The Sun. — London, England, 1847-02-03 00:00:00

• An d bon!: >fie , : Mel' ..---••••••••43,1......-..... 10 110 1, the . of I pp r 1 17) r,ESJ iii 1 THI S DAV.) This being the day appointed for the election of a Member for the county of Middlesex, in the room of the late George 11 3'ng, Esq., who had represented the county for upwards of half a century, a considerable degree of excitement pre vailed in the " lengthy town" of Brentford and its neigh bourhood. Old banners, which had figured in the eventful days of the R.-form agitation, again flaunted in the breeze, and groups of electors and non-electors, the one party equally interested with the other, diiported themselves with favours of buff and blue (the old Whig colours). The better-class farmers of the district bestrode horses which, judging from their spirit, had erewh ile figured in the ranks of theyeomaury, While numerous carriages, containing the aristocracy of the country, followed the open chariot in which Lord Robert Grosvenor, with the Chairman of his Committee and other friends were seated. Some short time before hie Lordship arrived at " the Butts"' (the name reminds one of former day, when the peasantry of England had their fre quent and appointed holidays), - Lady Grosvenor and family drove up to the hustings, and were accommodated with Places, whence they could see and bear everything that Passed. Among the more distinguished personages present, We observed the lion. Philip Pleydell Bouverie ' • Sir Edward North Buxton, Bart.; Samuel Charles Whitbread, Esq. (chairman of the committee); the Hon. Frederic Bvng; Sir Walter Stirling; Sir William Clay, M.P. ; Sir De Lacy Evans, M.P.-, Mr. Armstrong; Mr. Botch ; Mr. Riches, of Uxbridge; Mr. Sherburn, &c. &c. Although the day was by no means favourable to out-door exhibitions, the enthusiasm of the electors had so far over come their repugnance to a wetting, that not less than five hundred were assembled in the open f_ 3 iace (the Butts) behind th e Th ree Pi geons T avern. These were backed up by the banners already alluded to, on which were inscribed certain weighty and not to be contro verted apothegms, such as " The Queen and the People," %Aeefair day's Wages for a fair day's work," " Liberty and Free s tTarnate," &c. Several associations exhibited their pecu liarfiguredrds' pr e -aeram7u n w tly ho . m the Brentford Reform Associa tion Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, Messrs. Challis and Kennard, with the Under-Sheriffs, Messrs. Baylis and Bur chell, appeared at the front of the hustings, while the sum moning officer of the district read the proclamation. The candidate then retired, and the usual oaths were ad ministered to him. On his return to the husting s Mr. BAYLIS, the Under-Sheriff, read the writ of election and the oaths against bribery and corruption. Mr. Sheriff CHALLIS then came forward and said—Gentle men, we have now introduced to your notice, with the usual legal forms, the important business which has brought us together. It is impossible 'for us to be assembled on any Matter more connected with the interests and happiness of a People who are guided by wisdom and experience, than on the present occasion.—(Cheers.) It is impossible for us to attach too much importance to the opportunity now given of electing our representative, and in the proportion that we seek integrity and propriety of principle in the man we elect so shall our interests be cared for and attended to— (cheers)—by expecting and exacting the same honour, the same industry, the same integrity, from him'.—(Cheers.) I feel that on such an occasion it would ill br come me, in the character of your presiding officer, to detain you with any ob servations of my own. I am anxious that we should proceed to business, and that while you moderate any feeling of your own —that while you express your approbation or disap probation—that you should at the same time give all parties a fair hearing, so as to do justice to all parties who may be anxious to make any observations to you. We should not be doing our duty to ourselves. we should not be honouring the memory of our late lamented representative - -Mr. Bong—who, with so much honour to himself and advantage to his constituents for half a century, spoke our sentiments in Parliament. When we recollect that during the time lie represented this county almost every question of pressing moment, and of gravest importance, occupied the Legislature—when we recollect that when our late representative held a seat in that House it was difficult for any man to hold by the test of con scientiousness, through which he had been elected.— (Hear, hear.) The public, after examining the career of such a man, might exclaim with justice, that he was " the pilot that weathered the storm."— (Cheers.) And now we should see that the person whom we elect should preserve these principles in their utmost rectitude.—(Cheers.) In conclu sion, we must always, however, admit thus much, that however we may differ from the politics of the Noble Candidate, in no measure which involved the be nefit of the country has he ever been the last to lend the sanction of his name or influence. - --(Cheers.) My duty now is merely to call upon any gentleman here to propose any one as a candidate, and it is for you, gentlemen, to consider whether he is worthy to succeed your late representative.—(Cheers.) The Hon. E. P. 800 VERIE then came forward to propose Lord Robert Grosvenor. He said,—Friends and brother electors of this county—gentlemen, the proposal I am about to submit to you, the name of a gentlemen to represent you in Parliament, is so likely to be received with general and unanimous approbation that I don't consider it necessary to detain you at any length. The gentleman who has preceeded rite, and who has presided over this meeting, has brought under your consideration the importance of the object of your meeting on this occasion, and he has also alluded to your choosing a fit and proper successor to the gentlemen who had formerly represented this county, and who had some fourteen or fifteen times been adopted as your representative. During the whole course of Mr. Byng's political life he had proved himself the friend of civil and religious liberty, and he thought that the duty of the Government was to legislate for the welfare of the people. If this principle actuates us, then are we bound to find another person who entertains these views, and who will endeavour to carry them out in the Parliament of the country.—(llear, hear.) The whole political life of the Noble Lord will prove that lie is pre-emiaently that person.—(Cheers.) For twenty years he has shown himself the friend of civil and religious liberty, he has shown himself the friend of the civil and the practical reforms which have agitated the country—(Cheers)—and he has been found always enlisted on the side of the people.—(Cheers.) I entirely agree with the sentiments of the Noble Lord from the many years' experience of his past life, and I have now, therefore, no hesitation in recommending him to your c hoice—(Cheers)—as your representative.—(Continued .cheering.) But I cannot close without in some degree re ferring to a correspondence which has been extensively cir culated within these few days. I may refer to the Noble Lord's truly noble conduct, to his straightforward answer to t e h r e insidious question. The person who has written that is a particular friend of mine, but I repuiiate all the sentiments contained in it.—(Loud cheers.) The Noble Lord, I repeat, has answered that letter in a straightforward manner, and we may conclude from thence that his is the very sort of honesty we want in our represen tative.—(Cheers.) I do not know that it is necessary for me to enter further into this subject, but I think that it is rather unfair to ask a question on any subject without at the same Mme reciting the contingencies which might materially affect If you choose the man the rectitude of whosepolitical oughtle you acknowledge, then I think you will do well, and you to leave it to him to carry out his principles in the "a' most consonant to his own feelings. The man you re quire iS Lo r d R o b er t G rosveno r, and it is with great pleasure t I propose him as a fit person to represent you in Par - Sir (Cheers. se E. Buxtrox ) said—l have a great deal of pleasure in fit con aing the nomination of Lord Robert Gresvenor as a Person to represent you in Parliament. I cannot, however, address the electors of this great county without expressing MY feeling respecting your late representative. I am sure that no one was acquainted with his character and virtues Who entertained not the highest respect for Mr Byng, and I am convinced that no man whatever could throughout such a lengthened political life—a life extending over 56 years— have preserved such a cordial feeling with his constituents, unless he had been actuated by the highest, the best, and purest motives. (Loud cheers.) You are aware that during this period questions of vital im portance to the world were di-cussed—(Cheers)—but you are also aware, that whatever might be the inducements to overlook your interests, you had an honest and honourable gentleman to see to your interests. I feel that we are met this day on a solemn occasion. If we consider the state of this country and of Ireland, we cannot send a man to Parliament without being conscious that We have a great and solemn duty to perform ; and I confess that when I heard of Mr. Byng's death 1 thought it would be a difficult matter for the electors of this county to find another man to supply his place—(Hear, hear)—with equal satisfaction to yourselves and to the coun try. I do think, however, that yeu cannot find a man better qualified to fill the place of your late representative than the Noble Lord who now offers himself to your suffrages.— (Cheers.) We know Lord Robert Grosvenor to be the friend of the poor.—(Cheers.) We know him to be a man who Will not sanction any measure which lie thinks inimical to the people or their constitution.—(Continued cheering.) Although I do not concur in every sentiment of Lord Ro bert Grosvenor, still I am of opinion that there is no man b etter qualified to represent us; and it is, therefore, With great pleasure that I second the nomination of Lord Robert Grosvenor to represent us in Parliament. The sheriffs having requested any person who had any other candidate to propose to come forward and do so, and no per eon responding, proceeded to take the show of hands. A forest of hands was held up in favour of the proposed candi• date, and only two against it. The sheriff declared Lord Robert Grosvenor to be duly elected as a member to serve in parliament for the county of Middlesex, in the present session of Parliament. Lord R °DIRT GROSVENOR then came forward, and was received in the most entlitpiastic manner. When silence was somewhat restored, the Noble Lord said, Mr. Sheriff and entetneti, electors o f th e county of Middlesex, I must b eg , in the first place, to thank you most kindly - for the kind and warm reception which you have been pleased t o accor d t o me upon the prese n t occasion. standing the unfavourabt en e as oatThheadppy also, that, notwith ,youhave all preserved such perfect good It umour.