The Sun. — London, England, 1844-04-22 00:00:00

ebirb ambition SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAT. GLOBE.-Whether accidentally, or by design, we take not upon ourselves to determine; but certain it is that the proceedings against O'Connell and his co-defendants have been brought to a dead lock. On Saturday, shortly before the rising of the Court, the Attorney-General, in person, applied that the motion for a new trial, which stood for Monday (to-day), should be postponed! From the state - ment of the Attorney-General, it would seem, that the prosecutors have not taken a single step toward answering the affidavits on which the counsel for the defendants moved for a new trial. The report of what took place on Saturday sufficiently explains the new dilemma in which the Crown lawyers find themselves involved. The effect of this new impedi ment will be to throw the case over the term. Should the motion for a new trial be refused by the Court, the writ of error cannot reach the House of Lords during the present session. The party which goaded the Government into the ill starred prosecution, and whose journals indecent l y anticipated the verdict, and actually assigned the measure of punishment which the defendants would receive at the hinds of the Court, were loud in their complaints whenever an objection was taken to any part of the certainly very questionable proceed ceedings of the Crown lawyers, that justice was delayed by unnecessary impediments. The Irish Tories thus showed their thirst for the conviction, and for a vindictively severe punishment, as the result of that conviction. Easter Term was anticipated with impatience. It would then be known what course would be taken, and when that course would be entered upon. That was to be the termination of all doubt. Certainty would then be sub stituted for conjecture. These rabid prophets would then see their predictions confirmed by the event. The ordinary proceedings were adopted on the part of • the defendants. On receiving a four days' rule, giving them notice that the Attorney-General, on the part of the Crown, would move the Court for judgment, a motion for a new trial, founded on affidavits, was made on their behalf. The Court axed this day for the argument. One class of the affidavits flied in support of the motion had reference to the mysterious loss of a consider able number of names from the jury lists. These affidavits, as the Attorney-General saw, were of a nature which demanded a specific answer : "He con ceived it to be his duty"—so he stated to the Court— " to cause the clerks of the peace to be served with a notice, setting forth the charges in these affidavits or the' traversers, in order to ascertain whether they would swear affidavits in reply." The clerks of the peace, it would appear, from the Attorney-General's state ment, had taken no official notice of his notice. What private intimations, explanations, or directions have been conveyed on the one hand, which, if known, would account for the expressive silence of these func tionaries, or whether that which appears pregnant with suspicion of design be only the result of one of those accidents, or " mistakes,' which have sig nalised the proceedings against O'Connell from their commencement, perhaps time, the great ex pounder of mysteries, may explain. All we at pre sent know is, that the order of the Court has been discharged generally, and that the notice stands on the lists without any day being named for its renewal. This new delay, caused by the prosecu tors, will tend to strengthen the generally-believed report, that the Government has not the intention of pressing for judgment against the parties. Modera tion may, and will be, condemned by the intempe rate ; hut it will be approved by men of all parties who desire to see the mass of the Irish people conci liated and emancipated from the delusions of repeal. Next to abstinence on the part of the Government from interference with an agitation which (as Sir Robert Peel admitted) was " burning itself out"— but which was revived by the new fuel supplied by the prosecutions to its flickering flame--we could wish to see a decided disposition on the part of Mi nisters to proceed no further in the course on which they ought never to have entered. The Government has gained nothing, but has lost much, in character and moral influence by the prosecution. Every step onward in the ill-advised course will be fraught with danger. It is possible that this new hitch in the proceedings is the result of accident. At all events, it mu,t cause considerable delay. By arrest ing the progress of the law it will afford to the Go vernment an opportunity of more dispassionately re viewing the whole proceedings. If that review in duce a prudent disposition to abandon the idea of ' pressing for judgment, a plausible excuse is supplied. lime, in such a state of things, is of great importance. This is obtained by the accidental or designed impe diment to the argument on the new trial motion, which was to have been entered upon to-day; but is now postponed, sine die. STAN DARD,—From what passed in the Irish Court of Queen's Bench on Saturday, it is certain that the Attorney-General will have the fraud of the abstracted names of the jurors' list searched to the bot tom. l n consequence of the traversers and their solicitors having sworn to their belief that the abstrac tion of the names was not accidental, the high-spirited Attorney-General instantly called upon the Clerk of the Peace and the other functionaries who had access to the lists to answer these affi davits before twelve o'clock on Saturday. At three o'clock on Saturday, however, they had • neither answered the affidavits nor intimated any purpose of doing so ; and there the matter rests. The Attorney-General, unfortunately, has no power over the Clerk of the Peace and the other persons concerned. They are the servants of the repeal corporation, or of the well-known Mr. Frederick Shaw, the person to whom chiefly the repeal corporation owes its existence. Magrath, the person responsible for the lists, is, we presume, wholly in Mr. Shaw's hands ; for we remember that in the late debate, in which this question of the lists was raised, Mr. Shaw *declared, with some affectation of scorn, that he had not dismissed and would not dismiss Magrath. Of course he will not dismiss Magrath, even though that person still decline to purge himself of the fraud imputed to him in the affidavits of the traversers and their attor neys. This most extrao► dinary conduct of public officers calls for another delay, and this, no doubt, is one of the motives of the recusants. While we are upon this subject, let us follow up a hint of the Morning Herald, by a suggestion that we think might go far to baffle the dilatory scheme of the traversers. They say that they will split their motion, in fact into eight motions, each traverser employing his own counsel. Now it is observed by our Contemporary, that the punishment, sooner or later, or at all, •of six of the conspirators is of little moment, and we so far agree with the Herald. The cases of Messrs. Barrett, Duffy, Steele, Ray, John O'Connell, and Doctor Gray, may very well stand over for as many terms as shall be found convenient. But the case of Mr. Daniel O'Connell and Mr. Tierney must be disposed of at once. Why not then, as the traversers choose to split their mo tion, take them separately in fact : first deal with Mr. Daniel O'Connell, then with Mr. Tierney, both promptly, and afterwards take the rest at leisure. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT (THIS EVENING.) H OUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool - sack at Five o'Clock. DISSENTERS' CHAPELS BILL. Lord DACRE presented seven petitions in favour of the Dissenters Chapels Bill, but the designations of the petitioners were not heard in the gallery. The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a peti tion to the same effect from a place in Lancashire. Lord BROUGHAM presented a similar petition from a congregation in Belfast. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. Mr. GREENE and others from the Commons brought up the Hartlepool Harbour and Dock Bill, the Yar mouth and Norwich Railway Act Amendment Bill, the North British Railway Bill, the Brandon and Nor wich, and other Bills. PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES. Lord BROUGHAM presented a great number of petitions from congregations of Presbyterians in Donegal, Trim; Down, and other parts of the north of Ireland in favour of Presbyterian marriages. The Noble and Learned Lord presented also a petition from the National Association for the Political and Social Improvement of the People, complaining that they had not been able to obtain a certificate, which would exempt them from paying taxes for their pre mises ; also a petition from the Mayor and Corpora tion of Nottingham (as we understood), praying for the alteration and amendment of the Bankruptcy laws. Lord NORMANBY presented a petitionth from the -Dissenting congregation of a place in e north of Ireland, expressing surprise and alarm at the . nature `and probable results of the Bill brought m by the , _Nobl e L or d on th e. Woolsack, entitled the Dissenter s ' Chapels Bill, and praying their Lordships not to allow it to Pass. 