The Sun. — London, England, 1850-04-13 00:00:00

60 tared - to e to d n e i tY ly f d ..11 ts; tb ale, be ince op ore 1" MN non, which was, that the Government should ascer tain the rie,hts of irelividuels, to those lights which were termed private." His Hon. Friend the Mem ber for Dundee (Mr. Duncan) knew well that a stronger care was never made out on behalf of the shipping in terest; and yet to this hour evils of which they cum complained rt aim. d were dreseed.—(Hear.) He would go further: in 1845 another Lighthouse Committee , Nas °Pfoointed, which sat three or four mouths, continued the inquiries of the former Committee, and recommended variety of useful and important amendments. But What had since be en d une ? N oth i ng—pos i t i ve l y no - Hear,Hear, hear.) And the maritime commerce of the country remained to this hour burdened with those heavy charges, saving only the small amount of remis sion which was made the year before last, and which was scarcely worthy of not i ce. —(H ear, hear.) He did not wish to say anything against the Trinity House ; they were hon oura b le men no doubt, but they had conducted the b service ins most extravagant manner, and nothing !Its b e. . L had Leca done up to this time. Ile contended, therefore. that o ( n ue d e eo r l , leeting in'ormatiou a Committee was of Ise i hear.) With regard to the motion before the Howe, was there, he asked, a single fact, huPpusin g a Committees were appointed, which they c ould obt a i n b ut from official men who were subject to and at the command of the Government? Some Hon. Gentlemen then in the House were members of the Com mittee which sat on tee miscellaneous estimates lest .ear, they would remem b er that 60 or 70 o ffi c i a l met ,ee 0 examined on that occasion ; and upon inquiry learnt that of the who number of witnesses examined, there was not one who did not hold an official situation. A.t a former period, when the Noble Lord 12a_ade mina reductions, he did net ask the opinion of the pisouse through a Committee first. He brought forwer 1 tnirle propositions and they were agreed to.—(Hear.) In 17 e Lord h Noble manner they should act now.—(Hear ) The had spoken of the salaries of the judges in 98 ; he (Sir. Hume) asked him had there ever been a Committeees to propose an increase of these salaries ? W - 11, if there had not, why should he not come down now and submi t t ) the House such diminution in the salaries of Member s of tae Government as he might think fair s ti o ci t r e j O e t ? - -, (Cheers.) . He believed a Committee did a vie nstde r the salaries of the Scottish judges, with Us unite give them an improper increase; but that was the 37 e mnlnittee he ever recollected interfering with (i4laries of jud g e s . What was the Committee to in s ire in to? The G overnmen t were in po ssess i o n o f a ll L b: einror t nation; and the Committee could only have the Pinion of offi c i a l s , w h o wou ld confirm and support opinions of the Government.—(Hear.) So far us iu tto r : (1 8 1 0 P 19 w al e a l tiie establishments were concerned, no man acquainted with them as the Noble l e s , s d at the h ead of the Foreign-office, or better "to n ceect the necessary reductions in them.— ( 11 SI e r 4 , r p i,, 11 ,, ea ) The Honourable Member for Bucks Gentleae") had stated that there were some Hon. u len who were unwilling to take the amendment t rause it canes from his side of the House. He (Mr. to that dared say they were. But as he often remarked and ; at "muse, parties were the bane of this country; eoo'tisVas theinduty irrespective of party to take care and zerertee a vigilant control over the public expenditure. was gnu. Friend (Sir Benjamin Hall) had said that this Niena new-born zeal on the part of the Opposition. Well 1 admitted bo that it was a new-born zeal; but hai• led that that new-rn zeal with infinite satisfaction.— u lid cheers.) He looked at the object proposed to int64l.--(Hear, h ear .) Th at o bj ect was goo d—i t was to wh ti e o n du w ee ere ar for n t e h e w es it s ha y nd without delay, those measures ilatie to effect every reduction in the CienC nal establishments that was consistent with the effi be cf the üblic service. —(Hear.) And ho should elad to kno li w how many of his Hoc. Friends who tolvocat ; eL (Ch economical reform would vote against thafo— ears from both sides of the House.) They might suppose that it w as p ress i ng upon th e G overnmen t. Un- O ub tedly it wa s p ress i ne • upon t h e G overnmen t, an d i t W nght to press upon the Government. If Government o uld not effect reductions of its own accord, he must a PP I Y the "screw," if he had the power. The House Commons must be the " screw." They must press the novernment to eff ec t th ese re d uc ti ons . N o t a little anaredssetehthajebeen reso r t e d t o by th e N o bl e L or d with re • question of the increase of our establish teats. The N o bl e Lord took credit to himself for Zrig reduc e d t h e expend i ture dur i ng the last two e al's; but he did not say how he had been increasing them ▪p to that per i od—he did not say how he had gone on !ncreasing the es t a bli s h ments fi ve or s i x millions. When, ilowever, he came back some two-and-a-half millions, he Lr ill( ' ex claim, " See what I have done!"—(Laughter and o u r d ch eers.) He admitted the ingenuity of the Noble d, and nu doubt it would have its influence upon the o Pinlons of th ose who had not been in the habit of dwatch d ie g the progr ess o f t h e nat i ona l expen di ture . .1 ging fro m recent divisicns, there appeared to exist a isposition on the part of that House to reduce expendi ture.er i l t t ad sv in tt a s it called for in the country by all parties, and if they did not respond to that call they would cease to have the support and eleoansfiecdlence of their constituencios.—(Hear.) Ile: con insult that so far from regarding the amendment as an _ _to the Government, he considered it as indicating confidence in them as trusting to the Government that they would make' proper reductions, and if the House did not approve of those reductions, it would be their fault, and not th e fault of the Government.—(Hear, hear.) He hailed with delight the fact that the House was actuated by the spirit of economy 49 retrenchment which had now become so :r9.de-spread. In the existing statethings in country—(Hear, hear,. from the Country party)- 4 1 ,: t Was sure he should see more country gentlemen f I ng in the course of the present session of Parliament or re trenchment and economy thee he had witnessed a n the year 1 822. On that occasion they so voted, and the answer they received was a very large reduction early 3,000,000/. was taken off at once. He believed lar a ' -. o lllburn was at that time Chancellor of the Ex ;;,,• e quer, and after the vote given by this House the went honestly into an examination of the ud sub 11n▪ " i ' and on the table of the House there were to be found t re volu mes which conta i ne d t h e hi stor y o f every officeeve ry department of the state, and gave a comparative t '.ew with ear 1798. though Governm of that day the ma y de a beginning s the that was right in itself . , n t Ifs, not long before they departed from it—(Hear, hear.) ti l l the amendment now proposed were carried, it would oto ra : ly upon the Government the responsibility of pro birtag the reductions. Let them then bring in their 4", and if they went too far, or did not go far enough, $e e vould be for this House to correct them—(Hear, hear). Was satisfied that where there was a will there was w aY to effect these reductions ; and thinking that the amendment was a fit and proper ones) that it was corasis ;ea_itt:eith the constitutional power vested in this Govern -"!nt, and • that there was no information which a Com a"ld gather that Government were not already 1,11 Possession of, he should not be one of those who re one who had not hithei to been the friend of economy and retrenchment —(Cheers)' Government UENLEY said he could not understand what the eminent meant by this motion. They did not state Jett tehr there should be a reduction or not. The only oar red be e ok ce . uld see would be to make another blue book It was evident they did not mean to make :y reduction. They could interpret what they meant ra Y ethey had done. In 1831, they made an ar --gement W ith a judge, who in his office did great credit to himself and to his profession, by which the I t/d , ar Y should b e reduced from 10,000 / . to 8, 0001. a y e ar nature, and they could see the object of the Govern twas to keep salaries as they were in 1831. The anotherehle Lord appeared to depart from this. There was point whi c h d eserve d a ttenti on . Was this a tactical measure of reduction? They saw the result oct a Committee two years ago, when the reference was tiei n li pon a few situations, and the Committee in cons*. th --e e reported, that wheu the inquiry was so limited, 5 1 e Y„ could not interfere, but that it should extend to all j‘trteialrealaries. They could not, in fact, form a correct dithg..rnent, unless they took a general view of the expen reLe. The best way in this case was to throw the upon the Government. As he had brain gall to Upon by the Honourable Baronet (Sir B. Hall) We e t e Why he had not moved an amendment which e ec :Cq embody a ll t h e su bj ects com p r i se d in his Wo i i °ll last session, his answer was, thaS there Th " h e no result in any ordinary space of time. weepbject was so large, that in his opinion no good • see l/ A e enle of it should the inquiries that were neces get-en: entrusted to a Committee. They never would that u tg e r :ltrt of any sort or kind. He did not believe e ee ,„ -- Nect could be dealt with but by the executive fr " - "`" a nt•--(llear ) The Government could extract th°ta their servants ;hat no Committee could elicit; and c % %I lene knew how and in what manner reductions pl)4 b 0 made, so as not to impair the efficiency of the lic aervice. For these reasons he should give his oePlaort to the motion of the Hon. Member for Bucking nanashire. Hen ley IL VANE said that he did not agree with Mr. lg 4 eY and Mr . Hume that the Committee would be use 01a. and that no good would come from its appointment; t „"er Committees had been heretofore appointed, and had t -- e ' t been found illusory. On the contrary, their re "to, naendations had produced the best effects. And he thedeved that, with the means of information which the o,erritnittee proposed by the Noble Lord would have in possession, they might arrive at an approximate conelusion very soon, without this House having to wait that itidefinite period for their report which Mr. Henley see med to anticipate. Being of opinion, then, that much e ad would result from the appointment of the Com -- I,,;Uee, and that some real, practical, economical r e f orms Gould be e ff ecte d t h ere by, h e should vote for the motion p ro posed by the Noble Lord. 4a r• GRANTLEY BERKELEY said he was much l orpri se d at the speech of the Noble Lord who had just the die h wn, as he had been a member of a Committee on b 6 African slave`trad e , every recommendation of which e b een set at d e fi ance by th e Government. He be oed the present course adopted by the Government as on'Y ramie to sh e l ve th e ques ti on .