The Sun. — London, England, 1850-07-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 12. Their Lordships mot at Flv. o'clock. CON FE RENC E. Certain Peers were appointed, of whom the Marquis of WESTMEATH was one, to manage a conference with the Commons on the Naval Prize Balance Bill. The Noble Marquis, on the return of the Noble Lords, laid on the table a paper containing the reasons of the Commons for dissenting from the Lords' amendments. COURT OF CHANCERY BILL. Lord LANGDALE introduced this Bill, which was read a first tine. METROPOLITAN INTERMENTS BILL. The Esrl of CARLISLE moved the third reading of this 13111. Lord REDESDALE moved a proviso to afford pro tection to persons entitled to the inheritance of land which may be sold for cemetery purposes under this Act, and to prevent the sale, under certain circumstances, of entailed land and family mansions. The Earl of CARLISLE opposed the proviso, as it would be injurious and obstructive t) the working of the Bill. He wished to disahute the House of the notion that there was any foregone e,nelusion as to the pro perty to he taken f r the purpose of a cemetery, Lord MON r EAGLE •unnerted the proviso. The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH considered this Bill as of more importance than any railway Bill that had ever passed, as it concerned he dth of three millions of people. He th mglit parlcs the best of all places that could be taken for cemeteries. becave there were no houses there exupt the family mansion. He therefore opposed the proviso. After a few words from Lord REDESDALR and the Earl of CARLISLE, their Lordships divided, when there ap peared— _ . Contents (for the provisr)) ... 24 Non.contrnts (against it) ... ... 42 Majority against the proviso ... —lB The Bill wa3 then reid a third time and passed. RAILWAY ABANDONMENT BILL On the order of the day for the consideration of the Commons' amendments to this Bill, The Earl of GRANVILLE moved that the amend ments be scree 7 to. Lord REDESDALE opposed the motion. Strangers were ordi-red to withdraw, and their Lord ships divided, when there appeared— _ . Contents Non-contents ... 38 Majority against agreeing to the ) 4 Commons' amendments ...S PARLIAMENTARY VOTERS (IRELAND) BILL. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the third reading of this Bill; and, Afc,r a few remarks from Lord REDESDALE, the motion was agreed to. On the vestion that the Bill do pass, The Marquis of WEST MEATH said, he had not beard of a single petition being presented in favour of this measure. It had been said that the constituency in Ireland had dwindled down; but he denied the fact, though, no doubt, the number of registered ♦oters bad dwindled sway. The 81. franchise, proposed by the Government, would have been neither more nor lens than a pauper franchise; and, notwithstanding all that bad been said about the alteration male by their Lord ships to 151., he believed it would still be little better than a pauper franchise. The Bill was then passed. COUNTY COURTS EXTENSION BILL. Lord BEALTIIONT moved that the House go into Committee on this Bill. Lord BROUGHAM said, he had already given their Lordships notice that he would propose certain amend ments in-this Bill, those amendments being similar in their nature to enactments which he bad embedied in his Bill of 1833. These were to give parties the option of going either before the superior courts or the county o ourts, in cases where the amount tees between 201. and 501.; also to give the powers of appeal on points of law; and to create in certain eves a concurrent jurisdiction (tbe precise nature of which we did not hear). He gave no opposition to the Bill, but he thought there was every reason why this important measure—the most im portant that hal come before their Lordships for many years—should be sent before a Select Committee. It was a most important measure, inasmuch as, though 501. was named in the Bill, the averaee of all cases tried in England, Scotland, and Ireland, were ftr sums under 401. Ho had once shown ther Lordships that for the whole county palatine of Lancaster during the spring assizes if one particular year, the average in HS cases was for sums either of 15/. les., or 161 15e, he could not nom re member whicb; and, therefore, he heel that it was im possible to over-estimets the importance of the measure. He might instance also the extreme interest which was felt oa the subject throughout the entire country. Never in all his Parliamentary experience had so many letters and petitions been entruit-d to him on any sub ject, anti from many Jiff-rent parties he had received nntnereus suegestions and amendments which he was requested t r propose. M any of these referred to matters of detail, and reeeired carefit consideration, first on ac count of their merits, and secondly, in order that it might be seen whether thy dil not interfere with other parts of the Bill. He had therefore c ,me to the resolu tion of suggesting that their Lordships should not pro ceed further that dty with the Bill, bet should agree to send it before a Select Cernesittee, where those clauses of the Bill of 1833. which he proposed should be adopted, might be takes into fill alit delteerate con sideration, fie did nor. propose Cemisittee with the slightest intention of delaying the measure ; for if he farad that there teas any eitention of that kind, he would at ones ne,ve that the Chairman report progress; and he gave this neece to whoever might in tend to vote for delay in the Select Comrnitt , e, that he would be the first to meet the - . attempt at delay by moving that the Chairmen report proere:s, and then let the floti,e deal weli the 13i11 in the hest way it could.— (Hear, hear.) Thar, he thought, would be a guarantee to the puelic that this measure would not be delaytd longer than was aesolu'ely necessary to its efficiency. He was delighted to state to their Lordships One he was sure they would all rejoice at the intelligence) that his Noble and Learned Friend Lord Lynlhur&t was so far recovered, after the late operation to which he had been subjected, that he would be able t s atten t in his place on Monday or Tuesday next—(Hear)—ethen they would have the value of his a lvice on that measure. He be lieved he might say his Noble and Learned Friend approved of the measure, subject to certain modi fications. His Noble and Learned Friend (Lord Denman) was unable feorn bad health to attend in the House; but he was in communication with him on this suhject, and but for the late Post-office alterations he might be able to receive and lay before their L telships on Monday next a full state ment of the doubts eetertsined by his N stele and Learned Friend and the amendments he proposed. Bur, at all events, on Tuesday he would ha in possession of a corn muaicatien from him embracing a stitement of his views. He hoped they wo Ile also have the attendance of his Noble Friend (~r•1 Wharncliffh), who last year so ably and so industriously represcnrel the great mer cantile interest of the city of Load m on some roost im portant matters. The Noble and Learned Lord then proposed that the Bill should be sent to a Select Com mittee. Lord WEI ARNCLIFFE thonzlit, that if their Lord ships were certain ther wai sufficient tie 3", it would be highly cdesirab!e to send the Bill before a ScleA Com mittee; but, unfortunately, at the present period of the session, they coul I not lie without daub's on the sub ject. At the same time he did not see that it would be necessary to have a very prolonged investigation, and on the whole, he thought that such a course was likely to lead to an improvement of the mea , ure. Lord BE NU MONT, knowing es he did that the Noble and Learned Lord (Lord Brougha-n) was a most sincere supporter of the Bill, and also perceivin7, that he, as well as many of their LordAhipA, were anxious that the Bill should go out in as perfect a f , rm as possible, would be vary reluctant to decline sending it. befo e a Select Com mittee. Hi. Noble and Learned Friend proposed three impor , ant alterations in the Bill. One or these was the optionsl clause, to which he must say he had no objec tion, as he thought, if both pirties agreed, they ought to have the power of going before any court they chose. The next amendment wa , ( to give an appeml on points of law, and this he also th ught might be highly desirable. But with retard to the third amendment, which related to the concurrent jurisdiction. he should regard it as a death blow to the Bill. He should, in fsct, consider it as equivalent to the total destruction of the meaiure; and he hoped that the N,ble and Learned Lord would leave that clause to be considered after the Bill came from the Select Committee. Lord BROUGHAM said he had the concurrence of all the great law Lords in the propocels which be had announced to the House. They were decidedly of opi nion that the only condition, on which they could sup port the Bill was the adoption of the amendment to which the Noble Lord (Lord Beaumont) so strongly objected. The Bill av,is then ordered to be sent to a Select Com mittee, Lord Beaumont consenting to the proposal on the thorough understanding that it was not done fur the pur pose of delay. The Municipal Corporations (Irel ,nd) 811 was read a second time. The Court of Chancery (Ireland) Bill went through Com mittee. Lord WIIARNCLIFFE presented a great numSer of petitions in favour of an alteration in the law of 'marriage. Lord SIOUN fC AMIE EL presented a petition against the system of national education in Ireland. The Earl of II Ait ttO Vir BY presented several petitions against the licensing of beer-shops, and against the ad mission of Jews to Parliament. The House adjourned shnnty after Seven o'clock. HOUSE OF CO,ll !TONS, July 12. MEDICAL CHARITIES BILL (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Sir R. FERGUSON moved the insertion of the words " one competent physician or surgeon." the effect of which would be to have but one responsible paid medical officer on the hoard. Sir W. SOMERVILLE was understood to oppose the smendmsnt. The House thee divi&d, when there appeared— For the amendment Against it ... 58 Majority.. ... -40 The Oommittee again divided on the cpestiGn, whe ther he medical officer should,be of seven or ten years' standing. The numbers were— For ten years ... For seven years ... 