The Sun. — London, England, 1844-07-24 00:00:00

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A message from the House of Commons brought up the Land-tax Commissioners' Named Bill, and other Bills, which were severally read a first time. The County Coroners Bill pased through Committee, and S reported. The Soap Allowance Bill passed through Committee, Was reported, and ordered to be read a third time on Thursday. The Western Australian Bill, the Parish Constables Bill, and the Colonial Postage Bill passed through Committee, and wore reported. UNLAWFUL OATHS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion of Lord \V ARNCLIFFE, the ilous.7i went into Committee upon this Bill, which was gone through clause by clause, was reported, and ordered to be read a third time on Thursday. I:ARM-BUILDINGS BURNING BILL. On the motion of Lord WIIARNCLIFFE, the House Went into Committe on this Bill. Lord WHARNCLIFFE said that in the late convic tions fur arson, it was found that in, some cases the Crime was committed by children, or very young per sons. In order to check so d angerous and deplorable a Practice, he proposed to ins.:rt a clause to the effect that Persons under the age of 18 Tiars, convicted of arson under this BA should be whipped. The clause was agreed to, and the Bill passed through Committee. SUDBURY DISFRANCHISEMENT BILL. This Bill passed through Committee. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Lord REDESDALE said that in consequence of the lateness of the session, it , MIS difficult to procure the number of Peers (five) required to form each of the Committt es, and he should therefore on Friday move the suspension of the Standing Order which required the attendance of five Peers, and ask leave that the Com kittees might sit with three Peers on each. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, fay 23. The SN:AKER took the Chair shortly after Twelve O'clock. LEET)S VICARAGE BILL. On the motion of Mr. BECKETT, the Leeds Vicarage till was read 'a second time and ordered to be committed. JOINT STOCK BANKS REGULATION BILL. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EX CHEQUER the House went into Committee on the Joint-Stock Banks Regulation Bill. Clauses 2,3, 4,5, 6,7, and 8, were agreed to, with some verbal amendments. On clause 9 being proposed, which made shareholders liable in an unlimited degree, Sir W. CLAY said that the Committee had yester day adopted the principle that the liability of share holders should be unlimited. They ought to take care that the liability should not be illusory, but bona fide. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that care should be taken to remove the difficulty as far as it was practi cable. After some further discussion, the clause was agreed to. Clause 10 was agreed to, with a few verbal amend ments. Clauses 11, 12, 13, and 14, were agreed to, with some verbal amendments. On Clause 15 beiag proposed, Mr. P. M. STE WAitT complained of the expenses of t aking out letters patent for joint-stock banks. The Principle was to charge so much for each name, which, to the case of a large company, amounted to a very 'Large su m. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said tha t the sub j ect was un d e r the consideration of his 'tight Hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. The clause was then agreed to. Clauses 16, 17, and 18, were agreed to. Clause 19 was omitted. Clause 20 was agreed to. On clause 21 being proposed, which required the 4 Ignature of two directors to bills and notes, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER explained that it was , proposed to omit the words providing that 1 s and notes must be signed by two directors, and to lln troduce; words enacting that bills and notes may be s ' h qned in any manner provided by the deed of partner 'Pt provided such bills shall be signed by the manager or cale of the directors of such bank. i „ s air. P. M. sTEwART thought this a great practical - trovement on the original proposition. he clause, as amended, was then agreed to. The remainder of the clauses were then agreed to. The schedules were agreed to. a greed additional clauses were brought up and - greed to. The House then resumed, and the report was ordered %be brought up on Thursday. JOINT STOCK COMPANIES REGISTRATION AND REGULATION BILL. ,On the or d er o f the day for the bringing up the report „ tho Joint Stock Companies Registration and Regula rs Bill being read, Mr. GLADSTONE move d th a t the report should be r!- committed. i .T.lte Hous e then resolved itself into Committee. 1 „ 44 -j. GLAD S TONE proposed the insert ion of words - the second clause, to extend the operation of the Act to Ireland. Captain JONES objected to the Bill being ex t ended t o 4 reland He had received communications from Mr. of; Belfast, and from many respectable firms in it iblie, compl a ini n g of the provisions of the measure "eirig, extended to Ireland without longer notice. Air. ROSS bore testimony to the great respectability of Mr. M.Niell. Mr. T. B. C. SMITH said that the Bill would scarcely affe c t a ny trading companies in Ireland, except insur ance companies. He thou g ht it extremely desirable that the Bill shou ld be extended to Ireland. Mr. GLADST ONE thought those firms in Ireland which had petitioned against the Bill could scarcely. be aware th at the measure did not affect existing companies. It was intended that means should be taken for the regis ttation of Irish companies in Dublin. The motion was then agreed to. The remaining clauses were agreed to, and the House resumed. The report was brought up and received, the amend teems were agreed to, and the Bill was ordered to be teed a third time on Thursday, at twelve o'clock. P. AILWAYS BILL. • On the motion for receiving the report of the Rail. w ays Bill, Mr. P. M. STEWART said he had understood that one Ewa.t object of the Bill was to afford increased accommo- Mie n to the poorer classes ; but as the tax of 5 per cent. t i r i e ssed unequally on the third class trains, he conceived at their object could not be secured, but would rather " defeated unless that tax were removed. st , /1 1% GLADSTONE said, that as the Bill now trains, the tax was reduced upon all third class w tns, which might be run in addition to that ei leh they were compelled to ran by law. Under these ttsi'''llmistances, he hoped the Hon. Gentleman would be ;tented to let the question rest for the present. lr ENTWISLE advocated the principle of affording n ~ t 'eased acc ommo d a tion to the poorer classes. ' fi r.r e THORNELY did not think the interests of the . I ., ls i s nue would s u ff e r much from the remission of the tax. th e " CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said „Matte,' was under consideration. q, 'he report was then received, and the third reading ordered f o r Thursday, at Twelve o'Clock. the House then adjourned until Five o'Clock. 1111 te House resumed at Five o'clock. LO A LUNACY. ASHLEY rose to move an Address to the . sw tioa. theraying her Majesty to take into her considers -Ist, Report of the Metropolitan Commissioners of li, h 4e Y to the Lord Chancellor, And presented to the fus,"„ ae by command of her Majesty. In rising to bring ip:4o4leamatiroidllut: motion, he said that the report hack been so and its details were so extensive, th oo a n t a i i t . d e been found imposssible to bring it . unde f r th th of the House at an earlierepod o f loo e ac e sess w io a n s . upan which the commission o ke e , Qe cl would expire next year ; and it was therefore, the Bs arY that it should be renewe , d during migh t session of Parliament. Lunatic dt.t asylums oads hh e he considered under three was is h h ou , ,!at class of asylums were what . called single ; of the patients in these single houses they had fi o turn made. They were precluded by the statute k5, 41 ,..•° 1 Y interference with establishments of that d.e tie r‘lor i . , He thought this a most unfortunate restric ts 11 ;1, 't was giving secret power and irresponsibility ts ti , - "e relatives of lunatics, and exposing them to °l;g t ,, tt tions almost greater than human nature Pali„". to be subjected to. There were . many les "" in these single houses for whom were aid not to ks,, - "an 500/. per annum. This was a temptatio . n ose With tuc k a patient in perpetual confinement, because the returning health of the sufferer the allowance 4 1 : 11 1 , 4 le discontinued. So strong was his opinion of 41 13, - „ °4l effect of this, that if Providence should afflict him - L e ar relative of his with insanity, he would consign and `") an asylum in which there were other patients, he T °I I Wh ich were subjected th to official visitation. co ntrol th e y h a d over the single houses was i twPly a ir a patient resided in one more than to eos u , h e lzonth the owner of the house was compelled__ eouZnicate the name of that patient to the clerk of the Irtts — t " tss ion. But for the most part no noticewha h tev r e e r . rso,r`erl of this law, and it was frequently evaded 3 41 n g t he patient, after a residence of eleven month y !, to b ut Other lodging. 2 ter w He knew the delicacy of the subject, ~„ 3 one with which the Legislature ought to inter ue second class of houses were the county asylums. lutt,eared, from the returns, that the number of aktotties chargeable to parishes in England and Wales, pr uN L il ted to 16,821, while the existing asylums only l aast 4 : l aecomodation to 4,125. There were 9,339 qth,, r distributed over the country in workhouses and t taeq,, P ,,, t ees. The condition of these asylums was very and Some possessed every advantage of science the4—enical treatment, others were wholly deficient in 4 ' a t l) : : i nts• All of them, however, had the advantage re l>nr 6. ` yi ng any profit to the superintendents. The Alit; s tated that a large proportion of these `bit rris were well conducted, but some were a there u nfit for th e i r purpose. I n E ng l an d an d W a l es Wh at wer e twenty-one counties without any asylums the se e er, publi c or pr i vate. The cost o f t h e patients in A a e, asylums varied considerably. In the Wakefield 3 ' 411 '-'4 which wa s established and emnducted on the 4:t (eco nomical principles, the cost per head per annum 14 1 , 1 t In Gloucester Asylum the cost was 3591. iti - : eaf ` T d , the cost per head was 1301. The asylign in I'°w cost 6 4.0001., and that of Hanwell cost 160,0001. 1 3t ,, 5 ;, looking to the union-hous. it appeared that the whi tel qien-ho uses h ai l b een con,t4 - .,..