The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-03-07 00:00:00

)vtAr WEST INDIES near Anatto Bay, w supply a pa Fbrt Stu; All the r The Cata to attack the Comm r ation bi an stca 4 CHINA Caffre a tio ULM. 4,, • - - :hange prodaged the v. and t have their all then ,ur case oug rop was ca Kingst , CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. id Hope papers to the 30th Decem 1 bounda A not to ye 917100 ctly extub ,een so dis' hould they s rather tr r have ar Graham's-town Journal, in its corn I not throw mile e refractory Boe his side oflit. Ti that as result in any auLuci, re was a difference of opinion. Mocke L-A ceng stated. retreatec eavowed inten- rer, WILLA vv -• _ rees. to dispute with our to cross Full credence does not, how ed aever,s ---t le part of MOCKC, than as uttered with an • ri , - The 1 to this but the farmers of deter retreat would it forwaiiii. The and dangeions as a mo7en' Corannat would s, of the British forces to avenge oici insuiLs. of all the native tribes is alleged to be of much the acter towards the Boers. Letters from the for' led on the Teatloss of cattle ad arrived , st news wa as had bat both divisions neigb bour A.nere are saia grazing on the Government "; sent there by the different ....6 neither grass nor water on their own The Tarka had been daily visited by copious • " •,--.niints were eqipillY, an 4,000 s above the forest Dwer Albar the heavy drawbaca. of the Whole o tb locusts, whic redations of thes ;;tici . . - Uial murder near defeated by the at its defenceless pa ere was an improveme general meet epn held, for t ency of the measure al Bank of Van Di( Diaths' bill 8 per cent ... . . 10 per cent st to be cbargeden Above 3 months . • • • . Overdue bills and rem, cv . a . :. 10 per cent 10 per cent .t; Payable in 3 Deposit 5 per cent months ...... - ,oral satisfa ction, as no legitim sury law efforts Sunday's River being ad nearly destroyed the young arrival Is marauders bad . the Fish River Flats, on of a young man named William Harden, a Cuylerville; Lower Albany. At Bathurst, and ity of Upper Albany, the robbery of cattle was prom Fort Peddle the accounts were regarded as , g ra eter, arising from the report that the ^ Boers. The Caffres, it is lans - and cont r iving p isIEW SOUTH WALES. s from Sydney bring: accounts to the lith affairs remained nearly in the same --”r. 'The stock of ..avy . ; and, as no shipments were expected Britain it was genera ll y supposed that a rise in d take pl'ace. The chief intelligence of interest is nation of the reduct ingion of' tbe directors of the colonial I,e purpose h of considering the ex -it .q been, tha t the Co The res.., —___• men's Land has issued the following enormous rate hitherto charged. The Le af Van Diemen's Land had also taken evi- s continues very great. The. --,,rking of the Munici nion, in order to n -- o ri mernbeys sy between the The P a may calculate ~0 as sengs reat Lic M A.J Eg sailed from. n Golde Is,. -c ploternber J. f water ' n the 18th. ‘1 Cal n to pub- , . , ; suited to the t from falling into ridicule. been 'received from New Zealand. company and thF Government of Nicholson is increasing in - stn the return of the ship institution, men had be mid leave Bombay bout Friday next from Calcutta for —s by her rpool at PF AT COVE by Captain land. a t, sh a o n r d t Ist of n the Ran or ''''rleft on the 27th, which she 3d, 17th on the g Kong on the she l e ft ot, the 3h "" i ' h 17th of De- ri —a t H H ope on of Goon hence she sailed on the 27th, and hove too of on the 14th of January. Her Majest.'s ships Ilonde, Herald, Columbine, and Blenheim, were o leave China a few days after the Callum, were aging as part of the ransom 3,000,000 dollars, the 500,000 dollars, and the Colninbine and Modeste ling 1,500,000 dollars. The Calliope s Lieutenant Purvis (since 1 of her Majesty's ship Cambrian. Lieutenants Vixen, Drake of the Cornwallis, and Half- Belleisle, and 32 seamen. The Calliope had she left the Western Islands. She was h a d mrirnin' ' has received —Cork rornoted to a corn- FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE NEW YORK cet-ship George Washiogt from New York on the ...,ceeding in congress interesting to the English as the progress of the Oregon Territory Bill in tithe The bill, it will be recollected , is for the p d for rotec?n i c an settlers in the territory of Oregon- an le nt of the right of sovereignty and juriso. States government over the said territory • Mr. I • :on, Captain Burrows, 7th ult., arrived at this lay morning, It bad with Lion of the ong and animated debates. - those who supported it, were Mr. Bentonwas par- iise of Great B g been uated b mos t tr n all pinba ir as the de de abagtes, agrcc...6 .. o the Oregon territory. hurried through tAie be recoF. ae bill do pass Of the it is said r protest copies of any remonstrane, .3S bad addressed to tan French Gk. Quintuple Treaty ; dof all corr. 1 from General Cass and his own ll Governi_ . rnme nt to him ; also a correspot. stish Government in relation to the samt, ,olution was adopted. .y was, it is stated, manifested at Washington ,he subject of a Message which the President seal had to the House of Representatives under the ,e. The papers were from the War Department. rere under the examination of the committee on - -.hi% would report whether it is expedient to 1 pas this Gove the money and stock markets re of interest. The depressed con .:venting capitalits from em se ordinary manner, the stock market moneyed men. A brisk demand up for United States Stocks merce j miuni ; and for th premiu red States Consul )un ma existing treaty stipulatlor England ; a wa ;tic nable r sproand de and tepuoi , 1i at' The bill woc to Pro- his ex attention of i'ecided prope me to time ad the cre lam, Parliament w perhaps m necess an island Bank 1 an amendm of an 3 Aus .40,1 with th - - but at sycln 11 comba 3 at S FATAL C els in p Icappd . manders a favourab: Accounts ha' —There is still a c for 18-13 are estim; rly 3,000,000 drachm-as high tariff of custom duties late! Greek tiade and customs rec tionable honesty wish, the ent says, to think that tht actual receir the estimat, t in al amount of the deficit will be nearly 6,000,000 'drat Rbally does not anticipate and expenses until 1849, and that then by the in former only ; he proposes to carry the Greek tree ,000,000 drachmas —A few wee ) a medical man a hous hews not a hnndr diminutive size si him—" Don't cr your m, and b TO which he re mother it's my wife, sir. CANINE SAGACITY following extr t a farm called Ty abOitt three miles dis The tenant of n, from taken into his employ formed, and rabic comparrions evening of las With difficulty the-'b he mad eying t that we in no' . The inform VTION OF MR DRUMMOND g to the court was MARCH us to hear Lracter which have taken r of a centar her parts of the court wen the habit On sons of distinction, kmerican, and Saxon 1 of Surrey, Lord A. Lenox, Lord Paget, I. M.P., Mr. W. Ellice, jun., M.P., &c. lock precisely Lord Chi ams, and Mr. Justice Col Tindal, Mr took their seats lie walked to the front of t dock with - a firm he was in the same clothes as when under exa treet, and appeared to have altered very f any, in his general appearance Solicitor-General, Mr. Waddir ,ton, and Mr. Russell lueen's Counsel, with Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Bodkin, . Monteith were retained to defend the prisoner. Mr. Clark, the Clerk of the Court, then read over the in- To the indictment the prisoner firmly replied " Not le - was then charged upon the coroner's inquisition with same offence, to which he also pleaded " Not Guilty." k chair was then placed in the dock tor the prisoner, upon i he immediately sat down, and throwing his head back to be asleep; he remained in the same situation ole of the Solicitor-General's opening address, witnesses were under examination he appeared itively to what they said. SOLICITOR-GENERAL (Sir W. Follett) then rose and iy it please yeti, my Lords, Gentlemen of the Jury, assembled here to-day to discharge a most solemn You have to decide whether or not the at the bar be guilty of the awful crime with which ,ds charged ; and I feel, gentlemen, that 1 shall best fge my duty to the Crown and to the public, on whose 1 appear to-day, if I proceed at once to state as calmly s dispassionately as I can all the facts and circumstances `.cl with this melancholy case. On Friday, the 20th ry, Mr. Drummond left leis apartments in Downing- Id went to the Treasury, and thence to the Admi .ch Lord Haddington, whom he left at it proceeded alone to Drummond's banking ;-cross, oil his return from which, when S JCoffee -ho u se, the prisoner at the bar dis . . almost