The Sun. — London, England, 1844-05-15 00:00:00

P/RIT of the PUBLIC 'JOIJRNALS FnOM THE EVENING &mils OF YESTERDAY. STANDARD.--The Factory Bill was last night read a third time and pass e d i n t h e House of Commons; Lord Ashley's amendment (limiting the hours of labour in factories of young persons to ten) having been rejected, after a long debate, by a majority of 297 to 159. The greatness of the majority, by which the House has, within a few days, rescinded its solemn de cision, three times repeated, -will come by surprise upon the public. We confess that though we anti cipated a decision against Lord Ashley's proposition, we were not prepared for such an adverse majority as 138 ; and now we can account for it only by two causes : —First, the distinct and unequivocal, declaration of the Ministers that they would resign office if defeated ; secondly, the occurrence in the debate of menaces against the corn-laws, introduced into the debate by Lord John Russell and some others of the new converts to the principle of limiting the hours of labour. These two considerations co-operating—the fear of losing a Ministry that had proved the faithful protector of agriculture, on one side—the fear of that Mi nistry being succeeded by another, ' the leader of which at the very moment threatened to repeat the desperate and ruinous attempt made in 1841, would naturally alarm the agricultural Members of the House. As regards the first of these two considerations, there can be no doubt that if Ministers appreciate, as we believe they do, the magnitude of the change that Lord Ashley's proposition would ultimately produce, and fear the effect of that change, they were right to give it a determined opposition, and, if unsuccessful in that opposition, to release themselves from the responsibilities of office. For an Administration to prosecute the routine of Government without the power to govern—to submit to defeat after defeat, as was the practice of Lord Melbourne's Cabinet, or to merely evade defeats by abandoning to the majority i t s . . own conscientious .judgme n t, the worst pos sible example. And, indeed, toe present Minis ters had precluded themselves, and we hope all future Governments, from pursuing this unworthy course, by the memorable resolution which closed the first session of 1841. They who think with us, that the Cabinet is in error respecting the short time ques tion, must nevertheless approve, .on constitutional grounds, of the course which they have taken re specting its decision. But though the Ministers themselves are perfectly clear in the matter, we are not quite sure that the fears of many who supported them last night were not unreasonable. Our own belief is, that though Sir R. Peel should resign office on the Ist of June, he would be no less Prime Minister on the Ist of August. A Whig Admi nistration is what, while a remembrance of the ten years from 1831 to 1841 shall remain, the country will never bear ; and there is, even among the Conservative party, no men in whose genius, wisdom, prudence, temper—in a word, in whose consummate statesmanship the country has so much con fidence as it has, most justly, in the qualifications of Sir Robert Peel. The gentlemen who sacrificed their own . opinions, upon an important and deeply interesting ques tion rather than deprive the country of the services of such a Minister, acted no doubt conscientiously, and paid to Sir Robert certainly the highest compliment that could be paid to a public man ; but ought they not to have given the people credit for the same feeling; ought they not to have remembered, that though the great majority of the nation differ from the Right Hon. Baronet upon this one question, that same majority gratefully appreciates his value as a Minister, and after defeating him, even with the effect of render ing his resignation necessary, would restore hen to office as zealously, and with even a more cordial affection, than they placed him there in 1841? The sec end consideration—the apprehension excited by the Anti-Corn-law menaces of the new converts— ought to have been of even less weight than the fear of disturbing the Ministry. Without wishing to detract • from the value of any recruit to what we believe to be a go al cause, we must still remember that the converts in question are party men. They may not, and we trust not, come over to us with party motives, but they cannot help bringing with them their party incumbrances. One of these is hostility to the corn-laws; and as it is too much for even the most unscrupulous of politicians to get rid of two distinct sets of political principles at one and the same time, tiey must try to reconcile their old enmity to the protection of agricultural, with their new zeal e for the protecti o n of manufacturing labour. Betwei n the corn laws and the limitation of the hours of' labour there is, however, no natural connexion except this—the compeCtion of foreigners, of which we have heard so much, as necessarily enforcing long hours of labour, would be infinitely increased by a r' peal of the corn-laws. All that the fereigner in habiting a lees encumbered, a less taxed country, with a pepulstion long familiarised to starvation, and an • abundance of water power, cheaper than steam as 21 is to 12, and working much nearer than we to the great Continental markets—all that the foreigner wants in competing with us is capital ; and a few years of a free trale in corn would hand over to him the sullied of t'iis country. " Were it not (said the late Mr. Rothschild) for occasional bad harvests, nll the money of the world must flow to and settle in England ;" end we have little doubt that the recent active competition which has excited so much apprehension might, with little difficulty, be traced to the effeCt of the successive bad harvests from 1838. The inquiry, though an important one, scarcely falls in with our immediate subject, and then fore we did miss it for the present. Wo can, on the whole, find no valid reason for the votes of the majority of those who opposed Lord Ashley last night, though we are very far from imputing improper motives to any considerable number of them. And now to comp to the most im portant question. The face of the short time prupo sition having been decided for a 'session, how ate the friends of that proposition to act ? to pre. pare a strong force and a strong case against the next sessiote when, or at least in the succeeding; session at farthest, th e y must carry t h e i r po i nt, if they only act with prudence. The principle of limitation hal been established, and it was strongly, though somewhat inconsistently, urged by some of Lord Ashlery's most distinguished opponent; th a t ever y eac h pr i nc i p l e must in the nature of things be progressive. How, then, is its progress to be aided and accelerated ?—j by angry agitation and violent speeches, and, as was; not obscurely hinted, by " strikes ? Oh, no; note of these things ever forwarded any but a bad cause and have never been employed in a good one without retarding or injuring it. The way in which the strength of the factory labourers is to be augmented, is by the preservation of that noble character which they have achieved for themselves. It is in rooted repose that the forest oak acquires its magnificent dimensions ; it is in repose from violent agitation that large bodies of men acquire a great and noble character. Next, information adapted to the new phase of the question roust be diligently sought for and accurately prepared. Enough is known of the suffering of the factory la bourers by direct testimony—more than enough for those who are by experience acquainted with the cor ruption of humeri nature, and know that all responsibl.: power v. hich men can profitably abuse, will be abused by those who possess it. GLOBE —A motion stands on the order-book of the n juse of Commons fear this evening, the discussion of which will open the oyes of the public to the enormities perpetrated by Lord Lyndhurst's Chancery Reform Act, for the passing of which the session of 1842 will be dis tinguished in the history of Parliamentary credulity, indif ference, and idleness. When Tory Lord Chancellors endea vour to lull suspicion asleep by extraordinary professions or regard for the public interests, then is the time for legislators to be more than commonly on their guard tiesinst deception. The motion we allude to, which will be brought forward by Mr. Watson, Q.C., is for " A Seket Committee to inquire into the orders for compensation made by the Lord Chancellor to the persons filling the offices of Clerk of the Enrol ments, Comptrollers of the Hanaper, Riding Clerk, Six Clerks, Sworn Clerks, Wailing Clerks, Agent or Pee card Keeper in the Court of Chancery, under the Act . and G Vic. c. 103, and to inquire into the nature, (lilac,. and emoluments of those offices before the pass ing of that Act, and their right to compensation (and if anon to what amount), during their life, and for seven years after the death of such - person ; and to inquire into the taxation of suitors in courts of law and equity, and the application of moneys raised thereby, and the propriety of continuing the same." The Chancery Offices Abolition Act was framed by, or under the immediate in structions of, Lord Lyndhurst, and was introduced to the House of peers by the Noble and Learned Lord with a coin placency!of demeanour, and a blandness of tone, which tended to allay suspicion that any mischief to the public interests could lurk under so fair a form. The legal pro fession concurred in denouncing the Six Clerks'-office as the principal cause of the reproach which the public agreed to cast upon the Chanceik Court ; the very name of which was synonymous in the public ear with interminable delay and ruinous expense in litiga tion. Until Lord Lyndhurst undertook the Herculean tusk, that Augean stable reposed in security. The dread of interfering with " vested interests," and the horror of touching the time-honoured institutions of the country, were alternately pleaded as an excuse for not abolishing the monster-grievances which oppressed, harassed, and frequently d es t royed the hapless suitors ' in the Chancellor's Court. Lord Lyndurst undertook and—it was boasted—completed, the arduous labour It was not until the Lord Chancellor's celebrated orders were issued in December last, that the price et '4lch the benefits of the Chancery ()eg --cos Abo lition Act had been purchased became k nown. Whether the framers of the Act had any idea that the compensation which it gave would amount to a sun approximating to that which it is now ascertained must be paid under its provisions, we do not undertake to. pronounce. Certain, however, is it, that a sum considerably more than a million sterling is awarded as compensation to the holders of the _offices abolished by the Act. IT the Lord Chancellor knew_ that such ss ould be the effect of his first experiment in law _r . eform, he ought to have stated the fact. If his Lordship was ignorant of that which is now made Manifest, it will go far to convict him of ne g ligence in the discharge of his rublic duties. It will also cause suspicion of the No bl e and Learned Lord's other reforms in the administration if justice, which he has engaged to effect. Hie Ent grand experiment has entailed a gross amount Of Charge on the suitors of the Court, in the shape of compensation to the holders of useless offices, to the extent 0f1,358,4241. 