50 ... —23 Lord NAAS moved a proviso, that every act of the Medical Commissioners should b) deemed to be the act or tile Poor-law Commissioners, Mr. SCULLY did not think the proviso necessary, —lnasmuch as the Commission could not act without the ‘Sisieuce of the Chief ruor-law Cummisaioncr. After some discussion, the Committee divided, when there appeared— For the proviso Against it . . 60 Majority ... ... —36 The proviso was consequently lost. Colonel DUNNE still insisted that some words ought to be introduced into the Bill, to throw the responsi bility of the Commis•ion upon the Poor-law Commis sion or some other authorities. Sir WM. SOMERVILLE said the Government would be responsible for the operation of the Bill. Lord NAAS gave notice that, on the bringing up of the report, he would take the sense of the House upon the proviso which the Committee had negatived. The clause was then agreed to, after which the House resumed, when the Chairman obtained leave to sit again FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL. The Friendly Societies Bill went through Committee, and the report was ordered to be brought up on Monday next, at 12 o'clock. The House then adjourned till Five o'clock. The House resumed at Five o'clock. NEW WRIT FOR SOUTHAMPTON. On the motion of Mr. HAYTER, a new writ was ordered for the election of a burgess to serve in Parlia ment for the borough of Southampton, in the place of Alexunder James Cockburn, Esq., who had accepted the office of her Majesty's Solicitor• General, and thereby vacated his seat for Southampton. NEW WRIT' FOR DEVONPORT. Oa the motion also of Mr. HAYTER, a new writ was ordered to be issued for the election of a burgess to serve in Parliament for the borough of Devonport, in the place of Sir J.hn Romilly, who had accepted the office of her Majesty's Attorney-General, and had thereby vacated his seat for that borough. PETITIONS. Mr. SPOONEI presented a petition from a gentle man at Harwich, praying that the House would allow him to use the short-hand writer's notes of the evidence taken before the House on the Harwich Election Com mittee. Alderman THOMPSON presented a petition against the Friendly Societies Bill. Mr. CARDWELL presented a petition from Liver pool to the same effect. Mr. WOOD presented a petition against certain clauses of the Savings Bank Bill. Mr. COBDEN presented several petitions from Scot land to the same effect. Admiral GORDON presented a petition in favour of protection to native industry. Lord C. MANNERS presented a petition from a place in Leice,tershire against the Jews Bill. Mr. GOULBURN presented a similar petition. LUNATICS. Mr. ALEXANDER HOOD moved that the follow. ing returns be re-printed : A return to an order of the House of Commons, dated 21st February 1839; returns made up to the latest possible period, of the number of lunatics, against whom the commissions of lunacy are now in force, and the total amount of their annual in comes. and the total am(,unt of the slims allowed for their maintenance, No. 378, of session 1839 ; also, the cont;nuance of a similar return, up to the present time, from the date of the last return. NEW RIDE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS. On the motion that the House at its rising should adjourn until Monday next, Mr. COCHRANE asked her Majesty's Government, whether they would support a humble address to her Majesty, praying her Majesty to assign a part of Ken sington Gardens as a ride for next year. in considera tion of the ground which would be taken for the Exhibi tion, and the injury done to the ride in Rotten-row. Lord SEYMOUR, replied that a motion for an address would be quite unuecei,ary, because her Majesty had some time since given directions that an inviry should be made with the view of ascertaining what further accomm )(1 t tion ought to be given to those who rode in the park without interfkring with the enjoyments of any other vrti,in of the public. IMPOSITIONS ON EXPORTS OF PORTUGUESE WINE TO ENGLAND. Mr. Alderman THOMPSON wished to know whether the Noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Atfsirs had recived aoy suisfictory answer from the Portuguese Government to the remonstrance of the importers of wine, the produce of Portugal, against the impost of 61. per pipe levied on wine exported to England, when .6d. per pipe only was charged upon wine exported to America. Lard PALMERSTON said communications had been made to the Portuguese Government on the subject, which was of considerable importance to the British consumers, but he was nut able at present to state that th- Government had received any satisfactory answer. There could be no doubt that this difference of duty was not only a great injury to the British consumer, but also a great injury to the Portuguese wine grower. The lion. Gentleman might be assur d that 11.-r Mak , sty's Government would make those represen tations which they thought most I,kely to induce the Portuguese Government to alter +heir intentions. SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST- OFFICE. Mr. SPOUNER asked the First Llrd of the Treasury whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Goverc m•mt to lay before Parliament the report of the Com missioners appointed to inq-iire into the working of the Post office regulations respecting Sunday labour, tog, , ther with the evidence taken before those Commis sioners; also, whether p.-rmissioe would be given to any p irties who might require it, to produce evidence betore such Commissi iners? Lord J. RUSSELL said he would lay the report of the Co'nmiision on the table of the House as soon as it was made. With respect to the other vestion, he did not think that it woul I be necessary for that Commission to tak • any evidence except of a documentary charsctor. TRIAL OF PA rt. - BARON ALDERSON'S CUA RG E. Mr. G. THOMPSON rose and said—Seeing the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Hume D -p ,rtment in his place, I rise to put some questions to hitn on a matter, as I c inceive, vital to the character of the English bench, arid the administration of critninil justice in this country. In the newspaper re pert of the proceedings at the Old Bailey yesterday, during the trial of a person of the name of Pate, who was found guilty (without any recommendation to mercy) f a cowardly and brutal attack upon the ge-en, I find certain words imputed to Baron Alderson, who acted as judge, and passed sentence on the prisoner. The Learned Baron is reported to have said, white in the act of awarding punishment :—" Con sidering the station of your family and your own posi tion, the Court will not ixact the disgraceful punishment of whipping upon you. Toe Court has some respect for you, though you had no respect for others."—(lfear, hear.) Now. Sir, as these are words of a most ex traordinary kind, and, if truly reported, do most se riously affect the character of ono of our judges, and the equal tied just administration of the law, I wish to ask the Right 1.1. m. Geutleme:i—first, whether he has seen the. reports t) which I to 12r? if he has, whether be pur poses to communicate with Baron Alderson, with a view if ascertaining their accuracy; and whether, in the event of their correctness being confirmed, he will consider it his duty to advise the Crown up.m the subject, involving as it dues the honour, the dignity, and the impartiality of the bench, and calculates, as the words I have quoted obviously are, most seriously to impair the respect hitherto entertained by the people for the administration of criminal justice within this realm?—(Hear.) Sir G. GREY—Sir, in reply to the question of the Hon. Gentleman, I beg to state, that I have read the report of the proceediega at the trial to which the Hon. Gentleman has referred, but still I have not felt it to be my duty to call upon the judge for soy explanation of what he said in passing sentence—(Hear, hear)—be cause I do not feel myself justifi.-d to call upon any judge to give reasons fur what he does or says in the ex ercise of his judicial functions.—(l Tear, hear.) The motion for the adjournment of the House till Monday was then agreed to. MONUMENT TO SIR ROBERT PEEL. Lord JOHN RUSSELL then rose and said—Sir, in rising to move that this House do resolve itself into a Committee on the subject of an address to the Crown, praying her Majesty to be graciously pleased to di rect a monument to be erected in Westminster Abbey to the memory of the late Sir Robert Peel, I do not think it necessary to recall or relate to the House the political history of that Right Hon. Gentleman. — (Cheers.) I take it for granted teat this House would be desirous to testify its sorrow at the loss the country has sustained in the death of that Right Hon. Baronet, —jlear, hear.) I take it for granted, because for a day. o th n e thevery first intelligence of that melancholy event. House sponteneonsly agreed to adjourn its proceed ingscause the fselin — g ( allowedtrhe issPec t country, hasbein Ivetarted ee it p f y or ofil e r a le r g , re t hear.) whi c hltake prevailsit f c o n r tgranted,his subject, observations, becffercathe nr g o felt and generally expressed. -- (Hear. )r p a c n si t n ed g , because when I made some eldthat a public funeral familythof the late Right Honour able Gentleman, to show been held by the House, the th e res pect which I made in which be had seemed to meet with unanimous to add an, that besides the esteem which has three fore:gn general Sir, I c may e pe r haps testimony b e e f c b o e u en ntri m es an th if e ' r e e t h d ave ie been remarkable in emonstrations of e le d as th th e e int erest ev e nt of the ( tO C h a e fr e a r c s t ) —a tm r a r s e im fe i r La is r character—(Cheers)—a n d considered to to which the United Kingdom than it does Europe and the world at l arge . (Cheers.) Sir, I believe it is without precedeet that the National Assembly of France agreed to enter the words of its Presideot upon their minutes to testify its respect for the character and ' sorrow at the death of a British statesman.