The Sun. — London, England, 1850-02-08 00:00:00

ITALY. - - The Tuscan Monitor of the 29th ult. contains the following : " We are informed that the Bishops who lately held conferences at Florence, before returning to their re spective dioceses, have addressed a memorial to the Grand Duke, in which they represent to his Royal Highness the necessity of t e rminating as speedily as possible the difficulties existing between the Holy See and Tuscany, and of prohibiting the importation from abroad, and the circulation among the people, of books which corrupt their morals and attack religion." It was reported that the Austrian head-quarters would be shortly removed from Florence to Leghorn, and that the main force of the auxiliary army would be concentrated round this last city. INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, (James Simpson, in the chair) the discussion was renewed on the Rev. Mr. Clutterbuck's paper, "On the Alternations and Depressions in the Chalk -water Level under London," and was.continued throughout the meeting, so that no original communication could be read. It was contended that the area of the Chalk District, subject to infiltration, for the supply of the springs and streams uniting in the basin of the Coke, could not pos sibly exceed the original published estimate of 1131 square miles, and that the proportion of water filtrating through, for that purpose, was much less than had ever hitherto been estimated, inasmuch, as records by Mr. Dickinson's gauge was to a much greater amount, than those afforded by the gauges kept by other experimenters. It was also contended, that the original position as sumed in the paper had not been weakened by the sub sequent discussion; that the observations of the chemists had tended to confirm the statement of the pro bability of an infiltration of water from the Thames. The practical conclusion to be drawn from the observations, recorded in the author's several papers were :—That the natural drainage and re plenishm-ent of the chalk 'stratum might be traced and accounted for, by observing the alternation of level, in various localities, and at different seasons. That any large quantity of water abstracted from the chalk stratum, at any given point, caused a depression of level around the point of such abstraction. That in the upper district any such abstraction of water would interfere with, and diminish the supply of, the streams, by which the drain age of the district was regulated ; and, lastly, that the depression of level under London, by pumping from Artesian wells, had proved that the rapidity of demand already exceeded that of the supply, and that any attempt to draw a large additional quantity for public use, would be attended with disastrous consequences. t was suggested that, considering the great works of drainage and water supply which were in contemplation for the metropolis, aed looking to the essential im portance of having accurate and authentic geological information, in order that those great works might be executed on a sound and certain basis, that the geological survey now being carried on by Govern ment, in a remote district of North Wales, where no urgent laced exis'el for early geological information, and where no new works of paramount importance were in progress, or in contemplation, should he trans ferred at once to the metropolitan districts, with a view to throw light on the real structure, mechanical and chemical, of the deep water-bearing strata, on which opinions so varying and so conflicting, had been ad vanced An inquiry was made whether any steps had been taken by the Connell, in consequence of the sta:oment submitted at the meeting of Tuesday, January 29th, urging the consideration of the manner in which the in terests of the public at large, and of the profession, were likely to be affected by the attitude recently assumed by the Ralway Commiss'en, in reference to the strength of the wrought-iron bridges used on railways. It was stated that the Council had not as yet" taken any decided steps in the matter, but that a course had been suggested, which, being followed, would most probably lead to sati.factory result:.. Atter this assurance the members expressed their cenfidence of the interests of the profession being in safe hands, and that every step would-be taken for insuring their position and profes sional reputation. The motion which had been prepared, was therefore withdrawn; and the Chairman requested any commui cations on the subject to be made in writing to the Se cretary, who would lay them before the Council. At the monthly ballot the fillewing candidates wore duly elected:—R. S. Haggar, R. Murray, J. S. Peirce, G. Sibley. H. Smith, and W. Strode, as Associates. The paper announced to be read at the meeting of Tuesday, February 9th, was " On the Theory of Trans verse Strain, with Rules for calculating and construct ing the strength of Cast Iron Beams of different forms," by Mr. W. T. Doyne, Assoc. Inst. C. E. THE HORSES OF SIBERIA. There are two distinct races of horses in Siberia, the Mogul or indigenous race, and the race imported by conquerors. In the former category there aro many, those especially which are used in rural labours through the country and is teams among the towns, whose bred, by dint of goad feeding and careful training, has considerably improved, and which have acquired in size and strength what they may have lost in speed and live liness By far the greatest portion, however, of the horses which Siberia boasts of are contributed by the Steppe, from its own pure Mogul race. These are ugly, of small size, of uncouth make, their coats curiously coloured, their heads as huge as in the days of Zenghis Khan, the heads of their progenitors long and pendant, and their ears shaggy. On the other hand, however, they are of fiery mettle and extraordinary swiftness. Left in an entirely savage state, untended or unvexed, they wander in thousands, guided by their stallions, over the whole face of Siberia, and particularly over the Steppe of Barabinsk, which is the prolongation of the Kirghish Steppes, and which is appropriated pre-eminently to the rearing of horses. While summer lasts their pastures afford them a plentiful forage ; but in winter they are reduced to the withered herbs which sparely dot the soil, and which they are often driven, under the guidance of their in stinct, to disinter from depths of snow. In so vast a region as Siberia, where, for want of canals, railways, or storm-boats, the horse is the only available medium of locomotion, the inhabitants have very natarally . bestowed an anxious degree of attention upon the rearing of the equine race. And as the im mense deserts which separate the inhabited localities turn every removal, however trivial, into a long expe dition, the grand object has been to impart to their horses the utmost possible hardihood and capacity for bearing fatigue, privation, and the inclemency of the seasons—in a woad, to impart to them the vigour necessary f.)r those rapid and flying journeys in which ail Russians delight. The results which the Si berians have attained in these matters are incredible. It is not uncommon to see their teams accomplish a dis tance of 200 verats unchanged; and such is the acquirel abstemiousness of their horses, that they of ea remain for 48 consecutive hours under the yoke without being once baited with feed or drink. .Theso extraordinary local severances, indeed, have re acted on the manners of the inhabitants, and have ori. ginated very peculiar customs. _ In the north of Russia, thanks to the daring tempera ment which is one of the characteristics of the nation, the people's classic equipage of the " Trolls" has from time immemorial served fir pictun.sque contests, in which the drivers cf the rapid vehicle which is seen scouring the streets of the capital in every direction strive to surpass each other in dexterity, and in the prompt agility ( f their horses. In the south, on the con trary, the manners of the Cossacks, a race essentially equestrian, have made the saddle, no the droshky - cushier, the universal conveyance. Siberia, being com pounded in its population of these two types of the Russian rare, has become, by pre-eminence, the scene of these tournaments, which enjoy for a race-course a flit country of many thousands of square miles in extent. Every moment you behold along the high roads heavy trains (called caravans) of travelling carriages, whirled on at the utmost speed of their teams, and contending one with another in pace, precisely as if it was a real rec.? by the stop-watch. Indeed, in the very language of the people, the word " to race" has supplaeted the term "to go." You are not told that " such a one has gene this way," but "such a one has raced this way." Each village, and, a fortiori, each town, has its own horse-races, which are made the occasion of con siderable bets among the inhabitants, and have ac quired the importance of national festivals. The pre paratory training of the horses is very rigorous, and never lasts less than a fortnight. The whole of this eeriod is spent in starving the animals, in order to €ist them greater lightness and spirit (sic in orig.), i s bathing them conti nua lly, and in exposing them now to the frosts of winter, and now to the heat of vapour baths. In the preparatory races they appear enveloped in felt covering. Entirely deprived of food on the eve of the race, the horses are led int) the arena feverish with impatience and hunger, neighing long neigh', plunging with eagern ess , and their grooms have the greatest difficulty in holding them in at the starting post. When the jockeys mount they are careful to turn their coursers' heads the way directly ppposits to the true direction, and facing the barriers. With out this precaution, no power on earth could make the steeds await the signal. The aboriginal natives of these countries evince rare skill in breaking the wild horse. They throw themselves on his back without saddle or bridle, and bit him at the very height of his fury, after having first grasped his ears. The Tcherkiesies of Irkousk have a different me thod. They first bit the horse which is to be broken, and then, while helpers hold the animal, and by means of long cords prevent his throwing himself down, in spite of hie plunges the rider mounts, his fe 3t being bare, and he himself armed with a Cossack whip (nagaiha). By this method it is racy to master a home in the course of two or three days at most. In the ,chase after wild horses a peculiar breed of horses is emplo)ed in Siberia. These are cant(' outruchnoi (picklocks), on account of an instrument us. d by the huntsmen, acd which is in the form of a lon g hook, furnished with a ru nn i ng k not.