The Sun. — London, England, 1850-03-05 00:00:00

Si a , t a ; r • SOMERViLLE heti olojeation to the ad tun of th ose we he 4l, ( ll, lnlellt was then agreed to. alto- Rati,;:th tie ° from eesits;d2r: 38:- S i t.‘ f;, 11 1 . ° , of a leace at a rent, or for to any estate . 1 r- . 0 1 ,1 for lives renewable for ev,.r, or estate qillsi in or fettug veceb.hd:freehold y 1.: )ould observe that : 1 this wag ernitt:7; att)'-rLe:-;.l*ull'' rya of the value of 5/, but a freehold rating as or be r l , l " of 5/. The Right lion. Baronet the , Mem.h -e. °I• Tanaworth had shown the CornnaLter;, r , of' t , r 9ec to the former clati,e, how obj!;•ctionablo a c‘au.i o e r tittbliiu_lB description was with regard to the power of ug Which it g the gave t the guarcliaus of the poor, e to create fiztitious votes; because a party ht hel d; freeh o ld w hi c h m i ght not b e o' the value of Are a a ure T.IY of 40s • o r un d er t h a t suns, if he coull only f eel m ats name to be placed t rate as halding r . , a ad, i T t . , - ,i (f the value of 51., would to en , itl i ed in to s v i o t te t . h 7; tt4,,e4rrc,dtthha: the charge would be _ - - right on fro eoollers of iraheritanre, if Pcl re fl T?W o d it to extend to fr• elplltrs . fur lifa it ,d him that they would be opentog the door by_ et terl all tae 40s, frecholdors f life could bo revived p its inlsnaueh es they would enable them by co ,tiu lajan oe put upo n the rate as holding freeholds of the ikCh°ls/. suhmit . ed, there ore, to the Noble Lord, as " n ' 1 1.* • -Con to the 40s. freeholder • r ressf , de' u ! as 1 " 11 i 1, g to great at abusrs, whoLlier it w , i . auld ,.l r .s ot ‘ to u• slr 'ltili? to ornit these words, and limit the Entre.' u• sir to freeholds of inhiritanc , .. Sai lni • "RATTAN said the Hon. and Learned Gentle- Lo ara l al still something to learn as to the power of . the had r, el guardials. The fact was that the guardians Put : i° • l3 "•er ti make' fictitious votes; they could not ales man upon the re; inter. cla use IlivrcuELL said, the true construction . of the s that i a and that intended by those who framed it, ai S _ . fri in ' e s h ",e Party entitled to have a vote in respect of a 1 tarr ed should be a tenant fur his own life of an esta t e tr o r °, ll t of the i n h er it ance . if there were any other4e la4-dweiell would convey the meaning more distinctly, Si r v.llll objection to sub-titute ta=w. With , T aESIGER ssid, on looking at the words, kiettl;a explanation given by the Hon. and Learned the ref er, he found hi s o bj ect i on remove d, a n d he would The°re withdraw his amendment. Si t .; 4 , l6 'nfluaent was then withdrawn. l 'Ora ' IHESIGER then proposed to leave out all the 11 1 ,2 after " hereditanaents," in the 331 line, down to • nrord if 4 7 r 831 a e ta. Instead of providing " that every male say a ea , lull age, and not subieit t s any legal incapa to4:uo should be seised of, or entitled for his own use 11 44 n t ate, legal or equitable (such tenant for life not to - ` e s'cai or assignee of a lessee, at a rent), or of 4 a nY estate. of freehold for.lives renewable for ever, tee et es tl te quasi in tail, of such freehold in any lands,. the meats, or hereditaments which should be rated in th e att rate for the time b ing, under the mid Acts for 48 l e il f °l•4l afectual relief of the destitute poor in Ireland,. dtll 7 ‘ the net value of Si. or upwards, should, Ir a sleetiontegistered, be ititled to vote ,t a ir t e eve th y e clause of a knight or knights cf . the b seised W04 1(1 run, in the later part, '• that a party- I tth e or entitl e d , & c. (as state d i n t h e cleuse), in any slu t Pe rcents, or hereditaments, of the net annual tie ft - h ° a ` or upwards, should be entitled to vote," &c. *ara;; l 'd then p ropose to i nsert after t h e wor d " up haat)", the words over and above all rents and charge sa ne `e out of or in respect to the same." They . nor? import 1° a very important point. They all agreed in the a riS;,,, ae° of making up for the fliciency which had P r ose - tile county constiturney, and the question now orea‘sutther, in creating a new freehold constituency etintioe, they would take rating as the test, or have hi th ° :a fills freehold qualification of a certain value. t tres a -t t i ° distinction had always . . been maintained be ak, f Tie franchise in ccunties, in ewes, nod in boroughs, to th?irruer having always been based on property, rand vein Principle the Noble Lord at the Lead of the Go- I t c ere - ,: 11 „t gal invariably adtte .od. Now, however, they orm t - a tl ued on to declare that property should no longer ' l 'ora:' ° basis of the qualification, though the Noble d t Qtti tt ,„"en $o long ago as the Chandos clause, had 11 114 1 , - Ted the principle. How would the matter stand ho soot get s tut clause ? Clearly, that every person w 61, his name inserted upon the rate to the value 'ti a a a ° , lll al be entitled to vote, although he might not sr 1 , Puld one farthing, because six months' possession, 4111 y ee w ei Pt of the rents or profits Mire the 16th of e ntitl e A -43 to be the ground on which a arty was to be theaaa'4,to registered, and he would be so entitled al -118.4,11" Be had Lid no rate whatever between the sth of b eforr/' and the 16th of July, and none might be due tih r d t hat p er i o d , b ecause he m i ght never ti ll the for.- • e „ a ,e have been liable to a payment at all. Take 4 r. again, ors party with a lease for life renewable ac 1:19 might be rack-rented, and possess, in fact, Pes t i" shilling's worth of beneficial interest in the pro -42(1 Yet would be entitled to vote if he ware rated `tre a h's", gain, supp ose a p erson b urrowe d money to buy e t a - a cl uli and n mortgaged it to its full amount a suc o h t No e sigh ha the put on the register, and yet would n tlt hus ss °r lc farthing o f b ene fi c i a l interest in the land, h and ~.%111 11: 1 ‘ ' Paupers would acquire the franchise. T ' "uttea rrob attly find landlords and mortgagees too ready alli to !Ay the rates at the time of a general election ;yt i 3 , u entire principle on which the county franchise reli /s fl would be destroyed. He feared the Noble pat fr-a‘4 Changed his views on this subject. It was said l ate .°lll a waste and renewal of our bodily tites;' et the end of seven years not a particle of cur bo 4ttie utlaai "ed; but the mental changes which men some -41163t witnessed were infinitely more extraordinary. One Go• re h th eY saw the Noble Lord at the head of the I ,%te fl.-411;teat throwing the Conservative shield before ‘ i lsaii - ;,!, o e n te Act waeo assailed by the ll?noura h ble , e l lte a‘ ‘'` ter Montrose, and the very next night t 431 11 Noble L atcl craning forward to support . . a 'of t h e •ofinitaly more de tructive of the d pr b inci ge e aliorajtsform Act than anything propose_ ▪ra Zinter , —(Hear.) He could assure the Noble oble a whie4""Ot he viewed with great apprehension the course "thi a , le waa pursuing; for if he went on loosening tl ce& - •" 111 R the reins according to iho exigencies of the eY01:1-1' he would find himself at last dragged headlong Zlite t a! e who favoured a downward tendency in our in '`uvore-a", and were desirous of infusing into them a mealocratie leaven.—(Hear.) He called on tbe `the C t lrd to resist such influences; and he called upon altitaa"lalittee, if they created a new 5/. freehold con /40'11,1°Y: to make it a bone fide one. *i ti tlit r ' i '• RUSSELL said, the proposal was to give the • r v ) , v° "ing to persons who had property valued at :Itata" ' f ar ' 'lnd were owners either in fee or who had an se• h i - f or life to that amount. He owned that appeared a 4 t,ste til a 4 Troposal not open to the objection urged by the ; L ilt t a i -1)41 Learned Gentleman; and except in the case at n e a r e might be mortgages on property, he thought f akand Learned Gentleman hat entirely failed to th a : L cut a case. --(Hear, hear.) He owned that he Iltop!'t occupier of an Si. rating, and persons holding lie a l. : 3 ' of the yearly value of 5 , /., might bo and were ' a uttief t . ,' 11 ' 11 0 might fairly be entrusted with the elective a`qtte di in in Ireland. The Hon. and Learned Gentle 'ill 6' 4 ' not insist on maintaining the Irish Reform ati tra ",. all his i n t egr i ty, b ut g al concurred i n mak i ng en -I°llB in that law. No ono denied that alters wa aa 4 ov e s„ t necesaary, and upon consideration the ct'aettle amen, had conic to the determination to "kraue Principle embodied in this Bill, which ap- Ike kt i: i to them to furnish a sufficient, but by no means : s tlale le number of electors, whosa electoral rights e `tea sa ", founded on property.—(Cheers and counter 'l„st ,-„%) He did not mean to say cases of abuse would 14 seti;Ts but did not they happen in England and 4t1 1. 4 13 ' 4130 ? by no means agreed with the lion. billerattattiled Member in thinking that these persons on ttsea;` was proposed to confer the franchise would be aa vea wl thout property. On the contrary, he be rty'-"eY would be found to possess sufficient pro -laq dad that d egree of intelligence and respensibility w a , °ll , l d enable them worthily to exercise the fran iriskpesat`ue Hon. and Learned Member said that the Ott °f the Government was more dangerous than oa tr ‘ue a few nights ago by the Hon. Member for :Pt this He would not now enter into a comparison, aet atkr ta he would say, he did not think the best way of a /t tre i n ln g our institusions was to refute reforms which f -t 4 14 - themselves useful, and which were founded on "ta Ailrhiciples. He was tild at the time of the Re .ehtlit-'1.3 that the Conservative line of conduct was to h ev 411rtiorna He had, however, lived to see the time th lt the 14 t moat Conservative statesmen the 'e B had been swept away by the Reform Act in ideas th„-volutionary times. Therefore ho had come to ilttistrion with respect to this Bill and many other 0146'445-that those who conceived themselves to be e 0 leers co nservative were often the most revolutionary. "'ria 1 . 