The Sun. — London, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

would not pain and grieve him by the way in which I the: f spoke regarding his appointment. His hon. and gal lar It friend had also referred to the vice and rear adm iral s • o f the fleet ; but the committee consideredthat those s.f.fic es bore some analogy to the rank of field- marshals m ii ie army ; and inasmuch as there were only t hose offices at all analogous to the office of field-marshal, the salary of one being about 4501. and that of the o tber 3501., it was thought on the whole advisable that t hose two offices should not be abolished. (Hear, heart i ma Sir G. PECHELL thought the ° right hon. gent had wholly mistaken his observat i ons. The two Bic of vice and rear-admiral were sinecures, and what :he complained of was that they should be giv en toadmix, o ; have of the fleet. Let the officers of the fleet any 6 im the country wished to give them —they were two -dis tinguished officers at the head of the . navy; bu t di tho i s a eit d wo offices to which he referred belonged to the au c a partment, and were, he believed, under the Judge of the Admiralty. With regard to the gallant officer re ferred to, he perfectly agreed in all that the right lon. baronet had said respecting him. There was no occa sion, however, to give to those gallant officers situations which should be distributed amongst those who were not so well off. Sir J. GRAHAM said, as far as he was aware of the circumstances, the vice and rear-admirals of England were now, as it were by accident, also admirals of th e fleet. T he appointments of vice and rear-admirals of England were made by selection, and made he be lieved almost universally from amongst the officers most distinguished in the service. With regard to the admirals of the fleet, they succeeded by senior ity to the top of the admirals' list, and it so happened that the Vice and Rear Admirals of England, Sir Dyam Martin and Sir George Cockburn, did, by seniority, get to the top of the list. They were aged men, but most superior officers, and such a circumstance was not likely again to occur. Mr. STAFFORD said the right hon. baronet had given him advice as to the mode in which he should act, and it was not the first time they had on that side re ceived advice from the opposite side of the house.. He thought it would be well if the right hon. baronet had stopped the hon. gentleman in his charge when the Chat ham petition committee was named. It did not strike the right hon. gentleman while the accusation was going on that there was anything wrong in it ; but when it came to be a question of defence the right honourable baronet suggested to him to postpone his answer until the fitting time for it arrived. If it were a proper time to bring forward a charge, it was likewise the proper time to make the defence. The honourable and gallant gentleman who made the charge said he had been premature in his eulogy on the late board, and his censure on that board might prove to be prema ture also ; it would have been fairer for him to wait until they had heard something more than the open!ing speech of the counsel for the petitioners before the Chat ham committee. He did not know anything of the pro ceedings of the committee, but he promised to take the advice, and more than the advice, of the right hon onra ble baronet, and, except something was brought forward in a less chaotic form and in a more palpable shape, he would not defend himself from a charge which W 11.4 not distinctly made. He begged to call attention to the fact that a charge that should be in vote 3 was removed to vote 1. It had reference to an officer employed on shore, but who was kept on the books of a flag-ship, to perform certain duties which were not strictly within the scope of the vote No. 1. He would be glad to hear some ex planation with respect to this arrangement, which affected a. most gallant and meritorious officer (Captain Warden), and the situation he occupied in connection with the steam executive of the navy. Sir 3. GRAHAM said the services of the officer re ferred to were of the most valuable kind, and he did not think they could be obtained in a more effective manner than at present. As at present advised, he was not pre pared to alter the arrangement with regard to Captain Warden. Mr. OSBORNE said that when the charge was made by the gallant admiral behind him, his right hon. friend the First Lord of the Admiralty had observed to him that it was perfectly irregular ' • but the experience of his hon. friend opposite must show him that it was more the duty of the chairman to check the hon. and gallant admiral than of the First Lord of the Admiralty. So far as the Board of Admiralty was concerned, there was no charge made by them against the conduct of the previous board. Sir F. BARING begged to explain that it was not easy to obtain the services of an officer for a shore ap pointment, unless he was put on the books of some ship. Captain Warden, as well as he recollected, was actually in the command of a ship when he took this situation and abandoned that command. (Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME called attention to the fact that this vote was greater by 2,600/. than it was last year. He begged to confirm the statement of the First Lord of the Ad miralty, respecting what had taken place in the commit tee in reference to the appointment of vice and rear admirals. The officers referred to were to retain their sinecure appointments ; and as to the other sinecures, the money was to be laid out in good service pensions. They should see that the money was properly applied. and it was a question whether they had a right to award 1501. to Captain Warden, the last person who had ob tained a portion of that money, for services connected with the Burmese war. lie wished to know when an effort would be made to bring the whole Admiralty de partment under one roof, and complained of the apart ments where the charts were kept at present in this country. The charts were kept in a garret, but in Paris they were kept in a saloon. (Hear, hear.) He thought the time was come when his right hon. friend (Sir J. Graham) ought to turn his mind to the consideration of how far the Admiralty department might be brought under one head. He (Mr. Hume) greatly admired the French system, where the whole of the revenue depart ment was under one management. The expense was not so much a matter of consideration ; efficiency was what they ought to look to. He also strongly objected to the practice of changing the Lords of the Admiralty with every change of administration. It was a great evil both to the country and to the service. He thought, too, that it was not to the interest of the public service that the First Lord of the Treasury and the First Lord of the Admiralty should have to come down every day to form a house, and in order, as it were, to make an appearance. Reverting to the practice of changing the Lord of the Admiralty with a change of administration, he thought it fit and proper that the First Lord of the Admiralty; and the Secretary to the Admiralty, should be changed on a change of Government, but no other member of that department. The inconvenience of the present practice had been demonstrated in the case of Lord Derby's Administration. There was no man more calculated to do honour to the service of the navy, and to promote its interests, than the Duke of Northumber land • but on his appointment to the office of First Lord of th e Admiralty, on the accession to power of Lord Derby, he was obliged to have recourse to strangers in conducting the affairs of the department, instead of to the men who had acquired such a considerable amount of experience in that department under the preceding Government. He (Mr. Hume) hoped this question would be taken into consideration at a future period, and that his right hon. friend (Sir J. Graham) would shortly be able to devise some remedy. Sir J. GRAHAM begged to remind his hon. friend the member for Montrose, that before the committee on salaries he (Sir J. Graham) had stated not only on his own experience, but from declarations, in which he entirely concurred, made to him by Earl Spencer, who was a most distinguished First Lord of the Admiralty, that it was his opinion, considering the duty of that board, and its constitution, that it was indispensable for the public service that there should be -resident at the Admiralty at all times a sufficient number of members to consti stitute a board ; in other words, that there ought to be at all times present there, day and night, at least two Lords of the Admiralty and the Secretary. Communi cations frequentlyarrived at the Admiralty from the outports, requiring in some cases an immediate answer, and there was great advantage to the public service in having on the premises at all times, or on the shortest possible notice, some members of the board. His hon. friend (Mr. Hume) thought the interests of the public service demanded that ° the Lords of the Admiralty should be at their posts before ten o'clock in the morning ; but he (Sir J. Graham) would submit that, under the present system of parliamentary government, which required that the heads of public departmetts should be in attendance in that house, where they were frequently detained until one or two o'clock in the morn ing, it was not reasonable to expect that the Lords of the Admiralty could be at their posts at the Admiralty so early as half-past nine or ten o'clock in the morning. Nor did he think it reasonable, considering the vicissi tudes and changes of political Government, to call upon distinguish e d officers holding offices at the Admiralty, to come from the outports and make arrangements for their residence in town. Again, to say that the administration was not to have any of their political friends members of the Board of Admiralty was a condemation of our parlia mentary representative system. He agreed with