The Sun. — London, England, 1839-07-09 00:00:00

EVENING EDIT lON. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT 01 , COMMON PLEAS, JULY 8. Sittings at Guildhall befo r e Lord Chief Justice TYNDAL and a Special Jury. ) RILEY V. FORRESTER AND OTHERS..—" THE TOWN." On this cause being called on, Mr. JERVIS, on the part of the defendant, applied to have t postponed on an affidavit stating that a witness, William Russell, keeper of a club-house, was not able to attend by reason of an accident whereby he had sustained grievous wounds and contusions. Mr. Sergeant WILDE—Oh ! my Lord, we have to affidavit, showing that he is now " charming well."— ( Laughter. ) Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD proceeded to read the plaintiffs affidavit, stating that William Russell's servant had said he was well enough to be out yesterday. Mr. Sergeant WILDS observed there was no affidavit of any medical man. The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE thought there was no ground far the postponement. The jury were then sworn, and Mr. WHITE opened the pleaiings, stating that this was an action brought by Mr. Riley against four persons, named Forrester, Last, Nichol son, and Clark, for a series of libels, up to the 19th of May, 1838. Nicholson had pleaded not guilty—the other three had, along with this general denial, filed several pleas of justification, justifying the whole matter of the libel—the truth of which the replication denied, and on this the issue was joined. The parties remained for some time in consultation, but apparently without effect, and Mr. Sergeant WILDE proceeded to state the case for the plaintiff, who, he said, carried on business for sonic years in Oxford-street, as a silk mercer, shawl dealer, &e., and had brought the present action against the four defendants as persons connected with the publication of one of the cheap publications of the day—one of those publications, which, though seeking the object of newspapers, were not subject to the regulations of newspapers, and being published at the low price of two-pence, had a very large circulation. The name of the publication was the Town, and the plaintiff had to complain that he had been one of a great number of persons whom the defendants bad selected to make the object of a series of attacks in that paper, with a view of annoying his feelings, and those of his friends, and of thereby either extorting money, or gratifying private spite. The Colin CHIEF JUSTICE here interposed, inquired whether there was no possibility of arranging the matter, of which he had entertained hopes when he saw how long the parties had been consulting. Mr. Sergeant WILDE said he had offered all that he dared, consistently with a sense of what was due to justice. Mr. JERVIS said he had no objection to his Lordship's knowing what had teen suggested. Mr. Sergeant WILDE accordingly wrote on a piece of pap( r the terms which had been proposed, and handed it to his Lordship, who, having perused it, wrote something tpsn it and returned it, whereupon, Mr. Sergeant WILDE said, in consequence of the opinion which his Lordship had pleased to express, he would state • t once, that the object of Mr. Ryley in coming into Court was only to furnish an opportunity to the defendants to prove, if they could, any part of the charges which had been brought against him in their publication. He was informed that his Learned Friend on the other side was authorised to retract every one of those charges, acknowledging that he could not prove them, and consenting to a verdict of forty shillings. With a re traction so ample, he felt satisfied. Mr. JERVIS said, on the part of the defendants he had no difficulty in acceding to the suggestion of Mr. Riley, who, having complained that he was the object of a series of attacks in the Town, had admitted trpon the record, (in answer to the pleas,) that he had indicted eight gaining houses, and that be had been outlawed. Mr. Sergeant WILDE (starting up with vehemence)—l will not accept the apology. The LORD Cate: JUSTICE—Mr. Jervis, I do not think you were acting up to the understanding. 1 Mr. Sergeant WILDE—I e ill not accept the apology. Mr. Jervis—Then it must go on. Mr. Sergeant Wiens— Yea. Gentlemen of the Jury, my Learned Friend has attempted, under pretence of an apology, to follow up the course of the defendants, who, upon a very small modicum of truth, have reared an im mense superstructure of falsehood ; and who, not satisfied with that, have resorted to invention, and imputed to Mr. Riley that for which there is not a pretence. Cer tainly he admits that he prosecuted some persons for keeping gaming-houses ; but the defendants charge him with having compromised the prosecutions for money. Now that he utterly denies. And, my Learned Friend, in making what he calls an " apology," tells you that Mr. Riley admits these prosecutions, and tells you so in a tone and manner, calculated to make you believe that Mr. Riley admitted the libel. Gentlemen, he did indict certain persons, and among others the defendant's attor ney ; and to this I alluded, when I said that the attacks of the defendants were owing, if not to a desire to extort money, to rivate animosity and spite ; it was against the instructions a my client that I accepted the apology ; and my Learned Friend began it by throwing imputations upon instead of clearng my client. Gentlemen, Mr. Riley was in business some years, and acquired an independence honestly and honourably; he retired and afesrwards became an officer in the militia, having ob itained his commission in the regular way , and properly Gazetted. By some acquaintances he was unfortunately ineluced to go to one of these gambling houses, where he had reason to believe he was cheated, and therefore pro -1 secuted several of the keepers. It was subsequently to this I that the Town opened its attacks upon him , w h i ch were continued for some time, and which imputed to him every thing discreditable and disgraceful. Their first article is headed " Doubles about Town.—lt is well known that Tom Duncombe, ' Hertford's pet,' and ' Finsbury's pride,' 1 is not a man of pious or regular habits —moreover, that he is a dreadful Lothavio--- 6 Charles, my love,' has taken the place of ' Tom, my dear,' with the fair widow of Wych street—the petites figurantes of the Opera lisp the praises of Mithter Duncombe, from the first night to the last of i their engagements—and the fair L—d T—r calls him her ' dear seducer.' All these enviable attributes have fbrought upon Mr. Duncombe a ' Double,' in the per. son of a rascally linen-draper, from Oxford-street ; who has made himself conspicuous as the shadow of our friend ; and though he has hitherto escaped the flagellation i which we think Mr. Duncombe ought to have inflicted I upon him, he shall not escape the flabbergastering edge of our editorial tomahawk."—( Laughter.) Gentlemen, they rightly describe the weapons of their warfare—they are the weapoiis of a savage. "It was in 1820, that this redoubtable double of all-accomplished Tom commenced business as a linen-draper, shawl dealer, and general tally-man in Oxford-street." Utterly without foundation, gentlemen. Mr. Riley's business was of the first respectability, his customers of the highest rank, his goods of the best description, and he never kept a " gene ral tally-shop." " The man made a vast deal of money by what, in the flash trading phraseology, is called the ' India gag'—selling British manufactured articles for In dian; and, having carried on this system for eight years, he succeded ia enabling himself to retire from business, but he earned his fortune at the expense of his character, for he was se :feral times taken before the Magistrates to an swer for hisimpositions." This, gentlemen, is quite false. Mr. Riley was never taken before a Magistrate on any such charge. " One anecdote of him is worth mentioning— perhaps it is the 'nest harmless trick his ingenuity ever suggested. While he practised the' puffing' system in Oxford-street, he stuck up bills saying that he was sellin g off in consequence of the death of h i s mother , w hich awful domestic calamity would compel him to quit business. Will it be credited that when the farce was over his mother emerged from the kitchen, where she bad been concealed, singing, ' I a'nt been dead at all, says Jack Robinson.' "—(Roars of laughter.) Now, undoubtedly, there is much in all this calculated to excite laughter, but that is the kind of laughter most painful to one's. feelings. " Ile assumed the high-sound ing name of ' Captain,' without troubling the Gazette upon the subject, thinking adherence to prescribed forms a useless piece of business. About this time he com menced doubling Tom Duncombe—dressed like him— started a tilbury like him—dressed his boy like Dun conabe'e groom—and was as complete a caricature of Duncombe as ever existed. The peeple called him ' calico.'