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

Varliatnnit. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MoNnav, APRIL 22. Sir J. GRAHAM having proposed to take the second reading of the Factory Bill at once, and debate the main question of it on going into committee, Mr. T. DUNCOMBE contended, that the on'y proper way of dealing eith this bill would be, to refer it to a select committee. The werking classes did not believe that the reduction of time would involve a reduction of wages ; and there ought to be a fair examination of work people and masters., that it Might be seen which party were right. The house was at present but too much dis posed to listen to the masters against the workpeople. Lord Ashley, by agreeingto his present course, had sur rendered the whole ca-e. The noble lord now merely proposed to take a flying shot at the bill when it ea, leaving the house, after the third reading ; and if that shot missed, the bill would be gone before he could fire second barrel. He would himself move, on the order of the day For going into committee of the whole house, that the bill should be referred to a select committee above stairs. Lord ASHLEY believed that the operatives had quite as touch knowledge of the subject as Mr. Duncombe, and was sure they bad ten times as much candour. Now, they assured him that they entirely approved the course be was taking. Mr. FEURAND said, that on the side of the working classes were truth and justice ; on the side of the mas ters, falsehood and injustice. He challenged the masters to face the operatives at a meeting in the open air. Mr. ROEBUCK desired to know to whom Mr. Ferrand had lately alluded when he stated at a public meeting that a Minister of the Crown had used his influence to induce a public officer to put forth a false statement for the pur pose of crushing a member of the house? Mr. FERhAND.—If the hon. and learned member for Bath had shown me the usual etiquette exhibited by hon. members towards each other, 1 would have come down to the house pro erly prepared to give him a full explana tion. As he has not done so, but adopted that system to which he usually resorts—that of coming duly prepared to take an undue advantage of an unprepared member—l must answer as well as I can. Mr. Ferrand then went on to say that the minister was Sir James Graham, that the member was himself, and that the public officer was Mr. Mott, the poor-law commissioner. Mr. ROEBUCK.—The question I have put has riot been answered. The question which I put was, that a minister of the crown had used his power as a minister to induce an officer employed by the government to make a false report. The hon. member for Knaresborough has shown that the report is false, but the first part of my question remains still unanswered. That part of the charge that the right hon. baronet used his power for this purpose still remains without a reply. That charge, scandalous as it is, the hon. member has not substantiated. -Mr. FERRAND.—I have performed my duty to the house to the best of my ability, and I tell the hon. and learned member for Bath that he is not going to school me. He has used language unbecoming him as a member of this house and as a gentleman. (" Order, order," " Chair, chair.") The SPEAKER.—The hon. member must retract the last words he has used. Mr. FERRAND.—Certainly, as such, sir, is your deci sion. I shall say he has acted in a manner unbecoming his position as a member of the house. The words I ut tered were these—that the right hon. baronet had taken steps to procure a false report for the purpose of using it in this house to crush a member of it. Those words 1 used —those words I do not retract. Mr. H UME said it was reported also to have been stated by Mr. Ferrand, that Sir J. Graham had used his official influence with the chairman of the Nottingham Election Committee, to warp his decision respecting that election. Mr. FERRAND declared that he had made no such charge. Sir R. PEEL, in reference to a report of his having said something about a conflict between Christianity and the Government on the Factory Bill, denied altogether that be had ever said anything of the kind. What he had said on the occasion when he was supposed to have uttered this passige was, that he believed the further reflection of members was likely to increase the numbers of those who would support the view of government. The Factory Bill was then read a second time. Dr. Nicnote moved the second reading of the Eccle siastical Courts Bill, passed by the House of Lords. He explained that the present measure proposed to abolish a'l peculiar jurisdictions, thereby getting rid of about 300 courts; but to retain the diocesan courts, and to treat every place and every benefice as within the archdeaconry. diocese, and province of its actual locality ; to take away ecclesiastical jurisdiction in matters of tithe and defama tion ; to make certain provisions for the introduction of viva voce evidence and trial by jury ; and to invest the ecclesiastical judges with powers of enforcing their own judgments. The bill proposed also to give compensa tions, assessable by the Treasury, to those officers whose emoluments should have been taken away or greatly re duced by these ehanges. After a short discussion, the bill was read a second time. Some desultory conversation followed upon the County Courts Bill, which was committed pro forma", and the other orders of the day were then disposed of. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY. The Speaker called upon Mr. FERRAND, who said he would neither retract nor deny what be bad said iu do provinces during the Easter recess—to the effect that Sir James Graham had used his influence, as a minister of the crown, to induce Mr. Hogg, M.P. for Beverley, to unseat Mr. Walter, of the Times, by giving his casting ♦ote in committee against that gentleman. The boa. member, after a very few observations, suddenly sat down, and immediately aftetw , irds walked out of the house, amidst loud laughter and cheering from all sides. Mr. Honn then claimed, not the protection, but the justice of the house, to adopt some course by which his honour would be vindicated from Mr. Ferrand's charges. He was distinctly charged with having acted from impure motives, and the house should either punish him, or cen sure the party who had passed upon him so foul an impu tation. Sir J. GRAHAM was quite satisfied, seeing the manner in which Mr. Ferrand bad fled from both his accusations, to leave the matter to the house and the public. Sir R. PEEL said it was a question for the house to say whether the matter should be treated with ridicule, or seriously; if seriously, they should take time for reflec tion, lest they should establish a dangerous precedent. His own opinion of it was, that there was nothing com parable to the whole affair since the time when the con juror had offered to walk into a quart bottle and then suddenly disappeared. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, as Mr. Hogg had claimed the protection of the house from the unsupported and unretracted calumnies of Mr. Ferrand, he was quite wil ling to vote the charges false and calumnious. Lord STANLEY thought there was not an individual member of the house who did not believe that Mr. Fer rand knew, when he made the charges, that they were utterly incapable of proof. He came there with an air of boldness, and on the first outbreak of indignation, he quitted the house without retracting his gross and libel lous charges. The SPEAKER, on being appealed to, advised that all discussion should be dropped for the present, and in any subsequent proceedings they ought to adopt the course pursued in Mr. O'Connell's case. After a few words from Mr. BLACKSTONE and Sir R. H. INGLis, the debate was adjourned until Wtdnesday. Mr. BORTHWICK then rose to move an address to her Majesty, praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to afford to Parliament, in all matters ecclesias tical, the advice and assistance of the clergy in convoca tion assembled, according to the constitution and the ancient usage of the realm. While the hon. member was yet speaking, however, the house was counted out. