The Sun. — London, England, 1850-07-26 00:00:00

LONDON, BRIGHTON, and SOUTH COAST RAILWAY. The usual half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of the L )ndon, Brighton, and South Coast Railway was held yesterday, at the Bridge House Hotel ; Mr. Laing, chairman of the board of directors, in the chair. The advertisement convening the meeting and the minutes of the previous meeting having been read, the common seal of the company was affixed to the re gistry of sharehold-rs. The report of the directors Was then submitted to the meeting. It stated that the capital account being now practically closed, the regular working of the completed system of lines belonging to the company may be considered as having commenced. Accordingly great pains have been taken to reduce the accounts to such a system as should distinguish the working of the different departments. The amount of capital raised to the 30th of June last is 7,139,5671., consisting of mortgage debts, 1,486,3371.; preference share capita!, 1,037,5961.; and consolidated stock, 4,615,631i'- The whole of the capital receives in terest or dividend out of revenue. The additional capi tal expended during the east half-year amounts to 56,1871, of which 35,3651. was for the enlargement of the London station, 9.132/. for the completion of the Portsmouth station, and the Eastbourne and llailsham and Thames Junction branches; and 8,6901 in providing additional plan' and accommodation far the increase of goods traffic. The directors state positively that the works for the en largement of the London station will cost less than the estimate of 150,0001. for land and works, and 7,0001. for preliminary and Parliamentary expenses. The rapid increase of the goods traffic, which now averages shout 7001. per week more than in 1848, has required a large outlay for waggons, sidings, warehouses, esc., not contemplated in the estimate of 7,200,0001. for the final capital. The directors see no reason to appre• hend any excess in that estimate, unless a further consi derable development of traffic should take place. A large portion of the mortgage debt has been raised or renewed in the course of the past half-year, at the rate of interest not exceeding 4 per cent., and for periods of seven years. The total receipts for the half-year have been 227,6641., showing an increase of 13,6021. over the corresponding half-year of 1849. Deducting the cartage, &c., the in crease in the railway traffic has been 10,630/., of which 6,188/. has been in the goods traffic, which has more than equalled the expectations formed from the opening of the Bricklayers' Arms station and the Deptford Dock. The opening of this dock has lowered the price of soals to the consumer at Brighton and throughout a consider able part of Surrey and Sussex 4s. or ss. a ton. This trade is as yet in its infancy, being crippled by a heavy duty levied on the coals in transit through the port of London; but strong representations having been made to the Government and the City authorities on the subject, it is confidently believed that this duty will be shortly repealed, in which case the company's route, via Deptford, will command the principal supply of coals to Brighton and the south coast, at a price which will afford a most material boon to the population of the district. The passenger traffic has not kept pace with the goods traffic. During the first four months of the half-year, when the weather was very unfavourable, it showed a slight falling off as compared with the corre sponding period of 1849, except upon the Croydon and Epsom line. In order to meet this, the directors have done all in their power to attract traffic to the line by increasing the accommodation to the public, and afford ing frequent opportunities for excursions at very low rates. The present state of the passenger traffic is more satisfactory than it has been at any time since last au tumn, and the directors see no reason to doubt the con tinuance of a moderate but steadily progressive increase. The number of miles run by trains during the past half year has been 580,1901 , , as compared with 552,856 miles in the preceding half-year, and 496,233 miles in the corresponding half-year of 1849. The additional mile age having been provided for, in a great measure, by Improved arrangements and by the use of light engines, has not been attended with any corresponding increase of expense, and the total consumption of coke has been less than in any preceding half-year. Brighton, being now reach'd with punctuality in an hour and a quarter, is practically as much a suburb of London, and as con venient for the residence of persons having business in the city, as Kensington or Bayswater ; and parties visit ing Ilastings, Eastbourne, Worthing, Littlehampton, Arundel, Chichester, or Portsmouth, have now an oppor tunity of leaving home at a moderately early hour, reaching London a; ten o'clock in the morning, remain ing there until five o'closk, and returning in time for a late dinner. Even the Isle of Wight is brought within a three hours' journey of London, the passage between Portsmouth and Ryde being effected in twenty minutes, by fast steamers in connexion with every train. The total traffic) receipts (excluding cartage, &c.) fur the half-year ending 30th of June last amounted to 221,1381., and for the corresponding period of 1849 to 210,5081. The total expense during the former period amounted to 98,6341. and in the latter period to 91,906/. The rates and taxes in the half-year ending Juno 30, 1850, amounted to 9,6151.; while for the corresponding period of 1819 they amounted to 11,327/. The item of cartage for the former period amounted to 4,737/., and for the latter period to 1,1781. Toe maintenance of way for the last half-year cost 931. per mile, while at the corresponding period of 1849 the cost was 851. per mile. The total expenditure per train per milli was, in 1850, 3s. 5d.; and for the correspond ing period of 1819, 3s. 91. The expenditure on gross receipts fir the halt-year ending June 30, 1850, amounted to 43.3 per cent.; and for the corresponding period of 1819 to 42.9 per cent. The total amount ex pended in renewals and improvements during the past half-year has been 11,779/., as compared with 7,4951. in the corresponding period of 1319. The charge on re venue for interest and prtferential dividend for the half year ending the 30th June, 1350, amounted to 61,1072. while at the corresponding poriod of 1849, it amounted to 55,7881. The total charge prior to dividend, including all sxpenses for the last half-year, amounts to 159,740/. as against 147,6951. in the corresponding period of 1849. The net amount at the credit of revenue account for the half year is 130,4561., of which 33.221/. is appropriated for interest on loan, and 27,886/. for dividend on pre ference shares, leaving a balance of 69,349/, out of which the directors recommend a dividend of 1 per cent. for the half year, leaving a balance of 115/. to the credit of the next account. It appears from the stock and share aceouut that the company is authorised to raise 7,440,93.11. of which power 391,362/. has not been exercised, The capital account shows that 7,126,429/. has ben received, and 7,150,5741. expended, leaving a balance against the company of 24.145/. The revenue account far the halt-year states that 229,0901. had been received, and 98,6341. expended, leaving a balance of 130.456/. Tne CHAIRMAN, in moving its adoption, observed that the accounts had been made as accurate as possi ble ; they, together with the report, contained all the information the directors were in possession of, and it would therefore be unnecessary for him to detain the meeting with any lengthened remarks. The result of the h elf-year's operations was what he had originally predicted it would be, but still he understood that there were some proprietors who were dissatisfied with the amount of dividend. Na doubt that dissatisfaction had arisen out of calculations based upon the weekly returns of the receipts from traffic. Those returns showed an increase in the income over the corresponding half of last year of 14,000/. ; but there was some little ex aggeration in the returns, and when the actual receipts came to be calculated, after making reductions and adjustments claimed by the South-Eastern Company, and providing for other contingencies, the increase was reduced to 12,6001., but the carriage and cartage account was included in that sum, and when they al lowed for the additional expenditure which that source of income involved, this actual increase stood at 10,6001. During the past half-year, however, an increase had taken place in the expenditure on works and the renewal of stock to the amount of 9,6031., which, of course, hid to be provided for out of the receipts. This charge then would reduce the increase of income applicable to the dividend to some thing more than 1,0001., but on the entire working expenses the directors had obtained a saving of 1,0001., and, under all the circumstances, he thought the pro prietors had every reason to congratulate themselves at being enabled not only to maintain, but slightly to increase, their former dividend. Last year he published a pamphlet containing his own anticipations of the future earnings and expenditure of the com pany, and it was a matter of satisfaction to him to find that his estimate of expenditure so far as the pre sent year was concerned, was some 5,000/. above what bad actually taken place, and, speaking now with the assistance of experience, he had no hesitation in pre dicting that the railway would continue to yield 4/. per cent. on the paid-up capital, and still allow the company to pay all the interest due on loans, and to provide a reserve funl for future contingencies. He would now, with the permission of the meeting, advert to a subject which, at the present moment, occupied a good deal of the public attention. He alluded to the subject of Sunday labour. The only inducement which ought to influence a railway company like this in running Sunday excursion trains was the public