The Sun. — London, England, 1847-03-23 00:00:00

BILL FOR THE REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS IN SCOTLAND. The following is the Registration Bill for Scotland, which has been introduced by the Lord Advocate : Clause 1 and 2 propose to enact, that after the pass ing of the Act, an office is to be provided in Edinburgh, to be called " The General Registry Office of Births, Deaths, and Marriages," for keeping a register of all births, deaths, and marriages in Scotland, and the Queen to appoint for the said office a R eeistrar-General of births, deaths, and marriages, in Scotland, removeable at pleasure ; and that the Registrar-General may appoint an assistant ; but who shall not have power to make, alter, or rescind any rules or regulations, or to dismiss any person from any office holden during the pleasure of the Registrar-General. 3. The Lsrds of the Treasury to appoint officers, clerks, &c., and to fix the salaries ; but the salary of the R eg i s t ra r-General not at any time to exceed the sum of 800 L yearly. 4. That the salary of the Registrar-General, of the Superintendent -Registrar, and all the expenses of the General Registry Office, including clerks, officers, ser ' vents books, and stationery be paid out of the Consoli dated Fund. 5 and 6. The regulations for management of office and duties of officers to be framed by the Secretary of State, and submitted to Parliament ; and an Abstract of Registers to be laid annually before Parliament. 7. Every county in Scotland, and the towns of Edin burgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Paisley, Leith, Greenock, Perth, and Dumfries, severally shall form a district, to be under the superintendence of a Superin tendent Registrar, the boundaries of each burgh to be those of the Reform Act ; but that no county shall in clude any burgh or town forming a separate district for the purposes of this Act. 8 and 9. The Sheriff-Clerks of each county, and the burgh Clerks and Town-Clerks of burghs and towns re spectively, to be the Superintendent Registrars of their dirtricts; and deputy superintendant-Registrar may be appointed by Superintendent. 10. The districts to be divided into sub-districts, con sisting of parishes, or, where it shall be deemed neces • airy for convenience, into parts of parishes, in which last case each parochial board, acting under the Poor-law shall, on or before the Ist of August, 1847, divide the parishes into as many sub-districts as shall be necessary, which shall each be distinguished by a name or number, and shall be a Registrar's district; and each parochial board shall, on or before the Ist of September, 1847, ap point, in each sub-district a Registrar for the registra tion of all births, deaths, and marriages which shall take _ _ titulars hereby required to be registered touching the death of such person; but in every case in which a pre cognition touching the death of a person shall be held, the Procurator-Fiscal shall inform the Registrar-General of the result of such precognition; and the Registrar shall, without requiring the Procurator-Fiscal to sign the same, make the entry according, stating the Procu rator Fiscal as his informant. 31. If any of her Majesty's Scottish subjects shall die at sea on board of a British vessel, after the said last day of December, the captain of the vessel shall make inti mation in the same way as provided for in the case of hirths; and the Registrar shall insert a correct copy thereof in the " Marine Register," verified by his own signature. 32, 33. Every Registrar immediately upon registering any death, or as soon thereafter as he shall be required so to do, shall, without fee or reward deliver to the in • formant, for the use of the undertaker or other person having charge of the funeral, a certificate that such death has been duly registered; and such certificate shall be delivered to the person having the charge of the place of interment; and if any dead body shall be buried, for which no such certificate shall have been so delivered, the undertaker or other person having charge of the funeral, and the person having charge of the place of in terment, shall within forty-eight hours thereafter give notice thereof to the Registrar of the sub-district in which such death shall have happened, under a penalty of 101., the information given to the Registrar to be signed by the informant. 34. Every Registrar shall make out an account, twice in every year, of the number of births and deaths which he shall have registered since the last half-yearly ac count, and the Superintendent-Register shall verify and sign the same ; and the Parochial Board, on pro duction of such account, shall pay to the Registrar for the first twenty entries of births and deaths in every year which he shall have registered, two shillings and sixpence each, and one shilling for every subsequent entry of births and of deaths in each year ; and in the event of such fees being inadequate to his remuneration, such further sum as the Parochial Board shall think fit. 35. In all cases of marriage contracted in Scotland from and after the last day of December, 1847, the persons contracting such marrage, at the time of the contraction thereof, or within two months thereafter, shall sign, along with two witnesses, in the presence of the Registrar, the entry of such marriage in the re gister-book to be kept by the Registrar•, and if this be done within ten days, the Registrar shall for such entry be entitled to a fee of five shillings ; if after ten days and within two months, the Registrar shall be entitled to a fee of ten shillings ; or it shall be competent to the persons contracting marriage to require the Registrar of the sub-district to attend at the contraction, or within two months thereafter, at any place within such sub district, and such Registrar is required, upon a written notice of forty-eight hours given to him to that effect. to attend with the register book accordingly, and to make the proper entry therein ; and for such attend ance and entry, if at the contraction or within ten days of the contraction of such marriage, the Registrar shall be entitled to a fee of one guinea, besides the sum of sixpence for each mile which he shall be obliged to travel in going from his place of abode to the place of such marriage ; and if such attendance shall be required after ten days but within two months of the contraction of such marriage, the Registrar shall for such attend ance and entry be entitled to a fee of two guineas be sides the sum of sixpence for each mile ; and any per sons contracting marriage and failing to register the same, and sign the entry thereof in manner herein de scribed during the period of two months thereafter, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty pounds, and in default of payment to suffer imprisonment for one month. 36. I❑ case of either or both of the married parties dying within the ten days or two months, the marriage unregistered, it shall be competent to the survivor, or for any near relative of either of the parties, to obtain registration of the marriage, they, along with two other witnesses who have been present at the marriage, signing the register, which must also state, in the entry, the death of the person who may have contracted the marriage. 37, 38, 39, 40. Marriages may be registered after two months by the Registrar. Clergyman or person present at solemnisation, celebration, or contraction of marriage, to send nctice to Registrar within ten days, under a penalty of 2/, Certified copies of register books to be sent half-yearly to the Superintendent-Re gistrar, under a penalty of 10/. Superintendent- Registrar to transmit registers half-yearly to Registrar- General. 41. Every Registrar and Deputy-Registrar who shall have the keeping for the time being of any register-book of births, deaths, or marriages, shall at all reasonable times allow searches to be made of all register-book in his keeping, and shall, if required, give a copy, certi fied under his hand, of any entry or entries in the same, on payment of a fee fer every search extending over a period not more than one year the sum of one shil ling, and sixpence additional for every additional year; and for certificate the sum of two shillings and six pence for every entry contained in such certificate. 47. Every Superintendent-Registrar shall forthwith cause indexes of the register-books in his office to be made and kept with the other records of his office ; and every person shall be entitled at all reasonable hours to search the said indexes, and to have a certified copy of any entry or entries in the said register-books, under the hand of the Superintendent-Registrar, on payment of the fees ; for every general search the sum of five shillings, and for every particular search the sum of one shilling, and for every such certified copy, the sum of two shillings and sixpence. 43. Indexes to be kept at General Register Office, where they may be searched, on payment of the follow ing fees : —For every general search the sum of twenty shillings ; for every particular search the sum of one shilling ; and for every certified copy the sum of two shillings and sixpence. 44. Seal to be kept at the General Register Office, and all certified copies of entries sealed or stamped therewith to be admissible throughout the United King dom and other of her Majesty's dominions, in evidence of birth, death, or marriage, to which the same relates place within the parish or sub-district, and such Regis trar shall be a person possessing such qualification as the Registrar-General shall, by any regulation to be made by him, require and prescribe. 11. Deputy-Registrars may be appointed by the Re gistrar. 12. Provided always, and be it enacted, that it shall not he lawful to app3int any Parish Schoolmaster to tha office of Registrar or Deputy-Registrar under this Act. 13. Every Superintendent-Registrar, Registrar, and Deputy-Registrar, to hold his office during the pleasure of the Registrar. General ; but on any such officer being dismissed, notice of such must be published in some newspaper circulated in the district ; but no Superin tendent-Registrar shall be so removed without the appro bation of one of her Majesty's Secretaries of State. 14 to 19. Appoints the offices of the Sheriff-Clerks, Burgh Clerks, or Town Clerks, to be the register offices of the Superintendent-Registrars for the purposes of the Act. Registrars and Deputy-Registrars to dwell in sub-district ; and names of Registrars and Deputy- Registrars to be affixed on churcb doors two Sundays at certain periods. 