The Sun. — London, England, 1851-07-12 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF LORDS, July 11. w itri s OF rRROR—TTIB BARON DE BODE u. THE QUERr'• In this case judgment was delivered this morning. The Lon") CHIEF BARON said he appeared for the purpose of delivering the opinions of his brother judges and himself. The question put by their Lordships' House was this :—" An 'individual claims compensation under the treaties mentioned in the statute 59th George 111., cap. 31, or under one of those treaties, or under the treaties and the statute, or ufider the statute ; has he any and what remedy to recover :such compensation, other than by an application to the Com missioners appointed and acting under the statute, and by appeal from their decision to the judgment of the Privy Council?" He had to report the unanimous opinion of the Judges, that, according to the construction of the:statute, all the money received from the French Government was re ceived by the English Government under the provisions of the statute, and ought tP be applied according to its di rections, and that the suppliant, therefore, had no claim ex cept under the provisions of the statute. There was conse quentlyno foundation for this claim under the petition of right. The statute did dispose of the whole fund. The argument was, that the judgment of the Commissioners appointed under the stiatute had disposed of such part of the fund only as was sufficient to satisfy the claims of all those whose names had been registered before the passing of the Act, leaving the claims of those who had been afterwards ad mitted as claimants undecided ; and it was said that the sup plicant's name was not entered on the register, and therefore was not decided by the Commissioners, but must now be referred to the facts found in the inquisition returned by the Commissioners on the petition of right to be true. If so, it would become a matter entitled to great consideration what would have been the liability of the Sovereign if that Act had not been passed ; but such was not the construction of the Act, but it might have been had the Act provided for the application of the whole fund. The Judges were, there fore, of opinion that no case was made out for the claimant; for any claimant on the fund must proceed according to the provisions of the Act of Parliament, and he had no other remedy. In answer to the question put by the House, the Judges had not thought it necessary to go into the reasons in detail, as they entirely concurred with the opinion of the Judges, as expressed in the Court of Exchequer Chamber. The LORD CHANCELLOR expressed his entire concurrence with the opinion of the Judges, and moved that the judgment of the Court below should be affirmed.—Agreed to. SCADDING V. LORANT. This was a writ of etror on a judgment of the Court of Exchequer Ohamber, by which it had been declared that a rate for the relief of the poor of the parish of St. Pancras, ordered at a meeting of the 12th of August to be made, but the details of which were not completed till another vestry meeting, held by adjournment on the 14th of September, was a valid rate. There were several objections to the rate; but the principal objections were, that the meeting for levying a rate could not be adjourned, or at all events could not be adjourned without the notice of the purpose for which the meeting was to be held being again given ; and no such notice had been given here ; and further, tht the form of the avowry was not sufficient, and was not sup ported by proof. Mr. Needham (who was with Mr. Prendergast) was heard in continuation of his argument on the former day for the de fendant in error. Mr. Peacock (with whom was Mr. Denman), was heard in reply. The LORD CHANCYLLOR, after stating the nature of the action, and the questions raised in it, put three questions to the Judges. If an authority is given by a statut eto the ma jor* of a vestry, there being more than seven vestrymen present to make a rate, would such rate be unobjectionable in respect of its validity if the seven persons, or any of them, were seven vestrymen de facto but not de jure ? Secondly, by the statute of Geo. 111. authority was given to a vestry to make a rate for the relief of the poor ; notice of the meeting to be held for that purpose was to be given on the preceding Sunday ; and by the same statute it was enacted that notice shook' be given to each vestryman. At a vestry held on the u ti t i o f August, it was resolved that a rate should be made, but as all the forms of the rate could not then be completed, adpurnmenta were made to several different days, the last being the 14th September, when the details of the rate were completed. There was a notice of the purpose of the meeting of the 12th of August, but the notice of the meeting of the 14th of September contained no mention of the pur pose of making a rate. Supposing the rate to be otherwise valid, was it invalid byreason of the notice not stating the purpose for which the meeting assembled ? Thirdly, in an action of replevin, an avowry alleged that a poor-rate was made after the passing of a certain statute, and -before the taking of the plaintiff's goods, and whilst his goods were liable to be rated—namely, on the 12th of August, a rate was made. Would each allegation be supported by proof of the following facts? (The Lord Chancellor here read a summary of the facts, as already given.) These three questions embraced all the points, and he moved that they should be the questions put to the Judges. The motion was agreed to, and the judges requested time to consider them. The Lora) CHIEF BARON, after an absence of about three quarters of an hour, returned, and road the opinion of the Judges. The LORD CIIANOELLOE and Lord BROUGHA3I entirely concurred in the opinions of the judges. Judgment for the defendant in error. IN COMMITTEE FOR PRIVILEGES. THE DUNRAVEN PEERAGE. Mr. S. Rice appeared for the claimant. The claim of Lord Dunraven to vote for representative peers was heard and allowed. THE BANTRY PEERAGE. This was another claim to vote for representative peers for Ireland. Mr. Parnell appeared for the claimant. The Earl of BANDON and Earl LISTOWELL, from their places, proved the death of the father of the claimant, and the fact that the claimant had borne the title by courtesy given to the eldest son, and that they believed him to be the son of the late Peer.—The claim was allowed. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN.) THE TRIAL OF JAMES HUGGINS FOR ARSON. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. BODKIN then addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner. He recapitulated the main facts de tailed in evidence, and said it was impossible to con ceive that a man in his senses who intended to com mit such a crime would have said and done so many things which could not but excite suspicion against him and load to his detection. In fact he had invited attention to all his acts, alai after the tire took place, instead of ab sconding like a criminal conscious of his guilt, he remained at his house, though, if of sane mind, he must have been perfectly aware that he could not escape from suspicion. There could be no doubt that his mind was affected in such a way as to preclude him from being master of his own actions. The prisoner, who was an attorney and solicitor, was formerly in the employ of an eminent firm of great business, and while there he was called upon to make very great exertions in railway matters, and he so overtaxed his brain, that the most dangerous consequences were apprehended. He was always a nervous and exciteable person, and had two brothers who died early in life from diseases of the brain. Ten years ago he married a lady of irreproachable character and status, by whom he had five children, and a more fond, affectionate, and attentive husband and father was nowhere to be found. In 1848, however, a great change came over his mind and his conduct • the kind and devoted husband became a perfect tyrant-his wife, whom at different times he abused, attacked, and promised to destroy, became the object of his most virulent hatred. At other times he rushed about like a mad person, and made howling noises like those coming from a dog, or wild beast. Upon proving these and other facts to the Jury, he was confident they would he of opinion that the prisoner had for some time been of unsound mind, and not responsible for his actions. The following evidence was then adduced : Ann Huggins, the eldest sister of the accused, said previous to his marnage they lived together, and after that event she was frequently in the habit of visiting his house and staying there sometimes fur months. She had two brothers who died from disease of the brain. The prisoner was exceedingly ,exaitahle from his childhood, often starting up in his sleep. The least noise greatly affected him. Re was always extremely kind, and lived on terms ofaf fection with his father ar i d family. He was a very dutiful son, and the death of his father had a great effect on his mind. He would not att en d the funeral in , 8 and refused to go Into mourning. His fath er died 1 19 He was de votedly 1' attentive to his w if e and children. During the last three or four years his manner had been strange and distant. h Witness attributed this to pressure of business during th e railway mania. She had one•dined once at his house in the last three years; on the occasion she noticed nothing ,particular in his manner. The prisoner was about 38 years of age. Harriet Weymouth examined, said—l am a married woman. When single I lived as general servant f with the pr i sone r at Sydenham and Brixton. I le after being in his s erv i ce three years. in He Ju w ly a; 1848, very affectionate and devoted to his wife. On a Saturday in May, 1848, he came home after tea and ordered tea to be prepared for him, but when it was brought into the room he took up hi 3 hat, rushed out of the house, and did not return again until the following Thursday. His wife went after him, but did not succeed in ;a vbrianygeieryg m hi n in ch b d a i c a k tre ; as s e h l e was then then in the family-wad, an came home as usual on Thursday, but made no inquiry about his wife or children. Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTyNE—Letters passed be tween him and his wife while he was absent. She aid not know whether he went to Brighton on that occasion. Mary C roz i er , also a servant in the prisoner' s em . , pmy' deposed as to the general irritability of his te mper, and as to his sudden absence in May, 1843. She had often heard him walking about the room at nights., stamping, raving , an d groaning. The famil y afterwards went to,Grays, g in Essex, an d from that ti me a change took is his plac e , conduct to his wif e ; h e f r e quently beat her violently, and used threats to her. When at home he would sometime s g o an empty house next st door, and return ele! ant and sleep n o i furnished room in the house. oek up the servants in the middle of the night. Ther e was e one Crime-examined by Mr. Ce e was kind to his wife in the presence of strang er; One ro oming a cutlet was laid before him, he and at other times he treated twisted himself at breakfast, when and groaned, and then jumped several u l i a , i a ms d elf round in the chair, n struck his wife times on the back with his fat Jane Robinson, a nurse, now in th gave similar testimony as to utuallly became violent once rep e s." Service of the prisoner , a nic 7 n e t l acts of cruelty. He to his wit.; and witness was in the hAbit of jocularly saying with the change of the moon. She had frequently h e was affected pump cold water on his head in the morning, seen him Mr. J. Sawyer, physician, examined by Air, he was consulted in 1848 ab out the health of the DKPl,Nis'osnaeird. Ire was then in a highly nervous, excited stat e , and p l a i n ed much of his head. He said h e passed badnezonl a nd could not bear the noise of the children. Ile also i- fits, he was trouble d with the " horrors," and fel t a wish tosaid com mit suicide. Witn ess recommended cold a pplications torb head, and change of scene, and sea air. He subsequentl y rece ived a note from M rs. Hu gg ins, and again visited the prisoner, when the symptoms were aggravated ; h e was on th a t occasion suffering from congestion of the li ver and brain. Witeese advised him to leave home, to dispense with business, and to submit himself to the care of a medical man. Assuming the circumstances to be true which had been deposed to, he should decidedly attri bute them to the conduct of an insane person. Cross-examined by M r. CLARKSON— e should say, at times the prisoner did not know right from wrong. A con gested liver would irrit ate and excite the brain. When Me visited him on the second occasion, he considered he was guttering from temporary madness. DT. Connolly, physician to Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, said he hat limited the prisoner during his imprisonment, and Prom the eotversation he had had with him, he was of opi nion that his mind was not perfectly sound, and that his judgment was impaired. The facts stated in evidence showed that the prisoner was of a very nervous and irrit a ' i le tem perament, and was aord • erm g on the verze affection followed by of insanity. Strong great hatred and dislike, and acts of vice. knee,was a frequent s y. sign of insanity. Insane persons often exhibite 1 great canni ng and ' artifice. It was difficult to say whether the prisoner coulcl distinguish right from wrong when he beat his wife. He had many insane patients under his care at llanwell who knew when they did wrong, yet committed acts with that consciousness, and then said, " you cannot punish me because I am insane." He was of opinion that the prisoner could not distinguish be tween right and wrong in the same way as a person ol sound mind. Sir Alexander Morrison, physician, said he had heard the evidence to-day, and did not feel himself entitled to say that the prisoner was of sound mind. He knew many cases of persons of impaired and diseased minds who could attend to their ordinary business, and who sometimes knew what they were about, and at other periods had no control over their actions. After some further evidence had been given, Mr. CLAP.KSON briefly replied, and contended that the de fence set up on the ground of insanity had altogether failed. Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN then summed up. He said that before the jury could acquit the prisoner on the ground of in sanity they must be satisfied that at the time he committed the act he was in such a state of mind as to be incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong in reference to that act. It was not sufficient to excuse a person from the conse quences of his acts, that he was labouring under some delu sion upon other subjects; but the law required that, at the time of committing it, he was incapable of distinguishing whether it was right or wrong. The law, in such a case only, held a person to be irresponsible ; a n d it wou ld be dangerous indeed to the interests of society if any other rule prevailed. The jury, without being in deliberation more than five minutes, returned a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner was then called upon to say whether he had anything to urge why judgment of death should not be re corded against him. He made no reply. The Learned JUDGE, addressing him, said he had been convicted upon the clearest possible evidence of having wil fully caused the fire, which in its results might have been the means of sacrificing the lives of two innocent persons, and would have been so no doubt but for its timely dis covery. His Learned Counsel had exercised every possible ingenuity in urging every to p ic that could be introduced in his behalf, but he felt himself compelled to rest his defence from the state . of his mind, he was not upon the ground that , responsible for his actions. The jury were not satisfied with the evidence to.support that . defence, and he thou ht they had come to a right conclusion, for it would be dangerous indeed if a man who . had for a great many years exercised all the ordinary duties of life without any suggestion of his incompe t e nce to perform those duties, was to be excused from the consequences of a desperate crime because he might, from irritability of temper or any other cause, have some delusions upon other subjects. The offence of which he had been convicted was still capital, but in his case the law would not be carried out to that extent. Judgment of death would, however, be recorded against him, and it would rest with the Crown to decide to what extent that sentence would be commuted, but the least punishment he might ex pect would be transportation for a very long period. PO LICE INTELLIGENCE. MARYLEBONE. HER MAJESTY'S " RAT DESTROYER."—CIIARGE OF ROBBERY.—Amongst the personages who do good and faith ful service to the Sovereign of this famed isle is one James Black who, in addition to his being a beer-shop keeper, at 26, Edward-street, Regent's-park, has the high honour of being (according to printed bills which he has disseminated) " rat and mole destroyer to her Majesty Queen Victoria." The charge preferred by him was against William Fowler and Frederick Fowler, for having stolen ten live rats, his (complainant's) property. Mr. LONG, to complainant—There is no such offence known to and punishable by the law as the stealing of rats, which are looked upon and described as vermin. Complainant—l purchased the rats. sir, and they cost me 2id. each. I sometimes give 6d. a piece for them. Mr. LONG—Sixpence a piece for rats? what for? Com plainant—l procure them for officers in barracks, who get them for the purpose of training their little terriers with, and I can get plenty of custom in that way. Mr. LONG said he could not interfere under the circum stances, and that the prisoners must be discharged. Police-constable 239 S (by whom a cage containing ten full-grown rats was produced)—What am 1 to do with these " animals," your Worship ? Mr. Long—Give them up to the complainant. His Worship's order was complied with, and in about an hour afterwards "her Majesty's rat and mole catcher" re entered the court, when he set forth that he had ferrets on his premises to the value of at least 201., and he wished to know if, in the event of the said ferrets being stolen, he could look upon them as being " property" or not. He (com plainant) had been threatened by the parties accused, and he was fearful that attempts would be made to steal his ferrets, upon which he placed so much value. Mr. LONG gave him to understand that if his ferrets should be stolen, he might have his remedy by a civil action at the county court. He (the Magistrate) did not think that a criminal prosecution for such an offence could be maintained. Her Majesty's " rat and mole catcher," after thanking his Worship for the attention which he had paid to the case, and making such a salaam as the Grand Sultan would have looked for and expected to receive from one of his vassals, then quitted the court, taking with him a large wire cage in which the ten rats were secured. He then, followed by three or four moustached persons of military appearance, repaired to Ashbridge's, the Coach and Horses Hotel, where they in dulged themselves with the landlord's" kill grief," and other beverages, to their hearts' content. At three o'clock " her Majesty's rat catcher" had a strong presentiment that he had had quite enough, and in a few minutes he took his seat in his drag, which was waiting for him in Paradise-street—the said drag showing the loyalty of its owner, inasmuch as on each side were painted two rats, with the letters " V. R.," and a crown above. As he stepped into the vehicle he was saluted with cries of Bravo, Black, keep your spirits up, my boy, in spite of all muffs, and stick to rats and ferrets as long as you live." The horse was then driven off at the rate of fourteen miles an hour. THE LONDON GAZETTE, July 11. WAR-OFFICE, JULY 11, 1851. 3d Regiment of Dragoon Guards-Lieut. John Miller, from the 39th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Pedder, who exchanges, July 11. 7th Dragoon Guards-Hugh O'Reilly, Gent„ to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Dowbiggin, promoted, July 11. 4th Light Dragoons-William Aleck King, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Jolliffe, promoted, July 11; George Warwick Hunt, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Fair lie, promoted, July 12. Bth Light Dragoons-Edward Phillips, Gent., to be Cor net, by purchase, vice Fitz Gibbon, promoted, July 11. 12th Light Dragoons-Ralph Shelton Bond, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Jary promoted, July 11. Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards-Second Lieutenant Fiederick Henry Ramsden, from the Rifle Brigade, to be En sign and Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Dering, who retires, July 11. 2d Foot-John Croome, Gent., to be Ensign. by purchase, vice Gibbs promoted, July 11; William Webber Martin, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Grimston, promoted, July 12; Herbert Belfield, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Thompson, promoted, July 13. Bth Foot-Surgeon Francis Charles Annesley, from the 21st Foot, to be Surgeon, vice Tice, who exchanges, July 11, 18th Foot-Gentleman Cadet Hugh Grogan Davidson, from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, vice Lynch, appointed to the 87th Foot, July 11. 21st Foot-Edward Lennox Jervis, Gent., to be 'Second Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Goodlake, appointed to the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards ; Surgeon John Charles Graham Tice, M.D., from the Bth Foot, to be Surgeon, vice Annesley, who exchanges, July 11. 39th Foot-Lieutenant Charles Denison Pedder, from the 8d Dragoon Guards, to be Lieutenant, vice Miller, who ex changes, July 11. 430 Foot-James Atty, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice the Hon. L. Milles, promoted, July 11. 48th Foot-Major Joseph Robert Raines, from the 95th Foot, to be Major, vice Smith, wbo exchanges, July 11. 51st Foot-Captain Donald George Angus Darroch, from half-pay Unattached, to be Captain, vice Richard D. Baker, who exchanges, receiving the difference, July 11. 53d Foot-James Arthur Maude, Gent, to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Taylor, promoted, July 11. 60th Foot-Second Lieutenant William Mure to be First Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Warburton, who retires; Charles Williamson, Gent., to be Second Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Mure, July 11. 64th Foot-Ensign William Knox, from the 78th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Straton, who retires, July 11. 65th Foot-Frederick Wemyss, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Strange, promoted, July 11. 67th Foot-Captain Henry Crofton, from the 3d West India Regiment, to be Captain, vice Taylor, who exchanges, July 11. 78th Foot-Ensign Hugh Grogan Davidson, from the 18th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Knox, appointed to the 64th Foot, July 11. 81st Foot-Sir Peter Arthur Halkett, Bart., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Betts, promoted, July 11. 