The Sun. — London, England, 1850-03-20 00:00:00

fourtt :Didion SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS DAY•) HOUSB OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Twelve o'clock. PRIVATE BILLS. Mr. BERNAL brought up the report on the Carlisle Gas and Coke Company's Bill and several others. Mr. WILSON PATTEN moved that the order of the House of the 19th day of February last, referring the Chippenham Water-works Bill to the Committee of Selection, be read, that the said order be discharged, and that the said Bill be withdrawn. PETITIONS. Mr. GREENE presented a petition from the trustees of certain municipal charities in Lancaster complaining that by a late decision in the courts of law the legal estate in those charities was not vested in them as they conceived it ought to be. Mr. CHRISTOPHER presented a petition signed by almost all the male inhabitants in the market town of Alford, in the county of Lincoln, occupiers of land, and agricultural labourers, complaining ot agricultural dis tress. Mr. W. BROWN presented a petition from Bradford, in Lancashire, in favour of the establishment of county financial boards. Mr. SHAFTO ADAIR presented a petition from the Parliamentary and Financial Reform Association of Cambridge, praying for the repeal of the taxes on know ledge. Mr. G. BERKELEY presented a petition from Glou cester against the slave trade. Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from the clergy men and other inhabitants of Camelford against legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister. - Mr. SPOONER presented a petition from Sutton Colefield in Warwickshire in favour of the Small Tene ments Bill. Mr. BAINES presented a petition from a place in the county of Chester complaining of the present law of settlement, and praying for the establishment of union rating. Mr. HUTT presented a petition from the owners of property in Australia praying that no reduction in the price of land may take place in that colony. Mr. E. B. DENISON presented a petition from Sowerby and other places in Yorkshire, praying for the cessation cf labour in the Post-office on Sundays. Mr. SIMEON presented similar petitions from places in the Isle ot Wight. _ _ Mr. G. BERKELEY gave notice that, early after Easter, he would move, in a Committee of the whole House, the exclusion from our markets of all slave grown produce, which was contrary to the true interests of religion and morality. He also gave notice that, soon after. Easter, he would move, in a Committee of the whole. house, that an Bs. duty shall be re-imposed on all foreign corn imported into this country after a certain date, and that the revenue from that source shall be ap propriated by the Government to tie general reduction of taxation. Mr. HAMILTON gave notice that he would call the attention of the House on an early day to the position in which the clergymen of the Established Church in Ire land stood with respect to the Education Board in Mr. BAIs:KES presented a petition from Norf.)lk complaining of the operation cf the present law of settle ment; tilsu several petitions from factory workers in Glasgow and other places complaining of the relay sys tem in factories. Mr. CARDWELL presented several pe`,itions from Llverpclui a4ainst the Small Tenerneet,' E. , lting Bill. • SMALL TENEMENTS RATING BILL. On~the motion for going into Committee on this Bill, :Mr. P. SC ROPE took occasion to protest against the House going into Committee on this Bill, on the ground that it was an es post facto Bill, and would greatly tend to acid to the already sufficiently heavy rentals of the dwellings of the poor. The theory of the opponents of sach measures was that the population would be checked by want of house room, ana he was surprised the Right Hon. Secretary of State, having read all the reports on this subject, should set his files against this measure. As he was aware of the feeling opposed to him, he should not attempt to divide the House at present. Mr. ROBERT PALMER. agreed with much that had fallen from the Hon. Member. As it was quite evident that a large majority of the House were in fa ♦our of this measure be should not oppose the Bill going into Committee, but he should reierve to hituselr the right of proposing any modification of it when he was in Committee. _ _ _ Mr. E. DENISON said he thought it was perfectly understood that all rates were paid by zeal property. The Hon. Gentleman who had just spoken seemed to have forgotten this. The provision was a most wholesome one, and he should decidedly give it his support. Sir GEORGE GREY said he could not see any in justice or hardship in making a landowner liable for the rates of houses under 6/. He was now responsible for rates of houses between 6/. and 20/., and if he were to build two boutoa under 61. instead of one at 12/. or 201., he would not be placed in a wore. position. The House had already decided in favour of the principle, and he hoped they would go into Committee upon the Bill. Sir J. "'ARINGTON said, although he entertained an objection to some part of the Bill, he did not wish to move any amendment, lest the progress of it might be endangered, because he thought it was a measure which ought to pass. The Hon. Member fir Stroud had said he opposed the Bill on behalf of the poor, but he (Sir J. Pakington) supported it for the same reason.—(Hear.) He was sure it would be of the greatest possible benefit to the poorer classes. Mr. BERNAL said a variety of Bills of a similar nature had passed through his hands, and in all of them the power given for making the rate was compulsory, and no discretion was left to the vestry.—(Hear, hear.) Ho thought the measure, if properly administered, would redound greatly to the benefit of the poor.—(Hear.) After an observation from Mr. HALSEY, the amend ment was withdrawn, and the House went into Com mittee. Upon the first clause being moved, Mr. HALSEY moved the insertion of words requiring that two thirds of the votes of persons present at a vestry meeting should be necessary to make their proceedings legal. Mr. P. SCROPE objected to the alteration. Mr. LAW moved that the words, " and are hereby required," be added to the clause. He made this motion because he thought the Bill ought to be compulsory and not permissive. Mr. CHRISTOPHER thought it better to leave the clause as it stood. --- Sir G. GREY said notice ought to have been given of this important alteration in the Bill; but as no such no tice had been given, h• hoped the amendment would not be persevered in. Mr. LAW did not wish to press it if threw any obit icle hi the way of the Bill. . Mr. B. 'DENISON said there ought to be no roam left for jobbing; the Bill, therefore, ought not to be op tional, but compulsory. _ Mr. BAINES also entertained the same opinion; but he was anxious to get the greatest amount of good from the Bill that he could. An amendment introduced at t hi s s ta : ;o, however, might prove fatal to the Bill, and he would :iuggest that the Hon. and Learned Recorder should pi °pole a clause on the bringing up of the report. Captain HARRIS did not think the House was taken by eurprise by the proposal of the amendment, and as the Bill, if it paned in its present shape, would lead to considerable political animosity, he trusted the amend ment would be persevered in. Mr.; SOTHERON depreoated any revival of a dis cussion on the principle of the Bill. The object of the Hon. and Learned Recorder would be better accom plished by proposing his amendment cn bringing up the report. Mr. CONIPTON was ready to support the amend ment if it would not impede the progress of the Bill. Mr. P. SCROPE should prefer the Bill being made compulsory now that the House bad decided that it should pass. Mr. W. PATTEN did not think the Bill ought to be compulsory, and the majority of the vestries he thought would agree with him. Mr. JOHN WALTER supported the amendment. Mr. W. MILES thought it was the duty of the Hon. Gentleman the President of the Poor-law Board (Mr. Baines) to hale brought in this Bill himself. Ile hoped the Hon. Gentleman would not endonger this Bill by persisting in introducing a compulsory clause, sad that the House would pass the Bill in its present shape. Mr. PHILIP HOWA R D thought, if the Bill w as rendered compulsory, the House would be assailed with more opposition than at present existed out of doors. He trusted the Hon. Gentleman the President of the Poor law Board would not insist on the compulsory principle. Captain HOWARD supported the Bill in its present shape on the ground that a compulsory clause would in crease the obstacles in collecting the rates, and press with great hardship upon the poorer classes. Mr. B. DENISON could not understand why the compulsory principle should be objected to ; he, him self, thought it would be most salutary in its operation; at all events, when the discussion was published out of doors it would be known who was for and who against the clause. Mr. SLANEY supported the compulsory clause. After a few words from Mr. CAREW and Sir GEORGE GREY, The amendment was negatived without a division. Mr. WALTER wished to know if the power of ex emption, which was given to magistrates, would be con tinued or not. Mr. BAINES said that that power would remain unaltered. Mr. HENLEY wished to guard himself from being committed to the compulsory part of this Bill. After some conversation as to what should Le under- stood