The Sun. — London, England, 1844-05-14 00:00:00

birV Vattion SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAY. STANDARD.—The Factory Bill was last night read s third time and passed in the House of Commons; Lord Ashley's amendment (limiting the hours of labour iu factories of young persons to ten) having been rejected, after a long debate, by a majority of 297 to 159. The greatness of the majority, by which the House has, within a few days, rescinded its solemn de cision, three times repeated, will come by surprise upon the public. We confess that though we anti cipated a decision against Lord Ashley's proposition, we were not prepared for such an adverse majority ai 138.; and now we can account for it only by two causes : —First, the distinct and unequivocal declaration of the Ministers that they would resign office if defeated ; secondly, the occurrence in the debate of menaces against the corn-laws, introduced into the debate by Lord John Russell and some others of the new converts to the principle of limiting the hours of labour. These two considerations co-operating—the fear of losing a Ministry that had proved the faithful protector of agriculture, on one side—the fear of that Mi nistry being succeeded by another, the lender of which at the very moment threatened to repeat the desperate and ruinous attempt made in 1841, would naturally alarm the agricultural Members of the House. As reeards the first of these two considerations, there can be no doubt that if Ministers appreciate, as we believe they do, the magnitude of the change that Lord Ashley's proposition would ultimately produce, and fear the effect of that change, they were right to give it a determined , opposition, and, if unsuccessful in that opposition, to release themselves from the responsibilities of office. For an Administration to prosecute the routine of Government without the power to govern—to submit to defeat after defeat, as was the practice of Lord Melbourne's Cabinet, or to merely evade defeats by abandoning to the majority its own conscientious judgment, is of the worst pos sible example. And, indeed, the present Minis ters had precluded' themselves, and we hope all future gevernments, from pursuing this unworthy Course, brthe memorable resolution which closed the first session of 1841. They who think with us, that the Cabinet is in error respecting the short time ques tion, must nevertheless approve, on constitutional grounds, of the course which they have taken re-. specting its decision. But though the Ministers themselves are perfectly clear in the matter, We are not quite sure that the fears of many who supported them last night were not unreasonable. Our own belief is, that though Sir R. Peel should resign office on the Ist of June, he would be no less Prime Minister on the Ist of August. A Whig Admi nistration, is what, while a remembrance of the ten years from 1831 to 1841 shall remain, the country will never bear ; and there is, even among the Conservative party, no man in whose genius, wisdom, prudence, temper—in a word, in whose consummate statesmanship the country has so much con fitlence as it has, most justly, in the qualifications of Sir Robert Peel. The gentlemen who sacrificed their own opinions, upon an important and deeply interesting ques tion rather than deprive the country of the services of such a Minister, acted no doubt conscientiously, and paid to Sir Robert certainly the highest compliment that could be paid to a public man ; but ought they not to have given the people credit for the same feeling; ought they not to have remembered, that though the great majority of the nation differ from the Right Hon. Baronet upon this one question, that same majority gratefully appreciates his value as a Minister, and after defeating him, even with the effect of render ing his resignation necessary, would restore him to office as zealousle, and with even a more cordial affection, than 'they placed him there in 1841? The second consideration—the apprehension excited by the Anti-Corn-law menaces of the new converts — ought to have been of even less weight than the fear of disturbing the Ministry. Without wishing to detract from the value of any recruit to what we believe to be a good cause, we must still remember that the converts in question are party men. They may not, and we trust not, come over to us with party motives, but they cannot help bringing with them their party incumbrances. One of these is hostility to the corn-laws; and as it is too much for even the most unscrupulous of politicians to get rid of two distinct sets of political principles at one and the same time, they must try to reconcile their old enmity to the protection of agricultural, with their new ze-1 for the protection of manufacturing labour. Betwetn the corn-laws and the limitation of the hours of labour there is, however, no natural connexion except this—the competition of foreigners, of which we have heard so much, as necessarily enforcing long hours of labour, would be infinitely increased by a repeal of the corn-laws. All that the foreigner in habiting a less encumbered, a less taxed country, with a population long familiarised to starvation, and an abundance of water power, cheaper than steam as 21 is to 12, and working much nearer than we to the great Continental markets—all that the fOreigner wants in competing with us is capital and a few years of a free trade in corn would hand over to him the capital of this country. " Were it not (said th e late Mr. Rothschild) for occasional bad harvests, all the money of the world must flow to and settle in England ;" and we have little doubt that the recent active competition which has excited so much apprehension might, with little difficulty, be traced to the effect of the successive bad harvests from 1838. The inquiry, though an important one, tcarcely falls in with our immediate subject, and therefore we dis mise it for the present. We can, on the whole, find no valid reason fur the votes of the majority of those who opposed Lord Ashley last night, though a e are very far from imputing improper motives to any considerable number of them. And now to come to the most, im portant question. The fate of the short time propo sition having been decided fur a session, how are the friends of that proposition to act ? to pre pare a strong force and a strong case against the next session, when, or at least in the succeeding session at farthest, they must carry their point, if they only act with prudence. The principle of limitation has been established, and it was strongly, though somewhat inconsistently, urged by some of Lord Ashley's most distinguished opponents, that every such principle must in the nature of things be progressive. How, then, is its progress to be aided and accelerated ? by angry agitation and violent speeches, and, as was not obscurely hinted, by " strikes ? Oh, no; none of these things ever forwarded any but a bad cause and have never been employed in a good one without retarding or injuring it. The way in which the strength of the factory labourers is to be augmented, is by the preservation of that noble character which they have achieved for themselves. It is in rooted repose that the forest oak acquires its magnificent dimensions ; it is in repose from 'violent agitation that large bodies of men acquire a great and noble character. Next, information adapted to the new phase of the question must be diligently sought for and accurately prepared. Enough is known of the suffering of the factory la bourers by direct testimony—more than enough for those who are by experience acquainted with the cor ruption of human nature, and know that all responsible power which men can profitably abuse, will be abused by those who possess it. GLOBE.—A. motion stands on the order-book of the House of Commons for this evening, the discussion of which will open the eyes of the public to the enormities perpetrated by Lord Lyndhurst's Chancery Reform Act, for the passing of which the session of 1842 will be dis tinguished in the history of Parliamentary credulity, indif ference, and idleness. When Tory Lord Chancellors endea vour to lull suspicion asleep by extraordinary professions of regard for the public interests, then is the time for legislators to be more than commonly on their guard against deception. The motion we allude to, which will he br ought forward by Mr. Watson, Q.C., is for " A Select Committee to inquire into the orders- for compensation made by the Lord Chancellor to the persons filling the offices of Clerk of the Enrol ments, Comptrollers of the Hanaper, Riding Clerk, Six Clerks, Sworn Clerks, Waiting Clerks, Agent or Re eerd Keeper in the Court of Chancery, under the Act 5 and 6 Vic. c. 103, and to inquire into the nature, duties, and emoluments of thoie offices before the pass ing of that Act, and their right to compensation (and if any, to what amount), during their life, and for seven years after the death of such - person ; and to inquire into the taxation of suitors in courts of law and equity, and the application of moneys raised thereby, and the propriety of continuing the same." The Chancery Officer, Abolition Aet .was framed by, or under the immediate in structions of, LardLyndhurst, and was introduced to the House ()freers by the Noble and Learned Lord with a com placency of demeanour, and a blandness of tone, which tended to allay suspicion that any mischief to the public interests could lurk under so fair a form. The legal pro fession concurred in denouncing the Six Clerks'• office as the p r i nc i pa l cause of the reproach which the public agreed to vast upon the Chancery Court ; the very name of which was synonymous in the public ear with interminable, delay and ruinous expense i n litiga tion. U nt il Lord Lyndhurst undertook the Herculean task, that Au can stoble reposed in security. The dread of interferingg " vested interests," and the horror of touchingtleittl.' time-honoured institutions of the country, were alternation] pleaded as an excuse for not abolishing the monstirtirevances which oppressed, harassed, and frequently Lord oyl the nd u h r a s p t less undertook suitors in the Chancellor's Court, and—it was boasted —completed, th‘P)..:cealriodu,ous labour ! It 'AIM not until the Lord Chancellor's celebrated Lthe.e Abe e orders were issued in December last, that rs at which the benefits of the Chancery Edon Act had been purchased Lecatne Whether the framers of the Act had any idea that. the compensation which it gave would amount to a sum approximating to that which it is now ascertained must be paid under its provisions, we do not undertake to pronounce. Certain, however, is it, that a sum considerably more than a million sterling is awarded as compensation to the holders of the offices abolished by the Act. If the Lord Chancellor knew that such woad be the effect of his first experiment in law reform, he ought to have stated the fact. If his Lordship was ignorant of that which is now made manifest, it will go far a to convict him of negligence in the discharge of his public duties. It will also cause suspicion of the Noble and Learned Lord's other reforms in the administration of . justice, which he has engaged to effect. first grand experiment has entailed a gross amount of charge on the suitors of the Court, in the shape of compensation to the holders of useless offices, to the extent of 1 , 3 58,424/. 