—(Cbeers from the to r le Pouiti on .) The course adopted led him to d ou b t t h e 'lay of the intentions of the Noble Lord in favour , a ononaic reform; and under the circumstances, he "9.Uld cordially support the amendment.—(Hear.) th e air COCKBURN said that, in his humble judgment, • Noble Lord (Lord John Russell) had adopted the B augh and the constitutional course.—(Cheers and b lu t er.) The House of Commons was the proper tri ,atra to make reduction. They ought to know the „,Ta of expenditure, as well as the amount of salaries was e tted by public men. For that purpose a Committee 00 desirabl e . Th ey would ascertain the necessary f er l l i n n Y in the di sc h arge of the i r duties. Take judges, tO f , t ence; if he was to put their necessary expenses • u pe afil the ancient duties of hospitality and the Whel ti e s - e °I going circuits at one-sixth or more of their be e or lac eme, he would not be far wrong, but it should illight r b e etlY ascertained by a Committee. The same d one 0 9 said of the diplomatic offices. That should be saf ar i e rnlY in the most public manner.—(Hear.) Their rt.:144: pelio;ilgd be fixed permaneetly. They did not act I t ,seta Putting this responsibility upon the Minister. Minister in a most painful and de nattton to judge how much should be deducted THE SUN, from his own patronage. It would ho a painful thing for a Minister to reduce the salaries of ail the public servants appointed by him. He wouid never be tree from the suspicion of bias and partiality. No charge of that kind could be made against a Committee. He thought, therefore, that the course of the Government was con sVtutional and politic. Precedent was in its favour. To act otherwise the Government would he usurping the constitutional functions of that House. Did the oppo sition to this course rest upon a sincere wish to reduce the public expenditure ? He very much doubted it; but perhaps, Hon. Gentlemen opposete would rise and tell them their real motives. He believed that this amend ment proposed was with a view to " overtrump" th•_ , Go vernment; and being opposed to action upon any but bane fida intentions of redaction of the public expendi ture, he should oppose the amendment, and cordially support the motion of the Noble Lord, which he believed to be the most expedient and the best course to pursue, under the circumstances, far the diminution of the sa laries and emolumerts of the public servants of the state.—(Cheers, and loud crits of "Divide.'') In the midst of which 2,1 r. lIERRIES rose and sail, that the caution mani fested by the Noble Lord in proposing the Committee was observ,ble. Ile did not give them the slightest elite to the amount of reduction which he was prepared to make. Teat had somewhat shaken hie c,ntidenceiu ...•••.• • .. ••••• the Noble Lord's disposition to make reductions. The working of Committees appointed by the Govern ment was not to be admir, d. They were so constructed and composed that the opinions of Government should come out of them. Bat it was not only that, but it was, that after what had taken place there would be a sus picion in the public mini that they had not received all that they had a right to expect from the predominating influence of the Government, which give them a majo rity in the Committee. He thought the House would receive with more confidence and impartiality a propo sitio❑ coming from the Government. He, for his part, should say, that he felt no doubt whatever that the . G overnment was in possession of all means requisite for the reduction of those salaries alluded to in the motion, and he should add, that he was fully assured that the House had all the necessary information relative to those salaries, and, under these circumemaces, what ❑eed was there of a Committee? He did not see why it should be objected to by the Hon. Member opposite (Mr. Cockburn) that Government should not place themselves in the invidious'position of reducing the salaries of those under their patronage ; and to that he should say that such reductions might be proposed by the Noble Lord . . (Lord J. Russell) to which no prudent man, in any Ministerial situation, could object, particularly as it was the wish of that House. However, he should say that ho had that confidence in those gentlemen on the Ministerial benches that they would make every reduc tion consistent with the public interest; but, at the same time, he felt bound to remark that he was at a loss to know why such caution was observed by the Noble Lord in his attempt to develop his views, for when he (Lord J. Russell) alluded to the reductions of the three branches be did not then state what that reduction would be. And he, therefore, considered that it was the duty of the House to consider which of the two propositions was worthy of their approval—whether that which was most immediate and less expensive, or that which was dilatory and more expensive, and, in consequence of his approval of the proposition of the Hon. Member (Mr. Disraeli), he had no hesitation to give him his support. Mr. BRIGHT said that, from the opinion he had necessarily formed of Committees of the House on all previous occasions of importance, as such Committees wero merely a sham, he felt disposed, at the first brush, to support the motiun of the Hon. Member (Mr. Dist a .1t), but seeing that he had not on this occasion recommended any specific reductions which the public interests re quired, and also seeing that, on reference to his former vote?, his present course was inconsistent and anoma lous, particularly when be recollected his former attacks on his Hon. Friend (Mr. Cobden), particularly when he stated that no plan of his lion. Friend's was either phi losophical or practical. Now, he would ask, could there be a stronger proof of the utility of his Hon. Friend's plans than that both sides of the House were Tieing with each other to see who could best pursue the course pointed out by him (Mr. Cobden). Yes, it was his Hon. Friend that showed the House and the country that many un cessary expenses had been created through false alarm, such as the Oregon question and the defence against the invasion of France; but when the groundwork of those alarms was totally removed, he (Mr. Cobden) advocated the reduction of expenses raised through means of snch a phantom. He was completely at a loss to account for the new light that seemed to illume the understandings of many Hon. Gentlemen on the opposite side, and parti cularly the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Herries), who had been frequently a member of the Committee on miscellaneous estimates, and who was never known to be in a minority when the economical interests of the country were argued. Nay, he would go farther, and say that he had never known that Right Hon. Member, since he had the honour of a seat in that House, to have voted in favour of a reduction of the national expenses. —(Hear, hear.) He considered that the present question might be reduced to the following form : Shall the Government make such a reduction as they think proper, or shall it be left to a Committee of the House to enter into arrangements for the ne cessary reductions. His opinion was that if the Com mittee was; fairly appointed much more good; would be effected than that the Government should take the matter to themselves, for in the latter case much dissa tisfiction",,would be created by those in the Ministerial employ, in consequence of such an interference by those from whom they should least expect it. But if the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) should appoint such Committee as he ha i frequently seen appointed iu that House, con - sisting of Members of the House who held Government situations or pensions, then he would raise his voice against such a Committe, and proclaim to the country that the true interests of the people were slighted and neglected by those who should be their protectors. Yet from the interest that must be created in the public' mind by that night's debate, he hoped that there was no ground for the anticipation of such a packing of a Committee, and should therefore support the motion of the Noble Lord.—(tlear, hear.) Mr. HENRY DRUMMOND observed, that if the proposal of the Noble Lord had borne the smallest re semblance to the picture drawn of it by the Hon. Mem ber for Manchester (Mr. Bright)—if there had been in it the slightest indication of the remotest intention on the part of the Government to do anything more than to in quire, most unquestionably he would have voted for that motion. The Noble Lord, with great naiveté, asked the House to inquire. To inquire of whom ? They c iuld only inquire of the Noble Lord himself, who possessed twenty times more information on the subject then any one else.—(A laugh.) This, then, was the motion—the true pledge of the economical intentions of the Govern ment—for which all the Financial Reformers wets to vote to-night.—(Hear, and a laugh.) It was not the province of the Committee to reduce one fraction; it was not a Committee to do any single thing beyond making an inquiry.—(Hear, hear.) It was notorious that this motion would never have been made but for the proposal which had on a former occasion been submitted to the House by the Hon. Member for Oxfordshire—(Hear, hear)—and the intention of this motion was to trip up the heels of that Hon. Gentleman. He must say he thought the House was somewhat indebted to the Noble Lord for shortening considerably the future labours of the session; for, if this motion should be carried, it would be utterly useless to entertain any other question of financial reform.