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

Home Secretary—(lean 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 the Government now in power.—(Hear, hear.) He ! really thought that the Hon. Gentleman's objection was not more applicable to the present system of govern ment in Ireland, than it was to the present system of government in England, or indeed to any system of go vernment which was founded on representation.—(Hear.) He would not go further into this subject ; but before he concluded he must express his dissent from the opinion of the Hon. Gentleman, that Ireland was not repre sented in that House. He could not at all agree that when Ireland was placed on the same footing as the other portions of the United Kingdom, with regard to foreign commerce, she was not represented merely be cause she had a Lord-Lieutenant; and nothing, he be lieved would tend more to create dissatisfaction in Ire land than to remove the present Government from that country and transfer it to England. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he had occasion, at a former period, to consider whether or not it was advis able to abolish the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland; and he thought there were reasons of great force in favour of the abolition, yet the conclusion at which he arrived was, that it was not at that time expedient to abolish it. He thought that this also was a time in which it was not expedient that the change should take place.—(Hear, hear.) But if the question were merely a general one, he bad no less strong an opinion that government by a Lord-Lieutenant was not the best kind of government for Ireland. The Noble Lord said there were many things done in the Council by the Lord-Lieutenant; but there could be no doubt that if the office were abolished, other arrange ments could be made. 'There was a great difference of opinion on that subject :at the time of the union with Scotland; and Lord Somers gave it as his opinion that it was not desirable to continue the Council. The Noble Lord stated that Scotland had different in stitutions and laws from England, while Ireland pos sessed the same institutions and the same laws as Eng land. But neither was that a reason why Scotland should not become united with England. Another diffi culty in the way of the abolition of the office of Lord- Lieutenant, was the numerous references made to the Castle of Dublin by the local magistracy of Ireland. In England these questions were, in the greater number of cases, decided by the local magistrates themselves. But in Ireland there was a disposition to refer everything to the Castle. This was not an advantage, but an evil, which the abolition of the office would tend to diminish. li' these questions came for discussion to the Home office in England, there would be a much stronger feel ins, as to what was the right and just course to ta k e on these particular occasions than now. But with all these masons against the existence of the office, he thought no persons were so capable of judging of the question as the Executive Government itself. If it was its opinion that it was desirable to continue it, he should be sorry to in terfere with it by a vote of that House. He, therefore, could not support the motion. Mr. SHAW said that all his prepossessions were in favour of retaining the office of Lord-Lieutenant. He thought the trade of Dublin and its society would be injuriously affected by its removal. At the same time he was aware that public opinion had undergone a con siderable change on this subject; and notwithstanding his personal prejudices in favour of the office, he was not prepared to say that he differed materially from the sentiments he had formerly expressed, and which the lion. and Gallant Member had done him the honour to note. He agreed with him that the position of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland must be an anomalous one, and he believed it would ultimately be the unanimous feeling of all parties in Ireland that it would be for the permanent interests cf that country for either the numinal Government or the real authority to be more under local control. He bop d the Hon. Member for Montrose would not press his motion to a division. Captain LAYARD said that, after a twelve years' re sidence in Ireland, he was convinced it would be a dis advantage to Irelend to abolish the office of Lord-Lieu tenant ; and he believed the majority of the people of Ireland were of the same opinion. If the office were abolished, it would tend to create absenteeism, and would ale-cash - in a still greater want of employment than was now felt. He contended that the case of Scotland was not at all analogical, because the people of Ireland were naturally gay and fond of amusement. He was sur prieed that his Hon. and Gallant Friend, who was so long in Ireland, should support the motion. He (Cap tain Layard) should certainly vote against the motion. Mr. M. BELLEW said he was willing that this ques tion should be tried upon its merits, and upon its merits ,alone. There was no doubt whtitever but there was a change necessary in the present system. The Noble Lord, the Secretary for Ireland, talked in one breath about identifying the interests of England and Ireland, and the next moment appeared anxious to preserve what was termed the last vestige of Ireland's independence. The reasons expressed by the Right Hon. Gentleman, the First Lord of the Treasury, and by the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer for continuing the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland were widely different from those mentioned by the Noble Lord on that evening. Dublin was not without other resources than a viceregal court. It had a court of law, a garrison, and was con tiguous to the sea. If the office were abolished, of course the salary at present enjoyed by the Lord-Lieu tenant would be conferred on the country in some other was .. The,people in the country parts were quite indif ferent- as to the continuance of the office ; indeed, he believed the general feeling was in favour of its aboli tion. In Louth, which was only thirty milesdistant from Dublin. tie inhabitants did not know or care when the Lord-Lieutenant was in Dublin, and when he was not. Be thought it would be much more conducive to the interests of Ireland if the business of the two countries was amalgamated, and if the Members of the Cabinet were made immediately responsible in that House for the bovernrnent of„ Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) Sir R. PEEL, said he thought the Hon. Member who just sat deem would have acted more wisely if he si se i onfined hi's observations to the subject matter ba fare tLe HouSe, and not have wandered 25 years qerest of some passages in speeches which he (Sir Rs Peel) might have delivered. He thought it would nut be '.vise to pass the motion of the Hon. Member for Montrose, unless they were prepared at once to abolish the office of Lord-Lieutenant, for the recorded vote of the House against the tenure of the office would have the effect of paralysing the executive government of Ire laud ; and they should not abolish the office un less they could substitute something better in its stead. .