4114 Counter cheers.) The best way to preserve tortszitltations was to do away with abuses.—(Hear.) Ria e a ' MANNERS said the object of this clause was egeeholders with a 5/. a year holding the right to * las f • 41 4 IlOn and Learned Friend (Sir F. Thesiger) 41 ' 1 r ti i‘ . `l 4ic l that iheelause, as it now stood, not only gave iste t Plt to that class, but also would bring on the lei Petal tit t h r e who were not in that position. To this The ATTORNEY-GENERAL Noble Lord did trot address two words. a me nd `ITT ORNEY-GENERAL said the effect cf the 3 tek ti : pt. would be to perpetuate the beneficial interest "'Ale ( !r Which this Bill sought to substitute the more Vatis criterion cf rating , ate, ILTON thought the property test ought to t 1.1 1 1 % NoLDs thought the clause would encourage flirt O 4 of fictitious votes. There was no provision is' t4 a e ,P 4 rtY rated should pay the rate. If he were to r h 4 i t tkile i i l r ;!e i to this clause, ho should call it a clause to tt'illttifactu landlords of Ireland, without any limit, to se. tire 118 many faggot voters as suited their e tio ! . . Skb r , ~ L atalß objected to the clause altogether, as 4 e ae knee increaae the manufacture of fictitious votes. I°ll th a lic lttlent proposed, however, appeared to him to meant door to the most inconceivable frauds, and the .„Li„t B adoption would be to substitute the test of fo r the test of rating.—(Rear, hear.) I,orusinittee divided, when there appeared— ,the amendment ... . 30 A gainst it • ~ 106 ••• ••• ••• O r ir r r i r Majority —76 r e Nai r j'dESIGER asked whether it was reasonable tal t lfri a e that a party should merely be rated without 4, 414 it g t hat he should pay his rates? Ho did not vyiti.o 4 wt ta, and should therefore propose the following Ilt st a 0 B at the end of the clause: —" Provided always, 4; 11 ' 1 4 0 , 1 kb Person shall be registered according to the N ' Of JulB hereinafter contained unless on or before the lae 4 Ott, et laY in each year he shall have paid all rates in eir a tnch lands, tenements, or hereditaments due th ll th a „ Pireviouely to the Ist of January preceding." ej,litit.lt that addition was required in order to make thali e ~.-,(gltisent with a previous clause. q 1 a. e vii.‘,(3,,RNEY-G.ENER Al, grid the provision of na entitle - 1, , • that it p.rty nit :vas 444 the to vote. Now the owner, nut being in all itUteLectipier, could not be rated, and could be " Pay the ranee due. Mr. REYNOLDS tLo'ight the amendment fair and roasonable, arid if the Right lion. and Learned Gentle man divided he should vote Iviih `,in., as it woubi be some protection a.;anst the manufacture of fictitious votes. Mr. SCULLY would support the clue as it stocd, as the object was to increase the franchise. He sug gested that the amendment should be altn-ed to the•Ac word; :—`• Provi(qed that all rates due upon the premi ses ,hall bo iy - jd." Mr. HAMILTON said tt e objection to that w(uld be that if the te::ant in possession did not choose to pay he might disfranchise the owner. Might it not be provided that payment should be made from all occupiers who wore orei.ers ? Mr. SADLEIR thought that would be a reasonable provisor. Mr. F. FRENCII oljceted to the vote being made conditional upon the layment of rates, when there were legal means of enforcing their psyment. Sir F. THESIGER sugtlested the postponement of the matter tritil the Government had bed an opportunity of considering his suggestion. Sir \V. SO AEII,VILLE said the law officers of the Crown would take the matter into their consde:ation. The clause was then agreed to, as was also clause 4. On clause 5 being read. In answer to Sir R. FERGUSON, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the clause writ further than tie former Act of Parliament, and [rovith.d that parties residing and having property within the limits of the borough should also have a vote for the county. After some desultory discussion as to the interpreta tion ( f the clause, Mr. lIILDYARD thought no person should he en titled to interfere in the county election if his property was situated within the borough. Sir G. GREY objected to narrowing the provision's of the Bill to that extent, as it would be a very important alteration. The effect would be to disfranchise parties residing within the limits of the borough, and would be introducing a new principle altogether. Sir D. NORREYS having declined to press his amendment, The clause was agreed to. On clause 6, relating to occupiers of lands or premises rated for the poor rate, being proposed, Mr. G. A. HAMILTON moved the insertion of cer tain words to secure the rights of existing voters. Sir W. SOMERVILLE was opposed to the amend ment, as it would have the effect of conferring the franchise upon many who might not be subject to the poor rate:. Mr. F. FRENCH supported the amendment. Lord J. MANNERS wished to understand distinctly what were the intentions of the Government on this point. If the Bill was to be framed in such a way as to disfianchiso the existing voters, the authors of it ought to say so at once, in order that the Committee might know how to proceed in the matter.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. REYNOLDS asked whether it was the intention of the Government to throw the freemen overboard? The Right Hon. Baronet said it was not. It should be observed that by the first clause, which had already parsed, the hill had deprived a large and respectable class of householders of the franchise—namely, those who were registere I under the 101. beneficial interest. Mr. O'FLAHERTY supported the amendment. Sir F. THESIGER said that it was his object to pre serve the existing franchise. He did not think this Bill ought to he views d es a substantive Reform Bill, but rather as a supplemental 11111.—(Hear, hear.) He was desirous that the principle involved in the amendment should have been recognised in the first clause. Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that the same principle which had been recognised in respect to counCes he pro posed should be adoi_ted in reference to boroughs. Mr. G. A. HAMILTON said that all he desired was a declaration that they did not intend to disturb the existiez franchise. In answer to a question from Mr. SADLEIR, Sir G. GREY said he apprehended that the existing right) of the were occupiers of 101. homes were to be sisept away, and the franchise to be henceforward de clared upon the basis of poor-rate liability. The amendment, as we understood, was then agreed to. Mr. GROGAN proposed in line 25 to omit the words any laud, tenerneuts, or hereditanaerits." He thought that these words, if allowed to pas, would had to much doubt, uncertainty, and litigation. A claim might be said to arise out of mere waste laud by the clause as it stood. S.r F. THESIGER asked whether it was proposed, under this clause, to confer a title to vote from two or more houses, warehouses, or shops ? He presumed it was not. He thought it better to omit these words, or to explain these general words by specific words to fsilow them. _ _ Sir D. NORREYS deprecated the idea of having out these words. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL said that the English Act differed from the proposed Bill by the addition in the former of the very remarkable words " or buildings." If he could get the amount of rate reduced low enough for the franchise, he should no be disposed to object to the addition of these words in the proposed Bill. Colonel DUNNE thought that this Bill as it stood would restrict the franchise considerably. He hoped that the Government would alter the union of different tenements to make up the franchise. There might be, for instance, a little land in one place, and a house or other tenement in some other p"a?.e. He should b 3 inclined to propose that the words " same land" be stiuck out. After a few words from Mr. ANSTEY, Mr. GROGAN withdrew his amendment. Sir NORREYS moved to omit in elatue 6, all the words from "or any," line 25, down to " owners" in line 29 inclusive, and in the same clause to introduce a provision, that, where an occupier shall bo separately rated fur several premises of the value of 8/. and up wards, the payment of poor-rotes fir any one of such premises (b, in of the required value) shall be sufficient payment of rates f rt. registry. Colonel RAWDON said that instead of striking out words he wished to add some to the clause.—(Laughter.) He was desirous to have added these words, " office or other building." Mr. REYNOLDS thought that if they adopted the amendment of the lion. Member for Mallow: they would be creating a scene of doubt and litigation. He protested against such a provision being introduced into the Bill, as it would prove most injurious to the rights of larger Constituencies. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL hoped the Committee would refuse its assent to this amendment, as it would have the effect of making the question they were con sidering one of great uncertainty. The clause was drawn so as to comprehend the two kinds of franchise proposed to be given. If the Committee would be kind enough to pass this clause now, so as to enable them to get on with the Bill, it could be reconsidered on bringing up the report. Sir D. NORREYS asked whether it was the intention to allow the occupiers in a borough, of two houses of the value, he would suppose, of 41. 105. each, and ri.ted there upon at 91., to register a vote? Sir G. GREY said that it certainly was not the Jaw in Etig;aud, and he apprehended that the Bill did not pic., post, to do anything of the kind in Ireland. Mr. ROEBUCK wished to know if a prson who held a shop worth 41. under one landlord, and a stable worth 51. under another landlord, would he in the same situa tion with a person having a holding of 81. alone? The ATTORNEY.GENERAL replied that if no words were added to the words " lands, houses, or her( - ditarnents," then the parson would have a right of voting though he held under a hundred (Efferent landlords. It was net so under the English Reform Bill. Mr. ROEBUCK understood that this would be the effect of the clause as it now stood ? Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied it would be so, it the clause stood a 3 it then wa. , ; but what would be the effect ( , f the clause he could not say if other words followed. The revising barrister alone, who decided everything his own way, could tell that. Mr. ANSTEY said then he would propose they should get rid of all words that were admitted to be sm. plusage. Sir G. GREY said that what was wished for was time for consideration; that they should not come hastily to a vo!e. Mr. lIILDYARD could not see why property of one description should have a vote end other property be de prived of it. He was opposed to words that were ad mitted to be surplusage. Mr. ROEBUCK was disposed to give the Attorney . Gene al full time to consider, if they agreed upon the principle—viz., that if the 8/. was to be made up, no matter how, he was willing the man should have the franchise. In such case be would give the Attorney- General full discretion. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said if it were the general inclination for the House to adopt that principle, the Government had no objection. Lord C. HAMILTON thought the Hon. and Learned Attorney-General should state what he meant by t'ee words which he now proposed to omit from the clause; and if by omiting them any ambiguity would be avoided.—(Hear.) Mr. GROGAN—If the words, "lands, tenements, or hereditaments," were to include " house, warehouse, counting-house, or shop," and it would simplify the Bill and avoid ambiguity, ho had no objection to the omis sion of the latter words. His wish was that they eheuld adhere to the Reform Bill as far as they could, making the present measure a supplemental, not a new Reform Bill. Sir F. TIIESIGER hoped the Committe) would be spared at least one division; and with that view sug gested that it would be better, as the Government pro posed to omit the words, " any house, warehouse, count ing-house, or shop," to agree to that proposition in the first place, and to raise the question before the Com mittee upon the other words. An Hoer. MENDER (who spoke from the Ministerial benches) said that to strike out the words would make the clause absolute nonsense. The words were then ordered to be struck out. Mr. GROGAN again rose, and moved that, after the words " lands, tenements, or hereditaments," the words "occupied by him as tenant or owner" should be inserte J. Mr. ANSTEY appealed to the Chairman whether it was competent fir the Hon. Member f Dublin ( Mr. Grogan) to move the insertion of words which hal el ready bnn struck out by the Committee; for the words " tenant or owner" were among those which had just been struck out? The CHAIRMAN—I don't see these words. Mr. ANSTEY—Yes, the word " tenant" was in the 28th, and " owner" in the 29th, line. The CHAIRMAN—It was perfectly competent for the Hon. Gentleman to move the amendment. The Committee divided, and the numbers were— For Mr. Grogan's motion . . ... 83 Against it 170 ageiest it ... ... —B7 0.: ~,,,zl,)li tor th-.. 3 Litt the words " eight. youn(l36" as i the amount at which the occupier should be raied to entitle him to the franchise, Mr. AgXkl . ol4l§ morel an gilea4ment that the blaelt be filled with the words " five pounds." Referring to the discussion upon the second reading of the Bill, the Her. Member then said that on that occasion the Hon. Meager for Dublin University (Mr. Hamilton) admitted that there ought to he a distinction drawn between the qualificetion in counties and fit t in horottehs. The Hen. Gentleman expressed his opinion —and that opinion was echoed by meey lien. and Learned Gentlemen around him—that the ret:ng in the boroughs ouelit, net to he as high as in the counties. But they went further, and sail it was too high in the boroughs; and he hoped the Committee would not deem him guilty of any impropriety in taking them at their words, and asking their co operation in inducing the Government to reduc- the, qualification from Si. to 51. — (Hear.) If the Si. qua'ifie ition was retained it would have the elf ct of disepralifying the censtituencies of several boroughs—such as Poetarliegton, Athlone, Car low —a result the very reve:se of what the Government profresod to effect by the I le.ent Bill. It would also sweep en ay a large number from the possession of the franchise in Dublin. The burgess roll in that city had 15,000 voters neon it, of which 4,000 were freemen who were not required to be householders, and were not liable to any taxes or local rates. Wes it fair t osards the property qualification voters to insist upon so high a rating as 8/,, which involved also the necessity of the payment of taxes, whilst they maintained so doubtful a class of voters as the freemen? The Noble Lord the Member for Down (Viscount Castlereagh) seemed to ' think that under the Bill 20,000 voters would be added to the constituency of that county. He called upon his countrymen on the other side of the House net to op pose the rneesure rut ther, but to give that support to the extension of the franchise which it was expected in Ire land that they would. In the a hole of the boroughs in Ireland the conttituctrey would not exceed 48,000 voters under an Si franchise. Ile, therefore, begged leave to move that 5/. be inserte I in the clause. Viscount CASTLEREAGH said that the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Reynolde) hal completely misunder stood what he had stated. He had said that if the Bill created any increased constituency in Ireland it would be necessary for the House to interfere so as to increase the number of Irish representatives. Sir W. SOMERVILLE hal already stated on a former occasion that the Government 113CADt to adhere to the principle of the Bill which they had euhmitted to the House, and in accordance with that statement he found it necessary to oppose the motion of his Right Hon. Friend the Lord Mayor of Dublin. The Right lion. Gentle man asked the Government, when they proposed a libe ral measure for the franchise in Ireland, why they stopped short in the case of the boroughs? His answer was, that the case of the boroughs was by no means as strong as that of the counties, where the proportion of electors to the adult male population was but two per cent., whereas in the boroughs it was 22 per cent. By a return on the table of the House it appeared that there were upwards of 48,400 borough-tenements rated above 8/. in Ireland, and deducting one-fifth from that number for double holdings, it left 38,750 as the number of tenements. They could not legislate with reference to any particular boroughs, but should rather have regard to the whole country; and it should be remembered that the boroughs also contained other electors, such as free men, 401. freeholders, which would be retained by the Bill, and would be in addition to the 38,000, besides the double occupants. Mr. F. FRENCH supported the amendment. Mr. T. O'I3RIEN also supported the amendment of the Right Hon. Gentlexan (Mr. Reynolds). Colonel RA WDON said the Government did not seem to be aware of the great depreciation of property which had taken place in Ireland. He was satisfied that a 51. rating woul I be as fair a franchise for Ireland as a 10/. eating for England. Mr. ROEBUCK asked the Noble Lord whether, taking 101. as the sum on which to found the franchise in the boroughs in England, 81. bore the proper propor tion for Ireland, tilting into consideration the different circumstances of the two countries? The great mischief f the English representation was the small boroughs. Schedule B was the gre at blot of the Reform Bill—the great source of corruption—and if that were the case, was the Noble Lord going to evtahlish a similar system of corruption in Ireland? By placing the rating at 51. instead of 81., the constituency would be so enlarged as to render bribery and corruption more difficult. But beyond that, it would give something like a fair repre sentation to Ireland. Where would be the mischief of adopting the 5/. rating—would it make the constituency dreadfully democratic? Not at all. The really honest middle classes of Ireland would hardly be included in the franchise, or certainly not more than included. If the 10/. franchise operated unequally in England, it would be most unjust with regard to Ireland. Ho therefore trusted that the Irish Members would, by their rotes, impress this fact on the attention of the Noble Lord.