The Sun. — London, England, 1853-07-05 00:00:00

tion. However upon them would rest the responsibility of having passed the measure, and upon them would hereafter devolve their duty of confessing that they had made a mistake, for if they remained in office until this time next year, they would certainly have to ask their lordships to repeal the present bill. (Hear.) Earl GRANVILLE admitted the ability with which the noble lord near him (Lord Monteagle) has stated his opposition to the bill ; but still it was not necessary for him to detain their lordships with a lengthened reply. It was enough for him to state that he had recently been over to Ireland, where he had the pleasure of mix ing freely with the commercial classes, and he had heard no opposition to the financial measures of the Go vernment, so far as they applied to them. (Hear.) The bill was then read a third time and passed. COPYHOLD BILL. This bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed. TAXING OFFICER, COMMON LAW BUSINESS (IRELAND) BILL. _ The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read ing of this bill. After a short discussion the bill was read a second time. SOAP DUTIES BILL.-MALICIOUS INJURIES (IRELAND) BILL. _ _ The above bills severally passed through committee, and were reported, after which the house adjourned at 9 o'clock. ROUSE OF COMMONS-{YESTERDAY•) SUCCESSION DUTY BILL. The committee on this bill was then resumed. Clause 29, 30, and 31 were agreed to. On clause 32, Mr. WALPOLE proposed to insert words to make the bill prospective instead of retrospective, so far as this clause was concerned. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL could not accede to the proposal. Mr. WALPOLE said he could not allow the injustice of this clause to pass, and if he stood alone he would divide. _ _ _ _ - --- After a few words from Mr. MILLINGS and Mr. IfENLET, Dr. PHILLIMORE appealed to the Solicitor-Gene ral to take the clause into his serious consideration, with a view to its amendment. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUR said that if his right hon. friend intended to meet the case of the mort gagee only, he ought to frame his amendment with that view, but as it stood at present the amendment would affect other species of incumbrance made prior to the time appointed for the passing of the act. The principle of the clause as it stood was in accordance with the analogy and precedent of former legislation. His right hon. friend said that the clause affected the security of the creditor, but so did the income tax, which they had just passed. He de nied that there was any peculiar injustice in the clause. Mr. MALINS said he knew a case in which a party who would have succeeded to 5,0001. a-year on the death of his father, had spent it all by anticipation, and under the clause he would have to pay the succession tax on the whole amount. Viscount MONCK said the meaning of anticipating was obtaining the value—(kear, hear)—and if a party had im providently obtained the value in anticipation, he ought not to be exempted. (Hear, hear.) Mr. HENLEY thought the more the case was argued the harder it seemed. Mr. HEADLAM said the amendment interfered with the whole principle of the bill. Sir J. PAKINGTON masidered the amendment founded in the strictest justice. • Mr. MALINS protested against the clause, as unjust to many successors. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said if the hon. and learned gentleman would undertake to provide an assembly of human legislators who would so frame human laws as in every case to adjust their operation to the moral excellence or demerits of the transactions to which they applied, he would be most happy to hear how he would proceed. He contended that Parliament could do no such thing ; it could only proceed on broad, simple, and intelli gible rules. (Hear, hear.) The clause, as it stood, was not only moee conforinahie to precedent but justice, than it wasild be if amended in the mariner proposed. It was all vary well to cite cases in which incumbrances had been mated filial piety, hut they all knew that the great bulk of these incumbrances were created by the great ten dm-ley of the higher classes to live beyond their means— (hear)—and therefore, forsooth, they were to legislate with a special tenderness in favour of those classes. (Ironical cheers.) If the doctrine were so correct that an allowance &wild be made for incumbrances, why was it not provided that an allowane3 should be made for money borrowed on palonal security ? Mr. M.•VLINS—It cannot be got. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—But it was notorious that it was got. (Hear.) And it was un jusb to provide for o,ne case and not for the other. Mr. MALINS said if the right hon. gentleman had be lourpcl to the profes.ion of the law, he would have known Quit it was very uncommon for heirs expectant to borrow Noliey on personal security, when there was landed estate to o ffer ;it was not done in one case in ten thousand. To construct a system of legislation which would meet the ju 3tice of every case was, he confessed, beyond his power ; but that was no reason why the house should in this case commit an injustice by an cx post facto clause. If, es his hen. friend (Mr. Mailings) proposed, the operation of the clause were limited to the future, parties would, at all events., have notice. A fter a few words from Mr. HENLEY and Mr. BAR RO T he house divided — For the amendment Against it Majolity. our return to the gallery we found M r. WALPOL E protesting against the clause altogether, aA r Arospective in its operation, depriving the creditor of his security, and taking away from successors that to whi eh they were, justly entitled. The right lion. gentle mat t had said that only a few cases were put forward, but the* a were merely illustrations, the rule being against the clan se. (Hear.) It was a clause that deprived the credi tor .of all security, and taxed the successor for that which he would never see or enjoy. He felt so deeply impressed with the injustice of the clause that he challenged hon. gentleanen to get up and say, oven after the vote they had given, that they would still adhere to a principle such as he ha described, (Opposition cheers.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER complained of the irregularity of re-opening discussion on a question which had already been decided by a vote of the commit tee. His right hon. friend opposite had been invited to fraine an amendment to meet the particular case of which he complained, but, instead of that, he proposed one of so general and sweeping an operation that it would cover not only the class of cases referred to, but also a large number of an entirely different description. That amendment he (Mr.. Gladstone) felt bound to resist, as unjust in itself and foreign to the principle of the bill. As to retro action his right honourable friend should remember that almost every taxing act was retroactive in its cha ractc r. With respect to the observations that had fallen from the right hon. member for Droitwich, he was will ing to meet that gentleman's views by inserting after the word " encumbrance" the words " also in respect of any money which the successor previous to succession may have laid out in substantial repairs or permanent improve men is of the real property comprised in the succession." Tl ie words having been added, the question was put, that the clause as amended stand part of the bill. Sv • J. PAKINGTON opposed, and declared his inten tion of taking the sense of the committee upon the clause. For the clause lOB Against it 92 Majority l6 Clause 39 was then agreed to. Ch ',uses to 38 were agreed to after slight discussion. Tli a clatise was agreed to, as was also clause 40, with some verbal amendments. _ _ - 0; clause 41, which makes the duty a Crown debt, chargeable as a first charge on the estate. We-. MILLINGS moved an amendment, to insert the won as " simple contract," the effect of which would be to plaza the charge as against the successor or trustee in the positi on of a simple contract instead of a Crown debt. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL objected that the amend ment would deprive the Crown of its ordinary right of re covo]y- A 'conversation ensued, in the course of which Mr. Mul- Hugs,, Sir W. Joliffe, and Mr. Henley, argued that the clans 3, as it at present stood, would prevent any successor or tr . , istee conveying or making out a clear and unencum bered . title, because it would be almost impossible to ascer tain whether the Crown might not have a charge on the estat 3 for same previous succession • while the Chancellor of tit e Exchequer and the Solicitor-General denied that it wont d in any way interfere with titles, and that it was ne cessary for the protection of the revenue that the privilege of th, 3 Crown to recover should be maintained. At length Tit e SOLICITOR-GENER 4.L said that he had a propo shier I to make which he thought would meet all the objec tions which had been brought forward. The clause as it stood put the Crown in no better situation than any sub ject; for when a man obtained a judgment against any one it aft acted all the property of the debtor • or by a like ana logy when the succession duty was unpaid the right of the Crow n would be against all the property of the successor. Ho, Inowever, would add the following words to the clause, whici h he thought would accomplish the object of hon. gen tlemt ,n opposite. He proposed in the 16th line, after the word 3 " charges and interests c rea t e d by him," to add thesd words, " but such duty not to charge or affect any other real property of the successor than the property com prised lin such succession." (Hear, hear.) Th is amendment was agreed to, and that of Mr. MIIL- Lrat s withdrawn. Th a clause as amended was then agreed to. Cli 'use 42 was agreed to with some verbal amendments. On clause 43, Mi WALPOLE said he feared the operation of the claret a as it stood would be to destroy trusteeship in this coup try. The case