his honourable friend (Mr. Hume) that real efficiency was a sound and true Political principle in the management of a public depar tment, He thought also that the concen tration of the service of the Board of Admiralty in one edifice would be an advant age to the public, and fulfil the dictum that economy and efficiency were identi cal. His honourable friend had referred to the depart ment of the Admira lt y in Fran ce,. but he (Sir J. Graham would remind hi m that th e nGovernmentsplendid of France was for the most part carried build ings, and by immense establishments. Re b e li eved that, in the French Board of Admiralty, they had a greater number of clerks than we had. (No, no . ) Re repeated he was favourable to the idea of having the department of the Admiralty conducted in one edifice, but, before he could give any pledge to carry that into effect, the house must look very narrowly into the plans, and scrutinise the estimates with great care. Mr. VERNON begged to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it was the intention of that depart ment to make any further use of preserved meats at all for provisioning the navy, and whether any contract h ad been taken for that purpose ? Sir J. GRAHAM said there was none of Goldner's preserved meats now in store. There was no fresh con tract entered into for a further supply ; and no pre served meat was now used in the navy, except very small quantities as comforts for the service. He might add, that steps had been taken to proceed against Goldner and his sureties for the penalty. Captain SCOBELL complained that the officers of the navy were suffering a great deal of disappointment, in asmuch as they felt that nine-tenths of the promotions in the navy in a time of peace, under the present system, were filled up from parliamentary or family influence. Sir F. BARING felt it hiaiduty to give distinctly and solemnly to the committee a complete contradiction to the assertion of the hon. member (Captain Scobell). (Cheers.) lie (Sir F. Baring) could assure the commit tee most distinctly and solemnly that the promotions in the navy were not made the means of political patron age, either of rewarding one side, or of gaining the were any pro, o th e r, during his tenure of office ; nor THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 22, 1853. motions made from considerations of a political or family kind at all. (Hear, hear.) _ _ Captain SCOBELL said he meant nothing personal to any particular Admiralty. He meant the expres sions he used to apply to all Admiralties since he was born. (Laughter.) Sir G. TYLER defended the "good service" pen sion held by Captain Lambert, than whom, he said, he believed there was no officer in the service who more deserved the consideration of his country. (Hear.) Mr. HUME reminded the committee that when he was a member of the committee on salaries, he laid on the table of the committee a plan for forming the un gainly and unsightly buildings in Downing-street into a regular square, so to comprise the offices of the whole of the public departments ; and he repeated his wish that his right hon. friend (Sir J. Graham) would turn his attention again to some such proposition. Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE said he did not under stand his hon. friend (Mr. Hume) to make any reflection on Captain Lambert. . The vote was then agreed to. The next was a vote of 34,9391. to defray the salaries and contingent expenses of the scientific department of the navy. Mr. E. ELLICE, jun., complained that the state of our coasts as regarded the hydrographic survey was most disgraceful. The hydrographer himself had stated that we knew more of the coast of Otaheite than of that of Scotland. Since 1844 there had been 37 charts com pleted and sent in to the Admiralty, 18 of which had only been published, and those were six years in course of publication. He really thought that something should be done to remedy this grievance. Sir J. GRAHAM said that the very circumstance that there was a large accumulation of surveys taken some years ago, and not yet published, was a justification of the suspension of pushing those surveys further. (No, no.) Besides, what was the use of a survey until it was actually tested ? He remembered some years ago an officer being employed in surveying the river Thames. Some years had elapsed, and he found the same officer still employed in the same service. (Laughter.) Mr. HUME reminded the committee that England was the chief maritime power. We had undoubtedly dangerous coasts, and it was a discredit and a disg race to be told that we had not surveys of our own coasts. Sir J. GRAHAM deprecated the issue of charts in that imperfect state in which it was probable they would be issued if sufficient time were not allowed for their proper examination by the hydrogra,pher previous to their publication. Sir F. BARING was of opinion, that, considering the great importance to the commeetial and maritime interests of the country to have an increased supply of charts, additional assistance should be rendered to Ad miral Beaufort, the present hydrographer, in order to enable that officer to examine and report upon additional charts. He thought that all questions connected with the harbour department should be taken from the hy drographer, and transferred to the Board of Admiralty. Sir J. GRAHAM stated that he had only proposed to take a vote for six months, in order to enable him to examine the whole subject, and consider what, if any, assistance should be rendered to the office ot the hydro grapher. Mr. HUME hoped that the price of the Nautical Al manac would be reduced to half-a-crown, a price which would amply repay the price of its preparation and printing, while it would at the same time tend greatly to increase the sale of the work. Sir J. GRAHAM stated that a reduction in price had taken place within the last two years. The vote was then agreed to. The next vote proposed was a sum of 134,2301. for de fraying the salaries of officers of the naval establishments at home. Mr. TUFNELL called attention to the low rate of wages paid to the shipwrights in the dockyards. Neither the pensions allowed to the workmen, nor the medical assistance, which, in case .of accident, was gratuitously offered them, was, in his opinion, sufficient to compensate for the low rate of wages paid. An extensive emigration was taking place, which would have a tendency to increase the rate of wages, and draw the skilled hands away from the royal to the private dockyards. The Government ought to have the services of the most skilful workmen that could be obtained ; this, however, they would not be able to secure unless some alteration were made in the rate of wages. He trusted that the subject would re ceive the best attention at the hands of the Government. (Hear.) Mr. 'COLLIER believed that a permanent increase in the rate of wages was now taking place throughout the country, and it was most desirable that the royal dock yards should be supplied with skilled labour fully equal to that employed in private yards. He concurred in the opinion expressed by the hon. member who had preceded him, that it was necessary to raise the rate of wages, in order to secure the necessary s u pply o f s kill e d labour. Sir J. GRAHAM stated that the Admiralty had given a most patient consideration to the subject re ferred to, and although he admitted that the workmen ought not to be paid a lower rate of wages in the royal than in ordinary yards, still it must be remembered that they ought not to receive one farthing more than the market value of their labour. Ile did not believe, not withstanding- the complaints which had been made, that there was at present a single vacancy in one of the royal yards, and even if there were any they would be imnie dia.tely filled. It did not appear, therefore, that they were below the market rate of wages. When he was last at the Admiralty the rate of wages was reduced _ _ from ss. to 4s. per day. The shipwrights were then working five clays out of Si; they were now working six days per week, and they had also permission to re sume , task work. In case of accident the men were allowed half their wages, and had medical attendance gratis. . After a service of twenty years, they were also allowed to retire on a pension ; and if the business of the dockyards were administered without any con sideration of political influence, promotion was open to every man, from the highest to the lowest. He be lieved that they might safely adhere to the present rate of wages, and neither he nor his colleagues, after giving the best attention tb the subject, was prepared to add in the least degree to the present rate of wages given to workmen in the dockyards. Mr. B. OSBORNE said that the subject was one which must be regulated by the ordinary rules of supply and demand, and he could assure the committee that he was at- present actually inundated with applications for situations. Mr. M. CHAMBERS considered that some mistake had been made by the Admiralty with respect to the rate of remuneration given to the workmen in the dock yards. He had felt it his duty to make careful inquiries on the subject, and the result was, to convince him of the urgent necessity of making some alteration in the present rate of wages. There were three classes of workmen—shipwrights, joiners, and sawyers. The ship wrights had nominally 265. per week, and out of that sum one shilling was deducted in order to form a super annuation fund • and second shilling towards obtaining medical attendance in case of accident. The super annuation fund, therefore, was one to which they were entitled by their own contributions. Medical attendance was also paid for by the workmen ; but they were not allowed the benefit of that attendance unless they lived within sound of the bell of the dockyard. Neither of these privileges ought, therefore, to be considered as additions to the wages of the shipwrights. He