The Sun. — London, England, 1844-07-20 00:00:00

had sheltered themselves from that competition, which shown by the number of charitable institutions which was augmented in consequence of the laws which they _existed in that county. If the Hon. Member for had passed t o protect themselves from it. With regard Durham should ever visit the eastern district of Suffolk , to o the -n um b er of labourers in Suffolk, he would ask he believed his opinion on this subject would undergo n. G en tl emen connecte d w i t h t h a t c o un ty to look at an entire change.—(Hear, hear.) Although the Hon. the returns which had lately ben laid on the table of Member for Manchester had fairly stated the number of that House. It appeared from those returns that in tires, he had not fairly stated the causes to which they that county alone 39,489 persons were relieved during were attributable.—(Hear,-hear.) the quart er ending 1843, from the poor-rates. It ap- Mr. BRIGHT said he had not intended to bring any Peered that the number of paupers was 13 per cent. of the special charge against the landlords of Suffolk espe whole population of the county, that in Sussex the cially. He believed his charge applied to those of the number of paupers was fourteen per cent. of the whole whole country.—(Hear, hear.) Population. Here was another proof that the popula- , Mr. VILLIERS said, he thought the Right Hon. en was greater than the employment that could be Gentleman ought to regret the tone in which he had Forded, It appeared from the late census, which was refused to accede to the motion, seeing that the Noble made up to 1841, that the increase in the population, Lord (Henniker) had admitted that he went to him during the last tot years, had been something more than for the purpose of urging upon him the necessity fourteen per cent., and there was reason to believe that of adopting some steps for the suppression the increase of births over deaths was as great in Suffolk of the fires.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") The Righ as in any other county. Now, how great a portion of , Hon. Gentleman had commenced by saying that it would fourteen per cent. had Stiff )1k maintained on its own ' not become him to impute motives ; he wished he had !oil? Not more than six per cent. Only six per cent. not insinuated one. Why the Right Hon. Baronet had had remained to increase the population of the county, , introduced his measure for the alteration of the poor-law and the rest were, by the necessity of the case, driven , solely in consequence of the agitation on the subject. If to seek employment elsewhere. In the purely agri- he mistook not, the Right Hon. Baronet said that he had cultural counties they had retained on their I done it unwillingly. Why did he not address the same births over deaths us the population of those counties for Manchester, to those Hon. Gentlemen who sat behind for the last ten years. But where lead the surplus found him, when they urged on the question of the repea l of an . asylum ? The return; would show ; for in Mon- the poor-law ?,—(Cheers.) There was not a sentence of Mouthshire the population had increased 36 per cent., his Honourable Friend's speech that was half so though the number of births over deaths , was 14 per inflammatory, or half so violent as the speeches which cent., or the same as that of the agricultural counties. he had heard made in that House on the subject of the In Lancashire the increase was 24 per cent. In Durham. poor-law.—(Hear, hear.) Why did the Right Hon. where the mines were numerous, the increase was 27 per Baronet reserve his attack fur the Hon. Member for cent. In Staffordshire, 24 per cent. In Warwickshire, Manchester? Why, it was because, as had been just Where the great manufacturing town of Birmingham observed by his Hon. Friend the Member for Durham, Was, 19 per cent. ; and in the West Riding of Yorkshire, there was a peculiar sensitiveness on the subject, because Where the linen and worsted trades were carried on, the majority of that House were interested in keeping 1 8 per cent. Thus it would be seen that the manufac- up an artificial price for the fruits of the soil.—(Cheers.) taring districts had absorbed the surplus of the It was not the free-traders who were to blame, because Population which the agricultural counties were unable the question of the corn-laws was introduced whenever to e m pl o y. The effect of restrictions on trade was any question was raised as to the condition of the poor. such as to make the natural source of employment less It was the landowners themselves who always made the than it would otherwise be, and even to make the culti- condition of the poor the excuse for maintaining the Yation of the soil less efficient than it would be if trade corn-laws, they said the laws were to be maintained be- Were unrestricted. They might fail in their attempts to cause they were for the benefit of the agricultural free the industry of the labourers, but the increase of the labourer. The condition of the poor was always population would at length force them to do that which pleaded as the excuse for maintaining these laws, and they might have it in their power to yield to the wishes now that the whole country was alarmed in consequence of a large portion of their countrymen. He believed of the incendiarism prevalent in these districts, that that House was accountable for the crimes that were where the condition of the agricultural poor was known Wring place in Suffolk, Sussex, Norfolk, and Cam- to be so miserable, surely a motion for inquiring into bridgeshire, and that this state of things arose their condition was not ill-placed. The Hon. Gentle from their own vicious legislation, and would man who represented the county of Suffolk stated that continue till their return to sound principles, they had not brought the condition of the poor of that They f orgo t that property bad any duties.—(Hear.) county before the House, because they had asked the They considered that they had nothing to do but to put Right Hon. Baronet on the subject, and had confidence their rents in their pockets. Quod tuum tene seemed to • in him. But if the House and the country wanted to be their motto, and those who were under them were know the cause of the distress—the distress was not helpless because they were poor, and theyhad no political caused by the new Poor-law—it had been going on for power, beceause the landlords usurped it themselves. He the last twenty years. As far back as 1824, they had had seen, in one newspaper, ninety-eight advertisements had evidence of the deteriorated condition of the people. for the sale of farming stock at one time. One would He had found letters in the Times, describing the mise lay that the landowners suffered by this, but in rable condition of the agricultural population in the consequence of another law, that was just less counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex, written before bad th an the one which he was condemning, the new Poor-law was enacted. He would read to the the l an dl or d seized upon everything when one of his House a letter which appeared in the Times in the year tenants failed, and left nothing for the wheelwright and 1830, signed " A Labourer."—(The Hon. Gentlemen groc er , to whom he might be indebted.—(Loud cries of here read extracts from the letter referred to, in which u Hear, hear.") Then, had they nothing to answer for the writer represented the condition of the labouring the m o d e i n which they kept game? A Noble Lord, a population as being miserable in the extreme. Their relation of the Hon. Member for Suffolk, quoted the wages were low, and be attributed that circumstance opinion of Mr. Neave, who said that the farmers justly to the operation of the old law, under which zomplained of the enormous quantity of game, by which the farmers paid their labourers half wages, and sent their crops were quite eaten up. That these deprived them to the parish to maker up the difference. them o f more food than would keep the poor of the The writer then went on to state, that he heard that a Parish ; and he instanced one farm of 200 a cr es, on which law had been p assed to kee p u p the p rice of corn, for the 2,000 rabbits had been killed, and he calculated that good of the proprietors of land ; and he suggested the these destroyed more than 300 sheep would in the same propriety of passing a law compelling the farmer to pay time. It was necessary that those things should his labourer the value of three pecks of flour a week as he stated. If they were true, it was a die- wages.) That letter had been made the subject of a pace t o the landowners. If it were untrue leading article in the Times in 1830. It was quite evi -4e should be glad of it, and.he would not state it again, dent that the new poor-law was not an adequate cause to ,either there or elsewhere. A rural pollee was kept up ac c ount f©r the distress. The Times was q uite ri g ht in by the gentry to watch game, and to prevent poaching. describing the people as in great distress ; and they had Look to what had taken place on the estate of the Noble been as much distressed under the old law as they were Lord the Member for North Lancashire. A gamekeeper under the new one. There had been something for the had been killed, for which one person was hanged, and last twenty years continually deteriorating the condition four others were in the Penitentiary, or on their way t o of the people of this country ; and that was, that during the penal settlements. Thus six families were deprived the whole of that period the population had been in of their husbands and fathers for the purpose of main- creasing, the demand for employment had been dimi taining those puerile and childish sports which should nishing, and the price of food had been rising. In 1824, be condemned in a country so densely populated as this. a clergyman, who had given evidence before a Commit- A. circumstance of a similar nature occurred on the tee of that House, stated that the condition of the people estate of the Marquis of Normanby, and also in t h e was deterioratin g , that their wa g es were low, and that c ounty of Surrey and in Coventry. In Scotland, the they were becoming pauperised. If ever there was an farmers complained of this system as destructive of their occasion when inquiry into the condition of the poor farins, and demoralising to the minds of themselves and was called for, it was at the present moment. The Hon. their labourers. Misery, from suffering, was at the bot- Members for Suffolk said the people were well off ; at t 2 l :a of the outrages which had taken place, and though the same time it could not be denied that these incen the Hon. Gentlemen opposite might seem to deny it, he diary fires had occurred. The insurance - offices , i t w a s b elieved in his conscience that they knew it to be case, stated. had paid four times as much as they had received e had yesterday travelled from Gravesend to Canter- in those counties ; and an idea was prevalent among the p r oprietors of those offices, that the parties ;themselves th 4l 7, and from thence to town, and no person could se e the country through which he travelled without co min g had in many instances destroyed the property. Seeing the conclusion that the labouring population of the these various contradictory statements, the Government - "Mit re , w as grossly ignorant., and upon them rested the ought to make inquiry. It was most desirable to ascer- Te sponsibility. The consequence was, that their toil taro the cause of the distress, and his Hon. Friend the Was requited by a gaol, as poachers, or by the work- Member for Manchester had done his duty in bringing house, as paupers. They said that this law was passed it before the House. A more p ro p er or a more discreet to prote c t native industry. He asserted it was motion could not be made, and he should certainly vote Passed to protect native idleness, and to impoverish in favour of it. native industry. The Hon. Member for West Suffolk Sir J. TYRRELL thought the speeches of the Hon. mad e a s p eec h, in which he believed he said that severer Members for Manchester and Durham were calculated Punishments ought to be established in order to repress to excite the lower orders, and possessed all the charac the crime of burning. A return lately presented to the teristics of incendiary speeches. Rouse of the number of persons convicted and punished Mr. VILLIERS rose to order. He wished to know for the crime of arson 'for some years past, showed that what the Right Hon. Baronet meant by " incendiary from 1831 to 1836 the committals were 493, the convic- speeches?" tions 119, and the executions .58. Was it not a horrible Sir J. TYRRELL had said that, to his humble up state of things which produced the destruction of so prehension, the character of the speeches of the Hon. much property, and then ended it—but it did Member for Durham and the Hon. Member for Man te_sr end it—by the execu ti on of fifty-eight o f chester possessed all the characteristics of. incendiary 7 1 . 1 fellow-men ? He thought it was one of the speeches.—(Hear, hear.) If their object had been to Proudest boasts of the late Government, that they had discourage incendiary fires, he must say that speeches th 'gated the terms of the criminal code, and he trusted less calculated to attain such an object he had never p r e o Present G ov ernment would follow their example. heard. It must be that he was a person of weak COM h i n 1838 to 1843, during which time there was no prehension, for they had heard from high authority that s4 anging for burnings, the number of committals was Persons representing the agricultural districts were not 4 , and the number of convictions 117, thus showing that persons of very acute perception, and that must be some the*lls number of convictions was greater in proportion to apology for him.—(Cheers and laughter.) The fact number of committals, than when the punishment was, this debate was an adjourned corn-law debate, and was capital, because the juries were not desirous to whenever he had entered the House of late he had livid when they knew that death was the penalty. heard little else. These u nf o r tunat e fires had now ;livid when might be anxious to return to the system of ceased; and if the speeches were incendiary hanging, in order to put down this system, the feeling speeches, and the fires should break out again, roust beengendered by apprehension. The landlords lived they would see to whose ability they might attri in a state of great diffiulty; they kept watchers upon bute them.—(A laugh.) Much had been said of the nearly every farm ; being apprehensive of these dis- want of employment in the manufacturing districts. He asters, they became timid, and there was nothing so attributed much of that to the character of the opposi near timidity as cowardice. Hanging would have no tion to the corn-laws which had been put forward by effect in suppressing incendiarism. To suppose that the late Government, and the low farmers and unin such a state of things was to be put dowa only by the formed people had not hitherto had such confidence in halter was absurd in the extreme. They knew that the her Majesty's present Ministers on the subject of the Population was in a hopeless, miserable, and despairing corn-laws—(Opposition cheers)—as to induce them to s_ondition, and yet they had allowed the session to pass g ive increased em p lo y ment. (Renewed O pp osition by, and not one of them had proclaimed the calamities cheers. ) He a lw ay s read the Mone y and Cit y article, which had afflicted their own districts ; but they now and sometimes not without disgust, for whenever any taunted them, which was inimical to the interests proposition was brought forward for a railroad, however of those districts. Not one of their greatest flatterers in miserable the prospect of traffic might be, there was their own counties would refuse to acknowledge that plenty of capital to support it. But those capitalists t hey had on all occasions told the labourers that they would not invest one farthing in the cultivation of the Were not to blame the farmers for their low wages, but soil. The Hon. Member for Durham had accused him the system which unhappily prevails in this country.— of a cruel disposition, because he had presented a peti (Hear, hear.)—They need not tell the farmers to rely Lion for a more severe punishment for the crime of incene Feel) the assurance of the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. diarism. In the onl y case inwhich a p erson advanced in y ears 4- eel), made in a tone of triumph which he did not as- had confessed to the crime of incendiarism, he had *tune when he expected to be in a minority, that the stated that he had been induced to set the property on corn -law was to be continued for ever ; but they should fire in order to be transported. Now, the Hon. Member teach them to rely upon that which all men had relied for Durham could not produce an instance in which a Upon, who had succeeded best in every decription of la- person had committed incendiarism for the purpose of hour—whether agricultural or manufacturing. There being hung.—(Loud laughter.) It had been his misfor- Were Gentlemen on the other side of the House, who as tune to present a petition praying for increased punish- Lcileh disapproved of such conduct as he (Mr. Bright) did. meat for the crime of incendiarism, but he did not say They had protected the labourers into miserable that he wished to have that crime punished capitally. hovels, gaols, and workhouses. The population was con- Now, the farmers would, he thought, have greater con stantly increasing, and they had no work for them ; the fidence in the Government since their recent declaration, manufacturing districts were continually drawing off a and increased employment of labour would be the conse- Portion of the population, which would otherwise in- quence, more particularly after they had witnessed the crease the existing calamity. He asked them now to do expiring effort of the Anti-Corn-law League a few * very small thing, in order to see whether farming nights since. could not be carried on prosperously as well as other The House then divided, when there appeared— trades. He had only yesterday read the life of For going into a Committee of Supply 130 William Caxton, the first English printer. It ap- For Mr. Gibson's amendment Peered from that that an ordinance was passed in Majority 1441, i n which the landlords of that time stated Upon entering the gallery we 'found the House in that the people engaged in husbandry in this coun- Committee, and try were greatly damaged by the reason of the bring- Mr. WYSE moving on the grant of Education (Ire ing of e o rn beyond the seas to keep down the price land), " That a dutiful address be presented to her Ma -41 this country. Here were their ancestors, of jesty, humbly representing to her Majesty the import four hundred years ago—men who had no Adam since of due provision being made for the University edu ith t o go to—men who received no such cation of her Roman Catholic subjects of Ireland, espe- Les, sons as h a d been given to Honourable Gen- daily of such as are intended for the priesthood, and t 'e,Man opposite, session after session, by those the inadequacy of the means and system now existing Whom they had placed in power, using precisely . the for the attainment of such object ; and further praying L anguage common in the present day. They had denied, her Majesty, that she will be graciously pleased to give ,uecause they had not the power to give, protection to directions, by an enlargement and improvement of exist- Qbourers and manufacturers; and then, with a vast deal ing arrangements, either by opening the emoluments and o f Paint on the panels of their coaches, they came down honours as well as studies of the University of Dnblin to to the 'louse to legislate for themselves. The worst Roman Catholics as well as Protestants, and raising the th ing he wished them was, that when that retribution College of Maynooth to the dignity of a theological came u p on the landlords of this country, which must faculty of the said university, or by founding and main ?ome on such legisl a tion, it might please Heaven to taming a Roman Catholi c universit y , with e q ual rank, bless th em w ith greater mercy than they had shown to en d o w ments , and p rivile g es with those of the Universit y the lab ourers o f this country. of Dublin, or by such other means as her Majesty in her Col. RUsHBROOKE said the Hon. Gentleman had wisdom and benevolence may deem fit, adequately to accused him of advocating the infliction of the punis h- su pp l y the deficiencies now com p lained of, and, as far as went of de a th for this crime. He certainly understood may be, effectually provide for the future moral and in the lan guage o f th e p e tition which he had presented on tellectual wants of the Roman Catholic inhabitants ; t hat subject held it best that in a crime of this na- thus promoting the advancement and happiness, t une capital punishment should be inflicted in extreme not of Roman Catholics only, but of all ea ses- The Hon. Gentleman had charged him with classes and persuasions of the Irish people." stating that there was no destitution whatever in the He would wish to exclude all partisan and political con county with which he was connected. He had spoken siderations in the consideration of this question. An uly of hi s own ne i g hb our h o od ; what might be the case impression had gone abroad, that he (Mr. Wyse) had, in other districts he would not pretend to say. on a previous occasion, endeavoured to disparage the Mr. BRAMSTONE said, the lion. Gentleman had ut ilit y and im p ortance of the Dublin Universit y . No "id that there would be no difficulty in obtaining con- thing could be further from his intention. He had been victioes in these cases. If a Commission were issued in educated himself there, and entertained the most devoted the tone and temper of, the speeches of Hon. Gentlemen aff ection for the institution. He had no reason to com crosite, they would have a general conflagration, i ns t ea d plain of any unjust interference o f the Dubli n University a decrease in the number of fires. It was stated by with the religion of its pupils. During his time there ix- Baron Parke, in his charge to the grand jury, that he never had observed it, and he believed that, as far agricultural majority of, the fires were not committed by as their rules and regulations permitted, nothing could 4 r :cultural labourers in distress, but by girls and boys be more tolerant. But, he did not think that the rules i` rie u d e , r_t . en years of age. Three children were to be of that University were made in a spirit of toleration, wnose respective ages were 8,9, and 10 ; and it and that it could be made much more beneficial to the a ppeared that, instead of being in a distressed condition, Catholic community than it was at present.