The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-15 00:00:00

Varitaintittarp 4)rorrel3tno. HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY Lord LANSDOWNE brought in his bill for opening re lations with the Court of Rome. Lord STANLEY and others urged the novelty of the thing to the country and its importance, and contended for time to consider. The day for the second reading was fixed for the 24th instant. The Bishop of MANCHESTER was introduced, and took the oaths. Lord STANLEY, in presenting the petitions from , the West Indies, entered into a masterly exposition of the State robberies and oppressions which, from the bill. of 1826 to the Government encouragement of slavery in Cuba and • Brazil, had spread equal ruin on these colonies, and all their inhabitants—till £lOOO could not be raised on any estate in Jamaica, Demerara, or Trinidad. Nothing short of a return to the differential duties of 1846 could meet the necessities of the case. The £20,000,000 granted to the planters formed a very indifferent recompense.to the planters for the labour they had lost. The supply of sugar had fallen off during the years from 1839 to 1843, a period of unlimited freedom .of labour, from 3,520,000 cwt. to 2,100,000 cwt. In 181.7 the produce was 3,761,000.ewt. in fact, from 1825 to 1832 the supplies of sugar had been more than sufficient to meet the demands of this country : the surplus had been sent to other countries, thus show ing that there bad been no monopoly. But since the act of emancipation the cost of production had been enor mously increased, and there had been a corresponding. di minution in the supply. From 1830 to 1834 the expense of producing a hundred weight of sugar was 4s. 5d.; from 1834 to 1838 it was 6s. 3d.; from 1838 to 1842 it was 16s. Ild. ; and from 1842 to 1846 it was 21s. 6d. per cwt. The petition from Trelawney, which he presented, stated that the cost of production had been increased to 20s. per cwt. of which 13s. 4d. went into the pockets of the la bourers, leaving the balance only to meet all the other ex penses of the planter. His lordship bore testimony, how ever, in favour of the conduct of the negroes, and said that no class of labourers could be more disposed to makes g_ood use of their freedom. He highly approved of the Emancipation Act; but maintained that the planters had a right to some protection againstthe competition of slave holding producers, who were now upon the same footing as our colonists. The latter had been deceived by the promise of protection held out to them prior to the gene ral election in 1840, and they had a right to expect the promise to be fulfilled. He then contrasted the position of our colonists with the slave-holding producers of Cuba and Brazil, and maintained that the Act of 1846 was a bounty upon slavery. With reference to the production of sugar in India, it was of a peculiar character : so long as the market here realised for it a certain price, it would come; but whenever it fell below, 20s. to 225. at Calcutta the supply ceased, as it was more profitable to retain it in that country. Notwithstanding the large increase in the sugar imported from the Brazils, &c., our exports had in creased very little. From Demerara they asked for a loan to encourage drainage ; another from Jamaica applied for a repeal of the Navigation-laws in addition ; and others for an equalization of the duties on rum and British spirits, and the admission of molasses and sugar in breweries and distilleries. He did not himself believe that a repeal of the Navigation-laws would be of any benefit to the West India Proprietors, and he deferred entering on the question as to the use of sugar and molasses in the way required, and that rum should be introduced at an equal rate with the duty on British spirits. With reference to the supply of free labourers, he admitted that emigration from Africa was for the benefit of the colonies and the negro popula tion, but he feared it would be attended with many of the evils which they had endeavoured to suppress in connec tion with the slave trade. In conclusion, his Lordship declared his decided opinion that the only remedy for the evils he had been referring to was the re-imposition of differential duties, and an abandonment of the principles of free trade which would otherwise bring ruin upon the country Earl GREY replied, to the same effect as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons. The Bishop of OXFORD combatted at some length the arguments of Lord Grey, and appealed to the House whe ther it was right, that for the paltry saving of a penny a pound in our sugar, the nation should be condemned to share in the shame of Cuba and the Brazils, where the enormities of the field slave system existed in an exagger ated form. Lord ASHBURTON urged the insufficiency of the mea sures mentioned by Earl Grey. Their lordships then adjourned, HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY Numerous petitions were presented for and against the Jewish Disabilities Bill, which occupied the House for a couple of hours. On the question of the second reading being put, Mr. STAFFORD moved, and Lord BURGHLEY seconded the amendment, that the bill be read that day six months, the supporters of the latter proposition being Mr. B. Cochrane, Lord Mahon, Mr. S. Walpole, and Mr. New degate. The speakers in favour of the original motion were Mr. W. P. Wood, Mr. M. Milnes, Sir W. Moles worth, and Mr. Shiel. At length the debate was ad journed. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY An unsuccessful effort was made by Mr. HUM and Mr. STAFFORD to induce Mr. Anstey to postpone his speech on his " monster motion" to another day, and to allow the adjourned debate on the Jewish Disabilities Bill to proceed. The motion includes 40 distinct propositions, which embrace the policy of every treaty which this coun try has contracted with foreign Powers from the year 1825 down to the present hour. Mr. ANSTEY'S present mo tion was only preliminary to a motion of a much more grave and serious character, which would affect the posi tion of Lord Palmerston, and perhaps even of the Premier himself. Having addressed the House for nearly an hour and a half, and the number of members present being re duced from 400 to 39, the House was counted out. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY Mr. P. SCROPE found great fault with the working of the Irish Poor-law. Sir W. SOMERVILLE explained the difficulties with which the enforcement of it had been attended in a coun try to which it had never yet been applied. Mr. Hume, Mr. F. O'Connor, Mr. S. O'Brien, Mr. H. Drummond, Sir B. Hall, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. S. Crawford, took part in the debate. as did also Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN, who, after the usual fashion of Irish members, pointed out various measures which ought to be adopted for the relief of Irish distress, without mentioning in a single in stance the means by which they were to be carried into practical operation. Mr. PACRE then moved the second reading of the Epiphany Quarter Sessions Bill, but afterwards withdrew his motion in deference to the objections urged against it by Sir G. Grey and Mr. Serjeant Talfourd. On the motion that the House should go into committee on the New Zealand Bill, _ _ _ Mr. GLADSTONE said its enactments consisted partly of suspending and partly of enacting clauses. To the latter, as they corresponded with the demands of Governor Grey, be thought that the House could not do better than ac cede; but as to the former, he could not understand why the constitution of New Zealand in 1846 should be sus pended for five years rather than repealed altogether. He examined at some length the despatch of Earl Grey of the 23d of December, 1846, relative to the waste lands of New Zealand, and after contrasting it with the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi, came to the conclusion that it was incompatible with that treaty. He vindicated the con duct of the Bishop of New Zealand in presenting his pro test, which be believed he had not published to the na tives. Mr. LABOUCHERE defended the despatch of Earl Grey and the conduct of the government towards the natives of New Zealand, which had been characterised by the most perfect good faith. No further information had yet been received respecting the publication of the protest of the Bishop of New Zealand ; but the Bishop in sending that protest to the government at home had announced his in tention to express his dissatisfaction with Lord Grey's despatch to the natives of that island. He adhered to his opinion that this was a most imprudent course on the part of the Bishop. Sir E. BUXTON contended that the views of the Bishop of New Zealand as to the claims of the natives were by no means singular, and showed that they were coincident with those of the Wesleyan missionaries. After come further diroussion, in which Mr. Aglionby, Mr. Cardwell, Lord Lincoln, Mr. F. Scott, and Mr. Ad derley joined, the House went into committee, when some further debate took place on the clauses. HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY The motion of Earl FITZWILLIAM, for a return of all the unions in Ireland in which the board of guardians bad been superseded and paid officers appointed, was agreed to. In answer to a question from Lord STANLEY, ___ The Marquis of LANSDOWNE stated that the govern ment intended, should the bill for opening diplomatic regulations with the court of Rome pass the second read ing, to proceed with it with as little delay as possible. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THuRsDAY After a discussion oi;ilie;4;;;tehnp;isonmeni of per sons before trial, Lord MORPETH moved for leave to bring in a bill for promoting the health of cities and towns, which had been drawn up by the Attorney-General in a shape which would render it little liable to objection. The Central Board of Health, as last year sanctioned by parliament, is to be retained ; to consist of five members—of whom two will be paid—to be presided over by a responsible member of the government. The working of the measure to be committed to local bodies responsible to their local com munities, with a checking and controlling power vested in the state. The local bodies to be connected with town councils in boroughs—to be called the committee of health —the number of members and the boundaries of the application of the act to be fixed by the government. In other places a certain number of sanatory commissioners to be elected by the rate-payers. The act to operate throughout England and Wales ; but for the metropolis there will be a separate bill. In the local boards the duties relating to the preservation of the public health will be imperative. They must hold regular meetings, ap point inspectors and surveyors, provide a map of their dis trict, make public sewers, compel the owners and occu piers of houses to supply house drains, water for the cleansing of the streets, and scavengers. They will have also certain permissive duties, to require proper levels for drainage in new buildings, to alter drains, privies, &c., to require certain furnaces to consume their own smoke, to remove slaughter-houses, to inspect lodging-houses, and to provide public grounds for recreation and amuse ment, and public baths and waterworks. The act will not provide for the removal of cemeteries from towns, nor for making cemeteries beyond their walls ; but the Board. of Health will be empowered, when any burying place be comes destructive to life or health, to prohibit its further use for interment. The statistics upon which the measure is based arc the same as the public is already familiar with. A discussion ensued, in the course of which, Lord DUNCAN regretted that the window tax had not been removed as one of the-sanatory measures ; and _ Mr. WAKLEY accused !Lord Morpeth of havug shrunk from his duty in not including -London in the bill. Leave was given to bring in the bill, which was read a first time. Mr. CARDWELL then moved for some consular returns connected with China, not so «much with .a view to their production as for the purpose of bringing under the notice of the house the report of - the select committee appointed in the year 1847 to take into considemtion . the present state of our commercial -relations with that country. Everybody knew what extravagant expectations were enter tained throughout the kingdom at the opening of our commercial intercourse with China. «From the brilli ancy of our prospects at «that time it was expected that by this time our exports to that country would have much exceeded £2,400,000. Though we had not been gratified in that respect, it - was still consolatory to reflect that in the trade recently opened with China, by far the greater portion of it had fallen to our share, and we ought therefore to do our best to encourage and support it. It had not, however, been carried on at a ;benefit to England ; on the contraryait had been carried on at a loss of 30 or 40 per cent. This had gone on' for the last three or four years, but it could not go on much. longer, for the trade would recede till it again rose up to a remunerating rate. Why had we hitherto found the trade to China unprofitable ? Let them consider what the returns were which we received from China. They were of three kinds, silver—of which £2,000,400 had been drained from China for some gears past ; silk—of which the export was gradually increasing ; and tea. Now, it was impossible to conjecture how long China could sustain the drain of the precious metals ; but as the export of tea could not be increased on the present system of the tea duties, a constant reduction of our trade must inevitably take place. It was, however, beyond calculation how far they would and could buy our cottons if we were to lower the tea duties. The house was not unprepared for the dis covery of the committee. that the rate of the duty on tea had been and was the cause of the retardation of the exportation of tea to -Great Britain. It was in all cases 200 per cent. on the price of the. article, and in some cases it was even 1000 per cent. Now, the Americans were our chief rivals in the Chinese markets, and had no dutyupon tea. How, then, could we continue to compete with them in the Chinese market in that branch of manufac tures in which they were our rivals.? One serious ob stacle to the reduction of the duties on tea was that a revenue of £5,100,000 was derived from them. Yet, though this amount of revenue could not be relied on with the existing duties, it was so important an element in the income of the country, that in the present circum stances. it could not he entirely abolished. He entered into several statistical details to show, that if the duty were reduced from 2s. 3d. to Is. the probability was, that in the next year the revenue, from the increased con samption of tea would amount to £3,500,000, if not to £3,960,000. There was but one limit to the trade with China, and that was the amount to which we took the exports of China; and the limit to that amount depended upon our duties. It was not for him to divine what was in the breast of the government as to the budget; but he should have been wanting in his duty to the committee of which he had been a member if he had allowed its able report to slumber on the table, and had left the house to approach the financial statement of the year without a discussion upon its merits. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that on the opening of the trade with China the merchants increased their exports to that country to an enormous extent, and found it in consequence a losing concern. The fact was, that the markets of China became glutted with the quantity of goods imported from England, and that circumstance produced a depression of trade which in course of time would cure itself. He had no doubt that if we could afford to reduce the duty on teas the revenue derived from that source would be made up again in the course of a few years. He had likewise no doubt that the quantity of goods which we sent to China must depend on the exports received from China ; that an in crease of those exports would be a great benefit to the English producer; and that in the long run the revenue would be benefitted by the trade thus created. But he could not conceal from himself and the house, that if he gave up the duty on tea at present he must look for ad ditional taxation in some other quarter. The committee had rightly said that this was a matter not to be lightly dealt with ; for the revenue derived from it was near £5,000,000. Nevertheless, they recommended a reduc tion of the duty to Is., which would cause a diminution of £2,000,000 in the revenue. Mr. Cardwell had said that on a former occasion the distressed condition of the people had been ame li ora t e d b y t a ki ng o ff t h e b urdens which pressed upon the springs of industry. Now, if he were to take off at present either the tea duties, or, as some gentlemen had that evening suggested, the window tax, the country must submit to an additional income or property-tax, and he did not know how far that might be relished. Lord G. BENTINCK could not, when we were losing £4,000,000 a-year under the free trade system, consent to take off £1,500,000 of tea duties ; nor could he give his consent to the doctrine, that the best mode of di minishing a deficiency was to take off the burdens which pressed on the springs of industry. - A very desultory discussion then took place, in which Mr. Moffat, Mr. Browne, Mr. Masterman, Dr. Bowring, and Mr. Wilson, supported. and Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Alderman Sidney, and Mr. Hudson, objected to the re duction of tho tea duties now proposed. After a short reply from Mr. Cardwell the motion was granted. HOUSE OF LORDS -FRIDAY Lord HATHERTON presented a petition from tenant farmers in Scotland, praying for the repeal of, or some essential alteration in, the game laws, expressing his en tire concurrence in the views of the petitioners. The Marquis of SALISBURY thought tenant farmers had no right to complain of the game laws, inasmuch as they knew of their existence, and of the effects which they might have on the property they occupied, before they became tenants. Lord ASHBURTON was understood to express a similar opinion._ Lord :NIONTEAGLE moved the second reading of the Auditing of Accounts Railways Bill, the object of which was that, upon the application of a certain proportion of railway shareholders, who might be dissatisfied with the accounts furnished by the directors, the railway board might appoint an auditor to whom all the decuments of the company should be accessible, and whose report, as well as those documents, should become open to the in vestigation of the public. A short discussion ensued ; but the bill was read a se cond time without a division. