The Sun. — London, England, 1847-12-14 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Dec. 13. The Lord Chief Justice sat to-day at the Guildhall, to try common jury cases. The Court was engaged all the morning in trying an uninteresting case of alleged illegal distress. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. The LORD MAYOR intimated that he had received papers from the secretary to the institution called the Sailors' Home, containing matter interesting to the service, 'sad therefore to the public generally. He re joiced to find from the statements made by the ship owners that the operation of the new Act of Parlia ment, inflicting penalties and imprisonment upon seamen who, in foreign countries, deserted the vessels which they engaged to work the voyage, both outward and homeward, was most efficacious, so that at the same time that it was the determination of the authorities to protect the owners and masters from the consequences of desertion, it would be seen that the utmost solicitude prevailed with regard to the comfort and protection of the men. The following is the correspondence : " Sailors' Home. "My Lord, The directors of the Sailors' Home having had under their consideration the evils resulting from the present system of issuing advance notes to seamen, take the liberty of forwarding to you the en• closed statement of the view in which the practice presents itself to their observation, in the hope that if you shall concur therein the subject may be deemed worthy the attention of the shipowners. " The directors are encouraged to hope that the Sailors' Home has . been the means of promoting habits of thoughfulness and prudence among seamen, from which an - increased feeling of self-respect is sure to follow. They, believe, therefore, that every means which can be taken to remove such hindrances from the seaman's path as the advance note system raises and perpetuates, will be found to have a most useful tendency. " The directors are happy to state that the savings'- bank at the Sailors' Home is extensively used, by seamen.* " I am your Lordship's . obedient servant, " GEORGE PIERCE, Secretary. "To Shipowners.—Consith , rations on the Advance note System ' . —Promissory notes for one or two' months' wages in advance, are given by captains of merchant vessels to seamen, before they proceed on foreign voy ages, and these notes are payable only on the condition that the men shall have proceeded - to sea in these vessels. " For these advance notes the seamen generally re ceive from slopsellers and ozhers, who are in the habit of cashing them, a small portion in money and the rest in articles of clothing (frequently of very inferior quality) for which they are charged the full price. This arises in some measure from the temptation to drive a hard bargain with the sailors, and also because if they do not sail in their vessels, or the captains neglect to advise their agents that the men are on board, the notes are not paid. "But as our seamen, when they return from foreign voyages. receive from 101. to 301. wages, this sum judi ciously laid out, would not only pay all their expenses while on shore, but would amply fit them out for another voyage; while the prospect of the advance note, too often induces them to waste that portion of their hardly earned wages which should be devoted to the purchase of their next outfit. " But the advance-note system net only injures the man in a pecuniary point of view, it exercises a most pernicious influence on his conduct. It places a sum of money in his possession which he has not earned, just at the moment of his sailing. This fee quontly leads to intemperance ; he neglects to perform his contract. and thus loi,es his ship, and some times hii'clethes. The circumstances et . having received wages in advance is also, from various caus;:s, a tempta tion to insubordination ; and thus quarrels arise before the ship has left the Channel, obliging captains to come to London, from Gravesend, the Downs, or Ramsgate, to replace those they have been obliged to discharge. It is very probable that many of these disturbances would not have arisen if wages for unperformed work bad not previ ously been received, and even when the ship makes the port of discharge abroad, the sailor having so small a sum due to him, is often tempted by the evil advice of the crimp (many of whom are in every foreign port), to smuggle his clothes out of the ship, place himself under the crimp's protection until the ship has left the port, and then again engages himself with, perhaps, higher wages, and a further advance, out of which he reim. burses the party who has trepanned him into this act of desertion. " this reckless proceeding ships are often detained in port, and ultimately obliged to sail with very infe rior crews, at very increased wages. It is, therefore, respectfully submitted that the advance of wages to seamen, by promissory notes, according to the present practice, should be abolished. By so doing a great advantage would be conferred on the sailor—better habits would be Onurated—the discipline on board merchant ships would be more easily maintained—the men who sail from Englund in a vessel will return in her—and the seamen generally will, is a short time, find that they have bean greatly benefited by the alteration, as at the end of the voyage they will receive a much larger amount in solid money instead of the inadequate com pensation, they have been in the habit of obtaining for their advat:ce notes.—Sailors' Home." " * During the last" seven years 700 seamen have in vested money in the savings' bank connected with the Sail.;, -e Home, and no amount at present deposited is 2,440/. 15s. 71' GU"ILJILiLL Mr. Alderman WILs3N acknou!edge the receipt of 51. from C. V., Watch the donor begged, might be men tioned in the.neffsptlpers, that others might be led to help tbe,poor: _ , _ . Joseph Brown, a carman to Messrs. Jensen and King ham. varnish makers, Barbican, was charged•with steal ing l'Oths. of gum, the property of his employers. John Mark Bull, a City poixce buustabie, stated that about one o'clock yt sterday afternoon, he" saw the pri soner come cut of a gatelvayfin.Barbican,: with a bag under his'arni.. He turned into Aldt.rsgate-street, and ran as last as' he'cGuld, but witness overtook him, and asked` Win whit he - had in the bag ?He said it was some gum, which he was. taking to A hiersgate-strcet to be dried. - Witness 'aSked him if it required to be dried, and wherehe brought it from. The prisoner said he brought it from his master's stables. Witness took him to his master, who gave charge_ of . the prisoner for steal ing the property. .. Mr. Kingham stated that the prisoner had been em-. ploye4 by the firm nearly two yeare.. The stock of gum of the - tiescripLon produced was kept at tlie premises in Barbican, and the prisoner had no right to have any of it at; the Stables. • Mr. Alderman WiLsorr asked what character they had of the prisoner when they engaged him ? Mr Kiagham stated that they took him without a character, having at first employed him as an odd man. Mr. Alderman Wilson remanded the prisoner that his lodgings might he searched. SOUI Iit.VARK. William Reason, alias Junes, a rou4h-1:a)1:ing charac ter,aa w broUght before..3lr. Cuttin gham, c h arge d w i th being concerned with ethers, not in custody, in breaking into the Masons' Arms public house, Liorsamonger lane, and stealing:therefrom upwards of 201. worth of cigars, and a quantity of silver and copper moneys, the property of J. W. Monk; the landlord. Police-constable 17a 14....said_1hat :the. above public. house was entered on the night:of the 29th October, and the bak - gireld open, frein.which the property above de scribed was stolen. Since then he ascertained that a hat had been left behind by one of the thieves, and from inquiries he was informed that it belonged to the prisoner, who absconded from his lodgings on the day of the robbery. He accordingly went in search of the prisoner, and apprehended him on the previoa evening. Sarah Thornton said that the prisoner and another man lodged at her houie prior to the 29th October. On that night neither of them coin home, although they had been in the habit of sleeping there every night pre vious. The hat which had been left in Mr. Monk's hous ,, was put on the prisoner's head, and witness swore that it was the same he left the house with on the day of the robbery. Mr. Monk said that tho prisoner was in his house on that day, when he had the sama hat on. - lie had no money for some time previous, and was out of employ ment, but after the robbery he w.:s displaying a large quantity. _ _ Henry Benham, potman to last witness, proved that on the evening prior to the burglary, the prisoner was in the tap-room with the same hat on, and he had not sufficient to pay for a pint of beer. He knew the pri soner being without money, but on the Sunday week after the robbery he came to him and told him he had aid out 3L in