„-^ted for 40,000 L, tho se 4443 -tic... ssylums were much more experisive. But :w zo - ti ll s 4t b a a i 7 t Nnass Were much too large. The Kent asinam to aecommodate 300 pta-sons ; others had been at w ' u e.ted to aceciawksdate a larger number of pursons. iss o el s Impossible that c.fsch a number could be accom stittaVL With advantage in those asylums. Dr. Conolly " kY4 not more than 100 persona could be managed WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 24, 1844. wih convenience in those asylums. It would appear that two moderate-sized asylums would be better than ore laq,e one, and could be managed with greater ease. The third class was that of private asylums, which re c'ived persons who paid their own expenses. In those asylums a great number of persons were received who said only 7s. and Bs. a week. It appeared that the licensed houses were dirty and damp, and that the bed ling was disgusting from the running of sores. The Noble Lord instanced several houses which were in this state. In the House of Industry in Kingaland, near Troubridge, the same state of things existed. In the union of Red ruth, in Cornwall, there were forty-one insane persons, and in the union at Birmingham there were no less than seventy-one lunatics, and 3et the same system was continued. To correct these evils there was no remedy but the multiplication of county asylums. They should also enact that all patients should be sent into the asylum within a given time. Unless they did that, other provisions would be useless, as all the reports showed that the benefits arose from attending to the disease medically before it became confirmed. It was the general opinion of all the medical men that pauper lunatics were sent into the asylums at so late a period of the disease as to prevent, or, at all events, greatly to im pede, a cure. The regi'ters of the Retreat at York, and of several other asylums, proved this fact. From the re gister of one of the asylums in Dorchester, it appeared that of six patients that had been admitted at an early period of the disease, in 1837, five had been cured and dismissed within four months ; and the sixth, although an old woman of 75, was con valescent. At St. Luke's they did not admit patients who had been afflicted more than twelve months, and in 1842 the cures averaged 70 per cent., and in 1843 they were as six to one. He had written to the younger Dr. Sutherland on the subject, and the reply was, that the cures were all permanent ; for if a patient relapsed within three months after his dismissal, he was re-admitted, not as a new patient, but as a relapsed one. He verily believed if they went to the expense of estab lishing asylums throughout the country for pauper lunatics, although the outlay at the beginning might be considerable, that the number of cures that would be effected in ten years would more those compensate far the expenditure. The report of the Commissioners contemplated the erection of a suffi cient number of lunatic asylums throughout the country, and they proposed that until those asylums should be erected certain portions of workhouses should be licensed for the admission of pauper lunatics. He would now call the attention of I the House to the state of Wales with respect to pauper lunatics. In 1843 the number of Welsh pauper lunatics was 1,176. Of these 36 were in English county asylums, 41 in licensed houses in England,9o in union workhouses, and 1,010 living with their friends. Many of these were in a wretched condition. The Noble Lord here read several ex tracts from various documents to show the wretched state in which many of the pauper lunatics in Wales were placed. It might be said that there were good asylums at Bristol and other places, to which the lunatics might be re moved. But in these asylums a cure was almost impossi ble, in consequence of the ignorance among most of the patients of the English language. But wherever the asylums might be, the whole course of their expe perience established the necessity of instituting and maintaining a frequent visitation. By this they were able to bring on them the influence of public opinion, and by notoriety exposing parties to praise or censure. Within the metropolitan districts thus vigil ance had generally been exercised ; but he could not say the same of the provincial districts, unless an exception could be made in some few of the borough asylums. In general this duty had been shame fully neglected. It would be needless for him to detain the House by enumerating facts that spoke for them selves ; for if the parties to whom the duty of visitation had been entrusted had discharged their office with but common vigilance, the Commis sioners would never have been able to have collected such materials for the report that had been laid on the table. He illustrated the good effects of frequent invisitation by adducing the asylum of Dr. Warburton, at Bethnal-green. which was one of the main subjects of the inquiry of the Committee of 1826. There was an original sin in all private asylums, because they must all be made to yield a profit to the keeper. But Dr. War burton had done everything in his power to effect improvements in the management. In 1828 no less than 200 of the patients were frequently restrained by chains and leg-locks; but now out of 582 patients, only five were under restraint, and that of the most moderate and ne cessary description. That was all instance of what mignt be done by supervision and inspection. That House possessed the means of remedy in its own hands. Many persons might be restored to health who were now suffering, and many might have their sufferings alle viated ; for they must not run away with the notion that persons afflicted with lunacy were insensible to suffering. On the contrary, they were painfully sensitive, and their condition, on that account, appealed the more loudly, not only to their highest feelings of justice, but to their humanity and sensibility.—(Hear, hear.) It was a sub ject of the very highest importance, and he, therefore, hoped the House would not consider he had wasted its valuable time, when they called to mind that the motion was made on behalf of the most helpless, if not the most afflicted portion of the human race. The Noble Lord con cluded amidst loud cheers, by moving an address to the Crown, praying her Majesty to take into her considera tion the report of the Metropolitan Commissioners in Lunacy to the Lord Chancellor, and presented to this House by command of her Majesty. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said he was sure he was ex pressing the opinion, not only of the House, but of the country, when he said that his Noble Friend not only stood excused, but was deserving of the highest praise for the pains which he took with regard to this subject. The facts stated by his Noble Friend had shown the utility of the power of inspection, which was given by Act of Parliament a few years ago. His Noble Friend had shown the result of this in the improved manage ment of asylums, when he stated that only five persons out of 520 in one asylum were subject to restraint.— (Hear, hear.) There was no difference of opinion on the leading points to which his Noble Friend had ad verted. It could not be denied that persons who, for the first time, exhibited symptoms of lunacy ought to be subjected to the curative process, nor could it be denied that it was inexpedient that incurables should be mixed with those undergoing the curative process. With regard to the lunatic poor in workhouses, the time was not far distant when the Legislature must in terfere with regard to them. It was evident that the cost of pauper lunatics under cure must be much greater than the cost of the maintenance of paupers in the workhouse. With regard to the class of incurables, he did not imagine that the charge for their maintenance could be much greater than the charge for the maintenance of ordinary pau pers. He was satisfied that both subjects must come under the consideration of the Government in a very short space of time. In the course of the next session the Government would most probably have to submit to the House the whole question of the management of pauper lunatics, Then, with regard to the question of criminal lunatics, he believed that out of 140 criminal lunatics 80 were maintained at the public expense either l i in Bedlam, or in the county lunatic asylums ; and he "as by no means prepared to contend that it might not be proper that all criminal lunatics should be maintained in central establishments at the public expense. That, however, must be a matter for future consideration. Those were the points on which be was favourable to the views of his Noble Friend. There were other points on which he hesitated. The report of the Commissioners contained no less than twenty-five suggestions; they were all of great importance, but before they were adopted great caution and deliberation was necessary. One of those suggestions was as to the compulsory re moval of lunatics, It was impossible to regard the ques• tion abstractedly, and eases might exist in which it would be desirable that secrecy on that point should not be violated ; and therefore he entertained great doubt as to the propriety of doing away with the keeping luna tics in private houses, Then with regard to the institu tion of small asylums there could not be a doubt but that the expense of small asylums must be much greater than the expense of large ones, and the question to be consi dered was, would the advantages to be derived from them be equivalent to the additional expense ? He did not wish to hold out any encouragement to the unnecessary multiplication of small establishments. His Noble Friend might rest assured that he was disposed to offer him every assistance to the utmost of his power, lie had directed the attention of the chairmen of quarter sea. sions to the subject, and he had also directed the atten tion of the Poor-law Commissioners to the subject of pauper lunatics. He was prepared to take the subject under consideration, and he was aware that next session the Government must present some al.