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

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT, HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 22. ROYAL COMMISSION. Their Lordships assembled at a quarter after Four, and the Royal Assent was given by Commission to the County Coss (Ireland) Bill. The Royal Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Minto, and Lord Campbell. Their Lordships 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 BROUGHAM 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 ben , !fits were greatly lessened by the bad method of criminal procedure in that country. Di, i ll was then real a second time. BANKRUPTCY LAWS CONSOLIDATION BILL. Lord I;ROUGHANI moved Cie second reading of this Bil;, and gave notice, of the Committee for this day f )rt night.—Agreed to. IRELAND. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, in explaining a statement alleged to have been male on the subject of the: agitation of certain Presbyterian ministers in the north of Ireland for a reduction of rents, tuok occasion to state that, in his opinion, the Earl of 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, aTid he wished to kaow whether the Government could not intimate to the Synod of Ulster, that if this course of conduct were continued t',e Royal bounty would be withheld from these a2,Yitating Presby t-lriaTi ministers. Ho had receives a letter from a Presbyterian minister, calling him to ac count fur what he had stated in the House, which was a high breach of privilege. The Marquis 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 as that complained of by the Noble Marquis, excepting by a criminal prosecution. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL knew sexe .41, of the Presbyterian clergy of the north of Ireland, and from what he 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 BROUGHAM 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 1793. 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 Rosas, 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 Rosas, unless by that treaty we secured the independence of the Oriental Republic. He thought it was a mistake on the part of the Go vernment to have separated this country from France in conductir.e these negotiations, because by so doing they had restored to France her freedom of action. The consequence had been that France 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 it °sae, they would follow up that force by a more formidable expedition.— (Hear, hear.) He thought that our treaty with Roses should have been drawn up in conjunction with the French Government. He had, however, no hesitation in saying that he would in finitely pie fer seeing the French in pos session of Monte Video than General Rosas. He considered it was impolitic for us to have en tered into any arrangement with General Reese, without making General Oribe a party to that arrange ment—no arrangement with Rosas would secure the safety of 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 Rosas. Now he contended that in treating with semi-barbarous powers of this nature it was absurd to stand upon diplomatic etiquette. They ought not to submit to insults of this sort from a second-rate power. He hoped the treaty would prove satisfactory, but he had grave doubts on the subject. Lord HO WDEN approved of the terms of the treaty, as such was stated by the Noble Marquis. Ae regards the question of international law, invol, e 1 in the dispute as to whether the ravigation of great rivers, passing through several countries, ought to be free, he urged the House not lightly to pass en opinion on the point, as they were themselves occupying a position on the Ame rican continent analogous to that maintained by General Resss, with regard to the free navigation of the Parana. He thought aat the buccaneering expec!ition for forcing the passage of the Obliged° was a grave infraction of in ternational law, and also must impolitic, as it incensed Roses at a period when it was most important for us to conciliate him. The Noble Lord then defended General Ross from the imputations cf cruelty which had been oast on h ni in the French Assembly, of ill-trca:ment cf Eorore ear, not one of which statements was true. He had serer heard of a single case of premeditated cruelty being b:ought home to Roses; and, on the contrary, he knew many cases 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 civilizsd warfare; and he thought that foreign adventurers, seeking to pro fit by the turmoil of civil feuds and contentions, ought not to look for the safety end protection to be found only in a peaceable and well-ordered state. They. might depend upon it there was no fear of the indepen dent persons of Monte Video giving up their indepen dence to General Rosae, the National Assembly of France, or to any other body of persons. _ „ After a few words from the Elrl of HARROTNBY, Lord COLCHESTER said that as long as the sea was open, there was no fear teat Monte Vide) would he taken by any person or party, however strong. He hoped that the Government would keep a watchful eye upon the movements of other nations in respect to Monte Video. After a few words from Lord HOWDEN, The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the Government had no other object iu what they had done but to protect the commercial interests cf this country. The subject then dropped. SUNDAY TRADING BILL. _ _ The Earl of HARROWBY, in postponing the second reading of the Bill, expressed a hope that the evidence given before the Committee on the subject of Sunday railing would be in the hands of their Lordships before that day. Lord CAMPBELL was understood to say that the evidence would be ready beforo that time. The second reading of the Bill was then postponed till Friday next. Thcii Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 22. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time, and or , tiered to be committed : Bolton Improvement. Bridge across the River Clyde opposite to South Port land -street, Laurieston, Glasgow. BRITISH ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH BILL. Mr. FARRER moved the second reading of this Bill. Mr. RICARDO then rose, but Mr. Pullman entered to sua:rnon the House to hear the Royal Assent given to a certain Bill by Commission in the House of Peers. Mr. RICA.RDO 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 cured that the Bill was neither more nor less than an at tempt to extort money from the shareholders of rival companies. Yet, feeling that the notices to which he had alluded ought to be given, he would amend his motion, and move that the Bill be read that day week instead of that day six months.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. FARRER protested against the imputation of Mr. Ricardo. Tr!, House then divided, when there appeared— ... 75 For the second reading ... Against it ••• Majority for the second reading ... —63 CAMBRIDGE AND SIIEPRETEI MJUNCTION RAILWAY, &c., BILL. Lord C. MANNERS moved the second reading of this Bill. Mr. TOWNLEY would readily support the second reading 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 Committe and Le thought that that fur nishe:l a very fair ground for opposing the second reading. Mr. GREENE thought that the Bill ought to i - ,e allowed to go into Committee, if it were. only at a ter of principle. Lord IrARRY VANE - thought tl at the moat expe dient course to follow would be to withdraw the Bill for the present, and upon its re-intrJduction to state the merits of it to the House. After a few words from Lord J. MANNERS,. Mr. SPoo2,l"l,:it acid this wits an inst ance of t; e toils resulting from thinly notice not being giver. The Bill had been rejected only in its detaile, the [irk, c;ple had been approved no less than three times. After a few observations from some other Hi n. Members, Mr. TOWNLEY withdrew his amendment, and it was agreed that the Bill should be read a second time on Monday next. PRIVATE BILLS. The following Bills were then read a second time, and ordered to be committed:— Chester and Holyhead Railway. Colonization Assurance Company. Cork Docks and Harbour Improvement. Exeter and Crediton Railway. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, Gorbals Gravitation Water Company. Hartlepool West Harbour and Docks. Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Railway (Sale or Lease to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, & ..) North Staffordshire Railway (Ashbourne Branch, Power tc. , Lease, Amendment of Acts). North Staffordshire Railway (Extension of Time for Purchase of Lands, &c.) Reading Union Waterworks. Shrewsbury awl Ileroford Railway. Snaith and Cowick, Union of the Townships, &c. 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. AC;RICtLTURAL DISTRESS. Mr. BELL presented a petition from Northumber land, signed by 13,000 inhabitants of that country, com plaining of agricultural distress. POST-OFFICE LABOUR. Pet'long were presen:ed by Mr. Duncan and the lion. Mr. Clive, and several other Members, against the employment of labour on Sundays in the Post•uffiee. POLITICAL INFORMATION. Mr. NIUNTZ presented a petition from the rolit;onl Associaticn of Birmingham, praying that greater infoi - ma.tion might be diffused among the people respecting political subjects, as otherwise greater mistakes would be made in legislation than had already been made, which wal needless.—(" Hear, hear," and laughter.) WINDOW DUTY. Mr. Alderman SIDNEY presented a petition from Stafford praying for the abolition of the window duty. 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. COUN tY FINANCIAL BOARDS. _ _ Sir E. BUXTON presented a petition in favour of the establishment of county financial boarda. 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. MOLESWORTH presented a petiton from the Strand Union i❑ favour 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. Lord 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 hid on the table for the information of the House? Mr. WILSON said the information was not received thrcugh the Foreign-office, but it came directly to him from official sources in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, and, so tar as he was concerned, he should he glad to facili tate the object the Hon. Gentleman had in view of laying them on the table. Perhaps the proper cuurse would be to ask his Right I-lon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to lay the papers on the table through his department. Mr. DISRAELI apprehended that the que.tien 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.— (Hear.) The lion. and Learned Gentleman had given notice of his intention to move in Committee that there should be two houses, instead of the proposal of the Gc vernment contained in this Bill; but the notice did not .fate 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 for 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. DIVETT asked the Noble Lord to state posi tively that the Bill would come on then. Lord J. RUSSELL saw no reason why it should not. The order of the day was then recd and postponel EMIURANf SHIPS. In answer to a question from Mr. GRATTAN, Mr. HA EVES said, with regard to the ill-treatment of certain female emigrants on board the ship Sobra , m, certain of o.e officers belonging to that ♦essel who hed been gaiity 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 :emales on board the emigrant ship Romulus? Mr. HAW ES said the ship arrived in March last, and the passengers made no complaint whatever of any ill treatment. It eventually turned out, however, that four females ha I been brutally treated, though not actually flogged, in the