The Sun. — London, England, 1844-06-04 00:00:00

ad time' THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING. JUNE 4. 1844. e ertifi • . • 4. think d really did IPeadence could be placed on thee certificates. o . 443 4L ' i l l i t c e l e not think tliev would he any better tha n t against the sugar of Cuba or Brazil tre e were at the time of the war between this e ,: t ultry and France, when it was a notorious fact that n e . s aulggl e d our (roods into foreign countries, and , they 41eirs Into ours, by r means of forged certificates. hose tast acquainted with ;he sugar trade did not seem to Right the sane confidence in those certificate.; as the get Hun. Baronet—those gentlemen seemed to have rY little less an • in 1841 in 18-11, when , preaension - .;:.n tue diff eretitial duty of twelve, instead of ten as proposed by the Goveri.nient of that day; The groat objection to any change of duty then 's - as, that the ztrial—that of the abolition of slavery had not had al—that it was necessary to ascertain whether sfree labour eould supply the place of slave lab our. Had tr 14110 1 prie , re•- been made in the experiment of free SS 0 ; . " Our in 1841, that they were not afraid of a i c ,: n i ge? The same diff e r e ntial d u ty tho ug ht suffi c ient ii, u ara, Manilla,. and the United Slate., , , should be to Cuba and the Brazils. He thought that apro -14 'to ry duty of 635., as it ought to have been abolished 841 , ought to be a • b , disherl now ; and he would tiZte his reasons. The supply of sugar from 1831 had , b : e n such, he believed, as to enable the people of the ,o untry to c onsume it t o an yth ing like the extent 1 8 1 would u n d er ot h er c i rcumstances h ave d one. I n ti ul, 1 832, and 1833, th ere wa s a n averag e consump 41Oltif from 191hs. to 201bs. of sugar per head on the e,populati on , w hil s t i n su b sequen t y ears th e are htie lad becom e S o l ow as 171b 5 ., an d even 161b s . p er ( 1. -- a - • This r eason a l one seeme d very power f u l in favour 14_ redu ct i on of the duties. In 1843 there was l i ttle B ° 3 l T than 171bs. of sugar per head consumed, whilst in ( Rer , with a smaller population, there were 191b5.- 4 , hear.) The consumption of tea had wonder- Y increased since the commencement of the present c o n ,, t ,nr,Y but sugar had not increased in proportion. ot,"Tering the increase of population, the consumption alArits and beer had rather diminished among the 1 4 1 eat eonsutnin, classes, whilst in tea and coffee the in crease had been very great. The consumption of coffee er , 4B Cil wits 7,851,000tb5. ; in 1841, 27,298,3221b5. The 3 6 '„ s turiptlo n of tea in 1801 was 20,227,0001b5.; in 1841, 3,4 3 In in sugar, the consumpt r ion, in 1831, was fines ,0001bs. ; in 1841, 4,657,0001b5. There was three the amount of coffee consumed in 1841, as corn •r`'o,_ed with 1831, whilst the increase in the consumption V o ugar had b een so tr ifli ng. Th e i ncrease i n t h e popu ttu n during this period had been from 8 to 14. The f Pc ' ri ment of I n di an l a b our i n th e M aur it ius h a d b e en e d, and had b een f oun d success f u l ; an d th ere h a d no t labo ur the same objection to the introduction of such Zuear as formerly. Lord AUckland, who was formerly op- Viphd..to it, tho ug ht now that, under proper restrictions, it be successful. The Noble Lord (the Secretary the Colonies) had made some relaxations concerning • f s ,, rl „can lab our an d h e did not thi n k th ey cou ld go muc h ", e r in that' res ect. A reduction of the sugar duties tt gat to b e made P o but it should be effected on the ordi -410.47 Principles by which trade was generally governed, th e they should not, merely for the sake of bolstering up y of some of the members of the Cabinet, departo4 from the long-established policy of commerce, not t p „Y hi this, but in every other great commercial coun lai—(lear, hear.) His Hon. Friends behind him were the r our of placing all duties on sugar on a level with s e ir N e On our own colonial sugar ; but he (Lord J. Bus se w ould not go quite so far. In a new state of things to e re no d u t y h a d b een i mpose d , i t m i g h t b e sa f e d e rho ; but, under existing circumstances, he li ght a differential duty should be made in favour elm J• our own co l on i es. Af ter some exp l anat i on as to t h e b e s e why h e h a d not g i ven ear li er not i ce o f t h e mot i on, ppctPes Was ition abou before thet to make, House the No :—" That, ble Lord laid in the following dllstead of the Prz,„ °( "v payable on brown and Muscavado sugar, the thi ace 01. any foreign country be admitted at a duty of liortY-four shillings per cwt." He believed the Right the n ti Gentleman sufficiently possessed the confidence of he t ° use to enable him to carry almost any proposition ; h' n e v ertheless, he should feel it his duty to take the aul of the House upon his proposal. Free competition i II t i . n l be the rule. Unrestricted competition • al ai 's'', e, Lord Grenville stated, was the straight and l i j ai lhe line of wisdom. The Right Hon. Baronet had li ee er se lf admitted the truth of this doctrine, and when -4,4..14 altered our p o li c y, w h e th er we a d vance d i n a t h's or a wide step, it should be in this direction. stiteY Wanted duties for revenue, why then they should )8 e thein ; but as for legislating where to buy and to khe public themselves were the best judges of that. rat tr i" - cught that if they were to prescribe in what es s ,„' e ta the people should trade, it would inevita'ily t — P the industry' and impair the wealth of the coun- That remark was not needless; for there had at Pe ss 4 ,, ti the been issued papers offering premiums from eie s i i ," llB usually supporting the Government, for the best t al protection for the agricultural interest.—(The e ii „o Lord then read an extract from a speech delivered 'ae 1 7th of February, 1783, by Lord Shelburne, who ~at that time a Minister of the Crown. That Noble ea: reprobated monopoly as being always injurious_ • to IZventing rivalry, which was the greatest stimulus ha t , - ;,, ci ci and the most important instrument of human ree ti : e lnent. No nation was more bound to oppose tw e e'P° l Y than thi s coun t r y, w hi c h s t oo d as it were be ale: t he old world and the new, and which having ta le ' capital, more trade, and more resources, than any Or ktation on ear th, s h ou ld mee t it s r i va l s on an y p ar t aski„""e globe, con t en t w ith f a i r competition, and 510 nothing more.) Such was the opinion of cod mater of the Crown sixty years ago—(Cheers)— th ee : y e had no t a d vance d muc h s i nce. —(R enewe d als on ' S. ) They were creating a new monopoly of a of t or kind, in which they declared to various nations L ite " world, that they would not trade with them m i % they disapproved of their institutions. It was but e e e t tim e s i nce t h at t h e propos i t i on o f f ree tra d e was t rit ive d by but a few votes in America. If this coun koeii'e,re to set the example to other nations it would taiued followed. —(Hear, hear.) But whilst we sus- Prod, th - L e system of protective and prohibitory duties the excluded the corn and the timber and other ttPo" c ti of those nations, how could we lecture them Polle„Ve advantages of an enlightened commercial ead ' ---- (Hear, hear.) He (Lord J. Russell) had lately A ffßi .k letter from the Secretary of State for Foreign ey e4 rB to the Minister of a German State, which con tatsa lecture upon free trade which could have very w eight coming from the authority which main -114,74, destructiv e d u ti es here.—(Hear, hear.) Let us %k r: true pri nc ipl es f or ourse l ves; an d w h en o th er 4R should should se e th a t E ng l an d h a d t a k en a w i se course the e t d benefited by it, they would not be slow to follow Reel at aPle. If so, we should see men in authorify in read.cf devisin g sc h emes f or a pplyi ng sc h emes t o diree`4l. w ar more destructive, employing their talents to st . c an; so as to make peace more beneficial, and m one brotherhood all the nations of the world. Lo i l G LADSTONE would not imitate the Noble feet' .lll ld wander into topics unconne c ted with the sub tplea ue tore the Committee. li e would not go into the it is ti ° o ll of iron, and word, and corn. He thought that • due e ell i plain that th e N o ble L or d was induced to intro the e , tu cise Subjects by the poverty of his objections to Nobl e asUre of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The k t re Lord would find that the letter of the Foreign the a ,, tal 'Y to the Prussian Ministry was founded upon liesite"ghruents contained in an article in the Edinburgh t h which was supposed to have the approbation of v,'"oltile Lord himself. It would be, indeed, a matter In ca s 4v , e censure upon he Government if they adhered gi ffer e - ,; i tc ,the measures which they thought, under very Jetty - j:' c u s eUrnstances, necessary in 1841. In the latter an ent 0 West Indi es were going through an expert- Leetit w hich rend e r e d it imperati v e that the Govern 15t1t nf , egc uld take no step to embarras those colonies. ‘,Za% five years had passed since the experiment w ere °lttl i and although the difficulties of the colonies 00 W „bil,",t altogether passed over, yet it had been kger-timent that the permanent maintenance of the i te the' C r liti lla on the present principle was not necessary 4 to s 2 4. , P0rt. The Right Hon. Gentleman then went hty ori 'etail of the different values of sugars (Muscovado, I N i n ' arad. refined) in the West India Islands, in Cuba, ti ger s ",, a va, contending that if the duty on all unrefined Riven " . a,„ B to be 34sper cent. an advantage would be i'Oeds":,..k•;uba, which . prodnced and exported as unre ad i' e t i rs superior to real Muscovado. The Noble Lord t,„ ° Ic lght to taunt the Government with want of ii B ( ; 4l4 a — bl e Y l ,, , .fer he had himself, in . the period between e. "li changed his own opinions on this ques „"itr lad price of sugar had in last year considerably . "" ve , the ante that rise was a good reason for an alteration sailill '1 144 The rise had been nearly 3s. per cwt., and 've been greater if it had uot been for the pre - si alcial i Ulon that the law would he altered this year. , t e Of t ' thlerefore, into consideration the increasing de (Paee h e e t c°ll htry to consume those articles which hold ?vern weep luxuries and necessaries, he thought the • te -41ent would have been wrong if they had not r s ti va.nt hen "d age of the increase of price to alter . the law. i ri e W ked e Lord protested against the introduction of a R 11441, 4' l of prohibitory and distinctive duties. But h e g e •r, s a i . Noble Lord,. in the case of the duties up . on twee__ that it was necessary to make a distinction had th ' , l these States which encouraged the slave trade 114 1 0 0 h a t ° which had nothing to do with slavery. But r t ? in ti and e 4 , rd Was pleased to be witty on another Sa `cli his Right lion. Friend was introduc pre lea reli : into the custom-house, erecting pulpits in • 41, 4e r hers r r ,l lll , and making the land-waiters P e l t - Le L or e antislavery doctrines. Perhaps the intwunld say, that they should not introduce ts i l i t,",, er-decks the ships of war, and erect pulpits upon war the a \ T -- 4 8, , or make their captains preachers ; but in 41Preach_ le Lord had made our captains of men-of 3,,etty eif e_rs of anti-slavery doctrines, and preachers to s i4 r lea an ict to the slavers in their passage between thi Ut w as brazil. The policy of the present Govern ' hl 4 t c "ntrv it f o co nsonanee with that steadily pursued in Q 4 61, 1. 