good. Now, while he agreed with sticklers for Sab batarian observances that it was necessary to give the poor man a day of rest, he altogether repudiated the notion that the term rest meant shutting the operative up in a close and heated atmosphere, like that which prevailed in the metropolis. When a man was en joying the healthy recreation which resulted from a change of scene he was resting himself from labour, improving his health, and rendering him more con tented with his condition of life, and therefore, while the directors did not despise the commercial, conside rations which this question involve d, their main object in running excursion trains was not so much for profit as a desire to afford the working man a cheap oppor tunity of escaping, as it were, from prison, and seek ing pleasure and rational enjoyment in the country. engineman, a fireman, and two guards was all the labour required for working a train carrying some six hundred persons from London to Brighton, and when he remembered the evils which had arisen in Scotland from the practice of shut ing the people up in large towns, he really did think it was the duty of all well-wishers of his country to encourage the system of railway excursions. Having said thus much, he was happy to add that these excursion trains had not interfered with their commercial prosperity ; indeed, he might say per se it had increased it, for, with no increase of working expenses, the ordinary Sunday traffic had reached from 4341. last year to 4571. per day ; while the excursion traffic bad advanced from 7151. per day to UM._ Sunday excursion trains at all ' s-- interfered with the Saturday and Monday traffic, since the increase this year over last was 3,0501. as against 2,9451., and it was therefore the intention of the directors to continue this mode cf operation on all the lines so long as it met with the approval of the shareholders and the public. He was no advocate for reducing the accommodation of travellers, by con tracting the carriages or packing them closely, like herrings, as was done on other lines, and he thought time and experience would prove that he was right in that respect. He had now disposed of all the topics that seemed to call for observations, and it now only re mained for him to take a slight glance at the future half-year. He had entered into some calculations on that subject, which led him to believe that the increase in the expenditure would require an increase of 5,0001. in the half-year's receipts, or 2001. per week, to enable them to sustain their present dividend. All beyond that would go to increase the dividend. He should still recommend the proprietors to set aside 15,0001. a year for the reserved fund till it reached 50,0001., when some reduction might be safely made in the amount annually put apart for that purpose. Mr. lIERAPATH complained that they had increased their expenditure for an insignificant augmentation of traffic. He was opposed to the chairman's notions about travelling for the million. This company had set the example of running excursion trains at ridi culously low fares, which had forced the. South- Western and the South• Eastern to reduce their fares too, and his opinion was that the contest would rea lise the fable of the Kilkenny cats. Mr. Lava charged Mr. Herapath with having made a statement i❑ Herapath's Journal detrimen tal to his (Mr. Levy's) character. The statement accused him of having jobbed in the shares of the company, namely, with having sold bis shares at a high premium, and afterwards repurchased them at a reduced price when the dividend had been made known to the public. Now he begged to state that there was no truth in that accusation. Mr. HERAPATEI said he was not the editor of the journal in question, but if he was not mistaken the paragraph complained of was a Stock-Exchange ru mour. Now he was not a member of that exchange. Mr. LEVI—No, there are rogues enough there already. Mr. HERLPATEi—And therefore had no means of ascertaining its truth. After some further discussion the report was adopted, and the dividend declared payable on an early day. Resolutions were then passed, authorising the directors to consolidate into stock such of the eighth shares (D), created on the 19th August, 1846, in respect of which the whole of the calls shall have been paid ; and also to consolidate into 51. per cent. stock, from the let day of August next, the fire par cent. 91. Bs. shares of the company, commonly denominated " Croydon Thirds," the several conditions under which they were issued remaining attached thereto. Messrs. Mansfield and Reeves were then elected auditors, with a remuneration of 2001. per annum. The sum of 1001. was also voted to the committee who audited the present accounts. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, who briefly acknowledged the compliment, and the meet ing, which was numerously attended, broke up. INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION of 1851. The following is the statement of reasons given by the Attorney-General in justification of his refusal to sanc tion the proposed application for an injunction:— " I have in this matter a duty of a judicial nature to perform. The object of the information is to call in question the exercise of the discretion of the Woods and Forests in the management of a part of the pro perty of the Crown. The information states that what the Commissioners of Woods and Forests are about to do is illegal, and injurious to the public. The informa tion states no facts which, in my opinion, establish either of these propositions. But even if there were a question as to the legality, the Attorney-General is bound to judge whether it is for the interest of the public to liti gate the question. Cases may be conceived, and indeed not unfrequently arise, in which the letter of the law has bean violated, and in which the court has, neverthe less, required the Attorney-General to consider whether he would allow an information to proceed complaining of such violation, even where the Attorney-General had already in his discretion allowed the information to be filed, and where, if the information had proceeded, the court could have done no other than enforce the strict right. The discretion of the Attorney-General is inter posed to prevent this mischief; and hia exercise of that discretion is purely an exercise of a judicial function, and as such I have exercised it to the best of my ability. " In the present case the sense of what is for the interest of the public, with relation to what the Com missioners of Woods and Forests propose to do, has been unequivocally expressed by a vote of the Ilouse of Commons. It would, in my opinion, be an improper measure on the part of the Attorney-General if, in the exercise of his discretion, and acting on behalf of the public, he were to sanction a proceeding directly at variance with that vote. If any private right were affected by my decision it would be a different matter; but I have the satisfaction of knowing that no private right of any individual or individuals can be withdrawn from the consideration of any court or in any manner affected by my refusal to sanction this information." THE SUN, LONDON, was charged with, and he said that he had found the draft in the tobacco-box, and that he had sent it to Mr. Lubbock's in hopes that they would give him something for finding it. When I took him to the station-house he gave the name of John .Johnson. The prisoner—lt is all the truth the gentleman says. I found all the papers in the box, and I thought to get something for sending up the papers. As to giving the name of Johnson, I do not know what I said about that. Mr. T. Harding a clerk at Messrs. Lubbock's bask, said—l remember having seen the draft for 81. produced. About three weeks or a month ago a person brought it to the house to inquire whether it was genuine. It was not paid, of course. I looked upon it as a remark ably suspicious thing. I do not recollect having seen the receipt stamp fastened to it. Mr. Higham—l recollect it. It was waf.red to the corner of the draft. The prisoner—l know nothing at all about it. Ms; Sarah Hawes, of Lavender-hill, Wandsworth—l keep an account at Messrs. Lubbock's. The two drafts, one for 1001., and the other for 1501., are not in my handwriting, nor signed by me, and I never authorised any one to sign my name to either of them. John Keogh, boatswain of the Prince of Wales's ward in Greenwich Hospital—The prisoner is a pensioner in my ward. His name is Dixon Dawson. The prisoner —Yes; that is my name. James Race, a turnkey in Giltspur-street Compter, proved that the prisoner transmitted a letter to Mr. Benjamin Hawes, another to the boatswain of the ward at Greenwich Hospital, and another to his daughter. The letter to Mr. Hawes, in whose service it appeared he had been for some years, stated that a person ❑amed Johnson had found a bill of acceptance, signed by that gentleman, and that he (prisoner) had worked for Mr. Hawes; that the bill had been sent to the bankers, but not paid; that he had been taken into custody for fraud on account of it, and that he was afraid he should lose Greenwich Hospital, except Mr. Hawes would be so good as to write to his bankers to discharge him. The letter to the boatswain of the ward stated that the prisoner had got into a little trouble, and requested that all might be made right for him in his absence, and he would make it all right on his return. Mr. Mullens said he expected a witness who could prove that the prisoner had been for many years in the employment of Messrs. Hawes, in the soap-factory, at Lambeth, and that all the papers produced are in the prisoner's handwriting. The daughter of the wretched old man said her poor father had been insane since Easter. Alderman Gil:tin said the question of insanity would be one fur consideration elsewhere, and that it was his duty to commit the prisoner. The depositions were ordered to be made out accord ingly, and the prisoner was ordered to be committed. GERMANY. The Kolar Zeitung has a telegraphic dispatch, dated