found, also, that in private yards the rate of wages wad from 365. to 425. per week, so that it could not be fairly con tended that the wages given in the royal dockyards was equal to the ordinary market price. Great complaints had been made of the character of the vessels usually sent out of our dockyards ; but if they were anxious to turn out good work they must obtain the services of good workmen, and this could only be done by giving the workmen good remuneration for their services. (Hear.) Ship-joiners, who were a higher class of workmen, could earn in private dockyards from 30s. to 365. per week, while in the royal yards only 21s. per week was paid. Sawyers, working in pairs, could only earn in Deptford dockyard, by working from seven in the morning until dusk, sawing hard wood, 355. the pair, or 17s. 6d. per week each, whereas, if they were to go into an ordinary timber-yard, they could obtain 30s. per week for sawing deals and other soft wood. Emigration was now the fashion of the day, and he was sorry to hear that meet ings had been held, and disposition evinced on the part of some of the men employed in the dockyard to emi grate, in consequence of the low rate of wages ; many of the men, however, were prevented from doing so by the circumstance of their having paid many years into the superannuation fund, and did not wish to lose the amount they had so paid. It had been said that the dockyard men were comparatively better paid than work men in the country. It should be recollected, however, that they were much higher taxed. In Woolwich and Deptford they had to pay parish rates, town rates, health of towns rates, and other local taxes. They had, further, to pay high rents. They were obliged, too, to live within sound of the dockyard bell, in order that they might be ready in case of fire. Altogether, therefore, their expenses were much higher than those of many persons of the same rank in the country, who, though they might receive lower wages, were able to expend their money in a more advantageous manner. As a reformer, he had been exceedingly surprised at a sug gestion that these men should be deprived of the elective franchise. Such a measure could not be justified on any ground of policy. Besides, if it were adopted, the best men would be lost to the public, for they certainly could not be expected to remain in a service where their rights and privileges were taken away. These men knew that they had rights and privileges ; more over, they knew how to use them. He (Mr. Chambers) was an instance of their privileges baying been used in dependently. (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) Under all the circumstances, he sincerely hoped that the case of the dockyard artificers would be seriously considered before the project was entertained of depriving them of the franchise ; for he was certain that the best class of men would not enter if they found they were to be liable to the penalty of disfranchisment. Mr. HUME admired the candour of . the hon. and learned gentleman, when he said he was an instance of the way in which the dockyard artificers exerted their right of franchise. Would the hon. and learned gentle man tell the house what bad been the expenses of his election ? (Hear, and a l aug h .) He (Mr. Hume) had never during the whole of his political life, bad the pa tronage or the appointment of a single dockyard car penter, nor had he evet sat for a dockyard; but he k n ew that the principle upon which such establishments should be conducted was that of supply and demand. He contended that the efficiency of the dockyards could only be restored by the franchise bein g tak en away. As t o the objections which bad been made to building ships by contract, he feared the honourable and learned mem ber had not enjoyed many opportunities of seeing what was going on in the large private building yards. There he would not find ships cut in two, and made to undergo all sorts of metamorphoses, regardless of cost. Mr. MACGREGOR said this was the first time he had heard the policy of the First Lord of the Admiralty condemned because wages were not sufficiently high. As to the general management of the dockyards of this country, he had no hesitation in saying that there was not one which did not require a complete re-organisa tion, to accomplish which he knew of no man more cap able than the present First Lord of the Admiralty. Lord MONCK said there was a strong feeling among the artisans in the dockyards that they were not over paid, but underpaid ; and he was sure that no more in judicious proposition could be made than to disfranchise them. Mr. WILLIAMS contended that unless the dock yard men were deprived of the franchise, there would be no possibility of economical management. He attributed to the present system all the jobbing and extravagance which prevailed. After a few words from Mr. PHINN, Sir F. BARING was aware he was open to the ob jection that he sat for a dockyard ; but he might be allowed to say what he thought to be the right prin ciple in the case. The wages of public departments could not rise and fall like those paid in private con cerns ; but at the same time, if there was a permament rise or a permanent fall in the wages of private establish ments, those of the public yards must follow. As to disfranchisement, if attempts were made to deprive the men employed in the dockyards of their electoral privileges, his right honourable friend at the head of the Admiralty would find him (Sir F. Baring) join ing the chorus of the members for the dockyards. Disfranchisement, in his opinion, was perfectly unneces sary, because the taking away of the right of voting would not destroy the system of patronage. Captain BOLDERO called attention to the case of the assistant-surgeons in the Royal. Navy. In the year 1850, the house upon his motion, adopted a resolution declar:ng that the accommodations provided for these valuable officers was insufficient to secure the full benefit of their services. This resolution was carried in hostility to the views of the Admiralty, whose feelings were displayed in the memoran dum or order which was issued in consequence of the re solution of the house. On one or two occasions he had given notice of a motion to bring the question under the notice of the house ; but he received from the right hon. baronet the member for Portsmouth (Sir F. Baring), then at the head of the Admiralty, an assurance that he was disposed to carry out the rezolution of the house in a fair spirit. But he had learned that the assistant-surgeons had been refused accommodation, even when they were eligible for it, according to the terms of the memorandum. He knew, further, of some cases where superior authorities having steppedin, these gentlemen had cabins. prow ided for them. He had not had an opportunity of testing the late Board of Admiralty, but he was anxious to ascertain the views of the present board in carrying out the resolu tion of the house. The terms of the memorandum he con ceived to be rather offensive ; for it said the assistant-sur geons were "to be allowed cabins when the accommodation on board Rill admit." He had received a return from the ships on the Mediterranean station relative to twelve assistant-surgeons, al' of whom irad passed for the higher rank of surgeon. But of the twelve only five had received cabins ; and out of the five, only two had this little advan tage in the ward-room. The treatment of these gen tlemen was producing its natural fruits, for the elite of the candidates from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, and London shunned the service. In one or two of the colleges, he be lieved, they had come to a resolution that they would not enter the naval service until this, which they considered a moral degradation, was removed. At the present time he believed there were very few candidates for assistant sur geoncies in the navy. A short period back there were only five, he was told ; and he doubted w h e th er th e y amoun t e d to ten. At all events, in the army the candidates were reckoned by hundreds, whilst in the navy they could only be counted by units. Under these circumstances, he asked the house whether it was desirable to continue a system which was unjust to the men, and injurious to the efficiency of her Majesty's service. If the present system was per sisted in, the result would bo that the navy would not have a single properly qualified candidate to fill any vacancy as assistant-surgeon in the Royal Navy. Admiral BERKELEY was one of the Board of Admi ralty in 1850, when the hon. and gallant officer thought fit to bring before the house the case of the assistant-surgeons, and he thought upon mature consideration he would almost regret having done so. [Capt. Eoldero : Not at all.] H o w would he lik, if he were colonel of a regiment, for the dis cipline of that regiment to be regulated by a naval officer. The hon. and gallant gentleman said the Board of Admi ralty had evaded the question, and not carried the resolu tion which the house had agreed to. But when that resolu tion was affirmed, Lthe right hon. !member for Portsmouth, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty, said that in Con sequence of the majority being so small, and every naval officer voting with the minority, he should bow to the deci sion of the house only to this extent, that where cabins could be formed, not trenching on the comforts of the men and not interfering with the efficiency of the ships, in such vessels a cabin should be built for the assistant-surgeons. Such was the direction which the right hon. baronet gave to the surveyor of the navy, and a cabin had been built in every ship fitting out since, where accommodation of the men was amply provided. By the course which the hon. and gallant officer was taking, he was endeavouring to cause the greatest dissatisfaction throughout the navy, by endeavouring to place the assistant-surgeons above their superior officers, the