3s. 50.! This is more than enough for tl e present. That the Bill was pressed through Tarlto n entwith inordinate rapidity, will be seen by a reference to the prooeedings of Parliament. The Bill was introduced ate last month of the session of 1842. It was brought it to the Lords on the 11th of July, 1842 ; and passed tl 461htisev_ACe. ~ .n5 in ei g h t d ays, nearly sub ~ilentio. 11.-priyed_tha t Id 'Assent on the 10th of August fol <l:citing—the Bar-being on Circuit and the London atter ..3..sysgenerally wholly - uninf orme d o f the measure. In elolll.minens it moved two stars after raidnight. Han 44,d's Macs word not oafs Ilya of discussion in Par- ' - • • -/ •_. V.Y liament on the Bill. There is yet some hope for the country from the inquiry which Mr. Watson seeks to obtain by his motion. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of May 14.) SUGAR.-To-day the market for West India Sugar pre sented a very dull appearance, and the trill g parcels dis posed of were at prices rather under those of Friday; the total sales are only 150 hhds and tierces; there is a better show of samples in the market ; a vessel has arrived with a cargo of new. Barbadoes. -The parcels of Bengal and Mauri tius offered at public sale were again very large. REFnsEn.-To-day few purchases were made in Refined goods for home consumption, brown lumps are 775, and standard lumps 78s per cwt. Bonded Crushed Sugar is wanted at 25s 9d to 26s per cwt. Loaves in good demand ; Turkey Double Refined 2i to 41bs at 35s to 38s ; Hamburgh 6lbs 345, 9to 101bs 30s 6d to 31s, 13 to 141bs 30s ; Tittlers 20 to 301bs 26s 6d to 27s ; Prussian 40 to 451 b 26s 6d: Pieces are wanted at 21s to 235. Bastards yellow at 19s to 20s, and brown 173 6d to 18s. Treacle in fair demand at Ils. In Dutch Crushed Sugar not much doing: 22s 6d to 23s 9d per cwt is the value. Maunmus.-This afternoon buyers purchased with cau tion, at prices is per cwt under those of this day week; fine yellow sold at 64s to 65s 6d, good 62s 6d to 63s 6d, mid 60s to 625, low 58s 6d to 59s 6d, ord f oge y b rown 52 s 6d t o 545, good 56s 6d, fine 57s to 58s, and common to good grey 58s to 63s per cwt. EAST INDIA.-In Foreign East India Sugar little business , has been transacted privately, but holders remain firm. This afternoon there were four public sales of Bengal Sugar, con taining 7,583 bags 6 casks ; white was all bought in at pre vious rates ; the few lots of brown and yellow sold went at a further reduction of is per cwt; strong yellow sold at 60s Gd to 62s 6d, middling rather soft 58s 6d to 59s 6d, damp 56s to 58s, brown 52s 6d to 54s per cwt. FOREIGN.-To-day yellow Havannah Sugar was sought after, and a floating cargo of 800 boxes of low qUality was disposed of, fdr a port in the Mediterranean, at 20s 6d per_ cwt. Maroim Sugar, at public sale, sound all taken in at 22s to 24s for mid to good white, good brown 18s 6d to,lgs, and ordinary 17s per cwt, being above their value,' a; few- lots washed were sold at 21s to 22.3 for white, and 1.6 s to 18s for brown. Bahia were taken in at 18s for sound brown. MOLASSES.-In the prices of West India there is 'no alte ration ; Antigua at 27s per cwt. Small parcels of Bengal 15s to 17s per cwt. Cuba Honey was taken in at 19s per cwt. COCOA.-Prices for West India rule 2s per cwt under those of last Tuesday ; Trinidad, good dark red at 49s to 49s 6d, middling 47s 6d to 48s, middling to good grey 43s 6d to 46 5 , very low 365, and good sea damaged 44s 6d per cwt. For Foreign in small parcels very full rates have been paid. COFFEE.-Prices are still on the decline for West India, and rule 2s to 3s per cwt under those of this day week. This afternoon Mocha good mid yellow long berry clean garbled at 82s to 85s, mid green 744 to 745 6d, fine ord 71s 6d to 72s 6d, broken 52s 6d to 655, sea damaged, first class, 688 to 69s 6d. Ceylon good ord 53s : Plantation fine bold middling .coloury at 86s to 86s 6d, fine rather greyish 85s (one lot 79s 6d), pea berry 94s 6d, sea damaged, first class, 85s, second ditto 765, third ditto 695, and black 51s; other sorts at 53s per cwt for good ordinary quality, and 47s to 52s for sea da maged. Costa Rica taken in at 59s to 60s for fide fine- ord,: and 54s for good ord, excepting a f ew l o t s w hi c h so ld at 508 6d to 52s for good ord, and one lot inferior 49s 6d per cwt. TEA.-Although there have been further arrivals of Tea, still merchants show firmness, and none has been brought to public sale. To-day green was much in demand, but of the finer sorts the supply is scanty, and prices are still on the advance. Of black, several parcels were sold at full rates; common sound Congou is is to is Hyson ord 2s 3d to 2s 6d, and Twankay common is lid to is 3d per lb. RICE.-There has been a much better demand for Bengal, and the parcels disposed of by private contract have brought rather higher rates. Madras at 8s 6d to 9s, and Java 8s 6d to lls per cwt. Cleaned Rice is more in request, Patna at 13s to 17s, and Carolina 21s to 24s and 26s per cwt. To-day Bengal Rice at lOs Gd to Ils per cwt for mid white. Yellow Foreign East India is 8s 6d 'per cwt. • SPICES.-This afternoon white Pepper sold d per lb. under former rates, good bold but dingy went at 5d to sd, good middling 4ad to 4id, middling 4d, and one lot 34.1 perdb. For Cassia Lignea, holders refusing to sell at former rates checked business. Sumatra Pepper at 2id to 3d per lb for common. Pimento at rather higher prices. - RUM ' , BRANDY AND HOLLANDS. - Jarnaica Rum at tatier higher rates. Leewards at 2s 2d to 2s 3d for proof to 3 per cent overproof, and common almost black at 2s ld per gallon, proof; strong Demerara, 35 per cent overproof, 3s 2d per gallon; Calcutta Rum at is lld to is 1 lid per gallon, proof strength. In the better qualities of Brandy few init.- chases made, but low descriptions have been !in good request by exporters at 2s 9d to 3s per gallon. For other kinds prices are drooping, and rule as follows :- Cognac, best brands of the vintage of 1838, hhds 5s 7d, puns 5s sd; ditto 1839, hhds 5s sd, puns 5s 3d; ditto 1840, hhds 5s 3d, puns 5s id; ditto 1841, Wilds Si 2d, puns ss; ditto 1842,. hhds Si Id, puns 4s Ild ; and middling qualities As 2d, to 4s 6d peg gallon. Geneva for exportation at ,l s Sdolaigs dd; and several parcels of fine taken by the home trade at 2s 2d to 3s. English Corn Spirits at lOs 2d per gallon, cash. To day Calcutta Rum was much sought after, and the Dobah Company have sold all they had at. is lld proof. Leewards proof 2s 21d to 2s 3d, 9 per cent over 2s sd. Demerara 36 to 37 over sold at 3s 2d to 3s 4d. Jamaica at 3s 3d to 5s tor 26 to 37 over. Ons.—Linseed Oil at 26s 9d to 27s per cwt on the spat. Rape Oil, brown at 38s to 38s 6d, and pale 39s to 39s 6d per cwt. Olive Oil is much wanted. Gallipoli at 52110 s to 53/, Sicily 52/, Spanish 51/ to 511 10s, and Barbary 501 to 501 lOs per tun. Palm bought in at 26s to 27s for good and fine quality. For Cocoa Nut 0i1283 to 32s is the value of common to fine. Sperm Oil firm ; 751 761 per tun paid for British. Pale Seal is 3315 s to 331105, Cod 34/, and Southern 251 to 291 per tun. _ TAdow.—There are sellers of P Y Candle for delivery in the last three months of the year at 41s 3d to 41s Gd per cwt. on the spot 403t0 40s 9d per cwt accepted. Town Tallow at 39s to 40s per cwt, net cash. South American 'fallow at 34s to 39s 6d for mid to fine, 28s to 33s 6d fur low, and 3s to 9 3 per cwt fur scrapings a n d p um pi ngs . New South Wales fetched 38s 6d to 39s Gd for good and fine, and Italian at 39s to 40s per cwt. To-day P Y Candle on the spot at lower rates, 40s to 40s 6d being accepted. For delivery 41s to 41s 3d are the quotations for the last three months of the year. Inomo.—Holdert of East India remain firm. Some small parcels of Spanish have brought stiff prices. This afternoon Guatemala Indigo taken in at 3s 8d to 4s 3d per lb for mid dling and good. SAGO.—At rather higher rates, 13s is the lowest price of sound Pearl. Fine small Pearl at 20s Gd per cwt. Sago Flour taken in at 21s per cwt. Jamaica Arrowroot sold at 8d per lb. This afternoon Pearl Sago sold 2s under furmer rates good ordinary small brown Pearl at Ils to 12s per cwt. MR. BARNARD GREGORY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sin,—l take the liberty of handing you a copy of the petition presented on Monday night to the Douse of Commons, by Mr. Roebuck, on the matter of the im prisonment of my father, and the privations to which he is subjected by the rigorms system now in force as affecting persons criminally proceeded against for libel. Every allegation in the petition can be substantiated on 'oath, and nearly every word uttered, o r re p or t e d i n the public papers to be uttered, by Sir James Graham, on the presentation of the petition, and in reply to Mr. Roebuck, refuted by the like means. My father, after conviction (if it can be called a conviction where a jury has not pronounced a verdict) for the alleged libels for which he is now paying a heartless and cruel penalty, at the time of passing sentence was not permitted to say a single word, much less, as Sir James Graham has as serted, to ask to be placed in the first class of misde meanours. My father was ignorant of there existing 1 any such law, and so it is presumed were his counsel and his attorneys, fur no application was made to the Court, a 3 stated by Sir James Graham, consequently no !' " deliberate refusial" by the Judges could have been given to that a hich nas not asked, nor would, probably have been asked even if it had been known, for the mea sure of injustice and persecution should be filled to the brim, that malignity may drink the deeper ! Again was Sir James Graham in error, or the re .porters have made him so, in stating that my father " was better now in health than when he was first con fined." If. to be in 'a perfect state of physical prostra tion—to be attenuated and haggard in looks, and to be enfeebled mentally from the long deprivation of literary occupation to which he had crom early life been accus tomed, are signs of an improved state of health, then is my father better —much better than be was when he first entered his present loathsome domicile. The nine medical certificates (the principal and most appalling (bno having been corroborated in all its details by the chief medical officers of the prison) are pretty con ' elusive as to the amount of credit to be placed on this 'part of the "reported" statement. Sir James is aware of the