The Sun. — London, England, 1844-07-12 00:00:00

LONDON JOINT-STOCK BANK. tine General INV-yearly Meeting of the . Shareholders the London Joint-Stock Bankwas yesterday held in the .13oaid-room of the Bank in Princes-street, City, at dye o'clock. Sir John M‘Taggart, Bart., M.l'., Chairman of the Board of Direetor, in the Chair. The advertisement calling the meeting having been read, Ti:e CHAIRMAN called upon the Secretary to read the A PHOPRIETOR—Is there anything in the deed of set r dement about the absence of Directors ? The CHAIRMAN—No Director can be absent without leave for more than three months, but the Board has power to give leave. Mr. V. KNIGHT thought six months too sho. t a time to fix. He agreed in the principle of Mr. Nroore's motion, but he thought the term might be advantageously en larged to one, or even to two years; and knowing, as he did, the value of Mr. Darthez, he was quitiwilling that that gentleman should not be affected by the resolution. Mr. Alderman H. HUGHES objected to the motion being put, on a point of order. The motion went to make an alteration in the deed of settlement, and that could not be done at - a. meeting like the present, and without going through the necessary preliminary forms. AMBROSE MOORE, Esq., a Director, rose to repel the charge of mismanagement in this matter which had been brought against the Direction by Mr. T. Moore. The only object they had in view was to show their respect for a colleague who had been of the greatest service to the establishment. What would have been said if the Directors had availed themselves of the power, after his absence for three month's, to exclude him from the Direc tion? But Mr. Darthez had been re-elected since his ab sence. Why had not the Hon. Proprietor on that occasion proposed another candidate; he had had on that occasion seventeen clear days to get up a little management on his own account,. and yet he had not thought proper to avail himself of it by proposing another candidate. Mr. H. NICHOLSON—In what way did Mr. Darthez , offer himself for re-election ? The CHAIRMAN—By letter. He is obliged to do so. Mr. BORRODAILE had no doubt but that the present discussion would produce a good effect. The Directors had had an opportunity of hearing all that had passed on the subject. No doubt they would well consider it, and he should be inclined to leave the matter entirely in their hands. The CHAIRMAN observed that as Mr. Moore bad pointed out one clause in Mr. Gladstone's Bill, he thought he might point out some others which were most absurd. One was that banks were to strike a balance every month. Why, if that were the case in the bank the whole of the time of the clerks would be taken up in striking balances. Another absurdity was, the requiring the names of two Directors on the back of every bill. The Bill would require to be greatly altered in Committee. Mr. V. KNIGHT thought they could not entertain the motion without altering the deed of settlement. Mr. SQUANCE, the solicitor to the Company, on being called on, gave it as his opinion that the motion could not be entertained in its present form at that meeting. Mr. T. SAMBROOK, who had seconded the motion merely to raise the discussion, would not object, if the mover saw fit, to his withdrawing it. Mr. Alderman HUGHES HUGHES hoped it would be withdrawn. Mr. T. MoottE did not object to withdraw his motion, and had the discussion gone on he should not have ob - jected to the substitution of twelve months for six. Not withstanding all that had been said, he could not help thinking there had been a little management somewhere, although each individual Director might disclaim all - kliowledge of it. He was but an humble in dividual himself, but for all that, if he were taunted, he might get up a little management out of doors. With regard to Mr. Gladstone's Bill, it should be recollected that among its provisions were the following: —That all future banks should have auditors, and that one-fourth of the directors should go out absolutely every year, and remain out. These were most whole some provisions. He then withdrew his motion. G. H. FOSTER, Esq., a Director, felt called upon to answer the statement of the Hon. Proprietor about management. On the last occasion he had stated that he thought the thanks of his colleagues and himself were due to Mr. Darthez ; that he had written to that . gentleman, asking him if he intended to offer himself for re-election and inquiring whether he might be expected in England soon. He had then said he was happy to state that he had received an answer, in which Mr. Darthez offered himself for re-election, and :ex pressed his intention of soon returning to England. He had hoped to have seen him before this, and he trusted, from what he had heard from other quarters, for he had not heard from Mr. Darthez him— self, that they would soon see him amongst them. The motion was then withdrawn. _ _ Alderman Mr . HtTGHES HUGHES then moved that the especial thanks of the Proprietors are justly dee, and are hereby respectfully presented to the Directors. for their valuable and efficient services. Mr. T. MOORE seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. The CHAIRMAY in the name of the Directors and himself, returned thanks. On the motion of Mr. RICHARD GIBBS, the thanks of the Proprietors were given to Mr. Pollard, the Manager, and the gentlemen employed under him, in conducting the affairs of the bank. Mr. POLLARD returned thanks. The thanks of the meeting were then unanimously voted to the Chairman for his able conduct in the chair ; and the compliment having been acknowledged by the Chairman, the meeting adjourned SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. MOM TEE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. STANDARD.—Grievous was the descent of the House of Commens from the consideration of Mr. Cowper's proposition to the Committee upon the Gamblers' Protection Bill. This is a Bill upon which we have no opinion, and in which we take no in terest whatever. We certainly should not grieve to see the scourge fall heavily upon the aristocracy of the turf and the gaming table. The aristocracy, generally, would be the greatest gainers by the inflic tion; but then one does not much like to see a restive but not:repentant gambler filling his pockets by writs and declarations merely as the substitute of horses, or dice, or cards, " made safe." It is a matter in which one can afford to be quite impartial. We must protest, by the way, against calling horse-racing a manly sport ; there is nothing manly in it—rowing, yachting, fox hunting, wrestling, &c., are manly sports, because in them men perform the whole, or at least the princi pal part ; but what manliness is there in looking at a nobe horse running with the smallest attain able weight of humanity upon his back ? Who ever considers the extenuated specimen of mankind in the saddle, except to ascertain whether he has or has not sold his employer for a bribe ? There is no manliness in all this, or if there is, it is a manliness in which the subscriber to " a Derby," who has handed over his sixpence, with the price of his pint of beer, in a Spitalfields' pothouse, has as much right to boast as the king of the course, and owner of half the horses in the field. GLOBE.—The new tariff determined on by the Bra zilian Government has reached this country. Although not published by official authority, the source whence it has been derived gives assurance of its accuracy. The increased scale of duties, thus imposed by the Brazilian Government on the manufactured produce of this country, clearly shows the absurdity of main taining a system of restrictive duties upon' the produce of foreign States. As a nation, Britain is de pendent for her commercial prosperity on the demand for our manufactures by foreigners ; yet, with a folly which exposes our legislators to reprisals by other countries, and their acts to condemnation in our own, we find them labouring to uphold a system of restriction which provokes retaliatory tariffs by foreign States The Brazilian tariff at present in operation levies a nominal uniform duty of 15 per cent. on articles of British manufacture imported into that country ; in practical operation, the real amount of duty thus im posed amounts to 21 per cent. ad valorem. The tariff now proposed will come. into operation in November, next, when the commercial treaty with England will terminate ; under its operation the duties will vary in amount ; but their combined effect will be to increase, to a considerable extent, the duties now payable upon the principal articles of export iato this country. We give in another column the rates of duty to be charged upon different fabrics. A duty, ad valorem, varying from 30 to 60 per cent. upon the bulk of the exports from this country, will, as regards many articles, be a practical exclusion of British manufactures from the Brazils; and cannot fail to work an incalculable amount of mischief to our trade and commerce. For this we are indebted to the combination of class interests, which compels Sir R. Peel to a course of commercial impolicy that he has vir tually denounced in Parliament, and which, we believe, he would willingly abandon for a more generous and healthful system, were he not fettered by his political in terests who The tenacity with which the who are " protected" at the expense of the community, cling to each other, is easily accounted for. They derive strength from union, and supply a cogent argument for reiterated and constant resistance to the monopolies to which they belong. The separation of one member of the confederacy would leave one restriction less to be appealed to as a justification fur others ; add something to the mimber and strength of those interested in freedom of trade; and take something from the mass of interest enlisted on the side of restriction. The corn-laws, for instance, are not merely to be viewed as the cause, of those evils which directly and immedikely flow from them. They are to be judged, not merely by the evils which they do, but by the good which they prevent from being done. If the landlords had no longer a monopoly of their own, they woad no longer uphold the monopolies of others. It is not the interest of landowners that Bra zilian sugars should be excluded from consumption in this country. Nor would they assist in effecting that ex clusion, but that, by thus assisting the classes which de rive an interest from that exclusion, they may purchase their aid in preventing the introduction of foreign corn to the British market.. The same may be said of the British-colonial interests. They would gladly admit foreign corn to the British markets, because that ad mission would be beneficial to themselves. But were they to 4etach themselves from the confederated band of monopolists, they would lose the advantages which they derive from the union of protected interests. The landlords would no longer uphold the colonial monopoly: their support is obtained by the aid which the other protected interests afford to the existing restrictions on the importation of corn. TRIAL OF THE RIOTERS AT LEEDS.