--(Hear, hear.) He would be sorry to express a de eielesi opinion in favour of the continuance of that office. --(Hear, hear.) It was impossible to deny but there were strong arguments why Ireland should be governed in the same manner as England and Wales. It had been said that the Government were unwilling to abolish the office, because it took away so much patronage. Why, this was a foolish argument, for he apprehended that evitatever Church patronage was at present vested in the B e sseutive, would be then conferred on the First Lord of the Treasury. The members of the Cabinet did not ask what sees the amount of petronage, and really Irish pa tronage was not what they were most anxious for. There was no doubt but the Lord-Lieutenant's residence in Ireland encouraged a good deal of expenditure, and he feared its removal would Increase absenteeism. It was urged that they - .night have a fourth Secretary of State ; but he was entirely against this proposition, and thought it would introduce endless confusion, and, perhaps, dissensions ;into the Cabinet. Such en office had been a great anis waiy in this country. The present Lord-Lieutenant, eeithough having a high name and privileges, was yet su N r dinate to the Secretary of State', but this new Se cresseey of State u ould be, according to the proposition, quite „en independent and almost irresponsible officer. He must be absent from Ireland six months of the year. a t av wa s Ireland to be governed in his absence, or how were Irish questions to de discussed in the Cabinet w ithenit his presence during the other six months? But ,it wes said power might be intrusted to other high func setnething as it now is during the absence of t e •orarie the Lord- -Lieutenant. He apprehended that this would be a eeee langerous investiture of power indeed, and the Influence iste si , au thority of the Chancellor might become greater than vel e desirable for the fair and equitable ;ad ministration Of Irish affairs . There was a very "'Tone. argument, indeed, against vest in g the p owers of the office in i'be Secretary of State for the Departruent. He feared the duties would be vastly too onerous. There was a limit to human streneeth, but he feared such an accumulation of busines's would be beyond the capacity of any man alive. His Righet Hon. Friend, the present Secretary of State — ,in whose praise he would not say more, as he was pre- I s e snt, than that he was eminently qualified, from know- r len t ee and isaperience, to fill it—would, he felt confident, be l e leconal to such a task. There were numerous mat- ten as . resent referred to the Lord-Lieutenant, which must, is; a taa,:i an event, be transferred to the Home-office, such as g r i, l e jury affairs, the control over the Board of Works, an d . e s ech like things. In his opinion, nothing could be mer e , s ill advised than to take any step for the removal of the Co e , rt from Dublin without clue and ac curate informati on , s enhecause he thought it essential that there should be a ets hal source from whence the exer cise of authority in th a t country should emanate. Mr. DILLON' BROasne e E differed from the Hon. Member for Montrose. If ti e e people of that county were placed in the same positime as those of Scotland, and had not to pay for a Church establishment from which ,they dissented, they would gs . ,:h up the point „mooted ,by the Hon. Member. But in the ;resent state o. the ease, the people of Ireland would exclaim, ye et have taken away our Parliament, you have Mk t n away o ur aristocracy, and now yo u see k to depr i ve us 0. 4 " the , test remnant we possess of ou r nation 11 was most n ee ause you are called upon to nobiritf,pay a paltry s tipend to ite mainteinance. He certainly f onr supporting a Viceregal strongly in _ Court in Dublin, becat nse when Ireland possessed a local Parlia ment, and the precincts of the Castle were more pure, it would he the pu ree of much benefit to the people. Mr I , ILTME ,said that although differin g entirel y from , . the arguenente sa i n tla ; had been adduced against him, yetfa I V ion of opinion 1 'cling w ding satisfit ith the express d withdraw his motion. le 1 ha d been main tested, he shoul !,The HON. Nilr:'TßErt then withdrew his motion. ' CHIEF JITSTICE PENNEFArI IIER • Aft e ,- a desulta )ry conversation, in which Lerd Eliot. e'elonnell, Mr. D. Browne, and Mr. Shaw took a part, Mr. BUTT X,lte who was very indistinctly heard in the_ gallery, rose to move for a copy of an opinion and ad vice given by %fr. Pcnnefather, the present Chief Jus tice of the Cou rt of Queen's Bench in Ireland, on the , ,28th day of Fe brua, 17, 1820, in a case of toll, namely , Pembrok e e. Kingie lain," in which the Corporation of lillkenny;was i terestee the original of which was in the 1 lr 7ssession of th es present Mayor and Corporation of the City of Ki • lken ay. H e ss aid that many years ago, the co, rporation of the City f Ki lkenn y • imposed certain goys, and use tat on e occasion the inhabitants offered strong opposit' i s m to them. The corporation thereupon s , ought the opi n ion of Mr. Perenefather, the present Chief Jt tatice. (TI l e Hon. Gentleman here road the opinion vi by Sfr. Xenneitubter cm the path of rebruary, 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 IL, as if produced it would falsify the pleadings; 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, that person should admit that he knew anything of the charter of James II.) Now, if he had read this paragraph in an amusing novel which was lately published,called" Ten Thousand aYear;" 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 House, 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 hardlyknew 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 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. He 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. He (Lord Eliot) un derstood the circumstances to be shortly these :—that the corporation of 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 Lad Mr. Chief Justice Pennefather, and he (Lord Eliot) therefore regretted that this motion had been brought fi,rward. _ Mr. SHAW was persuaded that the Hon. Gentleman who had brought forward this motion was altogether in capable of intending to support an 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 they 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 ho gave that formal proof should be a person not ac quainted with the subsequent patent of James the Se cond ; or, if he 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 existence ; 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- I existence of an anterior patent. He looked on this I motion as an attempt at intimidation ; it was part of a system of intimidation against the Chief Justice of the I 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 i n w hi c h h e 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 po of truth—it was a question which every Mem ber of that House had a right to inquire into. 