'The Noble Lord presented another petition from the ministers and presbytery of a con gregation in Yorkshire, expressive of their approba tion of the provisions of the Bill, and hoping that it might be allowed to pass into a law.—(Laughter.) Lord CAMPBELL presented several petitions against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. • After a few words from Lord Brougham, the Lord Chancellor, and Lord Cottenham, the Debtors and Creditors Bill, which stood fora second reading, was postponed till Monday next. Lord NORMANBY presented a petition from the members of a Presbyterian congregation in the north THE CUNT, - LONDON, - - the Home Department, if it was the intention of the Government to introduce any measure for the appointment of a taxing-officer in Bankruptcy. In the Bankruptcy Bill, which had passed two years ago, there had originally been a clause appointing a taxing-officer in Bankruptcy ; how the clause had dis appeared he knew not, but he wished to know if it was now intended to appoint a taxing-officer. Sir J. GRAHAM had riot received the notice which the lion. Gentleman had been kind enough to give him of his intention to put the question until after he had entered the House. If the Hon. Gentleman would be kind enough to put his question to-morrow, he would make the necessary inquiries in the mean time, and be prepared to give him an answer. SPAIN—AFFAIR OF COLONEL BONET. Mr. BORTHWICK wished to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman a question relating to certain occurrences reported to have recently taken place at Alicant, in Spain. It was re ported in the newspapers that Colonel Ponta leon Bonet, who had been at the head of the late movement at Alicant, and who had conducted himself with great humanity towards the prisoners who had fallen into his hands, had after a compromise entered into by the person commanding the fort of Alicant, with the besiegers, made application to the Com mander of a British ship at Alicant to receive him on board, representing that unless he was taken on board the ship it was impossibla that his life could be spared, and reminding the officer in command, in con firmation of this inference of the treatment which other persons in his position had experienced at the hands of Roncali when they had fallen into his power. It appeared—at least it was so represented—that at the same time a major who had acted under his com mand made a similar application, under precisely the same circumstances, to the captain of a French vessel lying in the same port; that the major was successful, and that in consequence he was at that moment alive. On the other hand it appeared that Colonel Bonet was refused to be taken on board of "the British ship; that he then returned to the shore, and in making a desperate effort to regain the mountain, was taken, and by the orders of Roncali, was shot instantly, and without trial. The question which he had to put to the Right Hon. Gen tleman was whether, according to the representations in the newspapers, express and direct orders had been given to the officer commanding this and other ships, to refuse, under these extreme circumstances, to take on board Spanish subjects ; whether, in the absence of these instructions, the officer, acting on his own responsibility, had refused to take Colonel Bonet on board ; or whether the statement was altogether without foundation, or, as he was informed, exceed ingly exaggerated. Sir R. PEEL said in answer to the question put to him by the Hon. Gentleman, he had to state that no specific instructions had been given by her Ma jesty's Government, or by any authority acting under their con troul, with respect to applications of this nature. The general purport of the in structions given to the commanders of Bri tish ships of war during these unfortunate civil contentions in Spain had been to afford protection to the lives and property of British sub jects, but to observe, as far as possible, strict neu trality between the contending parties. In this case no special instructions had been given. It is quite clear that if British ships of war were, as a matter of course, to receive those who have been engaged in insurrection against the constituted authorities, and that were known, it would be a great premium upon insurrection ; because they might try the experiment with perfect assurance of being received by a British ship of war. No express instructions, therefore, were given with respect to the reception of refugees, under such circumstances. The general instructions were the same now as he believed they had always been, to maintain, as far as possible, strict neutrality ; and it was left to the dis cretion of individual officers to deal with any parti cular case. And with respect to the case of Colonel Bonet, as reported in the newspapers, if he (Sir Robert Peel) were to judge from the only report which was in the possession of her Majesty's Go vernment, received from Captain Drummond himself: he would say that the circumstances stated in the newspapers could not have been true. He held in his hand the report of Captain Drummond. It made no mention of any application addressed to him by Colonel Bonet. It introduced the name of Colonel Bonet; but he would say that this report of Captain Drummond was inconsistent with the accounts in the newspapers. At the same time it was stated that the Scout ship, commanded by Capt. Drummond, in con sequence of a note received from the Spanish government of their intention to blockade the town of Alicant, had arrived off Alicant, and that several British sub jects had been taken on board of the vessel, and re ceived protection. The report also stated, that many application had been made by Spanish subjects to be received on board, which were refused. That was the whole of the information which hei Majesty's Government had received on this subject. As he had said before, no direct information had been eceived from Captain Drummond as to whether any application had been made to him. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that as no specific instructions had been sent out, of course the conduct of the officer in command of the vessel to which re ference had been made was justifiable. He (Lord John Russell) would, however, wish to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman whether he had any objection to desire Captain Drummond to furnish a statement of the transaction as far as regarded Colonel Bonet. Sir ROBERT PEEL—I should think it a matter of course that such a statement will be furnished to the Lords of the Admiralty. On a question of this sort I will take the opportunity of expressing my abhorrence and disgust at the sanguinary proceedings which have occurred on the part of the constituted authorities of Spain. Their wholesale massacres without the regular forms of trial, are doing more to injure the character of Spain in the estimation of the civilised world than any other :course which the Government of that country could pursue. Ido believe that barbarous nations would observe greater humanity in their con test than is observed by both parties in Spain. FACTORIES BILL (No. 2). On the motion for the Order of the Day being read for the second reading of the Factories Bill (No. 2), Mr. ROEBUCK said he understood from the Speaker, that the proposition which he (Mr. Roebuck) had made on Friday last could not be entertained by that House. He was perfectly willing to bow to that opinion, as he thought he should be able to bring the proposition forward in another way. He should put his proposition in the form of a resolution, and move it on Friday, in going into Committee on the Fac tories Bill. Mr. WARD presented a petition from Huddcrifield against the Bill. Captain GORDON presented a petition from Alm.- deen, against any restrictions upon the hours o! labour. Mr. GODSON presented a similar petition from eighty firms in Staffordshire. Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a petition from a place in Yorkshire, in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill. Mr. WARBURTON presented a petition from Ireland, praying that the House would pass a Bill to employ the petitioners ten or twelve hours a day, at such wages as the House, in its wisdom might think fit.