—This trial terminated on Tuesday last, having occupied four days of r the borough sessions, and twice as long as the other thirty , six- cases put together. Of the military, four were found • guilty and eight not guilty ; of the civilians, four were found guilty • and three not guilty. The sentences en the former were. different periods of imprisonment ; of the - latter, one was fined 41., the others were sentenced to short periods of imprisonment. A discovery was made at Buckingham Palace yesterday morning that a man employed in the upliclatery department of the Lord Chamberlain's-office had committed puicide in one of the store rooms. The deceased was of regutar 4,l;td sober habits, and the cause which has led to the sad catastrophe was unknown. At pke present time passengers are conweyo f rom N ew pr had i ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. ROME ClRCUlT—Hertford, July 11. The commission for this county - was opened on 'Wed nesday by Mr. Sergeant Channel, neither of the Learned Judges appointed for this circuit being able to be pre sent, by reason of their being compelled to attend the writ of error in the House of Lords. This morning the business of the circuit commenced in both Courts. There are only twenty prisoners for trial, and none of the offences charged are of a very serious character. Mr. Baron Gurney sat on the Crown Side, and Mr. Baron Parke presided in the Nisi Prius Court. REPORT. "In accordance with the assurance iven by the Chair- Than of the last general meeting of Shareholders that, as the question of allowance of interest to customers on enre,:nt accounts had received, so it would continue to -eceive the best consideration of the Board, the Di rre.( rs have now tu inform the Proprietors that, after mature deliberation they came to a resolution in Feb ruary last, ' That from and after the Ist of March, the interest allowed by the bank to customers on their mini mum balances be one per cent„, except on ,accounts, the monthly minimum balance" of which on the average of time half-year shall be under two hundred pounds ;' and it is a source of great gratification to them to be able to add that, with but few exceptions, the alteration was re ceived by the customers of the bank with that feeling of liberality which evinced their intimate acquaintance, with the extremely depressed state of the money mar ket, and their willingness to conceda a fair remunera tion to their bankers. " By the accounts which accompany this report, it will be perceived that, after providing for current ex penses, bad debts, rebate of interest, &c., the net profit for the half-year ending the 30th June last, amounted to 16,0401. 7s. 2d. " Although this sum alone would not be sufficient for the purpose, the Directors have not hesitated to declare a dividend for the half-year at the rate of 61. per centum per annum, free from the deduction of income-tax, as the Guarantee Fund' (after taking from it sufficient to make up the deficiency) will still leave to its credit the sum of 89,2182 Bs. 11d., being only 612/. ss. sd. less than on the 30th of December last. " The Directors cannot close their report without ex pre:;sing the deep regret they feel at the loss they have sustained by the recent decease of their much-esteemed fru nd and colleague, Joshua Scholefield, Esq., M.P. This lamented event will render it necessary to call the Proprietors together again shortly for the purpose of electing a successor. " The dividend will be payable on and after the 18th ieetaut." The SECRETARY then read the statement of accounts for the current half-year. Mr. T. MOORE observed that the sum charged for current expenses was larger than it had been during the preceding half-year. The CHAIRMAN replied, that it had been as large a sum on previous occasions. On the 30th of June, 1842, it was 11,7091. 10s. 10d., a larger sum than during the present half-year ; but of course the amount would vary according to circumstances. He moved that the report be received, printed, and circulated among the Pro prietors. Mr. BoRRODAILE wished to know if the serious losses which it had been stated the bank had suffered in con sequence of their connection with Call, Thompson, and Co., were included in the sum allowed for bad debts ? The CHAIRMAN said it was not their bank, but another, which had suffered those losses. The London Joint stock Bank had no connection with Call, Thompson, and Co., and had never suffered any loss, as had: been stated. In makir ' s the allowance for bad debts the Directors were careful to err on the safe side. Mr. G. B. HARRISON asked if the number or new accounts opened since the reduction of the interesi was equal to the average of new accounts opened duri? the same period of former years? The CHAIRMAN could only state generally tl large number of new accounts had been opened new accounts were being opened weekly. Mr. G. B. Haeetsos—Can the Chairman assur meeting that the number of new accounts has not creased since last year ? The CHAIRMAN—There are a great many morel accounts now than there were at that time. Mr. G. B. HARRISON would not go deeply int matter, but he thought there was a want of court: the sudden manner in which the circular of the rectors had been issued so soon after the meeting at which the feeling exhibited was decide. opposition 'to the reduction of the interest.—( hear, and No, no.) Had he pressed his amendm• that occasion he felt certain that he should have c it, and many persons had left the room under a feeling that the Proprietors were not advocates alteration. It was with some surprise, therefore, t nad received the circular of the Directors within a . after that meeting. He had no wish to limit the . of the. Directors -; he had no doubt that they had actuated by an intention of doing what they consi the best for the interests of the Shareholders ; b thought they would have done better not to ha duced the interest until an absolute necessity aro so doing. Mr. Alderman HUGHES HUGHES defended the c which had been adopted by the Directors. He had listened to any information with greaterpleasure in h than he had listened to the statements contained report on the subject of the reduction of the intere• would have been a declaration of insolvency if I present state of the money market they had hel. the lure of giving two per cent. for money whe could obtain any amount of capital they chose a , and-a-half per cent. If, as he understood, the n of accounts which had been withdrawn in conseq had hien tinder ten, he should like to ask the qu whether the number of accounts withdrawn, o number of new accounts was the greatest ? He h the last meeting drawn their attention to this su because he felt that the nearer they approached t legitimate manner in which banking was carried the City the better. A more wise and judicious c could not have been adopted. The Directors had well and wisely, and if ever a vote of thanks was df them, it was due to them that day. Mr. GREGORY thought the question hinted a the worthy Alderman was a most important one,, he would at once ask, if the number of the old accte w.thdrawn since the alteration had been less that) new accounts opened ? The CHAIRMAN believed that the accounts withdrawn on that account did not exceed three or four, while the new accounts exceeded one hundred. He could aesure the meeting that the accounts bad greatly in creased since the alteration.—(Cries of " Hear.") As to the time at which the alteration had been made, the Directors, after what had taken place at th+ last meeting, had felt it their duty to give the subject i their serious consideration, and, in consequence, they had made the alteration. Mr. BORRODAILE considered the alteration as good for the Proprietors and bad for the depositors. It was not keeping good faith with the public, when money was dear, to offer them this interest to induce them to become customers of the bank, and then when money became cheap to turn round upon them with this alteratio Major BL'CLIANAN reminded the meeting tha the Scotch banks, on the model of which they were fo med, were frequently altering the rate of interest al wed according to the state of the money market. The CHAIRMAN had recently received a notifies from the British Linen Company, a Scotch ban; their intention of reducing the rate of their in How was it possible by any legitimate banking, present state of the money market to pay the expel their establishment, if they allowed their cust 2 per cytit ? , arr. G. B. Ha t nitusoN—lf money is high, do the banks giie more than two per cent. interest ? The CHAIR)IAN—Yes. lat a and new curse [ever is life a the by and ounts the I,tion Test. the es of Imers !otch Mr. G. B. HARRISON—That was not the case here. If a depositor - were to adc when "money was hig , for than his two per cent., he would he refused and referred to his contract, and if so, the bank ,ought to abide by it when money was cheap. The CHAIRMAN—If he were to transfer his money to the deposit account he would be enabled to get all the . interest he. was entitled to. Afier a few words from Mr. John Ilackblock - and Mr. _Alderman Hughes Ilui;lies, the report was ordered. to he received. Thu CminotAN had sent for a statement of the !num ber of accounts before and since the