Berlin, July 23, which states that as all the States of the Lund have not ratified the treaty of peace with Denmark, the exchange of ratifications will not take place. Prussia proposes that the power of ratification should be invested in the Central Com mission. DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES. Further accounts from Schleswig, of the 21st inst., state that no change had taken place in the position of the hostile forces. General Willisden had ad dressed an order of the day to his troops, in which he declares that the decisive day had arrived, and that the only resource left was an appeal to arms. Cmsiderable sensation had been created in Ham burg on the 22d by the intelligence that Lieutenant Lane, commanding the Schleswig-Holstein steam gun-boat Von der Tann, had blown up his ship rather than suffer her to fall into the hands of the Danes. It appears that he was trying to make his way from Trasemiinde to Neustadt, when the vessel ran on shore. Fearing lest she might be made a prize by the enemy's cruiz-rs, the crew took to the boats and set fire to the Von der Tann, which soon afterwards blew up. POLICE IN TELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. Dixon Dawson, alias John Johnson, an aged Green wich pensioner, was brought before Alderman Gibbs, in the custody of John Forester, the officer, charged with having committed a forgery upon Lubbock's bank, in the intim. of Miss Hawes, the sister of Mr. Benjamin Hawes, M.P. The case was a remarkable oue. Mr. Mullens, of the firm of Bush and Mullens, attended for the prosecution. Mr. D. Higham, clerk at Sir W. Lubbock and Co.'s bank, in Mansion-house-street, said—On the 18th inst. a letter, addressed to the firm, was received at the bank, and opened by me. It was as follows: " Greenwich, July 17, 1850. " Sir,—Please to direct this sum to Mr. J. Johnson, to be left at the Victory Tavern, Trafalgar-road, Green wich. " I remain, " JOHN BONCEY, for J. Johnson." and it contained a draft in the following words:— " Lubbock, banker, Mansion-house-street, "At sight pay the bearer 1001., and put it to my ac count. ' 6 S. HAWES. " No. 9, Queen-ignore, Westminster, July 9, 1850." The signature is an imitation of the writing of Miss Hawes, who keeps an account at the bank, and I have been since informed that it is a forgery. J hn Boncey—l am barman to Mr. Watts, of the Victory Tavern, Trafalgar-road, Greenwich. On the 17th of July the prisoner showed me the draft produced He came in and asked me to write him a note. I said I could not, I was so busy. He said it would not take me a minute to write what he wanted. I told him I could not writs it then. He said the evening would do, so as to save the morning post. He then gave me a sheet of note paper and the 1001. draft with it, and he told me to write the note and address it, giving me the exact words which have just been read. He desired me to sign my name " for J. Johnson," which I did, and I got as envelope and directed it accordingly. He said if Rivers was at home he would cash the cheque for him, Mr. Rivers i s the lieutenant of Greenwich i t n he te w a a d rd of in his writng i Hospital, to which the prisoner belongs. I folded the draft in the let ter, and put them both in the envelope, w hi c h I sent off by post, according to the direction of the prisoner. I was in the Victory Tavern when a letter came by post for Mr. Johnson, in the evening, and I went to the hospi tal to fetch him. Upon inquiring f o r J. J o h nson, I as informed at the ward that there was no such person prisonerllliere. then went into the ward a nd I saw t h e sit ting there. I told him a letter had come for said he did not expect it so soon, and h e came With He rue to the tavern, where the postman gave hi m a letter,e for the receipt of which he signed in the nam e o f J . Johnson. The prisoner once or twice interrupted the witness. He said he had not said a word about Mr. Rivers, and that he did not know of anything wrong that he had done at all. John Forrester—On the evening of the 18th I went to the Victory Tavern, and was there when the prisoner en tered with Boncey, and received the letter directed to J. Johnson from the postman. I then took the prisoner into custody, and searched him. I found uryn him a draught upon Messrs. Lubbock's bank for 81., of which the following is a copy : " June 3, 1850. Bristol, 8 pounds. " At 7 days after sight please to pay the sum of 8 pounds sterling to Mr. Wm. Flockton on order, and place the same to my account. " J. JAMES, New-cut, Bristol. " Lubbock and Co., bankers, No. 3, Mansion-house-street. " Bristol.—For wages due for the Maria." The receipt-stamp pinned to the draft was with it then. I also found upon him a draft upon Lubbock's for 1501., signed " S. Hawes;" a draft for 601., a part of a letter signed " Dixon and Dawson," and a receipt for Christ church poor-rates. Al these papers were in a tobacco b)x, which he had in his pocket. I told him what he 411A11LBOROUGH-STREET. The Rev. Charles Turner, of No. 14, Great Maryle bone-street, a very tall person, was charged with having assaulted his wife Sophia. The complainant, a mild, ladylike woman, said on the 22d instant her husband struck her several times over the face, head, and shoulders, in the presence of the landlord. Mr. Brscatan asked the defendant what defence he had to offer?—The rev. gentlecean replied, it was all a mistake. He had never beaten his wife. Ho was only playing with her. He only patted her about with his hands in a playful way, and he was quite astonished at the charge brought against him. Mrs. Turner said the landlord was present at the time, and could bear witness of the violence she had sustained. The rev. gentleman said he must speak out plainly. The landlord had told a pqrcel of lies when at Maryle bone•court, and his evidence ought not to be received. Mr. BINGHAM said, in the absence of rebutting evi dence he must take the assault as proved, and call on the defendant to put in bail to keep the peace for three months. The rev. gentleman said he could not find bail, and therefore he must go to prison. As he passed his wife the rev. gentleman held out his hand and shoik hands with her. He was then remored to the lock-up cell. WORSHIP-STREET. ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POlSON.—Martha Sharpe, a respectable-looking person, about 30 years of age, and attired in deep mourning, was placed at the bar before Mr. Co , mbe, charged with having attempted to admi nister a deleterious drug to Mr. James Walker Elphin stone, an actor at the Pavilion Theatre, with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm. William Davis, a waiter at the King's Heed public house in Baker's-row,Whitechapel,stated that about eight o'clock on the preceding evening the prisoner, whom ho had for some time before seen loitering about the stage entrance of the theatre, suddenly accosted him as he was entering the house with refreshments, and, handing him a small packet requested him to deliver it into the hands of Mr. Elphinstone. On reaching the dressing-room he delivered the parcel to one of the attendants, with in structions to convey it to Mr. Elphinstone according to the directions ho had received, and the man wont into the room with it. Thomas King, one of the dressers, stated that upon receiving a parcel from the last witness ho presented it to the actor before-mentioned, who opened it in his pre sence, and finding it contained a small tart returned it to him, telling him that he might eat it hiraself, or,do,what ever he liked with it. On returning home from the theatre he gave the tart to his wife, who ate a small portion of it, and soon after she had done so became so seriously ill that they both became greatly alarmed, and feeling satisfied that some deleterious ingredient had been mxied up with the contents of the tart, he hastened with the remainder of it to Mr. Elphinstone, in order that it might undergo a chemical analysis. Charlotte King, the wife of the last withess, confirmed the testimony of her husband, and deposed to the inju rious effects produced upon her system by the small quantity of the tart of which she had partaken, which occasioned excessive sickness and a high state of fever, and from the influence of which she had scarcely yet recovered. Mr. Henry Cornelius, a surgeon, in the Whitechapel road, stated that he received from Mr. Elphinstone the greater part of the jam tart now produced, for the pur pose of being analysed, and that upon subjecting it to examination he found in if - a large quantity of cantha rides. In answer to a question from the Magistrate, the witness added that the effect of the drug, taken in moderate quantities, was to produce excitement of the nervous system, but that the amount which he had de tected in that portion of the tart which had been placed in his hands was so abundant that it might be sufficient, in his opinion, to be attended with fatal cons , quences. Mr. Elphinstone was then called into the witness-box, and deposed to the nature of • the acquaintance that had subsisted between himself and the prisoner, from which it appeared that she had been for some time past in the habit of pestering him with her importunities, and en deavouring to force an intimacy upon him, but that he had invariably rejected all her overtures. She had also written him several letters with the same object, but ho had never replied to them, and had not given her the slightest encouragement to persist in her system of annoyance. On receiving the tart from the dresser he told him to dispose of it in any manner he pleased, but what afterwards became of it he did not know until he received back the portion of it now produced, with a de scription of its pernicious effects, and he was totally at a loss to assign any motive for the conduct of the prisoner in sending him such a noxious preparation. When called upon for her defence, .the prisoner, who exhibited the coolest indifference throughout, said that having been informed by one of her female acquaintances that she hart forwarded a similar tart to another actor