The Sun. — London, England, 1845-04-11 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE SWISS DIET. PARIS, WEDNESDAY. The Constitutionnel has received by Extraordinary express the proceedings of the Swiss Diet, which derive so much interest and importance from the cir cumstances under which it has assembled. " We have received from our Zurich correspondent, by Extraordinary Express, the account of the sitting of the Diet on the Ist instant. e countenances of the Deputies assem bled wore, for h the most part, an ex pression of painful feeling. Those of Lucerne were of so radiant a character, as to call forth the indignant shouts of the populace. The police of Zurich were obliged to have them escorted by a band of agents in disguise, in order to protect them from the fury of the " The discussions were less bitter than was expected, and with the exception of the speech of M. Steg ward, of Lucerne, the language held was dignified and calm. Finding it impossible to come to a decision in one sitting, the Federal Assembly has appointed a commission to present propositions suited to the exigency of the occasion. This Committee has a general authorisation, which will permit it to carry its investigation as far as it may judge desirable. The Liberal party succeeded in placing four Members on this Committee, viz., M. Furrer, of Zurich ; M. Weber, of Berne ; M. Kern, of Thurgoire, and M. Blumer, of Glaris. The ultra-mountain party with much difficulty succeeded in appointing three—M. Schmid, of Uri ; M. Calame, of Neufchatel ' • and M. Muller, of St. Gall. The most sensible check experienced by the ultra-moun tain party was the exclusion from the Committee of the deputy of Lucerne, for it has always been customary for the members of the three directing cantons to form part of important political committees." SWISS DIET.—SmexG GF APRIL 3. All the deputies were present except those of Lessino and the Valais, who were expected in the course of the day. The Diet having been opened in the usual form. The President said—" Gentlemen, it is scarcely a fort night since you quitted this hall, several not satisfied with the result of your labours, and foreseeing that grave results would arrive. But you did not think that your utmost anticipations could be exceeded. The Free Corps, irri•ated that the Diet was powerless incom ing to a decision with respect to the Jesuits, made an ir ruption on the territory of a confederate state. A terrible destiny has befallen these misguided men, and sorrow has seized on many honourable families. A federal army is on foot to lend its assistance to the re-establishment of order in our country. The peace of Switzerland depends on what the Diet is about to do. This high assembly ought to have constantly before its eyes the importance of its mandate ; it ought to avoid entering t)o deeply into the causes which have produced these events, in order not to raise up irritating discussion ; but it will examine the means of repairing the evil, and it can find them. A change has taken place in the persons composing the directory, and has caused the resignation of our lion. President ; but this change will not produce anv modification in the instruc tions given by the Grand Council of Zurich." The reports of the Vorort, the federal commissary, and of the chief of the army were then read. The report of the Vorort states that after the defeat of the Free Corps the Directory invited the several States not to neglect anything to prevent the renewal of such facts. It next gives an account of the measures taken when the Government of Argau perceived symp toms of revolt in the Freiamt. M. Neff having, on Api ii .-, Y s ent word that these symptoms we re no lon g er dis quieting, went to Lucerne to engage that state to treat the prisoners mildly, without thereby wishing to encroach on the cantonal sovereignty. The report concludes by making known the propositions of the two states. l. Lucerne demands that the Diet should take severe measures to put an end to the organisation of the free corps: that Argau and the Bale country should be called on to pay the expenses caused to the canton of Lucerne , by the recent invasion. 2. Argau demands that the Diet should come to some decision against the Jesuits, and that Lucerne should proclaim a general amnesty. M. Weber, Second Deputy of Berne, demanded, as a matter of urgency, that the Diet should address a press ing invitation to Lucerne to accord a general amnesty — the only means, he said, of healing so many bleeding wounds. lie proposed also that a Committee should be charged to examine the other points. M. Stegwart, Deputy of Lucerne, spoke against the sending of Commissioners, and the calling out of federal troops, as useless measures. Lucerne had, he said, called to her aid the primitive cantons, in virtue of Art. 4 of the compact ; and with such faithful confederates they considered themselves strong enough to resist anarchy. Without blaming the memures of the Direc tory, he praised the commissaries and the Commander in-Chief, who did not meddle with the internal affairs of their canton. But he protested beforehand against all intervention of the Diet in the cantonal affairs. Independently of the propositions which Lucerne had submitted to the cantons, he had to make another. The free corps, after having obtained their arms and accoutrements from the cantonal arsenals, and being fully supported, had entered the canton of Lucerne like robbers, to the number of 7,000 or 8,000. (The Deputy here entered into details of the matter. Accord ins to him there were 2,000 prisoners (who had not been ill-treated) and 300 killed.) It was sufficient, he remarked, to look at the men in custody to see that they were the refuse of society.—(Loud marks of indignatioe from the Tribunes.) Lucerne was obliged to quit her friends and faithful conft-derates to apply to perjured men.—(Marks of disapprobation from the assembly.) W . 'Le 11.1J1SLeti ore: d emandswhich she made in her letter to the Vorort of March 26 ; and, in addition, required satis faction from the cantons of Berne, Arpin, Soleure, and Bale Country ; and if that satisfaction was not accorded, she reserved to herself to take all proper steps for her preservation. The Deputy concluded by declaring that the Grand Council of Lucerne had proclaimed an am nesty in favour of the criminals of December 8, excepting only the most guilty. After this speech, which produced a sensation of sad ness in the assembly, a report was read from the federal representative, M. Nceff; dated Lucerne, April 4, an nouncing that the Grand Council of Lucerne had taken measures which led to hope that clemency would be shown. There were to be three classes of prisoners. Such as were under twenty years of age were to be restored to liberty, as well as foreigners, under the reserve that the courts of law were to pronounce against the latter an order to quit the territory of the Confedera tion. The second would be a'so set at liberty, but on certain conditions ; and in the case of the third class, containing the leaders and functionaries, the ordinary tribunals were to decide, appeal to the Grand Council being allowed those found guilty. At the termination of the reading of this report, the discussion was resumed, and continued for six hours, in the midst of reciprocal accusations. At last the assem bly almost unanimously agreed to the nomination of a Committee of seven members to examine the present state of affairs in all points of view, and to make such p.opositions as it might deem proper. GRAND COUNCIL OF STATE. At a meeting of the Grand Council of State, held at Lucerne on the 4th, the instructions to be given to the deputies at the Extraordinary Diet were resolved on, and relate to the following points:- 1. The disarming of the free corps._ 2. The withdrawal of the refuges from the frontiers. 3. The indemnity to be demanded from the cantons who have favoured the operations of the Free Corps ; via.:—Argan, Bale country, Berne, &c. It was proposed that there should be excluded from the benefit of the amnesty— • 1. The principal chiefs and instigators of the move ment. _ _ _ 2. Those who had assembled on the Bth of December at the Place des Mouline. 3. Those who were found at the inn with arms, for criminal intentions. 4. Those who were defeated at the Bridge of Emme. 5. All public functionaries, professors, officers, sub officers, who took part in the attempt. 6. All foreign volunteers. This proposition was not adopted, but another more moderate brought forward, whereby the amnesty was to extend to all but the authors and chiefs in the movement. The Grand Council decided that the trial of the offenders should take place immediately. SANGUINARY PROCEEDINGS OF THE GO- VERNMENT OF LUCERNE. (From the journal des Debuts.) An account Wai received yesterday from Switzer land, affirming that Dr. Steiger, one of the chiefs of the refugees of Lucerne, who was made prisoner at the late battle, was tried and condemned on Thursday, and immediately shot. We would willingly doubt the truth of this news. This merciless ac-t of vengeance would not do honour to the victory of the Government of Lucerne, and it cannot be by such sanguinary acts of reprisal that the Government and the friends of the Jesuits will strengthe n their causP, or gain for it sympathy and support. Th e number of the victims of this deplo rable civil war is already sufficiently great. The exact amount of the killed cannot yet be ascertained ; but it is said that out of the 600 men who marched from the half canton of Bale -country, only 100 have returned, and that a single man alone has got back to Liestal. NEW BRUNSWICK AND NOVA SCO PIA LAND COMPANY. The adjourned half-yearly G enera l Meeting of Shareholders in the New Brunswi c k and Nova the Land Company was held yesterday at t h e George and Scotia ge a Vulture Tavern, Cornhill ; Mr. John Moxon in thechair. The Directors had to wait some time b e f ore t h ere was . a suffizient number of Proprietors in attendance to con stitute a meeting. The non-attendance, however, was not attributed to the little interest the great body of the Shareholders took in the affairs of the Company, but to the fact that there were several other commercial meetings of an important nature, convened in the City, for the same hour and the same day. The report stated that the surplus sum which had been expended for the purposes of the Company was gradually diminishing. From 1839 to 1844 it had been reduced from 1,622/. 