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) An amusing book had lately been published in France—the life of a certain Jerome Paturot in search of a social po sition. The hero was, if he remembered rightly, a cotton nightcap manufacturer.—(A laugh.) Now, if any gentleman was in search of a social position in this country, there was not one that he could so well turn to good account as that a of a financial reformer. — (Laughter.) The financial reformer began by jobbing and getting into Parliament, where he continued to as sail the Noble Lord and the rest of them in office, very muoh to his own profit; be always voted for all impossible motions, and when he went back to his constituents he said, " Oh, was I not one of the three who went into the lobby on such a question ?—(Laughter.) Was I not one of that small minority that never effected anything, and never meant to effect anything?"—(Renewed laughter.) The Government, after playing one party against the other, had lately resorted to a new " dodge."—(A laugh.) They had said, " If we are to be in a minority we will go out of office;" or else, " Oh, this motion is only a masked battery. and the intention is to supplant the Go vernment." Now, if a formal motion were brought for ward on that subject, he (Mr. Drummond) would give the Noble Lord his vote against all competitors; for he believed nothing could be so detrimental to the country as losing the services of that Noble Lord on the Treasury bench. But he Mr. (Drummond) would never submit to be bullied by any Minister who turned sulky and threatened to run away from his place—(Laughter) — leaving the country in confusion. He felt quite satisfied that this motion would lead to no result. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had listened with great attention to the discussion, but he thought there had been a total lack of argument in the speeches of the Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire and those Hon. Gentlemen by whom his views had been supported. The motion of his Noble Friend had been characterised as one that was proposed for purposes of delay, and it had been said that no conclusion could be arrived at by the Committee during the present session. The Honourable Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) found fault with the motion because it did not go far enough, complaining that it was confined to three or four subjects, and that they ought to have instituted an inquiry into fifty other departments of expendi ture. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) entirely agreed, however, with the Honourable Member for Oxfordshire, that if the Government were to concur in the suggestions of the Honourable Member for Mont rose and the Honourable Member for Marylebene, they might be justly charged with endeavouring to avoid a practical conclusion. The inquiry now proposed by his Noble Friend could not occupy any lung tune, and would be terminated long before the close of the session. The Honourable Member fur Montrose (Mr. flume) then said that a Committee never did the slightest good— that the recommendations of a Committee were never carried into effect. Why, he must have forgotten the Committee which sat upon this very subject in 1831—a Committee for which Lord Ali horp moved, to inquire into the subject of official salari e s— an d w hi c h reporte d upon all the principal salaries ; every recommendation was carried into effect.—(Hear, hear.) Take the Corn • mittee on the navy expenditure which had been referred to; that suggestion of this Committee which had not been carried into eff,ct—as to the numb ? r o f admirals— had been alluded to; but nine out of ten of its recom mendations had been adopted. Let the Honourable Member only recollect the case of those Committees on which he had himself sat. The Import Duties Committee did not its report lay the founda tion of measures since carried ?—(Hear, hear.) Then the Honourable Member for Buckingham shire (Mr. Disraeli) said that the course pro posed by the Government was unworthy of them ; that their opinion ought to hare been first ex pressed to the House ; that the House should have had the emborl'ed opinion of the Government devee loped in pipers on the table. But had the Hen. Mem ber looked into the prmVee of the House? Thu Com- I mittee for which Lord Aithorp moved, for instance, was not moved for upon estimates on the table. T here wer,r ether cases of the same kind—the Committee to inquire into the administration of the law, with the view to aieertain the proper number cf judgos; another with regard to the salaries of the judges; another with regard to the emolument of the judges of the Prerogative Court. The Hon. Gentlemen should refer to the case the Noble Lord had himself mentioned—the 27th report of Vie Committee in 1798. The Hon. Gentleman said the Government out to take upon themselves the respon sibility of dealing with the public establishments. They had never shrunk from that responsibility; and the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) had reminded the House that they had dealt eery largely with the public estab lishments with a view to the reduction of the expendi ture. The principle upon which they had proceeded had not imh ed been that of a general reduction of salaries — it would be the worst policy to un.lerpay the pubic ser • rants—but rather that of redue:ng the number of pr eens employed. (Hear, hear.) Nothing could be more unjust or unwise than the general reduction of salaries prop said by the Hon. Member for Oxfordshire (Mr. Henley) without regard to the circumstances of each ewe., the merits of the individual, or the amount ut w rk he might Le called upon to perform. The Hon. M. tuber would make the public servants a whole army of martyrs.—(A laugh.) Thu first branch of the h.- qeiry was therefore not proposod to bo extended to those with respect to whom the Government fully ad mitted that the responsibility rested with itself and was conducting•an investigation by officern of its own, in quiring into their duties and their salaries, and the proportion borne by the work to the remuneration. With regard to the salaries of members of the Govern ment, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) did not differ very much from those who said that Ministers of the Crown ought not to be altogether led by feelings of delicacy to abstain from expressing an opinion; but no one could say that they were as impartial judges me the question of their own salaries; as of the salaries of others, and surely it would be infinitely better and far more satisfactory to the country that an opinion upon the amount of these should emanate from an impartially constituted Committee.—(Hear.) Then, with regard to the next branch of the inquiry—namely, judicial officers—it was desirable that those who filled these places should not be in the slightest degree de :pendent, with regard to their emoluments, upon the Ex ecutive; and it would be far better that these should be inquired into by a. Committee than that the opinion merely of the Government should be had. It had been said that these functionaries could not be summoned before a Committee to give evidence. Why; the Lord Chancellor appeared before Lord Althorp's Committee in 1831:—(Hear, hear.) As the Hon. and Learned Member for Southampton (Mr. Cockburn) had said, there could be no obstacle on the ground of delicacy in getting a statement with regard to legal emoluments.-- (Hear, hear.) A strange objection was made to the proposed inquiry into the diplomatic establishments. It was a mistake to say that the salaries could not be altered without an Act of Parliament. The whole sum applicable to the service was fixed by statute, but not the salary of each person. The Hon. Member (Mr. Disraeli) supposed that the reference of the diplomatic establishments to a Committee was devised to prejudice his bringing on his motion upon that department; but would it suit him better, in bringing forward such a motion, to be without the information which the investigation 'of the Committee would supply? Was not the want of information a difficulty which he would have to encounter?—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Surrey (Mr. Drummond) had stated that not a word was said about reduction; he could not have attended to what fell from the Noble Lord.— [Mr. Deumsisioxn—" I said there was nothing about it in the motion."] - The Noble Lord stated that, abstaining (which the Hon. Gentleman might, perhaps, attribute to a false delicacy) from giving any opinion on the sub ject of official salaries, and wishing to leave it to the Committee, he was of opinion that reductions might be made in the other departments—the diplomatic and judicial. One Hon. Gentleman thought it exceedingly wrong that the Noble Lord did not state the amount of reductions he was of opinion might be made ; why, if he had, it would have been said that it was useless to move for a Committee when the Government had made up their minds, and openly stated the extent of reduction they intended to agree to. It would have been unfair to a Committee of Inquiry, and inconsis tent with the object of its appointment, for the Go vernment to say beforehand what they considered the result of the inquiry ought to be.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member (Mr. Israeli) in part of his speech, used language that might well surprise one. He spoke of the House of Commons as the guardian of the public purse, but of the Government as the obnoxious instrument of fiscal extortion. Gentlemen opposite might take the admonition which they had themselves given, and consider not merely their present position, but that which they might possibly occupy.—(Hear, hear.) The expressions in which the Government of the country had thus been characterised were surely net wisely used.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Member for Stamford (Mr. Henries) had stated that the House Has only asked to choose between two modes of effect ing the same object, acd that the amendment would lead to the more extensive and speedy reduction of the ex penditure and relief to the country. But surely the amendment was one of those vague resolutions which did not necessarily lead to any reductisa or any practical conclusion; the orignal motion was for a definite in quiry. which was much more likely to lead to a practical result.