to be tho signification of rateable value, the amendments were agreed to. Mr. ROBERT PALMER moved the insertion of the following proviso after clause 1 :—" Provided always, that no owner of any such tenement shall be assessed on , any higher y duation than the sum at which the said teneracrit shall be let to any occupier thereof." Mr. BAINES objected to the proviso es being in consistent with what they had already agreed to. Mr. B. DENISON also opposed it ; and The proviso was ultimately negatived without a Mr. HALSEY propos:d the following proviso: —Pro- Tided alwap, tly-t in every mac whEre the owner of such tenement shall be so rht , ql and assessed to the rates for the rel of of thc poor, in respect of such tenement, instead of the occupier thereof, it shall be lawful for such occupier to demand at any time to have his name substituted on the rate as the party assessed, instead of such owner, and after such demand and payment, or tender, of the last made rate, if then in arrear in respect of such tenement, such occupier shall be entitled to ex ercise all rights, privileges, and franchises whatsoever, as fully as if his name had originally appeared upon the rate as the party assessed. Mr. BOUVERIE moved the omission of all the words after the word " thereof," with the view of giving the occupier the right to be entered on the burgess roll. This Bill would place the rates on the landlord; but in point of fact they would be paid by the occupier, and therefore he proposed to insert these words, to give the occupier the right to be placed on the burgess roll, although he did not pay the rates. Mr. BAINES said a most important question was in• volved in this amendment, and one which the House ought not to be called upon to deal with in Committee on this Bill. The question was really such a serious one that it deserved a separate discussion. MIMr. DENISON thought the amendment of the Hon. Member for Kilmarnock much too serious for the House to adopt without the greatest deliberation. Mr. BOUVERIE would consent to withdraw his amendment, provided the Hon. Member (Mr. Halsey) would withdraw the clause to which it applied. Mr. HALSEY having consented to do that, Mr. BOUVERIE withdrew his amendment. Mr. REYNOLDS, before the amendment was with drawn, would suggest that the party claiming to be rated should have the power of giving in evidence before the revising barrister the value of the tenement fur which he claimed to be rated. In reply to a remark from Mr. LAW, Mr. REYNOLDS said, with respect to his own case in Dublin, he (Mr. Reynolds) did not claim to bo rated for property belonging to another party. He (Mr. Reynolds) was the exclusive owner of the property in question. The amendment of Mr. Bouverie, and the clause of Mr. Halsey upon which it depended, were then with drawn. Mr. WILD proposed a clause, to the effect that every occupier of a tenement at a rent not exceeding 61., rated for the relief of the poor, or toward the maintenance of the highways, with respect to such tenement should be allowed to deduct the sum so paid out of the rent pay able for the same, and that having done so, he should be rated for such sum as if it had been actually paid to the landlord. Mr. B. DENISON protested against the introduction of entirely uew clauses, such as OAF, without notice. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to call the attention of the Hon. Member to what the effect of this clause would be. Colonel SIBTHORP thought they were working in the dark altogether. . _ Sir G. STRICKLAND thought that this method of legislation was a most mischievous one. They were giving, in fact, the power to a vestry to legislate between landlord and tenant. After a few words from Mr. DENISON, the proviso was withdrawn. Sir J. HANMER thought that the proper title of this Act would be, "An Act to abolish Cottages." The Chancellor of the Exchequer had said the other night, when he was taking off the duty from bricks, that it was a very difficult thing to build cottages that paid. He could bear witness to that fact, and he thought that this Bill would have the effect of destroying cottages altoge ther. He had taken the opportunity of the discussion on this clause, to state his opinion of the whole Bill. Sir HARRY VERNEY differed from the Hon. Member altogether in his opinion of the effect of the chu'. After a few words of explanation from Sir JOHN HANMER, Mr. SCROPE asked the Hon. Member for the West Riding of Yorkshire (Hr. B. Denison) whether he did not think that the proposed abolition of the duty on bricks would more benefit the occupier than the owner of houses? If so, and he thought he could not deny the fact, the owner ought not t) be cor,ipelled to pay the rates. He thought the measure would put a penalty on the erection of houses, and thus the poor, by want of house accommodation, would be injured rather than benefited. Mr. B. DENISON did not think the Bill would have the effect of reducing the number of houses. Mr. BROCKLERUIIST said he lived in the midst of a dense population, and was convinced that the mea sure would confer great benefits upon the poorer class of people. The clause as amended was then a;reed to. Clause 2 recaived some unimportant amendments and was then agreed to. Mr. SCII,OPE proposed to insert the following pro viso to the end of the clause :—" Provided always, that the said owner shall be in no case assessed upon a higher amount than one-half of the net valuation of the said tenement in the rate-book." This was not only a new law, but an ex post facto law, while it did not extend to every class of property holders, but only to one, and that briefly was the reason fur his proposing this amendment. Mr. SPOONER said the evil suggested by the Hon. Member was admitted by every one, but he very much doubted whether this amendment would remove it. Mr. W. PATTEN agreed with thv principle of the amendment, but did not think it expedient to introduce it at this stage. Mr. R. PALMER, opposed tho amendment, though he felt and admitted the difficulty which it was proposed to remedy. Mr. C. LEWIS said the amendment raised a question of considerable difficulty, but while he allowed that some reduction ought to be made to the owner when the owner and not the occupier was rated, he thought the re- duction ought not to exceed 25 per cent. Mr. B. DENSION knew that the owners of cottage property were just as well able to pay the rates as any other owners, and he could see no reason why they should not be rated to the full value. Lord EBRINGTON would make the landlord an allowance, because it would always insure the payment of the rates, whether the property was occupied or not. Mr. SLANEY would vote against the amendment, upon the understanding that some allowance would be made to the owner. Mr. P. SCROPE again reminded the Committee that the Bill was not general, but only related to one class of propel ty, and that, too, which interested only the poor; still, looking at the opinion of the Committee, which seemed to be against him, he should not press the amend ment. Mr. BROTHERTON was in favour of making the landlord some allowance. Mr. P. SCROPE begged pardon for troubling the Com mittee again, but wished to remind them that when a landlord in Ireland compounded for tithes, a reduction of 25 per cent. was allowed to him. The amendment was then negatived without a division. Clause 2, as amended, was they agreed to stand part of the Bill. On the motion that clause 3 stand part of the Bill, Mr. WM. MILES said the clause, as it at present stood, gave the magistrates a power of distress either upon the owner or the occupier. He would suggest words to the effect, that should the owner not possess tangible property in the parish, then a power of distress should be given upon the occupier. After some further conversation, Mr. MILES agreed to withdraw his amendment. On the motion of Mr. HALSEY, the following proviso was added to clause 3:—Provided always, that such owners paying such rates iu respect of tenements continuing_ to be held by occupiers under now existing tenancies for a greater term than from year to year, shall be entitled to add what they shall so pay to the rent payable in respect of such tenements, and have the same remedies for recovering the same as fir rent in arrear, and provided farther that occupiers others than such as shall continue to hold under now existing tenancies for a greater term than from year to year, may (whether dis trained upon or paying such rates to prevent distress) deduct the respective amount so to be answered by them as aforesaid, together with all costs and charges they may have incurred on account thereof, from the rent payable in respect of such tenements, and such amounts shall be deemed debts duo from such owners to such oc cupiers, and he recoverable by action. Clause 3, as amended, was then agreed to, and made part of the Bill, as was also clause 4. Mr. BAINES proposed to substitute the following For clause 5 :—And be it enacted, that the word " tene ment" in this Act shall be construed to include any land, house, cottage, apartment, or corporeal hereditament ; the word" owner" shill be construed to include any per son receiving or claiming the rent of such tenement for his own use, or receiving the same for the use of any corporation aggregate, or of any public company, or of any landlord or lessor who shall be a minor, under cover ture, or insane, or