—(Laughter.) Mr. FERRAND presented several petit:oas in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill. FACTORIES BILL. On the motion of Sir J. GRAHAM the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Factories Bill was read. Mr. HUME wished to know whether any arrange ment had been come to as to when the discussion on this Bill was to take place ? Sir JAMES GRAHAM said no arrangement whatever had been made beyond what the Hon. Member must be aware was stated by the Noble Lord (Ashley) would be the course to be adopted. There was only one clause of the Bill which at all interfered with the period of labour; and it would be for the Hon. Member for Montrose to consider whether it would be more expedient to take the discussion on it on going into Committee, or to raise it now. But he (Sir J. Graham) should hope that as this measure had been before the House some time, not only in this session but in former ones, and that division after division bad been taken upon it, he should hope that on the whole, it would not be opposed now, but that the discussion would be taken on going into Committee, either on the amendment of the Noble Lord the Member for Dorsetshire, or the resolution of the Hon. Member for Bath. He would give notice that, on Friday next, he would take the order for going into Committee as the first of the day.—(Hear.) Mr. HUME said it would be convenient to the House if there was only one discussion, and he would not throw any obstacle in the way of the sec( nd reading, on the understanding that the notice just given by the Right Hon. Gentleman would be ad hered to. Mr. WARD apprehended that another discussion would take place on the motion of which he had giuen notice, thatithe clause should be omitted altogether. Lord J. RUSSELL said that the proposal of the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath to take the dis cussion on a resolution of the whole House, before going into Committee, was a proper and convenient course, as it would give more solemnity to the matter in debate to take the question before the House went into Committee, and while the Speaker was in the chai r . He understood the Right Hon. Baronet op posite to say that this Bill was in conformity with the Bills introduced on the same subject in former years. By the clauses in the Bill of last year female labour was restricted up to the age of twenty-one, but by the Bill now introduced there was an en tirely new proposal. Sir J. GRAHAM said he had alluded to the pre- of Ireland, praying for an alteration in the existing marriage laws. GWALIOR. The Marquis of NORMANBY said that, on Fri day evening last, he had given notice of his intention to put, on this evening, a question to his Noble Friend, the President of the Board of Control (the Earl of Ripon), respecting the omission of papers that had been moved for on the subject of the recent occurrences at Gwalior. But he had commu nicated with his Noble Friend this morning, who informed him that he could not come down to the House this evening, and, of course, he (Lord Nor manby) would not carry out his notice. Nor, in deed, was it necessary that he !should, as his Noble Friend had told him that the paper omitted from the returns—which was the order of the Governor-General of the 14th of August, relating to the formation of the army of the Jumna—should be supplied; and as to the arrangement with the Maha raja, there was no writing on the subject in the hands of the Government at home, nor was there, probably, any writing on the subject, as the arrangement was only a modification of that which had been entered into in 1820. For these reasons it would not be necessary to put the question, but there was an other question connected with these subjects, which he wished to put, but he would reserve his notice until his Noble Friend was in the House. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH then laid on the table the paper alluded to. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented pe titions against the Dissenters' Chapels' Bill. The Earl of ZETLAND presented some petitions in favour of the Bill. The same Noble Earl presented also a petition from schoolmasters in the Highlands (as we under stood) praying for assistance. The Birmingham Canal Bill, and some other pri vate Bills, were read a third time and passed. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour. NEW MEMBER. Mr. Baiscom took the oaths and his seat for the borough of Hastings. The Yarmouth and Norwich Railway Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. DENNISTOUN presented a petition from Glasgow, one from the Lord Provost and Magistrates in attendance, for an alteration of the provisions of the Prisons' Bill—from the licensed pawnbrokers against the Charitable Pawn Societies Bill; and from the merchants and shipowners with upwards of 850 signatures for a reduction of the duties on sugar and tea. Mr. GREENE brought up the report of the Com mittee upon the Thetford Inclosure and Drainage Bill. NORTHERN BRITISH RAILWAY BILL. On the Order of the Day, for the third reading of the Northern British Railway Bill, being put, Colonel WYNDHAM said he was opposed to the system of free-trade in railways, which tended to trench upon the rights of either the poor man or the rich. He should, consequently, move that the Bill be read a third time that day six months. Mr. P. BORTHWICK agreed with his Hon. and Gallant Friend that this Bill would be a direct inter ference with the rights of property, and he should consequently support the amendment. Mr. MACAULAY said, the opinion of the Com mittee had, after mature consideration, been pro nounced in favour of this line of railway. He denied the statements of the Honourable and Gallant Gentleman opposite, that this Bill would inter fere unduly with the rights of private property. The very marshes which Mr. Millar himself pos sessed .ewe forth a stench which was intolerable.— (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) He did not think that the decision of a Committee, which had heard and examined all the evidence, should be rescinded by a tribunal which had no opportunity of hearing any evidence. Mr. LOCKHART said that he was not very well acquainted with the locality, but he had been there more than once, and he had never perceived any noxious effluvia from the marshes, nor had he ever before heard that there was any. The House then divided, when the numbers were — For the third reading Against it.. Majority —79 The Bill was then read a third time and passed. The Eastern Counties (Brandon and Peterborough Extension Railway) Bill was read a third time and passed. SUGAR DUTIES. Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Liverpool signed by 30,000 persons, complaining of the excessive differential duties on sugar. The peti tioners stated that the produce of sugar from our colonial possessions had been for some time diminish ing, and that at the same time the price of foreign sugar had been constantly declining. During the last year 114 British vessels had sailed frcm Rio Janeiro, and out of this number only twenty-one had sailed for England, all the rest being bound to Ham burgh. The petitioners therefore confidentially alleged that the differential duties on sugar had been, and were, exceedingly injurious in their operation, and they prayed that they might be abolished altogether. MASTERS AND SERVANTS BILL. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition against the Masters and Servants Bill. The Hon. Member also presented a petition from the manufacturing dis tricts in favour of the Ten Hours' clause of the Fac tories Bill ; also a petition from Sunderland praying for the liberation of Cooper, and in favour of the Charter. Mr. COLLETT presented a petition from the bo rough of Athlone, praying for a Bill to legalise mixed marriages in Ireland. Colonel VERNON presented four petitions with the same prayer. Mr. BOWRING presented a petition from Bolton against the Masters and Servants Bill. Sir H. DOUGLAS presented a petition from the merchants and shipowners of Liverpool, praying for a reduction on the duties on tea. Mr. R. YORKE presented a petition from York, against the Masters and Servants Bill. NOTICES OF MOTION. Dr. BOWRING gave notice that, to-morrow, he would inquire of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Gladstone) whether he had any official notice of a treaty signed between the United States of America arid the States that comprise the German and Prussian Union, by which goods were to be reciprocally intro duced into each country at duties much lower than those levied upon article of the same kind introduced into either country from Great Britain ? Mr. T. DUNCOMBE moved that the petition of Charles Price and William White Thompson, com plaining of the illegal conduct of certain magistrates of Warwick, when summoned before them fur the non-payment of church-rates on the 15th inst., be printed with the Votes.