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 lie 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 occnrrence 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 the confusion 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 inq u i re , t h e whole of his professional career was to be raked up an d an opinion produced that was given a qu arter nfeoarfl oo n n t ay u r tl m yh agoe accusedi srep t a l n h o at t ee tt which t party,e d h d. b u been t oh ne had mutilated his opini on so as to mislead the printedt o s e who i dishonour n 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 Hon. Member who spoke last had gone so far as to say that it was m utilated. In answer to that charge let them have the document in its original form. that it had always But it should be recollected K It had been asked why had it not been . produced before? been in the possession of the old corporation of L kenny, and that the new corporation did not come into 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 'pitting 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. ESCOTT 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 them 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 ?,,raceful 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 moiion 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 SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 10, 1844. 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 struggles for its emancipation must be manfully carried on. We offer you a principle and a policy the very op posite to that on which monopolies are based. Free trade is recommended to you, not as a system by which particular interests will prosper at the expense of other interests, but as a system by which all industry, and skill, and capital are left free to find their own channels of employment and reward, without the meddling inter vention of laws passed to keep down one class that an other may rise upon its ruin. Free trade in all things, and especially in articles of food, would be to us more trade, more employment, more wages, more revenue, 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 larg e m a j or ity o f 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 it s f avour . 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 p ar ti es ; it i s 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 lobger 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, ti especially the humbler classes, for a number of couples to get married on th e Sh rove T ues d a y. Amongst the Hebrew community a similar prohibition for twenty-eight days exists, exists, an yesterday being the day preceding the commence ment of the prohibiti on , no fewer than twenty-eight mar riages were said to hav e b een so l emn i se d at t h e t h ree eastern Synagogues — namely, Dukes's-place, Great Saint Helen's, and Loadenha 11-atroot. 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 invitations to many distinguished guests. Amongst the company invited, and whom we noticed as present, were—Sir Robert Peel ; Lord Hawarden; the Lord 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 Robert 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 lame 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 nousable ffice of Attorney-General, 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 enlightened individual had artained 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 Rebert 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.) lie concluded by propos ing "The health of the Master, the Warden, and the Surveyor-Accountant, Mr. R. Sutton." The Master acknowledved the toasts ; and having drank the healths of the Recorder, the Examiner, and the Ma,ster, the meeting broke up after an evening of the highest enjoyment. EARLY CLOSING OF TRADES MENS' 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 advance 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- virons. " 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 measeres so wise and salutary, we feel confident that your Lordship 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 have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's obe dient servants, " BICKF,RTON AND SONS. " 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 R ev . 11. M'Neile, Rev. Fielding Ould, Rev. Thomas Nolan, Rev. F. 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, Esq., Robertson Gladstone, Esq„ Adam Hodgson, Esq., Thomas Blackburn, Esq., John Smith, Esq., W. B. Hodgson. Esq., C. Bushell, sq., J. 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 on the 10th instant, consider that they would fail in their duty if they did not promptly call your attention to the object they have in view with reference to the hours of business. They disclaim all desire for officious interference. They have no wish to prejudice your interests ; but they cannot remain in silence when humanity and 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 materially involved. "The Committee are persuaded that 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, fur tht adoption of their principle, and the release of your assistants at that hour. " The Committee combine with their appeal to you an earnest call upon the community at large. They will endeavour to sustain a system of operations which, in its effect upon the public mind, will be productive of advantage 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 the 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 channel s 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 from business every evening at seven o'clock. Let it be the honourable distinction of the tradesmen of Liverpool 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 Christian principle have concurred to con demn.