preieace 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 be felt it his duty to ask the attention cf 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. He 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, the consti 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 great depression that this Bill sought to decrease the qualification and increase the number of voters. This has been based entirely upon an erroneous suppo sition respecting the franchise, respecting the county and the borough 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 n as 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 fur 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 eccouraging 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 voters who would be agents in the hands of political parties, and perhaps the means of put tiqg 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 W. 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 franchise, it 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 th e p oor -l aw i n Irelan d f rom anyt hi ng re li g i ous or political, an d yet the basis of this franchise was they real wantedvalaati valuation to o a f have in Irelandto depend upon the poor-law, and not theproperty. a —(lsloebasrt,autihaelaorl.a)ss 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- Li satenant of Ireland, that country had been too long trained to a system of agitation tobe suddenly weaned from its pursuit, and that what Ireland stood most in need of %vas int , 2rrial tranquill.ty. In place of having 501. and ‘ , O/. freehuidors, they would have 51. freeholeers. It was nothing better than a system of 40s. freeholders,which was got rid of at the time of the Emancipation Bill. They would sublet arid subdivide the land, and raise up a horde of persons who, what ever other qualities they might possess, would be exceedingly usefulge to desi tug reirt in carrying out their purposes.—(Hear, hear.) I... , arned Gentleman then read a return showing umber of qualifications of persons rated in Ireland. It the viishea to see a substantial class of voters in the country, he would ask whether this Bill was likely to effect that object? Ho hoped the Bill would be well an .l thoroughly considered. Mr. lIUME began by saying that the question of representation had excited so much attention throughout Europe, that her Majesty's Governme:t 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 done in the Cape of Good Hope Bill.—(Hear, hear.) Irishmen required moral elevation, and nothing, in his opinion, wom i d 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. —(ilear, hear.) So far from thinking that this Bill went too far, be was quite of a dilfdrett opinion. Hitherto they hckl treated Irishmen as if they were cattle. They had treated Irishmen worse than Hottentots, and ho 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 a remedy 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 Hodens anti Co.; but, at the same time, he should say, that he regrette 1 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. flume), when he said that property worth 81. in Ireland a as worth 304 in England, and therefore hoped that the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir William Somerville) would not adhere to the 81. valuation, after all the promises ho tied made on the subject of the franchise; fur 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 456 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. Ile 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 aetribute perjury to the men who opoosed 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 bad 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 tLe election, but he hoped that day was passed, and that this Prweetant 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 iu the counties and boroughs, of a certain fixed valuation, should he entitled to vote for a Parliamentary candidate. Sir J. WALSH objected to this Bill on thJ same grounds as the Hun. 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. He hoped that the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) 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 were 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 f that country. The Noble Lord at the head of the Government should then pause before he 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 oppositic n 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 81. would be on a rental of 121., and a; the case stood at present the rating was on 10/. He thought the rating too high in the boroughs, and the Bill was, in its pre sent shape, objectionable in many respects, which e qeired amendment, - Captain TAYLOR could now allow the Bill to go to a second reading without expressing his opinion upon it. He ado - lilted 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 Lterests 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 81. qualification ought to be raised to 251. The question was ono 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 dissatisfaction showed a want of confidence in the people. He would not at present enter into details, but for his part be 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. He believed the Bill was based on the principle of taxation and representation. The Bill would admit c f 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 falling off of the electors in Ireland was the necessity of giving leases. He believed that the constituencies of 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 people into antagonism to them; and this he would also say to the landlords of Ireland that they never would see their es 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 Hon. 