The Sun. — London, England, 1847-02-23 00:00:00

.',4 titrb libitton SUN OFFICE, Seven o'cliYefi. LONDON AND BLA,CKWALL RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.) The usual half-yearly general' meeting of the proprietors of this company was held to-day,at the London Tavern ; J. N. Daniell, Esq., in the chair. TheSxcassaar read the report , which stated that the total receipts amounted to 34,801/. 6s. 9d., being an increase of 3,5481. 4a. 3d. as compared with the corresponding period of the year 1845, and the sum available for the half-yearly dividend waa 9,6381. 1 7s. 2 d. , which would give 4s. per share, clear of inearne-tax. The amount of passengers in 1845 was 1,658,555, which produced a sum of 26,362/. Ils. 2d., and the number in 1846 was 1,782,844, and the receipts 28,634/. 14s. ld. Tho report then went on to state that the directors had for some time past been engaged in an inquiry whether, under all the circumstances of the traffic, it would be desirable that the present system of motive power should be continued, and that from a recent report furnished by the superintendent of the company, which was confirmed by their engineer, they believed that it would be beneficial to the interests of the company to change the present expensive and exclusive system of working by ropes, and to adopt locomotive power. The recommendation of the present system was that it ac commodated the intermediate w ithout inconveniencing the through traffic. The directors thought that the conveni ence of the public might be provided for by a judi cious arrangement of the intermediate stations, in order to adopt the line to the use of locomotive engines. By means of Iccomotives an accommodation would also be afforded, which could not be given under the present system of conveying passengers to and from the intermediate stations ' thereby opening a new traffic, which the removal o f the hadwell and Cannon-street stations to the locality of the new street leading to St. Katherine's and the London docks would extend. The report then went on to state that working by ropes precluded the possi bility, without great difficulty, of junction lines running into the railways, and that to obviate that inconvenience, the directors, at the recommendation of their engineer, obtained poweri to widen the line from Stepney to Fenchurch street ; but, in the event of the present mode of traction being changed, that the outlay for widen ing the line would be spared, with the exception of the cost of improving the London terminus, to accommodate the traffic which would follow the communication of other lines with the extension line then in progress. The present system cost nearly one-third more than would be in curred by the locomotive power. The report concluded by stating that a Bill for effecting the requisite altera tion of gauge, and for constructing a short line to connect the London and St. Katherine Docks, had been read a second time in the House of Commons, and that after the meeeting, the directors, in accordance with the wish of the proprietors, would reduce their number from 10 to 7. The SECRETARY then read a lettter from Mr. Joseph Locke, stating that the change of gauge could be easily effected, and at a cost of but 1,5001. for each line. A statement of the accounts for the past half-year was then submitted to the meeting, from which it appeared that the expenditure for that period was 25,020/. 2s. 6d., which left a balaase of 9,924/. 2a. 10d. The CHAIRMA N said that it must be evident to the share holders that there was a disposition on the part of certain great companies to avail themselves of their line. lie had no doubt that the Great Wcstern Company would do so if their line were offered to them. It would be fur the meeting to consider whether or or not there should be any change in the mode of traction. Their station traffic was no doubt of great advantage, and by the alterations hero proposed they would be en abled to carry passengers from one station to another. There was one important feature which should not be disregarded in deciding upon this question, was, that if the proposed alteration were adopted, that it would effect a saving of 190,000/. or 200,0001. The saviqg was not only in the mode of traction, but in several other ways, as any person acquainted with the subject must be aware. There was every reason to think that within the space of a few months they would be in full operation. As far as the last half year was con cerned, the shareholders had reason to be gratified, for it was the only halt year ia which there had been anything like a bone tfide dividend. Ile would therefore move that the re port, together with the accounts which they had heard read, should tie received and adopted. Dr. BROWNING seconded the resolution, which,. after some discussion, was agreed to unanimously. Captain Mangles, Mr. Hoigh, and Mr. Baker, were then re-elected directors. Thanks were voted to and acknowledged by the Chairman, after which the meeting separated. THE NORFOLK RAILWAY. (THIS DAY.) The usual half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of the Norfolk Rahway was held this afternoon at the offices of the company in Guildhall-yard. Mr. Adam Datf, Chair man of the Board of Directors, in the chair. The report stated that during the past half-year the traffic upon the line had considerably increased. The receipts had amounted to 45,689/. Is. 2J., and the expenditure to 22,190/,45. Bd., after pay ment of the half-year's interest li fpn the mortgage debt, amounting to 3,860/. 17s. 4d., thertwould be a balance available for a dividend of 29,387/. I ls. Bd., and the di rectors accordingly proposed that a dividend, at the rate of 31. 10s. per cent., , hould be declared on the capital stock of the company, and 4s, I ld. on the 22,000 10/. sha7es, payable on the 4th day of March next. a preliminary agreement had been come to with the Eastern Union and Ipswich and Bury Companies fur the union or amalgamation of the two concerns upon the following terms; namely, the Norfolk Company were to be guaranteed 7% per cent. upon the whole of their capital, but in case any proprietor objected to take the amalgamate , ' stock he was to have the option to dispose of his interest, at the rate of 150/. fur every 10‘)/. share. . _ _ The in moving the adoption of the report, seated that the agreement for the amalgamation was only come to on Saturday, and in the present state of the railway market the directors, with the view of obviating expensive parliamentary contests and unwholesome competition, ha l thought it best to accept the 7% per cent. A special meeting would be called to discuss the details of the ogreetne,nt, but still it was proposed now that the shareholders should express their feelings upon the matter in adowing the report. . _ . After a short di7ou3sion, the report was adopted with only bur dissentients. The dividend saving been declared, Captain Charles William Tyndale, Captain Charles War dell, and Ebernezer Fuller Maitland, Esq., were re-elected directory of this company; and Mr. Stephen Nicolson Barber, jun., and Mr. Benitmin IVigg Welding re-appointed auditors. The CHAIRMAN said it was proposed to capitalise the loan debts, and, with the permission of the meeting, he would move two resolutions t.,r the purpose : The first was—That in pursuance of the powers vested in this company by the several Acts of Parliament, 7 and 8 Vic. cap. 18, 8 and 9 Vic. cap. 41, and 8 and 9 Vic. cap. 154, and also of the Act of Parliament 8 Vic. cap. 17, and subject to the provisions of such Acts, it is hereby directed that the 22,000 101. shares, which have been created under the powers of the Act of Parliament 8 and 9 Vic. cap. 154, the whole money subscribed in respect of which (amounting to 220,000/.) has been called, be, and are hereby consolidated, into the general capital stock of this company, in the propor tion of 101. consolidated stock for every 101. share. Second. That in pursuance of the powers granted to this company for that puapose, an additional capital of 197,000/. be now raised to be divided into shares of 201. each, and offered to the proprietors of shares and stock in this com pany, in proportion to their existing interest therein (that is to say) one VI. share to every 1001. stock, such new capital to be applied in payment of the present mortgage debt of the company. A dep , ,sit of 51. to 113 paid npon each share, and the remainder to be called for by the directors, as occasion shall require for affecting the object aforesaid. A PROPRIETOR inquired when the leans beeame due? The CHAIRMAN replied—ln the present year, 1848, 1819, 1850, and 1851. The resolutions were unanimously adopted. A rote of confidence iu the directors was then passed, and the husinoss of the half-yearly meeting closed. SPECIAL MEETING, The proprietors then resolved themselves into a speci a ' meeting, when the following Bills were unanimously ap proved of:— - A dill to enable tte Norfolk Railway Company to extend their Railway to the town of Great Yarmouth, and for other purposes, A Bill to empower the Norfolk Rail .ray Company to make a Railway fern the Norfolk Railway, in the county of the city of Norwich, to Aylsham, in the county of Norfolk, with a branch therefrom to North Walsham. A Bill to empower the i orfolk Railway Company to make a Railway from Wymondham to piss. A Bill to empower the Norfolk Railway Company to make a Railway from the Norfolk Railway near Thetford, to join the Ipswich or Bury St. Edmund's Railway, near Bury St. Edmund's. A Bill to empower the Norfolk Railway Company to make • Railway from the Norfolk Railway at Thetford to the Lowestoft Railway near Reedbam, with a Branch to tittles worth. - ..-..... A Bill to authorise an Alteration in the Line of the Lowes toft ltailway and Harbour Company. The meeting terminated with the customary vote of thanks to the Chairman. SHREWSBURY AND HEREFORD RAILWAY.— (THIS DAY.) The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this company was held at the British Hotel, Cockspur street, this day. W. Ormsby Gore, Esq., It I. presided. The advertisement calling the meeting having been read by the Secretaty, the report, of which the following is a brief abstract, was read : The directors are now in negotiation with the Shrewsbury ' and Chester, Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and Shropshire Union Railway Companies, with a view of making permanent arrangements for the erection of a joint station at Shrews bury. 