—(Hear.) The amendment, indeed, had been put by Gentlemen opposite upon the ground of its being a complimentary expression of confidence in the Govern ment as prepared and disposed to carry out reduction; but, if Gentlemen thought the matter should be left in the hands of the Government, why had one Hon. Mem ber (Mr. Disraeli) given notice of motion with a view to a reduction in the diplomatic and consular expenditure, and another (Mr. Henley) of a motion for a general re vision of all salaries with a view to reductions?—(Hear, hear.) Those notices did not indicate the confidence which was now professed.—(Hear.) As already stated, the Noble Lord had declared that in two branches of the inquiry he looked for reduction of the expenditure; he abstained from pronouncing any opinion as to one branch, because he thought it decent and proper that he should not do so at this stage, but one member of the Government at least would be on the Committee, and would state the opinion of the Government unhesitat ingly in Committee on the proper occasion. Gentlemen who talked of the relief from taxation to be effected by the reduction in the salaries of the great officers, or even of the establishments, must remember that it was impos sible so to deal with parties who had held their situations for a length of time as to give any such great relief at once, whatever reduction there might be in the course of years. The Noble Lord had stated the reductions made in the last year or two; these were going on from day to day. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) did not think any great reduction could be effected (as we understood) in the higher offices which the Committee would have to consider; but, whether that was so or not, the Government thought it better to obtain the opinion of a tribunal which might take a more impartial view than perhaps any persons would take with regard to their own salaries.—(Hear, hear.) Lord J. MANNERS was tempted to ask, when the Right Hon. Gentleman seemed a little indignant at any suspicion that the Noble Lord's motion was caused by the notice given by the Hon. Member for Oxfordshire (Mr. Henley), why was it that the Government did not bring forward their motion at the commencement of the session?—(Hear, hear.) The Honourable and Learned Member for Southampton (Mr. Cockburn) had based his argument considerably upon the impropriety and indelicacy of calling upon the members of the Government to come forward and state what was a fair remuneration for the services they were per forming; but if the matter was to be submitted to a Committee, those very persons must be summoned be fore it, and asked their opinions, and their evidence reported to the House.—(Hear.) And what would fol low ? Suppose the Committee constituted in the very free and liberal spirit indicated by the Hon. Member for Manchester (Mr. Bright)—though every one knew it would be constituted in a very different manner; then it would be almost certain that some salaries of members of the Government would be reduced by such a Com mittee below what the Noble Lord charged with the responsibility of the Government thought a proper remu neration, and the Noble Lord would have to come before the House appealing from the Committee as to the salary of his successor.—(Hear, hear.) As for the Hon. Mem ber for Manchester (Mr. Bright), seeing the practical inconsistency in which he was involving himself, the Hon. Member, towards the conclusion of his speech, said that if he thought the Committee was to be constituted as every Committee had been before or since he (Lord J. Manners) had sat in the House and was to be com posed of Noble Lords and Right lion. Gentlemen who belonged to the present or any former Government, and of officers of the army and navy, he would not consent to vote for it. What pledge to that effect had he received from the Noble Lord? Had he seen the least symptom that the Committee would be constituted in such a form as he desired in the speech of the Chancellor of the Ex chequer? Nothing of the kind. Notwithstanding the speech of the Hon. Member, it was yet time for him to mend his rote, and no one could doubt that if no con cession was made as to the appointment of the Committee, they would have a report containing various recommen dations just as usual, some of which would be adopted if they met the views of the Government, and the others quietly shelved. Such would be the Committee for which the tribune of the people—the man who had no confidence in any Government—was about to vote.— (Hear, hear.) The Hon. Baronet (Sir B. Hall) spoke of the amendment as a deliberate Tarty movement, but if they went on attacking every motion as a question of party they never would arrive at aoy end they desired. He (Lord John Manners) hoped the advice of him whom he might term the Nestor of financial reformers (Mr. Hume) would be taken into serious considera tion by the younger financial reformers in the House, though he could scarcely hope to see them carry it into effec'. The House would have to decide on two propositions, one of which placed before them without delay the moans of effecting the retrenchments which, in the opinion of the Government and of the House, the public service would amply allow; the other of which was to take a course which, in his conscience, he believed could have the effect of throwing over the whole ques tion, not only for the present, but for the ensuing session —a proposition to which he saw no end, and he could not c snclude without calling on all Hon. Members, whether they thought the country, though prospering, could not afford extravagant salaries, or that the real distress f the community was the cause of this pas sionate demand for economy, to support the amend ment.—(lioar, hear.) Lord J. RUSSELL—The objections which have been made to the motion proposed to the House certainly will not require very much answer from me, because they LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 13, have been met, nnd most of them disposed of, by the op ponents of the motion themselves. The lion. Baronet (Sir B. Hall) who spoke immediately after the amend ment of the Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire, and some others, said it was not a sufficient inquiry, because it did not go beyond the three particular classes into which the inquiry was to be confined. To that the Honourable Member for Oxford (Mr. Henley) an swered, and I think very conclusively, that if all offices were to be included, the inquiry would last so long that we should not obtain any practical result from the Committee. These are the grounds which I think will be sufficient for the appointment of the Committee. Therefore the lion. Member for Oxford has disposed of one abjection. Then the lion. Member for Montrose (slr. Hume), somewhat to my surprise— (A laugh)—objectmd to a Committee for the first time that I remember during a long period of years, and said tha it would do no good; but in the course of his speech he admitted he kal urged on the Government the ap pointment of a Committee on the army, navy, end ord nance, and that the Committees had sat for some time with considerable advantage to the public. But thee the Hon. Gentleman gows on and sa) s the effs-et is, if you have a Coinraittt e a great many facts will become known which other wiNe we should not have before us, Bud thus the Hun. Gentleman has answered bis own objection. I cannot accuse him of wishing to conceal the truth, but we know there are many delusive ideas on the public mind on this subj ct, and the lion. Gentleman seemed to entertain some alarm as to certain facts becoming known to them. But we find the Hon. Member always inquiring—we find him always moving for returns, and probably the expense of this information and of these returns would be 1 qual to the salaries of two or three Lords of the Treasury.—(" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) Well, they have been exceedingly useful, and have .thrown a great deal of light and information on many questions, and for my part I think them well worth the cost.—(Hear, hear.) But, if that is the case, lam the more surprised that now, for the first time, he could say the House of Commons should not inquire into those facts by a Select Committee. But we have all heard "evil communications corrupt good manners," and the Hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Disraeli) told us to-night, in the course of his speech; that some three weeks ago he had held a cornmunition with the Hon. Member.—(Loud laughter.) Ile certainly does seem (the Noble Lord turned towards Mr. ,Hume) to have deserted the opinions to which ho has so long adhered. —(Hear. hoar, and a laugh.) :,The Hon Member for Surrey (Mr. Drummond) observed, nothing had been said un this subject of reduction by Government. I cer tainly said it would be useless to appoint any such Com mittee unless we believed that reduction and economy will be the consequence. I declined to give any opinion as to the salaries received by official persons being Members of Parliament, but I stated that I proposed some reductions, and that I saw the force of the objec tion that if we proposed the reduction of one official office, it would be well to revise our es tablishments altogeteer. (Hear, hear.) Let me show the practical effect of the proposed inquiry. We ire told we are in possession of all the information that can be had as far as our own salaries. are concerned. Chat is no doubt the case with respect to our own offices, but when I proposed a reduction in the salary of he Chief Justice of the Common Pleas I was told it was very insufficient. At that time Hon. Gentlemen opposite seemed to think a Select Committee a very desirable thing.