The Sun. — London, England, 1850-05-28 00:00:00

THE LORD CHANCELLOR. After a prolonged contest with an enfeebling disease and increasing, years, Lord Cettenharre it is positively stated, is about to folios-, the example of Lord Den man, and resign an office the high responsibilities of veleiel' Ed cad''rib longer discharge. The resignation of a judge is a- rare event, and the,. resignation of a Lord Chancellor is a very great event, for, in nine cases out of ten, a political reverse anticipates both death and decay. The disease most fatal to a Lord Chancellor is au adverse majority in the Commons; and the same calamity that suddenly extinguishes the highest officer of the State in the full vigour of his faculties, and in the very midst of his duties, invari ably finds another man ready for the place, and in a condition to demand it from the chief of his party. Hence there is no opportunity or interval for any other purpose than to fill up the vacancy. The case is now altogether different. Lord Cottenham has gradually found himself unequal to the overpowering responsibilities of his office, and although there are men not unworthy to succeed him, there is neither so remarkable a pre-eminence of talent ner so, deep a political obligation to any one man as to compel a certain choice. An opportunity, therefore, presents itself which has long been wished fur in vain,—an opportunity for considering, not the successor, but the office itself. It is not very long since that office was pat in commission, when the object was to get over some political and personal difficulties. Should any change in its constitution be contemplated, a com mission would give time for the necessary discussion of so important a measure. The idea which has floated in the mind of succes sive law reformers has been a separation of the Lord Chancellor's judicial and political functions. There is something revolting to the feelings and common sense of an Englishman in a political eudge—a man essen tially a partisan, ascending and descending the tri bunal at the beck of a popular assembly, and selected for his partialities as well as for his legal acumen. So the first and most popular notion of the thing to be done is to have an irremovable judge in the Court of Chancery. and a removable Speaker in the House of Lords. This idea, which finds favour with many who are fortunately ignorant of the Chancery, is founded on a very imperfect appreciation of the evils to be re moved ; and it is only by reviewing the manifold duties of the Lord Chancellor, and by remembering what takes place at every change of office, that is, once every three or four years, that we see the strength of the reasons for a fundamental alteration. The Lord Chancellor may be said to preside over the two highest courts of justice in this country, and one Legislative Assembly. The Court of Chancery is ;:so fir sufficient for one man, that the arrears have now accumulated beyond the probability of their bsing discharged, by any one Chancellor, be he ever so able, energetic, and young. Of course during Lord Cottenham's illness those arrears have increased, and the only symptom of their ever being cleared in his Lordship's time was the recent announcement that he had just given a remarkably able judgment in • chambers. The number of suitors, and the amount of property , at stake, are beyond belief. We will not venture to say how many millions the Suitors' Fund, or the maney actually in the hands of the Court, is estimated at. The difficulties, the delays, and the consequent expenses, are not only so great, but so inevitable, that it i s a c o mmo n . - saying, that no pro perty' lees than I,ooe/. is worth fighting for in Chan• eery against a long purse, even with the best possible - opiriiens on your side. Notwithstanding the un doubted ability and character of the present Lord Chancellor and his immediate predecessors, there has been no very material improvement of late years, in • the progress of suits and the state 'of business, and the ill-fame of the Court is, at this moment almost as flagrant as ever. Without referring more particularly to the vast amount of business devolving on the Lord Chancellor in the care of wards and other matters of delicacy, or matters of detail, we will p ass on to the other Court over which he presides—the House.. of Lords, as the highest judicial tribunal of this country. But few peo ple—few even of the wretched suitors themselves, know the thorough farce 'of an appeal to the House of Lords. Every Tuesday and Thursday the Lord Chancellor's own court is closed, and proceedings there suspended. Oa those days he sits in the Lords to hear appeals from his own judgments in his own court. He sits there alone, yet not quite alone, for the . , court must not sit unless two other Peers are present. Those two other Peers, so necessary to the adminis tration of justice, are there by virtue of a rota. Two Peers are summoned for one day, and the two Peers next in the list for the next day, and so forth. If a • trial lasts several days two Peers attend at the open ing, and. then retire ; two others - attend at the next stage, and then give place to others, till the judgment is delivered, with the assistance of two Peers who have not heard one syllable of the trial, and need not have the least conception of what it is about. Be sides these two lay Peers, there is also a gratuitous and occasional attendance of legal Peers, who are not necessary to the constitution of the court, and who, except in one memorable instance, have seldom put the Lord Chancellor in a minority. In fact, there • fore, the Lord Chancellor, really alone, hears the trial over again, and sits in judgment on his own decision. The presidency of this court takes from the Lord Chancellor two days out of six in the spring and summer terms. The enormous expense, delay, and other inconvenience it inflicts on the suitors, it is need less to describe, for they are doomed men and have prepared for the worst. Besides these two judicial offices,—for we must assign a plurality to offices when there is an appeal from one to the other,—the Lord Chancellor presides over the House of Lords in its legislative capacity ; and, if his time and strength are not so severely taxed as the Speaker's of the House of Commons, he has often to spend on the woolsack- many hours which he might otherwise employ in rest, or in preparation. In addition to the above three important functions, the Lord Chancellor is also a member of the Cabinet, and, as such, is required to assist at . councils, and give advice, at times possibly very inconvenient to the Court. which claims his first attentions. In the event of a change of Ministry, or, as now, in the event of resignation through illness, the Lord Chancellor, after holding his office three or four years, and after having acquainted himself with a number of complicated causes in progress, is suddenly lost to the Court and the suitors, and his place is taken by a man who has all to begin over again. Every suitor who now has some hopes of a judgment, and who has reason to believe that matters are really in train for a conclusion, finds himself suddenly thrown back, and his hopes nipped in the bud, by the advent of a man to whom he and his cause are utterly unknown. In the rare case of a vacancy through death or illness, of course this is inevitable, and can only be met with patience ; but the state of things which creates a new Lord Chancellor every , change of Ministers is not inevitable, and may excuse some impatience in persons who have seen perhaps more than one Lord Chancellor in court since the commencement of their suits. • The remedy is obvious, and has great names to recommend it, though there may be some ques tion as to the details. A Lord Chancellor with no other - duties than those of his own Court, irremovable like the rest of the judges, • and with 8,000/. or 9,000/. per annum , w ould be in a most honourable and env i a bl e p os iti o n, and cer tainly with less anxiety than the holder of the office ea its present multifarious form. On the other hand, . a j udicial Speaker of the Rouse of Lords, authorised, -with• assistance, to heari i appeals from the Lord Chan. cellar, a C a bi net zil ster, and th e r e f ore s h ar i ng political vicissitudes, with 5,0001. or 6,000/. per • annum, and with the immense patronage of the office, would be also an office of great importance an d h onour . Whether with suc h an Vice-Chancellors it wo u ld b e ne cessary to ha ve th ree ancellors wou ld b e a matter for discu ss i on , b ut the appeals from the judg ment of these functionaries are so frequent as to j us tif y the belief that much labour i s lost under the present arrangement. 'Whatever the necessity of a c e or the merits of this or that plan, now, at aie-vaenngtes, is the time for thinking about in —Times. CORONERS' INQUESTS. LOVE AND SUICIDE.—On Saturday evening, at M r . William Carter, the coroner' for six o'clock, inquiry at the Old Mitre Surrey, opened a longßlack friars-road, respecting the , years, latelyDoctors'- commons, Tavern, Broad-wall, death of Thomas Hunt K Cooper, e ß r, y a , g ie e r d . residing at No. 5, Ryder-court, circumstances briefly who committed nl the following dreadful act of -self-destruction under the detailed in the subjoined evidence of the principal Witness :-- Elizabeth St ra k er , o f N o . 