stationery, and intended to travel the country. Witness forgot to tell hii master of it at the time. A constable of the M division said that he saw the pri soner M Horsemongerlane with the hat now produced in the afternoon preceding the robbery. He had fre quently seen hi Mr ' corriNo na ti , and could swear it was his hat. w., not informed the pre sent her. prisoner that at suffidi6nt' evidence t committing hi m for the suspicion w o warrant his that he should feelrlri4l')?i4t. 0 to remand him for a a f s e s w u days, to enable the ofilcera ci" et fur:her evidence. great that tait several persons were The prisoner said.ttb)ar4 . tie present who could prove inau narhed Sims, wh o •,., l ' at w as -11 'et'his. was the, one o ne the best of h 4 own WitnesS swore thartiri- "ged with h ?ailed a hat now prochided his belief but _ to witinsPeesqtacles were found night of the robbery, ,A .l , 3e tl i t a Prj , oner wore on the on the prisoner belocging the tap-room table cif the Masons' A . ' whiCh he against --nos ,left o t , Mr. COTTINGHA3I told the trisontkr that he h not call witnesses,' as they strelittthened the r!! the eircurnstanct:asadebatter him. He should, underes, r ema n d him until Wednesday next. , - . Gor.qe . Siniik Was cheirged with stealing two pint pot,, the prep_rty:ot Mr. ,Iyatson, t hi) . landlord Of the Ara c. hokP, in Lambeth-marAh. Also with s tpi,i: ng , t ,,,,, o, the property of Mr. Joyce, 'Windmill Ta yes; 'Upper Ground= street. ' , - . , Wyld, 94 M, and 233:1., wen: to the prisoner'A lodg ings on Sunday morning, in the Mint, and team' him in bed. ' Under the- biilster they fouild Mr. Watson's pots, and in the prisoner's pockets t‘.0. 7 found the others, bel.lnging to Mr. Joyce. In the fi ro • place they disco vered an old saucepan which had latly boar' used for melting metal; several Pieces of pewtior were attached to the bottom of it. _ . . the pots were identified, and the prisoner was seen in the taproom of each house on Saturday evening, and shortly after he left the pots were missed. Ilowas-committed for.trial. . : . CLERKENWELL. Robert Owen was charged by Mr. James Hancock, of the sign of the Coffee-house, Charlton -street, Somers town, with having uttered a counterfeit half-crown under the following circumstances:— The prisoner entered the bar on Saturday evening about seven o'clock, and called for some porter, when he tendered a counterfeit shilling to Mrs. HancoA, on discovering which she returned it to the prisoner, who left the house. At about nine o'clock the same night he pai , ± a second visit, and called for a pint of porter, when he laid down a ad half-crown. He was immediately recognised by Mrs. Hancock, who called her husband, who detained him until the arrival of John Dear, 381 S, an active officer, to whom the prisoner was !Oven in custody. He seized an opportunity to snatch the half crown, which he put into his mouth and attempted to Swallow it, by which he was nearly choked. Dear instantly seized him by the throat, and after a desperate struggle he forced the handle of a key down his throat, and suc ceeded in getting possession of the bad half-crown (now produced), but the prisoner bled profusely, the piece hav ing stuck in his throat and lacerated it severely. The prisoner was taken to the station-house, and on being searchedsomegood silver and some halfpence were found in his possession, and two red herrings in his hat. Dear said that he knew the prisoner to be the companion of a well-known utterer of base coin and thief called "Slen der Billy," and from inquiries, he had traced the pri soner to have purchased two red herrings at a shop whore he had passed a counterfeit crown piece. They were in the habit of swallowing crown pieces, &c., with apparent ease, and being aware of that, when the prisoner put the half-crown in his mouth, he seized him by the throat to prevent him swallowing it. The prisoner said that he met a gentlemen accidentally in the street, who asked him if he wanted a job, and hav ing employed him to carry some goods, he made him a present of the bad half-crown, which he tendered to Mrs. Hancock. He did not know the gentleman, or where to find him. Mr. COMBS said it would be necessary to communi cate with the authorities of the Mint, in order that Mr. Powell, the solicitor to that establishment, might attend the prisoner's future examination, preparatory to his committal to take his trial, and he remanded him for a week. T E SUN, LON DON, TUESDA EVEN 1 Gr, DECEMBER 14, i 847. WESTMINSTER. Mr. Chisholm Anstey, M.P. for Youghal, who pre ferred a complaint on Friday against a cabman for mis conduct, the particulars of which appeared in our paper of Saturday last, attended at this court by appointment, the case having been adjourned. Mr. BRODERIP inquired of Mr. Anstey whether he had seen the gentleman who accompanied him to the House of Commons in the cab. Mr. Anstey replied that he had, and had ascertained that defendant ha& not been paid by him. The gentle man. who had misunderstood him, had gone away in another cab from the House. Mr. BRODERIP inquired of Mr. Anstey whether he prayed the judgment of the Court against defendant. Defendant having entreated Mr. Anstey to forgi►e him, Mr. Anstey said, that under the circumstances of the case, and as he had no wish to be vindictive, he would not press for judgment against the defendant. Mr. BRODERIP said, the defendant onght to feel much indebted to Mr. Anstey for the merciful view he had taken of the case. He (the defendant) had acted wrong all through, and had Mr. Anstey prayed the judgment of the Court he (Mr. Broderip) should have visited the defendant with a very severe sentence. The only miti gatory circumstance in the whole case was, that the fare had not been paid ; but Mr. Anstey repeatedly expressed his willingness to pay the defendant if he would show his badge, in order that he might have his remedy if the charge was unjust. The defendant had been guilty of gross misconduct, and he repeated had to thank Mr. Anstey for his kindness. _ _ Mr. nstey expressed his wish to pay the defendan something, and gave him 6s. WORSHIP- '-S: RTE: James Scraggs Foster was brought before Mr. Ham mill, charged with fraudulently obtaining money from tradesmen transmitting goods by the Eastern Counties Railway. A clerk in the granary department, named William Fearn, stated that it was the duty of the prisoner, who was also a clerk in that department, and who had been in the company's service for several year past, to make out from the invoices duplicate copies of tickets for grain sent by the carmen for delivery to houses in town, and that in consegnence of its having been discovered by accident that fradulent overcharges were being com mitted inquiries were made. and it was discovered that the prisoner had been e:ctensively engaged in such transactions, and he was accordingly given into custody. A clerk, named Bolton, in the employment of Messrs. Noble, seedsmen, Fleet-street, proved that on the 19th of last month their house received by one of the corn pany's trains 11 quarters of peas from the country, for the freightage of which 13s. I Id. was charged in a bill he produced, and Bs. for the cartage. The bill and goods were delivered by a man named King, the carter employed, to whom the money was paid and who received the ticket. Mr. Fearn deposed that the ticket in question was in the prisoner's handwriting, and produced a book in which the proper account was entered. Witness added that,Messrs. Noble had teen greatly overcharged, and that the prisoner had only paid to him the correct value of the freightage and delivery. Sergeant Price said that, from information he re ceivedfrom Mr. Capper, one of the superintendents of the Eastern Counties Railway, he proceeded to the ad dress given by the prisqner,which,however, proved to be a fictitious one, and he was at length found at a house in Wellington-street, Stepney, in a very "ill state of health. Upon his person he found ten tickets not in any way accounted for to the company, and on making further inqui:i es he discove red that a great number ofoth c r trade-men around the metropolis had been defrauded in a similar way to the one above described by the prisoner. It was also stated that the prisoner, by his delin quencies in the way stated, was in the habit of making about 31. per week over and above his salary. The prisoner was ordered to find bail, himself in 2001. and two sureties in 1001. each, for his appearance here next week. THE AUSTRALIAN MINING COM PANY. An extraordinary general meeting of the share holders of this company, to receive the report of the directors, and to fill up the vacancies in the direct'on occasioned by the resignation of Sir Hyde Parker, Bart., and the decease of Samuel James Capper, Esq., was held yesterday at the Company's Offices, No. 1, Adelaide-place, London bridge J. Master man, Esq., junior, took the chair, and after the usual preliminaries, the secretary read the report, from which it appeared that then e was every prospect of the company's having a good range of ore to break down, and economical means of bringing it to the surface. The transfer of 2,000 shares sent to the colony was attended with consider able difficulty, and the shares had consequently been returned. The committee in Australia had conse quently drawn upon the directors in London, at sixty days' sight, in favour of the Bank of Australia, or 4,0001. A mining officer had been sent out to the colony, and the directors considered that it would be advisable to send out a resident superintendent to the mines. The CHAIRMAN said they must consider the distance of the colony, the difficulties that necessarily encum bered the working of the mines there, and the total want of practical mining knowledge in Australia. The latter cause was then removed, and they hoped under the skilful management of Captain Philips, whom they had sent 'out to the 'colony, that the causes that led to the - delay in their onward progress would be speedily removed.