close to his person. (The learned n r e related the circumstances of Mr. Drum- I important duty ratty, in company wit the AdmirAo••' At Chari r the Sa d's assassination, and the apprehension of the prisoner.) Drummond staggered from the effect of the shot, but he Almost —:" assist- fall; he walked, I believe thout lingered for some ith of January. His regretted, for be was beloved, He was of a disposition so amia- ,ck to the bankir id died on WednE I, and valued le, that was impossit ... he could have any personal ene- Here the learned gentleman seemed to be much You will naturally ask, then, gentlemen, what -e the prisoner to deprive of life a being so un mr- Drumm , — • •- without any per- d was not on lid not fill any prominent situation le did not hold that situation in public him obnovious to political enemies, tcretary of the principal minister of f his house,_ and constantly passing offices in Downing-street and the )out which the prisoner was observed to be ;ping. You will be satisfied from the facts e, from the threats used by the prisoner before he d his crime, and his declarations afterwards, that it of the life of Mr. Drummond that he sought. You satisfied that it was the life of Sir Robert Peel that he d, and that it was his life that he believed he was taking he discharged the pistol at the person of M r. Drnmmond. emen, the nature of. his crime is not altered by this nstance, but it affords a reason for it. I need not tell an inmat you that he is guilty of murder, although he might have mis taken the person against whom he discharged the pistol. Of the guilt of the prisoner —of the fact of his having deprived ivir. Drummond of life—it is impossible I can suggest a doubt ; it is impossible that any doubt can be suggested that the crime was committed, and that that crime was murder. But I cannot conceal from yon, because I know from appli cations which have been made to this court, and the deposi ions which have been made on behalf of the prisoner, that is intended to rest the defence on the plea that he was isane at the time he committed the crime ; and, gentlemen, ur painful duty—for painful it must be—to de- it will I cide whether he was in that degree of insanity at the time he committed that crime which would render him not a respon sible agent, and not answerable to the laws of his country. This defence is a difficult one at all times ; for while, on the one hand, every one must be anxious that an unconscious being should not suffer, yet, on the other hand; the public safety requires that this defence should not be too readily stened to; and above all, the public safety requires that the atrocious nature of the act itself, and the circumstances under which it was committed, should not form any ingredi ent in that defence. There are few crimes that are commit ted, and above all crimes of an atrocious nature like this, that are not committed by persons labouring under some morbid affection of the mind ; and it is difficult for well regulated minds to understand the motives which lead to such offences in the absence of that morbid affection of the mind. I believe that the truth of this remark will be more especially proved when attacks are directed to persons hokl ing high and important stations in the nation. If you look )ostted them I into t Of the ids' per e of history, and direct your attention to tl}ose cases in which such persons have been deprived of life, you will be satisfied of the truth of that proposition. But we need not look far back ; occurrences of our own times fur nish us with sufficient instances for illustration. If you look at a neighbouring country, you will see there that persons in broad day, in the crowded streets of the metropolis of France, without any precaution for their own safety, without any attempt to escape, in the midst of the people, close to the armed guards of the King, have discharged their wea pons at the person of the Sovereign of the country. What motive had they ? We know of none but that of an ill-regu lated mind, worked upon by political feeling. We have seen instances in France of parties having laid plans to assist themselves in their escape, discharging infernal instruments in the streets of Paris, regardless or hCiw many or what lives they destroyed provided they could reach the person of the Sovereign. I refer to these things, gentlemen, to show that the circumstances attendant upon crime itself afford no grounds for holding that the parties committing it are not responsible to the laws of their country. But I know that in this case the defence on the part of the prisoner will not rest upon this, but that evidence will be offered to show that the prisoner was not in a sane state of mind at the time he committed the crime ; and knowing that, I feel that I ought in this stage of the case to refer to some authorities, and state my view of the principles of the English law. It will be open to my learned friend, whose powerful assistance I am happy to see the prisoner will have, to comment upon that, and to differ from me if he thinks lam wrong. It has been the custom in these cases to refer to proceedings of au thority, and to the dicta of judges who have tried similar questions : not that I mean to say for one moment that it is a question of law ; on the contrary. the question to be de cided by you is a question of fact, a question of common sense and belief. The whole question will turn upon this— if you believe 'the prisoner at the bar at the time he com mitted this act was not a responsible agent•—if you believe that when he fired the pistol he was incapable of distinguish. ing between right and wrong—if you believe that he was under the influence and control of some disease of the mind which prevented him from being conscious that he was com mitting a crime—if you believe that he did not know he was violating the law both of God and man, then, undoubtedly, he is entitled to your acquittal. But it is my duty, subject to the correction of my lord, and to the observations of my learned friend, to tell you that nothing short of that excuse can excuse him upon the principle of the English law. To excuse him, it will not be sufficient that he laboured at the time under partial insanity, that he had a morbid disposition of mind, which would not exist in a sane person ; that is not enough, if he had that degree of intellect to enable him to know and distinguish right from wrong, if he knew what would be the effects of his crime, and consciously committed it, and if with that consciousness he wilfully committted it. With regard to the authorities upon this point, observations have been made to the effect that they have attempted to define the law too strictly. That observation was made thout regard to the object of the authorities. It is impos le to lay down beforehand any definition of the madness ich will excuse the crime of murder; the disease assumes ; and such various shapes, and acts in such t you cannot define it. But you may lay of law which are applicable to it ; and and uniformly laid down in the same way for the jury to take into their considers- uch di e ways, that resquus to tto ,n," Mr. Luc the prince} in his led in ma for ayo tion whether the party was a responsible agent when he com mitted the crime, whether he then knew right from wrong, ious that he was offending against the nature, and whether he did it wilfully. c safety is the object of all law ; the safety is intrusted solely to the protection of courts of and to juries who administer justice t is with a view to the public safety is laid down by legal authorities principally f. r 9 who have to decide upon questions of rued gentleman then referred to several s statements as to the law of the case, y before the jury what was known re ter during his residence in Glasgow, and d towards the close of the evidence for the d at st (INV of his nal judicature the law; an( moval ; nee of jurit re. The ich bas already appeared respecting the cation of Mr. Drummond was then given, conduct in GI Gordon exam der. residi done, b s town r for the last a as to the —I am a by Mr. Waddington gat Glasgow. I have known the pri ,ears. When first I knew him he car s of a turner on his own account. I N him on the business of Lang and Son, by I afterwards employed him myself which was about a year and a half nerallv acquainted with him beyond em -1 have frequently paid him money, for which I never noticed anything particular or In the month of November last I came to London, when I accidentally met the prisoner in St. Martin's lane. I did not, till then, know that he was in. London. I shook hands with him and asked him what he was doing in London, He asked me the same question, and I told him that I was in search of employment, and he then said that he was in search of employment also. I told him that I was going to Great Peter-street, Westminster, and he walked with me. We passed through Whitehall and Parlia- vied on th frequently n 1 was employed in his manner ment-street to Westminster-hall. The prisoner took me past Sir Robert Peel's house, when, pointing to it, he said, " That is where Sir Robert Peel stops," and added, " D—n sink him," or something like that. We then crossed to the Treasury, when he said, " That is where all the wealth of the nation ii," or something to that effect. 