The Sun. — London, England, 1850-02-13 00:00:00

-Zl),..rti •V.2litttort THE SUN, second reading of this Bill, he did not wish to pledge the House to any other senti ment than that taxation and representation should go hand in hand. He would not presume to ask the House to pledge itself to any other principle, and if he should carry the second reading it would be on the understand ing that it should be referred to a Select Committee, where all its details would be taken into consideration. He begged leave to more that this Bill be read a second time. Mr. SPOONER did not rise for the purpose of making any observations on the merits of the Bill. His object was to put it to the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Manchester himself whether he thought it proper to press this Bill so hastily on the Howe (Hear, hear.) This Bill was only delivered to Members on Saturday night last. Many Hon. Members were out of town on Saturday and did not return till Monday evening, leaving them only a day to peruse a Bill con sisting of ninety clauses, and to make themselves ac quainted with its provisions. He moved that the debate be adjourned. An HON. MEMBEtt seconded the motion. Mr. STANFORD said, though he spoke only in his individual capacity, he believed be could state that many of his friends around him, as well as himself, though they sat on that (the Opposition) side of the House, were of opinion that taxation and representation should go together. He had read this' Bill with a legal eye, and his own opinion was that it did not carry out that great principle. With respect to the question of adjournment, he was of opinion that the House should go at once into a consideration of the principle of the Bill before it. Sir GEORGE GREY said with regard to the motion of the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Spooner) he (Sir G. Grey) should not ask for any postponement of the consideration of the Bill. He was not prepared to express an opinion on the details of the Bill, but he thought as the Bill was only delivered to Members a few days ago, looking to the language of the Bill, and the great change it contemplated, it was not an unreason able request for the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Spooner) to make. There must be an inquiry either way; it was quite impossible that this Bill should re ceive the sanction of the Legislature without the fullest inquiry.—(Hear, hear.) Sir J. PAKINGTON said that he did hope the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Manchester would still consent to the postponement of the discussion on this most important Bill.—(Hear, hear.) He did think that the House was not in possession of sufficient information to decide upon the principle of such an extensive mea sure.—(Hear, hear.) It was not to ,be supposed that such a principle as this, which affected every county in Eog!and could pass without a very lengthy discussion, and here they were at nearly four o'clock, and the House closed at six. How could the Right Hon. Gentleman expect to come to a division in time, and if not, what good could possibly arise from refusing the postpone ment which had been suggested by the,flon. Member for Warwickshire (Mr. Spooner.)—(Hear, hear.) For his own part, he was greatly in want of information for the amendment which he intended to propose in Com mittee.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME said that it was not surprising that the Hon. Bart. (Sir:J. Pakington) was in want of informa tion, for he was not in the House at the time the principle of this Bill was first mooted. Such, however, was not the case with the House generally, fur the question had been discussed over and over again, and the most ample evidence had been adduced upon it that could possibly be required. By the Re form Bill they had instituted the principle, that all the 'ratepayers should have a ♦oice in the choice of their representatives, and as long ago as the time of Lord Althorp, Mr. Portman, now Lord; Portman, had presided over a Committee, before which all the neces sary information was given—(Hear, hear)—and he did hope, therefore, that the House would not assent to this suggestion for a postponement.—(Cheers.) They had adopted the principle of representation i❑ all other things, and why not then adopt it in this matter. By their legislation they had saved an immense sum to the county ratepayers.—(Hear, hear.) The county outlay, which formerly was only 250,0001., had risen to 500,0002 aid 600,000/., and had they not a few years ago taken off upwards 500,0004, it would at the present time have amounted to 1,800,0001. They had already adopted the principle of representation in merely political mat ters, and why not, then, give every ratepayer a vise in the disposal of his own money?—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He deeply regretted that the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of the Home Department had given any sanction for the suggestion of a post ponement, and trusted that it would be nullified by the decision of the House.—(Cheeri.) Sir R. PEEL (who spoke, much to the surprise of every one, from one of the back benches on the Opposition side cf the House, near where Sir J. Uri sham usually sits) said, the question they had now to consider was, what was the best course SUN OFFICE, Seven o Clock. IMPERIAL PARLWIENT. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. Th. SPZAK.SA took the Chair shortly after Two o'clock, this being Ask Wednesday. TURNPIKE TRUSTS BILL. On th motion of Mr. C. LEWIS, it was resolved that no Bill f,r continuing or amending any Turnpike Act should be real a second time before Easter. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following Bilis were read a second time, and ordered to be committed:— Bristol Waterworks Act Amendment. Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway. Embankment and Reclamation (Ireland). Great Northern Railway Deviations, Amendment cf Acts, Alteration of Tolls, and of East Lincolnshire Railway Tolls. Kew and Petersham Vicarage. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway. South-Eastern Railway (power to discontinue pay ment of interest on calls paid on No. 3 and No. 4 shares, &e.) South-Eastern Railway (Amendment of Acts, power to raise additional capital). Suffolk and Geneva Country Amicable Insurance Office. Stourbridge Union Rates. Tewkesbury Severn Bridge and Roads. Wolverhampton Waterworks Act (Amendment and Extension ef Works). AG BICULTURAL PROTECTION. Mr. MATHESON presented a petition from the Fariners' Society of Western Ross, in favour of agricul tural protection. COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS. Mr. PLUMPTRE presented a petition from the Faversham board of guardians, praying fur the estab lishment of county financial boards. TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE. Mr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from the members of the Whittington Club, praying for a repeal of the taxes on knowledge. COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS. Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition from a large parish in Rochdale, praying for the establishment of a county financial board. SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST-OFFICE. Mr. STAFFORD presented a petition from a place in Northamptonshire praying fur the cessation of Sun day labour in the Post-office. Mr. HUME presented a similar petition from the inhabitants of Brecon; also petirions from Weirdale and Muerdale, in Lancashire, praying fir the establishment of county financial boards. Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE presented a petition from Drogheda praying for the discontinuance of Sunday labour in the Pest-office. Sir DAVID DUNTPAS presented a similar petition frcm Sutherlandshir& COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS. Mr. HENRY presented a petition from Barton-on- Irwell and Ober places, praying for the establishment of minty financial boards. Mr. COBDEN presented similar petitions from places in the counties of York and Lancaster. GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND. Mr. Hl.TiiEgasen;;ice that on an early day he would move an address to her Majesty that she would order ber present Government of Ireland by a Lord-Lieutenant to be disposed with, and a better one to be adopted. SMALL COTTAGES- The HoN. 114E;1;;;I,als;gave notice that he would, on an early day, move fur a drawback of the duty on bricks and timber aced in building cottages under the value of 41. (Cheers.) AM. ROEBUCK AND THE "MORNING CHRONICLE." Mr. ROEBUCK said he claimed the indulgence of the House while he referred to a matter somewhat personal to himself. If he could possibly avoid it, he did not like in th.t House ever to advert to subj , cts of a personal nature; but there were ewes in which he was compelled to depart from such a ru!e. In consequence of certain ob!ervations he thought it his duty to make in the House a few evenings ago, be found in a paper called the Morning Chronicle of to-day some severe reflections upon him. The paper in question said, " Now let us test Mr. Roebuck with himself', and by the measure which he metes out to others. We believe that he lost a dear relative in the ranks of the Canadiam sympa thisers; and we heiieve he lef; ao stone unturned to aveng• his death." And then there was a suggestion thrown out that his (Mr. Roebuck's) brother had been hanged. All that he (Mr. Rcebuck) could say arse, that all his relatives in Canada held very different opinions from himself with respect to Canadian affairs; but he lost no relative during any por tion of those riuts; consequently he could rt , ,t have acted with any desire to avenge his death, because no such death had taken place.