of the same establishment, she was therefore induced to confer the same attention upon Mr. Elphinstone, but without the remotest intention of doing him any per sonal injury. Mr. COMBE said it was a most serious offence, and ordered the prisoner to be remanded for a week for the completion of the depositions. FIRST NEWS FROM THE ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITION. (From the New York Tribune.) We hare been kindly furnished with the following extract from a private letter, written by an officer of the Arctic Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin:— " United States' Brig Advance, off St. John's .. _ Newfoundland, June 7. "Dear Sir,—Our progress thus far has been mach slower than I anticipated in consequence of head winds and heavy weather. In a gale on the 29th ult., we parted from our consort. This is not a subject of regret, as we shall probably reach our place of rendezvous sooner than in company. The sailing qualities of this vessel are admirable. We have had several opportunities of trying her speed with coasters ai.d fishermen, and beat them all with ease ; she will no doubt improve, too, as she becomes lighter. " Yesterday we made the southern cape of Newfound land, and at the same time fell in with several icebergs; we have continued to meet them since, and now have at least twenty in sight around us. " The officers and men are all in good health and spirits, and, with myself, are sanguine as to the success of the enterprise. " There is a vessel now near us, by which I hope to be able to forward to you these few lines, probably the last that you will receive from as until the fall." RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, JULY 23. STOCK EXCILLNOIL—The market was dull and inactive to - day, and the principal business done was in Midland Stock (50/.), which remains unaltered from yesterday's quo tation. LIVERPOOL, JULY 25. STOCK ExcisAxuE.—There was very little business doing to-day but prices were steady. The transactions were as follow : Lancashire and Yorkshire, Consol., 35 1 4—Ditto, Fifths, 9 1 A dis.—Ditto, 32/. Shares, 91/, dis.—London and North-Western, New Quarters, 9-16 p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, 8-11Iidland, 38 1 Ditto, Halves, 21% dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, 14 3-16 --Ditto (No. 4), Registered, 4 11-16. MANCHESTER, JULY 25. STOCK EXCTIANGE.—There was a very flat market to-day, and prices were lower. BIRMINGHAM, JULY 25. STOCK EXCHANGE --The share market was steady to-day at last quotations, but business is flat, aid, from present appearances, seems likely to remain so until more is known of the next half-yearly dividends. YORK, JULY 21. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The transactions to-day were as follow:—Great Northern, B%—York, Newcastle, and Ber wick, 14 1 A 3 —York and North Midland, Preference, 71,4. VALUE OF FREEHOLD PROPERTY IN FLEET -STREET. —On Wednesday last: the dwelling-house and shop in Fleet street, with the warehouse behind the same, let to Mr. Ben fling, the law bookseller and publisher, at 400/. per annum, was sold at Garraway's by Messrs. Farebrother, Clark / and Lye, fta 10,0201. FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 26, 1850. having made a statement to the House injurious to the honour and character of a British officer, and which he supported by forged documents. [Mr. Baillie then pro ceeded to read the letter of Captain Watson, stating that the signatures to the proclamations to which he (Mr. Blithe) referred were forgeries.]—(Rear, hear.) He would nut have the Noble Lord suppose that there could be the slightest blame attached to his course of c.mduct on that occasion. lie thought that he was per fectly right, and he could not have adopted any other course, and the more so when that letter was written after great consideration, and under the advice of Sir Emerson ferment, who ought to have been perfectly aware of the existence of those documents, since he was residing within sixteen miles of Captain Watson at the time, and remained there during the whole year in which those documents %ere published. The answer that he (Mr. Baillie) had made on that occasion was, that ho had received the documents as Chairman of the Ceylon Committee from gentlemen on whom he placed the greatest reliance, and that the name of Captain Watson was attached to those docu• merit', and that he believed them to be genuine. Upon a subsequent occasion he stated that, having re ceived further information, ho was prepared to prove the signature of Captain Watson by witnesses. The i;emtnittee decided that it was impossible to doubt the word and honour of a British officer, and the course wi.ich was subsequently adopte I, under the advice of the lat.) Sir Robert Peel, was to address her Majesty to send out a Royal Commi-sion to Ceylon to ascertain the truth or falsehood of those statements. ;That Commission went t o Ceylon, and had now made its report, which stated that the sig nature of Captain Watson had been proved to be genu ine, upon the evidence of the parties who actually wrote the proclamations and saw him sign them; and that large numbers were distributed up and down, and that considerable property had been confiscated under those proclamations. Under those circumstances he hoped the Noble Lord would relieve him from the implied cen sure, and would admit that it was himself and not he (Mr. Baillie) who had been made the instrument of stating what was not true in that House. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said with respect to the first part of the Hon. Member's speech, he could only say that he had made that statement upon the authority of the letter which he had received from Captain Watson, and which he still thought it would have been better if the lion. Member had allowed to rest quiet until further inquiry had been made. He must however admit that the lion. Gentleman had sufficient ground upon which to bring forward that charge. The present state of the case was this, that the Commission had made a report, which they stated was only a report drawn up at the moment, and that they would at the earliest opportunity send a full report, together with all the documents and evidence taken in the matter. Captain Watson had been made aware of this report, and still continued his assertion that he never signed such proclamation, and that any such signature must be a forgery. He thought that in such a state of the case, where they had such conflicting statements, and when they considered that this was a charge affecting Captain Watson's honour and truth, it would scarcely be fair to proceed further in the matter till they bad all the dOcuments and evidenee before them. He should, therefore, decline to lay the report of the Commission on the table for the present. Mr. HUME said, as the Noble Lord complained of his Honourable Friend having produced the do cuments which he did, it was quite neces sary for proving the case which he had asserted. lie did not want to say one word more on the subject of the evidence on the proceedings of the committee. That would come out when the report agreed to yester day was printed and in the hands of Hon. Members. He was sorry the Noble Lord had declined to lay the report in question upon the table, for it threw consider elute light on the matter in dispute. Mr. DISRAELI said he had no wish to question the propriety of that course recommended by the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell), at the same time he (Mr. Disraeli) felt it his duty to express his opinion that the lion. Member for Inverness was fully justified in taking this step, for the second report referred to by the Noble Lord would not probably arrive before Parliament rose, and his Hon. Friend would not have had an opportunity of vindicating himself before the House.—(Hear, hear.) STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUS the fault would not be his, but that of those with whom he had to daal in the transaction. Sir J. NOGG concurred with his Noble Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer as to the ad vantages of steam communicadon with the Aus tralian colonies ; hut he complained that the Right Hon iurable Gentleman, instead of confining himself to the tenders that had been cent in to that effect, to the proposals that had been made on the subject, to the routes that had been laid down, and to the other matters in question, had, as regarded the East India Company, taken a course at once uncalled for, and he would add, unfair—(Hear, and Oh.) When the correspondence that had taken place between the Government and the East India Company on the subject had been moved for on a former night, the Right lion. Gentlemen had re fused the motion on the ground that this correspondence was confidential in its character. But the whole of the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech on the present occasion was nothing but an ex part -t statement of the contents of that correspondence. which he (Sir J. Hogg) should move for himself the first opportunity, and then leave the House to judge between the Government and the East India Company in the matter. When the Right Hon. Gentles's/es made allusion to the proposition for having a line from Singapore to Bombay, he suppressed a most important fact. When steam ceminunicstion to India by way of the Red Sea was first thought of, the first Ties tiou was with whom the carrying out of the communication between Bombay and Singapore should rest? Political considerations of great importance were mixed up with the question. It was submitted to the Cabinet of the day, and they determined, on account of the important con siderations involved in the question, that the communi cation between Singapore .and Bombay should re:A in the hands of the East India Company, and be performed by the East India Company's navy. Upon that distinct understanding, that this should be the condition prece dent, before the East India Company entertained the proposition, a steam navy was established for this ser vice, the East