The Sun. — London, England, 1850-02-19 00:00:00

AWFUL EXPLOSION OF A STEAM BOILER. FIFTY KILLED AND FIFTY WOUNDED. (From the New York Herald of Feb. 5.) It is our melancholy duty to day to present to our readers the details, as far as they could be gathered up to the time of our going to press, of one of the most frightful casualties, attended with an awful de struction of human life, that ever occurred in New York. The accident occurred at a quarter to eight o'clock, yesterday morning, by the bursting of a two hundred horse power boiler, in the printing press and machine shop of Mr. A. B. Taylor, Nos. 5 and 7, Hague street, within a door or two of Pearl-street. As soon as the explosion took place, we are informed by persons who witnessed the eatastrophe, the whole building, which was six stories in height, was actually lifted from its foundation to a height of six feet, and when it reached that elevation, it tumbled down, crushing in its ruins a vast number. So great was the force of the explo sion, that fragments of the building w -re scattered in every direction ; the windows in the neighbour hood were broker, and a large portion of the front wall of the fated building was thrown with tremendous power into the houses oppo site. Iu fact, the building was completely wrecked, hardly one brick being left standing on an other, with the exception of a solitary piece of wall eight or ten feet high, as if to indicate what had been. In the firm of Alva B. Taylor and Co., there were about sixty-five persons employed. In addition to these, there were about the same number employed in another firm in the same build ing, namely, St. John Burr and Co., hatters. In the basement story was the engine and the - blacksmith shop, where there were four pair of bel -lOws and about twelve men at work, besides Crissey, the engineer, and his brother. The engine con nected with the second and third stories, where the machine shop was situated, by means of shafts and straps. The ground floor was oc cupied as a hat shop, and eight men worked at a table in front, of whom there is no account. The fourth story also belonged to the hat establish ment, and was used as a blowing room. The fifth story of the building was used as a carpenter's shop for making models for the machine shop. The sixth was occupied by Mr. Singer, a letter engraver, who has obtained a patent for a new invention. It is be lieved there was no person in this story at the time of the explosion. A building immediately in the rear, occupied as brush factory, and also as a watch-case manufactory, had the roof and a portion of the wall thrown in by the falling ruins. It was in going to this building that Louis Day, the Frenchman, was killed. The walls of •the machine- shop were very strong, being 20 inches thick. The building belonged to the Messrs. Harper, and we understand was not insured. The stock and engine, &c., we have heard are insured. The soap and candle factory of Hull and Co in ,the rear, was considerably injured by the shock. So dreadful was the explosion that the windows in several houses in Pearl-street were broken. Even the sashes of 351 were smashed. A gentleman who was looking on at the time informed us that the ex plosion was like the reports of two cannons fired in quick succession, one after the other. Doubtless the second report was the crash of the falling ruins. ' Immediately after the explosion fire burst from the promiscuous heap of bricks and beams, and human bodies were seen with legs and arms sticking out—some of them dead, some living. The fire alarm for the district was first given, and then a general alarm, which brought the firemen from all parts of the city to the scene of desolation. Some plied the engines, while others assisted to get out as many as possible of those who were under the ruins. In a short time the fire was so far subdued that the fire men could work more effectually in removing the bricks and timbers ; and towards ten o'clock there was scarcely any flame issuing from the wreck; but the heat was very great, and the great difficulty to be avoided was lest those beneath the pile should he either drowned or scalded ; while on the other hand they might be burned to death by the fire ; and but little could be done to save those still living, until the fire was completely brough under. A 3 near as can be estimated, there were 120 per sons in the building at the time of the catastrophe, scattered thrbughout the machine-shop, and the hat factory above-mentioned, in both of which a great many men and boys are usually employed. Had the accident occurred an hour, or even half-an hour later, the destruction of human life would unquestionably have been much greater than it was, as a great many of the boys, in consequence of the extreme coldnes of the weather, had not at that time arrived at their work. As it is, however, the number of persons killed is dreadful t o con t e mplate. In thia machine shop and hat shop together there were usually about 130 hands employed; probably there were from 100 to 120 men and boys present at the time of the explosion. In the hat shop most of the hands were present. In this establishment a good many boys were em ployed—in the machine shop there were few. The following is a list of names, though not a complete one, of the hands in the machine shop :—George Ford, first foreman ; Robert King, second ditto; J. S.Crissey, Samuel T. Crissoy, A Huggins, Adam Neely, John Browne, Larry Carystal, Robert Ross, John Gil martin, Thomas M'Keever, Owen Cunningham, Charles Dougherty (saved), A. C. Osborne, William Proctor, Henry Reed, Di Hull (taken out dead), Marshal Vought, George H. Davis, Thomas Van derbilt, Robert Hyslop, Rufus C. Witing, A. Aldridge (Seneca Lake), William Gowenlep, James Gilderoy, Thomas Pnilips, Robert Knowlton, Oscar Kelsey, Lorah King, Halsey King, John C. King, Leonard Brookes, James Brookes, Thomas Brookes, Clarke Voug'nt, Oliver Browne, Luther Thompson, William .De Lander, M. M. Culton, Thomas Wood, William Rogers, William Proctor, Richard Herschel!, M. D. Ford, J. Gilder, J. Thompson, James Powers, Richard Burtwhistle, and two or three names not ascertained. Mr. Taylor, who resides in Newark, had not arrived at the time of the accident; Mr. Putnam, his part ner, isulso saf-, not having reached the premises till after the explosion. The fullowing are names of those in the employ of Messrs. Burr and Co. :—C. 0. Jessup, foreman, W. L. Canfield, James Hyatt, John Mills, A. R. Martin dale, J . /mei Flood (boy), P. McPhillips (boy), Thomas Weed (boy), H. W. Smith, S. H. Smith, Joseph Hannibal, John Rogers, Edwin Hurd, George Hyde, Peter Hyde, Frank Hyder, John Lockwood, W. Quigg, J. Docherty (boy), D. Docherty (boy), G. F. Worrell (boy), R. Hannibal (boy), L. B. Whitney. Richard Egbert, IV. Boudoine, M. M'Laughlin, W. Barclay, Frank Barclay, R. Oughton, E. Lambert, S. Findall, W. Merritt, Tyndall (boy), F. Lynch, Dutch Frenchman, Thomas Farrell, W. Collins (boy), J. Collins (boy), W. Th om p son (b oy ) , Peter , Bumf., John Ward, W. Collins, Luke Collard, J. Dorning, T. Granger, John Thurston (boy), J. Huestis (boy), and a boy, name unknown, with others, whose names the foreman could not re member. For many of these their friends and relatives, who heard of the accident, entertained the moors! fears. THE CORONER'S INQUEST. Coroner Geer was called to hold an inquest on the dead bodies of those already taken from the ruins and conveyed to the Fourth Ward Station House. The following is the testimony taken. Six of the bodies have been recognised, and the other three, making nine dead, have not been identified : William Dodd, residing at Newark, New Jersey, being sworn, says—l am foreman of the machine hat body establishment, in the building, 5 and 7, Hague street ; the building was occupied by A. B. Taylor and Co., machinists, and H. A. Burr, hat-body manu facturer. The engine and boiler was situated in the basement of the said building. I know nothing of the occurrence. Francis McNelly, residing at No. 4, Hague-street, being sworn, said—That about half-past seven o'clock this morning he heard the explosion of the boiler at tached to the engine in the basement of Nos. 5 and 7, Hague-street ; I immediately jumped from my bed and saw the smoke; I saw the house falling and covered with smoke and fire immediately after; the boiler went into Nos. 5 and 7, I think it was on Sa turday two weeks ago. Albert Putnam, residing in Brooklyn, being sworn, says—l am one of the firm of A. B. Taylor and Co. I think the boiler attached to the engine in the basement, was brought in about two weeks since; it was bought of Peese and Murphy ; I think it was a second-hand boiler, and also, that it had been used on board a steam-boat, but a few times ;it was found too small for the purpose, and purchased by Peese and Murphy, and afterwards bought by A. B. Taylor and Co. Alva B. Taylor,'residing in Newark, New Jersey , being sworn, says—H e i s one of the firm got o f A. B. Taylor and Co., and th at they the s t eam h on their boiler a w ee k ago to-day; I of Peese and Murphy ; i t Was bupiultrc for me med it about two years since, a n d, as I was informe d, was sold for a boat at the S outh ; it was fo u n d r to be too small for the engine , and was exchanged with Peese and Murphy for alarge boile r; I after wards purchased it of Peese and Murphy ; Mr. Mur phy told me it had only been fired up five times ; I do not know if it had been inspected by the inspec.. tor of boilers, nor did I know a certificate was neces