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY.. Sir J. GRAHAM stated that, arter consultation with Mr. Hogg, he considered it his painful duty to lay before the house the report of Mr. Ferrand's speech, containing those charges against Mr. Hogg and himself, with respect to the Nottingham Committee, which had been the sub ject of discussion on the two preceding evenings. The report was then read by the Clerk at the Gable. The SPIL4,IOEIL asked whether Mr. Ferrand was in his place ? No answer being returned, Sir R. PEEL said he had referred to the modern prece dents, and his conclusion from them was, that the best course would be for the house to take this matter into consideration on Friday next, giving full opportunity of explanation to Mr. Ferrand, and not taking advantage of the admission already made by him. Possibly, if Mr. Ferrand had concluded the speech which he had left un finished on the preceding day, he might have said some thing to affect the opinion of his hearers. It would be proper now to order that he should attend in his place on Friday, and even to give him then the opportunity of at tempting, if he should be then desirous of attempting, to substantiate his charges. He concluded by moving that ha matter should be considered on Friday. Lord JOHN RUSSELL agreed that it would be proper to abstain from discussion now. Mr. T. DoNcomus did not believe there was the least ground for Mr. Ferrand's accusations : but he could not forget that ten days had been suffered to elapse after the meeting of the house without one word said upon the sub ject. Then came Mr. Roebuck's question—" Did you say so and so of such a person 7,!' to which question, had it been asked of him, he would have answered, " What business is that of yours?" He thought the proper way would be to appoint a committee of three or five members (end he should not care if they were nominated by Mr. Ferrand himself), to which committee he would refer the speech ; and if that committee should report that there was no foundation for the charges, Mr. Ferrand, he doubted not, would, as a gentleman, make a proper re traction. Mr. D'lsnsELl disapproved the general tone of Mr. Ferrand's addresses, but he did no t approve the cour s e which the house was now taking. Mr. Hogg might have asked some man of sense and temper to apply to Mr. Ferrand, and the result, he believed, would have been sa tisfactory to Mr. Hogg, and not degrading to Mr. Fer rand; or Mr. Ilogg might have made his own complaint to the house. But Mr. Hogg had done neither ; and then Mr. Roebuck, who constituted himself public accuser, put his question, and this without the common courtesy of a notice. Sir B. Peel had certainly proposed a course which would bring back some decorum into the proceed ings of the house ; but it would be still better to let the matter drop allget her. Was it to be slid that the bonne must erect itself into a court of honour, is benever a eherge wac made by one niem')er against another ? Toe I,ouse did not so b have when Sir R. Peel charged a rnenibtr with the much graver offence of making a Eqp , e , h twit bti MUlattid to assassination. But Mr. Ferrand, beili'g a man without a party to biick him, had been baited and hullie on all hands. He hunselt did not sympatiize in Mr Ferrand's views; on the contrary, he had tad the hon. member, th-t he thought he had a bad cause, and a worse tribunal. Indeed he ciiukl not wrinder. that fr.( m such a tribunal Mr. Ferranti hni chosen to withdraw himself. As to the KeiWev Union as 'he owned he had never understoul it ; but nobody could dens that these :ial been a great si any obscure and suspicious circumstances about it.; and it was natural enough that Mr. Ferrand's imagi tion should have been inflamed - when he found himself engaged in a contest with a Minister of the Usev, , is, and pardonable tint he should have held the suit of language which had been used by him. Surely things must be come to a strange pass, if the House of Commons were cemorl led to interfere on such a matter as the present, fit the purpose of rescuing this stromr., if not very popular mi nistry. He had been nineh gratified with Sir R. Peel's precedent of the boi the conjurer; but how far Lord Stan ley's speech had been an example of the forbearance and conciliation which he recommended to Mr. Ferrand, was another question. Lord Stanley was the Prince Rupert of the House : his charge was irres'stible; but when he re turned to his camp, it was always in possession of the enemy. It had been truly said that gentlemen, if they chose to tell lies on the hustings, ought not to tell them in the house. But he would go further: he thought they ought not to tell lies even on the hustings. and if a man chose to declaim against the poor-law there, he ought not to come hither and vote for it. If any man did this, that man was guilty of corrupt conduct, and might now move a censure atralnst him fir saying so. He would remind the Prime Minister of what had been said by a former. though not greater, Sir Robert, who, when Sacheverell had been long baited and worried, declared himself tired of roasting a parson. Captain BERKELEY did not think the case was one of which Mr. Hogg could have fitly made a personal quar rel ; nor did be consider it consistent with the dignity of the house that the matter should be suffered to drop. There was a party in that place who had been accustomed to cheer all the violenees of Mr. Ferrand, and they were in great measure the persons responsible for the scrape he had got into. Lord .1011 N MANNERS rose to move the previous ques tion. He contended that the speech of Mr. Ferrand did not convey the sort of imputation upon Mr. Hogg which it had been assumed to involve. The newspapers might have given it that construction; but it ought to be judged of by itself, and not by the constructions of other people. As to the charge against Sir J. Graham, that right hon. baronet, who must be the best judge in his own affair, had declared himself content that the matter should be passed over. Mr. SMYTHE seconded the amendment of Lord J. Manners. He had no adverse feeling to Sir J. Graham, whose straightforward conduct he highly eulogised ; and lie considered Mr. Ferrand to labour under as extraordi nary hallucinations respecting the character and conduct of the right hon. baronet as respecting the employment of machinery. Nor did he question the integrity of Mr. Hoge, whom he believed to have been influenced by no worse motive than an outrageous stnse of public virtue. But he could not concur in a proceeding the object of which was t, compel Mr. Ferrand to prove his belie , . No man in that house i:ould prove his belief upon any subject discussed there. Seeing that all this mischief was owing to the member for Bath, he had himself a belief, though he could not prove it, that there was some understanding between purity and power ; for that spurious patriot, while he attacked all others, spared one great person, and intimated plainly enough that if be were not the Diogenes of Bath, he would like to be the Alexander of Tawworth. That learned member had now effected a combination of two remarkable positions—that of the rebel's agent and the Queen's ceunsel. _ _ After a few words from Sir R. Inglis, Mr. ROEBUCK rose. Mr. Ferrand, he said, had ad mitted having used the words ascribed to him ; and as to the complaint that there had been no notic , , surely, if a member were charged with a robbery, he wanted no no tice in order to be prepared for adenial. Was this a mat ter to be got rid of by th 3 somewhat cowardly expedient of the previous question ? That meant, that the house desired to express no opinion whateve-. But ought the house to express no opinion upon a question whether a minister of the crow❑ had used h's power to crush one of its members ? It was the duty of the house to see that no minister did so use his power ; it was his own duty, as one of the members of that house, to look to this. The accu ser had fled from his own charge ; still the house, in its courtesy, proposed to give him a further opportunity for explanation ; and all men would be glad if he should now, on consideration, candidly retract his words. Lord John Manners laid claim to feelings of sanctity in matters of high account; did he concur with Mr. D'lsraeli in the suggestion that this matter ought to have been settled in what was commonly called a gentlemanly way—an apology if attainable; if not, then a duel ? Surely. after the late horrors, it must be felt that such a proceeding would have been a disgraceful one. Lo - d Howicx thought, with Lord J. Manners, that the house would take the wisest course in suff , ring this subject to drop. The groundlessness of Mr. Ferrand's accusation, the utter and universal disbelief of it, formed the very reason why it might safely be treated with entire indifference. The true punishment of a member making those groundless