—(Cheers.) He trusted Lhe House would excuse his calling their attention t) a matter wo purely personal to himself; but he had th-aight it hi, duty to do so out of respect to the memory of one who was desr to him. HIGHWAYS (DISTRICT SURVEYORS) BILL. On the motion for the second reading c f this Bill, Mr. FRBWEN did not think the provisions of the Dill , ould carry out the principles it laid down. Sir. W. JOLLIFFE hoped that as Government had r)ott,• „f its intention to bring in a general Bill with regsrd to highwsys. the Hon. Member f,r Sussax would not press his motion for the second reeling of this Bill. Mr. CORNEWALL LEWIS asked the Hon. Meni bei for Su,sex either to postpone the second reading cf this Bill, or at Least, if he pressed it, that all discussion should be suspended until it was in Committee. Sir G. STRICKLAND opposed the Bill altogether. He thoue.ht it would act very unjuriously i❑ many parts of the o ,untry. Ho should move that this Bill be read record time this day six months. Mr. GREENE hoped that the Hon. Member far Sussex would not press the second reading at present. Mr. AGLIONBY supported the Bill, and would vote for the second reading. After a few words from Mr. HENLEY, Mr. FREWEN said the question had been before the House for four years, and thinking it desirable that something should be done, he had introduced th• Bill, but it it were the wish of the House, he would postpone the to xinsi reading.—(Hear, hear ) After a few words from Mr. HOME and Sir G. GREY, the amendment was withdrawn, and the second reading of the Bill was postponed. IRISII FISHERIES BILL. On the suggestion of Sir G. GREY, Mr. ANST.EY agreed to postpone the second reading of this Bili until this day three wreks. COUNTY RATES AND EXPENDITURE BILL. Mr. MILNER GIBSON said he would only make a few observations in moving the second reading of this Bill, because it involved a subject with which the House was tolerably well acquainted, in asmuch as the Bill was similar to the mt asure which was brought before the House list session, both in prin ciple and in all its leading detail*. Therefore he was taking up a measure which they were unable to complete last session, rather than introducing an entirely new Bill. Ile hal untier:alt,o the. charge of the measure at the feciaest of his 11-n. Fr . e - id the Member for Montrose, who had care of the mea-ure e f last session, and who in fact oriiiiiated the l repo-al of introducing a system of county - courcils to control couni) expenditure., analogous to Oe s ystem introduced to enable town councils to cen t 01 the expenditure of boroughs. It would, perhaps, be eigt t to clear the ground from a few misapprehensions which bad entered the minds of several Members on the natere of this Bill. The Hon. Member for Oxford shire (Mr. lie :ley) had al ides that it would supersede her Majesty's juseete of the peace. Tnat, however, was not at all correct. The Bill was simply to give the rate-payers of c7 - hnties a concurrent control with the justic. s over the county expenditure, and nothing was more rem,)te from his mind than to suppose that, in support ing the Bill, he was in any way disparaging the justices, or superseding them in their judicial duties. He merely asked that representative control should be given to the rate-payers in conjunction with the justices, and there were precedents for adopting such a course. Poor-law boards were constituted by elected guardians and justices of the peace, and they worked harmoniously together to control the local expenditure as far as the poor rate was concerned. It would be recole leeted that a Commission was appointed in 1838 to in quire into the whole question of county rates, and they expressed an opinion that they could see uraiejection to the constitution of such boards. He would teed a short passage from their report, which probably would be fresh In rke rec4ction of the House. They stated that " the principles of the county-rate seems to be open to serous objections, on the ground that the charge is imposed by pencil's no t chosen by the rate-payers. No other tax of such magnitude is laid on the subject except by his representatives. It is impossible not to admit that persons who contribute to the county rate have little control over the expenditure. The administration of that fund is exercised by an irre sponsible power, and is intrustel to a fluctuating body." The Commissioners then went on to hint the adoption of a plan similar to the one now under the consid,ration of the House. They proposed by this Bill that the board should consist of ratepayers elected by different boards of guardians and justices of the peace to be elected by members of their own body. These boards were to have referred to them all the financial affairs of the county; but it was not proposed to interfere in any way with the judicial powers of the justices. The necessity of such a measure must be obvious to every Member of the House. In the county of Lancaster the county-rate in one year sprang from 125,000/. to 175,0001., an d t hi s i ncrease was un posed by the justices upon persons who had no voice whaa ever in deciding whether it was judicious, or was founded OR a due regard to economical or other considerations. H e would mention en instance to show that some more efficient management was wanted in county expenditure —that of the noway of York, where 200,0001. had been spent in the erection of a gaol fur the accommodation of 160 prisoners. Now he thought there was prima facie evidence in this to show that those who had contributed this sum ought to have had some voice in the disposal of it. lie was the last man in that House to wish to fled fault with the erection of gaols and lunatic asylums, but would not those persons whom he wished to admit into these county boards be quite as much alive to the Le, essity of these things, and as well able to judge of the best mode of erecting them as county magistrates were ? The county of Lancaster had particu'ar reason to complain. The rates in th it county had increased iu a much greater ratio than either crime or population had in creased. In 1834 the county rate was about sd. the pound, now it was 7id. lii moving the for them to pursue in order to come to a fair and satisfactory decision on this important sub ject.—(Hear, hear.) Now he had no hesitation in say ing that if the Right lion. Member for Manchester (Mr. T. M. Gibson) would assent to the proposition of the lion. Member fir Warwickshire, that they would at least be in a better position at a future period for coming to such a decison than they were at present.—(Flear, hear.) It was true that they had had evidence adduced be'ore them, but what they wanted was the information of to day—(Hear)—and he did not think that without that information they would be able to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.—(Hear, hear.) They would by the delay also have the opportunity for consulting with their con stituents on a matter in which they were so largely con cerned.—(Hear, hear.) Besides, what would be lust by the delay? It was very evident, that it would be impos sible to come to a division tc-day, an] if the facts had been adduced last session, thst was no rcaso❑ why they should not be revived, and added to in this.—(l - Itar.) The Hon. Member for Warwickshire had frequently de clared that he wai not opposed to the principle of the Bill, but that he required more information in order to meet the details, and he did hope, then fore, that the Hun. Member for Manchester would assent to a post ponement of the s-cond reading till a future day. Mr. T. M. GIBSON said that he looked upon the proposition f r adjournment as nothing more than an in direct attempt to shelf the question altogether, a result to which he could 'sever be a party.—(Cheers.) The Right Hon. Baronet oppositi3 would see that such Wai the case when he took into consideration the position of an in dependent Member of that House. If the Government cousented to IL a ljournment of a Bill, they could always tix the day for it 4 resumption; but if a❑ independent .I tuber assented to an adjournment, it was often nothing more than tantamount to negativing the question for the whole session. —(Hear, hear.) Perhaps, aster all, the Government would give a little assistance, and the Noble Lord at the held of the Treasury would throw a little light upon the matter, and give some ss•urance that the second reading should then be taken. —(Cries of " Hcar, hear.") Hs had undertaken the charge of this Bill, and could not take upon himself the responsibility of assenting to the delay without some such guarantee. It was true that he could not resist this peisure, and hoped, tberetore, that some certain day would be given for the discussion of this important subject. Mr. ROEBUCK said that before they came to a dc cision on such a matter as this they ought to be in pos se,sion of full information, and he, for his own part, ki.ew little or r.othing about the Bill. Mr. NEWDEGATE wished to relieve the Right Hon. Member from the grievous pressure of which he complained. The counties hardly knew that he was taking such an interest in their proceeiings. He begged to le.nind the Right lion. Gentleman that in pressing this measure so earnestly upon the attention f the House at the present moment, when he was told by so many practical men that they had not had time to consider it, he was bring ing himEalf under the suspicion not of being solely zeal ous for the measure itself as of seAing the reputation of the farmers' friend ;" and it was peeectly well known by the farmers that he (Mr. Gibson)was not their friend. As for the county which he (Mr. Newdegate) repre settle 1, though it would be glad t•) receive the mea sure itself, it would be sorry to receive it from the source from which it was to come. After a few words from Sir HENRY HALFORD, Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that though he could not pretend to understand the logic of the question any more than his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Gibson), yet he must say that he did not see in what hater position the Bill would be if the second reading were persevered in. He did not think that some portion of delay to enable Memlers to consider the measure, and the conic qaences which would result from it, would be at all injurious. The Hon. and Learned Member for Sheffield had asked what was the disposition of Government with regard to the principle of the measure. He could only say that for himself he was so strongly in favour of the introduction of that principle that he should give his cordial support to the second reading of the Bill.