The Sun. — London, England, 1847-02-02 00:00:00

evibtrb Übitton SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock PETITIONS ON PRIVATE BILLS. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS DAY.) (Room 22, before Mr. Examiner SMITH and Mr. Assistant- Examiner FRERE.) The formal proofs were completed in the following cases Whitehaven and Kelso, and London and Kelso Roads. South Harbour and Dock Dues. Kilmarnock Police Improvement. Caledonian Railway Lease or Purchase of the Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilstort Direct, and Glasgow Southern Termin.al Railway. ADJOURNED CASE. SOUTH YORKSHIRE, GOOLE, AND DONCASTER. This ca.e was then resumed. It occupied nearly the whole of the day, and was further adjourned. MIDLANI) RAILWAY ( AHEFFIELD, BAILNSLEY, DONCASTER, AND GOOLE LINE). The formal proofs were completed in this case, and the Examiner adjourned. (Room 23, before Mr. Examiner MAY and Mr. Assistant- Examiner GUNNELL.) UNOPPOSED BILLS. In the following unopposed cases the customary formal process were put in : Newmarket and Chesterford Railway. Colchester Navigation and Improvement. Protestant Dissenters' and General Life and Fire Assurance Company. British Exchange Company. ADJOURXRD LIST. CORNWALL AND DEVON CENTRAL AND PLY MOUTH RAILWAY. This adjourned cike was then resumed. A memorial com plained of the insufficiency of the subscription contract. The allegation was sustained, and one or two others of a similar character. Other allegations of no immediate importance were sus tained, and the case was adjourned. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE (THIS DAY.) The Standing Orders' Committee resumed their sitting at the usual hour. The following Bills were then allowed to proceed : Norfolk Railway Company (Norwich to Aylsham). worth British (No. 1), Caledonian, and Greenock Amal- gamation. Southampton and Dorchester (Weymouth Branch). Also, the Southampton and Blandford Branch. When the committee rose, the Bristol and Exeter (Cre diton Branch), was under consideration. COMMON PLEAS.-(THIS DAY JACOBSON V. HUNTER, AND ANOTHER. The Court was engaged all the morning with a case arising cut of the sale of a sword belonging to the lee Duke of Sussex. It had been bought at the sale of the effects of the Duke of Sussex by Mr. Jacobson, a jeweller, of the Jewish persuasion, residing hi Oxford-street, and subsequently sold to the defendants for 1351. The transaction was conducted by a Mr. Lazarus, and the question now raised was, whether, in the negotia tion with the defendants, Lazarus acted for himself, as con tended by the defendants, or as the agent of Mr. Jacobson? After the examination of a number of witnesses, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff for the full amount claimed. SALE OF RAILWAY SHARES BY AUCTION.—(THIS DAY.) The sale of Railway Shares, to day, by Messrs. Lamond and Co„ was well attended, and, although prices were a shade lower, a good business was done. Many purchasers for Investment were present, who took off the better descrip tions of shares readily. The following are a few of the principal sales : London and Manchester (Remington's) £0 7 6 Great Western of Bengal 0 5 0 South Torkshire, Doncaster, and Goole 1 18 0 Shropshire Union and Canal 1 8 U - Not them Counties Union 1 6 6 Taw Vale Extension and Dock Northern and Southern Connecting Madrid and Valencia Buckinghamshire Paris and Lyons 7 10 0 Reading, Guildford. and Reigate 3 19 0 Eastern Counties, York Extension... 4 13 0 Caledonian Bostou,Stamford, and Birmingham 6 10 0 Shrewsbury and Birmingham (A) ...... East Lincolnshire Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock. .... COURSE or EXCH, Amsterdam 12 Ditto, at Sight • • .... 12 h Rotterdam .... • • 2U. 12 4 Antwerp • • ............ 25 75 Hamburg .... • • M.D. 13 S 3 • ' •••dit - . I .- 3 months.. .. 25 75 1hi ; i: • lea •••.••• • .. • • 25 85 Bourdeanx.. ...... • • 25 85 Frankfort osi 120% Potersburgh, 3 Us.. LNGE.-(THIS DAY Gibra1tar......... • • • •. Leghorn Genoa ...... 25 85 Venice.... Naples • • • • • • 4034 Palermo, per oz ..... 121 Lisbon.... .. . • • • • ... 62% 0p0rt0.... ...... • • .. • • 54% Rio Janeiro . • • . • • 27 Buenos Ayres ...... • • New York, 21 days' sight Philadelphia .... • • ... -- PRICES OP SUWON, PER OZ. Foreign Gold in bars ...£3 17 9 New Dollars ••• 0 4 10% Portugal Gold Coin .• 0 0 0 Spanish Doubloons 0 0 0 Silver is bars .... • • 0 5 0% Berlin • ...... •• .. Vienna, effee.tio •. •• 10 3 Trieste, ditto.... •• .... 10 3 btaQtid•• .. Cadiz .. •.. : •• •• 36h, Uarcelona •- Grille MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the Landon New Price Current of February 2.) SUGAR.—To-day the quantity of Colonial Sugar brought forward being large, and exceeding the wants of the trade, a further decline in prices took place, as merchants were willing to sell. REFINED.—To -day Refined Goods were purchased with much caution by the home trade, although further reduced rates were submittal to—brown grocery lumps selling at 66s 6d to 675, and Standard Lumps 675 6d to 68s per cwt. MAURITIUS.--This afternoon there was little demand for Mauritius Sugar ; and 5,846 bags at public sale were nearly all taken in at easier rates. EAST INDIA.—This afternoon there was little desire evinced to operate in Madras Sugar at the public sales, which comprised .1,603 bags, and the whoie was taken in and withdrawn—good damp foxey brown at 425, and mid 41s. Bengal met with little attention ; and 3,780 bags at public sale only partly sold upon rather lkwer terms. FOREIGN.—The demand has fallen off considerably fox all descriptions of Foreign Sugar for home consnption. The limited business transacted has been at a reduction on former rates of 6d to is fo white, and is to is 6d for brown and yello Te4—The arrivals amounted to 12,000 packages at this port during the past week, and duty was paid on 496,890 lbs during that time. Importers have displayed firmness, and refrained from offering any at public sale. This in some measure is to be attributed to the advices from China stating that the shipments had fallen off to the extent of 7,000,000 lbs, as compared with the former season. The lower qualities of Congou are held for the former value. In Pouchong several purchases have been made, and 5d to 9d paid for low o fine (vitality. For the inferior sorts of green the market tins a dna appearance. COFFEIL—This afternoon there was a lively demand for Plantation Ceylon, and 990 bags at public sale were sold at stiff rates. In Native several purchases were made privately at 433 for good ordinary. Foreign Coffee met with attention; , at public sale 71 barrels washed Rio sold at firm rates. MotaasEs.—The market has a dull appearance for all descriptions of West India, and prices are on the decline, as the supply is on the increase, and 23s to 28s is the value of common tine quality. Bengal Treacle can be obtained upon lower terms ; siill little inquiry existed privately. 24 butts and 16 hhds at auction add at 23s 6d. Rim—To-day the market had a dull appearance for all sorts of Rice; 606 bags Y 95 pockets Bengal were offered at public sale—the sound was taken in at 25s for middling, and at 25s to 2.5 s 6d for good middling white, being barely the former value. Sentrrs.— The high prices that prevail for Jamaica Rum operates against business all descriptions : only small pur chaser have been made by exporters or the home trade. Leeward Island is held for the stiff rate of 4s per gallon, proof strength, bat little business has been transacted. For East India the demand is limited, owing to 3s 10d being insisted upon for proof with certificate. Of Demerara a fair quantity has been disposed of at 5s 2d to 5s 4d for 33 to 36 per cent over proof. Brandy has not risen in value, but a good demand prevailed for all descriptions for home consumption, and exporters have taken a fair quantity. Geneva has been in excellent request ; common shipping sort at 23 7d to 23 Bd, and line for home consumption at 3s 3d to 33 6:1 per gallon proof strength. Oar distillers are more inclined to receive contracts at Ile 9d for Corn Spirits, and at 103 3d for gin 22 per cent underproof; and lOs 9d for 17 per cent under. Otts.—There has been an extensive demand for all de scriptions of Olive oil since our last report, and a further advance in the value has taken place. For Rape Seed Oil the demand has been brisk, and further advanced rates have been obtained. For Linseed Oil the home demand has become brisk, and exporters have taken several parcels; an advance in the value has taken place. Palm is not so much in request, and as s evera l arrivals are near at band, there are sellers upon lower terms. Foe Cocoa Nut Oil no further advance in the value has taken place. Lard Oil has been in excellent request. Cod has not risen in value. Seal is held with firmness, and a good busi ness has been transacted. Sperm is held with firmness. TaLnow.—Holders of Russian are desirous to realise on the spot, and have submitted to a further reduction in prices. For delivery in the next two months there are sellers at 51s, but few buyers are to be met with. Home made met with leas attention, and can be obtained at 52s to 52s 6d nett sash. Other sorts of Tallow are less wanted, and can be obtained upon rather lower terms. THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) WHITEHALL, JAN. 30, 1847. The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, constl luting and appointing His Grace the Archbish o p o f C an t er b ury, The Right Honourable Lord Cottenham, Ills Grace the Archbishop of York, The Most Honourable the Marquis of Lansdowne, The Right Honourable the Earl of Chichester, The Right Hon oura b le the Earl of Powis, The Right Honourable Lord John Russell, The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London, The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Durham The Right Reverend th e L ord Bishop of Winchester, The Right Reverend th e L ord Bishop of Lincoln, The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Chester, The Right Honourable Si r G eorge Grey, Bart., and The Right Honourable Sir Charles Wood, Bart., her Majesty's Commissioners for considering the state of the several bishoprics in England and W a l es. Th e Queen has been pleased to appoint Charles Rnigl.t m umin Esq., Barrister at Law, to be Secretary to the said Commission. DOWNING-STREET, Fan. 2. The (Wen has been pleased to aproia lhenry Edward Fox Iroteig, Esq.,: b be Lieut.