The Sun. — London, England, 1840-04-14 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION. ILILRUSII PETTY SESSIONS• " THE CAT AND BA•PIPES. " A handsome braw " John Hielan d man,' who gave his name Sandy M'lntosh, whilom e one of t h e fortie twa, charged Mr., Mrs., and Master Higgms with having set upon him the preceding evening, and given him more than enough in the licking way. Mrs. H. AU in attendance, and assured the bench, " that it would be death an' destructio n to Mick, her husband, if he offered to leave his bed, wid a quinsey he had, Moreover, the danger of bringing a ta king complaint into the middle of a crow ded court within." MAGISTRATE -••-We must send a policeman to ascer tain if it is the case. 1 4. Oh, my shame, Sir !" replied the representative of i the Higgins's dynasty ; " s, it to doubt me ye do ? Oh, your reverence, I go to me duty too reglar to have lies found afther me that way." Notwithstanding the high tone of this remonstrance, one of the " Week troops" was despatched, and he, in a few minutes, returned to say that he found Mick Hig gins as busy as a nailor, welting away at a pig's leg he appeared quite desirous to polish. Oh, my, my ! listen to this," said Mrs. H., plain tively. , " A n' he wasn't lyin' down on the bed, Sir , nor groanin , Sir, are you sure, Sir ? Nor he had'nt a bowl , o' gruel nor tay near him ? Oh, my, my !"—(Laughte r. ) Policeman—lndeed he had'nt, ma'm ; he'd scarcely take time to answer me, he was so busy at the joint. The admirer of pettitoes now made his entree, and apologised for previous non-appearance on the score of indisposition. I " That is," interrupted his Worship , " an indisposi 1. tion to attend. Well, Wlntosh, those people struck you, you say ?" Sandy drew himself up, as orderly as if upon parade —" That they did, an' weel, Sir," he replied. " It was 1 wi' muckle trouble I got aw a y free their grip at all—an' sic blasphemy' I voo to God they cursed more in a minit than a throop o' dragoons wud in a fortnight"— (Laughter.) Mr. Higgins now wiped the remains of his pig-nie from his mouth with the sleeve of his working-jacket, \ and protested that " he'd lave id all beteune the binch an' Mr. Wlntosh an' his wife ;" and to prove his confi dence not misplaced, that lady clamorously enough be f seeched of their Worships to hear her story. Marls r RATH — WeII, what provocation did he give you ? . Mu. H i gg ins— As God shall judge me, he was for ever makin' a band ov uz, he convarting the cat into a bagpipes.—(Roars of laughter.) i " Hoot awa, woman," broke in Sawney ;" I was lonly garring poosey play up a planxty — a we e bit 1 planxty just to drive dull care awa." Arra what planxty," sighed Mr. Higgins. "Be all that's lovely he used to put the poor breute onder his oxther (saving' yer favour), :al hould his head I hard, an' thin he'd get the tail in his m outh, an' he'd give it a thaw ; an' be workin' his elbow, an' fingerin' 1 the tore-paws at the same time, till sich other squallin', i an' singin', an' gruntin', no mortal ever hear." Ayv, but ye garred me do it, an' yer little bit boy I jarred me do it," said Sandy M'lntosh. "growled ."Sure, bad luck to you, ye dirty tomah awn, I the dame, " didn't ye eat the tip o' the cat's tail wid your music?" It .vai ascertained that pussy had given a fiercer indi cation than usual, on the night in quietion, of her sense of the injustice done her, and this leading to some argu ment on the feelings of animals in general and cats in particular, a " taste of a dhrag" was the result. The BEN cx dismissed the parties, advising them to be more circumspect. " Never fear, your Reverence," observed Mr. Hig gins, with a low obeisance ; " we'll be as ordherly as a record jury, I'll engage ; only this man 'll have to kill a Russian for himself when he wants music in future." i ; MR.O'CONNELL.—Mr. O'Connell will continue , ini,Publin (luring Easter week, to co-operate in the national demonstration against tile attempt of Lord Stanley and the i Tory faction to annihilate the coun t y franchise in Ireland.— 1 Dui,lia Evening Post. On Sunday afternoon, as two children, about five years of age, were playing by the side of the canal, they a tt e mpted to push one of the boats frsni the shore ; by their united strength it moved away, and they both fell into the water; one of them, by laying hold of the grass on the bank, succeeded in getting out, and with much presence of mind, im otediat,ly went to the assistance of his companion, and fortu na;4./ helped him out also.— Kits Independent. ; 12.K.L0N, MARCH 25.-0 u Saturday last we were hoi:ourcd with a visit from an Aberdeen worthy, paving . the way for a Non-intrusion demonstration, intended to have been held here this day. Besides the parish church, we have three places of worship in th %wage, belonging to different de nominations of Christians, so, of course, our pious visiter made himself sure of getting a church or chapel for the canting MeNaughtau, or some other of the tramping fraternity, to 11,•Id forth the Christian doctrine of brotherly lows and charity to the perishing souls of the parish. But no t—even ;Jur sectarians are disgusted with revilings of these '., men, and no church or chapel could be got. Our worthy then appea*.ed to the Christian dispositions of the innkeepers, for the use of a hall or room ; in this he also failed; even the publicans 1 and sinners would have nothing to do with the disturbers of our peace. One of the innkeepers advised him had to call up our much esteem ed and wertiaj clergyman, who, ha no doubtould ' give h:m the use of the parish church. However, the advice was not taken. In wrath he cried —" Is there no barn to be got 7" But ~, I even no barn. He then took his departure for the city. -'2 , , , i1d every town and village act in a similar man ner to the village of Eliot'. we would on see fewer of these e i strife -stirring demagogues sowing dissension and dis 1 through the laud, and excitinr , the minds of our hitherto quiet and contented people.—Aberdeen Herald COMMON INFORMERS.—The Marquis of NOT manbv, agreeably to promise, has introduced into the Bill \ " For better defining the powers of Justices within the Metro politan Police District," provisions for some protection to the public against " common informers." He has prepared the two following clauses thereon :—Clause 10 altogether prohi + bits " common informers" in certain cases. It is in these kwords :—" And be it enacted, that, except the constables be longing to the metropolitan police force, and the persons em ployed by the Commissioners of her Majesty's Customs or of Excise, or Stamps and faxes, do lay informations for offences against any Act relating to the revenue of customs or excise, stamps or taxes, respectively, it shall not be lawful for any per son to lodge any information before any police magistrate, or before any justice or justices of the peace, within the metropo litan police district, for any misdemeanour punishable on sum mary conviction by which the informer was not personally ag grieved." Clause 11 imposes a penalty for threatening infor motion, thus:—" And be it enacted, that every common in- k \ former who shall obtain any sum of money or . other reward from any inhabitant of the metropolitan police district by threatening directly or indirectly to lodge any information or make any complaint before any such magistrate, justice or jus tices, for any misdemeanour, or as an inducement for forbear ing to lay such information or slake such complaint, shall, on conviction of the offence before one of the police magistrates, or before two justices of the peace, either by his own confes sion or by the oath of any credible witness, be liable to a pe nalty of not more than 101." DINNER SERVICE FOR THE POPE.—Several of our contemporaries have announced that a dinner service and china vase, manufactured at the Derby China Works, and iintended as a present to the Pop e, b y the Earl of Shrewsbury, is now exhibiting at the manufactory. This is not the fact ; I the china was finished and sent off three weeks ago.—Derby Reporter. FOX CHASE EXTRAORDINARY. —One day last week, as the " Derby" engine, belonging to the Birmingham and Derby Railway Company, was proceeding with the train to the latter place, a fox was discovered running along the line in front of the engines After keeping the lead for up wards of a mile, reynard began to get tired, and several times crossed the line, and was shortly after run over and cut com pletely in two. On the return of the train the separated parts were picked up, when it proved to be a bitch with two cubs in her ; the head and brush were affixed to the engine as trophies. --Derby Reporter. ANCIENT PONIES.--A correspondent informs us that there are now in the possession of Mr. John Parish, of Middleton-moor Lodge, three aged ponies (which comprise his whole stied), whose united ages amount to 85 years. They are familiarly called by the quaint but significant names of Duke, Jack, and Beauty. Duke and Beauty are each 29 years old, and Jack 27. They may be seen every day in the pasturage gamboling together, with a playfulness equal to their younger days. They take their turns willingly in the employment of their owner, answering obediently to their several names, and are greatly noticed and esteemed by him. It is remarked of Duke, that his cognomen is derived from the united circum stances of honour and military glory. He was a great favou rite with the late Duke of York, and moreover, served with the illustrious Duke of Wellington at the glorious battle of Wa terloo. He afterwards came into the possession of Sir C. E. Smith, and was transferred to Mr. Parish, with instructions to shoot him, but Mr. P. humanely begged his life, which was granted, on condition that the Duke should be kindly treated. This has been faithfully complied with, and his pony is now dl i n f Aa per ita . nd service, equal to his age and infirmities.