for the use of any person who shall not be usually resident within 20 miles from the parish in which such tenement shall be situated; the word ",person" shall be construed to include any corporation or public company, as well as any individual; the word " parish" shall be construed to include any parish, township, vill, or place, maintaining its own poor separately; the word "vestry" shall be construed to include any meeting of the inhabitants of any such parish, township, vill, or place, to be held after due notice for carrying into execution the laws for the relief of the poor; and wherever in this Act, in describing any person, matter, or thing, the word importing the singular number or the masculine gender only is used, the same shall be understood to in clude and be applied to several persons as well as one parson, and females as well as males, and several matters or things as well as one matter or thing respectively, unless there be something in the subject or context re pugnant to such construction. Agreed to without a division. On the motion that clause 6 stand part of the Bill, Mr. BAINES proposed to add the following words:— " And shall not apply to any place where owners are made liable to be rated to the relief of the poor under the provisions of any local Act." —Agreed to. Clause I as amended, was then agreed to. Clause 7 was also agreed to. The following new clause was then brought up, and read a first and second time, and agreed to, after somo discussion :—And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for the vestry of the said parish, by a majority of two thirds at least of the votes of the persons present at a meeting duly called for that purpose, and competent to vote thereat, at any time after the expiration of one year from the time when any such order shall have been so made, to order that from and after a day to be fixed by such vestry, being not less than two years after, such order shall cease and be rescinded, in which ease, from and atter such last-mentioned day, the said order shall be rescinded and no longer in force. Provided never theless, that the provisions in this Act contained shall remain and continue in force for the purpose of collect ing and recovering any rate which may have been pre viously made in pursuance of such order. Another new clause was then moved relative to the compounding of rates for tenements whether occapied or net whereof the yearly value does not exceed 61. Mr. WILSON PATTEN moved as an amendment that the words" occupied or not" be struck out. which amendment he concealed would nullify the clause alto gether. After a few words from Mr. Halsey, Mr. B. Denison, and Mr. Slaney, Mr. SPOONER said that there were two points for the consideration of the House ; first, whether or no an allowance should be made to an owner for compounding for rates ; and, secondly, whether or no an allowance should be mado on the ground of non-occupation.— (Hear.) He thought the allowance of one-third would be too small—taking both considerations together, O. al lowance ought to be one-half. Mr. RICE thought it much better to have a fixed sum, and compel the landlord to compound the whole rate. __ _ Mr. HAWES said, there ought to be an allowance of a fixed per-centage. Mr. SPOONER hoped it would not be less than one half. _ _ Mr. P. MILES said the object could be attained by inserting a few words in the clause, and he would sug gest that the division should be taken upon the retention of the words " whether occupied or not." Mr. BAINES said the present system of compounding had very much facilitated the collection of the rates, and he therefore submitted to his Honourable Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, that it should be continued in force by this Bill. ,„ After some further discussion the clause was with drawn. The remaining clauses were then agreed to, and the House resumed. _ _ Mr. WALTER said, when the report was brought up, he should take an opportunity to move an amendment, with the view of giving power to magistrates to grant exemptions from the payment of rates on the ground of poverty. LARCENY SUMMARY JURISDICTION BILL. On the motion that the House resolve itself into Committee on this Bill, Mr. LAW characterised the object of the Bill, in seeking to give magistrates a summary jurisdiction over adults in cases of petty larceny, as de structive of the first birthright of an Englishman— the trial by jury. He was satisfied such a tribunal would load with odium the magistrates, who were now looked up to with respect by the poor, and it would be a fatal blow to the best franchise which an English man could enjoy, namely, his right of being tried by a jury of his countrymen. He (Mr. Law) declared he would not hold such an office. If a jury man was withdrawn, and: he was called on to perform the duty of a jury as well as of a judge, upon the possi bility of forming an erroneous judgment upon facts, all that could tend to enable him to discharge a public duty would be removed from his mind, and he should have nothing but misery and anxiety. This would be nothing less than a private tribunal, for although it was not intended to shut the doors on the public, still no gentlemen of the profession would be present, and few persons besides those interested in the matter. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman concluded by moving that this Bill be divided into two Bills, one as relating to juveniles, and the other to adults. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON protested against the course of opposition which had been taken against this Bill by the Hon. Member for Dundalk, and the Hon. and Learned Recorder. He could assure his Hon. and Learned Friend the Recorder that there was no greater friend to trial by jury than he (Sir John Paking• ton) was—(Bear, hear)—still he thought that it was desirable to remove from the cognizance of a jury petty offences which were not of sufficient importance for their cognizance. It was on his (Sir J. Pakington's) experience, to which that Learned Gentleman had alluded, that he had determined to bring forward this Bill. Grand juries and quarter ressious in all parts of the kingdom were in favour of some measure of the sort. The Honourable Gentleman alluded to a pamphlet letely published, called "Is Trial by Jury worth Keeping?" which he said had no doubt in fluenced the opinion of many persons on this point, but which he contended made some very important omis sions in the subject. He was sure that the portion of the Bill to which his Learned Friend objected would not be rejected by the House. Mr. M4CULL AG El supported the motion of the Hon. and Learned, Gentleman opposite. He complained that the • Hon.Baronet the Member for Droitwich had not fairly stated the course of opposition which had been taken to this Bill of his. If he (Mr. M'Cullagh) had only ten minutes to move his amendment in, he should be able to show such a weight of opinion against the principle of the Bill as would fairly stagger any man. The next step would be, if they passed this Bill, to extend the principle of no trial by jury to adults. Sir G. GREY suggested that the view of the Hon. Member (Mr. Law) would be best served by withdrawing his amendment, and allowing the House to go into Com mittee, when he could move the omission of the 28th clause respecting male adults. Mr. LAW thought it necessary to take the sense of the House upon his amendment. The Bill involved two distinct principles, which ought to be separately considered, and it would be very inconvenient to do this in Committee. Mr. B. DENISON decidedly objected to going on with the Bill, because he thought it involved very serious questions, and ought, for that reason, to have been introduced not by a private Member, but by the Government. It proposed to confer larger powers upon the magistrates than they possessed at pre sent respecting the trial of adults—powers which, as a magistrate, he declared it would be injudicious to give. Mr. EW ART also objected to the principle of the Bill. Ile could not give his assent to the new doctrine of defining crime by the amount of money involved in it, and the ago of the criminal. Mr. BERNAL said the point for the decision of the House was whether the Bill should be considered as a whole, or divided into two parts. The Bill involved two very important principles—first, the extension of the Juvenile Offenders' Act ; and, secondly, to abolish trial by jury where the amount of larceny was ls.—and he was very much inclined to agree with his Hon. and Learned Friend the Recorder. The Bill would extend to Great Britain and Ireland, and he knew enough of Ire land to believe that it would be exceedingly dangerous and indiscreet to apply the provisions of the Bill to that part of the kingdom, where political feeling ran so high. —(Hear, hear.) He should, therefore, support the amendment.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. PACKE approved of the first, but was opposed to the second principle involved in the Bill, and as the two principles had nothing to do with each other, he was decidedly of opinion that the measure ought to be divided into two.—(Hear, hear.) Sir J. GRAHAM was not friendly to either of the two portions of the Bill, and he confessed it would have been more convenient had the amendment of the Hon. Member for Dundalk been taken first.