The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-30 00:00:00

imperial Varlianunt. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY, APRIL 22. Sir J. GRAHAM having proposed to take the second reading of the Factory Bill at once, and debate the main question of it on going into committee, Mr. T. DUNCOMBE contended, that the only proper way of dealing with this bill would be, to refer it . ‘ , c , a select committee. The working classes did not 'oelieve that the reduction of time would involve a riA oc ri on o f wages ; and there ought to be a fair exami.lation of work people and masters, that it might bt,' seen which party were right. The house was at present but too much dis posed to listen to the masters against the workpeople. Lord Ashley, by agreeing to his present course, had sur rendered the whole ca-e. The noble lord now merely proposed to take a flying shot at the bill when it was leaving the house, after the third reading; and if that shot missed, the bill would be gone before he could fire a second barrel. fle would himself move, on the order of the day for going into committee of the whole house, that the bill should be referred to a select committee above stairs. Lord ASHLEY believed that the operatives had quite as much knowledge of the subject as Mr. Duncombe, and was sure they had ten times as much candour. Now, they assured him that they entirely approved the course he was taking. Mr. FERRAND said, that on the side of the working classes were truth and justice ; on the side of the mas ters, falsehood and injustice. He challenged the masters to face the operatives at a meeting in the open air. Mr. ROEBUCK desired to know to whom Mr. Ferrand had lately alluded when he stated at a public meeting that a Minister of the Crown had used his influence to induce a public officer to put forth a false statement for the pur pose of crushing a member of the houe ? Mr. FERKAND.—If the hon. and learned member for Bath had shown me the usual etiquette exhibited by hon. members towards each other, I would have come down to the house pro• erly prepared to give him a full explana tion. As he has not done so, but adopted that system to which he usually resorts—that of coming duly prepared to take an undue advantage of an unprepared member—l must answer as well as I can. Mr. Ferrand then went on to say that the minister was Sir James Graham, that the member was himself, and that the public officer was Mr. Mott, the poor-law commissioner. Mr. ROEBUCK.—The question I have put bas not been answered. The question which I put was, that a ministet of the crown bad used his power as a minister to induce an officer employed by the government to make a false report. The bon. member for Knaresborough has shown that the report is false, but the first part of my question remains still unanswered. That part of the charge that the right hon. baronet - used his power for this purpose still remains without a reply. That charge, scandalous as it is, the hon. member has not substantiated. Mr. FERRAND.—I have performed my duty to the house to the best of my ability, and I tell the hon. and learned member for Bath that he is not going to school me. He has used language unbecoming him as a member of this house and as a gentleman. (" Order, order," " Chair, chair.") The SPEAK ER.—The hon. member must retract the last words he has used. Mr. FERRAND —Certainly, as such, sir, is your deci sion. I shall say he has acted in a manner unbecoming his position as a member of the house. The words I ut tered were these—that the right hon. baronet had taken steps to procure a false report for the purpose of using it in this house to crush a member of it. Those words 1 used —those words Ido not retract. _ _ _ Mr. tinME - aaid it was reported also to have been stated by Mr. Ferrand, that Sir J. Graham had used his official influence with the chairman of the Nottingham Election Committee, to warp his decision respecting that election. Mr. FERRAND declared that he had made no such charge. Sir R. PEEL, in reference to a report of his having said something about a conflict between Christianity and the Government on the Factory Bill, denied altogether that he had ever said anything of the kind. 'What be had said on the occasion when he was supposed to have uttered this passage was, that be believed the further reflection of members was likely to increase the numbers of those who would support the view of government. The Factory Bill was then read a second time. Dr. Nrcuor_L moved the second reading of the Eccle siastical Courts Bill, passed by the House of Lords. He explained that the present measure proposed to abolish all peculiar jurisdictions, thereby getting rid of about 300 courts; but to retain the diocesan courts, and to treat every place and every benefice as within the archdeaconry, diocese, and province of its actual locality ; to take away ecclesiastical jurisdiction in matters of tithe and defama tion ; to make certain provisions for the introduction of viva" voce evidence and trial by jury ; and to invest the ecclesiastical judges with powers of enforcing their own judgments. The bill proposed also to give compensa tions, assessable by the 'Treasury, to those officers whose emoluments should have been taken away or greatly re duced by these changes. After a short discussion, the bill was read a second time. Some desultory conversation followed upon the County Courts Bill, which was committed pro forma, and the other orders of the day were then disposed of. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY. The Speaker called upon Mr. FERRAND, who said he would neither retract nor deny what he had said in the provinces during the Easter recess—to the effect that Sir James Graham had used his influence, as a minister of the crown, to induce Mr. Hogg, -M.P. for Beverley, to unseat Mr. Walter, of the Times, by giving his casting Tote in committee against that gentleman. The hon. member, after a very few observations, suddenly sat down, and immediately afterwards walked out of the house, amidst loud laughter and cheering from all sides. Mr. HoGo then claimed, not the protection, but the justice of the house, to adopt some course by which his honour would be vindicated from Mr. Ferrand's charges. He was distinctly charged with having acted from impure motives, and the house should either punish him, or cen sure the party who had passed upon him so foul an impu tation. Sir J. GRAHAM was quite satisfied, seeing the manner in which Mr. Ferrand had fled from both his accusations, to leave the matter to the house and the public. Sir R. PEEL said it was a question for the house to say whether the matter should be treated with ridicule, or seriously; if seriously, they should take time for reflec tion, lest they should establish a dangerous precedent. His own opinion of it was, that there was nothing com parable to the whole affair since the time when the con juror had offered to walk into a quart bottle and then suddenly disappeared. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, as Mr. Hogg had claimed the protection of the house from the unsupported and unretracted calumnies of Mr. Ferrand, he was quite wil ling to vote the charges false and calumnious. Lord STANLEY thought there was not an individual member of the house who did not believe that Mr. Fer rand knew, when he made the charges, that they were utterly incapable of proof. He came there with an air of boldness, and ou the first outbreak of indignation, he quitted the house without retracting his gross and libel lous charges. The SPEAKER, on being appealed to, advised that all discussion should be dropped for the present, and in any subsequent proceedings they ought to adopt the course pursued in Mr. O'Connell's case. After a few words from Mr. BLACKSTONE and Sir R. H. INGLIs, the debate was adjourned until Wednesday. Mr. BORTHWICK then rose to move an address to her Majesty, praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to afford to Parliament, in al: matters ecclesias tical, the advice and assistance of the clergy in convoca tion assembled, according to the constitution and the ancient usage of the realm. While the hon. member was yet speaking, however, the house was counted out. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY. Sir J. GRAHAM stated that, after consultation with Mr. Hogg, he considered it his painful duty to lay before the house the report of Mr. Ferrand's speech, containing those charges against Mr. Hogg and himself, with respect to the Nottingham Committee, which had been the sub ject of discussion on the two preceding evenings. The report was then read by the Clerk at the Gable. The SPEAKER asked whether Mr. Ferrand was in his place ? No answer being returned, Sir R. PEEL said he had referred to the modern prece dents, and his conclusion from them was, that the best course would be for the house to take this matter into consideration on Friday next, giving full opportunity of explanation to Mr. Ferrand, and not taking advantage of tilt admission already made by him. Possibly, if Mr. Ferrand had concluded the speech which he had left un finished on the preceding day, he might have said some thing to affect the opinion of his hearers. It would be proper now to order that he should attend in his place on Friday, and even to give him then the opportunity of at tempting, if he should be then desirous of attempting, to substantiate his charges. He concluded by moving that he matter should be considered on Friday. Lord JOHN RUSSELL agreed that it would be proper to abstain from discussion now. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE did not believe there was the least ground for Mr. Ferrand's accusations : but he could not forget that ten clays had been suffered to elapse atter the meeting of the house without one word said upon the sub ject. Then came Mr. Roebuck's question—" Did you say so and so of such a person ;" to which question, had it been asked of him, he would have answered, " What business is that of yours?" He thought the proper way would be to appoint a committee of three or five members (and he should not care if they were nominated by Mr. Ferranti himself), to which committee he would refer the speech ; and if that committee should report that there was no foundation for the charges, Mr. Ferrand, he doubted not, would, as a gentleman, make a proper re traction. Mr. D'IsRAELe disapproved the general tone of Mr. Ferrand's addresses, but he did not approve the course which the house was now taking. Mr. Hogg might have asked some man of sense and temper to apply to Mr. Ferrand, and the result, he believed, would have been sa tisfactory to Mr. Hogg, and not degrading to Mr. Fer rand; or Mr. Hogg might have made his own complaint to the house. But Mr. Hogg had done neither ; and then Mr. Roebuck, who constituted himself public accuser, put his question, and this without the common courtesy of a notice. Sir R. Peel had certainly proposed a course which would bring back some decorum into the proceed ings of the }louse ; but it would be still better to let the matter drop altogether. Was it to be slid that the house must erect itself into ft court of honour, wheever a charge was made by one m ember . against another? The house did not so behave when Sir R. Peel charged a rnembtr with the much graver offence of making a speech that sti. raulated to aseasfiivation. Out Mr. Ferrand, beiug a man without a party to back him, bad been baited and hullie, on all hands. He himse l ,l did not sympathize in Mr. Ferrand's views; on 0- .. c contrary, he had told the hon. member, that he tought he had a bad cause, a n d a worse i - , tribunal. Ind_-„ e d b e could not wonder, that from such a tribunal Mr. Ferranti had chosen to withdraw himself. As to t:ne Keighley Union case, he owned he had never ur,:terstood it ; but nobody could deny that there had been great many obscure and su•picious circumstances about it; and it was natural enough that Mr. Ferrand's imagi tion should have been inflamed when he found himself engaged in a contest with a Minister of the Ci own, and pardonable that he should have held the sort of language which had been used by him. Surely things must become to a strange pass, if the House of Commons were compel led to interfere on such a matter as the present, fir the purpose of rescuing this strong, if not very popular mi nistry. He bad been much gratified with Sir It. Peel's precedent of the bottle conjurer • but how far Lord Stan ley's speech had been an example of the forbearance and coneiliation which he recommended to Mr. Ferrand, was another question. Lord Stanley was the Prince Rupert of the House: his charge was irresistible; but when he re turned to his camp, it was always in possession of the enemy. It had been truly said that gentlemen, if they chose to tell lies on the hustings, ought not to tell them in the house. But he would go further: be thought they ought not to tell lies even on the hustings, and if a man chose to declaim against the poor-law there, he ought not to come hither and vote for it. If any man did this, that man was guilty of corrupt conduct, and might now move a censure against him for saving so. He would remind ;the Prime Minister of what had been said by a former, though not greater, Sir Robert, who, when Sacheverell had been long baited and worried, declared himself tired of roasting a parson. Captain BERKELEY did not think the case was one of which Mr. Hogg could have fitly made a personal quar rel ; nor did he consider it cons;stent with the dignity of the house that the matter should be suffered to drop. There was a party in that place who had been accustomed ' to cheer all the violences of Mr. Ferrand, and they were in great measure the persons responsible for the scrape he had got into. Lord JOHN MANNERS rose to move the previous ques tion. He contended that the speech of Mr. Ferrand did not convey the sort of imputation upon Mr. Hogg which it had been assumed to involve. The newspapers might have given it that construction; but it ought to be judged of by itself, and not by the constructions of other people. As to the charge against Sir J. Graham, that right hon. baronet, who must be the best judge in his own affair, had declared himself content that the matter should be passed over. . Mr. SMYTHE seconded the amendment of Lord J. Manners. He had no adverse feeling to Sir J. Graham, whose straightforward conduct he highly eulogised ; and he considered Mr. Ferrand to labour under as extraordi nary hallucinations respecting the character and conduct of the right bon. baronet as respecting the employment of machinery. Nor did lie question the integrity of Mr. Iloge, whom he believed to have been influenced by no worse motive than an outrageous sense of public virtue. But he could not concur in a proceeding the object of which was to compel Mr. Ferrand to prove his belief. No man in that house lould prove his belief upon any subject discussed there. Seeing that all this mischief was owing to the member for Bath, he had himself a belief, though he could not prove it, that there was some understanding between purity and power ; for that spurious patriot, while he attacked all others, spared one great person, and intimated plainly enough that if he were not the Diogenes of Bath, he would like to he the Alexander of Tamworth. That learned member had now effected a combination of two remarkable positions—that of the rebel's agent and the Queen's counsel. After a few words from Sir R. Inglis, Mr. ROEBUCK rose. Mr. Ferrand, he said, had ad mitted having used the words ascribed to him ; and as to the complaint that there had been no notice, surely, if a member were charged with a robbery, he wanted no no tice in order to be prepared for adenial. Was this a mat ter to be got rid of by the somewhat cowardly expedient of the previous question? That meant, that the house desired to express no opinion whateve - . But ought the house to express no opinion upon a question whether a minister of the crown had used h's power to crush one of its members ? It was the duty of the house to see that no minister did so use his power ; it was his own duty, as one of the members of that house, to look to this. The accu ser had fled from his own charge ; still the house, in its courtesy, proposed to give him a further opportunity for explanation ; and all men would be glad if he should now, on consideration, candidly retract his words. Lord John Manners laid claim to feelings of sanctity in matters of high account; did be concur with Mr. D'lsraeli in the suggestion that this matter ought to have been settled in what was commonly called a gentlemanly way—an apology if attainable; if not, then a duel ? Surely. after the late horrors, it must be felt that such a proceeding would have been a disgraceful one. Lo;d HOWICK thought, with Lord J. Manners, that the house would take the wisest course in suff-ring this subject to drop. The groundlessness of Mr. Ferrand's accusation, the utter and universal disbelief of it, formed the very reason