'lhe directors have entered into an arrangement with the proprietors of the Leominster Canal Navigation, for the pur chase of that canal, a part of which will be made available in the construction of the I:ne, and the remainder held with a view to future objects. The accounts showed a total receipt of :35,911/. le. 7d._; expenditure, 13,4171. 16s. 4d. ; leaving a balance of 22,493!. ss. 3d. The liabilities of the company amounted to about 15,0301., leaving a credit balance of 7,4031. 18s. 4d. In answer to questions, the CHAIRMAN said that the Leo minster Canal was 16 miles in length, occupying a space of 150 acres of land, and that the purchase money was 12,000/. It Was th e general opinion of th e meeting that the purchase was an advantageous one. The call s h a d b een we ll pa i d up, and a 21. call wou d be ma de i n t h e course of a short time. The report was th en adopted unanimously. In seconding the astcond resolution, that the negotiations for the purchaseoftbe Leominster Canal should be confirmed, Mr. Scow, M.P., for Walsall, suggested thdt the amalga mation of all the lines which had their common terminus at Sh re wsbury would he ad vantageous to the particular in terest of this company and to th e pu b lic at large, the more especially as the Chester and Shrewsbury, and the Hereford and Shrewsbury were continuous lines. Thanks to the Chairman were th en voted, and the meet init"wpaasrsatt.eatded. in the course of the meeting that the offices of the ceuVanY would be removed from London t o Chester. EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.) (Before the LORD CHIEF BARON and a Special J4r 4 -.) DAWsON V. TROUT. Mr. Martin and Mr. Willes were for the plaintiff, and M r . lint-grey and Mr. Hoggins for the defendant. This action was brought to recover a sum of nearly 500/., for printing and advertising done by the plaintiff, who is an advertising agent, for which the defendant was alleged to In liable, is his capacity - of promoter and provisional coin- Xaitteeman of the projected Direct London and liaStingS Xailway Company. On the part of the defendant, it was alleged that the so licitor to the company, Mr. Potter, had given to him. on condition of his becoming a member of the provisional com mittee, an indemnity against all liabilities, which circum stance was proved in evidence. It also appeared that the original order for the insertion of the advertisements had been given to the plaintiff by Mr. Potter, the solicitor to the company, previous t o th e ti me o f th e defendant's connexion with the company; and there was no evidence to show that the terms of the order had been subsequently altered. The plaintiff, in reply, stated that the indemnity had been withdrawn in consequence of a dispute which had arisen be tween Mr. Potter and the defendant, the former not being satisfied with the conduct of the defendant. The Lottn CHIEF BARON, in summing up, said that, in his opinion, the solicitor had not the power to annul the in demnity given to the defendant by him during the time that the liability which had commenced when he first became connected with the company was continued. At least he could not annul his agreement without placing the defen dant in the same position as he was prior to his connexion with the company. Me ith respect to the defendant's liability, in dependent of the indemnity he did not think that he was liable for the present claim, as the order was given by Potter, the solicitor to the company, prior to the name of the de fendant appearing as a provisional committeeman of the railway. --- - ~. The jury, after a brief consultatipn, returned a verdict for the defendant. SALE OF RAILWAY SHARES BY AUCTION.—(THIS DAY.) The sale of Railway Shares to-day, by Messrs. Lamond and Co., was firmer; and as the Budget has been brought out, more confidence was displayed; still there was no great change in prices. The following are a few of the principal sales : East Indian . . Calcutta and St. George's Point 0 4 0 Derby, Stafford, and Worcestershire Boston, Stamford, andßirmingham... South-Eastern and Dover, No. 4 Manchester and Southampton 1 6 0 Great Northern (London and York Reg.) 2 14 6 Reading, Guildford, and Reigate... ....... Northern Counties Union Buckinghamshire . ... 4 12 0 Shropshire Union and Canal 1 7 0 Eastern Counties, York Extension 4 12 6 PETITIONS ON PRIVATE BILLS. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS DAY.) (Room 22, before Mr. Examiner Sstrrn.) UNOPPOSED LIST. In the following unopposed cases the customary formal proofs were completed:— Leeds and Thirsk Railway (for supplying water to Leeds and the neighbourhood, and selling same to the Corporation of Leeds, and the Leeds Waterworks Company). York and Newcastle Railway (Wearmouth Dock Enlarge ment). York and Newcastle Railway (Hartlepool Dock and Rail. way, and Great North of England, Clarence and Hartlepool Junction Railway, Lease and Purchase Act). York and Newcastle, Newcastle and Berwick, and North British Railways Amalgamation. Axholme Railway (from the Leeds and Selby Railway to Gainsborough, with Branches). Manchester Corporation Waterworks (with power to pur chase the Manchester and Salford Waterworks Company). Manchester Corporation Waterworks (with power to sell to the Manchester and Salford Waterworks Company). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railways (Station at Sheffield, and Branch to the Sheffield Canal). Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society. Great North of India Railway Company. Shropshire Union Railways and Canal (Shrewsbury to Worcester). Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway (No. 1— Extension and Amendment). OPPOSED CASE. Kilmarnock and Ayr Direct Railway (Railway from Kil marnock to Ayr, with Branch to the Harbour of Ayr). This opposed case was part beard, and adjourned till to morrow. (Room 23, before . Mr. Examiner MAY.) UNOPPOSED LIST. In the following unopposed cases, the customary formal proofs were completed:— Direct London and Portsmouth, Brighton and Chichester, and London, Brighton, and South Coast, and London and South-Western Railway Companies Acts Amendment. Waterford and Limerick Railway (Deviations in Line, Ex. tension of Time for Purchase of Lands, further Rights and Privileges as to allowing Interest and giving Security and Amendments). Edinburgh and Northern, and Edinburgh, Leith, and Grantors Railways Amalgamation. - Dunfermline Waterworks (for the better supplying the town of Dunfermline, and places adjacent thereto, with Water). Tratimere Docks. The British Commercial Insurance Company. Western Gas Light Company. City of York, Freemen's Strays or Common Pastures Re• gulations. Stockport Manorial Tolls and Bridges. Lytham Improvement. Bristol Building and Improvement Act Amendment. OPPOSED CASE. Manchester and Southampton Railway (Line from South ampton to Cheltenham, to juin the Midland Railway, with connecting lines, to joist the proposed London, Oxford, and Cheltenham Railway, the Great Western RailwaA, and the Basingstoke and Salisbury and Bishopstoke, and Salisbury Branches of the London and South-Western Railway, with power to purchase the Andover Canal, with power to the Midland Railway Company and the London and South- Western Railway Company to subscribe towards, or to take or use the undertaking). This adjourned opposed case occupied the rest of the day, but only three allegations were sustained, and they were not of any great importance. They chiefly had reference to slight inaccuracies in the plans and sections. • Several me morials were withdrawn. - The case was further adjourned. • 1 STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. 1 (TH IS DAY.) The Standing Orders Committee met this day at the usual hour, for the dispatch of public business. The following decisions were announced during the course of the day : THE L6NDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY (PORTOBELLO BRANCH.) Standing orders complied with. BLANDFORD AND BRUTON RAILWAY. Parties allowed to proceed. THORNE AND CROOLE MOORS DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT BILL. Standing orders complied with. GREAT NORTHERN (HORNCASTLE BRANCH). Parties allowed to proceed with the Bill. TAW VALE RAILWAY. Allowe l to proceed. KING'S NORTON, (NORTHFIELD) RAILWAY. Staflding orders complied with. The Committee then adjourned. FIIE LONDON CiAZETTE. (THIS E VENIN G.) WHITEHALL, FEB. 22, 1847. The Queen has been pleased to nominate, constitute, and appoint John Mackenzie Lindsay, Esq., writer to the Signet, to be one of the Ordinary Clerks of Session in Scotland, in the room of Macvey Napier, Esq., deceased. CROWN-OFFICE, FEB 22. MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN TIIIS PRESENT PARMA. M ENT. TOWN OF GA LWA Y.—James Henry Monahan, of the city of Dublin, Eeq., in the room of Sir Valentine Blake, Bart. deceased. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, FEB. 23. Royal Regiment of Artillery—First Lieutenant Thomas Cromie Lyle to be Second Captain, vice Merritt, deceased; Second Lieutenant Edmund John Carthew to be First Lieu tenant, vice Lyle, Feb. 1. Commission signed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucester. Royal Gloucestershire Regiment of Hussar Yeomanry Cavalry.