—Agreed to. _ _ NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Mr. HUME begged to ask the Noble Lord at the bead of the Woods and Forests whether he had any objection to lay on the table of the House a copy of any correspondence that had taken place between the Commissioners of Woods and Forests and Mr. Barry, the architect of the new Houses of Parlia ment, relative to the sum which had been fixed upon as that to be paid to Mr. Barry for the building of the Houses. The Earl of LINCOLN would have no hesitation in granting the correspondence if any such existed, but he was not aware that there was any such cor respondence. Mr. WILLIAMS moved for an account of the public income and expenditure of the United King dom, in the years ending the sth day of January 1842, 1843, and 1844, distinguishing the actual pay ment for the expenses incurred in the collection and management of the revenue ; for the charges of the public debt (the terminable annuities being also valued by estimate) ; for the expenses of the Civil Government ; the allowances to the Royal Family, and to his Majesty the King of the Belgians • the establishment of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; the expenses of the two Houses of parliament, and the Civil departments : the other pensions on the Conso lidated Fund, on the gross revenue, and the Civil List; also, the payments for the administration of justice, diplomatic expenses, and on account of the sums voted for the army, navy, ordnance, and miscellaneous services ; also public works, bounties, Post-office, the quarantine and warehousing establishments, and all other payments, not coming under any of the fore going heads ; with an appendix, showing the several items composing each head of the account (in con tinuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 494, of session 1843).—Agreed to. MEDICAL CHARITIES (IRELAND). Mr. F. FRENCH rose to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if it be the inten tionß ll ionftohe r Parliament, during t Governmenthep pr e sent e s t e o nt introduc ese s s i on, any r better regulating nd lr r e e la nd d ering more efficient the is intended that suc o h ont ß ai i o ll n ed sl; Medical Charities o f a d,i f containso, whether prov ision i s t similar to those in better regulatio n o f Medical the Bill for the Charities in Ire land, introduced by* her Majesty' s late Go vernment in 1837 ; or provisions similar contained in the Bill for the like urposeiotto o int ro duced by the Noble Lord the present p urpose Secretaryr ed for Ireland in 1842 ; or any or all of the provisions re commended by the Select Committee appointed last session to inquire into and report upon the Medical Charities in Ireland. Lord ELIOT had nothing to add to the statement which he had already made upon the subject, which' was, that it was not the intention of her Majesty's Government to introduce any measure for the regu lation of the Medical Charities in Ireland during the present session. TAXING-OFFICERS IN BANKRUPTCY. Mr. SCOTT wished to know from the Right Honourable Gentleman, the Secretary of State for MON•DAY E N' G s APRIL —22, 1644. be th ia t w hich the Nolkte Lor was ceding mtai e A n c i t n s o s n u p this pos S n u g b j h e e c t, all h u u t d e t a h appeared to him that there namely, the restriction of Noe i‘f b ie l mr. a ri i l atb l N i o a ui d ‘ referredsasaid it namely, I. was no difference, except in word's, between moving a negative resolution, and moving an instruction to the Committee. He believed that the discussion wished for could not be taken on the motion of the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath. He believed the intention of the Hon. and LearnOd Gentleman was to move a general solemn resolution that such a thing should not be done. He never recollected that any step on any occa sion intervened between going into Committee, unless it was a resolution in the shape of an instruction to the Committee. He thought it better to state this now as it would prevent any supposition that they wished to obstruct the intentions of his Hon. Friend. Mr. ROEBUCK thought it was competent for him either to make his motion, either on the motion for reading the Order of the Day, or for the Speaker leaving the chair, and that he could not be prevented from doing so. He might be unwise in doing so, but that he had a right to move anything restricting the Factory Bill on the motion for the Speaker leaving the Chair, was as well settled as anything possibly could be. If he chose he might even go further, but he was satisfied with the mode he had taken to bring the subject under the consideration of the House, the only effect of which would be that the consideration of the subject in Committee would be put off one day. Mr. DUNCOMBE said it was his intention to move for a Select Committee up stairs, but he be lieved when the Order of the Day for the House re solving itself into a Committee of the whole House on the Factories' Bill was put, then must be the proper time for him to move that it be referred to a Committee up stairs. The Committee would be confined to the question of wages, because (there was no use in the House deceiving itself on the subject) there was a strong impression amongst the operatives that the restriction of labour to ten hours would not reduce wages. He knew that they said, and that others in their behalf also said, that they pre ferred taking the consequence of a reduction of wages; but then they always said that a reduction of wages would not be the consequence.—(Hear, hear.) The opposition of the Government to the Noble Lord's proposition was founded upon the argument that it would be injurious to the working classes, in consequence of the redu,ctton of wages that would ne cessarily ensue from if. On a consultation with the Short- time Committee lately, he (Mr. Duncombe) told them that he believed that a different impres sion from that which they entertained prevailed in the House of Commons. They complained of the ignorance of the House of Commons on this ques tion, and, as practical men, he (Mr. Duncombe) pro po..ed to them to go to a Committee of the House of Commons, and explain their grievances on the mat ter there, and, with regard to this particular point, meet the argument of the master manufacturers that this limitation would reduce the amount of wages. They complained, and he thought justly, that the House attended more to the statements of mas ters and millowners, than to the feelings and representations of the operatives. He (Mr. Dun come) believed it would be satisfactory to a great portion of the working-classes, and he thought it was also due to the public that some further investigation should take place on this subject. He did not believe that which he was told would be the case if this Bill were referred to a Committee up stairs, that it would be hung up for the remainder of the session. He thought it better that it should be hung up for the remainder of the present session than that it should be passed in the shape to which Minis ters had at present reduced it. That it would pass in that shape there could not be the slightest doubt. It was a perfect delusion to suppose that the mo tion of the Noble Member for Dorsetshire could by any possibility be carried, or that it would be acceded to by the House. The only chance the Noble Lord had of carrying his point was by fighting step by step in every stage in the progress of the Bill through the House for the principle which the House had already agreed to. The Noble Lord gave up an opportunity of introducing a clause in Committee, and he had given notice of his proposition for the third reading. The Noble Lord might have introduced the clause in Committee, and he might also have introduced it on the report, but he let those opportunities go by, and deferred it to the time when the Speaker was going to put the question from the Chair, that the Bill do pass. Then it was that the Noble Lord's cause was to be brought up and the Right Hon. Baronet and the Government would then properly say to the Noble Lord and to the House, that the clause which he proposed mili tated so against the whole principle of the Bill, and the provisions which had been already agreed to, that it would be totally impossible for the House now to accede to it. There would be perfect good sense in that It was perfectly proper on the part of the Go vernment so to do if they allowed, as the Noble Lord was ' about to do, the Bill to . slip through the house until it was about being passed. Then the Noble Lord would, as it were, take a flying shot at the Bill. But, as it was , o pass, and when he went to discharge his second barrel at it he would findj that the game was gone.— (Hear, hear, and laughter.) That would be the result of all the di-cussii• that had taken place, if the decision which the House had come to, that women and children should not work for more than ten hours.—(Hear, hear.) The operatives thought that the Noble Lord (Ashley) and the House had been trifling with their interests— that the whole thing was a delusion from beginning to end. The only course now was for the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir J. Graham) to agree to a Committee. Let the masters and the men meet before an impartial Committee. and let the public be thus satisfied who was in the right, and who in the wrong, only by these means could they dis abuse the public mind of the impression which prevailed that they were totally ignorant of the interests of those for whom they were legislating. Lord ASHLEY said it had not been his intention to make a single remark, but the observations of the Hon. Member for Finsbury (Mr. Duncombe) in dueed him to read to the House three lines of a letter received by him (Lord Ashley) that morning. The Hon. Gentleman said the operatives considered that he (Lord Ashley) had deluded them—that his con duct was; in fact, tantamount to a surrender. Now he (Lord Ashley) believed that the operatives of England were quite as fit judges of what was for their own good as the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Finsbury—(Hear, hear)—and he also thought they had amongst them ten times more justice and ten times more candour than he could pride himself upon.