—( A laugh.) His liaisons were as numerous as Duncombe's, if not quite so respectable. The redoubt able ' calieoe' drove about town without being kicked for his impertinence, Mr. Duncombe deeming him too con temptible for his notice. At last it oeourred to him to visit the gaming-table, where first he won, and then lost. then cried for his money back again ; but this was not quite agreeable to the parties who had got the said money ; whereupon he turned informer, and sued some o f the 4 hell ' keepers for qui tarn penalties—he now professes to ben bill discounter, which as the Lord Mayor observed is a title under which nobody knows what busi. ness is or is not ' included.' " An attack mixed with such ribaldry is not the less galling nor mischievous to the in dividual. And this was followed by a series still more virulent, in which lie was accused of keeping an improper house, of fraudulentiy dealing with certain bills, of having absconded from his creditors, and other serious charpres— the proof of which he comes here this day to meet. Gen tlemen, I know not the particular circumstances of these defendants, but this I do know, that it too often happens that those who make such attacks find their security in their poverty—that parties come into Court, and incur perhaps an enormous expense in the necessary prepara tion for the vindication of their character—and when they get a verdict are not able to obtain one shilling from their libellers. And the knowledge of the apprehension which this naturally excites encourage s such persons to gratify the vitiated taste of the public for slander, and libel others, in the hope that their victims may thus be de terred from the vindication of their character. The t indi vidual who is the su b j ect of th ese attacks writhes under the r idicule which is cast upon him, not for any mere persohal peculiarity, or little foible, but for gross villany and conduct ; and the h uman mind is unha ppily so constit=ci that this ridicule does only promote the diffusion of the libel, and destroys any sympathy for those who are its vie. t i me s. Gentlemen, my client here presents himself ready to disprove any cha r g es which ma y be p ress ed against him. This will not, however, be the first case in my ex perience, when, after the p erson attacked has g on e to a great expen se in preparing testimony to disprove the charges on his character, the case is ended by a speech from the Counsel for the defendants endeavouring to re move the impression excited by the reading of the libel. Should that course be pursued upon the present occasion, I trust you will not forget—if I have not an opportunity of ad. dres s ing you again—to consider thheese circumstattacks, an and,ces in by wti the ich the plaintiff has been place by t damages which you give , to mar k your sense of the nature of those attacks. I ask yo u to g ive the plaintiff such damages as in justice you think he is entitled to. Whether the defendants are able to pay or not is no question for you, because, if poverty is to be a defence in such cases, men will soon learn to make a profit of their poverty, and libel the public with impunity. Having stated that, he should wait to hear the defendant's evidence (if any). The Learned SERGEANT proceeded to cal l witnesses to prove the publication by Clark and Forester (whose 1 names are on the papers), and the printing by Last. To I connect Nicholson with the business, he entrained Wm. Brown, who stated that he had known Nicholson in the Queen's Bench, and that having subsequently met him in " full feather," found, on asking him the reason, that he was " writing for the Town." Witness had re monstrated with him for attacking so severely the plaintiff, who was a friend of his, and a Director of the " Vinegar Company." Nicholson asked witness if be belonged to the Company ; to which he replied that he did : on which Nicholas said he would not touch him, but would give the Company a good dressing next week, also saying that he wished he could catch Riley, for he would break every bone in his skin, he having tried to injure the circulation of the Town. Cross-examined by Mr. JERVIS-1 collected only for the Vinegar and British Wine Company. Thev had no ma nufactory. They were to have a splendid capital—if it had gone on.—( A laugh.) I have been in Whitecross street prison once, I think ; but it was for another man's debt. I was in the Queen's Bench also for another man's debt. I have been, in fact, too accommodating. Mr. JERVIS—AIi, yes ;no doubt.—( A laugh.) Were you ever in any other London prison ? Witness—Really now, you do ask me questions that hare nothing to do with the trial.—(Laughter.) Mr. JERVIS—I must have an answer, though. Witness—l will appeal to his Lordship. The LORD CHIEF JUSTlCE—Evidence, Sir, as to your general course of life, is admissible. Witness—Well, under his Lordship's direction—but I must have time to recollect.—( A laugh—a long pause.) Mr. JEavis—Come, you have had time to recollect, Have you now been in any other London prison ? Wiiness—No. Mr. JERvis—ln the country ? Witness (angrily ) No. I beg pardon—once in North ampton, for a very short time.— ( Laughter.) Air. JERVlS—Anywhere else? Witness—Rerlly, without any memoranda-4 Laugh ter. ) No—no where else. I have compounded with my creditors. I have passed through the Insolvent Debtors' Court—not more than once.—(A laugh.) I was in busi ness at Northampton in a tan-yard. I sold the business for 15,0001. I paid every creditor there—but, not every creditor. When I compounded I paid 55. in the pound. The papers were then put in—one of them containing a string of questions to the plaintiff, asking him whether he had not kept an improper house—whether he had not compromised indictments for keeping gaming -houses, ecc. Sec. Another of the papers also contained (thongh not included in the action) a report of a case purporting to have been taken from the Times, 1823, describing a proceeding in the Insolvent Debtors' Court, in which the plaintiff appeared to oppose a Miss Aspinalle, an opera dancer, and on his e;.amination was charged by the counsel with equivocation, and severely reprimanded by the Judge, the insolvent being discharged, and the opposition of the plaintiff characterized as a persecution, instigated by some secret motive, as " persevering, heartless vindictive ness," against a girl to whom he had at one time paid some attentions. A Mr. Clark was then called, who stated that he had belonged to the late Vinegar Company, and had seen the defendant, Nicholson, in consequence of the attacks that appeared in the Town, but before the more virulent at tacks. Ile had told Nicholson that the Company would advertise in the Town. Nicholson answered that, as a man of the world, witness must know that in such cases money was given to the Press, and that £lO in gold must be left for him, or he would continue the attacks. £lO was given him, and there were no more attacks on the Vinegar Company.—(Laughter.) Witness had made the application solely out of regard for the interests of the Company, and not at any request of Mr. Riley's. In con sequence of the attacks which had been made on Mr. Riley, he was requested to withdraw, and did so. Soon after the Company was broken up, the money subscribed was returned, and tho Directors paid the expenses in curred. Cross-examined—We were to take copies of the Town for the 101 as well as advertise. Riley did not pay any of the money returned. This was the case for the plaintiff. Mr. JEavis submitted that there was no evidence of a joint interest in all the four defendants. The LORD CHTEFJUSTICE was of opinion there was suf ficient proof to go to the jury. Mr. JERVIS then addressed the Jury for the defence, commencing by arguing that against Nicholson there was no evidence at all, and that against Clark and Forrester no evidence that gave them both a joint interest in the business. He admitted that the plaintiff was entitled to a verdict, for there were terms in the libel which could not be justified, having been used unguardedly. But he sub mitted that the plaintiff had not appeared in Court with so unstained a character as to entitle to heavy damages. The Jury would observe that no evidence bad been brought .as to character, and certainly the plaintiff derived no great credit from his " friend" Mr. Brown.—(A laugh.) The plaintiff had upon the record admitted the prosecution. The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.—But that is not the libel. The libel that he compromised the prosecutions for money. Mr. JERVIS =tended that the plaintiff might—if the truth were so—have denied that he had filed these indict• ments, whereas he had not done so. The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE—He could not have denied that he filed the indictments, and then denied that he had compromised them ; the rules of pleading would not have allowed it. Mr. JERvis insisted that the plaintiff might have denied the indictments altogether. The Learned Counsel went on to argue that the plaintiff had not pursued the right course for the vindication of his cha racter ; and dwelt strongly on the fact of his not having denied that he was outlawed (one of the charges of the libel); and still more, his not having no ticed that part which referred to the report in the Times, 1323, respecting the proceedings in the Insolvent Court, containing as it did, a charge much more serious than the libel complained of. The LORD CuIEF Jr.cTICE told the jury they must first decide on the question of joint interest and liability in the defendants, and next on the quantum of damages to be given. Any man might honestly indict a gaming-house : it was, indeed, the duty of every honest man to do so ; but the charge was, that plaintiff had improperly compromised the indictments. The Jury would say whether this and other charges were not admitted by the defendants to be false, seeing that they attempted no proof. The Jury retired for a short time, and returned with a verdict for plaintiff.—Damages, 2501. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. NEW COURT-JULY S. PEIIJURY —John Money, aged 61, was indicted for wilful and corrupt perjury. Mr. Plitilars and Mr. THOSIPSON conducted the pro secution—the prisoner was defended by Mr. BALLANTINE. It appeared from the statement of Mr. Phillips that the prosecutor, Mr. James Stanley, is landlord •f the Red- Cow public-house, Castle-street, Bethnal-Green ; and that he was summoned before the Magistrates at the in stance of Aaron Rawlings, the common informer, on a charge of having kept his house open during the hours of divine service on the morning of Sunday, the 7th of April. On that occasion, the prisoner was a witness, and sup ported the information, and swore to certain facts which it would be found were totally untrue. He (Mr. Phillips) should prove the case by respectable witnesses, who, he be lieved would prove one of the most gross cases that ever was brought before a Court of Justice. Mr. BALLANTINE took several objections to the form of the indictment—when Mr. PHILLIPS called a number of witnesses to prove his case, and the Jury without hesitation found the prisoner Guilty.