153. 9d. to 900/. 19s. Bd. The last balance-sheet exhibited a balance in the Companies favour amounting to 8071. 10s. sd. The total receipts at Stanley, the settlement of the Company for 1841, was 1,7601. 3s. 10d. and the, expenditure 1,9981. 2s. I Id. The total number of acres sold by the Company was 22,020, leaving yet unsold 538,397. The number sold in 1844, was 3,760. The inmigration of British and other settlers into the province during the last year appeared to have been less considerable than in former years. The number of purchasers of the Company's lands in 1844, was 36. The whole number of families settled amounted to 145. In the year 1844 the pro vince had produced 1,289 bushels of wheat, 2,083 ditto buck-whea,t, 11,506 ditto oats, 178 ditto lasrloy, 10$ ditto rye, 103 ditto Indian corn and peas, 31,714 ditto potatoes, 3,021 ditto beet and turnips, 437 tons of hay, 330 cattle, 65 horses, 297 sheep, and 245 pigs. The new land cleared amounted in 1844 to 462 acres, and in 1845 to 518 acres. The quan tity of land stumped and ploughed was 180 acres. With regard to operations for the present year, the Directors had authorised their agent to make good the road from Stanley to Tay mouth, nine miles to the point of junction with the province road to Frede ricton ; and the Directors expected that a post-office would be opened this year at Stanley, and a stage con veyance for passengers and parcels established to run between Stanley and Fredericton twice or three times a week. From her Majesty's Colonial Department the Company had hitherto received no encouragement. The report having been adopted, the follow ing gentlemen were re-elected Directors—Messrs.Moxon, Hallett, Morgan, Ogle, Potts, and Mr. Henry Bruce, auditor. Mr. Godson, from Kidderminster, was then elected a Dire3tor, in the room of Mr. Palmer, deceased ; and Mr. Gowan, in the room of Mr. Blanchard, who had resigned. Mr. Godson was elected Governor, and Mr. Moron Deputy-Governor. The meeting terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the Chairman and the Directors. EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY COMPANY. _ A special General Meeting of the shareholders of this Company was held yesterday at the Londo n Tavern, in compliance with the advertisement, for the purpose of augmenting the capital stock of the Company, by the creation of 4 , 800 new s ha r es, u p on which not more than 1-11. 16s. per share is to be paid in the propor tions proposed. The meeting was numerously and re spectably attended. Mr. BOSANQUET was called to the chair at one o'clock, and Mr. DUNCAN read the report of the Directors, and the resolutions to be proposed. Mr. DANIEL WHITTLE lIARVEY congratulated the Shareholders on the prosperous condition of their affairs, as evinced by the report ; but there were one or two matters to which he wished to call their attention. He had heard, in reference to their financial position, that they had been borrowing money to the amount of 710,0001., at various rates of interest, from five to six per cent., i and that in a few years the lenders would enforce the of the principal. Now , in refer ence to this question, he should say that the Company wou ld derive two ad vantages by the adoption of this report ; one was that they should repay this money, and for that purpose pro vide the necessary funds by the time they should be de mended ; and the other was that they should raise whatever money they wanted in future amongst themselves.—(Hear.) Let the Company recollect that the interest of 700,000/.. at 5 per cent., was 35,0001. per annum; while, if they had raised the money amongst themselves, or, in other words, had become their own creditors, they could have had the money at four per cent., which would be only 28,0001. a year, thereby creating a saving of 7,000/. a year to themselves on such portions of the loan as they paid 5 per cent. for, and of course of a still greater saving upon such sums as they paid 6 per cent. for the loan of.—(Hear, hear.) He would now beg to call the attention of the meeting to the position in which the Company was placed in reference to another proceed ing. He did not mean to enter upon a review of the course the Directors had taken in the management of the Company's affairs ; that would do for the great meet ing in August next, by which time Parliament would, in all probability. have to a certain extent declared their des tiny—(Hear, hear)—and when the Company would be in a position to pronounce their disapprobation or the contrary, as the case might be, of the progress the Legislature might have made in regard to them. —(hear, hear.) But as to the present position of the Company, he supposed they were all aware that the Board of Trade had made a report respecting them that could not be too highly extolled.—(Hear, hear.) That report declared in the most unequivocal terms that they had given their sanction to the extension of the trunk line, by which the Eistern Counties line would become the great trunk line from Shoreditch to the extremity of Scotland.—(Cheers.) But the Cam bridge and Lincoln Company had got another line in contemplation, which the Board of Trade had reported in favour of, namely the line from Tottenham to Farringdon-street. Now, if the Eastern Counties Company made an appeal to the Board of Trade on the subject, he did think they had such paramount claims upon the attention of the Board that they would be heard with attention, and some importance would be attached to their remonstrances in favour of the extension of any line they should pro. pose.—(Hear.) Now, he had no hesitation in saying that the line from Tottenham to Farringdon-street would be a most costly line.—(Hear, hear.) It was a distance of only seven miles, but it would run through seven miles of garden and brickwork, and would cost, even according to the Company's own cetimate, 800,000/.—(oh, oh.) The Board of Trade, in giving their sanction to this line, did not consider that seven miles could be travelled in a very few minutes ; all they thought of was, that this great line ought to have a terminus in the metropolis. On the other hand, there was a proposition before them for continuing the line from Shoreditch to Finsbury-square, which it was said could be done for about 200,0001., because it would pass through property which would be comparatively valueless. With regard to the Farringdon-street terminus proposition, all he would say was, that in his opinion, of all the superabundant and extravagant propositions that had been heard of during the present railway mania, this would be entitled to take pi ecedence.—(Che e ee ,ed is. l s..^•''. -- s x5_... ee eest. eau or money, taking the difficulties itieo account ; while if the line were made by Shoreditch, and the ter minus at Finsbury-square, then Farringdon-street might be reached at a c. imperatively trAng cost—aed therefore he did think that this subject required the best attention of the Board of Trade. However, if the Cam bridge Company persevered, then it would be for this Company to consider what steps they should take to protect themselves.—(Hear, hear.) A. propo sition had been before the Board of Trade for making a line by Blackwell, Stratford, Epping, and Fenchurch-street ; and though the Board had not given this proposition their sanction, they had not disapproved of it ; they merely recommended its postponement. He had no reason to suppose that the Cam bridge Company were not well disposed towards this Company, or that they would not co operate with them; but if they were resolved to follow up the Farringdon-street prs)position, then it would be for this Company to consider whether or not they would take up the Blackwell proposition. —(Bear, hear.) With these few observations he would conclude by saying he felt obliged for the kind attention with which he had been heard.—(Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN said he had suffered the Hon. Gentle man to continue his observations without interruption, because they were of great importance and value to the Company; but at the same time he should say it would be absolutely necessary to keep strictly to the subject of finance, which was the only one they could discuss at this meeting, according to the Act of Parliament. Mr. PATTISON, in answer to a question from Mr. Gurdon assured th e meet i ng t h at t h e b es t p oss ibl e feel ing existed on the part of the Cambrid g e Company to wards this Comp an y.—(H ear , h ear .) Mr. GURDoN was proceeding to make some other ob• servations, when ntilny heinstance, a n r c e eg speaker;rht e t regretted The . esdo C ti p on a..itlnhete,s, erupt t.tN s presentaaibutne exceedingly e m f e e l a l l n i t ! :csgtl.rmye remarks being k et - s l o to bl A g o being irrelevant to the question' before the meeting. He then put the question, w h en t h e reso l ut i ons were una nimously adopted, and the meeting separated. THE ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACK ET COMPANY. The General Meeting of the Proprietors of this Com pany was held yesterday, at the London Tavern, for the purpose of receiving the report of the Directors on the affairs of the Company, for the year ending the 31st of December last ; and also for the purpose of electing two Directors and one Auditor, in the room of Andrew Col ville, Esq., and of Russell Ellice, Esq., Directors, and Abraham G, Robarts, Esq., who went out by rotation. J. IRVING, Esq., ➢I.P., took the chair at one o'clock. Upon taking the chair, the Hon. Gentleman said he had great satisfaction in informing the meeting, that the statements the Directors would have to submit to the meeting were of a most gratifying description. The Directors felt warranted in expressing their just hope in the expectation of a successful future.