3s. sid.! This is more than enough for the present. That the Bill was pressed through Par mentwith inordinateur,apidity, will be seen by a reference 'i to the proceedings ornament. The Bill wa s i n t ro d uce d she last m ont h of th e session of 1842. It was brought into the L or d s on the 11 th of July, 1842 ; and passed the House of Commons in eight days, nearly sub silentio. It received the Royal Assent on the.loth of August fol lowing—the Bar being on Circuit and the London attor neys generally wholly:uninformed of the measure. In the Commons it moved two stages after midnight. Han sard's Debates record not one line of discussion in Par liament on the Bill. There is yet some hope for the country from the inquiry which Mr. Watson seeks to obtain by his motion. It is rumoured that the vacancy at the Board of Admiralty, occasioned by the appointment of Rear- Admiral Sir George Seymour to the naval command in the Pacific, will be filled by Rear-Admiral Bowles, now commanding on the coast of Ireland. It is also rumoured that the Rear-Admiral will be a candidate for the borough of Launceston, in the room of Sir Henry Hardinge, the new Governor-General of India. THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) WHITEHALL, MAY 13, 1844. The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Knight of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland unto James Annesley, Esq., of the Madras Medical Establishment. CROWN -OFFICE, MAY 13, ]844. MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THIS PRESENT PARLIA.. MEET. • BOROUGH or AsnicooN.—Frederic Thesiger, of Bryan ston-square, in the parish of St. Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Esq., her Majesty's Solicitor-General, in the room of Thomas Duffield, Esq., who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, MAY Royal Regiment of Artillery.—First Lieutenant A. Bean to be Second Captain, vice Geary, deceased ; Second Lieute nant S. Robinson to be First Lieutenant, vi Berm. April 28. Mr.moßANDUm.—The dates of the promotion 81 the under mentioned officers have been altered as follows :—Second Cap tain H. A. Turner, Jan. 14 ; Second Captain T. B. F. Mar riott, March 30; Second Captain W. H. Elliot, April 1 ; Second Captain T. Ramsay, April 15 ; First Lieutenant D. M. Fraser, Jan. 14; First Lieutenant J. D. Telfer, March 7, First Lieutenant C. J. Strange, March 30; First Lieutenant C. Frye, April 1; First Lieutenant F. C. Standish, April 15. WHITEHALL, MAY 9. The Lord Chancellor has appointed John Henry Gimblett, Gent., of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery. BANKRUPTS. THOMAS COURTNEY LANCEFIELD, builder, Au gustus-square, Regent's-park, to surrender May 24, at two, and June 25, at half-past eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Alsager, official assignee, Birching-lane ; Yenning, Naylor, and Co., Tokenhouse-yard. WILLIAM BURTON, upholsterer, King-street, Soho, May 22, at two, and June 25, at twelve, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Ben nett, Bloomsbury-Square. JAMES MICHEL POLAK, merchant, Coleman-street buildings, City, May 24, at two, and June 21, atone, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Belcher, fficial assignee, King's Arms yard ; Maltby and Grant, Broad-street-buildings. JOSEPH HOWDEN, iron founder, 'Wakefield, May 25, and June 18, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Frame, official assignee, Leeds; Willis and Co., Tokenhouse-yard, London ; Sykes, Wakefield. JOHN SUNMAN AUSTIN, builder, Bedford, May 21, at half past one, and June 21, at one, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Abchurch-lane, Lombard street; Buchanan and Grainger, Basinghall-street, City. ELIZABETH HAYWARD, innkeeper, Castle Heding ham, Essex, May 22, at half-past one, and June 25, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, • Basinghall-street • Marston, Torrington-square, London. EDWIN REEVE, fruiterer, I.iverpeol, May 24, at twelve, and June 20, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Caze nove, official assignee, Liverpool ; Holme, Loftus, and Young, New Inn, London ; Booker, Liverpool. JOHN BAKER, grocer, Romsey, Hants, May 24, at half past two, and June 21, at twelve. at the Court of Bankruptcy. Belcher, official assignee ; Curtis, Romsey, Hants ; Bower and Son, Chancery-lane. JOHN PLEDGE, carpenter, Vauxhall-street, Lambeth, June 25, at half-past one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Al sager, official assignee, Birchin-lane ; Harpur, Kennington cross. EDWIN FOSTER, tailor, Dover, May 21, at half-past eleven, and June 25, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Green, official assignee, Aldermanbury ; Dods and Linklaters, Leadenball-street, London. ELAH BRENNAND, ironmonger, Highgate, May 21, at half-past one, and'June 25, at eleven, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Graham, official assignee, C oleman-street ; Bartholo mew, Gray's Inn. _ _ _ _ EDWARD BROWN, merchant, Birmingham, May 24, and June 28, at one, at the Birmingham District Court. Valpy, official assignee, Birmingham; J. W. and G. Whateley, Birmingham. JOHN TODD, sen., and JOHN TODD, ironmongers, Bury-street, Bloomsbury ' May 28, at twelve, and J u ly 3, a t eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official as signee ; Roberts, Bride-court, Fleet-street. THOMAS HEWETT WESTM ORE, grocer, Worcester, May 22, and June 24, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Birmingham ; Berkeley, Lincoln's Inn-fields, Lendon ; Hare, Birmingham. RICHARD RICHARDSON, gambroon-manufacturer, Manchester, June 10, and 24, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Stanaway, official assignee, Manchester; Reed and Shaw, Friday-street, London ; Sale and Worthington, Manchester. HENRY DRAKE, attorney, tarnstaple, Devonshire, May 28, at twelve, and June 26, at one, at the Exeter District Court. Hertzel, official assignee, Exeter ; Bernridge and Toiler, Barnstaple ; Moore, Exeter ; Toiler, Gray's-inn-square, London. JOHN WINDOW HARRIS, wine-merchant, Wolver. hampton, May 24, at half-past one, and June 18, at half-past twelve, at the Birmingham District Court. Christie, official assigcee, Birmingham ; Phillips and Bolton, Wolverhampton, NOTICES OF INSOLVENCY. J. Unsworth, butcher, Liverpool. J. Balls, jun., omnibus driver, Holloway-road, Islington. H. H. Talbot, Millbank-street, Westminster. J. Ball, plumber, Union-road, Clapham-rise. T. Bevins, beer retailer, Regent-street, Vauxhall-bridge-road. T. Adams, Blackman-street, Southwark. E. Russell; Oval, Kennington. J. Baker, grocer, Goudhurst, Kent. J. Taylor, painter, St. Alban's-street, Kennington-road. F. J. Foreman, licensed victualler, Seven Oaks, Kent. J. Harwood, tailor, Hatherleigh, Devonshire. J. Walker, King's Norton, Worcestershire. F. R. Williams, St. James's-place, Wa'worth -common. H. Mopsey, sheriff's officer, Baker's-row, Walworth-common. R. Blackhurst, auctioneer, Toxteth-park, Lancashire. H. Ward, blacksmith, Eckington, Derbyshire. J. Young, auctioneer, Durham. W. Canner, cabinet maker, Brighton. J. Sparke, Princes-street, Drury-lane. J. Dyer, innkeeper, Kingston St, Michael, Wiltshire. T. Clough, provision dealer, Bradford, Yorkshire. E. Hodson, clerk, Birmingham. J. W. Hentig, wine merchant, Hamilton-place, St. Pancras. E. Coxson, wheelwright, Sonthchurch, Essex. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of May 14.) SUGAR.—To-day the market for West India Sugar pre sented a very dull appearance, and the trifling parcels dis posed of were at prices rather under those of Friday the total sales are only 150 hhds and tierces; there is a better show of samples in the market ; a vessel has arrived with a cargo of new Barbadoes. The parcels of Bengal and Mauri tius offered at public sale were again very large. REFINED.—TO -day few purchases were made in Refined goods for home consumption, brown lumps are 775, and standard lumps 78s per cwt. Bonded Crushed Sugar is wanted at 25s 9d to 26s per cwt. Loaves in good demand ; Turkey Double Refined 21 to 41bs at 35s to 38s ; Hamburgh 61bs 345, 9to 101bs 30s 6d to 31s, 13 to 141bs 30s; Tittlers 20 to 301bs 26s 6d to 27s ; Prussian 40 a 451 b 26s 6d. Pieces are wanted at 21s a 235. Bastards yellow at 19s to 20s, and brown 1736 d to 18s. Treacle in fair demand at 11s. In Dutch Crushed Sugar not much doing : 22s 6d to 23s 9d per cwt is the value. MAtinmus.-This afternoon buyers purchased with cau tion, at prices is per cwt under those of this day week ; fine yellow sold at 64s to 65s 6d, good 62s 6d to 63s 6d, mid 60s to 625, low 58s 6d to 59s 6RI, ord foxey brown 52s 6d to 545, good 56s 6d, fine 57s to 58s, and common to good grey 58s to • 63s per cwt. EAST INDIA.-In Foreign East India Sugar little business has been transacted privately, but holders remain firm. This afternoon there were four public sales of Bengal Sugar, con taining 7,583 bags 6 casks ; white was all bought in at pre vious rates ; the few lots of brown and yellow sold went at ' a further reduction of is per cwt ; strong yellow sold at 60s 6d to 62s 6d, middling rather soft 58s 6d to 59s Gd, damp 56s to 58s, brown 52s 6d to 54s per cwt. FOREIGN.-To-day yellow Havannah Sugar was sought after, and a floating cargo of 800 boxes of low quality was disposed of, for a port in the Mediterranean, at 20s 6d .per cwt. Maroim Sugar, at public sale, sound all taken in at 22s to 24s for mid to good white, good brown 18s 6d to 19s, and ordinary is per cwt, being above their value ; a few lots washed were sold at 21s to 22s for white, and 16s to 18s for brown. Bahia were taken in at 18s for sound drown. MOLASSES.