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, bear.) Mr. O'CONNOR—But they pay no rent. Lord CLAUD HAMILTON had no objection to the Bill so far as it was calculated to increase the pre sent number of constituents, but he should like to see it so far modified that no man should be put on the re gister without his own consent. Th ere oug ht to b e some qualification in the first instance. He hoped that the ltight 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 ofjus 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.whioh he thought was manifested of attaching restrictions :to the franchise,' which were already found to be of a vexatious character. Among other provisions of the Bill, it was enacted that there shill be a residence by the occupier of twelve months, while the ownership was limited to six months. This restriction of the franchise be ;considered anything but us. ful for the honest purposes of the Bill, and ho thought they would do wisely to consider its alteration in Committee.--(Rear, hear.): With regard 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, and 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 assure 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 11 s I eireittive by inc: e 's ing the qualification. He was sorry that they had not brought in a much bolder measure. Mr. GROGAN took some exceptions to the details of 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, for at present there might be said to be no franchise in Ireland. It had :been istated, in the course of the debate, that the number of electors at present on the registry in Ire land,was 36,000, he considered that s tat e ment ex aggerated, and he did not beli eve th at t h e w h o l e 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 paced on the register as he would upon the jury list. It was a mattter 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; and he 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 meted 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, be thought he was justified to refer to the evidence given by one of those priests who was summoned by the Go vernment before the Poor-law Committee, and to which considerable importance was attached. I. related to the management of property in the Union of Kenmore, be longing to Lord Lansdowne, which he believed was let at the poor-law valuation, but at the same time Lord L insdowne 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 How e?—(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 vant matter.—( Hear, hear.) Sir JOHN TYRELL.—It was only a very few sen tences of the evidence of this Roman Catholic priest, as gives befote the Committee, I was going to refer to, as showing— Mr. MAURICE O'CONNELL—Put a mo.ion upon the paper, and then call the attention of the House to the case.—(Hear, hear.) Sir JOEIN 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 lam 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 ordt r 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 ra.rence to the social condition of those who occupied the property referred to, and the conduct of Lord Lansdowne—(Cries of " Order," and " Qeestian.") Viscount CASTCEREAGH—Sir, I must again ap peal to the Chair to say whether the lion. Baronet is justified in appealing to this evidence.—(Hear, hear.) The SPEAKER—The Hon. Baronet is now sp ek ing in explanation. As regards the evidence to which the Hon. Baronet is referring, I have alrcaly said that it was rejected by the Poor-law Committee, and never having been repotted to this House the Hon. Baronet is oat e f order in alluding to it.--(Hear, hear.) Sir JOHN TYRELL—WeII, Sir, I will not set up my authority against yoar authority—(Laughter)—but on the present occasion I thought it might have been of 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 hcar ing it, but after the Opinion expressed by the Speaker, I will not further interpose.—(Hear, hear.) Viscount CASTLEREAGH sa id h e thought it would be of importance could the Right Hon. the Secretary for Ireland lay on the Wale previous to the Bill going into Committee, some returns which he could procure from the poor-law guardians, giving some idea as to how the measure would operate in counties. He was 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 quiredbrine' in a geceral measur e at .once, for it was most Kingdom, why not wait, and for the United 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 England and Ireland under the same laws in this respect they would never bring the country into a proper state. Mr. MONSELL supported the measure. As to what one reason w had been said about lease s , h e fully agree d th at th e at t eo t p he people osafmlreeltainmde,shthouatldhae l e a ses, he h b y ut the was ware of Ireland was so small, was th a t t h e l an dl or d s b a d re fused their tenants leases, t al order that they might be constituency a deprived of the right of voting. With reference not only to the south but to the north of Ireland, that was the case. A suggestion had been made of taking the power of striking the valuations out of the hands of the poor-law guardians, as if not, they would be sure to be struck too high, and he thought the suggestion was worthy of consideration. Upon the whose he would entreat Government not to lose a day 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 Lad had full opportunity of making themselves conver sant vs ith 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 great principle of the Bill being sound, he would not cavil with the Government as to those details in the present stage of the measure. —(Hear, hear.) ti e believed, however, that as re garded boroughs, the Bill would diminish very much the franchise in those places. He was always op p')sed 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 fur artizaus in the counties of England. H e thought that instead of the clause in the present Bill giving the franchise to persons having a 5/. ownership in fee, irrespective of occupation, if the 40a. freehold in occupation was given, it would 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 on the table of the House, he found that the total con stituency was only 72,000, including the counties, cities, and boroughs. Now let Hon. Members contrast that sta'e of things with what existed in England. The population of England was 15,000,000, and the consti tuency 796,000, or one in every 53,000. The population or Ireland was over 8,000,000, and the constituency 73,000, or one in s,ooo.