The Sun. — London, England, 1844-07-18 00:00:00

et irb Zbition SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAT. GLOBE.--Sir James Graham's inexplicable course with respect to the convict Dalmas has occasioned much Surprise in the public mind, and has been made the sub ject of well-merited and strongly-marked censures. A snore cold-blooded, premeditated murder than that of which Dalmas was convicted, on evidence that afforded no possibility of doubt as to his guilt, has not been often perpetrated. While the penalty of death for deliberate murder, remains unrepealed on the statute-book, no imaginable reason can be assigned for exempting Dalmas from the punishment to which he was sentenced. The object of the - law, and the duty of those intrusted with its execution, arc alike—to prevent murder; to render life secure from the machinations of the mali cious, and from the violence of the cruel—to repress the commission of an enormous crime, which none but the most desperate of men will commit. Admit that putting the convicted offender to death has sufficient effi •cacy, by way of example, to prevent the com mission of such offences—and this is the only rational ground on which capital punishment is defen sible —there can be no reason w by Dalmas was reprieved; except that which was implied by the medical examina tion to which he was subjected after sentence, viz., that he was of unsound mind, and therefore not responsble to the law for the death of the peor woman who was his vic tim. No suggestion of insanity was made by his counsel on his trial—a line of defence, in the case of persons ac cused of flagrant offences,wh ich has of late become common from the success that has attended its adoption in several recent instances. Such a plea would, doubtless, have been set up on his trial, had there been the slightest evidence to sustain it. The defence was made to rest on a simple denial of guilt; a legal objection to the reception of the dying woman's declaration, which was admit ted to be valid by the Judges; and an attempt to shake the testimony of the witnesses who identified the pri soner as the man they saw with the woman, or near the spot, about the time the murder was perpetrated. Notwithstanding this, if any statements, tending to raise a doubt of the convict's sanity were forwarded to the Home-office , we think Sir James Graham was bound to direct a 2edical examination, and to stay exe cution of the sentence to ufford time for the medical practitioners to obtain the necessary information. Per suns acquainted with the history of the criminal, as well as those whose besiness it was to watch him care fully while in their custody, should be, and doubtless were, examined. The medical examination of the' wretched man ; of the chaplain of the prison ; and of the gaolers to whose custody and watchful care lie was committed during the considerable interval . which elapsed between his being committed fiir and his subsequent remand to their custody after sr n tence of death was passed upon him ; left no reason to infer that Dalmas was of unsound mind, or in any re spect incapable of exercising a proper control over his own conduct. The fact of the sentence being com muted into transportation for life is, in itself, sufficient to show that the Home Secretary was satis fied as to the sanity of the murderer. For what Minister of Justice, who was nut himself the subject of mental aberration, would direct a lunatic to be transported ? Bedlam, and not Van Diemen's Lard, is the appropriate place of restraint, and affords the only suitable discipline, for lunatics. If Dalmas were insane, and if his insanity were indicated by a propensity to murder, what a fearful responsibility has Sir James Graham assumed ! What, if on his voyage to the penal settlement to which the Home Secretary has consigned him, Dalmas murder one of 'the un happy beings who are expatriated by the sentence of the law, but whoso lives are as precious in the law's eye as that of any other person? What, if in the colony he, with the craf y vigilance for which lunatics are distinguished, watch his opportunity, and slack his thirst for blood by cutting the throat or knocking out the brains of a convict, or of one of the overseers ? Who would be responsible but the Home Secretary ? —who, with an inconsistency partaking of insanity, consigned a murderous lunatic to a penal settlement, instead of confining him in a lunatic asylum But it is suggested, that the evidence, upon under going revision, was not deemed satisfactory. Insanity and innocency, combined, are incompatible as pleas ; whether in answer to an indictment, or as the ground of an application to the Crown for a commutation of punishment. The one necessarily destroys the other. if the evidence be deemed insufficient to sustain a conviction—if discrepancies appear in material parts of the testimony sufficiently grave to engender doubts as to the actual guilt of the accused, the duty of the Home Secretary is clear. A pardon should have issued under the Great Seal, by which not only the life of the convicted party would be saved from the death to which be had been improperly doomed, but all the civil consequences of a conviction be averted. To transport an innocent man fur rife—i. e. a man who, it ie admitted, ought never to have been coneicted—to consign such a one to all the horrible deprivations and inflictions comprehended in dragging out existence in a penal set tlement—is manifestly as much opposed to justice as send ing a lu.nate to a penal settlement is inconsistent with reason, and dangerous to the safety of those, however degraded by crime, with whom he may be associated. We do nit, by any means, adopt the hypothesis of. the statement, that Dalmas' conviction was not justified by evidence. On the contrary, we consider that the proof was irrefragable. But assuming that well-sus tained doubt was raised in the breast of Sir James Graham as te its sufficiency, we contend that to cut the knot, which he was unable to untie, by transport ing the convict for life, was neither just to the indi vidual, respectful to the laws, nor safe to the public. The ease of Dalmas naturally induces a comparison of it with the circumstances attendant on the case of Crouch, recently executed at Newgate for the murder of his wife, and the different treatment h e rece i ve d f rom Sir James Graham with that which Dalmas has received at his hands. The cases of Crouch and Dalmas occurred within a month of each other. The execution of Crouch Was by no means in accordance with public opinion. Ile was generally regarded as a man " subject to fits 'of insanity," caused by the accident which had hap pened to him, and by which his brain was injured. No such defence was offered, or even suggested, in the case of Dalinas; whose exemption from the extreme penalty of the law is regarded as extraordinary, if not un i;etstifiable. The public opi n i on u p on a compar i son of both cases is, that as Dalmas was saved front the death 'to which he was consigned by the law, Crouch, who suffered its penalty under circumstances which rendered his sanity more than doubtful, was unjustly executed. STANDARD.—Courtesy commands that we reply, though we shall discharge the duty in few words, to the e.emarks with which the Courrier Francais has honoured this journal. It will probably be recollected that we engaged in controversy with our Paris Contemporary with the simple design of proving that England can shave no motive for exciting hostility against France, either in Morocco or in any other part of the north of Africa; and that the arguments by which we endeavoured to establish this proof—first, the direct and immedi ate interest which England, as a commercial nation, • has ie. the preservation of peace —we will add, the pro mofron of prosperity and happiness t very% here, more er e ec'ally in our own neighbourhood ; secondly,•the full oididence to that effect—the conviction, whether well or ill-founded, universally prevailing in this country=- that ultimately we can in any event suffer nothing from the establishment of our neighbours upon the African coast. These consid rations seemed to us suf- Selena in the absence of all evidence or pretence of evidence countervailing them, to demonstrate that Eng /land has had no share in exciting the hostility of the :Moors against France. We le sted chiefly upon conside ratiens er:' interest, and we are not ashamed to have done so, not only because practically among reasonable men and reasonably governed nations, interest chiefly pre vails, but also because there is really nothing tb be a bawd of in the motive. We have learned from all our best philosophers and soundest divines— Locke and Butler among others—that an enlightened self-interest is the great bond of society, and that the individual that succeeds best in brining duty and pro fit into harmony, goes farthest in fulfilling the deigns of the Author of all Good. Its showing that peace, uni versal peace, is the interest of England, we show that Eng land has made an important step in this hoeourable direc tion, and we put forward the tact (which the Courrier Fraecai,e ecknoeledges as indisputable) as a just occa *ion of pride, and a strong claim to the confidence of the w0 .. 