-In the prices of West India there is no alte ration ' • Antigua at 27s per cwt. Small parcels of Beng a l 15s to Ws per cwt. Cuba Honey was taken in at 19s per cwt. Cocoa.-Prices for West India rule 2a per cwt under those of last Tuesday. Trinidad good dark red at 49s to 49s 6d, middling 47s 6d to 48s, middling to good grey 43a 6d to 465, very low 365, and good sea damaged 44s 6d per cwt. For Foreign in small parcels very full rates have been paid. ' COFFEE.-Prices are still on the decline for 'West India, and rule 2s to 3s per cwt under those of this day week. This afternoon Mocha good mid yellow, long berry clean garbled at 82s to 85s, mid green 74s to 74s 6d, fine ord 71s 6d to 72s 6d, broken 52s 6d to 655, sea damaged first class 68s to 69s 6d. Ceylon good ord at 52s to 53s : fine bold middling coloury at 86s to 86s 6d, fine rather greyish 85s (one lot 79s 6d), pea berry 94s 6d, sea damaged first class 85s, second ditto 765, third ditto 698, and black 51s; other sorts at 53s percwt for good ordinary quality, and 47s to 52s for sea de maged. Costa Rica taken in at 59s to 60s for fine fine ord, and 54s for good ord, excepting a few lots which sold at 50s 6d to 52s for good ord, and one lot inferior 59s 6d per cwt. TEA.-Although there have been further arrivals of Tea, still merchants show firmness, and none has been brought to public sale. To-day green was much in demand, but of the finer sorts the supply is scanty, and prices are still on the advance. Of black, several parcels were sold at full rates ; common sound Congou is Is to is Odd, Hyson ord 2s 3d to 2s 6d, and Twankay common is 2f i d to is 3d per lb. RICE.-There has been a much better demand for Bengal, and the parcels disposed of by private contract have brought rather higher rates. Madras at Bd6d to 9s, and Java 8s 6d to 11s per cwt. Cleaned Rice is more in request, Patna at 13s to 17s, and Carolina 21s to 24s and 26s per cwt. To-day Foreign East India is 8s 6d per cwt. Bengal Rice at 10s 6d to I Is per cwt for mid white. Y e ll ow dd e l r i n r g a t 4 es id g t o o od 4 ihdo,ldmbi middling l di i n n g y 4d w went , t a o t ne sd lo t t o 3 : l l, p _ Picr.s.-Thi s a ft ernoon w hi te P epper so l d i d per l b . under checked business. holdersSumatrarefnsi For Cassia Lignea e g r w lb d . Pepper ng a t to 2 s i e d ll to at 3d for p m e e r r lb ra f t o es r COMMA. Pimento at rather higher RUM, BRANDY ' AND BOLT kains prices.,y higher rates. Leewards at 2s 2d . to 2s 3d forica Rum at rather proof to 3 per cent overproof, and common almost black at 2s Id per gallon, proof; strong Demerara, 35 per cent overproof gallon; Calcutta Rum at Is lid t o Is I lid , 2d per strength. In the better qualities of Brandy e r gallon, proof' few pur chases made, but low descriptions have been in good request by . exporters at 2s 9d to 3s per gallon. For other kinds prices are drooping, and rule as follows :- Cognac, best brands of the vintage of 1838, hhds 5s 7d, puns 5s sd; ditto 1839, hhds 5s sd, puns 5s 3d; ditto 1840, hhd s 5s 3d, puns 5s Id; ditto 1841, hhds 5s 2d, Puns ss; ditto 1842, hhds 5s ld, puns 4s 1 , ld • and middling qualities 3s 2d to 4s 6d per gallon. Geneva for exportation at Is 8d to is 9d, and several parcels of fine taken by the home trade at 2 a 2d to 3s. English Corn Spirits at 108 2 d per gallon , cash. To day Calcutta Rum was much sought after, and the Dobah Company have sold all they had at is lid proof. Leewards proof 2s 2id to 2s 3d, 9 per cent over 2s sd. Demerara 36 to 37 over sold at 3s 2d to 3s 4d. Jamaica at 3s 3d to 5s for 26 to 37 over. . _ Ons.—Linseed Oil at 26s 9d to 27s per cwt on the spot. Rape Oil, brown at 38s to 38s 6d, and pale 39s to 39s 6d per cwt. Olive Oil is much wanted. Gallipoli at 521 lOs to 53/, Sicily 521, Spanish 51/ to 51/ 10s and Barbary 50/ to 50l lOs per tun. Palm bought in at As to 27s for good and fine quality. For Cocoa Nut Oil 28s to 32s is the value of common to fine. Sperm Oil firm ; 751 to 76/ per tun paid for British. Pale Seal is 3315 s to 331105, Cod 34/s, and Southern 251 to 29/ per tun. TALLow.—There are sellers of P Y Candle for delivery in the last three months of the year at 41s 3d to 41s 6d per cwt. on the spot 40s to 40s 9d per cwt accepted. Town Tallow at 39s to 40s per cwt, net cash. South American Tallow at 34s to 39s 6d for mid to fine, 28s to 33s 6d for low, and 3s to 9s per cwt for scrapings and pumpings. New South Wales fetched 38s 6d to 39s 6d for good and fine, and Italian at 39s to 40s per cwt. To-day P Y Candle on the spot at lower rates, 40s to 40s 6d being accepted. For delivery 41s to 41s 3d are the quotations for the last three months of the year. INDmo.—Holders of East India remain firm. Some small parcels of Spanish have brought stiff prices. This afternoon Gnatemalo Indigo taken in at 3s 8d to 4s 3d per lb for mid dling and good. Saco.—At rather higher rates, 13s is the lowest price of sound Pearl. Fine small Pearl at 20s 6d per cwt. Sago Flour taken in at 21s per cwt. Jamaica Arrowroot sold at 8d per lb. This afternoon Pearl Sago sold 2s under former rates, good ordinary small brown Pearl at Ils to 12s per cwt. COURSE OF EXCHANGE.-(THIS DAY.) Amsterdam CF. 12 6 Ditto, at sight l2 4 Rotterdam 2U. 12 _6i Antwerp 25 95 Hamburgh ➢I.B. 1314# Altona . Paris, 3 days' sight 25 65 Ditto, 3 months 25 85 Marseilles 25 90 Boardeaux 25 90 Frankfort on Maine 122: Petersburgh, 3Us 36i Berlin 7 Gibraltar Leghorn 3O 50 Genoa 25 90 Vienna, effe€. fl. 3 M 954 Trieste, ditto Madrid 363 Milan Venice 47 Naples 39 Palermo, per oz ll7 Lisbon 53 14 —1 Opo r to Ri o Janeiro 23 Bahia 23 53=, Buenos A B I r erYorkgi e cl , ssight Philadelphia - - PRICE&OF BULLION, PER OZ. Foreign Gold, bars. £3 17 9 Cadiz lilbao 36 Barcelona 36 Sevilla Portu — gal Gold Coin 3 17 5 New Doubloons 0 0 0 New Dollars 0 4 91 Silver in Bars 0 4 111 IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock. NEW WRIT. Lord MARCUS HILL moved that a new writ be ordered to be issued for the election of a burgess to serve for the borough of Kilmarnock, in the room of Mr. A. Johnstone, deceased.—Ordered. Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Toxteth, near Liverpool, against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. Mr. WYSE presented a petition from the Art-Union of London, praying that Art-Unions might be legalised. Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented petitions from Pres byterian congregations of Bangor and Ballygilbert, near Kilmore, in the county of Down, in favour of the Dis senters' Chapels Bill. Sir GEORGE STRICKLAND presented a petition against any alteration in the law of mortmaia. SHEFFIELD, ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND; MANCHESTER RAILWAYS BILL. Mr. PARKER moved the further consideration of the report of the Committee upon the Sheffield, Ashton under-Lyne, and Manchester Railways. Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said that, as the relative merits of the two lines could not be understood by Hon. Members who had not had the reports of the two Committees in their hands, he would move that the consideration of this report be adjourned till• Thursday next. Mr. LABO IJCHERE would not object to the adjourn ment. But he would say that the Committee upon this Bill had sat for nine days, and had unanimously agreed on the report. Mr. GLADSTONE hoped there would be a general acquiescence in the proposal of his Noble Friend, to adjourn the debate. After a short discussion, the debate was adjourned till Thursday next. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. CHRISTIE postponed till this day fortnight his motion on the subject of education. gpil DISSENTERS' CHAPELS BILL. Sir R. INGLIS begged to ask his Right Hon. Friend, the First Lord of the Treasury, a question with respect to a measure to which both sides of the House, attached great importance—the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. At pre sent that Bill stood first on the paper for Friday ; he wished to know whether it was his Right Hon. Friend's intention to press it forward on that day, the Bill not having been in the hands of Members more than one week. Sir R. PEEL said that he thought a week was a very ample allowance of time, considering how much public attention had been excited to the Bill. However, he would not bring on the measure that night if it had not a fair chance of being discussed.—(Hear.) It would be absolutely necessary for his Right Hon. Friend to bring forward—first, his resolutions respecting the customs ; after which his Hon. Friend the Lord- Advocate of Scotland would bring forward the Sciach Parishes Bill ; and if he were not able to bring on the Dissenters Chapels' Bill before ten o'clock, he would not then proceed - with it.—(Hear, bear.) Sir R. INGLIS said he ought to have stated that, though the Bill had been before the House for a week, it had not been during that time in the hands of Members. IRISH REGISTRATION BILL. An HON. MEMBER inquired when the Irish Registra tion Bill would be brought forward?—(Laughter.) Sir R. PEEL said he must bring forward the Bank Resolutions on Monday, and, as we understood, it was not likely that the Irish Registration Bill would come on before the holidays. Mr. FERRAND said that the Right Honourable Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) had, on the previous evening, quoted a document which set forward the claims of the coal miners during their unfortunate strike. As he was informed that that document also set forth their grievances, which were of the most oppressive kind, he wished to know whether the Right Hon. Baronet had any objection to lay it on the table of the House ? Sir R. PEEL said ho believed it was not consistent with the forms of the House to lay on the table a hand bill ; but he had a copy of the printed hand-bill from which he quoted, and if the Hon. Gentleman wished to have it for the purposes of debate, he should be happy to furnish him with it.—(Laughter.) _ • _ Sir ROBERT PEEL postpoued, till that day fort night, his motion for leave to introduce a Bill to define and regulate certain rights of the Duchy of Cornwall EXTENSION OF THE SUFFRAGE. