The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-02-22 00:00:00

itiftptrfal Varitantent, HOUSE OF LORDS.—MoNDA MR. TURTON'S APPOINTMENT. The Earl of WII\CHILSEA reminded Lord Melbourne of his answer last session on the subject of an appointment to a high situation in the government of the noble earl (Durham) in Canada, and expressed his surprise that, among the docu ments produced along with the report, not one related to that point ; and he begged to ask the noble viscount whether he intended to lay any returns on the table relative to that ap pointment •, because, if he did not, he (the Earl of Winchil sea_) should feel it to be his duty to press for their production. Lord MziztounNE having answered that it was not his in tention to lay any papers on that subject on the table of the house,. ___ . _ _ _ _ Lord WINCHILSEA gave notice that he would, on the fol lowing day, make a motion on the subject. The Earl of DURHAM, on this, " begged to inform the noble earl, that, in the appointment to which he referred, the noble viscount at the head of her Majesty's government had no concern. whatever. It was an appointment of his own, made, as he had a right to make it, without any au thority from the government. It was not . an appointment under the sign manual, nor one requiring the confirmation of her Majesty's ministers ; but strictly an appointment of his own, and the responsibility of which he should be pre pared to meet whenever the noble earl might think proper to bring the subject forward ; and he begged to assure the noble earl, that, so far from thinking that the appointment was a wrong one, he considered that the public service had very much benefitted by the legal attainments of that gentle man. He (the Earl of Durhrm) had received the greatest assistance from that gentleman, and felt the highest gratifica tion in the results of his official labours, and he would add, that he should be prepared to make the same appointment again if he had the opportunity." THE CORN LAWS. Lord BROUGHAM, after presenting several petitions pray ing for a repeal of the corn laws, including one from Birming ham with 16,000 signatures, and referring to a petition from the great town of Liverpool, signed by between 25,000 and 26,000 inhabitants, which was to have been presented by Earl Fitzwilliam, who had been by accident prevented from doing so—proceeded to address their lordships on the subject of his motion, that the petitions against the corn laws be re ferred to a committee of the whole house, and that evidence be heard at the bar. The subject, as he observed, occupied the minds of all men out of doors, and no small share of the attention of that house ; and he wished to state so much of the facts of the case, which the petitioners we:e prepared to prove upon oath, as might be necessary to drive such of their lordships as opposed the prayer of the petitioners into this dilemma—either they admitted his facts to be true and to re quire no proof, or affirmed that they were so false that no proof could demonstrate them"—or asserted that the matter in itself was so utterly immaterial, that whether the facts were true or false was of no sort of importance. The noble and learned lord went a great length into the evils caused by the uncertainty introduced into the trade in corn by the present corn law, which had involved numerous wealthy individuals in ruin. " I recollect," said the noble and learned lord: " at the period of the discussion on the corn-law bill, when the enemies of the bill declared to the promoters of it, Oh, all you want by your bill is to make grain dear !" Oh, no such thing !' it was replied ; nothing can be further from our intention than to raise the price of grain.' Then it was said to them, You want to keep corn up to a certain price.' To this it was declared, No, no ; nothing of the kind ; we do not seek that at all. That is not our object ; it is a mis take altogether.' (Laughter.) This, indeed, appeared to be very odd. You, who are for corn law, will not let in foreign grain at a low price ; and yet you say you do not wish to keep up the price. (Laughter.) And then, you are dealers in grain, and yet you do not wish to be dear, as you actually wish it to be cheap. Then what is it that you mean, or what is that you want ? (Laughter.) Oh !' it was answered, ' I'll tell you what we want,—steadiness of price • for steadi ness is of more importance than cheapness. Well, then, what we want is, not to make corn dear ; we would rather have it cheap ; but what we dread is not cheap corn, but a fluctuating price for corn ; we shall make it cheap, but we will not not have it un,teady. (Hear ! and an exclamation of no, no !' from a few on the opposition benches.) I heard these arguments elsewhere—l imagined the same course of reasoning would be adopted here, as 1 winposed the same degree of rationality would be four , : de . e. , here." (Laughter.) The Duke of BINKINGIIAM s-:; cuiturists. were deprived of protection, it d chipo,sible for ti.e English farmer to compete with the foreign farmer. He iin nlored the house not to sanction the noble and learned lord's pi-two , . on. Earl • rANHOPE was quite aware that in many branches, and in some, too, which had not been mentioned by the noble and learned lord, considerable manufactures had sprung up abroad ; but even an equalization of prices of corn would not enable us to undersell the foreign manufacturers in their own markets. Whatever the House of Commons might do, he was sure the House of Lords would never agree to any alteration of the present law. The Duke of RICHMOND contended that if they repealed the corn laws, it would be impossible to collect the greater part of the taxes, and he believed that the repeal would be attended also with this result—that in many parts of the country a great portion of the land would go out of cultiva tion. His grace asked, if manufacturers were at such a low ebb how so much money could be procured for railroads ? Lord MELBOURNE observed that Lord Brougham seemed to labour under a consciousness that the course he recom mended was not the proper one ; for the more clearly he stated the facts, and the more obvious his reasoning on the facts he adduced, the less necessity he proved for adopting the course recommended by him. If be wished to perplex and puzzle the question—if he wished to procrastinate the consideration of it—he knew of no more effectual way of doing so than by having an inquiry at the bar of the house. He was, therefore, against such an inquiry ; and if the house did not consent to go into an inquiry, it would not be thought that it arose from any indisposition to hear evidence, or from a desire to avoid the subject ; but from an intimate convic tion that the preseent course had been mistakenly recom mended, and that the object of the promoters of the motion might be better effected in another manner. His lordship shortly afterwards admitted, that they had no facts within their grasp at present to enable them to determine whether the continental manufacturers had been raised and enabled to carry on their trade by the corn-laws of this country. He thought the question might be safely left to the decision of Parliament. The Duke of WELLINGTON contended that the agriculture of the country had now enjoyed protection since 1804, thirty five years ; and that fact alone was an argument for proceed ing with great caution in any alteration which can interfere with an interest extending over such a vast portion of the country. Agriculture cannot yet do without protection, and therefore the law must be kept up. The protection cannot be withdrawn without a repeal of many of the duties now af fecting land ; and he strongly recommended them not to withdraw the encouragement hitherto given to agriculture. Lord Bnou GH A M after a brief reply, in which he ridiculed his opponents, declined pressing his motion to a division, and thus terminated the discussion in the Lords. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY. After a number of petitions had been presented on the subject of the corn laws, • Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the lessee, manager, performers, and operatives of Drury-lane Theatre, complaining of the interdiction of the Lord Chamberlain against performances on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent. The hon. member contended that the petition should be immediately received, and that the house should humbly address her Majesty, that she would be graciously pleased to give directions to the Lord Chamberlain to sanction, on Wednesdays and Fridays, in Westminster, those entertain ments which were enjoyed by her Majesty's loyal subjects in every other part of the metropolis. After a brief discussion, the house divided, when the numbers were—for the motion, ''; against it, 160. Majority, 90. The SPEAKER intimated that he should on Tuesday take the chair at three o'clock, in order to allow the presentation of petitions on the corn laws, previous to the commencement of the debate on that subject. Sir J. HOBROUSE brought up certain papers on the affairs oI .Ixxdia, which were laid on the table, and ordered t o b e printed. Viscount MORPETH, in reply to a question from Mr. Hume, said that he should shortly propose a bill for facilitat ing the arrangements made for the distribution of the grants votr.d to the Irish clergy last year ; that it was not the inten b__tin of government to apply to the clergy to reimburse the 4 00,000 advanced to the commissioners from the public rase, relative to the payment of arrears ; and that he had tcceived a communication, with respect to the demand made 4 , :for the clergy for arrears of quit-rent and ground-rent, which 1, tie should take the earliest opportunity of laying before the commissioners, who must determine upon the point. The highways' bill was read a second time, and ordered to he committed on Wedne s d a y, th e 6th of March. Mr. CHRISTOPHER obtained leave to bring in a bill to al , ter and amend the laws relating to sewers in England. • On the motion of Mr. POULETT THOMSON, the select corn witL-ee to consider whether any and what improvement can be adopted in the mode of conducting the business of the house, was re-appointed. _ The LORD ADVOCATE brought up the report of the com mittre on the judges' salaries (Scotland). The house adjourned at a quarter past six o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS—TUESDAY. Petitions were presented for and against alterations in the corn-laws, against the beer bill, in favour of church exten sion, and against the poor-law amendment act. _ On Lord HATHERTON handing in six petitions for the repeal of the corn-laws, Earl STANHOPE asked by what description of persons the petitions were signed ? Lord HATHERTON. — By manufactl,., ~r . Earl STANHOPE.—nut , Lord HATHEATON.—By a 3reat .nany. Lord MELBOURNE quoted the declaration of Mr. Poulett Thomson. ia a debate in the House of Commons, in 1833, io prove that, :iider Earl Grey's government, the question of the corn-law s was an open one. The Earl of RIPON must assert that he had no recollection Of anythinif that had passed which could induce him to sup s' e that Lord Grey's cabinet had ever considered it as an open question. The Vice-President of the Board of Trade ' eould not be considered as speaking the sentir,..ents of the labinet in 1833, and the cabinet could not be bound by his opinion. He (the Earl of Ripon) referred to facts, which if they could be gainsayed were capable of proof. ith respect to this vote of the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, he (Lord Ripon) had never heard of it until after it was given. Lord BROUGHAM said he had never heard of that vote until the present moment. (Hear, hear.) But let it be borne in mind that the right hon. gentleman was not a mem ber of the government, strictly speaking, any more than an under secretary to the secretary of state was, the right hon. gentleman not being a member of the cabinet. There was an instance in point of a lord of the treasury last session being in favour of the vote by ballot, and yet the members of the government did not split, whatever they might do hereafter if placed under similar circumstances. (A laugh.) The Duke of RICIIMOND.—My lords, as I was a member of that cabinet at the time alluded to by the noble earl (the /Sari of Ripon), and by the noble and learned lord, I beg to say that I entirely agree with both in declaring that I under stood the corn-law question was a cabinet question. (Hear.) If I had not so understood it, I should not have continued a member of the government. (Hear, hear.) My lords, I cannot forbear remarking that I think it indiscreet in gentle men re-opening the doors of a cabinet which have been so long closed. ( Hear.) IRscount IBOURNE.