-Governor of the eastern dis tricts of the colony of the Cape of Good /lope. Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint Hugh Ed w.- awls, Esq., to be Puisne Judge, and Joseph L. Bindon, Esq., to be coroner, for the island of Antigua. Her Majesty has further been pleased to appoint William Walter Rale* Kerr, Esq., to be Auditor-General of Ac cvnts for the island of Mauritius. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. VILAXY TEAM, IN THE TENTH YZAR OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN VICTORIA. Monday, the lsZ day of February, 1847. This Conti will, on Monday, the 15th day of February biatAnt, holds sitting, and will proceed to give judgment in THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 2, 1847. certain of the matters standing over for the consideration of the Court. TIIO. WILDE. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, FEB. I. Royal Regiment of Artillery—Second Captain John Far naby Cator to be Adjutant, vice Needham, promoted, April 7. Corps of Royal Engineers—Capt. and Brevet Lieutenant- Colonel Ralph Carr Alderson to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Gosset, retired on full pay; Second Captain and Brevet Major James Lynn to be Captain, vice Alderson : First Lieutenant 11. A. White to be Second Captain, vice Lynn; Second Lieutenant L. Nicholson to be First Lieuten ant, vice White, Jan. 26. Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of Argyll. The Most Noble George Douglass Marquis of Lorne, to be Vice-Lieutenant, January 5. WHITEHALL, JAN. 18. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Henry Guy, of the city of Carlisle, Gent., to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery. _ _ WHITEHALL, JAN. 27. The Lord Chancellor has appointed George Mounsey, of Carlisle, in the county of Cu►nberland, Gent., to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery. her Britannic Majesty and the King of Prussia in the year 1846. 'l heir Lordships then adjourned till Thursday next. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair a few minutes before Four o'clock. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time:— Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley Rail way (No. 1) (Smethwick Deviation). General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Railway Branches. Liskeard and Caradon Railway. Lynn and Ely, Ely and Huntingdon, and Lynn and Dereham Railways Amalgamation. Norfolk Railway (Yarmouth Extension, &c.) Shropshire Union Railways and Canal (Lease to the London and North-Western Railway Company). LYNN AND NORWICH BRANCH RAILWAY Mr. STRUTT was not able to answer the question, because it did not come within the province of the Rail- I way Board. It had no power to deal With such eases at present. Whether the Act incorporating the Board would giro them such power he could not say. MILBANK PRISON. Mr. T. DUNCOMMBE seeing the itight Honourable Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment in his place he wished to put a question to him. He understood that a third report of the Commissioners ap pointed to inquire into the state of Milbank prison had been delivered at the Home•office, and he wished to know whether the Right Hon. Baronet had any objet• tion to lay the report upon the table of the House, and to print the reports in the same volume with the evi dence ? Sir GEORGE GREY had received yesterday evening documents from the Commissioners, which required to be altered. The Hon. Gentleman was aware that evidence on-the subject was before the House. Mr. ESCOTT felt bound, as one of the Commis sioners, to report in the same form as the other Commis- sioners. PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE. Sir F. THESIGER said that he wished to call the at tention of the House to a subject of the utmost im portance, as connected with its privileges. It would be in the recollection of the House, that some time ago an action was brought against the Sergeant -at-Arms, for having, in obedience to a warrant of the Speaker, issued by the authority of that House, arrested a Mr. Howard, and brought him before the bar of that House to be examined. On that action, the Sergeant, by leave of the House, pleaded a justification of his act, under its authority ; and issues at law having been raised, an argument took ? place in the Court of Queen's Bench, and, after consi derable time having been taken by the Court to delibe rate on its judgment, a majority was given against the plea of justification. That judgment, itself, was not more unfavourable to that House than the principle on which it proceeded, and which, if it had been allowed to be considered as a settled and established law, would have placed all their most important privileges at the mercy of the courts of justice.—(Cheers.) The sub ject having been brought under the attention of the House, a Select Committee was appouted for the purpose of considering the best course to be adopted for thevindication of its privileges, and after a careful consid: an of the whole circumstances, and looking at t .and on which the judgment proceeded, and the co •e being extremely desirous not to recommend any e mea sure 'in the assertion of their privileges, as . gas any hope remained of deciding it by a legal tribunal. A report was presented to the House recernmending that a writ of error should be brought. On a division, a ma jority of that House acquiesced in that recommendation. A writ of error was granted, and in the course of last year the question was argued before the Court of Ex chequer Chambers, and he had the satisfaction to inform the House that this very day that Court had unanimously pronounced a decision reversing the judg ment of the Court of Queen's Bench.—(Loud cheers.) It might be important to the House to know the grounds on which this important decision was given, but the grounds on which the judgment was given rendered it unnecessary. He hoped however he might be permitted, that the result of this enquiry confirmed and sanctioned the report and recommendation of the Select Committee, and he should therefore move that a short-hand writer's notes should be printed, and circulated amongst the members of that House. Mr. P. SCEOPE said that he did not wish to inter pose between the debate of last night the motion of which he had given notice, namely—" That the lives of the people of Ireland ought to be as valuable in the eye of the law as the lives of the people of England ; conse quently, it is expedient to extend to Ireland the main principle of the English poor law, namely, the right of the destitute poor to relief, from a public provision, to save them from perishing." If other Hon. Members were willing to postpone their notices he would at once follow the example. Mr. B. ESCOTT said he also did not wish to em barrass the Government, and he would not press the House to a discussion on his motion. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD said that the reso lution which he proposed, namely, " That it appears to this House, from the reports of various Committees and Commissions, that the system generally adopted in times past in the letting and management of landed property in Ireland, has been one of the main causes of the presnt distressed state of that country, and the disordered state of its social' relations ; and that no measures can be effectual in producing a demand for labour, or improving the condition of the people, which shall not include such an amendment of the laws of landlord and tenant as shall give to the improving tenant in occupation a suffi cient permanency of tenure, or else establish the tenant's right to claim by law lull compensation for all bene. fits created by the expenditure of his labour and capital on the premises in question," was intimately associated with the question under de bate, and he accordingly felt some difficulty in yielding to the Noble Lord. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that it was his intention to bring in a Bill for the very same object as that pra• posed by the Hon. Gentleman at the very earliest possible moment. On account of the pressure of business , _ the Government were at th e p resent moment unable to give the question that attention which it demanded. Mr. S. CRAWFORD said that he would fix Thurs day next for the discussion of his motion. Mr. ROEBUCK said, that he felt very great difficulty in giving up his motion, if he did so, he considered that he would have some claim upon the Noble Lord at a future day for his motion, which was, that a Committee of the whole House be appointed, for the purpose of referring to it the Act 5 and 6 Vic., c. 35, with a view to extend the operation of the said Act to Ireland. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that as soon as the House had consented to the second reading of these Bills, the Chancellor of the Exchequer would bring forward the whole of the question as it regarded finance. Ireland, stating notion, His Right Hon. Friend would ma k e hi s fi nanc i a l state ment on an early day, and th en i t wou ld b e competent for the Hon. Member to bring f orwar d hi s reso l ut i on. ABSENTEES—IRELAND. Mr. 11. GRATTAN said, that w ith regar d t o th e e motion of which h absenteese hadt.r from gl i t o a l3 ting na t m he e i l r yfora run of thenames and annual incomes d e rived from prop er ty th ere i n ; specifying the counties in which their estat es are s i tuate , and distinguishing such as are tempora r ily or more than six months absent from Ireland. That the guardians h of the poor•lavv unions in Ireland douf o rnis an account of the a nn ual value of the property of all absentees in their respective unions assessed perty to the poor-rate : that the Commissioners, under the Act 5 and 6 Vic. c. 35, do furnish an account of the aggregate amount of all property in Ireland taxed under the provisions of that Act, and other Acts continuing the same: also, a return of the number of persons re siding in England, or temporarily absent there from, charged under the Act 5 and 6 Vic. c. 35 , and the Act for continuing the same, in respect of profits and gains arising from any allowance annuity, stipend, or trade in Ireland ; together with the total amount of the duties levied in respect of such profits and gain. That the governor and directors of the Bank of Ireland do furnish an account of the amount of all annuities, dividends, and shares of annuities payable by the said company out of the public revenues of the United Kingdom to or to the use or benefit of any persons not resident in Ireland. Ho was in the same p re dicament as the Honourable Member for Bath.