1d. We give, as it were, hostages to mankind that rs o insane ambition of conquest on our part—no irra tional pursuit of glory—no vile feeling of envy or revenge will prompt us to disturb their peace, and cause their blood to be squandered. In proving what the Courrier Francois now udmits, but what it before directly denied, that the peace of Mica is fur the interest of England, we proved all we intended to prove, and it was with Yeferenee to this point that we introduced the apologue of "the wolf and the lamb," not thinking to personify the Trench people by the savage animal, but the Courrier -Francais itself, which pleinly employed the wolf's argument—that as England must have wished for a war between Merocco and Fraece, England kindled that war. We should be sorry, indeed, to suppose that France, or any consul, ruble portion of the French people, is so ab-urdly ignorant of the interest, the policy, and the feeling of this country, as to suppose that we ought not to wish or do not wish to our next door neighbours all the prosperity and happiness they can desire for themselves. In speaking of the settlement of Algiers, our allusion to . which is seized upon as a ground of.offenee, we gave exprescon to a conviction which • is, we believe, universal in this country, and in meet other countries of Europe, and which is certainly held by a very great number of inteligent men in France itself —the conviction that the settlement cennot be permanently maintained upon any very extensive scale, if at all. All the circumstances of the case eorsidered, this conviction is not in the least shaken by any votes which the Chamber of IN put:es may be compelled by " the pr essure front without" to pass, or the overnment may, by force of the same pressure, be compelled to pro pose. The history of the world, ancient and modern, presents no example of a territory as extensive—half as extensive—one-tenth as extensive as Algeria, per rnanen'ly retsined under such circumstances as those under which France has acquired and now holds that country. England, with her vast naval superiority, and the resources for military service which her one hundred millions of Indian population could sup ply, would deem it madness to attempt such an acquisition of territory. But the prevailing opinion k pp , of England in the matter is most plainly written in our An equality, if not predominance, in the e / e Mediterranean is of coarse as desirable to as as 't can be to France ; but how have we sought to f e re this object ? By large territorial conquests ; :pen a in their a cqu i s i t i on ; more expensive, -and /- ways hazardous in their preservation ? No ; though eY e se. Mr. MUNTZ begged to observe that his amendment did not du away with all interference with the guardians —it only rendered it necessary that application should be made by a majority of the ratepayers before such in terference could take place. Strangeis were then ordered to withdraw, and the Committee divided, when there appeared— For Mr. Muntz's amendment 23 Against it - Majority against the amendment... —55 Colonel WOOD moved the following addition to the clause:—" Provided always, that the said Commissioners shall, by order under their hands and seal, upon applica tion, in writing of two-thirds of the guardians elected for any parish in which the relief of the poor is now admi nistered by a board of guardians, or a board of trustees, under a local Act, and which is united with any other parish or parishes for the administration of the relief of the poor, if such parish, according to the enumeration of the population published by authority of Parliament, contain more than twenty thousand persons, to declare such parish to be separated from such union; and the re lief of the poor shall thereafter be administered in such parish by a board of guardians, elected according to the provisions of the Poor-law Amendment Act, or by a board of guardians or trustees, elected under a local Act, as the said Commissioners may direct." He had presented a petition from Kensington on the subject, and he thought parishes with such a pyptilation ought to have the power of sepaiating from a union without ) -; A7 l) ' : ` IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships met at Fire o'clock. Messengers from the House of COMMORS brought up the Southampton Improvement Bill, the Glasgow Rail way Extension Bill, and another private Bill. SCHOOLMASTERS OF SCOTLAND. _ _ Lord MINTO, in presenting a petition from the paro chial schoolmasters of Scotland, complained that the dis cussion which took place when he formerly put some question upon the subject to her Majesty's Government had been misreported in the provincial newspapers. It had not been said in that House that her Majesty's , Ministers had washed their hands of the subject. That was the very contrary of what occurred ; for his Noble Friend opposite had said that the Government were willing to give the subject a favourable consideration, but were unable to take it up at present. The petition which he now presented originated in a mistake of his Noble Friend's answer, in consequence of the imperfect manner in which it had been reported. The Duke of WELLINGTON said that his Noble Friend had rightly understood the answer of the Government. DETACHED PARTS OF COUNTIES BILL. Lord HATHERTON moved the second reading of this Bill, which, he said, was intended to remedy the inconveniences to which some counties were subjected by having parts of other counties embedded in them and completely detached. After a few words from the Marquis of SALISBURY and the Duke of RICHMOND, the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday. AGRICULTURE. The Duke of RICHMOND presented 120 petitions in favour of agricultural protection, some of which included a prayer against the Anti-Corn-law League. THE RACE-COURSE GAMING BILL. Lord CAMPBELL presented the petition of which he had given notice, from Charles Henry Russell, to be heard at the bar, by himself or counsel, against the Actions for Gaming Discontinuance Bill. lie thought the petitioner was entitled to be so heard—an indulgence fur which there were many precedents —amongst others, a case in which his Noble Friend Lord Brougham held a brief shortly after he was called to the bar. The Noble Lord on the cross bench (the Duke of Richmond) had said that there was some doubt whether Russell had a right to be heard, as it was supposed that he was only the nominal plaintiff. But the fact was, that. Russell would be liable to the eosts of the whole proceeding, if he should lose his actions, and he was therefore im mediately interested. He (Lord Campbell) therefore hoped the House would grant an application such as never had been refused. After a few words from the Duke of RICHMOND, the petition was laid on the table. Lord CAMPBELL then moved that the petitioner be heard at the bar, by himself or counsel, on the reading of the 0.-der of the day that the Bill be committed. SALMON FISHERIES BILL (SCOTLAND). The Earl of RADNOR in presenting a petition against this Bill, said he understood it could not proceed further without her Majesty's con sent being previously, given, as was the case with another Bill recently abandoned on that ground. But he hoped, whether that objection applied to this Bill or not, their Lordships would reject the Bill.—(Hear.) The Duke of RICHMOND thought that the object of the Bill was a very fair one ; but he would not object, if opposition were persevered in, to postpone the Bill till another session. The Earl of RADNOR complained that no notice had been, given in the orders of the second reading. If any such notice were printed in the orders, he was very much mistaken, and he had paid great attention to the progress of the motion, as he looked with some suspicion on the appearance of anew Salmon Bill for Scotland or Ireland every year —(A laugh.) The Duke of RICHMOND ultimately agreed to put off the Committee on this Bill (which stood on the paper for to-night) till Monday fortnight, in order that he might make himself master of the subject in the mean time ; for he must confess that he knew nothing about it when he moved the second reading. THE ALIENS BILL. Lord BROUGHAM begged to draw the attention of their Lordships to the subject of a Bill which had come up from the other House, and which stood for the second reading. As the law now stood, aliens were subject to great disadvantages in this country. They could not hold office, nor inherit free hold property, nor possess leasehold property ; neither could they own a share in any ship. The law would ope rate with great severity in cases of persons born of marriages in which one or other was a foreigner. lie knew a most eminent lady who held an English and Scotch peerage in her own right. But she had married a French nobleman ; and if she had a son born in France, that son could not inherit her titles or her estates in the kingdom. The law of Eng land was the most illiberal of any nation in the world. In France, the nation of any country was allowed to buy or inherit land or any kind of property, and to hold office, just as if he were a native of France. In respect to Ireland, however, the legislation of that country had been as liberal to foreigners as that of France, for aliens could purchase property, hold office, or even sit in Parliament, as freely as a native, until the 36th of George the Third. The object of introducing into the Act of settlement the" disqualification of foreigners from holding office, was to revent the foreign favourites of the King from being preferred to Englishmen.—(Hear, and a laugh.) But the Spitalfi, Ids weavers—or such as were foreigners— were disqualified even from holding the office of parish constables in their own parish. Now the cost of an Act of naturalisation could not be less than 1001. But were there not many foreign artisans whose skill would be of great valise to this country, if they were not dis qualified in such a way, and could not get over the disqualification, except at such an enormous, and, to them, insuperable expense ? The report of the Committee of the House of Commons was a most just one, but in some respects he did not altogether con cur in its recommendation. In the Bill which he was now about to call their Lordsbips' attention to more par ticularly —the Bill to which be alluded in setting out— he proposed to add a clause, that the wives of British subjects should be naturalised by the fact of' their marri age; and that in all Acts of naturalisation the clause prohibiting a naturalised person to sit in Parliament, or hold office under the Crown, should be omitted. It was a strange anomaly that the naturalised foreigner could not hold the humblest office under the Crown for fear he should betray the country to foreigners, whereas if he were chosen as the husband of the Sovereign, the Act of Settlement would be so far suspended, and he would be endowed with all British privileges. (LEFT SPEAKING.