The Sun. — London, England, 1850-03-15 00:00:00

It was , - (nic to aim stit- that eiCCtIa2StIP.CN Widsout 11 5 4 n e 1 E 1 )0'1 ol his Noble F: fend, there was now pro remedy the inconvealenee which existed. The 111 4 , 1 ,'" u n• B trout t then refrisrel to the repertriderde where in s 'I, CtOTS ( f rear teries ie Manchester arid else les3en'ts,ll°"'ing the greet inconvenitieee produced by the stalir e d Prticuls-ly that pertien of it which mil! the a t ittnihhe e f the lelentring clesses at the rases at "ail -past feet e'closk in thee, morning. Iti must eta ; tt ,, greet number were employed but fir ti few mi theu the purpose of cemplying with the Act, and were s estin l- ; i epelleel to go to their homes fir some hours, before to rni n g work again, which was a great iucenvenience dep rty PY , end pressed heavily on al!, by needlessly lli g h, l ,ng them of two or three hour,' rest. The ta ath ' l lonourable Baronet then proceeded to observe. tar e . did 0,.,t think that the intention 13f the Leeislit- I nel agog el , 'ar and indisoulable as the Noble Lord ati4: 4lt ned it to be. His Noble Friend laid it down as 411 p e 1 '1 ) b e L e r, that it was distinctly intended that Were persons belonging to the classes afteeteel by the law ( 11te ad ll a w°1-1 t ten hours only continuously, and he had Itel to 'Toni Mr. Iterner in suoet t if ;ha', assumption, Ki i i i) . 3 ""iit that in 1844 it was directly intended to 4 ,, er tt the shift system. He (Sir G. Grey) Nvas, how - fea4 t opinion th a t th e s t a tement of Mr. Horner re nd t ° the Bill, end not t the Act Of 184 1 , and the I °4 of the Legislature was not to he sought, in Ltal:: l , 4 t first intro or iu the &l ever upon these, to t• t he e!auses of the Acts which embodied that in if th l ?* Beroti Park-, in his judament, had said that t he l e . l , l , 4 lit 'lition of the L l•tel been to enact that Pos e I , t 's laaoar should cantinuettie aria to stop thet ll the children and young persons simultane-ms, lait ei tk tentiou should have been eleerl; add definitely ill Weil, th a t was p rec i se ly the intention of the 4 1 as introduced i n 1844 by his Noble Friend, and llor " no doubt but that it was to that Bill Mr. it w l ler ref erred. In the (deb as clan se of that Bill lek:i s !apressly enacted filet a tl c hildren Lind young la they ohoiild commeilcs work aed leave off well ' s 15ihou same hours. That clause was clear and urinin -Iv4o and, if :adopt it by tao Legislature, would title ) Ito doubt whatever of the intention of the Ls ,,\'? tl ' e to put and end to shifts and relays. But what A01,, k , Oahe ,result of ihet Bill? It war withdrawn by his Th e Friend, and a new Bill, in which the eighth the ii•„wa 5 wanting, it was not propose again. t lts fu l t h i l - in that respect ' was altogether different, and Zii s s t; th ': ).. ati3 . :ll which passed into a law. He, there ugnt his Noble .Friend was not fully justified in Ita: c l Ung that the intention f Pirliame it was as he had iG it. That intention must be taken as it was found ststute-hook. The withdrawal of the Bill in its pc,, tal form by his Noble Friend, and his not again :4 8 a tt, the unambiguous clause had referred to, aok ii t aacrent to cause doubts upon the subject. He did tale nt ,?w ever, me a n to say that the intention of Parlia aarouad not been truly stated by his Noble Friend; he cl ew l • Y Cott en d e d t h at t h at i n t e ntion bed not b: en so Vet;.?; and unequivocally expressed ao to justify the (11 . 4t uoeided statement made by his Noble Friend.- 14 11s1 : ' ) ., 11 , eat') Witn respett to the course proposed by 105 sot ° uazi Friend, he was gratified to find that he did tt : oe e ad, 'as he understood him, to call upon the iatet) to Pats a declaratory Bill as to what was the Wee e l % of the Legislature, because he thought it tip n ot fer one Parliament to declare the iaten the , 1 another. It would not be necessary fcr him on ptile present occasion to offer any oh•servetions upon o .`ette (l ti -r , B° proposed to be taken by his Noble Friend, or ao e tPate the discussion on the provisions of the Bill. deaf ° u l 'l enter upon that discussion with an anxious vati lo secure to children and young persons all the 4 1 44 ' l O3 which it was clear the measure was calcu•• MislAe make, upon them, while at the same time he desir e t o l ay as littl e restriction upon adult labour ItoW si ble.—(flca,r, hear.) Whether that was possible N e matter far fUture considera•ion. lie should not while tO the introduction of the Bill—(flear, hear)— a,? a ltt I!Aki same time he did not bind himself to any Iltj a c of it, was not ashamed to confess that on te, h t tiPertant subject his mind was not finally made up , le,4 4 se he saw that there were vast and great interests th 7Qd in it, and he was most sincerely desirous that t ittia k i ktter should be settled in a way that would give ac tion and the greatest amount of benefit to ell the °it interested in it. lie would suggest t his Neble t oto sla , l the propriety of introducing a strict thfinition of the liolg n ight." As to one bean [ t he must remark that his pertain Friend appeared to error when he stated that 'ltz rt lin districts it was:almost impossible as pt Of 3 tO levy the fines fur the infraction of the provisions ! i i t e Act. He had before him a report of the inspector h e l pec-t to a ease at Blackburn (as we understood) , Ten the magistrate, though by no means a friend of m Hours'. Aet, inflicted upon the Messrs. Flop • Pen:ads, to the amount of 70 / , for fifty eases of . 4i lef raetion of the Act. He repeated that he would tli t i s ?PP° sl e the introduction of the measure , but in dis bing the question his great desire would be, as far as 114°1°, to reconcile the master and the operative, whose It ett ' e3 ts were identical. He believed the manufacturers de a animated by a fair and generous principle in their 4 0 „ In gi with those in their employment. lbo saw his - Friend opposite (Mr. Bankes) shake his head, and oi‘?ss sorry to • see that he did not concur in that tet - r n a lun t But he thought that, without favouring an 10 4 ,1,T0 view on either side, it was possible , b y a fcir tio e -I "itory adjustment of the claims of each, to pro )1. that amity betwc ea manufacturers and operatives 4 14 was essential to the prosperity and welfare o f ' l l(tiear, bear.) Met BANKES said, tl'e Right Hon. Baronet bad ex lhattled with his usual ability the state of his mind at k ttt , 11, A - ula with reference to this question. It was a 1s ) ," which must be very soon decided, because the It 4 : l4 tt uncertainty and division among those interested 41 11 1 11 ot creditable either to the Government or the Le ature,,—(llear, hear.) He thought the house would ia: I Z with him that they were very m t ' eh indebted to fare :ehi° Friend for taking the matter up, after the Go • th e uolit had declined to do se. He must dissent from ka t at t etoment implied in the Right H o n. Baronet's re klah'es4 a% to the course propos ed b y his Noble Friend. ita i Ta`'oble Friend had most distinctly stated that it was th,' A ntention to call upon the House to declare that ta - e'''''t was a Ten Hours' Act of continuous labour, to te e s e r , 'toned from the hour the first young person c0m c14,,-"d work. Whether that ought t be done by a de to,:atery or an enacting Bill, was comparatively of little Vefluenee, though, under all the circumstances, per -14",1,1 an enacting Act would be the most proper. With Wet to the intentions of the Legislature in 1844, he o Di prothss to he able to give a very decided 4 " ) ,Ils though his impression was the reverse 11 ) ,,,1nat of . the Right Honourable Baronet at 4,' time ; having been very gradually induced to a supporter of measures intended to lessen af f ,'alsour of the factory operatives, he contented him -01 its taking a very humble part. The statements 1 4 ,(us Noble Friend, and the high authority which be aZe,cl to the late Mr. Fielden as a large manufacturer, cumed with the advantages which all experience had li t re to result from every approach in that direction, 1 4 , s , however, fully confirmed him in the soundness and mess of the policy he had advocated. Whatever tOut b e the case with respect to the Bill of 1844, re certainly was no doubt about that of 1847. But it somewhat strange that there should have been such tb~ t fference between the Bill of his Nob le F riend, and ) 4fL Act which was passed in 1844 . His Noble Fr iend, a' r obtaining the sanction of Parliament to that Bill, ite • la, Induced, - by the belief that the Government of that ie a were cordially with him, to leave to them the carrl ° of the measure, and withdrew his own upon that J:,erstinding. Perhaps the R i g ht Hon. Baronet (Sir k G raham), who was then Secretary of State for the lei t no Department, would inform the House how it 4 : 4 the Bth clause was omitted.—(loo.r, hear.) But he had said, whatever doubt there was as to the tjution of Parliament in 1844, there was none as e the i n t en ti o n in 1847, the Bill was dist inctl y t O t ltd as a Ten Hours' Bill. It was argued Uf both by its supporters and its opponents. Not one ki p the lion. Gentlemen opposite had any i dea of the 1 ) ;.1 System, by which the low had been subseq uentl y Vied. Indeed they taunted the oppone nts with the I,"'t that practically the Bill would restrict even adult 4 leur to ten hours, because though it only referred to ildre n and young women under eighteen years of age, a ,t. it w as i m possible to work the mills without their Z&ista nce .