The Sun. — London, England, 1850-02-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 22. ROYAL CO M MISSION. Their Lordship assembled at a quarter after Four, and the Royal Assent wag given by Commission to the County Cess (Ireland) Bill. The Royal Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Minto, and Lord Campbell. Their Lordship then adjourned during pleasure. Their Lordships re-assembled at Five o'clock. ACTS OF PARLIAMENT ABBREVIATION BILL. On the motion of Lord BROUGHAM this Bill was read a third time and passed. CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION BILL. Lord BROUG , HAM moved the second reading of this Bill; and in so doing drew the attention of their Lord ships to the report of the Commissioners on the propriety of a reform in criminal procedure. A good criminal criminal code was rendered most faulty by a bad code of criminal procedure. The French criminal code was, perhaps, the best in the world, but its benefits were greatly lessened by the bad method of criminal procedure in that country. Th, B;11 wal then read a second time. BANKRUPTCY LAWS CONSOLIDATION BILL. Lord BROUGHAM moved tie second reading of this Bill, and give notice of the Committee for this day Ea.:- night.—Agreed to. IRELAND. The Marquis or LONDONDERRY, in explaining a statement all-g , d to have he •n male on the subjcet of •the; agitation t,f certain Presbyterian ministers in the north of Irel snd for a reduction of rents, took occasion to state that, in his opinion, the Earl cf Clarendon was the best Lord-Lieutenant that had ever exercised authority in Ireland. Recently several outrages had been committed in the north of Ireland which had been excited by the Presbyterian ministers, and ho wished t> know whether the Government could not intim Ate to the Synod of Ulster, that if this course of conduct were continued the Royal bounty would be withheld from these agitating Prelbyt Iriik ministers. He had recetvel a letter from a Presbyterian minister, calling him to ac count for what be had stated in the House, which was a. high breach of privilege. The Marq iis of LANSDOWNE thought that it would not be politically expedient to draw the attention of the law officers of the Crown to the conduct of these ministers, and he knew of no method of punishing such conduct 2,3 that complained of by the Noble Marquis, excepting by a criminal prosecution. _ _ Tile Earl of MOUNTCASIIEL knew several of the Presbyterian clergy of the north of Ireland, and from what h., knew of them he believed that the great ma jority of them were averse to agitation. A more loyal or more well-disposed body of men did not exist than the Presbyterian clergy of the north of Ireland. Lord BROUII HAM considered that the letter written to the Noble Marquis was a great encroachment upon the privileges of that House. The,letter called upon the Noble Marquis, in the name of the Tenants' Right Association, to prove or to retract his assertions. No doubt this body was a most respectable and a most loyal body —more loyal now than it had been in 1798. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY explained, and the subject dropped. GREECE. Lord EDDISBURY laid on the table the documents relating to our differences with Greece. RIVER PLATE. The Earl of HARROWBY asked what was the state of our relations with Buenos Ayres? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that a treaty had been signed with General Roses, the Pesident of the Argentine Republic, but he could not at present lay it on the table, as it had not yet arrived in this country. The Earl of ABERDEEN considered that we should have done nothing by signing a treaty with General Roses, unless by that treaty we secured the independence of the Oriental Republic. lie thought it was a mistike on the part of the Go vernment to have separated this country from France in conducting these negotiations, because by so doing they had restored to France her freedom of action. The comequence had been that Franco had sent out a force of 1,500 men to • Monte Video, quite sufficient to garrison the town, and if they could not conclude a satisfactory treaty with 'Cosa?, they would follow up that force by a more formidable expedition.— (Hear, hear.) fle thought that our treaty with Roses should have bean drawn up in conjunction with the French Government. He had, however, no hesitation in bay in g that he would in fin:tely pri far seeir , the French in pos session cf Monts V7deo than General Roses. He considered it was impolitic for us to have en tered into any arrangement with General Row, without making General Oribe a party to that arrange ment—no arrangement with Roses would secure the safety rf foreigners in the Oriental territory without the consent of General Oribe. He understood that our Minister had not been admitted to the presence of General Ros9s. Now he contended that in treating wi:h sem;-barharous powers of this nature it WAS absurd to stand upon diplomatic etiquette. They ought not to submit to insults of this sort from a seeoad-rata power. He hoped the treaty would prove sadiLet.ry, but he had grave doubts on the at eject, . Lord BOWDEN approved of the terms of the treaty, as such •e•.s ,ied_by Nohie Marciais. As regards the qucst• in • f in,rnatioottl law, involve I in the dispute as to wh-thcr ttie avig4liou of great river?, pfessing thr , :ugh sevcrw cuubtrles, ought to be free, he urged th , -, 11 , it1S , L ; .;litly to ps-s an :pinion on th , - point, as they were them ' , lves occupying a position on the Awe rican co:vit.-rent a , ;al ,, gotri to rhst in:detained by General R•ses, w;tn reg,ircl ro the free tiavigvion of the Parana. He &bought that the bucesecering expe,iition for forcing the pasei4e of the (Piligado was a grave infraction o f in terry.tierrel law, arid also most irupoliJic, as it incensed R,,eas a , . a pr'riod w rice it was most inoportan for us to conciliate him. The Noble Lord then defended General Ross f , :m the ino , :eittvions :,f cruelty which had been east on h n in tile Fr lich Assembly, of ill-treatment •f e as, not one ~f which statements was true. He had ne,e , he rd rif a single case of premeflitated cruelty be:, g b ought home t r itosas; and, on the contrary, he krAiw ariy easis in which he had afforded benevolent protection. Of course soldiers in the heat of civil war, and especially Spanish American soldiers, would commit Ex cesses not justifiable by the practice of civilized warfare; and he thought that foreign adventurers, seeking to pro fit by the 'waled. of civil f,utis and contentions, ought not to look for the safety and protection to be found only in a perceahle and well-ordered state. They might depend upou it there was no fear of the indepen dent persons of Monte Video giving up their indepen dence t General Rows, the National Assembly of France, or to any other body of persons. After a few w , ,rds from the Earl of HARROWI3Y, Lord GULCHES ['ER said that as long as the sea was open, there was , no fear that Monte Video would be taken by any person or party, however strong. He hoped that the Government would keep a watchful eye upon the movements of other ra'ions in respect to Monte Wen: Aiter a few words from Lord HOWDEN, The Ntirquis of LANSDOWNE said the Government had no otf,er ~h jecit in chat they had done but to protect the commercial interests cf this countty. The buy eet then dropped. SUNDAY TRADING BILL. The Earl of fIAIiIZOWBY, in postponing the second roadil,g of the BW, expres4ed a hope that the evidence given before the Committee on the subject of Sunday raling would be in the hands of their Lordships before that d CAI'APBELL was understood to iay that the evidence would be ready before that time. The second reading of the Bill was then postponed till Friday next. Their Lordships then adjourned. SOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 22. Tie SPEAKER took the Chtsir at Four o'clock. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time, and cr &red to bo committed ; Bolton Improvement. Bridge across the River Clyde opposite to South Port land-street. Lourieston, Glasgow. BRITISH ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH BILL. Mr. FARRER moved the second reading of this Bill. Mr. Ricauno then rose, but Mr. Pullman entered to stiolm, n the House to hear the Royal Assent given to a certain by Commission in the House of Peers. Mr. RICARDO then said that he felt more than ever the necessity of requiring that notices of opposition to a Bill should be given within a certain. date. He should oppose the Bill, because he was as sured that t' , e Bill was neither more nor less than an at tempt t,) ex rt money from the shareholders of rival oompanit,.. Y , t, feeling that the notices to which he alluded ought to be given, he would amend his motion, and move that the Bill be read that day week instea4 Of that day six months.—(Hear, hear.) fir. FA RR ER protested against the imputation of Mr. gioarde. The House then divided, when there appeared— . • For the second reading ..• ••• •• 75 • Against it ••• ••• ••• ••. 12 Majority for the second reading —63 CAMBRIDGE AND SHEPRETH JUNCTION RAILWAY, •tc. DILL. Lord C. MANNERS move d t h e second reading of this Bilf. Mr. TOWNLEY would readily support the second raiding of this Bill, for he believed that its enactment would be productive of great public advantage. Mr. GIBSON said that this Bill had been already' rejected in Committep, and he thought that that fur nished a very fair ground for opposing the second reading. Mr. GREENE thought that the Bill ought to be allowed to go into Committee, if it were only ai a mat ter of principl,.. I;nrd IrARRY VANE thought that the most expe dient course to follow would be to withdraw the Bill for the prsent, and upon its re-introduction to state the merits of it to the House. After a words from Lord J. MANNERS Mr. SPOONER said this was an i nstance ' of the evils resulting from timely notice not being g i ven. The Bill bad been rejected only in its detail s , the prih.: ciple had been approved no less than three times. After a Jew observations from some other lion. Members, Mr. TOWNLEY withdrew his amendment, and it Bill should be read a second time 'RIVATE BIILS. Its were then read a second time, and fitted : lad Railway. .ance Company. wbour Improvement. Railway. Gorbals Gravitation Water Company. Hartlepool West Harbour and Docks. Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Railway (Sale or Lease to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, &c.) North Staffordshire Railway (Ashbourne Branch, Power to Lease, Amendment of Acts). North Staffordshire Railway (Extension of Time for Purchase of Lands, &c.) Reading Union Waterworks. Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway. Snaith and Cowick, Union of the Townships, Ste. South Staffordshire Railway. • South Wales Railway (No. 2.) PETITIONS AGAINST PRIVATE BILLS. Mr. W. PATTEN gave notice that on Monday next he should move that three days' notice should be given at the Private Bill-office of an intention to oppose the second reading of a private Bill. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. Mr. BELL presented a petition from Northumber land, signed by 15,000 inhabitants of that country, com plaining of agricultural distress. POST-OFFICE LABOUR. _ _ Petitions were presen:ed by Mr. Duncan and the Hon. Mr. Clive, and several other Members, against the employment of labour on Sundays in tho Post office. POLITICAL INFORMATION. Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition from the Political Associaticn of Birmingham, praying that greater infor mation might be diffused among the people respecting political subjects, as otherwise greater mistakes would be made in legislation than had already been made, which wag needless.—(" Hear, heir," and laughter.) WINDOW DUTY. Mr. Alderman SIDNEY presented a petition from Stafford praying for the abolition of the window slaty. AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION. Mr. BANKES presented a petition from a meeting praying for the return to protective duties. SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST-OFFICE. Admiral Gordon, Mr. Hildyard, Lord J. Manners, and Mr. Napier presented petitions from various places against Sunday labour in the Post-office. Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition from the inhabi tants of Gllsgow, complaining that a policeman of the name of Cameron having killed a man with a blow of his truncheon, had by the mismanagement of the autho rities been allowed to escape trial and punishment, and praying the House to institute inquiries. COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS. Sir E. BUXTON presented a petition in favour of the establishment of county financial boards. Sir R. PEEL presented a petition from Staffordshire, praying that ratepayers might have a concurrent con trol over county expenditure with the magistrates. Sir W. MOLES WORTH presented a petiton from the Strand Union in &your of the establishment of county financial boards. TIMBER DUTIES. Lord JOCELYN presented a petition from King's Lynn, praying for a repeal of the duties on timber. SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST•OFFICE. Mr. COWAN presented a petition from Leith against Sunday labour in the Post-office. ARMY AND NAVY ESTIMATES. Mr HUME wished to know when the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) intended to take the first vote for the army and navy, as it was his intention to make a motion calling upon the Government to bring the financial state of the country before the House before any vote was proposed. Lora J. RUSSELL was understood to say that he would take the first vote on Monday se'nnight. PRICES OF CORN. Mr. EVELYN DENISON wished to know whether the returns, alluded to by the Hon. Member for West bury (Mr. Wilson) last night, of the prices of corn in Belgium and France, were of an official character, and could be laid on the table for the information of the House? Mr. WILSON said the information was not received through the Foreign-office, but it came directly to hi m from official sources in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, and, so far as he was concerned, he should be glad to facili tate the object the Hon. Gentleman had in view of laying them on the table. Perhaps the proper course would be to ask his Right Hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to lay the papers on the table through his department. Mr. DisitAgLi apprehended that the question put to the Honourable Member for Westbury was whether he received the information in his official capacity or in any other capacity. Mr. WILSON stated last night that he received it on his private application. AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the Australian Colonies Bill stood for committal on Monday next, but as the question of whether there should be one house or two for the government of the colony was likely to be raised, he wished to postpone it until the house should be in possession of all the information bearing upon the point. —( Hear, hear.) A dispatch had been received this morning, which it was highly important the House should be in possession of before it debated the question.— (Heer.) The Hon. and Learned Gentleman had given hotice of his intention to move in Committee that there should be two houses, instead of the proposal of the Go vernment contained in this Bili ; but the notice did not state how the houses were to be elected—by the Crown or by any other body—and he, therefore, hoped the Honourable and Learned Gentleman would specify the details of his plan.—(Hear, hear.) He should therefore, move that the order of the day be now read fur the purpose of being postponed till this day fortnight, when he should be in a position to state the reason the B 11 had been prepared in its present shape. Mr. DIVE IT asked the Noble Lord to state posi tively that the Bill w , uld come on then. Lord J. RUSSELL saw no reason why it should not. The order of the day was then rend and postpone!. EMIGRANT SHIPS. In answer to a question from Mr. GRATTAN, Mr. HAWES said, with regard to the ill-treatment of certain female emigrants on board the ship Sobraon, certain of tee officers belonging to that vessel who had been geilty of the misconduct in question had been degraded. Lord ASHLEY wished to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government had instituted any inquiry into the alleged flogging of cer tain females on board the emigrant ship Romulus? Mr. HAWES said the ship arrived in March last, and the passengers made no complaint whatever of any ill treatoseat. It eventually turned out, however, that four females bad been brutally treated, though not actually flogged. in the presence of the matron, by the surgeon. PARTY PROCESSIONS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion of Sir W. SOMERVILLE, this Bill was read a third time and passed. PARLIAMENTARY VOTERS (IRELAND) BILL. Sir W. SOMERVILLE moved that this Bill be read a second time. Mr. NAPIER said he felt it his duty to ask the attention of the House while he made a few remarks upon some important clauses of this Bill. The objections which he had against the Bill were not objections of detail. Ho thought the principle of the Bill was one which would be entirely destructive of the principle of the constitution of the country. The ground put forward in this Bill was, that,owing to certain fatal events which had taken place in Ireland, theconsti tuency had dribbled away, and that unless some additions were made, in some parts of Ireland there would be no constituency at all. It was under circumstances of greet depression that this Bill sought to decrease the qualification and increase the number of voters. This has been basel entirely upon an erroneous suppo sition respecting the franchise, respecting the county and the borotigh franchise. In the county the franchise was simply based upon the property which he occupied. In the borough franchise it was different. The occu pant of a house in a borough did not depend upon the property which he held, but upon his occupation. In a borough a man was a substantial man because he de pended upon his business rather than upon the property which he held. In the county districts this uas totally different. There the votes depended entirely upon the interest of the tenant in the property which he held of his landlord. This made a material difference in the positions of the two parties, much• to the disadvantage of the county constituent. The Hon. Gentleman then said that he would advert to the several clauses of the Bill, and show how injuriously this would act.— (Hear, hear.) In the first place, the early clauses would reduce the power of the constituency far below the usual average. But he would go through the clauses. The Hon. Gentleman then read the first clause, which sim ply explained the nature of the Bill. The second clause of the Bill, which gave votes for each holding under a joint occupancy, would give rise to the evils which had arisen from the principle of subdivision in Ireland. Their object ought to have been to promote the good of the country by encouraging a substantial yeomanry with good leases, who would endeavour to improve the land and in crease its value. But this clause would bring into ex istence a horde of xoters who would be agents in the hands of political parties, and perhaps the means of put ting the country into such a state as to render all hope of its permanent improvement useless. The third clause would increase the evil, for it gave a vote to every 51. holding. With regard to the borough franchise, he did not intend to offer any opposition to that, but with respect to the basis of this f ranc hi se, i t appeared to be founded upon a principle that requires great caution and great circum spection. It was of deep importance to sever the work ing of the poor-law in Ireland from anything religious or political, and yet the basis of this franchise was realto devpaelnadationupon theof p e p rry oo . r .... -law (R , ea a r :id ha n a o r t .) th i e f they wanted to have in Ireland a substantial class of occupiers holding under genuine leases, and bent upon the improvement of the country, why at this time intro duce such a Bill, when, to use the language of the Lord- Lieutenant of Ireland, that country had b een too long trained to a system of agitation to be suddenly weaned from its pursuit, and that what Ireland stood most in need of VV4i internal tranquillity. In place of having 501. and 201. freeholders, they would have 51. freeholders. It was nothing better than a system of 403 . freeholders , which was got rid of at the time of the Emancipation Bill. They would sublet and subdivide the land, and raise up a horde of persons who, whatever other qualities they might possess, would be exceedingly useful to design ing meu in carrying out their purposes.