The Sun. — London, England, 1844-03-21 00:00:00

e rOaT ,provew an d J. wog° h o in. km, h I S./...,.. , , . --••••••••.......,... s -144 1 free t ra d e i n corn , corn wou ld b e a ny lx, e r• But th oug h h e gave t h e (late of the first ttl Wss rich was delivered in 1810, when wheat was e did not quot e th e date of the last, which del' ksle - ' iver ed in June, last year, when wheat had lek„\raore than 33 per cen t.—(C r i es o f " He a r, Itsi ) Ile had sometimes found people a little kthe ess to account for their arguments; contending, o l • b _ Y. did, at one time, that they should have cheap to a nd stating at another that they did not intend s t4l4 • l4 o r ti the farmers by lowering the prices of their tv t h t ies. Many were at a loss to understand !ti, _ e Y could be benefited as traders, manufactur "''"?-lor„ehants, and .consumers, without the lower 41,wers the price of food. Now these people Itti" went upon the assumption that they t e4a ugh to eat already. They forgot 6,_t here were. at least 10,000, 000 o f peop l e ki" t le islands who were not sufficiently fed, and ‘ f i° growers of wheat were raising their produce Ille . "` s ubsistence of not more than 20,000,000, at 4 r ' tt en t B, yi the 28,000,000 of their population ; ..while Nt e ' stthe people, by their restrictive and suicidal streSiliWere thrown out of the market for wheat, and k ti , N upon potatoes, oatmeal, barley bread, or it k irk e .s t is (ll ,ear, hear.) Let those people into the td,,,t bring them forward as consumers, and then :light not only sell their wheat to these newly customers, chstorners but even enable them to buy kzi l ,jOre abroad.' A calculation had been sent to % 11 ` 1 'e other day by a large biscuit baker, t t* Vas worthy of attention, as coming kt e 4 practice man. He said that if they br to the people of these lands 21 ounces 44 per day, that would amount to 41,'" quarters of wheat : and if they would allow ! h !cals of the people to have this extra allowance, Zeia,„."" to what they had, it would amount "uPortati on of ten million quarters of wheat. 14 1d o Zthe compensation which they offered to the hp)4 era, and the farmers.—(Laughter.) He t ; 'l4 l ,L til eW the people to prosper, instead t 'l - iwg them paupers, and then the farmer Nes,,,Z 4 le them for customers. There were 1 '44 . ' 4 cc:lM was sold as low, nay, lower, in this ktfi4l ender th e co rn-l a w, than it would be under SLree trad e . Wh en th e y had famine seasons, as us have if they limited their supply to these t• L l i alands,.With their capricious climate—when 11 4 54 7 It succession of three or four years of famine 11 ? to.? 43 they had had from 1838 to 1842, what was kil le r quence ? Why, they starved down and ba e.llo n t i h eir po ulation. He told those farmers lt W f r - n li td like p to have their customers at home, Ot ii ,.. In 1838 to 1842, 500,000 persons had eini- N- ,J from„ these islands to find food in other coun t hear.) When, at the termination of kb: 4 °) d of dearth, they had ' but one good harvest, i. e alturists were astonished to find that they . , Customers ready to consume the extra pro- Nti; . 4 l:f their land. Why they had been destroy customers by bringing down the labouring lty b : Potatoes and oatmeal, and sending away N ;47 , who .had the means to emigrate to those 171ih : WhiCh were not cursed with . corn-laws.. B,No of of opinion—and he had said it in the 1 1 1 404,.. e l' Commons, where he never wanted to pay Niplinpliments, or s anything that would be Nriog to them—(Laughter)- that neither land tariners, nor farm labourers had derived any ) Sl4 , f rom this system. He believed that land ItlFet this moment have been more valuable in Z • i ntry if there had never been a corn-law. He ` 4 lleLed the Government last autumn to send to er u bassador in Switzerland for an account of 4 , e of land in that country ; and he ventured I - 4 1M land in Switzerland was at this time more i,l th a than land in England, alth ,ugh in Switzer- It) er e was perfect free trade in corn.—(Hear, , •he had never told the farmers, in all his : 4 - ations, th a t they must look for their remedy P k"et ki N h ..reductio n of rent.—(Hear, hear.) He said, ' l„ f eignedly, that if he were going to take a ilk °l' a twenty-one years' lease, he k !ilf it l , rather take it at all the present ilthi l idcnOWing that the corn-laws were to ‘isir i ,'led to-morrow, than he would take upon 1t : 1 +46 44 e burden of the land if he knew that the re h,li„;BYstem were to continue. In the first case, 2"4 141 "'l be sure that he was surrounded' by a pros- Ni:_ e ulniunity, capable of consuming all . that he st rochice, and he would not confine himself to I,eklOction of old fashioned wheat. But, in Sia D . re aie he would dread the retribution that was , 4, lu Pon ' him in the shape of pauperism, income !a 04 rates of every description, and county as L. N.Seneral ta x es, which, if this system continues' , pkt i Ced to r en d er l an d va lueless both to landlord and 1.74. ) ,,, Now, with these convictions, backed d as S-44 io ne by the most intelligent amongst the . lan - Zu.the farmers, why need they continue to ItretTo longer a close luestion ?—( Hear, bear.) They etyi,., 4 onger a I•• y of manufacturers or traders. Lloa rt 'u the best of the landlords and the best of the - r "iththem, and he did not despair ofye . trepre- N r the county of Buckingham in Parliament. ,tild i & was not far distant when the landowners tit o v: just as anxious to claim for themselves the it. ' being free-traders, as the West Indian pro -1..!1`4:t14.11tr, now were to profess their abhorrence of 06";',._(Laughter.) Let them look to what the il l .: mkt done for the best interests of agriculture, L i 3 1 11 t, improvements in tillage. Who could go "tts k i p te e, country without observing the beautiful 4the lend the draining tiles presented through- Cind in all directions F—(llear, hear.) If they kid f ? that by the mere fright of free trade, what I t t li e ij e ee trade itself do for the land ?—(Hear, hear, x , er s.) He had a letter the other day tlttli ut 'lorthumberland, in which the writer t i,,ti;„ he was connected with agriculture, and that b ,..' , lte n ulacturers of agricultural improvements, of ' t lk c o g tiles, &c. and that agricultural chemists and '!1111tt:111eeted with scientific improvements in agri- Ikl exi \ a tiglat to subscribe in presenting him (Mr. est 0f .. ) _with a piece of plate for his exertions in the tpr aglicUlture. He (Mr. Cobden) should have l i tle e e it e of plate, and he would be bound the Duke 1. 1, th Ingham would subscribe to it.—(Laughter.) .7 4 11, n , e141 picture to themelves the candelabrum tOss 'a Upon a tripod, with a sheaf of wheat in or ie A LI., power-loom in another, and a shipin ete - --the union of manufactures and coin -0 litevitli agriculture.—(Cheers and laughter.) NI no doubt whatever that they should shake rese ti ni th . is question in less than five years from Celt, that tirne.—(Cheers and laughter.) He was a nat they should make the question less of a ii4 ei 7tion, and take agriculture more and more Vb e , rieVr on the sub:ect. Agriculture was the i, h:iground on which they (the Leaguers) stood. Os f q"" heard what had been said of the condition t ITillers. There was a gentleman on . the plat ade told them just now that he was in company liN, t it r day with fifty farmers, .when an in- V % sap that at his elbow whispered into ),,,? th ai ‘nat there were not two out of those o,,„`' Would not be bankrupts in less than two t i'ds t (hear.) He (Mr. Cobden) was at a large qt le u ee in the Midland Counties on the occasion tOll llOl -ing - match, at which there were present ktli-e C r and in the course of a discussion t h •t fk ondition of the farmers they all agreed that if t'l/t edition of the county was sold up not one of k4 ' - NUM t ,,t,roa tu . be found to be solvent ; and the result of V i t:er a - b , discussion, on the condition of the land thnati'tts, that if they were sold up they would not ‘‘,7 l l' to be solvent. He (Mr. Cobden) then yen &lt'lthil throw in an observation ; and he said , Is e , UZ I ", you have had it all your own way krqa - e eight and twenty years, and it . vs t. 3'° . 1 Were not able to take care of your - Qh e ." OW let us, free traders, have a turn, and see liti t fo r W e shall not do better for you than you have .1i tlh,,Yuurselves."—(Hear, hear.) Now he hop ed, ft: l ljg ; evidence they had had to-night, that no one 4 1e 1 1 1°a way from that magnificent gathering with ibl v th at; what they asked for—free trade—could rif t In jure the agricultural labourer. He (the tt i ,N, I'L r al labourer) was as low as he could be.— t k , ni ght What they had heard from Mr. Hunt 104" would be verified by the intelligent WI °4 all parts of the country—that if their Wa s Is t trd en Cultivated not up to the pitch k hi wee cultivation, but up to theyoint at which Ik h ,, S ew e cultivated in parts of IN orthumberland ttC.l%. o „i, a ud; that then those counties of Eng 40thzit'l Produce double what they did at present, qi,tir, '',L ,re would be three times the demand for l'h! e tis They had heard something about the super- Vine men of landowners for their acres. 4 0 1'11 , 4 I I Would not allow any change to take place t % ill ow 'ven displeasing to their eye. They would ti th,„. th eir green lawns to be ploughed up be ,thef i th e ;,.grandfathers had looked upon them ; and 4t l j Sy r i e t ° rel must look upon them forsooth, though i l vith n r e no longer was covered with grass, 1 14 Os i t w e ss• That superstitious reverence for the t iiii Yihieh as . would disappear before the stern neces kkielien\%;ould be imposed upon the owners of the 1 1 / 41 !', filo trley saw no other incans of 'drawing their i t Si ve ' .. Meeting their mortpges, and showing thies.