— PRINCIPLES OF FUSION.—It must not be for gotten, that in all Napoleon undertook to operate a fusion, he never deviated fro m the principles of thelt e v h o e lZ i . ti on • he hael recalled the emigrants without infringing on the inv;Ol a bility of the sale of national property ; he had re sta lishedpro_ claimed Catholic religion at the same time that he - claimed th , fulles t libert y of conscience, and secured an equal remuneration to the Ministers of each sect ; he caused him self to be gowned by the Sovereign Pontiff, without subscrib ing to any of the concessions demanded by the Pope, in the immunities of the Gallican Church ; he espoused the daughter of the Emperor of Austria, without abandoning the claims of France to one of her conquests; he re-established titles of no bility, but without attaching to them either privileges or pre rogatives; and those titles were placed within the reach of every service and every profession, without the slightest distinction of birth. Every idea of caste was extinct under the Empire ; no one dreamed of boasting o f his parc h m ents, and a man was asked what he had done, not from whom he had received his birth.— Opinions of Napoleon, by Prince Louis. MADRID, APRIL 4.—Mr. Aston, who has succeeded the Earl of Clarendon as British Minister at the Court of Madrid, arrived hero last night at the Embassy kHouse, at half-past eight o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Scot arrived also at the same time. Mr. Scot takes Mr. H. Southern's place (now Secretary at Lisbon) as first Attache of the Lega tion!. The Hon. G. S. Jerningham, who discharged the th, ti ,..s of Charge d'Aff a i res f or some t i me, rema ins as Secretary of the mission. Mr. Loftus Otway, sole Attache here since the ciepa:•tnre of the E ar l of Clarendon, upwards of twelve months ago, proceeds to London, on leave of absence, in the course of next :Month. The entrance to the Morgue, where the body of the has youth bee n ever r rde s r i e n d ce near La Villette .ii has been exposed, \ woman among the number, on Seen, visitors. A poor lieved that she recognised it as that of h g er the swooned away through excess of emotion. corpse, be Othtlitatetrutrrealr persons who and knew her child were sent for, and declared the body to be that of the woman's son, but nor, couyld believedl po sitive, except a brother-in-law of the woman, a 5eh G0 4,1,,,. under whom he had been placed. It appears that the poor lid, was ten years old, has bee's missing ever since July last, when the clothes he wore were of a much meaner description' than those be had on when found. Still the murderers remain undiscovered, and the cause of the crime is enveloped in the 1 appears that he was born at Sainte Reine, in the I r "1. 'its d'Or. i..--.. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. (From the Globe.) The Tory journals are diligently engaged in proving that Ministers have been defeated on Sir J. Graham's motion, and that the Opposition, of course, obtained a triumph. The majority of nine against the motion is, they contend, a virtual confirmation of the censure upon the Government conveyed by the terms of the motion, and ought to be so interpreted by the Cabinet. This view they support by a threef old argument. First— the numerical majority is small ; secondly—the mem bers of the Government, whose condemnation was sought by the motion in question, voted for their own acquittal, which, if they had not done, there would have been a majority of one in favour of the motion ; thirdly—the Irish Members voted on the question ;if they had abstained from voting, the Tories would have triumphed. Our reply to the first of these modest alle gations is—that the majority of nine would have been at least upwards of twenty, had the entire House been pre sent. There were absent, without pairs, nineteen Libe rals and seven Conservatives : these would have given twelve more to the Ministers. Thus the assertion that the Ministers are on this question supported merely by a majority of nine, is specious, and not real ; the result of accident, and not of desertion by any of those who had, a few weeks before, voted confidence in their go vernment. (From the Standard.) A short conversation, which passed between Sir Robert Peel and Lord Palmerston, at the morning sitting of the House of Commons on Saturday, affords some light as to the manner in which it is proposed to prosecute hostilities against the Chinese empire. Ministers, it would appear, have not yet wrought themselves up to the degree of courage necessary to declare a war, as to the origin and policy of which they have escaped censure by no greater a majority than nine, the number of Cabinet Ministers and Secre taries of Cabinet Ministers, who voted in the majority ; but though they are not permitted to declare war, and thus invest the country with the legitimate right of pro claiming blockades, and taking those other measures of offence which neutral powers would be bound to re spect, they are resolved to use the mea ns of war a g ainst the Chinese. (From the Courier.) Among the Notices of Motions for this evening we observe one for a Bill to continue the Poor-law Commis sion for a limited period ; and another, for a Bill for the better Administration of Relief to the Poor in England and Wales, both notices preceded by a name fearfully ominous to the helpless by destitution, age, sickness, or any of the numerous "ills that flesh is heir to." Lord John Russell wishes, as is quite natural in a Whig, for a further extension of a Commission, which has been productive of more misery and heart-burnings than ex isted at any period previous to the enactment of the celebrated statute which, in the 43d year of Elizabeth's reign, emanated from the wisdom and humanity of those great statesmen who conferred imperishable lustre upon her councils. We arc not sorry for this intimation , since we hope that the opportunity which will be pre sented on the second reading of the Bill, for removing the whole of its extremely obnoxious clauses, will not be neglected. TITHE COMMUTATION ACT. The NOBLE Maavors then moved the second read ing of the Bill for amending the Tithe Commutation Act, by shortening the delay which now occurred be tween fixing the rent charge and apportioning the dif ferent amounts, enabling the tithe-payer to arrange it (as we understood) himself with the Clergyman. The Bill was then read a second time. POOR-LAWS IN IRELAND. The Marquis of WESTMEATH said he should be as brief as possible in the statement he had to sub mit to the House. Their Lordships would recollect that last Session a Poor-law Act had passed which had been highly eulogised for the benefits it would pro duce in Ireland. Parliament did not direct any scru tiny to take place in the manner in which votes were tendered, relying on the Commissioners to prescribe the duties of the returning officer under the Act, but these Commissioners did not prescribe those duties, nor ascertain what claimants were entitled to vote. A Bill was introduced last Session by a member of the Go vernment into the Lower House for the purpose of re forming the errors of the former Act, and supplying its defects, and came up to that House under the same description ; but a clause was introduced upon the third reading, without Ministers having alluded to the sub ject, which did away with the clause in the Act of the former Session, whereby persons were prevented voting until they had paid their rates, and every person liable to be rated was made entitled to vote. The consequence of this Bill thus introduced under a wrong description would be to overthrow the only security of landed property in Ireland. One observation he should make : it would be for their Lordships to consider whether the conduct of the Go vernment was not most unjustifiable, and calling for severe censure. The Noble Marquis then read over a list of persons who he contended ought not to have been appointed to offices of such responsibility. Amongst them were Mr. Finn, who boasted of being a member of the National Association, and Dr. Phelan, who at tended a meeting of Catholic priests, and advocates of the Repeal of the Union, at Ardee, at which meeting the country was divided into electoral districts. The Noble Marquis proceeded to say, that he had under stood, from the most respectable authority, that in the county of Louth, all the large properties had been studiously divided for the manifest purpose of giving power to the priests, and dividing the influence of the landed proprietors. That he believed was a system di rectly at variance with that pursued by the Poor-law Commissioners in England. In three-fourths of Ire land the most reckless 'proceedings had been resorted to ; and he bad no hesitation in saying, that that state of things there had been brought on by the interference of the priests. The next subject to which he would allude, was the case of the returning officers. He found that the returning officer in the county of Clare was a gentleman of the name of O'Connell, and he would state certain particulars con nected with that gentleman. It appeared that Mr. O'Connell gave voting bills to persons who were not duly entitled to them. On a Sunday after Mass, Mr. O'Connell addressed the people and said, that as he was a returning officer he was prevented from interfering in the election of guardians, but he advised them to vote for those whom the priests might recommend to them. He added that if many of the Magistrates were where they should be, they should themselves be in the poor-house. Mr. O'Connell, however, was Crown Solicitor for the county. The Poor-law Commissioners had instituted an inquiry into his conduct. They stated that a case was proved against him, and that they strongly disapproved of the course he had pursued. He was then informed—of what did their Lordships think ?