why it might safely be treated with entire indifference. The true punishment.of a member making those groundless charges was the degradation which he himself incurred by them. Any ulterior proceeding in this case would establish a precedent which would there after be found extremely embarrassing ; fir if the house interfered on behalf of a minister's character, it must in terfere in behalf of the character of every individual mem ber whose honour might be at any time attacked. Mr. H U E was surprised at the line of argument taken by Lord Howick, wbo . se suggestion, if pursued in a case Where the characters of two members were thus attacked, would leave no alternative but Wimbledon Common. Could the house shrink from the inquiry, after the perti nacious way in which Mr. Ferrand had reiterated his charges, Those who should now vote for the previous question would be voiing a condemnation of the charac ters of the two members accused. Sir J. GRAHAM said he should not vote at all; but ex plained that his meaning on a former occasion had been merely to assert the necessity of inquiry where the attack of one member upon the honour of another was connected with the parliamentary character of the accused. He confessed that he had himself, in a long political life, said and done so many things which he had afterwards been sorry for, that he did wish to give to Mr. Ferrand the op portunity of expressing a similar regret. Sir J. GRAHAM then left the house. Mr. HOGG expressed his concurrence in Sir J. Gra ham's sentiments. Lord JOHN RUSSELL recommended it to Lord John Manners to refrain from pressing his motion to a division on the present occasion. Lord JOHN MANNERS complied with this recommen dation; and the consideration of the subject was ad journed to Friday, for which day Mr. Ferrand's attend ance was ordered. The other orders of the day were then taken ; but a stop was put to further business by a member requiring the house to be counted, and it being found that there were not forty members present, the house adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. RECALL OF LORD ELLENDOROUGH FROM INDIA. Mr. MACAULAY rose and said,—l wish to ask the right. hon. baronet at the head of Her Majesty's Government whether it is true that the Court of Directors of the East India Company have recalled Lord Ellenborough from the Government of India? Fir R. PEEL.—I beg to state on Wednesday last Her Majesty's Government received a communication from the Court of Directors that they had exercised the power which the law gives them, to recall at their will and plea sure the Governor. General of India. (Loud cheers from the opposition benches.) Mr. MACAULAY.—Under these circumstances, I sup pose, I need scarcely say it is not my intention to bring forward on Tuesday week the motion of which I have given notice, respecting the occupation of Gwalior. I, of course, reserve to myself the right to bring the sub ject under the notice of the house hereafter. MR. SMYTHE AND MR. ROEBUCK. Mr. ROEBUCK, referring to the retort made by him last Wednesday on Mr. Smythe, (imputing to him, that he had been actuated by disappointment in not obtaining office,) read a letter addressed to him by that hon. mem ber. calling upon him for a retraction, with a hostile alter native ; upon which he said to the gentleman who brought it, " Mr. Smythe shall hear from me in the House of Commons." The letter was then read at the table. Mr. SMYTHE said he received no such message ; the message brought to him being merely, that Mr. Smythe should hear from him. He had, however, learned from another quarter, that Mr. Roebuck intended to bring the matter before the house. Mr. Roebuck had some weeks ago imputed to him that be was actuated by disappoint ment at not obtaining office. He had immediately writ ten to his constituents a letter, which he had published, disclaiming that motive, and assuring them that he had never even applied for the smallest favour. Nevertheless, Mr. Roebuck, on Wednesday, had repeated the insinua tion. The matter baying been brought by Mr. Roebuck, this evening, in this shape before the house, Mr. Smythe felt that he had no longer any alternative but to apologize to the house, for having unintentionally caused them any trouble. Sir R. PEEL suggested that both members should be called on to give their assurance that this matter should proceed no further. Mr. ROEBUCK had never intended it should proceed further. The SPEAKER called on Mr. Smythe for his assurance. Mr. SMYTHE was demurring, when the SPEAKER re peated his injunction, with which Mr. Smythe then complied. The report of Mr. Ferrand's speech having been read at the table, Mr. FERRAND apologised for having been the cause of wasting the time of the House. Had he not been taken by surprise on the first night, he would have given to Mr. Roebuck's question the answer suggested by Mr. T. Duncombe. He must apologise also to the working classes for taking up, on this evening, any portion of the time which was due to the approaching debate on their vital interests. He had come down on Wednesday to make his statement ; and it was a mistake to suppose that the rude behaviour of the House had then driven him away. He had on that occasion admitted that he had used every word imputed to him, and he bad then left the House, as he believed was usual, in order that he might be no check upon their free deliberation. He had now attended in respectful obedience to the order he of thld e House, whose commands, when justifiable, wou always obey. The Speaker himself, with all his impar tiality and dignity , had felt it difficult to act as a judge of the court of honour into which the House was consti tuting itself. An attempt had even been made to ingraft on his speech a passage from a leading article of the i Times. As a member of this House lie protested. in the mlee ofthe People of England, and refused to plead at their tribunal. THP, LIVERPOOL STANDARD. Sir J. GRAHAM said, that as he hid not racorded the same denial of the charge against himself which had been put in by Mr. Hogg with reference to the charge against him. he would do so now, before he retired from the pre sent debate. 'Will reference to the affair of Mr. Mott, he had, upon careful search, been wholly unable to find a y trace of any written or of any verbal communication from himself or from the Poor Law Commissioners to Mr. Mott on the stibi-ct of the Keighly union. He re peated, therefore, that Mr. Ferrand hid made an erro neous assertion in saying that he had influenced a com missi to make a false report for the purpose of crushing a member, and then dismissed the poor tool of his fahrications. Mr. Mott's dismissal was owing to cir cumstances quite unconnected with the Keighly union; and if a micister had been guilty of such corrupt conduct, the very consciousness of it would probably have deterred him from the dismissal of the " tool" employed by him. With respect to the accusation of having influenced Mr. Hogg to displace Mr. Walter, he would say that he was much misunderstood. in being represented to enter tain any anxiety for Mr. Walter's removal. But being thus accused of an tndue attempt in this matter, be claimed from the justice of the house that he might beeither proved guilty or acquitted. Mr. JAMES WORTLEY was disposed to make some al lowance for the surprise upon Mr. Ferrand in Mr. Roe buck's sudden question; and considered that Mr. Fer rand's charge did not bear the meaning put upon it. Mr. Ferrand did not mean that Sir J. Graham had suborned Mr. Mott to falsify a report, but only that Sir J. Gra ham had pressed Mr. Mott for a report, which turned out to he substantially a fat-e one. Nor did be believe Mr. Ferranti to have meant that Sir J. Graham had employed any actual interference in the business of the Nottingham Committee. _ Mr. FERRA ND made no explanation. Sir R. PEEL was beginning to explain that he had been no volunteer in these proceedings, when The SPEAKER Culled on Mr. Ferrand to withdraw from the house during the debate, which he did, Mr. Hogg following. Sir R. PEEL resumed. His own impression had been, that the matter was one of which it would be best to take no notice ; hut notice having been taken, it was now for the house to decide how they would deal with it. He could not adopt Mr. Wortley's construction. He argued that in both the charges the plain meaning of Mr. Fer. rand was to convey an imputation of corruption. Were it otherwise, what could be easier than for Mr. Ferranti to disclaim that meaning ? The charge against Sir J. Graham was not like those sometimes made against the house in general : it was a specific allegation against an individual. He presumed that the house would think it expedient now to decide this matter. If Mr. Ferrand had said he wished for the opportunity to prove his charges, it might have been expedient to postpone any further pro ceeding tint!' after inquiry; but this Mr. Ferrand had de clined. Ile would now, therefore, propose resolutions purporting that (the two members accused having denied those charges, and Mr. Ferrand having admitted that he had used the words ascribed to him) the house is of opinion that the charges are wholly unfounded and calumnious, and do not in the slightest degree affect the honour and character of the accused. As to anything ulterior, he did not think it necessary to treat Mr. Ferrand's conduct as a breach of privilege. Enough would be done by resolu tion that the charges were unfounded and calumnious, and for this course teere were precedents. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE proposed that Mr. Ferrand should be called in, and interrogated whether he wished for an opportunity to substantiate his charges. Sir R. PEEL observed, that Mr. Ferrand had absolutely challenged their tribunal. Mr. F. FRENCH said Mr. Ferrand had disclaimed any intention of imputing actual corruption. He thought it not conducive to the dignity of the house that the matter should go further ; and proposed an amendment of a sati rical kind. reflecting on Lord Stanley for expressions used by him against his former colleagues, in reference to the " thimble rig." This amendment was not seconded ; and Sir R. Peel's resolutions were adopted. THE FACTORIES BILL. On the order of the day for the committee on this bill being read, Mr. T. DUNCOMBE moved, that the bill should be re ferred to a select committee. He thought the limitation of the hours of labour, instead of lowering the wages of the working classes, would tend to raise them. The working classes now believed that their masters would indeed make an attempt to lower wages, but that in that attempt they would not succeed. He cited instances of limitation of time, which, in fact, had been followed by no reduction of wages. But, if the operatives were wrong in believing that a limitation of time would not reduce wages, the sooner evidence was taken to disabuse their minds, the better. He would have the committee confine its investigation to the effect which the limitation of time would have upon wages. Mr. WA RD seconded the resolution. Sir J. dii;li;iis;f(Fs;l;CiWmlniiiees generally caused much delay. Besides this bill was framed on the recom mendations of a select committee. Mr. PALMItR (Essex) considered that the importance of the manufactures carried on for the purpose of foreign trade was a good deal overstated, and said that the num bers so employed did not amount to more than about 400,000 persons. M r. VILLIERS said that theyamounted to near 1,500,000. What mattered a little delay on a subject of such magni tude ? There was no hurry about this bill ; the masters did not wish it all, and the workpeople did not wish it without the ten hours' clause, of which, however, there was not a chance. Lord ASHLEY deprecated delay, and entreated Mr. Duncombe to withdraw his motion. After some conversation the house divided, and there appeared against the select committee, 145 ; for it, 42. The bill then went into the committee of the whalP CLERICAL NEWS. APPOINTMENTS. The Rev. Richard White has been appointed to the in cumbency of Wribby-with-Wray, near Kirkham, Lanca blai re. The Rev. C. Bellairs to the perpetual curacy of Christ Church, Coventry. The Rev. Richard Ellis, M.A., to the perpetual curacy of Bellerby, Spennithorne, Yorkshire. Patron, J. C. Chaytor, Esq. The Rev. J. E. Bates, of Liverpool, to be minister of Christ Church, Hougham, Dover, the consecration of which is fixed for the 28th of May. The Rev. C. Bissett, to the incumbency of Upholland ; the Rev. E. Pigott, to the living of Longridge ; the Rev. T. Lamb, to St. Mary's, Preston. The British government are building a church on the Isle of Ascension for the use of the residents there. Mrs. Lawrence, of Studley Park. in addition to former liberal donations, has just presented a thousand pounds to the Ripon Diocesan Church Building Society. TaAwnEN, LANCASHIRE.—On Monday, April 15, the interesting ceremony of laying the foundation stone of St. Mary's Church took place in the presence of about 3000 persons, including the principal clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood. CHESTER CATHEDRAL.—The Marquis of Westmin ster has contribu7ed the sum of £lO5 towards the fund for improving Vie interior of this venerable cathedral. Wil braham Egerton, Esq. has also given £5O; Lady Brough ton, £2O ; and Sir Oswald Mosely, Bad., £2O. A bill to prohibit the holding of Vestries in Churches, has been brought into the Douse of Commons. The law at present prohibits any adjournment from the vestry to the body of the church ; such adjournment must be to some secular edifice convenient. FASHIONS FOR MAY. (From the " London anashi on .)d Paris Ladies' Magazine of F The fashionable colours of the season for dresses, as well as bonnets and capotes, are pale sky blue, different shades of green, lapis grey, pale pink, paille raisin and mauve; the materials are various, but silks are very ge neral, the camtll6on being still the favourite ; the make of the corsages will vary with the temperature, high or half high bodies, but always tight ; the Amazon form continues in favour, and the embroideries of the season are adapted to this make ; chicorees, ruches, flounces fontangnes, and biais gothiques with lace are all in use; the flounces are sometimes put on quite plain and edged with a narrow fringe or printed ruche ; single very deep flounces are edged and headed with plisse of ribbon ; wide biais half way up the skirt, and triple rows of narrow velvet are also used as trimmings. The sleeves are tight, and either long or half long, or sometimes merely forming jockeys ; the pinked flounces are not confined to skirts, they also orna ment the jockeys of sleeves and form the trimming of shawls and mantelets, glacee in four colours; as many as Ahree are sometimes placed on shawls. The principal alte ration in mantelets consists in the size ; they are smaller and should not pass the waist; scarfs, with revers made of cameleon silk, have trimming of the same forming ruches 4,1 a veille pinked in chicoree; they are also trimmed with rich lace laid on plain or fulled ; these silks have also a pretty effect when covered by a very clear tartalane ; many are entirely composed of rows of lace, and are very rich. The Maltese scarf is of black lace, and so large as entirely to cover the dress, which, when of light colour, has a pretty effect. Light colours have entirely superseded all others ; for bonnets, jonquil, pale green, and are those prefer red. The ribbons this season are of mixed colours, while flowers and feathers divide favour ; voilettes are worn on morning bonnets and deep veils with dress ones ; the bon nets worn at Longchamps varied, pailles de riz had flowers or feathers, some had the fronts half of lace with bunches of lilac or lilies of the valley. Fancy straws were either with shaded feathers, or merely a plaid broche ribbon in termixed with biais of crape lisse. For morning and young ladies' wear, the crown of straw or sewed Leghorns is of silk matching the lining. Many bonnets are made of crape or tulle, covered by rows of lace ruches, fluted or quite plain. The new capote Alsacienne is of straw, the crown of pink or blue silk with coques of ribbon half encircling the head, and three biais inside shaded the colour of the crown ; some ladies add a gauze veil of the same colour. iavolet suCtmaposunetnetdirbelyy Caps which arc worn forward on the head are some times trimmed with ruches of two colours instead of flowers. ge ter minating whiteed with satin ribb,m ;a pl u a . i r r e i a o th n tolifeflfoowreehresaodrlfioarien a deep in a bunch at the ears. Muslin caps with in lets are lined with blue or pink gauze, and trimmed with lace instead of ribbon : round embroidered caps are Valenciennestrim lacea reand quitea wprleaaitnh raised la • • some pa! salute, and confined on the top of - the head by a triple row of ribbon of two colours. withof coques lappe ot lappets FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. WEST INDIES. The dates brought by the West Indian Mail are