—Signed, by order of the Committee, " THOMAS SANDS, Chairman." The LORD MAYOR observed that there was everything in the important results of such a change to recommend it to the adoption of every thinking man, and nothing, so far as he 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 persons 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 to 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. CLEANSING THE CITY STREETS. The Lord Mayor, on Wednesday, intimated to Mr. Charles Cochrane and the other gentlemen who last month waited upon his Lordship for the purpose of requesting the corpora tion to prevail upon the Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London to make experiment of the machine by which Regent-street and Oxford-street were cleansed, that he had received an answer from the Commissioners of Sewers, to whom he had made the statement from the deputation, to the effect that they had received the specification for cleans ing and performing the other duties connected therewith, and that they hoped the revised specifications would meet the wishes of the►r fellow-citizens. The following regulations, which are the revised ones, are selected from the large number of which the specification consists " The contractor or contractors shall cleanse the following streets daily (Sundays excepted) throughout the year, and shall complete the same respectively before eight o'clock in the morning of each day from Lady-day to Michaelmas-day, and before nine o'clock in the morning from Michaelmas-day to Lady-day, namely :—Fleet -street, Ludgate-la and street, south side of St. Paul's-churchyard, Cheapside, Newgate street, Poultry, Watling-street, Budge-row and Cannon street, Mansion-house• street, Cornhill, Leadenhall-street, Aldgate-street, and Aldgate, King William-street and Lon don-bridge, Fenchurch-street, Moorgate-street, the Pave ment, and Princes-street. " The contractor or contractors shall cleanse the following streets three days in every week throughout the year, namely :—Holborn, Holborn-bridge, Skinner-street, Old Bailey, St. Paul's Churchyard (north side), Lombard-street, Long-lane, Barbican, Beech-street, Upperand Lower Thames street, New Bridge-street (so far as is within the jurisdiction of the said Commissioners), Farringdon-street, Aldersgate street, and St. Martin's-le-Grand, Finsburyplace South, Gracechurch-street, Bishopsgate-street Within and Without, the Minories. " The whole of Smithfield. market, Farringdon-market, Newgate-market, Leadenhall-market, and the market in Aldgate High-street, with Harrow-alley, and Chequer-yard, and the several approaches thereto respectively, shall be severally cleansed daily, excepting Sunday, throughout the duration of the contract. " The dust, ashes, dirt, rubbish, refuse vegetable and animal matter, and all others, the usual refuse of a house or building, by the contractor or contractors for that work, at least twice in every week, and oftener if required by the housekeepers or their servants, without fee or reward, and before ten o'clock in the forenoon, from the houses situate in the streets herein before required to be cleansed daily, or three days in every week. " For every street, lane, court, alley, or place required to be cleansed as hereinbefore described, for every day the same shall be omitted or neglected to b e so cleansed, the sum to be inflicted-405." INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. MAY 7.—The second part of Mr. Fairbairn's paper, which remained unfinished from the last meeting, was read. It noticed the remarkable richness and purity of the iron ores of the East, and the superior quality of the Damascus steel, produced from iron made apparently in the rudest and most primitive manner : it was remark able that, up to the present time, there had been but little change in the manner of manufacturing charcoal iron, even in England ; this might be accounted for by the small quantity of wood charcoal used for smelting iron ; but it appeared that, with the exception of that which was sent into Staffordshire and South Wales for mingling with the lean ores of the coal measures, but little of the hematite, or rich ores of Lancashire, Cumberland, Corn wall, or Devonshire, was used, although in richness and quality of metal they equalled those of foreign countries. The paper then entered at length upon the experiments on the transverse strength of the Turkish iron, and also of the iron from other rich ores, presenting the results in tabular form, mingled with those which had been reported on previous occasions, in the Transactions of the Philoso phical Society of Manchester, and the reports of the British Association. These tables were arranged so as to afford the means of comparison of the strength and other qualities of various irons, and also for practical purposes, to furnish a guide for selecting such irons, as, by proper mixtures of the different kinds, should enable unerring results to be arrived at by the founder when engaged in producing castings for the engineer, the architect, or for various purposes in the arts, or in construction. Simple rules were also given for finding the breaking weight of beams cast from file fifty-two kinds of iron which had been experimented upon. The importance of the sub ject of the paper, the novelty of the application of Mr. Clay's system, and the unweared attention of Mr. Fair bairn, together with Mr. Hodgkinson, in the numerous experiments they had made, were fully appreciated by the meeting, and it was announced that the valuable tables would speedily be published entire in the minutes of proceedings of the institution. A specimen of steel made from the Turkish ore, and a knife manufactured from it by Mr. Durham, ofßegent-street, were exhibited, and were much admired. A letter was read from Dr. Schafhaeuth, drawing attention to some experiments made by Sir D. Brewster on the prismatic colours gene rated in homogeneous bodies when pressure was applied to them ; these experiments were recorded in the Philosophical Transactions for 1816. They furnished a method of rendering visible and of measuring the mechanical changes which took place during the com pression, dilatation, or bending of transparent bodies. He also stated that the tints produced by polarized light were correct measures of the compressing and dilating forces, and, by employing transparent gums of different elasticities, the changes which occurred in bodies before they were either broken or crushed could be ascertained, and that forming models of arches of', simple refracting substances, such as gum copal, &c., giving different degrees of roughness to the touching surfaces of the voussoirs, and exposing the model to polarized - light, the results of any degree of friction on the joints would be readily observed. It was stated that similar experiments had been tried by Mr. Bist at Paris,- almost simultaneously with Dr. Brewster, and that without doubt they had materially assisted Dr. Robison in his valuable treatise on the strength of materials, A description of the iron dock-gates at Montrose harbour, by Mr. James Leslie, M. Inst, of Civil Engineers, was then read. These gates were described in great detail, giving all the dimensions of the several parts, which were fully shown by some elaborate drawings. The framing was of cast iron, covered on both sides with wrought-iron plates, 3-Bths of an inch and 5-16tlis of an inch thick, riveted on so as to be water-tight, and to render the gates buoyant, and partly to compensate for the weight of metal in them, which was about 87 t ins. The gates were 55 feet wide and 22 feet 6 inches deep, and were entirely composed of iron, except the bottom bars and the false mitres, which were of oak. The sluice valves were of iron, without any brass on the faces, but their backs were covered with zinc plates, and the bolts had zinc nuts screwed over the Iron ones, in order to check the oxydation of the iron by the galvanic action of the two metals. A general account of Montrose harbour was given ; and it appeared that although there had existed some doubt as to the successful formation of a harbour id such bad ground, being entirely sand and gravel, which stood full of mater to within a few feet of the surface, the work having been submitted to Mr. Walker, President of the Institution, and having his approvul, had been satisfactorily exe cuted, and stood well. A model of the large swinging gib crane used by the contractors at Granton Pier, Edinburgh, and a drawing of the mode of raising the standpipe at the East London Waterworks, by Mr. Wick steed, were exhibited. EGLINTON PARK MEETING.