—(Cheer a s Y . voice—lt l they are not in good humour I will keep them ifi A one cannot propose at present singing a duet with that gent.lemancli crowd.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, it is not the first time in the I have appeared upon the hustings.—(A voics—lt won't be the last.) I hope not. But, gentlemen, this is the first time that I have ever had the honour of appearing before you in a public character, and, gentlemen, when I think of the mag nitude cf the constituency—(Hear, hear)—and of the vast importance of that county for which I am now a candidate— (A voice—A Member) -1 thank that gentleman for his cor rection—l must say that I am nearly overwhelmed with a s ense of my own insufficiency.—(A voice— Keep your spirits 1 1 1 ) .) Gentlemen, I am but a plain and simple man, having no Pretence to oratorical talents, and I must therefore en deavour to obtain your kind and indul g ent attention d uring the address which it will now be my duty to 1 do assure n a n K , e sy t o o u l y d o uh C i n h d e u e r s e e . d ) m e G e t n o t e h m a v e n e , o n b o tr t h u i d n e g d , myself upon y o ur notice upon the present occasion , had 1 not been as sured that I was called upon to do so by the whole united strength of the late lamented Mr. Byng's supporters, and the assurance conveyed to me by my lion. Friend behin d me, ur ir• Charl es Whi t b rea d, th e chairman of the committee of which he was the oriinator and supporter—than whom no P er son could b e m ore s apable of appreciating the sentiments tpod feelings of the electors of Mtddlesex—nothing less than t u e se o appearances would have induced me to sever that con (cti n with my attached friends—the city of Chester— esm)--who, during a period of more than twenty years bare honoured me with such unwavering kindness, and such implicit confidence—nothing less than the assurance that lo e n would give me the same kindly co-operation and assist ne in the performance of the arduous duties now imposed s i r me, would have induced me to undertake the serious s attaching to the representation of the county of Mid eer-(A voice, " You are worthy of it.") Before I pro to`ujo say another word about myself, you must permit me feentscharge a duty I owe, and • also to consult my own ass u ngs, by saying something with reference to my late re ,a,:7cted friend, Mr. Byng, the late Member for the county of r7dlesex, whose memory is so justly dear to us all. "erg.) I do not know now, in a few words, I can better that of my feelings than by using the words of the friends lamented gentleman, who would inscribe this proud opita!h upon big tomb, "That, having for upwards of fifty : .'y th, , rural and s thurh;;ii neer . ne t . „ rees ' of the metropolis, -Less: e, ebse.e. •111r11 I ,11,1 most critica' period of the history of the B•itish nation had at length descended to the tomb full-of years, without a single enemy, and -with the respect- and attachment of all parties and all classes, among 'his great and enlightened constituency.—(Loud cheers.) Although, comparatively speaking, I .ams a- stranger among you here, I hope I. am not altogether without sine local claims upon your notice, I -was born, bred, and educated in the very • heart of the city of West minster, and within the sounds of-the Abbey bells.—(Loud cheers.) I have always endeavoured to show my sense of what was due to the great city 'in which I was bore by en deavouring to discharge the duties of a citizen.—(Cheers.) These duties have been already too favourably noticed, and in too practical a manner spoken of by the Hon. Friends who have.proposed and seconded my nomination.—(Cheers.) But Jam quite aware that my political conduct has in general been in unison with the feelings and wishes of the great ma jority of this great and influential county.—(Cheers.) Al though I might in truth have some claims to your good-will, I have also some claims to • that political confidence which has enabled me to appear before you upon such an occasion as the present. Now, gentlemen, when I entered the House Commons, about 25 years since, I found the House of Commons unreformed, not in any way such a.. House as would be said to represent the people of England.—(Cheers.) I found the criminal law full- of anomalies—(Cheers.) I found civil disabilities and penal laws in existence against our Roman Catholic fellow-subjects.—(Loud cheers.) I found laws In force, pressing most unjustly and most unsatis factorily upon the consciences of these denominations of Christians who. sincerely differed from ine in the opinions .which as •a member of the Church of England, must conscientiously maintain. I found slavery existing in the Colonies; I. found our trade and commerce fettered by the most unjust monopolies also ; and I found —what was the worst of all—that it was impossible to ob tain any redress of the grievances, however clearly those-cases of grievances might be established. and however iudi-putahly the existence of those grievances might be proved.— (Cheers.) :Now, gentlemen, I hesitated net to attach myself to that small but increasing band of men who had joined themselves together for.thepurpose ef -obtaining the amelio ration of that. which we thought to be 'a most pernicious ss stem of things.—(Cheers): Ido not intend now to go into the details of those measures which must be familiar to you all.—(Hear, bear.) Sufficient to say, that we never relaxed our exertions until we obtained that better state of things . ,under- which- we now live.—(Cheers.) Now during the whole -of this , period I-believe that I may say, that political consistency—at present at a discount— (Cheers)—was not much relied 0n... I do not attach any exaggerated notion to the idea of political consistency. I am not so presumptuous as to say that during the time - I have . been its Parliament that I never modified my opinion upon any. political questions. And that, was the secret o: the greet.confidenee which my former constituente,reposecl in me, that -during the whole of thet time I never was compelled_ entirely to 'alter my opinions upon any great Pleasure brought before the House of Corn mons.—(Cheers.) And to whics I have lately referred„...... (Cheers,) , I, as a Member of ethat small but determined band, aided in giving the „first blow to those systems which I have described to youe by- assisting Sir George Canning in, his great struggle in 1838, and also by assisting Sir Robert Peel upon a very late occasion. —(Cheers.) Now, gentlemen, during all• this etruggleecominued with various successes,. I had always the distinguished satisfaction of finding myself upon every occasion aide by side with your late lamented ;Sod respected- .representative, Mr. G. voice —"Ile • was a. trump; I hope you will make a better one.) 'That is the title, and the only title, which I can bring before.you on the present occasion.— (Cheers.) But do not.suppose that, because we have al ready obtained so rnuell toeccess, Abet therefore I shall fall back, and not continue my endeavours to obtain a further amelioration of the condition of -the people_(cbeers)—or that I have the slightest disposition, to -repose myself beneath the laurels already obtained: :.Thereare t still many social fiscal and educational reform.) to be accomplished, and which will require the most unwearied exertions_ to bring about—reforms which those whom I now . address will, I doubt not, if their lives be spared, live to witness.-- e (Cheers.) I am truly at tached to the working glasses. I 'feel deeply what I owe to them.—(Cheers.) I feel deeply what we all owe to them, and especially to the working classes of the Metropolis. Mr. Cobden, than whom no person could be supposed to be a inure accurate observer, said," that however great might be the industry of the working classes of the manufacturing districts to which be belonged, still, he-must fairly state that the artisans of London, were far superior to them," Ido not think that those working classes- have .been fairly treated ; they hare been most sadly neglected. I-can assure the electors of Middlesex t hat any measure w high may be brought forward having for its object the amelioration of that class will have my most earnest support.—(Cheers.) - But whatever may be the opinions of the e e2ectors of -Middlesex as to the reforms still necessary, I. earnestly trust that all seeds of minor differences „will be- laid aside, and that we may alt unite to support the Government and to support each other, in endeavouring to enable this country to pass through . that crisis upon which we are now entering. Depend upon it we must assist the Government and each other; for, depend upon it, that, in spite of every effort that we-are so ready to make, we-are as yet but on the threshold of difficulty, and that every effort of private virtue will: be necessary in :order Os stet - 113hp crisis land the diffi culty upon which we are pow .entering, even if it should please God. - to, give its, at an early period a plentiful return of the fruits of-the earth.—(A. voice, " When do you mean to come, to Popery ?.') We shall come to that presently. Another, qoestion, which I was about to allude to was the subject-of _the suffrage. Suffrage is now nearly universal.—(A voice, " We are suffering now.") Upon such a day as this I should be.sorry to trouble you by a long speech on that -subject. —(A voice, " Oh, it is . no trouble,, my Lord, don't mention it.") I must beg to say a .few words „with respect to certain opinions which I am reported as holding, especially as upon the present occasion have been-told that lam ti-e " Pope's candidate" for the greatest metropolis in, the world.—(Cries of " No, no.") Now 1 am :sure ; ssir, that before so enlightened an audience as that which I am now ad dressing it is quite unnecessary for me .to say that I am not " the Pope's candidate," neither is it necessary for me to say that lam nobody's candidate. I believe that anybody thrust forward by any darts or -profession would be perfectly unsuccessful in his endeavours to-obtain the suffrages of the electors of Middlesex. He who, would aspire to that honour must be none other than an jndepeudent person.—(Cheers.) I beg to say, that .considering the enlightened sentiments of the sovereign who • now fine the, chair of St. Peter, that I would' rather be the nominee of that potentate than of that gentleman who.firsts applied the epithet of " Pope's candidate" to "me.—(Cheers.) You are all familiar with the correspondence which has recently _ taken place between some gentleman and myself—l allude to Mr. Hoare. Copies of that correspondence have been most unfairly sent to every elector of the county of Middlesex. Ii must beg to explain the manner in which that correspondence has been carried on,—(Hear, hear.) They had published my reply to a letter but they had not published the letter itself. They pub lished two letters to my one,, that,was two to one, and that was decidedly taking an advantage.