—(Hear, bear.) He was really at loss to know how to vote on the present occasion. —(Hear, hear.) The first part of the Bill proposed to extend the operation of the Juve nile Offenders' Act from 14 to 16, but he agreed with the law as expounded by Sir Matthew Hale, and which had prevailed since the reign of Elizabeth, that 14 was the age at which a distinction oughttol be drawn between a juvenile and an adult offender. The second part of the Bill proposed to give the magistracy summary power to deal with cases of theft where the value of the stolen property was only is. Now, if he had hesitated before about op posing the Bill, this portion of it would have entirely put his doubts at rest.—(Hear, hear.) He could not give his assent to any such proposal, and he should therefore give his support to the amendment.—(Hear.) Mr. SPOONER said the House had already de cided upon the principle of the Bill.—(No, no.) Why it had passed the second reading, and in his view of the matter that wits tantamount to approving of the mea sure,—(Hear, hear.) But he was quite at a loss to know why this Bill could be objected to. The principle of it was already in force, with this simple contingency, that the accused must consent to his case being summarily disposed of ; and he should be glad to know what objection there could be to making that alternative rest with the discretion of the magistrate. —(Hear, hear.) In his opinion this .Bill would serve to perpetuate instead of to destroy the privilege of trial by jury, and he should certainly give it his most cordial support.—(Hear, hear.) If deterring from crime was the object of legislation, then he thougkt his Hon. Friend's Bill was eminently calculated to carry out that object. Mr. HUME was much of the same opinion as the Right Hon. Baronet, the Member for Ripon (Sir J. Graham) with respect to this Bill; and he wanted to know how they could take the sense of the House at the present moment upon the principle of the Bill? Mr. W. MILES held that trial by jury was the palladium of liberty to the subject; at the same time if a person was brought before the magistrates he should have the option of demanding to be tried by a jury, in which case a culprit could never say that the right to a trial by jury had been wrested from him. Mr. AGLIONBY characterised the motion of the Hon. Member for the University of Cambridge (Mr. Law) as very unnecessary, and as only calculated to trifle with the time of the House. The protection of trial by jury was not taken away from adults by this Bill, seeing that a prisoner had the option of electing whether he would be tried summarily or by a jury. For that reason he should support the principle of the Bill.—(Cries of " Divide.") Mr. HENLEY said the case of those who supported the Bill was that a party charged with larceny could go to a jury if he liked, but what chance would he have when the jury were told that he objected to summary jurisdiction ?—(Hear, hear.) The case was fraught with difficulties. For in stance, a poor man might bring a number of witnesses from distant parts of the country, and then might be told that the magistrates intended to deal with him summarily. This was a matter of detail, but he objected also to the principle of the Bill. Colonel THOMPSON said he had the least possible confidence in what had been styled the " concurrence of the criminal," and thought that was a subject with which the magistrates ought not to embarrass themselves. He was opposed to the Bill. After a few words from Mr. P. HOWARD, amidst loud cries of " Divide," Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared— For Mr. Law's amendment . . 1 0 4 Against it 54 Majority „„ _ 7O The further consideration of the Bill was postponed until Wednesday next. A discussion followed upon the constitution of the committee on: the county rates expenditure, which was abruptly terminated on the arrival of six o'clock, when the Speaker left the Chair and the House adjourned. WATERFORD, MARCH 18.—S1d. Auto Alessandro, Rio Janeiro. WARRENPOINT, MARCH 18.—Wind N.N.W.—SId. Neptunus, New York; Marchioness of Bute, ditto. SHIELDS, MARCH 19.—Wind Martin haul, Philadelphia. MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS. NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1850. Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases ... *149 Diseases of Uncertain Seat ... 43 Tubercular Diseases ... ... 198 Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 126 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 42 Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of Respiration ... ••• ... 182 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs _ _ _ of Digestion... ... ... —• ... _ ... 52 Diseases of the Kidneys, &e. .. 1 ... ... 13 Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &e. ... ... 9 Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles ... 6 Diseases of the Skin, &e. ... ... ... ... 2 Malformations... ••• ... ... ... ... 3 Premature Birth ... ... •• ... ... 16 Atrophy ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 Old Age ... ... ... ... ... ... 43 Sudden ... ... ... ... ... - _ ... ... 19 Violence. Privation, Cold, and Intemperance :.. 38 Causes no; speeified ••• ... ... ... 3 DEATHS FROIII ALL CAUSES ... 967 Populatien Deaths in sorra- Deaths Enumerated, spondLug week in the 1841. of 1849. Week. West Districts... 301,189 . . 184 ... 139 North Districts.. 376,568 .. 65 ... 179 Central Districts 374,199 ... 177 ... 187 East Districts ... 393,067 ... 215 ... 198 South Districts.. 503,346 ... 322 ... 264 Totals... ..... 1,948,369 ... 1,083 ... 967 Males ... ... ... ... ... S 0 0 Females ... ... ... ... ... 467 BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. Males ... ... ... ... ... 728 Females ... ... ... ... ... 656 Total ... ...1,384 *ln this number are included 12 by Scarlatina, 27 by Typhus Fever, and 17 by Diarrhoea. STATE OF TRADE. (From the Manchester Guardian of this day.) MANCHESTER, TUESDAY.—The slight promise of improvement observable at the latter end of last week has not, as yet, been realised. There were then indica.• tions that some degree of firmness was about to succeed to the decline which had taken place. We have still, how ever, to report a general weakness in yarns. The sellers have shown a greater willingness to-day to meet the buyers, as to terms, than they did last week ; and, consequently, the realised prices have been, for the most part, somewhat lower. But this has certainly led to the execution of orders which would other wise have been still held back. The Germans have not ventured upon transactions of any magnitude ; but they have increased their purchases; and we have heard of offers that had a smack of speculation about them, and yet were but little below the current rates. From the same cause, there has been rather more done in warps and cops for home manufacture, though still with much caution, and to a very limited extent. With little change in the quotations, it is found that many descriptions of goods may be bought on slightly reduced terms ; and there has perhaps ensued upon this a partial, certainly not a general increase of business. In. 40-inch shirtings, of 64 reed and upwards., for the eastern markets, there is, however, no necessity, and therefore no disposition, to make any further conces sion in price. In both yarns and goods great irregularity has pre vailed, and it is evident that the flatness of the Liver pool market, after the receipt of advices from the United States, has had a somewhat depressing effect on our exchange. ROCHDALE, MONDAY.—We have had less doing in the market to-day, both in flannels and kerseys, than we had on the preceding Monday, but prices have been much the same. The wool market has been slack, and prices tending downwards. MACCLESFIELD, TUESDAY.—We have no change of moment to observe in the silk trade since our last re port. The throwing mills continue on full time, and the weavers are fairly employed for the present. There have been several buyers in the town during the last week, and sales of manufactured goods are to a moderate extent. A larger business would un doubtedly have been done, but manufacturers are holding firmly for price. The raw silk market gene rally remains without alteration. Some transactions are reported in Chinas, at full prices. The consump tion of this silk is very large just now. HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.—Our market has been very poorly attended t o -d a y. B us i ness h as b een very dull, owing, probably, to the coldness of the weather, and the rise in the price of wool. HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—We cannot report a n y im provement i n the state of the worsted trade. Most of the manufacturers are still fully employed to order ; but the merchants are very cautious in their purchases, and will only give out new orders at such reduced rates as the cost of the yarns prevents the manufac turers from accepting. The yarn market is also in a somewhat torpid condition. The spinners are still running all their machinery on uncompleted con tracts, and fresh orders are only given out at some what lower quotations ; but the spinners are waiting fur the shipping houses to give out the orders they have on hand. The stocks of wool in the hands of the staplers are greatly diminished, and the sales that are made are upon easier terms! LEEDS, TUESDAY.