The Sun. — London, England, 1847-03-22 00:00:00

btrb 12btttoit SUN OFFICE. Seven n' Clock RAILWAY COMMITTEES. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP I. 'lto Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comprised in this group re-assembled at the usual hour this morning, rn Room SO ; Lord Granville Somerset in the chair. THE SOUTH-EASTERN SCHEMES. The cross-examination of Mr. Bidder by Mr. TALBOT was continued. The tenor of the cross-examination was to show that bad gradients, such as 1 in 136, were now-a:days not objected to by engineers, but Mr. Bidder declined to admit as much. Where a better gradient could not be obtained, a gradient of 1 in 136 ought to be adopted, and no doubt, under such circumstances, it might easily be worked. But he made a point of never taking a gradient so severe as 1 in 136 when he could find a better. There were nine junctions .between Bbndon and Ashford, but he did not consider that objectionable. With the view to speed, these junctions would be no disparagement of the line as being productive of delay. Mr. Bidder was also cross-examined by Mr. HoPE, on behalf of Sir Percival Hard Dyke. Mr. Bidder admitted that the line would do considerable damage to that gentle man's residence and property, but the company were pre pared to make him every accommodation. GROUP XII. The Committee, consisting of the Hon. Mr. Lascelles, Sir Will4w Molesworth, Admiral Bowles, Sir John Guest, and Mr. FilTrley, re- assem bl e d thi s d a y i n Room No. 25. NEVITDIARICET AND crxEsTmEronn (EX TENSION TO BURY, ELY, AND THETTORD). Mr. HILDVARD, then proceeded to call witnesses in sup port of the prokct. Beeton, coach proprietor, Bury ; Mr. Macintyre, gover nor of the gaol; Mr. Jeremiah diflney, ironmonger, East Dereham ; Mr. Berry, merchant, Bury ; Colonel Anson, and the Marquis of Granby, were all decidedly in favour of the schemes promoted by the Chesterford and Newmarket Com pany. The feeling of the country generally was in their fa vour, and the traffic was amply sufficient to warrant their construct ion. Mr.. Peter Clark had great experience in the management of railways. He did not consider that the descent of 1 in 60 on the proposed Bury and Ipswich line iuto the line at New market was a favourable feature, and sooner or later he con sidered that dangers might arise. Cross-examined by Mr. At:Fr - re—He was now engaged on the Brighton Railway, and they had an incline at Shoreham Wharf of 1 in 20. They did not kill a certain number of persons per day there, as on that portion they did not convey paseengera, and the carriages were not assisted by locomotive power. Perhaps there would be no danger on the incline of lin6o if proper care were taken. He should not hesitate to trust his own life upon it. Mr. Borthwiek, C.E., had laid out the Newmarket and Chesterford lines, in conjunction with Mr. R. Stephenson, and with the sanction of the Jockey Club. On leaving Newmar ket they bad a tunnel of about 1,500 yards, but it was easy of construction, as the excavations were through a chalk formation. The gradients were very fair, certainly not diffi • cult. The estimated cost of construction from Kentford to Thetford was 425,000/., but from this was to be deducted 165,000 L, the proportion to be furnished by the other lines. The branch to Ely was estimated at 160,4251. Cross-examined by Mr. Bnarix—He had nearly 700,000 cubic yards of earth to remove before reaching the tunnel, 180,000 of which would be required for embaukineno, and the remainder would be used in screening the racing ground and in spoil. He would require for the spoil from fifteen to twenty acres of land. The expense therefore would be, be take commencing the tunnel, 22,500/., which, with 65,0004 for the construction of the tunnel, would be near 90,000/. Mr. R. Stephenson, C.E., considered that this was the best line, in order to sup: ly the wants of the district. He considered that the descending gradient of one in sixty, at the Newmarket station, was most objectionable, and he would not in any works of his wish to introduce it. The London and Birmingham Railway, at Euston-square, was not a parallel case, fur there they had a flat of a full half-mile, and as a further check, there was an ascendiug gradient of 1 in 132. He thought that the expense which would be incurred on the line would be fully justified for the purpose of getting rid of the lin 60 gradient. There would be no difficulty in working the Kentford station for three lines. The thing was done every day at Derby. The Committee anjourned till to-morrow. OALEDOINUAN ASYLUM. (THIS DAY.) A gpneral Court of the Corporation of this institu tion swag held to day in the lull of the Scottish Ho4pital, Crane-court, Fleet-street. Lord James Stuart in the chair. The SECRETARY read the minutes of the preceding meeting which, after some discussion were confirmed. The secretary also read a letter from the Duke of Buc clench, which stated that her Majesty and Prince Albert had consisted to become patrons of the institution. After some discussion the following resolution was agreqel to:—" That all votes recorded by unsuccessful candidates at that or any future election should be aarrjod forward for their benefit at further elections, so long as they were eligible to remain on the list of cardidates." Thanks were voted to the noble Chair man, after which the meeting separated. SURREY SESSIONS—(THIS DAY.) 111 adjourned sessions for Surrey were opened this morning, before J. W. Fresladeld, Esq., and a tul bench of Magistrates, at the Scssions-honse, in the Borough. The grand jury having been sworn, Mr. FRESIIFIELD, in addressing the jury, drew their attention to the heavy state of the calendar, but stated that as there was no particular case that required observation, he would not detain them from their duties, and he was the less inclined to do so inasmuch as the county business would be taken at one o'clock, and it was necessary that the Court should have something to proceed with. A true bill having been found, Wiliam Tucker, aged 36, was indicted for receiving one fowl, one sack, and one bushel of peas, the property of the Earl of Ellesmere, at Walton-on-Thames, well knowing the same to have been stolen. Mr. WALLLNGER, who appeared for the prosecution, said that he did not doubt but the charge would be brought home to the prisoner, although be had no direct evidence to put in against him ; but the property was found in his possession, and as he could give no proper account of his receiving it on the usual rule of law, he muer he presumed to be guilty. He then called George Williams, a labourer, who had charge of the poultry on the property of the Earl of Ellesmere at Woodlands, near Walton, stated, that about the 4th of February, he left two hens and five ducks, together with a sack containing peas, called " Black-eyed Susan," in the fowl-house. When visiting the place the next morning, he missed the property enumerated in the in dictment, as well as the ducks and the other hen. The peas had been soaked, ready for feeding the fowls, and the sack which contained them had a few holes, and other peculiarities about it, by which he was enabled to identify the one produced in Court as the same. His Lordship's name was painted on the sack. Sfr. CHARNOCIL cross-examined on behalf of the pri soner, but was unable to shake his testimony. Robinson, constable at Walton, stated that in consequence of an intimation from Eye, the constable at Guildford, Le went to the White Swan, the house of the prisoner, at Walton, and that in a closet in a bed-room he found the sack produced, the peas which it had con Mined, and a dead fowl. On cross-examination, the witness stated that free ac cess was given to the house, and no impediment what ever was thrown in the way of searching the house. To 'Mr. WALLINGER, the witness stated that the pri soner was absent at the time the search was made. He found nothing else, but a sack was picked up out of the Thames about twenty yards from the prisoner's house, out of the crop of which he had taken peas like those in the sack. To this evidence Mr. Charnock objected. Henry Bolknger, su,perintendent of the police at Guild 'Cord, stated while the prisoner was in custody on another charge, a person came to the outside of the station house, and the prisoner calling out to him, said be supposed that he knew from whom he had the fowls requested, that he would go over to Sutton, which is about four miles from Guildford, and tell his wife to put the duck s an d other things out' of the way, and further to tell his brother Tom to come over and swear that he had sold the fowls to him at three shillings a couple. In consequence of hearing this conversation, he sent over to search the prisoner's house, and the sack, the peas, and the fewl produced were brought to him. H e then searched the prisouer's person, and upon him, besides five sovereigns' and some silver, found a quantity of Black-eyed Susan pe 4s in his pocket. The peas appeared to have been soaked. John F.)e, the polivemin, who had accompanied Hollitigton in the search, produced a bag of peas which he found in the garret of the prisoner's house. They were the same kind as those previously produced. Mr. Haines, one of Lord Ellesmere's bailiffs, spoke to the marking on the sack, and said the f,,vvls produced was of the same kind as those bred at Woodland. He had ordered the peas to be put into a tub, to be soaked, to the bullock-house a day or two before they were stolen. Mr. Gemment certified to tho present name of the Earl of Ellesmore, a doubt having been raised as to the correctness of the form df the indictment. Mr. CLIARNOCK, in reply, contended that it was no rule of law at all that wheie property is found in the possession of a person shortly after it had been stolen if that person was unable to give a clear account of how he came by it—that person was presumed to be the thief. It was not a rule of law, but simply for the guidance of juries; if they conceived the collateral cir cumstances should s ee m t o j us tify suc h a supposition, but he verily believed that like the celebrated law for the regulation wills, it has b e en th e c au s e of i n j ur i ng Ni? innocent rather than correcting the guilty. After &ping through the evidence, and stating that it ought to he of the clew lit kind to induce a conviction. The Learned CounciTTalled witnes ses to character. The Chairman summed up Sibednite,tnaleeendtenfegrariend6'i thej and the •u'r returned a verdict of Guili t y h . e — r Tlicre is another misoner. entertained bi't nuir.