imminent danger of my father, or why give directions to the Government medical officer to report every fortnight the state of my father's 'health ? That medical officer knows the opinion of !the eminent physicians who have seen and attended him ; he cannot deny the facts as set forth in those certificates ; and those certificates place an awful responsibility on the heads of all those who, to gratify :private feeling and personal malignity, have subjected an, almost dying man to the cruelties intended only (if foi any class of offenders) for those guilty of the most heinous offences —I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, MARGARET GREGORY. North Audley-street, May 9, 1844. The following is a copy of the petition p resen t e d b y M r. Roebuck on Monday se'rmight ;" TO THE HON. THE COMMONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED. " The humble petition of Barnard Gregory, a prisoner in her Majesty's Gaol of Newgate, " Showeth, '" That your petitioner was,on the second day of December last, at the Central Criminal Court, holden at the Sessions house, Old Bailey, sentenced by Mr. Justice Coltman to twelve months' imprisonment in the gaol of Newgate, for alleged libels on the characters of the Duke of Brunswick, and of his attorney, Mr. Henry Wellington Valiance ; being four months for that on the Duke of Brunswick, and eight months for that on his attorney. " That the gaol of Newgate is a prison chiefly appropriated for the imprisonment of *ions committed to be tried at the Central Criminal Court, and, after trial, for prisoners under sentence of death, or wa iti ng t o b e removed for transporta tion, or sentenced to be imprisoned in other gaols or houses of correction. " he was That upon your petiti oner ' s comm it ment to t h e sa i d gaol placed under the rules, regulations, and discipline of most atrocious crimilannlefasif the said prison, the cell without any other offenders,he hhaadvbi having n assigned classitghneed to h o i f m t the and a scat with outupao a n),ac k i r ak4 ritu tn ie rru th w an ire th u at be o ds f a te s a m d, al w l i t t a h bl a e i r a o g p , e , m vi a ti t io to at sleep p er sheets or ille ree horse clothe for a cover " That his diet (until slightlyi pillow. "That by the recommenda sisted tion of the surgeon of the gaol) boiled obliged to varied by a small portion of meat and e he is deprived of the use of a knife and fork, feed himself, like an uncivilised man, with hi e s in g priced, also, of the use of pen, ink, and papern,g a cra nd ; de reading of newspapers, or any books except such books the e s , and at are permitted by the chaplain of the prison • night, a he is not allowed the use of any light, whereby your peti tioner has been compelled to pass his time in solitary dark ness 15 hours out of the 24. "That, in addition to the above privations, your petitioner is not allowed by the rules of the said prison to have any personal intercourse with his only daughter or any of his family and friends, except upon the especial written order of a magistrate or one of the sheriffs, which your petitioner acknowledges with gratitude they have freely granted. " That the said gaol so being a prison for criminal offenders, he has had no alternative-but either to have for his associates persons of that class, or submit hiniself (as he has done) to solitary confinement. iE S Lt" N, LON . DON, WEDNESDAYti --- E VENING, MAY 15, 1844. It 1 be sacrificed by a longer continuance in the said gaol. "That, in proof of your petitioner's statement of ill health, certificates of the precarious state of it, signed by six eminent physicians, and three general practitioners, have, with a me morial from your petitioner, been presented to Sir James Graham, her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home De partment, but. without prOcuring for your petitioner any al teration in the restrictions complained against, or any remis sionof his sentence. '= "Your petitioner, however, gratefully acknowledges that, from the visiting magistrates of the said gaol, and also from the sheriffs and the governor, chaplain and surgeon of the prison, he has received every humane attention consistent with the orders and regulations laid down for their govern ment by the said Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment, and the prison inspectors, and your petitioner is now permitted the use of a chair with a back to it, and also a feather bed, but without sheets or a pillow, and is allowed a partial alteration in the prison diet. without which his life must ere this have been sacrificed ; And he is also permitted to read the works of Shakspeare ; all the other restrictions, as against convicted felons, continuing to be enforced against your petitioner. " Your petitioner humbly prays that your honourable house will be pleased to take his case into your humane consideration, and obtain for him such immediate relief as will obviate the fatal effects of his imprisonment, which are anticipated by himself, his family, and his medical advisers. " Your petitioner also prays (if not contrary to the rules and orders of your Honourable House) that he may be al lowed by himself or counsel to appear and be heard at the bar of your Honourable House in support of the allegations i and statements in this, his petition, and against those re strigtions keing longer enforced against him. ".And 3four petitioner likewise prays that persons hereafter L convicted of libel may not (like your petitioner) suffer the -same and .the like prison discipline and privations as persons convicted of criminal offences. " And your petitioner will ever pray, &c., " B. GREGORY." MR. MACAULAY. It will probably be in tho_ remembrance of our readers, that, a few weeks ae, at a large- and influential meeting of the constituency of Edinburgh, it was resolved, that when ever another election - take place for that, city, anti-corn-law ; candidates shall.be started for its representation, should the present Members not before then give in their adhesion to 0 the cause of total and immediate repeal. The resolutions 0 adopted at this meeting having been transmitted to Mr. Ma ' caulay l -as well as the other Member, he has addressed a long 'and elaborately-written letter to his constituents by way of answer. * The Hon. Gentleman avows himself an immediate and entire repealer, and as a con Sequence intimates his inten tion of voting far the coming motion of Mr. Villiers. verthetess, his letter in different parts betrays the deepest . mortifieation that the corn-law repealers of Edinburgh shoulth,lihve presumed in any way to interfere with the course which lie might deem it proper to adopt on the corn-law question. Such interference is, by implication, denounced as an unjustifiable attempt on the part of the constituency to ty rannise over and dictate to Members. Mr. Macaulayis mistaken. Such an interference with Members is perfectly justifiable. When a majority of the electars of any place,.whether borough or county, have made up their minds that the adoption of a certain line of conduot, on any great question, is essential to the well-being of the conntry;-they haVe - ti clear, undoubted, constitutional righTTO call On'th s cii• representatives to give effect to theii Vieiva; opposite opinion, and what follows? - 'Why, that Ahe terms member and representative, instead of being, as they are conventionally supposed to be, synOnymous, are, or 'may become, as opposite in their import as the words black and white. To apply , the term repre sentative to a man setting at . -defiance the-Wishes of his con stituents, is a glaring-perversion bf language. It is to dis-. regard the obvious and legitimate meaning of wordi.. The Member who sets up his own views in opposition to those of his constituents, on any of the great questions of the day, does, in effect, insultinglyiell them„ that - they elected him to be his own representative, hot theirs, Are 'the constituencies of England p re pa re d t o su b m i t to this attempt to seal their lips against all further remonstrances with. those Members who venture to set at nought their .will-known views and wishes? Are they to be, put to silence by 'the supercilious sneers or open insolence of those very, men who on the hustings protested that it would be the • end and aim of their legislatiVes lives, to ,give• effect in Parliament to the principles which their constituencies entertained ? If Mr. Afacaulay'S notions are to be adopted, political elec tions will become a mere mockery. There was at least more •consistency, if less virtue, in .the old noenination borough system, when a man, "if he purchased 'a scat, was considered the representative of his breeches pocket, 'or if he received the seat as a gift from some Peer of the realm, considered himself bound in honour to represent the views and wishes of his noble patron. But good is often educed . from seeming evil. 'We anticipate,much benefit from that portion of Mr. Macaulay's letter in which he advocatdSthe right of Mem- ' bers to act according to their own views, kowever much their notions may clash with the views of their constituents. The effect will be to make the electoral body more careful hereafter as to the kind of candidate Von whom they bestow their suffrages. Th . eelectors, as - regards" the 'future, haVe the remedy in their Own. hands. If persons presenting them- selves as candidates, refuse to carry out the views of a par ticular constituency, let thm be suynnarily•orclered about their business. No terms Must be kept With such persons. If the electors are not to haVe the right of taking all needful precautions for the, effective representation- of their prin ciples in Parliament, why, we beg to ask, did the Legisla titre confer the franchise on.thern ? With the. construction which Mr. Macaulay thinks proper to rpfle on the duties of the constituent body e - Truriers of the Reform Bill, in ex tmding the franchise,' offered a gratnitOUS insult to the new constituency which that measure created. If Members are not prepared to give a. practical expression to the principles of the electoral body who . elected them, it is a piece of un warrantable impertinence to solicit the suffrages' of such electors. To prevent all misconeeptionin future, as to the relative duties of the constituencies and the candidates who . . ask their votes, let tile electors, before giving any candidate their support, obtain from hims,arwritten pledge that he will vote in a particular way on the great questions of the day— these questions, and the manner in which Mefhbers are ex pected to vote on them, being stated in away which can leave no room for doubt, evasion, or equivocation. While Mr. Macaulay intimates his intention of voting in favour of Mr. Villiers's motion for the immediate` and• total re peal of the corn-lawS, the sole:object •of :ltis letter seems to be to persuade the country. that it ought most ; thankfully to accept of a fixed duty. This is Whoever• vet knew a Whig that wag la his heart, whittever 'he might be in . profession, in faviiiief Of any truly popular mea sure? It is clear, that if Mr: Villiers receive the support of: the Member for Edinburgh, it will be• from expediency, not • from principle. It is equally' clear, that 'were Sir Robert Peel to sacrifice his sliding-scale and propose to substitute fur it. a.moderate fixed duty, Mr. Macaulay would at once abandon the cause of immediate and total repeal (to which he has, with evident reluctance, conditionally given in his adhesion), and support the Tory PreMier. All such time serving - Members ought to be marked men—persons who are • to be suspected. They are black sheep, who do immeasur ably more mischief to a cause than if .they had.. never pro fessed to identify themseb,*l4 with it.