from Jamaica to March 23rd, and Demerara to the 19tki, At Jamaica the Legislature had terminated its stitings, the Assem'•ly having agreed to memoralize the Queen, setting forth the condition of the colony, and represent ing that many estates would be thrown up on account of the scarcity of labour, the want of capital, and the un favourable state of the weather. The island was in an exceedingly quiet condition, and In aith was generally good. Agriculture was at a stand-still. A transport ves sel had brought from Sierra Leone 118 emigrants, and 24 Africans who had been to their native laud, but re turned, preferring the island. The Demerara papers are occupied with discussions on the sale of a certain estate, in which the character of the registrar's assistant is involved. The doubtful title of vended properties had caused general alarm. The mana ger of the Colonial Bank had been elected to the Legis lature, and hkd brought forward a motion fora return of all the plantation land sold since Ist of August, 1838 — the date of complete emancipation. Sir M. Me Turk had propounded his plan of constitutional reform. By this absentees would not have the right of voting, the college of electors would be abolished, ani open voting alone be adopted. John Nodes Dickenson, Esq., has been appointed one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the colony of New South Wales. A letter from Barcelona, of the 18th, states, that seven unfortunate persons suspected of being Ca'list refugees were shot within the Spanish frontiers a few days pre viously. It has been determined, for the more speedy and effec tual suppression of the slave traffic, to increase the steam navy on the coast of Africa, and also to add to the num ber of sailing vessels. On Monday, 22d instant, a man named Robert Joyce, by trade a shoemaker, fell dead in the hall-alley of Char leville. After finishing a game of ball, he drank a cup of water, and immediately expired. He has left a wife and two children. EXTRAORDINARY.—Mrs. Barger, of Petersville, Mary land, about,lB months ago was safely delivered of three fine children, and the same lady last month presented her husband with four healthy children at a birth—seven children in 18 months ! Middleton Valley must have a soil so fertile that married folks will be afraid to reside there in these bard times.—New York Sun. DISCOVERY IN GREECE.—The Baron de Prokecb, Austrian Minister at Athens, and Professor Ross. have discovered at Milo, not far from the place where the Venus now in Louvre was found, some Christian catacombs, which, according to appearances, are as ancient as the first foundation of Christianity. They are said to be the first catacombs that have been discovered in Greece. ST. DoMlNGo.—Extract of a letter from St. Domingo, dated 2d March, 1844 :—" The present is to inform you that this part of the island has declared itself independent of the Haytien Government, under the denomination of ' Republica Dominicana,' and that this circumstance has put all at a stand. I cannot foresee what will be the con sequence. This town was taken by capitulation on the 29th ult. By letters received from Port-au. Prince, it appears that all is in a state of confusion in that part, and terrible consequences will be the result amongst them." DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION.—AMSTERDAM, APRIL 13.—Last night we s sw in the horison, the south-west the appearance of a great fire, and this morning we hear that in the village of Aalsmere 46 houses, in the best part of the village are reduced to ashes. Many of the inhabi tants of these houses, among whom is the burgomaster , have saved nothing but the night cloths which they had on. A great number of cattle are burnt, and four persons are missing. It is supposed that the fire commenced in a barn in which a knife grinder slept. This man too has not been since seen. COLONEL STODDART AND CAPTAIN CONOLLY.—Cap tain Grover has just received letters from Dr. Wolff, dated Tehran, the 12th of February. The doctor has been re ceived with great distinction by the King of Persia, who recollected having met him at Meshed twelve years ago, when he was only prince royal. The doctor rode on horseback, in full canonicals, accompanied by Colonel Sheil, in his uniform, going to and returning from court. He then visited the ambassador, recently arrived from Bocara, who " denied in toto the fact of the execution of our friends." The doctor was to leave Tehran on the 14th of February, accompanied by an escort ordered by the King. He takes with him Rajah, who had been ser vant to both Stoddart and Conolly. THE SLAVE TRADE.—Extract of a letter from an offi cer on board H.M. ship of Crescent :—" ltio, 13th Dec., 1843.—Y0u would be very much shocked could you be a witness to the horrors of the system of slavery as carried on here. One prize taken lately exceeds anything I ever heard of. Sue is called Vincedora, and is a small schooner, or rather a large boat of 70 tons. She sailed from the coast of Africa with 470 blacks on board, besides a crew of nearly thirty men ; when captured, there were only 359 blacks faken alive, and since that nearly eighty more have died, and many more are very ill, and cannot live long. It is scarcely possible to conceive how such an immense number of human beings could have been cram med into so small a space, yet you will find persons who ssy slavery is a mere nothing but a name, and that in Brazil the slaves are much better off than the poor in England. Poor things, their joy on arriving on board this large ship, where they have plenty of room, and plenty to eat, and drink, is inconceivable. The degree of emaciation to which the greatest part of them are reduced is beyond description. I have seen one little girl who. when ►ifted down to the sick nay or nospirat, was au tnin tout one might almost see the light of a candle through her body. We have a great variety of nations and tribes among us, who vary much in their habits and appearance, some be ing very savage, and others who have made considerable progress in civilization. We endeavour sometimes by means of interpreters to get them to relate their adven tures. One woman now with us gave the following account of her captivity :—She was living with her father, and had two children. Her father stole a handkerchief from another man, who detected the thief and demanded restitution of his property or else in lieu, a man-slave. Her father not liking to part with the handkerchief, and not possessing any man, offered one of her daughters; this was refused. He then offered them botb, but this was also refused ; at last the man consented to take the woman and sold her to the Portuguese slave-dealers. The black population here are now beginning to feel their own strength, and lately many murders have been committed by them on the persons of the whites. Who can wonder at this! The expense of keeping a horse in this country is about fifteen or eighteen pence a-day, while that of a slave is about twopence or threepence; our weather bas been most dreadfully hot, the thermometer having fre• quently been above 90 degrees and seldom below 80 de grees. The town was much•in want of water, but lately we have had some very heavy showers, and they are again well supplied. IMPORTANT STATISTICS OF NAVIGATION.