The Sun. — London, England, 1840-03-05 00:00:00

EVENING E rmi ON MANNING IHE NAVY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—I have this day read your own comments l in your Panei of Tuesday, the 25th uit., and th"ugh now laid on the shelf of the naval service, still I cannot help offering you my tribute of ap proval and thanks, for publication of the only ener getic, truly sensible, independent, and well digested expo:Sl have vet seen on the alarming and impor tant subject of our seamen, and its probable results in ease of another war, which, from many probable causes, may not be far distant. For more than two centuries the House of Com mons of this country have occasionally expressed disgust at impressment of seamen for our naval ser vice, but never had nerve sufficient to meet the question with that perseveriNg spirit this all impor tant subject requires. In a letter I addressed to Lord Melville, as First Lord of the Admiralty, 24 years ago, I concluded by saying, " The British seame n have brought their country through many wars to its present state of greatness in the scale of nations, and unless you make the service more eligible to their mind and feelings, and render im pressment nugatory, by proper encouragement, equal or superior to their brothers in war, British seamen will be the destruction of their nation, which they have brought to such a pitch of great ness." In elucidation of this, I will tell you truth, that in the last American war their ships were manned with British seamen. The day they de clared war agaioit us, , hey, by an c official cen s us, counted twenty thousand British seamen in the United „st a t e , Y es , 'het t‘ere the seamen that fought Your battles of Nile. Copenhagen, and Tra falgar, an d swept e , -r -e opposing naval foe but America from the surface of the ocean. From many causes, I know more on this subject than most, if not ativ otiier person. And I could almost shed a teat for my country, if she does not immediately remedy this evil, which will otherwise destroy her. I was Ca . ptain of the Macedonian when she was Captured by the United State s American ship, and on nay being taken on board that ship, I recognized many of her crew in different ships I had com manded ; one of my crew found his brother on board ; others cousins ; and one of my quarter-mas ters on the Court-martial swore to his having known 17 of the American crew, who served their time out of the ports of Newcastle and Shields at the tune he did. While the United States and Macedonian lay vgether in the harbour of New London, my crew being prisoners, I was met one evening by the crew of the United States, I be lieve purposely, in the street, pet haps 300 of them; they gave me thre e dietl.s, and said w e capture d you, the Americans could not do it, and when our country behaves well to us we will capture the Americans. In fact the crew of the American ship always paid me more respect than they did to their own officers. You are not to look on this as a solitary instance ; it was the case with all their ships. The American Captains told me they would not go to sea with native seamen. I have known an American frigate at New York hoist the flag for entry of seamen, and in twenty-four hours 800 British seamen crossed her deck, from whom the Captain picked 400 of a crew. Those facts may startle, but are no less true, and will be again more awfully realized, to the discomfort of Great Bri tain. I could verify the truth of every sentiment your valuable comment contains, and happy will it be for England if she takes seasonable measures, from the tenor of your very important dictate, as I assert that on this subject alone she rises or falls as a nation. Except the enemy are landed on your shore, and Man, woman, and child becomes terror- struck, impressment cannot be again resorted to, and though I feel assured the present Government would gladly enter on the subject, still party spirit tuns so high, the chance is any measure they bro ug h t .forward would be frustr a t e d. A letter will not ad mit of recounting my former suggestions to remedy the evil of impressment, and I can only say I deem it very feasible, and shall be always most happy to lend assistance, by suggestion, and detail of many facts. - Your remark on the state of the manning of our fleet, at the conclusion of the war, is, I fully know, perfectly correct ; in fact, ours was then a nominal navy. I here insert the crew of the Mace donian, being, the last ship I commanded in the war. Offie , rs, petty iifficars, seamen, and marines .. Leadsmen.... 258 Boys 36 Crew of t h e U n i ted States. 297 Officers, petty officers, seamen, and marines...... 478 Landsmen None Boys 479 I do hope- and trust, Sir, that you will persevere in the cause you have under aken—the s a l va ti on o f this nation. It is worthy of your strenuous efforts 'I am, Sir, you: obliged and obedient servant, JOHN S. CARDEN, Rear-Admiral. Oichenham, nirch 1. TO THE _EDITOR OF TILE SUN. Ste,—ln the report of the fire in Paternoster-rote, which appears in the Times of this day, my house, No. 40, Newgate-street, King's-head Tavern, is stated to he much damaged by fire, and to be insured in the Royal Exchange and Licensed Victuallers' offices. Such is not exactly the fact—it is insured in the Royal Exchange and Sun Fire-offices. As such report might seriously injure me, by induc ing my friends and customers to suppoie that I am prevented from carrying on my business (and, having a supper ordered for eighty gentlemen, it might prevent their attendance), therefore I am happy to say that for tunately I am enabled to carry on my business as usual, as the back part of the premises only is injured. I be g most respectfully to thank my friends and customers for their kind assistance on this trying oc casion, and also the fire brigade and police ; and am, Sir, your humble servant, J. GRIFFITHS. King's.head Tavern, Newgate-street March 4,1840. COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen will hold a Privy Council this afternoon at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty took equaitrian exercise yesterday in the Riding .school, near Buckingham Palace. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent walked yes terday in the gardens of the Palace. Viscount Melbourne had an audience )esterday of the Queen. The Royal Dinner Party last evening included the Earl of Surrey, Lord George Lennox, and Lord Alfred Paget. The Band of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards was in attendance during the evening at the Palace. Mr Mertin Colnaghi submitted for the Queen's inspec tion yesterday a lithographic print by Mr. Lane, from the last pm trait of her Majesty, painted by Mr. Ross. Her Majesty was pleased to express her approval. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended Divine Ser vice yesterday (Ash. Wednesday), in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. Lady Charles S4merset, Hon. Miss Hud son, and the Ho - a. Miss Mitchell, were in waiting on her Majesty. The Duke of Cambridge left town on Tuesday on a visit to the Duke of Rut:and, at his scat, Belvoir Castle, Lei cestershire. The Committee of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, consisting of the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Nova Scotia. the Rev. Dr. Sheri, the Rev. A M. Campbell, and Joshua Watson, Esq., had an interview with Lord J. Russell, yesterday, at the Colonial-office. The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Mr. Bruee of Then net, and Mr. Graham Speirs, a deputation to present a Memorial of the inhabitants of Edinburgh, in regard to the present state of the Church of Scotland, .accompanied by the following—The Duke of Argyll, the Attorney -Gene ral, Mr. Gibson Craig, Mr. Bannerman. Mr. Hastie, Mr. Maclean, Sir George Sinclair, Mr. Pringle. the Hon. G. Elliott, Mr. Dundas (Orkney) and Mr. Wallace, had an interview with Viscount Melbourne yesterday at his offieie.4l residence in Downing-street. Captain Pelly. and Mr. Herbert, of the Trinity House, had au interview with Mr. Labouchere yesterday at the Board of Trade. Lord Fitzroy Somerset and Sir Richard B. Philipps had interviews with the Marquis of Nuratanby yesterday at the Home-office. Mr. B. Wood, M. P., and Mr. Slaney had interviews with Lord John Russell vesterda , r at the Colonial-office. The Earl of Mint° gave it dinner last evening to the Ca binet Ministers, at his residence in the Admiralty. THE NAVY. RF:TURN of the Average Number of SEAMEN, MA RINES, and BOYS, employed during the year 1839, with the Number Voted for the year 1840. Number employed Number voted in 1839. for 1840. ...................10,970 24,165 ................. 9,k;;5 9,000 ••......