—(A laugh.) For a whole night I was badgered for not consenting to it. I was told the receipts of bar risters wore nothing like what they were 20 years ago, and that therefore a great reduction should take place in the judges' salaries. Well, then, it is right we should know something of the facts, because it had been always stated, and stated truly, that if you wish to have good and efficient judges—men who will command the respect of the public, and insure confidence for the ad ministration of the laws—you had better not place them at a salary much below that which persons at the bar might expect to receive for their exertions. If that is to be the test it becomes of importance to know what aro the usual receipts of men in considerable practice, and that is a fact on which Government, as well as Mem bers of the House, might form an opinion. It appears to me the proposition I put is a fair practical proposition for an inquiry by a Select Committee. It is supported by precedent from 1798, when Mr. Pitt thought it neces sary to refer the question of official salaries to a Select Committee; and I have not heard any sufficient objec tion to the proposal, or to this particular mode of pro ceeding. I certainly must thank the Right Hon. Mem ber for Stamford, and the Hon. Member for Bucking hamshire, for proposing a vote of confidence in Govern ment.—(Laughter.) It would be a very strong Govern ment that could repudiate such a mark of approbation from their political opponents—(Laughter)—but I think it will be the better course, and more for the public service, to appoint the Select Committee of Inquiry. The House then divided, when there appeared— For Mr. Disraeli's amendment ... 159 Against it ... 250 Majority against it --91 The original motion for the appointment of the Com mittee was then agreed to. Mr. HORSMAN then moved, as an addition to Lord J. Russell's motion on salaries, that the inquiry be ex tended to the incomes of ecclesiastical dignitaries. He thought he could in a few words show the propriety of his motion, by comparing the incomes of the dignitaries with the incomes received in our other great establish ments. Lot him compare the case of the Lord Chief Justice with that of a dignitary of the Church. The former was selected from the most eminent of his pro fession, for an office of great toil and responsibility, and when he ceased to be efficient he ceased to bo a judge. But in the Church the faculties of a dignitary might desert him and yet his office remained, and he was also the dispenser of large patronage. The Chief Jus tice had 8,0001. a year, and had to provide himself with a residence. The Archbishop of Canterbury bad 15,000/. and a palace provided for him—(Hear, hear) — and yet they would in the former case institute an inquiry because they thought 8,000/. too high, but would pass by the 15,0001. of the Archbishop with out a word of comment.—(Hear, hear,) Let him take the case of the Ministers of State, of the Prime Minister. Was his office one of less state or dignity than that of a prelate? He held his office at the sacrifice of health and strength, and sometimes of life, and yet his official income was only one-third that of the Arch bishop, one-half that of the Bishop of London, and con siderably below that of the Bishop of Durham or Bishop of Winchester. The Hon. Member for Oxfurdshire last year proposed to take off ten per cent. of the income of the Prime Minister, but would he not touch that of the ecclesiastical dignitaries ? The enormous dispro portion between those incomes justified inquiry. Now let them take the Board of Admiralty; it consisted of a First Lord and five junior Lords ; they were charged with the administration of one of our most important depart ments, and yet their united salaries did not equal the official income of a single primate. Let them also take the Customs and Excise. They had two beards ; one with a chairman and eight commissioners, and yet the united salaries of both boards did not equal the income of two prelates. He would take another branch into which the Noble Lord proposed inquiry— that of foreign ambassadors and ministers. They represented our Sovereign in all courts and coun tries with which we had to deal. There were 33, and commencing with the highest in Paris, who received 10,0001. a year, to the lowest Ch arg e 'Affaires, their salaries together did not come within 50 per cent. of that amount, which was annually divided amongst the Bench of Bishops. H. would take another service—the go vernors of colonies; they were 43 in number, and from the highest in Canada, who received 7,0001. a year, t the lowest, the governor of the Falkland Isles, who re ceived 400/., the whole expense did not come near the amount annually divided amongst the bishops. He now took the salaries of the judges —an establishment upon which they looked every day as that upon which the in stitutions and government of the country depended, and he e w believed ere he might say, th at o f all our funct i onar i es bone m ore reverenced t h an the j u d ges. —( H ear. ) i In the Court of Queen's Bench there were a chief jus tice and four judges; there was a similar number in the Common Pleas, and also in the Exchequer. In Chancery there were the Lord Chancellor, three Vice-Chancellors, and the Master of the Rolls; and yet the united salaries of all those judges were under the Parliainentary salaries of one class of our ecclesiastical dignitaries. With the judges in Scotland the whole number was 33; and yet their united salaries did not equal the incomes of the 27 pre lates. The highest Scotch judge had a salary below the Parliamentary income of a Welsh prelate, and the whole of the Scotch judges ha d not salari es equal to the amount of income of four prelates. Then he came to Members of that and the other Hou se holdin g office during plea sure. The number wa s 48; their ti me an d strengt h were devoted to the public, and yet their united salaries did not equal the amount of income of the 27 prelates. —(Hear.) They, like the judges, were paid for work which they could not evad e, and yet, e xce pt th e L or d Chancellor, not one had a salary exceeding the income of the Bishop of London, or two-thirds that of the Arch bishop of Canterbury. H e would not detain the House —(Hear, hear) —except to mention one furth er f ac t. It was said the other night there were few instances of public men becoming richer by public life. An instance of a Minister of State becoming richer from office of late years way, he believed, unknown, and the reason assigned for it was that the duties of their office obliged them to neglect their private affairs. That was not the case with the prelates. He had a rehire of the personal property left by 29 prelates since 1828. It amounted to I,soo,oool.—(H e a r, hear.) Prelates were generally advanced in life w hen theywere consecrated; they were generally poor men before, and vet in what other profession or country in the world could they find 29 members of a profession leavin g fortunes averaging 50,0001. a piece. accumula ted af ter they had passed middle age?—(Hear, heir.) The prelates certainly had duties to perform, but the deans and canons had none; and yet at that moment they divided amongst them annually a greater amount of income than the salaries of the functionaries in all the departments of the public service included in the motion of the Noble Lord. A Bill had been proposed to reduce the incomes of deans to 1,0001. a year ; but the Noble Lord stated, on a former evening, that the Bishop of Salisbury had said that if the income of the Dean of Salisbury were re duced to that amount, no one could be found to take it. Lord J. RUSSELL explained—The Bishop said that the person taking it must have a private fortune. Mr. HORSMAN continued—So that of the hard worked, underpaid clergymen of England, with their prolific families, there WAS not one man to be found to take 1,0001. a-year fur doing nothing—(A laugh)—to sell himself to a sinecure under 1 , 5 00/.l—(Laughter.) The Noble Lord said ho should make the experiment, and perhaps in the Committee he would tell them whether the experiment had succeeded, and perhaps the Bishop of Salisbury would also expound the reason that would prevent a poor man from accepting an office with 1,0004 a year. Was it right that a prelate should re ceive more than three times the salary of a Minister of State, while poor clergymen were receiving not more than the wages of the prelate's coachman . ? Was it wise, or safe, or seemly, that when they were instituting a general inquiry into all other high offices of state they should make this odious and. unpopular distinction in favour of oue particular establishment, of which no one could say the duties were more onerous than, those of some of those offices into which they were abut to insti tute an inquiry ? The Hon. Member for Oxfordshire made his motion because the people were overtaxed. He (Mr. Horsman) made this because they were un dertaught. He appealed to those who felt the great est attachment for the Church Establishment, and asked how, when we endeavoured to bring all other publio institutions into harmony with the public feeling, we could reconcile it with our sense of duty to act on an opposite principle with respect to the Church ? Why should we cherish in our ecclesiastical establishment alone an eyesore and a reproach ? What did we gain by that course ? Did we exalt religion or strengthen the episcopate? His proposition was so rea sonable that he trusted the House would not reject it, for all history atAl experience told us that by rejecting reasonable propositions wo rendered the success of the unreasonable ones more certain and more epeedy . (Cheers.) The Hon Member concluded by making his motion. air G. GREY remarked that the Hon. Member was not doing justice to the object which he had in view by mixing it ul► with the inquiry proposed by his Noble Friend.-(hear, hear.) It was not his intention to deny the rictlit of the House to inquire into the episcopal re venues. That course was taken in 1835, and at a sub sequent period. Neither did he mean to contend that the question was to be looked upon as finally settled by what was done on those occasions. If a case could be made out to justify it, there might be fresh inquiry and fresh legislation. The incomes attached to the offices which were to be inquired into by his No ble Friend's Committee were derived from taxation, but the incomes of pers.:ins holding episcopal and capitular offices stood upon a different footing, and were derived from a different source.—(Hear, hear.) The Honourable Member had called upon the House not to appoint a suspected Committee, and he (Sir George Grey) asked them not to appoint an impractic able one.