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY Sir C. Price and Mr. C. Bruce were directed to be taken into custody by the Serjeant at Arms. for not appearing to be sworn upon election committees to which they had been appointed. Mr. C. BULLER, in answer to Mr. W. Miles, said, with reference to tramping vagrants, that if the interference of the legislature should be invoked to remedy this increas ing evil, he should not shrink from the responsibility of introducing a measure for that purpose. Mr. WARD, in reply to Captain Pechell, stated that, with regard to paymasters and pursers in the navy, no further provision would be recommended, that the memo rial of the masters could not be acceded to, and that no augmentation of the retired list of commanders was in contemplation. Mr. HORSMAN gave notice that, on Monday next, he should ask tier majesty's government whether they con templated filling up the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury, subject to such changes and modifications as parliament might hereafter determine. Mr. LABOUCHERE, in answer to Mr. Muntz, stated, with reference to steam-boats plying on the Thames, that theßoard of Trade possessed the power of obliging their owners to take out certificates, and could subject such vessels to inspection. The adjourned debate on the Jewish Disabilities Bill was resumed by Mr. C. PEARSON, who was followed by Mr. W. Cowper, Mr. Horsman, Mr. Cockburn, Sir R. Peel, and Lord D. Stuart, in favour of the second read ing ; Mr. K. Seymer, Mr. Spooner, Mr. Bankes, and Mr. Newdegate opposing Lit, the house divided, when the numbers were 277 to 204 ; majority in favour of the second reading 73. Sir T. D. ACLAND informed the house that Sir R. Price was in custody, and awaited the pleasure of the house, when the hon. bart. was ordered to be discharged on the payment of his fees. _ _ _ On tte .. motion of Mr. STAFFORD, Mr. C. Bruce being in attendance, the same course was pursued. On the motion of Lord J. RUSSELL, a select committee was appointed to consider of the best mode of providing additional room for works of art given to the public, or purchased by means of parliamentary grants. LA TV INTELLIGENCE. At the Court of Exchequer, on Monday Mr. Francis Crossley, soap-boiler, of Old Montague-street, White chapel, was convicted in a penalty of £7OO for illegally filling some of his vats, without due notice being sent to the Excise officers. In the District Court of Bankruptcy, Exeter, a few days since, in the matter of the Honiton Bank, the official assignee (Mr. Hirtzel) stated that he had sent out appli cations for £40,000, and had received only £140; and he feared that many of those who had been put down as debtors to the estate would turn out to be creditors. In the Court of Queen's Bench, on Wednesday, the Duke of Brunswick obtained a verdict for £lOOO damages against Mr. Pepper, the printer of the Satirist newspaper, for libel. On the same day, in the Court of Common Pleas, his Highness obtained a verdict for £750 damages against Messrs. Abraham Slowman, John Barker, John Townshend, James Miles, and Benjamin Brown, who, except Mr. Townshend, who is a solicitor, are officers of the sheriff of Middlesex, for forcibly breaking open, and entering the dwelling-house of his Highness in Brunswick place, on the evening of the 15th of May last. THE LAW OF DISTRAINT, AND L ENDING G OODS ON lIIRE.—The law of distraint would appear to require an immediate amendment. Messrs. Collard and Collard, the celebrated piano-forte makers, of London, have called the attention of the Guardian Society to the oppressive and unjust operation of that clause of the landlo r d an d tenant act relating to distraint, whereby the property of traders lent on hire to tenants and lodgers is frequently sacrificed to the claims of landlords, without the law affording the owners the slightest remedy, except by payment of the debt which may be due by the lodger. Messrs. Hime and Son, of this town, tell us that, at this moment, they have a piano-forte, which had been lent out on hire, retained by a landlady on the plea that the party who hired the instrument, owes her upwards of ten pounds rent. The result is obvious : they must lose the piano-forte and debt due to them, or pay the rent before they become possessed of their own property. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. ITALY. _ . Sicily is still the scene of bloodshed. "The troops have been driven from the forts round Palermo, with great slaughter on both sides. There have been no satisfactory negotiations. ThelCing refuses a separate Chamber, but offers that the Chambers should hold-session alternately at Naples.and Palermo. With these concessions the Sici lians are dissatisfied. Insurrection is, from appearances, feared at Messina. Advices froni'Naples describe that city as the scene of great rejoicing. The King rides daily through the streets, receiving the congratulations of the people. When any symptom of discontent has shewn itself, .he has himself addressed the people, explaining the nature of the consti tution, and has called in the assistance of a monk to harangue the lazzaroni, and thus render the new order of things more- generally appreciated. Bozzelli, a councillor of state under Murat, and afterwards a liberal refugee, has been appointed Minister of the Interior, and has been ordered to make a draft of the new constitution. The popular insurrection may be regarded..s completely tri umphant. 'THE LITIMPOOL STAN'DA'RD. FRANCE The pledge given by Louis Philippe's son, is, it seems, to be redeemed. Abd-el-Kader is to be transported, if he wishes it, to Alexandria, and handed over to the old 1 despot of, Egypt. If he wishes it—the words ring hollow, as though some sinister meaning lurked within. In the Chamber of Deputies, M. Guizot put his rival, Thiers, completely in a " fix," by quoting the written documents of the latter when in office,-showing that he then pursued the very course towards Scotland and other countries which he now condemned in the present minis try ! The only reply which M. Thiers had to offer was, that circumstances were now different ! EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN THE FRENCH CHAMBERS. —The debate in the Chamber of Deputies on the para graph relating to the Reform Banquets came to an abrupt and stormy termination on Wednesday. In spite of the determination of the Opposition deputies, and in spite also of a split in the Conservative ranks, M. Guizot per sisted in putting down these banquets. This mutual obstinacy led to-a scene on Tuesday, upon M. Duchatel announcing that Ministers would not yield. M. Cremieux cried out in passion, " Such was the language of Charles X..., there is blood in such language," and M. Lesseps warned Ministers that they were " throwing out a chal lenge." But on :Wednesday, when the Minister of the Interior declared the resolution of Ministers that no more Reform Dinners should be held, M. Odillon Barrot ex claimed, " You are worse than Polignac and Perronet," and a tremendous •uproar ensued. The ministerialists would hear no more speeches. The opposition therefore quitted their seats, .and thus ended the debate, which is now (it seems) to be transferred to the streets of Paris. Instead of at once resigning their functions as Deputies, the Opposition members have resolved on going to the adjourned Reform Dinner in costume and in procession. IS then refused admittance to the Banquetting Hall, they will resign ; but amongst the excitable populace of Paris a public procession of Deputies, openly at issue with the Government, cannot be anticipated without alarm. As the •first result of this issue the French Three per Cents., winch closed on Tuesday at 74f. 55c. fell on Wednesday night to 74f. No fewer than 60 coasting vessels are now owned by aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand. Official documents state that there are at least 2,300 women attached to the American army. Many ladies at Naples, when attending balls or private parties, now wear tricolor cockades instead of flowers in their hair. An English newspaper, entitled the Neighbour, the first ever published in Chili, has been established at Val paraiso. When Espartero paid his first visit to the theatre after his return to Madrid, some of the audience, to honour and welcome him, let loose in the house several doves, gaily bedecked R ith ribbons of various colours. In Australia, where tea is abundant and cheap, the average annual consumption is 81b. per head; in this country it is only 11b. 10oz. per head ; although in fami lies where expense is no consideration it has been known to rise as high as 131 b. per head, and although the allow ance in the navy is Mb. 40z., and in workhouses 341 b. per head. A LADY SMOKER.