1, T homas ,. pl ac e, Gravel lane, 131ackfriars-road, stated that she had known the ad been fre quently f or many years. W i tness ' h annoyed by th e d ecease d, w ho followed her about daily from place to place, more particularity, during the last 14 weeks, and occasionally ho would threaten t o ta k e her life. Witness at one time went in bodily fear, and told him if he persisted in continuing his annoyance she would seek assist ance by applicatio n to a magistrate. The deceased for a short time desisted, hut again resumed his visit s , when she was about to go to a police-court, when the deceased bezged so earnestly that she would not, that she again de c li ne d , on his promising not to an no y h e r again. The deceased still continued to follow her, and on Thursday morning. last witness hard a knock at the street door, and upon opening it *witness saw the deceased, who exclaimed in a loud voice, "I will blow your brains Out:" at the - sa moment decea se d presente d a p i sto l towards witnemess, who called for the landlord in the front parlour, who came out and stepped between them. The deceased rushed up stairs, and the next moment the report of a pistol was heard, and when the witness and the land . lord reached the second-floor back room, they dis covered the deceased lying a corpse on the floor, with the upper portion of his head blown to pieces. De ceased seemed lifeless, and by his side lay a pistol. THE SUN, The room was subsequently searched, and a bullet was found on the floor. The police arrived soon af terwards, and when the pockets of the decea , ed were examined, a letter was found, directed to his father, which was proved to be in the deceased's handwritieg. The letter was as follows : _ _ . "Dear Father,--When you receive this I shall be no more, for I have made up my mind not to live any longer without—Miss Straker. Her shadow is always following me by night and day, and my thoughts are constantly with her. " Your affectionate son, " THOMAS HUNT COOPER." Witness added, that she fully believed if the landlord had not come so providentially to her aid the deceased would have shot her. Mr. Robert Tibbetts, surgeon, of Blackfriars-road, was next examined. He proved the frightful nature of the injuries the deceased had received, which must have caused instant death. Other witnesses were examined, who clearly proved the deceased had been of weak intellect for some years past. The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity. DREADFUL SUICIDE.—Mr. William Payne, the coroner for London and Southwark, was engaged for several hours on Friday night, at the Harrow public house, Borough-market, inquiring into the death of a female, apparently about thirty years of age, at pre sent unknown, who committed self-destruction at the London-bridge Railway Tavern. Mrs. Sarah Wallis, the landlady of the Railway Tavern, on the Surrey side of London-bridge, stated that on Wednesday evening last the deceased came to the bar, and asked if she ,could be accommodated with a bed. She had a small basket in her hand, and said she expected a letter from some one that evening, and added that when it arrived would I forward it to her apartment ? Deceased went out two or three times during the evening. On the following day, about four o'clock, a letter came, directed to " Mrs. Lloyd, at the Railway Tavern, London-bridge." At seven o'clock the deceased went out, and soon after wards came in with a female, who went up-stairs with her. The deceased ordered tea and toast for two. The female referred to left in about an hour, and the deceased remained in her room. At half past eleven the same night witness went up-stairs and knocked at the door of the deceased's bed-chamber, but not re ceiving any answer opened the door and walked in, when witness discovered the deceased sitting on a chair, with her head reclining on the bed. The deceased's features were dreadfully disfigured, and witness, be ing alarmed, ran out to the adjoining room and called a gentleman, who found that the deceased was insensible. She had a small phial firmly clasped in her right hand labelled, " Sulphuric acid—poison." The deceased was attired in a black satin gown. The deceased's face was dreadfully burnt by the effects of the acid which had fallen from the bottle. The de ceased wore a blue necktie, a silver brooch, gold ear rings, white stockings, black laced boots, &c. In her basket were found a letter and a small note; the former was the one which came by post on Thursday afternoon, and the same bore no date or signature. The principal portion of the letter was to the follow ing effect :—" For Heaven's sake I hope you will not commit any rash act, or think of destroying yourself. I trust you will be advised by the female friend to whom I referred you, and who, I am sure, will give you the bast of advice. By the time you receive this letter I shall have sailed from England for ever." There were 4s. in silver and a pocket-handkerchief in her basket. After some further evidence of no importance the inquiry was adjourned with the view of finding out the deceased friends. FATAL ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE CHINESE JUNK. —An inquest was held on Saturday evening, by Mr. T. Higgs, coroner, at the Lyceum Tavern, Strand, on body of William Unfold, aged 34, a carpenter, employed aboard the Chinese Junk Keying. The evidence of the witnesses proved that the deceased accidentally fell into the water and was drowned. — Verdict accordingly. [The following appeared in our Third Edition of last night :—] FRANCE. General C2vaignac, M. Coquerel, M. Coyne, and M. Ferdinand de Lasteyrie, have presented the fol lowing amendment to the Electoral Law : " The electoral domicile shall be established by the real residence in the commune in which the citizen shall have satisfied the laws of recruiting for the army and navy. This domicile shall, however, be transferred to any commune in which the citizen may have fixed his principal establishment, subject to his making six months before the revision of the electoral list the double declaration prescribed by Article 104 of the Civil Code."' The Constitutionnel has the following on the Greek question : " As facts come to light, they show more and more the legitimate character of the complaints of the French Government. We render all justice to the language used by Lord Palmerston and by-Lord John Russell in the House of Commons; there is nothing in it which can offend either France or her Government. But the finest words are not equivalent to the most simple explanations. The French Government is not actuated by any hostile intention, but it must protect its honour and the interests of the country. It must be either shown that good faith has been observed towards it, and a sincere desire for the success of its intervention, or it must henceforth abstain from any intimate relation and all co-operation with the English Minister of Foreign Affairs. Intimate relations and habitual co-operation demand, in fact, a mutual confidence and equal security on both sides. In the case which we suppose, it will be shown that Frame cannot with security rely either on the words or the acts of Lord Palmerston." GERMANY. A Vienna letter of the 19th says:—" Yesterday appeared the budget of the last year, that is from Ist November, 1848, to Ist Nevember, 1849; it shows a deficit of 140,000,000 florins. Nevertheless it has not produced an unfavourable impression either on the Stock E xchange or on the public, and especially because the detailed figures show that it was a gigantic task to keep the public finances afloat on the stormy sea, which threatened to swallow up the State. The Minister of Finance justly remarks in his report, that the end of the year 1848, having been signalised by the taking of Vienna, and by the retreat of the army of the Hun garian insurgents, it was necessary - in 1849 to carry on war both in Piedmont and in Hungary; that the latter country especially demanded the greatest sacrifices, from the fact that in addition to the vast army of Austria, there had to be maintained masses of Russian troops ; that the Treasury thus had at its charge 900,000 troops native and foreign ; whilst so far from afford ing the slightest revenue to the State, Hungary and Transylvania were exhausted by the Hungarian re volution, and the other provinces which remained faithful were so borne down in their commerce and industry that they could not be unreasonably taxed. It results, moreover, from the report that the deficit has at least diminished, inas much as after having been on an average 12,000,000 florins per month in 1849, it fell in Ja nuary, 1850, to 5,000,000 florins, although the new taxes had produced little or nothing. It is to be re marked, moreover, that the budget of Hungary and Transylvania only partially figure in the returns—the former from Ist May, the second from Ist August ; and that the budget of Croatia, of Slavonia, and of the Wayewodla are not included at all—those provinces having occasioned expenses without yielding receipts." ITALY. The King and Royal Family of Sardinia set out for Savoy on the 20th, from their villa of Moncalieri. On entering that province, the King issued the fol lowing proclamation : "Inhabitants of Savoy!