-It is not the votes of one or two members, but several, that were given, upon which that ques tion may be said to rest, for I find that no-fewer than ten or eleven votes were so given. I find that besides Mr. Poulett Thomson, Vicount Duncannon so voted. Mr. Littleton the secretary for Ireland Lord Bftou GII A M - BUt they were not members of the cabinet. Viscount ME LIMURN E.—l find also Sir Harry Parnell, Mr. A. Murray, Mr. Vernon Smith. The Duke ofRI CHMOND.-It is only proof that the under lings of Lord Grey's government were in very bad order. (Laughing.) OUTRAGE ON THE BRITISH FLAG. Lord CoLvILLF. inquired whether there was any truth in the report that the lieutenant of her Majesty's packet, in the Gulf of Mexico, was called upon by a French officer to give up a native pilot whom he had on board. Earl MINTON' admitted that the pilot had been most im properly taken out of the packet, but the French Admiral had in the most candid manlier acknowledged the impro priety of the act of his officers. Lord Cotfaux considered that he was justified in direct.. g the attention of the note earl to the suhject. It would be a shocking thing that a pilot should be compelled to quit a neutral vessel, and his services to be called into action against his native land. PRIVATE BILLS. On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, it was ordered that no petition for a private bill be received after Tuesday, the 26th of March next, and that no report from the judges relative to private bills be received after the 30th of April. MR. TIIRTON, The Earl of WINCHELSEA moved for copies of official cor respondence relating to the appointment of Mr. Turton by the Earl of Durham. His lordship reminded the house of the conversation which had previously taken place, but which had not satisfied him as to the propriety of the appointment. Lord MELBOURNE said, that the papers moved for would not give the noble lord the information he desired, and he would therefore supply it himself, and state the course which he had individually taken. This his lordship did in the fol lowing terms :—After what had (Occurred in their lordship's house, he (Lord Melbourne) wrote privately to the noble earl, then the Governor of Canada, expressing his disapprobation of the appointment of Mr. Turton, and his hope that it would be forthwith rescinded. In answer to this the noble earl re plied, that he considered his honour pledged as to the appoint ment, and therefore most distinctly refused to take. any such course as that which was suggested. Now, whatever might have been the real merits of the case, he had not thought it right to interfere with the government of the noble earl, and their lordships would therefore not be surprised at his merely recommending the removal of the gentleman alluded to, instead of disturbing the noble earl's government by ac tually insisting on it. Thus did the matter stand, and more serious events occurring soon afteawards, this transaction be came merged in the effects resulting from them. But seeing that this question was one of a personal nature, that no very great information would be obtained as to the earlier part of the transaction by the production of any despatches, and that as to the latter part there was no other to be had than that which he had now given, he trusted the noble earl would not press for the production of the papers. Lord BROUGHAM said that he and the Lord Chief Justice, who heard the case of Mr. Turton, found that it was not so bad as had been represented. He was the last man to speak one word in extenuation of seduction or adultery, but let not persons run into the foolish excess of exaggerating this mat ter and mixing it up with other cases that were called by the same name, but which presented to the eye of the observer every variety and shade of crime. Lord DURHAM declared that he had made the appointment on his own responsibility, and that the crown had nothing to do with it. He observed, in conclusion, that if Mr. Turton was to be condemned, the conduct of every official personage similarly circumstanced should be publicly investigated. The Earl of I ,l"mcniLsEA pledged himself to vote for such an inquiry if proposed by the noble lord. The motion was finally withdrawn. Tne Marquis of WESTMEATH moved for the production of additional papers relative to an investigation lately held at Mullingar respecting the conduct of two magistrate s . The LORD CHANCELLOR presented a bill for the better regulation of courts in boroughs. It was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Thursday. The house adjourned shortly before eight o'clock till Thursday. HOUSE OF COMMONS-TUESDAY. Mr. R. PALMER brought up the report of the committee appointed to try the merits of the election for Westmeath. The committee had resolved that the two sitting members, Mr. Chapman and Sir N. Nagle, had been duly elected, and that neither the petition against the return, or the opposition to that petition, was frivolous or vexatious. An Hon. MEMBER presented a petitiorr from Warrington, for leave to bring in a bill for the recovery of small debts in that borough. A great number of petitions were presented for and against alteration in the corn laws : amongst them, Mr. BLACKBURNE presented one from i'arrington against alteration. Lord SANDON presented a petition from the merchants of Liverpool against any alteration. Mr. CRESSWELL presented a petition from Liverpool, sign ed by 25,000 persons, praying for the repeal of the corn laws. The petitioners stated that they had been converted by the arguments of the manufacturers of Manchester. 'Petitions were also presented against the Irish municipal corporation bill ; for the restoration of the protective duty on fruits ; for the relief of licensed victuallers from responsibi lity as regards goods left at their houses by their customers ; against the window tax, and on othe r su bj ec t s . Sir E. CODRINGTON gave notice of a motion for Tuesday, the 12th of March, relating, we believe, to a subject connect ed with the navy. Mr. MACKINNON gave notice of a motion for Tuesday, the sth of March, for a select committee to consider the most effectual means of securing the investments of turnpike trusts. Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice that, or T:te,day, the sth of March, he would call the attention the house to the propriety of the immediate reduction of the odious duty upon lire insurances. CANADA. Mr. HUME renewed the notice he had given to move for copies of correspondence relating to Nova Scotia, and other North American colonies ; and he also gave notice that, on Wednesday, he would move for a return of the public reve nue of Upper Canada during the same period as the returns he had already moved for of the same nature respecting Lower Canada; also for a return of the expenditure during the same period ; also for a return of the number of persons recently imprisoned for treasonable offences, and now dis posed of; also for copies of the ordinances made by the go vernor of Lower Canada since the 24th of November, 1833 ; also for copies of a letter addressed by Lord Aberdeen to Lord Hill on the Ist of August, 1835, respecting a challenge to fight a duel, sent by a Mr. Stewart, secretary to Lord Aylmer ; and for a copy of that gentleman's appointment to the office of Chief Justice of Quebec •; and he begged to ask the noble lord, the secretary for the home department, when the correspondence which had taken place beween the go vernment and Sir Francis Head would be laid on the table of the house. Lord JOHN RUSSELL was understood to say that those papers would be produced very shortly. Mr. BARRON wished to ask the secretary cf the admiralty whether there was any intention of doing away with the packets on the Waterford station. Mr. C. WOOD had not heard of any intention of that sort. CORN LAWS. Mr. VILLIERS, having been called upon by the speaker, rose and said—ln accordance with the notice I have given, it is my duty to move that certain persons who have presented a petition to this house be allowed to establish the allegations of that petition at the bar of this house. The petitioners are persons who are deeply interested in the subject matter of their petition ; they have been selected by their fellow citizens and by their fellow sufferers at large, at open meet ings assembled for the purpose, to make known, by all legiti mate means in their power, the nature and the extent of the specific grievance of which they complain. And, sir, they bring this complaint from those great districts where the mass of the inhabitants depend for existence upon the em ployment of their industry,—that they expect that employ ment as much from people of other countries as they do from their countrymen around. They come from Glasgow— from Leeds—from Nottingham—from Manchester—from Liverpool—from Birmingham—from Wolverhampton --from Derby—and from Kendal. The places within the circle to which I have alluded, exceed, in population, two millions in number ; and these places will be recognised at Once as the seats of the great staple manufactures of the country. Taking a glance at the interests which these people represent, and their importance to the community at large, I will only refer to those four branches of trade which have the most reason to apprehend alarm from the grievance of which they com plain ; I allude to the cotton trade, the woollen trade, the linen trade, and the hardware trade. I find that there are employed in the cotton trade of this country no less than 1,500,000, dependent on it for their maintenance and support; that the:value of that trade to this country is £34,000,00. sterling ; that of the capital employed in that trade, there is, fixed and floating, £20,000,000 sterling ; that nearly £17,000,000 sterling are employed in wages, and that two thirds of that manufacture in value, and three-fourths in quantity, is exported from this country. The annual value of the woollen trade is 27 millions sterling ; one-fourth of that is exported to other countries ; the number of persons employed is upwards of 400,000, and the manufacture con sumes of English wool upwards of 108 millions of pounds annually. The annual value of the linen manufacture is eight millions sterling, and there is spent in wages in it £3,500,000. The hardware trade is upwards of 37 millions sterling, . Mr. HUME.—Is it in one year ? Mr. VILLIERS.—The value of the raw material, capital, wages, and every thing that constitutes it is included. There are employed in it upwards of 300,000 persons, and thousands of these persons depend for employment and subsistence en tirely on our foreign trade. These parties say they have been obliged to observe and etperience a decided change in the character of their dealings with those nations on whom they were accustomed to depend for custom. They state, sir, that those who were once our valuable friends they now find alarming rivals ; and that such a change will have a detri mental effect upon the industry of this country ;—and they further state, which reason they think gives them a claim upon your attention, that you have done this ; they say th a t the legislature has denied them the liberty of taking that which foreign countries have alone to exchange, you have compelled these foreign countries to find means of supplying their own markets—you have forced them to become manu, facturers themselves. The charge which they bring against the _corn laws is, that they have not only turned away our customers, but that they have actually turned our former friends and customers into competitors. (Hear, hear.) The petitioners are prepared to prove that this active competition in foreign countries assumes a very alarming aspect, and that if it should extend in such a ratio as it has within the last few years, it must be extremely prejudicial to the community at large, but more particularly to the industrious working classes—(hear)—that class which is most unable to bear it. The hon. gentleman here referred to the evidence contained in a 1..0i k published under the 'sanction of the cotton manu - facturer, and others of Glasgow, which embodied some ut the report of the commissioners appointed by the crown on the subject of the factory system. The object of these quo tations was to prove the great disadvantages under which the manufacturers laboared, by reason of ti vast increased amount of foreign competition, with its c; •acomitant evils, caused, aa it was contended, by the operation of the present system of corn laws. Turning from the United States, he would refer to the case of countries on the continent of Europe. First, there was Switzerland, with all the disadvan tage of her locality, 800 miles from the coast and from the raw material. It was within the last 20 years that we ex ported largely to Switzerland ; but she now imported for herself the raw material, and manufactured it, and she was not only meeting England in the markets of Italy, and even North America, but meeting her successfully too. Russia was, enabled to send England her corn and timber, but England refused to take these commodities, in return for which they would have taken her manufactures. In the year 1820 England had exported to Russia thirteen million yards of cotton, while in the year 1837 it was only 860,000. Ger many had been compelled to become a manufacturing country from our refusal to receive her productions in exchange for our manufactures, In the year 1833 the amount of exports to that place had been £29,500,000 ; in 1834 it had been £11,000,000; in 1835 it had been £10,000,000; in 1836 £7,000,000 ; in 1837, £5,800,000 ; and in 1838, only 51 mil lions. Why, it was certainly no consolation to that house to hear the official documents referred to to prove that the en tire amount of our exports had increased, when they found that these exports and that increase only showed .that they furnished to other countries the means of becoming the rivals of England.