—Some va luable statistical returns of sailing-vessels registered at each port of the United Kingdom (including the Isle of Man, &c.) in the year 1843 ; of vessels entered and cleared coastwise in 1843 ; of the number and tonnage of vessels registered at each of the ports of the colonies ; and of ves sels built, registered, sold, wrecked, and broken up, during the same period, have been laid before the lower house of parliament, on the motion of Mr. J. T. Wawn, who represents the shipping interest in a portion of the north-eastern districts of England. We find the following statistics embodied in these returns, and take the earliest opportunity of laying them before the public :—ln Eng land alone, the gross total number of sailing-vessels under 50 tons registered at various ports on the 31st of Decem ber. 1843, amounted to 6,155, measuring altogether 186,832 tons. The nuu.ber of sailing vessels above 50 tons so registered on the 31st of December last amounted to 10,672, measuring altogether 2,319,414 tons.. The total number of steam-vessels registered above 50 tons was 337—tonnage, 8,119 ;. and the total number registered above 50 tons amounted to 309—tonnage, 63,923. In Scotland. the gross total number of sailing-vessels regis tered amounted to 3,549 (of which 1,216 were above 50 tons), and the total number of steam-vessels 128. of which 97 were above 50 tons' measurement. The gross total tonnage (including vessels of all sorts) amounted to 481,670. In Ireland, the number of sailing-vessels registered amounted altogether to 1,921 (of which more than half were above 51 tons;) and the number of steamers, 81 (of which 76 were above 50 tons. The gross amount of tonnage was 198,469. The gross total number of sailing vessels that entered inwards coast wise in 1843 amounted, in England, to 98,295; in Scot land, to 19,053; and in Ireland, to 16,476. The total numbers cleared out during the same period being, respec tively, 108,105 19,788, and 9,979. The total number of steam-vessels entered inwards, coastwise, amounted, in England, to 9,294 ? in Scotland, to 2,688 ; and in Ireland, to 2,651. The number of steamers cleared outwards, was, in England, 8,992 ; in Scotland, 2,311 ; and in Ireland, 2,989. The gross total tonnage of all the vessels so enter ed inwards, coastwise, in 1843, at the various ports throughout the United Kingdom amounted to 12,532,307 ; and the gross total tonnage of all the vessels cleared out wards coastwise during the same period, to 12,71,031, exhibiting the very slight difference between the mea surement of the inward and outward sailing vessels of only '38,734 tons. So much for the coasting trade of Great Br tain and Ireland. Respecting the colonial, it appears that the total number of British sailing vessels that entered inwards for the colonies at various ports of the United Kingdom during the year 1843 (in cludin g the repeated voyages) amounted to 8,404, whose tonnage was altogether 1,405,054 ; and the total number cleared outwards was 6,264, whose tonnage amounted to 1,527,233. The total number of foreign vessels entered inwards, and cleared outwards, only amo unted to 45 and 36 respective ly. The total number of steamers entered inwards from our colonies in 18-13 was 344 ; tonnage, 72,477 ; and the total number cleared outwards for the colonies,. 357 ; ton nage, 83,185. The total number of British sailing vessels entered inwards from foreign ports at all the ports of the United Kingdom and the Channel islands (including their repeated voyages) amounted to 11,263, tonnage 1,737,210; and the total number of British vessels cleared outwards for foreign ports during the same period amounted to 11.228, tonnage 1,791,755 ; the total number of foreign vessels simultaneously entered inwards and cleared out wards having been respectively 8,259 and 7,375. The number of British steamers S 9 entered inwards and out wards was respectively 2,439 and 2.314; and the number of foreign steamers respectively, 533 and 548. The num• ber of saiii.ng vessels built and registered in 1843 in the ports of the United Kingdom amounted to 653, tonnage 77,034; and the number of steamers 43, tonnage 83,097. The total number of vessels wrecked, sold, and broken up in the thine year amounted to. 778, tonnage 132,732. IRELAND. THE DUBLIN TRIALS. On Monday last affidavits were filed by the Crown Solictors in answer to those of the convicted parties. The latter documents charged fraud and collusion in the con struction of the original jury lists; and the omission of the names was again set out in all the forms and changes which legal fiction could invent and special-pleading em body. Mr. Pierce Mahony undertook to swear—not upon hearsay or belief, but in distinct and positive terms— Drat a gross, wilful, and corrupt suppression of the names - of the said persons and others qualified to be placed on the special jurors' list for the year 1844, had taken place." And, in an affidavit filed 19th April, 1844, this gentle man further positively deposed that " the omission of the names of several persons from said special jurors' list was not by accident, but was the effect and result of design and contrivance, to prejudice the tracer .aers." The law officers of the Crown, feeling that such allega tions ought not to be suffered to remain matters of record in their present form of amplification—determined that the affidavits should be answered by the town clerks and their subordinates, in whose office, or under whose con trol, the mistake, alleged to be a fraud, occurred. Affidavits were therefore obtained from the Clerks of the Peace for Dublin, and were filed on Monday. The charges of pre-concert and fraud, so vehemently urged—even resting as they did upon vague and undefined rumour— are rebutted in the most clear and satisfactory manner by the persons who could alone be cognisant of the purely accidental circumstances under which the omissions took place, and by which neither patty could be substantially injured ; and those who felt regret at any occurrence which even for a single day retarded the progress of the law towards the attainment of justice, will rejoice at the op portunity the delay afforded of refuting a series of calum nious falsehoods that have been too long permitted to oc cupy the public mind. THURSDAY. The motion of Mr. Whiteside to set aside the verdict, and obtain a new trial, having been fixed by consent for Thursday morning, the court was crowded from an early hour. The greater portion of the principal gallery was occupied by persons of respectabilty of both sexes. The traversers were in their pla in the side bar shortly after half-past ten o'clock, and aVeleven Mr. Whiteside moved to set aside the verdict. His speech occupied the entire day, and was not concluded at the rising of the court. The main ground upon which he went was the judge's misdirection. FRIDAY. Mr. Whiteside resumed his argument in support of a new trial at the sitting of the Court, but his speech was of so little interest in the details, that it produced no ex citement in the court. He quoted and commented upon a great mmy passages from the printed charge of the learned judge, which he contended were his directions, inasmucn as that the judge gave his own opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the traversers, and touched upon questions, which, properly speaking, came within the pro vince of the jury, and concluded his address a little before three o'clock. At the conclusion of Mr. Whiteside's address, The Attorney-General rose, and suggested the propriety of coming to an arrangement as to the course of pro ceeding. It was ultimately decided that four counsel for the traversers should he heard in support of the notices ; then that Either the Solicitor-General or the Attorney- General should be heard—next, that four counsel on be half of the traversers should address themselves in reply to the case wade on the part of the Crown—and finally, that one counsel for the crown should be heard in reply. Mr. Hatchell proceeded to address the court for Mr. Ray, applying himself chiefly to the jury question, and contending that it was impossible to account for the omission of so many names on the supposition of acci dent. SATURDAY. Mr. Moore, Q.C., addressed the court on the part of the Rev. Mr. Tierney. The grounds of his application for a new trial the le9rned counsel stated to be, that the verdict was unsustAtied by evidence, and that there had been misdirection on the part of the Lord Chief Justice. Mr. O'Hagan, on the part of Mr. Duffy, took, gene rally, the grounds for argument adopted by Mr. White side. The Solicitor-General rose to address the court on be half of the Crown, contending against the points urged by Mr. Whiteside. At five o'clock the court adjourned till yesterday (Mon.. day) morning, when the Solicitor-General would resume his address. Over 120 prisoners have been committed to the Bride well of Tralee during the last month. Members of the Cork Board of Guardians have discon tinued the use of the repf...al button, in consequence of a request to that effect from the chairman of the board. The Limerick Chronicle mentions the marriage of the Rev. Mr. Burke, lately a priest of the Church of Rome, to the widow Kennedy, at Kilfenora church. We deeply regret to state, that letters were received in town, on Thursday, announcing the death of the Rev. Charles Boston, Rector of Letterkenney, and ex-Fellow of the University of Dublin.