4 , 4 very long time past. It was impossi th,-an atr a q7._ fixed rules to the varying character of see stet, „,.. The Noble Lord began by alluding to red ti ,,, tlt Y th at j ,a,va, and objected that there could be no hiss °d b, "ie produce of that island woual not be th E t t slav e labour. But he (Mr. Gladsione) be • - w nn i d " e re was a state of society in Java Ile L wheth er enaltle him to ascertain with t I stts r eved th ten his Produce was slave-grown or no.. • i fee, th at his was made out that labour in a (4. „ .‘ W a s la as paid in proportion to the produce, ikalatute .C ur at the rate of a certain number of days w as, „ h e stat e ,S 0 far as regarded the occupation of • - 2 `llp o ll e , gs in Java was this, that no man Bally.. it lie was to now lands against his will; but if he th e the states b `Pind to cult' Such was univer ei.'elul he e o t t hings in Java, l'ati' d . if a party cultivated hol e a ' s f ree to quit it hen he pleased. He ba r er a r od tinder e t r i: that ft was l the w duty of those who Peah„„seznal es "e Government to have a certain num- J aya :v b s ti , t th at th -41 e , I t e lie lv l and ; he ought, however, to , say , Heart sla ver a.B a domestic species of slaveiy in Stateho' ea r. ) so ) was now upon the j - aoint of death.. ha s ee th e d A f ar as regarded this country : lie 4 14* , (1 be b ,.. CUlties the Noble Lord bad,raised. • tiith and _adverted to ; the trade bet weer that koziv„,,,Wa! carried on not with merchants, but r°3 - 1 , acid they had therefore but very little knowledge of the interior of the country; and t was therefore impossible to say whether the o , vth of sugar in that country was produced by free labour or not ; but in Java, Manilla, and China they had sugar the produce of free labour. The Noble Lord then adverted to topics that always raised a cheer in that House ; he said, wily not seal the sugar of Brazil to Russia, and bring in ex change for it some of the produce of that country. A great deal had been said about cotton, tobacco, and coffee. Now, with respect to those articles, none of them could be fairly said or considered to be the perpetuation of the slave trade. The cultivation of coif e could be carried on by free labour where sugar could not. If the motion of the Noble Lord was adopted, the resellt would be the extension of sugar cultivation, and also the ex tension of slavery. The effect of the present plan, he believed, would be principally visible in the sugar of Java and Manilla ; the plan would operate as a positive premium on the extension of the cultivation of free sugar in those countries. An encouragement would be given to their sugar in the first place ; but, in the second place, it would tell with permanent effect on the rise in the value of free-labour sugar generally, on account of its increased admissibility. With respect to the ex tent to which it might stimulate the cultivation of sugar in the East Indies, he believed they knew too little of the resources of that country to form any esti mate upon the point ; its immense productive powers were as yet undeveloped. But, altogether, he did not anticipate that the increased quantity of sugar that would be brought into this country, in consequence of this alteration, would exceed 20,000 tons, and this quantity subtracted from the general markets of the world would not, he thought, much tend to raise the general price of the article. The Noble Lord had dwelt upon the probable fraudulent introduction of sugar from America ; but he thought there was not much danger of this being the case. The American grower was not subjected to any duty in his own country ; but, if he sent his sugar to this country, he had to pay his duty. Again, the price of sugar in New York had been for the last few years about thirty-five shillings, and in this iountry it had been less ; it would not, therefore, be the interest of the American to send his sugar from New Means to Liverpool, instead of from New Orleans to New York. Again, there was no class in America that slid not clamour for protection. In this country some were indifferent to it, and some were opposed ; but in America all were anxious for it. And this was also a great political question. The bond of the Ame rican Union was not so close or so strong as not to be affected by the result of this question on the slave states. The great mass of the sugar consumed in Ame rica was grown in the state of Louisiana, and he thought that nothing was so improbable as that America, while secognising the high protective principle, would allow this single state to become the victim, for the sake of introducing the principle of free trade in the single ar tide of sugar. The Noble Lord had said that the Go vernment should have given greater encouragement to the introduction of free labour in the West Indies ; he did not understand that the Noble Lord had charged the Government with any neglect or want of vigilance as to the introduction of such labour. He conceded that the West Indies were suffering under an accumulation of disadvantages, and that,, for the most part, the planters had been losers. He knew estates that, in the year 1840, when Englund was paying what might be called famine prices for their sugar, left their owners minus to a con siderable amount. lie did not deny that the position of the West Indies was one of very great difficulty Ile could only say that the question should be considered with a view to the interest of the West Indies on the one hand, and the circumstances of this country on the other. He would say that it was not in the power of the Legislature of this country to bring the cultivation of the colony into a sound state, even if the duty on sugar was maintained for twenty years.—(Cheers.) It must be brought about by the introduction of new labourers, an altered system of maintaining them, and the substi tution of responsible resident proprietors or tenants for absentee proprietors.—(Hear, hear.) That the West Indies had a crisis to pass through he had no doubt, and all they could expect from the British Legislature was to aid them as much as they could. That aid they now proposed to lend them. They proposed to lay a tax of ios. 6d. per cwt. on foreign free-grown sugar, excluding sugar from slave countries. That was a duty of 60 per cent. on the value of the commodity. But if they had to deal with the West ladies alone, he would not be a party to the proposal of his Right Hon. Friend. After the changes which took place in other countries—after the tariff of 1842, and the other changes which have taken place in the present year, he thought Government would be open to the imputation of showing undue favour to a particular class were they to put a duty of 10 per cent. on foreign sugar, the growth of free labour, as a protection to sugar grown in the West Indies.—(Hear, hear.) The West Indies had suffered most severely by the Act of Emanci pation, but that interest was treated with some conside ration when it got a protection equal to 50 per cent. The Noble Lord said that they did not establish perfect con sistency in their legislation on this matter. His answer was that it was better to apply a good principle when it was practicable, and also that the proposition of the Go vernment would stand in a favourable light as contrasted with the proposition of the Noble Lord. It was not only inconsistent in an extreme degree, but in a manner incapable of tolerable explanation, that they should go to considerable expense in employing a naval force on the coast of Africa, but even shed blood for the purpose of capturing slave vessels going to the Brazils, and at the same time give a voluntary stimulous to the slave trade by encouraging the growth of slave-grown sugar. There was, therefore, a great practical difference be tween the measure of the Government and the proposi tion of the Noble Lord, as would be tested to• morrow by the price of Brazilian or Cuba sugar, if that proposi tion were carried. The Noble Lord had charged them with hypocrisy. That was one of the worst charges that could be made against any men, because it was one of the worst vices. —(Hear, hear.) He would not deny it, because if true it would not be the less if he denied it, and if it were not he was sure the country and posterity would do them justice. They could have no personal motives in this matter, and their views were in accordance with those of Dr. Lushington, Sir F. Buxton, Mr. Clarkson, and Mr. Sturge, whose opinions were entitled to so much con sideration on the subject. It was true they would ex clude the produce of slave labour of every description; but, because they admitted other articles, the produce of lave labour, it was practically no reason why they should admit slave-grown sugar. Looking to the in terest of the West India colonies, the necessities of the country, and the discouragement of the slave trade, he thought the measure of the Government the best that could be devised, and he loft it with confidence to the udgment of the House of Commons.