charges was the degradation which he himself incurred by them. Any ulterior proceeding in this case would establish a precedent which would there after be found extremely embarrassing ; f,r if the house interfered on behalf of a minister's character, it must in terfere in behalf of the character of every individual mem ber whose honour might be at any time attacked. ti ~aa-i a lacd at the nine of argument taken by Lord Howick, whose suggestion, if pursued in a case where the characters of two members were thus attacked, would leave no alternative but Wimbledon Common. Could the house shrink front the inquiry, after the perti nacious way in which Mr. Ferrand had reiterated his charges? Those who should now vote for the previous question would be voting a condemnation of the charac ters of the two members accused. Sir J. GRAHAM said he should not vote at all; but ex plained that his meaning on a former occasion had been merely to assert the necessity of inquiry where the attack of one member upon the honour of another was connected with the parliamentary character of the accused. He confessed that he had himself, in a long political life, said and done so many things which he had afterwards been sorry for, that he did wish to give to Mr. Ferrand the op portunity of expressing a similar regret. Sir J. GRAHAM then lett the house. Mr. HOGG expressed his concurrence in Sir J. Gra ham's sentiments. Lord JOHN RUSSELL recommended it to Lord John Manners to refrain from pressing his motion to a division on the present occasion. Lord JOHN MANNERS complied with this recommen dation; and the consideration of the subject was ad journed to Friday, for which day Mr. Ferrand's attend ance was ordered. The other orders of the day were then taken ; but a stop was put to further business by a member requiring the house to be counted, and it being found that there were not forty members present, the house adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. RECALL OF LORD ELLENBOROUGH FROM INDIA. Mr. MACAULAY rose and said,—l wish to ask the right. hon. baronet at the head of Her Majesty's Government whether it is true that the Court of Directors of the East India Company have recalled Lord Ellenborough from the Government of India ? Sir .R. PEEL.—I beg to state on Wednesday last Her Majesty's Government received a communication from the Court of Directors that they had exercised the power which the law gives them, to recall at their will and plea sure the Governor. General of India. (Loud cheers from the opposition benches.) Mr. MACAULAY.—Under these circumstances, I sup pose, I need scarcely say it is not my intention to bring forward on Tuesday week the motion of which I have given notice, respecting the occupation of Gwalior. I, of course, reserve to myself the right to bring the sub ject under the notice of the house hereafter. MR. SMYTHE AND MR. ROEBUCK. Mr. ROEBUCK, referring to the retort made by him last Wednesday on Mr. Smythe, (imputing to him, that he bad been actuated by disappointment in not obtaining office,) read a letter addressed to him by that hon. mem ber, calling upon him for a retraction, with a hostile alter native; upon which he said to thegentleman who brought it, " Mr. Smythe shall hear from me in the House of Commons." The letter was then read at the table. Mr. SMYTHE said he received no such message; the message brought to him being merely, that Mr. .Smythe should hear from him. He had, however, learned from another quarter, that Mr. Roebuck intended to bring the matter before the house. Mr. Roebuck had some weeks ago imputed to him that he was actuated by d6appoint ment at not obtaining office. He had immediately writ ten to his constituents a letter, which he had published, disclaiming that motive, and assuring them that he had never even applied for the smallest favour. Nevertheless, Mr. Roebuck, on Wednesday, had repeated the insinua tion. The matter having been brought by Mr. Roebuck, this evening, in this shape b efore the house, M r . Smythe felt that he had no longer any alternative but to apologize to the house, for having unintentionally caused them any trouble. Sir R. PEEL suggested that both members should be called on to give their assurance that this matter should proceed no further. Mr. ROEBUCK had never intended it should proceed further. The SPEAKER called on Mr. Smythe for Ms assurance. Mr. SMYTHE was demurring, when the SPEAKER re peated his injunction, with which Mr. Smythe then complied. _ report of Mr. Ferrand's speech having been read at the table, Mr. FERAAND apologised for having been the cause of wasting the time of the House. Had he not i been taken by surprise on the first night, he wo uld have gven to Mr. Roebuck's question the answer suggested by Mr. T. Duncombe. He must apologise also to the working classes for taking up, on this evening, say portion of the time which was due to the approaching debate on their vital interests. He had come down on Wednesday to make his statement ; and it was a mistake to suppose that the rude behaviour of the House had then driven him away.- He had on that occasion admitted that he had used every word imputed to him, and he had then left the House, as he believed was usual, in order that he might be no check upon their fiee deliberation. He had now attended in respectful obedience to the order of the House, whose commands, when justifiable, he would always obey. The Speaker himself, with all his impar tiality and di,nity, had felt it difficult to act as a judge of the court 'of honour into whiCh the House was consti tWine itself. An attrinl:t had even been n.ade to ingraft %his speech a pas,a,!e from a leading article of the Times. As urneiuber of this House i.e pioie:ited, in the the People of Englaad, and relused to pleat - at their tribunal. Sir J. GRAHAM said, that as he had not recorded the same denial,of the charge against himself which had been rut in by Mr. Hogg with reference to the charge against him, he would do so now, before he ret red from the pre sent debit!. Wi.h reference to the affair of Mr. Mott, he had, upon careful search, been wholly unable to find a y trace of any written or of any verbal communication cen himself or from the Poor Law Commissioners to Mr. Mott on the subj,ct of the Ke , ghly union. He re peated, therefore, that Mr. Ferrand had made an erro neous assertion in saying that he had influenced a corn niissi ner to make a false report for the purpose of crnshing a member, and then dismissed the poor tool of his fa'Tications. Mr. Mutt's dismissal was owing to cir cumstances quite unconnected with the - Keighly union ; and if a minister had been guilty of such corruptconduct, the very consciousness of it would prrbablv have deterred him from the dismissal of the " tool" employed by him. With respect to the accusation of having influenced Mr. Hogg to displace Mr. Walter, he would say that be was much misunderstood. in being represented to enter tain any anxiety for Mr. Walter's removal. But being thus accused of an undue attempt in this matter, he claimed from the justice of the house.that he might beeither proved guilty or acquitted. Mr. J AMES WORTLEY was disposed to make some al lowance for the surprise upon Mr. Ferranti in Mr. Roe buck's sudden question ; and considered that Mr. Fer rand's charge did not bear the meaning put upon it. Mr. Ferranti did not mean that Sir J. Graham had suborned Mr. Mott to falsify a report, but only that Sir J. Gra ham had pressed Mr. Mott for a report, which turned out to be substantially a false one. Nor did he believe Mr. Ferranti to have meant that Sir J. Graham had employed any actual interference in the business of the Nottingham Committee. Mr. FERRAND made no explanation. Sir It. PEEL was beginning to explain that he had been no volunteer in these proceedings, when The SPEAKER culled on Mr. Ferrand to withdraw from the house during the debate, which he did, Mr. Hogg following. Sir R. PEEL resumed. His own impression had been, that the matter was one of which it would be best to take no notice ; hut notice having been taken, it was now for the house to decide how they would deal with it. He could not adopt Mr. Wortley's construction. He argued that in both the charges the plain meaning of Mr. Fer rand was to convey an imputation of corruption. Were it otherwise, what could be easier than for Mr. Ferrand to disclaim that meaning ? The charge against Sir J. Graham was not like those sometimes made against the house in general : it was a specific allegation against an individual. He presumed that the house would think it expedient now to decide this matter. If Mr. Ferrand had said he wished for the opportunity to prove his charges, it might have been expedient to postpone any further pro ceeding until after inquiry; but this Mr. Ferrand had de clined. Ile would now, therefore, propose resolutions purporting that (the two members accused having denied those charges, and Mr. Ferrand having admitted that he had used the words ascribed to him) the house is of opinion that the charges are wholly unfounded and calumnious, and do not in the slightest degree affect the honour and character of the accused. As to anything ulterior, he did not think it necessary to treat Mr. Ferrand's conduct as a breach of privilege. Enough would be done by resolu tion that the charges were unfounded and calumnious, and for this course there were precedents. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE proposed that Mr. Ferrand should be called in, and interrogated whether he wished for an opportunity to substantiate his charges. Sir R. PEEL observed, that Mr. Ferrand bad absolutely challerred their tribunal. Mr. F. FRENCH said Mr. Ferrand had disclaimed any in'ention of imputing actual corruption. He thought it not conducive to the dignity of the house that the matter should go further ; and proposed an amendment of a sati rical kind, reflecting on Lord Stanley for expressions used by him against his former colleagues, in reference to the " thimble-rig." This amendment was not seconded ; and Sir R. Peel's resolutions were adopted. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. THE FACTORIES BILL. On the order of the day for the committee on this bill being read, Mr. T. DUNCOMBE moved, that the bill should be re ferred to a select committee. He thought the limitation of the hours of labour, instead of lowering the wages of the working classes, would tend to raise them. The working classes now believed that their masters would indeed make an attempt to lower wages, but that irt tbat attempt they would not succeed. He cited instances of limitation of time, which, in fact, had been followed by no reduction of wagez. But, if the operatives were wrong in believing that a limitation of time would not reduce wages, the sooner evidence was taken to disabuse their minds, the better. He would have the committee confine its investigation to the effect which the limitation of time would have upon wages. M r. WA RD seconded the resolution. Sir J. GRAFI Am said select committees generally caused much delay. Besides this bill was framed on the recom mendations of a select committee. _ _ . Mr. PALMER (Essex) considered that the ininortance of the manufactures carried on for the purpose of foreign trade was a good deal overstated, and said that the num bers so employed did not amount to more than about 400,000 persons. M r. VILLIERS said that they amounted to near 1,500,000. What mattered a little delay on a subject of such magni tude? There was no hurry about this bill ; the masters did not wish it all, and the workpeople did not wish it without tho honra' plance. of whiolt, bo^c•cr, tuere was not a chance. Lord ASHLEY deprecated delay, and entreated Mr. Dnncombe to withdraw his motion. After some conversation the house divided, and there appeared against the select committee, 145; for it, 42. The bill then went into the committee of the whole house. CLERICAL NEWS. APPOINTMENTS. The Rev. Richard White has been appointed to the in cumbency of Wribby-with-Wray, near Kirkham, Lanca shire. The Rev. C. Bellairs to the perpetual curacy of Christ Church, Coventry. The Rev. Richard Ellis, M.A., to the perpetual curacy of Bellerby, Spennithorne, Yorkshire. Patron, J. C. Chaytor, Esq. The Rev. J. E. Bates, of Liverpool, to be minister of Christ Church, Hougham, Dover, the consecration of which is fixed for the 28th of May. _ . The Rev. C. Bissett, to the incumbency of Upholland ; the Rev. E. Pigott, to the living of Longridge ; the Rev. T. Lamb, to St. Mary's, Preston. The British government are building a church on the Isle of Ascension for the use of the residents there. Mrs. Lawrence, of Studley Park, in addition to former liberal donations, has just presented a thousand pounds to the Ripon Diocesan Church Building Society. TRAWDENT, LANCASHIRE.-011 Monday, April 15, the interesting ceremony of laying the foundation stone of St. Mary's Church took place in the presence of about 3000 persons, including the principal clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood. CHESTER CATHEDRAL.—The Marquis of Westmin ster has contribuled the sum of £lO5 towards the fund for improving the interior of this venerable cathedral. Wil braham Egerton. Esq. has also given £5O; Lady Brough. ton, £2O; and Sir Oswald Mostly, Bart., £2O. A bill to prohibit the holding of Vestries in Churches, has been brought into the House of Commons. The law at present prohibits any adjournment from the vestry to the body of the church ; such adjournment must be to some secular edifice convenient. FASHIONS FOR MAY. (From the " London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.) The fashionable colours of the season for dresses, as well as bonnets and capotes, are pale sky blue, different shades of green, lapis grey, pale pink, paille raisin and mauve • the materials are various, but silks are very ge neral, t hei cameleon being still the favourite ; the make of the corsages will vary with the temperature, high or half high bodies, but always tight; the Amazon form continues in favour, and the embroideries of the season are adapted to this make ; chicorees, ruches, flounces fontangnes, and biais gothiques with lace are all in use ; the flounces are sometimes put on quite plain and edged with a narrow fringe or printed ruche ; single very deep flounces are edged and headed with plissrs of ribbon ; wide biais half way up the skirt, and triple rows of narrow velvet are also used as trimmings. The sleeves are tight, and either long or half long, or sometimes merely forming jockeys ; the pinked flounces are not confined to skirts, they also orna ment the jockeys of sleeves and form the trimming of shawls and mantelets, she& in four colours; as many as three are sometimes placed on shawls. The principal alte ration in mantelets consists in the size; they are smaller and should not pass the waist; scarfs, with revers made of caroeleon silk, have trimming of the same forming ruches ala veille pinked in chicor6.e; they are also trimmed with rich lace laid on plain or fulled ; these silks have also a pretty effect when covered by a very clear tartalane ; many are entirely composed of rows of lace, and are very rich. The Maltese scarf is of black lace, and so large as entirely to cover the dress, which, when of light colour, has a pretty . effect. Light colours have entirely superseded all others; for bonnets, jonquil, pale green, and lilac, are those prefer. red. The ribbons this season are of mixed colours, while flowers and feath.irs divide favour ; voilettes are worn on morning bonnets and deep veils with dress ones ; the bon nets worn at Lungchamps varied, prates de riz had flowers or feathers, some had the fronts half of lace with bunches of lilac or lilies of the valley. Fancy straws were either with shaded feathers, or merely a plaid broche ribbon in termixed with biais of crape 'me. For morning and young ladies' wear, the crown of straw or sewed Leghorns is of silk matching the lining. Many bonnets are made of crape or tulle, covered by rows of lace ruches. fluted or quite pl a i n . Th e new ea p o t e Alsacienne is of straw , the crown of pi n k or bl ue s ilk w ith coques of ribbon half encircling th e b ea d, colour of the crown ; some l a di es a dd a gauze veil of the same colour. and three biais inside sha ded the Caps winch are worn forward on the head are some times trimmed with ruches of two colours instead of flowers. Caps entirely plain on the forehead have a deep bavolet tu!mounted by a wreat h o f fl ow ers or foliage ter minating in a bunch at the ears. Muslin caps. 'Ott , . !u -lets are lined with blue or pink gauze and trimmed with lace instead of ribbon : round en.broldeled caps ;newel-, satin med with Valeocivunes l ace an d a w reath of violin s of white ribboit ; some me quite I.lain w:th hiPP OB , raised a la puysenne, a n d c on fi n ed o n the top of the Lea d by a tiiple row of ribbon of two co:ours. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. WEST INDIES. The dates brought by the West Indian Mail are from Jamaica to March 23rd, and Demerara to the 19th. At Jarrittieri the Legislature had terminated its sittings, the Assem'ly having agreed to memo - alize the Queen, setting forth the condition of the colony, and represent ing that many estates would be thrown up on account of the scarcity of labour, the want of capital, and the un favourable state of the weather. The island was in an exceedingly quiet condition, and In alth was generally good. Agriculture was at a stand-still. A transport ves sel had brought from Sierra Leone 118 emigrants, and 24 Africans who had been to their native land, but re turned, preferring the island. The Demerara papers are occupied with discussions on the sale of a certain estate, in which the character •of the registrar's assistant is involved. The doubtful title of vended properties had caused general alarm. The mana ger of the Colonial Bank had been elected to the Legis lature, and had brought forward a motion fora return of all the plantation land sold since Ist of August, 1838 — the date of complete emancipation. Sir M. Mc Turk had propounded his plan of constitutional reform. By this absentees would not have the right of voting, the college of electors would be abolished, an 4 open voting alone be adopted. John Nodes Dickenson, Esq., has been appointed one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the colony of New South Wales. A letter from Barcelona, of the 18th, states, that seven unfortunate persons suspected of being Carlist refugees were shot within the Spanish frontiers a few days pre viously. It has been determined, for the more speedy and effec tual suppression of the slave traffic, to increase the steam navy on the coast of Africa, and also to add to the num ber of sailing vessels. On Monday, 22d instant, a man named Rob..rt Joyce, by trade a shoemaker, fell dead in the ball-alley of Char leville. After finishing a game of ball, he drank a cup of water, and immediately expired. He has left a wife and two children. EXTRAORDINARY. — Mrs. Barger, of Petersville, Mary land, about 18 months ago was safely delivered of three fine children, and the same lady last month presented her husband with four healthy children at a birth—seven children in 18 months ! Middleton Valley must have a soil so fertile that married folks will be afraid to reside there in these hard times.—New York Sun. DISCOVERY IN GREECE. — The Baron de Prokecb, Austrian Minister at Athens, and Professor Ross. have discovered at Milo, not far from the place where the Venus now in Louvre was found, some Christian catacombs, which, according to appearances, are as ancient as the first foundation of Christianity. They are said to be the first catacombs that have been discovered in Greece. ST. DoiliNGo.—Extract of a letter from St. Domingo, dated 2d March, 1844 :—" The present is to inform you that this part of the island has declared itself independent of the Hayden Government, under the denomination of ' Republica Dominicana,' and that this circumstance has put all at a stand. J cannot foresee what will be the con sequence. This town was taken by capitulation on the 29th ult. By letters received from Port-au. Prince, it appears that all is in a state of confusion in that part, and terrible consequences will be the result amongst them." DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION.—AMSTERDAM, APRIL 13.—Last night we s jw it, the horison, the south-west the appearance of a great fire, and this morning we hear that in the village of Aalsmere 46 houses, in the best part of the village are reduced to ashes. Many of the inhabi tants of these houses, among whom is the burgomaster, have saved nothing but the night-cloths which they had on. A great number of cattle are burnt, and four persons are missing. It is supposed that the fire commenced in a barn in which a knife grinder slept. This man too has not been since seen. COLONEL STODDART AND CAPTAIN CONOLLY.—Cap tain Grover has just received letters from Dr. Wolff, dated, Tehran, the 12th of February. The doctor has been re ceived with great distinction by the King of Persia, who recollected having met him at Meshed twelve years ago, when he was only prince royal. The doctor rode on horseback, in full canonicals, accompanied by Colonel Shell, in his uniform, going to and returning from court. He then visited the ambassador, recently arrived from Bocara, who " denied in Coto the fact of the execution of our friends." The doctor was to leave Tehran on the ]4th of February, accompanied by an escort ordered by the King. He takes with him Rajab, who bad been ser vant to both Stoddart and Conolly. THE SLAVE TRADE.—Extract of a letter from an offi cer on board H.M. ship of Crescent :—" Rio, 13th Dec., 1843.—Y0u would be very much shocked could you be a witness to the horrors of the system of slavery as carried on here. One prize taken lately exceeds anything I ever heard of. Sue is called Vincedora, and is a small schooner, or rather a large boat of 70 tons. She sailed from the coast of Africa with 470 blacks on board, besides a crew of nearly thirty men ;..when captured, there were only 359 blacks taken alive, and since that nearly eighty more have died, and many me r. are very ill, and cannot live long. It is scarcely To to conceive how such an immense number of human beings could have been cram med into so small a space. yet you will find persons who ssv pla~cr7 inn more nnti‘s,% nod th.k. the slaves are much In I, er off than tim poor in England. Poor things, their joy on arriving on board this ship, where (hey have plenty of room, and plenty to eat, and drink, is inconceivable. The degree of emaciation to which the greatest part of them are reduced is beyond description. I have seen one little girl who, when lifted down to the sick bay or hospital, was so thin that one might almost see the light of a candle through her body. We have a great variety of nations and :tribes among us, who vary much in their habits and appearance, some be ing very savage, and others who have made considerable progress in civilization. We endeavour sometimes by means of interpreters to get them to relate their adven tures. One woman now with us gave the following account of her captivity:—She was living with her father, and had two children. Her father stole a handkerchief from another man, who detected the thief and demanded restitution of his property or else in lieu, a man slave. Her father not liking to part with the handkerchief, and not possessing any man, offered one of her daughters ; this was refused. lie then offered them both, but this was also refused ; at last the man consented to take the woman and sold her to the Portuguese slave-dealers. The black population here are now beginning to feel their own strength, and lately many murders have been committed by them on the persons of the whites. Who can wonder at this ! The expense of keeping a horse in this country is about fifteen or eighteen pence a-day, while that of a slave is about twopence or threepence; our weather has been most dreadfully hot, the thermometer having fre• quently been above 90 degrees and seldom below 80 d e grees. The town was much in want of water, but lately we have had some very heavy showers, and they are again well supplied. IMPORTANT STATISTICS OF NAVIGATION.—Some va luable statistical returns of sailing-vessels registered at each port of the United Kingdom (including the Isle of Man, &c.) in the year 1843 ; of vessels entered and cleared coastwise in 1813 ; of the number and tonnage of vessels registered at each of the ports of the colonies ; and of ves sels built, registered, sold, wrecked, and broken up, during the same period, have been laid before the lower house of parliament, on the motion of Mr. J. T. Wawn, who represents the shipping interest in a portion of the north-eastern districts of England. We find the following statistics embodied in these returns, and take the earliest opportunity•of laying them . before the public :—ln Eng land alone, the gross total number of sailing-vessels under 50 tons registered at various ports on the 31st of Decem ber. 1843, amounted to 6,155, measuring altogether ]86,832 tons. The number of sailing vessels above 50 tons so registered on the 31st of December last amounted to 10,672, measuring altogether 2,319,414 tons. The total number of steam-vessels registered above 50 tons was 337—tonnage, 8,119 ; and the total number registered above 50 tons amounted to 309—tonnage, 63.923. In Scotland, the gross total number of sailing-vessels regis tered amounted to 3,549 (of which 1,216 were above 50 tons), and the total number of steam-vessels 128. of which 97 were above 50 tons' measurement. The gross total tonnage (including vessels of all sorts) amounted to 481,670. In Ireland, the number of sailing-vessels registered amounted altogether to 1,921 (of which more than half were above s') tons;) and the number of steamers, 81 (of which 76 were above 50 tons. The gross amount of tonnage was 198,469:' The gross total number' of sailing vessels that entered inwards coast wise in 1843 amounted, in England, to 98,295; in Scot land, to 19,053 ; and in Ireland, to 16,476.. The total numbers cleared out during the same period being, respec tively, 108,105 19,788, and 9,979. The total number of steam-vessels entered inwards, coastwise, amounted, in England, to 9,294 ? in Scotland, to 2,688 ; and in Ireland, to 2,651. The number of steamers cleared outwards, was, in England, 8,992 ; in Scotland, 2,311; and in Ireland, 2,989. 