—(Hear, hear.) He should do so without at all undertaking the defence of any of the details of the Bill, for he thought a Select Committee would be most fitted to deal with them. Mr. M. GIBSON then said he would postpone the se cond reading until the 6th of March. REAL PROPERTY TRANSFER BILL. Mr. CORNEWALL LEWIS rose to ask leave to bring in a Bill to amend the laws relative to the ma nagement of the highways in England and Wales. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded to enter into a detail of the rea sons which rendered some measure of this sort necessary. All classes of the community—people of all diversities of character —were, he considered, interested in seeing the highway rates economically managed. The evils of the present system were to be mainly attri- bured to the inconvenient arrangement of the dis tricts. Each parish had a separate jurisdiction over its highways, and in some instances in the north of England even townships were divided. The surveyor of each district was appointed by the guardians, but he received no salary, and be generally had no pro fessional knowledge of highways, and his accounts were kept in a very imperfect The result of the present system had, therefore, rnann beenmanner. want c f ec o - norny, and want of skill, and an useless expenditure of money. To remedy these evils it would be necessary to give further operation to the principlemoafce it co combined management, to form new districts, and to k pulsory to empl o y paid surveyors; and those were the principles upon which the present Bill was founded. It had been suggested that the magistrates should form the districts and appoint the surveyors; but this appeared to him an objectionable course, for if they took the power of appointing a surveyor out of the hands of the ve,try, they would deprive the ratepayers of a privilege which they now possessed. Now in this Bill he proposed simply to take the divisions of the poor-law unions, and to continue the existing board of guardians, and therefore he rendered it unnecessary to make any fresh territorial divisions, or to appoint any new elective body. With regard to the expenditure, he proposed that every pa• rish or township should continue to pay the expenses of its own highway precisely as at present, and the only additional charge which would be made upon them, and what they would share in coalmen, would be the salary LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, IMO silks ; the bulk of which have changed hands at a further advance ; and the market is reported active at the latest quotations. HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.—Notwithstanding the unfavourableness of the weather, an average amount of business has been done to-day. The main part of the business, however, is by direct deliveries to the merchants, owing to the active demand for spring goods. There has constantly been a short supply ; in fact, the stock has scarcely ever been so low as at present. HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—AIthough we cannot report that there has been to-day any increased animation in our Piece Hall, yet we believe that there is a better inquiry for fancy goods ; but the merchants will not, in general, give prices commensurate with the current rates for yarn, and the manufacturers being very low in stock, are unwilling to execute orders, except at improved prices. The demand for yarn continues good, without any change in the quotations. The wool market remains in the same quiet condition, and prices have undergone no variation, but the staplers seem disposed to sell more freely. LEADS, TUESDAY.—On account of the greater por tion of the business being done for order, very few goods were brought to the cloth hall to day, and not much business done. Prices may be quoted a little higher, and stocks are very low in the manufacturers' hands. There is a good deal doing in the warehouses, chiefly by the wholesale buyers. of the surveyor. With respect to the highways, he pro posed to do away with the parish surveyor altogether, to abolish the highway rate, and to require the sum necessary for the repairs of the highways to be collected by the overseers under the head of poor-rate, to which it might almost be considered to belong. There was a maximum rate fixed under the present law, and he proposed to continue it. With regard to the question of audit, it was proposed that the same auditor who audited the poor-law accounts should audit the ac counts relating to the highways. The Bill also pro posed to repeal an Act well known to many Members as Sir Charles Burrell'a Act which provides tor contribu tions from the funds of the parish towards the maintenance of turnpike trusts that are insolvent. Great complaints had arisen about the operation of that Act, and it was now proposed that the funds to be expended as that Act provides should be expended not, as at present, by the officer of the turnpike trusts, but by the surveyor of the district. The duty of managing the business of the roads under this Bill would not involve a meeting of the board of guardians more than once a month, and it therefore provided that each board of guardians should annually appoint a standing Committee of their number to manage the highways. Having now gone through all the points which the measure touched upon, he hat only to thank the House for the indulgence they had granted him, and to move for leave to bring in the Bill.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. FREWEN said there were districts where the roads were always kept in excellent order, and he did not think any compulsory system would be re quired in those cases. Another difficuty which stood in the way of the Bill was this:—ln many poor-law unions there were one or two parishes which belonged to adjoining counties, and he should be glad to know how that was to be provided for. It appeared to him, also, that the board of guar dians was not the proper parties to have the manage ment cf the highway rates. It was as much as they could do to attend to the interests of the poor, and therefore any further labour thrown upon them must inevitably be neglected. Mr. RICE felt bound to say that he very much ap proved of the measure, particularly as it established the compulsory system, and did away with parish sur veyors. He hoped it would meet with the sanction of the House. _ _ Sir W. JOLLIFFE did not approve of that part of the Bill which placed the highways under the management of the board of guardians. Mr. DEEDES had last year asked the Hon. Gentle man the Member for Manchester to defer this important measure until the opinion of the country could be elicited with respect to it. He thanked the Hon. Member for Manchester for introducing this Bill, tending as it did to effeet very considerable improvement in a system which was at present ♦ery defective; and he thought the Bill deserved the cordial support of the House. He reserved, however, to himself, the right of discussing the details of the Bill when it went into Com mittee. _ _ _ Mr. SLANEY said, when he considered an auditor was to be established by this Bill, a very salutary control would be exercised over the expenditure on the highways. It was a favour able feature of this Bill, that under it each parish would be obliged to maintain its own poor. He thought the Bill would also effect a greater uniformity in the repairs of the roads, and that no obstinate parish would now be able to resist the general desire, which fr(quently prevailed in a district, to keep the highways in a good state of repair. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY was of opinion that the Bill would not work well unless it reduced the burdens upon land. Mr. E. B. DENISON was of opinion that under the present Bill they were likely to have better and cheaper roads than they had hitherto had, notwithstanding that he took ovine exception to some of the details of the measure. Sir ROBERT PEEL thought his Honourable Friend had judged most wisely in separating the repairs c.f the highways from the township roads. The mode of managing parishes was a most important con sideration. His lion. Friend proposed to make these offi cers subject to the supervision of the Poor-law Board. He was not prepared at present to give an opinion, but he did think teat district. might be chalked out which would be more in consonance with our present mode of inland communication. There was no doubt that the object was to have the work done in the best way at the least expense, and he was induced to think that the poor-law guardians would be liabla t 3 the inducement of setting their labourers to work on the highways where the expense was unnecessary.