--(Hear, hear.) If the House should adopt the Hon. Member's amendment, it would be impossible for the Committee to conclude their labours during the pre sent session. Mr. HENLEY acknowledged himself unable to per ceive the drift of the Honourable Member for Cocker mouth's amendment, or of the arguments by which it had been supported. The Honourable Member had acted somewhat unfairly in leading the House to sup pose that bishops could accumulate the same amount of property now of which some of their predecessors bad died possessed. The changes which had been made of late years rendered that impossible, and that the Honourable Member knew perfectly well. The Hon. Member ought to rest his proposition on its own grounds instead of bringing it forward in the invidious way be had done, as if his object was merely to raise a cry against the Church. Mr. AGLIONBY said that whenever a Member pro posed the reform of an abuse in that House he was sure to be told that he had selected the wrong time for effect ing his object. It was not correct to assert that the bishops derived their incomes from their own property; they derived them from the property of the country, which was vested in them for the performance ol certain duties.—(Hear, hear.) Ho called upon his Hon. Col league not to withdraw his motion unless Ministers would pledge themselves to support a separate motion for in quiry into the subject. Mr. NEWDEGATF complained that the Hon. Mem ber for Cockermouth had made a most 'unfair attack on the Church.—(Hear, and No.) Though the Honourable Member was conqsntly bonsting of his attachment to the Church, he lost no opportunity of vilifying it. The tone of his speech showed that the Hon. Member was in spirit hostile to the Church of England.—(Hear, and Oh.) Mr. WOOD denied that the Hon. Member for Cocker mouth was obnoxious to the censure which had just been passed upon him. Although he could not sympa thise with all that Hon. Member's observations, he en tirely concurred in the substance of them—namely, that it was desirable for the Church of England herself that this grave question should some time or other be looked seriously in the face.—(Hear, hear.) No doubt could be entertsined as to the right of the House to inquire into the distribution of church property. Indeed, Par liament had a right to inquire into the property of any private individual in the country if a public good could be shown fur doing it.—( Murmurs.) Parliament ,inter fered with private property by every railway Bill which it passed. The Committee best fitted for inquiry into judicial and diplomatic salaries would not be the best fitted for the inquiry now proposed. The time would come, and that speedily, when it would be necessary to have a revision of the incomes paid to the dignitaries of the Church; and, when an inquiry did take place, it would be desirable to consider whether provision ought not to be made for further episcopal superintendence, though with a different scale of salaries. Mr. HORSMAN stated that he had made no allu sion to the tenure of the property in question. He had given no opinion on the point whether it was of a public or a private character. The incomes of the bishops had been regulated by Act of Parliament, and he only asked Parliament to do what it did in 1836. He meant to reflect no more on the manner in which the bishops per formed their duties than on the manner in which other functionaries discharged theirs. Mr. GOULBURIsr observed that the Hon. Gentleman had only walked in the course he had taken on former occasions. He had distinctly recorded the opinion that capitular bodies were altogether useless. He had taken every occasion in that House to disparage in public es timation the office ( f bishop.—(flear. hear.) He prc leased to be a member of the Church of England, an essential element of which was the episcopal authority controlling the inferior clergy. When he drew invidious comparisons which had no just application, it was im possible not to suppose that his views as to the episco pacy were low indeed. The arguments of the Hon. Gentleman who described the bishops as receiving salaries for doing nothing, were of the class at all times addressed to those at the bottom of the scale against those who were at the top of it. This was not an oc casion on which it was necessary to enter on the ques tion whether the arrangements made with the consent of the Church itself had been carried to the extent which might be expedient for the welfare of the Church. Mr. HORSNIAN assured the Right lion. Gentleman that he did not say the bishops had nothing to do. He had said the bishops had duties to perform, and the deans had none. Mr. GOULBURN reminded the Hon. Gentleman that he had compared bishops with judges, intimating that the former were appointed without and the other with qualifications—that the latter worked, and the former did not. Mr. HORSMAN begged to assure the Hon. Gentle man that he was wrong. Colonel SIBTHORP remarked that the censure of one man was the best praise fir another. Mr. MANGLES had never heard a more unjust at tack than that made by the Right Hon. Member for the University of Cambridge. When the Right Hon. Gen tleman charged the Hon. Member for Cockermouth with stirring up the inferior members of the Church against the superior, he might be reminded that the parties to whom he alluded required no stirring up; and whoever had conversed much with beneficed clergymen even, not to speak of poor curates, must be aware that they largely shared that feeling. The House divided, when there appeared-- For Mr. Horsman's addition ... 95 Against it ... ... 208 Majority against it ... ... -113 PUBLIC HEALTH (SCOTLAND) BILL. The LORD•ADVOCATE moved that this Bill be read a second time. After one or two ineffectual attempts on the part a Mr. C. BRUCE and Mr. Score to have the second read ing postponed on account of the lateness of the hour, Mr. OSWALD said one of the changes made in the Bill by the Select Committee of last year was, that all preliminary inquiries should be submitted to the con sideration and direction of the sheriffs of the counties; he therefore could not see the slightest use of appointing a secretary under the Bill, or of subjecting it to the gene ral control of a board in England. Mr. FORBES, end other Hon. Gentlemen, renewed their efforts to have the Bill postponed, but ultithately it was read a second time, on the understanding that the future stages should be taken at an earlier hour. The Police and Improvement (Scotland) Bill was also read a second time on the same terms. The Process and Practice (Ireland) Bill was recom mitted, and certain amendments, proposed by the Solicitor-General, were inserted. The Fees (Court of Common Pleas) Bill went through Committee. The Estate Leasing (Ireland) Bill was read a third time and passed. The Indemnity Bill was read a second time; and The House adjourned at a quarter-past Twelve o'clock until Monday next. Mr. C. P. VILLIERS paired off in favour of Lord John Russell's motion for a Committee on salaries, &e. with the Marquis of BLANDFORD, against. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, APRIL 12. STOCK EXCIIANGE.—Our share market was better to-day, but the only deviations from last quotations were—Great Western, Quarters, 12 1 4—Taff Vale, p. LIVERPOOL, APRIL 12. STOCK EXCIIANOIL—Business on our Stock Exchange was dull to-day, and prices had a tendency downwards, except for North Unions. The transactions were as follow : Lancashire and Yorkshire, Consol., 314—Ditto, Fifths, 10% dis.—Ditto ' 321. Shares, 12dis. London and North- Western, 102 1 ,( c.—Ditto, New Quarters, dis.—Midland, 344—Ditto, Halves, 27% dis. — North Union (A), guaran teed jointly by London and North - Western and Lancashire and Yorkshire, 235 Ditto (B), 164 3 —Shrewsbury, Os westry, and Chester,_ls 7: South-Eastern and Dover, 12X. MANCHESTER, Arun, 1 9 . STOCK EXCHANOE. — The share market was rather better tr , -day, but the amount of business done was limited. The transactions were as follow :—East Lancashire. 6% —Lan cashire and Yorkshire, Fifths, 10 9-16 dis.—Ditto, 321. (late Extension), 12% dis.—Ditto, West Riding Union (201), 9 dis.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, 6 13-16—North Staffordshire, 10 11-16 dis.—South-Eastern and Doter, Old (No. 1), 123—Ditto, (101.), Thirds (No. 4), 4 3 / 4 . BIRMINGHAM, APRIL 12. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market continues ex tremely dull. The only transactions to-day were—Shrews bury and Birmingham (13), 6/. 18s. 9d. dis.—South Stafford shire, 44 dis. YORK, APRIL 11. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The transactions to-day were as fol. low :—York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 12 1 A—Midland, 35 York and North Midland, 15%. In the Insolvent Court yesterday, Major Richard Henry Tolson was discharged by order of Mr. Conimissioner Law, after having been eighteen years in prison. 1850. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. EPSOM STEEPLECHASES.