• 4,152 2,000 Seamen.. Marines . Boys__ 34,137 165 Mr. Basset stands for He!stone, as Whig can didate, in the place of Lord Cantilupe, who has taken the Chiltern Hundreds, and is in the feld as Tory candidate for Lewes, to the diseouiSture of Mx. Sheriff Evans, . THE CHI ESTiO N. TO THE EDI 7' 01? OF THE SUN. SlR— . Communications arc daily appearing in the I,on don Journals respecting the relations between the Bri tish and the Chinese, but none of the writers appear to me to look with both eyes upon the question. One says that the demoralization of China is attributabh to the importation of opium under the British flag ; and therefore, that any vengeance directed against us is allowable, and ought not to expose the Chinese to ous resentment. Another, that the opium traffic is indis pensable to China, and cannot by any possility be pre vented. Now, if' twenty years' personal intercourse with the Chinese, of every class, be thought to justify the expression of a decided opinion, allow me, Sir, to as - you, and the readers of your excellent Journal, that disputes with the Chinese, and frequent and injurious in terruptions of the trade from a thousand causes as well as that of opium, can only be entirely prevented by tin establishment in the Chinese waters of an emporium of commerce wholly independent of the authorities of the Celestial Empire. The opium is but a mere pretext for a quarrel with us. For thirty years have we openly exported opium to China, and always under the protection of the Government, though nominally a contraband article of commerce. The duty upon every chest of it was care fully levied by the local authorities, in the shape of fee' and gratuities of a fixed and regular amount, which were never disputed by the sellers of the drug. Nor would the sale of a single chest of opium be prevented by Great Britain withdrawing herself from the traffic, as so long as the trade is profitable, a thousand flags will be found to cover it. So long as there is a de mand for what can be as easily grown in Egypt as in British Indio, there will be an abundant supply. But this is not now the question. Our trade with Canton was always carried on upon the understanding that our persons, properties, and lives, should In sacred. We have witnessed the destruction of the pro perty, and the menacing of the lives of British subjects ; and had our shipping been as much in the power of the Chinese as the opium, net a plank of them would have escaped the flames. That they were not seized, is in deed a miracle. I myself, at the head of 500 Chinese. would have taken every one of them in half-an-hour. and that wi'hout the expenditure of an ounce of' gun powder! Surely you will agree with me, that it is shameful to expose the commercial navy of such a great country as this to such a risk. Some good-natured people here think that the ques tiou may be settled by negotiation. This a sad mis take. The Chinese would attribute the least allusion to a compromise at present to our extreme terror of them, and they would repeat the opium trick, with fresh and unheard of atrocities, before the expiration of a year after the re-opening of the trade. Their con duct will be regulated by their fears, and all that we desire them to do, we must convince them that we are in a condition to exact Even then they will keep their promises no longer than till they can breck them with safety. I am afraid that the Government, in directing mili tary operations against China, has not sufficiently at tended to the resources of that country. That 10,000 British troops, well officered and provided with a good park of flying artillery, could take the city of Pekin one week after landing at Puho, is unquestion able. But though we can take the capital of China, we cannot keep it, nor an inch of the country . beyond the range of our guns. Now what I propose I s, that we place ourselves at the head of the Chinese society or brotherhood, leagued against the Tartar Govern rm nt—a society exceedingly numerous and very power ful in every part of the empire. By this means we can easily effect a revolution in China, and obtain for ourselves not only a free right of trade, but emporiums for conducting it entirely under our own control. Of these we require three on the coast of China ; and once in possession of these, in stead of going to the Chinese, we could at any moment, by stopping the trade in salt and rice, compel them to come to us. Captain Elliot has made great mistakes, but great allowance must be made for him. He went to Canton a stranger to the character of the people with whom he bad to deal. In Europe it is hard to make people be ►ieve that the Chinese are a faithless, prevaricating, lying, people, and yet nothing is truer. As to the bills given by him for the destroyed opium, I think the Govern- ment ought to have paid them at once, and looked to China for their reimbursement. The blow inflicted upon trade by the dishonouring of these bills, has fallen with ruinous severity upon the merchants of India ; and as the merchants are less to blame for what has hap pened than the Government, I cannot admit either the justice or the sound policy of this. The interests of our merchants, and those of the whole community art , are here identical, and to punish the country through them for what they could neither foree nor prevent, savours little of that protection to which the mercantile body is entitled. If we could not get the amount o: the bills from the Chinese, a Us of 10 per cent. laid on Chinese goods imported into India would soon cover the loss—a measure unobjectionable under such cir cumstances. I have the honour to remain, &c. PAK TAOU. METROPOLI TA - Si -POLICE. Return of the number of Men of each Rank and Class of the Metropolitan Police serving on the tat day of January; 1840 ; also the rate of pay of each class, and the Allowances : Rank. Amount per An. _ . d. 1 Insp ec ti ng Superintendent..... 40 0. 0 0 0 1 Superintendent3oo 0 0 16 ditto ...... ........... ..• 250 0 0 73 Inspectors ... _ _ 349 Sergeants, 118 6 0 _ ........................ .. 63 14 0 250 Constabl es , I st c l ass 54 12 0 2,527 ditto 21 .. • 49 8 0 269 ditto 3d ...... .... ..... 44 4 0 ALLOWANCES.—The sergeants .. and .. oonstables are al lowed clothing, and each married man of these two ranks is allowed 40 pounds weight of coals weekly throughout the year ; each single man is allowed 40 pounds weight weekly during six winter months, and 20 pounds weight weekly for the remainder of the year. 3 Inspectors 1 ditto 1 ditto lOO 0 0 1 ditto 9l 0 0 16 Constables, Ist class Bl 8 0 11 ditto 2d 72 16 0 38 ditto 3d 1 Principal Inspector 1 laspector, Ist class lOO 0 0 a ditto 2d 6 ditto 3d 8 ditto 4th 75 0 0 30 Constables, Ist class 59 16 0 40 ditto 2d C. ROWAN. CIVIL LIST-PENSIONS. An Account of the Total Amount of Pensions granted in each Year ending he 20h day of Ju. From 14 February, 1828, t to 20 t June, 1828. n .. e .£1,229 The Year ending 20 June, 1829... 1,830 Ditto 1830... 6,353 Ditto 1831... 5,401 Ditto 1832... 2,638 Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto .. 1836... 1,310 Ditto Ditto Ditto R. GORDON. Whitehall Treasu r y Ch am b ers , F e b , 24, 1840. HORRIBLE CRUELTY IN IRELAND--The ease of Holland and wife, tried last week at the Limerick Assizes, has excited considerable interest in that quarter. The particulars will be collected from the sentence passed on the prisoners by Mr. Justice Perrin last Saturday. His Lordship, in a feeling manner, addressed them as follows :—Phillip Henry Holland and Frances Holland, you have been indicted in several numbers for that you did make an assault on one Mary Anne Alcock, she being a child of tender yew's ; and a servant under the control of you, Phillip Henry Holland, and with divers whips, rods and cords, did beat, assault, and wound the said child, so as to inflict grievous bodily harm on her ; you have been also indicted for assaulting and wounding the said child, and in like manner for assaulting one Henry Pugo las, and cruelly using him, so as to inflict on him grievous bodily harm, he being a servant, and under the control of you, Phillip Henry Holland. You have been tried by a county Jury, of your own selection, and after an ample investigation, a most able and ingenious defence, a full and deliberate trial, you have been convicted in those several numbers, of cruelly ill-using those children who were committed to your care, and whom it was your bounden duty to protect. Whatever view we take of your conduct, whether in respect to the mere interests ot the master, or the improved condition of a large body of our fellow -creatures—namely, our domestic servants—a class whom, I am sorry to say, it is but too common to decry—who contri bute largely to our comforts in this life, and bear a heavy share •.f its burdens; it is our duty to protect that class from the ca prices of temper, gusts of passion, and overbearing cruelty of domestic tyranny and unrestrained feelings, which would fre qaently be the means of inflicting on them cruel and unlawful punishment. It is now my painful office to pronounce the sentence of the law. Wi'h respect to you, Phillip Henry Hol land, your offence is much aggravated by the circumstance of your countenancing and encouraging your wife in the commis sion of those acts of cruelty, instead of exercising that advice and wholesome restraint, which your relation towards her coun selled and admitted. The sentence of the Court, therefore, is, that you Phillip Henry Holland, and you Frances Holland, be each imprisoned for the space of nine calendar months, and that you be each kept one week in every six in solitary confinement, and that you Phillip Henry Holland do pay a fine to her Ma jesty of 500/, ANTI-CORN -LAW MEETING IN CHORLTON UPON-MEDLOCK.