87th Foot-Second Lieutenant Robert Carter to be First Lieutenant, without purchase, vice MacDougal, deceased, April 28 ; Ensign Colmer Lynch, from the 18th Foot, to be Second Lieutenant, vice Carter, July 11. 88th Foot-George Thomas Ramsden, Gent., to bel„Ert sign, by purchase, vice Harrison, who retires, July 11. 95th Foot-Major James Webber Smith, from the 48th Foot, to be Major, vice Raines, who exchanges, July 11. Rifle Brigade-Second Lieutenant Charles Cholmeley Hale, from the 6Uth Foot, to be Second Lieutenant, vice Ramsden, appointed to the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, July 11. 2d West India Regiment-Captain Richard :Elliott to be Major, without purchase, vice Soden, deceased; Lieutenant William M'Carthy Murray to be Captain, without purchase, vice Elliott, July 1 ; Ensign Rokeby Steele Wilkinson Jones to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Murray, July 11. 3d West India Regiment-Captain Francis Richard Taylor, from the 67th Foot, to be Captain, vice Crofton, who ex changes, July 11. Royal Canadian Rifle Regiment-Lieutenant Spencer Peel to be Captain, by purchase, vice George Valiancy Hamilton, who retires; Ensign Alfred John Lane to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Peel, July 11. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, JULY 8. Royal Regiment of Artillery-Major-General Richard John James Lacy to be Colonel-Commandant, vice Major-General Birch, deceased, June 30. The followin ADMIRALTY, JULY 8. romoti this day taken place, con- sequent on the decease, o cease, o ns n the have 7th inst , of Admiral of the Red the Hon. Sir John Talbot, G.C.B. : Admiral of the White the Hon. Sir Thomas Bladen Capel, K.C.8., to be Admiral of the Red. Admiral of the Blue Si r EdwardDurnford King, K.C.11., to be Admiral of the Whit e . Curry, C.B. on the reserved half-pay Vice-Admir allist, tobe Admiral Richard on the reserved half-pay list. Vice-Admiral of the Red Sir John Wentworth Loring, K.C.8., K.C.11., to be Admiral of the Blue. Vice-Admiral of the White Edward Hawker to be Vice- Admiral of the Red . Vi ce -Admiral of the Blue John Ayscough to be Vice-Ad miral of the White. Rear -Admiral of the Red Sir Edward Tucker, K.C.8., to be Vice-Admiral of the Blue. Rear-Admiral of the White Charles John Austen, C. 8., to be Rear -Admiral of the Red. Captain Sir John Ross, C. 8., to be Rear-Admiral on the re served half -pay li s t. g Captain Si r J ames Stirling to be Rear - Admir al of t he Blue. The following Captai ns on the retired list have also been promoted to be ret i red Rear Admirals, on the terms pro posed in th e London Gazetteßarnard of Ist September , 1846, without increase of pay Captain Edward - Captain Willi am Bateman. Dashwood. Captain M ar ti n W hite. Captain Joh n C ooke ' sley. Captain Ch ar l es George.R 'lacy Phillott. C c a o p m ta m in ia W sio il n li b arn y t l h V e o I L r -lieutenant of Lincolnshire. Royal South Lincoln Militia -Joseph Livesey, Esq., to be by the Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. Captain, co at Ju m n i e ss 2 io l u . tok Y bee o () e r n: 3e ; vice rederick Aston Jacoblst Troop Buxton, of Bart., Suff Robert Oakes, Gent., resigned. July 8. WHITEHALL, JULY 9. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Henry Wilcock, Hooper, of the city of Exeter, Gent., to be a Blaster Extraor dinary in the High Court of Chancery. BANKRUPTS. . _ Thomas Edwin Southee, advertising agent, Fleet-street, to surrender July 21, at one, and August 28, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basing hall-street; Buchanan, Basinghall-street. William Taylor and James Wylde, flock manufacturers, Wood•-street, London, July 21, at twelve, and Aug. 22, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Lepard, Bannatyne, and Gammon, Cloak lane. William Edward Johnson, coal merchant, New-wharf, Little Abingdon-street, Westminster, July 18, at twelve, and August 22, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Birchin-lane, Co rnhill ; Jer wood, Ely-place, Holborn. James Murray, woollen warehouseman, Gresham-street, London, July 18, at one, and August 15, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee; Link later, Charlotte-row, Mansion-house. William Williams, builder, Ashford, Kent, July 19 and August 15, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. &ans. feld, official assignee ; Laurance, Plews, and Boyer, Old Jewry-chambers. Thomas Barber, bookseller, Cambridge, July 18, at one, and August 15, at half-past eleven, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Graham, official assignee; Pickering, Smith, and Thompson, Stone-buildings, Lincoln's-inn; Archer, Ely, Cambridgeshire. Elizabeth Thompson, brushmaker, Reading, July 22, and Aug. 23, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Abchurch-lane; Finney, Furnival's-inn, Holborn. Philip Rufford, Francis Rufford, and Charles John Wragge, bankers, Stourbridge, July 28, and Aug. 18, at half-past ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Whitmore, official assig nee, Birmingham ; Harward, Stourbridge ; Motteram, Knight, and Emmet, Birmingham. Philip Rufford and Francis Rufford, bankers, Bromsgrove, July 26, and Aug. 16, at half-past ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham; Harward, Stourbridge; Motteram, Knight, and Emmet, Birmingham. Samuel Street, shoemaker, Devizes, July 24, and Aug. 21, at eleven, at the Bristol Dist:ict Court. Acraman, official assignee, Bristol ; Abbot and Lucas, Bristol. William Ayres, grocer, Cardiff, July 24, and Aug. 21, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Hutton, official as signee, Bristol; Stanley and Wasbrough, Bristol. Fletcher Clarke, wine merchant, Hawes, Yorkshire, July 28 and Aug. 21, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds ; Robinson, Leyburn ; Bond and Barwick, Leeds. Richard l3rumwell, draper, Halifax, July 28, at twelve, and Aug. 20, at eleven, at the Manchester District Court. Pott, official assignee, Manchester; Sale, Worthington, and Shipmar, Manchester. James Pownall and James Youil, brewers, Manchester, July 21, and Aug. 12, at twelve, at the Manchester Dis trict Court. Fraser, official assignee, Manchester; Lycett, Manchester. James Hoyle and Thomas Hoyle, cotton manufacturers, Salford, July 24 and Aug. 15, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Lee, official assignee, Manchester ; Rowley, Manchester. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 12, 1851. PRICE OF SUGAR. The average price of Brown or Muscovado Sngar, com puted from returns made in the week ending July 8, 1851, exclusive of Customs Duties paid or payable thereon on the importation thereof into Great Britain : From the British possessions in America 265. 4id. per cwt From the Mauritius 275. 64c1. „ From the East Indies ... ... 275. 11d. ~ Average price of the three foregoing de scriptions of sugar, jointly, computed as above, and exclusive of duty ... ... 275. lid. ~ By authority of Parliament, HENRY BICKN ELL, Clerk of the Grocers' Company. Grocers'-hall, July 11. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current, July 11.) SUGAIi.-To day West India Sugar was purchased with caution for home consumption, and rather lower rates were taken, making the reduction as compared with last Friday is per cwt. Operations to-day were 269, and for the week 1,427 hhds and trcs, the market closing with a dull tone. REFINED.-To-day operations in Refined goods were upon a limited scale by home dealers, and brown Lumps are to be obtained at 46s to 46s 6d per cwt. In Crushed Sugar there is still little doing, but lower rates are not taken. MAunmes.-This afternoon there was not much desire to operate in Mauritius Sugar, and rather lower rates were taken, making a reduction for the week of is per cwt. At auction 4,091 bags were sold, good to fine yellow went at 37s to 39a 6d, low to middling 31s 6d to 36s 6d, and brown from 31s to 34s 6d per cwt. EAST INDIA.-This afternoon white Bengal met with a good demand, and 2,420 bags at auction were sold at full rates, realizing 38s 6d to 40a for mid and good mid, and good 40s dto 41s 6d. Of Penang 974 bags were taken in at 32s for low soft yellow, but 1,867 bags Madras sold at full rates, grainy white 43s to 48s, yellow 36s to 42s 6d, and brown 33s 6d to 35s per cwt. FOREIGN.-There was no public sale of Foreign Sugar to day, and little business was done privately for any purpose; there are free sellers at the rates of yesterday. BlotassEs.--There is still little business doing in any sort, and the quantity exceeds that of last week. For small parcels of low to fine West India the rates taken are 13s to 15s, Bengal and Mauritius 12s to 12s 60, Porto Rico 14s to 15s, but if sales were to be pressed a decline would be the result, although stock is yet less than last season : at auction 233 hhds Cossipore were withdrawn. Prices for Jamaica Honey remain at from 30s to 55s per cwt. COFFEY.-This afternoon there was rather more demand for Native Ceylon Coffee, and the rates paid privately were 38s to 33s 6d per cwt. The public sales of 383 casks and 98 bags of Plantation went at Lull rates, middling to fine at 52s to 59s 6d, fine fine ord and low middling 465 to 51s, other sorts 42s to 455, and pea berry 59s to 61s. Of Mocha 200 half bales sold at firm rates, middling clean 65s 6d to 66s 6d, damaged 56s to 61s 6d, and triage 27s to 47s 6d per cwt. C060A.-To-day, at public sale, 80 bags Grenada have been taken at 383 per cwt. TEa.-The market has a firm appearance for common and good ord Congou ; many purchases have been again made by home dealers, and a fair export demand exists. Prices rule at from 10id to 11d per lb, and supply is moderate. There is no advance to notice for other kinds ; transactions are, however, to a fair extent, and a less quantity is pressed for sale ; the rates paid fbr medium to rather strong blackish leaf sorts are 11 1 ,0 to Is, and good to fine is to is 7d per lb. Oblong has been sold to a fair extent at Is to Is B€l, supply is not equal to last week. Green Tea has supported previous rates, and a fair business was transacted; but Young Hyson still sells the most freely, and there is a decrease in supply. Scented or Pekoe sorts have not improved in price ; but orders are upon a more extended scale at previous terms. SPICIS.