—(Cheers and laughter.) The letter, from which he was going to quote, was written by autho rity of the Central Short Time Committee of Lan cashire, and it said thus—" We are all of opinion that the course you have adopted is the best that under the circumstances you could have taken. We shall give you all the support that lies in our pewer." Mr. AGLIONBY said he hoped the Hon. Member for Finsbury (Mr. Duncombe) would not take any course that would interfere with the Noble Lord the Member for Dorsetshire (Lord Ashley). He had ever seen that Hon. Member (Mr. Duncombe) foremost to protect the privileges of the working classes, but he would not show himself the zealous friend he had been to them, if he took any proceeding upon the subject before the House without the sanc tion of that Noble Lord (At•hley.) The sincerity of the Noble Lord was great, and his judgment was as great as his sincerity. Ile placed implicit faith in the Noble Lord, and re lied entirely upon his judgment and sincerity. He believed that the Noble Lord's course was approved of by the working.classes.-- - (Cheers.) Many of those who had cheered the Hon. Member for Finsbury were directly opposed to the motion, and might, perhaps, be induced to urge him to go on, in hopes of defeat ing the measure.—(Hear, hear.) They had heard of delusions in the minds of the working classes on this subject, and that wages must inevitably fall in couse quence of this measure. He believed that the greater nnmber of the working classes were as able to judge of this question as any of the Members of that House. They had the greatest interest on it, and it was too much for Members who had no acquaintance with the practical details to presume to theorise as they did. He believed that too much attention was paid to the master mill-owners and to political economists. He acknowledged that the question was one of great difficulty, but he believed that the intelligent Members of the working classes had well considered the question: and were perfectly competent to decide it. He should certainly support the Noble Lord.—(Cheers.) Mr. STEWART WORTLEY complained that 1. the House should be called upon to discuss these motions on the second reading of the Bill. The llonourabla Member for Bath had given notice of a motion on going into Commit tee, and the Honourable Member for Finsbury had also given notice of his intention to move that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee. The Honourable Member for Sheffield had also given notice of his intention to propose an amend ment on the discussion of one of the clauses. Now, it struck him that it would be exceedingly in convenient to have all these motions discussed at once ; and he wished to ask the Speaker which mo tion would have precedence—that of the Hon. Member for Bath, or that of the Hon. Member for Finsbury ? The SPEAKER said, that according to the rules of the House, after the order of the day had been read, the Hon. Member for Finsbury might move, that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee, and when that motion was disposed of it was competent to any Hon. Member to move a resolution provided it was relevant to the question. Mr STANSFIELD (who was almost inaudible, owing to the noise and confusion in the House) was understood to say, that he had several alterations and amendments in this Bill when before . the Committee ( and which Nl' oulcl - arcr e sei-eral other branches of ' manufactures as well as the woollen trade. Mr. ROSS said there was so much exaggeration and so many misstatements upon this subject, that he had thought it his duty to appeal to those who had the best means of coming to a true conclusion on the matter, so he appealed to several of his constituents in town of Belfast, and in consequence he had been induced to a certain degree to alter his opinions. Petitions, numerously signed by working-men and young persons about the age of 15, had been presented to the House, praying it not to interfere with labour. The petitions, taking a different view from that of his Honourable Friend, asserted that the inevitable consequence of reducing the hours of work would be the reduction of wages. Seeing, therefore, the opinion of the manufacturing employers, backed by that of the working men, he had determined to change his course, although his conduct might ap pear inconsistent, he thought the best consistency was that of always endeavouring to act according to what he believed the rights of any particular case. Mr. HINDLEY thought the best argument in favour of the course suggested by the Honourable Member for Finsbury was the speech of the Honourable Member for Belfast. This change of opinion showed the necessity of probing this whole question to the bottom. When the doc trines of political economy were understood, they a ould be found in favour of humanity. The Right Hon. Gentleman reproached a majority of the House with being a tyrant majority. But the conduct of the Government was such as to deserve the reproach of a tyrant minority.--(Hear, hear.) In fact, he never saw a Government act in so perverse and ungracious a manner.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. M. PHILLIPS was astonished at the course now taken by the Hon. Gentleman who had spoken last, and who had, in former times, voided all the pro visions of the Factory Act. But he might not be as tonished at what had fallen from the Hon. Mem ber for (Ashton-under-Lyne.—(Hear, and a laugh.) He would leave it to the Hon. Gentleman to recon cile his own former acts with the opinions which he now expressed.—(Hear). He (Mr. Phillips) would take the judgment of the Hon. Member for Belfast, in preference to the statement of the Hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne. The Hon. Member for Belfast had been •intluenced on a former occasion by the exaggerations which had prevailed in the House upon this subject, and he voted in favour of the Noble Lord (Ashley). But then the Hon. Gentleman inquired into the matter in a judicious manner, deriving his information from practical persons, both men and masters, and he now came forward manfully to declare that he was wrong in his former vote.—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. P.) had always been opposed to interference with the labour of adults. (LEFT ATEAKING. CURIOUS EXPERIAIENT.—The Courrier Francais states, that " an experiment calculated to excite the greatest interest was made in Paris, in that part of the river opposite to the Quai d'Orsai. Towards five o'clock in the evening of Wednesday last, Dr. Payerne placed in an enormous metal bell, weighing several hundred kilogrammes, descended un der this heavy apparatus to the bottom of the river. The Doctor remained more than half an hour under water. He had under his bell a chemical apparatus, with the assistance of which he absorbed the carbonic acid gas, and produced oxygen and azote to render the air fit for respiration. The experiment succeeded completely, and we are assured that with this bell, of a new construction, a person may remain under water for an indefinite period at a depth of 50 yards. An instrument of a similar construction, placed in the hands of our pearl and coral fishers, would be of vast importance." BRIDGEWATER CANAL.—We last week stated that preparations were making for carrying on an extensive trade in salt between the mines, at Northwich, in Cheshire, and the port of Hull, through the medium of the Manchester and Leeds, the Leeds and Selby, and the Selby and Hull rail ways. This communication, it is said, is to be completed by converting the Duke of Bridgewater's canal, which was con structed about the year 1760, under the direction of Mr. Brindley, the engineer, into a line of railway from the alt mines to Manchester, to join the railways passing eastwards and communicating with the German Ocean.—Leeds Mercury. THE W EATHER.—For some days past we have had glorious spring weather. Vegetation days made a rapid ad vance. The cherry, pear, and plum trees are literally covered with blossoms; the wall-flowers are unrivalled in their brilliancy of colour and amplitude of bloom ; and, in fact, all the productions of the fiower-garden are in greater Perfection than they have been seen in this climate for many a year. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (SATURDAY.) BOW-STREET. A man, who gave the name of Jonathan Swift, was also charged with being concerned, with others not in custody, in robbing a young gentleman, named Charles Robinson, of four 51. notes, and 25/. in gold, while he was passing along the Strand. The prosecutor was proceeding home, on Thursday night, and at the corner of Surrey-street was spoken to by a nymph of the pave, who requested he would treat her with some drink, and, before he could make a reply, being afflicted ;with great hesitation in his speech, she succeeded in pulling him down Surrey street, notwithstanding his repeated efforts to get away. He then found that his right-hand trowsers pocket had been emptied of the case in which the money was deposited, and while he was accusing her, in the best manner he could, of having robbed him, which she denied, the prisoner and another man passed by, and, addressing witness, asked why he did not go elsewhere, instead of stopping with her in the street, upon which the female instantly ran off. The prisoner then offered his services to assist in going in pursuit of her, at the same time inquiring if /he numbers of the notes were known, and if they were, he would accompany him in the morning to that Court, for the purpose of giving the necessary in formation upon the subject. 'Witness, being very much confused,. gave him to understand that he had received the money only a short time back from a friend in the City, and the prisoner imme diately offered to accompany him to tell what he saw. The prisoner and the other man, who went away, seemed to be very intimate. Mr. Richard Brinsley Porter, residing at 2, Idol-lane, City, said that about half-past 9 o'clock the prosecutor came to his house bringing a note for the money in question from his father, which he gave him and he went away, Between 11 and 12 o'clock hearing a knock, he put his head out of the window, and saw the prisoner and Robinson outside. On letting them in, the prosecutor stammered to such a degree that he was unable to make himself understood, and having provided himself with pen and ink, he wrote that he suspected the prisoner was concerned in robbing him with a female, who made her escape. 'Witness imme diately communicated the suspicion against him to the prisoner, and having asked him his address, that he might be found if further inquiries were neceseary, he said he was a tailor, and lodged at 17, Red Lion street, llolborn, which was a private house. They then went to the station-house, where the prisoner gave the same address, and upon sending to make in quiries it was found to be a greengrocer's shop, and no such person as the prisoner was known there. The prisoner being reminded of the false address he had given, admitted the fact, as he had every objection Ma friends should know - the situation he was placed in. He had previously said he had lately come from Ports mouth, where he intended to return in a short time, and he would prefer being brought before a magis trate to giving his address even privately. The prisoner persisted in refusing to give any ac count of himself, and he was remanded till Tuesday. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. The Court was crowded with hotel-keepers and licensed victuallers, anxious to hear the examination of Wnz. Kelly alias Win. Young, charged with com mitting a robbery at the Waterloo Hotel, Hay market, and respecting whom there is little doubt that he. is the individual who has within the last twelve months plundered a vast number of hotels and public-houses. The police have for a considerable time been in possession of a description of the pri soner's person and a list of his robberies, but owing to the adroit manner in which the offences were com mitted they have, up to Saturday last, been totally unable to capture the delinquent. The prisoner is an Irishman, about 30 years of age, rather tall, light hair, and of flashy appearance. His clothes had ap parently been contrived with the view of carrying on his robberies so as to elude detection ; they were very large and loose, and calculated to hold any plun der he might get possession of, without drawing sus picion on him from any appearance of unusual bulki ness. The first charge was the following : Mr. Richard Bradshaw, a gentleman of fortune, said he had occupied apartments at the Waterloo Hotel for about four years. On Saturday week last, about one o'clock A.M., he went into his sleeping apartment, and discovered that a chest of drawers had been forced open and a case containing a silver knife, fork, and spoon, with some other articles, taken away. The prisoner had engaged a bed at the hotel for that night, and his sleeping-room was opposite to the bed room of prosecutor. Suspicion having been excited, prosecutor knocked at the door of the prisoner, and after some time prosecutor was admitted by the pri • soner, who apparently had just been roused from his bed. Prosecutor immediately searched the prisoner's clothes, and, having found sufficient evidence to con firm him in his opinion that the prisoner was the thief, he went out of the room and caused a policeman to be sent for. When the constable came the bed-room was thoroughly searched, and on the top of the bed the case of plate was found. There were other articles also discovered which had been stolen from the room of a gentleman who also occupied apartments in tne hotel, but who was then at Ramsgate. Police-constable Wells, C 185, said when he took the prisoner into custody he found a chisel in his pocket. This chisel exactly fitted the marks on the drawers, and no doubt was the instrument employed by the prisoner to effect the robbery. On this charge the prisoner was fully committed. The next charge was preferred by Mr. E. Tomp kins, who stated that, on being informed while at Ramsgate that a robbery had been committed he came to town, and ascertained that a . portmanteau in his apartments had been forced open, and severaf shirts,' a card-case, and other articles stolen. The 'missing property was found in the prisoner's room. On this charge the prisoner was also committed. Mr. Hardwick was informed that since the pri soner had been in custo.iy.the police had ascertained that he had committed an immense number of similar robberies in all parts of London, and also that the prisoner had been committed in May last for a rob bery at the Ship Hotel, Charing-cross, and had been sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The system adopted by the prisoner was this :—He fixed upon a house, and engaged a bed for the night. In the morning, when the family were engaged at their business, he took the opportunity of going from room to room, and breaking open boxes and drawers, and carrying off as much booty as he could get clear with. From the bulk of some of the articles it is suspected the prisoner had a confederate, and the police are consequently on the look out. Among those who have been pillaged, the following have been traced out by City-policeman Horton, 532 :—Mr. Curling, Sugar-loaf; Great Queen-street, Cheapside, a quantity of clothes and jewellery, worth about 201. ; Mr. White, the Cock, Leadenhall. street, of clothes worth about 10/. ; the George and Vulture Tavern, George-yard, Lombard-street, a quantity of linen and wearing apparal from the carpet-bag of a gentleman staying at the tavern ; the Sceptre Hotel, Flea -street, a suit of clothes belonging to the waiter ; the Rainbow Tavern, Fleet-street, a silk-dress, the pro perty of the housekeeper; the Mitre Tavern, Fish street-hill, a quantity of clothes and other wearing apparel ; the Catherine Wheel, Bishopsgate-street, a quantity of wearing apparel, the property of a gen tleman from Cambridge. The potboy at a public-house in London also complained to the magistrate that he had lost a new Taglioni and other articles of Sunday clothing, in consequence of the prisoner having been accom modated with a bed in his master's house. The Crown Tavern, at Pentonville, had also been visited by the prisoner, among other houses. Mr. HARDWICK said, as there was reason to believe that many other complete cases would be brought forward against the prisoner, he would remand him until Thursday week, May 2, in order to grant time to the police to arrange the charges. UEEN-SQ UA RE. John Crosby, a strange-looking, middle-aged man, described as a pensioner from the 4th Regiment of Foot, was brought before Mr. Bond, charged with haring endeavoured to force his way into the Royal Mews, and with having made use of threatening lan guage towards her Majesty. On the first witness being called, prisoner, who looked wildly round him, made some incoherent ob servations, and on being requested to keep quiet, exclaimed, " I shall not hold my tongue ; I should not if her Majesty herself was present; am I striking anybody ?" Police-constable George Bartlett said, that at about one that day he saw the defendant engaged with the soldier who was on duty at the Royal Mews, and heard him say that he wanted to see her Majesty, and declare, with an oath, that he would see her. Defendant (with much vehemence)—" And I will too." Witness continued his statement—Defendant then said that he had come there on purpose to see the Queen, and nobody should prevent him. A gentle man then came up and desired witness to take the man into custody, and assisted him in doing so. De fendant frequently exclaimed on his way to the sta tion-house, " I will see the Queen, and I'll Queen her when I do see her." Mr. BOND —Judging from his conduct and expres sions, is it your opinion that he is of sound mind ? Witness—l should say that he had the appearance of being of unsound mind. G. Rudder, a private of the Ist battalion of Cold.. stream Guards, said he was on duty at the Royal Mews at one o'clock that day. Defendant came up, and asked him which was the entrance to the Palace, and witness, thinking by his excited manner and ap.