—Journal des fla ras et de la Chasse. CITEAP DRYING-CLOSE TS FOR COTTAGES, Wet clothes are the hereditary curse of the labourer ; and in a well-arranged lodging he should be a bl e to place them where they will be dry ere Le next wears them. For this purpose a niche in the chimney is desirable, with a door to it, and an opening at top and at bottom into the flue. This is best contrived by building the opening at least 2 feet 10 inc'aes UK) wide, and putting a half-brick partition into the breast; or it may be got behind a fire-place in many cases.—Builder. AN UNKNOWN ROBBER.—Hugh Riley makes com plaint against an unknown man who knocked him down, on the evening of tho 3d inst., who robbed him of eight &Alas and fifty cents in cash, one silver hunting watch, a , ,d several letters and rapers. The unknown rascal will be arrested, provided always, he proves himself at all come-.lt-ablee—American Paper, Jan. 10, 1850. DIRECT CALAIS AND MOULTAN RAILWAY. The people of this country have been recently edified by an American project fir connecting New York and the Isle of Wight by a s u b-marine electric telegraph. Per haps some of our readers experienced a little jealousy at this signal display of enterprise and daring on the part of our brethren in the States. If so, we can easily restore their equanimity, for we assure them that no scheme ever yet conceived, either at Washington or New Orleans, makes any approximation in grandeur or audacity to a well-considered and elaborate prospectus now lying before us. The object of this plan is, to be sure, nothing more nor less than a simple line of rail way, but this line is to connect, by a direct and perma nent way, the two stations of Calais and Moultan. Allowing a few minutes for the subsidence of the in credulity and bewilderment which such a proposal will create, even in minds familiarised with the expansibility of trunk-lines, and the intrepidity of projectors, we may proceed to make the scheme a little more comprehensible. Difficulties, it is said, vanish when you close with them, and perhaps some of those already rising in the reader's mind may wear a less formidable aspect when con templated from a nearer point of view. In point of fact, the distance between England and India is of a very fabulous and artificial character. It used to be called 10,000, 12,000, or even 15,000 miles. The time consumed in traversing it has varied from nine months to three. Sir Arthur Wellesley mo destly stipulated fir four, as the limit of the pe riod within which there should be always a steady and constant communication between Portsmouth and Calcutta. At the present time the journey from Bombay to Southampton is usually performed in some 35 or 40 days, and there seems to be abundance of room for still further shortening the transit. For, after all, when we look at the plain facts of the case, India is only some few hundred miles further from us than the United States, though we have come to consider the latter country as lying at our doors, while we still regard the former as one of the uttermost parts of the earth. From Spithead to New York it is 2,820 miles; from Ostend to Hyderabad, on the Indus, it is only 3,805. Most certainly nobody has ever yet looked upon one of these journeys as being only 900 miles longer than the other; but if the "Direct Calais and Moultan" ever comes int) operation, the longer will become actually the shorter of the two. Now, let us look at the several stages of this very edifying journey. In the first place, instead of starting from Calais or Ostend, we may start from Vienna, for up to that point railway come naunication may be considered as already complete. From Vienna the line is, or was, actually open to Pestb, but here we are stopped, and the next step, therefore, is to carry it as directly as possible to Constantinople. For this purpose it is projected to take a due southward course from Pesth, through the valley between the Theiss and the Danube, crossing the latter river a little below the junction of the Drove, and entering the Eu ropean territories of Turkey just by Belgrade. From this point to Constantinople intervenes a distance of about 500 miles, over which the line will run along the valley of the Danube, pretty nearly to Nicopolie, when it will make a southward bead to cut the Balkan, apparently by a pass cf its own, a little north-west of Eskisara. After this the course through Adrianople to the Bos phorus is clear enough, and so we stand at length en the borders of Europe and Asia, with about one-third of the whole journey accomplished, and 2,400 miles still re maining before us—a longish stage, certainly, but not longer than will be in actual operation in the United States before five years are out. Turkey in Asia is now to be traversed from angle to angle—from Scutari to Basra—saying nothing, for the present, about the Straits. The line will pass over the memorable field of Angora, the scene of Bajazet's defeat, and will then shoot with the straightness of an arrow be tween the Euphrates and the Tigris—the ancient regions of Mesopotamia. The ruins and relics of Nineveh will be brought close to hand. Babylon and Bagdad cannot fail c f being attractive stations, even for three who stop short of Susa and Ecbatana ; and, before we have well recovered from the sensations occasioned by the scenery, we shall find ourselves on the coast of the Persian Golf, about 2,800 miles from our starting port in the Channel. For the last 200 leagues the road will have lain through antediluvian cities, cyclopean remains, gigantic sculptures, mysterious excavations, bituminous lakes, sand mosaic moments before ; and we may reasonably pause f o r a f ew before we turn our theodolites upon tracts which the most enterprising travellers have yet but imperfectly ex plored. We have now two routes open to us. We may either take the great Desert of Kirman, and the wilds of Western Affghanistan, driving right through the Soly man range of mountains, and striking our Indian territo ries pretty high up in the Punjaub; or we may skirt the south-western coast of Persia, run exactly through the centre of Beloochistan, and debouch directly u p on th e o ld capital of the Ameers (:•f• Sinde. Our surveys, traffic calcu lations, &c., are here mainly confined to certain statis tics respecting the capacities of loaded camels, and the tracks of periodical caravans; but the project before us prudently decides in favour of the latter-men tioned route; and the line accordingly passing right through the ruins of Persepolis, cuts the Beloo chee frontier at its middle point, and then, turning a little southward, skirts the whole length cf the sea coast under the hills, and at length crosses the Indus a little below Meeanee. The distance traversed in these two stages is about 550 miles in Persia, and, as nearly as pos sible, the same in Beloochistan. Perhaps, at this point, it may be advisable to mention, for general informat ior, that Beloochistan is a country bounded on the north by Aff ghanistan, on the west and east by Persia and Sinde, and on the south by the Arabian sea, sad tenanted by an indefinable race, living under no describable govern ment. If, after this, we cannot snap our fingers at the Yankees, it will, as they express it, " be a pity." Yet the total estimated cost of this miraculous design is only 34,059,0001.—a sum which might, in deed, have appeared considerable to Adam Smith, but which is a mere trifle according to present notions, and which, in fact, scarcely exceeds what has been actually spent in two domestic railways. The total annual interest on the capital is under 2,000,0001., and the portion which, according to the terms of the project would have to be defrayed by the " Government " of Beloochistan is only 275,0001. We should like, however, to hear Sir Charles Napier's opinion upon the amenability of this interesting population to proper instruction upon the points of international intercourse, free trade, Cabinet loans, and funded debt; nor can we persuade ourselves that the ap parition of the projected causeway would be unaccompa nied with a certain degree of abruptness in some of the dis tricts of Persia and Asia Minor. "Engineering difficulties," we are well aware, have now no place in a projector's vocabulary, nor is it fit they should have; but there are other nct unimportant considerations in the case of a scheme like this. However, we have at last fairly beaten the Americans in comprehensive surveys and audacious speculation, and we have abundant reasons for believing that the scheme which we have here detailed has actually been considered for years, has been digested with the aid of all accessible information, and has been devised with no other end than that of promoting a great national good.