The Sun. — London, England, 1840-12-26 00:00:00

EVENrING EDITION. DID YOU EVER ? (From the Comic Almanac.) Did you ever know a tradesman asking for his ac count who had not "a bill to take up on Friday ?" Did you ever know a cabman, or a ticket-porter, with any change about him? Did you ever know an omnibus cad who would act engage to let you down within a few yards of any place within the bills of mortality ? Did you ever know a turnpike-man who could be roused in less than a quarter of an hour when it wanted that much of midnight ? Did you ever see a pair of family snuffers which had not a broken spring, a leg deficient, or half an inch of the point knocked off? Did you ever know a lodging-house landlady who would own to bugs ? Did you ever know the Boots at an inn call )ou too early for the morning coach Did you ever know a dancing-master's daughter who was not to excel Taglioni? Did you ever know a man who did not think I.e could poke the fire b(ittar than you could ? Did you ever know a Frenchman admire Waterloo bridge Did you ever know a housemaid who, on your dis covering a fracture in it valuable jar, did not tell you it was" done a long time ago," and that it was " cracked before ?" Did you ever know a man who didn't consider his walking-stick a better wt.lking-stick than your walking- stick D.d you ever know a penny-a-liner who was not on inti nate terms with Lytton Bulwer, Captain Marryat, Sheridan Knowles, Torn Hood, Washington Irving, and Itigdurn Fonnidos? Did you ever know a hatter who was not prepared to sell you as good a hat for ten and sixpence as the one you've got on at five and twenty shillings? Did you evcr,k:,ow a rcd-haired man who had a very e',ear notion of where scarlet lbegan and auburn term rated ? Did you ever know a beef-eater to go to the ploy in his uniform Did you ever know 3. subeTilwr to the Anti-Cruult to-Aiiinials Society who did not kick the eat ? Did you ever know a lady with fine eyes wear green sp.ctae!es ? Dici you ever kno.v an amateur sin;er without a " horrid bail cold?" Did you cvcr sees cool fat wo►nan in black in the (lor-days ? ad you ever go to see Jack Sheppard without feel. mg :a propensity to ruu houv,. and rcb your mother ? Did you ever know an author who had not been par ticuiarly ill-used by' the booksellers ? Did you ever know fifty killed and wounded by a raitrosd ?ceideut, without the fifty who were kilted beinr cougratula:ed by the Directors that they were only wounded? WOOTTON BASSLTT. EXTFNSION OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY —O. ) Wednesday, the 16th, a vast concourse of per sons assembled at Wootton Bassett-road-station, to sec the extending ,of this line of railway, it having been ad vertised to take place on that day ; but in cons( quence of the line not being completed, it was found impossible to open it at the time appointed, and the number of per sons who hzd congregated (and we understand at on, time of the day nearly 500 persons had assembled toge ther) were doomed to be disappointed, as no engine could possibly reach the station. On the previous even ing it was found impracticable to open the line, and the Company accordingly had post-horses at the sta tion, so that any passengers that arrived should not be inconvenienced, but forwarded without delay to the Farringdon-road station. Some little confusion took place with the Bath and Bristol coaches which bad altered their route, and in some instances the horses bad not arrived at their destination when the coaches drove up. This was, however, obviated by having post-horses. An engine arrived at five o'clock, but only brought what is called a ballast -train, and this came in at a very slow pace, so as to quite disappoint the countrymen, who had been led to expect from what they had heard of railway tra velling, something very extraordinary. A countryman who had been waiting at the station for some hours, returning home was asked if he had seen the steamer, very simply answered, " he seed un come in with horses"—at the same time remarking he was not again going to waste his time for seein; such another steamer. Great exertions were made during the day, and on the following morning, Thursday, at a quarter past ten, the first train started for London. During the day the trains continued to run at the appointed hours, and we are happy to add not the slightest acci 'tent occurred. The distance from the Wootton Bas , _f-road station to the railway station at Bath is by the road about 30 miles. WOOTTON BASSETT-EOAD STATION.—This place is in an unusual state of bustle from the increased number of coaches and other conveyances bringing pas sengers, parcels, &c. to the Great Western Railway Company's office, at the 01(1 Royal Oak-inn. In the course of twenty-four hours, not less than fourt(en coaches passed through the town. Independent of this the clerks and others co: corned with the works flock for lodgings, so that the place is overflowing with strangers. In addition there are a great number of excavators employed in the completion of the contract below the station. This should induce the Magistrates to direct the attention of the Captain of the Rural Police to the circumstance that the quarter's County -rate for this parish, simply for police purposes, is upwards of 60/., a sum very much higher in proportion than the services rendered, only two men lacing stationed here. Robberies are perpetrated nightly, and several shops have been entered and most daringly plundered of their contents. Surely if the police cannot insure protection to those who are compelled to pay so very much for what they dislike, the sooner petitions are forwarded for its abolition the better ; one to this effect will be in course of signature shortly in this and the surrounding parishes, the inhabitants of which arc heartily tired of being compelled to pay for that which they consider to be neither ornamental nor useful.— Wiltaiifre In the neighhourhood of Taunton an extensive eye em of fraud and roLbery has just been discovered.—ln April last a man called at the Wilts and Dorset Bank, at Taunton, with a check for 451., which was cashed, but atterwards discovered to be a forgery. Endeavours were made to trace the offender, but without success, until last July, whien the same person appeared at the Bank, with 'another check for 431. The clerk. recognising him, desired him to wait whilst he spoke to the other clerk : during his momentary absence, however, the fellow made off. A good lookout having been kept, the clerk recognised him in Tauieon market can the 4th inst., and gave him in charge of the police. The man turned out to be Thomas Barret, shopkeeper of Ilchester, who has hitherto borne a re spectable charecter. The house of the Rev. William buckler was recently broken into whilst the family were attending Divine Service at Ilchester Church, and much property was stolen by the thieves, who remained undis covered. They had, however, the audacity to write a note to the Reverend Gentleman, thanking him for et hat they had taken, and intimating their desire to have more. This aee being shown to Holt, a po lice constable, it appeared to him that the hand.writing was the same as that of the forged cheques, and on a comperieun the identity was establishes'. lie im mediately Proceeded to Ilchester, and examined the pre mises of the prisoner, where he discovered some of the Jperty that had been stolen from the Rev. Mr. Buck er, together with some blank cheques that had been stolen feem the house of Mr. 13 : also several articles that ead been stolen from Mr. Fraicis. Among these was a pestle and mortar, which, having been left in the yard. the servant had to pay for its loss ; and it was remarkable i het the latter had gone to Barrett, who was reputed to be .m conjuror, and paid him five shillings. on a promise that the thief should restore the articles. Barrett is committed for trial. Wiltshire Independent. DINNER AT THE MANSION-HOUSE.—The Mansion-house kitchen continues its operations very ac. lively in the new Mayoralty. The Lord Mayor on St. Thomas's day, after having presided over three wardmotes, held for the election of Common Councilmen, gave a very elegant entertainment to a large party of gentlemen of his own ward, when the usual loyal toasts were fol lowed by several others which indicated the harmony and excellent feeling which prevails between his Lordship and those who have the best opportunity of judging of his character and principles. Liz DANGER OF IMPROPER ASPIRATIONS Brockman, notwithstanding hereducation at a very po lit e ladies' academy within three doors of the Parr', Head, at Camberwell, could not in speaking avoid a whim she had o f cutting off the letter li from its natural posi tion, aid transplanting it in front of one of the five vowels. Thus, according to her, a hat was an att, an apple a happle, an otter a hotter, and an owl a howl. Miss Brockman was one morning riding on her Jerusalempony, i n h er nan keen pelisse and green veil, Tom following with whipcord, when she thought that her swain was the edge was dri v i ng rather e , „. perilously towards the ocean. Nearer claimed Miss Brockman ; " you are too near the hedze." Torn Templeton, believing that the lady expressed her real sentimeets, and not dreaming that she meant him to see k the hedge, and eschew the edge, drove the donkey ao cloy, to the brow of the cliff, that the ground actually batten crack landward of the lovers ; and had not the quadruped'shle superior wi s d o m i n d uce d hi m t o swerve inward, the whole party would have made a most abrupt descent upon :t he heads of the shell-picking urchins on the shore.