—(Cries of " hear, hear.") It was said by some that there was no reason why the English artizan might not successfully enter into competition with them in any branch of trade. In reply to this assertion he would briefly allude to the branch of hosiery. He found that in 1815 they had the:monopoly of the world in this trade. Now, however, the English found serious competition in Saxony. Now he found that, while this cou n try had increased 10 per cent. in the power of her machinery, yet, since 1815, Saxony had doubled every six years ; and though, of the article of hosiery England had exported 447,391 dozen in the year 1838, it ap peared that Saxony had exported is the same year 1,500,000. The hon. gentleman then read a very lengthy account of the amount of the exports of Saxony to various parts of the globe, and compared them with those of England during the same period, for the purpose of proving the increase which was alleged as having taken place in those of the former country. He then read a communication from a manufac turer, from Stroud, in which it was stated that not only were the English furnishing foreign nations with the raw material for the manufacture of goods, but that even many thousands of the best English workmen were sent also to other•coun-, tries, thereby leaving no others in the home factories but the old and the inexperienced. This the writer attributed to the pre sent system of the corn laws, and he concluded his letter by observing, with Solomon, " that he that withheld corn, the the people should curse him."—(Hear.) The same thing could be proved by the return of the exports in the linen trade. He then referred to several papers setting forth the quantity of the exports in this trade in one year, some time past, as contrasted with one of a more recent date; also for the purpose of proving what he set forth with stat ing. There was, in fact, hardly any branch of trade in which England was not exporting the raw material. In the hardware and cutlery manufacture they were more met by the competition of foreigners than in any other branch. He had a letter from a factor of hardware, who had been in the habit of sending goods to different parts of the world. The communication, which he read at length (as well as many other documents,) went into details of the present prospect of that trade in Prussia and the neighbouring states ; and con cluded by alluding to an importation of cutlery which had been made from thence into this country eighteen years ago. The next document he read was a letter from Birmingham, dated the 17th February, in which the writer was understood to state that during a recent visit to the United States he had seen with much regret the German cutlery preferred to that of England. The honourable gentleman said he wished not to enter into the general question, the social and political ar gument; he confined himself to the narrow ground already stated. But if evidence were felt to be necessary, he trusted it would not be taken in the seclusion of a select committee ; let it be heard openly before the whole representative body. There had been sufficient precedents. Mrs. Clarke had oc cupied the bar for 23 days ; let these petitioners have as ample time. There had been a case in 1785 where the body of bleachers and dyers had been heard by the house against an imposition of duties. If they should refuse the present prayer, the inference would be .that they were afraid to have the sub ject probed. Mr. STRUTT seconded the motion, which he said was but the commencement-of a greet struggle. To hear evidence would take time ; but time could not be better occupied. And the public would not forget, if the majority should refuse this boon, that it was a majo r ity c omp ose d o f men w h o h a d a per sonal interest against it. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT thought the honourable member who had last spoken had given a good and sufficient reason why the house should not acquiesce in the prayer of the peti tion when he urged that the facts alleged in the petition were not capable of being questioned. This statement he was not, for one, disposed to question ; but it left so much the less ne cessity to resort to inquiry. At the same time he must say that an attempt had been made to impute motives to the landed interest as unjust and injurious as they were unfounded. Mr. MARK PHILIPS, in supporting the motion, said the question of the existence of the manufacturing, or of any other portion of the community, ought not, and he trusted would not, be looked on as of a party nature. (Hear.) Lord Howicx, declared his own opinion of the injustice and impolicy of the corn law, but expressed, however; his inten tion of opposing the desired examination. He thought it would occasion great delay in coming to any conclusion, and considered the facts as pretty well ascertained already. The cross-examinations would be endless : you must hear both sides ; you would have the currency question introduced : and having once begun, you could not stop ; your opponents would insist on going throughout. The noble lord adverted to the numbers of the signatures subscribed to the petitions, but the petitioners, he said, numerous though they might be, were not so fit judges of what was good for them as the house, and he trusted members were not disposed to truckle for a little popularity. Mr. PRYME said that having given notice of an amendment to this motion, he wished to state the reasons why he would not press it. He had supposed the motion would have been for a repeal of the corn laws, and as his own amendment would come much more properly after that question, he should move it whenever the question arose, which he understood it would, and hon. members might then. choose between total and partial abolition. Mr. WARD admitted that many facts on the subject were familiar to members of that house ; but confiding as they did in those facts, why did they refuse to the- supporters of the present motion an opportunity of connecting those facts by evidence with the existing corn laws ? Mr. THORNELY supported the motion. Lord WORSLEY was of opinion, that a repeal of the corn laws would be in the highest degree detrimental to the inte rests of agriculture, and therefore to manufactures. Such repeal would be decidedly injurious to the home market for manufactures—a market which, he would contend, had pro tected the manufacturers of this country from the ill effects of the distress in America. It was true enough that there had been a rise in the prices of agricultural produce, but it was equally true that the farmers had not derived any advan tage from that. He could answer for his own part of the country, that in the present year the crop had proved so de fective in quality and quantity, that though the pi ices were as high as 755., the farmers were often in other years placed in a better condition by a price of 505., for in one case they paid a rote of wages equal co about Bs. or 9s. a week, while in the other they paid from 13s. 6d. to 15s. Mr. TIORSMAN said the state of things was such that the capital of the country yielded no profit, and all that the ca pitalists of the country desired was that they might be allowed to show by evidence the modes in which their capital could be advantageously employed in this country without carrying it abroad to seek for better occupation. Ha should vote for the inquiry, not with the view of courting popularity, but from a love of justice, apd because he was not prepared to Ault his eyes against the proof of the allegations which had been made by, the petitioners. Mr. G. H. HEATHCOTE should vote against the proposi tion for hearing evidence at the bar upon principle, because he was opposed to any alteration in the present system of the corn laws. (Hear.) He refused inquiry, because he denied the existence of any grievance. (Hear.) He did not think that any case of deterioration or depression in the manufac turing prosperity of the country had been made out to call for the house to go into the question of a repeal of the corn laws. But, evert if such a case had been submitted to them, he should have been prepared to contend that no class in the country had a right to say " We will benefit ourselves at the expense of our neighbours ; we will arise out of the mire on the shoulders of others." (Cheers and counter-cheers.) He also objected to this motion in poi n t o f f orm . Mr. IVARBCRTON said the, motion was useful in putting the advocates of the corn laws entirely in the wrong, but thought it mattered practically very little what proposal might be made till the mamlacturers and the working people should pull together, and operate on the fears of the landlords. Mr. CAYLEY said, the hon. gentleman who had just sat down most briefly stated, that when the working classes of the country and their masters pulled together, then would be the time for the house to listen to their representations. But the hon. gentleman was utterly mistaken if he thought the master manufacturers had so far deluded their operatives as to induce them to pull together on this question. (Hear.) The operatives had bitter experience during- the last twenty years of the generous and heartfelt sympathy which the mas ter manufacturers felt for them. (Hear, hear.) They had seen the deep-toned commiseration of the master manufac turers in behalf of the poor, emaciated, crippled, death-like factory child (hear, hear); and when the case of the hand loom weavers was brought forward year after year by the hon. gentleman then member for Lanarkshire, was the ques tion of hunger proclaimed as one that should guide their de liberations ? No ; it was said, " the power-loom and the spinner must have the monopoly, it is impossible you can compete with them, and therefore you must be allowed to sink without our sympathy or assistance." (Hear, hear.) This was no question of hunger, as had been stated ; if it were the case of a nation stretching out its hands for food, the landed interests would be as ready to come forward for their relief as any other body in the state. (Cheers.) But it was not a question of hunger, but whether the people of this country, which had been engaged for centuries in the production of corn, should rely on the importations of foreign wheat. He would not now enter into the general question : he had risen only for the purpose of repudiating the statement that the case of the manufacturers had anything to do with the corn laws ; and that the operative classes were pulling together with the master manufacturers in order to insure their repeal. (Hear.) Mr. P. Tnomesoei asked what the possessions of the land lords would be worth, but for the value conferred on them by manufactures ? Yet our manufactures were suffering, as ap peared from the increase in the exports of foreign countries, which he referred to official returns to prove. Sir H. FLEETWOOD said that Lord Stanley, in the