20. Every Registrar to inform himself carefully of every birth and every death which shall happen within his sub-district from and after the last day of Decem ber, 1847, and to learn and register, as soon after the event as conveniently may be done, without fee or re ward, in one of the register books, the particulars re quired to be registered according to the forms in the schedules annexed, touching every such birth or every such death. 21. And be it enacted, that the parents or parent of every child born, and the occupier of any house or tene ment in Scotland in which any bi-th shall take place, and the medical attendant and midwife present at such birth, from and after the last day of December, 1847, shall, within eight de) s next after the day of birth, give, or cause to be given, notice of such birth to the Regis trar of the sub-district in which the birth occurred, uner a penalty, to be paid in case of failure by the parents, or either of them, of forty shillings, and by such occu pi er , medical attendant, or midwife, of twenty shilli n gs but such penalty shall not be held to have been incurred or ba recoverable, if such notice shall be given by any one of such persons. 22. In case any person shall find any new-born child, or the dead body of any child exposed, such person shall, under a penalty of forty shillings in case of failure, forthwith give notice of the finding of such new-born child to the Inspector of the Poor, acting for the time under the said last recited Act, or of the finding of such dead body to the Procurator-Fiscal of the county. 23. The parents of every legitimate child and the mother of every legitimate child born in Scotland, from and after the last day of December, or in the case of the death, illness, absence, or inability of the said parents the occupier of the house or tenement in which such child shall have been born, or the medical attendant and midwife present at such birth, or other person being en inmate of such house or tenement, and having know ledge of the particulars, shall, upon being required personally, or by written requisition, within three months after the date of such birth, to do so, and under a penalty of five pounds in case of failure, give informa tion to the Registrar, according to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, of the several particulars hereby required to be known and registered touching the birth of such child, and shall then and there sign the register in the presence of the Registrar accordingly; provided always, that in the case of any illegitimate child, it shall not be lawful for the Registrar to enter the name of any person as the father of such child. 24. If any child of a Scottish parent shall be born at sea on board of a British vessel, after the said last day of December, the captain of such vessel shall forthwith make a minute of the several particulars required to be inserted in the register, and shall, on the arrival of such vessel in any port of the United Kingdom, or by any other earlier opportunity, send a certified copy of such minute through the Post-effice to the Registrar- General, who shall file the same, and shall cause a true and correct copy thereof, verified by his own sig nature, to be entered in a book to be kept for that pur pose in the General Registry-office, to be called " The Marine Register." 25. After the expiration of three Months following the day of the birth of any child, it shall not be lawful for any Registrar to register such birth, save as after wards provided—that is, it shall be lawful for either of the parents of any legitimate child and the mother of any illegitimate child, or for the lawful guardians of such legitimate or illegitimate child, at any time within six months next after the birth, to make a declaration in writing before the Superintendent-Registrar of the particulars required to be registered touching the birth of such child, according to the best of his or her know ledge and belief ; and it shall thereupon, with the au thority of the Superintendent-Registrar, be lawful for the Registrar to register the birth of such child, ac cording to the information of the person making the said declaration ; and for every such registry the Super intendant-Registrar shall be entitled to demand a fee of two shillings and sixpence from the person requiring the birth to be registered ; and the Registrar, over and above the fee hereinafter allowed in respect of every birth registered by him, shall be entitled, unless the de lay shall have been occasioned by his default, to have a fee of five shillings from the person requiring the same to be registered ; and every person who shall know ingly register or cause to be registered the birth of any child otherwise than herein, after the expiration of three months following the birth, shall forfeit a sum not ex ceeding fifty pounds. 26. No register of births, except in the case of children born at sea, shall be admissible in evidence to prove the birth of any child, wherein it shall appear that six months has intervened between the day of the birth, and the day of the registration of the birth of such child ; and every person who shall knowingly re gister the birth of any child, after the expiration of six months, shall be liable to a penalty of 501. 27. If any child born in Scotland, whose birth shall have been registered according to the Act, shall, within six months after having been registered, have any name given to it in baptism, or shall have the name by which it may have been registered altered in baptism, the parent or guardian of such child, or other person procuring such name to be given, may procure and deliver to the Regis trar or Superintendent-Registrar in whose custody the register of the birth of the child may then happen to be, a certificate according to the form annexed, or to the like effect, signed by the minister or clergyman who shall have performed the rite of baptism, which certifi cate such minister or clergyman is hereby required to deliver immediately after the baptism, or whenever the same shall be demanded, within six months ; and the said Registrar or Superintendent-Registrar, upon receipt of such certificate, and on payment of the fee of one shilling, to which he shall be therefore entitled, shall, without any erasure of the original entry, forthwith re gister the name by which the child was baptised. and no tify the same to the Registrar-General. 2 8. In th e case o f c hild ren o f parents not recogn i s i ng the sacrament of baptism or infant baptism, the parents oF_ gnardian s , within s i x mon th s a f ter t h e bi rt h o f t h e c _badshall have been registered, when any name shall have been g i ven to the child according to the rites or e p usage of th e sect to which the parents belong, to deliver to the Regiwstraerreaod certificate an signed by suceparents or guardians, whereupo n , Withoutshall, erasure as afore said, register the name o f thecindn 29. The medical attend ant or other person present at the death, or in attendance during e last illness and un til the death, of every person dying in Scotland from end after the said last day of December, and the occu pier of the house or ten e ment, and it the occupier be the person who shall have died, the inmates of the bourn or tenement in which such death of forty shill' shallh ow, 3, ap shall, under a penaltyings, withinpened, forty - eight hours next after give or the day of such de a th, cause to be given notice of such . death to the Registrar of the sub-district in whic h such death shall have hap. Felled ; but such penalty shall not be held to have been incurred if such notice ;shall have been given by any one of such persons. 30. The medical attendant or other person present at the death or in attendance during the last illness and.un til the death, and also the near relatives of every person dying in Scotland after the last day of Decemb er, or the occupiers of the houses or tenement in which such death shall have taken place, shall within fourteen days, under a penalty of five poNds in case of failure, give informa tion upon being required, to the registrar, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, of the several par- 45. Every sum received by the Registrar-General to be accounted for and paid into the Bank of England, to the credit of her Majesty's Exchequer, or to be applied by order of the Lords Commissioners in discharge of the expenses of the said Gene;al Register Office in Edinburgh. _ _ 46, 47, 43. Penalty for giving false information— Transportation for a period not exceeding seven years, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. Every Registrar who shall refuse, or without reasonable cause, omit to register any birth. death, or marriage. and every person having the custody of any register book who shall carelessly lose or injure the same, shall forfeit a sum not exceeding 501. for every such offence. Penalty for destroying cr falsifying register-books, or certifying any writing to be a copy or extract of any register-hook, knowing the same to be false, &c.— Transportation for a period not exceeding seven years, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years. 49, 50. If any error shall be discovered to have been committed in any entry in any of the register-books, the Registrar-General is to examine regarding it on oath, and if he shall be satisfied that any error s been committed, he shall cause a rectified entry to be made in a separate register-book, to be called " The Register of Corrected Entries ;" and he shall also make an entry upon the margin of the original entry of such birth, death, or marriage (but which original entry shall re main unaltered), distinctly referring by volume, and page, and date, to the entry made in the register of corrected entries. Errors in the entry may be corrected before signing. 51. All penalties and forfeitures imposed by the Aet shall be recoverable before the Sheriff of the county in which such penalty shall have been incurred ; and the penalties and forfeitures, if sued for by the Registrar- General, shall go to the Registrar-General, and if sued for by any other party, shall go, the one moiety to the Registrar-General, and the other moiety to the party suing ; and the decision of the Sheriff in all such cases shall be final and conclusive, and not subject to review in any court or by any process whatever. 