—that a repetition of such conduct would be held to disqualify him from fulfilling the office of return ing officer in future. He (the Marquis of Westmeath) would ask if that were a proper mode of proceeding on the part of the Commissioners ? The next flagrant case to which he would call their Lordships' attention occurred in Clonmel. Mr. Butler was the returning officer there. That gentleman had unduly withdrawn the names of two candidates for the office of guardian for the purpose of securing the nomination of another. The Magistrates of Tipperary had twice urged on the Poor-law Commissioners the necessity of instituting an inquiry on that subject, but they had been refused on both occasions. He believed that Mr. Butler had been raised to the office which he filled against the wish of the Poor-law Commissioners themselves, and he had reason to know that he owed his appointment to a pressure on the Government. In Dublin nothing , could exceed the violence which was resorted to during the election of Guardians. More than fifty voting papers were known to have been forged on that occa sion. A placard had been issued to the effect that no Protestant should be elected, and that all Protestants were children of hell and of Henry Vlll.—(Laughter.) In Limerick all the Guardians were elected from the political unions. In the Queen's County Lord De Vesci was rejected, and a farmer named Lalor was elected in his stead. On that occasion a poor man, seventy years of age, who refused to give up his voting paper, was horsewhipped by the priest, and thrown into a ditch. In the parish of Carrick-on-Shannon, three-fourths of which belonged to him (the Marquis of Westmeath), he proposed to his tenants that they should elect a Roman Catholic, taking care that he should be solvent and not likely to run away with the rates, and that they should allow him to nominate a Protes tant. That proposition was agreed to at first, and would have been acted upon but for the interference of the priests.—( Hear, hear.) A respectable Roman Catholic who intended to offer himself as a can didate was met in the street by the priest who asked him how he dared offer himself without his leave. The gentleman would have stood notwithstanding, but that his father threatened him with his heaviest displeasure if he acted against the will of the priest. In Mayo, Sligo, and Roscommon, the same system prevailed. Although he could go on speaking for another hour— (A laugh) he thought he had made out a suffi cient case for a Committee, and he would not occupy the House further with the proofs of such horrible in terference with the rights of British subjects. He con cluded by moving for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the election of certain Poor-law Guar dians in Ireland. The Marquis of NORM ANBY said, that when the Noble Lord gave notice of this motion, he (Lord Nor manby) intimated that he should feel it his duty to op pose the appointment of the Committee, and to give his opinion, not only of the motion, but of the time at which it was brought forward. He was sure their Lordships never heard so frivolous and weak a case for the revision of the system which the Legislature had left to the discretion of the Poor-law Commissioners. He thought it would require a stronger case than the Noble Marquis had made out, to induce their Lordships to bring before a Com mittee the whole question of the discretion which their Lordships two years ago almost unani mously left to the Commissioners. There were but three or four cases in which appeals had been made to the Commissioners. The Noble Marquis opposite mis understood the object of the Bill, which he had insinu ated had been smuggled through the House last Ses sion. The scale according to which persons voted was copied, word for word, from the original Act, and by the 106th clause of the Act all persons were precluded from voting who had not paid their rates up to the last six months.—(Hear, hear.) It was not the fact, as the Noble Marquis had stated, that the appointment of Dr. Phelan was forced upon the Commissioners by the Go vernment. It was the spontaneous act of the Commis sioners, who knew from the writings and character of that gentleman that he was eminently qualified for the office. He (Lord Normanby) had carefully abstained from all interference with the appointments of the Commissioners. He had watched their conduct carefully since the first application of the Bill and there never was a body of men who had executer their trust with more zeal, fidelity, and, so far as the ex periment had proceeded, with more success. The Noble Marquis disclaimed party objects, but it was unfortu nate for his disclaimer that his first complaint was respecting a gentleman who had taken part in dividing the Noble Marquis's estate into electoral districts. He (Lord Normanby) regretted, with the Noble Mar quis, that in many instances the election of guardians had been carried on with party spirit. He believed there were faults on both sides, and that the priests sometimes interfered more than they ought. But he ought to recollect their former position. They were formerly the principal administrators of relief, and, there fore, upon the first operation of a measure so to for new, it was not unnatural that the y should be applied ad vice, and that their influence should have weight. But that influence could not be wrenched from them by force, and the appointment of the Committee would drive them probab:y to further interference, whereas hewo would dd curethe g i r t e s e a i t f e . s t cTonnefi doeffinecee w a o t u p l d r ebs be resent n t that foun the e d arduous , vi l troublesome, and unpopular, and it would be very diffi cult to induce persons of the class objected to by the Noble Marquis to undertake the office. The next point upon which the Noble Marquis (Westmeath) relied was the appointment of the returning officers. Now with re spect to the case of Mr. Chas. O'Connell it was to be observed that the complaint made against him was not upon party grounds, but was brought by Mr. Macna mars, a gentleman of the same party in Mac n county, and the Commissioners very wisely and very justly censured Mr. Charles O'Connell for his conduct in addressing the people at the chapel. Mr. Charles O'Connell had ceased to be returning of ficer, as was shown by Mr. Stanley's letter. With re ference to the Clonmel case, he must say the Noble Marquis bad been guilty of most unpardonable negli gence in collecting information, or of most lamentable ignoran ce , because the Clonmel case was at the present moment in the course of trial before a Court of Law— ( Hear)—and yet the Noble Marquis had moved for a Select Committee to inquire into the conduct of Mr. Butler in reference to that case. Immense mischief might ensue from the motion of the Noble Marquis being carried. He trusted their Lordships, therefore, would not interfere with the working of the Irish Poor law Act, but would allow the great cause of charity to proceed, and give a direct negative to the motion. The Duke of WELLINGTON observed that the Noble Marquis had stated that a doubt existed whether the 85th clause of the original Act did not govern the clause introduced into the amended Act, and admitted that that doubt ought to be cleared up. He wished to call their Lordships' recollection to the part he took in the measure when it was before Parliament. He had supported the measure, and proposed alterations which induced many of his friends to vote for it. When he first heard of the amendment in question he did not con sider himself to have been very well used, because he had consented to the Bill to amend the former Act solely on the ground that no amendment should be in troduced inconsistent with the enactments of the former Bib. He happened to be out of town attending to his public duties in Hampshire, on the 26th,27th,and 28th of Feb., in which days the Bill was amended and read a third time.—(Hear.) He had had every reason to be lieve when the Bill passed in 1838, that it would have been fairly carried into execution by the Poor-law Com missioners—that the plan adopted in this country would have been followed in Ireland—that political partizan ship would have been kept out of sight altogether—that the measure would have been fairly administered for the benefit of the poor, and in promoting the objects Par liament had in view. He (the Duke of Wellington) could not say he was satisfied that that had been the case, and he confessed he had looked at this particular measure with a good deal of suspicion, because there could be no doubt it altered the complexion of the ori ginal measure altogether. That was one ground on which he felt disposed to vote for the Committee. He was aware that the English and Irish Poor-law Acts afforded great facilities for ascertaining all that passed in respect to the execution of the Act between the Com missioners and those employed under them. Nothing could therefore be so easy as to procure copies of the cor respondence, and it was expedient that the House should, in the first instance, have be fore it the correspondence between the Commissioners and the persons whose conduct had been complained of. It was desirable that it should be known to what ex tent the clause in the amended Act did interfere with the original Act, and he hoped the Noble Marquis would bring in a Bill declaring it was not intended to alter the original Act. He would, however, propose that the motion then before their Lordships should be adjourned for a fortnight, and probably the Noble Marquis would in the meantime procure copies of the correspondence so as to have them ready for Parliament soon after the recess. Viscount DUNCANNON said the amendment to which the Noble Duke referred had been introduced by the Committee, because it would otherwise have been impossible to carry the Act into effect, and the clause had been proposed after the second reading upon the express understanding that it did not alter the principle of the Bill. The LORD CHANCELLOR said the clause re ferred to had not yet come into operation at all, and therefore the mischiefs which the Noble Marquis (Westmeath) alluded to were merely prospective. The clause referred to the number of votes which each person should have according to the amount of rates, not yet imposed, which were paid by him. From the most careful consideration of the clause, he confessed that he could see nothing objectionable in it. After a few words from Lord WYNFORD, Lord WICKLOW said unless some satisfactory ex planation were given by her Majesty's Government, he thought there was nothing left them but to appoint the Committee. He should, however, regret his Noble Friend being obliged to press his motion to a division, because it would be likely to lead to the belief out of doors that some change in the principle of the Act was contemplated.