--(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman then called upon the secretary, Mr. CHAPPELL, to read the report, which he did as follows : After the difficulties encountered by the Royal Mail Steam•paßket Company at the commencement of its career, many of which were unavoidable upon the for mation -of a steam enterprise more complicated and gigantic than had been undertaken by any Government, far less by 'a mercantile association ; and after having surmounted the forebodings of those who naturally doubted the possibility of placing the concern upon a regular and secure basis, it is with sincere gratification the Court of Directors submits, upon the present occa sion, a statement of the accounts for 1844, nut only realising, but exceeding. the expectations entertaihe I by the Directors, at a period wheu the Company's affairs had an appearaNce of very serious depr , ssion. How far these anticipations (founded upom the intro duction of a modified plan of picket service, in 1843) have been verifie.i, will appear evi•lent, by coutrasting the results shown by the accounts for the 3 ears 1843 and 1844 ; as follows 1843. 1844. Receipts.., Expenditure X 3 2 2) 7 1 : 5 38 1 61 .C 2 36 1 4 6:8 6 6 10 1 Surplus 94,219 ... 147,749 Looking at the probable results of the plan of service then coming into operation, the Directors also ventured to predict, in October, 1843, that the surplus upon the working account for 1814, as compared with the surplus for 1843, would be increased to a total of 120,0001., whereas it proves to be 1 4 7,749/. The profit and loss account now presented will also show that, after liquidating the loss of 32,057 L, exhibited, on closing the accounts of 1843, the balance of profit up to the end of 1844 is 50,107 L, exhibiting a difference between profit and loss accounts of 1843 and 1844 of no less than 82,1641 4 While the results upon the monetary affairs of the Company are of so encouraging a description, it is an additional gratification to add, that the present plan of packet service has worked for the last two years with a regularity alike satisfactory to her Majesty's Govern ment and the public in general ; and in proof that the Company's interests have al. o been benefited, it will be sufficient to state that the receipts from freight and passage money for 1844 have considerably exceeded what they were in 184:3. Although the unexpected and inexcusable loss of the Actor :n deprived the Company of a vessel well calcu lated for intercolonial service, yet the Directors have been able to replace her by the _purchase of the Rein deer, a vessel in excellent condition, of nearly equal ton• naga and greater proportionate power. Since the end of the year 1843 the loan of 50,0001. has been paid off, and the Company is consequently entirely out of debt to the present moment.—(Loud cheers.) This statement, however, being applicable to the present time, is no doubt in some degree anticipatory of the cur • rent half year's transactions. After much negotiation the Hon. Board of Customs, during the last year, made arrangements to enable the Company's steam ships to load, embark, and tranship mer chandise in the British colonies, under regulations suited to the peculiar nature of the service ; and although only a limited space can be appropriated on board each ship to this purpose, yet the Directors trust sufficient may be carried to augment the future receipts of the Company. During the year 1844 six of the Company's steam ships were docked, caulked, and recoppered, being one more than was stipulated for in the Company's contract with Mr. Pitcher : five others will be similarly refitted during the present year ; and the whole are therefote maintained in the highest state of efficiency. Taking into consideration all the circumstances of the Company, the Directors, notwithstanding tie amount of loss during the two first years of the service was con siderable, are of opinion that it will be more acceptable to the proprietors to receive a portion of the profit on the last year, in the shape of dividend, in preference to applying the whole amount to a fund for the replace ment of capital ; and they therefore recommend the payment of 11. 10s. per share as a dividend for the half year ending December 31,1844 ; and that such dividend be made payable at the of of the Company on and after the 28th instant, en all shares then registered. This dividend will require 21,0151., leaving 29,0921. applicable to the fund in question, or to other purposes. The CHAIRMAN then put the question that the report be received, which was unanimously agreed to. Mr. POYNDER was highly gratified at the report that had been just carried.—(Hear, hear.) Ile believed that there was not a more wholesome school in which to teach wisdom than adversity—(Cheers)—and to that, and that alone, it was that it was to be attributed that the pre sent great undertaking had been accomplished. 7 he) had formerly to meet with shoals and quicksands, but he trusted that they had escaped from them, anti that they were now in deep water, with plenty of sail ing room.—(Hear, hear.) He could not think that the Court of Proprietors would do their duty unless they marked in some substantial manner the respect a hich they entertained for the course that the Directors had pursued. He should propose that the sum of 2,0001. be appropriated out of the balance of the recount that day laid before the Proprietors, and paid to the Directors as a remuneration for their services during the past and present years, and that in future an annual sum of 2,000/. be appropriated for the like purpose. Mr. MILLS :econded the motion. He thought they ought no longer to accept the gratuitous services of the Directors. The CHAIRMAN then rose and said—Gentlemen, as one of the Board of Directors, I feel called upon to re turn our grateful thanks to the Hon. Proprietor who made the last motion, and, especially to this large and respectable meeting, for the manner in which they have received the proposition made by the Hon. Proprietor. He has not done the Court of Directors more than justice in stating the great anxieties which they have expe rienced in encountering the difficulties, and in endea vouring to overcome them. During the long period in which unsuccess attended their exertions, the Directors were never dismayed.—(Cheers.) They never swerved from that course which at first they pointed out for themselves. They had been ever actuated by the prin ciple of being unchecked, unbiassed, and uninfluenced by the opinions of the public out of doors —(Cheers)—and without looking at the circumstances that attended great operations, I believe that the present Company have exerted themselves in a degree unparalleled by any individuals, and even by Government itself.—(Cheers.) I believe that notwithstanding the crisis of our affairs we have now passed the rubicun, and that in future there is nothing but pleasing anticipations in view. Captain SWEENEY bore testimony to the conduct pur saed by the Directors. He was perfectly willing, indeed he felt it a pleasure, to support the proposition, but, at the same time, he felt bound to censure the captain of the Acteon.—(Hear.) Mr. CoLvflax, the Deputy-Chairman, said the Direc tors had done all they could on that subject, for they had discharged all the parties connected with the transaction. Captain Winn', R.N., said that the proceedings of the Company had met with the greatest satisfaction in India. The motion was then unanimously agreed to. The Directors that retired by rotation were re-elected. Mr. ROBARTS was then re-elected auditor, and upon being so, he declined receiving any remuneration— (Cheers) —his duties being so trivial. The meeting then adjourned. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice COLERIDGE and Mr. Justice COLTMAN.) James Herbert, aged 24, a'shoemaker, was indicted for feloniously cutting and wounding William Girhng, with intent to murder him. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The jury found the prisoner Not Guilty on the remaining counts of the indictment, and the prisoner was discharged. ROBBERY.—Joseph Bradshaw, aged 20, was indicted for having on, or about, the 28th of February last, stolen two and a half yards of t seed, two pieces of doeskin, and other articles, value 21., the property of Messrs. Mills and Hill, drapers, of St. Martin's-lane, his employers. Mr. Hill appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Clarkson defended the prisoner. From the p‘A.1,,,,-,-, .A. 1.......? :4--..,,,,,,.. Aw i t, - Lite prisoner's oox was searched, and in it was found the various articles described in the indictment. A portion of these articles the prosecutors spoke to as closely resembling their missing pro perty, but could not swear as to their exact identity. Oa the part of the defence, it was set up that the articles in question had been give.. to the prisoner by his brother—a draper, carrying on business in Marylebone-street, Piccadilly, in whose service he previously had been—in lieu of wages. After Mr. Clarkson had addressed the jury for the defence, Mr. Justice Coledrige summed up, and the Jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. Another case was raised against the prisoner, for having pawned a piece of blue cloth—the duplicate of which was found in his box on its being searched—which cloth a shop man of Messrs. Mills and Hill spoke to as closely resembling a similar piece which they had missed a short time before the prisoner was given into custody. On the part of / he defence, the brother of the prisoner swore to his having given him the piece of cloth in question more than a year and a half ago, for the purpose of sending it to his father, but afterwards the prisoner asked his brother's permission to send another piece instead, which he accord ingly did. After Mr. Justice Coleridge had summed up, the jury re turned a verdict of Not Guilty, and the prisoner was dis charged. The grand jury came into Court about three o'clock, and returned a trae bill against Joseph Connor for the St. Giles's murder. Anne Pendry. 