—(Hear, hear,) The Hon. Gentleman said that his measure was preliminary to others; now the return which he (Mr. Grattan) moved was a corollary to his (Mr. Roebuck's) motion.—(Laughter.) He wished, therefore, to know whether the Right Hon. Gentleman, the Home Secretary, would have any objection to grant the return. Mr. LABOUCHERE said, that if he were inclined to grant the return, he did not know how to come at the information. Mr. H. GRATTAN—There was no difficulty what ever in the matter. There was the list (pointing to a paper in his hand), and he would be happy to furnish the particulars, without asking for the pay or the permis sion of the Home Secretary. LETTER CARRIERS. Mr. GROGAN moved for a return showing the amount of wages paid to the letter carriers of Class No. 1, of this Metropolis, on the Ist day of July, 1846, and also the average amount of all other emoluments received by them respectively ; similar returns for the letter carriers of Classes Nos. 2 and 3 ; returns showing the amount of wages now paid to the letter carriers in each class, and any other compensation they had in ad dition ; also similar returns for the letter carriers of Dublin, with the emoluments they had in addition to their salary.—Agreed to. On the order of the day for resuming the adjourned debate on the LABOURING POOR (IRELAND) BILL, Mr. G. A. HAMILTON was desirous to express the gratification he felt at the close of the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer last nigl.t, where be evinced the sympathy he enter tained for the sufferings of the people of Ireland. Me really believed th at it was impossible for any one to realise to hi mse lf the extent o f t h e misery which had taken place i n I re l and who ba d not bad the opportunity of observing i t f or himself. Why , i n the part of Ireland where he re s id e d , w i thin twenty m il es of Dublin, wher e the poor were withi n t h e reac h o f markets, where every thing had been done which couid be done to mitigate or to avert this dreadful calamity, he said that it was most melancholy to observe the gradual approach of this fearful calamity. It was most melancholy to observe the gradual sinking of the smaller farmers from a state of omfort to a s t ate of poverty ; the gradual disappear a_necpig, e of hi s little luxuries, of his slender comforts • the disa ppearance of his of ' his poultry, of his articles of hous ehold furniture, all indicative of the gradual and certain approach of this visitation. Still more melan choly was it in t to observe even among the labour g classes the approach of this calamity ; the mournful countenances, the desponding anddovvnheartedunusualpeasantry of Irel ppearance . so of among the Ireland all a ll d telling a tale famine not likely to be misunderstood. He knew enough of Ire land to know that of the Count if thi s s t a t e o f things existed i n a part easily ry so fa voura bly placed, th e y m i ght imagine what must be the state of people in the more three points ' remote parts. There were two o r in the speech of the Right Honourable Baronet opposite • duty to refer. Ile which he felt it his of Ireland, a degree e imputed to the gentlemen not availed of supineness, because they had passed in the themselvesbeginning of the provisions of an Act might be provided for t of . last session by which money also that they had not av e a l i zp d rovemen of estates ; and the provisions of another Act a themselves passed u a ffi t c i aeliirteorf period of the session, being P an Act for the better drainage of estates in Ireland. With regard to the first of those Acts, it was tried and found to be in operatixe. He saw the Right Hon. Baronet, the late Sei;retary for the Home Department, in his place, and it might be in his remembrance that, in a conversation between him, the Ht nourablo Baronet the Member for Derry, and hinsself (Mr. Hamilton), they informed the Right Hon. Baronet that a particular clause in that Act (the clause which made it imperative that they should apply to the Court of Chancery) would stultify , it ultogether. The House bad already been informed that the operation of the second Act, which ap plied to the drainage of estates, was rendered imperative 'iby a defect in the third clause. The Right Honourable Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exchequer complained that the gentry of Ireland bad made presentments under the Labour-rate Act too freely, and without any previous inquiry into the ne cessity of the works that were io be undertaken. Now the truth was, the Act required no preliminary inquiry on the part of the gentry, while the presentments session were not called together except to meet an emergency, and the consequence was the rate payers and gentry had to make their present-- ment under the most unfavourable circumstances. This appeared to constitute a very important difference between the Act passed at the commencement and at the end of the Session. He thought the Right Honour able Gentleman had dealt rather hardly with ' the relief committees in Ireland. No doubt many abuses existed. There might be those on the lists who were not entitled to relief ; but it should be re collected that the Board consisted of clergymen and ma gistrates, and that the usual course was for the clergy man, who was supposed to b e b es t acqua i n t e d with the circumstances of the district—(Hear, hear)—to represent any case of extreme distress How then could the committees take on themselves to exclude persons thus recommended from relief. He thought the discretion afterwards given to the officers to revise the lists was extremely judicious. Having made these few observations on the speech of the Right Honourable Gentleman, he was anxious to state that he had no desire whatever to look back upon what had passed within the last few weeks in Ireland, or to speak unfavourably of the con duct of her Majesty's Government. He was aware of the difficulties by which they were surrounded. He thought moreover that the Lord-Lieutenant and the rest of the Govennment were entitled to the grehtest praise for having taken upon themselves to carry out productive works, in stead of those that were in operation under the Labour-rate Act. Considering the difficulties conse quent upon their duties, and the funds placed at their disposal, he considered that the Board of Works were also entitled to the thanks of the country for the manner in which they bad discharged their duties. In other departments be thought there might be more vigour. lie meant the Commissariot department ; but after looking at the correspondence that had been laid before the House, there had been a great desire to execute all that it was in their power to do. He was bound, however, to say that the diffi culties of Ireland were still before the House. He was anxious that every just consideration should be given to the present great calamity. (Hear.) and to consider of the means to be taken to alleviate the distress of the people, and, as far as possible, to prevent a recurrence of such calamities in future. He was anxious to adduce a few facts illustrative of some of the peculiarities of the condition of Ireland, which appeared to him to be very essential to a fair consideration of the whole question. It was not his intention to enter into any details, but he would confine himself to the broad and striking features of the case. He first wished to take the case of the occupiers. They had heard a good deal on that subject lately. The lion. and Learned Member for Bath, in his speech last night, drew a fear ful picture of the state of the occupiers of Ireland. He (Mr. Hamilton) wished he could state that in his opinion that picture was overdrawn. He had heard the llonourable and Learned Gentleman sug gest certain means of remedying these evils. It was impossible that the Honourable and Learned Gentleman could have fully realised the enormous ex tent of destitution prevailing amongst that class in Ire land, and the number of those persons so affected. Evi dence was given before the Land Commission, of which he (Mr. Hamilton) was a Member—and that with The census of 1841 gave some startling results on this subject. The census of 1841 had given to the House a return of the number of farms above one acre. There were 685,000 in round numbers, and of these no less than 560,000, or nearly 80 per cent. were under 15 acres, and a considerable proportion of that total being under ten and five acres. If any gentleman in England were asked what he would consider the question of a farmer having so small a quantity of land as five, ten, or fifteen acres, of course the answer would be that it was impossible any man having so small a quantity of land could employ himself properly in the cultivation of it, and that he ought to be turned into an independent labourer, and put upon money wages. Yet here they had five out of six farms in Ireland occupied by persons of that description, these occupiers being dependent entirely on the produce of these miserable portions of land for subsistence, and being occupied in the cultivation of this land, without the assistance of manufactures or other means of sustaining themselves. The next means (a better means of judging of the real condition of the great body of the people in Ireland), was to be found in the census. The Censul Commissioners made a return and classification of the houses of different descriptions in the whole of Ireland, and they divided them into four classes. The fourth class was a mere hut, the walls and floors being