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD, previous to bringing forward his motion for leave to introduce a Bill to ex tend Parliamentary suffrage, and to secure the free representation of the people, presented petitions from Leicester, the Tower Hamlets, and Leeds, signed by upwards of 10,000 per sons, in favour of his motion. The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to state, that on former occasions he had [wrought before the House propositions similar to that which he now advanced, and had entered into different arguments in support of his:: views which he:would not then reiterate. He should only state his general views on the question, and explain as shortly as he possibly could, the principles he desired to see in operation. If they considered the principle of all government, they would find it to he that the great body of the people gave up their natural rights, and entrusted them to others to exercise them for the benefit of all. This principle was consistent with his proposition that every man should hare a share in the appointment of those who were to make the laws which he was bound to obey. He would not maintain universal suffrage in all its details, but the principle of the Bill he would in troduce to the House was, that all male adults of twenty-one years of age should be entitled to vote for Members of Parliament ; but that principle should be limited by registration laws, which should confine the exercise of it to a residence within the locality where the election took place. He would exclude from the right of suffrage all those who were under sentence for any crime, or who were insane, but he would have no class of the community subjected to limitations to which every other class was not. He would also propose a now ar rangement of the electoral districts, for he could not think it fair representation, if a district having 100 voters should have as many, representatives as a district having 1,000 voters. His third proposition was the in troduction of vote by ballot. He considered it impossi ble to extend the suffrage with safety to the people unless voting by ballot was also adopted ; nor did he think that vote by ballot would be safe unless it was accompanied by extended suffrage. He had thus stated the three principles to which he wished to draw the attention of the House ; first, the extension of the franchise ; secondly, a new arrangement of the electoral districts; and, tnirdly, the vote by ballot. He did not wish to trespass on the time of the House by going into the detail of the argument which bore upon those three points ; but he would read the petition which he had formerly'preseated to the House from the delegates at Liverpool, and which contained a summary of those arguments. (The Honourable Member then read the petition, but not possibly be followed cor rectly in the gallery.) Perhaps Gentlemen might admit the principles which he had alleged, and yet differ from him as to some of the details ; and if so, they ought not object to going into a Committee when the details might be examined. The great body of the people were, by the present system, excluded from the representation, and the advocates of that exclusion should show that it was wise, expedient, and just. He had been challenged by the Right Hon. Baronet opposite io say why he excluded females from universal suffrage. But although he did not include women in this measure he was not prepared to say that women should not in some cases possess the suffrage. He did not think that the working classes were represented in that House or that their interests were sufficiently attended to. Nor did he think that it was right to re fuse the franchise to a poor man, because he was poor and unlettered. The poor man without learning was still capable of judging of his own interest, and he was the person who most required protection. To show that the working classes required protection, he would only refer to the recent divisions upon the Factories' Bill, when the House of Commons twice decided by a ma jority, that women and children ought not to be required to work in factories more that ten hours a day. Then on a third division the same House divided that they ought to work more than that time, and afterwards, on a fourth division, by a large majority, that they ought to work twelve hours. It was evident that in those divi- sions the House had not voted as a body that represented the working classes, whose almost unanimous opinions had been expressed in favour of the measure; in fact, 1 the House was the representative of the Government and not of the people. After some further observations from the Hon Gen tleman, Dr. Bowring seconded the motion. Strangers were then ordered to rsvithdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared— For the motion 3l Against it Majority against the motion (LEFT SITTING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships met at Five o'clock. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. Mr. GREENE and other Members brought up the Factories and other Bills from the Commons. _ The Marquis-of CLANRICARDE gave notice that on Friday he should present a petition on the subject of the Poor-laws in Ireland, and he should take that oppor tunity of asking the Government what progress had been made by the Commission appointed to investigate the state of poor-houses in Ireland. Several petitions were presented praying the House to legalise Presbyterian mixed marriages in Ireland. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Edin burgh in favour of the North British Railway. Earl SOMERS presented petitions from occupiers and owners of land.in the city of Hereford and its vicinity ; in the districts of Kingston ; town and vicinity of Ledbury, county of Hereford ; parish of Mathan, county of Worcester; parish of Bromsberrow, county of Glouces ter ; parish of Shelton, county of Hereford ; parish of Canon Frome, ditto ; parish of Colwah, ditto ; parish of Pulley, ditto ; parish of Little March, ditto ; parish of Eggleton, ditto ; parish of Munsby, ditto ; district of Packhold, ditto ; parish of Aylton, ditto ; parish of Ashperton, ditto ; parish of Castle Frome, ditto ; parish of Pixley, ditto ; parish of Coddington, ditto ; parish of Bosbury, ditto ; all praying for the same degree of agricultural protection as at present exists. Lord COTTENHAM moved for returns of the num • ber of persons who were confined in prison at the pre sent time, distinguishing the duration of their impri sonment, the amount of their debts, and the sums ex fended in their support. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had not the slightest objection to granting the returns moved fur by his Noble and Learned Friend. In reply to a question from Lord CAMPBELL, The LORD CHANCELLOR said that in the mea sure respecting imprisonment for debt now before their Lordships the sum named in it for the support of a class of prisoners amounted to exactly 300 shillings a year, and not to 365, as he seemed to suppose. Lord BROUGHAM moved for a return of the num ber of separations, a menses . et thoro, which had taken place during the last ten years. THE SPY SYSTEM IN IRELAND. The Marquis of NORMANBY, in moving for the production of the papers of which he had given notice, would make a few observations on a topic which had recently created a great sensation in Ireland. No one could deny that that revelling and odious employment which was commonly called the spy system, was one which met with the reprobation of all good men in every country. In former periods the ramifications of that sys tem had spread through every quarter of the lower or ders of society in Ireland. Although they had not heard of it during recent years, yet the recollection of it still produced most disastrous effects upon the well-being of society in many parts of Ire!and. He would not allude to its probable re-introduction, but it was a notorious fact that the sytem existed at present to a greater extent in Ireland than it had recently done. Ile would not al lude to any particular cases which might at present be under investigation. The Skibereen case, he believed, was at present under inquiry. It was notorious that the system was extending. He would allude to a pamphlet which must be regarded as some sort of authority, as it had been quoted by the Prime Minister in the other House of Parliament—it was entitled "A Cryfrom Ire land," and there it was stated, that in the gaol of Kilkenny, persons had been placed in the same room with persons under criminal charges, for the purpose of worming themselves into their confidence, and obtaining confessions to be given in evidence against them. The system extended even to tampering with witnesses, and an affidavit of a boy had been given, in which the deponent described the process by which he had been led to recognise a party as guilty of an offence, whom he had previously sworn that he did not know. He took it for granted, as the Prime Minister had quoted this pamphlet, that he had directed inquiries to be made into these cases. As a proof that this system was not necessary, he would refer to the evidence taken before their Lordship's Committee in 1841, from which it ap peared that such a system was necessary to se cure the proper administration of justice in Ireland. That evidence showed that between 1835 and 1839 there was a greater proportion of committals to offences, and of convictions to committals, than at any previous period ; and in the entire of it he defied their Lordships to show the use of such means as were now had recourse to in Ireland. Though this was an evil it was no reason why individual injustice should be inflicted on any party charged with participating in such offences. The Go vernment refused this gentleman any further investiga tion into his case, and they said that all correspondence with him must be closed. When those documents he held in his hand came into his possession he thought it right to submit his case to the House. He had no acquaint ance with Mr. Grey. When that gentleman arrived in London he called on him (the Marquis of Normanby), but he did not think it right to receive any information from him of which the Government were not in possession. Mr. Grey was one of those persons who were removed at the accession of the present Government. When Mr. Grey was employed in Kilkenny, and when it was rumoured that he was removed, he received from the magis trates, in