alteration, whi c h h e would read to the meeting. The number of accounts up to the Ist of January, 1844, was 2,589, and on the lst of 'fitly, 1844, it was 2,704. Ar. T. Moons, in reference to a motion of which he had given notice, would ask if J. P. Darthez, jun., Esq., a Director, of the bank, had returned to England ? The CHAIRMAN—No. .Mr. T. MoonE would ask when he had last attended ass Director ? • Air. Alderman fluor/Es HircuEs rose to order. It was not a meeting for the election of Directors, and the question could not, he apprehended, be entertained. • Mr. T. MoottE had given regular notice of a motion which he would notyppropoloe ;—" That if any Director be absent from England for any period exceeding six months, he shall be disqualified ; and the Directors shall give notice for tilling up the vacancy, in conformity with the provisions of the deed of settlement." Air. T. S. Ssmersoox seconded the motion. _Mr. Alderman Huonts HUGHES hoped the motion would receive no support. There were many sentle- Jaen sitting there as Directors, of whose services he should be very sorry to be.deprived because they might happen to be detained in the country by sickness, per-t haps for more than six months. With regard to Mr. Darthez, no one had been more useful to the bank than he had ; and his. absence in Spain might be productive of much good to the bank, as he might induce many Spanish merchants to join them. The CHAIRMAN said that very severe indisposition had occasioned the absence of Mr. Darthez. ,Mr. T. MoortE—But not for two years. It was now t h ree or four years since he had been present. The C ; HAIRMAN- , —NO, two years. Mr. AloortE always liked to offer the most stre nuous opposition to the commencement of abuse or mis rnanagetnent, and 'it certainly was a great abuse that a Director should be absent from his post for three or four years, more particularly in a bank, where the D. rectors were the only check spon each other, as they had e auditors. Now, what che e k could Mr. Darthez be, 7;esiding as he did at Cadiz, upon his brother Directors. No doubt Mr. Gladstone had this very came in his eye, when he introduced a clause in his Bill to prevent this ocvirring in any new .companies, The gentleman in question was a most respectable man he did not deny it. lie had been of great use to that bank he admitted, bat still hi thought there bad been a little management on the part of the Directors to securo his re-electio n. A letter bad been read An that occasion, ;toting that he was coning to England. Now, it did not appear that be had the slightest intention 4,f coming to England at all. The 20th R 1 25,100 of the deed pf settlement directed that if a Director oltonld be absent without leave from the Board for three nio4th4, he should bedis qualified. It might be asked why lie did not oppose his re-election/ He did not know of it until It was too Ile could not help thinking tbeAs had been seine manage.'" talent to procure his re-election. .~'~"`~' TILE SUN, LONDON, •FRIDAY •EVENING, JULY 12, HMO CROWN SIDE. Mr. Baron GURNEY, in charging the grand jury, took occasion to complain of the small number of gentle men who had attended as grand jurors, there being only seventeen sworn; and he said, that in his long experi ence, both at the bar and on the bench, he had never, in that county, heard a similar complaint, and he trusted this would be the only time it would be made. Wm. Andrews, 26, John Berry, 19, and Henry Berry, 21, were indicted for stealing a wether sheep, the pro. perty of John George Fordham, Esq. Mr. Hawkins conducted the prosecution. . . The circumstances under which the charge was made against the prisoners were of rather an extraordinary character. It appeared that on the night of the 22d of May, William Wright, an inspector of the Hertford shire constabulary, was on duty near the sheep-fold of the prosecutor, when he observed three men come across some fields and go into the fold. He laid up in the hedge and listened, and soon afterwards he heard a noise, as though the sheep were being driven about. In a few minutes the three men came out of the fold, carrying something heavy, and when they got near him he rushed upon them and seized the prisoners Andrews and John Berry, and after a sharp scuffle, with the assistance of another con stable, succeeded in securing them, but Henry Berry got away. The carcase of a sheep was then found in a ditch, where it had been thrown by the prisoners upon the inspector attacking them. The prisoner Henry was apprehended the next day, concealed under some hay in a barn, and he was positively sworn to as the companion of the other prisoners. Mr. Baron GURNEY, in summing up, observed that offences of this description were mostly committed in secrecy and in the dead of night, and it was very rare indeed that the parties were, as in this instance, caught in the fact. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. In answer to questions from the Court, the inspector said that John Berry had been tried at the assizes for stabbing, and Andrews was well known to be a poacher. The prisoners were always about the country at night. Mr. Baron GURNEY then sentenced John Berry and Andrews to be transported for twelve years, and Henry Berry for ten years. His LORDSHIP observed that he thought the inspector had acted very courageously in securing three desperate fellows like the prisoners, and the public were much indebted to him. He should, therefore, order him a reward of ten pounds. The Learned Judge also gave directions that minor rewards should be given to the constables who had come up to the inspector's assistance. Francis Tubbs, 35, described as a horse dealer, was in dicted for a burglary in the dwelling-house of Anne Keeling,in the parish of Broxbourne, and stealing a silver tea-caddy, and other articles of plate, and valuables, to a considerable amount, her property. Mr. Rodwell conducted the prosecution. The prosecutrix is a lady, residing at Broxbourne, and on the night of the 12th April the whole of her establishment went to bed shout sleven o'clock, leaving the house properly secured. Upon the housamaid going down stairs next morning, it was discovered that the iron bar of the pantry window had been forced open so as to admit of a man's body passing through the aper ture, and property of considerable value stolen. The next day, Clark, one of the superintendents of the county police, proceeded. to London, and found the prisoner in the shop of a refiner, in Barbican, where he was bar gaining for the sale of the greater part of the plate that had been stolen, and which had been found in his pos session. Upon his being apprehended he told the officer :where-he had left the greater part of the remainder of the stolen property, and it was subsequently recovered. A statement made by the prisoner befor the com mitting magistrate was put in evidence. It was to the effect that, on the night in question, he was on his way to Cambridge, and upon his arriving at Broxbourne, he observed the house of the prosecutrix, and the thought suddenly came into his head that he would rob it. He found all the doors and windows secured, and he went into a field and got the coulter of a plough, with which he forced open the window. He then drank some elder wine, and packed up the property, and after wards went to London by the Wells mail. He stated that the robbery was quite unpremeditated. The prisoner addressed the jury in his defence, and said that he was in great distress when he committed the offence. In the first instance his only intention was to obtain food, and for that reason he broke into the pantry, but seeing the other property lying about, he was tempted to take it. Mr. Baron GURNEY having summed up, the jury im mediately returned a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner was sentenced to be transported for twelve years. As the prisoner was leaving the bar, he inquired of Mr. Baron Gurney whether he might be permitted to make one observation ? Mr. Baron GURNEY said he did not sit there to hear the observations of prisoners. He was then removed from the bar. In the course of the day a true bill was returned against several persons for keeping gambling-booths at the last Gorhambury races. Mr. Baron Parke sat on the Civil Side. Ten causes were entered, all of which were common jury cases, and the greater part of them undefended. Nothing f the slightest interest took place during the day. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (YESTERDAY.) MANSION-HOUSE. A man of respectable appearance named John Bowen, who stated himself to be.a captain, was brougkt before the Lord Mayor by Daniel Forrester, the officer, charged upon a warrant with having defaced and injured part of the leaf of the register-book of the parish of Crome Da belot, otherwise Abboth, otherwise Croome Osbern, in the county of Worcester. The warrant was signed by the Rev. Charles Dunn and Mr. John Henry Allen, magistrates of the county of Worcester, and backed by the Lord Mayor, and a great deal of curiosity was manifested towards the pri soner, Who had been watched for by Daniel Forrester, and was apprehended immediately upon his arrival at an inn at Aldgate. The particulars of the ease were not entered into in the justice-room, as the Lord Mayor merely required the identification of the prisoner in order to sanction his removal to the place in which the offence was alleged to have been committed, and where it is to undergo a strict investigation. Thomas Petford, superintendent of a district in th 9 county of Worcester, produced the warrant for the ap prehension of John Bowen, and deposed that the pri- soner was the person accused and named in the warrant. The prisoner seemed to be quite prepared to meet the charge, and The LORD MAYOR directed that he should be handed over to the custody of the county officer. 