—(Cheers.) Thereore, viewing these circum , tences known to all and felt by all, I cannot but believe that this House, which has so often witnessed the exercise of those great abilities with which he was endowed, will be also sextons to place on reco►d some perrnamout tes timony of its respect for his worth and virtues. Sir, in having stated these matters, it now remains to be consi dered in what way that testimony shad be conveyed. I have referred to the proposal I made for a public funeral, which we: at once declined by a Right Hon. Gentleman who was a near friend and coadjutor of the deceased Right Hon. Genslemae, and who informed the House that the late Sir Robert Peel had male a special request that his funeral should be private, — (Hear, hear.) Of course I cannot think that in the present instance such public acts will apply as were accorded by this House to testify its respect for the memory of Mr. Perceval.— (Hear, hear.) It would be remembered that the House agreed to make some provision for the family of thatigreat men who had been so distinguished in his public services. There remains, therefore, only what I mean to propose —a public monument—by which we can show, or en deavour to show, our sense of the loss we have sus tained. Perhaps I may in this place state that her Majesty,having been anxious to show the sense the Crown entertains of the services rendered to the state by Sir Robert Peel, desired me to inform Lady Peel that her Majesty was anxious to bestow on her the same rank as was bestowed on the widow of Mr. Canning.— (Cheers.) I received an answer from Lady Peel, which I immediately communicated to her Majesty, and that answer was, that it was her own wish to bear no other name than that by which Sir Robert Peel was known.—(Bear, hear.) Lady Peel has intimated that there is a special direction which has been left for his family by Sir Robert Peel, that he desires that no one of his family will accept any title or public reward in respect of any services which he may be supposed to have rendered.—(Loud cheers.) This is a stronger reason why this House should desire that some testimo nial should remain by which this House at le sat may testify its feeling with respect to an event so sudden, and a calamity so great. I do not mean to enter into any notice of the services of Sir Robert Peel, or of the measures of which he was the mover. I think it far better that I should refer to the example which he lately gave in the Commission which has been directed by her Majesty to consider the mode in which the arts may be made to contribute to the ornament of the House of Commons with respect to the staotes that are to be placed there. A committee of that Commission, composed of persons belonging to different creeds, have considered that the two men who ought to have statues erected to their memory there should be John Hampden and Lord Falkland. I imagine that what there gentleman who were on the C immission felt was that they were both men, who, by their splendid talents, and by their own virtues, adorned the age in which they lived, and that however different their rank, however various their talents, they were only animated by the love of their country.—(Hear, hear.) Let us not wait till a long period has elapsed before we take occasion of doing honour to the departed statesman ; let us do now what was not done till two centuries after the time of Hamp den and Lard Falkland. What I propose to do is to follow the precedent adopted in the case of Lord Chatham. When he died Co onel Bsrro moved that a public funeral should take place in honour of his memory. A gentleman who was then in office in the Administration, to which Lord Chstham was at that time opposed, suggested that it would be better to have a monument erected to his memory. That suggestion was immediately assented to by the House, and Lord North, then the Prime Minister, who came into the House before the debate was closed, gave to it his concurrence. It is, perhaps, a remarkable thing with regard to that event, that Colonel 13vri (6 who made it had been himself at one time opposed as strongly as any politician could be to the opinions of Lord Chatham. It is another remarkable circumstance that Colonel Birr4 was introduced to Lord Chatham, and made some apology for the severe language he had applied to him, when Lord Chatham said he himself had used equally harsh language to Sir Robert Walpole, and he (Lord Chatham) was far from resenting any language which had been applied to him by Colonel Barre. I think that the conduct of Col. Barrb showed that on an occasion of this kind we should rather en deavour to forget for the time that natural encounter which the great interests of the country requires us at other times to enter into, and that we should endeavour to show, when we seek to bestow on the man who has devoted his talents to the service of the country, that it is not the time to consider his peculiar opinions or senti ments—(Hear, hear)—but rather that we should en deavour to show that we participate in the general feeling of regret which pervades all classes through out the country on this melancholy event. The House then went int•; Committee on the motion of the Noble Lord, and on Mr. BERNAL putting the question it was agreed to in silence. NEW WRIT FOR TAMWORTH. Mr. GOULBURN then moved that a new writ be issued for the borough of Tamworth, in the room of the late Sir Robert Peel.—Agreed to. SUPPLY. The order of the day for going into Committee of Supply was then read. On the question that the Speaker do leave the chair, Mr. S. CRAWFORD roe to call the attention of the House to petitions presented on behalf of the depositors in the Rochdale Savings Bank, with reference to losses sustained by means of the defalcations of the late actu ary of that batik. Those peitioners represented that msny persons had deposited their savings in the Roch dale Savings Bauk, with the view of making provision for their maintenance in old age; that by the defalcations of the ac tuary their property had been to a great extent lost; and that neither the Government nor the trustees could bo made responsible for the defalcations. The petitioners complained that there bad been a want of proper care in the management of the bank, and that sufficient guarantees had not been required from the T fliers. They further stated, that although sub,crip , ions had been raised by benevolent individuals .to cover the defalcations to the amount of about 17,0001., there would still remain a deficiency of 9,4001.; and; they prayed qthe House to take measures for the relief of the depositors. He would remind the House that the influence of the higher classes had, in many cases, been exercised to induce the working classes to invest their savings in t e savings banks, and the children iu the Sunday and other schools were taught to deposit their halfpeanies and pennies weekly in these banks. He thought a strong precedent was afforded for consenting to the request of the peti tioners by the course which had been taken by Govern ment with regard to the Eseihequer-bills forgery in 1842. The State m ide good th .se defalcations to a very large amount ; and he called upon the G tvernment t treat the rich aed the poor in the same manner. He maintained that the depositors had a claim I.n the jus tice of the House; and he begged to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intended to propose any measure to Parliament for the relief of depositors who had suffered in such cases ? Ile trusted the Right Hon. Gentleman would nit refuse his acquiescence to some measure for their relief.—(Hear.) The CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER replied. that he was certainly not premed to take upon himself t propose any motion to the House for indemnifying the persons to whom the Him. Member had referred for the losses they had sustained. The subject was under investigation by a Committee of that House, and till the Committee had made theitereport he thought the Govern• meet ought not to give any opinion on the matter. Ia reply to a question from Mr. V. SMITH, as to the progress that had be...n made with the estimates, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the whole of the Ordnance estimates had been voted. There vvere ab ut six votes at the end of the navy esti mates which remained to be taken, the remainder of the navy estimates having been voted. Votes on account only had been taken for the whole of the army esti mates; and votes •on account had also been taken for the civil contiegencieT, and the whole of the paper No. 3, fir civil services. The estimates in papers No. 1,2, and 4, had ben vet, d, with the exception of eight votes, including those tor Buckingham Palace, the Board of Trade, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, public works in Ireland, secret service, and the National Gallery in Edinburgh. He proposed to proceed to-night with the remaining civil service estimates, and afterwards to take the postponed rotes. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY had teen requested by seve ral persons who hat come to town as deputations on the subject of savings batiks, to inquire a hether it was the intention t f the Government to proceed with the Savings Banks Bill this session. Tile CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER replied that as many objections had been taken to the measure, he wished to give Hon. Members an opportunity of ex pre.,sing their opinions on the subject. He, therefore, intended to take a discussion on the second reading of tha Bill at a morning sitting early in the week after xt. Tioe course he would ultimately take with regard to the metsure would be very much decided by what rook plie9 on that occa.ion, but he hoped it might be possible to pass the Bill this session. EXFIIBITION OF 1851. Colonel SIB £UORP then proceeded, pursuant to no tice, to call the attention of the House to a copy of a letter from the Commissioners t f Woods, &c., to the Lords of the Treasury, on the subject of the ground ap propriated for the site of the exhibition of 1851. He said that very great excitement existed in the public mind with regard to the of the proposed exhibition, and there appeared to be a general feeling of dislike—he would almost go so far as to use the term " disgust"— with respect to the proceedings of the Government on the subject. Many pe pie in the country concurred with him iu thinking that there never was a greater humbug, fraud, and injustico than the contemplated exhibition of 1851. The Commissioners scarcely knew what was to be done to provide funds for paying the expenses of the exhibition. When he had complained that trees were about to be cut down in Hyde-park, preparatory to the erection of a building, the Government and the Attor ney-General gave very evasive replies to the questions put to them on the subject by himself and other - Heti. Members. The letter to which his notice referred stated that the Queen had given her consent that the Commis sioners should be allowed to take possession of the ground in the park required for the building. Now, that letter was dated the 15th of June, and some ten days ago they were told by the Attorney-General that he believed her Ma jesty would give her consent to the occupation of that site. It appeared, then, from this let er that when that answer was given by the Attorney-General, the Queen had already signified her consent. His (Colonel Sib thorp's) belief was, however, that her Majesty had never been consulted on the subject. The proceeding of the Commissioners was a gross attack upon the rights of public property. It was said that 60,000/. would be raised by subscriptions to meet the expense; but an 7 2 1n 40 i 70 e 0 n o t i. a w r o c u h l i d t ect be r h e a: a r t e ol d df r h m tb e b t n h d t n n g o ; t a l e n s d s t t h b n n Twhhoe wag o rs ova n l ( ? ) pay the not, e r h money, aa be e been and t l a d s t t o hcata t thr h ee e ti hreo materials photi lholre of ri labourers the question. t , th a e n c d ing fn• it, that was out of th e i y ts r h e a tu d P up and see th g e s 'e fa x s b o li.bei t t h i o a l( t 1 .A t h el ya uo might They g u p h n ) a tr y e during their absence? What woald mi be come is— . of bw w e o e would able savinget a to k take o takem come up But th e who has. gtirteyaatnnldunitroodpeositL—of(Ltahuegbutenrslspepceurnbga v s te t t b im o sof th is Commis sioners would look after it.—(Great laughter.) p What, too, would become of our mechanics? They would ' suc cumb to the foreigner, fur foreign goods " cheap and nasty " would be brought over, and, because they were foreign, would be b )ught.—(Hear, and laughter.) God grant that something would happen to prevent that which be believed would be prejudicial to the best in terests of the country taking place; and he felt confi dent the p e ople of England would rejoice at it. He thereforete po called e upon the people to unite either in an ad dress to her Majesty or in a petition, before it was too late, to prevent such a subversion as he believed the ex. hibition would bo of the best intereeti of the country. The subject then dropped. BORNEO. Mr. HUME then said he had to bring forward a sub ject connected with the cause of humanity and the cha racter of this country. He rose to move an Address to her Majesty to appoint a Royal Commission t i inquire into the causes which hal led, since the 3 ear 1841, to the employment of the naval and military forces of her Majesty and the lion. East India Company on the north western coast of the island of Borneo, and which re sulted in a heavy loss of life on the part of certain native tribes of that island, called Ssrebie and Sakarran, re puted to be pirates. In a dispatch of Captain Parker, dated the 27th of June, 1849, he detailed the proceed ings with her Majesty's ships of war in attacking the natives on the went coast of Borneo, whom he desig nated pirates. Upwards of 1,500 natives were killed in the action, and more than 1.000 were destroyed after the action, without the loss f one man on the part of the troops. It was extraordinary that her Majesty's troops and the East India Company's forces should be employed to carry destruction and death to such un extent without the House being' able to know in what character the interference was to be considered. Ho was aware that the attack was stated to have been against pirate; but no act of piracy was proved against those who were massacred, as he thought, in cold blood. What right had we to deal thus with these natives? for that they had intermeddled with us there was no proof. In 1843 some of her Ma jesty's ships had destroyed various Dyak towns, and he wanted to know under what authority that aegressien was perpetuated. In 1844 Sir H. Pottinger had ad dressed a letter to Sir T. Cochrane desiring him not to attack alleged pirates, as there was the greatest diffi culty, on account of their not being acquainted with the language, in ascertaining who were or were not pirates; and, although that was apparently limited to the coast of China, directions were given to her Majesty's ships in those seas not to attack alleged pirates, unless it was known that they had committed an act of piracy, or in structions were given by au admiral on the station. He had no doubt there were some pirates, but they were few; whilst it was very doubtful whether her Majesty's ships had not destroyed some of the ro y a l fl eet o f China. But, notwithstanding the directions which had been given to her Majesty's ships, on the 31st of July last a squadron under Captain Parker, and acting under the orders of Sir J. Brooke, did attack a fleet of the B'rnese. and Sir C. Rowlinson, Chief Justice of Prince Edward's Island, said that not one single person was brought before the Court to prove that any act of piracy had been committed by the persons who were so attacked. Sir C. Itawlinson issued a commission to determine whether the persona massacred were pirates, and the commission was addressed to Sir J. Brooke, the individual who had perpetrated the massacre. Sir J. Brooke alleged that he acted under the orders of Sir F. Collier, but he (Mr. Humo) had vainly endeavoured to obtain a cony tit those orders from the Government. He was informed that Sir F. Collier had, in a letter, expressed disapprobation of the transaction, and re ferred to the persons destroyed as" alleged" pirates. It was not his intention to deny that some of the men killed were pirates. A party had gone eastward on a piratical expedition; but they were not engaged in acts of piracy against the English. They had been plundered a few years ago by the party against whom they sailed. It was not his intention to jus tify plundering expeditions under any circum stances; but he did not approve of the inter ference of British ships between native tribes. On the return of the expedition it was attacked and destroyed by our ships of war. (Hero the Hon. Member gave a description of the attack upon the pirates, and the pro ceedings subsequently adopted by the British forces, the details of which have already been more than once givea to the public. He also read extracts from a work pub lished by a Mr. Low, in 1848, and from a journal writ ten by Mr. Brooke in 1840, with the view of showing that the inhabitants of the western coast of Borneo were a comparatively inoffensive race of people.) Of these transactions there were other accounts than those to which he had called the attention of the House; he held in his hand the account of Mr. Vigors, who accom panied the expedition; and he described the English farces as having been for a very considerable tune in ambush, where they remained in position till the end of the month, when, at seven o'clock in the evening, a spy-boat returned with the long-wished for in telligence that the pirates were at length within their power. The Nemesis immediately attacked the enemy, which speedily fell an easy prey, grape and ca nister having been discharged with fearful effect; and after all this Sir J. Brooke was called upon by the judge to prove the commission of acts of piracy, and he did so by his own affidavits. At present there was a gentle man in London prepared to contradict the statements that had been made in extenuation of the conduct of Sir J. Brooke, and who wrote to Lord J. Russell and to the late Sir Robert Peel, the latter of whom, in his reply, said he trusted that the Govern ment would make an immediateinquiry into the circumstances referred to by the writer of the letter in the paper which he had addressed to the First Lord of the Treasury, but that he (Sir It. Peel) should, for his own part, feel bound to suspend his judg ment on the proceedings of Sir James Brooke until all the facts were fully brought under the notice of Parlia ment. Now, there was nothing before the House, nor in any papers or documents accessible to him, which went to show that the naval officer on this station had not acted without orders. He contended that to massacre these people was not only barbarous and inhuman, but it was inconsistent with the law of nations and of treaties. He thought he had said enough to show that some inquiry was-necessary, and he hoped that the Government would direct their attention to the subject. He held that these so called pirates had no m .re right to be hunted as they had been, and put to death, than he had, for though they bad been carrying on war against other tribes in the same islands, they had dons n 'thing to justify their being proceeded against as pirates. The lion. Gentle man the Member for West Surrey (Mr. H. Drummond) ha i alluded on a former occasion to Mr. Wise. Mr. DRUMMOND—I did not name him. Mr. IlliME—Mr.Wise was a political agent, and when he saw the accounts in the new-papers on this subject he was astonished. He wrote to Lord John Russell, but though that letter had been asked for it had not been produced. lie also wrote to Sir R. Peel, vt ith whom much correspondence took place on the subject of the settlement of the Island of Labuan, and this was the answer of that eminent statesman:— an : y y vet proof o n f y o f acts i nformation, of piracy, fotlwrdhlohlaeomesswuaetnerlotdd:::ehasuorz.ipsonztgiattashrlit t e d t r 2 u o t " Whitehall, Nov. 28, 1849. " Sir,—l thank you for the communication with which you have favoured me. I trust that her Majesty's Govern ment will feel it to be their imperative duty to in ike an immediate and complete inquiry into those circumstances which have induced you to address yourself to the First Lord of the Treasury. I read with great pain the a -.. count of the transactions to which you refer, but shall suspend a final judgment upon the proce, dings adopted by Sir James Brooke against some of the Dyaks in Bor neo until fuller explanations with regard to them be given.