The Sun. — London, England, 1845-02-06 00:00:00

TRE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING-, FEBRUARY 6 1845. )f -.Cl•imomMunftell.-..w or I ' • : Tal' leg and rieststing the in figment of the House. nere ads air order of the Hou.e, tint if any report f rurn th e B oar d of Trade relating to a Railway Bill be I,aid bef ore t h e House, such report should be referred `_°, o- e Com m i ttee on the Bill. It was perfectly clear what was the view of Parliament in agreeing to the arrangement made last year. He hoped the arrange !tent would continue ; 'out he saw s enptoms in what Was going on out of doors, that all authority was ascrib e d t o these reports of the Board of Trade, 7 11 ell would be attended with great inconvenience, 11 1 2 " to which h e d es i red to call the attention of the t„ use. No one was m o re anx i ous than he to im ove the system of private legislation, in which he of ew great abuses had grown up. He approved the reconitnendation of last year, but he thought tc at the Board of Trade should be confined in the preliminary investigation of railway projects, thewhic they might obtain valuable information for , r House, upon measure; in which large in titeeests were concerned. But if, instead of being re lY advisers to Parliament, this Board n to . have a n aut h or it y i n d e t erm i n i ng „ p o i , le Railway Bills—if their reports were to l t thorny i e c t d " eouclusive as to what BUN should be adopted, and ilthat would be the creation of a new which Parli a ment never contemplated. ; in ',as th e H ouse aware what was the amount of the linterest involved i n th ese quest i ons b e t ween compe ti ng t 1 14? Re would give the ileuse one instance, that of te e 6n don and York R a ilway. In that company the Shares Were 60,000, an d t he se s h a res had been the were of de a li ng on t h e S toc k E xc h ange . B arga i ns maderret in them at the rate of 201. • em m % ors on each share, conditioned en the of tl B • el f Trade—that was to i tty, „, oai o th is; ,Lnat if this report, which was regarded as con sa,j'`,°,l,sbould prove favourable to the plan, it would h are " , • to the value of each of these 60,000 S ' Thus the detenekation arrived at 1 4 t an internal department of the Government a° abs ence of all the parties concerned, would f re eet ,t_be transf er o f no l ess a sum than 1,200,00 W. rn ta e Pockets of one se t o f persons to those of another. es e ; %judgment involving such sums to be proe fli e e° bY such a tribunal as the Board of Trade?— rad e " r ) bear ) He found no fault with the Board of • t,, a. posses s i ng cer t a i n f un ctions ; but such alt 'Atrial was u t ter l y ur fitt e d f or pronouncing re, ° Pinion on su bj ec t s i nvo l v i ng suc h enor he? b aits. He could show them a particular th,:nee in which the sum staked was not less C 1,2 00,000/., and that was only one out of a mut letell"° of cases ; and would it be said that those re dis-' Wer e to be conclusive on subjects involving the dilkeition of millions ? They (the Board of Trade) Itel l) . ° e se d of sums compared with which the sums ad ;cc a ted upon by the Lord Chancellor and all the t ut e e s of Westminster Hall sunk into insignificance. ll tt , 4l !as that d epar t men t cons ti t uted in a manner so 14 0 ;eY could sa y it o ught to be intrusted with such 11 ) -( "° 1 1% respon s ibility? What did it consist of? ahili ere hut who possessed little experience, and there ret n ! assisting him four gentlemen scarcely of higher rsee t ial rank than chief clerks in the Public depart placed One of these gentlemen was, he believed, Near in that depart me nt from being private se nmrt to the Right Honourable Gentleman op tsee,l. Was a B oar d, having to dispose of such le,l4ous interests, and thus constituted, the Aid tribunal for the purpsoe ?—(Hear, hear). its „ i t was not merely that the tribunal was Ntlerly coustituted. He said that none of their they e nlgs were such as to make their decisions, if Coat ere to be tak e n as decisions, in matters of this 1 ) -4 e) satisfactory.—(Hear, hear.) He happened to all Willingly forced into connexion with a %lot!: It Y Project, an d b e ing concerned in the pro fte:a of that railway pr+ct, he could speak this e Perience as to the course adopted. It was t he promoters of Bills sent in a short statement tls tt e ground un w hi c h th e y p ro p ose d their measure; Tad. w as followed by depositing with the Board of tate; Plans and sections giving full details of the ae1 ,. 6 of th e s cheme. Before any decision i struounced on their case, the case of the oppo- Pee; ° , l : the Bill was made known. And after they N I 'fat case, the promoters of the measure put b v s St; r ` i a rebutting case. The case of their oppo mete,Pta to be put in before the 30th of k ael e - a ue r and the favourers of the Bill b"ed, ' that before any decision was pro ratltleed by the department of the Board of , t he they would be informed of what the :et i l l s which had been sent in by the other side, 'et e ° gations of which they would then be prepared ! ' he y ' : we t% The session of Parliament was coming `'ley i ) s everal decisions had been pronounced, and Ftere s e gan to think they would be pronounced upon, eNtly`,": ease of their opponents was known.. Accord ,,944"3' applied for an interview with the Board of ntli; k ile had to acknowledge the exti eine courtesy , t qati""ieb he and the other Members of the . de i pl d ° , ll were, on very short notice, received au a a • Board They knew nothing of the etk4blie of their opponents, except from the . ) ,' s el e . e ne 'wsPapers and the plans deposited with , I tio rt ' of the peace. They stated very shortly the "4 0 - * why, in their judgment, their own scheme ht 0 -* to preference, and having done so they t s Sti f : Before they did so, however, one of the ' 5 4 - "len who composed the deputation ob 1, ea L tel e. 4,,, t0 the President of the Board of "'et ) ' 'oat he expected that they would have te ht,s eall e d Upon to answer the case of their oppo- S o , The reply of the President of the Board °f great importance. He said, " That is not - "10 t 08 . There being such a multitude of projects, conned b e Physically impossible for us to hear th , e , qsda l ts of the parties upon the opposing plans t li k s, lll, 4 ; u t that was perfectly true. It would be phy ti'"?3lll3o , sible for tine Beard of Trade to hear all V llt nents in favour of the conflicting schemes. ratki l phYsically impossible for Hon. Gentlemen to :ttiinci:e plans and surveys laid b e efor b e et t b h e e r m tih to titre founded estimates of expense, and w or not, and to ascertain the comparl• v ain • • te he age in point of economy, and in other !e -tittn . 4 0 - 4 t tl e projects submitted to them. Still he had,no , 1 41 tle re ,;' ° thn report of the Board of Trade being krattlittL, something to be taken into account byby the k k t trd and, no doubt, it the reasons alleged the Tr and, in favour of or against a particular t,''',!er t e• strog, they would ri g h pewerfully wit ti s ; nt • tee• But if the decisions of that bedy were_ . Li Nat e .'ldered as conclusive and Real, the seise would tdin Y altered. It these decision* were to be qtie4.llParliarnent in common fairness and in common %el l Parties should be brought together, and heard 110',4t o ? Parties presence. If they thought that Parlia o' ,4l 4„.:ucapable of dealing with such matters, let W tribunal be constituted. He pronounced no ~it 4 to whether that course was desirable or not. 0711),Zie! did constitute such a tribunal, it should be pttlltti,d to persons of rank and station, somewhat pro ' a tlas ;), eimns responsibility imposed upon l s ale, 2 1 ,_"ed upon to dispose of prep , rty exceeding qat boiwaat ordinarily catne before a court of law. hr d eekli ng th e case, it would follow that t h ey wou ld th 4ll ßll t i rl questions of property equal in value to that ti4righ ts fore the cour t s °flaw. It was a question of s be t e d " property, and he thought that the par e 4, 0 ,(if such decisions were to b-' held final), have t ChiaLairiy heard before that tribunal. He thought sti k t l:3 oo w ho a n s right on all the principles of justice and *e t ? t t e stY, and such decisions, he contended, hie of 0 be considered binding, if come to in the ab no sport° parties who had promoted them, and who 4ki vvv.a i ty of laying their statements before the ti t hat b -e " was to adjudge upon their merits. He f l oor 3: this mode of procedure they would be open to i t l tria teent ° abuse, corruption and weakness, such as the he 4 e t o d a great coun t r y s h ou ld no t be s upposed ti o Ns e r _ ° with. Th ese were great o bj ect i ons , b u t t i t,i,t:pared to go further, and say that h i s objec til:reet:ll'ci still more forcibly if those decisions were nominal, but in point of fact conclusive. If • r t , Q and the Board of Trade has decided the ques , : o tt tiend " e ll their report, her Maj-sty's Government, 1 1% 411 re ad; the House to reject the Bill on the w e , ' ° g , they all knew how incompetent that sti on . , as a collective body, to deal with railway th e If they disposed of these questions by a vote Qcle, t.,),,113e, grounded on the report of the Board of 14,7,11, Cie 1 :•ault would be that the decision of that te i, d g k nown to be conclusive by law and practice, eat lt wo - uel te 'raents would be allowed to interfere, oft $ Y ja „ r i rlis its h e had said, be opening a door to every system decisions would be in the hands utte rs irre.ponsible. It would be a fur kirra R:,l%xecutive Government appeared in these te 4 str y aid not impute underhand motives to the h, w uen sitting on the opposite benches, more . „ 41 . to the Ministry who had preceded tiv4 ll 3llt, Tri arguments were directed against the system. full of suspicion, arid capable of every tale hall h e of it guess. It would be breaking in upon \ k ati , stattelitherto been considered a most wholesome ap,,,°araele States in England had hitherto borne very th e % jnoaraeters, and solely because they acted ehn4tion !Oscine rule of never interfering in any 4 1 . Ihi "lett bore upon private speculation. Acting ~a s rule th e•si orin e conclusien he had come to was, that ah• c ot , 0 1 the Board of Trade ought not to have elu s i ve t tive and therefore he hoped the Bills W h eie been re against would not be rejected • 4 4 4 h e e ul e , 0 11 the second reading in that House. '.:.rotre:lwas, that until . her Majesty's en t)rit e e snta d ebdi P . T it • ftb lo i nailed some tribunal, if such were unttelpine:t.essary, capable off dealing with Zra m a l e r° 4li ort_ fair subject the report the Board of ?.. 