—Janes Smith's Comic Miscellanies. IRON WAR STEAMERS.—Two iron steamer , were built early in the present year at Birkenhead, They w ere named the Nemesis and the Phlegethon. They were completely equipped for the purposes of war, and each carried two 32-pounders on swivels. Every person who saw these vessels and their equipment supposed they were destined for the Indian seas; nobody suspected, h owe ver, except the parties in the secret, that they were built for the Go vernment, and expressly for the purpose or forming part of the Chinese expedition, their light ra 1 4 ht of water admirably adapting them for ascending ris, re. The fact of both belonging to the Government was made generally known by the overland mail. TI - e Nemesis had reached the Indian Seas, and the Phlegetl on Wdo expected te arrive there in a few weeks. Long be. fore now they have joined the Chinese expedition, to which they would be a great acquisition of strength. _ Liverpool Albion. THE SUN, LON DON, SATURDAY, DECEMnEn 26.1810. IMPORT DUTIES. SIXTH ARTICLE. We might extend our extracts from the Report of the Import Duties Committee, till we had placed every line nearly of the evidence before our readers, with the important comments which almost every line suggests. We must, however, close the subject by the present article, in which we shall quote the evidence given against— THE TIMBER DUTIES.—These duties were first laid on for revenue, but war haring in part and for a time shut us out from the North of Europe, and the colonial proprietors and shipowners having great interest with the Government, commanding some votes in the House of Commons, the timber duties were made protective of our colonial timber trade, and now are, according to Mr. M‘Gregor, 450 per cent. higher on timber brought from Nor way, and other politically foreign though near countries. than on timber brought from Canada, and oth:r politically connected though distant colonies. Mr. \l'Gregor's summary, however, of the duties scarcely gives a correct and complet e id ea of t heir injustice; - for on most of the articles, such as batteos s deals, &c., the duties levied on the foreign timber is ten times as great as the duties levied on the colonial timber. It is in fact obvious, that on such a bulky article the protecting duty must be enor mously high, provided the article be about the same price in the foreign country and in the colony to enable it to bear the expense of the long sea voy age from the distant Canadas, instead of bringing it from contiguous Norway. The average duration of the voyages of the timber-vessels to and from Canada cannot be less than six weeks ; the averae duration of voyages to and from Norway may be estimated at one week ; so that the discriminating duties must be sufficient to cover the employment of all the ships and seamen necessary to supply us with timber for Five weeks every year. Or, the distance from London to the entrance of the gulf of St. Lawrence being six times as great as the distance between Lon don and Bergen, and the amount of tonnage en gaged in bringing timber from our colonies being estimated at 216,000 tons, navigated by 9,200 men, it follows that the country, by the discri- • minating timber duties, is compelled to waste the labour of 9,200 men for five months out of every six in order to procure the required supply of timber. The timber duties cause the labour of that number of men and that amount of tonnage to be as completely destroyed as if for that period the men's hands were tied and the ships were lying rotting in port. But this waste, though vast, gives an incomplete and faint idea of the mischief caused by making the community bring timber from a place 3,000 miles off, when it can be ob tained from a place not 600. The length of the voyage exposes both ships and crews to hazards which in the shorter voyage are never encoun tered. Moreover, the worst kind of ship are employed in the timber trade, and the conse quence is that a great number of vessels and human lives are annually sacrificed. Thus to the actual and certain-waste of the time of five sixths of all the vessels and men employed in the timber trade, must be added an annual sacrifice of property and life by shipwreck. Such, on the first blush of the thing, is the effect of duties, to make men supply themselves with timber from a place 3,000 miles off, when, if there were no such barbarous duties, they would bring it from places not much above 500 miles off. We know no terms' sufficiently strong to characterise such a profligate ' and brutal system. The following is a copious abstract of the evi dence of Mr. Mitchell, a general merchant at L e ith. The first statement that these timber duties tend to injure our ship-building, on which the safety of the country depends, confirmed, as it is, by other tes timony, is calculated to startle those who look to the wisdom of Parliament for the national defence and security : I consider that the duty upon both oak and fir tim ber is very oppressive, and extremely injurious to the country generally ; and that if the duty were lowered, particularly upon oak timber, tie should increase the most important manufacture of this country, namely, the manufacture of ships, to a very considerable extent. The duty of 565. 6d. per 50 feet of both oak and fir tim ber is equal, in regard to fir of certain descriptions, to about '2OO per cent., and on oak about 150 per cent. I have lately received a letter from a correspondent of mine in Norway, offering to deliver the very finest Nor way fir timber, including the prime cost and fi eight, at Sd. to 6.;d. a foot, laid down at Leith. It is su itable for any purpose, particularly for fishing-boats and build. mg. It is in logs. I include everything, because my correspondent offers to deliver it at what he calls " the mast ;" at Sid., therefore, I conclude that all the ship ping charges are included. The duty per foot being about Is. 2d., and the cost upon delivery being Sid., it would conic to about 175 per cent. But the mode of measurement makes the duty still higher to the importer. There is a mode of measurement called the calliper measure, which is used by the Customhouse, and in some cases adds to the number of feet, by measuring empty space, 10 per cent. It might be ebout 10 per cent. more than the true contents on fir timber, and upen oak timber it is 25 to 30 per cent. The wood is peculiarly suitable in Scotland for many purposes, parti cularly for agricultural purposes, such as farm-steadings, and for building pilot-boats, and even for ship-building ; I had en application from one of our most respectable ship-builders in regard to a cargo which 1 lately landed from Norway. He was particularly anxious to get it for deck plinks for a large steamer now building, I think, for the West Indian Packet Company ; he said it was preferable to any other wood for the purpose of making decks, but when he found the price with the duty, he saw he could not purchase it. It would be par ticularly useful for house-building for joists and rafters in all places not exposed to the air. Placing Norway timber under this high duty has prevented one most important article of commerce from being intro duced at all, except, perhaps, one or two cargoes, in all Scotland during the twelvemonth. If the duty were reduced to the ad valorem rate there would be a very considerable addition to the trade, and I should think it would add very considerably to the revenue ; but as to the exact amount I could not say. Nine-tenths of the timber would be put into a fishing-boat ; the only thing it would not do for would be the knees, which would require to be oak, or herd wood. It would tend very much to lessen the expense of building those boats and all smaller vessels, such as the boats upon canals and in small rivers. The Norway fir would suit them remark ably well. I think it is obvious that the French and other foreign boats are stouter-built than ours, owing to the very expensive nature of the material required for building those fishing-boats in this country. 