— Times. NETHERBY RENT AUDIT. On Tuesday last, on occasion of the hslf-yearly rent audit, Sir James Graham entertained about eighty of his tenants at the Graham Arms, Longtown. The Right Hon. Baronet presided. On his health being pro posed by Mr. Reed, and heartily cht e7ed, he returned thanks. He met his tenants with pleasure; it was, indeed, a duty when an adverse cloud seemed to hang over agricul ture. He could not but remember that in 1822, when the management of the estate devolved upon him, that then, as now, there were complaints, not only of low prices, but heavy local burdens. Matters soon righted, and, doubtless, would do the same now; at all events, all the rates were much reduced, and habits of economy had grown up. None of his tenants had made application to him for a reduction of rent. In saying this ho must not be understood as having, from that fact, drawn an inference that his tenants were prosperous ; all he meant was that they hid taken a view of the present state of agricultural prices similar to his own—that they were under a cloud which would only be of temporary duration; and that they had the reliance upon him that when the proper time arrived he would meet them in a spirit of Equity. He contrasted pre sent prices of corn with those of 1822 with 1835. They had then, as now, followed yt ars of high prices and short supplies, whereby cultivation had been stimu lated, and supply made abundant. He locked upon the present prices aa transitory, and had, therefore, deter mined not take any step to disturb the present arrange ments between himself and his tenants, until it was clearly ascertained what were likely to be the permanent prices. He would caution all who heard him not to entertain the slightest ex pectation that the recent measures of free trade would ever be revered. That he believed to be almost an impossibility. It might be said that he had changed his opinions. He admitted that he had done so. He had at one time held that to raise the price of corn by artificial means must lead to an in crease of the wages of labour. His official po sition, as a responsible adviser of his Sovereign, had led him to a close investigation of the sutject, and the office he held had given him access to facts of such un doubted authenticity, and of such a character, as to lead to a complete alteration in his views on the subject. He drew attention to the price of wool as an instance of the wrong impressions sometimes produced by great changes. Wool was an article of importance in the payment of rent ; and when the duty was taken off foreign wool great. alarm was erca'ed amongst shcep.farmerg. Tho result, however, had been that the prices of British wool had ran ge d hi gher since the re peal of the duty on foreign, than they h a d ever d one before. He next instanced the price of pork, as another proof of the case with which fdse alarms were some times cn a!ed. On this point ho appealed to the ex perience of all those who heard him whether the pri ce of pork had not been remunerative since tho tariff nt) regard Came i operation. With to the questi on of rent and to the system of making per-tentage reduc tions, he held it to be bad in principle. It was destruc the of the independence of the tenant, and placed the good and the bad farmer on the same tooting, and, in fact, operated as an inducement to indolence. He woald rather wait the result of the present measure, and if the effect should be to reduce prices permanently, it would then become the duty of landlords to meet their tenants in a spirit of fairness, and make such a re-adjustment of contracts as would be just towards all. He had not asked for in creased rents in 1847, when prices far exceeded ordinary calculations, and the tenants bad now shown equal for bearance towards hiir. The meeting was in all respects a pleasant one. It is right to say that no reporters were present, and thet our stateme it is funded upon verbal communication. —Carlisle Patriot. The Marquis of Lansdowne left town yesterday afternoon for Windsor Castle, RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN.---At a meeting of shareholders in this compay, held at Manchester on Tuesday, to consider the propriety of appointing a committee to co-operate with shareholders in other towns in obtaining a more efficient system of audit, Mr. Bazley in the chair, resolutions were passed to the effect that while a snore efficient system of auditing railway accounts, with greater powers of control on the part of the shareholders, was impera tively required, it was the opinion of the meeting that a system of audit under the control of a Government department would entail great practical evils and be a violation of independent management ; that it was necessary to prepare and introduce in the present ses sion of Parliament (as the measure of the shareholders themselves, and without the interference of the direc tors), a Bill for the purpose, containing ample powers and provisions, and appointing a committee, consist ing of Messrs. Hunter, Ashton, Hitchcock, Ross, King, Rawson, Robinson, Hadfield, Garnet, and Lyon, to confer with committees of shareholders appointed at Birmingham, Liverpool, and other places, and with them to take such steps as may be desirable. It was stated that the proposed Bill con templated a better system of railway management, as well as a better system of audit. EXETER AND CREDITON•-It appears that arrange ments are being made for leasing this line to the Bristol and Exeter Company for a term of seven years, at a net rental equal to one-third of the gross receipts. It is expected that the line will be opened for the traffic early in April. About 30,0001. will have to be raised fur the purpose of completing the works. NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.—We have been requested to state that the names of the Committee of Investi gation appointed on behalf of the shareholders are— jor-General Briggs, London ; Mr. Challinor, Leek ; Mr. Taunton, London; Mr. R. H. Haywood, Brownhills, Burslem ; the three remaining members of the committee are to be nominated by the directors. We understand at the late general meeting of the company the dissentient shareholders held the proxies for 29,000 shares, to be used adversely to the direc tors in the event of any matter being pressed to a division. The appointment of a committee of inquiry was moved as an amendment to the directors' report, as proposed by the chairman, and, after some altera tions in minor details at the suggestion of the direc tors, and not opposed by the dissentient shareholders, was passed unanimously. THE HIGH LEVEL-BRIDGE.--The High Level bridge over the Tyne is now completed both for pas sengers and railway purposes. RAILWAY BILLS ON STANDING ORDERS.—Yester day the standing orders were declared to have been complied with in the case of the Waterford and Kil kenny Railway, who propose to raise an additional capital of 100,0001.; Chester and Holyhead Railway, for lease to the London and North-Western, with power to the latter to subscribe 525,3321. The Bills of the Caledonian Railway for repeal of lease of Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston and Glasgow Southern Terminal Railways, and for Acts relating to their amalgamation with other lines, were referred to the Select Committee on Standing Orders, on the ground of insufficient notice. BRITISH ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY.-- Yesterday the Bill of the promoters of this under taking was declared to have complied with the stand ing orders, the object being to incorporate a new company, for the purpose of telegraphic communica tion upon a more economical scale throughout the country, and for the purpose and use of patents. It is proposed that the capital of the company shall consist of 4,000 shares of 251. each, Si. per share to be the greatest prescribed amount of call. The number of directors is not to exceed twelve, nor to be less than three. The company are to have power to grant licences, and to make arrangements for faci litating telegraphic communication with other coun tries. The telegraph is to be open to the use of the public " without favour or preference," at uniform charges ; the scale of remuneration from Government to be fixed by the Board of Trade. THE FIRE IN LAMBETH. The following is a copy of the official report of the damage, rendered by Mr. Braidwood, the chief superin tendent of the brigade force, to the several insurance offices:— " PEDLAR'S-ACRE. " Mr. George Myers' building and timber yard-- Offices, sawmills, workshops, and stables, with their con tents (including four horses), wholly destroyed. In sured in the West of England and Phoenix Fire-offices. "Messrs. Walter Cosser and Son, timber merchants— Premises injured by fire and stock damaged. Insured in`the Phmnix Fire-office. "GUILD/ORD-STREET. _ _ " Messrs. Christopher Nickels and Co., patent india rubber web manufacturers—Warehouse and manufactory burnt down, and contents wholly destroyed. Insured in the London and other offices. " Messrs. Grissell's premises on the opposite side of this street, at present unoccupied, are damaged by fire and water, the parapet of the building being burnt and the front much scorched. " YORK-ROAD. " No. 2. Mr. James Heath, livery stablekeeper— Stock and furniture slightly injured by removal. " Nos. 3,4, 5, and 6—Similarly damaged. "Nos. 7 and 8, occupied jointly by Mr. Miskin, sur geon—The back front very much burnt, and roof and window frames destroyed, and furniture damaged by fire and water. Insured in the Sun-office. " No. 9. Mr. Brownsmith—The back windows and roof wholly destroyed, aad the house very much injured by fire and water. Insured in the Sun-office. " No. 10. Mr. Miller—The house has smtlined pre- , cisely similar injury to the last. The occupant is un- I insured. " No. 11. Mr.: Hartley—Similar injury, and also un insured. " No. 12. Mr. R. Wardle, superintendent of Messrs. Grissell's workmen at the new houses of Parliament— Similar injury. Insured in the Norwich Union office.! " No. 13. Mr. Dawson, surgeon —The back front of the house, which forms the corner of Guildford -street, -- is only slightly burnt, but the furniture has been much injured by water. _ " BELVEDERE -ROAD. "No. 2. Mr. Hutchinson—The back front much burnt and window frames destroyed. Insured in the County-office. No. 3. Mr. Swansden.