—Dublin Evening Post. Mr. Stafford O'Brien M.P. intends to bring in a bill to prevent Vestries being held in Churches in places whose population exceeds one thuusand persons. Limerick Chronicle. At Lord Wicklow's seat, Shelton Abbey, county Wick low, there is a tree of the Olea punculata, near forty feet high, a wonder to all the gardeners in the neighbourhood, and probably the only specimen in Great Britain in the open air. The Repeal Association held their weekly meeting in Dublin, on Tuesday last. when Mr. O'Connell, Mr. J. '0 , 12. - fon, Mr. J. A- Cl , Suitl, uncl other, addressed the repeaters assembled ; but nothing was said of the least general interest. The rent received for the week was about £275. MELANCHOLY AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday night week, between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock, a very melancholy and fatal accident occurred to Mrs. Egan, of this town. After her family had retired to rest, this lady proceeded to a lower apartment in her house, in the Irishtown, and commenced reading by the light of a candle, when her clothes caught fire, and she was so dreadfully injured that she survived but a short time. Mrs. Egan has left a fond husband and a young family.— Tipperary Constitution. • THE CONVICT MAHONY.—This unfortunate criminal was to be executed in front of the county gaol this day, but a respite arrived on Saturday, postponing the execution until the 23rd of next month. He was convicted at the last assizes of the wilful murder of his sister-in-law, her daughter, and her servant woman, near the town of Mac room, on the 17th August last. The unfortunate crimi nal, since his first committal has evinced little intelligence beyond that of the lower class of animals, giving inco herent replies to any questions put to him in Iri,h, which is the only language he at all understands. When sentence of death was pronounced against him he appeared uncon scious of his awful position, and remains in that way to this present moment, and though every exertion has been made to instruct him, he is totally devoid of any knowledge of a future state. These circumstances having been re presented to the Lord Lieutenant, he directed a cautious investigation into the state of his mind, from which it is evident that although he may not come under the class of " idiocy," he might be considered an irresponsible being. The respite is for the purpose of making closer inquiry respecting him.—Cork Constitution of Tuesday. THE COLLIERS. The colliery districts in Durham and Northumberland are in a very unsatisfactory state; and should the shop keepers in the villages continue to supply the families of the men with provisions, the strike is likely to be a pro tracted one. The coal-owners have, it appears, decided that they cannot employ the men under the unreasonable restrictions contained in the bond drawn up by Roberts ,• beenkeDe3nu7rrtpehhls place, cm : Ne t , r d at ehs e t ma o da , mir t s c h op, rleoeeswdi centralt o ioo m nn e: s taking Monday d. an yt g i:lsa his to: active fltdrsnfh partesNuirsufficiently and, in some places, where strangers have been employed n to remove the stocks from bank, open hostilities have affray—and, though nothing of a serious outbreak has yet alarming. A troop of the Bth Hussars, and a company of t t t h a o be unfortunately required, and two other companies waiting further orders for the same destination. It is ec serviceswasetrlNewcastle stated that the aspect of affairs in the pottery district is changing, and that the turn-out there will probably soon be at an end, three district meetings were held in Nor thumberland on Monday last, and one in the county of Durham, at each of which resolutions were passed favour able to the continuance of their present position. The Nottingham Review gives the following account of the state of affairs further south :—" We are informed that most of the Nottinghamshire, and several of the Derbyshire colliers are doing very little work, as great numbers of the colliers firmly continue in the union. We understand there has been a large meeting of the most influential coal-masters in the counties of Derby, Not ti gham. and Leicester, with those connected with the North Midland Railway, at which it was determined not to employ any colliers in the union, and to put it down previous to entertaining the question of any regulation in wages or prices of coals." A meeting of the colliers of Wigan and neighbourhood was held at Amberswood Common, on Monday last. The procession reached the common about two o'clock, headed by two bands of music, with flags, and accompa nied by Mr. Roberts, the miner's Attorney General, and several delegates. Mr. John Berry of Wigan was called to the chair. Messrs. Price, Dennett, and Booth addres sed the meeting, and amongst the grievances of the dis trict, enumerated the truck system ; and the exorbitant charge of 2d. per lb. extra when they were obliged to pay for their powder and candles ' • 3s. 6d. for riddles, that they could purchase elsewhere for 2s. ; and spades in the same proportion ' • in short some of the coalmasters' offi ces were described as little better than ironmongers' and tallow chandler's shops. Mr. Roberts addressed the meeting at some length, exhorting them not under any circumstances to violate the law, but to act in unity, and with sober judgment, and then they would ultimately pre vail. The meeting amounted to between three and four thousand, who on being asked by M r. Price if they still intend to hold fast to the restrictive system of labour, as the means of keeping the stock of coals low, simultaneously held up their hands; A delegate meeting, at which Mr. Roberts attended was afterwards held at the Rope and Anchor Inn, Scholes, when it was unanimously resolved that Mr. Roberts should come on circuit into these districts once a month. DIALOGUE BETWEEN EMMA AND EMILY.—" It Seems cruel to kill so many animals for their furs—thirty-six poor squirrels rut to death to mike a muff for us !" " Yes. it is cruel ; why don't tilt monsters take them off without killing them 7" April 30. Ig4 t. DUELLING: TfiL AttAIY. In the amended articles relating to duelling, just issue from the War-office by her Majesty's authority, " for the purpose of more effectually discouraging and prohibling a practice which is a violation of her Maje.sty's orders; and a flags ant breach of the law of the land," we find that " These articles declare hit it is su'table to the charac , w te r r o o n f g l o io r n o in u s r u a l be ticonn committed, i t t o a red r a lni d gise and tq, i ff ,soe for redress for`eprti aggrieved to accept, frankly and cordially, explanations and apologies for the same. " It such redress be refused to be given, or to be ac cepted, and the friends of the parties have tailed to recon cile the dlferences, a reference should, in conformity with the significalon of her Majesty's pleasure in the 106th. article, be made to the commanding officer on the spots who will use his best advice and influence to reconcile th e . parties ; and the d ff-renees having bean honourabli settled by the good offices a• d responsibility of the COe' rnanding officer, ought never to be revived by either partle or any other officer, or body of officers; if, however, 0.11 commanding officer fail' to reconcile the partit s, it will become his duty to take such measures as he may dee i el necessary in ruder to pi event a duel, or to maintain goa l ' order in her Majesty's service, and the person refusing to be reconciled will be liable to be breug'it to a court-mar tial, and, if convicted, cashiered, or suffer such other punishment as the court may award. " All parties implicated in duelling are liable, on Con viction berore a general court-martial, to be cashiered. `' Her Majesty's pleasure is expressed in the 107th article, that officers, being the friends or seconds of the parties, shall exert their influence to adjust a difference' on terms consistent with the honour of each of the partief• The failure in settling a difference being generally attn.