sary at the purchase of said boiler. Dr. Thomas Holmes being sworn, says—He exa mined the bodies now lying dead in the Fourth Ward Station-house, and find that the deceased, Peter Hyde, came to his death by cold and exposure to water oc casioned by the bursting of a steam-boiler at Nos. 6, and 7, Hague -street. Also the bodies of George ilyde, Isaiah Marks (a coloured boy), John Rogers, and Eli Hull. The other four bodies were not iden tified by name, but the doctor found that they all came to their death by injuries received by fire and otherwise, in consequence of the explosion of the boiler as above stated. THE VERDICT. The jury rendered the following verdict :—" That the deceased persons came to their death by injuries received by the bursting of a steam boiler, which caused the falling and burning of the building, Nos. 5 and 7, Hague-street." LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF EXCHEWiER,Feb.IB. (Sittings at Nisi Prins, at Guildhall, before the LORD CHIEF BARON and a London Common Jury.) HIGGS V. TIIItALE. Mr. M. Chambers and Mr. Lush for the plaintiff; Mr. Bramwell for the defendant. This was an action on a warranty of a bay mare, which, it was alleged, the defendant had warranted to be a good hunter, and to have one eye sound. The plaintiff and defendant are both veterinary surgeons, the former residing in Thames-street and the latter at Croydon. The bargain for the mare, according to the evidence of the plaintiff's daughter, was made at Croy don, where the plaintiff tried the animal in August last, and the defendant stated that she was a good mare to follow the hounds, and that though she had lost one eye by a cataract, the other was only temporarily in jured by being touched by the halter. The plaintiff gave for the mare a horse of his own, valued at 191., and 6/. in cash, and at the commencement of the hunting season in October took the mare out with the hounds, in order to try her capabilities. He then found that it was impossible to hunt her with safety, and she began to leap when she saw a shadow, and before she came to the fence, and even jumped over the hounds. Mr. Thrale happened to be one of " the field" when this experiment was made by the plaintiff, and the plaintiff thereupon accosted him, and charged him with selling him a mare to hunt which no one could ride with hounds. The defend ant, however, asserted that the plaintiff was a timid horseman, and offered himself to ride the mare, which he did, with, it was alleged, indifferent success. The plaintiff, however, refused to retain the mare and sent her back; but the defendant, in the mean time, disposed of the plaintiff's horse, and the mare ultimately turned blind from cataract, and was sold at Tattersall's for 11 guineas. On the part of the defendant, it was denied that any warrantry was given as to the state of the mare's eye at the time of the sale. The plaintiff's counstil having been heard in reply, The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff— damages, 25/., being the full amount claimed. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. A lad named Knight was brought before the Lord Mayor, in the custody of John Forrester, the officer, charged with having presented a forged cheque for 252/. 103. at the Union Bank in Princes-street, of which Sir Peter Laurie is the chairman. Mr. Pullinger, cashier in the Union Bank, said the prisoner presented the cheque at the counter on Sa turday, and asked for two 100/. notes, and the rest in gold. (The cheque purported to be drawn by Thos. Young and Co., in favour of Mr. Cardwell.) Messrs. Young and Co. kept an account at the Union Bank. The signature was a very close imitation of that in the pass-book, and witness was not quite sure that it was a forgery. He asked the prisoner from whom he had received the cheque, to which the lad replied, " From Mr. Cardwell, who is waiting in Mincing lane Chambers for me." 'Witness then accompanied the prisoner to the house of the customer of the firm in Mark-lane, and there ascertained that no draft of the kind had been issued by Mr. Young. Measures were then adopted to catch the party who had em ployed the boy to utter the cheque, but the delin quent, who had, no doubt, taken care that the neigh bourhood was well watched, was not to be found. The LORD MAYOR compared the signature to the cheque with that of Mr. Young in the bank books, and said the similitude was very great. The thing which occasioned surprise was that any body could have doubted for a moment that the writ ing was Mr . Young's, upon comparison with that gentleman's signature in the pass-book. The cheque, it appeared, had been taken out of the cheque-book of the firm. It was quite evident that the prisoner had no knowledge of the danger of his mission to the banking-house. We understand that he had been taken in by means of a trick which had been fre quently played off by swindlers and other thieves, who through the medium of newspapers get into their employment young fellows in want of situations, send them for change of bank-notes in the first instance, and then, when they have made an impression as to their business and respectability, intrust their dupes with the more serious care of large cheques, and em ploy their emissaries to mark the proceedings upon the offer of the forged instrument. lie had been en gaged by the person who called himself Mr. Card well, for whom he had got change of a Bank of England note for 101., after which his new master had sent him to perform the more important office of getting the cheque cashed. The case was adjourned to a future day. GUILDHALL. Yesterday, Mr. Edward lienealy, barrister, of No. 4, South-square, Gray's Inn, was brought up, in custody, and placed befure Sir Peter Laurie arid Mr. Alderman Hunter, on the charge of cruelly beating his natural child,who went under the name of Edward Hyde. Elizabeth Summers, the defendant's housekeeper, was at a former examination detained in custody, it being thought advisable to hold her to bail to appear, which bail she could not get The child was placed on the table before the Alder man, and repeated his statement of how he had been beaten, but said that, although he was hung up, it was not by the neck, but his hands were tied toge ther, and he was then hung up. He was partly stripped, and the wounds which bad such a shocking appearance on Wednesday and Friday last were fast healing. The child, in answer to questions put to him, said his hands were tied in front, and that he was then hung up and flogged. Sir PETER LAURIE Who beat you ? Child— That gentleman there (pointing to defendant). Sir P. LAURIE—With what were you flogged ? Child—With this cane ; after which I was taken down and told to go for a walk. Sir P. LAURIE—When were you beaten ? Child— At night ; and he said he would give me the eat-o'. nine-tails before I went to bed. Sir P. Latraie—Now, Mr. Kenealy, we have got at the fact of your beating the child. Do you put any questions to him ? Mr. Kenealy then put a series of questions to the child, which were answered with remarkable quickness and intelligence for a child not six years of age, to show that he had always treated the child with kind ness, but that he was a bad boy. The child admitted that he had told stories and was beaten. Sir P. LAURIE observed that the questions put to the child had nothing to do with the fact of the cruel beating he had received. As many children would do, he had told stories, and the only ques ti on f or hi m to decide was, did defendant thus beat the child. Mr. Kenealy—l do not deny beating the child— (Hisses in the court, which were suppressed)—but not severely—only as a parent. Sir PETER LAURIE—A parent has a right to cor rect his child, but this I consider to be a most cruel act—to flog a child of such a tender age as five years. Sir P. LAURIE said it would be necessary to re mand the case for the evidence of a surgeon and some other witnesses, as he thought it was a case for a jury to decide. Mr. Kenealy—l certainly did not think you were going to send the case before another tribunal. Sir P. LAURIE-With respect to the charge, my self and Mr. Alderman Hunter are satisfied that Mr. Kenealy may have acted kindly towards the child, and educated him, but in an evil hour he allowed his temper to get the better of him, and he had flogged the child to excess. He should remand the case until Thursday, and would take bail, himself in 801. and two sureties in 401. A cabman stepped forward, and said if the Alder man would permit him, he would take the child home, and bring it u p w i t h hi s ch i ldren. Sir P. LAURIE said he could not do anything of the sort. Several persons in court who had heard the case had made similar applications, and amongst them was the name of a knight well known in the medical world. He appreciated the good feeling that prompted such offers, but he had no power to dispose of the child in such a way. Mr. Kenealy was bailed out, and the female Sum mers discharged. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. Elizabeth Baker was charged with having stolen a sack, the property of Mr. Kedd, an extensive miller at Tileworth and Guildford. The prisoner was watched into a marine store dealers' shop, and was about to sell the sack, worth about 25., for 24d., when she was stopped and given into custody by a person who had followed her into the shop. The case was unimportant otherwise than made so by the statement of the prosecntor, who declared that his flosses through sack robberies averaged yearly from 700/. to 1,0001. The joint losses of a society to which . he belonged in the article of sacks only, amounted to 20,0001. a-year. _ Mr. limuowicK said he was unable t o conce i ve how a species of theft could be committed to so large an extent. The prisoner was sent to prison for two months, and the m arine-store-shopkeeper, a beginner, was cautioned to conduct the business with more care in future. W ESTMINSTER. John Narson, described as a carpenter and builder, residing at 4, Franklin's-road, Chelsea, was placed at the bar charged with uttering a forged 51. note. Mr. Games appeared on behalf of the prisoner. Mr. Frederick Whelmshurst, of 4, Robert-street, Commercial. road, Pimlico, stated that on the 26th of October last the prisoner, who owed him a trifling sum, called at his shop, and stated that he had sold some property at Brixton, and had received a Si. note from the purchaser as a deposit. He then added that he had just tried to get change for it at Mr. Clarke's in the neighbourhood, but he was unable to accom modate him, upon which he said he could get it for him ; and prisoner having handed him a Si. note, pur porting to be of the Newcastle branch of the Bank of England, he took it to Mrs. Westers', the Rising Sun, Commercial-road, and, having obtained change, handed it to the accused. Mrs. Welters proved giving the change for the note to the last witness on the day in question, and subsequently paying it to the nephew of Mr. Ellis!, collector for the Chelsea Water Company. Mr. Elliss's nephew identified the note produced as the one he received from the last witness, and upon his paying it into the bank to the company's account the forgery was discovered. Mr. Games cross-examined the witness with res pect to the identity of the note, but failed in shaking his testimony, the young man clearly proving that he never lost sight of the note from the time he received it until after he had marked it. Mr. Wm. Cummings, an inspector of the B division, produced the note, and proved that the prisoner, of whom he had been in quest for some time,was brought into the police station on Saturday night in a state of drunkenness. *Witness asked him as he was being brought out of the cell that (Monday) morning, where he found the note, when he replied he did not find it, it was given him in payment with other money for work. Mr. Cummings having asked for a remand, to which request Mr. Games said he should offer no opposition, Mr. BRODER'? inquired whether the accused wished to say anything ? Prisoner, by the advice of his solicitor, replied, " Nothing at present." The prisoner was then remanded for a week. CLERKEN WELL. Yesterday Charles Wilson was placed at the bar before Mr. Combe, charged with having violently assaulted John Brown, by which his life was in danger It appeared from the evidence of Thomas Travel ler, a porter employed at the Refuge for the House less Poor, in Whitecross•street, St. Luke's, that the prisoner and the injured young man had been ad mitted into the institution as temporary recipients. At half-past six o'clock on Sunday evening, Divine service was being performed in the chapel of the in stitution when the inmates were present. Whilst the service was going forward Brown ran to witness and informed him that the prisoner had robbed another man of a shilling. Witness told him to remain quiet until the service was over. The prisoner, however, got scent of Brown's having given information of the robbery ; he followed him, and commenced a brutal attack upon him by beating him about the head and body, until he threw him down, on which witness proceeded to his protection, when the prisoner struck Brown on the head and body most savagely, and he lay upon the ground insensible, and apparently dead. The surgeon of the establishment was immediately called in, and after affording him assistan ce , h e or dered that he should be conveyed to the hospital. The prisoner was given into custody and locked up. Mr. George Mathews, housekeeper to the Refuge for the Houseless Poor, gave confirmatory evidence. Mr. COMBE asked the prisoner what he had to say to the charge ? Prisoner (coolly)—I am guilty of one, but not of the other one. Mr. COMBE—Which do you mean—the robbery or the beating and kicking ? Prisoner—l mean the kicking. Police-constable 173 G, who took the prisoner into custody, produced a surgeon's certificate, which described Brown to be in danger and quite incapable of leaving his bed. He was in great pain. Mr. COMBE remanded the prisoner until the fate of the unfortunate sufferer can be made known. WORSHIP-STREET. Daniel Leary, a powerful young fellow, was charged before Mr. Hammill with the following wanton and brutal assault upon a married woman, named Ellen Johnson, in an advanced stage of preg- nancy. The complainant, who appeared to have sustained such severe personal injuries that she could scarcely support herself in the witness-box, stated, that while returning home on Saturday evening she observed a younger brother of the pri s oner attacking andill using one of her sons, a little boy considerably less than the other, and who endeavoured to escape from his assailant, but was prevented by the prisoner, who tied a handkerchief round his brother's waist, and, inciting him to further violence, declared that they should fight it out. The contest, however, was de clined by her son, who ran away in the direction cf his home, but was pursued, overtaken, and knocked down by the prisoner, who then commenced kicking him in a brutal manner as he lay upon the ground. She expostulated with him upon his brutality to the child, and entreated him to desist, upon which the prisoner, after assailing her with the grossest abuse, seized her by the hair of her head, and struck her se veral times violently in the face, until she fell heavily upon the pavement, when he flung himself upon her, knelt with his whole weight upon her stomach, and kept her firmly down in that position for a consider able time. The psin she endured was so extreme that her screams at length attracted the notice of her husband, who endeavoured to rescue her from further brutality, but the instant he made his appearance he was set upon by the prisoner, who struck him a furious blow in the face, and it was only by the united exertions of several persons who had witnessed the outrage that the prisoner was secured until the ar rival of a constable, when he was at length conveyed in custody to the station. The complainant added, that she had suffered excruciating pain throughout the night, and was still labouring under symptoms of such a serious nature that she entertained the greatest apprehensions as to the probable effect of the pri soner's ill-usage to a person in her situation. Richard Johnson, the complainant's husband, cor roborated the evidence of his wife in all its material points, and proved that he was also subjected to severe personal ill-treatment when he interfered for her pro tection. The prisoner generally denied everything that was alleged against him, and called a female relative, named Mary Donovan, to confirm his assertion, but her evidence was given in such an unsatisfactory and prevaricating manner that Mr. HAMMILL said that he could not place the slightest reliance upon her testimony, and as he con sidered that such a brutal and unmanly outrage upon a helpless woman in the condition of the complainant was deserving of the severest punishment it was in his power to inflict, he should order him to pay the full penalty of 51., or to be committed, in default, for two months to the House of Correction. LAMBETH. Yesterday John Haller, a private belonging to the 9th battalion of Royal Artillery, was charged before Mr. Elliott with committing a moat violent, gross, and unmanly assault upon two respectable females. From the testimony of Mrs. Agnes Watson and her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Melville, respectable Scotch women, it appeared, that on Saturday night, when returning from market, they were conversing toge ther, and just as they passed through Camberwell gate the prisoner accosted them. They begged him not to interfere with them, but attend to bis own business ; but he still kept on abusing them, and having looked about him, and seeing no one near, be struck Mrs. Watson a violent blow with a stick across her neck. He next struck her on the head with the same stick, and the blow not only knocked her down senseless, but inflicted a serious wound on her head, which bled profusely. The brutal fellow repeated his blows at his fallen victim, when the daughter of the latter rushed towards her parent, and exclaiming, " You monster, are you about to kill my mother," placed her arms over her head to protect her, and the consequence was, that she received a severe injury on her right hand. The prisoner, having smashed his stick, took to his heels, but was secured and locked up on the charge. The police-constable who took the prisoner pro duced the broken fragments of the stick, which he said he found on the spot where the assault was com mitted, with the exception of a short piece, which he saw the prisoner throw away before he was secured. Both the complainants were still suffering severely from the serious injuries they bad received. The prisoner, who seemed to treat the matter with apparent indifference, said he was not sober at the time, and that one of the women spat in bis face. This both the complainants denied. Mr. ELLIOTT convicted the prisoner in two separate penalties of Si. each ; and directed, in default of pay ment, that he should be imprisoned twenty days for each assault. A sergeant from the regiment said that he bad been directed by his captain to attend to watch the case and report the result, and also to inform his Worship that it was not intended to pay any penalty that might be inflicted. The prisoner will, therefore, have to serve his forty days in prison. RAILWAY SHAKE MARKETS. BRISTOL, Fin. 18. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market still continues inani mate, and little business has been transacted. Prices are nominally as on Friday, but have a tendency to decline, yet not sufficiently so to call for a specification. LIVERPOOL, FEB. 18. S7.'OCIE EXCHANGE.—The transactions to-day were as follow Lancashire and Yorkshire, Fifths, 7 1 4 dis. Ltradon and North-Western, 110—Ditto, New Quarters,.% p. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, 7% Yiidland, Halves. 241 A3 dis.—South-Eastern and Dover (No. 4. k), 61A—Great Western, 63%. MANCHESTER, FEB. 18. _ f3TOC 4 EZCEANGE.-:T/40 transactions to-day .. were M follow :—East Lancashire, 10 3-16 n.—Ditto, Preference, Quarters (min. 6 per cent.), 714 Lancashire and York shire,sFifths, dis.—London, Brighton, and South Coast, Preference (min. 6 per cent.), 136—London and North. Western, New Quarters, :1, 1 1 p.—Ditto, Manchester and Bir mingham, Quarters (C), 13-16 p.—North Staffordshire, 1034 dis.--17 , hropshire Union, dis.—South-Eastern and Dover (No. 4), Scrip, 6 3-16 c. YORK, FEE. 16. STOCK ExcHANGE.—The transactions to-day were u follow : Great Northern, 6 1 4—Sheffield, Rotherham, and Goole (N. Div.), guaranteed 5 per cent., 17a—'York ani North Midland, 19%. LONDON, BRIGHTON, and SOUTH COAST RAILWAY. A special general meeting of the proprietors of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway was held yesterday, at the Bridge-house Hotel, for the pur pose of considering the question of audit ; Mr. Laing, chairman of the board of directors in the chair. The CHAIRMAN said the shareholders had been applied to for their opinions on the subject of audit, but only 24 had thought fit to reply, and of that number 9 were for a Government audit, and 15 azainst it. The general re sult, however, was that the majority of the shareholders were willing to leave the matter in the hands of the di rectors, or to chance. No audit could be devised better than that of working with a closed capitil account, but all railway companies were not like this company, in that fortunate position, and as railway property was daily becoming depreciated in value something must be done by way of an improved audit to satisfy the public as to the int , grity of accounts submitted to them by railway directors. Only two modes had been sug gested for accomplishing that object, namely, by esta blishing a Government board of control, or by the shareholders taking the matter into their own hands. He was was averse to the first on public grounds, but if the shareholders declared in favour of it, the directors would interpose no obstacles in the way of accomplishing it. At the same time he thought it would ultimately turn out that the shareholders would deal with the question themselves without reference to the Government. He pro posed, therefore, that this meeting should appoint a committee to co-operate with the committees of other companies on the general question, and to fix upon some system of audit for the current half-year. On the motion of Mr. FLOOD, seconded by Alderman WILsoN, it was resolved that the matter should be re f,rred to a committee of five shareholders, with power to call fur accounts and documents, and to audit the accounts in such manner as they should think best till the question had been finally disposed of. The committee was then nominated, after which thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the meeting terminated. MEETING OF SPANISH AMERI. CAN BONDHOLDERS. A meeting of the Spanish American bondholders was held at the London Tavern yesterday, to consider the proceedings of the meeting of the holders of Mexican Bonds. The chair was taken by W. Marshall, Esq., M.P. at two o'clock. The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, com mented at some length on the conduct of the Mexican bondholders, who, after consenting to the appointment cf the Spanish American Bondholders' Committee, had, without communication with that committee, at a meeting held on the 23d of January, by a resolution voted themselves ready to dissolve any and every com mittee then existing. Ho complained that the Mexican bondholders had never found any fault with the pro ceedings of the Spanish American Bondholders' Commit tee, nor expressed in the least degree any desire that any particular course should be pursued, but had taken that step without the slightest intimation of their intention. Atter stating the desire of the committee to do the best for the interest of all the bondholders, the Chairman concluded by explaining that the meeting had been called with a view to enable the bondholders to settle any course which they wished to pursue. Mr. IV naLEv moved a resolution, that this meeting having taken into consideration recent proceedings with regard to the proceedings of the Mexican bondholders, are of opinion that in order to ensure unanimity in the proceedings of the bondholders, the management of the Mexican debt should be entrusted to the corn. mittee of the Spanish American bondholders, with such addition as this meeting may think fit." Mr. SHEPHARD seconded the resolution, which was received with loud cries of disapprobation from all parts of the meeting. Mr. BURROUGH called the attention of the meeting to a resolution of the 23d of January regarding the holding back information from the Stock Exchange. Mr. CAPEL indignantly denied this assertion. Mr. STEEL thought that there ought to be a separate committee for each separate section of bondholders. Mr. MORIA.TE supported this view. He did not wish to undervalue the exertions of the present committee, though he thought any other set of gentlemen could have done as much; yet he could not see why they should not have a special committee for a special purpose. The CHAIRMAN said that it was very easy to say when the battle was over, any other general or any other army could hare done as well. Baron GOLDSMID said it was his object to effect a re. conciliation between the two sections of the bondholders, and to do away with the ill-blood that existed. He should propose that the four gentlemen of the old com mittee should be added to the new committee.—(Cries of ":isto, no.") Mr. LACK, amidst great confusion, rose to charge the committee with refusing to afford information to the bondholders. lie hims e lf had wr itt en t o th e commit . , tee for information, and had nover received any answer. Mr. CAPEL supported the proposition of Baron Gold smid. Ili exhorted the meeting to refrain from a display of ill-waling, which would by no means better the posi tion of the bondholders. Mr. EICIDIOND y aw much to blame in the constitution of the committee of Spanish American bondholders. He was a Mexican bondholder to some large amount. He thought that there was a much better chime: of obtaining a set• tlement of their claims by a separate committee, chosen by the bondholders themselves. There were also many circumstances in the conduct of the committee which laid them open to fault. He should only instance the Peruvian compromise which took place last year. On the 7th December the Peruvian Minister had an interview with the chairman and deputy-chairman of the commit tee, and on several succeeding days with the deputy chairman, until the 21st, when the rest of the committee were communicated with, and on the 31st Dec. the terms were published in the Standard. Now on the 7th the Peruvian Stock stood at 36 37, a mere nominal quota tion, and on the 22d it.stood at 5 Now there might he coincidences, but a great many persona might draw their own conclusions from those circumstances. The Hon. moving an amendment:— Thatn. Gentleman the business Mexican bondholders remain in the hands of the committee app o i n t e d b y t h e meet i ng con o c l f u t d h e e d by of the 23d of January last." Here a scene of great confusion arose, in the midst of which the Chairman rose to put the two amendments proposed by Baron Goldsmid and Mr. Richmond. I❑ the midst of groat noise and disorder the amend ment of Mr. Richmond was ultimately carried. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSAL L'S. - -YESTERDAIN LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE. 15 to 1 agst Mr. Harrison's Meath—taken 15 to 1 agst Mr. Mangan's Farnham 30 to 1 agst Mr. Treadgold's Maria Day—t to 1001. 30 to 1 agst Mr. Cunningham's Quadruped 50 to 1 agat Mr. D. Lewis na Everton—taken Meath was backed with great spirit, rising from 30 to 15 to 1, the highest offer at the close. Rescue and Grand Lumiere were accidentally omitted in the acceptances for this event. LINCOLN STEEPLECHASE. 5 to 1 agst Trust-me-not 8 to 1 agat Mr. Treadgold's Maria Day 15 to 1 agst Young Lottery—t a k en LINCOLN FLAT RACE. 9 to 1 agst Lecomte THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES. 7 to 1 agst Mr..H. Hills Osterley, 4 yrs, 7st—taken 10 to 1 agst Mr. Salford's Harriett, 3 yrs, sst 101 b 100 to 6 agst Sir J. Ilawley's Fernhill, 5 yrs, Bst 41b —taken 25 to 1 agst Captain Lowther's Bastinado, 3 yrs, 4st 61b The odds quoted agst Osterley were t a k en i n hun dreds, and 20 to 1 freely about Fernhill. METROPOLITAN HANDICAP. 