mates. Those men were obliged to study quite as much as the assistant surgeons to obtain certificates of merit, and they desired to keep quiet in the gun-room. He believed the gun-room was quite as quiet as the ward-room. In the ward-room every young officer was a fiddler or a fluter—(a laugh)—but they could not practise in the gun-room, because when they were there they had to study navigation. As to the youngsters, they could not interfere with the studies of the assistant-sur geons, because they only used the gun-room to take their meals, and were in the school-room the rest of their time. He was sorry to say that the assistant-surgeons' cabin had been a source of great mischief in many ships, being turned to purposes of conviviality rather than to purposes of study. The assistant-surgeons were remarkably well off, were well paid, and, as to not having any candidates, fifty-four entered the service only last week. (Hear.) Mr. H UME was not aware before that every naval officer in the house voted in the minority on a former occasion, and be regretted they should have shown so little consider ation for the service. The question was, ought they, or not, to obtain as able and efficient medical men for the navy as for other branches of the service ? At present it was the last place they went to. They came to the navy if they could find employment nowhere else. In the army and in the Indian service they were treated as gentlemen, but in the navy the steam-officers had cabins allotted to them, whilst it was denied to the assistant-surgeons, and the best men were thus driven from entering it. He ap pealed to the right hon. baronet the First Lord of the Ad miralty whether men brought up as gentlemen, and not admitted under twenty-two years of age, ought to be placed with young men admir - v al ery . of en much inferior in age, a th n e d 'fl a u s te t , h a e nd haring no place to had said, addicted pAieto to the fiddle or highly of what the hon. and galla,nt gent . lem H an e and he hoped he would persevere until justice was done to this important class. (Hear, hear.) rosmaidotneethßeo c t o ir m d fo o rt f A of dmir e alty could more 88. disposedß O R to N E p be 3lr. than and t he gallantprese board.t member (Capt. If p h t i B recollection io e i v dr 0)a carriednkw the service a hon. his resolution in 1850, by surprise : ; the di • was taken first and the discussion afterward:; ; in a thinn was voted and 40 against it ; and that was a time when il" 'the 4B navy estimates were not so popular as they were now. H was sorry the hon. member for Montrose had e taken a course now different tc% what he took on that occasion. The hon. member said then it was a question of details, which should be left to the consideration of the Admiralty. In fact, the whole question was a question for the Board of Admiralty. It was a question of space, with which naval men were alone competent to deal. Since 1809, he was confident there was n o - class of men whose comforts were more attended to than assistant surgeons. He found that in 1840 a commission sat and inquired into this very circumstance, and the commis sioners included men whose opinion would be received with deference by the honourable• and gallant captain—the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Richmond, Lord Mel bourne, Lord Hill, Sir ,G. C ockb urn, the present Sir H. Hardinge, and Sir Hussey Vivian. They considered the possibility of removing the medical officers from the cock pit to mess with the lieutenants, and they said in their re port, " On full consideration we find practical difficulties in the way of making any arran gements to accomplish this in a satisfactory and uniform. manner in all classes of ships. The accommodation afforded of late years to this class of officers is so improved as t o render the removal less essential, and we are, therefore, not prepared to make a n y re p rese ntation in this respect." In 18-M, orders were given that every ship above a s ixth-rate should have a cabin fitted up, in which, if they preferred, the mates, 53- sistant-surgeons, second masters,, and post clerks might mess together, instead of messing , with the midshipmen. The hon. and gallant mem ber said nothing had been done on the resolution of 1850, and that the order for giving those cabins, when the acc ommod. ation and space on board would admit, was an insult . He thought, when the gal lant member looked at it dispassionately, he would see that was the language or compliment, and not the language of insult. By a return in May, 1851, it appeared the greater number of assistant-surgeons had these cabins, and the order was carried out whenever space would admit of erecting them. He was the last man to offer an insult to a profession in which were many dist inguish and gallant men, and to sum up in the words of the hon. member for Montrose, this was a questio n of detail which must be left to the Admiralty. Captain BOLDERO explained!, in reply to Admiral Berkeley, that nothing was further from his thoughts than to endeavour to create dissatisfaction in the navy. After a few words from Captain SCOBELL and Mr. PEACOCKE, the vote was agreed to. A vote of 22,764/. for her Majesty's establishments abroad was also agreed. to. A vote of 683,648/. was next proposed for wages to arti ficers, &c., employed in her Alajesty's establishments at home. A vote of 35,5661. wages to artificers abr oad was also agreed to. Mr. HUME wished to ask whether the dockyard batta lions, the raising of which had cost 70,0301 that ~ we the re capaouldble of working great guns ?It had been stated y c not do anything of the Lind. Admiral BERKELEY said that was quite oul a mistake. They had been trained t o work groat guns, and cd manage them very well. The vote was then agreed to. Upon a vote being pr o p osed of 1,023,0111 . for naval stores, and for the building and repairs of ships, Mr. HUME called attenti contracts forswate which had been occasioned by entering into a greater quantity, of stores than were wanted, particularly timber, and to abuses which prevailed in the measurement and delivery of coals. Sir J. GRAHAM remarked that , the reduction of the stores had been made tho subject of an accusation agains , his former administration of the Admiralty, but on return ing to office he found that the standard of the principal articles remained as he had fixed it. (Hear, hear.) There had been a great increase in the price of stores and in the single article of copper the additional expense was 60,000/. Iron, also, had risen 70 or 80 per cent. within the last two years, and timber was much dearer. The increase in the estimates upon these three articles was 140,000/. The vote was then agreed to, as wore also the following votes : 256,9481. for new works, improvem e nts, and repairs in the yards, &c. • 26,0a0/. for medicines and medical s c o res. 57,4271. for miscellaneous services. half- The next vote was 687,5751. for Iv:if-pay, reserved a nd Royal pp.y, and retirement to officers o f the Navy Marines. Mr. lIITME expressed a hopecou that steps w reould b al e ta th ke an n to limit promotion. Nothing ld be mo farcic the way in which we went on promoting admirals. We had in the army men sent out outm who cre of no use - and in India, of three commanders-in chief, not one liad the seat of war. fiir J. GRAHAM o bserved that a limit had already been fixed to the number of admirals in active service, and , that, whatever might be the case in the army, an admiral could not help being at the seat of war when his ship was engaged with the enemy. Captain SCOBELL observed that 95 cadets had entered the service lalt year, instead of 75, the number prescribed by the Admiralty regulation. The number of cadets admit ted into the service during the last eleven years had amounted to 1,433, while there had been only 595 mates promoted to lieutenancies, and the number of cadets ad mitted this year exceeded that of any former year, and amounted to more than 100 . The consequence of this was that there were between 303 and 400 mates, who had passed their examination for lieutenancies, waiting for promotion, whereas there had been only 52 vacant lieu tenancies during the past year. He thought, therefore, that it would be absolutely necessary to reduce the num ber of cadets admitted into the navy. Sir J. GRAHAM entirely agreed with the gallant of ficer that it was necessary to check the number of those admitted into the service, but the evil complained of had been, to a great extent, cured by recent regulations. The Admiralty regulation limited the number of cadets ad mitted, but there had been what he considered a very pro per indulgence extended to captains on their first appoint. ment (as we understood) of nominating cadets, and the ex cess alluded to had arisen from this cause. As far as the Admiralty, however, was concerned, the regulation was en forced that the number should not exceed 75. The num ber of mates who had passed their examination and were waiting for promotion was 210, and not 300, as stated by the gallant officer. The vote was then agreed to. Two sums, 483,13 41 . for military pensions and allow ances, and 148,394/. for civil pensions and allowances, were also agreed to. A sum of 152,9501. was proposed to be granted for the conveyance of troops, In reply to questions by Sir F. BARING and Mr. HITME, Sir J. GRAHAM said, that in framing the votes he had endeavoured to leave an ample margin, so as fully to cover the expenses of the year. He wished to explain the cause of the increase in this vote, which, strictly speaking, ought to have been included in the army or ordnance esti mates. One-fifth part of the British army was on ship board, at sea, every year; and it was right to consider what was due to the health and comfort of the soldiers under those circumstances. Hitherto there had been pro vision made of berths under hatches for only two-thirds of the entire number on board, while one-third were obliged to remain on deck