—(Cheers.) Mr. LABOUCHERE commenced by defending himself and the late Government from the charge of inconsistency which was brought against them, for which he need only refer to the emphatic declaration of the late Lord Sydenham, who, when President of the Board of Trade, declared that either at or before the termination of the treaty with the Brazils, it would be the duty of the House to consider the question of the sugar duties, foreign and domestic. He (Mr. Labouchere) adhered to that declaration, when he was waited on in Liver pool by persons connected with the West Indies. And ith regard to the consistency of the present Govern ment, he must say, if ho felt any resentment towards them for the handle they made of the West India interest to turn out the late Administration, he was amply re venged by seeing the Ministers of this great commercial country in the face of that country and the whole world compelled to make such a proposition to the House as they now made, and to defend it by such: argu ments as he had heard.--(Hear, hear.) That it was a novel and unprecedented proposition no person could deny, and the arguments used in support of the measure were in perfect harmony with it, for they were totally novel and unprecedented likewise. The question was one of such vast importance in every respect that a settlement of it was of first-rate consequence. And it was because this measure was fraught with uncertainty and was rotten in principle, because it was not a final settlement of the question, that he objected to it. He would suppose, for the sake of argument, that no door would be opened to fraud by the measure ; but admitting that, he was prepared to maintain that they incurred a positive and a certain evil for the sake of a benefit of a very substantial nature. To begin with the evils which would be inflicted by this measure, the Go vernment might say that they were right in doing those things for a moral object ; but no man would contend that it was right to denounce, by their commercial policy, such great countries as the Brazils—the West India Islands, which were some of their.most valuable customers.—(Hear, hear.) No person would say that they ought to hazard such evils except on the most sub stantial and positive grounds.—(Hear, hear.) In the first place it was impossible to deny what the evil com plained of by their merchants who traded with the 13razils was. It was this, that they could not procure direct returns for the goods which they exported to Brazils.—(Hear, hear.) To continue such a state of things was, a great evil ; but it was more—they raised up hostile feelings in those countries against them, which must be fraught with fatal consequences. It would lead to hostile commercial legislation against them. True, if these countries consulted reason only they would not legislate on such absurd grounds ; but men were actuated by resentment as much as by reason, and they would feel that an affront was put upon them by this country, and their legislation would be directed accordingly. Nay more, he really believed that this principle of non interference with these countries would arm the feelings of those countries lagainst:ithem every' day more anti more, to prevent the effects of that influence which he hoped this . country would exercise everywhere in behalf of the negroes, which would be a source of greater calamity to them than this paltry measure of excluding slave-grown sugar would do them any good. He agreed with the Right Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, that they must guard themselves against overrating the value of the change of duty, for that no great influx of foreign sugar could be expected. His statement was as low as 20.000 tons. Everything of this sort was no doubt vague ; and he (Mr. Labouchere) would be inclined to put it higher. But it was important when they came to consider this question, to find how far the measure of the Government would tend to discourage sugar the produce of slave labour. In his opinion that discouragement would amount to a shade, or rather the shadow of a shade. The Right Hon. Gentleman admitted that the free labour sugar produced in the East was less than 20,000 tons. If that came to England, the surplus would be sxported to Germany and other countries, and the price of free-labour sugar in London and Liverpool would be governed by its price in those countries. The Right Hon. Gentleman admitted that this was true in the main ; but then he said there would still be a shade of advantage in favour of free-labour sugar. Was it really for a shade of advantage that they were prepared to incur so many evils ?—(Hear, hear.) He thought even a shade was too strong an expression. He believed that a ton of Manilla sugar and a ton of Cuba sugar would, after this Bill had passed, be found very nearly of the same value. The consequence would be, that the moment this sugar was withdrawn from the general markets of the world, the vacuum would be filled up by sugar from Cuba and Brazil. Taking the whole, or very nearly the whole, of the sugar produced by free labour throughout the world, he admitted that there might be some weight in the argument ; but, inasmuch as they could only take a part of it, and the rest must be exported abroad, it was idle to deny that by their mea sure the Government were encouraging the cultivation of sugar in Cuba and Brazil as completely as they would do by admitting sugar from those countries. The Right lion. Gentleman went on to use a very singular argu ment when he said that, at all events, their consciences would be clear.—(hear, hear.) If they went into a grocer's shop and inquired the price of sugar grown in Cuba and sugar grown in Manilla, that might be a very good consideration ; but before they asked the people of this country to subject themselves to the evils of non•intercourse, they were bound to show them that some practical discouragement o ould thereby be given to the slave trade.—(Hear, hear.) Ile had hitherto dis• cussed this question as if it would not open a door' to fraud. The Right Hon. Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had disposed of that question in a very summary. way. He was surprised that any one could express a doubt that fraud would not take place. Now he (Mr. Labouchere) did not share in that persua sion, and he believed it was not shared by the mercantile community of this country.—(Hear, hear, from the Hon. Member for Dover.) His Hon. Friend the Member for Dover, who was connected with the West Indies, cheered that observation. He was glad to find his opinion confirmed by so high an authority. Even the certificates of our own Custom louse officers were not to be depended on with entire confidence ; but to talk of certificates of sugar coming from New Orleans, signed by the grower, the shipper, and the American authorities, as properly cer tified, was to him utterly incomprehensible.' He be lieved that the value of a Mississippi certificate would be very much the same as the value of a Mississippi bond.— ( Laughter.) He was inclined to think that the air would be found equally prejudicial to the honesty of both those documents.—(Laughter.) Ho defied the shrewdest mer chant to tell what would be the precise effect of this measure. He felt convinced at least of this, that, founded as it was upon false and untenable principles, it would produce nothing but mischief to our commercial interests.—(Hear,) He agreed with the Right Hon. Gen tleman that the character of this country should stand clear upon this subject of the slave trade, He had never been disposed to sneer at, or to treat with disre spect, the solemn and sacred feelings which pervaded this country on the subject of the long injuries of the negro race.—(Hear, hear.) He was satisfied that the conduct of this country in that respect was one of the brightest pages in her history. She might have made mistakes; she might have suffered disappointments; but, nevertheless, her conduct had been actuated by that which lay at the root of England's greatness—her moral and religious feelings.—(Cheers.) But the more he re flected on that subject, the more he felt the importance of exhibiting this country to the world, not only unconnected with hypocrisy, but with folly; and he very much feared that foreigners would form the same opinion of us which our own merchants did in reference to this question.— (Hear, hear.) He believed they would not stand any higher in the eyes of the world, for having embarked in a course which every man, woman, and child, who considered the subject would be able at once to see did not accomplish its own objects.—(Hear, hear.) He would not go at any length into the question, what might be expected from the United States ; but he agreed with the Right Hon. Gentleman, in doubting whether the inducement to supply the English market with sugar under the scale of duties proposed by the Government would greatly affect or modify their policy. —The Right Hon. Gentlethan then read an extract from letter addressed by Mr. Innes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in support of this view.