The Sun. — London, England, 1832-01-04 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. It is possible that too unfavourable a construc tion may have been put on the conduct of the Emperor of Russia ; but in the absence of au thentic information, we cannot help looking on the refusal to ratify the treaty, coupled with the whole tenor of the conduct of the King of Hol land, as extremely suspicious. At all events, we should be sorry to have much dependence on the tenure of the sovereignty of King Leopold. But, however this may be, we trust the Govern ment of this country will confine its interference to exertions to preserve the tranquillity of Eu rope. We have suffered so much already from the burthen entailed on us by Continental wars, that we ought carefully to keep ourselves aloof from them, except in cases of the most urgent necessity. We fear the Continent is on the eve of war ; and that the two principles of Aristo cracy and Democracy will come into collision. But why should we throw ourselves into the melee? Belgium has not been settled in such a way as to lead to a hope of its remaining tran quil in its present state. These kingdoms, with all the burdens of expensive monarchical esta blishments for provinces, are nuisances which the people of our days will not tolerate. The Dutch will soon wish for a Stadtholder, and Belgium will seize the first opportunity of reliev ing itself of its burthensome sovereignty by join ing a larger State. It requires many millions of men, and a large territory, to support a King and supply provisions for his children. The petty Kings and Princes of Germany defray their expences chiefly out of their properties in land.— Morning Chronicle. A very important motion was yesterday made by Mr. Henry Drummond, at the Surrey Ses sions, with a view to effect a separation between labourers' wages and parochial aid. There is this immense difference between England and Ire land, that in the former all have a home, and no portion of the population can, as in the latter, be turned adrift to starve or carry disorder into neighbouring countries. In England, as the late Lord Liverpool observed, every man has a home. The consequence of this connection between the population and the soil is, that no class will suffer beyond a certain amount of misery, with out endeavouring to make others suffer along with them ; so that selfishness itself is forced to make exertions for improving the condition of those who, if neglected, would be a thorn in its side. This truth has been strikingly exemplified of late. In the greater part of England the labourers have manifested a sullen determination to prevent (by the most odious and detestible means we admit) the other classes from enjoying their possessions in peace and security, so long as their condition remains unimproved ; and the conviction has been thus _forced on the most obtuse understandings, that we cannot safely withdraw ourselves from sympathising with each other ; that society must be considered as a family, every member of which must be an ob. ject of interest to the rest ; and that ,hen we cease to entertain kind and benevolent feelings towards others, we deprive ourselves of that kind ness and regard in return, without which we are as in a wilderness where from every covert we may be assailed by a beast of prey. Calamities are often the sources of moral improvement. The fires of the incendiary, the pestilence generated in the abodes of crowded poverty, read lessons which find an entrance into the most obdurate hearts. Mr. Drummond, in descanting on the evils of the present administration of the poor laws, said, that " In the first place, the labourer was deprived of his fair wages ; in the second, the householders were defrauded by being made to pay for the culture of land not their own ; in the third, it was the means of fostering a spirit of animosity and antipathy between the labourer and his employers ; and that by this alone was a system of insubordination induced,which made the former so discontented, as to be ready at any mo ment to assume a fearful threatening aspect ; and it might be anticipated, that if this much longer exercised its influence, that feeling would extend and be aggravated, which now showed itself in incendiarism, and which arose from not being able to trust the law for redre t ss ; but taking that law in their own hands, and reapin ,, a private vengeance." " Every writer on this subject," he afterwards added, " agreed that this was a matter of such crying injustice, that if it was not speedily put a stop to, it must end in a ge neral convulsion. He was not going to make any pathetic appeal to the Bench ; but this he would say, that the cry of the labourer who tilled the fields had risen to the ears of the Lord God of Sabbaoth ; and that, unless the present iniquitous system was altered, they had nothing to anticipate save a frightful, but, at the same time, righteous retribution." This is undoubt • edly strong language, but, as was well observed by Earl Grey a few days ago, the best way of dealing with sedition is to remove the cause of it. Crimes of a horrible die never extensively prevail in a country without a cause which may ne removed. There are people weak enough to say we will not allow ourselves to be inti midated. If we were to suffer the agri cultural labourers to perceive that they had succeeded by their crimes in obtaining for their grievances an attention which otherwise would not have been paid to them, we are offering a premium for future crimes. These people have another maxim to justify non-inter ference. When there is no outbreaking, they say, why stir now—let well alone. In this way abuses would be continued till endurance could go no farther. Fortunately the Surrey Magis trates had nothing of the silly fear which