=- sure on it to the House. He hoped his Noble Friend would not feel it necessary to press his motion for an ad dress. He could assure his Noble Friend, and the House, that the question should receive from the execu tive Government every consideration that kindness, ha , manity, and enlightened philanthropy could demand; he could assure his Noble Friend that he was not at all dis posed to slumber on the subject; and he hoped, that on the whole, his Noble Friend could not feel it necessary to press his motion. Mr. SHELL hoped the state of the lunatic paupers in Ireland would not be forgotten by the Right Hon. Gen tleman. He had been authentically informed that 300 of them were at present commingled among the people, without care and without restraint—that was a great public calamity, and should be redressed as soon as pos sible.(Hear, hear.) He was very happy to find that the Right Hon. Gentleman was about bringing in a mea sure on the subject, and hoped Ireland would not be for gotten. The Noble Lord deserved the thanks of that House and of the country ; he always exerted himself cheerfully, and on most occasions effectually, and his cheerful, earnest manner was to all good men most gratifying. However Hon. Members might differ politically, they must all admire the motives by which the Noble Lord was actuated, motives which were of the highest and purest kind.—(ffeer, hear, and cheers.) It was more than gratifying to see inch a man, not de scending, but stooping from his high real. to perform virtuous and humane actions, and to confer celebrity and success on the cause in which he engaged.—(Hear.) It must add new nobility to the name of Ashley, and make h um anity and Shaftesbury character;:stic.—(Loud heer) Mr. WAICLEY said the report of the Commissioners contained much valuable matter, and he thought tflat, ns the Government had now ample materials for legisla tion, there was no Peed of a Commitee or further Par liamentary inquiry. He vvas satisfied that the Right Hon. Gentleman felt convinced of the n2cessity of lessis . latton on this subject, and hoped the measure tntsockice4 by the o(everninent would be one of permanent utility. The Right Hon, Gentles:stun seemed to feel fully the force of those recommendations which had been so wisely made as to the difference of treatment between curable and 44- p:11-able lunatics. The Hon. Gentleman then adverted to th-34ct stated by the Commissioners in their report that out of Ws', lunatics in Hanwell, only 30 were curable, and conferred sigh Fec t ige on the manner in which the establishment at Hanwell was ecin4cted. The first THE SUN, LONDON symptom of lunacy, a pain in the head, was among the humbler classes entirely neglected ; and medical aid was seldom resorted to until the insanity became confirmed. He did not hesitate to say, that if a proper and timely course of treatment were resorted to, there would not be more than two-thirds of the present number of confirmed lunatics.—(Hear, hear.) He condemned several pas sages of the Commissioners' report, as tending to create an unfavourable and erroneous opinion of the mode of treatment at Hanwell, and also that part of the report which spoke lightly of that system, and so kindly of the abettors by which and by whom those unfortunate de mented creatures were subjected to the most cruel treat ment. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by expressing a hope that the Government measure would bring under the surveillance of the inspectors those private asylums, in which single lunatics were confined, and who, how ever harshly treated, could not be visited by the inspec tors under the present law. Lord ELIOT, in answer to the question of Mr. Sheil, was understood to say that the provisions of the pro posed measure would be extended to that country ; and that a central asylum would be established for the pauper lunatics there. Mr. WYSE expressed his satisfaction at this informa . tion. Mr. VERNON SMITH wished to say a few words. The manner in which the Noble Lord took up this sub ject did him the highest credit. They were all agreed as to the necessity of early admitting paupers to asylums, but the difficulty was that they had no power of com pelling the relatives of the lunatic to send him to the asylum, and the parish officers did not wish, in that case, to send him to the asylum. He hoped the Government would turn their attention to the nest means of com- pelting the relatives of a lunatic to send him to an asy lum. He agreed with the Noble Lord that they ought to endeavour to prevent the extension of private asylums. He knew that relatives were unwilling to have it known that a relative of theirs was in a state of lunacy ; but if they were more anxious for a cure than for their own private feelings, they would rather send him to a public asylum. He also agreed with the Noble Lord that the lunatic asylums ought to be constructed for a limited number of patients ; but there might be an hospital for incurable patients on a large scale. But considerations of expense met them at every turn of this question, and the treatment of insane persons on the mild principle was attended with greater expense than their treatment on the severe system, and that was one of the reasons why the mild system of treatment was not more generally adopted. But they ought to have an exact definition of what was mild treatment and what was severe treatment, for there was a difference amongst medical men as to what was mild treatment, and the extent to which it ought to be carried. Another point was as to the fit ness of magistrates for visiting lunatic asylums. Now he had no hesitation in saying that physicians and law- yers would be much bette - r fitted for the purpose of vi siting than county magistrates, and this was casting no reflection on the county magistrates, for they were not professionally educated on the subject. This was a mat ter worthy of the attention of Government when they came to legislate on this subject. With regard to the extension of the powers of the Commission he thought that it ought to be extended to Scotland more particularly, as he had lately seen that about 120 lunatics were left rovinc , about at large in the Island of Arran. This ap peared' on the testimony of Dr. Hutchinson, and it was a state of things which ought to be inquired into. With regard to the number of the Commissioners it would be well to consider whether the present number was suffi cient. He was of opinion that paid Commissioners al ways performed their duty better than unpaid Commis sioners ; but on this subject he thought that a sufficient number of persons could be got who would perform the duties of Commissioners gratuitously.—(Laughter.) They would not do so for — fame, for the persons for whom they laboured had no tongues to speak for them selves. But his Noble Friend would not be without his reward; for his efforts on behalf of the persons afflicted with lunacy would bring their own reward. And, in deed, such persons sometimes displayed a sense of grati tude which sane persons would do well to imitate. Mr. S. DAVIS made a few observations that were totally inaudible in the gallery. Mr. HAWES thought that the present was a subject well worthy the attention of the Government, and he was anxious to allude to one or two cases, in order that the Right Hon. Baronet might consider them before he brought the subject forward in the next session. The Hon. Member then proceeded to state several cases in different parts of the country where lunatics were treated with great cruelty, kept in a state of filth, and in many instances flogged till the blood run down their backs. He thought that such a state of things ought not any longer to be allowed to exist, and that some in quiry ought to be instituted on the subject. Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN said that as the evil was of such magnitude, and that a remedy was necessary, he could not see why there should be a year's delay upon the subject. He trusted the Chancellor of the Exche quer would enter upon the work forthwith. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought that some plan ought to be laid before the Government, before they could ask for any grant out of the public money. He took as deep an interest in the subject as any Hon. Member. Sir DENHAM NORREYS did not see why the sub ject should not be considered and decided in the present session. Mr. GREENE denied that there was any idea of su perseding the jurisdiction of local magistrates with re spect to lunatic asylums by the Commission. After some observations from Mr. GROGAN and Mr, MORRIS, Lord ASHLEY said that he felt the greatest gratifica. tion at the ,manner in which his motion had been received and after the assurance of the Right Hon. Baronet, that he would consider the subject in the next session, he should withdraw his motion. The motion was consequently withdrawn. GUERNSEY. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE then rose to make the motion of which he had given notice, for copies of all dispatches and correspondence that have passed between the Go vernment and the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, from the Ist day of April to the present time. He thought there was something due to the people of Guernsey in the shape of explanation. What the people complained of was, that in April and May last, a great force was landed on the island. Now, if ever there were a loyal set of people, he believed it was the inhabitants of Guernsey, and the adjacent islands. He had on a former occasion asked the Right Hon. Baronet whether that force had been sent from any apprehension on the part of the Government, and the Right Hon. Baronet in answer to that question, had stated that he felt it to be his duty to send out the force, in consequence of the re presentations he had received from the Lieutenant-Go vernor of the island. The troops had now been with ' drawn altogether, and he (Mr. Duncmnbe) was induced to believe that the Government had had representations made to them that were totally unfounded on fact, and that, in short, they had been grossly imposed upon. It appeared, that a clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Dobree, made some representations to the Lieutenant-Governor, who communicated it to the Government. By this repre sentation it appeared, that a gentleman named Moulin died at the house of the Rev. Mr. Dobree, making to the rev. gentleman, a confession before his death, to the effect that he had been poisoned by some persons who were confederates with him in a plot to murder the Go vernor, in consequence of his having resolved to reveal the conspiracy. A military force was then dispatched to Guernsey. A post mortem examination of the body of Mr. Moulin had been in the mean time directed, and the surgeons declared that there was no appearance whatever of his having died by poison. An investigation into the circumstances