The Sun. — London, England, 1847-03-31 00:00:00

TUESDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE. At the Court at Buckingham Palace, March 26, 1847. The Queen, as Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, has been graciously please d, by letters patent under her royal sign manual, and the great seal of the order, bearing date this day, to dispense with all the statutes and regulations usually observed in regard to installation, and to give and grant unto the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bedford, Knight of the said Most Noble Order, and duly invested with the ensigns t hereof, full power and authority to exercise all rights and privileges belonging to a Knight Companion of the said Mos t Noble Order, in as full and ample a manner as if he bad been formally installed ; any decree, rule, or usage to the contrary notwithstanding. BUCKINGHAM -PALACE, MM cu 19. This day had audience of her Majesty, to deliver their credentials from their respective Courts—Senor Isturitz, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the Court of Spain ; and Senor Mora, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, from the Republic of Mexico ; to which they were r espectively introdueed by Viscount Palmerston, G.C.8. , her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and conducted by Colonel the Hon. Sir Edward Cast, N.C.H., her Majesty's 31aster of the Cere monies. WHITEHALL, MARCH 29. • • The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. Thomas England, M.A., to the rectory of North Lew, in the county of Devon and diocese of Exeter, void by the death of the Rev. William Kitson. The Queen has also been pleased to present the Reverend James Taylor to the church and parish of Monzie, in the presbytery of Auchterarder and shire of Fife, vacant by the transportation of the Reverend George Hutchison, late minister thereof, to the church and parish of Banchory Ternan. DOWNING-STREET, MARCH 'l9. The Queen has been pleased to appoint George Henry Burt, Esq., to be Surveyor of Roads for the Island of St. Christopher. WAR-OFFICE, MARCH 30. Royal Regiment of Horse Guards—Lieutenant Lord Alexander Francis Charles Gordon Lennox to be Captain, by purchase, vice the Hon. C. H. Cust, who retires ; Cornet Lord Otho Augustus Fitz Gerald to be Lieutenant, by pur chase, vice Lord A. F. C. Gordon Lennox, March 30. sth Dragoon Guards—Captain Andrew Nugent, from half pay Unattached, to be Captain, vice James Conolly, who ex changes ; Lieutenant George Lloyd Robson, to be Captain, by purchase, vice Nugent, who retires ; Cornet John Jenkins Thomas, to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Robson ; Ensign Adolphus William Desart Burton, rom 82d Foot, to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Thomas, March 30. 11th Light Dragoons--Lieutenant William Stephen Sandes to be Captain, by purchase, vice Forrest, who retires ; Cornet Lesley Alexander to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Sandes ; Edwin Adolphus Cook, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Alexander, dated March 30. 12th Light Dragoons—Lieutenant Colonel Henry Madox, from half-pay Unattached, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, repay ing the difference, vice Brevet Colonel Sampson Stowell, who exchanges; Major Edward Pole, to be Lieutenant- Colonel, by purchase, vice Madox, who retires; Captain the Hon. Robert Needham,lto be Major, by purchase, vice Pole ; Lieutenant Thomas Henry Clifton, to be Captain, by pur chase, vice Needham ; Cornet John Almerus Digby, to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Clifton ; Charles Goring, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Digby, March 30. 14th Light Dragoons—Lieutenant Arthur Need, from half pay 16th Light Dragoons, to be Lieutenant, vice Hillier, promoted in the 44th Foot, March 30, Ist Regiment of Foot—Henry Whichcote Turner, Gent. to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Kennedy, deceased, March 30. 4th Foot—Ensign John William Percy to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Wollaston, who retires ; Octavius Yorke Cocks, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Percy, March 30. 33d Foot—Frank Corbett, Gent.. to be Ensign, by pur chase, vice Twigg, who retires, March 30. 39th Foot—Michael C. Wall, Gent., to be Ensign, by pur chase, vice Sears, promoted, March 30. 46th Foot.—To be Lieutenants, without purchase—Ensign James George Clarke, vice Campbell, appointed Adjutant, Feb. 22; Ensign John Hickinbotham Chambers, vice Macan, who retires, March 30. To be Ensign, by purchase—Dacre Ives Barrett Leonard, Gent., vice Chambers, March 30. To be Ensign, without purchase—Henry Ridge Wolrige, Gent., vice Clarke, March 31. To be Adjutant—Lieutenant Colin Frederick Campbell, vice O'Toole, promoted, Feb. 22. 68th Foot—Harry Palette Jones, Gent., to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Digby, who resigns ; Lieutenant Thomas Whitmore Storer to be Adjutant, vice Carmichael, who resigns the Adjutantcy only, March 30. 82d Foot—Daniel Stratton Collings, Gent , to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Burton, appointed to the sth Dragoon Guards, March 30. BRE VET. — Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Madox, of 12th Light Dragoons, to b e C o l one l i n the Army, June 28, 1838 ; Captain Andrew Nugent, of sth Magoon Guards, to be Mayor in the Army, Nov. 9, 1846. L srarrAcuED.—To be Captains, without purchase—Lieu tenant James White, from Adjutant of a Recruiting district; Lieutenant Lewis Alexander Boyd, from the 11th Foot; Lieutenant Henry Loftus Herbert, from 88th Foot, March 30. Momosazeoum.—The commission of Lieutenant John Gaggin Cox, in the 2d West India Regiment, has been dated 18th December, 1846, instead of Bth August, 1840. BANKRUPTS. Edward Marshall, pewterer, Clifton-street, Sun-street, Finsbury, to surrender April 13, at two, and May 14, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Frederick's-place, Old Jewry; Buchanan, Basing hall-street, City. William Heath Bonds, licensed victualler, Creek-road, Deptford, April 13, at half-past two, and May 14, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Ab church-lane, Lombard-street ; Symes, Weston, and Teesdale, Fenchurch-street, Henry Howell, draper, Shrewsbury, Salop, April 10, at twelve, and May 8, at half-past one, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Follett, official assignee, Sambrook-court, Basing hall-street ; Soles and Turner, Aldermanbury. Augusta Sophia Tipper, Henry Roe Tipper, and Alfred Tipper, stationers and paper manufacturers, Upper Thames street, London, April 9, at two, and May 7, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Belcher, official assignee; Spicer, Great Marlow, Bucks. George Atkins Soar, glass cutter, Great Marylebone-street, April 5, at half-past one, and May 3, at half-past twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee, Cole man-street; Bicknell and Co., Connaught-terrace, Edge ware -road. John Hely, merchant, Surrey-street, Strand, April 12, at one, and May 10, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Turquand, official assignee, Old Jewry-chambers ; Wild and Co., College-hill, City. William Swain, builder, Cheltenham, April 14 and May 14, at one, at the Bristol District Court. Hutton, official assignee. Bristol ; Winterbotham and Co., Cheltenham. Joseph Chatterton, coach builder, Manchester, April 13 and 30, at eleven, at the Manchester District Court. Hob son, official assignee, Manchester ; Armstrong, Staple Inn, London; Woodburne, Manchester. James Sharp, coal merchant, East Riddlesden-hall, April 17, and May 6, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds; Sharpe and Co., Bedford-row, London; Weatherhead and Co., Bingley ; Bond, Leeds. Jeremiah Burrows, farmer, Sutton in A.slitield, April 16, and illay 7, at ten, at the Leeds District Court. Freeman, official assignee, Sheffield; Stevens and Co., Queen-street, Cheapeide, London ; Jessop, Alfreton. Stephen and James Chappel, earthenware manufacturers, Leeds, April 12 and May 6, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Freeman, official assignee, Leeds ; Wigleavforth and Co , Gray's Inn ; Smith, Leeds. William Hodgson, jun., licensed victualler, Leeds, April 19 and May 6, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Free man, official assignee, Leeds; Jacques and Co., Ely-place, Holborn ; Greaves, Leeds. Thomas Sivill, licensed victualler, Liverpool, April 16, and May 7, at twelve, at the Liverpool District Court. Bird, official assignee, Liverpool ; Chester and Co., Staple Inn, London ; Avison and Co Liverpool. John Jebb, grocer, Baschurch, Shropshire, April $, and May I, at twelve, at the Birmingham District Court. Vaipy, official assignee, Birmingham; Mtateram and Knowles, Bir mingham. James Tranter, jun., timber merchant, Uttoxeter, April 14, and May 5, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Valpy, official assignee, Birmingham ; Palmer, Rugeley ; Smith, Birmingham. William Henry Lovatt, factor, Wolverhampton, April 13, at eleven, and May, 18, at twelve, at the Birmingham District Court. Christie, official assignee, Birmingham ; Robinson, Wolverhampton; Motteram and Knowles, Birmingham. - DIVIDENDS DECLARED. J. Dodgson and G. Bradbury, ironmongers, Bishopsgate street—first div. of 6s. Bd. in the pound, on Saturday, March 27, and three subsequent Saturdays, at the office of Mr. Groom, Abehurch-lane, City. R. Dunn, Wakefield, Yorkshire—as regards the Victoria colliery, a first and final div. of Nd. in the pound, on any Tuesday, at the office of Mr. Hope, Leeds. T. Badger, tailor, Sheffield—a first div. of 4s. 6d. in the pound, on any Tuesday, at the office of Mr. Hope, Leeds. DIVIDENDS. _ _ At the Court of Bankruptcy, Basinghall-street. J. W. Falshaw, grocer, Farringdon, Berkshire, April 20, at one—J. Plews, timber merchant, Bedford-square, April 23, at twelve—E. L. Ogle, brickmaker, Clements-lane, City, April 20, at eleven—R. Pettigrew, jun., tailor, Woolwich, April 20, at one—T. Roberts, linendraper, Blackman-street, Southwark, April 20, at two—R. Vaughan, coffeehouse keeper, Freeman's-court, Cheapside, April 20, at two—S. P. Gladstone, shipwright, Crisp-street, East India-road, Poplar, April 20, at half-past eleven—J. Jeffrey, grocer, Tonbridge Wells, April 20, at twelve—F. Shotter, grocer, Portsea, April 20, at half-past twelve—F. T. West, coal merchant, Commercial road, Lambeth, April 