1 should like to add, that our fishermen are now beginning to proceed further out into the ocean in search of fish, not only herrings but cod, and they require much larger boats. They have been accustomed to go in small open boats. Now if the duty were lowered, they could build the large decked boats at the same price as they now p ty for those small open dangerous fishing. boats. They must not have it, their lives must be sacrificed. The boats which have heretofore been made slight, in consequence of the high price of timber, would, if the duties were lowered, be made so as to be suitable for more distant voyages, as the French and other fishing boats arc now made ? Our fishermen, at this present time, decline often to go to any distance from the shore, in conse quence of the slight make of their boats ?—lt would be impossible for them to go any distance, because they have no convenience either in regard to shelter, or in regard to placing their food so as to protect it from :he wet. The boats on the coast of Scotland are ail open boats. They are altogether inferior for the purposes for which they are used, to the French, owing to the high price of timber in this country. The commerce with Norway is a very important one. I am able to remember when the duties were lower, and when every farthing forming the net proceeds of those car• goes of timber then imported was expended in Scottish manufacturers. Every man in a Norway ship had .chat they call a land-day, that is to say, a day of liberty from the ship, and they generally spent every shilling of their surplus wages in manufactured at tides. That was I should think above 20 years ago. Is not the duty on battens in the seine proportion as on timber ?—lt is consderabiy less, which the Com mittee will be surprised to learn : the duty is consider ebly less on battens and deals, than on log timber. nave made a series of calculation to prove that the duty upon the manufactured articles of battens and deals it consider a bl y l ess t h an the dully upon the raw material. MORE CONTR ADICTORY LAVVS.—I have 'node out a ben ta a n t l t es s howees the comparative duty payable on deals, and squire timber, and the cubical contents, Tee rate per --- cent, excess of duty on the roush timber, As compared with battens and deals, is from 40 to 95 per cent., and from 37 to 66 per cent.--(Tix witness ,ienvercd in a table.) Tumber cut up partly menthe eired, can he imported at a rate of from SO to 60 per cent. less than timbe r i n log, from which those battens aro made. That prohibit& the importation of log tim ber to a certain extent ; 1 have only had two cargoes on consignment lately. The trad e in Norway log- tim ber to Scotland had almost ceased to exist. The ad vantage of importing log timber rather than manufac tured is, that we should have a numb er of men em ployed in cutting it up to the proper size we want it ; and again, log timber can be employed as beams, and `cr various purposes to whichvre could act apply cut- up i :vood, battens, or deals. anneufacturtal articie is now admitted on more favourable terms than the raw material. The effect of the existing law is not only to check the trade but to deprive many men of employ ment who would be engaged in fashioning and squaring the timber for the purposes for which it might be wanted for home consumption. If the same facilities were given to logs as to manufactured timber, the whole of the Norway timber would be imported in logs. It could be sawed cheaper here than in Norway. A ship of 400 tons would cost at Leith ready for sea from about 12/. to 15/. per ton. We are beginning very much to buy ships abroad ourselves, because we find it very profitable to take shares abroad. I have ceased to be a British ship-owner some time since, and I join in shares in foreign ships. The price of a foreign ship is about 10/. a ton. A ship built of materials equally good can be procured for 10/. abroad, whilst .ve pay 151. hare. That difference of price in the first place is owing to the high duty upon timber here, and the consequent difference between the price of timber abroad and the price here, and it may also be on ac count of the higher wages of the labourers. If you continue the present duties, it would be cheaper and more advisable to build a ship abroad, and to bring her here navigated, and to continue navigating her with foreign seamen. A considerable amount of British capital is now embarked in foreign shipping. I hold shares in some foreign ships. Seeing the difficulty of getting ships cheaply built in this country, I thought proper to join several firms, I think about two years ago. If the duty on timber were taken off, and the price of provisions were more like that on the Conti nent, I have no doubt whatever that shipbuilding in this cauntry would rapidly increase. I even contemplate the possibilty of foreigners coming to buy ships in this couuntry. If timber were admitted at a very moderate duty, or free of duty, I should contemplate the possi i,ility (on account of the superior build of British ships) of foreigners coming to purchase ships in this country. The high duty on timber is the principal article which prevents the British shipping from being improved. It is of the utmost consequence to have Norway spars for masts. The duty is excessively high. The duty upon spars above 1.2 inches in diameter, is the same as upon fir timber, 21. i6s. 6d. a load of 50 cubic feet ; other s t ews suitable for masts, S and under 12 inches diame ter, are 1/. 2s. each. If the duty were 20 per cent. ad valorem I could import some masts at about 15s. each. Those arc spire particularly useful for ship building. Baltic timber is considerably more durable, and preferable on maey accounts to North American. On the Continent, too, there is a more abutment supply, and a better choice of timber. Here the best wood is taken up for naval purposes. The present duties, con sequently, not only increase the p-ice, but lirnt the choice of that timber which otherwise we should have for shipbuilding. That gives foreigners a better mate rial generally for their ships then we have. If the ditty werewer.r reduced on Baltic timber I do not think the price would rise, because we have considerable compe tition from various countries ; we have Russia, which produces a great quantity of fir timber ; we have Prussia, and we have Norway. It is a mistaken no tion, that because the means of exportation from any fo reign country is facilitated, the prices will consequently rise in that country, because there is nut only a coin petition in that particular country, but there is a com petition with other countries. I have no doubt that English shipping would tied a preference in almost any part of the world, if it could be built as cheap, and that the shipowners would become more prosperous than th sy are at present. I generally hear the shipowners who are connected with the B-itish American pro vince: complain of the state of trade ; but it is not ge nerally known, and it ought to be generally known, that nearly the whole carrying trade of that timber from America is carried on by vessels that have been found useless in more important occupations, and which are employed simply because they are of little value ; they have perhaps been in the West India trade or in the East India trade, or they are built of very inferior ma terials, and consequently are suitable only for that purpose. It is the most worthless part of our shipping that is used in the American timber trade. Mr. Eeeart—Are the ships belonging to the gentle• men you mentioned chiefly New Brunswick built ves sels?—The whole of the ships belonging to one house, amounting to 20, or 30, or 40, are entirely built in Bri tish America, in New Brunswick, I think. So that the present duties discourage to a peat degree the building of ships in England, and encourage colonial built shipping. The result of a reduction of the duties would be to encourage and promote ship-building in England to a very extraordinary extent. The dwel lings of the poorer classes in Norway to those in this country, are far superior, entirely owing to the cheap ness of wood. They are generally built of wood are comfortable and durable. The people here ate living in the most wretched and miserable dwellings, ex tremely injurious to the health, not only of the indivi duals thetneelves, but of the whole community. If building materials were cheaper, the dwellings would improve. In Norway families all live in separate houses. In Norway there are some earthenware manufactures and some coarse wollcn cloth, but they depend for their manufactures upon other countries. Formerly, before the duties were raised, they imported the whole of the necessaries of life almost, except food, from this country. Now they generally get the whole of their manufactures, although very inferior, from Hatnhurgh, an,l from Prus sia, and Germany. If the trade to Norway could be resumed as it formerly existed, the Norwegians would supply themselves, in return for the cargoes brought here, :vith the necessary articles required from this country. I have found the