—(Hear, t inf ey were comfortably with their masters and hear.) Nor were the difficulties in making it so great iVrtresse.s. He, for one, begg t d to thank the Right as were generally supposed. It was no longer contended , ) ,or ? i entleman for refusing to grant Commission. that education was not necessary to enable men to t° the lIENNIKER said it had been his duty be amPIY govern and obey properly.; and subjects of every than one Hon. Gentleman (Sir J. Graham) on more th had a • government in right to claim from . it ne occasion on this subject, and he begged to bear instruction, testimonyhis to his earnest at least the elementary princi causesendeavours to ascertain the pies of education. The elementary education of of .this incendiarism--(Hear, h ear .) Th e H on . the people had engaged successive Governments, and he e for Manchester formerly joined in the meed of must say that they had promoted it by every means in Prais e their paid to the landl or d s a nd f armers o f S u ff o lk , for their power. He had called upon the Government of That they conduct to the working classes-- (Hear, hear.) that day to throw open the University to Catholics , or tercetsty Nere no less anxious now to promote the in- Ito help to establish a Catholic University by its s ide. he working classes than in former times, was He did this while he had the honour to be a Member of .. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNIN.G, JULY 20, 1844. which it was granted. He would say no more on the subject but that he was impressed with the conviction that it was not in a satisfactory state, and that the posi tion of that College would be one of the subjects to which her Majesty's Government would direct their at tention.—(Hear, hear.) If he entered into details it would be most likely to raise objections, and he would therefore abstain from doing so.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. SHEIL said they were indebted to his Right Hon. Friend, not only for an admirable exposition, but for an excellent speech, characterised by wisdom and by moderation ; and for being the means of inducing the Right. Hon. Gentleman to make the important declara tions of opinion which he had just announced, and which he, for one, must praise reluctantly but most sin cerely.—(Hear, and a laugh.) For the assurances he gave he could not but be thankful. Amongst the other incidents in the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech, there was this excellent one, that he availed himself of this oc casion of acknowledging the thanks which his Right Hon. Friend had earned for his labours in the cause of education for many years, always useful, but to a great extent unknown.—(Hear, hear.) He knew that the Education Commission, introduced by the late Govern ment, was founded on the suggestion of his Right Hon. He repeated the declaration he had made, that this subject had occupied the serious consideration of her Majesty's Government, and that it was one to which the attention of his Noble Friend, who was about to assume the chief office in Ireland had been directed. At an early period of next session the Government would com mence the measures which it was their intention to adopt; and if those were unsuccessful, the Right Hon. Gentleman would have an opportunity of introducing a measure of his own. With regard to the College of Maynooth, he would not hesitatte to say that it was not in a satisfac tory state.—(Cheers form the Opposition.) If the mo ney granted to Maynooth was a violation of principle, it was equally a violation of principle whether it was small or great ; and he had no hesitation in saying that the present amount was inadequate to meet the purposes for Friend ; and that the plan which they introduced was sketched by him. He would only make one suggestion. His Right Hon. Friend referred to a statute of Charles the Second. There was a more important statute than that, viz., the Act of 1793. It was pro vided by the 7th section of the 32d of George IL, chap. 31, that Roman Catholics might hold or take de grees of any professors, or be masters or fellows of any college to be hereafter founded, provided that such should be members of the University of Dublin. The College of the Holy Trinity was to be exclusively for Protestant purposes, but in any other colleges, to be hereafter founded, Protestants and Roman Catholics were to be equally admissible. Thus one of the great difficulties at tending this subject would disappear, and if any person should say that they were sapping the foundations of the Church, show him this Act of Parliament, in which was contained its refutation.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. BELLEW said he intended to speak at some length on this question, but after the excellent speech of the Right Hon. Baronet, he would not detain the House. He thought that if the Government supported the College of Maynooth, as it ought to be supported, they would have sufficient control over the Catholic priesthood. Lord J. MANNERS said he could not refrain from expressing his cordial thanks to the Government for the announcement made that night by the Right Hon. Baronet. He took that announcement as an earnest of a more consistent and a more prosperous line of policy for the future, as an earnest of the necessity of governing Ireland on the only true and sound prin ciple on which it could be governed.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that the sentiments expressed by the Right Hon. Baronet would be carried into effect, and that the result would be as prosperous as he was sanguinely inclined to think it would be. He thanked the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite for the temperate manner in which he brought forward his motion. He came down for the purpose of supporting the views disclosed in his motion, and he took that opportunity of again ex pressing his cordial thanks to the Government for the line of policy they indicated that night.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. GROGAN said the announcement of the Right Hon. Gentleman would take Ireland by surprise ; the people of that country were not prepared for such a comprehensive measure. In commencing this work he hoped they would bear in mind that the national system of education now in existence had not been an apple of peace, but in them a source of discord.—(Hear, hear.) Whatever colleges might be established, he hoped the principles of the Protestant Church would be borne in mind. Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN begged to inquire whe ther he had rightly understood the Hon. Member for Waterford, that if the Government did not found col leges tor the Roman Catholics, they would be driven to found them for themselves, in a spirit of hostility to the Protestant Church ? _ _ Mr. WYSE said nothing could be more remote from his intention than to say that the Roman Catholics would establish a college for the purpose of expressing their hostility to the Protestant body. What he had said was, that if the Government did not sym p a thi se w i t h th em , and open the University of Dublin, and improve the College of Maynooth, so as to secure their participation in the intellectual rewards of the country, they would be driven to establish a university of their own, which, though it might be productive of some considerable ad vantage, would, as regarded rivalry and competition, be hostile to the Establishment. The motion for granting 40,000/. for education in Great Britain was then carried. On the motion that 72,0001. be granted to her Majesty fur education in Ireland, Colonel VERNER said he had in the last session moved for a return connected with this grant. He did not wish to accuse any person connected with the Na tional Board of having wilfully made a false ,return, but the return which had been made was very incorrect. There was a school at Newry which had been omitted in the return. He should not move to have the returns amended, for they would serve his purpose even in their present state. He would state a fact which had been re lated to him, and which would show the state of instruc tion in those schools. An inquest had been held in one of the school-houses connected with the National Board. and when the witnesses were called, there could not be found a copy of the Testament either in the school or in the schoolmaster's house, on which to swear the witnesses. Mr. M. MILNES thought that if the proposal of her Majesty's Government had been received in a better spirit by the Protestant clergy in Ireland, there would have been less fear of the recurrence of those evils which the Hon. and Gallant Gentleman had adverted to than at present existed.