—(Hear.) He regretted extremely that from the return of the shares it was necessary that they should make another call upon the share holders of 10s. a share before they could make any crood dividend. The chairman concluded by moving the adoption of the report. Mr. Hou.tx seconded the motion. Some discussion ensued, in the course of which an Hon. Proprietor read letters from parties resident in the colony, which stated that it abounded in the:richest mineral wealth, and offered a favourable field for speculation in this country. The resolution was then unanimously adopted. They then proceeded to the ballot for the election of the directors, which being concluded, the meeting broke up. PROGRESS OF THE CHOLERA. We find the following particulars respecting the march of the cholera in Russia in a recent number of the Riga Gazette : " The Government of Saratoff was greatly ill-treated by the cholera up to t h e 21st of October, for out of 18,594 cases, 9,194 terminated fatally. It has, how ever, now entirely ceased in the chief towns, as well as in two whole districts of that Government. In the Governments of Pensa and Woronesch the cholera still continues, but it is comparatively mild, only 3,329 per sons having died out of 8,398 cases. In the Govern ment of Orel it is still very violent. In the town of Orel, out of 1,715 cases up to the 20th of October, 830 terminated fatally, and in the neighbouring districts there were 1,518 deaths in 3,772 cases. In the Govern ment of Kursk, where it has now nearly died away, 2,860 persons out of 6,866 attacked, died up to the 10th of October. In the Governments of Pultawa, Tscher nigof, Nijni, and Novogorod, the disease is nearly subsided.' According to a letter from Posen of the Ist, in the Cologne Gazette, ,the cholera had just broken out at Slupee, a v ill age at on l y a b out 15 leagues distant. The disease also exists at Warsaw, though the fact has not yet been officially stated. Owing to dread of the cholera all vessels and persons not provid e d w i th a clean bill of health have, since the ~ : - T s i t l . e r h ult., b een interdicted access to the.coasts of Sweden. measure is r e p resented to cause considerable em barrassment to commercial relations. ._ • . WATCIII my A. D oo a n i. -- . DxscovEltli" OF A GOLD or three clays ago • . s ing ular incident occurred two C7xox—ST cm that way, accomp anie d A lad iire : s In .a p lantation near Lugar iron works. a dog, which returnin go b b!ings to and fro i A from one of its discursive 3 a the ood, lai ram cloth' from which dropped a hal d at his feet a bit of ran again' into the plantation , T ri and , he dog then tb© curiosity was naturally excited, followed, lad whose eious animal led him to a spot, from The Jhe saga parently scratched up the cloth and on roar had ap gold watch was found tied up in a baz' Nv i: z :j' i t a ai l , 'ew 11 s. 6d. in money! The " treasure trove" tjaua forma so mysteriously concealed has b6en forwai l de'd, we w i t ! , (lerstand, to the office of the county procurator-fiscal. Kilmarnock Herald. Mr. Brotherton, M.P. (Salford), and Mr. John B. Smith, M.P., had an interview yesterday, with the Right Hon. Edward Strutt, at the office of the Com missioners of Railways. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. Dec. 13. The Earl of SITAFTE4BURY took his seat upon the Woolsack (in the absence of the Lord Chancellor) shortly after Five o'clock. TURNPIKE TRUSTS. The Duke of RICHMOND presented several pe titions praying for an inquiry into the state of turnpike trusts. PENINSULAR MEDALS. The Duke of RICHMOND gave notice that he should to-morrow ask when the Peninsular medals would be distributed, and whether it was the inten tion of the Government to do a similar act of justice to the other officers, soldiers, and sailors engaged in the late war. SWITZERLAND. Lord BEAUMONT gave notice of a question for to-morrow on the proposed mediation in the affairs of Switzerland. CASE OF J. A. BROWNE. Lord BROUGHAM postponed the presentation of the petition of which he had given notice, from Mr. Matthew Anderson, a solicitor, praying for inquiry into the case of Frederick Augustus Browne, who had been sentenced to transportion for bigamy, but whose sentence had subsequently been commuted. SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION AT EVOISiPORT. The Bishop of EXETER presented a petition from several of the clerg►y and other inhabitants of Devonport, complaining of the spiritual destitution prevailing in that place. The Right Rev. Prelate contended that Devonport possessed greal claims upon, their Lordships, from the fact that it possessed a public dockyard, and that the persons there congre gated were employed in the service of the Govern ment. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to say that the Government was most anxious to adopt some measure to relieve the spiritual destitu tion complained of; and more especially to establish schools, but that the subject was surrounded with difficulties.—[We believe the above to be the substance of the observations of the Noble Marquis; but as, during the whole time he spoke, he turned his back to the gallery, it was impossible to catch accurately what fell from the Noble Marquis.] The Bishop of EXETER thanked the Noble Marquis for the interest he hail manifested on the subject, more especially for what he had said as to the establishment of schools. EMIGRATION. Lord MONTEAGLE asked the Noble Earl at the head of the Colonial Department whether he had received any information from the Governors of the Colonies on the subject of emigration ; and if so, whether he, was prepared to communicate the same to their Lordships? Earl GREY replied that he had received an immense mass of documents from the Governors of different colonies on the subject, and that before the recess he would lay them on the table of their Lordships' House. CRIME AND OUTRAGE (IRELAND) BILL. Messengers from the Commons brought up the Bill after their Lordships had been waiting two hours and a half. On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, the Bill was read a first time and ordered to be printed. No order was made for the second reading, but we un derstood, from what fell from the Noble Lord, that notice of the second reading will be given by the Marquis of Lansdowne this day. Their Lordship adjourned at a Quarter past Eight o'clock. ROUSE OF COMMONS, Dec. 13. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. Three new Members took the oath and their seats. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Lord DUDLEY STUART, a new writ was ordered to be issued for the election of a new Member for Tamworth, in the room of the Right Hon. W. Yates Peel, who ha 3 accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. PETITIONS. The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY pre sented a petition against the Roman Catholic Trusts Bill. Mr. WILLIAMS and other Hun. Members presented petitions in favour of the claims of the late Raja of Sattara. General LYGON presented a petition from a place in Worcestershire against the admission of Jews into Parliament. Mr. WADDINGTON presented a petition to the same effect from Suffolk. Mr. .EWART presented two petitions from Van Dieman's Land, praying the House to abolish the penal settlements in that colony. The Hon. Member also presented a petition in favour of the claims of the late Raja. of Sattara. Mr. WILLCOX presented a petition praying for the removal of the civil disabilities affecting the Jews. Mr. MOORE presented a petition from a parish in the county of Mayo in which it was stated that the parish originally contained 8,140 inhabitantg, of whom 650 had recently died of famine ; that the inhabitants, in consequence of deficiency in the potato crop, were subsisting •on turnips, and as their stock of food was gradually diminishing, they have nothing to look for- ward to t iut famine, if the Legislature did not afford them relief. The