-There is only a limited demand for Nutmegs, and the rates taken are rather under those prevailing pre viously, although supply is moderate. At auction 17 chests were sold; good brown at 2s 9d to 2s 10d, mid 2s 5d to 2s Bd, low Is 10d to 2s 4d, and wormy 8d to Is 50 per lb. The value of fine brown is 3s 3d to 33 7d, and limed is 8d to 28 4d per lb, as to quality. Mace is rather cheaper ; at public sale, however, 10 chests were all sold at 2s to 2s Id for mid, and one lot at is 7d for chips. Cassia Lignea is held for stiffer rates, and which checks bu siness privately; of 100 chts at auction a part only sold, good mid and good, first and second pile at 98s to 100 s, mid, third pile 97s to 97s 6d, mouldy 93s and broken, 908 per cwt. Pimento continues in good demand, and stiffer rates are obtained; there is also no in crease of supply. At auction 235 bags were sold at 4'gol to 5d for mid and good, but chiefly at the better price. Privately several transactions have taken place. Ginger, the rates taken for Jamaica are rather under those of last week. At auction 200 pkgs sold at 55s to 66s for ord and good ord ; mid and good mid 70s to 75s per cwt. The bet ter sorts are held for Bos to 160, ; Barbadoes and African 24s to 265. Of Export Bengal 250 pockets at public sale realised 16s for mid, and damaged 13s; 150 cases China preserved partly sold at 8 1 ; <,d to 9d per lb. With Pepper the market continues to be sparingly supplied, and there being a good demand rates rule firm ; Malabar at 3 ix B d to 3 I ,, e d ; clean Sumatra 3 4 3 d to 34d, and Penang 3d. A public sale of 233 bags of Malabar went at 3 ls,cl to 3 , /d for good light; and at 2 , 4 d to 2 for damaged. Several parcels have been sold privately at 5 1 .,d to 8d for low to fine. Pod Pepper is wanted at 40s to 603 per cwt, and is in small supply. Cayenne has been selling at is to I s 10d per lb. Cloves are not cheaper ; sales are upon a small scale; Penang at 10d to is 2d, and Amboyna 7d to 81 At auction 90 bgs Bourbon sold at 6d to 6id per lb. The market for Cinnamon has a.quiet aspect. At the ensuing sales nearly 2,000 bls Ceylon will be offered. Rim-Holders of Bengal are not disposed to accept lower rates; and the private transactions have been trifling by shippers and home dealers. Of 3,159 bags, and 1,000 pockets at auction a small part only sold ; good white at lOs to lOs 6d, mid 9s to 9s 6d, low 8s to 8s 6d, and damaged 5s to 9s 6d. Other sorts met with little attention, and a decline has taken place of 3d per cwt for Madras; at auction 2,489 bags were nearly all sold; good mid pinkey at 7s 6d to 8s; Pearl Barley went at the same rates, and damaged 6s to 7s 6d •, whilst Coringa Grain was taken in at 8s 6d per cwt. African is obtained at 8s ; Cargo 7s 6d, and fine white Bengal lls per cwt. Cleaned Rice is yet in large demand ; Patna at 103 6d to 15s, broken 9s 6d to 10s ; town dressed Carolina 20s to 255, and American at 16s 6d to 17s per cwt. At auction 44 chests, 20 bgs sild at 19s to 19s 6d for good small Pearl, and at 17s to 17's 6d for mid. SPIRITS.—There are sellers of Leeward Island Rum at rather lower rates; still operations have been upon a small scale at Is 44d to is 51(1 proof. East India can be obtained at is 3d to is 31d. Demerara is 10d to 2s 3d for 30 to 40 per cent over proof. Jamaica met with little attention for home consumption and shipping; in the value of best sorts there is no variation ; but other kinds are offered at a small reduction, and larger parcels are on offer. Prices for fine, 34 to 39 per cent over proof, rule at 3s 3d to 4s 4d ; good mid to good, 32 to 35 over, 2s 7d to 35 2d ; and low to mid, 30 to 33 over, 2a 3d to 2s 6d per gallon. Brandy— Cognac best Brands of the vintage of 1850 at 45 4d to 4s Gd ; 1819 ditto, 45 6d to 4s 8d ; 1848 ditto, 4s 11d to 5s Id ; older, 5s 5d to 7s; low to mid sorts, 2s 6d to 3s 4d ; and Bordeaux, 2s 2d to 2s 3d per gallon. INDIGO.—This afternoon a small part only of 120 serons Guatemala Indigo at auction sold 2s Gd to 4s 2d for Sobres and mid Cortes ; these are barely former rates. COCIIINEAL.—This afternoon the public sales of Cochineal went off heavily at barely former rates. Of 150 bags offered not above half sold—Honduras Silvers, ord and mid at 3s to 3s 3d ; black, ord to fine 3s 6d to 4s 4d ; low red Lima 2s Gd to 2s 10d ; Mexican taken in, Silvers 3s, and black 3s 2d to 3s 3d per lb. Oms.—Transactions in pale Seal Oil have been larger than last week, and rates are firm at 30115 s to 311 per tun : other kinds are wated at 29/ to 30/ 10s, and supply small. In Cod little has been done, and 361 10s to 37/ is the present value. For Southern, prices have become firm at 29/ to 321 for low to fine. In Sperm there is still little doing ; prices rule at 831 to 841 lOs for good and fine. Headmatter in small parcels realise 901 to 92/. Linseed Oil has been in brisk request, chiefly for home consumption, and an ad vance is apparent, 32s Gd per cwt having been currently paid ; for delivery several contracts have been entered into at 32s to 32s 3d, and the market has a firm aspect. At public sale 50 pkgs Cocoa Nut Oil sold at 29s to 29s 3d for Sydney and Ceylon. TALLow.—To-day at public sale 220 casks Sydney Tallow sold at 365 to 37s 90 for sheeps, and ox 35s to 36s 6d, 140 pkgs American 36a to 37s Gd. COURT OF CHANCERY AND JUDICIAL COMMITTEE. The Government Bill "to improve the administration of justice in the Court of Chancery and in the Judicial Com mittee of the Privy Council," has gone through Committee, and has been printed as amended. Two clauses have been added—the first permitting the appointment of a secretary, usher, and train-bearer for each judge; and the second pro viding that the salary of the additional registrar, whom the Lord Chancellor may appoint, should be paid out of the suitors fund. REPRESENTATION OF WORCESTE R . —We hear nothing of the probability of Mr. Rufford vacating his seat. It is understood that he has left the country, and that he is not likely to surrender under the fiat in bankruptcy.— Wor cester Chronicle. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS. July 11. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Lords' amendments to the Birmingham Improve ment 13111 were considered and agreed to. The following Bills were read a third time and passed:— General Reversionary and Investment Company Bill. King's College Hospital (No. 2) Bill. Lincolnshire Estuary Bill. Llnvi Valley, and Duffryn Llynvi, and Porthcawl Rail ways Bill. PETITIONS. Mr. WILLCOX presented a petition from Southamp ton, praying the House to direct the Government to use its good offices iu obtaining the release of the Hungarian refugees in Turkey. Colonel MA.TYIESON and other Hon. Members pre sented petitions from various parts of the metropolis, praying for the continuance of the Crystal Palace. Mr. M. GIBSON presented a petition from Birken head in favour of the ocean penny postage. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from an undertaker in the City-road, complaining of the unin telligible character of the Hackney Post Duty Act. The petitioner stated that he had been twice prosecuted under this Act, at the instance of the Ctown •' but, although he had succeeded in both cases, ho had yet been forced to pay his own costs, which were heavy. PHARMACY BILL. Mr. WAKLEY gave notice that after the order of the day he should move that the Speaker do leave the chair, with the view of going into Committee on the Pharmacy Bill, in order that it may be proceeded with n the course of the present session. Mr. HUME presented 26 petitions from different parts of the kingdom in fsvour of the Pharmacy Bill. Mr. BOOKER presented a petition from the ship owners of various places on the Welsh coast complaining of great distress, which they attributed to the repeal of the navigation-laws. Colonel LLOYD WATKINS presented a petition from Brecknock, signed by the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, praying that measures may be adopted for preserving the Crystil Palace in its in tegrity, for such national uses, and in such ways, as may hereafter be expedient. Sir JAMES GRAHAM presented a petition from the Incorporated Society of Solicitors and Proctors of the United Kingdom against the Registration of Assurances Bill. WATER SUPPLY OF THE METROPOLIS. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet the Chairman of the Committee on Metropolis Water Supply Bills, whether, in the event of the present session of Parliament terminating about the usual period, there is any probability of the Committee completing its inquiry within sufficient time to enable this House to give any measure for an improved supply of water to the metropolis that consideration which so important a question demands. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said the Committee were pro secuting the inquiry confided to them with much dili gence and attention. The House was no doubt aware that not one, but many, Bills had been referred to the Committee, namely, the Bill introduced by the Govern ment and four or five other Bills presented by different water companies. Hitherto the Committee had confined their attention to the first of these, and they had just got through the case for the preamble, and were about entering on that of the opposition. The Bill was opposed by three distinct classes of opponents, namely, those who thought the supply of water ought to be placed under the control of an elective body; those who were interested in the existing water companies, and who objected to the amalgamation proposed by the Government ; and, lastly, those who promoted the new schemes. The Committee were now consider ing the C 330 for the first of these three classes of opponents ; and as their case not only re lated to the supply of water, but to the management of the sewers in the metropolis, he thought there was little hope of the inquiry terminating this session. PUBLIC BUSINESS. Sir JAMES GRAHAM wished to know if Govern ment intended to move the second reading of the Re gistration of Assurances Bill that night. Lord J. RUSSELL replied in the negative ; it would he moved some day next week by his Right Hon. Friend the Master of the Rolls, and as it was a measure of great importance he hoped the House would seen° diffi culty in passing it this session. He might, perhaps, be allowed to take this opportunity of stating the course of public business which Government intended to pursue. To-night they proposed to take the Supply, and to re sume it again on Monday. On Thursday Supply would be taken again, and if the whole of it was got through his Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer would move the third reading of the Customs Bill on Friday next, but not otherwise. The Customs Bill would not be proceeded with until after the whole of the Supply had been gone through. COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS. In reply to Captain FITZROY, Lord JOHN RUSSELL intimated that on Monday ho would state the course which Government intended to take with reference to a Bill for amending the Com missioners of Sewers Act. EPISCOPAL INCOMES. Sir B. HALL wished to ask Lord John Russell, whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Govern ment to propose any Legislative measures for obviating the inconvenience and occasional hardship resulting from the present uncertainty of episcopal incomes, in ac cordance with the desire of the Committee on Episcopal Incomes (Parliamentary Paper, No. 400, page 294)? Also, whether the bishops who have received larger in comes than were assigned to their sees have paid the surplus over to the common fund, or have retained it? Also, whether the Ecclesiastical Commissioners intend taking legal proceedings for the recovery of the sums which, according to the last report of the Ecclesias tical Commissioners, appear to be due from certain bishops, and if not, what course they propose sto adopt that the common fund may not be deprived of that amount so long due, and, as appears by Parliamentary Paper, No. 153, so repeatedly demanded? Also, whether it is true that the Bishop of Salisbury has intimated to the Commissioners that he will receive from them, as a fired income, the sum assigned to his see, and whe ther any other bishop has acted in like ,manner? Such being the case, of course all the bishops who had received their sees since that time came under that Act of Parliament. __ _ _ _ Lord J. RUSSELL said he had to state, in answer to the ion. Baronet's first question, that of which the House was perfectly aware, namely, that an Act of Par liament had been passed many years ago by which the incomes of bishops were fixed, and those who received anything over the income assigned to their diocese were required to pay a certain sum. Other bishops were to receive a certain sum to make up the incomes of their re spective sees to the sum assigned. Lately a Bill had been passed, which provided that the Ecclesiastical Commis sioners should mske arrangements by which the incomes of the bishops should neither exceed nor fall short of the sum assigned to them.