India Company contributing largely to wards the expense. Now, he asked was it fair when granting this service to the East India Company as a condition precedent, that as soon as the communication was established that this company, assisted by Govern ment, should try by indirect means to get rid of this condition with the East India Company? When the communication was first established, there were two what the Right Hon. Gentleman called heavy mails. One was abandoned, and why? Not for the sake of the public, but because it was found to be a useless expense. The Peninsular and Oriental Company stated their case to Government, and the Right Hon. Gentleman assented to their petition, and the line was abandoned. He was glad to find that the communication with India had so much increased of late years as to render the resump tion of a double communication necessary. Ihe Peninsular and Oriental Navigation Company wished to have the communication; and he was glad of it, and he hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman would give it them. He was glad this company were in a flourishing condition, for he considered that the public service was never better performed than when in the hands of such companies; but, then, let not the Right Hon. Baronet import into the question the cry of the public service, when the main object was to get the two communications to India into the hands of one company. He would call attention to the time when the contract was first formed with the Peninsular and Oriental Com pany. At that time steam expenses were less under stood than now, nor was the passenger traffic under stood. It was supposed that traffic would always con tinue to go round by the Cape of Good Hope, and that the Peninsular and Oriental Company would have little benefit besides the mails—a few parcels and an occa sional passenger.. The contract was entered into on that understanding. The result, however, had been the reverse of that expected, and he was glad of it. All passengers now came by the company's fine steamers, and few by the Cape of Good Hope. He rejoiced that the Peninsular and Oriental Company bad got a bene ficial contract; the company was composed of enter prising men; they encountered a difficulty when the means of overcoming it were not well understood. They had reaped a fair reward, and had got a large profit from their contract. But - as the company had enjoyed a good contract for so long a period, neither he, the House, nor the country, would be willing to subscribe to the proposition for extending the contract unaltered for ten years longer. In two years the contract would expire. The East India Company suggested that it should be renewed—but only after the terms were fairly discussed. Government ought to say they were willing to give the company the preference in this now contract; but then they ought also to say, " As you have al re :cly had one good bargain, enter now fairly into the matter—make a fresh bargain and you shall have a fresh contract. But if you will not do this, then we will make it public, and throw the contract open to competition." The Right Hon. Gentleman had told the House that the company were willing to do the additional service for 5,0001. a year if they got a renewal of their contract. Why if the company did the service for nothing, on that condition, they would have an admirable bargain. Tha meaning of offering this was that the company might continue to charge the same rates to Singapore. If the Right Hon. Gentleman renewed the same rates to Sin gapore, the company could afford to go to the other parts for next to nothing. It was the renewal of the contract to Singapore, at the present rates that the East India Company resisted, and would resist, and he trusted the House would support him in resisting anything of an indirect character. The East India Company said they would go heart and hand with the other company to effect a common object, ,but would resist a private object. The rates to Singapore was the gravamen of the case, and the great object in getting the contract to Singapore renewed for ten years was to be able to con tinue to charge these rates, The Right Honourable Gentleman talked of giving the public the benefit of competition for the service to be performed for the short distance beyond Singapore. But he could not under stand what that meant, nor could the Right Honourable Gentleman have any clear idea of what he was stating. If the Peninsular and Oriental Company got four- fifths or, rather, five-sixths of the whole way without competi tion, what was the use of saying that, for the remaining one-sixth, competition - :should be established ? The proposition was ridiculous. The East India Company were ready to accede to anything reasonable or fair. But this would not do for the Right Honourable Baronet ; he would only be content with having the contract renewed for ten years. The Right Hon. Gen tleman said Government were joint parties with the East India Company, and could not act without them. The Right Honourable Gentleman had never told the chairman of the East India Company that he was in communication with parties on the question until he had adopted the particular route. Then it was he came to the chairman, and said that is the route I have decided upon, will you support me in it? Tho Right Hon. Gen tleman ought to have come to them, and said " We wish to have a certain route to China, India, and Australia, which is the best route?" But ho did no such thing. He had forgotten to mention that when the Peninsular and Oriental Navigation Company abandoned one line to Singapore, that the East India Company built four or five additional steamers at their own expense for this service. The Right Hon. Gentleman told them they need be at no expense—all they had to do was to give up their steamers—dismiss and pay off their establish ment. Why no private gentleman would talk of dis charging his grooms and servants in that way. The East India Company could not do as advised—they could not discharge their servants without expense— they must pension them off; and if the proposal were adopted, so far from effecting a saving, as stated by the Right Hon. Gentleman, it would actually be an addi tional expense to the company of at least 85,0001. a year. He again complained of this discussion having been raised without the correspondence having been first laid on the table. The Right Hon. Gentleman ap peared to have a curious idea of what was confidential, for he described the correspondence as confidential, and then gave a pretty full intimation of its pur port. Now what was the communication that was to be established by the Peninsular and Oriental Navi gation Company? It was only postal. He wanted to know whether such a communication would satisfy those patties on whose behalf petitions had been presented? There had been deputations from Liverpool and other great towns, stating that they were decidedly opposed to the scheme. They did not w ant postal communication only; but they wanted a merchandise and passage com munication round by the Cape of Good Hope. No per son of small means could go by the present route. He did not say the charge was too high fur the route, but he said the charge was so high by that particular route no one could go by it to Australia. No merchandise was carried that way, and only a few parcels. If the route was continued to Australia that way it was pre posterous to suppose it could ever pay. What all disin terested parties wanted was to see the best line of com munication established between Australia and this coun try. If the East India Company viewed the question in a selfish light, they would rather have the route by Singapore; but they wished for the best, cheapest, and most efficacious route between India and Australia, and when such a route was proposed they would lend it all its aid. He complained that the Right Hon. Gen tleman had held up the East India Company to obloquy for frustrating his efforts to establish a steam communication with Australia. 'Were there no other means of communication than the one proposed? Why did not the Right Hon. Gentleman state all of them—why did he not lay all the particulars before the House, and thus let the House judge which project was best? The fact was, the Right Hon. Gentleman had come forward with a pet project of his own, and was not in good temper with the East India Company because they would not fall in with his views. He admitted that the Right Hon. Gentleman was competent to take his view of the question, but then let the East India Company, which in fact was all they asked, have a little bit of voice in a matter which concerned them deeply, and for which they had to pay. The East India Com pany had not seen a single tender; all they knew was that the Right Hon. Gentleman had decided something, and that he wished the East Company to adopt it. He should move to have the correspondence laid on the table, and when that was done he should call the atten tion of the House to the Right Honourable Gentleman's argument, that everything was better done by a single company than by many companies. Now, in the public papers of that day he saw an Admiralty ad vertisement for a contract for a communication to the Cape. Why not let the two services, as a communi cation with Australia by the Cape was also desired, be done by one company, if one company can, as asserted, do the work cheaper? He avowed that the East India Company were ready and willing to cooperate with Go vernment in all fair means of establishing a communica tion with Australia; but they could not help looking at tho unfair way in which the Right Hoe. Gentleman sought to effect his own object. It was just the same as if p irtiea wishing to make a lino from London to York should say, if they got good terms for that project, they would make a line to Richmond at a cheap rate. Il e contended that the offer of the Peninsular Company had no connexion with the Australian route—and because the East India company resisted it they had been held ----------------- bre up to public odium as resisting a project for the pti l e "va".tage• The East India Company never did oPn. ° CO) thing calculated to closure public bench`' but trel were i not willies that that should be exacted sibieh budi. La en previously conceded to them on wave political co i siderations. explained Tee CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER —telt that the Hon. Baronet nes not corre ct in stating _. no commune alien took place with th e East India CJiu patty es so as he had decide d on t he rute. Sir J. HOGG on —Yes; when S'ou had made up yo ur mind as to the route, but not before. col . The CHANCELLOR of the ExcHEQuER ceite el that Government wire the proper parties to oA s tide that point, and not the East India ComPsnY,:eorn. soon as the route had been determined upon, b,' doe , munica'ed to the Eest ',Abe Company what b e 11 " diS' He did not expect that the subject would bare been , 0 cussed, otherwise he should have been prePs" ijek into a full statement of the case. He was quite vv. • to accede to the motion for the product ion of the corre spondecce. „ e t to Mr. ANDERSON, from his position with resp ect t the Peninsular and Oriental Navigation COLOPSOY, must trouble the House with a few remarks on the statemego made by the Hoe. Baronet opposite (Sir J. Ileg.