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. POOR-LAWS. (Continued froth our Afternoon Edition.) Sir JAMES GRAHAM had two objections to the amendment. It would be quite inconsistent with the provision agreed to by the House yesterday, and in the second place he believed the control of the Commis sioners was as much required in parishes managed under a local Act as in any others. Mr. SPOONER supported the amendment of his Hon. Colleague (Mr. Muntz). The Right Bon. Baronet objected that it would undo what had been done yester day. That was exactly what he wished to effect. He hoped the Committee would pause before it interfered with a system that had worked so well for so long a period. The guardians would be the protectors of the ' poor, and would be faithful to their trust to the rate payers, but they would not be the tools of the Poor-law Commissioners. The local Act had worked well, and had given general satisfaction in Birmingham; but the guardians would not be interfered with. He objected to the principle of the poor-law, and thought it proper, while they were on the details, to attempt to ameliorate it. He should support the proposition of his Hon. Friend. Mr. WAKLEY said they were all indebted to the Hon. Gentleman for his speech, but somebody had evi dently made a mistake,—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Mem ber spoke strongly in favour of the Birmingham local Act, because under it the guardians were elected tri ennially—(Hear, hear)—the vote was by ballot—(Hear, hear)—and the suffrage was universal.—(Hear, hear.) Was this the Birmingham Tory?—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) If it was, he heartily hoped they would have more like him in time.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Mem ber was returned as a gond Tory, but he would find there was a reforming party even on those benches. With respect to the amendment itself, it was totally in applicable to the law as it now existed, and he should vote against it. Cokinel SIBTHORP congratulated Birmingham on having returned to its senses, and stated that he should support the amendment. in 1800 we might have laid our grasp upon Sicily and a great part of Egypt—though in 1816 we might have effected a lodgment in Algeria—though in 1840 we had the whole of Syria, to say nothing of the facility with which we might at almost any moment during the war possess ourselves of the Balearic Islands, or any of them ; notwithstanding all these opportuni ties, England contents herself with half-a-dozen islands of the smallest size and the rock of Gibraltar, and these she finds amply sufficient for the protection of her com merce. Be our opinion respecting the permanence of the large French settlement in Algiers, however, correct or incorrect, it is surely unjust to ascribe that opinion to envy or ill- will. THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 18. 1844. coming to Parliament for a local Act. He hoped the Government would consent to the amendment, which would have a tendency to reconcile the ratepayers and the poor to the operation of the law. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said this question ought to be decided upon principle, and he had last year admitted that many of the unions embraced too large an area, and be had proposed that committees of guardians should be formed to receive applications for relief in the distant districts. He saw a notice given by the Hon. Member for Westmoreland to give power to the Commissioners, even without the consent of guardians, to alter the boundaries of unions. thought it would be better that the decision of the Committee should be first taken on the proposition of the Hon. Member for Westmoreland; if that preposition should be adopted this proviso would be unnecessary ; and if it were not adopted his Gallant Friend could, it' he would postpone it now, bring it for ward as a distinct proviso on bringing up the report and if his Hon. and Gallant Friend would make a slight alteration in the wording of the clause he would consent to his proposition. But he thought it best that the pro position of the Hon. Member. for-Westmoreland should be first decided, as it was a most important proposition, and worthy of, most attentive consideration. Mr. WAKLEY supported the amendment. Colonel WOOD, at the suggestion of Sir J. Graham, postponed his amendment till the bringing up of the report. The clause as amended was then agreed to. Onclause 58 being proposed, w hi c h re l a t e d t o th e appointment of paid auditors by parishes under. local Acts, Mr. HOG G moved that the parishes of St. George, St. Pancras, Marylebone, and St. James's, should be excluded from the provisions of-the clause. - Sir J. GRAHAM said that if he could be satisfied that an independent audit under Sir John Hobhonse's- Act was secure, then he should say the present clause was superfluous and unnecessary as regarded those parishes. Sir C. NAPIER did not think that barristers were fit persons to be appointed au , litors. The system adopti'd in the parish of Marylebone with resp ec t to the appoint. ments of auditors had worked iu the best possible man ner. Ile moved that the Chairman do report progress. Sir B. HALL said that he had paid a good deal of at tention to the parish affairs of Marylebone, and he had never heard of any complaint with respect to the ap pointment of auditors in that parish. . Sir J. GRAHAM said he did not care who appointed the auditors, provided that the auditors were independent of the body appointing them. He wished to, consult the wishes of the rate-payers. If they were satisfied, then he should be satisfied also.—(Hear, hear.) Ile would, therefore, not press that part of the clause which went to the appointment of barristers as auditors.—(Hear.) The clause, as amended, was then ordered to stand part of the Bid. • Clause 59 was agreed to. On clause -60 being proposed, Mr. HENLEY was understood to propose- that all future clerks of boards of guardians should he attorne) s Colonel SII3THORP was understood to support the proposition. Sir J. GRAHAM strongly opposed the proposition, which would have the effect of mixing up law and liti gation in every: matter of business, however triviallt might be. The open system of appointment had worked well, and why then interfere with it ? Mr. WAKLEY said.if they were to require the clerks to boards of guardians to be lawyers they would instantly entail an expense of thousands and thousands upon every union in the kingdom.—(]fear, hear.) He was most strongly opposed to the suggestion of the Hon. Member for Oxfurdshire, and he trusted the Govern ment would remain firm in its determination not to con sent to it. asked him' (Mr. Duncombe), to band into them the list 'of witnesses by whom his charges were to be proved. He said, were he to do this, he should attend in the condition of an accuser ten times more than be fore, and he could only comply with this demand on condition that he was present during the examina tion of these witnesses. The Committee then stated that they did not possess any such power as that of letting him be present without the leave or permission of the House. In that opinion . he (Mr. Dunconibe) fully concurred ; and as they pressed fur his list of wit nesses he (Mr. Duncombe) made a formal application that the Chairman of the Committee should apply to the House for permiss; on to enable him to be present, he of course being perfectly willing to pledge himself to the same secrecy—(Hear, hear) — which the other Members - of the Committee were bound to observe. - He was then ordered to withdraw ; and on his return he was infO r iiiied that the Committee had decided to ask the permission of the House for him to be present at their sittings. He (Mr. Duheombe) certainly had nothing to complaih of'in 'the demeanour of any of the Members of the CoMmittee towardi him. They were all of them in their manner, most indulgent to him (Hear, and a laugh)-e-indeid, hi might almost term their conduct as almost coaxing. --(Loud laughter.) It was then suggested to me that I might leave my papers in the hands of some Member in whom he had con& dence, and who might put all the requisite questions. — (Hear, hear.) To this he (Mr. Duncombe) had re plied with perfect candour and courtesy that he had equal confidence in all of them.—(Loud laughter.) He was perfectly well aware that certain witnesses would give their evidence reluctantly, to say the least, and thlt others would, probably, not give it at all ; in which case it wou ld be impossible for the Committee to enter into the merits of the question.. Still the CoMmittee pressed him very much to give up his list and to place them in a position in which he stocd himself. He said it was totally im possible that he could do so unless he himself were present at the examination. Well now, let them look at the state of this question. In the first place he was called to furnish a list of witnesses to support certain charges which he had made, and he was not to be present during the time th a t th ose w i tnesses were to be examined. The Committee was appointed, as he had before said, to investigate certain charges which he (Mr. Duncombe) had brought against the 'Government, 'but it turned round suddenly and converted itself in fact _into a tribunal for trying his (Mr. Duncombe's) veracity— (Hear, hear.) He was perfectly ready to submit his ' credibility to that Committee, but it was totally impossi ble that -any gentleman 'who hai not taken the pains that he had to become master of the subject, could exa mine the witnesses in the same manner as himself. They must remember that no lawyer was allowed to be on the Committee. Here were nine gentlemen turned into a room, totally ignorant of the subject they were called on to investigate.---(Hear, hear.) It was well known that the chief witnesses which they had exa mined were the different heads of the depart ments, and he maintained . that, as far as they had gone, or were likely to go, they had only skimmed the surface on this great and important ques tion. The public would not be satisfied if the matter remained in its present position. The public - did not want a report containing a great deal of original or antique research, but they wanted to know the exat circumstances under which this power had been exercised by the present and past Govern ments. He maintained that the truth could not be ascertained, unless be were present during the examine. Lion of certain witnesses. It was for the House to deal with the question as in their wisdom they might think proper. Lord SANDON and Mr. HUME then rose to address the House amidst some confusion. The SPEAKER hauing observed, that there was no question before the House. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE moved, that it be an instruction to the Committee that he might be present during the examination of such witnesses as he might think proper to examine. Mr. HUME seconded the motion. Lord SANDON, as Chairman of the Committee, wished to make one or two remarks. He complained of the terms of the Honourable Member's notice, the Honourable Member having himself admitted to the Committee that he could not be allowed to examine the witnesses without an application to the House. The Committee felt that the Hon. Gentleman had ni' knowledge of the parties himself, and that he only acted on information received from others. For him to be present, therefore, examining witnesses and observing the evidence, would have been virtually to have put hien on the Committee—(Hear, hear)—without his having the responsibility of being a member of it. The Com mittee conceived themselves to be quite capable of examining witnesses themselves ; but they did not think that it would in any way defeat the object of the investigation to refuse to admit him to be present during the inquiry. They should be most happy to have the Hon. Alember on the Committee, if the House should think fit to place him there, as he would then have the same responsibility as the other Members of it. Mr. HUME said he was sorry that this question had been managed as it had been. It had thrown a great deal of scandal on the British Government abroad, and the present proceeding was likely to add to it.—(Hear.) He was sorry he was not in the House when the Com mittee was appointed, or he should have opposed the omission of his Hon. Friend's name. He believed in the annals of Parliament no similar instance• would be found of a person coming forward as his Hon. Friend had done, and giving himself all the trouble he had done, fur which the country owed him a great deal.---(Hear, hear.) The Committee were placed in a limited sphere ; they had only official men before them, and could know nothing of the persons who gave information to his Hon. Friend. He thought the Noble Lord took a narrow view of what the Committee had to do. The Noble Lord said that his Honourable Friend wanted to be aware of all the secrets of the Committee, but his Hon. Friend never wanted to be a member of the Committee, and be only wished to be present during the examination of those witnesses who were to support those charges which he made on his own responsibility. His Hon. Friend' did not want to vote.--(Hear, hear.) He only wished before the report was made, that an op portunity should be given to him to have• that part of the inquiry sifted. Few persons would have takes upon themselves the responsibility o f making those grave and serious charges against the Government which his Hon. Friend had done, and it was impossible to convey to any individual Member of the Committee that which his Hon. Friend had the means of doing. He, therefore, put it to the Right Hon. Baronet whether his Hon. Friend ought not to be present. On thess grounds he should second the motion of his Hon. Friend. Sir R. PEEL said he was unwilling to throw any technical difficulty in the way of the motion which the Hon. Gentleman had made, although he thought he was ; justified, according to the rules of the House, in object ing to a member of that House stating anything with respect to'the proceedings "lof a Secret Committee. but he was unwilling to debar the Hon. Gentleman the opportunity or making his statement. No notice of.a motion had be en given, and he (Sir R. Peel) was at a loss to understand the grounds upon which the Hon. Gentleman had made the present motion. The House would recollect the circumstances under which this Committee had been appointed. When the proposal first was made' almost unqualified satisfac tion was expressed with respect to the formation of that Committee.—(Cries of " No, no.") He did not mean to say that it was universal, but the Committee was allowed to be appointed without notice being given. That Committee was composed of men well known for their impartiality and intelligence. In that Committee the majerity of the Members were opposed to her Majesty't Government. Four Members were in the habit of voting with her Majesty's Government, and five with the Opposition, and the whole of those five Members voted for the motion of the Hon. Gentleman for a Select Committee. That Com mittee had sat for several days, and he left it to every Member to judge whether her Majesty's G overnment had withheld a single fact from the knowledge of the Com mittee bearing on the inquiry, and whether they had thrown the slightest obstacle in the way of the inquiry, or imposed the slightest The proposition of the Hon. Member for Oxfordshire was then understood to be withdrawn. Sir JAMES GRAHAM then moved that the Chair man report progress and ask leave to sit again this day. SAVINGS' BANKS. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented two petitions com plaining of the operation of the Savings' Bank Regula tion Bill. Mr. LABOUCHERE said it would be well for the House to recollect the principle they had adopted in the appointment of this Committee.—(Hear, hear.) They had departed from the usual precedents in form ing Committees ; for they had determined that they would have .no . lawyers on the Com mittee that the accuser. himself should not be present—nnd also that they, would exclude from it all those who did hold or had held high office in her Ma jesty's Council.--(Hear.) He confessed that at the time he thought this was a fair principle, but circumstances took place a short time afterwards, which excited in his mind, and in she minds of many other Members, the greatest possible surprise . .--(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He found from the usual organs of informa tion that a Committee on the same subject had been appointed by. the House of Lords, which Committee was • formed on a totally dif ferent principle than than suggested by the Ministers for the House of Commons. For on the Committee of the Lords were three ex-Ministeil, two of them being ex-Chancellors, men, of course, accustomed to the most skillful mode of examination ; either for sup pressing or for eliciting information. If the Go vernment meant to act upon a totally different principle elsewhere, they ought not to have pursued this course in the House of Commons. With regard to the motion before the House, he quite agreed in the statement that the House must choose between putting -the Hon. Member for Finsbury on the Committee, or allowing him to examine particular witnesses himself. Sir R. PEEL said, he really must say that he thought it would have been much more consistent with the duty *of the Right Hon. Gentleman if he felt any objec tion to the constitution of the Committee that he should have stated that objection at the time when it was ap pointed.—(Hear, hear.) If the lion. ,Gentleman thought that there ought to have been two Members of the pre sent Government on it, and two of the past, or that there ought to have been lawyers, it would have been easy for him to have made a motion to that effect. The Right Hon: Gentleman complained of the exclusion of the Hon. Member for Finsbury. V by the Earl of Radnor, who had brought forward the charge in the House of Lords, had been excluded by his own consent, although lawyers were appointed. The appointment of such eminent lawyers in the House of Lords was a decided proof that the Govern ment had no wish to exclude lawyers. Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the Right Hon. Gen tleman had a little misunderstood the nature of his ob jection. He had expressed his surprise thaf the Govern ment in one place had attached the greatest importance to the Committee being soconstituted as to exclude lawyers and ex-Ministers, while in another place the Committee contained two lawyers and three ex-Ministers. Mr. V. SMITH said be had understood, when he voted. for the Committee, that no members of the Go. vernment were to be concerned in the investi: gation. The Government ought to have acted the same in one place as another. The Committee had not placed the Hon. Member for Finsbury in the box, and said, " We will report you to the House if you do not answer, as they ought to have done-7-(Hear, hear)—the public would now know that there was infor mation in the hands of a Member of that House which he had not been pressed to give. In the Committee on election compromises the House had not scrupled to but the accuser on the CoMmittee and in the chair of it. He should therefore move that the Hon. Manners Sutfon, and Mr. T. Duncombe be added to the Ctimmittee. The question having been put, The O'CONNOR DON referred to what had been done by the Committee with regard to the presence of the Hon. Member for Finsbury. He did not think it would be right for the House to rescind the resolution to which it had come when it negatived the proposition that he should be a member of the Committee. (LEFT SPEAKING.) ANNIVERSARY of the STORMING OF THE BASTILE. The sixth commemoration in London of the above event—one which has been ahvays honoured by such re unions in every town in France—took place at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, on Monday, 15th July. The meeting, which was in the large room, and nu merously attended, was remarkable for the perfect har mony which subsisted, in an assembly composed of such various elements as the natives of different European na tions thus brought together. A new and peculiar cha racteristic was exhibited by this festival, in the cordia lity and fraternity of sentiment displayed by the natives of nations but recently considering themselves enemies. A gratifying and unanswerable proof was thus exhibited, that a people who are guided solely by their genuine feelings, and alive to their true interests, have no diffi culty in understanding one another, in effacing the pre judices which have separated them, and which govern ments have basely endeavoured to perpetuate among them. The numerous patriotic addresses pronounced in the . principal