—The races at Bog side commenced to-day under the most favourable circumstances. The gay company, with whom the castle of the noble patron of the sports has ben filled for the last few days were early on the ground ; and the crowd was much greater than usual on the first day of the meeting. Upwards of fifty horses have arrired, as competitors for the various prizes ; and th ,, ug,h eight of the races are not yet closed, there were, last night, not less than ninety-seven entries, so that unprecedented running may be expected. The steeple chases, on Friday, will, as usual, be of absorbing interest. Lord Eglinton, the Marquis of Waterford, Lord Glenlyon, Lord Drumlanrig, Sir William Scott, A. Moore, Esq., John Campbell, Esq., J. 0. Fairlie, Esq., and other crack riders, take part in the competition. The course is in capital order ; somewhat too hard, perhaps, in consequence of the continued dry weather, though the shower of last night moistened it a little.—Ayr Observer of Tuesday. THREE PERSONS DROWNED IN THE RIVER.—On Wednesday evening, about seven, three unfortunate individuals whose names are at present unknown, were drowned off Battersea-bridge, under the following melancholy circum stances :—lt appears from inquiries made upon the spot that the first unfortunate person, who was apparently a gen tleman about 30 years of age, was rowing up the river in a wherry alone. He had passed through one of the arches of Battersea-bridge with railroad speed, in consequence of the very strong currents which are mostly prevalent under the arches of this bridge, when the head of his boat cane in collision with one of the numerous barges there stationed, and he was precipitated into the water and disappeared.. He, however, rose twice, but before the boats which had put off to his assistance had reached him he went down a third time, and was carried away by the tide. Two other unfortunate beings—a young man and woman-- also lost their lives in a similar manner about the same time and place, and although the drags and boats were in imme diate requisition, neither of the bodies were, or have as vet been, recovered. The numerous accidents which are conti nually occurring at this bridge calls loudly for some speedy remedy to prevent a recurrence of them. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, May. 9. (Sittings in Banco.) . ThiS was the first day of the sittings in banco after term, and the Court took cases in the special and the new trial papers. No case of any public interest came on up to the hour of . eur going to press. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, May 9. (Sittings at Nisi Prius, before Baron GURNEY and Common Juries.) STEVENS V. MAGUIRE. This was an action brought by the plaintiffs, Messrs. Stevens and Fearon, solicitors, carrying on business in Gray's Inn, to recover of the defendant, who is a solicitor, in Dublin, a certain amount, as charges for conducting through a com mittee of the House of Commons a petition having refer ence to the election for the borough of Athlone, in Ire land, in 1842, when Major Beresford was the unsuc cessful candidate. There were two petitions from a Captain Kelly and another person, members of the borough constituency, against the successful candidate, and Mr. Maguire was employed by them as the solicitor to conduct the affair. On the 20th of March, 1843, the defendant, who had engaged the plaintiffs to act as his agents in the matter, signed an undertaking to give them 501. if they con tinued to conduct the petition, and in two days afterwards the Committee concluded its inquiry, up to the 20th of March, when that undertaking had been signed by the defendant. The plaintiffs expenses were, he alleged, upwards of 901., and for the continuance of the agency to the rising of the Com mittee, he brought a charge which increased that sum to 1401., and for this amount the present action was brought. Mr. Peacock appeared for the plaintiffs, Mr. Petersdorff for the defendant. The following witnesses were called. James Lennox examined—ls a solicitor. Knows the plaintiffs and the defendant. Saw the memorandum now handed in signed by the defendant Mr. Maguire, on the 20th March, 1843. (The memorandum was here read. It was an undertaking on the part of the defendant to pay the plaintiffs 501. for acting as his agent in conducting the peti tion through the Committee of the House of Commons.) Mr. Bramble examined—ls a solicitor, carrying on busi ness in Vernlatn-buildings. Was formerly in the plaintiffs' office. Has looked through the plaintiffs' bill, and examined the charges made in it. Its amount is 140/. 4s. 6d.; the amount of the bill to the 19th of March, 1843, is 97/. Con siders the charges very reasonable. Cross-examined—ls not sufficiently acquainted with Parliamentary business to state with certainty that the charges are reasonable. Had attended one Parliamentary Committee previous to that which was the subject of the pre sent action. Does not think that there is a difference made between the charges of a solicitor, when acting as agent, and when acting as principal in the conduct of a petition, through a Committee of the House of Commons. These were the only witnesses called. Mr. Baron GURNEY suggested that the better course would be to take a verdict for fifteen guineas, with liberty to the plaintiff to move to have the verdict increased to 50/. if the Court should think proper so to direct. This arrangement was ultimately agreed to by the parties, and the jury, by the direction of the Learned Judge, returned a verdict to that effect. There being no other cases to come before his Lordship, the Court then rose-at half-past twelve o'clock. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. THE MARYLEBONE MURDER. At ten minutes after ten o'clock Mr. Justice Coltman took his seat on the bench. Immediately afterwards William Crouch was placed at the bar. The jury, Who had been in deliberation during the night, then entered the Court, and having answered to their names, The Clerk of the. Court asked them if they had agreed on their verdict ? The Foreman said that his brother jurors and himself were desirous of having those portions of the evidence read over which related to the prisoner's sanity 'IT insanity. The Learned JUDGE said he would dispatch a special mes senger to Mr. Baron Alderson, before whom the prisoner was tried, and who was then engaged at Westminster. The jury would therefore retire until his Learned Brother arrived. The jury then withdrew. Shortly afterwards, it having been represented to the Judge that some of the jury were in a faint and exhausted state, from their long confinement, Dr. M'Murdo, the physician to. the prison, was directed to see the gentlemen of the jury, and report to the Court on their condition. Dr. M'Murdo entered the Court, and said that the whole of the jurymen were much exhausted, but more particularly seven of them—they had all been used to stimulants. He thought them unfit to exercise their mental powers. Mr. Justice COLTMAN—Do you think they are in danger, if not immediately discharged? Mr. M'Murdo—No so as to destroy life, my Lord. Mr. Justice Cot:minx—ls there a probability, unless they are immediately discharged, of their health being injured? Mr. M'Murdo—l think so, my Lord. The Learned JUDGE directed the jury to be brought into Court. On their entrance he said he had received a commu nication from Mr. Baron Alderson, in which he stated that he would be there directly, or in half an hour; and if he did not arrive in that time, he would send for them again. Shortly after twelve o'clock Mr. Baron Alderson arrived, and the jury having entered the box, the Learned Judge read over the evidence, minutely detailing the circumstances of the case, and, in fact, charged the jury a second time, who retired at ,a quarter past twelve o'clock, again to consi der their verdict. - THE LATE ABDOCTION CASE.—On the application of Mr. Wilkins the trial of William Burton Netvenham, charged with the abduction of Miss Northam, was postponed until the next session. At half-past one o'clock the jury returned to the Court, the prisoner was again placed at the bar, and the names having been called over, the Clerk of the Court asked them if they had agreed on their verdict, and whether they found the prisoner guilty or not guilty. The Foreman—" Guilty, my Lord." Baron Ai DERSON—" Let the prisoner be brought up again on Saturday." The prisoner was again removed, but in a few minutes Baron Alderson desired that he might be again placed in the dock. He was accordingly brought forward, and silence having been proclaimed, the Learned JUDGE proceeded to pass sen tence of death upon the prisoner in the most impressive manner. Having put on the black cap, he said :—William Crouch, the jury, after a long and painful consideration, have come to the conclusion that you were in a responsible state of mind at the time when the act was done with which you stand charged—rthat you were not in a state of mind which rendered you irresponsible for your actions. Of the fact itself no one could entertain the slightest doubt; it was committed in the open day, in the presence of others, and 'committed towards one to whom you were bound in all the ties of love and duty, and at a time when the unfortunate female was administering, from her own bosom, nourishment to your unfortunate child. All that now remains for me to do is to tell you the fate which awaits you. The end of these things is death—death which will be eternal. Throw your self on the mercies of Christ, and employ the short time you have to live in seeking pardon from the Almi g hty. The sentence of this Court is, and I am but the minister of the law in that respect, " that you be hanged by the neck until you are dead, and that after your death your body be buried within the precincts of the prison." • During the delivery of the sentence of the Learned Judge the prisoner was unmoved, but listened with great attention. At its conclusion he bowed slightly to the Bench, and was understood to say, "I am an innocent man." He walked from the dock with a firm step. William Henry Gower, 42, a person genteely dressed, and who was stated to be an attorney, was indicted, under the statute for feloniously uttering a forged certi ficate of marriage, alleged to have been solemnised be tween himself and one Amelia Drayson. Mr. Payne conducted the prosecution. The case occupied the Court a considerable time, but it will not be necessary to go into the evidence in detail. It will be recollected, from the inquiries that took place at the police-office, that the prosecutrix and the prisoner entered inta'anagreement to cohabit together, the latter undertaking . tO marry her when his wife should di e , an d it would appear that upon their taking possession of some lodging, the certificate in question, which purported to be a copy extracted from the marriage register of St. George's, describing the marriage of the parties at that church, was produced by the prisoner. It was proved that the prosecutor was perfectly well aware of the cir cumstances of the prisoner, and that she knew the pre tended certificate was a forgery. The defence set up was that the prisioner had no guilty or improper intention in uttering the certificate, and that he merely made himself a party to it, to save the credit and character of the pro secutrix. The prosecutrix, in her cross-examination, explained that she and the prisoner had been engaged in " lite rary" employment, and she also stated that she had pub lished a work called the " Gordian CEdipus." The prisoner declared that the sole object of the pro secutrix in instituting the present prosecution, was to give notoriety to the work in question ; and that she in tended to sacrifice him for that object. Mr. Justice COLTMAN having summed up the case, The Jury, after a short consideration, returned a ver• diet of Guilty, but, at the same time, strongly recom mended the prisoner to mercy; and also added their opinion that the prosecutrix was quite as guilty in the transaction as the prisoner was, and that she ought to have been by his side in the dock as partireps crintinis. The Learned JUDGE addressed the prisoner, and said he had no alternative but to pass upon him a sentence of two years' imprisonment and hard labour, as that was the smallest punishment affixed by the law to the offence of which he had been convicted. lie should, however, forward the recommendation of the jury to the Secretary of State, and in all probability the sentence would be materially modified. _ _ Nathaniel Oar b:n, 19, v% eaver, was indicted for fe• loniously and maliciously setting fire to the dwelling house of James Thomason, Mary Palmer and other pet sons being therein at the time. It appeared from the evidence, that the prosecutor is a weaver, residing in New Montague-street, Middlesex ; and the prisoner had been in his service, but was dis charged a short time before the occurrence in question took place, although it did not appear that there was any ill-feeling between him and the prosecutor. A good many lodgers lived in the proserutor's house, and it appeared that the outer door had no other fastening than a latch, and the prisoner was well aware of this fact. On the night of the 4th of April Mr. Palmer, one of the lodgers in the house, was awoke by a strong smell of fire, and the next morning it was found that an endeavour had been made to set fire to the stairs, a portion of the flooring being burnt, and some lucifer matches and pieces of dry wood, partly burnt, were near the place. A con stable was set to watch the next night, and about two o'clock in the morning the prisoner was found in the house, and on his being searched some lucifer matches and pieces of wood and a candle were found in his pos session. When he was taken into custody he trembled violently, and appeared very much alarmed, and he accounted for being in the house by saying that he had been locked out of his own lodging, and that he had come there to sleep. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. At the conclusion of the labours of the Grand Jury, they presented the following report to the Court ; " The Grand Jury desire to express their belief that no disadvantage would arise to the administration of justice, nor to persons committed for trial by the Police Magistrates, if the indictments against such persons were brought to trial before the Court without the intervention of the Grand Jury, and that this alteration of the existing practice would effect a great saving of expense to the districts within the jurisdic tion of the Central Criminal Court, and of the time of the po• lice and witnesses &enerally, and would also further the ends of justice by diminishing the disinclination of prosecutors to make the sacrifice of time and convenience which is now re" quired of them." The CommoN SERGEANT said—As your observations are confined to this district, where the committing 'Magistrate s hold regular police courts, where the bar attend, ant wherl the press regularly report the proceedings of the courts, agree with you, and think, a great loss of time, unnecessari inconvenience, and expense, and sometimes injustice, is ocea: sioned by the attendance here of the Grand Jury, and therefore, direct that your representations be communicate d to, the Secretary of State at the Home-office. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (YESTERDAY.) CLERKEN WELL. Peter Haynes, a printerin Cllarterhouse-lane, Sepulchre's, was charged- with refusing to support his wire and child, whereby they became chargeable t° Clerkenwell parish. The prisoner, who appeared in Court without a cost. when charged with the offence, made no other rep P' than challenging the parochial authorities to prove ll- His wife, a remarka'ily mild and interestin g looking young woman, cued bitterly on being placed in th e witness-box, and gave her evidence against the prisone r with the greatest reluctance. Some m ont h s a go the prisoner deserted her, and went to cohabit with another woman, leaving herself and child utterly destitute. s „b e was forced to apply to the Ch-rkenwell overseers 119 r relief, and the prison 'r was, after some time, sPPr e. hended, and brought before the magistrate. I n order t° avoid gong to prison, he promised to allow her eic shillings a week for tier on and infant's s u pport. e never gave more than seven, and when she went far this pittance he oaten refused to give her a farthing. 11 1 a short time he stopped the allowa nce a lt oget h e r, an,', she was on the verge of starvation, wh en s h e aga in felt herself compelled to have recourse to parochial aid. Aldb , rry, the assistant overseer, corroborated t' e woman's statement. Mr. CoMBE (to the prisoner)—How much do y° l earn? Prisoner (smiling)—Just 255. a week. Aldherry—And yet he grudges to allow his P p°. wife and child eight stillings a v‘eck. Prisoner (sneeringly)—But if I have 255. a weed I keep a fancy woman out of it. Mr. COMBS—You must go to the Hotise of Corneae % for ten days. MARYLEBONE. PEACE WARRANT.—Thowas Franks was brought ttt by Hooker, the officer, to answer the charge of avi n b writti n and sent a threatening l e t ter to th e R ev. Cl e men' , Strong, causing him (complainant) to consider his DO in danger. Defendant was in the service of complainant, by whet° he was discharged, in consequence of his incapacity, fret an attack of delirium tremens, t o p er f orm t h e duties his situation. He was subsequently in the infirmary at the Kensington Union, where complainant had shell him every kindness, and had pre s ent e d hi m w i t h 44 as he had not been able to get another engagement, had sent the letter in question, in which he attribtlw his misfortunes to the circumstance of the Rev. Gent!: man having represented to applicants for his charaef t that a fit of lunacy was the cause of his b e i ng di,mia7; Mr. LONG, having read the letter, h e ld th e d e f e ndant" bail, himself in 501., and two sureti es i n 251 . each, for his keeping the peace for the next six months. Complainant said thet, so far fr.m wishing to in . P r i e d defendant, he would do anything to serve him, and 40 ,.. t3 0 willingly give a premium to any o n e w h o m i g ht thins to employ him. Frederick Hamilton was placed at the bar charged - horse-stealing. t bi tha James Roustage, farmer, at Kilburn -lane, sa id Ao r missed one of his horses from the straw-y ar d on Thurs` ; ', 'morning last, and gave information to th e different pcPi , i , stations. He on the same day, a ccom p an i e d by polkt-cc'e. stable Himbury, 102 D, went to Mr. Winkley's slar,ghterni7o yard, 23, Green-street, Blackfriars-road, and found the sto animal. The constable gave similar evidence, and said the; took the prisoner into custody yesterday evening, e l de r tap-room of the White Lion, Edgeware-road. e , ac e voured to conceal himself below some seats, but was vered by the witness. He denied all knowledge of the renv — i ti o, Richard Lindsay, in the employment of Mr. Win7 l o proved that the prisoner had offered th e h orse f or sa l e le master's yard for three pounds, but on Mr. Winkley's ting several questions to him respecting his name, cif of residence, and where he got the horse, "he took so .