30, was charged upon the coroner's inquisi tion with the wilful murder of her illegitimate child. A bill for the same offence had been preferred before the grand jury, but it was ignored. Mr. Hurry defended the prisoner. The circumstances under which the charge was made will be fresh in the recollection of our readers, as they have been recently detailed very fully in the report of the proceedings before the coroner. The prisoner was servant at the Crown public-house, Isleworth, and, on the 28th February, she was seen to go to the water-closet, and, after remaining there for some time, she came out apparently in a very weak and ex hausted state, and shortly afterwards the dead body of an infant was found in the soil. There was a slight bruise upon the head ; but it appeared very probable that this was occa sioned by the instrument with which the child was taken from the privy, and there was no evidence to show that the child was born alive. When the prisoner was questioned, she said that she had been sudelerrly seized with the pains of labour, and that she was delivered before she could obtain any assistance. Mr. Justice CoLEfunGE, at the close of the case for the prosecution, expressed his opinion that the evidence was in sufficient, and, under his direction, the jury returned a ver dict of Not Guilty. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. CLERKEN WELL. TIIREA.TENING TO POISON.—Ann Murphy, a big, fero cious-looking woman, wai charged with threatening to poison her husband. The husband, a quirt, poor fellow, living at No. 9, Peter's-lane, St. Sepulchre's, swore that he was in con tinual fear of his life from his wife's violence. A month ago she threatened to stab him, and he brought her be fore this Court. She was sent to prison for a fortnight in default of bail. At the expiration of the sentence she returned home, but had not been long in the house when she attempted to burn it by pouring a quantity of tur pentine on the fire. He extinguished the fire, and she, ithout any provocation, threw a bottle at his head, and swore she would poison him and their eldest daughter ; so that they were in continual fear of their lives from her violence. On Tuesday night she renewed her threat of poisoning, and he feared she would carry it into effect. Mr. Gat.FNwoon—What have you to say to this, pri soner? Prisoner—Oh, the wicked wretch, he'd swear anything. The daughter, a modest, decent-looking girl, was called, and.stre, with tears in her eyes, corroborated her father's testimony. Prisoner—(to the daughter)-oh, you are a nice youth, ain't 3 ou? In default of bait. she was committed for ten days. LLOYD'S SHIPPING. PROTECTION TO TRADE AT ICIIABOE. The Committee of Lloyd's have addressed a letter of thanks to Captain Sir John Marshall, R.N., for the great attention paid to their interest, and the mercan tile community generally, by him during the period of his command - . on the Cape of Good Hope station, by ar rangements made at Ichaboe for the preservation of the peace, and for the furtherance of trade otherwise on that island. Sir John Marshall, in reply, concluded with, "Long experience in the public service has taught me duly to appreciate the importance, as well as to respect and ad mire the intelligence and honourable bearing of our shipowners and merchants." CART ACCIDENT. — On Tuesday afternoon, between three and four o'clock, a little girl, in crossing Compton street, Soho, at the corner of Dean-street, was knocked down by a horse and cart. So rapid was the accident that it was truly wonderful how the driver managed to pull up in time to save the child, as it was the wheel rested on her arm. On being removed from under the wheel the girl was found to have received some severe contusions from the horse's feet, but she is likely to recover. No blame was at tached to the driver. STOCKHOLM, MAucii 28.—We have just received Finland, a n has, ordinance, att he inst d a a n t c e e d by the Finland snail the news that th e E m p eror , in order t o promote education among the inhabitants of of fththee surateionfstaln'itnland, issued which all Swedish books a . re allowed h to be importe b d into Finland, on payment of 20 ar.oen of p: t the selling price. On one side the Estates have lately abolished the impost dues on all swodi.,all books printed • land.--Dutch paper, Ap r il 9. - - I - lin THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 11 1845. IMFERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 10. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Cluck, when, after the presentation of several petitions on private Bills, the following Bills were read a first time : —The Preston and Wyre Railway Bill; the Grand Junction Railway B:11; the London and South-Western Railway Upward Branch; the Exeter and Crediton Railway Bill; and the Dublin and Belfast Railway Bill. The Hartle pool Pier and Port Bill, and the Taunton Gas Bill, were read a second time ; and the Thames Navigation Debt Bill a third time. Petitions were presented against the London and York Railway, which was referred to the Committee ; against the West Riding Junction Railway, the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway, the Waterford and Kilkenny Rail ' way, the Derby and Bolton hailway, and the Livefp - ml and Bury Railway. Petitions were presented in favour of the Lond,n, West,rn, and South Staffordshirelway, the Her.-ford Railway, and the Eastern Union and Harwich Railway. JEWISH DISABILITIES. Mr. MINTZ presented a petition from the Mayor and Corporation of Birmingham, in favour of removing all the civil disabilities under which the Jews labour. AYNOOTH. Petitions from various places in England and Scotland, against the grant to Maynooth, were presented by Mr. Muntz, Mr. Buck, Mr. Aaron Chapman, Mr. Powell, Mr. Packe, Mr. Masterman, Colonel Sibthorp, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. BusfAhl, Mr. Stafford O'Brien, Mr. Christopher, Mr. Thornely, Mr. 0. Duncornbe, Sir Charles Lemon ' Lord Ashley, Mr. Hawes, Mr. Plumpt , e, Captain Plumridge, Mr. Aldam, and several other Hon. Members. HILL-COOLIES. Dr. BOWRlNGpresented a petition from Leighton Buzzard against the importation of Hill-coolies into the \Vest India colonies. The Hen. Member also presented two petitions from the operatives of Scotland praying the House to limit the hours of labour. DIC AL REFORM. _ _ Mr. COBDEN presented a petition from the medical practitioners of Scotland against the Medical Reform Bill. COUNTY COURTS, Mr. ESCOTT presented a petition from Mr. William Leonard Platt, a barrister o f considerable experience, stating that from his personal knowledge he was con• winced that great abuses existed in the smaller Crown Courts of this country', and praying for their removal. MAYNOOTH. _ . . Mr. TATTON EGEICTORp;eSented several petitions against the incre2sed grant to this establishment. NEW SOUTH WALES. _ _ _ Mr. HUTT presented a petition from the Legislative Council of New South Wales, praying for an equalised imposition of duty on all colonial corn introduced into this country. He said that from the character of the petition which he had to bring under the no.ice of the house, he trusted the [louse would favour him with its best attention. The voice of the peti tioners, as heard through this petition to the House, came from a distance of no less than 12,000 miles across the ocean, a compass which embraced half the globe. The petitioners had heard that the [louse granted a remission of duty on all corn introduced into this country from Canada, except at a nominal rate, and they conceived that it was but rig .t thit all the colonial possessions of the British Crown should be placed on the same footing ; and he trusted that no invidious distinction whatever would be made with respect to them.—(Hear.) The Governor of New South Wales had received a dispatch from Lord Stanley, forbidding the imposition of any dif ferential duties on goods introduced into the colony from foreign States, and they conceived that while they were thus precluded they ought not to be placed at a disad vantage with regard to Great Britain. They had also heard that the protection duty of Id. per pound had been removed from Australian wool, and they prayed that a similar protection might be extended to the agriculturists of New South Wales as was enjoyed in other portions of the British empire. Capt. OSBORNE presented a petition against the pro posed grant to Maynooth. Mr. SHAW presented a petition from Dublin com plaining of the difference of treatment of the Established Church in England from that in Ireland. MAYNOOTH COLLEGE. Mr. ORMSBY GORE presented petitions from several places in Chester against the Maynooth grant. Colonel T. WOt )l) presented petitions from Islington, Hammersmith, Pimlico, Chelsea, and other places, against the grant to the College of Maynooth. Petitions to the same effect were presented by Sir It. Ferguson from Dover, Lord Newry from Yorkshire, Mr. B. Dennison from the West Riding of Yorkshire, Mr. S. O'Brien from Yorkshire, Mr. Alderman Thomp son from places in Westmoreland, and Mr. T. Duncombe from Islington and other places. Mr. HUME presented a petition from Arbroath, praying that the heavy charges which are levied on British shipping for lighthouse dues may be modified and reduced. Mr. MANGLES presented a petition from medical practitioners of Guildford against the Medical Bill. Mr. C. BERKELEY presented petitions from several congregations of Wesleyan Methodists in Bristol against the grant to Maynooth. Mr. Alderman HU MPHER,Y presented a petition from the churchwardens and overseers of St. Olave's, Southwark, against the grant to Maynooth. _. 31,1..11TalilkT airwaru me' Motion of which he had given i notice regarding tobacco. LORD ELLENBOROUGH. Mr. HUME gave notice that he would, upon that da:, fortnight, move for copies of all Correspondence con netted with the rem! of Lord Ellenborough. DOG-STEALING. Mr. LIDDELL gave notice that he would move for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent the offence of dog stealing.—(Laughter.) LUNATIC PATIENTS. Lord ASIILEY said he would on the 24th i ns t. move fur leave to bring in a Bill for the care of insane pa tients. SINDE. Mr. HUME asked whether or not it was in the power of the Government to lay before the House an estimate of the revenue arising from the provi nce o f S' n d e, an d the expenses of maintaining that province ? Lord JOCELYN said the Government had as yet received no authentic returns on the subject. MAYNOOTH. Sir C. NAPIER said that he wished to put a question to the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government. Havin ob served that two gentlemen who Right Honourable i a sh : d w h t e ) : h k e r ne t w hos f e rem llon th ou e rabl e Me m b ers were held office under the government abstained from voting on the question of the gra nt to Maynooth--([Lear, hear) g th n e ? r — t ( hose Honourable Loud laughter.) ei e Memb ers o f her Gehnet quest i on ?