—The market has been dull and inactive both to-day and on Saturday; buyers being unwilling to give the advanced prices demanded. The manufacturers are still doing a good business to order, and stocks are low in the cloth halls. There is more doing in the warehouses than there has been for the last two or three weeks. FRANCE. The Opinion Publique says— " We are assured that t he . Ministry will present a Bill d r i e fY ira th p e os n in u g mber of votes neces sary the press, with the object of increasing the amount the stamp duty; a a Bill on electoral meetings; ame to the Alien Act; and a Billof e a o u n ti t o h n e - mj jury, to a: t d o. a s ß a iß r l y lii ol to nh a a tvr v ai n e ng r s d ps i o c orm t t guilt y; a o et f iroens.e pi It appears that there is a hitch about this press law. The object of the reactionaries is to render the publication of a great num ber of the Republican journals impossible, by increasing the amount of caution money. But they have discovered that this increase will also render the publicati on o f mos t o f th e Legitimist journals impossible, also ; and the honest " party has not as yet succeeded in devising any method of It s rumoured that th e Presi i. has expre sse d t h e i ntent i on o f escape fr om t hi s dil emma . ‘ i a‘tional Assembly, in accordance dd ee inn T ta h on e fd O itnh r ge d i r r e no m s e a p y tuh s be : l - - - : No with the Constitution, a new deliberation on the l a w of instruction." Is the P res id ent o f t h e Re publicto open hi s eyes , an d per ceivegetting out o f th at state o f d o i ng i nothing under which he The theP then r n e s e scaeebssosaiuyt about to beg i n i s weighed down ? We are informed that the works of the Cite-Napoleon are about to be resumed and terminated, thanks President of the Re public. to a credit which the Natioopneanl a D t isc t o h u e n p t re ß ss a in n g intervention ought to have been done six p has, ub li i e t . is said, s consented of what the months ago. The National Discount Bank runs no risk, for the ground was purchased at a low price; and upwards of 20 0 , 0001 ., already paid, are the guarantee of the 300,0 001 . still required. A s soon as the Cite-Napoleon is terminated, it w ill g i ve a re turn ; and as soon as it gives a return the shares will be disposed of with the greatest facility; for it will be at the same time an investment, and a useful work." GERMANY. The Council of Administration of Germany, in a recent sitting, adopted a measure for establishing an arbitral tribunal of the empire,; and; for fixing the manner of prcceeding before it. A letter from Frankfort, of the 16th, states that it was believed in that c ity that the:speech of the Ki ng of Wurtemburg w ou ld l ea d to a rupture of dipl omat i c letterfall hadfro takenrelations between W ur t em burg and Prussia. A mßerlinplaocfe in prices on th e Stock the 16th states, th a t a heavy Exchange, in consequence of the elections of Paris, and the fall on the Paris Bourse occasioned thereby. Primary elections for the First Chamber of Prussia took place a few days ago, and though a great num ber of electors voted, the result was favourable to the moderate liberal party. The Criminal Court! of Brandenburg has con demned the burgomaster of Spandau, on being de clared guilty by a jury, to twelve years' imprison ment in a fortress, and to the loss of the right of wearing the Prussian cockade, for having taken part in the German Parliament at Stuttgardt. The Chamber of Deputies of Electoral Hesse, on the 15th, rejected a demand of the Government for an extraoi dinary credit for the military service. The Chamber, however, rejected by 24 votes to 16, a pro position for refusing all co-operation to the Ministry. After these votes, M. Hassenpflug, the President of the Council of Ministers, presented a decree of the Elector, proroguing the Chambers. The Saxon Government has commuted the sentence of death, passed on soldiers for participation in the in surrection of May, into twenty years' imprisonment. The Chamber of Deputies of Brunswick, in a re cent sitting, ratified by 30 votes to 20, the military convention between the Government and Prussia. The Austrian authorities in Vienna are promoting, by every means in their power, the circulation of a pamphlet recently published, entitled the " Prophet and Anti-Christ. In this blasphemous production the Prophet is represented as having held conversa tions with the Apostles on the subject of the National Guard, and of the revolution of Vienna, and he learns from them that the constitution is contrary to religion, and that no one in the enjoyment of liberty can ever enter heaven. DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES. We find the following in the Asseinklge Nationale: —" We have received an important communication, according to which:the question of Schleswig-Holstei❑ is likely to undergo a new phase. The Cabinet of Ber lin is said to have made propositions of a nature to re move all idea of a conflagration. The following is said to be a summary of these propositions : Institution of a new council of administration, which is to be com posed partly of Schleswicgers,: and partly of Hol steiners, presided over by Prince Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the Crown of Denmark. This appears to be a good arrangement; up to the present time this Prince has remained completely aloof from the movements of the two duchies, and the decision which he may come to gives a seal of impartiality to the affair." GREECE. By the Levant Mail we have received Constanti nople journals to the 4th, and Athens journals to the Bth both inclusively. In the former there is nothing of interest. The Courrier d' Athenes, of the Bth, states that Baron Gros, the French Envoy, had been received by the King, with whom he had a long audience, and mentions a report that he has recommended the Greek Government to recognize the claims of England to indemnities for certain English and lonian subjectq, leaving the question of amount open to discussion. The Greek Government, adds the Courrier, was said to be disposed to adopt the recommendation. THE ARMY. Adjutant• General's Office, Dublin, March 1, 1850. GEWERAL ORDER. The Lieutenant-General Commanding directs it to be notified to the army in this command that, it having been deemed expedient to divide Ireland into five military districts, from the Ist of April next, the extent and boundaries of each district are defined in the accompanying memorandum, which has been pre pared by the Deputy-Quartermaster-General ; and the following are the names of the general and staff officers to be attached thereto. CORK DISTRICT.—Head• quarters, Cork—Major- General Charles Turner, commanding. Colonel Marcus Beresford, assistant adjutant-general ; Colonel J. L. Pennefather, C. 8., acting assistant quartermaster- general. LIMERICK DISTRICT.—Head- quarters, Limerick —Major-General Thomas E. N a pi er , C. 8., com manding. Lieutenant-Colonel Charles listings Doyle-, assistant adjutant-general. Colonel Williana Cox, K.H., acting assistant quartermaster-general. KILKENNY DISTRICT.--Head-quarters, Kilkenny. —Major-General John M'Donald, C. 8., command ing. Lieutenant-Colonel Wm. F. Williams, assistant adjutant-general. Lieutenant-Colonel Charles C. Johnson, acting assistant quartermaster general. - DUBLIN DISTRICT. - Head-quarters, Dublin Major-General his Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, K.G., commanding. Lieutenant-Colonel William F. Forster, K. 11., assistant adjutant-general. Lieutenant-Colonel Charles R. Scott, assistant quar termaster-general. Major George Mylius, town major. BELFAST DISTRICT. - Head-quarters, Belfast— Major-General Philip Bainbrigge, C. 8., commanding. Lieutenant-Colonel Redmond IV. Brough, assistant adjutant-general. By command of the Lieutenant-General com manding, W. COCHRANE, Deputy Adjutant-General. MEMORANDUM SHOWING THE DIVISON OF IRELAND INTO FIVE MILI TARY DISTRICTS, Referred to in the General Order dated March 1, 1850. Coax DISTRICT.—In this district will be comprised the counties of Cork and Kerry, with the exception of that small portion of the latter which is to the north east of the River Feale. This river, from Abbeyfeale by Listowel, as far as the point where, after receiving the Galley river, it falls into the Shannon, under the name of the Cashen, will then form the boundary be tween the Cork and Limerick districts ; in the latter of which will remain, as at present, the forts of Tar bert and Carig Island, on the left bank of the Shan non, and alio the town of Listowel and village of Mabee. This arrangement will leave the several forts on both banks of the Lower Shannon in the same district with Limerick, which is desirable on account of the facility of communication with that city by steam conveyance. LIMERICK DISTRICT.—In this district will be con tained-1. The entire of the counties Limerick, Clare, and Galway. 2. That small portion of the county of Kerry which lies to the N.E. of the'River Feale, as detailed under the head of Cork district. 3. The whole of the north of Tipperary, and the western part of the same county ; the River Suir forming the boundary between this dis trict and that of Kilkenny, from Newcastle, near to Roscrea ' • Cahir and Roscr ea rema i n i ng as at present, in the Limerick district ; Clogheen, Cashel, Golden, Holycross, Thurles, and T e mpl emore , b e i ng allotted to that of Kilkenny. 