—A requisition, signed by ninety-gve rate payers, having been presented to Messrs. R. Pilling and S. Seed, Constabl es o f t h e township of Chorlton-upon--Medloek, requesting them to call a public meeting of the inhabitants of the township, " for the purpose of considering the propriety of petitioning the House of Commons for a total and immediate repeal of the present Corn-laws; the Constables , in oomph apee with the requisition, convened a public meeting for the above purpose, which was held in the large room of the Town Hall, Grosvenor-square, on Monday evening last. After a cro9cl deal of eloquent oratory, resolutions for a total and irnme. Pi* rPpe4l were go;pliqloyly adopted:—Manc4qter ford, 817RnEy MW4ING;--(14 Saturday a county meeting was held at Guildford before thy High Sheriff, to ad dress her Majesty and her Royal Spouse on the happy event of her marriage. StriN, LONnONT. PITTTPSPAY, MARCH 5, IP4O FROM TliN DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. (From the Globe.) The. Bill of which Lord J. Russell has given notice will, we trust, terminate the struggle between the How , af Commons and the Courts of Law—a struggl, which, however imperative in defence of a privilege es• sential to the free exercise of its legislative functions. an S been attended with incidents the recurrence of ,vhich ought to be guarded against. The Ultra, Tories in and out of Parliament have, as might bt expected from them, taken to represent the assertion of an important principle as a party question, and have at tributed to the Government a disposition to press tht prerogative of the House of Commons to an extent dangerous to public liberty. The division lists sutii ciently testify that the question of privilege is alto , gether distinct from party. The object sought, so far from being dangerous to public liberty, is essen. tial to its preservation, by ensuring publicity to the proceedings of the representatives of the people. TM means resorted to on Friday last by the Tory agent, to pack a meeting at Freemasons' Tavern, to which the) most falsely gave the appellation of a County Meeting. Are perhaps a better proof than any other could have afforded of the impossibility of obtaining from any fairly constituted public meeting an expression of opinion, Averse to the legitimate object aimed at by the Commons. (From the Standard.) The nightly exhibitions upon the privilege question it he House of Commons are full of profitable instruction. .vhich will not be lost upon the just and thoughtful peo 31e of England ; last night's display was eminently va luable in this respect, as developing the real character of the Romanist and Radical chiefs. We do not refer to the contradiction between their loud profes sions of a zeal for liberty and their practical tyranny ; that is a con trndiction so well understood from long .xperience as to almost acquit the parties of hypo :risy, we would particularly refer to the deligh' ,vith which they manifestly revel in the suffering , ,f their victim, and to the extravagant arrogance with which they treat as deeply criminal all opposition to heir will—traits of character from which it ►s cer tain that if ever the country shall be thrown into sucl confusion as afflicted France at the close of the last cen tury, Masats and Robespierres will not he wanting ►mongst us. Lord Mahon, as our readers are aware, ap plied to the House in behalf of Mr. Sheriff Evans, though without that gentleman's knowledge, stating, upon the authority of a medical gentleman in attendance upon the Sheriff, that the prisoner's life is in danger by reason of his long imprisonment. When we have said that the application was made by Lord Mahon, we have given assurance that it was just and reason able,. supported by facts, and conveyed in the style of a polished gentleman and a man of genius. (From the Courier.) Mr. Baines has at length so far succeeded in the measure which, at the instigation of the Political Dis senters, he has persisted for several Sessions in pressing upon the House, as to obtain leave to bring in a Bill, which, under a pretence of relieving the clergy of the Establishment from the payment of an impost, is intended to levy a tax upon all livings, of which the mnual income exceeds 300/. The justice of abolishing he First Fruits ; which for two centuries had been the oroperty of the Crown, and which were given by the Crown to be applied to a specific purpose, may be ques tioned. The reasoning on which he founded his former motions on this subject has often been refuted. He still I alleges that the valuation of the livings was mane in one coin but paid in another, overlooking the fact that after the First Fruits were arrested on their progress to the Papal coffers, and transferred to the Protestant Mo- • much, the valuation became stationary that the impost might not become oppressive to the Clergy. This is dmost evident from simple inspection of the Act of Queen Anne, by which the original valuation was con firmed. Mr. Goulburn justly stated that none of the most acute lawyers had ever conceived that the svhole of the First. Fruits were actually taken ; meaning-, we presume, from the reign of Henry VIII. TEETOTALISM.—Let it not be supposed that the Irish alone, renouncing strong drinks, enjoy a monopoly of " the great moral revolution," for "the progress of Tempe rance" in England is no less steady, though not quite so mira culous and fast as w ith F at h er M a th ews disciples. This is proved by our country papers, which absolutely teem with ac counts of Teetotal Meetings similar to the subjoined, notice from Monmouthshire :—" A meeting, for the promotion of tem perance," says the Merlin, " was held at Varteg School-rooms, at seven o'clock on Monday last. At a few minutes past seven the upper room was full, and a great number of persons were standing outside ; it was Necessary, therefore, to open the lower room, which was immediately filled; yet timbers were obliged to go away, because they could not gain admittance. In the upper room the chair was taken by G. S. Kenrick, Esq., on the motion of William Needham, Esq. The meeting was then addressed in a convincing and effective manner by Wm. Needham, Esq., upon the general principles of the. Society, and he was followed by the Rev. G. Jones, in speech exhibiting the progress of Teetotalism since he be came a member; it was then a term of reproach, but it was now considered a most honourable distinction. Thomas Thomas and Rees Price, two respectable operatives, gave a very encou raging aocount of their trial of three years' teetotalism ; and the chairman closed thi meeting by giving a summ ar y o f th e advantages w hi c h a wor ki ng man might expect to derive from becoming a teetotaller. As soon as notice was given to receive signatures, there was a rush towards the table ; each one seemed fearful that he should not get his name put upon the list, and for about twenty minutes the heat and crowd about the chair was quite oppressive. The number of names enrolled in this room was above a hundred. In the Meantime the chair was taken in the lower room by E. Bowman; Esq., supported by the Rev.l. Lewis, and Messrs. E. Thomas and Jenkins, who s pointed out so clearly the evils of the drinking usages of society, as to persuade thirty-four of their auditors to sign the pledge. The total number of signatures received this day was 1“; but it is in vain to attempt to describe the interest and enthusiasm which was exhibited by the meeting von this oc casion. Though the speaking began at a quarter past seven, and the meeting did not separate till a quarter past ten o'clock, there ware no symptoms of weariness : the men listened with the same eagerness at last as at the beginning, and they se parated, exclaiming to each other, " What a splendid—what a glorious meeting we have had ! what a deal of good it is calculated to effect!" The next day showed that its happy influence was not exhausted by the fervour of the moment, for thirty-eight more signatures were added, making in the two slays a grand total of 180 persons whose minds have been pu rified from the prejudices of early education and habits, or who have nobly set the example of self-denial that they may be the means of reclaiming the unhappy drunkard." ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL.—The annual meet ing of the Gavel nors of this institution was held on Tuesday evening, in Greville-street ; Alderman Harmer in the chair. The meeting was more numerously attended than any previou annual meeting for many years past; and among those present were the Rev. Mr. Rice, of Christ's Hospital, Rev. Mr. Knapp, of St. Paul's, and several other clergymen of the Church of England, besides some of the earliest friends of this charity. The Rev. R. C. Packman, the honorary secretary, read the report, from which it appeared that the institution is in a flaurishing condition, and that the amount of relief afforded during the past year has exceeded any previous efforts of the Governors. The number of out patients, who had re ceived the benefits of the charity, was 10,581; and of the per fectly destitute and diseased persons admitted into the wards of the hospital, 427, of whom 369 had been discharged cured, eight had died, and twenty-nine at present remained under treatment. The amount of the receipts, including subscrip tions, donations, and legacies for the year, was 2,565/. 