was essentially different from that of executors and administrators of personal property, who were known, and were called on to pay the legacy duty at once, the property also being known. Hero the parties Rabb to pa y as well as the amount of the p ro p ert y , would be u nknovin, and the duty would be payable by instal ment H. Nothingwas so much complained of at present at the Legacy Duty Office as these deferred payments. This was .no question affecting real property only; when this law came into operation settled ersonal property would pay mere to th e d uty than real p roperty. (Hear, hea r. ) They would ne i t h er know the persons to account for the property, the property. itself, nor the parties who were to creedsuton it. might There ert liv in t be three trustees for a pro py, g diff er° n parts of the country. Where a settled estate consisted of both real and personal property, with charges thereon, the trustee would be an accounting party for all his lif e probably, an,i perpetually the subject of account. the property would be The 48th clause re quired parties to eceount; but thesCizveernrnent would not p e a that clause in force t wen 3 • so that they would ill the prol-mbly have who fall back on n" the parties the 4-ith clause, which gave penalties aig,,,irst. trusteesue bile ing to account. The responsibilities OF trust ees , o found h : to increased so much that persons would hardly be accept those offices, and the whole system trustse would be destroyed. The only alternative would b e t o m solicitor to pay the duties when they 'became due, nit r o L a a heavy lawyer's bill would. be added to the duty. (Hear,' bear.) Some hon. members thought this was especially tax' on the landed interest, but the parties who would suffer moat were the small owners of land— " statesmen," as they were called in Cumberland and Westmoreland. It would also be severely felt by the small fundholders. It was calculated that half of that description of property was held in trust; and of 280,000 persons who re ceived dividends on flinched property, 250,000 received less than 1501. a year. (Hear, hoar.) This was so hard and objectionable a part of the bill, that he could not agree to it. He would suggest that in all cases they should tax the beneficial recipient of property, and leave the trustee exempt. He hoped the Government would fully consider the matter ; for the operation of the as it stool would, in the course of 10 years, render it the most unpopular measure that ever was passed. Mr. W. WILLIAMS said his great objection to the bill was, that it gave four years' credit for the succession duty on real property, while on personal property it must be paid in 21 days. (Hear, hear, and "A year.") 'lhey must account in 21 days, and payment must be made too. In all mercantile transactions a discount was allowed for im mediate payment, and this ought to be done in the present case. The successor to real property would only have to pay 51. on an estate worth 1,000/., and he would have four and a half years to pay it in. There was no great hard ship in that, not even to the poor " statesmen" of Cumber land. (Hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that if all the evils anticipated by Mr. Walpole were to attend the working of this bill they would bring their own cure, for they would infallibly lead to its repeal ; but he did not think any good or valid ground had been shown for these apprehensions. The right hon. gentleman had certainly shown that di ffi culties attached t o the working of that bill which did not attach to a legacy duty, imposed as it was upon property of which they became cognisant through the medium of wills and administrations. It was quite true that in this case they did not know the persons who were to account for the property, nor those who were to enjoy the property. The question whether the machinery of this bill was sufficient, and whether, if sufficient, it was harsh, might arise more properly under the subsequent clauses. There were two methods, either of which Parlia ment might adopt. 'They might go upon one or more of the parties connected with the property, and get at the nature and amount of the succession through the medium of those parties ; or they might look to the property, and lay the tax upon it, leaving the persons to show themselves or not, as they pleased. They followed the first plan with respect to the legacy duty,—the second with respect to the income tax, speaking generally ; for in general they had no occasion to call upon persons for returns, but they looked to the property, in many instances taking n o cognizance whatever of the owners. Under the present bill they would not adopt the latter course. As to cer t a i n descriptions of property, in the income tax, they were obligod to go to individuals and call on them for returns ; and that would have been the case in the succession duty, if they had adopted that principle. But it would n ot have been wise or equitable to adopt that principle in regard to those great matters of property which it was in th e i r 'timer to get at, especially a ll real and visible property, tile funds and public securities and shares in public companies. Mad they adopted that course of proceeding and gone upon the property the assessment must, in the first instance, have been made upon the gross value, irrespective of incumbrances and irrespective of divisions of interests. An assessment upon the gross value was liable to this great and fatal objection ; it would have been necessary to have a system of minute investigation and of return of duty, fenced about with all the jealous hindrances that were required to secure the revenue in cases where a return of duty was sought. In the case of a person dying possess e d o f es t a t e s in different counties, be sides personalty, debts, &c., it might be said that, as the estates were known to be his property, the tax might be levied from the occupiers, giving them power to deduct, as under the income tax. But, had they taken that cour se, they would h a v e o bli ge d th e ' person succeeding to that property, even if it were an undivided succession , to come to London to exhibit the state of his affairs, to state the deductions he claimed, and the incumbrances affecting the property, and then to get his returns as he could. It was perfectly plain that that process would have been most vexatious one, and would have ended, as it didin the in come tax, in levying a larger per centage than the tax no minally and professedly imposed. But if they were not to go directly upon the property, to whom were they to go ? Mr. Walpole had almost answered his own suggestion of going to the successor, for he said they did not know the successor ; and though in many cases they might know the principal successor, still they might not know the subordi nate successors, or those taking subordinate interests, or even independent interests. Generally speaking, there Was but one person who would be cognizant of all the suc cessions and all the parties—the trustee or trustees ; they were the only parties who could be looked to as being in possession of complete knowledge of the successors who were to take beneficial interests. The successor under a settlement might know nothing of that document ; it was not ordinarily in his possession or command. They lowed the analogy of the Legacy Dnty Act, and trustees under settlement would occupy the came position as trustees under testamentary disposit i on. So muc h with respect to the question of whether they should g upon the property or on the persons connected with it in ,some way or other. o Then, with respect to the other objection, that the case of trustees would be one of much anxiety, responsibili ty, and liability, that no one would be found to undertake the duty, he did not think that tho burden thrown upon trustees by this bid would be greater than it was under laws already imposed. Indeed, trustees under this clause would have less responsibility than they had under existing laws. With regard to the small holders in the funds, they were secured already ; and it was only the large ones who might devise the means of escaping the tax. With regard to trustees to landed settlements, they would be placed in a more favourable position than were trustees now under the Legacy Duty Act. The great bulk of trusts created under landed settlement were trusts for uses, that was to say, trusts with regard to which the trustees to settled estates had no power to raise money or receive rents, and if they had no power to receive rents, their liability under the clause would be very light indeed. If so, the dangers suggested were quite imaginary. The clause assimilated the case of the trustees to settled property to that of trustees under the Legacy Duty Act. And where they differed, the difference was in favour of trustees to settled property. Mr. BARROW said that he knew the difference of being a trusted to property left by will and settled property, and being a trustee to setted property, he strongly objected to be made responsible by an ex post facto law for more than he assumed when he undertook the trust. (Hear.) Mr. MALINS said that if they were to levy a succession tax at all, it would be impossible to go to the extent pro posed—that of exempting all existing trustees. The SOL ICITOR-GENER AL then proposed some slight alterations in the clause with a view of meeting some of the objections urged by Mr. Walpole, which were accepted, and the clause as amended was then agreed to. On clause 44. Mr. MULLINGS suggested that the latter part of the clause should be struck out. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it would not be possible to accede to the proposition, because they had no other control over unprincipled persons making fraudulent returns. Sir J. PAK INGTON said this was one of the clauses at the proposal of which he had felt the greatest alarm. He wanted to know how small properties of the value of from 150'. to 2001. a year were to be dealt with. (Hear, hear.) There was no greater delusion than to suppose that this was a question which affected only the larger properties ; ho believed it essentially concerned the smaller ones, which in addition to the tax would be saddled with heavy law expenses. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the right hon. baronet forgot that all leaseholders were liable to a succession tax and probate duty—(hear, hear)—a tax infinitely more severe than this, because parties were ob liged to pay on the gross amount of their inheritance, being left to get it back how they could—and the woes of such persons remained at present unsung by the right hon. baronet, (Hear, hear.) The law would work in a com paratively easy manner for freeholders ; the net annual value and the age of the party would settle the whole affair. The object was to call upon parties for an account of the value of the estate. If the Government were not satisfied with the account, they would cause to be made another valuation, and in the event of a party not appeal ling against that valuation he would have to pay part of the costs. Mr. HENLEY observed that it might happen that the Government valuation differed only in a slight degree from the previous ones. Sir T. D. ACLAND suggested that there should be a per centage charge for the excess of the second valuation over the first. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not wish to make any party responsible for casual errors which prudence could not avoid. The mild and moderate work ing of the act depended not so much on what was done there as on the whole tone of public feeling and the power of appealing to Parliament in case of abuse. Those who had watched the working of the Legacy Duty and the In come Tax Acts must have come to that conclusion. All he desired was that parties should be subjected to the expense of a second valuation when there had been a want either of bona fides or of common prudence. (Hear, hear.) It would never do to have a per centage criterion ; under such an arrangement there would be a systematic deviation from the troth. (Hear, hear.) Sir F. BELLY was glad to hear the right hon. gentle man's declaration of his wish. There was nothing more subject to contradiction than the value of property. What ho would suggest was, that either the successor or the trustees, one or both of them, should render an account of the property to the best of their knowledge, information, or belief ; and if they did that, he thought they ought not to be exposed to any of the perilous consequences threat ened by this clause. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not think the parties were in any such danger as had been pointed out by the hon. and learned gentleman ; for it was not to be supposed that there would be such a wasteful, profligate, and absurd expenditure of the public money, as to surcharge over and over again persons who had made a bona fide return, in spite of the correction of a judgment of the Court of Appeal. (Hear, hear.) The committee at length divided— For the amendment Against it. 164 Majority 25 The amendment was thus lost, and the clause was then , agreed to. On clause 45, "Penalty on not giving notices of suc cession." Mr. MULLINGS objected that no period was fixed in a case where the penalties were cumulative. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought the clause sufficiently distinct and specific. Sir F. KELLY considered the requirements of the clause too general and oppressive to leave hope of coin. pliance. Sir W. JOLLIFFE took a similar view, and urged that the exemptions could not be established in the time spe cified. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that the 45th clause applied not to payment of duty, but to the giving of notice and attached a penalty of 10 per cent, when such notice was not given within twelve months. Ho did not 4ionsider that that could be called a harsh provision. After Borne further discussion, The clause was agreed to, the word "wilful" being in serted &before " neglect :" and one or two other an: end merits having been introduced with a view of rendering parties not liable to the penalty until after notice and wilful neglect. Mr. HENLEY then moved that the chairman report progress. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER o h n ope(l tlm right hon. gentleman would permit They were' now in the month of July, and it was requisite that they should get through with the business. •"th the committee the toSeiroijni.nrelAicKe l I N vi GTON said it was understoodl itaheßyillveorne Thurcs e d d a i s and intention theoobf I p e i ] .o lo ce r e d a i(nLgory,di Russell) d e ) i h n ad dieva a u 110 thought great inconvenience tis N b V i o ll, 11li t l hy a e rl . arrived a t a cer t a i n s t age of h it off t o an i n d ef i n i te per i o d . The CHANCELLOR o f th e EXCHEQUER arias, er th h en av p in n g t world be his dut to propose that this bill be taken again at 12 o'clock this y day. He was anxious that it should have gone on while their minds were fresh on the subject. Th Mr .e . HEN for the that the Pilotage Bill w sa a i s d al i - t ready fixed g sitting this day. CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he in tended to take this bill first. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 5, 1 8 53. Mr. DISRAELI thought there was every reason why they should not proceed with this bill in a morning. In all probability the bill could not be criticised in detail in another place, and therefore it would be well that they have the assistance of the gentlemen in the long robe in discussing the bill in this house, and they could not attend in a morning. The CHANCELLOR oft he EXCHEQUER quite agreed in that. At the same time there were circumstances that were stronger than they were. They had had great assis tance from the gentlemen of the long robe, and he hoped that they would be able to be with them to-day. It would be his duty if the bill was not finished in committee that night to propose that it be taken at the morning sitting this day. Sir W. JOLLIFFE was ready to go on with the bill, but he had strong objections to going on with it this day, for other bills of importance were already fixed, and when the legal gentleman could not be present. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought the general convenience of the house might be met by going on - with the rest of the clauses now, postponing till the re port that relating to timber, with respect to which the powers of discussion were not exhausted. Mr. DISRAELI suggested that this bill should be taken on ill. A T h f t e u r r sad few instead t o e ar words f o the r f m . l r n. d_ nm. A i a B L The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could not alter the arrangements in regard to the business on Thurs day and Friday. Sir J. PAKINGTON conssdered it would be more con venient to the Government as well as members generally, to postpone the India Bill till Monday, wben it might be taken de die in diem as the noble lord pro i - Josed. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER having consulted Sir C. Wood said an arrangement might be made to take the bill instead of the India Bill on Thurs day. (Hear, hear.) After so no further conversation the motion for reporting progress was agreed to, upon the understanding that the committee should be resumed on Thursday, on which day it is to have precedence over the other orders. In answer to Mr. BRIGHT, Sir C. WOOD said the second reading of the India Bill would stand for Thursday, after the committee on the Suc cession Duties Bill, which he hoped would be concluded on that evening. The India Bill would most certainly be brought on on Monday, and be then proceeded with de die in diem. CUSTOMS ACTS On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the house resolved into committee, and passed a resolution for continuing the Irish stamp duties, and another for re ducing the terms on which land tax might be redeemed or purchased. THE SAVINGS BANK BILL. This bill passed through committee pro forma, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimating that his ob ject was merely to insert amendments, and that the bill would remain in the hands of members a week or ten days before it was brought forward for discussion. STAMP DUTIES BILL. On the order of the day for the committal of this bill being read, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said ho felt some difficulty in respect to the course of proceeding in this measure. In the present position of public business it might be some time before it would be in the power of the Government to enter upon the discussion of any of those controverted matters involved in this bill, such as that they were discussing on Friday last, or that which had been brought forward by his noble friend the member for Middlesex in reference to attorneys' certificates. He pro posed, under these circumstances, to put the bill in com mittee now, and drop from it all those matters that were - of a character to excite difference of opinion : he meant the matters relating to the newspaper stamp duty and the attorneys' certificates. It was desirable that they should get forward as rapidly as possible with the other parts of the bill, in order to facilitate the introduction of the penny (receipt) stamp duty, as they could not take any proceed ings towards preparing the dies and for the prevention of forgery until they could carry the bill into law. He pro posed, therefore, toproceed. merely with the uncontested parts of the measure, reserving the votes as to those mat ters which were in controversy for future discussion. Lord R. GROSVENOR hoped that notice would be given of the day when the attorneys' certificate duty was to be brought on. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER assented. Mr. BOUVERIEJ suggested that it would be necessary to move an instruction to divide the bill into two separate measures. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimated that he would move a resolution to that effect. Mr. GROGAN asked whether the practical effect of omittin g the attorneys' certificates from this bill would not be that they would have this year to pay the present amount. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—What he had intended to say was that he would snake an arrange ment for the purpose of obtaining the decision of the houso upon that and the newspaper question, whether they would adopt the proposal of the government or any other. The house went into committee pro forma. In answer to a question, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the duty on supplements, ns proposed by the government ori• ginally, was included in the bill as it stood ; but that was one of the matters he intended to reserve for future dis cussion. Mr. T. M. GIBSON—The right hon. gentleman gave notice of a resolution as to the size of the newspapers. He did not know whether that was in this bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Yes. Mr. T. M. GIBSON—But the house had passed no reso lution as to that point. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—It was not necessary. The conversation then dropped ; and the clauses (omit ting the contested ones) were gone through pro forma. NEWSPAPER STAMP DUTIES BILL, Second reading postponed till Thursday. ASSISTANT JUDGE (MIDDLESEX SESSIONS) BILL. Mr. It. LOWE (in the absence of Mr. Fitzroy) stated the object of this bill, which was introduced by the Government. flavinc , recited the history of the court affected, and having shown the great increase of business at the Middlesex Ses sions as compared with the Central Criminal Court, which had been relieved of business, he proceeded to submit a calculation to show that a " case" cost less to conduct (11. Ss. to 41. Os. 10,1.) at the Middlesex Sessions than at the Central Criminal Court—the judge at the former transact ing in fact one-tenth of the whole criminal business of the country. The proposal was, that in consideration of these circumstances the salary of the assistant-judge should be raised from 1,2001. to 1,5001. per annum. Lord D. STUART said that this was a proposal which out of doors excited a good deal of surprise. The judge in question was ono whose name was frequently be fore the public, and unusually under the censure of the press. He exhibited, it was known, great vacillation in the discharge of his duties—changing light to severe sen tences, and severe to light sentences ; as, on a recent occa sion, in regard to the woman who called the accusing po liceman " a pig." Was this a judge to have his salary in creased? (Hear, hear.) The private character of this learned person was distinguished by this peculiarity—that he managed to succeed in what he had a fancy to. A Judge had recently said of him, " I hope he won't fancy my place, for if he did he would get it." (Cheers.) Ap parently he wanted an increase of salary, and he was getting it from the House of Commons. But 1,2001. was ample. Mr. BOWYER objected to the proposition contained in the bill, and urged that the test of the number of indict ments, as applied to the duties of the assistant-judge, was fallacious, as the trial of many of them only occupied a few minutes ; and he believed the judge in question did not take much trouble with them, but they were tried in a very off-hand way. He thought the salary of the county court judges was a fair test by which to try that of the assistant-judge. Every one knew that there were greater difficulties in deciding civil as compared with criminal cases, in the former points of law often arose, while in the latter only questions of fact were to be tried. The county court judges had 1,2001. a year, and they sat nearly every day ; they were obliged to sit every month in each place in their districts, they had no allowance for travelling expenses, and perform very onerous duties besides their ordinary duties, such as acting as masters in chancery, &c. He thought that comparing their position with his, to increase the salary of the assistant-judge to 1,500/. a year, was a mon strous waste of public money. He moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought the house would agree with him in one point, and that was that they ought to discuss this question with reference to its general prin ciple—(hear, hear)—and not with reference to a particular person—(hear, hear)—his noble friend (Lord D. Stuart) — had entered into the question of the personal peculiarities of the assistant-judge, and had endeavoured to amuse, or, he should rather say, to detain the house—(hear, hear, and cheers)—with some idle gossip about the personal pecu liarities of Mr. Seijeant Adams. It was rather hard on an absent man that his noble friend should repeat over and over again his old grievance about the " policeman and the pig." (Laughter.) If he had any charge to make ag ainst the learned judge, he ought to bring it specifically before the house. The question now was, wether as now additional duties had been cast on the assistant judge since ho agreed to accept his office at its present salary it ought not to be increased. (Hear, hear.) There had been a great accession to his duties —no less than 829 indictments had been recently transferred from the Central Criminal Court to the Middlesex Ses sions, on public grounds and at a great saving of public money; and that court had sat 181 days as compared with 81 days sittings of the Central Criminal Court. The learned judge had accepted his office at a certain salary, since which there had been a great increase of his duties, and on that ground it was that his salary was to be raised. Lord D. STUART, in explanation, said his learned friend had charged him with repeating idle gossip about the assistant judge ; but the reason why he had re-stated the story about the pig—(laughter)—was because after the e ase had been stated in that house an explanation had been gi:Ten by a Minister of the Crown, which gave no denial to the ease about the pig. (Laughter.) Sir J. DUCKWORTH—A new question had been raised on account of the additional duty cast upon him, when an incr ease of salary was asked for the jud g e, not only t of the saving to the country by the trans the Central Criminal Court to the f b e u r t o on f a cases c I ifrom Mid dlesex Sessions. If there was such a difference between the expense of a trial in these two courts, one being 41. 19s. 6d., and the other Bs., he thought there ought to satisfactory' explanation of the cause of such a be some difference. Mr. ALCOCK complained of such a salary being paid to the assistant-judge of Xiddlesex, as well as the pro posed increase to it, when in the neighbouring county of gr Surrey the same duties were atuitously performed by the Chairman of Quarter SessleTts- Mr. WILSON said the Treasury were influenced in this proposition by the fact that a learned gentleman was taken from his profession to fill this office, to which he devoted his whole time, and he was made a judge, and ono of that duality that he could transport people for fourteen years. tLaughter.) Last year the salary of county court judges was fixed at 1,2001. a-year, with a power to the Treasury to raise them to 1,5001 ; and they had applications for that increase, on grounds which they could not resist, such - as the increase of business, and the same reason influenced N , V i j o v r i d d s e t cr , o w m h A ci f t r r u e ß p a r p q G a r I t a i — nd Mr. BUT LER,them in raising the salary i n th e p resen t cas e Af t t e h r e n' h o f u e t For the second reading Against it 47-14 The bill was accordingly read a second time and ordered to be committed. SAVINGS' BANKS ANNUITIES BILL. On the motion for the third reading of this bill, Mr. COWAN said it was his duty to resist the further progress of the measure. The bill, in point of fact, was intended to give the C-overnment power to commence the business of life assurance, although its titlo would lead to a very different impression. Clause 10 gave power to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt to contract with any such person or persons as those named in other parts of the bill for the payment of a sum of money at his or her death, and it would have been proper, or at all events more respectful to the house, before introducing such an important change in the law as this bill contemplated, if the Chancellor of the Exchequer had sated plainly and frankly what the intentions of the Government really were, in order that such intentions might be fully discussed and sanctioned by tho house, if it couce:.ved the measure would be advantageou s t o the community. He had a great objection to the Government becoming a trading community, or doing anything which could be carried on by a private company ; but with regard to this especial mode of trading, he thought experience had proved that the manner of granting annuities by the Government was highly objectionable. The system of life assurance was at present carried so successfully, and withal so judiciously by the ordinary life assurance companies, that it would be most unwise to interfere with them ; but this bill proposes to make a charge on the Consolidated Fund, and since he objected to it on the ground of the interference to which he had just alluded, he should be glad to know from the Speaker if this bill ought not to have originated in a com mittee of the whole house. Be that, however, as it might he could not permit the bill to proceed any further until he had received some more satisfactory explanation about it than he had yet heard, and he should therefore move that it be read a third time this day six months. Mr. A. PELLATT believed the practice of granting an nuities by the Gove -nment had given general satisfaction, and all that was wanted to render the system perfect, was to increase the amount of the annuities beyond 301. and to grant the annuities themselves upon joint as well as single lives. Beyond that the Government ought not to go, and he must join with the hon. member for Glasgow in depre cating any proposal for converting the Government into an insurance company. Mr. WILSON