5 to 1 agat Mr. Gratwicke's Cheerful, 4 yrs, 6st— taken and afterwards offered 25 to 1 agst Mr. Douglas's Sir Gilbert, 4 y rs , 6st 21 b 30 to 1 agst Mr. Carew's Eva, 4 yrs, Est 121 b agst dozen M r betsM e i k laid.lam ' s2loncoh evener Inheritress, eosn the fi e ld agat Cheerful, Black Eagle, Damask, Snowstorm, Ad a M ary, Testator, Eagle's Plum e , Quiver, and Eva. s , aged, B s t Not3o to 1 a ha 1 TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES. 5 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Mickleton—taken CHESTER CUP. 16 to 1 agst Mr. Merry's Miss Ann, 4 yrs, 7st 20 to 1 agst Mr. Meiklam's Roland, 4 yrs, sst 8.1b --t 20 to 1 agst Lord Howth's Peep-o'-day Boy, 6 yes, 9st—taken 20 to 1 agst Mr. Osbaldoston's Fogleman, sst 71b 20 to 1 apt Mr. St. George's Whim colt, 4 yrs, fist 71b 25 to 1 agst Capt. Harcourt's Ellerdale, 6yrs, Bst 31b —taken 35 to 1 agst Lord Chesterfield's Lady Evelyn,' 4 yrs, Bst 21b—taken We have quoted every horse backed; the investments were of moderate amount. DERBY. 8 to I agat Duke of Richmond's Ghillie Callum 11 to 1 aget Lord Eglinton's Knight of Avenel—t 11 to 1 agst Mr. W. Edwards na Bolingbroke 13 to 1 agat Mr. Gratwicke's The Nigger—taken 25 to I agst Mr. J. Scott's Cyprus—taken 25 to 'I agst Lord Airlie's Clincher 30 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Manors 40 to 1 agst Colonel Peel's Hardinge 45 to 1 agat Mr. Gannon's Deicoon The principal bets were 1,000 to 100, and 11 to 1 to about 3001. n into Chan cery; " 13 and 14 to 1 to some amoun t ags t gst Bolin g b ro k e , w ho, it is stated, has " got The Nigger; and 5,000 to 100 and 2,000 to 50 agst Hardioge. Mayors was agaiu in favour, and, although not backed for much mot.ey, cannot be quoted at more than 30 to 1. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—A dreadful Abscess under the Chin Cured by Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—Robert Davidson, shoemaker, of Anstruther, had suffered for more than five years with a very dreadful abscess under his chin ; during this time he had been under the care of two surgeons in Anstruther and one in Edinburgh, without the least prospect of a cure. In thi s miserable condition he began to use Hollo way's Ointment and Pills, which, in the short space of two months, soundly healed the wound ; and he is now enjoying the best of health. These fine medicines are admirable remedies for king's evil, wounds of all kinds, burns, scalds, piles, fistula, and bearings dawn. Sold by all DruOsts, anti at Professor Hollowey's gatablignunt, 244, Strad, Loden. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 18. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. LONDON CENTRAL GAS BILL. This Bill was withdrawn by leave, and a new Bill in troduced and read a first time. SECOND READINGS OF PRIVATE BILLS. The following Bills were then read a second time, and ordered to be committed:— Bradford Improvement, Police, and Purchase and closing of Bradford Canal. Caledonian and Wishaw and Coltness Railways. Glasgow Markets and Slaughter-houses. London and Blackwall Railway. Ramsey, Upwood, and Great Raveley Turf Fens, and Lockspit Lots and Lockspit Lands Drainage and Im provement. Southampton Waterworks. Swansea Municipal Corporation. Walsall Improvement and Market Act, 1848, Amendment. York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway (Alterationsof Levels and Extension of Time, &c.) SUNDAY POST-OFFICE LABOUR. Sir D. Dundas, Mr. Alcock, Mr. Farrar, and several other Members, presented petitions from different parts of England and Scotland against the employment of Sunday labour in the Post-office. COUN FY RATES. Mr. W. BROWN presented several petitions from paces in Lancashire pr , !; ; lng for the establishment of county financial boards.' LABOURERS' WAGES. Mr. SANDARS presented several petitions from agri cultural places praying that the House would take mea sures for obtaining for the labourer a fair day's wages for a fair day's work. SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST-OFFICE. Mr. Hodges, Mr. Robert Palmer, and Mr. Forbes presented petitions for the abolition of Sunday labour in the Post•office. DUTY ON PAPER. Mr. MACGREGOR presented a petition from Glas gow praying for the abolition of the duty on paper. MARRIAGE WITH THE SISTER OF A DECEASED WIFE. Sir R. H. INGLIS said, that seeing his Right lion. and Learned Friend Mr. Stuart Wortley in his place, he wished to ask why it was that he having received per mission to introduce a Bill into that House, unhappily, as he thought, for facilitating certain marriages, he had not done so. Leave was given for the 7th of February, a time now long since past; and he trusted, therefore, that some explanation would be afforded to the House respecting the course which the Hon. and Learned Gen tleman had adopted. Mr. S. WORTLEY said that it was true that leave had been given to bring in this Bill on the 7th, but that his own avocations had, up to the present time, been very pressing, and his I-lon. and Learned Friend the Member for Plymouth (Mr. R. Palmer) had kindly sug gested an alteration which was of very groat importance in one particular clause, and hence the delay. Sir R. INGLIS said that, in his opinion, no altera tion ought to be made in a Bill after leave had been given to bring it in, except for the correction of purely clerical errors, and appealed to the Speaker as to whe ther it was competent for any Member to delay the in troduction of a Bill beyond the time specified for it. The SPEAKER said that any Member might delay his Bill, but was not at liberty to make any substantial alterations in its principles. Mr. STUART WORTLEY said that the Bill was, as he had stated, substantially the same as that of last ses sion, and that the alteration he had mad• did not affect the principle. He should very shortly have an oppor tunity of laying it before the House. MR. FEARGUS O'CONNOR Mr. F. O'CONNOR said that a grievous attack had been made upon his character in another place, and h• wished to ask whether any means were open to him for bringing it before the House. The SPEAKER replied that there were not. SUNDAY LABOUR. Mr. Stuart Wortley, Mr. Simeon, and Mr. Hume pre sented petitions praying for the cessation of Sunday labour in the Post-office. ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND). Mr. JOHN STUART gave notice that on the bring ing up of the Bill for the amendment of Chancery pro ceedings in Ireland, he should more to introduce pro visions for the facilitating the management of the estates under the control of the receivers of the Court of Chancery. GAS RETURNS. Mr. HUME moved for a return, or statement, from every gas company established by Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, stating the several Acts of Par liament under which established, the rates per I,ooocubic feet at which each company or corporation have supplied gas in each of the three years since 1846 to 1849, and the average price of the coals used by the company in each year for the same period; also, stating the amount of fixed capital invested by each gas company, and the rate per cent. of dividend to the shareholders or proprietors on their shares in each year since that date (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 734, of Session 1847). GRAND JURY SYSTEM. In reply to Mr. FORSTER, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that the Bill for a reform of the grand jury system in the metropolitan districts was still under consideration, but would be introduced in the course of the present session. MR. DISRAELI'S MOTION ON THE POOR-LAWS. In reply to Sir G. GREY, Mr. DISRAELI said the motion of which he had given notice, and which was on the table of the House, was a specific motion, on which he would take the first division. If the House consented to go into Committee on the subject to which it referred, he should then propose a series of resolutions for the con sideration of the House, and before he asked for a division to-morrow, he would, in detail and specifically, state what those resolutions were. At the same time he had a disinclination to put the re solutions on the table of the House before making some observations upon them, because without some prefatory observations they would lead to an erroneous conclusion. air. HUME observed that he was anxious to have a discussion upon the Ron. Member's motion, but would be unwilling to go on with it unless he had some specific knowledge of the nature of the resolutions. Mr. DISRAELI said no doubt ho would be able to induce the lion. Member to ♦ote for the first resolution. —(A laugh.) As regarded the other resolutions, before he asked the House for any division, he would, in detail and specifically, let the House know what was the nature of them. DANISH ARMISTICE. Mr SANDARS asked the Noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs if it wore true that the Danish Go vernment had refused to renew the armistice of the 10th of July last ; and if so, whether the Noble Lord con sidered as a natural consequence the renewal cf the blockade of the Prussian ports of the Baltic and the Elbe? It had been stated in the public papers that the Government had consented to an extension of 'the armistice on certain conditions, and he wished to know if this statement was correct; and if so, what were the conditions and the time to which the extension went? Lord PALMERSTON said the armistice continued virtually, although the specific period for which it was contracted had expired ; but it could not be removed by either of the contracting parties without six months ' notice. Her Majesty's Government had proposed to continue that armistice for six months.