- FRIDAY. Notwithstanding the discouragieg sate of the wea ther during the whole of the day, there was an immense assemblage yesterday on Epeon-common to witness the first essay of a steeplechase meeting in that part < f the county, an essay which, to a certain extent, must be al lowed to have been eminently successful. That it failed to realise our notions of steeplechasing must be attri buted as much to the country as to a want of experi ence in the parties concerned in the "getting up." For the accommodation of those to whom ss. was "no ob ject," Barnard's stands were erected iu a position com mending a good view of the running, and extra pains taken to prevent the possibility of an accident; owing, perhaps, more to the frequent showers and the muddy state of the ground then to a forgetfulness of the melan choly occurrence of the preceding day, and which we regret to find has terminated fatally in one instance; both were crowded to excess; so also was the enclo sure, in which we observed nearly all the " operatives" of the ring. If we repeat that the issue of the experi ment a: a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence, was favourable, and add thet the sport, of its kind, nas excellent, we shall say no more than is literally true; but it is not less true that the line run over was not et all adapted for steeplechasing; it might, in fact, from the charac•er of the fences—mostly artificial ones—have been properly called a hurdlo race-course. We subjoin a brief recur❑ of the sport:— . _ _ The Surrey Hunt Steeplechase of 5 sous. each, with 25 added, 12st, each; the winner to be sold for 200 sovc. if demanded; if entered to be sold for 150 sovs. lowed 31b; for 100 sovs., 716; for 80 says., 10Ih; for 60 soya.. 14lb; for 40 sem., 201 b; and for 20 sovs., 281 b. Once round and a distance, about two miles. (10 Subs.) Mr. H. Bird's The Hero, Bst 71b (Archer) 1 Mr. Carew's Grimaldi, 10st (W. Butler) 2 Mr. Tait's Guinan., lOst 81b (J. Mason) 0 Mr. Follitt's Zanga, llst (Ablest) 0 Mr. Johnson's Sarah Sykes, llst (Frisby) 0 Mr. Miller's Neapolitan, 10A (Buckley) 0 Mr. Boyton's Rowena, list Mr. Rowth'is Recruit, Ilst 41b . (Reid) 0 Betting-7 to 4 agat Gulnare, Bto 1 agst Sarah Sykes, and 4 to 1 agst Recruit. A remarkably fine race from the distance between The Hero and Grimaldi, ending in favour of The Hero by a very short head; Gulnare a bad third; and Recruit fourth; Sarah Sykes fell. The Aristocratic Steeplechase of 10 sovs. each, with 25 added, list 71b each; winners once in 1849 or 1850 to carry 71b; twice or more, 101 b extra. Three miles. (4 Subs.) Mr. Anson's Johnny Oaks, 12st, 71b extra (Barlow) 1 Mr. Carew's b g by Laurel, 12st, including 71b extra (Butler) 2 Captain Green's The Treasurer, 12st ...(W Morris) 0 Betting-5 to 4 agst Treasurer, 6to 4 agst Johnny Oaks, and 5 to 2 agst Laurel gelding. Won in a common canter, the Laurel gelding, who made most of the running, having tired about halt a mile from home. The Treasurer refused the fence above the stand, and was not persevered with. The Great Metropolitan Steeplechase of 15 soya. each, 10 ft, and 5 only if declared, &c., with 100 added. A winner of 100 sovs. clear, after the publication of the weights, to carry 71b; twice, 121 b extra; the second to save his stake; the winner to pay 20 sovs. towards ex penses. Twice round and a distance, about four miles. (25 Subs., 7 of whom declared.) Mr. Stafford's Fugitive, aged, lost 81b...(H. Bradley) 1 Mr. Treadgold's Maria Day, aged, lOst. --(Frisby) 2 Mr. Skipworth's Rachel, 6 yrs, lOst (Taylor) 3 Mr. Elmore's The British Yeoman, aged (Archer) 0 Mr. H. Bird's Sir Peter Laurie, aged (W. Goodman) 0 Mr. T. Mason's Proceed, 10st 101 b ... (Mason) 0 Mr. Hughes's Miss Collingwood, aged (Tanker) 0 Mr. Cartwright's Thurgarton (h• b) aged (711) ex.) 0 Captain Knight's Leo, aged 9st 101 b (Boxail) 0 Mr. Dixon's Falcon, aged, 9st 10lb . (Bretton) 0 Mr. Pettifor's The Last Forrester, 9st 6lb (Backley) 0 Mr. Symonds' Ploughboy, 9st 61b (Boyce) 0 Mr. M. Stubbs' Skim, 9st 61b, carried 9st 91b (Webster) 0 Mr. Molony's Molly, 6 yrs, 9st 41b (Molony) 0 Betting-3 to 1 agst British Yeoman, 4to 1 apt Sir Peter Laurie, 5 to 1 agst Proceed, 7 to 1 agst Maria Day, 10 to 1 agst Thurgarton, 12 to 1 agst Fugitive, and 12 to 1 agst Rachel. An extraordinary fine race between the first three ended in favour of Fugitive by half a length, Maria Day beating Rachel by nearly two lengths. Everything else beaten off. An objection was made against Fugitive by the rider of Maria Day on the ground of a cross, but was afterwards withdrawn. The Scramble Steeplechase of 3 sovs. each, with 25 added, list 71b each; the winner to be sold for 100 sovs. if demanded, &c. If entered to be seld for 80 soya., allowed 31b; for GO soya., 71b; for 40 soya., 121 b; for 30 sous, 171 b; and for 20 so' vs., 241 b. Once round and a distance. Mr. O'Key's Morris Daley, aged, list (Boyce) 1 Mr. Sait's Refugee, aged, lost 41b (Suit) 2 Mr. Bain's Frank, lOst 91b (Rains) 3 Mr. Parker's My Precious Betsy, 5 yrs...(Lowcock) 0 Mr. Knowles' Outcast, aged, Ilst (J. Mason) 0 Mr. Thrift's Wireworm, 9st 111 b (Thrift) 0 Mr. llargreave na Chintz Print s aged, I Ost 41b (Brook) 0 Mr. C4rew's Herbert Lacy, 9st 11 lb ...(Archer) 0 Captain Gambier's Stilts, aged, gat 111 b ...(Rackley) 0 Captain Thomas's Southdown, 11st (Wix) 0 Mr. Mytton's The Unlucky One, 9st 111 b, carried 9st 121 b (Reed) 0 Mr. Bishop's The Clipper, 9st Ilb Mr. Clark's Cerberus, 9st 1 llb Bating-2 to 1 agst Outcast, and 4 to 1 azst Herbert Lacy. Won by a length ; Frank a bad third. BETTING AT MANCHESTER.—FRIDAY. NEWMARKET HANDICAP.-4 to 1 agst Chteerful (t), 7 to 1 mi ' st Chantry (t), 8 to 1 apt Strongbow (taken freely), 12 to 1 agst Herbert (t). Very little done, ex cept on Strongbow, who was bucked fur all the money that could be got, at 7 and 8 to 1. CuEsma Cur.-12 to 1 al;st Cossack (offers to take), 12 to 1 agst Peep o' Day Boy (offers to take)), 12 to 1 ugst Miss Ann, 15 to 1 agst Glauca, 20 to 1 agst Ro land (t), 20 to 1 agst Ellerdale (t), 10 to 1 egbt Moun seer, 20 to 1 agst Chantry, 50 to 1 agst The Knout. DERBY.-6 to 1 agst Bolingbroke, 7 to 1 agst Ghillie Callum, 9 to 1 agst Mayors (oilers to take), 12 to 1 agstThe Nigger (t), 14 to 1 agst Voltigeur (t), 15 to 1 agst The Italian, 20 to 1 agst Cyprus (t), 20 to 1 agst Clincher, 25 to 1 agst Mildew, 1,000 to 20 agst Sir Charles (t), I,oooeto 10 agst Charley (t). lIUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Mr. Farquharson's hds, Mon., Short Wood; Tues., Knuyle. 8.V.11., Tues., Houghton Wood (roe deer). Tiverton hds., Mon., Dulverton town; Thurs., King's brompton Worcestershire hds., Mon., Ham-bridge; Wed., Hami ton Court; Fri., Radford-gate. Durham County hds., Mon., Wilton Gilbert. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. We regret to state that Rear-Admiral the Hon. M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., M.P., has been severely indisposed during the past week. Commodore-Superintendent Lord John Ilay, C. 8., has taken possession of his official residence at Devon port Dockyard. Prince L. Kamehameha and Prince Liholiho, of the Sandwich Islands (two fine young men), in company with Vice-Admiral Thomas, visited Devonport Dock yard, on Thursday; the gallant Admiral having formed an acquaititance with them when he was commander-in chief in the Pacific. Mr. Judd, his Hanoverian Majesty's special commissioner and plenipotentiary extraordinary, visited Devonport Dockyard on Thursday. PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—The Bulldog steam-sloop, Commander A. C. Key, is stripping alongside the jetty, and will be paid off on Tuesday. The Sprightly steam-tender, Master-Commander Allen, sailed this evening for Plymouth with seamen and marines. The Niger screw steam-sloop is to be fitted with a new sliding funnel. The column to the late Earl of Yarborough, on Bem bridge Down, has been completed within the past week. The yachting season opens with every prospect of a most animated run." The various craft laid up in these waters are now showing signs of activity in fitting out. The Earl of Ellesmere's Ermine will be ready to start for foreign service next week. APPOINTMENTS. WooLwicrf, APRIL 12.—Lieutenant George A. E. Ridge to the Archer steam-sloop at Devonport. Midshipman Lord Francis Conyngham to the Lean der, 50-gun frigate, at Lisbon. Naval Cadet Frederick Robinson to the Superb, SO, at Devonport. Boatswain Nicholas White to the Terrible steam frigate, at Lisbon. The Rosamond steam-sloop, Commander Foote, was paid off to-day at this port. CAPTAIN AUSTIN S ARCTIC EXPEDITION. The exertions of Captain IL T. Austin, C. 8., of the Reso l u t e; Captain Erasmus Ommmuney, of the Assist ance; Lieutenant-Commander Sherard Osborn, of the Pioneer; and Lieutenant - Commander J o h n B ert i e C ator, of the Intrepid, and the almost uninterrupted fine wea ther which has prevailed since the work on these vessels was commenced at Woolwich and Blackwell, have so ac celerated their pro gress t h at the gallant comman d er o f the expedition anticipates being able to leave Woolwich on Thursday, the 25th inst., and Groenhithe on Saturday, the 27th, for the Arctic regions. The Resolute and the Assistance are at present alongside the wharf wall of the basin, for the convenience of working on both sides of them at the same time, the stores from the dockyard being put on board from the wharf wall, and the provi sions and other stores from Deptford from lighters lying alongside the vessels in the river. Among the stores supplied to-day were, one large and one small anchor of Porter's patent, to the Resolute, and two similar to the Assistance, these anchors having given great satisfaction when used in the Enterprise and Investigator, in Cap tain Sir James Clarke Ross's expedition. The Pioneer has also been supplied with one of Porter's anchors, and one large anchor of Rodger's patent has been supplied to the Resolute and one to the Assistance. The Pioneer is nearly completed, and took on board to. day, although still in dock, 100 tons of patent fuel. She also too► en board her screw-propeller to-day. It is made ..c of th! , best gun metal, and is eight feet in diameter, with a h of eight feet and an angle of 45 degrees. In aseof accident a duplicate screw-propeller of th e samediameter and pitch is to be supplied made of tnall!ablentraonv.an The . Intrepid, in the adjoining dock, also in a _ _d ce state, although she was so late in being handed over to the Government. The whole of her bottom from her gunwales to her keel has been doubled, and the tim bers caulked, and she is to be supplied with a gun r Pioneer. Under engineer, , metal and a malleable i ron screw-propeller of the s ame dimensions as have b een p ut on theboardohie Under the directio n of Mr. H umphreys, the engines of bo th the 1 ioneer and Intrepid have been made to fit each other, that in the event of an y acc id ent to one of the vessels the various parts of the engines may be Dade available, should their services be required s el/H k.K`f. ;; at a sub3rquent period, in the other. Eight boats nz.. been brought down the river from Mr. Thompson s budding yard at Rotherhithe, four large and four smell. These boats appear admirably constructed, and although apparently light, and the smallest eatily carried on the shoulders of two men, they are very strong and we'l l adapted for the service in which they are to be employea. A number cf naval officers visited the vessels and their boats to-day. CHATHAM, APRIL 12.