144 1 , 1., )0Fula th a b t e subject for the scrutiny of a Com . Ct )•,,; e rn th, r Tse•—(Hear.) It was perfectly it, r t ' e "d th e e,st°lution which they had come to ending order subsequently framed S t ?, ,was the intention the House had, when ,i‘kte,liw`ne wo rds nf' Trade its present powers. What ne,, m ly ti ll. 3 ? They were these • " that in cases of shall h5l T rade r u e p p o o n r t made . under the authority of the pep e r ue afterward blouse, It )tahetr7,ll4 b° re th e aInI3 Bill, on the ottp cts thereof, and, if necessary, the_re "tlY clear, sent t _ to a Committee." Now 4110 for, H ouse ,ha when that resolution hi+ ° r C "rernittee d that these Bills should t. , whether the report was favour lie"N 4' 141. ,*i f t , hat the report itself should go h4lat a rran ' . '"_ to be scrutinised and considered. Nap, fi Nt taf' . 4t. whieh her Majesty's Govern tevaitr_ ,anctioned, were to be carried out, he bwr utteYer to roaketo the course whiob the Board of Trade had pursued. If that were done,'those sehe were interested in rei;ways disapproved of h.. the Board of Trade, would have ample opportunity for con sidering the arguments and reasons of the Board of Trade, and afterwards having them fairly discussed in a Committee. He thought it would be a very great object and he did hope this was the line intended to be ad ipted by her Majesty's Government. He could not help feel ing great anxiety upon the subject, because uo man could have watched the railway proceedings of the day with out being aware that a notion, whether ill- founded or not, had very extensively gone abroad that these reports of the Board of Trade were to be looked upon in the light of conclusive decisions. That notion had certainly gone abroad, and already some of those inconveniences to which he had alluded were likely to arise from the Exe cutive Government taking too much part in these mat ters of private interest. Indeed he might say they had already began to be felt. Whispers were beginning to be circulated of a very injurious nature. No one in that House could doubt that they were perfectly unfounded, but these whispers were nevertheless in extensive circu lation, and he was c ,evinced that they would hear too much of it, if such a system were permitted to obtain credence in this country ; he, therefore, did hope that they would hear these reports were not to be regarded in the light of conclusive decisions. He did hope that the wish of the Government was, that the decision of the Board of Trade should merely be taken by Parlia menL as the expression of an opinion made by an un prejudiced party. He said if that were the case al par would be satisfied, but not otherwise ; and this brought him to the proposition he wished to make to her Majesty's Government. If they agreed with him in the view lie had taken, he thought that a further interval of time ought to be given in order to enable the promoters of railway projects, which had been reported against, to consider whether they should per severe in their measures or submit at once to the uafevonrable report of the Board of Trade. Until, thee, he knew the grounds on which the Board of Trade were prepared to defend the course he had been describing (if they still intended to follow it up), he would not be satisfied. If the Board of Trade re ported on two conflicting Hoes, and that that report ap proved of one line in preference to another, without re. ferring that report to a Committee of that House, he would not be satisfied wan such a course of proceeding. It was his impression, and the impression of those with whom he was engaged in this undertaking,that their line was the best, and that which would be most calculated to promote the public convenience and public good; but, of course, no Committee were to be guided by that opinion, as it was but natural that they should feel favourably towards their own project. But what they did wish for was this, that they should not be expected either to proceed with or abandon their project, until they knew the decision of the Board of Trade. He was of opinion that the Board of Trade should afford oppor tunity to present petitions, in case the project should be disapproved of ; and then, if a Committee should not ap prove of the project, the Company would let it fall to the ground. But if, on the contrary, the Company should see no reason for altering their opinion, they would act upon their own views, and persevere. Though the ex penses incurred by these proceedings were considerable, they were of minor and very trifling importance, com pared to the importance attached to the line that is likely to be approved of. Then, again, another question would arise, in the event of the report of the Board of Trade being continued to be held conclusive, and that was—were the Company to submit to such decision and all the expenses attending it, or were they to appeal from the decision of that Board to another tribunal? For these reasons, ha would say he was entitled to know the grounds on which the Government were about to proceed on this important subject. These were the grounds on which he recommended to the House to ex tend the time for the presentation of petitions on rail way subjects to Parliament. If the House concurred with him, there would be little difficulty in altering the sessional order they were now discussing, by introducing into it the words " with the exception of railway Bills." Thus the time for the presentation of petitions would be extended. The' Noble Lord concluded by moving the insertion of the words, " with the exception of railway Bills." sir R. PEEL thought there was much force and jus tice in the observations of the Noble Lord, and at the same titre he thought they should not proceed to deter mine upon the sessional order that all railway Bills might be presented. The sessional order was introduced in conformation with the standing order of the House. He had no objection whatever that time should be afforded for the consideration of this important question. The subject was, in every respect, entitled to the full consideration of the House. He concurred with the Noble Lord that it would be right that some delay should take place in coming to a determination with regard to fixing the time for railway Bills. Mr F. BARING hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would state to the House when the reports of the Board of Trade would be presented. Sir R. PEEL must postpone giving his answer to another day. Mr. HUME thought it perfectly right that the post ponement should t ike plane, more especially after they had been told that whispers were abroad that secrets had not been kept. Sir R. PEEL did not understand the meaning that whispers were abroad, that secrets had not been kept by the Board of Trade. It would be much better that ar. explicit statement should be made on the subject rather than that these insinuations should be indulged in. What really were the allega tions that were intended to be made ? It would be much fairer to the Board to make some intel ligible allezation than to indulge in these insinuations. Lord HOWICK was anxious not to be misunderstood. What the reports which he alluded to were, was known to every person who read the newspapers. In the City article of the Times it had been distinctly alleged that large purchases had been made in the shares of the favoured companies previous to the reports being made. He had stated that he believed those reports to be groundless, but he objected' to the system which, whether well or ill founded, gave occasionto the circulation of such rumours. Mr. BUCK thought that Hon. Members had better day their observations until the Board of Trade should have published the reasons for their decisions. Mr. VERNON SMITH thought that it was most important, in considering these reports of the Board of Trade, to kn,w whether the Government was prepared to stand by them as official reports, and whether the House was to receive them as having the weight and authority of Government advice, thrown in upon one side or the other? He thought his Noble Friend had taken a wry proper course in bringing the attention of the House to this subject.—(Hear.) Sir R. PEEL said the House would no doubt remem ber th it in this matter it had acted up in the recom mendation of a Select Committee. That Committee had recommended that there should be some intervention to enable the House and the Committees to judge of the comparative merits of competing railway plans. It was in consequence of the report of that Select Committee his Right Hon. Friend the late President of the Board of ['rude, much to his credit, devoted considerable time and attention to inquire into the subject, and proposed a plan, which the House approved of, and the Govern ment had consequently carried into effect. But it never was the intention of the Government—it certainly never was his (Sir R. Peel's) intention—to devolve upon the Board of Trade the power of determining which railway plans should be adopted and which should be rected. The resolution of the Select Committee said tha9it was not their intention that the report should be final, but that the Board should apply its inquiry only to the elucidation of facts to assist the Committee of the House in the for mation of their opinions. It anis his opinion that the influence of the reports of the Board of Trade upon the decision of the Committees would depend upon the weight of the facts and the value of the information pro duced on the inquiry. It was never his intention—nor would he ever consent to any course, which would in volve the Gov;rement in the determination of these questions between competing speculations. He thought it was, becoming the character of the Government and the House that public men should mix themselves as little as possible with private Bills before Parliament. — (Hear, hear.) He could not lay down any definite rule upon the subject, but he would say this much, that in all such questions the Government would act with strict neutrality. After a few words from Mr. FRENCH, Sir R PEEL sail it would be better to adjourn the discussion.