—ViseoUrit is Excellency Count VISCOCNTESS PALMERSTON's Ass, . ga p: l 2 at dinner on Her Lady and Viscountess Palmerston schemmelpenninck and a distinguished e foreign Saturday, at their mansion in Carlton ship subsequently had an assembly, when most of_t r i . , serps dtplomatique and fashionables honoured the N iscouutess by their comony. FANCY -FAIR IN THE THAMES TtriatszL.—.Th e fourth anniversary of the opening of this extraordin ary thorotighfare under the river Tha mes will be celebrated by a Sincy fair, held in the tunnel, commencing this day, and con tinuing throughout the week, with the exception of Wed nesday, the day appointed for the national fast. EWSP.XpE A Toulon letter, of the 15th, states that the Prince . - Joinville was about to take a trip to the c oast of Italy in -,..,.. '` a isamer. On the 13th his Royal Highness gav e a g rand . .. - .. i 1 on board his flag-ship, the Soverain. - _ . t 4 IMPERI A L PARLIAMENT. (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The Lunn CHANCELLOR took his seat on t' e woo: sack at Five o'clock. DRAIN AGE OF LAND BILL. On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY this Bill was read a second time. STATE OF IRELAND. Lord MONTEAGLE said that in consequence of a representation made to him by a Noble Friend he would put off his motion, of which notice had been given ilr to-morrow, till Friday night. SPANISH BONDHOLDERS. _ _ _ Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that he would, to morrow evening, present a petition from the Spanish bondholders relating to the manner in which they had been treated. lie considered this was a cause of grievous hardship, fur which some remedies ought to be provided. THE SUN,.. LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1847. With respect to the Court of Review; it was already substantially abolished, and he proposed that it should be altogether, as he saw no reason why the busi ness of this court should not be transacted by the Com missioner; themselves ; with regard to the appeals re lating to matters ot.lasv, they could as before be taken before the—Ltird Chancellor or the Vice-Chancellor, He ought tosdd that in 1831 the Court of Review was continued by the measure he proposed ; that measure was much opposed at the time, but ultimately it was carried with the Court of Review. It was not possible for him then to predict that there would be no business for this court, as it had so happened. [LEFT SPEAKING.] HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Mr. PERFECT took the oaths and his seat for the bo rough of Lewes, in the room of Sir H. Elphinstone, who has accepted the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds. The Hon. Member was introduced by Lord Marcus Hill and Mr. Parker. the Act of last session relating to the treatment of per sons afflicted with fever in Ireland. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND). Mr. S. O'BRIEN inquired if the Government intended G adhere to the rule which they had laid down, that, on the 20th of this month, the number of persons employed on the public works in Ireland should be re duced 20 per cent. Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Hon. Gentleman had correctly stated the rule which the Government had laid down, that the number of persons so employed should be reduced 20 per cent. on the 20th inst. The Government, however, bad not thought proper to adhere to this plan throughout the whole of Ireland. It had not been observed in every part of the country. The Government had instructed the Irish Go vernment to make this reduction in the number of persons so employed ; but they had left the matter in their hands, so that they would use their discretion as to the best period when the rule could be best observed. Mr. HINDLEY suggested that a week's wages should be given to those employed on the public works who wished to obtain employment as farm labourers. DUBLIN RATING BILL. Mr. GROGAN wished to know whether the Govern ment intended to leave this Bill in the hands of the cor poration of Dublin, or whether they intended to give it their support and to conduct it through the House ? Much anxiety prevailed in Dublin with respect to it. He trusted they would take it into their hands, and wove the appointment of a Committee to sit upon it. Mr. LABOUCHERE was not then in a position to reply to the question. A deputation we old wait upon him on the subject on Thursday, and until they had done so he could not give a satisfactory reply. PARISH SCHOOL-MASTERS IN SCOTLAND. Mr. FOX MAULE moved for a return of the num beri of parish schoolmasters in Scotland, who hold the office of session-clerk.—Agreed to. IMPORTATION OF CORN FROM RUSSIA. Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished to state, with re ference to a report that was abroad, to the effect that no corn was allowed to be exported from Russia, that he had received a letter from Lord Bloomfield, from St. Petersburgh, in which he stated that there was not the slightest foundation for such a rumour, and that there was no restriction whatever. POST- OFFICE DIRECTORY. Mr. MOFFATT wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps had been taken to prevent pub lic servants employed in the Post-office being also em ployed in a private speculation, called the " Post-office London Directory?" The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER who spoke very inaudibly was understood to say that no servants in the Post-office should be employed in that undertakingin future under pain of dismissal, and that the compiler of that undertaking was prohibited from being occupied on it during Post-office hours. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE was glad to hear that Mr. Kelly was to have no compensation. If anything was to be done it ought to be restitution on the cart of Mr. Kelly, who, instead of receiving 1,2001. from the " Directory," had been reaping 12,0001. a year from it. Now Mr. Rowland Hill had got an appointment in the Post-office, and he lived some where in a room in the Post-office, surrounded by two or three clerks. He wanted to know what Mr. Rowland Hill's duties were, and what his salary was, because he was told Mr. Rowland Hill was perfectly powerless. A notice had recently been put up in the Post-office, staffing that if any of the letter carriers had any suggestions to make to Mr. Rowland Hill upon the subject of improving the post-office system, they were to convey them through the heads of their department. Now, the beads of the department were Mr. Kelly and others, and as the chief complaint related to the " Directory," it was not likely that the carriers would send any suggestion through Mr. Kelly upon that subject. Mr. Rowland Hill had nothing to expect from Mr. Kelly or Colonel Mabberly, for in 1842, when Mr. R. Hill left the Post-office, a notice was stuck up anneuncing that if any officer communicated directly or indirectly with Mr. R. Hill he would be dis missed the service. Now, it was important to know what were the salary and!duties of Mr. Rowland Hill. Thu CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that at present Mr. Kelly was permitted to carry on the Directory himself, he being, at the same time, de barred from the services of any person in the Post-office. By so doing the ultimate claims to a compensation of that gentleman would not be at all affected. It would have been much more convenient if the Hon. Mem • ber bad given notice of his intention to ask the questions as he had gone into & number of statements of things which had t a k e n pl ace a number of years since, w hi c at that moment he was not, of course, able to express any opinion upon. The business of the Post office had of late years most enormously in creased, from a return made to tbat House of the number of letters which passed through the Post office in the first week of February, it appeared that the number had more than doubled during the last five years. The Government had, therefore, thought it advisable to give some additional assistance. Her Ma jesty's Government, being of opinion that Mr. Rowland was the most qualified person in the country for that duty, and they had accordingly appoint him Secre.• tary to the Postmaster- General, not to the Post office, at a salary of 1,2001. per annum. Mr. DUNCOMBE—What was the salary of the clerks? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped that the lion. Member would excuse him if he stated that it was not in his power to give him the information he re quired. If he had moved for a return upon the subject, he should have it, all the information that he could give him was that the salary of 1,2001 per year was given to, Mr. Howland Hill. He believed that there were three or four clerks employed, but he knew nothing whatever of their salaries. CUSTODY OF OFFENDERS' BILL—EARLY SIT TING OF THE HOUSE. Lord MAHON wished to know when it was the in tentionesty's Govern men t to g o on w i t h th e and the C us t o d y o f Off en d ers ' Bill . GEORGE GREY said th a t i t was t h e i ntent i on Prisons's ir o ß f h i r M9j of the Government to take the further consideration of the Report upon Thursday next, at the early sittings of the House at 12 o'clock. PUNISHMENT OF DEATH. Mr. BRIGHT wished to ask a question of his Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of the Home Department. A statement had appeared in the papers respecting the execution of two men at Morpeth on Wednes day last, and it was stated, that by the ex cessive bungling of the executioner, the punishment was rendered more barbarous than it. Now he desired to know whether that account had been brought under his attention. This question ho could answer, although he had not given a previous notice of it There was another question which he wished to ask, and which he did not expect the Right Hon. Gentleman to answer then. He wished to know whether he had received any intimation from the judges that there had been of late an increasing disposition on the part of juries