—(Ch eers.) aubes Gentlemene n alsot wished l a el c d c c o i d tbo e t nk t on 00 0 dw r t odwe whether Ma jesty's Government, and if they rem a i ne d so, whether in reply, that he could not take u p on him to say whether those thissilquiets,tpioEnEwri,issatiodbtehaant o h p e en hegged to say Honourable Gentlemen to whom the Hon. and Gallant Member referred were absent by accident or design. He begged to say that there was no change in the mem bers of her Majesty's Goverment, and that there were no removals. With respect to Maynooth, he considered that to be a Government question—(hear, hear)—he considered it to be a question of the utmost importance, and he would do everything in his power to promote the success of it.—(Loud Opposition cheers.) Mr. HUME said that he saw in the notice paper for to-morrew,oneby his Hon. Friend the Member for Shef field, to the effect that any provision for the purposes of education in Ireland, should be paid out of the funds ap plicable. to ecclesiastical purposes, and, as it was important that they shoukl understand how that question was to be brought forward, before they went on to the consider ation of the Government measure, he begged to know from his Hon. Friend in what way he intended to bring on his motion ? Mr. HINDLEY rose to put a question before the Hon. Member for Sheffield answered the question of the Hon. Member for Montrose, but was met with such repeated cries of " Order, order," that the Hon. Member had to 'resume his seat. Mr. V WARD said he felt obliged to his Hon. Friend, the Member for Montrose, for having given him notice of his question. He felt it necessary to give some ex planation of the course which he meant to pursue. When he gave notice of his motion, ho never in tended that it should he made a rallying point for all those who wished to oppose the Government measure.—(Cheers.) Though a Member of that House for twelve years, he was not ashamed to confess that he was scandalously ignorant of the form in which the question was to be put. As he understood, the motion which the Speaker wou ld pu t f rom the Chair in case he pressed his amend men t wou ld b e —" That the words proposed to b e l e f t out stand part of the qu es t ion, " a n d in that cas e h e h a d reason to believe that his amend ment would be made the point on which the Govern ment measure would be opposed.—(Hear, hear.) He had mad e u p hi s m i n d at present to abandon the notice that stood in his name for to-morrow, in order to bring the subject b e f ore t h e H ouse a t a future period, with the vie w o f gett i ng an intell i gent ex pression of the opinion of th e H ouse upon it. He shou ld b e sorry if they lost this measure, which was of great value as a boon of a conciliatory chars-ter towards Ireland. He begged to say he should bring forward his motion at a future period, as he wished first to have an expression of the House upon the subject. Mr. HINDLEY wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government if this was not an additional reason for delaying the second reading of the Bill. His question wa s w h et h er the Right Hon. Baronet would delay the second reading of that Bill? He would appeal to the Speaker — (Laughter) —if the reason wby Hon. members put their names to the corner of the petitions they presented was not to show that they had read them? They were required by the spirit of the orders of the House to read every petition that they might know the nature of them, and explain to the House properly the wants of their constituents. He could assure lion. Members that he had had no ti me t o rea d t h e petitions he h a d r ec-ived that morning ; h e t rust ed that the Right Hon. Baronet would give him se l, and o th er Hoe. Members, the op portunity of dischar g i ng th e i r duties proper ly. Sir R. PEEL s.sid he had come down to the House under the impression that the Hon. Member for Sheffield (Mr. Ward) would persevere in bringing for ward the motion of which he had given notice, respect ing the grant to the College of Maynooth. But though he (Sir Robert Peel) had just heard the Honourable Member announce his intention of postponing bis motion to another stage of the Bill, still that was no reason why he should delay the second reading of the measure beyond to-morrow. However, the adopting of that course would not preclude the Honourable Member from persevering in his motion on a future day. Therelore the Hon. Member will see at once that there will be another opportunity afforded him, or any other Hon. Member who may choose to do so, of presenting petitions against the principles of this Bill, even before going into Committee on the question of the endowment of the College of Maynooth. But at the same time he felt bound to say that, under all the circumstances, he did not think it unreasonable that he should press on the question at the time he had given notice of his inten tion of doing so. Mr. T. DUSCOMBE would wish to ask a question of the Hon. Member for Sheffield (Mr. Ward). It was this. Would he not be in precisely the same situation in making_ his motion at the time he had now stated as if he brought it on to-morrow in accordance with his ori ginal motion ? In his (Mr. Duncombe's) opinion he would, and, therefore, he would wish to ask him, did he intend to give up his motion altogether ?—(Hear, hear.) Mr. HUNIE begged to ask the Speaker whether it would be competent for him to move an amendment ar. the same time that the Hen. Member for Shefneki (Mr. moved his upon thi que;tiou ? The SPEAKER said that t.e could not entertain the motion of the Hon. Moaner tin• Sheffield (Mr. Ward), otherwise than as an instruction to the Committee, which instruction he (the Speaker) understood would be to the effect that the support of the College of Maynooth should not be defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund ; therefore, if the motion of the lion. Member for Montrose should be to the same effect, it could not he put, as it would be impossible for the House to give two such instructions to the Committee at the same time. Mr. HUME—Then he understood that the motion of the Hon. Member (Mr. Ward) was to come before the House in the shape of an instruction to the Committee. Mr. HINDLEY said he would wish to know what course the Hon. Member for Sheffi,•ld intended to pursue ? Mr. WARD said he would state that to-morrow. TIIE UNIVERSITIES OF OXFORD AND CAM- BRIDGE. Mr. CHRISTIE then rose to make the motion of which he had given notice—" That an humble ad.iress be presented to her ➢lajesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to appoint a Commission, to inquire into and report upon all matters relating to the privi leges, revenues, trusts, and to the state of education, learning, and religion, in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and the colleges of these Universities." He felt the difficulty of the subject he had to bring before the House, but looking at its importance he did not :brink from the responsibility. There was no sub ject that was of more importance than the one he had now to bring before the House. The subject of the Universities was one that it was diffi. tult to touch upon, but still it must be considered that there were many points that were deserving the cell sideration of the House. He would now refer shortly to what had taken place There was an endowment for each Regius Professor of 2401. a-year. Th re were endowments for the Lord Almoners, Professors of Arabic in the two Universities, of 6404 There were eighteen canonries, three benefices, and various other pieces of preferment annexed to different professorships in the Universities. There were various canonries attached to the headehipe of different colleges. In addition to this a sum of 5001. a year was paid to each of the Universities by the Board of Stamps and Taxes. The history of that payment was singular. It appeared that in former times the Universities possessed the exclusive privilege of printing almanacs ; for the exercise of this prtvilege., the Company of Stationers paid to the Universi ties 1,0001. a year. In the year 1775 the Com pany of Stationers declined to make the payment. and in an Act which passed shortly afterwards, imposing a stamp duty upon almanacs the Universities had interest sufficient to procure the introduction of a clause authorising a payment to them by the Board of Stamps and Taxes of 5001. a year each. The duty on almanacs had been repealed, but the payment to the Universities of 1,0001. a year by the Board of Stamps and Taxes still continued. Now no one would grudge that payment of 1,0001. a year to the Universities ; but it was only fair that in return for payment made services should be rendered ; and he should like to .know what services the Universi ties performed in consideration of that payment. The Universities shared with the King's printer the mono poly of printing Bibles, Prayer-books, and Psalms. For in a return, which was made in 1815, of the value of Bibles and other books printed under this monopoly, it appeared that in each of the seven years ending the sth April, 1815. the average va'ue of Bibles, Pre) er-b eke. :1.11"1 Psalms printed by the University of Cambridge was 21,293/. ; and by the University of Oxford, 30,4171. ; calculating the profit of 251. per cent, which might be considered as a moderate profit, it would give 5,0001. a-year to Cambridge, and 7,000/. a year to Oxford as their profit from the Bible monopoly. This nionopoly was exercised under peculiar advantages. There was no paper duty paid on the paper on which Bibles and Prayer-books were printed, and they also en joyed an exemption from paper duty on paper used in printing books in the Latin, Greek, Northern, and Oriental languages. The amount of paper duty remitted to Oxford on this account, for ten years, was 37,345/., a,ad to Cambridge, 28,2481, giving 3,7001. a year to Oxford, and 2,3301. a year to Cambridge. The Hon. Baronet the Member for the University had moved for some returns of the amount received for stamp duties on degrees. Those returns showed that the public revenue had received from that source 2,730/. on the Oi7. l .fi'r% - ii wiiilianhy justified in considering that as a set-off against the evils which he (Mr. Christie) complained of. The payment of that money was made by persons who matriculated at the universities and took degrees. A master of arts had to pay 61. for stamp duties, but he also had to pay as much as four times that amount in fees. In fact, he (Mr. Christie), thought the stamp duties were a benefit to the Universities, for one and a half per cent. was returned from the Stamp office, and this was not given to the person who had matriculated, but went into the coffers of the Universities.