was ordered, and the Royal Court sat for a considerable number of days ; Mr. Dobree was examined, and, since that inquiry, the troops had been withdrawn. But a minor charge of sedition had been brought against three individuals at the instance of the Crown, but they had all three been honourably acquitted by the jury, and the evidence of Mr. Dobree proved to be totally un worthy of credit. It had been the custom of the mili tia of that island to join with the regular troops in celebrating the birthday of her Majesty. But in conse quence of these circumstances the usual celebration did not take place, and the militia felt themselves greatly aggrieved at the want of confidence expressed in them. He thought it was due to them and the inhabitants that the Government should lay every information before the House and the public, by producing any correspondence that had taken place between it and the Lieutenant- Governor with reference to the alleged conspiracy. The papers he should move for were those which related only to the occasion for which the troops were dis patched. It was attended with great expense, which would have to be provided for by the public in the next year's estimates, and even on that ground he thought the House was entitled to ask for these papers. It was, above all, due to the loyal people of that island, in order to allay the ill-feeling the proceeding might have caused among them. He concluded by moving for the produc tion of the correspondence. The question having been put, Sir .TAMES GRAHAM said he was bound to ac knowledge that the Hon. Member had, on a former oc casion, postponed this motion at his request, and he was sorry that he had thought it necessary to bring it forward now. He had stated on more than one occasion that of the loyalty of the great body of the inhabitants of Guernsey and of their attachment to the Crown, there could he no doubt. But unhappily he did believe that a plot was formed against the life of the Governor, which it was intended to carry into execution on the anniversary of her Majesty s birthday, when the militia were assembled. The House was fully aware of the character of General Napier, the Governor ; a man of gtrongpr nerve and firmer mind could not exist, and he was not a person or light grounds to entertain fears of this kind. He had information from the Governor himself about ten days before the anniversary of her Majesty's birthday, that there was strong reason to believe an attempt would be made to carry the object of the conspiracy into effect on that day, and on that official information the troops were sent. But that was hot all. An able legal officer, Mr. Daniel, had been engaged in examining the evidence, and he allowed that it warranted the supposition of the existence of such a plot. It was quite true that no parties had been put upon their trial for it, and' that three persons had oniy ;4c(T tried upon the minor charge of sedition. But he feared that furth legal proceed ings must still take place, and indeed they were still pertdina7. While cases in immediate connection with the administration of justice were thus pending, he thought it would be in the highest degree indiscreet to produce this correspondence, and he hoped therefore that the Hon. Member would not press his motion, or, if it should be pi,eszed, hp should feel it his duty to refuse the papers asked eor. Mr. DUNCOMBE said, if judicial proceedings werft still pending in The island, hp certainly should not press t i 6 taajc,n, as it would be improper to do so. But the Right lion. Baronet would permit him ty say ; tbqi his declaration would cause great grief and dissatisfaction in the island. There was not an individual there on whom the Government could lay its finger in suspicion. It all turned upon this, did the Go'eninent place the slightest credit in the statement of Mr. Dcbree ? Hit did, it was evident from the proceedings of the Royal Court that Mr. Dobree was unworthy of credit. In fact, he ap peared to be more fit for one of those asylums they had been discussing that evening, clan for the position he held in the Church. He was lot only in the habit of saying that there was a plot to shoot the Governor, but that there was a plot to shoot Limself. They only had his word for the confession he mid he had received from Mr. Moulin. He was in the habit of shutting himself up in the church, nailing down the windows, and pass ing the night there. He would also wrap the union jack round the pulpit, and then say he had no fear, as he was under the protection of the British flag. He did not be lieve there was the slightest foundation for the supposi tion of a conspiracy. Sir J. GRAHAM said the Hon. Gentleman assumed that the Government rested wholly on the statement of the reverend gentleman he had mentioned. But the fact was not so. It relied in the first instance on the deli- berate opinion of the Lieutenant-Governor, General Napier, and further, on the additional evidence that had . - been submitted to him, and sifted by Mr. Daniel. • Mr. HUME regretted the declaration that had been made by the Right Hon. Secretary of State. He thought that General Napier was under a delusion, and had taken the statement of Mr. Dobree a 2 well founded. The loyal people of Guernsey ought not to suffer from the con tinuation of such a charge. Sir J. GRAHAM said he did not entertain the slight est doubt of the loyalty of the great majority of the in habitants, but he did believe that in some small body of them such a plot was formed. Mr. AGLIONBY said the misfortune of such dis- cussions as these was, that they produced unsatisfactory statements on both sides. If any proceedings were pend ing, it was of great importance that they should be expedited. The motion was then withdrawn. QUARANTINE LAWS. Dr. BOWRING then brought forward his motion, calling the attention of the House to the state of the quarantine laws, and the necessity and security of great modifications therein. He said he did not bring forward the subject in any angry or bitter feeling towards the Government ; and proceeded to state that the regulations ox this sabject had existed for four hundred years, as they dated from the year 1440 ; the amount of human misery and suffering they had caused since that time was inconceivable. The present quarantine law of this country was the 6th of Geo. IV. c. 6 1 3, which imposed the severest penalties on the - masters of vessels not com plying with the requlations of the Act. The regulations respecting this matter were very stringent, and, as he thought, unnecessarily so. It had been proved that the plague was not latent in the human body for more than fifteen days at the utmost. Any Hon. Gentleman who had visited the Ottoman empire must have seen that so far from a stringent system of quarantine stopping the spread of the plague, the lazarettos were the means of extending it. The plegue, like most other pestilential and dangerous diseases, owed its intensity to the same accessories as other diseases, namely, to a want of drainage, ventilation, &c. When he was in Egypt his attention was called to the fact that in the places where the plague broke out with the most violence, on the removal of the persons afflicted to the open desert, it almost immediately ceased. In many parts of Egypt the plague was not found at all. Our quarantine regulations were based on a strange principle. Articles which were liable to quarantine were divided into two classes—susceptible and nonsusceptible. Of these which were deemed susceptible, woollen, silk, cotton, linen, and paper were the principal. ' Now, some time ago he had moved for a return of the number of persons who had died on board our lazzarettos in conse quence of handling such articles as those he had men tioned. That return was nil, and yet we still main tained a strict and severe system of quarantine laws, which were not beneficial, and which would never have the effect of checking the spread of disease, but, on the contrary, were calculated to increase it, The mainte nance of this system of quarantine laws was only a sub mission to an old prejudice which, he believed, would, in a few years pass away, as the belief in witchcraft had done before. As long ago as 1720, Dr. Brown, in his controversy with Dr. Mead, challenged him to state a single case in which plague would be communicated by merchan dise. The Hon. Member then referred to other authori ties in support of the same view. It was notorious that when a plague in the East had ceased, the garments of those who had been infected were sold in the public bazaars ; and in no case he believed did they fetch less than other clothes on account of that circumstance. A great number of plague garments had been introduced even into this country, but no evil consequences had fol lowed from it.--(Hear, hear.) There were regulations of all kinds with regard to plague, but those which most affected them were sea regulations. After a long pas sage, a vessel was delivered over to quarantine, and a great and inconvenient delay occurred. There were no countries where there was a greater trade in contraband goods than those who were subject to the plague ; and very fre quently the quarantine regulations were made the in strument of carrying on smuggling. The introduction of quarantines in the East had had no effect in pre venting plagues. It would be wearisome to repeat the idle stories which were circulated as to the contagious ness of plague ; such as that isolated houses were at- tacked, and all the inhabitants died in consequence. The simple fact was, that if the system were not connected with certain pecuniary interests, it would long ago have been abolished. The Hon. Member concluded by moving a resolution as to the necessity of urging on foreign Go vernments increased relaxation in their laws of qua rantine. Mr. GLADSTONE said there was not enough in con troversy between himself and the Hon. and Learned Gentleman to make it necessary that he should oc cupy a great deal of time. The resolution called on the House to recommend that foreign Governments should proceed with relaxations of the quarantine system. This was only consistent with the course which the Government had hitherto pursued. They had taken two steps—one was to introduce into their own ports all the relaxation which they thought expedient, and the other was to renew the attempt of their predecessors to induce foreign Powers to pursue a similar course. It did not necessarily follow that they should give full scope to the opinions which they entertained on this subject, lest the effect should be to produce a reaction on the part of foreign Powers, and to pro. yoke them to impose new restrictions on trade.