—(llear, hear.) And if they took 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. lie was far from believing the constituency would be extravagantly enlarged, fur of that 374,000, fully one-third, as he had said, would be disfranchised by not paying the rates. He believed also that the franchise would be much limited in the boroughs by the present Bill, but not to the extent an- FEBRUARY 23, 1850 ticir.at , d; and, for hi 4 ova part, he should give the meßsure every support in his power. Sir WILLIAM 'SOMERVILLE, in reply to the ob s-rvation 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 lion. 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 ai 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 he 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 extrac', and which, be 1- elioved, gave a very accurate account of the number. lie 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 ' daynext for going into Committee. Mr. NAPAR 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 ❑ot 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 ho 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 be 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 the Direction of Public Works and Buildings." The Noble Lord stated that he did not in tund, 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 Msjesty's Government to think it necessary to introduce a mea sure on the subject ; but he would merely state the general reasons which had induced them to think that the different departments might be better managed by the separation which it was his intention to propose. Until th,l 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 Ilouse. 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 fir the improvement c f 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 raanuer on the land revenues of the Crown, because, whether they received some 30,000/. 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 Seale thing to the public in point of charge. But upon the other hand, that arrangement had certainly tended to keep from public view tkie 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 to 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 s:vstem 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 ether 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 Com missioner was 2,0001. a year, and two other Commis sioners with 1,200 L a year. What they now proposed was, that the ditties of the Commissioners of Land Re venue should be performed by three persons, two only of whom would have salaries; the First Commissioner 1,4001. per annum, the second 1,000/. 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 he formed of three persons, but only one of whom would receive any salary, which would be 2,000/. 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, therefore, 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 regulat4d, 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 the 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. The evil was not referable to any particular Government, or to any particular Commission; they were the inevitable result of the system itself and could 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. SOMERVILLE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to prohibit, in Ireland, the payment, in certain cases, of wages in goods, or otherwise than in the current coin of the realm. On the motion of Sir GEORGE GREY, the follow in Select Committee was nominated on Prison Disci pline:—Sir George Grey, Mr. Edmund Denison, Mr. Pearson, Sir Henry Halford, Mr. Sotheron, Mr. Alder man Sidney, Mr. Bankes, Captain Pelham, Mr. Peto, Viscount Mahon, Sir Edward Buxton, Mr. R )bert Palmer, Sir John Pakington, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Milnes. Sir W. VERNER moved for a return of all National Schools in Ireland which have been erected, or to which the CopimissioaerL have contributed assistance towards the fitting up of th e sc h oo l s , a dj o i n i ng t o or within the precincts of Roman Catholic Chapels, Nunneries, or Mo nastic Institutions of any kind, from the 30th day of April, 1843, to the 31st day of December, 1849 (in con tinuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 520 , of Session, 1 8430—Agreed to. The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Ten o'clock. NEWRY AND ENNISKILLEN RAlLWAY.—Operations have been renewed with spirit under Mr. Dargan. The line will be completed to lort3down about twelve months hence. LAW IN TE LLIGENCE. COURT OF QU: 4 :EIV'S BENCH, Feb. 22. Sittings at Nisi Prior, oz i wltlitall,b...fore Mr. Jo tice CoLzamor: and a Special (Thu.) BARKER V. GIT3-,ON. (Contiilue3 frog. our Afternoon Edition.) Sir F. THESIGER addressed the jury, and contended that the defendant was not liable, beyond a sum of 311, which he had paid into Court. The Laarned JuoGE summed up. The jury retired, and after an tOsence of some time in the consideration of the evidence, returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages 81/. 123. 2d., bting the items in curred in costs in the unsuccessful actions brought in the plaintiff's name. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb. 22. ,Nisi Prius Sitting; at Guiltihall,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 visional directors of the Direct East and West Junction Railway, 2,7001., the balance of an amount claimed for their services in surveying the line. Mr. Bovill appeired for the plaintiffA, 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 Kiddermin ster anl terminating at Hereford. It appeared that be fore the defendant, who is a silk manufacturer 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, and secretary, should enter into the usual bond of indemnity to the 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 substitutid 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 fur 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 bo paid in the ordinary way or from the funds of the company. The jury, af,er a lengthened deliberation, returnoi a verdict for the defendant. THE t7OIUNTRY MARKETS, week apr~cere, WAKEFIELD, FEB. 22.—The supplies this moderati , . There is an inactive trade in wheat, and remain as last week. Parley . sells slowly at late rates. e demand for oats and shelling is in retail , a nd prices egle' Beans is per quarter lower. Nov. s. WIMAT, per qr. 601'os per bushel:— s. 8* e. to Suflolk,lisieN., and Kent, red ... 39 to 42 Ditto, white ... 44 —46 Norfolk and Hunts., red 36 3 9 _— Ditto, white ... ... 40 —4l '" Lincolnshire and Cambridge, red 36 —3B Ditto, white ... .. 39 —43 Yorkshire, red ... :34 Ditto, white ... 38 42 Dantzic and Konigsburg, white .. 42 45 Lowerßaltic and Flamburgh, red... 37 3 9 Mediterranean, red ... ... 30 34 BARLEY, per quarter of 8 bushels: Norfolk arid Suffolk... 21 27 Lincolnshire and Yorkshire .. 23 -- 26 " Scotch ' ... 23 25 Grinding per 30 ston▪ e ... 20 22 Foreign ... 21 —24 •"' BEANS, per quarter of 8 bushels 631b:— „ Q _AO Small, fine 97 S " Ticks 25 —27 „ 29 Foreign 94 26 ▪ . OAT:3, per stone:— •• , to 01 Mcaling . 71.1 to 8d t ) ;` 9l Feedingo.l to SLI 9,1 sd ( 0 Foreign ' 7 ( 1 to s I SHELLING, per load of 2611 b ... 20 —2l per load of 6 imperial bushels 33 -- 3 5 YEAS, per Imperial Quarter: — Blue and white boilers Grey and Feed .. 26 -30 -• : --, .25 -27 --- _ _ COURT OF commoN PLEAS, Fib. 22. (Sittings at Nisi Prins, at Guildhall, before the Lord Chief Justico 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 cf both patents were gone into with considerable minuteness, atd at great length on the part of the plain tiff, with the view of proving that the principal poitits of Messrs. Brett's patait 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 COMMISIONER.) IN RE FRANCES DAVIDGE. The case of Mre. Da%idge, which was reported in our paper on Tuesday, was again heard to-day. Creditors omitted fr:nn the schedule had consented to waive notice. Some further inquiries were made of Mrs. Davidgo re specting her wardrobe, whni she declared that all she had possessed had been valued at 51. 17s. Her friends had 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 di.i not contemplate such a ease. Mr. LEWIS said, if the fund was intended for patens in poverty, then this was the case. His HoNoua discharged the insolvent. end 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 ClRCUlT.—Appltby, 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. Tho 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 p,un at Robert Orphan, gamewatcher, with intent to 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 bandage and green shade over his eyes, stated what took place on the night in question. He and other watchers were f }flow ing five poachers, when one of them turned round and took aim at him. The dress of this man the prosecutor described. He was hit on the left leg, the krms, 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 the party who fired the shot. Other witnesses corroborated Simpson's statement. Mr. OVEREND then addressed the jury for the &- fence, contending that the evidence, without that of the accomplice, did not fix the prisoner as the person who tired the gun; and that, it be were to be believed, the gun went off by accident. His LORDSHIP having summed up, the jury found the prisoner Guilty. He was sectenced to be transported for fifteen years. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. BU IV-STREET. William John Richard Smith, formerly a clerk in the Admiralty, and Charles Niblett, his servant,. were brought before Mr. Jardine, for final examination, charged with obtaining rho sum of 53/. 125., by means of firged documents, purporting to be signed by the Secretary to the Governor of. Ceylon, for the passage and sustenance of distressed British seamen to this country. Another young man, named Boucher, who had been charged on suspicion as being concerned with Smith, in whose company he was apprehended, also ap.. peartd on his recigniz inces, but he was ordered to be discharged before the case was proceeded with against the other prisoners. Mr. Smiinson, 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 ho was acquainted with the signa tures of governors, 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 for the papers of Walter Bevis, an agent, for which ho 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 ist Newcastle-upon-Tyne, ten of which related to the pre,ent transaction. The whole of the documents were fictitious, and en 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 be made by the consul at Canton, dated the 16th Sep tember, on the request of the master ra: 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, be having assisted them 130 days each, the required en dorsement, to pay the amount of 65/. due thereon to Walter Bevis, being made. Mr. Frederick Davison, secretary to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said—The fiats for the Lan caster county magistrates and the Liverpool borough magistrates are prepared by me, and having examined the records, I can find no such names as Macnarnara or Raymond, which are attached to both the decl a r a ti ons , as acting in such capasity in that town. Mr. John Bezer, a clerk in the Custore-house at Liver pool, said—l have examined the registry of all vessels passing, and regist ?red as belonging to that port, and I could not find such vessels as those named in the decla ration, or the martyrs, as having entered at the dates in question. The prisoners having declined saying anything in their defence, were then committed fur trial. The prisoner Smith was next charged with stealing the book which was found in his house, and it being identified as belonging to the Admiralty by the officials connected with that establishment, he was committed for trial. ASYLUM FOR TUE INDIGENT BLIND OF THE JEWISH PERSUASION.