—This house has sustained similar damage. Uninsured. " No. 4. Mr. Harris—Similar injury. Uninsured. " No. 5. Mr. Glanyill, house agent—Similar injury. Uninsured. " No. 6. Mr Fareweather—Similar injury. Unin sured." CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. C ipe of Good hope papers of the 15th of Dec., with private letters of that date, have just come to hand, being, seven days later than the journals pre viously received. Toe following private letter em braces all the news transmitted from that colony:— " Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 15, 1849. " Everythidg here is in a most deplorably dull state. Trade quite at a stand, owing to this convict agitation. The Anti-Convict Association are just hanging by a thread, waiting the news from England for the disposal of the convicts, as they find they could do nothing to wards crippling the Government by cutting off our supplies, which we get better and cheaper than we did from our late contractors, who we are making pay the penalties of throwing up contracts by choice. Then the difference between the highest price we have paid fir supplies and the contract price, which up to the period of their con • tracts will be a very large sum, exceeding 1,000/. and their bonds alone amounted to 1,2601, all which the as sociation are bound to pay for them, and to eaablo them. to do so they have called for collections in all the churcLes at the Christmas Sacrament; but the Dutch are too fond of money, I think, to hand out fir the folly of this association to pay Government for their improper and illegal proceedings, besides having to pay the prose cutions of private parties. Commodore Wyvill is here in the Castor, with the Geyser steamer. The Neptune convict ship still remains, with a part of the convicts on. board the Seringapatsm. The Orestes is at Matnitius.. The Pantaloon and Dee in the Mozambique, whither the Commodore will proceed as soon as the convict agi tation ceases, and the Governor will go in the Geyser to 4.11g0a Bay, on his way to the frontier." THE INDUSTRIAL Ex lIIIIITION OF 1851.—The Mayor of Leeds (Mr. Joseph Bateson), by way of giving effect to the resolutions of her Majesty's Cuusalia sinners for promoting the Exhibition cf Works of Industry in 1851, has this week called meetings of all the principal merchants and manufacturers in the borough, to whom the iesolutions in quos• tion have been submitted. The names of a consider able number of gentlemen, representing the different branches of industry in the locality, have been added to the local committee appointed Leeds in November last, and out of there there is no doubt that gentlemen of ability and influence will be chosen as local commissioners to aid in the exe cution of the Royal Commission. But one opinion ap pears to be en:ertained, that the proposed exhibition will have an important effect in improving the manufactures of the district generally, both by the emulation which it will create amongst producers, and the opportunity it will afford them of seeing the most perfect specimens of the industry, skill, and science of this and other countries. At the first meeting, held on Monday, Mr. J. Gott, one of her 11111,e4ty's Commissioners, was present, and stated that so far as he had seen Of Prince Albert his mind ap peared full of good and benevolent intentions, and in car r)in.g them out h e di sp l ayed powers of a very high order. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. —At the monthly general meeting held yesterday at the society's house in Hanover-square, the Lord Bishop of Oxford, Mr. Thomas Paine, and Mr. E. W. H. Holdsworth, were electod Fellows of the society. Mr. Thomas Tooke, jun., the Rev. John L. Petit, and Miss Sulivan were proposed as candidates for the fellowship ; and Dr. Schlegel, of Leyden, for election as a corresponding memter. In their report on the affairs of the society the council announced that they had accepted de liberal offer made by Colonel Peyronnet Thompson, on the part of his son, to present to the society a pair of living In dian Bisons (Bes Gaurus), whtdi he proposes to de liver to the society's agent at Bombay for transmission to this country. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 7. The LORD CHANCELLOR took hi 4 seat on the Wool sack at Five o'clock. The Earl of FEVERSHAM presented a petition from Yorkshire, complaining of agricultural distres3 ; also a petition from York, praying for tho closing of the Post-office on Sundays. ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION. Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that to-morrow be should call their Lordships' attention to the circurc stanc,, that in the Act appointing the Ecclesiastical Commission, in 1840, a clause had been introduced three days before the Act passed appointing a certain person as secretary and treasurer for lift.. The Earl of BANDON presented several petitions complaining of agricultural distress. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 7. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Mr. ITATCHELL took the oaths and his seat for Wind• sor. The Hoc. Gentlemm was introduced by Sir Wm Somerville and Mr. Tufcell. NEW WRIT. Oa the mction of Mr. TUFNELL, a writ was ordered to issue for Kircudbzight, in the room of Mr. Maitland, who had accepted the office of one of her Majesty's Judges for Scotland. PRIVATE BILLS. Several print) Bills were introduced and read a firs time. PETITIONS. Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from the inhab:- tants of the island of Dominica, praying the House to take steps for the farther suppression of the slave trade. A large number of petitions were presented praying for the abolition of Sunday labour in the Post-office. Mr. W. FAGAN presented a petition from a place in Ireland praying the House not to interfere with the present poor-law in Ireland, and for the establishment of tenant right. Lord DUDLEY STUART presented a petition from Marylebone praying fir the repeal of the window duties. Sir THOMAS BIRCH presented a petition from Liverpool praying for tae repeal of the timber duties, and the Excise duties on scap, bricks, &c. Mr. COBDEN presented a petition agreed to at a meet ing held at the London Tavern, stating that the petition ers had heard with great surprise that a law still existed on the statute-book empowering the Government to pay 201. a head for the destruction of pirates, and praying for its repeal; also, another petition from North Lan cashire, praying the House to give the ratepayers con trol over the county expenditure. Col. THOMPSON presented a petition from Bradford complaining that Spain and Brazils had failed to keep their treaties with this country respecting the slave trade. The petitioners stated that they were ft e - - traders, but not free-traders in stolen goods, and they prayed the House to call upon Spain and Brazils to elect between abolishing slavery or having their produce excluded from British markets. Alderman KERSHAW presented a petition from a place in Lancashire praying for the establishment cf a board to regulate county expenditure. Mr. BRIGHT and other Honourable Members pre sented similar petitions. Mr. HUME presented a petition from Mr. Selby, a barrister, practising in Ceylon, complaining of certain grievances, hardships, and oppressions which had been inflicted by Government upon the inhabitants cf that island, and praying for inquiry. Sir GEORGE GREY presented a petition from Berwick-upon-Tweed, praying for a cessation cf Sunday labour in the Pott-effiee. Mr. MILNER GIBSON presented a petition pray ing for the establishment of county financial beards, without stating the place whence it came. EXTENSION OF THE SUFFRAGE. Mr. IIUAIE said on this day fortnight he should ask for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the national repre sentation by extending the elective franchise, so that every man of full age, and not subject to any legal disa bility, who shall be the resident occupier of, or lodger in a house for twelve months, and duly rated to the relief of the poor, shall be entitled to vote for Members of Parliament, and also that the votes at elections be taken by ballot, and that there be a more equal arrangement of electoral districts.—(Hear, hear.) KILBUSH UNION. _ Mr. POULETT SCROPE postponed until this day fortnight his motion relative to the Ktlrush Union. REPRESENTATION OF THE CITY OF LONDON. Mr. CHARLES LUSHINGTON said to-morrow, on the usual motion for the adjournment of the House until Monday next, he should ask a question of the Noble Lord at the head cf the Treasury on a point involving and deeply affecting the honour and dignity of that House and the right of electior, namely, whether the Noble Lord wax prepared to introduce this session any measure for the purpose of accomplishing, and, if neces sary, of enforcing the completion of the representation of the city of London ?—(lfear, hear.) VESTRY MEETINGS Mr. P. SCROPE said on Feb. 21 he should ask for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent the holding cf vestry meetings in churches. THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION. Mr. LIORSMAN said that he should tc-morrow give a notice cf motion with a view to ascertain the circum stances of the resignation of the Secretary to the Eccle siastical Commission. GROWTH OF TOBACCO IN IRELAND. Colonel DUNNE gave notice that be should, on this day fortnight, move for a Committea of the whole House, with a view to ascertain how the law might be amended which prevented the growth of tobacco in Ireland. COLONIAL APPOINTMENTS. Mr. HUME wished to ask when they might expect th• returns of the salaries of the officers who held colo nial appointments, to which allusion was made in the paper just laid on the table; and he gave notice nat unless ho receivel a sati4fiLtiry answer he should move for such returns on Monday. Mr. HAWES was understood to say on Monday. REPEAL OF THE MALT-TAX. Mr. FREWEN, seeing the Honourable Member for 'the North Riding of Yorkshire in his place, wished to ask him when he intended to bring on his motion with :respect to the repeal of the malt-tax? Mr. CAYLEY said that it was his intention to bring Ithe motion on as early as possible, because he conceived that there was no rressure which would do so much for Ithe relief the agricultural interest as this. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER'S MOTION. Lord DUNCAN wished to know when the Chancellor of the Exchequer's motion was to be brought on? Mr. lIAYTER said it had been the intention of the `Chancellor of the Exchequer to have brought on his motion tl-morrow night but as he was unable t 3 come "lowa to the House he (Mr. Hayter) had been instructed 'to postpone it until Friday week. POOR-LAW UNIONS IN IRELAND. In answer to Mr. FRENCH, Sir G. GREY said that Government had received several reports from the Boundary Commissioners in Ireland, and had firwarded them as soon as received to the Poor-law Board. IRELAND. Mr. FAGAN wished to kaow whether it was the in lention of the Government to introduce a Bill to assi milate the law respecting the recovery of small debts in Ireland to that of the County Courts in England? Also whether they had any intantion or bringing forward a fiscal Bill, a Sanitary Bill, and a Medical Charities Bill, during the present session? Sir W. SOMERVILLE said be could not undertake to say there was any intention, on the part of the Go 'vernment, to bring forward a Bill to assimilate the law in England and Ireland for the recovery of small debts, but the subject had been much discussed by them during the recess. The other Bills (he was understood to say) were under the consideration of the Government, but he could not promise when they would be brought forward. THE MINT. In reply to Mr. HUME, Lord J. RUSSELL was understood to say that a Bill was in preparation in regard to certain alterations con cerning the Mint. LORD J. RUSSELL AND MR. lIORSMAN. Mr. ROEBUCK said he wished to put a queztiou to the Government respecting a letter which hail appeared in the newspapers, signed " E. Horsman," because he thought it concerned the honour of the House; and it seemed to him that the sooner an ex planation was given the better it would be for the Government and all parties concerned.—(Hear.) This letter charged the Noble Lend opposite with some -thing like fraud upon the House, with having given a promise to as Honourable Member in his place in Parliament, and afterwards wilfully breaking it; but, lest there should be any misunderstanding about the matter he would read the words of the Hon. Gentle 'man the Monster for Cockermouth, whose name he found appended to this letter. The Honourable Gen tleman then proceeded to read an extract from Mr. Horsman's letter, addressed to his constituents, in • which it was stated, in reference t,.) the Ecclesiastical 'Commission Bill, that certain amendments were sug gested to Lord John Russell by Mr. llorsman and 'others, which the Noble Lord, after a consultation with the Arch bishop cfCanterbury, adopted, and promised that they should be introduced into the Bill. The Bill in consideration of this promise w as delayed for some time, but eventually it found its way int) Committee at a late hour of the night, when some amendments were introduced which Mr. Horsman _ and his friends supposed were those which had Lena promised, and the Bill went through Committee pro d'orma, without notice or comment. When, however, the I till was re-printed with its amendments, it was dis c avered, that the promised amendments were not in it, a .nd Mr. Horsman, as an excuse for not seeing that they vere introduced when the Bill was in Committee, I stated in his letter that he should have as soon have : thought of keeping a watch on the Prime Minister t) 15oe that he did not steal his hat, as to watch the intro (Auction of amendments into a Bill aftr they had been promised and adopted by the Minister. Ho heard the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Cocker f mouth some three evenings ar, when he brought on the :motion respecting this matter, :ay that he repudiated ;.his charge. The charge NI 11S one which affected Übe dignity and honour of this House, and it should answered at once. It was a lett , .r signed with the n 4 me of the Hon. Member for Cockermouth (Mr. Hors mi le), charging the Noble Lord, three weeks before the ast erabling of Parliament, with what ho (Mr. Roebuck) thi mght was something like fraud.—(Hear, hear.) e would now ask the Hor. Gentleman opposite 1 Ir. Uorarean) whether or not the ebtirge which he consumption would relieve them.— (Hear, hear.) Ho knew it would be said that, to a certain extent, the poor at present. were relieved from paying rate upon their houeee. In Lancashire, for example, out of 340,000 rate-Tayers, 50,000 were excused, arid out of the total annual property rated for the relief of the poor, amounting t) six millions and a-half, 369,000/. was excused. The Hon, Member then proceeded to read a quantity of returns of the number of houses excused from taxation from rates in the severel counties, showing that about one-third were relieved from fiscal impositions, and then proceeded to say : Now those houses were excused under an Act of the 54th George 111., c. 170, an Act which, while it contem plated a relief to the lower classes, had, in fact, been instrumental in occasioning many cases of delicacy and much distress.—(Hear, hear.) Every person who desired to be excused was obliged to come before the over seers, and prove his poverty. Tho entire amount of the exemption under this Act was not less than 600,0001. The poor man who happened to have some money in the savings' bank never was excused; there was no pre mium for prudence and providence. He thought that the et:empt to pass such a measure as that proposed by the Honourable Member for Hertford would be pernicious in the extreme. He would prove the fal lacy t f the principle of that measure in a very short time if the House would listen to him. The ratepayer as well as the landowner had prejudices on this subject; they both looked upon the owner of cottages as an enemy instead of looking upon him as he really was, a public benefactor. lie it was who conduced to the promotion of morality, by providing for the poor labourer a de tached dwelling for his family. If a gentleman should build a house for poor labourers, it would be very unjust to impose upon him a tax fir that house, whether he ob tained a rent or not. In many parishes there were comfort able and very pretty cottages built for labourers, but the supply of cottage dwellings was deficient. The greater portion of these cottages wero built by speculative persons, and the effect of imposing a tax on the owners, would be to discourage these persons and to diminish the supply of dwellings for the poor. He would not now enter into the question as to whether the tax upon land was ultimately paid by the owner or the occupier —he believed it was paid by the owner ; but this was evident, that the pos session of land was a monopoly, but not so with regard to houses, because as the supply increte ei the rent decreased, and if by taxing those houses they interfered with the enterprize of the specula live builder, the supply of houses would diminish, and it appeared that even at present the supply of houses was diminishing rather than increasing, and the poor were consequently driven to immoral and crowded lodgings ; therefore it was desirable by re lieving small houses of taxation to induce specu lative builders to increase the supply of those houses. He knew that some persons were opposed to in cruLe the number cf small houses, because such incie Ise tended to increase the population; he had thought that notion had been exploded, but he would ask the sup porters of that doctrine whether pauperism was not increased by crowding the poor into bad houses, and whether the supply of good houses would not tend to diminish it? In a sanitary, in a moral, in an econo mical point of view, he was convinced that an increased supply of small houses was desirable. That was the opinion of the Noble Lord the Member for Bath (Lord Ashley), as he had gathered from a speech of his re cently delivered at a meeting at the London Tavern. The adequate increase of dwellings would decrease pau perism and crime. The palaces of the Sovereign were exempted from this tax. Now, he called upon them to do f ,r the poor man what they did for the royal palaces. The wealthy man's personal property was exempt from taxation. Why, then, should not the dwellings of the poor man be exempted from this local taxation? All mines, except coal-mines, were excused. That wcs real property. Why, if the proprietors of that property should be excused, should not the poverty el' another class excuse them? It would be a simple thing to draw a line between the houses, and say that houses cf such a rental shall pay 'and houses of suoh another rental shall not pay. In the Own of Liverpool, out of 42,000 houses no less than 32,000 houses were excused upon one ground or other. Thus unjustly did the existing law work. More than three-fourths of the houses were excused. He did trust that the House would con sider and deliherste on this subject. He asked them to elevate the condition and moral character of the poor by attention to their wants, and by passing measures with that tendency. The masses of the population around them were in a very fear fed condition. In France, social convulsion and disaffection to the Government had sprung from neglecting the means of reconciling the poorer classes and improving their condition. This neglect had conduced to acts of rebellion and insubordi nation. He concluded by asking leas) to bring in the Bill. Mr. FAGAN, after a pause, seconded the motion. Mr. A. STAFFORD hoped the Hon. Member would not attribute any want of courtesy to him if he proposed to take the divisors on the Bill at the present stage, which the Hon. Member had selected as the opportunity for taking the discussion upon it. The Bill was so short and the question so plain and easy, that the House would be as well able to form an opinion on the propriety of affirming or rejecting it now as on the second reading. The present inclination of the House was by no means to diminish the property subject to taxation, and, if the measure proposed by the Hon. Gentleman was adoptel, its only effect would le, not to relieve the occupier, but to increase the owners' rents.