—(Hear, hear.) He rose with great pleasure to express the entire sympathy which he felt with everything that had fallen from the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government, and if the pro posal of the Right Hon. Gentleman should be carried out there would not be a laurel upon his brow that would last longer or brighter. Mr. PLUMPTRE could not look upon this increase in the Maynooth grant as one that was called for on natural grounds. He felt that the Protestants of Ireland would consider themselves wounded, if not neglected, by this proposal of her Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister had been much congratulated by Hon. Gentle men opposite, but he felt that he was not justified in fol lowing them. He felt that he ought not to attempt to foster principles, which as a Protestant it was his duty to abjure; and he was sure that the proposition of the Government would not be received by the Protestants of this country in the same spirit with which it had been received in that House. He should, therefore, divide the Committee ag a i ns t it, even th oug h h e s t oo d lone in doing so. Lord PALMERSTON said he merely rose to concur in the expressions of satisfaction at the way in which his Hon. Friend the Member for Waterford (Mr. Wvse) had brought forward his motion, and also at what - had fallen from the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel) in reply to it. He trusted, by next session, that the Right Hon. Gentleman would be able 'to arrange a good and useful measure, and he might rest assured that, from that side of the House, as well as from other quarters, he would receive a willing and hearty support. Mr. LEFROY said, while he honoured the conduct of the Gentleman who brought forward this motion (Mr. Wyse), as it was consistent with all his former expressed opinions, he must beg to express his regret at the lan guage of the Prim e Mi n ister, which, if not inconsistent with his own language on former occasions, was at all events greatly at variance with what a large body of his supporters had a right to expect from him.—(Hear.) Mr. ROSS heartily rejoiced at the progress education was making in Ireland. He was also delighted that from the statement of the Right Hon. Baronet hopes might now be entertained,' that education in Ireland would be placed on a proper footing. The question was then put and carried, that 72,0001. should be granted to her Majesty, to defray the expenses of education in Ireland. The sum 0f9,0001. was then proposed as the usual grant to the College of Maynooth. Sir G. CLERK said he believed there was an inten tion to divide on the vote, but he understood it would not be further discussed. • Lord CLIVE hoped that the Government would ex tend a grant to the Church Education Society of Ireland. Mr. D. BROWNE said, if the Chnrch did not avail itself of a national system of education, it was not the fault of the Government ; andit should be remembered that the Church had 800,000/. a year, to apply to the spiritual teaching of the people. Lord C. HAMILTON said the schools of the Church Society were also open to all who chose to enter them. He thought the schools were equally entitled to a grant from the Government. Sir R. PEEL said the vote for the national schools had been agreed to, and he apprehended that the vote now before the House was the usual vote to the Col lege of Maynooth. The Government had declined to give a separate grant to the Church Education So ciety, on the ground that if they did, there would soon be three separate systems of education—the Roman Catholic, the Established Church, and one for the Presbyterians, who would soon claim with the others. This would rather tend to prevent that friendly feeling and union among the subjects of the Queen differing in their religious faith that was so much to be desired. The present system was intended for a joint system, and it was hoped that the children of Protestants and Roman Catholics might be able to receive together in early life the inestimable benefits of education.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that the hostility to the system on the part of the clergy of the Established Church was abating, and there was a proof, in a late publication of a respectable clergyman, that the system was not accurately appre ciated.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that too sanguine expectations would not be entertained in consequence of what he had said in the early part of the evening. What he said was, that the Government would en deavour to devise the best mode of imparting to Ire land the means of academical education for persons of all persuasions, and would do that in the most friendly and kind spirit, and also that the College of Maynooth was not in a satisfactory state. Mr. BELLEW said 80,000/. a-year was exclusively ap plied to the education of Protestants, besides the means that Government, and he was there to repeat his solici tation to the present Government, when new circum stances had arisen, and when the case had become more urgent. The first view which naturally presented itself to their eyes, was the number of universities in existence in Ireland. The College of Maynooth had no preten sions to be called a university, still less the academy of Belfast. He would ask whether any other country in Europe was similarly situated to Ireland, with respect to her universities. Was there any other country where there was but one university to 8,000,000 of inhabitants. He looked round him, and directed his attention to Ger many. He found that in Germany there was an aggre gate of not less than forty universities. He found that in the smallest States in that country there were large and flourishing establishments. If he looked to Prussia, were there were only twelve millions of inhabitants, he found that there were not less than six universities. He looked to Belgium and to Holland, and he found that the in habitants were better provided with respect to the uni versities, in proportion to the inhabitants, than in Ger many. He found that there were four universities, and in Belgium four. In Belgium there were two millions and a half of inhabitants, and in Holland there were four mil- lions. In Holland there were in the universities 900 students, and in Belgium, 1,400. In France, too, it was the same— there were universities all over France. Even in Italy, in the Pope's dominions, which had been so much vilified, there were five secondary universities, and two principal ones. In the small state of Florence there were not less than ten universities. So in America. From north to south universities were continually rising up. In a few days they would be called upon to vote an estimate for not less than four universities, while that country did not contain more than two millions of inhabitants, and in Ireland there was but one university for eight millions of inhabitants. It was said that this must ne cessarily be a Protestant university, and therefore it was impossible to convert that university to Catholic pur poses. There was a misconception on both these points —misconception with respect to the original character of the endowment, and misconception as to the means by which it might be converted. It need not be converted to Catholic purposes, but it should be open to national purposes, whether those pur poses were Protestant or Catholic. The University of Dublin was generally supposed to have been founded by Elizabeth. This was partly true, but the foundation established by Elizabeth was only an atonement for the loss of the ancient University. The old Uni versity of Ireland was founded in the year 1312, by John Elyard, Archbishop of Dublin, who obtained from Pope Clement V. a bull for its foundation. After a considerable time that University fell into disuse, and it was supplied by other institutions for the learning of the people. In the year 1475 the University was re established in the capital city of the kingdom, in consequence of a memorial which was addressed to Pope Pius IV., who issued a bull, authorising the new foundation. This Catholic university obtained the ap probation of the monarch of the day, as well as of the holy see. This university continued in existence until the confiscation of the monasteries, when it fell with other institutions in Ireland ; and it was not again es tablished till the time of Elizabeth. It continued in ex istence during the successive times of trouble, and during that time the preservation of the library and other valuable parts of the institution was principally attributed to the Catholic members of that university. In 1703, however, an Act was passed by which Catholics were excluded from that university, and this Act had re mained in force down to the present time. Students en terinz .the university were, by the present rules, com pelled to take the Sacrament, and give other proofs of their being members of the Protestant persuasion. Now, the same authority that had established those rules, could, if it thought fit, repeal them ; and there was no reason why there should not be added a number of Ca tholic fellowships to those now in existence. He would now proceed to inquire what were the funds and the means within their power of extending the benefits to this institution. He had not been able to get at any accurate account of the funds of this College ; the re turns did not state them, and, therefore, he (Mr Wyse) had been compelled to get indirectly such in-' formation as he could. The chief funds were derived from land, not less than 231,000 acres in extent. The exact value of this land he knew not, but its general state of cultivation and improvement was, he be lieved, about equal to Bishops' lands in that country. Still they had an immense estate, the product of which must, even under the most disad vantageous management, be exceedingly great. Next to the revenue from land was the revenue from fees, which amounted to 5,6091. 15s. This sum was from fees. Here then were the means of extensive usefulness, had they the power and authority by law to effect it. They had that power by special Act of Parliament. By the 14th and 15th of Charles 11., the Lord Lieutenant, by and with the advice of his Council, had the power to erect from these funds another college, to be called King's College, and the endowment of the said college was to be regulated and governed, not by the old law of Elizabeth, but by such laws and institutions as her Majesty might think fit. Therefore they had the power to establish another college, and they had moreover the power to establish new institutions, different from those which otherwise might prevail, and which could be made in perfect consonance and harmony with the habits, manners, and opinions of the present day. Now he would turn to his second point. They had a Roman Catholic population to deal with in Ireland. They had admitted that that population ought to be educated— that the whole population of this great country ought to be educated, or why had they for sessions past—why had they this very session—voted money and passed laws for this very purpose?—(Hear, hear.) And they had declared, too, that all education to be sound should be religious.—(Tory cheers.) Then, ought they not to be most careful of the religious education of this religious educator?—(Cheers.) Ought they not to afford the very best means in their power to educate the priests of Ireland that the people of Ireland might be educated too. And yet all they did was give them May , nooth—a miserable hovel—and to dole out a few paltry pounds with the niggard hand of cold charity.