—On Thunday the anniversary ball in aid of the funds of this institution took place at Willis's Rooms, King-street, St. James's. A large num ber of people were a4.,eaibled on the occasion, and the result of the entertantnent appeared to be highly satis feetqry to the eunpany as w e ll as ben: i cial to the n- ARRIVALS. Qrs. Wheat ... 11,620 Rapeseed ..• ••• " . 1, 69° Barley ... 3,512 ••• Oats ... 1,122 Linseed •• '" " Beans... ... 1,338 Malt ••• ••• • Peas ••• ••• 268 I FEB. 22. W ° Flour ... ••• "' B es ISTOL Tar ... • SUGAR MARKET, I ilt° e hav e Jot R report a very dull sugar market, and the sales since at pride' report, which are rather unimportant, havebeen 1110 0 rather in favour of the buyer. The refined marke. very quiet. In rum no sales are reported. — Bristol sg EXETER, FEB. 22.—The supply of cattle has b usual so soon after the fair, and that of Sheep but ra We notice no variation in the price of cattle from the ; bd; tions given at the fair. Sheep have sold well—fat s , evre A felt on M s lack, wethers, sid; and small prime wethers, 6d per ff„ f lata°, lambs were offered, which sold dear, 22s to 235 each u - tits bers weighing from 28 to 301bs being the quotation. •w os calves, scl to 6d per lb. Pork Carcases—The supPli For , ' moderate, rather le ss th an l as t wee k ; prices for r7 e 6 a to 65 were, however, rather firmer. Large coarse pigs , ' 5 63 0 1e per score ; ordinary quality, 6s to 6s 6d ; 7s : and a very few prime pigs brought 7s tid per seatvii, nier—Geese, bs to 6s each ; ducks, 4s 6d to 59 ; e r' lbi 9d to 4s; galenas, 5s to 65 per couple; butter, ,5 P os air eggs, 16 to 18 for is ; potatoes, 9d to 10d per score V at , Pie and carrots, 31b for 2d; onions, 1 per lb. R° ll ,g, h o r quote no alteration to-day, the price being 3d per 'r' s iv,w; go od pork, pus, stone here, and 2s Id per stone in the London mar' et f i . ps ; —We note no alteration in prices, which continue r sprid holders refusing to sell under 61d per lb. Seedrchsage: vetches, 6s ; peas, 4s 6d to 5s pe r bushel. Corn 1 0 6 1, Is l ' ene o'clock—Although the market has been well Atte° n a tl l little business has been done, the holders of wheat :0119,1e millers being unable to come to terms. Farmers genvrpiseth .consequence of the improvement at Mark-lane and °t h ,, e asks 55 3d per bushel for warranted samples, but the yet % steadily refuse to buy on these terms, and up to th l9 0 ,111 9 ,0 little has been done at from 5s to 53 lid per bushel; babel', barley is 3s to 3s 2d per bushel ; oats, Is 10d to 25 P er fine flour, 28s to 29s per sack. WETHERBY, FEB 21.—White wheat 15s 6d to t' aei . qr. ditto 13s 6d to 15s 6d per load ; barley 23s to 2 65 r beans Ps to 13s per load ; oats lid to 9d per stol e ' , • b n " 6a, to KNARESBOROUGH, FEB. 20.—Wheat 4s 6cl to ' 55 isot le 33 6d to 4s 3d per bushel; b ar l e y 21 0 to 275; ea" 16s per qr. 55 NORTHALLERTON, FEB. 20.—Wh ea t, white, ' l9 , i t° 4o w - - red 4s Utl to 4s 9d ; oats Is 6d to 2s 3d ; beans 35 u" -° d a d re to barley 2s 9d to 3s Od per bushel. to RIPON, FEB. 21.—White wheat 4s 9d to 55 3at 4s 3d to 55 ; beans 3s 6d t o 4 5 3d per bushel ; 1146 N 265; oats 14s to 21s per qr. 6 , Odt WIC SCARBOROUGH, FEB. 2l.—Red wheat 4s 3,1 to -- /d, ditto 4s 9d to 5s 6d per 5 stones ; black oats 6id to ' ,',40 0 ; ditto 7d to 8d per stone ; malting barley 19s to '2 ls ' '3 09 ditto 17s to 19s per qr. of 32 stones; superfine A 5 96 335, seconds ditto, 24 s t o 27 s per sac k o f 20 stono• ; BANGOR, FEB. 18.—Wh ea t, b est h ome grown , 7 4 101 0 to 405; barley, confined on ly t o a re t a il c haracter , ' 10 10) oats stationary, 13s to 14 s ; oa t mea l was very dull 0 to 2ls per 2401b5. ,„, r 41; LLANGETNI, FEB. 21.—Wheat, from 38s to •sys st• 01 ter ; barley, 20s to 21s ; oats, 12s 6d to 13s. 1311 , t , c , h 4 e 1' Ire —Beef, 3d to 4d ; mutton, bd to sid ; veal, 3 3 `" able butter, I Id to 12d per lb. LLANRWST, FEB. 19.—The following are tn f e n 8$ I 'l,; quotations :—Wheat, 115 to 13s 6d; barley, 75 '1 id t ° meal, 10s; potatoes, 6s per hobbet ; b u tt e r (fresh) ' 6,1 beef, 3d to 5d ; mutton, 5d to 6d per lb. hold' 6§ 105 DENBIGH, FEB. 20.—Wheat, 12s to 13s Od ; - gs t° to 7s 6d ; oats, 4s to 5s ; peas, beans, and vete be it 50 r 0 per hobbet ; fresh butter, 11d; salt ditto, lid per , stießio; BUTHIN, FEB. 18 —The average prices 0' " cp a so ' follows :—wheat, 12s 6d to I3s 4d ; barley, 65 oats, 4s to fis per hobbet • fresh butter, l s e t VA - MOLD, FEB. 20.—A fair attendance at the w oke but business not very brisk. Aver age prices of grain! olotr , ss; P° —Wheat, 12s to 13s; barley, 6s 6d to 7s; oats, 45.408 tatoes from 7s 6d to 93 per hobbet. stele n oi INVERNESS, FEB. 19.—Wheat, per cluar' e.