'We then went into one of the courts in Westminster-hall, where we re bout five minutes, and then went to Westminster isoner said—" See how time has j." He then left me, and on llowing Friday evening he called upon me at Mr. 's, where I was then at work. We walked away to over Westminster-bridge, and went to a public-house, we had two quarts of porter. As far as I can re- ed that )out Glasgow; but be the previous Monday he had shop in Great Peter-street, ion was chiefly He rema cl that the turners in Lon- hind in their work, and that if he had the public-house i that they had had trans isoner, and that they never observed any ner. The curator of the Me in 1838, 1839, and 1840, the t that institution, and that he 1R42. On leaving the public le depo the pr .on at Glasgow, and %t the Mechanics' institute drisoner attended my lectures on my, and .1 bad opportunities of speaking to him almost day. but our conversation was upon anatomy only, and In the wee time 1 saw the pris us. He sub! I told him tt might have My attention has been. and address ton, frontland, top flat SATURDAY A. LEG.- watcbmak uspecting V he appeared perfectly to understand the subject. Ile gene- aritainclitatp VrOftrbi rally ,pent about an hour a day in the dissecting-room, and na rhilst there, was in the ; habit of reading books on anatomy, About him to lead me to slit never observ-__, _ mind was at all disordered. I gave lectures five d the prisoner attended regularly. The last er,' till I saw him in custody, was or the 31st of July. Robert Swanson examined by Mr. Waddington.-1 am a clerk in the 'London Joint Stock Bank. Both the papers produced were written by me. The one dated the 7th of August is for X out £5, but but he 400. which was for the sum deposited wit} cluently called and wished to dral t I could not let him have that sun the whole amount if be pleased, and he gave ntie.e. —.. of withdrawal : on the 28th of August he drew out the money, and having deducted £5, again deposited the re mainder, to which the second paper referred, being a receipt for , X 745. In June last, in consequence of a letter I received from the prisoner, 1 transferred the amount to the Glasgow and Shipping Bank. The following is a copy of the letter : " Glasgow, May 23, 1842. " Sir,—l hereby intimate to you, that will require the money 'ten days from this date which I deposited in the London Joint Stock Bank through you. The account is £745 ; the account is dated August 28,1841, but is not num bered. As it would put me to some inconvenience to give personal intimation, and then remain in London till the eight days' notice agreed upon would expire, I trust that this will be considered sufficient. — Yours , &c.. " DANIEL M'IsTAUGIITEN." William Thomas, examined by the' Solicitor-General.—l am a clerk in the bank of Messrs. Glynn and Co. ; the Glas gow and. Shipping Bank correspond with us. On the 29th of November I paid the sum of £2O to the prisoner's draught on account of the Glasgow Bank. Thomas M'Quige, examined by the Solicitor-General.— I am an agent for advertisements; the advertisement pro duced was inserted by a gentleman for whom I acted ; the letter produced I received in answer to that advertisement, and the note annexed to it is my reply. Mr. Anthony M'Nish, examined by Mr. Waddington.— I searched the prisoner's lodging at Glasgow, and found, amongst other things, a quantity of books and papers—a list of which I now produce. The advertisement alluded to and the answer thereto were then read, and were as follows " OPTIONAL R&RTNERSIIIP. — Any gentleman having £l,OOO may invest them, on the most advantageous terms, in a genteel business in London, attended with no risk ; with the option, within a given period, of becoming a partner, and of ultimately succeeding to the whole business. In the mean time security and liberal interest will be given for the loan. Apply by letter B. 8.,' Mr. Hilton's, bookseller, Pen ton-street. Pentonville." On the 21st of July the advertiser received from the pri soner the following letter : '!Glasgow, 19th July. 1812 Icted to your advertise- ment in the Spectator newsprper, and, as I am unemployed at present, and very anxious to obtain some, I have been in duced to write, requesting you to state some particulars re garding the nature of the business which you are engaged in. If immediate employment can be given or otherwise, what sort of security will be given for the money, and how much interest? I may mention that I have been engaged in busi ness on my own account for a few years, am under 30 years of age, and of very active and sober habits " The capital Which I possess has been acquired by the most vigilant industry, but unfortunately does not amount to the exact sum specified in your advertisement ; if nothing less will do, I will be sorry for it, but cannot help it; if other wise, have the goodness to write to me at your earliest con venience ' D. M. M.,' 90, Clyde-street, Ander- The case for the prosecution closed herp, and the inquiry was adjourned to the following day. This morning the judges took their seats at uitie •o'clock. Mr. Cockburn then rose to reply, and occupied four hours in the delivery of his address. Tiie prisoner's father under went a long examination, and spoke to the delusions under which the prisoner laboured as to the persecutions to which he was subject. Several other persons, some with whom he had lodged, and others who had known him for a length of time, declared their belief that he was insane. A number of physicians and surgeons, who have-had for a series of years great experience in the treatment of insane persons, were then examined, and stated their belief that the prisoner was affected by morbid delusions sufficient to account for the act which he had committed. Mr. Wimslow the author of a work on insanity, amongst the rest, said that the prisoner was labouring under a morbid delusion, and was incapable, at the time of commitiing the act, of controlling his actions. Mr. Clarkson then called Dr. B. Philips, and was abodt to examine him, when he was interrupted by Chief Justice TINDAL, who asked the Solicitor-General if he had any evidence to rebut that which had been given by the medical gentlemen who had been examined ? The SOLICITOR-GENERAL replied that he had not. Lord Chief Justice TINDAL.—My learned brethren and myself are of opinion, that, after the testimony which has been given by the medical gentlemen of the state of the pri soner's mind, the case for the prosecution cannot be legally sustained—that is, if you are not prepared with other evidence to rebut that testimony. The witnesses were hereupon ordered to withdraw, and The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, addressing the jury, said— Gentlemen, I feel that I should not properly discharge my duty, on this occasion, if. after the opinion which has just been stated by the learned judge, I were to ask you to give your verdict against the prisoner. The Lord Chief Justice has intimated to me, that a very strong opinion is entertained by himself and by the other learned judges on the bench that the evidence—especially the evidence of the medical witnesses—which has been brought forward for the defence, shows that the unhappy man, at the time he committed the crime for which he has been indicted, was labouring under insanity. If, therefore, you are equally satisfied on that point, the prisoner is entitled to a verdict in his favour. But, gentlemen, I was anxious to say, that, on the part of the Crown, there was no object—there could be no object— in prosecuting this case, but that of the administration of Public justice ; and I believe that I am right when I say that every facility has been given to the prisoner's legal ad visers to enable them to make a defence for him. There was no wish, nor could there be any wish, on the part of the Crown other than that the ends of justice should be attained and satisfied. But, most certainly, when, in the open streets of the metropolis, crimes of this nature are committed, it is incumbent on those who