—(Hear, hear.) That was to take ' ,l ace from January, 1849, and with regard to the bishops whose incomes were greater since then, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were considering a scheme for carrying into effect the provisions of that Act, so that they would receive an exact sum. With regard to the other bishops he was not called upon to speak, but it was evident they were entitled to the incomes which were settled on them, and that Parliament was no more justified in in terfering with them than they were in interfering with any other private property whatever. Those who had received more than the sums assigned to them by law, had retained it according to their right by law. The Bishop of Durham had paid over a much larger sum to the Curnmissioners than they were entitled to receive from him; 11,0001.. was th e sum settled for him to pay, besides gulag up an estate of 2,0001. per annum, which it was calculated would reduce his in come to 8,000/. It should be stated likewise that the present Bishop succeeded two prelates whose in comes were 23,0001. per annum, and whose charities and contributious were of course commensurate to their incomes. This created a very considerable demand on the present Bishop, to which he had responded as far as he was able, to the amount of no less than 45,000/.—(llear, hear.) The next question of the lion. Baronet referred to certain bishops who were obliged to pay over certain sums which were in excess of the sums fixed for their incomes. Some of these had received much less than had been fixed for them, and could not have paid over the sums required from them without great inconvenience. The Bishop of Ely was indebted in a considerable amount to the Commisioners, and at no time had his income exceeded the income assigned to him. The Commis sioners had not proceeded by law fur the re covery of these s ums , but h a d merely written atintervals to acquaint the Right Rev. Prelates of the amounts due and request payment. The Archbishop of York had paid all that was due, and the Bishop of St. Asaph was now making arrangements for that purpose. In the case of the Bishop of Ely there was every reason to believe that if he lived the whole sum due from him would be paid, though the Commissioners, from the consideration that his income had never reached the sum estimated, were naturally desirous not to press. With regard to the last question, the Bishop of Salis bury had put into his hands a letter written by him to the Commissioners so late back as February last, by which he voluntarily came under the hands of the Com missioners. INDIAN MARRIAGES. Mr. lIARDCASTLE asked the Secretary of the Board of Control, with reference to a clause in the Bill for regulating th e marr i ages o f Christians in India, whether the age of twenty-one years, which is therein fixed as the age up to which it is expedient to continue parental control, has bean determined upon with a due regard to native customs, or simply in accordance with the rules or iaw in England? Mr. ELLIOT said that as the Bill ,was intended to apply to Christians, of course its provisions wore founded on Christian laws, though, in India, native girls were married at the early ago of eleven or twelve years. SANI rARY CONFERENCE. In reply to questions fronaMl: - .UIIQVHART, Lord PALMERSTON said that the British Govern ment had accepted the invitation of the French Govern ment to take part in a sanitary conference which was to open in Paris on the 18th of tho present month, fur the purpose of deliberating on measures to relax the present severity of the quarantine regula tions of Europe. A medical man and a consular agent had been deputed by the British Government. With regard to the Greek claims, the commissioners appointed by England, Franca, and Greece had decided that 1501. should be paid to Mr. Pacifico in compensation for the expenco to which he had been put in sup plyirg the place of certain documents relating to his claims on tho Portuguese, documents which had been destroyed by them at Athens. COURT OF CHANCERY AND JUDICIAL CONE- MITTEE BILL. On the motion for the third reading of this Bill, Mr. M. MILNES rose for the purpose of giving a denial to the statements which had been made with re g,arcl to the Biehop of St. David'6 ; but he was inter rupted by The SPEAKER, who informed the Hon. Gentleman that, the remarks he was making had no reference to the subject before the House. Lord J. RUSSELL suggested that the lion. Member should defer the subject until the motion for going into Committee of Supply. The question that the Court of Chancery and Judicial Committee Bill should be read a third time having then been put, Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said he did not object to the Bill, but he objected to the proposed mode of paying the new judges. He thought that payment ought not to be made out of the suitors' fund. He repeated that he did not mean to oppose the passing of the Bill, but he protested against its being considered a measure of Chan cery reform, for it would merely strengthen the judicial staff in the Court of Chancery, while it would leave the flagrant abuses of the court wholly untouched. He hoped that for these abuses some efficient remedy would yet be devised. Sir G. STRICKLAND said he agreed with the Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir H. Willoughby) that that could not be considered as a measure of Chancery reform such as the public had at length began loudly to demand. He en tirely concurred in the statement of the Right Honourable Baronet the Member for Ripon (Sir James Graham) that the Bill began at the wrong end, for it merely increased the means of carrying out the present most imperfect Chan cery system, instead of effecting a complete reform of that system. He knew a case in which the Court of Chancery had spent nine years in deciding upon the,preliminary points of a suit, while the real merits of the suit had afterwards been settled by a common law court in the course of nine hours. Lord J. RUSSELL said, that undoubtedly the Bill could not be considered as a reform of the Court of Chancery ; but he should observe that, in order to obtain that reform, it was desirable that the heads of the Court should have at their disposal some time for considering the best means of carrying it into effect. Mr. SLANEY said he did not mean to oppose the Bill. But as he had been the Chairman of a Committee for in quiring into the mode in which the suits of persons engaged in commercial transactions were conducted, he felt it his duty to warn the House and the Government of the pressing necessity of passing some measure for facilitating the settle ment of those suits. No judicial arrangements could be more cumbersome, expensive, and unsatisfactory, than the present mode of terminating before the Court of Chancery disputes which arose out of commercial partnerships. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. SUPPLY.—THE BISHOP OF ST. DAVID'S. The order of the day for the House resolving itself into a Committee of Supply having been read, and the question having been put that the Speaker should leave the chair, Mr. M. MILNES said he had been requested by the Bishop of St. David's to give his unqualified contradiction to an assertion which had been made the other evening by the Hon. Baronet the Member for Marylebone. The Hon. Baronet had asserted without proof that that distinguished prelate had forbidden his archdeacons to visit that diocese. Now he (Mr. M. Milnes) was authorised by the Bishop of St. David's to say that he had never forbidden any arch deacon to visit any portion of that diocese. When he had been raised to his present position in the diocese he had found that the archdeacon generally had not been in the habit of visiting it. He had found that one of the arch deacons had been the vicar of Carmarthen, with a large cure and a small living; he had found that another archdeacon had been the master of an academy at Edinburgh, and had been residing altogether out of the diocese; and he had found that the third archdeacon had been in the continual habit of visiting his archceaconry. He (Mr. M. Milnea) was sure that that distinguished prelate would be the last person to wish to impose on that House in any way as to the con dition of his diocese, and he believed that the Right Rev. Prelate agreed with the Hon. Baronet in all fundamental points as to the duties of dignitaries of the Established Church. It should be remembered that the archdeacons had not been appointed by the Right Rev. Prelate, and that the melancholy state of a large portion of his diocese had arisen from circumstances over which he had no control. In his (Mr. M. Milnes's) belief, the Hen. Baronet had no just grounds for bringing forward a charge such as that he had adduced against a prelate not more distinguished by his Eu ropean reputation for learning than by the simplicity and frugality of his life and his Christian virtues.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Baronet had on a former occasion charged the Right Rev. Prelate in print with having appointed him self to the deanery of Brecon; and as the Hon. Baronet had afterwards withdrawn the former charge, he (Mr. M. Nlilnes) trusted that he would also think it his duty to with draw the assertion he had recently made. Sir B. HALL said he had been asked to withdraw the statement he had made the other evening, but he declined to do any such thing. The statement he had made was this : In discussing the condition of the diocese of St. David's, and quoting from the reports laid before the House by the Com missioners appointed by the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Ripon to inquire into the state of education in Wales, which report showed a most lamentable condition of the churches in that diocese, he said, that notwithstanding the fact that these reports had been laid before Parliament, not withstanding the fact that the greatest publicity had been given to them, notwithstanding the fact that they had been brought under the notice of the Right Rev. Prelate himself, he had reason to believe that of the four archdeacons in that diocese, not one had made a single visitation during the eleven years Dr. Thirlwall had been bishop of the diocese. He had further said that he had been informed, in the course of conversation, by one of the archdeacons, that the Bishop had prevented him from making a visitation. That was the statement he had made to the House, and by that statement he abided. It was for the Right Rev. Prelate himself to settle the matter with the archdeacon who had given to him (Sir B. Hall) the information on which he had founded his state ments. It so happened that that very morning he had received a communication from the archdeacon to whom he referred, enclosing a letter from the Bishop of the diocese, and he thought his Hon. Friend would have done better if he had waited till he could see the answer which he (Sir B. Hall) was prepared to make to that communication, before he had brought the subject under the notice of the House. That answer to the archdeacon he had just concluded, and had brought down with him to the House. In it he recalled to the archdeacon a conversation he had with him in his (Sir B. Hall's) own house, in the course of which he ex pressed his regret at the lamentable and disgraceful condi tion of the diocese of St. David's, as well as his regret that the archdeacon had not made any visitation in the diocese; while the rev. gentleman had told him in reply that he bad been prepared to make a visitation, that he had got his charge ready in the Welsh language, but that he had been prevented by the Bishop from making the