—The Right Hon. Gentleman had adverted to the effect of this measure upon the West Indies. He (Mr. Labouchere) had never thought that they were absolved from their duty to the West Indies by the payment of twenty millions for the emancipation of the slaves. He could not vote for the amendment of the Hon. Member for Bristol, because he believed it would have the effect of imposing a larger differential duty on the people of this country ; but, if the Government had proposed to reduce the duty on foreign sugar to thirty shillings, and that on colonial sugar to 225., he, for one, should have rejoiced at such a proposal, and he believed the Noble Lord the Member for the City of London would have given it his support. He really thought that in the present position of the revenue the Government might safely have made such a proposal. He must say, in conclusion, that not withstanding the opposition made to the proposals of the late Government, he did hope that when the Right Hon. Gentleman had, as a Minister of the Crown, to consider this question in all its details, he would not have pur sued a course, the benefits of which were, according to his own showing, of a doubtful and visionary cha racter. He had - hoped that he would have cast po litical consistency to the winds, and that he (Mr. Labouchere) would have had the pleasure of supporting him in those great commercial reforms which were needed by the country. Mr. P. M. STEWART said he had hoped that when the question of emancipation had been settled they would have been fairly dealt with. There seemed to be much uncertainty and ignorance on the part of the Go vernment with respect to this measure. The Right Hon. Gentleman, the President of the Board of Trade, had put a question to him (Mr. Stewart). whether if the West Indies were to be supplied fully with free labourers, he would propose that the Government should maintain a differential duty of even 10s. per cwt. His answer to this was, that they had been kept out of a supply of free labour for ten years, and now, at the eleventh hour, a measure like this was proposed. Was this fair treat ment ? They crippled a man, and reduced him to a state of starvation, and then threw him into an arena of competition. He said that if they had prepared the West Indies five years ago for this change, and if they had then given them the supply of labour which was now contemplated, that would have of itself settled the ques tion of differential duties. The Right Hon. Gentleman, the President of the Board of Trade, was mistaken in his estimates of the produce of sugar under free labour and slave labour in the West Indies. The average of the five years preceding 1883 was 201,777 tons, and the average of the three years after free labour was entirely established was only 107,000 tons. To show the depre ciation in the value of West India property he had pro vided himself with a comparative statement of the cost and produce of an estate ten years ago, and at the pre sent time. Ten years ago the average cost of the pre duce on the estate was 5,4051., the crops were 367 tons, the cost of production being fourteen guineas per ton. This year the average expenditure was 6,500/., th e crops 264 tons, the cost of production being 24/. 12s. per ton. This difference had arisen from the paym en t o f high wages, and from a reduced and inadequate supply of labour.—(Hear, hear.) These were the gr oun d s upon which the West Indian colonists rested their opposition to this measure. When slavery was abolished, this country promised the colonists of the West Indies a supply of labour, but that supply never came. Now, however, when the Government disco vered their error, simultaneously with the supply of labour, did they throw open the West Indies to com petition with the rest of the world ? It was unfair—un- English—to treat them in this manner. Had there been an interval of two or three years afforded, and during that time a supply of free labour provided,. the present measure would have been received very differently by the West India proprietors. Under existing circum stances, he contended that a great hardship had been thrown upon the colonists. It was said that the West Indies were an integral part of Britain; why, then, were the colonists not treated as British subjects ? The West Indian planter was, to all intents and purposes, a landed proprietor, and why should he not be treated as one ? His produce, however, was debarred from com ing into this country. They were well aware that rum was almost excluded from Scotland, and Ireland. The duty on native spirits was 2s. Bd. per gallon in Ireland, and in Scotland it was 3s. Bd., while the duty on rum Ras 9s. 4d. In England the duty on the native spirit was 7s. 10d. per gallon, and rum was 9s. 4d., and the consequence was, that the consumption of rum in England was one-third of the whole consump tion of spirits, one hundred-and-twelfth of the whole consumption in Scotland, and in Ireland it was only a six-hundreth part of the whole consumption of spirits in the country, so that, in fact, rum was excluded. He thought the proposition of the Noble Lord on the whole a salutary one, and was of opinion that it was preferable to admit sugar directly from foreign countries than in the roundabout way in which its growth was at present encouraged.—(Cheers.) Mr. HUME agreed with the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down that the best interests of the colonies had been sacrificed by the policy of the Govern ment. This Government, as well as the former one, was much to blame for not providing a proper supply of labour. The question had been laid before Lord Glenelg, but he had taken no effective step. The Right Hon. Baronet had taken up the question, but in a manner unstatesmanlike and impolitic. lie felt certain that the Government measure would not give satisfaction ; there was no security in it, and this meddling sort of policy, which proposed a great deal and did nothing, would take away confidence and prevent the investment of capital in the West Indies.—(Cries of " Hear,' hear.") The consumption of tea and coffee had greatly increased since the commencement of the present century, but sugar had not at all incr ease d i n p ro p or ti on . Those specious arguments in favour of the abolition of slavery were now seen through by the country, and there was a general and a just feeling abroad that we bad no right to dragoon other countries into our mode of action. They should be left to think and act for themselves on the question of slavery, as well as on every other question. What would we have said twenty five years ago, if any other country attempted to force upon us anti-slavery doctrines? Why, we should have indignantly rejected them. And as for the idea of excluding slave-grown sugar by certificates of origin, it was nothing more or less than a perfect farce. —(Hear, hear.) The fact was, we were sacrificing the most important parts of our trade to this anti-slavery mania. Might we not as well import our sugar directly from Cuba and Brazil, as - trade with those countries which directly encouraged its growth ?—(Hear.) Mr. T. BARING did not quite agree in the justice cf the arguments advanced by Hon. Gentlemen opposite. He thought it would not be so difficult as had been an ticipated to prevent the importation of slave-grown sugar into this country by the certificates of origin; nor did he think that there need be any apprehension of our importing slave-grown sugar from Java or Manilla, be cause the distance between these countries and Cuba and Brazil was too great to admit of their importing sugar from them with the prospect of exporting it into this country afterwards. China was not, as had been stated, an exporter of sugar. He believed it was at present an importer.— (Hear, hear.) He had never heard that there was any arrangement by which such an evasion of the American Customs' regu lations could be effected as the Noble Lord, the Member for London, supposed. He did net think that if Ha vannah sugar were imported into Louisiana, and had paid a duty of 125., that amount would be returned, and the sugar be allowed to be exported. The countries which produced sugar by free labour would have the great stimulus to production which was well known to be given by open markets, whereas the slave countries would be confined to the markets to which they now had access. In Brazil one-half, or two-thirds of the population were slaves, who were paid no wages, and had few wants above the demand for the merest neces saries of life. If the trade of this country with Brazil should be increased, the goods which the Brazilians would receive in return for their produce would consist chiefly of such articles as could be used in the purehase of mare slaves for the extended cultivation of the land ; whereas the goods received 'from us in exchange for the produce of free labour, would be purchased by the labourers out of their wages, and for the increase of their own comforts. He should, however, have thought it more advisable if this proposition of the Government had been deferred until the whole subject of the sugar duties had been reviewed, and the question had been decided whether our system of direct taxation should be continued and extended. The Hon. Gentleman con cluded by stating that he never gave a more conscien tious vote than that which he was now about to give against the proposal of the Noble Lord, the Member for the city of London. After some observations from Dr. Bov‘ring, Sir John Hanmer, and Mr. Gladstone, Mr. EWART rose amid loud cries of " Withdraw," and " Divide."—Seeing the feeling of the House he would postpone the motion of which he had given notice till the bringing up of the report. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw ; the House divided, and the numbers were— For the resolutions 197 For the amendment l2B Majority for the resolutions The resolutions were then put and agreed to, and the House having resumed, the report was ordered to be brought up un 'Wednesday. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS BILL. The Ecclesiastical Courts Bill was postponed till Friday next. THE POOR-LAW (IRELAND). Sir J. GRAHAM moved for the following Select Committee on union workhouses (Ireland) :—Sir Edwd. Knatchbull, 'Mr. Loch, Lord Eliot, Mr. Ord, Sir Robert Ferguson, Mr. Vesey, Sir Henry Winston Barron, Mr. Shaw, Lord Courtenay, Mr. French, Mr. Bellew, Mr More O'Ferrall, Lord Claud Hamilton, Captain Jones, and Mr. Bramston. In answer to a question from Sir It. FERGUSON, Sir J. GRAHAM said the object of the Committee was to inquire into the report of Mr. Pennthorn, in cluding some statements of Mr. Nicholls, respecting the building of poor-houses. Lord JOHN. RUSSELL wished to know from his Hon. Friend (Sir R. Ferguson) who was a member of the Landlord and Tenant Commission, whether it was probable that that Commission would present their Re port in the present session ? Sir R. FERGUSON thought it was 'unlikely that it would be. The motion was then agreed to. Mr. S. O'BIIIEN obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the appointing of chaplains to lunatic asylums, county infirmaries, and fever hospitals in Ireland. The Bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read Is second time that day fortnight. The House then adjourned at a Quarter to Twelve o'Clock. DR. WOLFF'S MISSION TO BOKRARA. The following extract from a letter addressed by Colonel Williams, R.A., her Majesty's Commissioner, to Captain Grover, contains the latest intelligence of the Rev. Dr. Wolff ; it is dated Erzeroom, April 20, 1844 : " The Tattar, from Teheran, has just brought me news to the 29th ult. The Governor of Meshed had sent Dr. Wolff on to Bokhara under an escort of 270 horse ('Turkomans), we therefore need not bo apprehensive for his personal safety?' The friends of the Rev. Gentleman and of the captives will be gratified to see that the Earl of Aberdeen's kind exertions have removed all difficulties. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. NOTICE TO MARINERS. Admiralty, June 1, 1844. Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit to you herewith, for the information of the Committee for managing the affairs of Lloyd's, a copy of a dispatch from her Majesty's Consul at Elsinore, reporting an alteration in the day mark of the light ship at Dracf,ol. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, (Signed) JOHN BARROW. To Wm. Dobson, Esq., Lloyd's. (copy.) "Elsinore, April 9, 1844. "My Lord,—l have the honour to inform your Lord ship that, according to a notice from the General Board of Trade and Customs at Copenhagen, dated the 16th inst., the light-ship at Dragol will, instead of the red flag hitherto shown, be provided with a day-taark simi lar to that which, as reported in my dispatch No. 5, is destined for the light-ship on the " Knohen"—viz., a large ball, 4f feet in diameter, formed of twisted iron bars, and painted red, which is to be constantly hoisted at her fore top, at an elevation of 56 feet above the level of the sea.—l have, &c. (Signed) " HENRY GEO. KUPER. " The Right Hon. the Earl of Aberdeen, &c. &c." PRINCESS'S THEATRE. As the time for the departure of Madame Thillon draws near, the desire to hear her, and the enthusiasm of her admirers—and they include all who have had the happiness of hearing her—appears to increase. She appeared last evening for her last representation but three, and long before the rising of the curtain not a seat was to be obtained in any part of the house. A rich treat had those who were so fortunate as to procure places, for never did this accomplished artiste appear to greater advantage, never was she in better voice, and never was the marvellous flexibility of that voice more beautifully exhibited than it was last evening. Her fioriture in the scene with Henrique, in the second act, was absolutely astonish ing. It is impossible for those who have not heard her to form the remotest idea of the exceeding beauty and exquisite taste of her singing. Her great natural powers have been cultivated to the highest possible pitch of perfection, and our fair countrywoman now takes her place as one of the most accomplished artistes in the world. She was called for twice at the conclusion of the opera, and was received each time with shoWers of boquets and shouts of applause. A new piece, entitled the Alehrnist's Daughter, followed ; and, a thing of very uncommon occurrence at this theatre, was anything but successful. The audience certainly gave it a fair trial, and waited most patiently before they expressed their disapprobation. It was strongly cast. Eugenie Prospere, Morris Barnett, and Wright, sustained the different characters. The latter, by his looks, kept the audience in good humour while he was on the stage, and Prospere exerted herself to the utmost ; but even Prospe r e' s e x ertio ns wer e insuf ficient to save it from condemnation, and the curtain fell amidst a storm of hisses. The beautiful ballet of Leal., followed, which completely restored the good humour and satisfaction of the audience. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT MORICE TOWN WHITSUNTIDE FAIR.—On Tuesday evening a boy lost his life, and several other persons were injured at Morice Town (Devonport) fair, owing to the breaking down of a swinging machine. The machine in question is a hol low wheel, about thirty feet in diameter, within which " boats," as they are styled, are suspended, and it is whirled round in a vertical direction, instead of horizon tally, like the well-known " roundabouts," by iron wheels in the centre, similar to the improved windlass. It ap pears that when in full motion and a number of passengers were thus suspended in the air, a loud crack ing noise was heard, and before its cause could be ascer tained, the centre of the apparatus gave way and it fell with a tremendous crash to the ground. The scene for the moment was terrific, the ground being strewn with unfortunate persons who had been dashed upon it, and their shrieks were appalling. A lad named John Warn, ten years old, was picked up almost lifeless, several of his bones being fractured, and he died a short time after. No other person was dangerously hurt, though few of those in the machine escaped without considerable in jury.—Devonport Independent. ESCAPE FROM GOAL,--William Cox, a private of the 76th regiment of Foot, confined in the Borough Gaol, Carmarthen, made his escape on Wednesday. He had been found guilty of striking his superior officer, and was put in the gaol to await the revision of his sem. tence by the Commander-in-Chief. It appears that he is what in the army is termed an " insubordinate charac- ter," having been twice flogged, and once branded with the letter I). The offence for which he was committed, was for striking Sergeant Loghlan, at Llandissil, while drunk. He Was so refractory that the sergeant was compelled to use his bayonet. It was supposed that he would be sentenced to transportation, and the fear of this operated so powerfully upon his mind that he con trived about seven o'clock on Wednesday morning to get on the top of the wall surrounding the yard of the gaol, and leaped from th ence , a h e i g ht of eighteen feet, into the street. His fall was terrific. He fell on his feet, and the concussion knocked several of his teeth out. He, however, made off, though bleeding dreadfully. He was seen in the course of the morning talking to one of the workmen of Mr. Benjamin Davies, watchmaker, with whom he wished to change coats, in order to avoid detection. The workman, however, refused, and the soldier then made his way over the parade, and so towards Abergwilly. lie has not since bee n h ear d of, but an active pursuit is in progress.— Welshman. CAUTION TO CAB-DRIVERS AND CONDUCTORS.— The Registrar of the metropolitan public carriages has given notice to the Commissioners of Police that a ge neral renewal of licenses to drivers and conductors, ac companying an issue of new metal tickets, has just taken place; that on and after the Ist of June all persons act ing in the above capacities wearing the old metal tickets will be doing at i i z en a g d, so illegally, and their tick e t s ma y b e in stantlyin order to be returned to the Registrar. distinction between the new and old ti c k e t s may b e detected g lance, the former being m uc h sma ll er an d The se o lighter, with the figures larger, and the crown without the letters "V. R. The above regulation has, it is believed, been adopted in consequence of a large number of persons being in the habit of using badges obtained by them from those to whom licenses were before granted. GAME. In as far as grouse, partridges, and phea sants are concerned, there is great reason to fear that the present will prove a most disastrous season. The pouts, as soon as hatched, require drink as well as meat ; and where they are to find the former blissful element, after five weeks of continued aridity, surpasses our means of information. That gamekeepers are on the alert, digging holes, in the hope of turning to account lurking springs, we are well aware ; but their efforts, upon the whole, are so fruitless, that they remind us of the sad employment of those-who let down buckets into empty wells and spend their days in drawing no water. The artesian well is an invention that cannot be transported to our hills and moors ; and, in the meantime, from all we can learn, great must be the suffering among the denizens of the wild. Blackcocks, which generally breed among marshy spots, are, of course, better off, although, even in their case, supply scarcely equals demand. Hares and rabbits, which feed early in the morning, may derive benefit from the earliest dews ; and this we sus pect is their only resource, as few of them dare venture near a running stream. Even bees, from the intense and long-continued drought, require at home what they cannot easily find abroad—artificial supplies of water — and we are aware of instances in which the tenants of a single skep consume nearly the contents of two soup plates full daily.— Scotch Paper. SUICIDE AT 'WATERLOO BRIDGE.--Caroline Swaite, the unfortunate woman who flung herself from Waterloo bridge on Friday morning, hut who was rescued from a watery grave by the exertions of a waterman, died on Satur day morning in King's College Hospital, from the effects of the injuries she sustained on her descent from the battle ments of the bridge. She was married, and resided at 4.3, Portpoel-lane, Gray's Inn-lane. She committed the rash act in consequence of a quarrel with her husband. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD, JUNE I.—There will be an eleettion at Exeter College on Sunday, June 30, to a Fellowship, open to natives of Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Oxford, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hants, Middlesex, Kent, and Cheshire. Candidates are requested to deliver to the Rector cer tificates by affirmation of their birth within the counties specified, together with certificate.; of baptism, and tes timonials from the College or Hall of which they may be members, on or before the 24th of June. It is neces sary that they should be at least of the standing of " Generalis Sophista" in the University. There will be an election at Worcester College on the 22d instant of two scholars on Mrs. Eaton's foundation. These Scholarships lead to Fellowships. Candidates must deliver to the Provost on or before the 18th instant, a certificate signed by the ministers of their respective parishes, and by two or more inhabitants, that they are sons of clergymen of the Church of England, and want assistance to support them at the University, together with letters testimonial of their moral and religious cha racter. The Professor of Poetry will deliver his terminal lec tures on Wednesday, the sth, and Friday the 14th inst., at two o'clock, nt the Clarendon. A congregation will be holden on Tuesday, the 2d of July, solely for the purpose of admitting Inceptors to their Regeucy. Congregations will be holden for granting grac:'s and conferring degrees during the present term, on the fol lowing days :—Thursday, June 6 ; Friday, June 14 ; Friday, June 21; Saturday, July 6. The examiners in Saera Theologia have appointed Wednesday, the 12th inst., for the next examination. Candidates are to deliver their names, together with their testimonials, to