-- off all at vonce" without giving the required explanatic ul 'or The prisoner was not more fortunate on the present b e e g fore sion, and he was at once committ e d f or tr i a L He h a d been convicted for a similar offence. MARLBOROLCH-STREET. Margaret Morgan, a young, handsome, and very fas kb i.,‘ ably-dressed French woman, w as c h arge d with rew. Mr. Thomas Graham, of No. 7, Trevor-square, Kaightsbr, and a member of the Stock Exchange, of 10s. insilver,l ol the following circumstances : 0 1 Mr. Robinson, the s o li c it or , a tt en d e d on the, part o f accused. The prosecutor stated that, between 3 r a nd 4 o'cloCkF i k morning, as he was passing up th e H a7rmarket wit h & manteau in his hand, having just r eturned from Brig "- he was accosted by the prisoner who, a ft er persisting Le he t walking by his side for some tiistance, suddenly thrus t :g„ hand into his right hand trowsers-pocket, and withdr!7ll grasping the amount of silver in question ; he iminediriv seized her, and called " police, " and on a constable of S division coming up, a n d iking . her into custody , :74 scattered some money over the carriage-way. A number cabmen 'and . other fellows of the lowest grade were , 0 11b , ° 4 and the police-constable y eas on ly ena bl e d to p i c k u p shillings out of the ten. He had seen his money safe but , few minutes before. In answer to questions put by the prisoner's solicito'to prosecutor, he admitted that he had been drinking. of Mr. HARDWICK—A d run k en man i s not, as a matter course, to be robbed. The prosecutor said he came forth on pub",c grounds,°,,, , had noticed several o f th e swe ll mob, who infest the Tito end, following up the prisoner, and he had no doubt the" i, intention of the parties was to r o b hi m of h i s Ovate rty valuable one, guard-chain, portm an t eau, and other prop he had about him. e d Mr. HARDWICK said he mus t see the public teCtfrom ri such nocturnal depredations, and committed the P saner to take her trial at the Central Criminal Court- UNION -HALL. 311* John Faulkner was ch arge d i n t h e police-sheet tempting to cut his wife's throat. c t e A noise was hea r d i n th e pr i soner ' s room at One % , be oil that morning, and a poli ceman entering, his wife wa s bleeding from a slight wound in the throat, which se° - for was inflicted by her husband. She was the worse liquor at the time; her husband was sober. The :wife not in attendance. :g The prisoner denied the c h arge , an d gave 9. melaa e ll account of his wife's propensity for liquor, which had rc"" him to beggary. c 4 Mr. COTrINGHAN said that the wif e not being in attend to press the'charge, he should discharge the accused. MARKET NEWS. YESTERDA IVLELINXTS. SMITHFIELD.—Coa NAT rse Mead o w Hay, 3/ to 3/ lu-; 00° 6 , ful ditto, 3/ lOs t o 3/ 15 s ; fine 'Upland ditto, , 31 ' I / Si; 4/ ; Clover Hay, 3/ 5 s t o 5/ ; Oat Straw, I/ 6s to Ate, Wheat Straw, 1/8s to 1/ lO s per l oad. Supply but mo del and trade steady. WA" CinsinxßLAND.—Coarse M ea d ow H ay, 2/18s to 31109.41! ful ditto, 3112 s t o 3/ 16s ; fine Upland ditto, 31 17s Vhe4' Clover Hay, 3/ to 4/ 18 s ; Oat Straw, 11 8s to 1/ 105; , 1 Straw, 1/ lOs to 1/ 12 s per l oad. Both Hay ane.i ,1,0 moved eff freely at full quotations. 3 189 WlirrecliAnu..—Coarse Meadow Hay, 2l 18s to i 6 ,5 useful ditto,_ 3/ 108 to 3/ 15s ; fine Upland ditto, 31 'OO 71; Clover Hay, 3/ 5s to 5 / 5 8 ; Oat Straw, 116 s t°.., D IP Wheat Straw, 118 s to 1/ lOs per load. A moderate o'r` and a fair demand, MEAT MARKETS. of e 1c .. 11 SOUTHALL, MAY B.—We h a d a full average supfuLA kind of fat stock on sal e thi s morn i ng, yet the demo —roe throughout steady, at, in most instances, a trifling ii n f tto vr ment in the quotatio ns . B ee f , f rom 2s 8d to 4s; 1 ) d. " ; so d ' 2s 6d to 3s 8d; La m b, 5 s to 6 s 2d ; Veal, 3., 6d to 4s s i i ser Pork, 2s 10d to 3s 8d p er 81b s. S upply—Beasts, 40; and Lambs, 2,041; Calves, 39 ; Pigs, 36. ROXFORD, Mar B.—Prime Beasts and Sheep It ie d OP: A mand at full curre nc i es . O t h erw i se, the trade 17; Beef, from 2s 6d to 4 5 ; M u t ton, 2s 10d to 4s; 1,90;;' d pet to 6a ; Veal, 3s 4d t o 4 8 4d ; and Pork 2s 4d to " piß h 81bs. Sucking Calves, 18s to 28s ; Quarter-old St,or€ l6 lto 16s to 19s ; and Much Cows, w ith t h e i r sma ll o s l6 181 103 each. 40 5° LEWES, MAY 7.—Th ere was a fair amount.: of !A l i, p.)a doing here to-day, a t f u ll y previous rates :—Bs'ef,fronl d - to 5I to 4s 2d ; M u tt on, 2 s 10d to 4s 2d; Lalnb, 51 10d ; and Pork, 4s 4d to 3s 8d per --;------ At the late battue among the gaming-110117;40 . ft i t ! vet* sprigs of nobility Were captured, and are —°olr" durance vile ; two or th ree sporting characters we'" ,.,, secured. _oe BIRTHS. ell , V 111 EOn the Ist inst., i n B r i g h ton, the lady of J. R. — .l of a daughter. f A t " . „ ~, o . On the 3d inst., th e w if e o f Th omas Pynsent, x•","' Hennock, Devon, of a daughter. h wee. 0 f J ) 7 ' On the 3d inst., at Liverpool, Eliza, the W Roche, Esq., m erc hant, of a daughter. A e °On the sth i ns t, at Kingswood Lodge, Cro:faont t 0 f a of the Rev. J. S. Hodson, M.A., Curate of Sz.r.iderstesw daughter. o f° On the sth inst., Mrs. J. Hillard, I.,,entinck-st d' daughter. ----------<srt, 1 On the 27th ult., at 'HlicfAavßißtreie)ThliarrdEdxseutehr,tAggelik°llPP-7:ds Esq., of Florence, to Susan Parr, near g &e t- Parr Pope, Esq. n On the 6th i ns t.. , at Cathering tn n, Hants, J-a e- Lo tes al %s--, Colonel E. Nat'!,er, late 46th Regiment, P -- to Eli za !O ga youngest ds!.'ughter of the late Thomas Daniel, Egg' Civil Service. 'llis ° ' ICI „, to! On the 7th i ns t., a t S t. George's, Hanocer-sclust, — uso w •le, eldest son of Colonel Iremonger, Wherwell PriorYt.,ol )l Mary Anne Widmore, only child of William noPki 04' Esq ,of Kingsclere, Hants. rr• D. , ter On the 7th inst., at St. Jatnes's, Clerkenwell , -' dev4.l - of Upper Islington-terrace, to Elizabeth, third _.k• of T. Davis, Esq., of Baker-street, Pentenville. o w' c n e ve i der On the 7th inst., Elias Mocatta, jun., Esq., °' " A los° street, to Rachel, second daughter of the la+,.e i' Goldsmid, Esq., of Tavistock-place. ell' DIED. , • Al"( l Cla f On the 7th inst., i n S a li s b ury - square , tr rs . Alsr are , Ls On the sth inst., i n H ar t- s t ree t, BlovlneburY - s c l u , j relict of Mr. Finnis. On the sth inst., at Woodlana s , Chelstleld, Sen., • Fu11416 80 0 t ~,, youngest son of T. Waring, Esq.On the 6th inst., a t W est L o d ge , Bexley-hea th, -E.' 0 the wife of John Bayley, Esq. oung e at N On the 6th ult., at Funchal, Madeira, George , 9_%, lad' of the late D. Guillemard, Esq., of Hackney, Midr;/ . 0 ,10 24 On the 24th ult M y youngest daughter or d • '''' . ~ Mar y,l _„ te et Esq., of Rugby. Lios tg ' ..- late ° in ? h u e t s h t e h 2 F d u i s n il s i t e , rs a . t Dublin, Gordon Scott:1:1:f tb. On the 4th inst., at Bedford, Elizabeth, r Maidman, Esq. t i s O t o l c i k t , b D e o 6 r t s h e t i s n h s i t ; aged 5.• . las* On the sth inst., Mr. Patrick O'Ryan, , vrair et p On the Bth inst., Henry Grey, Esq., 0 " Naffs . Wandsworth-road. On the Bth inst., in Gower-street, the . at Brighton, the Rev. Peter Sti , d ebt' niel Saxon, inst.,wiofenofthAeirB.tAhndre,inKlVvhe.itecroes-plaßcee,df;rnds:qurufar,;sue' ..i.f London : Printed and Published by MCRDO 11. No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sc" Office, .i" ) ;., Strand, in the Precinct of ? the Savoy, in the Middlesex, Friday, May 10, 1644. Nut,e( Tha ADJO TwelN In , for a , 15Of the th delive • Th e ?",:?ete e LI later , Of 7 , Th, rada T 2 , 44.,1 or— Th Bow of 30 Etti; In bur% 260 c 7 .910 In 130 , c lb tic Lich karat that, And big 3 4r non the