—(Hear, hear.) Had his Noble Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, been present, he would have given some information on the subject. Pro bably when the question was again brought forward, his Noble Friend would probably be present, but, if he should not be, some other Member of the Government would take up the subject. Lord HOWICK quite concurred in the propriety of adjourning the discussion, but he thought the Right Hon. Gentleman had said that substantially he agreed with him (Lord Howick) in the justice of giving more time to railway companies. Sir R. PEEL—Yes. Mr. GREENE recommended the Noble Lord to with draw the motion, and he (Mr. Greene) would postpone all those sessional orders which related to time.—(Hear.) The motion was then withdrawn, and the remaining orders were then agreed to. Mr. EW ART postponed the following notice of mo tion To submit to the consideration of the House, the expediency of meeting by day instead of by night ; commencing its sittings at the hour of one in the after noon, and adjourning at six (except on especial occa• sions, when it shall seem expedient to the House to pro long the debate beyond that hour); and that all commit tees and public business be held or transacted at propor tionately earlier hours in the morning." LIBRARY OF THE HOUSE. Sir R. INGLIS moved the appointment of the follow ing gentlemen as the standing Committee to assist the speaker in the direction of the library .—Sir Robert Harry Inglis, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord John Russell, Sir Robert Peel, Mr. Baring, Mr. Wil liams Wynn, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Shaw, Viscount Pal merston, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Sergeant Stock, Viscount Mahon, Colonel Fox, Mr. Gaily Knight, Mr. Pendarves, and Mr. Acland : five to be the quorum.—Agreed to. COUNTY COURTS. Mr. HUME said there was no notice in the royal speech of the intention of the Government with respect to the County Courts Bill. He whiled to ask whether the Govern nent meant to proceed with that measure. Sir J. GRAHAM said, that in consequence of the ex tensive changes which took place last session in the law of debtor and creditor, he could not undertake to pro ceed this session with the measure respecting County Courts. He thought it expedient to give more time to allow that great change to be tested by experience. LAW OF SETTLEMENT. Sir G. GREY asked whether it was the intention of the Government to re-introduce the measure of last ses sion, and whether it would be substantially the same Bill. Sir J. GRAHAM said he had received many impor tant suggestions on this Bill, and he should feel it his duty 'to introduce the measure, including amendments founded on thtse sugvestioils. At an early period he should re-introduce the Bill, and state the alterations which he intended to make. Between the introduction of the Bill and the further progress with it, he should allow some time to intervene, that the House and the country might become acquainted with its provisions. He should ask leave to introduce the measure to-morrow se'nnight the law—" Go to the doctor, an (I if he gives you an order for relief you shall have She went to Dr. Rayner, at Uxbridge, saw him, and returned home to her husband between twelve and one o'clock in the morning, without a single thin g to a fford relief or even hope.—(Hear, hear.) Neither money nor food, after walking eleven miles. And in a few nrinutes after, in came the medical gentleman, who, he believed, said the family were in want of food. What was she to do? She had already walked eleven miles. She had t go five miles further to the relieving officer, and then what did she receive? Neither money nor goods, but an order on a grocer in Royston for three shillings' worth of goods. Thus this poor woman, worn down by sickness and trouble, had to travel twenty-one miles for three shillings' worth of food.--(hear, hear.) Was such a state of things to continue ? Could they wonder at outrage and discontent whilst such a state of things lasted? Could the nobility and gentry think their lives and property secure whilst so grievous a law remained on the statute-book—whilst such appalling destitution pervaded the country? The Hon. Member then alluded to the Otaheitan affair, which he thought had been arranged in a manner honourable to the Governments of France and England ; also to the question of slavery, and highly approving of the appointment of Dr. Lush ington on behalf of England, to arrange with France upon this most delicate question. Dr. Lushington had, as the Hon. Member observed, been all his life the con sistent, firm, and able opponent of slavery in all its forms. He knew that many felt the right of search to be a ques tion which it would be as well to avoid, and he would therefore do so in a great degree. But it must be con ceded that there could be nothing more annoying or ex citing than for a boat to come alongside of a foreign vessel, and to overhaul what might be going on on board. He was astonished considering how much that right was persisted in, that it had not led to hostilities between themselves and foreign countries. He did sin cerely hope that some means would be adopted to get rid of such an exciting, annoying, and apparently dan gerous practice. The remarks just made by his lion. 1 1 Friend the Member for Rochdale, had called to.his mind ' what was going on in Ireland. It had been stated in her Majesty's address that all classes of her Majesty's subjects yielded a cheerful obedience to the law. With regard to the grievances of Ireland, he hen' no wish to rake up old grievances, for he sincerely believed that the Right Hon. Baronet himself was disposed to give justice to that country, and he hoped his friends would lef him. —(Laughter.) Yes, he hoped that the beneficial inten tions of the Right Hon. Baronet would not be thwarted by his supporters.—(Hear, hear.) It did seem some what strange to him that it should be stated in the ad dress, that things were going on in a satisfactory way in Ireland. Why, he .found that on a very late day, a resolution was adopted at a repeal meeting, - expressing a total want of confidence in that House, and their utter hopelessness of any alleviation of their wrongs from it. The wording of the resolution was this,—That, hawever desirable it might be that a discussion should take place in the House of Commons on the state of Ireland, that Associa tion, though fully aware of the wrongs under which their country was suffering, would yet not recommend that Irish Members should attend that House. He (Mr. Wakley) agreed with those who passed that resolution, that Ireland was most shamefully used, and he need only refer to the trial which led to the imprisonment of Mr. O'Connell. Why, the impression produced on the minds of the people of England, by the circumstances attending that trial was, that it was most unjustifiable, and yet, before that time, Mr. O'Connell had created in this country a feeling prejudicial to himself, engendered and fostered by the coarse attacks upon the Government, and his language, when speaking of the people of Eng land.—(Hear, hear.) But after the trial and before the decision on the House of Lords. the universal impression —and that had been confirmed by the decision of the House of Lords—had been in that House, that the whole was an unlawful procedure, and that with such an in dictment so framed, so drawn up, it was next to impos sible that the accused party could extract the knowledge of what was charged against him. What was the impression now ?—(Hear.) He could assure the Right Honourable Baronet, from conversations which he had held with many of the most respectable of the middle classes, that the public mind of England was in a feverish state with regard to their relative position with Ireland, they looking on it rather as a source of weakness than as a source of strength. The impression prevailed that Ireland was a persecuted country, and that it did not receive its due share of justice from the English law. There were Irish Members there, and he at the same time had no hesitation in saying that the House had never seen any series of measures for the re lief of their country, which could be placed on the table of their own Parliament, if they had one to-morrow on College-green.—(Hear, hear.) He said, therefore, that Irish Members had not been acting justly by that House, and not wisely by themselves.—(Hear, hear.) If they would frame such measures as were demanded for the welfare of Ireland, and submit them to the Imperial Parliament, then, if that Parliament were to reject them, he conscientiously believed that even the people of England would demand repeal, because the love of jus tice was strong in the English mind. They desired to see no portion of the empire in a state of prosecution, and they regarded Irishmen as pro secuted persons, because their country was not placed on an equal line, and because the measures of justice were not meted out to them as to the people of England. To relieve the House and himself from their difficulties as regards Ireland, he (Mr. Wakley) would conclude by expressing an earnest hope, that some one of the Irish Members would frame such a measure as he might deem best calculated to give relief to that country; and then, indeed, if that Parliament rejected it, the responsibility would rest upon their heads. The report on the address was then brought up and agreed to. THE BOROUGH OF DARTMOUTH. A petition was presented from George Moffat against the return of Mr. Somes for the borough of Dartmouth. RICHMOND RAILWAY. Mr. HAWES presented a petition in favour of the Richmond Railway. WEST YORK RAILWAY. A petition was also presented by some Hon. Member. whose name we did not get, in favour of the West York Railway. The House then adjourned at Eight o'clock. TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE. At the Court of Buckingham Palace, the 3d day of February, 1845, present the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council SHERIFFS APPOINTED BY HER MAJESTY IN COUNCIL, FOR THE YEAR 1845. Bedfordshire—William Bartholomew Higgins, of Tar vey, Esq. Berkshire—John Bligh Monck, of Coley Park, Esq. Buckinghamshire—Edmund Francis Dayrell, of Lulling stone Dayrell, Esq. Carob. and Hunt.