debate on the address, had mis-stated the progress of manufacturing investment. He had himself been the noble lord's informant, but had informed him erroneously. Lord. STANLEY had had no intention of taking any part in the present discussion, but when the hon. baronet (Sir H. Fleetwood) had expressed his astonishment that he (Lord ,Stanley) should have referred to him, with respect to the number of factories built within a certain period in the town of Preston, all he could say was that he would never again be guilty of a similar indis cre ti on . (G reat c h eer i ng. ) H e had had no intention of taking a part in the former debate, but it having been stated, if it could be proved, that there was an increase in the manufactories in the manufacturing districts, within the last few years, although the manufactu rers were exporting at a loss, and they could not live by their trade—yet if it could be proved that there was an increase in machinery and in manufactories within the last few years, then (said the hon. member) his argument would fall to the ground. It did so happen, that shortly after these observa tions had been made, the hon. Baronet the member for Pres ton (Sir H. Fleetwood) was passing by, and having some knowledge of the town, having passed through it many times in the last year, and having remarked, as everybody having the opportunity must have remarked, the great increase in the number of manufactories, hi had asked the hon. member not whether there had been any increase, but as to the num ber. (Hear, hear.) The hon. baronet said yes, there had been, and in the years 1836 and 1837. (" No, no," from Sir H. Fleetwood.) The hon. baronet said, that in the years 1836 and 1837 there had been built or completed in the town of Preston nineteen new factories, at an expense of £60,000, and houses connected with them which cost £l5OO ; and that of these factories eleven were ereeted in one year, and eight in the other. Such was the statement made to him by the. hon. baronet, in the presence of several of his (Lord Stanley's) friends, and he regretted very much that having adopted er roneous information he had misled the house ; but all he had done was to quote t,,e words of the hon. baronet, his ques tion having been put, not as regarded the fact of ieerease, but with regard to the particular district in which the increase had taken place. An hon. member had said that the in crease of the number of manufactories was no proof of pros perity in that department of commerce, because they might have been contracted for two or three years before. But what did he (Lord Stanley) care for that ? Because it was said that the corn laws were the cause of manufacturing dis tress, yet it was not proved that the number of manufactures had increased, and consequently there must have been an increase in the amount of articles manufactured. He dared to say the manufacturers did not make such large profits as formerly. • (Cheers.) But could that be expected when the nation lapsed into a state of peace, after a war of unusual duration ? Take the case of the growth of a child. Was it to be said that because it grew three inches when it was six or seven years old, that therefore it was grown in the same proportion at the age of nineteen, when it only grew one ? And it was to be contended that, because manufactures in their infancy had been more prosperous than in their man hood, that the corn laws had been the cause of the change ? Sir H. FLEETWOOD explained. Mr. BROTHERTON supported the motion, contending,that the manufacturers were realising no profits. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that upon the question before the house—rather a narrow one, he thought—what had been stated by his noble friend the secretary of war had entirely forestalled any arguments he might have used. Upon that statement he should rest his determination to give a vote against the motion of the hon. member for Wolverhampton. In so doing he should confine himself to precedents of which there were several upon the journals applicable to this ques tion. He would not then enter into the general question, but what lie must protest against was the course which he saw some disposed to follow, and what he thought was neither fair nor just to that house. What he alluded to was the practice of saying, that because the house might refuse to hear evidence at the bar, therefore the House of Commons was determined to shut out all evidence, and to refuse to hear the complaints of the people in regard to this im portant subject. He did not think the petitioners were en titled to prescribe the mode in which the House of Commons ought to proceed, and such a course would in his opinion, be attended with the greatest inconvenience. If there was to be an investigation, let it be gone into before a committee up stairs, as Mr. Wilberforce had suggested after a year's experience of investigation at the bar, and if that was thought improper, then let the whole matter be fully discussed before the whole house. SIR ROBERT PEEL, having a sincere respect for the pe titioners, felt deeply concerned for their interests, important as they were to the general welfare, as well as those of the agricultural interest, and be could not, therfore, give a per fectly silent vote on a motion which he felt bound to oppose. He would not argue the question on narrow grounds, because the more extended his observations the more should he argue in favour of the existing system. (Cheers.) He must take a larger view than the honorable gentlemen opposite had done—he must take a comprehenssve flew of the interests of the country ; if corn was dearer in this county than others, he must ask what operation taxation had in producing that result ? (Cheers) He must ask, if corn was 50s. a quarter, whether there was not a paramount necessity for preserving public faith ? (Cheers.) Could he agree to a proposition for taking off the duty on corn when the landowner had to contribute so largely to the taxes of the country by the pay ment of the land tax, the malt tax, and the poor and county rates ? Was he to exclude the consideration of all these burdens, and consent to argue this question merely on the ground. of the higher pride of corn in this than in other countries, and because if it was lower there would be less competition with foreign manufactures ? (Cheers.) He seemed to have excited some alarm opposite by stating how many questions must enter into the consideration of this subject ; but he could not exclude them, though it was the possible wish of a part of the house, taking a narrow view of the subject, to exclude them—yet this was the real question after all. Comprehensive or limited, he would not consent to an inquiry at the bar ? Why was it resisted by the noble lords ? Why —on the ground that there were no direct precedents, or that the time of the house was so precious it ought not to be wasted—or that there were sub jects to be considered of more interest, or more importance ; but he (Sir R. Peel) resisted it because he had a strong con viction on his mind that the present system of corn laws ought to be maintained, and that hitherto the champions of repeal, or alteration, had produced no plausible arguments to alter that conviction. (Cheers.) But would n o ev il ar i se f r o m a protracted inquiry? Could they limit it? (Cheers.) Could they exclude an in.quiry into the taxation which bore on the land ? Must, therefore, the inquiry not be most pro tracted; and evae it not equally clear that pending the inquiry the application of capital must be suspended—that there would he a total uncertainty on the part of the farmer and agriculturist as to what application they would give it ? This would be an evil which would be greater than that arising from the mere circumstance of the inquiry lasting during the present session and the next, and he much doubted whether it could be more restricted. He had listened with great at tention to the arguments put forward by the hon. member for Wolverhampton (Mr. Villiers), and he agreed with the hon. member that they ought to try this question as men of business, that party feeling ought to be excluded from it as much as possible, and, as men of business, that they ought to apply themselves to the, question whether or not the manu facturing interest was so depressed as to call for solemn in quiry or not. The hon. member for Salford (Mr. Brother ton) had said, not following the example of those who had preceded him, that he should be able to show that it was a landlord's question, and that the tenants had no interest in it. (Hear.) Was it quite so Blear, that if the arguments of the corn-law opponents were correct—was it quite so clear on the point of reduction of rent ? Did then the abolitionists not want to reduce the price of porn ? (Cries of " No, no.") Yes, many of them did, because they desired to raise it on the continent; if not diminish it here. Suppose the landlord believed them, and declined to lower his rent, did they be lieve it would be easy or competent to a tenant to convert his plough, his farming utensils and-stock ; or would it be easy for him to transfer it ? This was a tenant's question as much as a landleed's, and when the house came to a consideration of the main subject, he should show that it was a labourer's question. (Great cheeriiig.) He showed that the anticipated good could only arise from a reduction of wages, and he should attempt to show that the labourer couldnot be benefited by a general alteration of the corn-laws. (Oheers.) The hon. gentleman said it was tree that factories had been established, but with a grave face he added that no profit had been derived from them. Did gentlemen recollect, when the farmer com plained in 1833 that he was pursuing his avocation without profit, what ridicule they had cast on him ? , (Cheers.) They had asked would Bagshot-heath lave been brought into cultivation if there was no profit? The hon. gentleman who made use of that argument thought %hey proved that, if men continue to be farmers, that was a sufficient proof that farm ing was a profitable occupation ; but the same argument might now be applied to the supposition that men would not remain manufacturers without realising a profit, or without a hope of profit. He would take the speech df the hon. gen tleman who had introduced this question, and would argue it upon the narrow ground on which he had placed it, in order to make out a prima facie case against the corn-laws. He apprehended the grounds upon which the case was rested— he had taken down the 'words of the honourable gentle man, in order that he might make no mistake—to be these : He admitted it might be proved that there had been an increase in our export of manufactured articles, but in the first place he said that that increase had taken place without a corresponding profit, and then he asserted that the increase which had taken place was in what might almost be consi dered the raw material, being a description of manufactured goods in respect of which the cost of human subsistence en tered in the smallest-degree—that in those articles in which much manual labour was required there had been a decay. Still in cotton twist and cotton cord, into which little of human labour entered, but which were intended for manu facture in other countries, he admitted there was an increase. The hon. gentleman said that there was great competition 'throughout the whole of Europe, and assumed that by the corn-laws we had inackthe former consumers of our manu factured goods our competitors. Now, supposing the hon. gentleman's facts to be true, he was not prepared to admit the 'correctness of his inferences. How could we expect that there should be an increase of manufactures, throughout Europe generally ? The hon. gentleman said, "Do not pride yourselves upon the superiority of your manufactures—do not suppose that there is some cause why English manufac tures ought to monopolise the market of the world—do not indulge the antiquated prejudice, which ought to be exploded, that you have some secret influence and power over the traffic of the earth." He (Sir R. Peel) admitted that nothing would be so absurd as to entertain such notions ; but let hon. gentlemen extend the reasoning, 'and inquire whether, after the lapse of 23 years of profound peace, what ever might be the operation of the corn laws, it was not likely and natural that the nations of the continent should become manufacturing countries. That hon. gentleman said, " Look to Saxony and see the progress of manufac