—(Hear.) He asked Honourable Gentlemen on the other side, set ting aside all political questions, to consider the subject, and see if something could not be done to remedy the grievances of which the Catholics complained. But then it was said this could not be accomplished. He said that it might, either by annexing Maynooth and the College at Belfast with the University of Dublin, making the college at Dublin the proper place for the education of Protestants, May nooth for Catholics, and Belfast for the Presbyterians ; by that means they would link the professors of the different religions in Christian brotherhood. But it might be said, would Maynooth agree to this ? or would Dublin allow a new intruder, or become the abettor of Presbyterians ? There would be nothing of the sort ; he could not see why the same course could not be adopted with respect to the University of Dublin, and Maynooth, and Belfast, as had been done with re spect ,to Oxford, King's College, and the London Uni versity. He would aggregate the three, giving to each of them the power of conferring degrees in everything except theology. He did not think the college of Belfast would object to this ; and if, upon consideration, it was found impossible, there was no other course left en but to establish a Catholic university in Ireland.— (Hear, hear.) If they would not give them the first, they owed them the second. There were places in Ire land where universities might be established ; in Cork they might lay the foundation of Catholic instruction. He wished to lay these observations before the Right Hon. Baronet, knowing that at this particular moment it would be impossible to take the opinion of the House upon the question, nor indeed did he wish to do so ; he would leave it for the present session in the hands of the Right Hon. Baronet. Sir R. PEEL said he believed he was stating what would be in conformity with the feeling of the House, and of both sides of the House, when he said that no Member of that House was better entitled to take up the subject than the Hon. Gentleman. He knew that no Member of that House had devoted more time and attention to the subject of the best means of spreading the advantages of education throughout the country. He must also say that the Right Honourable Member had another qualification, besides that of experience— the high qualification of discussing the subject with that temper and moderation which ensured, amidst all the animosities that divided them, an impartial and favour able consideration of the question. He rejoiced, then, that the Hon. Gentleman had brought forward this mo tion, and that he had made his observations in a manner that precluded him from taking the sense of the House upon it. The vote they were now discussing was one for English education, and he presumed the Right Hon. Gentleman had made his observations on that vote so as to preclude them from coming to a hostile decision, and he rejoiced that the House was not to be called on to give an expression of its opinion. The Right Honourable Member had alluded to the state of elementary educa tion in Ireland. It must be admitted that the state of this elementary education was satis tisfactory. Her Majesty's Government had manifested a desire to add to the efficiency of that system. The vote last year for the national system of education was. 40,000/. They proposed in the present year to ask for an addition of 25,0001., making for the present year the sum of 75,0001. Within a very short time, there had been a report laid on the table of the House, signed by the Commissioners, which stated that the number of schools was 2,721, attended by 319,792 children, the increase of attendance in the present year over the last being 35,000. The report also stated that the un founded impressions that prevailed with respect to this system of education were rapidly disappearing. So far, then, the state of elementary education in Ireland was a subject of congratulation. With respect to the other subject, he had great satisfaction in assuring the Right Hon. Gentleman that it was one that occupied the serious consideration of her Majesty's Government. The y Hon. Gentleman must excuse him if, on this occasion' he purposely forebore from making any statement on the subject, not because he was not prepared to enter into details; but it would be impossible in the course of the present session to submit any practical measure on the subject. It would be infinitely better to avoid al together entering into such details, which must be stated many months before they could be carried into effect. But he had no hesitation in stating the result of the consideration that they had given the subject—it was, that the means of academical education in Ire land were very defective.—(Hear, hear.) There were institutions in the character of universities—Trinity College, Dublin, the Belfast Institution, and the College of Maynooth. As far as the education of the laity was concerned—the academical education of those of more advanced years than were intended to be included in the national system of education—when they compared it with the means of education and the population of other countries, it was impossible not to see that those means were comparatively deficient. He did not at all under value the effect of the upper cltpses in ,Ireland being educated in the universities of England. It was a bond of connexion between the two countries. The Hon. Member had not proposed any plan on the subject; and this was a reason why he should ab stain from expressing an opinion as to a preference. at the disposal of Trinity College ; so that the Catholics were those who had a right to complain. Mr. S. O'BRIEN said that the Right Hon. Baronet had misapprehended what had fallen from his Noble Friend, the Member for Tyrone. He understood his Noble Friend to say, not that he wished fur a separate State education in connexion with the State, but that as there was a Church society in Ireland, they ought to get a portion of the grant. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the Committee divided, when there appeared— . - For the vote Against it . _ Majority for the vote The House then resumed ; the Chairman reported progress, and asked leave to sit again on Monday at five o'clock. Mr. SHEIL gave notice that, on going into Committee of Supply on Monday, he would move that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire and report how the French poss?ssions in Africa were acquired, and how far their extension is consistent with the political and com mercial interests of this country. Sir R. PEEL said he must say that it was the most extraordinary motion he had ever heard. CHURCH ENDOWMENT BILL. The House then went into Committee on the Church Endowment Bill. The House resumed, and the Report was ordered to be received on Monday next. THREE•AND-A- HALF PER CENTS. DISSEN TIENTS BILL. The House then resolved itself into Committee, in order to enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to pro pose a resolution, on which to found a Bill for paying off the dissentients from the commutation of the Three and-a-Half per Cents. Stock. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in pro posing his resolution, said that the number of dissen tients was only to the amount of 113,0001., and that he was of opinion, that even that sum would be lessened. The resolution was agreed to. The House resumed, and the resolution was ordered to be reported on Monday. Sir JAMES GRAHAM obtained leave to bring in a Bill for suspending, until the 31st day of December, 1847, the operation of the new arrangement of dio ceses, so far as it affects the existing ecclesiastical juris dictions, and for obtaining returns from and the in spection of the registries of such jurisdiction. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter before Two o'Clock. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Lucrezia Borgia was to have been played on Thursday, and great curiosity was excited as to the success of Moriani in the part of Gennaro. However the following notice, which ap peared at the top of the Opera bills, showed that such curl. osity was not to be satisfied : " It is with great pain that Signor Moriani is compelled respectfully to announce to the nobility, his friends, and the public, that a severe catarrh and hoarseness, under which he is suffering, has increased to such an extent, as to render it impossible for him to sing this evening, and, instead of the opera of Lucrezia Borgia, will be presented Donisetti's cele brated opera of Don Pasquale." As the audience had probably been gathered together chiefly by the prospect of Moriani 's singing, it was quite " on the cards" that some dissatisfaction would be expressed. In deed, had a less favourite opera than Don Pasquale been sub stituted, or had that been performed by less eminent artists, the chances would have been in favour of discontent. As it was, Grisi, Mario, Lablache, and Fornasari, charmed as much as ever, and Don Pasquale was followed by loud applause, without a murmur of disapprobation. The quartet in the second act, and Mario's serenade were encored. The Pas de trois, from Les Houris, by Cerito, St. Leon, and Ferdinand, was introduced between the acts, raising an agreeable doubt as to which was most fascinating, the grace and elegant groupings of the slow movement, or the energy and spirit of the quick one. This pas created general enthusiasm. ERRATUM —On the motion of Lord Brougham, the Aliens Bill was read a second time on Thursday. From the Parliamentary report we inferred that his Lordship had only made some occasional remarks on the subjeet. We regret to hear that Lord John Russell has been detained in the country by the indisposition of Lady John Russell, who, however, is, we believe, gradually recovering. MANSLAUGHTEE.—An inquest was held on Thursday in St. Thomas's Hospital, before Mr. Payne, Deputy-Coroner for the City, on view of the body of John Samuel Reade, aged 40, a greengrocer, residing in Ireland-yard, Blackfriars, who died from the effects of being ridden over on Tuesday, by a man named Scott. The jury, after a patient investiga tion, returned a verdict of manslaughter. . ... AFFAIR or HONOUR.—Captain Brownrigg, Gre nadier Guards, Military Secretary to the Governor-General of Canada, Sir Charles Metcalfe, called to account Mr. J. /Ernilius Irving, formerly a lieutenant in the army, for having stated at a Reform meeting in Kingston that the Governor's staff are " a pack of empty-headed jackanapes ; and that Lord Cardigan would have hunted them out of his regiment as old Indians." Mr. Irving replied that the words were used in a political and not personal sense ; but Captain Brownrigg retorted that whatever construction the speaker applied to them, they were "unbecoming an officer and a gentleman." Mr. Irving finally expressed his regret for having been excited to make any unkind or offensive allu sion to tin t. P _ _ LEAMINGTON, JULY 17.