—(Cheers.) They have deprived me of the peater . of making any remarks which I might consider. necessary to -the .lettera go published. Now, 1 call that rather shabby,; because—(" Never mind that, stick to it !")--4 think those persons, wlto published that cor respondence should have a little more feeling for amen who was on trial bef n•e' a large - constituency like, that of siddlesex— ( Obeers)—thae publish, el correspeedence unfairly upon a subject upon which the public mind ha' been so much ex cited of Late.—(Cheers.) I must beg, therefore, to express my feelings and opinions upon the subject. What I meant to any was this—that should any measure be proposed having for its object the endowment of the Roman Catholic priesthood of Ireland, I would hold nipelf at liberty either to oppose or to acquiesce in such a measure upon its own merits— (Cries of " It won't do")—but theehaving no religious objec tions to the proposition, I would hold myself at liberty either to consent or to oppose the propesbion.—(Cries of "No Church allowance ; " The (separation of the Church and State.") I think, gentlemen, that you will perceive, with me, the inconvenience of being questioned as to conduct upon measures not at present before the country or the House, or as to opinions upon which the _House knew nothing. (. How about Maynooth?") 'My opinion on the subject is, that considering the state of the" country and, the; excite ment in which the people are; s 3 , and' in; consequence: of the alarming defection of some members of the Established Church from our religion, and considering also the reiterated declaration ()film Roman catholic priesthood of Ireland, that they would not accept of an ehdowMent—(Cries of" Try 'em—won't they ?")—if any ,Minister were to come forward and propose such a measure, my. confidence in his discretion would be materially abated.-(Loud.cheers.) Now, I am told that I was rash in ' the answer which I gave to Mr. Iloare's letter.—(No, no.) Had I been ,in clined to temporise, I 'slight have' framed a cautious diplo matic letter which nobody eotilcl have — laid bold of; I dis dained, however, to do so. I never voted for the Maynooth Grant, and for'the best of all 'reasons, die opponents of that measure never put" the question to the vote, they never ventured to come to lie division on the subject. Although I voted for the motioh of Lord Francis Egerton. I did it twenty years since Under circumstances wholly different from the present: I have written a letter to Mr. Hoare in the. same, spirit in which I speak— in a spirit of perfect freedom, and in a spirit in which I 'always intend both to speak and to write. Gentlemen, Fam no adventuler, seeking to obtain a seat in Parliament. by flattering preNailing prejudices.— (Hear, hear.) I have neither ambition nor private objects to serve. lam here to defend my own consistency; and if' I am to sit for Middlesex, I trust it will be on a satisfactory statement of my opinions.—(Hear, hear.) What I shall ask in return on your part is thiS: I have twenty years' cha racter from My last place.(Cheers and laughter. ) N o w which of you can produce li better,?—(Continued laughter. ) And what I say is this, " Don't . endeavour to tie and fetter toy hinds with pledges and promises, eepectally with respect to measures wl.ich are not before Parliament."—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, give me your confidence if you agree with me in opinion, or, at all events, put a fair construction on my words and arguments.-4Cheere:) Now, gentlemen, there is a great deal of talk about " enaoving truth and en dowing eiror. - "e Is the state to interfere in such matters as these? —(Cries of " No, no; no interference.") Now, gen tlemen, I approach the subject to which the latter part of the correspondence to which I have alluded has reference; and I have alluded to it with very great unwillingness, and I should be extremely sorry •if any expression whatever should full from me which could be supposed to partake, in th e smallest degree, of an irreve rent character in t reat in g stS serious and so sacred a subject. IV is far from my intention to speak of my cor respondent in terms of ridicule or disparagement, least of all should I feel inclined to speak of a class of gentlemen who have, I think,;beesureieuvrously mistaken on the present occa sion, duty in putting forth such e, statements they were doing their to nett m tt e i but also, I n at ts i i m n r d ti i c s .u re le sp r ec p t s fu rt l t ( e )f rm ti s me ; mit out, if possible, but lam compelled - who - (ii,e Ssz a p t port such views are attributing w — ould r letter because' I wish to • sistency which thosethe incoe rtoetieDcitv,itnheaPt r r u e v ile id e e t t i l o c i t ) .. tia ) d sure if they wilt only it impossible for them Co before lay such a discumentAageiintnre' rencrethe- public.—(Cheers.) What they attribute by this :—They alert that. we might teo to Divine Providence is which they h vdnied put, that we draw i from certain events eve been visited with the wrath of - ovicletiee, tbreSsitfow* mg the College at May nooth ; that, although we I - mite-for many ears Roman Catholic clergy , irtAtaitaffiZ; -acid collegedowed the May nooth in Ireland, we have, been etiescathed i) Divineat.Providence, 'Yet in theleseoeeess -a time We not expect to go . unpuiliaho, • and th at we could now been visited, in conseAtten'ee of all th ose dreadful calamities which have latelyeehen, uPols.us.—((;Leers,) That assertion, it itineens tiny t ingi Wrquivilleut to this h • s—t at it turf 4ntfle'rt .t- . 0 • is the degree and kin° , , tie ncipal of crime, that increases crime in theseee es eslostinisience.—(llear, hear.) I am told, gentlemen, that id ;conevqtteiree of my entertaining these sentiments that hey - connexion... al , be very short with the county of Middleseste4Cries . %bes"NlSio, no," and .beets.) Now, gentlemen, if' that be the esttseelihall undoubtedly be extremely mortified to loae-thS'rhigli and4istinguished honour whirh you hake this eley.'dOnferS4tl,. upon me; but I shall bow without a' murmur to the decisiersiet.the electors of this county, bechtsso I um Well thsv,aro hey; very imperfectly • ' ~ ~. a ..:.._ qualified I am to discharge the duties of the high station in whiob you bare thi, 41 7 011-ed roe. Ber, evn , lemen. this : I er,r *- ! r "' e c -- ( 11..,,- it - .) Th.tt. tw , toy •ar. of public lite, during which tiole i have neither alle,cd noc concealed my opinions, I was called upon to succeed such a man as your late representative in Parliament by a re quisition, the most numerously and respectably signed, and supported by men of all parties, that. was Now,ever g p e r n e t s i e e lte e d n, s t i o ncer a cy g m 3 a .o n o .— fo ( r • L th n e d he ver e yg e r r e s e ) t p tl t i l a b n li k e in kindness with which you have been pleased, on such a day as this, to listen to the observations which I have addressed to you, and most cordially thanking you for the honour you have conferred upon me—and I shall, I think, value it most highly. Knowing that I shall very shortly be called upon to tell you in what way I have fulfilled the trust which you have confided to me, I respectfully, for the present, take my leave of you. (The Noble Lord then retired, amidst loud demonstrations of applause. Sir WILLIAM STIRLING then came forward to add: ••;s :te electors. He said, after the - very powerful and str,,iglittorw:.,rd address which they had heard from the Noble L 01, w h o m they had proclaimed not only as a fit, representative for the vast and enlightened constituency of the county of Mid dlesex, but as one of the fittest persons to represent them, he would venture, as a freeholder, merely to address a few observations to them. He was particularly anxious to do so as he was nearly connected with that respectable gentleman, their late Member, whose life was extinguished. but who by never deviating from his early political opinions had gone to the tomb, carrying with him the regrets and affectionate gratitude of the con stituency he represented—(Hear, hear)—and who was an instance in his person—a remarkable instance of public favour euring a great number of years ; and who had left behind him a noble example to all who might suc ceed him as a representative of the people.—(Cheers.) He was unwilling to'', have] recourse to hacknied terms, but he could not well help saying, that they " should not look upon his like again." The Noble Lord at his side was gifted with all those attributes and all those public virtues for which that lamented gentleman was so distinguished.- -(Hea-, hear.) And if the whole country was searched he doubted whether any man could be found who was so die t'nguished for honour, purity of motives, and philanthropy. He could attest to the possession of these virtues by the Noble Lord, becausehe had been acquaited with him from the earliest period of his boyhood, and had ever found him as he had stated.—(Cheers.) He did not dwell unnecessarily on this, because he considered that in the possession of these virtues rested the basis of all true patriotism, and without which patriotism would be an idle boast and a shallow pretension.—(Hear, hear.) It was on these grounds that he claimed the election of the Noble Lord as the advocate of that pure love of national liberty—of those temperate, mode.. rate, and liberal principles, in which he considered the true happiness of the community rested—and which were equally removed on the one hand from the wild proceed ings of democracy, and on the other from the grasping and cupidity of aristocratic dominion.—(Local. cheers.) He looked upon the Noble Lord ra the faithful ex positor of the feelings of the great bulk of the middle classes—those who, in his opinion, were the fittest posessors of political power, and the surest guides and guardians of the cometonwealtb.—(Cheers.) That was not the time to undervalue the importance of this great class, because they were living in what he might define a political interregnum, in which they were called upon to exercise wisely the great power they possessed. The ab sence of sutih a class from the sister country had calved the great distress under which the people laboured at the present moment. It was on these grounds that he looked to the Noble Lord as the fittest man to be trusted with all those difficult questions which both now occupied, and at a future period would occupy, the attention of the Legislature. Whether this question was that political paradox, the social improvement of Ireland—the equal) , important question connected with the education of the people—or that still weightier question, the rivalry of the Churches of this and the sister country.