-1 am, Sir, your obedient servant. (Signed) "R. PEEL. " Henry Wise, E!q , 34, Cornhill." He had waited in vain to obtain the dispatches under which Captain Far quhar acted, and as fir of they had t he had acted without orde re. Ile held, th it without e , pj O r s hoi o h . vna : Bed w ra p r sn e o b o o t anduehkeenale had b, en destroyed, arid that not only on board their t l y r .0 of flume) ay.ii people h i sincems himself of every yaonpdp opportunity p iwn r i att honiedt i hh n o ,ht to oab u ni t i , e t ora h fi tg e he y h ata l had trthytaihnt eg b hi r e e e ° tun ( against such proceedings on the part of any representa tive o b ff ou dn n d d in to g of this country. If these prahus Lad intfere, wi:h our commerce, or attacked our vessels, he cr could understand that there m•ght have been some justifica tion fur the course Sir J. Brooke h a d ta k en, but thus to follow up and destroy a people who were afraid of the sound of fire-arms reflected anything but honour to this country. The lion. Member concluded by moving his amendment as above stated. Mr. COBDEN seconded the motion. Mr. PLO WDEN felt he should not discharge his pub lic duty if he were deterred by private considerations from bringing before the House any i n f ormat i on a hial his acquaintance with the Indian seas enabled him to furnish, and this he felt to be the more necessary when he recollected that an honourable and gallant profession had been spoken of with extreme and entirely unde served harshness, and that another distinguished indi vidual had been charged cith offences amounting to murder, although his exertions had been of tte most praiseworthy character, full of patriotic zeal for the public service and of the noblest exertions to improve the commerce of England. Such a man must be re garded as a great public benefactor. He had himselF, in the voyages which he made, frequently visited the Indian Archipelago, and he could of his own knowledge state that all those coasts were infested with pirates of the most sanguinary character. Nothing but the fear of European power restrained them from continued acts of the utmost enormity. Although the vessels in which he sailed were of that great size which rendered an attack of Bornean pirates not likely to succeed, they nevertheless found it necessary to maintain a constant watch during the whole of that which had, owing to those pirates, been rendered a most intricate and dangerous navigation. If by any accident a vessel struck upon a coral reef, she was immediately attacked, and such would always be the case so long as those men were allowed to exist. As to the conduct of Sir James Brooke, he must say that nothing could be more incon sistent with the character for humanity which he had always borne than to suppose that he had sanctioned any acts of cruelty whatever. There were several papers before the House which showed clearly that these Dyaks were guilty of the most enormous crueltfee and if any further proof of this were required he might call their at tention to observations and statements upon this euhject which appeared in a journel called the Frisndof Lydia, where the writer complained of the proceedings of the Ale )rigines Pretection Society, the members of which had endeavoured to get up an outcry against Sir James Brooke on account of the well-merited chastisement which ho intl c•ed on pirates, who, if al lowed to continue their depredations, would soon put an end to the peaceful pa rsii:ts of industry. The Friend of L•dia further proceeded to say, that it was necessary for England to teach that piratical community a lesson which neither they nor their descendants would readily forget. The English were the paramount naval power in the east, and the commerce of that district looked to us for protection. England maintained the maritime police of those se a ‘ ; a distinguished individual had greatly contributed t 3 the success of that police, and now, instead of crowning him with a wreath of honour, they were threatening him with a prosecution. If civilization and commerce were to be extended and promoted in the eastern seas, the best mode of effecting these objects would be by putting down with a strong arm the pi ratical tribes who infested those sea'.—(!tear, hear.) Away, then, with the sentimentality which was enlist ing the mind and feelings of Englishmen against in dividuala who, i n the discharge of a etern and painful, but necessary duty, were endeavouring to estat , lish peace, order, and prosperity in the Eastern Archipelago. Mr. HENRY DRUMMOND had never seen Sir James Brooke, and when he heard the attacks upon him he was greatly surprised. But an Hon. Gentleman op posite having expressed a wish that he should look into the subject, he had done so, with what result the House should heir. It appeared to be denied by Hon. Mem bers opposite that these natives were pirates at all. Now, all the authorities concurred in saying that the people of all these seas were nothing but pirates, end never had been anything but pirates. But, as Hon. Members opposite c 'red little for the authorities on this point, he wished to remind them that the Chambers of Commerce at Manchester and Glasgow had never left off teizing the Government until they had esta blished these two settlements.—(" Hear, hear," from Mr. Hume.) Ho begged pard in; don't let the Honourable Member ba rash; the impetuosity of youth was very great.—(A laugh.) These commercial bodies especially asked for the establishment of these settle ments, on the ground that they were necessary to suppress piracy in those seas where it was now said by Hon. Gentlemen opposite there was no piracy at all. The Manchester Chamber of Commerce declared that the settlement at Labuan would be a terror to the pirates, and the Manchester Commercial Association followed in the sane strain, representing that Labuan would be a coma anding point for the suppression of piracy. The Glasgow Chamber of Commerce spoke of the necessity of occusying Labuan in order to suppress the Malay pirates. The tilesgow East India Association declared that mea sures ought to be taken for the suppression of the piracy that had so long prevailed in those seas.—(He ir, hear.) Oh! they admitted now, did they, that piracy did exist in these seas? The Landon and Liverpool East India Associations made the same representations. It had been said that Mr. Wise had seen reason to change his opi nion of Sir J. Brooke, but he would show that Sir J. Brooke discarded Mr. Wise long before that, and that this circumstance was at the bottom of the whole story. It was necessary the House should bear in mind that everything done by Sir J. Brooke in the suppression of piracy was in virtue of a treaty.—(Hear.) The third article of the treaty with the Sultan of Borneo distinctly stated that in consideration of the cession of Labuan, the English Government engaged to suppress piracy, the Sultan and the chiefs affording them every facility therein.—(Hear.) It was said that these persons were not committing any piratical acts; but the answer to that assertion was, that the judge before whom the case was tried remitted the hearing because there was not evidence enough. Witnesses were then brought who were parties in piratical acts M the time.—(Hear, hear.) Now, the Hon. Gentleman said that the House ought to believe him, and not the parties who were en gaged in these ACES.—(Elear, hear.) He had received f his perusal the journal of a boy who was engaged in the expedition against these pirates, and which went to establish the same facts. But then they were told that it was cruel to attack these people with 9 pounders. But if they were pirates it was right to destroy them, and so much the better if they hart been 24 pounders. It was Mr. Wise who was the teal author and instigator of this Aborigines Protection Society, and who had got up this public company that Sir James Brooke blew up. And that was the cause of the antipathy of the Hon. Member for Glasgow (Mr. Macgregor). He (Mr. Wise) had teazed Sir J. Brooke from beginning to end of their connexion in order to draw him into a commer cial speculation. But Sir J. Brooke continually refused, and the real charge against him was that he cauld not be brought into the scheme. They wished to get possession of the whole territory that was ceded. Mr. MACGREGOR—I rise to order.—(A laugh.) The Hon. Member has linked my name with Sir J. Brooke, with whom I never had the smallest con nexien.—(A laugh,) The SPEAKER—The Hon. Member will have an opportunity of replying afterwards. Mr. DRUMMOND had before him the prospectus of this " Esst'rn Archipelago Company," in which the names of the directors were printel in Saxon cha racters ; arid here, in double Roman capitals, was the name of John Macgregor, Esq , M.P., chairmen."— , (Cheers and laughter.) He had before him the letters of Mr. Wise to Sir J. Brooke, with whom he was a partner for a time. Mr. Wise, in these letters wrote to Sir J. (then Mr.) Brooke to say that he hoped to obtain a baronetcy for him—(A laugh)—in acknow ledgment of his efforts in the cause of civilization. Mr. Wise was indefatigable in endeavouring to tempt Mr. Brooke to engage in commercial speculations, which Mr. Brooke felt to be incompatible with his habits, with his objects in settling there, and with his duty to the Go vernment at home.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member proceeded to read quotations from Mr. Wise's letters, to sstalil.sh this point. In one letter Mr. Wise said there would be no limit to Mr. Brookes' 'gains if he could get the fee simple of Sarawak assigned to him, but that he perceived his reasons' for steering clear of partnership transactions. These letters were written before July, 1844. In 1845 it appeared that Mr. Wise "commenced proceedings fur the establishment of the Borneo Com p iny."—(Hear, hear.) Was he (Mr. Drummond) right or wrong when he said that to this gentleman was to be attributed the whole origin of that company? But he did more. Captain Keppel, it appeared, published a book containing an account of his operations on the coast of Borneo, and off went this indefatigable Mr. Wise to the publisher, got hold of the work, suppressed the first volume altogether, and put forth some writings of his own instead, which would go to the world as the work of Captain Keppel.