—(Hear, bear.) There were some objections to that on both sides, and on the 16th of this month he had received a communication from the'Danish Minister intimating the willingness of the Danish Government to renew the armistice, on condition that all parties should concur in acknowledging that armistice. The parties whom the Danish Government required to be consent ing parties to the promulgation of the armistice would be Prussia and the Central Power of Frankfort. ORDERS OF THE DAY. Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved that upon Thurs day, the 11th day of April next, and every alter nate Thursday following, orders of the day have precedence of notices of motions. His Lord ship then read a statement to show that since this rule had been established in previous sessions the Government had absolutely taken fewer days out of the hands of private Members than they had done before.— (Hear, hear.) All be asked, therefore, was that this rule should be adopted after Easter. The motion having been put, Mr. HUME said that the Noble Lord had read a state ment which told more for than against him.—(Hear.) All that he desired was, that independent Members might have an opportunity of laying before the House the demands and the views of the general body of the people.—(Hear, hear.) If the Noble Lord could not grant all he asked, he might surely concede half a day, and allow that on the open days the Government should come in pari passu with independent Members and take their chance and their turn in the order on which all stand upon the paper. Perhaps no man in the House had less personal interest in the matter than himself, and his only object was to promote the public interest. Mr. FORBES supported the amendment of the Hon. Member for Montrose. He thought that the Noble Lord had had sufficient allowance already. Lord J. RUSSELL thought that the Hon. Member for Montrose had altogether mistakten his (the Noble Lord's) proposition. He did not think that it would de prive Members of any privileges, and it would give the opportunity to Government of forwarding many Bills which would otherwise have to be postponed. Mr. DENISON thought the effect of the Hon. Mem ber for Montrose's motion was to give individual legis lation a priority over Government legislation. Now of all legislation individual legislation was the worst. Mr. SPOONER would support the amendment if it were pressed to a division. He hoped the Noble Lord would give them the benefit of orders of the day, if he did not lot them take notices. Mr. M. GIBSON said Thursdays at the beginning of the session were better worth having to an inde pendent Member than Thursdays at the end, but they were not less valuable to Government at the end than at the beginning, for Government could keep a House where an independent Member could not, and therefore he said, as one who had some interest in the matter, he hoped they would have the Thursdays at the beginning of the session. Sir GEORGE GREY did not agree with the Hon. Gentleman in thinking Thursdays were of no more value to Government at the beginning than at the end of a session. The object of having those days set apart for Government was to suable them to get their Bills sent up to the other House of Parliament at the earliest possible period; and if they were refused the Thursdays at the beginning of the session, of course that object could not be attained. _ _ Mr. HUME would do all he could to preserve the little opportunities that remained to independent Members for bringing on their tuotionti, and he should divide the How 011 the question. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the amendment 3B Against it 140 Majority against the amendment --102 On our admission to the gallery we found Mr. DISRAELI speaking, who said that he certainly thought with the Hon. Member for Montrose, that this was an abbreviation of the privilege of the independent Members of the House, and a complete circumscription of the rights of the representatives of the people. If the motion was persevered in, he should certainly take the sense of the House. Lord J. RUSSELL said that the system had worked well, and the division just taken showed the sense of the House upon it. Mr. HUME said that he had observed that since 1840 there had been a great increase of arrears towards the end of the session, and in no year greater than during last session. The custom had evidently worked badly, and ought to be amended. Sir R. H. INGLIS, not being one of those who had any wish to live and die on the floor of the House, would support the proposal of the Noble Lord. He thought that there was sufficient time wasted in speak ing in this House to satisfy the appetites of any assem bly in the world. Sir R. PEEL did not think that there was too much time given to independent Members. He had been rather tempted to vote with the Noble Lord opposite, by hear ing him say that it was the intention of Government to take all important measures of legislation under their charge. That sentiment was rather at variance with the Noble Lord's opinions on farmer occasions. When he (Sir R. Peel) recollected the time that had been given to the discussion of the measure regarding tenant-right which had been brought on last session, he did not think that individual legislation was very successful. On :the whole he was disposed to give a reluctant assent to the motion of the Government. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the motion ... 143 Against it ... ... 47 Majority .„ The motion was therefore carried. AUSTRALIAN COLONIES GOVERNMENT BILL, ADJOURNED DEBATE. •• • -9 6 On the order of the day being read for resuming the debate on the second reading of this Bill, Mr. SCOTT rose to move that the second reading of the Bill be postponed until further papers on the subject be laid on the table of this House. He said, being of opinion that the House ought to give to the Austra lian colonies fundamental laws similar to those of our own country, he could not consent to the Bill being read a second time. He did not think we should long retain those colonies if institutions so entirely different from those which we ourselves enjoyed were continued in them. In France and the United States this principle had worked badly, and he could not understand on what in ducement the Government had adopted it with regard to the Australian colonies. The Bill which was now before them continued on the existence of one chamber of legislature in those colonies. Now the Government— every member of it, so far as he understood—and all the colonial governors, had expressly declared their settled convictions that one chamber of legislature was not sufficient to ensure the careful consideration of those laws by which any considerable community was to be or ought to be governed. Universal experience bad shown that the reliance upon the wisdom of one body of men was quite insufficient to ensure sound conclusions for the direction of a colony. A true and fair illustration of such a state of things in this country, would be to suppose that 230 Members of that House were nominees of the Govern ment, and forced to vote as Government pleased: such was the state of government in Australia. One chamber had no precedent, there was not a single precedent in history for one chamber, looking back from the time of Mr. Pitt's Bill down to the date of the present papers which were laid before the House. It was much more likely to continue quarrels between the chamber and the Government by having one house instead of two. He could give more instances than one of the danger which had arisen in our colonies from the over-anxiety of a single chamber to pass laws. By this Bill, however, they granted the colony one chamber, but it went even farther than that, for it gave the colonists the power of adopting whatever go vernment they thought fit. Nothing was more calculated to create discontent in the colony, and he therefore hoped the House would amend the Bill at once, and assimulate the government of the colony to that of the mother country. The Secretary of State for the Colonies had stated that certain persons in this country, who re presented the settlers in New South Wales, expressed their satisfaction with one legislative chamber, but the general opinion in the colony was that there ought to be two chambers, and, therefore, their representations must have been incorrect.—(Hear.) He thought the measure bad been undertaken without due consideration, and he therefore opposed the second reading of the Bill. and would move that the second reading should be deferred till further papers were pro duced on the subject. Mr. LABOUCHERE said that it was the intention of Government, by this Bill, to enlarge the constitution of those colonies, and to enable them to legislate for themselves, independently of this House. He was pre pared to prove that the wishes of the inhabitants of those colonies were completely opposed to the opinions of the lion. Gentleman (Mr. Scott), for they consider that one Chamber is more conducive to their interests than two, by means of which they will be enabled to manage their own business. He then referred to a petition forwarded to her Majesty by Sir C. Fitzroy, from numerous meet ings of the inhabitants of those colonies, if every rank, praying for a single Chamber. By this Bill they would give the colonies a power to form measures for them selves; they proposed to untie their hands, and he did not think that they (the Government) were unwise in doing so.