—ln coming among you, I realise one of the fondest wishes of my heart. There exists between us an ancient covenant, sealed by eight cnturies of honour, loyalty, and reciprocal love. Neither time, nor revolutions, nor disasters have been powerful enough to shake it. We have a right to be proud of it, and I must declare to you it does make me proud and happy. As a witness of the brilliant valour of your soldiers on the battle fields of Nlonzarnbano, Pastrengo, St. Justine, St. Lucia, and Volta, I have renewed dila covenant under the fire of the enemy, with your children, my brethern in arms. I now come to renew it with their fathers, with you. who, menaced in your very homes by a sen4eless at tack,dei)ri a e d t y a ou m o o f m e d n e t re w ri c h e e , n m th ad e e call the of agg h r o e n ss o e u r r p h a a y d dearly for his foolish presumption. Inhabitants of Sa voynoble examples, and my the devotedness' of n I I bring son, that he may learn from such and loyalty of that ho may be early aware that this great truth, I ng sh s 'all ki the people is the reward of the justice listen to may oppose with the desire Penetrated as I myself am with examine yo ur your t that at applications,the interest our wishPes6.° m th e e nt s o ta f te y .. s.r io he obstaelo to the accomplish fame I shall again leave this ancient cradle of r a y to return to my royal me y t;le certaintyl that I can rely duties, I shall carry with sti nee ou r eriyZpso. upon you; as for you, you ms he by the as well as by the wisdom andOvuarloiunr- I,et us by our t th u t e i( f ,ns m , y ou e r a i t n h d , e ggioern.theour fathers, of my peoples, are :ate from all danger. that of Divine highest,rovicl the virtues, our devotedness to the religion and our love for our country, deserve of most powerful of protections, " VICTOR ElstifANlTETe.n'"'e. Letters from Turin of the 22d inst. state that the Chamber of Deputies was still engaged in discussin g the estimates of the Fore i gn De partment, all the re ductions in which had hitherto been rejected. The Piedmontese Gazette announces that the Governor of the island had given n brilliant entartainment to Aly Bey, captain of the Turkish frigate that conveyed to Sardinia the Italian refugees, who escaped from Hun gary into Turkey. The Concordia of the 22d contains the following, under the head Venice : Public attention is entirely directed towards France and the menacing attitude of Russia. Everybody is anxious to see that agitation which now pervades Eu rope promptly appeased, and we have just heard it re ported that an arrangement has been concluded which would satisfy the LegiEimatist, Orleanist, and Bonapartist parties. According to that rumour the Duke of Bor tigauz is to become King of France, the Count de Faris LONDON, TUESD AY EVENING, MA. Y Q 3, 180. will succeed him, and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is to be appointed Grand Marshal of the Kingdom!" The Risorgimento of the 221 inst. announces, under date Florence the 18th, that the Nazionale, which had been suspended at the request of the Neapolitan Government for libelling the King of Naples, was allowed to resume its publication on the 17th. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, May. 27. (Before Mr. Commissioner HOLROYD.) !IN RE JAMES KILLICK. The bankrupt, a carpenter and builder, of Dorking, applied for his certificate. Mr. BUTLER (Basinghall-street) prepared the ba lance-sheet, which showed that the bankrupt owed 1.914/. ; assets about 2301. The profits were 734 ; losses, 605/.; interest and expenses, 5871.; deficiency February, 1848, 5741. Mr. Linklater appeared for the assignees to oppose; Mr. Lawrance supported the bankrupt. The main grounds of objection were, that the bankrupt had allowed his stock to be seized in exe cution shortly before coming to this Court, and that he bad been guilty of a preference to a certain cre ditor. His HoNoun said, that parties coming to this Court must be taught that they could only receive its pro tection upon giving up all their property. Instead of the bankrupt calling his creditors together, which it was his duty to do when he was in difficulties, he had allowed one creditor to obtain possession of his stock. The bankrupt had also made a preferential payment to his father, and although the sum had been reco vered, it did not purge the offence. Upwards of a twelvemonth had elapsed since the case came into Court, and six months since the first application for certificate. Taking into consideration all the facts of the case, a farther suspension of the certificate for six months must be ordered without protection, till he had been three months in prison. INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, May 27. (Before the CHIEF COMMISSIONER.) IN RR JOHN LEWES. This was a rule calling upon the assignees to show cause why a creditor should not be allowed to prove a debt against the estate, although it was not inserted in the schedule. The insolvent was discharged by this Court so long ago as 1825, and several dividends hare been paid amounting in the whole to 93. in the pound. Mr. SARGOOD, on behalf of the assignees, contended that the debt could not be admitted, being barred by the Statute of Limitations. Mr. NicaoLs ' in support of the rule, argued that the insolvent (w hom the assignees represented) could not avail himself of his own wrong in omitting the creditor from the schedule, and that, therefore, the statute could n , t apply. - The Cum COMMISSIONER thought that the insol vent could not be permitted to avail himself of his own omission to resist the debt, and therefore made the rule absolute for allowing the proof. (Before Mr. Commissioner Law.) IN RE JOHN KIRBY. This insolvent, who bad carried on business in Buckingham street, Strand, as a bottled beer and wine merchant, under the style of Kirby and Co., was opposed by Mr. Sargood for Mr. Waters. The case was heard on a former day, and the com plaint was contracting Mr. Water's debt without reasonable expectations of payment. The insolvent had been bankrupt in 1823 and in 1828 ; on the lat ter occasion did not obtain a certificate. He had twice previously petitioned this Court. Mr. Commissioner LAW ordered the insolvent to be discharged after the lapse of 11 calendar months from the date of the vesting order. SURREY SESSIONS, May 27. These sessions commenced this morning, at the Sessions House, Newington-causeway, before Thomas Puckle, Esq., and a full bench of magistrates. The calendar was rather heavy, containing the names of 70 prisoners for trial, the majority of whom can neither read nor write. The grand jury having been sworn, and the Chair man having addressed them, the Court proceeded to the trial of prisoners ; but no case of importance occurred during the day. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. A BET ON THE "DERBY. " —William Cooper, of No. 23, Rathbone-place, described on the police-sheet as of "no occupation," was brought before Mr. Bingham, charged with having obtained from Thomas . Clifford, landlord of the Three Doves, Berwick-street, the sum of 51. by fraudulent pretences. The complainant said the defendant, who was a stranger to him, came into his house on Sunday and had some brandy-and -water at the bar. The de fendant talked about the Derby race on Wednesday, and boasted that he had got odds to the extent of 1001. to 21. on Clincher, and had in his possession a ticket from Searle': the Salisbury Arms, Strand, a s a voucher for the bet. The defendant asked him Which horse he thought would win, and he replied Clincher. While this conversation was going on, a person came to him, and, in a confidential whisper, advised him "to get all he could on Clincher; " and, as the gentle man at the bar had made a goo d bet, he would per haps give good odds to make himself safe, and witness would have quite security enough if he con sented to deposit his betting ticket with him. Wit ness then asked prisoner if he would make him a bet ? The prisoner said he would, and ultimately it was agreed that witness should pay 51., to receive 301. and his 51. back in case Clincher won the race. Witness gave the prisoner five sovereigns, and received what purported to be a ticket from Searle of a bet of 1001. to 21. on Clincher. As soon as the prisoner had got the money he was in a wonderful hurry to be off, for the purpose, as he said, of backing Bolingbroke. The prisoner left the house in such a hurry that he did not finish the brandy-and-water. Witness felt some mis givings about his security, and he mentioned his fears to his wife. After a few minutes' counsel he decided on going to the Salisbury Arms to inquire about the ticket. When he showed the ticket to the person in the bar of the Salisbury Arms, he was told it was a forgery. Yesterday morning having found the pri soner in a betting-house in Jermyn-street, he gave him into custody. Mr. Woolf, who appeared for the complainant, contended that a clear case of fraud had been com mitted, inasmuch as his client had parted with his money on the faith of that which now turned oat to be a mere piece of pasteboard being a valuable se curity. Mr. Harris, for the prisoner, argued that the trans action throughout was illegal on the part of the complainant. Mr. BINGHAM said the line of defence was, in fact, going so far as to say that thief might rob thief, and gambler rob gambler. He doubted very much that this was the law. At all events he would take time to consider the question. Mr. Bishop, the clerk, banded to the magistrate the Bth and 9th Viet., cap. 109, sec. 17, which made it punishable to obtain money by any kind of false pretence from a person on account of any game, sport, or pastime, and whioh applied exactly to the case before the court. The prisoner was remanded; but admitted to bail in two sureties of 501. each. CLERKENWELL. Mary Honin, a young woman, with a child in her arms, was charged with having assaulted one of the overseers of Clerkenwell pariah. The overseer said that• the prisoner came to the board-room to ask for relief, and •request a pair of shoes for her child. He told her that that was not a shoe-Warehouse, and ordered her to be put out. She insisted on having relief, and be ordered the gate keeper