—llenry Charicton, Esq., to be Supernu merary Major, without pay, Feb. 19, IS-17. ADAIIRALTY, FEB. 12. The following promotions have this day taken (lace, con sequent upon the death of Vice Admiral of the Blue William Youn,..; : Rear-Admiral of the Red Sir Samuel Pym, K.C.8., to be Vice-Admiral of the Blue. Rear-Admiral of the White Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart., C. 8., to be Rear-Admiral of the Red. Rear. Admiral of the Blue James Robert Philips to be Rear. Admiral of the White. ADMIRALTY, FEB. 19. The following promotions have this day taken place, con sequent upon the death of Admiral of the White Sir Wli loughby Thomas Lake, K C. B. : Admiral of the Blue the Right Hon. John Lord Colville to be Admiral of the White. Vice-Admiral of the Red Robert Honyman to be Admiral of the Blue. Vice. Admiral of the White Z chary Mudge to be Vice- Admiral of the Red. Vice-Admiral of the Blue, Sir Robert Howe Bromley, Bart., to be Vice-AdMiral of the White. Rear-Admiral of the Rol, Samuel Butcher to be Vice-Ad miral 4-,t the Blue. Rear-Admiral of the White, Sir John Louis, Bart., to be Rear-Admiral of the Red. Rear-Apmiral of the Blue, Pringle Stoddart to be Rear-Ad miral if the White. ' OFFICE OF THE POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS, Somerset House, London, Feb. 23, 1847. This is to give notice, that the Poor•law Commissioners did, on the 17th day of February instant, in pursuance of the powers given to them by an Act, passed in the session held in the fifth and sixth years of the reign of her Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled "An Act to con tinue, until the 31st day of July, 1847, and to the end of the then next sessic n of Parliament, the Poor-law Commission, and for the further amendment of the laws re lating to the poor in England," and with the consent of the Lords Commistioners of her Majesty's Treasury, and with the approval of the Right Hon Sir George Grey, Bart., one of her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, appoint Wales Christopher Hotson, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister-at-Law, to be Assistant-Commissioner, for the period of 30 days from the said 17th day of February instant, for the purpose of con ducting a special inquiry into the accounts of the Weymouth Union ; and that the said Wales Christopher Hotson did, on this 23d of February, take the oath required by the said Act, before the Hop. Mr. Justice Coltman, one of the Judges of her Majesty's Court of Common Pleas, at his chambers, in Rolls'-gardens, Chancery-lane, London. _ EDWIN CHADWICK, Slcretary. BANKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED. Thomas Lightfoct, grocer, Nottingham. BANKRUPTS. George Thomas Day, civil engineer, Commercial-road, Pimlico, to surrender, March 4, at two, and April 8, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Birchin-lane, Cornhill ; Grainger, Bucklersburv. William Parnell, clothier, Blaeltriars-road, Surrey, March 5, at two, and April 8, at half past twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Birchin-lane ; Loughborough, Austin- friar ~ Robert Wright, timber-merchant, Coppice-row, Clerken- W4ll, March 8, at eleven, and April 5, at half-past eleven, at the Court of llauk.zuptcy. Graham, official assignee, Cole nun-Kreet ; Richardson, Coleman-street. Jonas an Rogers, shoemaker, Norwich, March 4, at half past twelve, and April' 5, at eleven, at the Court of Bank ri:itaAcza. aGraham, official assignee, Coleman-street, London; Yarmouth n . d Co. ' Edward Smith, ehe e em on 5, at half-past one, and March -- Court of Bankruptcy. bury; Linklater, I:eadenball- Frederick'ti-place, Old Jewry," Woods, Great ger, Brentwood, Essex, March Green, 27, at half-past twelve, at the ns,treeetial assignee, Alderman- John William Harvey, grocer, Ottery Saint Mary,tDevon, March 9 and 31, at eleven, at the Exeter District Ifirtzel, otcial assignee, Exeter; Harris, Lincoln's- - 'ill ' I John Naismith, perfumer, Bradford, March 9 and April 20, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, Leeds, official assignee; Nethersole, New-inn, London ; Foster, Bradford; Harle and Clarke, Leeds. George Hirst, woolstapler, Halifax, March 9, and April 20, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, official as signee, Leeds; Gregory and Co., Bedford-row, Wavill, Halifax ; Courtney, Leeds. John Bailey, joiner, Stalybridge, March 6, and April 1, at eleven, at the Manchester District Court. Hobson, official assignee, Manchester; Reed and Longford, Friday-street; Sale, Worthington, and Shipman, Manchester. Pierre Calliet, leather dresser, Manchester, March 8 and 29, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Pott, official assignee, Manchester; Barlow and Aston, Manchester. James Beal, wholesale confectioner, Manchester, March 9. and 26, at eleven, at th e Manchester District Court. Fraser, official assignee, Manchester; Johnson, Son, and Weatherall, Temple, London; Hitchcock, Buckley, and Tids well, Manchester. John Fitzhugh, tailor, Nottingham, March 5 and April 9, at eleven at the Birmingham District Court. Bittleston, officialassignee,Nottingham; Parsons, solicitors, Nottingham, MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the I,ondon New Price Current of February 23 ) SCGAR.—To-day the quantity of East India and Mauri tius Sugar submitted to public competition being very large, and exceeding the wants of the refiners and grocers, whilst the brewers and distillers operated with caution, a fell in the value of all descriptions took place, and merchants were free sellers, on account of the many arrivals. Of ►Pest India Muscovado the quantity on show being still small, mer chants were enabled generally to obtain the rates that exi)tad last Friday. REFINED.—To-day Refined Goods were extensively dealt in by the home trade; and a slight improvent in prices took place. Bonded Crushed Sugar is in excellent request. Mnunrrfus.—This afternoon three parcels of Mauritius Sugar, amounting to 10,587 bags and 505 casks, were sub mitted to public competition and consisted chiefly of the better qualities of yellow and grey; merchants were willing sellers, but submitting to a reduction on the rates on Friday of 6d.per cwt., occasioned the demand to be good, and nearly the whole was actually sold. EAST INDIA.—This afternoon the public sales of Bengal Sugar consisted of 3,941 bags 9 cases : nearly the whole sold, but at prices 6d per cwt. under those of Friday. SALTPETRE.—AII descriptions of rough have been in ex cellent request for home consumption and exportation ; the rates paid are fully equal to those of this day week, and holders manifest firmness : the stock being still much less than it was last season. FOREIGN. —There has been a brisker demand for nearly all descriptions of Foreign Sugar for home consumpton, but holders have been sellers at previous rates, on account of the large arrival that may be shortly expected. COFFEE. —This afternoon thero was no public sale of any kind of Coffee. Privately native Ceylon was sought after, but holders insisting upon higher rates operated against business. Fine Plantation is much wanted, and prices ale on the advance. TEA. —The quantity imported here during the past week amounted to 30,000 pkgs, and during that time duty was paid upon the large amount of 569,919 pounds. Black has been in excellent request for actual consumption, and all sorts are fully as high as last quoted: The low and mid sorts of Green are attracting attention, on account of the low rates that prevail. In the better qualities a good deal has been done, but not at higher rates. RICE.—For Bengal the market has assumed a quiet ap pearance, and the rates accepted are rather under those that existed previously. Madras has been operated in with caution at 20s to 21s privately. Of cleaned Java, 171 bags at auction fetched 25s for fine white. SPICES.—A much better demand has prevtkiled for all de scriptions of Cassia Lignea, and prices advanced 2s per cwt. Ginger is wanted, and the rates paid have been fully equal to those previously current. Black Pepper is not to be obtained upon lower terms. White met with ready purchasers, and prices are still rising. The supply of Pimento is uncommonly small, and prices are rising. Cinnamon of inferior and coarse quality is offered rather under the rates of the last quarterly sales; still few purchases have been made. Cloves cannot be quoted higher, but the operations are upon a larger scale privately. Nut megs have been largely dealt in by the home trade, and the purchases made by exporters are upon a larger scale. Mace is much wanted, and fetches stiff rates. Hors.—The purchases made have been to a small extent only, but factors are unwilling to reduce their prices, and supply the market moderately. Srturrs.—Although there are sellers of Leeward Island Rum upon rather lower terms, still the purchases made have been trifling. Calcutta is little wanted, and prices are on the decline. The high rates that exist for Jamaica are operating materially against business. Demerara is not much wanted. Holders of all descriptions of Brandy have been more in clined to realize, but they submitting to ra th er l ower rates occasioned the home demand to be good, and a fair quantity has been taken for exportation. Geneva has been in request, common shipping sort at 2s 7d to 2s Bd, and fine fir home consumption at 3s 2d to 3s 4d per gallon proof strength. Corn Spirits dull of sale at lis 9d, Gin 10s 3. 1 for '22 per cent. under proof, and 103 9d for 17 per cent. under. Oils.—For Cocoa Nut late prices are sustained the supply being small, but exporters and the home trade operate with caution, and 45s is the value oflow to fine quality; there is, however, a large consumption going.on. In Rape Seed Oil extensive purchases have been made, and prices are still on the rise. For Olive the demand has been extensive for home consumption, mid a fair quantity is taken for exportation. A considerable increase bas•taken place in the demand for Linseed Oil, and prices have risen 9d to is per cwt., although the market is well supplied, a large demand prevailed from the home trade, and exporters have taken many parcels chiefly for America. In Lard Oil only a limited business has been transacted; prices are on the decline. The arrivals of Cod Oil continue upon a large scale, and of other descriptions a fair quantity has , been. received since this day week; whereas the deliyerias do .not fall•vg of any kind. Cod has been in excellent reqaest . Seal is wanted chiefly by the home trade, and the supply at market is small. Of Southern the supply has increased considerably of all qualities ; but merchants submitted to a reduction on former rates. TAnLow.—For Russian a much better demand prevailed on the spot; but no advance in prices of consequence has occurred, ahhough the stock is much less than it was last year. Home made has becu in excellent request on the spot, but having a.plentiful supply there are sellers at 49s 6d to 50s nett cash. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT, (THIS E VENIN G.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. DESTITUTE PERSONS (IRELAND) BILL. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the order of the day for the third reading of the Destitute Persons (Ireland) Bill. Lord BROUGHAM said that he had already stated what he conceived would be the necessary consequences of this measure. Among the other objections that might be urged to this measure was, that there were three official bodies con stituted to carry out the details of it. The relief commission was the one to which he wished to call the attention of the House. There was no power given under the provisions of the Act to appoint one of the commissioners a member of the Committee. It only said that it should be lawful far the Lord-Lieutenant to nominate certain parties. It only gave power to the Lord-Lieutenant to specify by a general or special order applicable to the case of the parties, but it did not make it imperative upon him to say what the number should be. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY complained of the attacks which the Noble and Learned Lord who had jest sat down was in the haoit of making against the Irish landlords, for a more kind-hearted, more just, or more beneficient body of admirers did not exist in the empire. Their gene. rosity at the present emergency could not be described, and he would not venture to assert that the assistance they had given had contributed much to alleviate the calamity. If the Noble and Learned Lord was so adverse to persons spending their money abroad, why did he not carry out his own argument and not spend his money in France.—( Hear, hear.) Ile repeated, that the Irish landlords were a most beneficial class of persons. He admitted that the want of resident proprietors in Ireland caused much of the unhappiness in that country. However, if Irish landlords were deprecated in the way they bad been, their tenants would become dissatisfied. He did consider that these measures might have been more maturely weighed. By these frequent animadversions the Irish tenants were taught to 'look unfavourably upon their landlords. He considered that the Noble Lord should not have . undertaken the Government without re-enacting the Arms Registration Act. At the present moment the pea santry were parading the country in large bodies with arms. He was satisfied that they must now extend the poor-law system to Ireland, for the guardians appointed under it were the wisest and best protectors both of poverty and property. He was obliged to the House for their attention to him on this subject. It was one on which he felt very anxious, and he had felt it his duty to state to the House his opinion that the measure was one calculated to benefit Ireland. Lord BROUGHAM begged leave to set the Noble Marquis right. The Noble Marquis had totally mistaken him, if he was under the impression that he had meant any attack upon the Irish people, or to run down the Irish. He could assure the Noble marquis that he had no objection to the measure as applied to the Irish in partic u la r . He should have the same objection to the measure if it were applied to the Irish or Scotch. His objection had nothing to do with any national peculiarity ; what he was averse to was the system. He had no doubt that many of the measures adopted were very munificent charities; but his objection applied to a great public measure. He had no objection to Ireland, although be had not resided there any more than he had ever pursued the diversion of bear hunting on the Con tinent.—( Laughter. ) The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said that, although he was not present, he understoood that the Noble Lord had attacked the Irish :andlords. He objected to their habits, of horses, equipages, servants, and wine —(A laugh)—ar.d said that they ought not to indulge in them. The Noble Lord himself could go to France, and do as he pleesed in that respect, but there was no necessity for hint to run down the Irish proprietors. - Lord BROUGHAM could assure the Noble Marquis that he never ran down an Irish proprietor any more than he ever ran down— _ (A voice from the Ministerial bench—" A bear.") The Marquis of LANSDOWNE here made some observa tions, but in so low a tone of voice that they did not teach the gallery. [LEFT SITTING. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Cbair at the usual hour. The following Bills were read a second time, and or. dered to be committed:— Aberdeen Harbour Improvement. Leeds Waterworks. Regent's Canal Company (Paddington and Limehouse Railway and Branch)—by order. Rochdale Waterworks. Ryde Improvement. South Yorkshire, Doncaster, and Goole Railway (Peni stone, &c., and Purchase of Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield, and Goole Rail way, Dun Navization. and Dearne and Dove Canal). THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23 1847. DISTRESS IN IRELAND. Major MACNAMARA presented a petition from the tenantry and larded proprietors of several parishes in the county Clare, complaining of the state of distress in that county; also a petition praying fora system of rail ways for Ireland. COMPLAINT OF UNJUST IMPRISONMENT. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the working men of Warrington, in Lancashire, complaining of the unjust imprisonment •f two men in that town ; that no notice had been taken of the petition presented to the House in reference to that imprisonment; that the prisoners had not had a fair trial, and that the tyranny of the magistrates in the manufacturing districts was extreme. RATE-PAYING CLAUSE OF THE REFORM ACT. The HON. MEMBER also presented a petition which had been agreed to at a public meeting of the inhabitaLts of London, at the Crowu and Anchor, on the 17th inst., presided over by his Hon. Colleague, the other Member for Finsbury, praying for the abolition of the rate paying clauses in the Registration and Reform Acts, which they designated as unconstitutional in their nature and vexatious in their operations. The Hon. Member also presented a petition to the same effect from the city and borough of Leicester. TEN HOURS' BILL. Mr. WILSON PATTEN presented a petition from Warrington in Lancashire, in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill ; also a petition for the Hon. Member for Devon, from the merchants and shipowners of Brixham, Devon, against the light dues ; also a petition from Tenbury, Devon, against the law of settlement. CHARGES_ AGAINST THE MEMBERS FOR CLARE. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented a petition, signed by 14 members of the relief committee and others in Liscarron, county of Clare, complaining of the reports made by Captain Wynne, an officer of the Board of Works, with reference to the character of Mr. O'Brien and other members of that committee, and praying for a Select Committee to inqui re i nto t h ese c h arges, for which, the petitioners asserted, there was not the shadow of a foundation. Petitioners also expressed a desire that Captain Wynne should not be promoted (which it was rumoured was intended by Government) till this Committee should be appointed and the charges investigated. CEYLON—DISMISSAL OF MR. LANGSDALE. Mr. B. ESCOTT said he had a petition to present from Mr. Langsdale, complaining that he had been dis charged by the Secretary of State from a judgeship in one of her Majesty's courts of Ceylon, the duties of which he had discharged with satisfaction to the bar and to all interested in the administration of justice ; that the grounds on which he was dismissed were not stated to him, and an opportunity g i ven f or h i s reply i ng to them ; that his professional prospects had been ruined, and praying the House to afford him redress. He should move to-morrow that the petition be printed with the votes. SUGAR. Mr. FORBES presented a petition from farmers, brewers, and others, praying that sugar might only be admitted into breweries at the same rate as malt. POOR-LAW REMOVAL BILL _ _ Mr. 0. STANLEY presented a petition: cnmplaining of the Poor-law Removal Act, and setting forth that the rates had been already doubled in many cases in con sequence of it. RATE PAYING CLAUSE. Sir B. HALL presented a petition, agreed to at a public met-tillg held last evening in St. Pancras, praying that the rate paying clause of the Reform Act might be abolibhed. TRAVELLING ON SUNDAYS. Lord BROOKE presented a petition from Kenilworth, praying that a clause which had been inserted in a rail way Bill, which would run through that town, giving the direct ors power to stop trave lli ng on the line on Sunday, might be expunged. REGENT'S CANAL (PADDINGTON AND LIMEHOIJSE RAILWAY BRANCH). Mr. ALDAM moved that till debate on the second reading of this Bill be resumed, for the purpose of moving that the second reading be deferred for a iort night. Mr. WARBURTON wished to know from the Go vernment what was intended to be done with this Bill. He had received information on which he believed he might rely, that the Commissioners of Woods and Forests hud advised her Majesty not to give her consent to the Bill as it stood at the present mo ment. From this he inferred that the Bill was not to be assented to if it interfered, in any way, with the pri vacy of Regent's Park. Those who had built villas in the park had done so on the understanding that their property would not be interfered with, and it was most unfair that they should be subject to annoyance, and obliged to spend money from year to year for the purpose of protecting their property from aggression. Lord 111ORPET El said that it had been intimated to him that the promoters of the Bill were anxious to propose some modification of their scheme in order to satisfy the objections of their opponents, and under these circumstances he was not unwilling to grant them the delay which they sought for. He could only deal with the Bill in the shape in which it was submitted to him. Sir BENJAMIN HALL was anxious to know what was the definite intention of her Majesty's Government with re spect to this Bill. He represented a great number of the lessees of the ground through which the railway ran, and to whom the faith of the Crown had been pledged, that the pri vacy of their dwellings should be respected. Sir ROBERT INGLIS said, no matter what modification was proposed, it would not meet the objection which was urged against the Bill. He would desire that her Majesty's Govern ment would at once declare that they were not prepared to assent to the Bill. Mr. HIIME said he was very much surprised that the Noble Lord did not at once negative the Bill. The Com missioners of Woods and Forests had spent 2,00 W. or 3,0001. in beautifying the parks, which money was very properly expended, and a railway would perfectly destroy the villas which were erected in the neighbourhood of the Park. The nobility would not wish to ride out, having a rail way ibout 40 feet off from them, the noise of which would be most disagreeable. The House should recollect that the faith oT the Crown was distinctly pledged that their privacy should be respected. He hoped the Noble Lord would not postpone the consideration of the measure, but at once reject it Lord MORPETH said that he did not wish to use any de ception upon the matter. He could not advise that her Ma ' jesty's consent should be given to the Bill under its present circumstances. But the promoters of the Bill had some scheme on foot by which they hoped to satisfy the objections of the opponents. They only asked a fortnight, and he con sidered it would be rather hard to refuse it to them. Dr. BOWRING quite agreed with the Noble Lord, that it would be an ungracious thing to reject the Bill. A fortnight was but a reasonable delay, and he did not see why the House shouad refuse to grant it. The second reading of the Bill was then adjourned for a fortnight. PRIVATE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. HUI%IE moved for a Select Committee, to continue the inquiry into the private business of the House, the expenses attending the obtaining of all Private including all the expenses of the opponents as well as the promoters of Bills, and the taxing of expenses thereto. The Committee to con sist of Mr. Hume, Lord Granville Somerset, Sir George Grey, Sir James Graham, Mr. Strutt, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Greene, Mr. Gibson Craig, Sir William Clay, Sir William Heathcote, Mr. Esteourt, Mr. L oc h, M r. Home Drummond, Captain Jones, and Lord Courtenay. The object which he had i n v i e w in making the present motion, was to save time, money, and facilitate business in regard to these Bills. Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion. Sir WALTER JAMES wished to knew if the retrospective operation of Bills already passed would b e i nqu i re d into.- Many of these enactments were quite contradictory in their provision*. In t h e town which he represented there were several local Bills which clashed with each other. Mr. HU3IE replied that cases of this kind had been already provided for. In cases where a new Bill was sought for any loca lity it was arranged that a general Bill should be passed to repeal all previous enactments, and thus get rid of every thing of a contradictory character. The motion was then agreed to. LOAN TO IRELAND. Mr. ROEBUCK wished to ask a questi on . H e h a d under. stood from the Noble Lord at the head of th e G overnment, that the 15,0 00,0 0 0 for the relief of Ir e l an d was to pass the tHookunsoewp.ht passe with the Irish p oor l aws. He desired now the grant of that sum had been settled. Sir GEORGE GREY was understood to say,.that a Bill e was proceeding t o ma k e a statement called to order, an d e lj ous S e , C w E t h o e n i h E must be brought in on the subject. llir i °ljE RAILWAY BILLS. Mr. -ELLICE pr ocee ded to move that all Railway Bill s i n the present session b e referre d to the Railway Commissi oners , for their report to th is House, upon the following point s , pre viously to such Bills b ein g considered in Committees o f thi s P to the i House:—That every report so to be made upon each Bill should state the amount of the capital proposed to be raised, and of the loans proposed to be authorised by the Bill ; and if, under the provisions of such Bill, any powers were to be given to any company already incorporated, of raising further capital or loans, or of making alterations, branches, or extensions of their existing lines, or of purchasing or leasing any other lines made or to be made, or of subscribing t o th e capital, or guaranteeing the capital of, or amalgamating wi t h, other companies ; such report should also state the powers granted by any former Act or Acts to such companies already incorporated for any of the above purposes, and of the manner in which, and extent to which, such powers had been exercised ; and the reportshould further state the opinion of the Commissioners thereon, and also their opinion as to any special provisions with which it may in any case be expedient to accompany the grant of any special provisions with which it might in any case be expedient to accompany the grant of any powers for any of the above mentioned purposes. That every such report be referred to the Committee of this House ap pointed to consider the Bill to which the same may relate. He found that the North-Western Comrany had raised 11,000,000/. of money, and they had power to raise 16,000,0004 by way of loan, m a king 27,000/• of a total sum for this 00 0 , railway. The Great Western Company had raised 4,b00,0004 of capital, and they had power to raise 4,500 more by way o f l oan , which, with the other em nowerrnents in their Act, for th e purpose of entering intol would enable them to raise granteegu eases, found that the Eastern trpwardi of 30,000,000. He capital of 4,200,0001., Counties' Railway Company had a and powers to raise 3,4000,000/. , and they also had in addition otber powers of raising money - The fourth company and to which he w ou ld re f er was that of the Manchester Leeds, - where they had 2,000,0001. of capital, and a power to raise 1,800,0004 more, but with additional po wers, the sum to which they mis,ht extend reached some 10,000,000:. ito be reported t o He thought th a t th ese c i rcums tances o „u‘slit . the House, t oge th er w ith the respective cues in which th e several powers were to be exercised. There were cases were the capital stock of the company was in 100/ shares, and yet the interest paid was upon 150".—_( Hear, hear.) He thought th a t it was nec essary that the capital, together with the loans proposed to be raised should be stated, and that the House should be put in full possession of all the circumstances before the Bills were read a third time, as well as all the powers which each company sought of making grants to other com panies, together with all amalgamations, loans, leases, and other engagem en t s into which they proposed to enter. There wasone company which proposed to raise a capital of 5,000,0004 i n add:tion to that which they already. possessed. There were several other companies weo were acting in the same way ; and he wished to draw the attention of the House to the number of these Bills now lying on the table, with a view to impose some restriction upon them. He might take as an instance, of th e extensive powers sought by the old companies, that of the Cheltenham and Oxford Railway, which was promoted b that enormous company the Great Western Company. They proposed to raise a capital of 1,000,000/., with the power to raise a loan of 330,0 01., g i v i ng ' a guarantee of five per cent. to their original subscribers. It would be advisable to inquire what amount of funds were at the disposal of the 'rest Western Company, over and above the means required for the fulfilment of their present engage ments. There w as a lso the Eastern Union Railway and several others of a like nature. Tben there was the Shef field, Rotherham, and Doncaster Railway, the subscription deed of which was signed by three solicitors, two engineere, and twelve directors, who had subscribed together 192,000 ~ while the public subscribed only the sum of 30,000/. The Bill proposed to give authority to the promoters to sell this railway to five different companies, or to any person or persons who might be willing to . purchase it. There were as many various conflicting propositions for borrow ing money as the House could very well imagine, and it ap peared to him that it would be desirable that each Hill should be investigated by the railway commissioners before it came before a Committee of that House. Then with respect to amalgamating there were as many different principles of amalgamation and powers of levying as of borrowing, while there was a very dan gerous practice in existence to creating fictitious capitals. That was another question which required is be examined into, and he thought it ought to be ascertained whether the public had to pay interest upon this fictitious capital, as well as upon the cost of construction. There was one base which would illustrate what lie was con tending for. The new North-Western had several Bills for branches and extensions, in which the directors had pledged the capital of the company for that purpose. In such a case it was desirable to inquire how far such a preceeding was in agreement with the standing orders, which required that no pledge of the company's creditshould take place beyond the actual capital raisod. He would offer no opinion OR the case, but should think such a matter ought to be referred to the Railway Commissioners. Some better system should be brought into operation than the one which at present 7revailed. He would not trouble the. House further on this subject, but he must say that, in the committee on which he was engaged himself last year, they declined to assert the reci procity of one guage over another. They left that question to the Board of Trade, although there were witnesses there to have occupied them for two or three days. He himself was the more inclined to do this, knoeing that parties promoting a railway had expended 150,0001. before a com mittee of the House of Commons, and had afterwards the mor tification of losing their Bill before the House of Lords, the effect of which would be, that these matters would bo referred to the House, or decided by an authority responsible to the House. On the motion being put, Mt. HUDSON said he was not to take the least objection to the proposition made by the Hon Member, nor was he to enter into the details which the Honourable Member had laid before the House ; but he would make one or two observations on points noticed in the speech of the Hon. Gentleman ; and, first, as to the capital involved in the railway projects of this year. He said that last session the capital of propused rail ways amounted to 300,003,000/. He at that time mentioned that the capital of the lines which would be sanctioned by Government would not exceed 100.000,000/. and in that he was quite right, for Parliament had not sanctioned lines to a larger amount than 90,000,0001. He was of opinion that this session the projects passed would involve any large amount of money, "and would bring no extraordinary pressure on the money market. The Right Hon. Gentleman had particularly referred to two companies, over which he had the honour to preside, and had he been aware that these charges were to be made he would have come provided with the necessary information, but as it was, he believed that he should be able, off- hand, to reply to these charges. The Right Hon. Gentleman had stated that the capital of the Midland Company amounted to something ike 30,000,000/. A notice of dissent was here made by Mr. Ellice. Mr. HUDSON was quite willing to give the Right Hon. Gentleman full credit for the candour and