfidy, he finds the hand of the statue closes on the ring. Ap- - palled at first by this prodigy, he almost in stantly recovers his presence of mind, becomes aware of the necessity of keeping sip the spirits of his followers, who, like himself, have been witnesses of the prodigy, and commences again the joyous drinking song, calling en them to join in chorus. Nothing could be grander than the acting of Fornasari in this scene. The instinctive dread of his approaching fate, for a moment obtained the mastery—but it was only for a moment—in stantly it was conquered by the energetic will, and Zampa was himself again. This certainly was one of the finest and most artistical things we have ever seen even from Fornasari.. In the second act he sang the beautiful air, " Gentil sembiante," with the most delicious sweetness. There was a great deal of archness about his manner of giving the barcarolle, " Leggiadra don zelea," which he sung excellently; and then, at the conclusion, nothing could exceed the majestic manner in which he gave the magnificent passage, "0, presterete fede al mio potere." Drawing himself up to his full height, as suming at once the spirit of command in the finest and fullest tones of his superb voice, he calls upon those by whom he is surrounded to have faith in his power, and instantly they become his de voted followers. They have faith in his power, be cause he has spoken as having faith in himself. In • the last act, the duet with Persiani was beautifully given. In this duet the wondrous flexibility of For nasari's voice enabled him to throw a pathos and an expressive tenderness into the music, which no bass yoke could possibly have given, except his own. Zampa is certainly one of Fornasari's greatest cha racters. The, Dandolo of Lablache is one of those rich and unctious bits of humour, of which those only can form an idea who haVe seen the man. It was as great in its way as the Zampa of Fornasari. At the conclusion Fornasarj was called foi', and ap peared leading in Madame Persiani. After the opera the Pas de Quatre, from the " Lac des Fees," was exquisitely danced by Cerito, Plunket, Schaeffer, and M. St. Leon, and then followed the last act of Norma, in which the exquisite duet, " Deh conte," the gem of the opera, was exquisitely given by Grisi and Favanti. Favanti did not seem so nervous as usual, and, consequently, was enabled to do fuller justice to her marvellous powers of voice. Her intonation was pure, and her fioritone was in good taste. Altogether we have never heard this heautiful duet more delightfully given than it was last evening. The ballet of Ondine, with Cerito as the heroine, concluded the evening's amusements. The performances were for the benefit of Fornasari, and, as might be expected, the house was crowded in every part. LYCEUM THEATRE. Another successful pit ce at this cleverly-conducted theatre last night confirms the favourable augury of Mrs. Keeley's career as manager. The title of the last novelty is The Love Birds, which, though honoured in tile bills will the designation of a " comic drama," is, in fact, only an interlude of half-an-hour's duration, that serves to fill up a gap in the evening's entertain ments very pleasantly. Miss Fortescue made her up pearaace for the first time, and, with Miss Fairbrother, Miss E. Chaplin, Mr. R. Younge, and Mr. F. Matthews, sustained the principal parts in this petite drama in a manner that insured its success. Of the plot we will not speak ; it is a trifle, the essence of which consists in situation and lively dialogue. It is got up with mi nute attention to stage effect, and at the fall of the cur tain an attempt was made by many to bring the princi pal performers again on the stage, but the call was not obeyed. The following distinguished persons have visited this theatre during the past week :—The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, Duke and Duchess of Montrose, Earl and Countess of Wicklow and family, Countess of Sligo, Earl of Chesterfield, Lady Seymour and family, Lord William Lennox, Lord Mountcharles, Lord Auckland, Lord Ailesford, Lord Curzon, Lord Alford, Lord Dudley and Ward, Lord Alexander Lennox, Lord F. Beauclerk, Baroness de Sternberg, Lord Hervey Lennox, Lord Chief Baron Sir F. Pollock and iatnily, Sir Henry Webb, Sir Wm: do Bathe, Sir Bellingham Graham, Hon.. Fitzroy Stanhope, Hon. George Stephen Byng, Colonel Conyers, Mr. Cullen Smith, Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., Hon. C. Cavendish, S. Stanley, Esq., G. Womb well, Esq., Capt. Eden, Mr. Bradshaw, M.P., LI TERAT ETRE. THE TWINS, Bentley, London, 1844, The principal tale in this volume, entitled, the " Twins," is of a purely domestic character, and is told with feeling and simplicity , wit hou t the slightest attempt at finery, whether of sentiment or expression. The author is a gentleman named Tupper, well known for his thoughtful book of aphotisms, " Proverbial Philosophy : " In the latter part of the volume, we find a spirited descriptive poem, " St. Martha's Mount," which will remind the reader of the graphic touches of nature, and the free and easy versification of Dyer's " Grongar Hill," together with two short prose tales, one of which, the "Phrenologist," would form the materials of an excellent farce for the Hay market, or that pleasant little theatre, the Lyceum. MEDITATIONS OF AIVTONINUS. Longman, London, 1844. This is a free translation from the Greek of the . Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, whom Gibbon, it may be remembered, has praised so highly in his immortal history of Rome. Attached to these Impe rial " meditations" is the Manual of the slave Epicte tus, whom Mrs. Carter's faithful version has already rendered familiar to the English reader. Both the present translations are by Dr. M'Cormack. - DISSENTERS CHAPELS BILL.—On Tuesday night a meeting of the opponents of the Dissenters' ChapterlseeStno before the House of Lords, was held in Oxendoi necessary steps Chapel, t Haymarket, for the purpose of taking the l e measure . c i lc h e a. in i r Parliament. - _ op. ed o (Lp o p r o a s e m t o h u e nte as b further e i presided. prog ress of T t h h e a t .:\._, otherwise, which led the various proceedings, legal and .. ati )11 ofthis Bill—a Bill the professed object of the proceedings of the evening by entering into a detail 9f the intro ue i c I iS Lordship also explained the w hich the Ministers atallkegeieldplwacaes uiprpeiftetraenseteoitiotporothpeertseyrioleutt, litigation which ha PouiriPtlisese subjecti in the House of Lords, the sup port otarteroeofli theio feelingul l or ds, the. nominal opposition of the Right Rev. Bench of Bisho p s, and his own uncom p romisin g hosti fs religious fhats,tdiiiandnfisdnmeo.leitrt were those lity to what he characterised as a most infamous measure. i t wa s a measure actually calculated to increase the spread of Chairman was here interrupted by some marks of disappro -teliiio(eThsree w e Un i tar ianism r , cois w tl ih sia i d c ne h are N d ‘ - a t s h thosea t i i 1 who, C HeChih N no o b b eei- le ff Iliac disappro bation.) . ) i n Saviour were infidels.--(Cries of " Hear, hear.") When he saw the spread o f i n fid e lity at the present day, he felt compelled to offer such measures the most decided oppo sition. This was a Bill of spoliation and of injustice, the ob ject being to - take away property left by religious persons for religious purposes, for the purpose of spreading infidelity. The Noble Lord concluded his address amidst loud and gene ral applause. The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev. Drs. Bennett, Cooke, of Belfast, Morrison, &c., and -strong resolutions condemnatory of the measure, and calling on the different denominations of religious Dissenters in the metropolis and throughout the country to join in protesting against it were passed, petitions to Parliament agreed to, and the meeting separated. The llfalta Times of the 24th has the following froni Tunis :—" We find by the arrival of the Geyser from Tu nis,that the French Consul had claimed the Maltese mur derer Xuereb as a Christian, and that th e Be y , being intimidated, clad given him up. The Sardo-Tunisiatt business is settled—after all his blustering, the Bey has succumbed at last, and paid for the steamer, as well as all the expenses of a Sardinian armament, &c. We un derstand that the money was brought here by the Gey ser." A BAD AIEMORY.—A curious scene occurred at, Washington, a village in the county of Durham, a few days ago. The Rev. Incumbent, on the morning of the 28th ult., after going . through the formula of the ser vice, was • • about to give his se rmon to an atten t i ve , but certainly a very thin congregation, when lo ! after a diligent search in all his pockets, the manuscript was wanting. What was best to be done under existing circumstances, was the question that suggested itself to the rev. functionary. To send the clerk for the miss ing document was the first idea that obtruded itself: But where was it to be found, was the next question'. Without more reflection, the priest opens the pulpit door, dressed in his robes, minus his hat, and bolts oittr of the church in search of his sermon. His house, which • is about 300 yards from the place of worship, he arrived at, and found the object of his search, which, after a smart run, he delivered to his much-surprised and highly- amused congregation. — Tyne Mercury. ' . ment how made meat jeers, the there ; only there were amag• were hum ecre h his Ln the