Norwegians admit themselves, that while they may get goads, generally speaking, cheaper in the Continental markets in Ger many, they prefer, as superior in quality, the Scottish manufactures, and that therefore they would buy all they required in regard to manufactures, and necessaries of that kiwi, in this country. They meet Prussian timber in Germany, and arc obliged to sell at a comparatively low price to what they obtain in England. They would take their supplies from us in return for their timber. Now, the importation of wood to any considerable extent in the log has entirely ceased in Scotland. In 1822, 558 large ships brought cargoes of wood from Norway, and in 1839 that number had increased to 758 ; but with battens or deals. There are some de scriptions of wood that we should always import from North America. We have now got accustomed to finish the insides of our houses with American timber, and I heve no doubt that a considerable proportion of the British lumber ships would be continued in that trade. lam informed that a great part of the wood brought from the British colonies is cut by natives of the United States, and that a great part of the red pine is actually the growth of the United States. I lately read a letter from Baron Humboldt to Lord Castlereagh, which appears to have been published, in which lie states that " the wood imported from Quebec is partly from the woods on the lakes and rivers of the United States, and that the wood in Canada is to a considerable extent cut by the inhabitants of the United States, who, being paid in read) money, receive the greatest portion of the price. The wood c alled red pine grows entirely in the territory of the United States. We now quote from Mr. Porter's evidence a confirmation of the fact that the timber duties con fer an advantage on our Colonial shipbuilders at the expense of our home shipwrights : I have a letter in my hand which was written to me a few days ago by a ship-builder in the Clyde. He says, " Were it not that the quality of British ships is held rather superior, our trade would likely now be entirely at an end." He speaks of the ship building trade. " A most important warning offers itself, in the example of our great North American Shipping Company, Pollock and Gilmour. Our :muse have been the ship-builders of that house since ever they have been in business. They had a strong at tachment to the British build, and but for prohibitory duties they would now most likely have had every ship in their hands British built, whereas they have not one, while the amount of their tonnage resembles more a second-rate national marine than that of a company of private traders ; they have between 30 and 40 ships of 700 to 1,000 tons register. The duty upon timber, part of which is necessary for the construction of a ship, I mean Baltic timber, is so high that it acts as a restriction upon the ship-beild ing trade in this country ; and the ships that would have been built in this country are now built elsewhere —they are built in the North American colonic.. The operation of the differential duties, moreover, is to cause the employment of an inferior description of timber, and to limit the amount of revenue that might fairly be derived from the imperteition of timber. Those duties are likewise injurious to the country, by limiting our trade with the European countries where timber is chiefly produced, and which formerly, under different circumstances, were much better customers than they noes are for British manufactures. Speaking of the timbsr-producing colonies generally, I am of opinion that it is no advantage to them ; it is an advantage to some few persons who obtain a living by cutting timber, arid it is an advantage to a certain clime of ship-owners in this country, who employ old ships for the trade, that must otherwise be broken up. It is not generally for the benefit of the shipping interest in this country to maintain these duties, but only far the owners of these rotten ships. Ship-building and navigation have a higher in terest than that merely of coinnhlce—they contri and th e y h a v e accordingly bute to the public safety, been encouraged by much legislation not a little in . eeu se n a ja m rY en s . ens rl e? he timber duties, then, to other classes than j s u b r . i shipwrights and pecuniary like sonic other duties, we have adverted to, are not only mischievous in themselves,_ but they con tradict other legislation, and tend to render the whole confused and inapplicable to society . British navigation is very seriously discouraged by our merchants buying shares of foreign shipping, and so encouraging foreign vessels. Some red-hot patriots may exclaim their conduct is immoral, but the guiding principle of commerce is to sock profit, and its immense ut:tity tO Ult.' v. - odd a; : ar o k; suffi cient ev i ( l.4 2 , ne r of flu, rectitude of the tcipie. L cannot be wrong, therefore, for the mer c ha n ts to seek profit by em pl o ying foreign shipping any more than it is to seek profit by importing foreign cot ton or foreign wheat ; the wrong is committed by those foolish statesmen who, without knowing the effects of their own deeds, make laws which give a bounty on the employment of foreign shipping. The timber duties, not the honest pursuit of profit by trade, are the source of the evil. If it be said that N avigation is encouraged bti the long voyages, we reply that it is not so ; that we must have an equal quantity of timber, from wherever brought, to the quantity at present con sumed ; that it is reasonable to conclude, in fact, that we should require a great deal more, and that our navigation would be extended both by timber being brought in by British ships, and by those ships, in consequence of the cheapness of naviga tion, being more employed. The money now re• quired to pay those who are engaged in useless la bour would be vested in a useful trade, and naviga• tion would be increased by substituting the short • for the long voyage. Moreover, it is given in GNI.. dence that the worst possible ships are employed in the American timber trade. They are fit fur no thing else, and could ;n no sense be of use to the country in case of war. At the same time the long voyage takes away our seamen at all times from the public service, while the short voyage would leave them as it were at home, ready to serve A . tney were wanted and were willing. Nor is there such temptation for them to desert in Norway that there is in America, anti save another and, per haps, hostile Government. To sum up the effects of the discriminating du ties on timber, they waste the national resources the extent of four-fifths of the shipping employed to bring home timber; they have destroyed a most prosperous trade with Norway and the rest of the North of Europe ; they deprive the poor of com fortable habitations ; they check the very use ful art of ship-building ; they discourage navigation, and damage the revenue. Wnat good in return for these evils do they con fer on our colonies ? None. They turn them from agriculture to wood-cutting, and make them engage in a trade which could not be carried on without the bounty of the tax, and must, therefore. be a less profitable trade than agriculture. They have injured and corrupted the population of the colonies for the advantage of a few shipowners and merchants in London and in Canada. All these evils, however, are not learnt now for the first time, they have been long ob served, but no remedy has been applied. In fact, every attempt to apply a r eme dy has b een d e f eate d, certain corrupt interest s have combined to keep up this injurious tax ; and for the advantage of a fevv, the community has been deeply injured. ' One.votive for this conduct creeps out at one part of the evidence. The present race of ship• owners are afraid, should the timber duties be re duced, that the price of ships would fall, and that they would be so much the poorer. No person pretends to say that the value of their property in use would he deteriorated, for the ships woud be the same after the reduction as now, but the value in exchange would be less. When a shipowuer can noN say, " I am worth 40,000/., he would then he only able to say I am worth 30,000/. The latter sum would, however, most probably then command as many, or more useful c o m mo dities, than now ; but still the nominal amount of 40,000/. has so oreat a charm for these people over the less amount of 30,0001., that to possess the former, they oppose the most desirable and just alterations. To such miserable selfish motives is the welfare of the nation sacrificed. MORAL EFFECTS.