—John Bonfoy Rooper, of Abbotts Ripton, Esq. Cumberland—Timothy Featherstonhaugh, of the Col lege. Kirkoswold, Esq. Cheshire—Sir William Thomas Stanley Massey Stanley, of Hooton, Bart. Derbyshire—Thomas Pares, of Hopwell, Esq. Devonshire—Edw. Simcoe Drewe, of the Grange, Esq. I)orsetshire—Edward Balston, of Corfe Hill, Esq. Durham—John Win. Williamson, of "Whickham, Esq. Essex—George Round, of Colchester, Esq. Gloucestershire—Edmund Hopkinson, of Edgworth House, Esq. Herefordshire —James King King, of Staunton Park, Esq. Hertfordshire —Sir Henry Meux, of Theobald's Park, Esq. Kent—Sir Moses Montefiore, of East Cliff, St. Lawrence, Thanet, Knight. Leicostershirs—Wm. Corbet Smith, of Bitterswell, Esq. Lincolnshire—Thos. Coltman, of Hagnaby Priory, Esq. Monmouthshire—Wm. Phillips, of Whitson House, Esq. Norfolk—Theophilus Russell Buckworth, of Cochley Cley, Esq. Northamptonshire—The Hon. Richard Watson, of Rock ingham Castle. Northumberland—Ralph Carr, of Hedgley, Esq. Nottinghamshire—William Hodgson Barrow, of South well, Esq. Oxfordshire—John Sidney North, of Wrox ton Abbey, Esq. Rstlandshire—Henry Bennet Pierrepont, of Ryhall, Esq. Shropshire—St. John Chiverton Charlton, of Apley Castle, Esq. Somersetslure—John Lee Lee, of Dillington House, Esq. Staffordshire—Charles Smith Forster, of Ilamstead Hall, Esq. County of Southampton—Sir Ri c hard God en Simeon, of Swainstone, Isle of Wight. Bart. Suff)lk—Henry Wilson, of Stowlangtoft, Esq. Surrey—Richard Fuller. of the Rookery, Dorking, Esq. Sussex—James Baril Daubuz, of Offington Esq. Warwickshire—James Roberts West, of Alscote, Esq. Wiltshire—Wads Browne, of Monkton Farleigh, Esq. Worcestershire—Thos. Simcox Len, of Astley Hall, Esq. Yorkshire—Sir William Bryan Cooke, of Wheatley, Bart. WALES. AngleseyLitobert Jones lli!ghes, of Plas Llangoed, Esq. Brecknockshire—Wm. Williams, of Aberpergwm, Esq. Carnarvonshire—Postponed. Carmarthenshire—David Jones, of Glanbrane Park, Llandovery, Esq. Cardiganshire—John Lloyd Davies, of Alltyrodyn, Esq. Garthmeile, sear De c n e b r i r g i li g s - h y i . r d e— rin Charles sq. Wynn, of Flintshire—Ralph Richardson, of Greenfield Hall, Esq. Glamorganshire—Robert Savours. of T recas tl e , E sq . Merionethshire—Richd. Watkin Price, of Rhiwlas, Esq. Montgomeryshire—John Winder Lyon Winder, of Vaynor Park, Esq. Pembrokeshire—Abel Lewis Gower, of Castlemal gwynne, Esq. Radnorshire—James Davies, of Colva, Esq. DIVIDENDS DECLARED. D. Pope—first div. of 2s. in the pound, on Saturday, Feb. 8, and any subsequent Saturday, at the office of Mr. Edwards, Frederick's-place, Old Jewry. T. Brand—first div. of aid. in the pound, on Satur day, Feb. 8, and any subsequent Saturday, at the office of Mr. Edwards, Frederick's-place, Old Jewry. J. Cratnbrook—first div. of 4s. 4d. in the pound, on Saturday, Feb. 8, and any subsequent Saturday, at the office of Mr. Edwards, Frederick's-place, Old Jewry. DIVIDENDS. At the Court of Bankruptcy, Basinghall-street. J. Bull, W. Banks, and G. Bryson, wholesale linen drapers, King-street, Cheapside, Feb. 25, at eleven—J. Bail, cabinet maker, Salisbury, Feb. 27, at twelve—Js. Simmons, Jn. Simmons, and J. Pine, manufacturers of prussiate of potash, Battersea, Feb. 27, at eleven—W. Pearson, draper, Chelmsford, Feb. 27, at eleven— R. H. C. Hunt and E. 0. Smith, merchants, Old Broad street, Feb. 27, at one—S. Jones, jeweller, Cheapside, Feb. 25, at half-past one—G. Ridley, wine merchant, Gould square, Feb. 25, at half-past eleven--P. Williams and C. Mottram, Manchester warehousemen, Wood street, Feb. 5, at two—D. Roderick, victualler, St. Mar tin's-court, Feb. 25, at two—T. Pearson, wine merchant, Mitre•court, Fenchurch-street, Feb. 25, at half-past one —T. Ginger, innkeeper, Leighton Buzzard ,Bedfordshire, Feb. 25, at half-past tirelve—T. Reynolds, jun., mer chant, Great St. Helen's, Bishopsgate-street, Feb. 26, at eleven. In the Country. T. Mease, 11-ix spinner, Stokesley, Yorkshire, Feb. 28, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court—T. Lakin, builder, Nottingham, Feb. 27, at twelve, at the Birming ham District Court—T. Walker, brewer, Leeds, March 6, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court—R. Alsop, grocer, Manchester, Feb. 26, at twelve, at the Man chester District Court—J. and D. Arthur, iron masters, Neath, Glamorganshire, Feb. 26, at half-past eleven, at the Bristol District Court—AV. Oliver, printer, Darling ton, Durham, Feb. 27, at half-past twelve, at the New castle-upon-Tyne District Court—R. Currie, bookseller, Newcastle upon-Tyne, Feb. 27, at eleven, at the New castle-upon-Tyne District Court—J. Pym, jun., cabinet maker, Belper, Derbyshire, Feb. 25, at half-past el even , at the Birmingham District Court—W. Fletcher, oilman, Birmingham, Feb. 25, at half past one, at The Birming ham District Court. CERTIFICATES to be granted, unless cause be shown to the contrary, on the day herein-mentioned. L. Watson, smith, Rlckmansworth, Herefordshire, Feb. 25—J. Hook, contractor, Nine-elms, Feb. 27—T. Boulter, innkeeper, Cromer, Norfolk, Feb. 28—E. Ash well, butcher, North Walsham, Norfolk, Feb. 25—.1. Hoggins, merchant, Apollo-buildings, Walworth, Feb. 28—J. Vaile, wine merchant, Cheltenham, Feb. 23—C. Bones, shoemaker, Bath, Feb. 28—W. Oliver, printer, Darlington, Durham, Feb. 27—T. Hodgson, calico printer, Manchester, Feb. 27—T. W. Butterworth, draper, Mame, Lancashire, Feb. 25—J. G. West, grocer, Wand ;- worth, Feb. 25—W. Smith, builder, Glotrester-street, Hoxton, Feb. 25—R. Parkinson, cloth manufacturer, Calverley, Yorkshire, Feb. 25—H. Walker, cordwainer, Luton, Bedfordshire, Feb. 25—G. F. Davidson, mer chant, John-street, Adelphi, Feb. 25. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. J. Lowry and J. Willson, coal merchants, Hull—W. Hannen and J. Rutter, attorneys-at-law, Shaftesbury, Dorsetshire—W. Westbury and G. Simmons, litho graphic printers, Walbrook—J. Reid and J. Glazier, undertakers, Goodge-street, Tottenham-court-road—H. Stuart and T. Russell, watch manufacturers, Liverpool— R. and W. Wilding, cotton manufacturers, Padiham, Lancashire—M. Blyth and S. Milbourn, paper makers, Taverham-mills, Norfolk—W. Holt and G. Ingram, drapers, Hull—H. R. Morley and H. Hall, merchants, Hull—C. Law and J. M. Cobb, wine merchants, Margate —J. and W. Hind, farmers, Erith, Kent—S. and M. Hinde, plumbers, Bedford—J. Southan, C. Timms, and W. Davis, drapers, Worcester—T. O'Rorke and W. Birks, commission agents. Manchester—G. Brown and I. Best, common carriers, Pickering—J. Robin, sen , C. Robin, and J. Robin, jun., merchants, Liverpool (so far as regards C. Robin)—R. and J. Burt, linen drapers, Kingsbridge, Devonshire—G. Kelk and J. Brookes, furnishing ironmongers, Old Compton-street, Soho—W. Newman and S. Loft, flour dealers, Louth, Lincolnshire —W. and J. Barr, builders, Nassau-street, Marylebone —T. Peace and A. Webster, coal merchants, Penistono, Yorkshire—J. L. Findley, jun., and H. M. Naylor, general dealers, Birmingham—T. Price, T. Backhouse, J. Meek, and J. Spence, glass manufacturers, York—L. Redhead and F. T. B. A. Spiers, ship brokers, Mark lane—J. Belliss and T. Giles, linen drapers, Birmingham —J. Barugh, M. Wingrave, and W. B. Sunley, store shippers, Ratcliffe-highway—G. Townson, T. Robinson, and .T. Haworth, drysalters, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire— Scott and Co., Boer brewers, Plymouth. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. Charles Durie, merchant, Arbroath,Feb. I I and March 3, at twelve, at Bruce's Hotel, Arbroath. Allan M'Naughton, ship broker, Leith, Feb. 11 and March 4, at two, at the New Ship Hotel, Leith. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. PIRATES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Advices were received at Lloyd's, yesterday, from their agents at Gibraltar and Patras, reporting the pre sence of pirates in the above sea. The agent at the former port states that the Spsnish brig Sopress, bound from Cadiz to La Guayra, had re turned to Cadiz, the captain reporting that when he had proceeded as far as Cape St. Vincent, three piratical vessels, a barque, brig, and schooner, hove in sight, and the brig gave chase to him, but he managed, after being chased for some days, to re- anchor in Cadiz bay. The agent at Patras reports that an lonian vessel, with 2,000 dollars on board, on her way to the Gulf of Corinth, to load currants for a British merchant, anchored in a creek through stress of weather, where she was waylaid by a pirate and attacked, but the crew repulsed them, the clerk in charge of the money was, however, seriously wounded. On the above news reaching Gibraltar, her Majesty's ship Scout, the Swedish corvette C a rl s k ro n a , and the Danish brig of war Mercurius, all proceeded to sea to cruise in the above neighbourhood. In the mean time it will be well if all merchant vessels bound up the Mediterranean be provided with arms and ammunition in case they should fall in with them. EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY. The seventeenth half-yearly meeting of this Company was held yekerday at the London Tavern. Mr. Bosan-. quet, Chairman of the Directors, in the Chair. The common seal of the Company having been at tached to the register by the Proprietors, The CHAIRMAN briefly opened the business of the day by observing that there was every prospect of success at tending the proposed extension of this Company before the Board of Trade, inasmuch as the principle upon which that Board had acted was conservative of existing interests. Mr. DUNCAN, the law clerk of the Company, then read the following Report of the Directors. " The Directors have co recently met the Proprietors at a Special General Meeting to report to them the various mea sures proposed for the branch and extension lines of the Company, that they deem it unnecessary again to enterupon the subject until the decision of the Board of Trade upon the whole of the schemes connected with this railway shall have been announced. " The accounts of the expenditure on capital account are appended to this report. The accounts for the past half year, connected with the traffic, are also annexed, and they show a net profit of 15,4951. The Directors have, therefore, declared a dividend for the quarter, after the rate of 21. 