—( fleas, hear.) But he did. think that it was not asking too much for the Crown of England to retron a power to consider any proposals that the colonies might make in respect to matters affecting those colonies. The desire of the colonies was, that the Legislature of this country should give them two Chambers instead of one. Now, as an abstract principle, he should prefer two Cham bers to one; but if they were to have a single Chamber, he thought there should be such a counterpoise as the Government proposed to that system. He thought it most desirable that the House should confine itself at present to the considerat on of the question before it, and that it could on other occasions deal with the measure in its details. He had gathered much from the Australian newspapers of the state of public feeling there on the subject, and he had no doubt the proposed Bill would give satisfaction to the colonists. Ho hoped, therefore, that nothing would occur to mar the measure, and trusted that the House would not dissent from the second reading of the Bill.—(Hear.) Mr. ROEBUCK could not approve of the sort of constitution which the Government proposed to give to the colonies in question. The Right Honourable Gen tleman who had just sat down said that the Bill now be fore the House proposed to give enlarged powers to the colonists. Now, as to the manner of those powers, and to the principles of this Bill, he (Mr. Roebuck) at once objected. It was a Bill that would give to the nominees of the Crown in the colonies a power which he hoped the House would dissent from. The Government proposed that the Legislature of this country should throw off their own shoulders a responsibility, and they said, in effect, that the Legislature of this country was not now fit to govern ;the Colonies.---(" Hear, bear," from Mr. Hume.) The Hon. Member for Montrose cried " Hear, hear," as if he (Mr. Roebuck) meant to say that this country could not govern the colonies; but such was not his meaning. What he wished the House to do was to form such a constitutional measure as they could send out to the colonists with confidence, and as would put an end to the constant conflicts which were arising be tween the mother country and her colonies. He thought that the Government was about to propose some well directed measure, some great and comprehensive scheme of legislation, whereas the proposed Bill was the great est abortion that could be.. If he took in his hand the constitution of the Cauadas brought in by Mr. Pitt, he found it clear, definite, and logical; it told them what the franchise which was to elect the Assembly was; but the measure now proposed was miserably deficient in those respects. What did the Government now do They began by reciting five or six Acts of Parlia ment, without repealing them. Now, what did that mean? They talked of sending out a constitution to the colonists, but none but the eye of a lawyer could under stand it. As to the Bill giving to those colonists what was strictly called a House of Commons, he utterly de nied it. Now, what ought this House to do with respect to those colonies? Why, to see that a proper constitu tion, made by Act of Parliament, should be sent out to them. They were told in the House that one of those colonies, South Africa, a cut-and-dry constitution had already been sent out from the Colonial-office. Now, would it be said that while the authorities in Downing street could send out a cut-and-dry constitution to South Africa, the Parliament of Great Britain was not to have the power of framing a constitution for South Austra lia? They might talk of giving great powers by the proposed constitution, but it was no such thing; it was nothing else but a mere device to retain the power in a few hands in the government i❑ the colonies. He would caution the House how they were proceeding-- he would caution them how they wore laying a foundation which it would be difficult to get rid of. Time, he granted, might work out a cure of the evils, which, through some singular caprice, was giving birth to this strange " juggle" of a constitution—(Laughter.) Let them take care that they did not, by this proceeding, loosen the tie which this country now had on the colo nies. Let them take care that they did not abandon their right of power in those colonies. He would now refer the House to the abuses which resulted to the Ca- nadas and the mother country from the mismanagement, ignorance, and despotism which in former times marked the acts of the parties at the head of the colonial de partment. An attempt was made by Mr. Pitt to create and establish an aristocracy in Canada, but he utterly failed; yet, in the face of every failure in that way, it was now proposed to make the experiment in Australia. He thought there were tAirt,e parties in the back-ground who were urging this scheme, and seeing the Hon. Gen tleman the Under-Secretary for the Colonies in his place, he must say that he, like his superior in office, was made a tool of in this business. Mr. HAWES—Nu, no. Mr. ROEBUCK—If the Hon. Gentlemen is desirous to make out that his superior only was the tool, he (Mr. Roebuck) would leave him the liberty to do so.— (Laughter.) The Hen. and Learned Gentleman then proceeded to rater to the unsatisfactory Etat° of things in the Canadas, which were becoming in every respect so like the United States that British subjects, desirous of living under English laws. English government, d British:protection. preferr e d i n t h e present d ay to emi grate to South Africa. They were sending out very large bodies of English, Irish, and Scotch to their colo nies, and he thought it most desirable that they should take care to give them, what he believed t'aey . wish" , such a constitution as would ensure to them Diltleh rul e. ----------- Well, they were now about to make a eonstitutittsr Englishmen lo ca t e d i n A us t ra lia, and was the measure, he would ask, suc h a one as would prove satisfactory to the colonists? It was clear it was not. Lord J. RUSSELL did not think he had ever besrd so many errors and mistakes with respect to constitu tional theory, history, and p ra ctice, as the Hon. and Learned Ge n tl eman had made in the course of h is "P ecc —(A laugh, a n d Hear." The Hon. and Learned ) Gentleman had re f erre d t o the Act of Mr. Pitt, but he could not h ave se l ecte d a more un f or tunate model, becausn by that Act th e G overnmen t o f Canada, being divided into the Legislative Cou n cil, th e members of which were paused by the Government, and the popular Assembly' many bitter dissensions arose between the people and F o i l : Assembly, and th e consequence was, that legislati came to an entire stop, in consequence of the impost bility of making the two bodies act together. 8 10 Mr. ROEBUCK h a d mere ly quoted Mr. Pitt 's A ct a clear mode of m a ki ng a l eg i s l a tive constitution put in a logical form. Lord J.,RUSSELL—If the Government had proposed a measure that would act well, it was content to give l t !, 1) . something in point of logical precision and elegance of tr . guage, for the sake of the substantial benefits of good LI . vernment. The Hon. Member said it required care, atte. tion, and legal knowledge, in order to understand Ins: Bill. Now, he would not say that persons must ° °e t tl ha s care and attention , but it was not too much to ask to care and attention should be used , and w ith resat legal legal knowledge, it would not require more than a n Taaintance with those general principles of la" withia which Members of that House ought to be familiar d matters of legislation.--(Hears) The Hon. and Tear t er Gent'eman a ,ked how it was the Government bad P o f ferred a Legislature formed of a single body, instead of having a Legislature composed of two bodies, both „ed whom should be elective . And the Hon. and Learned Member said—" Never mind the opinion of Aust r li, and New South Wales, but frame a constitution ace,.e ing to your own notions of what is right and desirsenived That was new language from the Hon. and Lear s hst Member. The H ouse wou ld not , however, sup pose -• Gover;: o what he spoke of as th e f anc if u l measur e of the ment had been the con s tit u ti on by w hi c h since 184 The colony of New South Wales had been governed. o ffice Hon. and Learned Member said it was the Colonial' us . that had introduced this measure, and this was the S en mon way in which the pow e r o f th e Crown was ° P ace d. But it was the power of the Crown' goo• cised through the Secretary of State, which te e L ion Member disputed, wh en h e sa id th a t e very constitt! on. of a colony must b e i n th e fi rs t i nstance s elected a n d proved of by Parliament. In 1842. after a Coll ua th urinated by the Crown had legislated for Ne w "der Wales, an Act of P ar li ament was introduce% u nder which a Legislative Co unc il was esta bli s hed, 05 ,c r - a wn, of the members of whi c h were name d by the 7,1,-iuce and two-thirds elected by th e p eo pl e of the P r ; sa id, Now, if the people of N ew S ou th Wales he" d we sere - wish " We do not approve o f th a t single chamber , 813 to have two ch am b ers in s t ea d of one," tho se r u s e d sentations would have been laid b e f o re the Cor atc- a on• of the Privy Council, who would have seriousli k i be sidered the mode in which such a constitution sh° l/ , was conferred. The Honourable and Learned Metossbtaisl mistaken in supposing that the clerks of the sec"s ofe at office— although they did their duty with i t ' so ce, ability—had to decide a question of this in:Wt .