The Sun. — London, England, 1857-02-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.! HOUSE OF LORDS.--(YESTERDAY.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took hie seat on the Virechack at five o'clock. CHINA. The Earl of CARNARVONwished to ask a ques tion of the noble earl, the President of the Council. He bad seen it stated in the daily papers that at the time the last mail left China, Admiral Seymour was throwing red-hot shot into Canton. Ile wished to know whether the Government bad received any such intelli gence ? Earl GRANVILLE said there was no reason to suppose that the Admiral commanding in China had proceeded to any such extremities. Lord DERBY gave notice that on Tuesday he should move the resolution of which he had given notice. He was not at the present moment able to state the exact terms of the resolution, but it would contain expressions of regret at the hostile steps which had been taken in China, and which were not justified by the circumstances of the case. CONSOLIDATION OF THE LAW, The Lord CHANCELLOR said he intended, next week, to lay seven bills for the consolidation of the cri minal law on the table. Similar bills were prepared before their lordships broke up last year, and were laid upon the table, but as they referred only to parts of England and Ireland it had been determined to send them over to Ireland. On the return of the bills it was found extremely difficult to include in one bill clauses to meet the whole of the different offences. When persons found fault with the Statute Law Commission he only wished they could see one-tenth part of the difficulties with which they were beset. It had been found abso lutely necessary by the Commissioners, who were una nimously agreed upon the point to begin their labours by, from the very last year, and proceed section by sec tion through the statute book, to discover what statutes remained in force in order to consolidate them. Lord BROUGHAM defended the Statute Law Com missioners from the attacks that had been made upon them. It was not the fault of the Commissioners that this digest was not prepared before. He was afraid it was the fault of the constitution itself. The noble and learned lord then bore testimony to the extraor dinary efforts and great disinterestedness of Mr. Bellen don Kerr to further the objects of the Commission. CHIEF CONSTABLES. `Viscount DUNGANNON asked the President of the Council if it was intended by the Home Department permanently to rescind the rules relative to the qualifi cations of persons to be chosen as chief constables in the several counties of England and Wales, as respects their age not exceeding 45 years, and their not having been declared bankrupts, or never having passed through the Insolvent Court. Lord HARROWBY was understood to say that a bill had already been introduced in the other house on the subject by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. PRIVATE BUSINESS. Lord REDESDALE rose to move the following re solution :—" That this house will not receive any peti tion for a private bill after Monday the 23d of March next, unless such private bill shall have been approved by the Court of Chancery, nor any petition for a private bill approved by the Court of Chancery after Tuesday, the 19th of May next; also that this house will not receive any report from the judges upon petitions presented to this house for private bills after Tuesday, the 19th of May next. The resolution was agreed to. RAILWAY COMPANIES AND COUNTY-RATES. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE, in presenting a petition from certain ratepayers of the county of Galway against empowering railway companies to have interest upon their capital secured upon the rates of counties, Expressed his opinion that, although for certain purposes it might be beneficial that some kind of a guarantee should be given, he did not think that that guarantee should be on the county rates. The Earl of LUCAN considered that guarantees were not necessary, because as railway schemes had been so much more successful in Ireland than in this country any good project would, in all probability, meet with support. After some further conversation the petition was or. dered to lie on the table. Their lordships adjourned at half-past 6 o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Mr. HOPE JOHNSIONB took the oaths and his seat for Dumfriesshire. PRIVATE BUSINESS. Thef ollowing bills were read a second time and ordered to br committed :—Bury Gas ; East Somerset Rail way ; Lowestoft and Burgh St. Peter Ferry and Roads ; Mansfield and Worksop R3ad ; Reversionary Interest Society ; Worksop and Attercliffe Road ; Wycombe Railway ; and Chester Water. NEW WRIT. A. now writ was ordered for East Sussex in the room of Mr. C. J. Frewen, resigned. SPIRITS. On the motion of Mr. MOFFATT, the following re turns were ordered :—" Showing the total number of gallons of proof spirits distilled in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively, distinguishing the quantities prf:Ouced from malt, from a mixture of malt and un mated grain, and from a mixture of sugar or molasse4 with unmalted grain, or from sugar, or from molasses ; showing also the total quantity of each sort in • the United Kingdom, for the year ending the 31st day of Dec., 1856 ;—of the number of gallons of proof spirits (distinguishing the sorts) on which duty was paid for home consumption in each of the thr. e kingdoms, with the rate per gallon and the amount of such duty; also, the total number of gallons and duty in the United Kingdom, for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1856. Showing, under sepa rate heads, the number of gallons of proof spirits, distin guishing the materials from which made, imported into each kingdom from each of the others respectively; stating also the rate per gallon, and the total amount thereof (in each case), and what portion of such duty was paid on removal of tke spirits from bond, and what after their arrival in England ; also what portion was actually warehoused under Excise lock, distinguh.bing malt from grain spirits in England, for the year ending the 31st December, 1856 ; of the total number of gallons of proof spirits permitted out of distillers' stocks in England, ai,d the total number of proof gallons of British brandy an 1 spirits of wine permitted out of rectifiers' stocks in Eng land for home consumption ; also, the total quantity of proof gallons of rum received into rectifiers' stocks for rectification, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1856 ; of the total number of proof gallons of spirits distilledin England, Scotland, and Ireland ; distinguish. ing the quantities in each country delivered, duty paid, direct from distillers' stocks, from the quantities put into bond, for the year ending he 31st Dec., 1856; of the total number of proof gallons of British compounis and spirits of wine permitted from rectifiers' stocks in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for exportation to foreign ports under drawback, for the years ending the sth of January, 1855, and 31st of December, 1836 ; of the total number of gallons of spirits in bonded stores in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively, on the 31st day of December, 1856 ; of the total number of gallons of proof spirits (distinguishing grain from trial') permitted out from distillers' stocks in England, Scot land, and Ireland for exportation to foreign parts, for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1855 : Similar account for the year ending the 31st day of Dec. 1356. And of the total number of gallons of niethylic alcohol sold by the Excise, and the total number of gallons of methylated spirits scot out by persons licensed to sell the same, under the Act 18 and 19 Vic. c 33, from the Ist day of Oct o b er , 1855 , to the 31st day of December, 1856 (in continuation of Parliai nen ia ry Paper, No. 214, of session 1856). SCHOOLS OF DESIGN. Mr. RICARDO moved for the following return :—The amount granted for Schools of Design in the years 1853, 1854, 1855, and 1856, respectively ; specifying the amount paid to each school, and to the master of each or any school, distinguishing whether the payment to such master be wholly for salary, or on account of scho larship or otherwise.—Granted. THE TENANT LEAGUE (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. MOORE gave notice that, on 3d March next, he should move to bring in a bill to award compensation to tenant farmers. THE METROPOLITAN WORKHOUSES. Lord RAYNHANI gave notice that on that day fort !light he should move for a select committee to inquire ,u inotostehe state of the poor in th e met ro politan work end the state of the poor generally in the me tropolis. In answer THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. to a question from Sir D. L. EVANS, Sir C. WOOD stated that a 3 soon as the Government bad come to A determination whether or not they would send out another expedition in search of Sir J. Franklin, he would inform the house, and if in the affirmative a vote would be taken in the new estimates. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS BILL (SCOTLAND). Mr. BAXTER asked the Lord Advocate if he in tended to bring in a bill this session extending to the Scotch counties the provision s of the Registrations of Voters Bill, passed last year for the Burghs ; and also if it was his intention to introduce a Police Bill for Scotland ? The LORD ADVOCATE said that bills would shortly d don be intro LORD AD subjects. THE MEGIERA TROOP-SHIP, Sir JOHN PAKINGTON asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was the cause of the detention o f the Megmra troopship at Portsmouth after the time fixed for her sailing for the Illatiritius with troops ; whether it was true that, shortly after she sailed, she sprung a dangerous leak, which would probably have caused the loss of the ship had the accident occurred at a greater distance from laud ; whether the repairs which the Megara was now again undergoing at Ply mouth were such as would enable the Admiralty to feel confident that she would be in a fit state to convey 400 or 500 of her Majesty's troops to so distant a part of the world ? - - Sir C. WOOD said that the cause of the detention of the Megaara arose from the officer commanding her hav ing miscalculated the time it would take to get her in order for the troops. It was not true that she sprang a leak, but it appeared that two small sore NB at the bottom of the vessel were not fastened as they ought to have been, and the consequence was the water came in, but only in so small a quantity that with an ordinary hand bucket she might have taken a voyage round the world. These holes had been stopped, and she was now in a fit state to convey troops. Lord A. V. TEMPEST as ked the irst Lord of the Admiralty if a similar circumstance did not happen to the ship when taking troops to the Cape I He had re ceived a letter from a person who was on board the vessel when she put back to Plymouth at variance with the First Lord of the Admiralty's statement. (Cries of " Order.") His lordship, to enable him to read the con tents of the letter, moved the adjournment of the house. The letter stated that the ship had only been to sea two days when she sprang a leak - , and had three feet of water in the cabin. The motion having been recorded, Sir C. WOOD said that he had made his statement on the report forwarded to the Admiralty. Major S. KNOX also put a question to the First Lord of the Admiralty relative to the state of this ship. The motion was then withdrawn. INCOME TAX. Mr. MUNTZ postponed hie motion relative to the income tax to that day fortnight. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR. Mr. J. G. PHELLIMORE asked the Solicitor- General whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Ministers to bring forward any measure founded on the report of the committee of last session on the appoint ment of a public prosecutor ? The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he was not in a position to pledge the Government to the introduction of such a bill. The introduction of such a measure must greatly depend on the state of public business. THE LORCHA ARROW. Viscount GODERICH asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether it was true that the case of the lorcha Arrow was not the only one in which the authorities of Canton had recently seized or entered upon boats sail ing under British colours, or furnished with a British register ; and, if so, whether he would lay upon the table of the house any papers relating to such proceedings ; and also, whether he would have any objection to lay be fore the house any instructions which might have been sent by the Home Government to Sir John Bowring on his appointment as Governor of Hong Kong, or at any sub sequent period previous to October last, on the subject of the exclusion of the British authorities and merchants from the city of Canton ? Lord PALMERSTON said that the papers that had already been presented to the house relative to the China war distinctly showed that on two former occasions lorchas had been molested by the Chinese, and that the papers also showed what steps had been taken by Sir J. Bowring on the subject. Thera would be no objection if the house wished it to lay the instructions referred to on the table of the house, and he (Lord Palmerston) would undertake that it should be done. THE TWO SICILIES. Mr. COCHRANE asked the First Lord of the Trea sury whether the Neapolitan papers presented to Parlia ment comprised all the despatches from Lord Clarendon to the British Mission at Naples between the 19th May, when her Majesty's Government recommended the Government of the Two Sicilies to grant a general amnesty, and October the 10th, when the British mis sion was instructed to leave Naples ; also, at what period and on what conditions her Majesty's Government in tended resuming diplomatic relations with the kingdom of the Two Sicilies ? Lord PALMERSTON said, in answer to the first question, that the papers presented to the house did not contain all the despatches that had been sent to the British Mission at Naples, but only such as bore on the matters for which the papers were presented. He must answer the second question by asking the hon. gentle man another question, viz., if he had full power from the King of Naples to put the question I (Laughter.) Be cause, if so, he had better apply to Lord Clarendon in Downing-street rather than in that house. He thought the house would agree with him that this was not a pro per place to enter on the subject. (Hear, hear.) THE RESOLUTE. Mr. ROEBUCK said that it was currently reported that the " Resolute" Arctic ship that had been fitted out by the American Government, and presented to this country, had been put into dock and pulled to pieces. He wished to know from the first Lord of the Admiralty if it were true, and if so, why it had been done? (Hear.) Sir C. WOOD said that his answer must necessarily be short, though not the less satisfactory, viz., that it was not true that the Resolute was being dismantled. THE BOMBARDMENT OF. CANTON. Sir J. PAKINGTON asked the First Lord of the Treasury if it was true that Admiral Seymour used red-hot shot in the b)mbarament of Canton, and if there were any papers or despatches referring to it, if he would present them to the house ? (Hear, Hear.) Lord PALMERSTON said that there was no foun dation for the report. The Chinese set fire to some of the Hongs. A number of the Chinese congregated in the spaces between them, and in order to disperse them Admiral Seymour threw some shot amongst them, but not red•hot shot. COLONIAL SHIPS REGISTERS. In answer to a question from Mr. WALPOLE, Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the Government had laid on the table of the house the papers relative to co lonial ships registers. MR. SHEEPSHANKS' PRESENT OF PICTURES. Mr. G. VERNON asked the First Lard of the Trea sury to lay on the table of the house the correspondence that had passed relative to Mr. Sheepshanks' present of pictures to the nation. Lord PALMERSTON acceded to the application. The country were deeply indebted to Mr. Sheepshanks fur his valuabli present. THE IRISH FISHERIES. Mr, M'MAJION moved for have to bring in a b!1 to assimilate the law as to the sea.codst fisheries of Ire land to that of England, Mr. HORSHAN, on the part of the Government, gave no opposition to the introduction of the bill, but if the bill was identically the same as that the house had repeatedly rejected, it was a question for the house to decida. Sir G. GREY said that if the Government gave their consent to the introduction of the bill, they reserved the right of opposing its details if they found it necessary. Mr. G. H. MOORE said the real question involved war; one between the salmon fisheries of Ireland and those of England and Scotland, and no doubt the proprietors of salmon fisheries in England and Scotland would be glad to assimilate the law in that raFpect to that of Ire land. All his hon. friend asked by his bill was that the law relating to fisheries in IrPland should be assimilated to those of England and Scotland. Mr. F. FRENO El said if he understood the objection of the Secretary for Ireland, it was that it had been in troduced on former occasions and had not received the sanction of the house. He wished the right hon. gentle man would act on that principle with regard to the Judg ment and Executions Bill, to which all the Irish members were opposed, and which had been this session intro duced for the fifth time. Leave was then given to bring in the bill. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NAVY. CApt. SCOBELL rose to clove for a select committee to inquire into the naval administration relating to the lists of officers, the patronage, the promotions, and the retire ments, and the efficiency of the service in all its grades. He said when ho !nada a similar motion lest year we were in a state of war, and he felt the force of the objec tion that that was not a proper time to go into an inves tigation of the state of naval affairs. Now we were at peace, and no time could be more fitting for such an in quiry as he asked. The question did not partake of party ; it was a question of naval administrative reform. the Admiralty was perfect, no inquiry was wanted ; but there was a prevailing feeling in the navy that it was unfairly governed, and that its government required amendment. Naval officers stood in various classes and Hits, rll sharing in the hardships which they said predo minated in the navy. Ire did not mean to attack the present Board of Admiralty, or any other, but the system. He would probably be toll there had been an inquiry into the administration of the navy in 1848 ; but it was an in quiry into all its branche., and not this one in particular, and all the recommendations made after that inquiry had failed. He would show that the number of naval officers on half-pay so preponderated over those on full pay, that great expense was caused, and there was little opportunity for naval officers to acquire experience in their profession. In the French and American navies there was some limit to the number of officers of the navy appointed, but in this country there was none. The hon. and gallant gentleman proceeded to urge that a sum of 60,0001. a year had been granted for the purpose of al lowing officers of the army to retire on full pay, while there was no such proyi: , ion for the navy. The army, at least, had the advantage of having a military man at its head, whose office was as nearly permanent as possible ; but how different was the government of the navy. The head of