to force her out, when she struck him (the overseer), and he gave her into custody. Her bus• band, who was outside, threatened his life. He was an idle, desperate fellow, and would not work. The prisoner, crying, said She was in great dis tress, and her child.was without shoes. She did not deny the charge, saying she waatreated with violence first. TYRWHITT discharged her, and ordered her husband to find bail to keep the peace. An elderly man, evidently afflicted and in great distress, complained that the overseers hadrefus f e o d r to relieve him or admit him into the w o rkh ouse , Clerkenwell. Mr. TWYRITITT — What reason do they assign their refusal ? Applicant—They say lam an Irish ' man, and they will not relieve or admit me unless my wife goes into the workhouse with me, which she will not clo, as she can scrape a scanty living for herself by washing. Mr. TYIEWIIITT—I suppose they think that she can support - you and herself through her washing labour. Applicant (crying)—Perhaps so, Sir ; but she can hardly sup port herself, and she would rather do any thing than go into the workhouse, and I am very ill. What am Ito do? Mr. Tr tWHITT--Pray how old are you? Appli cant—l an 169 years of age, your Worship. Mr. TYE .WIIITT—How long have you -lived in the parish (AC lerkenweil? Applicant—Upwards of 30 years. - Mr. T Y I CWHITT considered it strange conduct on the part of the parish in refusing to relieve or admit him into the workhouse without his wife. long residence entitled him to consideration and relief, and he direc:ed an officer to accompany him to the work house on t he day of his first application. The poor old man Eaten , led on the following day, full of grief, to say that t' ae parish officers were obdurate, and still were deb ermined not to admit him without his wife. Mr. T . l - RWHITT censured such a course of proceed ing, and a lid the overseers would hr'ng odium on the parish ifs hey pursued such proceeding's, and the case of the applicant should be attended to. The oli l man was thankful, and left the court. Other r vases of a similar nature have occurred, with reference to this and other parishes; which hive led to some severe remarks from the Bench. LAMBETH. William Turner, a rough-looking fellow, was placed at the bar before Mr. Elliott, and charged, on suspi • cion, with stealing a vast quantity of massive plate found in his possession. Police-constable Thomas Hepburn, 308 P, deposed that on that morning, about four o'clock, while on duty on the Brixton-road, he observed the prisoner going along with a bundle slung over his shoulder, and, suspecting all was not right, asked him what he had got ? The prisoner, in a gruff voice, replied, that he had better see. He then stopped him and ex amined the bundle, and found, tied up in two hand kerchiefs, the following articles of massive plate, viz. :—A teapot, a coffeepot, a sugar-basin, a cream jug, a pair of sugar tongs, a salt spoon, a pair of salt stands, ten table spoons, twenty forks, four silver knives, two knife-rests, a pair of 'nut crackers, and a china scent-box. The witness asked the prisoner where he got the property, and his reply was, " I'm b-- if I tell you." When asked by the magistrate if he wished to say anything to the charge, the prisoner replied, that it was no use as the police would say anything. SOUTHWARK _ _ _ William Morley, a well-dre s sed man, apparently between fifty and sixty years of age, wearing specta cles, was brought before Mr. A'Beckett, charged with uttering a fictitious cheque for 251. on Messrs. Drum - tnond's, in liquidation of a tavern bill he had run up at the Bridge-house Hotel, Wellington-street, Lon don-bridge. The primer is suspected of having uttered several other cheques of a similar description to other tavern keepers in the metropolis. Mr. T. W. Burrell stated that he is proprietor of the above hotel, and that the prisoner came there in the course of last week, bringing with him a portmanteau, and engaged a private sitting-room as well as a bed - room. He did not mention where he came from nor how long he intended to remain, but he ordered and was provided with the best the house afforded up to last Saturday, when some suspicion being excited his bill was made out and sent to him. When it was placed in his hands he merely glanced over it, and then said that he had not sufficient change to discharge, it, but added that he would give a cheque on his bankers for the amount. He theH called for pen and ink, and in the presence of the waiter, wrote out a cheque on Messrs. Drummond's for 251., desiring him to take it to his master, and added that, as it was then after banking hours, if it was presented on the following Monday it would be cashed at once. Complainant, upon the faith of the cheque, supplied the prisoner with further refresh ments, amounting since Saturday to 1/. 125., and when he took the cheque to be cashed that morning the messenger was informed that the drawer of it bad "no effects" there, nor was he even known to the establishment. Upon this discovery the prisoner was given into custody, and the complainant added that he had since every reason to believe that the prisoner had been carrying on a system of plunder on hotel and tavern keepers by similar means ; and that he had recently run up a bill at the Hotel de Paris in the Haymarket, and uttered one of his spu rious cheques in payment. Mr. A'BECKETT asked the prisoner what he had to say in answer to the charge ? _ _ The prisoner, who is very deaf, or assumed to be so, stood at the bar, apparently quite unconcerned, with a smile on his countenance, and, when asked the question by the magistrate, he shook his head and said, "I am extremely deaf. I can perceive your lips move, and imagine from the movement that you have asked me what I have to say ; but I have not beard a word, either proceeding from yourself or from my prosecutor." The complainant said, that the prisoner did not ex hibit such a total deprivation of hearing whilst en joying himself at his house, and as it since turned out, at his expense, as he did upon the present occasion ; and that, in his opinion, it was now in a great measure assumed, to suit some particular purpose. The prisoner, who still kept shaking his head and expressing his inability to hear a word, begged that he might be permitted to real the evidence given against him. Mr. A'BECKBTT at once assented to the prisoner's request, and the minutes of the evidence having been placed before him he read it attentively, and at its conclusion merely said, "It is perfectly correct." It was then announced to the prisoner that he was sus pected of giving a wrong name, and he was asked whether he would now divulge his right one. He, however, refused to give any further account than he had already given, and as it was stated that it was strongly suspected he was in the habit of practising similar impositions, he was remanded until next Monday, on which day it is be lieved that a number of tradesmen who have been duped by him will attend. THE COUNTRY MARKETS. The following is the official statement of the quantiti corn, &c., received in the port of London from the poi Essex, from the 20th May, 1850, to the 25th May, both inclusive : ies of its in leso, 4.1 . CS 1 i l 4 N 2 1 g Colchester lB6 ;i 24 350 ? 14 95 Harwich Leigh Maldon .. 825, 100 , 2831 64 1000 CHELMSFORD, MAY 24.—Prices to-day were as follow: Wheat, white, old 36s to 465; new 37a to 475; red, old CHELMSFORD, MAY 24.—Prices to-day were as follow: Wheat, white, old 36s to 465; new 37s to 475; red, old 34s to 40s; new, 33s to 395; barley, 23s to 25s ; chevalier 24s to 26s ; grinding 2ls to 23s ; oats 15s to 20s ; malt 53s to 555; chevalier 54s to 568 ; peas, partridge, new 25s to 275; old, —s to —s ; white, new, 26s to 23s ; old, —s to —s ; dun, new, 24s to 265; beans, tick, new 23s to 261; old, 24s to 27s ; harrow ticks, new 24s to 27s ; old 25s to 235; ma zagan, new 22t to 24s ; old 23s to 25s per qr. COLCHESTER, MAY 25.—Wheat, white 42s to 463 ; red 401 to 423; barley 221 to 241; beans, mazagan 24s to 255; middle and small 26s to 235; peas 24s to 28s per qr. HADDINGTON, MAY 24.—The following are the prices of grain at our market to-day:— Wheat. I Barley. I Oats. I Bean'. . 4's Od I 24s 6d 22s 6d 32s Od _ . Second ••• .. 383 id 230 2d 1 20s 9d I 283 2d Third ... .. 343 Od 22s 6d 193 Od 233 Od Total quantity of Wheat iu market 396 qrs., 391 sold Do. Barley do. 124 qrs., 124 sold Do. Oats do. 279 qrs., 266 sold Do. Beans do. 75 qrs., 75 sold KIRKALDT, MAY 25.—The following are the quotations up to this date t-- Wheat. Barley. Oats. Beans. Peas. First 423 Od 22s Od 21s 6d —3 Oil —s Od second 393 Od 213 Od 20.1 01 —s Od —3 Od Third ..... 353 Od 173 Od 173 Od —s Od —s Od Oatmeal, per bag of 2801bs imperial, 263 Od to Os 01 GLASGOW, MAY 22.—Provisions—Cheese, 363 to 445 Od per cwt ; retail, 5d to 6d per lb. Skim milk, 23. Od to Os per cwt. Country fresh butter, 10d to Od per lb. Irish pow dered, in lumps, 8d to Od; country powdered, wholesale, 81d to 9d. Country eggs, 7d per dozen ; carried hen ditto, 4s tid per 120, or 64 per dozen. Hens, 21 6d per pair ; Ducks, 211 Od. PERTH, MAY N.—Wheat, 36s Od to 41s Od; barley, 18s Od to 20s Od; oats, 16s to 19s; peas and beans, 22s Od to 2.5 s per quarter. Oatmeal, per sack, 22s to 245. STIRLING, MAY 24.—Wheat, foreign, 20s to 235; ditto, home, Os to Os; ditto ditto new, ISs 6d to 22s Od; barley, per boll of 6 bushels, Os Od to Os Od ; ditto new, 14s Od to 18s 00. Oats, common, Os Od to Os Od ; ditto new, II s 0,1 to 13. 