19s. Bd., exceeding the total of the previous year by upwards of 7001. ; the total expenditure for the year was 1,561,. 12s. lid. ; and the funds remaining in the hands of the Treasurer were larger in amount than on any previous occasion, notwithstand ing the fact that the hospital has been enlarged by the addition of another house, the lease of which has been purchased at a cost of 8001. The report further stated that her Majesty, the Patroness of the Society, had forwarded a handsome donation to the Secretary in consequence of the representations of the Marquis of Normanby, who, with the M arc hi oness, i samong the most stanch supp or t ers o f the Free Hospital: besides the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Bedford, the Duke of Buceleuch, Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Kinnaird, the Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster, and other personages of distinction. The thanks of the meeting were given to the Rev. Mr. Packman, the Secretary, in highly complimentary teams, for his unpreceden ted exertions on behalf of the institution. And voles of thanks were also passed to Dr. Weatherhead, Dr. Marsden, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Gay—the medical officers ; to the Committee of Management ; the trustees, and other officers, for their ac tive exertions during the year. And the thanks of the meeting having been carried by acclamation to Alderman Harmer, for his conduct in the chair, and his usefulness to the charity front its earliest dawning, the meeting adjourned. Some of the paper manufae'.urers, stationers, ard printers of Bristol have presented a Memorial to the Lords of the Treasury in reference to one feature in the plan proposed for securing the revenue arising from the Post-office depart ment, by the authority given to the public to send paper to be stamped at one of the Government offices in the Metropolis. The Memorialists consider that to confine the stamping of paper, as proposed, solely to the Metropolis, will have the effect of di. venting a considerable portion of the trade now enjoyed by this locality, from the circumstance that the paper manufactured in this vicinity wilt have first to be supplied to the stationer— thence transferred to London for stamping—and then returned again for consumption. This will expose the Memorialists to a competition with the manufacturers and trailers in the Metro politan market, which the Memorialists consider to be not only injurious to their interests, but manifestly unjust. The Me morialists, therefore, humbly pray that their Lordships will please to direct the establishment of a local board for stampine paper in Bristol, as well as for the issue of envelopes and covers, proposed to be used for the circulation of letters. And, as a means of affording increased employment for an establishment of the kind in Bristol, the Memorialists suggest, for their Lord ships' :censideration, the expediency of connecting with the stamping of letter-paper that of newspapers, the circulat i on of which in the West of England is now very extensive. we should be glad to see a similar Memorial preesmenptoewderfreodmbßyattlhle. —Bath Gazette. THE CITY POLICE,—The Com Missioner of the City Police is actively engaged in making improvements in the force. He has been, we understand, City authorities to raise the pay of the men whose conduct he approves of, to twenty-two shillings per week, so that it will be in his power to draw a very intelligible distinction between the active and the indifferent in the performance of the police duties. Station-houses are, under his judicious authority, in a state of preparation in several parts of the City. A l arge house has been taken on the west side of Smithfield for the principal station-house; another is to be constructed out of the union workhouse in Shoe-lane, and a m >del station. house is to be immediately erected in Cripplegate, and three are to be built in the eastern parts of the city. An admirable plan has been adopted to prevent the long complained of omnibus nuisance, generally understood by the word " creeping," Officers have been placed in different parts, whose duty it is to oblige the omnibuses to move on briskly. Their stations ere Aldgate Pump, the East India House, Corn hill, Mansion House-street, Bow Church, the Obelisk at the top of Cheapside, the oorner of St. Paul's, New Bridge-street, the hottom of Farringdon-street, and .Nesegate-street. Th e men so stationed have directions to attend to the omnibus and cab stations alone, and passengers can, if drivers dare to creep, apply to any officer on the line, and be saved the trouble of sum moning the offenders. The shopkeepers have experienced great benefit from this arrangement, which will not be violated with impunity. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT 110 USE OF COMMONS, MAICIf 4. Captain PECHELL brought up the report of the Brighton Small Debts Bill, which was received, and the Bill having been read a second time, was orderrd to be committed. Mr. HAYTER brought up the British Iron Works Bill, which was read a first time. On the motion of Mr. HARLAND, the Hartlepool Dock and Railway Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed. On the motion of Mr. BAINES, the Dewsbury Gas Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com mitted. Mr. GREENE brought up the Report of the Com liittee on the Greenwich Railway Station, to the effect chat the Standing Orders had not been complied with. On the motion of Mr. GIBSON CRAIG, the Scottish Widows' Fund Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed. CHURCH EXTENSION. Mr. J. E. 'VIVI AN presented a petition from Truro in las our of Church Extension. He supported the prayer. POOR-LAWS. Mr. DUGDALE presented a petition from War wickshire for an emendinent of the Poor-laws. THE QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE. Sir J. SEA LE presented a petition from Dartmouth, praying the House to persevere in the vindication of its privileges, which were essential to the interests of the people, the petitioners at the same time regretting that my hardship should fall upon individuals by the mea cures which the House was compelled to adopt for that vindication. Mr. PARKE presented a petition from Leceister, ,n.aying for the immediate release of Mr. Sheriff Evans, tnd stating that the petitioners viewed with alarm his having beer, committed under a warrant which did not Isslgn any par:ieular offence for that committal. Mr. W. EVANS presented a petition from a parish ti Derbyshire, deprecating a war with China, and pray ng the House to adopt means to put a stop to the trade in Opium. . Mr. W. S \NTH presented a petition from Norwich, praying for Church Extension. Dr. LUSH INGTON presented a petition from the Editor of a Newspaper in the Island of Jersey, poiating out certain defects in the Constitu tion of th ,t Hand, and praying the House to adopt uome measures on the sulject. The Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman also presented a petition from the Mariners' Church, complaining of the destitute state of British seamen, and praying the House to take their ease into consideration. Also a petition from Mor fen College, and twelve of the Minor Canons of St. Paul's Cathedral, complaining of the Ecclesiastical Duties and Revenues' Bill taking away their privileges, and praying the House to take their case into considera -ion, and afford them redress. S,r WALTER JAMES presented a petition from the Chamber of Commerce of Hull against the Inland Warehousing Bill. Mr. BROTHERTON presented ten petitions from Manchester, Stockport, and Ashton, praying for an Inquiry into the factory system. Mr. BAINES presented a petition from Yorkshire, praying for the abolition of the Corn-laws. Also a petition signed by 3,127 inhabitants of Leeds, stating they had heard a company of merchants were engaged in smuggling opium into China, in open defence of the laws of the empire, and stating they thought tho conse quences of this course would be to involve this country in war, which, on the part of this country, would be unjust. Captain PECHELL presented a petition from the Rev. D. Shepherd, formerly Chaplain of the Cathedral of Calcutta, complaining of the interference with the religious prejudices of native troops, and the neglect of the religious interests of the British troops, and also of the many obstacles thrown in the way of removing those evils ; 'also of the misapplication of funds left to the poor of Calcutta by the will of the late Gen. Martin, amounting to 100,0001. sterling, and praying for an in quiry whether the money had been appropriated accord tag to the testator's intention. The .Hon. Member moved that the petition be printed, and gave notice that he should call the attention of the House to it on this day fortnight The AT presented a peti tion signed by 33,000 inhabitants of Edinburgh, praying 'for the total abolition of the Corn-laws ; also a petition from the Mayor and Town-Couneil of Ipswich, express ag their opinion that it was for the public good that the privileges of the House should be preserved ; also a petition from the Minister, Elders, and all the Male Inhabitants of a parish in Aberdeen, against the intru sion of ministers. J. O'CONNELL presented several petitions ;rota Kerry in favour of extension of the Elective Franchise nod Corporate Reform. Mr. GREG presented a petition, signed by 1,200 inhabitants of Ashton, praying for a repeal of the Corn inws ; also from the operative spinners of Manchester, praying for the repeal of the " cruel and iniquitous bread tax." The Chester and Birkenhead Railway Bill was read a third time, and passed. Captain POLHILL presented several petitions, praying for Church Extension, Mr. M`KIN NON presented a petition of much im portance to engineers engaged in the construction of railways. It was from Mr. Reinagle, an engineer, who stated that in consequence of the overflowing of the waters during the lust winter, he had been unable to make the survey and . prepare the plans which were ren dered necessary by the Standing Orders of the House, by the-Ist March. He therefore prayed that the time might be extended to the Ist May, or the Ist June. Mr. GREENE—Was the petitioner connected with any particular line, or was the prayer general ? Mr. 11PKINNON said the prayer of the petition was general. Ref,2r. eLi to the Committee on Private Bills. Mr. BANNERMAN presented a petition from Aberdeen, in favour of Non-Intrusion. The LORD ADVOCATE brought in the Fic titious Voters' ( Scotland) Bill, which was read a first time. COURT OF CHANCERY. Mr. G. BERKELY presented a petition from the Attorneys and Solicitors of Cheltenham complaining of the delays in the Court of Chancery, and praying the House to adopt some measure for the purpose of reme dying the evils forthwith. He cordially concurred in the prayer of the petition. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Sir T. FREMANTLE a HOW writ was issued for the borough of Holston, in the room of Viscount Cantilupe, who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. On the motion of Sir T. FREMANTLE, leave of absence was given to Mr. W. Miles for a fortnight, on account of illness in his family ; to Mr. Godson till the 15th of April, to attend the Circuit; and to Mr. Sergeant Tinfourd till the 15th of April, for the seme purpose —( Hear, hear.) On the motion of Mr. Alderman COPELAND, leave of absence was given to Mr. Davenport and to Mr. Cresswell. _ . Lord CHARLES FITZROY gave notice of his intention to move for copies of certain despatch* s. Captain PECHELL gave notice that on this day tortnight, it was his intention to move that the petition of Dr. Sheppard should be referred to a Select Committee Mr. HENRY BERKELEY gave notice that on the 17th of this month he should move that the peti tion of the Rev. Nicholas Bennett be taken into con sideration. Mr. PARKER gave notice of his intention to move For leave to bring in a 13i1l exempting union workhouses From taxation. An 110 N. MEMBER moved for certain returns relating :o the fines of sailing of the steam packets frwu ti;(‘ river Mersey.—Orderel Mr. HA WES moved for returns relatin g to the Pew-rents and Church-rates of the parish of Lambeth. Ordered. MR. SHERIFF EVANS. Lord M.IIION wished to ::.ake a communication to ..he House relative • to the case which he had y it Yesterday brought under their consideration. He had been in formed that Mr. Freeman , having f elt desirable to obtain another medical opinion with regard to the case of Mr. Sheriff Evans, that gentleman had this mornin g received a profesional visit on the part of Dr. tiers, who was now in attendance, if it were the pleasure cf the House to examine him at their bar. He (Lor.i Mahon) had not seen the Sheriff, noi had he seen Dr. Cnambers . ; but, feel ing i t i mportant to ascertain the real facts of this case, h e h a d felt him self bound to bring it forwitrd. He had only d one so ' at the request of the medical gentle man , of who m h e had received the highest char ac t er, an d he had no object but the elucidation of the facts in making the motion which he now proposed. The Noble Lord con cluded by moving that Dr. Chamber s b e ca ll ed to the Bar of the H o use and exanened. Lord J. RUSSELL said that he did not see any necessity for such a proceeding. It appeared to hint that the evidence which they had received yesterday was fully sufficient to enal.ne them to d ec id e the question with respect to . Mr. Sheriff E vans. He was ne t a cq uainted at the time with the name of the gentleman who had attended before the House last night, but he had been si nce to l d that he was a gentl eman of the highest professional respect ability. He had stated various , particul a r s , show ing un d ou b te dl y that Sheriff Evans was afflicted with indisposition, and that, perhaps, of a serious cha racter, but he did not think that the Gentleman had stated anything which could show t h at the Sheriff's life was pla ce d i n an y immediate dang er, or which could indu ce them tohave recourse toany e xtraordinary step on the occasion. But, besides, there was a circumstance which he considered of a very conclusiv e nature, with respect to the evidence of yesterday, and that was that there had appeared an advertisement in the The SPEAKEti took the Chair at Four o'Clock. On the motion of Captain A LSAGER, the Rother hithe Burial Ground 13:11 was read a third time and passed. newspapers of to-day—(Hear, hear)—from which that ntleman was quite ready, it would seem, to go at once to canvass the electors of the borough of Lewes. —(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") It could not, there fare, be pretended that there were any serious grounds fir an inquiry into the health of the Sheriff, and ! ie s a w no reason for adopting the course which had been recommended.—{Hear, hear.) Sir R. H. INGLIS said that from the first [part of the Noble Lord's speech he thought that it would naturally follow that he wonld consent to the proposition that Sheriff Evans should be forthwith discharged. The Noble Lord, however, had concluded by saying that there were not yet sufficient grounds for the release of the Sheriff, and he appeared to think that they might keep him in custody a little longer, and try his constitution a little more. It was true that he was growing worse under his confinement —it was true that he was in no immediate danger ; but that there would be danger if he were to continue under restriction. Afrer that he (Sir R. H. Inglis) thought that the Noble Lord was jus tified in saying that be wanted no further evidence ; and he hoped the Noble Lord would have been pre pared, on that evidence, to give way to his own natural feelings, and to release the Sheriff altoge ther.—(Hear, hear.) One snight have expected that the Noble Lord would have been anxious to take the opportunity that had been afforded for liberating Mr. Evans. Mr. Freeman had told them last night that the health of the Sheriff would be every day en dangered by continuing his confinement, and that he was growing worse and worse under it. But then the Noble Lord thought it consistent with his position in that House to state, as another ground for resisting the motion, that there had appeared an advertisement in the papers, stating that Mr. Sheriff Evans had expressed his wish to become a candidate for the suffrages of the electors of Lewes. Had the Noble Lord read the advertisement—( Hear, from Lord J. Russell)—then the Noble Lord had forgotten it, for it stated that being a prisoner, the Sheriff could not solicit the support of the electors in person, but that, if elected, he would endeavour to serve them.—( Hear, hear.) The Sheriff did not state that he would canvass the electors. He knew that the tyrant majority in that House bad effectually prevented his doing so. The Noble Lord would have acted consistently if he bad substituted for it the discharge of the Sheriff. But when the Noble Lord said he was not quite satisfied as to the necessity of that discharge—his consistent course would have been to agree to the calling in one of the highest physicians in the country. He (Sir Robert Inglis) hoped the Noble Lord would not press his oppo sition to the motion to a division, but would at once call in Dr. Chambers. Mr. GORING said he had that day seen Mr. Sheriff Evans, and had learned that it was not with his concur rence, or at his wish, that the Noble Lord's (Mahon) communisation had been last evening made. The medi cal gentleman who had made the statement had done EO from a conviction of what he owed to the health of the Sheriff. Mr. MILNES thought the House was engaged in a very undignified discussion.—(Hear, hear.) After the evidence that was given last night at the bar, the pre sent discussion could not be useful or creditable to the House, or to Mr. Sheriff Evans. The evi dence that there was no ground for the application made by his Noble Friend last night was not invali dated by the fact of Doctor Chambers having been called in. He thought his Noble Friend had not consulted the dignity of the Sheriff himself by his arguments ad miserieordiam.—(Cries of " Hear, bear.") Appeals were made from day to day as if the House was acting in a vindictive capacity, or any bad feeling existed to wards Mr. Evans. Had not that gentleman been treated with every mark of respect and homage ? (Oh, oh, and Igughter.) Yea, his conduct had been quoted with respect by every Member who opposed his liberation, Every indulgence, short of liberation, ought to be granted to him.