proposed visita tion. That was his statement, and by that statement he was prepared to abide. He should further say that he bad never seen any diocese or any place in the United Kingdom in so disgraceful a state as the diocese of St. David's as regarded the state of the churches. That declaration was corrobo rated by the evidence of the Government Commissioners, to whom he had always referred. Any gentleman travelling in that diocese will find the churches there without windows and without roofs ; and yet the archdeacons were not allowed to make any visitation. Mr. MORRIS had never heard of the Bishop of St. David's preventing his archdeacons from visiting their arch deaconries. He bore testimony to the excellent manner in which the Bishop discharged his duties. CATHEDRAL TRUSTS. Mr. MOWATT called the attention of the House to the case of the Rochester Grammar School. It was one in which the oppression of an individual was mixed up with the great subject of education. In the year 1848 the Rev. Mr. Whis ton, the head master of the Rochester Grammar School, ap plied to the dean and chapter, pointing out that the four ex hibitions attached to the school were not sufficient for the original purpose for which they were intended ; and though in the year 1542, when the school was established, with the cathedral, the sum of 51. was amply sufficient, being equal to 801. at present, it was so no longer. The dean and chapter desired him to close the correspondence, and Mr. Whiston appealed to the public; and then, having published a book, entitled "Cathedral Trusts and their Fulfilment," for this he was dismissed. The facts could not be refuted; and to show how education was connected with cathedral trusts, he would refer to several documents—to the preamble of the statutes, and then to the cathedral statutes, which provided that 21 poor boys should be maintained out of the cathedral re venues, and four scholars sent to the university, and maintained there. Amongst the provisions made were—for the dean, 100/. ; six prebends, 201. each ; and so on with others, until they came to 20 students, at 11. 13s. 4d. ; and foar students, at Cl. 13s. 4d. each—the value of money then being sixteen times as much as at the present day. All parties in that House—every one in the country —was in. terested in the progress of education ; and they could not but see the benefit that would be derived from the faithful execution of the cathedral trusts for education. Canterbury should have 50 boys with 4/. each— equal to about 54/. Westminster had 40 boys, which it maintained; but it took 1,8001. from the 40 foundation scholars, and 1,700/. from the Queen's scholars, under the pretence of additional build- ings. Worcester, 40 boys, had reduced its stipend from 51. 10s. to 21. 13s. 4d. Ely, which in the sixteenth century had 300 scholars, two years ago had but 24 ; Peter borough, 20 boys ; Rochester, 19 or 20 ; Durham, 18 scholars —in all, 212 free scholars and 50 or 60 exhibitions at the two universities. Then the following four were bound to maintain scholars :—Chester, 24; Bristol, 24; Carlisle, 20, but two years ago it had no school ; and Gloucester, 20. He next referred to the opinions of the counsel ; the Attorney- General and Mr. Lewis stating that the dean and chapter were bound out of the cathedral funds to provide for the maintenance of the different scholars in proportion to the other stipends, and declaring that desuetude would not re lease the dean and chapter from the original obligation as to making due and proportionate provision for the purpose of education. He would now state what the actual conduct of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester was in respect to the na ture of the trust confided to them. The sum of 531. 6s Bd. was allotted to the school in 1542, which in the present day would be worth sixteen times that amount, making, there fore, the sum of 8531. 6s. Bd. But the increased stipends amounted to thirty-four times the original amount. During the years 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836,1837, and 1838, the amounts paid out of the prodigiously increased revenues of the cathe dral institutions of Rochester were but 61., 54, 51., 6/., 3!., 11., and 1/. again, and in 1839 there was no school at all, the building having been taken down and the site sold. So that in that year there were no bop to receive any of the advan tages. Some time afterwards, in consequence of the comments of the press upon these facts, there was another school built. It appeared that during the present century the Dean and Chapter of Rochester divided amongst themselves about 5,004., which had been given for educational pur poses. The Rev. Mr. Whiston published a pamphlet, entitled "Cathedral Trusts and their Fulfilment." And in con sequence of certain statements made by him in such work he was declared unworthy to be entrusted with the functions of head master of the Grammar School at Rochester. It was true that the Rev. Mr. Whiston, in mentioning these facts in his pamphlet, characterised their conduct as unbecoming any man, and still more a clergyman ; but he (Mr. Mowatt) submitted that the language was strictly applicable to the facts of which he treated. The Bishop of Rochester, when Dean of Worcester, it appeared, had allowed the rules ap pertaining to this grammar school to be set at naught in the way he had described. It was impossible for the Bishop to interfere on behalf of Mr. Whiston, without at the same time passing condemnation upon himself. Mr. Whiston made an appeal to the Bishop on behalf of the charity, and after an interval of 15 months he was told that he ought to go to Chancery. He then appealed to the public by the publication of the pamphlet referred to, upon which he was dismissed from his office of head master. Mr. Whiston then applied to the Court of Queen's Bench, an d o btained a ply mandamus to restore him to hi s o ffi ce. H e was in hopes tha t they would have met him on th e mer i ts o f t h e c ase, but the Dean and Chapter ab s t a i ne d f rom putt i ng in their case, but met Mr. Whi s t on upon ure techn i ca l grounds— namely, that on his b e i ng dismissed he s h ou ld have made an appeal to the Bishop as visito r in the first instance; and it was only in case of hi s re f usa l to re i ns tate him in his office he would be justifi e d i n go i ng i n t o th e Queen's Bench. Now, Mr. Whiston was, comp a ratively speaking, a poor man,who they knew was unable to bear the heavy expenses of a law suit ; and, acting upon that knowledge, they did not find it difficult to defeat him in his operations against them. The total amount of the endowments in 1542 was 547/. 18s. aid. ; its present endowments amounted to upwards of 4,500/ The gross receipts as returned by the chapter on an average for several years, down to 1834, amounted to a very large sum for Canterbury. In 1542 there was expended on the school there 4'01., being one-sixth of the total rev e n ue , whereas in 1831 there was only expended about 1-164th part. The Hon. Gentleman having quoted at some length from the returns before him, for the purpose of showing hew these funds had been diverted from their original applica tion, and having referred to the oath taken by the dean and chapter, which was to observe all those ordinances and sta tutes passed in the reign of their founder Henry VIII., be then proceeded to contrast with them tho manner in which other trusts were observed. A prebendary of Canterbury asked Mr. Whiston what useful object did he hope to obtain from the publication of his pamphlet, for the exposure of such facts as were therein contained was calculated to do grievous injury to the Church. Upon inquiry into the facts connected with this gentleman, it was found that from his prebendary income of Canterbury he received 1,0001. a year ; from the tithes of various parishes about 3,000/. a year; from a certain rectory, 6851. a year ; from the rectory of Cliffe, near Rochester, 1,3911, 10s. 10 ; making in the whole 6,217/. ss. received by this prebendary of Canterbury. The statutes allowed these members of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester to hold one ecclesiastical benefice, provided such benefice was not more than 24 miles distant from Ro chester; but still three of these prebendaries held more than one benefice, some of which were more than 100 miles from Rochester, and the value of the livings held by the Dean and Chapter of that cathedral was 4,8305. ; the value of the revenue which they enjoyed in connexion with the Lepers' Hospital, 5,7071. ; and their patronage was 4,940/. One of these prebends of Rochester, who refused to augment the original allowance of 51.—and his was not the largest income—received 2,251/. 4s. sd. directly from the cathedral, and held a living worth from tithes alone 953/. 7s. Id. a year, and had received for the renewal of leases 3,0001. in a single year. He would not do any member of the Government the injustice of supposing that he would offer any resistance to his motion, but anticipated that his motion would be opposed by the Right Hon. Member for the Uni versity of Cambridge. But that Right Hon. Gentleman was the hired advocate of the abuses which would come within the cognizance of the Commission which he wished to have appointed. He received 1,000/. a year as one of the Eccle siastical Commissioners, and what were his duties? To come to that House and step the mouth of any inde pendent Member who might ask a question reflecting in the slightest degree on any part of the Church Establish ment. For his own part, he had no object in making this motion but an honest conviction of its necessity. The State stood in loco parentis towards these schools, and Henry VIII. in founding cathedral bodies never intended to part with all control over such institutions. It might be urged by some that 12 or 13 grammar schools, more or less, could not haVe any great effect upon the education of the country ; but on the other hand, he agreed with the Right Hon. Member for the University of Oxford in thinking that incalculable ad vantages would flow from the existence in every cathedral town of the nucleus of a first-rate grammar school. The Hon. Member concluded by moving that an humble address be pre sented to her Majesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to appoint a Commission to inquire into and report upon the administration of the educational trusts confided to the cathedral establishments of the kingdom. The SOLICITOR GENERAL gave the Hon. Member full credit for the motives to which he had laid claim, but re gretted that the Hon. - Member had not exercise I the same charity towards the Bishop, Dean, and Chapter of Rochester, and the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for the University of Cambridge. The real question was, whether the House should go into a Committee of Supply; and there were many who felt as strong an interest on the subject of education as the Hon. Member, but who nevertheless thought it more im portant, at this late period of the session, to proceed with supply.