—Judgment deferred. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. RIGHT OT SEARCH UNDER THE CUSTOMS,—A Case came on before the Lord Mayor and Alderman Pirie, which excited a great deal of interest. It was prosecuted by Mr. Bush, of the house of Bush and Masters, for two young ladies of respectability, against the female searcher of the City of Boulogne steamer. Mr. Bush having stated the circumstances at considerable length, called the two ladies. Mrs. Jane Robinson Wingrove stated that she resided with her brother and sister in Poplar, and her husband was abroad. On the 12th of May she and her sister went on board the City of Boulogne steamer, having a letter of in troduction from Sir Wm. Curtis to Captain Tune, the Commander of the vessel. They arrived at Boulogne on the Sunday night, and returned to London on Thursday, having had with them, going and coming, a bandbox and a reticule. They were amongst the last who quitted the ves sel, and their box and reticule were searched. The stew ardess, who had detained half-a-crown of their's when they went over to Boulogne, complained that they had given her nothing. As she had paid them no attention, they did not consider her entitled to any thing, and said " No" to her, on which she remarked to them, 4. I dare say you will be coming over again ;" and they said, " Very likely." After they had left the vessel, and were going up the stone steps, a person called them back, and when they returned, Mrs. Casten, the searcher, who had searched their box and bag, told them they must go below to be searched. They im mediately went below, and were told they must undress to be searched. When they told her they were under the Captain's care, she said that the stewardess was the one who had them called back, and begged that they would not mention that fact, or she would lose her situation. The request was rejected. They were both very strictly searched all over, except their stays, between which and their person the searcher passed her hands. Witness had been wrapped up closely during the voyage, in consequence of the very delicate state of her health. The time they were detained was about half an hour, and the stewardess entered the room where they were dressing. They had no foreign goods about them. Miss Isabella Brown Reed, the sister of A irs. Wingrove, gave similar test i mo ny. She wa s, she said, searched more closely than her sister, and in her o p inio n the searcher did more than ought to , be done to ascertain whether she had smuggled goods about her. The solicitor to.the Receiver stated that the C omm i ss ioners directe d that in all cases the search should b e con d uc ted in the mos t delicate manner possible, and that in no instance had any complaint ever been made before of a want of delicate treatment. Mr. Bush submitted that reasonable grounds bad not existed to show that the search was necessary. Alderman Pirie was decidedly of opinion that the business was very like a collusion be tween the stewardess and the searcher, in conse q uence of the objection the for her inattention. Alderman Pirie agreedYoun young in ih l n a e d o i ; Li s no hadirodniv that ha o give irtvhe saide t c h aes thatf o r former e h r e a and fee e was one in which the whole penalty oug h t to b e i n fli cte d. Looking at i t in the whole of its bearings, at the conduct of the stewardess about the half-crow n; and her observations as the young . ladies were leaving the vessel, after the search ing of their box and reticule, and of th e calling back and subsequent strict examination of the persons of both by the searcher, who admitted that the stewardess was the cause of the search, the full penalty of 101. was then inflicted, together with costs. THE GREAT WESTERN.—This vessel set sail from King-road, Bristol, last Saturday. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1839. SHIPWRECKS of TIMBER-SHIPS, AND LOSS of LIFE ATTENDANT THEREON. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into Ship wrecks of Timber Ships, and the Loss of Life attendant thereon, and to report to the House whether any or what Means can be adopted to reduce the Amount thereof in future :—Have, pursuant to the Order of the House, proceeded to inquire into the Shipwrecks of Timber laden Vessels, and the Loss of Life consequent thereon. The first point which your Committee directed their attention to was, to ascertain, by the most authentic re cords, the number of timber-laden vessels which ap peared to have been lost or fallen in with as wrecks at sea, with any direct statements which may have been made as to the sufferings of the crews ; but the gene ral result is as follows :—By the extracts from Lloyd's Lists, in the evidence given by Captain D. Sutton, it appears that in the year 1834, there is recorded in the list of that year the loss of four timber ships from America, wrecked on the shores of America or Europe ; and seventeen lost at sea ; of six of which no account whatever of the crews had been obtained ; and in the case of three of the remaining eleven, it had been ascertained that the sufferings of the crews had been very great in deed ; in one of those, the Lucy, after nineteen days' privation, only two of the crew having been found alive. In the year 1835, fifteen ships are reported wrecked on the shore, and thirty-four at sea ; of seventeen, of which no account of the crews had been obtained ; and of the other seventeen, the sufferings of the crews of six had been very great ; in one, the Francis Spaight, reduced by having been without water or provisions to the ne cessity of sacrificing four of their number, by lot, for the preservation of the rest. In 1836, twenty-seven ships are reported wrecked on the shore, and forty-four at sea ; of eighteen of which no accounts had been received of the crews ; and of the other twenty-six, the sufferings of the crews of ttree had been very great ; in the Earl Nellie, the second mate and two men are reported to have been starved to death. In 1837, seven ships are reported wrecked on the shore, and twenty-five at sea ; of nineteen of which no accounts bad been received of the crews ; and of the other six, the sufferings of the crews of three had been extreme ; in one, the Caledonia, two are reported, when near death, to have had their throats cut for the sake of their blood, and when fallen in with by the Dryden, which saved the remainder of the crew, they were about to sacrifice a boy. In 1838, eighteen ships are reported as wrecked on the shore, and forty-eight at sea ; of twenty-seven of which there had been no accounts of the crews ; of the remaining twenty-one, the sufferings of the crews of two had been extreme ; in one, the Earl Moira, four bodies only having been found under the main-top, all dead, with part of one of their comrades hung up like butchers' meat in a stall ; and in the other, the Anna Maria, five bodies were found dead, with part of the leg of a woman by the side of one of them, who had evidently been feeding upon it ; and one more, the Frederick, of St. John's, fallen in with by the Hope, with her crew lashed to the main-top, without the power of assisting them. In confirmation of these statements of loss, as recor ded in Lloyd's List, the Committee applied to the Honourable Commissioners of her Majesty's Customs for a return of the number of ships which cleared out from British North America in the years 1836-7 and 8, for ports is the United Kingdom ; and of those which were believed to have been lost, from their never having arrived at their destined or any other port, to the knowledge of the Commissioners ; and they are concerned to find by this return, that the number of missing ships supposed to have been lost exceed conside rably the number reported in Lloyd's List, thus confir ming that part of the evidence of Mr, T. J. Smith, Chief Clerk of Lloyd's, in which he says, there are many instances of vessels not heard of, which are never posted at all. By the Custom-house Return it appears that the number of ships from British North America lost or or missing in 1836 was 74 ; in 1837, 51 ; and in 183e4, 101 ; out of the whole number which cleared out from British North America in 1836, 1,942 ; in 1837,1,815, and in 1838, 1,670. Having thus ascertained the extent of the arrival and loss of timber-laden ships from British North America, your Committee considered it an object of importance to know the character of the ships lost, as well as the character of the whole number engaged in the trade ; and they consequently applied to the Secretary of Lloyd's Register Book of Ship ping, who very readily undertook to mark against the names of the ships, in tha Return from the Custom-house, the character which those that had been surveyed held in the Register Book, and also to mark those which had not been surveyed at all : it is right here to state, that this survey of merchant shipping, al though established from the year 1760, by the common consent of merchants, underwriters, and shipowners, is not compulsory upon the shipowner to submit to. In this return of the ships lost in 1836, amounting in num ber to 74, the characters are marked as follows : A. 1 2E. lE. 1 ... E. 1 ... 13 I. I ... I E. 1 ... 18 *.E 1 ... 2 A. 2 ... 22 •• 1.5 32 Not surveyed. lE. 2 ... 1 Not surveyed 33 74 •.