the navy was a poiicical officer, and was influenced by politics. He now came to a more practical question, that is, as to the cifferance in i he situation of naval officer i as c mipared with those in the ca sister service. theO the lhouse,a ocsion wh n he brought the ettbjt b, h 3 adduced many cases of men in the r avy who had gained their first step from lieutenant to post-captain in from three to four yedxs, and other cases in which that step had not been gained in has than from 30 to 40 years. One of th Lords of the Admiralty was one of those who got on thus rapidly, and he trusted that gallant officer would not get up and beat down the claims of his brother officers. (Hear.) The first class of officers to which he would call the attention of the house was the active list o f admirals. That list contained 1 00 , of whom only 14 were employed, 'and ho believed it would be difficult to find 14 others who could be employed. There were therefore Bti unemployed admirals; and one great grievance r, specting that list was that the men who were made active admirals were often older than the inactive admirals.. The total number of active cytaiis was 339, of whom only 112 were employed, the remaining 277 being on half-pay, (Hear, hear.) The number of active commanders wa3 542, of whoL there were employed 144, including the Coail-guard. The number on half-pay was 398. Now, let the house look at the half-pay of these officers. A naval captain of three years ranked with a colonel in the army. The huff--pay of the first 70 was 14s. 6d. per day ; the next 100 got 123. ; the remaining 228 got 103. 60. Of commanders who ranked with majors in the army, got only the senior 150 got 104. per day, but the remaining 392 Bs. Gd. Th ese sums were all considerably less than the amounts paid t o o ffi cers of corresponding rank in the army. Th e number of active leutenants ranking with capt a i ns in the army was 1,138, of whom 795 were employed, and 343 were on hs i-pay. Of that number only 34 got 7s. per day, and these 34 had an average standing of 43 years. The next 154 got 63. per day, the next 820 gut 53., and the remaining 120 got only 43. From the ye ar 1 342 to 1857, the number of cadets admitted was 1,700, and during t hat period only 836 lieutenants had been made, leaving an excess of cadets in fifteen years of 961. The state of the navy was s uch, that of those who entered one-third never got less number of cadets into th e navy. Not or beyond the first stop. The only cure for that ev il was mare admit an a t 40 .qr 50 ought to be admitt e d each year But last year the number admitted was 116, during peace. But the previous year the number was 140 or 150, and the year before that not less than 200 were, THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRIJARY 18; 1857. admitted. He now came to the elms of reserved lieu tenants—men who were put away out of sight. They were 641 in number. The first 37 got 7s. per day, the next 509 (many of whom were of 44 years' standing) got only ea., the next 80 got 5'., and the remaining 90 got 4e. Two-thirds of the men who were placed on the lieta tenants' list never got beyond it. The commanders, re tired and reserved, amounted in number to 431. Of these the first 96 got Bs. 6d. per day, and there were 245 who got only 7s. Many other men were covered with wounds, and as deserving as any men in full commission. The number of retired captains was 306. Nearly the whole of these were senior commanders, of from 30 to 50 years' standing. On receiving a step in rank an ad ditional sixpence was given to them. They expressed themselves perfectly indignant at such a pettifogging addition to their pay, which now amounted to only 10s. ed. These men had been from 50 to 60 years in the service, and many of them were 80 years of age. Nearly all the payments to which he had called the attention of the house were lees than those received by correspond ing ranks in the army. Another hardship on the navy was that there was no such thing as retiring on full pay, whilst in the Marines no less than 105 officers had retired on full pay. Why did not the navy possess a similar advantage ? The reason was that the Admiralty was not a fraternal government. In the circular issued to the retired captains offering them the additional 6d. per day it was stated that they mast give up all claim to Greenwich, and they were told that if they did not take the ed. they would never get anything. If the house should consent to the appointment of a committee, he would undertake to submit to them a plan which would remedy the unjust system which now prevailed. He would recommend the Government to get as many able seamen as they could in time of peace. If they could man the ships with able seamen in the propor tion of two-thirds or three-fourths, they might in the event of a war be spread over a large number of ships. He thought it would be desirable to give them a small bounty and a little more pay, and that their wages should be advanced every seven years. The total number of active officers in the navy on the four lists to which he had referred was 2,169. Of that number only 1,065 were employed, leaving 1,104 on half-pay. The total number of officers receiving half pay and fulbpay was 3,880 ; and of these the number on half-pay was 2,815. He would now briefly advert to some of the objections which might be urged agairist his motion. It was said that the half-pay of the army was larger than that of the navy, because the commis sions in the army were purchased. But it should be re membered that commissions in the army were sold as well as purchased, and that sometimes larger sums were obtained than the commissions were worth. And it should not be forgotten that conerdissions were not pur chased in the Artillery or Marines and yet the parties retired on the same half-pay as in the army. But beyond that he 'had examined the Army List, and had ascertained that one-half of the assay offi cers had not purchased their commissions at all. It was stated during the discussion last year that the increase of 6d. per day would cost the country 11,0001. a-year, but the actual amount did not exceed 6,500/. The right hon. gentleman the First Lord of the Admiralty also stated that these old officers had no pe. culler claims. Now, he considered the expression of such an opinion on the part of the right hon. gentleman, to say the least of it, as very ungracious and indiscreet. The question now before the house was one which in volved the efficiency of the service. By altering the mode of forming the active list the inactive list might be reduced, and not only would a saving be effected in point of expense, but the officers would become more contented. His only motive was to benefit the suffering officers of the navy, and if the Government would promise to take the matter into their serious consideration, be should be content to leave it in their hands. (Hear.) Mr. TITE seconded the motion. Sir C. WOOD—My bon. and gallant friend has re. peated to-night the motion which he made lest session. I felt it to be ; my ,duty to resist that motion, and the House of Commons agreed with me that it would net be convenient to appoint a committee for such a purpose. I do not see that my hon, and gallant friend has laid be fore the house any additional reasons for granting in quiry, and I am therefore relieved from the necessity of troubling them with a long repetition of the arguments which I felt necessary to address to them last year. My hon. arid gallant friend really misrepresents the state of the case when he says that every successive Board of Admiralty think things are perfectas they find them, and never take the trouble to make alterations. I will ven ture to say that, for the last 15 years—l might go back futeher and say for the last 30 years—there has been no naval administration which has omitted to take some measure or another for the improvement of the condi tion of officers of the navy. Every successive board hs.s made some step in that direction, and my hon. and gallant friend will forgive me for saying it is a most unjust ac cusation which he has made, not only against me, but against the right hon, gentlemen and noble lords who have preceded me, in alleging that the Admiralty have for years neglected the state of the navy. My convic tion is that the efficiency of the navy in the late war is attributable to the great improvements which have taken place, in consequence of its not being neglected ; and I believe that efficiency has been proved and tested in every rank, from the rank of admiral to that of com mon seaman. My hon. and gallant friend repeats the charge that appointments are influenced by aristocratical and Parliamentary considerations. It is impossible to meet a general accusation of that kind. As far as I am concerned, all I can say is that, if he will be so good as to state any one case in which I have been unduly swayed by Parliamentary, family, or aristocratical hal ence, I will frankly meet it; but, in the most unqualified manner, I challenge him to name a single instance. My hon and gallant friend eowplains very much of th e number of officers unemployed. No doubt it is perfectly true that in the higher ranks there are more officers than can be employed. It was a subject which occupied the attention of a commission of military and naval offi cers in 1840, and of a committee of this house in 1848. The course of promotions was checked, and the result has been considerably to diminish the number of officers in the higher ranks unemployed, and to facilitate the pro motion of younger officers, thereby rendering the effici ency of the higher ranks much greater than formerly. The argument which my hon. and gallant friend has made use of on this occasion is totally inconsistent with the complaint he generally makesof the want of adequate promotion, because