4. The south-western portion of King's County, the boundary being formed as follows, viz :—By the river which, entering the county under the name of the Ballynacarrig, passes by Frankford, and bearing the several names of the Broughal, Silver, and Millbrook, empties itself into the Brosna, and thence by the Brosna as far as its confluence with the River Shannon. Philipstown and Tullamore thus remaining, as at present, in the Dublin district ; Frankford, Shannon harbour, and Shannon-bridge, being allotted to Limerick. KILKENNY DISTRICT.—This district is to contain : 1. The entire counties of Kilkenny, Waterford, Wex ford, Queen's, and Carlow. 2. That part of Wicklow which lies south of the parallel of latitude of the town of Arklow, including that town as at present. 3. The eastern part of the county of Tipperary, bounded by the River Suir, from Newcastle, near to Roscrea, with Clogheen, Cashel, Golden, Holycross, Thurles, and Templemore, as detailed under the head of Limerick district, and also Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel. DUBLIN DISTRICT.—This district to contain :-1. The entire counties of Dublin, Kildare, Meatb, Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, and Mayo, toge ther with the towns of Drogheda and Carrick-on- Shannon. 2. The northern and eastern portion of King's County, bounded by the river Ballynacarrig, Broughal, Silver, or Millbrook, and the Brosna, a s detailed under he head of " Limerick District." Thus including Philipstown and Tullamore, as at present in the Dublin district. 3. That portion of the county Wicklow which lies north of the parallel latitude of the town of Arklow, that town remaining in the Kilkenny district. BELFAST DISTRICT.—To remain as at present, with the addition of the counties of Sligo and Leitrim ; Carrick-on-Shannon, as already stated, to be in the Dublin district. By order, (Signed) R. C. MANSELL, Deputy Quartermaster General. _ _ PLYMOUTH, MARCEL 16.—The allowance to gene ral, staff, and field officers, in lieu of forage for the five months ending the Ist March, 1850, is Is. Sd. per diem for Devon and Cornwall, agreeable to an order just promulgated. The major-general has issued an order that officers who may attend on Go vernment parade during the parade of the troops are to appear in full dress. " Trooping the guard" on Mount Wise, before General Murray and his staff, was commenced on Thursday morning last, and will ite continued generally through the summer months on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Wednesdays being reserved for the General to see one or all the corps in garrison. ORDNANCE.—The hired mechanics and labourers employed in her Majesty's gun wharf have received notice that their services will not be required after the 31st inst. NEW PRINTING MACHINE. (From Galignanes Messenger.) Several: gentlemen — connected witii the press in Paris, and the head of a large printing establishment in Scotland, assembled on Saturday at the manufac tory of M. de Coster to witness the performance of a new printing machine, invented by M. Worms. This machine, from its simplicity and the mode of execution, promises to cause a total revolution in printing. It occupies a much smaller space than the machines which are new in use at some of the great printing establishments, in Paris and London, costs less than half the price at which one of those can be had, and is free from the tapes and other guiders, which frequently get out of order, and oc casion considerable delay. It requires only the labour of three men to feed it, and receives the work as it is thrown off, whereas from twelve to sixteen are required with each of the machines that it is expected to replace. From its simplicity and comparative compactness, the power of steam, as a moving power, may also in some cases be dispensed with, as it can be worked by hand. This new ma chine, which is called rotative, does not print from the types, but from stereotype, and this is the most extraordinary part of the process. In the ordi nary process of stereotyping several hours are re quired, for the material used for receiving the im pression of the type, and which serves as a mould in which the stereotype is cast, must be carefully and slowly dried. The mould for the stereotype by this new process is made of a few sheets of tissue paper, with a couple of sheets of common paper at the back to give a certain degree of strength. The paper is wet ted to the properdegree, and then pressed upon the type. The impression is perfect. The mould is then dried,which is the work only of a few minutes, and placed on a cylinder, with a sufficient space between it and an outer case to receive the metal. This metal, which is very liquid, and which is prepared in a peculiar way, flows rapidly and evenly over every part of the mould, and by the application of a cold wet sponge to the exterior, it becomes almost instantly solid. The mould is then removed and transferred to the cylinder of the machine ready for printing. On e part of the plate fits in exactly to a groove made to re .oeive it, and the other part is held by screws. The waole of the stereo typing process does not occupy more than from 15 to 25 minutes. The action of the machine differs entirely from anything hitherto invented. There is no laying on of the sheets to be printed. A continuous sheet of paper equal to 2,000 or more sheets of a newspaper is rolled on a cylinder, and as the machine turns, the plate on the printing cylinder is fe d, and by the action of the machine itself the paper is divided at the proper place into sheets of the desired size, and each sheet is folded at the same time, The paper which receives the impression is not wetted, as in other printing processes ; it is placed on the cylinder as it comes from the paper maker, but so certain and regular is the pressure that the impression on this dry paper is equal, if not superior, to that obtained upon damped paper in the ordinary way. There is an index affixed to the machine, to indicate the rate at which k goes, by the number of sheets thrown off. When the continuous sheet, equal to 2,000 copies of a journal, is exhausted, the cylinder is replaced by another, and so on. It is said that as many as 15,000 copies of a journal can be printed in an hour by this machine. The gentlemen who witnessed the process on Saturday expressed their admira tion of it, and could see no defects which a very little practice will not remove. The groat advantages of this new invention are, economy i❑ the outlay for the machine, the cost of which is only '25,000f,, whilst the,machine of the Patrie, which has excited so much notice, cost 60,000 f. ; the immense saving in type, fur the type itself, being used only fur the stereotyping process, undergoes scarcely any wear, and, instead of renewing a fount every year, twenty years' service by this process could scarcely reduce the sharpness of the letters; economy in labour, and rapidity of execution, almost without the possibility of delay from any de rangement in the machine. ASSIZE INTELLICALNCE. MIDLAND ClRCUlT—Nottinghcm, March 18. CROWN COURT.--(Before Lord CAMPBELL.) John Sansome, a person of some, but imperfect, education, aged 53, was at the sitting o f the Court this morning arraigned and put upon his t ri al, charged with the wilful murder, at Sutton-in-Ash field, on the 19th of April in last year, of Elizabeth B alley. Mr. Denison appeared as counsel for the crown. Mr. Mellor defended the accused. The prisoner was tried at the last summer assizes for this county after the death, upon a charge t,f having • used an instrument upon the deceased, Elizabeth Bailey, with intent to proct ire miscarriage. Mr. W. H..A.datns then defended him. The dying declaration of the unfortunate sufferer was not then in proof. There were several coup is in the indict ment on that occasion, averring the I;,se of an instru ment. The prisoner was acquitted.. The Learned Judge, Mr. Baron Parke, ordered him to be detained until these assizes to answer a charge of murder. The indictment now charged the pris oner with the wilful murder of Elizibeth Bailey, and comprised counts for using an instrument, and others for manual operation only. Mr. MELLOR, for the prisoner, pleaded autrefois acquit. Lord CAMPBELL requested the atteniance of Mr. Baron Parke, who, with him, sat to hear the arguments of the Learned Counsel fo r the prisoner and the Crown. Thereupon it was ordered that all the counts averring the use of an instrument sh ould be struck out of the indictment. This was clone, and the trial proceeded upon the other counts only. The jury retired at about five o'clock, and after three hours of deliberation, returned with a verdict of guilty of wilful murder, with a re commendation to mercy. His LORDSHIP proceeded to pass the awful sentence of death. The prisoner had been con victed, after a long and painful trial, by an intelligen t jury, of the crime of wilful murder; and he (hi& Lordship) en tirely agreed in that :verdict, the evidence in his mind clearly bringing home to the prisoner the charge contained in the indictment. He m.uch feared that such practices had by the prisoner hes n long carried on. At last justice had overtaken hi vc.. The woman had died. He would take care that the recommend ation of the jury should be forwarded to the proper quarter, with what effect, he could not say. The prisoner had long carried on, he feared, this frightful practice, which in the eyes of the law, of God, and of man, was a crime of most awful magnitude, and his Lordship had only now to pass the solemn sen tence cf death in the usual form. NORTHEI?N CIRCUIT.