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL said the statue-like silence observed by the Hon. Members opposite was as well worthy the attection of the Noble Lord as the remarks of the Right lion. Geetletnan (Mr. Reynolds), or those of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Roebuck). If the Bill bad consisted merely of this one clause, the Noble Lord would not have seen eight divisions the other night.—(Hear, hear.) There was not a single principle on which thef 8/. franchise Lad been justified, which did not apply with more force to the 51. franchise for boroughs. It had been said that a higher franchise than 81. would remove many persons from the register; but he could assure the House that if they wont beyond 51. for boroughs, the voters would be struck off by keu . dreds.—(liear, hear,) The counties of Ira land, with a constituency of 250,000 persons, would return 64 Mem bers, whilst the 39 Members for boroughs would not re present a constituency of more than 43,441. Of that number 19,000 would be found in Dublin, 4,500 in Cork, and 4,000 in Belfast. The remaining boroughs would present a wretched minority, ani the only power that could work on such a body would be the power cf car ruption.—(Hear, hear.) It had been said that the re duction in towns was not so great as in counties; but he contended that they were reduced to the lowest ebb. In Drogheda, with a population of 15,000, the total number of voters polled in 1847 was 307. In Culls, with a populatior, including the rural districts, of 106 000, the number polled at the last election was only 1,377. The clause in its present shape would probably do little harm in the large towns, but in the small ones it would effect the complete destruction of the franchise.—(Hear, hear.) Sir D. NORREYS said the number of tenements rated at 8/. and upwards on the valuation three or four years ago was 48,000, and he would put it to any one whether, since that time, the value had not fallen from 25 to 30 per cent. He cordially supported the proposition of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Dublin. Mr. SADLEIR was of opinion that a 5/. franchise in boroughs would be equivalent to one of 8/. in counties. The only protection against a wide-spread system cf corruption would be to enlarge the numbers of the borough constituencies, and he believed that it would be impossible to preserve the purity of constituencies under 300. He lias astonished at the silence of Honourable Gentleman opposite. They ought to rise above the paltry considerations of party, and on broad, national grounds, ought to unite with their countrymen in de manding of the Government a broad and generous fa aechise, compatible with the exigencies of the country, :cousistcnt with the wants of the boroughs, and proportionate to the amount of intelligence for ehich the inhabitants of these boroughs have ever been remarh able. Lord C. HAMILTON said that many towns in Ire land had risen in imp:twice whilst others had fallen into comparative insignificance ; end he regretted that nothing had been done to revise the borough registra tions.—(Hear.) Mr. M. O'CONNELL said that a rating cf 8/. in Ireland was clue' to a rental of 12/. So that, instead ( f extending the franchise in boroughs, this Bill would render the franchise difficult of attainment. He believed that the franchise proposed by the Right Hon. Gentle man (Mr. Reynolds) would be as nearly equivalent to an SI. franchise as possible. Mr. SCULLY said that one of the arguments of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Ireland was, that the franchise in boroughs in Ireland was equal to, if nut greater, than that of England. Now, the borough voters in England amounted to 314,000, in Ireland to 48,000. In England the number of vuters was as one in five, in Ireland as one in twenty-one. He considered the 8/, rating equal to a rental, not of 12/., but of 15/, If a 5/. rating should be carried, the entire number of voters would amount to 50,464; and as the population of these boroughs amounted to 800,000, the population would be only as one in sixteen.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. BRO MERTON did net think that the pro posed reduction of the franchise would lead to any great extension. He had made a calculation with re sE e3t to the English boroughs, and found that, so long as the payment of rates was made the condition of the franchise, very little extension would take place. Lord CASTLEREAGH hoped that some member of the Government would stet: their views on the subject of the amendment Wore the Committee went to a divi sion. Colonel DUNNE said the Hon. Member for Dublin (Mr. Reynolds) had stated that the constituency of I'ortarlington would be reduced by the present clause to 170. If the Hon. Member in his calculation had left out the 100 and taken the 70, he would have been nearer the mark. Mr. MONSELL hoped the Noble Lord at the head of the Government, after what had bean stated by seve ral of the Irish Members, would allow the Chairman to report progress. Unless the amendment was adopted, a considerable diminution of the borough constituency must be expected. Mr. S. ADAIR thought any decision as to the pre cise terms of the franchise would be premature. A communication which he had received from a highly respectable party warranted him in saying that in the town of Armegh the 81. franchise now proposed would be equal to one of la value. According to the Poor law Investigation last yea-, property in Ireland had been represented to the extent of between 20 and '25 per cent. Property which, under the old Act, was rated at 10/, was not now valued at snore than 8/. lie wished to see a full and fair franchise extended to the people of Ireland, but doubted very much whether an 8/. rating would extend the Franchise in boroughs. Lord J. RUSSELL said the beheßneti il fing practically l had prbaeeetnflrly the peopamed with re if land o , bssibyler' o eme lying th e d e fi c i ency i n t h e l a e view, of i constituency and plaeing the franchise on a satisfaetory footing. If hey failed in eff..cting that object the fault would not rest *WI the Government. With respect to the county franchise, the number of voters had dimi nished to an extent that rendered a consideration of the whole subject necessary. The Government had consi dered the whole matter, including the various proposi tions made more than ten years ago, and they had come to the decision that it was necessary to change the basis of the f , aechise to a tenure of occupation. There had toiL appi,„/,(A the same reaon for aping any consider able alt ration in the borough franchise. It had been placed, like the English franchise, at a value of 10/., but bating taken 81, ratios to; the county had bop thought advisable to take the same amount for the bo roughs. If they had proposed to take it below Si., the argument used with respestt to having a similarity of franchise in the two countries would not have had the same force. With regard to the amendm - rit proposed, if they took 5/. as the amount of the borough franchise in Ireland he saw .no reason why the same sum should not be taken for England.—(flear.) But that would be going far beyond the proposition before them. Various parties in Ireland had given their opinion that that proposal would be foe the interest of the people, and it had struck him that their opinion was well founded. He believed that the proposal they had made wool I enlarge the franchise, hut that if they had pro posed 5/. there would have been little chance of such a proposal being agreed to. Oa the present occasion the Committee must deal with the proposal as it thought fit, but the Government had not made their proposal with out great consideration. Mr. CHRISTOPHER was surprised that Hon. Mem bers on the other side connected with Ireland should state boldly that an Si. rating in Ireland was equivalent to one of 161. or IS/. in England. He had often heard the Irish Members complain, when the poor-law ques tion was before the House, that Ireland was glievuusly oppressed by overrating:. How did they reconcile the two statemeuts?—(Hear.) Mr. ROEBUCK said they were net now discussing the poor-law. He cluld not avoid feeling astonished at the statement of the Noble Lord the First Minister. The Nob'e Lord lett the Committee to deal with the proposed measure as it thought fit, saying that the Go vernment had made inquiries of certain parties in Ire land hefire making up their minds on the subject. But why did not the Noble Lord take the. opinion of the Irish M,mbers, every one of whom who had spoken had told them that the Bill would greatly reduce the borough constituency. ale hoped the Noble Lord would post pone further consideration of the question. He would appeal to the Secretary for Ireland, as the Noble Lord seemed unprepared to deal with the question. Mr. M'CULLAGH, in reference to the remark of the Hon. Member for North Lincolnshire, said the Hon. Member seemed to forget that the lower the reduction the greater was the amount of rates levied. If the Noble Lord would refer to the report on the reduction of the franchise commission, he would see it stated that — even before the period of depreciation —not only would an 8/. franchise strike off a great many 101. occupiers, but that even a 5/. rating would have the same effect. Mr. ICERSHAW hoped the Committee would not at present divide, and that the Government would not con sider the question. The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY thought that if the Government would give any hope that they would re-consider the question the debate should be adjourned, but if they gave no such hope the sooner they divided the better.