- butable to excessive demands for reparation made by one' of the parties, the conduct of the seconds, by the 1071 11 article, is made liable to he investigated as well as that of the principals, in all cases in which a dispute shall be referred for the consideration of a general court-martial. " Personal differences between gentlemen living toge ther as brother officers can seldom fail to be honourably and promptly adjusted in the first instance by explanation' between their mutual friends ; the propriety of an earlr explanation and acknowledgment of error was so forcibly pointed out by Firld-Martial the Duke of Wellington In cotifirming the sentence of a generalcourt-nyirtial in 1810 e, that Sir Henry Hardinge inserts the following extract of his grace's sentiments on this point : " ' The officers of the army should recollect that it is meritorious in him' who is in the wrong to acknowledge and atonefor his error, a n d th a t th e momentary humilia tion which every man may feel upon making such an ac knowledgment is more than atoned for by the subsequent satisfaction which it affords him, and by avoiding a trial and conviction of conduct unbecoming an officer.' " THE LATE WILL FORGERIES. On Monday, Mr. Baron Gurney called up the respective prisoners in these important cases, to receive their sett. tence. Barber entered into a long statement, alleging himself to have been deceived by Fletcher. His lordship, however, stated that the explanation had not altered the case against him, and then proceeded to pass sentence. Fletcher and Barber were each transported for life; Wm. Saunders for seven years ; and Mrs. Saunders and Mrs. Dorey were each sentenced to be imprisoned for two years, and kept to hard labour. Immediately after the sentences were In' tuvd on the convicts they were re-conveyed to the different wards of the prison, and kept as they were before the trial, separate. The only time they saw each other was when bra ught up into the court, and then they held no communication w each other. Since the sentence has been passed, Barber entertains the same confident hopes as he did before and during the trials, that he shall yet be at liberty. The tie• cessary steps, it is stated, are already being taken for the purpose of preparing a case to be laid before Sir J. Gra ham, and thereby to obtain, through the right hon. the Secretary of State, her Mejesty's free pardon. It is also understood that, as no proof was given as to the forgeriet of the different wills, a question on this point will be raised, so as to obtain the opinion of the judges. Even t!II this the friends of Barber are sanguine that the result will be favourable, and terminate in the indictment being quashed. Fletcher, who entertains no such hopes as los fellow convict, is, from his state of health, not expected to survive a very long period of time; for, since his commit tal, his disease, that of an affection of the heart, has in creased. The other convicts, particularly the two worttenr consider they have been . most mercifully dealt with , and it has been remarked, that from the time of th e committal, Mr. Dorey has not been once to see h is wife, nor have any of the parries been visited by any one except their professional advisers ; and, although kee separate from each other, not a single inquiry was in'!"' by any one after each other ; the only instance of anything like sympathy being exhibited was when Mrs. sande rs heard the jury find her guilty. She b u rst into a viole nt ~ flood of tears, when her sister took her by the hand. and Sanders put his I ft arm round his wife's waist. They both begged of her to be composed, and to bear her fate ie with fortitude. Should the intended application on n half of Barber prove unsuccessful, the three ntel , e k , co will directly afterwards be removed to the preparatory to their being sent to New Sou• vv conv i cts will SYMPTOMS OF REACTION AMONGS T FitEE"- THE return CH u R C o li f m a EN minister, rr h e w n a g nd p a elder s, ara graph o noticing g reat portion congregation of a free Protestant church , to the bosom . the Establishment, we copy from a Dundee pairr o here week, and we are inf,,rmed that the di:posi tion shown to be satisfied with Lord Aberdeen's bill is one nu at all singular in Scotland amongst those who have been hurried into the late secession movement. — " On Monday evening a numerous meeting of the Rev. Mr. Law's con gregation was held in their chapel , Reform-street, Dun dee,o ncgt. t the e t Captain John Smith in the chair. Atter prayer by Mr. Law, he shortly gave his reasons for resigning con nexion with the ' Free' Church, and returning into the establishment. In his explanation he stated that he con sidered the non-intt usion principle secured by Lord Aber deen's bill ; and that that reason for separating was now removed. He then retired, that the congregation might decide for themselves as to how they were to act in the circumstances. Mr. Ivory Kidd, one of the elders, after stating that all the elders and deacons had agreed to join the established church along with their pastor, moved a petition to the presriytery, praying that the congregation might be admitted into communion with them, which being seconded by the clerk of Mr. Law's bession, was unani mously adopted. A few of the ' Free' Church party were in attendance, and one elder made himself rath , r con spicuous in attest pang dissension, which was speedily pu b down. Mr. Law returned after the petition had been re solved on, and concluded with prayer. As we were Ivae ing the members were pressing forward to sign the peti tion ; and we understand that in the space of half an hour nearly 200 names were adhibited. FATAL ATTACK BY A BOAR.—We have the melancholy task of recording the violent, and almost instantaneous death of a young inhabitant of Gloucester, who was ne Friday afternoon hurried into eternity under very dread ful circumstances. Mr. Fisher, mealman, of Nothgate street who also occupies the first corn mill, at Upton St , Leonard's near this city, has at the latter place a boar pig/ which he has had some time in his possession, and which we believe has gained a prize or prizes at agricultural exhibitions. On Friday afternoon, Mr. Fisher's son, Mr. John Fi , her, a fine healthy young man about twenty-two years of age, went to the mill, and the miller having occa sion to drive the pig from its stye, endeavoured to do sot but as it evinced some stubbornness, young Mr. Fisher said that he would get it out, and he opened the door for that purpose, when the boar rushed furiously on him and, seized him by th e t hi g h s , an d t h e tus k s o f t h e i n f ur i a ted animal inflicted two most horrible wounds, both of which it is believed, tore open the large blood vessel, of the body, known as the femoral artery. The unhappy young man exclaimed Oh Lord !" and a frightful gush of blood immediately filled his trowsers. He walked a little vieV towards the miller's house, the blood flowing in a conti nuous stream all the way, and when he reached the gate he reeled in a fainting state, and was saved from falling the miller's man, who caught him in his arms and carried him into the house, and in less than five minutes he was e corpse. The miller mounted a horse and galloped to Gloucester, and returned almost immediately with Mr. Charles Clutterbuck, of this city, surgeon ; but before big arrival the vital spark had fled. The scene which ensued in breaking the horrible intelligence to the bereaved parents was heart-rending in the extreme ; and the dread ful event has caused a great feeling of deep sympathy for the deceased, who was an only son, in the full vigour of youthful life and strength, and was most respectable is his character and conduct.—Gloucester Journal. The " Bankers' Circular" has published a return of the annual clearing payments made by the different London bankers, who send their daily claims on each other to the clearing house to be written off, and the final balance! paid. This is an interesting document, but, as is observed in the publication referred to, is no guide absolutely to the relative rank and importance of the houses named in it. None of the West End bankers, for example, are in th e list, their demands upon the city being cleared by the C it. ' banks, and swelling by that amount the returns of till houses employed as their agen t s . 'The bill an d stoc brokers' accounts have a similar effect, without being 13 true index of the amount of general banking businesti" The following is the list referred to : of Amounts passed by the p r i nc i pa l B an ki ng Housee London at the Clearing House-1840. ~.., Barclay and Co. Glyn and Co.. .... . Jones, Loyd and Co 104,000,000 Masterman and Co 90,000,000 Robarts and Co. Smith. Payne, and Co Williams and Co. _ ... Barnett and Co Lubbock and Co . ••• 33,760,000 Stone, Martin, and C 0......... 33,700,000 Prescott and Co. Denison and Co. ... 26,863,0 00 lianbury and Co 24,700, 000 Ladbroke and Co. Willis and Co. 20,500, 000 Curries and Co. Spooner and Co. 16,000, 000 Price and Co. 'llankey and Co. .. . 15,000, 0 v v Barnard and Co. Vere and Co Rogers and l 0.. Doreen and Co B,o o o ro Fuller and Co. Brown and Co.. Bosanquet and Co. Stevenson and Co 3 riou , ,-,., opu . 4 ow, Weston and Co. Total, .£9---78:496,9°Q