found fault with the hon. member for Edinburgh for not having given notice of his amendment, but he apprehended the hon. gentleman's opposition to the bill originated in a mistake or a misconception of the object of the measure. The only object of the bill was to confer upon the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt power to convert deposits in savings banks into annuities. The commissioners certainly possessed this power under the existing law, but only to a limited ex tent, and the intention of this bill was net to enable them to enter upon the general business of life assurance, which would be entirely beyond its scope, but simply to give them power to convert savings' banks' deposits into annuities with more facility than the law at present allowed. Mr. COWAN said the explanation of the hon. gentle man had not removed his objection to the bill, and he should, therefore, be glad to have an answer to the ques tion he had put to the chair. The SPEAKER said—Undoubtedly, if the bill imposed a charge on the Consolidated Fund, it ought to have origi nated in a committee of the whole house. Mr. COWAN begged to call the attention of the Speaker to the 12th clause. The SPEAKER having looked at the clause, said he apprehended the bill did not impose any additional charge upon the Consolidated Fund than the law already sanc tioned. Mr. WILSON said the bill certainly could not impose any additional charge on the Consolidated Fund, for, under the existing law, both the deposits as well as the govern ment annuities were chargeable to that fund. (Hear.) An Hon. MEMBER having moved the adjournment of the debate, The house divided— For the adjournment l9 Against it 47 Majority 2B The bill was then read a third time and passed. PUBLIC-HOUSES (SCOTLAND) BILL. This bill, as amended, was considered. Mr. ELLIOT proposed a clause preventing licenses being granted to toll gatherers. After a conversation the clause was agreed to. Mr. - COWAN moved the omission of clause 10. The motion was withdrawn, and the clause was then agreed to on the understanding that if it was found to in jure the revenue the Government should have the oppor tunity of altering it. The other clauses were then agreed to and the 'bill ordered to be read a third time on Thursday. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the house adjourned at five minutes to two o'clock. CRICKET. THE GENTLEMEN OF ENGLAND v. THE GENTLEMEN OF KENT. If any instance were required to show the folly of the system of practise which has of more recent years ob tained among the gentlemen who devote their leisure hours to the cultivation of cricket, it will be found in the details of the present match, where, on the on the side, there was hardly a bowler. The evil we allude to in the practice is, that the majority of gentleman think only of their batting, and manifest a disinclination—even those who have very considerable promise as bowlers—to try to get up their bowling. Hence the lamentable result of this day. Mr. Mynn or Mr. anybody else cannot, by the laws of nature, last for ever ; and, therefore, it should have been the duty of some of our juvenile friends in Kent, or of those who look after the interests, in a cricket sense, of the county, to have taken care that some three or four of the rising generation who had dis played a taste for this banch of the game, should have carried on their practice until they had become more or less efficient, if not more or less formidable, with the ball. We remember, some year or two since, having complained that the gentlemen did not apply themselves more to bowl ing and less to the bat, adding that, if those who were bowlers in heart and by nature would take their practice half-and-half, or, in other words, if they would divide their practice equally between the bat and the ball, we should no longer have to regret the want of good amateur bowling. We well remember that some one of that body wrote, alleging, as the reason that there was so much deficiency of bowling among the gentlemen, that gentlemen after a time entered some profession, or became engaged in other pursuits, or went abroad, or died. Hence the cause of the defalcation in this depart ment. In reply to this shift of the subject, we deny that it is any answer to the complaint unless the writer intends to be understood that, according to his view, a gentleman is to devote four, or five, or more years of the early stage of his life at the bat only. What we have ever held is, that he who plays at cricket should try to bowl in his younger days, and if he finds that his head and his arm run together, then that he should divide his practice in the attainment of excellence of each. By such a course, it would soon be discovered that there would be no lack of effective bowlers among the gentlemen. To this subject we shall return on a future day, quitting it now with this remark, that the want of bowling on the part of Kent, and the inability of the majority of her batsmen to overcome that of Sir F. Bathurst and the slow of Mr. Nash, caused a defeat to fall upon that county the like of which at the moment we do not call to mind. Nevertheless, we hope that the result of this day will put our young Kentish cricketers on the qui vive. ' The proceedings were honoured by the presence of a large assemblage, and among the number we noticed the Marquis of Drogheda, the Earl of Leicester, the Earl of Durham, the Earl of Darnley, the Countess of Darn ley and party, Lord Guernsey, Lord Lascelles, Lord Marcus Hill, Lord Royston, the Hon. R. Grimston, the Hon. S. Ponsonby, the Hon. E. Bligh, the Hon. H. Bligh, the Hon. D. Astley, the Hon. R. C. Neville, the Hon. J. Trevor, Sir John Bayley, Sir Hume Campbell, Sir Frederic BL.thurst, &c. The Gentlemen of England went in first, being repre sented by Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Henry. The former ran up a score of 34, by a 4, two 3's, six 2's, and the re quisite amount of ‘singles ; and the latter was not re moved until he had obtained 17, by a 4, two 3's, a brace of 2's, and 3 singles. Then came Mr. Haygarth and Mr. Balfour. The latter was bowled by Mr. Norton, without having made any contribution ; but the former was not removed until he had placed a double number upon the paper, by means of four 3's, a brace of 2's and two couple of singles. Mr. Hankey and Mr. H. Aitken followed, and singular enough tied each other in the number of runs they obtained, twenty-five being the respective totals. Mr. Hankey's number con sisted of a 4, four 3's, two 2's, and six singles ; whilst Mr. Aitken's number comprised a 4, three 3's, a 2, and ten singles. Mr. Ward, after gaining a 4, succumbed to a ball de livered by Mr. E. Bligh ; but Mr. Wynch, who suc ceeded that gentleman, carried out his bat, leaving a score of 34 behind him. Mr. Nash was bowled by Mr. Norton for 6, and Mr. Marillier and Sir F. Bathurst contributed 5 between them. The total of this innings was 184. The Gentlemen of Kent then went to the wicket, and a reference to the score will show that the gross number they obtained was 69 only. Of these Mr. Fenn pre sented 14, by a 3, three 2's, and five singles ; Mr An drews the like number, by a 5, a 3, a 2, and four l's ; and the Hon. H. Bligh 12, by a 4, two 3's, and the like number of singles. The Gentlemen of Kent, at the close of their first innings, were required to follow their hands, being 100 runs behind their opponents, according to law, 46. This they did, but in their second essay they failed by 4 to make as many as in their first effort. The double numbers in this innings were those of Mr. Nor man, who contributed 16, by a 4, three 3's, and three singles ; and the Hon. E. Bligh, who gave 23, by a 5, a 4, three 2's, and the rest in singles. The result of the day's play was that the Gentlemen of England won in one innings by 50 runs. The final score stood as follows : ENGLAND. First Innings. W. Nicholson, c Fenn, b Norton 34 C. Henry, b Rashleigh A. Haygarth, 1 b w, b Mynn 2O C. Balfour, b Norton 0 R. Hankey, b E. Bligh • H. Aitken, c Fredericks, b Rashleigh 25 A. R. Ward, b E. Bligh C. G. Wynch, not out J. Nash, b Norton 6 W. B. Marrillier, st Andrews, b Fredericks 1 Sir F. Bathurst, b Fredericks Byes, R - Lc Total KENT. First Innings. Second Innings W. Rashleigh, h Bathurst W. M. Fenn, c Balfour, b Nash 14 b Nash 8 W. S. Norton, b Bathurst, 3 c Nash, b Bathurst... 4 A. Mynn, c Wynch, b Nash 7 b Bathurst C. Norman, st Nicholson, b Bathurst 3 c Balfour, b Nash.... 16 Hon. E. Bligh, b Nash 7 c Haygartb, b Bath urst H. Andrews, b Nash F. Fredericks, c Aitken, b Nash 0 b Nash 0 H. Mur►ay, h Bathurst ......... 6 b Nash 6 S. Smith, b Nash 2 not out 1 lion. 11. Bligh, not out ......... 12 b Bathurst Bye .. 1 Leg-byes T0ta1......... 65 Total.. SLIGO ELECTION.—Tho contest in Sli g o will be a des perate one ; and in such a neck-and-neck race as in all probability it will prove to be, it is impossible to speak with any certainty beforehand of the result, tftb Wbitton+ SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. WORCESTER RACES. THIS DAY. (By Electric Telegraph. ) SELLING STAKES. Theorene Priam the Third Nine ran. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS—(THIS EVENING.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the wool sack at 5 o'clock. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH called the attention of the Government to a statement which had lately ap peared in the public papers of the death of Sheik Ali Hossian, who had been one of the chief witnesses against AU Morad. This person on his deathbed, it was said, had confessed that all the evidence he had given against Ali Morad was false, and had been g i ven f or th e pur pose of revenge. He wished that the Government should inquire into the truth of that statement, and if it should turn 'out to be true to take into their consi deration how far it affected the value of all the testimony given against Ali Morad. Earl GRANVILLE said the Government had no of ficial knowledge of the circumstances. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH then laid on the table a bill to comprise one of the clauses of the India Bill now in the other house, empowering the East India Company to increase the number of their European forces from 12,200 to 20,000 men. His object for introducing this in the form of a separate bill, was that it might pass into law six or eight weeks sooner than it otherwise would if it came up from the other house only as one of the clauses of the India Bill. The bill was then read a first time. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Brad ford, praying for amendment of the bankruptcy laws. CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY BILL. The Earl of BANDON moved the second reading of this bill. Lord REDESDALE opposed the motion. Lord STANLEY of Alderley supported the second reading. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE and the Earl of WICK LOW also supported the second reading. Their lordships then divided, when there appeared— For the second reading 29 Against it Majority l7 The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed. JUVENILE MENDICANCY BILL. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY moved that their lord ships do go into committee on this bill, and was [LEFT SPEAKING 1 HOUSE OF COMMONS—{THIS DAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : —The Llanelly Railway and Dock (No. 2), South Devon and Tavistock Railway, and South Staffordshire Rail way. The reports upon the following bills were considered' and agreed to :—The Cotham's Estate, Moore's (Brown's Trustees) Estate, and Chard Railway. PETITIONS, Mr. MIALL presented petitions from Rochdale, Old ham, and other places, in favour of the limitation of factory labour to ten hours. Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from a medical society in Lancashire, in favour of medical reform. Mr. BROCKLEHURST presented a petition against the Registration of Assurances Bill from a bank at Macclesfield, and gave notice that he would move that it be referred to the select committee. He also pre sented a petition from that town, praying that intoxicat ing liquors should not be sold on the Sabbath. Si: J. WALMSLEY presented a petition from Loughborough praying that Parliamentary representa tion be given to that town. Several petitions were presented against the Registra tion of Assurances Ral. Sir J. WALMSLEY presented two petitions from Lancashire in favour of the People's charter. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Mr. HAYTER a new writ was issued for North Derbyshire, in the room of Mr. Wm. Evans, who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL. The house then went into committee upon this bill. Clauses up to 28 inclusive were agreed to after several desultory discussion s. On clause 29, which provides that British vessels may be navigated wholly by foreigners, Captain SCOBELL moved the omission of the clause. This, he said, was a national question, and struck at the root of our maritime power. The right honour able gentleman the President of the Board of Trade might tell them that this clause was the summit of free trade, but he denied that this had anything to do with the question of free trade at at all. The repeal of the Navigation Laws was said to be the summit of free trade, but when that was passed the Government did not propose the repeal of these manning clauses. If this clause passed, and it it were declared allowable for the master, mates, and men of a British vessel to be foreigners, he should propose another clause that every morning the crew of every vessel should sing " Rule Bri tannia,' and that the captain should accompany them on the French horn, and the mate on the German flute. He knew that there were numbers of our seamen in the different ports who had resolved that if this law passed they would take their services to the navy of the United States. He was convinced that the operation of this clause would be most injurious to the interest of the shipowners themselves, and he appealed to them not to support it. The circumstances of Europe just now were not favourable for any step which tended to destroy or undermine our reserve of seamen. The Government was preparing on all sides against the dangers which they apprehended, but if that danger were real, they were by this clause undermining the best security of the nation. It was downright madness, and as a lunacy bill was pas sing through the house, he hoped a word would be pro vided for the President of the Board of Irade, for if he really were sincere, and believed he was doing right, he deserved to be sent there. At the pre sent moment, there were numbers of English seamen in the mercantile marine who had obtained American protections, so that if we issued impressment warrants they could not be taken. The whole weight of authority was against this iclause, and he could go on quot ing all day from the opinions of most eminent men professional and otherwise, against the principle. He believed if this clause were passed it would inflct a vital stab to the present general and universal custom. Mr. LA_BOUCHERE opposed the clause. Mr. CARDWELL supported the clause, but four o'clock arriving the chairman left the chair and the house adjourned until six o'clock. The house resumed at six o'clock. PETITIONS. Mr. CAYLEY presented a petition from Pickering against the Savings' Bank Bill ; also several petitions from Yorkshire in favour of the limitation of hours of labour in factories. Mr. W. J. FOX presented several petitions against the Education Bill. Mr. PHILLIMORE presented a petition from two native Indian merchants, complaining of certain griev ances connected with the East India Company, and praying for redress. The hon. member gave notice that he would call the attention of the house to the petition on the motion for going into committee of supply. Mr. COBBETT presented 58 petitions from different parts of the country in favour of a ten hours' factory bill, and of several restrictions in the employment of motive power. Mr. NEWDEGATE presented a considerable num ber of petitions to the same effect. (LEFT BITTING.) TnE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) FOREIGN-OFFICE, JULY 2. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. James M. Tarleton as Consul at Melbourne for the United States of America. ADMIRALTY, JUNE 30. Corps of Royal Marines— Gentleman Cadet Charles James Dundas Napier to be Second Lieutenant. 'Gentleman Cadet Wingrove Laugharne Tilunouth to be Second Lieutenant. COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY THE LORD-LIEUTENANTS. Regiment of Royal LondonMilitia—Thomas Obbard, Gent., to be Ensign, June 24 ; Thomas Dennis Rew, Gent., to be Ensign, June 25. 2nd Cornwall Rifles Militia—Edward Stirling, Gent., to be Lieutenant ' • John Travers Lawrence , Gent. , t o be Second Lieutenant, June 28. Royal Sherwood Foresters or Nottinghamshire Regi ment of Militia—Edward Horlock Mortimer, late Lieu tenant in her Majesty's 40th Regiment of Foot, to be Captain. BANKRUPTS. F. H. Thomson, dealer and chapman, to surrender, July 15, at one, and Auugust 26, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Alderm an b ury ; Norris and Sons, Bedford-row. J. H. Vivian, dealer in mining shares, Cheapside, July 12, at one, and August 19, at eleven, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Hancock and Sharp, Tokenhouse-yard. William Pickering, bookseller, Piccadilly, July 20, at one, and August 11, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-court, Basinghall street ; Walker, Grant, and Co., King's-road, Gray's-inn. Charles John Egan, ironmonger, High-row, Knights bridge, July 12, at half-past twelve, and August 19, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Atkinson, Bedford-row. John Danby, grocer, Wellington, July 18 and August 6, at ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Bittleston, official assignee , Birmingham ; Sl aney, B i rm i ng h am . William Derry, jun., brick-maker, Wolverhampton , July 26 and August 9, a t t we l ve, at the Birmingham Dis trict Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Birmingham ; Hayes, Wolverhampton. George Franks, surgeon, Blackfriars-road, July 20, at EXTRAMURAL INTERMENT.—Yesterday the committee of the House of Lords, Lord Kinnaird in the chair, threw out the Great Extramural Cemetery Interment Company Bill, previously passed by the House of Commons, and the object of which was to establish a general cemetery at Willesden, for metropolitan interment by railway. ROYAL ARTILLERY FOR THE CAMP AT CHOBIIAM.— It is now arranged that Captain Taylor's troop of Royal Horse Artillery, from Woolwich, will leave there on the 12th inst. to relieve Captain Wood's troop at the camp on the 14th. Captain Shakespear's 9-pounder field battery will leave Chatham so as to arrive at the camp on the 14th, to relieve Captain Richard Black wood Prices's 9-pounder field battery, and Captain Wodehouse's light 6-pounder field battery; and Captain Papillon's light 6-pounder field battery will relieve Cap tain Campbell's and Captain Lefroy's similar batteries at the camp on the 14th inst. New harness has been issued for the horses of Captain Wodehouse's and Cap tain Papillon's batteries. VAUXHALL GARDENS. LICENSED VICTUALLERS ASYLUM. —Last evening the annual fete in aid of the funds of this institution took place in the grounds of the " royal property," and was at tended with sufficient success to justify the com mittee of management in adopting the same means of contributing to their finances on another occasion. The entertainments consisted for the most part of the usual sources of attraction at these gardens, including the unrivalled feats of horsemanship, which seem to have usurped the position of the fireworks in the estimation of the patrons of this establishment. Amongst the com pany who were drawn to the spot by the speciality of the occasion, were many gentlemen who were well known for their exertions in behalf of the institution, whose interests were intended to be served. The children of the Licensed Victuallers' School, numbering about 128 boys and girls, were admitted into the gardens under the auspices of the governor and committee of that institu tion, and their presence upon this, as upon all pre vious similar occasions, was one of the most interesting features in the proceedings of the evening. Several of the aged inmates of the asylum were also upon the ground ; and the promoters of the charity were much gratified to find that the immediate recipients of their bounty were permitted to partake of the amusements provided for their benefit. Everything was done that could be done to assist in carrying out the object in view, and the weather being happily favourable to the event, the fete may be pronounced to have been per fectly successful ; but it may be hoped that the licensed victuallers will assemble in still larger numbers at the renewed entertainment which is to take place this even ing in furtherance of the same object. DISCOVERY OF HUMAN BONES IN A SEWER.