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member had rested his argument, from beginning to end, on the case of the Deati and Chapter of Rochester. He had undoubtedly mentioned others, but the whole of his speech, of more than two hours in length, with the exception of about 10 minutes, was de voted to the case of Mr. Whiston. He had known Mr. Whiston at college, and he had read his able work, in which he had certainly collected a great deal of useful information. He would not follow his Hon. Friend through all the refe rencea which he had made to that work. The great objec tion which he had to the motion was that it was founded en tirely on a matter in the course of adjudication before a com petent tribunal ; and though he had no doubt that he would conscientiously discharge his duty, still the Bishop, from a natural hesitation to decide grave legal questions, had called to his assistance one of the ablest of our judges, Mr. Baron Parke. Besides this he would have the official assistance of Dr. Lushington. Mr. Whiston's case was, therefore, in very good hands. But the state of the law and the position which the Legislature had assumed with regard to cathedral funds rendered this motion peculiarly inappropriate, irrespective of the period chosen for bringing it forward. Mr. Whis ton's book had given the fullest information on the subject, so that there was nothing to inquire into. It might be a question whether it would not have been wise— he should have thought it very wise— to have taken care, when the distribution of the cathedral property was made, to have made some provision for education in connexion with the Church. But the Legislature had not taken that course. By the 3 and 4 Vic., c. 113, the, incomes of the dean and every prebendary of every cathedral was fixed, and they had no longer any interest in the question, for the whole surplus was handed over to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to be applied to the relief of spiritual destitution. The House might undoubtedly revoke its decision, but the ques tion was, whether it would be better to apply relief to spi ritual destitution or to the maintenance of grammar schools. This was debateable ground, and the House a few nights ago, in agreeing to an address to her Majesty, had shown no disposition to retrace its steps. He (the Solicitor-Ge neral) was sorry time did not allow him to enter into the observations which the Hon. Gentleman had made in refer ence to the attacks on private individuals which were con tained in the pamphlet. He entertained the most perfect respect for Mr. Whiston; but they all knew how easy it was for a person to be led into the use of strong expressions who took a one-sided view of a case; and, for his part, he could only look on the pamphlet as the production of an ad vocate.— (Hear.) Mr. BERNAL said that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Mowatt) had mixed up the case of Mr. Whiston with some very important matters ; but he would do him the justice of saying that he had used that case as an illustration of the more general subject, and only as a part of a whole. He agreed with the Solicitor-General that Mr. Whiston's case was now sub judice pendente lite. He (Mr. Bernal) deeply bewailed the facts which had been placed before the House. He regretted that these things should become matter of open scandal, for they prejudiced the benefits which ought to be derived from our old and excellent institutions; they dif fused a large degree of malevolent gossip throughout the land ; they did no good to anybody whatever, and they excited a universal feeling of disgust and contempt.—( Hear.) He had observed that Mr. Whiston's case Was only a part of a general question, and that being pendente lite, it was not for the House of Commons now to pronounce judgment upon it. There were other equally important questions—that respecting the poor alumni and other things, which were touched upon but slighty by his Right Hon, Friend. One point to which he wished to call the attention of the House was the reading which the Solicitor-General had given them of the Act 3d and 4th Vic. If; as the lion. and Learned Gentleman said, the deans and chapters had no funds with which to act, at once there was an estoppel put upon the question. But was he right in his construction of the statute? Were the funds so completely removed from the control or the possibility of application on the part of the different ecclesiastical bodies? If the Hon. and Learned Gentleman were correct, not another year should be per mitted to elapse before Parliament altered the provisions of that statute.—( He ir, hear.) He granted that the motion of his Hon. Friend had not been brought before the House in the best form; but certainly the points on which he had based his motion were points of the greatest importance, and it behoved every and aiiy Government to give their most devoted attention to them.—(Hear, hear.) The time was come when it must not be left to the contingent chance of individual rooting out the real uses of a trust, but the Go vernment themselves were called upon imperatively to look into these matters. This was demanded by the spirit of the age; and if Government manifested some genial harmony with that spirit, they might proceed with safety, and effect great good. But if, on the other hand, they slumbered on —at one time defending the ecclesiastical bodies, and at other times carping at them for doing nothing—they would be laughed at out of doors, and by their apathy and torpor go far to pull down the bulwarks of the Church, and destroy that respect for religion which was inherent in the bosom of every Englishman.—(Hear.) Mr. MILNES bore his testimony, the result of a long and intimate acquaintance with Mr. Whiston, to that gen tleman's ability and excellent character. If in his pamphlet Mr. Whiston lad used any phrases which appeared to par take of unnecessary acerbity, Hon. Gentlemen should not forget that that pamphlet was published only as a last re source, and after every attempt had been made on his part to bring about what he conscientiously believed to be just by fair and courteons means ; and, secondly, that when sum moned before the chapter, he stated in the most positive way, that he extremely regretted any violent expressions which he might have used, and that he entirely disavowed any intention of injuring or insulting any member of that body.—( Hear.) And he (Mr. Milnes) could not but think that the chapter would have done greater justice to the re ligion they professed and the establishment to which they belonged, if they had treated Mr. Whiston in a different spirit, and met his advances in another manner. If the case was as it had been stated by the Solicitor-General, then, indeed they had nothing whatever to do with the matter, and they would have had merely to refer Mr. Whiston to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and to say that they would be extremely glad to dispose of a larger portion of the cathedral funds in favour of this educational establishment, but they were prevented by law from doing so. The fact was, however, he could not find that the dean and chapter had ever used that argument. On the contrary, so far from that, they had always, in their communication with Mr. Whiston, stated that the qu es ti on of increas i ng the ad vantages of this educational establishment was one to which they were not opposed, and to which they were perfectly willing to direct their attention. They never seemed to think for one moment that the case was out of their hands.—( Hear, hear.) There could be no doubt that the legal question had gone against Mr. Whiston—that the question whether these cathedral trustees were trustees in a legal sense or not had been decided against him; and his removal from the office of master was a secondary matter to that. Mr. Whiston had certainly failed; but that was no reason why, upon a representation of the case before the Hause of Commons, a pplied to the difficulty.— some remedy sho u ld not be (Hear, hear.) In asking for a Commission his Hon. Friend (Mr. Mowatt) had done no more than the circumstances i s n h o udloclin doing; ta a i n nly f vo h te e of the case f a i r ly warranted mi ti i litres) went to a division he (Mr• with him. If the present debate was followed by no other consequences, he trusted that, at any rate, it would reach the ears of that important body the Dean and Chapter of Rochester, that it was the op i n i on of this House that Mr. Whiston's case was deserving of at lea s t very generous con sideration, and he did hope they would see that it would be becomin in a great body like them to act a b ove all suspicion of pettyg mo tives, personal feelings, personal pique, or per sonal profit.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that they would see that they could not do greater justice to themselves than by putting the most lenient, even though it might not be a strictly just, interpretation Upon the past, and by retaining Mr. Whiston in the situation to which he had done so much honour, really confer honour upon themselves.—(Cheers.) Mr. 1101INDELL PALMER lamented that on occasions like that, when a gentleman brought forward a question affecting the Established Church, it should be deemed a fitting opportunity of introducing personal attacks upon in dividuals. the injustice was great, and in the present instance peculiarly so, for this reason. The offence imputed to the Dean and Chapter of Rochester was, that there being certain estates provided for other excellent purposes, as well as for the maintenance of the dean and chapter, they had suffered some of these purposes to remain in a state of decay, whilst others which were beneficial to themselves had been kept up.— (Hear.) Now what, he asked, could be more un just than making a practice which had endured for centuries the subject Qf attack upon individuals who ought till these I offices at this particular period ? If the motion of the Hon Nlember for Penryn had been introduced in a different man' ner and in a different spirit, with reference to the question involved in it—though he readily admitted there was no," thing acrimonious in the tone of the Honourable Gentleman retnarks—(Hear)—if personal questions had not bees so largely imported into the discussion, then he should have thought the llon. Gentleman had done considerable service. It was undoubtedly a very large subject, and he must say that the coarse which the Legislature had taken in the matter of Church reform had been too much in the nature of a diver . genca irons the original destination of Church property.