to return verdicts of not guilty in cases where capital punishments were likely to be inflicted. He also wished to know if any circumstance had come to his knowledge with reference to the late trial of three men for a murder and robbery at Barnard Castle. Sir G. GREY said that he had received no informa tion as to the first circumstance alluded to by the Hon. Member. Neither had he received any intimation as to any :indisposition on the part of juries to convict in capital cases. RAILWAYS BILL. BENTINCK wished to k now th e i n t ent i ons Y e rnment respecting a Bill a b out w hi c h some excitement LthoredG Go was felt. He wished to ask whether it was the intention of the Government to bring on the Railway Bill before Easter, or to postpone it until afterwards ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that Friday evening next would be occupied by the an d he did not think it fair to bring in a Bill under circumstance which wonld forbid a fair discussion. It was therefore the intention o es f tir h a a estimates i m portance, of the Government to postpone the Bill until after Easter. Sir B. HALL wished to call the attention of the Government to a letter which he had received, coin plaining of the extraordinary influx of strangers which had taken place into Liverpool. There was also a state ment to the same effect from the town of Newport, complaining that their streets were crowded with hun dreds of the starving Irish who had lately come over. His object in bringing this forward was to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home Deparment whether he had had his attention directed to this statement, and whether the instance he had stated was, or was not, a solitary instance ? Sir G. GREY replied that he had received informa tion on the subject ; but that he was assured by persons who might be looked upon as authorities, that this was a solitary instance, and that it was the only one which rested upon authentic evidence. NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Mr. HUME wished to ask the Noble Lord the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests a question which appeared to him (Mr. Hume) of a very important nature, not only to that House, but to the country. That House was required to attend her Majesty when ever summoned, and it was most desirous that the Speaker of the House should go up to the House of Lords with that decorum consistent with the high character which had heretofore attended every proceeding of that House. He might refer to past periods, not very far distant—(Hear, hear)—when the House pr ocee d e d to the House of Lords, when sum moned, in a w a y consistent with the high character which the House to maintain—(Hear, hear)—but now the personal safety of Hon. Members, especially as regarded their coats—(Laughter)—for he had seen several injured in their progress to the Upper House ; he did not, however, allude to any part of the Speaker's garment s ; but it was perfectly well known that the House was greatly inconvenienced. From inquiries and from personal investigation he had ascertained that the place under the bar would not contain one tithe of the Memb ers ; an d h e su bmitted if they were to b e put into such straightened circumstances.—(Laughter.) They must do one of two things—either not to go at all, or else to appoint a certain number to do so ; but, if a certain number went, they must be appointed by ballet, and that was a most ob jectionable course ; but one of these courses would be necessary, as the compartment could not contain more than 22 without considerable pressure. Mr. Barry admitted that the limits were narrow, but he thought the galleries above would afford the required room. They might afford room to those who wished to attend the House, but he thought that the House, when sum moned to the presence of her Majesty, should have seats. He considered it too bad that, after so much expense, and after so long a delay, the building was not calculated to accommodate more than 30 members. He hoped measures would be taken to remedy the inconvience, and that provision would be made in time for that purpose. Major LAYARD wished before the Noble Lord re- plied to the question, to ask him another that was closely conneP.r.ed with it. He wished to khoW whethrr r.ny WLIS for th? :"14 . Ait'- tinguisheci strangers. parate from the Members llUudß a Co thl n,-,us. Lord MORPETH stated that the accommodation would be on the same footing as it was at prsent, only on a largsr scale, The space below the bar was never in. tended to accommodate all the Members of the House of Commons, nor did he think so enlarged accommodation we; necessary, _With respect to the question of the other Mon. Member (Major Layard) he thought there should be accommodation 'separate for those persons to whom he referred, but there would be also galleries in addition to the spaces below the bar. Mr. HUME thought that there should be a committee appointed to superintend its arrangements, that the Members should not appear there like a rabble altogether inconsistent with _the dignity of the House. ARMY SERVICE On the order of the day for the second reading of this Bill being read, Sir H. W. BARRON rose for the purpose of making some explanations relative to a statement made by him in the House on Friday night, on the subject of the Irish Poor-law, which had been, however, misrepresented in some of the public journals. What he had stated was, that the value of the property in England assessed to the poor-rates amounted to 62,000.0001.; the sum at which it was assessed was 5,000,000/. That, accord ing to the calculations of the Poor-law Commis sinners, the number of paupers in Ireland in ordinary years was between 2,300,000 and 2.400,000. He took the estimase at 2,200,000, the expense of supporting which would amount to 5,000,0001 ; and what he then stated was, that if an assessment of 5,000,000/, were to be made upon Irish property, it would be taxing Ireland to four times the extent to which property was assessed for a similar purpose in England. And that, if the pros perty of England were to be rated at the same ratio as Irish property would be under the Bill, the annual assessment would be not 5,000,0001 but 23,000,0001. ; and _this, he said, would be an act of gross injustice towards Ireland. In consequence of the confusion which existed in the House at the time when he was speaking, he could easily account for the misunderstanding having taken place. Mr. FOX MAULE then rose to move the second reading of the Army Service Bill. He deemed itin cumbent upon him to make some statement to the House relative to the principle which this Bill contained, and also to the motives which had induced the Go vernment to bring forward a principle of this nature. He could, by following the precedent of 1806, have changed the service from unlimited to limited, by a simple alteration in the Mutiny Bill, but as it had been the practice to remove from that Bill all that which gave °cession to continual discussion, and m4ke it simply contain the law and discipline of the army, and as the discussion on that Bill had been carried on from year to year with very little notice, the House relying mainly on the judgment of the executive Gevernment, he preferred to call the attention of the House to the principle involved. It would be in the recol lection of the House that a former measure regulating the service had been repealed, after two years, when no experience could be had of its merits. He did think, that no one in that House would start any preliminary objections to a standing army in the country. He assumed that, as a matter which none would dispute. All would admit that their domestic interests, their extended colo nies, our position among the nations of the earth, require a permanent army in this country. It was said that the system of recruiting the army was a voluntary system ; but when his Hon. and Gallant Friend brought forward his motion last year, he did not at that time give any distinct opinion on the subjest. It was promised by his Noble Friend on the head of the Government that the question should receive the careful consideration of the Government during the recess of Parliament. The question had been well con sidered, and in considering that question it appeared to him that there was no system of enlistment that was voluntary in its name, that had not been by the practices which had been resorted, to, deprived of all the virtues of a voluntary enlistment in effect. He found, on looking into this matter, that there might be very serious doubts whether any one who ever enlisted into the army, did so for the purpose of making it a regular profession for life. He sound that there were some classes of their recruits who have very readily gone into the ranks, not with any view to the future, but rather with the view of ecaping tem porary distress. He found that their ranks were very much accustomed to be recruited by those who were idle and averse to labour, and who thought that, in the life of a soldier, they would find that idleness acd indolence consonant to their disposit . ons. He found that it was too often the case, that." the' prodigal sought in the army a refuge from his improvidence, and it too often occurred that where lads who had got into disgrace immediately, had recourse to enlistment in order to avoid their temporary masters. With that class voluntary enlistment was at an end. All the rest were voluntary in name, but it was in reality brought about by the artifices and promises of recruiting parties.