—(Cries of "Hear, hear,") He should then fore be disposed to desire that officers should be appointed as auditors who had nothing whatever to do with the poor-law guardians. He ap proved then of the Bill so far B,s it went to institute dis tricts, so arranged as to be conveniently managed through the use of our present means of internal com. munication. Mr. VERNON SMITH, after paying a handsome compliment to Mr. Curnewall Lewis fur his perse verance in introducing a Bill for the regulation cf the highways, and stating that he himself bad served on three Committees, said that no one could doutot the utility of the hint which had just been thrown out by the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel) with respect to the formation of districts. The appointment of way wardens had been stoutly contested in all those committees. The plan was all very well in theory, but in practise it would prove absolutely nil. His Hon. Friend the Under seeretary of State had found this difficulty, and had ac cordingly, and as be thought wisely, assigned it to the pour•law guardians. There was only ono thing which he was particularly anxious should be attended to, however, and that was that a distinction should be made between the money spent upon the highways and that given for the relief of the poor. It was customary in many parishes fir the guardians to send their old and infirm poor to do useless work upon the highways, and the country really did not know what money was spent upon the poor and what upon the highways. Mr. CORNE WALL LEWIS wished, in answer to some questions which had been asked in the course of the debate, to state, that it was provided in the Bill that there should be a surveyor em ployed and paid by the board of guardians, and it nas also intended to abolish the highway rate— by tkat name at least—though the incident would be the same, and would fall upon the same property which now paid the highway rate.—(Hear, hear.) He also wished to thank the House for the attention which they had paid to his Bill, and was glad to perceive that the necessity of some such measure was generally acknow ledged by the House. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, which was subsequently brought in, read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time this day fortnight. ARMY AND ORDNANCE EXPENDITURE. O❑ the motion of Mr. FOX MAULE, the following Members were appointed as a Select Committee on the army and ordnance expenditure :—Lord Seymour, Mr. Secretary at War, Mr. Hume, Col. Anson, Mr. Walter, Sir William Molesworth, Lord Charles Wellesley, Si r James Graham, Mr. William Miles, Mr. Cobden, Mr. Sidney Herbert, Mr. John Greene, Mr. Edward Ellice, Mr. Vernon Smith, and Mr. Bankes. The House then adjourned. STATE OF TRADE. (From the Manchester Guardian of this day.) MANCIIESTEE, TUESDAT. — We have had a spirit less and rather drooping market. The merchants have shown a growing indisposition for business ; looking upon prices as, for the most part, too high to warrant further exports, in the present state of sup plies in foreign markets. The letters received this morning from Germany, give quotations of prices which afford no encouragement for the immediate resumption of operations. There has been some inquiry from the Greeks, but with little result. As to the home dealers, seldom have they been so little seen in the warehouses of the manufacturers. There is evidently a diminished confidence among all classes of buyers, as to the maintenance of prices ; and a determination to proceed cautiously, buy ing only for the supply of the most pres sing wants, is become general. The business of the day has, consequently, fallen in amount, below that of any Tuesday for some time back. Under these circumstances, those spinners and manu facturers whose contracts are drawing to a close have shown a willingness to make some concession in price rather than suffer an offer to pass by them. Water twist may be quoted Id. to id. lower ; and, in mule yarn, the buyer has some advantage in price, except as to fine counts, from No. 60's upwards. In print ing cloths there is a giving way of about 1 ld. per piece, and 3d. in shirtings. There is a difference in point of firmness, however, among spinners and manufacturers, and a corresponding irregularity is observable in the quotations. The spinners of water twist, and the manufacturers of domestics, T's, and some other stout cloths, are so much discouraged by , the little prospect there is of an improvement in the un favourable trade they have so long experienced, that many of them are seriously intending to diminish their production. One or two establishments in Manchester have either stopped altogether or resorted to short time ; and an attempt is being made to induce a general adoption of the latter measure in these branches of manufacture. At Rochdale, two or three mills have taken one or other of the above courses ; and we have before us the names of seven firms at Heywood who have limited the hours of work in their mills. ROCHDALF, MONDAY .-- e have had a very fair business doing to-day in pieces of all kinds, but there has been littl e va ri a ti on i n p r i ces . Th e woo l mar k e t eitherph t A wciecnprice b a.;.— sev W er e al h L a o v n e do d n uri b n u g ye t r h s e , E r s undergone i rcblee EeoLnrlDi d t , v t e l Tim e s iuta o eEn r asdp n . o change sinc e l a st we e k, M and some business has been done in goods. Larger sales would probably have been effected, but the ma nufacturers are not prepared to accept the low prices offered, in the face of a rising market for silk. Hence there is "a paucity of operations for the present. On the other hand, we have letters from St. Etienne, reporting business very brisk in goods ; and that the manufacturers were full of orders up to April, at re munerating prices. The thrown silk market continu es tolerably active under the combined influence of hom e purchases and a foreign demand , which have, up to the present, cleared the market of surplus stock; and, in deed, the difficulty now experienced in• having fine silks thrown will, we think, keep stocks of this article light for some time to come. The principal feature in the raw silk market during the past week has been the heavy trgnsactium in the now arri▪ vals of China ADVERTISING FOR A WIFE. The gossips of Bristol have been much enlivened, and half the tea-tables furnished with small-talk, by the publication of some correspondence which has passed between a young man, assuming the name of llorace lleathcote, and a young lady (personated by some fun-loving individuals of the male sex), touching a matrimonial engagement. The correspondence originated in the publication of the following adver tisement:— " MATRIMONT.—A respectable young man, of very ancient family, liberally educated, of excellent character, and with tolerably good expectations, wishes to enter the marriage state with a lady possessed of not less than 2,0001. (which might be secured if required), and without children if a widow. This is a bona fide ease, and the utmost secrecy may be relied upon.—Address Fr ant, Sussex." Alpha,' Post-office, The personatora of the lady replied to this modest ad vertisement, adopting the signature of " Omega, and requesting the letters to be left at the Clifton Post office. The lady's position and qualifications were thus set forth :—" An orphan child, related to some of the first families in this neighbourhood, now under guardianship, is anxious to escape from pre sent thraldom, and would gladly embrace the protec tion of an honourable mind. Should 'Alpha' feel disposed to communicate with frankness, he will find in Omega' one whose pecuniary prospects are fully equal to his requirements, and of whose mental and personal attractions time must enable him to judge. Imprudent as the step Omega' now taken mayap pear at first, there are circumstances which she be lieves would fully justify her conduct in the eyes of Alpha,' and should he enter on a correspondence he will address his letters to the name assumed, at the Post-office, Clifton." The gudgeon nibbled, and a very tender corres pondence ensued. Mr. Horace Heathcete's passion daily augmented, and an interview was finally ar ranged to take place at the George Inn, Bristol. He was true to his appointment, but it is scarcely necessary to say, no lady made her appearance. The three concoctors of the plot were present, however, and they were not long in discerning the real Simon Pure, who was a young man about 30, and evidently in the agricultural interest. He walked to the win dow, and despondingly gazed up and down the street ; he pulled out a note from his pocket, looked at the clock in the bar, then at the note, which he returned to his pocket with an air of absolute hopelessness— again he was disappointed. This convinced the mis chievous trio that " Alpha" stood before them. They then commenced a conversation, in which sundry " pellets of the brain" were launched at the Lothario, who stood " looking daggers." After thus talking at him, one of them accosted him, and after repre senting himself to be the natural protector of the fair " Omega," coolly intimated to him that he had been hoaxed, and advised him to decamp, which ad vice the wooing Horace ultimately acted upon. "If it were not true," observes the Bristol Gazelle (which publishes the correspondence in extenso) " that your dull ass will not mend his pace with beating,' we would give Horace a sound lecture for the excessive impertinence of which be has been guilty towards the fair sex, in supposing that any female would commit matrimony with him upon his published terms ; but his mother will be his fittest corrector, and we will conclude our connexion with him by a quotation from the bard of Avon— " The man that hath a tongue is no man, If with his tongue he cannot win a woman." —Gloucester Journal. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. CAMBRIDGE, FEB. 9.