14s. per cent. per annum upon the consolidated stock of the Company. " The intended opening of the fifty additional miles of rail way between Newport, Cambridge, Ely, and Brandon, on the Ist July next, has rendered an immediate and considerable increase necessary to the engines, carriages, and other carry ing stock of the Company, in order to meet the additional traffic upon this important extension of the line. The orders for that Stock have been given. " The declaration of forfeiture by the Directors of several of the original shares of the Company has to be confirmed by the present meeting. " Since the last special general meeting, the resignation of Theodore W. Rathbone, Esq., the Deputy Chairman of the Company, from the Direction, has been received. The great experience of Mr. Rathbone in all matters connected with railways has caused his long connexion with this railway to be essentially serviceable to the interests of the undertaking; and he retires, accompanied by the sincere esteem and regret of every one of his colleagues with whom he has so long laboured. The Directors have supplied the vacancy in the direction thus occasioned, by the election of Francis Valen tine Lee, Esq. " At the present meeting four Directors retire by rotation, viz. :—Henry Bosanquet, Cornelius Butler, Joseph. Chris topher Ewart, and William Collings Wells, Esqrs.,—all of whom are eligible for re-election, in terms of the Company's Act of Parliament." A statement of the accounts was then read, from which it appeared that the capital account amounted to 2,906,780/. 2s. 10d. On the extension lines the amount ,4ed t5041.796:4.135di 14s. 10d. The traffic account on the Colchester line e l x i p e en i d n e t d er t e o st the on 4th lo o a f n J s an a u cc a o ry u , a l64 a s m , was ll nt showed a balance in favour of the Company of 22,8171 . 2s. sd. The traffic account of the Cambridge line ex hibited a balance of 6, 3571 . ls. 6 d. The gross amount on each side of the traffic account of the Colchester line was 68,6681.75. 3d., and of the traffic account of the Cambridge line 47,161/. 15s. 7d. The depreciation fund to the 4th January, 1845, was 6,3451. ls. 5d., leaving a devisable fund of 15,4951. 2s. 6d. for one quarter's divi dend to the 4th January, 1845, equal to 2s. per share on the capital stock, at the average value of 141. 16s. per share. Mr. DUNCAN then read a report from Mr. Robert Stephenson, the engineer, from which it appeared that the works on the extension lines were proceeding in a most satisfactory manner, and it concluded by stating that the whole of these lines would be open by the end of the next July. This announcement was received with much applause. The CHAIRMAN then moved that the report be received and adopted, and circulated amongst the Proprietors. Mr. KETTERING seconded the motion. Mr. SCOTT then at some length complained of the great increase in the capital account. That account had originally been little more than 2,000,000/., and it was now nearly 3,000,000/. He thought there must be some mismanagement somewhere. He complained, too, of the number of Liverpool gentlemen who were in the direction. The CHAIRMAN replied that the most efficient aid had been received from those gentlemen. With respect to the capital account, he could only say that if the Hon. Gentleman had been present at the last nine or ten meetings, he would then have heard how it was that the capital account had lately been so much increased. The motion for the adoption of the report was then put, and carried unanimously. Mr. TITE said, that as the directors bad as . yet re ceived no remuneration for their valuable services, he would move that a sum of 4,000 Z be given to them for their past services, and that a sum of 1,8001. be granted to them annually. Mr. BURT seconded the motion. Mr. LA MERT thought it would be better to defer this motion to the next meeting, and moved an amendment to that effect. Some discussion then took place, but the amendment was ultimately withdrawn, and the original motion was then carried amidst great applause. Thanks to the Chairman were then voted, and the meeting separated. THE UNITED SERVICE MAGAZINE FOR FEBRUARY. —Marshal Marmont, Duke of Ragusa, one of the most distinguished of Napoleon's celebrated commanders, has written an essay on " The Spirit of Military Institu tions," which has attracted great attention on the Con tinent, and can scarcely fail of being regarded with at least equal interest in this country—it being the result - , as the author dec!ares, of the recollection of twenty campaigns, and more than half a century of experience. Every officer in the British army should at once make himself acquainted with the ideas of this veteran, as they will enable him to gain a knowledge of his profession which Marshal it iis impossible has written he differentcould acquire c hv in t e a r n s y , o o n t othe r emu- eDrewa. The t v i r o e n s sG - - On e ntehrea Principles—O r gan i sation, '— atiTn a , ct a ie n s d — Mainte nance of Armies—On Infantry—and On Cavalry : and writes in a spirit of impartiality which is amongst the greatest recommendations of his essay. A well-executed translation of this valuable work will be found in The United Service Magazine for February. HARBOURS OF REFUGE. Mr. RICE asked if the Government intended to adopt any of the recommendations contained in the report on the harbours of refuge. Sir R. PEEL said he deeply regretted that reports which were prepared for the confidential information of the Government sometimes were inserted in the public papers, though how they reached the journals he had not the slightest notion. The report in question had occupied the serious attention of the Government, but the expenditure required to carry it out would be enor mous. For instance, the cost for the harbour of Dover alone was estimated at 2,500,0001. With respect to the improvement of one harbour, that of Holyhead, in order to facilitate the great intercourse between two parts of the United Kingdom, the Government had not yet come to a decision on the recommendations contained in the report; and before such an enormous expenniture should be incurred, it would be necessary that the whole subject should be well considered. He thought the Com mi.sioners classed the harbours in the following manner: —First, and first in importance, Dover; next, Portland; and next, Seaford. The estimate for Dover could not be relied upon, but the expense would be not less than 2,500,0001. And at the same time, before such a gigantic work could be undertaken, it must be recollected that a variety of experiments must be made in reference to the quantities of matter which collected in the harbour, and preventing the deposit of this matter. He should be sorry, before 2,500,000/. were expended, to see these re commendations carried into effect lightly. This report had been referred to the Lords of the Admiralty, and thy subject had undergone that examination which the high character of the Commissioners so fully entitled it to JUDGES OF ASSIZE (IRELAND). Lord diINIENTS asked if any large increase had lately been made in the salaries of the judges of assize in Ireland ? Sir J. GRAHAM said the Noble Lord should have given him notice of his intention to ask the question. THE ADDIZESS. Sir R. PEEL took the opportunity of notifying to the House that her Majesty would receive the address of the House in answer to her gracious speech, at half-past two o'clock to-morrow (this day.) CHARITIES IN ENGLAND. Mr. HUME asked whether it was the intention of the Government to bring in any measure respecting the cha rities in England. Sir J. GRAHAM said that a measure would be in troduced on the subject, in the course of this session. THE BUDGET. Lord J. RUSSELL asked when the Right Hon. Ba ronet would apprise the House of the general nature of his financial statement ? Sir R. PEEL said that he had already given notice that he would bring forward his financial statement on Friday se'nnight, and on Friday next ho would state ex actly what its purport would be. CLERKS OF THE CROWN. Mr. ESCOTT wished to ask whether a Bill to secure the payment of Clerks of the Crown by salary instead of fees, would be proceeded with on an early day. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that a Bill on that sub ject would be introduced to-morrow se'nnight. THE ADDRESS. On the motion of the order of the day for the second reading of the Report of the Committee appointed to draw up the address. Mr. HUME said, though he hadno objection to the ad dress in general, still there were some points on which he wished to make a few observations. They congratu lated her Majesty on the state of the public finances, but he regretted there was no prospect of relief for the people. There was to be no relief of taxation, while there was to be a great increase in the naval estimates. He had hoped that they should have received some intima tion of some relief to be granted to commerce by the removal of troublesome and oppressive duties to which it was now subjected. But not one word was stated of any such intention ; he therefore wished,,before he gave his sanction to the continuance of the income-tax, which this address implied, to press on the Government the necessity of affording some compensation for it by a re duction of duties on articles of consuniption. The Right Hon. Baronet had complained last night of a fac tious attack being made upon him by the Noble Lord (Russell) on the question of Otaheite. But if that ques tion was made the ground of any factious opposition, he (Mr. Hume) did not belong to that party, - for he thought that the manner in which that question had been settled was highly creditable to the moderation of the Govern ment, and had been the means of preserving peace be tween this country and France. Mr.:WILLIAMS complained that the speech made no allusion whatever to the destitution of, many classes of the people, especially in the manufacturing districts, where great distress and privation werestill experienced. This was a state of things this country should not en dure. It had been boasted that England was at peace with the world—he was happy to hear it ; but it availed little to the people of England if the expenditure was not reduced.