if you considerably reduce the number of the higher ranks which are obtained by promotion, the inevitable effect must be that promotions must be limited ; and, if that be so, young and deserving offi cers are necessarily deprived of the just reward of their services. My hon. and gallant friend complained last session that on the committee of 1848 there was no naval officer. I poin'ed out that both branches of the service were impartially treated, and no offi cer of the army sat on that committee. lam not quite clear that officers are fit persons to sit upon an inquiry of the kind. But, I remember, seven years before a commission was appointed, consist ing principally of naval and military officers, for the purpose of investigating this very question, and the recommendations which they made were carried out. The committee of 1848 recommended that there should be considerable means of retirement provided to relieve the active list of a number of officers who were never likely to be employed, and that process has been going on from day to day. An order in Conned, that promo- Cons should be made at the rate of one captain for three who retired, one commander for three who retired, and so on, has been rigidly adhered to, except where great services have been performed. The result is that the cap tains' and commanders' lists, although higher in number than the committee recommended, are being gradually , reduced. It is perfectly true, although my lion. and gal lant friend seems disposed to deny the fact, that a great number of persons who fill the lower ranks of the service were attracted to it by the inordinate promotions atthe end of the war. As many as 1,000 lieutenants were ga zetted in one year, and I made a calculation that if every ,one had been employed the lest would have been 82 when sent to sea as commander. I need not say more to show the utter absurdity of supposing that they could all be employed. The naval members of the com mission which sat in 1840 were Sir George Cockburn, Sir Thomas Hardy, and Sir Charles Adams—men well acquainted with and devoted to the service. I have only stated what those naval officers asserted. They stated : "It would be incorrect to attribute the inactivity of thee° officers entirely to a voluntary relinquishment of duty on their part, as there is no doubt that very many of them would have been fully prepared to serve if opportunities had been afforded to them ; but as we have shown that the proportion of the employed to the unemployed is as small as 1 to 11 in one class (captains) ; as 1 to 10 in a second (commanders) ; and as 1 to 6 in the last class (lieutenants), it must be quite obvious that any-full-pay employment must have been quite out of the reach of a very large number." The only rule adopted was that which the commission recommended—that those who bad served as midshipmen and mates during the war, who had been in action, or gained medals should receive lieutenancies. It was the commission that reported in favour of the long list of lieutenants of which the hon. and gallant gentleman complained. They said :-- "Our examination of the evidence in regard to the rank of 'naval lieutenant' has led to the conviction that a very large number must be considered as having obtained this commission as a provision from the public for service in an inferior station. They did not, of course, obtain lieuten ancies exempted from a liability to be recalled to employ ment, but to many it must have been apparent that this contingency was remote, and they must have viewed the position they obtained as the ultimate station they would hold in the navy. The promotion of more than 1,010 offi cers to bo lieutenants in ono year at the close of the last war would in itself furnish a sufficient proof of this." The convenient mode of rewarding these officers and giving them p romot i on was to make b them lieutenants and to give them the halfepay of their rank, without, of course, a prospect of employment for the greatest portion of that number. It has been cale,ul ated that if all these lieutenants had been employed it would have taken 40 years before the list would be exhausted, and those at the bottom of the list would have gone to sea as lieuten- ' ants at 55 years of age. Buy it has been proved that where an officer has been so long on shore it is neither for his benefit nor f r that of the service that he should be sent to sea. The scheme for the retirement of the admirals has at least worked this beneficial change, that it has diminished the age of those officers who have at tained the rank of admiral. It used to be complained that officers were sent to sea of an age that rendered them incompetent to the duties of active service. What was the remedy for that state of things ? Why, that a certain number of officers should be i laced on the re served list with the rank and pay of rear-admiral, there- i by accelerating the promotion of captains to the rank of admiral. In 1841 the junior admiral had attained the rank of captain 35 years before he attained the rank of admiral. The last admiral, appointed two or three days ago, had served 22 years, and4this was a reduction of 13 years in the period of his attaining post rank. The second and third vacancy will bring us down to captains who attained that rank 20 years before they attained the rank of admiral. A diminution of several years has thus been effected, and the effect is that we have a number of officers on the admirals' list who are more efficient than they were 20 years ago. My hon. and gallant friend has referred to the case of the retired commander who has presented a petition this evening. The commission said : " With regard to retirement the commanders have s o me exclusive ground of complaint. They urge that there is no provision in the establishment of Greenwich Hospital for any officers of their rank, and further that there is no re tired list for the seniors of their class similar to the rank of retired roar-admiral, as opened to the captains, or that of the retired commander, as opened to the lieutenants. For both of these grievances we should consider it expe dient that redress should be afforded. " The advantages of Greenwich Hospital should be opened to commanders, as they are to captains and lieutenants; and we would therefore recommend that four commanders should be added to the establishment of that institution. " With respect to a rate of retired p a y f or comman d ers we would suggest to your Majesty that the prin c ipl e ad o pted iu e reard to the firstloolieutenants should b e a ppli e d t o th e a commanders. These 100 lieutenants have the option of re tirement as commanders, with the lowest "rate of half-pay of that rank, viz., Ss. 6d. a day. We would recommend that a precisely similar indulgence should be extended to a limited number of the senior commanders ; and we should consider that it would be fair to all ow 50 o f t h e sen i ors o f that rank the option of receiving the retired rank of cap tain, with the lowest rate of half-pay allowed to a captain —viz., 10s. 6d. a day. " It is not in our view to reduce the numbers entitled to the half-pay of 10s. a day as commanders by the proposed boon. We contemplate the institution of a class of 50 re tired captains, with 10s. 6d. a day, to be followed by the same number of commanders, viz., 150 at 10s. a day, as are at present allowed." These are the recommendations of Sir G. Cockburn, Sir T. Hardy, and Sir C. Adams, and they were im mediately carried into effect. Four commanders were added to the establishment of Greenwich Hospital, and 50 commanders retired with the rank of captain and with the lowest rate of half-pay of a capta i n. I n 1851 my right hon. friend (Sir F. Baring) doubled the num• ber of retired commanders, and added 50 to the re served list, thus trebling the number of retired com manders, with the rank of captain. I thought the com manders would be still more benefited by increasing the number of retirements, and last year I added 150 to the retired list of commanders and 50 to the reserved list. I thought it desirable, however, that the 50 should not be added at once, but the result will be that there will be 250 retired naval commanders, instead of 50 as recommended by the commission, and there will be'loo permanently on the reserved list of commanders. The larger number has been raised to the 10a. 6d. lisp, and the expense of the whole will be about 11,0001. My hon. and gallant friend then comes to the new cadets who have entered the navy. I took the liberty on a previous occasion of stating that the entry of cadets has not been unduly swelled, and that the establishment of mates, midshipmen, and cadets is no less than 610 below the establishment : during the war the number wes reduced. The number of lieutenants is not above that prescribed by the orders in Council, but at present the complaint is that the ships have plenty of lieute nants, but not enough mates. The number of cadets is considerably short of what is wanted at this moment. It must be remembered that a great number quit the ser vice in one way and another. It is not every boy who takes a fancy to the navy who likes the service after he has seen a little of it. The service is said to be unpopu lar, but I should hardly suppose this to be so from the number of applications made to me, which place me in a position of considerable difficulty in deciding upon them. The cadets who entered in 1847 were 196, of whom 83 for one reason or another are no longer in the service. I am, therefore, inclined to think that the entries in the navy have been too much restricted, and certainly if another war were to occur we should have a great defi ciency of subordinate officers, without whom it is almost impossible to maintain proper order and discipline. It does not appear to me that my hon. and gallant friend