—(A laugh.) What he wanted to im press on the House was this—that Mr. Wise throughout redettv, tired to hock Sir James Brooke into a partner ship, and that the latter steadily r►fused to be led into any such project. The Hon. Member, reverting to the documents before him, read extracts at considerable length from the letters of Mr. Wise to Sir J. Brooke, in which the advantages of a commercial alliance were strongly insistfd on, and great stress laid on the per 'anal attachment of the writer to the Raja. Mr. Wise stated that " he had finished the revision and arrange inent of Keepers book, the publication of which he trusted Mr. Brooke would find conducive to his in eres's in its altered form." He begged of Mr. Brooke •' Not to hazard his valuable life in operations on the coast—he held Mr. Brooke's posthumous fame dear to him—acknowledged his disregard of money, and had ever been animated by a wish to omit no opportunity of sersing him." In fact, every attempt had been made to get Sir J. Brooke to, act as the agent of this company, and, on his refusing to do so, they had used every effort to malign his conduct and character.—(Rear.) Mr. Wise continued to say that if he had not stopped the first edition of Keepers book, and the correspondence with the Foreign-office, he doubted if Mr. Brooke would have been in his present high position, and that the assurance he had given that the company should receive every support he could "lawfully" afford them had been laid t,e'ore the. board, and was fully appreciated. He (Mr. Drummond) thought the House had heard enough of Mr. Wise and of his assiduity. It was not a pleasant ',feed at any time to expose misconduct, and he should turn with pleasure to the much more grateful task of showing to the Government and to the country the real sentiments of the man they had employed, to prove to them how worthy he was of their confidence—to satisfy them what a noble public servant they had got, and to encourage the Government to repel the slaudere which sad been heaped upon him.—(Cheers.) (The Hon. Member then proceeded to read extracts from the cor respondence of Mr. Brooke with Mr. %Vise, in which he distinctly stated and reiterated his objections to the establishment of any large commercial company, and declared ho believed speculations of the kind would be injurious to the country; that ho did not wish to embark iu them, and that " his great desire was to be clear from trade and from responsibility," as his habits, tastes, education, and life, had not suited him to em bark in such pursuits. The operations of any large company must interfere with the natives, and be discou raged "any plan which might be based for its success on the destruction of the native population.'—(Hear.) After the prospectus of the Eastern Archipelago Company had been actually published, Sir J. Brooke wrote to Mr. Wise to say he had just seen it, and that he thought it right to remind Mr. Wise that he (Sir J. Brooke) had told him there was no part of the country in which there was security for life and property except in Sarawak, and that as to the third paragrape of the prospectus, it would give the people to understand that the Sultan of B irneo had given the company the exclu sive right of working the coal mines for 150 miles, whereas be had merely given them the right to work the mines, and did not at all justify them in infringing on the rights of the owners of the soil. Sir J. Brooke concluded by expressing his belief that his re fusal to join the company would be found not only of great advantage to their interests, but to his own good name. He thought he had said enough to show that the Government bad a most valuable servant in Sir J. Brooke—(Hear, hear)—that they could not entrust their business to a more faithful and honest man. But this indefatigable Mr. Wise, understanding what a country this was for humbug, and seeing how easy it was to work on the feelings of the pious, said, after some re ference to the instability of the then Administration, and some complaint of systematic shuilling on the part of the Government in being handed over from one depart ment to another, that he was convinced their only chance was in their own exertions, and in organizing an agitation on the Manchester plan; that be was considering the best means of doing so; and that, aided by the press and Members of both Houses of Parlia ment, as well as by rousing the apathy of the religious world—(Hear)—the Government would be compelled to, bestir themselves.—(Hear, hear.) He added that he was now "stirring up the Philanthropic Society"—(A laugh) —and urged that no element of agitation should be allowed to lie dormant, and that all parties and all creeds should partake of the proposed movement. Ac cordingly out came a thundering prospectus from the Peace and Aborigines Protection Societies, stating that the Dyaks were never known as pirates till Sir J. Brooke described them as such. Mr. James Bell, a treasurer of the Aborigines Protection Society, had written a letter, in which it was said the movement against Sir J. Brooke originated solely with the Peace and Aborigines Protec tion Societies. That was what was called a religious socie.y. A clever and able agent so long as he was the fiith'ul agent of Sir James Brooke, Mr. %Vise was as indef.aßible in the line he bad since taken. It had been shown that he was at the bottom of the Peace and Abori gines Protection Societies' movements; that he had sup plied every particle of the information on which Hon. Gentlemen opposite reli. d; a proof that " Dsath has no pangs like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a trader spurned." —(Cheers end laughter.) Mr. MACGREGOR rose to explain that he had only become the Chairman of the B rneo Company after going over the matter with Captain Keppel and others who were mainly interested; that they had confined their exertions to the raising of coals, and that the com pany's means bad always been sufficient to meet the claims upon it. Mr. BAILLIE COCIIRANE bore testimony t) the high and honourable, chivalrous, and noble charact' r of Sir James Brooke, whose only desire was to prcceed in a philanthropic spirit, and act with justice towards those over whom he was placed. It was somewhat ro markab!e, he thought, that when Sir James Brooke re— turned to England, after an absence of nine years, he was received with enthusiasm by thoss very Gentlemen, some of whom he saw opposite, who now brought all sorts of charges against him. Those lion. Gentlemen waited until Sir James Brooke had left this country to make those attacks against him of which previously there bad not been a whisper. Addressing himself more immediately to the subject under discussion, the Hon. Gentleman contended that our treaty with the Netherlands in 1824 made it obligatory on us to aid in the suppression of piracy in the Eastern Archipe lago; and the very object in view in stationing our ships on that coast was to suppress such piracy. So far from Sir Thomas Cochrane and Sir W. Parker considering that Sir James Brooke was an unfit person for the po,i tion he held, it wis known that when that individual became Raja of Sarawak they contemplated recom mending that the whole of that country should be placed under his con rol in lieu of the Sultan. In the absence of Sir James Brooke, he thought it savoured somewhat of inhumanity to attribute to him mere motives of plunder; and it was equally unjust to impute such motives to the British t. He trusted the members of the Peaca Society would exhibit a sufficient sense of justice not to repeat that charge again, and that even the Hon. Member for the West Riling woul,l r•luder justice to the high and noble character of the distinguished officer whose acts had been call into question. Colonel THOMPSON obierved that no contradiction had yet been essayed to the simple assertion of the Ho nourable Member for Montrose, that the men whose blood we had paid for were not pirates, and that every proof had failed to show they were pirates. The pro ceedings which it pleased some to call piracy were in testine wars, carried on between various native tribes, and there was a total lack and absence of evidence to show these men were pirates in any sense in which an English statesman could have a right to interfere. It was said that Sir Christopher Rawlinson had given a de cision that these men were pirates. He (Colonel Thompson) regretted that the present transition state of the Government did not permit them to have a law officer in the House to offer an opinion on the point—(A laugh)—but he believed the Bishop of Calcutta quite as much entitled to deliver such a judgment as Sir Chris topher Rawlinson, whose functions ought to have been confined to the collection of evidence. No evidence had been adduced proving these men to have been pirates. He asked, therefore, of the House an impartial consi deration of the case; and from the hostile verdict of that House he was prepared to appeal to the verdict of the country. Sir H. VERNEY quoted from the Singapore Free Press, to prove the existence of piracy in this quarter of the world, and cited the cases of two vessels laden with sago, and on their way to Singapore, which had been plundered. He also referred to the previous testi mony of Sir Stamford Raffi.-s, to establish the fact of piracy in this particular region. This country had never been served by a more discreet and judicious officer than Sir James Brooke had proved himself to be; and the statt>ments of the Honourable Member for Montrose with respect to him, although not founded on intentional were certainly founded in complete error. He therefore desired that a declaration should go forth to the world that the House of Commons were unanimous in their approval of the conduct of Sir James Brooke throughout the whole of these transactions. Colonel RAWDON thought it unnecessary to add a single word to the already complete defence which the proceedings of Sir James Brooke had called forth. Sir R. H. INGLIS observed that this was not a question of cant and hypocrisy, as had teen asserted, but a question involving the character of one of the ablest, most gallant, .and humane men who ever exercised authority in any foreign country in the name of the people of England—(Rear. hear)—and be could not refrain from expressing his strong feelings in defence of such a man. What better evidence of the existence of piracy in these seas could be procured than the deposi tions either of the witnesses to the acts of piracy or the victims of them?