it is said brought such mischief in another body— the fear of being thought to he afraid. They seemed to think, that in case of an admitted evil, the natural consequences of that evil could afford no reason against endeavouring to remedy it. Mr. Holmes Sumner, while he agreed with Mr. Drummond as to what was the law and what ought to be the law, "could not agree in the description which that gentleman had given of the state of the poor. He not only would not admit that there had of late years been any ag gravation of their condition, but he would aver, that for the last fifty years he had never seen so many of them in that state of comfort in which they now were. He had never seen more pigs in the stye than he had within the last two years ; and he looked upon it as a strong proof that they were not in such a wretched condition, when they could not only afford to buy a pig, but also to keep it as a provision against a rainy nay." 'We have always thought that there was some exagge ration in the description of the past comforts of the English labourers as compared with the present ; but it is not enough to show that labourers in general are not worse off in regard to physical comforts than they were. If they see themselves prevented by a vicious adminis tration of the law, from being in the condition in which they think they ought to be, though that condition is not materially worse, they will be satisfied. Now at present a very general dis satisfaction prevails, from the levelling system introduced by the interpretation given to the poor laws. The single man pays for the family of the married man. The men with large families are employed, and the single men are reduced to the parish allowance. This alone must produce much bad feeling and discontent wherever it takes place. The more you sharpen the faculties of people under such a system, the more you render them disaffected, because they must see that equal quantities of labour ought to be equally rewarded, and that there can he no reason for exacting from one man that for three shillings a week for which another recedes fourteen. By separating wages from relief from the parish, and withdrawing en tirely from the farmers labourers receiving parish relief, it was admitted by Mr. Drummond that most of the men with large families would he forced to go on the parish ; but then this would form an inducement to labourers to re main single, and to farmers to take men as boarders into their houses. Mr. Denison said that in Dorking, where the principle had been acted on, its efficacy had been so great, that though there were sixty persons receiving relief in this way when the alteration was first attempt ed, there now was not one. Mr. Drummond said, " there was one objection which might he made to the proposition he had offered, but he begged to caution gentlemen against it in limine. That objection was, that the proposed alteration would cause a greater expellee to the landowner; and the reason why he gave this caution was, be cause, in proportion as they showed how great that increase would be, in the same proportion would they show to what extent had the labourer been previously defrauded ; fcr it could not be denied, that one element for their consideration was, that the labourer had been unduly depressed, and that the landowner had gained an unfair advan tage." This is hardly stating the ease fairly be tween labourer and landowner. The labourer may have lost while the landowner may not have gained. We admit that the landowners, by a system of constant encroachment, have stripped the labourers of many customary privileges on commons, &c. ; but we do not think they have gained by all the amount that the providing for an excess of labourers may now throw on them. In fact, the great mischief of the system was, that by destroying the connection between labour and its reward, it produced an excess of la bourers beyond the demand, and that the sums expended on the maintenance of labourers not wanted were gained by no one. The first effect of separating wages from relief will, no doubt, add to the burthen on the land, but the burthen will not be permanent. We trust the recommen dations of the magistrates will be extensively acted on. The magistrates were the authors of the mischief, and it is but fitting that they should exert themselves to put an end to it.—Morning Chronicle. An evening contemporary, the Standard, has taken us to task for having ventured to speak with moderation upon Irish affairs. We have been charged with something like presumption for having asserted that there are two violent parties in Ireland, and that the Orange party is one of them. This, however, is no new opinion of ours, and certainly, whether right or wrong, we cannot lay exclusive claim to it—nmetv nine persons out of every hundred, on this side the water, believing, as we do, that the struggle now going on, and threatening to proceed to still further extremities in that country, is one of the most deplorable instances of politico-reli gions madness which the mind of man can con ceive. Even our contemporary himself admits the state of things to be desperate. What he complains of is that we have not adopted the sentiments of either party, nor approved of the extravagance of both. The charge must sound ra t her strangely in the ears of moderate men ; but our contemporary has candidly avowed his dislike to that class of politicians, and, even at this distance fiom the scene of Irish agitation, practically asserts his right to philosophise with as much violence as any Orangeist or O'Connellite of them all. The case which our contemporary has put to illus trate the dispute between the two rival factions in Ireland is humorously and ingeniously con ceived. As for its fairness, that is another Orangeuestion The faction, he