has shown any ground for the appointment of the com- mittee for which he asks. The questions relative to the reserved list and the retired list were inquired into by a very competent commission, which made recommenda tions, and the same subjects were referred to a commit tee of this house, under the presidency of the present Duke of Somerset. The combined system recommended by the commission and the committee has since been fully carried out by the successive Boards of Admiralty, and the result has been the gradual diminution of the officers of the higher ranks to the numbers fixed by or ders in Council. Ido not think any better course could be adopted for the attainment of the object which my hon. and gallant friend seeks to effect, and it does not appear to me that his motion is warranted by any of the grounds he has urged upon the attention of the house. Mr. LINDSAY said, in his opinion the navy ought not to be subject to a First Lord of the Admiralty, who was changed with every administration, but should be under a permanent commander-in-chief, as the army was. He should like to see a committee appointed to inquire into that subject. Another subject that ought to be inquired into was the large number of officers on the active list compared with the number employed. In July, 1855, when in the midst of the war with Russia, and when we had a fleet in the Baltic and another in the Black Sea, we had on the active list 21 full admirals, and one was employed ; 27 vice -admirals, and two em ployed ; stiff officers 99, of whom 83 were employed ; captains, 399, 137 employed ; commanders, 555, 192 employed ; lieutenants, 1,122, 883 employed. By this 1 system the country was put to great expense, and the officers were made discontented. Admiral WALCOTT was of opinion that the patron. age which the First Lord of the Admiralty had was far too great for any one man to have. He thought the Board of Admiralty ought to consist of naval officers, and he would make them responsible for the patronage. Captain SCOBELL briefly replied. The First Lord of the Admiralty had alluded to the report of the com mission ; but it sat in 1841, and now we were in 1857. The right hon. baronet alluded to Sir George Cockburn ; but he left a document stating that in his opinion the Admiralty was far too political. It seemed that some times it required a man to die before he could speak the truth. (Laughter.) He had not brought furward the motion without having many cases to relate of officers who had served from 40 to 60 years without obtaining promotion. He had a great many letters, but would not read them. The house then divided— Ayes 76 N0e5........................ The motion. was therefore lost. BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS ACTS. Viscount PAL NIERSTON said that doubts had been expressed in the course of last year with regard to the operation of the Bribery Acts. He thought, therefore, that the beet step to adopt would be to appoint a com mittee, with a view to discover whether any parts of the existing law were defective or susceptible of improve. ment. He ..youll therefore move for a select committee to inquire into time operation of the act 17 and 18 Viet., c. 102, intituled "An act to consolidate and a men d th e laws r e l a ti ng t o bribery, treating, and undue influence at elections of members of Parliament." Mr. WILLIAMS was glad that the noble lord was about to refer the question to a select committee. It was agreed that the measure referred to had been more effective than any other plan that could be devised short of the ballot, for the prevention of bribery and corrup tion. _ Mr. H. BERKELEY trusted the noble lord would take care that the committee was so constituted as to secure a full and fair inquiry into the act, which was ge nerally spoken of as a pntpous profession, but intended to be inoperative. (gear.) PETTY SESSIONS (IRELAND). Mr. HORSMAN moved for leave to bring in a bill to authorise the payment of clerks of petty sessions in Ire land by salaries instead of fees, and to amend "The Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act, 1851." Agreed to. TURNPIKES ABOLITION (IRELAND). Mr. HORSMAN moved for leave to bring in a bill to discontinue the taking of toll on turnpike roads now isting in Ireland, and to provide for the maintenance of such roads as public roads, and for the discharge of the debts due thereon, and for other purposes. Agreed to. EXTRA PAROCHIAL PLACES. Mr. BOUVERIE moved for leave to bring in a bill to provide for the relief of the poor in extra parochial places. Agreed to. SUPPLY. The report on supply was brought up and agreed to. ROYAL MARINE FORCES BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. The house adjournec; at half-past seven. STANDIIIVO ORDERS COMMITTEE. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Yesterday the standing orders committee met for the first time ; Colonel Wilson Patten in the chair. The committee consists of Sir W. Heathcote, Mr. Henley, Mr. Greene, Mr. E. Denison Sir R. Mr. Wrightson, Mr. Brain ston, Mr. Thurnely, an d Mr. Ferguson,E. Lockhart. After hearing the different parties the committee de cided upon not insisting upon lcompliance with the stsnd ing orders in respect to the following bills to St. Mary' s C ray ) ; Edinburgh Life A ssurance; E as t K en t R a i lway (Strood Islington Parish; Mid K en t (C roy d on Branch) ; Fi ns b ury Park • Newry and Enniskillen Rail way ; Southampton, Bristol, and South Wales Railway ; Stockport and Dursley Railway ; and for No. 1 and No. 3 of the railways proposed by the Eastern Counties Railway Company. Nos. 2 and 4 were rejected. In the case of the Fortmarine and Buchan Railway and Aberdeen, Peterhead, and Fraserburgh Railwdy, the com mittee decided that the standing orders were not to be dis pensed with. Consequently the progress of these bills is suspended fur the present session. HOUSE OF COMMONS. EXAMINERS OF BILLS FOR NEW RAILWAYS AND PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. Yesterday the examiners disposed of the following bills : (Before Mr. Frere.) Aberdeen Junction Railway. —A bill fora railway, com mencing by a junction with the Aberdeen Railway, at Aberdeen, and terminating by a junction with the Great North of Scotland Railway at Killybewster, and to enter into arrangements with the Great North of Scotland North-Eastern, Dundee and Arbroath, Dundee and Perth, Scottish Central, and. Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Companies.—The standing orders complied with. Rio/amend and KeNV ExtenBion Railway.—A bill to make a railway commencing by a junction with the line of the North and South-West Junction Railway, in the parish of Ealing, terminating i n th e parish of Richmond, in the Kew-road, adjoining the Windsor line of the London and South-Western Railway.—The standing orders not com plied with. Shropshire Union Railways and Canal, London and North- Western Railway, and Shropshire Canal Company. —The objects of this bill have already been given.—The standing orders were complied with. The following bills were also declared to have complied with the standing orders ;—Victoria Gas, Dartmouth and Torbay Railway, Otley and Skipton Roads, and Birken head District Gas and Water. The following bills were postponed :-121'n Conway Rail way Bill (to the 26th of February) ; Torquay and St. Mary Church Gas to the 23d of February). (Before Mr. Smith.) Doncaster and Wakefield Railway. —A bill to make and maintain a railway commencing by a junction with the main line of the Great Northern Railway, crossing the River Don, in the parish of Doncaster, terminating by a junction with the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, in the parish of Crofton, in the county of York ; and to enable the com pany to be incorporated with and enter into arrangements with the Great Northern Railway Company.—The stand ing orders complied with. Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Railway.—A bill to make a branch communicating by a junction with the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Extension, to tho Taff Yale Railway, in the parish of Merthyr Tydvil, terminating in the parish of Aberdare ; a branch commencing at Llanwonno, and terminating with the Aberdare branch of the Taff Vale Railway, near the Moun tain Ash station ; and a branch railway, commencing by a junction with the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Railway, in the hamlet of Cefn, terminating in the parish of Gellygaer.—The standing orders complied with. Liverpool Docks Committee and 13irkenhead Docks.—A, bill to empower the Birkenhead Improvement Commis sioners and Local Board of Health for Wallasey, in respect to the appointment of members of their body upon the committee ; for the provision for the sub-committee to manage the dock works in Cheshire, and for other pur poses.—The standing orders complied with. . _ Deeside Extension Railway.—The standing orders not complied . with _ _ . In. respect of the following bills, they were postponed to a future day :—New Ross Free Bridge Act Amendment, the Thames Embankments aid Railways, and the St. George's Harbour Act Amendment. The Ipswich Water Bill was discussed at great length, but the arguments went not concluded when the examiner rose for the day. The Clifton :Railway, and Tottenham, Hornsey, and Willesden Junction Railway Bills were struck out of the list, there being no appearance of parties to support them. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. HOUSE OP COMMONS.—FEB. 17. NATAL ADMINISTRA.TION. Motion made, and Question put, "That a Select Com mittee be appointed to inquire into the Naval Adminis tration, relating to Lists of Officers, the Patronage, the Promotions and the Retirements, and the efficiency of the Service, in all its grades."