• Hollow-hearted friends are always more to be dreaded.than open enemies. The letter of Mr. Macaulay is not ontjrctitenlated, but is•manif e stly in tended, to do irreparable miSehierto the Anti-CornAaw agi tation. He labours hard to, underrate the influence of the League. :He affirms that its .power. is .exceedingly We trust that it will join isgue with him here; and furnish • such a proof of its influenea l iis even he shall not be able to resist. Let the League Tut....i.:)ttli its energieS, - snaLeonvinee • Mr. Macaulay of what it is. capable of doing, by. turning him out of the representation of E?Taiburgh whene . yer an election for that city take place. 7 ,-A&-rasie;•. = - • - • • • EscArE FROM Friday morning, at three o'clock, a person who was passing through Beech street, Barbican, obsei-d an' appearance of fire in the kitchen 'at No. 37, and sipoß.his giving information at 'the Whitecross-street station, in the immediate neigh bourhood, Mallet, the resident engineer,. instantly . got out a small engine and rolled it to the spot. Flames were then distinctly sem:through the-kitchen.window, and. admission being obtained, it was discovered that some shavings and moil, left by. a carpenter whe had been at work in the kitchen. on Thursday.evening, had by some means ignited, and the flames had • communicated to the furniture and woodworlein - the . kitehen, and were spreading so rapidly that the-upper part of the house, where the whole of the inmates were in bed, would in a short time have been in a blaze. Considerable damage was done in the kitchen, bat the engineer' had been so prompt in his arrival that he was enabled 'to prevent any further mischief. The house, a 'millinery ware- , house, in the occupation of Mr. Todd, is ingured in the Sun-office. MURDEROUS ATTACK.—On Wednesday evening A most diabolical outrage was committed by a bargeman at Diglis, near this city, undeTtlieTalleiving 7 . circumstances : Two men, named Halley and Bentley, employed on board the Prince Charlie, a barge pletig:tietWeen Irpnbridge and Glou cester, had been quarrelling 1j). lip the river. The cause of the dispute has - noi- s .iyo'Cilieen ascertained ; ,but on the arrival of the barge at Digliaf the quiirrel had become so warm that Hailey knocked the other min off the . ' deck into the river. With some di ffi culty, be -scrambled to th e b an k, completely covered with mud; when he picked up some pieces of turf and threw them at his assailant:" .Hailey in stantly went below deck- , and fetched up a gun,triok delibe rate aim at Bentley as he was on - th'e bank, and' diSoliarged the contents at him. Bentley was struck in the -, eye, and immediately fell to the 'ground ;. on partially-recovering, however, and, with the assistance of another person who came , up, he managed to proceed towards the bridge, notwithstand ing considerable hemorrhage was taking place: On being taken to Mr. Orwin, surgeon,- of 'Bridge-street,' it was dis covered that, although the eye-ball had not been forced out, the sight was irrecoverably lost ; he was then taken by some policemen to the infirmary: The. brute (Halley) was shortly afterwards taken into custody, by Sergeant Saunders, after an ineffectual attempt to escape by steering his vessel to the other side of the river. The wounded man remained in the infirmary all night, and on the following morning, at seven o'clock, a man came, and, laving been permitted to see him, after soar time they left together, and have not since been heard of. On Thursday morning the case was investigated at the county magistrates' office., The prisoner was remanded. Worcestershire Chronicle. ' . • The town of Redditch, has 4 this week been thrown into a state of great excitement by the disclosure of circum stances leading to the suspicion that,a female servant in the house of Mr. J. Warrin, needle-manufacturer, had on Sunday last clandestinely given birth to . a child, which she after wards destroyed by burning it. The woman is now in cus tody; and has .undergone an -examination by Mr. Royston, surgeon, which leaves no doubt of her recent delivery; and the appalling rumour has received further confirmation by .Allday, the constable, after a diligent search on the premises, having succeeded in discovering- the head of an infant ! Worcester Herald V. ClO7. s e c n t e r se c d t: w il a l s o d N e E li r v . e T ed th to e m fo r. ll D ow ow in im g . laetttheirs, house with in Houghton-le-Spring, on Saturday'evening last :—" Sir, — The enclosed is a restoration for property destroyed in the garden belonging to the late Mr. Elliott, by a person then living near to him. The real, value of the property is un known, but the enclosed will more -than meet it.—Yours respectfully, Gtrutrztus —To the heir of the late Mr. El liott, surgeon, of Houghton7le-Spring. * -4th of May, 1844." —Durham Advertiser. TIMATRICAL S IN TROUBLE.---LThe Rev. Joseph Ridgeway-, rector of High Roothinth, * attended at Dunmow, to prosecute a charge against John - 'Wm., Stpr„ - tdNo,ll, Thomas -street, Wat er l oo - road; London, - desOribed , ;oxn the charge sheet As a wagoner 'and cotnediiin, for conducting his properties and vehicles through the parish of High Roothing on the Sunday, being on their way to Dumnow fair. Fined 11. ; coto 941,--,Esser Herald "That your petitioner shortly before his commitment to prison ruptured a blood-vessel in the lungs, being the fifth I time of such an occurrence within four years, and he was upon his said commitment, and is now, in a very infirm and I precarious state of health. " That for more than the last four months your petitioner has not left his cell, and, being deprived of his accustomed air and exercise recommended by his medical advisers, ho is now reduced to such a state of -mental and bodily debility as to excite the apprehension of medical men that his life will IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, May 14 Their Lordships met at Five o'clock. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. Mr. GnxENE and other Members brought up the Factories and other Bills from the Commons. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE gave notice that, • on Friday, he should present a petition on the subject of the Poor-laws in Ireland, and he should take that oppor tunity of asking the Government what progress had been made by the Commission appointed to investigate the state of poor-houses in Ireland. Several petitions were presented praying the House to legalise Presbyterian mixed marriages in Ireland. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Edin burgh, in favour of the North British Railway. Earl SOMERS presented petitions from occupiers and owners of land in the city of Hereford and its vicinity ; in the districts of Kingston ; town and vicinity of Ledbury, county of Hereford ; parish of Mathan, county of Worcester; parish of Bromsberrow, county of Glouces ter ; parish of Shelton, county of Hereford ; parish of Canon Frome, ditto ; parish of Colwah, ditto ; p ar i s h of Pultey, ditto ; parish of Little March, ditto ; parish of Eggleton, ditto ; parish of Munsby, ditto ; district of Packhold, ditto ; parish of Aylton, ditto ; parish of Ashperton, ditto ; parish of Castle Frome, ditto ; parish of Pixley, ditto ; parish of Coddington, ditto ; parish of Bosbury, ditto ; all praying for the same degree of agricultural protection as at present exists. Lord COTTENHAM moved for returns of the num • ber of persons who were confined in prison at the pre sent time, distinguishing the duration of their impri sonment, the amount of their debts, and the sums ex pended in their support. Tho LORD CHANCELLOR said he had not the slightest objection to granting the returns moved for by his Noble and Learned Friend. In reply to a question from Lord CAMPBELL, The LORD CHANCELLOR said that in the mea sure respecting imprisonment for debt now before their Lordships, the sum named in it for the support of a class of prisoners amounted to exactly 300 shillings a year, and not to 365, as he seemed to suppose. Lord BROUGHAM moved for a return of the num ber of separations, a meusa et thoro, which had taken place during the last ten years. THE SPY SYSTEM IN IRELAND. The Marquis of NORMANBY, in moving for the production of the papers of which he had given notice, would make a few observations on a topic which had recently created a great sensation in Ireland. No one could deny that that revolting and odious employment, which was commonly called the spy system, was one which met with the reprobation of all good men in every country. In former periods the ramifications of that sys tem had spread through every quarter of the lower or ders of society in Ireland. Although they had not heard of it during recent years, yet the recollection of it still produced most disastrous effects upon the well-being of society in many parts of Ireland. He would not allude to its probable re-introduction, but it was a notorious fact that the system existed at present to a greater extent in Ireland than it had recently done. He would not al lude to any particular cases which might at present be under investigation. The Skibereen case, he believed, was at present under inquiry. It was notorious that the system was extending. HeHe would allude to a pamphlet which must be regarded as some sort of authority, as it had been quoted the Prime Minister in the other House of Parliament—it was entitled "A Cry from Ire land," and there it was stated, that in the gaol of Kilkenny, persons had been placed in the same room with persons under criminal charges, for the purpose of worming themselves into their confidence, and obtaining confessions to be given in evidence against them. The system extended even to tampering with witnesses, and an affidavit of a boy had been given, in which the deponent described the proce'ss by which he had been led to recognise a party as guilty of an offence, whom he had previously sworn that he did not know. He took it for granted, as the Primo Minister had quoted this pamphlet, that he had directed inquiries to be made into these cases. As a proof that this system was not necessary, he would refer to the