—(Hear.) The place to which they adjourned was the public-house, and men, were tempted to enlist by the fallacious promise of bounty money when they were in a state in which they could hardly be called amenable for their actions, and the unhappy man too often found that in a moment of inebriety be had disposed of his liberty for life. He did not mean by this that the men became slaves ; but there could not be a doubt that they surrendered their own life and disposition to those who com manded them, and when a man found himself in this position he often deserted in the first moment of disappointment. He is no doubt arrested in the course of a few days, and the man who had voluntarily joined the regiment is brought back in custody and involuntarily made a soldier. Then they had often heard of men who had maimed them selves, under the influence of such feelings as those engendered by a dislike to the service. and when they considered that a man was taken away al together from domestic ties—when they were severed by the duties he has to fulfil—when he knew he had no hope of regaining his fireside except under a high fine, in the shape of purchase-money. Ile (Mr. Fox Mauls) did say, that it behoved the House to consider whether, now that the army was receiving somewhat more attention than it had done for many years past, by revising enlistment, and by removing those painful circumstances which he had described, they might not make the life of a soldier less objection able than at present, and at the same time improve the condition of the army. He did not pretend to say that limited enlistment would cure all those evils, but he did think that it would have the effect of curing many of them. But with other measures of improvement such as formed the subject of the military administration of the late Government, and with the measures of improvement being carried on by the present Go vernment, he did believe that many of the evils of which they had now reason to complain would be effectually cured if they had recourse to limited enlistment. lie need hardly say a great many of the evils in connexion with the army had been removed, that the discipline had been improved, especially now they had so little of the degrading punishment of the lash. What he proposed to do with regard to the limiting the period of enlistment, was to alter the period to ten years in the infantry, and twelve years in the cavalry, artillery, and ordnance departments. After that period elapsed an option should be given to the soldier of re-enlisting the infantry soldier for eleven years additional, and the cavalry for twelve years, making, in the whole, twenty one years for the one and twenty-four years for the other—the period when they could claim their dis charge. He also took a power in the Bill to en able the commanding officer . to retain the sol dier for another year when the regiment was abroad should the public service require it. The might be. He asked the reason wky he made any difference in the terms of the period for infantry and cavalry soldiers. The difference of France however was the reason of the extension of the period for the latter. The Government proposed then that they should have the opportunity of enrolling themselves for a deferred pension, and during the time they were enrolled for that pension they should serve twelve days in each year, upon the same principle as the pensioners who were entitled under the 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th of Victoria. The deferred pensions should equal in amount the lowest sum which was at present fixed by royal warrant. (LEFT SPEAKING.) ALLEGED DEATH OP A CHILD PROM CRUEL TREATMENT.—Yesterday Mr. W. Carter held an inquest at the Three Stags, Lambeth, on the body of William Ralph King, aged nine years, a son of a beer-shop keeper living in Mead's-row. The Inquiry was instituted in consequence of information having been sent to the Coroner that the child had died from the effects of corporal punishment inflicted by his parents. Police-constable Beal, 127 L, said that he had been residing in the same house as deceased, and about six or eight weeks since the deceased crept up stairs to one of the lodger's rooms, and begged for a piece of bread. He was then in a very dirty and deplorable state. During the late bitter cold weather witness had seen deceased with no thing on but his shirt. Rebecca Ellvin, 5, Asylum-place, said she knew Mr. and Mrs. King, and had seen the greatest brutality practised by both towards deceased. On one occa sion she saw him tied up by his hands to the skylight. The last time she saw anything done to him was a fortnight after last Christmas, when Mr. King beat him with a double rope, knocked him down, pushed his nose on to the flooring until the blood ran from his nose into his mouth. Alice Anderson said that she had been engaged at Mr. King's as charwoman. She knew the deceased. He was an exceedingly dirty child, and fond of pilfering anything he could lay hold of. She had seen his father beat him, but she thought the chastise ment was not at all excessive. She did not think deceased was right in his mind. The jury returned a verdict of "Natural death." Mr. Hudson, M.P., had an interview with the Right Hon. Edward Strntt, on Saturday, at the Office of the Cemusis sioners of Railways in Great George-street. CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—The works on this great undertaking are proceeding rapidly in the neighbourhood of this City. A number of houses in Ritson's-lane and Caldew Damside, most of which were occupied by the poorest de scription of tenants, have been removed for the construction of the line in that part of the town. A temporary wooden bridge has been erected across the Caldew, immediately twelve feet. above the present structure, for the convenience of the public whilst the present road is interrupted by the alterations which will be necessary to admit the pa s s a ge of the railway underpt.— Carlisle Patriot. DRAINING WITH ENGINE ASHES.—On the f arm of Daldorch, the property of Arc hi b ald B uchanan., Esq., of Catrine Bank, Scotland , ther e are drain s made twenty eight yeers ago, and filled w ith en g ine ashes, which are still en n 3- full x inches,arl efficientand the h o e p w er i a d t t i l o i n b . et w T e h e e n depth eaeh w The bottom of the drain is cut three inches wide, and the depth of ashes used in filling them is about ten inches. The soil is a firm clay. These drains promise to be as effi cient half a century hence as they are at the present tim e.-- Cambrian. 1 NATIONAL EATING. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented a peti tion from Winston, in the county of Gloucester, in favour of a national system of rating. BATHS AND WASHHOUSES. The Bishop of ST. ASAPH presented a petition from the parish of St. George the Martyr, praying that the provisions of the Act for the establishment of baths and washhouses be extended to embrace parts of parishes. POOR REMOVAL ACT. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented a petition against the provisions of the Poor Removal Act of last year. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND). Lord BROUGHAM was disposed to ask for a return connected with a circumstance connected with the pre sent distress in Ireland, and the evils of the system of labour in public works. He well knew that it was illogical to argue from a use to an abuse. but as illustrative of this state of things, he would cell the attention of their Lordships to the representations made by the Rev. Robert Brown on the subject of public works in that part of Ireland with which he was more intimately connected. The statement of the Rev. Gentleman was, that a presentment having been made for 3001. for the pur pose of constructing 72 yards of road, not to spoil the road, but to improve it. But a Gentleman—Mr. Flaherty— came forward and said, that he could get the road done for two-thirds less than the Government could, and a survey was made ; the road was given to the contractor recommended by Mr. Flaherty. The work was exa mined when completed, and it was found that only 36 yards had been constructed, thus proving a very dear work to the country. The contractor, he might inform their Lordships, was a brother of Mr. Fl a h ert y. Th e Reverend Gentleman mentioned that cruel distress which prevailed among a poor population of 20,000 persons, who were comparatively neglected by the upper and sustained by their equals of the lower classes. lie might also inform their Lordships that he was in possession of much information, with respect to the pauper immigration into different parts of Scotland, and the result of inquiries showed that, in almost every case, these persons had re ceived money from the landlords, the relieving officer, or the priests, for the purpose of taking them out of Ireland into the sister country. He wished to suggest to those worthy persons, the relieving officers of Ireland, that theirs was a dangerous experiment, for he (Lord Brougham) perfectly remembered when two churchwardens were tried at York for furthering a marriage in another parish, that being held to be a con spiracy. The sending paupers into this country was a parallel case. The Earl of WICKLOW regretted that any such do cument as that which had just been presented should have come before their Lordships, and that such a state ment should have been made, for the authorities to whom reference had been made had no power whatever to charge the electoral dissricts with expense. They had no power whatever of giving relief in money, but those who were advocates of what was called the clearing system gave relief in any shape to any who were ready to emigrate without much caring to what part of the world they went. If the authorities of Glasgow had no better plea than the one they had put forward, he feared that they would be of but little service. For his own part he was not at al surprised at the immigration of Irish paupers into this country, and he believed that before twelve months elapsed that it would go on to an extent of which at present there had been nothing like a parallel. Only let them wait till next harvest, and they would see that there would be thousands and tens of thousands of labourers who would hurry into this country. The Go vernment bad introduced a poor-law into the other House in the hope of stemming the torrent of evil, and with a view to relieve this country from the influx of pauperism from Ireland, but he begged to warn their Lordships that no system of poor-law would ever stop that evil, and he did so in the hope that the wisdom of their Lordships would be able to devise some other and better remedy. There was an excellent ground for them to go upon, from two circumstances—first, from the indisposition of the landlords to throw their dependants upon others, and, secondly, from the danger of throwing such a number of persons like these upon the world. It was not to be supposed that the able 7 bodied poor would be content