• ••• 101 In adverting to the above evidence and returns, your Committee are concerned to observe, that the instances proved each year of great suffering of the crews of some ships, from their having been fallen in with, with two or three only left on board alive to tell the tale of their dis asters, or the remains of dead bodies in others ; equally proving the fact, can only be considered as an index of the suffering to a like extent in all those other vessels, the crews of which have never been heard of, and which appear in the return to a most fright ful extent, being in the last three years no less than 64 ships, which together with the nine ships in which some remains of the crews were found, making a total of 73 ships by Lloyd's List alone, the crews of which amounted to 949 seamen ; this, without making any allowance for the additional number of ships reported as lost in the Custom-house returns. They also ob serve, from the characters of the ships lost in 1836 and 1838, the characters not having been named against those of 1837, there is as large a proportion of A. 1, and good ships lost, as of old and inferior ones ; thus proving, beyond a doubt, that the loss is occasioned by other causes than the frailty of the vessels themselves. The average tonnage of the ships lost is from 320 to 330 tons, old measurement ; and the average number reported to have been lost in the last three years by the Custom-house Return, and the account given in Lloyd's List in that period, appear to have been 196, or 63,200 tons, manned by 2,548 seamen, valued with their freight and cargoes at 5,1001. each, or at the whole sum of 999 6001. The wages paid to the seamen in this trade exceed the wages paid to seamen in other trades, where the voyages are of a similar duration, from 7s. to 10s. per month ; in consequence, as the witnesses stnte, of the number of losses and general discomfort to the crew in a timber-laden vessel ; the length of each voyage to and from North America being from 13 to 16 weeks ; and the provisions and water being stated, if not in the whole yet in part, to be carried on deck. In the evidence taken in regard to the insurance of these ships and cargoes, it is stated to be doubtful in law whether the underwriter is answerable for cargo loaded on deck, unless there be a special provision to that effect in the policy ; the last decision, where Gould and Dowie were plaintiffs, was against the shipowner. The average premium of insurance, out and home, on the ship, for the spring voyage is stated to be from 31. to 31. 10s. per cent., and for th autumn voyage, from six to ten guiners ; and the difference of premium, with or without deck-load, appears by the evidence of Mr. Hoyer, who has paid it, to be 21s. per cent. In the northern ports of England the insurance is generally effected in clubs, and Mr. Ord states, that the Wear Company permit deck-loads to be carried by vessels sailing from America before the Ist October to the ex tent of thirty-six load of timber for every 254 tons mea surement, or thereabouts, but virtually prohibit it alto gether after that date, by requiring five per cent. addi tional premium on all the insurances if carried. Your Committee, in making their inquiry regarding ships employed in the Baltic trade, find that, although the losses of ships during the winter season are fre quently very numerous, and the premiums of insurance vary from 10s. in the spring to eight guineas in the winter, yet they are not attended by the same disastrous loss of life and sufferings of the crews, as in the case of the North American ships ; if wrecked on the coast, the population is so great as generally to be able to give assistance, and if at sea, the number of vessels con tinually traversing those parts is such that the people are very soon relieved ; whereas in the case of a ship being wrecked in her passage home late in the season from America, there is little chance of any one passing in the same track until the spring of the following year. In following up their inquiry as to the cause of these great losses, your Committee have been relieved from much difficulty by the almost unanimous opinion of every wit ness examined, that the primary cause of all the mis chief has been in the improper over-stowage of the ships, by carrying heavy loads of timber upon deck, and thus, whether with or without ballast in their holds, render ing them top-heavy, and liable to upset, or to be thrown upon their beam-ends by the first heavy sea that strikes them. In alluding to this evidence, they would point edly refer to that of Mr. Joseph Somes, who has had great experience at sea, and is now one of the largest shipowners in England, and who strongly recommends a n Act of Parliament being passed, to prevent any load being taken upon deck ; and states that he can prove to any reasonable mind, that the owner in the end loses by permitting his ship to carry a deck-load from the great wear and tearof the ship; the proof of this wear and tear is shown by the evidence of several of the witnesses, who have surveyed ships after their arrival with heavy deck. loads upon them, and found their fastenings loosened seams opened and beams broken ; this also is strongly confirmed by the evidence of an eminent ship-builder, well known to most Members of the House, Mr. G. F. Young, late Member for Tynemouth, and Mr. Jos. Adams, the foreman builder of her Majesty's Yard at Chatham. After a full consideration of the evidence received, your Committee give it as their decided opinion, that no deck loads should be suffered to be carried on any timber-laden vessels from North America, and that every inducement should be given towards promoting a fair and efficient survey of every ship in the merchant service. June 18, 1839. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD, JULY 6.—This being the last day of term, a congregation was holden for granting degrees, &c., when the following were conferred : MASTERS - OF ARTS.—Rev. Joseph Walker, of Wadham College ; Thomas A Whitter, Brazennose ditto ; Samuel F, Dickson, ditto, ditto ; Rev. S. Fyler, Trinity ditto. BACHELOR OF ARTS.—G. F. Fitz. Wygram, Christ Church. BACHELOR OF MUSK. —G. G. Flowers, Lincoln College. Yesterday the Rev. Dr. Faussett, of Magdalen College, was re-elected Margaret Professor of Divinity. This professorship is held for two years, but is usually so for life by re-elections. Mr. S. P. Ragaud has been admitted an actual fellow of Exeter College. The Rev. Hugh Jones, Scholar of Jesus College, has been elected a Fellow of that Society. James Bellamy, and Thomas Garrard, Probationary Fellows of St. John's College, have been admitted actual Fellows, and P. Parnell, H. L. Manse!, E. West, and L. J. Bernays, have been admitted Probationary Fellows from Merchant Tailors' School. The Rev. J. R. Peake, of Magdalen Hall, has been Elected master of the free Grammar School, Whitchurch, Shropshire. The Dean and Chapter of Christ Church have pre sented the Rev. E. J. Randolph, to the perpetual curacy of Tring with Wiggington, Herts. John Dickenson, Esq., has presented the Rev. G. G. Harter, of Trinity College, to the Perpetual Curacy of Birch, near Manchester. Mrs. Jervoise has presented the Rev. C. Causton of Trinity College, to the Rectory of Stretton, on the Fosse, Warwickshire. The Rev. B. P. Clement, of Exeter College, has been appointed a Minor Canon of Winchester Cathedral. Geo. Tomline, Esq. has presented the Rev. R. L. Burton, of Christ Church, to the Perpetual Curacy of Ford, Shropshire. The Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol has insti tuted the Rev. W. Maskelyne, of Pembroke College to the Rectory of Crudwell, Wiltshire, on the presentation of Maskelyne, Esq., patron. APPROACHING TOURNAMENT. The St. John's Wood road was again thronged with car riages on Saturday, filled with ladies anxious to witness the tilting, which was a repetition of the course followed on the previous Saturday, with the addition of two knights who had been absent, the Marquis of Waterford, riding a handsome bay horse, with a plain smooth bit in his mouth, and with which no other man could possibly controul him ; ' and the Hon. Edward Jerningham, whose strength of arm is not quite equal to that of the sporting marquis, and who consequently, at the top of his speed, rode over one of the attendants employed to urge on the figure of the opponent. Fortunately no damage was done. Prince Louis Napoleon also appeared on a dashing charger, lance in band, and performed an exercise very like that of our English Lancers. We prefer the Polish lance, and mode of using it. The activity of Prince Louis was such that upon one occasion, when by losing his balance he was obliged to part company with his steed, he contrived to alight upon his feet, and with one spring seated himself again so quickly, that very few observed the accident at all. The other Knights present, were Lords Eglintoun, Craven, Cassilis, and Alford ; Sir T. Hopkins, Mr. Gage, and the Hon. Mr. Maynard. Among the Esquires, were the Hon. Capt. Macdonald, Captain Beresford, and Captain Purvis. Colonel Fremantle was allowed to parade his horse and try his skill among the 'Squires; but it appears that Capt. Maynard is considered the most expert of all who have as yet appeared ; he will, however, find a formidable adver sary in Lord Hillsborough, if human strength shall be found equal or superior to human skill, which, according to the present practice of these mail-clad adventurers in search of fame, appears to be the case. The only addition to the effects described last week was in the attendance of several " men-at-arms," who, in complete suits of armour, and wearing mustachios and beards, were placed at intervals to keep the ground. It is said that each Knight is to choose a Lady, whose colours he is to wear, and whose superiority he is to maintain before all lovers, native or foreign, known or unknown, proving the old adage that " None but the brave deserve the fair." FLANDERS MAIL. BERLIN, JULY I.—The departure of his Majesty is fixed for the middle of July, unless unforeseen obstacles should arise. As the Princess of Leignita will not accompany the King, it is thought that tho Grand Duchess of Meck lenburg, his Majesty's youngest daughter, will go with him. The Princess of Lienitz is gone to Haringsdorff for the benefit of sea bathing. BRUNSWICK, JUNE 29—Great exertions are making to complete the decorations of the still unfinished apart ments the Duke oft he h palace,aaengaged several a ndespecially aeoral ta of theattharaortilee; &c., room, for which at Munich, who are already arrived here, so that it may be hoped that the Throne-room will soon be completed. This circumstance is supposed to have some connection with the revived report of his Highness's marriage. There is some reason to lselieve that our Duchy will shortly join the German Commercial League, and if we credit the very probable reports in circulation, it may be hoped that Hanover, too, will accede to the League. ST. PETERSBURG, JUNE .29.