The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-02-25 00:00:00

imperial Varliament. HOUSE OF LORDS,-MONDAY The EARL of DALlTousiu. in reply to Lord Brougham, r .11 the decisions of the Railway declined st; Board wer, ed by e one of its me o each ot bens, even The LORD CHANCELLOR said, in reply to a question from Lord Beaumont, as to his intention of bringing in a bill to redeem the ph carry still further the n with the pains and pen were subject in c had and certainly )ect to to had done escaped had given last session, to hen passed for doing away „s to which Roman Catholics tain cases, that he had done all that he do. The measure of las t, and he bad promised to refer t ad doubtl tssion was ssioners for consideration. This he ess when they should make their re vould find that the matter had not ps then adjourned HOUSE OF COMMON Sir R. PEEL said, in reply to Mr. Lahouch?re, he did set , lement on the sugar duties, ley should be voted from year to )NDAY not pro R. PEEL a permar eretotor that there said, in reply to Mr. Peter Borthwick, lodation for the report that it was in of King Consort upon Prince tended to confer t L,rd HOWICK asked a question similar to that put in the House of Peers by Lord Brougham, whether the five members of the Railway Board had agr, ed in their deci were divisions ; also whether it Board of Trade to lav before the sions, or was the int house the Sir G. CL to the length ether there tion of the As of the corn peting companies. ,r the first question ; and on account of their great )nd he replied " No THE BUDGET nt int() Cc rs was read Littee of Ways and Mean?, continuing the Income-tax for Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose, and having described the income-tax as the most unequal, vexatious, and fraudu lent of imposts, expressed his surprise that it R. Peel had not attempted to moderate its admitted defects in some shape. He admitted that it was necessary to renew With respect to the increased estimates he had The abolition of the duties approved of; that upon auc- this tax not much o'nj tions he con6rnned as uncalled for; and ridiculed the giving away £300,000, which nobody wished to be relieved from. He complained that instead of the results of the tariff, Sir Roben. Peel had given the house nothing but general statements, and p posed to go on much further in the same line, and take the duties off four hundred arti cles. With respect to the proposed sugar duties, he ar gued against the prohibitory duties on slave-grown sugar, and insisted that upon false principles the right hon. ba ronet was about to sacrifice revenue to the extent of about £1,300,000, which would be unnecessary if a r ere made on pro tax might hay e-adju,t -grounds. been conti- on cotton and glass might have been reduced ; that the auction duties should have been left untouched ; that many of the other ieen left as they were, but, above all, sptr; of monopoly and protection ought to have ipple , .l with ; and he emphatically declared hat protection was the bane of agriculture. ax was to be rendered permanent, a select that tt K ❑L nave }. been boldly gra As the income should be some i Mr. It ( rtion of its inequ. :ed to endeavour to get rid of . . UCK expressed his disappointment at the im asion of Lord J. Russell's speech. He him- the word tent of idinent to the resolution, to leave out ions, trades, and offices," with the in em to a tut calculated upon the money e amount of incomes to be re- 3rties to be assessed A discussion e tion lamented th he course or svhict e oPno: ce of the Income Tax, Vol ad unty members complained a direct manner, for agri- ; and the Chancel! u. of the Exchequer contended cd grounds exi=ted, judging from the effects of the in its power to de- r the inc L state( lad des e tax should be again renewed or in replr, that the noble lord (Lor ibed the income tax as the mo: odious, the most vexatious, and unenual tax that ever was imposed, and had surprised him (Sir R. Peel) much by it to vote far it. He could not help, when he perceived how strongly the noble lord condemned the tax, feeling grateful for the compliment which he paid him (Sir R. Peel) in supporting its imposition for three years longer. he did not know whether the noble lord was not influenced by the feeling, that should he be on the mi.isterial benches some two or three years hence, the £5,000,000, however derived, would be a very grate ful sum to deal with ; but he believed that the noble lord really felt also that, in the circumstances of the country, the continuance of the tax was calculated to prove ulti mately beneficial. He thus explained his silence on the agricultural interest:—" I am sorry to hear statements which implied that I was insensible to the distress that prevailed among agriculturists in some parts of the coun try. It has been also observed that I said nothing in my speech of Friday night on the subject of agricultural dis:- tress ; but it seems to have been forgotten that, in a speech made only two or three nights previously, I stated that I believed in some parts of the country there existed great agricultural distress, which was attributable to drought, in the earlier part of the year, causing a failure of the hay crop and the turnip crop ; and that I admitted that there was therefor hat he r great local pressure. But I could not say with truth that the distress among agriculturists was of a general nature, because in Scotland, I believe, and Ire land, and also in the northern parts of England, the crops are abundant. I doubt, therefore., in the existence of ge neral agricultural distress in this country. For that dis tress, when it exists, I feel the deepest sympathy; and I wish that it was in my power to devise measures for its effectual relief; but the house knows that there is no diffi culty greater than to devise measures for purely local agricultural distress." The committee divided — For Mr. Roebuck's amendment Against it Majority -208 Adjourned HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY Mr. COWPER gave notice that, on the 4th of March, he would move for leave to bring in a bill for the allotment of field gardens to the poor. Lord ASHLEY moved for leave to bring in a bill to re gulate the labour of children in the calico print-works of Great Britain and Ireland. These children were chiefly employed in the counties of Lancaster, Chester, and Derby, in some parts of Scotland, and also in the neigh bourhood of Dublin. The ages at which they began to work were four, five, six, nine, and ten years ; but he would only claim the interference of parliament for child ren under thirteen years, as that was the age under which children were protected by the Factory Act. The num ber of children employed in the calico print-works was 25,000. Many of those places of work were excellently arranged and well ventilated ; but the great majority of them were in a very deplorable, and indeed he might say, detestable condition. The nominal hours of work were in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire twelve hours a day, but the actual hours of work varied from twelve to sixteen hours, and even more. Night-work among these young children was universal, so that in those factories where it was not carried on it was considered as an excep tion from the general practice. These long hours excluded the children, and particularly the female children, from all opportunities of education. The first proposition, therefore, he should make to the house was, the total abo lition of night-work for all females of whatever age, and for all of both sexes under 12 years of age. With regard to the reduction of the hours of labour for children under 13 years of age, the proposition which he had to make was, that from and after the Ist October, 1816,—which would allow nearly two years to expire betore his act came into operation,—no children under 13 years of age should work more than eight hours a day for six days in the week, or more than twelve hours a day for alternate days in the week. He further proposed that, in conformity with the provisions of the Factory Act, two hours should be set aside in each day for the education of those who worked eight hours for six days in the week, and three hours on alternate days for those who worked twelve hours for three days in the week. He called upon the state to fulfil its boast, and to show itself the pious parent of those un protected children. Such efforts would not be lost in the eyes of God; and her children would speedily rise up, and call her blessed. Sir J. GRAHAM thought that, considering the great in crease of our population, and the great competition