—(Cries of " Divide.") Mr. GROGAN said it would be impossible to increase the constituency much below an 8/. rating without going to the poor-house.—(Divide.) Mr. REYNOLDS thought the Chairman ought to re port progress.—(Divide.) He would suggest the atten tion of the Government to one fact. The aggregate number of Irish boroughs was 33, the population in round numbers being about 700,000, while the whole number of voters was not more than 40,000, of which number Dublin, Cork, and Belfast claimed 30,000, leav ing about 10,000 voters to the thirty boroughs. The Committee then divided, when there appeared-- Fur the amendment ..• ••• ... 90 Against it ... ••• ••• ... 142 Majority against the amendment... --52 Mr. GROGAN then moved in the same clause to in sert after the words " poor rates, the words " grand jury cess and police rates. Mr. FORBES thought it was unadvisable to proceed further with the discussion at that Me hour (then near one o'clock). Lord J. RUSSELL said he did not thick the propo sition of the Hon. Member would be an improvement to the Bill. The amendment was then negatived without a division. After a few words from Sir R. FERGUSON, the 6th c'auee, as amended, was then agreed to. It was then moved that the Chairman should report progress. Lord J. RUSSELL said, in reply to an Honourable Member, that he proposed going on with the Bill again on Moneay next. The House having resumed, the CHAIRMAN re ported progress, the report was received, and kayo was obtained to sit again on Monday. Mr. %YAWN moved for returns respecting the management of the port of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Mr. lIEADLAM opposed the motion, as the produc tion of such a return would serve no public purpose. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the motion ... ... 6 Against it Majority There not having been 40 Members present, the House adjourned at a Quarter past One o'clock. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TA rTERSALL'S.—YESTERDAY. THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES. 6 to 1 agst Mr. Hilford's Harriott, 3 yrs, sst 101 b—t 7 to 1 agst Mr. H. Hill's Osterley, 4 yrs, 7st 12 to 1 agst Sir J. Hawley's Fernhill, 5 yra, Bst 41b —taken 15 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Belus, 4 yrs, 7st 51b 20 to 1 agst Duke cf Bedford's Mahratta, 4 yrs, sst nib Harriott was backed for a la-go stake at 6to 1, and jointly with Osterley at 5 to 2, for two or three hundred pounds; 700 to 200 was also laid agst them, the layers, however, refusing to go on. METROPOLITAN STARES. 5 to 1 agst Mr. Gratwicke's Cheerful, 4 yrs, Est—t 25 to 1 agst Mr. Carew's Eva, 4 yrs, 6st 121 b—taken We have quoted the only horses backed; the outlay on each amounted to about 3001. NEWMARKET HANDICAP. 20 to 1 agst Mr. Frankum's Dolly Varden, 4 yrs, Est 71b—taken to 201. TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES. 9 to 4 agst Lord H. Lennox's Beehunter—taken 11 to 2 agst Mr. Bowes's Mickleton—taken CHESTER CUP. The only bets on this event were 1,000 to 50 agst El. lerdale, 2,000 to 30 agst Horn of Chase, and 1,000 to 15 amt Sir Richard. DERBY. 7 to 1 agst Duke of Richmond's Ghillie Callum—t 15 to 2 agst Mr. W. Edwards na Bolingbroke 12 to 1 agst Mr. Gratwieke's The Nigger—taken 15 to 1 agst Lord Zetland's Voltigeur —taken 20 to 1 agst Lord Airlie's Clincher-22 to 1 taken freely 25 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Mayors—taken to 1001. 25 to 1 agst Mr. Jaques's Mildew—taken 33 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Mickleton—taken 50 to 1 agst Mr. Dixon's Blarney—taken Ghillie Callum was in general favour this afternoon, and on a considerable outlay again became first favourite; 7 to 1 was scarcely obtainable at the close. Clincher was backed freely at 22 to 1, and tho horses returned, for small sums, at the priers quoted. AN AMERICAN on the ENGLISH ARISTOCRACY. " Your opinion of the upper classes, I am afraid," ob served Richard, "is not very favourable." " I think they beat us holl ow i n t h e sof.-:;awder hne," replied Mr. Trumbull; " can't come up to them, no how, there. When you squat down in a grand house here, you live at your Case, as if the whole concern belonged to you; but it requires a windlass to draw a natural mAn up to the top of their ceremonials. I've been taking notes cf their modes and habits, and there's uo end to 'ens. It strikes me, Mr. Rawlings, that though they have their feet in the clay, like other people, they carry their heads out of sight up in the clouds. I calcu • I n v, your aristocracy will take a long time a-drowning." " But upon the aristocracy afier all," Richard ventured to interpose, "depends the solidity of our institutions." " That's a remarkable observation, rejoined Mr. Trumbull; "it's just like building a house upside down. That's not the way we go to work in America. We make our foundaions in th e ear th ; we base everything in the people; anti it will b e an i m mortal tempest that will shako the eter na l i nst i tutions o f t h e Union. The thing's impossible, by no means w hatever; and when your monarchies a n d no bili t i e; are scat t e red like wrecks upon the great ocean o f t i me, t h e b an ner of the Stripes and Stars will float sublimely over them, and the Re public will be heard through all eternity, singing out, Hail. Colombia, happy land!' " You really think so?" " I'm clear convinced of it. What can come of a country where the principle of representation—the first law of the universe—is a mere sham?" " Will you be good enough to explain yourself, Mr. Trumbull?" said Richard. " Square yourself then, Mr. Rawlings, for I'm coming to the clock-works. His Lordship tells me you're going to have a general election, and being curious to get all the information I can on the machinery of your com plicated society, he lets me see how the wheels aro greased beforehand. Now it's quite transparent to me that the elc.t srs have no more to do with it than so many spades and shovels. They're clawed up and bowled out long before you come to the poll. That's my specu lation on the case. While men like you, Mr. Rawlings, are waiting to get in at the reg'lar time, when the doors of the Constitution are to be opened to the public at large, the aristocracy are letting themselves in at the private entrance with a latch.key."— The " Ladder of Gold," in Bentley's Miscellany for March. THE ROCHDALE SAVINGS' BANK.--The number of depositors who have fetched their pass-books is 2,697, 39 of whom refused to sign the proposition of the trus tees, but several of them have since called at the bank and signed it. The trustees at present intend to pay the first dividend about the 11th inst. The petition to Par liament, praying "that the deficiency in the funds of the bank be paid by Parliament, and that a grant be made for that purpose," has been sighed by 2,470 depositors, and has ken sent to London for presentation. There is little doubt that the rest of the depositors will very shortly sign the proposition of the trustees, and in that case, the affairs of the bank will be settled without the intervention of Mr. Tidd Pratt. The amount of the subscription is 17,0001., and the trustees are yet using every exertion to increase the amount.—Munchester Courier. [ADVERTISE/SIENTI—An Abscess in the Breast Cured by Holloway's Ointment and Pills.— About three years since Mrs. O'Flaherty of Mill-street, Cork, accidentally bruised her breast, for months afterwards the pain increased ; various applications and wer the e tr tried part without tg e i v i fearfully l eastswollen relief. Ultimately an ab scess formed, discharging a groat quantity of humour, which debilitated her constitution to an alarming extent ; at this stage a lady strongly recommended her to try Holloway's Ointment and Pills, having witnessed their good effects on former occasions, which advice she followed, and these fine medicines answered most satisfactorily, for the wound was soon healed, and her health is now completely renovated.