—(H ea r, hear.) That was a view of the rater which the supporters of the m easure did not con ste. It was , in fact, their opinion that fir the benefit t Oll parties 'it was better that it should b 3 so—(llear, I,Cr)—and that opinion had been amply borne out by ,general results of the mea sure wherever it had been 1; 4- V tried. All the expectations of its advocates had k i : 11 fully realised, and all the predicti ons of its opph ,tits had been falsified. Under those ci rcumstances it could have been strange, indeed, if Government had PPosed that confirmation of the law which the recent de tl.ltion in a superior court had rendered necessary. But had a great authority to adduce to show that there had in 1844 been no doubt as to the intention of the LoMoters of these Bills; that Hon. Gentleman w as at that l e, and was now, a Member of that House , and a g reat 4 .1 l ithority not only in that House on these matters, but 4 0 in the country. In 1844 he said that if we extended i t ,l 4l ' Markets, and thereby enhanced the value of our 7°ductions—if we opened our po r ts f reel y to the corn, 4 free, and sugar, which w ere then excluded b y heav y d uties, then ten hours labou r would be as g ood as twelve i'Onrs was then, because the advanta g e of lar g er markets 51 ' our own produce and the s avin g from chea p ened itn -I'erts, would go into the pockets of the labourer. Such Siding —([Tear, the opinions of the H on. Member for the West hear) —in 1844, then the Member for a ," ° ,,ehport, and then, as now , a n authority with the me '4.h"lacturing interest He trust ed that in the course of go debates on this question they would see that Hon. 17 01 3aber in his place, and that a s we had now granted ; 13 demands for the cheapened imp ortation of corn, coffee, the Hon. Gentleman would redeem his pledge, 441 support the Ten Hours Bill. ) Mr. M. GIBSON said that the Hon. Gentleman who . a. l et addressed the House had stated that the object cf ‘le Bill was to limit adult labour. Mr. BANKES denied that he had said so. What he titi d was, that such would be the elf -ct of the Bill. 1 ,..Mr. M. GIBSON would acc e p t the explanation of the ; 1011 . Gentleman. In giving his su p port to the motion Lot the introduction of the 13 , 11 proposed to be brought ' l 4 the Noble Lord, he must not be understood to ' 4 l Pam t the various provisions of the shadowed forth jY the Noble Lord. He admitted, ho ii wever, that the as it stood, required alteration. He could not Zianit that the manufacturers of England had systema ;'eeilly evaded the law, although he thought they were ilastified in feeling indignant that this House . should hd , ) eve interfered with factory labour in the way it u ; (31- ua The Noble Lord had allowed his feelings to go s ', ) o far in saying that to his factory Bill he attributed I ,,.`tie improved state of the people engaged in factories. Vte (Mr. M. Gibson) thought that much of the system e`loprovement in the state of the people was to be attri buted to the alteration which had taken place in the com kereial laws of the country. The Noble Lord referred to 1 4 e Bishop of Dandee--(A latigh)—the bishop „‘ that locality, and had spoken of t he lar g e wqre4s9 congregation, Which he attaUted to the improved eharac'er of the people xi gaged it' factories, arising out of an al'eration in the law. He really did not think this was the wayin which that House ought to be addressed. The addre s s of ihe Noble Lord hal a social or sentimental tinge un suited to the atno3ph , ..re of that assembly, which was a busin , ! , ss assein':4, one of whose duties was to be sure to look to Vie social wants of the people ; but then the re coiremeuts of ihe people were to be dealt with in a dif ferent manner from that suggested by the Noble Lord, who seemed to exhibit more of the enthusiast, than the practical man of business, iu his observations that evening. Mr. F. O'CONNOR thought that the speech of the Noble Lord was plain, straightforward, and practical. It clearly pointed out the hardships to which the fac tory operatives were subjected, anal the mode in which he ought to be relieved. The Bill which the Noble Lord proposed to bring in was the only way in which the factory operative could be benched, Ile con tended that a limit ought to be placed on male adult labour in factories. The much maligned agrieultu risti did not :employ their labourers beyond ,eleven hours a day, while the factory oeerative was obliged, by the relay syst int, to work fifteen hours. Tim consevence was, that the agricultural labourer was healthy and strong. while the Ist er was sickly an e tic. The truth was, that the factory' system was an abomination, and its exist-:nce reflected a disgrace on the Legislature of the country. The average length cf a fact pry operative's life was 28 yea: s, while that of the agricultural (shearer, even in I) gsetshire, was 53 years. The eystem had been well explained by the Noble Lord who had male a powerful speech on the occasion—a speech that would speak to the world, while that of tl.e Right llun. Gentleman (Br. M. Gibson) was only in tended for a district. Most audacious attacks had been made by the Noble Lord opposite on that excellent man Oastler, who had properly exhibited to the world the character of the millowners, and he (Mr. O'Connor) would say that if he wanted to put his hand upon a set of tyrants he would do so by piecing it on the master ma nufacturers of the north.—(Hear.) Sir R. INGLIS rose to defend his Noble Friend aeainst the imputations cast upon him by the Right lion. Gentleman (Mr. M. Gibson), who had stated that the speech of his Noble Fri nd was marked by enthusiasm. All good works had been fl' cte / through the influence of ceithusilistn, but enthusiasm was not a marked attri bute cf his Noble Friend's speech, for it was filled with fact e which the Right llon. Gentleman had better meet than attempt to upset them by unfairly describing the speech ; which contained them. The law which bad relic i the Legislature had been decided by the judges to be that which the Legislature never intended it should be. This being so, it was the duty of the House to amend the law generally. He must say that be thought the proposal of his Noble Friead was that best suited to meat the exigencies of the case. Ile would support with pleasure the proposition of his Noble Friend. Mr. BRIGHT said it seemed to be admitted by all parties that it was desirable to bring in a Bill to sc t7le the question to which the measure referred. He only rose to express an opinion on a subject which might have its influence at a future stage of the Bill—he meant the number of hours which operatives should be engaged in factories. It was well known that he was extensively engaged in factory employment, and observed that in order that a measure, in respect to factory employment, should work beneficially for the employer and the em ployed, it was essential that the view of both earths should be taken into pintail consideration, and that the legislation should not be all on one side.—(Hear.) It wee a fact that the Ten Hours' Bill did not pass with the concurrence of the master manufacturers, and the result was, that, in many instances, the working men had been subjected to disadvantages in certain factories. But this was the result of the estrangement which teok plece between the employer and the employed, owing ti the Act of 1847. Ilea appealed to the Noble Lorewhether he would limit his Bill to ten hours. HO was not hound to do so, for not a small portion of the operatives, and the great body of the employers, were anxious to meet each other in a spirit of conciliation, and come to some terms by which this matter might be adjusted.—(flear.) Ho would not condescend to reply to the coarse vituperation poured upon the master manu fseturere by the lion. Member for Nottingham.—(Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman had tried his hand at improving the position of the factory operatives, under which he had deluded them from their employment, and ultimately succeeded in placing them in a quagmire, from which they could not escape.—(Dear.) When the lion. Gen tleman returned to these deluded men their subscrip tions, which he had received from them to carry out a most fallacious system, then he might be permitted to have some claim to assail the master manufacturers, if they deserved his attacks; but, until that time, he thought he might fairly say that the master menu feesto ers would not be much affected by anything which fell from the Hon. and Learned Gentleman.—(Heap.) Heretofore the Noble Lord declared himself to be the pledged advocate of the factory operatives, and in that line of policy it seemed to be his object to do all in his power to blacken the character of the factory employers. The Noble Lord now attributed all the improvement in the factory operatives to his Act of 1847. Now, seeing that the Bill did not come intooperation until May, 1848, it was rather too much to attach to it all the improve ment which he admitted the factory people manifested. Much of this improvement he assigned to the altered state of the law in respect to the commercial policy of this country. Ile should be sorry to see a system of things which should compel men to work for ten, eleven, or twelve hours a day. The factory owners did not de sire in and any further legislation on this subject ought, in his opinion, to make some diminution of the mart-4in, and thereby afford the means of remedying at least some of the grievances complained of. In carrying out this object they should avoid giving cause for the hostility of manufacturers, supposed to bo represented in that House; for they must not shut their eyes to this fact, that unless there were a fair amount of agreement between the capitalist who pays the wages, and the la bourers who did the work, their legislation must of ne cessity prove unsatisfactory. Within the last two years he thought there was not a good feeling between the employers and the employed. The exaspera•ion still existed, and would continue to exist, so long as the law existed in its present shape. He would now ask the Noble Lord whether, with the influence he. possessed with many persons out of doors connected with the manufacturers, and representing as he did a very large portion of them, he could not persuade them to take the rational view of this question— (Hear, hear) —whether it was not possible to come to sonic