the Warden of Wadham College, on Sa turday, the Bth inst The Rev. A. B. Starkey, Fellow of St. John's College; It Ormsby, Fellow of Trinity College; and A. J. Chris tie, Fellow of Oriel College, have been nominated Mas ters of the schools. Mr. Macmullen's grace was finally refused on Satur day last. Mr. A. C. St. John Mildmay, of Merton College, and Mr. Wodehouse, of Exeter College, have been elected Fellows of the former College. The electors of the Pusey and Ellerton Hebrew Scho larships have appointed Wednesday, the sth instant, and ibllowing days, for an examination in the schools, pre vious to electing a scholar on that foundation. An examination of candidates for Mrs. Kennicott's Hebrew Scholarship will take place on Friday, the 7th inst., at the Clarendon. Candidates are to deliver certi ficates of the time of taking their degrees to the Vice- Chancellor at least three days before the commencement of the examination. Messrs. John Rich and C. F. Fuller, from Westmin ster School, have been elected Students of Christ Church. Mr. Arthur Knox, from the Grammar School of Tun bridge, has been elected a Fellow of St. John's College, on the foundation of Sir Thomas Whyte. Upwards of thirty noblemen, gentlemen commoners, and commoners, were on Thursday matriculated as mem bers of Christ Church. Rev. N. Twopeny, of Oriel College, has been presented to the rectory of Little Casterton-cum-Tolethorpe, Rut landshire, value 2541., per annum ; patron, Hon. C. C. Cavendish. The Lord Bishop of Exeter has presented the Rev. E. Woolcombe to the rectory of Cheriton Bishop, Devon, value, 3211. per annum. B. Fulford, Esq., has presented the Rev. R. Stephens to the vicarage of Dunstord, value 2971. per annum. Sir J. St. Aubyn, Bart., has presented the Rev. J. W. Johns to the vicarage of Cro wan, Cornwall, value 451/. per annum. The Archbishop of York has presented the Rev. B. Richardson to the perpetual curacy of Egton, Yorkshire, value 331. per annum. The Bishop of Ely has presented the Rev. W. B. James to the vicarage of Harston, Cambridgeshire, value 244/. per annum. The Bishop of Winchester has presented the Rev. A. 13. Hill to the rectory of Wonston, Hampshire, value 9671. per annum. The Rev. W. Lewis has presented to the Rev. R:Gee, of Wadham College, to the vicarage of Abbot's Langley, Hertfordshire, value 270/. per annum. The Lord Chancellor has presented the Rev. J. R. P. Berkeley to the vicarage of St. Clair, Cornwall, value 2451. per annum. The Rev. E. Nevile has presented the Rev. John Evans, of Christ Church, to the perpetual curacy of Whixhall, Shropshire, value 152/. per annum. CAMBRIDGE, JUNE I.—At a congregation just held, the following degrees were conferred : D.C.L.—John Vaughan, St. John's College. B.D.—Thomas Paley, St. John's College. B.A.—John James Beresford, Albert Cockshott Bland, William Fellowes, and John Jaques Wedge, St. John's College ; Cecil Long, Trinity College ; Richard Ilbert Phillips and Walter Chamberlain, Corpus Christi Col lege ; Shadrack Seaman, Queen's College ; John Henry Gore Clough, Christ's College ; John Edward Sabin, Emmanuel College ; Isaac Herbert Wilkinson, Downing College. Ad Eundenh—Frederick Goold, 8.A., and Joseph Cousins, 8.A., Trinity College, Dublin ; David Ander son, M.A., Exeter College, Oxford. Licentiates in Physic.—John Henry Webster, Jesus College ; William Henry Drosier, and Henry Wi ll iam Fuller, Caius College ; Arth ur D av id Whit e , Pembroke College. _ Samuel Robert Carter, 8.A., has just been elected a Foundation Fellow of Emmanuel College. Arthur Wolfe, 8.A., has just been elected a Founda tion Fellow of Clare Hall. TEE CHURCIL—The following appointment has just taken place :—The Rev. John Moore Heath, M.A., Fel low and Tutor of Trinity College, to the vicarage of En field, Middlesex. THE WEATHER AND CROPS.—Hope deferred is making the farmer's heart sick ;. for a month's unbroken sunshine with occasional sharp frost in the morning and evening, has blighted his fairest prospects. There is only one advantage in the continued drought, and it is comparatively a very trifling one—that late potato and turnip ground, recently worked, is pulverised as fine as powder : but our accounts from every district in Ayr shire represent that all else . is out of joint—for even on the latest moss and clay soils that grain brairds are languishing, while on thin sandy lands they are quite yellow, and, we fear, under no alteration of temperature will recover their vigour. Ryegrass is even worse : on the most moist land it has set prematurely, and where being cut in the neighbourhood for sale, or soiling, falls very light to the scythe—while along the coast lands crops of rye-grass and clover, that with variable weather would have produced from 120 to 160 stones per acre, do not carry at present more than from 30 to 40 stones. Pastures that seldom failed since 1826 to afford a full bite, are dry to the roots of the plants, while near the shore the shade of the grass-lands cannot be distinguished from the sand. Add to this list of the distresses of man and beast, the scarcity of water—that requires in some cases to be carted miles—and some idea may be formed of the doubts and difficulties with which the watchful husbandman has in this singular season to contend. Under these circumstances the prospects of the coming harvest are far from encouraging. We are not fond of indulging in gloomy forebodings ; but although copious rain vouchsafed early might yet banish the yellow tint from the wheat blade and from the oat plant, which is more of an aquatic, an average yield is scarcely to be ex pected ; and barley, beans, and peas have suffered still more from the want of an adequate supply of rain, that indeed has not fallen in sufficient quantity for nourish ment since the seed was committed to the ground.—Ayr Advertiser. NEWLY-INVENTED SPECTACLES, TELESCOPES, OPERA. GLASSES, MICROSCOPES, &C.--Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, Opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, Picca dilly, have succeeded in effecting a most scientific im provement in Spectacle and Telescope Lenses, &c., of the greatest transparent power. The extraordinary advantage derived from this invention is that vision becomes preserved and strengthened and very aged per: sons are enabled to employ their sight either by day or candle light at the most minute occupation, and can see with those Lenses of a much less magnifying power, nor will they require the frequent changes to further helps as the Spectacles now in common use. Also newly-in vented Achromatic Waiscoat pocket Telescopes and Opera Glasses which are invaluable at the sea-side and on the race-course, as well as at the theatre, &c.—Every kind of Telescope for Shooting, Sea purposes, and upon stand for astronomical observations with the celebrated Lenses of the most clear transparent brilliancy ; the powers are so great and the Lenses so bright and bril liant that minute objects at an extraordinary distance are brought completely under the eyes.—Sportsmen, Tourists, and sea-side visitors willindeed here have a great treat. Their invisible Voice Conductor gives im mediate relief to old standing extreme cases of deafness. Caution.—Messrs. S. and B. Solotrons, Opticians and Aurists, .are not in any way connected w ith a person of the same name in their immediate neighbourhood, nor in any part of the country. To prevent mistakes, be cautious, and observe.—Only to be had at 39, Albe marle-street, Piccadilly, opposite the Y or k H ote l . MR. DISRAELI'S " CONINGSI3T.”—We are re quested to state that a second edition of " Coningsby, or the New Generation," by B. D'lsraeli, Esq., M.P. , in 3 vols. post Bvo., is published this day by Mr. Colburn, of Great Malborough-street, and may now be had of all booksellers, and at all the libraries throughout the kingdom BANKING MEETING. ' ' ( Abridged from the Ayr Advertiser.) A meeting of the Noblemen, Deputy-Lieutatants, C:immissioners of Supply, &c., of the county, was held in the Court-ho . iise, here, on'Friday last, for the purpose of considering the resolutions, with respect to banking, lately submitted to the House . of Commons by Sirßobert Peel. Present:—Earl of Eglinton and Winton; James Os wald, of Auchencruive, M.P.; James Ballantine, of Castlehill ; Rigby Wason, of Corwar; J. D. Boswell, of Garallan ; Henry M'Kerral, of Hillhouse ; W. G. Campbell, of Fairfield ; James Heron, of Dalmore ; Capt. Hay ; A. C. B. Craufurd. of Ardmillan ; John Hamilton of Sundrum ; Hugh Miller, of Midton ; J. P. Wilson, Of Polquhairn ; P. W. Kennedy, of Drummil lan; Robert Pettigrew, of Tershaw; George Inaggart, Esq , Ayr; Hugh Cowan, Esq.. Ayr; W. Bnntine, Esq., Ayr; W. Brown, of Corphin; John Paul, Esq., Ayr; George Taylor, Esq., Ayr; Bailie Stewart, Ayr; D. Auld, Esq., Ayr; Provost Brown, Kilmarnock; Bailie Moore, Newton; Bailie Smith, PrestAiok, &c. On the motion of Mr. - OSWALD, the Earl of Eglinton was called to the chair. The Clerk hiving read the requisition. The Earl of EGLINTON, on opening the business of the day, said that the meeting had been called in conse quence of a requisition from the Committee—who were requested, at last 30th of April meeting, to watch over the proceedings of Government relative to this subject —in order to give the county an opportunity of con sidering the resolutions lately proposed by Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons. A new principle in banking concerns was sought to be established, and should that principle be adopted in England, and the Bill before the House be passed, there could not be a doubt that its provisions would also be extended to Scotland hr-reafier. Upon the point whether that prin ciple was good or not. he would not, in his place as Chairman, express an opinion. Mr. BALLANTINE said, on submitting the first resolu tion, he regretted that it lied fallen into the hands of one so litt'e acquainted with the pro'bund question of cur rency ; but it really appeared to him that the principle sought to be established was not a correet one. *He could nOf conceive how it should ever be thought that the issues ought to be regulated by the state of foreign exchangea, and that the currency ought to control traffic, whether manufacturing, agricultural, or commercial. Currency should be the servant, not the master. There was little opposition brought forward to Sir R. Pegs measure in England: but the Scotch were deeply interested in main taining the present