have the care of the public safety to have the circumstances connected with those crimes in vestigated ; for such investigations are necessary to the pro tection of the minds, the persons, and the property of us all. On the part of the prosecution, I . felt it my duty to lay before you the evidence which we possessed respecting the conduct of M'Naughten in connection with the ordinary affairs of his life. With the doctrines laid down by my learned friend I fully agree, believing them as I do to be the correct law ; for he says that the great object, in every case of this nature, is to ascertain whether the party who commits a crime was, when he committed it, a responsible agent, and whether his mind was under proper controul, or whether his controlling powers of mind had been taken from him, and that he was rendered thereby irresponsible for his actions. These are also the opinions of the learned Chief Justice, who will state to you his views in reference to the evidence which bas been adduced, and it will then be for you to deal with the case as you shall think fit. Lord Chief Justice TINDAL then addressed the jury, and said the question for them to determine was, whether, at the time the act in question was committed, the prisoner had or had not the use of his un derstanding , so as to know that he was doing a wicked and wrong act. If they should be of sound opinion that he was not sensible at the time he committed it that he was v i o l at i ng t h e laws bo s t t h at o e f nGfonidind, and tmhaenn, ththeir he would b e en titl e d t o a verdict in his favour ; and if, on the contrary, the act n theye was shou ind 1;i e sn o opinion that, whe n h e com mitted verdict would be against him• H e (the learned chief justice) concurred in opinion with his learned brethren beside him, that the evidence of the medical gentleman who had ex amined the unhappy man (he called him unhappy with respect to the state of his mind), the tendency of which they would remember was all on one side, clearly proved that his mind was in such a state at the time he committed the act as not to render him responsible for the commission of it. • If they thought it necessary that he should read the evidence, he would do so ; or if they required any further information with respect to the law of the case, he would be happy to give it to them. _ The Foretnan.—l am desired by my brother jurymen to say to your lordship that they do not require to hear the evi dence read. HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY Chief Justice Tindal.—lf you find the prisoner not guilty on the point in reference to which I have given my opinion, then it will be for you to state that you acquit him on the ground of insanity, in which case there will be proper care taken of him. The jury, without leaving the box, consulted together for about a minute, and emphatically said —we find that the pri soner is " not guilty," believing him to be insane at the time he committed the act. The Solicitor-General.—Will your lordship be pleased to give directions respecting the prisoner's future custody ? Lord Chief Justice Tindal said he would of course be kept in safe custody until her Majesty's pleasure should be known especting him. The court then adjourned at ten minutes to eight o'clock A LEpal. DISTINCTION.—On Tuesday last, at our country adjourned Quarter Sessions, two men, named Byewater, were charged with stealing turnips. The honourable Chairman, in his address to the jury, stated ':,turnips, when growing in a field, if stolen, is not a f e l on y. No doubt the excellent Chairman, and most worthy gentleman—for be is esteemed by all who know kim—intended to use the word " taken " for " stolen." In either case, what an absurd distinction the law makes, as though taking the property of another, without permission, is not theft. —On Saturday evening last one of those adroit limners, who wish to enjoy the good things of this life without paying for them, hit upon the following ingenious plan of securing a capital joint for his Sunday's dinner. The fellow, who was well dressed, and of respectable exterior, walked up to the shop front of a respectable butcher in the Mile-end-road, and, taking a capital leg of mutton off the hook, took it into the shop. At the moment, the butcher was engaged in receiving payment for some meat, but as soon as he was disengaged, the " dodger " addressing him said, he had purchased the leg of mutton then in his hand from a butcher a little higher up the road; and having some misgiv ing that he had been " done " in the weight, he should feel much obliged by his (the butcher's) just putting it in the scale to satisfy big Mind on the po i nt. Th e b utc h er, who is one of the old school, and rem ar k a bl e f or his bluff John Bull neoigu hgho goods of his fell ow -tradesmen, that he had weigh his own, hi nte d something about the enough mannerism, thed o t o replied, that h e was not in the habit of honesty of suspicious persons, and told the fellow, that if he wished to gratify his scruples h e must go elsewhere, and that the sooner he took himself off the better. The fellow only observed that he (the butcher) might, at all events, be civil, and walked out of the shop with the leg of mutton. In about twenty minutes after, the lad whose duty it was to watch the shop front missed the joint ; and, calling out to his master, asked if he had sold the leg of mutton. The latter replied not, but finding it gone, the mortifying truth at once occurred to him that he had been "regularly done" out of the excellent joint. DOUBLE BIGAMY.— On Tuesday last, Richard Belcher. f Little Wittenham, was brought before the Rev. N. Dod an, under the following circumstances, which possess a egree of impudence rarely, we hope, to be met with :—lt ppears that in the year 1828, th e prisoner, Ri c h ar d B e l c h er, was married at Newington, Oxon, to a woman named Gar diner, and lived with her until the year 1839, when, after two days' acquaintance only, he married a secoad person, named Lucy Warren, at St. John's Church, Lambeth, who had some property belonging to her, and some hundreds in ready cash, no doubt the inducement to Belcher. From thence they (the last wife and Belcher) went to Jersey, where they , lived about six months, and the first wife came over, and was introduced to Lucy Warren as the man Belcher's cousin, and stayed there some little time, and soon afterwards returned to England alone. Shortly after that, Belcher and the second woman (for wife she is not legally) came t o E ng l an d, and resided at Little Wittenham, where the first wife was living, Belcher declaring to the poor woman Warren, that he was previously married, and living in the same house with both women, the first of whom only he treated as his wife, having taken pos session of the latter's property. Mr. Martyn, of Jersey, to whom Lucy W arren i s re l a t e d by marriage, 11 was not right, came t o E ng land, and finding s correct, succeeded, after a most diligent and and he now stands committed for trial at the next assizes for praiseworthy investigation, in bringing Belcher to justice , Berks for Bigamy:—Berkshire Chronicle, HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY ord BROUGIIAM called the attention of their lorpships to the state of the municipal corporation of the city of London, with a view to its reformation. In doing this it was not his wish to speak with bitterness or disrespect of the corpora tion of London. Indeed it would be most ungrateful of him to do so, because on a certain memorable occasio❑ he had been presented, together with his noble friend (Lord Den man), with the freedom of the city, and was in consequence a member of that corporation himself. This, however, could not blind him to the enormous abuses which prevailed in that corporation—abuses, some of which were so glaring that, after his statement of that night, he would predict they could not exist for a single year. The noble and learned lord then entered into a lengthened statement of the abuses he referred to, as well in the mode of election of the responsible mem bers and officers of the corporation, as in the general manage ment of its enormous revenue. He denounced the system of city police as dreadful, and said that if the intention was to invent a system the best calculated to promote vice of every kind a better one for that purpose could not be devised than that existing in the city of London. The administration of justice in the city was decidedly bad. The aldermen, &c., were a remnant of the old feudal system. The Duke of Lancaster had given up his judicial jurisdiction—in Durham also this jurisdiction had been given up—in