21, at half-past eleven—J. H. Tipple, bombazeen manufacturer, Wymond ham, Norfolk, April 21, at half-past one—J. B. King, bill broker, Newgate-street, April 22, at half-past two—W. Figg, Ordnance-clerk, Brighton, April 16, at twelve. In the Country. J. C. Chambers, needle manufacturer, Ipslev, Warwick shire, April 21, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court —J. Wilkinson, ship owner, Stockton-on-Tees, April 22, at eleven, at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne District Court—B. F. Cowper, linendraper, Darlington, Durham, April 22, at half- East twelve, at the Newcastle- upon-Tyne District Court—W. -_F• Cowper, linendrape r , D ar li ng t on , D ur h am , A pr il 2 2 , a t twelve, at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne District Court—W. F. Cowper, sa B. F. Cowper, and P. E. Cowper, linendrapers 1- ' I hngton, Durham, April 22, at twelve, at the Newcastle ' : n t ic 'n - TYne _District Court—W. Lon bottom wool merchant, Ikehd alk . AEil 23, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court— Rochdale, A alaxbottom and R. Bentley, wool merchants, c ou ,_,. Jrn 23, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court —J, . Mackay,_ tailor, Liverpool, April 23, at eleven, at the Live rpo , ol yo p r t:' s t i r l i . ct Court—W. Lockwood, worsted 1-1. liellroe'4 spinner, Birstal pril 21, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court— hamshire, April 16, at eleven, at farmer, Wysall, Notting ambroffen, at the Exchange .rooms, Not- T. L. B tingham— ni. twelve, at the Mancheste'rVfumer, Manchester, April 23, CERTIFICATES to be granted, Court. the contrary, on the day islisis cause be shown to herein mentioned. J. Bond and E. Morgan, furriers, o xfor W. Groasmith, baker. Portsmouth, April 21_11 April '2 0 baker, Fulham St. Mary Magdalen, Norfolk 11. Farman, Hitchcock, farmer, Hogston, Aprilßuckine,hamshirrl2l—W. —G. Luck and W. Croft, drapers, York -road ' Lambeth, 2l April 20—J. Flews, ' ber merchan ' tim tt Store-stre t Bedford-square, April 20—R. White, merchant, s ti e ,„! derlafrd, April 20—IZ. Morris, coach builder, Gloucester, April :N—J. H. Gandell,dealer, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, April :A—N. Thompson, factor, Liverp ool, April 20.... j. ti : GandelU and J. Brunton, commission agents, Birkenhead, Cheshire, April 20—J. Griffiths, stationer, Liverpool, April 20—W. Samson, coal merchant, Essex-wharf, Strand, April 20—J. Blunden, baker, Basingstoke, April 20—D. Pattie. stationer, St. Alban's-place, Edgeware-road, April 20 — W. Mullett, paper manufacturer, West Peckham, Kent, April 20. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. E. Breffrt, J. Wiaterbottom, and S. Walker, glass bottle rnitnufacturers, Castleford, Yorkshire—W. C. and J. Ealing, Banhai n Norfolk—T. R. Hadley and H. Drake, linendrapers, Woolwi ich—J. Tilbury, J. Tilbury, jun., and F. Clarke, coach t atilders, Gloucester•place, New-road—T. Smith and Cha t ►man, soda water manufacturers, York—C. F. Bla- grove and R. Rust, musicians, Albany-street, Regent's-park —N. D. Cr.ker and R. Stowe, coal dealers, Bridgewater-- J. Milnes and J. Arkwrigbt, grocers, Blackburn, Lancashire —I. Rubbins and T. Harrison, merchants, Gedney, Lincoln shire—W. Morgan and 0. Battee, porter dealers, Bilston, StafEirdshire—E. Scandrett and G. Tudge, plumbers, Wor cester—C. Louie and T. Hudson, ship brokers, Lives pool—E. Jazion and M. Rider, school proprietors, Welshpool, Mont gomeryshire—J. Cox and I. Drake, scribblers and slubbers, Leeds—J. Haslam and W. Paddy, drapers, Southampton row, Bloomsbury—W, Read and R. S. noggins, wine mer chants, Duke -street, St. James's—W. Whiteside and M. D. Powell, tailors, Liverpool—J. Austen and C. H. lorns, linen drapers, Oxford-street—H. D. Coggan and R. Jones, hot pressers, Bread-street-hill, City—R. Escombe and S. Side botham, coal merchants, Harp lane, Tower-street—J. and W. Chadwick, brickmakers, Liverpool—T. Warren and C. Fowlers, pawnbrokers, Old-street-road, St. Luke's. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. _ _ John Craig, horse dealer, Glasgow, April 2 and 23, at one, at the chambers of Mr. Simpson, Glasgow. David Carrick Buchanan Fleming and Robert Chalmers, ironfounders, Glasgow, April 2 and 30, at two, at the cham bers of Messrs. Baird and Muirhead, Glasgow. John Robertson, grocer, Denny, April 5 and 20, at two, at the Red Lion Inn, Falkirk. William Wallace and Alexander Reid Wallace, merchants, Glasgow, April 5 and 23 at one, at the chambers of Mr. Harvie, Glasgow. John Cochran, mason, Laurieston of Glasgow, April 5 and 26, at the chambers of Mr. Smeaton, Glasgow. William Maclaren, perfumer. Glasgow, April 5 and 29, at twelve, at the George Hotel, Glasgow. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of March 30.) SuciAa.—To-day a further decline took place in the value of most descriptions of free and slave labour Sugar, as the quantity on offer was large and more than requisite for the wants of the home trade or exporters. Of West India Mus covado the supply is getting larger, and the assortment better ; the private sales did not exceed 280 hhds and trcs, at prices showing a fall on those of Friday of 6d per cwt. The market closes heavily for all sorts of Sugar. REFLNID.—To-day Refined Goods met with little attention for home consumption, and lower rates were submitted to. We quote standard lumps at 64s 6d to 655, brown grocery 63s 6d to 645, and melting lumps 63s per cwt. The supply is rather larger. Bonded Crushed Sugar is wanted. MAURITIUS.—This afternoon there was little desire evinced to operate in Mauritius Sugar, and of 14,741 bags 40 casks at public sale, not above half sold ; but the rates taken were only in a few instances rather under those that pervailed on Friday. FOREIGN.—This afternoon at public sale 124 hhds and 30 barrels of St. Croix Sugar were offered, a superior parcel, not only as regarded strength, but colour, and sold at lower rates, very fine yellow went at 58s to 58s 6d, fine 365 to 575, good 54s to 555, and middling 50s to 535. EAST INDIA.—This afternoon two parcels of Madras Sugar were offered at public sale, amounting to 6,793 bags; but there was little desire evinced to purchas.l, and a small part only sold at rather lower rates. bloLAssEs.—This afternoon at public sale 12 butts 78 hhds of Bengal :Traacle, and only part sold at 24s 6d to 255. 844 bags were put up, and only partly sold at 6d. decline. COFFEE.—This afternoon Ceylon Coffee was operated in with caution. The quantity offered at public sale amounted to 482 bags and 2 casks of Plantation ; but the chief part was taken in at the full worth. TEA.—There has been little desire manifested to operate in any description of black, notwithstanding the moderate rates that exist. In the low and middling sorts of green large purchases have been made. in consequence of the low rates that are accepted. Good and fine met with a fair de mand, et prices differing from those that existed previously. SAGO is not much wanted, and 241 boxes at public sale to-day were sold at a further fall in prices of is to 2s per cwt. COCIIINEAL.—The public sales this day, consisting of 220 bags Honduras, went off very heavily, and barely one-half sold at a decline of at least 2d per lb. Rim—To-day the market was plentifully supplied with Bengal Rice. The quantity offered at public sale amounted to 4,257 bags, but exporters and the home trade evinced little desire to operate, and a part only sold is under the rates of Friday. SmcEs.—To-day Malabar Pepper met with little attention, and 1,020 bags at auction were only in part sold, at about the former value. SALTPETRE.—AIthough there are further arrivals of Rough, yet holders manifest firmness, and have refrained from offer ing any at public sale. Exporters and the home trade are desirous to operate, and the parcels sold privately were at stiff rates. English Refined met with ready buyers at 30s to 30s 6d per cwt. Nitrate of Soda has been sold to a fair extent. Fatax.—There has been several fresh arrivals lately of Currants, three cargoes of Chesme and Red Smyrna Raisins, and a cargo of Valencia Raisins from Liverpool; the market has been rather quiet this week, the exporters taking only small parcels of Currants. Of old Red Smyrna Raisins some sales have been made at 31s to 32s for shipping. SPIRITS.—For home consumption a brisker demand has been experienced for Jamaica Rum, still n• material im provement in prices can be quoted In Leeward Islands the operations are upon rather a more extended scale, and 3s 7d to 3s 8d paid for proof strength. East India has been sold to a fair extent, and 3s 5d to 3s 6d are the rates paid for proof, with certificate. Demerara sells more freely at 5s to 5s 3d for strong sorts. For Brandy the market is in a dull state; the stock is still on the increase, and there are free sellers. Geneva is wanted for exportation, and several parcels have been sold, common at 2s 7d to 2s Bd. Fine 3s to 3s 8d per gallon. For British Corn Spirits and Gin prices remain the same, but the market is in a dull state, and stocks are accu mulating. INDroo.—The next quarterly sales of Indigo will take place on the 11th May. The demand lately has been limited, but prices remain very firm at last February rates. Spanish brought previous terms, but only a part of 54 serons sold—ordinary Cortes to good Sobres 2s 6d to 4s Id. hors.—The market has a dull appearance. There are sellers upon the following terms t— Sussex pockets 761 s to 88., Weald of Kent BGs to 98s, Mid and East Kent 95s to 130 s. Ou.s.—Of Linseed Oil only a moderate quantity having been taken for home consumption or exportation, and prices have given way, 27s 6d per cwt being taken on the spot. Of Rape Seed Oil may parcels hare been disposed of, brown at 365, pale 375, and line pale foreign 38s. Olive Oil met with less attention. Of Cocoa Nut the supply being still trifling, holders are enabled to obtain high rates. Of Palm further parcels have been received, and the stock being heavy, holders are inclined to realise. Lard Oil is in fair request at 45s to 50s. For Sperm Oil a much better demand prevailed, and prices have improved. For Cod Oil the market has a quiet appearance, and a limited business was transacted. Southern has been disposed of to a fair ex tent, but not at better prices. TALLow.