—In their transit through Egypt to India, Lord and Lady Dalhousie paid a visit to Cairo to Mehemet Ali, by whom they were most hospitably enter tained. Lady Dalhousie, after the presentation, smoked a pipe with the Viceroy, though his Highness, noticing that her ladyship did not relish it, did not press her to smoke if she were not accustomed to it. As a proof that few changes occur in Rome, the Roman correspondent of the Daily News mentions that not only the house and the baker's shop, but even the identical marble counter and the scales are now to be seen in full operation, and just in the same state as they were when, over 300 years ago, Raphael's Fornarina sold penny rolls across that counter. The almost invisible inscription over the plinth of the door was carved by Raphael's own hand, " Trahit sua quonque voluplas." RAILWAY AFFAIRS. BLACKBURN AND BOLTON RAILWAY.—This line is ex pected to he nprned throughout in May next. The Monthly Railway Record for the present mouth contains a portrait of Mark Huish, Esq. On Wednesday, three men were killed whilst worKing at the Wicker viaduct, Sheffield, through the falling in of a portion of the viaduct. _ At the half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of the Great North of England the simple and pleasant an nouncement of a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. was the only business transacted. The reception of the report and accounts at the half yearly meeting of the Liverpool, Manchester and New castle Junction was postponed to the 30th of March, A committee to investigate the accounts was appointed in the resolution authorizing the adjournment of the meeting. The report and accounts of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands, adopted at the half-yearly meet ing, satisfactorily exhibit the activity of the directors. The works had been continued during the time of the monetary pressure. Mr. G. Stephenson declared the line would be made and worked cheaper than any other in the country. PROTECTION FROM THE 'WEATHER.—We understand that two of the guards upon the Eastern Counties Railway were nearly frozen to death one night last week. A cor respondent of the Times suggests that if a tin pot of hot water were provided for the guards to place their feet upon, such disastrbs catastrophes might be avoided for the future. HULL AND LINCOLNSHIRE.-It is stated in the Rail way Chronicle, in anticipation of the opening of the lines to Great Grimsby and New Holland early in March, and for the improvement of the Humber Ferries, the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire have purchased two Thames steamers, which, during summer plied to Greenwich. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY V. THE BIRMINGHAM AND OXFORD RAILWAY COMPANY.—The Lord Chancellor gave judgment in this case on Wednes day, overruling the demurrer, with costs. At the same time he did not give any opinion, as he was not called upon to do so, with reference to the validity or invalidity of the agreement made between the Birmingham and Oxford and Great Western Railway Companies. RAILWAYS.—We have various symptoms of approach ing activity in the prosecution of various suspended rail way works in Manchester. The South Junction branch is again giving signs of renewed vigour. The Manchester and Altrincham, a part of the Birkenhead, Cheshire, and Manchester, is also giving the note of preparation ; so that there is every appearance of a vast number of work men, who have been all but literally starving through the late winter, having full and constant employment. From official returns it appears that the amount of traffic for the last week, on upwards of 3,436 miles of rail way, was £147,352, thus accounted for :--£68,068 for the conveyance of passengers only, £41,838 f or th e carr i age of goods, and a remainder of £37,446 for passengers and goods 'together, not respectively apportioned; being an increase of £12,527 over the corresponding week of the former year, when the mileage was 2,680. The average earnings per mile for last week were £43, whilst in 1847 they were £5O. _ LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.—On Wednes day, the half-yearly meeting was held at the Clarendon rooms. E. W. Hasell, Esq. presided. Resolutions were passed to the effect that a dividend of £1 per whole sham, and 4s. per third share, be now made and declared, out of the nett profits of the undertaking up to the 31st of De cember last, and that the directors be empowered to raise, on loan, such further ovine, fiom time to time, as they shall find requisite for the purposes of the undertaking, not exceeding what the act of parliament authorises. A dividend at the rate of £4 per cent. per annum was created. The resolutions were unanimously adopted, and the remarks of the chairman were considered highly satis factory, as respected the prospects of the line. RAPID TRAVELLING.—The directors of the South- Eastern Railway, in unison with the South-Eastern and Continental Steam-ship Company, have determined to meet the long hoped for opening of the Boulogne and Amiens Railway with their usual energy. An express steamer, in union with a train from London-bridge, will leave Folkestone to convey passengers to the train to start from Bologne at 3 o'clock in the afternoon ; this arrange ment will enable the public to breakfast in London, and be in Paris the same day at twenty minutes past eight in the evening. So, also, between Paris and London there will be a special steamer in union with the trains leaving Paris at eight in the morning ; this steamer will start from Boulogne to Foulkestone on the arrival of the train, by which means passengers of that morning from Paris will arrive in London at half-past six o'clock the same afternoon. NORTHERN COUNTIES UNION RAILWAY.-At a meet ing held at Leeds on Thursday last, about 40 shareholders were present from various towns, including Liverpool; and Mr. Atkinson, of Roundhay, was called to the chair. Mr. Baker, of Thirsk, advocated the relinquishment of a large portion of the scheme—that from Tebay to Bishop Auckland, which would reduce the capital of the company by two millions ; and this portion would, he believed, be readily taken up by other parties, who could work it to better advantage. The line from Wath to Bedale was, he thought, most valuable and promising. He moved a resolution restraining the directors from making further calls and incurring further liabilities. They had now sufficient capital to complete the valuable part of the line —that stated. His suggestion would reduce the shares from £5O to £5. The resolution was carried unanimously. It was also agreed to negotiate the sale of the line from Bishop Auckland to Tebay. A resolution was also passed giving the directors three months to negotiate in the sale stated. A deputation was appointed to attend the gene ral meeting. Amongst these was Mr. D. Smith, of this town. They were empowered to impress upon the direc tors and shareholders the importance of the resolutions agreed to. IRELAND. The attacks in Tipperary by armed parties are again becoming frequent. Wm. Boland, and his two daughters, died of cold and starvationatFeakle, on Sunday week. — Cork Constitution. A linen factory, upon an extensive scale, is being esta blished at Westport, under the auspices of the Marquis of Sligo. At the meeting of the Dublin Council, on Wednesday, Mr. Hamilton, a Conservative, brought forward a memo rial to the'Queen, praying her Majesty to convene the Imperial Parliament once in every three years in Dublin. On Friday week, as Thomas Manning, a butcher, of Cloumel, was returning home, he was set %mon by two men and a boy, who fancied he had money. They mur dered him in the most inhuman manner with stones, and also slaughtered a sheep he had with him. On Monday night, a man named Keegan, living in South Great George-street, Dublin, quarrelled with his wife, and in a paroxysm of passion she stabbed her hus band, from the effects of which he died early next morn- RESPITE•OF IRISH CONVICTS.