fact throughout the kingdom these local jurisdictions had been abandoned, and yet in London two aldermen could try men for their lives at the Central Criminal Court. The aldermen, &c., had also the power ofappointing no less tha❑ six judges —one chosen by the aldermen alone, and the other five by the Court of Common Council. Those judgeships were can vassed for, and when Lord Denman contested the common sergeantcy with Mr. Bolland he ran a great risk of defeat, because the latter gentleman was city pleader, and those who wished to succeed him in that office got their friends to vote for his elevation. A similar influence defeated Mr. Hill. Was it right that the appointment of judges should be de pendent upon such influences and motives. The noble and learned lord then strongly denounced the practice which pre- vailed of persons asking advice from city magistrates, and thus making exparte statements, when the parties whom they complained of had not the remotest idea that their con duct was to be subjected to such a public investigation. There were a nest of magistrates in the city who were fond of hunting out what they called swindlers; their imperfect knowledge of the law not telling them that swindling is a term unknown to the law, and those magistrates were conti nually listening to stories got up for the express purpose of extortion, from the fear of parties of being dragged before the public, however innocent might have been their conduct. If they persevered in this conduct after this warning, he would tell them that the Court of Queen's Bench would take cogni sance of their proceedings, and put an end to the usurpation which they thus exercised of the jurisdiction of higher courts of justice. The noble and learned lord concluded by moving that an address be presented to her majesty, praying that her Majesty would be graciously pleased to direct the report of 1834 to be taken into consideration, with a view to the re formation of the corporation of the city of London. The LORD CIIANCELLOR said that his noble and learned friend should have given a more definite notice of his object before be sought to pledge the house to an extension of the municipal corporation reform bill to the city. He concurred in all that had been said as to the impropriety of the conduct of magistrates who listened to charges which they had no power to determine, and hoped that what had passed would put an end to the practice. Lord CAMPBELL did not think the city of London so bad as his noble friend had represented it to be. It was a repre sentative government, and no doubt abuses had crept in, which he hoped to see reformed. Lord BROUGHAM then said he would withdraw his me tion, and bring it forward it, another shape. Lord f3nouonAm presented a petition from the Marquis of Townshend, and his brother Charles V. F. Townsbend, containing allegations against a person named John Mar getta, who had, it was alleged, falsely assumed the title of Earl of Leicester, although not legitimate. The petition was referred to a select committee, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAY. Sir R. PEEL assented to the production of the papers moved for by Lord Palmerston relating to the Ashburton treaty, with the exception of such parts as were confidential. The right hon. baronet also said he would, on Monday, state the course he would adopt with respect to the question of privilege. Lord STANLEY, in reply to a question from Mr. LABOU CHERE, said there was no truth in the rumour that in the measure relating to the importation of Canadian flour a clause was to be introduced for the purpose of excluding flour ma nufactured from grain grown in the United States. It would be sufficient if the flour was manufactured in Canada to con stitute it colonial flour. He did not expect to be able to in troduce the ❑ew measure before Easter. Lord PALMERSTON, in reference to Mr. Roebuck's charge of falsehood against the Simia proclamation, in which it was stated that Shah Soojali would " enter Afghanistan sur rounded by his troops," observed, that the proclamation was fulfilled within six months of its date but, even if it had never been fulfilled, that circumstance would not have im peached the proclamation. Shah Soojah had entered Canda har, " surrounded by his troops," which were partly com posed of Hindostanees and partly of Affghans. Mr. ROEBUCK said his charge was that the proclamation had been drawn up for the express purpose of delusion ; and, in support of this charge, he quoted a letter from Col. Dennie, in which thaf lamented officer declared that Shah Soojah had not a single Affghan in his whole army. He would ask if that army was not cbmmanded by British officers, and paid out of British funds? Lord PALMERSTON admitted that it was commanded by British officers, but it was paid by Shah Soojah, by means of a subsidy from this country. In reply to a question from' Mr. EWART, Sir R. PEEL said that he was unable to give any further information respecting any alteraiton of the sugar duties than he had formerly given. In reply to questions from Mr. A. SMITH, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that Govern ment was in possession of every information respecting the value of the opium seized in China, and he would lay the whole of the paper,: beforc ratilutzicnt, i" order that an opinion might be formed as to the proper course to be pur sued. In reply to a question from Mr. EWART, Sir R. PEEL said that it was not his intention to take any step with respect to monopoly of the growth of opium in In dia until he should have art opportunity of ascertaining the opinion of Sir H. Pottinger. The house then went into a committee of supply, and the navy estimates were proceeded with. A discussion took place as to the propriety of paying more attention to buildin g steam ships of war , Si r C . N APIER declaring that we had never built one in this country that could be called good, or that could keep the machinery in anything like safety. In fact a cannon ball would go right through the boiler of any of them, and cause an explosion, and the men below would be cooked before they could reach the deck. Captain Rous also condemned the system of giving the command of our fleets to old men, who, from being ashore for 10 or 20 years previously, had lost two thirds of all the nautical skill they had ever acquired. He also condemned the constant violation of the rules of the Admiralty by the captains of vessels proceeding to the Mediterranean, taking with them their wives, families, carriages, horses, &c. The ships in that service being generally in port, enabled the offi cers to reside ashore so continuously, that they became ut terly unfit for service. For his own part, he would rather take any gentleman brought up in St. James's -street for an officer in a ship of his, than he would take an officer brought up in such service as that of the Mediterranean. A discussion was raised as to the propriety of reviving the office of deputy accountant-general of the Admiralty, Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Baring, and other hon. members objecting to such revival, the necessity for which was, however, advo cated by Mr. Sydney Herbert and Sir James Graham, who read a letter from the accountant-general proving the neces sity of the revival of the office owing to the great increase of of busirxss in that department. Mr. C. Woon proposed a reduction of the vote in order to take the opinion of the house upon the propriety of the re vival of the office, but on a division Mr. Wood's amendment was negatived by a majority of 124 to 45. The house was occupied with the discussion of the esti mates during the remainder of the evening. houses are f the att DI M. Go. y venture expressions of triumph, d portance to the country r Minist cnonstrating nevertheless the um of the defeat of the combined enemies of peace and order. The discussion on the bill was concluded on Saturday. Previous to the ballot, M. de Labourdonnaie asked M. Gnizot, if a Frenchman, named Lefevre, who had been ill treated at Gerona, by General Zurbano, had obtained sati- for that offence ? M. Guizot replied that he had ded of the cabinet of Madrid not only a disavowal of but also an indemnity for the e condi. enera I by M. Lel rnment :overed t of the boat rope aat the aff ved from A ad as the King's g will fall short a of that weep a mote trom the minister, in answer Lo a queztam Chegaray, relative to the capture of a French vessel by a Spanish cruizer, the discussion was closed. The grant of 1,000,000 f. for secret service purposes was then put to the vote, and carried by 244 against 155, giving ministers a ma ioritv of 82 votes. r a very ( A