European languages, and esp e ci a lly th ose sen timents which invoked the union of all nations in the same bond of morality and fraternity, were received with the highest enthusiasm and reiterated plaudits. Patriotic songs and hymns vi ere also sung, in which all present j3ined in chorus. So many 'working-men—the representatives, it may he said, of the chief Continental nations—thus united, as it were, in one family ineetieg, and in whom amity and cordiality were displayed no less in•words than in looks, tones, and gestures, formed a truly delightful and exhilarating spectacle. The evening's proceedings redound to the honour of those true cosmopolitans, who have too much good sense and humanity to permit their governments and a corrupt press to foment strives and jealousies among them. and _ who have shown evidences of a universality of feeling, which appeared to 'make the natives of each particular country think he had found his home. It was an • evi dence of no ordinary liberality and delicacy •of senti ment, that the president,. elected by the conductors of the meeting—themselves Frenchmen, and assembled on a French anniversary , ==was a native of another nation. -.A collection was made in the course of the evening for the 'Spanish refugees. It was also unanimously decided that an association be formed for the assistance of foreigners in distress in all countries. Movement. IMPEit/AL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS. July 17. METROPOLITAN BUILDINGS BILL. The House then went into Committee on this Bill. The various clauses were then rapidly gone through. On arriving at the schedules, Mr. HAWES complained of the manner in which public business was hurried on. He thought the Noble Lord might have postponed the Bill without any great stretch of courtesy, knowing that he (Mr. Hawes) had several amendments to propose. Everything was pressed on with a degree of reckless precipitancy quite unbe coming the dignity of Parliament and unworthy of a Government. He should give the Bill all the opposition he could in its future stages. The Earl of LINCOLN said the objections of the Hon. Member were vague and uncalled for. The greater part of the provisions of the Bill had been agreed to. The ob jections to the Bill were confined to few individuals. It was the Hon. Member's fault if he was not in the House, and he had no right to blame the Government for the effects of his absence. The Bill had been fully discussed out of that House, and had received mature consideration in Parliament. He the (Earl of Lincoln) should consider himself as guilty of a deviation from his line of duty if he further postponed the Bill. On schedule C being proposed, • Mr. HAWES moved that the words " district sur veyor" be inserted instead of "official referee." The Committee divided, when there appeared— For the amendment lO Against it 25 Majority against the amendment —l5 On the question that schedule C stand part of the Bill, Mr. HAWES moved that it be omitted, and the Com mittee again divided, when. there appeared-- For the schedule 29 Against it. Majority in favour of the schedule —24 Sir J. GRAHAM suggested that the Chairman should now report progress. Tha CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. Mr. HAWES defen‘led the course he had adopted in taking the sense of the Committee upon schedule C of this Bill. It provided that no man should erect such a paltry building as a green-house within fifteen miles of Ile metropolis, without coming to Whitehall-place, in order to have the plan sithruitted to an official referee. This, he contended, was vexatious. The Earl of LINCOLN said the provision was not compulsory in all cases. The House again went into Committee,, and the schedules were proceeded with. Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY objected to the' para graph defining the duties of official referees as to the style of the construction of green-houses and other buildings. Such a power was most inquisitorial, and ought never to have been thought of. Mr. HAWES said he would certainly divide the House against that paragraph of the schedule. Mr. DARBY thought the power ought may to exist as to public buildings and places of public amusement. The Earl of LINCOLN said he was anxious to meet the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hawes) fairly, and he would, therefore, consent to the omission of the paragraph alto gether on the bringing up of the report.—(Hear.) Several other schedules were then agreed to, with some slight modifications. - On schedule K being proposed, Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY objected to the pay ment of the surveyors by fees. The surveyors under the old Act had made 1,5001. a year, which was a great deal too much. The Ear] of LINCOLN said the emoluments of the dis TORY ACT. THUNDER-STORM IN MAN CHESTER. trict surveyors from fees were various, varying from 7001. to 501. per annum. The average was not more than 2001. per annum, and the present Bill rather diminished than increased their fees. Oa Moriday morning, about ten minutes or a quarter past nine o'cluck, this town, with its immediate neigh bourhood, especially Ardwick, was visited by a rather severe thunder-storm. Black and dense clouds, driving from the - north and west, rapidly obscured the atmos phere ; the rain fell in a heavy shower ; and, about half past nine there was an exceedingly vivid flash of light ning, followed at an interval of scarcely a second by a very loud clap of thunder. This was as experienced in the centre of the town ; but, as we have intimated, the locality of Ardwick appeared to be within the more immediate influence of the storm. In the Polygon Avenue the electric fluid struck one of a row of poplar trees, near a wooden fence, and stripped the bark off it for a considerable breadth, separating it into loose fibres. The lightning also struck the paling, and threw a portion of it down. A gentle man who saw the place almost immediately afterwards, describes it as being caused by the flash, almost instantly followed by the loud clap of thunder already noticed. But the most remarkable effects of the electric fluid re main to be noticed. Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY thought it would be better to give each district surveyor 5001. a year, and make him pay his fees into the Exchequer. The remaining schedules were agreed to, and the House resumed. The Earl of LINCOLN moved that the report should be brought up at twelve o'clock to-morrow (this day). After a few words from Mr. HAWES, Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY said that, unless the Noble Lord would consent to delay the bringing up of the report until Monday, so as to give the parties in terested an opportunity of making themselves acquainted with the contents, he should divide. It was too bad to attempt to pass such a measure in a House of fifteen Members, at ten o'clock at night. The Earl of LINCOLN was determined the Bill should not be fixed for Monday• and, if the Hon. Member for Southwark chose, hemight persevere in his division, and count out the House by that means, in which case the Bill would come up to-morrow as a dropped order, and then he (Lord Lincoln) would state when he , proposed to take it. About the time when the loudest clap of thunder was heard in Manchester, the electric fluid entered a cottage occupied by Mrs. Ferguson, in York-street, Chancery lane, Ardwick, near Pin Mill Brow, and struck a boy named James Edward Jackson, about ten years of age, who, with 'his sister, a young woman named Ann Jackson, had gone into a house a short time previously. It appears that the boy was not fully dressed, and had a shawl wrapped round his waist, the, shawl reaching nearly to his feet, and a little above the lower part of his jacket. He was without shoes and stock ings, but was standing in pattens, and was also without hat or cap. The account that he is able to give of the occurrence, and which we conceive must be taken with considerable allowances, is as follows:—" I was standing near the fire-place, and a round ball, red like fire, came down the chimney, and ran round my head, and then to my feet; and, after it ran round my head, it burst out into a flame near the chimney-piece. After it left me, it went out at the front door into York-street." The boy also states, that when he felt the " b a ll o f fi re " run round his head, he drew the shawl up so as to cover it. His hair, especially at the back part of his head, is singed, as well as the , upper part of the shawl, which was folded in the ordinary manner. Indeed, the shawl is much scorched and discoloured at that part. His feet and ankles are scorched, and the outside of his right leg blistered; but he received no other injury. He further states that a teapot, which was standing on the grate, fell after he felt the sensation of something running round his head, as above described ; and that, after he saw the flame, he heard a loud report. His sister, who was in the house at the time, corroborates the boy's statement as to seeing flame going out at the front door ; and Mrs. Thornley, who keeps a shop in the same street, states, that she heard a scream at the time in question, and looked out, when she saw flame in the street, and thought " the whole street was on fire." Mrs. Fergu son's house is described to have been full of smoke after the occurrence; but it does not appear that anything was damaged connected with the house, except the chimney -pot, which was broken. All the neighbours concur in describing the report which accompanied the flash as one of the loudest and most awful claps of thun der they ever heard..—Manchester Guardian. Alderman HUMPHERY suggested that the Bill should be again brought before the House on Saturday. He did not think the Noble Lord had any right to taunt him ; he had a right to oppose the Bill at the first or at the eleventh hour. He would persevere in his motion. It was an obnoxious Bill. The Earl of LINCOLN said he would give the lion. Member the unfair advantage he had taken, and fix the reception of the report for Friday or Saturday, at twelve o'clock. After some further observations, the motion was with drawn, and it was agreed that the report be received on Friday next, at twelve o'clock. The Earl of LINCOLN announced his intention of abandoning the Damage by Fire Metropolis Bill: for the present session, with the intention of making in quiries ; and if the result proved favourable, bringing it on early in the ensuing session. Sir E. KNATCHBULL moved the consideration of the petition of Sir John E. Honeywood (presented 11th July). He gave notice that, in the next session of Par liament he would move for a Bill to explain and amend the Act for the Commutation of Tithes. The petition was then ordered to be printed. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Half-past Ten o'clock. • THUNDER-STORM AT ROCHDALE. About nine o'clock on Monday morning this town and neighbour hood was visited with a dreadful thunder-storm, which lasted upwards of an hour. The rain descended in torrents, intermixed with pieces of ice as large as marbles. Loud peals of thunder followed each other in rapid succession, and the lightning was brilliant and dazzling. The heavens tip. a t short he s p o e m a T e e d of wr t a h p e ped str i e n ets dar h k a n d ess. alm F e or st appear ance of a river ; and everything threatened a return of the 4th of July, 1838, when so many buildings were swept away at Spotland-bridge. The lower part of the town was quickly flooded. Some little property on the new wall was spoiled, from the water rushing in. The lightning was awful and grand. The electric fluid struck the . counting-house chimney of Messrs. Petrie, ironfounders, Mount Pleasant, and ran down the roof, breaking the blue slates, and passed along the roof by a connecting rod iron, and entered the moulder's shop, where a number of men were at work. They describe the place as filled with fire, rolling like waves. The men rushed out, thinking the building was falling down, so dreadful was the shock ; and many complained of feeling smart sh oc k s as i f thy had been electrified. The electric fluid then passed to the plan ning room, where Mr. William Petrie was standing in conversation with one of the men. It played upon IV polished wheel and the planing machine, and passed out of the room without doing any injury. —Manchester Guardiwa ST. SWITHIN. The continuance of rainy weather commonly experi enced about the middle of July, has given rise, it is sup posed, to the popular tradition respecting St. Swithin, whose anniversary day is on the 15th of the month. We have elsewhere noticed the thunder-storm which ushered in St. Swithin here, on Monday morning ; and have since had the curiosity to make some inquiries as to the quantity of rain which has fallen in Manchester during the month of July for the last fourteen years ; and we find the following to be the quantities : July. Inches. July. Inches. 1830 3.21 1837 3'4B 1831 3 .50 1838 3'46 1832 2 .47 1839 4'63 1833 " 2'27 1840 5lB 1834 6'7l 1841 5'5 4- 1835 1 .94 1842 3 .40 1836 3'4o 1843 s'l7 This gives an average fall of rain during July of nearly four inches. In 1842, we find that 2.09 inches fell in the first half of July, and only 1.31 inch in the latter half—which is the one appropriated to St. Swithin's rainy influence. In 1843, on the contrary, 1.66 inch fell in the first, and 3.51 inches in the last half of the month. In the present month (1844), the fall of rain in the first half, including the shoWers on Monday morning (0.29 inch); measures 1.51 inch. But we next come to the state of the weather on St. Swithin's day (Ju7y 15) on the last nine anniversaries of the watery saint. In 1836 (Friday) the day was wet, and the fall of rain during the week was 1 . 20 inch. In 1837 (Saturday) it was a rainy day ; fall dur ing the week 1'25. In 1838 (Sunday) it was a fair morning, but a rainy afternoon ; and the fall during the week was only 0 . 54 inch. In 1839 (Monday) the day was showery ; but the rain during the week only 0.75 inch. In 1840 (Wednesday) it was very fine all day, but rain fell at night ; and in the week beginning on the following day, two inches of rain fell. In 1841 (Thursday) it was gloomy in the morning, showery at noon, and fine in the afternoon ; only 6-100ths of an inch of rain fell during the day, and 1 - 17 inch duri ng th e wee k. In 1842 (Friday) it was fine all day ; not a drop of rain fell, and the quantity during the week was only 0.10 inch. In 1843 (Saturday) it was cloudy, and a little rain (2 . looths of an inch) fell the early part of the day ; but the remainder of the day was fine, and the week's quantity was 0 . 27. In 1844 (Monday last) there was a heavy thunder shower in the morning, Which cleared the air, and the weather was beautifully fine the remainder of the day. The fall during two hours, however, exceeded the week's quantity of last year, being 0.29 inch. The above, though ranging through only a limited number of years, will serve to show that St Swithin's day is not always so wet as is generally sup posed ; and all that can be predicated with any degree of certainty is that, from causes familiar to meteorologists, July is usually a very rainy month, as well as upon an average the hottest month of the year ; and it is worthy of note, that the increase to the mean temperature is de rived chiefly from the night.—Manchester Guardian. INFORMATION UNDER THE FAC- At the Ashton petty sessions, on Saturday, Mr. Davies, the inspector of factories for this district, preferred an information against James Shaw, an overlooker in the employ of Messrs. John and Nathaniel Howard, for having, on the 27th day of June, employed a boy, named Hugh Harrop, to work as a piecer for twelve hours in the day, he not being of the age required by law. The case excited some degree of interest. Mr. N. Earl solicitor, appeared on behalf of the defendant. Mr. Davies said that he had the painful task of bringing the present charge before the Bench ; but, considering all the circumstances in connection with the case, he felt it his duty to do so. He visited Messrs. Howard's mill on the 27th of June, and found the boy, who had not the appearance of being thirteen, working as a piecer. On referring to the books in the mill, he found he was regularly entered as having been certified by the surgeon to be of the proper age, seeing which, he was led to make further inquiry into the matter. He waited upon Mr. Wood, the certifying surgeon, and inquired whether he had given a certificate to such a lad as he pointed out. Mr. Wood told him that he had not done so ; that the boy Harrop was brought to him, but he refused to give any certificate, say ing at the same time th a t h e would not do, but that he did give one to another boy who was much olds r, of the name of Hugh Harrop. Several witnesses were called who, on being sworn, stated that they saw the defen dant coming out of Mr. Wood's 'surgery, on Monday the 10th of June, and that the boy Harrop was waiting outside, to whom the d e f en d an t give a p i ece of paper. The certificate found in the book at the mill, Mr. Davies said, bore the date of the 10th of June. Mr Wood, in answer to Mr. Davies, said that he was quite sure that he had never passed the boy Harrop. In answer to Mr. Earl he stated that he did pass one boy working at Messrs. llowards, but not the boy referred to. Was quite certain that the boy he found at work was not the boy certified in the name of Hugh Harrop.—The boy Harrop, on being called, said that he was passed, and that Mr. Wood put his hand upon his head, and looked in his mouth, to judge of his age.—Eliza beth Boyles said she was in Mr. Wood's surgery on the 10th of June, when a lusty man came in with two boys, and that , one of the boys was registered by the surgeon ; she could not say positively whether defen eant was the person who brought the boys in or not. In answer to Mr. Earl, the witness said that she could not say whether the last witness was the boy that was registered. She did not take particular notice at the time. Mr. Earl said that it was not so much for the amount of any pmalty that might be inflicted, as it was. to clear up what appeared to him so mysterious a ease as the one before the Bench, that he appeared there on that oceasiol. He argued at some length the possibi lity that Mr. Wood, in the multiciplicity of business, might easily have made a mistake. He called several witnesses, who stated that they saw the defendant leave the surgery, there being no other boy with or near him at the time but the boy'Hugh Harrop.—Mr. Davies replied, and referred the Bench to the evidence given by Mr. Wood and the witness Boyles. He stated that he entirely exonerated. the Messrs. Howards from all blame in the matter, believing, as he did, that they knew nothing at all of the cases—Mr. Lord said thnt he considered the case had been very properly conducted on both sides. There was no doubt from the evidence which had been given, that defendant had acted improperly, but he thought a small penalty in the present case would serve every purpose.—Mr. Davies said there was another ease arising out of the first, but he did not wish to press for more than a nominal penalty for the second offence.— Mr. Garnett, the Chairman, said the Bench were quite satisfied of defendant's guilt, and convicted him in 40s, --Mr. Davies said that if defendant paid costs in the se. cond case that wouli be all he should require. —Mr. Howard said that he believed the defendant to be inno cent, and he would pay the money for him. BIRTHS. CO I 9 04 .$ oly On the 10th inst., at Lon g f or d H a ll, D er by, A --° of Leicester, of a son, whi c h survived its birth li fo hours. 0- 4 ' Pal>/ On the 10th inst , at B runsw i c k- square , St. Robert Aylwin, of a daughter. all ei r MARRIED. . e/ /SI P On the 2d inst., at Edinburgh, Lieutenant-Cola fief , 40 , Low, of the Madras Army, to Thomasina Af e jler4, l daughter; and William. Logan White, Esq., ° f „, Sir '' advocate, to Jane, younger daughter, of the lat e 31 ,0 4 ,..( 1 ' Foulis, Bart., of Colinton. ,_, t . Moe P. On the 6th inst., at St. John's, Paddington, LAP f t he ',, Royal Artillery, to Cara Mary, only daughter 0 i,......._.._ j ,.... ,....... ,,./gce'' Dance, Esq., bcputy Commissary-General to the ' DO: • ID. On the Bth inst., a t New D Brighton, near Liyel,°:ol;e3Y; ham Welland, Esq., l a t e o f th e H on . E as t India ~ 0 4, 0 Bengal Civil Service, aged 79. vil a On the Bth inst., at Gravesend, Mrs. Ann Sb arP ' Dsl l° J. Sharp. 