tures since 1815." Let the hon. gentleman read the history of Saxony for some years before 1815, and when he found that that country had been the battle field of the European struggles, could he be surprised that, after the war had ceased, the inhabitants should turn their attention to the oc cupatioris of pea Ce. (Cheers.) It was because they were men, and that they shared in the same love of gain which influenced our own conduct, that this was to be expected. The hon. gentleman said also that the United States of America were becoming a manufacturing country. (Hear, hear.) Could anything be more natural than that in the progress of civilisation, as their towns increased, with large markets for their productions, and when the profit of culti vating wild land had debreased, such a country should, with out any extrinsic cause, become, a manufacturing country ? He had said that, even if he admitted the hon. gentleman's facts to, be correct; he was not prepared to admit' his in ferences. He would not condemn the . corn laws upon the two facts which the hon. gentleman thought decisive— namely, that corn was dearer here than onthe continent, and that some nations which had been consumers of our manu factured produce had betome our competitors. But he de nied the hon. gentleman's facts. The hon. gentleman said there was a gradual diminution of the export of those articles into the production of which the cost of living en tered. He should limit himself entirely to the narrow ground upon which the hon. gentleman had argued it, and he trusted the house would listen to his attempt to demon strate the fallacy of the position which the hon. gentleman had assumed. He, was going to show that the present-state of the British manufactures was not so gloomy as had been asserted • he was going to show, not that the export of those articles of manufacture on which little labour was expended, not that the export of wool and woollen yarn, and of cotton yarn, and cotton twist had increased, for :an increase in the export of those articles was admitted on every side, but he was to try to convince the hon. member acid the house that there had been a positive increase in the exports of those very articles into which the cost of human subsistence en tered, and which might be considered as liable to . be most affected by the price of corn. He held in his hand an account, which he believed to be accurate—namely, a comparative state ment of the declared value of British cotton goods exported from the united kingdom in each of the last eight years, distinguishing the different branches of manufacture. What he was going to show was, that thbre had been a progressive increase last year, as compared with the former years ; and that that increase was derived, not from the raw material — not from cotton twist or yarn, but from articles, into the manufacture of which the cost of manual labour had en tered, and the price of which ought to be affected by the price of provisions. He would take the total of the cotton goods exported to all parts of the world ; and he said this would be infinitely more satisfactory than the opinion of any gentleman who might be examined at the bar. That gentle man might tell him that the exports to Saxony had decreased, and that powerful cotton-mills had been erected in Switzer land and in France ; but he (Sir Robert Peel) protested against such individual testimony. He would say, refer to returns showing the state of your whole trade, and from the general result determine whether the argument founded upon the decay of our exports to a particular place were a sound one. He confined himself to this point, according to the hon. gentleman's own dictation. He excluded all other questions connected with the subject. He excluded the question of. Ireland, and argued the case upon the narrow ground upon which it had been placed—viz., whether the ex port of articles into which the price of human labour entered had decreased. He would take the whole 'of our exports, then, for eight years, and he would tell the house why he excluded the years which the hon. gentleman had taken ar bitrarily ; sometimes taking the years from 1826, 1827, and 1828, and sometimes the five years after the peace. He would take the last eight years during which the corn laws had operated, because they constituted a test of the opera tions of those laws, not upon agriculture merely, but also upon manufactures. His attempt was to prove that under those laws manufactures had flourished, and steadily in creased. He would compare the average of 1838 with that of the seven preceding years, and he asked wheth er th ere cou ld be a fairer test of the total, then, of cotton goods exported in the seven yearse preceding, 1838 ? The average was 5£20,100,400 of deatnestl value. ' This was an average of the seven years preceding, and what was the state of this decay hlg manufacture in 1838 ? Why, in that year it increased from £20,000,000 to £24,000,000. The declared value of cotton goods exported in that year, as compared with the average of the seven preceding years, exhibited an increase of £4,000,000 on the declared value. But ;the hon. gentle man would say, " You include in that the export of cotton twist." Certainly he did. He gave the house the whole. The average of the cotton yarn and cotton twist exported duriqg the seven years preceding 1838 was £5,340,000 of de clared value ; but the goods exported in 1838 —cotton twist and yarn he meant—rose from the average of £5,340,000 to £7,430,300, being an increase of £2,000,000. He hoped he made himself understood. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentle man had complained grieyously of the decaying state of the hosiery trade, and had proceeded to show that large exports of hosiery took place from Saxony to Cuba,_ and that our ex ports of such articles were diminished. Now, he (Sir R. Peel) said that to arrive at a c orrect conclusion as to the state of the trade,' we must not take Saxony, which might possess many advantages over us in the manufacture—nor must we take the exports to Cuba alone ; but in order to de termine whether the hosiery trade was in the state of decrepi tude in which it was represented to be, the proper course was to take the averages of the seven preceding years, and to compare them with the year 1838. The average exports of hosiery in the former years was £587,300 of declared value, but in 1838 it rose from the average of £587,000 to £650,000. He would now take another, and the chief article, in respect of which, of all others, the cost of manual labour operated, and which ought to be influenced by the price of provisions. He referred to calicoes, muslins, dimities, ginghams, dia pers, shawls, and silk handkerchiefs. The average of these exports for the former seven years was £13,349,000 declared value, and in 1838 the amount was £15,320,000. He had shown what had been the increase of cotton twist and yarn, and he now took the higher and more valuable descriptions of manufactured goods, and he thought it material to show, after what had been said by the hon. mover, that there had been a positive increase of two millions in the exports gf last year. He asked how it could be contended on this limited ground that manufacturing prosperity could not be kept up, and that the operation of the corn laws had been fatal and detrimental ? The hon. gentleman had next referred to the importation of corn into various parts of Europe, and said he would show that there was good ground for believing that the manufactures of this country, compared with those of ' other states, were on the decline. On the first of the re- turns to which he (Sir R. Peel) had referred, there could he believed, he no doubt. The one.to which he was now about to refer had been placed in his hands that day, therefore he could not be responsible for its aocuracy in all particulars, but it was taken from an authentic Liverpool circular, in which the 'highest confldence was placed. This was an ac count of the consumption. 'of eott oa diiring the years 1837 and and he applied. it .as a test to the argument that other nationg were, in the article of cotton,, making an alarm ing progress as compared with . o - urselves. The honourable gentleman had referred to Switzerland and the states of Germany. This was an account of the consumption of cot ton in Great Britain and in several of the continental states. It appeared from it that in 1837 the amount of cotton im ported into England was 1,059,000 bags ; and in 1838, 1,280,000 bags. So much for England. Nqw he would take other countries of Europe. In France the amount consumed was, in 1837, . 357,539 bags, and in 1838 it increased to 393,000 bags. The result of the statement was, that in other coun tries in Europe, comparing the accounts of cotton consumed in 1838 with that of 1837, there was a decrease of about two per cent. Those continental states to which he referred were Holland, Belgium, and the German States. In these, as he had said, there was a decrease in 1838 below the con sumption of 1837 amounting to two per cent. In France there had been an increase of 91 per cent. But what had been the increase in Great Britain ? Seventeen and a half per cent. (Hear, hear.) Now, really, if it were true that tins foreign manufacture, the progress of which was so alarm ing to the honourable gentleman, c o u ld b e tried by a fair test, that test was the quantity of cotton consumed ; and from the investigation it turned out that in the continental states, with the exception of France, there had been a de crease of two per cent., in France an increase of 94 per cent., and in Great Britain an increase of 174 per cent. By this test also, of the quantity of cotton consumed, he tried the soundness of the hon. gentleman's arguments as to our own manufactures, and he certainly could not agree in the in ference that the prospects of manufacturers were as gloomy as they were represented to be, and that those who had heretofore been consumers, had, on account of our refusal to take their corn, become successful competitors with us. His belief was, that do what we would with the corn laws, while there was peace, we could not make ourself es an exclusive cotton manufactory for the whole civilized world. (Hear, hear.) The duration of peace, the increase 'of tranquillity and civilization, the security from hostile aggression, would increasimanufactures, and he was not aware that it was at all corresponding with sound doctrines of political economy that we should repine at the progressive prosperity of other nations. (Hear, and cheers.) The object aimed at was to increase the price of corn in other countries with a view to diminish their manufactures. If such enormous evils were attached to a high price of corn, at all events it did not seem a very philanthropic object to endeavour to entail those mis fortunes upon other countries ; but if the object were the raising of the price of corn abroad, in order to diminish foreign manufactures, was it not just possible that other nations might see through our project, and the moment they found that the export of corn added so much to the prosperity of Great Britain, and tended so much to the depreciation of their own manufactures—was it not possible they might impose such duties upon the exportation of corn as would deprive us of the benefit to be derived from it? (Hear, hear.) On all these considerations it would be well to reflect how far a country consuming b'2,000,000 of quarters of wheat, and whose main hope must be founded upon the internal supply, could depend, in case of famine or of war, that money would at all times ensure a sufficient supply. (Hear, hear.) Into those general considerations connected with the corn laws, in fulfilment of his engagement to the house, he should not now enter ; he should be ready to enter upon them when the ge neral subject was brought forward, and should be prepared to show that the interests of all classes, including the manufac turers, who were deeply interested in the preservation of the home market, tended to show the policy of continuing to the agricultural classes the prosperity which they at present en joyed. But he was now arguing the case on the sole ground upon which the honourable gentleman invited hkrn. That honourable gentleman had promised to show that in the de clared value of those articles into which the cost of manual labour entered, there was a decay, and also that there had been a progressive increase of foreign manufacturers, which to an alarming degree exceeded the British, but he (Sir R. Peel) had attempted to show not only that our exports ge nerally had increased, but the exports of goods of a finer de scription had increased in a corresponding ratio, and , that if the consumption could be taken as a test, the manufacturers of England were quite in as flourishirr , a condition as those of the continent ; and upon that ground,' and knowing the evil of a protracted inquiry ; sensible of the agitation of the pub lic mind that would arise from postponing, the general ques tion, he was, with all respect for the petitioners, prepared to give his decided negative against entering into the proposed inquiry. (Cheers.) _ Mr. VILLIERS replied ; SirROBERT PEEL explained; and the debate, which had been expected to be an adjourned one, concluded with a division, when Mr. Villier's motion was negatived by a majority of 189, the numbers being 361 to 172, and the house adjourned at a quarter before twelve o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS.—WEDNESDAY. The House of Lords did not assemble to-day. HOUSE 01? COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY. Mr. Du Pre, the new member for Buckingham s hi re , t oo k the oaths and Ls seat. Many petitions were presented against any alteration in the corn laws, and some for a revision of the same. , Sir C. B. YERE and other members presented petitions against any system of national education unconnected with the superintendence of the church. Mr. Hawns\ presented a petition from David Jones, for the abolition of the ecclesiastical courts, and gave notice that he woull 'call 'attention to the subject next day ; but at the suggestion of Sir J. OWEN, the notice was afterwards postponed till Friday. The CIIANCELLOT{ of the EXC'HEdITEE., at the request of Alderman Sir M. Woon, postoned his motion for referring papers, correspondence, &c., regarding.the rebuilding of the Royal Exchange, to the London Improvement Committee. Mr. MACKINNON inquired as to the delaY which had taken place in the builclinz, of the terrace .and other works con nected ; with' the proposed new houses of parliament. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was understood to say that he would look into the subject. Lord G. SOMERSET asked if it was the intention of go vernment to institute any inquiry into the proceedings of railway comapanies. Mr. P. THOMPSON could not state what course he should pursue, but admitted that it was high time something should be done for the protection of the public. Sir R. PEEL wished to know if any new arrangement was contemplated for the conduct of private business, as it might be necessary to postpone to a more distant day the.consider ation of private bills. Mr. Pi THOMSON stated that the committee would soon be able to make their report, and if further time was neces sary it would be granted. Mr. P. HOWARD inquired whether it was thr intention of the. Chancellor of the Exchequer to relieve the country from the duty on raw cotton. The CrIANcELLon of the EXCHEQUER declined answer ing the question until he brought forward his financial.state ment. In , answer to El!question from Mr. PATTISON, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER contradicted a statement which had appeared as to the non-payment of de ficiency bills. •The fact was, that more had been paid off . than, at,any former, corresponding period. 1‘;11-: Wy sE, after some observations, withdrew his motion On the Subject of education. ~,,co Tv, r io ,qtyrns were ordered on the motion of Mr. I-11751E, 'ehiMy connected with the Canadian question, after which the 'h4oU§e FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENTS ON THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY. . . (From the Morning Herald of Tuesday.) Loss OF LlFE. — During the last few days several acci dents, some of them of a most serious and calamitous nature (and, we regret to add, in one instance attended with loss of life) have transpired on the line of the London and Binning,. ham railway. Doubtless, accidents on the various lines of railways now in existenee in England are of more frequent occurrence than those which through the medium of the press are laid before the public, from the fact that every caution is taken on the part of the railway companies to pre vent every species of information respecting them being given by their servants, and it is upon record that an inspector on a certain line was actually discharged for giving information to a reporter with respect to an accident. Notwithstanding these impediments we have received the following information. Yesterday morning about seven o'clock, an accident of a most frightful and fatal character took place on the line of the London and Birmingham railway, near Watford. A la bouring man, employed on the line was at work not far from the Watford station, when, observing an engine coming towards him on the down rails, he walked across on the other line for the purpose of clearing it at the time, not perceiving that a train was approaching him in a contrary direction, on the very line to which he had crossed. The Birmingham and Liverpool mail train was the one alluded to, and was pro ceeding at full pace with the engine in the rear (which is usually the case when there is ice or snow adhering to the rails, to preVent accidents and facilitate the progress) ; when, on seeing the man, the guards, as well as the engineers, called to him to get out of the way ; the poor fellow, how ever, although he looked at them, was unable to do so before he was met by the Post-office van (which was foremost) and dashed to the ground with gieat violence. Every exertion was made to stop the train, but it was in vain, before it had passed over the unfortunate man, nearly severing his legs from his body, and otherwise mutilating him in a shocking manner. He was picked up in a lifeless state and conveyed to the Watford station, where his remains await a coroner's inquest. On the evening of the 11th ult., between eight and nine o'clock, an occurrence of an alarming description took place under the tunnel extending from Chalk Farm to Kilburn, which might have been attended with the most disastrous re-, sults. A luggage train belonging to Messrs. Pickford and Co. (who have entered into a contract with the company for the conveyance of goods inland), containing no less than 36 carriages and an engine, 26 of which carriages were loaded, bearing - upwards of five tons each, had been detained up wards of five hours behind her time of arrival at the ware houses at Camden-town, in consequence of the power of the engine being inadequate to the extent of the weight attached to it. On its arrival within a few yards of the:Chalk Farm entrance to the tunnel, a portion of the train became de tached, in consequence of one of the chains or hooks by which they were connected breaking ;—but a few minutes had elapsed before the mail train was heard approaching, and seen on the same line entering the tunnel at the Kilburn end. The sicmal of obstruction was immediately announced to them by the policeman on duty, who hoisted a red light, but which was, unfortunately, not perceived in consequence of the dense volume of smoke and steam by which the tun nel was filled, and which had emanated from the engine attached to the luggage train. The mail train, which was going at between 29 and' 30 miles an hour, was upon them almost instantly, causing a collision of a most frightful de scription, and a report which rang through the tunnel like heavy thunder. The screams and consternation among the passengers was awful in the extreme. The engine was nearly dashed to atoms, as were also one or two of the carriages. One of the guards, named Posford, in consequence of the violence of the shock, was precipitated from his position on one of the carriages, completely through the window of another, which had been thrown off the line, and his com panion, named Roots, from the roof of one carriage to another. The escape of the engineers was absolutely mira culous. With one or two exceptions, the passengers were but slightly injured. A lady and two gentlemen, however, suffered severely, from the glass windows, which cut their faces in a shocking manner. Posford was also lacerated very much with the glass, and bruised, and Roots had his legs slightly injured ; but with these exceptions, attended with great delay, no other inconvenience happened. Accidents are frequently happening through the foolish temerity of persons in attempting to get out of the carriages while at full speed, to recover articles they may happen to drop or lose on the road. Two narrow escapes have recently taken place in consequence of this practice. One of them occurred to the servant of Lady Baring, who happened to lose his hat. He immediately (whilst the' rain was proceed ing at the rate of 30 miles an hour) jumped from the carriage he was in, and, fortunately for him, was precipitated into a pond. The een , equence was great inconvenience to her ladyship; the Iler v n t haying her pass tickets in his possession, and being left eh:nd the train, her ladyship, on its arriving at Euston-grove, had to pay her fare twice over. Another cccurred to a man who, under the influence of lipuor, jumped out.. and was subsequently found sitting on a piece of timber, on the line, severely bruised. CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.—On .Thursday two gentlemen . et out in a gig from Spalding, to,visit some friends at Bil ngborough ; as they were on their road they perceived a ve icle driven at a furious rate coping towards them ; they drew p close to the hedge on their proper side of the road, in rder to avoid a collision, but froth Some cause or other their i g was driven against, and all parties were thrown out ; the ehicle causing the accident contained the very identical per sons the Spalding gentlemen were goitig to see, who had set out to visit them. —Lincoln Chronkte. ADDRESS 0 - E THE GOVERNOR OF BRITISH GUIANA. TO THE FREE LABOURERS OP BRITISH GUIANA. Five mouths have now passed since the Ist August, when the law made you free—free to choose your employer and em ployment—free to return to the land of your forefathers—free to seek your fortune in other countries. Freedom has been bestowed on you in the largest and most unqualified manner. You have had ample time to experience what the blessings of freedom are, and must be convinced, by all the orders from her Majesty's government at home, that your rights, as free persons, subject only to the common law of the land, are carefully watched and protected. You have seen, or heard, or known, or if you have not, now learn—there has not been a commitment nor' a convic tion since the Ist August, that has not been laid before me, and the evidence under which punishment has been awarded, read by me, and, where possible, this has been remitted or diminished. This 1 have done, with earnest anxiety to prove to you and satisfy myself, that as far as human means have permitted, your liberties, rights, and interests have been strictly guarded. _ _ The new year, has begun—and while life and health are mercifully granted to me, I shall in nothing relax my vigi lance to maintain the just rights of free men.