—(Hear.) They had not yet arrived at a state of things in which anything like unanimity could be said to prevail upon the great . question whether or not plague was communicable by contagion. The majority of opinions still inclined to the affirmative. But then, on the other hand, all the relaxations hitherto made had been found safe and satisfactory in their operation, and this encouraged them to persevere in applyin g t h e pr i nc i ple o f f ree d om f rom res triction. With r es p ect to the system of quarant i ne which prevailed in this country, a very important relaxa tion had been introduced by her Majesty's Government in the exercise of the powers of the Act of George the Third ; the Order in Council having been pub lished in September la s t, w hi c h ma t eria lly reduc e d the time for which s hi ps, b ot h as regar d e d car goes and persons, were required to undergo qua rantine. At present our system of quarantine was less strict than that of the other great Mediterra nean Powers. With regard to ships having clean bills of health, the present regulation of the United Kingdom was that goods underwent a quarantine of fifteen days and persons five; for suspected bills, goods from twenty five to thirty days, and persons eight. In the Austrian ports, ships with clean bills underwent a quarantine of twenty-one days for cargoes, for persons ten ; suspected bills, cargoes twenty-two days, persons eighteen ; foul bills, cargoes twenty-two, persons twenty-eight. This country had invited France and Austria to a congress on the subject, and had received from both a favourable reply. Some delay would necessarily take place before any definitive step could be taken ; but he was sanguine in the hope that, before Parliament met again, it might be in their power to adopt some measure for the purpose of bringing the representatives of those great Powers into conference with those of this country on the subject of the further relaxation of the quarantine laws. He was not aware that he could state any more on that part of the subject. The Government was fully alive to its importance, but they were of opinion that more would be lost than would be gained by the adoption of any precipitate step. Mr. HUME was sure the country would be gratified by the communication of the Right Hon. Gentleman. He had regretted that no step had been taken on this subject in 1814, but he thought the evidence in favour of relaxation which could be produced before the Con gress was much stronger now than it could have been then. He recollected that when Sir Thomas Maitland had relaxed the quarantine regulations much greater re strictions had been placed upon our shipping in Italian ports in consequence, and he thought the Right Hon. Gentleman was right in not being too precipitate. He approved of the conduct of the Government, and believed they had done everything that could be done. The motion was then agreed to. PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. Dr. BOWRING postponed the motion of which he had given notice, on the subject of the public accounts, until next session. RECIPROCITY TREATY WITH RUSSIA. Mr. WAWN moved for a statement of the equiva lent advantages, if any, which have been granted to British navigation by the Russian Government, in COB' sideration of the exemptions conceded by her Majesty's Government to Russian ships, by the second separate article of the treaty of St. Petersburgh, of the 11th day of January, 1843, which reserves to Russian vessels " the exemption from navigation dues during the first three years, which is enjoyed by vessels built in Russia, and belonging to Russian sulljects." The advantages conceded by that article of the treaty to Russia, gave Russian shipowners a great advantage over English shipowners—an advantage equivalent at least to five per British ship entering a Russian port was plocpd under many disadvantages. The ship's provisions were all placed under seal, and the captain was not allowed to use his own provisions without a license from the autho rities. If he applied to his Consul for a remedy, the Consul told him that he could afford him no relief i whereas, if a Russian captain complained to his Consul in a British port of any grievanee, immediate redress was afforded him. He wished to ask what advantages wcre given by the treaty to British ships which Russian slips 'did ne t t enjoy, which could be considered as an equivalent to the advantages thus given to Riisian ships ? Mr. GLADSTONE thought the Ron. Gentleman could not be much in the habit of examining treaties of navigation between different countries, and their modes of operation, or he would not have been surprised at this prixticular case ; and he would advise Of; Hop. Gu f tlo tnan not to provoke others to too close and prying Li in v'eStig'afieri of these treatieS. ' He I'vbuld 'note go into the particulars of our navigation laws, but 'Would at once answer the lion. Gentieni4als i t uestiou. it ii d boea the custom, in making treaties with other countries, tIP; im - sreantita marine )f which was not in so advanced a state as our own, to admit .of cer tain relaxations, which we did not claimfor ottrselves for instance in the treaties with many of the South Ame rican States, while no vessels could claim from them the reciprocity granted to vessels under the Biita unless they were owned and navigated in conformity with the navigation laws, the benefits of the reciprocity were al lowed to vessels belonging to those States, in British ports, although it might not be owned and navigated ac cording to the navigation laws. This showed that it was no new practice. Now, with regard to-the question, he would at once state that an advantage was conceded to British vessels which Russian vessels did not possess, and which was an equivalent for those advantages to which the Hon. Gentleman alluded. Russia granted to us, that British vessels coming from third countries, and entering Russian ports, should be treated if they came from British ports. Now that, he consi • dered, was more than a counteracting advantage to the exemption from dues for the first three years. If that exemption had been granted to Denmark, Sweden, Hol land, or any country nearly on a level with ourselves in point of maritime power, the advantage would have been a great one, but it was not in this instance more than a counterpoise for the advantages granted to us. With re gard to the grievances of British shipowners in Russian ports—if those grievances were represented to the Go vernment—and it should turn out that they were deviators from the treaty, the British Government would make representations to the Russian Government on the' sub ject. No such complaints, however, had been made. There was a case relating to the Customs dues on her- rings, in which it was alleged that greater advantages were given to Norway and Denmark than were given to England, which was at present the subject of negotia tion between the two Governments. He was not aware, with respect to the navigation treaty, that the Russian Government had given any cause of complaint, and he could not accede to the motion. Mr. HUTT thought that the admitting British vessels from third ports on the same footing as those from Bri tish ports might be considered as an equivalent. With regard to the other subject, he could assure the Right Hon. Gentleman that the grievance existed, and he had no doubt but that he would have kis attention called to it next session. Mr. HUME was of opinion that by the treaty we had the means of obtaining redress of the grievances com plained of. He was glad to hear of the Right Hon. Gen tleman speak of herrings, and he hoped our exporters would be relieved from the burden of these dues without delay. Mr. GLADSTONE had no cause to complain of delay on the part of the Russian Government. It was only six weeks ago that he himself had received the com plaints of the herring exporters. Mr. WAWN then withdrew his motion. CASE OF MR. O'DRISCOLL. Mr. ROSS moved that " an humble address be pre sented to her Majesty, praying for the removal of Mr. Alexander O'Driscoll from the Commission of the peace." It was very distasteful to his feelings to appear before that House as a public accuser, to impugn a man for whom he entertained in general the greatest respect. It was an unenviable task to be called upon to accuse a gentleman far advanced in years, infirm in health, and subject to a malady which, beyond all others, was cal culated to cloud the intellect and injure the temper. These defects were considered sufficient cause for his dismissal, and they still remained.—(Hear, hear.) Of Mr. O'Driscoll he (Mr. Rbss) knew nothing until his connection with these circumstances, and he hoped the House would do him the justice to believe that no con sideration of a party nature would induce him to prefer a charge against an innocent man, or one whose guilt was even a matter of doubt. The Noble Lord opposite (Lord Eliot) had, on a previous occasion, rebuked him (Mr. Ross) because he ventured to say the conduct of Mr. O'Driscoll towards his fellow-magistrates was insolent, and his treatment of the Sullivans tyrannical ; but he sat down without convincing the House that the conduct of Mr. O'Driscoll towards the Sullivans, Dempsey, and Dineen was in the highest degree tyrannical. A man named Dineen, in the first instance, complained to the Lord Chancellor under these circumstances :—A person named Sullivan, a tenant of Mr. O'Driscoll's, had fallen into a small arrear of rent, half-a-year's, for which he had passed his bill to Mr. O'Driscoll. Another half-year had not quite fallen duewhen Hurley, Mr. O'Driscoll's driver, entered poor Sullivan's farm, and distrained everything upon it—the cow, the ass, and even the potatoes ; yes, even the very potatoes upon which the wretched family depended, and which, according to the testimony of Hurley, they were afterwards obliged to steal. But, what was the fact at the very time O'Driscoll's driver had made this seizure on poor Sullivan ?