—(Bear, hear.) The Learned G en tl eman th en r ea d a return showing the number of qualifications of persons rated in Ireland. If the House wished to see a substantial class of voters in the country, he would ask whether this Bill was likely to effect that object? He hoped the Bill would be well and thoroughly considered. Mr. HUME began by saying that the question of representation had excited so much attention throughout Europe, that her Majesty's Government had tardily come forward to extend the suffrage to the colonies. His principal object in getting up was, to say that this Bill would not satisfy Ireland. Every man at the Cape of Good Hope who paid to the roll-tax would have a right . to vote, and were Irishmen of less value than Cape of Good Hope colonists ? They ought to make taxation and representation coincident, which was don e il l the Cape of Good Hope Bill.—(Hear, hear.) THE SUN, Irishmen required moral elevation 3 and nothing, in his opinion, would tend more to that moral elevation than the giving to every man a stake in the country, and a voice in the direction of public affairs. —(Hear, hear.) So far from thinking that this Bill went too far, he was quite of a different opinion. Hitherto they had treated Irishmen as if they were cattle. They had treated Irishmen worse than Hottentots ' and he trusted, therefore, that the Government, which had seemingly taken a step in the right direction, would perse vere in that effort and ultimately accomplish that enlarge ment of the franchise which would give to every man a stake in the country, for that was the only means, in his opinion, for rectifying the evil state of public feeling in that country. Mr. REYNOLDS was glad in the extreme that his ex cellent and Hon. Friend, the Member for Montrose, had broached this subject, for on the contemplated evil of the removal of the Lord-Lieutenant from Ireland, he fully be lieved that there was no other means of providing aremedy for the evils which the country would suffer than a just extension of the franchise. He attended the House be cause he had been told that the Honourable and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Napier) had been determined to offer a strenuous opposition to the passing of the party Pro cessions Bill. He was glad to find that he (Mr. Na pier) had sacrificed the Orange party at Dolly's Brae, the Rodens and Co.; but, at the same time, he should say, that he regrettel that he was so deter minedly opposed to the extension of the franchise to the counties, though he did admit it to the boroughs of Ire land. He highly appreciated that observation of the Honourable Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume), when be said that property- worth 81. in Ireland eas worth 30/. in England, and therefore hoped that the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir William Somerville) would not adhere to the 81. valuation, after all the promises he h a d made on th e subject of the franchise; for if he did, he (Mr. Reynolds), for his part, should declare to the House and to Ireland that he was totally disappointed.—(Hear, hear.) Let them look to the extent of the Par liamentary franchise in the Irish counties, and they would find that they were a mere shadow, with the exception of the 50/. leasehold and the 201. eopyhold. He had several objections to various clauses of the Bill. He would ask why did not the Hon. and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Napier), when he so strongly argued against the extension of the franchise in counties, al lude to those pets of his, the freemen, who have not " a local habitation," and he might fairly add, " a name," for he was well aware that many persons had, voted in the names of those who had gone to their ac count many a century ago; for in 1847, when he had the temerity to contest the city of Dublin with Mr. Gregory, there were on the list 21,000 Parliamentary voters, but of these only 7,100 polled, 3,600 for himself and 3,500 for his opponent. Thus he was returned, but a petition immediately followed his conquest. And what was the ground of this petition? That 90 of his electors were in arrears of local taxation for the sum of 454 17s. 6d. The petition against him for this arrear cost during the 94 days that it was being examined up-stairs, no less a sum than fifteen thousand pounds. He looked upon that fact as being a clear source of his knowledge of those freemen, and assured the House that he would not fancy having another such trial.—(Laughter.) He did not mean to attribute perjury to the men who opposed him on that petition, but he should say that there was in their case a considerable economising of time.—(Laughter.) This was to him an important matter, and his motive for alluding to it was that the present Bill leaves such a matter altogether untouched; for he considered that a Committee of the House should not investigate the case of a man who had been approved of by the Assistant-Barrister at the Quarter Sessions, and, when appealed against, by the Judge of Assize. This he thought a sufficient ordeal, without a Committee of the House. He recollected when a number of free men-brokers were employed in Liverpool to send over the freemen of Dublin from Manchester, and other manu facturing towns, to vote at the election, but he hoped that day was passed, and that this Protestant ascendancy party—this Orange Peel—remarkable only for its dry ness—were gone never to be spoke or thought about. He felt assured that this Bill would disappoint the people of Ireland, and he intended, therefore, when this Bill would go into Committee, to move that every man in the counties and boroughs, of a certain fixed valuatioo, should be entitled to vote for a Parliamentary candidate. Sir J. WALSH objected to this BilL.vn the Same grounds as the Hon. and Learned Member for the Dub lin University (Mr. Napier), because he' considered that it would throw the representation of the country - ;into the hands of persons whose condition must frequently make them the tools of others of greater influence. lie hoped that the Noble Lord (Lord J. Rtissell) would take the necessary precautions against such a precedent, as this Bill would establish grounds for the English to de mand an extension of the suffrage. Ireland was re duced to destitution by the causes to which he had ad verted, and, were those, he would ask, reasons for en larging the qualification, and extending it to a pauperised class of persons? The measure would have the effect of giving to Antrim 22,000 additional voters ; to Kil dare, 10,000; and would, in fact, double and treble the constituencies. There wero two political parties in Ireland—the Protestants, who must always maintain a respectable position, from their property; and the Catholics, also a most respectable and important class, but overwhelming by their numbers. The effect of the proposed measure would give to that class, from that circumstance, a preponderating in fluence, from which the most serious consequences might arise in relation to the Government, and political institu tions of that country. The Noble Lord at the head of the Government should then pause before ho pressed this measure. Ireland was at present divided, and it was only by the bayonet and a large military force, that the Government were enabled to keep that country in order, agitated as it was by the most fanatical class of poli tical agitators, that could afflict any country. He would not, on consideration, offer any opposition to the Bill going into Committee, but when in Committee, he should certainly feel himself at liberty to offer opposition to such details of it as he deemed objectionable. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL thought that the effect of the Bill, in its present shape, would be to diminish the franchise in Ireland. For instance, the rating at Si. would be on a rental of 121., and as tthe case stood at present the rating was ou 10!. He thought the rating too high in the boroughs, and the Bill was, in its pre sent shape, objectionable in many respects, which re quired amendment. Captain TAYLOR could now allow the Bill to go to a second reading without expressing his opinion upon it. He admitted that the constituencies of Ireland were very much diminished, but the House should take care that in any change which they might- make in the elective franchise in Ireland, injury was not done to one class of ii.terests by extending a too great numerical power to another. He- apprehended—indeed there was no doubt —that the proposed increase in the borough constituen cies would swamp the constituent power in the counties, and he thought the 8/. qualification ought to be raised to 25!. The question was one which required serious consideration, and he hoped, should the Bill be read a second time, that the Right Hon. Baronet would not press it through Committee, but give time to the Irish Members to consider it. Colonel RAWDON regarded the question which they were now discussing as the life-breath of the constitu tion. They had several Members in the House who said that the Bill would not give satisfaction, and the Hon. Member for the county of Dublin (Colonel Taylor) went so far as to say that the qualification ought to be raised from 8/. to 251. Now, all those expressions of dissatisf.ction showed a want of confidence in the people. Ho would not at present enter into details, but for his part he accepted the Bill as a great improvement, and believed it would do away with a very great deal of immorality in respect to the present mode of swearing to a " beneficial" interest. Ho believed the Bill was based on the principle of taxation and representation. The