—We cannot drop the sub ject, which we might extend to a much greater length by further quotation from this excellent volume, with out making a few general remarks on the moral effects of such a system which are too often over looked. The Legislature begins by protecting iron or ships, and goes on to protect corn. It first levies a tax on all the consumers of iron, or users of ships, or eaters of bread, for the exclusive ad vantage, not of the actual producers of these commodities, for it is well known that the wages of labour are not encreased by the protection— ' but of the owners of them. The owners, or ca pitalists in all these cases are comparatively few, and thus an injustice is perpetrated by the Legis lature of taxing the industrious many for the benefit of the idle few. But when the Legisla ture has begun this system for the advantage of one class of capitalists, another class of capitalists acquire a claim on the Legislature for an (qua! • advantage, which it has generally been enabled to make good ; so that the protection of one trade has begotten protection of another. " So long, (says Mr. J. F. Gibson, a silk manufacturer, in his evidence) as we have a restrictive system, and so long as the landowner is protected as he is, and the chief necessaries of life are so very much clearer here full thanhseiriaereoip ino protection." f tr enig.'l countries, I claim Now, Mr. Gib son is an enlightened, intellig en t, lib era l man , an d r o io" because the landlords are enabl e d by l aw t o plunder the consumers of bread, lie claims a right s to ilk li . e i3r enabled oier t y has with Usb v law to plu n d er t h e consumers of a potential voice, and the silk manufacturer is accordingly enabled to levy a tax on the consumers of silk. Property, which is of itself a power and a protection, obtains im- Yri'etis established—that of contrary to the very prin ciples to all. First one class is then another class gets the enabled i c u :l u i t e l )r i s l t iel i dl e g o s t n eo a q g w iv a ) h ia i li:c n s p l t d l re i g o n rt o d , : a : e nt s r i lk oi r l thus by the much boasted-of system of protection, plunder, vile, scan dalous theft, is consecrated h- he Legislature, and, . Such a system i i ss ran a l., d m e ra d l re pe g s e t i . le . ra l l t rule of the whole. It is the legalizatioo of dishonesty. But pest though it be, men are told they must not abuse it. To submit to i it is preached up continu a ll y as the highest social duty, and smug.gling, whi c h corrects i t i s pun i shed as a crime. To enforce it, an army o f coast guar d is empl oye d, custom -h ouses exist, and all the c ontrivances which ever hav e guar d e d ro bb er y an d wrong grow up silently out o f t hi s system o f pro tection, and b ec ome the pl ague o f our lives. The fraud s wh i ch ensue, an d the costly and cruel laws which ar e p asse d to p un i s h t h em, b ecome en dl ess, an d we are all made the slaves of a vicious system. After all, what is gain e d by i t . Th e land lords and other protected classes are great con sumers of silk, timber, s u ga r, coffee, &c., and th ey must pay foe the protection these articles arc . s a id to e n j o y, by conceding the protection which t h e others ' receive. Wh en i t i s consi d ere d that the se classes must pay about 4d. per lb. on sugar to th e p l anters , and about 90. per lb. on coffee, and about 12d. per foot on timber to the colonists, &c,, they cannot, it is plain, gain on the whole anything beyond the most paltry sum, if the y g ai n at all ; and for this most wretched and paltry su m t h ey are willing to sacrifice, and have sacrificed, t h e respect of society, and they see the esteem and honour in which they were once held converted i nto contempt and loat hi ng . Th e dis criminating duties levied on timber, sugar, cofile, etc. &c., prob a bl y equa l i n amount t h e tax on corn which actuall y that in the en d no class is enr i c h e d b y t hi s system, goes into the landlord's pocket, so 1 hut all are imp over i s h e d an d demoralised I t i s chiefly, how ever, the industr i ous poor w h o are im poverished and degraded, for though particular .pccicsproperty and particular employments of capital are i are corresponding protect i on f or i n d ustry ; an d t h e protected by the several laws, there is no landlords tax, t h e planters' tax, the shipowner , ' ax, the colo n i sts ' tax, arc all equa ll y pa id i n pro portion to the extension of their consumption, wide out any counterbalance or corresponding protection by the several class , 's of labourers ; on them this system falls with all its accumulated weight, and contributes to crush them. It must -C), n h he supposed that these masses of evil cannot be remedied. On the contrary , t he band that inflicts them has only but to wnbdraw its pressure, and the evils will cease. The law melees is the autho r of them. It is proved, too, li I' .. M ' Gr egor, Me. Hume, and other witnesses, the former of whom laid before the Comin!ttec an i'"F"cd tariff, th a t our C u stoms' duties might be se levied and regu l ate d were t h e pr i nc iple , of lookii to TGVenUC only C I A strictly in vie w, as to ensure to the Government a greater revenue than a t r esent, . while the care, th e com f o rt, and the happiness of all classes would be promoted. If these evils be not remedied, we shall affirm that they are conti nued from a diabolical love of evil, and that those who continue them rather deserve the character of demons than of men, They must have Bucked ~! r esses, not woinen. To the Legislature thi;, syit= , i:. :::,.: 01 . intinite trouble. It is continually called on to adjust. the several claims of different classes of capitalists and landlords which no human skill can accomplish ; and it therefore excites discontent, and gets invoked in inextricable difficulties. No man in his senges would undcr:ake so sad and so impracticable a task ; but our Legislators, more fit for Bedlam than the world at large, have never hesitated apparently to impose a protecting duty, and so they recklessly have disarranged all the vast business of sup plying the physical wants of society. A system of import duties based in any degree on the prin ciple of encouraging or protecting a particular species of industry or particular production is erro neous in principle, and in effect most mischievous. For the great mass of useful information which this Committee has brought forward—though we could have wished it had been fuller, the public is much indebted to Mr. Hume, the Chairman, who moved for the Committee ; to Messrs. Villiers, Thornely, Ewart, &c., who continually attended, and, by their pertinent and well-put quet,tions, eli cited the in no important facts. Those gentlemen already deserve well of all the industrious and trading classes, and they have added much to the public obligation by their useful inquiries. It only remains for them to act on the information thus made public, and bring forward measures in the approaching Session, no matter what other busi ness may be laid before the House of Commons or by whom, for the abolition of the discriminating duties on coffee, sugar, timber, &c. By that aboli tion no persons, but a very few planters and ship owners, will be injured even for a moment, and the rest of the community largely benefited. Not a single labourer, as' we have shown, gains a six pence by that system ; its petty advantages go to a select few, and to continue it is, in fact, a vio• lation of all jest principle. - We hope, there fore, that these gentlemen Will act boldly and man fully, for though they may not carry their measures pow, th e y will certainly make such an impression on the public as will insure the abolition of all I discriminating duties at no distant day. FRANCE. CHAMBER OF PEERS—SITTING OF DEC. 23. The President, Baron Pasquier, took the chair at two o'clock. M. Uhlmann, the Minister of Finances, presented tir, Bill relative to the final settlement of the accounts of 1838, which had been adopted by the Chamber of Depu ties. He also presented, in the name of the Midster of the Interior, the Bill for a credit of 700 000 f in favour o: foreign refugees, which had passed the Chamber of De puties. The Chamber decided on assembling in the bureaux on Saturday, to appoint the Committees on these Bills. The Peers withdrew to appoint the President and Se cretaries; at a little before three they returned, and the result was Announced as follows :-Ist bureau, President, the Duke de Larochefoucauld ; Secretary, M. Merilhou, 2d, President, the Duke d'Orleans ; Secretary, the Count de Grammont. 3d, President, the Duke de Nemours ; Secretary, Baron Feutricr. 4th, President, M. Humblot- Conite ; Secretary, M. de Bailly. sth, President, M. Bourdeaux ; Secretary, Count Reille. 