—At n Congregation holden this day the following grace passed the Senate:— At the same Congregation the degree •f Bachelor of Arts Was conferred upon Mr. F. G. Henley, of Trinity College. EXHIBITION OF ALL NATIONS, 1851. Members of the University favourable to the promo tion of the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, to be held in London in the year 1851, under the presidency of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, have been requested by the Vice-Chancellor to a'tend a meeting to be held in the lccture•room under the University Library on Tuesday next, the 12th inst., at two o'clock r.x. The Vice-Chancellor will preside. DISCOMMUNINO. Two tradesmen have been discocumuned for infracVon of the regulations of the university; the one (one of the principal tailors of the town) for three months, and the other (the keen er of an " old curiosity shop") during the pleasure of the authorities. THE BURNEY PRIZE. The late Mr. Richard Burney, M.A., of Christ's College, having signified his intention of founding an annual prize, not exceeding 1051., for the best English essay " on some meral or metaphysical subject, on the existence, nature, and attributes of God, or on the truth and evidence of the Christian religion ;" and his inten• tion having ; been carried into affect by his sister and executrix, Allis Jane Caroline Burney, The Vice-Chancellor has given notice that the subject for the present year is, " The unity of design, which pervades the successive dispensations of religion recorded in the Scriptures is an argument fur the truth of re►e lation." The candidates for the prize are to be the Bachelors of Arts in their first year of standing; and the essays are to be sent in to the Vice-Chancellor on or before the 12th of November, 1850, with the names of the re spective authors sealed up. The author of the essay best approved is to print it at his own expense, and to deliver, or cause to be delivered, Libraries of Oxford, yr to the Lib ! ary of C a i c n o .i p s y es o c f i o t n t , o go tla , o to U t n h i:e u rs n i i t y y er L ii i t b y ra r Dublin, and Edinburgh, and to each of the adjudicators of the priz, who are the Vice - Chancellor, the Master of Christ's College, and the Norrisian Professor of Divinity. TRINITY COLLEGE. TILE DEALTRY PRIZES. The sum of 1,050/., Three per Cent. Consols, wa', on the 31st ult., transferred to the waster, fellows, and scholars of Trinity College, Cambridge, to found two annual prizes of , 15 guineas eac h , to be called the " Dealtry prizes,' in commemoration of the high esteem in which the late William Dealtry, D.D., Archdeacon of Surrey, and formerly fellow of Trinity College, was held by his friends and former pupils. Amongst the contributors to this fund are the Archbishops ,of Canterbury , and York, the Bishops of London, Winchester, Oxford. Lich& ld, and Gloucester, and Bristol; the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and Baron Parke; the Dean of Winchester; the Warden of New College, Oxford; the Master and Senior Dean of Trinity College, Cambridge, &c. GENERAL SCREW-STEAM SHIPPING COMIUNY. Yesterday was the day fixed for the trial trip of the Company's fine new iron steamer the Propontis, in tended to trade between this c .untry and the Mediter race in and Constantinople. Shortly before one o'clock the Propontis started from the Brunswick Pier, Black. wall, and proceeded down the river. The weather wa g well suited to test the powers of the screw vessel, as it blew strongly from th e wes t, amounting early in the day almost to a gale of wind, which moderated towards evening, but was s till su ff ic i en t to oppose considerabl e resistance on her return up the river. Her perfor mance was in every respect satisfactory. Notwith stsn,ling the s tiff ness w hi c h necess arily attends the mo tion of row and un t r i e d mac hinery, she attained the speed of 104 knots in the first hour and accomplished the whole distance run, about 24 miles, in less than two . hours, her engin es ma ki ng on an a verage 60 revolutions in the minute. Taking into consideration the state of the wind and tide, the speed reached by the new vessel is about equal to that of her predecessors, the Bosphorus and the Hellespont, on their trial trips, and an increase may reasonably be expected when the machinery shall have gained freedom by a little exercise. The dimensions of the Propontis are as follows: Length between perpendiculars, 176 feet. Br( adth, 25 feet. Depth, 17 feet. • Tonnage, 660. She has two engines, each of 40-horse power. Accommodation is provided for 20 first class and 6 steerage was furnished on b oar d to t h ose w h o accompanied the passengers. A handsome entertainment vessel on her first excursion. Amongst those present we noticed Mr. Laming, Mr. Margetson, Captain Ford, of the Ottoman Steam Navy; Mr. Howell, Captain War den, R.N., Baron Moncorvo, Captain Halsted, Mr. How, Mr. Maudslay, M. Echapparre, Lieutenant of the Rus sian Itrperitst Service, and Mr. Jackson. The Propontis has been built in the short space of four months by Messrs. Mare and Co., from the designs of Mr. T. Waterman, of Blackwall. The engines have been sup plied by Messrs. Maud;lay and Co. We may add that the substantial and appropriate fittings of the cabins re flect credit on the parties who furnished them. TUE ADVERTISEMENT Dunr.—Among the Par. liamentary papers issued during the last session was one showing the numb er o f adyertisements on which duty was paid in each year from 1833 to the end of 1840. This is the last return, and as the subject is to be brought before the "louse of Commons by Mr. Ewart, on Thursday, the information contained in the return is of some value. In England the number of edvertise merits in 1826 was 775,356, and the duty (3s. 6cl. each) was 135,687/. 65.; in 1827, the number was 765,593, and the duty 133,978/. 15s. 6d.; in 1828, the number was 779.250, and the duty 136,3681. 155.; in 1829, the number was 777,445, and the duty 136,0521. 17s. 6d.; in 1830, the number was 788.091, and the duty 137,9151. 185,6 d.; in 1831, the number was 787,649, and the duty 137,8381. I ls. 6d.; in 1832, the number was 783,557, and the duty 137,1221. 94. 6d. The duty was reduced to Is. 6d. from the sth of July, 1833. In 1834, the number was 977,441, and the duty 73,3081. Is. 6d.; in 1835, the number was 1,038,041, and the duty 77,8531. ls. 6(1.; in 1836, the number wa6 1,173,136, and the duty 87,9851. 45.; in 1837, the number s% as 1,206,680, and the duty 90,501/.; in 1838, the number was 1,315,581, and the duty 98,668/. I Is. 6d.; in 1839, the number was 1,351,421, and the duty 101,356/. I Is. 6d.; and in 1840, the number was 1,425,387, and the duty 106,904/. Os. 6d. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE OF TUESDAY. GENERAL ORDER. HORSE GUARDS, FEB. 12. Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to com mand, that medals should be struck to record the services of her fleets and armies during the wars commencing in 1793, and ono of these medals having already been given, under the General Order of the Ist of June 1847, to every officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier, who was present at any of the battles and sieges referred to in the above order, her Majesty has now been graciously pleased further to command that one of the same medals shall be granted to every officer, non-commissioned officer, and sol dier, who has not already received one under the above mentioned order, and who may have been present with the army which performed the great achievements in Egypt during the war ending in 1801. Officers and soldiers who consider that they have a claim to receive such medal are each to apply—as di rected in the General Order of the Ist of June, 1847; the General officers having such claims through the Secretary cf the Commander-in-Chief of the army; The Staff officers through the General officers under whom they served, if alive; if not alive, through the Adjutant-General of the army;— Officers, non-commissioned officere, and soldiers of regiments, battalions, and detachments, through the commanding officer of the regiment, battalion, or detach ment at the time, if still alive. This will be known by nquiry at the agents of the regiment resident in London. If such commanding officer should not be alive, the ap plication, in writing, must be made through the Ad jutant-General of the army. The Board of General Officers is hereby, by her Majesty's command, directed to take into consideration —to investigate—the facts stated in each of these several applications, and to report to the Commander in-Chief upon the same, for the information of her Majesty, and to enable those commanded by her Ma jesty to deliver to the claimants the medals accordingly. The Adjutant-General and the Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, will transmit to the Secretary to the Board of General Officers such informa tion as they may have been able to acquire, to assist in the investigations which the Board will have to make. The Commander-in-Chief has been required to desire, that the Board of General Officers will have alphabetical lists made out of the names of the claimants to one of these medals, with his rank. Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to command, that the departments of the Secretary at War and of the Paymaster-General may furnish to the Board of General Officers such information as the records of those Depart ments respectively can furnish, of the names of those serving with the army in Egypt at the period at which that service was achieved; and that the several Govern ments in India should be required to furnish to the Board of General Officers in London such information:in respect to regiments sent to Egypt from India, of names of the several officers and individuals serving on the staff, or in the ranks of the several regiments employed, as can be found in the several offices under the several Go vernments in India. The several Governments in India will be desired to form, at the Presidency of each of the Governments, a board of officers, which shall have instructions to inquire into claims referred to such board, whether by the Com mander-in-Chief of the Army, or by the Board of Gene ral Officers sitting in London, or by the Commander-in- Chief of the Army of each presidency in India. In extending this further mark of her Majesty's gra cious consideration to those officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, whose claims to a medal, on ac• count of any cf the services specified in the General Order of the Ist of June, 1847, may have already been admitted, an additional bar, bearing the word "Egypt" engraved upon it, will be added to the clasp on which the names of the several battles, at which such officers and soldiers were present, are enumerated. By command of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, Commander-in-Chief. JOHN MACDONALD, Adjutant-Gelecal. ADMIRALTY, FBI. 11. With reference to her Majesty's gracious intentions, as signified in the "Gazette" of the Ist and 7th of June, 1847, that a medal should be struck to record the services of her fleets and armies during the wars commmencing in 1793, and ending in 1815 ; her Majesty has further been graciously pleased to grant the Military Medal to the surviving officers, non-commissioned officers, and sol diers of the army who served in the expedition to Egypt; and her Majesty having signified her pleasure to the Lords Commissioners of thy Admiralty that mea sures be taken for granting the Naval Medal, or a clasp in lieu thereof, to the surviving officers and seamen of the royal navy who served in that expelition ; All officers, petty officers, seamen and marines, who consider that they are entitled to recei►e this mark of their Sovereign's gracious recollection of their services, and of her desire to record the same, are to send, in writing, the statement of their claim to the above-named medal or clasp, addressed to the Secretary of the Ad miralty, Whitehall, London, specifying the names of the persons, or the titles of the documents by which it can be established. Such officer, seaman, or marine, as shall have already received the naval medal for other services, shall receive, instead of a new additional medal, a olasp with the word " Egypt" engraven thereon. 'By comlnand of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. W. A. B. HAMILTON. CROWN-OFFICE, EEL 11. Days and places appointed for holding the Spring Assizes, 1850. MIDLAND CIRCUIT. The Right Bon. Thomas Lord Denman, Lord Chief Justice; and the Right Hon. Sir James Parke, one of th• Barons of the Coutt of Exchequer. Northamptonshire—Tuesday, March 5, at Northampton. Rutlandskire—Friday, March 8, at Oakham. Lincolnshire—Saturday, March 9, at the Castle of Lincoln. City of Lincoln—the tame day, at the city of Lincoln. Nottinghamshire—Friday, March 15, at Nottingham. Town of Nottingham—the same day, at the town of Nottingham. Derbyshire—Wednesday, March 20, at Derby. Leicestershire—Monday, March 25, at the Castle o Leicester. Borough of Leicester—the same day, at the Borough o Leice' ter. Warwickshire—Coventry Division, Thursday, March 28, et the city of Coventry. Warwicksktire—Warwick Division, Saturday, March 30, at Warwick. HOME CIRCUIT. The Right Hon. Sir Thomas Wilde, Lord Chief Justice; and Mr. Justice Maule. Hertford-Tuesday, February 26, at Hertford. Essex-Monday, March 1, at Chelmsford. Sussex-Monday, March 11, at Lewes. Kent -Monday, March 18, at Maidstone. Surrey-Wednesday March 27, at Kingston-upon- Thames. NORTHERN CIRCUIT. Mr. Baron Alderson, and Mr. Baron Rolfe. North L a ncashire -Saturday, February 16, at Lancaster. Westmoreland -Wednesday ,February 20, at Appleby. Cumberland -Friday, February 22, at Carlisle. Northumberland -Wednesday, Fob. 27, at Newcastle upon-Tyne. Town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne-The same day, at the Guildhall of the said town. Durham-Saturday, March 2, at Durham. Yorkshire-Thursday, March 7, at the Castle of York. City of York-The same day, at the Guildhall of the said city. South Lancashire -Thursday, March 21, at Liverpool. OXFORD CIRCUIT. Mr. Justice Patteson and Mr. Baron Platt. Berkshire -Wednesday, February 27, at Abingdon. Oxfordshire -Saturday, March 2, at Oxford. Worcestershire -Wednesday, March 6, at Worcester. City of Worcester-The same day, at the city of Wor cast er. Staffordshire -Tuesday, March 12, at Stifford. Salop-Wednesday, March 20, at Shrewsbury. Herefordshire -Saturday, March 23, at Hereford. Monmouthshire -Wednesday, March 27, at Monmouth Gloucestershire-Saturday, March 30, at Gloucester. City of Gloucester-The same day, at the city o Gloucester. WALES AND COUNTY OF CHESTER. Mr. Justice Cresswell and Mr. Justice Williams. SMITE( WALES. Glamorganshire-Saturday, March 2, at Swansea. Pembrokeshire-Saturday, March 9, at Haverfordvvest. Town and County of Haverfordwast-The same day, al the town of Haverfordwest. Cardiganahire-Thursday, March 14, at Cardigan. Carmarthenshire-Monday, March 18, at Carteatthedoc;y, County of the Borough of Carmarthen-The same at tb. borough of Carmarthen. Brecknockshire-Friday, March 22, at Brecon. Radnorshire-Wednesday, March 27, at Presteign. NORTIL WALES. Mantgomaryshire-Tuesday, March 12, at Welchpool. Merionethshire-Thursday, March 14, at Bala Carnarvonshire-Monday, March 18 , at Carear.von. Anglesea-Wednesday, March 20, atßeiliumaris. Denbighshire-Saturday, M arc h 23, at l Flintshire-Wednesday, M arc h 27, at Moultahlin. Cheshire-Saturday, March 30, at Ches ter. WESTERN CIRCUIT . Mr. Justice Erie an d M r. Justice .Talfourd. Southampton-Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Castle of Winchester. Wiltshire--Thursday, March 7, at New Sarum. Dorsetshire-Wednesday, March 13, at Dorchester. Devonshire-Saturday , March 16, at the Castle of Exeter. City cf Exeter-The sa me day, at the Guildhall of the said City. , C . ornwall-Sat ur d ay, M arch 23, at Bodm i n. omersetshire-Saturday, March 30, at the Castle at Taunton, BANKRUPTS. George Woods, saddler, Portsee, to surrender, Feb. 21 and Marcia 22, at eleven, at the court of 13ankruptey. Carman, official assignee, Birchin-lane, Cornhill; Low, Chancery-lane; Ford, Portsea. William Po wnall, silk manufacturer, Macclesfield, Feb. 25, Et half-pad one, and April 8, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee; Hud son, Sparrow, Brookfield, and Coupland, Bucklersbury. Edward Steward, corn merchant, Boughton, Norfolk, Feb. 21, at one, and March 25, at half-past eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee, Coleman-street; Pringle, Stevenson, and Shum, King's road, Bedford-row; Reed, Brothers, Downham-market; Walpole, Norfolk. Robert Potters Croft, tavern-keeper, Lansdowne-villa, Brompton, Feb. 25, at one, and April 8, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee, Coleman-'treet; Willis, Bucklersbury. John Baker, boot manufacturer, Cheltenham, Feb. 20, at twelve, and March 30, a t e l even , at the Court of Bankruptcy. Pennell, official assignee, Guildhall cham bers, Basinghall-street; Bromley and Aldridge, Gray's Inn; Depree, Lawrence-lane, Cheapsidc. James Patching, brewer, Henfield, Sussex, Feb. 21 and March 26, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basingball-street ; Free man and Bothamley, Coleman-street; Chalk, Brighton. William Woodbridge, colonial broker, Mincing-lane, Feb. 26, at one, and March 26, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Abchurch lane; Leigh, George-street, Mansion-house. Benjamin Drewry, joiner and builder, Hulme, Lan cashire, Feb. 22, and March 15, at twelve, at the Man chester District Court. Hobson, official assignee, Manchester; Whitworth, Manchester. William Edmund Smith, shipwright, Plymouth, Feb. 23 and March 14, at eleven, at the Hall of Commerce, Plymouth. Hernaman, official assignee, Exeter; Kelly, Plymouth; Stogdon, Exeter. Robert Savory, plumber and glazier, Saint Owen, Hereford, Feb. 23, and March 25, at eleven, at the Bir mingham District Court. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham; Gough, Hereford; Bloxhava, Birmingham. John llarrington, commission agent, Manchester, Feb. 22, and March 15, at eleven, at the Manchester District Court. Hobson, official assignee, Manchester ; Ashley, Newark ; Sale, Worthington, and Shipman, Manchester. John Henderson Musgrave, embroiderer, Eastcott place, Ferdinand -street, Hampstead-road, Feb. 26, and March 28, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. John son, official assignee, Basinghall street; Baylis and Drew, Red-cross-street. Robert Chattem, innkeeper, Goole, Yorkshire, March 1, and April 4, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, official assignee, Leeds; Garwood, Yorkshire; Blackburn, Leeds. DIVIDENDS. At the Court, Basinghall-street. C. Sneezum, Woodbridge, Suffolk, grocer, March 5, at twelve—P. B. Morrison, Hammersmith, merchant, March 9, at twelve—J. Matthews and J. Martin, Chi ehester-place, King's-cross, drapers, March 5, at eleven —T. Keating, St. Paul's-churchyard, City, druggist, March 5, at two. _ _ In the Country. T. Potts, Birmingham, metallic tube manufacturer, March 11, at eleven, at the Court, Birmingham—J. Sowden, jun., Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire, farmer, March 6, at half-past twelve, at the Court, Kingston•upon-Hull —G. Price, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganahire, innkeeper, Feb. 25, at eleven, at the Court, Bristol—J. Stockdale, Liverpool, soap manufacturer, March 5, at eleven, at the Court, Liverpool. PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS. R. Nightingale, Bury, Lancashire, common brewer, 7s. Id., on Tuesday, Feb. 12, and every following Tues day, between ten and one, at the office of Mr. Hobson, Manchester. J. Green a.nd G. Eley, Birmingham, and Thavies Inn, Holborn, wholesale jewellers, Is. Id., on Thursday, Feb. 14, or any subsequent Thursday, between eleven and three, at the office of Mr. Valpy, Birmingham. NOTICES OF CERTIFICATES. At the Court, Basinghall-street. H. Coppin, Colchester, boot and shoe maker, March 6, at one—W. Elliott, Freeling-street, Caledonian-road, Islington, baker, March 6, at half-past twelve—W. Wood, Cheapside, hardwareman, March 6, at eleven—S. Thomas, Cheapside, hardwareman, March 6, at eleven— C. Haylock, March, Isle of Ely, cabinet maker, March 6, at one—E. Smallwood, Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, schoolmaster, March 6, at twelve—T. Hubert, Hunger ford-market and High Holborn, lighterman, March 5, at eleven. CERTIFICATES GRANTED. T. Clarke, Norwich, appraiser, Feb. B—E. Tapson, Cardiff, coal agent, a certificate of the first class, Feb. $ —J. Newton, Ashton-under-Lyne, innkeeper, a certifi cate of the first class, Feb. 9-13. Shaw, Gerrard -street, Islington, Southampton-street, Russell-square, and Sloane-street, Chelsea, china and glass dealer, ♦ug. 12 —W. Bates, Tithby, Nottinghamshire, horsedealer, a certificate of the third class, after twelve months from Feb. $. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. S. Whits and A. Boscowitz, leather sellers—D. Cook son and J. King, Whitehill, Durham, paper makers—J. lichens and T. Sewell, Jersy, timber merchants—J. S. Forman and G. M. Eden, Uxbridge, wine and spirit merchants—Marianne Moore and Frances Ann Farrell, Evesham, Worcestershire, schoolmistresses—J. and J. Smith, Standon and Wadesmill, Hertfordshire, millers— J. Fisher and E. Perrin, Liverpool, wine and spirit mer chants—J. Waddell and G. Crichton, Redruth, Corn wall, drapers—E. B Hawkins and G. W. Gilliogs, Horton, Middlesex, linendrapers—J. Simpson and G. Short, Bishop Wearmouth, Durham, ship builders—R. Brook, J. Brook, and W. T. Gant, Bradford, Yorkshire, linendrapers—J. Brown and R. Kerr, Norwich, archi tects—J. Swindells and S. Blackburn, Manchester, ma nufacturing chemists—J. Scott and W. H. Haden, Hud dersfield, woollen merchants—P., T., and W. Joynson, (so far as regards P. Joynson), Manchester, silk manu facturers—T. Hunter and T. Moore, Bishop Wearmouth, Durham, brick makers—T. and J. Ainsworth, Scarbo rough, printers—S. and S. J. Bayfleld, St. Thomas's street, Southwark, surgeons—R. Davies and G. D. Tay lor, Change-alley, Cornhill, law stationers—J. and J. Rawlings, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, cabinet makers—G. Nicholson and W. Mitchell, High-street, Aldgate, up holsterers—M. W. Jackson and H. C. Attay, St. Mar tin's, Stamford Baron, Northamptonshire, and Stamford, Lincolnshire, surgeons—F. W. Paddon, G. Marshall, and T. Prout, Plymouth, china clay merchants. INSOLVENT PETITIONERS. William King, Birmingham, glazier. Joseph Fryzer, Birmingham, retail brewer. Joseph Roston, Kingnorton, Worcestershire, retail brewer. William Henry Britton, Birmingham, writing clerk. James Hill Cheatle, Aston, near Birmingham, journey. man brushmaker. John Mason Harnesr, Boston, footman. Alfred Waldron, Stourbridge, Worcestershire, labourer, Thomas Smith, East Retford, Nottinghamshire, joiner. William Anstey, Wick-Wick, Gloucestershire farmer. Isaac Barnett, Bristol, clothier. Richard Cooper, Oldham, draper. Benjamin Preedy, Warwick, writing clerk. Joseph Greaver, Oldham, journeyman tin-plate-worker, Thomas Cook, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, grocer. John Leo, Winchester, carpenter. Alexander M'Crie, Bath, tailor. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. J. Wilson, Cunnock, ironmonger and general mer chant, to meet Feb. 18 and March 14, at one, within the Black Bull Inn, Curnnock. R. Scott, Govan, Lanarkshire, banker, to meet Feb. 21otel end Gla March 21, at o ne , w i t hi n the Carrick's Royal H, sgow. J. Brown, Glasgow, commission agent, to meet Feb. 14, and March 18, at twelve, within the Globe Hotel, Glasgow. Peter Bell, Crosston, Forfarshire, firmer and cattle dealer, to meet Feb. 18 and March 18, at two, within the County and Commercial Hotel, Forfar. George Christie, Glasgow, writer and merchant, to meet Feb. 'l9 and March 12, at one, within Whyte's Temperance Coffee-houre, Glasgow. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 12. COLONIAL AFFAIRS. Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH rose to move for some papers connected with colonial affairs. He had given notice to the effect that the colonies should have self-governments and perfect control of their own affairs, but the Noble L or d (L ord J. Russell) had wis e ly and properly taken the subject into hie own hands. As a debate had ensued at considerable length, in the course of which he had had an opportunity of stating his views and opinions in detail, he would not trespass at any length on the attention of the House on the present occasion, and wou l d simply propose the resolution of which he had given notice. Nothing ho thought could be more liber a l t h an the principles of co• lonial policy as laid down by the Noble Lord; but he was sorry he did not intend to,. apply them t o that extent which, in his (Sir William Moles worth's) opinion, was ne cessary for the complete and permanent contentment of the colonies. Ile regretted to lied that with re gard to Australia, the Noble Lord only intended to proceed with the Bill of last year, which he thought would require great alteration before it passed the House; and he should take the earliest opportunity of proposing sev eral amendments i n th e d e t a il s when i t came before Committee. He thought this colony ought its local have h i ll power to alter or amend local institutions, and that it ought also to have an elec tive chamb er an d an elect i ve government. The Bill as proposed wou ld g i ve too muc h patronage i . n the appoint ment of colonial officers, a grievance which at the present time was the cause of so much discontent. H e ob jected al so t o t h e p ro p osa l to maintain the pr esen t arbitrary powers of the Colonial-office over the acts and proceedings of the Colonial .Legislature. Having simply stst2d some of his objections to this measure, he would not trespass further on th e H ouse, and would conclude by moving for certain returns con. nectvd with the colonies. The motion for the re.urnp, the natur e o f w hi c h we did no t catch, was then put from the Ch a i r, and agreed o t t ST RIKING JURIES IN IRELAND. Mr. SADLEIR, iu rising to move for a Select Com mittee to inquire int ) the facts c onnected with the striking of the special jury, in the case of "Callanan against Cameron," said he brought it forward without reference to any party or sect, either in or out of the House, and declared his anxiety to see equal justice dealt out to the Protestant as well as the Catholic. He did not make his present motion in any factious spirit. He only proposed to lay before the House certain facts relative to a system which he con sidered was subversive cf justice, and had an injurious bearing on the judicial relations of Ireland. It appeared that Callanan commenced an action against Major Cameron in the year 1848, the major baying taken pos session of some tenements belonging to Callanan for the use of his troops, and haying turned the furnituze eta, The Crown Solicitor Mr. Kemmis, asked f it a spr cial : ury, and a s p ec i a l jury panel was returned in the case; and then f o ll owe d t h e practice of the offisir of the court to p rocee d b y ballot to extract the names of 48 gentlemen who might be placed on the specia l j ur y list. In the 48 names so selected it happened that there were ten Ro man C at h o li cs, res id en t s in the count y o. of Tipperary. F our or fi ve were on t h e c ommission n : the peace for th a t an d t h e a dj o i n i ng coun ties, and o or two were dep u ty li eutenants. H e was himself there per sonally acquainted w ith t h ose ten gent l eme n, and b could not be men of hi g h er c h aracter or standing. Each counsel had the rightlin suc h cases t o s trike off twelve' leaving twenty-fo ur names on t h e pane l, o f whom the first twelve were chosen. In this case Mr. Kemtnie, l the exercise of his ri g ht as so li c i tor to t h e Crown, _ pro ceeded in the first in s t ance to set as id e an d reject th e names of nine of these Roman Catholic gentlemen , a nd he honestly believed that the tenth only ault by accident, because Mr. Kemmis believed Mr.Jtteufe Archer Butler was a Protestant. The names of nine did not appear in the list in consecutive order, but they were dispersed up and down. Ho knew that English escaped the in; gentlemen e ere strangers to such a system as that which he had point d out, and such a s} stem were slow to give credence to state men which showed that the people were filched of the right t of trial by jury. But he held in his hand a statement of a committee of Roman Catholic and Protestant gentlemen, who undertook to investigate the syeedin whichi juries were constructed in the county he allude to. This statement showed the marvellous decrease_ stem of xclusiots of Roman Catholics on the list cif persons ts serve a: jurors from 1839 to 1843. He placed More the Un its these facts with the view of extorting from the Gov ern ' ment a clear expl ana ti on f rom which the Roman Catli n ' lie people of Ireland might feel convinced that the repro: sentative of Royalty had nothing whatever to do tell" this insulting warfare against the consciences of the peo ple of Ireland. He hoped the Government would show that they did not c oun t enance t h e i nflict i on o f t hese ic" sults on the people of Ireland. He warned the Govern ment against putting this question on a mere quibble. The Dublin Evening Post, which was avowedly a n organ of the Government, had dealt with this ea monstrous case—as on e w hi c h d eman d e d publi c investtgation, and as involving the conduct of s Government official, which had been wholly nu ; justifiable. The Iri s h p eop l e had hoped that :bat investigation would have b een ma d e. An attempt 1 . been made to j us tify t h e procee di ngs of the Crow n soli citor, by showing that he did not represent the CroesU He had caution e d t h e Government a ga i ns t making t his defence, becau se