Bill would admit of improvement. He would not, how ever, at present find fault with it, seeing the difficulties of the Minister, but if he were to say anything on its details it would be to express his regret that the Right Hon. Baronet should have imported any ingredient into the Bill which could prove injurious to the boroughs. He would, when the Bill goes into Committee, give it his most cordial support. Sir JOHN YOUNG considered the real reason of the givingf lling off leases. of H the n electors believedin thewasn constituencies t n i t ec e e n s e s necessity o of f the whole of the counties in Ireland did not now really amount to 40,000. The franchise in boroughs and counties should not be equal, and in Committee he hoped the Bill would be much improved in its details. Mr. FEARGUS O'CONNOR could assure the House that the trial of a vote in Ireland was like a trial at bar. Every difficulty was thrown in the way of the voter's right. Questions were put to him as to what his seed, and every possible thing cost him, and if he could not prove that his beneficial interest amounted to 101., he was deprived of his right to vote. The Government were a free-trade Government, and they were probably secure in the counties and boroughs•, but of the landlords of Ireland, who were in that House, he must say, and he spoke it not offensively, that their op position to the rights of the people drove the peopl e into antagonism to them; add this he would also say to the landlords of Ireland that they never would see their ea- tates acquire their real value until they encouraged more of the spirit of democracy among the people. He was sorry that there was this difference between the landlords of England and Ireland—that the landlords of England were gentlemen, and the landlords of Ireland were tyrants. He thanked the Government for the Bill, and he accepted it with a most grateful feeling. Lord CLAUD HAMILTON defended the landlords of Ireland from the aspersions which he considered had been unjustly cast upon them by the lion. Member for Nottingham. The Hon. Gentleman had tried hard to attach himself to the land, and some feeling of modesty should have restrained him from imputing to them mo tives and conduct which they utterly repudiated. If the landlords of Ireland had faults, their treatment of their tenants was at least somewhat more successful than that pursued by the Hon. Member towards the unhappy tenants at Snigg's-end.—(Hear, boar.) Mr. O'CONNOR—But they pay no rent. Lord CLAUD HAMILTON bad no objection to the Bill so fai• as it was calculated to increase the pre sent number of constituents, but he should like to Fee it so far modified that no man should be put on the re gister without his own consent. There ought to be some qualification in the first instance. He hoped that the night Hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Ireland would consent to postpone the further progress of the measure until after the Irish assizes, as many of the Irish Mem bers would, for the next two or three weeks, be obliged to absent themselves from their Parliamentary duties. Mr. BRIGHT was glad to !find that, even on the other side of the House, the necessity for some such Bill as the present was conceded. He feared, however, they were disposed to make this small .measure of jug. tice even much smaller than it was proposed to be by the Government. He called the attention of the Secretary for Ireland to the desire which he thought was manifested of attaching restrictions :to the franchise,i which were already found to be of a vexatious character. Among other provisions of the Bill, it was enacted that there shall be a residence by the occupier of twelve months, while the ownership was iimited to silt months. This restriction of the franchise he ;considered anything but use-ful for the honest purposes of the Bill, and he thought they would do wisely to consider its alteration in Committee.—(Hear, hear.): With retard to the question of a rateable franchise, he considered it was bad everywhere, but especially in Ireland. The guardians had the power of increasing or diminishing the valuation, so that they had the means at command of increasing the franchise - in one union, aud curtailing it in another, just as it suited their own views and purposes. Representation should be established in Ireland on such a basis, that when a general measure of Parliamentary reform was proposed, as no doubt it soon should be, they would be able to stand by the Irish system. The independent electoral body in Ireland required the ballot to protect them from the influence which the landlord on the one side, and the priests on the other, exercised over popular opinion. The measure proposed by Government would be an improve ment on the present system, indeed the most ingenious man could not propose any Bill that would not be an improvement; but he wished to aisure the Noble Lord at the head of the Government that he could not take any course more fatal than to listen to the suggestions of those who would make the Bill les. effective by inc, e is ing the qualification. He was sorry that they had nit brought in a much bolder measure. Mr. GROGAN took some exceptions to the details cf the measure, and among others to the principle of com pulsory registration. Mr. FAGAN expressed a hope that the suggestions thrown cut by Hon. Gentlemen on the opposite side, with respect to alterations of the Bill, would not be at tended to. So far as cities and boroughs were concerned, he would rather that the present system was continued, than that an eight pound rating should be substituted. He would also have the power of striking the valuations taken out of the hands of the poor-law guardians, for the effect of leaving that matter in their hands, would be to decrease instead of increase the number of voters. He trusted, however, no delay would take place in press ing the measure through Parliament, fur at present there might be said to be no franchise in Ireland. It had :been 'stated, in the course of the debate, that the number of electors at present on the registry in Ire land, was 36,000, but he considered that statement ex aggerated, and he did not believe that the whole consti tuency in Ireland, at the present time, was so numerous as the constituency of the West Riding of Yorkshire. As to what had been said about forcing people to be put upon the register, he did not think that they ought to wait until a man asked to be put upon it, but that he should be placed on the register as he would upon the jury list. It was a matttet of public duty, and ought to be dealt with as such. Sir J. TYRELL considered there were great defects in the present state of the franchise as respected Ireland; aud be thought the Noble Lord at the head of the Go vernment had exercised a wise discretion in bringing for ward such a measure, as in a manner would cause all parties and classes to be represented. At the same time there were considerations of a political character con nected with it, which made it a matter of considerable difficulty to deal with. He did not wish to introduce controversial matter into the debate, but as the Hon. Mem ber for Manchester bad referred to the influence exer cised by the Roman Catholic priests in Ireland, he thought he was justified to refer to the evidence given by one of those priests who was summoned by the Go vernment before the Pour-law Committee, and to which considerable importance was attached. It related to the management of property in the Union of Kenmare, be longing to Lord Lansdowne, which he believed was let at. the poor-law valuation, but at the same time Lord Lansdowne had in the union numbers of able-bodied men. —(Loud cries of " Order, order," and " Question." Viscount CASTLEREAGH—Sir, I wish to appeal to you whether this is at all pertinent to the question be fore the House?—(Hear, hear.) We are anxious to go on' with the debate, and I think it wrong that the Hon. Baronet should interrupt it by the introduction of irrele 'vent matter.—(Hear, hcar.) Sir JOHN TYRELL.—It was only a very few sen tences of the evidence of this Roman Catholic priest, as given before the Committee, I was going to refer to, as *bowing— Mr. MAURICE O'CONNELL—Put a motion upon the paper, and then call the attention of the House to the case.—(Hear, hear.) Sir JOHN TYRELL—If I am allowed to proceed I will not detain the House but a few minutes.—(Cries of !. Question, question.") I will speak to the question be fore I sit down.—(Laughter.) The question is as to the amendment of the Reform Bill—as to a new Reform Bill for Ireland. Now the Hon. Member fur Manchester in speaking to that question referred to the influence exercised by the Roman Catholic priests in Ireland, and I am in possession of evidence which was produced by the Government before the Poor-law Committee.— (Loud cries of " Question, question.") Mr. O'FLAHERTY—Sir, I must appeal to the Chair. That Roman Catholic priest was not brought forward to give his evidence by the Government. lam not aware whether it was the Hon. Member for Cavan.—(Cries of " Order, order.") The SPEAKER—If the Hon. Member rises to order he must not speak to the question. As to the evidence referred to by the Hon. Baronet, I understand it was re jected by the Committee, and never reported to this House, so that I apprehend the Hon. Baronet is out of order in now referring to it.—(Hear, hear.) Sir JOHN TYRELL—I do not say it is evidence, but it was attempted to be made evidence.—(Laughter.) And it was the opinion of that priest, with reference to the social condition of those who occupied the property referred to, and the conduct of Lord Lansdowne—(Cries of " Order," and " Question.") Viscount CASTLEREAGII—Sir, I must again ap peal to the Chair to say whether the Hon. Baronet is Justified in appealing to this evidence.—(Hear, hear.) The SPEAKER—The Hon. Baronet is now speak ing in explanation. As regards the evidence to which the Hon. Baronet is referring, I have already said that it was rejected by the Poor -law Committee, and never baying been reported to this House the Hon. Baronet is out 4 f order in alluding to it.—(Hear hear.) Sir JOHN TYRELL.