arrangement which should meat with the concurrence of all parties concerned. If the Noble Lord did not think that plan impracticable, end the House came in that spirit to the consideration of the measure, he hoped they would discuss and settle, and settle for ever, a question which had done more to desecrate a cor dial interchange of kindly feelings between the two classes, and to foster heart-burnings in the manufactur ing districts, than any question which had arisen there, at least since he had been connected with them. Mr. AGLIONBY observed that the discussion, so far as it had proceeded, had not keen unattended with ad vantage, though from the concurrence of opinion upon it he had certainly hoped that it would have come to a more speedy conclusion. He agreed with much of what had fellen from the Hon. Member for Manchester, who spoke last, especially that which had reference to the in pot Utica of procuring a certain amount cf concurrence from all the patties concerned in the question, before proceeding to a final legislative enactment, but he dif fered from him entirely with respect to the conclusions at which he would arrive, because he believed that he would find it utterly impossible te obtairi that harmony of feeling and reciprocity of purpose which ho so much and very properly desired. It was for the character of the Legislature to take care, by passing well-digested measures, that the public should not have to say that they were unable to give effect to their intentions. Here their intention clearly was to restrict the hours of labour to ten, an intention which the language of the Act the reverse of seconded. The judges' construction of the Act was undoubtedly right, but their intention re mained the same, and should now be properly borne out by the law if it before was defective. He should never make a single remark of censure on these mill owners, who lead construed the law according to an in !erpret ition which it it had been held to admit of. Still less would he think of charging them with having evaded the law, as the judgment showed that they had a right to construe it as they did ; but he would say that he would do his best to carry out the intention of tile Legislature with respect to this Bill, that of render ing it bona fide a ten hours working Bill.—(Hear.) Lord JOHN MANNERS said he wished to state most emphatically that he and those who thought with him were firmly resolved that there should he no com promise. That the manufacturing people of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Scotland having, after thirty-three years' incessant efforts, obtained an enactment which might be termed the Magna Chant whi of ch i their righ he ts, w ere determined to preserve it, promised that they should be backed by their represen tatives in that House. During the progress of the agi tation of this question he bad endeavoured to promote the unity of feeling between the millowners and the factory hands, which the Hon. Member fir Manchester had spoken of. The Hon. Member had, in his opi nion, very wrongly censured the Noble Lord the Member for Bath, who introduced this motion, for not going into the details of the system which he proposed. What he thought the House required wathe to k the d now the grievance that was to b e redressed, and n culty of providing the remedy would be reduced within very narrow limits. The Honourable Member was still more incorrect in calling this a hasty and inconsiderate measure. After 33 years of agitation and discussion, which ended in its adoption, he did not think that was the mode in which an enactment should be spoken of, the intention of which was to provide a remedy for many grievances, under which a largo portion of our worki n g population had been admitted to labour. The amended Bill was most necessary, and it should have his ready support.—(ll , ar, hear.) 'Mr. W. J. FOX said he wished to say a few words , and a very few, on the subject, before the discussion was brought to a close. Particularly agreeing with the Hon. Member for Manchester, that a satisfactory settlement of this question must have as great a concurrence as possible of the employers and the employed, he ques tioned whether there might be any possibility of a shorter road to that consummation than what had been suggested by the Noble Lord who opened the discussion. For he believed that not only was there a difficulty, which arose from a determined pursuit through a long course of years in search of this very measure against any com promise materially affecting the Ten Hours' Bel, but this difficulty also, Hat. in the intention of the Legisla ture, and with the concurrence of a large portion of the manufacturers, the hours of labour were to he curtailed in the mauner pointed out by the statute.—(Hear, hear.) From the statements of the inspectors, and the reports of other parties whose opinions had been taken on the subject, the masters and operatives, with reference to various qtio,itiol l 9 put to them, showed that there was no appearance of any other scheme being brought into operation. AU. Zama took the opinion of upwards 50 masters, and found that 20 of them approved of the Ten [lours Bill, 22 of them were for an Eleven Hours Bill, and 15 for a Twelve Hours Bill. The same inspec tor personally, and assisted by others, took the opinions both of the men and of the women employed in fac tories. The result was a very decisive or,e as to their desires. He took the opinions altogether of 1,153 per sons, which were stated in the report of the hall' -: esr eielieg October 31, 1848. The number of male opera tives was 651, of whom there were 411 in favour of a Ten Flours Bill, 96 for an eleven hours, and 114 for a twelve hours system. Of the 502 women wh3 were consulted, 272 were for a ten hours, 51 for an eleven hours, and 179 for a twelve hours system. This curious result showed sufficiently that any almoapt at a compromise was most unlikely 0 be attended with success.—(Hear, hear.) He did not regard the Ten Hours Bill as being the sole cause of the improved state of things which had of late bran observed in the manu facturing districts. Ho agrs el with his Honourable Friend near him, that it was to be ascribed to those measures which had made food more: cheap and abun dant, but he would remind him at the same time that this change would not have produced such results had it not been accompanied by the Ten Hours' Bill, for no cheapness of food could have given to the operatives those opportunities of inaproverneet of which there was such abundant evidences of their not being neglectful. — (Hear.) If it was not the cause, still it was one essen tial condition, without which these results would not have been realised. He trusted that the Noble Lord who in troduced this discussion would adhere, most strictly to his declared purpose of deviating not ono hair's breadth, from what was understood to be the inten tion c f the enactment as it now stood. Ile thought it as well, as the Noble Lord proposed, to leave the Bill in its present integrity, as to the purpose wl.ieh was most distinctly declared when the Bill was last before the House. Perhaps there might have been a violation of the statute, but it must not be forgotten that the millowners, operatives, and preprie tars had been expielly desirous for the settlement f this question. Th panics most deeply affected by the statato were the women and very young persons, whose dependent con. ditien frequeetly reede:ed them the subje eta of very harsh treatment, not only by their mast,rs but by their husbands, of which there we re lief mtunately many in staeces. This eas au exa nple, amongst others, of evils for which this Bill provided, and with reference to which the greatest of living political economists—he meant Fir. John Moll—said, in the case of women and child ren—" Freedom of contract meant nothing more than freedom of coereion."—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Fox) trusted that, the law being decidedly declared, there would be a more general concurrence between owners and employed than had yet existed; and that they might saes - ably atta'm to the fical close cf an agitation, the con tinuance of which was everywhere to be deprecated—an agitation which was much worse than any political struggle; because it struck deeper into the social system, and inflicted more wounds on the best and purest interests of society, and on the harmony which should bind so ciety together.—(Cheers.) Lord ROBERT' GROSVENOR said he only rose in consequence of an observation which fell from the Hon. Member for Manchester, by which he understood that in ca e any lion. Member should state a grievance and propose a remedy, the efficacy of which was not doubted, he should immediately render himself liable to the im putation of Socialism and Communism. That was an altesnadve that not only could nut exist but in the most illiberal mind, but had a signification elsewhere, which peculiarly ought to recommend its being avoided. He thought the Noble Lord the Member for Bath, who had brought the subject before the House, had very properly put it upon the footing he had, and that he would remain true to his original intention.—( [Tear.) Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that as he understood there was to be no opposition to the introduction of this Bill ha was unwilling to prolong an unnecessary discussion. Ha must say, however, that be was dis pose d to approach this question in the most dispassion ate manner; and his Noble Friend the Member for Bath would excuse him if he said he (Lord Ashley) had prepared him for a discussion of an opposite descrip tion, when before ascertaining whether there would be an opposition to his motion, he went through all the arguments that were urged three or four years ago. An Hon. Member who had spoken in the debate had threat ened, in a prophetic manner, the discontent of the manu facturing classes if this Bill were not passed. The ear- Feet of his (Sir J. Graham's) political experience had taught him the folly of dealing in prophecy, and there fore he should cautiously abstain from prophesying any thing.