Mon. Member presented a similar petition f/ .om another parish in the county of Mayo. Lord A .STILEY presented a petition from Bath in favour of the claims of the Raja of Sattara. The Noble Lo re also presented a petition from an associ ation in :tr, nchester, complaininz of the spiritual des titution of that parish. The Noble Lord intimated that it was ,his intention to bring the subject-matter of this pe lition before the House, and therefore he should mop 'e to-morrow that it be printed with the votes. Mr. ST.I LNLEY presented a petition from West moreland g ainst the admission of Jews into Par liament. Mr. PRE VIEN presented a petition from Leices cestershire, pt ayint the House to pass a law to inflict the severest pi malties upon all Roman Catholic priests who denoun ?,( d persons from their altars. Mr. PA'! J !ISON presented a petition from the City of Lot: don in favour of the claims of the late Raja of Satt LEcTiox PETITIONS. The SPE. KER. informed the House that he had received a re port from the Clerk of Elections, stating that the reco plizlnces in respect of the petitions com plaining of uidue returns for the following places had been co npleted, namely :—Gloucester, Kinsale, Abingdon, ar d Lyme Regis. The recognizancos were unobjectional ;le . DR. HAMPDEN. Dr. LUSH ] NGTON, seeing the Noble Lord the First Ministe, of the Crown in his place, wished to ask hin a qua! t ion. The question related to certain corresponden( e which appeared in to-day's news papers, which . .contained a letter bearing the signature of certain pr ilsttes of the Established Church, and related to the prerogative of the Crown, and another letter, stated 1 Qbe the reply of the Noble Lord. Now, he begged lea re to ask the Noble Lord whether this correspondenc ft had been correctly ascribed to the parties whose as mes it bore ? Lord J. RL SELL stated, in reply, that the let- ters which had . teen published were' authentic, with the exception e f two paragraphs, and the mistakes were not mater i il. lie wished to state, however, that he did not inse r them in the newspapers. DEFEN , CES TUE COUNTRY. The NOBLE owl) hoped the Hon. Gentleman the Member or dlesex would withdraw his motion on this subiec% until after the recess, after which period the Goya nment intended to state what they had done, and vsl at they proposed to do. Mr. OS BO t.tl iE consented to the request of the Noble Lord. ASSURING THE LIVES OF PERSONS L r TING IN IRELAND. Mr. WAK' 1:J: EY presented a petition from Mr. Harper, the cl is irman of the Crown Life Assurance Company, at. its ,ng that assurance companies objected to assure the I k res of persons living in Ireland, though unwilling to iivio so i that the life of the Rev. Mr. Lloyd had ly fern assured in London offices for 7,000/. ; and that the! e companies had come to a resolution not to assure the lives Of persons living in Ireland, unless the Governn lent would guarantee that the counties in which pe) tons so assured were assassinated should indemnify tl lem from loss, :,SS GLOUCESTERSHIRE. Mr. \VA K ILEY moved that the petition of the electors, con luining of the conduct of Earl Fita hardinge, be p: -inted with the votes. Captain B ?TELLY could not but view the presentation of the petition by a stranger to the lo cality as some what suspicious. On the part of the Noble Lord, hi had been requested to state that he did not fear al ,y investigation into his conduct, and that if the Main a should think fit to print the petition with the votps, that he entertained no objection to ,such a, prose ig.—Agrevd to. THE B. IC OF ENGLAND AND THE GOVERNMENT. Mr. PAT 'Tt 3 Co&' called upon the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ex plain who we the authorities that informed him that the Bank had suggested the rate of interest mentioned in th a letter of the Government, and that a portion of the I profits of their transactions, in accord. ance with it, nould be carried to the public credit. As the authoriti es of the Bank had been much blamed in consequence of the statement recently made by the Right H on. G en tl eman, h e t h ought that some e xplanation ot* ht to be given: The CHAN, CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER e n otice te o f at lai ei , s e qtuheasttio complained that the Hon. G en tl eman h a d not g i ven h o m s l it e n• v e rthel e s s e , e h d e wasina p n ; Governor the Deputy- Governor of; tb e Bank were frequently with him at the time in question, and in the course of the com munication he had with them, they agreed that it would be fair and proper that the provision in ques tion should be inserted in the letter. Mr. PATTISUN had seen the Governor and Deputy-Governor that morning, and could assure the Hon. Gentleman that they were no parties to the transaction. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Lord J. RUSSELL said, I wish to give a notice with respect to the business of the House. In the event of the Royal Assent being given to the Crime and Outrage Bill at as early a period as we expect, it is my intention to move, on Monday next, that the House at its rising should adjourn until Thursday, the 3d of February.—(Hear, hear.) ORDNANCE MAPS. In reply to Mr. HUME, Colonel ANSON stated that the Board of Ord nance intended shortly to issue the Ordnance maps at half the former price. Mr. HUME said, if they would allow him to supply the maps, he would do so at 6d. each. — (Laughter.) NAVIGATION LAWS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply to Mr. Sandars, stated that it was not the in tention of the Government to propose any further suspension of the Corn or Navigation Laws. Mr. SANDARS gave notice that he should move, after the recess, for a return of the imports from the suspension of those laws up to the Ist Sept., and from the Ist Sept. to the Ist Jan. next. TRANSPORTATION. Mr. E WART inquired if five hundred convicts, recently sent to Van Dieman's Land, were to remain in the colony, or to be sent to Port Phillip ? Sir G. GREY was understood to say that they were to be sent to:Port Philip, and that, if their conduct was good, they would receive tickets of leave, which would place them out of all restraint, except that they must not come into this country before the expiration of their allotted term. The Members of the General Committee on Con tested Elections were called to the table, and took the oaths. THE BLOCKADE OF LA PLATE. Mr. T. BARING inquired whether the Noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was prepared to state the present position of the negotia tions with the Government of France on the subject of the French blockade of the River Plate, and whether there was any prospect of a speedy removal of the blockade ? Lord PALMERSTON said that the Government had been in communication with the Government of France on the subject; and recently he had been engaged with the Duke de Broglie in preparing in structions to be sent out to the British and French representatives on the subject ; and he had no doubt that upon the arrival of those instructions a speedy termination would be put to the long continued hostilities. Mr. DISRAELI wished to know who was her Majesty's representative at the River Plate ? Lord PALMERSTON was understood to say that Captain Gore would act as such. At present there was no official representative there. SWITZERLAND. Mr. J. O'CONNELL wished to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he had received official information of the decrees of the Provisional Governments of the cantons of Friburg and Lu cerne, banishing f o r e ve r the Jesuits, th e Li guor i ans , the Brothers of the Christian Doctrine, the Ursiline Nuns, the Sisters of Providence, and other denomina tions of religious, male and female, under pretence of their being affiliated to the Jesuits ; also, confiscating their entire property, and annulling any and every provision which they might have made of it during nearly two months previous to the surrender of Friburg and Lucerne. Also, whether the Noble Lord had received official information of the enormous demands made upon the cantons of the Sonderbund for the expenses of the war, one million of francs being demanded by the 20th instant, and two millions more within a brief space afterwards, besides other charges and exactions ; and whether, considering these acts of a tyrannous majority in Switzerland, the insults and outrages to the clergy and the religion of the minority, the extreme persecution and plun dering of individuals among that minority, whose only crime was to discharge faithfully the duties imposed upon them by their fellow-citizens, - an urgent case has not arisen for the intervention of the Powers who guaranteed in 1815 the cantonal independence of Switzerland. Lord PALMERSTON said that the Government had received official information from Friburg of the intention to banish the Jesuits, and certain other religious orders supposed to be connected with them. The Government had not received any official