all parts of the country, testimonies of regret at the prospect of his removal. and symensorial had been presented to the Lord-Lieute nant by the High Sheriff, signed by persons of all politics, praying that he mi g ht b e a ll ow ed to remain. Mr. rey laboured under the imputation of having been the parent and originator of this odious system which was now acquiring new forte. Now, how did the facts stand. Two men were arrested in Thurles in November, for hawking a seditious pamphlet or ballad, the name of which was called the " Tories downfall." He (the Marquis of Normanby) never saw that ballad, and, therefore, he was not aware whether it was objec tionable in execution or in its topic; nor did he know whether it was one of those cases which were described by the Noble and Learned Lord (Brougham) last night, of " fond and fantastic prophecies," he was not pre pared to say. The ballad, however, was considered se ditious by Mr. Attorney -General Smith. It appeared . then goin g on that the persons having been arrested, Mr. Jennings suggested that they should be t r i e d a t th e quar t er ses sions Attorney -General of Th urles, on; and Mr. Gray consulted the the subject, and he said, " The ballad is very seditious, and it was quite right to commit the parties for trial, the only difficulty is whether they ought not to be tried at the assizes as we are not quite certain that the jurors at the sessions would be likely to do their duty." Now he (the Marquis of Nor manby) would not pause to comment upon the doubt which was here thrown upon the jurors in petty sessions. The Attorney-General having been obtained the parties were committed for trial. Mr. Grey, not wishing to strain the law so as to operate unnecessarily hard upon the prisoners, again wrote to the Attorney- General and stated that Osborn has expressed his readiness to give information respecting the printers of the ballads, and he wished to know whether, underthese circumstances, the prisoner could not be admitted as a witness against the printer of the ballad, and the Attorney-General replied, "I have no doubt that similar ballads may be purchased from Moran, and therefore he can be prosecuted inde pendent of Osborn's evidence. I therefore see no reason why Osborn should be discharged unless he can obtain bail. It appeared that Inspector Falvey, a sub-constable, went to the House of the printer with manuscripts in his pocket, immediately after which Inspector Jenings took them to Grey, and the printer was immediately appre hended. Now, Mr. Grey distinctly denied that he gave any instruction upon this subject. The Noble Marquis then read a statement detailing the circum stances attendant upon the arrest, and recommending Fal vey to the consideration of the Government as an active And efficient officer ; also a report from the sub-inspector to the Government to the same effect. This was altogether a most extraordinary case, for con stable Falvey fully bore out the assertion of Mr. Grey, with respect to not having issued any instruction . td Falvey, yet Mr. Grey was dismissed, while Falvey was retained in the constabulary. What hid Falvey said when he was asked what did he imagine would hare been his duty if no ballads had been printed. His answer was, he supposed lie should have to get them printed, but he had received no instructions. Now the Government had received these reports on the 30th of November, and if the Government had not interfered, the sellers of the ballads would have been prosecuted. Now, it appeared that Mr. Grey was anxious that these parties should not remain in gaol, and he applied to the Government to forward the pro secutions. He applied to have Osborne discharged should be permitted to avail himself of Osborne's evi dence against the other parties. No, said Mr. Brewster, there would be no necessity for that if proper means were taken. Now, what were those proper means ? Why, evidently it was meant to send a policeman in disguise. They could hardly send him in uniform to procure these ballads. Now, the Government knew as mnch about this case on the 30th Nov. as they did at the present moment. They bad received both the reports, and had had an opportunity of comparing them. These papers were not returned by Mr. Brewster until the 12th Dec., when they were returned by him to Mr. Grey This did not rest on his testimony alone. Reports were transmitted from day to day by the Inspector-General to the Chief Secretary, and the most important were selected by the Chief Secretary, and brought under the notice, of the Lord-Lieutenant. Directions were given on those reports, which were" sent to the constabulary. If blame rested any where, it must be with the Under- Seoretary, for he was aware that the inspector-general was most punctual in , sending reports to the Castle.— (Hear, hem) The fact of the printing of the ballad was known to the Government on the 12th of November He did not think there could be the least doubt of that.—(Hear, hear.) It did not rest on the silence of the parties, for on the 12th of December Mr. Brewster returned them :to Mr. Gray, saying that no further directions seemed necessary in the case. What interpretation was Mr. Grey to put on this but that the previous directions bad been adopted. From the time that those unfortunate men had been in gaol, till they bad been discharged from the Go vernment refusing to prosecute them, which was four months, Mr. Grey had no reason to suppose that he had not fulfilled the instructions he had received. It was not till the matter became notorious to the public any steps were taken, and he thought that Mr. Grey and the Irish people had reason to complain that the !inten tions of the Government were not clearly expressed before the matter had become so public and notorious. He apprehended that it was but just to Mr. Gray that a full explanation of the circumstances under which his dismissal took place should be laid before the public ; and with this view he had brought the subject under the notice of their Lordships. Lord WHARNCLIFFE thought he would be enabled to show that no blame was to be attributed to the Go vernment with respect to this matter. The circumstances of this case undoubtedly had been detailed with great accuracy by the Noble Marquis, and it was very true that Mr. Brewster gave directions that means should be taken to purchase copies of this ballad from Moran, who was the printer, according to the information which had been given by Osborn. The Noble Marquis must remember that when Osborn gave his information he was placed very much in the position of a common in former, and, therefore, his evidence was not entitled to much weight, and out not to be relied upon if they could get better evidence by proper means. A man dressed as an itinerant ballad-singer was therefore sent to Moran's house, to purchase one of these ballads, and lest Moran should have none printed in his possession the man took with him a manuscript copy of the ballad in his pocket, with directions that in such case he should order Moran to print some more copies from that manu script. It was ascertained that there were no printed copies in existence, but he produced the MS., and pro cured others to be printed in his presence and pur chased eighteen dozen of them. He said, further, that when Moran received the MS. he asked it had been procured from Ulver, and was answered in the affirmative. (LEFT SPE A KING.) LIBEL.-PRISON DISCIPLINE. The following is a copy of the petition presented by Mr. Roebuck on Monday se'nnight " TO THE HON. THE COMMONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED: " The humble petition of Barnard Gregory, a prisoner in her Majesty's Gaol of Newgate, " Showeth, " That your petitioner was,on the second day of December last, at the Central Criminal Court, holden atthe Sessions house, Old Bailey, sentenced by Mr. Justice Coltman to twelve months' imprisonment in the gaol of Newgate, for alleged libels on the characters of the Duke of Brunswick, and of his attorney, Mr. Henry Wellington Valiance; being four months for that on the Duke of Brunswick, and eight months for that on his attorney. " That the gaol of Newgate is a prison chiefly appropriated for the imprisonment of felons committed to be tried at the Central Criminal Court, and, after trial, for prisoners under sentence of death, or waiting to be removed for' transporta tion, or sentenced to be imprisoned in other gaols or houses of correction. " That upon your petitioner's commitment to the said gaol he was placed under the rules, regulations, and discipline of the said prison, the same as if he had been of the class of the most atrocious criminal offenders, having assigned to him a cell without any other furniture than that of a small table and a scat without a back, a narrow ircu bedstead, with a rope mat to sleep upon, and three horse-cloths for a cover ing, without either sheets or pillow. "That his diet (until slightly altered by the recommenda tion of the surgeon of the gaol) consisted of water-gruel, varied by a small portion of meat and boiled potatoes. That he is deprived of the use of a knife and fork, being obliged to feed himself, like an uncivilised man, with his fingers; de prived, also, of the use of pen, ink, and paper, and the reading of newspapers, or any books except such books as are permitted by the chaplain of the prison; and at night, he is not allowed the use of any light, whereby your peti tioner has been compelled to pass his time in solitary dark ness 15 hours out of the 24. _ _ "That, in addition to the above privations, your petitioner is not allowed by the rules of the said prison to have any personal intercourse with his only daughter or any of his family and friends, except upon the especial written order of a magistrate or one of the sheriffs, which your petitioner acknowledges with gratitude they have freely granted. " That the said gaol so being a prison for criminal offenders, he has had no alternative but either to have for his associates persons of that class, or submit himself (as he has done) to solitary confinement. "That your petitioner shortly before his commitment to prison ruptured a blood-vessel in the lungs, being the fifth time of such an occurrence within four years, and he was upon his said commitment, and is now, in a very infirm and precarious st ate of health. " That for more than the last four months your