—Four of the Ennis con victs have been reprieved, and their sentences commuted to transportation for life. Their names are John M'Enery, Patrick and John Guerin, for the murder of Thady M'Mahon, and Michael M'Mahon for conspiring to mur der Matthew Boland. A melancholy accident occurred at Killentiernee, county Kerry, on Friday. Three persons of the name of Brosnan (mother, son, and daughter), in endeavouring to cross the river (Browne Flesk), were unfortunately drowned, the river being at the time much swollen by the snow and rain. EXECUTIONS.—On Monday, the notorious Ryan and Andrew Dea were executed at Limerick. The wretched culprits were truly penitent, and made a full confessi on of their guilt, and acknowledged the justice of their sen tences. Dea declared that he had no accomplice in the murder—that neither his brother nor any other person assisted in it. In his declaration Ryan ascribes all his crimes to the neglect of his religious duties, and he solemnly avers that during his life he never received one farthing for anything except what he earned as a labourer by the sweat of his brow—meaning thereby that he never handled "blood-money." REPEAL.-At the meeting on Monday, Mr. Nicholas V. Maher, M.P., took the chair. Mr. John O'Connell having left for London on his way to Paris at the latter end of the past week, the part of "leader" was enacted by Mr. Joseph Henry Dunne, who addressed the assembly at considerable length, abusing the Evening Post in no measured terms, and praising the letter of Dr. O'Higgins in reply to the communication from Cardinal Fransoni. The meeting was also addressed by Tom Arkins, tailor to the Roman Catholic bishops of Ireland, sword-bearer to the Corporation' &c., &c., and Mr. Leyne. The latter gentleman, referring to the recent meetings of the Young Irelanders at the Rotundo, said that nothing so diabolical had been discovered since the gunpowder plot as their proceedings had developed. The rent was £6B 7s. 2d. In Mr. Uniacke Bayley's case, when Daly was found guilty, Nicholas Garrigan, an approver, gave some cha racteristic evidence. He declined shooting Mr. Bayley for the reward of a suit of clothes, but offered to do it if they would pay his passage out of the country. He ad mitted that Mr. Bayley had never injured him. He added —" I would not murder any man I was asked to murder ; but I would for Daly, because he was a relative of mine ; I would have murdered any man Daly asked me." Er. Rollestone—" Would you have mu r d ere d me if they asked you ?" Witness—" By Gor, I would, sir." 04 being asked whether he thought it would be a greater crime to commit a murder or break a pledge, Garrigan said, " I think murder would be the worst ; but I don't know." DENUNCIATIONS AT THE ALTAR.—The English reader will hardly feel surprise at the announcement, that a case or two are about to come under the cognisance of our law courts, in which denunciations by Roman Catholic priests from the altar will form the subject of investigation. I understand that "a bad case" of this description, though one which, as yet, has not all been brought before the public through the press or parliament, has recently been submitted to most eminent counsel, who have advised that a prosecution will lie, and if the case be proved that it will be successful. Also, that it ought to be prosecuted, not by the crown, but by the party denounced. The ob ject of the attack was in this case a nobleman of whig principles and very liberal tendencies, who has property in a north-western and an eastern county. I do not say positively that this prosecution will proceed, but recent developements from Rome incline me to the belief that such a course may be deemed necessary.—Dublin Corres pondent of the Daily News. The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith at Rome, that is, the Pope, has issued a Rescript to " some if not all of the Catholic Prelates in Ireland," requiring information as to whether the statements of the public journals respecting denunciations of individuals from the altar are true,—discountenancing the crime of murder, and entreating the Catholic clergy to seek only the things of Jesus Christ and abstain from secular or worldly affairs, as much as possible. Dr. O'Higgins, the Romish Bishop, has addressed a letter to Rome, in which he asserts that the Pope has been deceived by the notorious calumnies of Lord Minto and the English press. He further re quests that the Cardinal may be informed that, " under the name of legal right, the body of landlords in Ireland are literally starving the poor," without any remonstrance from the Lord Lieutenant, or " his employer," Lord John Russell. He recommends that an Italian Cardinal be sent over by Rome to see and inquire into the facts of the case. A curious scene is reported at a recent sessions in Mayo, when the solicitor for one Anthony Gavan, being tried for sheep stealing, cross-examined the prosecutor M'Hale, who admitted that he (M'Hale) was an industrious and thriving man, " occupying between tillage, pasture, and mountain, between 70 and 80 acres," and possessed of " sixty sheep, four cows, and two horses," besides " some stacks of barley, oats, a lock of hay, and potatoes, milk, and butter." On the contrary, he acknowledged the prisoner was " honest up to the time of this accusation ; a poor man, with a rood of ground, no sheep or cattle, and his family nearly starving." The following requires no comment : "Solicitor—` Do you know that the prisoner, with his poor weak family, made several applications for relief to the reliev ing officer ?—A . •He did do so.' "Q. ' And, notwithstanding they are starving, was he not refused? A 'He was refused.' "Solicitor—`Now Mac Hale—and I call upon the Court to take down your answer—and I have the book of the relieving officer here—by the oaths you have here sworn, do you not get the out-door relief?—Come !—no hesitating !—answer the ques tion.' Witness—' Ido!' " _ _ . SERIOUS v CHARGES.—On the arrival of the barque Swan, at Cork, a few days ago since, information was re ceived by the authorities that one of the crew, named John Preston, lay dangerously ill from the effects of a beating inflicted on him by the mate of the vessel, John Sloane, who was immediately arrested. The informations of Prestonetaken by the Mayor, disclosed also a circum stance seriously affecting the captain of the vessel„ John Sterling :—That on the 17th January, while the vessel was on her voyage, a Dutch sailor named Ritchart Helet, being ordered up to unfurl a sail, in attempting upon two occasions to execute the command, was obli g ed to come down upon the yard-arm, his inability arisi ng from lame ness, the effect of a wound received while in the American service. The captain went down to the cabin, brought up a six-barrelled revolving pistol, loaded, and presenting it at the unfortunate man, threatened to shoot him if he did not go up and furl the sail—saying, while he directed the pistol towards him, " will you go once—will you go twice ?" Unable to obey the commaud, and fearful of the immediate execution of the threat, the man jumped into the sea and was drown e d. Other evidence h as b een had establishing the truth of thi s statement, and a prose cution will be instituted—Cork Constitution. THE FARMERS' ESTATE :F;CIETY.—A number of no blemen and gentlemen have resolved to apply to parlia ment for the incorporation of a company under the title of " The Farmers' Estate Society of Ireland," the objects of which will be found defined in the following extract from the prospectus : 7 " The Farmers' Estate Society propose purchasing eligible estates in fee, as they come into the market, and selling them afterwards in small lots of not less than 40 statute acres, the preference being given to the tenant in possession, if unobjectionable in other respects, and the purchase-money taken in half yearly payments. The purchase-money being thus taken by instalments, the purchaser can spend any capital he possesses in the cultivation of the land, erection of build ings, and making other improvements ; and as he im proves he will be the better enabled to pay larger instal manta until tha purchase shall ba completed —a system materially different from the present, under which the farmer generally gives all he possesses to get possession of a farm, and has no capital left for cultivation or stocking. Provision will be made to prevent the sub-division of any farm so purchased to less than 20 acres."