—The latest arrivals here include the Duke of Sutherland and the Marquis of Stafford, Sir John Dashwood and the Hon. Agnes Erskine, Lady Hamilton, Admiral Oliver and family, Sir George and Lady Sitwell, Sir John P. and Lady Orde, Mr. Gibson Craig, M.P., the Hon. Mr. Petre, Lady Parker and family, Sir H. Palliser, and Lord and Lady Harberton. STATE OF HERNE BAY.—We much regret to state that it has been found absolutely necessary to call in an ad ditional body of police for the government of this flourishing watering-place. Up to the present year there has been only one policeman ; there are now two.—Punch. SHOOTING MEETING IN SWITZERLAND.—The great federal shooting meeting at Basle is concluded. It is calcu lated that the number of carabine-shots fired was at the least 250,000; and, it is said, on the Sunday, no fewer than 21,000 bottles of wine were drunk in a few hours. The list of all the prizes would fill many columns of a journal. There were three grand prizes of the respective value of 3,780 f., 2,400 f., and 2,loof.—the first being won by Colonel Hunerwald, of Lemburg, in Argau ' • the second by DI . Benzinger, of Appen zel ; and the third by the English nobleman, Lord Vernon, who obtained his naturalisation in Switzerland, in order to have the right of competing. He is said to have made a vow that he will not leave Switzerland until he has won the first prize. His skill has excited so much jealousy in the country, that a citizen of Appenzel, named Kohler, one of the most renowned marksmen in Switzerland, had recourse to a most unworthy trick to gain the superiority over Lord Vernon. By giving a heavy bribe, be seduced a marker to put down to him many more hits than he actually made. The fraud, however, was discovered, M. Kohler was obliged to leave Basle immediately, and, by a Council of the Federal Carabineers, he is disqualified from ever shooting again at any public match. The marker, who broke the oath he took to mark justly, has been arrested, and will be tried. PRECARIOUS SITUATION.—On Sabbath se'nnight, as a farmer's wife, in the vicinity of Seaforde, was walking through the garden, her attention was attracted by more than ordinary noise of the bees to the apiary. On approaching she observed a young swarm coming off, and being anxious to see where they would settle, she remained for some time, when, to her very great astonishment, they alighted on her head, being attracted thither, it was thoUght, by the white ness of the cap which she was wearing. The good old lady, with much presence of mind, remained unmoved ; and having called for a new hive, which was instantly produced, loosed hericap and deposited the bees therein, without sustaining the slightest' injury save a single sting on the hand.— Correspon dent of the Downpatrick Recorder. We have authority to state that Lady Brougham's party, announced for Friday, the 26th, takes place on Thursday, the 25th instant. We understand that the new Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Heytesbury, accompanied by his private secre tary, Mr. Henry A'Court, who lately held that appointment under Lord Eliot, will leave town on Thursday next, the 25th inst., for Dublin Castle, rid Liverpool. Lady Heytesbury and the Hon. Miss A'Court are not expected to leave Queen Ann-street for the Viceregal Lodge until the end of the en suing month. ALARMING FIRE AND NARROW ESCAPE.—Yes terday a fire broke out on the premises of Mr. Read, tailor and draper, High-street, about five o'clock in the morning, by which a fine boy, about six years of age, was so severely injured, as at first to render his recovery doubtful. It appeared from the statement of the fe male servant, with whom the child slept, that she got up about half-past four o'clock, leaving him in bed, and proceeded down stairs. In a few minutes afterwards she and the family were alarmed by loud screams from the apartment where the child lay, and upon rushing up stairs she found the bed-curtains in flames, and the room filled with smoke, while the unfortunate child him self was lying upon the floor, fearfully burnt, and almost in a state of insensibility. Every remedy was resorted to, after which the unfortunate sufferer was taken to the hospital. The servant stated that a box of lucifer matches lay upon a table near the bed, and she ima gined that the child must have got up and taken some of them upon the bed. During the confusion and terror which was occasioned by the sufferings of the boy, the fire had gained such an ascendancy that it was feared the whole of the premises would have been destroyed ; but, fortunately, through the exertions of a number of men, who were working in an adjacent timber-yard, it was extinguished without much damage to any of the other rooms. The servant, in her exertions to extin guish the child's dress, was severely injured about the arms and hands, and also in the face. On inquiring at the hospital, we found the child was completely out of danger. COPENHAGEN, JULY 11.—Yesterday morning the Russian frigate Aurora, of 44 guns, arrived in the Chan nel (die Renne) bound from Cronstadt to England. It took in a stock of fresh water. News is come to-day from Dragoe, that a Russian fleet, coming from the south, was in sight at eight o'clock this morning ; three ships were two miles south of Dragoe.—Hamburgh Boursenhalle, July 13. ASSESSMENT or GAME.—At the Suffolk sessions, held on the 11th instant, the Earl of Euston proposed to petition Parliament to authorise, in some mode or other, an assessment upon game. He made the proposition on two grounds ; first, because he was quite sure that if the bench did not take up the subject, there were others who would very shortly do so ; and, secondly, because he thought it was much more to the honour and credit of the bench of magi strates to lead in a matter of that sort (in which he con ceived that the peace of the county was so much concerned) than to follow. The evil effects of preserving game where not confined to the demoralisation and crime which it fos tered, but it also interfered with the profit of the sale of the legitimate produce of farming. There could be no question of the destruction that game did to the produce of the land ; it also interfered very much with the proper use of it—and here he begged to remark that he included deer as well as t g i a o m n e t, 0. the He t w e o o n H c l o u u d s e e d s o b t y p m e r o and which stated, in effect, that the justice s of the p eace, l v ia in m g en fo t r , w adoption, h a ac s i h d o r r a t w p n e u ti; unanimously concurred in lamenting the great increase of crime in the county, and also agreed in attributing the same to the practice of preserving the game ; that some check ought to be put on a practice causing so much demoralisa tion, and also increasing the comity rate ; that the use of it, and the sale pf it, had an effect on the sale of the legitimate produce of the land ; they, therefore, prayed that an assess ment upon it, to be applied to the use of the county rate, should be authorised to be made. The motion was not se conded, and no observation being made on the proposition, the subject dropped. they had been hitherto unable to prove, by reason of Mr. Wilton being their trustee. _ The further hearing was then adjourned to an early day in November next. SUMMER ASSIZES. HOME ClRCUlT—Chelmsford, July 19. The business on the Civil Side concluded about four o'clock on Thursday afternoon, and Mr. Baron Gurney then proceeded to assist in trying the prisoners. The following cases were disposed of late on Thursday. _ _ CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron PARKE.) Abraham Thurgood, 57, labourer, was indicted for the manslaughter of his wife, Mary Anne Thurgood, by kicking her in a most brutal manner. It appeared from the evidence, that the prisoner and the deceased, and a son of the latter by a former husband, occupied a cottage at Wickham Bishops, in this county. On the 16th of March the son went to bed about nine o'clock, leaving the pri soner and the deceased in the lower room, and in a short time he heard a noise, as if per sons were scuffling below. Soon afterwards he heard a shriek, and heard his mother, who appeared to be out of doors, say to the prisoner, " For God's sake, Thurgood, let me m, I shall die." He got up, and the door was opened ; and, when the deceased was let in, she complained of severe suffering ; and upon a surgeon being sent for, it was found that she had received a most dreadful injury upon the lower part of her person. It was suggested on behalf of the prisoner that the de ceased had accidentally fallen upon the scraper at the door, and so received the injury, but the surgeon ex pressed his opinion that it would be much more likely to be inflicted by a kick from a man's heavy boot. There was, however, no distinct proof that the prisoner had in flicted the injury. Mr. Baron PARKE having summed up, the jury re turned a verdict of Not Guilty. John Hardy, 11, was indieted for feloniously setting fire to a stack of straw, the property of Frederick Charles Fitch, at Steeple Bumpstead. Mr. Rodwell prosecuted, and Mr. Marsh appeared for the prisoner. This case was one of a somewhat similar character to that disposed of on Wednesday, with this difference, that the prisoner, when he was taken into custody, said that his master had beaten him, and that he committed the act to revenge himself. The jury found him Guilty. Judgment was res: ipited. MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Northampton, July 17. (Before Lord DENNuot.) BIANSLAUGHTER BY A FATHER-IN-LAW. —John Marriott was charged upon the Coroner's inquisition, with killing and slaying James Plowright. Mr. Miller conducted the case on the part of the prose cution. Ann Plowright deposed that she is the widow of the de ceased, James Plowright, and daughter of the prisoner. She had been married not quite five months. Her husband, who was twenty-one years of age, had a fit about a fortnight be• fore his death. They lived in the same house with the pri. soner. Three sisters and a brother slept in the same room with the prisoner. The eldest is fourteen, the youngest is six. On the 25th of June last her husband returned from his work about seven o'clock, and they went to bed about nine. Heard her father and mother talking. Heard her father say to her mother, " If you don't speak I'll throttle you." He then called out at the door, "Is your party in bed? Are you listening to me?" He was not answered. Heard her mother fall on the floor. Her