— Sold by all Druggists and at Professor Holloway ' s Establishment, 244, Strand, London. LAW INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 4. JIOTLE AND OTHERS V. SIR J. INGLIS COCHRANE. At the close of the arguments, Toe LORD CutuicELLon intimated that their L-ird ships Nv.ul( - 1 take time to consider the case, and deliver judgment on Monday next. Thehouse then adjourned. ROLLS' COURT, March 4. TIM, LONDONDERRY AND ENNISKILLEN RAILWAY COMPANY V. LEISHMAN. Ilk was a demurrer by James Leishman, the de fendant, to a bill filed against him by the plaintiff, praying for a declaration of the Court that the award arid final certificate of completion of the railway and other certificates had been procured by fraud; that the defendant be decreed to deliver them up to the company, and that the accounts of all the works done rind materials supplied under the contract between the parties might be opened; for account of all the works done and materials msed, with the prices which ought to have beryl allowed for them in accordance with the terms of the contract ; and fir an ac count of all moneys paid to the defendant on ac count of the contract, &c. The bill stated an Act of Parliament of the 9h of the Queen, for making a railway from Londonderry to Enniskiben, and that the plaintiffs appointed under that Act Alex ander 111‘lienzie Ross to be the principal engineer; and the bib then charged that the difference of the prices of the works executed by the defendant and the prices charged by him was so large that it would be found not only that the defendant had received the full amount of all the works he had done for the com pany, but that he had been considerably overpaid, and that a large debt was due from him to the company. The bill also charged that the accounts were extremely intricate and complex, and that the correctness of the items of the account depended upon circumstances which could be ascertained only by way of discovery from the defendant, Leishman ; and it prayed for an injunction to restrain the defendant from issuing any attachment, or enfarcing the award, or taking pro ceeding under a rule of a court of law which had been obtained by the defendant. Mr. Roundell Palmer, Mr. Selwyn, and Mr. Mel- lish were for the defendant, in support of the de murrer ; and Mr. Hetherington, contra, was for the plaintiffs .. , the company. Lord LINGDALE said he must allow the demurrer, CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. William Bradley, a young man of respectable ap pearance, surrendered to take his trial upon a charge of stealing three yards of velvet, and 171 yards of silk, the property of George Stagg and another. Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Huddleston were fur the prosecution; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Clark son and Mr. Parry. This case occupied the Court several hours, and the circumstances under which the charge was pre ferred appeared to be of rather an unusual character. The prosecutors of the indictment are Messrs. Stagg and Mantle, who carry on an extensive business as drapers and silk mercers in Leicester-square; and it appeared that on the 24th of Deecember, the day on which the alleged felony was said to have been com mitted, the prisoner had been in their service as shop man for a period of four years. Upon the thy in question, according to the evidence fur the prosecu tion, in consequence of some suspicion that was en tertained of the manner in which the prisoner con ducted himself, a watch was set upon his proceedings, aed be was observed to cut off a portion of a piece of velvet, and also to take a silk dress, and he then placed both the articles between some boxes under the coun ter. It seemed that among the customers of the prose cutor was a French milliner and dress-maker named Madame Routens, who carried on her business in Charles *street, Soho-square, and this lady, it appeared, had a credit account with the firm, and on the morning of the 24th of December a little girl was sent by her to the shop for some trifling articles, which were furnished to her by the prisoner, and duly entered. Later in the day a hoy, also in the service of Madame Routens, went to the prosecutor's shop to fetch two pairs of gloves and some muslin lining, and the prisoner served him, and when he had packed up these articles he was observed to place the velvet and the silk in the parcel, and the boy hfc the shop. It appeared to be the custom of the prosecutor's business that the shopman selling any article on credit to a customer should immediately cause an entry to he made by a clerk employed for that purpose, and it appeared that the prisoner had cause the gloves and the lining to be entered, but made no mention at the time of the other articles. Im mediately upon the boy leaving the shop he was fol lowed and brought back, and the silk and velvet were found in his possession, and it appeared that almost at the same moment the prisoner went a second time to the, entering clerk, and required him to make an entry of the silk and velvet being sent to Madame Routens on approval; and it was al leged on the part of the prosecution that the prisoner did not do this until he saw that the boy had been brought back with the property. Upon the prisoner being questioned, he asserted that he had caused the entry cf the goods to be properly made, and also said that Madame Routens had given him the order for the velvet and the satin on the previous day at her own house ; but the prosecutors not being satisfied with the explanation given to them, gave the prisoner in charge, and he was examined at Marl borough-street police-court, when the magistrate, upon hearing the defence set up by the prisoner, directed that Madame Routens should be sent for, and upon hearing her evidence he dismissed the charge against the prisoner. It appeared that after this Mr. Hum phreys, the solicitor for the prisoner, wrote to the prosecutors, and applied on his behalf for some wages that were due to him, and at the same time required that they should make a written acknowledgment that there was no foundation for the charge they had pre ferred against him, and stating that unless they did so the only alternative the prisoner would have to clear his character would be to bring all the facts before a jury. The only notice taken of this letter by the prosecutors was to refer Mr. Humphreys to their solicitor; and it appeared that shortly afterwards the present in dictment was preferred before the grand jury; but on reference to this part of the case, Mr. Stagg stated that before Mr. Humphreys' letter had been received, directions had been given to his solicitor to proceed with the case by preferring a bill before the grand jury notwithstanding the charge having been dismissed by the magistrate. The counsel for the prisoner cross-examined the several witnesses for the prosecution at considerable length, and en deavoured to show that the prisoner had given the prosecutors warning shortly before the transaction, and that he was about to set up in business on his own account in the neighbourhood of the prosecutors' shop, but the evidence did not show either of the allegations to be founded on fact. Mr. CLARKSON, in addressing the jury for the de. fence, complained of the manner in which the prose cution had been got up, and urged the unfairness of Madame Routens not being called as a witness, when it was well known that the prisoner had all along asserted his innocence, and that his lady had actually engaged him to supply her with the articles in quei• tion. The Learned Counsel then commented at con siderable length upon the facts of the case, and said, that,it appeared perfectly clear, that this prosecution was only instituted by the prosecutors in order to shield themselves from the consequences of the legal proceedings with which they were threatened on be half of the prisoner. Madame Routens, the lady referred to, was then called as a witness or the prisoner. She stated that she had been a customer at Messrs. Stagg and Man tle's for nearly five years, and as the prisoner spoke French he generally served her with the articles she required, and Mr. Mantle had himself requested him to pay particular attention to her, and during the last year s i ti nher and her and ahalfht eprisoner husband,ha a been nd i theyn th e were habi t on v friendly terms. The witness then said that on the Friday before the 24th of December the prisoner was at her house, and she requested him to send her the velvet and silk, the former being required for the approved of. She also said that the p risoner came again to her tnog be returned a e n t d arbn a o h end e n complained of his not purposeh having v house th ng e silk on supplied t f ph pemlwi Sunday, e aa d ks i e f t bonnets t thatwas notwere order ed , but Mr. BALLANTINE havi n g re p lied u p on this evidence, the articles in question. This testimony was confirmed by two other wit nesses. The RECORDER summed up, and the jury almost immediately returned a verdict of Not Guilty. The prisoner was ordered to be immediately dis charged. Owen Swift surrendered to take his trial for com mon assault. It was intimated to the Court that some arrange ment had been effected between the parties, and tbal the prosecutor did not intend to appear to support the charge. Under these circumstances the RECORDER directed' that a verdict of Not 1 3cuilty should be entered, upon an affidavit being made of the service of notice upon the prosecutor to appear and prosecute. Joseph Leney and Henry Lenry were indicted fur wounding Ephraim Jacobs with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Mc. Meller prosecuted ; Mr. W. Cooper was fir the defence. The prosecutor, who is the landlord of the White Horse public-house, Spitalfields, proved the assault - , but at the same time said he believed the prisoners were a little excited by liquor at the time, and that they did not intend to do him any serious mischief. He added that he had known them a great many years, and they had always been on friendly terms up to the time of this transaction, and he had no desire to press for a severe punishment upon them. The jury found the prisoners Guilty of a common assault, and they were sentenced to be imprisoned in N ewga t e f or 14 d a ys, and at the expiration of their term of imprisonment they were ordered to enter into their own recognizances in 40/. each to keep the peace for one year. NEW COURT. (Thfure Mr. BULLOCK.) John iulucarthy, aged 40, clerk, was convicted cf stealing the sum of 40/, the property of his masters, Henry Dolan and others. Mr. Woo:lett prosecuted. The facts of the ca3e were these :—The prisoner had been for twelve months in the employment of the prosecutors, who are the army agents of St. MArtia's lane, and was sent on the 4 h of February with a cheque for the amount in question to the CJrnmtrc:al Bank, where he got it cashed and aisconded. Nothing was heard of him until the 15. h, when he went to the p slice-station in an intoxicated state and gave himlelf up, alleging that he had lost the money. The prisoner made the Same d:f.