—WeII, Sir, I will not set up my authority against your authority—(Laughter)—but on the present occasion I thought it might have been cf consequence to have put the House in possession of a few sentences from that evidence. I can well understand how the Gentlemen opposite are so much averse to hear ing it, but after the opinion expressed by the Speaker, I will not further interpose.—(gear, hear.) Viscount CASTLEREAGH said he thought it would be of importance could the Right Hon. the Secretary for Ireland lay on the table previous to the Bill going into Committee, some returns which he could procure giving some id ea as t o operate in counties. He was fromhow the eepoor-law measure would guard i ans ' quite willing to give the measure every consideration— (dear, hear) —whilst at the same time he was somewhat sorry that Ireland should be selected for the purpose of making a sort of experiment in respect of the question of the franchise. As they were told it was most likely , that ere long some measure in that respect would be re quired for the United Kingdom, why not wait, and bring in a general measure at once, for it was most likely that in a few years they would have to alter the measure, so as to make it tally with the one which would be introduced. That would be absolutely neces sary, for unless they placed E ngland and Ireland under the same laws in this re s p ect t h ey would never bring the country into a proper state. Mr. MONSELL supported the measure. As to what had been said about leases, be fully agreed that the people of Ireland should have leases, but he was aware, at the same time, that one reason why the constituency of Ireland was so small, was that the landlords had re fused their tenants leases, in order that they might be deprived of the right of voting, With reference not ouiy to the south but to the north of Ireland, that was o they tho case. A suggestion had b een made of taking the and if he not,th hgehyt would be sure to be the suggestion was power of striking the valuations o u t o f the hands of the struck poorla w t toohigh, u aria s , as worthy of consideration. Upon th e whole ho would entreat Government not to lose a d ay in carrying through the measure. Mr: SADLEIR heartily joined in the desire ex pressed by the Honourable Gentleman who had pre• ceded him, that Government would carry through the Bill with all possible expedition. Every one in Ireland bad had full opportunity of making themselves conver sant with the details of the measure, and he trusted that no further delay would take place in respect of it. In many districts the people were deprived of all franchise right. In Tipperary, with a population of 500,000, the people entitled to vote did not number 400. Those parties who were so entitled were the clergymen of the Established Church and rent chargers. That, therefore, would show the necessity which existed for such a mea sure. Should it pass it would have the effect of inducing landlords in Ireland to grant leases to their tenants, and that would be a matter of the greatest advantage to Ire land. He had objections to some of the details of the Bill, but these might be remedied in Committee, and the gre a t p r i nc i ple o f t h e Bill b e i ng sound, h e would not cavil with the Government as to those details in the present stage of the measure. —(Hear, hear.) He believed, however, that as re garded boroughs, the Bill would diminish very much the franchise in those places. He was always op posed to the manufacture of voters either in England or Ireland, and as much against rent-charges in Ireland as he was to the system of procuring the 40s. free holds for artizans in the counties of England. R e thought that instead of the clause in the present Bill giving the franchise to persons having a Si. ownership in fee, irrespective of occupation, if the 40s. freeh o ld i n occupation was gi ven , i t wou ld be far better. He ap proved, however, of the principles of the Bill, and should give it his support. Mr. O'FLAHERTY expressed his thanks to the Go vernment for the Bill proposed, and begged to add his request that it may not be postponed, as the Irish con stituency was almost extinguished.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. KEOGH believed that all agreed on the necessity of a Bill like the present, for on looking to returns laid onthet was onlyableofth 2 e 7 H , 7 0 7 , ng , in h c e lu f d o i und that the total con stituency the counties, cities, and boroughs. cities, Now l e t lion. Members contrast that state of thi ngs w i th what existe d i n E ng l an d. Th e populatio n o f E ngland was 15,000,000, an d t h e consti tuency 796,000, or one in every 53,000. The population of Ireland was over 8,000,000, and the constituency 73,000, or one in s,ooo. —(Hear, hear.) And if they touk those who would be entitled to the franchise there would be 374,000. But how many of this number would be disfranchised from neglecting to pay the rates? He believed fully one-third, and that, therefore, the con stituency would be most unjust in proportion, as compared to England. He was far from believing the constituency would be extravagantly enlarged, for of that 374,000, fully o ne -thi r d, as he bad said, would be disfranchised by not pay i ng the rates . He b e li eve d a l so that the franchi se wou l d b e muc h limited in th e boroughs by the present Bill, but not to the extent an- ..--- 461 4.!Lgreed that the = o r ak t ,S__sm_. , ay next. * 4 7 4 -- . 7"r- s -r- PI ; o ter ..v.,. '.- ing Bill oi , . 41 4 4 - .. .. 4 ;-,;.-,. .he Comm 11 "' . c olyhea ..., . 4 , di t, allAsanrai ;4.. 4 <, i,..: 1 Its and Har , , i . t afterediton b .: %; - N.* 0.11 1.44. '' , --"" LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1850 ticipated; and, for his own part, he should give the measure every support in his power. Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE, in reply to the ob servation of the Hon. and Learned Member for the Uni versity of Dublin, believed that the present was a fitting time to bring forward such a measure, when the public mind was somewhat pacified in Ireland. Had they done so in times of agitation it would be said they yielded to clamour, and he entirely agreed with the Hon. Member for the borough of Carlow, that the system of refusing leases to tenantry lest they should possess the franchise, was the great cause of the want of agricultural improve ment. The present Bill proposed that the franchise should be entirely severed from anything like a lease, which he believed would lead to the most important consequences. With regard to the observations made by the Honourable Member for the county of Limerick as to the present evil of allowing boards of guardians to make valuations of land, he believed that would be remedied when the General Valuation Act came into operation, which ho hoped would soon take place. As to the question put to him by his Noble Friend Lord Castlereagh, whether any papers would be laid on the table which would give an idea of the num ber of voters to be created by the present Bill, he could only refer him to the paper from which the Hon. and Learned Member for Athlone read an extract, and which, he k elieved, gave a very accurate account of the number. He hoped they would discuss it calmly and dispassionately, and as it was of the utmost consequence to proceed with the measure at once, he should fix Mon day next for going into Committee. Mr. NAPIER observed that a great number of gen• tlemen would proceed to Ireland during the next week to attend the assizes, and it would be well, therefore, to postpone the measure until their return. Lord J. RUSSELL could not consent to postpone the Bill, and it would, therefore, be proceeded with on the day named by his Right Hon. Friend. ELECTIONS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion for the second reading of the Elections (Ireland) Bill, Mr. REYNOLDS objected to the clause which pro vided that a booth should be erected for every 300 voters, as involving unnecessary expense on the candidates, and also to that which directed separate booths to be erected for the accommodation of freemen. Those men were not at all of the class represented by his Honourable Colleague. There were no doubt exceptions; as for ex ample, his Grace the Duke of Wellington was a freeman of the city of Dublin, but not living within seven miles of the city, he could not vote. He denied the allega tions made by his Honourable Colleague, that he (Mr. Reynolds) neglected his duty as Lord Mayor in not re gistering freemen. He gave notice, in conclusion, that he should in Committee propose amendments to those clauses to which he called the attention of his Right Hon. Friend. • After a few words from Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL, the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to bo committed on Monday. The Estates Leasing (Ireland) Bill and the Judgments (Ireland) Bill were postponed. The Commons Enclosure Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday. Mr. BROTHERTON, in the absence of Mr. Ewart, moved for a return of all crimes for which the punish ment of death is still retained by the law of Scotland; showing also in what corresponding cases it has been re pealed by the law of England.