-..... at the accustomed period in the west end i t ~,,,,s , fr o ea ni tha n 13 y treating their land as traders did i tt% ~,.. inercial. commodities,.* something P S* " L eh b • (4, th e Y skill, science, and capital, they could 1 , 4) , ht utmost possible amount of produce._ t l itt it w a :* ) He asked the farmers now present hya 1 411 ( 1 ? 3 that W2SS most wanted to the land of fil,11:11,1t,. 'hie,h l 74.0tu T hle h Ahr e ee y bemw meant, not e t s e s l , 1 him but it more was s c h a e p e i p ta_l, not sacks of money, Nti'' v bere ' were now one and three heads of ~,,.!ter i i 'ete there were now one; also better ploughs, "ce, arro w , N I , Th at , and better under-draining in every 1 4', 2 that w as the capital which they wanted ; but (u,nr to would be valueless unless it was allied with 1 1 , 1 11 e: h.) /6 4 14 , it constant increase and production._ Dr s .; a llitai _'w he,asked how it was that there was aft, Per tut. on the land which was necessary for its PteSellt;vpositi atien ? NV bv, in this country there was ve plethora of capital. Money was THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, down to two per cent. Every trade, every manu facture was over-ridden by competitors having capital wanting employment, and yet the complaint was that they had not capital enough wherewith to till the land.—(Hear, hear.) They had heard the cause in the explanation of those intelligent gentlemen who had addressed them—they wanted security for the application of their capital.—(Cheers.) The corn law, which they ever said was for the benefit of the agriculturist, deterred the capitalist from investing in the land, because on that corn-law rested those other monstrous grievances to which Mr. Lattimore and Mr. Hunt had referred. The landowners, not trusting to the application of skill or science to the cultivation of the . soil, confided only in the corn law, which they could only maintain by poli tical means—by keeping the tenantry in sub jection as tenants at will." They made every thing subservient to political power, and they made political power subservient to the corn-law, and thus it was that in a vicious circle the corn-law reacted in an injurious manner upon the tenant.—(Hear, hear.) Thus it was that the corn-law was the basis of every grievance under which the farmers suffered.— (Cheers.) It was not their business there to talk of game but of corn ; but if the landowners prevented by law the people from being supplied with goods from other countries, they invited inquiry as to the way in which they used the land upon which they tinsisted we should he fed ; and if we found they were wasting the produce of the soil for their own useless and sensual amusements, while they denied the people's right to getting food from other coun tries, then their game-preserves and their parks, and every other arrangement about their estates became a fair question of controversy.--(Cheers.) When he (Mr. Cobden) was in Scotland, at a public meeting held in Cupar of Fife, a farmer, whose name he gave to the public on the occasion, informed them, in a letter which he read to the meeting, that he was the tenant of Captain Wemyss, the M.P. for the county, and that he and two other farmers rented seven hundred Scotch acres adjoining the pre serves of Captain Wemyss, and that he had a clause in his agreement by which he was entitled to receive compensation for the damage done by game annually to their crops ; and in the year 1841 these farmers received as compensation for the injury done by the game to the crops on the 700 acres, of which only one-fourth was sown, a sum of 7001., and yet they assured him that that was far from sufficient compensation for the damage done ; for the crop of the year was not only destroyed, but the land was poisoned, so as to affect the crops for the succeeding four years.—(Hear, hear.) He had taken pains to inquire as to the amount of damage done by game in this country to crops, and the opinion of intelligent farmers was, that the damage amounted to no less than 2,000,000 of quarters of corn.—(Hear, hear.) Now, if they were not allowed to be supplied with corn from elsewhere, he insisted that they had a right to call on the landowners to destroy the vermin which did so much injury to our crops. He was glad to find that their friends the farmers were putting their brethren on the right scent. Let them, instead of looking after the League as a bugbear, see to grievances nearer home. The Hon. Gentleman then adverted to the system observed with respect to game, and then went on to observe that all parties would benefit from throwing the land on its own resources. He said the usual way was for a Noble Lord first to vote for the corn-laws, and then to bring in a Bill to inclose the commons of the country, in order to benefit the poet by taking from them the commons, on which they fed their geese. He did not pretend to be a judge whether those commons were advantageous to the poor or not ; but he knew that labourers were very good judges of their own interests, and that they had a very great objection to the inclosure of commons. He knew riots to have taken place, in consequence of labourers insisting upon their rights of commonage.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. Fyshe Palmer, who for a long time re presented Berkshire, used to stand up in defence of the peasant's right to the use of the commons, and, on one occasion, he ventured poetically upon the subject, and he said— " The fault is great in man or woman, Who steals the goose from off the common ; But who shall plead that man's excuse, Who steals the common from the goose 2" —(Laughter.) He (Mr. Cobden) had transmitted to him from the United States of America a speech de livered by a senator of that country in advocacy of free trade, whose sentiments they reciprocated from that gorgeous assembly. He alluded to Mr. M‘Duffy, who had been twenty years the Villiers of the United States. The Hon. Gentleman then quoted several passages from the speech of that gentleman, which, though used in condemnation of the protective system to manufactures in that country, were per fectly applicable to the protective system as regarded agriculture in this country; and he went on to show, that what he called the calico oligarchy in America, were as opposed to free trade as the agricultural oli garchy were in this country. He pointed out that the great majority of the fifteen millions 9f American citizens were as much in favour of free trade as the greater portion of the inhabitants of this country, and expressed his satisfaction at the prospects of free trade, when the monopoly of what he termed the oligarchy of the madder-hogsheads would be put an end to in America, equally with the monopoly of the agricultural oligarchs of this country. He showed the absurdity of supposing that monarchical institu tions were inimical to freedom, when there were found among the Yankees, who threw overboard what they considered the lumber of crown, church, and aristocracy, those who were opposed, notwith standing all their free institutions, to not only freedom in trade, but also to freedom to the slave. —(Hear, hear, and cheers.) And he instanced, in proof of his position, their having at that meeting a Nobleman in the chair. He justified his agita tion on the ground that even in America, where they had republican institutions, men were not able to see their own interests without being taught. He concluded by stating that Mr. Gisborne, who was to have addressed them that night, had pressed him (Mr. Cobden) into the service, but that Hon. Gentleman would attend on the next evening of meeting.— (Cheers.) Before they separated, he begged to say that he thought they would best conclude the even ing's proceedings by giving three cheers for the Noble Earl who favoured them by taking the chair that evening. He (Mr. Cobden) would be fugleman, and let them be three good cheers. The Hon. Gentleman then signalled with his hand, and the vast assemblage rose en masse, and gave three cheers accordingly, with one cheer more. The Noble CHAIRMAN then advanced to the front of the stage, and in a few words acknowledged the com pliment, after which the vast assemblage dispersed. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. WARWICK RACES (CONCLUDED)—WEDNESDAY. The Trial Stakes of 10 soya. each, with 50 added. One mile. (10 subs.) Mr. Minor's Molecatcher, 3 yrs, 6st 121 b (S. Darling, jun.) 1 Mr. Bristow's Frey strop, 3 yrs, ist 2 The following also started, but were not placed :—Mr. Stubbings's Celeste, 3 yrs, 7st—Mr. Painter's Seafowl, 3 yrs, 6st 121b—Mr. Mostyn's Brunel, 3 yrs, 6st 121b—Mr. A. W. Hill's Beaumont, 3 yrs—Mr. F. Ongley's The Elbe, 3 yrs ' 7st. The Debdale Stakes of 5 sous. each , with 25 added. Two miles. (8 Subs.) Mr. Hyde Clarke's Leo, by the Cardinal, list 71b Mr. Laurel's Fire-king, aged, list 71b Mr. Warde's The Surgeon, aged, 12st 3 The following also ran :—Captain Musgrave's DrummOOT, 5 yrs, list 71b—Mr. C. Le Blanc 's Huguenot, aged, list 71b ; Mr. F. Wilson's St. Cecilia, 6 yrs, list 71b—Mr. E. Haworth's Marengo, aged, list 71b—and Mr. Little's Pickwick, llst 71b. Won in a canter. The Warwick Handicap of 15 sovs. each, 10 ft, and 5 only if declared, with 40 added. Two miles. (15 Subs., two of whom paid ) Mr. Berrington's Fathew Mathew, 3 yrs, sst 71b (Carter) 1 Mr. S. Scott's Mosque. 