•nce this day. The G)UItT sentenced him to eighteen month; ira • prisonment and hlrd labour. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. BOW-STREET. William Stephenson, a clorliinihe C4meral Post office, was clurged, before Mr.ll, with stealing three letters, supposed to contain Mr. Peacock, the Solicitor to the Post-office, pro secuted. John Ford, a messenger in the e3tablishmenf', proved that he was set to watch the prisoner in the discharge of his duty, as A clerk in the inl3nd dr partment, shortly before nine in the morning. While so engaged he saw the prisoner take up a letter, examine it, tear off a corner of the envelope, and shake it ; aftet which he put it on a little shelf and ledge apart from the other letters. Presently he took up a second letter in the same way, and placed that aside also ; after which he dropped a silk handkerchief over the two letters, and then put both handkerchief and letters into his pocket. Witness saw hitn take a third letter, and then gave information to the autho ritie3. Mr. E. Hol)b, a president in the Inland-office, de posed that he was on duty at the same time with the prisoner, who after the above discoveries, was taken to the Superintending President's room to be ex amined. He was accused of having letters in his pos session which did not belong to him, and asked if he had any objection to be searched. He made no ob jection, and denied the charge ; but before being searched he took out his pocket handkerchief and held it in his hand. Peak, the Post-office constable, found two letters in the same pocket, one of them being addressed to " Miss A. Watkins, 171, North street, Brighton," and the other to " Mr. J. Austen, Rolvendon, Kent." They had both arrived by the morning mail, and were broken open. On taking the handkerchief from the prisoner's hand, and shaking it, another letter fell from it, the seal of which re mained still unbroken. It was addressed to " Mr. C. Kinsett, Betchworth 'Vicarage, near Reigate, Surrey." (Witness opened the letter in court, and found it to contain IF. wrapt in paper). The prisoner who is a young man, reserved his de fence, and on the application of Mr. Peacock, his Worship remanded hiin for further examination. MARYLEBOAE. Mr. A. Richards, a tailar, carrying on business in Henry-street, St. John's-wood, and whose father is a prof?ssional gentleman residing in Kent, was chargA before Mr. Broughton with having stolen a valuable spaniel dog, the property of Mr. Skrymsher, houEe agent, Thrrison-street, Gray's Inn-road. Mr. Hindley, from the office of Messrs. Davies and Co., solicitors, Portman-square, attended for the defendant. A gre It deal of evidence was gone into, and it ap peared that on the night of the 231 October last de fendant, whose aunt was a lodger at the house, the landlord of which was Mr. Oldridge, called to see his relation, and played a few games of cribbage in the kitchen ; he quitted at ten o'clock, and almost im mediately after he had h-ft: the dog was missed. It, was ultimately, owing to much judicious manceavring on the part of Mr. Skrymsher, found by him in the possession of the defendant, who had it with him in his garden at some distance from his dwelling. lie alleged that he bought the animal, six months ago, for ten shillings, of a man in a fustian jacket, whom he met in Gray's Inn-road. He was then given into the custody of Glenn, 323 S, who accompanied com plainant to the house in plain clothes, and by whom he (defendant) was conveyed to the station. Many respectable persons came forward to give the defendant a good character from the knowledge which they had had of him fir several years. The case—the hearing of which occupied upwards of an hour and a half—was at length decided by the magistrate fining defendant 151., in addition to 5 guineas, at which he should put the value of the dog ; in default of payment, hard labour in the House of Correction for four months. Had the offence been committed by one of the numerous men known to Le regular dogstealers, he should, without inflicting any fine at all, have sent him to prison for the full period of six months. The sum of 201. was speedily paid, and 1 fondant and his friends then quitted the court. Yesterday Mr. Broughton received from "111 , . Bond" IL, and from " IV. R. II." half-a-sovereign, for the young man Rollin', who, by the intrepidity which he displayed a week ur ten days ago, succeeded in rescuing from drowning in the Regent's-canal Elizl beth Higgins and her three children, one of them an infant seven months oil The reporter was re quested to acknowledge the receipt of the donations alluded to. CLERKEN WELL. Two boys named, Perkins and Walfourd, were placed at the bar, before Mr. Tyrwhitt, charged with having been concerned in setting fire to Clara Carr, a girl five years of age, by which her life is placed in imminent danger. It will be recollected that some boys were playing together in Reform-buildings, St. Luke's, when a man, connected with a manufactory, threw a lump of brimstone into a dusthole, with which they com menced playing, and having lit a portion of it, they flung it on the child's clothes ; she was instantly en veloped in flames, her person was dreadfully injured, and her arms nearly burnt to a cinder. 11.er mother ran to her assistance, and in attempting to extinguish the flames her hands and arms were also severely burnt. The child is now in St. B irtholomew's Fatal,' and the mother an outpatient cf that establish ment. Perkins, who was the principal in the affair, was apprehended on the spot, and he was remanded for the apprehension of Walfourd. Tae poor mother al.- tended with her hands and arms bound up, and in great agony. After a lengthened investigation the prisoners were liberated on bail, and delivered over to their parents, to appear again in a week, when the fate of the in jured child will be made known. SO U7ll NARK. Stephen Boxhall, sen., and Stephen Boxhall, jun., father and son, were brought up for re•examination, charged with causing the death of a man named Prestage on Monday night last. The circumstances which led to the death of the deceased young man occurred in a beer-shop called the Horns, in Bermondsey, on Friday evening. They were altogether in the above house, and some words having arisen between them, during which Boxhall, jun., used language of an offensive description to wards Mrs. Prestage, her husband resented the insult by threatening to strike the offender if he repeated the calumny. The latter did repeat the offensive ex pressions and struck the deceased, and, according to the evidence of the witnesses, acted towards the de ceased with great violence by running his head against the lower part of his abdomen, thereby causing a rupture of the unfortunate man's bladder, of which he died in the hospital on the Monday evening following. Since the occurrence an inquest has been held on the body of the deceased, and a verdict of " Manslaughter" returned. The pri - soners, who declined saying anything at present in their defence, were committed. WANDSWORTH. Thomas Day, William Clark, and George Biden, had their fourth hearing, before Mr. Beadon, on a charge of being concerned in the death of Ely Wing, late toll-collector at the Robin Hood-gate, Kingston bottom. At the last examination Biden was allowed to be sworn as a witness, but some circumstances trans piring which led to a suspicion of his testimony, the case was abruptly closed for the producti on of a younger son of Biden's master, who was in attend ance yesterday, and from the evidence he gave not only proved that Biden had told a tissue of falsehoods, but cleared up this mysterious and contradictory case in a very extraordinary manner ; as, however, an other witness of au equally important character was required, it was deemed politic by the magistrate that the evidence given should be withheld until the other witness was examined. Mr. Alfred Taylor, the chief clerk, then proceeded to take the voluminous depositions of the numerous witnesses, preparatory to the committal of the pri soners for trial. The depositions, which occupied upwards of two hours in the taking, were afterwards read carefully over to the prisoners by the chief clerk, to which they offered no defence, and the whole of the witnesses were bound over to appear at the next assizes to be holden at Kingston, and there prEfer a charge against the prisoners of , feloniously stabbing and slaying one E'y Wing. The prisoners were then formally committed, but will be brought up again to-morrow. THE CASE OF THE REV. ME. ROOKES.