—he had actually the money for the bill in his pocket. Sullivan's 13;11 was cashed for O'Driscoll, at the bank, the other half-year's rent was not due, and yet this cruel distraint was made. Sullivan was thrown on the world a house less and a desperate man. In the distraint the cows of poor Dineen, which chanced to have been in Sullivan's farm, were driven away too. Dineen applied for them, but was refused. A rescue took place, which Dineen did all in his power to prevent, but Mr. O'Driscoll, conceiving that Dineen was instru mental in it, summoned him to his own house. The Bible was put into his hand ; but he refused to disclose the names of those who were engaged in the rescue. He was sent before another magistrate, but persisted in his refusal. The magistrate, without warrant or com mitment, had him incarcerated in the county gaol. Poor Dineen, after having lain for four days in prison, was brought before the bench of magistrates, who again committed him for persevering in his refusal. Soon after the case of Dineen was laid before the Lord Chan cellor another case against Mr. O'Driscoll occurred, and that was the case of the boy Dempsey. Mr. O'Driscoll was out hunting, and hearing a shot fired, supposed that poachers were on his land. He saw two or three little boys, who, on his riding towards them, ran away. He pursued one of the boys to the house of a poor woman, the boy having taken refuge therein. Mr. O'Driscoll got the boy out, and inflicted a severe castigation upon him. The case was brought before Mr. O'Driscoll's fibrotherieted afine magistrates, neenmr. who, having 40s. Upon h c e h a a r r i g n e g , in the decision of the bench, Mr. O'Driscoll said that he had been unjustly dealt with, and that, if it had been t a h n a y n other sa! pe U rson th t i h a e e o fi a n f e a s w i n o a u a l d r shea b in een n n u o r t t , m a o n r d e the magistrates remonstrated with Mr. O'Driscoll, who refused to apologise to the court until he was advised to do so by a friend, and he then reluctantly apologised. In consequence of this the Lord Chancellor very pro perly removed him from the bench. Some months rolled on, and, upon a memorial being addressed to the Lord Chancellor, Mr. o,Driscoll was reinstated to the bench. These were dangerous times in which to tamper with the administration of justice in Ireland. The Government, however, seemed desirous of promoting those who were the most unpopular in Ireland. On a late ocecasion they had advanced a Mr. O'Brien to the bench, who was most obnoxious in Ireland, in conse quence of his virulent attacks upon the person who was the idol of the people of that country. Mr. D. BROWN seconded the motion. Was the re storation of Mr. O'Driscoll calculated to give peace to Ireland or satisfaction to any well-thinking individual, whatever his politics might be? It had been said by the Government thatahey intended to govern Ireland on the principles of conciliation. Was the restoration of Mr. O'Driscoll calculated to produce such conciliation? The people of Ireland had justly come to the conclusion, from the violence of the acts of Mr. O'Driseoll, that he was mad, and that he was restored to the bench either as a criminal or madman.—(Hear, hear.) They had been told in another place that that House had no right to in terfere with the act of the Lord Chancellor o! Ireland as it was a judicial act. Now he would venture to say that it was no such thing, but that it was a ministerial act and one with which that House had a right to deal. Lord ELIOT was very far from denying that there were cases under which that House would address the Crown to remove magistrates and justices of the peace ; but ,he thought when a Member of that House called upon it to interfere with the prerogative of the Crown, exercised by its highest officer, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, he should be able to show that it had been ex ercised improperly or corruptly. He believed that those who knew his Right Hon. Friend, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, would admit that in no instance he had acted without mature deliberation, and that it was quite im possible that he could be actuated by unjust motives. He did not intend to be the apologist of Mr. O'Driscoll ; on the contrary he thought that the acts for which he was removed from the bench were highly blameable.— (Hear, hear.) But, having admitted that, the Hon. Member would permit him a little to soften the colour ing of the picture that had been painted to them, and he would allow him to sate the facts, as they appeared to have been, from these papers. He should not go into the case of the Sullivans, because that was not brought before the Lord Chancellor. With respect to the case of the boy Dempsey, he did not mean to defend the con duct of Mr. O'Driscoll; he thought he was perfectly un justifiable in striking and beating the boy ; but he ap peared to have been much provoked, and it did not seem to have been a very aggravated assault. The boy himself did not wish to prefer any complaint, nor were there any bruises or blood, or any appearance of his having been severely beaten.---(lronical cheers.) Surely the feelings of Bon. Gentleman would not influence them so far as to make them draw no dis tinction. It appeared from the evidence that he struck the boy two or three blows on the body with his whip, but Mr. O'Driscoll himself declared on his word of honour as a gentleman, that he only struck him once. This charge was beard before the magistrates, and Mr. O'Driscoll was fined 40s. against which he re monstrated in very unbecoming terms.—(Hear, hear.) But it should be remembered that he afterwards apolo gised for it, and though it had been stated that he did so in an ungracious Teener, yet that apology was received by his brother magistrates, and they were among the persons who signed the memorial to th e Lot--Lieu tenant for his restoration. Upon the whole of this case the Lord Chancellor of Ireland did think it his duty to remove Mr. O'Driscoll from the bench, but he did not think the Hon. Gentleman had stated altogether fairly what had occurred. The Lord Chancellor expressly said that it was upon the whole of the case taken to gether that he displaced him, alleging that, " at pre sent," Mr. O'Discroll did not appear to have sufficient command of his temper to retain a seat on the bench. He stated he was advanced in years, and had recently been in bad health; he therefore thought it Advisable that he should retire. Things stood thus from November till the month of June, when the memorial praying for his restoration was presented, the memorialists aller,mg that Mr. O'Driscoll was Clew strong and active, and as sound in his uaderstanding as they had ever known him. Mr. O'Driscoll was a gentleman entirely unconnected with a gentlemanwethy l o i r rin p g ow n, :rful family ; neverthelees was ire his estate; and who dispensed hospitality to hiS neigbbours liberally. He had been a niagistrate for thirty yar4, and his integritY had =AMA' been impugned, Mr. MORE n'IrpRRALL thought the Noble Lord had not shOwn a single ground for the restoration of Mr. O'Driscoll. The Noble Lord doubtless wished to throw the responsibility of that step upon the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He (Mr. M. O'Ferrall), would say that no man had ever held office in Ireland who was more entitled to respect and confidence than the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. But it must be recollected that the Lord Chancellor went to Ireland with English notions. He looked upon the magistracy of that country in the same light as the magistracy in this. Every Irishman, however, knew that from the magis tracy of Ireland had arisen many of those crimes'which Parliament was called on every year to repress. He (Mr. O'F.) would venture to say that there was no Hon. Gentleman sitting on the other side of the House, look ing to the bearing of this case on the administration of justice in Ireland, who would say that the Noble Lord had shown good grounds for the restoration of Mr. O'Driscoll. He (Mr. O'Ferrall) had often been asked what was the cause of the existing state of Ireland. His answer to this inquiry would be, take the case of Mr. O'Driscoll as a portion of that cause. It was this sort of thing that cause combinations and the use of unlawful oaths. The peasantry bound them selves together as the only means of resisting tyranny. Such cases as that of Dineen and Sullivan, were common all over Ireland, and hence arose illegal combinations. A Government that wished to do away with illegal com binations would do away with its causes. They would enforce the laws vigorously and properly equally in the case of the rich and the poor.—(Hear, hear.) Had the Noble Lord shown any mitigating circumstances in the case of Mr. O'Driscoll he would not have pressed hard upon an individual arrived at such an advanced stage of life ; but he had not done so. What did his friends the Conservatives say of him ? Why, that though a Roman Catholic, he was a loyal man.—(" Hear, hear," from the Opposition.) Why a person who would seek such support as that would be the basest of men. The words were, " Though a Roman Catholic, never con cealing nor affecting to conceal his sentiments, he was nevertheless looked upon by those of his own creed and others as a man of unswerving rectitude." They had no reason to regret their reliance on his rectitude, since it had always been shown by enforcing the laws most severely against Roman Catholics.