—(Hear.) When it was contended that this piracy had not been committed on British subjects, he only wished:that Captain Aaron Smith could burst in upon the House as he had upon the peace meeting.— (A laugh.) He thought the conduct of Sir Janes Brooke had reflected honour on the name of England; and he felt it a privilege to be able to call himself the friend of a man so distinguished.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. COBDEN observed that a great deal had been said about the transactions of Sir James Brooke, and about his correspondence with Mr. Wise, and about other matters referring to the personal character of Sir James Brooke. Now, he did not at all know that Sir James Brooke . was responsible for the massacres men tioned by his Honourable Friend tho Member for Mon trose, for it was essential to know what were the instruc tions of Captain Parker. ills Honourable Friend had moved for a copy of the instructions of Sir Francis Collier; the House ordered the return, but the Govern ment had not furnished it; and he therefore wanted to know why these men had been massacred, who mas sacred them, and who was to be held responsible for the act? He very much suspected that Sir Francis Collier would have agreed with the views entertained by his (Mr. Cobden's) friends with regard to these transac tions; and he called upon the Right Hon. Gentleman (Sir F. Baring) to be explicit on the subject. When that Right Hon. Gentleman brought in his Bill for the repeal of the Head Money Act, he said ho had received a communication from Sir F. Collier, recommending al• terations in the system. Now, he should tike to befur nished with that communication, in order to see what Sir F. Collier's opinions on the subject really were, Well, the Head Money Bill was repealed; but if these men were r: ally pirates, he (Mr. Cobden) could not con ceive a time when a head-money Act was necessary. And yet no soocer did the Government receive intelli gence of the massacre of some 1,000 or 1,500 Dy aks, than ore of the first measures of the Governmt nt in the month of February, was to repeal the Act awarding head-money for the destruction of pirates. Now, he asked the Government why, immediately on the reas sembling of Parliament, they had asked for a repeal of this Act, if sonsethitig had not been going on on the coast of Borneo, for which head-money was to be paid? The Head Money Act of 1825 bad reference to piracy in the Carribean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and was passed in order to incite our navy to increased efforts for the suppression of that piracy. But the parties called pirates on the coast of Borneo hat no sort of resem blance to the pirates of the Gulf of Mexico and the Car ribean Sea. The Hon. Member for Newport (Mr. Plow den) in attempting to prove piracy in the Italtan Archi pelago, was out of his reckoning by 500 miles as to the place where the proceedings had actually occurred. The Government, it was said, had a detonder in the Singapore Free Press ; but the Dyaks, it appeared, had a f..ten,t in the other newspaper of that place. 'Co qu.te the opinion of Sir Stamford Raffles, given thirty-eight years ago, us an authority in this case, was an insult to the under standing of the House. They had been f need to bring in a Bill to give 25,0001. for the destruction of these 1,200 poor perioloi; fur there was nut the slightest evi dente to show that they were pirates.—(Hear, hear.) If they went 500 miles to the north, he would admit that they might met with many pirates. He admitted that the Malays, the inhabitants of Celebes, Soul to, and Ma cassar, and the S:raits of Malacca, were pirates, but he denied that the persons who hat been destroyed were ever convicted of any act such as was contemplated to be piracy when the Act passed.—(Hear, hoar.) The Hon. Member for Bedford, who folowed his Hon. and Gallant Friend, had quoted the in-t ence of a boat laden with provisions having been plundered on its way to Singa pore. It appeared that a boat laden with sago had been destroyed; but whether this had been done by the Dyaks or any other people did not appear, but the value of the cargo was estimated at only a few shillings. It ap peared that the Dyaks went on an exoedition to destroy Mateo, and they were repulsed with a loss of twelre men. What he complained of was of our naval forces being sent to destroy men merely for quar relling and going to war with their next neighbours. —(Hoar, hear.) This country had nothing to do with their going t) war with Matoo; we had nothing more to do with these people at Matoo than with any savage tribe on the coast of Africa. What would this country have thought if some most powerful nation came and made an attack upon us because, until lately, we had been for some centuries at war with France.—(Hear hear.) Such, however, was a case exactly analogous to that before the House. Lord Stanley, in his interpre tation of the minute, expressly stated that people should not be considered or treated as pirates, unless they at tacked ships under the British Wig. If any one could, show that the poor Dyaks had ever attacked any Eng lish vessel he would .give up tha whole case.-(Hear.) They had not only squandered away 25,0001. for the de struction of these men, but by their slaught e r th e y h a d succeeded in bringing diagrabe on the name of Engl end. He might be told that he was attacking the British navy. —Oren.) He denied there was any ground f ur such an assertion. Indeed he believed the Bill which had passed on the subject of pirates' heal-money had been brought in at the instigation of a naval officer, and it was recommended to the Admiralty by Admiral Collier himself.—(Hear, hear.) You bad insisted .on sending ships to attack these people with shots and shells, and a great number of boats had been destroyed with the people on board, and it did not appear that any of these were armed even wi:h a musket. By such proceedings not less than 1,500 persons had been destroyed ; and he considered and did not hasitato to call it a human balu. (dear, hear, and cries of Oh, oh.") He did not be lieve such a disgraceful occurrence had happened since the proceedings of Cortes in Mexico, where such un provoked massacres took place, and which could bring but little glory on the authors of such transactions. He did not charge the navy with these proceedings, as he believed Admiral Collier and other naval officers would not incur the responsibility of such acts without orders. —(Hear, hear.) Ire was not going to discuss Governor Brooke's transactions with Mr. Wise, for that matter had nothing to do with the question before the House. His Hon. Friend asked to have a Committee to inquire into the circumstances which attended the heavy loss of life and slaughter of parts of certain native tribes belong ing t i the northern parts of the island of Borneo, called Sarebas and Sakurran, and reported to be pirates; and her Majesty's Government met this motion by nar rating the quarrels which took place between Go• vernor Brooke and Mr. Wise. The circumstances as narrated did not reflect much credit on Go vernor Brooke, for Mr. Wise had been for fifteen years his confidential friend and adviser. Under such circumstances any attack on Mr. Wise must fell bask on Governor Brooke. When they came to the vote for the salary of Governor Brooke as Governor of Littman, it would be the proper time to consider his proceedings as the governor of that place. If there was any species of intervention which he condemned more than another, it was one for the destruction of pirates, because they were at war with their neighbours.—(Hear, hear.) Some. thing had been sail about the state of New Zt aland; but Captain Cook, who was a great man, did not act towards the natives of that place as Governor Brooke heel to wards the inhabitants of Borneo. Captain Cook found that the people there were not only savages and can 'libels, and described with horror the circumstance of their carrying about with them baskets o f human ulh ready for cut age Aethough two of the cre w of bistd':Pd had been tre ac h erous ly massacred by the natives, be not let lose upoc them his 32-poundere, hut P leee d the island a numter of domestic animals; been their rapid improvetreat since that time, that l a t . now promised to become a most distiliguished ee°P t They Lad been told that Governor Brooke wee a grf i e r, man because he bad destroyed these pirates, but be (7 /0 Cobden) regarded such proceedings with holler' a . thanked his Friend for notwithstandinght this qul e tion again before the 'tetras; and insinuations of the Hon. Member for Surrey , b sure the cs , Untry would also give him credit for bet a actuated by the purest motives in this as well as in We ether proceedings. and such hbrel., ado,F. BARING bad argued the question so rep Jo, telly before, and he had heard the same assertions nild so oft n, to there being no evidence, that he 01 1 12 , e d hardly have been induced to rise, bad he not been es the upon to do so by the Honourable Member. .A a s ne e flonoarable Gentlt man would hear him again, b e u° ,,, r e re the House would excuse him if he repeated the ae s //00 , which he had given on former occasions. T he me at Gentleman had asked how was it that the Govern had brought in a separate Bill regulating lion ef pirates' head-money, and thet it should ao be given to any until they had been proved to be Pil o . that Bill had nothing whatever to do with the trae _ re tion bJure the House, for it happened that that rtre:',gili had been under ct nsideration some time, and tb „ , ut which was drawn lest was to have been introduccddtuhat for circumstances thet then occurred. It haPP e ." use and roof co that a change took plaee in the Admiralty; quence of his Honourable Friend, then secretary laoi department, having quitted that office the Bill tea' 00 then brought in. —(Hear, hear.) There w as the for re , doubt that some reward should be give n tbe distritlshee destruction of pirates. If the House ga le me, wards for services in the navy, they mu st be i! but not only when there was a hard battle or figber'hieb also something must be given in transactions where might apparently require the same gallantry a ba „ t ee rolls the service was often of an arduous and u e- eapeve nature. The Hon. Gentleman said he did net " 0 be there was any resistance on the part of the pirate_rtio. cause no awe was killed on our side in the transit b a d This, however, was no answer to the case To r e " ass The _ ea t been put in defence of this proceeding• another circumstance which induced the G° retn c jisiel at once to proceed with the Bill alluded to—tbeeat, t he which suddenly came upon them to pay 100,0001. destruction of pirates. This appeared to be a ve r •;bieb siderable sum, and it added to the conviction are,r, already existed that th e l aw required revision :toiled hear.) It was quite tru e th at th a t gallant officer , A, h bid Collier, had held some privat e communications Wit that on this subject, and in which he said he thoughC/ the some alteration should be made in consequence,ebeed. large amount this country had to pay a , pi rates ere . money. The Hon. Memb e r for Montrose moved ,bo turn of the orders under which the officer set ° . 