—Agreed to. WOODS AND FORESTS. Lord JOHN RUSSELL then moved for leave to bring in a " Bill to make better Provision for the Ma • nagement of the Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues of the Crown, and for th e Direction of Public Works and Buildings." The Noble Lord stated that he did not in tend, in the absence of his Noble Friend who had been Chairman of the Committee on the subject, to enter into any long explanation of the nature of the Bill which he intended to introduce, neither did he intend to propose to enter into the reasons which had led her Majesty's Government to think it necessary to introduce a mea sure on the subject ; but he would merely state the general reasons whi c h had induced them to think that the different departments might be better managed by the separation which it was his intention to propose. Until the year 1832 there were different offices con netted with these public departments—the management of the land revenues of the Crown, the woods and forests, and a surveyor-general of public works. It was at that period felt expedient to unite these depart ments ; but experience had since shown that the com bination of these two offices had led to the imposition of very large and undue charges upon the land revenues of the Crown for purposes of public works. What the Government now proposed was, in the first place, to have three Commissioners, who were to receive salaries, and who should have the management of the land revenues of the Crown and the Woods and Forests, none of whom should be capable of sitting in the House. With respect to the office of works, it was proposed that there should be a political officer attached to it, viz., the First Commissioner of Works, and that office might be held together with a seat in Parliament. An officer of that description, responsible and holding a seat in the House, would be enabled to have a general control over any public works which might be undertaken, and which in late years had occasioned very considerable expense, and which were certainly deserving of being made spe cial subjects for the attention of the Minister of the Crown. By this proposed separation they would get rid of that which he thought was a great evil, viz., that when large expenses were to be incurred for some pub lic purpose, the manner in which the sums to be raised for the purpose were provided was by making charges upon the land revenues of the Crown; whereas, the ob jects being of a public, character—being either for some publiC park or for the improvement of the streets of the metropolis, or improvements in Dublin and Edin burgh—the expenses should have been charged rather to the general revenue of the country; and there was no saving whatever to the public by making the charge in this manner on the land revenues of the Crown, because, whether they received some 30,0001. or 40,000/. less from the land revenues, or whe ther they received the whole amount of the land reve nues without deduction of that 30,000/. or 40,0001., but afterwards to spend that amount, it would evidently be the same thing to the public in point of charge. But upon the other hand, that arrangement had certainly tended to keep from public view the large expenses which were incurred, 'and the propriety of incurring such large expenses for public objects. For the future, therefore, it was proposed that the land revenue should be managed as a department of the public revenue. The persons employed in that office would have t , ) consider how best to manage the rents and receipts which they would receive from the property which was leasehold, and also what would be the best system of management of the woods and forests, and would have nothing what ever to do with the consideration of expenses, except such as any owner of property would think necessary for the preservation and improvement of the property. Upon the other hand, the duties of the political officer would be to consider what sums it was necessary to apply to public works, which it might be necessary either to begin or carry on, and to decide in what man ner the parks which were used for public recrea tion, Hampton Court and the other new parks which had been made, should be kept in order and ornamented in the manner which was required for public recreation, and any further expense which from time to time the Government would think fit to apply f or which the House should think right to adopt. With respect to the salaries of the principal officers, the whole sum would be the same as that now applied to the purpose. At present the salary of the First CUM.. missioner was 2,000/. a year, and two other Commis sioners with 1,2001. a year. What they now proposed was, that the duties of the Commissioners of Laud Re venue should be performed by three persons, two only of whom would have salaries; the First Commissioner 1,4001. per annum, the second 1,0001. per annum, and the third would be some person in the public service who would not receive any salary. And the Commission of Public Works would also be formed of three persons, but only one of whom would receive any salary, which would be 2,0001. per annum, being the amount now paid to the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, and which was usually given for offices of that description. There would, theref )re, be no increase of salary, nor of persons who would be able to have seats in the House in connexion with offices of profit. He believed the effect of the Bill would for the future be found to be, that so far from increasing the expense, it would be the means of bringing the expense within proper bounds; and there were certainly some expenses which belonged to those offices which had never yet been properly regulated, and which might, under the direction of the Treasury, re ceive such regulations as would make them less expen sive to the country. The Noble Lord concluded by moving for leave to bring in the Bill. Mr. CARDWELL said that, as the Noble Lord did not mean to take a discussion at that stage, he would simply state, as a member of the Committee appointed to inquire into tho subject, that he was glad to find the Government had taken up the question. He entirely agreed with the Noble Lord that there was no depart ment of the public service which more required revision and reform. The evidence taken by the Committee had disclosed errors of management and frauds upon the public property of every imaginable description. Th e evil was not referable to any particular Government, or to any particular Commission; they were the inevitable result of the system itself and eould only be removed by a revision of the office. He had no doubt that the Go vernment had carefully considered the details, and that they would be found adequate to the object in view; and he should have much pleasure in supporting a measure that would effect so necessary a reform. After a few words from Sir H. WILLOUGHBY and Lord J. MANNERS, Leave was given to bring in the Bill, which was after wards brought up and read a first time. Sir W. SOMERVILL obtained leave to bring in a Bill to prohibit, in Ireland, the payment, in certain cases, of wages in goods, or otherwise than i n the 'current coin of the realm. On the motion of Sir GEORGE GREY, the follow in Select Committee was nominated on Prison Disci p line:—Sir George Grey, Mr. Edmund Denison, Mr. Pearson, Sir Henry Halford, Mr. Sotheron, Mr. Alder- Ruin Sidney, Mr. Banker, Captain Pelham, Mr. Peto, Vitmount Mahan, Sir Edward Buxton, Mr. Robert PaLmer, Sir Jam Pakington, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Sir W. VERNER moved for a return of all National Schools in Ireinind which have been erec:ed, or to which the Contnissioaers have contributed assistance towards the fitting V. of the schools, adjoining to or within the precinots of Roman Catholic Chapels, Nunneries, or Mo nastic Instittrtions of any kind, from the 30th day of April, 1843, t o t h e 31st day of Decerolv , r, 1849 (in eon tinutsti On of :P ar li amentary P aper, N o . 520, o f Session, 1843.). —Agrised to. The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the House adjourned eta Quarter to Ten o'clock. WRY AZ iD ENNISKILLEN RAILWAYo•OperatiOnS ba•ve been renewed with spirit under Mr. Dargan. The line will be eq,mpleted to Portadown about twelve ;49 1 45 home. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUE EIV'S BENCH, Feb. 22. (Sittings at Nisi Pride, at Guildhall, before Mr. Justice COLERIDGF. and a Special Jury.) BARKER V. GIBSON. • (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) Sir F. THESIGER addressed the jury, and contended that the detendant was not liable, beyond a sum of 311. which he had paid into Court. The Learned JUDGE summed up. The jury retired, and after an absence of some time in the consideration of the evidence, returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages 81/. 12s. 2d., being the items in curred in costs in the unsuccessful actions brought in the plaintiff's name. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb 22. (Nisi Priva Sittings at Guildhall, before the LORD CHIEF BARON and a Special Jury.) RENNIE AND ANOTHER V. CLERK. This was an action by Sir John Rennie and Mr. Rem ington to recover from the defendant, as one of the pro ♦isional directors of the Direct East and West Junction Railway, 2,7001., the Wince of a❑ amount claimed for their services in surveying the line. Mr. Bovill appeared for the plaintiffs, and the Attor ney-General, with Mr. Phipson, for the defendant. In the month of September, 1845, the plaintiffs were appointed engineers, and in that capacity surveyed the intended line of railway, commencing at Kidd,rrnin ster and terminating at Hereford. It, appeared that be fore the defendant, who is a silk manufacture:. at Mac clesfield, assented to become a provisional director, Mr. M'Lean and the plaintiff Remington were appointed engineers; and a resolution was come to by the directors that the solicitors, engineer, aid secretary, should enter into the usual bond of indemnity to tie directors. Sub sequently Mr. M•Lean declined to act as engineer be cause he had been previously retained in that capacity on the South Staffordshire line, and Sir John Rennie was substituted and consented to act. It was admitted that the plaintiffs performed the work for which they claimed compensation, and it was not denied that the charges were reasonable; but it was alleged that the plaintiffs undertook to perform the engineering work upon the condition that they should look for remunera tion to the funds of the company, and not to the provi sional directors personally. The case occupied the Court during the day, and at the conclusion the Lord Chief Baron left it to the jury to say whether the plaintiffs, or either of them, when they agreed to act as engineers, were to be paid in the ordinary way or from the funds of the company. The jury, after a lengthened deliberation, returned a verdict for the defendant. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Feb. 23. (Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Guildhall, before the Lord Chief Justice WILDE and a Special Jury.) THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY V. BRETT. This case, which commenced on Thursday, was pro ceeded with yesterday. The relative scientific de tails of both patents were gone into with considerable minuteness, and at great length on the part of the plain tiff, with the view of proving that the principal points of Messrs. Brett's patent were identical with those of the Electric Telegraph Company, and that Messrs. Brett had infringed on the specifications of the Electric Tele graph Company. The case was not concluded when the Court rose. INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, Feb. 22. (Before the CHIEF COMMIsSIONER.) IN RE FRANCES DAVIDGE. The case of Mrs. Daidge, which was reported in our paper on Tuesday, was again heard to-day. Creditors omitted from the schedule had consented to waive notice. Some further inquiries were made of Mrs. Davidge re specting her wardrobe, when she declared that all she had possessed had been valued at 51. 17s. Her triends bad supplied her with clothes. Mr. LEWIS (Lewis and Lewis) applied for an allow ance out of the charitable fund at the disposal of the Court. The bill was taxed at 271. The CHIEF COMMISSIONER thought the Act did not contemplate such a case. Mr. LEWIS said, if the fund was intended for persons in poverty, then this was the case. His HONOUR discharged the insolvent, and gave leave to Mr. Lewis to renew the application for an allowance when there were funds in Court. Mr. Greathead, a cheesemonger, was named assignee, with the view to adopt ulterior proceedings for the creditors. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORTHERN CIRCUI T,— AppIy, Feb. 20. The Judges having attended Divine service at ten o'clock, immediately afterwards proceeded to court. The calendar in the Crown Court contained the names of fourteen prisoners, one of whom was charged with shooting at Lord Lonsdale's gamekeeper with intent to murder him, five with night poaching, and the rest with larceny. There were also two road indictments. Tha cause list contained two cases. Mr. Baron Alderson sat for a short time in the Civil Court, and disposed of the road indictments, which were settled. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron ROLFE.) Isaac Johnson, a respectable looking young farmer, was charged with having, on the night of the 24th of December last, whilst in pursuit of game in the lands of the Right Hon. William Earl of Lonsdale, fired a gun at Robert Orphan, gamewatcher, with intent t o murder him or do him some grievous bodily harm, to prevent his lawful apprehension. Mr. James and Mr. Hodgson prosecuted, and Mr. Overend defended the prisoner. The prosecutor, who appeared with a bsadage and green shade over his eyes. stated what took place on the night in question. He and other watchers were fillovr ing five poachers, when one of them turned round and took aim at him. The dress of this man the prosecutor described. Ile was hit on the left leg, the arms, the left eye, and the neck, and lost the sight of his aye from the effects. Thomas Simpson, one of the poachers, identified Isaac Johnson as tho party who fired the shot. Other witnesses corroborated Simpson's statement. Mr. OVEREND then addressed the jury for the de fence, contending that the evidence, without that of the accomplice, did not fix the prisoner as the person who fired the gun; and that, if he were to be believed, the gun went off by accident. His LORDSHIP having summed up, the jury found th e prisoner Guilty. He was sentenced to be transported f , er fifteen years. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. BOW-STREET. William John Richard Smith, formerly a clerk in the Admiralty, and Chinks Niblett, his servant, were brought before Mr. Jardine, for final examination, charged with obtaining the sum of .531. 125., by means of forged document, purporting to be signed by the Secretary to the Governor of Cey lon, for the p assage and sustenance of distressed British seamen to tins country. Another young man, named Boucher, who had been charged on suspicion as being concerned with Smith, in whose company he was apprehended, siso peared on his recogniznices, but he was ordered to be discharged before the case was proceeded with against the other prisoners. Mr. SwEiinson, assistant•solicitor to the Admiralty, attended to conduct the prosecution, and Mr. Solomon appeared for the prisoners. It appeared from the evidence of several witnesses, that previous to the discharge of Smith from his situa tion for misconduct in April, 1847, part of his duty was to inquire into the claims made by the masters of vessels for the maintenance of distressed sea men in being conveyed to this country, by which means he was acquainted with the signa tures of go►ernors, consuls, and other officials in the colonies, in addition to the forms required for the pay ment of such claims. On the 15th instant the prisoner Niblett called at the Admiralty fur the papers of Walter Bevis, an agent, for which he was requested to call again, under the pretence that the bill was not made out, and being followed by Thornton, a detective officer, he was seen to join Smith, who appeared to be waiting for him, in Chancery-lane, and after they had separated Smith was apprehended, and subsequently the other, who said he was merely his servant, and acted under his direction in calling for such documents at the Admiralty, without being aware that any fraud was practised by him; after which thirty-seven letters were found upon him from his master, who had taken a house at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, ten of which related to the present transaction. The whole of the documents were fictitious, and searching Smith's house a large book, which was an official record belonging to the Admiralty-office, was found, containing the genuine orders and signatures of officials in the colo nies for such claims. Mr. JARDINE, on looking over the several letters, was of opinion that they went to show that the prisoner Niblett was kept in ignorance of his employer's proceed ings; and after the necessary evidence was given Ito prove the forgeries, &c., they were committed to New gate for trial, the prisoner Niblett being allowed to put in bail to answer the charge. The prisoners were again charged with attempting to commit a similar fraud by means of an order purporting to bo made by the consul at Canton, dated the 16th Sep tember, on the request of the master of the Wanderer, named James Sinclair, with the necessary certificate and other documents, which were received by post, including a declaration purporting to be made before William Ray mond, a magistrate at Liverpool, respecting ten dis tressed seamen, landed at that port on the , 23d January, ho having assisted them 130 days each, the required en dorsement, to pay the amount of 651. due thereon to Walter Bevis, being made. Mr. Frederick Dawson, secretary to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said—The fiats for the Lan cast.r county magistrates and the Liverpool borough magistrates are prepared by me, and having examined the records, I can find no such names as Maenamara or Raymond, which are attached to both the declarations, as acting in such capacity in that town. Mr. John Bezer, a clerk in the Custom-house at Liver pool, said—l have examined the registry of all vessels passing, and registered as belonging to that port, arid I could not find such vessels RS those named in the decla ration, or the maJters, as having entered at the dates in question. . Tba prisoners having declined saying anything in their defence, were then cotnrnititd f4a. The prisoner Smith was next charged. with stealing the book which wa coutat in his aid it identified as belonging to the Admiralty connected with that estatitishment, hs, was c,:inelitto,lf,r ASYLUM FOR THE INDIGENT BLIND oF THE JEWISH PERSUASION.—Chi Thuriday the annivers , Tr ball in aid or the funds of this imititntiott took place at Willis's Room:;, King-sti:eet, St. Jaulea's. A large num ber of people were a5 , en3131.1 on the occasion, and the result of t.h 9 entertainment aopearcd to be highly satis factory to the corapsuy as well as hew:fit:la! -to the in.- itilutiva. 'THE (._7f. I U.NTII "V MARKETS. WAKEFIELD, FEE. 22.—The supplies this week moderate. There is an inactive trade in wheat, and pr! .. remain as last week. Barley sells slowly at late r ates. demand for oats and shelling is in retail, and prices easier. Beans is per quarter lower. New. WHEAT, per qr. 601bs per bushel : s. S• ~...to r Sutloik,Essex, and Kent, red ... 39 to 42 Ditto, white ... 44 46 Norfolk and Hunts., red ... 36 —39 Ditto, white ... ... 40 44 Lincolnshire and Cambridge, red ... 36 38 Ditto, white ... 39 — 43 --- Yorkshire, red .., :44 37 Ditto, white ... 38 42 Dautzie and Konigsburg, white .. 42 43 Lowerßaltic and ,H.amburgh, red... :37 :39 Mediterranean, red ... •.. ... 30 34 BARLEY, per quarter of 8 bushels : Norfolk and '2l 27 Lincolnshire e.nd Yorkshire 23 26 ` Scotch Grinding per .. U . 2 stone - 2 2 0 -- : j 5 2 3 Foreign 21 24 BEANS, per quarter of 8 bushels 631b:— ..-3 0 Small, fine 27 —2B - n __ 29 Ticks 2 t nio 7 29 Foreign 24 26 OATS, per stone:— 01 Mealing . 71d to 81(1 -- Feeding „. od to 8d b to 9d Foreign ... 7d to 8d 83 SHELLING, per load of 2611 b ... 20 21...- MALT, per load of 6 imperial bushels 33 35 -- PEAS, per Imperial Quarter : Blue and white boilers Grey and Feed 01,1. 1. 8. 26 - 30 .23- 27 ""'" ARRIVALS. I Wheat ... Qrs. 11.620 Barley ... „ 3 512 1,12' Beans... 1,338 Pe as ••• ••• •-• 2681 Tares ... report Be rsaT very y S ti tr u c li a s it u g a a r fA m e a e r keeTt,, and the th2e2. sales—W e s i rhave outrirliliceati report, which are rather unimportant,have been again at , P s alas rather in favour of the buyer. The refined market very quiet. In rum no sales are reported.—Bristo/ tifereucrloo EXETER, FEB. 22.