'los NOT MERELY A CURE BUT ALMOS T A M IRACLE, h i On the 9th inst., at P res t on , the Rev. T—e ° P h c ble, Rector of Horndon aged 47. of 'r ef' Li EFFECTED BY HOLLOWAY'S PILLS.—Mrs. Curley, r es id- On the 9th inst., in London, Mr. T. A. Teulon , ec oo ing at 15, Green -street, Bonner-street, Betlinal-green, park, Limpsfield, Surrey, aged 81. arr let , ° Mn had been dangerously ill for two years,, was a p at i ent at O n t h e 9t h i nst., at Boulogne-sur er, plOc el the London and Bartholomew. Hospi ta l s , an d to ld that daughter of Henry Hewgill, E sq . . re eo ,, °- her stomach and kidneys were mu c h di sease d , could keep O n th e 9 t h i nst., i n Wilton-street, Gr °s ' gad nothing whatever on her stomach ; she was likewise a Ph ( c ) c n be ih t e hLwife . of C. Falconar, Esq. , 5 ,,..._ t0 , , Dfisl 4 dreadful sufferer from piles: finally, she got so bad as to h da n i i i s z t ae a r t - (.3, l f ltir ie nr a y te -row, Louisa, eldeNt t keep her bed for nine months, from which dsngerous On the 10th ' inst., - at Petworth, Sussex, Gal , state she haA just be:n restored-to the full enjoyment of Hale, Esq., M.D. , 6, 0 1, health, by the means of these extraordinary pills. Sold ; .........----... --- -- - , — n - - OR 111 (also Holloway's Ointment) at Professor Holloway's es- ; London : Printed and PUblislted by MU ltv iice. 11-. tf tablishment, - 244, Strand (where advice may he had i No. 112. Strand, Printer, at The Sun 0, 4 00 gratis); and by almost all respectable vendors of medi- i Strand, in the Prg,cinct of the Savoy, hi ' cine throughout the civilised world, Middlesex, Thursday, July 18, 1844. CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE also presented a petition from Mr. Rigby Wason, of the county of Ayr, stating that he had been summoned before the Committee on Controverted Elections, and had given certain evidence before that Committee ; but had seen with surprise that in the report it had agreed upon, his evidence so given had been suppressed, and praying for the production of that evidence. The Hon. Member gave notice that tomorrow he would move that this petition he printed with the Votes. AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION. Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN 'presented several pei. lions from the county of Northampton, praying for pro. tection to agricultural produce. QUEEN'S STORES. Captain PECHELL presented' a petition from Mr. Duncan M'lntyre, of Fort William, North Britain, stating that some years ago he was the means of detect ing various enitmul(mcnts in certain stores, the pro perty of htr Majesty, for which he was entitled, under the Act 10th William the Third, to 2001. from the Board of Ordnance, and praying the House to give hint just remuneration fur services for the exclusive use of his country. IRISH MAGISTRATES. Mr. ROSS gave notice that on Tuesdly next he should move fur an humble address to her Majesty. praying for the removal of Mr. O'Driscoll, recently restored to the commission of the peace in Ireland. POST-OFFICE COMMITTEE. On the motion of Mr. BARING, leave was given to Lord John Russell to attend the Committee of the House of Lords on the business of the Post-office. SINKING FUND. Mr. WODEHOUSE moved for a continuation of the returns relating to the Sinking Fund up to the present time. REPEAL BUTTONS. Mr. WYSE said that seeing the Right Hon. Gentle man, the Secretary at War, in his place, he wished to ask him the question of which he had given notice. He had observed in a Dublin newspaper, a few days ago, a report of an occurrence stated to have taken place in the Castle of Dublin. A young man, named Osberry, was driving a lady through the gates of the Castle of Dublin, and the soldier on guard asked him if he had a. repeal button. He replied " No," and the lady -told the soldier that he ought not to have stopped the man. The soldier followed him, and asked if he had a repeal button in his pocket, to which he replied that he had ; upon which he was taken to the Chancery-lane station-house, and was next day brought before the magistrates, who dismissed him as not being guilty of any offence. A case of a similar description had occurred to a person named Ignatius Ennis. He wished therefore to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary at War whether any orders had been given on the subject, and if so, whether they had been given by the Commander-in-Chief ? Sir T. FRENIANTLE said that, in reference to the question which had been asked by the Right Honourable Gentleman, no orders had been issued with regard to the Castle of Dublin, but the Commander of the Forces for bade any civilian wearing political or party badges from being permitted to pass through the barracks in Ireland. He had not been able to obtain any precise information with regard to the case alluded to by the Right Hon. Gentleman. He had every reason to believe that the order with regard to the barracks was legal, and of course if any person actually under those orders had exceeded his duty he would be responsible for the con sequences, and he believed that the soldier had been threatened with a writ, and the officer had been bound over to appear on a charge of false imprisonment. LOAN SOCIETIES. In answer to a question from Mr: COWPER, on the subject of loan societies and pawnbrokers, Mr. GLADSTONE said that there was no proba bility of the report on this subject being laid on the table of the House during the present session, but it would be finished during the recess. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice that he would postpone the order of the day on the Savings' Banks Bill, in order that the Poor-law Amendment Bill might be proceeded with. PROCEEDINGS IN THE POST-OFFICE COMMITTEE. Mr. DUNCOMBE rose, and said that he wished to make a statement with respect to a particular branch of the proceedings of that House. He had given notice of his intention, in order that the Government or the gen tlemen comprising the Secret Committee in the Post office should not be taken by surprise. He was well aware that it was not the practice or rule of the House to refer or interfere with the proceedings of Committees during their sittings, but he thought there were cases in which it was right to refer to them. He thought it was preposterous and most absurd for any body to lay down a rule that supposing a Committee of that House had done*great injustice or committed some error, no reference should be made to that act of injustice or that error, until such Committee bad made its report, when it would be too late to remedy the injustice or correct the error. He wished to call their attention to proceedings which were of considerable importance to the public. On Saturday last he was summoned before the Commit tee on the affairs of the Post-office. On being summoned before that Committee, he was told that the Committee understood that he had a statement to make to them. He said that he had no statement to make, but, as regarded any information that it was in his power to give that Committee, he would be most happy to give it. He was then asked if he was prepared to prove certain charges that he had made in his place in Parliament ? He stated he was prepared to prove them by evidence. He was then asked if he would repeat the charges which be bad made in his place in Parliament ? And he did repeat the charges which he had made. He repeated to the Committee the same charges he had brought forward in the House, and each member of that Committee took down deliberately what he said, so that he stood in the position of one preferring an indictment against the Government. 'There was no reason why he should not now repeat to the House what he bad stated on a former occasion, and that was that the letters of Foreign Ministers h ad been, and were, opened ; that a very unscrupulous use had been made, during two years, of this secret power of opening letters ; that a roving commission had been appointed in the year 1842 for the purpose of opening letters in the country ; that the letters of certain individuals had been opened ; that he (Mr. Buncombe) was in a position to prove, as he believed, that his own letters had been opened ; that some fifty or sixty of Mr. Mazzini's letters had been opened since Christ mas ; that Captain Stolzman's letters had also been openfd ; and that all this bad been done at the instance of Foreign Governments. He (Mr. Duncombe) also described to the Committee the way in which he believed letterio- were opened in the Post-office, and he also stated he was in a condition to prove the existence of a secret or inner office, where this dark work was carried on.- Having done this, the Committee THE FRENCH IN AFRICA. !- ALGIERS, JULY 3.—Messieurs the adrninistratotrsol the B ee li nes P osies inform you that there is i ns days' journey from the Paris in Europe to the - K aTis s i Africa. What, th en , ought to be your sensat e , stepping f rom th e Marseilles steamer upon antic firma of th e P ar i s i n A f r i ca ? :Nothing very i t ; P 'ir • 0 You see y ourse lf i n a F rench town, an d that's slitd arriving at the Place Royale, the only o bject so shakes your faith in the French town is a large rt r,tb which forms a very striking and novel feature 11 .00 ensemble of the Place. You must then picture to3totb self a tolerably -sized square, open on on one side rbo ui sea, where you look over the Mole and the h , s , D ett and a hundred merchant ships and half-a-dozen sk a ho pi and filled up on the other sides with hotels, an d s el ls and cafes, of four and five stories high, with B 'l 4 ol nade or parade, lined on two paths with gr c " - Theo orange-trees, and you have the Place RoYal e 'o is anoth e r square as you advance upon the hill 11eboa 1. where a m ar k et i s h e l d i n the centre, hav i ng a it ad re which is a l so enc l ose d b y cafes and shops. 