sister Ann ran in and called to witness's husband. Witness ran in first to her father's chamber, and her husband followed, but he fell down stairs as he went. On going into the room, saw the bed clothes on the floor. Her father had hold of her mother. The deceased struck her father, and took her mother from his arms. Deceased told her father to sit down, and tell her civil what he meant to do. He said, " I have told you, and I mean to do it to-night." He then went up to the deceased, and took him by the feet, and threw him backwards. They both fell, the father uppermost. De ceased scratched his father's face, while witness, her mother, and sister, endeavoured to draw him off, but could not move him. In two or three minutes he got up and went down stairs, and deceased got up. He threw his arms round his mother's neck, and said, " Oh mother, mother, he's done for me." He then took witness round the waist, and said, "Oh dear, I can't see you; I can't hear you," and fell down in sensible, and never spoke afterwards. A surgeon was fetched, but he died before the surgeon arrived. There was no cause of quarrel between him and her father, who had several times attempted to destroy himself. In the month of May he had attempted to cut his throat, but was prevented by deceased. Ann Marriott, a sister of the last witness, corroborated her testimony. Mary Collins, a neighbour, proved her being sent for on the night in question. Found deceased on the floor with As head in his wife's lap. Applied vari•us remedies in the hope of restoring him, but without effect. He lived about an hour. Saw the prisoner that night ; his face was covered with blood. Mrs. Plowright, on being recalled, said while her husband was on the floor her father said, " Get out of the way and let me kick his brains out." Mr. Simpson, a surgeon, of Stamford, attended the de ceased a fortnight before his death, when he was said to be in a fit. Witness considered it arose from drinking. He was kicking and biting. Witness slapped him sharply in the face, and he soon recovered. On the night of the 25th he was called in, when he found Plowright dead. Made a post mortem examination. Considered his death arose from a rup ture of the lungs. Several persons, members of the county police and other wise, gave the prisoner a good character for being an honest, sober, and industrious man. He was found Guilty, and sentenced to twelve moat It ilia prisonment. NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—York, July 17. CROWN SlDE.—(Before Mr. Justice CRESSWELL.) Young Ward was put to the bar, to take his trial upon an indictment found at the summer assizes for 1843 against him, a woman named Greenough, and three other men, for a burglary in the house of one John Atkinson, at Hunslett, in the parish of Hunslett, on the night of the 11th of April, 1843, and stealing therein sundry articles of apparel, two silver table-spoons, six silver tea-spoons, one silver caddy spoon, a pair of silver sugar-tongs, and other articles, the pro perty of the prosecutor. Mr. Hall, Mr. J. H. Hill, and Mr. Monteith, conducted the prosecution. The prisoner was not defended by counsel. It appeared from the evidence of the prosecutor and his wife, that on the evening of the 11th of April they made up the house quite safe, and retired to rest about ten o'clock. About midnight they were awoke by some noise, and on rising to discover the cause, they found that the house had been entered, and the articles named in the indictment, stolen. Butterfield, Lindley, and the woman Greenough, were shortly after taken. The two former were tried and convicted at the summer assizes for 1843, Greenough being admitted to give testimony against them. The present pri soner escaped for the time. The woman Greenough was not now forthcoming, and some difficulty was experienced on the part of the prosecution in connecting the prisoner with the other three. It was proved, however, that the prisoner was with Greenough and the other men, at Wakefield, on the 12th of April, the day after the burglary—that the woman stated in his presence that he was her second husband, and that they passed the night together as mat and wife. The witnesses did not know her person- ally, but having been at the trial of the other men at York last summer, they swore that the woman whe then gave testimony under the name of Greenough was the same woman, and that the prisoner was the same man. It was further shown that on the 18th of April, only six days after the burglary, the prisoner sold the six tea-spoons and the caddy-spoon to a working man for 15s. The man borrowed of him (witness) half-a-crown, which he paid down, and he was to come for the remaining 12s. 6d. the next week. In the meantime they were challenged. The prisoner, in his defence, said that he could all his mother and sister to show that he was at home at ten o'clock on the night of the robbery. At his desire she was put into the witness-box, but said she knew nothing about i 4 and could not tell when he came home. The sister was not caled. The prosecutor, it appeared, was his uncle. _ _ The Learned . JUDE s ti summed up the case, and the jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of Guilty. A previous conviction for felony was then proved against him.—Sentence deferred. NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—Huntingdon, July 17. The business of this county began to-day at one o'clock, being two causes in the Nisi Prius Court, and five prisoners in the Crown Court. CIVIL SIDE —(Before Mr. Justice WILLIAMS.) GOODLEY V. JACKSON. Mr. Prendergast and Mr. O'Malley were counsel for the plaintiff; Mr. Sergeant Byles and Mr. Gunning appeared for the defendant. This was an action in which the plaintiff, who is a poor labouring man, living in Ramsey Fen, sought to recover damages from the defendant, a large farmer, residing in Middlemore Fen, in the same parish, such sum as the jury might think he was entitled to for his conduct towards the plaintiff's daughter, per quod servitium accusit. As might be expected, the details of this case were net of a character to be made public. It may suffice, therefore, to say, that the chief witness for the plaintiff gave a plain and straightforward account of herself, her conduct, and her ac quaintance with the defendant, and entirely denied all other imputations on her character, which was assailed in various quarters. On the part of the defendant, it was contended that she was not to be believed on her oath, and several men, both married and unmarried, were put into the box to swear to their own disgrace and that of the plaintiff's daughter. Mr. PRENDERGAST having replied with great force on this evidence, which he characterised as base and unmanly, The jury, after a quarter of an hour's deliberation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff with 201. damages. The other cause was referred. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron ALDERSON.) ARSON.—Samuel Baxter, a respectable little boy, aged ten years, and not unlike the celebrated General Tom Thumb, having pleaded guilty to a charge of firing four straw stacks, the property of Robert Daintree, of Hemingford Ab bots, on the 11th of May, Mr. WELL% on the part of the prosecutor, begged to re commend the youthful incendiary to mercy. His father was his farming bailiff, and had filled that position for eight years with the 'greatest credit. The prisoner himself was always considered a very deserving boy, and every one was surprised at his having confessed to the perpetration of this crime. His LORDSHIP then called before him the prosecutor and the father of the prisoner, neither of whom could in any way account for the transaction. The boy himself when asked to assign any reason for his conduct, professel his inability to do so, denying that he had ever been incited to the deed by any one, or that he had any motive. The prosecutor, however, said that he had told him that his reason for doing so was a wish to live in the village, and that he thought the house would be burned as well as the stacks, in which case he and his family must all have gone into the village. To accomplish this wish it would appear that he had thrust a lighted stick into one of the stacks. -- i - fr. Damtree earnestly begged for mercy on the boy, whom he said he had known from his extreme youth as well as his f4ther. -- 111 r. Baron ALDERSON—WeII, I do not know what to do with him, but I shall not pass sentence on him just now. The boy was then removed, crying bitterly, as well as his poor father, but having been shortly replaced on a chair in the dock, His LORDSHIP thus addressed him—Samuel Baxter, your case has given me great pain and difficulty indeed, but I cannot exercise any discretion as a judge. It is for the Crown to do that. We must make the same example for boys as we would for man who commit such an offence as that to which yoi, have pleaded guilty. What circumstances there may be in your favour which her most gracious Majesty the Queen may see, I know not, but her advisers may see some such which may induce them to recommend the display of mercy towards you. I can only say that you shall have the benefit of my most favourable recommendation to mercy. At present I can exercise none, but must pronounce the sentence of the law, which is, that you be transported for fifteen years, and I hope that other boys will take notice of it. U =,„ - - SPIRIT of the PUBLIC\AOURNALS. • - r nem -THE EVENING PAPERS OR . ofrtillLY:'' GLOBE.