will have it, . is a gentleman, or what is called in the city of London a respectable man—a man who has money in his pocket. The Catholic faction, according to the same authority, is any thing but a gentleman, rho wants to pick the pockets of the former—to rob him of his rights and privi leges. Now the Catholic faction would reply to this, that the Orangeman was the robber—that he had nothing in his pocket but what had been purloined from the man who sought restitution, not plunder—and that it was only an act of common justice to make him deliver up the pro perty which he falsely called his own. But it is nearer the truth of both parties to say that they resemble two drunken haymakers, who, having an obscure recollection of an old family quarrel, set to work to fight it out, and leave it to other parties to determine which of them lost the most, or had the most to lose, in the scuffle. Our contemporary is all in raptures at the eloquence and spirit of " the great Armagh meeting." It certainly was a great meeting in point of numbers ; and, as for spirit, why it was a match for the blustering balder-. dash of the opposite side. But we repeat, at the hazard of again incurring censure for our moderation, that the tone of the different speeches delivered at that meeting was anything but creditable to men of education and reflec tion. What the consequences may be it is im possible for us to foretel ; but that Ireland can not long continue in her present feverish state is a truth to which no man can shut his eyes. The two parties by whose violence that feverish state is aggravated are acting, we repeat it, injuriously fOr themselves and for their country, and it is the bounden duty of Government to legislate be tween them, not at the dictation of either, but for the benefit of all. Legislating in this spirit, it will remove the causes out of which the pre sent state of things has grown, and, by so doing, will cease to be responsible at the bar of its own conscience for the errors or the crimes which party rancour may commit. • Such are the opi nions we have always maintained respecting the conduct of the two factions by which Ireland is unhappily distracted. They are opinions which we share with the great bulk of the English community. They are moderate, which, in it self, is some presumption that they are not irra tional. We are confident that they will never sink us in public estimation, though they can never raise us to the unenviable distinction of being regarded as partisans.—Morning Herald. The French Papers of Sunday, which reached ua yesterday, mention the arrival of a courier from St. Petersburgh with the intelligence that the Emperor of Russia has declined, for the present, to ratify the treaty of London for the separation of Holland and Belgium. We have already repeatedly alluded to this subject, and have explained what we considered the real situa tion of affairs. The Emperor hopes, that by rivetting the attention of western Europe on the menacing aspect of the Belgic question, he may perpetrate with perfect impunity, or without in dignant notice, every species of injustice and horror of unhappy Poland. Accordingly, the work of confiscation,—of oppression, —of ba nishment to Siberia, is going on in that heroic but unfortunate country, without any regard to the forms of justice or the obligation of treaties. Though the Emperor swore to maintain its na tionality, he has now gone so far as to proscribe the Polish language from its establishments of education ; though he engaged, immediately before the taking of Warsaw, to respect its rights and privileges as a separate kingdom, he has broken his pledges, and has treated it like a Russian province. The Chamber of Deputies was occupied a considerable time on Saturday in discussing a petition of some importance in France, and of some interest in this country. This petition was transmitted by' the Abbe Saulnier, and prayed that the Chamber might be pleased to grant him permission to take legal proceedings against one of its Members — the Minister of the Interior—for having given illegal orders to break up his establishment at Meilleraye. The establishment here alluded to was a monastery of Trappists, on the borders of La Vendee, which, in consequence of numerous complaints that it was encouraging rebellion, and that it constituted a focus of disturbance in the distracted departments of the west, the Minister of the Interior ordered to be closed in the course of last autumn. A great howl was raised among all the Carlists at this act of what they called liberal despotism, and subscriptions were formed to defray the expenses of an action against the Minister. There can be no doubt that the austere fathers thus ejected from their cells were great encouragers of resistance to the present Government. The y had been established in their monastery of Meilleraye by the especial interference, and tinder the especial protection, of Charles X. and his family. He had sent a ship of war to bring over a cargo of its self-tormenting in mates from this country to France ; about seventy of these unshaven, squalid, gloomy, and fanatic brothers, or fathers, were Englishmen and Irishmen. The Abbe Saulnier, who, we believe was long in England as an emigrant be fore the restoration, and who was placed at the head of the new establishment, had himself se lected these foreign recruits. Had the Abbe been more cautious and discreet, he would not have been disturbed in his living sepulchre, though his establishment was contrary to the law which prohibits all monkish confraternities in France. The brothers, whose industry was equal to their austerities—or rather whose hard labour constituted one of these austerities—re presented themselves to the new Government as a great agricultural institution ; but this pretence