of mud, consisting of only one room, with no window. The third clans was better than this, it was also of mud, consisting of more rooms than one, and having windows. The other two were the farm-houses, and the houses of the gentry and clergy, and of the 4th class there were no less than 1,75,000 in Ireland. The Hon. Member then read a number of statistics from the late ecnsus of Ireland, as published, with the objest of showing how severely the famine must have been felt in Ireland. He stated that in the county of Mayo there were only 217 gentlemen's houses, while there were 63,483 of the third class. Such was the state of Ireland with regard to the hold ings of land; there was no labouring population as in England, paid by large capitalist farmers, but a popula tion, such as he had described, with very small holdings; and there was not throughout the extent of the coun • try more than one per cent. of gentleman's among them. With regard to the landlords, he begged to oh • serve that, in consequence of the system of conacre which prevailed there, it was with the greatest difficulty that any improvement could be effected in the condition of the people. Those who knew Ireland were aware of those difficulties. Landed gentry, he had just stated, did not comprise more than one per cent. of the population. Now that raised the question of absenteeism. He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman who stated last night that some of those who were ab sentee proprietors were among the best landlords of Ire land; but they were the exceptions, not the rule. He was bound to say that the largest pro prietors did their duty well to their tenantry, but that could not be said of the smaller class of of proprietors who comprised the great bulk of the absentee landlords. The large proprietors kept on their property an agent, who to some extent discharged the duties of the proprietor himself ; but he was afraid that this could not be said of the great ma jority of the smaller class of absentee land lords. At arty rate, there was no one who could deny that atesenteeism was attended with the greatest evils, and had the most injurious effects on the comforts and condition of the people—(Hear, hear),—and he sin cerely believed that it contributed very mate rially to aggravate the misery caused by the calamity under which the Irish people were at present labouring. There was another evil which was severely felt in Ireland, and that was the case of the absence of agents. There were a number of agents engaged in the man-. agement of ests.tes, who resided elsewhere, and who only visited those estates once a year. Then with respect to income. A member last night had stated that the whole income of Ireland was about 3,000,0001. a year ; bat he (Mr. Hamilton) bad found from the report of the state of the estates in Ireland that the amount of income assessed in Ireland was over 6 ,000,0001., a matter which was well worthy of the con sideration of the House. He found that out of the property that 'was assessed in Ireland, not less than 702,000/. were under the charge of the Court of Chan cery and the Court of Exchequer, and that during the custody of this money, the arrears had increased from 300,4861. to ripwards of 400,0001., and that the amount now w itually held was upwards of 300,0001. This showed what was the condition of a great portion of the property in Ireland. Then there was another evil arising from the state of the law of mort gage, an alteration of which would enable unen cumbered proprietors to get rid of their estates. In England, if a mortgage were foreclosed, it was customary to ;sell that portion on which the mort gage was imposed in order to satisfy the demand. The practice in Ireland was very difficult; the practice almost univereat Ily prevailed that when a proprietor borrowed move y, he borrowed it on a bond and judgment. This judgment (which was scarcely known in this country) overrode all portions of his property, extending over every township, and it was almost impossible to get rid of the money borrowed during the operation of the judgment. Again, with re ference to the existence of the class known as middlemen, every body would feel that the operation of this with the previous cause had been prejudiced to the interests of Ireland. These were matters that involved the condition and prospects of every el at s. The Honourable and Learned Gentleman sto .ted thhe other night that every man in Ireland- . was out of his proper position. Now that starement was, to a certain extent, true ; but he might ask whether Ithe Legislature had anything t o d o with it ?—(1 l et tr , hear, and cheers.) For himself, he was a s tr O ng advocate for the maintenance of the union, but he could not conceal the truth from his own mind, , - that the effect of that union had been to draw away tbcs landed aristocracy from Ireland to this country, a nd that had been a main cause why the class had arisen which occupied a middle position, a posit ion which the Hon. and Learned Gen tleman characte rued as one improper for them to fill. (LEFT SPEAKING.) THE NEW PLANET CEIRISTENED.—The Bureau des Longitudes a f Paris has agreed with the principal astro nomers of Eurove, such as Encke, Gausz, Herschel, and Struve, in giving, the name of Neptune to the new planet discovered by M. Le Verrier. The sign of this planet in celestial mrips is to be a trident.—Galignani. ENROL MENT OF THE DOCKYARD ARTIFICERS.--In furtherance of tl ie arrangements ordered V the Admiralty circular for this purpose, Commander Robert Jenner, re cently promoted , is appointed to superintend the drilling o f the battaltion in the ship .gun exercise. The number of vo lunteers f.tom tt is dockyard amounts to 2,000. The enrol ment into different companies and battalions will take place immediately. tThe drill is to commence on the let of April .—ldamsoshire T legraph. LATEST PRICES OF SHARES, 13..A.N1i5, .ASSIT.:ANCE, AND OTHER CO2II PANIES' STOCK. From tie On'icial List, ÜBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING. LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 JOINT-STOCIC 1311N8S. Name of Company. Dividend per iustralasla Britsh Ii orth American Zomnsercial of London Annum. Londn and Westminstr London Joint-Stock ... Metropolitan .. Provincial of Ireland.. Ditto, New......... National of Ireland .. Nat. Provncial of Eng. Ditto, New......... Union of Australia.... Union of L0nd0n..... Amount of 1 hare. Paid. 61. per cent. 51. per cent. W. per cent. 51. per cent. 61. per cent. 61. per cent. X s. d. 40 0 0 50 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 50 0 0 25 0 0 100 0 0 10 0 0 50 0 0 100 0 0 20 0 0 25 0 0 50 0 0 s. d. 4) 0 0 5J 0 0 2) 0 0 23 0 0 20 0 0 10 0 0 7 10 0 25 0 0 10 0 0 20 0 0 35 0 0 10 0 0 25 0 0 10 0 0 81. per cent. 81. per cent. 51. per cent. 51. per cent. 51. per cent. 61. per cent. 51. per cent. . I27SITRANCE COMPANIES. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of • Paid. Price Annum. Share. 4 s. d. X s. d. Albion .........• •• • • 3/. 105. 500 0 0 50 0 0 75 Alliance Brit. and For. 6 per cent. 100 0 0 11 0 0 - Ditto Marine.• ••• • • 6/. per cent, 100 0 0 50 0 5)4 Atlas . e 13s.6d.prsh. 50 0 0 5 0 0 154 British Commercial • • 75. per share 50 0 0 50 0 7% Clericl,Med.&Gen•Life Si. per cent. 100 0 0 210 0 10 County --••-.• •• • • 31. 100 0 0 10 0 0 Crown ...........• .. 10s. 50 0 0 50 0 - liagle . Eng.& Scot. Law •• •• 5/. per cent. 50 0 0 2 0 0 3 European Life -•• •• 5% per cent. 20 0 0 All paid. 20 Freemasons' ..• ••• • • • 51. per cent. 20 0 0 3 0 0 Globe .•.•.••. • • • • • • • 61. per cent. Stock. - 132 xd Guardian ••.. . . . •.• •• • 51. per cent. 100 0 0 36 10 0 4814 Imperial Fire •.•• • • • • 6/. and bonus 500 0 0 50 0 0 230 Imperial Life •••• • • • • 12s. 100 0 0 10 0 0 - Indemnity Marine.- • 11. sh. & bs. 100 0 0 513 1 31 Law Life. •••.•.. • • .. 11. ss. 100 0 0 10 0 0 - ~egal and General Life - 50 0 0 20 0 VA . ..andon Fire ••.• • • • • 10s. 25 0 0 12 10 0 15 •ondon Ship ...• •• • • 10s. 25 0 0 12 10 0 15 Marine.. ..... •• • • 5/. per cent. 100 0 0 15 0 0 - 1C ed. Invlid& Gen. Life 4141. per et. 50 0 0 2 0 0 - National Lean Fund.. B. per cent. 20 0 II 210 0 - National Life.....• .• • 8/. per cent. 100 0 0 50 0 8% Calladium Life Si. per cent. 50 0 0 2 0 0 2xd Phoenix - - 195 Pnltector Life.... ... 5/. per cent. 20 0 0 1 0 0 24e. Od Provident Lift- -- • . 1/. ss. 100 0 0 10 0 0 23 Rock Life.. Royal Exchange 5/. per cent. Stock. - 180 Sun Fire • - - 210 Ditto Life .. • ..... • • IL 6s. - - 49 Universal Life ....... lON i. pr ent 100 0 6 15 - LIST 0!' SCOTTIS= COMPANIES' PnicEs. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. ' Price. Annum. Share. -- -- - £ a. d. X s. d Bank of Scotland - 100 0 0 176% Royal Bank of Scotland 61. per cent. - 100 0 156% British Linen Company Si. per cent. - 100 0 0 220 Commercial Bank •• • • 61. per cent. - 100 0 0 167 National Bank. ..... - 10 0 0 IV. 6s Union Bank of Scotland 7%t. pr cent. - 50 .0 0 91% Western Bank - ... •• • 6/. per cent. - 50 0 0 844 North of Scotland Bank 61. per cent. - 50 0 7 14 Clydesdale Bank- -• • 61. per cent. - 10 0 0 Di% Eastern Bank •••• • • • • 5/. per cent. - 10 0 0 121 Caledonian Bank - 2 10 0 4/. 9s Edinb.& Glasgow Bank 61. per cert. - 5 0 0 6/. 18s City of Glasgow Bank . 5/. per cent. - 10 0 0 131. 7s Scottish Union Ins• Co. 51. per cent. 20 0 0 1 0 0 1235. 9d Hercules Insurance Co. ' 71. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 14.. Insur. Co. of Scetlnd Si. per cent. 10 0 0 All paid. 9 , ,i North British Incur 5141. pr cent. 200 0 0 10 0 0 27% Caledonian Fire Insur. 101. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 22% Edinburgh Life Insur. 6/. per cent. 100 0 0 12 10 0 18 Edin. & tilasg. Railway 1/.los. pert. 50 0 0 50 0 0 764 Ditto, 4 Wiares •• • • 7s. Gd. p. s. 12 10 0 All paid. 19 Edin., Leith, & Grantn - 20 0 0 LIO 0 0 1914 Glasgw & Ayrshir Rail. 71. per cent. 50 0 0 All paid. 69 )4 Glasgw& Greenck Rail. 91. !ter cent. 25 0 0 All paid. 1614 Glsgw&Garnkirk Rail. Al. per cent. 25 0 0 All paid. 39y, Dundee& Arbroth Rail. 61. per cent. 25 0 0 All paid. 37 Standard LifeAssnmce.l Si. per cent. 50 0 0 I 2 10 0 9 CANALS. •.; I Z Dividend Names of r. Dividend Price Names of t Companies. A per - Companies. 