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that some Member of the Government would give an explanation which would satisfy the people of England that this vast expenditure was necessary ; nothing but dissatisfaction prevailed on the subject. Mr. S. CRAWFORD called the attention of the House to the paragraph in her Majesty's speech relative to the Landlord and Tenant Commission in Ireland, and expressed a sincere and earnest wish that the Govern ment would introduce some measure founded upon it, which would allay the discontent which, he regretted to say, was so deep and so universally prevalent in Ireland. In fact, he never knew the state of unfortunate Ireland to be so dreadful or alarming as at the present moment. Murders and assassinations were going on, in particular districts, to an immense extent, and it, would be found impossible to prevent the continuance of this lawless vio lence unless some such regulations were established be tween landlord and tenant. On a former occasion he had introduced a measure on this subject, but, at the request of the Right Hon. Baronet, withdrew it, and he regretted that Right Hon. Gentleman had not himself propounded some measure on the subject. He hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would not allow the session to pass over with out introducing some measure in reference to this matter. Some lien must be given to the tenant in the land on which it was expected he would spend his labour and his capital. The new poor-law must be modified and reformed in many important particulars. Great, and he must say just, discontent prevailed throughout England from the injustice and oppression of many of its provisions. The present system of poor laws took away the right which the labourer had to demand subsistence or employment, and gave him but a very inadequate and harsh remedy against actual desti tution. The loyalty of the people of England had been lauded. He thought there was more justice in the encomium than there ever had been, but if the Govern ment wished to keep them so, they must remodel and mollify the present poor-law. Mr. WALLACE was understood to - say that by agreeing to the address he did not pledge himself to vote for the navy estimates. Sir R. PEEL said, though the Hon. Gentleman had voted for the address, he would be at perfect liberty to take what course he thought proper on the estimates. Mr. WAKLEY said he did not think a more popular tax than the income-tax could be devised, but he thought that if even the principle of the sliding scale was sanctioned, it should be in this instance. The principle of a sliding scale, it it could be at all con sidered applicable or equitab'e, should surely be allowed between real property and that precarious description of income derivable from professions and trades.—(Hear.) The Right Hon. Baronet must know that the income tax in this respect was most unpopular. But the circum stance which would most operate on the public mind in favour of this tax, and which could alone render it tole rable, was a reduction in the revenue. If that species of taxation which interfered with trade and commerce were removed—that taxation which was so injurious to the labourer, by interfering with supply—the income-tax would be borne without murmur or discontent. The speech from the throne seemed to infer that no distress prevailed among the people of this country; but be (Mr. Wakley) entirely agreed with the Hon. Member for Co ventry, that among the unskilled labourers great distress nrevailed. It was, in fact, impossible to present an ade quate picture of the sufferings of this class. He hoped, when the Right Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir J. Graham) brought in a Bill with reference to the law of settlement, a Committee would be appointed to inquire into the con dition of these people. The circumstances under which they were living ought to be made manifest to the House, for the majority of the House knew nothing of the privations to which this mass w ere exposed. The sufferings of the people under the present law of settle ment were indescribable. A labourer, for instance, goes to a distance from his native place, marries, rears a family and dies ; his wife makes application for relief ; what is the answer to her application ? "Wo will give you a loaf or two of bread, or a shilling or two, but if you come again, we must give you an order for reception into the house ; and when the time prescribed by law elapses, we will pass you home." Where ? To her husband's settlement—a hundred miles distant, and which he left twenty years ago.—(Hear, hear.) She knew nobody residing there—had no friend—no rela tive—had never seen one of her husband's relatives. But the overseer replies : " All that may be, but I can't help the state of the law."—(Hear, hear.) Sooner than endure all this she suffers all the misery of prolonged starvation. It was impossible that the present poor law could much longer exist.—(Hear.) He would state what came under his own immediate notice on Saturday last. A poor man, a labourer, of good character, 26 years of age, died in the parish of (as we caught it) Royston, in this county. Six months previously him self and his wife lived in Iver, in Buckinghamshire. One or both became ill, and chargeable to that parish. 21 ss. had been incurred fur their maintenance during three weeks, but just before the time expired, fearing they would be passed home to their native place, in the degraded condition of paupers, they tra velled to Royston themselves, and took an apartment furnished, if furnished a room could be called, the whole contents of which were not worth 2s. 6sl. They were carted to the overseers at Royston, and immediately after that conveyed back to their lodging. The poor man was out of work, his wife ill, and they were in a state of the most miserable destitution. This man said, We must go to the relieving officer, we . must have relief, or we shall die." See what occurred in conse quence of the size of the union. —(Hear, hear.) The woman, in extreme suffering, left home without money or food, to go to the relieving officer at Hillingdon, five miles distant, in the depth of winter.—(Hear, hear.) She described to the relieving officer the state of desti tution to which the family was reduced. What was his auswer?—and the man acted in conformity with IRELAND. DIII3tIN, - FEIL - 4:-." - Tilrtnitiltirtr - paittirer 'letter - of the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel relates to the present crisis in the affairs of the Irish Catholic Church. It is conceived in a mild and Christian spirit, end maintains, with rather strong party feeling, that the hierarchy shall be independent and the priesthood free:— " TO THE CATHOLIC CLERGY OF CASHEL AND EMLY. " Dearly beloved Brethren,—ln times like the present, when every eye is fixed upon us, and when every word and action of ours is rigidly and jealously scrutinized, the advice of St. Paul to the Christians of Ephesus ap pears to be peculiarly applicable in our regard ; adopt ' ing, then, the sentiments of that great apostle, I may say to you with him, see, brethren, that you walk with circumspection, not as unwise, for the days are evil, but as wise, understanding the will of God. " You, my dear brethren, are the coadjutors and co• operators of our ministry, with whom we have shared the duty of feeding the flock which the Holy Ghost has com mitted to our c a r e . W e ex h ort you , t h en , t h at i n a ll things you show }ourselves to be faithful ministers of :he Lord, and that, guided by the paternal counsel which, in the name of the common father of the faithful, has been lately addressed to us you exhibit on your parts a signal ptudenee and moderation of spirit, and most cautiously avoid every thing that could exas perate or inflame—that you carefully cherish amongst the people quiet, tranquillity, and peace, which is the bond of Christianity, and constantly teach them by example and precept a due submission to the temporal power in those matters which appertain to civil affairs.' " In compliance, my dear brethren, with the spirit of this wise admonition, endeavour to promote a love of peace and social order amongst the flocks committed to your care ; exhort them, as you have always done, to be peaceable and well conducted, and not to be tempted to violate the law or to commit any crime, for the person who commits a crime strengthens the hands of his enemies, and is an enemy to himself, an enemy to his country and to his God. In a word, teach him to fear God, to honour the Queen who reigns over us, and to be obedient to her laws. " God, who created man, is the author of society. and of that obedience which is its fundamental law. Those who occupy his place in the State, from whatever source their authority is immediately derived, hold it at least remotely from him, according .to the clear doctrine of St. Paul, who expressly teaches in his epistle to the Romans, that 'there is no power but from God.' s " The same apostle also teaches that we are to give tribute to whom tribute, honour as well as obedience to whom honour is due ; this obligation thus unfolded by the apostle has been comprised in a single sentence by our blessed Lord, saying, render therefore to Caner the things that are Cmsar's, and to God the things that are G " You will, therefore, earnestly exhort your people to show a faithful and ready obedience to the law, and you will more especially recommend to them a cordial attach ment to the person of our