fairness with which he intended to bring the matter before the House, but he had understood that assertion to be made, and was prepared to say that the capital was nothing like that sum. The whole amount of the original capital of the Midland Company was 5,00i),000/. In 1843 they had obtained Acts which empowered them to raise 2,000,0001. more. That would make 7,000,000/., znd the last year they had obtained Acts which empowered them to raise 2,000,000/. more, and this money was to be raised in shares. There was then the additional power to raise 1,700,000/. on loan, making something more than 10,000,000/. In addition to this, they had leased the Bristol and Gloucester line, with a capital of 2,000,000/., and the Leeds and Bradford, th e capital of which was 1,000,000/., so that the whole canital was not more than 14,000,000/. Mr. ELLICE—Then there was the Northern line. Mr. HUDSON—That is a property entirely and perfectly distinct. The capital then was something like 14,0001., and it should be recollected that when any company leased a line they did not undertake to find the capital; they only engaged to carry on the line when the capital was raised. It would be very unwise in Government to interfere with the raising of their capital. When they had imposed all the necessary limits they might well leave the raising of the money to the discretion of the companies. As to putting on any direction for raising the money, he thought it would be quite futile, for the directors were oblzed to act accorditz to the state of the money market. Sometimes they raised it in one way, sometimes in another, and it was a matter well known that in the early stages of railway enterprise the directors had frequently put themselves into positions of great anxiety and peril, and yet had they not done so the works would have been stopped and the public would have lost the benefit. When the late President of the Board of Trade brought in his Bill two or three years since the question of loans was most fully and fairly discussed, and the conclusion was that the dif ferent companies were to be confined to the terms of their Acts. He took an early opportunity of providing for the debts of every comeany with which he was conneciec. With refe rence to the subject of the execution of the railways, he begged to say that the House need be under no apprehension upon that subject, for in all his experience he never found the calls more readily and freely paid up. than they now were. He had made calls to the amount of three millions within the last three months, and he never saw them paid up so readily as they were, even to the present week. The dnty of the House was to take care that the public were protected, and that the shareholders were remunerated for the outlay of their capital, and having done that, the Hovse might depend upon it that the less they interfered in the management of rail ways the better it would be for the undertakings, or the public, and for the House itself. With respect of the guarantee fund, he would say that it was necessary for the railway companies to have the power to borrow money under a guarantee fund. In the year 1841, the greatest difficulty existed to get the public to invest their money even if under the guarantee of six per cent. France was quite ready to find employment, and give good guarantee for the capital of this country, and he therefore warned the House net to be too ready to Interfere with the pri vate enterprise of England. - After a few words of explanation from Mr. ELLIS, :Cr R. H. INGLIS said he understood the object of the reso t on was to revive the same jurisdiction of the Board of Trude that it possessed two years ago in reference to railway matters. He, therefore, saw no objecion to the proposition. His object in rising had mainly been to bear his testimony to the efficiency of the labours of the former board, which had been he thought unfairly underrated. Lorci JOHN RUSSELL had no objection to the motion, and thought considerable benefit might arise from the arrange ment proposed. The inquiries would, no doubt, be much assisted by the reports of the Commissioners, but it must not be supposed that the results would su persede the labours of the Committees. It would be for the latter to take the inquiries forwhat they thought them worth and act accordingly. He supported the motion, unckr the impression that no delay would be imposed, in conse quence, on the railway Bills of the present session. The motion was then agreed to. (LEFT SITTING.) IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 22. POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL. (Co itinuel from our third Edition of last night.) Lord MOUNTCASHEL said, in reference to what had fallen from the Noble Earl opposite, that the towns in Ireland were very differently situated from those in England, some of those places that con tained 3,000 or 4,000 inhabitants were to be considered towns. He certainly agreed with the Noble Lord, that there was a bonus held out to the proprietors in some districts to induce them to pursue the system of clearing the land. The effect was that a great burden was imposed upon certain unions. He felt that this would press most unjustly on the popu lation, for they would not only have to support their own poor, but also the destitute persons that would be thrown upon them. lie would rather the measure was ex tended to three years than limited to twelve months. The Earl of RODEN had seen with great satisfaction the excellent measures which had been introduced, he might say so boldly, by her Majesty's Ministers for the relief of Ireland, though he must, at the same tone, has that he was pleased to hear that the Noble Marquis had consented to postpone the third reading of this Bill as the delay might allow fer any improvement of which it was susceptible. He had only two days ago come up from Ireland, and could bear his testimony to the suffer ing and distress which prevailed in Ireland. He could not but also express his great satisfaction at the other Bill which had been introduced—he meant that for allowing the sale of property in Ireland to pay off mortgages; for without that he believed that all the other measures together would be next to useless, for it was useless to attempt to levy a tax for the relief of the poor on the possessors of property unless they granted this relief. Most of the entailed estates in that country are heavily mortgaged, and if a man was presumed to have 100,0001. a year, the great probability was that in the majority of cases he only enjoyed a rental of 2,0001., so that, with out the power to divest himself of his liabilities, they would actually subject him to a tax, as if he were a 100,000/. man, when in reality he was only a 2,0001. a year man. Then as to the great measure for the relief of the poor, he thought that some alterations Mould be made as to the extent of the dis tricts; for it appeared to him that it would be most unjust to limit the unions to the extent of the electoral districts, and in his opinion it appeared to be better to de fine the districts by the size of the towns. Take, for in stance, a large town for a district, and then in another part of the country combine several smaller towns into a district, so that the population of the several districts might bear a proportion to each other. Then, again, as to the relief that was to be granted, he thought that there should be some restriction to be placed upon it, especially where the applicant for relief was the holder of any land. In this country it would never be allowed that relief should be given to a man who held a farm, so long as he continued to hold that land. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE observed that the discussion which had just taken place referred rather to another Bill not before the House, than to the one under consideration ; but he thought, nevertheless, that it would be productive of good. There had been considerable difference of opinion, whether the rating should fall on the union, or the electoral division, and it was, therefore, proposed to make this an open question for the consideration of Parliament. With regard to towns, he was sanguine enough to hope that a provision applicable to them would be introduced, and which would obviate the difficulty He wished it to be understood, however, that the clause which had been introduced into the latter Bill by the Noble Duke (Wellington), as to in door relief, would be left intact, and the new principle, what ever arrangement may b© come to with respect to it, would only apply . to the out door relief proposed to be given, without food. He had the pleasure of announcing to their Lordships, that in order to expedite the measure which had for its object to facilitate the sale of lands in Ireland, his Noble and Learned Friend on the Woolsack had con sented to give his immediate attention to the Bill, and to Introduce it at an early opportunity into their Lord ships' House, so that it, with the other measures bearing upon Ireland, would come together bef ore t h e i r Lordships, appearing to aid each other to one en d— t h e relief of the distress prevalent in Ireland. The Marquis of WESTMEATH expressed his satis faction that the'Government had adopted the suggestion made by the Noble . Lord not now in the Muse, as to defining the case of the pauper, that no ' person assuming to be a pauper should continue to hold possession of land. He begged their Lordships' attention shortly to a remark of a Noble Lord, that the provisions of one of the Bills proposed ought nut to affect the holders of small tenements. He thought if it did not, the effect would be to absorb the whole income of the country. The intention was to give a money re muneration to that class of persons who had small p,,sses sions, and trafficked in land. '0 a k, in cu.'e it were carried our, .0 ..yr-so: thould surreieier, wi etlo r Lk, eif e f Ic;s,or, or hAnds ofa les...oic .hav, suoiet it? forilit minOit resigned into the hands of a leisce, he himself might be a pauper, or he might immediately go and sublet it to another pauper, thereby entirely defeating their Lordships' intention. The same remark applied to the system of conacre, and he begged their Lordships to consider it, for it would have the effect of absorbing the whole income of the country. Lord LANSDOWNE then moved that the third reading of the Bill should he adjourned till to-morrow. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 22. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. THE BUDGET. The House then resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose fer the purpose of making the financial statement, and said —Mr. Greene: Although I have little doubt but that the importance of the subject upon which I am -now about to address the Committee would ensure the attention of the Committee, yet I hope I shall not appeal to it in vain for its indulgence during the statement I am about to make. Though unwilling to sle ink from the performance of that duty which persons holding my situation are bound to perform, I am afraid that I em not very able properly to perform that task.—(Hear, hear.) I hope, at the same time, that my inability may be considered as my excuse if I make my state ment as short as may be consistent with making it as clear as possible, and confine my observa tions to that which is absolutely necessary, in order to place before the Committee the financial state and prospects of the country. Sir, I put this further claim to the indulgence of the House, that it is many years. since a Chancellor of the Exchequer has had to make so heavy a demand on the Treasury, owing to the unfortunate state of the country, and I hope it will be several years before a similar calamity will render such demands necessary.—(Hear, hear.) The Committee, however, must be aware that the calamity which calls for this demand is one which no prudence, either on the part of her Majesty's Ministers, or of any Government, or of any Legislature, could possibly have pro vided against.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") It has pleased Providence to afflict not only this country, but a great part of Western Europe, with great dearth, and that dearth has pressed peculiarly on that part of the United Kingdom least able to bear it. Thousands of suffering and famishing people, chiefly in the west of Ireland, appeal for sympathy and assistance to this House, and I know that that sympathy and that assistance will be extended to them. —(Hear, hear.) Sir, if I were only to reflect on the past, or even the pre sent state of the finances of the country, I cer tainly should say that there never was a time in which the finances of the country were so well able to bear the demand which has been . made upon them.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen have now had in their hands for some time the balance-sheet of the last quarter By it it appears that the whole excess above the re payments, amounts to 916,0001., and that the entire balance is upwards of 9,000,0001. on the year.—(Hear.) This is the first time, I believe I may say in the memory of those conversant with these matters, that a Chancel lor of the Exchequer has had to deal with so large a balance. If, in like manner, I refer to the produce of the great articles of consumption, it would show that the revenue derived from them has exceeded the most sanguine expectations even of the Right Honoura ble Gentleman opposite, who made his financial statement last year. If T refer to the Customs, I find that the produce of every arti c l e for the nine months, from April to Decem ber inclusive, with one single exception of those duties which were reduced, is considerably higher than during the corresponding nine months of the preceding year. In like manner, if I turn to the Excise revenue, I find that in the last year, with the single exception of soap, which, I believe was, owing to some accidental circumstances at the beginning of the year, on every material article the duty has increased—even including that branch of it on which the Honourable and Gallant Member for Lincoln seemed to have some misgivings—namely, post-horses. By the return of the quarter up to the 13th of February last, I find that there is an increase in the ordinary re venue, as compared with the corresponding period of the preceding year, of nearly half a million. We have, therefore, great reason to be thankful that such a demand came at such a time, when we were not unprepared to meet it.—(ilear, hear.) At the same time, I think we ehoultl hold out fultsci , Jus hopes if I said we were entitled to look fair a continuance of such a season of prosperity. Sir, I think that no person looking at the signs of the times, can doubt that there are circumstances existing which indicate that ve may be approaching one of those periods when a revulsion in the prosperity of the country will occur. Such periods of calamity occur in com mercial enterprises as well as in the progress of the country. Such was the case in 1825, and again in 1836, after years of unexampled prosperity. I do not anticipate anything like the revulsion which took place on former occasions. I see no symptoms, and I do not think it right to cause any fear in the minds of parsons by the expression of such a belief. I think the experience of former times his not been lost up: n our merchants and traders, and I hear from every quarter that the trade and commerce of the country is in a sound and healthy condition. And I am inclined to attribute such a fact to the effects of the measures regulating the currency introduced by the Right Hon. Baronet the Member fir Tamworth. I be lieve, but for the operation of that Bill, when the world was not quite in a sober mood, we might have seen greet distress, cons: quent upon the mania: existing. for specula tion, and I believe that many of those who were most adverse to the provisions of that Bill have latterly be come converts to the system it c ,, ntains. I attach not only these effects to that Bill, but I believe sounder principles and sounder notions of currency were brought into operation, and persons were induced to pursue a more prudent course than on former occasions. People invested their money in the con tame lion of railways instead of purchasing stock and Pennsyl✓anian bonds. Great cotoinunica.ion,:, affording employment to the people and calculated to promote the commercial prosperity of the country, were constructed, and I am, there fore, convinced, that no such results will now• occur, as upon former occasions, but, neverthe less, it would be imprudent if we did not en deavour to be prepared: The present high prices of provisions mu:t necessarily diminish the comforts of the people and their power of purchasing luxuries. Sir . , the high-priced food tells on the existence of many, but it must tell upon the com forts of all classes of society. lam speaking now of this country, and am not alluding to the state of Ireland. The result of this state of things is to diminish, among all classes, the consumption of articles of luxury. I have looked through the articles of Customs and Excise, and I find that, throughout the whole, the main articles on .which duty has been paid, are articles of consumption for food. I find that for the bygone year, ending sth Jan. last, there has been paid in these departments 34,557,000/. for articles o: food. Of this amount the article of sugar has cost 5,530,0001. The articles of wine, spirits, tea. and coffee, 21,787,000/. ; tobacco, 4,336,000/., making a total of 31,653,000/. This was the amount raised on these articles ; while, on the whole, the sum of 34,557,000/. had been raised. Contemporaneously with the high price of provisions, there has been a high price is the raw material of one of the great staple ma nufactures—l mean the article o f cotton. Th e result has been to produce a considerable diminu tion of the articles produced in this department of our manufacturing industry. I hold in my hand a state ment of the mills employed, standing idle, or partially employed from the 9th of January to the 3d of February last respectively. On the 9(1 of January last there were ten mills in Manchester standing idle, on the 3d of Feb, ruary, 13; on the 9:h of January, 52 were working short time, on the 3d of February, 58; on the 9th of January there were fully employed, 113, on the 3d of February, 104 ; on the 9th of January, 25,845 persons were fully employ ed, on the 3d of February, 22,945 ; on the 9th of January, there were working short time 11,851, on the 3d of February, 13,806; and on the 9th of January there were unem ployed 1,691; and on the 3.1 of February, 2,635. Such was the condition of this branch of industry. But the pressure occasioned by dear provisions was not alone confined to this country; it prevailed in France-, Belgium, Germany, and Poland ; and the effect, as might be ex- petted, was to create a demand for bullion for foreign purposes, aid therefore to create difficulties in the way of commercial transactions, and to limit the enterprise of the country.--(Hear, hear.) I find, on referring to the state of thl Bank in February last year and February this year, there are only 1,200,0001. less this year than during the corresponding period la,:t year. On the 13th nt February, 1846, there was in the Bank 13,476,0001., and on the 13th February this yeas there are 12,299,0001. Indeed, Sir, I am almost surprised at this, considering the amount of bullion sent from this country, that the deficiency is not greater, and it is in this respect satisfactoil for there has been an enormous importatid of corn which has contributed to the prosperit. of the manufactures of this country, and has triaa an enormous dem an d f ur manu f ac t ure d goods, wise) have been sent to America and elsewhere in Mine ° for food.—(Flear.) I am happy also to find that then is not that demand for the exportation of food whi l) , there was, and I am a l so h a ppy to fis ° that a great est a bli s h men t i n a nei ghbourigt country—.l mean the Bank of France—is in a beta' il situation than it was some time ago, because is utterly impossible that any great circumstance affecting the commercial prosperity of that count* could avoid beiog felt by and reacting ur l , ourselves. I think that th e c i rcums t anc es I have stat ed time are enough to show th a t th e p r esent at least a time for caution. We cannot O lt ; tinually prosp er t o t h e extent we d o, an d we be prepared for less prosperous times, and no one cueht to he too sanguine. I w ill now turn , w hich is 111° . particularly my duty, n ame ly, t o ma k e the finallej,l, statement. Sir, th e Ri g ht H on . G en tleman I.lbo „ preceded me i n th e o ffi ce I h ave t h e honour 1 ' fill, made his financial statement in the month of 3 1111 Last year. He then said that h e an ti c ip a t e d a sellf o on the ordinary revenue of 76,000, and from the es tli , ordinary source of China, a surplus of 700,000/.oll°k° altogether 776,000/. By subsequent legislation , sl e A tr y grown sugar h a s b een ren d ere d a d m i ss ible to w .. 