for labour, it behoved Government to be cautious how it in terfered with any measure which would affect their physi cal condition, and so affect their means of labour. He contended that the work allotted to the children in the calico print works was necessary to the manufacture. He bad great hesitation in consenting to the introduction of this bill, and he reserved to himself the utmost latitude of discretion as to his mode of dealing with it hereafter. Leave was given to bring in the bill. Mr. T. De Nboll BE called the attention of the house to the unsatisfactory and evasive character of the report of the Secret Committee appointed last session to inquire into the opening and detaining of letters at the Post-office. He believed that this was a novel practice, and that the merit of its invention was entirely due to Sir James Gra ham. He had likewise stated that his (Mr. Duncombe's) own correspondence had been violated, and that his letters bad been detained and opened on the authority of the right lion, baronet. On that statement the committee was en tirely silent. He considered it to he a degradation for any member of the House of Commons to know and feel that he is such an object of suspicion as to warrant a Secretary of State to insult him by opening his letters. He could not conceive a greater personal insult either to the mem ber itself, or to the constituency which he had the honour of representing. If his correspondence was not to be free, he was not a fit representative for any constituency ; and in the name of that constituency he called on the right hon. baronet to justity, if he could, the opening of his (Mr. Duncombe's) letters. That a member of the legis lature should ask the right hon. baronet whether he had opened that members letter, and that he should find the right hon. baronet, while he has the meanness or th e baseness to profit by that act , without the courage to avow it.—[Hire Mr. Duncombe, who was loudly cheered by the opposition, was called to order by the sp ea k er, w h o requested him to recall his observations, as they were of too personal a character. He explained them as applied to Sir James in his ministerial capacity, but added, "to ii ose observations I adhere, so they must and shall re main."] He then proceeded to argue that this was an additional reason why another inquiry should be institu ted, and concluded by demanding. it for the vindication of his own character and for the satisfaction of hiss constitu ents. Sir JAMES GRAHAM denied that any effort was made by the government to suppress the inquiry into the pro ceedings of the Post. office. He had himself declared his readiness, if released from his oath of office by his Sove reign, to disciose every order which he had issued in con nexion with the Post-office. He cared not one rush if Mr. Duncombe thought fit to condemn him either upon mere suspicion, or upon information collected he knew n•lt how, and given by persons he knew not whom. He contended that the committee had made a most satisfac tory report, and that it had completely followed up the instructions of the house. A secret office, connected with the Foreign Department of the Government, bad existed for more than a century in the Post-office ; and he now informed the house that it had been withdrawn from the Post-office, and was no longer in existence, in consequence of orders that had been issued by the Foreign-office. Mr. SEI EIL asked why the charge had not been answered that the letters of Mr. Duncombe, a member of that house, and the representative of a large section of the me tropolis, had been opened and read by order of the Home office ? Sir J. GRAHAM observed that, when he was interroga ted upon the subject last year, he had refused to answer any question respecting it, unless her Majesty released him from his oath of secrecy as a privy councillor, and the house appointed a committee t..) examine and report upon the whole matter. He should now adhere to the course of proceeding which he had adopted last session, and should reply to - the question of Mr. Sheil by stating that he could not, consistently with his public duty, an .. . . swer any further interrogatory. Sir R. PEEL defended the report of the Committee of Secrecy from the remarks which had been made to its dis credit. He insisted that there had been no miconduct on the part of the executive government in the exercise of this power of opening letters. if it was wrong to exercise such power at all, the fault was not with the executivego vernrnent, but with the parliament which had thought fit to arm it with such an instrument. He pressed, in con clusion. upon the house the propriety of not implying sus picion of their committee, and of the ministers whom that committee had acquitted, by subjecting them to a second The debate was adjourned to Thursday HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY Lord SANDON presented a petition from members of the Universal Peace Society, at Liverpool, against any in- create of After the resolution of Sir R. Peel, and Mr. Roebuck's amendment, which adds to it these words. "That the provisions of the said tax as to property should extend to Ireland," had been read, Mr. Ror.nucK commenced his observations by calling on Sir Robert Peel to point out the reasons—for the onus lay upon him—which induced him to deviate in the case of Ireland from the rule which governed his conduct in the case of England, Scotland, and Wales. He had said that there was now a great exigency, and that that applied equally to England and Ireland. If that were correct, then the exigency should be met by the united means of both kingdoms. He therefore called upon the right hon. baronet to tax the realized capital of Ireland, as well as that of England, or else to show that the circumstances of Ireland were such as to satisfy him in deviating from his general rule. He called also on the members of the agricultural interest of England to pluck up a little cou rage, to cease from crawling on their bellies before the minister, and to relieve their tenants, of whose distresses they were always complaining, by extending this tax to the realized capital of the sister country. He appealed like wise to the members of the mercantile interest for support to his proposition, on the ground that it would enable them to employ a greater amount of labour, and to pay a higher rate of wages for it. Sir R. Peel had originally refused to impose this tax on the land of Ireland, because he bad increased the stamp duties in that country. Now, stamps being chiefly used in t e transfer of property, fell heaviest on the middling and lower classes; and therefore he advised him to remit the stamp duties, which fell on those classes, and to extend the operation of a tax which would fall principally on the more opulent. At the pre sent moment the Irish landlord was receiving great ad vantage from the amount of tithe recently added to his f estate. He had al-o no assessed taxes to pay. Why, then, should he not submit to the imposition of the in come-tax ? When he proposed this amendment on a former evening, Mr. Sheil advised him to read over Ed mund Barke's speech on conciliation with America. He knew the idea which was passing at the moment through Mr. Sheil's mind—it was that of revolution ; it was that Ireland was so turbulent that it would not submit to such a tax. He was glad to see Mr. Shed attending in his place in that house ; but the other Irish members—where were they ? They had turned tail ; they had deserted their post, and had pusillanimously shrunk from the battle field in that house, where they must know that their battle must be fought, because from their own personal insigni ficance they could not command its attention. He adjured Sir R. Peel, the agricultural and the mercantile interests, not to sanction the extra taxation of England for the un taxed landlords of Ireland. He wondered how any land lord of that country cc,uld look an Englishman in the face and talk of the advantages of a property-tax. It was a little too bad. He would endeavour to remedy such a state of things by imposing the property-tax, which they deemed so advantageous, upon their shoulders: at the same time he wished it to be understood that he would exempt the income derived from the trade, commerce, and professions of that country from its operation. Mr. SHELL observed, that as Mr. Roebuck had always expressed great solicitude for Ireland, he was almost in clined to say, " God save it from his friendship." After stating the reasons which had induced several Irish mem bers to abstain from attending in their places in that house, and after