at all times, without reference ao climate or weather. That was an arrangement so un just, and he might say so cruel to the soldier, that it com manded the attention of th e G overnmen t. The question had been referred to a commission of officers, who decided that due provision should be made for the accommodation of every soldier on board, and hence arose some increase on this vote for the present year. (Hear.) Sir W. JOLLIFFE expressed his great gratification at the statement of the right honourable baronet. A crying evil had existed, whi c h h e h ope d wou ld now b e cure d. It was also a matter of some complaint on the part of officers, that sailors received one-third more provision on shipboard than soldiers, and that the latter had not enough to eat. He wished to ask whether any increase had taken place in the provisions allowed to soldiers at sea ? Sir J. GRAHAM said that it had been decided that the allowance of each sailor should be increased from to 11b. of meat per day, and that a corresponding addition should be made to the rations of the soldier. The Loltiier, how ever, did not undergo the same amount of laho c as the sailor, and it was therefore right that the latter should re ceive a larger allowance. The vote was then agreed to. The Chairman then left the chair, and the house re sumed. Mr. WILSON PATTEN brought up the repoi ;i of Friday night's supply, which was received. GRAND JURY LESS (IRELAND) BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. OFFICE OF EXAMINER OF COURT OF CHAN• CERY BILL. On the motion for going into committee on this bill, Mr. MULLINGS said that he had several amendments to propose in the bill, and he hoped that the Solicitor- General would postpone the committee. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL pressed on the house the propriety of proceeding with the bill. Mr. P aINN would not offer any obstruction to the bill going into committee, but there were several points to which he wished to call his learned friend's (the Solicitor- General's) attention. It was well known that before the bill of last session, with regard to the Master's offices, there were no means in the Coup t of Chancery of obtaining oral evidence of any fact before it, and that bill had afforded facilities as contrasted with the former practice; but there were many questions which would arise upon that bill, and he hoped his learned friend would adopt sugges tions for its improvement in some future measure. When parties now went before the examiner there were no particular facts to which his attention was confined, and there were also no limits within which the examination was conducted. Again, the bill of last session gave no power to the examiner to decide on what evidence was material or relevant to the inquiry ; and the consequences were, a great accumulation of unnecessary a% dence and great expense to the parties. Again, it was necessary to bring witnesses from different parts of the country; and if the duty of examining these witnesses was imposed upon the different district commissioners of bankruptcy, who now enjoyed the lives of comparative idleness, there would be great saving of expense to the parties and of time to the examiners. There were various matters connected with the working of this bill to which he could call his learned friend's attention ; but there was one vice which seemed to pervade the whole system, viz., that while the power of cross-examining was introduced, one person had the oppor tunity of judging of the demeanour of the w itnesses P and another had to decide upon the facts in ignorance of their demeanour thereby destroying the advantage of cross examination. He wished to suggest that an understanding should be come to with the gentlemen who took the office of examiner that they should not be entitled to retire, and claim compensation, should it be hereafter deemed conve nient to impose additional duties upon them, or to render their office rather judicial than minister:al, by requiring them, instead of examining witnesses, to decide points re ferred to them, their decisions being subject to appeal. Mr. WALPOLE thought that the bill ought merely to go through committee eto forma now, because the third clause, relating to retiring allowances for the examiners, required material alteration. The provision for giving a retiring pension to the amount of three quarters of his salary to a ministerial officer, after fifteen years' service, was altogether new ; and it was unreasonable that a person who became an examiner at 30 or 35 years of age should have the option of retiring upon such an allowance at the age of 45 or 50, a time of life when he was best capable of rendering active service to the count r y. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, with respect to the wording of the third clause, that it had been literally copied from the bill of last session. He thought the better plan would be to allow the bill to pass through committee, and ito consider the amendments on bringing up the report. The house then resolved itself into committee, and clause 1 was agreed to, with some verb a l amen d men t s . On clause 2 being proposed, Mr. MULLINGS moved that it be omitts-1. He objected to it because it proposed to establish an entirely new prin ciple with regard to examiners. Ho was quite sure the Solicitor-General would agree with him in thinking that the persons who had been heretofore appointed to these offices, namely, solicitors of goo d s t an di ng , were qu it e as competent, if not more so, to take examinations of this description as barristers of seven years' standing. He thought it desirable to leave the right of appointment, as at present, in the hands of the Lord Chancellor. Mr. MURROUGH also objected to the clause. He thought the attorneys had some right to complain when they found that, step by step, modern legislation had a tendency to strip them of the resting-places which they had been accustomed to enjoy after an arduous life. They now found that colonial governorships, commissionerships in bankruptcy, and examiners in bankruptcy, were to be de voted to those paragons of wisd om an d di scre ti on , banisters of seven years' standing. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) The committee then divided. The numbers were— For the clause 72 Against it 3O Majority for it —42 Mr. MULLINGS felt bound to move that the Chairman report progress, believing that the clause would establish a precedent vicious in principle and pernicious in practice. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL would not object to re pox Ling progress. The motion was then agreed to, the Chairman left the chair, and the house resumed. NEWSPAPER STAMPS. Mr. BROTHERTON moved for a return of the number of newspaper stamps, at one penny, issued to newspapers in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, for 1851 and. 1852, specifying each newspaper by name, and the num ber of stamps issued in each of the above years to each newspaper (in continuation of parliamentary paper, No. 42, of session 1852.) He (Mr. Brotherton) thought this a description of return exceedingly useful. It had been granted in former years, and, though discontinued in 1837, was subsequently resumed. On the subject of newspapers it was desirable that they should have a return up to the latest period. Mr. J. WILSON hoped his honourable friend would not persevere in asking for this return. His honourable friend had stated the case quite correctly as to the return being laid before the house year after year, and discontinued from 1837. It had been chopped on representations from a very large number of editors and proprietors of news papers throughout the country, who complained, and he thought with very great justice, that this was not an ordi nary revenue retina, but one which would interfere with the private concerns of inel;r, :duals. It had been a prin ciple observed in ordering returns, that, whilst they gave every information as regarded the revenue, care should be taken that they should not expose the private concerns of individuals. On this ground this return was dropped in 1837, and when asked for afterwards, it was always refu se d for the same reason. However, hen the committee on newspaper stamps sat two years ago, they called for a return subsequent to the one formerly presented. This was pro duced and laid before the committee, and in the course of last session was pr:ntal as a parliamentary paper with the report of the committee. His honourable friend had now moved for a continuation of the return. There was no hesi tation in laying before the house any return which could elucidate the state of any branch of the revenue, but the house must feel than they were bound to respect the objections brought against returns which interfered with the private transactions of individuals. He thorght his honourable friend would see the force of this objection if he applied the same argument to other branches of the revenue, and how much inconvenience would be felt, for instance, if they called for the quantity of spirits made by private distillers, or for the d-fferent realms made by indi viduals to the income-tax. He thought, therefore, that individuals interested lr.d. a isgirt to complain, and on that ground alone Government objected to give the returns. '_,.'here could. be no obk3tion. whatever to !ay before the cruse rear of newspape' stamp , arranged in classes, as coun;,..y newspapu .s, Scottish, Irish, London weekly, and. London .11y newoane7s, so as rot to interfere with pri vafe concerns, bit ne Fo Jed his hon. friend world not per sist in the present mo.re 1. Mr. GIBSON said he had b:en chairman of the commit tee to which the hon. gent!eman referred to. This matter had come under its considoratioa, and they had been unanimous in calling for the return, though perfectly aware of the objection which had been mentioned, and which' was one incidental, of course, to all returns, that they might perchanc e g i ie i n f orma ti on with regard to the trade of particular persons. His object In supporting his honourable friend was a public one ; he e e zired to have those returns, and he was sure that no other form would Five such satisfactory information as the one proposed. If, incidentally to the production of this return for public purposes, certain information of a more private kind were given, they had at least this satisfaction, that it would give nothing but the pl a i n t ru th as regar d e d the circulation of particular papers. That was his object undoubtedly in supporting this motion. It would make the truth known, and there could be no objection on that ground, for adver• tisers would have the opportunity of judging in what pub lication it would be best to insert their notices, and they had a right to require the means of forming this judgment, having to pay a tax for their advertisements. (Hear, and oh, oh.