large fis place in, which a were a when he. had the heart lrft .afe on the j , etty su canght oreaiong plainir create( n a ten nt from AbervstwN t charity g to the faro iey became in on the eve of whelping. suatled to go to bed, which owever he ultimatel tending . to be up_ very early in the me ug ; but unfortu ately - the farme . r's eldest s j on mnd that the bitch had three escroy before the boy made his , when he rmined to .quently he them until into a bucket of wa and covered their soon of rwards the'boy arrived, and found that his favourite, from her I] had w helped, and demanded of h;s snting become of the pups, when h hid them in a plantation cla )y, to r stroyed; the boy, during the whole of that ( lowing ( Ached the bitch, in order to find out where sited the pups, but without being able to gain my intelligence of them, and on Sunday morning, to the boy, and to the astonishment of all the fa- great joy of t roily. {who excepting the bo been destroyed) two of t bitch, and the pupg were found alive with th , ye. It is supposed, the heat m to li Id that the bit found out .the depositary and r ht of Saturda PRINTING E Bain, a nat some of seeing w feel the t the same time s to their pra( able to spec contained in a etter adcfressed by Mr. Bain resides in P matters alluding to some other matters 6 undergoing the operation of being patented clocks, &c. the utmost i several other improvements in the telegraph, One improvement in the printing telegraph is 01 pportance, namely, a method whereby I can, by wspaper in London, and print it simultaneously in every town in England and Scotland nearly as fast as the steam-engine throws off the sheets. This will be one of the most extraordinrry inventions ever made in anv One set of types, set up a e. To make you understand it more NI at a wire was laid down in Wick to ev, Scotland and I netted in a peculiar manner with the form of types which w just ready to commence to print the John 0' Groat Journal gnnnose a Voltaic battery was connected i µroper manner at ever peculiarly con structed machine, containing paper to the i number of copies required, was attached to t amount of the the wire and to s soon as a O' Groat Journal•office all the other machio continue to . throw off copy for cor s would commence that it would come of )e paper, so ry town in aneOusly those at Britain. Remember, there are no types used exee, Wick. This, I have no doubt, will seem a wild idea , _ never theless, I see my way as clearly in thi s as I did in th ctro-magnetic clocks or the other printing telegraph ; an othe t is now bei secured by patent inventions. --John 0' Groat Journal her with EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE OF A DEBTOR QUEEN'S BENCH PRISON.—Mr. Ludford, a __a -C •L_ L" • roperty .oin the room wt ..,n,i_ Upon an aterior or i 0 "0 - Is off s► carpe_ having Mr. Ledford, who, it w ork and converted t, -r ,oncealment, by wi the drawers usua l. and I ,__ m a ll dim the p !ctions ,t of drawers, a the dra ndividual ru to have a carry it between them, tained v n ee fr( ,p the cE 1,,,, to thi and not i rer mP°r longing to the owne rate. The turnkey ere, th Ir. Ludf s and ,000, - 000 dolle‘s FRANCE rived to a box, tb I the the of the part least con t drove t )'Aum THE AFFGHAN WAR The following scene was enacted in the House of Com mons on Wednesday last, during the debate on Mr. Roe buck's motion for an inquiry into the circumstances attend ing the origin of the Affghan war. Sir R. PEEL did not think there was any necessary con nexion between the question whether the war was justifiable, and the question whether the house ought to appoint a com mittee of inquiry. He desired, therefore, not to be under stood not• as approving the policy of that war because he did propose to concur in the motion for the committee. Even if he coincided in the opinion that there was reason to ap prehend danger from Russia, he considered subsequent events to have confirmed the suspicion he had originally ex pressed, that the expedition into Affghanistan would not be found justifiable. But he could not agree to lend the influ ence of Government to the appointment of the proposed committee. It had not been the usage of this country that a party acceeding to office should employ its powers to en force vindictive measures against its predecessors. If he were disposed to yield to party feeling, lie might agreeto this motion as a retaliation upon the now threatened attack on Lord Ellenborough ; but he would act on no such sentiment. He would rather act upon the consideration of that which was befitting the Government and beneficial to the people. I must say (continued Sir R. Peel) that some of those who are to-night the loudest in reprobatin g the principle of the war were at that time the loudest in expressing approbation of it. (Hear, hear.) I remember, Sir, that the chief oppo nent of my views upon one of those occasions was no less a person than the seconder of ,the motion now under conside ration. (Hear, hear.) When I made a reserve as to the general policy of the war, and objected especially to the grant of money, the hon. member for Montrose approved of the po licy, and also assented to the appropriation of the money. (Loud laughter.) 1%1 r. I did not; the policy was not the ques tion.—( Renewed laughter.) Sir R. PEEL here very' deliberately turned round, and, amid much merriment, produced a volume of parliamentary debates, previously brought to him from the library by Mr. E. 'ferment. Having found the passage he sought for, he continued :—lf I were trusting to my general impression, I might doubt the correctness of my recollection; but I must bring the hon. member to hook—(shouts of laughter) —as he gives me so emphatic a denial. - Mr. El umE.-,But I don't deny it.—(Renewed laughter.) Sir It. PEEL.—(shutting the book)—Oh ! Very well; then— Mr. UME.—Oh ! read, read. Sir R. PEEL. — (re-opening the book.)—Certainly, I'll read.—(Shouts of laughter.) [Addressing Mr. Hume] : This is all stated, you know, in a good-humoured way. [Turning over the pages] :—I don't know where to find the sentences, I'm sure ; but I suppose I shall find them some where in the climax.—(Roars of laughter.) We usually find the strongest points in that part of the speech.—(More laughter.) Oh ! here it is : "lam of opinion that the result of the expedition will go far to strengjhen the British power in India.' Mr. H UME. —Very good, very good.—(Great merriment.) Sir R. PEEL.—Eh ! what did you say? Mr. HIIME.—Oh ! read on, read on. Sir R. PEEL.—Very well!—" Having seen the lamentable results of inefficient arrangements, I think the greatest credit is due to the British authorities." (Great laughter.) Oh, but he goes further than that : here's another passage,— " I think the conduct of Lord Auckland is marked by the greatest wisdom." (Roars of laughter.) Then here's ano ther, —now, what will the hon. gentleman say to this?—" I believe that it is an expedition more likely to be beneficial to India than any which has previously taken place." (Re newed laughter.) So. I have struck the lion. gentleman above and below, and I hope he's satisfied (more laughter) ; but really I only quo t e this to justify myself in saying that I, who from the fist expressed my distrust of the policy of the expedition, have been met in argument by others whom, to my astonishment, I now find opposed to me. (Loud -heers.) Sir, I know that nothing is more easy than to argue that the House of Commons is the great inquest of the THEATRE ROYAL, WIT_,LIANISON-SQUARE MRS. CLARKE most respectfully announces that her BENEFIT is appointed to take place ON MONDAY NEXT, the 13th instant, on which occasion the celebrated Performers, Mr. W. FARREN, and Mrs. GLOVER, of the Theatres-Royal, Drury-lane, Covent-garden, and Haymarket, will make their appearance. First Night of the New Drama of GRANDFATHER _WHITEHEAD, the most popular production of the last season at the Theatre- Royal, Haymarket, in which .Mr. W. FARREN will sustain his original character of " Grandfather White head," and Mr. STUART his original character of " Langley." Mrs. TE RN A N (late Miss Jarman,) of the Theatre-Royal, Covent-garden Mr. BROWNE, of the Theatre-Royal, Drury-lane, and of the American Theatres, will also appear in principal characters, and Miss FANNY TERNAN, the Juvenile Actress, only seven years of age, will appear. for the first time, as " Edward Drayton," in the Drama of GRANDFATHER W II IT EHEAD ," and will also perform in the Farce of THE YOUNG ACTRESS. ON MONDAY next, the 13th i ns t an t, w ill b e rev i ve d t h e favourite Comedy, called A WAY . To KEEP HIM. Sir Bashful Constant .... Mr. W. Farren, the second character