6 yrs, Bst in 2 The following also started :—Mr. Raworth's Vibration, 5 yrs, Bst 131b—Captain Musgrave nd Ajax, 6 yrs—Mr. Collins' Isaac, aged, 7st 81b—Mr. Kimber's Nylghati, 4 yrs, 7st 41b—Mr. E. Dan's Jack, 5 yrs, ist 41b—Mr. Balchin's The Curate, 4 yrs, 7st—Mr. Holford's Pickwick, aged, 7st— and Sir C. Cockerell's Aurungzebe,, 4 yrs, 6st 71b. Betting-2 to 1 agst Mosque, 4to 1 agst Isaac, 4to 1 agst Pickwick, 7 to 1 agst Father Mathew, 7 to 1 agst Vibration. Won by a neck, after a beautiful race ; Pickwick third and Isaac fourth. The Farmer's Plate of 50/., with 10/. added. Heats, two miles. Mr. Lucas's f, 3 yrs , lOst 21b (Mr. Hughes) 2 1 1 Mr. Cowper's Independence, 3 yrs, lOst 21b Mr. W. Cowper's Carmine, 3 yrs, 105 t 21b 0 3 3 Mr. Page's Chaff, 3 yrs, 10st 21b Forced Handicap of 10 soya. each. Once round and a dis- tance. (3 Subs.) Mr. Collins' Isaac, aged, Bst 101 b, walked over. BETTING AT WARWICK. CHESTER CUP. 9 to 1 on the field 30 to 1 agst Alice Hawthoi n 15 to 1 agst Pagan—taken 30 to 1 agst Everton. 25 to 1 agst Vakeel—taken 13 to 2 agst Ugly Buck—t DER: 7 to 1 ag's't Rattan 20 to 1 agst Running Rein 25 to 1 agst Leander 50 to 1 agst Mainstay—t The rest as before. SPRING.—The prevalence of cutaneous visitations at this period of the year inculcates the necessity of pre serving the Skin in a pure and healthy state, so that its func tions may be duly performed. The great celebrity which " Rowland's Kalydor" exclusively maintains as an active yet mild and soothing agent for extirpating all impurities,' and imparting a healthy freshness to the Skin, is most pleasingly evinced at the present season. This balmy and odoriferous creamy liquid is composed of extracts from the most rare flowers and herbs of an eastern clime—its discovery by a lady of rank, was no less singular than its effects have been felicitous during the last thirty years. Its universally great demand excites the cupidity of unprincipled shopkeepers, who give the title of " Genuine" Kalydor to some compounds of their own manufacture of the most deleterious character, containing mineral astringents utterly ruinous to the Com plexion, and by their repellant action endangering health. R is, therefore, imperative on purchasers to see that the words " Rowland's Kalydor" are on the wrapper.—All others are fraudulent counterfeits. Three weeks ago a mare, belonging to Mr. rather stone, of Tibberton, was backed for ten sovereigns to trot four miles in sixteen minutes. The animal was in the straw yard, and quite out of condition at the time, but last week she justified the confidence of her backers by trotting fro m the Cross to the fourth mile-stone on the Droitwich road in fifteen minutes and a half, being half a minute under the time. that in which they were now placed, it would be frightful indeed.—(Cheers.) It was a melancholy reflec tion that in this country the reward attainable by in dustry should be so small.—(Cheers.) He had heard of the price paid for making shirts and the toiling of poor females day and night ex other work ; by which they scarcely obtained a livelihood—(Hear, hear) — but he would tell them that the poor labourur in the agricultural districts was scarcely able to obtain a sufficiency of food.—(Hear, hear.) He had known instances where labourers, with a large family of children, had vegetated—he would not say lived— on 9s. a week, two of which were paid for rent, and poor-rates were paid on the remaining 7s.—(Hear, hear, and cries of " Shame")—instances where these poor creatures had to subsist, with their families, on even 7s. per week, and but for the sympathy and kind 'gess of those who lived near them, they must all but perish for want.—(Hear, hear.) He should like to see the advocates of corn-laws go and take their tax in kind.—(Hear, hear.) If they could see the deplorable state of the famishing families of the agricultural la bourers, they would no doubt think it a fit study for an artist as a frontispiece for a Protection Hall.—(Cheers.)" This, be it remembered, is no fancy sketch, but the statement of a tenant-farmer, whose name and place of residence are given, and who comes forward to state that which, if not consistent with truth and fact, is easy of confutation. Will any one undertake to dis pute the facts, or to disprove the statements ? Mr. Hunt described himself as " tenant-farmer — a tenant-farmer only—and, comparatively speaking, a poor-tenant-farmer." He verified the statements of Mr. Lattimore ; and delivered :a plain, unvarnished, but very impressive description of the depressed and de pendent state of the class to which he , belonged ; and which he ascribed to the system which the farmers were called upon by the landlords to assist in upholding. His remarks on the state of vassalage under which the tenant-farmers are held by the existing system, and by which they are made the mere tools of the landlords for their political purposes, and selfish maintenance of their restrictive laws, well deserve at tention ; but our limited space forbids. Let those who bestow their sympathies upon the over-worked and ill remunerated manufacturing labourers, and who would demonstrate their humanity by diminishing their hours of labour, and thus diminish their means of obtaining food— let them turn their eyes to the victims of their own selfish adhesion to an insane and cruel policy, under the iron operations of which both the manufacturing and agricul tural labourers are pressed down to the confines of starvation ! STANDARD.—With much reluctance and no small disgust we are dragged back to the odious case of Mr. Marsh and Mdlle. Niord, by a letter aimed " George H. Marsh," in the Morning Post of this day. We do not know whether the paramour of the profligate in mate of Madame Lodon's establishment is cognisant of the publication of this letter ; but if he is, the publication of such an apology is an enormous aggra vation of his original crime. We feel that we offend in giving insertion to such a letter, though commanded by the rule " audi et alteram partem," but we shall not offend further by analysing it. The writer speaks in a style of flippant levity, which proves that he does not understand, probably is incapable of un derstanding, the question between his wretched name sake and the public. He argues as if the only consi deration were the punishment of Mademoiselle Niord's paramour—about which nobody cares one farthing— and not the relieving of the Church from an un worthy and disgraceful member, which interests every Christian in the community. Whether the occasional— only occasional visitor at Madame Lodon's," shall con tinue his visits to that establishment, as a munificent contributor to its support and the support of its in mates, or die, as hundreds of better men die daily, in a union workhouse, is a matter which concerns him only ; but whether such a man, reeking from such society, shall ascend a pulpit to address our wives and daughters and sons, is a matter that deeply interests us all. But, says Mr. Geo. H. Marsh, the man is a penitent, and has actually discontinued his visits to Madame Lodon's, substituting forsooth " visits to fa milies of the highest respectability of his acquaint ance." We do not envy the families, but this is not repentance. Let him resign the station that he has disgraced, and then he may be believed penitent, but not till then. " Oh,' replies his apologist, " to give up his living would throw him on the world. It should be borne in mind that a clergyman, deprived of his prefer ment, is debarred by his orders from every other source of livelihood. This is a motive, certainly, for in creased circumspection in him, but also for some un willingness to proceed to extremity, except where the offence is heinous, or the character of the party is irre claimable." An officer of the army or navy dismissed for cowardice or drunkenness, offences venial compared with Mr. Marsh's, has no other resource, and yet nobody pities him ; a man who from incompetency fails at the bar or in the medical profession, is as little the ob ject of compassion—people say the man took a line for which he was not qualified. We regret his suffer ings, but the public service must not be betrayed—the property or lives of the Queen's subject put in jeopardy, in order to keep a man in a position for which he is unfit. And is not the consideration much more grave in the case of a scandalous 'blergyn3an ? We will remark upon one other passage of Mr. Marsh's letter, though we cannot remark upon it without deep indignation: here it is:—" Are the Bishops now accustomed to deal with cases of equal or greater enormity when recent, and properly put before them, with extreme severity? If not, is it right to yield to a clamour, partly, at least, grounded on erroneous impres sions?" This is an insinuation that cases like that of the rector of Barnack, are of customary, that is, of fre quent occurrence, than which no insinuation can be more vilely false. TATTERSALL'S.-THIS EVENING QUARTER TO SIX O'CLOCK. CHESTER cur. 9 to 1 agst Pagan 13 to 1 agst Pharaoh 30 to 1 agst Sir Robert _ DERBY. 6 to 1 agst Ugly Buck 13 to 2 agst Rattan • 16 to 1 agst Orlando 20 to 1 agst Running Rein—taken 30 to 1 agst Leander 35 to 1 agst Grey Momus colt—taken 50 to 1 apt Mainstay Betting very flat. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock. SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY BRANCHES. Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL moved that it be an instruction to the Committee of Selection to postpone the meeting of the Committee on the South Eastern Railway Bill until after Easter. He said that his object in submitting this motion was to ensure the attendance of Members who were interested in the Bill. After a few words from Mr. GLADSTONE, Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL consented to with draw his motion. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE, a new writ was ordered to issue for the Borough of Christ church. EDINBURGH, SLAMANNAN, &c., RAILWAY. Mr. GIBSON CRAIG, pursuant to notice, moved that the order made on Friday, the 15th day of this instant March—That it be an instruction to the Committee of Selection to refer the Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Sla mannan, and the Edinburgh, Leith, and Newhaven Railway Bills, to the same Committee—be discharged, in so far as relates to the Edinburgh and Glasgow Rail way Bill ; and that the Committee on the said Bill have leave to sit and proceed on Wednesday next, without furthernotice. The Hon. Member's observations were inaudible. Mr. M`KENZIE opposed the motion, and defended the order proposed to be discharged, on the ground that the railways were in reality but one line. Sir W. HEATHCOTE opposed the motion. Mr. LABOUCHERE said he would oppose any de parture from the rules of the House. Ile thought the resolution of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Mackenzie) was one which the House ought not to sanction. He would, therefore, vote for rescinding the resolution, and would support the motion of the Hon. Member for Edinburgh. Mr. GLADSTONE said that the terms of the rule were quite clear and if parties were suffering incon venience it was through their own neglect. He must say that ho thought it was for the interest of all the parties concerned to adhere strictly to the rules laid down by the House on this subject. Sir G. GREY hoped the House would not establish a dangerous precedent. He thought the best course would be to extend the resolutions which the House had adopted, with regard to competing lines, to connecting lines ; and, with this op inion, he should vote for the motion of his Hon. Friend. Mr. ESTCOURT said that the order having been made, he was not disposed to vote for its discharge. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the motion 65 Against it Majority against the motion —l THE LATE STATE TRIALS. Mr. WYSE rose to present a petition from the mem bers of the Repeal Association of Ireland, praying for inquiry into the late State prosecutions in that country. The petition had received a larger number of signatures than any petition that had ever been presented to that House from Ireland. The petition was signed by 821,334 persons, and had been got up in the short space of three weeks. It was signed by the coporations of the cities and boroughs of Cork, Kilkenny, Armagh, and other places, by several of the boards of guardians of the poor, and other persons of influence and standing in the country. There was also the greatest care taken to prevent any kind of fraud in the signatures attached to the petition. Means of every description were resorted to, during those prosecutions by the Attorney-General to insure a conviction of the traversers. The charge of the Judge also was such as to impress upon the minds of the -peo ple of Ireland and also of the world generally, that there had not been a fair trial in this case. The petition was then borne up to the table by Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Wyse, Sir H. W. Barron, Mr. Blake, Colonel Rawdon, and Mr. Hindley. Upon the Speaker putting the motion that it be laid on the table, there was much laughter, for it seemed to require the united strength of all those Hon. Gentlemen to raise the pon derous mass of paper from the ground. When it was " laid upon the table," it completely covered it, books, ink, and papers. The petition v% as then read at length by the Clerk at the table, and Mr. WYSE begged to move that the petition be printed as it iias.---(Cries of Order," "Chair.") trb 12 bition SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. THE MURDER AT BRIGHTON. LEWES ASSIZES, March 20. (From the Brighton Gazette.) John Lawrence was placed at the bar, charged, " for that he, on the 13th March, at Brighton, upon Henry Solomon, feloniously, wilfully, and of malice afore thought, did make an assault, and with a certain poker in his right hand, did feloniously, wilfully, and mali ciously strike and produce a mortal fracture, rupture, and wound on the said Henry Solomon, of which mortal fracture, rupture, and wound the said Henry Solomon died." The prisoner was also similarly indicted on the Coroner's inquest. The prisoner at this time betrayed considerable emotion. Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Cobbett conducted the prosecu tion ; Mr. Chadwick Jones appeared for the defence. Mr. Clarkson then rose and spoke as follows :—lt is im possible to conceal from oneself the importance of the me lancholy case to which your attention and that of the public by whom we are surrounded has been directed. I am instructed by the Commissioners of the town of Brighton, with the assistance of my Learned Friend, Mr. Cobbett, to lay the short and melancholy facts be fore you. It appears tkat no longer ago than last Wed nesday, a week only from the present time, the deceased, Henry Solomons, in the discharge of his public duties,was found in the office which belonged to him in the Town Hall of the town of Brighton. Between seven and eight o'clock on that evening, the young man at the bar had been apprehended for the commission of some felony-shop-lifting, I believe—at no great distance from the spot. An officer of the name of Barnden had taken him into custody, and had brought him - to the police office, as it is called, of the Town Hall of Brighton, where the chief constable Solomon was sitting in a chair ; and whilst he was there waiting for the arrival of the witness by whose information the charge was to be given, Solomon, the officer, put a few questions to him, one of which was how long he had been in Brighton. I think he gave a reply which, from information given to Solomon, he believed was untrue—namely, the prisoner said he had been there two days, whereas there is reason to believe he had been there many months ; and upon Solomon saying, " That is not true; we know you have been here a fortnight or more," the prisoner drew the stock from his neck, threw it down before him, and said, "I'm tired of my life ; give me a knife that I may make away with myself," and appeared in a state of considerable excitement. So lomon offering him no affront, making no suggestion of the smallest provocation, on the contrary endea vouring to soothe him, besought him to compose himself, told him he was not to be tried there, but that he IN as merely waiting the arrival of a witness to enable the charge to be made. He then turned from the spot where the prisoner stood ; he im mediately placed himself in a large chair, which was nearly opposite, on one side of the fire-place—l don't know which. There were some other gentlemen in the room, whom I shall call before you ; and Solomon was engaged in conversation for a few minutes with those gentlemen. I believe I have detailed to you everything that had passed up to this time. In the course of this conversation the son of Mr. Slight, known to all of you as the highly-respectable clerk to the Commissioners of the town of Brighton, who happened to be in the room, was leaning on the hatch door by which you enter. He was on one side—his back somewhat turned to the door. The prisoner rose from the chair, seized the poker that lay in the fireplace behind him, raised his hand with the poker in it, and struck a blow on the uncovered head of Solomon that felled him to the ground. The poor fellow fell on his hands and knees; he was utterly incapable of helping himself; and he had at that moment received his death-blow. But he was raised by the gentlemen, supported in a chair, and he became insensible. The man at the bar made this observation—" I know I have done it; I hope I have killed him; I hope I shall be hung," or, " I hope I shall be hanged." I should have told you before, that which you would expect should immediately follow such an act, namely, the act of the use of the poker on the unfortunate Solomon; he was seized by the young man Slight at the moment. Mr. Slight did not see the blow struck, for it was struck from behind him ; but he did see the poker descend on the head of Solomon, and he did at the moment turn round and seize the party who must have struck it, and saw the upraised poker, bent as you will find it was by the force of the blow, in the hands of the man, and the moment it was taken from his hand he used the expres sions I have named. In these short observa tions are contained the whole transactions as respects the prisoner at the bar. Desirous not to say anything to aggravate the facts, I shall simply lay the melancholy case before you ; and you will discharge, under the direction of his Lordship who presides, a duty serviceable alike to yourselve and the public. The witnesses examined before the magistrates and coroner were then called, and they repeated their former evidence, which fully corroborated the statement of facts made by the learned counsel for the prosecution. Mr. CHADWICK JONES then addressed the jury for the defence, and contended that the expressions used by the prisoner in Solomon's office, together with the entire absence of any conceivable malice or motive, showed that the prisoner was acting under a sudden impulse or frenzy, which deprived him temporarily of reason, and made him an irresponsible agent. Lord DENMAN then proceeded to sum up, and con cluded his observations as follow :—" You will weigh the whole matter in your minds ; and unless it is clearly made out to you that the prisoner was actually deprived of reason at the time he struck the blow, he is clearly guilty of murder. If you think he was deprived of reason, he will not be guilty of murder, and you will acquit him of murder on the ground of insanity. But I need not say you must be fully convinced of that, before you say he is not guilty of the murder." Clerk of the Court—Consider your verdict. The jury turned round in their box for about 12 mi nutes, when they resumed their seats. There was a breathless silence in the Court, as the Clerk of the Arraigns inquired, do you find the prisoner, John Law rence, guilty of the murder of Henry Solomon, or not guilty? Foreman—Guilty. Clerk of Arraigns.