—(Hear, and a laugh.) The House would stultify itself if it altered its course. The confinement was rendered imperative. Sir A. DALRYMPLE did not think that the dig nity of the House would be lowered by attending to representations made by gentlemen of high profes sional character; He' had stood near the bar when the evidence of Mr. Freeman was given last night, and ho observed the manner in which that evidence was given. And, in consequence of that, he made inquiries whether Mr. Freeman was a man of eminence in his profession, and the result of that inquiry was, that he was a gentle man of eminence and great practice in this part of the metropolis. He understood that that gentle man had come forward under the impression that the life of the individual, whom he had been in the habit of attending for years, was in danger.—(Hear,) He therefore thought that it would not be beneath the dignity of that House to consider whether they would not listen to that individual. With respect to Dr. Chambers, he thought after the mode in which Mr. Freeman was examined last night, he bad acted per fectly right in sending for Dr. Chambers. Though every Hon. Member did not know the character of Mr. Freeman they did that of Dz. Chambers. Mr. LAM BTON thought that the Noble Lord the Member for Hertford ought to explain to the House whether, when he made his speech yesterday, he was aware that Mr: Sheriff Evans was going to offer himself as a candidate for the borough of Lewes, and he thought it was also due to the House that he should state whether he knew of it at the time he made his speech that evening. Lord MAHON would answer the two questions in one word. The first and only intimation he had had of the intention of Mr. Sheriff Evans was reading his ad dress in the Times Newspaper that mornii,g. He did not know whether that was an authentic oocument or not.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) Sir R. PEEL thought the House ought to look to this subject in its judicial capacity only. He (Sir R. Peel) bad come down to the House, expecting that the subject he had to decide would be, whether the evi dence given at the bar yesterday was sufficient to jus tify the House in liberating Mr. Sheriff Evans, and he had come down to the House with the intention of discharging fearlessly the painful duty of declaring that in his opinion that evidence eras not sufficient to justify the House in taking such a step.—( Hear, hear.) He had, however, been unexpectedly called upon to decide another question, which was, whether Dr. Sir William Chambers should be permitted to be examined at the bar ; and considering the course that had been adopted with respect to Mr. Sheriff Wheelton, and considering the high character of Dr. Chambers, and theconsequent importance of hisevidence he thought the House ought not to object to Dr. Chambers being called in to give his evidence at the bar. As he had before said upon the evidence, as given by Mr. Freeman, he did not think the House would be justified in discharging Mr. Sheriff Evans, and if Dr. Chambers's evidence was of a similar import, he should be prepared to follow the course he had hitherto determined to adopt. But, supposing that Dr. Cham bers should show that Mr. Sheriff Evans's health had been greatly impaired by his confinement, he should have regretted extremely if he had not been examined at the Bar Colonel SA LWEY said the Right Hon. Baronet, the Member for the University of Oxford, was very fond of taunting that side of the House with being a tyrant majority, more especially upon this question. There was, however, a poor man who had been in confinement for many months—he alluded to John Thorogood—( Laughter, and cries of " Hear, hear.") That poor mut obtained none of the sympathy of Hon. Members opposite, although be had been f-r fourteen months the victim of a tyrant Church.—(Cheers.) Mr. NICHOL believed that the Hon. Member was himself the defendunt in a Church-rate suit, so that it was natural he should sympathize with John Thorogood —(Laughter)—and he believed that he had very little chance of success. Lord J. RUSSELL said, although it was against his own opinion, be thought that in such a case it would be better that there should be no diviskn —( Rear, hear)—he would therefore, though unwil lingly, agree to the motion of the Noble Lord. The question was then put and agreed to, and Dr. Chambers was called in and examined by the SPEAKER. What is your name ?—William Frederick Chambers. I believe you are a physician ?—I am. Hare you been called upon to attend upon and exA mine Mr. Sheriff Evans ?—I saw him for the first time this morning. State to the House what you consider the present state of his health. —Hi s appearance shows that he is labouring under ill health, and that arises from a very imperfect state of the digestive organs, he is fat, of a bilious appearance, and gouty.—( Laughter, and cries of " Order.") He has suffered several severe or tem porary fits of the gout. Do you consider him in such a st:ite of health as that his life would be endangered by farther confinement ?—I think his health would be much deteriorated by further confinement—the disorders to which he is now subject by it would he turned into absolute disease ; for instance, if indigestion were allowed to go on, the liver first becomes disordered, and when the defect is' continued, the disorder becomes a disease, and we know that from that flows bilious attacks and the gout. The witness was then ordered to withdraw. Lord MAHON thought the evidence now received went to show that if Mr. Evans' confinement was continued much longer, dangerous disease might arise from his present state of health. The statement of Dr. Chambers fully corroborated that of Mr. Free man, and he did not think the House would incur the responsibility of endangering the life of any individual. Under these circumstances, he begged to move that Mr. Sheriff Evans be forthwith discharged from the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms. Mr. KELLY seconded the motion. He thought the evidence they had just heard entitled to the greatest con sideration, If the House wished to support its , dignity and privileges, let them imprison some other person whose health was not s,) had—(A laugh)— j but when it was ad m i tted on b oth sides that Mr. ' Sheriff Evans had committed uo molel offence, and that he acted merely is the conscier Com discharge of his duty, lie trusted the House would not longer per severe in its present course.—(Hear, hear, hear.) Ho did not know whether the advertisement which had been alluded to was genuine or not. If it were genuine, and it appeared that Mr. Sheriff Evans was in a condition to go and canvass a constituency, with a view to a contested election, then he (Mr. Kelly) should say that his state of health could not be such as to entitle him to a discharge, supposing his imprison ment to be just under the orders of the House. But there was nothing in that advertisement from which it appeared that Mr. Sheriff Evans was in a state of body to enable him to go and canvass a constituency. As it appeared from the testimony of both the medical gentlemen that fir. Sheriff Evans, if longer confined, would be thrown into a state of indisposition, which would seriously endanger his life, and feeling that the privileges of the House had been sufficiently vindicated by the course that had been taken, he did hope the House would, on consideration, agree to the motion of his Hon. Friend. Sir WALTER JAMES observed, that as the Noble Lord opposite, in the course of his speech, al luded to an advertisement that appeared in one of the papers , to-day, he could not help reminding the Noble Lord of a circumstance which, to his mind, rendered it not improbable that the statement which appeared in the Times newspaper was a forgery—namely, that the Hon. Baronet the Member for Buckingham had that evening moved for a new writ for the borough of Hel ston, in the room of Viscount Cantilupe, who, it was well-known, was about to canvass the borough of Lewes. Sir ROBERT ING LIS said, that with respect to the use which the Noble Lord had said it would be likely that Mr. Sheriff Evans would make of his liberty, he had sent for a copy of the address, which, he said, with permission of the House—(Loud cries of " Order, order," as the Hon. Baronet unfolded a newspaper and was preparing to read the address.) The SPEAKER would remind the Hon. Member that he was scarcely in order in reading a Newspaper in the House. Sir ROBERT INGLIS would bow to the decision of the House. Although he knew it was not allowable to quote a Newspaper in the House, yet he had thought that he was not precluded from quoting the address, as the matter had been previously alluded to.