to take the sustenance provided at the several poor-houses, but would in thousands upon thousands enter this country to find the support which was needed by them. He would warn their Lord ships that this influx would continue until there was a probability that the poor of this country might become completely and entirely destitute. Lord BROUGHAM was quite aware of the difficulties of the case, but if they would look to the last report of the committee, at page 130, they would find that Mr. Hughes had stated, that he had found that Dr. Donnovan and Mr. Svrington had applied the funds sent to them for the relief of the des titute poor in transmitting the paupers to places in Wales to such an extent, that the mayor of Newport had pro tested against the practice. It was natural that, if there was a poor-law in one part of the country, and none in another, that the poor should go from the latter to the former. Lord MONTEAGLE could hardly express his indig nation at the course which it seemed had been pursued by one of his countrymen, after the lavish munificence which had been poured out, not only by their Lordships, hut by the very poorest of this land in their behalf. But he was convinced that the case which the Noble and Learned Lord had referred to must be a rare and solitary case ; for no funds were distributed for the relief of the Irish poor except under the superintendence of public officers is whom their Lordships had the fullest coofi dence. These gentlemen had access to the relief com mittees to inspect their accounts, and the mode in which the funds were applied, so that anything improper must come to their ears, and would certainly be reported to the Government, who would atop the further supply of money. He must say that, assuming the facts to be true as they had been repre sented, he could not but view the case with the utmost indignation at such an abuse of the funds supplied by the Government. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE apprehended that it was not from the money which had been so applied. Lord BROUGHAM believed it to have been money sent by private individuals for the relief of the poor. Lord MONTEAGLE said it came to the same thing in the end since money so sent was applied under public, superintendence. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE was strongly of opinion that the funds so grossly unsupplied had been supplied from private resources, But he must say that if the Noble and Learned Lord would give him the letter from which he bad quoted, he should cer tainly inquire into the fact► of the case. But assuming the facts to be as they had been represented, he must say that it bad been a gross abuse, and a gross job practised on the funds supplied by the excessive be nevolence of this country. BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL. Lord BROUGHAM rose to move the second reading of this Bill. He said, as the subject was familiar to most of their Lordships. and had the approbation of the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, and other learned Members of their Lordships' Howie he did not find it necessary to enter into any long statement on that occasion. But he would merely state his object in moving their Lordships to sanction the amendments proposed in the Bill. Their Lordships would recollect that some years ago he had introduced a Bill which had been passed by both Houses into a law, abolishing imprisonment for small debts, They were aware that that Bill provided that persons apprehen , ive of arrest, if' they chose to appeal to the Bankruptcy Court, give up ther property, and stand their examination, would receive a protecting ord, r from the Court; and if no hesitation to give up all their property had appeared, or no contumacy, or no extra vagance, a final order was made by the Court, which protected him against further proceedings on the same debt. He (Lord Brougham), how ever, had since some reason for transferring this jurisdiction to the Insolvent Commissioners from the Bsankruptcy Commissioners. H e had been urged to do so originally, but he found that the Bankruptcy Court worked well, and seemed to have the preference over the other. For that Court had more stringent power to execute the objects for which the court had been erected, and, therefore, many more applications were made to that court. But those commissioners, unusual though it was for judges, who commonly enlarged their jurisdic tion, had almost extinguished their jurisdiction. The second was a still greater evil than the first. It was extremely (inconvenient to mix up two diffe rent codes of laws, each to be administered by the same judge ; and while, to make up the third evil, the merchants and traders of the city of London objected altogether to the insolvent law being administered in the Bankruptcy Courts. Now, in addition to 5001., each Commissioner received a salary of 2,0001. There were six of them; but he did not think there would be six long—for, from a return he held in his hand, he found that they did not work more than twenty weeks a year with the insolveat busi ness, and, when that was taken from them by this Bill, the number would bs reduced to fifteen or sixteen weeks a year. Now, it was too bid to pay six commissioners 2,000/. a year .each for so small a quantity of labour, besides six regis trars at 1,000/. a ear each, and official assig nees at not less than 2,0004 to 3,0004 a year. lie proposed, therefore, that the insolvency business should be taken away from the Court of Bankruptcy, and t then the Commissioners would be rednced from six the thre w e. o l u t id w b a e s t b h u e is ir ci o .e p n i t n , ion , he knew, that two Commis sioners_commweoruclidaidaoff,aiarsndwpoeurlhaps for all ordinary purposes in b d ut a reveryise whichn w a w n o d u the n a augment crisis en t the business. In "order to meet any increased business in the Court from this circumstance, be thought three would be the best number to propose. NEW WRIT. A new writ was moved for the Eastern- Division of Somersetshire, in the room of Colonel Gore Langton, deceased. RAILWAY BILLS WITHDRAWN. Captain GLADSTONE moved that the order made upon the Ist day of March inst., for referring the Ips wich and Bury St. Edmunds Railway (Extension to East Dereham and to Aylsham) Bill to the Committee of Selection, be read and dhcharged. That the Bill be withdrawn.—Agreed to. The HoN. MEMBER also moved that the order made upon the Ist day of March inst., for referring the Ayl sham and North Walshara Railway Bill to the Com mittee of Selection, be read and discharged. That the Bill be withdrawn.—Agreed to. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were severally read a second time: Crowland and Cowbit Washes, &c.. Drainage. Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ardrosssn Railway (Amendment, Deviations, and Branches). Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales Drainage and Inclosure Company's Incorporation. Leicester Waterworks. Lytham Improvement. Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society. Shipowners' Towing Company. Thorne and Crowle Moors Drainage and Improvement. Wakefield Gas. RATING OF SMALL TENEMENTS BILL. Mr. WADDINGTON presented a petition from the County of Wilts, in favour of the rating of small tecementa. MARRIAGES AND REGISTRATION.— SCOTLAND. Mr. SCOTT presented a petition from the Presbytery of Selkirk against the proposed marriage Bill for Scot land ; also petitions from the schoolmasters of the Presbyteries of Selkirk, Dunse, Lauder, Melrose and Langholm, against the proposed measure for the regis tration of births, marriages and deaths. BE ERSE LtERS IN BOLTON. Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from the beer sellers of Bolton, praying to be allowed the same privi lege of keeping their houses open as was allowed to the London beersellers. EDUCATION. Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions from Leeds and Chorley against the Government educational measure. UNIFORM RATING. Mr. WYSE presented a petition from Waterford in favour of a uniform system of rating. IRISH POOR-LAW. Sir WILLIAM CLAY presented a petition from certain inhabitants residing in the Minories in favour of extending the principle of the English poor-law to Ire land; also, a petition from the Tower Hamlets against the proposed educational grant. SCOTCH MARRIAGE BILL. Col. MURE presented petitions from the Presbytery of Paisley, against the proposed Scotch Marriage Bill and the registration of births, marriages, and deaths. ANATOMY ACT. Mr. FERRAND presented a petition from a place in Yorkshire against the provisions of this Act. REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS, IN SCOTLAND. Mr. DUNCAN presented a petition from the school mister,: of the Presbytery of Dundee against the pro visions of the proposed Registration Bill for Scotland, in relation to its effect on them. GOVERNMENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. Mr. HINDLEY presented a petition from the mem bers of the Baptist Union against the proposed grant for education. The Hon. Member moved that the peti tion be printed with the the votes.