evidence taken before their Lordships' Committee in 1841, from which it ap peared that such -a etrytteli' *as L uresbeessary to se cure the proper administration of justice in Ireland. That evidence showed that between 1835 and 1839 there was a greater proportion of committals to offences, and of convictions to committals, than at any previous period ; and in the entire of it he defied their Lordships to show the use of such means as were now had recourse to in Ireland. Though this was an evil, it was no reason why individual injustice should be inflicted on any party charged with participating in such offences. The Go vernment refused Mr. Grey any further investigation into his case, and they said that all correspondence with him must be closed. When those documents which he held in his hand came into his possession, he thought it right to submit his case to the House. He had no acquaint ance with Mr. Grey. When that gentleman arrived in London he called on him (the Marquis of Normanby), but he did not think it right to receive any information from him of which the Government were not in possession. Mr Grey was one of those persons who were removed at the accession of the present Government. When Mr. Grey was employed in Kilkenny, and when it was rumoured that he was removed, he received from the magis trates, in all parts of the country, testimonies of regret at the prospect of his removal, and a memorial had been presented to the Lord-Lieute nant by the High Sheriff, signed by persons of all politics, praying that he might be allowed to remain. Mr. Grey laboured under the imputation of having been the parent and originator of this odious system which was now acquiring new force. Now, how did the facts . stand ? Two men were arrested in Thurles in November, for hawking a seditious p am phl e t or b a ll a d , was or c m a a ll n e b d .o the ne , l i e T r w o sea i Tories' downfal." that ballad, He e e n ( a th m e e 3, o ra f r N ei v i li li ic s l o i f N ' and, thereure, he was not aware whether it was objec tionable in execution or in its topi c; nor did he know whether it was one of those cases which were described by the Noble and Learned Lord (Brougham) last 'night, as " fond and fantastic prophecies." The ballad, however, was considered seditious by Mr. Attorney-General Smith. It appeared that the persons having been arrested, Mr. Jennings suggested that they should be tried at the quarter-ses sions of Thurles, then going on; and Mr. Grey consulted the Attorney- General en the subject, and he said, " The ballad is very seditious, and it was quite right to commit the parties for trial; the only difficulty is whether they ought not to be tried at the assizes, as we are not quite certain that the jurors at the sessions would be likely to do their duty." Now he (the Marquis of Nor manby) would not pause to comment upon the doubt which was here thrown upon the jurors in petty sessions. The Attorney-General's opinion having been obtained the parties were committed for trial. Mr. Grey, not wishing to strain the law so as to operate unnecessarily hard upon the prisoners, again wrote to the Attorney- General and stated that Osborn had expressed his readiness to give information respecting the printer of the ballad, and h e wished tob know whether, under these circumstances, the prisoner could not be admitted as a witness against the printer of the ballad, and the Attorney-General replied, "1 have no doubt that similar ballads nifty be purchased from Moran, and therefore he can be prosecuted inde pendent of Osborn's evidence. I therefore see no reason why Osborn should be discharged unless he can obtain bail." It appeared that Falvey, a sub-constable, went to the house of the printer with manuscripts in his pocket, immediately after which Inspector Jennings took them to Grey. and the printer was immediately appre headed. Now, Mr. Grey distinctly denied that he gave any instruction upon this subject. The Noble , Marqiiis then read a statement detailing the circum stances attendant upon the arrest, and recommending Fel yey to the consideration of the Government as an active andtfficient officer ; also a report from the sub- inspector to tie Government to the same effect. This was altogether a most extraordinary case, for con table Falvey fully bore out the ,assertion of Mr. Gray, with respect to not having issued any instruction to Falvey, yet Mr. Grey was dismissed, while Falvey was retained in the constabulary. What had Falvey said when he was asked what did he imagine would have been his duty if no ballads had been printed? His answer was, he supposed he should have to get them printed, but he had received no instructions. Now the Government had received these reports on the 30th of November, and if the Government had not interfered, the sellers of the ballads would have been prosecuted. Now, it appeared that Mr. Grey was anxious that these parties should not remain in gaol, and he applied to the Government to forward the pro secutions. He applied to have Osborn discharged, and to be permitted to avail himself of Osborn's evi dence against the other parties. No, said Mr. Brewster, there would be no necessity for that if proper means were taken. Now, what were those proper , means ? Why, evidently it was meant to send a policeman in disguise, they could hardly send him in uniform, to procure these ballads. Now, the Government knew as much about this case on the SOth Nov. as they did at the present moment. They had received both the reports, and had had an opportunity of comparing them. These papers were not returned by Mr. Brewster until December 12th, when they were returned by him to Mr. Grey This did not rest on his testimony alone. Reports were transmitted from day to day by the Inspector-General to the Chief Secretary, and the most important were selected by the Chief Secretary, and brought under the notice of the Lord-Lieutenant. Directions were given on those reports, which were sent to the constabulary. If blame rested any where, it must be with the Under- Secretary, for he was aware that the Inspector-General was most punctual in sending reports to the Castle.— (Hear, hear.) The fact of the printing of the ballad was known to the Government on the 12th of November. He did not think there could be the least doubt of that.—(Hear, hear.) It did not rest on the silence of the parties, for on the 12th of December Mr. Brewster returned them to Mr. Grey, saying that no further directions seemed necessary in the case. What interpretation was Mr. Grey to put on this but that the previous directions had been adopted. From the time that those unfortunate men had been in gaol, till they had been discharged, from the Go vernment refusing to prosecute them, which was four months, Mr. Grey had no reason to suppose that he had not fulfilled the instructions he had received. It was not till the matter became notorious to the public any steps were taken, and he thought that Mr. Grey and the Irish people had reason to complain that the inten tions of the Government were not clearly expressed before the matter had become so public and notorious. He apprehended that it was but just to Mr. Grey that a full explanation of the circumstances under which his dismissal took place should be laid before the public ; and with this view he had brought the subject under the notice of their Lordships. Lord WHARNCLIFFE thought he would he enabled to show that no blame was to - be attributed to the Go vernment with respect to this matter. The circumstances of this case undoubtedly had been detailed with great accuracy by the Noble Marquis, and it was very true that Mr. Brewster gave directions that means should be taken to purchase copies of this ballad from Moran, who was the printer, according to the information which had been given by Osborn. The Noble. Marquis must remember that when Osborn gave his information he was pl ace d very much in the position of a common in former, and, therefore, his evidence was not entitled to much weight, and ought not to be relied upon if they could get better evidence by proper means. A man dressed as au itinerant ballad-singer was therefore sent to Moran's house, to purchase one of these ballads, and lest Moran should have none printed in his possession the man took with him a manuscript copy of the ballad in his pocket, with directions that in such case he should order Moran to print some more copies from that manu script. It was ascertained that there were no printed copies in existence, but he produced the MS., and pro cured others to be printed in his presence, and pur chased eighteen dozen of them. He said, further, that when Moran received the MS. he asked if it had been procured from Ulver, and was answered in the affirmative. Now he had produced the MS. to Mo • ran, had got it printed in his presence, and had pur chased the copies. That was a different case from sending a person to a printer's house to purchase publications which had been printed previously. He believed that that was a course which was every day adopted in this country without objection, but if no printed papers were found, and a MS. was taken to the printer, and he was induced to print it, such a course of conduct was perfectly unjustifiable. Now, Mr, Grey at all events, knew of this transaction, for Falvey said in his evidence that he had told Mr. Grey of all that had occurred. Mr. Grey had reported on this tran saction to the authorities of the Castle,and yet he had never mentioned one word of this circumstance. The gist of the whole transaction consisted in his having sent to Moran to get these ballads printed. The accusation against the Government was that they had employed a policeman as a spy—they bad furnished him with a manuscript to get printed, and had prosecuted the printer. Now be could not acquit Mr. Grey. -Mr. Grey said he could not recollect the circumstance, that it had escaped his memory ; but the other said that he had positively given directions that those orders should be given to Falvey, and Foote said that he was not sure if Jennings or Mr. Grey mentioned it, but that the two bad been consulting together, and that Mr. Grey was in the room, when the orders were given ; therefore, Mr. Grey knew all the circumstances, and yet had not reported the facts to the Castle. Jennings afterwards said that Falvey went to Moran disguised as a ballad-singer, and desired Moran to print the ballads. Besides that of the other witnesses, they had the evi dence of a person named Cooke, who swore that he came into the room where Falvey and Moran were, and saw the manuscript produced ; that he understood Falvey was acting under orders, and further, that on his return from Cashel he informed Mr. Grey of all that had passed. Under all the circumstances of the case, he thought Mr. Grey's friends were acting unwisely in moving for the pro duction of those papers. Of all other situations there was none which should be more clear from any suspicion