petitioner has not left his cell, and, being deprived of his accustomed air and exercise recommended by his medical advisers, he is now reduced to such a state of mental and bodily debility as to excite the apprehension of medical men that his life will be sacrificed by a longer continuance in the said gaol. "That, in proof of your petitioner's statement of ill health, certificates of the precarious state of it, signed by six eminent physicians, and three general Practitioners, have, with a me morial from your petitioner, been presented to Sir James Graham, her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home De partment, but without procuring for your petitioner any al teration in the restrictions complained against, or any remis sion of his sentence. " Your petitioner, however, gratefully acknowledges that, from the visiting magistrates of the said gaol, and also from the sheriffs and the governor, chaplain and surgeon of the prison, he has received every humane attention consistent with the orders and regulations laid down for their govern ment by the said Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment, and the prison inspectors, and your petitioner is .now permitted the use of a chair with a back to it, and also a feather bed, but without sheets or a pillow, and is allowed a partial alteration in the prison diet, without which his life must ere this have been sacrificed ; and he is also permitted to read the works of Shakspeare ; all the other restrictions, as against convicted felons, continuing to be enforced against your petitioner. " Your petitioner humbly prays that your honourable house will be pleased to take his case into your humane consideration, and obtain for him such immediate relief as will obviatethe fatal effects of his imprisonment, which are anticipated by himself, his family, and his medical advisers. " 1 our petitioner also prays (if not contrary to the rules and orders of your Honourable House) that he may be al lowed by himself or counsel to appear and be heard at the bar of your Honourable House in support of the allegations and statements in this, his petition, and against those re strictions being longer enforced against him. " And your petitioner likew.ise prays that persons hereafter convicted of libel may not (like your petitioner) suffer the same and the like prison discipline and privations as persons convicted of criminal offences. " And your petitioner will ever pray, &c., " B. GREGORY." DEATH OF JOHN GUTTERIDGE, ESQ. This venerable and much-esteemed individual departed this life on Sunday last, in the ninety-second year of his age, at his residence, Denmark-hill, Surrey. Mr. Gut teridge was one of the founders of the Sunday-School Society, and, for more than half a century, a zealous promoter of various religious and benevolent institu tions ; among which may be named, the Baptist Fund, Stepney College, the Baptist Mission, the Widows' Fund, and the Dissenting Deputies. His active services were succeeded by many years of severe personal suffer ing, borne with exemplary submission to the will of God, and closed by an eminently peaceful death.—The Patriot. . _ _ DOVER, MAY 13.—The Orion from London to Africa, grounded off Cape Point, Folkestone, but was got off and proceeded. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, May 13 CRIMINAL LAW. Lord BROUGHAM (in continuation, said) — The judges it behoved to read, to understand, and to inwardly digest that mass, because they were out wardly called upon to give the results of that diges tion when they passed judgment. This process of accumulation was now going on more vigorously than ever; for every one of these common law reports which were published half a century ago, ten were now published, and at the present moment no less than fifty-nine learned persons were employed in reducing to writing the judgments which had been given, and in adding to this enormous mass of matter. This was a mass which it defied any property to procure, any memo-y to retain, or any perspicuity to understand. Was it then to be wondered at that the most venerable of judges and ablest of men who had written on jurisprudence, should have impressed on the Government to reduce this mass to something like order ; to enable those who administered the law to do it with satisfaction to themselves and with justice to the country. This was attempted in the Roman law towards the end of the sixth century ; and even Julius Caesar and Justinian, two of the greatest men that ever lived, had made similarZattempts. He would now come down to the history of this country. As early as the time of Edgar an attempt was made to place the law upon a plain footing. Lord Bacon, in later times, said that a digest ought to be made to give law a new light, but not a different nature. But it might be said that Lord Bacon shone more as a philosopher than a lawyer, and that upon the latter subject he was a visionary. But, then, what did they say to Lord Coke : he said that to repeal many penal statutes and make ono plain, perspicuous law, divided into articles, so that every subject might know the law, and how to obey it, would be necessarily a work of singular commendation. Sir Matthew hale, considering how great the mass of law books had became, and they were then as the box on their Lordships table compared with a house in the City —but; leaving these authorities, and coming to the Legis lature itself, they would find in 1650 a Committee sat with Whitelocke at its head; in 1656 another Committee sat upon the same subject, formed by men of similar eminence. And, in later times, in 1816, a resolution was come to by both Houses of Parliament, that the great work of digesting the law should be performed, and the House of Commons passed a vote that eminent lawyers should be employed for that purpose. Sir Robert Peel, in 1826, introduced a measure for digesting and conso lidating the state of the law of property. He (Lord Brougham) bad spoken of digesting not only the statutary law, but the common law, and thought the statement he had made of the diffused condition of the statute law was sufficient to show that the common law ought not to be excluded from the operation of his motion. The dictum was that all men should obey this law, yet 4 was embodied in no less than 150,000 closely printed pages, which was elucidated by an index with no less than 1,150 pages. He thought it was a most painful thing to judges to have to depend, in deciding upon • those cases, upon their own discretion ; what he wanted was to have some fixed rule by which judges were to decide, be cause he was confident that the crimes of murder, arson, treason, and such like, were the same now as during the days of Coke. A judge should be alone influenced by what was the actual law as declared by the Legislature, and not be induced to declare what law was. Let their Lordships suppose a case wherein a judge had to decide a question in relevance to which no statute law had been enacted. What was his position ? Why, he had to consult the reports of all the decisions which bore the slightest analogy to that particular case, and there he was left to grope in the dark through all those cases, in order that • he might find something like that which was under his consideration. The consequence of all this was inextricable dis putes and difficulties. During fifteen years of his life, he had had opportunities of being impressed Keith the cogency of those arguments; and, in making this assertion he was fully borne out by M. Dupin, the celebrated French writer upon criminal jurisprudence. (The Noble and Learned Lord then road a quotation from M. Dupin's pamphlet, in which he stated that the greatest benefit had resulted from the formation of a cri minal code in France.) This gentleman, it must be re membered was originally far from being enamoured of codes, but was a sceptic on the subject. Experience, however had taught him better. To show the necessity of a criminal code, ho would inform their Lordships that the Criminal Law Commissioners had collected no 'less than thirteen definitions of the crime of theft. There were 1,540 statutes in force, 658 repealed, or supposed to be repealed. There were 142 repealed, or repealed by implication ; 234 of what was called obsolete statutes, and 780 expired, being 3,354 Acts of Parliament altogether. Now, of those repealed, or supposed to be repealed statutes, 142 were doubtful. No man could tell whether these 142 were or were not repealed. There was, for instance, the 3d and 4th Edward VI., chap. 10, which made it a very grave offence for a per son to have in his possession images taken from a church, with the merciful provision, " except Noble Lords, who are reputed saints "—(Laughter)—so that if he (Lord Brougham were to buy an image which came out of a church, under this statute, „hick was not repealed, he might be punished. Then there was an Act in ex• istence which provided punishment for " fond and plian tastic attempts to stir up faction." This Act might be brought with force against many of their Lordships.— (Laughter.) There were Acts, 26th Henry VIII., and sth and 6th Edward VI., by which it was made treason to call the Sovereign an infidel, so that 140 years are, under this Act, it would have been treason to speak the truth, and have said of William 111., that he was a schismatist. The Noble and Learned Lord then enume rated several other obselete statutes, respecting which, much doubt existed as to whether they had been re pealed or not. One was to prevent corn being exported when the price was above 6s. Bd. the quarter ; another to prevent the importation of foreign cards for wool carding, and a third was for the purpose of imposing a shilling fine on all persons neglecting to attend their parish church on a Sunday. This statute was supposed to be obsolete until a short time ago, when it was brought into life in Lancashire. Three men were brought before the magistrates fvr poaching on a Sunday; but the case was not made out against them. Before how ever they were discharged, one of the justices inquired of the prisoners if they had been to church the previous Sunday, and finding that they had not, he sentenced them to a fine. of eleven shillings each, and costs, and these men suffered an imprisonment of eleven weeks in consequence. He (Lord Brougham) in his letter to Sir James Graham last year, mentioned this circumstance, and a Right Hon. Friend of his, shortly after the publi cation of the letter, wrote to him (Lord Brougham) to say, that the printer had made one of the greatest blunders that printer ever made, for he had printed " poaching," for " preaching."