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXUIIEQUER quite ad mitted that this return, of all the returns relating to the revenue, was the one commonly read with the greatest interest. At the sam• time he hoped that the home would pause before acceding to the motion. He thought it a strong objection to begin with, and one that called for some con sideration, that the production of this return, which had been at one time usual every year, was a practice delibe rately abandoned by the house. Having been thus aban doned in the year 1837, it had never since been resumed by authority of the house, and the subsequent production of seturns on this subject ordered in 1851 was the act, and perhaps the hasty act, of a select committee of the house — at any rate, an act which neither the Government nor the house had an opportunity of considering, and a proceeding which took the proprietors of newspapers completelyiby surprise. This much as regarded the practice of the house up to the present moment. The right hon. member for Manchester argued that thiS return ought to be made be cause it would reveal nothing but the truth. Now, first, if this return should reveal nothing but the truth, that was not of itself a conclusive reason why it ought to be made. It was not the practice of that house to make revelations, without some very strong overruling public interest, as to the private affairs of individuals. He was told that they did not scruple to give information respecting insurance com panies for public purposes, though that information might incidentally involve the exposure of their affair. But it was forgotten that the case of insurance companies belong ed to a class totally different, and one with which the house had always dealt on distinct and opposite principles. The principles followed by the house had always been to respect the secresy of private affairs, but to exercise strict vigi lance and make close scrutiny into the affairs of joint stock companies. It was on that ground that their affairs were sometimes inquired into, and for his part he did not scruple to say that it would be better if this inquiry were more extensively pursued. But the question now was, were they to subject the proprietors of newspapers, per sons engaged in private business on their own account, and carrying on private speculations, to an exposure of their affairs, for which there was no precedent in the course of policy acted upon by the house ? He thought the house would not consent to deal with them on any exceptional principle, which might be justly complained of as inflict ing needless hardship. (Hear.) Undoubtedly the return would make known the truth, but the same remark would apply to publishing returns made under schedule B and D of the income tax, which might give information as to the solvency of particular persons that would be very valuable to other parties deal;ng with them. [An hon. member said there was no stamp in that case.] He could not ad mit that the existence of the stamp made any difference in this point, and what he wanted to impress was the unfair ness of subjecting one class of private traders to the hard ship of an inquisition from which every other class was exempt. Nor could he admit that the convenience of ad vertisers formed any valid reason for inflicting this hard ship. He did not assent without considerable qualification to the doctrine that this return would show nothing but the truth. Had it been raquired from year to y - ear, on a long series of years, undoubtedly it would show nothing but the truth, but to call for such a return upon a particular motion, and with very short no tice given,, undoubtedly held out an opportunity to par ties who desired it, for laying in an extra stock of stamps, and thereby getting up a false appearance of circulation. Whatever, therefore, might be the case as regarded the particular moment of the return, it would be very far from the truth to say that it might be depended upon for giving au accurate view for any lengthened period. (Hear.) But he hoped the house would keep in view the fact of the return having been formerly dropped, after ex perience of its results, on the petition of the parties affected, and the injustice of publish;ng the affairs of those who, after all, were strictly private traders for the supp osed benefit of the world at large. (Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME was quite surprised at the opposition of the right hon. gentleman, and he thought the Government had offered no good reason for opposing the return. If the Government taxed advertisers, they had a right to know where they could get the best credit and the best value for their money. The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn. MANNING OF THE NAVY. Mr. STAFFORD moved for copies of the reports and evidence taken by a committee appointed by the late Board of Admiralty on the subjec:, of manning the navy. Sir J. GRAHAM said the repo_ t had only been placed in his hands last Monday, and he had not yet had time to consider it. It was, therefore, premature to call for its production. Mr. STAFFORD said he would not press the motion under those circumstances, and it was accordingly with drawn. The LORD ADVOCATE brought in the Shelia Court (Scotland) Bill, which was read a first time. On the motion of Mr. WILSON, the house adjourned. PARMA AINTART DIVISION. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FEB. 21. OFFICE OF EXAMINER (COURT OF CHANCERY) BILLS. (In the Committee.) Clause 2—Any person to be hereinafter appointed to the office of Examiner of the High Court of Chancery, shall be a practising barrister in some or one of the courts of law or equity, of not less than seven years' standing in the pro fession. Motion made, and question put, " That the clause, as amended, stand part of the bill." The committee divided—Ayes, 72 ; Noes, 30. IdAJORITY—AYES, 72. A'Cout t, C. H. W. Fagan, W. - Osborne, Ralph Ad , . er ley, C. B. Ferguson,, Sir Robert Palmerston, Viscount Ball, John Ferguson, Joseph Phillips, John Henry Bellew. Captain Gibson, M. Phinn, T. Berkeley, C. F. Gladstone, William Pike, W. .'. Bethel , Richard Goderich, Viscount Rlchardo, 0. Bowyer, George Goodman, Sir George Robartes, T. J. A. Boyle, Colonel Graham, Sir James Russell. LordJ. Brotherton, Joseph Greene, John Russell. F. C. H. Browne, Valentine Gregson, Samuel Sawle, C. B. G. Bruce, Lord Ernest Herbert, H. A. Scobell, Capt. Byng, G. IL Charles Herbert, Sidney Stafford, A. Cardwell, H. E. Hervey, Lord Alfred Stanley, Lr.rd Charter's, F. Heywood, James Stapleton, John Ch isty, Samuel Home, Joseph Vernon, G. E.H. Clinton, Lord Robert Ingham, It obei t Walpole, S. H. Cobbett, J M. Kershaw, James Warier, Edward Coca burn, Sir A. Kirk, William Wilkinson, W. Cowper, W. F. Knatchbull, Wm. F. Wilson, James Craufurd, E. Laslett, William • Wilson, M. Crossley, F. Lowe, Robert Crowdei , Richard B. Milligan, it. Di amlanrig, Viscount Moncreiff, James Duncan, George Roslyn, E. M. East, Sir J. Musgrave, Earl Hayter, W. G. Elliot, John Mute, Col. Berkeley, Granville MINORITY—NOES, 30. TELLEPI. Annesley, Earl of Knox, W. S. S-Irling, W. Barrow, Wm. H. Langton, W. H. Sullivan, H. Brooke, Sir A. B. it acartney, G. Tyler, Sir G. Bait, Isaac Mackenz►e, W. F. Vausittart, G. H. Crook, Joseph M'Cann, J. Waddington, H. S. Fitzgerald, W. R. S. Macgregor, James WrlCott, Adm. Forbes, William Ili'Mahon, Patrick Grogan, Edward Manners, Lord J. Hamilton, Lord C. Mitchell, W. Henley. J. W. Montgomery, Sir G. II mlson, Gem ge Palmer, Robert Dlnl►ings J. Randcf.ph Joliffe, Sir W. G. H. Spooner, Richard Mutrough, J. P. TELLERS. ELECTIONS.—A bill, now printed, has been introduced into the House of Commons "to limit the time for pro ceding to election" in England and Wales. By its pro visions the election is to be held, with the usual for malities, in the counties not later than the 10th and not sooner than the 6th day after the receipt of the writ ; in the boroughs within the period of 6 days. The polling for the Universities also is limited to 5 days (Sundays, Good Fridays, and Christmas Day excepted), to begin at ten o'clock in the morning and close at five o'clock in the afternoon of each day. Powers are like wise given for altering the number of polling places. FRIGHTFUL DEATH OF A BOY, THROUGH FALLING INTO BOILING WATER.—Yesterday a fine boy, named Joseph Somerville, aged six years, and whose parents reside at No. 27, Castle-street, Long-acre, expired in Charing-cross Hospital, after having endured for 15 hours the most acute agony from injuries received under the following melancholy circumstances :—lt appears that on Sunday evening Mrs. Somerville had boiled a large kettle, containing several gallons of water, which she emptied into a capacious tub, for the purpose of washing her children, when, having occasion to go down stairs for something she required, during her absence the deceased, with another child four years old, got playing round the steaming tub, and, in endeavouring to reach across to his brother, overbalanced himself, and fell head foremost into the boiling fluid. His piercing screams brought his mother and the neighbours to his assistance, and the poor little fellow was taken out in nearly a parboiled state. He was instantly conveyed to Charing-cross Hospital, where he was placed under the care of Mr. Adkins, house-surgeon, who rendered every assistance that surgical skill could suggest, but owing to the extensive nature of the injuries, he lingered in the most excruciating torment until death terminated his sufferings. FOREIGN WOOLLENS.