„ s tle first begged to say he corroborated the statemen, -Ex. by the Right Hon. Baronet the Chancellor of the _ est chequer relative to the proposal laid before Gover,nnon by the company for establishing steam COn - plume tiod with Australia, for connectirg colonies with In dla ioe ss the mother country by auxiliary lints of sleernOsblef cow considered to be likely to tend to the advantage ° a _ w i t h merce. This proposal had no connexion w hatev r icutra• the existing lines of communication with C a es te The proposal was an e ntirely distinct and se P - f t illy proposal. He could not hope to make the 11°11"itheut comprehend the intricate details of the question, be con. a very large map to show what parts were to u wou ld netted, and why they were to be connected. Ileetome explain why it was advisable to establish steam eutrabo ideation with Bombay, Singapore, and the A B e , t e st colonies. Proposals had been put forward, for ll' u v oics . three or four years, for establishing steam Com mesa to tion with Australia. The communication was by be very expensive, owing to the conditions laid .d t he Government. The difficulties were financial•.sene the question to be solved was, how the service could n,e e r sn . tormed cheaper. He might here remark, teas be perier cheapness of contracts by steam-vessels:with from the companies carrying goods and passengieheimeelf the mails. It was the duty of his colleagues O e n ., co uld in looking at the question to see how best tn e . 7 „ en ger combine the greatest amount of goods and 1 1 , .. ; e rre traffic with the mails. To effect that o bject t" e i ot lsi• posed to establish auxiliary lines for postal 0/12 t hee cation with the Australian colonies and Chinabesuotse, opening up new places for trade a nd Merc Dom' They determined to extend the lines t° e t here bay, and there the company stopped , heeaug the re the communication was in the hands of the or. India Company, whose vessels were vessels u rtio . to After consideration it was deemed advisable, in °.„ 6il3' carry out the proposed plan, that the service fr7oper gapore to Bombay should be performed at a b o the rate, The Rightßaronet bad stated t rewe el communications established by the East India Ce u ta be had a political object. Now he believed it 'llh s hed found that those communications bad been estagoase, on the recommendation of a Committee of tb a . e raan' of which Committee Lord Glenelg was the " 1 - the a The practicability of a route by the Red Sea w as t heft l e ft considered very uncertain, and that it bad he i t te t , CO' after a time to private enterprise. The East '' -u I orar lji e pany only established the communication tail/tome until such time as private enterprise collie' be t hat tbe to come forward. He did not see, therefore, _niaiat Eastin this India Company had any just grounds of eer.,',, e ees this matter. As far as regarded the elsargscoo;psnYo poly brought against the Peninsular Stearn just s ag and their alleged excessive profits, be would ro OP,' that when those questions were raised sorneellweeotiat' the company readily exposed their books a' the reon' to Government inspectors, who made a report . 0 eci. showing that the allegations could not be the Op' Sir J. HOGG denied that he had described pany as monopolists. hose said ANDERSON said the Hon. Baronet , D ot nearly the same thing when he called o n the -D a l t o f th o to extend a monopoly by acceding to the regtoop°, l , l , petitioners. He begged to deny that WV, 'r e , pub": existed. The old route was open as beforee.anusmeonY': had the option of going by the East Indiac'''''lo foe" splendid vessels zit Cape of Good Hope. '-'°,' „et fe e. the Peninsular Steam Company were throuP"of it° posed to an active competition with a fine hn e e t tha t East India Company's steamers. In order to meet vett competition, the Peninsular Steam CoroPa l3 ,Y ua t b rd i° obliged to reduce their fires twenty per eea"" daggerp fre" would show that the public was in no great so 00 0 monopoly. The company had offered to gil'es,3h'ie'b it miles of steam communication for the same stu u Red Abe now cost Government to provide 75,00 0 reil ee ce ; eff ec t inti, c " company, by their proposition, sought to e' e " redi a I I good to commerce by closely connectieg and China, with the mother country. Mr. AGLIONBY was not sure be CO :ll:l37lll:o°lirriatbblee resolution in its present shape, though he vats f i a . , ,,,i , i , to its principle. It would be better to aeoid o,oloo' the question until the papers were laid on the t t O. the House. If the Noble Lerd would leave °tufo the word " immediate," he s hould feel dispose d 10 g" proposition his support. Wi se Mr. SIMEON regretted that the forms oi Wei:ral would t... not permit him to lay on the table the toil ° r e ne alons on the subject with which he bad been en of tbs Australian colonists were strongly in face ll e r n otb e er ce p un ro ult p nie o tsr s y iti n on lfh fo et r h e wo o ay mu of ni ca ti with India and v d ill ' . Might Hon. on, . _d OA a Gentleman fouls 1 e e,e, , e , communication insuP er ' s r likely to delay the boon sought by the c°lt°llueire'hl trusted he would turn his attention to Wine 43 ,- ihrau s of communication, either by the Cape or the 16 ' , Panama.—(Hear.) t he lie s' . Mr. F. SCOTT regretted that the forms of t' t s ein e ' prevented his laying on the table a petition n 2 ° 5 .. 0 0 in; rously signed, and containing the signatures ° I 'erb s C fluential parties in the city of London than P t . f ee° were ever appended to any other petition. fe l ' we ek:: a to go he presided over a Committee, which sat Inal e tac e . consider the best line of cOmmunication it pee; Australia and Great Britain, and the r e ' ll d f r s memorial to the Government on the subject, and h that frequently to the present most pressing rePr e6e t ea clls a n d t requently s been made. Whilst he could n e ` l e e pin sued, 'ast India Company for the course theY,"-egeroebt neither did he think the Government W ee r , off. he the interests of this country to the extent tir' s . , ''' - o f to . h . ave done in permuting such a long d ei e lV iiti e "if s p t e e t a tt m ioners regretted that although there was "„t efe r ot communication from this country to '0- had Ilea other country, still that steam communicatilhe Ill h ' e b n e f en h e ie xtended to the Australian colonies, by WO ( ,1 conwsiderheditthisewon use s! I b e greatmost imperatively required. " to ele , importance of the w ~s e ts e if Australia, he could not but regret that the i sI I" ota, s 6l) e tween the Government and the East Inu' a s , C ht h • 0 1) f should prevent that speedy conamunication ,' e c tot : e r , 0 so desirable, and that speedy knowledge of I ", c e ece ` e 'lft the market which was of the utmost ireiner';ietee'set commercial point of view. He w as not Pr e e)- tbo tl i 7oe favour of any particular route. Although " e 1 3,.. tbe ',;et the Cape line had its advantages, be thong"' el ln:. suggested by the Government would afford t h in e r o uin i c t ie number of advantages as a postal line of e : °- w es a' o t tion, and it had this further advantage, tha t "„ t ee tion e e), gether completed with the exception of that kli fil'st the further end. The Hon. Baronet, (Sif h - v . tbe',!ea linndai"uding to the large sums of money Pal' ' l eas /f) Company, took no notice of the vaster 611- 6 the jir re l eiv l e l d oG3—The Government rep as I'll lb postage. at .a til d Mr. SCOTT—But a considerable sum v elli 6 P o o s ti v s' them for the conveyance of the mail betwe ea s ide ° ted s ß u o m m e b d a e h e y e E c a o st ul l d n n d o ia t h c e o lp mp t a b n ir y iki:g us th o e n rce ra l e r tl e r f lo o ll o the il to make the House and the country ,n(1-11, eare ewe : a •re s e into the renewal of their charter.—(Llear, " c t oo he interests of the Australian colonies were 1) ,!: te seen, t t e4 importance to be juggled away by dispute li,,,,tra- 0 1 Government and th ' e East India CompanP - ern s..; t hee the Government would not allow the inte r that„eleS any delay in a matter of such importance, ht o bis' would take immediate steps to overcome t -e ea which now existed. j Boil'hee Mr. MACGREGOR, said a petition had we er/ ne di trusted to him which was signed by aini °st of a 4- 1 0 , communicationmer ei ai house in wiGthlasgthowe oAnustthrealisaunbjeet - • eliP he cOl OOl of - thought the directors of the East India - Go t i corriP s fer ri n m o e t at act a ed d wisely in rejecting the offer of the 40e0tleop trusted they would reconsider th e tee d s t ee p navigation with to do all in their power to e.. x fibicii the wisest every g be o tu re le appa t r h ent u3 . ot take k t e h the suchCfa Chancellor l or measureso f the E x c a h v e u q uer, e e r , :e t l t , iileer ti ve g g e t d bbete:l:4° rilll3 , that communication into a g e ; 10 1° 0e Mr. HENLEY did not think the econensfeLtu Ojos meat of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Per t° it ei eg oe, as were best clue factory. The Right Hon. Gentleman seeo3o4;t, c o Pe° that ho had made an advantageous bargain, u ," O -1 - le !eei: rison of the costs of carrying the m au v e the cr,li? Bombay. Now, the cost of that portion °' l dif oe- e e o ' anco was 245. or 25s a mile. It Was bil- s ell n ie fairly with the subject to . say thate 105,0001.rerf belted nomical arrangement for the new service, 50 0 . 