declaring, amid loud cheers, that he had not felt it consistent with his duty to follow the example of his absent friends, be addressed himself to the considera tion of the different proposals of Mr. Warburton and Mr. Roebuck on the subject of the income and property-tax. " Perpetuity," cried the one ; " Universality," cried the other. " Eternity," said the voice from Kendal ; " In finity," retorted the voice from Bath. But Mr. Roebuck also called for equality of taxation for Ireland and for England ; and as a proof of what he meant by it, he pro posed to lay on England Schedule A and Schedule D ; buton Ireland be would only impose Schedule A, and would have out Schedule D. His scheme of equality, therefore, fell at once to the ground. On a former occa sion he (Mr. Shiel) had recommended Mr. Roebuck to read Burke's speech on conciliation with America; on the present he would recommend him to read the speech of the eloquent defender of the Canadas (Mr. Roebuck), in which admirable precepts were laid down for the mode in which England ought to govern that country—precepts which he wished his learned friend would follow on the present occasion. In his present amendment, however, he had differed from every minister who had ever proposed an income-tax. Neither Pitt, nor Fox, nor Percival, nor the Earl of Liverpool, nor that fascinating financier Sir Robert Peel, had ever proposed an income-tax for Ireland. The absentees from Ireland already drained the country of large sums; the crown-rents and quit-rents of Ireland were also expended in the embellishment of London and of Windsor Castle ; and Mr. Roebuck, with a knowledge of both these facts before him, proposed to exhaust it still more by draining from it the amount of the income-tax. He believed it to be unjust to impose this tax upon Ire land—at any rate he knew it to be impolitic. With a full recollection of the disturbance which Wood's half-pence created in Ireland in the time of Swift, would they arm Mr. O'Connell, a second Swift, with such an instrument of agitation as the property-tax would prove in his hands ? He verily believed that Colonel Conolly, if such a tax were extended to Ireland, would himself turn repealer, and take a Grey Porter view of the state of that country. Ile warned them against any measure which would make Catholicism, Protestantism, and Presbyterianism coalesce against the British government in Ireland. Saving was an equivalent to gain. Introduce better government into Ireland, and you may reduce your army. Adapt your institutions to Ireland, ins ead of adapting Ireland to your institutions, and you w:11 gain perpetual peace. Peace will gain wealth ; wealth will demand a greater consumption of coffee, sugar, and other taxable commodi ties, and will throw open a new field for British manufac tures ; and the prosperity of Ireand will repay, with mag nificent usury, every effort you make for her improve ment. After several other members had addressed the house, Sir R. PEEL admitted that, on the first blush of the question, justice would seem to require that the property tax should be extended to Ireland, if it were intended as a perindnent tax. Now, in the year 1841 he had proposed it not as a permanent, but as a temporary tax for three years. He and the Chancellor of the Exchequer had then calculated the proportion which the expense of levying it for three years in Ireland would bear to its return to the Exchequer; and had both come to the conclusion that the imposition of new stamp duties in Ireland, and of in creased duties on Irish spirits, would bring a greater re venue into the Exchequer even than the property-tax, if extended to Ireland. He then, in reply to an observation of Mr. Hume, examined the proportional advantage which Ireland and Great Britain would derive from the proposed remission of duties. There was levied in the united kingdom £700,000 by the duties on cotton wool. Ireland only paid £114,000 of that sum. The great import of cotton wool took place at present at Liverpool ; but he trusted that the time would come ere long when Cork and Waterford would have also a share in that import. Of the auction duties Great Britain paid £270,000, Ireland only £11,700. Of the glass duties Great Britain paid .£574,000, Ireland only £5,7•17. These returns were suf ficient to prove beyond all dispute, that Great Britain derived the chief advantage from his proposed remission of taxation, and were, therefore, a refutation of the argu ment, that Ireland was bound to give us some return in the shape of a property-tax for the benefits which we were bestowing upon her. He was strongly in favour of the original proposition submitted to the house. He had not cheered Mr. Shed, when he denounced the extension of the property-tax to Ireland as unjust, but when he de nounced it as impolitic. Impolitic he certainly did think it ; for, when he looked at the present condition of that country, the state of feeling within it, and the brighter prospects which were dawning upon it from the diversion of men's minds from political and religious differences to the interests of their common country, he was prepared to sat, if he were as . ked whether he thought that they would have any compensation for relinquishing an income of £lOO,OOO or £200,000. which they could not raise seeridng danger, Relinquish to you, and con v i nce t w h i e t h p o e u r t u risking g a e d v v i a l n a t r a id ge en p czi p e i i , Ireland, that though you have here a predominant share in the representation, you will not derive any benefit from it for the purpose of imposing upon her a property-tax. If they would take that course, he was sure that they would be compensated by the grateful feeli ngs o f t h e I r i s h people, who would no longer view them with hatred and aversion, but with kindness and respect. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY. The Lancaster and Carlisle and the London and York Railway Bills were each read a first time. Mr. BANICES announced that it was in contemplation to submit to the house an amendment to the effect that the proposed reduction in the auction duties should not take place, and that the surplus thus saved should be applied by the government to the relief of those burthens which pressed with peculiar weight upon agriculture. On the motion of Mr. MACKINNON , leave was given to bring in a bill for the prevention of the nuisance of smoke arising from the furnaces of factories. Leave was given to Mr. WATSON to bring in a bill for a total repeal of the enactments imposing pains and pe nalties on Roman Catholics. Sir JAMES G RAH AM intimated that this was only part of a great measure which it Ras the intention of govrrn ment to bring forward. He said Sir Edward Ryan, Mr. Richards, and Mr. Amos had been added to the Criminal Law Commission, and two objects of inquiry had been marked out for the commission, namely, the modification of the two crimes of homicide and theft, and this p )rtion of the penal laws. On the motion of Sir JAMES GRAHAM, leave was given to bring in a bill to regulate the appointment and payment of clerks and other officers of the courts of petty quarter sessions of the peace, oyer and terminer and gaol delivery. The adjourned debate on Mr. Duncombe's motion as to the letter-opening was then resumed, and the house was addressed by several members. Mr. M. Milnes, Lord John Manners, and several others, said that go vernment had not been guilty of any dereliction of duty in opening letters—that Mr. Duncombe shout -I have been frankly told whether his correspondence had been opened —but that they would not vote for a motion which directly censured the government. Mr. Stuart Wortley and Mr. Sidney Herbert defended what had been done—the for mer saying that he could not see that the hon. member for Finsbury was more entitled to exemption from the power in question than the meanest of his constituents ; but if it had been abused in his case, the proper course would be to impeach the government. Mr. Macauley. Mr. C. Buller, and Mr. Ward, argued strongly against government. Lord Howick thought Mr. Duncombe's case should be inquired into, and moved as an amend ment, that a select c3mmittee should be appointed to in quire if the allegations were true that the letters of a member of that house had been opened at the Post-office, and if so, by what authority it had been done, and for what reasons? Mr. D'lsraeli seconded this amend rent, in a speech personally sarcastic on the Premier. The debate was then adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY Lord NIONTEAGLE moved for various returns connected with the sugar duties. Lord STANLEY acquiesced in the motion, at the same time intimating that the government was willing to give every possible information on the subject. Lord WHARNCLIFFE informed their lordships that he had every reason to believe that the new House of Lords would be ready for their reception at the commencement of the next session of Parliament. The house adjourned early. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY Mr. BANKES gave notice, that he will take the sense of the house on the propriety of remitting the auction duty. Mr. MILES also gave notice, that he would move an amendment on the introduction of the proposed Customs' Acts, to the effect that in any remission of taxation it is expedient to consider the claims of the agricultural inte rest. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated to the house that the reduction of the sugar duties and the aboli tion of the export duty on coal would take place from the day on which the resolutions should pass the house, and not from the day on which the bills should receive the royal assent. The debate on Mr. Duncombe's motion respecting the opening of letters at the post-office was resumed. Mr. R. COLBORNE would not support the motion for another inquiry, although he tbd regret that the informa tion sought for respecting Mr. Duncombe's case had not been given either by the government or the secret com mittee. Nlr. FeRRAND observed that Sir James Graham had said at the time the committee was appointed that he should reserve to himself the right of appealing to the house if the secret committee did not do him justice; and he could not, therefore, understand why he should deny to Mr. Duncombe the right of appeal which he reserved to himself. Mr. STRUTT gave his testimony to the straightforward manner in which Sir James Graham had given his evidence before the secrrt committee. He had only acted like those who had preceded him, and yet had been pursued with great harstin-ss and injustice. Considering the effect pro duced by this vo% er of opening letters, he thought it ought not to be coot inlet'. Mr. COLQUHOUN said that, if the house deemed the power to be impolitic, it should alter the law upon the subject ; but hile the law remained as it now stood they should pro.ect the public functionary who acted upon it from no other motives than the public safety. Mr. WATSON had looked into the law on the subject, and could find no authority whatever conferring this viwer on the Secretary of State. The whole system was, in his opinion, illegal, and no usage whatever could confer the force of law upon warrants to open letters at the post office. They could only use the power on positive infor mation, and in such a manner as to enable the parties to obtain redress in a court of law if they felt themselves wronged. It eas no justification that the same practice had prevailed under the government of the Whigs, for it was alike discreditable to all parties. He thought that further inquiry was necessary in order that they might more accurately understand the grounds on which their liberties had beet) encroached upon. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, felt that the legal question was irrelevant o th- motion before the house, but lie must say he could riot subscribe to the law laid down by his hon. and learned friend. The fact was, that general war rants bad been issued under statute down to 1694, when the act expired. Although the act was never renewed, ge neral warrants were still issued down to 1763. wh,n the practice was declared illegal by the judges of the land. The statute of Anne, however, renewed as it had been by the act of Victoria, gave a specific power to open letters to the Secretary of State, and it was consequently a legal power. The matter was placed on slightly different grounds by the privilege of parliament, for the House of Commons in 1735 resolved it to be an express breach of privilege to open the letters of members of parliament without a war rant which constituted its legality. It was true the power might be abused, but that was no argument against the proper and judicious use of it. He thought it extremely unfair that the members of the late government had not stepped forward to rescue Sir James Graham from the odium which was heaped upon him for continuing a prac tice with which they were themselves perfectly familiar. In fact, the committee of secrecy had reported that Sir James Graham had improved on the practice of those who had preceded him. He considered the motion of the honourable member for Finsbury was a personal attack, rendered still more personal by the amendment of Lord i-iowick. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that if the power of opening letters was illegal, the acts of Anne and Victoria could be considered in no other light than as a trap to the unlearned in the statutes. The remedy was sufficiently obvious: the law should be made clearer. He believed that this power had been used by Sir James Graham in the same way as it had been used by his predecessors, and for the purpose only of defeating conspiracies against the public peace. He did not, however, think that the Post-office of England should be made subservient to the views of foreign powers. The fate of the unfortunate brothers Bandeira, who had been lured and betrayed by a spy, afforded but slight encouragement to follow the practice of opening letters at the suggestion of any foreign govern ment. It, under the threats of marching troops, which might never have been seriously contemplated, we were to give information to the Emperor of Russia against the Poles, to Austria against the Italians, or to Spain against the Spanish exiles, this country would cease to be the land of hospitality which it bad so long been considered by the world. Acquitting Sir James Graham of the charges against him, which were so applicable to all former admi nistrations, the noble lord proceeded at considerable length to argue that it would be toe greatest injustice to Mr. Duncombe, and would be wholly unsatisfactory to the public, if a further inquiry were, refused. Sir R. PEEL said he was enabled again to address the house, in consequence of the amendment moved by Lord Howick; but he should only avail himself of the privilege to notice some observations upon which he wished that the House should be set right. He wished to disclaim the slightest intention—indeed it never entered into his contemplation that any one could conceive, from what he said, that be meant to imply that the hon. mem ber for Finsbury had rendered himself suspected of being in any way connected with the disturbances which the Government were endeavouring to put down in the year 1842. To attempt, by inference, to affix a stigma on the hon. member would be much more unpardonable than if he had openly named him ; but the truth, he repeated, was, that he never thought his words could bear the con struction which had been put upon them, and, of course, never intended that they should convey such an inference. The right hon. bart. then replied in the happiest strain to the sarcasms in which Mr. D'lsraeli indulged on the previous evening, carrying with him, in every sentence, the feelings of the whole House. He subsequently con tended that if the motion were agreed to, a great injustice would be inflicted upon the Government, which had already been acquitted by a committee of honourable men—a committee to which it had voluntarily submitted its conduct, when it might have evaded inquiry by taking the chances of a division. He admitted the exercise of the power, though that exercise had not exceeded the use which had been made of it under Lord John Russell— he admitted that in its exercise mistakes might have been made—be admitted that a letter might have been thus opened ; be would admit all this ; but still, if they should decide, by the aid of the votes of the members of the late administration, that the Government should be placed again upon its trial, he would rather be the party defeated by such injustice, than one of a majority who, by taking advantage of circumstances, had thus gained a triumph so miserable against a political opponent. Sir G. GREY denied that the charges now brought against the government were the same as those of which they bad been acquitted. They should have bad the man liness to have avowed whether they had opened the letters of the hon. member for Finsbury, and their reasons for declining to answer he could only look upon as a flimsy pretex t. Mr. DUNCOMBE replied, expressing a hope that the amendment of Lord Howick would be agreed to. if defeated on the division his next motion should