—(Cheers.) It was on these grounds that he congratulated the electors on the chi , ice they had made in electing so fitting a representative for that vast constituency, which had within its scope and sphere the metropolis of the nations of the world.—(Cheers.) Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR said it now became his pleasing duty to propose a vote which he was sure they would adopt with the same unanimity es they had the one proposed on the former occa sion. They had that day witnessed the manner in which the Sheriffs had presided over the assemblage, and the anxious desire which they had evinced that every elector should have a fair opportunity of expressing their sentiments. He, therefore, begged to propose a vote of thanks to the Sheriffs for the way in which they had presided over the proceedings on that occasion. The vote was carried by acclamation. Mr. Sheriff CHALLIS felt much indebted to his excellent friend, and their excellent Member, for the manner in which lie had introduced his name, and the name of his colleague on the present occasion.—( Hear, hear.) It was a source of congratulation to him that the very first act of this kind which he had had to perform he had been Nobleinstrumental portu niltsyri e nodf selectinggi( Friend. - h in e g em t . h )s e o fr H e e e ex h sc o he l d ol lu e e rs of should dt be glad Middlesex ex an member stehe general sn hiseorp a l election should fall within his year of office to find all of them at their posts to do their duty as well as they had done that day.—(Cheers.) Three cheers having been given for the ladies, the pro ceedings terminated. BAIL COURT.-(THIS DAY.) • THE QUEEN V. HEALEY AND COOKE. Lord DENMAN gave judgment in this case this morning. He said that the arguments in this case had taken place before himself and his brother Judges on Saturday last, and instead of minutely examining the voluminous affidavits laid before them, they had come to the conclusion that they might dispose of the case by adverting to what had appeared before them in the full and able discussion of the Learned Counsel engaged in the case. Mr. Wakley, it appealed, was one of the coroners for the county of Middlesex, and he had applied fur leave to file a criminal information against the publishers of a libellous attack upon hint while engaged in the execution of the duties of his office. The attack was coarse and violent, and being circulated in a particular journal while the inquiry was being conducted, naturally produced a strong sensation and general excitement. This was a serious offence, and the proceeding was one which induced the coroner, and justly so, to seek the protection of this Court. Amongst the judicial officers of England the office of coroner was one of the most important, and most required the protection of the higher Judges, to whom he was equal in many of his functions. His duty was to carry on inquiries at all times uncertain, and rendsred painful by the presence of the dead, and more so by the suspi cion that might attach to the living. His words were looked upon with jealousy and with distrust, and he was without the ordinary means of commanding respect—holding his tribunal in unaccustomed places, and surrounded by none of the imposing solemnities of justice. In this particular case the coroner was entitled to commen dation for directing an inquiry into the circumstances at tenling the death. The Learned Counsel in the case, con fined himself to the expressions used in the libel, and no complaint was made or attempted to be proved against the witnesses; and his language, in referring to the evidence, went only to affect the conduct of the coroner, whose pro ceedings were then under consideration. The inquisition was held on the body of Frederic John White, a private in the 7th Hussars. He was a healthy young man, who had un dergone corporal punishment previous to his death. It was thought that he died of this, and such a supposition, if proved, could hardly fail to make out a case of misconduct on the part of the officer, or it might be a verdict of murder or manslaughter might result. In such a charge the medical men would, in all probability, have been involved, for some of there were always present on occasions when punishment was to be inflicted; and as the deceased had been s ome ti me ,it‘ n % s -as kilfu ne l treatment. timpossible that he should h ave A post-mortem f i a n ue the n a h v os ic p t i i t m al to u exa mination was suede, in which the surgeons employed gave it as their opinion that the punishment had nothing to do with the death. The coroner, Mr. Wakley, said that he did not know what opinion the surgeons had given, but he did not call for the support or observations of the surgeons of the regiment, but pro ceeded, at the suggestion of the jury, to employ Mr. Day, a respectable surgeon in the neighbourhood, to examine the body. This form was required to be executed by the 6th and 7th William IV., chap. 89—when a majority of the jury were not satisfied with the cause of death as given by the medical practitioners and others, in the first instance. Mr. Day thought the cause of death was not connected with the punishment, and the coroner proposed some questions, evi dently with a view of supporting the opposite theory. He then ordered an examination of the body, and called in the services of another medical man, an intimate friend of his own—his early associate, and one who was under some obligations to him, and who was named Wilson. The Court must condemn this course. The coroner bad placed himself in the position of a medical man, and he was opposed in a certain degree to those engaged during the earlier part of the proceedings. He ought to have been careful to select a medical gentleman of known skill and science for the pur pose of making the second examination: The coroner directed that not only the regimental surgeons should be ex cluded but also all other persons whatever, and no reason was assigned for such a proceeding. Mr. Wakley said that the jury recommended it, but the Court was of opinion that he ought to have resisted such a recommendation. Mr. Day persisted in his first opinion, and swore that he understood from Mr. Wilson that he (Mr. Wilson) agreed with him as to the cause of death, and he also stated that he was surprised when Mr. Wilson afterwards said on the inquest that he believed that the flogging might have led to the death of White. The Learned Counsel explained this circumstance, and endeavoured to explain his views on it in a manner favourable to Mr. Wakley, but the evidence was given in such a sense as to support the verdict, which ascribed the death to the punishment. There had been a remark made on the Coroner's refusal to put Dr. Warren upon his oath during the inquest, and it had been said that such a proceeding gave rise to an opinion that he might afterwards be called before it as a culprit. The verdict attri buted the death to the effect of the punishment inflicted, and added a condemnation of the law &Aiming such punish ment, and an invocation to the people to petition for its alteration. That appeared to the Court to be quite foreign to the duties and functions of the jury; the Coroner ought to have discouraged the introduction of such topics. It was incumbent upon him to suppress the expression of opinion ose such an occasion. The Court found also that Mr. Wakley took the chair at a publie meeting to promote the abolition of flogging in the army and navy, and introduced into his seeech there some very caustic remarks upon the late inquest. and in censuring the author of the libel to which he alluded, he stated that he oc:nplained that in the House of Commons he (Mr. Wakley) had spoken contemptuously of him. Al though the Court could not be supposed to be aware that I ff this such a e such a proceeding took place in the course of the debate, yet it knew that theso debates, however irregularly, found their püblic dischargeo rld. fact occurred stated, d had not entirely refuted the 'hen the party accused cases, ,% • t h e libel. An advertisement appeared in on a principle often acted upon in that Court before in such t charge contained . in way into the Wakley, and the snuff box to Mr. his zeal in conducting the inquest, having reference to the presentation of a silver influenced by his wish to prove Wakleyh La n cet , was and that lie was still further The C'ourt that the death was cawed by the punishment. was altogether unreasonable. could not say that such a chargeedit for the sincerity of his opi influenced by It gave Mr. Wakley great credit flogging, and also for his justice, nion with regard to military . eatdegree adopted by the that feeling to influence his state since that time; but was t ) lead to the exclusion of min:, in his duty as coroner, so as The as the principle bad been in a great Court thought it was a to ask it to give its case in which lie was not in a position the party who had sane' ion to a criminal information against the onthat the evidence upon an inquest ? commented upon his execution of his duty theoccasion, rule ought THE DISTRESSED IRISH AND SCOTCH.—Mr. Bunn, of Drury-lane Theatre, has, in the handsomest manner ap propriated the receipts of Monday next for the benefit of the Irish and Scotch. The committee of the theatre have agreed to allow the use of the theatre free of rent, and every artist e and employe Of the establishment have consented to give their Services gratuitously vII this occasion. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 3, 1847. 1 CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.) n! rOl-71?7'. was vLadd at. the bar on a charge of bteatiog two brooches and two ring.;, of the value of 4001., from Mr. John Linnet, a jewella. Mr. Clarkson Was retained for the prosecution, and Mr. Ballantyne defended the pris ner. Mr. Linnet stated that on the 7th of January, 1845, the prisoner called upon him, and stated that he was engaged at Buckingham Palace as a worker in hair at two guineas a day, and had therefore the opportunity of introducing goods to the notice of her Majesty and Prince Albert. He at that time said that he came for a cane for the Prince, and also a stick which his Royal Highness desired to present to the Emperor of Russia. He took them both away, and two or three days af!erwards returned the stick, but paid for the cane the sum of 31/. 