—The demand is still on the decrease for Russian on the spot, and a further decline in the value has taken place. For delivery in the last three months of the year, however, a fair business has been transacted. Of home-made there is an increased quantity offering for sale, whilst the demand has been limited. With other sorts of Tallow the market is yet plentifully supplied, and prices are on the decline. THE GOVERNMENT SCHEME OF EDUCATION. A public meeting was held at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, to consider the propriety of peti tioning Parliament against the scheme of education, contained in the minutes of the Committee of Council of August and December, 1846 ;'George William Alexander, Esq., in the chair. The meeting was held yesterday in the large hall of the London Tavern, but the attendance at the hour appointed for taking the chair was very scanty, indeed, could not have exceeded fifty ; which had in creased to something more than double that number about half-an-hour afterwards, when the Chairman entered. The CHAIRMAN said he had been requested to state that sufficient care had not been taken to make the meeting known ; indeed that the bills had not been placarded till that morning, which, coupled with another fact, that a general meeting of the Society of Friends was being held that day, accounted for the thinness of the meeting. lie said he would not occupy the meeting long with any remarks on the general object; but he must say that he had been slowly led to a conclusion which was adverse to the Government scheme of educa tion. He was a member of the British and Foreign School Society, and had been one who admitted the propriety of Government grants in aid of exertions in favour of education, such as for the erection of schools. Thus far he went in reference to Government aid. But that was a very different thing from a great scheme of national schools, which ought to be called Church of England schools.—(Applause.) He denied that sectarian principles or ways were taught in the British Schools. But it was very different in the National Schools, so called, where the Church catechism was taught, and National Church tenets inculcated; in proof of which he might refer to a volume of documents published by the Government, where a letter from a clergyman states, that if he had had the National School sooner, by that time there would not have been a Dissenter in the parish. Indeed, the scheme had been originated by members and dignitaries of the Church of England ; he believed it might be chiefly attributed to Dr. Kay Shuttleworth. He regretted . much the origi na ti ng o f suc h a sc h eme a t t h at time, as it was but throwing the apple of discord among the liberal friends of education. But he for one should never cease exerting himself to defeat it.—(Applause.) The SECRETARY intimated that the central com mittee had written to all the Metropolitan Members of Parliament, who had all acknowledged the invitation by written answers. The Rev. Mr, STOVELL said, he was of opinion that the education of the children of this country was far too important to be committed rashly to the hands of Government, and not at all to be committed to hands already too full with business which perhaps had not been very well discharged as yet, too full of difficulties which were yet to be surmounted. These difficulties were the adjustment of the affairs of Ireland, of the affairs of Scotland, of the civil jurisprudence, of colonial government, of the poor-law--difficul ties which did not encourage them to add another case sufficient of itself to occupy their undivided attention. But there was another question which burdened the consideration. Was this scheme to comprehend all England or no part of it? For it must be adopted universally, or at once and entirely rejected. But education was necessarily religious. It included the development of all the powers and capabilities of the hu man mind, of which the prime ruler was the conscience. But he contended that morality could not be followed out into habit unless the conscience was enlightened by, the revealed will of God. How, then, were the Government to act ou a matter so closely appertaining to the religious life ? In one of two ways—either they would adopt all re ligions equally, the negative and the positive, and founding their scheme in infidelity they would establish it in law ; or they would engage the teachers of religion, whom they thought the best, and into their hands the whole scheme must be thrown. But the Church of England was necessarily thought by the Government to in hi v;l h ach th i e t be the best ; therefore, the power would fall into the hand swc of the Church' of England. The manner in sacred princ proposal il eng a been eit introduced; ing n 0 the tte n way till it was liberty .1 I'd d " securely placed, was dangerous to the most sacred principle wth7cyh If v, e as co h n ad ten , d et d of W t i e c s h ef i t l he British people, for there was no might not thus be robbed, no scheme m t i h g a h t t not the thusbe principle crushedef the the manner of its he int o schemedcua ti9n its: v l i t a w a a n s w in r j o u n r g y: and that it could not be to Heeff concludedec effect wit h out inflicting a wrong upon this carried by moving—" That, whatever might be the value of the educational measure now proposed by the Government, the meeting could not consent to accept it when brought I forw,;rd in a manner so mlieu to the spirit aLid principles ; of the British Constitution." Mr. NATHANIEL GRIFFIN seconded the motion, which was carried with two dissentients. Mr. JOSEPH STURGE moved—" That even were the manner in which this measure is brought forward unex ceptionable, in the judgment of this meeting the gravest objections lie against the measure itself, as tending to enervate the system of voluntary contribution and local educational efforts, as opening a channel through which a corrupt political influence may at any time be exer cised on the masses of society ; as still further, and in the most inconsistent of ull ways, mixing up the State with religion, and in leading in numerous instances to a direct violation of the rights of conscience, and as the commencement of a system of Government action which is capable of vast and indefinite ex tension, but of which no man can foresee the issue." He said there were one or two questions on which per haps he went a little further than those who had drawn up these resolutions. One of these was, whether under any circumstances a Government was entitled to take education into its own keeping. It might perhaps build schools, but to take the direction of what be must call religious instruction was beyond their province, for they could not do so without offending theconsciences of some of their subjects. How could he impose a tax on a Jew in order to buy a New Testament for the instruction of the imposer's child? Again, so long as they had a church established by law in the country, and a distinction made among sects, they could not accept Government aid, however guarded, without strengthening that establishment, and on that account he differed from the British and Foreign School Society, when they accepted of Government grants. It was an infringement of the voluntary prin ciple. He bad, therefore, withdrawn his subscription, and given it to schools which had stood independent, avid he would now give 1001. subscription to the British and Foreign Society if that grant were rejected. On these grounds he objected to a Government scheme of education. The Rev. JOHN BURNET seconded the motion in an eloquent speech. It was then proposed and carried that, in the judg ment of this meeting the fact that all schemes for the promotion of education by the Government, which have been hitherto propounded, have been found to contain elements in their operation incompatible with the wel fare o": the community, is adapted to shake the confi dence of our Legislators in the belief now so strongly entertained within the walls of Parliament—that educe is the business of the Government, and that it should induce them to give to that question a new and careLl investigation. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the meeting separated. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORFOLK CIRCUIT—Bury St. Edmunds, March 29. THE ACTON MURDER.-SENTENCE OF DEATH. At the sitting of the Court this morning, at 9 o'clock, Catherine Foster was placed at the bar to re ceive the fearful sentence which the verdict of Saturday entailed upon her. Proclamation having been made, The CHIEF BARON assumed the black cap, and pro ceeded to address the prisoner to the following effect:— "Catherine Foster, you stand convicted of the crime of murder under circumstances which require no words of aggravation from me. It is sufficient to state the fact, that you were married on Wednesday, the 18th of Oc tober, and on that day three weeks your husband died in consequence of the administration of poison. It is im possible to doubt that you prepared his food, and ad ministered it, and that yours was the hand which put the poison into it. These are facts which it is Impos • sible to doubt, and it seems to be equally impossible to escape from the conclusion that your heart and mind went along with your hand, and that the poison was placed in that food for thed eliberate purpose ofprocuring the death of an individual with whom you had so lately formed at the altar of God a connexion the must sacred which can exist on earth between man and woman. I have no de sire to enter into the facts of this unhappy case beyond the expression of my entire concurrence in the verdict of the jury; and it only remains for me now to pass upon you the sentence of the law, which, whether in con formity with or obedience to the laws 0' God, requires that your life should be forfeited on the scaffold. I pray you to make the best use of the time now so short on earth, and to seek for peace and mercy, where alone they are to be found, at the throne of your Redeemer." The Learned JUDGE, whose voice was at times almost inaudible from emotion, concluded his solemn address to the prisoner by passing the last sentence of the law upon her in the usual form, and the prisoner was removed, as on Saturday, without any apparent appreciation of the position in which she stood. Not a single tear glistened in her eye, which was unobservant and inattentive— not a single contraction of the facial muscles betokened the inward workings of suppressed feelings; but calm and composed she received the sentence as she had lis tened to the overwhelming evidence adduced against her, and she descended from the dock to the dark cell beneath with as light a step as if she had been convicted of an ordinary larceny. His Eonositir then disposed of the two or three re maining cases in the calendar, which were entirely divested of any features of public interest, and the Suf fulk terminated at twolvc. o'oleetc, 1.0 far e.e the Crown aide was concerned. The labours of his Lordship were materially lightened by the fact that the grand jury threw out, amongst others, four bills for arson, with respect to which class of offences the Learned Judge, in discharging the grand jury, took occasion to remark that he highly approved their disinclination to find bills on weak evidence, which would, when subjected to a petty jury and sifted, fall to the ground. WESTERN CIRCUIT.