351. in Bank notes were found by Forrester upon his person, , and several papers were also taken from his pockets. These were of course put into the possession of the superintendent, who stated, in answer to a ques- . tion from the Lord Mayor, that he was not aware' that the money bad any reference to the alleged offence. /t was mentioned that the defacing of the register was in some Way connected with the claim of a certain party to a very large sum of money, under the will of the hoe James Wood, of Gloucester. The amount was supposed to be between 90,0001. and 100,0001. It wiirat so stated incidentally that the prisoner was a person who employed himself in the investigatipn of pedigrees, and that he had been eagerly inquiring after the particulars of the birth of the party to whom the particular leaf which was stated to have been: torn referred ; that the clergyman by whom the register was kept detested him in the act of defacing or tearing the leaf, but was too much alarmed and agitated to cause the prisoner's immediate apprehension, and that subsequently the police were directed to cause him to be arrested the moment lie should make his appearance. 'The prisoner made no observation,. but quietly accom panied the superintendent. John Warrangham, a waterman, who resides near Horselydown, was charged, before his Lordship,, with having caused a very serious obstruction to the naviga tion of the river Thames, which is at the present time crowded, within the port of London, with vessels of all descriptions. The case was one of much interest to those whose vesAels lie in the Thames, in the vicinity of London. Mr. James Tucker, the assistant Harbour Master, stated that at three o'clock in the afternoon of the 21st of June, the defendant's barge, called the Exercise, was found moored athwart in Alderman's Ferry, within the port of London. Witness hailed the barge several times, and ascertained that nobody was on board, but he disco vered that the defendant, who had charge of her, was ca rousing in a neighbouring vessel. He then called to the defendant to hawl up his barge, which the man most un civilly refused to do, accompanying the refusal with such language as ce r t a i n l y aggravate d t h e case against! him.. Witness threatened to send a man to hawl the tarp into her proper station, and the defendant's condu l et be came still more offensive. For thus interfering with the Harbour Master's duty for the proper regulation 91: the river, and persevering in a course calculated to occasion the greatest possible confusicin, it was considered heces sary to make the, defendant responsible. The defendant said that he considered himself en titled to resist the entrance of any man into his barge, which was quietly lying in her place, without molesting any craft on the river, and as for the language which had been objected to, the Harbour Master must be a person of very little experience or observation if he did not hear such words -at least once in the course of every sentence that was uttered on the river. In fact, they were words which signified nothing. The LORD MAYOR said the Harbour Master had most properly brought the case before him. In the present crowded state of the port of London, an obstruction to the navigation was attended with imminent peril to life and property, and he trusted that the officers who had the superintendence of so important a district would sharply look after those persons who might be disposed I. to violate the bye-laws fbr the regulation of the vessels in the port. His Lordship considered that the language used by the defendant deserved punishment indepen dently of the offenceimmediately charged, and sentenced him to pay the penalty of 40s. The defendant said that he had no notion of paying any such sum, and declared, at the same time, that he , had no - gooda upon which his Lordship could distrain. ..., , VIR-Ale9P4iX47,-Th 4Y-en sou must go at once to ' prison, and pay in person if you do not pay in money. .TllO 4411511414_ p e ftenyarda contrived to pay the penalty arid the costs, and was discharged, with an assu rance that he, and the class to which he belonged, should have the peculiar attention of the Harbour Masters. It was stftteil that, upon one occasion recently, a barge was lying athwart, in direct opposition to the bye-laws, which caused, in a few minutes, a loss to the amount of upwards of 7001. UNION-HALL. James Whitfield, a carman, in the employ of Messrs. Carpenter, millers, of Greenwich, was brought up for final examination, charged with stealing a sack of flour, the pro perty of his employers. James Jean and James Freer were also charged with stealing a quantity of timber, the property of Mr. Merritt and Mr. Harris, timber merchants in the York-road, Lambeth, by whom they were occasionally employed as labourers. John Smith and William Gurney, carmen in the service of Mr. Bragley, corn merchant, Goswell-street, were also charged with stealing five sacks of oats, the property of Mr. Bragley ; and James Harvey, a general dealer, of Charlotte-street, Waterloo-road, was charged with re ceiving the above property knowing it to be stolen. About three weeks ago the prisoner was seen to stop his waggon, loaded with flour, near the Victoria Thea tre, and carry a sack of flour into Harvey's premises. That circumstance coming to the knowledge of the police, he was apprehended, and part of the flour found on Harvey's premises. The sack which con tained it was identified by Mr. Carpenter. Harvey was then taken into custody, when his premises were searched, and property of a miscellaneous descrip tion of considerable value was found therein, among which was the timber belonging to Mr. Harris and Mr. Merritt, besides thirty sacks of oats, five of which belonged to Mr. Bragley. Goff and Brooks, two active officers, succeeded in tracing.;the owners of the property, and taking the prisoneroo custody. William Bennet proved the removal of the timber from the yards of Mr. Harris and Mr. Merrit, into Har vey's premises, by the prisoners Jean and Freer, on Sa turday, the 26th ultimo. The prisoners were defended by Mr. Solomons and Mr. Crisp. They were committed for trial. Harvey is a man of considerable property, being pos sessed of several houses in the neighbourhood. He has been for some time under the surveillance of the police. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. EAST INDIA SHIPPING. Arrivals at Singapore.—Her Majesty's ;hip Alligator, April 12, from Hong-Kong ; Cowasjee Family, Durham, 13th, from Macao, and sailed, 13th, to Calcutta ; Diana steamer, Congalton, from a cruise, and sailed, 16th on a cruise ; Royal Exchange, Hubertson, 14th, from Bom bay, and sailed, 16th, to China ; Elizabeth Ainslie, 15th, from Madras ; Maid of Athens, Hews, 16th, from Bombay ; Dhur, Cumberland from Calcutta ; British Merchant, Borneo from Ampanam ; Nutcut, 17th,from Macao ; Zemindar and Ariel from Hong-Kong ; Royal Saxon, from Madras. Departures from Singapore—Asia, Smith, April 10, to China; Julia, 11th, to Sarawak ; Venus, 11th, to Tringanee ; John Knox, 12th, to Sourabaya; Madras and Regina, to China ; Guess, 13th, to Malacca and Penang ; Macassar, to Manilla; Emma, to China; LeLucile, 16th, to Batavia. Loadink at Singapore—Mary Bulmer and Dalmar nock, for London; Vanguard, for China; Prima Donna, for Cork; Vigilant, for London; Zuleika, for Calcutta; Josephine, for Liverpool; Wanderer, for coast of China. Arrival at Batavia—Wetherall, Feb. 23, from Singa pore; Duke of Wellington, 25th, from China. Departures from Batavia—S. Brodder, Feb. 24, to Colies; Cleveland, to Samarang; Louisa, 16th, to Ant werp; 'Alfred, to Amsterdam. COURT CIRCULAR, WINDSOR, Tatrasnay.--IThe Queen and Prince Al bert took an airing early this morning in a pony car riage. Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal was taken an airing this forenoon in the pleasure-grounds and slopes of the Castle. • Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent arrived at the Castle from Frogmore Lodge at eleven o'clock to pay a visit to her Majesty. The Royal Duchess after wards returned to her residence at Frogmore. In the afternoon her Majesty and Prince Albert left the Castle for a drive, in an open pony phaeton, the. Prince driving ' the Equerries in Waiting to her Ma jesty and his Royal Hi g hness, Colonels Buckley and Bouverie, attending on h orse back. The Viscountess Jocelyn, Lady in Waiting, and the Hon. Miss Liddell and the Hon. Miss Paget, Maids of Honour in Waiting, followed in as open carriage and four. o,c T loc he k. Royal party left at five, and returned at seven Their Royal Highnesses the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice were taken an airing, in the pleasure grounds, in the afternoon. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Countess Josephine Wratislaw ! and Lady Anna Maria Dawson, joined the Royal circle at the Castle at dinner this evening. The band of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards at tended at the Castle during dinner. Their Royal Hignesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gave a dinner party yesterday at Cambridge House. There were present the Duchess of Sutherland, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury, the Marquis and Marchio ness of Normanby, the Marquis of Granby, the Earl and, Countess of Chesterfield, the larl and Countess Grosve nor,-t he Earl and Countess of Dunmore, the Earl and Countess Delawarr, Viscount and Viscountess Palmer. ston, Lord Alfred Paget, Count de Noailles, Count de Jarnac, Mr. Frederick Villiers, and Mr. Ideate. In the evening the Duchess of Cambridge had an as sembly. Among the company were the Countess of Mexborougb, Lady Sarah Savile, Viscountess Beresford, the Earl and ,Countess of Beverley, Lady Louisa Percy, Lady .Rendleabani, Hon. Miss Thellusson, Lady Eliza beth Goer; Lady Bentinck, Mrs. Henry Bentinck, the Baroniatict Baroness Brannow, Sir Howard, Lady, and Mis'S the American Minister, Lady Howick, the Duchesse de Coigny, Madem o i se ll e de Coigny, the Dowager Lady Faversham, Sir Henry, Lady, and the Misses Wheatley, Sir Edward, Lady, and Miss Disbrowe, the Countess of Haddington, the Dowager Duchess of Bedford, Lady Louisa Russell, Mr. Vincent, Lady Augusta Onslow, Lady Jemima Eliot, the Swedish Minister Countess. Bjornstjerna, Mademoiselle Bjorn stjerna, Mrs. Mountjoy Martyn, the Belgian Mi nister, the Countess of Charlemont, Sir John and Lady Ann Beckett, Lady Georgina Fane, the Brazilian Mi nister and Madame Lisboa, the Duchess of St. Alban's, the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, Mr. and