—l look in return for your confidence in my good disposition towards you, and I trust every succeeding year will add to your hap piness, strengthen your moral and religious habits, and increase your comforts in the rational enjoyme n t of the fruits of your industry. You have experienced the full effect of the law of Ist August ; some of you have changed your employers and em ployment. All of you have worked when you chose, and where you chose. - I do not hear of any of you leaving this colony to seek your fortunes elsewhere, and I do not believe the delights of a savage life, have tempted any of you to the land of your forefathers, or to dispute with the wild beasts and barbarous Indian tribes of the interior, the possession of their woods and wilds. You have magistrates under my control to protect you against ill treatment ; you have a still more effectual remedy —the right of changing your employer. It is my duty now to appeal to you as christians, as free persons, as British fellow-subjects, whether all of you have, hitherto, shown yourselves sensible of your position. This great colony is as yet thinly peopled. The withdrawal of any great number of its labourers, or the partial industry of the whole, will sensibly affect the prosperity of all. I have told you that merchants do not come here with their merchan dise for the purpose of sending home plantains, yams, or your pigs and poultry, (all very necessary objects of life in this country, and useful for its wants.) The merchants are here to exchange their merchandise for sugar, coffee, and cotton, which, if they .do not ?obtain, the greatest number will shut up their stores and leave the colony. You require churches, and chapels, and pastors, and ministers of religion, schools and schoolmasters ; you enjoy the possession of good clothing, and desire luxuries which labour only can bring you, for which payment must be made. The revenues of the colony supply the first of your wants, the high wages you obtain procure the last. If provisions alone were cultivated, there would be little revenue, and wages would fall, so that luxuries could not be bought. Many of you remember when you were unbaptised, un taught, unclothed; you were in a state of slavery, had neither hope of change, nor desire for the habits of civilised life. The case is now altered : if labour be a curse, it is the lot of all, for head or hands must work for bread. In uncivilised countries, existence depends on hunting, on plunder, on strength, on cunning ; they produce evils which our religion teaches us we are now to avoid. The wild hun ter gorges one day and starves the next ; the plunderer is in his turn plundered and murdered. Strength fails, and " none to help." Cunning is outdone by cunning. Even in the regions bordering on this colony, the Indian starves, is inse cure from the attacks of fellow tribes, he is massacred or sold as a slave. I have, within . these few days, heard of the tribes, on the confines of the British territory, being carried off into slavery by the unprincipled Brazilian borderers. From all this, the people of this colony are secured. The British subject, while within the precincts of civilization, fears nothing, the law upholds him—the British flag protects him. What does society demand in return ? that all those who have strength and health should contribute their utmost to add to it 3 wealth, its social comforts, and by mutual union of strength, or mental and moral faculties, to raise the condition of all. _ _ I have said, you had formerly no hopes of elevating your selves from the condition of labourers subject to the caprices of masters—that condition is changed, yet labour must con tinue, but every man has the chance, by industry, with God's blessing, of raising'his family from being tillers of the land, to be proprietors of land—but it is the work of time, the hard earned money of the pareut descends to his children, but they too must work, if they cannot pay other labourers. In every country the land is cultivated according to the na ture of the soil. In some countries it yields wheat ; in some barley, in some, oats—the land in some is only valuable by what is taken from beneath its surface in mines and quarries, —here what are most valuable, and which will secure inde pendence and comfort to you all, and increase your worldly prosperity, the more they are cultivated, are those pro ductions which I have told you are sent to . Europe by the Merchants. • FooliSh or designing people, have perhaps endeavoured to make you believe, that provided you cultivate provisions for your subsistauce and for that of your families, you have fulfilled your duty—to what)does this lead? not to the ad vancement of your race, but to its remaining stationary, if not to its decrease. In the land of your forefathers the ground is - cultivated ; but the people are naked, have neither arts nor commerce, unless the vile traffic of fellow-creatures, seized by powerful neighbours and sold for slaves, be ac counted commerce. 'lf you were to be satisfied with the mere cultivation of the soil as a mode of existence—it would come to this : there would be no interchange of wants, you would have no combination of labour, you would soon he without government ; your descendants would probably be come subject to strangers, who, finding them unprotected, would perhaps drive them to the woods, or employ force to make them turn their labour to that which would be most profitable to the invaders. The new year requires new efforts on your part—no longer coerced to labour for one master—you are free—your gains are your own—learn to appreciate the advantages of a com fortable home, be no longer content to return to your cottage, roll on the unboarded floor, or bask in the sun on the bare ground ; work so as to enable you to have good clothes, good beds, good tables, chairs, and domestic utensils ; think of a resource in old age or sickness ; there is no reason why, hav ing finished your day's work, you should not return to a clean room and decently served meal ; let those who understand me instil into the minds .of the heedless or ignorant, that man is farthest removed from the brute creation as he is distinguish ed from .their habits. The savage and the wild beast live almost the same life. , I look on the new year with thankfulness and gratitude to the Almighty. I begin it, remembering that the first act of my administration was to sign your freedom. The old year has closed—it will be remembered so long as, this world is suffered to remain amongst the worlds which God has created. One million more free beings offer up their prayers to God, with thankfulness, with gratitude, and, let us hope, with a determination to make the gift of freedom useful to them selves, useful to the country who gave it, and be an example to other nations, that the soul of man is of no colour. The eyes of the nations who still possess slaves, are on you—your friends are watching you. Our gracious sovereign Queen, and her ministers, depend on you to forward their views in your favour . If the treasures of the mother country are diminished' by your idleness, your enemies will blame your benefactors—those treasures must be diminished, if the estates on which you labour do not receive your full portion of industry. Your Christmas- Day has passed. They who witnessed your peaceable, orderly deportment, will testify in your fa vour, and compare the quiet of freedom with the boisterous and troublesome revelry of slavery—when guards were dou bled, and patrols'of soldiers secured the country. The old year has closed—the prisons contain one-half fewer'prisoners than they did six months ago ; everything proves your general obedience to the laws of civilized life. May God direct us through the year we have began ; may we be found prepared to quit the world, if it be so willed, ere its close ; may the mutual relations between man and man tend to the happiness' of all, and while the proprietors of land profit by your in dustry, may the ties of affection, equally with those of in terest, be the bond which unites you together. Your faithful friend, HENRY LIGHT, Governor. Guiana Public Buildings, January Ist, 1839. ANOTHER GOOD DIVIDEND.—The annual general meeting of the proprietors of the Sheffield and Rotherham Banking Company was held at the Cutler's Hall, on Wednesday last, when a highly satisfactOry report was read, and a dividend declared, at the rate of 10 per cent, upon the paid capital, besides upwards of 40 per cent. of the profits being added to the reserved fund.--7 Sheffield Iris. THE WHIGS OF OTHER DAYS.—There is a party amongst us distinguished in what is called the science of political economy, who wish to substitute the corn of Poland and Russia for our own. Their principle is, that you ought always to buy where you can buy cheapest. They repeat with emphasis that the nation pays a tax of £25,000,000 yearly to the growers of corn. They count as nothing the value to the country of a hardy race of farmers and labourers. They care not for the difference between an agricultural and mann facturino-b population, in all th a t concerns mora l s , or d er, na tional strength, and pational tranquillity. Wealth is the only object of their speculation ; nor do they much consider the two or three millions of people who may be reduced to utter beggary in the course of their operations. This they call diverting capital into another channel. Their reasonings lie so much in abstract terms, their speculations deal so much by the gross, that they have the same i nsens ibili ty a b out the sufferings of a people, that a general has respecting the loss of men wearied by his operations. It is to these men, I sus pect, that our ministers are about to give up the question of trade in corn.—Lord John Russell's Letter to the Farmers of Huntingdon, dated from Woburn Abbey, January 14th 1822. LANCASTER CANAL.—The annual meeting of the company of proprietors of the Lancaster Canal Navigation was held at their office in Lancaster, on Tuesday last. It would seem that the affairs of the company are in a very prosperous con dition, from the following extract from the report then pre sented :—" It is gratifying to your committee to refer to the amount of the tonnage duties for the past year, notwithstand ing the loss from the interruption to the navigation by frost during the unusually long period of seven weeks at the com mencement of the year. The tonnage account is credited £17,243. 15s. received from the Lancaster and Preston Kail way Company—increased beyond the amount reported at the last annual meeting, by the value of additional land at Pres ton sold to that company.—and £3OOO from the accumulation of dividends and interest, also appears at the credit of the ac count. The sum of £22,950 on mortgage has been paid off during the year, and at§ no extraordinary disbursements were required, your committee have the satisfaction to remark the diminution in the expenditure of upwards of 8,000 as erim pared with the previous year, and to state the balance of the accunt £22,352. 16s. 7.” The company's debt, on mortgage, is now only £67,9oo.—Lancaster Gazette. ANTHRACITE COAL.—A correspondent writes--" As time progresses, so do tile experiinents on this important fuel, and no doubt now exist s , i n th e m i n d s o f th ose b es t acqua inted with its merits, as to its full and entire applicability for loco motive engines and steam vessels, and that at a saving of 56 per cent. over the common Sunderland cold ; and when we consider that, in addition to the important saving of stowage, proprietors of steam conveyances in general are now provided with a fuel that burns entirely free from smoke, and almost without dust, we cannot but see that the day has at length arrived when anthracite coal will have to perform an almost exclusive part in the movement, not only of loco-motives and steam-vessels, but also of every description of steam machi nery in the kingdom. Till lately, a difficulty existed as to the renewal of anthracite fires, (the sudden damp occasioned by a fresh supply having lowered the steam pressure, and, as a consequence, the power and speed of the engine,) but by an ingenious and exceedingly simple contrivance, that diffi culty has been overcome, and the combustion of the coal is fully and perfectly kept up. By the proprietors of steam vessels, this important desideratum must be hailed with pe culiar satisfaction ; for, instead of having to carry across the Atlantic some 800 tons of bituminous coal in the great steam ships now trading to America, about 350 tons of anthracite will be sufficient for the voyage ; and the same calculations hold good with regard to railway engines. Surely, after this, we shall bear no more of great steam-vessels returning from sea for want of stowage room to carry sufficient fuel for the voyage. The East India and other companies, about to ' establish steam communication with India, will do well look to this matter ; as, with a saving of 56 per cent. using anthracite, they will be enabled to store their del-rats rr the Cape, Bombay, &c., at a saving in exßense of freight o more than one-half, or, speaking decimally correct s of £56 in erkri £loo."—Birmingham paper. TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. We beg to asknowledge the receipt of £5 from "A F r iend," towards the funds of the Church Building Society. Owing to the length of our report of the important proceed ings in parliament, and our extended editorial remarks, ice, are obliged to postpo n e commun i ca ti ons w hi c h we had marked for insertion. We shall be glad to avail ourselves of the interesting' contents of the Perth (Australia) Gazette, the _Antigua Register? &c., with which we have been politely furnished, in our next. Several articles from these papers would have ap peared in our present publication, if our space had per mitted. ebt Zitxrpoor -4-qallbarb. FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 22, 1539• THE UNITED STATES.