—(Loud laughter, occasioned by the deliberate manner in which the Hon. Baronet folded up the paper, and put it into his pocket.) He alluded to the first line of the second paragraph of the address ; he thought the best mode of settling the question would be by producing the paper, but as he was precluded from doing so, he would state to the House what that paragraph was. It was as fol lows :—" Visited with imprisonment, and deprived of that personal liberty which has ever been the birthright of Englishmen, for no crime but that of having in obe dience to the laws, and obedience to my oath, discharged the high office of Sheriff of Middlesex ; I feel that no apology will be necessary for not paying my respects to you in person upon this occasion." That was stated as the ground of his inability to make a personal canvass. It was very unfair of the Noble Lord to throw it out as an imputation that the first use this gentleman would make of his liberty would be. to visit the electors of Lewes. Surely that was not an un-English use to make of it, even if he should do so. He thought from what they had heard from Mr. Freeman yesterday, cor roborated as that statement was by what they had heard from Dr. Chambers, there was sufficient reason shown for releasing Mr. Sheriff Evans, unless they were pre pared to keep him in custody until he died. The House had surely vindicated their privileges suffi ciently; they had triumphed over the Sheriffs, and the Court of Queen's Bench had acknowledged their pri vileges by refusing to deliver him on the writ of Habeas Corpus. This ought to satisfy the House, and they ought not any longer to keep him in custody, to the in jury of his health, and, perhaps, of his life. He should have stopped here if the Hon. and Gallant Member for Ludlow, servilely copying what had fallen froin another lion. Member on a former occasion, had not taunted him with his indifference to the sufferings of . that martyr, John Thorogood, and had asked why he had never expressed any sympathy for hitn.—(Cheer s from the Ministerial benches.) Was there no diffe rence, he would ask, between a person legally con victed ?—(lronical elseers.) He did not say that he had been convicted.—(Loud cheers and laughter.) He was going to put two cases, but would content him self with one; that individual refused to plead 10 Court, the jurisdiction of which was most conclusively , competent, and he had little doubt that John Thoro good was prepared to appear to that cause, and would have done so but for the advice of false friends.— (Cries of Question.) He would only say he concurred in the motion of his Hon. Friend. Mr. HO RSMAN begged to call the attention of the House to a remarkable discrepancy in the evidence of the medical gentlemen who had been examined, and which appeared to have escaped the observation of the House. Mr. Freeman had stated yesterday that Mr. Sheriff Evans was suffering from a badly diseased liver. Dr. Chambers stated to-day that he had no disease of the liver, but that hiS digestive organs were so far dis ordered that it might affect his liver if he were kept confined. He thought that under these circumstances, and that of his having offerer: himself as a candidate for Lewes, were sufficient to show that it would be absurd. to agree to the mo ti on t or hi s lib erat i on on the ground that his He was endangered by confinement. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that before the last Hon. Gentleman who spike had risen, he was about to offer himself to the attention of the House, to make a motion by way of amendment. Like the Right Hon. Member for Tawworth, he had come down to the House prepared to vote that the evidence they had heard last night was not sufficient to induce the House to consent to the liberation of Mr. Sheriff Evans. He had known Mr. Freeman for a long time, and knew him to be a gentleman of great respectability and talent, but he did not think his evidence, in a medical point of view, was such as to require the immediate liberation of Mr. Sheriff Evans, and, like many other Hon. Mem bers, he did not think the testimony of Dr. Chambers was satisfactory. lie •had not risen to examine Dr. Chambers himself; leaving it for others who were more competent to do so, but as no Hon. Member had risen, and he thought it right there should be a more full examination, he was very anxious, and should now move, that Dr. Chambers should be re-called. Lord MAHON said that he was very ready to withdraw his motion for the present in compliance with the amendment of his Right Hon. Friend. Lord HO WICK said that before the motion of the Noble Lord or the amendment of his Right Hon. Friend came before the House, he would beg leave to make a suggestion. It appeared to him that they would be involving themselves in very considerable diffi culties by pursuing that medical examination any further. He thought that there was no gentleman who had been present during the examination of Sir William Cham bers on that evening, or of Mr. Freeman on yesterday, but did not see how painful and disagreeable to Mr. Sheriff Evans the entire of those examinations must be. —(Hear, hear.) For his part he felt that unless there was some great and obvious necessity for continuing those examinations, it would be better to avoid such a proceeding. It appeared to him that there was a course which it was in the power of the House to adopt, and by which, without incurring prolonged examina tions, they would escape the danger, which he felt to be a serious one, of making Mr. Evans suffer in his health by a continuation of his confinement. He entirely agreed with those Hon. Members who had expressed their opinions that there had been nothing in the evi dence hitherto given in the case which could render it necessary for the House to order the discharge of the Sheriff. But on the other hand, it appeared to him that there was much of that evidence which made it ex ceedingly desirable and highly expedient that they should not continue Mr. Evans in that species of cus tody in which he was now placed. It was impossible to have listened to the evidence of Sir Wm. Chambers without seeing that it was not altogether improbable that a prolongation of that custody might be attended with serious consequences—(Hear,hear)—and he knew nothing more likely to enlist the feelings of the public against them, and to weaken them in pursuing that course of asserting their own privileges, which he w as most anxious to follow, than that it should turn out that while they were balancing probabilities as to the health of the Sheriff that gentleman should contract a serious, and perhaps a mortal disease. It appe are d to him that under those circumstances the course which the House should adopt was, not that of discharging Mr. Evans, but of directing that he should be permitted to take up his residence, under the custody of an officer of that House, in such a place out of town as his medical advisers might recommend.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") All danger of his suffering from a prolongation of his present state of confinement would thus be removed, and at the same time the House would manifest its fixed determination to enfo.ce its authority. The Hon. Member for the University of Oxford had said that enough had been already done for the dignity of the House. When a person was committed for contempt, in his (Lord Howick's) opinion enough had never been done for the dignity of the House until that person had submitted himself to the House, presented a petition praying for enlargement, and profess his contrition for the fault he had committed, with his determination not again to fall into a similar fault.—(Hear, bear.) The Sheriff had done nothing of the sort. Nay, more, be had positively flown directly in the face of the House. —(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Baronet, the Member for Oxford, had said there was no similarity between the Sheriff's case and that of John Thorogood ; that Thoro good had refused to submit himself to the Court by which he had been summoned ; that be had at first been inclined to do so, but had been deterred by . , ,r the bad advi c e o f th e f a l se frii.nds who misled him.—(near, hear.) Now that was precisely the Sheriff's case.— (Hear, hear.) The Sheriff, if•he submitted to th e authority of that House would be discharged, but instead of that, he preferred yielding to the sugg es _ tion of his false friends—(Hear, hear, hear)—though had it not been for those suggestions he (Lord Howick) firm!y believed that the Sheriff would ere this have sub mitted.—( Hear.) He most earnestly entreated the EVENT - NG VDITIONr. House not to run the risk of an injury to the beelili of the Sheriff, but to take the course he had recommended, and thereby show their fixed resolution not to yield their privilege. He thought it most peculiarly im portant that they should, on this occasion, shove such resolution, for he thought much depended on that, to determine the course which the Queen's Bench would pursue when they next assembled, in Easter Term, as to the writ of inquiry. If they wavtred at all, no doubt the Queen's Bench would gladly take the advan tage.—(Hear.) But if they showed a fixed deter:eine tion he could not believe (hat the Court would act so , much at variance with all the precedents, and all the practice, of other Cciiirts, as to force an innocent party to take a course which must necessarily subject him to a punishment from which they had themselves solemnly determined they could not release him—(Hoar)—and under these circumstances doubtless the Court would abstain from enforcing- upon the Sheriff the execution of a writ of inquiry.