6d ; ditto, Flemish, Os Od to Os Od; ditto ditto new, Os Od; malt, distillers, 32s Od to 341 ; ciitto brewers, 34. Od to 35s ; beans per boll, Os Od to Os Od ;ditto new, 13s Od to 14s Od ; pease 12s 6d to 13s; flour, new per sack, 31: 6d to 32s 6d; ditto common ditto, 18s 6d to 20s Od; oatmeal, per load, Os Od to Os Od ; ditto new 26s Od to 26s 9d ; ditto per peck of 71bs, 7V. to Sid ; fresh butter per lb, 7d to 8d; eggs per dozen, 7d to Od; hay per ton, Os to Os. FALKIRK, MAT 23. —The supply of grain in this day's market was 384 bolls; wheat at 16s 6d to 2016 d per boll. ; barley, 14s Od to 18s Od ; oats, 14s 9d to 155 9d; beans, 13s 9d to 151 Od per boll ; oatmeal, Os to Os per load. Ricawrcic, MAT 2.3.—Wheat, 36. 4id ; barley, 18s 8d ; oats, 16s Odd ; rye, 00s Od ; beans, 22s 1/d ; peas, 00s Od average per imperial quarter. HAWICK, MAT 23.—Wheat, new, 241 to 31s Od; barley, n O e Oa to w 0 2. to 3 5 7 ; new, 15. to 17s Od ; ditto old, 00 s to 00s ; p ota to oats , 003 Od to 00s Od ; common oats, 11 s to 153 0d ; p eas, 20, Od to 2.3. Od; beans, 19s Od to 22 1 Od p er boll of six im perial bushels. K27Od ; so, MAY 24,. —Wheat, otlod,l7ogsotdo ; O d s i ; tt d o i o tt i o d: potato oats, 00s to 00s; ditto new, 12s to 13s sa ; common oats 0 , 4 to 00s Od; ditto new, lls 6d to 13s; peas, 00s Od to 00s Od; beans, 181 to 004 per boll of six imperial bushels. 1 DALKEITII, MAY 23.—The relative weight per four bushels 1 of the three prices of wheat were 18st 91b, 18st 31b, and 17st 71b. Oats, 13st Ilb, 1 9 st 51b, and lOst 91b. Barley, 16st 61b, 16st 01b, and 14st 121 b. Peas and beans, 19st 01b, 18st 51h, end 17st 131bs. Qrs. Best. Current. Inf er i or . 234 Wheat ... £2 2 0 £1 18 0 £1 14 6 783 Oats 225 Barley 49 Peas and Beans 1 9 0 1 7 0 1 6 0 Average of wheat ........... 38s 34d. East Adairs 15 C l O ai A n. L .. . M . Hasting's Hartley 133 3d Lumley gli o E d :l2 J . o — na Y ss E o s h 7 s imair, 14s 64 Holywell Tanfield Moor 123 9d 13s Od,Cownden Tees ... ..... 14 s Od ‘ r N a. e n s fi t e l l v d y lk i l a o Butes l 2s 9 d morlWhitworth Wall's End, &c. , Maclean's Tees 1 13s 6d Acorn Close Elm Park i 145 0,1 Gosforth .. . Hilda l3s 3Gl' Hartley Eden Main Bell Belmont lss OF Cardiff .... ......... 205 0 I Creswell ... .... . Hetton Ships at market. 61. MORTALITY AMONG TUE - ROMAN CATUOLIC CLERGY. —According to the Limerick Chronicle, mortality and emi gration have so thinned the ranks of the Roman Catholic priests in that diocese, that the Bishop (1)r Ryan) has not a clergyman to fill the vacant curacy at &Inf. Indeed, of late there is rarely a publication of the country papers with out an obituary notice of the class alluded to. The re can be no question that, in the distressed districtis of the south and west, many priests hwl been reduced to sore privations by the utter inabiility of their congregations to pay the ordi nary dues. With yi hole villages depopulated, and the people either fled to other lands or become the inmates of the work houses, of course the priest has no choice left but to follow their example or starve. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, May 27. Their Lordships mt at F.ve o'clock. Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from the me dical men of Fite, praying for better accommodation f,r tho surgeons in the navy ; also against prisoners being called on to plead gui , ty or not guilty. The Earl of EGLINTON presented a petition against the Removal of Districts (Scotland) Bill. BIRTH OF A PRINCE. The Marquis of WESTMINSTER announced that the address of congratulation to her Majesty on the birth of a Prince had been presented to her Majesty, and that she had been graciously pleased to receive the same, and that she had condescended to return the ing most gracious answer :—" My Lords, I have received your loyal and affectionate address with much satisfaction. I thank you most cor dially for your congratulations on the birth of another Prince, and for the assurance of the interest which you take in my domestic happiness." On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, the gracious answer of her Majesty was ordered to be entered on the journals of the House. ARREARS OF APPEALS IN CHANCERY. Lord BROUGHAM took the opportunity of deny ing the statement which had been made, that in conse quence of the illness of the Lord Chancellor there had been an arrear in the appeals of that House, The ap peals in arrear in that House were, he contended, none. The same could not be said with regard to'appeals in the Court of Chancery, but they were much legs than they were on the 22d Nov., 1830, when he (Lord Brougham) took the seals, and that would be proved by the returns of appeals for which he moved. He deeply regretted that his Noble and Learned Friend would not be soon able to resume the public performance of his duty. He be lieved that some temporary arrangement would be made, and he hoped this opportunity would be taken of the forced absence of this most able, upright, and learned judge, to make a permanent arrangement for the exe cution of the functions of this the highest judicial officer of the country. The motion for returns were agreed to. ECCLESIASTICAL APPEALS BILL. The Bishop of LONDON moved that the second read ing of the Appeals to the Privy Council for the Ea:le. siastical Courts (in matters of doctrine) Bill, be posh poned to Monday next.—Agreed to. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. Thu Marquis of SALISBURY, in pursuance of the notice which he had given, presented several petitions complaining of agricultural distress, and praying for a return to as 3 stsm of protection. He wished to ask the Noble Earl opposite how long he would consider it before the present system had had a fair trial? Earl GREY was not aware that the law of 1846 con tained any clause limiting the time during which it was to be continued in operation, and he was not aware of any intention to introduce any measure for repealing or altering it.—(Hear, hear.) The Earl of MALMESSURY thought that if the Noble Earl meant what he had just said—and the Noble Earl was a man who generally said what he meant, and meant what he said—he was a minister better fitted for the ancient empire of the Medes and Persians than for the constitutional Government of Great Britain.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) The Noble Earl seemed to enter tain a great dislike for these discussions, but so long as the different Parliamentary papers were delivered to their Lordships for their perusal, he must expect to have them thus incidentally discussed. The information contained in the papers recently delivered was at once most important and most alarming. The return of ail the in-door and out-door paupers for each year, from the year 1848 to the year 1850, was most apalling. It proved the entire fallacy of the dictum of the Noble Premier in that House, that pauperism had decreased in the last five years. On the contrary, its increase in England and Wales within that period had reached to the vast amount of 125,000 persons. The last year of protection was the year 1846, the last of free trade was the year 1850. In 1846 the price of wheat was 545; in 1850 it was 38s. a quarter; and yet, when the price of wheat was one-third less than it was formerly, the number of 'paupers was 125,000 more. The free trade Government had made two promises to the people, when they deluded them into the repeal of the corn-laws. They had given them a promise of reciprocity and they had given them a promise of the prosperity of the lower classes. Reciprocity they had not got; the prosperity of the lower classes had not happened. He had expected at any rate, after all the promises they had received, to find something like prosperity in the agricultural dis tricts; but in going through this list [holding out a paper in his hand] he found no signs of prosperity either in the agricultural or manufacturing districts, In Chel tenham, which was not exclusively either an agricultural or a manufacturing place, there were in 1846, the last year of protection, 990 paupers; in 1850, the last year of free trade, 1,819. Again, in Liverpool, in 1846, there were 12,200 paupers; in 1850 there were 17,800. In Manchester, in 1846, there were 13,900; 1850, 13,926. In Preston, in 1846, there were 3,021 paupers, and in 1850, 5,187. He would not enter Into other details on this subject, for it was the same everywhere; but ho would give their Lordships just one specimen from a district purely agricultural. In the Isle of Portsea in 184 e there were 3,200 paupers; in 1850 there were 6.200, or nearly double.—[A Noble Lord said "Look to Newcastle."] He had been referred to Newcastle. Well, he would read the entry under the town of Newcastle. In 1846 the number of paupers was 49,000. [We suspect that the Noble Lord, in his haste, quoted the figures incorrectly, for, according to the last census, the whole population of Newcastle was not more than 69,430.] In 1850 there were 7,966.