—(Hear, hear.) Sir J. GRAHAM said he was anxious to address a few words to the House on this subject. In the first place, he begged to remark that they were not then trying the question whether Mr. O'Driscoll was a good or a bad landlord ; neither were they then trying the ques tion what were his religion and politics. The question then under discussion lay in a very narrow compass. He agreed that theconduct which led to Mr.:o'Driscoll's removal from the commission of the peace was, in the main, indefensible. He thought that both with reference to the committal of a person without a warrant, in whose case ho had a personal interest, and still more in speaking in discourteous terms of the sentence of the bench; the Lord Chancellor had acted wisely in dismissing him from the commission. —(Hear, hear.) But now he begged the House to consider that the removal of a ma gistrate from the bench in Ireland might be of a two foldcharacter—it might either be judicial, with reference to his conduct as a magistrate, or it might be ministerial, After having had the advantages of personal intercourse with the Lord Chancellor, he was able to state that his decision was entirely judicial. He entirely sympathised in the compliments which had been paid to his Right Hon. Friend Sir Edward Sugden. He thought he might apply to him the lines of one of our poets in reference to a judge of his own day In Israel's courts ne'er sat an Abethdin, With more discerning eyes or hands more clean; Unbribed, unsought, the wretched to redress, Swift to dispatch, and easy of access." This he held to be a just and correct description of the character of Sir Edward Sugden. He was sure a more just or able judge never presided. Now, he said again, that in this matter Sir Edward Sugden acted judicially, and he assured him (Sir J. Graham) his duty was never performed with more doubt, pain, or hesitation, than in the removal of Mr. O'Driscoll. He said that if he had considered any one of the acts which were indefen sible singly he should not have thought his removal justified; but that taking all the cases collectively, he thought his removal necessary. This gentleman bcire an unsullied private character, although he had been visited with displeasure on account of some violent, intemperate acts, and disgrace having been once in flicted, he did not see why it should be co-extensive with life. He thought that, considering all the circumstances of the case, the House ought to hesitate before it passed its sentence upon the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. He considered it of the highest importance to conciliate the affections of the people of Ireland towards the adminis tration of justicsein that country ; and he was also of opinion that this question was not unworthy the atten tion of the House.—(Hear, hear.) It was right that the Government should be put upon its defence for restoring a magistrate under such circumstances.—(Hear, hear.) He felt satisfied in his conscience that the Lord Chan cellor had not acted improperly, and he should oppose this motion, believing, as he did, that it was intended as a vote of censure upon the Lord Chancellor's conduct.— (Hear, hear.) He could not as a member of the Go vernment shrink from the responsibility of this act of the Lord Chancellor, for, after having given the matter the fullest investigation and consideration, he was pre pared to adopt that act.—(Cheers.) On the whole, he thought that the removal of Mr. Driscoll from the com mission of the peace in the first instance was right, and after he had suffered his punishment, and, after the representations which had been made in his favour, he was equally of opinion that the Lord Chancellor was justified in restoring him.—(Hear, hear.) Mr SHELL said that the Right Hon. Gentlema the Secretary of State for the Home Department, had ex pressed his most high and .extreme solicitude for the impartial administration of justice in Ireland. He would not dispute the sincerity of the Right Hon. Gentleman's professions ; but he regretted that the Right Hon. Gentleman had not adopted a more effica cious mode of giving expression to his solicitude.— (Hear, hear.) Neither had the Right Hon. Gentleman been peculiarly felicitous in his reference to Dryden's description of an eminent judge. No doubt, Ashley Cooper had been a most incorruptible judge, but he was also a most incomprehensible politician, and the man of all others the worst who could have been permitted to interfere with the appointment of magistrates, had such been a portion of the duties of Lord Chancellors in his time.—(Hear, hear.) But it appeared that, in dismissing Mr. O'Driscoll, the Lord Chancellor had not acted in his political capacity—he had acted in his judicial capacity. In what capacity had he acted when he dismised the repeal magistrates ?—(Cheers.) Was it in his political or in his judicial capacity that the Lord Chancellor had removed his Hon. Friend the Member for Mayo, his Hon. Friend the Member tier Kerry, and Mr. Roche, the Member for Cork ?—(Loud cheers.) Why had they been dismissed ? Not for attending monster mpetings— oh, no !—(Loud cheers)—hut for attending dinners to protest against the packing of a Protestant J ' fury,—(Loud cheers.) Oh ! but, said the Right Hon, Gentleman, he was not acting in his political capacity in dismissing Mr. O'Driscoll ; that case had nothing to do with politics. Why, in its results, it was entirely politi ca l. What did they say to the political part of the question when Mr. O'Driscoll set forth in his memorial that, although he was a Catholic, he was a Conservative ?—when he gave a prominence to the fact of his being a Conservative, and stated that h e had refused to stand for the county, although the Bishop had offered it him, as if the Bishop held the keys of the county as well:as the keys of St. Peter?— (Cheers and laughter.) He had refused—(Renewed cheering)—" even though a Catholic."—(Cheers.) It was said that in this case the Lord Chancellor had acted in his judicial, and not in his ministerial, by which was meant his political, capacity. Now it had been often said that the political and the judicial capacities of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland were so indistinct that it was to be wished that they were separated ; and certainly no set of functions could be more dissimilar. The Lord Chancellor was in general a great lawyer, but the sphere of his vision was confined to the horizon of a con veyancer's office, and when he launched upon the Irish sea of political agitation he steered his course by the scintilla juris, the light of lawyers.—(Cheers.) And accordingly they found that the Lord Chancellor, although an admirable judge, and in that capacity de serving of the highest praise, exhibiting on the bench a great knowledge of the law and a passion for justice, yet they no sooner find him appearing in his political capacity than he,_ who as a judge was temp era t e , j u di c i ous , an d for tunate, became as a politician precipitate, inconsistent, and ominous. —(Loud cheers,) He was surprised that the conduct of Mr. O'Driscoll should be palliated by that Government by which the Landlord and Tenant Com mission had been issued. Oh 1 but it was said the conduct'of O'Driscoll as a landlord was nothing to the purpose. Why, if' they were not bound to remove him from the commission of the peace, as a bad landlord, when the Chancellor came to take a retrospect, and to consider the propriety of restoring him, ought he not to have asked himself—shall I entrust this man with the administration of justice between landlord and tenant ? —(Cheers.) Now, what was the case of O'Driscoll as a landlord ? The Secretary of State for the Home De partment admitted that his conduct was indefensible, and yet when he said that his conduct was indefensible, he could urge nothing in extenuation of it, though he entirely approved of the conduct of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and adopted his acts.—(Loud cheers.) lie adopted a measure which he said he could not defend. — (Loud cheers.) But what was the conduct of O'Dris coil as a landlord ? He seized Sullivan's potatoes. Ba the law of the laud a smith cannot be deprived of his anvil, nor a labourer of his plough—he Could not be deprived of his means of living ; yet by the law of Ireland the landlord might dry up the esculent on which the man's family de pended for existence. That might be just in law, but was it not a circumstance to be considered in restoring him to the magistracy? What did he do with regard to O'Sullivan? He took the man into his own parlour, put the Bible into his hand--and what hap pened? Oh, said the Noble Lord, it was, not Mr. O'Driscoll, it was Mr. Galway who committed him. Miserable subterfuge !—(Loud cheers.) It was not de nied that O'Driscoll accompanied the man to, Galway's house, and personally committed him to Bridewell, anti that without a warrant.—(Cheers.) Lord ELIOT—No, no. Mr. SHELL—Am I not right ?—(Cries of "Yes, Les.") I knew I was ! Ido not w on d er that the Noble ord wishes to interrupt me ! The Hon. Gentleman continued—lt was not denied that O'Driscoll, having the mialißy for the rent in his pocket, had distrained for that rent and deprived Sullivan's children of their meal,— (Loud cheers.) Pending these transactions the affair of the bay tools place. The Noble Lord said that the bey was disturbing the sport and had fired at a hare. Lord ELIOT—NO, nQ i Mr. SHEIL—,That was no matter—(lronical cheers) —044 he would tell them why it was no matter, Be cause, it appeared from the memorial that both men and boys were present, and that a shot was fired, O'pris cog did not NiColy a man and attempt to strike him ; if )1e had done so ; l trusted the man would have struck huti i 0 the earth—(Loud cheers)—but he followed a boy. The boy ran into his mother's house and crept under a bed ; O'Driscoll ordered him to be brought out. The woman dreaded to disobey. O'Driscoll went in to drag him out, and how did he do it ? He put the coil r /7 . LIFULI sfft ~~? ` 0: • • ;• A . '. f tZ - Pi es _„, "; . • • 0! ,tr:4%e7 • of his whip round the boys neck, dragged hi nt ' to the threshold of the door, and then this-scene trod; r i ace : The- woman . entreated for mercy the boy NI on his knees , and asked for pardon, N‘ O'Driseoll raised his unmanly hand and applied the lash. The witness. Rogers confirmed the statement cif the boy. Then took place the gladiatorial scene before the tungis trates. Nett came the case of Dineen—the commit ment of Dineen by O'Driscoll. Then the savage assault on the boy; and then that O'Trigger scene took place at Skibbereen. Those were the facts which had been submitted to the Lord Chancellor, and the Lord Chan cellor decided on dismissing him—for what?—for ill health. And now he had shown them the miserable inconsistency between the statement made in the memo rial, and which had been so much relied upon, but which was now altogether abandoned. When the Lord Chan cellor said he removed him on account of ill-health— " Go( d God," said Mr. O'Driscoll, " I never was so well in all my life."—(Hear, hear, laughter, and great cheering)—and he exclaimed—" What a triumph will my dismissal be to those who have been long con spiring against me. lam old (the Right Hon. Gentle. man read from the memorial), but I am strong in body and in intellect. I am in good healt—(Hear, hear)—thanks to God for it." The apothecary of Skibbereen had nothing whatever to do with him.— (Laughter and cheers.) The Lord Chancellor insisted on his being ill. Mr. O'Driscoll insisted that he was well—the Lord Chancellor ultimately discovered that he was restored to health—(Laughter, and cries of " Hear, hear")—restored to health, which O'Driscoll said he never lost.—(Renewed laughter, and cries of "Hear, hear.") What was the case made out for O'Driscoll by himself He said he only flogged a poaching:urchin.