—(Laughter.) Neither would he make assertions at this period of the debate; for if he had had the honour of speaking to the House before the Right Hon. Baronet the Home Secretary, it was his intention to have offered evidence on the subject to the House; and he should have stated that his object in framing the Bill, as he introduced it, teas to prohibit the " shift" or "relay" system in any form whatever. That was his original intention, and he would now state to the House what occurred on the occasion. He could not say that at any time, following the bent of his reasoning, he was favour able to a restriction on the rights cf capital and of labour, and be was not favourable to a twelve hours Bill. But finding that restriction provided for by an Act of Par liament, it was represented to him by the f sctory in spectors that it worked unequally and unjustly, and it was said that unless restrictions were placed on the limit of time very injurious consequences would ensue. They pressed on him also the necessity of a direct enactment. Reluctantly he assented, and directed Mr. Horner to have a clause framed embodying these views. That was accordingly done in the first draft of the Bill, and here vtas the imperfection of the measure; for he was not aware until then that the course originally determined upon had been materially altered in the second. He con sidered that it was very desirable that the House, before, the discussion proceeded farther, should see the mea sure which his Noble Friend proposed to introduce on this subject. He believed that the object of the work ing classes was to see justice fairly carried out, and he felt that this was the object of his Noble Friend, as related to the Ten Hours' 811. His Noble Friend's argument would go the length, that manufacturers bad nothing to fear on this subject. He had be stowed much consideration on this question, and his feeling towards the working classes was very fa vourable, but his belief was, that if this experiment was carried out with all its intentions' the time would come when the working classes would themselves be convinced that the measure would be conducive to their welfare. Ile believed that the working classes were of opinion, with regard to the measure of 1844, that they should have the benefit of shifts and relays. When the short hours Bill was first brought forward, he confessed he was, as far as his own opinion weot, reluctant to in terfere iu the question of employment between the em ployed and the master manufacturers, having a strong disinclination to meddle with the interests of labour; but a gentleman now no more—Mr. Stuart—having ex pressed his views in so strong a manner to him on the subject, he instructed him to embody those views in a clause, although his own feelings were opposed to them. It was necessary, in his opinion, that they should have one uniform system and one rule; and he was quite sure that they never could work this measure unless they came to a better regulation of machinery. Ho should be most anxious to see the Bill of his Noble Friend before they approached this discussion, and he should, before the second reading, endeavour to refresh his memory as to his former views on the subject. As between the shift and relay system, it was quite possible to repudiate the one without condemning the other. After a few words from Mr. EDWARDS, the se conder of the motion, in relation to an allusion made to him by the Right Honourable Baronet Sir James Graham, Col. THOMPSON observed that it was well known to all who took an interest in this question, that when a restriction of the period of labour was first proposed he had opposed it, conceiving it to be an attack in some sort upon the manufacturing interest. Times, however, had altered, and perhaps the position of things had changed. He had received instructions on this subject from many of his constituents, but it so happened that all their communications pointed one way. They all said they were anxious that the Ten Hours Bill should be restored to its integrity; and the manufacturing ca pitalists particularly represented their anxiety that li berty should be given to all persons in their employment at the same time—(hear, hear)—for they stated that they had set on foot institutions of various kinds for the education and improvement of their workpeople, the success of which mainly depended on th e p oint that all in their employ should be liberated from work at one and the same hour.—(Hear.) After a few words from Mr. BROWNE, Lord ASHLEY replied. He had no other intention than to settle the point in question, and he intended, therefore, to bring in a Bill that the hours of labour being at present limited to ten hours a day should be continuous labour, and date from the time at which the labour began. That was the sum and substance of the Bill which he meant to bring in. He had been charged in the course of this discussion by the Honourable Mem bers for Manchester with inimical feelings towards the master manufacturers. By one of the Honourable Gen tlemen he was charged with being a " hired" advocate in this cause; and by the other with entertaining " So• cialist" views upon it. In those respects he had bet. much misrepresented. He rejoiced at the inanner in which his motion, generally speaking, had been received by the House, and should the Bill be carried his hope was that it would be productive of allaying the agitation which at present prevailed between the working classes and the master manufacturers; and should the Bill not to passed, what would the effect be?—(Rear, hear.) He declared that the whole tendency of his political and public life (now extended over a period of seventeen years) had been towards a restoration of good feeling between the woilting classes and the master manufac turers.—(llear, hear.) He had only one word more to add. Depend upon it there was no subject on which the people felt so strongly as this; and with respect to the motives attributed to him by the Hon. Members for Manchester, he could only say that he rejoiced at such a manifestation of the feebleness of their cause, for ho saw that they had recourse to the:old and coarse rule—" If you can't refute your antagonist, why then abuse him."— (Bear, hear, and laughter.) Mr. BRIGHT explained that he had recalled the word " hired" immediately after he had used it, ar,d substi tuted the word " pledged" advocate, and he trusted that the Noble Lord would not suppose that he meant to le personally offensive to him. Lease was then given to bring in the Bill. Mr. VETO gave notice that he would bring in a " Bill to render more simple and effectual the titles by which congr egations or societie s, or p ersons for reli g ious pur wldounoldt poses, held proper t y re q uired for such purposes." The simple, s a h n o d u a t present make any o bservations upon it. s i3 o il f L ar th re e co lln m o etas The House then proceeded to the orders of the day. m'eMndenitlsbeelrf t s o a i tt s e o , On the motion that the Spaker leave the Chair, The House resolved itself into Committee (Mr. Ber nal in the chair) on the Titles cf Religious Congrega tions (Scotland) Bill, which passed rapidly through that men prweag. HIG El WAY BILL. On the motion that the High Nay Bill be read a sccand time, Sir W. JOLLIFFE expressed his opinion that the measure was of such vast importance that it could not pass through a second reading in its presen t form, with out eliciting some discussion. lle considered that the matte. was intimately connected with labour, and would suggest the appointment of "way wardens," as pre farallo to leaving the manegement in the hands of the poor-law guardians. Mr. RICE gave his support to the measure, and hoped the second reading would be carried. Sir G. STRICKLAND objected to the Bill as being of a compulsory nature, and affecting districts of England where the roads where in good repair, as well as those ?Acre the roads were neglected. All the farmers would oppose the measure most strenuously. He hoped that it would at all events be put off to another session. Mr. HENLEY suggested that the second reading sho .Id be postponed until of er Enter. The Bill would overload the boards of guardians with additional work, and distract their attention from duties which ought to claim their earnest attention. Sir J. PAKINGTON could not join in the advice eith-r to postpone the Bill until after Easter or to next session. The Bill at all events had simplicity to recom -ol it, and on the whole he thought the Government entialed to support in the measure. After a brief conversation, in which Mr. Hay:lrd, Mr. Aglionby, Mr. lioldsworth, Mr. Philip Howard, and Cap tain Harris, took parr. Mr_ LEWIS stated, in reply to Mr. Cardwell, that the Bill was not intended to extend to any districts that a ppointed surveyors under local Acts. Mr. lIODGSUN moved that the second reading bo postponed for six months. Sir GEORGE GREY said there was a great desire that some more efficient system should be adopted for the improvement of the high aye, and he trusted the House wouli content to the second reeding of the Bill. It was no argument against tho Bill to say that the roads in one part of the country were good and in another part bad, and therefore, for the general improvement of the present system of management, he should press the se coed reading of the Bill. Mr. P. BENNE r supported the ameudment, as he object-d to the poor-law guardians appointing the sur verveyors of those roads. Mr. FREWEN also objected to the Bill, as it would completely change the system throughout the country. The roads in many places were good, end why introduce such a sweeping treasure as this, which included the whole country. He also objected to the powers con ferred on the poor-law guardians by the Bill. Mr. DEEDES supported the second reading of the Bill. Ile believed that anything which might appear obnoxious in it could be remedied while in Committee, aid as there, was great reason to find fault with the pre sent syste m ho should support the second reading. Sir WILLIAM JOLLIFFE considered that the principle f the Bill was to make the improvement of the roads past and parcel of the poor-law, which would occasion great inconvenience ; and he should vote against the second reading. After a few words from Mr. Addcrley, Mr. Ferrer, Mr. Henley, and Mr, C. Lewis, The House divided, when there appeared— For the amendment For the second reading ..