—(Laughter.) But. what was Mr. Cooper's, h's (Lord Brougham's) friend's sur prise, when he was informed that the printer was right. Mr. Cooper believed, when he read the letter, that the men had been fined for preaching in some conventicle. There was another absurdity in our statute book, and that was the manner in which the various Acts were described. In the 31st of George the Second, ch. 33, the following things were all found together : an Act for preventing trading by bankrupts ; for pre venting abuse as to the admeasurement of coals in the City of London and Liberty of Westminster ; and for preventing the stealing or destroying madder roots. Another Act in the same reign, the 29th George 11., was fur regulating places of entertainment, for regu lating the burning of gorse, for regulating disorderly' houses, and clerks to attorneys and solicitors.— (Laughter.) They then came to the 22d George IL, for preventing excavations along the shores of the River Thames, for amending the laws regulating attorneys, for regulating the assize of bread, for making roads in the Counties Palatine of Lancaster and Chester, tied to prevent the spread of infection amongst horned cattle. In the reign of Edward VI. it was laid down by the oracles of the law that an Act was not to be taken as dated from the day it was passed, but as dated from the first day of the session in which it was passed. An Act was passed by which it was made penal to import foreign goods of a certain description after the date of the Act. A man imported a quantity of these goods before date of the Act, but he was, however, prosecuted under it, and punished, although he imported his goods in February, and the Act was not passed until May. The case was moved upon a writ of error, to their Lordships' House, and the twelve Judges iu England were consulted, and they gate it as their opinion that the judgment of the Court in Ireland ought to be confirmed, and it was 'confirmed accordingly.— (Laughter.) This was a part of that which was termed the perfection of human reason. In the 13th year of the reign of Elizabeth, of blessed memory, an Act was passed, declaring that any person should be liable to im prisonment who dared to take more than ten per cent. as interest of money. The clause ran in these words : " That forasmuch as all usury, being forbidden by the laws of God, is detestable, therefore be it enacted that all usury, that is loans of mone3r•with above ten per cent. interest, shall be punished in manner following— that is to say whoever receives a sum beyond that for interest shall pay it back upon action being brought." That law was in existence at this very hour. The judges in all cases in which it was attempted to carry these obsolete laws into effect were obliged to be mere instruments ; they were obliged to help the man who attempted to ensnare others in the meshes of the law, to help him who in the heat of revenge had warmed the torpid viper into life and mischief: Whether a defendant made a foul defence, or the plaintiff brought a foul charge, the judges were obliged to aid them. The Bill which he asked their Lordships to read a second time digested the criminal statute law, and unfolded the principles upon which that digest of the criminal-law was made. All the statutes, all the judicial decisions, all the definitions of the test books, had been carefully weighed and considered, and, from the light derived from these different sources, the enactments of this Bill, which he prayed , them to pass into a law, had been framed. If they accomplished that great work, they would reduce into one digested body, luminous in its diction, clear and logical in its arrangement, symmetrical in its form, easily read, easily understood, easily remembered by the subjects who have to obey, by the counsel who were to administer, and by the judges who were to decide, the whole criminal law of the country. They would, by so doing, confer on their country an inestimable blessing, and on themselves lasting renown, realising the wish of Edgar, the Saxon King, that the laws of Britain should be bound up in small compass, like unto a faggot, that thereby they might be the better kept together—realising the boast of Bacon to his Sovereign, that he would do honour to his reign by a work useful to his country— fully carrying out the sentiments of the highest legal authority of these realms, the great Lord Coke, that a code of laws, digested, and methodized, and reduced to separate articles, as these were, was a work well worthy the age, and one which would confer lasting benefit on mankind—realising the wish of the first Stuart who had reigned in this country, who was the enemy to every innovation, and the friend to every established prohibition, who had said that such a work were worthy of the summoning of a Parliament to sit if it were only for that ; realising the wish of Sir Mathew Hale, the most venerable of legal authorities, who com plained in his turn of the - unnecessary accumulation of law books, small as their numbers were in his day, but who had not lived to see the process of accumulation carried on as it had been in our times, but who had said, Alluding to the comparatively small mass of law hooks existing in his own days , that it would be a work worthy of the Prince and of the country, to make one clear me -thodical digest of the whole ' • doing a work which had occupied the attention of all classes of statesmen, from Fursell, and Atkins, and Whitelocke, down to Barebones and Harrison, as a living kind of intellect, from the highest to the lowest, had felt the necessity of accom plishing this great work; doing a work, which both Houses of Parliament, in 1816, in an unanimous resolution, recommended should be done without delay ; and which the great criminal law reformer, the Prime Minister of the present day, had alone been partly able to accomplish, and who had said that high official station, and large official influence, was chiefly to be prized because it enabled those who possessed them to do such acts as these.—(Hear, bear.) The subject was so important that he would not apologise for having de tained them. but would beg of them to give the Bill a second reading, in order that it might be referred to a Select Committee up stairs. The LORD CHANCELLOR would not then follow his Learned Friend through his able, eloquent, and com prehensive speech; he thought the Bill ought to be read a second time. The Commissioners hal been required to direct their attention-Ist, to a digest of the statute law; 2d, to a consolidation of the common law, as it re garded the criminal jurisprudence of the kingdom ; and 3d, .to consider the expediency of combining the whole into one statute. They had considered it ex pedient so to do, and that was the foundation of the present Bill. There could be no doubt as to the ex pediency of that part of the Bill which digested the criminal statute law, and repealed those contradictory and obsolete enactments which were a disgrace to the statute book; but with regard to a consolidation of the principles and rules of common law, he had thought it his duty to make inquiries of persons employed in the administration of justice upon that point, and the ques tion was one of so much doubt and difficulty that he should advise their Lordships to pause before adopting those suggestions. The principles by which the common law was at present administered were derived from the text books, and were applied by the judges to the circum stances of various cases as they came before them. Now, it required much consideration before he could consent to subvert such a system, and substitute in its place fixed and invariable rules. He must be satisfied that those rules were so comprehensive as to embrace the whole of the principles of the system which it was intended to subvert. He be lieved his Noble and Learned Friend would not admit the policy of abolishing the system, unless he were satisfied upon .that point. He did not think that much benefit would be derived from sending the Bill to a Select Com mittee up stairs. He would advise his Noble Friend to have the Bill read a second time—to let it stand over— and early next session to have it re-produced. In the meantime, the Government would devote its attention to the subject, and persons would be employed, he hoped with the concurrence and co-operation of his Noble Friend—(" Hear, hear," from Lord Brougham)—to go through all the details, so that the country should have a sufficient guarantee that the rules would be comprehensive enough to embrace every case which it was intended they should meet. An other reason why ho wished for delay was, that the Commissioners were at this moment employed in examining a very important branch of this subject, he meant that which related to trial and procedure. In a short time they would have completed their labours, and the result would be that in the same measure they might be able to consolidate forms of proceeding - 1' most important branch of the subject. He c ertal thought the Bill was well entitled to be read a sec° ;ime, for it was highly desirable that they should bail digest of the statute criminal law. Lord DENMAN expressed his concurrence in w h o ll had fallen from his Noble and Learned Friend. Thee! was one object, however, of his Noble and Lear l 2d Friend's Bill which he thought ought to be accomplisPj without delay—he meant the repeal of those obsolete A; barbarous laws, the continuance of which was a disg r , , l eo to the criminal code and he trusted that what ha d fall A would his Noble and Learned Friend on the Wroolssit: not prevent any Noble Lord, nor any Memb er& r:r other House of Parliament from introducing measures the repeal of those laws. A case had been alluded to I . which a magistrate had been called upon to executel law which ought at once to be repealed. A Noble L°ll had also brought forward the case of the laws relatiag„ forestalling and regrating—that was an importan t exs 'i , pie of evil legislation. Mr. Burke, in 1773, had breug f ji in a Bill which was supposed to have swept awaY mi s those absurdities ; still it appeared there was col 0 law