—(llear, hear.) Sir G. GREY observed, that the Hon.' Gentleman (Mr. Scrope) had communicated to him his intention to ask for have to introduce his Bill, which he (Sir G. Grey) was prepared to accede to; but, after the course he bad taken in raising the whole question at issue when stating the principle of the proposed measure, the House could not be better informed upon it than they were at present—(Hear, hear)—and, although he had not pro posed to oppose the introduction of the Bill if it was pressed to a division now, he must vote against it. He quite agreed with the Hon. Member in the importance of doing everything in their power to improve the dwellings of the poor.—(Hear, hear.) It was satisfac tory to observe what had been done in the metropoli s and most of the large towns in that direction. After the perusal of all the Hon. Gentleman had aritten with so much ability on the subject, he was unable to arrive at the same conclusions, for he believed the Honourable Gentleman's project offered a premium for the erection of a lower class cf houses—(hear, hear)—and if the standard of rating was fixed at a high rent a much larger amount cf property would be exempted than would be at a:l desirable. The Hon. Member, in writing of the mode in which the existing law worked, brought an argument of a convincing nature against his own Bill, for he declared that cases occurred where the owners of cottage property constituted a majority in the vestry, and carried an exemption from rates in their own favour. [Mr. Sexes.—" That's not general; it's only a particular case."] Believing the Bill would have a most prejudicial effect on the object of the Hon. Gentle man, he must oppose the proposition now, as on every former occasion, and vote against it if it was forced to a division. had lately marts was one to which he now adhered, and what stees were about to be taken to satisfy the country and this House that the charge was or was not true? Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, as the Hon. Gentle man had come down to this House tur the purpose of reading a paper making a personal attack on his (Lord John Russell's) character, he thought it would only have been right and proper for the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Roebuck) to have given him some notice. —(Cheers.) He (Lord John Russell) said this was the more necessary bemuse he had never read the production to which he had re fsrred.—(Cheers.) He was told that there was an attack upon his character signed by the Hon. Gentle man, and he (Lord John Russell) thought that if he had an attack to make, that he would come forward in this House, and then he (Lord John Russell) would have been ready to answer it upon the particulars so stated.—(Loud cheers.) He (Lord J. Russell) had never read the le'ter in question; he asl heard in conversation some small parts of the state ment which the Hon. Gentleman had made. Now, with regard to this particu'ar &negation, although he could not say his memory would enable him to answer as to the particular transaction that took place, he would state generally what had been his course on this subject upon the matter which concerned the com position of the Ecclesiastical Commission, which very much affected the state cf the Church.—(Heir.) The Hon. Gentleman had totally omitted one part of the matter, and that which he thought to be a very impor tant part. He was unwilling to refer to the circum stances, but after what the Honourable Gentleman had said there was no other course left to him.—(Hoar.) In 1846, when he came into office, aftcr much conversa tion with some persons connected with the Ecclesiastical Commission, and also with some persons emi nently connected with the Church, he became exceedingly dissatisfied with the constitution c f that Commission. In the following session, therefore, in 1847, he introduced a Bill with a view to appoint a chairman of that Commission, of course paid by the State, without whose presence no business whatever was to be transacted. Another provision of that Bill was, that fur the future ; the office of treasurer and secretary should never be held by the same person.—(Hear, hear.) Shortly sfer that Bill was introduced I received a notice from the Archbishop of Canterbury that it would be seriously opposed In the House of Lords by members of that Ecclesiastical Commission.—(Cries of " Hear.") On this course being taken, he saw that there was very - little chance of success for the Bill. The matter was then noticed by the Hon. Member for Melton (Mr. Denison), and seeing the line adopted by the Archbishop of Can terbury, and that he refused to give his assent to the Bill, he (Lord J. Russell) had thought it his duty to move the appointment of that Committee.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) With that appointment the Archbishop had nothing whatever to do; laded it was totally con trary to his wishes—(Cheers)—and h 3 mentioned the matter because that Committee had originated with himself from a dissatisfaction with the working of the Ecclesiastical Commission.—(Hear, hear.) He would now pass to the statement of the Hon. Gen tleman that he (Lord J. Russell) had been appealed to in respect to the difference between his Bi!1 and the report of the Committee, and that he had been re quested that the Bill should be altered. After com municating with the late Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary of State, he found that both those gentlemen put a different interpretation upon the recommendation of the Committee to what that Hon. Gentleman did; but still he had thought it expedient to make some alteration in the Bill. With regard to the other points, he certainly did not concur with the Honourable Gentleman, nor did he exahtly remember the words which he had used, but he did not think he had said more than that the sug gestions of the Hon. Member had been considered, and that the Bill would certainly be amended. At this stage he (the Noble Lord) had found, on communication with the present Archbishop of Canterbury, that that Prelate, as well as many other Bishops, had a decided objection that more than one paid Commissioner should be appointed, as the revenues of the Church would thus be applied to purposes for which it was not origi nally intended. lie (the Noble Lord) had always wished to carry with him as much as possible the prelates and dignitaries of the Church, for otherwise he had felt that that there never would be that entire harmony between the two bodies as was necessary for their proper working. He ought to have explained to the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Horsman) perhaps sooner, how far the suggestions which had been made had been varied; but it did appear to him that the letter of the Hon. Gentleman was the re sult of excited vanity, that nothing should be done un less he knew of it.—(Cheers.) He (Lord J. Russell) II as not going to resent the charge which had been made; he would only say that ho despised such a charge — (Cheers)—he would not go into a detailed proof of what had taken place from that day for a long period. Ile must say that having been a Member of that House for many years he would certainly be unworthy of the position which he held if he were capable of a disgrace ful fraud for the purpose of deceiving the Honourable Gentleman about the composition of the Ecclesiastical Commission.—(Cheers.) The alteration of the Commis sion was made so far a matter of patronage, that it was thought the heads of the Church, especially the Arch bishop of Canterbury, for whom he had the highest respect, and who was anxious fur reform, should be con ciliated, and should be induced to give their support and good will to the measure.—(Cheers.) These were the motives which actuated him, and he did not know that he would be required to give any further explana tion.—(Cheers.) Sir GEORGE GREY bad seen the letter, and ho had briefly referred to it the other night in his reply to the Honourable Member for Cocker mouth. It was with feelings of shame and astonish ment that he had read the charge, not however with astonishment that the charge should have bean made, but that it should have been made in December or January last in reference to a transaction which, accord ing to the Hou. Gentleman's own statement, occurred in the course of the last session of Parliame,.t, nay, six weeks before its termination, every night of which six weeks his Noble Friend and himself sat upon the very benches which they now occupied. Now the lion. Gentleman might have made his charge in that time, but it would not have served his purpose; he wanted this charge of a direct breach of faith for a winter letter to his constituents. He would not detain the House by going at length into the charge, but ho would content himself with distinctly and unequivocally denying the imputa tion which the Hon. Gentleman had thought fit to cast upon him.—(Cheers.) lie never had the slightest reason to suppose his Noble Friend intended to shirk any amendments; on the contrary, everything was done to secure the conve nience of the House. The Bill was committed pro forma on the 14th of June, and reported ou the 20th of the same month, so that there was ample time between then and the end of the session to discover any omission, and again he must repeat his astonishment that thech arse was delayed till December or January.—(Hear.) Mr. HORSMAN observed th it the Noble Lord, and still more the Right lion. Baronet who had just sat down, had introduced a good deal of feeling and warmth into the discussion—(Oh, oh!)—but ho should take an entirely different course, and content himself with simply confining himself to facts and evidence.