—(Crie; of "Hear, hear," on the Ministerial benches.) With these facts before them, it was impossible for Noble Lords opposite to argue that their policy had turned out bene ficially. He then read to their Lordships various re turns recently laid on their table, all of which, he in si,tid, conspired to establish the same point. For in stance, in 1845, when the old corn-Laws were in force, the returns of corn sold in England and Wales were 5,700,000 odd quarters c f wheat; in 1849, the last year for which the same returns had been received, they were only 4,500,000, so that the decrease of the corn sold in England and Wales between the years 1845 and 1849 was just 1,200,000 quarters. With these papers, showing that all their promises had failed, that they had not gained the advantages of reciprocity by their generous system towards the foreigner, that they had not diminished the amount of pauperism, and that their low prices had not checked the importation of foreign corn, he did not think that he was wasting the time of the House in calling its attention to the facts, or in de claring that the old corn-laws must be restored, if their Lordships had any hope of seeing the country restored to its former prosperity. Earl GREY replied, that the Noble Lords opposite must not be surprised if the Government refused to enter into these incidental debates on the corn-laws until it was acquainted with the real object sought to be achieved by them. It had been stated on a former oc casion, that when the corn-laws were on the point of being repealed, the advocates for their repeal had per petually discussed the policy of them with a view of in fluencing public opinion, and without submitting any regular motion to the House. But, at that time, there was no doubt as to the object of such discussions— it was either the qualified or the total repeal of the corn-laws. At present, however, they stood in a differ ent situation. He was ready, whenever the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Stanley) pleased, to debate the question whether the measure of 1846 ought to be changed or not; but when he entered upon such a debate he wished to know distinctly what were the views of Noble Lords on the other side; for their Lordships were at present in a singular state of ignorance on the subject. Not one of the Noble Lords opposite had yet stated distinctly whether they wished to go back to the old sliding scale of 1828 or not. Did the Noble Lord (Lord Staaley) wish simply to repeal the Act of 1846, and return to the law under which they had the agricultural distress of 1833, 1835, and 1836, or did he want something else? In another place it had been declared, upon very high authority, that what was desired was a fixed duty of BQ. upon wheat—the measure so scornfully rejected in 1841. Another gentleman in that place had said that what he wanted was an alteration of the various burdens upon land; but, on the other hand, that notion of relief, by altering taxation, bad been denounced as altogether nugatory and delusive by the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Stanley), in a very eloquent and remark able speech which he made in reply to certain memorials that had been presented to him. What, then, did Noble Lords opposite want? A fixed duty, a sliding scale, or a change of taxation? What alteration in the existing policy of the country did they mean to propose? Ho (Earl Grey) could only say that when the Government knew the specific measures which were to be proposed, he had no doubt they would be able to show good rea sons against their adoption.—(Laughter from the Oppo sition.) His own opinion remained unshaken. He firmly believed that to ‘ the alteration of their commercial policy in 1846 they were, under Providence, indebted for the safety in which this country had passed through a period of un exampled difficulty. The Noble Earl (Malmesbury) had quoted returns with respect to the number of paupers relieved in England and Wales during the last five years; and he had endeavoured to show that the number of paupers now receiving relief was considerably greater than the number relieved in 1846, the last year of protec tion. But if the Noble Earl looked at the return he would find that, though there was now an increase in the number• of paupers, as compared with 1846, yet that the year 1850 showed a reduction in the number as com pared with 1847, 1848, and 1849. The Noble Earl was however, well aware that there were circumstances in the condition of the country, independently of the price of corn, which might account for the difference between the number of paupers relieved this year and in 1846. The year 1846 was the very height of the railway mania, and he believed that at that time the companies ex pended several millions of money mainly in labour. Now, however, there were not as many hundred thou sands of pounds expended in such labour as there were then millions. Since 1846, also, they had had to en counter all the consequences of the famine in Ireland; and it was notorious that that famine had been the means of bringing into all our grc at manufacturing towns very large numbers of Irish paupers, for whose relief it was necessary to provide. He thought these circum stances would fully acount for the increase of paupers this year as compared with 1846. When he found the revenue prospering to an unexampled extent, when he saw trade sound and active, notviithstandius all the diffi culties arising from a short crop of cotton, and when he looked at the general state of the country, he did not think the returns to which the Noble Lord had alluded gave the slightest reason to doubt the success of the policy of 1846.—(Hear, har.) The Noble Earl had referred to a return of the quantities of wheat that had been soh] in different years, and had stated that the sales of 1849 showed a falling off as compared with 1845 of some 1,200,000 quarters. He should have thought that his Noble Friend must have seen how fallacious that com parison was; for the return for 1849 showed mainly the sales of the crop of 1848, and it was notorious thlit that crop in the south of England was one of the most defec tive that bad b. en knoein. The crop of 1849 would not, of course, oppear in the retern until the latter part of the year; and he believed that the agricultural distress now so much and, he admitted, so justly complained of, hail much more to do with the consequences of the very had crop of 1848 than with the change in the law. If the Noble Earl compared the quantity of corn sold in the last six months with the quantity sold in the correspond ing six months of the year before perfect free trade was established, he would find that since the harvest of 1849 came into operation there had been a very large increase in the amount of corn sold as compared with the latter period.—(Hear.) He would only add, that he considered this a question far too important to be argued upon the imperfect data of the occurrences of a few months. He believed that those who would dispassionately and carefully examine into the practical effects of protection, as it had been tried under various modifications during a period of 30 years, and would look to the melancholy consequences which had resulted from raising expectations on the part of the farmers which were constantly disappointed, would admit that—judging even at this early period of their expe rience of the new policy—it was impossible to say that the interests of agriculture had been disadvantageously affected. He believed there never was a time when greater exertions were made to improve the system of cultivation and to diminish the cost of obtaining agricul tural produce, and he was satisfied that those efforts would meet the success they deserved.—(lletsr, hear.) Lord STANLEY said the Noble Earl (Earl Grey) seemed perfectly convinced of the merits of the system he had adopted; he saw nothing in the stets of the country to cause the slightest apprehension or alarm; and he thought all interests were at this moment prospering in the highest degree.—(lronical cries of " Hear," from the Protectionists.) He (Lord Stanley) W. 13 not surprised to hear the Noble Earl say that if he and his Noble Friends on that side would only tell the Noble Earl what measures they intended to propose, he (Earl Grey) was satisfied—without knowing what the nature of such measures might be—that he could show very good reasons against their adoption.— (Laughter.) The Noble Earl opposite had said that previously to the abo lition of the corn-laws many incidental discussions had taken place with the object of preparing the public mind for an alteration_ of the then existing state of things. Nuw, although he (Lord Stanley) agreed with the Noble Earl that this question was not to be decided upon the imperfect information they now possessed, and still less by desultory discussions like the present—and he wished to remind the Noble Earl that he and his Noble Friends did not on these occasions call upon their Lordships to come to any decision on the subject —yet he would tell the Noble Earl that his intention and that of his friends was ty these discussions to impress upon the public mind, week by week, and day by day, if need be—(Cheers from the Opposition benches)—the practical operation and working of the system which had been introduced by the revision of the import duties upon agricultural produce. He would not answer the Noble Earl's question as to whet form or amount of duty they might think it right to propose. He (Lord Stanley) would say, however, that he was sa tisfied a change was coming over the public mind.— (Cheers from the Opposition benches.) He did not ex pect that change to come over the mind of the Noble Earl—(A laugh)—but the public, who watched the pro gress of events, and that portion of the public especially who were suffering metier that progress of events, were beginning to open their eyes to tee real effects of the system of the so-called free trade; they were watching the progress of this most dangerous experiment, and were gradually arriving at the conviction that in some shape or other an alteration must be made in that ex periment, and that they must revert to a system of pro tective duties. He would say to the Noble Earl oppo site, " You promised us great results, universal em ployment, high wages, increased consumption, in creased prosperity; but wo find, and prove from your own papers and figures, that those promises have not been fulfilled ; and you are compelled now not to point to the successful issue of your predictions, but to assign reasons why those predictions have nut been veri fied, and why, even if free trade had not been adopted, we could not have enjoyed prosperity." His Noble Friend (the Earl of Malusesbury) had compared the pauperism of this country in 1850 with what it was in 1846. The Noble Earl opposite (Earl Grey) admitted that pauper ism in 1 . 