10i. At that time the prisoner said that he wa-: t , ht:.in two br , ,oehei and tmo Ronoud.rings value cf 40) /., which !, took away with Lim. The a.v wjc ellcry talo.n away. On cross-cv.mination, illr. Linnet' said, :hot bil;ce the transaction he had become a bankrupt, and that he had not any books to show when it took place. He could not say exactly on what day the stick was paid for. He believed that it was the same day, but it might be two or three days before the jewellery was obtained. He had certainly received a letter from the prisoner, stating that from necessity he had been compelled to pawn the brooches and the rings, but that he hoped some day to pay for them. Mr. Lawton, a pawnbroker in Oxford-street, stated that the prisoner had pledged two brooches and two rings with him. • Mr. Attenborough, another pawnbroker, said that he had been engaged to negotiate for the return of the property to the assignees of Mr. Linnet, and gave them the information of the place where the property was deposited. The lion. Miss Ker, one of Maids of Honour to the Queen, stated that the prisoner at the bar had certainly been at the palace, but had never had an interview with her Majesty, although he had manufactured some articles in hair for her. She thought th •t it was very unlikely that any one would have seen her Majesty whilst witness attended upon the Queen without her being acquainted with the fact. After the examination o f o th er w it nesses , Mr. P,ALLANTYNE addressed the jury for the prisoner. Several I%itnesses were then called as to character. Mr. Justice WIGHTAINN summed up, and the jury found the prisoner Guilty.—Sentence deferred. JEW COURT. (Before the COMMON SERGEANT and Alderman SIDNEY.) George Saker was convicted of stealing a bird-cage, value Bs., from the door of Lewis J. C. Jamrack, bird dealer, of Georg,-street, and, as he had been convicted several times before, he was sentenced to seven years' transportation. John Davis and John Long were both indicted for stealing a pump, value 205., from where it was fixed, at` the house of Joseph Harris, North Brixton. Davis was seen with the pump on his shoulder on the night of the 150 0 1anuary, and Long was in company with him, when the policeman took them both into custody. There was no more evidence against Long than being in the company of Davis, and he was therefore acquitted Davis, who had been summarily convicted on three former occasions, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment and hard labour. MARLBRO'-STREET-(THIS DAY.) John M'Clune was brought before Mr. Bingham, charged with committing an assault upon Mr. Campbell Bowman, oil and colourman, 3, Tottenham-court road. , The complainant stated that about nine o'clock last night the prisoner came into his shop, and desired him to send a variety of articles to the residence of Mr. Parry, 17, Tavis tock-street. Whilst he was preparing to send the things, the prisoner came again, and said, " Look sharp with those things, and mind and be sure to send change for a sove reign." Witness immediately suspected fraud, and did not send the goods. The prisoner came again, and repeated the same request. Wimess then jumped over the counter, and caught the prisoner as he was run ning out of the shop. The prisoner then took up a piece of wood, and struck him several severe blows. Witness, however, held the prisoner till a constable arrived, into whose custody he was consigned. The prisoner in defence said that a gentleman's servant asked him to order the articles mentioned to be sent, with change for a sovereign, to the residence of Mr. Parry. He knew nothing further about it. Mr. BINGHAM remanded him till Monday next. PETITIONS ON PRIVATE BILLS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. (Room 22, before Mr. Examiner &Malt and ➢lr. Assistant- Examiner FRERE.) The formal proofs were completed in the following cases : Whitehaven and Kelso, and London and Kelso Roads. South Harbour and Dock Dues. Kilmarnock Police Improvement. Caledonian Railway Lease or Purchase of the Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilaton Direct, and Glasgow Southern Terminal Railway. ♦DJOURNED CASE. SOUTH YORKSHIRE, GOOLE, AND DONCASTER. This case was then resumed. It occupied nearly the whole of the day, and was further adjourned. MIDLAND RAILWAY (SHEFFIELD, BARNSLEY, DONCASTER, AND GOOLE LINE). The format proofs were completed in this case, and the Examiner adjourned. (Room 23, before Mr. Examiner MAY and Mr. Assistant- Examiner GUNNELL.) UNOPPOSED DILLS. In the following unopposed cases the customary formal process were put in : Newmarket and Chesterford Hallway. Colchester Navigation and Improvement. Protestant Dissenters' and General Life and Fire Assurance • Company. British Exchange Company. ADJOURNED LIST. CORNWALL AND DEVON CENTRAL AND PLY MOUTH RAILWAY. This adjourned case was then resumed. A memorial com plained of the insufficiency of the subscription contract. The allegation was sustained, and one or two others of a similar character. Other allegations of no immediate importance were sus tained, and the case was adjourned. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. The Standing Orders' Committee resumed their sitting at the usual hour. The following Bills were then allowed to proceed : Norfolk Railway Company (Norwich to Al Isbam). North British (No. 1), Caledonian, and - Greenock Amal- gamation. Southampton and Dorchester (Weymouth Branch). Also, the Southampton and Blandford Branch. hen the committee rose, the Bristol and Exeter (Cre diton Branch), was under consideration. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. (From the Votes and Proceed:no of the House of Ccmunons.) TUESDAY, FEB. 2. The following Railway Bills were presented, read a first time, and ordered to be read a secon d ti me : Midland (Syston and Peterborough Railway Deviations, and Approach to Manton Station)—" to authorise certain devia tions in the Line of the Syston and Peterborough Branch of the Midland Railway, and the formation of a road or ap proach to the intended Manton Station thereof." Pai s lPaisley, Clarence, Barrhead, a n r d r h L e e a e d. Leeds and andu Tuhr Hurlet—"for e rs t _... k , A , f m o r a ! m g a a m k i a n t g i o n—‘. to en able the Amal gamat i on of the Clarence Ra il wa y a nd the Leeds and Thir s k R a il way. " a Railway from Paisley to B arr h ea d , w i th certa i n Railways and Branch Railways ther ew i t h connected, to be ca ll e d ''' The Paisley, Barrhead, and Hurlet Railway." South-Eastern (Widening of the Greenwich Railway, .and Arrangement and Enl argement o f the London - br id g e r u g t e h m - E e a n s t t ) e_r it , , (London-bridge o o r ndon br providingi dg Station)—" to enable the South-Eastern Railway Company further to widen the London and Greenwich Railway, and 0 enlarge their London-bridge Station." e l l e: Enlargement)—" Brighton, and South Coast Railways, at or near dation at the Terminus of the South-Eastern, and London bridge, bridge, and for the arrangement thereof." Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland Junction—" certain Lines of Railway in the %Vest Riding n g Midland increased cr e Stationas ed of York, to be called ' The Leeds, Wakefield, and Junction Railway.' " o n i t odm an o d . Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport and Bun , Rail way, " for making a Railway from the Liverpool fhe town o near Liverpool, through Crosby, to t Crosby, and South port, with a Branch, to be called ' The Liverpool, Southport Railway.'" and Oxford and Buckingham and Brackley Junction, a ‘Offothreracoaulnint, Bletchley Junction Companies Amalgamation and one of Lines—" to authorise the Consolidation niaßailway Under takingCom- of the Oxford and Bletchley Jun o ct b io onsolidated, to Railway " Extensionßr a nch pany, and to enable the Company so t_ and Branches— Exeter, Yeovil, and Dorchester it to Yeovil, with Branches " far making a Railway from Exeter to Pjc n`The Exeter, Yeovil, in alt a e k r e at E io x n t o e and Extensions therefrom, to be ca fnstiboenLLiioneesiottootißleaneibtuyDota_rxiwfoAar3l:l,e,shury, and an Leicester. yid Bedford, to and Dorchester Railway." and Huntingdon, and En largement and t the Leicester Station)—" to enable the Midland largetnent of ma v to make a Railway from near Leicester, vici Bed ford,Leicester Station on the Midland Branches, to enlarge the Midland o from purposes. Midland and for other fC.:2-,rt-on-Ilitclieu, and to :o lv r a t o h n c.m in p g t t o o n n, and Bedford, Devia tions, Midland (Leicester and Northampton near as to lustock Branch)—" to enable extending powers the to alter the Line of tions, and Branches, Enlargement of Leicester Station, and Midland Railway Company and to ie the Leicester purposes." and Swannington Railway, _ make certain Branches therefrom, and for other Bills were read secon d f; The following Railway a ti me, Committeecom mitted, of Selection : Harbour General Terminus and Glasgow_Railway Branches. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley (No. 1— Smethwick Deviation). - Railways and Canal (Lease Shropshire Union C to the London and North-Western Railway ompany). Liskeard and Caradon. . and referred to the Lynn and Ey, Ely andHuntingdon and Lynn and Dereham Amalgamation. Norfolk (Yarmouth Extension, &c.). - STANDING cosnTTEE. Resolutions were reported from the above The following Committee:— of t h e Norfolk Railway (Branch with to North Walsham) from orders ought to be dispensed with : ORDERS a Branch , tli parties be permitted to proceed with /heir Bill. pit l al . ttl ' o r thn h a t t h i e n the stan c d a i se g Nor . wich to Aylsham, 2. That in the case of the North British Railway (No. 1) petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with : Amalgamation petition, the standing That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. That the parties be per 3. That in the case of the Caledonian and Glasgow, Paisley o a ni nd er G s r o e u e g noc ht k to ß b a e ilw di az milted to proceed with their Billion the insertion of a Clause restrieting them from altering the rates and tolls leviable under the Act 1 Vic. c. 117, s. 223. 4. That in the case of the Southampton and Dorchester Railways wit Railway Acts Amendment (Weymouth Branch) petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill, on depositing in the Court of Chancery such an amount, in addition to t o one-tenth of thtee-fourtlis of the estimate already de posited, as will make the total sum deposited equa tenth of the amount subscrib e d." l to one 5. That in the case of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway (Blandford Branch) petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill, on the insertion of a Clause re stricting them from taking any part of the property No. it a on the plan, in the - parish of Spettisbury, and on depositing in the Court of Chancery such an amount, iu addition to the one-tenth of three-fourths of the estimate already deposited, as will make the total sum deposited equal to one-tenth of the amount subscribed.