—(Oh, oh.) lie wrote that letter deliberately. He knew the high position of the parties affected by this charge; he knew the sympathy that men standing in their posi tion would command in the House when charges SO seriously affecting their character were made against them ; and he knew that he must prejudice every impartial and high minded man in the House by the boldness and the gravity of the charges which he (Mr. Horsman) made. lie knew also he might have the greatest difficulty in sub• stantiating those charges, if he was pressed to substantiate them. He know, if he could not substantiate them, he must be held mad to have made them. Knowing all that, feeling it, and foreseeing it, he deliberately made that charge, advisedly published it, and he stood there in the pc eeence of that House to avow, to tr &ntain, to reiterate, and to offer to prove it. He left this matter in the hands of the House, thinking ha had a right to claim the protection of the House, while he, a private Member of that House, en di avourel to prove that charge; but he left it to the House to decide what he was to do. Lord J. RUSSELL—The Hon. Gentleman had said that Le hal made charges which he had that night re iterated, and he complains that ho had been unfairly dealt with.—(Cheers.) It would appear that the Hon. Gentleman had written a letter to his constituents which has been the subject of some comments in that House. What he thought was, that it the lion. Gentleman had any complaints to make the best plan he could adopt was to come down to that House and move for the appointment of a Committee. He might say for himself that ho would not oppose it, and flu hoped the Hon. Gentleman would make something out of it. The SPEAKER then put the questioe, but it not being seconded, it fell to the ground amid much laughter en all sides of the House. EXEMPTION OF HOUSES OF SMALL RENTAL FROM TAXATION. Mr. POULETT SCROPE rose, amidst much turmoil, , to move for the introduction of a Bill for the exemption of small houses from taxation; but said, that in the THE HUNGARIAN WAR. present temper of the House he did not expect to get a Lord DUDLEY S UART rose and said—Sir, I rise bearing. Those parsons who had road the reports which to make the motionofwhich I have given notice, fur the had been presented to Parliament for the last few years would agree—he would appeal to the reports of the production of certain papers with regard to the negotiations Poor-law Commissioners, of the Board of Health, and by this Government in respect to the late war in Hun above all, those able letters which had appeated in gary, with regard to the occupation of the principalites the columns of the Times under the signature of of the Danube, and with regard to the demands by 3. G. 0.," would agree with him that there was a great deficiency in the cottage and house accommodation in lassie, and Austria for the extradition of the Hungarian, this country. The consequences of this were not only Polish, i and other te fugees; and also for some other p h ys i ca l sem/engin thc masses but alio moral degradati papers. In making this motion I feel that no apology Legislation had hither to been confined to drainage and is due fur the motion itself on account of its great im the supply of water, but though he did not unde - rvalue portance, although far the mover many apologies may these advantages, they would be insufficient unless more be requisite in consequence of his inability to do justice accommodation and space were provided for the dwellings t) so large and so important a subject—(Hear, of the poor. He did net ask th e L eg i slature to provide better sites for these d we lli ngs; but he thou ght' it hoar)—but, Sir, I do not find that , any other might with propriety b e ta k en into considera- gentleman who has directed his attention to the matter tion, whether or not the restrictions which was disposed or prepared to bring it forward; and I pressed upon them could not be done !away with. think I have consulted the convenience of the house The mode which he would adopt for removing the evil and the progress of public business better by se i z i ng t h e would not be so muc h b y any specific legislation b y earliest opportunity for the purpose of bringiog it on, removing restrictions which were imposed by the build ing of houses, for then the principle of supply and demand than by e aiting to a later period in the seision, when would be sufficient to remedy the evil. The law of other measures shall have occupied very much the at sthettlement, f u r i ns t ance, was ono of the ma i n cause; o f tent i on o f t h e H ouse, and when it may be still more in disposed than it usually is to bestow any p ar t o f it s ti me certain cla ss o f e evil whi c h h e was now bringine, under the considera tion of th e House and he, therethre, houses should be exemptsoposed that a from local on other topics. Si r , I h ave to ask for irdJrmation upon taxation, beli ev i ng th at t h e poor wou ld be relieved subjects which ha ve exc i te d , and continue to excite, t h e i thereby in th e same manner as the abolition I greatest degree of interest in this ccuntry and through or removal of any other tax upon articles of ' out Europe. The Lord at the head of l'oreign Mr. SLANEY gave every credit to the Hon. Member for Stroud fir his Le3evolent intentions, but the best attention he (Mr. Sianey) could devote t) the question had convinced him that the proposed Bill would lower and depreciate the condition cf the poor. Mr. SCROPE certainly had not expected that leave to bring in the Bill would have been n fused to him. His statement was only intended to explain the principles of the measure, not to raise any argument on the question at large. He owre3 the opposition he had met with was what he had every re aeon to expect in a House composed of landowners and the reprtreatativel of ratepayers, It, was impossible but that a feeling of bias should to pre valent iu a House of that nature.—(" Oh! oh !") Mr. V. SMITH rose to protest against the Hon. Gen tleman's attributing any unfair bias to the House be cause they happened to be almost unanimous against his proposition, so that he could only find a stc.,nder by courtesy. The Hon. Member put him in mind of the unlucky juryman whose lot was always to get into the box with 11 of the most obstinate men in the world. The fact was there never was a time when so much at tention was paid to t':e condition of the dwellings of the poor. The Bill proposed would work the greatest in jury, and would only raise the rents; for even now there were cases where the owners of cottage property having obtained exemption from rates at once laid the amount on the rents. Mr. HUME, of his rorsonal knowledge, could cor roborato the last statement of the Right lion. Gen tleman (Mr. V. Smith), and was persuaded the proposed Bill would open a door to abuse. There was a grf ac desire abroad to see the physical_ condition of the working classes improved, atd many person's who wsro anxious to area comfrrtable cottages for them would be content with es litt'e as 2 per cent. Ile thought those interested is the question might with propriety make application to Government to assist them by tsking the duty off bricks—(llear, hear)—which weighed considerably against the erection of substantial cottages, as well as by repealing the window-tax. Such measures would have far greater effect than the Bill of the lion. Gentle man, which would only lay the ground for abuse and j obbing. Mr. BROTHERTON said, thct in the borough which he had the honour to represent there were 10,000 houses, and of that number 9,000 were under the value of 10'., ale] therefore exempt. The motion was then put, and negatived without a Affaire, as on a former occasion, a few years ago, es , plained with great clearness the principles foreign affairs are managed under the English Constr tntion; and he told the _House Oa', under that consts; upon whic,` tution, the largest discretion was always granted to l!e Majesty's advisers in the conduct of diplomatic tions in relation to foreige affairs, but at the same time that that discretion was subject to the revision of I . er; liamenr, and that that revision should not be exercise!: unless Parliament was furnished with full and amp'. information. On the occasion when my Noble Frier made those remarks, and which I have repeated near yt I believe, in his own words, he added tha t the country was a good deal in the dark with regard to the tr ansac ; tions t o which he referred ; and I must say that. t . h t. country, with regard to those transactions to wn.ll" the papers I ask for refer, is at this moment considerae 1., in the dark. I want some light—l want some juror ° , ,_,, a tion. I think the country has a right to be informed as to the part which the Government has taken in all ffi !_ l ! matters referred to; for, as was said on the other sde IF Queen's SPe e l the debate on the Address, and as the yearly told us, we were not at war. It indeed resettled se h all to some very delicate transactions which had been ' without the public peace being endangered, at whic ._. sides of the House and all parties expreesed their s . an . , faction. But with regard to how those matters had .7 1 ,; an d tii l . l 7. settled we have not yet been told one word; that we have a right to be furnished with the we': year b ; ample information. Sir, during the last war has bean carried on in Europe wh ich ttc y, excited in the minds of the inhabitants of thicou overdone perhaps, more interest than any other war has .as in which we ourselves were not directly 80 d been principals ; and no wonder that that should haste 0 , 0 a desP rr " oo the case, because that war was carried on by Government, for the purpose of putting down ' p ve e r o y p which they had enjoYec.l,_!. long as us. Hungary has always been an indepennf; le s , im a i n l d ar of to d o e u p r ri o vi w n n g , them of a free constiatu!io_ng country ; it has never been conquered. It has o,l " e i r , been independent de jure and de facto until last 5811ahmerY when it was put down by the power and the treete ~., of Russia.