—The project has met with the decided approval of the Earl of Claren don ; and the provisional committee already comprises the names of the Earls of Curtown and Devon, Lord Monteagle, Sir Edward Borough, Sir David Roche, Mr. Monsell, M.P., Mr. Fagan, M.P., Mr. Guinness, M.P., and several other influential country gentlemen. The capital sought to be raised is £1,000,000, in 50,000 shares of £2O each. UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS. DIOCESE OF CHESTER The Rev. Lewis Henry Strean, to the perpetual curacy of Fettarks Church, Antrobus, in the parish of Great Budworth, in the county of Chester, on the nomination of the Rev. George Henry Webber, vicar of Great Budworth. _ The Rev. Thomas William Johnes, to the vicarage o f Pennington, in the county of Lancaster, on the prese n t a . tion of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, vo id by the cession of the Rev. Joseph Maxwell: v a l ue h ouse, sub. £3OO. The Rev. Edward Pigot, to the vicarage of St. Thomas, Ashton in Mackerfield, in the county of Lancaster, void by the death of the Rev. Edward Lisbon, on the presen tation of the Rev. Harold Hopley Sherlock, rector of Ashton, in Mackerfield: value house, £3OO. The Rev. Arthur Wilkin, to the rectory of Bootle, in the county of Cumberland, void by the death of the Rev. Alexander Scott, on the presentation of the Right lion. the Earl of Lonsdale.: value house, sub. £5OO. The Rev. Thomas Hornby, to the vicarage of Walton on-the-Hill, in the county of Lancaster, void by the cession of the Rev. Thomas Gerard Leigh, on the pre sentation of John Shaw Leigh, of Childwall-hall, in the county of Lancaster : value house, sub. £3OO. Dr. Elvey was on Tuesday elected, at Oxford, successor to the late Dr. Crotch. The Bishop of Manchester has been presented by the pupils of King Edward's School with a beautiful inkstand. The fixed annval value of the see of Canterbury is £17,000, and its patronage includes 149 livings. Sir 11. Bishop has be4n pointed the new professor of music at Coxfcml. The Dean of Manchester, Dr. Bowers, has resigned the rectory of St. Paul's, Covent-garden, and the Rev. H. Hatton has been promoted to the benefice. The Bishop of London is stated to be in a weak state of health. His lordship is obliged, it is said, to have recourse to galvanism as a remedy. In consequence of the forcible petition presented to the House of Commons by the Dean and Chapter of West minster, the Romish Archbishop of Westminster is abandoned—the lesser dignity of a simple bishopric having been determined on. The Queen's letter, for a general collection in behalf of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, which has been delayed beyond the usual time, in consequence of the two collections by royal authority last year, for the relief of the destitute poor in many parts of Ireland and Scotland, has just been issued. On the foundation of the see of Chester (A.D. 1541) there were in the diocese, exclusive of the portion as signed some years ago to Ripon, three hundred and twenty-seven churches ; from that time to the year 1828, one hurdred and eighty-six additional ones were built, averaging two new churches in every three years ; the present Bishop of Chester has consecrated two hundred and thirty-three, averaging one new church each month during his long episcopate. THREATENED SECESSIONS.—I hear that the threat which frightened some of our bishops was, that 800 (!) of the clergy were going to form a nonjuring church, if Dr. Hampden's confirmation took place. Something was whispered, too, of obtaining ordination from the Scotch bishops for the secession church. Your readers may re collect that Mr. Froude suggested the idea in his corres pondence, and Mr. Keble, one of the present triumvirate of Tractarian leaders, was known to be favourable to nonjuring principles as long ago as 1832.—Correspondent of the Church and State Gazette. PROCTORIAL RlOTS.—There have been some indecent disturbances during the week in our streets, in conse quence of attacks upon the proctors in the discharge of their duties. Attempts were made by parties of black guards on Tuesdayand Wednesday nights to rescue women of bad repute from the custody of the University officers ; but the proctors were protected by parties of under graduates, and the attempts failed. These disturbances may be traced to the license given to dissolute persons by the absurd Spinning-house agitation which certain Libe rals were not ashamed to set on foot last year.— Cam bridge Chronicle. DIOCESE OF MANCHESTER.—On Friday, immediately after his installation, the Bishop of Manchester proceeded to Whalley Range. and laid the foundation stone of a new church. After this he went to Droysden, where he conse crated the new church of St. Mary in that populous place. After this his lordship received a number of the clergy to dinner at the Palatine Hotel. On Saturday morning the bishop consecrated the new Church at Shuttleworth, near Bury, and in the afternoon the new church at Cold hurst, Oldham. These three churches have all been erected from plans of Mr. Shellard, architect, of Man chester, who, we believe, is also the architect for Mr. Horsfall's new church at Everton. The Earl of Shrewsbury has published a reply to Dr. M'Hale's letter. The following is the commencing para graph :—My Lord Archbishop—Had you received my letter according to the design with which it was written, you had gone far to redeem the character of the Irish Church in the opinion of the English people ; but you have chosen otherwise, and have only made bad worse. My first impression, on reading your grace's reply, was to leave it quietly to the public, and to its own merits ; but circumstances and reflection have altered my purpose. I will not, however, my lord, reply to you in the spirit in 'which you have replied to me. I will not substitute in vective for argument, nor recklessness for proof; but, nevertheless, I will speak the truth, for you demand it of me." THE BISHOP OF MANCHESTER.—In looking over the Life and Correspondence of the late Dr. Arnold, we find the following opinions expressed regarding the present Bishop of Manchester, in letters addressed to Archdeacon Hare. They are highly honourable to the writer, as well as to the gentleman to whom they refer :—" I cannot close this letter without thanking you most warmly for the invaluable man you procured me in Lee. He is, indeed, far too good for any subordinate situation ; yet, having once had such a man here, it will be a bitter loss to be obliged to part with him. I trust, however, that we may keep him for a few years at least."—Rugby, Nov. 12, 1830.—Life, (ST. of Arnold, sixth edition, p. 226. " You would rejoice in the good that Lee is doing at Birming ham ; I do not think that there is, in all England, a man more exactly in his place than he is now.--Fox How, June 21, 1839.—Ibid, p. 47. APPOINTMENT OF BISHOPS.—At a meeting of the Church Pastoral Aid Society at Manchester, last week, the Rev. Hugh Stowell made the following observations : —" He trusted the glaring anomaly of appointing a bishop by the Crown, and then the calling on the Chapter to choose a Bishop—he trusted that that glaring anomaly would be soon done away with. (Applause.) And he should be glad to petition in favour of having it done away with, and not to leave it in the mouths of their dissenting friends to say, ' What a mockery, what an anomaly is this !' (Hear, hear.) He had no doubt the recent con troversy on the subject of the appointment of Dr. Hamp den to a Bishopric, though that was a subject which he was not going to discuss, but he had no doubt that con troversy would have some good practical results in mak ing men sweep away such antiquated inconsistencies and contradictions. (Hear, hear.) ENTHRONIZATION OF THE BIEHOP OF MANCHESTER. —The ceremony of enthroning the Bishop of Manchester took place, on Friday morning, in the choir of the Cathe dral Church. The Bishop was met at the main entrance by the Very Rev. the Dean (Dr. Bowers), and Canons Wray, Clifton, Sergeant, and Parkinson, who were attired in their canonicals. His lordship was conducted to a seat placed immediately in front of the communion table, when the ordinary service on such occasions was read ; after which the usual interrogatories were put to the Bishop by the Dean. The Bishop answered each question in the affirmative and then took the customary oaths. The Dean then taking him by the right hand, led him from the chair to the throne. and in brief terms ex pressed the congratulation of the Chanter on his elevation to the Episcopal See. The Dean and Canons then pro ceeded to the communion and read the Litany. The Dean afterwards