—Yoeh, March 18. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron RoLFE.) Thomas Kay and William Green, who had been severally convicted of receiving stolen goods, were this morning placed at the bar for sentence. His LORDSHIP, in passing sente3ace, said—lt is against such persons as you that the statute against re ceivers was principally directed. Y ou, living in the purlieus of London, were associated with a band of desperate characters at Leeds, whom you encouraged to break into and rob the warehouses at that place, by receiving and disposing of the stolen property in London. I feel it my daty to pass the utmost sen tence of the law, which is that yoga be transported for fourteen years. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 19. JOURNEYMEN TAILORS. The Earl of WALDEGRAVE them rose to present a petition from the journeymen tailors of the metropolis, complaining of the contract system for clothing the army, navy, ordnance, and police. The Noble Earl spoke for nearly three quarters of an hour on the sub ject of the petition ; but, with the exception of a few unconnected words and phrases, he was completely in audible in the gallery, and seemed to be equally so in the body of the House, there being only three or four Peers left at the close of his address. Lord MO UNTCASHELL said it was the natural re sult of free trade that a reduction in the means and employment of one class of the community leads to a reduction of the means of others, and that servants' wages must be necessarily reduced din proportion as the workmen and tradespeople are reduced in their means, and will not by and by. be able to provide for the wants of their wives and children. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that his Noble Friend (Earl Waldegrave) had called the attention of their Lordships to this question, to which he could not give his support, because,unfortunately, he was prepared to say that the journeymen tailors' general conduct was not as worthy the attention of Government as many other workmen. He asked was it possible for Government to make such regulati Dna as would pre vent any and every class of tradespeople from being subject to distress at some period or other ? The Noble Earl also adverted to the system of contracts, and said that such alterations could be made by Government as would ameliorate the condition of the journeymen tailors. To that he should reply that the whole business of the country was transacted by a system of contracts; and it was impossible to constitute any other system than that of Government taking into their own hands the whole manufacture of cloth and other articles with which it is necessary that Government. should be supplied. ShOrt of this, the attempt to introduce into contracts a system of limitation with regard to the amount of wages would be introducing a system which would add as Rauch to the general expenses, and would require a whole army of persons, and it would be impossible to supply goods far the public service on anythiag like the same terms as heretofore. That her Majesty's Government will either alter the system of obtaining the public ne cessaries, or recommend the Legislature to adopt any measure fur the alteration of wages now given by law, or of introducing any scale that might meet the views of his Noble Friend (Earl Waldegrave) never can be ex pected, because any such introduction would not fail to be attended with considerable inconvenience and disad vantage, even to that class for which the Noble Earl is so interested. ISThe Duke of ARGYLE postponed his intention of pre venting a petition against the alteration •f parochial schools in Scotland. Their Lordships'then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 19. SLAVE TRADE—AFRICAN SQUADRON. Mr. HUTT (in continuation from our Fourth Edition of last night) proceeded to say—Among the Foreign.office for thirty-five years. Among those who thought that this traffic could be put down by a system of force there were many who thought that the present application of it was one which needed great alteration. Among these were thellon.Mernber for Derby sbire,who had proposed a scheme of his own for the pur pose; and many others had been proposed, all. of which involved an additional force and additional expense. What was the fact? The number of vessels at present employed in the suppression of theslaaveetraaly onedle.,ex fourthc.luding packets and surveying vessels, was actually of the whole British navy afloat. There were from 26 to 29 vessels on the west coast of Africa; three at the Cape station, with the receiving ship; three, with the receiving ship, on the east coast of South America; and two in the West Indies; making between 39 and 40 in all. Yet, in the opinion of certain naval officers, that force was inadequate for the purpose; and though 700,0001. a year was expended, these officers desired nothing but the augmentation of this expense. He was aware it was considered a want of good breeding to talk about expense, and it seem ed to be ruled th a t d ra f ts on the Treasury for the maintenance of the public force should not be named in that House; nevertheless, he (Mr. Hutt) should be quite ready to brave the wit and sarcasm of the Noble Lord in showing that the slave trade cost the country 700,000/. p er annum . Th e N o b le Lord had told him on a fo rmer occasion t h at t h ose per sons did not think deeply who spoke of expenses; he (Mr. Hutt), however, believed that public extravagance was a great evil. He believed also that if it should ever be the fate of this great country to fall in pieces, it would not be by th e exp l os i on o f revo l ut i onary violence it would fAll, nor would that lamentahli event be brought about by the strife of parties or the shock of democratic power, but by the confusion o f its finances— (Hear) — by that di s r egar d o f t h e na ti ons 1 expenditure, which, in some fatal hour, would, after' sapping the foundations of national credit, finally rive it to the cen tre. He hoped the Noble Lord would pardon him, therefore, for saying that he considered 700,000/. per annum too great an expense for the support of an abor tive system.—(Hear, hear.) He was glad to see some thing said of a plan for maintaining the squadron and at the same time of relieving the public of a considerable expense, because it was an acknowledgment of the ne ce,,ity of so doing ; but he should prefer to have an ex planation of the means proposed to effect that object. He did not, however, object to the present system solely on the ground of expense ; he objected to it on the ground of its futility—he objected to it on the ground that it caused increased cruelty on the part of slave traders—and he objected to it, above all, because he did not desire to see this great and noble nation engaged in a pursuit so inadequate —a pursuit in which she could not count on the sympathy of any other nation. He ob jected to it because it engendered ill-blood between Eng land and the people of Brazil—he objected to it because it provoked quarrels with France and America, which may be renewed :at no distant :date—he objected to it because he considered it a most sinister advantage for which to involve a country in the horrors and wretchedness of war.—(Hear.) He was told that some measures would be proposed at last to bring this unfor tunate business to a satisfactory conclusion; but for the last twenty years he had heard that song constantly sung by those who were anxious to keep up the present sr" tern, and he had listened to it too long to heed it."' (Hear.) When he entered the House of Commons, eighteen years ago, the opponents of the system were told that it was to be settled by negotiation—then came ih e right of search—then came the equipment articles- - then came the blockade of the coast of Africa—then came the Niger expedition—then all future hopes were rested on the combined fleets of France and England and then all, was to be settled by the application of mu nicipal law. Some other modification was now proposed oa the old system, to the same imaginary purpose— " Vain Hope! When I consider life 'tis all a cheat; Yet fooled by hope, men favour the deceit, Trust on, and think to-morrow will repay; To -morrow's falser than the former day, Lies more—" He hai now done. He had not sought to back up his case by an apeal to the Members of that House as guar dians of the interests and property of the country, as pro tectors of their honour and fame, as humane and Claris lean men, to put an end to that cruel and destructive system, whose final doom could not be at any distance , by supporting the motion he had now the honour to submit to the House.