—(Hear, hear.) The Hungarian inonsfef, was originally elective. Ferdinand tho First, is."; brother of the Emperor Charles the Fifth, n t elected by the Diet in 1526. He took the 01:0'0 to the constitution, and all his successors have I d s his the same oath, except one. Joseph 11. followe example, and Joseph was never crowned, and cognised as their king. It must be borne in Min ( ' ~,,0 0, Hungary and Austria have had nothing' i n OE7 ei except their sovereign, and have not been more uheltet: than the kingdoms of Hanover and England. Th e kg of ditary prince in the German States, the Archdn , to Austria, was not King of Hungary till consecratebno. I'resburg with the crown of St. Stephen on his fa r , le In 1687 that crown was declared hereditary in the 7723 descendants of the house of Hapsburg, and T n . ' s! er the Pragmatic sanction extended it to L ' e " - :be and the devoted fidelity with whin secured er ed Hungarians maintained that arrangement sec"has to Maria Theresa, not only the kingdom of hung The also the other dominions which she inherited• t it le neviertbrac; heiress of the house of Hapsburg was known b y the etse t of the Queen of Hungary, that being the m ost in3P° L O r of all the countries over which she ruled, her successors obtaining the title of Emperor ot u sbo many, the title of King of Hungary was eclipsed b i r c hteh more astounding appellation, yet it was Hungary 0 00 . was still the chief source of their power; for f,"„ s i t y , of Emperor with history are well aware that the dig 'At Emperor of Germany was nothing but a shadt r also the beginning of this century, when the ' l e or ° I empire fell to pieces,. the modern title of Erg ) r of Emper or his Austria was introduced, but tho L[, c A lwii aea u nsu s stillt tg r taa i h a lreliya.ai,Ding idon ofga3dweei whom derived his gea h arlh i r s d)e ~a, greatest c therefore,hp, o wi w sh e e r s orco....i f kt b r ne ° o : 3 otr 0: : rf a , a oi i and thoug,;ler• and not the .I , '''r it was ' Austria. which was re all meaet. At any r ate ; e " roY° l ' as the King of Hungary that he was able to . di e power. Joseph 11. ettemt tsd to destroy the Co s hin' ec ktinono.adeldVgheaitiihmapapaeiniieidigt,heexnac?teld'hforeDshiet, ref nsing from his successor, Leopold IL, who d ec lare g d u t a hl niegesn !!;e r e if was• a country free and independent in her e ntire su b j ec t of legislation and government; that she was no t sil'j ibt 4 to . any, other people or any other state, btq ste ocs and should have her own separate I , o estr and her own constitutior and should , king s ' quently, be governed by her ' own hereditary ed legally crown e d i n accor d ance w ith her own t laws ' e etber a ny the customs of H ungar y, an d no t ac cording to " th e iato and custosln of lB H 4B an r g e a to r p a w w e s re introduced constitution they passed both Chambers also, a p n a d ss r e e d ee t i h Ye edPthie4r 4 l c ialb assent. Some were rather declaratory than nr„,,.'„ a •srY, • was the ono which enacted that the Ministry er LA - ii ir t icto should be responsible to the Diet. Civil and 1) ,:f Jan' equality were established without distinction " from guage or of creed. The privilege of exeraP ti fi g es ob° I direct taxation was taken away from the n° l '^ - ou bli° . before possessed it, and participation in 'IV imposts was extended to all Hungarianl•li, eel labour rent was not only done away with eilt ire t ' e ' Wer . the lauds which the peasantry held upon that tenn• - fo tio o given up to them as their own property, comPeerideerli being granted to the landlords. The suffrage, ',, a ntle° confined is the nobility, was extended In c ,:i prci a i to all persons possessed of real or pe rson to ll 'i at, personsd property; r e a c rll e ims i o v sw i t n o,r, g rekag iuniol working regularly perty of the value of 301. a year ; in town 4 , 0 00' y r iz a son y s ea h r ol f d L i o n na g These to refo a votede having h yt h e H lettersoo s ej ei tob i e co T I O r : moos were sent up erzlegoerciefp`cioraleasigts. to the House cf Lords, an d " " C .., Or son solved the royal _ assent from the Sovereign in r - 60101 Presburg, on the 11th of April, 1848. The fign i g a a tr 'rtif in carrying out these measures t 0 -I coa sts of reform, a° e. in accordance • with the spirit and letter of their uir tution, but still it did not protect them from tye: constitutional, and • violent acts on the art of t'''' s r ' ror of Austria. Croati a had p _ ._ o u t,, fir eight centuries upon the been united o _ o 7 oa . 1 0 0 f; eight centuries, a period lo most intimate of O li v e ion er than that et, _ aros e 0 , between Wales and En l Some disPn,7, e, ar ia con' tween the two countriesg land erhaps sotett io b 1 • sequence of a measure e lefly, I) cf the Diet, VP ptir traduced the Magyar languag e tie co, liarnentary debates i n the into House of h he, hineoenns, hatred of Latin, the language viu w- i vbe r previously used. But the Court of Ariena n t '„,, gr o system of government was to foment theta disri" - . 03 " Oh f3aiantefi Jellachich, the colonel of a Croatian re V got Croatia that is to sa, governor of ert t • g a c iste r ,: this o Rasappointment being countersigned by n° rio'ng.B - Neverthelessethe . ' vv " I 6) , Hungarian , ;0 ,, ~,. conciliate the Count did , not object to receive _'„, engy the Minister • • invited him to communicate with r,--7 re atif,' regard to the convocation ef the assembly of `-'" eifi' het le sr where be was to be installed. He replied to fe - aA' his /. , a 1 tation by for's' lel . the n ing Croatian assembly f° - p ow' c la o w mmunication with the Ministry and declaring refer ° en( e uion all parsons who should presume to nia i l .i t .:aart to ti!y connexion between Croatia and 1- ` ti thi The Minister called upon Jellachich to ret r ,,, 10 0 t, tutr and t' • _,. ne Viceroy ordered an inquiry t) w. - ae r d into the matter, and sent out a Conialissiowever, investigate the conduct o f th e B an . He wx 1, ,,, 13 :00, driven 1:,11 the mask, and by force, an d J e ll ac hi c h having'" he '''° and disclosed the nature of tile Pe"'i be twl tended to , pursue, by • , • don - 0 usc.aring a Bowe j oss bi , Hungary and Croatia.—(hear, hear.) S A c t gilY,i .-- has been • • stigmatieed as a repealer---( 2 '• - e ll i' -11 :0 somo i personF, probably because flini Abe ~ A that t e most odious the could aset- t he cou in .4 him, but there •is no truth whatever 00, statement—whether it is a rill ll° .d° complimentary te I 01 ~ Hono r u able Friends behind me may very like ° s tn./ it, or whether it be one of opprobrium „ nth th° perhaps i think it, there is no truth wlia tevsr s P st. eil charge.—(Hear, hear.) Koesuth wished to have -e enit. i w n i s t t h itu A t a ions for a country which had Lever bee ° . 1 ,, fa d Austria and the real J llach le lee repealer was e lega to he wished by force and violence, and not by , pore r constitutional measures like those of K ssuth , i° -e- o i le 0 Re d t ra l Croatia from Hungary, which fad been un o cee since the fourteenth century. He convoked 0 crisisrnr. assembly of Croatians in June contrary to the , " ,i, al law, but on tho 29th th ' li* of Ilung al ' hi° Ae e mg ~h a s. oc t e.,mperor Ferdinand, by an autograph letter 1 ., er , calling together that asse bl • m y. About Ite m, 0 a conference of Hungarian Ministers vels, 4 by as s Jelle ' . cinch did not appear there, a n ,"„l, b 11 ,: i : royal ordinance, dated tfelOth of June, Jeb i a ' t - 9 ,, ie •eln""' suspended from his office, and the Gene ra l 1 1, dide li r declared his appointment illegal; but Jellael l ' e : itau ;°, I submit u to this—he said Croatia was no longer " C rea t e!' I nory; but there was a powerful psrlY jil t , of who published a formal protestagainst the a c-- '0 lachich, and declaring their MO ' the de,iro to Val ee , they always had been, united to Ifungs r Y* fl at) i'‘:;l serfs who inhabited the north bank of the I ) °, ° , - e ffee"'; instigated by Austrian iefluence to become 01 : 11 -- a t to and h although it was only within a fox year, „`-to,e,t9: ad been settled in the country in very siva , -,„o a a they now demanded a to gov e " agi r separa . , , 00 p ~tly and the horrors which they committed • or P s probably anything that r • this a as been known ill ~101, 1„ ,j, other country.--(Bear, liter.) I hold in 01 sin to e book written by an Hungarian lady who vi t/ gsd, t l l s country at ti.e time, and is h re. fte-- /7 who now e seat 01 teens Pulszky's book gives a most int( reet'ng acen.,mor transactions, f and is just appearing; but i• r os ~ l avoured with a sight and a loan of it Pre y '? a of the ITing brought out, end I will, with the perraissintrocittes ouse, re asi a short passage with regard to th e Zpieo committed by satellites of the Austrian Gn i°. that time:-- te j the lli : "The sad consequence s c f this plot nlaniffeft than ° delves everywhere, but nowhere more dreade'll the remote mountain district of Zalat w u c Y r a! ,„djeali i S . S " The civil officers of the rounded by wildly EinaticalsWe Farts 0 .. .- in hartbeir achs, arras this state of thin . ,7, above 1,200 faithfuls ervant!. of ibil sovereign assembled. The were of all ran!s f ,t a i n r ied V o highest to Vie lowest, old and young, aeeelnr„rpoSet; their wives and children. All joined in the P r - ohe n i 'vl proceed together to the town of Enyed, at s e ni le " he 11 . ; 0 distance from Zalatuya, to be sheltered fr e— n t o e - 4 , 1) 0 0 hordes, which were ready to attack every i her 1, , a5 chanced not to be Wallach, and who wore n nc) f r oal /I ; i s peasant's coat. It was yet at some distaneerest tro h e o wive when the officers were overtaken by a great li 0 of armed Wallach-. Not willing to o ppose 00arcttho pretended to be actin.. in the name of the I n t he; 1: 0 , negotiation {i'a3 entered upon. Its result wa°l nit olce,, emigrants agreed to deliver up their s words 0. 0 ",,, te d fill'i under condition that they should not be preve' - `_ o g 0 freely proceeding to Enyed. BE fure the dibarnu e . completed the evening had come on. areif' the .4 Several carr i ages were l a d e n with th e 0 .., they waited for dawn t) continue their journeiLood! night the Wallachs sent a messenger to the . w_ ir ,0 1 1: who was an Austrian c,ffic , r, Waer! , .The nle'd '' O le ' NO- at they should do ' with their prisoners. he vir e sengpr returned with the laconic reply, ' l' u t clt tlis to death.' " When the peremp'ot y ord r riotous of marderiar,r„irs; pt 0 people itself w a thuqc.:,er-trucl, and " THE 8, 1850 ,WNW