—The Customs authorities have, on the application of an eminent firm, with reference to the 39th section of the act Bth and 9th Vict., chap. 91, allowed plain woollen barege shawls to be taken out of bond for the purpose of being bleached, dyed, and printed, upon security being given to return the goods into ware house within two months, an account of the lengths, qualities, and descriptions of the shawls being taken before removal from the warehouse in a book to be kept at each station for the purpose of identifying the goods, as far as practicable, when examined on their return, agreeably to the regulations of April, 1850, respecting slk goods. DEPARTURES FOR AUSTRALIA.—The departures from the port of London for the Australian colonies during the past week have again been numerous, but they have principally consisted of vessels of small tonnage. The number to Sydney was four vessels, with an aggregate Large4 e 6 i 2 r tons tot a andb ur capacityd e o n oo o f tw l o , a 4 s N lB ow t o ns; s Zealand,ix consequentlyt P30,1.77579P7 ship ments continue to be made of manufactured goods and general merchandise, but the quotations for freight show a further te n d enc y to decline. ht tons, Ps of 1T Their MELANCHOLY AFFAIR. Southampton solicitor named Phillips, has been missing from his home for nearly a fortnight. It was stated that his mind was affected. The general impression in Southampton was that he had been murdered while wandering about the country and his body concealed. No intelligence reached Southampton concerning him till Thursday last, when a policeman arrived with the news that the unfortunate gentleman had been found in an outhouse at Droxford, in Hampshire,' about 16 miles from Southampton, perishing from cold, hunger, and distress of mind. OXFORD V. MANCHESTER.—The sculler's race between Cooke of Oxford and Ault of Manchester, for 251. a side came off in the afternoon of yesterday (Monday) at Oxford. The distance was from Iffiey to Oxford, about a mile and a quarter. Both men were superior scullers in their different localities, Cooke being the champion of the 'lsis, and Ault the champion of the Irwell. The latter won the choice of sides, and took the Berkshire side, which is rather an advantage. Both started well off together, but after turning the first corner Cooke shot ahead, gradually increased the distance, and finally won by at least 50 yards. In fact Ault had not the least chance of winning. The style of Coolie's rowing was the theme of admiration of the thousands of spectators on the banks of the Isis. The time occupied was 10 mi-, nutes. The stream they had to contend against w Prl very strong one. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET, Farewell Season of Mr. Benjamin Webster as Lessee and Manager. THIS EVENING, FEB. 22, Will he performed the new and original Comedy, in five acts, called NOT SO BAD AS WE SEEM ; or, Many Sides to a Charac ter. Supported by Messrs. B. Webster, Barry Sullivan, Keeley, Buckstone, Leigh Murray, Stuart, Howe, Miss Rosa Bennett, Miss A. Vining, Mrs. Leigh Murray, &c. Af,,er which (first time at second price), the Comedy of MASKS AND FACES; or, Before and Behind the Curtain. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. 'Under the Management of Madame Yeatris. THIS EVENING, FRB. 22, Will he performed A PHENOMENON IN A SMOCK-FROCK. Characters by Messrs. C. Mathews, F. Matthews, and Homcastle ; Miss F. Baker and Miss C. Mitchell. After which, the popular new Fairy Extravaganza entitled THE GOOD WOMAN IN THE WOOD, in which Messrs. F. Matthews, Suter, Horncastle, and Templeton ; Madame Vesiris, Miss Julia St. George, Miss Robertson, Miss Martindale, Miss Ellis, Miss Wynd ham, Miss Eglinton, and Miss Rosins Wright will appear. To conclude with LITTLE TODD LEKINS. Sole Agent for the Private Bores, Mr. W. Allcroft, 15, New Bond-street. THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING, FEB. 22, Will b. performed THE CHILD OF THE WRECK, by Messrs.. Emery, Porsche, and Cußenford ; Madame Celeste and Mrs. Keeley , After which, at second price, the Drama of SLAVE LIFE ; or. Uncle Tom's Cabin—by Messrs. Alfred Wigan, 0. Smith, S. Emery Madame Celeste, Miss Woolgar, Miss Keeley, Miss Collins, and Mrs Keeley. To conclude with the Comic Ballet of THE DANCING SCOTCH MA N. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of Mr. C. Kean. THIS EVENING, FEB. 22, Will be performed the new rnd original Comedy, in three acts, by Douglas Jerrold, entitled ST. CUPID; or, DoroLby's Fortene (as played at Windsor Cantle, by Royal Command). Principal charac ters by Messrs. IV right, W. Lacy, Harley, J. Vining, Ryder, F. Cooke, Everett, and Chester; Mrs. W. Lacy and Mrs. C. Kean. After which, THE SPITALFIELDS WEAVER, in which Mr. Wright will appear. To conclude with the new and criginal Grand Comic Christ mas Pawtomime, milled HARLEQUIN CHERRY AND FAIR STAit ; or, The Green Bird, the Dancing Waters, and the singing Tree. ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. Farren. Second Night of an entirely new Drama. THIS EVENING, FEB. 22, Will be presented LIFE IN AUSTRALIA, FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT, supported by the whole strength of the Esta blishment. After which, the celebrated Tyrolese Singers will give their Na tional Entertainment, as, by command, before her Majesty. To conclude with A DEED WITHOUT A NAME, in which 31r. Compton will appear. Box-office open from Eleven till Five, under the superintendence of Mr. E. Chatterton. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Proprietor and Manager, Mr. W. Batty. LAST WEEK BUT TWO of Mr. BATTY'S MANAGEMENT, THIS EVENING, FEB. 22, Ind during the Week, the Entertainments will commence with the superb Spectacle of ALIZEPPA. AND THE WILD HORSE, reproduced with all its splendid and startling effects. After which, a brilliant Routine of Scenes in the Arena, sup potted by the first native and continental talent. To conclude with a Laughable Farce. Doors open at Halt-psst 61x xciocs. To commence at Seven, Rol-office open daily from Eleven to Four. lit.Lge Manager. Mr, W. West. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. This DAT --Morning 0 mir. after 1 I Evening 22 min.aft. 1 To-Moßßow—Morning 45 min. after 1 Evening 6 miu.aft. 2 THE WEATHER.-Sux OFFICE, FEB. 22. THERMOMETER, IN THB SHADS. 33—highest since noon yesterday. 21—lowest this morning and during the night. 32—this day at noon. BAROMETER, 30.03. WIND, W. to W.N.W.—with a heavy fall o: snow. DAILY WEAUIER TABLE. TUESDAY, FEB. 22,1853 - State of the wind and weather at each of the following places at nine o'clock ye , :serday morning. The stations are arranged in order of latitude. HASTINGS—N.E., strong breeze--cloudless. SOUTHAMPTON—N., gentle breeze—cloudles3. FOLKESTONE--N.. fresh breeze—partially cloudy. TUNBRIDGE—N.W., strong breeze—partially cloudy. GREENWICH—N. gentle breeze—pmrtially cloudy. STROOO—N., gentle breeze—cloudless. SWINDON—N., light breeze—cloudless. CAMBRIDGE—N., gentle breeze—partially cloudy. YARMOUTH— N., storm—partially cloudy. HOLTHEAD—N.E., gentle breeze--frost, snow. THE PUBLICATION OF ferret!. " THE SUN" COMMENCES EVERY' AFTERNOON A T .THREE O'CLOCK, AND Til LATE OR THIRD EDITION, CONTAINING THE DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT THE SAME EVENING . With all other News arriving up to the hour of Poet, AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. EXPRESS EDITIONS will be forwarded after the Post is closed by the Latest Trains. 4.44% `t• ) c" LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1853. We rejoice to find that the petition of the Madras Native Association, to which we have on more than one occasion directed the public atten tion, will be speedily brought under. Legislative consideration. It is, indeed, a remarkable docu ment, fully warranting the demand for inquiry so temperately, but firmly put forward, and also justifying the application that the Charter of the East India Company now rapidly approaching to its termination, may not be renewed for any pro longed term, but merely continued from year to year, until the close of the investigation, and the final report of the Commissioners be obtained. These are reasonable requests, such as we believe it to be impossible for the Imperial Parliament to slight or despise. The petition itsef exposes a state of affairs such as that, if but a tithe of its allegations be established by evidence, must prove an insuperable impediment to the continuance of power to those by whom it was so flagrantly abused. It is, indeed, difficult to understand why such a system of misgovernment should be for a moment tolerated—where matters are so ingeni ously involved that none are really responsible for the welfare and happiness of one hundred and fifty- millions (!) of oar fellowfsubjects who owe allegiance to the British Throne. Why should the Charter be continued t We are abolishing legal fictions. Even JOHN DOE and RICHARD ROE, time-honoured phantoms, have been exterminated. JOHN THRUSTOUT is no more. And yet these whilome potentates were known and respected for ages before the East India, Company sprang into existence. If they have been swept away, why, we again ask, should we sanction the absurdity of the Govern ment of our Anglo-Indian Empire being nominally placed in the hands of 24 elderly gentlemen, the representatives of a supposed company of "mer chant adventurers" (!) who have no commercial