9. The gross total tonnage of all the vessels so enter ed inwards, coastwise, in 1843, at the various ports throughout the United Kingdom amounted to 12,532,307 ; and the gross total tonnage of all the vessels cleared out wards coastwise during the same period, to 12,11,031, exhibiting the very slight difference between the mea surement of the inward and outward sailing vessels of only 38,734 tons. So much for the coasting trade s:?f Great Br twin and Ireland. Respecting the c4lonial, appears that the total number of British sailing vessels that entered inwards for the colonies at various ports of the United Kingdom during the year 1843 (including the repeated voyages) amounted to 8,40-1, whose tonnage was. altogether 1,405,031; and the total number cleared outwards was 6,264, whose tonnage amounted to 1,527,233. Tbe total number of foreign vessels entered inwards, and cleared outwards, only amounted to 4o and 36 respective ly. The total number of steamers entered inwards from our colonies in 1843 was 344 ; tonnage, 72,477 ; and the total number cleared outward& for the colonies, 357 ; ton nage, 83,183. The total number of British sailing vessels entered inwards from foreign ports at all the ports of the United Kingdom and the Chaonel islands (including their repeated voyages) amounted to 11,263, tonnage 1,737,21 0 ; and the total number of British vessels cleared outwards for foreign ports during the same period amounted to 11.228, tonnage 1,791,755 ; the total numfter of f oreign vessels simultaneously entered inwards and cleared out wards having been respectively 8.259 and 7,375. The nuieber of British steamers so entered inwards an d out wards w as respectisely' 2,139 and 2,314; and the . n umber of foreign steamers respectively, 533 and 548. '1 he num. bar of s a ili ng vessels built and registered in 1843 in the pints vf the United Kingdom ann unted to 653, tonnave 77 , 034 ; and the nun bee of stern era 45, to,,nat e 83 . 097. Tut- total tionitur of vi s,els ve ked, sn'd, find broken up iu tie tir.ne year annnuted to 778, tenuage 132,732. IRE LAND. THE DUBLIN TRIALS. On Monday lest affidavits were filed by the Crown Solictors in artsvver to these of the convicted tarries. Ti e latter documents traced and coliusitn in the con struction of the original jury lis!s; and the omission of the names was again set cut in ali the forms and changes which legal fiction could invent and spec4 , l-pleading em body. Mr. Pierce Mahony undertook to swear—not upon hearsay or hel'ef, hut in distinu and positive terms— ' That a gross, wilful, and corrupt suppression of the names of the said persons and others qualified to be placed on the special jurors' list for the year 1844, had taken place." And, in an affidavit filed 19th April, 1844, this gentle man further positively deposed that " the omission of ihe names of several persons from said special jurors' list was not by accident, but was the effect and result of design and contrivance, to prejudice the traveraers." The law officers of the Crown, to ling that such allega tions ought not to be suffered to remain natters of record in their present form of amplification—determined that the affidavits should be answered by the town clerks and their subordinates, in whose office, or under whose con trol, the mistake, alleged to be a fraud, occurred. Affidavits were therefore obtained from the Clerks of the Peace Dublin. and were filed on Monday. The charges of pre-concert and fraud, FO vehemently urged—even resting as they did upon vague and undefined rumour— are rebutted in the most clear and satisfactory manner by the persons who could alone be cognisant of the purely accidental circumstances under which the omissions took place, and by which neither party could be substantially injured ; and those who felt regret at any occurrence which even for a single day retarded the progress of the law, towards the attainment of justice, will rejoice at the op portunity the delay afforded of refuting a series of calum nious falsehoods that have been too lung permitted to oc cupy the public mind. THURSDAY. The motion of Mr. VI hiteside to set aside the verdict, and obtain a new trial, having been fixed by consent for Thursday morning, the court was crowded from an early hour. The greater portion of the principal gallery was occupied by persons of respectabil•ty of both sexes. The traver,ers were in their places in the side har shortly after half-past ten o'clock, and at eleven Mr. 'Whiteside moved to set aside the verdict. His speech occupied the entire (1.4, and was not concluded at the rising of the court. The main ground upon which he went was the judge's misdirection. FRIDAY. Mr. Whiteside resumed his argument in support of a new trial at the sitting of the Court, but his speech was of so little interest in the details, that it produced no ex citement in the court. He quoted and commented upon a areat many passages from the printed charge of the learned judge, which he contended were his directions, inasmucti as that the judge gave his own opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the traversers, and touched upon questions, which, properly speaking, came within the pro vince of the jury, and concluded his address a little before three o'clock. At the conclusion of Mr. Whiteside's address, The Attorney-General rose, and suggested the propriety of coming to an arrangement as to the course of pro ceeding. It was ultimately decided that four counsel for the traversets should he heard in support of the notices ; then that either the Solicitor-General or the Attoiney- General should be heard—next, that four counsel on be half of the traversers should address themselves in reply to the case made on the part of the Crown—and finally, that one counsel for the crown should be heard in reply. Mr. Hatchell proceeded to address the court for Mr. Ray, applying himself chiefly to the jury question, and coniending that it was impossible to account for the omission of so many names on the supposition of acci dent. SATURDAY. Mr. Moore, Q.C., addressed the court on the part of the Rev. Mr. Tierney. The grounds of his application for a new trial the learned counsel stated to be, that the verdict was unsusttined by evidence, and that there had been misdirection en the part of the Lord Chief Justice. Mr. O'Hagan, on the part of Mr. Daffy, took, gene rally, the grounds for argument adopted by Mr. White- The Solicitor-General rose to address the court on be half of the Crown, contending against the points urged by Mr. Whiteside._ _ At five o'clock the court adjourned till yesterday (Mon day) morning, when the Solicitor-General would resume his address. Over 120 prisoners have been committed to the Bride well of Tralee during the last month. Members of the Cork Board of Guardians have discon tinued the use of the repeal button, in consequence of a request to that effect from the chairman of the board. The Limerick Chronicle mentions the marriage of the Rev. Mr. Burke, lately a priest of the Church of home, to the widow Kennedy, at Kilfenora church. We deeply regret to state, that letters were received in town, on Thursday, announcing the death of the Rev. Charles Boyton, Rector of Lerterkonney, and ex-Fellow of the University of Dublin.