—Prisoner at the bar, you have been convicted of the crime of wilful murder ; what have you to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon you. The prisoner, who had been greatly agitated during the time the judge was summing up, was now supported by the turnkeys ; and Lord DENMAN at once proceeded to pass sentence. He warned the prisoner to make use of the few days which remained to him in this world, in seeking that repentance which should prepare him for the next ; and told him that there was not the slight est chance that the extreme penalty of the law would not be inflicted. The sentence of the Court is —" That you be taken from hence to the gaol for this county, at Horsham, and thence to the place of exe tion, and that there you be hanged by the neck till you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul ; and that your body be afterwards buried is the precincts of the prison." The prisoner was then assisted out of the dock in a highly agitated state; and as he descended the stairs he gave an earnest gaze on the crowd, as if looking for some one, but he made no sign of recognition. The trial lasted three hours. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS FROM THE EVENING PAPERS •F THIS DAY. GLOBE.—The Anti-Corn-law League held another of its " monster meetings" last night in Covent-garden Theatre. It was marked by as much enthusiasm in the assemblage, which filled every part of the immense building, as has been exhibited at any previous meeting. The unity of the object sought to be attained by the confederation ; the frequency of the opportunities af forded to the public for becoming acquainted with the question ; and the necessary repetition of the same facts and arguments by the speakers, many of whom appear frequently in the same place, to re-state the same facts and iterate the same arguments, would, ere this, have paled upon the satiated car of the mere cravers after novelty. The unabated interest manifested by the public in the struggle now going on between the advo cates of free trade and the supporters of monopoly, both in the metropoiis and in every part of the king dom, demonstrates the firm hold which the question, now fairly placed in issue, has taken of the national mind and feeling. The trading and manufacturing parts of the community regard their means of supporting themselves and families as bound up with the decision of this controversy. Their sympathies are, consequently, with the League ; and while thousands congregate within the buildings in which the meetings are periodi callyor occasionally held, tens of thousands devour the reports of the proceedings, and thus become increasingly enlightend by the arguments, and are more deeply im pressed by the facts of which the speeches were com posed. The meeting of last evening was marked by two circumstances of some interest. Lord Radnor presided ; and two tenant-farmers —members of the class for whose special advantage, if the advocates of the corn laws are to be believed, the restriction upon importation is maintained—denounced the existing system as un sound in principle, and as fraught with mischiefs to the agriculturists ; while it subdues the energies of commerce and restricts the operations of manufacturing industry. lii the course of his elaborate opening speech, Lord Radnor stated a fact—for the correctness of which he referred to the classification affixed to the population returns, taken under the Census Act—that " there bas been for a considerable number of years a gradually diminishing proportion of the population employed in the pursuits of agriculture." A collateral fact was also stated, and proved from the same unquestionable source, viz., that " contemporaneously with the diminished num ber of the people, employed in agriculture, the number of persons employed in manufactures has increased." The Noble Lord then proceeded to demonstrate, from facts, the pitiable failure of the various experiments which had been tried to protect the farmers from variable and ruinously-depressed markets, by means of what has been falsely called " a protective system ;" and argued that the best security to the farmers and farm la bourers would be found in an abolition of the protective duties. The speech of Mr. Lattimore—who announced himself "a tenant-farmer, who would satisfy any one who doubted that he was one "—was replete with facts and statements strongly confirmatory of the impolicy of the existing corn-laws, which be described as having wrought ruin to many farmers within the sphere of his own immediate knowledge. Mr. Lattimore proceeded to describe the farming labourers' condition under the " protective system." Like slavery, it is neither good for the masters nor for the men:—" But, forsooth, it was said the corn-laws were necessary to be con tinued for the sake of the labourers. If they could reduce that wretched _class to a lower state than - MARCH 21, 1844, The SPEAKER said the Hon. Member must give notice of any motion on the subject. Mr. WYSE then gave notice that he would call the attention of the House to the subject of the petition on Monday next. WELSH GRIEVANCES. Dr. BOWRING gave notice that he should, before the recess, inquire of the Home Secretary whether it was his intention during the present session to propose any remedy for the removal of the Welsh grivances, whose existence had been recognised in the Report pre sented to the House. NEW POOR-LAW. Sir CHARLES NAPIER gave notice that, in Com mittee on the Poor-law Bill, ho would move that the guardians should be authorised to give a higher rate of relief to aged :people above sixty who had paid their poor-rates. Also that in the event of a man possessing a cottage of the value of 100/. being no longer capable of work, he should be eligible to relief. . Mr. VERNON SMITH said that in the papers which had been presented to 'the House on the subject of immigration the Noble Lord (Lord Stanley) had inserted queries with respect to the possibi lity of relaxing the rule confirming the immigra tion of women in the colonies to one-third. He begged to ask whether he entertained any intention of proposing a relaxation of the rule which had hitherto existed. Lord STANLEY said that in consquence of a repre sentation which had been made to him, he had written to the Governors of Trinidad and Guiana to ascertain whether anv practical inconvenience would result from the relaxation of the rule. He bad only received the answers five or six days ago; consequently he had not had time to send out further instructions. THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. O'BRIEN IN THE COUNTY OF GALWAY. Mr. BELLEW rose to ask the Noble Lord the Secre tary f9r Ireland a question respecting the appointment of a Mr. Thomas O'Brien, as a magistrate in the county of Galway, that gentleman having been until very lately a violent and undoubted Repealer. Lord ELIOT said the Hon. Gentleman was quite out of order in making such observations. If the Hon. Gentleman had any motion to make he (Lord Eliot) would' be prepared to give him any information respect ing it. Mr.. BELLEW merely wished to know on what grounds the appointment had-been made. Lord ELIOT said he must decline answering the question. IMPORT DUTIES. Mr. EWART rose to move the following resotution —" That it is indispensable to the maintenance and ex tension of the trade of - this country, that those duties be repealed which press on the raw materials of manu facture, especially the raw materials of the woollen and cotton trade. That it is expedient also that chose • duties be greatly reduced which press upon articles of interchange in return for our manufactures ; ecpecially such articles of interchange as, at the same time, concern the subsistende of the people ; being (be sides corn, which is the subject of superior and separate consideration) such articles as tea, sugar, coffee, bacon, butter, and cheese. That it is expedient that those duties also be greatly reduced which, by their amount, encourage smuggling ; being at once injurious to the revenue and dangerous to the morality of the country ; such as the duties on tobacco, silk goods, and foreign spirits. That whatever temporary deficiency of revenue be caused by such reduction, ought, until the revenue regain its former amount, to be sustained by the property, and not by the trade and labour of the country. He said that the repeal of these duties were particularly called for in a time of peace, and still more so in a time of distress, such as that which this country had lately witnessed. • (LEFT SPEARING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the Wool. sack at Five o'Clock. CORN-LAWS. The EARL of STRADBROKE presented a petition from certain lindowners in the county of Suffolk, against any alteration in the corn-laws. Lord REDESDALE presented 'a petition from Mor- peth, and some other plaCes in the county of Northum berland, with a similar prayer. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS' BILL. Lord KENYON presented a petition from a cer tain corporate body in Shropshire, which was threatened with the loss of certain privileges which it had enjoyed from the time of Queen Elizabeth, by the Ecclesiastical Courts Bill, praying to be heard by Counsel at the bar of their Lordships' House against that Bill. The Noble Lord gave notice that he should at a future time move that the petitioners be heard by Counsel against the Bill. REDUCTION OF THE THREE-AND-A-HALF PER CENTS. Lord CAMPBELL considered it his duty to call their Lordships' attention to what he considered an unjusti fiable delay in giving the Royal assent to a Bill which had passed their Lordships' House and the other House of Parliament. On Tuesday their Lordships had read the Bill for the reduction of the Three. and-a-Half per Cents., a third time. The amount of the stock to be reduced was 250,000,0001., and by that. Bill certain terms were offered to the stockholders, and a right was reserved to them •to express their dis sent, and to be paid off at par. By a clause in that Bill the dissentients wets required to express their dissent on or before the 23d of this month. He had expected that the Royal Assent would have been given to, that Bill on Wednesday, which would have given Thursday, Friday, and Satur day to the dissentients to express their dissent ; but there had been no commission on Wednesday—there had been no commission to-day. The Bill could not possibly become law be four &crock to=morrow, which would only give a few hours to the 100,000 stock holders, many of whom resided a great distance off, to express their dissent. The terms the Government offered were liberal, and possibly there might be no dissentients, but it might become a .precedent for a future Minister who might wish to reduce the Nationul Debt, and who might offer terms which the stockholders might not be disposed to accept to force them into acquiescence. It might also expose us tomisrepresentation among foreign nations. We had always prided ourselves in preserving our faith with the national creditor, and if we wisned to maintain that character, a proper opportunity ought toI, be afforded to dissentients to express their dissent. This had happened very unfortunately and very unne cessarily. There might have been a Commission yester dap, or to-day. He wished for an explanation of the delay, as it rendered the powers of dissent quite futile. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that he had in tended to have a Commision yesterday, but he received an intimation from the other House that it would be more convenient to have the Commission to-morrow. There had already been given three notices of dissent, and he did not think there would be any more. Al though in point of law there could be no dissent until after the Bill had received the Royal assent, yet practi cally the dissent in these cases had been given, and on all other occasions had been given before the Bill be came law. Lord MONTEAGLE said that this was a subject of great importance, and he was glad that his Noble and Learned Friend had called the attention of the House to it. He did not think that on this occasion the delay would produce any practical inconvenience, and he was surprised that there had been even one dis- sentient, as the measure was so advantageous. He hoped, however, that care would be taken to given longer time, and to act more regularly in future dear s with the National Debt. Lealing• CHARITABLE BEQUESTS (IRELAND). Lord NORMANBY had a petition to present for a lady named Wookidge, complaining of neglect of duty on-the part of the Board of Charitable Bequests in Ire land. The petition stated, that in 1819 Thomas Wool ridge died, leaving the rent of houses in Har court-street, Dublin, for the relief of the poor in that city. In' two years afterwards a Chan cery suit was instituted by the relatives of the deceased against the Board of Bequests. In 1828 there was a final decree, but sitice that period the Board had taken no steps to apply the funds according to the will of the testator ' • and in 1840 the Master reported that only I,oooi bad been paid into Court for the use of the charity, although the rents re ceived amounted to • 24,0001.-23,000/, having been squandered. In the case which he (Lord Normanby) brought under their Lordship's attention on a former occasion, when the Board of Guardians refused to allow a bequest to be applied to the education of children under the care of a rector of the Es tablished Church, the sum in dispute was only 7L 10s., but here, where the bequest was 1,0001. a year, to be de voted to the relief of the poor, they entirely neglected their duty. The Duke of WELLINGTON—Let me have a copy of the petition. Lord NORMANBY then presented a petition from the next of kin of two orphan children—one from Dur ham and one from Rochester—complaining that the children had been enlisted without their consent, and that one of the boys was under fourteen years of age. The same Noble Lord also presented a petition from the Mayor and Corporation of Waterford, praying that the corporations of Ireland may have the same rights as those in England ; and also a petition from St. John's. Newfoundland, signed chiefly by Irishmen, praying for a redress of the grievances of Ireland. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE gave notice, that to-morrow week he should present a petition from Ire land, on the state of that country, and upon that occa sion he should draw the attention of their Lordships to the state of the sister island. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE gave notice that, upon the same; occasion, he should call the attention of the House to the instructions given to the officers of the Crown, relative to the composition of juries ; and he should move that their Lordships be summoned for that day. Lord WHARNCLIFFE wished to know if the Noble Lord's notice had reference to the composition of the jury on a late occasion. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said his object was a geheral one, and was intended to apply to the instruc tions given now and to be given to' the officers of the Crown in the composition of jury lists. Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented several returns re specting quarantine regulations. The Bishop of BANGOR presented a petition against the union of the Sees of Bangor and St. Asaph. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had to call the attention of their Lordships to the provisions of the Ecclesiastical Courts Bill, the second reading of which was fixed for that evening. This was a question which had at several times been submitted to their Lordships' con sideration. There was , little novelty in the Bill, and therefore, he should occupy but little of their time in explaining its scope and object, It was, however, de sirable, that he should principally call their Lordships' attention; to the history of the proceeding. It would be in their recollection that in the year 1830 a Commission was appointed to take into their consideration the constitution of the Ecclesiastical Courts' and the administration of justice by those tribunals. It made its Report in the following year. The commission he should state con tained among its members several of the most revered prelates, many eminent persons, and certain of the heads of the law, equity, and ecclesiastical tribunals of the conntry. They considered the subject very fully, and made a report, but nothing was immediately done. In 1833 a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed for the purpose of again investigating the subject, and to this Committee the report of the Commission was re ferred. That Committee carefully considered the sub ject, and having examined the late Lord Tenterden, the present Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and other eminent characters, presented a report agree ing in substance with that publizhed by the Commission. Upon these proceedings a Bill was founded, and was brought into their Lordships' House by his Noble and Learned Friend who then sat upon the Woolsack (Lord Brougham). He did not know precisely from what cause, but that Bill p roc e e d e d on ly t o a certain stage, and was not prosecuted further. In 1835, after his Noble and Learned Friend had left office, the same Bill, or the same Bill with some alterations and modifications, was presented by another Noble Friend to that House. Nothing took place upon that 11Bill, and he apprehended for this reason that almost contemporaneous with it, Sir Frederick Pollock, who was then Attorney-General, obtained leave to bring in a similar Bill in the House of Commons. Almost immediately afterwards he resigned office, and then his Noble and Learned Friend who was sitting at the table (Lord Campbell) introduced a mea sure corresponding with those that had been introduced by his predecessors. That measure had been brought in by his. predeeessor in the month of June. It was founded not entirely upon the Report of the Commis sinners, but that of a Committee of the House of Com mons, and although that Bill was introdaced in June, 1835, and the Parliament sat till August, no further proceedings took place upon it. What was the reason of that he could not explain. In the following year, his Noble Friend who preceeded him in the office of Lord Chancellor introduced a similar Bill. That Bill was read a first and second time, was referred to a Committee, and a report was made upon it ; but owing to some cause the Bill pro ceeded no further and the measure was abandoned, he presumed, in consequence, of some difficulties his Noble and Learned Friend had anticipated in another place Thus the matter rested, and his Noble and Learned Friend, up to 1840, never resumed that measure. Hav ing made these statements, he came now to the last at tempt made in the way of legislation on this snbject, he meant the proceedings in the House ofeommons last year, when a Bill, similar to the others that had been intro duced, was brought in by a Member of the Govern ment. The second reading of that Bill was carried, but it was considered impossible to carry it on in its then shape. Alterations were made in it—it was referred pro forma to a Committee, but the session had then arrived at that period when it was considered impossible to carry it through, and the measure was not further proceeded with. Under these circumstances, he (the Lord Chancellor) had thought it important to introduce the measure this session in its modified shape. He was anxious to go as far as he could .upon the present occasion to reform the Ecclesiastical ' Courts, by carrying into effect the Report of the Commissioners. The great object of the Bill was to consolidate the Arches' and the Prerogative Courts. Those courts were presided over by the same judge, they were attended by the same bar, they were held in the same ball, and they were, for all practical purposes, one and the same court. Could it there fore be doubted that the consolidation of those two courts would be beneficial to the V public.? As separate Courts they had two sets of ministerial offi cers, and by the proposed measure one of those sets would be dispensed with, which would be a great relief to the public. He proposed to do the "same thing with regard to the Courts of the Arch deacon of York. He next came to consider the Diocesan Courts. In any Dioceseth, was a Court in Probate of Wills could be granted, and which possess contentious jurisdiction—all ecclesiastical matters. Those Courts were coevel with the Constitution. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners had recommended the abolition of those Courts. It was said It • was said that they imperfectly performed the duties that devolved on them, and that they were pre sided over by incompetent persons. He, however, pro posed to continue those Courts. He saw no reason for abolishing these ancient Courts on account of the existence of abuses which could be remedied; and by the Bill he proposed to provide that these Courts should be by advocates, or by persons who had been used to the practice of other courts of justice; and having thus remedied the abuses complained of, he could not consent to abolish these ancient local courts. presided over by competent and efficient persons, either He now came to a . class of Courts of another &scrip- tion—he meant the Courts of Peculiars. There were three or four hundred of these Courts scattered about the country, some of them possessing such li mited jurisdiction, that it was impossible to secure the services of an efficient Judge, or of efficient Ministerial officers. He proposed to abolish them altogether. In many instances they possessed the power of granting brobates, and owing to the ignorance of those who pre sided over them, injustice to an incalculable extent might be done. He therefore proposed to abolish them: The system would then present this appearance. In ever diocese there would be a tribunal for the granting of probates,' and possessing contentious jurisdiction, and in York and in Canterbury there would be ap pellate tribunals ; and if these courts were pre sided over by able judges, be could not see how any superior system could be established. lie knew that in what lie was proposing he was acting adversely to the opinions of the Commissioners, and to the authority of the Committee of the House of Com• mons, and therefore he spoke with hesitation ; but it was his opinion that even if it were in their power to abolish the diocesan courts, it would not. be_expedient to do so. He knew that some Noble Friends of his would support him in the view which he took of this subject. He knew that his Noble and Learned Friend at the table was one, and knew no man who was more con stant, firm, and unwearied than that Noble and Learned Lord, in an opinion which he had deliberately expressed. When Sir F. Pollock, in the' House of Commons brought .in a Bill to abolish Eccle siastical Courts, he was opposed by his Noble and Learned Friend with great elequence and learning. His Noble and Learned Friend said that centralisation might be carried too far—that those courts were of great advantage to persons in the provinces, and that it would be most unwise and inconvenient to bring them to London. He reported that he knew the decision of his Noble and Learned Friend, and that he should have his support. He could refer to another authority, that of the late Lord Stowell, than whom there could be no greater authority. on Ecclesiastical Law. He (the Lord Chancellor) was in the House of Commons when that great lawyer brought in a Bill for the reform of those Courts on the same principles on which the Bill was founded, that is to abolish those 'peculiar Courts, and to maintain the Diocesan Courts. 'There was something whimsical in the conduct of those who called for the abolition of ecclesiastical courts, and at the same time cried for local courts to bring justice home to every man's door. Here were local Courts established, and he thought that instead of trying new systems which generally disappointed the expectations of their authors, they should endeavour to apply remedies to the sys tems which existed, which could be done with less expense, less trouble, and less risk of fail ure. As to the jurisdiction of those Courts, he had already . stated that it was not open to his own mind to determine which was the best system, but he was satis fied that the one recommended in the Bill was the only practical one, and they ought not like froward children to reject the offered boon, because they could not get all that they desired. The Bill proposed to place the donative livings, over which at present the Bishop had no jurisdiction, under the same ecclesiastical authority as the preventive. The ecclesiastical courts had now some jurisdiction in respect to tithes. This, at the recommendation of the Ecclesi astical Commissioners, it was intended to take from them, which was of the less importance, as the Tithe Commutation duties had greatly diminished their business in regard to tithes. (LEFT SPEAKING.) THE LATE FATAL DUEL IN THE UNITED STATES. The following are a few particulars, taken from the New York papers just received, of the late fatal duel at Washington. This duel has, it is said, made as much noise, and excited as much interest, on that side the Atlantic as the Fawcett and Munro affair did here:— In regard to the origin of the duel, it is believed that on Thursday moining last, Feb. 15 (not on Thursday night), Mr. Cochran said, in the presence of two or three of Mr. May's friends, that he believed Mr, May a coward. This expression of Cochran was immediately reported to Mr, May, at whose request two or three of his friends immediately waited upon Mr. Cochran, at his room, to demand of him a retractation of the words, and an apo logy. Mr. Cochran declined, saying that he would con sult his friends, which he did. This was about noon of Thursday. By the advice of his friends Mr. Cochran decided to make no apology, but, on the contrary, excepted an in- , vitation to meet Mr. May and his friends at 8 o'clock the next morning (Friday) at Mr. Nelson's tavern, about a mile or a mile-and-a-half the other side of the chain bridge, in Fairfax county, Virginia. Mr. Cochran and his friends left the city of Washing ton about half -past 5 o'clock on Friday morning, in a coach with four white horses. They arrived upon the ground at Nelson's Tavern about half an hour before the other panty. As soon as Mr. May and his friends ar rived—as they did in a single coach, Dr. Miller attend ing on horseback=he sent a challenge in the usual style to Mr. Cochran, which was accepted. Mr. Pooler acted as Mr. May's second, and Mr. Ash as Mr. Cochran's second. Mr. Cochran was also attended by his surgeon. Articles-were drawn up and signed by the seconds, designating the weapons, which were to be rifles, and the distance fifty paces. The mode of proceeding to be with the breach of the rifle to the shoulder—the muzzle down—and to be raised at the word. The words, " Are you ready, gen tlemen ?" were then to be asked. Each were to reply " ready," and at the word " fire !" the muzzles of the rifles were to be raised. They were then to fire between the words " one," " two," three," " stop"—neither before " one," nor after "stop." The seconds arrived about nine o'clock upon the field. when the efforts to effect a reconciliation were renewed, but without effect. The distance was then measured off. All the parties were perfectly cool and composed. Both the principals were members of the Temperance Society ; Cochran was urged, however, to take . a glass;Of liquor, but refused. Both were perfectly composed, each t!1 petting to wound his man and escape himself .unhurt, and each hoped to draw the other's fire—that is, by firing at the word " one," to anticipate the other s fire. Mr. Cochran, as was his custom, continued to sing little snatches of songs. Each took his place ; Ash gave the word, it being his privilege as the'second of the challenged party. Mr. Cochran threw off his hat. Both replied, "ready, " in a fine clear voice. At the wor one," both fired ; Mr Cochran a second after Mr. May. Mr. May remained unhurt. Mr. Cochran stood a moment—his rifle dropped from his hands, and he fell heavily , and slowly back, partly on his left side, the right leg being thrown over the left. Mr. Cochran's surgeon was first • on the spot. Blood was seen flowing from his forehead, and, upon pushing up the hair with the fingers, a wound was discovered through which a portion of the brain protruded about the size of two fingers. He a peared, and was at first believed, to be dead. Scarcely any pulsation or breathing was perceptible. Mr. May still continued in his place. for some time, but , subsequently went to the place where his second had stood. Almost immedialy after, Mr. Cochran's surgeon came to the spot. Dr. Miller ran to his assistance, and concurred in the opinion that Mr. Cochran must die in a few minutes. He called to Mr. May to take his horse and make his escape. Mr. May did so. His seconds came up to Mr. Cochran, and tinding that he was dying, ran to their carriage, which was a quarter of a mile off, and