be to be allowed to call witnesses to the bar of the house to estab lish the fact that his letters had been owned. As he per ceived there was but little chance of his motion being agreed to. he should withdraw it, to make room for the amendment of Lord Howick. _ _ The SrEAKER said the better course was to withdraw both the original motion and the amendment, and then to move the amendment as an original motion. This was done, and on a division Lord Howick's amendment was negatived by a majority of 240 to 145. Mr. DUNCOMBE then gave notice that he would, on Tuesday move that the officers of the Post-office be called to the bar of the house. Put EIGN AND COLONIAL. WEST INDIES. The Royal West Indian Mail Steam-packet Company's ship Tweed, Geerge Parsons, commander, arrived on Friday. The latest days by this arrival are, Jamaica, Jan. 23; Demerara, Jan. 19; Trinidad, Jan. 19; Barbadoes, Jan. 23; Grenada, Jan. 25; St. Thomas's, Jan. 31; Fayal, Feb. 14. The Tweed brings 1,089 dollars ; £l,BlO in British coin ; 1,5690 z. of gold dust ; pearls, value £1,200 ; a consignment of West India preserves ; and a considerable number of passengers. The Tweed has met heavy weather and continued head winds since leaving St. Thomas's. The Royal mail steam-packet Clyde arrived at Grenada, from Southampton, on the 25th of January, and trans ferred the mails and passengers for Havannah and Mex co to the Teviot, which sailed the same evening. The Clyde brought up the homeward mails to Si. Thomas's where they were transhipped to the Tweed. Her Majesty's ship Hermes had been ordered to Ber muda, to undergo repairs which could not be done at Ja maica; and, in consequence, the Bishop had been pre vented taking his intended tour. The governors of the Windward Islands were expected at Jamaica on the 15th of February, to decide the ques tion of a penal settlement for the Windward Islands. Rattan Island, off Cape Honduras, is stated as the spot selected. It is of very limited extent. Her Majesty's ship Spartan, and schooner Pickle, the former at Mon tego-bay, and the latter at Falmouth, are conveying troops from one station to another. A vessel from Aux Cayes, which had arrived from Ja maica, reported matte' e to be all quiet in Hayti. Captain-General O'Donnell had visited St. Jago de Cuba, and been received with due honours. Meetings had been held in Jamaica to memorialize her Majesty's government on the subject of the admission of Venezuelan sugar into Great Britain at the same rate of duty as sugar the produce of free laboul, the agricul turists in that island fearing that the produce of Cuba and Porto Rico would find its way through the United States into the British market at the lowest rate of duty. The island of Jamaica was in a very healthy state. Her Majesty's ships had been all ordered by Sir C. Adams to meet at Barbadoes. TETE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE CANADAS.—The latest account of the state of Lord Aletcalfe's health, pre sents a marked improvement, as compared with the dis couraging statements which have latterly reached England. We learn from Hestingfort, in Sweden, that the mag nificent observatory lately e-ected in that town has been destroyed by fire. This disastrous event is attributed to malevolence. The German Catholic communion is now formally con stituted in Leipsic. The members have adopted the Breslaw Confession of Faith referred to in a recent com munication. Letters from St. Petersburgh of the 7th, state that the Empress was suffering under palpitation of the heart. The intelligence of the death of her Imperial Highness, the Duchess of Nassau, reached St. Petersburgh on the sth. It appears that the Emperor is far from being well, but that he continues his daily walks in the open air. SPAIN.-Our accounts from Madrid ere of the 12th inst. The Senate adopted on that day seven articles of the Clergy Dotation Bill, without any amendment. As respected the national property already sold, the Minister of Finance renewed his former declaration, that the Gov ernment would tolerate no encroachment on acquired rights, which should be held sacred. The Charleston Cow ier states, that the factory girls at Lowell a, e about to establish a factory, of which they are to be joint proprietors. An old opera singer has voluntarily confessed that he set fire to the Berlin Theatre last August. His motive he states was revenge against the leader of the chorus, AN AVALANCHE.-A few days ago a great mass of tho snow which covered the plateau upon the slope of the mountain which overhangs the village of Moliere, in the Aveyron, fell upon the village and buried four houses with their inhabitants. Several of the inhabitants were dug out alive, but 11 persons perished. ROMANCE IN THE LIFE OF A FACTORY GlRL.—Miss Irene Nicholls, daughter of Mr. Nathaniel Nicholls, of Monmouth, Kennebec County, while at work in a factory in Dorchester, Mass., some four years since, was offered very liberal wages to go to Mexico, and engage in a fac tory just established there. She, with eight others, ac cepted the offer. While there, she became acquainted with Ferrera, the present revolting and successful Gene ral, with whom she contracted marriage. Ferrera is now President of Mexico, having his head quarters at the na tional palace in the city, and this Kennebec " factory girl" now " revels in the hall of the Montezumas." General Ferrara is of German extraction.—Ken. Journal. THE WEATHER ON THE CONTINENT.—SeveraI of the French provincial journals contain accounts of persons found dead on the roads from the effects of severe cold, and of the ravages of wolves. The Courrier de la Drome states that near Fay-le-Froid several houses were crushed by the weight of the snow which had fallen upon. them, and whole families killed, and that a young girl and two children had been devoured by wolves. A similar catas trophe is said to have occurred near St. Bonnet. There was a slight thaw on Wednesday morning in Paris, with indications of a speedy change in the weather, but to wards the afternoon the frost set in again, and at seven in the evening the thermometer marked six degrees two tenths centigrade below zero (20-75 of Farenheit). IRELAND, LIBEL.—An action, brought by Mr. W. J. O'Connell, the London " Head Repeal Warden," against the pro prietors of the Dublin Warder newspaper, was tried at Dublin list week. The plaintiff sought to recover £lOOO damages for the publication, by the defendants, of a cer tain paragraph, copied from a London morning paper, re flecting, it was alleged, upon the private character of Mr. O'Connell. The jury found a verdict for the defendants. The plaintiff had formerly instituted similar proceedings against the Evening Packet, but, through the mediation of Mr. Daniel O'Connell, M.P., alto is related to the plaintiff, the action was withdrawn on the proprietor pub lishing an apology. MURDEROUS DOINGS.—Sir W. M. Lynar, resident magistrate, was on Monday week pelted with stones and knocked down, in the streets of Ballinamore ; and on Thursday last, A. R. Sleek, Esq., of Springfield, Bawn boy, was, on his return home between mounted police men, fired at by a scoundrel whom they met on the way. The villain made a rest of his left arm for the pistol, and took deliberate aim at the venerable gentleman. The policemen wheeled, when he snapped his pistol, which happily missed fire. They both fired in turn, but did not hit him, and he took refuge in the thick underwood at Garsdice, near where Captain M`Leod was shot. Night coming on prevented pursuit.—Fermanagh Reporter. JUSTICE TO IRELAND.—When the income-tax was im posed in 1842, a slight addition was made in lieu of it in Ireland upon the stamp duties payable in that country, and an additional duty of one shilling a gallon was put upon Irish whisky. But the latter was remitted in the following session, so that, while England, Scotland, and Wales pay £5,100,000 annually as a tax upon property and income, Ireland pays nothing, but by way of equiva lent, contributes about £90,000 upon the stamp duties. Even those who receive official salaries in Ireland are ex empted from the income-tax. Here, the petty trades man, the clerk, the industrious man, whose income amounts to £l5O, has to pay sevenpence per pound upon that income —there, even the Lord Lieutenant pay 3 no thing upon his salary of £20,000 per annum. The amount of taxation actually paid by Ireland is marvel lously small, for at the financial year ending January 5, 1544, the taxation paid by Great Britain was £51,300,000, while the taxation paid by Ireland was no more than £4,097,000 ; that is, in the ratio of about one to thirteen. REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—At the meeting of this body on Monday, Mr. McNevin, barrister, having been called to the chair, addressed the meeting at considerable length in reference to the remedial measures promised to this country, and stated his opinion to be, that the object which the Prime Minister had in view was the creation of a Catholic ascendency in Ireland. In the name of his fellow Roman Catholics, he declared that they would not accept of any elevation above their Protestant brethren. They would not repay the wrongs so mistakenly inflicted on them, by consenting to be masters, when they ought to be only free citizens.