—(Hear, hear.) By the Copyright Act a copy of every book that was published in the United Kingdom had to be sent to the Universities. From the evidence which was taken before the Copyright Com mittee, it appeared that this was looked upon as a heavy tax by all authors. By the existing law an author could only possess a copyright in his own works for a period of forty-two years, but the. Universities had a perpetual copyright given to them in any book which they might pub lish. There were many other advantages which the Universities possessed. They were exempted from the operations of the statute of Mortmain. An other important privilege which they possessed was, that with respect to the medical profession, the Universities possessed the peculiar faculty of grant ing degrees for the purpose of practising in the ecclesias tical courts. The Universities also possessed the peculiar privilege of saving time to the students fur the otk r law courts. for an individual who had obtained a degree in one of the Universities had the great advantage in some of the inns of courts of passing through his novitiate in a considerable less time than others could do. Another advantage which the Universities possessed, and one which gave them consi derable power, was the amount of church patronage which they held. The University of Cambridge held church patronage to the exts nt of 305 livings, and he saw by the Cambridge Calendar, that their aggregate value was upwards of 113,009/. a-year. The patronage of the University of Oxford was still more ex tensive, for it comprised not less than 440 livings. The calendar of this University was not so explicit as that of Cambridge in stating the annual value of these livings ; but if he estimated them according to the rate only of those in the possession of the Uni versity of Cambridge, the sum would amount to 308,0001. a-year; and, beside this, they possessed privileges worth not less than 173,000/. a year. In addition to all this, these Universities were, in many in stances, by far the most advantageous avenues to the learned professions, and in some instances the:, were the exclusive avenues to those professions. lie hoped that it would not be said that the State had no right to inter fere with the Universities, for he had alway understood that the State possessed paramount authority. But if this were at all doubted, he would cite a passage which ap peared in a State document some years ago. The document to which he referred was a commission issued at the time the Right Hon. Baronet opposite was Secretary of State for the Home Department in 1827. It was a commission fur inquiry into the state of the Universities in Scotland. It stated that several omissions and other irregularities had been committed in these Uni versities and giving a power, under the au thority of " our sovereign Lord the King," to inquire into and amend those irregularities. A doubt, therefore, could not bo entertained of the power of the Crown to interfere with the Universities ; and he only asked the Right Hon. Baronet to con sent to extend the same inqui r i es t o t h e Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. It was right that the State should see that universities and colleges were provided with proper statutes and laws, and that these were properly observed. The Honourable Member then read from an Oxford publication an extract, to show that in that University the statutes were very badly observed. One point in which the system in operation in the Universities principally differed from. the system enacted, and enforced by the statute, was that the professors of the Universities who, according to the statute, wre obliged constantly to give lectures, the attendance on which was enforced by the same Acts, now formed no part of the system ; for many of them who ought to lecture gave none at all, and those who did lecture could hardly get a dozen pupils to listen to them. All the education was now conducted by college tutors, who were not controlled by the statutes. In the University of Oxford the entire education was too much restricted. He would quote the testimony of Professor Foyle, the professor of theology, who baying done all in his power to obtain a class, could never muster more than six or seven pupils, and sometimes he had no pupils at all. The Right.-Hon. Baronet opposite could not say that that arose from his incompetency. He published a statement in a pamphlet known to the Right Hon. Ba ronet, that in two examinations in mathematics and me taphysics he found that only a small portion possessed the proper knowledge, not more than three being able to add vulgar fractions. In the year 1836, when an at tempt was made by a statute to increase the attendance of pupi's at the different lectures, a statement was pub lished by Dr. Daubeny, the professor of chemistry and botany in Oxford. With regard to his class in che mistry, Dr. Daubeny stated that his pupils greatly de creased in number ; that for the eight years previous to the passing of the statute his pupils averaged twenty-two in number, but that during the eight years subsequent to the passing of the statute the number was decreased to fourteen, and last year they did not omount to four teen. The Honourable Gentleman then proceeded to read a document containing this statement of Dr. Daubeny in support of his observations. All the professors of the physical sciences came for and to corroborate the statement of Dr. Danbeny. Dr. King, the professor of anatomy,, stated that, from 1819 to 1828, he had twenty-nine pupils annually ; but. from 1829 to 1838, they had decrensed to seventeen ; and since the latt,r year' had fallen off to ten. The professor of ex perimentaf philosophy stated that his pupils had fallen off from thirty-nine annually to eighteen. Dr. Bu:klAnd, the professor of geology, stated that, since about 1832, the number of his pupils had fallen off nearly one half less than &frith , the fifteen preceding years. The mine ralogical class had fallen off still more. Dr. Bueldand stated also that the cause of this decrease was to be sought for in the system of eduction pur6ued. Ho (Mr. Cnristiy) made inquiry from the professors of the Uni versity of Cambridge who were included 'n the annual Parliamentary vote, and the result was this :—The pro fessor of anatomy had six pupils, the professor of che mistry had five—though the Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir H. Inglis) knew when a hundred pupils used to attend the professor of ehrlnistry . . t o eral,,Rc , 11:),1% , ,Jv fixo • 112..tura. rlf 7 ' professors at that University, had only five pupil:. 'roe professors of botany (a subject of which one ‘‘ ouid expect that there would be a large attendance of stn dents, as all candidates for medical degrees are obliged to attend them), can only obli4e the attendance of fifteen. Degrees of law are given by the Universities, and tlicy have the exclusive privilege of conferring tho power of practising in the Ecclesivstical Courts, and in the Admiralty Courts The professor of civil law in Oxford is richly endowed, but yet no lectures upon civil law are given in that Univer sity. This clearly appeared in evidence given before a Committee of which the Right llon. Gentleman the Member for Taunton was chairman. The Cambridge professor of civil law does give lectures. In medicine, also, the Universities had very important duties to perform, and hail exclusive privileges attached to them. For instance, these Universities can give the power of practising in London, and seven miles round it. Oxford did not even profess to have medical students. The professors gave no lectures there. The Cambridge Lectures were given, but the attendance was very small. He foir d, from re turns laid upon the table of that House, that Oxford, during the last ten years, gave 22 degrees of doctor of medicine, and 29 degrees of bachelor of medicine ; whilst the University of London, during the last six years, bad given 33 degrees of doctor of medisine, and 176 d green of bachelor of medicine. In the average of the last ten years, Oxford had conferred only two degrees per year of doctor of medicine, and Cambridge only three. When the question of admitting Dissenters to that University was first mooted, the Bishop of St. David's came forward and stated that Cambridge was a theological seminary, and nothing more nor less than a theological seminary ; and the Bishop of Durham went so far as to say, diet so far from discouraging theology, he looked upon the ad mission of Dissenters to the University as a most eiseful and beneficial rule. Then, with regard to Oxford, Dr. Pusey had also said that an attendance for a fortnight in that Uni versity, without undergoing any examination what ever, or any ordeal of public or private instruction, was all that was required from any candidate for holy orders. Long before Dr. Pusey had become such an object of at tack and ridicule by many, who should not have for gotten what respect was due _to a man of his age and learning, he made the most munificent endowments on one of the scholarships. Since then the Crown had founded two new professorships ; and a rule was made that the examinations should be voluntary and not corn pulsory. Since then three half years had elapsed, dur ing the first of which there was but one candidate ; the second there was not one ; and the third there were but two; and that showed no very great encouragement to persons to enter. When he looked at the progress that Puseyism had made in the University of Oxford, end the results of that progress, he could