6th, President, M. Mercier; Secretary, Count Roy. 7th, President, Count Doroanel ; Secretary, the Duke d'Albufern. The Committee of Petitions was declared to consist of MM. Meriihou, de Laplace, Camille Perier, Bastard, Ad. miral Halgen, MM. Lebrun and Delort. At three o'clock the Sitting broke up, without any day being fixed for the next Sitting. DISCUSSION IN THE BUREAUX OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPU. TIES ON THE SI:PFLEME.NTART AND EXTRAORDINARY CREDITS FOR TIII3 YEAR 1841. M. Murvt de Bord stated that he was desirous to see the Government direct its attention to steamers, but that ho was sorry to say that the English steam-engines are much superior to the French. M. Dcslongrais opposed all grants except that for the navy, and maintained that if the Ministry intended to dis arm, as is generally believed, there was no necessity to make any war credits. M. Galos supported the credits as a necessity arising from the situation of the country. M. Duvergier de Hauranne was favourable to an arms. merit, but considered that in time of peace the occupation of Algiers should be limited to those points which could be defended in time of war. M. Dufaure insisted on the continuation of the arms. ments, and on the occupation of Algiers, the abandonment of which would be an act of weakness. and would afford the enemies of the Government, and of the revolution of July, another pretext for saying that the Government ac cedes :o every foreign intimation. M. Jaques Lefebvre opposed the armament, but was desirous that the occupation of Algeria should be limited. General Bugeaud considered Africa as being highly in jurious to France. M. Guzet Desfootaines requested M. Teste (the Mi. ulster of Public Works) to explain how the Ministry in. tended to cover the deficit of 1841. M. Teste replied that the Minister of Finance intended to contract a loan to meet the expenditure, and to regula rise the expenditure appliod yearly to extraordinary works. M. Bignon adhered to the Bill, but was desirous of seeing a reserve of infantry promptly organised, and an increase of naval steamers. M. Duchatel ( Minister of the Interior) stated that the budget for 1842 would be brought forward at the latest at the commencement of the year, and that then it would be easy to form an idea of the ensemble of the financial plan. M. Mornay blamed the measures of military organisa tion adopted by the Ministry of the Ist of March, and es pecially the manner in which certain contracts for horses had been concluded. M. Guizot announced that it was the intention of the Cabinet to propose a system of reserve for the army. M. de Tracy observed that the French naval and mili tary should be reduced as much as the honour and interests of France would alluw ; that Algiers was a burden ; and insisted strongly on the abolition of the slave trade. M. Passy exressed his conviction that the clouds exist hag between certain Governments would soon pass away, but that he was by no means hostile to the military mea sures demanded by the Government. Ile approved the ways and means of the administration of finance, but was of opinion that there was no necessity to contract a loan. The Members appointed for the C =mission on the above Bill were MM. Fould, Dufaure, Dc Lamartinc, Bignon, Bussicres, Jouffray, De Carrie, Guilhem, and Passy. SPAIN. MADRID, DEC. 16. The measures adopted by the Government, Kith re spect to Navarre, besides their i•eal importance, are de scring of .prious attention, as they may give an idea of what the ltrygeney intends doing in the other provinces. It is generally believed that a ferment of dissatisfaction prevails in the provinces, and that an energetic resist;lnce may be made to the Governmental measures, it they encroach at all on the jiieros, so highly cherished by toe inhabitants. Our Cabinet has sent an energetic ultimatum to the Portuguese Government, in which it states that if the Douro navigation question is not settled within 23 days, an army of 60,000 turn will br sent to the frontiers. This energetic note is owing to the little satisfaction given by the last despatches from Portugal, which were of a very evasive nature. Sir A. Aston, and the First Secretary of the English Legation, are seriously indis posed. The Castilian says on this subject, " May God restore them to health, in order that they may secure the independence of Spain." The Madrid Gazette of this day contains the follow• ing Decrees relative to Navarre : DECREES. " The Provi,,ional it,geney of the kingdom, in virtu..• of the faculty gtanted by the law of the 25th of Oc tober, 1839, and to give effect to the confirmation of the privileges of Navarre, decrees the following, with out affecting., however, in any way, the constitutional courts. Art. 1. Provisionally, and until the modification of he privileges of Navarre shall take plice in virtue of a I. o v, the following regulations are to be observed. "ADMINISTRATION OF WAR-MILITARY GOVERNMENTS. In Navarre, as in the other provinces of tno too • narchy, the military command will be confided to a su perior authority appoEnted by the Government, and who will possess the slime attributions as other Corn mandAnt. Generals, without being able to take the title of Viceroy of Navarre, or to exercise the functions at tached to that title. " ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. " Until izencral eudws applicable to to.. whole trio ti achy shall have been driwu up, the judicial proceed.. ,ino prevailing in the other provinces arc to be in viour in Navarre. • Il e Supreme Tribunal of Justice will pnssess with respect to the tribunals of Navarre the same attribu tions that it tines with rcspect to the other tribunals of the kingdom. The Magistrates appointed by the Government, in Navarre, shall be well acquainted with this special laws of the province.. .. Ti:c municipalities are to be named and organised according to general law, and their attributions are to be wider the coal rol of th provincial deputation cotym m ably to the legislation of the province, and are to be sub jeet in other respects to general law. " The provi.R.al deputation is to cons . st of seven inemburg, &coed according to general rule. " The D-puties of Navarre cannot resign the'r func tions, nnd aro to receive a tnolerate salary out of the ttriclt, of the prnvirleo. " POLITICAL GOVERNMENT. " There is to be in Navarre a superior political autho rity appointed by the Government, having the c,vA tit riinvions of the civil chiefs of the provinces, with the exception of the modifications mentioned in the preced ing articles, and without their ever being able to exer cise military authority. " MILITARY SERVICE. " In case of military conscription, both on ordinary and extraordinary occasions, Navarro is to contribute a supp! t.f solditr3 in the peoviitw: e.s the o.lltx f,rovii.ces of the kingdom. CUs uMS. "The eustoma are traustm red from the Ebro to the frontier of the Pyrenees• They, will be a subject t 0.4 common law, and from their receipts will be paid the interett of the debt of Navarre. In eases where the custom-houses of the Basque provineess shall not be transferred to the frontiers, the ports of St. Sebastian and Passages arc permitted to export the produce of the country, and import foreign productions, on con forming to the general tariff. The right of control shall extend to four or five leagues from the frontier. In ternal commerce shall he entirely free, guides are sup pressed. The sale of tobacco shall be carried on in Navarre on account of the Government, but the Depu tation shall secure 87,537 reels on that sale. After the removal of the customs, the system of liberty practised hitherto with regard to salt being no longer possiblc, there shall be established in that province a depot on account of the Government. The Treasury shall come to an un derstanding with the municipal authorities for furnishing salt to the administrations. Navarre may, as well as the other provinces, export salt on the terms of existing regulations. Navarre preserves the privilege of not using stamped paper, but will pay, under the name of direct contributions, 1,800,000 reels annually. The al!owanees to the clergy in Navarre will be regulated b) the general regulations. An account of the present re solutions will be•kid before the next Cortes. " Art. 3.—Conformably to the bases above grecified, and without prejudice to - the chanps whin may he considered necessary by later experiencP, the project of law will be drawn up and presented to the next Cortes. " Art. 4.—The present decree shall be communicated to the other Ministers, to be txecuted agreeably to its provisions. (Signed) Duke ,le VITTORIA. " Palace of the Rvgency, (Dec 15, 1840." THE HON. MRS. NORTON. The following appeared in the Times of yesterday : " TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMES. "Sir—l perceive in a somewhat incorrect account of one of the charges at M iribmough-street otlica yester day that I am reported to have said th it one of the witnesses in a late trial cam 3 up to town is Lord Grantley's c wine. Sack nit 6:ing the lard, nor con sistent with my statement, I h 4st:a to contradict it, an I (if I may trespass so far on your split,: and courtesy) to give the substance of what I did say ; which was simply to the following effect, viz.:—That .1 was in. dueed to give the person calling himself Captain Piers in charge, from an i mpression (arising out of repeated and most disagreeable circumstances) that he was em ployed to annoy me : that that impri ssion was the rt.