—Mr. O'Connell, M.P., made some observations respecting Sir Robert Peel's financial scheme, which he admitted would be productive of vast benefit to the poorer classes ; but he complained of the continuance of gross in ustice, and of various omissions towards Ireland.--Mr. O'Connell, in handing in several repeal subscriptions from the county Louth, took occa sion to give vent to some hearty abuse of Mr. Mon tesquieu Bellew, M.P. He stated that his uncle had re ceived three pensions from government for selling his re ligion and country. The first was given to him upon being calltd to the bar—the second for supporting the Union—and the third for speaking in favour of the veto. This man, probably, had a squint back at this old uncle of his, but he (Mr. O'Connell) ventured to say, that if he showed his face in Louth at another election, ugly as it was, it would be handsomer going there than coming away, particularly if there were any rotten eggs to be found in the neighbourhood. Several Liverpool repeal wardens were struck out of the list. Much dissension appears to prevail in this quarter. Upwards of £3OO were handed in from Washington, Baltimore, &c., and the weekly rent amounted to £731. A REAL litisn GRIEVANCE. — The Dublin Mail of last week contains the following particulars of some scan dalous acts, committed by the agents or contractors of the Dublin and Cashel Railroad. As our contemporary says, " the curse of jobbing is on Ireland." In the first place, it is stated that the contracts for labour have been sold three deep—that is, that A, the immediate contractor with the board, has disposed of his bargain to B, and, in like manner, B to C—each reserving, of course, to him self a profit on the transaction—the unfortunate day la bourer being actually the su ff erer, while the company are really not the gainers. The consequ e nce of this state of things is, that the poor working man is not able to earn more than sevenpence a day by enormously hard labour. The works are now proceeding on the lands of Dennis town. At this point, a fence for the line of rail is now in progress. It consists of a ditch seven feet wide at top, five feet deep, and two feet wide at bottom ; sodded up five feet, and a quickset, one foot wide at top, and barrel led off. The contractor No. 3 bargains with the wretched men to accomplish and complete this work at the sum of fourteen shillings and threepence for every hundred feet —thus rendering it impossible for each unfortunate indi vidual—many of them standing above their ancles in water—to earn more than sevenpence per diem 1 This is a shocking state of things; but we regret to say that the evil, great as it is, does not end here. The " truck system" —that vampire that sucks the very life-blood of the poor —is said to be carried on to a most frightfnl and ruinous extent. A temporary hut is erected in the neighbourhood of the works, in which oatmeal, bacon, potatoes, and other necessaries of humble life, are sold—and here are the wretched labourers compelled to purchase—here they are paid, or pretended to be paid, by a trick so nefarious as almost to surpass belief. A shilling, or half-a-crown in money, is placed, as the sum due to each individual as he approaches. This he is permitted to take up, to evade the law and its consequences—but is obliged instantly to replace, and take a proportion of the goods the shop affords, at an exorbitant and ruinous price. UNIVERSITY 4- CLERICAL NEWS. CAMBRIDGE, FEB. 21.—At a Congregation just held the following degrees were conferred :—/Masters of Arts: William Whitehead Blackwell, Trinity College ; Charles Braddy, St. John's College ; Richard Woosnam, Caius College.—Bachelors of Arts: William John Whiteway Bastard, Magdalene College ; George Nesse Clark, Corpus Christi College. CLERICAL APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. Robert James Phil. li more, LL.D., to the Chancellorship of the diocese of Sarum, vacant by the resignation of Mr. J. R. Ilope ; Rev. John Anthony Cramer, D.E., Principal of New Inn Hall, and Regius Professor of Modern History in the University of Oxford, to the Deanery of Carlisle ; Rev. John Charles Earle, to Christ Church, Bradford, Wilts ; Rev. John Phelps, to the Rectory of Langford Parva, Wilts; Rev. James Ralph, to the Rectory of St. John's, Horselydown, Southwark ; Rev. Charles Walters, to the Rectory of Weeke, Hants; Rev. H ellier Touzel, to the Rectory of Bran:Wean, Hants ; Rev. John Julius Est ridge, to the Rectory of Princeknowle, Dorset; Rev. W. D. Lamb, to the district of Sneyd, in the parish of Birstal ; Rev. Daniel Campbell, to the Perpetual Curacy of Barow, Worcestershire ; Rey. Wyndham Madden, to the Per petual Curacy of Holy Trinity, Fareham, Hants; Rev. Reginald P. H. to the Curacy of St. Lawrence, Evesham ; Rev. John Joseph Ebsworth, to the Curacy of St. Thomas, Stourbridge. The Earl of Powis has given notice of a motion relative to the sees of Bangor and St. Asaph for after Easter recess. Mr. Ward has addressed a letter to the Vice-Chancel lor of Oxford, in which he declares that be considers himself morally unaffected by what had passed at the University. Mr. Oakley has, in another letter to the Vice-Chancellor, avowed the same sentiments as Mr. Ward, and challenged the University to proceed against him in the same manner. THE RUBRIC.—The following communication has been received from the bishop of this diocese in reply to an application made to his lordship, by the vicar of Leigh, on the subject of the Rubric preceding the prayer for the Church Militant :—" Chester, Feb. 12. Dear sir,—l think that all the objects of the Rubric will be attained, if the bread and the wine are made ready in the vestry, and, at the proper time, transferreed by you to the table.-1 am, dear sir, faithfully yours, J. B. Chester. TRACT NINETY PRINCIPLES EXEMPLIFIED. —We have heard from good authority that a college tutor, lately lecturing his class on the articles of the Church of En gland, declaring that purgatory, invocation of saints, &c., were so far from being grounded on Scripture as to be " rather" repugnant to the word of God, observed on the extreme moderation of the Church in qualifying the ex pression " repugnant" by the word " rather." This is " separating the dry wording for the natural spirit" with a vengeance.— Oxford paper. GOSPEL PROPAGATION SOCIETY.—A correspondent, giving us his name, informs us that a vicar of a parish with which he is acquainted has returned the Queen's Letter, issued in furtherance of the objects of this society, a blank, " assigning as the reason, the fact, that all his parishioners have refused to contribute to the funds of the society so long as it numbers among its servants one who has offered so gross an insult to the feelings of the vast majority of English churchmen." Our correspondent also informs us, that " two other clergymen are about to write to the society, inquiring whether this alleged fact be correct, and, if so, to decline for the present to advocate the society's clairns."—Record. EXTENT OF THE ROMANIST PERVERSION.—A pam phlet is in circulation by the Rev. Frederick Ockely, of Balliol, containing a most unequivocal confirmation of statements that have been made from time to time in this paper as to the progress of Romanistic opinions among the tutors and fellows of the university. In contradic tion of Mr. Keble's flimsy falsehood, that o e or two per sons only concur with Mr. Ward, Al r.Oaleley says—" To my certain knowledge there are not merely one or two, but, at the very le , ist, fifteen or twenty of my own ioize diatefriends and acquaintances, members of the university, who, to the best of my belief, in subscribing the Articles, renounce no one Roman doctrine." The rev. author adds in a note—" I do not include the rev. author of Tract 90, whose precise and matured view upon this question I do not know. He has certainly not stated or implied in the Tract, that he considers the Articles capable of this extreme interpretation, though neither (if my memory serves me), has he there stated or inferred the reverse. This is exquisite—Mr. Newman, then, is only a finger-post to Rome!