-- 7 Bodmin, March 29. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice CRESSWELL. THE ST. lIABYN MURDER.—Mary Tr e v er t on , a g ed 30, was indicted for the wilful murder of Samuel Hockin, at the parish of St. Mabyn, on the 10th October. Mr. Rowe and Mr. Cornish for the prosecution ; Mr. Slade for the prisoner. The deceased was a cooper in the village of St. Mab3n. He was a married man, and had before and since his marriage carried on an illicit intercourse with the prisoner, who lived in the same neighbourhood. They had quarrelled on various occasions previous to the fatal deed. John Clements, a labourer, stated that on Satur day, the 10th of October, he was passing along Den ham-bridge-lane, about a quarter before six o'clock in the morning, when he found the deceased lying upon his face. There is a house on the spot where the body was found, and the head was close to the house. I'he back of his head was severely cut, and there was a quantity of blood upon it. The wall was covered with brains. His coat pocket was pulled down and torn. The coat was also torn up the back. William Perry, living at St. Mabyn, stated, that on the same morning the last witness came to his house and called him. He accompanied him to where the body of Samuel Hockin lay. He was not quite dead, but insen sible. He found a stone about five feet six inches from the body, and there was blood upon it. He afterwards saw it in the possession of the constable. On the Sun day before deceased's marriage witness visited deceased, who was then living with the prisoner. He saw Hockin standing with his head bleeding, and a few minutes after wards the prisoner came in. The witness went on to state that on that occasion a quarrel took place between the prisoner and deceased, and the former threatened to knock his brains out. Mr. Gaved, the surgeon, deposed that he was of opinion that such wounds as the deceased died of could be inflicted with the stone which was produced. He was present when the house of John Treverton was searched i.) . ) , %Vest, the constable. In a bedroom upstairs West found a pair of shoes between two chaff mattresses. The heels of the shoes wore turned down as if worn slip shod. They were wet, and the right shoe appeared to have been wiped or scraped. Ha observed some spots on the upper part of the right shoe, which he believed to be blood. Ann llockin, the widow of Samuel Hockin, said he was fifty years of age at the time of his death. The prisoner had been living with him before witness was married to him. After the marriage the deceased still continued to visit the prisoner , and he was on four occasions absent om witness all night. Three weeks subsequent to the marriage Mary Treverton and he went away from the village and were absent about three weeks. Ever since the period of his return the deceased continued to live with witness—but she had often seen him at the rrisoner's house. Deceased was at home on the evening- of Fri day, the 9th Oct., and he went out at seven o'clock. She went to bed at twelve o'clock, and had never seen him alive from that time. She did not know whether he had any money about him on the night in question. He never gave her any money. Cross-examined—He was continually visiting Mary Trevertou down to the time of his death. Witness had a child by the deceased. It was seventeen months old. He was quite sober when he left the house on tile night of the 9th of October, but he had been drinking. a little that day. John Hoskin, son of the deceased by his first wife, saw his father and the prisoner together at Denhara,bridge lane, about a month before the 9th October. The pri soner abused the deceased, saying " I'll blow thee and thy wife up with gunpowder, if there's any to be gout to night between this and Bodmin." George Stephens, a shoemaker, at St. Mabyn, Ives at the prisoner's house the night before the deceased was found dead. The prisoner lived with her father and mother and sister. The prisoner went out a little be fore ten o'clock, and the deceased followed her. The la tter appeared to have been drinking. The deceased and the prisoner appeared to be very good friends that n.;ight. They appeared to be very fond of each other at time s. Mary Pooley said the spot on which the body -was found was within sight of her bedroom window. .Her house was between Treverton's house and that spot.. On the morning of the 10th October, at cock-crow, she heard a scuffle outside her wall as if a person was " dragging something along the road." She heard the video of Samuel Hockin, repeating the words, " Let me go," twice. After this she heard another voice, but she did not identify it. They were going in the dit uctiort . where he was found dead. About five minutes after wards she heard some person running back in the oppo site direction past her house. She heard no cry or scream. Jane Ham said the apartments she occupied -were under the same roof where the prisoner lived. ' ere was a passage between the two tenements, and a d. ,or in it. On the ,nir,ht of the 9th October she went tx> her bedroom about nine o'clock. The room in which_ she slept adjoined the bedroom in the prisoner's house. The partition was a very slight one, and in the course >f the night she heard the passage door open several t The last time she heard this was about four o'clock„ and on that cccasion, somebody went upstairs in Trove - tto n's house. In the morning, about seven o'clock, Mary Dart came to the house, and said, " The cooper's I :mains are beat out." The prisoner answered, "Wb loever THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 31, 1847. could have the heart to do it?" Shortly afterwards the taint, hi, and 14,, " I'ne frightful where the old cooper wa* killed." He said something else, and the prisoner replied, " What, do you think I killed him? I didn't go further than the door with him." Mary Dart said she sat up the whole of that night in a kitchen which looked into the road. In the course of the night, between one and two o'clock, she observed a light in the kitchen window at Treverton's house. It was a moonlight night, and between two or three o'clock she observed a man pass her window twice. He was dressed in a light fustian coat and trousers. She thought it was Samuel Hockin. Between five and six o'clock that morning she left her own house and went into Treverton's passage. The door was not fastened, but Treverton's door was locked or bolted. A few mi nutes afterwards the prisoner came down and opened the door. She had on a day cap, and her clothes appeared " crammed." Witness asked her if she had been to bed, and she replied " Yes." They then heard voices outside, and the prisoner looked out of window. Several people then came to the door and said, "He is dead." Witness's little girl came in afterwards and stated that Samuel Hockin was found dead. The pri soner replied, " Who could bo so cruel?" Witness asked her why she did not go out, and she said she couldn't on any account whatever. Witness said she thought she saw S. Hockin pass by h er w i n d ow on t h e preceding night; and the prisoner made no answer. At that time G. Stephens came in and said, " In a few mi nutes your house will be searched." Whereupon the prisoner went up stairs and did not come down again until the constable arrived. West, the constable. said something to the prisoner's mother, who thereupon called her daughter down. She had no shoes on, and she took a pair of slippers from under the stairs and put them on. The constable told her she must go with him, and she said, " What do you mean by that?" The constable West produced the shoes, and some hair cut from deceased's head after his death, also the stone, which still presented marks of blood. John Treverton, the father of the prisoner, sa id th a t at the time in question she was living at his house. There was only one bedroom there, and it contained two beds. His wife and himself, with their youngest child, slept in one of them, and Mary Treverton in the other. On the night of the 9th October he went to bed at s even o ' c l oc k. He was very unwell, and his son brought him a drop of ale after he went to bed. He could not swear to the prisoner's shoes. He never took any notice of her shoes. The shoes yroduced were not his own nor his wife's. On the night of the 9th October the prisoner went to bed at half-past eleven o'clock. He was very wakeful the whole of that night. Mary did not go out during the night, and in the morning he saw her get up. Hockin had once promised the prisoner marriage. George Stephens was recalled to identify the shoes, and he stated that he believed them to be the prisoner's. He was in the habit of making shoes for the family. John Bligh, a shoemaker, proved that he made a pair of shoes last year for the prisoner. The shoes produced were made by him, and they were similar to those made for the prisoner. This was the case for the prosecution. Mr. SLADE addressed the jury for the prisoner, and after commenting upon the whole of the case, contended most emphatically that the evidence was not sufficient to warrant them in finding a verdict of guilty. Mr. Justice CRES WELL having summed up, the jury deliberated for a few minutes, and returned a verdict of Not Guilty.