0 country, and the result has been that in the n; ;''. months from April to December there has been to increase of revenue en the article of sug ilr b e the extent of 304,0004 The Right 1 1011°11/ 0 Gentleman anticipat e d a pro b a bl e surp l us , and o his nett calculation made it to be about 1, 0001 i s However, if Hon. Gentlemen would only refer to e ei balance-sheet issued on th e s t h o f J anuary , t h e y Ift"i t find that the excess of income had so far ceeded the Right Honourable Gentleman's se t t/ 0 7/ pations that ther e was an excess o f 2,84604 I may, perhaps, be justified in stating that whet e le period comes to which the Right Hon. Gentlemen ffi 7 00 1 reference, his calculations will be found to turn out eat unfavourable for th e country. I think that the eet lations which I am about to make, based on proceeds of the r e v enue on t h e st h of Jatitidl last—on these pro cee d s l am a b out to state WlOO thick the probable r evenue w ill b e f or t h e year, lor 'e the ensuing sth Ap r il, 18 4 7 , to t h e sth, ',kis 1848. The Hous e w ill see t h at t h e eas e l on the Customs duti es t o th e sth J anuary was 20,5689 9 f ee and that a considerabl e p or ti on o f t h at was d er i va ble ' e - e, corn, somewhere about 793,000/. In conseque;ie however, of the suspension of the duties on the inle t s tien of corn, it will be seen that we cannot o tt a el, first six months e x p ec t t hi s amount to b e connenoi What the produce o f th e h arvest may b e, we csett'S course yet calculate; but, even supposing that nothi l ;1 0 0 derived to the revenue from this source, I think the t r ia the increased imp or t a ti on i n sugar a roster added revenue will accrue from this source in the c o l o of the succeeding y ear; but more than that, on the f t e el three items on which t e Customs fall off in the eo e tieft the last six months f o r w hi c h we h ave a return,vise le cheese, mild silk manufactures, I find that the inW e el these articles has increased. I find that in the let inenths, from April t o D ecem b er , t h e amount of 1) : 0 01 has been 201,000 cwt. in 1845, as compared with 2 „ 1 ", ( 10 in 1846; cheese, 202,000 cwt . i n 1845, as compa ; rL" tu rei 265.000 cwt. in 1846 and 218,000 lbs. of manuiew e eff; silk as compared with 297,00011e5. in the followiogioe Sir, taking all these circumstances into consideratioet believe I shall be entitled to assume that the PIO income from Customs' duties for the ensuing years Ol d be less than 20,000,0001. If trade ge, without any material change, I believe e der be fairly justified i n assum i ng t h at t h e C usto ms e . will yield 20,000,0001. I h ave a l rea d y sa id 011 00 the beginning of the present year up to the prese e The the Customs' and Excise duties have increased . 0 10 increase in the Cu s t oms ' i n t h e l ast s i x wee k s wssi3efe than 245,0001. I come now to the Excise produce . B, oe the sth January the E xc i se d u ti es amounte d to 13,98 oleo, Sir, nothing can be mor e encourag i ng t h an the °oleo , dinary increase th a t h as t a k en p l ace i n the Exci s , e e peet during the last three or four ears, and, alhouh ; Is t,r not the amount of the past year, t nevegrthel;ertette many respects, the E xc i se i ncome i s f ar m ore c Ol t than the Customs. I may therefore assulneloo . some degree of certainty, that the Excise f ee for the ensuing y ear w ill b e 13,700,0 00 h be' the increase upon th e E xc i se ma d e in ther, lei ginning of the pr esen t quarter h as been e' than 106,0001. In Ir e l an d, t oo , t h e E xc i s e dutie s t to . increased in the cour s e of th e l as t y ea r, but ti° o o l4 l very conside ra bl e amount. Sir, the Stamps P e5 .00 , " in the year endi ng t h e s t h o f J anu ary et I assume they will b e a b ou t the sen t , , 7,e00,00 e/. The Taxes and L an d Assessments Price 001 4,272,0001. I know of no reason why the s iP l t i l l roduce the sam e , say, 4,270,000 Z The Prop er produced ei 5,395,3901. ; but here there is a small a_'' t ee of extraordinary payment; therefore, althougsree Property-tax since the sth of January, 16%000/, over the corresponding period of last Ye' 0 of will assume that the Property -tax will yield t 611 00 6 . 5,300,0001. The Post-office I will take at We e se amount as List year, 845,0001. ; Crown /5 13 „ - o • 120,000/. The miscellaneous items of revenue , 1 7t100 as increa_eur, the sth of January, produced 427,0004 The calce" - 0 001 of the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite was 3 00 ' tes A considerable sum of money had been pa id fro be fees of the House, whi c h, i n a ll probability, will 0 %001 so large in the present sess i on . I may call i t t e from that source ; therefore I take t make the celleneous '' at 330,0004 This will ordinary revenue of th e financial year of com e and 1848 amount to 52,065,000/. n ow den to the expenditure. The i n t eres t of the debt., c ' h og and unfinided, will be 28,045,0001. The estimatea o 00 , upon the Consolidat e d F un d, omitting the chargesltbsi count of the Irish distress, will be 2,522,4201; _": Ge e• must be added that charge to w hi c h the Right 0,7 5, 001 tlernan (Mr. Goulburn) all u d e d l as t year, viz., psis' fer he remaind e r of th e charges on the Irish c 0 e w & bulary, h.th e rt o b orne by the counties of 11e Tee making a tot e !, i n roun d num b ers , o f 2,700,001 e fad amount of the Naticnal D e bt an d C o nsolidat el ' or ieo charges will be 30,745,000/. Th e es ti ma t e s in the 00 tb e services, except the " Misc e ll aneous ," a re all urethan then table of the House. I, therefore, nee d no t do In° , e ill merely allnde to some of the it ems . The rote ee,o l ‘ For the army lee ,ooo 0 00 The militia . 4lO, The increase in the Commissariat x 6 ,840 ,074 Making the whol e arm y vo t e a aril But for the deferred es ti ma t es f or t h e prev ious ' u e ss , of the year, there would have been a decree Ds was, the increase amounted to 192,000 E T 1 .1,81,i estimates for the present year w ill be 7,5 7 7 p0r being an incr ease i n t h at d epartment of 1 he tof f The estimates for the last two years have beetl e 0 11 the expenditure. L a t er i n t h e even ing A lb show the excess of th a t expen di tu re ,i ° , 0 0, 6 year ending i n Ap r il l as t. l am a f ra id, D el V' owing to arr a n gemen t s ma d e i n t h e earlf ol of of this year that there is a probability that th e l estei (ii:ure of the p resen t year will exceed that antl e ele, A considerable f ort i o n o f th a t i ncrease h as been to ty necessary. We have increased the marine force obi s extent of 1,500 men, and. when my 11°11°0f the Friend (Mr. Ward) states the naval estimate s 0 0, House, he will state the reason of this increas e ; Ol e ' fully than I now intend to do; but I think it ..A r' g p or make this statement now. The vote for the Ole n 0 0 i department will be 2,679,1271 ., which is t/ ei - et, crease over the last year of 135,558/. s' er er, that increase, 67,2991. is due for certain e' to which the House last year considered oughtder placed under th e h ea d o f t h e 'O r d nance, in or b bring that portion of the eipenditure into P„ e tli order. The remainder of the increase 16 owing to the necessity which has arisen in, re I _, quence of the change which has taken P ie ls .ir maratinae warfare by the introduction of steam- 0 7 0 1f1 the purpose of pr o motin g . the defences of the of l e tb° Sir, the Miscellaneous, the list of which is not 0 00 0 0 .table, is 3,750,000/. I have left out of them sal 0 1 1 voted with regard to the relief of Ireland. I rosifjoe; however, that 1,302,0001. is included in the Righ t t Gentleman's estimate. Compared, then, with les, 0 00 14 there is an increase of about 397,0004 Of that 1 7 A nwilli is owing to a half-year's expenditur e connecte"fiioet certain provisions of the poor-law, an d of protec:o. and for the maintenance of prisoners. The rem foe of the increase is due to th e necess i ty for provid'"o3 the maintenance of convicts at home mat e Au e t° ,l the celonies. A cons id era b le portion is ;-0 printing and stationery for both Parliament, whi c h i s very heavy ; s "ib ° ees t consequence of s ome unexpected increase is onell penses in con nex i on w i t h the New Houses of Pact until to which, I thi n k, I h a d not b etter further ad le- e ver ti " l they are before the House. The result of thesekieg / the sums proposed to b e vo t e d i s 20 , 831 , 0771., ni -a , 7 8,0i „7 whole ordi nar y ex p en di ture f or t h e yea r 51e/ gotesy Sir, in the statement which I have made to the re' I have omitted, p ur p ose ly, a ll sums req uired for e peel. lief of distress in Ir e l a nd, w h e th er t hey ha; ioo granted, or estimated, with the exce,P Work i l the ordinary establish men t o f th e Board o f s ow and the salaries of such officers as op , have been employed otherwi se , b u t who ar e no Ap a gaged in the inspection of the relief commiltr e d e roile e it now becomes my duty to state what I think te l l: pre sen t : on the Exchequer will be. What is material to t end upo n purpose is not what may be the ultimate de l % po se% us, but what may be necessary to meet t ora rienc e r, emergency. The system which has been c _ O men , last year, and continued to the present.,o rev; is, that all the sums required for t he of public distress should be advancea, I hr ocen Croe n. Whatever burdens may be ultimately' ' to these on the landed property in Ireland, in resp i ee noth ieg.o . sums, the landed proprietors have as d P t c : e r ; (Hear, hear.) They have paid, n o ye d t o P u al bt u ., rates, which, in 1846, amounted to 390,0001. relief CO have paid their subscriptions to the vel mittees ; and I believe that large body at the landed proprietors have gone to a v e e s r t y are gr e , pease to maintain the poor upon their'e f ererks, std now confining my statement to the rei; e e whatever may be the expense, the Treasure'• first instance, is advanced' from the f' , what the precisely , It is :not very easy to state ill depeect for tat /% po amount of expenditdre may be,which w e have upon a variety of circumstances over a.. . he ex pel:tan control. It is easy enough to state wit nig! WhOub__Sculll, ill Ow in various ways, have already been. I n r o i` Nore elhef or two ago that the expense in the ne k ° after to 742,000 h amounted to 308,000 L, and in five wee lot 06 The number of persons relieved in - vow--