- stilt of several strange and painful incidents which I de tailed to the Magistrates, and which proved that my house was watched, my servants tampered with, and in two different instances the infamous trap resorted to of endeavouring by feigned letters on business to induce me personally to atteed at address which I learned from my servant (who attended in my place) was one o: a disreputable character, " I connected these circumstances with the fact not depending on my statement, but shown on cross-exa mination on the trial, that the principal witnesses bad rt si led on Lord Grantlcy's estate of Wonersh ; had received from some one (it was no: shown clearly whom) sums of money for their " support ;" and I stated that one of the witnesses, who had been a groom, and was then a rag-seller, came to town from Wonersh in a post-chaise, quite drunk, and boasted to one of the toll-keepers on the road that his fortune would be made, if his evidence ruined the Premier. " I coonected those circumstances also with the fact that when, after the trial, Mr. N)rton pro posed to me a reconciliation, and a return to my house, he expressly named his brother and other parties as the persons who stood between me and my peace, and gave me set instructions in writing how to act, so as, if possible, to conciliate Lord Grantley !or my children's sake. Those children not having been taken away after the trial or separation, but previously (in order to prevent my taking them to the house of my brother, who was not on terms with Me Norton), and the separation and endeavour to blacken my character being merely the result of the bitter disputes which fol lowed the arbitrary step of their• removal, I certainly coesidered the letter I received frozr) the person I charged, proved by its contents and reference to them, that he was in possession of facts not made public. and in communication with other parties who have shown me so much hostility. I consequently acted on the deter mination I had come to (after three years' perpetual torment), to give the next person Iso suspected into charge of the police, and, however painful it might be, to appeal, if possible, for protection against annoyances ►+hick I may be rid►culed for calling persecutions,' but which are nevertheless intolerable and disgraceful. " Assuring you that there is no particle of this state ment which cannot be corroborated on oath by undeni able witnesses, I am, Sir, your obedient servant. " CAROLINE NORTON." THE WEATHER-THE PARKS. On Thursday evening, at six o'clock, the thermo meter stood at 26 deg., and by midnight it had sunk to 21 deg., and towards morning it became still lower. At six o'clock )esterday morning it had, how ever, risen to 26 deg., but as the day advanced the cold increased, and at noon the mercury had again fallen to 21 deg., and at six o'clock last evening to 18 deg., 14 deg. below freezing point. During the day in the me tropolis the atmosphere was very dense and hazy, while in the outskirts, and for miles round, there was a thick fog from eight o'clock in the morning, which greatly in creased in density towards evening. The extreme cold , nebs did not, however, deter large numbers of person~ of all grades in life from crowding the ice. _ . . In Kensington-gardens the ice was thronged with fashionable company, more particularly on the round pond, which also boasted of the presence of numerous ladies. No accidents occurred. The Serpentine was from an early hour of the morn ing thronged with skaters, and it is mco puted.that dur ing the day nearly 40,000 personsventured on the ice, chile fully that number promenaded the banks. The north drive was also thronged with equipages, and there MIS also the unusual sight of omnibuses .in the Park, bringing parties from Islington and other places round the metropolis to view the skating. The largest num ber present at any one time during the day was from three to four o'clock. About four o'clock an outcry was heard in the direction of the south-eastern end of he ice, and it, being feared that a break bad occurred, a general rush was made to the spot. The cause was, however, soon asceitained to be an alarm of fire at Knightsbridge Barracks, which was, however, soon extinguished. In St. James's Park about 5,000 persons were on the ice, and in the Regent's Park about 20,000. No accident whatever was reported to time Humane Society last evening. LIBERALS, CONSERVATIVES, CHARTISTS, AND THE QUEEN. P her most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria, and his Royal Highness Prince Albert were saved from gross and pubfc insult at the Durham County Meet ing, held on Tuesday last, to congratulate the Royal Pair on the birth of their daughtee, it was not ow,up so much to the loyalty of the " Noblemen, Gentleeeen, Clergy, Yeomanry, and inhabitants of the County of Durham," as to the want of exertion on the part of the Chartists. We say, " if" the Queen and her Consort were saved from insult ; for we are rather at a less to determine, which is less offensive,—an Address from the mere mockery of a County meeting, or a refusal en the part of such an assembly to vote an Address at all It will be seen from our report of the proceeding!, that whose number of persons attending " The Count) Meeting" did not exet el one hundred, and that mule geetlemen affixed their names to the requisition for the meeting, than were disposed to be at the trouble to attend and bold up a hand in favour of the address, which the High Sher.ff (1' c . ded to come fairly within the scope of that meeting! The Requisitionists on the spot did their duty indif• terently well, about twelve out of eighteen having ap peared in Court ; and the loyal gentlemen o f Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool, South Shields, and Gateshead, may perhaps excuse their non-attendance, on the ground that none of thorn signed the requisition. But what can be pleaded for Sunderland, which eraced the Requisition with the names of no fewer titan 32 oilier most opulent and respectable sons, on opposite sides of politics ; and yet if we had not attended to take • a report of tie proceedings, not a Sunderland man .voitid have been visible at the meeting ! We arc in deed t.orry to rote this fact, but our duty to the Sove relgn and the public demands it et e-ur hands. Gentle tnen have no right thus to tiifle with the name of the Quern ; they have no right to call upon the High Sheriff of the County to join them in the performance of a duty, and then leave their own share undone ; they have no right, by their tin of omission, to cast ridicule en one of the most valuable privileges of a free people, and reduce a County Meeting to what his Grace of Wellington was pleased to term it—" A Farce." What would have been the result, if but half a score more Chartists, who arc by no means scarce in the vici nity of Durham, had chanced to stroll into the meet ing The Address would have been negatived, the county would have been still more disgraced, and the est es of Chartism, yet smouldering all around us, would, bey and question, have been speedily funned into a fl e iine. As it is, much mischief h is been done ; the Chartists queston their defeat, and claim the turning east of Vic tory ; and, at all avenue as one of them pliant y said to his companions when leaving the (..;orirt,—" _Pee bow, the ice is broken I" let For all which, find a bat m.y c ance to foil ..v, the " Nohlem-n, gentlemen, clergy, yee , e , end in habitants of the County of theeeiii," nor ow, inexcusable negligenee.—Sunderlena He ald, Dec. 2.5. MARSHA I,SEA PRISON.—The Earl of Errol, as Lord Stewhrd of her Nlajr s'y's havin4; benevolently forivarled to J . Rutland. E - q•. the D - po t, Marshal, a very liberal Oh istmas o . na ion for the benefit o 1 tbe d tiit• N Lau 3,!sterd:4 to each in a ploniifid I,7,rter, and o ath 1' i:• Lordship's munificence was gratefully received anti thank fully enjoyed by the debtors and their families. EVENING EDITION. MONEY PAID TO DISSENTING MINISTERS-THE COLONIAL CHURCH. (From the Scotsman.) A return was issued a few days ago of money ps4.l to the Dissenting Clergy of various denominLitions, from the commencement of the various grants. It was moved for by Lord Ashley, and intended, we suppose, as a sot-off against the money drawn by the meat. Toe plan of giving bribes to the Dissenting Clergy, under the name of" free gift," and " royal bounty," was introduced in 1722 by that crafty minister Sir ltobere Walpole. They were paid from the Civil List till 1f404, and afterwards from Parliamentary grants. Tio payments amounted to 1,7001. per annum for England,. deducting fees ; and this small sum, di.led out in )early pittances of four or five pounds to each individual, has lulled the consciences and tied the tongues of some hundred preachnrs. No wonder that the English Die senters, clergy and laity, have been held in contempt by statesmen of all parties. The sums paid under this head frcm 1722 to 1840, were as fallow:::-- England. From 1722 to 1775 From 1755 to 1804 From 1804 to 1834 Fiont 1834 to 1840 £197,032 Along with these payments made to Dissenting mi nisters in England, sums amounting to 75,7681. were paid to such ministers in Ireland. Down to 1818 these payments were issued in England, but after that period they were issued along with the following in Ir' land : Paid from the Civil List to non-conforming, or Protestant Dissenting ministers in. Ireland from 3 , 1 William and Mary (1692), to sth April, 1831 (subsequently voted by Par 'lament) . • £353i742 To the same in annual grants by Parliament from 1804 to June, 1840 To the Seceding m • in'sters, from the Civil List from 1784 to 1831 (subsequently voted by Parliament) To the same in annual grants, front 1809 to 1840 Add sums paid to Irish ministers, but issued in England . 