th ere was evidence that he was acting in his capacity a s C rown so li c i tor. It had, indee d, been put forth that Mr. Kemmis was not only acting 841 private solicitor, but that he was bound to take the u e t course he could to secure his client. He denied tha t Mr. Kemmis, under any circumstances, excluding Roman Catholics. It woull be said, per bn ,Pli that as the law stood, and acting on the instructions laid down by Justice O'Loghlen, and the present Attornerg; General, the Crown solictor had a discretion rested le. was justified s him. Everybody knew Mr. Kemmis's predi!eetin e Evers body who knew that gentleman knew that it, , had the opportunity of exercising a discretion he weals be glad glad to insult Catholicism. He had nothing t° lBl o against the gentleman, but they knew he had bee cradled in bigotry, i n a sys t em of religious exclusion and political intolerance—a system which no man could u fend—a sy s t em w hi c h h a d b een condemned in every 4 quarter. He k new M r . K emmis was the chil d o f t; late Thomas Kemmis. He knew his father was the cm : r cial of one of th e most ra bid I r i sh Orangemen who sued filled the office of first law officer of the Crown. lie understood the Right Hon. Gentleman that the Doane' Lions issued by Justices O'Loghler, Brady, and Perrin were meant to apply t o or di nary cases. He thought's, fair interpretati on o f th ose i nstructions was, that ine, le 'fs instance in which th e C rown too k part the principle bt Justice O'Loghlen should be adhered to. The Rig ue Hon. Baronet had l a b oure d to esta b lish the fact t hat 1. 0 Government set aside the Roman Catholic gentleme n a great social po s iti on i n D u bli n, out of a spir i t o f kinds „ ness towards tho s e gent l emen, and said they were ex' eluded out of regar d to t h em. That, he contended, s v-s f a calumny on th e w h o l e o f the Roman Catholic b o dy ° ,l Ireland. In a s t a t ement male by the Noble I° last year, Dicer saying that he did not think there se s o any reason why th e R oman Catholics ought not tn. b placed on en e qua l f oot i ng with Pratestants on joie , so, likewise, he held that a man holding opinions on repeal should not be disqualified fro serving on a jury. B u t t h at i n the case of a men w openly declared that Ireland ought to be separated from England, that the Queen's power should be taken sw a i f t ; and that these o bj ects s h ou l d be completed by for, question wa s , w h e th er h e was a man who would be lik,: st to try the issue justly, as part i es were sworn to do. 19 0 ", if the Attorney-G enera l thought any person Was got likely to give a v er di c t accor di ng to the evidence, us against it, then it was right not to leave the newi. the list of the jury. N ow , i n t h ese op i nions, t hus ell pressed by the Nobl e L or d, h e was sure every wt, minded Irishman would coincide. Every effort ought o be made to prevent the continuance of the exclusive system now adopted ; and he implored the House 1° co n cider by what alteration of the law they could Pft v be the recurrence of such a transaction as - that whl e. " ee t had brought forward. He had brought the 'AI of before the House with the view of planting the see d. u s peace and good will among the people of Ireland. an from a desire Is see justice impartially administered in that country. The love f justice was inherent n i g ' ,s s , Irish eharaetes, and to use the language of Sir j ' a ;,, j a tion " there is no people bettor satisfied with the that thereof, even though it be against theresolgef thesi they may have th e protection and benefit o lop when upon just tame they do desire it." T" Memt sr concluded by moving the appointment tf :he Committee. Mr. SCULLY seconded the met;on. Mr. HATCHELL gave the Honourable Mem ber, credit for his endeavours to reconcile the differences and dissensions which exi ste d i n I re l an d ; but the scope his observatio ns an d references, an th e manner fa _ which h e b a t spo k en o f individuals, and the transacti o n s of bygone times, - were not calculated to effect that e n. ject. Every one must lament that anything should oc cur with respect to the striking and i m p ane lii n g juries which would lead to the idea that they bad be en er e h s e d a t . struck or impanelled unfairly. There WAS another el.' cumstance deserving the notice cf the House. The cause t u o nt w ri h e i d c . h — t ( h H e e H ar o , n h on ea ra r. b ) le T Memti s weu ld take place in about three weeks,rTeifpeprreerdarv;a9.:stee and if omml` the C should be appointed, it mightsl would be proceeding durin that the "" so happen coal' g the sitting of the b , 00 ., mitten. Such a proceeling he considered highly f tionable, and little cond • ee administrati on ° uctve to the jostiee.—(Rear, hear.) H pre". ‘, • sent motion extremely econsidered t he 'ace inconvenient on t hat count. But that was This was not the only 0 "-' e nd a as not a question be tw een o ow° and the . 0 _„„ c ase subjoin in any criminal t proceeding, but an etch 51 . 7 , to try. an action of troy ass and ascertain - eth er e: house or two had been illegally taken - es sion in • this cage a s p ec i a l j ury had been struck.°3' The or dinary eac h or practice, was to call over the forty-eight names, d t bio torney being called upon strike twelve; 13- to off a .,,, st iou had been done. No w, without going into a speen'''' s ht of the high character and property of the jury , be m b i : eo safely say that a more competent jury had neve r as e.--' appointed to try even a f ar more imporfant c- Go. (Hear.) Th e on l y ground for eoenecting the Irish of Torment le with tie t ransact i on was the bossingccumat Mr. Kem m i s b e i ng the Crown solicitor; and, were that positi on , i t was supposed that the Government ted responsibl e tor hi s acts, and that he had been a ct na id 0 by a bigot e d an d sectar i an spirit. Mr. Kemmis he bard high and hon oura bl e soc i al position, and it was beat that, in his a b sence, such imputations should ha ye s t he thrown up on hi m. But if there was one thing t ee present occasion more reprehensible, it was of unnecessary allusi on to the transactions the 1842, libelling the son by a reference tn A t he transactions o f hi s d eceased father; and he trusts - • V Hon. M em b er f or Carlow would, on reconside rall°; consider that he ought not to have taken such 0 n°tirs aman (The Hon. an d Learned Gent, then read , a letter from Mr. Kemmi s , stating that the jury „g ante k so f the usual manner—that the names of the jurors se er , o f the most respecta b le class—that in the performe nc o his duty he had exercised his best judgment for it/ ta ble terest of his c li en t i n t h e same way that any ropec000• solicitor would have done.)—(llear, hear.) T he s f the Gentleman, i n re f err i ng to the names of some, eel/ jury, seemed t o i nt i mate that the name of tu n j f t in Roman Catholi c , J ames A rt h ur Butler, had b e en s ' tret - h by mistake. No w no thi ng was farther from tb light He protested agai ns t suc h a mot i on having been Wilso• forward with respect to a case still undecided; and s ok; because it would set an examp l e to every person °neje' ing the Ho use t o p ronounce an opinion upon floor' jury selected las t +seen party and party, where 00, for ney must act to the best of his judgment and ski l lober the benefit of his client. He trusted the Hon •S: e goot ie• would be satisfied with the disavowal of Tar• et but be and withdraw his motion. If not, he submitted.: • dee had said sufficient to induce the House to gii • 1 " cided negative. ly r e ; Mr. SADLEIR explained. He had studi° lls ,, ono frained from adverting to the merits of the 0 1;011 had made no observations 'electing on the reopen"' of the gentlemen on the panel. . tO Mr. SCULLY ma i ntained that th e proce oo f the which his Him Friend had called the attention 0 , I r a. House was an insult to the religion o *he people 01 m land, and he should ther, fore support the motion' t,be Mr. NAPIER said the precise question hew fa 0 for the House was this. A •I • specie jury was applied an d V' civil action. The panel in the Crown Court _ l till' special juror s ' b oo k were constructed on ae entir' e g e ui pes &rent footing. Th e names of all the gent ieru l l eook in tent to act we re pl aced on the special jurors . k i n g Of alphabetical order. The sheriff attended the W l ._ h aw the jury, which was done in this manner; certal,urefes. bers were put into a box and on being d r awn Out, once was made to the ' book to ascertain the nar e v w 'sele 48 names w ere t h us se l ected by b a l lot ou t of titioll special jur ors ' li st to serve on every c ause ' s rie ge a special j ury . T hen what did the l a w allow h l ou t he agreed in the observation that Ireland ought t ° benefit of English institutions. The same Isl,r; s e er plicable to both countries.—(Hear.) Out 0 1 , t he soy the eight names so selested, the law allowed each _l7 we ' e ble legal right to object to twelve without being attorneY to to any tribunal; and it was the duty of the a, ~,e wept strike away the twelve which he considered t he b e en objectionable, and leave the rest. If there l a c r to on any fraud, the Court ought to have been appealss_ss apses affidavit ; and he decidedly objected to the sysz - ju ge#, milting the opportunity of going before religious &s -and involving the House of Commons in a cussion, when the facts were not fully befor d cretion, sa te thought Mr. Kemmis had exercised an hone st dut y to and on every ground he should think it his .tor. „ sos e with his Hon. and Learned Friend the Solic o i Mr. FAGAN said that after the denial m ohe erra. mis, it was exceedingly difficult to make an):„ . „ . SOW tions, but he must say in j us tification of the . I _tf: r ighl. be " Or Carlow that it was impola o ible for w w ,, . > ~:, .;; ,