—Yes terday afternoon, while the workmen were employed in digging for the formation of a newly-constructed sewer in Drury-lane, opposite the Craven Head Tavern, they came in contact with a partly demolished coffin, evi dently of good old oak, in the midst of which were a portion of the bones of a human skeleton. One portion that of a thigh, was very perfect ; but, as to the time the body had remained there, it was impossible to form the least conjecture. It must be remembered that the neighbourhood was the haunt of the famous Jonathan Wild and his gang, and it is thought rather probable that the bones discovered were a portion of some unfor tunate creature who might have perished at the hands of his lawless gang. Many other curious things have been found by the men, and their further excavations will be looked for with great anxiety. ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF LIFE FROM FlRE.—Yesterday the annual general meeting of the friends and subscribers to this useful society was held at the inquest-room, St. Andrew's-court, Holborn; Mr. Pownall, chairman of the Middlesex magistrates, in the chair. The report stated that during the past year 265 fires had been attended, at which 46 lives had been saved. Several new stations had been established, making in all 40 ; so thatthneenbteireen fidistance and fro m i t Brampton to Whitechapel has now is the intention of the committee to turn their special attention to the northern, eastern, and western districts. The balance-sheet showed the total receipts to amount to 3,6651. 19s. 6d., and, after all the expenses had been defrayed, there was left a balance in hand of 1761. 16s. The Rev. Mr. Toogood moved, and Mr. Weedon seconded, the adoption of the report, which was carried unanimously. ETHNOLGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.—AzTEcs.—The council of Ethnological Society of London have resolved to hold a supplementary meeting, in addition to the number of the ordinary meetings of the society, during the session which has but just now terminated. This additional evening meeting will be held on Wednesday next, the 6th instant, at 71, Mortimer -street, Cavendish square, when it is expected the chair will be taken by Sir Benjamin B ro di e , B art., president o f the society. The specific obj ec t o f th i s extra meet i ng o f the Ethno logical Society i s t o di rect the attent i on of ethnologi sts, clren travellers, ard scientific men, to the two Aztec children, who hav e recent l y arr i ved i n L on d o n from America, and who will be preset t on that occasion. shipA s C o L v iP er P e ß i u gn S n u f ir th .— e Th sea e s m , Caganppnmt A lc m a e y ri , ca a n rr c i v il e p d p i e n r the Mersey on Saturday from New Yo r k, ever accomplished by a sailing vessel between the having made th e fastest passage ports. She sailed f rom of they Bth, and a r ri ve d i n New Y or k on the aftern oon ..,6th she l ogge d 307 the river as above s tated. ; eveenud. On the g i average running n og of ,Cape 2 from 96clm t e h ai e l r G s a r pa distanceen r d d l y a k oo s in lat. 46. 20 , lo n g . 1,668 s and on the 30th, 340 m i les. She ; on the 28 t h, She was only r j IE. [ADVERTISE m vE i miles l u e r s sperbeing e m i EnhLur.i an ._ o oway s Ointment and Pill s 135 hours 50 a . Hv lo e r have s uccessfully cure d U l cers , Wounds, and dreadfully Swollen Limbs. —Extract of a letter addressed to Messrs. Barnett, Brothers, wholesale agents for Holloway's Pills and Ointment, Surinam Gentlemen, I be g to inform you that I conside red my son lost to society in consequence of swollen limbs and ulcerous sores with which lie was severely afflicted. I have sacrificed large sums of money to doctors, who have afterwards told me ' that it was a hopeless case • but at last I tried Hollo way's Pills, and the result ri:as . been so favourable that it has astonished all who had seen the deplorable state my son was in.—(Signed) Joseph Machielse."—Sold , all druggists, and 'at Prof essor Holloway' s Establish- I ment, 244, Strand, London. eleven, and August 11, at twelve, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-court, Bas inghall-street ; Slee and Robinson, Southwark. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of this day.) SUGAR.—To-day importers of West India sugar were in clined to realise, and in some cases accepted prices rather under those of Friday; there was in consequence a fair home trade demand for most sorts. Transactions are 600 hhds, and including the public sales, which went at easier rates ; 248 hhds 18 tierces Barbadoes good to fine yellow at 37s to 395. REFINED.—To-day large purchases were made in refined sugar for home consumption ; brown lumps realised 45s Gd to 465, and common to fine grocery 46s 6d to 49s per cwt. Crushed sugar continues to be little wanted for export, and rates rather incline downwards. MAURITIUS.—To-day there was less demand for Mauritius sugar, and prices are rather lower. Of 4,500 bags at auction barely one-half sold, fine and good yellow at 35s to 38s, low to middling 33s to 34s 6d., middling to fine brown 30s to33s, inferior 28s 6d to 29s 6d, refining from 32s to 365, and good to fine grainy yellow 37s 6d to 40s per cwt. EAST INDIA.—To-day Bengal Sugar met with little notice privately, but the currency is sustained. At auc tion 368 bags sold at 36s 6d to 38s for middling and good white Benares. The market is quiet for Madras and rates lower. At public sale 729 bags sold at 28s 6d to 29s 6d for soft brown, and at 30s to 31s for yellow. MOLASSES.—To-day there was a reluctance to operate in molasses, and at auction 80 puns Demerara were taken in at 17s per cwt. CHlCORY.—Although further reduced rates have been accepted, transactions are on a limited scale, and supply is plentiful. British root can been obtained at ill. 10s. to 121. 10s, and powder 23/. to 271. per ton. COFFEE.—To-day prices of Plantation Ceylon Coffee rather declined. Of 320 casks, 40 barrels, and 520 bags at auction, not above one-half found buyers ; fine at 65s to 70s 6d, good middling to good 59s to 645, low middling to middling 565 to 58s 6d, other sorts 51s to 55s Gd, and triage 46s to 51s. At public sale 500 bags native only in part sold, fine ord, new import, at 47s Gd, damaged first class at 45s 6d, second ditto 44s to 44s 6d, and thirds 42s to 435. TEA. There are sellers of low to common at lid, to ltd, rather blackish leaf to blackish leaf is to is lid, strong Pekoe sorts is 2d to is 10d, and choice is lld to 2s 2d. Only a moderate demand prevails for Souchong, yet the currency is firm, fine at 2s to 2s 6d, and low to good is id to is 10d. Purchases in Oolong have been small, fine at is 10d to 2s 2d, and other Is to is 9d. The market is inactive for Pouchong and 9d to Did aro the prices taken. In green purchases have been immaterial, and some holders are sellers rather under previous terms ; supply of most sorts is decidedly on the increase. SALTPETRE.—To-clay there was not the least improve ment in demand for saltpetre, and in auction 1,107 bags Calcutta were all taken in at 28s to 28s 6d for ci per cent. refraction, being the full value. RUM.—To-day demand was active, proof Leewards at is MA to 2s, East India is lld to is 114 d, Demerara 2s 8d to 2s 10d for 32 to 40 over, and Jamaica at from 3s to ss, as to strength. OILS.—A further increase has taken place in operations in palm, together with an advance ; fine quality brought 37s to 37s 6d, and in the market there is much firmness. A large sale exists for linseed oil ; the currency is 29s 3d to 29s Gd on the spot, 29s 9d to 30s for delivery. Seal is less wanted, and there is a reduction, 321. 10s to 331. 10s. having been accepted for pale, and 301. to 32/. for other sorts. In Southern, transactions have been limited at 321. lOs to 351.105, but supply does not increase. Cod met with a dull sale at 331 10s. In sperm several transactions have again taken place at 901 to 921, and head matter 921 to 941. Olive sells more freely, Gallipolli at 681 to 701, and other sorts 62Z to 661 per tun. TALLOW.— -The market continues in an excited state, and there is a further advance of 3s Gd to 4s per cwt. Numerous transactions have taken place in Russian. The last prices paid on the spot for fine yellow candle were 53s 6d, and for last three months of the year 55s Gd to 54s per cwt. Of home melted the market has again been cleared, 52s to 52s 6d is the value. COURSE OF EXCHANGE —Tars DAY. Amsterdam ............ n If% 'Gibraltar Ditto, three months .. 11 18 141 Leghorn ..... 80 Rotterdam] ..... 11 1814 ,Genoa ....... ••••• .. 25 3731 Antwerp .............. 25 2 73¢ !Milan Brussels .............. 25 27% Venice ••• •• II amburgh ..... 13 714;Naples ................ 4131 Alton ................ -- Palermo ....... •••• • • . 124% ...... 25 7% iifessina ........ •. • • . • • . 125 MDitto, three months .• 25 25 Lisbon Marseilles.... • • .... 25 30 Oporto 5 3% Bourdeaux ............ Rio Janeiro Frankfort-on-Maine .... 120 ,Buenos Ayres .....• Berlin . .............. 'New York, 60 days' sight . Vienna Thema •.•••••• • • • • • • • • 11 . 6 PRICES OF BULLION PER OZ. Pefersburgh ............ 