—Oxford Chronicle. THE COURT (5- FASHIONABLE WORLD, Inc ROYAL FAMILY.—On Thursday, at a quarter to three o'clock in the afternoon, her Maj >sty, Prince Al bert. and the junior branches of the royal &roily, attended by the suite, left the Pavilion at Brighton. for Bucking ham Palace, in three cariages and four. Along the route, and about the station, groups of persons were collected ; but they were by no means so numerous as on the occa sion of her Majesty's arrival. At the station a tent, covered with crimson cloth, and fitted up in the same manner as that which was erected when her Majesty arrived, had been erected for the Queen, the Prince, and the Royal children to retire into, until the train was ready. The Royal cortege arrived at the station at five minutes tt, three. A special train was ready, consisting of three first-class carriages for the use of the suite and the ser vants ; an enclosed second carriage placed next the engine ; and the state carriage, for the u=..e of the Queen and Prince Albert, in the middle of the train. The royal party took their seats with ut delay, and the train started at three o'clock. The entire distance from the Pavilion to Buckingham Palace was accomplished in one hour and fifty minutes. It is understood that the royal children will shortly pay another visit to Brighton, this one having been highly conducive to their health. The Queen and her royal consort honoured the Earl of Liverpool with a visit at Buxtead Park on Saturda week. THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO IRELAND.—A new and splen did iron steamer, on the screw principle, the Fairy, is getting ready, with all despatch. It is understood that this vessel is to convey her Majesty and Prince Albert to Ireland in the summer.—Dublin paper. The office of Lord Warden of the New Forest, vacant by the death of the Right Hon. W. Sturges Bourne, has been conferred by her Majesty upon his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. It is said that the gold and silver plate at Windsor Cas tle is valued at £2,000,000 ! A single gold service of George IV., contains all the dishes requisite to dine 130 guests. LAW INTEL LIGENCI On Thursday morning, Mr. Justice Wightman and Mr. Justice Coltman left Lancaster for Appleby, to open the commission at that place. In the Court of Exchequer, on Saturday, a verdict was taken for the crown against Messrs. R. and T. Clay, for £l2OO, for silks imported without payment of the fuil duties. R. C. Hildyard, Esq., barrister at law, of the Northern Circuit, Q.C., has been placed in the commis ion of the peace for the parts of Lindsey, by the lord lieutenant of the county of Lincoln. On Saturday week, the objections reserved by Baron Gurney, on the trial of John Kenyon Winterbottom, for forgery, were submitted to the judges, who, having heard the arguments on both sides, took time to consider the points before giving judgment. LIBEL—In the Exchequer on Friday, Mr. Henry O'Connell, an illegitimate son of the far-famed Daniel, recovered .£lO damages against the proprietors of the Wakefield Journal, for a libel on his character. The plaintiff has been lecturing about the country, and the libel stated that Daniel O'Connell had denied that the plaintiff was his son, and that the plaintiff bad been exhi bited in London as a bastard to excite sympathy. A case, interesting to the sporting world, was tried, last week, in the Queen's Bench ; it was that of Williams v. Wentworth. The action arose out of the famous Running Rein affair. The plaintiff had drawn the horse at a Derby sweep, held at the Hero of Waterloo, Waterloo road, and he had originally brought his action against the landlord, Mr. Okey, for £2OO, which was the amount that was to go to the person who drew the " first horse." But Mr. Wentworth, who had drawn Orlando at the same sweep, was made, by a judge's order, to be the defendant instead of Mr. Okey. It was contended, on the part of the defendant, that the horse which was declared the winner (viz., Orlando, must be considered the "first horse." The jury returned a verdict for the defendant. THE DONCASTER RACE COURSE STAND.—WOOD V. LEADBETTER.-111 the Exchequer, on Saturday, Mr. Baron Alderson delivered a most elaborate judgment in this case, which, reviewing the several cases relied on by the plaintiff and the defendant, eventuated in a de cision in favour of the latter. Ihe question raised for the consideration of the Court was, wheiher the defend ant, acting under the orders of Lord Eglintoun, as stew ard of Doncaster races, was justified in turning the plain tiff out of the Grand Stand, he having purchased the usual ticket of admission for the whole meeting in the usual manner. On the part of the plaintiff, it was con tended that this ticket conveyed such an interest in land as required a revocation by deed, whereas it was urged, on the part of the defendant, that it operated simply as " leave and license," and, as such, might be recalled at pleasure, and by verbal notice to quit. Mr. Baron Rolfe at the trial adopted the view of the defendant, anti the verdict accordingly passed against the plaintiff. The learned Baron's stew of the law, therefore, so expressed, as it were ex tempore, has thus been confirmed by the full Court, after a most learned argument at the bar ; and the rule for a new trial was discharged. Feb. 2.5, 181.5, RAILWAY INTE,LLIGEI\CE. On Saturday week, one of the labourers on the ti caster and Carlisle railway was killed, by being stri behind the ear by a piece of sharp iron, which was tached to a waggon that was passing at a rapid pace. The Manchester and Birmingham Railway (Asht Branch) bill. and the Ashton, Stalybridge, and Liverp, Junction Railway (Ardwick and Guide Bridge Branch bill, were read a first time, as was also the York a Scarbro' Railway Duration bill. As the market train from Darlington to York i near the Thirsk Station, on Monday afternoon, a jobl of the name of Edward Scarr, imprudently leaped fri the train, when it was going at full speed. He was tat up much injured, and expired shortly afterwards. PROJECTED RAILWAYS.—The Board of Trade ha notified that they have determined to report to Parli went in favour of the Clydesdale Junction Railway, t Caledonian, the Edinburgh and Hawick, and the Scott Central, and against the Edinburgh and Glasgow-Stirli Branch, and the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle. DIABOLICAL MISCHIEF.—An attempt has been ma to alter the switches on the Maryport and Carlisle Ra way, near Wigton, apparently with the intention of causi a collision between the trains passing to and from Carlin Fortunately, the circumstance was discovered in time prevent any calamity. RAILWAYS IN ScoTLAND.—Messrs. Brassey, Mt kenzie, and Stephenson, who are at present engaged the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, have taken the cc tracts for the Clydesdale Junction, the Scottish Cent snd Midland Junction Lines ; and it is believed that in few days the Caledonian will be added to the list. At a meeting of the directors of the Grand Juncti Railway, held on Thursday, it was resolved to accept c( tain overtures which had been made to them by the Lo don and Birmingham Company, by which they agree withdraw all opposition against the Churnet Valley lir and the union of the several companies with the Lond and Birmingham. We are informed that a contract has been entered in for the construction of engines of improved arrang mcnts, of such power and dimensions as will perform t distance between Manchester and London with the me perfect safety in six hours, or at the rate of forty mil per hour. This information we have from the most u questionable source.—Mining Journal. At a meeting of the Manchester and Birmingham rai way company, on Tuesday, the following resolution w unanimously passed—" That this meeting record the high approval of the arrangements for consolidatin under one management, the railway interests betwei Manchester and London, and their conviction that, regards the Trent Valley Railway, those arrangements a alike beneficial to the public, and just to the subscribii patties." PROJECTED RAlLWAYS.—Friday's Gazelle contains notification, that the Board of Trade have determined report to Parliament in favour of the Irish Great Wester —Dublin to Galway, the Londonderry and Enniskille the Blackburn, Burnley, and Adrington Extension, ar the Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton lines ; and again the Great Western (Ireland) Railway—Dublin to Mullis gar, &c. Great Western (Ireland) Railway—Alternati' Line. Great Western (Ireland) Railway —Extensic Line ; and the Londonderry and Coleraine. RAILWAY FROM CAIRO TO SUEZ.