• ... 144 Majority for the second reading —39 The Bill was therefore read a second titre. CHIEF JUSTICES' SALARIES BILL. The order of the day for the second reading of this Bill having been read, Mr. GOULBURN said he wished to know whether the measure was to contain any provision upon the sub ject of the retiring allowance 0f the chief justices ? The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that the Bill did not contain any privision upon that point ; but they might, if they pleased, take it into t heir consideration in the Committee. Mr. MULLINGS said he thought they ought to defer the second reading of that Bill u ntil the y should have before them returns which had a lread y been ordered of the amount of patronage in the bands of the chief justices. It certainly appeared to him that in the present circum stances of this country, and after the recent fall in prices, 8,000/. was too large a sum to pay as a salary to a chief justice. That learned functionary did not per form duties more onerous or more responsible than those of the Secretary for the Home Department, who received only 5,0001. a year. He believed that many Hon. Gentlemen were not aware of the amount of dis ress which at present prevailed throughout a great por tion of the country. But he had himself suffered from that distress. In the year 1842 he had invested in the purchase of an estate the earnings of a long and labo rious life, and he found that he could not derive a re turn for that investment if the most rigid economy were not practised in every branch of the public service. Mr. R. PALMER (said, that as he did not belong to that branch of the profession from which chief justices were usually taken, he believed that he could speak impartially upon ;that subject. It appeared, tol him that it would be a matter greatly to be deplored if that House were to go too fast in the way of the reduction of judicial salaries.—(Hear, hear.) Nothing could be more essential to the good working of our constitution than that justice should be administered among us with efficiency, learning, and purity, and that object could not be attained unless they gave to the judges such salaries as would enable them to command the services of the most eminent members of the legal pro fession. It might be true that the duties of the Chief Justice were not more onerous or important than those of a Secretary for the Home Department ; but then it should be remembered that secretaries of state in this country were usually men of independent fortune, and that in accepting the office they did not give up a pro fession from which they derived considerable incomes. In the United States judges received very small salaries; but the consequence of that was that the most eminent members of the legal profession in that country were un willing to allow themselves to be raised to the judicial bench ; and after they had been so raised it was no un usual thing to find them accepting the more profitable office of registrars in the very courts in which they had presided. He again implored the House not to proceed too fast in the system of reducing the incomes of judges, for he believed that a more ruinous economy could not be adopted.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. SPOONER said that although the Hon. and Learned Gentleman who had just addressed the House was not a member of that branch of the profession from which chief justices were usually taken, he was a mem ber of that branch from which Lord Chancellors were commonly selected, and from the talent displayed in that House by the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, be (Mr. Spooner) should not be surprised if he was one day to become a candidate for that office.—(Laughter.) But it was clear that the amount of salary paid to one judge should, more or less, regulate the amount of salary paid to every other judge, and the Hon. and Learned Gen tleman might not, therefore, be able to decide upon that point as impartially as he appeared to imagine. It cer tainly appeared to him (Mr. Spooner);that it 8,0001. had been found a sufficiently large salary for a Chief Jus tice seventeen years ago, it was an excessive salary at present. Sir G. GREY said that some Hon. Members seem to forget that that was a Bill, not for inereasing, but for reducing the salaries of the chief j us tices. It would at one reduce the salary of the Chi e f Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench from 10,000/. to 8,0001.; and it would prospectively reduce the salary of the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas from 8,000/. to 7,0001.; so that the result of rejecting the measure would be that a reduction in their salaries could not take place.—(A laugh.) He thought that the Committee would be the fittest place for deciding what the precise amount of either should be. Colonel SIBTHORP trusted the second reading . of the ta o Bill en be postponed nsidered all official persons too hig hl y Statement. tru Held c paid. The Bill was then read a second PROCESS AND PRACTICE until time. after the financial tem (IRELAND) BILL. The several clauses of this Bill having been agreed to in Committee, Mr. SADLEIR rose and moved the addition of several clauses, the object of which, he said, wa s t 3 prevent the frauds which the existing s y s t em o f s imple attachment gave rise to in Ireland. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the clauses pro posed by the Hon. Member were similar to those which , had been submitted to her Majesty's Government by the Chamber of Commerce in Dublin; but, after full consi deration, he had arri ve d at t h e c onclusion that they could , not be introduced int o th e p r esent Bill. After a short conv e r sa ti o n, in which the Attorney - General, Mr. S a dl e i r Mr. G. A • Hamilton, Mr. Rey nolds, Mr. Groan and others, too k p ar t , t he clauses were understood to have been withdrawn. The House then resumed. The CHAIRMAN reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again on Friday, the 22d inst. The Committee on the Marriage Bill was postponed until Thursday next. The other orders of the day and the House adjourned at a were then disposed of, Quarter to One o'clock. 'en Silt JOHN FRANKLIN. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR 7 —As the utmost anxiety pervades all classes respecting the safety of Sir John Franklin and his brave companions, I am induced to beg the favour of. inserting in your w valuable o u would undoubtedly journal be the following i m provement on the llowing suggestion, which ex perimental balloons recently invented for the purpose of distributing printed slips of paper at stated inter vals. There is every probability that paper would soon be destroyed by the a tmosphere of the Arctic chines ; therefore, in lieu o f paper , slips of thin calico or muslin, different colours, or thin printed slips o f silk, various colours. There would also be an ad• vantage in adopting this latter,.as. the natives would preserve them either from curiosity or a desire to adorn their persons. Your compliance would confer a favour on your very obliged, humble servan, GUINNESS. Grenville-plat?, Brighton, March 13, 1850. PRIZES.--A lady in Kent has offered prizes of 51. every year as a christening present to such of two mothers of the peasantry class, whose first child shall be born at the regular time after a marriage contracted on the following conditions:—" Ist, That the young woman shall have been engaged twelve months to a young man of good character. 2d, That the engage ment shall have been declared to the clergyman of the parish twelve months before the marriage. 3d, That the clergyman shall have approved the general conduct of tie parties during that period." THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EV.ENING-, Al C H 1.5, 1850 PARLIAME IVISIONS. From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.' TinntsDAy, MARCH 11. HIGHWAYS BILL. Order for Second Reading rea7l; - Motion made, and Ques tion proposed, " That the Bill be now read a second time :" Amendinent proposed, to leave out the word " now," and at the end of the Question to add the words " upon this day six months." Question put, " That the word ' now' stand part of the question." The House divided : MAJORITY—AYES, 144. Adderley, C. 11 Forteseue, J. W. Peel Frederick Aglionby, 11. A. Glyn, G. C. Pelhadi, D. A Amtey, Thomas C. Goulburn, Henry Perfect, Robert Arkwright, G. Greenall, Gilbert Plowden, W. it. Armstrong, R. B. Greene, John Power, Dr. Arundel, Earl of Grenfell, Charles W. Power, Nicholas Bagshaiv, John Grey, Sir G. Posey, Philip Bailey, Joseph Grosvenor, Lord R. Bowdon, Colonel Baines, M. T. Hordeastle, J. A. Reynolds, John Baring, Sir F. T. Harris, Richard Ricardo, J. L. Bass, M. T. Hatchell, John Ricardo, Osman Bernal, Ralph Hawes, Benj. Rice, E. R. Bouverie, E. P. Ileneage, G. 11. Rich, Henry Bowles, Admiral henry, Alexander Romilly, Sir John Boyle, Colonel Herbert,'.Sidney Itomilly, Colonel Bramston, T. W. Ileywsod, James Rushout, Captain Brocklehurst, John Heyworth, L. Sandars, George Brockman, E. D. Ilobliouse, Sir J. Scholefteld, William Brotherton, J. Ilobhouse, T. B. Seyraer, IL K. Brown, W. Holland, Robert Seymour, Lord Buxton, Sir E. Howard, P. 11. Sheridan. R. B. Cardwell, E. Howard, Sir It. Simeon, Joln► Carew, W. P. Jackson, William Smith, A. J. Carter, John B. Jermyn, Earl Smith, John B. Cavendish, G. H. Jervis, Sir John Smollett, A. Christy, Samuel Keating, Robert Somerville. Sir W. Clay, James Kershaw, James Spearman, 1.1. J. • Clerk Sir George Legh, G. C. Stanley, E. 11. Clive, 11. B. Leonard, T. B. Stanstleld, W. R. Cobden, R. Locke, Jos ph Tenison, E. K. Cocks, T. 5. Lygon, General Tennent, R. J. Compton, 11. C. Mar tin;C. W. Thesiger, Sir F. Cowan, Charles Masterman, John 1 hicknesse, R. A. Cowper, IV. F. Ala.heson, Colonel Thompson, Colonel Deedes, W. Maule, Fox Thornely, Thomas Denison, Edmund Mitchell, T. A. Wa:nisley, Sir J. Douglas, Sir C. Moffatt, Georle Walpole, Spencer Duckworth, Sir J. Monsell, William Westhead, J. C. Dmicombe, 0. Morris, David Willcox, Brodie Duneuft, Jelin Mulgrave, Earl Williams, John nuncios, Admiral 3lundy, William Williamson, Sir It. Dundas, Sir David Muntz, G. F. Wilson, James Ebrington, Viscount More, Colonel Wilson, Matthew Ellis, John Norreys, Lord Wood, W. P. . Elliot, John E. Ogle, S. C. Wortley, J. S. Emlyn, Viscount 1'1110m:ton, Sir J. Wyvill, 3larmaduke Ferguson, Sir it. Palmer, Rounded TELLERS. Foley, J. 11. . 