850 was greater than in 1846; hut he said it was less in 1850 than it had been in 1847, 1848, or 1849. But it must be remembered that in 1850 they had had an abundant harvest at home; while in 1847, 1848, and 1849, iu additien to the blessings of free trade, they had had the blessings of famine also. He (Lord Stanley) was satisfied that the returns did not accurately repre sent the amount of pauperism, which had increased to a much greater extent than appeared from these papers. But he (Lord Stanley) called upon the Government, if the present state of the country did not arise from free trade, to say to what it was to be attributed. He would show their Lordships that returns presented to Parliament were very deceptive. He (Lord Stanley) would ask their attention to the fact that it appeared, from returns, that there had been, in 1849, an apparent increase of above 5,000,0001. in the declared value of exports, as compared with 1843. But when they sifted these papers they would find that there were introduced into the returns for 1849 a number of addition- arti cles, to the amount of no less than 2,500,0001, which did not exist at all in the returns with which the com parison was made.—(Elear, hear.) The increase ap peared to have been from 53,000,0001. in 1845, to 58,000,000/. in 1849, but from this increase they must deduct the two millions and a half he had mentioned. Ile admitted that the export trade had increased, but the export trade, important as it was, was unimportant compared with the amount of the home trade. Although they had statistical means of obtaining the amount of exports, they had not any corresponding means of ewer taming the amount of consumption in the home market; but it was his firm belief that, whatever advantage the manufacturing and commercial interests might have de rived frogs the increase of their exports had !erect more than counterbalanced by the diminished power of the home consumers to become purchasers of their manu factures. He would take the case of cotton. In the first three months of 1849 the imports were 547,000 bales ; in the corresponding months of 1850 they had fallen to 468,000 bales. The consumption of cotton at home from the Ist of January to the 12th of April, 1849, was 432,500 bales; in the corresponding period of this year it was only 338,000 bales, showing a decrease of 94,500 bales, or 21 per cent.—(Hear, h(ar.) If then, the consuming power of the country was diminishing, and Noble Lords opposite contended that the diminution was not caused by free trade, upon them rested the onus of showing to what the decrease of consumption was to be attributed. He found that there had been a diminished consumption of various articles which were regarded as luxuries ra ther than as necessaries of life by people in a humble class of life, proving am strongly as anything could do the petty economy which such persons were obliged to exer cise under the universally prosperous system of free trade.—(Cheers and a laugh from the Opposition benches,) He would take five or six articles of ordinary consumption. The consumption of cocoa, which, in the first three months of 1848, had been 877,0001 b., and in the same period of 1849, 922,0001 b., had been in the first three months of 1850 only 724,0001 b. The consumption of coffee had fallen from 9,900,0001 b. in 1848, and 9,386,0001 b. in 1849, to 7,465,0001 b. in 1850. The consumption of currants in 1848 was 73,000 cwt., in 1849, 88,000 cwt., and in 1850, 66,000 cwt. In 1848 the consumption of figs was 4,746 cwt., in 1849 5,304 cwt., and in 1850, 3,911 cwt. The quantity of raisins consumed in 1848 was 37,000 cwt., in 1849 32,000 cwt., and in 1850 it had! fallen to 21,000 cwt. Of unrefined sugar 1,494,000 cwt. were consumed in 1848; 1,469,000 cwt.,in 1849; and 1,413,000 cwt. in 1850. The quantity of tallow imported for home consumption in 1848 was 292,000 cwt.; in 1849, 313,000 cwt.; and in 1850 only 194,000 cwt. [We understood these statements to refer to the first three months of each year.] The diminished amount of tallow taken into consumption for the home market was coincident with a very largely increased ex port in the shape of candles and soap, which included a considerable portion of the raw material brought into the home market, and consequently increased the deficiency in the actual consumption of the article by the inhabi tants of this country. He (Lord Stanley) did not mean to say that these circumstances afforded conclusive evi dence that free trade had failed; but, taking them in con junction with increased pauperism, diminished employ ment, the fact that a large and increasing number of mills were at this moment working short time, the tall of wa g e s in the manufacturing districts and the circumstanc e that wages in the agricultural districts had fallen, were falling, and must fall still further—(Hear, hear)—he thought they could not congratulate the Noble Earl op posite on the success of what he (Lord Stanley) would still call art experiment.—([leer, hear.) Ile (Lord Stanley) and his friends would continue to point the at tention of the Government and of the country to the practical results of that policy, and leave the Government to justify their perseverance in such a system, notwith standing the failure manifest from its effects. He did not bring forward any specific measure; but if it was any satisfaction to the Noble Earl opposite he would: now repeat the declaration he had made to a very numerous deputation who had waited upon him, of his confident be lief that this country would not be restored to a state of prosperity until they dealt not only with the unjust taxa tion which oppressed certain interests, but until they re turned to a just, and moderate, and equitable system of import duties for the protection of British industry of all descriptions.—(" Hear," and cheers.) Ho was satisfied that policy would prevail in the long run; and confi dently as the Noble Earl spoke of the success of the ex periment, he (Lord Stanley) felt equally confident that its failure was becoming, day by day, more manifest, and that, in some shape or other, Parliament would have to retrace the steps it had takes, and revert to a sounder and a wiser policy.—(Hear, hear.) Earl GREY could not help expressing the satisfaCtion with which he had heard the Noble Lord's last observa tions, for it was clear that though ho desired to return to a moderate system of protective duties upon all British industry, he entirely abandoned the sliding-scale of 1828.—(A laugh.) Lord STANLEY hoped, if the Noble Earl thought it necessary to repeat anything he had said, that he would repeat it accurately.—(A laugh.) At all events he was not bound by any inferences tee Noble Earl might draw from his observations. The discussion then dropped, and their Lordships ad journed at Seven o'clock. rmOSE OF COMMONS, Map 27 . The SPEAKER took the Chair flt It our o'clock. HER MAJESTY'S REPLY TO THE ADDRESS. - - 111 r. LASCELLES, Comptroller of her Mejesty's Household, appeared at the bar of the [louse, and an nounced that he had presented the humble address of the Commons, congratulating her Majesty upon the birth of a Prince, to which her Majesty had been pleased to return the following most gracious answer:—. "1 thank you most sincerely tor your dutiful and affec tionate address; and I receive with much satidaction --------------- __A your confzratulaiions on the birth of another Ihie.cale,es; assurance of the interest you take ill 1111 Y " hvpiness." VESTRY-CLERKS' BILL. o„ t es The Sheriffs of London appeared at the bar of the i t lc . to present a petition from the Lord Mayor, .Alt, Bill. and Common Council. against the Vestry C141°131131,111.4. CUES rEit AND HOLYHEAD RAILWA,Y.If 00 the motion for the third reading of "hisrl ill, ile! Mr. 0. GORE proposed the insertion 01 e t" eesss r i clauses, which he contended were absolutely -4 , hre ssS for the advantage of the whole tract of eou catral ' se , fe e which the line passed. Without these l ° Geo de. traffic would be stopped at Chester. The flon-d Norte• man characterised p conduct of the London 9 , 13 „e ter Western Company in this matter as most aeffur_:Aeeebe ust. There were two p o i n ts to be conside d r7 i bell traffic in goods and the traffic in ap ss ent , PTS; sn i 0 tiles° of these departments the public would Lifer, tin e clauses were inserted. Loa " Mr. C. GLYN defended the conduct of th e 0 00 and North-Western Railway Compaq. sneak crie rsat as cii never had appeared in the least degree a' ,salf - that Bill, and for his part, if ho were to P se e stera the representative of the London and Nortli c :" ld w ish Railway Company, he should say that, he c u d. fie that the Bill had never been iistrothidee 8 ,01 believed that this Bill had been pr onvite Corop esP by the Chester and Holyhead RailwaY Geyser who, unless they received some aid fro m , o bjec t i m i e e e h t, ope c d ou a lt p t rin i c ie ip v i c e T wrc;ialirdrynootubt ethileitirrudgareecia'tiootfsfsetht, Chester and Holyhead Bill which had, in Pc' in i meet been already re jetted by the House