could not protect them when complaints were made by the people of the neighbourhood, of their disposition to foment rebellion, and of their practice of spreading false intelligence, to encourage the rebels. M. Casimir Perier, therefore, put the law in force, dispersing the monks, without, however, interfering with their property. The Chamber refused permission to the petitioner to prosecute the Minister, and thus gave its sanction to his proceedings. The Chamber of Peers, though its hereditary privileges have been abolished, and a new mode of recruiting its ranks has been adopted, seems to proceed in its legislative functions as if no thing had happened. None of the Opposition Peers who threatened to resign have yet recorded their resignation, though it is evident, from the smallness of the divisions on Friday and Satur day, that they do not attend. It will therefore be necessary, in order to give weight to the de cisionsof this branch of the Legislature, to create new members. Before the revolution of July, 1830, the Upper Chamber consisted of 378 or 380 members. The framers of the charter, by ejecting from that assembly all the Peers of Charles X., reduced it to about 290, and up wards of a hundred having declined to take the oath to the new dynasty, the Chamber was reduced before the creation of the late batch to about 170. Should the 70 who voted with the Duke of Fitzjames follow his example in resigning their seats, scarcely more than a hun dred will remain to perform all the necessary duties and business of a second legislative chamber, M. Perier will therefore be called upon to sup ply numerous vacancies, and will thus have it in his power to secure the gratitude of a great body of his friends, by conferring upon them the highest distinction which the revolution has left in the hands of his Sovereign. The manner in which he carried the great act for abolishing the hereditary succession of the Peerage, to which his own personal opinion was opposed, does him the highest . credit, and will soon be better appre ciated by his country. He saw that the here ditary privilege of making laws, whether ulti mately beneficial or otherwise, could not at pre sent be maintained ; that the tide of popular opinion, which had set in against it, was too strong to be resisted ; and that, consequently, he had no alternative left but to effect its quiet aboli tion, through the observance of constitutional forms, or to witness its violent extinction in the midst of a tempest. The Minister of a free people, he submitted to the necessary condition of its service, and by a concession—perhaps to prejudice, perhaps to error, but certainly to irresistible conviction—saved his country from a new convulsion. In thus yielding in time to the judgment of the nation, he might have pleaded the authority of a passage of Cicero, which we may quote for the benefit of our own refractory Anti-reform Tories;—" iudicium (populi) non tibi rescindendum est, sed feren dum. Male judicavit populus ? At judicavit. Non debuit. At potuit. Non fere. At multi clarissimi, et sapientissimi cives tulerunt. Est erum hze conditio liberorum populorum, posse suffragiis vel dare vel detrahere, quid velit cui que." As the end was justifiable—so were the means. The only means for saving France from the necessity of resorting to revolutionary expe dients in re-organizing its Upper Chamber, was the creation of liberal Peers—the only means of preventing the more dreadful calamities which would follow the second rejection of our Reform Bill in England is an infusion of Reform Nobles into our Upper House.— Times. An honest cartman, named SNOWBALL ) be longing to this town, was last week seited with violent symptoms of cholera, as he was following his vocation near to Durhara.lane. Immediate assistance being at hand, the poor man was conveyed in his own cart to his home, where, fortunately, his wife was busily engaged in heating water to scald a pig. With great presence of mind she immersed her afflicted husband in the warm fluid, gain! him a large dose of salt and water, which caused a copious vomiting, and then a liberal allowance of brandy, com pletely effected his restoration to health, and the man was enabled to resume his customary labour on the following day !....cunderland Herald. SURREY COUNTY COURT DAY, JAN. 3. An unusually numerous assemblage of the Magi vrates took place at the Court-house, Newington, Robert Hedger, Esq., Chairman, supported by Mr. Denison and Mr. Briscoe, the Members for the county ; Harvey Combe, Esq., Sheriff; and about fifty Justices of the Peace. The reports from the Chaplain and Surgeon of Horsemonger-lane gaol, of Brixton, Guilford, and Kingston Houses of Correction, were read and con firmed. They described the prisons to be crowded with prisoners, but that generally the inmates were healthy, and morally and industriously inclined. PRISON REGULATIONS. The report of the Committee appointed on a former day to inquire into the regulations of the county gaols, but more especially that at H„rse monger•lane, was the❑ read at considerable length. It entered minutely into the provisions of the Act of the 4th of Geo. IV. cap. 64, and stated that the Committee recommended that visiters should only be admitted to see the prisoners between the hours of twelve and two o'clock, and in the area conti guous to the area-yard ; and that no provisions or clothing should be allowed beyond the usual gaol allowance excepting under special circumstances; which report was adopted after much discussion. Mr. SMALLPIECE, the County Treasurer, then presented his accounts, which were passed without discussion, Mr. Smallpiece observing that the county rate of 2d. in the pound would produce 14,0001. The report of the Visiting Mpgistrates of the Brixton House of Correction, appointed to inquire