—Agreed to. SCOTCH REGISTRATION BILL. Sir G. CLERK presented ten petitions from several places in Scotland against the clauses in this Bill, in as far as they affected the parish schoolmasters of that country. He should, therefore, give notice, that when this Bill went into Committee, he should move that the 12th clause be omitted. SEAMEN'S ENLISTMENT BILL. Sir C. NAPIER gave notice of his intention to bring in a Bill to amend the Seamen's Enlistment Act. SUNDAY TRADING. Mr. HINDLE Y gave notice that to-morrow be would move for a Select Committee to inquire into the state of Sunday trading in the metropolis. NATIONAL EDUCATION. _ _ _ An Hurt. MEMBER presented a petition from Worces ter against the Government plan of education. REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES (SCOTLAND) BILL. Lord LINCOLN presented a petition from the pres bytery of Linlithgow against certain clauses in this Bill. Mr. FORBES presented similar petitions from the presbytery of Annan, and other places. FREE TRADE. Mr. HUME had several petitions to present, the first of which wai from some persons in Jamaica, who were formerly slaves. They stated that the House had been pleased to lower the duties on sugar, which was the chief produce, and they were apprehensive that the alteration might occasion the ruin of those by whom they were employed. They prayed, there• fore, that if free trade was to be adopted iu one department, it might be adopted in all branches of com merce; that the Navigation Laws might be dispensed with, and that they might send their produce home in foreign vessels; that there might be no restriction on free labour, and that they might be at liberty to export their produce to any part of the world. He did not think that the petition was reasonable, and hoped the House would not entertain it. TEMPERANCE. Mr. HUME also presented a petition from the inha• bitants of the district of Groke, praying that some re• striction might be placed on the destruction of human food, for the purpose of being distilled into that which was the parent of crime, and the source of immorality. - HARBOURS OF REFUGE. Mr. HUME also presented a petition signed by every person who bad any property in shipping connected with the port of Cowes, praying that it might be con verted into a harbour of refuge, for which they stated it to possess peculiar advantages. MARRIAGES AND DEATHS REGISTRY. Mr. MIME alao presented a petition from the parish clerks and schoolmasters of Arbroath, in the county of Forfar, against the Deaths and Marriages Registry Bill. They stated that they were entitled to the emoluments of the clerks of session on this point, and that this Bill would do away with the benefit which they enjoyed; and they prayed the House either to reject the Bill altogether, or to introduce a clause to give them com pensation,____ Mr. FORBES having understood that the Lord Ad vocate had left town, wifled to ask whether there was any disposition to postpone the second reading of the Bill till after Easter? Mr. F. MAULE said that he was quite sure that his Right Hon. Friend the Lord-Advocate would be ready to meet the wishes of the Scottish Members, and he would therefore, as a matter of course, put it on the paper for him for some day after Easter. Mr. HUME gave notice that he should persist in his intention to send this Bill up stairs. Mr. F. MAULE was sorry to inform his Hon. Friend that the Lord-Advocate had decided upon resisting such a course. EDUCATION. Mr. C. BERKELEY wished to ask the Noble Lord a the head of the Government a question of very great importance, which was causing great agitation through out the country: whether it was the intention of the Government to persevere in the scheme of education as laid down in the minutes of the Council? If he answered that in the affirmative, when was it his intention to bring the miscellaneous estimates before the House? Lerd J. RUSSELL said it was the intention of the Government to persevere—(Loud cheers)—in the plan of education laid down in the minutes of the Council. He had to state, also, that he would bring on the miscel laneous estimates after Easter, and would take the vote for education on the 19th of April. POOII-LAW. Mr. P. BORTHWICK wished to ask the Noble Lord whether it was the intention of the Government to pro• pose any amendment of the poor law after Easter? He VVIIR led so ask that question, seeing the Hon. Member for Knaresborough had given notice of his intention to bring the whole subject before the House. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said it was the intention of the Government to propose an amendment of the poor law after Easter. CUSTOMS DUTIES BILL. Mr. FORBES asked the Noble Lord when he meant to take the C9stoms Duties Bill into consideration. Lord JOHN RUSSELL—On Friday next. MILITIA. Colonel T. WOOD wished to ask the Noble Lord, whether he meant to ballot for the militia this year, or whether Government had any other measure to provide for the defence of the country ? Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the Government had a measure under their consideration for that purpose, but he was not sure whether it could ba brought in this session, and if not, they would take other means to provide for the defence of the country. STEAM TO AUSTRALIA. Mr. F. SCOTT wished to ask the Government, whether they intended to advance any money, and what sum, in order to second private enterprise in providing steam communication to Australia. Mr. HAWES said that several plans had been laid before the Colonial-office, but the Noble Lord the Secre tary for the Colonies bad not yet come to any definite decision on either. WASTE LANDS (IRELAND). Mr. LABOUCHERE gave notice that, to-morrow week, he should move for leave to bring in a Bill with re spect to the reclamation of waste lands in Ireland. FEVER (IRELAND) BILL. The Elm GENTLEMAN also gave notice that to• mor row he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend STATE OF TRADE. TETE GEWNT ti Wo 7 "r, ITI7 M4Pclll2, Purciis•,e!s 4 wade. a1fr... , 5t evPry hy our IP I und Irv:9nfaetnrer, ; and prices are rt-a1:.1.6-y ritiu. A large pare,i of i Austrian fleeces, between 500 and 600 •cwt., sent hither for sale, has been taktt, soon after its arrival, by a Leipsic Yarn Spinning Company. The price is believed to be about Is. I Id. Money is plentiful on change, espe cially for long periods. FOREIGN WOOL TRADE, LEEDS, MARCII 19.—Busi ne;s has been generally inactive during the past week, and may be accounted fr:r chiefly by the present de pressed state of the money market. Stocks of all de scriptions or wool of a desirable character are unusually low in the German markets, and below an average w ith ns, which is likely to check any downward tendency in prices. ENGLISH WOOL MARKET, LEEDS, MARCH 19.—We have not any alteration to notice in this branch of trade during the present week. The mano.eturcrs confine their purchases to their immediate wants, and although prices have a downward tendency, there is not any material reduction during :he last fortnight. The woollen markets at the cloth halls, both this day week and on Tuesday were very dull. There continuei to be a com plete absence or speculation for the spring trade. The demand is confined to low-priced blues and wool-blacks for the transatlantic markets, whilst tine qualiti;,s con 'nine to be exceedingly dull. Prices are without any alteration, and notwitit,tandin g t h e cont i nue d dull state of the market, from the circumstance of a great number of manufacturers being engaged for some months past in making goods for the eastern markets, and which are delivered direct to the merchants, the stocks in the halls continue in moderate compass. The country drapers are moving more freely, but the London houses continue to buy cautiously. On the whole, however, there has been a little improvement in business in the warehouses this week. BRADFORD MARKET, THURSDAY.—The purchases of combing wool were more extensive, and prices (except for particular sorts) a little higher on account of the supply being scant. The spinners purchase more freely. There was more business done in yarns, both for the ex port and home trade, and as the production is at present below the consumption, higher prices were obtained. Owing in part to the fineness of the weather, there wns a very great number of merchants in the market, and a great number of pieces were purchased fin* the American 'market, principally plain Orleans. 114NcaEsTER, THURSDAY EVENING.—We have had on the whole only a very dull market fur cloth this week; though on Tuesday and to-dad rather more goods have changed hands then of late; but as this has been (ffected by the manufacturers giving way in price, it is doubtful whether the increased demand can be deemed an im provement. Large orders are in town from the United States, and a large business is sure to be dune this sea. son with that country. Our home merchants complain heavily of the country trade. The silk trade is, if any thing, improving. Yarns are readier sale, but the prices are miserably heavy. THE REVOLTING MURDER AT CHESTERFIELD. TRIAL OF THE MURDERER. DERBY, SATURDAY MORNING.—The trial of John Platts, for the inhuman murder and mutilation of George Collis, in the butcher shambles at Chesterfield, last December twelve months, commenced yesterday in the Crown Court, before Mr. Justice Patteson. The prisoner is not more than twenty years of age, and his youthful appearance, and the awful character of the crime imputed to him, created a painful feeling. The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Ilumfrey and Mr. Mellor ; Mr. Macauley ftir the prisoner. The circumstances connected with the. murder, as stated by thirty-two witnesses, can Only be equalled by those atrocious deeds for which the notorious G reenacre and Good suffered. It appeared that early in the morning of the last Fri day in August, 1846, some men were employed iu emp tying a remote cesspool attached to the premises of a Mr. Bunting, a flour dealer, living in Low Pavement, in the town of Chesterfield, when their attention was drawn to what seemed to be the remlins of a carcase of a sheep. A further search showed the mass to consist of two legs and thigh bones, and a qunntity of entrails. On the soil being removed to a field for which it was in tended at Halsharn, a mile from the town, part of a coat, a pair of trowsers, a hat, two silk handkerchiefs, and portions of a pair of braces and stockings were dis eobered. One of the handkerchiefs was marked "G. C." and when picked up was tied as if for the neck, and on the leg bones were garters, apparently two odd ones, one red and the other white. This led to a mose minute search of the cesspool, and at the bottom was found a human skull with a fracture over the right eye. -On the wearing apparel being exhibited publie.dy,, the hitiidkerchief bearing the' of - so' G. C." was Welt tified by a young female named Ellen Beresfuid, es having belonged to George Collis. This person (Collis), it is proper to mention, was in partnership with the prisoner Platte, in the butchering line, it, the preceding year (1845). and opened a shop in the miserable place called the " Shambles," adjacent to the market-place in Chesterfield. Since Sunday night, the 7th of December, in that year (1845), Collis had not 'littenneen`, - iind the belief gained ground that it was his remains that were discovered, and suspicions