0 per Price. cr: Annum. §-:: Annum. £ Ashtn& Olslh 97 5/.55. pe l .£ - Monmouthsh 100 81. - Ashby-d-la-Z 113 41. .- Mntgomrysh 100 Si. - Barnsley.... 160 1 121. - Macclesfield. 100 - - Basingstoke.. 100 - - Neath ••• • • • 100 171. - Brknk&Abrg 150 51. - Nottingham . 150 121. Cromford.... 100 141. - Peak Forest. 78 31. 75 Dudley lOO 41. - Regent's .... 33 1/. ss. 20 Derby ••••• 100 6/. - Rochdale.... 85 41. - Ellsnare&Chs 133 41. 55 Shropshire • • 125 81. - Erewash .• • 1001 321. - Somrset Co:150 71. 10s. - Forth & Clyd 1001 41. - Do.LkFdSt 12 6/.p. c. - GrandJunctn 100. 71. -. Stffrd &Wore 140 281. - I.ra.nd Union 100 1/. 10s. - Shrewsbury.. 125 151. - Gliunorgnsh . 172 1 13%1. - Stourbrldge.. 145 20/, 315 tiler &Brkly 'OO - - Strtfrdon Av 79 11.10 s. - Grantham - Severn and] 26 11. Bs. - Huddersfield. 57 - - Wye Rail. Kennt & Avu 39 7s. 6d. 5 4 .Trnt &MI 50 30L - Lancaster .. • 47 11. 105. - 1 sey, 4 sh. Leeds&Livrp 100 341. 522% !Thams &Med 19 - - Leicester ...• 140 10/. 105 Worcstr & 78 2/. 43 Leiestr &Nth 83 4/. 52 Bi n ning.] Lougliborogh 142 701. - Wilts & Ili ks 67 11. - IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 1. LABOURING POOR (IRELAND) BILL. Dir. BERNAL OSBORNE said thst the speech of the Noble Lord, the First Lord of the TresLury, was so ex tensive in its nature, and so important in its conse quences, that without making any observation on it, by way of praise or censure, he was bound to say that it was drawn up with the greatest care, amid the greatest difficulties. Whilst he participated in the sentiments of his Hon. Friend, the Member for Louth, regarding it, and was of opinion that it was characterised by clear statement, lucid arrangment, and deep research, he must also say that he could not expect, from the plan proposed by the Noble Lord, any permanent improvement in the condition of Ireland. It appeared to him that the scheme of the Noble Lord was nothing more than what had been proposed to be done by all preceding Governments to go on legislating bit by bit and temporary expedients, without laying any permanent foundation for the im provement of Ireland. Parliament had not now for the first time to learn the great amount of distress which prevailed in Ireland. It was well known to them that 2,500,000 people of that country were in more than an ordinary condition in a state of the greatest destitution, and he could not, therefore, approve of any measures which would merely have the effect of temporarily relieving the evil results of the bad legisla tion of that House. He thought that the Irish Mem bers did their duty in- calling upon the Govern ment to send over food to the Irish people; and, not withstanding the mistakes which had been made in carrying out their measures, he was of opinion that. Government was doing its best to second the efforts of the Irish Members. He would now take a review of the measures which the Noble Lord proposed to bring forward. With regard to the Act of the 9th and 10th Victoria, he thought it difficult for any Member who had witnessed its operation to speak of it favourably ; it was the general opinion that it broke up the roads, impoverished the gentry, demoralised the people, and burdened the finances of the coto,try.—(Hear, hear.) It was not his intention to attack the Noble Lord for passing this Bill. August legislation is apt to be is hurried affitir, especially when there is a chance of grouse shooting. But the Noble Lord should have called Parliament together at an earlier period than he had done. If he wanted a precedent, he had one in the year 1800, when Parliament was convened in the early part of November, in consequence of the high price of provisions. As to the fatile excuse that he did not like to inconvenience the- Irish gentry, or to take them away from their estates, it struck him that they could have been much better spared then than they could now. H e felt persuaded that if the Noble Lord (the Lord Lieute nant) had had his own way, they would have had rail ways and harbours, and similar productive works, con structed, instead of what had been done by the authority of the Board of Works. He must protest against the prin ciple of the Labour Act, which went to charge the real property of the country with the calamity. He thought the Government was neither justified by circumstances nor precedent in throwing the burden on the land. It was stated that the gentry were to blame for the lavish waste of money under the operation of the presentment sessions. To that he would answer that the money in many instances bad been voted under protest,. and that the most of it had been expended under the authority of the Board of Works, which, with its brilliant staff of officers, amounting to 11,587, had taken the whole matter out of the hands of the landed proprietors. However well qualified generally these officers might be on local matters and the business of the various districts, they had shown the greatest ignorance. It was, therefore, too bad for the finger of scorn to be pointed at the Irish landlords. With respect to the change from the present system of public works, he did not see how it was to be done. It appeared that these parties were in the position of the dramatis personce in the play of the Critic, who were all down on their knees, and the author was at a loss h ow to effect their exit. The Noble Lord was in the same predicament. He was at a loss how to effect the change. He thought himself that the Noble Lord would have ex ercised a much wiser discretion, if, instead of an addition to the rates for the purpose of establishing soup-shops, he had taken into his serious attention the great impor portance of tilling the land for the next harvest. There were 750,000 farms in Ireland, and about one-half of them were under twenty acres. There was a grant to these farms of 50,0001. for seed, which would give about twopence per acre, or would cultivate 25,000 acres, out of all this quantity of land. If there was any public work to be undertaken let them give free labout to all farmers under 10 acres, as that class of farmers had suffered most. The Noble Lord did not deal justly with the Marquis of Sligo. when the Noble Lord attacked the Noble Marquis of Sligo the other evening, because the Noble Marquis not only sa crificed a large titer park, but expended 70/. a-week in supplying the people of Westbourne with food. The fact was, the Noble Marquis, last autumn, called upon the Government to take off the 4s. duty upon the importation of corn. No doubt the Noble Marquis had been reading a letter, addressed from Edinburgh, in November, 1845, and signed "J. Russell ;" but then the Noble Marquis made his request in November, 1846, instead of November, 1845. The Hon. Member for Winchester, too, towards the close of last session, warned the Noble Lord that he had better take off the 4s. duty, but the Noble Lord heeded not the warning, because the corn-law question had just before been set tled. The Noble Lord could not be well informed as to the real condition of the people of Ireland in certain places. And, to show that thi s was the case, he would put the House in possession of the contents of a letter which he had received from the inspector of the mining company of Ireland. The mining company of Ireland, although they paid wages to 800 men at ls.'6d. a-bead, had almost been on the point of closing their mines, because the people found it almost impossible to obtain food. It was a very good thing for a man in T:eland to get Is. 9d. a day, and yet bad it not been for BAKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED. John and George Hardy, grocers, Wisbech St. Peters, Cambridge. BANKRUPTS. Leah Moss, tobacconist, Liverpool-buildings, Bishopgate, London, to surrender Feb. 10, at one, and March 16, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Pennell, official as signee; Carpenter, Union-court, City. Charles Frederick Smyrk, builder, Lavina-grove, Wharf. road, Feb. 12, and March 16, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Abchurch-lane ; Po cock and Poole, Bartholomew-close. John Prior, tailor, Saint Blazey, Cornwall, Feb. 18, and March 11, at one, at the Exeter District Court. Hernaman, official assignee, Exeter; Carlyon, St. Austell; Bell and Co., Lincoln's-fields; Gidley, Exeter. Thomas Bailey, printer, Wolverhampton, Feb. 11, and March 11, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Christie, official assignee, Birmingham; Foster and Gough, Wolverhampton. John Kirkman, wine merchant, Nottingham, Feb. 19, and March 5, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Nottingham ; Brown, Notting ham. Thomas Skipworth, miller, Belton, Lincolnshire, Feb. 17, and March 17, at ten, at the Leeds District Court. Kynas ton, official assignee, Hull ; Bell, Bedford-row, London ; Blackburn. Leeds. Henry Johnson, merchant, Sheffield, Feb. 12, and March 5, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Freeman, official assignee, Leeds ; Duncan, Featherstone-buildings, Holborn, London ; Unwin, Sheffield. Edward Smith, apothecary, Dursley, Gloucestershire, Feb. 16, at twelve, and March 16, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. llutton, official assignee, Bristol; Henderson, Bris tol; Bishop, Lincoln's Inn-fields, London. 