Mrs. Sloane t a ay nle viiGertrudeVilliers, I,Tra Sloanend Stanley, Captain and Mrs. Ri c h ar d Cavell dish, Countess of Minto and the Ladi es Eli ot , Si r Ha milton and Lady Seymour , Sir Robert an d L a d y Eliza beth Gore, Count Kielmansegge, Mr. and Mrs. John Towneley, Miss Seymour, Sir George and Lady Sey mour,the Countess of Jersey, Lady Clementina Villiers, Colonel and Baroness North, Miss Ddyle, Lady Peel, Mr., Mrs., and Miss Mills, Baron de Cetto, Earl and Coun- ' • tesS Brownlow and the Ladies Cust, Mr. and Lady Char lotte •Lyster, Sir George Murray, Mr. and Mrs. Boyce, the Countess of Arundel and Surrey, Lady Mary Howard, Lady Elizabeth Grosvenor, the Earl and -Countess of March, Lady Charles and Miss Somerset, Lady Georgina Bathurst, Mr. William Bathurst, Baron Nieumann, the Earl of Lincoln, Mrs. and Mrs. Bruce, Mr. and Miss Sherlock, Lady Mahon, the Marchioness of Exeter, Lady Clintun, Miss Seymour, the Marquis of Winchester, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. and Mrs. Bu,she, Count Bevel, the Marchioness Wellesley, Miss Cavendish, Miss Montgomery, the Countess of Euston, Lady Louisa Fitzroy, Mr. Charles Fitzroy, the Countess of• Verulana, Lady Jane Grimston, Lord. and Lady Brougham, the Marchioness of Westmeath, Lord Russell, Lady E. Russell, Lady West, Lady and the Misses Clerk, the Earl and Countess of Wilton, the Countess i Mount Edgecurnbe, Lord and Lady Ernest Bruce, Mrs. and Miss Wyndham, the Earl and Countess of Eldon, the Earl and Countess of Powis, the Ladies Clive, the Prince and Princess Radziwill, the Marquis of Anglesey, Lady Paget, Sir James and Lady. Reynett, Sir F. Trench, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Viscount Cantilupe, Lord Foley, the Hon. Miss Foley, Lord and Lady C. Beauclerk, Count Anthony Esterhazy, &e., &c. •• The company began to arrive about ten o'clock. The band of the Coldstream Guards were stationed in the grand ball, and performed several favourite pieces during the evening. Sir Alexander Grant had aii littrt view with Lord Stanley yesterdity at the Colonial-office. Lieut.-Colonel Rawdon had an interview with Mr. Gladstone yesterday at the Board of Trade. Mr. Walker, Provost Marshal of Antigua, had an in terview with Lord Stanley at the Colonial-office. Lord Lilford transacted business with Lord:Dalbousie yesterday at the Board of Ti ade. RAILWAY FARES. Fares by Third-class Carriages fur 100 miles on the following railways :-= £ s. d. London and Birmingham 0 :12 8 Dublin and Kingstown 0 5 6 Great Western Ulster North Union...... . Liverpool and Manchester Glasgow and Greenock Rates, per mile, of Third-class Fares on the following railways, stated in farthings farthis. Liverpool and Manches ter " North Uuion Newcastle and Carlistel i , l ni Grand Juncti0n .......... , 71 London and Birmingham 6' Eastern Counties 6 North Midland 6, Lancaster and Preston s' South-Western 5 farthgs. London and Blackwell 4 London and Greenwich 4 Midland Counties 4 South-Eastern Ulster 3 Newcastle and Worth Shields 2 Dublin and Drogheda Glasgow and Greenock 1 . CONSECRATION OF A NEW .CHISECH AT 1 m UN DRIDGE.—On Tuesday morning the Lord Bishop of Rochester consecrated a new church at Hildenbrough, a hamlet of Tun bridge, in the presence of a large number of clergymen and gentlemen, amongst whom were the lion. and Rev. Sir Charles Hardinge,.Bart., • P: S. Dodd, rector v v i i c c o a a f r r R ev . G. Woodgate, vicar of vs i ecaalr; of Tunbridge ; the Hon. and Har man, Saint, May, MoneYP Buttenshaw, JR. Rev. T - F l I . a i r w '. Noel,ard Pembury; Rev. Messrs.' Polhill, Argleir R o o f fus T h e u s rs to t n ; , Rnevea.rAll.laci.dpstaoyniee4 rector o ß r ev of . Chiddingstone ;' Rev. T. Curteis, rector of Sevenoaks;• Rev. tin, O. Dawson, Esq., Arthur Pott, EN., J. Lucas, Esq. The ennv, and IladlOw ; Colonel' Ansi church is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. IVINDsoit WEDNESDAY EVENING.--The accouche !mut of our beloved Sovereign is expected to take' place at it very early period, and every necessary preparation for the auspicious event has been made accordingly. Her Majesty ' Was extremely desirous of remaining in London some days 'longer, in Order that the trade of tie metropolis might not suffer from•thcalisinCe of the COnif; but her 'MAjesty's me dical advisers were urgent that the journey to Wiasor 5110Uld ipt 41) furgzer (jelled", IMPEItiAL PARLIAMENT. HOUS'E OF LORDS, July 11. Their Lordships met at Five o'Cloelc Lord SANDON appeared at the bar with a message from the Commons, praying their Lordships to atlow the Earl of Fortescue to attend and give evidence before the Postage Committee of the House of Commons. Leave given. Messengers from the Commons brought up several DISSENTERS' CIIAPELS BILL. The Earl of RADNOR presented a petition against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill; also petitions in favour of the Bill. The Noble Lord took that opportunity of complaining that copies of the evidence taken before the Committee on Gaming had not been circulated generally. The copies had only been circulated amongst the mem bers of the Committee. Earl FITZIIARI)INGE presented a petition from Gloucester against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition in favour of the Bill. The Noble Lord took that opportunity of nlluding to a rumour which had gained ground, that many Noble Lords had changed their opinion on the subject of this Bill. The Earl of WICKLOW said he had been originally opposed to the Bill, but as it had passed both Houses of Parliament, he did not feel justified in attempting to throw it out upon the amendments which had been made by the Commons. A somewhat noisy conversation then ensued upon the subject, during which several Noble Peers attempted to speak at the same time. The petition was ultimately laid on the table. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL presented several petitions against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. Lord BEAUMONT presented a petition from Man chester in favour of the Bill. Lord FOLEY presented two petitions against the Bill. The Noble Lord said he did not concur in the prayer of the petitions. Earl FORTESCUE presented similar petitions. SEES OF ST. ASAPH AND BANGOR BILL. Earl POWIS then rose, and said that it was his in tention to withdraw this Bill, in consequence of the report of the Committee which had been appointed on this subject being against him. He had also since the last discussion upon this Bill, been in communication with the Noble Duke near him (Wellington), as to whether it was likely that her Majesty's consent would be obtained for the pass ing of this Bill. The answer of the Noble Duke was that such consent would not be given ; and, under these cir cumstances, he (Earl Powis) felt constrained to adopt the course which he had just intimated to their Lordships. The Bishop of SALIBURY recommended her Ma jesty's Government to reconsider this question. He very much regretted that the Noble Earl had been compelled to withdraw this Bill, for he felt that if it bad been passed it would have been found to be a very beneficial measure. He trusted, however, that the Government would in the next session of Parliament introduce a Bill themselves upon this subject. The Earl of MOUNTEDGECUMBE regretted that a decision of a majority of that House had been put aside in a manner by which the majority on the second reading of this Bill had been rendered ineffectual. He felt that it would not be more for the benefit of the country than her Majesty's Government if they were to reconsider this subject, and render it unnecessary for the Noble Earl to bring in his Bill again in the next session of Parliament. The Duke of WELLINGTON defended the course which had been taken by her Majesty's Government. He contended that the repeal of the union of the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor would cut away the foundation of all those Acts which were passed in 6 and 7 Wm. IV., upon the recommendation contained in the report of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. By these Acts certain powers were granted to her Majesty, and there fore the present Bill materially affected her Majesty's prerogative. Her Majesty had, therefore, not been ad vised to give her consent to this Bill. It was the duty of the Ministers of the Crown to abstain from ad vising her Majesty to give her consent to a measure when they believed that that measure would not be condusive to the public good. The Bishop of SALISBURY having explained, Lord LYTTELTON said that the meaning of the consent of the Crown, was the consent of her Majesty's Government to the discussion of this Bill. He thought it would only have been a matter of courtesy to his Noble Friend, who had introduced this Bill, for the Go vernment, to have given the consent of the Crown to the measure. He thought the Government were not justified in the course they had taken. Lord BROUGHAM -defended the course which had been adopted by the Government. There were certain Bills for Parliament to discuss, to which the consent of the Crown, by a rule of Parliament, it was necessary to obtain. This Bill now under their Lordships' conside ration was one of those Bills, and therefore it was the duty of the Government, if they thought fit, to interfere when a discussion of the measure was brought forward, and they could do this at any stage of the Bill. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that this was the first instance in which the consent of the Croli n had-- been withheld for the purpose of preventing their Lord ships passing a Bill. He said that the consent of the Crown in this case had been refused, because the con stituents of the Chancellor of the Exchequer were favourable to this Bill, for if the Bill had gone down to the other House, it would have been rather inconvenient for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to vote against it. Lord WHARNCLIFFE repelled this imputation, and said that, if what the Noble Marquis had stated was correct, then that Noble Marquis knew more about the intentions of the Government than he (Lord Wharn cliffe) did. Lord MONTEAGLE was of opinion that the: Go vernment were justified in the course they had taken. The Bishop of BANGOR expressed his regret that the Noble Earl had been compelled to withdraw this Bill. The Duke of WELLINGTON briefly explained. Lord CAMPBELL blamed the Government for al lowing the Bill to be read a second time before they in terfered, and withheld the consent of the Crown. O'DRISCOLL. wilt io n ed his motion r e l a ti ve to E T a h r e l R FD i 0 1 sr t w mT a ss t s h o4 e u n ta l z v , ,Ql3 t h .vg d s p the dismissal of Mr: Unriseoll till Tuesday next. PAUPER 'LUNATICS (IRELAND.) Lord MONTEAGLE then rose tocall the attention of the Honse-to thestat , , eof the pattper lunatics in Ire , land. - was 'Ottiiiian p.r!ktice, he said, in that Coun try,;ta tatty:et' tant , leh to' priSbn in or d er to t h e i r beingkelit safe. custody—A.4 thought it was the; duty of the Governravnt,to ,central asylum for lu natics in Ireland, similar to `that which existed in this country. Under the present system both criminal lu natics, and lunatics who were guiltless of any crime;were all herded together, and the manner in which they Were treated was anything but what it ought to be.: He contended that it was in the power of the GoverMuent to remedy the evils which had been so loudly Com plained of, and it was with this object that he had taken the liberty of bringing the subject under the consideration of their Lordships. Huma nity called upon them to take this subject into their serious consideration. He asked for nothing;more than was at present done in England ; and in doing this, they would be only carrying out the recommendatiOns of a Committee which had been appointed to investigate the subject. He could not conclude without exprgssing the regret he felt for the loss of his lamented friend, Lord Fitzgerald. Had Providence spared him tjo the country, he (Lord Monteagle) would not have! been under the necessity of bringing this subject under the consideration of their Lordships. He trusted, ho ever, that, out of respect to the memory of that Noble Lord, his colleagues would now adopt the suggestion which he (Lord Monteagle) was about to make, which was, that an address be presented to her Majesty, piaying that she would be pleased to give directions that steps might be taken to ameliorate the condition of the pauper lunatics in Ireland. Lord WHARNCLIFFE apprehended that, initardgr , to carry out .the recommendation of the Noble Loki, an Act of Parliament would be necessary. He however would take an opportunity of consulting the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject, and he could asst re the Noble Lord that everything whi c h th e y could con sistently do would be done by the Government to meet the Noble Lord's wishes. Lord MONTEAGLE, in reply said, that everything was provided for by the Acts which were already in existence, and the only thing that was now necessary, was a disposition on the part of the Government to carry out the provisions of the existing Acts. The address was put, and negatived without a di'vision. The Bills on the table were then advanced a stivre , „ , and their Lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, fay 11. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. Lord CLIVE presented twenty petitions from South • wark, Hereford, and other places, against the union of the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor. POST-OFFICE. Lord SANDON moved that a message be sent; to the Lords, requesting the attendance of Earl Forteseue on the Committee on Postage.—Agreed to. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition frdm Mr. Mazzini, stating that he had been informed that Certain accusations were likely to be brought against himi before_ a Secret C omm i ttee of that House then sitting tiOon the subject of opening letters. He felt it due to himself to state that he was prepared to repel any charge' whiCh might be brought against him, and he hoped that if such charges should be brought against him, that he would be allowed to be examined before the Committee. Lord LINCOLN obtained leave to bring in a. Bill to improve the drainage of the city of Westminster. Mr. HATTER moved for returns of all moneys re ceived by or on account of the Society of Kink's Inns, Dublin, in each year, from the Ist day of January 1794, to the Ist day of January, 1844 ; distinguishing the amount respectively reamed from students, bar risters' apprentices, attorneys, and the portion of stamp duty received on attorneys' indentures ; also, distinguishing the amount received under or by virtue of statute law from that only received by order of the benchers of the Society of King's Inns. Of the expen diture, ordinary and extraordinary, on account of the Society of King's Inns for each year during the same period, distino 6 mishing—. Of the expenditure, on account of the Society of Kinga's . Inns, cluripg the, sane period attendant upon .the dinner system, including servants, porters, &c. ; and distinguishing the expenditure for wine and liquors from that of the culinary department. Of the expenditure, on account of the So ciety of King's Inns on foot of their library daring the same period; distinguishing respectively the amount ex pended for buildings, books, officers' salary, &e. 6 In detail, of all expenditure, during the same period for or on account of the Society of King's Inns in'the promotion of legal, education in Ireland, exclusive of . any expense in relation to the library, buildings, and culinary de partment of the said . Soeiet.Y.' 4s: the AuMbea of years ;duriukiwhioh allowance has been received by,9! _ on account of the Society of King's Inn in lieu of copy right, and the annual and gross amount of such receipts, With ieturn of the manner and periods in which the same has been expended. Of all moneys and other property of which the Society of King's Inn is now possessed, or to which it is now entitled, distinguishing how the same is citcum-tanced, invested; or secured."—Ordered. JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES REGULATION BILL—INSURANCE COMPANIES, • In answer to a question from Mr. DIVETT, , Mr. GLADSTONE - said that the present Bill was in tended to apply to all future insurance offices. Exist ing insurance offices would neither be obliged nor per mitted to place themselves under the regulations of the Bill ; it was intended to require existing insurance com panies to furnish such particulars for registration as should suffice to verify the fact of their existence at the time of passing this Bill. ASSESSED TAXES COMPOSITION. On the motion of Sir G. CLERK, the Assessed Taxes Composition Bill was read a third time. In answer to a question from Captain PECIIELL, Sir G. CLERK said the present measure was a mere continuance Bill. COLONIAL POSTAGE. The Colonial Postage Bill was read a third time, and passed. DISSENTERS' DISABILITIES. Mr. CHRISTIE said he had given notice of an amend ment to a Bill, not now before the House, for the purpose of enabling Dissenters to practise as advocates in the Courts of Doctors' Commons. The Bill had been dropped, and the opportunity of putting the amendment was taken away. Besides the disabilities to Dissenters practising in the Courts of Doctors'-Commons, they also laboured under further disabilities as to admission to the Inns of Court, which had the privilege of calling to the bar, shorter residence being demanded of graduates of the Universities than of Dissenters. He quoted the opinion of Sir R. Peel at Tamworth, in 1834, on this subject, and asked whether the Government had taken any steps towards exercising their influence with the authorities of those Inns for the removal of the disabilities and disad vantages under which Dissenters laboured ? Sir R. PEEL said his attention had not been called to the question since the period the Hon. Member had alluded to. He believed that the • difference as to resi dence, before being called to the bar, was not applied as between Dissenters and the mem bers of the Church of England, but between those who had taken degrees and those who had not. His general opinions on this subject were in conformity with those which ho had before expressed, but he thought it would be for the benefit of all parties that whatever was done should be done with the cordial consent of the presiding authorities instead of attempting to force compliance by legislation. Mr. FERRAN D wished to know from the Right Honourable Baronet (Sir James Graham) whether he had any objection to lay on the table of the. House the evidence taken before the coroner at Bolton in relation to the loss of life from the bursting of a steam engine? Bird'. GRAHAM said he was not aware that it was in the power of any authority to compel the coroner to produce the evidence taken in his court, but he would make inquiries on the subject, and if the Hon. Member would repeat the question; he would en deavour to reply to it. Mr. WODEHOUSE wished to call the attention of the Right 'Honourable Baronet (Sir James Gra ham) to the case which had occurred at the last Spring Assizes in Norfolk. Two persons named Knowles, after being tried • before Lord Abinger, and sentenced to 15 years' transportation, had re ceived a complete pardon and returned home. He had no right whatever to ask on what .ground the royal mercy had been extended to these parties ; but the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk was placed in a situation of pecie liar responsibility ; it was his bounden duty to maintain the public peace, and if the Government wished it he was sure the office would be placed in their hands without a sigh. If the Lord-Lieutenant were' indeed to retain his situation he wished to have an answer to his question from the Right Hon. Baronet. They asked no more than justice—they wished for uothine. vindictive. Sir J. GRAHAM sa id h e was placed in a somewhat embarrassing position, as the Hon. Gentleman had sat down without asking him 'any question—(Hear, hear) — although he had made a kind of attack upon himself for the mode in which he had administered his office. With respect to the cases under consideration, he had given the advice which he had done because he felt satisfied that the ends of justice imperatively