—The Bishop of Exeter has entirely removed the Rev. Charles Rook(s from the diocese of Exeter. The time allowed for the , appeal having now gone by, the Bishop ha) just insti tuted the Rey. Thomas Rutherford Dickinson, M.A., to the rectory of Nyinott Rowland, which the Rev. Mr. Ro dies hr1(1. The Earl Fitzwilliam has been unanimously elected High Steward of Cambridge, in the room of the late , Lord Godolphin,. THE ARMY. We have again to announce the death of another general officer, Major-General Alured Faunce, C. 13., erect took place at Clifto❑ on the lit of this month. G,mercl Faunce served with the army in liar:ave!' in 1805-6, a t t h e s i ege an d cap t ure o f C o p en h agen in 1 307, with the army under Sir Jon Moore, first at Gottenburg, and afterwards throughout the opera tions in Poi tug-A and Spain, in 1808-9 ; with the army in the S..:htldt in 1809 ; in the Peninsula from November 1810 to February 1813, including the storm and capture of B i d a j o y, w h ere h e was woun d e d in the thigh, and the battle of Salamanca; also at the investment of Bayonne in 1814. Ile served also in the American war, was present at the battle of Bla den=burg and capturo of IVashingten, the action m•ar Ba!timoro, and the operations before New 0:leen?, and was surerely wounded iu 1815. Hs had received the gold mfd..tl fur Sal.ananc”, and the silver war medal with two clasps for Cirunna and 13 ;dei,,z Nothing isyetknown ns to the name of the general “fficer to succeed the colooelcy of the 18:h no) al Irish 11 , ..girnent, vacant by the death of Lord Aylmer. Letters from Chatham. mention the probabili , y of Colonel Weare, the commandant of the provi:iocal haft :'inn, beirg p: , rrnittecl to sell his commksit n t-) 1i {jor JerviF, of the 723 Highlanders, and of the f , dlowin7 arrangement taking place in consequence : Lit•tttc•nant Colonel Kelly to have the command of th) bAttalior, and M j ,r Jarvis, as lieutenant-colonel, :o succeed Colonel Kelly. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Sir F. T. Baring, Bar`., has so improved in health that he will receive officers, as usual, this day. M. Elliott, the late master of the Childers, who was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for deser tion, has been r , leased from t'..e Queen's Benei pri son. the term of his sentence having expired. The Phaeton, 50, Captain G. Elliot, arrived at Dev,np3rt, at 2 30 P.m., on Sunday, and will b 3 paid advance and be ready to leave by the end of the wet k with the Conflict, screw-sloop, Commander Drake, for Lisbon direct. The liamoaze lighter, Wood master, trr:v.d at Devonport on Siturday, viith stores, ft-tin Pem broke. Too Sharpshooter screw-steamer, Lit W. Com mander Bailey, has been taken into the steam basin at Portsmouth, to have her defective boihrs put so rights. The Sprightly, Portsmouth steam-tender, Master Commander Alio', has gone into the old basin to be docked, having something the matter with her water cocks. THE PACIFIC.—The Asia, 84, Captain Stopford, with the flag cf Rear-Admiral liornby, was at C iliac. The Admiral was about to proceed to Nica ragua in company with other ships of the squadron ; and there to put himself in communication with the Britith Charge d'Affaires. The flag lieutenant had been unwell, but on the 13th January had recovered. The Amphitrite, 25, Captain Eden, was going the rounds far freight. She was to be the first vessel flx England, and would probably sail from Valparaiso about the end of April. The Champion, 14, Commander Hayes, had arrived at Panama with one million and a half of dollars on board, which she landed there, and proceeded to Val paraiso. The Cockatrice tender, .11aster Commander Rundle, -efts going the rounds of the station. The Driver, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Johnson, was at Callao, Jan. 13. The Driver had received provisions and stores for the Herald, which she was to take to the Sandwich Islands, to which islands the Asia was also to have gone, but the business of Tigre Island had altered these arrangements. The Driver was to go to Van couver's Island with the new Governor, Mr. Blan chard, who had arrived from England by*the last mail packet. This trip would probably occupy the Driver about seven weeks, and she would probably return by the port of San Francisco. Toe G )2-gen steam-.loop, Clmmander Paynter, had returned to Callao from Tigre Island, and taken off the guns and men that she had left there in I.os session. The men had all suffered more or less from fever, but were nearly all recovered. In consequence of the Tigre Llsnd affair there was a stop put to the Asia's visit to the Sandwich Islands. PLYMOUTH, MARCII 3.—The Sphynx steamer, with mails for Madeira and the coast of Africa, and luggage for Admiral Auster, East Indies, sailed yes terday. The crew of the packet Crane was paid wages on Friday, and she sailed f Falmouth on Saturday. The guns and stores having been shipped on board the frigate Aretbusa, she will be placed at her sailing moorings on Monday, token down harbour on Friday, and will probably sail on the 18th ins•. to join tl - e squadron at Lisbon. The brig Philomel was towed out of harbour 3 et terday by the Fearless steam-ves=el. Toe brig Britomsrt was undocked stri mast( d yes terday. The Nautilus fender was undocked on Tuesday. The inacl:ert•l fishery, which has been hitherto or successful, assumed a more cheering aspect this morning. Some boats returned with fair average catches, Dried induced those in harbour speedily to hoist their canvas, and hasten to the fishing-ground. A considerable quantity of mackerel has been for warded per South Devon Railway. Wind, south-wee. APPOINTMENTS WOOLWICH, MAucu 4.—Commander Robert T. Bedford (1848), to command the Lily, 12-gun sloar, commissioned this day, at Portsmouth. Lieutenant, William Burdon (1848), to the Lily. Master William T. Tregido (1849), to the Lily. Paymaster and Purser James D. Gilpin (1849), to he Lily. Master's Assistant J. H. Blachford, to the Lily. Clerk Charles J. Webb (1849), to the Lily. Clerk's Assistant J. M. Ketcham, to the Lily. thatswain William Woolfrey, to the Lily. Carpenter Jt,hn Bowage, to the Lily. PROMOTIONS. Mate Iltid T. M. Nichol' (1849), of the Caledonia, 120, on the Mediterranean station, to the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed to the ,Queen, 116, flag ship of Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G.O B , on the Mediterranean statior, vice Breen, deceased. Captain Austin, C. 8., and Captain Ommanney, both arrived at Woolwich at an early hour this morning, and continued until three o'clock, P.M., en tering men and making arrangements for furthering the expedition making ready to proceed to the Arctic regions in search of Sir John Franklin. Paymaster and Parser W. W. Parminter, ap pointed to the expedition, visited Woolwich dock yard to-day, and is reported by the Medical Board to be in a state of health which would not warrant his proceeding to the Arctic regions at the present time. Mate A. T. J. Bullock is also reported by the Medi cal Board as unfit to endure the rigours of the northern regions, and both these officers will be superseded, although most anxious to join the expe ditiOn. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, MONDAY. her Majesty walked this morning in the Slopes and Windsor Park. The Royal Family took their accustomed walking and pony exercise. His Royal Highness Prince Albert went out hunting this morning, attended by Lord Alfred Paget and Colonel Bouverie. The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening will include her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Lady in Waitir g to the Duchess of Kent, th 3 Baroness de Speth, Colcnel the Hon. Charles Grey, Mr. Birch, and Mr. Glover. nex T t h , ethQeue9etilh w in i s l t l .., hold a Privy Council on Saturday Sum monses at WE re issued e 2,t erdaay Buckinghamto the hiiniter and Officers of State. P a lace.s a A deputation from the Protesta nt Dissentin g depu ties bad an interview with Lor d John RussellYe yester day, r tre t - day, at his offi c i a l residence in Downing-s treet, Australian on nin gColo -set he subject of Church rate and h Colo nies • • Bill Th e deputation consisted of Mr. John R e mington Mill AI-. Nathaniel Griffin, Mr. Joseph East, Mr. Josiah Conder, Mr. Charles Reed, Mr. Benjamin Danbury , Mr. George Offor, Mr. Samuel Beddome,Mr. Ebenezer Clarke, Mr. Robert Hull T e rrell, r. William Carlisle, and the Secretary. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lady Mary Wood left town yesterday for Brighton. Baron de Goldsmid, Mr. Bailey, and Mr. Rendel had an interview with the Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods and Forests on Friday. The delegates appointed by a conference of medical men from various parts of the kingdom on the subject of medical reform, had an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday at the Home-office. The deputation consisted of Nathaniel Clifton (chairman), Islington; Thomas Martin, Reigate ; G eorge B o tt om l e y, Croy• don ; John Bowling, Hammersmith ; Farnham Flower, Chiicompton, Somerset ; Richard Southee, Cambridge ; John Propert, New Cavendish -street ; James Bird, Orchard-street ; George James Squibb, Orchard-street ; George Webster, Dulwich ; P. Hood, Lower Seymour -street ; Henry Ancell, Norfolk terrace ; and Thomas H. Smith, St. Mary Cray, Kent. Mr. Talbot had an interview with Lord John RIM• sell yesterday. RICHMOND THEATRE.—Aperformace by 'gentle men amateurs took place at this pretty little theatre last night. The pieces were . the Lady of Lyons, Box and Cox, and Bombotes Fu!-coso. The professional ladies engaged for the occasion were Miss Jane Mordaunt Miss J. Coleman, an d Mrs. W. L. Red e , w h o eac h ac quitted themselves with th eir usual exe:llence. To the gentlemen amateurs we say—Ne 6utor ultra frepidec THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, 'MARCH 5, i 859