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. BAILLIE seconded the motion. If for no other reason than the state of cur West India colonies, the House was bound to adopt it, though he by no means wished to take such a c i rcu i tous method of restoring tha t protection of which they had been deprived. Ile pre ferred the course ()leaning upon her Majesty's Ministers to adopt a strai g h t f orwar d po li cy, regardless of an y difficulties which such such a course might appear to in volve. When this subject was last before the House the Noble Lord deprecated all discussion until the subject was farther inquired into. He said then that there was no need for farther inquiry. The returns to that House for the last 20 years had shown the utter futility o f our efforts to suppress the slave trade. But at the same time he must say that he did not regret the Lords' Committee had investigated the question. They had collected en, immense mass of evidence scattered through a variety et authorities, and had condensed it in an authoritative shape. All doubt was now dispelled—not the shadow of a reason now remained for maintaining this squadron. A great change had taken place in the uspect cf this question since the introduction of the Sugar Bill in 1846.—(Hear, hear.) Previous to that period, whatever might be said of the policy of Great Britain, her earnest ness and philanthropy could not be doubted, because she made large sacrifices.—(Hear, hear.) B u t that as now altered. The Bill of 1846 in effect said the British people thought they had paid enough for their philanthropy, and were in future re solved to buy their sugar at the cheapest market, no matter whether it was the produce of free labour or of slave labour. That was a renunciation of our former policy, and from that moment great Britain derived the greatest advantage of any nation from the slave trade, and was there:ter° as guilty as th e na ti ons w hi c h engage d in it. The receiver of stolen goods was generally con sidered even worse than the open thief. The thief en countered all the dang-rs of his calling, but the receiver kept a shop as a cloak to his calling—he was a " respect able man," and came off with the greatest part of the plunder.—(A laugh.) So it was with this country by the Act of 1846. Up to that time all free-grown sugar was imported under certain duties, while slave-grown sugars were prohibited.—(Hear, hear.) When that pro hibition was withdrawn, and the sugars of Cuba and Brazil were admitted into our markets, we, in effect, gave a great stimulus and support to the slave trade. But our support did not rest Chart.; the slaves were purchased by goods manufactured in Manchester expressly:for the pur pose, and in many other ways the capital of this country was directly embarked in the trade.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Honourable Baronet (Sir Robert Peel), when that measure was proposed, saw that it was a reversal of his own policy when in office, but he said that he supported it, because 'he did not see how another Government could be then formed. He did not blame the Right Honourable Baronet for the course ho then took on thus question, though he must have been aware that it would double the slave trade. Sulk had been the result of the measures of the present Government. It was utterly im possible that the free labour of our own colonies could compete with the slave labour of Cuba and Brazil; the result of the attempt had been that described by his Hon. Friend, who had so ably brought forward this motion. The grounds on which the motion had been supported resolved themselves into three. First, that it was the opinion of all the naval officers who had been employed on the coast of Africa that it was impossible to suppress the' slave trade by means of the present squadron, or by any practical auhmentation of its force. Second, that it was the opinion of these officers that the interference of our ships had largely increased the horrors of the trade and the sufferings inflicted upon the slaver, and through the folly and absurdity of the Legislature of this country. in maintaining a squadron on the coast of Africa for the suppression of the slave trade, while, at the same time, we encouraged that trade by the admission of free-grown sugar. His Hon. Friend had already adduced ample evidence on each of these points, and it was, therefore, unnecessary fur him to detain the House at any length, but, in addition, he would call the attention of the House to the evidence of Captain Shad, of the Excellent, who, being unable to attend the Committee, had stated the result of his eV' perience in a letter. In that letter he decidedly stated it to be his opinion that our interference had largely in creased the horrors of the slave trade, and that he did not believe it was possible to put it down by any re' pressive means. The Hon. Gentleman, after adducing evidence of a similar description in support of the gene ral arguments on these heads, said, that while such were ' the lamentable results hf the policy they had pursued, he did not for one moment doubt the sincerity of those by. whom that policy had been originated. He was quit* ready to admit this motion was a melancholy result a( their labours. To such men as Lords Brougham snit Denman and Sir S. Lushington, it must be a source o:f great regret to find that the slave trade was carried ott as much as ever, and that the effect of their labours heel been to destroy their own colonies, without producing the effect they desired; and that the Legislature, having succeeded in establishieg free trade, there should also lad a free trade in slavery.—(Hear.) Mr. W. EVANS begged leave to withdraw the amendment of which he had given notice on the subject of the slave-trade, and in doing so he would matte a few observations on and against the motion. before the House. He denied the statement made by his Hon. Friend (Mr. Hutt) that the slave trade was noses carried on to a grester extent than before the time th e squadron had been placed on the African coast. By de • returns it appeared that in the ten years ending in 184. i the number of slavers seized was 687, being equal to vessel and a half a week. Then as to the number slaves imported into Cuba, it appeared that previous to 3 the squadron being placed on the coast it was 40.00 0 a year; yet, in 1345, the number had decreased to 1,334 ; in 1836, to 1,500; and in 1847, to 1,700. Then it peered that previous to 1838 the number of slaves iv r ported into the Brazils was 94,000 a year; but after tb e $ year, when British officers bad power to seize vessels, t be number was reduced to 39,000, and in 1846 to 14,244,' (Hear.) He thought it would be most unwise to rem w e the squadron, and allow all sorts of plunder to tt - 1 / 4 e place, and destroy the efforts made to christianize 1; 0 people on the African coast. The Hon. Gentlest e fl then referred to th e m anner i n w hi c h th e o ld s l ave-trs , was carried on, and to the great loss of life which to oh place on board the slave ships which came to this cot tr try. Although the trade was thus carried on under regulations, what then, he asked, would be the case if the trade in slavers was now thrown open and became my tirely free? If the squadron raised the price of the slat/ there was a great chance that the slave would be takiii greater care of than if the matter were otherwise. WiA respect to the expense of the squadron, he thought tbst , that expense might be lessened by the size of the Tessele being reduced. He also thought that if the prise mon 51 for the capture of vessels that did not contain slaves, bull which were known to be intended for that trade v'a increased, they would do much to enhance the value e't the African squadron. He could not agree on any term 0 to the motion before the House, and should therefor e vote against it. Mr. LABOUCHERE said he rose to address tb House with feelings of great anxiety in respect to the motion before it, for he looked upon that motion, if sac' cessful, as one seriously calculated to affect the honour' and character of the country.—(Hear.) His Honour , able Friend who brought the motion forward, and the Hon. Gentleman by whom it was seconded, slid not dis guise from themselves or from the House the important consequences likely to arise from the removal of that squadron from the African coast, and yet they call upon the House to remove the sq ua d ron w i t h ou t proposing,. any substitute to prevent the traffic in slaves.—(Hear.)' By this motion they announce to the world that hehce l -. forward this execrable traffic was to be carried on wi th out let or hindrance, as far as this country wa s con.. cerned—that henceforward we were to take no hnteretit in the fate of slaves captured on the coast of Africa, an,ci that all our previous exer ti on s on this subject were to be forgotten and cast to the winds.—(Hear.) He tie' lieved that if they adopted snch a course, they wo h jd not represent the feelings of the people of England ell this great question. Ile believed that if; after w oe deliberation, that House adopted the rstrogt ode course reecmmended by his Hon. Friend, the people of this country would either now, or at aote e other time, bring them to account for rnisrepresenew,g their feeling on this important subject. His Hon. Feieeet and the Hon. Seconder of the motion, did not disgter from themselves the consequences likely t o ar i se , if t his motion succeeded, and it was admitted that the neces sary result must be, that the slave trade would be re vived in its hideousness. He rejoiced, then, that ther e was no misunderstanding in re s p ect to the question, 011" he would now beg the House to weh well the eviden ce which he would . submit to its consideration, and !e ° whether it was wise or right in them to adot the ' notio n of his ,Hon. Friend; end h ere he :must ex p ress his oar' THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1850