demanded it. He had received from the Noble Lord the Lord Lieu tenant of the county of Norfolk the greatest assistance, and the Noble Lord and himself had discharged their respective duties in the most harmonious manner. THE RAILWAYS BILL. On the order of the day for the adjourned debate , upon the Railways Bill being read, Mr. BRIGHT said that he was one of the Members of that House who, previous to the discussion of the Bill, came to the conclusion that it was not a measure advan tageous to the public, and that it would give the GoVern meat powers dangerous to the country. He had listened with,,,the greatest attention to the Itight Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Gladstone) speaking for two hours, and in the whole of his speech he only disguised, in stead of explaining, the objects of the Bill. The Bill consisted of forty-eight clauses. He would, for the sake of making himself more clearly under stood, point the attention of the House to sonte of the clauses where this power was .given. Clause 7 had already been alluded to, wherein the Lords of Commit tee are empowered to purchase any future rail way 'after the expiration of fifteen years, and after giving one month's notice. The Bth clause confirmed this power Now he could not understand what was the mean lig of the words in these clauses, unless they — went to sanction the purchase of railways. Fur ther on these powers were again confirmed as in clauses nine, twelve, fourteen, and many others. Ile wished to kno w h ow Acts of Parliament were 'to be interpreted—whether they were to be construed by their own words, or by the explanation a Minister might choose to give of their intention ? The Right Honour r thie Gentleman (Mr. Gladstone) had argued,: the other evening, that the Executive could not of it self buy up railways, but that Parliament must be appealed to on the subject, as Parliament would have to find the money. They all knew Parlia ment would have to find the money, and they also knew that if this Act were passed there would be very great difficulty, at a future day, in dissuading Parliament from finding the money to put into force the provisions of an Act deliberately sanctioned by the Legislature. Besides, let them look at the effect of this one month's notice. Was it to be supposed • that this one month's notice would furnish sufficient time for the Parliament to inquire into the desirableness, and confirm the policy of the purchase of a railway ? Did it not rather read thus :—that the Executive was to decide the question of purchase or no purchase ; that having determined on the former, they gave the month's notice, and then came to Parliament for the money, ex pecting that it would be voted as a matter of course ? lie would maintain that this Bill, sanctioning the,prin ciple of purchasing railways, was erroneous. Whatever the intention of the Government was, no man could read t without coming to that conclusion, and that 'was ,he conclusion - the Railway Directors and! the public • had come to. He did not believe ' that the principle of purchasing these great works was one that was deemed by the public to' be advantageous. Private enterprise had done more for this country than the Government or the Executive had ever done. He thought these measures should be left to individuals. If the great change proposed by the Bill was to be made, he wished to know uponi what principle it was to We made, and why? No case had been made out hitherto for the adoption of the course proposed. The Right - Hon. Gentleman- had spoken of high profits and per tentage, but there was no proof of large inComes having' been made. Those incomes had probably not averaged more than 5 per cent. From a statement now before the public, four only out of seventy railways made 10 per cent., and all of them varied from 6 to 3 per neut. There was nothing to show that railway proprietors were grossly exacting from the public, or that the public were suffering from high charges. The Right Hon. Gentleman had spoken of third-class trains. Now, no man more _ than himself wished that the working classes should have every accommodation on rail-. ways, and his opinion was, that to no class had the railway companies given more fabilities of travelling than the working classes. The !Right lion. Gentleman in his speech had no less than four times adverted to the monopoly by railways, he thought that that statement came with a bad grace rom one who had sanctioned monopolies of every description. Railway companies had conferred a great benefit on the commu nity ; it gave them a cheaper and more safe mode of tra velling. There were no establishments in this country car ried on with such admirably ma.agcnicnt mai arrange ment as the railroads. There was nothing in the Govern ment establishments which could compare with them in the nicety and admirable propriety of their managbrnent. Government ships were not so well managed. No person who went in Government packets I could say but that the - conduct which he met with on board those packets was inferior to what was to be met with in packets under the management of public companies. The management of the Post -office was not such as would justify them in placing in the hands of the Government the conveyance of passengers.—(Hear.) .What_along time had passed by before a reduction in the rate of postage was obtained. At that very moment the mails from London to Manchester were sent by a' round-about, circuitous way, instead of going by a way which would convey them an hour earlier ; and all ,the representations made by the Corporation and Chamber of Commerce of Manchester were neglected. But there were other considerations connected with this ques tion besides that of the economical one.—(Hear, hear.) There was a consideration of much political consequence. The London and Birmingham Railway alone employe. from 1,500 to 2,000 persons, with salaries varying from 701. to 1,0001, and they spent more than 200,0004 for wages, stores, tools, and a variety of other expendi ture. The Great Western Railway must pay more than this, and if all this 'influence fell into the hands of the Executive Government, would it not affect the freedom of the constituencies of those places through which the railroads passed ? (Hear, hear.) The constituencies of those places would be under the thumb of Government, and they would possess the influence of the same description which the Government of the day always had in Devonport, Rochester, and Pembroke. ,• What happened at Kendal, where a guard was taken from his duty that he might vote for the Government candidate, whose opinions he did not approve of, would happen at those places. For the last two years he had travelled as much by railways as any man, and for civility, propriety of con duct, and fairness in every respect, he, could say that no institutions could stand a comparison with the railway establishments of England. But even if there were some evils, the remedy proposed by the Right Hon. President of the Board of Trade was an inefficient one. rt was well known that Government establishments were worse managed than any others.. The' constitutionalprincipl e - Of ihe fill was a so a dangerous one, and he should op pose it. With respect to a revision of fares, he admitted that much niiaht be said ; -but wit h "t o gard •to thi r d- c l ass fares .' much had been don e better the accommodation of the working classes who . w ere conveyed by the third-class ean, e e nt For som e y ears past there had been a very to provement, and the directors of railways had come , e the opinio n th a t t h e i nterests of railway proprietots identical with those of the public. Under all the cumstances of the case, and considering that,the raile,aoy . companies expressed their willingness to meet the Li the yernment fairly and openly, he thought , t , Government would do well to consent to P, pone pone the measure until next session. In conclus he must say he did not think it was right to cast slurs on railway prop r i e t ors • w i t h respect to • the o pposition this Bill.—(Hear, be ar .) H e b e li eved that t h e oPP S tion was general ; and it was increased by stance that the Government seemed- so exceedingly anxious to pass the Bill at that late period of the sessi on ' He should certainly" vote for the amendment that a' Bill be read that day six months. Itee' Lord SEYMOLTR said all the railway coinnu had come to the conclusion that the interests of the vin e way companies were not sufficiently identical with tilt of the public. He thought it was very expedient that the the dream' should be a revision of the railway fares, and that wet necessarily involve an i nvest i gat i on i nto their pr ofits, 0 , With respect to the provisions of the Bill for cavil% the poorer classes at a c h ea p er rate, h e thought no onel, that House would do otherwise than approve of it. T?.; provision itselishowed the proper and reasonable se t which prompted th e Bill, an d t h e only consideration the House would be in w h a t way that object could be best secured. With respect to the enactments regard' n the conveyance of th e . ma il, h e cons i dered i t a Po: t that ought to belong to th e G overnment, not only, as ' O , garded future but all existing railways. Then as b ; the patronage which it was sa id wou ld vested by this Bill i n t h e B oard of 'Trade, t hat he must say h e saw very little in it, objection. Whatev e r there might b e in however, he was willing, as a member of the Conirni t 'V e to take his share of the responsibility along with t he Government. •He could not, on t h e w h o l e, se e the Government. slightest objection to the p r i nc i p l e o f t h e Bill ; Pa , to the machinery, whene ver it mig h t b e d es i ra bl e to an' and amend that, it could be best done in C o mmittee., to Mr. BERNAL said the p res e n t measure appeared p, him to be so peculi a rly i m p ortant i n i ts pro b a bl e cot , - quences that he co u ld no t re f ra i n from offerVi a few observations u p on i t . H e would p ass , the attempt_ at insinuation that had been In e d that all parties opp ose d to t hi s B i ll were supposed to have an inte res t i n ra il way property. , For a