at the same time were entertained that the prisoner was the party who had taken away his life. The fact of the prisoner having sent a man named Knight to pledge a witch belonging to Collis, a few days after the disap pearance ..f the latter, gave strength to this suspicion. This led to the prisoner's apprehension. In addition to Ellen Beresford (who had been enc?in‘e by the de ceased) identifying the silk handkerchief, she spoke to the watch produced being in deceased's possession on the 7th of December, 1845. on the evening of which day he told her he was obliged to leave her, having promised to meet JOhn Platts at half-past six o'clock. He said Platts had promised several times to settle with him, for he was greatly in his debt, and he was deter mined to get something on account. She never saw him after. When Collis left her she distinctly saw he had the watch in his pocket. He was dressed in a black surtout coat. The witness identified the red worsted garter found on the leg bones when taken out of the cesspool. She said the deceased took it from her in return for one of his. The mother of the deceased said that the prisoner, after the disappearance of The deceased, was asked if he had seen anything of him? He replied Collis had told him he intended to go to Manchester to get clear of the female Beresford, who was in the family-way by him, and he believed he had gone; in fact, he knew he had, for another person told him he had seen him in Man chester. John Holbrook, an eatinghouse-keeper near the butchers' shambles, stated be remembered Collis coming to his shop on the night of the 7th of December. lle recollected the night perfectly from circumstances that transpired. Collis came into his shop about a quarter to seven o'clock, saying to witness he had to meet Platts at the shop in the Shambles to get some money from him, and he wanted witness to meet him afterwards at a public-house in the neighbourhood. Collis said he would meet him at twelve o'clock. Witness went to the public-house and waited for Platts till past one in the morning, but he never came. Witness never saw him after. When Collis left the shop he saw him go in the direction of the prisoner's shop in the Shambles. It was a corner shop on the right band side, passing through the Shambles from the market-place. He knew the - cesspool where the body was discovered. It is situated within one hundred yards of the prisoner's shop. The cesspool is down a narrow passage among a quan tity of stables, .and is made use of by most of the inha bitants round about. There is no thoroughfare down the passage. It was possible/for a man to fall into it, and there remain six or eight months before discovered. The cesspool is a very large one. It is made use of by the butchers in the shambles as a receptacle for un wholesome meat. Thomas Harvey's evidence was most important. He said he was a shoemaker living at Chesterfield. On the night of the 7th of December, 1845, at about twenty minut's or a quarter to seven o'clock, he was standing near Platt's shop, and heard two or three blows struck in the shop. They appeared as if by a clever on a soft substance. After the first blow be distinctly hoard the groans of a human being. It alarmed him, and he made all haste to his friends at home, and told them he was sure some murder was going on in Platt's shop, telling them what he had heard. His wife and sisterreturned with him to the shambles, and tried to get into the shop, but the door was secured, and all was dark within. Before there was a light in the shop. No one could see into it, for the shutters were up, and a sheet was hung up inside to prevent observation. His wife and sister knocked at the door, and asked Platts what he was doing, and who he had in the shop. Toe prisoner answered, "No one." His sister then said, "Oh yes, you have." Prisoner said, "No he had not, it was him that was making the noise ; he had been t4kine• some rum, was sick, and intended to lie down. " Witness said he had better open the door and let them in, and they would get him some water, but he refused. The females then charged Platts with having a woman inside with him, and pushed against the door to force it open. Platts told them he had no one with him, but would not open the door to satisfy them. They then left the shop. Shortly afterwards Plaits came into the house where witness and his wife and sister were. One of his hands were covered with blood. He said he had cut them, and asked for water to wash th em, w hi ch was given to him. He appeared confused, and seemed to have been kneeling, as one of his knees were covered with dirt. The women taxed him with having been ill using a female in the shop. He said he had been doing nothing of the kind, or anybi , dy else. Mrs. Harvey and her sister corroborated Harvey's evidence in every particular. Mary Randall said she met the prisoner in January, 1845. He offered to sell her a watch. After the dis covery of the skull in the cesspool, she asked the pri soner if he bad heard of the tumours that Collis was supposed to have been murdered ? Ile said he had. George Knight deposed to having bought a pair of boots of the prisoner for ss. (They were produced, and were identified as belonging to the deceased. His mo ther believed they were the same he bad on the night he left home.) Mr. H. E. Walker, surgeon, of' Chesterfield, stated that the bones found in the cesspool were those of a man 23 or 24 years of age. lie was of opinion that the frac tures on the skull had been the cause of death. There were three fractures, and they had evidently bee:, in flicted by some heavy instrument, such as a butcher's cleaver. At the conclusion of the evidence Mr. Max Amity ad dressed the jury oli behalf of the prisoner, milting a num• ber of witnesses to chgracter. Mr. Justice PATTEEION having; summed up, The jury retired to consider their verdict.. At three o'clock they returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against the prisoner. Sentence of aeath was passed, but no day fixel for his execution. FALSE ALARM ficriP.) kbcet, t‘ecrlt''. ' - '"I on TOO ivaention of the in h c i bitants of this bled :Wertuily aloft- ed by a dull, heavy, rutab,:o noise, which suddenly rolled over it, and which viee.a peculiar in its character—so unlike any of the so n which one usually hears here—that it excited iloree w ,7l notice, and raised i n t h ose w h o h ear d i t — an d there few who did not— a m i ng l e d f ee li ng o f awe and al't;(1, In about a quarter of a minute' the sound was rep e° gradually swelling on the ear and then dying "' a) ) 0 third and a fourth time the noise was heard, 10 ,A powerful wtes the vibration that houses shook beneahtmol, as though saute heavy su;statiee had fallen withi n !;ll .aud articles of china and earthenware gave auk *token of being qt,tur bed. People now became thorolls-0 alarmed and ran out of their houses and sbol;0 e qustien each other a s t o t h e cause o f t his otYll oisturbance. Nip r th- stree t i n a f ew momen ts ws: state of excitement. It was heard in the Chapel where Divine service was p„oieg on, and cause hero siderable tr e pid a ti on ; i n t h e A l b i on R oo ms, w t t be the character of Mai - lensed was being iliscussed; s most northerly extremity o f the town, and along vi ,e ws of clifh, where the sh oc k was very strong, andicto the attention of person s was di recte d more pea''' . Do the sea, in search of the cause of this phenomeno n ' 1 01 first conjecture was, that it was a vessel in distret;; o l under this idea the life bo a t on t h e p i er wa s g ot filled for launching by the prev e nt a ti ve serv i ce m en se" o il; with life preservers. But the sea was calm and trelo the wind, which had been blowing la th e r strongly h 1 the south-east, had sunk to a mare breath; an d the 7,0 was starlight and beautif u l. All ki n d s of aP eeti.‘ c loai now got abroad. Wa s it th un d er ? There was ne ta i ,"lo to been seen. Wen- the French c ome ? If so,k e i n f most carefully out of si g ht ! W as i t t h e shoo' void earthquake ? This was the conjecture which I .i. l b. most with the circumstances of the case and Ww er isi fears of the people, whose thoughts instoactively re: to the fact of the neighbouring city of Chichester," ll A been on several occasions subjected to this slat phenomenon. Six times the noise was distinct', o tl —the fifth was somewhat faint ; . the sixth mss _ A beo powerful ; and then it ceased, and those who he,r„,ll. listening in painful suspense again drew their 7, 0 But it was only to. indulge in fearful speculations 0 ,, v id) nature of this strange Occurrence, and to fancy speculations off of fearful catastrophes, such as cities swallove;000 or ships destroyed, or nature convulsed hi,aptir strange agony. To all these fearful loon Se no answer could be g i ven t h at night, lino/ Wednesday they w ere aga i n resumed. The loio ral question was, " Did you hear that strang e k last night ?" " Yvs ; what was it ? It shoe, house to the foundation*" "It made my china " Doubtless we shall hear of something dreadful 'or happened in some part of the world," & c ., &c. nately for the public quiet, there were some W o ol the town in a situation to set the se fe ars an d rtne ° l oo , rest, and to give an explanati o n o f th e ca use of .. 11 ,..4 0 01 And a very simple one it w as ; f or i n the znfn. tle sounds which struck su c h f ear i n t o ot h er s, one gor man, living at the eastern extremity of the town' by 0 0 nised the fulfilment of a pl e d ge ma d e t o him p # oo 4 Captain of an outward-bound vesse l, th a t, as b u lb' town, he would give hi m a p art i ng sa l u te. P';‘o 4 did so—a Royal one of2l gtu . s — an d w i t h t h e abos: 0 0 The vessel in question (th e fl as h es f rom whic o teler seen by some) stood about two miles to the east c_ re f o rof Town, and about eight miles to s ea . Sh e w as, % e vil ten miles from Brighton. Moreover, she only 7 0 10 P gun (an 18-pounder, it is c on jectured), and yet O , was the report that the town w as s h a k en by it, and v' r, situated two or three mil es i n l an d f e l t i t. This 11 1 - 00 0 ' chiefly attributed to the circumstance Of the Wi n ,bO ll l ing dea'd on shore, the sound being thus borne 10 00 0! up the valley. It is a striking proof of the vs o c i r es o which sounds can be carried under particular 00 0 : stances, and also of the peaceable character of 8 „F o ob1; pity which could thus be ihrown into consternerrej single gun ! What will the French say to it the Prince de Joinville smack his lips at the th ° ol ol'i giving such a warlike set of people, who Ici; s 0 0 1 4 pounders for earthquakes, a real taste of hi s w olt, Alter this, Brighton must needs have such 9 Or character as to hold out the strongest provocatf or l A attack fromor any other bur ner o f g unpovn g It way, how,•ver, be som e conso l at i on to Ite%detl OW n the alarm was net c on fi ne d to B r i g h ten, but , tOt far as Lal,eing, 8 wiles to the west, and isTewhev, e ; n east. We believe th e r e i s some regu l at i o n to Ii practice of firing at s e a ; an d t h e a l arm pr oduce occasion shows the :necessity of it. HAMBURGH and FLANDERS P . '" r v , 0 . 