1 Parker, John Lewis, George C. Forster, Mathew Fatten, W. hay ter, W. G. MINORITY-NOES, 55. Bennet, Philip Grogan, Edward Long, W.' lllackall, S. W. Guernsey, Lord , Mackenzie, W. F. llrcmridge, Richard Gwyn, Howel Manners, Lord G. BroAdlcy, 11. Halsey, T. I'. Niles, P. W. S. Chaplin, W. J. Hamilton, G. A. Mailings, J. R. Chatterton, Colon .1 Ilarris, Captain Naas, Lord Chichester, Lord J. Heathcoat, John Newdegate, C. N. Coles, 11. 10. Henley, J. John I' Melville Dodd, George ; Hildyard, R. C. Sibthorp, Colonel Edwards, 11. Hildyard, T. B. Smyth, J. G. Farnham, E. Hood, Sir A. Spooner, R. Farm:, James Honiby, John Stanford, J. F. Fellowes, E. Hudson, G. Stanley, Edward 1- ihner, Sir E. Inglis, Sir It. Sullivan, Michael Floyer, John Jolllfre, Sir W. G. Vesey, Hon. T. Forbes, Wm. Lennox,' Lord A. Waddington, 11. S. Frewen, C. 11. Lewisham, Vise. TELLERS. Gaskell J.M. Lindsay, Colonel Strickland, Sir G. Goddard, A. L. Lockhart, W. Hodgson, W. N. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. SOUTH-EASTERN. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday, at the Bridge-house Hotel, Southwark, opposite the terminus of the company. The at tendance of shareholders was large, and more than usually boisterous, though it may be observed that the meeting, which appeared at first to be dead against the chairman, and received him and his brother directors on their entrance with a storm of hisses and other marks of disapprobation, ended by carrying every proposition which the board submitted to them. Mr. HsensaT, the clerk of the company, having read the advertisements calling the meeting, and the special objects which were contemplated to be brought forward, The CHAIRMAN proposed that the seal of the com pany should-be affixed to the share register. Tnis was done without opposition. On its being completed, Mr. JOSIAH WILSON asked to look at the book so sealed. The Cliautat&N said he would put it to the meet ing whether Mr. Wilson could be allowed to see if or not. Mr. FLEMING, the solicitor, on being appealed to on the law of the case, gave it as his opinion that the Act of Parliament did not permit shareholders to in spect the book containing the shares sold by the different proprietors, though they were entitled to see the names and places of residence of their parties. Mr. WiLson then moved that, in future, a printed list of the shareholders, with the number of shares held by each, should be printed on the Ist of January of each year, and sold for ls. Mr. SMITH seconded the motion. An angry discussion took place, which ended in 111 r. Wilson's resolution being put to the vote, and carried. The CHAIRMAN, on declaring the show of hands, said—Gentlemen, the resolution has passed—for what it is worth. Tais gave rise to great outcries on the part of se veral shareholders. Mr. Wilson declared the remark was foolish and improper, and one shareholder sug gested that the chairman should apologise to Mr. Wilson, and another that his words should be taken down. The CUAIRM tic, who scornfully rejected the idea of any apology, disclaimed all intention of insulting any oar, but remarked that, if he were advised that this resolution could not be legally carried into effect, he certainly would not act upon it. This gave rise to further uproar which gradually subsided, and the subject dropped. It was then agreed that the report, the substance of which ap peared in The Sun of yesterday, should be taken as read. The CHAIRMAN then rose to call their attention to the various topics treated of in the report. He need scarcely point out to them that the results of the past half-year were not so favourable as they had at one time anticipated, the returns even from the North Kent line, though large, not being equal to their first expectations. But he was able to say with truth, that :on comparing the returns from the South- Eastern line with those of other railways they did not present an unfavourable aspect, while they must bear in mind that the causes which had reduced their receipts were of a more difficult and embarrassing character than those that affected other lines. Their continental traffic had not increased as every one ex pected it would when the continental lines were opened. This arose, he had no doubt, from the un settled state of affairs on the continent, and he trusted the depression would be of a very temporary nature. The shareholders would find that a very large sum had been reserved for the renewal of their rolling stock and permanent way. The sum was larger he believed than had been set apart by any other com pany, but he would remind them that this was a critical period in their history, and it became them therefore to look to the state of their revenue account with peculiar care. If the sum set apart should event ually prove too large, the proprietors would reap all the benefit of the surplus ; should it prove after all not more than sufficient, they would have no reason to regret that they had at this early period looked the evil fairly in the face. After alluding to the in• crease of traffic on the main line, and the deficiency on the Greenwich line, he said that the question of the postal communication between this country and France was now under the consideration of a Com mittee of the House of Commons, and he had no doubt that the present mutilated system of communi cation would be much improved, and that the mail being sent from Paris at seven o'clock instead of tight through Boulogne to Dover or Folkestone would arrive in London by half-past six. He did not doubt that such facilities would be of great advantage to the railway, not only in the postal communication, but also in the passenger traffic, and he appealed to the influential ,body of shareholders on the South- Eastern line to use all the influence they possessed in urging upon the Government of this country to con fer with the Government of France in giving all possible facilities for the passenger traffice. He might state that all the annoyances which formerly existed existed still, and that the new system of passports was fully as vexatious as the old. He believed if the Government of this country were to signify to the Government of France—w th hich, by the way, bad never be en done yet—that ey were ready to meet them i n conferring facilities to passengers going from one country to the other, that it would be readily agreed to. He estimated the loss which this company sustained from the want of de velopment of the traffic on the continental lines at no less a sum than 50,000/. a year; for he considered, though it might be looked upon as unneighbourly to say so, that when the lines to the east of France were opened a great portion of the traffic which now went by Southampton to the east would then come over their line. With regard to the renewal of the per manent way, he was bound to notice the remarkable discovery of Mr. Barlow, their engineer, who pro posed that the chains and sleepers, as well as the rails, should be made of iron, which would be much ,:heaper than the present system, as these articles when once made would last for twenty or thirty vears.—(Keay, hear) Mr. Barlow had also ascer tained in his examinations connected with the North Kent line, that there was in the chalk district imme diately adjoining the line, a superabundant supply of water, which could be brought to London at a very trilling expense. They had been too late to bring in a Bill upon the subject this session, but in order that the merits of the scheme might be brought fairly before the House, they had petitioned to be allowed to bring in a Bill, notwithstanding the standing orders. That petition was refused, however, and they were advised to bring the matter before the Sanitary Commission. But the fact remained that they could bring along their North Kent line a supply of water adequate to the wants of the whole metro polis, and its cheapness might be estimated from this fact, that they could bring to the terminus at the B icklayers' Arms a supply of water adequate for the wants of all the districts south of the Thames, at a cost not exceeding the present expense of water to ! the South• Eastern and Brighton Compinies, at their stations at London-bridge and the Bricklayers' Arms. —(Hear, hear.) The directors thought it their duty to Wing this matter before them; and those who had money to spare—(Laughter)—might , perhaps like to form a company for the purpose ; tut if no ether re sult should follow than the rental arising from the right of way of such a supply of water over their line, it would be a great object.—(Hear.) With regard to the net earnings of the company, the shareholders would hardly believe him when be told them that they had even in this session been called upon to de fend their property against the construction of new lines—(Hear, hear)—the extension of the North Kent line—and though the scheme had been defeated, yet it had cost them 1,2001. ; and that sum, be might observe, had been charged to revenue. Their earn• ings were further lessened by the sum set apart for the renewal of rolling stock or permanent way ; so that the net earnings of the line were at the rate of 23 per cent. per annum, and a very small per centage it was.