own part he never h e ld a s h are i n a railwaY,,,j'a canal, or an assurance company in hi s lif e, b u t be w t not presume to say th a t th os e w h o did so . were no" bound 'to . give the res u lt s o f their experien„ to those less informed upon such subjeer The present was a me asure th at d epended upon its u,,'" tails. He willingly as sen t e d to h av i ng third-class c : riages for the purpose o f g i v i ng f ac i l i ty to the t''s yelling of the poorer classes ; but before railwo were established, - how :did the poorer classes travel--; why, by waggons. For his own part, he knew i n , class of persons who were more lik e l y to h e b ene fit e d I l railways than the poor. As to th e o p t i on to b e , givt i to the Government or the Board of Trade, w hich wr e the same, to purchase any railway, he believed it was t . l l first time such a proposition had ever been put forward' When first the question of railways was b r ought f ...,4 °` ward in that House there was some degree of neglig e 7.. on the part of the Government ; but they now P. r e , posed to crush the hopes of rising railway comparl e o The contingent patron age i nc id ent to suc h a contro'i, i it was'proposed to give to th e G overnment wou ld " t attended with great inc o n ven i ence , if not d ange r. 0 would be necessary at len g th t o ma k e i t t h e l aw that no person having an interest in a railway, or an emplorn e in one, should vote in the election of aMe m be r of Parliame n , There was a complication of cla uses w hi c h wou ld destr . ,, °) the effect of the Bill. He beli eve d th a t t h e t id e o Cc'. munication- would be checked by the. Bill, and he ther e : fore advised the Right Hon. Gentleman to be canal The Bill was compulsory in its obj ec t, i n i ts ' i n t e nt, 1 1 n in its language, and he called on th e H ouse to reject o ' o Mr. COLQUHOUN defended the vote he gave o n to former occasion with regard to th e Bill. H e o bjected o f the tone of the Right Hon. gentlema n th e L' res ident" the Board of Trade. When he sa w th e M e mber 1 " South Lancashire and the Member • for Readied, and" when ; lie saw :gr. "Saunders and Mr. laluds (w e whom the -Bight 'Honourable. _Gentleman praised the much, meeting in Lond o n within two days after. tij os .Bill came out, and expressing their strong opini c ' e f against it, could he suppose that such men—men lawyers such intelligence—were play e d on as t h e too l s _ ef and agents out of doors ?—(Laughter.) -The Right sk i t Gentleman said he would not all ow thi s ßill to be p os tpon . 0, • he would not consent to a postponementof the S i stating that it was found e d on th e t hi r d - report o f t m Committee, which was a short one, and published many months ago. He did rea d t h at report, an d his °,, jections to it w e r e as strong then as. before t"„, measure was introdu ce d ; an d to s h ow t h at a ll I' not approval on the part of the, railway coutani es th respect to this mea sure , h e quote d an extractair° °l of Railway Chronicle warning them of the conseguences this Bill. What were the word s o f an e nlightened m a n • • s who, in one of the journals, h a d ma d e o b s ervation u P this measure—the words of a m a n who, from his tion, must be supposed to have watched -the'immecils. effects which it had produced ? Why, he said that the ... • could be no doubt but that the immediate effeetaof this at o i tation had been to depreciate the value of 'shares in market. The Right Hon. Gentleman said: that an jrs pression had gone forth among the public, that t' l ' e measure would give to Parliament the right to ptillt ns a i any railway it pleased, and had complained that such impression was a very erroneous one, because the In' s - 50 sure would not give to Parliarnent.the power to pureb, so • railways; and therefore he had contended thet the feS ti t of the railway companies were with ou t f oun d at i o n. v it he would ask, suppose, when th e P our -l aw Bill hail b ea d Proposed, first posed, in 1833, the Governm e nt of that day &ba t proposed all the clausei of the Poo r -l aw Bill, exc ept 0 . clause which would bring the Bill i n t o o p erat i on by f o r ' abling rates to be levied—suppose all the - rmichinery e bringing the Bill into immediate op era tiO n h a d been Pr at pared, pared, and left in a state of ab e y ance ,- but that t' o l machinery, by a single vote in the estimates, :could, any moment, be called into action; would netathe oPP nents of the new poor-law have considered .that as great step in advance on the part of their. aoersaries .Or suppose in the case of the Factory Bill of :last 1: all the machinery h a d b een prepared, except the funeo which could at a n y ti me, b y a s i ngle ia, vote in Connni t ` ts "of Supply, have been procured, would not the oppone n t , of the principle of that measure have considered 'it as, serious advance towards a system of. policy W i lt they all d e p r e ca t e d? (H ear, h ear.) The policy 0140 be right o r it m i g h t h e wrongs b ut i f they passe d t o measure, they would have a d vance d an i mportan t st e ) in , thei r sc h eme o f railway legislation.--(Hoar, he av e If they passed this Bill, the Government might COol( down' on any day when there was a Committee Supply, propose an estimate for the purchase of aPo titular railway, with all the forces of the Governmen t bear on that particular question-a(Hear, hear)—say. ot . was a question on which th e y s t a k e d t h e i r Own ext,as ence—(lramense Opposition cheer s )—h e did ri ot s ay t i. ," o - t with reference to past events—(R.enewed Clieering) --- 7 0 any Government which possessed the confidence O' ve , large - majority of th a t H ouse wou ld always 11%9 Such an advantage as no particular railway e , not all the railway interests united—could overeonio The Bill gave great power and patronage to the B oa o , of Trade, and conseq uen tl y th e, Right Hon, geritleli, the present and the late P res id ent o f t h e B oard of 'rre supported the measure. —(Hear, hear.) This Bill founded on the third report of the Committee, but t' l s Right Hon. Gentleman ad m itt e d th at many i mpo rta suggestions in it were t a k en f rom the fifth report , n e 4 additional reason why the House should not proeed with the Bill during the present session. He conju l :„. the House to con s id er th a t not hi ng cou ld b e more gerous than hasty interference with such important in! a rests. He thought the p rov i s i ons o f t h e Bill regarchno7, third-class carriages, a n d indeed regarding . coaveyan to generally, were judicioui, and would prove useful. lt., µ ti . f, said that railway companies enjoyed a monopoly. ly r r if that was the case of all companies _ with vedt large capital and very large investments. Such was ` e A case with dock companies, water companies, and g o , companies.--(Hear, hear.) It was said that when c ` bs ; panies had a monopoly, they would be extortionat e all companies, and -railway companies among their!, ' O O the dread of competition befbre their eyes, and this ' O l quite evident from what 'transpired before the seating Railway Committees ; th e directors feared compe, t ' at lines, and 'they knew that the • p u bli c w ould once raise their voice against extortiaate minds. 'He could weary the House by a r e P o r titiOn of railways th a t k ept d own their fares ,;"f the fear of competiti qn an d b y t h e wholesome dread 0. .public opinion. He did not think the Bill o f th e Govekit ment would be effect ua l i n re d uc i ng fares. The mf'i. conferred an inquisiti ve p ower i nto t h e affairs of Ti P' o , irate company hithert o unpara ll e l e d , and than whieh.!,o thing could be more o di ous . Th e seventh clause `vas still more objection a bl e t h an t h e th i rd, and gav° Government a,power .of buying up railways when ' o f profit- exceeded ten per cent. after a certain time formation. He did n o t b e li eve t h at anyth i ng could be more unreasonable or unfair to private individuals, the provisions of this clause. He considered the I f - was an' unjust -interference with m ercan til e i n dut and mercantile - enterpri se . S uc h legislation I',.a ct ) always failed, and, deserved to fail.—(H e ar, he n ', Take the example of the Royal Canal, which had 1 ) ( 1, in existence for about 30 y ears . I n 1811 it had P'to duced las: Bd. in one qua r t er , an d f rom t h at time °to the present hour the inc om e h a d b een. n i l What ' the number of tons of c o a l s carr i e d b y this cane' a M3361_ Eighteen tons.—(La ug ht er; ) C apta i n LO had told them that railways might b e co nd ucte d bk fled GOrerinnent at a saving of 25 p er cen t., an d so del i g ht was the Right Hon. Baronet with this gentleman ho had resolved to have further information on this s u ject. Captain Lawei proposed that the *Governni en should buy up the railwaysin this country,allegiq o ' the reason, the great saving o f ex p ense. He was an-,ut there were some parts of th e country w hi ch, w i t hin Government interference, would never h e supplied villo railways, and this he said in the face of the exan h a of the Belgian • railways.—(H ear , h ear.) In th7o country the Governme n t con fi ne d !he communicationea'ca to the great towns. Ile did no t k row what the .„.. il-„-- might think of this proposal, butit appeared to bi from comparison, the most unjust P I - a ; pent that could b e ma d e . It wusimpossible top the railways of E ng l an d and France, or Belgito l l ;c1 the same footing. If the French Government desir do to have a p a rti cu l ar ra i lway, they had nothing '°„so but to .carry o u t th e i r object; there was no exlllis except that o f constr uction.—(Hex, hear.) In _7,t country they would have to come i n t o . con t a ct : 11 1, powerful privat e i n t eres t s . Th ey bid, by p rivate covered-2,000 -miles•of- this- county with railroads , 5 1 , - v they L earrie4AFffit-ox_quillhp# of - 040 pie 3earlY railways, whi c h' originated in private enterprise. d (Cheers.) The Belgian cicingiment had berrolve this --1 to a a o , that out to , fiveu rel h ad aJ bea c h, to a ny v L ariou s h ad bei every tered ii leh douse ' .ar thi s ge Prate I be th, rai