—The Imperial fleet at Redal was to put to sea on the 15th of this month. The building of new men-of-war, in order to raise the Russian navy to that commanding situation which corresponds with its present greatness, continues to be carried on in all our sea-ports here, at Sebastopol, Archangel, &c. A ship of 74 guns and two transports were launched at Archangel at the beginning of this month. The Vulture steam-boat arrived here yesterday, in 11 days, from London. It had on board, among other passengers, the Count Woronzow, the Governor-General of New Russia, and his Countess. WARSAW, JUNE 28. —The Government Gazette of this City publishes the sentence passed on the ringleaders of a society called " The Association of the Polish Nation," the object of which was to overthrow the existing form of Go vernment. They are most of thorn young men, natives of Cracow and the vicinity, and students in the University of Cracow, who were seduced by foreign emissaries, and then endeavoured to seduce others.—Hamburg Papers. July 5. THE CROPS.—The reports from the country to day, state that the weather during the last week bas been favourable to vegetation. The accounts of the state of the crops from all quarters are gratifying. PENNY POSTAGE.—A meeting of the London M ercantile Committee on Postage was held on Saturday at the Jerusalem Coffee-house, when it was unanimously resolved that a public meeting of the merchants and ban kers of the city should be held for the purpose of petition ing Parliament to give effect to Mr. Rowland Hill's plan of a uniform penny postage in the present Session of Par liament ; and a deputation having waited on the Lord Mayor for the purpose of fixing a day, his Lordship ap pointed the meeting to be held at the Egyptian Hall, Man s on-louse, on Wednesday next, at two o'cicck. THE BRITISH QUEEN STEAM-SHIP.—In consequence of numerous pressing solicitations from all quarters to be permitted to go on board and in spect this stupendous vessel, the Directors of the Company, contrary to a previous resolution, issued tickets yesterday for that purpose. Jr. the course of the day not fewer than seven thousand persons availed themselves of the opportunity ; and, as the evening approached, a great many were obliged to go away without having t heir curio sity gratified. Among the visitors yesterday afternoon we observed Lords Lyndhurst, Londonderry, Kenyon, &e., with several ladies of rank. The British Queen and her compartments were the theme of unmixed and enthusiastic approbation. We understand the Ocean Queen can be inspected this day (Tuesday) by parties who have procured tickets. She takes her departure for New York on Wed nesday morning, at ten o'clock. Lieutenant Richard Roberts, R.N., is her commander. GREECE.—We learn by letters ,frorft our cor respondent at Athens, dated the 20th ult., that the King and Queen, with a gallant escort, had arrived in that ca pital on the 13th from their tour in Roumelia ; the city was illuminated at night. Rumours of an approaching change of Ministers were afloat, and seemed to have some degree of credit attached to them. The King had sent for Con. duriotti from Hydra, and Zaian from Patras ; the former is talked of for the Finances, the latter for the Interior. Tricoupi, who since his return from the embassy in this country had been living in retirement, was mentioned as the probable Foreign Minister. The Bavarian and Spa nish missions are to be dispensed with, and their expenses saved to the State. FUTURE PROPERTY.. —A case came before the Insolvent Debtors' Court a day or two since of a person who had become liable for some debts of another; he was in an inferior station, and had rece ntl y become entitled to considerable pr o p erty. The assignees obtained information •f the circumstance, and came to the Court, who ordered the several parties to appear; the result was that all the creditors were paid in full. ACTION AGAIN S T EKECUTO RS.—In the Se d i‘ a ir r s ie . s' m. pleaded that she Co Friday a n action was brou g ht a g ainst a Creevy, urt Mr. C. Jones, wh o a p pea red for the p laintiff, re p resented aa e h x a e d e u a t d r if s h t e e r r e h d u t s h b e a n w d i i eTehre thede fe a n v s d e a t n c t the great difficulty creditors laboured under in such eases through the defective state of the law, which he trusted would shortly be amended. He said that when such a plea as the present was put on the record it threw the onus upon the plaintiff to prove what a mount bad come to the hands of the executor, and if he could trace only one-balf of the real sum, and the executor proved payments to cover that amount, the claimant lost the suit, and was cast in costs. Another great evil was, that however deficient the assets were, the executor could pay the full amount of the debt to one creditor, and p rec l u d e the rest from any participation. The Learned Counsel said he hoped that the law would make it imperative on the executors to produce a debtor and creditor account, and testify the same on oath. The case was not of any interest. STATE OF TRADE.—The Summer Glove trade is still very brisk. In other kinds of goods there is little doing this week. The prices of yarns are the same as they have been for the last few weeks.—Leicestershire Mercury. METROPOLITAN POLITICAL SUMMARY. The Courier of last evening, alluding to Mr. Gibson's late change of political opinion, says :—" The conscious ness of this change—of his honest determination to see with his own eyes, hear with his own years, and act always for the country instead of always with a party—forced upon him the necessity of resigning his trust, and, in the absence of a Liberal candidate, making a new appeal to the electors of Ipswich. Whatever the change in Mr. Gibson's sentiments may be, we welcome it. We greet the convert with no stinted measure of friendly regard. We rejoice over the Tory sinner that repenteth. We hail his entrance into a better school than that which misdirected his youth, and failed, by some miracle, to corrupt his principles, while it perverted his opinions. But have the Tories, who have thus done their worst to ruin him, any right to charge this change upon him, or impute to him any abandonment of the politics they implanted in him:' If so, he has a much better right to accuse them of change, and to denounce them as re ceders." The Globe alludes as follows to the late Education De bate in the Lords :—" We hope the debate of Fri day evening in the House of Lords, on the motion of the Archbishop of Canterbury respecting the Report of the Committee of Privy Council on Education, will be printed in a cheap and portable form, and circulated through out the country. We desire this in justice to her Majesty's Ministers, in order that the country may know on what slender grounds all the hubbub which has well nigh frightened our fair isle from its propriety has been raised. We ask it in justice to the Right Rev. Bench, who, not withstanding their unreasonable jealousy of the proceedings of the Ministry, have delivered their opinions with far more charity to those who differ from them than their lay allies in the Commons, and with infinitely less of bigotry and into lerance than their fantastic and fanatical supporters out of doors. We seek for the extensive publication of this debate in the name of the great cause of National Edu cation." The Standard thus comments on the Bishop of Exeter's anti-education speech in the Lords on Friday :—" The speech of the Bishop of Exeter, on Friday night, puts the question of the duties of the State in reference to education on a right footing. A Christian community is bound, as far as it has the ability, to provide all its members with whatever may be necessary for their physical comfort and moral advancement ; and it is no less bound to withhold what it may deem injurious in either respect. These arc propositions so clear that they will not be disputed. A case of supposed doubt, however, arises when the consi deration of freedom is introduced ; not, how ever, of doubt as to the propriety of admit ing the utmost latitude of free will, which is a Christian duty as clear as any other; but as to the State submitting its own freedom to the authority of those who call upon it for aid. Now, this a case of supposed doubt, but of supposed doubt only ; for the proposition, as fairly stated above, does not bear a moment's investigation. The State is bound to supply to every member of the commu , nity toe means of moral improvement, and at the same time it is bound to leave him free to use these means according to his own conscientious judgment, but it is not bound to administer those means according, to his direction therein : it fulfils all that can he required of it in leaving him the opportunity of using them rightly if he will." CARLO W ELECTION COMMITTEE (YESTERDAY.) The vote of Edward Dowling was objected to by the petitioner, on the ground of his having given a bribe. An objection was taken to going into the case, on the ground that the voter was not liable to be deprived of his Tote even if the case should be proved, although he might be liable to a penalty. The Committee, after hearing a very long argument, decided against going into the inquiry, and the vote was consequently retained on the poll. Mr. COCKBURN then proposed to place the name of Patrick Barry on the poll of Mr. Gisborne ; but it being nearly four o'clock, the Committee adjourned until to morrow (this day). SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. (LLOYD'S.) DEAL, JULY 6. —Wind W. S. W. —7. —Wind S. S. E. Sailed the Jane Gordie, Mason, for Jamaica ; arid Mary, Laing, Quebec. Arrived the Velox, Mediterranean. P O RTSNIOUTH, JULY 6.—Wind W. to S.W.-7.—Wind S. W. to S. E. PLYMOUTH, JULY 6.—Wind S.W.—Arrived the Mary Anne, Petersen, from Dantzic. Off port the Matilda, Clarke, from Wyburg. FALMOUTH, JULY 5 and 6.