—By the Columbus, Capt. Cropper, which arrived here yesterday, we have re ceived files of New York papers to the 2nd instant in- clusive. The news contained in these journals is not of great importance. Several of the States were visit ed, on the 25th and 26th ultimo, with a tremendous hurricane, which did considerable damage to property of every description. At New York several houses were partially or wholly destroyed, and the shipping sustained great injury. At Philadelphia the effects of the storm were equally severe. The floods caused unexampled devastation. No estimate could be formed of the destruction of property. The following descrip tion almost forms a counterpart to the accounts which appeared in the journals of this town, respecting the dreadful hurricane of last month : (From the Pennsylvanian.) EFFECTS OF THE STORM IN PHILADELPHIA-- DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD. After a cold spell of unusual severity which closed both rivers, a warm rain commenced on Friday night between nine and ten o'clock, which soon increased to a violent tempest. The rain poured down in torrents until about three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, when the wind shifted to the north west, the weather again becoming cold. The worst appre hensions weae entertained on account of the sudden breaking up of the ice, and the immense quantity of water which fell in so short a time, were fully realized. The Schuylkill front of the city yetterday displayed a scene of unexampled devas tation. The Schuylkill commenced rising about one o'clock 0 0 Saturday afternoon, the flood continuing to swell until after midnight, when it was estimated to be at least ten feet or two tides above its ordinary level, which is said to be two feet higher than the great freshet of February 21st, 1822. Amongst the other heavy injuries caused by this cola' mity is the destruction 'of the two bridges at Gray's Fern'. The old Floating Bridge was carried away on Saturdal, afternoon, and in the course of th e n i g ht t h e new and costly rail-road bridge at the same place, forming an im portant link in the connexion between this city and Balti more, fell under the united force of the ice and the current. We visited Fairmount yesterday morning, and traced the progress of destruction along the bank of the river. The dam itself appears to have sustained no material injury, but even at the time we saw the scene was one of great wildness , and we might say of sublimity, as the swollen torrent roared and dashed along its course, bearing immense masses of We end rafts :of timber on its bosom. The water-works which supply the city, are stopped for the moment, the freshet having covered the wheels and pump s ; an d a t one time the esplanade in the rear of the wheel house was a foot under water. The canal on the western side of the dam was com pletely overflowed, and serious injury appears to have been done to the locks, and the bridges crossing them. In the transportation store-houses, of which there are many aro:mg the river side, the damage to merchandize must be immense, as the water rose to the second story of a num ber of these buildings, and in various instances the lower rooms are fro zen up. The coal yards present the appearance of mere plains of ice, the tops of the cogheaps, which have stood against the current, projecting at intervals. The offices used as counting rooms, in many places are so far be low the accumulations of the flood, as to have the appear' ance of being partially sunk almost in the channel of the river. A singultUr spectacle offers itself between Race and Callow' hill streets. Both streets which connects them near the, river, are completely c h oa k e d up with large masses of ice, and , Vine-street up to A s ht on - street, a distance of about eig h t hundred feet from the line of wharves, is in the same con dition, the waves having reached this point, the whole flooded ground being closely built and thickly inhabited. The fami lies were obliged in the course of the evening, to retire to to the second story of their houses, and finally, so much 0' prehension was entertained, that near midnight boats were rowed about the streets to rescue those who were most ex posed, and convey them to a place of safety. The ground from this place to Market-street is very fiat, and whole fields are covered with ice, overwhelming gardens, stables, and out-houses of every kind. The canal bridge on the west side of the Permanent Bridge, was at one time eight feet under water. Canal boats are lying on the wharves and in the streets, at a great distance from th e r i ver — a sc h ooner i s on t h e w harf at Locust-street, and several sloops are to be seen in the same situation. The destruction of property has been so great that it iS impossible to do more at present than to make a general no tice of the scene of ruin. No calamity of a similar extent, probably ever occurred before in Philadelphia. Various ru mours are in circulation as to the loss of lives, which we trust are unfounded, though there is a probability that men may have perished in the course of the night attempting to rescue their boats. But nothing definite is known in rela tion to this. - The Albany Argus of Jan, 27 gives a detailed ac count of the extensive loss of property through the breaking-up of the ice in the Mohawk. Several ves sels of great value were completely destroyed. Th e amount of damage on the Hudson is estimated at 250,000 dollars. The Boston Transcript also furnishes an account of the disastrous effects of the storm and flood in that vicinity. We subjoin a few extracts from the latest papers :--- (From the New York Gazette of Feb. 1.) The Baltimore American states that the quantity of Sour which has been bought in Baltimore for the English market , shipped and shipping, is about 20,000 barrels. (From the N. 0. Bulletin of Jun. 21.1 THE BRITISH SQUADRON AT VERA CRUZ.—Private let ters from Mexico have solved the problem that has so much puzzled the quidnuncs of the day in regard to the object of the imposing spuadron despatched to the Gulf of Mexico by the British government. It appears that Mr. Packenham, fa r from interfering in behalf of the Mexicans, is about to join the French in making imperative demands of redress for, spoliations committed on the property of British citizens an ( ' other grievances of a similar nature. The impression pre vails generally, that if the demand is not immediately and sa' tisfactorily answered, that the fleet of her Majesty will co operate with the French blockading squadron and coerce Mexico into the payment of their honest debts. A proposition we understand was made to our Executive to join the coalition with France and England, but wa s de' clined by the cabinet at Washington from a reluctance to be come implicated in the politics of European sovereignties. (From the Merchants 7'ranscript.) A letter of the 4th instant, from Vera Cruz, states that a Spanish ship and brig from Hav ana , had arrived and were or dered out of port, and on their way to Sacrificios got ashore and were lost. Several vessels from New Orleans had arri' ved. At Sacrificios there are 14 English•vessels of war at anchor, and the English and French Admirals are on the bes t of terms. It was feared that the vessels from New Orleans and Ha' vana, at Vera Cruz, would be under the necessity of return ing, as they were not permitted to land their cargoes either ,by the French or Mexicans. The whole country is repre sented as in the worst condition. FROM 'TEXAS. —The steamer Cuba arrived a t New Orleans on the 20th instant, from Galveston, whence :3 1 ) e sailed on th e 1 5th ultimo, bringing dates from Houston to the 12th. Considerable excitement had been occasionod by a' attack mad e i n th e senate c h am b er , upon a member o f the , senate, Dr. S. H. Everett, by the surgeon general of th e army, Dr. Asabell Smith, in which there was a s how 0r pistol and Bowie knife by the assailant, and display 0 ' pugilism. A resolution was passed unanimously by the senate, re' questing the president to remove Dr. Smith from his office as surgeon general. - The bill for the removal of the seat of government ha d passed both branches of congress. From the falls of the Brasos unpleasant intelligence had been received of an attack by a party of fifteen Indians up_ ,on the house of a Mr. Morga n . Th e savages kill e d M r . and cjvtured three women, one of whom was his daughter' in-law. Mr. Wm. Morgan, his son, was also missing. The French brig, Therese Louise, arrived at New Orleans on the 17th, from Vera Cruz, having on board 106 French passengers, late residents of that city. The Me:rican arra was lying in the vicinity of the city on the 4th ult., and the French residents were arriving from the interior with th e view of embarking. (From the New York Gazette , of Feb. 2nd.) The Natches Courier of the 18th instant , furnishes the fol' lowing items : The Mississippi Cotton Company commenced ru redeenll its issues in specie, on th e 17 t h. No n was made upon I U. S. MINT.—We are indebted to the attention of th e Hon. J: A. Pearce, for a copy of the official report of th e Director of the Mint, s h ow i ng t h e operat i ons of that i n stito' tion, during the yeor 1838. From this document we clea ve the following facts : 11 The coinage at the Mi n t in 1838, amounted to 3,979,- dollars, comprising 1,622,515 dollars in gold, 2,293,000 dols• in silver, and 63,702 d o ll ars in copper, and compose d ° 15,336,518 pieces of coin. The deposites of gold w ithi n th e year amounte d to 1,624,5000 dollars, of which 171,700 d o ll ars were der i ved from the mines of the United States. The deposites of silver amounted to 2,301,200 dollars, and were derived prin c ip a ll y f rom Mexico and South Amerio• re In order to m ee t t h e d eman d for small coins, there we struck during the year 11,449,700 pieces, all under the N 3l of the half dollar, including cents. The branch mint a t N ew O r l eans rece i ve d i t f i rst d e posit! of bullion on the Bth o f M arc h . and commenced operatiei immediately afterw ar d s . Th e d eman d f or s il ver c h an ge !`,i the officers to confine the coinage to dimes, of which 367 , 1,, were struck before the end of July, when the work was 1 , 0 terrupted. Two of th e o ffi cers , an d near l y a ll t h e work of this mint were fro m th e nort h, an d i t was deemed 110 b, for them to remain i n N ew O r l eans d ur i ng the first sie% s season. The value of the bullion received at this min t '- 40,600 dollars in gold, an d 237,000 d o ll ars i n s il ver . coinage amounted to 40,243, doilars, all in dimes. jo The branch mint at Charlotte commenced its operations,e December, 1837,, an d h as rece i ve d d epos i tes o f go ld to t value of 84,165 dollars, c o m p ose d o f 12,886 half-eagles, an P d 7894 quarter eagles. ns The branch mint at Dahl onega commence d it s o perati l in February, and has received depositt of gold to the v,a, ei , of 141,800 dollars. Th e amoun t o f it s co i nage has 102,915 dollars, co m p ose d o f 20,583 half.eagles.—Bal /ono re American. NEW YORK MARKETS. t te° COTTON.—There h as b een an a d vance w ithi n th e las days of +to i f per cent .per lb. The sales for the past "comprise 1,200 bales Uplands at In to 151; 750 Florid a n. 14 a 16 . ; 850 Mobile 11 a 17; 1200 New Orleans 13 a A fair business has been doing at full prices. Exchange on England 9 to 9-; France sf. 20. The news from Canada is quite unimportant. Alowing is the only paragraph worth quoting t n " The Toronto Patriot states that the following Pc' o ' t he. nave lately been_ pardoned, viz :—Solomon Sly, one Pa•t'ly at Ddtintiomary't, and vho NA, o'r'dered for 7*" ~: ... p s ortation Lbok, cc turn.,, P ERL . the 30th LI NI A retired to numicatio business I now the s bourhood felt here I The cot to acknoN attempt t Clay he in which hll, British 'co minister, JAMAI Roy a l G Ultimo . all ees,--t, the turbu T he Ja ample co/ and des er 48 gloom T he pl . " of B eVera to be brol since H ouse 01 Justice da bEME l ' er Y inter Pears i n that, i n Negro es w hich ha Govern or by his fir: ST. C / Of the 4tl "oared, c I.e nlonstr tu plise o Which i s ances Ln "C ‘ e have h107.111,1i4 t:lailati\wvttle}lllllolergsieertobpooelfvetoelout If dictat ion h t a: ; l 1 Itl,neetistitt i ons. w ll otie e d tio , c oal , • we e nfi Will no feet freed c'•orlsent tO ~,°lour oweglatiltenar C°l ltrol Offi ce --- t W rs. 04 r e con best a l e 4lPe i qe a, et 4, on i v i