offered up a prayer on behalf of the Bishop, and implored the Divine blessing upon him. The Bishop then pronounced the benediction, and the ceremony was concluded. THE PEW QUESTION IN CHELTENHAM. — For some time past the parishioners of Cheltenham have been at issue relative to the appropriation of a great number of the pews in the parish church. Certain houses, chiefly situate in the High-street, or more ancient part of the town, were supposed to possess a rfeht by prescripti on t o particular pews in Saint Mary's. The owners of these houses, and others, from tfme to time, have sold, re-sold, let, and sub-let, the pews so claimed, to the great detri ment of many parishioners, who claimed a right to a seat in their parish church, but were prevented by the traffic in pews. As much as £2OO have been asked for pews favourably situated, and by a strange perversion of pur poses, one of the most prominent anti-Church-rate lead ers in the town, who pertinaciously refuses to pay a six pence to the rate, lets a couple of the pews so claimed at a handsome rental. At length, however, some few parishioners memorialised the Bishop of the diocese, and at his last triennial visitation. August 30, 1847, his lord ship, assisted by Dr. Phillimore, instituted an enquiry into the nature and extent of the evil complained of. The result was that an order was made on the Churchwardens to report on the subject every articular they could obtain before the Ist Nov., 1847. This order was obeyed; but it was not until lest month, that any answer was given to their report. They received on the 25th ult. a letter from Dr. Phillimore, through Mr. Holt, the registrar of the consistory court, at Gloucester, informing them that the court has no power to make an order with reference to the disposal of those pews, unless some suit is pressed be fore it. At the same time the learned doctor lays it down as a clear rule of law, that no parties can have a right to sell pews in a parish church, unless by virtue of an act of parliament, that " prescriptive right," and " faculty right," to pews, are very rare, and must be of an unques tionable character, or else should be treated as nullities in law, and that in every instance where the holder of a pew ceases to be a parishioner his right ceases. Although the letter of the learned doctor is clear on many points, still as no order has emanated from the Bishop or the Consis tory Court, the matter is left in considerable doubt, the Churchwardens, if they act at all, being obliged to do so on their own responsibility. THE TOLERANCE OF ROMANISM.— We have lately met with several illustrations of this, and latest of all, in a work recently published by the Rev. F. Trench, minister of St. John's Church, Reading, en titled " A Walk round Mont Blanc." It appears that the reverend gentleman found himself one Sabbath morning, of last autumn, sojourning at the inn at Chamonix, in the territory of Sardinia. On the previous evening he had intimated to the landlord, after informing him that he, Mr. Trench, was a clergyman of the Church of England, his wish to assemble any English travellers who might be tarrying in the hostelry, for the purpose of joining in worship . to God, according to the ceremonies of the Church of which they were n,embers. To effect the latter por ti o n of his purpose, the modest English clergyman simply asked to be accommodated with a private room ; but, proper and modest as was the intimation,. it - well nigh killed the landlord with affright on its being made to him. He would have been content, and more, to accede to the pious and becoming request ; but the Sardinian law forbade all meetings for religious worship, peremptorily e xcept that of the Romish Church. But, English travellers in a private room ? Cospetto !—(cried the perplexed host)—English gentlemen must not pray here without the permission of the Government authorities. But mine host had naturall y a tolerant heart ; and, though ruin stared him in the face, he had kindly audacity enough to apply to the proper officials, humbly begging for leave to certain poor E ng li s h travellers to say their prayers together, on that Sunday morn, within one of the rooms of h is aller go• H e mixed, indeed, a trifle of worldliness wit h his ze al , by intimating to the Government representativ es that, if they prohibited tarrysuch ia simplechamdaoniinx on the Sabbath ; and th a t th e place ings English travellers would no more general, and his own osteria in particular, would suffer materially in consequence. And what was the result ? " Corpo di Baeco I (snarled the village officials :) here's a sinner'." They not only negatived the request, but told him that, if he knowingly allowed any praying on the part of wandering Protestants within the four walls of his locanda—even by English who were under the roof, without a single individual being invited or admitted from any hotel or lodging in the town—he would be seriously punished, and his house shut up by the police. There was, it appears, not only a national and official in junction against the exercise of Protestant worship in Sardinia—even in the private room of an inn—but the landlord had _received a private letter from, of all unlikely persons, the military commander of the province of Faucigny, denosocing all such abominable practices in pleasant and papistical Chamonix.—Church and Slate Gazette. Feb, 15, 1846 POLITICAL VARIETIES. ~. Lord John Russell has fixed Friday next, the 18 K, bringing on the Budget. Mr. R. Dillon Browne, M. P., is appointed to 5 11 , d Sir Emerson Tennent, as Colonial Secretary at COSI At a recent League Festival in North Bren , • United States, Mr. Joseph St urge was toaste d ass knight of the order of Bethlehem. _AI MORE TAXES.—A mong th e o th er new taxes suE,O and probably kept in view by the minister for S 7;1, necessity, there appears to be a general impresni rumour of that sort which sometimes is a pledge; fulfilment—that the property tax will be exteneZ t Ireland, and raised for one year to five per cent.-- -1 ,711 The election for North Sh ro p s hi re w ill take Piro! morrow (Wednesday). Mr. D o d, th e only c,alitOr will make a very valuable member ; he will " supP9',4 Protestant Church in all its integrity, here and in 11e4 0 and is opposed to all con cess i ons t o t h e R om i s h IA II to the admission of Jews to parliament, and to the ri gress of free trade." . 44 . 1 Mr. Kyle has retired from contesting the Univer, Dublin. Mr. Napier and J u d ge K eat i nge are W i t candidates. The return of the former gentleman is 0, secure. In addition to his f ormer supporters, neartfti hundred of the electors who opposed him have, S i ? late contest, intimated their intention of supportiegr'' k at this. Lord George Bentinck has retired from the leaclet of the country party in the Commons. The Marc,l Granby is to be the f u t ure l ea d er. C ons i dering t h e which Lord Geo rge h o ld s w i t h regard to the def,s,o and further concessions t o P opery , we cannot much ..ot his retirement, though we are f ree to acknow l e dt t important services rende re d b y hi m to the ColisP t tive cause in the critical sessions of 1845 and 1846. id A COINCIDENCE AND A MISTAKE. —On MondaY i d - Lord Palmerston presented a pe titi on aga i nst the bill, which he said was agreed to by a majority ° ' o ? senate, when Mr. Goulbu rn sa id th ere must b e sonif_ j. take on the part of the nobl e l or d ; f or h e h a d at 7 ' presented a petition from the University of Came? against the bill, and (laughte r ) w hi c h pet i t i on was a de by a large majority. (Renewed laughter.) Lord et y, merston said he had be en i n f orme d t h at for the Pe rwhich he had just presented there were 75, and age`, 39. Mr. Goulburn : Wh y , th ose are the very Wink that formed the majority i n f avo ur o f the petition N' 4 °' i presented against the bill. (Loud laughter.) iti" DREADED INVASION OF FRANCE BY THE ENGLIST The national defences question has, according teo: Libre Exchange, raised a counter-panic in F 0 " While the ridiculous panic," says that paper, "is II manifested in England, a counter-feeling is beginolo, be felt on this side of the Channel. Here one is ( 10' suaded that, under this pretext of defence, Engl o o reality is preparing the means of i nvas i on ; and sur elt d conjectures are as well founded as th ose o f our neiglibSt The press already begins to demand precautionary P'iy sures ; for of all classes the journalists are certaitap, most warlike. They have th e goo d f or t une never to ' t y in the field of battle either ' a leg or an ar m ;' it is peasant who is food for powder; and they contriburd the expenses of the roar only a bottle of ink and a O m. paper."—Hereford Journal. 