on sec ° De er. 0$ ferl Mr. ELANEY said the question laid w th! t oel small compass. The Cotemite2e, he was la d , r rost b ,/, agreed to insert the clause, but it had been i° stal e Pis accident, and all the part es wished him to retoitisS clause. He had no doubt that by Borne rah% wet'„„ of the clause the views of both parties might - 0 1 e see The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thougbt it s4l) , es t ile be justice to the promoters to insert the eisus,e-ete 1141 Committee, after a discussion of several 7terbki unanimously agreed to it, and as the H on, -Se It 0 stated it had been omitted entirely by accident...A j oy: of the utmost importance that the Cheater aurriaosr head Bailway, which formed the most direct c,? fitt rnel . cation with Ireland, should be freely used by a l l P ftic'' Mr. MANGLES said the Committee ha u s lists °ll , contravened the decision of two oth er Corns' ossle' the geceral question, as well as the itad vifl I i lle Consolidation Act. This clause would 014404, ot stop sil (Theater and Holyhead Railway Company train at a station only two miles out of Cbe' o e ce ow" there could be no doubt whatever that if it f e , r i blie. , e it would prove seriously inconvenient to the IN'ila the Mr. GLADSTONE said the question involscie to g if o clause was one of great difficulty. It proP° s the trot the Railway Commissioners power to regular rued ~y g o f f these two railway companies, but be ,14;;;detsic louse against applying a principle to an inu",i es s3s. i t which, it sound, ought to be extended to ail ra' tes t y° Mr. SHEIL supported the clause, believ e was for the interest of Ireland that the wrong " 4 el clause contemplated should be averted. e . 0 Grosvenor, l fe i Mr. 'f I.TTON E Captain Dueor ebe, . afeveirr.ecmbarakrtserfirso,millr. Villiers, se°rdoki)lt. ois' E. B. Roche, to be considered certainly would not Le fur the interest of the P el allow great companies to crush small ones. ~,,r e ts'l , l Mr. CAVENDISII would recommend s Cew e r e obc% that the Chester and Holyhead Railway Co/0%; OA give up their leasing powers, and that the 11°9 wasGEthße TbOonNefitthoofugthhte tpbutaki,tiietl:tie,i!idc to ill' accede to the clause. Pil l 9 Mr. JACKSON said if the House passed she flo% the clause in it, it would be impossible for the Pre to carry on their line, as they had no t at ''''6 moment a single carriage or locomotive readP c i,.... The House then divided, when there llPP e i li i r : For the insertion of the clause e• 131.- Against it .. ' The clause was consequently lost. ' " ------19 Majority ... ... ••. ter S es ° i clause,Alr. J. a n d WILLIAMS aft,r a, bproposed discussionthinr trbtinongo_striybo;.:B cleared, but no division the clause bat took place, . co negatived without a division. Mr. lIEADLAM proposed the insertion of a s ire ment with the view of' retaining the prioritiri ~f t o possessed by the present preference sharebald;eigi Chester and Holyhead Company, instead of S l ' the London and North-WesternCompsnY' leered furs,i If After some discussion, the gallery was e. el ette ll division, but none took place, Mr. n acll3- withdrawn his amendment. The followin g A ß N i l l E ls, N a DED BILLS. s ass' Birkenhead Dock Trust r ee o s s li were tbgr i c dered : Bradford Improvement, amended, p chase sod 0 0 Re o il f w ß ay rl C el l f l n p i a C n a ie n s al C . learin ce and Association. Victoria (London) Dock. g RIVER LEA TRUST BILL., trie s ' °° d On the motion that this Bill be read a secona,-, s o ld bt iem M eox r t . tbr : i s l m O deu N l V 3y. A us ni T xt a i m ; r m oi nf o t sb t e hs d e. that the Bill be r e , 1 ; - i t 4j ..1 1 t batch sf similar Bills the otboepureosrdectal",tfestt)ennhrde contended hd . l l3 l lsPud i lli t i e- n tir : 09 :! 111 : I r c: advantageous r il e i, p ,, o it r E e s s E h .o eu ß ld p p s la u ll e p li e this compa n y , 3 "'elo r position than the other cornPP -I n CO ; had a similar object in view. see 0 . tended that it was not a Bill for 1v .11 14 .11 -b e - : " 1:. polis with water, but for the improvement o' isili supp ,' r the " A v l ig e. at N i rdWATT said if the supporter 0f the °lse tea would abandon the 30th clause, which rel ste ; 'O l3 . e'll supply of water, he would withdraw his orr;titer'l Mr. COWPER denied that this Bill was 9 11 it was simply a navigation Bill. ersso f Sir W. MOLESWORTH support the 13iii e . e s' to under false f B aI R se IGHT said the BilulPcPame b e fore t ',,aliii D e pretences, because it was not iii ;0 18 i rt7' improve the navigation of the river, but tc' ta e io lies trustees to sell the water of the river to car pp° amendmentp o l s i t i a r n j ,wlamteir,wfsotprhle:usikelo,EnT.spumaneimesb.er.ll: 6:711, d tb : ll k, Ail) . ifil.l3:e t ; if passed, it would tend to p na N vi o gatiotl. the o rt i e m d p t r e o e yen t leut o f .- 08 division however took place, and th e j -13111 read a second time and ordered to he c ousin ° . Mr. DISRAELIB iti' OAR saidD O t F b T t R i t A DbEad• be ilea of t it, els l ie tension in Supply to-night to call the st,,t' ll `jet IS l io 'ret en se to the constitution of the Board of Va all dedrest n"quence of an event that they rtn i l i 13°. sfo ri which caused the absence of the President oi 1- s e e t eectil Trade, he must decline doing so, and he trustewi,et r l place,ttt hb h ae a T t tv t o h t e e Governmentupou which he iwouldute intended tproceed d vh ' ° is l i To v t po i ' 3l : fi e t l a , he utuh C dee ll Gr s o k tbv N eo C rdn E ims L ter L nets o swi l n Z ogu of , the EXClisebseiltliboo isfoi• PROCEEDINGS IN THEcI ,4' to-night. A r n c u o m twp s t ro a ori n u c ei e e s i:dri t :: : s t v b . s 9 Mr. MOORE rose to NE ut W a ß q Y uestion to it e d' o c e el flie 05 Friend the Chief Secretary for Ireland; ": tb° ,l l . l!' 4 , stances had occurred in the workhouse so pow, ts: of guardians at Newry, and he wished t h tion u 'll l4 ,Right Hon. Friend had received any int °ri re 9tl til l g subject. The facts were these —Two cbila h r if e- 'O4O 0 6 f th of April, applied for relief; they were t 'kest e4 e . et 4 a mixed marriage, their father being 6 .„ tet , sle their mother a Roman Catholic. After thhl•elie t h ' f l' death they wore educated in the Roman C d , t h " - r eV! but the board of guardians voted them bol - o f eit e " lis" liens. The elder said she was sixteen Yea rs , 0 4 'II reachedthe board y e v u o r t s e d of herfoti discretion,r fourteen. At l A eg t a l a r l espo e o ti se,i ' ff h eioe i l ev •biliO' pri might be hanged or transported for any ; r e. te r 0 i L o t n cil i be presumed to know what her opals e er is ' l3l- s i t few days after those young the house ho of use wo t motionm i s g ihort‘byoe.l on the pers,- - e iee d i e; egmg;dr h bi lisebevici niptworship, matron and dragged tb e boa r f t a l i e „ m e ; a l t. il 6 s b : O f f, amount of force. thatDid LE o re ve p rie li a e i d e , ntn be 0 .h re ie: rsb i P osio l t l i i° the house o osses , Os r , of' I oil d' the minutes made by the board of guardians, wet fore, would not then go into the whole of th e ho had written fir further information; e ,. ' op, PIRATES' HEAD-MON-El' a IV , t 0 Mr. MACGREGOR wished to itiqui ° -,,, stste, Member for West Surrey had any objectourroeci mint the:person whom he described on a!` ) . te s ,P;oef' in the debate on the subject of P` r- f e' Or 8 money as an anonymous slanderer.—( Gries 0 ‘ /1- W S i' l order.") emo te le a A The SPEAKER was understood to 101 l ,e 11 ,er Hon. Member could not, consistently sv i gojat ° cc ' the House, put a question arising out of - . in a former debate. , , til l THE LORD CHANCELL'''i; 'og :est!, Mr. HUME rose to put a question v e to 'I" Or office . of Lord Chancellor, now understood to o d at o ioi Sir G. GREY said that his Noble Fri h e o ef A so head of the Government had come down t 'bet b.‘ l etl ° before five o'clock, and remained some tinl e b i lo seb),:ielr not now present ; an answer, howeve r, on ' i 0' which the Hon. Member for Montrose referre given to-morrow. , nji., l ",!ir / 1 ' METROPOLITAN INTERMESTo r to " 1 1 01 The RIGIIT HoN. GENTLEMAN (in nil letr il as °o ' l s I ll u a te lli m s e a n i t d s t ß h i a ll t hperopfroorp,onsaedtot.elcigobmt.usit the J 5 arc's tb - , the P ors a for ~,f i e .0, inserting clauses. Monday next would bee i' ii .0 0 0 ' 0 11 earliest day on which the Bill could be b °llg lsle al he was not sure that it could come on tbe n • be 17) _hother j however, give notice before Monday.. ”- ts'‘' 0 bring on the Bill on Monday. flan The motion was then agreed to, and the into ni-,N ' , 0 0 09° COMMITTEE OF SUP I-- - - 11 0— . A On the vote of 92,300/, for the salaries a - $ iii . ' of the two Houses of Parliament, • ned t ile ' Ae re Mr. HUME wished to know bow it haPPe-whic.4. salaries and expenses of the House of Lords , 4 c1f,..,;(1 , which there was partly unexpended last year, au 'Pe' g el available for reducing this demand upoll the 'Pe' ea This balance ha - vine:been expended last of the Soist:Be,ii proportion of the a - alaries and expense s (:)t the tit ; 119 Lorde had to be met by the vote now befor e , o ver .4 0 Mr. V. SMITH said that a very tea 40 ' I . l' O f 0 of I ) " e io tlebe:o.n salariesma de by o a f t Committee lwiri n r o s f . the r. b li n o T tis roes , ur e o p tl , ,t,_ ,i, have put Hen. Members in possession es this ted. . 4r. wa s v 9 - b .„, gi. of 01 that they might see how the money Mr. HUME proposed to reduce the vets by the amount of the salaries, &c., of taio;Qw First 1 ti else h ave ship Th e that th aonhj tlitte e h e , hc) , 4r. Pro o f c The Of t h e ,