—The Columbine, 16 guns, Captain J. C. D. Hay, which arrived here on Monday last, is nearly stripped of her rigging. Her guns and stores are returnfd to the Dockyard, and she is to be paid off on Monday next, the 15th inst. She was built in 1826 at Plymouth. Magicienne steam-ship will be taken into dock the next spring tide, to be fitted for sea; she will oc cupy the dock to be vacated by the Childers. At the court-martial that assembled on the 10th inst. on board the flag-ship Ocean at Sheerness for the trial of Assistant-Surg e o n Jarnei Campbell, on the book of the Wellington, ordinary guard-ship at Sheerness, for drunkenness when on duty on the 20th of March last, be was trued guilty, and dismissed the service. Admiral George Elliott, Commander•in-Chief at the Nore, was vresiiient of the Court, and the evidence of the several wituesses was so clear th u t t h e C ourt could not have done otherwise. Mr. W. Hayward was the solicitor for the Admiralty, and Mr. Richard Prall, of Rochestsr, soli citor, a ppCared on behalf of the prisoner. The 72d Ilighlanch rs Four•Cornpany Depot, for some months doing duty at the garrison at Shee r ness, ri.moves to Bristol; the first division marches this day, and the second on Monday next—the strength being, 16 sergeants, 6 drummers, and 250 rank and file, under command of Captain John Frith, with Captain A. 0. Lord, Captain G. B. Perceval, Captain J. Mackenzie, D.16:-Adjutint ; Lieutenant W. B. O. Campbell, Lieutenant C. J. W. Norman, Depot Paymaster; Ensign Cecil Rice and Ensign Charles Hunter. The 72d are to be replaced by the Four-Company Depot of the 15th Regiment from Brecon. V 9 ._ t COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen and Prince Albert walked yesterday in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, the Princess Helena, and the Princess Louise, took their accustomed pony and walking exercise yesterday. Her Ruyal Highness the Duchess of Kent took an airing yesterday in a carriage and four. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent yesterday, at Clarence House, St. James's. A deputation, consisting of Lord Monteagle, Lord Lyttelton, Lord John Manners, Sir William Verner, M.P., Mr. Adderley, M.P., Mr. de Salis, Mr. M'Gregor, M.P., Mr. William Brown, Mr Mark Boyd, Mr. Divett, M.P., Hon. H. Berkeley, M.P., Mr. Logan, Mr. Bass, M.P., Mr. Jackson, Mr. G. R. Smith, and Mr. Davidson, had an interview yesterday with Sir John Hobhouse, at the office of the Board of Control, on the subject of steam com munication with Australia. Mr. W. R. Rennallg, Mr. J. A. Hankey, and Mr. Alexander Stewart, commissioners as to loan for Ja maica, had an interview with Earl Grey yesterday at the Colonial-office. Earl Howe had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official re3idecee in Downing-street. A deputation from the South-Eastern Railway, consisting of Mr. Macgregor, Mr. Renshaw, Mr Venables, and Mr. Freeman, had an interview with the Commissioners of Railways yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade. A deputation, consisting of Mr. Richards, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Henry, accompanied by Mr. Within (secretary), had an interview with the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade. Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening, from the Colonial office, for the Governors of the North Americrn colonies. Dispatches were also sent off last evening, from the Colonial-office, for the Governor of Van Diemen's Land. THE COUNTRY MARKETS. WAKEFIELD, APRIL 12.—We have this week only mode• rate supplies. There is no change to note in the value of wheat, and the business is of a limited character. Barley now meets with few buyers, and the price easier. Oats, shelling, and beans remain as last stated. WHEAT, per qr. 601bs per bushel : s. 5. Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, red ... 37 to 39 Ditto, white ... ... 40 43 Norfolk and Hunts., red ... 35 —37 Ditto, white ... ... 40 42 Lincolnshire and Cambridge, red ... 34 37 Ditto, white ... ... 38 42 Yorkshire, red .„ 34 37 Ditto, white 38 42 Dantaic and Konigsburg, white 40 44 Lower Baltic and Hamburgh, red... 34 36 Mediterranean, red ... ••• 30 34 BARLEY, per quarter of 8 bushels:— Norfolk and Suffolk— .. 21 24 Lincolnshire and Yorkshire .. 22 24 Scotch Grinding per 30 stone ... ... 17 19 Foreign ... 20 23 BEANS, per quarter of 8 bushels 631 b : Small, fine ... 24 —25 Ticks Foreign ... ... 21 23 OATS, per stone : Mealing . 7id to 81c1 01 to 01 Feeding 7d to 8,1 81 to 91 Foreign ... 7d to 8d 81 to 91 SHELLING, per load of 2Cllb 19 20 MALT, per load of 6 imperial bushels 33 35 PEAS, per Imperial Quarter Blue and white boilers Grey and Feed New. Oh'- 8. I. —. to -- 2. I - 2G 23 - 25 25 - 28 ... 24 - 26 VALS. ARM' Qrs. Wheat ... ... ... 7,365 Barley ... ... ... IPS 1 Qrs. Rapeseed ... «. ... 174 Shelling ... ... ... 302 Linseed .. ... .. Malt •• • ••• • • •• • - Flour ... ... ... ... Beans... ... ... ... 2,388 Peas Tares ... ... EXETER, Arum 12.—Cattle Market—The supply of beasts driven in, has been very large, but the demand has ruled very dull, especially for fat bullocks. A good supply of sheep, best small fat wethers, 5i per lb in some instances. Prime wethers, sd, ewes, 5d per lb. Lambs, 6id to 8d do. Store hogs, 25s to 30s each. Couples, 35s to 403. Pannier —Turkeys, 5s 6d to 8s each; ducklings, Si Gd to 6s 6d per couple; fowls, 3s 9d to 4s Gd ditto; spring chicken, 3s 6d to 4s Gd ditto; galinas, 5s to 5s 6d ditto; leverets, Si to 4s each ; roasters, 4s Gd to 6s ditto; pigeons, is 9d to 2s per couple; butter, ls to is Id per lb; eggs, 20 to 22 for Is. Seeds— The seed market was tolerably well supplied with every de scription of seed. Eaver sold at from 4s Gd to 5s per bushel; clover 4d to 5d per lb ; spring vetches, 5s per bushel ; peas, from 3s 6d to 4s 6d per bushel; beans, 3s 9d to 4s per bushel; yellow globe mangold, and long red, Is to 2s per lb; white Belgian carrots, from 9d to is 6d per lb. Corn Exchange— One o'Clock—The wheat market has been dull, millers being unwilling to buy to any extent, and the holders equally loth to sell at present prices. The best samples of wheat have realised 4s Od to 5s per bushel • malting barley 31 per bushel ; oats, is lid to 2s 2d per bushel, with a good stroke of busi ness. Fine flour, 27s to 2.3 s per sack of 2001bs. BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, Aentr. 12.—There has been a steady demand for raw sugars this week; but lower priests have been submitted to. The first cargo of new Barbadues has been brought forward this week; the quality was considered good, and nearly the whole has been sold chiefly from 37s to 40s. Refined continues dull.—Bristol Mercury. BRISTOL, APRIL 11.—The wheat trade, owing to the de pressing influence of London and Liverpool, has ruled dull, and to effect sales in both English and foreign, a reduc tion was submitted to. English wheat, 36s to 40s per impe rial quarter; foreign white, 40s to 44s per 4801bs ; foreign red, extra fine, 368 to 40s; ditto, ordinary, 36s to 38, ; ditto, hard, 321 to 345. Malting barley was a firm sale, but grind. ing qualities are neglected. English malting sold at 33s to 36s per imperial quarter; English and foreign grinding, Iss to 2ls per 400Ibs. The oat trade was unaltered in demand and value. Devon and Welsh eats sold at 13s 6d to 141 6d per imperial quarter; Irish white ditto, 15s to 16s 6d per 320 l al bs; sothe same Irish black, a,la before. 4stol English 14s Gd per beansrimperialsold quarter. 2 B s to Beans at 2R ° s per imperial quarter ; foreig n ditt o , 21 s to 2e per 4801ba. Ian were Flour barely maintained p rev i ous rates ; Eng lish seconds sell ing at 27s to 29s per sac k ; an d Amerioan sweet, at 21s 6d to 22s 6d per barrel. WETHERIY, APRIL 11.—White wheat 15s Od to 1616 d. red ditto 13s 6d , , to 15s Od per load ; barley 22s to 241 per qr. ; beans 108 Od to 12s Od per load ; oats 7d to 9rl per stone. KNA.RESISOROUGH, APRIL 10.—Wheat 4s 3d to Los 6d; beans 3s 6-3 to 4s per bushel ; barley 21s to 26s ; oats, 150 to 20s per qr. Rirox, Aram 10.—White wheat 5s to 5s 6d, red ditto 4* to 5s ; beans, 3s 3d to 3s 9d per bushel ; barley 22a to 265 ; oats 14s to 211 per qr. SCARBOROUGH, APRIL 11.—Red wheat 4s 3d to ss, white ditto 4s 9d to 5s 6d per 5 stones; black oats 6d to 7d, white ditto 7d to 8d :per stone ; malting barley 19s to 21s, grinding ditto 17s to 19s per qr. of 32 stones; superfine flottx 30s to 335, seconds ditto, 24s to 27s per sack of 20 stones. RUTIIIN, APRIL B.—Wheat, 12s 6d to 135 6d ; bailey (no 8s demand), Gs to 7s; oats, 4s to Si; potatoes, to Os per hob bet ; fresh butter, Is per lb. RAIL, Aram 9.—Wheat sold freely at the average of 121 to 12s 6d per hobbet. Other articles went off at last week's quotations. _w e have no weighingces to alteration in pri ces INVERNESS, APRIL 9. report this week. Wheat, per q uarter, weighin g 621 b p er 17, qd Oatmeal, per poder;imperi barley meal, b s u 4l s b hel p , er 3 b 6s usit G e d l, t019.3t80s 06,d0;d;baoraletys: p p ! e r r q q u u a ar rt t e e r r , weighing 421 b per bushel, 16s Od to dpietagtoesmeceozl,l4l Od to O s Od ; b ran, per 1310 d to first flour, per 2001 b., 34 s Od to 36 , O d ; boll, 14 1 s ts O od d t t o o Os os O o d d ; ; 2810 d ; oatmeal, b est, per stone of 141 b stone, second ditto,6 d t 2 06 50 o s d Od tc ; imperial, is 4d to Os Od; ditto second, is 2d to Os Od; barley meal,2s 8d credit ; secondtod4sidtttno, 2 6 s d 0 ; d i c ,, a ,r s k h : 2s 3d cre dit. Is '2d to Os ; peasmeal, Is 4d to Os Od ; first flour, 14t1 ; beef, per pound, 4d fow l s , each, 12d to 14d; chickens , per 16d 1 2s4d cash, toGd; s,Potatoes,ea4 p t e o r stone, sd; 4y2 mutton,d pair, to t3d ; ducks, eac h, Od to Od; eggs, per dozen, 41/ 2 d to sd; butter, fresh, 3d to 4d, per lb, 7d to 8d; ditto, salt, 9d to Oct ' • croudie (curds), Od to ( i ; four-pound loaf, ea : h, 54 to Gd ; ditto, credit, s,id to bid; coals, per cwt, 9d ; hay, per stone, 8d to 9d. COAL MARKET....-YESTEIMAY. Chester Main lss 3diff etton New Tanfield 135 Gd Haswell lBB Od Wylam .. Wall's End, &c. !Lambton Acorn Close Brown's Gas Elm Park Clennell l6s 9d Whitworth l4B 6d Ilarton Morrison l6s 3d Seymour Tees Eden Main l7B Cd South Durham l6s 6d Lambton Primrose ... 17s Od Tees Braddyll SUCCESSFUL ANGLING.—On Tuesday last Sir John Muir Mackenzie had a most excellent day's sport on the Tay, having landed no less than nine sah non, one of which weighed 191 b. and another 16j1b..-Per#,•courier. r r. _71777> I