into the conduct of Mr. Green, the Governor, was put in and read, charging Mr. Green with improper conduct. Mr. Green was heard in his defence, in which he admitted some of the charges, but denied others. The report was confirmed unanimously. Mr. HANYEs then said it was his painful duty, but an imperative one, as a public Magistrate, to move that Mr. Green should be dismissed from his situation. Mr. H. SUMNER seconded the motion. The Rev. Mr. COURTNEY and Mr. SMITH moved an amendment that a further trial should be allowed Mr. Green ; but, finding the Court against them, it was withdrawn. Mr. Hawes' motion wag then unanimou , ly agreed to; and Mr. Keen, the Keeper of he Guilford House of Correction, was appointed Governor pro Import-, and Mr. Keen's brother to the situation at Guilford. STIPENDIARY CHAIRMAN. Mr. NICHoLsoN, in moving for the appointment of a Committee to consider and report " That, on account of the great increase of the criminal and other business of the county, a Stipendiary Chair man he appointed for the Chair of the Sessions for judicial business through the county," addressed the Court at considerable length on its necessity : and was followed by Mr. HOLME SUMNER,WIIO seconded the motion, and by Mr. HAWEs and other Magis trates, who supported it. The motion was opposed by Sir THomits Tug- TON, Mr. BRISCOE, and Mr. DENISON, in long speeches; and the question bring loudly called for, the numbers were declared to be-32 for the mo tion, and 8 against it. A motion to refer the subject to a Committee was also carried. STATE OF THE POOR. Mr. DRUMMOND rose, pursuant to a notice of motion, to submit a resolution to the Bench on this subjecr. lie was sure that in so doing he had not to address a hostile audience, for they must all see the evils of the present system. Whatever other discrepancies there might be in political economy, he was sure they must all be agreed in this—that the worst possible condition for the labourer was to fix by law the minimum price of labour, because very shortly that minimum would become the maximum, and the whole labouring population would consequently be depressed into the mass of pauperism. This, however, was just the very thing that the present administration of the Poor Laws brought to pass; so that, in fact, he might be con tent to let the question rest here, and say to the Court :—Come to what decision you may, you can not but improve the present system, which is the worst that it is possible to put into operation. He would not attempt to describe all the evils that arose from the present system; but there were a few which he could not pass over in silence. In the first place the labourer was deprived of his fair wages ; in the second, the householders were de frauded by being made to pay for the culture of land not their own ; 'n the third, it was the means of fostering a spirit of a nimosity and antipathy be tween the labourer and his employers, so that by this alone was a system of insubordination induced which made the former so discontented as to be ready at any moment to assume a fearful and threatening aspect ; and it might be anticipated that if this much longer exercised its influence, that feeling would extend and be aggravated which now showed itself in incendiarism, and which arose from their not being able to trust to the law for redress, but taking that law in their own hands, and reaping a private vengeance. That such a feeling as this was riot the intention of the law was manifest. It was first brought about during the late war, and gentlemen might see this point well put in the report of the House of Commons on criminal commitments. When the price of commodities rose at that period, the price of wages did not rise with them ; la bourers with large families were obliged to apply to the parish for relief. The overseers afforded this relief: but they at the name time permitted the labourer to remain in the employ of the person for whom he was working, instead of taking him alto gether into the parish employ. The effect of this naturally was to depress the price of labour ; for it was &eel-, that if such lebourers lied been withdrawn from free labour, tire price of that free labour moat have risen. In this respect the Scotch law was worthy of being followed, which does not allow a man with a short lease to become an overseer, by which such short-sighted policy as that which he had described would net have been acted on. But, perhaps, it might be said in reply to these Observa tions, if the practice is bad, why not appeal eget nst it, instead of bringing it before the Magistrates In Seseion ? But his object was not to obtain a remedy for one parish alone, but to establish sorhel fling that should prove a permanent benefit to the whole pau per population of the country : besides which, such matters as these were never so effective as when they emanated from the Magistracy at large, and were carried into effect, through their instrumentality, by the osserneerst and he was particularly anxious not to omit this opportunity, because, though he did not mean to say that the condition of the la bourer was better . than last years there were now no mobs to intimidate. After mentioning instances in which the system that he was proposing had been advantageously acted upon, the lion. Magistrate proceeded to read That motion) which wee to the foi -1 lowing effect t—" That whereas an illegal practice prevailed in some parishes of Surrey, of paying those labourers out of the poor-rates who were not employed exclusively on account of those parishes to which they belonged, whereby the wages of la bour had been put down, improvident habits had been promoted, and householders had been made to pay fig labour on land—that Court recommended to the Magistrates in Petty Session to exercise their