gracious Sovereign who occu pies at present the throne of these realms. Fidelity to their kings has always been the characteristic of Irish men, and has descended to them as a sacred inheritance from their fathers. Cultivate and cherish, then, amongst your flocks those sentiments of loyalty which their re ligion, their interests, and their inclination enjoin. " But on this subject, my dear brethren, we have also another duty to discharge, for, in virtue of our ministry, we are debtors to all—to the great as well as to the humble, and to the governors as well as to the governed. If, on the one hand, we are bound to tell the people, in the words of St. Paul, that ' every soul be subject to the higher powers,'f sad that they should obey, for con science sake; the rulers whom Providence has placed o Ter them; on the other hand, we should tell those rulers themselves, that they, too, have duties to fulfil as well as rights to maintain ; that allegiance and protection are correlative obligations, and that if their subjects are bound to yield obedience unto them. they are also bound to secure to their subjects the free and legiti mate exercise of their constitutional rights, and to govern them by just and equal laws. The principles of civil government here laid down are clear and undeniable, for they are the principles of the free constitution under which we live, as well as of the great social compact by which both princes and people are equally bound. " You are well aware, my dear brethren, from sad experience, that the social condition of these countries is grievously deranged, whence the great body of our people have many grievances to complain of, and many priva tions to endure. To you they will naturally utter their complaints, and from you they will expect consolation and advice ; for in you they repose an unlimited confi dence, and you are, therefore, the depositaries of all their sufferings, their wants, and their woes. They richly merit your tenderest sympathy, and if you refused it to them you should cease to be men. Like true pastors, therefore, you will sympathise with your flocks in the various trials and afflictions they have to undergo ; but at the same time you will exhort them to submit with Christian patience and resignation to those temporal evils which an all-wise Providence oftentimes permits to be fal them. " And this, my dear brethren, is peculiarly incumbes.t on you at present, for designing persons have insidiously endeavoured to excite suspicions and jealousies in the minds of our people, by representing the authorities of our Church as opposed even to a calm and temperate ex pression of opinion upon the grievances under which they labour, and as hostile to the extension of their civil rights. It is onr duty to refute this calumny, and thus to quiet the fears and relieve the anxiety of the public mind. _ _ " What ! the Catholic Church an enemy to the wel fare and to the liberties of her children ? Unjust and unfounded imputation ! "Let us look back for a moment at the history of the middle ages, those ages of faith, when the influence and power of the Church were greatest, and let us inquire how was its influence used, and how was its power exercised ? Was it not in the protection of the oppressed against their oppressors, and was not. the Church in those days the strongest, nay the only remaining bulwark of the few and inconsiderable privileges which, under the feudal system, the people were permitted to enjoy ? " Yes, and so strongly was this conviction impressed upon the minds of the people themselves, that in all their struggles for freedom, they contended as strenuously for the immunities of the Church as they did for their civil rights, because they knew from experience that in pro portion as their rulers were successful in encroaching on the freedom of the Church, the salutary influences of religion were weakened, and the liberties of the people were stricken down. " The history of these countries furnishes a memo rable instance in point, for when the Catholic Barons of England, with Archbishop Langton at their head, ex torted from John the great charter of British freedom, they took special care, in the very first article of Magna Charta, to secure the liberties of the Church, and to pro vide that the election of bishops should be free. Such, my dear brethren, has invariably been the character of the relations subsisting between the Catholic Church and the people ; but in Ireland these relations are of a still more peculiar and interesting kind. For the Catholic clergy and people of Ireland have always been remarkable for their cordial and devoted attachment to one another—an attachment founded on the purest feel ings of religious affection, and strengthened by a com munity of suffering during centuries of woe. In the very worst of times, and amidst all the vicissitudes of civil and religious persecution, they adhered to each other with unexampled fidelity ; and though they lost their liberties, they preserved their religion inviolate, and their hierarchy still subsists unbroken and inde pendent, the only remaining monument of their national grandeur. " It is true, my dear brethren, that we have lived to see ;better times ; the sword of persecution has been sheathed, and the Penal Code has been repealed— thanks unto Providence, and thanks also to him whom Providence has raised up to loosen our chains and liberate us from bondage " But although brighter days have arisen upon us, we have a duty, an important duty, to discharge. We are bound to guard with a watchful eye and a jealous care the freedom of our Church as well as the purity of our faith. This, I repeat it, is the duty, the bounden duty of all, the duty of every Catholic who loves his religion and his native land ; and it may not be amiss to add, that this is the determined and unanimous feeling of that venerable body to which we have the honour to belong. " Our enemies may accuse us, if they please, with seeking to establish the ascendancy of our Church ; but to their groundless calumny the only reply we conde scend to offer is that the accusation is untrue. We seek not for the ascendancy of our Church, but we seek to preserve its independence, and, with the Divine assist ance, that independence we will inviolably maintain. Yet, as far, at all events, as we are concerned, our hierarchy shall be independent, and our priesthood shall be free. The strong hand of power might fetter us with chains of iron, but by golden manacles we never shall be bound ; and no gift that royal or ministerial bounty cin bestow shall ever purchase that independence which nei ther proscription, nor exile, nor death itself, could de stroy. In weal or in woe, to our people we will cling ; on their generous feelings we will throw ourselves for support, and will that people cast us away ? Oh ! forbid it heaven that an event so disastrous should occur ! May the bonds of affection which unite the Catholic people of Ireland to their clergy never be broken ; and may the sacred union that exists between them never be dissolved. " There is one subject more—namely, the Catholic Bequests Bill, to which, on an occasion like the present, we think ourselves called to allude. In our joint peti tion to Parliament, my dear brethren, we have already recorded our opinions in opposition to that measure, and to these opinions we unalterably adhere. But in the discussions regarding it that may and that will arise, let your influence be used to moderate the violent, and to deprecate anything like disrespect towards those of our brethren in the ministry whose opinions on that question may differ from ours. Let it be remembered that they are the anointed of the Lo rd, that they are the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mys teries of God. Let, therefore, all unseemly language to ' wards them be avoided, for this could only tend to wound charity, to injure religio n, and togra da ti e f) r - the enemies of m_. will our holy faith. You y o ursel s ve a s i; m give to your respect ive in this respect ; and we will d flock not example ple of moderation e do them the injusti ce to suppose that t h e y would be wanting in that respect for the character and the persons of their priesthood, which has always pro-eminently distinguished the Ca tholic people of this land. In conclusion, dearly beloved brethren, may our blessing and the blessing of 'leaven die upon you and upon the flocks that are committed to your care, and may the peace of God, which surpasset h all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. —Phi lippians, iv. ch., v. 7, " SLATTERY, Archbishop. " Thurles, Feast of St. Frances of Sales." The Catholic Bishop of Ossory has also published a pastoral address of great length, in which he objects Strongly to any connexion between Church and State. At a meetirg of the Repeal Association on the 3d, the following resolutions wore put and adopted:-- "That however desirable it may be that a discussion should take place in the House of Commons, with aietv -toevrtte.s -ttreiniestitkr of-the prore:eahigi cuntireted "tir7. the late Rate trials, this association is au. deeply ` - Dressed with a sense of the hopelessness of obtain dress fur the wrongs of Ireland from the Itn_per . hatuent, that we cannot recommend th a t th e fri tiers should be called upon t 4 attend such discus " That the attendance of the Irish Repeal Me the Conciliation Hall would be most conducive tO\ great object of the association—the restoration ode domestic Legislature.'' After the disposal of some routine business, 1 41, O'Connell announced the rent for the week to he 3871. 