account of any similar intention on the part of Lucerne, or the other states. With respect to the amount of the levies for the expense of the war, the Government had also not received any official information. With respect to the latter part of the question, there did not appear to her Majesty's Government, in the pre sent state of things, any grounds upon which the powers that were parties to the treaty would be jus. tified in interfering in the matter. RETIRING ALLOWANCES (ARMY). Lord A. LENNOX wished to ask the Secretary at War whether it was his intention to extend the benefit of the retiring allowance of ten-twelfths of full pay to regimental surgeons and paymasters, which has been granted by the royal warrant of May, 1846, to veterinary surgeons and quartermasters. Mr. FOX MAULE stated the subject was under the consideration of her Majesty's Government. SWITZERLAND. Dr. BOWRING wished to know whether the Go vernment had received any dispatches from Berne, containing any account of the proceedings of the Diet which could justify the Hon. Member for Lime rick (Mr. J. O'Connell) in sp ea ki ng i n suc h v i o l en t terms of their conduct ? Lord PALMERSTON said that the dispatches received from Berne did not contain the details of any of those acts of violence whichl had appeared in some accounts of the transactions referred to. INDIA. Viscount JOCELYN moved for a return of Europeans in the military or. civil employment of any of the native states of India, with the amount of salary paid to each individual.—Agreed to. POOR-LAW (IRELAND.) Mr. P. SCROPE wished to know whether any returns relative to the working of the poor-law passed in the last session would be placed upon the table of the House before its rising ? Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that the returns were in a forward state, and he had no doubt that they would be ready to be placed in the hands of Hon. Members before the rising of Parliament. INFLUX OF IRISH. PAUPERS. Mr, P. SCOPE wished to know whether any steps had been taken to procure accurate returns of the number of Irish paupers that might land in any of I the ports of England and Scotland. Sir G. GREY did not know that any steps would be taken for that purpose by the local authorities, nor whether it would be necessary for the Government to order such accounts to be taken. JEWISH DISABILITIES. Mr. GLADSTONE wished to know whether it wa4 the intention of the Noble Lord at the head of the Government to bring forward his measure with respect to the Jewish disabilities on Thursday next ? Lord J. RUSSELL said that it was his intention to bring forward that measure upon Thursday. NEW ZEALAND. Mr. GLADSTONE wished to know whether it was the intention of Government to bring forward this evening the Bill for the partial suspension of the existing acts relating to New Zealand, as, in conse quence of a protest of the inhabitants of that island, recently published, there was no doubt that the mea sure to be introduced would call for very serious con sideration. Mr. LLBOUCHERE said that it was the inten tion of the Government to introduce that measure after the orders of the day had been disposed of. TURNPIKE TRUSTS. Sir W. JOLLIFFE wished to know whether it was the intention of the Government to bring in any measure for regulating the affairs of turnpike trusts. Sir G. GREY said that the subject was at present under the consideration of her Majesty's Government. THE CHANNEL ISLANDS. An HO N . M EMBER as k e d w hether Government had received the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of the law relating to the Channel Islands and if so, whether they were pre pared to lay it upon the table of the House ? Sir GEORGE GREY said it was received some months back, and laid upon the table of the House at the close of the last Parliament. Dr. BOWRING hoped Government, after the recess, would be prepared to tell him whether they had any objection to extend the labours of the Com mission to the Isle of Man ? COMMERCIAL DISTRESS. Lord G. BENTINCK wished to know at what period of the evening the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer intended to nominate the Commit tee on Commercial Distress ? He ventured to hope it would not be at an unseasonable hour. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could not say at what hour he would bring it for ward ; but immediately after the Bill for the Sup pression of Crime and Outrage had been disposed of he should ask the House to take his motion out of its order. An.HoN. MEMBER wished to know whether the lion. Member for Montrose intended to persevere with his amendments ? Mr. HUME replied in the affirmative, and declared his opinion that the Committee ought not to be appointed till after the recess. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER appealed to the Hon. Member whether it was fair to persist in moving his resolution. The House had come to the determination that the Committee should be appointed, and the appointment was, therefore, not now an open question. The only question that remained was, what Members should compose that Committee, and it was not fair to interpose any motion or amendment upon such a question. Besides, each of the resolutions of the Hon. Member would give rise to a week's debate.—(Hear and laughter.) THE BANK OF SCOTLAND. Mr. URQUHART rose to support a statement which he had made the other night relative to a speech which the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Tamworth delivered in 1844, while supporting his Currency Bill. The Hon. Gentleman read se veral extracts from the Times of the period, to show that the Right Hon. Baronet had expressly stated that the Bill was not to apply either to Ireland or Scotland. The Right Hon. Baronet had no ground for saying that he had stated that which was destitute of founda tion. One part of the Right Hon. Baronet's speech contradicted the other, and how could he judge cor rectly from aggregate statements thus contradictory ? He left the matter in the hands of the House. Sir ROBERT PEEL said there was no question as to the intention of the Government with respect to Scotch banks, because I had to move resolutions— (Hear, hear)—which were necessary before I could have introduced the Bill. Eight or nine resolutions were moved by which the existing banks of Scotland were not to be interfered with, a. 4 there was a positive prohibition against the establishment of any new banks of issue in that portion of the United King dom. Those resolutions were printed, and I was in constant communication with the bankers of Scot land on the subject. I believe those bankers distinctly understood that their banking privileges would not be interfered with by legislation in the course of 1844 ; but it was distinctly understood that no new banks of issue would be constituted after;the passing of the Acts.—(Hear, hear.) There could not be the slightest doubt about the intentions of the Legislature. CRIME AND OUTRAGE (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion for the third reading of this Bill, Mr. JOHN O'CONNELL rose to offer a few remarks, but the earlier portion of his brief ad dress was indistinctly heard in the gallery, owing to the noise that prevailed from Hon. Members leaving the House, and from the conversa tion of those that remained. He earnestly called the attention of those who were too apt to vituperate the Roman Catholic priesthood of Ireland to listen to a letter which had recently been written by the Rev. Mr. M'Dermott, the parish priest of Strokestown, who distinctly and solemnly averred that not only was Colonel Mahon not de nounced from his chapel, but that he had not even mentioned his name within its walls. He had also received a letter from the Rev. John Hughes, stating that the language which had been imputed to him had not been used by him, but by a Conservative newspaper, which wished to cast blame upon those of his sacred pro fession. The Honourable Gentleman, after reca pitulating what he stated on the introduction of the Bill, and justifying his subsequent charge of opinion with respect to it, proceeded to say that the Government having now obtained their measure .of coercion by overwhelming majorities, all he had to ask them was this—having secured coercion, to turn their serious attention to improve the deplorable condition of the people. The state of Ireland would not Brook delay. Delay would be disastrous, because it would be fatal. He warned them not to rely upon the poor-law, and as sured them, if they did so, that they would lean upon a broken reed. Let them approach the evils of Ireland in a sincere and peaceful spirit ; and although the late Mr. O'Connell possessed an influence over the people never equalled—they might by acting in a conciliatory spirit ob tain a share of the affections of the people almost equal to that possessed by the deceased gentleman to whom he had referred. A good beginning was half the battle. If they acted in the spirit he had indicated, they would solve the problem of Ireland's government—that government being, in his opinion, one of a peaceable and conciliatory character. He concluded by moving that the Bill be read a third time this day six months. He im plored the Government during the recess to devise remedial measures, and to bring them forward imme diately after the recess. Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN seconded the motion. He said he was sensible that the House was thoroughly wearied of these repeated discussions— (Hear, hear) —and he should therefore confine what he had to say in as brief a space as possible. There was no man in the House who felt a greater horror of the outrages committed in Ireland, but he trusted that when the bad government which had produced that state of things should cease, that then those outrages would cease also. With respect to the measure before the House, he did not see through out the whole of it one single proposition calcu lated to produce the effect sought to be obtained by this measure. He should say that the safer and more effectual mode of suppressing those outrages would be by the establishment of a sufficient moral force to overawe the people.—(Hear, hear.) The present Government had obtained office by op. posing a coercion Bill for Ireland ; and with what grace could they now come forward and ask for such a measure ? The relief which they had afforded to the people of Ireland was lamentably insufficient, for, although large sums had been expended for food, hundreds of thousands of the people had died, who might have been saved if the Government had adopted more judicious measures. As to the poor-law he had predicted its fate ; he had said that the machinery of it would not work well, and that prediction had been verified. He always had declared it would be ineffec tive, and it was now proved to be so. It was true that one million and a half of money had been expended as an indemnity to landlords, but the grant was of no prac tical service in mitigating the general distress. Out of that amount not more than 31,0001. had been ap plied to relieve the distress of the country. The land lords of Ireland had been abused last session, and all the evils of the country attributed to them, but now the blame was thrown on the priesthood, and a class of men had been grossly maligned without whose efforts Ireland would have been in a state of positive insurrection. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded at some length to address the House, but the noise was so great that he was quite inaudible in the gallery. Mr. ROBINSON - attempted to address the House, but was met with loud and reiterated cries of " Divide, divide," and was not distinctly heard in the gallery. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL supported the third reading of the Bill. This was a different Bill to that of 1846 ; if it had been at all like it he would not have given it his support, but he thought this a very moderate Bill, and it interfered as little as possible with the ordinary law. The power of calling in arms was certainly unconstitutional, but it was a power which had been exercised in England, and he re joiced to see the Government legislate for Ireland as had been done for this country.—(Hear.) Mr. BRIGHT said he was compelled to speak on this question. He had presented a petition from Manchester, signed by twenty thousand persons, against this Bill ; he must, therefore, state why he supported it. Had not the Government thought it absolutely necessary he was certain it would not have been proposed. The case for the Bill was com plete ; the ordinary law was utterly powerless. In England the people generally supported the law ; but in the disturbed districts of Ireland the public senti ment was so utterly depraved and vitiated that the law was deprived of its force.—(Cries of " No, no.") He maintained that it was so. Many of the murders that had been committed were not regarded as assas sinations, but rather as executions. In the case of Mr. Lloyd, the murder had been committed most de liberately. Extraordinary powers were clearly re quired. Whether the present Bill would be effective he could not say. He feared the Go vernment had not shown the necessary courage for dealing with the condition of Ireland. The recent poor-law was certainly a most advan tageous measure ; and the Noble Lord at the head of the Government had power to pass any measure that he might propose through that House. He blamed the Irish Repeal Members for not having themselves brought forward the remedial measures which they thought desirable. He had never yet known those Members bring forward and consistently support any measures, or, doubtless, they might have carried them.—(Hear.) He would not imitate their exam ple, but suggest some remedy. He ascribed all the evils of Ireland to idleness ; if it could be ascertained, he believed it would be found the people did not work more than two days a week. Hence Ireland starved, and consequently rebelled.—(Hear.) This could only be prevented by setting their industry in motion, for their idleness was not their own fault ; they were able and willing to work, and, when at work, were as ready as Englishmen to keep the peace.—(Hear.) The means of employment were extremely small in Ire land; there were few large towns or manufactories; and in the towns of the south and west, groups of 20 or 30 were to be constantly seen standing idle. This gave rise to annual emigration, by which large num bers of ,the peasantry were drafted off to other coun tries, and thus the means for producing wealth were abridged. He doubted whether tenant-right would be a beneficial measure. The House would never consent to such a measure as the Hon. and Learned Member for the county of Limerick wanted. What was most needed was a measure empowering the sale of encumbered estates. Why was it not ready ? Lord J. RUSSELL—It has been ready several weeks. Mr. BRIGHT wished to know, then, why it had not been brought forward ? Government ought not to wait till they were urged to introduce certain mea sures. In his opinion much evil had resulted from the conduct of the landowners. The encumbrances on the estates were wholly unparalleled in this coun try. In the province of Connaught, he understood, not five per cent. of the land was under settlement, and not one per cent. was free from mortgage. Such being the case, it was idle for the House to go further in pursuit of the evils of Ireland ; and the longer a remedy was delayed the greater the criminality of the Legislature. It was impossible for the Govern ment to benefit Ireland by lending landlords money at 3i per cent. out of the taxation paid by the inha bitants of this country, who were borrowing money at eight per cent. Let a measure be passed for sim plifying the titles to estates in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) Let Government also diminish the stamps and other expenses which hindered the transfer of estates ; and let the system of entail be for ever put an end to.— (Hear, hear.) This would be done in England at some time; in Ireland it was absolutely necessary now. The absurd system of entail and primogeniture sacrificed the living to the whims of the dead; if the system were applied to personal as well as landed property, the country would be thrown into in extricable confusion. Some might say that the system was necessary to maintain the existing aristo cratic arrangements. But rather let such arrange ments perish for ever, than that a whole country should be in the state in which Ireland was now found. Did the aristocracy rear up their sons with proper habits of industry and just notions of their property, the system of entail would become unneces sary. Whatever Government did fur Ireland, it would be wholly unavailing, unless it rested on the foundation of doing away the fetters of the land. Some Hon. Members might think they had an inte rest in keeping up the system ; but it was no such thing. He lived in a county (Lancashire) which had been overrun with the pauperism and pestilence of Ireland, and he protested against the continuance of arrangements by which such things were occasioned. The present Parliament was composed very largely of men of business ; the present Government was essentially one of the middle class ; and if they would grapple manfully with the system of the land in Ire land, they would be supported by the House, and would lay the foundation of Irish prosperity.