—The supply of cattle has been Ai f l oe , usual so soon after the fair, and that of Sheep but a lej nn ts‘ We notice no variation in the price of cattle from the q sd; Lions given at the fair. Sheep have sold well—fat ewe s ' few wethers, shd ; and small prime nether., 6d per :IN fobs lambs were offered, which sold dear, 22s to 23s each fee hos Bete but weighing from 28 to 301bs being the quotation. calves, od to 6d per lb. Pork Carcases—The supply 75,, 0 rk moderate, rather less than last week ; prices for go t . d to 6s were, however, rather firmer. Large coarse pigs , 5 ," fi - S 6d le per score ; ordinary quality, 6s to 6s 6d ; good s core, - 7s ; and a very few prime pigs brought 75 6d per score. is, 2, 1 nier—Geese, Sc to 65 each ; ducks, 4s 6d to 5s ; 1s Ara 9d to 4s; galenas, 5s to 6s per couple; butter, le t - ,, s sips eggs, 16 to 18 for Is ; potatoes, 9d to 10d per score ; P" . „,,ttre and carrots, :ills for 2d; onions, 1 per lb. Rough Fflart2s per quote no alteration to-day, the price being 3d per lb., Woo stone here, and 2s Id per stone in the London marke ts ' the —We note no alteration in prices, which continue firalc'ehig holders refusing to sell under bid per lb. Seeds-11,4e, vetches, 6s ; peas, 4s Gd t o Sc p er b us hel . Corn k;1 ,1, -- bat one o'clock—Although th e mar k et h as b e en well attende d the little business has been done, the holders of wheat en l i c , is millers being unable t o come t o t erms . Farmers ge net ' s _ s,ceor aonsequence of the improvement at Mark-lane an d other goo asks 5s 3d per b us h e l for warranted samples, but the s erf steadily refuse to buy on these terms, and up to this tire sitin g little has been do ne a t f rom 5 s t o 5 s lid per bushel; ho hel; barley is 3s to 3s 2d p er b us h e l ; oa t s, Is 10d to 2 5 P er fine flour, 28s to 29s per sack. 6d. rel WETHERBY, FEB 21.—White w heat 155 6d to 1 71 , a , q r.; ditto 13s Gd to 15s 6d pe r l oa d ; b ar l e y 23 s to 263 Pe beans lus to 133 per l oa d ; oa t s 7id t o 9d per stoat, , beta. KNARESBOROUGH, FEB. 20.—Wheat 45 Gd to 55 e", ; o t t to 35 6d to 4s 3d per b us h e l ; b ar l ey 2l s t o 275; oats 16s per qr. 5s 33; 6cl to,. 0 4; NORTHALLERTON, FEB. 20.—Wheat, white, 6, : t to 4 ' red 4s lid to 4s 9d ; oats Is 6d to 2s 3d ; beans 3s barley 2s 9d to 3 s Od p er b us h e l. dit to Riron, FEB. 21.—White wh ea t 4s 9d to 5s bar 3d, ley "- f' . 0 ;100 4s 3d to ss ; bean s 3 s 6d t o 4 s 3d per b us hel; to 265; oats 14s to 21a per qr. Oa. wbt SCARBOROUGH, FEB. 21.—Red wheat 4s 3d to 55 , ' w hite ditto 4s 9d to 5s 6cl per 5 stones ; black oats hid to 7'rindieg ditto 7d to 8d per stone ; malting barley 19s to 215, Oa"!30s t° ditto 17s to 19 6 pe r qr . o f 32 s t ones; su perfine 335, seconds ditto, 245 to 27s per sack of 20 stones. lived 39 BANGOR, FEB. 18.—Wheat, best home g rown, re 4 to gt iS ; to 405; ba r l e y, con fi ne d on l y t o a reta il character? 19 5 le, gos oats stationary, 13s to 14s ; o a t mea l w as very dul l °I is to 21s per 24011,1. 4 e ,„,, s sr. I.l...siscersiz, FEB. 21.—Wheat, f ro m 38s to 4-n 3 er l her! ter ; barley, 20s to 2111 ; oats, 125 6d to 13s. Bute -.-Beef, 3d to 4d; mutton, 5d to sa.;veal, 3 d to 4d r fob butter, lld to 12d per lb. LLANRWST, FEB. 19.—The following are t he 7;0 0; a ble oat' o quotations :—Wheat, Ils to 13s 6d; barley, 7, t meal, 103; potatoes, 6s per hobbet ; b u tter (fresh) I I I I !, 6 , 6ci beef, 3d to sd; mutton, 5d to 6d per lb. DENBIGH, FEB. 20 . — Wheat , 12s to 13s Od; h er- o e ; to la. to 7s 6d ; oats, 4s to 5s ; peas, b eans , an d „ w ho per hobbet ; fresh butter, 11d; salt ditto, 7id per l b ' w ere RUTHIN, FEB. 18.—The average prices of e,,,ee P , Is follows :— wheat, 12s 6d to 13s 4d ; barley, 65u " -° _,.e. oats, 4s to As per hobbet; fresh butter, is per lb. t to•Y"'" MOLD, FEB. 20.—A fair attendance at the ma rk f o llow • but business not very brisk. Average prices of grain elm; P e. —Wheat, 12. to 13s; ba r l e y, 6s 6d to 7s; oats, 4° ping t° tatoes from 7s 6d to 95 per hobbet. INVERNESS, FEB. 19.—Wheat, per quarter, ''',o'oo.; 621 b per bushel, 36s to 38 s • new ditto, ditto, Oi ' old barley, per qua r te r , weighing 541 b pe r buli 4 1;fh P, ili er to Otis; new ditto, ditto, Ot.ts to 00s ; ° lts ' 14 5 bushel, 153 to 16s Od. Oatmeal, per imperial s to Q O 5; second, 133 ; barleymeal, peasemouP seeecu , al; per at 6d; first flour, per 280Ib, 34a to 36 to Os 28s; oatmeal, best, per stone of 14lb impertal9 is first pat, second, Is 2d; barleymeal, is 2d; peasemeal , ls Itel; • Y e ti 2s 4d cash, 2s td credit; secono, 23 cash, 2s 3d credit. , toes, per stone, 4id to 5d ; beef, per pound, 4tl to 7411 , to yid '" to 6d ; mutton, 4d to 7d ; pork, Z3d to sd; fowls , I4d ; chickens, per pair, 16d to 18d ; ducks, e acbi b, 7a. s a 0 0 0 af d : eggs, par doze n , Gd to Od; butter, fresh, P er r . Fo s !, 1 8d; salt, 9d t o 10d ; crou di e (curds) Od to Od ; f e° , 4l t, 9 ' l cash, 5d to 6d, credit, sid to bid; coals, per hay, per stone, Brl to 9d. Rapeseed ••• -•• 1,69 0 Shelling ... Linseed .. ••• • Malt ... ••• • • Flour ... ••• •• ••• Carr's Hartle 15s 6d Kelloe ................. "'' Os y COAL MARKET.—YESTERDAY. pi. D o East Adairs Blain l3B 6d!South Hartlepool ..... 175 °, l Hasting's Hartley...., l5B 6d West Hetton ............. Os A Ord's Redheu g h ItavenswortlesW.Hart 15s 6tl Maclean's Tees ........ ' 176 o d Townley lss tidlSouth Durham .••••• 21 0 6,1 s% est Hartley los 9d Birchg.Graigola , "'' . 1 55 4 0 Wall's End, &c. Brown's .. 15s 6d Derwentwaterthi rt " 146 6 d Braddyll Hetton , lBs Gdli - lartley ...... ..... ••• • on 191 Od Sidne ) 's Hartley ••• '4lB. Lam bton Hartlepool l9s Od STOCK I lI E L x clt k o Y E . -- - s c (. 1 t i Tt e e 16 d 1; 13: a p , r - t r l F i : c e E e k ; : 13 t Ob-fian.ly42l:vrn.:s::„ Hoch :13 d ca r e, and but few sales tra 7 Great Western, Quarters, closed at 15% Lean very ir)21all1 N shown Hess STionc our E s x t c o I: k A N L OiEV. Exchange-1' e " t hate L-d to-day. 3, . iz had 2 :-: v . ery "'lv T " ''' trifling 1 / 1 191 : \ a tendency to decline, and t . he Im)raicreksetgcell3°seefrodsll6oetr:' ijrol at the quotations. The transactions were As Dlt ' Halves s hi ( re a and Yorkshire, Consol. Fifths, 7' 5 A; cli t s lic lig4 6 4 4 d a i s n . (—I 1 5: 0 .) n , d( 2 , 1141/2a—London Union), die. NewNuart 8 Quarters , s. 9d . p.—Midland, Halves, 24 Western, 62—East Lancashire, 10. MANCLIESTER, FEB. 22. II to -cis° STOCK EXCHANGE.—Our share market was dt.. 50 01 wereand pariecefsolhioawd:tdEoawstnwLaarndcatesnhdireen,cy,.76_TEhedintbrildi:ll.... Glasgow, 27A—Lancashire arid Yorkshire, Fifths , 7 if: i ooi I 1 b London and North-Western, Manchester and 13 1 6 dis."' D i t to, Quarters (C), 11-16 p.—North Staffordshire, ' 1° a 0. South-Eastern and Dover (No. 4), Thirds, BIRMINGHAM, _ ...l%'iy•ftebsgter(t.l‘,Vl,.9B--__Voiretittl Scrip, 6 3-16. 22. ex treto °l 4 the London and North-Western STOCK EXCe - lANOn.—The share market WO . . n 36 0 14 quiet to-day. Great anxiety was evinced in anti ci f ori viall steady. dividend. F . Prices c land, 19—York,. Newc astle, YOßK, FEB. . 0 21. War e . ( 1. fol B lo r w oc . f G EXCHANGE.—The transactions to•da.g_..rb SI reat Northern, 6/. Bs. 9d.—York and ou 4 " . 6%ten" (Ne w bA• sion), 1 0 —Shrewsbury and Birmingham, prof ~............--.---.......--.-....--. L „, c i Lef t rA _ , DVERTISEMENT.J—Cure of an Ijlcervio, we by Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—/klr. Joh n 49 1‘i l elba urlis e known in Geelong, Port Phillip, publishes i s the or dinal? ! Morning Het aid, of June 22, 1849, the follovring.eltruleer°7l case :—" I had been afflicted for three years *vita none a nd leg, and had the best medical treatment ill g e e r i ef, '' b _..tl Van Diemen's Land, without experiencing ffollowaY o titua e _ hearing of the wonderful cures effected by w ith g to di:t e ll , Ointment, I resolved upon trying them, an d acknowledge that, after using them and a!te_n.dtiniogt°o IfSeelk tions, I found my leg cured in a very sno,.sll John Olive.—Sold by all respectable Vendors r :111:1111:1 I throughout the civilised world, and at Prole s.° Establishment, 244, Strand, London. , ---- la g:il l : H e e 18th inst., at Buckland-cottage, . 00 , 00 BIRTHS. H. o P th ole i , n } s ] t s . 7. aotfDaandeasufigehmte,r.Bucks, Farritig • 000. 1411 the 0 2 • ' if' , the /1 Scott Murray, of a daughter. , ~„i p tou: 000 0 On the 20th inst., at Vere-lodge, Old Prv A — d e isiotet of J. B. Graham, is q , of Prospect-hous e ''' . Australia, of a son. On the 20th inst., the wife of Uvedale C°l. a son. On the 20 h inst., at Clifton, the wife o Tunbridgebett; ;c1:1;14°: Walford, ALA., late assistant master of ria C of a son. Bfre• l'redi On the 21st i ns t., a t F u lham, On the 21st inst, a t T o rrington-squa re * IS. Slier Pollock, of a son , t h e lady Of W. pard, Esq., of a daughter. 11. MARRIED. ~., h're. Wi li r i lsto o On the 20th inst , at West-park, wont ° _ i ta iu IA ti ter Stewart, Command . er R.N.. eldest son of G tb 4ool Y d6ug S:ewart, R.N. C. 13., to Catherine Elizabeth, adios, of • the late E. ' Coote, Esq., of West-park. Church , I'll We ° ' Ou die 2lst inst , at te Holy Trinity _ .... „, ci egi . _,. 1 1. ton, Captain Robert, Towley Parker, of H. Dl e. ,°is tier don .. ef o r second son of Robert Townley Parker, E.(1.1 1 1 d daugh i r t ba Lancashire, to Jud'th Caroline Augtstt,°s.ovvriv, the late Jones Pantos, Esq , jun., oi f I . county of Anglesey. DIED ton , V W. On the 17th inst., at the Rectory, Bridge Caster._ -, 0. Stamford, Henry C. Atlay, F.,, , q., eldest syn of the toy Atlay. ..- nteO nt On the Elth ins',, at Welwyn, Hertfordshire, 1,0)-- C. C. Powell. It.'.si - . ' wife ° I On th, , 1;"th ia.t., at Amothill. I3ed;, Sinnetta, the the Rev. W. C. C. B ritinck, aged 29. .... ,il On the 21!.11 ins:., in JA:aq . sire ,t, Br'gbton, 11. .. Aged 7: . f rater -0,. Vie oth it ~ -,- i r no,ter-1.0," 1.• •. a ; .,,e,(. ,l, 111. r. Joseph Phelps, 0 v. oungest 500 i )n trove. 'nth i..'t of J. J. the - . '' .. agO 'P. Charles 13ayford, y 1 - Tarns , n, 1. , ,q., fliil-street I,ronipton• ' Fiver-110dr On the '::01.1. in .:r -a .1 al I 1 . .t -re New Clerkenw , '• '' ' Y: " wc-c° t4'-' ell, b. blywell, Esq., aged ` o ;'.y. .------' . ...„... -- -- --- ; of ,i, • . I'OVN t " ~ , ,,Irt: Prmtc;o. acid -Pu.',-,iimhed by MUB1) 0 - .., ;fily '''''' ,12, ;'..)trarJ,,ei.o'...r.er, of' Tic! ~,,.t Oißez, ''''„, o f Robert Dist Straw", in tit: ,-Teina' ..k the lii,vov. 01 06 °P— a- ithutisax, Saturday, Februory 23, ISA