—The prisoner clasped her bands for joy, and was immediately conducted out of court. The excitement caused by this trial was, as usual on such occasions, very great; and crowds of people were seen hastening towards the court at seven o'clock in the morning. It was remarkable that the majority of the spectators at the trial were females; and Mr. Justice Cresswell took occasion to observe, in the course of his summing up, that there were many women whose curio sity led them into scenes, from which the better feelings of human nature ought to exclude them. It was greatly to be regretted that such was the case, and the oppor tunity token by his Lordship for alluding to the subject was, when he came to that part of the evidence where it was stated that the prisoner did not go out to see the body of the deceased. Some, people, he said, were al waya anxious to avoid sights of horror. and others were actuated by the opposite 'reeling. The ladies present appeared fully to understand this rebuke from the Learned Judge. NORTH WALES ClRCUlT.—Beaumaris, March 26. (Before Mr. Justice CovrataN.) CHARGE OF WILFUL. MURDER.—William Peck and William Goodwill were indicted for the wilful murder of a:boy, named John Martin, by cruelly beating and other wise maltreating him on board the brig Athelstone, of which ship Peck was captain, and Goodwill first mate. The crime was alleged to have bt.en committed on the 4th of January last, whilst the vessel was on her voyage from Quebec to Swansea. Messrs. Townsend and Yardly were retained for the prosecution; the captain was defended by Mr. Temple, and the mate by Mr. Welsby. The brig left Quebec in November last, bound for Swansea, and on the day named in the indictment she was in the English Channel; a gale of wind had been raging, but it having partially subsided, all hands were ordered on deck to make sail. In a short time it was found that the deceased had not comp on deck with the mate's watch, to which he belonged; the mate wont be low for the purpose of sending him up, when he found the bcy in the act of dressing. He took a small line or piece of yarn, and beat the boy with it, and then stripping off his clothes except his under and flannel shirts, hauled hins on deck through the scuttle-holes; the mate went over to the lee side, and held the boy in the water, which broke heavily over the vessel, for about ten minutes; on being released, the deceased went below for the purpose of putting on his clothes; in about a quarter of an hour, the cap tain passed down to the forecastle, and was followed in a few minutes by the mate; shrieks end cries were heard by the crew on deck, as from a person in great agony, and the second mate was an eyewitness of the beating inflicted by the captain. The two officers wore down for about a quarter of an hour, at the end of which time the lad was again forced on deck through the scuttle hole. At this time there was blood on his face. He was dragged aft, the captain beating him along with a piece of rope near an inch thick, knotted at the end. During the whole of this time the boy had nothing on but the two shirts. The captain beat him far four or five minutes when on deck, and then ordered him to ascend the rigging to loose the mainsail. He afterwards ordered the second mate to go aloft, and thrash the boy to his duty, as he was sheltering from the clemency of the weather, on the lee side of the mast. The mate, however, did not strike the boy, but hit the ropes instead. On descend ing the lad was again beaten by the captain with the maintopsail halyards, ropes three inches in circumference. The captain then took up a boathook, and struck Mar tin on the small of the back with it, using all his power and might; this was repeated five or six time, and the boy appeared as if dying; it was between five and six o'clock on an intensely cold winter morning, with a heavy sea running. The boy was next obser v ed lyi ng on the chain-cable, amidships, with no clothi ng on hi m; h e was stretched on the cold iron, with his legs and feet uncovered, and appeared insensible. Soon after, he was carried down to his hammock by the m a t e an d one of the crew, and in a short time after he expired. The body was covered with marks all over bl ac k an d bl ue , as though he had been terribly beaten : on the follow ing day it was consigned to the deep, th e f uneru l serv i ce being performed by the captain. It app eare d t h at t h e unfortunate boy was rather sickly, of tender constitution, and was troubled with a flux. lie, however, was ca pable, when he chose, of taking his share in the working of the vessel. The first port the vessel arrived at was Holyhead, where she was discharged and the crew paid off, when one of the men laid the information. The above evidence was sworn to by five of the crew, who generally agreed as to the severity of the beatings, the uncovered state in which the boy was, and the blows with the boathook, which was 13 or 14 feet long. The jury Acquitted Goodwill and found Peck Guilty of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy. He was sentenced to two years' hard labour. This case closed the assize. COMMISSION OF LUNACY. On Monday a commission de lunatico inquirendo was opened at the Coach and Horses inn, adjoining Sion House, the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, Isle worth, before Mr. Commissioner Winslow and fifteen special jurors, to inquire into the state of mind of the Rev. Benjamin Lewes, rector of Kilrheden, Carmar thenshire, now of Dr. Costello's, Wyke House, near Brentford. _ The commission, which was unopposed, was supported by Mr. James, of the Chancery bar, who stated that the unfortunate object of the inquiry was 62 years of age ; he was a bachelor, and possessed of a rectory worth about 5001 a year, and of freehold property worth about 5001. a year more. About fourteen years since he was affected with a mental attack, from which ho recovered, when Captain Davis, who had taken out the commission, i h ss o told ion ,that should he be again affected he wished him to take charge of his property. In March, 1846, he fell from his horse, and was dragged some distance , which so shook his nerves, that on the 3 of March he was attacked, while performing the inlburialst the o stirrup, service at his own church, so as to be unable to go through with it, and from that time he bad laboured under delusions, showing that he was not able to take care of himself or property. Captain David Davis, magistrate of the county of Car marthen, described the nature of the rev. gentleman's property, and his first and second attack of insanity. After he fell from his horse ho dressed, and came down stairs, seising his gun, with which he attempted to shoot him self. After that, delusions of poverty came on. He turned away his workmen under the impression that he could not afford to pay them. He refused to have his hay or corn cut, saying he could not afford to pay, and it was eecessary to get it done by the tenants. He further imagined that he was dirty in his person, for which there was no foundation ; and the proceeding was o nly rendered necessary by Mr. Evans, a brother-in law, having taken forcible possession of part of the free hold property. The rev. gentleman imagined that ever y person be saw was a sheriff's officer, whom he feared wished to take him for debt ; and also that he expected to go to Newgate, or die in a workhouse. William Williams, Esq., Member of Parliament for Coventry, gave similar testimony, which was confirmed by the evidence of Dr. Costello, the proprietor of Wyke House, Dr. Conolly, and Sir A. Morison. The Reverend Gentleman was then introduced to the Court. He stated that he knew the object of the in quiry. He knew that he was not capable of taking care of himself or his property. He was in debt and diffi culties; if he had 20,000/. be could not pay his debts. Ho was very comfortable at Dr. Costello's; it was such a beautiful place. The unfortunate gentleman in other respects bore out the foregoing testimony, and the jury without hesitation returned a verdict, dating the unsoundness of mind from the 31st of March, 1846. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 30. ROYAL ASSENT. The Royal Assent was given to day by Commission, at Four o'clock, to the Drainage of Land Bill, the Llynvi Iron Company, and the Whiteburn and Kelso and Lauder and Kelso Road Bills. The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Monteagle. Their Lordships then adjourned during pleasure. The Lora) CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool- Lack at Five o'clock. WATERWORKS CLAUSES BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed ; as were also the Gas Works Clauses Bill, the Markets and Fairs Clauses Bill, and the Commissioners Clauses Bill. GOVERNMENT PLAN OF EDUCATION. The Earl of CLARENDON presented several peti tions, on the part of the Marquis of Lansdowne, from congregations of Baptists at Oakham, from Protestant Dissenters at Rocking, in Essex; and from Protestant Dis senters at Eddington, in the county of Bedford, against the Government scheme of education. POOR-LAW SETTLEMENT. The NOBLE EARL also presented a petition from the rector and churchwardens of a parish in the county of Pembroke, praying for a repeal of the Poor-law Settle ment Bill. The NOBLE EARL also presented a petition from the guardians of the poor of the Bath Union praying for a repeal of the Poor Removal Act, passed last session. The NOBLE EARL then presented a petition from the aldermen and corporation of Cork against the system of electoral division in the proposed Poor Relief Act. GOVERNMENT PLAN OF EDUCATION. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the teachers of a Sunday-school at Salem, in the county of Dorset, against the proposed Government measure of education. POOR-LAW SETTLEMENT. The NOBLE LORD also presented a petition from the inhabitants of Shepton Mallett, praying for au altera tion of the law of settlement ; also a petition from the board of guardians in Glamorgan upon the same subject. BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY LAWS. The NOBLE LORD wished to correct a statement which had appeared in ono of the Sunday papers, to the effect that he had changed his opinions with respect to arrest on mt sne process.. The statement in question had caused him considerable annoyance by the number of letters which he had received upon the subject from persons who were at present under arrest, and whose intention it was to take the benefit of the existing Acts. But it was possible that the wrong construction of the Act by the Commissioners might have worked the effect of which the complaint was made. The Commissioners had a power to imprison for twenty days, and in some instances for forty days, and it appeared that in some cases the power had been overstretched. This was cer tainly an evil, but it might very probably lead to the abolition, the more complete abolition of i mprisonment for debt. He had received a communication from Nottingham in which it was stated that the labourers had a right to support from the produce of the land. Now he had not been able to pay much attention to the matter of this communication, and the petition on which it was based, but thus! much he might say, that, in his opinion, the labouring poxr were entitled just equally to support from the whole of the national capital—from the funds, stock in trade, and all other capital of which the country is possessed. The only title which any poor man had, in his opinion, was upon the produce of his own work. It was the primeval curse, inflicted by a higher power than man, that he should obtain his bread from Lae sweat of his brow, and he (Lord Brougham) thought that it was perfectly right that it should be so; for he believed that if there was no such condition imposed there would be but little work per formed. The Bishop of LONDON—Surely his Noble and Learned Friend did not mean to say that no person was to obtain any subsistence but that for which he worked ? Lord BROUGHAM—OnIy the able-bodied poor. SCOTTISH PEERAGE. Lord COLVILLE rose to draw the attenti6n of their Lordships to the motion which he had been requested to postpone till to-night, in order that the true claims of the ancient nobility of Scotland for a certificate of their titles might be established. It was truly stated that in this matter he had no personal concern; but he ought to state that in cases where the Eng lish nobility had to act on their privilege, before they did so act they had to go before the Lord Chancellor and prove their right to the title. In Ire land there was a similar security, but in Scotland there was no such advantage, for at the election of a Peer of Scotland an individual had nothing to do but to state himself to have a right to the tide he claimed to be at once allowed to ♦ote. He must now draw the atten tion of the House to a matter personal to himself. lie had been represented in a Scotch paper as having brought on a conversation respecting him self. Now the person of whom he complained was the representative of Lord Colville of Ochiltree, while he was Colville of Kilross, and he would put it to the House whether he had not endeavoured to the utmost of his power to place the House in the right position with re spect to this matter, and he should, therefore, now restrict himself simply to the terms of the motion of which he bad given notice. Lord CANCPBELL thought their Lordships were very much indebted to the Noble Lord who had brought this matter before them, for it was not ore in which the Scottish nobility alone were interested, but the tradespeople also, who were often defrauded, in consequence of the facility which existed of usurping the titles and privileges of the Scotch nubility. Ile hoped that it would be prosecuted to the utmost, that the evil might be put down, and that the Noble Lord (Colville) would continue to give it his attention, and after getting his returns would move for a Select Com mittee. Lord BROUGHAM agreed that that was the proper course; but he hoped that the attention of the Select Committee would be directed to the resolutions which affected this subject, and were brought into their Lord ships' House in 1832. Why, a mere menlicant might go into Holyrood House, and on the mere claim could vote and influence important questions. So that actually it became a matter interesting- the Legislature. The Earl of ROSEBERY agreed that the law was defective in the respect mentioned by his Noble and Learned Friend (Lord Campbell), and he trusted that, if the matter went into Committee, it would be remedied. The motion, which was for a list of voters in the late election for a Scotch Representative Peer, was then agreed to. BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES BILL. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from a number of parish clerks and schoolmasters against the Births, Deaths, and Marriages 1311. EDUtATION. Earl RADNOR presented a petition against the Go vernment scheme of education. Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition from New port Pagnall against the Government scheme of educa tion; he only presented it in order to express how far he dissented from it. He would take that opportunity of giving notice that he would, after the Easter recess, bring the question of emigration before the attention of their Lordships. CRIMINAL LAW. Lord BROUGHAM moved that the Archbishop o Dublin be added to the Committee on Criminal Law. THE LAW OF MARRIAGE. Lord GORT presented a number of petitions from Bristol, Cheltenham, and various other places, against the law prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's sister. The petition was signed by many Dissenting ministers and medical gentlemen, who all bore testimony to the contusion created in families by the present law. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition signed by 42 attornies and 2 barristers of the city of Bath upon the same subject, complaining of the uncertainty which hung over the law as it at present stood. He begged, however, to state his opinion that there was no uncer tainty hanging over the law at present, for, by an Act carried through their Lordship' House by Lord Denman in 1835, such marria g es w ere d ec l are d nu ll an d void, without being declared void by the ecclesiastical law, as was r2quired by the statutes of Henry VIII. They add the fact, that a great number of marriages had been contracted since 183.5 on the speculation that the general principle of these marriages would be made valid ; and they wished, above all, to know whether the innocent children were to b e legitimate or not. He thought, therefore, that there was a sufficient reason why the general principle should be opened up, for it was but natural that parents should desire to place their children under the protection of those who were the nearest re lations to them, and there was, therefore, sufficient reason for a full investigation of the whole question. Lord CAMPBELL did not rise with a view to ex press any opinion upon the subject, for upon that his mouth was closed by the result of a recent trial in the provinces. Upon the death of the prisoner's wife he married her sister, and while that woman was still alive he left her and married a third wife. He was indicted for bigamy, and the defence put in was that that marriage was void, because the second ceremony had been celebrated between him and the sister of his deceased wife. The cause thus raised the question, and it had been brought by writ of error before their Lordship's House ; there fore, he thought that that was enough for their Lordships refusing to give any opinion at pre sent upon the question. He would be very sorry to see the law upon this subject, the marriage of a man with his deceased wife's sister, altered, for tills law which had been instituted against incest affected affinity as well as consanguinity. Lord BROUGHAM was very sorry that he had not been made aware of this case coming on before he ex pressed his mind, but still he would hear counsel upon the case, and if he saw reason, no doubt he would change his opinion. MARINE MUTINY BILL The Marine Mutiny Bill war brought up from the Commons, and read a first time. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.—THE NEW HOUSE OF LORDS. Earl GREY, with the view of meeting the conveni ence of Noble Lords in Ireland, proposed that their Lordships should adjourn till Thursday the 15th, instead of Tuesday, the 13th, and he begged to give notice that after the holidays their Lordships would meet in the new buildings, her Majesty having been graciously pleased to appropriate a portion of her palace to their Lordships use. Their Lordships accordingly adjourned to Thursday, the 15th of April. HOUSE 01 COMMONS. March 30. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. ASSESSED TAX COLLECTORS. Mr. BENBOW presented several petitions from the e , liretnN or the inenrac rFsessel taxes„ prayin:y for iligher Seale of relnuneratioil n,r their duties. ROYAL ASSENT. The Usher of theßlaCill(Td — a --- pPeired at the table of the House for the purpose of summoning the Commons to hear the Royal Assent given by commission to several public and private Bills, for a list of which see Lords' report. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time : Blackburn Improvement, Market, &c. British Commercial Insurance Company (No. 2). Coventry, Banbury, and Oxford Junction Railway. Dublin Consumers Gas. Falmouth Waterworks. Inverness Harbour and Navigation. Inverness Municipal and Police, &c. Rathmines Improvement. Tunstull Paving, Lighting, Cleansing, Watching, Im provement, and Marker. SHIPLEY GAS BILL. Mr. GREENE wished to call the attention of the House to a special report from the Committee on the Shipley Gas Bill, showing a direct variance; On the part of the Committee, from the report of the surveying officers appointed under the Act 9 and 10 Vic., c. 106, to make the preliminary inquiries, and moved that the Bill be re-committed. After a few words from Mr. H. BERKELEY, Mr. HUME moved that the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee up stairs. After a few words from Mr. Brotherton, Sir W. Clay, Dr. Bowring, and Mr. Aglionby, Mr. CAR oW ELL said, that as a Member of the Private Bills Committee, he wished to say one word, and he did not wonder that the Hon. Baronet with whom he had served was anxious that the proceedings of the Committee should not be judged by the present case. The circumstances were these : there was a large district which required lighing by gas, and it was desirable by every means to save expense, and with the furtherance of that object the Commissioners had sent down surveying officers to see what really the state of the case was. Their report was in every respect favourable to the object of the petitioners, but it was stated that the population of the district were quite unable to bear any heavy expenses ; and with a view to save the outlay, the Committee had agreed to avoid any of those preliminary expenses which are so frequently made the grand difficulty in obtaining an Act of Parliament. Notwithstanding all this endeavour the Hon. Member for Cockerrnouth wished the Bill to be treated as an opposed Bill, and this was the way in which the expense was to