—The exclusion of Mr. Aillbu tirta ppe z the House of Commons Post-office Conailttee not merely ungracious to the individual ; it was also injuri ous to the public interests. We scarcely remember a previous instance of a Member of Parliament who moved for the appointment of a Committee, which he obtained, being excluded from the constitution of the Committee. The information which Mr. Thomas Duncombe had collected, and the witnesses on whose evidence the charges he brought against Sir James Graham, with reference to his warrants for the detention and opening of letters passing through the Post-office, were to be sustained, rendered his services as a mem ber of the Committee most important, if' not essen tial to the ostensible object for which the inquiry was directed to be made. Supposing the object of the Government, in assenting to the inquiry, to be honest, the exclusion of Mr. Duncombe from the Committee was most unfortunate. But if the design of his exclusion was to shut out information, by preventing the indivi dual best acquainted with the case from taking part in the investigation, then the purpose has been accomplished. The proceedings of the House of Commons last even ing go to illustrate the injury which the public interests, involved as they are in the efficiency of the inquiry, have already sustained through being de prived of the services of the Hon. Member for Fins bury, as a member of that Committee. Mr. Duncombe made a statement to the House as to the course adopted by the Committee toward himself. The Honourable Member was summoned by it, and appeared before it. He was asked whether he had any statement to make, or any information which he wished to lay be fore the Committee ? He replied, that he had charges which he was in a situation to sub stantiate by evidence, relative to the detention and opening of letters at the Post-office. The Committee, upon this, asked for his list of witnesses. "We will send for the parties, and ascertain, by an examination conducted by ourselves, the evidence they tan supply in support of the charges you allege. You, Mr. Dun combo, may withdraw. Leave the whole affair to our management. We will not trouble you further." The Committee, according to Mr. Duncombe's statement, was very courteous, and even " coaxing," in its de meanour ; but declined his offer, which he pressed upon them, to allow him to exam i ne hi s own witnesses. The Committee even refused to allow him to be pre sent while the examination of these witnesses was COG ducted by the members of the Committee. The latter refusal was grounded on lack of power in the Com mittee to grant that permission. But on a formal ap plication being made by Mr. Duncombe to the Com mittee, that a formal application be made by it to the House to allow of his being present, he was requested to withdraw ; and on being again admitted, he was informed that the Committee declined to make such an application to the House. The correctness of Mr. Duncombe's statement was admitted by Lord Sandon, the chairman, and other members of the Committee, who were present in the House. Lord Sandon, indeed, was willing to concede the presence of Mr. Duncombe during the examina tion of his witnesses by the Committee, if the House would consent. But Sir H. Peel would not hear of such an invasion of the " rules of the House" and the " gene ral practice with regard to all Committees of the sort." To take the examination of the witnesses out of the hands of the Committee would imply a want of confidence by the House in the Committee of its selection ; while to permit a Member of the House, who was not a Member of the Committee, to be present during the inquiry, would be to destroy the secresy imposed on the Com mittee in the investigation with which it was intrusted. " He (Sir H. Peel) should therefore advise the House to adhere in this case to the general practice with re spect to all Committees of this sort. It was now a question of confidence in the Committee." The presence of Mr. Duncombe—whether as a member of the Committee, or as an examiner of the witnesses he has collected, and as manager of the case in which the public is so deeply interested, and which he de. clares he is in a position to establish—is refused. The complexion which the proceeding now wears is anything but healthy. We were disposed to hope that the Government, driven by very shame to concede in quiry, would have kept up appearances with the public, and afforded every facility for rendering the result satis factory—at least, that no impediment would have been interposed to thwart investigation, and to prevent a full discovery of facts. The fair examination of all the wit nesses brought forward by Mr. Duncombe, was essential to produce this desirable effect. STANDARD.—Mr. Thomas Duncombe last night made a bold effort to be admitted to the sittings of the Secret Committee upon the Post-office, and in doing so, gave ample proof of the prudence of his original exclu sion from that body. For what does Mr. Duncombe want to be admitted to the sittings of the Secret Committee ? If it is not to prevent its proceedings being secret, we are at a loss to conjecture a motive. The Member for Fins bury is not afflicted with any excess of modesty, but surely even he will not pretend that the gentlemen composing the Committee are not qualified by experience, intelligence, and integrity to conduct the delicate inquiry confided to them, without his help ? He says, indeed, that he has witnesses to produce, whom it isnecessary for himself to examine in person ; but witnesses who can give testimony only to their own selected examiner are witnesses who may as well be dispensed with. The duties assigned to the Secret Committee are in all respects analogous to the duties of a grand jury, but what would be thought of a prosecutor insisting upon admission to a grand jury-room, on the plea that he must examine his witnesses in person ? We, how ever, perfectly understand Mr. T. Duncombe—he knows that his case has broken down, and he is now demand ing what it is impossible to concede ; laying the founda ' non of a grievance, which may serve him as a door of escape from his groundless and most trumpery charges. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, July 18. (Before Mr. Commissioner limaloyn.) IN THE BANKRUPTCY OF CHAMBERS AND CO., LATE OF ISOND STREET, BANKERS. This day was fixed for taking an audit in this% extraordi nary case, which has been for the last twenty years promi nently placed before the publ ic, both before this Court and every other Court of Law in VV estmiuster, and is even now awaiting the decision of an appeal to the House of Lords as to the right of sale in the assignees of the Italian Opera House. The commission was dated in November, 1824, and since that period Mr. Chambers, sen., has been the inmate of the Fleet Prison, while his accomplished daughter was compelled to support herself by the public exertion of her talents. Mr. Hamilton to .day attended for the assignees, and put in a statement of the bankrupts' affairs, the receipts and pay ments from the commencement of the bankruptcy in 1824 : The payments on account of the Opera House include up wards of 20,0001. for improvements and substantial repairs, 18,0001. for fines on renewal of leases, and between 12,000/. and 13,0001. on account of the purchase money. The property of the bankrupts now consists of— The Opera-house (subject to a claim by Mr. Wa ters to an annuity of 250/., the arrears of which, with the redemption price (5,000/.), amount to about 13,0001.), valued at Estate at Chettle The Enfield property has been mold for 6,2001, to three-fifths of which the assignees are entitled, which, after deducting expenses, will amount to 3,509 Whetstone and Northam 2,000 Four-fifths of a moiety of some property in Kent 2,500 Supposed balance on the settlement of accounts between Mr. Chambers and Mr. Waters, under a decree of the Court of Chancery, the pro ceedings in which are suspended by the appeal now pending in the House of Lords, in which judgment is expected to be given this session Funds in the Court of Bankruptcy ... 18,900 Total supposed assets (subject to the above claim) £186,900 The debts proved and to be proved against the joint estate amount to (about) Ditto against the separate estate of Mr. Chambers, the elder The Learned Gentleman now stated that he wished to call the attention of the Court to an item which was also some what involved in the bankruptcy of Messrs. Wright, the bankers—namely, a charge for warehousing some 5,000 or 10,000 books, although of that immense number only 100 could be of the slightest possible use ; and he, on behalf of Chambers' assignees, objected to the payment of so much rent. He had suggested that those useless books should be thrown at once into the river Thames, but the official assig nees had not the courage to do so. The official assignee (Mr. Groom)—l certainly had. not the courage. Mr. Commissioner HoLß9YD—There must be some place obtained in which to deposit them. St. Paul's Ch urc h yar d Mr. FUMILTON thought that only would be large enough to hold them. Mr. Commissioner Homorn--The question of a place for the deposit of bankrupts' books and papers is now before the Lord Chancellor, and will, I trust, be speedily brought to some determination, as it is undoubtedly one of considerable importance. Mr. Hamilton said he could not understand the utility of preserving useless books and papers in bankruptcy, perhaps so far back as the year 1703 ; but to revert to (numbers' affairs, as there were now several creditors in attendance, they might probably wish to know how it happened that no dividend had been yet declared, either upon the joint or separate estate, and hence, upon the part of the assignees, he was now ready to explain the larger items in the state ment which he had just presented for their information, though, at the same time, that could only have been offered to them in round numbers. Great difficulties had occurred in the sale and purchase of the Opera House, which formed by far the largest asset in the list. The Opera House, then, was originally to have been purchased from Mr. Waters for 80,0001., but before being completed by Mr. Chambers, he became a bankrupt. In the year 1829, bills were filed in Chancery to compel the purchase and sale, a decree was obtained, but a difficulty arose, as Mr. Waters then resided in France, and the assignees could not make a good title. Mr. Waters, however, dying in 1839, a portion of that difficulty was obviated, and three new assignees were chosen. A conditional contract for its sale for 100,0001. was made by them, but another difficulty arose from the circumstance of Mr. Wa ters' representative then residing in France, when the assig nees felt themselves authorised to offer him 5,000/. for his assistance in perfecting the title; but subsequently it was found that Mr. Waters had before his demise lodged an ap peal against the decree in Chancery before the House of Lords, and which was still pending the decision of their Lordships. The intended purchasers were then advised to relinquish their intention—the negotiation was immediately broken off, and the issue was only now awaiting the judg ment of the Lord Chancellor, which he (Mr. Hamilton) had every reason to believe would be in favour of the assignees; and if that were so, and no other difficulty should arise, then a very large item would come to the credit of the estate. After going through some other details, he said the total assets were then, as he had before stated, 186,9001., subject, however, to a possible reduction of about 13,000/. ; and if the judgment of the House of Lords were favourable to the assignees, then the creditors of Mr. Chambers' separate estates would realise 15s. in the pound. Mr. Commissioner HOLROYD said that the separate estate must first be heard here, and then the parties, if they thought proper, might carry the matter el s e w h ere . Mr:HAMILTON said that Mrs. Chambers and her family have not been represented here, although they had an in terest of 35,000/. in the estate, and for which, wifortimitars.