--The House divided; Ayes 76, Noes 97. AYES-76. Acton, J. Forster, C. Anderson, Sir J. Fox, W. J. Barnes, T. oladstone, Capt. J. Bass, T. Goderich, pis. Baxter, W. Grenfell, Chas., Biggs, J. Gwyn, H. Biguold, Sir S. Hadfield, G. Blakemore, T. Hankoy, T. Bland, L. Hastie, Alex. Buck, Col. Keating, H. S. Burghley, Lerd. Kershaw, J. Chambers,, M. King, J. Child, Smith Laslett, W. Cholmondeley, Lord Lindsay, Col. J. Clay, James Lindsay, W. Clive, G. MacEvoy, E. Cobbett, J. M. MacMahon, P. Cobden, R. Maguire, J. Codrlngton, General Meagher, T. Crook, J. Miall, E. Dillwyn, L. Michell, W. Duncan, G. Mx.-e, G. Dunne, M. Mullings, I. Evelyn, W. 31untz, G. TELLES& • Ewart, Y. Napier, Sir C. Ewart, J. North, Col. J. Scobell, Capt. G. Ferguson, Joseph O'Brien, P. Tite, W. Otway, A. Packe, C. Pechell, Sir G. Pigott, F. Pilklngton, J. Pollard-Urquhart, W. Reed, J. Smith, J. B. Somerville, Sir W. Stanhope, J. Stracey, Sir H. Stuart, gaptain Taylor, Col. Vivian, H. H. Walcott, Admiral Walmsley, Sir J. Warner, E. Warren, S. Weguelin, T. Whitbread, S. Williams, W. Yorke, E. NOES-97. Agnew, Sir Andrew Fitzgerald, J. 3fon creiff, J.' Ball, J. Fitzroy, Hon. H. Montgomery, Sir 0 Baring, Sir F. Follett, B. Morris, D. Beaumont, W. Fortescue, C. Mowbray, J. R. Beckett, W. Freestun, Col. Naas, Lord Berkeley, Sir M. French, F. Nisbet, Robert Berkeley, Hon. II Graham, Sir J. Oliveira, B. Berkeley, F. Grey, R. Osborne, R. Bethell, Sir R. Grosvenor, Ld. R. Palmerston, Viset. Blackburn, Peter Gurney, J. Philipps, J. Blandford. Marquis of Hall, Sir B. Phillimore, J. G. Bouverie, Hon. E. P. Heneage, Geo. F. Ramsden, Sir J. Brand, H. B. W. Herbert, S. Ricardo, 0. Brocklehurst, J. Holford, R. Rice, E. Brockman, E. D. Hor a f a ll, T . Russell, F. C. Brown, W. Hotham, Lord Sandars, G. Bruce, Lord E. Hughes, W. ghee, Sergt. W. Buckley, Gen. Hughes, H. Sibthorp, Major Castlerosse, Viscount Hutt, W, Smith, R. Cochrane, A. Ingram, H. Spooner, R. Corry, H. T. le. Johnstone, J. Hope Steel, J. Cowper, W. F. Johnstone, James Stirling, William Craufurd, E. H. J. Labouchere,Rt.Hon.H. Thornely, T. Denison, J. E. Langworthy, Edward Villiers, C. Dent, J. Lewis, Sir G. C. Watkins, Col. De Vere, S. Liddell,H. G. Wells, W. Drummond, H. Lockhart, A. E. Wickham, H. W. Wood, Sir C. Wortley, J. S. DE D i lu ta in n ec c eo a , m n E , b. V ,e J : Hu s c no o . n o . n A t . I mm . o ca i id e a R_ Wood, J. t , Sir J. . Feilden, Major Massey, W. TELLEIIII. Fenwick, H. Matheson, A. Hayter, W. Ferguson, Sir R. Monck, Viscount Mulgrave, Earl of POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Feb. 17. MA.RYLEBONE.—Mr. Broughton was engaged for some time in an investigation in reference to the case of the widow Allsop, who, as alleged by her, had lost five sons in the service of their Qaeen and country—three of theta at Cabul, and two in the Crimea. The widow, who had been ordered to attend, was pre sent at 2 o'clock. Soon after that hour she was called in, and was seated near the attorney's table. She was dressed in half-mourning, and seemed to be somewhat be y* id 60 years of age. Mr. Broughton---I have sent for you to be here to day, Mrs. Allsop, for the purpose of putting some questions to you which I consider it my duty to do in consequence of a great deal of money having been for. warded to me since the publication of your case in the papers. It is now necessary that there should be a clear understanding in the affair before you have any money handed over to you. Mrs. Allsop—Will you allow me, air, to speak to you privately, for there are many letters that--- Mr. Broughton—N o , you can n ot h ave an i nterv i ew with me in pri va t e . The inquiry must be in open court. Now, answer my questions. Are you a widow ? Mrs. Allsop--I am, sir. Mr. Broughton —In what regiment was your husband an officer ? Mrs. Allsop—ln the 44th Regiment for a long time in India, and he exchanged into another.regirnent. We then came to England, my husband selling off the half pay awarded to him, and hereceived for it 1,4001. I had after his death a little income, Mr. Broughton—From what source was your income derived ? Mrs. Allsop—Don'tzsk me, sir, for the sake of, those who are dead. Mr. Broughton—Now, be careful as to what I am ask ing you. Had you any sons at Cabul ? Mrs. Allsop—l had three there ; they were born while my husband was in the 44th Regiment ; two of them, who were twins, were christened one in the name of James, and the other David. Mr. Broughton—ln what way did they meet their death Mrs. Allsop—They were blown up into the air. Nearly the whole of the regiment was killed.' Mr. Broughton—Did you receive any intimation from the War-office that your sons had been destroyed at Cabul ? Mrs. Allsop—Yes. Mr. 1 3 roughton—Have you received any pay that might have been due to them ? Mrs. Allsop—No, sir. Mrs. Allsop here turned over a number of papers, some of which were handed, to the magistrate. Mr. Broughton—When did you first send in a peti tion Mrs. Allsop—ln 1843 ; that was to the Queen' and I did not send to Prince Albert until after the Queen, de nied me. Mr. Broughton—When you petitioned the Queen why did not you mention about your sons, who, as you allege, were killed at Cabal? Mrs. Allscp (after some hesitation)—l did, to the best of my belief, state it. Mr. Broughton—l have a well-authenticated lettet that you did not do anything of the sort in your petition to her Majesty. Can you bring forward any witnesses who knew that you had sons in the army, and who were killed ? Mrs. Allsop—Mrs. DouglaP, living in Nutfort-place, knows it. Mr. Broughton—ls she here 1 • Airs. Allsop—No, sir. Mr. Broughton—Are you aware that when applica tions have been made at the Horse Guards none of the names of either of your sons were found entered there I Mrs. Allsop—Yes, but although I could not get jus tice where I had a right, as I thought, to look for it, I one in w t h h o e ever still met with a friend. Mr. Broughton—Wh o wa s be? Mrs. Allsop—tLord F. Somerset. Don't ask me any more questions about i t . M saw either of r.Broughton-y—oCuar sons, knowing refer m them etoany to be army Mrs. Allsop—l cannot now, sir : but I might be able to do so upon anothet day. Mr. Broughton—ln 1855 the greatest excitement pre vailed in regard to the Crimean war. Will you tell me why you never made mention about your sons in the pe tition which in that year you say you sent in ? Mrs. kllsop—l did make mention of it_ Mr. Broughton—Now, I have the petition here (the magistrate produced it and read it), in which you make no allusion at all to any sons in the Crimea. Rave you ever applied to the parish ? Mrs. Allsop—l have, sir ; and have been in the re ' ceipt of 3s. 6d. per week, but it is now stopped. Mr. Broughton—Before that allo mance was made to you, you were, no doubt, questioned with regard to your circumstances by the proper authorities of Marylebune I Mrs. Allsop—Yes, I was examined by them. Mr. Broughton—And did you not tell them you had three sons only and two daughters ? Mrs. Allsop—They did not ask me any of those ques tions. Lord Raglan was a kind friend to me and as sisted me. Mr. Breughton—Have you any letter stating•that Lord Raglan ever afforded you aid ? Mrs. Allsop—l have it not here, sir, but it can be produced some other time —perhaps .I have it now. (She here looked over a large packet of papers, but could not find it.) But, why am I put to all this pain and ex posure in court, when Mr. Jenuer, of Doctors'-commone, could, if he liked to come forward, explain at onoe all about my interest in my late husband's property ? Mr. Broughton —Do you remember any inquiries be ing made respecting you by the Mendicity Society ? Mrs. Allsop—Yes ; they have injured me. They get a great deal of money from the public, and the poor peo ple who ought t• have it get little or nothing. (It had been ascertained that Mrs. Ailiop has been well known as a begging letter writer for some time.) -- - Mr. Broughton (a letter having been banded to bina by Mr. Franklin).— Were you ever at Bradford Mrs. All 4 op—brentford, did you say t I don't know the place. Mr. Broughton—Bradford, and not Brentford, was mentioned. Do you know that town ? Mrs. Allsop—Certainly not. I am an ill-used woman, and have put my case in the hands of a lawyer, who will lay everything fully before the public at large. After some further questions to Mrs. Allsop the Ma gistrate, addressing her, said--It is now unnecessary for me to keep up this inquiry any longer. I did at first entertain a favourable opinion of you, but my impression has since been altered. I believe that your story with regard to your five sons having lost their lives in the service of their country is a fable. If it be not so, it is a most extraordinary thing that clergymen and others whose names you have made use of in various ways, and who, as stated by you, have known you fora long while, know nothing respecting your children,- the young men who you state have perished in battle. You told the guardians and directors of the poor that you had three sons and .two daughters only, and the letter which I have by me, addressed by you to Colonel Phipps, is dated March, 1850. When I re ceived it from you it bore the date 1856. The Prince caused inquiries to be made, and they turned out to be unfavourable—hence arose the letter declining assist ance to the widow. I (added Mr. Broughton) have also made the most diligent inquiries, and they are equally unfavourable as regards your claim for assist ance. After a careful investigation I come to no other conclusion than that you (Mrs. Allsop) had no sons killed, either at Cibul or in the Cr:mea, and that your story in your applications to Royalty was not founded in fact. lam anxious that it should go forth that., fed ing as I do upon the matter, the persons who have con tributed sums for the widow under the belie that she was a deserving object may hare them re'.urned in the event of Mrs. Allsop not being able in