not avoid calling the attention of the House to the procsedings which had been instituted against Dr. Pusey. (Hear.) The Hebdomadal Board, resuscitated and reconstructed, sat in judgment upon one of his sermons, and pro nounced it heretical. The University then prohibited him from preaching for a period of two years. He (Als. Christie) wondered whether for these two years Dr. Pusey had received the income to which he was entitled. New he thought these were good specimens of a united Church or a united University. He did notknow whether the lion. Member for the University for Ox ford, who was the great foe of Popery, was aware of the number of conversions which had lately taken place at the University of Oxford. W, 11. if he were not, he could tell he Right Hon. Gentleman that he hel ! his h',[l.l a list of twenty- three persons who had heen esnver and who were members of the University College. Bu they could not crush Puseyism by making mar tyrs of its votaries, and he was therefore not one of those who wished to see them deprived of their degrees. He, however, thought the effects of Puseyism in Oxford were such as ought to fill with apprehension all the friends of the University on both sides of the House. He hoped to enlist on that occasion the support of some of those Gentlemen who lately signed the lay address against Puseyism to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, to which the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor made the satisfactory reply, that Puseyism did not exist to the serious extent that some persons appeared to imagine In the Universities distinctions were maintained with respect to rank. In the University of Cambridge, all plebeians were required to wait at least seven years before they could ()train a m aster a, b .,. ou, a iv obleman s son, and all persons having any royal blood in their veins, were allowed to take the same master's degree, after three years, as if there yeas a noble road to learning. Now, he should think, that these were the very persons who could best afford a larger time to devote to college education. They cer tainly were the persons whose education was the object of national consideration, for from those persons came all their future hereditary legislators. In all Colleges, in both Universities, distinctions of gown, of table, and of seats, in the College Chapel, were ac • corded to rank and birth. At Cambridge a Nobles man in his own right, or a Nobleman's son, was entitled to wear a full flowing black silk gown, which, on grand days, he exchanged for a fine gown of purple and gold. After this gown, which had cost six or seven guineas, had been worn six or seven times by him, it became the perquisite of the tutor. The Nobleman on all occasions took precedence in the College Hall and Chamber. There was an officer in both Universities, whose duty it was, when a Nobleman was introduced into the University, to deliver a laudatory address to him, in praise of his ancestors. He (Mr. Christie) should have thought that in such places as the Universities distinctions such as these would not have been allowed. But no, there might they see— " The learned pate duck to the golden fool." At the time that he and his Hon. Friend below him, the Member for Dundalk (Mr. Reddington), were fellow commoners in Cambridge, he was compelled to go to chapel only every Sunday, wbile the other undergra duates were obliged to go there seven or eight times.— (Hear, hear.) It was well known that the statutes were violated almost at pleasure. When the question was brought forward, in 1837, in the House of Lords, a pro mise was given to him by the two Chancellors of the Universities, in consequence of Lord Railnor's exposure, that they would direct the attention of the colleges to the statutes, with a view to their reformation. lie be lieved that the Chancellors had done their duty, and made representations to the colleges, the consequence of which was that five of the colleges in Cambridge had re formed their statutes, but no revision took place in the Oxford statutes at all. It was well known also that those colleges had been founded for the benefit of poor scholars, that they might devote themselves to the study of theology, and not for the rich. But the advantages they held forth were enjoyed by the rich, and with regard to the study of theology he had already stated how that branch of study was neglected. In Exeter College, Ox ford, there was a provision that after a certain number mf years a fellow should either take' holy orders iei resign, There was another provision, that after a certain further number of years, he should take the degree of D.D. Now a fellow of Trinity College bad an application made to him, either to take holy orders or to resign. He said, why require me to do this, when there are so many others who have neglected to take the degree of D.D. He appealed to the Bishop of Winchester, who told him that he must either go into holy ordersor resign his fellowship. From another provision in the statutes of Trinity College, it appeared that the fowler had an objection to the aristocracy, and espe cially desired that no fellowship should be held by a young member of a noble family. Well, a vacancy in a scholarship had occurred in Trinity College, and it was filled up by the nephew and heir-at law o the Earl of Buckinghamshire.—(Hear, hoar.) In 1842 an election took place for a vacant fellowship in Exeter College, and as was usual on such occasions, ad vertisements appeared in the Oxford papers, requiring candidates to give in their names, and to send testimo nials. Mr. Rowe and two others became candidates. One of the two, however, subsequently withdrew. Mr. Rowe and the other candidate were examined, and upon the day of election it was announced to the surprise of every body, and even the candidates themselves, that another person, who had not sent in his name or any testimo nials, who had not been examined, was elected.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. Rowe, feeling that it might be supposed there was some imputation On his character, determined to appeal to the visitor—the Bishop of Exeter. Of course it was important that the statutes of Exeter College should be inspected, but there was only one copy of them in existence, and that was kept carefully in the College. The Bishop wrote for the copy, but he only received extracts, and on a se cond application, he received only further extracts with a request that they would be sent back. The Bishop gave judgment, but it appeared that his power did not extend beyond requiring that the candidate should be of a certain age and standing, and Mr.- Rowe raised no objections upon those points. There could be no objec tion to Mr. Rowe in point of morals or learning; but the successful candidate adopted peculiar sentiments on theological questions, which found great favour in Exeter College. On the very same day another election took place for another fellowship, and an individual was elected who had no college testimonials, and who could not get any because he was rusticated. This questi m was very different in 1845 from what it was when brought forward ten years ago. No less a person than the Lord Chancellor of a Government for which the Hon. Baronet the Member for Oxford, if he was not a very warm sup porter of it, had a very decided preference, held out as an example of what an enlightened government ought to be—the example of Prussia, where Jews were ad mitted on equal terms.—(Hear, hear.) But the Lord Chancellor need not have gone so far. for he might have pointed to the East India College, of which the Bishop of London was visitor, and cler gymen of the Church of England the pro. fessors, where Jews were admitted and educated, and where they were amongst the 'mo-t distinguished scholars.—(Hear, hear.) Through the liberality of the East India Board (he wished that Cambridge and Ox ford would follow their example), a Jew might now rise to the Supreme Council of India, and in.uP ,Airy long time might be Governor-General. of their Indian empire" He would ask of the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir R. Peel), he who had emancipated the Ron an Ca' to tholics, who was new braving a powerful oprosition carry out the work he had begun, by increasing the grant for the education of the Roman Catholic clergy , whether he could oppose a motion fur inquiry , for he only asked for that, as to the propriety and practice bility of adinitinie jees, aye, and Christian Dissenters into their natienii I Unhersitie,;?—(Cheers.) This gigs' lion was different new fr• m what it was ten years ago , They had eot then heard the word Puseyism—the re wal l nothing of Traciarianism—no persons ventured to :BY in the newspapers that they subscribed the articles in the non-grammatical sense—there were no con fessionals in the professors' rooms in Oxford---- no rosaries and crucifixes publicly exposed its the Oxford shops.—(Loud cheers.) There Ix" no reason now aby the) should admit Dr. Newman eed retire Dr. Wi , reeen.—(.llwir and c he er s Then. e: iee teeir do ir Pr'" , ;:ne ;: fl vv had they II"' tiiied, how were they fuliiling their vocation as re presentatives of the national literature ? A long time ago the literature and learning of the country were M' tered in the Universities. But what had the Universi ties done of late? The great works of Bacon had re' mained for a long time neglected by Oxford, and Hobbes spoke of the Universities, in his time, in the wo rst terms. 'The great. Locke, after having enjoy ed the Ern' pathies and homage of the philosophers of Europe, was driven for his political opini ns from his studentsbil l • What had the Universities to do with what was called the Augustan age of literature in England ? W hile Scotland became renowned throughout Europe for he i r school of metaphysics, and while her young men ha ° ' formed a union which influenced the literatur e, and even the Government of this country, England le mained far behind.