- hot, which was not left even to the Secretary of St,,,sw„ a cile was referred to u Committee of the Privy v c- a oas who made their report, which was afterwards do sidered by the Government, and then, oft.r the o°ll t be ere deliberation, and upon the responsibility of meet, the measure was i n t ro d uce d. The opinion ° e et Committee of the Privy C ou n c il an d of the Govern:jos also was probably th eore ti ca lly i n f avou r of to° c say, bers. The colonists, on the other hand, did notnresa We have maturely cons id ere d th e q uestion h ee 'd as the Legislature composed of a single chamber slitbei composed of two bodies," but they did say IP i e s here already had a Le g i s l a t ure i n th e co l on y, in oh', ° ", e - d by was a large popular ele me nt, one -third being sei ec- e - de the Crown and two-thi r d s by th e p eo ple—and t he / sc lo Glared that they did not wish for any change to bed in the principle of th a t L eg i s l a t ure u ntil they 113 ' d jo the opportunity of considering such a change , ° c o a t what manner it should be effected.—(Hear, heor•)s ea r.) was all that the Government now proposed. -- esT„oai; They proposed to s a y—" W e w ill li sten to that 0 p the we have introduced a measure s i m il ar t o that ohic"sies colonists of New So u th W a l es a l rea dy h a v e , and th at h er sure will remain in force until you have considered svhsebor a different form of const it u ti on will he desirable , anu jot the two chamber s s h a ll b e f orme d, w h en a favourablells,he shall be taken of your opinions on that subject. of power would still rema i n i n th e C r own, howe re 'ijae. allowing or disannulling that change in the constil° s erf Council the Government had t o f rame a second Lego© Council and Upper House fur Australia, it would he eit • doubtful if they would be able to frame at one s u f s he second chamber as would meet the approbation °ode colonists of South Australia. In the Cape of Good ' , mi ld - e s , the Government proposed that the election se- - s abee, veited in certain bodies, and in certlia persons "s'ilsr office under Government. He believed that no so ld offices existed in Australia, but even if they did, i s ' be by no means clear to him that Australia eo u sbo South Wales would prefer such a body of electors t o ot single body now proposed to be established in to the colonies. The Governm e nt might have proposed :sbee House to pass a measere which did not meet the li`bs of the colonists, or they might have proposed a 13d1 to „osts first sent out to the c o lony, a nd th e n, upon th e r e r, - bey and representations made by the colonists theretP: they might, a year henc e , h ave f rame d a meas ure svm' the might suppose would be acee table t . , an colonists. But was it not a much P ore relicilre! gone outlandtha, the constituti,n now before much mors o that, the Constitution now before the more h, v i ss - e the met with tee approbation of the 'eon fratnc h " "' r ho Government should carry out a measure that principle, leaving it to be ..ettle 1 measure or u Yi e'ot colonists themselves whether the, should or shale pod colonistshone • make a chanee in that constitution? — ( rseler, eta He submitteet the Hems] that the Government vv ~,Ø pursuing a course much more consistent with deferel:;:s to the opinions of the colony than the course which y e , Hon. Member called upon them to pursue. It wa s t it CO sirable where a Lsgislative Council existed thEtiht, should be a body having a certain degree of one authority, and confid ence i n its Members. It vsol sue sirable also that they should act as a cheek °l' he the Assembly, and that they should po t ion the mere echo of the popular repsesen" i e r which was to form the basis of the , • e chamber. In several of our colonies the Legi s "; o u os Council had but little weight, in consequence of it s e " w ho sisting of persons nominated by the Crown, a llu e had no weight except as having been so norninetese „al ancient societiee like th at o f the mother coun try, .g 0 even in the Unit e d St ates, this difficulty might be 11°- over by the eminent position and distingos'ir l o per quirements of the individuals selected for the ` - ' l "seg House, or Senate of either it nut ell to say, " Point out a colony ancli country• but was e w second chamber may be formed in • eHe (torsi s d Russell) said, that in some II. see° of our colonies such a hie for chamber was not to be formed, and it was &sill'," r to will tell you ;Lb: those who contended for a second elective chlt ra s ' se e ens' point out such conditions as were requisite in tei ri - Os eres bers, if such a chamber could be fulfilled. The,", coo' ment, then, were continuing by the present Bionrcis no stitution against which they had certainly hewed tt very loud remonstrances, and ho would be more acceptable to the c ° ", - , as than to have o ne sen t out from this coull'iter. a model of perfection which they were not t° w bich The Hon. Member had alluded to the diff e rence g oes, he said exist e d b e t ween C ana d a an d t he Unite d ' ce of and he had attributed this diff e r e n c e to the inf l i ti , e h - rdli the Colonial-office. Now he (Lord John Russe l ,Po s ost fr knew in what respect the united provinces er oth er were not as free as the state of New York, or ° n i l, ohs' of the United States of America. It was true t"; tru er, bitants of Canada could not e l ec t th e ir own G°.isd the that being the connoxio n b e t ween th e Crown a- a 5 Lb°, colony. But, on th e o th er h an d, i n suc h matte rs st ooss imposition of the t ar iff, an d t h e l evy i n g the liberty° duties, the inhabit an t s o f C ana d a h a d f ar greater otbe t than was enjoyed by the state of New York, or any were of the states.—(Hear, hear.) In these respect' . thol or d left more free to pursue their own course. fie e o eoise -g Russell) believed that the dissentions between i sle to parties :in Canada had been the great ghats cop their progress, and that the unf or tunate div isio n rifle posed to have been the suggestion of Lord Gr e nse of between Upper and Lower Canada had been the „ „real a great part of the slow progress of those Pr" „ r eal But he had occasion to sho w th e o ther night t the c % increase which was taking place in the wealth , i be stsO ports, and the population of the Canadas.; and ar eal nothing to prevent those provinces matting a- f' AO" progress in these respects as any of the states ° b rice, except, perhaps, some of the young er obtr ide There was no measure for their internal bene fit - c a se - the Secretary of State for the Colonies would re' w bieh consent, and a great proportion of the questiorcenod: concerned them would b e sett l e d b y the peoPle ° the without the slight es t i n t er f erence on the part loose vernor or the Secretary of state. He therefor t h e s be se with confidenc e t o the support of . the Hos'? t m e ed w it ?, cond reading of thi s Bill, which had been trte esa l or very consid era bl e care, after knowing the g en d nion of the colonists of New South Wales, a ° 1 01 l as far as the Government could learn, had hce ll h 6 e ; st to° e „ of in the colony. He thought it would have r de 0 03 4 inexpedient if the Government bad thrown 051,0 t would Bill to frame a Bill on their own notions of o ,u oau esiog G h e a n d t st ioivro , f vrttieo be desirable, and if, instead of the princiPl o l ' l dep sed 1 1 , i e the people to govern themselves, they proposition of the Hon. and Learned would endeavour to set aside the prerogsVonji On Crown, the opinion of the colonists, and legieh e some fantastic notions of his Own.—(Cheerf.) rea ter Mr. F. PEEL had no objections to offer t0 .. ...t.Fr„, 1 , 6 h e ir% part of this measure. He approved of Port ..F . e"i' s , s hicls made into a separate district, and of the provo i "s u a lter allowed the Legislative Council in each colon,' " of t he c harge o f the charges on the civil list, except the ebati° l3 Governor's salary, without requiring the the Government before 'these changes carnO s l ose o orpo; tion. It was also a wise provision to cancel:n mourt aer i t rate institutions which were established n a l s ' sob is h under letters patent in New Synth Wales, et o _n iit : ti to tt?° aPPI:n-to °Per"- excited discontent and appeared to ben . .. nse i r, " ap i prosal inus wants and wishes of the colonists.—(ll principle of the Bill had also his hearty 5 in di e p p. recognition of a popular representation a _e n u yern ase . o f the ttu f douDw, rea able element in the formation lea slation shs a chamber. Ile should like to see die But he owned he was predisposed h o sercielo between two distinct legislative bodies, ‘aear bo o negative upon the other's proceedings 1B could o° 11;c1 be to The Noble Lord himself admitted that t , ow e . a secono d best course. This truth in favour of Noble r" °l. ot in favour e was admitted and conceded both by the He did vn self and the Committee of Privy Counc.s. siat i u g ur. say the House would be justified in gf w i s hes , °,l but " c atter abstract notions against the expressed doubt, peculiar circumst laces of the colony , b on his In e 0 1013 whether the colony had expressed a ois' in that clear and tgunistakablo Tray which WQI44 THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY l9, 1850