1 MPERIAL PA RI lAMENT, (THIS E VEINING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. POOR-LAW. The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from Rye union against the Poor Removal Bill, the petitioners stating that it was both expensive and inconvenient. They believed that the effect of this Bill would be, that it would induce landlords to pull down cottages, and thus large numbers of persons would be crowded into the cottages that remained, and much immorality must of necessity arise. He was disposed to move for a select committee on this subject ; but he saw that a Committee had been moved for in another place. The LORD CHANCELLOR said there was no ob jection to the select committee. The Duke of RICHMOND was glad to hear it. DRAINAGE OF LANDS. The NOBLE DUKE said that two years ago a Select Committee had been appointed for considering the subject of the drainage of lands, and it was supposed that this drainage was not to be comp u l sor y on t h e landlords, and that it referred to Ireland more than to England; but that was a mistake in both instances, for it was actually more for England than Ireland, and the Bill did net at all consider the consent of the land lords. From having a cold, he presumed he was last night misunderstood, for ho was represented as saying that he was desirous of reducing the effect of the law of entail, whereas precisely the con trary was the case. He should move for the reappoint ment of the same Select Committee, with the addition of Lord Langdale, who had paid much attention to the subject. Lord BROUGHAM hoped his Noble Friend would urge the subject of entail on the Committee. The Duke of RICHMOND would certainly make that one of the earliest subjects. The Committee was granted. DISTILLATION OF SPIRITS FROM SUGAR. Lord STANLEY presented petitions from the distil lers of the county of Wicklow, and other places, where the proposed measures of the Government had created much alarm, as it was believ e d that di s till a ti on f rom sugar would materially affect the interests of the estab lishments in Ireland. Unless the measure were free from the defects which it presented at present, he did not apprehend any great good would arise from it. It, however, it operated whether for good or harm, it must materially . affect the British and colonial pr o d ucers , and those interested in breweries and distilleries. He had no wish to prolong the discussion of the question at present, but he rose only to express a hope that the measure would not be proposed as a permanent one, without the fullest consideration, and all parties having an opportunity of fully stating their case, and having it con.idered by their Lordships. There was one point to which he wished at present to call the attention of the Noble Lord, the President of the Board of Trade. It was in reference to the Act of last session, by which the duty on sugar raised in the colonies was reduced to 14s. per cwt., and that on foreign sugar fixed at 21s. This was a differential duty of 75., which was gradually, year by year, to be reduced until 1851, when they were to become equal. If sugar was introduced into use in breweries until distilleries now, it would be principally foreign that would be employed. Now, if sugar at 21s. a cwt. could now be employed in these works and compete with malt, what would be the effect in 1851, when the duty was equalised ? Would it not give the grower *1 foreign sugar a great advantage over the home pro ducer. This was a matter to which he earnestly called the consideration of the Noble Lord the President of the Board of Trade. He would not say what course should be adopted, but be submitted that no measure of a permanent nature should be agreed to, unless they were satisfied that the various interests concerned were fully consulted and con sidered. They might adopt one of the two following courses : they might alter the scale of duty of last year, so as to keep the 21s. duty permanent, or they might reduce the duty on malt, year by year, till such time as the two duties were equalised. He would con clude by asking the Noble Lord, the President of the Board of Trace, whether he had any objection to pro duce the report of the Commissioners' appointed to in quire into the employment of sugar in breweries and distilleries. The Earl of CLARENDON said he would state in a day or two whether the report could be produced without inconvenience to the proceedings of the Government. With respect to the measures proposed, he assured the Noble Lord that nothing would be done without full consideration of all interests concerned. IRISH POOR-LAWS. Lord BROUGHAM rose to complain of what had been reported of him the previous night, in the state ment he had made respecting the poor-laws in Ireland. The newspaper press were generally very ac curate in their reports, but, at the pre sent time, when so much feverish anxiety prevailed in Ireland repecting the proceedings of their Lordships, it was right that the most accurate accounts should be published. In the present instance words had been attributed to him which he had never spoken.—(Hear.) In presenting the petition from Liverpool he c trot ully abstained from giving any opinion on the matter to which it had reference. What he said was that a proposition had been made that the support of such Immigrants should fall on Irish mortgagees. Whether it fell on the Irish landlord or not was an entirely dif ferent question, on which he avoided, as he had said, giving any opinion, because if they were to throw the expense entirely on mortgagees it would be only a tax upon the landlords in the name of the mor gagees. BUCK WHEAT, &c., IMPORTATION BILL.: Messengers from the Commons brought up this Bill, which, on the motion of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, was read a first time. POOR-LAW (IRELAND) BILL. Lord STANLEY wished to ask a question of the Noble Marquis (the Marquis of Lansdowne) with refe rence to tke Poor-law Commission. Several Bills had been recently introduced into the other House of Parliament, which rould, no doubt, give increased power to the Poor-law Commissioners, who were the principal machinery in carrying out the Irish Poor-law Bill. He, therefore, thought that the whole subject of the poor-law settlement of this country and of Ireland should be brought under the review of their Lordships. He also understood that the Poor• law Commission was about to be re-modelled. He, therefore, wished to know whether it was the intention of the Go vernment to re-model that Commission, whether the Irish Poor-law Commission would be independent of the English one—and ,whether the way in which this re modelling was proposed to take place would be laid before their Lordships before the Bill which would confer those increased powers on the Commission. The Marquis of LANSDGWNE was understood to say that it was the intention of the go, vernment to remodel the . poor-law commission. but he could not state then, whether the management of the poor-laws of both countries would be placed under the controul of one Commissioner. The to which the Noble Lord referred was not of a temporary but of a permanent There was not the same urgent nece ss ity for thature. e p n agsing of the measure as of others. It would b e before their Lord ships at the earli es t p oss ibl e per i o d. The conversation then dropped. EDUCATION. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said on Friday, he should lay before their Lordships a minute adopted by the Committee of the Privy Council, and on that day he would state certain alterations and additions - which the Committee had suggested fur the purpose of expending the funds voted by Parliament for the purpose of national education. The Noble Marquis laid on the table a copy of correspondence which had taken place between this country and Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Switzerland in 1845. Also a copy of the treaty concluded between this country and the King of th e S andwich Islands, which he was happy to state made on had been the best possible terms.—(L aug h ter , INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGIIT. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid upon the table of tl w t house i ntlierncaonticoensasl copyright, io concluded betweenn of the Kin g o f Saxony to the treaty of i nternational BILL. The report of the Standing' Orders Committee was brought up. The standing orders had been complied with. GLASGOW AND GREENOCK (CALEDONIAN) RAILWAY BILL. It was reported that the standing orders, so far as this railway is concerned, ought to be dispensed with. ROCHESTER AND MILTON RAILWAY BILL. The standing orders have been complied with. ROCHDALE WATERWORKS. The Bill for these works was introduced. ILLICIT DISTILLATION. Mr. BROTHERTON presented several petitions from temperance societies, complaining of the extent of illicit distillation. TEN HOURS' BILL. Mr. OCTAVIUS DUNCOMBE presented a petition from Huddersfield in support of the Ten Hours' Factory Bill. OPENING OF THE PORTS. Mr. MARK PHILIPS presented a petition from the Corporation of Manchester for opening the ports and the suspension of the navigation laws. MAGISTERIAL OPPRESSION. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from a person of the name of Roberts, a solicitor, and also from another of the name of Cropper, who, with three others, had been engaged as servants, and had left their places in consequence of their masters not having ccmplied with the terms of their engagements. These persons had been apprehended at Sheffield on a Saturday even ing, and had been kept4in custody all the Sunday, with out being permitted to communicate with their friends. Two of them were put upon their trial by the magis• trates, having previously sent for the assistance of the Chancery solicitor ; but beforo he arrived they had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Mr. Roberts begged the magistrates to grant a new trial, but it was refused, and the two other persons charged with the offence wore subsequently sentenced to the same punishment. He (\lr. I)uneombe) had to ask the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the names of the magistrates, with a view to obtain an explanation of their conduct, which he considered unjust, illegal, and oppressive in the extreme. There were also four petitions from the wives of those parties, pray ing for inquiry into the circumstances by that House. He moved that these petitions be printed with the votes, in order to facilitate that inquiry. EXETER, YEOVIL, A ND DORCHESTER RAILWAY. The Bill fur this line was read a first time. THE ANDOVER UNION. Mr. ETWALL gave notice, that on Tuesday, the 16th instant, he would bring under the consideration of the House the evidence taken before the Andover Union Committee last session, with the report made upon the same. Mr. VILLIERS, for the Hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Bright), who was ab•ent, begged leave to postpone the motion of that Hon. Member, which stood for con sideration to-night, till that day fortnight. CHARITABLE TRUSTS. Lord JOHN MANNERS gave notice of his inten tion of bringing in a Bill relating to charitable trusts. THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS. Mr. MACKINNON gave notice of his intention of bringing under the consideration of the House the corn• position and mode of management of tho Ecclesiastica Commission. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. Mr. DUNCOMI3E renewed a motion, notice of which he gave last session, with respect to the infliction of corporal punishment in the army.--Agreed to. TURNIP STEALING.—CONVICTION OF TWO CHILDREN IN ESSEX. Dr. BOWRING wished to draw the attention of the Right Honourable Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the following state ment, which had appeared in the Times : —On the 2d of January two children, the son and daughter of a poor man named Lee, who, for the last three years, had occupied a cottage in the parish of Chingford, in Essex, for which he paid 2s. 6d. a week, were detected by tke foreman of a person named Green picking up turnips. They were taken by the man to Chingford, for the purpose of being given into the charge of a police-constable, and to Waltham for the purpose of getting a magistrate to hear the case. Mr. Preston, a magistrate, heard the case, and before him the foreman swore that the turnips were worth 3d. The children were convicted in the penalty and costs, amounting to 11. Os. Gd. In default of payment they were to be imprisoned for fourteen days in fiord gaol. They were taken there iu the course of a day on which a severe frost prevailed, fifteen or sixteed miles. On the following day they were liberated, in consequence of their father having borrowed the money and paid the fine and expenses. He (Dr. Bowring) had been informed by the father and mother of the children, that they were ready to swear that from the Saturday to the Sunday the children were released, they had nothing to eat save a two-pound loaf. He was also informcd that on the following day, the 4th of January, a man and his daughter were convicted by the same magistrate of steal ing a few coals, which were valued at one penny. They were released from custody, however, as the grand jury ignored the bill. Now, he wished to know whether the conduct of this magistrate had excited the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet ? Sir GEORGE GREY said, in consequence of the notice of the Hon. and Learned Member, he had caused au inquiry into the circumstances as detailed, which were similar to those which had appeared in the news papers.—(Hear. hear.) In the Times of to-day, however, the Honourable Gentleman would find a letter from the Rev. Mr. Reed, the Rector of Ching ford, which gave a very different version of the matter. The only information he had been able to obtain, in ad dition to that furnished by the Rev. Mr. Reed, was derived from the Commissioners of Police, within whose limits the case had occurred. These statements went to show that the gentleman who first directed attention to the subject was mistaken, and that therefore the occur rence bad been greatly exaggerated. It appeared that the ages of the children were ten and thirteen— that they were convicted of stealing turnips, and were sentenced and fined in the way mentioned. There were statements in the report of the C om • missioners n ith respect to the conduct of the parents which he did not wish to read ; it appeared however that they were gipsies, and that the father was the owner of a pony, so that they were not in the state of helpless distress alluded to. He should feel happy to place the report in the hands of the Hon. Member ; and on reading it he could not fail to be of opinion that the statement was highly coloured, and consequently far from correct. IRISH DISTRESS. Sir ROBERT PEEL presented; petitions from so• veral places in the county of Longford, setting forth that the population of the county amounted to' 27,950, three-fourths of whom were upon the verge of starva tion, and that 8,150 of them were employed upon the public works, that the land in all the baronies of the county was divided into very small divisions, great numbers of which remained until the present time, and the petitioners prayed that the im mediate attention of the Government should be called to their condition, and such measures adopted as should prevent the disastrous results of such a state of things. ANNEXATION OF CRACOW. Sir DE LACY EVANS wished to ask the Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) whether it was his intention again to postpone the motion of which he had given notice, upon the subject of the annexation of Cracow? Mr. HUME was very desirous of bringing forward his motion, but as the Government had not yet laid the papers promised by them upon the table of the House, he hardly knew what course to adopt with reference to the subject. H e did not wish to enter into the conside ration of the subject until the documents were laid before the House. BEQUESTS ACT (IRELAND). Mr. D. O'CONNELL presented a petition, signed by two archbishops, and several other prelates of the Catholic Church, praying for an alteration in the Bequests Act. TEN HOURS' BILL. Lord GEORGE BEN TINCK presented several peti tions from Chorley and other places, in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill (as we understood). MINISTERIAL MEASURES. Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the whole of the Bills embody ing the measures of her Majesty's Government, in re spect to Ireland, would be laid upon the table of the House. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that three Bills were already before the House calcu lated to affect the present distress in Ireland. The Bill for carrying out the Treasury minutes would shortly be ready. The Bill for the consolidation of the Drainage Acts would Lot be brought in at present; the existing Drainage Act being already very well understood in Ireland, and operations were still going on under the provisions of that Act. The Bill for the Reclamation of the Waste Lands was in a state of forwardness, and would shortly be brought under the consideration of the House ; and the Bill for the Sale of Estates, which was also in a forward state, would shortly be ready to be introduced. ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAIL- WAY. Colonel SIBTIIORP wished to ask the Hon. Member for Derby (Mr. Strutt), who was at the head of the Railway Commissioners, whether any compensation had been given, or would be given, to the surviving relatives of those two individuals who had lost their lives, upon a recent occasion, upon the Great Western Railway. He had looked over the evidence, and the just remarks of the Coroner during the inquest, and it Ras his decided opinion that some compensation should be awarded to t b *o e r e the e r t p h e r l i e i v e the survivors. H e w i s h e d, t h ere f ore , to k now w h et h er it was nd e f i d n o t b f e y n t t t h i h o c a n s t e a c o u f n c f i t d o l r i e e t n u t n c f m t et: ie i r. s d s i r o v e n i d e a u r t vl es t s o w, ai p l n r o o d v h i oa d f ,d e lost their lives—(Laughter) —he meant those who had perhaps, the means of support. the munificence of the mining company, with which h e was connected, these people would have starved, and - • they absolutely laid in bed from Saturday eight r,ll Monday morning, with money in their pocket's, until le to obtain food. And why ?—because there was no food in the country. There was ain't! er subject to which the Noble Lord had turned his attention. The Noble Lord had estimated the waste lands of Ireland at 4,600,000 acres, which he propose reclaim. Mr. Griffiths estimates these lands at 6,290,000 *, of which he considered 3,725,000 capable' of improve ment ; but of these 2,400,000 acres were only fit to be reclaimed for coarse pasturage for sheep, leaving only about 1,425,000 which were fit to be reclaimed for corn purposes. Then what did the Noble Lord expect to gain from these waste lands? What was the evidence on the subject which had ,been laid before the commit.- tee? Why, the Government had had sufficient experi ence of the reclamation of waste lands on their model ferns in the county of Cork. They had a model farm at a place called Cobellowkeith, not a very harmonious name truly. This farm was taken in King William's time, and in 1836 Mr. Griffiths had estimated the returns. By his account the attempt,had been made to reclaim the worst description of soil. It was called flow bog, and was, l i n :' fact, neither more nor l ess th an a sort o f l oose mut '` The cost of reclaiming this land is 9/. 9s. 101, and the whole of the value of the returns had been • 25/. 12s. 6d. in four years, giving an average of a v loss of 1/. 9s. Bd. per acre. He would now take the next kind of soil. This was a more compact kind of soil. The cost of reclaiming this soil was 61. 3s. per acre, and the returns from it were on all average, and the whole of the produce in four years was 221. ss. Bd., showing a loss of 1/. 17s. 9d. per acre. He was one who thought, that for the good of the commonwealth that any man's estate ought to be en' tered upon and taken possession of; but it must be an extreme case which justified such a step, and he thought that when this money was to be taken from the people of England to reclaim this land, he thought that it required no little consideration; and if they were to take this model example h e thought they would hesitate to expend it on these waste lands. By Mr' Griffiths's report, the whole of the returnfrom the model farm was, during three years, only 23/. 9 s . Bd. When the Noble Lord came down to the House and talked, of reclaiming these 4,600,000 acres of land did he consider what was the worth of that land. He had calculated the money to be expended on these 4,600,000 acres, and found that it would amount to about 4s. an acre, which was to be expended on land worth about half aecroWn an acre ; he never knew a greater bubble,_ or had ever heard a more stupendous att em pt on the part of all Government to impose upon the House. Then, with respect to another subject, the Noble Lord seemed to conceive that small holdings were a great benefit 1 • 01 ;;. Ireland. How many holdings did the Noble Lord in- tend to divide these 6,000,000 acres into. For his =''.