—(Hear, hear.) He should support this measure because he believed the present law was powerless, regretting that Government had not sooner brought forward remedial measures, and believing that if this was not done soon it would be impossible for any Government long to stand. —(Cries of " Divide.") Mr. HUAIE Wished to ask the Noble Lord at the head of the Government when the Bill for regulating the relation of landlord and tenant would be laid before the House ? Lord J. RUSSELL was understood to say that last session the Landlord and Tenant Bill had passed the other House, and that it would be introduced again after receiving certain amendments. - Sir B. HALL rose amidst loud cries of " Divide." He read some extracts from the Freeman's Journal, to show that the " Committee of national distress and national safety" had given in their adhesion to the Bill when it was first introduced. With regard to the measure before the House, he thought it had been shown, during the progress of the debate, that there was an absolute necessity for it.—(Cries of "Divide.") As he saw that the House was anxious to go to a di vision, he would content himself by making a state ment which he had received from Mr. Roe, the bro ther of the gentleman who had been murdered. The Hon. Baronet then stated that the allegations which had been made by Mr. Loughnane, in the letter re ferred to by the Hon. and Learned Member for Limerick, were contradicted in all the Irish papers three days afterwards. That contradiction was, he believed, known to the Hon. and Learned Gentleman. But who was this Loughnane ? He was a person who had been employed on the public works, and was known, as what in Ireland was called, a " gutter agent." Did the Hon. and Learned Gentleman know that a very near relative of this individual was now in prison on a charge of murder ? The House the❑ divided, when there appeared— For the third reading ...... 173 Against it Majority..... —159 On the motion 'of Sir G. GREY, some verbal amendments were agreed to. The Bill then passed. RAILWAY LABOURERS. On the motion that the order of the day for the bringing up of the report on the Railways Bill be read, Mr. A. STAFFORD said' he rose for the pur pose of bringing under the notice of the House the condition of the labourers employed in the construc tion of those railways whose claims had been most shamefully and dangerously neglected during the whole course of their legislation on the subject of railways. They were now about to dismiss great numbers of them at an inclement period of the year without the least consideration, and but for his voice not a single word would probably be heard on their behalf. Those who came after them might well ask, when they beheld the groat and magnificent works which had been constructed in this country by the present generation, how they had acted in respect to the temporal and eternal welfare of the labourers— whether their medical care had been attended to— whether their residences and their relieious instruc tion had been looked after—and whether they had towards them borne out the character which they assumed to themselves, of being a philanthropic Legislature and a Christian State ? Amongst the numerous Acts which had been passed on the subject of railways, only one was to be found, the Ist and 2d of Victoria, having especial reference to the labourers, and that was one of repression. He begged the House to remember that the present was not the case of those who were old and decrepid, sick and infirm, but of those who were strong and power ful, and who would be able very soon to avenge on society the evils they had received at its hands. In order to show what was the condition of railway la bourers, the Hon. Gentleman read extracts from the evidence of the Rev. J. R. Thompson, the Rev. J. Mason, Mr. Rawlinson, Mr. Pomfret, and Mr. Chad wick, which had been given before the Committee, appointed at the instance of the Hon. Member for Kilmarnock, in July, 1846. This evidence went to show that the habitations of the labourers were of a most wretched description ; that in several instances men, women, and children, slept in the same room •, that gross immorality was the result ; that the high wages received were rather a curse than a benefit; and that fever and small-pox were allowed to make their ravages unchecked. Mr. Chadwick stated that the truck system was most injurious to the labourers, and he knew of one instance where the contractors for a piece of work would have lost by the work itself; but who made 7,0001. profit by the truck of beer and inferior provisions. They lost twenty and thirty, and sometimes as high as 50 per cent. by the system, at the same time that they were served with articles of an inferior description. There was no regular system of spiritual instruction, said the Rev. Mr. Thompson, and Mr. Chadwick mentioned the case of a man, who, having received an injury of the spine from which he could not recover, requested to have the scriptures read to him, but was suffered to expire without receiving the least attention of the nature he so earnestly besought. They had to deal with nearly 400,000 persons, and were they to be left in such a state? They had not heretofore been treated as the members of a civilised community. They had been suffered to go from work to work, receiving high wages, which they squandered in gratifying the wants which evil habits engendered, and in a reckless course of improvident extravagance, insomuch that their average age did not exceed that of forty. He could not, therefore, suffer the further progress of this measure, without raising the voice of notice against the past, and the voice of warning in reference to the future. The Honourable Member concluded by giving notice, that, after the recess, he should bri ng th e question forward in a substantive shape. a undoubtedly an s Member ha Sir G. GREY said the subjectd w important one, but as the Hon.given should sduebfesrtanhtiis'veobpsreor. position - noticeofonhitshientsennbloene Johseu vations on it. He would don h l a y d, n p o epa w rha say, ov th e a rr th e e thought the Hon. Member the power of Parliament withnds of directors co Very much . must be left in the ha panies, of c ontractors, and of the gentry resident in the districts through which the line passed. Lord G. BENTINCK could not quite let his Hon. Friend's charge against the railways pass without observation. He really did not think the devil was quite so black as his Hon. Friend had painted him. It appeared by the report which had been quoted that these very labourers were receiving 225. 6d. per week wages, and he (Lord George) had heard that the companies were at this very time contributing 450,0001. a year to the poor-rate, or one-fifteenth of the whole assessment of the country. Mr. AGLIONBY believed that in many instances railway companies hal provided admirably well for their labourers. Sir VERNEY expressed his gratification at there being a probability of legislating on this most important and interesting question. The report was then brought up, when Mr. STRUTT said he would state what were the amendments he proposed to make in this Bill. The first related to the compensation to landowners. It was proposed to enlarge the exceptions under the sth clause, so as to include all cases in which companies had applied to Parliament to mak e their line, so that no parties concerned would be in any way prejudiced by the passing of the Act, but would have their re medy upon their contracts, either at law or in equity, as if the Act had never passed. Another amendment related to services of notices upon the landowners, which must be posted on the church-doors of parishes through which the lines passed, as well as given through the medium of local or other papers. There were some other amendments of minor importance. The amendments having been read, Mr. HENLEY, who had suggested these amend ments, expressed himself perfectly satisfied. Mr. AGLIONBY, on the other hand, thought the alterations would leave the Bill an exceedingly clumsy piece of legislation. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the objections raised by his Hon and Learned Friend were met by the provisions of the Bill. The clauses were then read a second time, and ordered to be added to the Bill, and the Bill was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow (this day). SUPPLY. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the Committee of Supply was postponed until Friday next. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the Public Works (Ireland) Bill went through Committee. Mr. F. FRENCH (on behalf of Mr. J. H. Ha' milton), moved the addition to the Bill of the fol lowing clause :—" And be it enacted, that the word treasurer' shall, as to the county of Dublin, mean and include the finance committee,' and the word assizes' shall, as to the said county of Dublin, mew and include the presenting term,' and the word s county surveyor' shall, as to the said county of Dublin, mean and include the ' district surveyor; and that the provisions of an Act, passed in the seventh and eighth year of her Majesty's reign, in" tituled An Act to consolidate and amend the laws for the regulation of grand jurk presentments' in the said county, and any Act for amending the same, shall, with reference to the raising, applotting, levy ing, and recovering of grand jury cess, so far as the same is applicable, apply as to the said county . Of Dublin, to sums of money to be presented and raised under this Act." The motion was agreed to, and the clause was added to the Bill. Sir R. FERGUSON moved the insertion of the following clause :—" Whereas, under an Act passed in the first year of the reign of her present Majesty, intituled An Act to provide more effectual meani to make treasurers of counties and counties of cities i n Ireland account for public moneys, and to secure the same,' it was enacted that every treasurer then in office, and no other, shall have and receive the interest due on Exchequer bills purchased from any balance stand" ing to the credit of such treasurer's account, so that such interest does not exceed one-half of the salary appertaining to his office ; and whereas it is just, that such treasurer and the bank, which the grand jury of any county shall have appointed for recovering the public moneys of such county, should be allowed interest on sums paid and advanced under this Act; be it therefore enacted, that the officer whom the Lord-Lieutenan t,or other chief governor in Ireland, ha` authorised, or may hereafter authorise, tc, audit and declare the accounts of the treasurers of counties 1 11 Ireland, may, and he is hereby required, on being applied to by or on behalf' of any treasurer entitled to receive interest under the said Act, or of any bank having made any advance above the balance at the credit of such county, to ascertain the amount of interest at the rate of 51. per cent., which would be due to such treasurer or bank on the amount so frau' time to time unpaid, from the time or times at winc h such money shall have been paid by the treasurers of such county until the same shall have been dis charged, or until the first day of the assizes not succeeding such application, and to certify the same to the secretary of the grand jury; and it shall b.e. lawful for any grand jury to present to the s aid treasurer or bank such interest so certified to be due, which interest shall be paid to such treasurer or bank . out of any balance in hand, and shall be raised and levied off the barony or half barony liable to pal such sums." The clause was agreed to, and added to the 13int which was reported with amendments, and the report ordered to be received to-morrow (this day). NEW ZEALAND. Mr. LABOUCHERE rose to ask, pursuant to big notice, the permission of the House to introduce a Bill to suspend some of the most important provisions of an Act of Parliament passed at the close of the session last year, to make provision for the Government of the tention to this important colony would rem colony of New Zealand. Those who had paid sh th at in 1836 it had been, with the general concurrence of all parties, thought exceedingly desirable to introduce a constitutional form of government into that colony. There had been petitions from the inhabitants of Nevi Zealand presented to that effect, and the s ubject had been urged upon the Government by the New Zealand Company ; and he, also, thought that in the discussions e mber_ which had taken place in this and in the other House of Parliament, all the leading statesmen of this coon" try had expressed a desire that a beginning should be made to introduce a constitutional and representative government into that colony. Such was the state of things when her Majesty's present advisers came into office ; and his Noble Friend, who now held the seals of the Colonial Department, at once applied himself to this important subject. He believed that his Noble Friend fund in his office a record of the determination of the preceding Government to introduce some mea sure of that description, and, accordingly, at the latter end of the year 1846 a Bill was passed almost unanimously by both Houses, by which her Majesty was empowered to grant a charter, and to issue in structions which were to regulate the future govern ment of New Zealand. The main provisions of that Act, and of the letters patent issued under it, were to the following effect :—The colony was to be divided into two provinces—the one to be called New Ulster, the other New Munster; municipal districts wer e constituted, with town-councils in all those parts where any considerable number of English colo nists had assembled. These were made the nucleus of system of provincial government, and were to elect vinces. There was also to be a general assem bly representatives in the legislature of each of the pro both provinces, the members of which were to ji b c e t elected by the two provincial assemblies. T his r e was to take effect as soon as the letters patent were S uch sere proclaimed by the governor of the colony. the instructions which had been sent out, an d be TN also mention that with regard to the very ". cult part of the subject—namely, the condition of the aboriginal inhabitants of the colony, it for was pro" posed to be treated and settled in the following manner : it was suggested that the municipal d is ; tricts should only comprise those parts in which there were settled a considerable number of white i° l ' s4- bitants, and that those great tracts of country. pied by the aborigines should not be brought ili ne ; diately within the scope of those institutions. It v l , 11 i , thought that the aborigines were not yet ripe institutions of that kind, while, on the other banal the difficulty of subjecting them to the authority ati ° , control of the white population was foreseen. It h ad been endeavoured to provide for that difficulty, by securing to the aborigines the enjoyment of their on not laws and customs in those parts of the colony included in the municipal districts, and by preventing occa the representative assembly from interfering with their rights, laws, and customs. Such, then, was the outline of the scheme sent out to the Governor of New Zealand. The reasons which induced her Majesty's Government to propose now to suspend the operation of this constitution were contained in the dispatches which had been received from Governor Grey after the best consideration he had been able to give to the plan of the Government. The opinion of Governor Grey ought to have the greatest weight with the House and the Government. Any person who had perused those dispatches would ackn owledge that Governor Grey had given valid reasons for ne t promulgating the new constitution. His main obje" tion rested on the intelligence of the aboriginal poPr lation, and because it was left to the white KO"; who were the minority, to make laws and to i-wP ° 1 duties which would be mainly paid by the aborigirt inhabitants of the island. From this he stated ~t " ; : dissatisfaction would be created, and tumult an d - surrection would be the consequence if the white in habitants had conferred upon them the p ow er of tall the great body of the population. His Noble Fr ien at the head of the Colonial-office, on receiving these dispatches had not hesitated as to the course whic h he felt it his duty to recommend, and had joined in thinking that the peace of the colony ought not to be risked by prematurely, and without due deliberation, forcing the new constitution upon the inhabitants' Lord Grey thought it his duty to recommend to hi 6 colleagues at once to suspend the operation of the law• por- When he said suspend the Act, he meant only a tion of it, for that part of it which provided for the, framing of municipal institutions for the purposes oto local government it was thought might be safelyr e e , tamed. It was proposed, therefore , to leave untoucl? that part of the Bill which related to municipal in stitutions with only an alteration o f the qualification' The qualification for a voter in t he munici p al distric e was, the possession of a house a nd the ca p ability una reading and writing in Engl ish. But it was fo ry . that although most of the aborigines could read y old_ write, it was in their own language, and there also foreign settlers, German and French, who coul.a, not read or write in English. It was pro therefore, to modify the qualification, and to won!! po or the governor to give certificates to those who 3 sessed the requisite tenements, whether foreigners re aborigines. The principal provisions of this Bill vve rs firstly, to suspend so much of the former Act, lette patent, and instructions relating to the legislative a.y; seinblies for five years, and to re-enact the legislati., council of 1840, giving power to the governor to ac!° to their number. These legislative councils werf.t! be in each of the two rovinces, either by.nrnin.atsZ, in n r bl to or election. The parts elating to the municipal tutions to be retained, with power to the enlarge the franchise by certificate. This rn S,° - sure gave a very large discretion to the 50 vernor, but he believed that, under the 'l . __ cumstances, it was the wisest and safest crionror to adopt a simple scheme, leaving to the gover council a large discretion. A complete nar would be found in the papers before.eLenrvj House of the circumstances which led to this ci everno