—Dublin Evening Post. Mr. Stafford O'Brien M.P. intends to bring in a bill to prevent Vestries being held in Churches in places whose population exceeds one thousand persons. Limerick Chronicle.. . skt. seat. Shelton Abbey. county Wick low, tl,cre is a tree of the Olea punculata, near forty feet high, a wonder to all the gardeners in the neighbourhood, and probably the only specimen in Great Britain in the open air. The Repeal Association held their weekly meeting in Dublin, on Tuesday last, when Mr. O'Connell, Mr. J. O'Brien, Mr. J. A. O'Neill, and others, addressed the repeaters assembled ; but nothing was said of the least general interest. The rent received for the week was about £275. _ _ _ MELANCHOLY AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday night week, between the hours of ten and eleven o'clock, a very melancholy and fatal accident occurred to Mrs. Egan, of this town. After her family had retired to rest, this lady proceeded to a lower apartment in her house, in the Irishtown, and commenced reading by the light of a candle, when her clothes caught fire, and she was so dreadfully injured that she survived but a short time. Mrs. Egan has left a fond husband and a young family.— Tipperary Constitution. THE CONVICT MAHONY.—This unfortunate criminal was to be executed in front of the county gaol this day, hut a respite arrived on Saturday, postponing the execution until the 23rd of next month. He was convicted at the last assizes of the wilful murder of his sister-in-law, her daughter, and her servant woman, near the town of Mac room, on the 17th August last. The unfortunate crimi nal, since his first committal has evinced little intelligence beyond that of the lower class of animals, giving inco herent replies to any qnestions put to him in Iri.b, which is the only language he at all understands. When sentence of death was pronounced against him he appeared uncon scious of his awful position, and remains in that way to this present moment, and though every exertion has been made to instruct him, he is totally devoid of any knowledge of a future state. These circumstances having been . re presented to the Lord Lieutenant, he directed a cautious investigation into the state of his mind, from which it is evident that although he may not come under the cl;ig of " idiocy," he might be considered an i rres ponsible being. inquiry respecting respite is for the purpose of m akin g closer respecting him.—Cork Constitution of Tuesday. THE COLLIERS. The colliery districts in Durham and Northumberland are in a very unsatisfactory state; and should the shop keepers in the villages continue to supply the families of the men with provisions, the strike is likely to be a pro tracted one. The coal-owners have, it appears, decided that they cannot employ the men under the unreasonable restrictions contained in the bond drawn up by Roberts; and, in some places, where strangers have been employed to remove the stocks from bank, open hostilities have been resorted to, the women taking an active part in the affray—and, though nothing of a serious outbreak has yet taken place, the disposition shown is in itself sufficiently alarming. A troop of the Bth Hussars, and a company of the 37th, were marched on Monday last, from Newcastle to Durham, as a more central point, should their services be unfortunately required, and two other companies were waiting further orders for the same destination. It is stated that the aspect of affairs in the pottery district is changing, and that the turn-out there will probably soon be at an end, three district meetings were held in Nor thumberland on Monday last, and one in the county of. Durham, at each of which resolutions were passed favour able to the continuance of their present position. The Nottingham Review gives the following. account of the state of affairs further south :—" We are informed that most of the Nottinghamshire,and several of the Derbyshire colliers are doing very little work, as great numbers of the colliers firmly continue in the union. We understand there has been a large meeting of the most influential coal-masters in the counties of Derby, Not ti gham. and Leicester, with those connected with the North Midland Railway, at which it was determined not to employ any colliers in the union, and ,to put it down previous to entertaining the question of any regulation in wages or prices of coals." A meeting of the colliers of Wigan and neighbourhood was Thep h r e o l c d e s a s t i n A m r e h a e c r h s e w d ° t o t i d e Common,common abouton- a l o a c s k t headed by two bands of music, with flags, and accompa nied by Mr. Roberts, the miner's. Attorney General, and several delegates. .Mr. John Berry of Wigan was called to the chair. Messrs. Price, Dennett, and Booth addres sed the meeting, and amongst the grievances of the dis trict, enumerated the truck system ; and the exorbitant charge of 2d. per lb. extreWhen they were obliged , to pay for their powder and candles some e; ot. 3s. the6d.hn e f e o a rri a d s d te le r s s: that they could purchase elsewhere for 2s. ; and spad es in the sa e l s n were describedeproportritn in short as little better than ironmongers' and tallow chandler's shops. Mr: Roberts addressed the meet i n g at some length, exhorting them not under any circumstances to violate the law, but to act in unity, and with sober judgment, and then they would ultimately pre vail. The meeting amounted to between three and four thousand, who on being asked by Mr. Price if they still intend to hold fast to the r , strictive system of labour, as the means o f keeping the stork of coals low, simultaneously held up their hands. Adt legate meeting, at which Mr. Roberts • attended was afterwards held at the Rope and Anchor Inn, Scholes, when it was unanimously resolved that Mr. Roberts should come on circuit into these districts once a month. DIALGGUE BET W EEN EMI! A. AND EMILY.—" It Seems crud to kill so rnany anitruits f.r their C:is—thirty-six l' 0 " • quii I els int to i!e :th to mike a niuff for us 1" " it is cruel ; why don't the monstcrs take them off without killing them?" Atiril 30, Is4l. DUELLING: THE ARMY. In the amended articles relating to duelling, jut issue fr,orr the War-office by her Majesty's authority, " for the purpose of more effectually discouraging and I ,robib:ting a practice which is a viol ttion of her Maje-ty's orderer and a fl ,grant breach of the law of the land," we find tbat " The-e articles declare hat it is suitable to the charac ter of honourable men to apologise and offer redress for wrong or insult committed, arid equally so for the party aggrieved to accept, frankly and cordially, explanations and apologies for the same. 4. It such redress be refused to be given, or to be ac cepted, and the friends of the parties have failed to recon cile the differences, a reference should, in conformity og wi lh the signifi c a:io n o f her Majesty's pleasure in the I- th article, be made to the commanding officer on the el; who will use his best advice and influence to reconcile h t i,, parties ; arid the differences having been honore" settled by the good offices and responsibility of the COrt" manding officer, ought never to be revived by either Party ' or any other officer, or body of o ffi cers; if, h o wever, t'; commanding officer fail to reconcile the parties, it Wu' become his duty to take such measures as he may dal necessary in order to pr event a duel, or to maintain goo d order in her Majesty's service, and the person refusing"' be reconciled will be liable to be brought to a court-mar tial, and, if convictezi, cashiered, or suffer such Oth er punishment as the mut.: may award. " All parties implicated in duelling are liable, on con viction before a general court-martial, to be cashiered. Her Maj , stv's pleasure is expressed in the 107th article, that officers, being the friends or seconds of the parties, shall exert their influence to adjust a differenc e on terms consistent with the honour of each of the parti r es• The failure in settling a difference being generally attn . butable to excessive demands for reparation made by on e of the parties, the conduct of the seconds, by the 101 article, is made liable to be investigated as well as that 0 the principals, in all cases in which a dispute shall be referred for the consideration of a general court-martiel• " Personal differences between gentlemen living toge ther as brother officers can seldom fail to be honourablY and promptly adjusted in the first instance by explanation between their mutual f r i en d s ; t h e propr i ety o f an earl!, explanation ana i ont the e and sentenceack o w 0 1 acknowledgment g m e e n n e t r a o l f c o errorrt_mrtiw:ae so t in foci cO, ' i3ointed out by Field-Ma r ti a l th e D u k e o f Wellington in confirming x that Sir Henry Hardinge inserts th e f o ll ow i ng extrac t Of his grace's sentiments on this point : " "Ile o ffi cers of the army should recollect that it it meritorious in him who