52. The prosecution for every offence punishable upon summary conviction by virtue of the Act, shall be commenced within three months after the commission of the offence, or after cause of action shall have oc curred. 53. Correspondence of Registrar-General relating to the Act to pass through the Post-office. 54. Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall affect the registration of baptism, burials, or mar riages, as now by law established, or the right of any Kirk-session or their clerk to receive the fees now usually paid for the registration of any baptism, burial, marriage, or proclamation of banns. 55, 56. Acts requiring to be done under this Act, to be published on church doors, and notices to officers may be sent by post. 57. Interpretation clause. The word " oath" shall include affirmation in the case of Quakers, or other de claration or solemnity legally substituted for an oath in the case of persons exempted by law from taking an oath. The word " Sheriff" to include the Sheriff Substitute. The " occupier" shall include the master, keeper, or su perintendent of every jail, prison, or house of correction, workhouse, hospital, lunatic asylum, or public or charit able institution. 58. Act to extend only to Scotland. 59. Act may be repealed or amended in the present session. AWFUL VISITATION.—Mr. Baker held an inquest on Saturday at the Cumberland Head, City-road, on the body of Thomas Small, aged 67, a miller, lately employed by Messrs. De la Rue, of Bunhill-row. The evidence proved that on Friday night lag, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the night watchman, while patrolling the premises, dis covered the deceased lying on his face in the colour-mill, quite insensible. An alarm was raised, and Mr. Smith, a sur geon, was called in, and he pronounced deceased to have bean dead several hours. The widow stated that at five o'clock on Friday evening he came home to his tea, and that when he left to return to his employment he appeared per fectly well. Verdict, " Found dead."' We understand the labouring poor in the Weald are suffering great privations. The whole of their wages is absorbed in the purchase of flour, and they have very little indeed of any other kind of food whatever. Many of the men with families go to work in the morning without tasting even a bit of bread, and return at night to partake of a scanty meal; and yet we have been told for years that, as the price of food advanced, wages advanced in the same proportion. Let any one go into the rural districts, and hs will easily ascertain that it is not so. As the wages of the millions is now expended almost entirely for food—for the barest necessaries of life —trade is in a wretched state. The n n e e i v g e h r b o k n n r e h w o o cl the b e t t i t m er e t w h n e n any tke general dealers, w h o always know the state of their own ovin-eorkeilnseig s e ta la t ss e es t h l a a t be t u h r e e y d under such privations as at present ; that in war time, when there was plenty of paper money afloat, and , consequently, abundance of employm en t, i t was not half so bad ; yet, if things go on in Ireland next year as they have gone on the last and current year, we fear it w i ll be vrorae.—Brightan. Herald. THE SUN, LONDON, TIIESDA Y EVENING, MARCH 23, 1347 ~,. RAILWAY COMMITTEES (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP I. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comprised in this group re-assembled at the usual hour this morning, in Room 30 ; Lord Granville Somerset in the chair. THE SOUTH-EASTERN SCHEMES. The cross-examination of Mr. Bidder by Mr. TALBOT was continued. The tenor of the cross-examination was to show that bad gradients, such as 1 in 136, were now-a-days not objected to by engineers, but Mr. Bidder declined to admit as much. Where a better gradient could not be obtained, a gradient of 1 in 136 ought to be adopted, and no doubt, under such circumstances, it might easily be worked. But he made a point of never taking a gradient so severe as 1 in 136 when he could find a better. There were nine junctions between London and Ashford, but he did not consider that objectionable. With the view to speed, these junctions would be no disparagement of the line as being productive of delay. Mr. Bidder was also cross-examined by Mr. HOPE, on behalf of Sir Percival Hard Dyke. Mr. Bidder admitted that the line would do considerable damage to that gentle man's residence and property, but the company were pre pared to make him every accommodation. GROUP XII. The Committee, consisting of the Hon. Mr. Lascelles, Sir William Molesworth, Admiral Bowles, Sir John Guest, and Mr. Shirley, re-assembled this day in Room No. 25. NEWMARKET AND CHESTERFORD (EX TENSION TO BURY, ELY, AND THETFORD). Mr. HILDYARD, then proceeded to call witnesses in sup port of the project. Mr. Beeton, coach proprietor, Bury ; Mr. Ilacintyre, gover nor of the gaol; Mr. Jeremiah Gidney, ironmonger, East Dereham ; Mr. Berry, merchant,Bury ; Colonel Anson, and the Marquis of Granby, were all decidedly in favour of the schemes promoted by the Chesterford and Newmarket Com pany. The feeling of the country generally was in their fa vour, and the traffic was amply sufficient to warrant their construction. Mr. Peter Clark had great experience in the management of railways. He did not consider that the descent of 1 in 60 on the proposed Bury and Ipswich line iuto the line at New market was a favourable feature, and sooner or later he con sidered that dangers might arise. Cross-examined by Mr. AUSTLN—He was now engaged on the Brighton Railway, and they had an incline at Shoreham Wharf of 1 in 20. They did not kill a certain number of persons per day there, as on that portion they did not convey passengers, and the carriages were not assisted by locomotive power. rerhape there would be no caug.. ana tsar lin6o if proper care were taken. He should not hesitate to trust his own life upon it. Mr. Borthwick, C.E., had laid out the Newmarket and Chesterford lines, in conjunction with Mr. R. Stephenson, and with the sanction of the Jockey Club. On leaving Newmar ket they had a tunnel of about 1,500 yards, but it was easy of construction, as the excavations were through a chalk formation. The gradients were very fair, certainly not diffi • cult. The estimated cost of construction from hentford to Thetford was 425,000/., but from this was to be deducted 165,0001., the proportion to be furnished by the other lines. The branch to Ely was estimated at 160,4251. Cross-examined by Mr. BURKI—Iie had nearly 700,000 cubic yards of earth to remove before reaching the tunnel, 180,000 of which would be required for embankinent3, and the remainder would be used in screening the racing ground and in spoil. He would require for the spoil from fifteen to twenty acres of land. The expense therefore would be, be fore commencing the tunnel, 22,500/., which, with 65,0001. for the construction of the tunnel, would be near 90,0001. Mr. R. Stephenson, C.E., considered that this was the best line, in order to supply the wants of the district. lie considered that the descending gradient of one in sixty, at the Newmarket station, was most objectionable, and he would not in any works of his wish to introduce it. The London and Birmingham Railway, at Euston-square, was not a parallel case, for there they had a flat of a full half-mile, and as a further check, there was an ascending gradient of 1 in 132. He thought that the expense which would be incurred on the line would be fully justified for the purpose of getting rid of the lin 60 gradient. There would be no difficulty in working the Kentford station for three lines. The thing was done every day at Derby. The Committee adjourned till to-morrow. CALEDONIAN ASYLUM. A general Court of the Corporation of this institu Lion was held yesterday in the hall of the Scottish Llo , pital, Crane-court, Fleet-street ; Lord James Stuart .0 the chair. The SECRETARY read the minutes of the preceding meting which, after some discussion, were confirmed. The. secretary also read a letter from the Duke of Buc clench, which stated that her Majesty and Prince Albert had consented to become patrons of the institution. After some discussion the following resolution was agreed to:—" That all votes recorded by unsuccessful candidates at that or any future election should be carried forward for their benefit at further elections, so long as they were eligible to remain on the list of candidates." Thanks were voted to the Noble Chsir man, after which the meeting separated. SURREY SESSIONS. Th 3 adjourned sessions for Surrey were opened yes terday, before J. W. Freshfield, Esq., and a full bench of Magistrates, at the Sessions-house in the *rough. The grand jury having been sworn, Mr. FRESILFIELD, in addressing the jury, drew their attention to the heavy state of the calendar, but stated that as there was no particular case that required observation, he would not detain them from their duties, and ho was the less inclined to do so inasmuch as the county business would be taken at one o'clock, and it was necessary that the Court should have something to proceed with. A true bill having been found, William Tucker, aged 36, was indicted for receiving one fowl, one sack, and one bushel of peas, the property of the Earl of Ellesmere, at Walton-on-Thames, well knowing the same to have been stolen. Mr. WALLINGER, who appeared for the prosecution, said that he did not doubt but the charge would be brought home to the prisoner, although he had no direct evidence to put in:against him ; but the property was found in his possession, and as he could give no proper account of his receiving it, on the usual rule of law he must be presumed to be guilty. He then called George Williams, a labourer, who had charge of the poultry on the property of the Earl of Ellesmere at Woodlands, near Walton, who stated that about the 4th of February he left two hens and five ducks, together with a sack containing peas, called "Black-eyed Susans," in the fowl-house. When visiting the place the next morning, he missed the property enumerated in the in dictment, as well as the ducks and the two hens. The peas had been soaked, ready for feeding the fowls, and the sack which contained them had a few holes and other peculiarities about it, by which he was enabled to identify the one produced in court as the same. His Lordship's name was painted on the sack. Mr. CHARNOCL cross-examined