returned to the city with Dr. Miller. Mr. Cochran was then left dying upon the field, with no persons in attendance upon him but his surgeon and second, who was deeply affected by the fall of his friend. The driver of the coach and four white horses, frightened at the fall of Mr. Cochran, had suddenly driven off to the distance of, half a mile, but was brought back, and in the course of half an hour blankets were procured, and Cochran was removed to his coach. In taking him to Nelson's tavern, Cochran vomited several times, and revived a little, his pulse becoming more perceptible. He was perfectly senseless—bled profusely, drenching the seats of the coach with his blood. Efforts were'made upon the ground, before Dr. Miller left, to replace the protruding brain. The hair was shaved off in the vicinity of the wound, but it was found impossible to restore the brain, and it was removed, and a bandage applied. At Mr. Nelson's, everything possible was dune for Mr. Cochran. Doctors Hohnead, Elliott, and Hall, of Washington, and Richie, of Georgetown, were immediately in attend ance. • The shots were exchanged about a quarter past nine o'clock on Friday, the 16th instant. From that time till half-past four o'clock on the following Sunday. morning he remained perfectly insensible, and at that hour died. The injury to the bones of the head was of a peculiar end striking character, and it seems remark able that he should have lived so long as he did. The direction taken by the ball proves that he was taking aim when he received the wound. The corpse was removed to the city on the 18th, and was buried the next morning. ___ . . It is said that Mr. May returned hastily to the city, took the horse of his brother, Dr. Frederick May, and fled from Washington. The seconds, on both sides also fled, and none of them have been since beard of publicly. There has been great' excite ment, originating from the youth of the parties engaged in the duel, and a supposition that it might have been prevented, and ought to have been pre vented. There arg those who unhesitatingly say the civil authorities ought to have been called upon to arrest the parties, and thus prevented the deed. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 20. • COUNTY CORONERS' BILL. On clause 20 being read, Mr. PAKINGTON said it would be in the recollection of the House that when they were last proceeding with this Bill a good deal of discussion had taken place on the subject of remuneration to coroners, and much differ ence of opinion prevailed. It had been maintained by several Honourable Members, that when the coroner had two or more inquests he charged mileage for them all, and was authorised by the law to do so. From that opinion he (Mr. Pakington) had differed, and, in looking into the law authorities, he found his opinion to be a correct one. The law permitted them to charge for the several inquests only from place to place, the dis tance from their homes they were obliged to go. This was the law; but he had been astonished to find how the practice had varied from the law. To remedy this state of things, and make law and prac tice march together, he proposed to add to this clause the following words :—" Provided always, that whenever any coroner shall take more than one inquest on the same day, then, in respect of every inquest after the first, the said sum of one shilling per mile shall be computed and paid to such coroner, for every mile only which he shall be compelled to travel in going from the place of holding any one inquest to the place of holding any other inquest on the same day." Mr. B. E4COTT hoped his Hon. Friend (Mr. Pakington) would not press the proviso. The proviso was then agreed to, after a slight verbal alteration. Clause 23 was agreed to. Clause 24 was also agreed to, with an amendment for the insertion of a paragraph including the County Palatinate of Chester. The re maining clauses having been agreed to, Mr. PAKINGTOn moved that a clause be added to the Bill, by way of. rider, to the effect that—" Whereas 7by the Act 6 and Victoria it was enacted, that for Elie purpose of .holding coroners' inquests every detached part of a country, riding, or division, shall be deemed to be within that county, riding, or division by which it is wholly surrounded, or where it is partly surrounded by two or more counties, ridings, or divisions, within that one.with which it has the longest common boundary : and whereas, as to some such detached parts of counties, ridings, or divisions, there were, at the time of the pass ing of the said last-mentioned Act, coroners appointed expressly for and having jurisdiction in such detached parts only, and doubist have arisen whether such last mentioned coroners Ive.re superseded by such last-men tioned Act ; be it therefore enacted, that as to every such detached part of any county, riding, or division, for which at the time of the passing of the said last mentioned Act there was a coroner appointed for and acting in such detached part, such last-mentioned coroner shall (if now living) continue to hold and exer cise his former office and jurisdiction within such de tached part, for so long a time and in such manner as fuch coroner would have held and exercised the said office and jurisdiction if the said last-mentioned Act had not passed, anything in this or any other Act to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding." The clause was agreed to, and the House resumed. The Report was brought up and received, and the Bill was ordered to be read a third time on the 27th of March. MASTERS AND SERVANTS' BILL. On the reading of the Order of the Day for the further consideration of the Report upon this Bill, Mr. HAWES expressed his dissatisfaction with the measure. He thought the clause which gave the power of imprisonment particularly harsh and oppressive. Sir J. GRAHAM said he had net been able to give to the Bill the attention he could have .vished, but he had been given to understand by his Hon. Friend the Member for East Somersetshire (Mr. Miles), that the clause was in its penalties only a re-enactment, but that it was made to extend over work and labour done under contract, which was not the case with the former Act. Mr. MILES said the only effect of this Bill was that it repealed all old Acts, and consolidated them into one. Clause 4, which the Hon. Member for Lambeth (Mr. Hawes) considered too harsh, was exactly the same in its provisions and penalties as in the repealed Acts, but it took a wider scope by giving a power over job and piece work ; but the penalties complained of were just the same as those enacted by the 6th Geo. 111. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE thought that some words ought to be introduced into the Bill, giving magistrates dis cretion in certain cases. Ile referred to the case of a young woman who was imprisoned, in Worcestershire, for leaving her master's service without notice, her de fence being that she was compelled to go through a man's bed-room to her own. The magistrate, in justi fication of the course he pursued,' said the words of the Act of Parliament were absolute, and therefore he had no power to do anything else but sentence the young woman to imprisonment, it having been sworn that she had suddenly left her master's service. He (Mr. - Dun combe) therefore thought that some words ought to be introduced into the Bill, giving magistrates discretionary powers. After a short discussion, the motion that the Report be considered was withdrawn, and the Bill was ordered to be recommitted. The House then went into Committee on the Bill. On clause 1 being proposed. Mr. DAVID BARCLAY moved that the clause (which relates to domestic servants) be struck out, and magistrates be authorised in petty sessions to act in cases of masters and mistresses and domestic servants, with respect to claims for wages. He wished to give additional facilities to domestic servants for recovering their wages. As the law at present stood they had no such power, and in consequence it was not an unfre quent circumstance to find a poor servant girl who had been arbitrarily discharged from her situation driven to prostitution s upport herself. He hoped, therefore, that the Right lion. Gentleman (Sir J. Uraham) would to agree to a clause giving magistrates in petty sessions the power of disposing of cases respecting claims for wages by domestic servants. Sir J. GRAHAM thought the Hon. Gentlemen had better allow the Bill to go through Committee, and move the addition of the clause to which he had ad verted on the third reading, when he (Sir J. Graham) would give it his best consideration. Mr. BARCLAY said he would adopt the course re commended by the Right Hon. Baronet. The Ist clause was then agreed to. Clauses 2 and 3 were agreed to. Mr. D'EYNCOURT, after a few words from Sir J. GRAHAM, said, he should at a future period, move as an amendment, that to render this clause 'operative, the contract should be made in writing. Mr. DARBY would oppose the amendment, because of the extreme rarity ot such contracts ever being per , fected in writing. Mr. AGLIONBY thought it would be very difficult to define the distinction between what was called in thi; Bill domestic servants and those employed out of doors. Sir J. GRAHAM said, they had not. yet had suffi cient time to consider this Bill, so as to be able to make the definition alluded to by the Hon. Member. He thought it would be better if they were to report progress, when they would have an opportunity of con.: sidering the matter in Committee. The - House resumed, the Chairman reported progress, and the Bill was ordered to be recommitted on Wednes day next. The other Orders of the Day-were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at half-past Seven o'clock. r I iiett 1