the course of a few days to establish a proper claim to public sympathy and aid. Should the donors not ha desirous of having back their contributions, I shall devote them to the poor-box, from which many deserving and distressed persons will derive assistance. Mrs. Allsop then left the court, saying, "I'll have the whole of my case put into all the papers." WORSHIP-STREET. —John Walker, a haberdasher, in Shaftesbury-street, New North-road, was brought up for re-examinatien upon a charge, preferred by the parish authorities of Shoreditch, of neglecting, ill-feeding, and cruelly using his orphan niece, eight years of age ; a❑d a boy named Charles Gleed was charged with wilfully smashing the other defendant's windoivp. The ca-e of the boy came on first, and in that Collard, a constable of the N division, stated that while on duty in Sbaftesbury-street on the preceding evening he saw the boy fling something at the first-floor window over the haberdasher's shop, and directly after heard a smash ing of glass. There was a great mob of people collected round the house, but he went in among them and took eut the boy. Mr. D'hyncourt—What was the cause of the mob collecting ; did you ascertain Constable—Yes, sir ; a person named Walker, now under remand from this court, and out on bail, for ill using a child, lives there, and ever since the first exami nation a scene of excitement has heels Exhibited there which is perfectly indescribable. The police are on duty in the neighbourhood in numbers, but a mob of from 700 to 800 people, and of all ages and both sexes, collects, and the consequence is that business is prevented, and the shops near are closed. I never saw such a disturb ance or display of feeling ; the windows of the house are broken, and, although the shutters are up, the pannel ling beneath them has been kicked in and splintered. A great amount of damage has been done to the premises, and I really believe that Walker's life will be in danger if the mob get hold of him. A gentleman present—l can bear witness, sir, to the scene in the street being a's described by the officer. I never saw such a disturbance or destruction in my life ; at least 10/, worth of damage has been done to the hone. Mr. D'Eyncourt—l must express my strong disappro- bation of such a manifestation of feeling as this. The object of it is now under examination here, though oat on bail, and has been perhaps himself fearful of personally applying for a remedy, but the persons who so assail him may rest assured that if either he or any on e on h is behalf appli es t o me f or re d ress I will grant a process against them immediately. Mother of the boy—Why, sir, my boy is only one among a thousand ; this pelting sometimes goes on till 12 o'clock at night. Mr. D'Eyncourt—l have it in my power to send your son to prison in default of paying a 40s. penalty for throwing stones in a public thoroughfare, but, as you appear to be a, woman in distressed circumstances, and the boy to have acted more from an evil example than anything else, I will in this instance only sentence him to pay the amount of damage he has inflicted, and allow the officer to receive it and refund it to the owner of the premises, The woman gladly paid the money, and the boy, after reproval from his mother, was discharged. Walker afterwards appeared in discharge of his bail, accompanied by Mr. Heritage, his solicitor, and, the evi dence previously taken having been read over, and the witnesses cross•examined by Mr. Heritage, be was again remanded upon bail, himself in 1001. and two sureties in 501. each, a slight increase upon the former amount of bail. This amount he could not procure, and the officers, therefore, took him away in a cab, to save him from the indignation of the mob, who had assemtled outside the court to the number of several hundred persons. CLERKENWELL._A large body of unemployed artisans and labourers who had formed part of a meeting in a field near Agar-town,' St. Pancras, marched up in front of the court, headed by the chairman of the meet iog, who acted as spokesman. He stated to Mr. Combs that they had applied to St. Pancras parish for relief, and having been refused they came peaceably to seek advice and assistance from his worship. The poor persons now attending were starving with their families and bad not tasted food all day. Numbers of the per sons present confirmed this fact, and Mr. Combs hu manely ordered that bread should be procured and dis tributed to them, and the station-house yard next to the court was immediately crowded by the hungry multitude. Mr. Bayliss, the chief usher of the court, ordered an immense quantity of loaves of various bakers in the neighbourhood, and they were handed over by Mr. Superintendent Martin of the G division, and other officers in quantities according to the distress and 'wants of the recipients. THAMES.—Two strong and able-bodied fellows, of ruffianly appearance and manners, named Joseph Lee, aged 19, of No. 30, Devonshire-street, Commercial-road east, and James Sadlier, of No. 12, Star-street, Commercial-road-east, plumber, 22, was charged with seizing John Duhm, of No. 6, Lower Pelham-street, Spitalfields, by the neck, throwing him backwards, and attempting to rob him of his watch and money. The prosecutor said—l was returning home about 2 o'clock this morning, and whil e pass i ng along High street, Whitechape, I saw the two prisoners with another man and a woman. Sadlier came up to me and said, " What have you been insulting my girl for ?" I replied, "I have not seen her or you before." Upon which Lee seized me by the throat and nearly strangled me. He threw me down and held me fast while Sad lier, who acted in a most violent manner, tore my waist coat open, and put his hand in one of my pockets, but there was nothing in that pocket. He then made a snatch at my watchguard. By a desperate effort I par tially released my , elf, and got upon my feet, and was enabled to call "Police !" The policemen came up, and the two ruffians threw me - on the ground and ran }away. But for the policemen arriving as they did I should cer-1 tainly have been robbed of all I had. They struck me twice, and hurt me very much. Mr. Yardley—Are you sure those are the ra en who attacked you Mr. Duhra—l am, sir ; I can positively swear to ,hem. Margaret English, a young woman, said,—l was pass. ing and saw the prisoners together, and one of them caught the prosecutor by the throat and threw him down. There were three of them, but one ran away, and got clear from the police. Police-constable Woodward, No. 187 H, stated that he saw Mr. Duhin in the hands of the prisoners, and on running to the spot the men ran away. He followed Sadlier a❑d overtook him close to the Red Lion and Spread Eacde public-house on the north side of the High. street. On apprehending him he said he had just come out of the public-house. He took the prisoner to the prosecutor, who at once said, "He is one of the men who attempted to rob me." Police-constable Burgess, No. 190 U, said he also heard the prosecutor crying "Police ) police I" and pur sued Lee and succeeded in apprehending him. • Police-sergeant Foay, No. 7 H, said be knew both prisoners well as the associates of thieves. Lee bad been in custody, and was once summarily convicted at the Worship-street court. Lee pleaded guilty. The other prisoner said nothing. Mr. Yardley said he was not going to dispose of this case summarily, and committed the prisoners for trial. L AMBETIL—George Collins, a smart young fellow, who gave his address 54, Queen -street, Palace-road, Bir mingham, was charged with the following attempt at highway robbery and violence Mr. William Harvey, of 19, New-street, Kennington road, traveller, said—About 12 o'clock last night I was passing along the Kennington-road and overtook and passed the prisoner. Immediately after I had done so I received a severe blow on the back of the head, and on turning round I saw the prisoner, who said "he would have ray money ; that he had none, and would have mine." He then put his hand into his pocket, and took . , out something which I thought was a knife. To avoid him I ran into the road, when I was followed by the prisoner; and at this moment Mr. Moss, a gentleman who is now present, fortunately came up. I told him what the prisoner had done to me, and he endeavoured to secure him, when a policeman carne up, and took him into custody. Mr. Joseph Moss, a clerk in the War-office, residing at No. 6, New-street, Kennington, deposed that he saw the prisoner chasing the prosecutor, and the latter asked him to assist him. He did so, and pushed the prisoner back while he was striking at the prosecutor. The pri soner said he would have the prosecutor's money or hi s life, and was very violent indeed. Mr. Elliot—Are you sure the prisoner made usa of those expressions ? Mr. Moss--Quite sure, and he was very violent wheat he said so. P o li ce - c onstable Joseph Kneck, 115 P, said—Last night, while on duty in the Kennington-road, I heard a scuffling noise at some distance off, and on going to the spot the prisoner Was given into my custody by ,Blr, vey, who told me what he had done. I asked him bow he came to attack the gentleman, and he replied, "I'll have his Pron e , r his life." 7 rhea, took him to the from svLat.,.a, Lou. me then the p (,se cutor I back to the spot where the assault had been committed, and there found this knife. Cook, the gaoler, recognised the prisoner as an old customer, and the prisoner himself acknowledged to having been committed from this court for two months on a charge of picking pockets; but Cook was of opinion that that was not his only visit, The prisoner, who offered nothing in defence, was fully committed for trial. !ountry Markets. LIVERPOOL—FEB, 17. At to-day's market there was the usual attendance of town dealers and several millers from the interior. Wheat met with a fair inquiry from our local dealers, as well as for shipment to Ireland, and a moderate extent of business resulted at Tuesday's prices for American red and finest qualities of white, but at a decline of ld to 2d per bushel on middling and inferior qualities. Sack flour slow retail sale, at barely last week's prices. Oats must be noted jd to id lower, and for oatmeal no demand. Beans and bar ley unchanged. ludian corn in good demand, at 31 per qr. advance on yellow and mixed, and 9d on white, the two former readily bringir,g 348 and 359, and the latter 36a 6d to 37s per 4814 ; the, export demand still continues. LEE GS, FEB, 17. We have a fair supply of wheat : good dry qualities are held very firmly at full prices, while inferior and damp sorts are as difficult to sell as before, and the business pass- Mr , only limited. Barl e y ma k es. l ate rates. Beans fully as dear. Other articles as before. Average prices of grain—Wheat, 568 3d ; bailey, 470 6d ; oats, 25s 5d ; b eans , 41 s 1 0d ; peas, 40s 01 ; rye, —s. d. lIITLL—FIB. 17. To-day we had a short supply of English wheat, which met slow sale at the rates of last market day. Foreign wheat very dull. Barley, and all other articles without change. Linseed very firm, oil dearer, and cakes are ulls altered, crushers resisting the decline. 