best vigilance over the accounts of overseers, and no t to pass any where such illegal proceedings should be detected." The advantages that he ex+ petted mould accrue from the adoption of this reso lution were, that a complete separation would take place between those that worked for the parish, and those that worked for individuals. Single men would find that it would be a greater advantage to be single than married—while, on the other hand, it was but lately that he had heard an instance of over seers refusing work to those men who were not mar ried. It would then become the interest of farmers to take men as boarders into their house—a practice which he lamented very much to say was now fast be coming discontinued and obsolete; and though it was true that most of the married men with large families would he forced to go on the parish, yet this would not be the case with all, for the farmers would find that it was their interest to employ such as best understood and performed their work. Another and a great ad vantage would be, that it would again open the sluices of private charity, while the present system had al together shut them ; for benevolent individuals found if they did anything for a poor man, it was only the signal for the overseer to deduct so much from his allowance. There was one objection which might be made to the proposition he had offered, but he begged to caution gentlemen against it in limine. That objection was, that the proposed alte ration would cause a greater expense to the land owner ; and the reason why he gave this caution was, because in proportion as they chewed hoe; great that increase would be, in the same proportion would they shew to what extent had the labourer been previously defrauded ; for it could not be de nied that one element for their consideration was, that the labourer had been unduly depressed, and that the land-owner had gained an unfair advantage. Every writer on the subject agreed that this was a matter of such crying injustice, that if it was not speedily put a stop to, it must end in a general con vulsion. He was not going to make any pathetic appeal to the &mei), but this he would say, that the cry of the labourer who tilled the fields had risen to the ears of the Lord God of Sabboath, and unless the present iniquitous system was altered, they had nothing to anticipate save a frightful, hut, at the same time, a righteous retribution. Mr. DENISON, M.P., seconded the motion. In Dorking, where he resided, this principle had been acted upon ; and as a proof of its efficacy he might mention, that though there were sixty persons re ceiving- relief from the parish in this way when th e alteration was fist attempted, there now was not one. He was old enough to remember when this demoralization first began. It was about the year 1795. It began when the taxes of the war against France became so oppressive that the farmer could not employ the labourer at that price which would enable him to maintain his family. The only way to bring matters back to their former state was, by retracing all their steps ; and the sooner they could retrace them with caution, temper, and moderation, the sooner would they behold the happy result of that course. As the system existed now, there was no reward for talent, industry, or energy, for every one was placed on the same footing, whether they were industrious or idle ; and the cause of this was, that the farmer was so borne down that he could not do jastice to the labourer. He however trusted, without making any allusion to politics, that the Go vernment would be able to find out a way to shift the burden from the industrious and put it upon the wealthy. The Rev. Mr. JEROM said, that in the parish in which he lived (Chobham, as we were given to un derstand), resistance had been made to paying those labourers employed by farmers out of the parish rate; and he was happy to say with the most bene ficial results. Mr. PENRHYN was glad that the question had been brought forward, for the system was most ruin ous to the peace and welfare of the country. Fortu nately, no new law on the subject was required, and therefore it was a fit question to come before the Ma gistrates in session, as the regulation of the matter rested in their hands. Mr. HOLME SUMNER agreed with Mr. Drum mond as to what was the law, and as to what ought to be the law; but he could nut agree in the de scription which that gentleman had given of the state of the poor. He not only would not admit that there had of late years been any aggravation of their condition, but he would aver that for the la,t fifty years he had never seen so many of them in that state of comfort in which they now were. Hi• had never seen more pigs in the stye than he had within the last two years; and he looked upon it as a strong proof that they were not in such a wretched condition, when they could not only afford to buy a pig, but also to keep it as a provision against a rainy day. After a few observations from some other Magis trates, Mr. Drummond's motion was unanimously adopted. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HO USE. lirm. Earle, the principal Director of the Pickled Fish Company, was brought before the LORD MAYOR for a final examination, on the charge of Mr. Price and Mr. Woodhill ; the first accusing the pri- soner of having appropriated a bill for .501. which was subsequently duly honoured, and the second ac cusing him of having obtained a gold chain under the remarkable circumstances detailed in our last ac count of the evidence against him. _ _ Earle could prove that there was no foundation for either accusation. It was true he had received the 50!. bill, but he knew nothing of its appropria tion. A man named Brown, who had a connection with the Pickled Fish Company, and who was the cause of all the confusion which had taken place, had thought proper to dispose of it without his con sent, or even knowledge, and it was too hard to make him (Earle) suffer for the crimes of others. With respect to the gold chain, however, the state ment was altogether false. A witness stated that Brown, the prisoner's partner, had given him the 501. bill to negotiate, and to pay himself 201. for making an oven for the con cern out of it. He negotiated the bill, which was paid when due. Mr. Hobler asked whether the prisoner wished to hear the evidence of Mr. Price read over to him ? Earle—Not at all; I am able to rebut it altogether. It is all a gross misrepresentation. I derived not the least profit from the The LORD MAYOR—I told you all along I was ready to hear your witnesses, if they were able to give any e;rplanation. Are they here now ?—Here no. Your Lordship ought to have summoned them to attend. The prisoner then alluded to a few ap parent inaccuracies in the depositions of the wit nesses, but they did not affect the charge in the slightest degree. The Loma MAYoa—I advise you not to open your defence until you are upon trial, Earle—Upon trial, my Lord The LORD MAYOR—Yes ; I am bound to send these two cases to the Old Bailey. Earle—Oh S very well, my Lord. I am much obliged to you, and shall reserve myself for that op portunity. Additional evidence was then heard on the charge of Mr. Woodhill, the jeweller, of St. Paul's Church yard., from whom Earle had obtained t h e g o ld cha in . Mr. Woodhill having repeated the evidence he had previously given-- Earle said—On what day do you say I got the chain ?— , -Mr. Woodhill -.On the 6th of October. Earle—On the 6th ! why you said, on the pre vious examination, that it was on the .sth. How can you reconcile those dates ?—(A laugh.) Mr. Woodhill—l said that it was either the sth or 6th. . Earle—Oh, you did, did you Mr. Eden, a surgeon, knew Earle. The first time the prisoner was apprehended he sent for witness, and mentioned that he had some pawnbrokers' du plicates which ha wished to put into his hands as a security for money which he had borrowed at dif ferent times from witness. Amongst the duplicates was one for a gold chain, which had been pawned for four guineas. Witness afterwards was t Id that there was a row about the chain. He redeemed it. The gold chain produced by Mr. Woodhill is the same. Earle—Pray were the duplicates delivered to you by my hand ?—Certainly ; you know they were. Oh,and where pray ?—ln Gray's-Inn-lane you put them into my hands. Do you mean to say they were put by my hands or by my order into your hands ?—(Laughter.)— By yourself. Oh, you said I got money from you. Did I ? Did you ? To be sure you did, in the presence of your son ; and you handed over half of it to him. Earle—Oh, very well. The LORD MAYOR-P-PrisOner, I would have you keep your defence for another place, to which this case, as well as the other, must go. Earle—Thank you, my Lord, I intend to do so. The prisoner was then fully committed upon both charges. HATTON-GARDEN. Yesterday a decent working-looking man, named David Davis was brought to this office, in the cuse tody of Police-serjeant James, charged with creating a disturbance at the Scotch Church, Regent's square, during divine service on Sunday night last. Mr. D. M'Kenzie, of No. 43, Myddleton-square, and Mr. 0. Newman, of No. 3, George-place, Hol loway, Elders of the Church, preferred the charge; and it appeared that, on the Sunday evening, at the request of Mr. Irving, six policemen were stationed in and about the Church, to prevent limy disturbance from taking place among the crowds of persons that flocked there to hear the " manifestations of the Spirit." During the service the defen dant, David D iv:B, presented himself at the Church door, when the policeman, seeing he was intoxicated, persuam!eml him to go home. Ile accordingly left, but returned again in half an hour. The pew-opener was talking to the policeman at the door, when David came back and again tried to gain admittance, which the pew-opener acquieaced in, on condition that he should " put a curb on the spirit that was within him, and with bit and bridle bind fast his jaws." With this admonition in trundled poor David. Mr. Irving was preaching, or interpreting, as the Rev. Gentleman expresses it, when David reeled up the aisle to the pulpit, where he and his spirit manifested themselves ill the following most exquisite specimen of the known or vulgar tongue. Mr. Minister (hiccup)—Pray vat's the reason the sins of the (hiccup) fourfathers should be visited on the (hiccup) third and fourth generation ? Time congregation of the said church being unused to the workings of the spirit in their own lungs, did with one voice order and insist that the said de fendant, David Davis, should be forthwith forcibly expelled from their tabernacle; and, in accordance therewith, he was taken by the nape of the neck and slack of the breech, by the policeman afore said, and carried or dragged to the police-station, Si' nate, standing, or being in and about a certain place or street, commonly called or known by the name of the rookery, in the parish of St. Giles's, there to abide till the spirit had evaporated, con densed, died, or otherwise been disposed. Mr. LAING (to the defendant)—What are you ? Defendant—A shoemaker, your Vorship. What have you got to say in answer to the charge ?—Vy, your Vorship, I have nothing to say, enly that I had been velcoming the new year in, and drowning the last of the old'un in a bumper of gin with my friends, an so I parted with my awl among 'ern, and on my way home, yen passing Mr. Irving 's chapel, the spirits worked on me to go in, and I see Mr. Irving leaning upon the red velvet cushion, so I just ax'd him the question. But your Vorship, I'm sorry from my soul as I committed myself. The Magistrate told him he was a foolish fellow and ordered him to find bail, in default of which poor David was locked up to console himself on his spiri tual adventure. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. LONDON MARKETS. (From the London New Pricy Current of yesterday.) SUGAR.-The market for West India Muscovades was shut all the last week. The stock of West India Sugar is now 32,302 hhds. and trs., which is 2,900 less than last year. the stork of Mauritius 74,284 bags, being 54,257 more than last year. The delivery of West India Sugar last week 2,621 lahels. and trs., being nine more than last year. The delivery of Mauritius 3,591 bags, teeing 2,232 more than in the corresponding week. The market opened with much briskness this morning ; the buyers, having lately kept no stork, were eager to pur chase, and came forward at au unusually early hour, taking all the West India Muscovades that offered, at the former prices ; the holders immediately asked an advance, which checked the market, but at the close of the day the esti mated sales were 1,800 Weds. and tea., at the advance of 18. per cwt. In the Refined Market there was little bull :lneas nd a s last ni week, being v e ryexcept scarce, in o I s. Lumps, advance which was o werbetaid inn obtained; hew quality said at 60s. ; and fine goods were neglected. This afternoon no low Lumps offer under 60s. ; the finer qualities are neglected. Molasses 225. 6d. EAST INDIA Suoan•--Considerable sales of Mauri tius arc reported by private contract at Is. advance ; in Bengal and other Etta India Sugars no sales, but the Mar ket looks very firm. FOREIGN Such% a.-The inquiries for Foreign Sugar last week for shipping were considerable, but there were few parcels offering on the Mazket for sale. Average price of Sugar 11. 2s. 5-9. per cwt. COFFEE.-The Coffee Market has been without interest, the only sales reported are parcels of Jamaica and other llntish Plantation Coffee at very full Market prices. This day's sale 31 casks 451 bags Berbice and Demerara sold rather lower ; 440 hags ordinary Brazil were takes in at 335. ; 386 hales Menthe, good sold at 845., the latter the full Market price. Coffee is languid, no purchases by pri vate contract are reported. Rum, MUNDT, AND HoLLANDs.-There were no par cels 01 Hum of any extent reported sold last week. Brandy of the first marks sold at 4s. 7d. in small parcels ; and some pale Geneva 2s. 9,1. to 2s. 10d., which is Id. to 2d. lower, on account of small arrivals. HEMP, FLAX, AND TALLOW.--.The Tallow Market has been very steady, but the prices are rather looking up wards. In Hemp or Flax there is no alteration. IRISH PROVP;IONS.-The import of Foreign Butter in the last week was 4,092 casks ; of Irish, 3,932 firks. and of Bacon 2,889 bales. Fine Friesland Butter, at the Quay, 9wl as s. °gnu board,oterl l a o n O ds 9 a 35 1 . 0s a 4 9. s . Co k landed lowa. to quality, 90s. a,96e. ; Wiceiford, 86s. a 925. ; N e wry, Sligo, Dublin, &e. 80s. a 88s. landed at these quotations ; the transactions have been for the last few days very limited, tt;e chersemongers purchasing merely to supply their immediate wants. In B icon very few sales making on board, p r i me s i nge d W a t er f or d, 45 e . a 47 a . ; an d Li merick, 435. and 445. landed. Bladder Lard, 635. a 675., and fine Irish Hams, 65.. a 745. landed. Bale and tierce Middles, 455. a 48s. landed. In Beef and Pork not much doing ; the former is held for improvement in price. SALTPETRE -The Market is dull; the prices are a shade lower. This day's sale 727 bags of Saltpetre, of superior quality, 54- refraction, sold at 39i. a 395. 6d, COTTON.-Thcre is no alteration in the prices of Cot ton , the Market is steady, with an appearance of an im p, ovement. Tie sales for the week are very limited. ASIIES.-Ashes leave long been of heavy sale; the recent arrivals from Quebec leave rendered quotations nominal. Oats.--Fi‘h Ws continue heavy, but Seed and Olive Oils are firm and looking up. The demand for exporta— tion as well as home trade is great; large sales have been made for immediate and future deliveries. TEA.—The Market continues stationary, and with but few transactions. Boheas are still in some demand. Itintnn.—The accounts from Bengal yesterday still state a short crop, and as the quantity declared for the next sale will he very small, not at present exceeding 3,200 chests, the Market looks more firm. Hors.—There is no alteration in flops. Feuer. --Several sales of Fruit are reported; the prices are steady. Cocoa. —This day 100 bags Brazil Cocoa were taken in at 225. ToßAcco.—The sales are confintd to small parcels to the trade. COUNTRY CORN 'MARKETS DURING THE WEEK. Wheat. Barley. Oats. 1 Beans. --- ----- 1 ---• Per Quarter. s. to s. s. to s. s. to s. s. to s. Boston -------- 57 30 19 34 -- tiainsborough --.— 5$ 35 19 _ 39 Grantham ---- 55 56 32 38 19 25 43 46 tirilusby llorticastle---.... 50 57 28 35 18 23 35 38 Lincoln Spilsby - Stamford 46 64 34 38 21 22 40 Y0rk..... 54 68 30 42 18 28 36 48 .—..—........ BIRTHS. On the 30th ult. in Brook-street, Grosvenor.square, the lady of P. F. Robinson, Esq., of a son. On the 3d inst. in I.pper Harley-street, the lady of J. Rivet' Carnac, Esq. of a daughter. On the 2d inst. in Portland-place, the lady of J. Jones, Esq., of a daughter. MARRIED. On the 3d inst. at St. Margaret's, Westminster, Mr. Charles Howard, of Old Palace-yard, to Caroline, only daughter of the late T. Buck, Esq., of Newington. D l ED. On the 31st ult. at the Rectory, Stanmer, the Rev. T. Baker , Canon Residentiary of Chichester. On the 443 inst. in Duke-street, St. James's, J. Dolbell, Esq. Lte of the 4th regiment of Dragoons, aged 30. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED WY lOU TIDO YOUNG, RT ;11 fi SVN OFrIGE, 11*), STIlivD, LONDON.