—(Hear.) For all these reasons he trust(' the House would agree to the course he now proposed. Col. SI BTHORP questioned whether, in the event of a dissolutio n of Parliament the Noble Lord the Member for e:;roird would not find that the country took r a very different view of this subject from that which the Noble Lord and his colleagues supported. H e t h ought that they would, in th a t event, find such a recept i on all over the country that they woehl rather be hanged than lace it.—( Laughter.) The Noble Lord wire last ad dressed the House called on a former occasion for harsh measures. But what harsher measures could he want?—(Hear, and a laugh.) Was not it enough for him that some of the prisoners were denied the use of pen, ink, and paper ?—(A laugh.) The Noble Lord changed his ailed, however, and now he was willing to give the Sheriff the benefit of a country excureion.— ( Hear, hear, anti a laugh.) He (Colonel Sithorp) very deeply regretted that he had not a vote for Lewes —(Cheers and laughter.) If he had a vote the House might depend upon it be would go down to LeWes to to vote for Mr. Sheriff Evans.—(Renewed cheers and laughter.) Yes, and he would think himself honoured in being allowed to vote for so honourable a gentleman. —(Hear, hear.) He warned the House-, that if the - motion of his Hon. Friend (Lord Mahon) was not agreed to they would have cause to regret their eon duet.—(Hear.) Sir ROBERT PEEL said the real question was whether Mr. Sheriff Evans should be discharged upon the merits of the case that had been made in Lis behalf, or on the ground that he bad already suffered a stiff- cleat amount of punishment. H e thought it un worthy of the House to act apparently upon one ground while it was really doing so upon another. If the House was satisfied that A i lr. Sheriff Evans had already undergone sufficient punishment for the offence he had committed, it was unesorthy,of them to discharge him upon the pretext of ill health. Besides, it would be forming a precedent which all other persons placed in similar circumstances would be entitled in equity to take the benefit of. He thought it but justice entirely to disregard the address that had appeared in the news , papers, indeed they had no evidence of its authenticity. He could assure the House that his first impression was that it was not genuine—(Hear, hear)—because he considered it most singular that his medical adviser should have come to the House yesterday, stating that Mr. Sheriff Evans was in ill health, while he was ac tually writing an address to the electors of Lewes.— (Hear, hear.) He agreed with the conclusion to whicli the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Howick) had come; he. could not vote for the absolute and unconditional discharge of Air. Sheriff Evans, but he was willing that I any course should be taken for the maintenance of his I health that medical men might think accessary, as he I considered the House would incur a most serious rc- sponsibility, if they run the risk of laying the foundation of a permanent disease. He thought the suggestion of the Noble Lord the Member for Northumberland was one that ought to be acted upon, without interferin k with the privileges or authority of the House. Mr. HOBHOUSE contended that no person corn mitted for a violation of the law, by any Court of Jus tice, could be discharged on such grounds as had been alleged in Mr. Sheriff. Evans' case. Mr. PLLJMPTRE supported the motion. The LORD ADVOCATE observed that it was not unusual in his part of the country, to give persons under confinement in criminal cases, liberty for a cer tain be forthcomin g When required. Lord JOHN RUSSELL did not know what might Ihe the power of the CoUrts of Scotland, but he did know that when a person's life was in danger who was in a prison in England, that that was considered a round I for the interference of the prerogative of the (lout. With regard to this case he merely wished to observe upon the difference between this case and those in which the prerogative of mercy was usually exercised., but without giving any decided opinion. With regard ; to persons whose health might be endangered by far ther confinement, he did not know that that n ieht be a reason for interference on the part of the House. But with respect to a person in whose constitution it might be said th ere wes some d anger of disease arising, he did not think that in that case the prerogative of the Crown would be exercised, and he could Got help bearing in mind the decision he came to, with respect to a person whose case came before that House—he meant Mr. W. Lovett. Affidavits were sent up, and the Report of the surgeon, with regard to the state of Lovett's health. There was nothing to show that his • health was in any serious danger at that time'e but then was the evidence of medical men declaring that his constitution was a very delicate constitution, and that confinement might be injurious to his health. . Now, he did not consider that evidence sufficient to justify him to advise the Crown to interfere. He was not sure that in this case he should do so, and he was very _unwilling to apply to this gentleman, who was in a higher station, a degree of mercy which was not applied to a person in an inferior station.—( Hear, hear.) He, therefore, felt great difficulty on this occasion. He thought, however, the proposal made by his Noble Friend would prevent the imputation that they were putting this person's life in danger, and therefore, though still with considerable doubt, he should support the motion of his Noble Friend. Lord HOWICK said if the Right Hon. Baronet would withdraw his amendment, he would move one. Sir J. GRAHAM thought that further evidence should be heard, as to the degree of confinement that would be consistent with safety, and he should there fore persist in his amendment. Dr. Chambers was then re-called. Sir J. GRAHAM—When you saw Mr. Evans, did you meet Mr. Freeman ?-1 did. Did he state his view of - the malady of Mr. Sherir Evans ?—Certainly. Did he state to you what length of time he Lad at tended Mr. Sheriff Evans ?—I think he did, but I don', recollect. Did Mr. Freeman s t a t e t o you t h at i n his medic.' treatment of Mr. Sheriff Evans, he had treated him 0- t a supposition that his liver was affected ?—He did. Did you examine Mr. Evans with a view to asce: tain if there was any enlargement of the liver ?—I did. Is there any ?—I must answer that question a length. There is not that enlargemenosvhich coast, tutes disease. The whole region of the liver is turgis.: hard, and in that state we consider congestive. The term used by Mr. Freeman was induration ; dc. you think there is any danger from that state ?—There is no induration in the real medical sense lif the term, but to the extent of turgescence. Do you consider the state of his health to be such that close confinement would be injurious to him ?—I do. Do you think that custody such as he Las been sub- jected for the last six weeks must inevitably induce disease ?—I cannot say that ; that must depend upon circumstances. Would you like to incur the responsibility of saying that a further confinement of six weeks would not in duce disease ?--I cannot say. I should not like to take upon myself the responsibility of saying that continued confinement would not be likely to do so. What do you consider the length of confinement suf. ficent to produce this effect ?—I cannot mower that question. Do you think it necessary that some relaxation of the severity of his confinement would be likely to benefit i him ?—I doubt whether anything but absolute freedom would restore him to health. Do you think any relaxation as regards air or exarci,- ". would be beneficial ?-1 cannet undertake to say tint anything short of total freedom would tend to Fedora. him—freedom of mind from anxiety, as well as of betty 1 from confinement. Do you think that any such enlargement as that yc:. have alluded to would be benefited by perfect freedom —I cannot say. Ido not know that even perfect friat. dom would restore any individual to health. Is this a case in which' you entertain any doubt of t b injury inflicted by confinement ?—I should say that A habit of body such as that of Mr. Sbesiff Evans was pe culiarly disposed to suffer injury from confinement. By Lord JOHN RUSSELL,—Did you pet any questions to Mr. Sheriff Evans respecting tho exercit) and air which he is able to take at present ?—I under stand he is allowed to walk in the cloisters. Did you find the room in which he was confined at all interfere with his health ?—The roam was a , fined one, considering that he has many visitors. Do you understand that he is under asy restrictieo as to exercise P—l did not question him particularly. Do you think that he is sufficiently well to take exercise in the open air if he were at liberty ?—I do, Mr. GLADSTONE—Do you think that men's . anxiety is an important part of Mr. Evans' case?---1 have not seen enough of him to know what degree anxiety lie sufrers ; but I think, generally, that 'write' anxiety is an aggravation in such a case. Lord HO WICK—Bo you think, that if he worn out of London, and able to take a larger share of e7:- ercise, he would recover his health?—l certainly think that confinement in the country, and in an airy situation, would be less prejudicial than his prasei;t confinement. Mr. SANFORD—ShouId you, as the medics' I adviser of Mr. Evans, have thought it your duty to make such recommendation to this House ?—I .Lzu