5 B Wheat, English, red 56 to 5S Ditto white 6O to 63 Dantzic and Konigs berg 65 to 70 Pomeranianand Ham- e .g. 'Peas, grey and black to Linseed, Black Sea 68 to 70 . Ditto Petersburgh 56 to 67 !Ditto Rigaand Arch angel Ditto Konigsberg and Memel BO to 58 burgh _— 58 to 64 1 Danish, Holstein, and Friesland 54 to 58 Russian and Odessa 53 to 63 Oats, English Ditto Danish Ditto Friesland Ditto Russian 27 to 30 1 Barley, malting Ditto grinding 35 to 38 1 1 Beaus Ditto foreign .... Peas, white and yel. 40 to 42 Par Ton Hull 01 Os to ILI 10e Od I Ditto fine for. 91 Os 1110 s Od ; Ditto inf. for Ol Os Od to ill ell ;IRapeseed OOl Os t. 001 Om lißape cakes .—s Od to 130 s Od I;Tares, English Ol.. to —1 ;Ditto foreign 11Guano OOl Os 81 tol3l 101 ! I Bones !:Flour, per brl. 3ss. 381 COURSE OF EXCHANGE.—YESTRIMAr. trnsterth im ,.., 11 I 6 Gibraltar...... •• •• •• ••• Ditto, three months .. 11 18% Leghorn .. •• .......... 29 47g Rotterdam ............ 11 18% Genoa Amtwerp 26 42 Milan Brussels 25 4234 Yen1ce........ • • Elambargh 13 7% Naples ........ .. 4 3 % Altona ................ Paris Palermo ........•..... 129% • • .... 25 Messina ... . Ditto, three month s .. 25 6 5 2 Lisbon .. Marseilles 25 67 3 Oporto 51% Rourdeaux .. • • Rio Janeiro Frankfort-on- Maine .• .. 1193 y i Buenos Ayres...... • • Berlin •• .............. New York,6o days' sight Vienna • • .... 10 30 Philadelphia •• trieste .. • •• 10 32 PRICES OP 11171110 N, PR R OZ. Petersburg 37% Foreign Gold in Bars 43 17 9 Madrid 49% Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0 Cadiz • •........• 50 Mexican Dollars .... 0 0 • r3arcelona .....• • • .... New Dollars ...... 0 0 0 • • I Silver in bare •• - 0 0 0 LOCAL SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, FEB. 17. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market was active to-day, closing at its best point. Caledonian, 31i 21i 2 Eastern Counties, 10 —Lancashire and Yorkshire, 99 London and North Western, 107 B—Ditto, halves, new, 66. 3d. die.—Blackburn, 91. Is. 3d.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 35i—Midland, 83,1 2 o. 3i —North British, 101. Bs. 9d.—South Eastern, 22i I—Dutch Rhenish, 3e. 9d. p.—Great Western, 68 4—Great Western of Canada, 25k—Great Southern and Western, 55i—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire, 69. MANCHESTER, FEE. 17. STOCK EXCHANGE.—This market was doing a rather moderate business, with prices unchanged. Midland, 811 —Leeds, 994—London and North Western, Lin—Ditto, Eighths, 5-16 die.—Blackburn, 9 1-16--Sheffield, 351 — District Bank, 11i p.—Caledonian, 32i—Rochdale Callas 81. LEEDS, FEB. 17. STOOK EXOHANGE.—An average business done to-daf• Midland, 83—North Eastern, (York capital stock), 3 1 i Victoria Mine, is. die. BIRMINGHAM, FEB. 17. STOCK ExonAxam:—The market continues firm, and little business doing, at about yesterday's rates. London and North Western Stock, 107# s—Great Western Stock, 67/—London and North Western, Eighths, die.—Blv mingham Guaranteed, 76 ?,—Birmingham Pref., 104 I` . Birmingham Canal, 92 3—Birmingh a m an d st h iford• shire Gas, new , 11 12 pm. SHOCKING SUICIDE BY STRYCHNINE.—A painful se*. Baton was created in Newport last week by the 1113° 01 of the death of Mr. William Gummow from strychnine, administered by his own hands ; and the fatal act is of importance to the world on account of the distressing symptoms which exhibited themselves for some five hours previously to his death. On proceeding to view' the body the coroner's jury found deceased in the same position, in bed, in which he died, and be presented most fearful sight. His eye-balls seemed ready to burst from their sockets ; his teeth were tightly closed ; the features drawn and contracted, and the whole counts. nance frightfully distorted ; his fists, too, were firmly clinched ; his feet forced out beyond the foot of the bed, and his limbs in a state of fixed rigidity. The poison wall bought by the servant of the suicide. The druggist recol• lected the latter coming to his shop and asking for arsenic to kill rats. He gave him three grains of strychnine. " I have sold the same (said the druggist) for killing rate for four or five years to many persons. I write the word poison' on my packages, and have not a printed label." The coroner and jury observed it would be much better to have a printed label. The deceased took the whole three grains. The doctor who attended him first tried strong emetics, which produced no effect. He then ap plied the stomach-pump, but his mouth was so firmly fixed, and the spasms and violent paroxysms were so powerful as to shake the gaslamps in the room below, and he could not in any way apply it. His body wag bent in a curved form as in lock-jaw. They were only such symptoms as weuld be produced by strychnine or hydrophobia. The spasms contracted and bent the feat, and the hands were clinched too, and he died in one of those convulsions, quite black in the face. From half an hour to two hours is the longest time known in such cage° after spasms have commenced. Half a grain is enough to destroy life. The right side of the heart was found full of blood, and the left empty. It has been a disputed point (in the cases lately before the public) as to whether this side should be full) or empty in cases of poisoning by strychnine, but there have been instances both ways. The lungs were blacker than usual, but the other organs healthy. —Hants Advertiser [ADTBRTISEMENT.] - Among the numerous extraordinary cures without medicine effected by Du Barry's delicious health-restoring Revalenta Arabica Food of Indigestion (Dyspepsia), Flatulency, Constipation, Nervous, Bilious, and , n C ot o u th g e h ie ts t th r m em a, ai C t o a n b sum ie :_ pti c o ur n, e a N ud o D . 4 e 7 b , i l li 2 ty l. , the e f r o I C m w i p n l g a i a u r t e s —Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of Nazing Vicarage, Walthamcross, Herta : a cure of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies. Cure No. 48,314.—Mi5s Elizabeth Yeoman, Gateacre, near Liverpool : a cure of ten years' dyspepsia and all the horrors of nervous irritability. 12, Patrick-street, Cork, 4th mo., 4th, 1849.—Respected Friend,-_I have given your Arabica Food to a girl of fifteen, who during the last seven years has not been a day witheut vomiting fifteen or sixteen times, and sometimes oftener. The' fourth day after she commenced your food vomiting ceased . altogether, and she has not thrown up since ; her health is improving wonderfully. WILLIAM MARTIN M.D.— Supported by testimonials from the celebrated Professors of Chemistry Dr. Andrew Ure ; Dr. Shorland ; Dr. Harvey ; Lord Dr .Gasmtupabrtelld;o p Dr e . ei Ga es t ; tik th e e r. stuart ; Major-Gen. Thomas King, and many other respectable persons, whose health h a s b e en restored by it, afterall oth er Dowager ag ."errur co ze u r n ; te Dssr. of Castro. means of cure had failed. For further particulars respect. ins this invaluable food our readers are referred to Du Barry's advertisement in another part of this paper. BIRTHS. OF 1. 801. the 17th inst., at Herne-hill, TaY, Mrs. Christ°. pher North Graham. -On the 17th inst.. at Clapham-park, Surrey, the wife of Sydney Laurence, limp OF A DAUGHTZIL On the 16th inst., at 12, Sussex-gardens, Hyde-park; the wife of Captain klansard. Robert On the ay lsthinst., at 2 , Regent's -park-terrace, Mn, Cl. MARRIED. On the 17th inst., at Clifton, Eyre Ceote, Esq., of West Park, Hants, to J ess i e Mary, the third surviving daughter of Major-General H. Leehmere Worrall, of the Bengal Cavalry. John terrace Hudson, M.D., of 11, Cork-street, Burlington -gar■ dens, to Louis a Grover, of 23, Cambridge-street, Ilya!park, park , daughter o f the late Captain Grover, F.R.S. DIED. On the 17th inst., the Very Rev. William Rowe Lyall, Dean of Canterbury, aged 69. On the 17th inst., , Mr. James Well, of Horton, upwards of 25 y ears assistant to Messrs. Wm. Tegg and Co., Pub' lishers, Queen -street, Cheapside, aged 58. On the 16th inst., at Horsham-park, Robert H. Hurst, Esq., aged 69. On the 15th inst., at Hoddeedon, Fferts, Arthur, tl • yoinger son of the late Sir Edmund Filmer, Bart., M.P. On th e 15th i nst., at Grantham, George White, Esq aged 88. On the 14th inst., at 8, Harley-place, Bow-road, Jona.. than Arnold, Esq., formerly of the Stock Exchange, . agtd 71. On the 14th inst., at 26, Upper Grosvenor•street, the Rev. Arthur Atherley, vicar of ileavitree, Devon LONDON : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the coon of Middlesex, Wednesday, February 18, 1857.