performed by him at the Theatre- Royal, Covent-garden. Lovemore .... (first time).... Mr. Stuart. Sir Brilliant Fashion Mr. Browne. The Widow Belmour Mrs. Lovemore (first time) Mrs. Ternan. Muslin. Mrs. Clarke. After which, the highly successful Drama, as performed Seventy Nights in succession last season at the Theatre- Royal, Haymarket, called GRANDFATHER WHITEHEAD. Grandfather Whitehead Mr. W. Farren. Edward Drayton.... (his Grandson) Miss Fanny Ternan. Langley Mr. Stuart. Louisa . Mrs. Seymour. To be followed by a Drama, in one Act, adapted from the " Actress of all work," expressly for Miss Fanny Ternan, called THE YOUNG ACTRESS; OR, THE MANAGER PERPLEXED. In which Miss Fanny Tertian will sustain Six Characters Tickets to be bad of Mrs. CLARKE, 1, Houghton-street, Williamson-square, and of Mr. COOKE, at the Box-office of the Theatre, of whom places may be taken from Ten until Three o'clock : no Places can be secured unless Tickets are taken, Doors to be opened at Half-past Six, and the Perform ances to commence at Seven o'clock precisely. Lower Boxes, 4s. ; Upper Boxes, 3s. 6d.; Pit, 2s. 6d. ; Gallery, is. Second Price at Nine o'clock :—Lower Boxes, 2s. W. ; Upper Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, is. 6d. ; Gallery, Gd. TO MERCHANTS, BROKERS, &c. The largely increased and most respectable circulation which the Tuesday's Edition of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD has now obtained amongst the mercantile body in Manchester affords its proprietors the gratify ing power of urging this, amongst the other undeniable claims which it possesses, upon the favor of that portion of the mercantile community of Liverpool who desire to bring their advertisements before the notice of buyers in the neighbouring manufacturing districts. In most of the surrounding towns of Lancashire the circulation qf the STANDARD is steadily increasing. In Manchester, however, the centre of the manufacturing district, our publication of Tuesday—occurring upon the most im portant market day of the Cotton Trade, when its Exchange and Hotels are thronged with country manu facturers, spinners, and calico printers—is firmly es tablished in circulation, and is perused with increased and increasing interest. Under these encouraging circumstances., we trust to receive an increased measure of support from the mer chants and brokers of the town generally ; and it affords us great pleasure to assure those of our friends amongst those classes, who have hitherto bestowed their adver tising favours liberally upon us, of our increased ability to do justice to the interests committed to their care. nation—that it is its duty and its function to institutc in quiries, and that it is highly desirable it should exercise such duty. But where, let me ask, is the limit to such a princi ple? (Hear, hear.) I will tell you what this will end in,— it will end in transferring the executive government of the crown to the House of Commons. (Loud cheers.) After a few other observations, the right lion. baronet resumed his seat amid loud and general cheering. He had scarcely sat down before Mr. Hume rose front his place on the opposition benches, and, stalking across the floor of the house, seized the volume of " Parliamentary Debates" which lay on the right hon. baronet's despatch-box, exclaiming, as he marched off with the prize, " Now, then, let me have my turn at the book." The incident caused much amusement, and the honourable member for Montrose proceeded to dive into the columns of " Hansard," amid the general laughter and ironical cheering of the house. TO CORRESPONDENTS, We had prepared some remarks on the subject of the trial and verdict in the case of M`Naghten, but are compelled to withdraw them at a late hour. ebe Eiberpool &tan Darb. TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 7, 1 5 43 We received last night Jamaica papers to the 3d tilt., and the Guiana Herald of the 24th, 26th, and 28th January. A summary of their contents will be found in another column. The papers have been brought by the West India Mail Packet The Forth, which arrived at Southampton on Sunday night, having left St. Thomas on the 7th ult. and Bermuda on the 16th. She has brought 31 passengers, 400,000 dollars, and 227 serons of cochineal. The gentlemen of the League appear to be just now in an awful state of perturbation. They are haunted with the fear of " a plot," hatching by somebody or other—they forget to say who—against their maiden reputation ; and are elongating their ears, in the direc tion of Lancaster, with an earnestness and trepidation which it is quite painful to contemplate. What Lan caster has to do with them and their agitation it is not so easy to say. The Chartist O'Connor, and others, it is true, are there, upon their trial ; but what have virtuous, patriotic, peaceful people, such as the mem bers of the League, to do with Feargus and his satellites ? " What's Hecuba to them or they to Hecuba?" The Attorney-General, too, is at Lancaster, and a host of witnesses of, and actors in, the eventful scenes of August last are there; but what have innocent people to fear from these or any such circumstances ? The Secretary of State for the Home Department has been also subpoenaed, and actually attended for three days, as a witness in'the trials in question ; but what has the League to fear from Sir James Graham, or from the witness for whose production it seems the right hon. baronet was held as a kind of lien or pledge ? We are really at a loss. The affair is far too mysterious for our ingenuity to solve. There is one thing, however, which strikes us very forcibly. The Manchester Guardian of Wednesday last first raised this novel cry of " Plot—plot," and on Saturday vouchsafed us the information that up to that date it had not exploded —a fact which we were perfectly ready to believe, from the eminently tranquil state of the atmosphere, and other circumstances of a similar nature. Mr. Richard Cobden, too, on Wednes day last, at a meeting of Cockney philosophers, held at the Crown-and-Anchor, in the Strand, raised the same cry of " Plot" and " Conspiracy," and, in fact, almost predicted th a t something shocking was about to transpire, affecting most seriously the character of the League, against which, however, his hearers were resolutely to shut their ears. Now the thing which strikes us forcibly, as we have above remarked, is this. It is not usual for innocent men to say to their friends or to the public, " You will shor4 hear something very dreadful against my character; but don't believe it !" or, " That scoundrel C or 1) is to be tried this assizes for burglary, and will very likely implicate me as the receiver; but don't believe him !" Such is not the usual course with innocent people—the innocent are proverbially fearless; and, with all due deference to the superior acumen of the Manchester Guardian, we must candidly confess that our impression of the ,purity of the League body is by no means deepened )y the anxiety displayed to prepare the world for the )robable impeachment. " The thief doth fear each bush an officer !" We briefly referred in our last to the result of the livision upon Mr. Roebuck's motion, for a committee o enquire into the origin and policy of the Affghan var. We were not disappointed in that result. The nember for Bath, admitting the ability of his address ipon the subject, and the independence and manliness )f his general conduct in Parliament, was not the man rotn whom such a motion might best have originated. "he ground which he took was far beneath the occa- What was, in every sense of the w or d, a ational crime of th e d e e pes t dye, descended, in his hands, into an act of raw malversation of their office, on the part of the late Governor-General of India, Lord Palmerston, and Sir John C. Hobhouse; and by the loophole thus furnished, an opportunity was given to Sir Robert Peel and the Conservative party to exer cise that excessive generosity towards their opponents, which, however amiable a feeling in itself, is one the increasing practice of which is fast making shipwreck of the dignity of Parliament, and undermining one of the main bulwarks of British liberty. • The policy of the Affghan war is denounced by every Conservative, in Parliament and out of doors, and by a large majority of the liberal party as well. That it was not a merely mistaken policy—an error — the result of ignorance or weakness,—but a wrong de liberately committed, in defiance of warning as to its injustice and probable consequences, is more than suggested, for it can be, and, in fact, has been proved. In the pursuit of this injustice an army was sacrificed, and thousands