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") Bat there was some consolation in this—that if all the capital were rendered productive, and if the conti nental fines were developed as he anticipated, their pro perty would stand in a pceition not very different from Consols.—(Laughter.) This was a very dia rant result from what they had a right to expect ; but if they looked those difficulties fairly in the face, the company would be in a position to borrow money at the rate of 3f per cent., and they would go to Parlia ment, as they proposed to do, on Monday next, and show that they had met every obligation without paying a dividend. With regard to their Ashford and Hastings line, there was a clause in the Bid pro vHing that if the line were not finished by the autumn of 184 S, no dividend should he divided after that till it was completed. They had received lega advice, however, that this onl y applied to the capital employed in the construction of that branch, and they were further advised that tLey must pay interest upon that capital, bee use interest was not dividend.— (Laughter.) But to-Jay they had been served with an injunction against their paying any dividend whatever till that branch was completed. lie had no fcar, however, of such an injunction being found valid.—(Hear, hear.) regard to the Reading, Guildfurd, and Reigate line, he hal to state that when they came to the agreement with that line, which was now in existence, they were lured into it by the expctation of a grea: reticulation of lines on the narrow gauge running from Reading to Oxford sal the north, thus giving the South-Eastern a direct communication with the north of England. None of these lines had been completed, but the S )uth-Eastern Company had ful filled their agreements; and when the lines he al luded to were made, he still hoped that the Reading, Guildford, and Reigate line, which was certainly ht present in a disastrous condition, would be greatly improved. A compromise on the existing agreement had been proposed, by which this company was to pay 51- per cent, on the 600,0001. already raised on the Reading, Guildforl, and Reigate line, and 4 per cent. upon 200,0001. still remaining to be raised, thus making the permanent guarantee on the whole capital stock of that company per cent. This compromise he strongly recommended the share holders to accept. He concluded by proposing that the report be adopted, printed, and circulated among the shareholders. Mr. RENSHAW seconded the motion. Mr. JOSIAH WILSON objected to that part of the re port which recommended Mr. Barlow's discovery of iron sleepers and chains. He said the Greenwich line was at first laid upon stone sleepers, which were found to shake the engines to pieces, and it cost them 20,0001. to relay the line with the ordinary sleepers. He, therefore, warned the shareholders not lightly to go into this enormous expenditure which might, perhaps, land them in as much more to return to the old system. Its complained cf the extravagant salaries on the establishment, not except ing that of the chairman, who, since he got 2,0001. from the shareholders, had become the sole dictator of the concern.—(Hear, hear.) Would they believe it, that his honest and straightforward Friend, Mr. Thompson, had not been called to a single com mittee meeting since he dared to say that the money of the company was unfairly used ?—(Hear.) What bed proved Mr. Hudson's ruin had been applauded in the case of Mr. M'Gregor. He had taken dividend out of capital while the opposition of the North Kent Company existed, and he was applauded for it. He then compared the salaries on this line with these on the midland, those on the latter being much lower than the South. Eastern. Mr. Wilson proceeded in this way for some time, now cheered by the share holders, and now assailed by cries of " True" and " Question," declaring his opinion that the chairman was mismanaging the affairs of the company, and that he rendered the funds of the company sub servient to the interest of a banking establishment in L'verpool. He concluded by asking whether all the funds for which the No. 2 shares were created were paid off. The CHAIRMAN said that the No. 2 shares were not created for discharging bond debts only—the other purposes bad absorbed those shares, so far as the bond debt was not discharged. Mr. WILSON asked how much of the bond debt was not paid off ? The CHAIRMAN said the bond debt was set forth in the report. Mr. WlLsoze said the debt was not to be found in the report. He would ask another question—How much the steam-packet company owed the railway ? The CHAIRMAN — The amount was under 7,000/. Mr. WILSON was then proceeding to denounce the steam-packet company, but was met by the universal hisses of the meeting, when he said he would not touch further upon that. lie then came back upon the question of the directors, and said that the books of the company were taken to the Chairman's house and locked up there. The CRAIZICAN — That is positively untrue. Mr. WILSON—Grant him a committee, and he would bring a man upon oath to prove all he said. He did hope that the shareholders would, ere long, propose a committee of investigation , and they would find that their accounts were cooked, that dividend had been paid out of capital, and that dissatisfaction with the management was general all over the world. —(Cries of " No, no.") He concluded with moving that they only appoint one of the directors now going out of office. Mr. SMITH seconded the motion. The CHAIRMAN replied to Mr. Wilson, and said he had no doubt the meeting would listen to him after several years of faithful service which he had devoted to the company.—(Cheers.) Mr. Wilson had rung the changes upon the liberal sum of 2,0001. which had been allotted to him, but he bad to say that if they chose to revoke the sum voted last year, it was as much at their service as on the day it was voted. — (Cheers.) He declared that neither he nor the rest of the directors would meet with Mr. Thompson, the director alluded to by Mr. Wilson, as it was impos sible fur them to meet with any man on other terms than mutual confidence and good will. The charges brought against him by that gentleman had been in vestigated by the committee appointed last year, and he was ready to submit to any further investigation —the only painful thing connected with it being, the horrid sacrifice of his own property which had taken place on this line.—(Cheers, and cries of " Who's in the same boat ?") Yes, he admitted that; but he could say that lie held every share in the line now that he held from the beginning.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He then defended the officers of the establishment and their salaries, and retorted upon Mr. Wilson that his interest in the Blackwell Railway and the Gravesend steam-boats, induced him to find fault with all that had been done on the North Kent line. He challenged Mr. Wilson, or any other, to compare the South-Eastern expenses with the Brighton or any other line in similar circum stances. With regard to the directors, he declared that nothing would induce him to sit at the board with that man (pointing to Mr. Thompson). [This expression led to loud cries of " Shame," and " Hear, hear."] Ile trusted that this meeting would re - elect the retiring directors, and proposed, if they did so, that the directors should, at their first meeting, ballot for the retirement of three of their number. Mr. Thom's" the director alluded to, then read a written statement of his complaints against his co- directors. These referred to alleged misstatements in former accounts, debiting the capital account with what belonged to revenue, and lending money to other parties in an irregular manner. The meeting listened to the statement with considerable impati ence, 'and there were several calls for Mr. Thompson to state the cause of his quarrel with the chairman and other directors. He said he bad been attac ked because he denounced the mode in which the affairs of the company were managed, and every insult had been heaped upon him to induce him to resign his seat at the board; but as be knew his own integrity, he disregarded the tactics which had driven twenty of his predecessors to resign.—(Hear, hear.) the Mr. RATCLIFFE would like to know if any o f other directors knew a n y thin g of these matters . Mr. RENSHAW said that some of the affairs re ferred to took place before he was a director ; but be had investigated the whole of them, and he could declare upon his honour that there was not one word of truth in what Mr. Thompson had stated.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") lie had further to say, that if they were to extract the truth out of Mr. Wilson's statements, they would find it reduced to a very small modicum indeed. Mr. TaomesoN here (in a state of great excite ment) declared that Mr. Renshaw, who had contra dicted him in that infamous manner, was qualified by the chairman, who had given him twenty shares to enable him to be a director. He threw the charge of falsehood back in his teeth.—(Loud cries of " Order.") Yes, he told him to his teeth that it was a falsehood.—(Cries of " Shame," " Order," " Chair.") The CHAIRMAN said, if he spoke a month he could not give the meeting a better proof of the relations of the board with that gentleman.—(Loud cheers.) He entreated Mr. Renshaw to make no answer to these statements.--(Cheer=.) 