—(Hear, hear.) Il e would only name the two persons most distinguish ed throughout the intellectual world, for their knowleaFe of and service to speculative philosophy ; and when De did state those names, he believed there would be ne dispute as to the title which those gentlemen possesse 4l to the high station which he had assigned them, The firs t was Mr. Bailey, of Sheffield, who, not amid the quietude of academic groves, but amid the busy din of manufne; tures, and the hurry and bustle of a large compere's' town, had written with the most eminent success on, almost every subject of intellectual contemplation ; an d had contributed works which were surpassed by nova in the language for the comprehensiveness a n depth of their views. The other was no professor, 0 , 0 quiet and retired student, but an active and constan t *: engaged public servant, who had himself been edaca tca at 6; College of the East India Directors at Hailer bury, and who was now, he believed, COw netted with the East India House—he m ean ! Mr. John Mill, th > son of one of the most profou a° and distinguished historians that this country had ever produced. He did not hesitate to proncun c 2 this vulegium on the author of the " History of B ritise India," and he would ask what had been done by eitb ef of the Universities for history, or what historical WI whatever either of them had produced during the 10 three cars, and yet neither of these gentlemen had hee..ll connected with Oxford or Cambridge. Agate' „7, another instance, he would cite that of unquestions ug the most week and learned historian of the country'', whose werk was an nonour to England, and whose fir was spread through every University in Europe, yet D's Liugerd was excluded from the Universities on Beaus, of his religion. Since her accession to the throne b g e t i Majesty had visited Cambridge, and every exertion be been made to make her Majesty acquainted with. til rules of College life, and to show her all the varititi ceremonies which were gone through, o f order to attain the several gradations college life. Doubtless the authorities were aneiou trb to treat their illustrious guest with every respect. . e a newspapers of the period he well remembered had stsA ti t that her Majesty had evinced, in the course of those 1 0 and tedious ceremonials, slight, but surely not u nnata te symptoms of f itigue. Nor did he wonder at it ; surprise only was, that her Majesty had at all b een s at, to endure them. But he thought that the expense, y e tending all this ceremonial might by this time ,%4 brought forth something more of that learning which "_„, in other countries been exhibited, by far more scantily 67i, dowed establishments. his object was to destroy the °Y oe tem of narrowness and exclusion which had marked to mode of instruction pursued at the Universities, an a d o c, return to that sesteir which h i d b e en a d o pted in to 6 e so-celled. dark sg , ei" our fathers. when those enli e f i e la were feuedeel, up to tie , time of Edward III: It s li d ( ' je he recollected, that those colleges had been founde rO, times when the Roman Catholic religion was the PO fessed religion of the State, when all the liberality, en, the munificent liberality, had provided for the e2tt to sive education of persons from all classes of socleice and as her Majesty passed through those noble It! and as she surveyed those fretted roofs, perhaP he t thought might dash across the royal breast, that ia o l, reign the system of exclusion should come to a 0 :ire that the last blow should be given to that practice the justice which took from those who gave ev er endowments for purposes which those donors 1 . 1 be contemplated. On those grounds , he trustel!,voi should be allowed the indulgence of the H ouse, and ~ae those views he would leave the question in their be"oo.. The Hon. Gentleman sit down amidst loud and C O tinned cheering. Mr. RWART said that his Honourable -e• - b. had truly said that the question which he had se e , mitted to the House was now in a very similar sition to that in which it stood a few yea rs ago, and 7, thought the House ought to give its co ID b e to the ays floe of his Hon. Friend, on account of the fact that !cab Universities had departed from the system on . whl i to they were founded, and he could truly say, that the r which had been adopted in the time of Edward Ith s. g o b more comprehensive in its character than that on v 1,4,, they acted now, and he thought that unless a ore mission were issued for the purpose of obtaining a , t 73 es extensive system of academical education, the pu r fb, e jt of the University would be almost entirely last. If t ee looked at the two Universities, they - would see tha t ja systems pursued were of a most exclusive character' or s the University of Oxford the attention of the profee s i be was turned chiefly to classical literature, and in vi e other to insthematics. But how different was the si a of eursued in former times. In those times the emi r° 0 ducation had comprised instruction in no lessthe 0 1 seven sciences. This course was called the trivial' , a n el retrivium, and together constituted what was ter curriculum, through which the students run to to a full competence for th e ir futur e duties. But ins to ford and Cambridge the principle appeared to biers carry a student up to a ce rtain amount of elente °- es information, and then left him to gain instruetilast best he might, wh e n h e c a m e to fulfil any duty in " p ot House, or in any o th er p ar t o f th e c o u ntry. It we s eel to the Univer s iti es o f O x f o rd or Cambridge that a bbe must look for any useful or learned works, but t° Wel l of Germany, for he believed it was 5 1 1,10 known fsct, and he bedeved that, notwithstandinC o o, smile which he saw u n the countenance of the bt o Member for Cambridge (Mr. Manners Sutton), he' ll : 1 o) state that there were no works used in the e ducat, l°- ,01 course at Cambridge, whether they treate d the profound points of Greek or o f hi sto er which were not either entirely translated t he at least derived from the German. The whole o f 0, system pursued at Cambridge went on the tutorial P and he believed he should be justified in the asset tea that this system could not be altered until they reveir to the syst em o n w hi c h these colleges had been fou n u e g cl Mr. Whewel himself; one of the most distingu i te members of the University, had stated it as his op iol f e r that it was al.e , olutely necessary to revert to ther, e r social plan, if they meant to do the students, the ee sity or the country justice, and to give the young :l e d who came to them for instruction that which was ne, ld for their future lives. On those two grounds he se v ii i e support the motion of his Hon. Friend—first, b4icaus e i",ey Universities had departed from the - plan on which t"re were emnded, and it was necessary to proca d On a! lip extensive system than new prevailed ; and, see°,"eo because they had nut produced men equal to those w e e had been educated in other nations. He might ad d 1 8 8 only Heithorne and Muller in Germany, as fair e%at il rei% of modern times, and Guizot in France. Notwithst a %o ing the ironical exclamations with which this elle a tel had been formerly treated, he believed the House sy f t e , now take a different view of it, and that, if the °"` . ;01 Gentleman.opposite thought that he hada majority; Witt him in that Ilouse, he felt quite sure that the n 3 a./ °21 0 ; were against him in the country.' On ~ye s objectionable usage too, in the Universities, " b e the distinction observed between the different W w ay The noblemen and fellow commoners were differee_w robed and differently served from those of other gr e s; and a distinction was thus created which was odious tc, b e feelings of the country and revolting to his own ; P u t . et would ask why, because a man was simply a siz e d'ies Cambridge or a servitor at Oxford, wby this invidion s aa e tinctiori was made between them and students in the sr — fia4 University? But the most important of all ques ll : to the Universities was the promotion of religious feeltbe, in the country. Now, in his opinion, nothing Could .„e come a greater obstacle to the promotion of that feelts than the system of exclusion which was adopted at b° t e the Universities, and he did conceive that this great ° er , ject would be etter promoted by opening the ITh iv a l sities to the admission of students from other cre eds dc sects than those connected with the Church of Eng la f t es and if not by introduction into the colleges alreadY e of Wished that an opening would be made by the erection b $ other colleges for that purpose. His Hon. Friend ellig b e . not succeed on this occasion, but he felt assured tha t t . c e time would come when he would see these Universit,to, opened, and when he would have not only a resP ri t e. but the whole of the House with him, and with the sta . went of this conviction he would second the motion.h Sir R. INGLIS testified thegreat ability of the en:et with which the Hon. Member had brought this sueo , before the Howe ; and though he dissented from 03 ' e t of his facts, and differed from all his conclusions, hej b - must heir his testimony to the great ability with vo l y a the matter had been introduced. At the com mencetne ha of his speech the Hon. Gentleman had promised that of would say nothing disrespectful of the learned bodi es b, sP bad This Universities of which he was about to This promise he (Sir R. Ingli felt bound to sayh gc b most faithfully kept, for in the whole course of his s P e n 114 there was notaword that could be construed into in suj iis) reflection on those learned bodies. Ile (Sir R. Iltrdes was at the same time bound to express his ackno wle t se tl ments for the court•:sy which he had experienced aS hauds of the Hon. Gentleman, and he rejoiced t° " b ol le that he had been more fortunate this year than be . 00 di been last, and that he was successful in his introductlieb of the question on the first occasion ill Wil t he he had attempted to bring it before nits House ; and he must take that opp?rto°oo, kt of expressing his thanks, and he thought he might bo t the thanks of those learned bodies to whom allusion bad Co been made, for the moderation and calmness which en s tat charcterised his speech. But with that, his cotor° Itt dations of that speech must conclude. He. gi t y r e : of Inglis) trusted that he should uct be deemed gu' e '"etee, presuraltim in rising tint in crpoatim to the ,xlav"- lit Wi sit