—Wind variable and light.— Sailed the Sheldrake, packet, for Brazil ; George, Sell, New York ; and Lapwing, packet, Halifax. LIVERPOOL, JULY 6. —Wind variable.-7.—Wind S. W., fresh.—Arrived the Moscow, from Charleston ; Louisa Monro, Louric, Calcutta ; Harrell, Toiler, Charleston'; Canton, Gibson, Savannah ; Augusta, Mobile ; Scotland, Robinson, New York—sailed 11th ult. ; Indefatigable, Richebucto ; and Queen, Marseilles. Sailed, the Adven ture, for La Guayra ; Tarn- o'. Shanter, ditto; Thomas and William, Reed, Hallifax ; Jupiter, Quebec ; Alex ander, Mauritius; Rajah, Bings, Baltimore; Rhode Island, Rogers, Virginia ; Asciola, Child, Baltimore ; Napier, Sansford, Philadelphia ; Gardiner, Jackson, New York ; Louisa, Nuxall, Boston ; Jenny, Banks, St. Andrew's, N. B. ; Prompt, Payne, Montreal ; Josepha, M'lntyre, Quebec. Off port, the ..John, Porter, Halifax ; Irlam, Barbadoes. GUERNSEY, JULY s.—Arrived, Wilhelmina, Stettin. JERSEY, JULY 4.—Arrived the Carolina Rjistioe, Carer, Tarragona ; Widar, Sehler, Stettin ; Active, Brcard, Dantzic. SCILLY, JUNE 26.—Arrived the RO3C, Richards, Lisbon. BRISTOL, JULY 6.—Arrived the Marida, from Memel. Sailed the Calypso, Smith, and Ruby, Myhill, for 'Mauri tius; Great Western steamer, Hosken, New York : Dol phin, Newfoundland; and Eliza, Traib, Boston. DOVER, JULY I.—Arrived off port the Auguste Wilhelm, Bohn, from Rio Janeiro. SALCOMBE, JULY 5.--Off port the Peru, Bailey, from Matanzas; and Bravo, Brandt, Memel. CLYDE, JULY 6 —Arrived the Plicenix, from Quebec; Hanover, Wallace, Jamaica; James, Henderson, Oporto; r.nd Courier, Banks, Archangel. Sailed the Lady of the Lake, Hay, for Calcutta; and Margaret, M‘Leary, De merara. DUBLIN, JULY 6.—Sailed, the Idia, Pennington, St. John's, New Brunswick. WATERFORD, JULY 4.—Arrived the Rapid, Miller, from London ; Martha, Hawluse, ditto ; C o neordier, Reed, ditto. Sailed , the Gre cian, Flahert y , St. Edward's Island. CORK, JULY s.—Sailed, the Rebecca, Reay, Riche bucto. Off port, the James Ewing, Hamilton, Calcutta; Catherine, Cobhar, Prince Edward's Island ; ;Integrity, Horton, Richebuto. NEwav, JULY 5.--Sailed the Bellona, Mackay, Quebec. LErrti, JULY s.—Sailed the Areadne, Higgins, Pillau. SHIELDS, JULY s.—Arrived the Water Nymph, Jenkin son, from Konigsberg. SUNDERLAND, JULY 6.—Arrived Isis, Marlbow, Memel. BIAGI' ROADS, JULY s.—Arrived the Aire, Pattison, from Stettin. IltiLL, JULY 6.—Wind S.W.—Arrived the Catherine, Thomson, Cadiz ; Adalina, Samuel, ditto ; Shamrock, ' Pebble, Ilamburgh ; Anna, Marquatha, ditto. VESSELS SPOKEN INi-Tn.-Woodbridge, Manilla to Lon don, 24th May, lat. 4 S., lon. 19 W. ; Hope, New South Wales to London, 25th ; Lady East, Bombay to London, 28th., lat. 1 N., lon. 21 ; Robert, Blency, Benin to Liverpool, 12th ult., lat. 25, lon. 30—master ill, supplied with necessaries and a chronometer ; Sarah, Mills, Liver pool to Quebec, 30th, lat. 50, lon. 10, by the Bland, Cal lam, arrived at Liverpool. EXTRAORDINARY FILE.—We have this week had submitted to our inspection, a file of a very novel and ingenious description, cut by a workman in the employ of Messrs. John and Riley Carr. On one side is the name of the firm, in Roman characters, remarkably well exe cuted ; on the reverse, the arms of her Majesty are cut, surrounded by scroll work, conceived with great taste, and very sk - lfully executed. The teeth as in a file cut for use, are bearing to the point and single, not being crossed in any part, except the quarterings of the Royal Arms, which makes it the more surprising that so splendid an effect should be produced by the different inclinations of the chisel, technically called by the workmen in the trade over cut and up cut." This ingenious production has been pronounced by competent judges to be a clad d'ceztvre of the art. It is intended for the exhibition at Leeds. Sheffield Iris. THE LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—In the most recent colliery explosion—the calamity at South Shields—as in many others, the cause is involved in doubt. The system of ventilation, it appears, was so carefully carried out in the workings, that the use of candles was considered safe by both masters and men, and there scents to have been so little difficulty in remedying the damage done to the mine, and restoring confidence to the miners, that operations have been already partially recommenced ; and it is expected that it will be at full work this day, or on Monday. The St. Hilda pit, we arc told, is one that must be worked by blasting, or not at all. The precaution of the Davy-lamp, therefore, or any safety-lamp, in the parts where gunpowder is used, is out of the question. The remedy against accident must be sought in other means. These means. whatever some persons may think to the contrary, remain, in our opinion, to be yet disco vered. It is easy to say, if a pit cannot be worked without a peril to human life, let it be abandoned. Such a prin ciple of action would bring the world to a stand-still.— Gateshead Observer. - - The Berwick Advertiser says that " perhaps no district in the kingdom of equal population and importance is worse situated as to communication with the metropolis, by means of the post, than Berwick and its neighbour hood." BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, JULY s.—The sugar trade is become as dull as we recollect to have seen it ; all demand appears to have entirely subsided, and, although our offices are now well supplied with an excellent assort. ment, and amongst them some lots of very superior quality, they attract but little attention. Notwithstanding, there is no disposition on the part of the merchants to give way; they feel satisfied that the deficiency in the produce of the West Indies will cause prices to be maintained ; but one material circumstance is operating to counteract the effect of any such falling off in the imports : the consumption is affected by the high prices to an extent that we think has e.caped general observation ; it amounts in the port of London alone, during the last three months, to the enor mous quantity of 11,200 hhds.—Bristol Mercury. On Friday evening last, as Mr. K. B. Shawe and his lady were returning from Henfield to Horsham, when within not more than three miles of the latter place they were stopped by three footpads, who took from Mr. Shawe between twenty and thirty sovereigns and a gold watch, and from his la dy her gold watch and appendages, and even carried off the cloaks and coats that were in the phaeton in which Mr. and Mrs. Shawe were riding. A large reward has been offered for their apprehension, and it is hoped they will speedily be brought to justice. IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN T ROUSE OF LORDS, JULY 8. The Lunn CHANCELLOR took his scat on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. Lord RODEN presented a - petition from Ashford, and also a petition from another place, against the Prisons' Bill; also several petitions from places in the county of Derby for the better observance of the Sabbath day. The Earl of HA RE WOOD presented several petitions against the Prisons' Bill. The Earl of MANSFIELD presented a petition from Falkirk, signed by Lord Panmure and others, against the Scotch Prison Bill. The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition praying for the repeal or an alteration of the Beer Bill. Upon the motion of the Ray. PRELATE the District Churches Bill passed through a Committee of the whole House, with amendments. Upon the motion of a NOBLE LORD the Watch Rate Regulation Bill passed throiigh a Committee of the whole House. A message from the House of Commons brought up the Bills of Exchange Bill with amendments. THE ADDRESS. The Duke of ARGYLE stated that agreeable to their Lordship's commands he had had the honour to wait on her Majesty, and that he had now to inform their Lordship, that her Majesty had appointed two o'clock on Thursday next, at l3uckingham Palace, to receive their Lordship' address, CANADA. The Bishop of EXETER wished to know from the Noble Marquis (Normanby), whether the Bill which had passed the Legislature of Upper Canada for the purpose of re-investing- the Clergy Reserves in her Majesty, was likely to be laid on the table of both Houses of Parlia ment this Session. The Marquis of NORMANBY said the Bill was still under consideration, but in consequence of the want of the necessary formality in it, it would not be in the power of the Government to lay the Bat on the table at present, even if the merits of the Act were ready. The Bishop of EXETER inquired if it were probable that the Bill would be in a state to be laid on the table tbis Session ? It was a Bill of vast importance, and would require serious consideration. The Marquis of NORM ANBY did not think it would be possible to lay it on the table this Session. On the motion of Lord FALKLAND the Highway Rate Amendment Bill for affording to turnpike roads the same protection that was afforded to other roads against being crossed by railroads, was read a second time. Lord HARDWICK presented a petition from the Magistrates and others of Cambridge against the Prison's Bill. The Noble Lord was very mucti against the Bill. No sooner had the silent system been adopted than we were to have the separate system—the system which, no doubt, would enable the Secretary of State to tax coun tries to an unlimited extent, which were taxed quite enough already for the improvement and enlargement of prisons. He should be glad to see this Bill stopped, without passing a further stage. ADMIRALTY JUDGE. Lord BROUGHAM said that be saw in the navy esti mates a vote on the 25th of March last, for the payment of the Judge of the Admiralty Bill to regulate that Court, and also a vote for the payment, as we understood, of another individual belonging to that Court. He never knew a more scandalous anomaly. lie had several times asked the question of the Noble and Learned Lord on the 'Woolsack, and he now repeated the question, whether it was intended to bring in a Bill to regulate that Court. The LORD CHANCELLOR said there was a Bill now in the House of Commons for the purpose of regulat ing.. it. Lord BROUGHAM said that he had inquired, but had been unable to obtain any information about it. The Earl of WICKLOW believed. th© Noble and Learned Lord would find it on the Votes. The Bishop of EXETER moved for a return of the number of cases heard and determined in the Consistorial Court of Chester, and the number of sentences delivered and appeals therefrom ; and a similar return from the Con sistnrial Court of York.