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped, therefore, some pledge would be given by a member of her Ma jesty's Government, that the matter would be inquired into, and the evil which was apprehended, averted. There was also a matter with reference to the return ing officer, which required some amendment. No scrutiny was allowed under the Act, and the parties were sometimes led to suppose, where votes were nicely balanced, that the return was made according to the prejudices or feelings of the returning officer, rather than as the numbers really were. He trusted these points would meet the attention they merited. The Marquis of NORMAN BY hail not the slightest objection, if, upon inquiry, any doubt existed with respect to the construction of the clause, to bring in a Declaratory Act. With regard to the other sug gestion, he was unwilling at present to pronounce any opinion, further than that it should receive his best attention. The Earl of GLENG ALL had heard nothing to in duce him to withdraw his sanction to the motion of the Noble Marquis ( Westmeath), which he hoped would be persevered in. He believed the abuses vi hich al ready existdd in the Act were of a very serious cha racter, and such as imperatively called for the interfer ence of the Legislature. The Noble Lord concluded by saying, that in his opinion a most satisfactory case had been made out for going into Committee. The Marquis of NORMAN BY said, that the Noble Lord who hadj ust sat down had been mistaken in al most all the' acts to which he had alluded. He would not, however, again go into the details of the subject. A. Messag e was here brought up from the House of Commons d eclaring, that the House had agreed to the amendments in the Printed Papers Bill. Also a Message praying their Lordships to furnish the House of Commons with returns of the number of cases in appeal which had been beard before their Lord ships for the last 20 years, showing the number which had been reversed, and the ,number which had been confirmed. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that their Lord ships would send an answer to the House of Commons by a Messenger of their own. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said that he did not see any reasonable objection to going into Committee on the motion of his Noble Friend. He thought that if a single case had been satisfactorily made out, it would be sufficient for the oc casion. If, however, his Noble Friend, the Illustrious Duke thought it advisable to adjourn the further inves tigation of the subject, he would not oppose him. The Duke of WELLINGTON wished that the necessary papers should first be moved for and pro duced, and they would then be better able to come to a decision on the subject. The Earl of FINGALL thought that no possible good could result from acceding to the motion before the House. He believed, on the contrary, that an inquiry, at the present moment into the Poor laws in Ireland would produce a great irritation in the minds of the people of that country. It would be vain to deny that in many parts of the country great exertions were made, and these were not confined to one side.—(Hear, hear.) Every one ae quiiinted with Ireland knew that there was scarcely a man in that country who was not more or less a parti san.—( Hear, hear.) The Marquis of HEADFORT defended the Roman Catholic clergy from the charges brought against them as a body by his Noble Friend (the Marquis of West meath). On the occasion of the election for the union of Kells, the Roman Catholic clergy were applied to, and they declined to interfere further than to advise the election of those Protestant gentlemen who were even tually elected.—(Hear, hear.) The Marquis of WESTMEATH disclaimed all party feeling, and assured the House that he was only impelled by a sense of duty to take the matter up at this period, when it would be much more agreeable to him to go to Ireland. In deference to the suggestion of his Noble Friend (the Duke of Wellington) he would withdraw the motion until after Easter. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Lord MELBOURNE gave notice that he would to-morrow (Tuesday) move the adjournment of the House to Thursday the 30th of April. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 13. The SPEAKER took the Chair at a few minutes before Four. _ _ . _ . . . . - Mr. DUNDAS, the new Member for: Sutherland, in the room of the Hon. Wm. Howard, took the oaths and his seat. The Hon. Member was introduced by Sir George Grey and Mr. J. Parker. On the motion of Mr. WILLIAM EVANS, the Green-hill and Eekington Road Bill was read a third time and passed. Sir G. GREY moved that no Committee on a Bill do hold its first sitting after the Easter recess on any day prior to Thursday, the 7th of May.—Agreed to. Mr. PARKER brought up the report of the Com mittee on the Bristol and Exeter Railway (third class) Bill. On the motion of Mr. LOCKHART, the Garngad road Bill was read a second time. On the motion of Mr. SANFORD, the Taunton Roads Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion of Lord SANDON, the Liverpool Borough Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed. Mr. GODSON presented a petition from 163 in habitants of Kidderminster, in favour of Church Ex tension. The Hon. and Learned Member also pre sented a petition against the interference of the Poor-law Commission with Boards of Guardians in unions established two years or upwards. Sir S. LUSHINGTON presented five petitions against the trade in opium ; a petition from the congre gation of Ranelagh Chapel, Chelsea, against Sunday trading ; petitions from the To wer Hamlets a ga i ns t cer tain parts of the present administration of the Poor :aws ; and a petition from Messrs. Lsdbroke and Co., of Lor.Jon, bankers, complaining of the difficulty of recovering debts in the island of Guernsey ; also a pe tition from the parish of St. John, Hackney, against the existing Corn-laws. Mr. BROTrIERTON presented a petition from the Protestant Dissenters of Stratford-upon-A von , against any grant from the public purse for the exten sion of the Established Church ; also p e titi ons f rom Bunbrid ge , Lenederg, and Drumnigally, in the county of Down, for the repeal of the Corn-laws. Mr. CHAPMAN presented a petition f rom W h i t b y, praying for Church Extension in Lower Canada. CORN LAWS. Mr. VILLIERS presented a petition from Stafford, signed by 1411 persons ; another from some town the 1 name of which we could not catch, signed by 1831 persons ; also petitions very numerously signed from Uxbridge, Drayford, Birmingham, Stratford, Ber mondsey, and other places, all praying for the total abolition of the Corn-laws ; also a petition signed by John Gillies, of Glasgow, praying for an extension of the Suffrage and Vote by Ballot. Captain ALSAGER presented a petition from some place in the county of Surrey, praying for additional Church accommodation. Mr. ARCHBOLD presented fourteen petitions from places in the county of Carlow against the impor tation of foreign corn into Ireland. Mr. LUDLOW BRUGES presented a petition from Bath against any alienation of the Clergy Reserves in Canada. Mr. EMERSON TENNENT presented several petitions from different Presbyterian Congregations in the North of Ireland, against the intrusion of ministers into the Church of Scotland. Sir E. WILMOT presented a petition from Thame, in favour of the Grammar School Foundation Bill. Mr. DARBY presented a petition from some parish in East Surrey, in favour of Church Extension. Mr. H. BERKELEY presented a petition from the Dissenters of Dinsby, in Gloucestershire, against any grant of public money for Church Extension. Lord ASHLEY brought up the report of the Com mittee on the Factory Bill. Mr. CALLAGHAN presented a petition from the medical practitioners of Cork, praying for the better re gulation of their profession. Major MACNAMARA presented a petition from Clare in favour of an extension of the franchise. Viscount CASTLEREAGH presented petitions from Down, praying that some alteration might take place in the law with respect to the Church of Scotland. Sir R. INGLIS presented 148 petitions in favour of Church Extension. Lord SAN DON presented a petition from a parish in Liverpool in favour of Church Extensien. Mr. GOULBURN presented a petition from Man chester againt the Clergy Reserves Bill. Mr. PAKINGTON presented petitions from Dar lington, and several other places, against the Clergy Reserves Bill. Mr. WAKLEY presented three petitions from Staley Bridge, praying for a total repeal of the Corn laws. Also a petition in favour of Church Extension. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from an individual who was imprisoned for not paying 15d. for poor-rates, praying for an alteration in the law. Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from 100 working men of the metropolis, praying for the relief of Messrs. Lovett and Collins, considering that the House had lately released the Sheriffs on account of ill health. The Northern and Eastern Railway Bill was read a second time. On the motion of Mr. HUTT, the Kingston-upon- Hull Improvement Bill was read a second time. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Sir T. FREMANTLE, a new writ was issued for the county of Fermanagh, in the room of Lord Cole, now Earl of Enniskillen. Mr. PEMBROKE and Sir W. FOLLETT presented petitions against the Clergy Reserves Bill. Lord INGESTRIE presented a petition against a repeal of the Corn-laws. Sir R. PEEL presented a petition from a place in Sussex, in favour of Church Extension : also petitions from Kirkaldy and Glenelg, against the In'zrusion of Ministers contrary to the wishes of congregations. Mr. HUME presented petitions against Church Ex tension, from the Dissenters of Stockton-on-Tees, and other places ; the Hon. Member also presented peti tions in favour of Universal Suffrage, Vote by Ballot, and short Parliaments, from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stratheden, and several other places. LUDLOW ELECTION. Mr. SANFORD, Chairman of the Ludlow Com mittee, brought up their report, and informed the House the Committee had resolved that Thomas Alcock, Esq., was not duly elected to serve in the present Parliament, for the borough of Ludlow—that the last election was void—that the petition of John Thomas and others was not frivolous and vexatious ; that the opposition of J. Cooper and others was not frivolous or vexatious ; that T. Alcock, Esq., by his agents, had been guilty of bribery and treating ; that W. Clive, Esq., had been guilty, by his agents, of bribery and treating, and that a general system of treating had prevailed at the last and at pre vious elections for the said borough. Mr. CLIVE said, as the word "agents" was used in one of the resolutions, he wished to ask the Hon. Mem ber for West Somerset whether the word implicated any Hon. Member of that House as having interfered in the election of Members for the borough of Ludlow ? Mr. SAN FORD said he was sure his Hon. Friend would excuse his not answering that question. It would be out of order for the Chairman of a Committee to give any opinion as to the grounds on which the Committee came to their decision. Lord SANDON appealed to every Member of the Committee, whether the bribery was not limited to two cases—one on each side, and in neither case was a Member of that House implicated. He thought, per haps, it would have been better for them to have come to such a resolution before they had separated ; and perhaps that they had not done so was an oversight. Mr. WAKLEY said the House and the country ought to have more information upon a subject of that kind—(Cheers) ---and he was surprised at the Report be ing presented as a mere matter of course. If a Report of such a nature was to be considered and treated as a common occurrence, it would tend to throw much odium and disgrace on the House. It was expected in a reformed House and in a reformed borough there would have been an end to such waste and extrava gance.—(Laughter on the Tory Benches.) A system which struck at the very vitals of representation. He would move that the evidence be printed, with a view to suspend the issuing of the writ till a future day.— (Laughter.) It was impossible for the House to know whether or not the writ ought to be issued, until it was in possession of the evidence, and he did not hesitate a moment in stating that his object was to suspend the writ. Mr. W. HOLMES seconded the motion.—(Loud cheers.) A most extraordinary speech was made at the opening of the case before the Committee, and it was supported by the testimony of an individual who was not believed by one Member of the Committee, otherwise it would have been their duty to have reported specially as to his (Mr. H.'s) conduct. He was most anxious that the cross-examination of that individual should be before the House ; and he, therefore, with much pleasure seconded the motion of the Hon. Member. Mr. SANFORD begged to deny that he had any wish to keep back the evidence taken before the Com mittee. He had received no directions from the Com mittee to found any motion upon the evidence ; and he thought it would have been exceeding his duty, if he did more than present the Report to the House. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said his Hon. Friend had done all that was imposed upon him by his position as Chairman of the Committee. The Hon. Member for Finsbury was in error in supposing that such a Report having been presented the writ would be issued as a matter of course. The House must have the evidence before them—they must have time to consider that evidence before a new writ could issue, and if a moti on for the issuing of a new writ were made before that time he would feel it his duty to oppose it. Mr. SANFORD brought up the minutes of evi dence, and the motion for printing it was agreed to. Mr. WAKLEY said the motion having been agreed to, he would now move that the writ be suspended till the first of June next—(Laughter and cries of " Hear, hear.") It was a matter of great importance to the House that the character of the representatives of the people should be freed from any imputations such as had been made in the Report of the Committee. Lord J. RUSSELL thought they might conclude that no Member would move for a new writ without giving notice. He thought until the evidence was printed, and in the hands of Members, that the motion of the Hon. Member for Finsbury was premature. Mr. GOULBURN agreed in what had been stated by the Noble Lord, and was extremely unwilling in a case which was likely to form a precedent to allow a writ to be suspended on the mere presentation of a Report. He thought that notice should be given of any intention to move for a new writ. Mr. HUNIE said, after the Report that had Just been read, in which it was alleged that both parties, by their agents, had been guilty of bribery, the House should mark its sense of such proceedings by suspend ing the writ. He did not think that the Report could be printed End read over by Hon. Members much earlier than the Ist of June. The Gallery was then cleared for a division, but none took place, Mr. W ARLEY having withdrawn his motion upon the understanding that notice should be given before the new writ should be moved for. COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH TURKEY. Mr. HUNE gave notice that to-morrow he should put a questicn to the Noble Lord the Secretaty for Foreign Affairs, whether orders had been issued by the Sublime Porto to give effect to the commercial treaty entered into Rith this country in the provinces on the banks of the Danube, in Egypt, Syria, and Upper Arabia ; he lad moved for papers but had been un able to procure them, and therefore to-morrow ho should ask the Noble Lord the question. OPENING THE BRITISH MUSEUM ON SUNDAYS. Mr. HUNIE also gave notice that on the sth of May next, he should move a resolution to the effect that it was tle opinion of the House, that the British Museum and National Gallery should be opened to the public on Suldays and holidays after divine service. The Hon. Member then moved for certain returns relating to Exchequer Bills, which were ordered. Mr. HERMES gave notice that immediately a ft er the Easter hoidays he w ould call theattentton of of the House to the , 3ontradictions between the conditions the Austrian Treaty and the Navigati on . Bill. he in wo c u a l s d e I p r. ris l o V es A ß lt o ß l UdißdTeor come e n the Prisons nth°anteenigthilta,t, to-morrow call the attention of the House to the case of the prisoners in Warwick jail. Mr. HERRIES wished to ask the Noble Lord, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, if there would be any objection to lay on the table of the House a copy of the communication from the merchants of London to Lord Palmerston, on the subject of the measures adopted by the American Government in consequence of the interruption of the trade with China. He asked ' that question as the Noble Lord had alluded to the subject in his speech on Thursday night. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that there would be no objection to satisfy the wish of the Right Hon. Member, were it not that it was not customary that Government should lay any other than official papers before the House. Sir ROBERT PEEL said that the rule could not apply in the present instance, as no Minister had a right to refer to any paper unless he was at the same time willing to produce it. He remembered that that rule had been followed by Mr. Canning on a former oc casion. Mr. GOULBURN said, with reference to himself the rule just mentioned by his Right Hon. Friend had also been followed. Lord SANDON said his impression was, that the Noble Lord referred to it as an official document, and he believed that to have been the general understanding. An HoN. MEMBER on the Conservative side of the House (whose name we could not learn), observed that the Noble Lord stated the letter wassigned by individuals representing certain firms. As to the first signature on the list, thatof Mr. Larpent, who signed it as Chairman of the East India and China Association, he begged to state, that Mr. Larpent signed it in his individual capacity, and by no means represented the opinions of his firm.