4 3 Bittissm.s. AIAtiCH 16.--Thp Chamber of .. - i f i n g .l tatites Lf.te tf tay a favourable opinion rol e° , / ; -- jor: epplie:itif , ns tor naturalization. L afterwards ° COP'; the- proj..e. o f w relative to a limitation of ° in W A V tnunes ou the frontiers of France and Belgictdit of luw for a suppl ementar y vo te of c` - b ole 72,000 francs to the chapter o f p e nsions in the a pre of finance. The Minister of Finance present e d so ols ject of law for-granting to his department %A . ; tnentary credit' of 490,000 francs, for the pure two house, which w as re f use d to the sections.oollo. Chamber then comm e nc e d th e g eneral debate _ o 11 0 project of law, making several no tifications ':', 0 0; legislation of the militia. The Senate, in its siL' A day, heard se vera l reports o f it s committees, all' o f It! for to morrow, the discussion of the project wow relative to the su pp ress i on o f t h e tonnage duty in of ships importing corn till the Ist of October, 1 ° f ele tive to the appearance of our crops ? The information which has reached us to.clal o bol we have already published, and add further details.t thaw has everywhere had a most satisfactory eft' 1 he preservation of the autumnal crops. It was ° -1 01, companied with rain, consequently the roots of ( I, se fully confirms pi which have already sprung up has not been injfiru"'o l therefore vigorous vegetation may be expected. 0 0' d drought of the summer of 1846, and the long fi' d the winter, have perfectly softened the earth, ac i 0 0 ; render it easy to be cultivated for the Marc ... , e Everything announces that the days of scarclVO high prices are numbered, especially as the p r had the certain effect of inducing a great nuo to cto; holders of corn to k ee p i n th e ir granaries larg e f t: 0 which they will soon fi n d it necess ary to dispose be y for i wish that, th e d anger b e i ng over , it may. n C no nec,,,s`; gotten for a moment that all the with the supply of the country, and subsistence people, are of the greatest importance. guestions o f s , wh t duricgd BRUSSELS.—The average price of -- " A m 51c. , week ending on Saturday, March 13, " 9 - use of> rp hectolitre, and that of rye 9 61. 76c., an incre v .. on wheat, and 73c. on rye, per hectolitre. ---P` Papers, March 17. good i : l s HAMBURGH, MARCH 15.—There is still of ice at Shulaw and Blankenuse, but it bas Roy towards the south. The L on d on s teamen , t4Greb - 0 the Hull steamer s A rc hi me d es an d Helen to dai, however, succeeded in getti ng in safely ;00°01 noon. The lower Shul aw li g h ts hip again °e a - n ig:el station this morning, th e u p per one , how ev a - 5 0 17 P lying in the harbour o f Sh u l aw , w hither it v f " to return lust night on account of the ice. Bet i 41 34 GLUCKSTADT, MARCH 14.—Thaw „p to r yesterday, ther e i s , h owever , st ill a goo d dee , , ' " n d ice, at the return of th e f ros t several y vess elsmite TO 1g" evii in our harbour. Thi s comparativell„a 00 has considerably dimi nis h e d t h e fl oa ting "- shore. _ toin t r, We know persons in good ciretlin' b ot , Brighton, who have given so liberally towards the tress funds, that they are now compelled to Lbtil c ce, things which they actually want, or else run it t they will not do. There are others, who plead as t ifin for not paying tradesmen's bills, that their subseher relieve the Irish distress have drained them of „" is but such persons should remember that that cotir;fo96 Fated to increase the distress already severely fel t , l ,„ 1 11 0 01 Tradesmen can seldom obtain long credits of 4 'lb: 1 : r oe & dealers, and if they cannot get the money due W em di clA heir debtors, they are placed at once in ad m os P i th e state, which frequently ends in their ruin. — B c ri gidAVl 14; PARISH ()P ST. MARYLEDONE.—On -Cr- f gt.„ i - weekly meeting of the guardians of the parish ° 64 1 ;0 1) lebone, the result of the election of a visiting s u leb§ l l 4 southern district of that parish was declared by t u bo nl There were fair candidates for the situation, Zif w . or itP d cst i t i W. Jenner, of Dalstoo, was chosen by a large t 05 3 1 0, b 0 s 4 board having complimented him on his testimoni s t boajo' gratulated him on his success, h e ex p ress ed his fi t 10 Ol e th e wilintrew. ~r ve rve ,h 6 LEICESTER TRADE.—We have no illir -° l ret. I v , A ng 6 t f a h; report in business. It was hoped, by those - - „„-- a ntl e i r b nt's shipping trade, that some orders might have co w t " b t en American steamer Cambria;' but we have 0 . 9 at f a jt) ( such is the case. The home trade for hosierf l ooP,,eo li s in a deplorable state. The demand for spring g w ra ea il ie, been so small for the last five years, and rns 3 Leet 14 0 a of employm e nt. W oo l s an d yarns rt ma i n " 6 alteration ; but manufacture r s are a f ra id of lo more stock.—Leicestershire Mercury. .4.fPf i Pt , [ADVERTISEMENT.)—RADICAL CuuE of , 0 COMPLAINT BY FIOLLO WAY ' S P ILLS. — M r. John !diode:oo:7Al eughal, near Moy, county Tyrone, aceor Oing to 111 ! 0 ;00!:00; - 1 suffered perhaps mor e than most people frinn s evere v o lv- or ed o accompanied with a di sor d ere d stomach and a gen er lteLljoieo of the system, fr om which, last spring, he was ccor, - ,0 Piyonol taking; Holloway's Pills. He row only occasionally oes t i r ely „re,, them, as they have the effect of keeping him t v,ir affections of the aver and stomach, besides materially A „,,„, i,ealth. Persons of weak and delicate habit shod t d o ll o ljoi invigorating medicine, which would soon grengll len _.. - °IP system. Sold by all medicine vendors; and at profem establishment, 244, Strand, London. ~......___......"----•-•" A I ...„, ~ fr lIIRTFIS. w ic of P P' of e On the 14th inst., at Clayton, Fifeshire, the 1— t 10 Black, ksq., of a son. P 1•. — 1 l eo' On the 15th inst., at Stratford-green, the wife a o'ai, daughter. cnot orel )1$ On the 16th Inst., at St. Martin's-lane, Mrs. W. ~'"'"„ 0. '''' n 0 On the 17th inst., at Woolwich, the wile of CAPS TV' Royal Artillery, of a son. . grs• On the Isth inst., at Victoria-road, gen5ingt0:............70. Richards, of a son. ~ of $ d 3, Ou the 19th Inst ., in Porchester-terrace, Mr5..T... 6 'D r rEe ' I MARRIED. 40 , 10 , 0. t,.,14' On the I7th inst., at Hampstea.l, Mr. William L ~„4 , 10, street, Portman-square, to Sarah, daughter of M. "` Maryon House, Hampstead. ~, lit „Or DIED. l ate %"' , On the Bth inst., at Pica, William Sturges, Esq. , ' 0 her Majesty's Royal Scots Greys. J oe, of On the 15th Inst., at the Ite,thery, Wolverhampton , pip Of the Rev. W. A. Nevtmitn, M.A. , gate' ~j, lf" On the 17th inst.,.Ann, the wife of Edward James ( Lordship-lan, Dulwich, age 22. On the 17th lust , Lady Jane Tumour, eldest datighter 0 0' second Earl of Winterton, aged 65. On the 20th inst., at Tunbridge-wells, the On the 20th inst., in Lowndes-square, -- E le n i L ly , Sir Iltnry F. Catii,.bell, K.C.11. and G.C.H. S irij to On the 18th inst., at liolles-street.Cavandialt - squ are, Wood, K.C.51.G. J OIN 6. On the Ulth Itit., at St. Winnow, Cornwall, M arl .0 4 6 A youngest daughtcr oMills,h Percival Frye, aged .., 11 :, eadt.,, P :lr o.i th. I Stli hist., T. E q.,ot Savi;e-place , sw`:,,,e .r . " On the 18th twit., at Woolwich, Major-General ../3 "- Cockburn, of the Royal Artillery, aged OS. tLiie,,til.titirort°6oo/0100414# .0.0 -- L 0 on4on: .011: N LT11.1)0 ° be rtr, :straita, Frititcr..4c tilc•, Stn , ridt in °' ." SUV°YrIn Viz County of Middlesex, LOU 22, 1847, 0. LADIES Al ;:Llsmented I tt; during 1 b4 ;te m 43 -- el In the ] .36.1 he honon tha i t Atha Es T And grOttndS 111 4 '117"5 to a „ ett to you ;!lait should T 11; 0 7 1 111 Q be al: tiw2ldbet the — MI I shall 1 I ha . — malt Taven Com CONTRA MAR] '4 l ; ° Co nmbsic Stittited Kit it: o on tr T ei l tM a f l oLs ar ntp u l ' '4.4 3tith, and 4 - "! or other c t j aed, betwc at e , Troltn, I, o l ' l , 'B, or Ilel 11„ 41 'sMouTI MOIJTII— it':! Conditions 1 e!:, le e e o lib nl t e i V: o l r ea t re rii ,, -noticed, miler] 7111writinz. titit:erY Tender 11 44 ' , and bear it ttr slaniat also be the pL ne d by a I t ekh ~ on tender 400/ °f the Contr f„rATION trIZZIA InetitottO o t tspoct to L mesa 440 of t , . Pol tte,, t v option meet of ,474;:tritaces for 2 4 e relnarkab' t ieenabled th e / aln.% Nonni each Policy et tll Preinitszt Z 4s. d. , 1000 3 4 bel "`amber Orth c e Q.IJARD] Ito,il, LOMBA 44 4 1.11114 : : 414 ; : g ibrbil'1 : 0'"'" : 11311 .1 4tenart1 0 41: 11. 11 h,„.. b e i l l aeY'' t n IDkr o ; : n eYa l l , 11 titeto _ ll . Esq. Loyd Jun., 4. It 14 berts 1 41 aches Le 1 4 4 1 1 ... th 0 Ac ), 1 , 4 withon % kit kr tte lPatice g„_ °f the three tii kr - - 41 11es amo or about )b"4 Whole as Z a t zeeeded 5: % Idea trantod ttu k kiell Folic( tpL ~6 ,1 hi each t h 'ut rIltE I e ath of . l bot h a 4 been i course 41 to the hoc 3' th e A gen ity, ti o , is beret k, Latin be e , t he . nu ns. l'co r I 4 11tC"Dailf1; A tp In3Ur e the ti ARSIE taut be l LL t. -" "`ritl IteCmA' Per la iLkte 4 4 -2 8 0clati, k N l,. ‘ _o_th' er nee d P,: "oDS. ,Ni ti at' ' l ll " Insure km re ceive a : receive neh W.! interests • ...rut h e -n es the D I ti ght Hon h e Volt Roe . The Ri ght Hon . th -- ; Right R oo . th: n ight lion . . s o ;n,...lght Ron. " G / f t llam a Jan C, • l ore Langte Colville. kc., Charles 1 1 6 ._er Barnsl k-ph Dent, Ei Rerrlson. liArton. Escr., t o "lber earth She _Da tittILRL