--(Laughter, and cries of "Hear, hear " with a mark of di ssent from Lord Eliot.) Am I right—are not these his words (Hear, hear.) O'Driscoll went on to say that he met. a parcel of fellows looking for game, and gave one of them a cut of the thong of his whip. Resubmitted to the bench that for so slight a breach of the law he ought to be but slightly punished ; but his Lordship, the Chairman, after a high-flown display of eloquence, whom, by the bye, he challenged, sent him a three-cor nered note—(Great laughter)—fined him a poem!, and a pound costs. English gentlemen were fond of sport, but he hoped no English gentleman would carry it to such an extent, or would act with the same ferocity with which, alas ! Mr. O'Driscoll had acted. By whom was the memorial signed ? By the Catholic bishop and the priest. By the friends and as sociates of those whom Mr. O'Driscoll had so grossly maltreated ? No ; oh. no. This "deed without a name"— (Loud cries of " Hear, hear")—it had no such signatures. Two Whig Lords—Lord Kingston and Lord Rwersdale; - whO lived at a distance of thirty miles of Skibbereen. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL—Fifty miles Mr. SHELL—Yes, fifty miles ; who had, in all pro- bability, never seen Mr. O'Driscoll in their lives, and who, perhaps knew nothing whatever about him, and who were ignorant of the feelings of the people whom O'Driscoll had outraged these were the persons who signed the memorial. Tell me, you (continued the Right Hon. Gentleman), who are so solicitous for the pure, unsullied administration of justice in Ireland, what must be the feelings of the p eo pl e o f S h ib bereen when they see this feelings for potatoes, this op pressor of the poor,. • this flagellator of boys, placed again on the bench? (Laughter.) ph ! Hon. Gentlemen might laugh, but it was no laughing matter at Skibbereen .What must be their feelings when they saw this gentleman, who had outraged the dignity of the bench, and from which he was precipitated, again restored to that bench ? And for what ? Ah ! all their efforts for the tranquillisation of Ireland were nullified. Those fine professions in reference to the administration of justice were belied by their own deeds. —(Loud cries of Hear, _hear.") lf they saw a man in authority in Ireland committing an act against principle, they threw over him the shield of official protection. Mr. ROSS shortly replied, and Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and the House divided. The numbers were-;- For the motion Against . 59 92 - Majority against the motion —33 REVENUE INQUIRY. Mr. DUNCOMBE made his motion for the printing of the additional evidence taken before the Commis sioners of Revenue Inquiry. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sug gested that the Hon. Member should alter his motion so as to require only 658 copies to be printed for the use of Members only. Mr. DUNCOMBE said that would make his motion a very absurd one, but in obedience to the Chancellor of the Exchequer he would move it ; as h e was sure t h e public would read it just the same as if they printed sixty thousand.—Agreed to. NAVAL MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. Colonel FOX then moved for copies of all correspon dence between the head of the naval medical department, Sir William Burnett, and the head of the medical de partment of the army, Sir James M`Gregor, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on the subject of the charter lately granted to the Royal Col lege of Surgeons, and the manner it affects the affairs of their respective services. The motion, amended at the suggestion of Sir Jamea Graham, was then agreed to. The other orders of the clay having been disposed of, the House adjourned at one o'clock. It is said that the Vicar of Ilford, the Rev. rolliott Baugh, whose Tractarian vagaries have been matter or painful notoriety, has been appointed to an important post in the Charter House, the patronage of which chiefly rests with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London !—Oxford Chronicle. Southampton Regatta is fixed to take place early in August next, under the auspices of the 'loyal South ern Yacht Club.—Hants Telegraph. THE `BATHER.—Delightful harvest weather pre vailed throughout Monday. The sun shone with brilliancy, accompanied with a light breeze from about S.S.W. The temperature was unusually high, the thermometer, at noon, at the Dock Master's Office, St. Katherine's, having stood at. 71 degrees in the shade. Happily no rain fell, and such weather cannot fail to bring the crops speedily to matiAritv. We understand that upwards of sixty cadet ap pointments, consequent on the increase of the Artillery at the several establishments of India, are to be distributed amongst those candidates who can pass an examination that will be ' laid down by the Court of Directors.—Naval end Military Gazette. ODD FELLOWS.—The growing importance of this body is not generally understood. At the Selby anniversary last week, where Dr. Hook, of Leeds, preached, himself s brother and warm friend of the order, it was stated after dinner, in his presence and with his concurrence, that the funds of the order consisted of upwards of one million of money I—the supposed income 230,0001. The increase of members for the last year had been 25,000. PAINFUL ACCIDENT.—A very . serious accident • occurred to the High Sheriff of Carlow county, Sir Robert J. Paul, on Monday, by which it was considered for a time that his life was placed in imminent danger. He went to shoot rabbits at Brown's -hill, where he was on a visit ; and after some thne spent in this amusementwith a double-barrelled gun, he was reloading one of the barrels, when the other, which was loaded, exploded, and lodged the contents in his right hand, dreadfully shattering two of his fingers. Dr. Rawson, of Carlow, was in attendance a short time after, and removed a joint off the thumb, and the entire fore-finger. He sustained some injury in the cheek,-but is entirely out of danger, and going on well. THE HARVEST.—The harvest commenced on Tues day last, in the parish of St. Stephen's, in Branwell, when. Mr. John Brokeastraw, reaped a field of wheat; and on the same day, Mr: Morning, of St. Clement's, cut some exteed higly ne wheat , yielding 16 Cornish bushels to the acre. l i ar. "James Roberts, of Polwheverel, Constantine, began harvest by cutting nearly the whole of a field of barley an Monday week. The kerning is very good and the crop mato, about an average one.—Devonport Independent. " POACHERS BEWARE.' —A resident at Appeville- Annebault, in the Calvados, suspecting his wife, 'although fifty-five years of age, of being engaged us a criminal connec tion with a man in the neighbourhood, returned one evening last week, and not finding her, got up into a tree with his gun, to watch her coming. After waiting for three hours, he perceived her and the man walking together. He waited until they drew near, and then fired at the man, and shot him dead. On the following day he gave himself into cue t Galignani's 2ifeuenger. THE ALLEGED MURDER AT CHELSEA.-0 11 Mon day evening, at six, Mr. Higgs, Deputy. Coroner for Westmin ster, resumed at the Spread Eagle, Thames-bank, the in quiry into the circumstances attending the death of Mr.l6, Larking, aged twenty-three years, a block maker, of Q ueen . street, Chelsea. The inquest-room was much crowded, as a report had been circulated that the deceased had }teen first robbed and afterwards thrown into the river. The evidence was of a conflicting and unsatisfactory character; but the medical testimony went somewhat to show that violence had been used towards the deceased. There was, however, no proof as to how he had come by his death, or to show whether he had fallen or been thrown into the river; and the jury, therefore, returned An open ve r di c t o f " F oneel drowned." THUNDER-STORM% AT OXFORD.—This city and its neighbourhood were visited on Thursday and FMay Dv two violent thunder-storms. On Thursday, in the middle of the day, it commenced with very vivid flashes of light. ning, followed by heavy peals of thunder, and the electric" fluid struck the vane on the top of one of the pinnacles on. the beautiffil tower of Magdalen College, passed down the iron rod supporting the vane into the stow, which it shattered, and entered into the interior of the tower, down the staircase, chipping pieces off the stone steps as it. passed down, and itnally out at one of the windows. Some of the stones of the pinnacle falling on the umbrella of one of the servants of the College, knocked him down, but fortunately he was not seriously hurt. On Friday the second storm commented about two o'clock in the afternoon, and we have not heard of its doing any serious damage in the neighbourhood; but a young man, a labourer, passing under a wall on th%Chae. ne ou bury-road, was struck On by the far the ligmht ng of Mnir, and killed histanta. sly on_ the spot. . Southern, at Woot. ton, near Woodstock, nineteen out a flock of twenty sheep that were lying under some trees were also killed on the spot, the electrit fluid passed through a dry stone wall, leay. mg black marks on either side, but displacing 110114 of tle stones. It is a curious coincidence that, during the suinstter assizes, in 1832, there wu a thunder-storm, when the samis pinnacle of Magdalen, Tower was shattered. We Should trust that this secc,nd warning will induce the authorities or, the College to, place a lightning conductor' doivri•Wolfteri • beautiful tower. Difi(LER AND DUELER.—A ludicrous tr#stitke cupped at Dohler's last concert. A party of friqies, as nA v . gentlemen (from the conntry evidently) preset -.• themselves at the doors of the Hanover-square Hourke: and asked to be shown into the hest boxess ; is waa explained that there was no box except th e ro ya l box, which was occupied ; but they could go into th0 , i 1 , 6 reserved seats. A lady anxiously inquired' whether they were good places to see the Melte ?sari Whoff- . . , tricks r asked the doorkeeper in e.mazerdifit;:"teb;" ?rn the sleight-of-hands ones, and the Conjuring," rejoined the lady. "Really," said the official, " 1 kuow of acs concur; ng but M. Dohler's rapid fingering." The lady having demanded whether the bouquets would be dis. tributed to the stalls, an explanation, after some further • amusing equivoque, took place, and it appeared that the party had mistaken Herr Dabler, the pianist, for Het! 1)obler, the magician, late of the St. JARVIS'S Thestrtol ; Maestro. ~+a►iiiAa~is `:~.