• pearance that there was something wrong, directed him down towards Chelsea. Defendant said that was not the way, and made an attempt to open the gate. Witness pulled him away by the collar, and put him into the road, but he returned again, and said he wanted to see her Majesty, and would have admittance to the Palace. A gentleman yho was passing imme diately requested witness tdinceep tight hold of the prisoner while he fetched a police-constable, and the gentleman then assisted the officer in conveying the defendant to the station. Rees Davis, a tradesman residing next door to the Royal Mews, stated that he sent a boy for the police on observing defendant's determined manner. De fendant inquired whether the Queen came out that way, alluding to the side entrance to the Palace. Wm. Cornish, a police-constable of the B division, stated that he was on duty at the station when defend ant was brought in. Defendant said he wanted to see the Queen, and she should not be Queen long after he got a sight of her. He added that he had as much right to be King as she had to be Queen. Mr. BOND asked what had been found upon the defendant ? Cornish produced his papers, which showed that he had a pension of sixpence per day, and the following certificate : " John Crosby has been for some time confined in the lunatic ward in the workhouse for deranged intel lect.—N. M'Pherson, Captain, Staff Officer. Man chester, April 6th." The police-constable, Bartlett, informed the magis trate that the prisoner had been very violent that morning at Chelsea Hospital, and had broken several windows. Mr. BOND asked the accused what he had to say ? Defendant gave a wild look around him, and said, "What have I done? I only went to see the Queen." Mr. BOND said there could be no doubt of the de fendant's insanity, and directed that he should be taken to the workhouse and placed under restraint. Mr. Barefoot, an inspector of the B division, sub mitted that it would be better to remand the de fendant until Monday, and give the parish officers notice to attend, when they could receive charge of the man at the hands of the Magistrate. He (the in spector) was apprehensive that if the accused got a little quiter by the morning he might insist upon being discharged from the workhouse, and might thus, in his dangerous state, be at large. Mr. BOND said, that the authorities at the work house must be desired to detain him, and he would then be passed in due form to Hanwell Lunatic Asylum. REPORTING FOR TTIE LONDON PAPERS. We have often been struck with the amount of un scrupulous exaggeration, assertion, and perversion of the truth, displayed in the reports which appear in some of the London papers of meetings held in this town and neighbourhood, when we have had the means, from personal observation, or otherwise, of detecting this species of dishonesty. Though we have now seen so many instances of this sort of reporting that we have ceased to be astonished at it, we think it right occa sionally to expose it, that at all events the public both here and elsewhere may be on their guard as to this species of deception. We had the curiosity to look at the reports of the " Ten Hours' Bill" meeting on Wednesday evening, given in the Morning Post and the Times of yesterday, and we will give a few spe cimens from each of that sort of misrepresentation which, we fear, is becoming habitual to the reporters or correspondents of these journals. The Post com mences thus : " Last night one of the largest, and decidedly the most important meeting ever held in this town, was convened at the Corn Exchange, &c. * * * The room, which is the largest in the town, was filled al most to suffocation, and the principal doors had to be closed ; many thousands went away who could not obtain admission. By this time there could not have been fewer than 4,000 persons present. On this occa sion the platform had been enlarged, and made capable of holding upwards of 300 people, and it, like the body of the room, was densely crowded. * * * Amongst the gentlemen on the platform we noticed several mer chants and manufacturers, many clergymen of the Church of England, and some of the Roman Catholic priests, as well as several Dissenting preachers. This may be said to have been one of the l arges t an d most re spectable meetings ever held in Manchester. * * The following letter from the Dean of Manchester to the Chairman of the Short Time Committee was read." And then comes the Dean's letter At length. Whe ther the meeting was one of the largest ever held in Manchester, is decided by the simple fact that it was held in a room. We have seen meetings of at least 20,000 persons, and the courage of the reporter is only screwed up to 4,000 in this instance. But is the room the largest in Manchester ? Its area is, according to th. 3 statement of its proprietors, " nearly 600 square yards ;" that of the Car penters' Hall is 665, the Wellington room 700, and the Free Trade Hall 1,750 square yards. As we have seen all these rooms "crammed," of course the Corn Exchange is neither " the largest room," nor could any assemblage in it be "one of the largest meetings ever held"—in a room—in Man chester. But were there 4,000 persons present ? Where could they be stowed in something short of 600 square yards of floor ? We doubt if ever this room held 3,000 persons ; we should estimate the numbers present on Thursday night at between 2,000 and 2,500. The plat form certainly could not hold 200 people, and not more than 150 were upon it. We deny that there were "many clergymen of the Church of England " on the platform ; we deny that there were " several Dissent ing preachers." As to the Dean's letter paraded at full length in the Post as read, every one at the meeting knows that Mr Wray said he would not read it, as it was so long; and it was not read. Here we might stop; but we may just add, that the same misrepre sentation runs through the whole report. Certainly, if there had been "a knot of some half-dozen Leaguers" in the room, they would not have marked their presence by "clamouring for Mr. Oastler." Here we must leave the Post and its reporter. The Times is a little more modest in its estimate of the numbers present, which , it states at " between 3,000 and 4,000;" being o n ,n i ,d, 1,0 . 00 to 2,000 more th a n r e ally'were'present: Vice -Dean having handed his, written speech to tu ; reporter for the Times, it h as b e en duly intersp erse ° with " cheers," some, of course, in the wrong Pla c i _ e ,.' and others existing °lily i n th e imagination of DI" liberal distributor of these m a rks of popular ap; r°va ,. The same remarks will apply with still more fo r ; to the speech o f M r . Walter, the proprietor of tu Tiinc,v, which is interlarded with cheers, which certai.ny. never were given, but instead of them such unecl°l; cal marks of disapprobation, as to draw from h ; Oastler the strongest expressions of regret, and t o / most . earnest appeals to hear Mr. Walter. N° ll %, this appears in the Times, but in two or thre . e stances we are told there were " cheers and Jote_., ruption." We need not pursue our examination fur, ther, than to add, that Mr. Mitchell's charge of l e r hood on the part of Mr. Ferr an d, in reference to 8 John Brooks, and Mr. Ferra n d' s characteristic W u .. of dealing with it, are suppressed.--Maucheg!' Guardian. - - FLANDERS AND DUTCH MAIL S. BRUSSELS, APRIL 17.