—We have mm pleasure in being able to assure our readers that the Pact has arranged with Mr. Galloway, the London enginee for carrying out forthwith the execution of his long.prl jetted railroad from Cairo to Suez. The crossing th desert of 80 miles now occupies as much time as goir from Alexandria to Cairo, a distance of 220 miles; an the fatigue, inconvenience, and expense of the dese journey in many cases deters travellers from availir themselves of the overland route to India. When th railroad is completed, the journey across the desert mt be accomplished in three hours with ease, comfort, an security, and economy, as it will no longer be necessai to send out supplies of food and water to the desert which at present are requisite in con•equence of the tin , occupied in the journey. We sincerely hope that befoi three years shall have elapsed we may have it in of power to congratulate Great Britain on the achievemei of this gigantic work. BLACKWALL RAILWAY.—The meeting of the short holders of the Blackwall Railway, which was held o Thursday last in London, passed over extremely wel and the dividend of 3s. per share, free from income-tai put them in very good spirits. The ri port stated the 11 ceipts to have been £30,433 18. s. 9d., and the total ea nditure, including interest on debentures, £24,706 la 5d.. which, with the balance of last year, left £7,457 13' 10d. to be applied to this dividend. The passe,:ger traffi showed an increase of 510,139 in the numbers carriec and of £3,231 ss. 10d. in the receipts, over the correg ponding period of List year. Nutwithstanding this larg addition to the traffic, there has be: n no increase in th actual expenses of the railway. A fresh report on th traffic of the projected Epping line was brought up, con firming in every respect the one formerly presented b the directors. Mr. Levi gave an opinion against the pro ject, while the majority of the shareholders appeared t be in its favour ; but as the qu-stion was decided affirms tively at the previous meeting, no vote was taken on 0 5 present occasion, CLNSGOW, PAISLEY, KILMARNOCK, ANT) AYR RAIL WAY.—The sixteenth half-yearly meeting of thi comparf was held on Thursday. The revenue of t half-y , 8 has been increased to some extent by accidental causes the receipts during the week of the ifighland Society Cattle Show having alone exceeded £3,000. In the" circumstances it would not be expedient to divide tio whole profits of the half-year, ircluding this extra rum the directors, accordingly, are unanimous in opinion that on the present occasion the dividend ought to ti limited to 255. per share of original stock, being at th rate of five per cent., and made p:iyahle, alusual, on th , 15th of March next, free of any dedm tion for income-tat They, therefore, place at your disposal for this purpose the sum of £18,927 12s. 6d., which will yield a div;deud at the above rate, on the original and quarter shares it the company. Of the balance, £B2B ss. has been place' to the credit of the depreciation and contingent a. , ...count and the remainder, amounting to £1305 6,>. 10d., carried forward to the credit of the next half-yecr, less thi income-tax on the present dividend. THE ARCHIMEDIAN SCUEW APPLIED TO RAILWAY PROPULSION. (From the Mining Journal.) Within the last week we have been favoured with a viec of a very ingenious discovery, for applying the Archimedis l screw to the purposes of railway locomotion : our reader' will at once perceive the originality of the invention, an d if satisfactorily established, its high utility and importatic` The model is in every respect admirably adapted t o ex plB ,l the principles, the workin g , an d th e m i nut i ae o f t h e design it only remains to be proved whether trials on a larger a' more practical scale will confirm the success evinced 11 , the experiments, and prove its fe as ibilit y . A nnexe d is ; description of the plan in all its bearings; we give it e, present unattended by any obs erva ti ons o f our own . lieving that by those means justice will more complet e , be done the invention. After the public has thus had e i opportunity of forming its own opinions on the merits objections of the proposition, we shall recur to the subje' more unreservedly and in detail. The invention consists simply in a screw, called 1 screw propeller, laid do wn cont i nuous l y i n t h e dle of the track, fixed in the direction of its length 0 ° turned under its axis, by steam or other power, CI; municated to it at p ro p er i n t erva l s, say every t h ree DO 1., along the line. Thi s screw may b e o f any g i ven diamete,, say from 18 to 24 i nc h es , f orme d i n l engt h s o f f rom i ;, 15 feet each, and cons i sts o f a s h a ft o f cast or ro ll e d it ht, tubing, 4 inches diameter, supporting, by means of wrong, e p iron arms key e d on t h e s h a f t , a ro ll e d iron-spiral, wbicli is bolted to th e en d o f t h e arms ; t h e construct i on is sal/ as to afford p er f ec t con fid ence i n i ts strengt h for !.A intended purp ose . Th e l eng th s o f s h a f t i ngs are conneetoi by doublings, that allow a sufficient play to meet ail accidental irregularity on the line, and also to per 9 d them to be l a id d own on th e qu i c k est curves that 01 allowable on r a il w ay s , w i t h sc irce l y any calculable affinnef of friction ; each length r e s t s on t urne d b ear i ngs i n P r°l', metal pedestals, secured to the cross sleepers of the rail°, 0 1 The power is communic a t e d t o t h e screw by meatP:di spur wheels, turning a pi n i on fi xe d on one en d o f elit line of shafting of one and a half mile in length; situated so as to drive two such lines, that is, one in e f oi direction from it, and th e gear i ng i s so con t r i ve d as t o t dually to bring the sc r e w p ro p e ll er i n t o motion, andool to transfer the power from one line t o th e o th e r will" ( stopping the train. The motion of the screw propel,v e d communicated to the trains by means of a pair of WP 0 0 or rollers, so attached to the framework of the le 9, carr formso fiageh the te train as of h to the screw, and thus theri m o r e s a p r i r r i sl e , 0, 01 that the train forward ' the other acts as che c k-wh e el 80 1 0 ( vents the train from moving with an un equa l moo° ,l, running forward by acquiring acceleration. The screw propeller is capable o f ac ti ng i n b o th -AO tions ; and, on the motion being reversed, that 0 ,04 before acted as a check-wheel becomes the proPe', 4 ll wheel, and rice versa. These wheels, which form the v, e e connection between the trains and the propeller, tut!,' fectly under the control of the conductor, who, by ' ter h w e eli the handle of the vertical screw, can press the l i def when he sees it necessary with more power upon the 6 ,00 propeller, or in a moment disengage them from it; o W, having done so, c an i ns t an tly a pply th e b rea k t o the ,tie ing wheels, by continuing the m ovemen t o f the 'Mger screw, and thus stop the train at an y p o i n t w ith o ut I" fering with the motion of the propeller. 0 1 • e t , The advantages proposed to b e d er i ve d f rom this W f tion, are—economy in th e cons t ruct i on o f railways, I- , the facility it affords for ascending inclined planes most any angle, and the consequent reduction in co t , re, embankments, bridges, &c. ; also in the use of ligh' o tt,i instead of the heavy rails required for the loell o e'l system ; also, in the use of lighter carriages than thoiri present in use, and hence less useless load ; ecoo n eo , 4 , 1 ° power for locomotion by the use of fixed engirt tY water power in the place of locomotive-engines. an consequent avoidance of the expense of erection an7 s itl, port of those costly establishments re qu i re d f o r the t" Injury to passengers, by collision or th e running trains off the rail;', being rendered impossible HoRRIBLE AFFAIR.—On Saturday ni g ht e o '''. the estate of Lord Rendlesham, Suff o lk, th e g ame who lives close to the hall, returned to his home lat e ; 0", state of intoxication, and after a few minutes' ti r !, sired to leave again. His wife remon s t ra t e d agaill'oro and shut the door to prevent his getting out ; a 9 g glj' ensued, and the maddened gamekeeper s n atchd 11 'i levelled it at his wife, and blew her head to a totO: o te: is now in custody. He declares th a t h e did nci t „ i tf e tionally murder her, but, in th e s t rugg l e , the off by accident. He has a family of four children'