37%,Foreign Gold in Bars ' .t3 17 9 Madrid ................ 50 !Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0 Cadiz 50%'Nexiean Dollars .... 0 4 11% 8aree10na.............. New Dollars ...... 0 0 0 Seville ................ Silver in bars ...... 0 5 1% SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. CUSTOM-HO — USE, JULY 3. ENTERED INWARDS.—The Diana, from Amsterdam ; Vesta, Harlingen ; Trinity Yacht, Eleutheria ; Denmark, Rotterdam ; Wilhelmine, Dour Odder ; Alicia, Marstrand ; Carl Johann, Borregaand ; Bellona, Drontheim ; Lady Berridale, Antwerp; Prosp er it as, F re d er i ckstadt ; War rior, Windau ; Diana, Norkoping ; Claudiana, Nykiobing ; Pomona, Stettin ; O re b o, d o. ; Clementina, iante ; Emily, Memel ; Archimedes, Charente ; Fleur de Lis, Madras and Demerara; Alpha, St. John's, Newfoundland ; Dio linda, Oporto; Eleanor, Mauritius; Forsaget, Drum; Farmers, Tenetiffe ; •Ho et Gothenbur g - Sh e ph er d ess, St. John's, N.B. ;Mut ual, ' Stettin ; Alfred, Leghorn ; Julia, Shanghai ; Harmonie, Marstrand ; Richard, Wol gast ; Hirondelle, Malaga and Gibraltar ; Adolar, Bahia ; Kate Kearney, Bathurst ; Lena, Aoyer ; Hope, Chincha Island ; Fairy, Dantzic ; Johanna Frederika; Nykiobing ; Star, Rotterdam ; Concepcion, Torreveja ; Eliza Hart, Algoa Bay ; Thomas Arbuthnot, Quebec ; Havering, Cal cutta ; Samerang, Hong Kong ; Maria Agnes, Barbadoes ; Cecilia, Kjoge ; Major Wolff, Mayaguez ; William Ash, Cape of Good Hope ; Schembre, Patras and Dragomestre ; Active, Oporto. ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING._ The Cadet, for Launceston ; Johanna Hendrika, Geelong ; Mary and Eliza, Antwerp ; Medemblik, Barcelona ; Olivia, Ade laide ; Concord, Kertch, &c. ; Atrevida, Bombay. CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO. --The Nautilus, for Mauritius ; Eleanor, do. ; Monarch, Calcutta ; Comet, Genoa ; Sanata Havannah ; Vallisneria, C ape of Good Hope ; Shepherdess, Algoa Bay ; Robin, Lisbon ; Prince of Wales, Sydney ; New Orleans, Odessa. LIVERPOOL, JULY 4. The William Printon, arrived here from Newfoundland, was run into by a screw steam-ship on the 23d ult., in lat. 51, long. 51, which carried away bowsprit head, cutwater, headstays, sails, and rigging, and opened the hooden ends to the coppers. A large quantity of oil was started, and hove overboard with the hawser, &c., out of the forehold. The steamer neither stopped nor made the least attempt to assist the William Printon. The Sovereign of the Seas, Captain 31`Kay, which ar rived here late on Saturday night from New York, made the passage in the shortest time ever made by a sailing ship. She sailed on the 18th ult., and her passage in con sequence only occupied 13 days. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH. . The Messenger, for Moulmein, June 16, off the Cape of Good Hope. The Emily, from Madras, June 22, lat. 26 S., long. 8 E. The Calcutta, Southampton to Calcutta, June 2, on the line, lat. 13 W. The Nuovo Pacqueto, Lisbon to Bombay, June 7, lat. 10 N., long. 20 W. The China, London to Bombay, June 8, lat. 11 N., long. 21 W. The Theseus, standing to southward, June 16, lat. 22 N., long. 28 W. The Dart, standing south, 150 miles off the Lizard. The Olinda, standing south, 80 miles off the Lizard. The Elgin, Callao to Queenstown, June 17, lat. 42 N., long. 31 W. The Sagittarius, Dartmouth to Melbourne, June 2, hit. 4 N., long. 19 W. The Agnes, Liverpool to Demerara, during a gale from W.S.W. June 27, lat. 50 N., long. 9,W. The Thomas Hamlin, Bombay to Liverpool, May 16, at. 40, long. 20. The Alverton (barque) steering N.W., May 7, lat. 20 S., long. 1 W. COUNTRY IitARICETS. CHELMSFORD—Juur 1. Prices to-day were as follow :—"Wheat, white, old 40 s Od to 48s Od, new 38 s t o 56 s ; red, old 37s to 495, new 32s to 47s ; barley, 25s to 27s ; chevalier, 31s to 37s ; grinding, 21s to 27s ; malt, 558 to 56s ; chevalier, 55s to 58 s ; oa t s, 19s to 25s ; peas, partridge, 32s to 37 s ; white, 33s to 35 s ; boiling 39s to 42; ; dun, new, 31s to 35s ; beans, tick, 342 to 36s ; Harrow tick s , 32 8 to 38s ; Mazagan, 31s to 345. --- --- COLCHESTER —JULY 2. Prices to-day were as follow : — Wheat, white, 50s to 58s ; red, 44s to 50s ; barley, 28s to 33s ; oats, 18s to 24s ; beans, Maite, zagan, 3 to 3s to 34s ; middle and small, 37s to 40s ; p eas , wh 40 s 42s ; grey, 36s to 38s. Official Statement of the Quantities of Corn in the port of London, from the follovii the 27th June to the 2d July, both inclusi , received mts, from -.-4 -2 8 ---- ___. 650 _ _, _ Colchester Harwich ~ Leigh Mahon COAL MARK Prices of Coal per ton at ti ET—JuLy 4. M close of the market :—. s. (1. Buruhope l4 0 Carr's Hartley l6 6 Dean's Primrose l4 6 Hasting's Hartley 13 0 Holywell .. .. * H . -..•- 16 6 Howard's Wesiartley Netherton 16 0 Longridge's Wst Hartleyl6 6 North Percy Hartley l6 0 Ravensworth W. Hartleyl6 0 Tanfield Moor l5 0 Tanfield Moor Butes l5 6 Walker Primrose l4 3 West Hartley 15 6 Wylam l5 6 Wallsend, &c. Acorn Close l5 9 Gosforth 15 6 Harton l5 6 Heaton l5 6 Riddell l5 6 Ravensworth Pelaw 15 0 Stewart's Hartley 15 0 Framwellgate l5 9 Eden Main 16 3 Ships at market 15 s d. Lambton Primros e 17 . 0 Bell 16 3 Belmont 16 3 Hetton l7 0 Haswell 17 3 Lambton l7 0 Lumley 15 6 Pensher ... ..... . . . . l5 6 Russell's liettou l6 6 Richmund ................. 15 9 Ste wart's l7 0 Russell's Hetton small 13 0 Cassop ..................... ,16 3 Heugh Hall . l6 0 Kelloe ...... . l6 3 South Kelloe 16 0 Boathouse 15 6 Tees Adelaide Tees l6 3 Baekhouse l5 6 St. Helen's Tees l4 9 Close Grey's West Hartley l6 0 Llangennech 15 0 ;8 1 Sold ll3 RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. - LIVERPOOL, JULY 4. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market has been dull and declining a ll d ay, an d closed heavily at a fall of 1 per cent. on all the leading stocks. Lancashire and Yorkshire 764 ; London and North-Western, 114, 14 ; Midland, 7 South-Eastern and D over , 20j. 01; MANCHESTER, JULY 4. The business to-day was good, but prices were lower and closed weakly. The sa l es were :—Leeds, 764, 3, 4, $ ; Dovers, 21, 20 15-16, i ; York and North Midland, 291 ; London Stock, 1143, 4 ; Midland, A, i ; Eastern Coun ties, 12k, 4 ; Sheffield, 29k, i, i ; East Lancashire, 174. BIRMINGHAM, JULY 4. STOCK EXCHANGE.— Business was at a low ebb to-day, as might natur a lly b e expec t e d under the continued sus pense respecting eastern affairs, but prices were not worse. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley closed at 10i to 101; Shrewsbury Stock, buyers, at 60. BRISTOL, JULY 4. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market throughout to-clay was wh ic very fiat were the only sales effected being i n C aledonians, hdoat COMMERCIAL PROSPERITY OF THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL. —The revenue of the Liverpool Dock estate for the year amounting ened is larger than that of any previous year, 18513 d. in; a c nd of 53,092/. 4s. 7d. as it does to 296,081/. 19s. 4d.—exhibiting mparison with 1852 ; a o o v fn e 2 increase7 l o B 6ll ; o4fs n' l3l ie d7 r .3 e ? fe . over r l9 b s ac k t o the year a pe s 185 find the revenue to have increased since that period 108,795/. 17s. 3d. per annum. The decrease in t onnag e is principally in coaster; which pay very trifling whilst there is an increase inl arge ships, which pay much in 0 18 9 5 8 3 3 , more. The tonnage in Liverpool in 1852 was 3,912,502, 3a ships decrease ;899,981, in 20,490 ships ; 12,525 in the amount of tonnage, during the past year. in 3, the number of vessels, and WEATHER RULES.—" The change of the moon," the expression in general use in predictions of the weather, is idly and i nconsideratelyused by educated people, with isnho2wLin4g7 out considering that in every phase that planet is the same to us, as a material agent, except as regards the power of refl ec t e d li g h t ; an d no one su p poses that moon light produ ces we t or d ry. Why then sh ou l d that point in the moon's course, which we all agree to call " the new" influence on our weather ? Twice in each revolution, when atmospheric spring -tide may be supposed to exist. when it begins to emerge fron? the sun's rays, have any in conjunction with the sun at . new, and in opposition at the exert some sort of influence, atmospheric tide at all is denied by some naturalists, any • at most very problematical ; and the absence of a fu u l d l , to 0 n and is egular diurnal fluctuations of the barometric pressure favourst were so, atin the negave of.this proposition. But, gran ti ng that id that the moon, in what is conven tionally called the beginning the of its course, and again in middle, at the full, did produce changes in the weather, surely the most sanguine of rational lunarians would discard the idea of one moon ,differing from another, except in relation to the season of the year ; or that a new moon on the Sabbath day, whether Jewish or Christian, bad any special quality not shared by the -. new moons of any other days of the week.—Notes and Queries. BIRTHS. OP A SON. On the 2d inst., at Handsworth, the wife of James T. Chance, Esq. On the 30th nit., at Gloucester-place, Hyde -park Gar dens, Mrs. Teevan. OF A DAUGHTER. On the 16th ult., at Vienna, the wife of Frederic Ha- milton, Esq., First Attache to her Majesty's Legation at that Court. On the Ist inst., at Eusemere-hill, Ullswater, the wife of J. C. Bristow, Esq. MARRIED. On the 4th inst., at St. George's, Hanover-square, L)rd Rlward Thynne, to Cecili a Anne Mary, only &lights). of the late Chas. A. Gore, Esq., of the Ist Life Guards. DIED. On the Ist inst., at Chiswick, Middlesex, J. Fletcler, Esq., late of the Royal Artillery, aged 75. On the Ist inst., at Hackney, Jas. Beek, Esq., agetl7s. On the Ist inst., at Tunbridge-wells, Miss E. Williaras, of Dibden-hall, Longhton, Essex, late of Mortlake, &my. LONDON : hinted and Published by MITRDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tice Sun Office. No. L 2, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of Middlesex, Tuesday, July 5, 1853. I