0$ RATING OF SMAL L T ENEMENTS. —T wo notices ai , 'd, the books of the H ouse o f C ommons, b ut without 0, '0 cific appoint men t o f a d ay f or t h e i r discussion, whiena probably attra c t a tt en ti on f rom the owners of small 1, ments. One is a proposition by Mr. Francis Pigott , member for Reading, for assessing to local rates, i, owners of leases which, in towns, are under the vel.?"fle £8 per annum, and £5 in the country. The other 11, to similar character, by Mr. Poulett Scrope, who wish,;st & exempt the occupiers of small tenements from local i d tion. In this last case no amount is fixed. On N i ,' occasions, when it was sought to establish, by direct lation, the principle of rating landlords, there has D'iiit ; most determined opposition, which has hitherto succet74E Whether the intended measures possess within thems e di, the elements of conciliating the house-owners is iie known ; but it is not very likely. , ..,„ A e L THE ORIGINATORS OF WAR.—W e are not tor , t, ing our armaments just now. Why ? Be.ause the 1 ) tion of peace or war is not in the hands of inerchatit s 'ol of wise and good men, or o f pu bli c op i n i on, or ofig people in the widest sense, or i n any sense at all. Jot not even in the hands of ministers or kings. It is IL I i hands of fools or madme n , o f d o t ar d s or str i p lioCo tyrants and ruffians. An idiot throws the torch thathb up a conflagration—a fanatic strikes the blow that Sfj; a dynasty to its account, and nurses another in the el') of war. A sot may sway the destinies of an empire,' # so of the world, till the nuisance i s suppresse d b y adultress and an assassin. A headstrong admiral t s raw lieutenant a word of rash encouragement ,Pita royalty or power—a mistaken signal or an un i n tellf 0 dispatch, may begin those bloody retaliations wine° age cannot close. — Times. li t A VERY SLIGHT MISTAKE. —On M on d ay n ig ht , a Grogrn moved in the house for a retu rn , th e descrirty of which was not very well heard at any distance fro" 0 table, upon which Mr. Reynolds, the repeal merabe i d , Dublin, stated that he intended to move an amendittif The speaker blandly asked, " Has the hon. welhit heard the motion ? It i s —' Th at t h ere b e laid before," house a return of each kind of live cattle and othql, 4 o mats.' '' Mr. Reynolds " th oug ht it was t h e r' - i 0 connected with the Corporation of Dublin." The :1 0 by its laughte r , did no t seem to t hi n k the mistake° ttli hon. member a very material one. A re turn _ait, " other animals"—we could not spare the " live PSO —might easily include the members of the Corjr_n9 of Dublin and a few more of thei r fellow-coup,m") o s now in England, and would be very seasonable, If return was—to Ireland ! 00 A PROPER REBUKE.—In the House of Com/onto' Friday week, Sir R. Inglis presented several petitioo o .2 various places in Scotland, and from several loyal4 f ilt lodges, praying the house not to s anc ti on th e 1 e of Relief Bill. Also petitions against the bull, In ...., Domini, from several bodies of loyal Orangemen. the Flume wished to know why these bodies a ssum ed to b', l o selves the character of loyal bodies, when it v0i 9 .. „, known they had been denounced in more than one 91 1 ter ; and further, they were not a chartered bod9—gly. R. Inglis said as the hon. mem b er f or Middlesex (le ter),—he begged pardon o f th e Middl esex electors ( lik7tt ter), for Montrose he should have said, h a d c hose t V stigmatise several petiti o ns en t rus t e d t o hi m to Prel, (Di that house as a s sum i ng a c h aracter f or loyalty whi 11 , not belong to them, he begged to say the petitioners 6d as much right to that ch arac t er as th e hon. tne himself. i f l' (P COST OF PRODUCING SUGAR.—In the s p ee ch ed T. Baring we have supplied some interesti ng parti ,4 with reference to the relative cost of producti on of 7 0 1 in the island of St. Kitt's during the period of sit, as compared with the cost under a state of free la j " The return is made up with great exactness, from rience on an estate and in an island both favourattpol tuated as regards other sugar properties in the )79 West Indies. It is as follows :—The cost o f produ o tt, per cwt. averaged—During the last four ye ar s of s :o' 4s. sd. ; during the last four years of apprenti 14. , fis. 7d. ; during the first four years of fread om , Os. dll' during the last four years of freedom, 21 s . 7d- 0 f i of I ference between the cost during the last four years d• 0; l ! very and the last four years of f ree d om i s 17 s . "k., . , cw t. The returns of ten es t a t es i n th e same i s l a nt ring the last four years, show an average cost of 2 2 t 9, per cwt. In both cases, th e ca l cu l a ti on i s f or sugar el" t a beach for shipment, w ith ou t a ll ow i ng any pro fit of interest upon capit a l i nves t e d. / ' TIO7 0 ' I REASONS WHY THE JEWISH BILL IS SUPPOA-. The general mass of support given to the Jew quests e V not, we feel sorry to think, of so honest and open I 9 racter as that accorded to it by Mr. W oo d. We h u e d and we are sorry to have to say it, but we believe It V, the fact, that the feeling which generally supP O I . V, measure throughout the country, and which is the 0, that carried Baron Rothschild in London, is o ne a ; it , irreligious indifferentism. People really think M a c hl of little importance whether a man is a Jew or a e s' ~ Lien. We do not, of course, speak now of such re :O i l Mr. Wood, Mr. Gladstone, or, to take another ease', ' Sheil, or of those who think with them. But We .?, • of the mass of men —men engrossed in worldly coil if; who make up the J ew i s h par t y on t hi s occasion; le say advisedly that the a b ove i s a li tera l accoun t 0 t ot; feeling in the matter. They do not think it of imP° g ef,,, whether a man is a Jew or a Ch r i s ti an , an d b y con seq R e, they do not think it of importance either, w h e ther 0 kr lator is a Jew or a Christian. And th ence the tra n s,/', is easy to an active support of the Jew, merely be ,as such, he is opposed.—Guardian. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ROME.--11l the 154 of Lords on Monday night the Marquis of Lansdoolipt on the table a bill to enable her Majesty to establish matic relations with Rome. The noble marquis E noo l - f tr first reading of the bill, and gave noti ce th a t h e woill'd I p o se its second reading on Friday. L or d Stanley 51300,1 Duke of Richmond protested in the strongest te! lo 9 the course pursued by the government with respee'o Yj, bill. A measure of such immense importance olig c off,l to be pressed forward without giving time for du l .?..dri deration. The p eop l e of England and Scotland 0 ' r the least idea th a t suc h a b ill was in conte mplatioeir„, the announcement of it would cause the greatestVy ment throughout th e coun t ry . Th e M arqu i s et i gi downe yielded to the strong expressions of the tvq, t ori lords for delay, and subsequently appointecl the IL, tr e y the second reading of the bill. We are disposed wolvi with extreme jealousy the overtures that are now 1:6 10 d to the see o f Ro me; an d it b e h oves th e true frie,, e V f Protestantism to watch vigilantly th e over t ac t s of i , i f i vernment. The promise of the Earl of E g li n gto o d troduce a clause " preventing the Pope sending an e ckii siastic as Ambassador to this country,"— an d the srl i e assurance of the Marquis of Lansdowne, that b e „ e at,/ " never have asked their lordships t o g i ve th e ir 0 °01', 4 , the bill, unless lie was enabled to prove that it w°,,,,at',o be attended with the slightest i n j ur y t o th e Proter6l; ligion,"—we hope will not be s u ffi c i en t t o sate House of Lords, whose opposition to such a mealw o „ tr no doubt, speedily be st r e ng th ene d b y pe tition every part of the country. ..1 LIABILITY OF PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE-Ms; f . bawl well-known case of Reynell v. Lewis, came on i ° , l - 0 0 . 7 ing before the Chief Baron, at Nisi Prius, on We i ,"rol last. This was a second trial; and the action was ',pipe' by the plaintiff, as advertising agent, against the c i3,l ant, as a Provision a l C omm itt ee - man o f a railvra9,4l in respect of whi c h th e d e bt was i ncurre d for ar e B: ments. A verdict was g i ven f or t h e d e f en d an t, tl do /Chief Baron confi rm i ng t h e d octr i ne alrea d y 10 , 441 , that a Provisional Committee is not a p ar tilers'V? that no man, by be com i ng a mem b er o f a Coivinle bound by the acts of that Committee, unless some other act ren d er i ng himself liable, or 3 ... L b's vro! some one else to pl e d ge hi s cre dit f or hi m . In it was shown that the solicitors of the Railway '0 i t had actually given a n i n d emn ity t o th e d e f en dant, lo ia advertisements were given by their order to the P The liability could not be sustained. Peb, %4‘...... ~_ ii- to Tlll