—(" Hear, hear," from the Conservatives.) Lord J. RUSSELL believed the Noble Lord bad so stated the document. The return was then ordered. AMERICAN BOUNDARY. Sir R. PEEL wished to know when the papers which he had moved for relative to the American boun dary would be laid on the table of the House. If the floor of the Foreign Office was not yet repaired, he hoped that operation would soon take place, so that the returns might be furnished with as little delay as possible. Lord J. RUSSELL was understood to say that the papers would be laid upon the table of the House be fore the adjournment. ECCLESIASTICAL DUTIES AND RE VENUES. In answer to an Hon. Member, Lord J. RUSSELL said it was his intention to bring on the Ecclesiastical Duties and Revenues Bill on the I st of May , but if there was any change of intention on his part he would state it to-morrow or the following day. VOTERS (SCOTLAND). Mr. GILLON begged to ask the Lora Advocate, who had introduced a Bill to de' fine the right of Voting in Scotland- - a s the system of registration was extremely defective, he wished to know if it were the Learned Lord's inten tion to bring in a Bill to improve the system of registration in Scotland ? He wished also to ask whether he intended to introduce a Police Bill for the burghs of Scotland, which was much required? The LORD ADVOCATE said the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies, had given notice of his i n " tention to bring in a Bill immediately after Easter, , the registration of voters in England and Wales ; af ter that Bill was laid on the table of the House, it was his (the Lord Advocate's) intention to bring in a similar one for Scotland. It was also his intention to bring in a Police Bill. CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS. Mr. KELLY begged to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to introduce ant measure for the further abolition of capital punishments ? Mr, FOX MAULE was not aware of any such in' tention on the part of her Majesty's Government. Mr. KELLY then gave notice that imincdiatell after the Easter recess he should move for leave to bg in a Bill to abolish the punishment of death e xcel:3 in cases of murder. CLERGY RESERVES. Mr. PAKINGTON wished to put a question to the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies, in conse quence of finding that considerable misapprehen sion existed out of doors with regard to what had lately taken place respecting the Clergy Reserves Diana The question he wished to ask was , whether he h understood the Noble Lord to say, in answe r to a far' mer question of his, that the Clergy Reserves Bill t.v . r.! illegal, in so far as it went to repeal the Act of 7 and 8 George IV., and whether, if such were th e case, t h e whole of the Bill was so illegal that it could not receive the Royal Assent. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that what he had for - s e of the merly stated to the House was, that after t he lap be thirty days, and of the additional time which would II allowed beyond the thirty days, in consequence of the recess, be should consult the Law O ffi cers o f the Crown,. i and put certain questions to them, before a d v ising the Crown to give the Royal Assent to the Bill. Such Yrg I the statement which he had made. Since th a t h e tv )- derstood that it had been said in another place, that suppose the Judges should give certain anwer s tR ito Royal wouldqa l u questions tnioont assents be eo twhichhe proper Billt h o a a d asdivt b i e ase e t u tphre p a r ce o n p rot o w s s e tn d ootod t . o gi : e h o , s t : hi ; eu' e Mr. PAKINGTON had u n d ers t oo d f ro m the N Lord that the opinion of the law officers of the Cro wn was, that a part of the Act of the Colonial Logisl a t tu : repealed one of the clauses of the Act 7 and 8 Get ) * and in so far it was illegal ; and he wished to a sk if th is " opinion of its general illegality went so far as to render the whole Bilrinoperative. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that what be 11sci stated was that there was a clause in the Bill Isee,l e th went to repeal a portion of the Act 7th and I*_, George IV., which, as that Act did not contain oh clause empowering the Colonial Legislature to alter repeal, it was so far in the opinion of the law oi" e Ac t of the Crown of no legal effect, unless confirmed by en, Jo b of the Imperial Parliament. That was the answer cv°lo he had returned to th e H on . G en tl em an. But as to A ny opinion thonoaft the wholethe Law-officers ßill of the illegal, heCr Crown g iven m ust sw effect ate that after the l a p se o f ti me agree d on he should egta.l consult the Law-offi ce r s o f th e C rown on the ao h j ec od Sir R. PEEL said that in another place be had he ti o f the highest legal auth or ity state t h a t if one po r t t he the Bill was contrary to law, it would invalidate whole Bill. hoe ld Lord J. RUSSELL sa id th a t un d ou btedly be s t he not advise the Cr o w n t o g i ve t h e R o yal Assent to n ub- Bill until Pa r li amen t h a d b een consu lt e d upon t he 5 1 , c e, r ject. The questio n was one o f t h e grea test imPts_ept and he trusted they w ou ld come t o s uch as e h t a t b le i ru tanti of it as would be fo un d sa ti s f ac t ory t o the in of the colonies. father Mr. PAKINGTON wished to put one further of question to the Noble Lord :--Was it the inte n i; ; ta - of At the Government to call upon the Imperial Ica r ', - er r,es, to legislate anew with respect to the Clergy P' e r - the or would the Bill to be introduced be m erely Ay purpose of enabling the Crown to give the it' 3 7 a sent to the present Bill ? v et Lord J. RUSSELL—The Hon. Member ha" answ e r. a question which would take half an hoar to (A laugh.) . Lord J. aupsitslENLTLEmpo,peAdt7atlttShe BLloL_rdLs; ii..Aitrieans d i ; ments to the above Bill be now considered. 'rho PI ta ble then stood co n t a i ne d a ll the f ormer part of the prea ns, , which it contained when it left the House of 0: 1 1 d o uses ofand it therefore contained. the assertion by both i ,: r ge o Parliament, that in order to the due clis-I,s„,,re thef their legislative functions, that they must t heir power of publishing such reports n' (Hear .) proceedings as they might see fit. -- ", t ,b el The House of Lords, in the amendments vih` c " I t ,i et had introduced, had not in any degree varied the o '' e d variedapo. cfir ß etod i mi l o l, btt o ehh r teios t rs h reep e sepa m eke o et d ; e t ho o af f t p t hi r n o as c tt e e e ao d dr i n .o o' t of d Parliament to the office of the Court, it shell' the the Court itself. H e t o . ~,.. mode proposed by the House of Lords was . _ , loose• f tory and sufficient as the mode adopted by that end, He should therefore propose to agree to the wur ri , e S ments of the House of Lords in that respect• b4d 1 clause been left with respect to actions now Pend ing t he out of the Bill, and therefore in ean , action a that had been commenced against the Seri', tit t Arms he would plead. His opinion w 25 ''' bf ' 0 would have been well that the action should hr.ve en stopped, but he did not think it was necessary to inV be upon the clause. The only objection he had to the amendments made by the House of Lords vias o ffering respect to the notice, and without 0 t he ~ Ily opinion of his own he would leave it t t re , fl I ; I : . hbo eat hilt • : i s t re: I s rge a t; ThY t 1 t d i s °h i t 1 l a tl si: House to deal with the amendments bears tbs. h e ar •) spect as they thought right.—(Hear, "bich The other clause was with regard to extracts, to vv .bat I he saw no objection. Then there was a provilden' t l -Le nothing therein contained should be held to As r t privilege of Parliament in any manner whatever. As that part of the Bill with respect to actions now pendinguintA 0 been left out, of course it followed that the prea , e u J. referring to those actions had likewise been oral Such being the alterations made by the Lords, an d. but he understood several others had been propos e LA , rejected, he confessed it appeared to him on the 4 4 : 1) ' cig that the other House of Parliament had been v llit . n ts to concur in the general principle and in the en Ac tive - . to i n tro , of the Bill, and the Lords had been unwillir,ig oh serious fav Pe atri the difference Parliament.--(Hear,) m ff e e ffe r eo e ct n t. _... ( c e of of H opinionea maintainingr ,) ii between oit; duce any thing into the Bill that might t , , ; ad .it° app' two li ni ld the Bil l "Ile and pr otico s i c w o ay the power of publication, for whic',; they had eilvl, i tha n t tended. It was with great satisfaction he foun r , , 1 upon a question of this Vinci, without reso rt' / log to those measures whi'eh were .ius tifi ' j • 4 O ta n i the part of the Howe, in order to needson' ln T, i n those privileges which they thought t ' a thought n. ti : sary, and which it was exceedi-agly painful to a dopt , tir -', by this Bill they would not be obliged to enter into sv co contests in future.—(Hear.) Undoubtedly the quest 00 --....4 ....094. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1840. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT CONTEMPLATED CHANGES IN THE POLICE 31AGISTRACY.