—Agreed to, The Earl of HA DD INGTON presented a petition from Kirkcudbright, praying for the adoption of a penny postage. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, JULY 8. The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour, and an nounced that he had received a letter from Mr. Alcock, announcing that it was not his intention to defend his seat fur Ludlow. The Order for taking the petition into consideration was then discharged. Mr. FINCH presented a petition from certain electors of the borough, praying that they might be allowed to defend the return. ....... The Earl of Stamford and Warrington's Estate Bill was read a second time. The Lords' amendments to the Deptford Pier Junction Railway were agreed to. Sir GEORGE GREY brought up the Report of the Committee on the County Courts Bill, which was ordered to be printed. Sir P. EGERTON presented a petition from a place in Cheshire praying for the repeal of the Catholic Eman cipation Act. Mr. G. BERKELEY presented a petition from Derby in favour of a penny postage. Sir ROBERT ING LIS presented a petition from the members of the Royal Academy complaining that the returns ordered on the 14th March last directed them to specify not only the number of persons who had visited the institution and the amount of money received by them, but an account of all thu monies paid in salaries and perquisites, and stating that the authority might be vexatiously exercised. The petitioners trusted it would not be considered unrea sonable if they claimed the unmolested management of their own affairs, as they had done their best to uphold the British School of Art with credit and honour, and prayed the House to rescind the order of the 14th of March. The Hon. Baronet moved that the petition be printed with the votes ; and gave notice that on Tuesday next he should submit a motion to the House in conformity with the prayer of the petition. Mr. HARVEY presented a petition signed by the Chairman of the Licensed Victuallers' Protection Society, praying that that clause in the Beer Act, which em powered Magistrates to close public-houses at a certain hour might be expunged, and that at all times the petitioners might have the assistance of the police in elearing their houses if necessary. As he ( Mr. Harvey) intended calling the attention of the House to the petition, when the House went into Committee on the Beer Bill, he moved that the petition be printed with the votes. Mr. KE NIBLE presented a petition from the Protes tant Association of Camberwell, against any further grant to the College of Maynooth. Lord LOWTHER presented a petition, in favour of penny postage. Mr. L ASCE LLE S moved to discharge the order for the further consideration of the Report on the Abberford Small Debts Bill, and fix it for Friday next. Mr. W. PATTEN said it would save parties interested in many of such Bills much money if the Noble Lord would state whether the Government intended to proceed with a general measure founded upon the Report of the Committee on the table in the present Session. Lord JQIIN RUSSELL fully intended to proceed to the consideration of the Report on Monday next, and he intended to proceed with a general measure during the present Session. Mr. CAYLEY moved the third reading of the Ship Propeller Company Bill.—Read a third time, and passed. ROYAL ACADEMY. Sir R. INGLIS gave notice that on Tuesday, the 23d inst., he should bring forward a motion respecting the Royal Academy, unless the Hon. Member for Kilkenny should, before that day, move, as he had intimated he should, that returns ordered to be made by that Academy should be made forthwith. Mr. I - lUNIE thereupon instantly gave notice that he should to-morrow move that returns, which had be en or dered upon his motion on the 14th March, should forthwith be made by the Royal Academy. Sir R. INGLIS then said he should move as an amend ment to that, that the order for the return in question be rescinded. SCHOOL OF DESIGN. Mr. F., WA RT g ave notice that on the vote, in Corn mittee of Supply, for the grant to the School of Design, Somerset House, he should move that the school be con verted into a normal school for the training, of teachers, or that the grant should be divided among different institu tions instead of being confined to one. COLLECTION OF RATES. Captain PECIIELL wished some explanation to be given us to the intentions of Government respecting the Bill now before the House with regard to the collection of rates. His constituents were apprehensive that it would interfere with their Local Acts. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said (we believe) that there would be certain alterations made in the Bill, which how. ever was very necessary to settle the authority under which a great number of pudic officers were to discharge their duty. Lord DARLINGTON hoped that if, as was alleged, the Bill would interfere with the independent power of pa rishes to manage their own rates, this point would be re considered. Lord J. RUSSELL intimated that it would. Mr. HERRIES suggested that as the Bill affected an important branch of taxation, it should have been com menced by resolutions in a Committee of the whole House. Lord J. RUSSELL said the point had not occurred to him ;he would consider it. At the same time it struck him that as the Bill should not affect the liability to rates, but only the mode of levying them, it did not come under the rate alluded to. Mr. HERRIES said the Bill altered the modo of assessment. Mr. DARBY remarked that it would give the power to raise money on an illegal rate. MILITARY AND NAVAL COMMISSION. Lord G. LENNOX desired to know when the Military and Naval Commission were expected to make their Re port-4 Hear, hear)—and also whether it was intended to appoint upon it another Marine Officer, seeing that the only one who had been originally upon it had unhappily died since the Committee had first assembled—now about 16 months. Lord J. RUSSELL, not being a member of the Corn, mission, could give no answer. IRISH CLERGY. In answer to a question from Mr. SHAW, Lord MORP ET H said the distribution of the Irish Clergy Loan, which had been unavoidably for a short time suspended, would in a day or two, he believed, be again in progress. Mr. O'CONNELL gave notice that tomorrow he should ask the Noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a question respectin g the affairs of Mexico. Lor MAHON had also intended asking a similar ques tion had he seen the Noble Lord i n hi s p l ace. THE CORONATION. Mr. HUNIE said that in the month of May, 183 S, he had moved for an estimate of the probable expense of the then approaching Coronation, and a return had been made in answer thereto, that it was impossible to prepare an estimate. It appeared from returns that had been now EVENING EDITION. laid on the table, that the expenses of the Coronation amounted to 6 9,42 1 / . He therefore moved that a return be laid before the House of the manner in which this sum had been expended, distinguishing the amount paid to each ()nicer of the Household • also all other payments. He hoped it was not necessary to ask if this was the whole ex pense of the Coronation. BILLS OF NATURALIZATION. Captain PEC HEL L said that he had moved on the 3th of February for a return of the expenses of taking out let ters patent for naturalization ; those returns had 'wen laid on the table, and it appeared that the expense to each person amounted to 1051. The expense attending a patent, including seven names, was 381/. This he considered exces sive—the fees on each patent to the Attorney and Solicitor- General were extravagant. He hoped the answer of the Noble Lord would satisfy the many aliens who were wait ing in hopes of naturalization, that some diminution would take place in these expenses. Lord J. RUSSELL did not think, as far as be had hitherto considered the subject, that it would be in his power to gram any relief. Captain PEC HELL said that the stamp duties amounted to 4.1. V. and 201. on each sheet ; he thought some diminu- tion might I.y. made under that head. PRINTING THE BIBLE (SCOTLAND). Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in moving the Order of the Day fur the House resolving itself into a Committee of Supply, said that the Right Hon. Baronet, the Member for Pembroke, had, some short time since, asked him a question respecting the renewal of the patent for the printing of the Bible in Scotland, in answer to which he had stated that it was the intention of the Government to form a Board, having authority to print and propagate the Bible in Scotland. He had nothing to alter respecting the statement he had then made—he be lieved he had on that occasion stated that the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor-General were to be members of the Board. He had, however, now to add to his former proposal that it was the intention of the Go vernment to give power to certain parties, on making ali° piication to the Lord Advocate for the time being to print copies of the Bible, on their subscribing a declaration that they proposed undertaking to edit an edition of the Bible, or of the d)ld or New Testament, and binding themselves to print it according to the authorised version, transmitting a copy to the Lord Advocate, and the proof sheets to the secretary of the Board. Persons to whom this pri vilege was proposed to be granted were Bishops of the Episcopalian Church, or clergymen authorised by them—clergymen of the Presbyterian Church recommend ed by their Presbyteries—or clergymen of the Baptist or In dependent persuasions recommended by the clergy of their respective persuasions. These persons would have per mission on entering into recognizances. Sir JAMES GRAHAM had been obliged to the Noble Lord for his answer on the former occasion, which had been very satisfactory to the Church of Scot land. He was sorry that any alteration had bee * postponed to this late period ; as the patent expired on.tb e 17th of this month, there would be only nine days for them to make objections. It appeared to him that the plan wa s objectionable, inasmuch as the mischief might be don before the recognizances could be estreated. A W u ' rious edition might be sent forth, and the onl y remedy would be to estreat the recognizances which would be no remedy at all to the public.