2s. 2d. * Rom., 13 ch., 1 ver. t Luke, 20 ch., 25 ver. Rom., 13 ch., 1 ver. DREADFUL MURDER. _ - - A most barbarous and revolting murder was commit ted at a village called Larnmonby, in the vicitritv of l'enrith, Cumberlan on the afternoon of Werine;thy last. It appears that a woman of the name of date Crosby, who is married, and who keeps a small inn at Lamiramby, has her ii very much addicted to drinkir ° of late, arid the himband fre quen tly re pr i man d e d her for hr r inisco:oluct. They have two daughters, about the respective irg.s of nine and ten years, and the. younger of these children was the lather's favourite ; ar.d she frequently, on being questioned by her father on his return from work, informed him that her mother had been drinking during the day in his absence. The con sequence of this was, that the mother took a most rooted antipathy to the child, and had determined to put her out of the wav on the first favourable opportu nity. It seems, on Wednesday afternoon, a.ccordingly undressed the poor child, with the tx,eption of her shift, and having fir,t hidden the clothes in a closet, or recess, in the house, actually made a large fire purposely in the kitchen, and then took the child up .by the legs, held it over the fire with its face downwards, and laid it on the top grate bar until the poor child's flesh was literally all burnt off her face, and death put a period to her sufferings. The inhuman wretch then, it appears, had taken the child off the fire , and called at a neigh bour's house, and stated that the child had been left in the house with her little sister only, and her, elothea having caught fire, she bad been burnt to death during her absence at a farm-houso about two miles distant. The story was doubted very much by the neighbours; and on looking at the remains of the child, the shift it had on was found to have been only partially burnt about the neck and breast, but the back part was whole, and as no pieces of the burnt clothes had been found about the tire-place in the kitchen, their suspicions naturally became excited, particularly as the woman had previously only borne a very imperfect character in the village. The coroner was accordingly summoned, and on the in quest these suspicions were communicated to him, and the house having been searched, the child's clothes were found wrapped together concealed in a closet ; and on further inquiries being made, it was found that the in human mother had perpetrated the crime in the presence of her other child, who was in the kitchen at the time, and who had been so terrified and frightened by the cruel threats of the mother that she would burn her also if she reveteed the occurrence, that she in consequence never mentioned it till questioned by the coroner and jury. The coroner, Mr. Carrick, after a very patient and lengthened investigation of the ease, adjourned the in quest until Monday next, to give time to obtain some circumstantial evidence, and in the meantime ordered the woman to be taken into custody, and she is now in gaol until the verdict of the jury is returned. This pain ful occurrence has been a source of the greatest alarm and excitement in the secluded village of Lammonby and its neighbourhood ; and it is supposed that sufficient evi dence will be elicited to warrant the coroner in commit iug the wretched woman for trial for the cruel and un natural murder. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. TIIAMES POLICE. Yesterday, the boatswain and thirteen other Chinese seamen, natives of Canton, who were distinguished by their long tails of plaited black hair, and small caps on their heads, came to this office to make a complaint against the master and owner of the Repulse, East Indiaman. _ The boatswain, a good-tempered Chinaman, got into the witness-box and began to address the magistrate, but his English was so imperfect that he could not make himself understood, and an Englishman who accompa nied the natives of the_ Celestial Empire said he wou:d state their case. The Chinamen shipped in the Repulse, at Hong-Kong, under articles which specified that they were to be paid six dollars per month; except the boat swain, who was to receive seven dollars,. The articles, es he understood the men, further stipulated that the captain of the Repulse was to send them back to China in another ship at the sate wages. Their engagement with the Repulse had terminated, and the whole of the Chinamen had been paid all their wages except twenty dollars, which they would receive in their own coun try. That morning they were seat to another ship, the Ellen Stewart, in the St. Katharine's Dock, and upon asking for the articles and the amount of wages they were to receive, the captain said they were sent on board as passengers, and would be taken back to [long-Kong as such, and not as seamen. The men re fused to remain on board, and now sought the Magis trate's interference to compel the master or owner of the Repulse to fulfil the engagement entered into at Hong- Kong, and ship them as seamen at the same rate of K ages as they had been paid on the voyage to England. There were four other men who shipped at Calcutta in the same condition. Mr. BRODERIP said he was not aware that he had any power to compel the master or owner to ship the men as seamen in any vessel bound to Ilong-Kong at six dollars per month; and he thought it was unlikely that such an agreement was entered into with the men; but the owner or master was bound to send the m ba ck to their own country, and if they did not the Lords of the Admira'ty would take it upon themselves to do so, and sue the owner for the expenses incurred in relieving, maintaining, and finding a passage for them. Mr. Symons, the chief clerk, said the *owner of the Repulse had waited upon him respecting these men, and said, they only shipped for the voyage to England, and not for the voyage homewards. Mr. BRODERIP—In that case the owner has done all the law requires of him—provided them with a ship to convey them back to their own country. The boatswain said bis men wanted six dollars per month wages, and they signed for it. Mr. BRODERIP asked the Chinaman's interpreter if he had seen the ship's artieles, and he replied in the negative. Mr. BRODERIP then directed Barber, a police-con stable, to wait upon the owner, who was stated to have offices at No. 29, Cornhill, and request him to wait upon the sitting magistrate to-morrow (this day) with the articles, and explain the circumstances of the case. The boatswain made his salaam, took his long tail under his arm, and retired. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDA li.—`llo St. Vincent, 120, Captain Rowley, left the basin and took up her old moorings off Coldharbour, Gosport, yesterday ; she is completing fittings now very rapidly. The Rattler, screw-propelled steam sloop, Commander Smith, arrived from the river on Monday, with Com mander Crispin, of the royal yacht, and the inventor of the screw-propeller, on board. It is reported this vessel will try her rate of speed; with the royal and ti.e Att• miralty yachts. She is a very bold and sightly and, with the exception of the funnel, has no resemblance to a steam-vessel. Her rig is that of a schooner with three masts, and she looks somewhat like a corvette. Her speed in coming into harbour was very great. She mounts only five guns,—four 32's (carronades), and one long 68 pounder on a pivot forward ; and, from her ap pearance, we should judge she would, without any strain or inconvenience, carry double the number. She at tracted considerable attention from nautical men or, coming from Spithcad into harbour. The Nautilus, 10, Lieutenant-Commander W. Robson, was paid two months' advance wages on Monday, and sailed last evening for Brighton, to protect the fishery. The Lily, 16, Commander Newton, bent sails vest. Hay. The Lightning steam-vessel, Master-Commander Ro beets, arrived from Woolwich on Monday with volun teers for the Royal Marine Artillery for service in this garrison, and shells for the Excellent to fire at the Swift sure and Leviathan hulks. She left on Monday evening for Devonport. The Netley tender left on Saturday evening for De. vonport with supernumeraries, &c. The Emerald tender arrived from Devunport on Mon day with supernumeraries for the Vindictive, &c. The Falmouth navy lighter arrived from the river with victualling and dockyard stores on Sunday. DEVONPORT.—The Daring, 12, Commander Matson, is in dock, drying, after her trial of the water cure for leaking. Mr. Wite, her constructor, we are infbrincd, has been here superintending various operations in th_ endeavour to discover the leak. The Espiegle, 12, Commander Harris, and Flying Fish, 12, Commander Thompson, left the Sound ou Fri day afternoon again, on a cruise to try their respective rates of sailing. The Crane, 6, Lieut.-Commander Lewis, left on Sun day for Falmouth, to take out the next mail to the Brazils. The Emerald tender arrived from Portsmouth on Saturday with s upernumeraries for the ships tilting out here. The Netler tender arrived on Sunaly with supernume• raries from the eastern ports and Portsmouth. The Adventure, naval transport, Master -Commander W. Roskelly, arrived on Saturday from Cork with vic tualling stores for this port and the river depots. The Rapid, 10, Commander Earle, was at St. Helene on the 28th of December. The Ranger, 6, Commander Anderson, now fitting at this port, is expected to sail in a few days to the relief of the Rapid. SITEERNESS.—The Trafalgar, 120, Captain Martin, is gettin,6, on with h er fit t i ngs ver y ra pidly. Vi ce -Ad m i ra l Sir J. C. White, Commander-in-Chief, has struck his flag on board the Queen, and hoisted on board this splen. did new three-decker. The Dido, ls, Captain the Hun. 11. Keppel, arrived from the East Indies, last from Spithead on Saturday, and is now preparing to be paid oil in this harbour. The Vulture, first class steamer, is having some alte ration made in her machinery in the basin. The Herald, 26, is being painted and rigged. The Skylark, 4, Lieutenant•Cotnmander Morris, is a few hands short of her complement, but is otherwise ready for sea. TIIE EARL OF MORNINGTON.—The answer to numerous inquiries yesterday was that his Lordship con tinued in the same weak state. The Earl of Lucan is to succeed the Marquis of Slige as Lord Lieutenant of the county of Mayo. Her Majesty will hold a Couneil to-day, at which Sir George Clerk will be sworn a Privy Councillor, and named Vice President of the Committee of Council for Trade. —Evening Paper. why ,use• ti de, )t to LIDO, not lent, ati , ; then ile , n to ge rs. lion. ,ientr irtim haf e t 6 . 6 0 qu o' ' do a t. space orde r ion lief 8 ., O laf iv one s ' b t ite§ 'y w 0,11.1 , 1 1.1 cor :f that