—A rumour for several days current in the dis trict, that Mr. Hardwick was about to remove from Lambeth street to Marylebone Police Court, to supply the place of the late Mr. Codd, having received confirmation, a strong and ge neral feeling of regret, not merely among the persons more im mediately officially connected with the 4epartment, but the in habitants of the various parishes in which that gentleman has, for upwards of twenty years, been a Magistrate, was manifested. Under the influence of this feeling the trustees of the extensive parish of St. Mary, Whitechapel, deemed it to be their duty, as a manifestation of the pubic sentiment and a testimony of their respect for the high qualifications of that excellent Magis trate, to present him with a complimentary address previous to his departure. In compliance with this resolution a deputation, composed of several members of the trust, waited on Mr. Hard wick last week at Lambeth-street Police Court. John Scott Smith, Esq., presented the address, to which Mr. Hardwick made a very appropriate reply. A man name(' George Robinson has absconded from Droitwich Lunatic Asylum. He was a criminal convict, removed from the Worcester Gaol to the above residence; his height is about 5 feet 10 inches; his complexion light, having a red mark on his face ; he is about 33 years of age. EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE FROM NEW- G nTE.—Yesterday morning, about nine o'clock. the turnkeys of Newgate prison discovered that Richard Jones who was in for trial as one of the accomplices in Ganley's murder, and also on a charge of being connected with certain Ribbon, or Secret Societies, had made his escape. He cut the iron bars of the window where he was confined, and on doing that (it being a top story)was enabled to get on the roof of the prison, on which he crept, till, by means of a holdfast in the prison, to which he tied a rope, he let himself down into the street and escaped. The rope, about forty feet in length, was found suspended from the wall; but no clue has as yet been found by the authcrities to enable them to ascertain whither he is gone, notwithstanding that the most anxious and diligent search was made through the entire day,—Dublin Evening Post. FATAL IRISH AFFRAY.—Monday morning an Irish labourer, named John Newnham, expired in the Middle sex Hospital, owing to injuries inflicted on him about a week ago. It appears that a quarrel ensued between Newnham and a number of other Irishmen in Cato-street, and that a despe rate tight took place. To escape from the fury of his assail ants, he (Newnham) made his way down stairs into a yard, when the rest of the party followed, and beat him with pokers and bludgeons until his skull was fractured in a dreadful manner and his face and body cut and bruised all over. It was ex pected that the deceased would have died before his arrival at the institution above alluded to. The carriers in all quarters of the country are suffering severely from the operation of the Penny Postage. The contraband traffic in letters was a pretty good paying part of the business of country carriers formerly, and deep and loud are the lamentations at the introduction of the Hill and Wal lace system of cheap postage.— Glasgow Chronicle. The late John Wilkinson, Esq., of Ebury-street, Pimlico, who died about the year 1534, after having acquired nearly one hundred thousand pounds, bequeathed the sum of forty thousand for charitable purposes ; the interest of which is paid to his executors half yearly, to be given away to dis tressed and religious people of good character, in sums of ten and fifteen pounds, and who have not received parochial relief. His executors are Mr. Jacob Wilkinson, of Southgate, Middle sex, Mr. William Nash, and Mr. John M orle y , of Pimlico. Mr. Charles Kean has returned to New York from Charleston, where his success was great, and the receipts at his benefit amounting to 1,200 dollars. By this time he is playing a farewell engagement at the Park Theatre, New York. His health, however, it is painful to hear, is precarious, and he has, in consequence, determined, under medical advice, to sojourn awhile at one of the West India Islands (Cuba), in order to acquire strength for his voyage to England, to fulfil his engagement at the Haymarket. DISCOLOURATION OF BODIES ATTER DEATH. —ln the course of an inquest held on Thursday, at the Britannia public-house, High-street, Camden-town, before Mr. Wakley, 'ALP., on the body of Mary Ann Stubbs, a fine infant, aged five months, which was found 'dead in bed by the side of its mother, the jury having expressed their surprise at the appear ances of discolouration it evinced, Mr. Wakley said it was not to be wondered at, as no doubt the child died in convulsions, which, as well as other causes, always had that effect. He re collected some time ago holding an inquest at Hendon, on the body of a boy, aged seven years, who was found drowned. The body was so discoloured that it gave the appearance of his having been beaten to death. The boy, however, was in the water with others, whom he dared to follow him, and getting out of his depth, was drowned ; but, if any person had been heard to threaten him, and he had been subsequently accidentally drowned when alone, the party who had so threatened him would have stood a very great chance of forfeiting his life on the charge of murder. As regarded the case they had met to in vestigate, he would suggest that the only verdict they could return was, " Found dead." The jury coincided, and returned ;verdict accordingly. FATAL GIG ACCIDENT.—OR Saturday after noon, a horse belonging to Mr. Mullinger, of No. 5, Rodney terrace, Mile-end-road, took fright, and proceeded down the Mile-end-road at a fearful rate. He was attached to a light gig, and had not proceeded far before the gig came in contact with some obstacle, and was dashed to atoms. The road at the time was densely crowded, and the number of people knocked down by the horse is stated to be upwards of twenty, twelve of whom were carried to the London Hospital. Six are dreadfully injured. The remaining sufferers are not much hurt, excepting one, a Greenwich pensioner, who expired shortly after his admission into the hospital, and whose body now awaits the coroner's inquest. The horse was stopped at the turnpike, and was taken charge of by the police. While the sufferers were being conveyed into the hospital, another horse belonging to some of the officers of that institution, which was in the enclosure, took fright, but happily was checked by coming in contact with the brickwork, and iron railing and the Western entrance. lio . xerson was injured. A CART l'lßE.—About four o'clock on Saturday afternooOnNacarta, la d d e e a n ler w i i n th t r h e o s s in e an ar d tic t l u e ze r n e t s i i n d e in , g be a - t longing to Mr. Murphy, proceeding along the Mile-end-road towards town, w in n, E w ss h e e x n , ark among the combustible wast he droppeddriv e r a , who h o was smoking a pipe at the time, inadvertently materials, and in almost an instants the cart ri became fiames one an b d ocl a y fte o r f withhorse to the ca takefr r i t gh i t, and t , he animal fistarre.tedTohffisatcaaufuserd the speedious runningsararsohuonrdtsditshteanLcoenddasonheHdosagp i a t i a ls t h p r a e rt a k o i nf gpart the iro ofn irailingtin This served to check his progress. Several persons then ran to procure the parish engine, and that, with the onngebferloomngtinhge to the h os pit a l, b e ing procured, the flames proceedi cart were extinguished, but not before the property contained therein, with the cart itself, were entirely consumed. SINGULAR CHARGE AND CONVICTION. — Samuel Lees, framework-knitter, of Sheepshead, was charged by Elizabeth Mason with stealing a shirt, the prope rt y of her husband. It app eare d th at th e prisoner had worked for the prosecutor, and lodged in the house, and some words having o sa c i c d u h rr e ed w o i n ul d co l n e s a e v q e u , en a c n e d of his dernand s e to d pp h ir i , s g lionuetn,all n, whi i e g h ht Mr h s e . to hue: s H hhhte e i r wtp then airnsi shoh t in oo sisep t :w o sn n eas e :si o awop f nhp h , clothes-horse. a n refused.hhere withs et b.ir e ci r hhe h iwne u hda s s e b hdq a husband's sbi d tay ' e s i dar f s r vil o gih m eoceolnud t h h aan e es h d e af h t ad er taken.short conversationlklr. Dudley an b d et tl e r e .C n r t e h ss e w m e , ll h th ea e rt R i the ev. thetcHoa s o e Y e k o r , n i i :t en , ' Gentleman said he did not think it was a felony, but had no doubt the youth was a bad character by his staying out all night, and would leave Mr. Cresswell to deal with him as he thought proper ; on which the " sapient Justice" sentenced the poor fellow to three months imprisonment with hard labour ' ' —Derby Reporter. DEATH FROM DRUNKENNESS.—On Saturday night an inquest was held before Mr. Payne, the city Coroner, at the Britannia, Golden-lane, Barbican, on the body of Mary Whitcombe, aged 45, the second member of her family who had comecoslebc, to a premature death in consequence of her dissipated habits. It appeared that on Thursday last the deceased went pensioner to Chelsea College to obtain his pension, and inThe next morning she had more gin. About eight o'clock at .itthheacourse of the day they became very much . intoxicated. night a neighbour went to her lodgings, and after knocking in and found the deceas ed l y in g on her face vain, opened tile d oor natural t d e d a e t a n d , , brought n n o o n d b o u y b e t x fr e o e m s - O su n ff the ocat b ioz ed .. ; sh V e er ." di a c s t-- dr ` e ` sive dri n ki n g." The new market at Brecon was o p ened on Satur , day last. , ROUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 13. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool sack at Four o'Clock, when five of the Judges were in attendance. They also sat on the Woolsack. His Lordship then read the questions which the House had resolved to put to the Learned Judges, relating to the Canada Reserves Bill ; and the Judges having received from his Lordship a copy of the questions, retired. The gallery was not opened to strangers until a quar ter to five o'clock. On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY several private bills were read a third time and passed. Lord KENYON presented petitions from places in the County of Northumberland against any further grant to the Popish College of Maynooth. The Earl of ROSEBERY, in the absence of the Duke of Sussex, presented several petitions from Cupar and other places in the County of Fife, against the con nexion of the Church with the State, and praying for the release of John Thorogood. The Noble Lord had been charged by his Royal Highness to state that he did not concur in the sentiments or prayer of those petitions, although he felt it a duty to present them, as they were respectfully worded. On his own part, be (the Earl of Rosebery) also disclaimed concurrence with the views of the petitioners. ASSAM TEA. The Marquis of WESTMINSTER presented five petitions from Temperance Societies, praying for encou ragement to the growth of Assam tea. He had no sort of doubt that her Majesty's Ministers would do everything to restore amicable relations with China, at the same time that they would not allow the ho nour of this country to be tarnished.—(Hear.) He had heard a great deal said about the trade in opium, but he was sure that it would be very difficult to per suade the people of the eastern coasts of China to abandon the use or abuse of a drug to which they had been so long habituated, and it would also be very difficult to prevent adven turous traders from supplying a commodity, from the traffic in which they derived such large gains. How ever if our relations with China should be interrupted for a long time it would be a great advantage to derive a sufficient supply of tea (which had become to this nation almost a necessary of life) from our own domi nions. He had no doubt that with encouragement Assam would soon be able to furnish a sufficient quantity of tea for our consumption ; and having tried the quality of the tea grown in that province he could say that it was very palateable already, and he could not doubt that it would before long be equal to the best of Chinese growth. The demand for tea would be greatly increased by the extensive progress of the " temperance pledge," in all parts of the United King dom, and especially in Ireland, where the progress of the pledge had been so great as to alarm the Noble Marquis opposite (Westmeath) perhaps more than the uncourteous allusion to the " bilious scion of the house of Derby." He hoped the prayers of the petitioners would have some weight, and that the Legislature would give every encouragement to the growing of tea in the East Indies. Tile Marquis of WESTMEATH had heard that the people who took the temperance pledge in Ireland did really abstain from the drinking of spirits, but he did not believe they had taken to the drinking of tea.—(A laugh.) If the only manifestation at the temperance meetings in Ireland had been that of a desire to abstain from spirits and to drink tea, he (the Marquis of Westmeath) would have been very little alarmed. The Duke of WELLING TON presented a peti tion from the University of Oxford against the Clergy Reserves Bill. Viscount DUNCANNON presented returns rela tive to the Clergy Reserves ; and also a copy of corre spondence relative to New Zealand. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented petitions from Down, against the intrusion of ministers into the Church of Scotland. The Noble Marquis, in moving that the petitions should lie on the table, ob served, that as the recess was now coming on, he wished again to call the attention of the Noble Viscount to the situation in which the Spanish Legion was placed. He felt no doubt from the statement that had been made, both by the Noble Viscount and the Noble Earl, that the earliest possible means would be taken with respect to the subject, but he wished that some thing should be done to put an end to what he must call the paper currency medium, that was going on. The Noble Marquis proceeded to read a letter from one of the unfortunate claimants on the Spanish Go vernment, stating that he held a certificate, for which in vain he had attempted to procure payment, and which had been handed from tradesman to tradesman till up wards of twenty names had been endorsed upon it. Tbe Noble Marquis in conclusion handed Lord Mel bourne a long list of questions about Spain, which he said he would expect after Easter to be answered. The Earl of HADDINGTON presented a petition praying for a settlement of the Intrusion Question in the Church of Scotland. CORN-LAWS. Earl RADNOR presented a petition in favour of the repeal of the Corn-laws. Lord HATHERTON said he had been requested by Earl Fitzwilliam to give notice that on Tuesday, May 26, he should move a resolution upon the Corn-laws. TITHE COMMUTATION. Lord REDESDALE presented a petition from the Rev. Mr. Story, Vicar of Camberwell, stating that he had commuted 1,160/. tithes for 1,100/., in considera tion of the greater facility for collection which he antici pated, whereas he had found that so minutely sub•di vided had the tithes become, that instead of having, as before, been levied on about 300 persons, they were now levied on upwards of a thousand—in many cases in sums not above a shilling or two ; and 2001. was absorbed in collecting expenses. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented a similar petition, and expressed a hope that some re medy would be applied. The MOST REV. PRELATE then presented a great number of petitions against the Clergy Reserves Bill. The Bishop of LONDON presented several peti tions against the Clergy Reserves Bill in favour of Church Extension, and against any further grant to the College of Maynooth. The Earl of WINCHELSEA presented several petitions from East Kent in favour of Church Extension, also a petition signed by 7,000 inhabitants of Liverpool, against tho Irish Municipal Corporation Bill. Lord MOUNTCASHEL presented a similar peti tion from the City of Dublin. The Marquis of WESTMEATH said he under stood the Noble Viscount (Melbourne) to have given his consent that the Dublin Corporation should be heard at the bar, and as Counsel would appeal to the evidence that had been given on the subject, he thought it should be printed. Lord DUNCANNON made an observation that was inaudible. The Marquis of WESTMEATH said that was ex cessively droll. The Government did not know whe ther any evidence had been given, or where it was to be found. Good God, what an exhibition before the country ! Lord MELBOURNE asked what documents the Noble Marquis wished produced, the Report having been printed, and being before the House ? The Marquis of WESTMEATH said there was not a single word in the Report relating to Dublin, ex cept a statement of one of the Corporation as to when he expected to receive his salary.—( Laughter.) He thought it was the business of her Majesty's Go vernment, when they were proposing a measure, to have everything ready for the inrormation of Parliament. Lord CLONCURRY said that if evidence were heard in favour of the corporations of Ireland, he trusted the same favour would be extended to the com mons of those corporations who had been robbed of their vested rights by the patrons of those corporations, and that inquiry would be made upon that subject also. The Marqus of WESTMEATH agreed that that would be a most proper mode of proceeding, and he thought that a Select Committee of the House should sit in the case of every individual corporation.— (Hear, and a laugh.) The Noble Marquis then gave notice that to-morrow he would move that there should be laid on the table of the House a report of the evi dence taken before the Commission of Inquiry with re spect to the Corporation of Dublin. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL said, in allusion to a remark of the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Cloncurry), that if he meant to charge him with having appropriated the property of any Corporation, he would rebut the charge as he never had any thing to do with such pro perty. Lord CLONCURRY said that he had not wished to allude in particular to the Noble Earl, but he thought the Noble Earl might be a good witness on the occa sion—(A laugh)—and that his evidence might afford valuable assistance to the House. rporat ions, laugh.) blieved uld The Earl of MOUNTCASHE be L said, that he s co o far from gaininghe d lost The Earl of GLENGALL presented petitions against the importa tion of flour into Ireland. by y by Co them.— ( A show FRIVOLOUS SUITS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Lord DENMAN, in moving the second reading of this Bill, begged that the discussion upon it might be postponed, and intimated that with regard to trespasses the Act was not to apply, restricting the costs todamages of forty shillings and upwards, which, however, he thought was a provision calcula ted in most cases to re press vexa tious litigation, and disco ura g e frivolous suits brought only for the sake of costs. Lord WYN FORD said he would, in compliance with the request of the Noble and Learned Lord, postpone the objection he entertained to the Bill, but he doubted much if the measure would be rendered effective by merely denying costs to plaintiffs who had not a certain amount of damages. The Bill was read a second time. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE postponed till after the holidays certain important petitions he had to present respecting Irish Corporations. EVENING EDITION.