the witness on behalf of the prisoner, but was unable to shake his testimony. Henry Robinson, constable at Walton, stated that in consequence of an intimation from Eye, the constable at Guildford, he went to the White Swan, the house of the prisoner, at Walton, and that in a closet in a bed-room he found the sack produced, the peas which it had con tained, and a dead fowl. On cross-examination, the witness stated that free ac cess was given to the house, and no impediment what ever was thrown in the way of searching the house. To Mr. WALLINGER, the witness stated that the pri soner was absent at the time the search was made. He found nothing else, but a duck was picked up out of the Thames about twenty yards from the priooner's house, out of the crop of which he had taken peas like those in the sack. To this evidence Mr. CIIARNOCK objected. Henry Hollington, superintendent of the police, Guild ford, stated while the prisoner was,in custody on another charge a person came to - the 6 . utlide of the station house, and the prisoner callint out to him, said he supposed that he knew from i tvhom he had the fowls, and requested that _h o Ould go over to Sutton, which is about four mildi from Guildford, and tell bis wife to put the ducks and other things out of the way, and further to tell -his brother Tom to come over and swear that he had sold the fowls to him at three shillings a couple. In consequence of hearing this conversation, he sent over to search the prisoner's house, and the sack, the, peas, and the fowl produced were brought to him. He then searched the prisoner's person, and upon him, besides five sovereigns and some silver, found a quantity of Black-eyed Susan peas in his pocket. The peas appeared to have been soaked. John Eye, the policeman who had accompanied Hollington in the search, produced a bag of peas which he found in the garret of the prisoner's house. They were the same kind as those previously produced. Mr. Haines, one of Lord Ellesmere's bailiffs, spoke to the marking on the sack, and said the fowls produced were of the same kind as those bred at Woodlands. He had ordered the peas to be put into a tub, to be soaked, in the bullock-house, a day or two before they were stolen. Mr. Gemment certified to the present name of the Earl of Ellesmere, a doubt having been raised as to the correctness of the form of the indictment. Mr. Crunrroc ' ii in reply, contended that it was no rule of law at all that, where property is found in the possession of a person shortly after it had been stolen, if that person was unable to give a clear account of how he came by it, that that person was presumed to be the thief. It was not a rule of law, but simply for the guidance of juries, if they conceived the collateral cir cumstances should seem to justify such a supposition; but he verily believed that like the celebrated law for the regulation of wills, it had been the cause of injuring the innocent rather than correcting the guilty. After going through the evidence, and stating that it ought to be of the clearest kind to induce a conviction. The Learned Council called witnesses to character. The CHAIRMAN summed up, and the jury returned a verdict of Guilty.—Sentence deferred, There is another indictment against the prisoner. CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—The works on this great undertaking are proceeding rapidly in the neighbourhood of this city. A number of houses in Ritson's-lane and Caldew Damside, most of which were occupied by the poorest de scription of tenants, have been removed for the construction of the line in that part of the town. A temporary wooden bridge has been erected across the Caldew, immediately above the present structure, for the convenience of the public whilst the present road is interrupted by the alterations which will be necessary to admit the passage of the railway under it.—Carlisle Patriot. ETHEL—Yesterday afternoon, a very skilful ope ration was performed by Dr. Marsden, the senior surgeon of the Royal Free Hospital, in the Gray's Inn-road (in the presence of the Hon. Walter Ogilvy, Mr. T. W. Cooke, and other gentlemen), on a long-standing tumour of the upper lip and jaw -bone, of William Wood, aged sixty-seven, who had travelled up from Guilford for the express purpose of having the operation effected. Mr. Cooke, the resident sur geon of the hospital, administered the vapour of ether, and the tumour was removed without the slightest evincement of pain by the patient, who, on his recovery, very gratefully expressed his thanks, and was removed t o hi s ward wait every expectation of a perfect care. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LailDS, March 22. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool sack at Five o'clock. DRAINAGE OF LAND BILL. On the motion of the Earl of SIIAFTESI3URY, this Bill was read a secold time. STAVE OF IRELAND. Lord MONTEAGLE said that, in consequence of a representation made to him by a Noble Friend, he would put off his motion, Df which notice had been given ftr to-morrow, till Friday night. SPANISH BONDHOLDERS. Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that he would, to morrow evening, present a petition from the Spanish bondholders, relating to the manner in which they had been treated. He considered this was a case of grievous hardship, for which some remedies ought to be provided. NATIONAL RATING. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented a peti tion from Winston, in the county of Gloucester, in favour of a national system of rating. BATHS AND WASHHOUSES. _ The Bishop of ST ASAPH presented a petition from the parish of St. George the Martyr, Queen-square, praying that the provisions of the Act for the establish ment of baths and washhouses might be extended to embrace parts of parishes. POOR REMOVAL ACT. The Earl of ELLE-NBOROUGH presented a petition against the provisions of the Poor Removal Act of last year. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND). Lord BROUGHAM was disposed to ask for a return connected with a circumstance arising out of the pre sent distress in Ireland, and the evils of the system of labour in public works. He well knew that it was illogical to argue from a use to an abuse, but. as illustrative of this state of things, he would call the attention of their Lordships to the representations made by the Rev. Robert Brown on the subject of public wol ks in that part of Ireland with which he was more intimately connected. The statement of the Rev. Gentleman was, that a presentment had bean made for 3001. for the pur pose of constructing 72 yards of road, net to spoil the road, but to improve it. But a gentleman—Mr. Flaherty— came forward and said, that he could get the road done for two-thirds less than the Government could, and a survey was made ; the road was given to the contractor reponerneuded by Mr. Flails!, t j e ere— —era was exa mined when completed, and it was found that only 36 yards had been constructed, thus proving a very dear work to the country. The contractor, he might inform their Lordship, was a brother of Mr. Flaherty. The Reverend Gentleman mentioned the cruel distress which prevailed among a poor population of 20,000 persons, who were comparatively neglected by the upper and sustained by their equals of the lower classes. He might also inform their Lordships that he was in possession of much information, with respect to the pauper immigration into different parts of Scotland; and the result of inquiries showed that, in almost every case, these persons had re ceived money from the landlords, therelieving officers, or the priests, for the purpose of taking them out of Ireland into the sister country. He wished to suggest to those worthy persons, the relieving officers of Ireland, that theirs was a dangerous experiment, for he (Lord Brougham) perfectly remembered when two churchwardens were tried at York for furthering a marriage in another parish, that being held to be a con spiracy. The sending paupers into this country was a parallel case. The Earl of WICKLOW regretted that any such do cument as that which had just been presented should have come before their Lordships, and that such a state ment should have been made, for the authorities to whom reference had been made had no power whatever to charge the electoral districts with expense. They had no power whatever of giving relief in money, but those who were advocates of what was called the clearing system gave relief in any shape to any who were ready to ernigeate, without much caring to what part of the world they went. If the authorities of Glasgow had no better plea than the one they had put forward, he feared that they would be of but little service. For his own part, he was not at a'l surprised at the immigration of Irish paupers into this country, and he believed that before twelve months elapsed that it would go on to an extent of which at present there had been nothing like a parallel. Only let them wait till next harvest, and they would see that there would be thousands and tens of thousands cif labourers who would hurry into this country. The Go vernment had introduced a poor-law into the other House in the hope of stemming the torrent of evil, and with a view to relieve this country from the influx of pauperism from Ireland, but he begged to warn their Lordships that no system of poor-law would ever stop that evil, and he did so in the hope that the wisdom of their Lordships would be able to devise some other and better remedy. There was an excellent ground for them to go upon, from two circumstances—first, from the indisposition of the landlords to throw their dependents upon others, and, secondly, from the danger of throwing such a number of persons like these upon the world. It was not to be supposed that the able-bodied poor would be content to take the sustenance provided at the several poor-houses, but would in thousands upon thousands enter this country to find the support which was needed by them. He would warn their Lord ships that this influx would continue until there was a probability that the poor of this country might become completely and entirely destitute. Lord BROUGHAM was quite aware of the difficulties of the case, but if they would look to the last report a the committee, at page 130, they would find that Mr. Hughes bad stated that he had found that Dr. Donnovan and Mr. Swington had applied the funds sent to them for the relief of the des titute poor in transmitting the paupers to places in Wales to such an extent, that the mayor of Newport had pro tested against the practice. It was natural that, if there was a poor-law in one part of the country, and none in another, that the poor should go from the latter to the former. Lord MONTEAGLE could hardly express his indig nation at the course which it seemed had been, pursued by one of his countrymen, after the lavish munificence which had been poured out, not only by their Lordships, but by the very poorest of this land in their behalf. But he was convinced that the case which the Noble and Learned Lord had referred to must be a rare and solitary case ; for no funds were distributed for the relief of the Irish poor except under the superintendence of public officers in whom their Lordships had the fullest confi dence. These gentlemen had access to the relief corn mittees to inspect their accounts, and the mode in which the funds were applied, so that anything improper must come to their ears, and would certainly be reported to the Government, who would stop the further supply of money. He must say that, assuming the-facts to be true as they had been repre sented, be could not but view the case with the utmost indignation at such an abuse of the funds supplied by the Government. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE apprehended that it was not public money which had been so applied . Lord BROUGHAM believed it to have been money sent by private individuals for the relief of the poor. Lord MONTEAGLE said it came to the same thing in the end, since money so sent was applied under public superintendence. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE was strongly of opinion that the funds so grossly misapplied had been supplied from private resources. But he must say that if the Noble and Learned Lord would give him the letter from which he had quoted, he should cer tainly inquire into the facts of the case. But. assuming the that efaact itts asbtoadbbeeeu a g they had abuse, adbee and nrep a grossresented, he job practised on the funds supplied by the excessive be nevolence of this country. BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL. Lord BROUGHAM rose to move the second reading of this Bill. He said, as the subject was familiar to most of their Lordships, and had the approbation of the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack and other learned Members of their Lordships' House, he did not find it necessary to enter into any long statement on that occasion. But ho would merely state his object in moving their Lordships to sanction the amendments proposed in the Bill. Their Lordships would recollect that some years ago he had introduced a Bill, which had been passed by both Houses into a law, abolishing imprisonment for small debts. They were aware that that Bill provided that persons apprehensive of arrest, if they chose to appeal to the Bankruptcy court, give up their property, and stand their examination. would receive a protecting order from the Court; and if no hesitation to give up all their property had appeared, or no contumacy, or no extra vagance, a final order was made by the court, which protected him against further proceedings on t h e same debt. He (Lord Brougham), how ever, had since seen reason for transferring he found that rle this juri s di ct i on to t h e I nso lvent Commissioners misd but the Bankruptcy Court worked well , and seemed to lead from been the urged Bankruptcy to do so or, igina C ll o y, Commissioners. have the preference over the other ; for that Court had more stringent power to execute the objects for which the court had been erected, and, therefore, many more applications were made to that court. But these Commissioners, unusual though it was for j u d ges, who common l y enlarged their jurisdic tion, had almost extinguished their jurisdiction. The second was a still greater evil than the first. It was extremely inconvenient to mix up two diffe rent codes of laws, each to be administered by the same judge ; and while, to make up the third evil, the merchants and traders of the city of London objected altogether to the insolvent law being administered in the Bankruptcy Court. Now, ninet think addit biotrietroe would be beeascihx long —for, n s r ioer received a salary of 2,0001. Th ere were s i x o f them ; but h e did from a return lie held in his hand, he found that they did not work more than twenty weeks a year with the insolvent busi ness, and, when that was tese's from them by this Bill, the number would be reduced to fifteen or sixteen weeks a year. Now, it was too bid to pay six Commissioners 2,000/. a year each for so small a quantity of labour, besides six regis trars at 1,000/. a ear eac h, an d offi c i a l assig nees at not less than 2,0001. to 3,0001. a year. He proposed, therefore, that the insolvency business should be taken away from the Court of Bankruptcy, and then the Commissioners would be reduced from six to three. It was theiropinion, he knew, that two Commis sioners would do, and perhaps for all ordinary purposes , these would be sufficient, but every now and then a crisis in commercial affairs would arise which would augment the business. In order to meet any increased business in the court from this circumstance, he thought three would be the best number to propose. With respect to the Court of Review, it was already substantially abolished, and he proposed that it should be altogether, as he saw no reason why the busi r nets of this court should not be transacted by the Com miss'oneri themselves. W regard to the appeal.; re latieg to matter s of l aw , t h ey cou ld, as b a f , take=n before the Lord Caancellor or the Vice Chancellor. He ought to all that in 1831 the Court of Review ‘i as continued by the measure he proposed ; that measure was much opFosed at the time, but ultimately it was carried with the Court of Review. It was nut possible for him then to predict that there would be no business for this court, as it had so happened. But this re sult, he believed, had arisen mainly from the admirable work ing of the system s u b s tit u t e d f t r the old one. As he had stated, the six Commissioners were to be reduced to three, as the vacancies arose from death, resignation, or promotion. This would effect a saving, from the reduction of the commis sioners of 6,000/. ; on the Registrars a saving of 3,000/. ; and on the official assignees from 4,000/. to 5.000 e. Altogether a saving of 15,0,V, would be effected. Very nearly 200,000/. had been recovered by the working up of these old commis sions. Another alteration he intended in the Insolvent Act was to abolish the present system of going circuit, which was attended with a great expense without giving any countervailing advantages. Mr. Commissioner Phillips, for instance, was appointed to go to Caernarvon to-morrow, yet in many places he had but threeor four cases to adjudicate upon. He proposed, therefore, to do away with these circuits, and place the duty of the Commission in the hands of the ',seal Courts appointed under the Insolvent Act. The prin ciple of the bankruptcy and insolvent laws would, with one or two exceptions, not be interfered with. Now the exceptions were in this case. The great difference, their Lordships were aware, between the Bankruptcy and the Insolvent Acts was twofold • first, where the party was a trader, an d w h ere h e was not ; and the other was with respect to his discharge. The bankrupt's certificate was not only a personal discharge, but a discharge against his property for the time coming. The dis charge under the Insolvent Act was one which affected only the person. Now, he was inclined to think that there were many cases in which it might be requisite to vest in the Com missioners, before whom the cases might come, a power to take into consideration the circumstances of the case. In the first place, the likelihood of the insolvent succeeding to an estate, and in the second place the conduct of the party himself, whether he had been grossly extrava gant, and above all, whether, knowing that he was in an ins solvent state, he deferred coming forward until all his pro- perty was expended. He had framed the Act to take cognisance of such eases as these. In those cases the Bill- provided a protection for, his future gains. The case of a poor farmer, which was really a very lamentable one, had lately been brought before him. He had been unfortunate and tried to go on again, but nobody would lend him a horse or a cow, as if they did the property would have been seized by his creditors. That was just such a case which came within the spirit of the Act. He had now stated all that he meant to say, and he should now conclude by moving the second reading of the se which he trustee there would be no opposition. He then proposed that the matter should stand over until after the holidays, when the several clauses which it contained would be known, and all its weak points would be ascertained. It might then be referred, together with the Bill of his Noble and Learned Friend on the Woolsack, to a Select Committee up stairs, and out of the two a measure might be obtained which would give the trade and the people of the country the inestimable benefit of a certain mode of proceeding in eases both of insolvency and bankruptcy. His Lordship concluded with moving the second reading of the Bill. The LORD CHANCELLOR was not disposed to offer any opposition to the second reading of this Bill, especially after the course which his Noble and Learned Friend intended to pursue. In 1842 he bad himself introduced three Bills on this subject, but he had not at that time had the opportunity of giving the investigation to the subject which it required, but the Bill which he now had before the House, met, he believed, most of the points of the Bill of his Noble Friend. That Bill went chiefly to the details, but did sot touch the great principl es which ought first to be settled, then the details should be made conformable to them. The better plan would be to send both the Bills up to a Select Committee, for it was not to be sup posed that the majority of th e ir Lordships could be acquainted with the subject which was involved in them. He did not, however, anticipate that the) e would be any greater informa tion obtained by the Committee, or that any better results would be arrived at than those obtained by the Committee which sat in 1828. It should be recollected that there was already a machinery in existence • there was now three Com missioners, each of whom t oo k three circuits a year each, from which much good was to be expected, and, at least, by which much expense was incurred. He said by the recent act judges had been appointed throughout the country to every district of about seven miles extent ; so that a man might now bring a debt within 20/. amount to court within seven miles of his residence. The duties devolving upon these judges might likely be heavy ; they had still the power by act of Parliament to practice ; but how their time might be occupied the Government could not arrive at any definite opinion. If, however, the business should happen to increase too much, it would become neces sary to make additional arpointments. Now, his Noble and Learned Friend had proposed to give these Small Debts Courts power in Bankruptcy. Why ? did their Lordships understand the state of the Bankrupt laws at that moment ? Did they know that a bankrupt in Norfolk must come up to London, brirg all his witnesses, and attend his several examinations at an immense expense. A deputation had recently waited upon him to represent the great impediment which this necessity of coming up to London to Basinghall-street furnished to the pro ceedings between debtor and creditor. They represented to him that the expense was so enormous, that rather than incur it, they would not come to London. The same remark applied to Yarmouth, which was the limit of the London district. But fi a debtor could find a competent judge within seven miles of his residence, it was not likely that he would incur the expense of coming up to Lendon. Besides that, there were other points in the law of debtor and creditor, upon which great complaints had been made, ar d which required the most seri ous attention. He would not then remark upon these points, nor had he said so much as he had with any other view than to impress upon their Lordships the great importance of the sub ject, and the necessity of appointing a Select Committee to Sake the Noble and Learned Lord's Bill into consideration. Lord ASHBURTON said he was not aware that the Noble and Learned Lord intended taking the second reading of his Bill that night. He had a petition to present to their Lord ship signed by most of the large firms of the city of London, bearing on the law of debtor and creditor. He was happy, however, to hear that the Noble Lord had determined on such a course as that the subject would come on again after Easter, and that the Bill would be referred to a Select Committee, a hen the petitioners might be heard. Thesegentlemen would tell them that as much as 24,000,000/. a year was lost by bad debts. He was afraid that the gill would encourage to a frightful extent frauds on tradesmen. Before such a measure was agreed to, he hoped that the Noble Lord (Lord Brougham) would consult not only those who were learned in the law, but also the great commercial interests of the country. In deal ing with a question of such magnitude they ought to consider the propriety of resuming arrest on mesne process, and also the distinction which ought to exist between bankruptcy and insolvency. He submitted that there was a great distinction between an individual in business, who got into difficulties, and a person who contracted debts for his own gratification. The law, therefore, as applied to each case should be clearly distinct. He threw out these suggestions to their Lordships, and hoped that when the House went into Committee on the Bill, all its provisions would be fully considered. Lord BROUGHAM was most anxious that the provisions of the Bill should be as fully considered and discussed as pos sible. With regard to the other matters, alluded to by the Noble Lord, he was also quite willing that they should be reconsidered. If any error had been made in abolishing im prisonment for debt, it was but right that they should retrace their steps, though he felt himself that to go back was impossible. The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed after Easter. BOARD OF WORKS. The Earl of CLARENDON laid on the table certain core respondence with the Irish Board of Works, between the months of January and March last. DRAINAGE OF LANDS BILL. Earl MINTO proposed the second reading of this Bill, on which, he said, he would say but little, as the Bill had already met with such general concurrence. The object of the Bill was for the advancement of loans by the Government to the proprietors of land for the purpose of drainage and other im provements. As its details could be better considered in Com mittee than now, he would reserve further observations till then, and he would now move that it be read a second time, and as the measure was important, he would further move that it be committed to-morrow. Lord EGLINTON would not do anything to delay so ex cellent a measure. Still there was a point or two to which he would call attention. The first was, the limitation to five years. This would be very inconvenient in several respects, as in many cases the improvement on the land could not be well carried out in that time. The second point was, the limitation of the sum to 10,0001., which he thought was a most incon venient arrangement. He considered the sum advanced should be in proportion to the rental of the land. Earl MINTO said, whatever advantages might arise from the proposed alterations, there would be considerable difficulty in meeting the suggestions of the Noble Earl. It was im portant that the Bill should be got into operation as soon as possible, considering the distressed condition of many parts of Scotland ; therefore no delay should, if possible, take place. Lord STANLEY agreed with the Noble Earl (the Earl of Eglinton) that the limitation of 10,000/. was an unwise pro position. It was a departure from the original intention of the Bill, which was, as he understood it, to increase the produc tiveness of the soil. He considered the advances should be in proportion to the rental of the estates. Earl GREY said that it had turned out that the necessity for relief was much greater than was at first apprehended, and the question then arose how was the money to be appplied? On inquiry it was ascertained that the great proprietors were in a much better position than the small owners of land, and it was accordingly resolved to give the assistance to the latter, and leave the former to drain the lands themselves. He did not understand the Noble Earl to say that there should be no power given to borrow more than 10,000/., but that should be the limit in general cases, and that there should be a further limitation under that sum, so that the relief might be made as general and as extensive as possible. With respect to the dis tricts in Scotland he did not conceive that there was any ex clusion whatever to forbid their partaking of the benefit of the grant. There was evidently the same destitution as in Ire land. The people were therefore entitled to relief equally with the proprietors in the sister country. After a few words from the Earl of MINTO, in support of the Bill, it was read a second time. SALE OF ENCUMBERED ESTATES IN IRELAND. The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the first reading of the Bill for the Sale of Encumbered Estates in Ireland, and in doing so said that there had been some delay in the production of this Bill, but not more than was necessary to constitute the machinery of the Bill. Lord STANLEY wished to ask his Noble and Learned Friend when he proposed to take the second reading of the Bill? As it was of very considerable importance, and there were few of the Irish Peers in town, it seemed advisable to postpone the second reading till after the Easter recess. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that as it would be necessary to circulate the Bill in Ireland before it was read a second time, he did not propose to take it till after the holidays. The Bill was then read a first time, and their Lordships adjourned. HOUSE 01 COMMONS, March 22. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Air. PERFECT took the oaths and his seat for the bo rough of Lewes, in the room of Sir IL Elphinstone, who has accepted the stewardship of the Chiltern liundred;•. The Hon. Member was introduced by Lord Marcus Hill and Mr. Parker. NEW WHIT. A new writ was moved fir the Eastern Division of Somerse:,shire, in the rom of Colonel Gore Langton, decea,ed. RAILWAY BILLS WITHDRAWN. Captain GLADSTONE moved that the order made upon the Ist day of March inst., for referring the Ips wich and Bury St. Edmunds Railway (Extension to East Dereham and to Aylsham) Bill to the Committee of Selection, be read and discharged. That the Bill be withdrawn.—Agreed to. The Flory. MEMBER also moved that the ()icier made upun the Ist day of March irst., for refer r i ng t h e Ayl sham and North Walsham Railway Bill to the Com mittee of Selection, be read and discharged. That the Bill be withdrawn.—Agreed to. SECOND READINGS. Tie following Bills were severally read a second time: Crowland and Cowbit Washes, &c., Drainage. Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ardrossan Rai lway (Amendment, Deviations, and Branehe..4). Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales Drainage and Inclosure Company's Incorporation. Leicester Waterworks. Lytham Improvement. Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society. Shipowners' Towing Company. Thorne and Crowle Moors Drainage and Improvement. Wakefield Gas. RATIN OF SMALL TENEMENTS BILL. Mr. WADDINGTON presented a petition from the County of Wilts, in favour of the rating of small tenements. MARRIAGES AND REGISTRATION-- SCOTLAND. Mr. SCOTT presented a petition from the Presbytery of Selkirk against the proposed marriage Bill for Scot land ; also petitions from the schoolmasters of the Presbyteries of Selkirk, Dunse, Lauder, Melrose and Langholm, against the proposed measure for the regis tration of births, marriages and dea•hs. BEERSELLERS IN BOLTON. Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from the beer sellers of Bolton, praying to be allowed the same privi lege of keeping their houses open as was allowed to the London beersellers. EDUCATION. Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions from Leeds and Chorley against the Government educational measure. UNIFORM RATING. Mr: WYSE presented a petition from Waterford in favour of a uniform system of rating. • IRISH POOR-LAW. Sir WILLIAM CLAY presented a petition from certain inhabitants residing in the Minories in favour of extending the principle of the English poor-law to Ire land; also, a petition from the Tower Hamlets against the proposed educational grant. SCOTCH MARRIAGE BILL. Col. MURE presented petitions frona-the Presbytery of Paisley, against the proposed Scotch Marriage Bill and the registration of births ' 'marriages, and deaths. ANATOMY ACT. Mr. FERRAND presented a petition from a place in Yorkshire against the provisions of this Acr. REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS IN SCOTLAND. Mr. DUNCAN presented a petition from the school masters of the Presbytery of Dund.e against the pro visions of the proposed Registration Bill for Scotland; in relation to its effict on them. GOVERNMENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. Mr. HINDLEY presented a petition from the mem bers of the Baptist Union against the proposed grant for education. The Hon. Member moved that the peti tion be printed with the the vote/.—Agreed to. SCOTCH REGISTRATION BILL. Sir G. CLERIC presented tea petitions from several places in Scotland against the clauses in this Bill, in as far as they affected the parish schoolmasters of that country. He should, therefore, give notice, that when this Bill went into Committee, he should move that the 12th clause be omitted. SEAMEN'S ENLISTMENT BILL. Sir C. NAPIER gave notice of his intention to bring in a Bill to amend the Seamen's Enlistment Act. SUNDAY TRADING. Mr. HINDLEY gave notice that to-morrow he would move for a Select Committee to inquire into the state of Sunday trading in the metropolis. NATIONAL EDUCATION. An HON. MEMBER presented a petition from Worces ter against the Government plan of education. REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES (SCOTLAND) BILL. Lord LINCOLN presented a petition from the pres bytery of Linlithgow against certain clauses in this Bill. Mr. FORBES presented similar petitions from the presbytery of Annan, and other places. FREE TRADE. Mr. HUME had several petitions to present, the first of which was signed by 4,000 persons in the parish of Hanover, Jamaica, who were formerly slaves. They stated that the House had been pleased to lower the duties on sugar, which was the chief produce, and they were apprehensive that the alteration might occasion the ruin of those by whom they were employed. They prayed, there fore, that if free trade was tto, be' adopted. 'in one department, it might be adopted in all branches of com merce; that the Navigation Laws might be dispensed with, and that they might send their produce home in foreign vessels; that there might be no restriction on free labour, and that they might be at liberty to export their produce to any part of the world. He did not think that the petition was reasonable, and hoped the House would not entertain it. TEMPERANCE. Mr. HUM.E also presented a - petition from the inha bitants of the district of Groke, praying that some re• striction might be placed on the destruction of human food, for the purpose of being distilled into that which was the parent of crime, and the source of immorality. HARBOURS OF REFUGE. Mr. HUME also presented a petition signed by every person who had any property in shipping connected with the port of Cowes, praying that it might be con verted into a harbour of refuge, for which they stated it to possess peculiar advantages. MARRIAGES AND DEATHS REGISTRY. Mr. HUME also presented a petition from the parish clerks and schoolmasters of Arbroath, in the county of Forfar, against the Deaths and Marriages Registry Bill. They stated that they were entitled to the emoluments of the clerks of session on this point, and that this Bill would do away with the benefit which they enjoyed; and they prayed the House either to reject the Bill altogether, or to introduce a clause to give them com pensation. Mr. FORBES, having:understood that the Lord Ad vocate had left town, wished to ask whether there was any disposition to postpone the second reading of the Bill till after Easter? Mr. F. MAULE said that he was quite sure that his Right Hon. Friend the Lord-Advocate would be ready to meet the wishes of the Scottish Members, and he would therefore, as a matter of course, put it on the paper for him for some day after Easter. Mr. HUME gave notice that he should persist in his intention to send this Bill up stairs. Mr. F. MAULE was sorry to inform his Hon. Friend that the Lord-Advocate had decided upon resisting such a course. EDUCATION. Mr. C. BERKELEY wished to ask the Noble Lord at the head of the Government a question of very great importance, which was causing great agitation through out the country: whether it was the intention of the Government to persevere in the scheme of education as laid down in the minutes of the Council? If he answered that in the affirmative, when was it his intention to bring the miscellaneous estimates before the House? Lord J. RUSSELL said it was the intention of the Government to persevere—(Loud cheers)—in the plan of education laid down in the minutes of the Council. fie had to state, also, that he would bring on the miscel laneous estimates after Easter, and would take the vote for education on the 19th of April. POOR-LAW. Mr. P. 13ORTHWICK wished to ask the Noble Lord whether it was the intention of the Government to pro pose any amendment of the poor law after Easter? He was led so ask that question, seeing the Hon. Member for Knaresborough had given notice of his intention to bring the whole subject before the House. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said it was the intention of the Government to propose an amendment of the poor law after Easter. CUSTOMS DUTIES BILL. Mr. FORBES asked the Noble Lord when he meant to lake the Customs Duties Bill into consideration? Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, he wouid not bring on the Customs Duties Bill that night, but would, if they got through with the Irish Poor •la:; Bill, proceed with it on Friday. If they should not be able to get through with the Poor-law (Ireland) Bill that night, perhaps the House would consent to give the Government a morning sitting for that purpose.—(Hear). MILITIA. Colonel T. WOOD wished to ask the Noble Lord, whether he meant to ballot for the militia this year, or whether Government hail any other measure to provide for the defence of the country? Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the Government had a measure under their consideration for that purpose, but he was not sure whether it could be brought in this session, and if not, they would take other means to provide fur the defence of the country. STEAM TO AUSTRALIA. Mr. F. SCOTT wished to ask the Government, whether they intended to advance any money, and what sum, in order to second private enterprise in providing steam communication to Australia. Mr. HAWES said that several plans had been laid before the Colonial-office, but the Noble Lord the Secre tary for the Colonies had not yet come to any defi n it e decision on either. • WASTE LANDS (IRELAND). Mr. LABOUCHERE gave notice that, to-morrow week, he should move for leave to bring in a Bill with re spect to the reclamation of waste lands in Ireland. FEVER (IRELAND) BILL. The H0N.6;3/4TLEIiAN also gave notice that to , mor row he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Act of last ses.ion relating to the' treatment of per sons afflicted with fever in Ireland. PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND). Mr. S. O'BRIEN inquired if the Government intended to adhere to the rule which they had laid down, that, on the 20th of this month, the number of persons employed on the public works in Ireland should be re duced 20 per cent:? Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Hon. Gentleman had correctly stated the rule which the Government had laid down, that the number of persons so employed should be reduced 20 per cent. on the 20th inst. The Government, however, had not thought proper to adhere to this plan throughout the whole of Ireland. It had not been observed in every part of the country. The Government had instructed the Irish Go vernment to make this reduction in the number of persons so employed ; but they had left the matter in their hands, so that they would use their discretion as to the best period when the rule could be best observed. Mr. HINDLEY suggested that a week's wages should be given to those employed on the public works who wished to obtain employment as farm labourers. DUBLIN RATING BILL. Mr. GROGAN wished to know whether the Govern ment intended to leave this Bill in the hands of the cor poration of Dublin, or whether they intended to give it their support and to conduct it through the House ? Much anxiety prevailed in Dublin with respect to it. He trusted they would take it into their hands, and move the appointment of a Committee to sit upon it. IMr. LABOUCHERE was not then in a position toy reply to the question. A deputation wculd wait upea i him on the subj ec t . on Th urs d ay, an d unt il they ;bee; don: so he c: uld not give 1 - s ttistaeeory PARISH SCHOOL MASTERS IN SCOT Mr. FOX .MAUL! moved for a return of the nu n ' . . her of parish :school m aste rs i n S cot l an d, w h o hold .the ) office of session clerk.—Agreed te. IMPORTATION OF CORN FROM RUSSIA.;, Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished to state, with re ferenco to a report that was abroad, to the effect that no corn was allowed to be exported from Russia, that be had received a letter from Lord Bloomfield, from St. Petersburgh, in which he stat e d th a t t h e re was not_ , t the slightest foundati o n f or suc h a rumour , and the there was no restriction whatever. POST-OFFICE DIREC rORY. Mr. MOFFAT r wished to ask the Chancellor of t he e Exchequer what steps had been taeen to prevent pub' lie servants employed in the Post-office theirsbeg also e , enr e . ployed in a private speculation, called Post-nia'' London Directory?" The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER , w he spoke very inaudibly, was understood to say that P c : servants in the Post- office s h ou ld b e employed in th a . uridertakingin future under p a i n o f dismissal, and that w e compiler of that undertaking was prohibited from' bei n g occupied on it during Post-office hours. Mr. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE was glad to hear that —. 