—The average price of w bellt last week was 17f. 39c., and that of Rye la there' per hectolitre. The imp or t an d ex p o rt duties, a fore, remained as they ha ve b een for several w ee past. gi The A letter from Antwerp, of the 15th, ear long numerous ships that arrived yesterday, froni_Lee, voyages, gave our port a very animated apPee 3 7, ri e Among them were three from the Havannallt,. o o from Monte Video, one from Bue n os Ayres, on e i f Rio de Janeiro, one from New Orleaps, t w° -1° New Orleans, and one from Savannah. In consequence of the ordinance of the Government against speculation in railways, the i5l ; ject of a railway, in competition with the /th en railway, has been abandoned. r o " The Provincial Board of the iron railvvai 'tbo jected between Cologne and Creveld, informs public, through the medium of the Cologne Ga ze , o f that, in consequence of the notice of the Sin Finance, Finance, dated the 11th of this month, the cond itt on which it has received subscriptions to this ra il rej have become ineffectual, and it has, therefore, rent() to declare those subscriptions n u ll an d void, an 0 , release the subscribers from their engagellie: i ii But," adds the Committee, " We do n ot rell ° the hope of seeing the importance of an undelw , " recognised, and we leave subscribers the optin r il t br taking part till the 10th of May in the expenses ei rt • preliminary works by the payment of sums,.t ll , e ty eeipts from which will entitle them to take part " Il oc es' deliberations and the resolutions which will be nee sary when the authorisation shall ha v e been obta in to It seems that their Majesties will not returnivill Lacken so soon as was expected, and that they not leave England till the 23d of this month. , ot -0, The Duchess of Kent and the Prince of Leieitol her son, will come to Ostend in the same steamer brings their Majesties. The fine weather which we have had for soltl rtitti b e l past has quite effaced the traces o f the inundate or which the country suffered so se v erely, and w o tle counts from all quarters speak in the most fav °l/ f the manner of the forward state of the labours ° . farmers. 1 atY AMSTERDAM, APRIL 18.—Their Majesties - 11 sr Royal Family are still here. Th e King :Of , ;0 8 dience every day, and the Princ e ss, as well " - es tliet Prince of Orange, take advantage of fine v`: 0 0 to visit different institutions, and make excurs t° / . the environs. O r Yesterday between twelve and one o'clock, „ id iso rible fire suddenly broke out in the English 0 4 5 0 0 of Kerckhoff and Co., near the palace. There w" e i g ir reason to fear that the fire would extend to the Po o l homing buildings ; however, it was most fortu ° le l confined to the magazine, which is wholly dest i lv o ir The magistrates of Amsterdam have orders 03 1% neral collection to be made for the relief of til dOcigi ferers by the fire at Alsmeer. From on ; fir statement of the loss occasioned by this fire ° bo a& that the whole amounts to 167,701 florins, ;ft o sii ings, furniture, merchandise, &c. , which we re insured to the amount of 56,140 florins. m lil l The statement of the amount sub Scribed '",„tilr voluntary loan by the several provinces is ne t s _ v , f r l N A- A lished. The province of North Holland stt, s uL or t about 54,000,000, South Holland 27,00 0 tuvla °) the other provinces the remainder of the des !f 117,000,000, which, with the 10,000,000 et tot" tot" the King to his first subscription, made uP t " - of 127,000,000 florins that was required. .d. . / THE HAGUE, APRIL 18.—TheHandelsblad s a g 01 "We learn that measures are preparing earn' offices of the Department of Finance to be c o l or into execution, by way of refusal, if Belgint° 00 1 adopt the proposal to lay on colonial produce c le ft from the Netherlands a heavier duty than is COe on the same articles imported directly from th e tries, which produce them." ea i t e4 This article has induced th e f o ll o wing no t i c e Pr' the Journal de. Bruxelles :—" This threat il l bog serious. We have already sa id, an d we sbg ii tti l occasion to prove, that Belgium i s p er f e ctly at 00 to introduce a commercial system adopted by se re' all nations, and that Holland will in no case ll „ C , prisals. May the Chambers and the Bele ,. ' vernment be fully sensible of these truths." de r ti l o g i The Journal de Bruxelles seems to NW ° gi rt article to the Handelsblad as a threat on the pos:1:1 the Government. This is an error. We it,„ ll : ° well tively that it did not emanate from anyl" ‘ , ll , r lair, department. The Government of the I%Tew - ve r 1 °,," never threatens, but it is watchful, and wha te iste i r Journal de Bruxelles may say, it will not b esi f f e cte", 4 ' act in case the interest of Holland should heljaigy Is it necessary to add, that with respect to v" WI we have abundant means o f ma ki ng re p r isals %Ol e , our neighbours forgotten how large a prol )° , " i II" Belgian produce ex p or t e d comes t o Hollan tl Aahtr need quote only on e ar ti c l e , name ly, that of six per cent. on all the calicoes., iunir et a . THE LAYS OF TILE LAST GREAT SCOTTISIIIT - n e11",,,r , —We understand that Mr. Templeton gives 1115 . - a V I . tertainmeat 4 , Tile Lays of the last Great Scol o of e h , strel, Sir Walter Scott," on Friday next, at the si jiig n . square rooms, under the patronage of his 1 1 ° .. ., 1 . 0 d! d e l i , ness Prince Albert. The proceeds of the eire"34 ( l o . tertainments are to be handed over to the Sc o tt Oh% ment Committee, Mr. Templeton adopting tl o so! 0 priate mode of testifying his admiration and I;_ e Ito to p the memory of Sir Walter Scott. We fear te e " 0 the last opportunity which the admirers of - 1- o oli_ n f 0 will have of hearing him during the present Lerner we understand his numerous provincial e°67 o oi l) 0 will completely engross his time during the r e d tiro of the spring and summer. H e h as j u st return, p ao very successful professional visit to LiverP ° ° $ O. neighbourhood. App'lloo FREDERICK THE GREAT; HIS C O URT 0 0 4f 0 EDITED BY THOMAS CAMPBELL, ESQ.--TO 1 0. 0 4 . 10 readers, and 'especially to such of them o s . aie ritOv i , d if been disappointed of procuring the highly the s h oe work, lately ushered before the public by , , 0 007, 4 1, guished author of " The Pleasures of Hope' c t he °..tioi memoirs of the Life and Times of Frederic for w- o p it will be, we doubt not, a welcome piece of ii!ust t it that a new and much cheaper edition bus Il i folg f or from the press, comprised in a couple of soi s an i i ° o o', This is certainly a work which rivals almost -AO language in the deep and varied interest of i ts % bitgobg and especially in the rich picture which it. ~e 0 f i bilg the mind and person, of the opinions and act e l ' i l l e' Pf t o.l splendid achievements and pacific labours , t po tri‘?„,ille and manners, not excepting the foibles and ec` - j aat' of the most renowned Sovereign, and most man of the age in which he lived. BIRTHS. A y fil ew ' ti On the 17th inst., in Essex-street, the 10- , ° J.- . Simon, Esq., barrister-at-law, of a son. the ite11..4 On th e 18th inst., at Bristol, the lady 0- f p- ' Woodwar, 19 th inst., of a son. h‘ On the at Clapham, the lady of Ri c-- s r4C dell, Esq., of Cornhill, of a daughter. be log 0 0 MARRIED. zi Vac k esP On the sth inst., at Gretna, L. Stanhope - • i s te - , 0 Esq., to Caroline Sarah, fo ur th d aug hter of th e fil d Fredrick White, of her Majesty's Packet Service p Serv ic e , le , h ot' On the 17th inst., at Long Crendon, Buc k i dad Lovegrove, of Blackwall, to Arabella, young e i Lckikvilli A ,' the late J. Reynolds, Esq., of Nottley ' AbbeY,P B e v , - pr , . On the 18th inst., at Plumstead Church, toe. to Co" Hornby, of St. Michael's-on-Wyre, Lancashr, 084 r third daughter of Captain Phipps Hornby, R' • e c i troller-General of the Coast Guard. A. 0 3 n f. the 18th i o n f s t t. h , e at iv St. ar.. o G ffi e c o e rg e G ' Military Pensioners, to Emma L'ouisa, youngest P • Sir W. H. Pearson, of Hanover-square. er-scillitel;YV On the 19th inst., at St. George's, Han°, R. Collier, Esq., to Isabella, eldest daughter of l' • Eaton-place. ne o64 s en n er a a n l ° svuerp-sg:tetipeg'ciu,,otert rof, S t a O v n e 1 t e h y e s l m 6t i h th, in E s s t q .,. at K p in i g E st il on . -hill, the Wiqe Of .1 (1 .0. ,,, a - jor On the 16th inst., at Arkesden Vicarage, Bse--1 ' ;te r of youngest son of the Rev. T. S. Griffenhoofe• d jelig the e O R n e t v h . e p r r i . th A i i n n s s t li ., e at Cambridge, Agnes, sec° ~, g f ,', Ha O n3 h lftsr e uwkr l .er i al t i.), h , inst.,. at Elizabeth-street, eEr:ats.::::01:::: Benjaminoft O ii n e the rA l dl i i Jai Ta6lor, of Lloyd's Coffee . Ho°uuse°,gnagee-dglri. r a ptsi ii ~, ta e h b g , edi t n h 7s e ts o . ldest member of her lifejew 0 at B 1 n the 17th inst., Mrs. Sarah Wills '4eils,„'' al P.,, i ' l ott , late Samuel Wells, Earl , Paymaster of the lot l'Ocis AP', n.t he 17th inst., at King's Langley, Herto ,lll°l 1 0 • • Esq., aged 90. e d7•'ot On the 10th inst., at Boulogne, R. Lowe , E s q' be t/tell w. o . li l t d l r ic id l g 4 e t , lki N ns g a e t d A 6B lb . ion-grove, Islingt°ll' op es,D tl ; lll/3 On the 13th inst., 1-I.l.amb, Esq., of Ryton 1 ,... /° ,, 11 of On the 16th inst., Henry Ric:1111-'14 Wood, - l ' 3.t.' Dl r ' -sclu lP' On the 16th ; i 2a n sg s q t e . d , aa4gtseC.da9r2b.ur.ton-street, Fitzrof h ie, j j o a O l m in n es i3 the 16th inst., at Arthingworth, N" t118111t°° if e' ' toil ° On the 16th inst . , at Preston Deanery, . o ' .'9 . rthilll' ag Pea e l g t B e. ' Ro o,(; b il e i r t t thi , i 3 e - e o l i i9 ; hi e ji s ni t lsst s t. : . ,, n of Langham Christie, Ls itorY l ' , vn the 19th inst., at Blackheath, the Hon. , 13 A braP"Ock .Printed and iilni NS P ie f .a b ------- -- .._ y olly London • Published e t r e b e t y e , t fi i 3 e r i n t :Jrll:l'n':i7l:7 :24. l - e f o ; z ioii i Ne. 112, Strand, Printer, at TI SU S Li 0 1111 ,e . t h e Strand, in the Precinct of the Savo'' , 12 " Middleaex, Monday, April 22, 1844. In Con, 25th tie 1,, ke+3l