than that of the stipendiary magistrate. He considered that the evidence which had been adduced in the inquiry instituted before Mr. Martley, Q.C., fully justified the course adopted by the Government. Mr. Grey saw the report which had been made after the investigation, the accuracy of which he did not deny. Under those cir cumstances he did not think that the Government would be justified in retaining Mr. Grey in the commission of the peace. With regard to the papers be would say at once that it was not necessary the Government should in all cases lay before the House all the confidential papers that might pass on any subject ; but if the Noble Marquis persevered in his motion, he would not object to all the papers being given. The Marquis cf CLANRICARDE said that he had heard the speech of the Noble Lord with great regret. If this were a mere question between the Government and Mr. Grey, he had shown that Mr. Grey was to a considerable degree culpable. The fault, or crime, for it was nothing less than crime, of Mr. Grey he had no doubt was from want of judgment, or excessive zeal, and as such it was fit that be should be removed, but he did not think that the Noble Earl had shown that the Go vernment were not at fault. He did not think that the Government had taken the proper steps to know what was going on. He had not explained how it happened that from the Ist of December till April no notice had been taken of the conduct of Mr. Grey, or of Jennings. If practices such as were disclosed in this case were allowed, and there were unfor tunately many similar cases, the confidence of the people in the law and in its administration would be very much shaken. The Government ought to be particularly careful in watching over the police force of Ireland. That force was totally different from any force in this country. It was a most excellent and useful force in Ireland; provided it were well governed ; but if the force should get into abuse, and should not be properly go verned, it would reduce Ireland to a state of slavery. Earl FORTESCUE thought it would be well if their Lordships were to suspend their judgment upon this matter until the papers were before the Houre. He had seen Mr. Grey for the first time that morning, and he distinctly stated that he gave no direction whatever that copies of the ballad which had been referred to should be printed. In what he-had done, he had acted upon the instructions of the Law Officers of the Crown. It was in consequence of the suggestion of the Attorney-Gene ral that he became a party to the course which had been pursued. The course he suggested was to obtain the evidence of Osborn against Moran, and, upon that evi dence to send a search warrant to Moran's house, as he had no doubt that copies of the ballad would there be found. The Earl of WICKLOW said it was quite clear that if Mr. Grey had directed a person to get copies of the ballad printed, in the manner stated, that he was guilty of an offence for which he deserved to be dismissed. If a Conservative magistrate had committed such an of fence, and the Government had not dismissed him, he could imagine the clamour that Noble Lords opposite would have raised. Yet now, after a culpable act had been committed—(Cheers from the Opposition benches) —an outcry was raised because the person committing it was discharged from his office. After a few words from Lord WHARNCLIFFE and the Marquis of CLANRICARDE in explanation, The Marquis of NORNIANBY rose to reply. The police had been employed as spies. The Government had refused to prosecute, and they had dismissed Mr. Grey without giving him an opportunity of explaining his conduct. Now nothing of all this would have oc curred if it had not been for the loose opinion given by the Attorney-General for Ireland as to the conduct of sessions juries in Tipperary. He was by no means sa tisfied with the defence which had been made for the Irish Government ; and if ever the realisation of that fond and foolish prophecy, as the Noble Lord had called it, of, the Tories' dovvnfal was to take place, the con duct of such officials as Mr. Brewster and Mr. Lucas was more likely to occasion it than a thoasand ballads. The Earl of WICKLOW explained. The Earl of WINCHILSEA said it was certain that Mr. Grey had concealed from the Government the fact d o t h e s o fact. o that the police had been employed to get the ballads n pr o i t n h te e d d , e a s n e d ry w ed het h h i e s r dhiesmhadissairdfeorr eal el co h n i e mt i o ng The Government had acted as soon as withthey became ac quainted the facts of the case, which was not until Mr. Scott bad read the depositions. Mr. Grey had kept circumstances from the know:edge of the Government with which he was acquainted, and that was sufficient to justify the Government in dismissing him. He should, however, reserve his judgment until the papers were before their Lordships.—(lronical cheers from the Oppo sition.) Noble Lords opposite had . brought forward m this motion in order to do everything their power to make her Majesty's Government as odious as they could in Irelaud.—(Hear, hear.) They were no true friends to Ireland who acted in this way. Those who had to ad minister the law in Ireland had a very difficult task to perform, and ought to be properly supported. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said it was at all events not necessary for his Noble Friend to appeal to the people of Ireland to ask whom they con sidered their best friend. He would not deny that what he had said was meant as an attack upon the Government. Nothing had been said to satisfy him why this magistrate had not been dismissed four months be fore. They would, however, when they had the papers, see the date of the appointment of his successor, and they would then, in all probability, find that nothing had been done in this affair until after public attention had been drawn to the subject. Lord WHARNCLIFFE was understood to say that the date of the new appointment was the 18th of April. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE—Not until after public attention had been called to that subject by the speech at the assizes. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH rose to order. It was impossible that the order and regularity of their proceed. ings could bq observed if Noble Lords made more than one speech on the same subject. The Marquis of NORMANBY would not be prevented by the lecture of the Noble Duke from replying to the attack of the Noble Earl, who ought to have spoken in the course of the debate, instead of waiting until after his reply. He should undoubtedly exercise the right of bringing the conduct of the Irish Government under their Lordships' notice whenever he thought it neces sary ; and he would do so even were the Noble Earl himself a member of that Government, and were he in that capacity to renew his visit to Ireland, where a vivid recollection of him was retainediby sounds not so articu lated, but possessing quite as much meaning as anything the Noble. Earl uttered in their Lordships' House—he meant the Kentish fire.--(Hear, and laughter.) The Earl of WINCHILSEA explained. Lord WHARNCLIFFE said the assizes were held on the 20th of March, and the new appointment was made on the Bth of April. The motion was then agreed to. HER MAJESTY'S SHIP QUEEN. The Earl of MINTO, in moving for a return of the services of her Majesty's ship Queen, stated that the Queen, a -th r ee-decker, built on. a new principle, had been sent out to Malta, where she was the flag-ship. His complaint was that she had not had a fair and proper trial. A voyage to Malta under easy sail, and a few holiday trips from that island, were not sufficient to test her-powers. He had no wish to cast any imputation on the conduct of the Gallant Admiral commanding at Malta, as he considered that the Mediterranean station was so near home, that whatever was done there had been done by orders from the Admiralty. The Earl of HADDINGTON agreed that it was de sirable that every opportunity should be taken of testing the powers of trial ships, and although the powers of the ships in question had not been tested to the extent that he wished, yet they had been tested to a much greater extent than the Noble Earl seemed to imagine. On the voyage out she had been tried against the For midable ; since she had been at Malta, she .had.been 'tried against the Vernon, but they had been separated during a tempest. The Admiral reported_ very favour ably of bet It was net always in the Admire A's power (togo to sea when he wished. The affairs of Greece, Syria, and of Spain had obliged him to keep his ships together, so as to be enabled at once to send them in any direction, which the exigencies (~f the service might re quire. The Government had latterly thought it inex pedient to keep up such a large force in the Mediter ranean, and there had only been two or three line-of battle ships there during the last year. This rendered the presence of the Admiral at Malta almost constantly necessary. lle objected to granting the return, because it cast an imputation on the Government, for which the Noble Earl had laid no parliamentary ground. The Earl of MINTO thought the reasons of the Go vernment for refusing the returns insufficient. He had heard from a naval officer that the Queen had remained in Malta harbour until she had almost grounded on her "beef bones." The trials to which she had been sub jected had been nothing to the purpose fur• testing her qualities as a ship. After a few words from the Earl of HADDINGTON the motion was negatived without a division. RAILROADS. Earl FITZWILLIAM moved that a message be sent to the Lower House of Parliament, requesting them to furnish their Lordships with their reports on the Com mittee on Railroads. The Noble Earl then alluded to the contest now carrying on between two railroad com panies in the north of England for the formation of a third, or junction line, each :company claiming a right of property in the making of this third line, as an illus tration of the necessity for some interference on the part of the Executive to prevent the wasting of such great sums of money as would be spent in carrying on con tests of this nature before Committees of the two Houses of Parliament. The Earl of DALHOUSIE assured the Noble Earl that the Government were alive to the importance of the subject. At the commencement of the session, the head of the department, which had a limited control over railroads, had moved for a Committee to consider the subject ; that Committee had furnished several reports, and would soon complete their labours. Perhaps it would be better to wait until then, and have all the re ports together. Earl i'ITZWILLIAM wished at once to have the re ports which had already been presented. The motion was then agreed to ; and the Bills on the table having been forwarded a stage, their Lordships adjourned till Friday. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 14. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock. NEW WRIT. Lord MARCUS HILL moved that a new writ be ordered to be issued for the election of a burgess to serve for the borough of Kilmarnock, in the room of Mr. A. Johnstone, deceased.—Ordered. Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Toxteth, near Liverpool, against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. Mr. WYSE presented a petition from the Art-Union of London, praying that Art-Unions might be legalised. Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented petitions from Pres byterian congregations of Bangor and Ballygilbert, near Kihnore, in the county of Down, in favour of the Dis senters' Chapels Bill. Sir GEORGE STRICKLAND presented a petition against any alteration in the law of mortmain. SHEFFIELD. ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND MANCHESTER RAILWAYS BILL. Mr. PARKER moved the further consideration of the report of the Committee upon the Sheffield, • Ashton under-Lyne, and Manchester Railways. Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said that, as the relative merits of the two lines could not be understood by Hon. Members who had not had the reports of the two Committees in their hands, he would move that the consideration of this report be adjourned till Thursday nest. Mr. LABOUCHERE would not object to the adjourn ment ; but he would say that the Committee upon this Bill had sat for nine days, and had unanimously agreed on the report. Mr. GLADSTONE hoped there would be a general acquiescence in the proposal of his Noble Friend, to adjourn the debate. After a short discussion, the debate was adjourned till Thursday next. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. CHRISTIE postponed till this day fortnight his motion on the subject of education. DISSENTERS' CHAPELS BILL. Sir R. INGLIS begged to ask his Right Hon. Friend, the First Lord of the Treasury, a question with respect to a measure to which both sides of the House, attached great importance—the Dissenters' Chspels Bill. At pre sent that Bill stood first on the paper for Friday ; he wished to know whether it was his Right Hon. Friend's intention to press it forward on that day, the Bill not having been in the hands of Members more than one week? Sir R. PEEL said that he thought a week was a very ample allowance of time, considering how Much public attention had been excited to the Bill. However, he would not bring on the measure that night if it had not a fair chance of being discussed.—(Hear.) It would be absolutely necessary for his Right Hon. Friend to bring forward—first, his resolutions respecting the customs ; after which his Hon. Friend the Lord- Advocate of Scotland would bring forward the Scotch Parishes Bill ; and if he were not able to bring on the Dissenters Chapels Bill before ten o'clock, he would not then proceed with it.— , (Hear, hear.) Sir R. INGLIS said he ought to have stated that, though the Bill had been before the House for a week, it had not been during that time in the hands of Members. . IRISH REGISTRATION BILL. An Host. MEMBER. inquired when the Irish Registra tion Bill would be brought forward?—(Laughter:) Sir R. PEEL said he must bring forward the 'Bank Resolutions on Monday, and, as we understood, it was not likely that the Irish Registration Bill would come on before the holidays. Mr. FERRAND said that the Right Honourable Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) had, on the previous evening, quoted a document which set forward the claims of the coal miners during their unfortunate strike. As he was informed that that document also set forth their grievances, which were of the most oppressive kind, he wished to know whether the Right Hon. Baronet had any objection to lay it on the table of the House ? Sir R. PEEL said he believed it was not consistent with the forms of the Douse to lay on the table a hand bill ; but he had a copy of the printed hand-bill from which he quoted, and if the Hon. Gentleman wished to have it for the purposes of debate, he should be happy to furnish him with it.—(Laughter.) Sir ROBERT PEEL postponed, till that day fort night, his motion for leave to introduce a Bill to define and regulate certain rights of the Duchy of Cornwall. EXTENSION OF THE SUFFRAGE. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD, previous to bringing forward his motion for leave to introduce a Bill to ex tend Parliamentary suffrage, and to secure the free representation of the people, presented petitions from Leicester, the Tower Hamlets, and Leeds, signed by upwards of 10,000 per sons, in favour of his motion. The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to state, that on firmer occasions ho had brought before the House propositions similar to that which he now advanced, and had entered into different arguments in support of his views which he would not then reiterate. He should only state his general views on the question, and explain as shortly as lie possibly could, the principles he desired to see in operation. If they considered the principle of all government, they would find it to be that the great body of the people gave up their natural rights, and entrusted them to others to exercise them for the benefit of all. This principle was consistent with his proposition that every man should have a share in the appointment of those who were to make . the laws which he was bound to obey. He would not maintain universal sufFrage in all its details, but the principle of the Bill he would in troduce to the House was, that all male adults of twenty-one years of age should Le entitled to vote for Members of Parliament ; but that principle should be limited by registration laws, which should confine the exercise of it to a residence within the locality where the election took place. He would exclude from the right of suffrage all those who were under sentence for any crime, or who were insane, but he would have no class of the community subjected to limitations to which every other class was not. He would also propose a new ar rangement of the electoral districts, for he could not think it fair representation, if a district having 100 voters should have as many representatives as a district having 1,000 voters. His third proposition was the in troduction of vote by ballot. He considered it impossi• ble to extend the suffrage with safety to the people unless voting by ballot was also adopted ; nor did he think that vote by ballot would be safe unless it was accompanied by extended suffrage. He had thus stated the three principles to which he wished to draw the attention of the House ; first, the extension of the franchise . ; secondly, a new arrangement of the electoral distriets; and, thirdly, the vote by ballot. He did not wish to trespass on the time of the House by going into the detail of the argument which bore upon those three points ; but he would read the petition which he had formerly presented to the House from the delegates at Liverpool, and which contained a summary of those arguments. (The Honourable Member then read the petition, but could not possibly b© followed correctly in the gallery.) Perhaps gentlemen might admit the principles which he had alleged, and yet differ from hills as tosome of the details ; and if so, they ought not to object to going into a Committee, where the details might be examined. The great body.of the people were, by the present system, excluded from the representation, and the advocates of that exclusion should show that it was wise, expedient, and just. He had been challenged by the Right Hon. Baronet opposite io say why he excluded females from universal suffrage. But, although he did not include women in this measure, he was not prepared to say that women should not in some cases possess the suffrage. He did not think that the working classes were represented in that House or that their interests were sufficiently attended to. Nor did he think that it was right to re fuse the franchise to a poor man, because he was poor and unlettered. The poor man without learning was still ' capable of judging of his own interest, and he was the person who most required protection. To show that the working classes required protection, he need only refer to the recent divisions upon the Factories' Bill, when the House of Commons twice decided by a ma jority, that women and children ought not to berequired to work in factories more that ten hours a day. Then on a third division the same House divided that they ought to work more than that time, and afterwards, on a fourth division, by a large ma j or ity, th a t they oughtl to work twelve hours. It was evident that in those divi sions the House had not acted as a body that represented the working classes, whose almost unanimous opinion had been expressed in favour of the measure; in fact, the House was the representative of the Government and not of the people. There were other points besides those which he had enumerated, which were included in the demand for full and fair representation. - Amongat them was the reduction of the duration of Parliaments. No man could say that there could be free representa tion so long :us Parliament sat for so many years. Ile was aware that many sincere Reformers disagreed as to the extent of the reduction which should be made, but all agreed that there should be some reduction. He would not say that there could be no due representation_ for the people unless all these p o i n t s w ere carried, hi!t in bringing this question before the House he had felt it his duty to state what the demands of the people were. That House relied on its power as a means of resisting popular rights; but he warned Honourable Members that there was an amount of discontent existing which would lead to effects of the most disastrous nature on the constitution of the country, and en society at large, if the grievances of the people were not redressed. It was not his intention to trespass at al, further length on th e a tt en ti on o f th e H ouse . He had already stated that those who voted fur the introduction of the Bill would not thereby be considered as pledginq themselves to its details. The Hon. Member concluded by moving for leave to bring in the Bill. Dr. BOWRING said he had great pleasure in second.: ing the motion of his Hon. Friend. He thought that'll! that moment especially, when great:discontent existet! among the people, those who looked at public opinion were the only safe foundatio n f or genera l l eg i s l a ti o n, e bound to give some evid ence th a t th ey were willing to , allow it to have due influe nce u p on th e d e lib er ations 01 that House. He believed that public opinion sometimes erred—he believed that it had erred greatly on a late oe' casion—but he thought that the greatest advantag e would be derived from allo w i ng p u bli c op i n i on to bear on the discussions of that House. He did not see wig! because a man had a little less of the good things of !his life, he should not have a voice in the representation of the country. The State took care to take of his earnings for its support, and he ought, therefor!! to have a voice in it. Concurring in the general view 0i Hon. Friend, he willingly seconded the motion. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared— For the motion 3l Against it Majority against the motion Mr. T. DUNCOMBE postponed to this day week his motion relative to the petition of Charles Price and W... 131 * White Thompson, complaining of the cond u ct of certai n Magistrates of arwick. COMPENSATION TO OFFICERS IN CHAS" CERY. Mr. WATSON presented a petition from vari °lls solicitors against granting compensation for salaries 0 officers in the Court of Chancery. The HON. MEMBER then brought forward the mode s of which he had given notice, for a Select Committee, 0 inquire into the orders for compensation made by the Lord Chancellor to th e p ersons filli ng the offices ° t clerk of the enrolments, comptrollers of the hansPe r ' riding clerk, six clerks, sworn clerks, waiting clerks , agent or record keeper in the Court of Chancery, unde r the Act 5 and 6 Vic., c. 103 ; and to inquire into the Dr tare, duties, and emoluments of those officers before the passing of that Act, and their right to compensatio n (and if any, to what amount) during their life, and fo r seven years after the death of such person ; and to in quire into the cir cums t ances atten di ng the pass i n g , Of that Act, and the mon e y s c h arge d on t h e suitors fe e fund in Chancery, for passing that Act ; and also to iva quire into the taxation of suitors in courts of law an d equity, and the application of moneys raised thereby, ae e the propriety of contin u i ng th e same . Th e annual sin, paid for compensati on un d er t h e a b ove - ment i one d ete was 78,0001. Out of the six clerks to whom compensa tion had been awarded, only one was ever found necessary to be in attendance on the courts. It was to the clerics of the six clerks he wished particularly to call attention. , They were in number 60, and they had little or nothing to do. In fact they were rather an obstruction to the course ofjustice. The business of the clerks depended oe the solicitors who employed them ; and, besides thee the Chancellors had the power of altering the fee s A aS they willed. Th e y were cut down in 1785 by Lo.- Chancellor Jeffery, afterwards by Lord Hardwiek e . and again by Lord Erskine—and the most inti portant fee which th e y rece i ve d was, in 1828 , cut off by Lord Lyndhurst. In 1840, Mr. Pemberton, a distinguished member of the Chancery bar, de clared in the House that the system of fees was iniqr t i toes and enormous, and th a t th e su i tors were compelle to pay to those officers no less th a n 59,862 L in a ye ar ' for doing absolutely nothing. The only real duty of the six clerks was to transmit to the solicitors for "Al they acted any notic es th a t were entere d i n cour t, an the fees upon that alone amounted t o 14,00 Such having been the nature of the dual what was th e groun d o f t h e compensa tion Mr. Gatty had awarded to him for compensation, as ton as he lived, th e sum of 5,428/. He was also appoint taxing master, with 2,0001. a year.—(Hear.) He therefor e received 7,4281. without any deduction whatever. Then there were others wh o rece i ve d 5,0001. a year 9.5 ce"; pensation for their office, and one of th em wa s to ha% 2,7001. a year for seven y ears a f ter hi s d eat b . —(A laugh ; ) Neither the naval no r m ilit ary serv i ce rece i ve d an ythi°6 like such amounts. He put it to the Right Hon. Baronet, who wielded the destinies of this country, whether he received such a sum ?—(Flear, hear.) He appealed to, the Chair. Did th e re p resentat i ve of t h e C omm ons 0' England receive such a sum ? He put it to lict Meiubers whether, after various charges, sn-Y, of them had a clear rental of 7,000/. a yearL —(Hear, hear.) The poor unhappy suitors had pay an increased taxation in order to make up thes e enormous salaries and compensations. But the Hems!' however, in its liberality, not only compensated the sib clerks, but their agents received three-fourths o f what they had received previously. One of these agents re ceived 900/. a-year. There was what was called s waiting clerk, who received 500/. a-year. There was clerk of the six clerks who received 1,935/. 2s. 70: whilst out of office. I n f ac t a ll t h e fl es h and blood who" was found in Chancery-lanj was compensated. --- (Laughter.) He had been very anxious to ascertain how the Bill had passed through Parliament, and he had referred to the journals for that purpose. It appeared it was hurried through at a railroad pace. (The Hon. 310 1" ber then read an extract from the journals of the House.) There never was a Bill forced through the House with: so much indece n t h as t e ; and, two days after the th ird reading reading in the House of Lords, it received the R o } •3 assent. No Bill had ever passed through Parliament a ° rapidly. He did not impute any acts of commission what he imputed was acts of omission, in not inquiring into the nature, amount, and application of the compen sation. The Bill was introduced in the month of Augio" just at the very time the law Members of the } O use 'of Commons went on cireuit.—(Hear, hear.) The com pensation was no t ma d e upon an average of the gain' 0f those clerks for the l as t s i x years , or ten years . but of the last three years. This Act of. Parliament, if pared with oth er ac t s o f compensat i on, would seem" ve r l t extraordinary indeed. It was mosteunfair and utl a , s that the fund s p' ace d t o t h e cre di t d of the acc ounta i nb e. general in Chancery, an d w hi c h, f on t h e most part, u, longed to minors, an d i n f ants, an d females, should bb taxed for the compensation of the fees of these six de l : 4 and other sinecurists. A n d i t certa i n l y did seem a ttl"ra., strange and unjust p rocee di ng , t h at not on l y t h e o , his pensation to those p ersons s h ou ld be aid out of '"„ fund, but also the ver y expenses of passing this inel a - e through Parliam en t.—(C r i es o f " Hear, hear:), as this the charge of 3391. was ma d e to b e Paid, de. he had already sa id, out o f t h e f und o f t h e se her fenceless persons, who were, of course, altoget" in at the mercy of th e C our t. Th ere were two fund s ec t Chancery—one called th e S u i tors ' F ee F un d, o bta,ie ich from suitors in the C our t o f Ch ancery , an d ," to amounted, in the year 1842, to 62,000/. ; in 1843 , rs , 153,0001. There w as anot h er f un d , ca ll e d t h e Suit of Fund, which consisted of unclaimed dividends , ola which there was a sum o f 2 , 8 00,000 1 . i n stoc k , a nd both these funds the enormous sum of 277,0001 ft suitors' fees were deduct e d. It was t h e bounden or of the Lord Chancellor to investigate these charg e l a to compensation, and to see that the funds which cam e t he his Court were not ma l a pp ropr i ate d . It was gal' t he Lord Chancellor h a d no power, b ut such was not,ce. case—he possessed th e p ower, an d h e should have c- be • ibt cised it. He was sure the House, thought it ttlif , i v g in favour of some compensation to these six clerks d,u r t he life, would think it rather extravagant to extenclth, pension to their families for seven years after their dea n , ta Neither would Hon. Members, after a little refle e Act be at all satisfied with the manner in which this' passed, without deliberation, without discussion , I : ct e riedly, and evid en tly w ith a v i ew to avo id inquiry seed its objects until inq u i r y m i g ht b e use l ess . tree fl o the House would gra n t th e i nqu i ry h e sou ght for,their if so, he felt con v i nce d th a t suc h f acts wou ld co me to vca ul knowledge that the repe a l o f thi s A c t o f Parliament speedily ensue. It was well known that there ninde . what were termed Bankruptcy Exchequer Fee - e . v i n g Now, he did not think it right that the system of P°Z, e ds or pensioning the officers of the Court out of thesel_r; d i should be continued. They ought, as he had ',s. l ,q to rs said, to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. ? l` st i e e. ought not to be mulcted. There should be chesPl l 4 t ee Mr. Pemberton Leigh—no mean authority- --- !t ito es; present system of fees was enormous and intlr wa ke wou r ee s.) and the House in acceding to this motion, one great step in favour of cheap justice.—(Ch ee rs.) Mr. JERVIS seconded the motion. dit The SOLICITOR-GENERAL gav e great e, re ha" his Hon. and L earne d F r i en d f or t h e industrL ee iti exhibited in collecting these detail, , and for the. for t he and address h e h a d used in placing them ear ned House; but he compl a i ne d th a t th e Hon. anu Lve ad should he hire. Gentleman could stopped short when he vanced, because advance would have condepiu7, „rd The Hon. arid Learned Gentleman had brought - th em very serious charges, but he thought manY,u o „j e ion could not be sustained; and he was further e R o use that he could make out a case fully to justify t v ,`, Gentle in resisting the motion of the Hon. and Lear be enc i r cle' man. In some things which had been stated nu . ic on}' tha6 et concurred. He thought, for instance, Court d, of the offices connected with the. _ abc li a e . _ Chancery were sinecures, and ought to D e t h o se in?' done by s From the year 1688 nothing was ee ding t in erform an n the clerks beyond signing their names to the proe ce that the Court of Chancery, and to the p . two r ao st duty they attended in rotation, each takuragen, sweat° in his turn, according to an arrange d 0 were called sworn clerks. Their number Act t hey themselves. Those six clerks appointed was iiruite d t p in er l :C 9 r°,, e . d d th to e sixt yw•er o;nblyuttwaetutthye-fitivraueinofnutmhbeer. passingr..o:of originally belonged subsequent to 1688 which orig . ' s, ings, making office copies of the the six clerks, viz. the issuing differentofwrti in c ourt- ~r , they also g r a e ve c slled performance of those duties n ;li t.( o othe sw orn agents, Chancery, and representing solicitors Masters who a a g n e d u ts t , h th ey and devolved I v u e u d ly upon duty p re e tu rs u o i n u s i bills of the Chancery to tax the e • o yed t heir anY fi p fi r n o g ee o e f d ifi gr s o ia o clerks to perform was attending befosroelicitorsoffico employed them. Those agents p e J e _ vas se idoni tions, their being removed from tad c practically for life, inasmuch as . t h h ed r ,tlit ` heeyir s itua ithrosf prospect of d by the _ for compensation and when ihotsieunoffiwcebsionh•erme.eraeboluidsmitte things was s tate 0. • eerablo Parliament. He admitted that thab _d c onSiar . _ d a great abuse—that those officers rec tb e Qu ive riuse fil o Da fees for doing next to nothing, but deli; that 1 0,0( some 111).jt In its keßri °Mc ( how ( into the s , quai r Were