„ 'oost ev l9 9 621 b per bushel, 36s to 38s • new ditto, ditto, oel pe( old barley, per quarter, weighing 541 b Pe r : ll 42 l , lP' odo to Ous ; new ditto, ditto, 0;1s to 00s ; 1 1- 1;011, SOf bushel, 15s to 165 Od. Oatmeal, per imPen a ' - 00; -r second, 13s ; barleymeal, lls Od ; peaserneal, 145 W ero a,'4 , • 3 o a; 2 p 2s e e :e r sid s n t dooc,ana oatmeal, :62a2ddl;;; best, per barleymeal, epy ll die o nir u te r ;sa , tl.o. p , en e ice r so 15 2 20(1 8 df 0 ,;1 1 : b ts, ebca 3 asi l esn i s hi ip, t ee o 2ari 3 ,23 6 ll :: fiti l .l.o o : l 4460 ar o l , toes,credi per stone, 41c1 to 5d ; beef, per pound, 4 c l to 1. , ea ch, e• to 6d ; mutton, to 7d ; purk, 3d to sd; fowls' „, , to 14d ; chickens, per p a i r , 16d to Ihd ; ducks , e-d e - r ib, ' o at 00d; eggs, pr dozen, 6d to Od ; butter, fresh, P f 0r , 1 52 9 1; 8d; salt, 9tl to 10d ; croudie (curds) Od to Od ; d ot , loaf, cash, 5d t o 6d, cre di t , 5 3 / 4 d to 6}d; coals, Pe r hay, per stone, 8d to 9d. COAL MARKET.—YEsTETu.)I3% 1" 9il 0.1 Carr's Hartley East Adairs Main l3s 6dlSouth Hartlepool *".. 1 0 64 llasting's Hartley lss 6d' West fletton ......... "., 1 111 6 J Ord's Redliengh Ravensworth'sW.Hart 15s 6d, Maclean's Tees ....... .. i i° 0 4 Townley lss 6dSouth Durban' ....... " 210 6 j \ eat Bartley Wall's End, &c. ... • , Ag , I Cowpen HartleY • t o JL 9.1 15,s 9d Birchg. Grsigola. s''', 1 0 0(1 Brown's . lss 6d Derwentwaterilar 1. 6 4 Braddyll .... ........... OO Hetton Lambton Hartlepool l 93 Od , itAILWAY6-.l.th-A zo„„, STOCK EXCHANGE B . :it ZA 1i..61 At .4-' ll \ t v f e e s t t v er s n a! Q es u t a r r a t n er % , c c t l e o d sed a ' .... 11 B R I STOL, O m L a , r k F e S t ß t 0 . .2 d 2 a . y viss.:b 01 13 1 0 1 : 149 $11; and d ea b t , prices ....ini., —Leith soh bo w LIVR (have tlsbi'l m ",- ifili; li st; STOCK EXCHANGE._.We had a very ' 1. 4 3 i1y ,ill ness in cur Stuck Exchange to-day. Prices ge, l3 '.. e d he s : , • t the quotations. The transactions shown a tendency to decline and the market eff u llef t ,itter Lancashire wer!,s7-dis•iilcl4 and Yorkshire, Consol. Fifths, i w e st , Di tto' Halves (11 and S. 24 1 / 2 Ditto, Fifths ( 108.Y,retif Union), 6% dis.—Lon), don and North-Western..,/, di,... --o Newiguarters, Bs. 9d Mp. idland, Halves , 24713 Western, 62—East Lancashire, 10. „ clif; MANCHESTER, Fan. 22. dull V t ioP A STOCK EXCHANGE.— Our share market wa il tr iSsa k c 01 111 and prices had a downward tendency. T t e ,iiilbsrg' i liS/ were as follow : —East Lancashire, 9r8 .-- - 1- 71 is 7 1 S OP Glasgow, 27%—Lancashire and Yorkshire, Filtioiadis/ London and North-Western, Manchester and 1016 nitt°' Quarters (C), 11-16 p.—North Staffordshire,° 0..--Y South-Eastern and Dover (No. 4), Thir ds, Scrip, 6 3-16. too BIRMINGHAM, FEB. 22. as st.% ti _A o t)d STOCK EXCHANGIS.—The share market quiet to-day. G r eat anx i e ty wa s evinced in r 'i ce con the London and No r th-W estern dividend. F steady. e 0 YORK, FEB. 21: Srocx EXCHANGE. —The transactions to** -- s rfr ele d o , ;.% t a re follow : Great Northern, 6/. Bs. 9d.—York castle sion), 10 14—Shrewsbury and land, 19—York, Newcastle, and Berwick (N. n e w ,,f e reric e ' • y ..dpd "ngliam, Kr' Deg vr i c r e, • [ADVERTISEMENT.]—CUre Of an 11 , hn 0 1 , 1 0 0 0 , by Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—Mr.,J°the 10°14001 known in Geelong, Port Philip, publishes estri c ers te t t 11.briting Herald, of June 22, 1849, the foll°v / Lah a n n_ ne st, , • case:—" I had been afflicted for three years " 3 00 . 1 on leg, and had the best medical treatment 511 „ ti v re"p i lls Van Diemen's Land, without experiencintrolit;',,,ailatitaoBo, hearing of the wonderful cures effected by "' A with g t r ha Ointment, I resolved upon trying them , an" ain g to o , sie o . acknowledge that, after using them and atteirit time, medit:ii tions, I found my leg cured in a very sh ° d o rs; °BOO John Olive.—Sold by all respectable ireonfroot throughout the civilised world, and at Pr Establishment, 244, Strand, London. the • AO, ---- illo . Is ll BIRTHB. itfrO• On the 18th inst., at Bucklan , l-cott e g - ' ~, Son . '— lady of 11. Pole, Esq., of a daughter. 0 the Wife , On the 20th inst., at Danesfield, D ec ' the 0 n lO ll, $OO Scott Murray, of a daughter. , Bro.- •do, On the 20th inst., at Vere-lodge, 01d se, Ail el4l of of J. B. Graham, Esq., of Prospect - b e " 1 49 . Australia, of a son. le Corbett' id On the 20th inst., the wife of uved3 fe lig 1, ,he Itel r ' 'ebe 4) a son. lb of k •dga On the 20 h inst., at Clifton, the wife , ro bri lg Walford, M.A., late assistant master of Fr ederic of a son. e, biro. On the 21st inst , a t T o r r ington - sq us r . b•- %f • Sher Pollock, of a son. , lady o f W On the 2:st inst., at Fulham, t he --. pard, Esq., of a daughter On the '2 0t h inst., tain511177.13:11- of the late E. e Stewart, Commander 3ll:t° c 0 0 aiR: .e sRt eldest jaEr Dk s ogn a n lot p I S ,a te n .w c, a ist r ih t l , e I, 2 7 st ., in e st . I: a , ;ts;q:i.tie'aotflihleovrlievnseti.,}rp:ialnirziktay.betbt only „, d ditir tb hurc b ► r a On ton, Captain Robert Townley Parker, of ,11. Bf•fsc3utordoivtePi: second s( i ) t n .e, ot to ltu ibeurdtZiowenalreoyliPn:rAkeurg,ubstsaq•' dallgb• the late Jones Panton, Esq county of Anglesey. jun., of third 0,0,1° -------------- sle sr DIED• tartar', d, On the 17th inst. at the Rectory, Bridge Co so y, 4 Stamford, Henry d. 'Atlay, &q., eldest son of th e B e all Lica ° ' fkt O o la t:: . t t i h w e l. l 3 9 t t l i t i in st,, at Welwyn, Hertfordshire, - . 0 ic W il'l ell 1)14' Esq., aged 77. roe' ',helps, of t C h . e0 ( 11 . { et l iv :: w W2 e 1 1 . : I . Ci I . ::: t. ... , a i_n t n t A iEi m l acsi p ct t , h sa i tg l r l ee , te11:2,11.93,r i g S h i n t n o n et , t a, o t 1) 1 , On the 20th inst., aged 71, Mr. Joseph nwter-row. nges t 90 0 On the 20th inst., aged 18, Charles Hayford, Y °ll j, of S. J. Harrison, Es q. Hill-street, 13rernptn• . , r .lieg ,T V flo e On the 20th inst., at'Myddelton-eottage, e i ---"' i Clerkenwell, It. Saywell, Esq. aged 75. ......----- ,0 , 0 I(4` 1194 L. noon : Printed and Published by MIJR,D so, 'is) 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sus 00 ,c6 ' c ola Stand, in the Precinct 4)1 the s'avo. in t ile = iddlasex. Saturaf4y# February 23, 1850. I I