4 Kelly was to have no compensation. If anything eh t: be done it ought to be restitution on the part of 3 1, 0 Kelly, who, instead of receiving 1,2001 from *. t " Directory," had been reaping 12,0001. a year frool Now Mr. Rowlantllill had got an appointment in t i,; t3 Post-office, and hived some where in a room in go Post-office, surrounded by two or three clerk,. duties wanted to know what Mr. Rowland Hill's were, and what his salary was, because be we i i s , told Mr. Rowland Hill was perfectly powerless. notice had recently been put up in the Post-nM e :l stating that if any of the letter-carriers l ' he any suggestions to make to Mr. Rowland Hill upon t a. subject of improving the Post-office system, they w e ' t e . to convey them through the heads of their depart Men • Now, the heads of the depa r t men t were Mr. , and others, and as ' the c hi e f complaint refi t ; to the " Directory," it was not likely that.,._`i t carriers would send any suggestion through Mr. Al upon that subject. Mr. Rowland Hill had nothing expect from Mr. Kelly or Colonel Moberly, for in 1842, when Mr. R. HiW left the Post-office, a notice vi a ' d 4 stuck up announcing that if any officer commu nicate directly or indirectly with Mr. R. Hill he would be "; missed the service. Now, it was imp or t ant to kg °. what were the salary andicluties of Mr. Rowland The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sal; that at present Mr. Jelly was permitted to carry on Directory" himself, he being, at the sortie - time, de" barred from the services of any person in the POst.officer; By so doing the ultimate claims t o a compeesat i ; of that gentleman would not b e a t a ll affected. 11 1 1. would have been much more conv e nient if the ao. 31 . e no ber had given notice of his intention to ask the que t t e a as he had gone into a number o f s t a t emen ts of which had taken place a number of years since, at that moment he was not, of course, able to esP e i, any opinion upon. The business of the re!„, office had of late years most enormously "se creased. From a return made to that bout, of the number of letters which passed through the K e e s ha office in the first week of F e b ruar y, it appeare d that i fs number had more than do u bl e d d ur i ng the last„ years. The Government had, th ere f ore , thonguZi., advisable to give s-)me a dditi ona l ass i stance . Her a jesty's Government, being of opinion that Mr. Ro d Hill was the most qualified p erson i n the et,.... p • for that duty, they had accordi ng ly a pp o i n t him $ tary to the Postmaster-General, not to the Post Ow., a salary of 1,200/. per annum. Mr. DUNCOMBE—What was the salary of S-15 clerks? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER h, 6 04 that the !lon. M e mb er wou ld excuse hi m if h e s tate(' it was not in his power to give him the information be l i e ; quired. If he had moved for a return upon the subjee 4 . o should have had it. All the information that he could g i b him was that the salary of 1,2001. per year was give n ro Mr. Rowland Hill. He believed that there were th et or four clerks employed, but he knew nothing wha t° of their salaries. CUSTODY OF OFFENDERS' AND PRIS,,,-- (150 BILL—EARLY SIT PING OF THE HOUSI" • . Lord MAHON wished t o know when it was th e I t % tendon of her Majesty' s G overnment to go on with Prisons' Bill and the Custody of Offenders' Bill. . 0 Sir GEORGE GREY sa id t h at i t was t h e intent l of the Government t o t a k e t h e furt h er consideration intently the report upon Thursday next, at the early sitting s- , the Howe, at 12 o'clock. PUNISHMENT OF DEATH. .13 b1 Mr. BRIGIIT wi s h e d t o as k a quest i on o f his RI A Hon. Friend the Secretary for the Home Departmens.ths statement had appeared in the papers respecting d e execution of two men at M or p eth on CVedn es ra g last, and it was st a t e d, th a t by theexcessive bung 1 , of the executioner the punishment was rendered iL,ra barbarous than it ought to h ave b een . Now be des i r e to know whether that account had been brougt: under his att en ti o n. Thi s question ho could an s f e f ,, although he h a d no t g i ven a previous notice of s": There was an o th er quest i on w hi c h h e w ished to a, and which he did not expect the Right Hon. G entl e to answer then. lle wished to know whether. 1 1 0'1 received any intimation from the h i , ere bau f judges that been of late an increasing disposition o n the p art juries to return verdicts of not guilty in ea ses - capital punishments were likely to be inflicted ? alb wished to know if any circumstance had come to knowledge with reference to the late trial of three el e 'f: for a murder and robbery at Barnard Castle? entlemsn; Sir G. GREY said that he had received no inforaUsi Lion as to the first circumstance alluded to by the 11°.is. Member. Neither had he received any intimation as ? :indisposition on the part of juries to convict 2 1 . 1 capital cases. RAILWAYS BILL. ofilthoredGveGo.BrnEmNelin IN Governmentrespecting excitement was felt. He wi s h e d to ask whether it vi! the intention of the Go vernment t o b r i n g'on the Railw a y' tt:ished a t ß o il know n a o b w ou the h w e hinicthenstoio 037 Bill before Easter, or to postpone it until afterwards:ll.i, U The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER tie that Friday evening n e xt wou ld b e occupied EXCHEQUER Bill estimates, and lie did not thi n k it f a i r to bring in wo uld of that importance, under circumstances whic h d o n forbid a fair di s c uss i on . I t was t h ere f ore the intention of the G overnmen t t o postpone t ', e Bill until ¢fret Easter. Sir B. HALL wished t o ca ll th e a ttention of Government to a letter w hi c h h e h a d re ceived, en w ob the , pl'iining of the extraordinary influx of strangers wile, had taken place i n t o Liverpool. There was also u ment to the same effect from the town of Ne vr a r complaining that their streets were crowded with eri dreds of the starving Irish who had lately colue: ; :bs His object in brin g i ng thi s f orwar d was to as k the -I l e e Hon. Gentleman th e S ecretary o f S tate f or the ~r Department whether he had had his attention directed this statement, and wheth er th e i nstance h e had si t / was or was not a solitary instance ? rully Sir G. GREY repli e d th a t h e h a d rece i ve d in-° et tion on the subject ; but that he was assured by Pew 0 who might be looked upon as authorities, that th' s h i e b a solitary instance, an d th at it was t h e on l y o ne / 1- rested upon authentic evidence. NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. . c e r ot Mr. HUME wish e d t o as k t h e N o bl e L or d the r' l .' c o Commissioner of Wo o d s an d F orests a question rt h ,, l r e,, appeared to hi m (M r . H ume ) o f a very important fl not only to that House, but to the country. he ir House was r equ i re d to attend her Majesty v",-.1 ever summoned, an d i t was most desirous .--to the Speaker of the House should go tle - ;;Iit the House of L or d s w i t h t h at decorum consis'Ad with the hi g h c h aracter which had heretofore att en "t every proceeding of th a t H ouse . H e m i g h t re f e r to rifie periods, not very far distant—(Hear, hear) —Wh en House proceeded to the House of Lords, when s u r e tanned, in a way c ons i s t en t w i t h t h e hi g h c harse b o which the House ought to maintain—(Hear) et: the personal s a f e ty o f H on . M em b ers, espeeirfeeet regarded their c o a t s —(L aug h ter )—f or h e h a d ' 5O; several injured in their progress to the Upper l i t i e r'sr he did not, how ever , a ll u d e to any part of the SPes'"iei garments ; but it was perfectly well known vies the House w a s grea tly i nconven i ence d . From iurl°l"o and from person a l i nves ti gat i on h e h a d ascerta ined t e b o f the place under th e b ar wou ld not conta i n one 01 be the Members ; and he submitted if th e y were t ° put into su c h straitened circumstances—(Laught er )l, they must do one of two things—either not to go a t . ; or else app o i n t a certa i n num b er to do "be but, if a certa i n number went, they must o V appoiuted by ballot, and that was a most 'be jectionabl e course ; b ut one of these courses w ould re necessary, as the c om p artment cou ld not contain the admitted 22 without considerable p ressure . Mr. admitted that the limits were narrow, but he thought of galleries above would afford the required room. might afford room to those who wished to at"'„ the House, b u t he thought that the House, when s'' sg , mooed to the pr esence of her Majesty, should' have se °,,,, He considered it too bad that, after so much exP i e ° o4 l and after so l ong a d e l ay , t h e b u ildi ng was not caleeped to accommodate more th a n 30 M em b ers . He roes measures would be taken to remedy t h e inconva, s t and that pro v i s i on wou ld b e made in time for w purpose. AND: LAYARD wished, before the Noble Lora I r, plied to the question, to ask him another that closely connected will' it. He wished to know 'wheq!,,,, any place was set a p art for the accommodation or rig tinguished strangers, separate from that appropriated the Members of the House of Commons?. 'on Lord MORPETH stated th a t the accommotin tl 0 would be on the same footing as it was at pr.u3ent, °DIY°, a larger scale The space below the bar was never tended to accommodate all the Members of the Sousa v Commons, nor did hethink such an accommodation wr.. necessary. With respect to the question of the o th s Lion. Member (Major Layard), he thought there sh° ll o be accommodation separate for those persons to we . , ° o he referred, but there would be also galleries in addiu ° to the space below the bar. Mr. HUME thought that there should be a committee appointed to superintend the arrangements, so that to Members should not appear there like a rab bi e altogether inconsistent with the dignity of the Hou se ' ARMY SERVICE BILL. On the order of the day for the second reading of this Bill being read, Sir H. W. BARRON rose for the purpose of making some explanations r e l a ti ve t o a statemen t m ade by br i , in the House on Frid a y n i g ht, on th e su bj e ct of the Ins"' Poor-law, which had been, however, misrepresented in some of the public journals. What he had stated was' that the value of the property in England assessed to. the poor-rates amounted to 62,000.000/4 the sum n$ which it was assessed was 5,000,0001.; that, accord ing; to the calculations of the Poor-law Commie' sioners, the number of paupers in Ireland ordinary years was between 2,300,000 and 2,400,0 A