410, 71 a 57,231 153,250 £974,94 0 75,07 8 £1 050,70 8 The first and third sums; amounting to 410,98 0 ke. constitute what is called the Regium Donuni, which• othereamon en nu t t n me commenced Protestantye a e h n d edn i n nfi o ss.v7tBaDg4mr granted, amounts ue r t nei t dtt h es e : tsbo. u3ta Seceders,s It w been and in 1692 for th e' Per among the ministers in salaries varyingoesl:eirnoonmglyr whi c hdOl u / 2i . aBo , l t di o (Yliiv i gi O duoegd / - . The liberality of Government to religious parties in Ire land is in inverse proportion to their wants. The wealty Episcopalians are richly endowed ; the less wealthy Presbyterians have half an endowment ; ana the poor Catholics, incomparably the most numerous; sect, and professsing what may be called the national! religion, have nothing ! Were e ver y other Irish grievance redressed, it is evident th at as long as asJ tional pride and the sense of justice exist in the human breast, an establishment of this description must be a standing provocation to discontent and turbulence. bas Since 1795 the Catholic College of Maynooth had an annual grant of 8.700/., amounting in 44 years to 382,6991. This is all the Catholics have received,. and none of it goes to the clergy. Lord Ashle3, how ever, seems to have suspected that amidst the innume rable grants so lavishly bestowed on Ireland, somes of the tbe money might have found its w a y into the pocket priests or bishops ; and ho accordingly moved far .the return in the following shape, which he no doubt tho ng the , he best calculated to fish out the truth. Return of total amount of money pto man Catholic Bishops a and clergy, distinguishing p y men ts out of the Conso lidated Fund, from the earliest period to the date of this but r fi e n. tur th n e . been nil, To the Rev. Dr. Troy, in the years 1801 and 892, "folTloisvingreittgern'm spade would have for repairing or rebuilding Roman Catholic chapels, de- . stroyed or injured during the rebellion o f 1798. 2,1131. 13 s. I d. Exclusive of the bfaynooth gr" earliant. this is all the Catholics ha ve received from the est period." Hoar much has the Established Church re ceived in the same time? In the twenty years from 1817 to 1837 the Esta blished Churches in Great Britain received .170,0 ed Wl la . in drawback on wood and other materials amp (0Y the erection of places of worshi p . The Irish Church-. would, of course, have its share, but we have no docu ment at hand showing what it was. Lord Asvey however, seems to have suspected that ,the Catholics and other Irish Dissenters might get their hands into the national treasury through this channel, and be ac cordingly moved for a return of the amount, vrhicki turns out to be nil. Thus the favoured sect ma kes one • unjust monopoly a foundation for another. It is worthy . of. remark. that..the drawback on church-building ,mate dills, about which a word has scarcely ever been has amounted on an average to 8,5001. a year—verr nearly the sum granted to the Catholic College, %chichi has been the subject of so much clamour. The hypo crites and bigots in the Church who grasped at this paltry advantage, though amp l y su pp lied with public money otherwise, have raised a mighty cry against the one pittance granted to six millions of the poorest per sons in the Queen's dominions. At present, when the, Church-extendiug mania is spreading over Britain, the drawback allowances will amount to double the. average above-Mentioned. In the Colonies a more' equitable rule is foilowed. though in these also the lion's- share 'falls to the episco. pal establishment. We speak of grants of money only, and not of revenues derived from tithes or lands. By a return of last year, which we do not remember see;ag io any of the newspapers, the grants to the clergy of si rioas denominations in the colonies were ai small►part of which seems to be.paid from Local only a funds : Church of Engl and £134 450 9 967 Church of Scotla n d - , Dutch Church at the Cape, Heligoland, Deme rara, and Ceylon Church of Rome Wesiz.yzns, B3ptists, and JCWO 6,886 14,764: 2075 X 168,242 The Church of England hes clergymen paid by the State in every one of our thirty-nMe coiortes, except Holigoland. There are clergymen of the Scottish Church so paid in twelve colonies, viz.:—the Cape, Lower Canada, Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ber :nada, Jamaica, Bahamas, D,merara, Berbice, blow South Wale F, and Van Diemen's Lund. Tus Catholic clergymen are so paid its fourteen co. lonics, viz.:—Gibraltar, the lonian Isles, the Cape„ Nlatiritins, Lower Canada, Upper Canada, New Bruns— wick, Newfoundland, Jamaica, Trinidad, Demerara. B:;rhice, New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land. Dividing the colonies into groups, the grants received then arc as followa Mediterranean and African Colonies (the Cape, Mauritius, Gibraltar, &c.) £16,209 Canada (exclusive of about 14,0001. a-year from the Society for Propagating Christian Know -1 • 17,902 edge) Nova Scotia and the Lower Colonies Jamaica and BabalTlati The Leeward Islands British Guiana and Honduras 27.602 Australia, Ceylon, and St. Helena 26,134 £168,242 A part of this colonial church expenditure is for chap i•titis to the garrisons ; with which exception, and an allowance for missionaries , e v e r y shillin g p aid by the mother country may be considered pure waste. Take, for instance, the case of Jamaica. Its Church establish' meat costs 39,943/., of which 3,333/. go to the Kirk it Scotland, the Wesleyans, Baptists, Catholics, and Jews, and is marked as " voted by the Assembly." The , sum received by the Church of England is 36,6101., and. not being so marked, is paid, we presume, by Britain. Of the latter sum the Lord Bishop alone gets 4,000/.," the Venerable the Archdeacon" 2,000/. After these come twenty-one rectors, with stipends from 400/. to 8501. ; rest twenty•one " Island Curates," withsiitosetip, six garr iso nendsof 3001. each ; then thirty stipendia r y curates, with stipends from c.chaplain s, o w o it / h . Bsaaclahrjes . Totr iere are, be 100/: each. Now, for whoss te commodation are the seven ty.t vvo rectors, i s land ,:,urates, and stipe ndiary curates, with the Bishop and he venerable the Archdeacon maintained ? Is it not ;or the p l an ters, their clerks , and overamen , the attar i„}•,, a nd o thers of that class, whose gains are far supe rior to those of the middle classes in Great Britain 7 will repine at being taxed to establish missions swoo z, the poor negroes, but why should one shilling ;,e taken iron, the packets of the industrious classes in Britain to provide religious instruction for the plan f erg, attorneys, and other men more wealthy this themsch es ? In many of the colonies the endowment is an tin :nixed evil. It creates heartburnings by raising one ct above the other, in a society whose essential prin ,iple is vgallitY. If ail sects share the grant, the: o is ! still partiality i n th e division, and the rich, who Castnf( o i ss assistance, ar e always most favoured. la Canada and No Se'-'tia, the Church has been the ~star evil of the country ; and it has already sown the seeds of discord in all our Australian colonies. The St. Vincent, 120, is in the Basin, iiid will be rigged and stored forthwith. It is rumoured that this beautiful vessel will be niddu the 11 g -ship at this •port, and bear the flig of our present (..;,,mmander.in-Chief ; and that her Majesty's ship Queen, 110, will proceed to the Mediterranean early in the spring to reinforce- our squadron there. It is further reported that Admiral Sir R ?ben Otwiy will take the rommArd of the fleet.-- Po.e. , ;;;roei.'ll Par 'r. . IN . on. Bart.,l ias .al.riveil at ti; ,• std Duchess. of NJrthurnberland,' who entertains a Small *Sill cittlet thia Christmas. • - TR] )4, 6.0 n ' I : ll iiit HE t)IW N rtlfg tl _ kt!ht j II .1 1 1' tt 'ID *lna Zhl3R lon ll4 s e pi - 4 tety, a Twi o kb z ' ' f hi 10*, h g i g th e s 11