of British subjects savagely massacred; the revenues of India, to the extent of twelve or four teen millions sterling, wantonly squandered, and the safety of that important possession itself—a possession such as no country in modern history has been master of—placed in jeopardy. What, then, we ask, becomes of the constitutional responsibility of British ministers —that responsibility which the Whig press has of late so sedulously proclaimed—if the authors of such a war, distinguished equally by its criminal origin and the disasters by which it has been attended, are to be kept harmless, unvisited even with the condemnation of Parliament, by the protecting delicacy and forbearance of a Conservative ministry ? What is the precedent thus established, but one of perfect impunity for poli tical crime ? We respect—all men must respect—that amiability of feeling which hesitates to crush a fallen antagonist; but we cannot admit that this was a fitting occasion for its display. The criminal here was not a penitent supplicant for mercy; but a boastful profligate who, from the bar at which he was arraigned, threw back insult and arrogant justification of his conduct upon his accusers, and upon the very hands which inter posed to shield him from merited disgrace and punish ment. The bearing of Lord Palmerston, in particular, was not one to win sympathy or forbearance ; and we cannot but express regret, and in so doing we express the feeling of nine-tenths of the community, that Sir Robert Peel permitted any considerations, so trivial as those urged by him on "Wednesday, to interfere with the course of justice and the constitutional practice of Parliament. Most assuredly the favour which he con ferred is one not very likely to be reciprocated, should an opportunity occur for its exercise After all, however, Whiggery has little to plume itself upon in its escape. The condemnation of 85 independent members of the House of Commons, on an occasion when a ministry, which equally condemns the crime, interposed to screen the offenders, is a token not likely to be very gratifying to the conceited ex- Minister for Foreign Affairs, or to his small band of admirers. By the bye, shall we hear more of the threatened impeachment of Lord Ellenborough ? We suspect not ! We have the sincerest pleasure and delight in being able to announce to our readers, that an opportunity is now afforded them of testifying their, approbation, and the esteem in which they hold the eminent services rendered to our town and the country at large, by our highly gifted and talented townsman, the Rev. Hugh WNeile, to whose exertions and manly courage we owe, in a material degree, our present enviable social position. A few friends of the reverend gentleman lately met, and passed a resolution to the effect that "it is de sirable to adopt some plan to mark the sense of the public services of the Rev. Hugh M`Neile, and of the benefit conferred by him not only upon the town of Liverpool but the country at large, especially as regards the promotion of religious instruction." After due consideration, it was unanimously agreed to enter into a subscription for the purpose of estab lishing scholarships connected with the Collegiate Insti tution of this town, to be called "The M'Neile Scho larships." For further details we must refer our readers to the advertisement elsewhere. We know of no means so pure, so disinterested, and so completely divested of all sinister objects ; and no compliment more likely to meet with the approbation of the rev. gentlemen, whose high-minded and chival rous notions, arid complete disregard of personal advantage, are so well known, where a possible benefit may be conferred on the community at large. This is a compliment worthy of the town to bestow, and worthy of the distinguished individual's acceptance on whom it is bestowed; and while it confers honour upon him, it at the same time confers a lasting benefit on our town, and the Collegiate Institution, by offering a sti mulus to the exertion of our children to contend for so fair and honourable a prize. The subscriptions are limited to £5 for each indivi dual, and we have not the smallest doubt the call will be responded to joyfully : we feel persuaded very many clergymen's names will grace the list of contributors ; and we have the high satisfaction of observing, it is already honoured with the names of our venerated and highly-esteemed Bishop, and the Worshipful the Chancellor of the Diocese, as well as the Members for the Borough, and the noble champion of scriptural education, Lord Ashley. LOCAL, NEWS. Sir Howard Douglas is nominated, by Mr. Palmer, one of the members of the committee on shipwrecks. The Cheshire Foxhounds meet to-morrow (Wednesday), at Darnall; on Thursday, at Bradfield Green; and on Sa turday, at Tattoo Park. William Clayton Green, 8.A., of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and late of Whitkirk, near Leeds and a student of the Leeds Grammar School, was on Sunday last ordained by the Bishop of Chester to the curacy of Woolton. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS' BILL.--Sir Howard Dquglas presented, in the House of Commons, on Friday night, the petition agreed to at the recent meeting of the parishioners on the subject of this bill. The British and North American royal mail steamer the Acadia, which sailed hence on the 4th ult., was spoken on the 10th, in 10ng.31, having got " half seas over" in lessthan six days. Her prssage across the Atlantic promised, there fore, to he short. THE THEATRES. —In the House of Commons, on Friday, Mr. T. buncombe presented a petition, signed by 6,000 of the inhabitants of Liverpool, complaining of vexatious actions which bad been brought against certain parties who had been playing at the Liver Theatre, Liverpool. The British and North American royal mail steamer the Columbia, Captain Judkins, sailed, on Saturday last, for Halifax and Boston. She carried out fifty aong whom were Sir Charles Metcalfe, the new Governor-General of Canada, and suite. Stn. HOWARD DOHGLAS.—Our gallant representative, Sir Howard Douglas, presided, on Saturday last, at a meeting of the subscribers and friends of the United Service Institu tion, held in London. The Society, which is most useful to both services, appears to be in a state of progressive improve ment. General Washington, Captain Marbury, arrived here to day from New Orleans. She brims letters of the 28th of January, being later than those brought from New Orleans yesterday by the packet-ship George Washington, from New York. Captain Marbury has now, for three consecutive voyages, brought the latest news from his ports of loading. VISITORS AT CROXTETIL—The following is a correct list of the visitors to the Earl of Sefton during the race week Lord Stradhroke, Sir Frederick Batheuse, Sir F. Macgregor. Sir Joshua and Lady Gerard, Sir Richard Brook and two Misses Bro o k, M r., M rs., and Miss Blackburne, Miss Hardy. Mr. Beanelerc, Mr. Payner, Hon. Col. Anson. Earl of Craven, Hon. Frederick Craven, Mr. F. Standish. SALE OF LORD STANLEY'S BREEDING STUD.—A large draft from the valuable hunting and breeding stud of the noble colonial secretary were brought to the hammer by Tattersalls, by direction of his lordship, on the race course at Aintree, on Wednesday. The lots comprised the Pache by Ibrahim, brother to Napoleon, Erin, winner of the Anglesea steeple chase; galloways, mares, hacks, &c., end realised good prices. INQUEST. —Yesterday, an inquest was held before 1 3 - F Curry, E sq ., borough co r oner, on view of the body of Michael Manly, a child of four -and-a-half years old. It appeared that on Friday a ft ernoon the deceased, who lived with his parents in B r i c k- street, was in the act of ;tinning across Flint-street , while a cart was passing, when he stumbled and fell under the off wheel, which passed otter his head. He was taken to the Southern Hospital, where, notwithstanding ever y atten tion, he di e d on th e f ollowing morning. The surgeon stated that the deceased had suffered a fracture of the skull of which he died. Verdict, " Accidentally killed." INCREASE AND DECREASE IN IMPORTS.—OD CORlPar ir l the imports of merchandise at this port for the last year with that of th e preceding, we observe the following articles have varied : Articles increased in import. Ashes Articles decreased in import Bark Cocoa • BriZtone Cassia Coffee, foreign Cotton wool Galls Olive Oil Pltnento Rice Rurn Coffee, British plantation Ginger Hides Indigo Dye and Shell Lae Madders Molasses Pepper Patin oil Saltpetre Sugar, Bengal and Brazil Tallow Tar Dye Woods Shumac Sugar, Mauritius and Ha- Tincaf Tobacco Turpentine Sl3eeps' Wool