system. Scotland had now arrived at a great degree of prosperity, for which they were cer tainly mainly indebted to the system upon which bank ing affairs were managed in this country. To the faci lities which the Scotch banks afforded for conducting monetary affairs, to their prudence in not encouraging speculation, and to the liberality which they extended to the public, were to be mainly attributed the prosperity which they had hitherto enjoyed, and which, if the pre sent system were let alone, they might hope to enjoy hereafter. If the general principle of the new measure were so thoroughly grounded on just and proper views, as Sir Robert Peel seemed to think, it would soon find its way to Scotland. He had already said that part of our prosperity was attributable to the facilities which the banks afforded us in manu facturing our goods and conducting our mercantile affairs—not to cur industry, but to the privileges which we enjoyed. It was well known what benefits we derived from the issue of small notes. By the profit which they derive, the banks were from the circulation of small notes able to accommodate the public much better than they could otherwise do : they were able to establish agencies in remote agricultural and mining districts, which, should the present system be abolished, must inevitably be withdrawn, and the consequence to the farmers and others in these districts would be ex tremely injurious. Mr. Ballantine concluded by reading the first resolution. Mr. ()swan' seconded it. The reso:utioas of Sir R. Peel were based upon a new principle, not hitherto acted on, and he thought the county did well in protesting winst their adoption. If they allowed them to pass in silence they would be considered as concurring in them. He was sure that if they were once passed in England they would very soon be brought to Scotland. If he attempted to effect this at once, however, he might meet with great opposition—as he had formerly found to his coat—but if it were once carried in England, its intro duction into Scotland would be a comparatively easy matter. Mr. TAYLOR stated, as a proof that the measure was intended also for Scotland, that a bank which had been started in Glasgow previous to the introduction of this measure, and who were prepared for issuing their notes, had received an intimation that they would not be allowed to do so. The same thing had also taken place in re ference to a bank in Aberdeen. This resolution was passed unanimously. Mr. Bosweer. proposed the second resolution, which, he said, so completely comprehended all that was ne cessary on the subject, that it was not in his power to state anything further. Every one knew the benefit which had been derived by the circulation of small notes, but if this measure was carried, the Bank of England would have to circulate paper or sovereigns to the amount of three millions, for which the people must pay—as any one knew that the banks would net.. From 1836 to 1841, although a considerable number of new banks had been started, the circulation was scarcely increased, so that the periods of depression that had occurred during that time could not be at tributed to over-issuing—in fact it was impossale from the very system en which they were conducted, that an over, issue could tare place. When a person became possessed of wL, he pu: it into a bank for safety, and also to obtein interest up 'n it. He might withdraw it, but it would only be that it might again be consigned lute the same or another bank ; so that the circulation must be kept at the lowest point. Tile second resolution was seconded by Mr. ll.extuross, of Sundrum. Mr. INMERBAL briefly moved the adoption of the tl.ird resolution, and was seconded by Provost MILLF:II. Mr. WasoN, of Corwar, moved the last resolution. He had been in London when the resolutions were proposed; and the first questien asked was—" How will they be received in sseotland ?" It was answered that the "Scotch banks would be in favour of it, and that they would lead the people." He thought, however, that a distinction should be drawn between the people and the banks. These resoltitions were expressly framed with the view of keeping quiet that spirit which a few years ago had made such a stand against a similar move ment. In 1826 it had been proposed to prevent the Scotch banks from issuit b ee their own notes for a less amount tha n 51. : th e letters of Malagrowther had, however, put a stop to any such intention, and the then Premier was met with such a storm of op position that he was perfectly unable to carry his measure. In attempting a second time to carry such a project, Sir Robert Peel knew that it would be useless to propose it in the same open manner ; but that it was his ultimate object to extend the system to Scotland was beyond a doubt. If the measure passed—of which he thought there could not be a doubt—the present banks in Scotland would have a monopoly; and this was a very sufficient reason why Government were in favour of it. Monopolies, however, generally required some one to pay for keeping them up, and it would be found that the public in this instance would be the payers. The neces sary consequence of a suppression of any future banks of issue would be that the present banks would obtain all the benefit of cur increasing commerce and manufac tures ; their circulation would be augmented, and thus a circumstance, which, under a different system would have induced other parties to enter the field of opposi tion, and afford the public increased accommodation at a cheaper rate, will, under the proposed plan, compel the public to pay for giving a monopoly to the banks already established. In every district these large banks had their agencies; and on epplieation these agents had re ceived instructions from their principals-- keep quiet." They had received a monopoly, although it might only be for a short time; and they, uf.er reviea mg the matter, had considered it their interest to allow the measure to pass in silence. But how would the establishment of such a System affect the agricultural districts ? What necessity had been shown for changing the system ? Were the Scotch people in favour of a change—were they not, on the contrary, well satisfied with the present system ? Were they to call a meeting of the people throughout Scotland, they would find that the people would say— " We are quite content with the prevent system."' He was afraid that the party who proposed this measure, and who professed themselves opposed to uncalled for changes, were in this case making a change for chang ing sake. The effects of Sir Robert Peel's change would meet them every hour in the day. Every one was in terested in this question—for every one was interested when he had to pay out money. The loeul agencies in reinote districts would be withdrawn, as the banks would be deprived of the profit which they had received ft om 'he issue of one pound notes; and thus a great de -1 eree it inconvenience would be felt by the inhabitants lin these districts. Gentlemen carrying on agricultural imprevernents would experence its effects. At . present, thee could draw on the bunking agent in their locality forin° ley to pay their labourers; but if this aceom esodatitia were done away with, he was sine that there would be a great diminution in the amount of egricul tuna labour. Mr. TAYLOR, in seconding the adoption of the reso lution, remarked that the exchanges arose from the im_ ports exceeding the exports, or vice versa—th e b a l ance of payment being gold. It was not in the power a/ an u Government to change the balance of pay nent w i thout producing paralysation of trade, and great confusion amongst mercantile transactions enerally th roug h out the country. To any attempt to effect a di minution of th e ho g issues a.s w a.one to be attrib u t e d t e d epression of track On the suggestion of Lord Eglinton, it was agreed that the resolutions should be published, and copies sent to the different conven ers o f t h e counties and ifluential persons throughout Scotland, and to the Members of both Houses of Parliament connected with the kingdom. Thanks were pas se d to the Earl of Eglinton, on the motion of Mr. It. Wason. LUNACY.—An account of all moneys received - Ur licenses, and of all mo ne y s rece i ve d an d pa id out o f t h e Consolidated Fund, by the clerk and treasurer of the Metropolitan Commission in Lunacy, from the Ist day of August, 1842, to the Ist day of August, 1843, has been presented to Parliament, pursuant to the provisions ft f the Act in such case made and provided. Wo find that the total amount received by the Commission during the year iikove-mentioned by orders from the Treasury, &c., was 7,5251., and the total amount of sums disbursed 9,4981., leaving a balance duo to the Commission on the year's account amounting to the large sum of 1,973/. Of tho amount disbursed, the sum of 2,761 L was appropri ated to the fees of logal and medical commissioners through England and \Vales. The cash received by the Commission for licenses amounted to the sum of 942/. The account is signed by Lord Ashley, Messrs. J. R. Gower, F. Barlow, Bissett Hawkins, J. R. Hume, J. Bright, and 13. W. Proctor. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, MONDAY.