0 re : O c t e t the other service cost so large a Burn. 'L . tb c ee ll that the motion bad been brought forward. vie ci b ol e it would have been much better if them at le : ft r ee f - eon / l o e f ft h in the hands of the Government, beeatl.,.,s-essorecther making kind must incapacitate them in souse "' m ight - 0 wise be able sli ch t a o s ects a isle gdooo.l(airanrgoement as they 0b- Mr. HUME trusted that the correspon might pfirei d e uce b e e tie laid before the House, in order that theY. teed c i to judge correctly i f tl against the East India Companyle core 1 possible he hoped it would be produced b" Iti sees meat separated grounds had elio ' dis for the recess. P u 10 h Mr. DIVETT was glad to fiud that the P e st poi ((s3fottahplsaiLtny opportunity of knowing why " Lb ? 10 tbe cto te . j . have an hloe't ee be ppolratcaendt itself measure. e. s e t ha b tl i. a s e tata Ing e lle bees ge nc_a , , that the lion. ea, e great obstae'" speech fully confi r r n m n e l i t l th 'u e s re t p n o u rt. eei audn when tnare;dir . a la officialS,cirje. a ll p o ae G ity G u e t x t p l l i a s in ti o ni d e that he was not sctli%ieotel, the er ° Mr. WYLD thought the line propose d b Y t i t o G tif ol. i . l Navigation Company, and sanctioned by , p ens e re ill'i meta, possessed great advantages. Th e %ea° t l'' ls p_or n tion of the line was paid b Stutz Mediterrjeto die , Ile s IndiaTh ttaffie from Bombay to htloegeut o f 1 1 . 1'' g 0 1.1 wh Company, and that was the only The oa rrY lc . presented any great obstruction to tee. _ v. ~i e tte' of th ch is important plan of steam cons nett eicat it 'e to °.lo o ` Lord NAAS, inreply,said he di d not inter' dip. , , he at ol e ic, The amendment was then negatived wit t he OP P ' O,Q Ow qneetien that OA Speaker tepee ' IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 25. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his scat on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE took the oaths and his seat . His Royal Highness was introduced by the Dukes of Wellington and Beaufort. PETITIONS. Lord WIIARNCLIFFE proiented several petitions in favour cf the Marriages Bill. The Earl of MIN TOPresented several petitions from Scotland, numerously signed, with a similar prayer. Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions from Edin burgh and its neighbourhood against this Bill, which had been confided to his care by his Noble Friend the Lord Chief Justice ; also several other petitions, with a simi lar prayer, from Glasgow, Dunfermline, and other places in Scotland. The Bishop of OXFORD presented several petitions with a similar prayer. The Earl of CARLISLE presented several petitions, numerously and respectably signed, in favour of the Bill, and one petition against the Bill. The Marquis of BREADALBANE presented several petitions against the Bill. Ho believed the country was repugnant to the Bill. The Earl of MINTO said that the resolutions of public meetings, called in Scotland, were in general favourable to the Bill. The Earl of WICKLOW presented a petition against the Leasehold Tenure of Lands (Ireland) Bill. The Earl of ZETLAND presented several petitions in fsvour of the Marriages Bill. Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition praying for the establishment of steam communication with Australia. _ BOARD OF GREEN CLOTH. Lord BROUGHAM asked whether the same sum was paid tor the salaries of officers of the Board of Green Cloth as was paid in the time of Sir Thomas Marrable ? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the whole ques tion would come on to-morrow on the Noble and Learned Lord's motion. Lord BROUGHAM then moved fjr certain returns relating to the Criminal-law Commission.—Agreed to. PRIVILEGE. Lord BEAUMONT presented ;petition from Byrne, M'Arthur, and Hinde, expressing their sorrow for having committed a breach of privilege in attaching signatures improperly to a petition to their Lord ships' House, stating that they were all poor men, and praying to be discharged. He gave notice that he should to-morrow move that they be called to the bar, be admo nished, and discharged. STOCK-IN-TRADE BILL. This Bill passed through Committee. MARRIAGES BILL. The Earl of ST. GERMANS moved that the order of the day for the second reading of this Bill be read for the purpose of being discharged. He hoped that during the recess their Lordships would consider this Bill calmly and deliberately without suffering their minds to be prejudiced by the vehement denunciations against this Bill, so that early next session they might take into their consideration the recommendation of several most pious clergymen and of the learned members of the Commis sion appointed to consider this subject, and that some such alteration should take place in the law. The Bishop of SALISBURY said that the report of the Commission appointed to investigate the subject gave no opinion on the matter; certainly not one in favour of the Bill. The Eirl of ST. GERMANS: said the report pointed out the evils of the existing state of tho law. The Bishop of OXFOlib protested against the idea of the Church of England not condemning those mar riages. The Earl of ST. GERMANS explained. These marriages might be celebrated in the Church of Rome by a dispensation from the Pope. The Bishop of OXFORD said the Pope might, by dispensation, legalise a marriage between a brother and sister. Lord BROUGHAM said that argument from the practice of the Church of Rome proved too much or too little, for the Pope might, by a dispensation, enable a man to marry his grandmother. He should seriously consider the subject during the recess. The order of the day for the second reading of the Bill was then discharged. The Bills on the table were forwarded a stage, and their Lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, July 25. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) MEDICAL CHARITIES (IRELAND) BILL. The House then went into Committee on this Bill, Mr. BERNAL in the chair. Clause 9, after a short discussion, was agreed to. On clause 10, Mr. VESEY proposed an amendment to the effect that the election of the medical officer of a dispensary should be placed in the hands of the committee of management and not the guardians of the union. Sir W. SOMERVILLE opposed the amendment, thinking that it would be against the principle of the Bill, which was to allow the boards of guardians to have proper supervision and control over these charities. Lord NAAS supported the amendment. Sir D. NOPJtEYS considered that a more harmoni -0111 management might be secured by allowing the medical officers to ba appointed by the boards of guar dians. After some further discussion, the Chairman was di• rected to report progress and ask leave to sit again. The House resumed, progress was reported accord ingly, and leave was given to sit again to-morrow. The House then adjourned until Five o'clock. The Home resumed at Five o'clock. CHIPPENDALL'S DIVORCE BILL. Mr. PAGE WOOD brought up the report of the Committee to whom Mr. Chippendall's petition, praying to prosecute his Bill for a divorce in forma pauperis, was referred.—The report was agreed to. Mr. HUME presented a petitio❑ from Montrose against the Bill introduced into the House of Lords, and known as Lord Kinnaird's Bill. Colonel LINDSAY presented a petition from certain Odd Fellows in Wigan in favour of the Friendly Socie ties Bill before the House. EXHIBITION OF 1851. Colonel SIBTHORP wished to ask the Learned At torney-General whether it was true that he had refused to sanction an application for an injunction relative to the erection of a building in Hyde-park for the proposed exhibition of 1851? The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it was true. Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice then that to-morrow ho would call the attention of the House to the subject. TUSCANY AND SARDINIA. .Anhedne en t p o a a rt s m k the t Noble question,Lord ig which it would be necessary fur him to explain. The House was aware that certain demands had been made a by the British merchalAs residing at Leghorn on the Tuscan Government , and, at the request of Sir a t the tr head COCHRANEof he Fo r w e George Hamilton, the Tuscan Government wrote him a communication, offering to refer the matter to the arbitration of some great power. This commu cation Sir George Hamilton forwarded home, but, in the meantime, a dispatch was sent out to Sir G. Hamilton requestini him to intimate to the Tuscan Government that her Majesty's Government were read to accept the good offices of :Sardinia. Now the question he wished to ask was whether the communication forwarded by Sir G. Hamilton reached the Noble Lord before he sent out that dispatch? Lord PALMERSTON said before the arrival of that h the could of g o oa dh e communication the represent at i ve of the Sardinian Government proposed that the di spute should be referred to the arbitration of that pow er, tthathat they her the matterMajesty'sweu lwould to willinglythearbitration Governmentaeaccept e pt but n ye w o t : a y esnejsof consent n e r s m ha informed to refer -t dinia. This offer was communicated in a dispatch to Sir George Hamilton, together with the reply that had been given to it ; but the Tuscan Government re fused to accept the good offices of Sardinia, but they were willing to refer the matter to the arbitration of Russia. The answer sent to that was that her Majesty's Government could consent to the arbitration of no power, and there the subject now rested. Mr. B. COCHRANE said the point he wished to have answered was whether or no the Noble Lord bad received the communication from Sir George Hamilton before he forwarded the dispatch offering to accept the good offices of Sardinia. Lord PALMERSTON said, when the offer was made in this country by the Sardinian Minister, the communication had not arrived. SECURITY FOR ADVANCES (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. MONSELL wished to know whether it was the intention of the Government to go on with the Security for Advances (Ireland) Bill this session, and, if not, whether. they intended to introduce it again at an early period of the next session ? Lord J. RUSSELL said there was so much opposi tion to the Bill, and so many amendments proposed, that the Government did not think they would be able to carry it this session, but they were so fully convinced of the advantages it would confer upon Ireland generally that it was their intention next session to re introduce the Bill, or one nearly similar to it. REVENUE OF WOODS AND FORESTS. Lord DUNCAN said it was his intention to postpone his motion for the payment of the gross revenues of the Woods and Forests into the Exchequer. SAVINGS BANKS BILL. Mr. SPOON ER wished to know whether the Chan cellor of the Exchequer intended to go on with this Bill on Friday next. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not think he would be able to proceed with the Bill on Friday in consequence of the Government intending to take the Committee of Supply on all available nights. lie would not be able to fix a day for the Bill until the Committee of Supply had terminated their labours, but he hoped to go on with it on an early day. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. DISRAELI said it would he very convecient if the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) would state what Irish business he inteadel to proceed with on Tuesday nex t. Lord J. RUSSELL replied that he would state to morrow the course of businesss on that day. INSURRECTION IN CEYLON —MR. BAILLIE authen ticity AND CAPTAIN WATSON. Mr. BAILLIE, in rising to ask L ord John Russell whether h e h a d received a repor t from the Royal Com mission i n C ey l on, appointed to i n quire into the of certain proclamations upon at i o ns to which the name of Capt a i n Watson was a tt ac h e d, and which ho had d ec l ared to ' have b een f o r ge d, and if he would lay the in the table of the House, begged the permission of the House whi l e ,r of the present session the Noble he entered bricfly into a m atter which personally con cerned himself as well as the Hon. Member fo r Mont rose. The House would recollect that at t he com mencement 1914 \ -49 r 4 J9hu g q5 011) %cooed him of TRALIAN COLONIES. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Lord NAAS rose to move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying that she will be gra ciously pleased to order such measures to be taken as will ensure the immediate establishment of re gular steam communication with her Australian colonies. The Noble Lord proceeded to call the attention of the House to the delay and uncertainty which arose in the transmission of intelligence from the Australian colonies to this country, and to the fact that the members of the Government wet e frequently indebted to the colonial news papers for important information which reached this coun try before their own official dispatches from those colonies. During last year on one occasion four or five months had elapsed without any communication between this country and the Australian colonies. In the year 1847 the average length of the passage was 121 days, and in 1848 it was 119 days. From this it would bo seen that the ordinary time for conveying letters and communications from this country to Sydney varied from 120 to 130 days; but if the plan which he was about to propose now were adopted, or some thing like it, the passage would be reduced to 70 days. Three routes had been suggested for this steam commu nication. First, the western route by Panama, a dis stance of 13,600 miles; second, the southern route by the Cape of Good llope, a distance of 13,630 miles; and, thirdly, the eastern route by Singapore, a distance of 12,099 miles. The first route, however, although the shortest, was objectionable on account of the want of trade on the Pacific, and the difficult sea voyage between Singapore and Australia. The second route, in his opinion, was decidedly the best, as it would include many intermediate ports and places of importance, and would be the beat adapted for the purposes of emigration. The third route by Singapore would take in the present overland mail to India, and it had this advantage over the others, that it placed India in direct communication with Australia ; but really fir his part, as the sea part of the passage would have to be performed by screw steamers, he could not see why both this ad the Cape route could not be adopted together. , and Ihe Legislature of New South Wales had voted some 6,0001. towards carrying out that scheme of postal transmission between that country and England, and calculated that the revenue which would be derived from such transmission would amount to 20,0001. Van Diemen's Land was also ready to unite in the same object, in the full confi dence of the great benefit which would result to that colony and the mother country, and so likewise in re spect of the other colonies. A quicker and more regular communication with England, would prevent the markets cf the colonies being overstocked with commodities, which was one of the greatest evils to which they could be subject. He thought it quite clear that the greatest advantages would result to this country as well as to the colonies, in a commercial print of view, if the regular and rapid steam communication which he proposed was estab lished. Lord J. MANNERS seconded the motion. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he should be obliged to oppose the motion of the Noble Lord, but he presumed his object had been effected in calling the attention of the House to the subject. The House was well aware that he was as desirous as any one to effect a rapid and regular com munication with the colonies, and he only regretted that he would not be able before the end of the session to announce that some definite arrangement had been made to accomplish that object. Last autumn tenders had been called tor, giving the greatest latitude as to the routes, the modes, and the means of effecting that com munication; and several were sent in. But the route considered the most advantageous to this country, as well as to the colonies, was that by the East Indies; because not only would the communication sought for with the colonies be by that means obtained, but the trade be tween the Australian colonies and the East Indies and China would be also fostered and developed. This would be a triple object effected, The offer made by the Pe ninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the subject was so advantageous to the country and the colonies, that he regretted exceedingly he was not able to accept it. There was already a line of steam com munication in India in the hands of that company, which he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should call the Calcutta line. This service was carried on under a contract which would expire in two years. There was another line in their hands also, which he should call the Bombay line, which had been originally from Southamp ton to Bombay, but the Red Sea and Indian Ocean por tion of which had been discontinued, the East India Com pany performing now the service from Suez in their own steamers. The payment for these services was 100,0001. —the coat being about 110,0001.—0 f which sum half was defrayed by the East India Company, the other half being contributed by her Majesty's Government. The offer of the P en i nsu l ar an d O r i en tal Steam Navi gation Company was to t h e e ff ec t, t h a t if the Bombay line was conceded to them they would carry the heavy mails, as they were termed, from Southampton by Alex andria to Sue z an d B om b ay, thence to Singapore, where it would branch one line to Hong-Kong and another to include the whole of the Australian colonies. It then proposed to establish a line of packets to Calcutta. The whole to be performed for 105,000/. The present ar rangement, however, being made with the East India assent. Company, no other been thercoiun communication could be emnatenrieodatioinntowiwitbthtobuatt body upon the subject since the beginning of the session; but he was sorry to say they had declined to assent to the arrangement proposed. The deputy chairman was in the House, and he, no doubt, would state the reasons which actuated them. At present there was great inefficiency in the existing arrangements as re gardedltitni,idlndian n toba the ne v ylndianthenecessity u t m * that was O n w e faosr epoeiifllyg up ref a usal va w tlb a jdo s argument. All through the correspondence which had taken place, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had considered the interest of the India Company conjoi n tly with that of this country and the colonies. Ile had proposed that the payments should be made two thirds by her Majesty's Government, and one-third b y t h e India Company. The only other objection was, that t o P give the service to the eninsular and Oriental the exi st Ninag vigation Company, would be expiration able t c ra on icoen to effect an de a mo no p o l y. On that point, however, he reserved to himself th e r i g h t of dealing with the Calcutta line as he chose, w h en the contract should expire. Ho could not sufficiently ex press he his hoped regret th a tthat before he thewa was n ar rangement so aivantageous as that w hi c h was proposed; h contract the East India Company reconsider their decision, and accept this Ile had done the best he could, and he would continue to do so, to effect the object in view; if he sh9tild fail,