transactions, and who can neither be benefitted nor injured by any changes in our Eastern dominions. Government, forsooth, risum teneatis amici. The real Government is vested in the Board of Con trol, which is empowered to set aside and cancel the resolutions of the Directors, and even to take steps, in their name, but without their pre vious knowledge, or any intimation being given of the intention. This i s a farce too ridiculous to be longer enacted by, or with the assent of, the British Legislature. If the Directors are to retain the semblance of Sovereignty, they should be allowed something of the reality. If, on the other hand, that reality be taken away—the tinsel should also be removed. They should not hold the name when the sub stance is gone. Nor should they be permitted to shelter the real delinquent from the castigation he may merit by his maladminstration of our Eastern affairs. Bub, why, it may be asked, complain of those respectable dowager s , if th e power be so com pletely removed from their hands and vested in a department of the Government ? Simply because, though powerless for good, they are too potent for mischief ; and because the arch-delinquent may shelter himself under their authority from th 4 - censure that would otherwise be inflicted. The Council of Directors are used as the shield under cover whereof the President of the India Board may discharge his shafts with impunity ; and so long as Sir CHARLES WOOD holds the im portant office—so long as the MARPLOT of the ABERDEEN Cabinet be , the virtual sovereign of British India, extraordinary vigilance will be essential. It will also be necessary that every functionary should bo reopougible for his own. actions—that there should be no scape-goat on whom the well-merited censure may be trans- Again, we ask, why should the Cher be at all renewed ? The Directors are only the repre sentatives of the Proprietors of East India stock. Their only duty should be to guard th►e interests of their constituents, and these interests are neither more nor less than matters of X. 0. d. The Directors certainly made a good bargain in that respect. They stipulated that interest after the rate of 101. 10s. per annum should be paid on every 1001. stock for a long term, of which 21 years are still unexpired. This was a handsome remuneration. The veriest usurer would rejoice at such a bargain--101. 10s. per cent. on Govern ment security. Verily, those who obtained such return for their investments would have nothing to complain of, although the Government or mis government of 7i Bindoos were not attached to the ownership of each pound sterling of stock. But even this was not all 1 When the hour of redemption so ' long postponed at length arrives, 2001. in hard cash must be paid to the fortunate proprietor of each 1001. in stock. I the administrative talents of the Directors wen as remarkable as their bargaining powers, th( Native Associations would have nothing to 001712 plain of. But in addition to these enormouEl pecuniar: profits, there is the patronage of out• fairest de pendency thrown into the scale. The prosperity the happiness of the Ryots mainly dep3nd on th will, we shall not designate it al the caprice of those appointed to the Civil Service It is notorious that these appointments are 1 1 ° given to the most worthy—to those who wool` most efficiently discharge the onerous duties c the situation, or who, from the sei :ices of thei parents, poisess the strongest claims on the coil sideration of the Directors. It is notorious that with some honourable exceptions, of which Cal tain SHEPHERD is perhaps the most rercemicabli the appointments are given to the nearest rely tions of Directors, or, perhaps, from a worse 1 11 c tive, as a return for the votes given at -the ele` tion. There is either nepotism or corruptic of the most flagrant character, and we know IL why either should be continued a moment long( than is necessary. The matter is now placed in competent hand Lord ELLENBOROUGH will not suffer an instr lime; so formidable as that which has, just been plat( within his reach to remain inactive. .4 n a.vengir Nemesis will strengthen his arm, and in (Letailii the wrongs of the Hindoo Ryots, he will. avent the injuries and insults inflicted on hi tnself 1 the Honourable Board of Directors. The proceedings on Election Petitions ha commenced, and the favoured gentlemen of ti long robe have their time fully occupied business of the most lucrative description. Bribel and corruption appear to be the burdens o f eve' song. Votes obtained by undue in.fluemce- 1 purchase or intimidation—form the general grout' of complaint; and already have two eleeiong those for Canterbury and Lancaster—been &clan null and void under circumstances that prove existence of habitual venality on the part of 43 c tain daises of Electors. The very stron measu of suspending the writ has been reset .ed to order that the minutes of evidence may be laid the table and fully considered before the final fa of the delinquent borough should be finally detE mined. It is by no means improbable that Cox missions may be issued under the recent state to inquire into the practices at Elections in the peccant constituencies, and. that several oth boroughs will be placed in equally un positions. Indeed, a numerous body o! Col missions may be anticipated. Startling revelatio will be brought to light—revelations that 1 % prove, beyond the possibility of doubt, the it perative necessity for the adoption of the ball of the only guarantee for the purity of electi 211- the touchstcne that can alone insure the and patriotic exercise of the franchise—that: protect the needy voter from selling his b ir ' 3.l " g i for a fe w p a lt ry poun d s, and the b voter from the tyrannical influence of a potic master. Whatever doubt may I l itho. have existed on the point must be r u mov by the testimony that has already ap peare and is forthcoming during the pending it L vestiE tions. It is a humiliating fact, but it is . a fact which it is impossible to close our ey vs, or feign ignorance, that, in a large proportic of co stituencies, many voters are indiff Arent the proper discharge of their max. t suer` duties. They have accustomed a temselT to think that the franchise was bestowed solely enable the voter to wallow in drunkenness der' the elections, and to obtain money —more or lei according to the custom of the district—in rota for his most sweet voice. How could they 011 pose that the man to whom they wilfully ana 4 liberately sold themselves would abstain from s° , ing them in turn, w h en th e fitti ng oppor arrived—that anything good for the cowl OW' in general or the district could come of si teb quitous transactions. Such consideration s war however, disregarded. Money or drink, Jr(ink money, were more thought of than the litnes s the candidate ; and " Whatwill he give? app°' to be an interrogatory far more impo rtant T s l " What are his opinions a n d qualifi cation Parliament." This gross abuse—this "aged Nice—oil , trust, be speedily obliterated, and no longer P e i mitted to remain the disgrace and reproach of t , British nation. As we have stated, it eoull or be got rid of by the use of the balloting-:W; and not me re ly th e r i g h t, b ut the neoet of secret voting. If, as many well-dinr: persons hav e sugges t e d , i t was allowed to et-- optional with th e vo t er w h et h er h e would I 'e s " .: ( his suffrage openly before his brother elect ors in private, stringent measures world be a tleP e to prevent persons liable to undue inf loan from exercising the franchise private': r• tl would be announced that the use of ballot-box would be considered ju st objectionable as voting for the wrong man, and productive of as many untoward resrlts.. tradesman wh o r e f u s e d t o vo t e according ti,lol n whim of a wealthy cus t omer —th e t en a disobeyed the imperious behests of his landlord' or the artisan or operative who did not je t employer know how he voted, would all be treatil'ie` as if they had ac t e d in the manner opposed , to .13 wishes of those whose favour they were de B j i r : et of seeking, an d b e t rea t e d accor di ng ly. .-"" cannot, then, be any exception to the rule. It be optio na l f or men t o wear w h a t co l our s and slitillt for what candid a t es th e y thi n k proper, I ' llt to it franchise must be exercised in such a manner 0( be only accor di ng t o a man ' s own conscieneo , by such means alone can we avoid veil graceful transactions as those which are nor 0 being brought to light in the Committee-rooo° the House of Commons. • 0 1 ) There is one matter to which we have an -u° looked forward—one power which ha s 0* ' yet been resorted to. Under the New Law of deuce Act, members or petitioners ma)" * - a le selves be examined as witnesses, and they 000 0 surely give the best inform a ti on as to th is participation in the obje c tionable proon ( 'We None, however, have as yet b: en called on-, t he shall hope that this p r i v il ege , which aff° ll.l. ; o l best means of eliciting the whole truth, o f no longer be disregarded, but that W e 0 . 0 0 find persons engaged in Election tram ow n willing to come forward and vindicate the ir of characters from the reproaches to w hi c h that otherwise be liable. We invite the attention of our Sabb3ts.r.tin f m ri o e s n t as to some facts which ought to interest tPu _:, deeply, di c ate . 0 3 _sel i ves from the W c e ha se rg orn e ofindirereedretroenveein a-li d ' L i r to I m ig on, because we totally reject all attelaP",,si. men religious by law, yet we beg the ° () .. ",y, t d e era e tion of the clergy and some other good Pe _ . 1 "," e whichan exemplification of the best possible 6/1 ` .... ._ 00 a s set the working they as religious men and as Sabbatarhl:o w s o a r b k h i a n t g h, can take. They must see plainly that they P 4 classes against both theal-1050 clae 2 being 3e. misled lu . Popery one way s or II and if there be danger of il