—The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the King of Saxony, arrived at the Castle fire minutes before four o'clock this afternoor, from the Slough station of the Great Western Bak-ay, having travelled from town by a special tpaist. The royal suites, including the Viscountess Canning, Lady Caroline Cocks, Hon. Miss Devereux, his Excellency Baron Geradorff, Lord Byron, the Earl of Morton, Sir Robert Otway, Lord Cha r l es W e ll es l ey, Colonel Arbuth not, Sir E. Bowater, if. de Minck w i tz ,, C ount A lb ert Vitzthum, Major Reichardt, and Dr. Carus, followed in several of the royal carriages and four. A party of Life Guards formed- the escort from Slough to the Castle. The Lord Chamberlain and the Master of the If received her Majesty and Prince Albert and the King of Saxony upon their arrival. At six o'clock, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, at tended by ,Sir Edward Bowater, left the Castle fur Slough, to receive his IMperial Majesty the Eu►peror.uf Russia, upon his arrival by a special train from town. His Imperial Majesty, attended by his Excellency Baron Brunnow, the Count Orloff, and o:her gentlemen of his suite, and also by the Earl of Hardwick°, Lord in Waiting, Colonel Berkeley Drummond, Groom in Waiting, and Colonel Wylde, Equerry in Waiting, ar rived at the station at twenty-five minutes past six o'clock, The Emperor and Prince Albert immediately entered an open carriage and four, and proceeded to the Castle, escorted by a party of Life Guards. The Noblemen and Gentlemen of his Majesty's suite, and Sir K water, following in two open carriages and four. The Emperor and Prince Albert alighted at the Cr.thil Entrance, where the Great Officers of State, the Lord., Grooms, and Equerries in Waiting on her Majesty ansi his Royal Highness, and the Master of the Househol,i, were iu readiness to receive the august visitor. Their Royal llighr-esses the Prince of Walee, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice.aecninpanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, arrived from town about half-past one o'clock, travelling by a special trai.n. A grand dinner was, given, last evening, in the Wa terloo Gallery. _ . The company consisted of—Her Majesty th e Q, leen , his Royal Highness Princa Albert, his imp. riei Me jesty the Emperor of - Russia, his Majesty the King oa: Saxony, the Duchess of Buecieuch, the Lady in Welting, Viscountess Canning ; the Maids of H o n eur , L a d y Caroline Cocks and the lion. Miss Devereux ; the Woman of the Bedchamber, Honourable Mrs. An son ; his Excellendy Baron Brunnow, his Exceller.ey Baron Gersdorff, the Duke o f Devonshire, toe Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Liverpool, the Earl Delawarr, the Earl of Jersey, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Earl and Conntess of Wilton, the Earl and Countess of Rosslyn, the Earl and . Countess Cowper, the Earl of Hardwicke, the Earl of Morton, the Right Hon. Sir E. Peel, Viscount Canning, Lord Charles Wellesley, Baron Stockmar, Lord Byron, Admiral Sir Robert Otway, Arbuthnot, Lord George Lennox, Captain Francis Sep_ mour, Major-General Sir Edward Bowater, Colonel Berkeley Drummond, Lieutenant-Colonel Wylde, Huts. C. A. Muraay, Mr. George Edward Anson, Count Orloff, Mons. le General d'A.dlerberg, M. d'Adlerberg„ le Prince Wassiltschikoff, le Prince Radziw ill, Dr, Reinolds, Colonel Glasenap, Mons. delfinekwitz, Cowie Albert Vitzthum, Major Reichardt, and Dr. Carus. The magnificent service of gold plate was ased, the plateau containing a number of the finest ceutrepieces, having a row of gold candelabra on each aide, bearing wax lights. The centre orname n t ass t h e Prince of Wales's epergne, and two candelabra of larger size were placed at each end of the table. The apertmant was also lighted by the splendid chandelier in the middle, and the four smaller chandeliers at the sides of the room. Her Majesty's private band conducted by Mr. Ander son, was in attendance during the evening, and per-. formed the following pieces: Overture " Iphigeme " Gluck.. Fantasia, Violoncello, Signor Pieta Movement from Handel's Harpsechord Lessons. " Souvenir de la Tauride," Vaudeville de Concert, M. Gulomy of St. Petersburgh "Senate ally Turca" His Majesty the King of Saxony, attended by some of the gentlemen of his suite, and also by the Earl of Morton and Lord Charles Wellesley, left Buckingham Palace at ten o'clock yesterday morning for Caen Wced.. His Majesty inspected the house and grounds, and after wards partook of a dejeune. His Majesty and suite took their departure in two carriages and four, and proceeded to the Zoological Gar dens in the Regent's Park, and after viewing the collec tion returned to Buckingham Palace. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, accompanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, le ft Buckingham P a l ace at twenty minutes before one o'clock yesterday, for the Paddington terminus of the Great Western Railway, and left town by a special train for Windsor Castle. • The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the King of Saxony, left Buckingham Palace at a quarter before three o'clock yesterday afternoon for the terminus of the Great Western Railway at Paddingtote royal suites, including the Viscountess Canning, Lady Caroline Cocks, Hon. Miss Devereux Baron G ersdork Earl of Morton, Lord Byron, Admiral Sir Robert Otway, Monsieur de Minokwitz, Count A. Vitzthum, Ma, ur Reichardt, Dr. Carus, Lord C. Wellelley, Colonel Arbuthnot, and Sir R. Bowater, followed in four of the royal carriages to the terminus. Yler Majesty was conducted to her carriage by the Master of the Horse. The royal party wa,s escorted by u party of Laneera,. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager left Lou u. yesterday morning for the Continent. Iler Nlejesty mud suite lett Marlborough House for the Bricklayers' Arias' statue of the Sou , h-Eastern Railway, at a quarier-past eight; o'clock. The Queen Dowager aas acee,apsnieu by Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, 9.al was attended by the 41.,rquis and Marchioness of Ormonde, Lady Geor- Curzon, Earl Howe, Sir Andrew Burz;rd, Sit David Davies, and the Rev. G. T. Hudsou, The royal party left by a special train for Dc.ver, where her Majesty and suite embarked for Calais. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit to her Majesty at Marlborough House, on Sunday afternoon, to take leave. His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, attended by Baron Brunnow, the Russian Minister, honoured Sir Robert and Lady Peel with a visit, at their residence, in Whitehall-gardens, about one o'clock yesterday. The statement that appeared, yesterday, of Prince , Albert visiting the Russian Embassy, accompanied by Sir Robert Peel, and of his Royal Highness presently Sir Robert to the Emperor, is incorrect. His Royu.l. Highness having been accompanied only by Lord George Lennox and General Sir E. Bowater, his Lord and Equerry in Waiting. In the report of the proceedings at the termination of the visit of the King of Saxony to Buckhurst Park, it was stated, by mistake, that his Majesty was received. at the parish church of Wittingham by the Rev. M'., Davis, the incumbent The on. and Rev. Reginald Sackville West is the incumbent., and received his Majesty at the door of the rectory. The Duke of Wellington left town yesterday morning for Dover. The Noble Duke returned to torn in the, afternoon. Mr. Wood, the Chairman of the Board of Excise, 'dal an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yes terday, at his official residence in Downing -street. Mr. Browne had an interview with Lord Stanley, at the Colonial-office, yesterday. Mr. Ashbel Smith, Charge d'Affaires of Texas, has arrived in London from Paris, The Right Rev. Dr. Collier, had an interview with Lord Stanley, at the etlonial-office, Downing -street. yesterday. Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from the Colonial-office, to Sir Charles Metcalfe, the Governor of Canada. Dispatches were also sent to the Governor of the, West India Isls.nds. DEPARTURE OF HER IVIAJESTAr AND HER ILLUSTRIOUS VISITORS FOR WINDSOR it having been understood that her Majesty and his. Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by their imperial and royal visitors, the Emperor of Russia, suet the King of Saxony, intended to depart from that Paddington terminus, at three o'clock yesterday, for Windsor Castle, a very great crowd wu assembled as early as one o'clock in the approaches to• that station, for the purpose of seeing those distin guished personages. The numbers incr ease d every teo ment, and at half-past two the large area in front of tb:. offices was densely crowded with humble.sight-seekeriiim foot, and patrician families in their carriages- At area. o'clock the royal cavalcade, consisting of fon'. carriage , , in the first of which were her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the King of Saxony; and in the others their re spective suites, arrived at the railway, where they were received by Mr. Russell, the Chairman, and several of the Directors. Alter the departure of the illustrious party, Oise crowd gradually dispersed, the opinion prevailing eziat the Emperor of Russia was not likely, on that occris e n, to proceed to Windsor. Flowerer. et six o'clibcl - 4 M Imperial Majesty, accompanied by his suite three carriages, arrived at the terminus. Th., EinFtror was corithieted over that part of the premises where the eleetro-telegiaph was in operation, and he c.xatein o d the apparatus with great interest. In a few toainutc4 afterhip arrival, he proceeded in the royal '‘rain, which ha 4, by this time, returned from Slough. EXPORTATION or lioascs.—Two spanking Qeve land bred mares, admirably adapted for carriage 'aarue&z. were shipped on Wednesday, by Mr. Bonsai', of the lilac.k. Horse Inn, per the Emerald Tale steamer, for Itotterdam„. from thence their destination is up the Rhine. On the mine, day, nine capital mares and geldings were shipped by 111 - :. Eiby Nicholson. on board the lleltaa. M'Qregor steamer it Ilamburgh.—Hull Packet. FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE RIVER LEA.—On Fri day evening, Mr. lliggs„ Coroner for the Duchy of Lancas ter, concluded an inquest, adjourned from Wednesday, on the: body of Master John Stephen, aged 15, a!, Cook's erry; House, Edmonton Marsh. ohn Smith, of Edmonton L0 , .,4 4 - said, that between five and . six o'clock ou Monday (well i ng last, he was standing at his door, when a young co F4.oan i ou, of deceased came running up, exclaiming, "A boy i g i n d i , river!" lie indicated the spot, and witwitnesswent, tosit w i t t l a boat-hook, and saw a boy's cap floating near some logs cs`..l timber in the water. Not being able to find the body wife. the boat-hook, he had the drags fetched, and, 011 th e second cast of them, got the body out of the water, which he took to own house and wrapped up in blankets and placed before, the fire. Mr. Howard, surgeon, was called in, and tried for two hours ineffectually every means to restore suspendesit animation. The logs of timber were so placed that childmor can step on them front the bank, and deceased with Mier lads were playing on them, and fishing from them all any. The timber had been there upwards of a month, and position was exceedingly dangerous. The Coroner told the. jury that they could levy a deodand on the logs if thy thought the prop r ietor of them had b een gu ilt y of any ne gligence, so as to endanger life by placing theta tct) close Ira shore.—Verdict, " Accidental death, with a &Wend of I/. out the logs of timber." 11