21r. Wilson's amendment with regard to the direr- tern was then put to the meeting and lost, and the re port was agreed to. On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, a dividend for the half year, at the rate cf three per cent. per annum, was agreed to, to be paid on the Bth of April. A long discussion then took place with regard to the directors. Mr. T. 11. SmiTcr said he had attended the meeting determined to vote against the re-election of the re- tiring direct rs, as - he was of opinion the number t o o t the il i t e h r e e r f o directors ro, he would declined i nse support asso ciate the should be reduced to nine; but, af te r the exhibition of temper shown by Mr. Thompson to-day, he did not w a ° v n i with him, ad, therefore, rth t other re- lection of the retiring directors on the understand ing that at the first meeting of the board afterwards they should ballot their number down to nine. Tnis motion was agreed to, Mr. Thompson de claring that he would not be bound by it; and the retiring directors, lion. Mr. Byng, -Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Jack, and Mr. Kirwan Smith, were re-elected. A lung discussion then took place on the election of auditors, which ended in the -meeting adjourning for a month to receive Ihe names of properly qualified candid ices ; the salary meantime being fixed at 1001. per annum for each of the three auditors. The consolidation of the different shares into the capital stock of the company was also . agrees to.' The CHAIRMAN then brought before them a Bill which was now befJre Par lament, for an increase in their capital account, which he said was rendered ne cessary by the purchase Lf the Gravesend and Roches ter Cieal, the extension of the Se L?onard's and Hastings line, amounting in the whole to 1,200,0001. The Bill, after some discussion, was approved of. Another Bill to empower the shareholders to de termine when the payment of interest out of capital on the IN o. 3 and 4 shares should cease, was also brought forward, and was also approved by . a majo rity of the shareholder = , the min orit y handing in a protest against it. The CHAIRMAN then brought forward the contract with the Beading, Guildford, ar.d Reigate Cotnpany, and recommended the adoption of the compromise now .uggested by the directors. Ile said the pill was as hitter a one to him as it could be to any one in the room, but he believed he was doing his duty in proposing the compromise. Ha concluded by pre pozing a resolution, agreeing to a lease of this line, at a rate of 5. per cent. on the paid-up capital or 600,0001, and 4 per cent. on the calling up of the remaining Parliamentary capital of 200,000 t, at the rate of 4 per cent.; further, that a Bill shall be in troduced into Parliament for the amalgamation of the two companies, at the rate of renting the shares of the Resdirg, Guildford, and Reigate Company as perpetual debentures, at the rate of .5* per cent. After some discussion, the resolution was agreed to by a large mejority. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting adjourned. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. - - BRISTOL, MARCH 14. STOCK EXCHANGE. —The market to-day has been some what depressed. The transactions were as follow : Great Western, Quarters, 11!4 —Wits, Somerset, &c., 10 1 / 2 dis.— Taff Vale, 13 p. LIVERFOOL. MARCH 14. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market was very dull to day, and prices had a downward tendency, the market closing heavily at the quotations. The transactions were as fol low : Lancashire and Yorkshire, Fifths (West Riding Union), 7 1 dis.— London and North-Western, 101 1 , 2 —Ditto, New Quarters, 6s. 3d. dis.— Ditto, Fifthr, p.—Midland, 39 1 4 c. ex div.—Ditto, Halves, 25 dis.—Shrewsbury and Birmingham (91. 12s. 3d. L'.), 6 dis. —York, Newcastle, and Berwick (Extension Ncs. 1 and 2), 11 3 / 4 dis. ex divr- Ditto (G. N. E. Purchase), 6 per Cent. till 18'.i0, 64 dis. MANCHESTER, Blancir 14. STOCK EXCilANGE.—Business on our Stock Exchange to -day was very inactive, and prices remain almost station ary. The transactions were as follow :—East Lancashire, 8a c.—Ditto, Preference, Quarters (min. 6 per cent.), 7% —Lancashire and Yorkshire, 40 1 /,, ex div.—Ditto, 32/. (late Extension), 11% ex div.—Ditto, Halves (H. and S.), 20 —London and North-Western, 104—Ditto, Manchester and Birmingham (C), Quarters, 746 n. p.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnsbi - e, Eighths, 1 13-16—Ditto, Preference, 6X —Ditto, 111. 10s. Shsres, 1Y,4 n.—North Staffordshire, 11 1 , 8 n. d.—South-Eastern and Dover, 17—Ditto, Scrip (No. 4), 55i. BIRMINGHAM, MARCH 14. SrocK DICHANGE.-Our share market was brisker to day, but there was no improvement in prices. The transac ctions were London and North-Western, 104 -Ditto, Fifths, 1 / g p.—Ditto, New, IA dis.—Midland, 391/2—Shrop shire Union, 3th dis. - South Staffordstire, 4 1-16 dis. YORK, MARCH 13. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The transactions to-day were as follow :—Great Northern, Preference, 71. 16s. 3d.—York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 13X —Ditto (Newcastle Exten sion), 8%. GLASGOW, MARCH 13. STOCK EWTIANGE.—The transactions to-day were as Caled ):t . aa and Dumbartonshire, 705.—Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee, 6—Glasgow General Terminus, 9 SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTEKSA LL'3.—YESTERDAY. 3he very limited amount of business transacted yer ttrday afterno:ll renders it unnecessary to gig e more than the closing prices:— WARWICKStiIRE HANDICAP. 3 to 1 agst Lord J. Scott's Defaulter 4 to 1 agst Mr. Meesou's Dart 4to I cgst Mr. Ira Ballinafad 6 to 1 agst Mr. Lawsou's Keleshea THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES. 6 to 1 agst Mr. Ilallord's liarriott, 3 yrs, sst 101 b— . to 1001. 13 to 2 agst Mr. H. Hill's Osterley, 4 yrs, 7st 9 to 1 agst Duke cf Bedford's Mahratta, 4 yrs, sst Illb 12 to I agst Lord Eglinton's Belus, 4 yrs, 7st 51b—t 14 to 1 agst Sir J. Ilawley's Fcrnhill, 5 yrs, Bst 41b —taken 20 to 1 egst Mr. Jaques's Chantrey, 4 yrs, 6st 13Ib METROPOLITAN STAKES. 2 to 1 agst Mr. Gratwicke's Cheerful, 4 yrs, 6it— take 5 to 2 CHESTER CUP. 40 to 1 agst Mr. Jaques's Cbantrey, 4 yrs, Est 101 b 2,000 to 25 agst Mr. Lawson's Kele shea, 6 yrs, 6st 61b —taken 2,000 to 20 agst Captain LOR tiler's Tarn Wadlin, 4 yrs, 6st 11lb—taken 10,000 to 50 agst Mr. Snewing's St. Gewge, 3 yrs, 4st 41b—taken DERBY. 6 to 1 agst Duke of Richmond's Ghillie Callum 7 to 1 agst Mr. W. Edwards na Bolingbroke—taken to 1001., and afterwards offered 22 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Mayors—taken to 1001. 25 to 1 agst Mr. J. Scott's Cyprus 30 to 1 agst Lord IL Lennox's William the Con queror 2,000 to 25 agst Duke of Bedford's John o' Groat—taken DONCASTER SPRING MEETING.—THIIRSDAY. The Handicap (Hurdle Race) of 5 aovs. each, and 30 aided, the second to save his stakes. 2 miles. (12 Subs.) Mr. Lister's Wharfdale Maid, lOst 81b (Frisby) 1 Mr. Gardner's Little Queen, 4 yrs, 9st 71b (G. Arran) 2 Capt. Reynard's Jack-in-the-Corner, lost (Marwen) The following also ran:—Mr. Perceyal's Dunchurch, aged, 103 t 6d (Frost) —Mr. HargreaYe's r a Chintz Print, aged, lOst 21b (Brooke) —Mr. J. R. Scott's Good Girl, 5 yrs, 9st 131 b (Clark) —and Mr. Foster's Fanny, aged, 9st (Smith). Betting-7 to 4 agst Little Queen, 3to 1 apt Vane dale Maid-4 to 1 agst Jack-in-thc-Corner, and 6to 1 agt Dunchurch. Fanny made the running beyond the stand, and then bolted, Wharfdale Maid took the lead, was never after beaded, and won by half a neck. Run in 4 Mitt. 38 secs. The Grand Stand Stakes of 5 sous. each and 30 added; for 2 yrs old, 7st; 3 yrs, 9st, &c. Red House in. (7 Subs.) Mr. Dawson na Mark Tapley, 3 yrs ...(Cartwright) 1 Mr. Hessehine's Timothy, 3 yrs (Longstaff) 2 Mr. Barker's Tordesillas, 3 yrs (Templeman) 3 The following also started:—Mr. A. Shepherd's Emma, 3 yrs (owner)—Mr. G. Barton's Leonidas, 3 yrs (W. Oates), and Mr. Jameson's Towel:0Y" (Dean). Betting-5 to 1 agst Mark Tapley-3 to 1 agst Tor desillas, and 7 to 2 agst Timothy. The favourite waited till within the distance, when he went up, and won easy by a length. Run in 1 min. 17 sec. of _soya. to The Grand National Steep lechase Handicap 1 5 each, 10 ft., &e., with 100 add ed ; the secon d to d his stake. About t hree mile and a half. ( 13 Subs., 4 of whom declared.) Mr. Skipworth's Rachel, aged, lOst 41b (Frisby) 1 Mr. Elas3all's Lucy Neal, aged, lOst 121 b (Taylor) 2 E. Mr. Thorpe na Young Lottery , 9 st 61 b (Butler) 3 Mr. Smith's Pestling, 9st (G. Muirhouse) 4 Mr. Cunningham's Quadruped, lOst 21b (G. Arran) c; 7 to 4 agst Rachel, 2 to 1 agst Lucy Neal, 6 to 1 agat Young Lottery, and 6 to 1 agst Peatling. Rachel lay in front throughout, and won a fine race by a short neck—run in 9 min. 1 sec. The Municipal Stakes of 5 soya. each, and 30 add e d, the second to save his stake, &c. St. Leger course, (4 Subs.) Mr. J. Condron's Peasant Girl, 4 yrs (Regan) Mr. IllaAer'a Theory, 4 yrs (Arnold) 2 Mr. Millwood's Lodona, 3 yrs (Osborne) 3 Mr. Plamley's Billy from Brigg, 6 yrs (Templeman) 4 \Von cleverly. Tho Sheffield and Rotherham Stakes of 6 soya. each, h ft, and 40 added. One mile. (1! Subs.) Mr. B. Eddison's Eliza Niiddlt ton, 3 yrs, Est 21b Mr. B. Green's Obaldeston, 3 yrs, Est 121 b ... 2 Several others ran. Won by a length. POST-OFFICE NOTICE.—AII letters for Belgium, intended by the writers to be s6nt in the closed mail by way of France, must be specially addressed either " via France," or " via Calais." [ ADVERTISEMENT.] —THE EARL OF ALDBOROIJOS AND HoLLowat's FILLS An astounding cure by this miraculous " ma Messina, Leghorn, Feb. 21, 1645. medicine, aster every other means had failed. See extract from hi s Lordship's letter, dated Professor Holloway—Sir . I beg to acquaint you that your pills h ave ef. fected a care of a disorder in my liver and stomach which all the most eminent of the faculty, at home and all over the continent, had not been able to effect; n ay, not ever the waters of Carlsbad or Ma rienbad. (Signed) e‘ ALDBOROUGH." These wenderfal pills will cure any disease of t he liver or stomach.—Sold (also Holloway's iOintmsnt) at PrOfeSSOT Holloway's Establishment, 244, wad, ate by all medicine yendors threUghollt tin olvalood world.