—Reaolutiohe agreed to. IMPERIAL• PARLIAMENT; • HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 2. :;.. s in., nude WiNAsacic l'i‘e POOR-LAW. The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from Rye union against the Poor Removal Bill; the petitioners stating that it was both expensive and inconvenient. They - believed that the effect of this Bill would be, that it would induce landlords to pull down cottages, and thus large numbers of persons would be crowded into the cottag( s that remained, and much immorality must of necessity arise. He was disposed to move for a select committee cn this subject ; but he saw that a Committee had been moved for in another place. The LORD CHANCELLOR said there was no .ob jeetion to the select committo e. The Duke of RICIIMOND was glad to hear it. DRAINAGE OF LANDS. The NOBLE DuKu said that two years ago a Select Cor...tnittte had been appoii& d for considering the subject of the drainage of lands, and it was supposed that this drainage was not to be compulsory on the landlords, and that it referred to Ireland more than to England; but that was a mistake in both instances, for it was actually more for England than Ireland, and the Bill did not at all consider the consent of the land lords. From having a cold, he presumed he was last night misunderstood, for he was represented as saying that he was desirous of reducing the effect of the law of entail, whereas precisely the con trary was the case. He should move for the reappoint ment of the same Select Committee, with the addition of Lord Langdale, who bad paid much attention to the subject. Lord BROUGHAM hoped his Noble Friend would urge the subject of entail on the Committee. _ The Duke of RICHMOND would certainly make that one of the earliest subjects. The Committee was granted. DISTILLATION OF SPIRITS FROM SUGAR. Lord STANLEY presented petitions from the distil. lers of the county of Wicklow, and other places, where the proposed measures of the Government had created much alarm, as it was believed that distillation from sugar would materially affect the interests of the estab lishments in Ireland. Unless the measure were free from the defects which it presented at present, he did not apprehend any great good would arise from it. If, however, it operated whether for good or harm, it must materially affect the British and colonial producers, and those interested in breweries and distilleries. He had no wish to prolong the discussion of the question at present, but he rose only to express a hope that the measure would not be proposed as a permanent one, without the fullest consideration, and all parties having an opportunity of fully stating their.case, and having it considered by their Lordships. There was one point to which he wished at present to call the attention of the Noble Lord, the President of the Board of Trade. It was in reference to the Act of last session, by which the duty on sugar raised in the colonies was reduced to 14s. per cwt. and that on foreign sugar fixed at 21s. This was a differential duty of 75., which was gradually, year by year, to be reduced until 1851, when they were to become equal. If sugar was introduced into use in breweries and distilleries now, it would be principally foreign that would be employed. Now, if sugar at 21s. a cwt. could now be employed in these works and compete with malt, what would be the effect in 1851, when the duty was equalised ? Would it not give the grower of foreign sugar a great advantage over the home pro- ducer. This was a matter to which he earnestly called the consideration of the Noble Lord the President of the Board of Trade. He would not say what course should be adopted, but he submitted that no measure of a permanent nature should be agreed to, unless they were satisfied that the various interests concerned were fully consulted and con sidered. They might adopt one of the two following courses : they might alter the scale of duty of last year, so as to keep the 21s. duty permanent, or they might reduce the duty on malt, year by year, till such time as the two duties were equalised. He would con clude by asking the Noble Lord, the President of the Board of Trade, whether he had any objection to pro duce the report of the Commissioners appointed to in quire into the employment of sugar in breweries and distillerli s. The Earl of CLARENDON said he would state in a day or two whether the report could be produced without inconvenience to the proceedings of the Government. With respect to the measures proposed, he assured the Noble Lord that nothing would be done without full consideration of all interests concerned. IRISH POOR-LAWS. Lord BROUGHAM rose to complain of what had been reported of him the previous night, in the state• ment he had made respecting the poor•laws in Ireland. The newspaper "press were generally very ac curate in their reports, but, at the pre sent time, when so much feierish anxiety prevailed in Ireland repecting the proceedings of their Lordships, it was right that the most accurate aeccun s should be published In the present instance words had been attributed to him which he had never spoken.—(Hear.) In presenting the petition from Liverpool he c irefully abstained from giving any opinion on the matter to which it had reference. What he said was that a proposition had been made that the support of such immif;rants should fall on Irish mortgagees. Whether it fell on the Irish landlord or not was an entirely dif ferent question, on which he avoided, as he had said, giving any opinion, because if they were to throw the expense entirely on mortgagees it would be only a tax upon the landlords in the name of the mort gagees. BUCK WHEAT, &c., IMPORTATION BILL. Messengers from the Commons brought up this Bill, which, on the motion of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, was read a first time. POOR-LAW (IRELAND) BILL. Lord STANLEY wished to ask a question of the had been recently introduced into the other House of u c is o o m f m L is a s n ie s n. down s e e ) ve w r i a t i h B re i f i e ls - Parliament, which would, no doubt,. give increased who were the power to the Poor-law Corn ( P tn o n or M -la n w rq refe rence M to arci tit u e is that the whole subject of Bill. He, therefore, thought . and of Ireland the poor-law settlement of countrythis of their Lordships. should he brought reviewunder h th e e i, or. law Commission was principal machinery in carran m g is o s u in t n t e h r e s' lrish Poor-law He also understood that t o therefore, wished the intention of the Go vernmentto know whether it was Commission, whether the I remodel that to re-m Commission would be independent of the Irish Poor-law a whether the way in which this re- English one,; proposedand to take place would be laid modelling .was befere the Bill which would before their Lordships on the those increased powers Commission. about to be re-modelled. He, . confer The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was under s t oo d that it was the intention of th e G o nt to remodel the Poor-law Com m i ss i on . to say Iv3eurtnrencould not state then whether the management of t h e poor-laws of both countries wo u ld b e p l ace d un d e r the control of one' Co mm i ss i oner. The Bill to which the Noble ford referred was not of a temporary, but of a permanent nature. There was not the same urgent necessity for the passing of the measure as of others. It would be before their Lord ships at the earliest p9ssible periud. The conversation then dropped. EDUCATION. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, on Friday he should lay before their Lordships a minute adopted by the Committee of the Privy Council, and on that day he would state certain alterations and additions which the Committee had suggested for the purpose of expending the funds voted by Parliament for the purpose of national education. The NOBLE MARQUIS laid on the table a copy of the correspondence which had taken place between this country and Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Switzer land, in 1845. Also a copy of the treaty concluded between this country and the King of the Sandwich Islands, which, he was happy to state, had been made on the best possible terms.—(Laughter.) INTERN ATION AL C OPYRIGHT. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid upon the table of the House the concession of the King of Saxony to the treaty of international copyright, concluded between her Britannic Majesty and the King of Prussia in the year 1846. Iheir Lordships then adjourned till Thursday next. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 2. The SPEAKER took the Chair a few minutes before Four o'clock. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time:— Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley Rail way (No. 1) (Smethwick General Terminus and Glasgow Barbour Railway Branches. Liskeard and Caraion Railway. Lynn and Ely, Ely and Huntingdon, and Lynn and Dereham Railways Amalgamation. Norfolk Railway (Yarmouth Extension, &c.) Shropshire Union Railways and Canal (Lease to the London and North-Western Railway Company). LYNN AND NORWICH BRANCH RAILWAY BELL. The report of the Standing Orders' Committee was brought up. The standing orders had been complied with. GLASGOW AND GREENOCK (CALEDONIAN) RAILWAY BILL. It was reported-that the standing orders, so far as this railway is concerned, ought to be dispensed with. ROCHESTER AND MILTON RAILWAY BILL. The standing orders have been complied with. ROCHDALE WATERWORKS. The Bill for these works was introduced. ILLICIT DISTILLATION. Mr. BROTHERTON presented several petitions from temperance societies, complaining of the extent of illicit distillation. TEN HOURS' BILL. Mr. OCTAVIUS DUNCOMBE presented a petition from Huddersfield in support of the Ten Hours' Factory Bill. OPENING OF THE PORTS. Mr. MARK PHILIPS presented a petition from the Corporation of Manchester for opening the ports and the suspension of the navigation laws. MAGISTERIAL OPPRESSION. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from a person of the name of Roberts, a solicitor, and also from another of the name of Cropper, who, with three others, had been engaged as servants, and had left their places in consequence of their masters not having complied with the terms of their engagements. These persons had been apprehended at Sheffield on a Saturday even ing, and had been keptlin custody all the Sunday, with out being permitted to co mmunicate with their friends. Two of them were put upon their trial by the magis trates, having previously sent for the assistance of the Chancery solicitor ; but before he arrived they had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Mr. Roberts begged the magistrates tc.) grant a new trial, but it was refused, and the two other persons charged with ' the offence were subsequently sentenced to the game M (Mr. Duncornte) had to ask the Thght c - ,-;,:try 'of .