1,1-ied,rool two widish st ree t s , B a b a-Azours and Baba-Oole, will ning east an d west, wh i ch communicate di r ectl o di the Place R o y a l e . Th ese streets are line d withbegpsi cafes, and sh o p s , teem i ng w i th Fre n ch goo d s as c in any town of France. There is scarcely a stre o ,ers building up and p u lli ng d own i s not going; on. is also buildi ng b arrac k s for soldiers on the of the city, and churches of all sorts and sizes rent parts of th e c ity f or t h e worship of every c ity under the sun. I n th e narrow streets of tssi fot es, which are as narrow , tortuous, and dar k as d bas° streets can be—there are several very strong at d some houses built and being built. In fact the .70: anxiety to make Paris in Africa deserve its ' 16 '7,, air yond all conception, and many millions of fra ll .l - 0 0; have been spent by private individuals. There ' l , l los , mense faubourg (Mustapha) springing into We r t ', lot' the eastern coast, like a Yankee city of the s"' o tass There are at least some 50 carriage-omnibuses ri to this and every other part of the en virons. g , not forget also th a t t h e G overnment to IN e . a it tite° Moors, have, besides repairing their mosques, e' f ., two or three ha n d some b azaars i n their moresque.- ist'r The bustle an d con f us i on i n th i s African Fa r ` s A fric' t yt,nd description. It is like a great hotel, or ar ',A l European ba zaar . A f e ll ow traveller of m i n eco think of anything else to compare it to but EP, s° "l,loc,' Of course, as French, Spaniards, Maltese, A rnu l s ' i ., ptv i i and Barbary Jews, constitute nearly the wh o nr ° )lJ: ii tion, the variety of their costumes has a, v er J• c es,o not pleasing effect. The more respectable na t l . i t os' Mussultnans I mean, whose calm and retired or ta 4 feel, off . ..aided at this Epsom races bustle frora ~ to night, retire within their houses, and s tre pre; seen in the Eur o p ean p art o f t h e toWn• con many of the l ower c l as , es, h owever, are ever , [l, , o' j seen ; and little M oor i s h s h oe -bl ac k s follow YOll your shoes i n F renc h style. The number of c"dcicd restaurants are t,)tally beyond calculation. . 1 '.„„ this, as the cro wn o f F renc h c i v ili sat i on in Afrivp-tlil , ; must listen to w i t h amorous d el i ght, an d eeci'`lts: singing girls of th e mus i ca l so i rees an d safes. , mentioned the othe r even i ng, as an astounding tjtsiiri the progress of ci v ili sat i on i n t h e i nter i or , tea $l4ll music and singing were to be heard at Blida's, s" about eight leagues from this. Everybody seems to live at the cafes or reg la o li f o r ili e ' Very small houses are inhabited by half-a-doze n i yde' r that is, of Europeans ; for house-rent is exceediegrif co° I don't know whether you will be able to foras!',, ception of Paris in Africa from this lame d e : i f se I should add, however, that Algiers is essentias`Jta , '' rison town, and is full of the military. It must Ho o f be forgotten that the Duc d'Orleans had a porti" 11 00 0 suburbs on the west 'd evote d to a Jar d uz des i f re l °' which is open e v er y S un d ay to the public. I P i '„ tion more, that very f orm id a bl e fortifications a a ll9 , constructed on the hei g ht s : th e M o l e gradeof!' enlarged, and everyth ing wears t h e appear determination of th e F renc h to reta i n their the conquest. We must not, nevertheless, disgui° e ,, a", that French civili sa ti on , as a b ove set f ort h, V 4, 6 than any oth er syste:n of living—if I MaP 7 against the g r a i n o f t h e M oors. They flee it" -l i S e s ° ,l it shocks them : the noise, the bustle, the Ca re t r singing women, the women running everY"ibe 7 doing everything—the shops, the pictures, not v 4 man Catholic worship, th e cross. t h e images. the . „I sions (for proces s i ons h ave b egun h ere): all t"; IN ten thousand oth er thi ngs , exasperate t h e very' the Moor, and h e s h r i n k s b ac k into t h e r etir e fre d his secluded home, and tries to dream that th e be r o. o have never touched the soil of Algerba. It is ot f the French have been carrying on a cleEperateeA this country for the last 14 years, and have dr i . v i Ye t the peaceful objects of commerce from a '"'d Ott,o with blood unrighteously spilt, they turn roue r and bully us bee.use the Arabs of the interior Podellr go and buy goods flour Morocco and Tunis,.. n i ° , o _ . "; but which goods, it turns out, come chiefly ' l " ; ,.bry land. This is the way in which we rob our e e h 'sped of their natural and legitimate rights. .As t „ o' l o themselves they are free agents, and we have Pc,- 101 over them one wa y or t h e ot h er. Surely, telfes.o) permitted to ch oose t h e b est mar k et for theres,e iD But there seems to be something like fatals?;0 1 ' 00 frustration of France' s " na t ura l and Jegi tiro to froel Not satisfied with d riv i ng away the corniver ee re i f f soil of Algeria by a cruel war, the French we ulatiligi mined to give it the coup de grace by fi sc al re. l l e , g , " Are not the parts of Oran, Al g i ers, Philif,Ve:i Bona open ?" cries Monsieu r t h e mem b er o f .he , esj tific Commission. " No," I answer " you tually and hermetically sealed them by the late i pei s the customs of Al g i ers ." The Arabs dislile te re 4 l ' article as much as war ; an d certain it is, tha' t tr r ir t v not the remote s t p rospect of reviving lief with the inhabitants of the interior or south whilst the new tariff of customs d, 0 4 force. The Al ger i ne S a h ara w ill now, lad° • h e than ever pursue it s re l a ti ons with 'Tunis In t or 11 and Morocco in the west, for the supply of its manufactures. No razi as , no war , no earthly r° turn an Arab from a route which leads him Nahst ye market. I mention e d, h owever , i n my l a st, 'tO tariff had begun so perniciously that it was iih el los t dergo important modifications. The fact of di?, keg is that tariff was made against England fp out her manufactures; but it has, and ever Wil,,l,fr' ol a failure. Engli s h manu f actures cannot be lo" the Arabs of th e S a h ara and the mOtil it,, i - ; :ris Northern Africa; for, if France prohibits the" e Bi de t direct into Algeria, they will find their pas' ng e ways—" p as d es voles laterales " —as M. Cal tt er eil!,( they do n ow , f rom t h e south. The sooner, rls't that Fr ance a d opts an i nev i table course of l ib e ral l ab e i i in relation to the commerce of this countrY wil da nations the better. It will come with a better b o f done at once, and when already the necessi t y it policy is clearly demonstrated. ntrite Whilst writing a b ou t th e commerce o f t h e cof ot,i! may be as well to men ti on , t h at t h e export „ti tlO'jt productions amou n t s t o a b so l ute l y not hi ng. A%, 001 now is the export of a li t tl e o li ve o il, a little l y ' l ;9 iD few skins, all in th e ver y sma ll way, and which ;offe hands of the Je ws , an d so ma d e sma l ler an d se that. r the I must now add a wo r d u p on t h e prospects 0• 11 ,0: ii curity of life and prop er t y i n t hi s country. ',00„, cured that during th e l as t year t h e co l ony hgs ti lt la advanced in security. Th e Ahhb ar o f t h e 30th 010) later the circumstance of a man who, not being ter leave Bona for d e bt by sea , l e f t t h at town aria L t sf e j l e the country from B ona t o Phili ppev ill e i n perfec of_ot and this he gives as an argument o f the secu rity 5 0 ,, 0 country. The di s t ance w hi c h t h e man trave lled a', thirty miles. The son of the British Vice- 01115 OP travelled from Cherchell to Algiers the other roc , distance of about forty mil es , w ith on l y two 3 0° .0$ another European, in perf ec t sa f e t y . Th e furthes/r ss iol i cupied in the interior is Biskara, lately taken poss e o t by the Duc d'Aumale. The distance from the 61 00°0 direct line ia about 200 miles. The Arab chief , t ' c lis ° o ledging the sovereignty of France, who is most b o os t from Algiers (the city), is the Emir of 81 -1 72 rt which district contains a city with a population of e'er souls. It is quite evident, then; that the Frenely! ii i in Africa is acquiring stability, and only Abc 14 ,41 , prevents this colony, at least apparently so, frou l t ifog:o adiancing in the security of life and property. ` - 'l.o" c , cultural prosperity I can say nothing at present. b bol i o and villages, however, are springing u p in this neigod hood, and the number of new emigrant s i s e stial )fr, about 1,000 per month. The Spani ar d s an d ther:; tese have been most successful amongst the stra p 0 1 1 ,,) but, I believe, the Germans are d o i ng p r etty „ f ostcd cultivators of the soil. Gover nmen t g i ves a free r d te e to every French emigrant who applies for it e g 1 0 0 1 with him a certifi ca t e o f c h aracter. O n arrivi ii io 4 o they shift for them se l ves . C erta i nly, the 5".1„..-0,10%) the passage is gr ea tly i n f avour of em i grat i o n within three days, and in steamers. So far, i4,0 111 ' confessed, that th e F renc h Government is 11 Times' Correspondent. ffe e ' tv SIX POUNDS of TEA, an d upwards, sent, carr i a ge part of the Kingd om , at the Wholesale Price, on recelP t ofd tance, or Post-office order. d Black, 2s. Bd., 38., 3s. 4d., 3s. Bd., 4 8. , 4 s. 4d., 4s. - a; o° . Green, 3s. 4d., 3s. Bd., 45., 4s. 4d., 5 5 ., s s . 4d. 63., r d. , OA Coffee, 9d., Is., Is. 2d., 1 6 .4 d., I s . 6d., 1 8 .8 d., le• g, 13 ,0 , G. T. MANSELL and CO., Wh o l esale Tea Dea lers, LERSBURY, CHEAPSIDE. Agencies will be give n t° parties q r it it I'UIY Sund: fla 14e •-l''ore t , ' 3, o oitlc e , r t ,IIE ir,' 4B TY tt £5O .£l.OO £4O ta Divid il District i for 11 U A SECT:I:I t,(l:,ticulArs bvtvr It E Sri otl( Pt~ e lY poses aCti\ l i crltA. 4t0,1 not t 2 .:"1 tA.ST k3ti hti on en is h ( 11 0 0 the H. Itish n b ßS oi 1 4xCPs8ste-s St 0 0 , 7e„ th e Dire ottion tili g trratisr sko,„:11 next. tehotice Tr the p tf CORI them Injokll,not OS tiocre ei t n n ' sPeciat td upon tt ard DQ,Z tof lion' that su Ono for Ai , t4, t p — ' ati eled 13; A 08 ••dnOti • rt j e her tr ,, n ce to 1471 r be t '.` 11515 ta ng ittlitt( rilrlktilliocro(.tat:ntitteaTirod.l:osepßiivr:i t g tt E — §i 4 4 tetr • 4, 1 , 1, n4 rY b k4ll as a m 0„ ...I 144 8 or, dys C h i' Jed at tb t t NI, exem , 04 11011 B J4' °4 Butia; 40 ) l , ana e r: r!4 Dr teCte,i th, P!me,,,, ma , tentr'r'" " AI. II DECu Sill „:_ s° ol al 1 4 of 4 §thns"de( 4 t o SIQR th tt ditVe tetrul in 111 t i "s' : ," tda to tt tht the e ri titi en , !te r ,,!ton e tht o t y s tti, Ye k ke t kitt`a k um kb er a nd 4oligov. ° l t ed . 1114 ex