is in the wrong to acknowledge and atone for his error, and that the momentary humilia tion which every man may feel upon making such an ac knowledgment is more than atoned tor by the subsequent satisfaction which it affords him, and by avoiding a trial and conviction of conduct unbecoming an o ffi cer.' gas b l l e THE LATE WILL FORGERIES. On Monday, Mr. Baron Gurney called up the respective prisoners in these important cases, to receive tbeir gen' tence. Barber entered into a long statement, alleging himself to have been deceived by Fletcher. His lordship. however, stated that the explanation had not altered the case against him, and then proceeded to pass sentence. Fietcher and Barber were each transported for life; WO' Saunders for seaen years ; and Mrs. Saunders and Mr& Dorey were each sentenced to be imprisoned for two years, and kept to hard labour. Immediately after the sentences were petard on the convicts they were re-conveyed to the different wards of the prison, and kept as they were before the trial, separate. The only time they saw each other was when br..ught into the court, and then they held no communication w'to each other. Since the sentence has been passed, Barber entertains the same confident hopes as he did bef , re and during the trials, that he shall yet be at liberty. The De' cessary steps, it is stated, are already being taken for th e purpose of preparing a case to be laid before Sir J. Gra ham, and thereby to obtain, through the right hon. the Secretary of State, her Majesty's free pardon. It is also understood that, as no proof was given as to the forgeries of the different wls. a question on this point will he raised, so as to obtain the opinion of the judges. Even o 0 this the friends of Barber are sanguine that the result wil l be favourable, and terinieate in the indictment being quashed. Fletcher, who entertains no such hopes as 1 011 fellow convict, is, from his state of health, not expected to survive a very long period a time ; for, since his colow l tal, his disease, that of an affection of the heart, has "'- creased. The other convicts, particularly the two wntr, el l / 3 . consider they have been most mercifully dealt wo w, b. and it has been remarked, that from the time of the committal, Mr. Dorey has not been once to see. his . wife, nor hale any of the parties been visited by any pet except their professional advisers; and, although kelp separate from each other, not a single inquiry w 8! thing by any one after each other ; the only like sympathy being exhibited was when Mrs. violent rs heard the jury find her guilty. She burst into a and, and flood of tears, when her sister took her by, v'thea6t. They Sanders put his 1 ft arm round his both begged of her to be composed, sad to bear her fate with fortitude. Should the in , encied ap plication en be half of Barber prove unsuccessful„ the three male convicts will directly afterwards be removed to the Millban k Prison, preparatory to their being sent to New Sou h Wales. instance of aglnde SYMPTOMS OF- REACTION AMONGST THE " FISEE"- CHURCHMEN.— The following paragraph noticing the return of a minister, elders, and a great portion of the cong.reg.tion of a free Protestant church, to the bosom .of the Establishment, we copy from a Dundee paper of last week, and we are informed that the disposition here shown to be satisfied with Lord Aberdeen's bill is one not at all singular in Scotland amongst those who have been hurried into the late secession movement.—" On Monday evening a numerous meeting of the Rev. Mr. Law's con gregation was held in their chapel, Reform-street, Dun dee, Captain John Smith in the chair. After prayer by Mr. Law, he shortly gave his reasons for resigning con nexion with the Free' Church, and returning into the establishment. In his explanation he stated that he con sidered the non-intrusion principle secured by Lord Aber deen's bill ; and that that reason for separating was 9 ° ,1 removed. He then retired, that the congregation might decide for themselves as to how they were to act in t"' circumstances. Mr. Ivory Kidd, one of the elders, aftfr stating that all the elders and deacons had agreed to .i°, l° the established church along with their pastor, mo ve " a petition to the presaytery. praying that the congregati on might be admitted into communion with them, which being seconded by the clerk of Mr. Law's session, was unani-. mously adopted. A few of the ' Free' Church party wer e in attendapce, and one elder made himself rather con spicuous in attempting dissension ' which was speedily P ut down. Mr. Law returned after the petition had been re' solved on, and concluded with prayer. As we were lea'' ing the members were pressing forward to sign the Peti tion ; and we understand that in the space of half all hour nearly 200 names were adhihited. FATAL ATTACK BY A BOAR.—We have the melancho l y task of recording the violent, and almost instantaneo nS death of a young inhabitant of Gloucester, who was O 1 Friday afternoon hurried into eternity under very drean ful circumstances. Mr. Fisher, mealman, of Nothgate" street who also occupies the first corn mill, at Upton St. Leonard's near this city, has at the latter place a boar pig' which he has had some time in his possession, and which we believe has gained a prize or prizes at agrieultur ld exhibitions. On Friday afternoon. Mr. Fisher's son, Mr: John Fi-her, a fine healthy young man about twenlY 3W " years of age, went to the mill, and the miller having °al" sion to drive the pig from its stye, endeavoured to do 5 0 , but as it evinced some stubbornness. young Mr. seized him by the thighs, and the tusks of the said that he would get it out, and he opened the door and that purpose, when the boar rushed furiously, on hi ° d animal inflicted two most horrible wounds, both ? f which of the it is believed, tare open the large blood vessel , body, known as the femoral artery. The unhappy blood man exclaimed •' Oh Lord !" and a frightful gush f immediately filled his trowsers. He walked a little WO towards the miller's house, the blood flowing in a conti' nuous stream all the way, and when he reached the gate he reeled in a fainting state, and was saved from falling b 1 the miller's man, who caught him in his arms and earned him into the house, and in less than five minutes he %glo b ! corpse. The miller mounted a horse and galloped "' Gloucester, and returned almost immediately with Mr' Charles Ciulterbuck, of this city, surgeon ; but before hi: arrival the vital spark bad fled. The scene which ens ued infuriate in breaking the horrible intelligence to the bereaved parents was heart-rending in the extreme ; and the dreaa_r ful event has caused a great feeling of deep sympa th Y , the deceased, who was an only son, in the full vigour youthful life and strength, and was most respectable l" his charac:er and conduct. — Gloucester Journal. The " Bankers' Circular" has published a return of t ap annual clearing payments made by the different Loonfi3o bankers, who send their daily claims on each other to clearing house to be written off, and the final balav' e j paid. This is an interesti n g document, but, as is obserce in the publication referred to, is no guide absolutely to trt. relative rank and importance of the houses named in a l be None of the West End bankers, for example, are i n I V list, their demands upon the city being cleared by the:W e banks, arid swelling by that amount the returns of tb,,A houses employed as their agents. The bill and et" brokers' accounts have a similar effect, w i thou t being * true index of the amount of general banking bus ing° The following is the list referred to : of b• .he 1 B House/ Amounts passek iy the principa. tanking London at the Clearing House-1840. Al Barclay and Co .. 107,000,00 0 Glyn and Co.. . • • • Jones, Loyd and Co 104,000,0 00 Masterman and Co. .. Robarts and Co. Smith. Payne, and Co. . 64,000, 000 Williams and C 0.... .. Barnett and Co. Lubbock and Co • • ••• . 33, 760,000 Stone, Martin, and C 0.... ..... 33,700,00° Prescott and Co. 30,000 ,00 Denison and Co. • • ,26 863, 000 .„. Banbury and Co 24,706,0u, Ladbruke and Co. . Willis and Co.. .. 17, 50 °.,M Curries and Co. 16 17, 0 0 000 and Co Price and Co. Hankev and C 0... ............ 1 1 ? 2 ; °° uu ° ; ° :Z t : Barnard and Co. • • 1 °4 2%00 Vere and C 0.... ti ogers and t, 0.. . • g 0000 ° Derrien and Co i'boo• °°° Fuller and Co. .......... . • ', bo o 00 7. ' flo p Brown and Co 3, 7 0°."' Busanquet and Co.. ....... ••• • 3,50 0,000 Stercesen and Co Vie.ten and - £978, 496, 8° ... .....