enough left to punish any one carrying on trt`' le te the way trade was usually carried on, as tho u h )3O were guilty of a misdemeanour. The Noble Lords te d would also do away with those enactments which sub3ee ted those persons most unjustly to punishment who der v , from the established religion of the country - 0, which the great majority of mankind did not knovr:.r, in existence, and of which those who were the 105 , ec 1 ; norant were the most likely ti suffer by their T hi e s tion. He was pleased to find that the att t iol of the Legislature had been directed to the consa u ltul and simplification of the criminal code. He was a ileJ afraid, however, that their Lordships might be ° l ot: into the idea that they were no* applying a roos t e xile tual remedy to a very great evil. His Noble snail Friend had alluded to the great accumulation cid reports. Parliament itself had been accessory in " 0 0 degree to that accumulation. It had passed s r o number of new laws of late years, in a great PrO ° of which the construction was by no means es sl jc the interpretation anything but clear, and certftrt l late years the judgments of the Courts had been r e l t yj much more fully and much more accurately tin s If, had been formerly. But the decisions on quesu ° ,; o o° Latin g to criminal law formed the smallest Por' t this accumulation. However, he considered ths oc 4 passing of this Bill would be a great public j p ig and would remedy 'a pressing evil, by da le away from the Statute-book those dreadful, sca o ,," - and oppressive enactments, which would disrLy° law of the, present day. He considered it his t ni i state that, in his opinion, their Lordships and 0 ; f or / try owed a debt to the Commissioners who bad ti f f so much time and so much labour to the improve:o'j the law of their country, and he considered that t er i lication of the law in this manner, digested 1 11 7„11 ferent heads, would be of the greatest use, not .! those who were called upon to administer the 1 8 1, to all who had to obey it. He could not con clud e s O' ra out expressing a deep sense of gratitude Ws. 0 , Commissioners who had been engaged in this i s gation. tY Lord CAMPBELL thought it was a disgrac e ` - e di'l‘ country that they could not refer, through the : l- es ep of chapters and sections, to the particular e,rlterunishments attached to them. This was a v- tats: great importance, not alone with respect to tb s o tiP law, but also as regarded the common law. Dn..: 01:: thought h's Noble and Learned Friend near lul o t Brougham) had overstated the existing evils ; 0 g !' defect was, that they were continually multip l k l s k : laws until at length they became involved in 7di905 In France every province had had separate and bor., laws, but that was done away with, much to theorj of the country, by the Code Napoleon. As all 1,4 tion of his point, he would ask his Noble and , $ Friend, what could be more essential than tom ,vtli o definition of the word conspiracy? He agr„p Noble and Learned Friend who had just sat a°,; ( itro the merits of the Commissioners. He c ertainlyne that this was a measure whi c h sh ou ld be ry- e upon the responsibility of the Government alotip After a few words from Lord BROUGILIi• planation, The LORD CHANCELLOR said he thought be as well if the ma - Ater rested with the Corara iss ye - ri, who had the best opportunities of becoming with the bearings of the case. No persons coal° eP have discharged a difficult and arduous duty ° 3° tually than they did. n j The Bill was then read a second time, *- Lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May ADJOURNED DEBATE—FACTO BILL. bo tiP Mr. WARD said the Hon. Gentleinee_ 4 l ' just addressed the House had resorted to venient mode of settling this vexata patio. assumed that an a priori case had been ma de s ol favour of his Noble Friend's Bill. He 00i, men on both sides agreed that if the Bill c ° l o tii passed without reducing the remuneration °f i t or diminishing the wealth of the countrViej most desirable that it should be passed. 1 ' was a truism in which Members on both the House concurred ; but the question w 3 ; o 'te ther the proposed remedy would not agg rit l i ol evil? The Honourable Gentleman said the (le - o f fro adult labour had been settled by a majorit c ptl&', , House. Why the House bad formerly deci ci s clt` ir pound note and a shilling were worth 275. It d merly settled the wages of tailors at 2s. 54d. uv o tr irr dinary circumstances, and ss. 70. in cases ofl e° t y But in six years this was repudiated o ti or jurious to the interests of all. The 113n i i i5J Gentleman 'opposite (Mr. Milnes) j u stified io dent desire to interfere, because the 13 0 / 1 to arl the power. But was it not necessary ifeF ( co the right before they exercised the power - 101e ) and ought they not to look also to the pr°6 0 419 sequences ?—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. o: ls 4 ! e t i l if said that political economy was a very ill,-11,-stg Ate; -.-that few understood the proper hin,,'"ibis'fb i which it should be restrained. He knew th 2 ".Th. ef I tion no longer admitted of going much into de i 7 o l ol o o House was tired of it ; and for that reason , °a t' night, he was restained from replying to the p oll f. 4 on both sides of the House, although he h a gfetal' ef i lte ll , vocation to do so. His Hon. Friend the 00 0 / , Weymouth had reproached the political P. it he,,, , ‘ , t as cold-blooded theorists who treated men 2 ' s it i i t tlelio) mere machines, or as pieces of wood upon 3 S D Or _, d ' e to be knocked down as if they had no seP s `: g by —(Laughter.) The Hon. Member for N ottill -aO/ that he hated long chimneys and political c co o Ti o be, c o ,4 j voted three times in favour of the Bill, but II e oil ll ,ol` round and voted with him (Mr. Ward), he, , ing he t as ho said, of his argument. That showed The $ e first, and reflected afterwards.—(Laughter.) ty/100,"; ' Gentleman always ridiculed the theorists , h li oe 4t 11 „ theory, after all, but to consider, before Y ap ) r ce thing, what its effects might be ?—(lear, h e e el e ygl had observed that those friends of hunianiO r t bet e De s , ried their principles beyond the point w here ls tv h , to affect their own interests. Now, what,_;g ott 1 4 , and first best thing to be done, for the Wer" r .) was it not to give them food ?—(Hear, be 3 foo,' moment any attempt was made to render as 011°,,ir and abundant, some one or other of those c ' oe l er manity stood up and said, " No, no, we 3 1e040 - , 0 that to be touched." His Hon. Friend th e , he ir Weymouth (Mr. Bernal) exclaimed, when,,t o b D siP ) to give the working classes cheap sugar', 0 1 3° connected with the West Indies, a nd that."—(A laugh.) ~s e , Mr. BERNAL—I never said so. t , lPv t eci Mr. WARD—So, on the other side of tu b e , pr° o t c` o ,l were met by the cry, "Ag . riculture rou st ,,bau tit 'De? when they attempted to give cheap and te e% , to the people.—(Cheers.) On a former °c ,. s itef i g oit accused the Noble Lord (A s hl e y) in raw e ' ne t " h e of misrepresentati on an d exagge ration., 00 V i ce aggeration was his intention, but he c 7at" - i , i,„ e ip.4 dente from whi c h h e q u o t e d was the e piev Ag i' and the Noble Lord naturally enough reit, .5• fe le?' that was most in favour of his own ° could be more contradictory than the ev'"' ne tt ° get"' men, physicians, and lawyers. That Wal, h ,e dered at ; for you can prove almost anY,t - ,,,fr 0 0. ia; up a commission, and allowing a few e,rhere o t , clergymen, and lawyers to manage it• os sio, Fr the thing that could not be proved by a e°,' l3 o quirt'. He remembered that one luea t ' c o D es!, o ' l -5 1 c,ef e A that the tailors were, as a body, liable ' he tal'a l etr tt A diseases that could afflict humanity ; Ye bo g ; foro i jor , selves-being indignant, proved that, as (I s 11u . / ( e irj remarkably active, fond of athletic gun' e tf s one of the finest bodies of men to thee sateeotiqtel:, hear.) Other trades were treated in th r 0 01 105 all were found to be liable to some pecultate he 5 ) .he believed the healthies liver° s tated cor o •iil l f house men and tallow melters.—(lt t 'tbo,„;eo, 4 , showed they ought sometimes to distr,t',, t ,st , - j They ought not to do anything to °I t o co`' e vefv . bl labour. He was far from wishing th 3t d b il l the people should not be improved, ab ut; it pi er e e ee t was capable of improvement ; ameliorations of their fiscal 0, s he Y t t, the power of the Chancellor 4rtf ra ore h e e ll t , cr oi cA than a ten hours' clause in an Act h h e l o f et cal l er ° and ai tory i l t a w bo o u u r ld m t u h s e t n b e e cfoomunpdartedha: i t t her t o eo... t otreec which had still stronger claims to 1 3 : 1d t he , Y ,lto t were the female milers of SedgeleYiettithegiioeeth lictorl`4 makers of Buckinghamshire. Then,„,_ tho l-g r o f ho s was doing in this town ; look at m ilid' ort eeti fiv teif t , Giles's, and other places ; l oo k at fo „ e e _ of the metropolis, who worked more T h i e k ia ,, r fere,; tb° a-day, and who had not the Sunday, sent j,,erv,er labourers enjoyed. He called the p; e Nop re lu ssec t !J o ) blind and blundering benevolence:, _4 O) , ft eld o 0 40, 1 1 0 Member for Dorset bad only on -v objec t ' it ' a f 3l/ 1 i th e self to the commercial view of the s wot o be , 00 l e t 1 , 5 5 his argument ? He admitted there e said throra i thhe rel.; production and wages. But h „p f a a m m o ou u n nt t o p f r n o o d a u l, c a ed nd w o - i o l u , ladndbteallmeNave; "P h i o ch co; i c Profu_t,l3:l,4lo; of the north ? Would it no _America woollen manufacturers in the c otton w° , 0 ,0 1 ",:i ( 1 , quired. But, would not this t u ld would be the case, less ji ( o p t, arfaVet' PenProrlfterit in ten hours than in twelve?an 514 0:e t he _ o ,be. effect on the shopkeeper u c onveY in eit to in, O; every person employe 4 4 articles of the country from one re 1 01111116 j ne lc it h e Ifatllwoafs wages. He atHthoebsevioirokvemieuthat p, had t Y cut e T clergy that tithe rut put fairly before them. he only pers the tl would be an Arcadia. T e r light iva ' letter u n 0 0 ' fore them. Dr. Hook represented the wh°l2ev• Holly, rector of Bu subject he would read. (The f the Ylvi general feeling ° excGreellieltlettosidopir_ios6o THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EV E NING, MAY 14, 1844.