—( Hear, be. i a r " Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that the Right ll° . nourable Baronet had somewhat misunderstood the na ture of the alteration that was to be made ; it was not t° depend merely upon recognisances, but was to be We ill ; plished chiefly through the Lord Advocate. With respect to what the Right Hon. Gentleman had stated relative what had taken place a short time before the expiration °: the patent, he had paid attention to that cireurnstane_ce and it so happened, with respect to the other affairs of the Church of Scotland, that some of the leading parties lo that Church were in town. He had received from the Committee of the General Assembly remarks, as the former plan, stating their satisfaction with re s p ect to it, and it was his firm expectation that t heY , would express a like satisfaction with the pre sell notwithstanding what had been stated by the Right l i t e nourable Baronet. The proposed pl an did not alter tP constitution of the Board. Sir J. GRAHAM wished to know whether the decision upon an api,lication was to rest w ith th e L or d Advo cate alone, or would that Board take part in it. a Lord J. RUSSELL said that the parties would hav e right to print without appli ca ti on t o the Board, pro vided they bad the sanction of the Lord Advocate. Sir J. GRAHAM wished to know whether the Noble Lord would have any objection to lay on the table of I ll° Ilouse a copy of the instrument appointing the Board. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he should have I/° objection as soon as the papers were completed to lay 00'1 on the table. The Bank of Ireland Regulation Bill was brought in b 9,1 Lord Morpeth, read a first a n d or d ere d to b e rea d a seco nd time to-morrow. BANK OF ENGLAND. Mr. HUME, upon the motion for reading the Order of the Day for the House goi ng i n t o a Commit° f of Supply, rose to bring forward the motion °, which he had given notice relative to the Bank 01 England. The lion. Member said that for some time past he had been anxious to bring the question of the proceedings of the Bank of England before the House' The motion of which he had given notice, was to th e _ following effect :—For a Select Committee, to inq uire ; into the pecuniary transactions of the Bank of Englan d since the resumption of cash payments ; and particularly to ascertain bow far these transactions produced the alarming c risis of the manufacturing, commercial, and financial affairs of the country in 1825-6, and in 1536-7 ; and, also, to inquire whether, as the Bank of England ig at present constituted, there ever can be stability in the cur rency, or confidence in the commercial transactions of the country." He( Mr. 11. )regretted that the House had not con curred in opinion with him on a former occasion, when be had submitted to them the propriety of instituting an inquiry into this, subject. It would be recollected, that , on the 20th of August, 1832, he submitted a m otion to the House to inquire into the general alteration that had taken place in the banking system in the country; the House negatived that proposition, and in the followi! 1 6 year he moved a general inquiry into the state of Joi nt . t Stock Banks, and the cause of the alteration in circulation up to 1 833 . The object of the pnreasnet h n, motion was not to limit the inquiry to Joint Stock 1&_ firmlybut to b e e x l t i e e n v d ed i , t a t r o o t s h e e th ß o a w nk hol o e f c E au n s g e l o at f id th , ,e fr i o r m reg w u h la o r m it t y b i,n : the circulation that had taken place. If the the House sh ould be or opinion that the state of the currency was not satisfac tory, if they should be of opinion, from the experience they had from the resumption of cash payments since 1819, that it had caused one continued scene of ups and downs, then he thought they would concur in the neccsity of the motion. It might be alleged that the period of the Session was too late to proceed with such an inquiry now. The House was, he believed, little aware of the changes that had taken piece in their monetary system, and it ought not to separate until it had devised means to remedy that evil. Toe question would not occupy a long time, because he had no documents to refer to but the papers, an d returns of the Bank of England itself. The House ought; therefore, before it separated, to meet the difficulty boldly anii fearlessly. Ile had no intention to attack the Bank England further than as the interests of the pub" and the commerce of the world was to a certain extent involved. Ile did not mean to attach to the Directors Of the Bank of England any criminal conduct or in tentional neglect ; on the contrary, he knew that Ma r l of them were mos t anx i ous to maintain the begs , and soundest principles of commercial policy; but he shoul d : be able to show th a t th e y h a d d ev i ate d f rom the rules andri regulations by which they ought t o h ave b een guarded, a nd he felt he would not be di sc h arg i ng hi s duty if he did no t point them out to the Hou se . Il e h a d no concern with any Joint Stock Bank, but he would remind his lion. Fri`- 41d at the time the inquiry into these establishments was pro posed, that he had told hint it would end in nothime, furthe r partthan bc a of fe h sc a ot t em t d h e. e o r f e Ht m eh i e g wrn h a, t sb b u e et n p tt r hi o re : ifys general o o f p n p i i o s sp m erd a i n n c a t i g o p e l e m t h e w n o o t sec o ld n vr t n t :o b o t wished, by changing, to debase the currency. His op t ' Mon, after due consideration, was, that it would be batter for the country if they had altogether a metallic currency rather than a currency partly paper an d pa rtly s gold. —( Hear, hear.) It' hi s (M r. H ume ' s) advice h a d been taken, all the misfortunes that had befallen the commercial world since 1819 would have been avoided. That House ought to provide for the protection of public property ; but he would say that while the Bank had the power to alter the currency as it pleased, no man's pro perty was safe, be his experience or his economy wha t it might. lie held that no individual or body of dividuals ought to have the power of altering the standard of value with respect to the circulation ; that was peculiarly a prerogative of the Crown, but it was done continually by the Bank. Before proceeding with his details he would state that every allegation he made and every figure lie used would be taken from official documents. Of late years the intentions of the Crown and of Parliament had been en tirely frustrated--had never been carried into effect. It was his intention to prove that from the year 1819, or within a year after the resumption of czsli payments, the rules laid down by the Committee which considered that subject had been entirely set aside—that they were violated so early as 1822. Again in 1823, in which year they placed the currency in a worse situation than it was, the resumption of cash payments—that sad commercial crisis—the never-to-be-forgotten crisis of 1825, was entirely brought about by a departure from those rules. Again the calamities of 1535 and 1836 were traceable to the satna cause, and the conduct of the Bank had produced the difficulties under which this country was TIQW labouring. Ile should be glad to hear his Hon. Friend, the Chairmen of the Bank, show that he was in error, but if the House granted him a Committee he would pledge himself that, in three or four sittings of that Committee, he would substantiate the four points he had made. That being the principle on which he asked for the inquiry, he would show how far the Bank had, from its earliest commencement of cash payments, violated the recommendations of that House. Sir Robert Peel's Committee recommended that the repayment of a considerable amount of Government Securities held by the Bank should be made before the Bank should resume cash payments. The amount of Se curities held by the Bank for Government were 22,500,0 001 . The p r i va t e securities were 10,000,00 W. The cash p a yments were to have taken place on Ist May 1821, and two menthe previous to that time the Bank reduced their public secu rities to 16,000,0001., and their private securities to 4,000,000/. There was a further reduction made to 1 1 ,000,000/. of public securities, and 3,500,000/. private securities. All that proceeded in accordance with t he recommendation of the Committee, and was in perfec Between drl a l m B e l9 n t and a d lB be 22 el , l e th a e rr r i e e f d or i e n , to th e e ffect. goodrrhe re commendationefiiirictulil.aonoan deposits in 1819 were 31,500,0 001 and in 1822 they had declined to 23,000,000 /. In Augus.t, 1819, the Three per Cent. Consols were 71, and in 1822 they rose to 80. In the following year the Govern ment brought in a plan to reduce the Four per Cents. t° three and a half, to which great opposition was made , because it was held that the state of the market did not fairly warrant it, and doubts existed as to w hether the Government could carry it into effect or not, but they did with time exception of 6,000,000/. He now came to the deviation from principle, because if they had cont ina d themselves to commercial discount and matters connected