be saved. He sincerely trusted that the Hon. Member for Lancaster would oppose such a course with all his might. He had only to say that he had personally no interest whatever in the district ; but he could not but observe that he was now not at all sur prised at the way in which the able reports on railways had been treated when they had been made by the Board of Trade. Mr. STRUTT said it was extremely unfair to judge of the utility of those local inquiries by one instance. He should give his support to the original motion, but at the :Anne time he did not wish to cast the slightest slur whatever upon the report of the local officers. After a few words from Mr. GREENE, Mr. HUME thought if the local surveyors had been called it would have been satisfactory. But as it was not to be drawn into precedent, he would withdraw his amendment. The motion was then agreed to. - SUTTON HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT. Mr. STRUTT moved that the Sutton Harbour Im provement Bill be referred to `the Commissioners of R dlways, and that the said Bfll be not considered in Committee until the Commissioners shall have reported upon the Bills promoted by the London and South- Western Railway Company, in conformity with the res=olutions of this House of the 23d day of February. Agreed to. DUBLIN IMPROVEMENT BILL. OR the motion for the second reading of this Bill, Mr. GREGORY begged Mr. Smith O'Brien to post pone the second reigiing till after Easter, in e , aisequence (.f the absence of certain returns which he had moved for rela:ive to the Bill, and he moved accordingly. Mr. GROGAN seconded the motion. Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN had no objection to the post ponement of the Bill if the Government considered such a course advisable. Mr. D. BROWNE opposed the postponement. There had been no reason given to justify it. The corporation of Dublin, who were the promoters of the measure, re presented a constituency of 200,000 persons, and they ►ere very desirous to have it carried into effect. He thought, therefore, it would be a great injustice to them If it were postponed, and would laad to the belief, already strongly impressed on them, that if it were postponed, and would lead to the 1)44, already strongly impressed -on them, that there was one law for Ireland; and another for this country. - - Mr. HERBERT was in favour of postponement, that they might have an opportunity of reading the evi dence, so as to enable them to come to a proper conclusion on the merits of the Bill. Mr. LABOUCHERE said he should not have inter- posed to prevent the Hon. Gentleman from pursuing the course he had thought proper to adopt, but he (Mr. Labouchere) must say that he still adhered to his opinions on the subject, and ho was prepared to give his assent to the principle of the Bill. He conceived that the principle involved in the Bill was, whether or no the city of Dublin, the second city of the United King dom, should have municipal privileges equal to the cities in this country, and to which they were so justly entitled. There were some of the positions put forward by the corporation of Dublin to which he could not assent, but he was told that they were ready to withdraw what was objectionable. He would take this opportunity of statiug that he held in 'his hand a petition, signed most numerously by the inhabitants of Dublin, in favour of this Bill. He was prepared to proceed in that course which had for its object the improvement of the municipal condition of the Corporation of Dublin. The Earl of LINCOLN said that the Bill stood at present before the House in this position. At the sug gestion of the Honourable Gentleman the Member for Montrose, the Noble Lord at the head of the Woods and Forests commissioned two gentlemen to investigate this subject, and they, after a careful examination into every point, reported most strongly against the Bill. Now, surely this was a prima facie case against the Bill. Ilk Hon. Friend did not call upon them to reject this Bill, but he said they ought to ascertain the facts that had influenced those gentlemen in coming to a decision before they came to a decision in favour of this Bill. He thought that they should ascertain what the circum stances had been that had influenced the promoters. Now, he should like to see the evidence before he would say that the report was borne out. If the Right Honourable Geutleman had carefully considered the subject he would be aware that these powers were, in a great majority of instances, not vested in the muni cipal corporation. Until very lately in Liverpool the powers for paving and lighting were not vested in the municipal corporation. It was a monstrous proposal to say, after persons had been appointed under the Act to make a legislative investigation of this subject, for the express purpose of saving expense to all parties, that they should not have time to hear any further evi dence upon the subject. He should therefore support the motion for the postponement. Lord NIORPETH did not wish to extend the dis cussion, and he rose to suggest, as the evidence was not yet printed, that the further consideration of the Bill be postp"ned till after Easter. At the same time, he might remark, that if the second reading was now agreed to, it would not be against the usual course adopted in reference to private Bills, even when it was necessary that the evidence should be printed. Mr. HUME thought it was desirable to postpone the second reading of the Bill. He would certainly advise that until the evidence was printed and placed in the handy of Members of the House. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL hoped that the suggestion for the postponement would be agreed to. Mr. S. O'BRIEN said, as the House appeared to be in favour of the postponement of the Bill, he would not press the second reading at present. The measure was accordingly postponed till after Easter CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY (No. 2) (EXTENSION AT CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD) BILL. On the motion that this Bill be read a second time, A short discussion ensued, in which Lord Sandon, Mr. W. 0. Stanley, and Mr. R. Collett, touk part, The Bill was read a second time. STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LONDON AND HARWICH. Mr. GOULBURN said he held in his hand petitions signed by the principal merchants of Russia, Prussia, and other centinental countries, praying for a railway communication between the port of Harwich and Loudon. He also held in his hand a petition from the inhabitants of Harwich to the same effect. GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY presented a petition from the Dean of Windsor against the Windsor and Great Western Railway. NOTICES OF MOTIONS.:7:FIZOVINCIAL BEER- SELLERS. Mr. SPOONER (in the absence of his colleague Mr. Muntz) gave notice of bis intention to bring in a Bill to enable the provincial brewers to keep open till twelve o'clock, as was allowed to the metropolitan brewers. CHARITABLE TRUSTS. Mr. HUME gave notice of his intention to move for leave to bring in a Bill for the better administration of charitable trusts in England and \V a l es. MA DUTY. Mr. BOND CABBELL moved for an address for ac counts of the amount of duty charged upon malt, the number of quarters of malt upon which such duty was charged, and the population of England and Wales in the year 1700 ; of the amount of duty charged upon malt, the number of quarters of malt upon which such duty was charged, and the population of the United Kingdom in each year, during the years 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, and 1846, respectively ; of the amount of money received from the duty on malt, and the net amount available for the public revenue, in each year, during the years 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, and 1846 respectively ; returns of the number of beer-shops licensed to sell beer to be drunk upon the premises, in each of such years respec tively ; of the number of acres of land now lying waste, uncultivated, and uuinclosed in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland respectively.—Agreed to. FOREIGN LOANS. Mr. DISRAELI moved that an address beTresented to her Majesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to lay before this House, copies of, or extracts from, any correspondence between her Majesty's Secre tary of State, or written at his desire, and the Govern ments of Spain, Portugal, Greece, Mexico, and the States of South America, respecting loans m a de by British subjects to those Governments. Also, copies of any communications made to British claimants from the Foroi2ll-nfrx , i tl , e :i , lijnot of ..;uch cori.pwalc:nce.- - AL:reed to. SUPPRESSION OF SEDUCTION AND FROST'. TUTION. Mr. SPOONER izesz-ntedtWO petitions from congre gations in Bradford, praying for a measure to suppress trading in seduction, and for the better protection of females. Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR presented five pea' tions to the same effect. MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND. Mr. AGLIONBY wished to ask a question before the order of the day was gone into. It was one of the greatest importance to the public, and ilsd, reference to the • Mercha n t Seaman's Fund some days ago, he had been led to understand that a Commission of inquiry was about to be issuedr and he wished to know it such were the fact. Captain BERKELEY said that he had every reason to suppose that tie Commission would immediately 10 issued and the inquiry gone into. BILL TO SUPPRESS TRADING IN SEDUCTION AND PROSTITUTION. -- Mr. SPOONE3 then proceeded to ask leave to intro duce the Bill of which he had given notice for the sup' pression of the trading in seduction, and for the better protection of females. He eould assure them that he felt great difficulty in bringing the question under the notice of the House, as he was persuaded he could not do it that justice it deserved. He would have been better satisfied had the measure been placed in abler hands, and if the Members of the Government opposite had taken it under their protection. There existed in the metropolis an ass ,ciation— Mr. GRANTLEY BERKELEY—Sir, I rise to 11 point of order. The Hon. M em b er , to ma k e goo d big case, must bring before the House matters and details which are altogether unfit fur publication. I therefore call the attention of the House to the fact that there are strangers in both galleries. The galleries were then cleared, and the debate pro ceeded with closed doors. HEALTH OF TOWNS BILL. On our re-admission to the gallery of the House, We found Lord MORPETH moving for leave to bring in a Bill for the establishing regulations for the improvement of the health of towns. This-he observed was no new sub ject, for it had been repeatedly brought under the notice of the legislature, and more especially of late by the re ports of Dr. Arnott, early in 1838 ; again, in January, 1839, by a report of Dr. Southwood Smith ; again, in August, 1839, a general report was made to the House by commissioners engaged to investigate the state of the country ; in January, 1840, a return had been made under the commission authorised by the Marquis of Normanby ; again, in 1842, there was a report of the general sanatory condition of Great Britain ; again, there were similar reports in 1843, 1844, 1845, and again there was a second report made by the commissioners. In 1845 the Earl of Lincoln had presented a report to the House on the state of health in towns, and from this report he would read a summary, so that the House might see that an amount of labour had been expended on this subject, and who had contributed to furnish the facts on which he desired that they should legislate. lie was the more desirous that this should be made known to the llouse, as by that it would be perceived that he had been no party to the accumulation of these facts, but that he was ccme in, as he trusted, at the last hour, to the accomplishment of an important object, though he was not the party entitled to the credit of its achieve' ment. He would place before the House the circum stances which, whether they were viewed in their political, social, or statistical aspect, were worthy of the gravest consideration. But in doing this he should only take the primary features, and reserve the details till some future opportunity, but he felt that be could not do anything like justice to the subject, or pro perly lay this matter before the Legislature, w i t hout stating some of the evils which had resulted from the neglect of the in); ortant measure which he had now to introduce. He was quite aware that there were some persons in that House with whom he was not s o fortne nate as to agree that it was nut the duty of the Legisle tore to take any steps for directing or improving th e public mind. But if there was any question o n the subject of education, there could be none upon the :Alb' ject that it was the bounden duty of the Legislature te, overlook, superintend, and provid e f or th ose p h ys i ca l see external necessitie e under any circumstances, w hich might materially affect the health and the happiness Of a people ; nor did he teel that there was anything that could justify their dispensing with attention in this We/ to the welfare of the people, or that would exonerate them from bringing these matters forward ; nor should he re• frain from doing so with all the powers he could command' He found by the statement of Mr. Guy—the gentleman who had been appointed to make a report of the cone' parative health of town and country districts, and whet for his extensive hospital practice, had a most complete knowledge of the subject to which his attention bad been directed—he found by the statement of that gen" tleman to the Registrar General, that in the country districts, where the population only have the proportion of 199 to the square mile, the number of deaths was 19,300 in a million, while in the town districts, where the popti lation was 5,108 to the square mile, the number of death/ amounted to 27.900; thus showing an excess in towns of upwards of 8,000 deaths that might have been avoided. The rate of mortality in country_ districts was 1 in 52, while in towns it was lin 37. He was aware that this might be said to be the case of particular places; but the present rate of mortality throughout England Was 1 in 45; while in the Isle of Wight it was 1 in 58, and in the Isle of Anglesea in was 1 in 62; but in London, instead of being lin 58, or lin 62, it was lin 39. In Leeds and Birmingham it was 1 in 37; in Sheffield it was 1 in 33; in Bristol 1 in 32; in Manchester 1 in 31, and in Liverpool, which he regretted to perceive, en joyed a bad pre- e minence, in s t ea d o f b e i ng 1 i n 58 or 62, as it was in the healthy i s l an d s t o w hi c h h o bad referred, it was lin 29. So th a t it f o ll owe d , t h a t in this capital the greater number of inhabitants, as come' pared with the rest of England, were deprived of eight years of their lives, and in Liverpool they were, accord ing to this statement, deprived of nineteen years of existence. The population of the great towns is COin' puted at 4,000,000, so that the loss of life throughout the whole of the country was not less than 31,000 or 32,00 0 annually. But all towns did not exhibit the same rate as Liverpool. The average loss of life in that town w as ; about 38 in a thousand per annum. In Manchester it is 32 in a thousand ; in Carlisle it is 32 ; in Halifax an d Kidderminster it is 21 in a thousand. If he turned to the mortality of the counties he found the same rule 0 hold, for among the Cornish m i ners an d i n some par ts of Wiltshire the average is 1 in 49 ; while the mortality in Lancashire is as high a; lin 36. In Lancashire the general ago at death was 22, and i n Wil tsh i re 35. T"!„ general average of consumption th roug h out Eng l a nd " 105 lbs. of butcher's meat, w hil e i n Manc h e ster the aggregate amount is only 201bs. for each person Pe? annum. In manufacturing town s , th e d eat h s from parti cular diseases was 1 in 13 of the general population, while in the country it is only 1 in 54, During the prevalence of the cholera, the deaths in Mancheste r daily were 343, while in the country the number was 50 ,' so that no less than 4,700 liv es wou ld h ave b een sa ve", had the improvements devised by the Government been brought into play. The whole result of these calcn lations was, that the average of deaths in Great Britain+ was 46 in 1,000 in the country, and 54 in 1,000 in the towns, showing that not less than 14,949 lives had been sacrificed by the want of these sanatory regulations, c, r , one-seventh of the whole n um b er o f d eat h s t h at had occurred in the country. This was Mr. Guy's opinion' Nor was Dr. Southwood Smith less explicit in the state' went of his opinion, expressing his belief in the state' ment which he had made to the Registrar-Genera l that the whole of the evils endured were to be ascribed to bad sewerage, the want of water the want of sca vengers, and the consequent accumulation of filth and the generation of pestiferous miasma. They mightforo some idea of the evil which the Sewerage Commis sioners had been unable to remedy, that in the worst districts, out of 16,000 cases of fever, upwards of 150 out of every 200 had been occasioned by the prevalence of the causes which he had stated : and throughout the country not less than 700,000 unnecessary cases of f e ver had occurred from this ca use , an d not l ess t h an 10,0 00 deaths. According to the regulation of the Registrar- General, the whole of the country was divided into three provinces, with ten districts in each, to ascertain the rate of mortality. In ten of the healthiest districts, where the quantity of ground allowed to each person Was 202 square yards, th e annua l rate o f mortality is 1 in 49. In ten of the m e di um di str i cts w h ere t h e quan tity of ground for each person is 102 square yards, the rate of mortality is 1 in 41, and in the worst districts it is one in 36. The Rev. Mr. Kay, of Preston, who had pai d great attention to thi s subject, had divided the sever s ' districts into four classes, and he found that in the healthiest districts the annual average of deaths is 15 in 100; in the bad districts it is 38 in 100; and is the worst districts it is 44 in 100. In the parish of St. George a, Hanover-square, the annu a l average period at which those in the upper classes die, is 45 yea's, while among the labouring c l asses th e average period of death is 27 years. In St. Gil es ' s , an d t h e ne i g hb our i n g parish , ~ the usual term of lif e among t h ose connect"' with the gentry is 40, while among the ing classes it is only 17 Years. InLiverpool: the usual average period of death, among, the uPP e ig classes, is 35, while among the poerer inhabitants it ,_ only 15 years. For the sake of convenience, the wh T ,°l7 , of the country is divided into 103 districts by the R e' gistrar-General, and it appeared by the last report b ut one, that 43,582 deaths were registered in the sprin g quarter quarter ending June 30— a num b er g reater by 2, 60 than were registered in the c or res ponding quarter .: 1845 ; and 4,731 more th an i n th e J une quarter of 184 4 If the mortality had not been higher in the towns than in the poor country di s t r icts w h ere the air is pure, the deaths in the quarter would not have exceeded 33,00 0 . Within the last three months 10,000 lives have been de stroyed in a part only of England, by causes which thetroe every reason to believe might be removed. In June, 18 appeared from the reports, that from the deficiency of the drainage of the ground areas, there was a constant usioa of malaria and volatile poisons arising from t hestagnantff ditches which surrounded London as other towns are surrounded by walls. In Sheffield and Liverpool the number of deaths was one-third more from this cause, the than it was in London, and the mortality ra pidly increasing. The deaths had increased, The N oble the previous year in 1845 by 14 per cent. Lord then went through a series of statements of the number of deaths which had occurred in Mancheste r, Bristol, Liverpool, and the other chief places in the co untry, to show the excess, the repetition of whi ch would only be a (try detail of a mass of figures, and the result of which was to show that the increase would soon amount to more than double the mortality which had been suffered in previous years. This was not to bo wondered at when the nature of the summer which we had had was taken into consideration, and the state of the crowded lanes and dirty streets, which were con stantly throwing out a mass of poisonous miasma, and there was little doubt that if we were to have a summer like the last, that this mortality would be fright. report order 1 to 1 me %cc