• own part he believed the small holdings to be one ~ of the greatest evils to which Ireland was subject , ' and if the Noble Lord had ever read the blue book to which he had-so often referred, and which contained the evidence taken by Lord Devon's commission ; if. he - could take the Noble Lord into the county of Armaga he would show him that the prosperity of a countrf was not in proportion to the ratio of population to acreage surface, but in the ratio of the capital engage d on that surface. The Noble Lord seemed to be quite unaware of the state of Ireland, and seemed to conceive ' that it would be wisest to employ the people in the cul tivation of corn. He would tell the Noble Lord that the potato was the only produce that could be obtained in sufficient quantity to feed the people, and that serial produce sufficient for the purpose never could be ° I ?.: tained to supp or t th e p eop l e . A n d if he could ta k e Su- R. Kean and Mr. Kingcu de into Ireland, h e would show that it was so. He had himself : great number of cottier tenantry, and be ha d been obliged to pay the rates for them all. The Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign Department, who wa s one of the best landlords in Ireland, could have told bins if they had had any conversation with him in the cabine t ' that on one of his estates of 600 acres, the holdings were divided into only an acre and a half each, on whic h at least a population of 2,000 was located, and that be never received 1001. from the estate in his life, and the! on a nominal rent a l of 4,000/. h e did not rece ive 404 They could not get food of the land, much less pay either e their rent or their rates: In another place on an estate of 212 acres, there were 7-00 people - domiciled, and th e establishment of the soup kitchens would have as littleee effect in alleviating their conditions as the other mess" d which had been proposed. This Bill was only print!) on the 29th of January last, and there would be a stroll objection to it until the people of Ireland had had opportunity of conside r i ng it s p rov i s i ons . It remind e d of the acc oun t g i ven o f t h e c h o l era by a fry rti; of his, who sa id it was a di sease w hi c h b e gan : i v nor death ; and if the N o bl e L or d propose d to g ive outd o relief to the aged, the sick, and the destitute under his new poor-law, th ere wou ld b e no o bj ect i on ; but iflie. persevered in giving relief to able-bodied labourers. vi L , out the workhouse test, it would be bringing ,T? l . e v i a introducing a system that would commence wil n u g t h e violence, and revolution. It would be dee t t Y L a ntrf, last spark ' of self-respect in the' minds of th t e l iility of and depriving them hereafter of any Pr ° d take the Lord helping themselves. Would the Noble consequences of this system ? The whole . of the estimated at 2,500,u0y e relief in th rental num be i r n . 17 1, 1 aendw destitutea s poor estimated we a r t e lO ,O 00,0001., while the persons, and as he believed the Irish rate of poor-houses was rated at is. 9d. each, the consequenel would be that the cost, as he had calculated it, would be 11,379,0001. This would not only absorb the whol e of the rental in Ireland. but a great portion of the rental of England also ; and he thought a stronger argument could not be adduced to th e l an dl or d s of England Pith this was. They wish e d t o p ut t h e screw on the lam ,- lord's of Ireland, and he believed they were right ; h at they might put the screw too far, and it should be reCOl' lected that the landlord only paid half the rates, and the tenant farmer the other. If they were to have the peer" law of England in Ireland let them have it altogethef+ for the landlords would prefer that to this bit-by-k . r system ; but if th e y did d o so l et t h em reco ll ec t the titi= . ; her of tenant farmers i n E ng l an d. If t h e y introduce the present poor-law th e y wou ld have to vance at least four or five millions more—(Hear) -41 1. 0 ; of what use was a poor-law i n th e ti me o f famine. 1547, within three years aft er th e pet favourite of.the Hon. Member, the 43d of Eli za b e th had been pass ed, dearth occurred in the country, an d i t was u niverse ll y of . allowed that the p e opl e were starv i ng f rom t h e want o , food. Eight years alter th a t anot h er famine had curred, and a Committee of that House had sat to i do quire into the causes, and they had unanimously u la or a report that it was utterly beyond the power of a Pe e s law to prevent the sufferings of the people. Bosco° . re it then obviate the present calamity of Ireland. Tobin was another great omission in the plan of the 1 4 °,0 Lord. He would not speak of emigration, for tu be would be to set the whole country against any man w fo r mighthave adopted a system of wholesale colonisation,_,e ,he country, and he was surprised when he saw so 11 °' a man as the Lord Advocate among the Governmen t l titan who had tur ne d hi s attent i on so much to the !, 1/ 0 ject—he was sur p r i se d t h at h e h ad not b een consulted 05,. this important p o i n t. H e was not f or a d opt i ng anY gder less system of co l on i sa ti on , f or h e would pl ac e it un the direction of the minister' s r e li g i on , an d have it managed that no evil should result to the colonists , "" :hat a gnat benefit should be obtained for the countrL ['here was one other great omi ss i on i n t h e speec h of the Noble Lord, for lie conceived that no system for the re generation of Ireland w ou ld b e complete which did V e altogether obviate the evil s o f t h at system. —(H ea r.) measure could be successful that did not entirely a l l the condition of the agricultural classes, and away with the small holdings in that coun tr P tor it bad dest ro y e d t h e agricultural labourers as a claw The Noble L o rd comp l a i ned that the Irish peasant well; work in London or Liverpool, but would not work in Ireland. What was the reason of that ? w hy, becall,s j e in England hi s wor k was required, and was well pal while in Ireland he soug h t i n va i n f or employment, 14 whets he got it, h e was b a dl y pa i d. There was ~ n „ more able, a more industrious labourer in the world than the Irish peasant, b u t i n I re l an d i t was useless to atte niP to work.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member f or Limerick (Mr. S. O'Brien) complained of the absente_. e landlords, but there w as a muc h more mischievous ell than that, and that w a s th e c l ass o f nom i na l ow ners ° A property, men who were a t t h e mercy o f some age nt, an who could neither help themselves or be of use to body else. This was a class which ought to be got rid 4: ' . for if they really m ean t t o i mprove t h e con di t i on of ; et land, they must go to the root of the evil, do e• A AO. with this effete system of gran ti ng l oans, an d the whole system o f rea l property in Ireland. -1‘" they must also alt e r th e system of government in , Ira land. Th e y mus t e i t h er d o away with their Lord -141. '„ ; s e- tenant, or make him a ki ng i n real i ty; and t h e y take steps also f or P ar li ament meeting at state d 50 60 n in the Castle of Dublin. If the Lord Lieutenant was t° be an efficient agent , h e must be made a mem b er 0-f t he• Cabinet. It was of no use to have a p e rson in Ireland . sitting behind a cum b rous lumbering vehicle, in id le in ; efficiency, while another person in a distant place sv.n, i' driving th em roug hl y over t h e stones. Th en , again , there must be non e of th a t bitt erness o f di s positionet um, t acerbity on the score of re li g i on , th at o di u m theolorc which that forgets th e c h ar ity w hi c h b e li evet h a ll thing'' all things, which is first p e a cea bl e , th en pure, and which thinketh no evil ; for if th e y did no t look . s, the union, however binding it might appear could,m or tojto be t , lo with religious differenc es , never p ro ve anything than a party difference. It was a spirit that would roll i b n ae t k he th w t ' or w e a ti t o er f a th o e f " Nor deal damnation round the land foe lreland for its centa pcoiveitl,ishaetiwonartnoedthtehle6mt—h century, but, This country owed a vast debt to notbe cancelled and it was toby centu ries of nsisgevernment, compensation only. It could only be On each he deems his a mere pecuniary comperes pa . ssing a law for the relief of ne comprehensive spirit, free Ireland in a wise, leraece, and parochial bigotry.-- from sectarian iuto cancelled by that ifalrogues,ea (Cheer s.) wished to address a few wor d s to the -absorbing topic, and h e did not t hi n k he cou ld better accomp lish the dut y he h ad imposed upon himse lf Mr. S. 0 th a n by following the topics in the orde r th ey were a d ver ted te by the Noble' Lord at the head of the Government, when he a dd res sed the House the otl,er eveni ug . Th e N o bl e L or d, 113 the first place , ref e rred to those melancholy statistics with Bthßis all-absorbing iB House upon I re gard to Ireland which had lattirly been brought under the cosi-. sideration of Parliament; but the Noble Lord did not appear to draw the obvious deduction from them that they were the result of misrule.—( Hear, hear.) He would, however, reserve that part of the subject till another occasion, and come at once to the question of distress. Now it was not fair to say there had been a loss of so many acres of potatoes , which, wilier ordinary circumstances, amounted te a certain quantity; but it was their duty to calculate what was the amount of corn which it would be necessary to receive, in orde to replace th a t l oss o f potatoes . P rocee di n g upon such a Cal culation, it app eare d to hi m t h at th e l os s of potatoes could o nl y . be replac e d b y a certa i n quant ity of corn. Now, the loss sn!. tamed by Ireland, by the destruction of the potato - cr o p , coul d not be computed at less than twenty or thirty m i llions sterling, and he asked the House in what way that loss was t o be made_ up , At all events, it was gaits clear that th e Price portanCe bate. laws. trineiplc Lord sal vat cer the pro ho;