-- ( Hear.) The cathedral bodies many of them derived large incomes from the tithes of different parishes, and one would have thought that it was a plain obvious principle of justice, that when dealing with the surplus revenues of these cathedrals these tithes should be restored to the parishes which paid them, to provide for the spiritual wants of these parishes. Ile regretted to say, however, that that prineiPl e had been lost sight of in their Church reform, and had no t been recognised on the fac e o f th e C at h e d ra l A ct . I t see m" to him to be one of the mos t h ars h an d un j ust t hi ngs i n the world, for individuals out of doors, the public press, or Mein' hers of this House, to introduce a subject of this kind for, consideration, in language which i m pli e d th at wrong had been done by:individuals, and that their acts had been uncoil ecientious, when they had merely abstained from taking upon themselves the work of effecting an extensive reform by the restoration and revival of institutions decayed centuries be' fore they had anything to do with them. He regretted that in writing his pamphlet, and throughout all his proceeding! , Mr. Whiston had not borne in mind what was due to indisq' duals by those who desired to reform abuses for the benefit of the.public. Mr. Whiston might have done great good to the public without suffering injury himself if he had ad dressed himself either to the law affecting the case, or 1 1 1 e epediency and policy of a reform of cathedral schools, and he (Mr. Palmer) thought it was most to be regretted for the, sake of the Cathedral of Ro c h es t er an d f or th e public, that he should have done it by attacking individuals who were, after all, his superiors, to whom he was subordinate, and who could not but expect some degree of consideration for, the position they occ u pied as hi s super i ors i n t h e Ch urc h 01 England. Mr. HUME said he felt there was no ground for the corn' plaint of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman who had just ad' dressed the House, that those questions were brought for ward in the absence of the persons most deeply interested in them ; for surely the Hon. and Learned Gentleman could not man that such a discussion as that should be deferred until the bishops and the deans and chapters should have seats in that House. Those abuses had, in many instances , continued for centuries ; but that circumstance only afforded art additional reason for their removal. His experience cone vince,i him that there was no class of men more anxious than clergymen to hold fast to every misappropriation of Church property, by which they themselves benefited, note withstanding their appeals to others for liberal cotributione to the purposes of the Church. It appeared to him that Dire Whiston had been most unjustly treated in that matter, and that the deans and chapters had acted most unreasonably. It was time for the friends of the Church to attempt to re form its abuses, in compliance with the general feeling 01 the public. Let a Commission, such as his Hon. Friend had suggested, be appointed to inquire into those abuses and let the abuses be removed, and then the Church would occupy a much safer position than that in which she was at present placed. Lord J. it mSSELL said he would not then enter into the seecial case which had been brought under their notice by the Hon. Member for Penrhyn (Mr. Mowatt). But he wished to say a. few words on the general question which had been introduced into the discussion. The great object which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, since their first appointment , had had. in view, was to provide for the spiritual destitution which existed in many parts of the country, in which the population had increased from ~ OSO or 1,500 persons to 40,00 e or 50,000 persons. All the measures taken by the Commissioners had been directed to that object, althoug , a he would not undertake to say whether or not those measures had always been the best calcu lated to attain that end. They had taken large portions of cathedral property, they had abolished sinecure rec tories. and they had made other changes for the purpose of erecting and endowing new churches. That was, at all events, a clear and definite mode of proceeding. But some persons would adopt a different course, and would retain, in a reformed shape, cathedral establishments. They would, in fact, restore the cathedral system to what they conceived to have been its original purpose and condition. Now that, too, was a perfectly intelligible proposal, and it was ono which b.ad been supported with great ability in the press and in that House, But when the House had come to a discussion upon the subject there had been but a very small amount el votes in favour of that view of the question; and he believed that it had never received any extensive support in the country. He had only further to add that it that course were pursued they should relinquish that object which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and Parliament had hitherto steadily kept in view, and they should altogether abandon their present mode of proceeding. He repeated that he did not mean to enter into the question whether the Dean and Chapter of Rochester had behaved properly or not in the particular case which had been brought under their con sideration. That case would soon be heard, not only by the Bishop of the diocese, but also by Baron Parke ; and until it had been so heard he thought it would be premature on the part of the House of Commons to pronounce any decision in the matter. Mr. HEY WOOD said he thought that grammar schools had at least as good a right to be maintained as cathedral establishments. Indeed, those latter establishments could not possibly be conducted, since the Reformation, in confor mity with the wishes of their founders, while grammar schools would be productive of the greatest national benefit if the principles on which they had been established were steadily adhered to. Mr. MOWATT intimated that he would not press his mo tion to a division. The motion was accordingly negatived without a division. SUPPLY—THE MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES. The House then resolved itself into a Committee of Sur ply, Mr. Bernal in the chair. A vote of 46,8241. having been proposed for the British Museum, Mr. HUME said that that was a large sum, but he had no objection to make to it, as it was to be applied to a most valuable national object. He wished to see the whole of that magnificent collection, and more especially the library, more extensively thrown open to the public. The Commissioners who had inquired into the state of the Museum had recom mended a change in the system of its management, and that instead of a committee of thirty individuals, it should be managed by a small executive committee, whose members should be paid, and should be individually responsible for the trust committed to their care. He entirely approved of that recommendation, and he hoped it would speedily be carried into effect. Sir R. H. INGLIS said he believed there was no one insti tution in which the people of this country took so much in terest as in the British Museum, and that there was none which offered such striking marks of increasing popularity. Forty years ago the number of readers had amounted to 1,590 only, and last year the number of readers had amounted to 72,000. In the year 1835 the number of books in the lib rary had been 235,000, while they were at present, be be lieved, twice that number, or 470,000. Not less than 1,070,000 persons had entered the Museum as visitors in the course of lest year, while the number of visitors five years ago had only been 680,000, and had only been 70,04 in the year 1810. And he could further state, that while the number of visitors had so greatly increased their conduct had been beyond all praise.—( Hear, hear.) He believed the library of the Museum was at present open during a greater number of hours, and was accessible to a greater number of persons, than any similar establishment in the world. He trusted that during the recess the Noble Lord at the head of the Government would take into his consideration the in creasing wants of the establishment, and would give his at tention to the necessity of adding to the buildings. Mr. W. J. FOX suggested the opening of the British Mu seum in the evening, as it would be useful to many young men, who would take advantage of the opportunity afforded to them as students. This might be done with the duplicate copies, now about 70,000 volumes, which could be distributed in rooms adjoining to the Museum. Mr. EWART supported the proposition of his Hon. Friend. In some places the libraries were open in the evening. Even the Pope had such a library opened at night in Rome. INGLIS observed that if the proposition were adopted it would require an additional staff. As far as experience went, it was seen that the numbers decreased as the evening hours approached He would wish to see two or three public libraries opened in other parts of London. As to the duplicate copies of books, many of them were in use at the sant,- time ; and books specifically given to the Museum could not to be transferred elsewhere. Mr. STANFORD, from ten years' experience, could bear testimony to the excellence of accommodation, the attend. ance, and attention of thosr engaged in the library of the Museum. The means at the disposal of the young men in this metropolis of rea di ng i n a pu bli c library were less than in other part s o f Europe. He did not think ther e were more than 1,000 regular readers in the Museum at this time, though the ret urns ma d e th e m appear much larger. He supported the proposition. Mr. M. MILNES complained of the state of ventilation in the library. A c h an ge had been recomm en d ed by the Com missioners in the constitution of the governing body. He wished to know from the Noble Lord whether that recom mendation was to be carried into effect. Mr. SLANEY suggested to the Noble Lord to follow out the proposition of toe Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Inglis), of esta blishing several public libraries in the city of London. Mr. ANSTEY wished to know why the Home Office had the power of interfering i n th e management of the Museum, so as to prevent persons having access to maps. He referred to a letter be had received from a gentleman complaining he would not he allowed to see maps of the Medway. Sir INGLIS remarked that the documents alluded to were considered as setting forth the titles of the Crown to certain possessions, and which could not therefore be shown without the consent of the Crown. Lord J. RUSSELL said that some of the suggestions of the Commissioners were adopted by the trustees. He did not think it advisable to adopt other parts of the report. The report itself was a most valuable document, and would from time to time influence the Government. As to an in crease of the num b er of libraries, he had, when the library of George 111. was given up by George IV., suggested, instead of placing it in the British Museum, it should be transferred to a different part of the town. The subject, however, of establishing other libraries was one that required consi deration. Mr. HUME said it was absolutely necessary to have a small executive management board. The present constitu tion of the managing body was most objectionable. The sa laries of the establishment amounted to 25,000. Lord J. RUSSELL said he found that there was a constant attendance of the most able men in the country at the meet ings of the trustees. Amongst them were Mr. llallam, Mr. Macaulay, Mr. Goulburn, Sir D. D un d as, and Sir Robert Inglis. Ilr. HENLEY hoped that the trustees would take mea sures to have such information placed before them as would enable them to judge of the number of individuals that availed themselves of the advantages afforded them in the library of the institution. The Noble Lord said he thought it desirable that several public libraries should be esta blished throughout the country, but he had not applied him self to the immediate question at issue, having been led away from it by the observations which had fallen from the Hon. Gentleman behind him. If the fact were, as the lion. Member for Reading had stated it, he thought it very extra ordinary that only 1,000 parsons should have availed them selves of the benefits of this library. Sir R. 11. INGLIS said that such a statement was incor rect. The number of persons that used the library was nearer to 40,000, and the number of visitors exceeded 78,000 within the last year. The least number of volumes furnished in one day was 100. Mr. STANFORD said he was in the habit of using the library, and never found more there than 30 persons on an average, who were generally the same that he usually met there. He therefore felt himself justified in saying that he thought there were not more than 1,000 persons who availed themselves of the advantage of the reading-room. He be lieved that the 70,000 visitors alluded to by the Hon. Baronet were made up of the same persons that attended there day after day. Mr. HENLEY said if these statistics were kept he was sure there would be no objection to inform them of the exact Mabel of puma that frequented the place. ,