00 to had destroyed these pi r at es . He had no ohkeilirto to their production, but he had not been abl e hit': site; obtain a copy of them. They were not at the Adore to he had therefore w ritt en to Admiral C°l lie d died send them over ; that gallant officer, however, ( 1 : 1 6 044 before his letter r eac h e d hi m , an d some delay bet ° delis there fore, on thi s gro u nd. H e had also given direc eell that Captain F a rquh ar s h ou ld be written to for 8 ; of them, but he had left his ship when the er ( i l , e ar re' rived. It was quite clear that Captain Fnr c i ti earah l c h eoived orders under which he acted, and there co uld Cott no objection to produce them as soon as they procured. eot Mr. HUME asked whether Captain Farquhar be complained of these orders ? be ci Sir F. BARING replied that that gallant ° --e e e Te e not complained in the slightest degree:— (CheerteCiterr fa Hon. Gentleman had also written to big' '` e• ectibi t which lie charged him with having garbled a id e beg ging paper before it was laid before the HOUSE , ' .„7tSt him n,t to garble any more public doeumaatir r' (Laughter,) The Hon. Gentleman Said be e ol'e t Baring) had garbled information; but he had lQ ol the papers, and he could not find any ever for such an assertion.—(Bear, hear.) ace is asked the Hon. Member to point out the tes t a a . - r - bed which he had garbled papers, but the Hon. Me n :: LW. never done so; he (Sir F. Baring) supposed 1- 1 Gentleman was too wise to do so.—(Loud chsrte Mr. HUME said there were cases of the kin Sir F. BARING —Then why not point oat The 000. titular instance of the kind ?—(Hear, hear.) esettl a Gentleman who spoke last complained that they eople determine this question as to whether these %f o rd were pirates or nut, without referring to Sir S a t° , bad grouneilio bad Raffles, and other authorities. The Hon. Prie„ n3 „ we i leo3 ll° no business to interfere. Vas the Hon• si tl e ,;, - t aware that a specific treaty existed between 1 -Tr' A - pr tP° tain and the Government of the Netherlands` t l :earri stipulations of which both nations were bow; , e r t ool into effect ea arrangement Honress piraeY e l . ° 3 res t ' seas.—(Hear, hear.) The Gentleman • e a P t very differently from him on this subject; for nooks which he ha'l consulted, he found adot i n O n s the existence of piracy in these seas.—(lleart l' e ftalt e ", was surprised, also, that the Hon. Gentleman be ef ts' no notice of the extracts from th e re port of s ° °/ ,,, e b r i f at eommercial autherities, which the Hon. all i t ); Surrey had alluded to. lie (Sir F. Baring) uP the representations which hal been drawn sip Chambers Ow ° oa ho ri ,us of Commer c e i n diff eren t large t parts of th e em pi re , i n w hich the G C ote; earl went was called upon to protect th s e etheere'i merce of this country in those seasa-l'"ater Surely these persons might be assumed us beiegf th e tent to know the particular circumstances attend s commerce in those seas, and as to whether any r ' S 1 13° run from the atta c ks o f pi ra t es ?—(H o ar, hear.) (ford Government have repeatedly be e n called upeots: ' see.; protection, area put an dto the piracy ia e i i - els It was clear that the m e r c h an t s w h o were me he stert the Chambers of C o m merc e ra t Leeds, Mane earl' Glasgow, and other large towns, entertaine d IWO. ° different opinion from the Hon. Member. I° 5-- li e•• to this, there were parties who, from their 10 11 P5l the in these parts, might be supposed to be familiar V er e ; subject. The Government had received repeate-irainiee sentations from the merchants of Singapore coreP •ay/ A , o tF an attack I rt (Hear,e p h i ed r au a i rdp t . e ). snn not t n h heie t nF h tl o eri ne s o e edn s,trehoacisesdsme of foenst Member Singapore. being n p g ttohhr d aae r tt. ear j e rt i pe h e ti tif f,/ t h e pp 5 mg) in the r e o o s f t s i s re i o o n g in which they stated dep t r Singapore paper an address t. - 0 or' cants '' a e p n o e ,e, side or the other; but the per tb ganised system of piracy existed which sta w t a e s t tle)S h . o pof gerous to those seas, and which must at o no b e ad down to insure o nfideuce. Surely, it W i ll : fi A l ' mittei that those gentlemen must be what was taking place in their own neigbe.—/ te -1 hear.) Then, aga n, the Hon. Member g e es it all J. he call, d for was i nqu i ry. H a d t h e re net be betted iv try ?—(Elear, hear.) What could they hate oar than a plain and o p en Inquiry before an Bogg s ', '0; ee arid an English lawyer?—(Hear, bear.) It : 1 ; 1 '11 easy a matter to prove facts before them as ," ; 0e •,.0 . • to be thought in tho Hells° of Commons.—(beeee'o tbe'i In this case the judge was iv.t only satisfied te--000,' was the appearance of piracy, but that there we e 0 a e° piracy, and that there were many piratical Prlheersblei boats in those seas.—(Hear, Thompson) Ilia o° °°-- th e ' and Gallant Friend (Colonel ' had ten assured that the judg ) o he b opinion. It was true in the first in Stfi A n- 00 th(l Christopher Baelinson said he was not eatisfieuisd cote proof of piracy. If Honourable Gentlemen w°0;111°,, had I : ri te ban d ee d 6 11 1 ,1 suit the papers they would see that Sir Christoeh'2 Pe. linson said there was not sufficient evidence he' e se • g h; to satisfy his mind that these parties were Pire'aii therefore required further evidence. Further e h t• ii J . ; was brought before this learned judge wil e .° t ; e be er e' • Glared that ho was perfectly satisfied:—(t lee ' • f fr e Thus it appeared that they had the declarations ci a i be, Chambers of Commerce in this country, they 1 , 13 0 1' 0d e ' address of merchants residing in the neighbe et ' - fj er these people, and they had the decision of a e°, °l4 ,e o rCo ° l o , Lice which had carefully inquired into the whol e - D ee, stances of the case, and were satisfied as to thes e ,' tb„, e " being pirates; but they were told they must es ell-e e , cb there was not a tittle of evidence in support 0 ' "° assertion.—(Cheers.) e%T r 0 Sir E. COLEBROOKE wi s h e d mere bo lt of in a few words the reasons w hi c h wou ld indee e l e e i r 'y e support the motion of his Hon. Friend the Me° Sad,' Montrose; but in giving thi s vo t e h e k ne w he w e .' IV' against the general opinions of the Ho us e. tot e r plained of his Hon. Friend the Member er fo n r 97 Me ° Member for Bedford (Sir Harry tr °e :s 0 1 ( who with wa s hav e said there were no pirates m on the west e lf 43. Mr. L eo n . we His Hon. Friend spoke on the e mbol i el thatwell acquaintedpiracy s e a o r n a n w e a c h te , cl a n w d i with distinctlyoLabu snr $f au the was not - carried on by the inhabitant; ai e bi t ; westernfro ,fo. coast of Borneo. He had the extract ~,g 01,60 Lowe's work in his hand but it was unnee—edep, h him to detain the House by reading it, That g en a i Ba r also n stated that the pirates came from the north pa r " f e ee and the Sooloo Islands, and the neighbouriereee.lo, and made attacks upon the southern and western P a o te", that large island, and had even made attacks npo„oe. town of Borneo itself. The question 1 " - et ° real WS-9 A 0 e the persons who had been attacked and destroYe; tboo. really pirates. Personally be knew nothing Untried parts ; but he had read th e di a ries Of sb Mundy and Keppel, and the e v idence f arni p e by Sir J. Brooke, Mr. Wise, and Mr. Lowe. 001 conclusion he had come to was that the P e e e l ; who had made these attacks were MalaYe'bothy those who came down the rive rs , n o t in prab os ' 00 the canoes. There were, no doubt, ma ny person s we f t : coast who would plunder b oa t s , an d so far tb e J dad was in pirates.—(Laughter.) If, h owever , it • te to attack all parties who pursued such course', tb e ,i n ete, extirpate the whole of the popul a tion of these is'i/tael o ft (Hear, hear.) If a British force was to be einf l° a r i joe such procesdings, the House should, at least, 05 , 9 ; th: with their eyes open. The question was, wbe t ' - e r Ot h were erepered to uphold and d e f en d the settlenisdett;e Sarawak. If this was t be done, there Woe nci r ibe e l'e they would have to put down many other ye e ette; Borneo. He did not regard Sarawak as a Britieuo-01 went—altar, hear)—but surely some eve el le- P m ide responsiele for the proceedings at that plse e ' e s ar concurred also that naval officers should have so se e e t t o r e e Lion allowed them as to the course which th e :, We directed to pursue. He believed the best eee - 0, could pursue was t o ma k e G overnor B r ooke re t-r e ee ti l t Lebuan. That colony would in his (Sir E. Colebr°;a o opinion pro ve o f the greatest use the represel-roei in f , t o piracy, as it was 300 miles nearer to the north o eat than Sarawak, so that the pirates would be Pre coming down th e coas t. ..' The HPP e House then divided, wh en there a ° e For a the motion—Ayes 29 ••• Noes „, •• 169 Dlak , rity against the motion...— The House then went into Committee of S u f f r ipe A vote of 109,850/, to Wray the expenses was agreed to. THE SUN, LONDON, _SATURDAY EVENING, JULY l3, 1850.