`t,itc , for 111. E:ne Pcyartfr.;:nt for the names of the magistrates, with a view to e,'utain an explanation of their cond uc t, w hi c h h e . cons id ere d unjust, ille ga l, and oppressive in the extreme. There were alSo four petitions from the wives of those parties, pray ing for inquiry into the c:rcanistances by that llouse. He moved that these petitions be printed with the votes, in order to facilitate,that inquiry. EXETER, YEOVIL. A ND DORCHESTER RAILWAY. The Bill for this line was read a first time. THE ANDOVER UNION. Mr. ETWALL gave notice, that on Tuesday, the 16th instant, he would bring under th e cons id eration of the Howe the evidence taken before the Andover Union Committee last session, with the report made upon the same. Mr. VILLIERS, for the lion. Member for Durham (Mr. Bright), who was ab,ent, b'gged leave to postpone the motion of that Hon. Member, which stood for con sideration to-night, till that dly fortnight. CHARITABLE TRUSTS. Lord JOHN MANNERS gave notice of his inten tion of bringing in a Bill relating to charitable trusts. THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS. Mr. DIACKINNON gave notice of his intention of bringing under the consideration of the House the com position and mode of management of the Ecclesiastical Commission. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. Mr. DUNCOMBE renewed a motiop, notice of which he gave last session, with respect to the infliction of corporal punishment in the army.—Agreed to. TURNIP STEALING.—CONVICTION OF TWO CHILDREN IN ESSEX. Dr. BOWRING wished to draw the attention of the Right Honourable Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the following state ment, which had appeared in the Times the 2d of January two children, the son and daughter of a poor man named Lee, who, for the last three years, had occupied a cottage in the parish 'of Chingford, in Essex, for which he paid 2s. 6d. a week, were detected by the foreman of a person named Green picking up turnips. They were taken by the man to Chingford, for the purpose of being given into the charge of a police-constable, and .to Waltham for the purpose of getting a magistrate to hear the case. Mr. Preston, a magistrate, heard the case, and before him the foreman swore that the turnips were worth 3d. The children were convicted in the penalty and costs, amounting to 11. Os. 6d. In default of payment they were to be imprisoned "for fourteen days in Ilford gaol. They were taken there in the course of a day on -which "a severe frost prevailed, fifteen or sixteen miles. On the. following day they were liberated, in consequence of their' father having borrowed the money and paid the fine and expenses. He (Dr. Bowring) had been infofmed by the father and mother of the children, that they were ready to swear that from the Saturday to the Sunday the children were released, they had nothing to eat save a two-pound loaf. He was also informed that on the following day, the 4th of January, a man and his daughter were convicted by the same magistrate of steal ing a few coals, which were valued at one penny. They were released from custody, however, as the grand jury ignored the bill. Now, he wished to know whether the conduct of this magistrate had excited the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet ? Sir GEORGE GREY said, in consequence of the notice of the Hon. and Learned Member, he had caused an inquiry into the circumstances as detailed, which were similar to those which had appeared in the nevi s papers.—(Flear. hear.) In the Times of to•da_v, however, the Honourable Gentleman would find a letter from the Rev. Mr. Reed, the Rector of Ching ford, which gave a very different version of the matter. The only information he had been able to obtain, in ad diticn to that furnished by the Rev. Mr. Reed, was derive d from the Commissioners of Police, within whose limits the case had occurred. These statements went to show that the gentleman who first directed attention to the subject was mistaken, and that therefore the occur rence had been gr, atly exaggerated. It appeared that the ages of the children were ten and thirteen-- that they were convicted of stealing turnips, and were sentenced and fined in the way mentioned. There were statements in the report of the Corn missioners with respect to the conduct of the parents which he did not wish to read ; it appeared however that they were gipsies, and that the father was the owner of a pony, so that they were not in the state of helpless distress alluded to. He should feel happy to place the report in the hands of the lion. Member ; arid on reading it he could not fail to ba of opinion that the statement was highly coloured, and consequently far from correct. IRISH DISTRESS. Sir ROBERT PEEL presented petitions from se• veral places in the county of Longford, setting forth that the population of the county amounted to 27,930, three•fourths of whom were upon the verge of starva tion, and that 8,150 of them were employ ed upon the public works; that the land in all the baronies of the county was divided into very amid. divisions, great numbers of which remained until the present time, and the petitioners prayed that the im mediate attention of the Governinent should be called to their condition, and such measures adopted as should prevent the disastrous results of such a state of things. ANNEXATION OF. CRACOW. Sir DE LACY EVANS wished to ask the Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) whether it was his intention again to postpone the motion of which he had given notice, upon the subject of the annexation of Cracow? Mr. lIUME was very desirous of bringing forward his motion, but as the Government had not yet laid the papers promised by them upon the table of the House, he hardly knew what course to adopt with reference to the subject. He did not wish to enter into the conside ration of the subject until the documents were laid before the House. BEQUESTS ACT (IRELAND). Mr. D. O'CONNELL presented a petition, signed by two archbishops, and several other prelates of the Catholic Church, praying for an alteration in the Bequests Act. TEN HOURS' BILL. Lord GEORGE BEN TINCK presented several peti tions from Chorley and other places, in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill (as we understood). MINISTERIAL MEASURES. Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when,the whole of the Bills embody ing the measures of her. Majesty's Government, in re spect to Ireland, would be laid upon the table of the House. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that three Bills were already before the House calcu lated to affect the present distress in Ireland. The Bill for carrying out the Treasury minutes would shortly be ready. The Bill for the consolidation of the Drainage Acts would l.ot be brought in at present; the existing Drainage Act being already very well understood in Ireland, and operations were still going on under the provisions of that Act. The Bill for the reclamation of the waste lands was in a state of forwardness, and would shortly be brought under the consideration of the House ; and the Bill for the sale of estates, which was also in a forward state, would shortly be ready to be introduced. ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAIL- WAY. Colonel SIBTHORP wished to ask the Hon. Member for Derby (Mr. Strutt), who was at the head of the Railway Commissioners, whether any compensation had been given, or would be given, to the surviving relatives of those two individuals who had lost their lives, upon a recent occasion, upon the Great. IV estern Railway? He had looked over the evidence, and the just remarks of the Coroner during the inquest, and it aas his decided opinion that some compensation should be awarded to the survivors. He wished, therefore, to know whet/ivr it was the intention of the Commissioners to provide .for the relief of those unfortunate individuals who had lost their lives—(Laughter)—he meant those who had been deprived by that accident of their relatives, and of, perhaps, the means of support? Mr. STRUTT was not able to answer the question, because it did not come within the province of the Rail way Board. It had no power to deal with such cases at present. Whether the Act incorporating the board would give them such power he could not say. MILBANK PRISON. Mr. T. DUNCOMMBE seeing the Right. Honourable Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment in his place he wished to put a question to him. He understood that a third report of the Commissioners ap pointed to inquire into the state of Milbank prison had been delivered at the lime, office, and he wished to know whether the Right lion. Baronet had any oljec tion to lay the report upon the table of the House, and to print the reports in the same volume with the evi , deuce ? Sir GEORGE GREY had received ye3terday evening documents from the Commissioners, which required to be altered. The lion. Gentleman was aware that evidence on the subject was before the House. Mr. ESCOTT felt bound, as one of the Commis sioners, to report in the same form as the other Commis • sioners. PRIVILEGES OF TETE 110 USE. Sir F. THESIGER said that he wished to call the at tention of the House to a subject of the utmost im portance, as connected with its privileges. It would be in the recollection of the House that some time ago an action was brought against the Sergeant-at-Arms, for having, in obedience to a warrant of the Speaker, issued by the authority of that House, arrested a Mr. Howard, and brought him before the bar of that House to be examined. On that action the Sergeant, by leave of the Hi.use, pleaded a justification of his act under its authority ; and issues at law having been raised, an argument took, place in the Court of Queen's Bench, and, after consi derable time having been taken by the Court to clk libe rate on its judgment, a majority was given against the plea of justification. That judgment, itself, was not more unfavourable to that House than the principle on which it proceeded, and which, if it had been allowed to be o ° nsidered as a settled and established law, would have placed all their most important privilege.. at the mercy of the courts of justice.--I(ChePfs.) The sub ject having been brought under the attention of the House, a Select Committee was apponted for t h e purpose of considering the best course t o b e ad opted for the vindication of its privileges, and a f ter a careful consideration of the whole circumstances, and looking at the ground on which the judgment proceeded, and th e C omm i ttee b e i ng extremely desiro us not to recommend any-extreme mea sure in the assertion e o e f id. their privil ege s, as l ong a s any of d hope remaineddeciding it by a legal tribunal, a report was pr esente d to the Rouse writ of erro r s h ou l d be brought. On r o ec i : a m c n- i t i e v r l i sw d . in n g it that a ma jority of that H ouse acquiesced in that recommen , dation. A writ of error was granted, and in the course of last year the question was argued before the Court of Ex- STN ----- chequer Chamber, and ho had th ' inform the House that. this very day ) unaaita6u6l3. pic4Lounc%-ii a dc . ci.:aua r,vc f* .01e, /;off=r ~ ~ /~- r ;, FaT Dr- . `"- e i, p... .i. , ,.. , - ,_, ) L ittr. 7 . Jelz - oc . , It Might he ira i '.:,rtant notn e x t o majo on which this import:lnt tip vision was given, grounds on which the judgment was given rendered it unnecessary. He hoped, however. he might be permitted, that: the result of this inquiry confirmed and sanctioned the report and recommendation of the Select Committee, and he should therefore'move that the short-hand writer's notes should be printed, and circulated amongst the Members of that House. POSTPONEMENT OF MOTIONS. Mr. P. SCROPE said that he did not wish to inter pose between the debate of last .itight the motion of which he had giVen noti ce , namely—" That the lives of the people of Ireland ought to he as valuahle in the eye of the law as the lives of the people of England ; conse quently, it is expedient to extend to Ireland the main principle of the English poor-law, namely, the right of the destitute poor to relief, from a public provision, to save them. from perishing." If other Hon. Members were willing to postpone their notices he would at once follow the example. Mr. B. ESCOTT said he also did not wish to em barrass the Government, and he would not press the House to a discussion on his motion. LETTING OF LANDED PROPERTY IN IRELAND. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD raid that the reso lution which he proposed, namely, " That it appears to this House, from the reports of various Committees and Commissions, that the system generally adopted in times past in the letting and management of landed prop er ty in Ireland, has b een one of the main causes of the present distressed state of that country, and the disordered state of its social relations ; and that no measures can be effectual in producing a demand for labour, or improving the condition of the people, which shall not include such an amendment of the laws of landlord and tenant as shall give to the improving tenant In occupation a suffi cient permanency of tenure, or else establish the tenant's right to claim by law Lull compensation for all bene.. fits created by the expenditure of . his labour and capital on the premises in question," was intimately associated with the question under de bate, and he accordingly felt some difficulty in yielding to the Noble Lord. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that it was his intention to bring in a Bill for the very same object as that pro posed by the lion. Gentleman at the very earliest possible moment. On account of the pressure of business, the Government were at the present moment unable to give the question that attention which it demanded. Mr. S. CRAWFORD said that he would fix Thurs day next for the discussion of his motion. Mr. ROEBUCK said that he felt very great difficulty in giving up his motion; if he did so, he considered that ha would have some claim upon the Noble Lord at a future day for his motion, which was, that a Committee of the whole House be appointed, for the purpose of referring to it the Act 5 and 6 Vic., c. 35, with a view to ,xtend the operation of the said Act to Ireland. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that as soon as the House hail consented to the second reading of the Bills before it, the Chancellor of the Exchequer would bring forward the whole of the question as regards finance. His Right Hon. Friend would make his financial state ment on an early day, and then it would be competent for the Hon. Member to bring forward his resolution. ABSENTEES—IRELAND. Mr. H. GRATTAN said, that with regard to the motion of which he had given notice—namely for a return of the absentees from Ireland, stating their names and annual incomes d, rived from property therein ; sFeeifying the counties in which their estates are situate, and distinguishing such as are temporarily or more than six months absent from Ireland: that the guardians of the poor law uniohs in Ireland do furnish an account of the annual value of the property of all absentees in their respective unions assessed to the poor rate : that the Commissioners, under the Act 5 and 6 Vic., c. 35, do furnish a❑ account of the aggregate amount of all property in Ireland taxed under ;he provisions of that Act, anl other Acts continuing the same: also, a return of the number of persons re siding in England, or temporarily absent there from, charged under the Act 5 and 6 Vic., c. 35, and the Act for continuing the same, in respect of profits and gains arising from any allowance annuity, stipend, or trade in Ireland ; together with the total amount of the duties levied in rCSI.*CL of such profits and gain: that the governor and directors of the Bank of Ireland do furnish au account of the amount of all annuities, rtvideeds, and shares of annuities payable by the said company out of the public revenues of the United Kingdom to or to the use or benefit of any persons not resideet in Ireland he was in the same predicament as the Hollow able Men.ber for Bath.—(clear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman said that his measure was preliminary to others; now the return which he (Mr. GrAttan) incved fOr was a corollary to his (Mr. Roebuck's) motion.—(Laughter.) lie wished, therefore, to know whether the Right lion. Gentleman, the Secretary for Ireland, would have any objection to grant the return? Mr. LABOVeIIERE said, that if he were inclined to grant the return, he did not know how to come at the information. Mr. IL GRATTAN—Tf,ere was no difficulty what ever in the matter. There was the list (pointing to a paper in his hand), and he would be happy to furnish the particulars, without asking for the pay or the posi tion of the Irish Secretary. LETTER-CARRIERS. Mr. GROGAN moved for a return showing the amount of wages paid to the letter-carriers of class No. 1 of this metrvolis, on the Ist day of July, 1846, and also the average amount of all other emoluments received by them respectively ; similar returns for the letter-carriers of classes Nos. 2 and 3 ; returns showing the amount of wages now paid to the letter-carriers in each class, and any other compensation they bad in ad dition ; also similar returns for the letter-carriers of Dublin, with the emoluments they had in addition to their salary.—Agreed to. On the order of the day being read for resuming the adjourned debate on the . _ _ - LABOURING POOR (IRELAND) BILL, Mr. G. A. HAMILTON was desirous to express the gratification he felt at the close of the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer last night, where he evinced the sympathy he enter tained for the sufferings of the people of Ireland. He really believed that it was impossible for any one to realise to himself the extent of the misery which had taken place in Ireland who had not had the opportunity of observing it for himself. Why, in the part of Ireland where he resided, within twenty miles of Dablfti, where the poor were within the reach of markets, where every thing had been done which couid be done to mitigate or to avert this dreadful ca!amity, he said that it was most melancholy to observe the gradual approach of this fearful visitation. It was most melancholy to observe the gradual sinkirg of the smaller farmers from a state of comfort to a state of poverty; the gradual disappear.. ance of his little luxuries, of his slender comforts the disappearance of hes pig, of his poultry, of his articles of household furniture—all indicative of the gradual and certaiu approach of this visitation. Still more melan choly was it to observe even among the labour ing classes the approach of this calamity; the - mournful countenances, the desponding and downhearted appearance so unusual among the peasantry of Ireland, all telling a tale of famine not likely to be misunderstood. He knew enough of Ire land to know that it this state of things existed iu a part of the country so favourably placed, they might easily imagine what must be the state of people in the more remote parts. There were two or three points in the speech of the Right Honourable Baronet opposite to which he felt it his duty to refer. He imputed to the gentlemen of Ireland a degree of supineness, because they had not availed themselves of the provisions of an Act, passed in the beginning of last session, by which money might be provided for the improvement of estates ; and also that they had not availed themselves suffickntly of the provisions 'of anothsr Act passed at a later period of the session, being au Act for the better drainage of estates in Ireland. With regard to the first, of these Acts, ,it was tried and found to be in opeiative. fie saw the Right Hon. Baronet, the late Secretary for the Home Department, in his place, and it might be in his remembrance that, in a conversation between him, the Henintrahle Baronet the Member for Derry, and hirns6ll (Mr. Hamilton), they informed the Right Hen. Baronet that a particular clause in that Act (the clause which made it impciative that they should apply to the Court of Chancery) w.,111i stultify it altdgether. The House hart already been informed that the operation of the sec.nid Act, which ap plied to the dr tillage of estates, was rendered inoperative by a de:ect in the third clause The Right Honou:able Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer complained that the gentry o f Ire land hitdm , ad a e nd pr w es it e h n o t i m it ez e it n previous s y under the inquirye La b our-ra te Actthe htoo freely . u r n eii e te rt t a i n Li t e to ryn. inquiry on es si th m e s part were m of t the called , e the e 6 truth t o h f ahse, w th o e rk A s e t th requiredat were o n be e p y, while the presentment together except to meet an emergency, and the co ns. quence was rate payersmake their the s r gent ry , and gentry had to present.. went under the most .unfavourable circumstances. This appeared to constitute a very important-difference between the Act passed at the commencement and at the end of the session. He thought the Right Honour able Gentleman had dealt rather hardly with the relief committees in Ireland. No doubt many abuses existed. There might be those on the lists who were not entitled to relief ; bet it should be re collected that the board consisted of clergymen and ma gistrates, and that the usual course was tor the clergy man who was supposed to be best acquainted with the circumstances of the district—(Hear, hear)—to represent any case of extreme distress. How then could the committees take on themselves to exclude persons thus recommended from relief? He thought the discretion ale rwards given to the officers to revise :the lists was extremely judicious. Having made these few observations on the speech of the Right Honourable Gentleman, he .was anxious 'to state that he had no di sire whatever to look back upon what had passed within the last few weeks in Ireland, or to speak unfavourably of the con duct of her Majesty's Government. He was aware of the difficulties by which they were surrounded. Ile thought, moreover, that the Lord-Lieutenant and the rest of the Government were entitled to the greatest praise for having taken upon themselves to carry nut preductive works in stead of those that were in operation under the Labour-rate Act. Considering the difficulties conse quent upon their duties, and the funds placed at their di-pusal, he considered that the Board of Works were also entitled to the thanks of the country for the efficient