The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

Varliamentarp prorettings. '413 , HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY After some observations from the Bishop of LINCOLN as to Mr. Horsman's speech on the state of the clergy in his diocese, The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH called the attention of the house to the increase which had taken place in the public expenditure at a time when, owing to the distressed state of trade at home and abroad, it was more than ever ne cessary to observe a rigid economy. The Miscellaneous Estimates bad risen from £2,332,638 in 1838, to £3,659,000 in 1847. The noble earl then went through several items in those estimates to prove the enormous increase that had taken place, and concluded by calling on the government to postpone every charge upon the public purse which was not absolutely indispensable. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE would not follow the Earl of Ellenborough through all his details. but would content himself with observing that there were no means whatever within the reach of the government and parliament by which the wants of a constantly increasing population and an extending empire could be provided for without an in crease in the public estimates and expenditure. In con clusion, he would assure their• lordships that the govern ment were deeply convinced of the importance of carrying on the public service with the greatest practicable regard to economy, and that the subject should continue to exer cise.their earnest attention. _ _ _ After some further discussion the returns moved for by Lord Ellenborough were ordered, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY After a short discussion upon a petition respecting a compromise in the case of the Sligo election petition, the house resolved itself into committee on the Public Health Bill, and was engaged during the rest of the evening in the discussion of its clauses. HOUSE OF LORDS.—TUESDAY ie house sat only for a short tinie. HOUSE OF COMMONS •TUESDAY After a short conversation on Lord G. Bentinck's pro position to adjourn over the Derby day, which was duly carried upon a division, Lord G. BENTINCK moved for a variety of returns, showing the quantities and prices, duties paid, of Canadian timber sold by public sale in London on the 10th of March last, the quantities of thrown silks and Indian silks, and also of raw and waste silk, imported in the years 1842, 1845, and 1846, since the reduction had been made in the duties on those articles ; and the quantities and value of all articles of cotton, woollen, silk, &c., imported into the port of London in the four months ending the sth of May, 1848, as compared with the corresponding three months of 1845, 1846, and 1847. He also moved for a continua tion of a former return, showing the increase or decrease in the numbers and cost of the Customs department and per centage cost of collection consequent upon the reduc tion of the Customs' duties in 1846—the object of his motion, which he supported in an able speech, being to prove that free trade had, according to present experience, turned out a complete failure. Mr. GLADSTONE, in reply, contended, that although Lord G. Bentinck had shown that great distress existed in the country, be had not raised the slightest presumption to show that that distress was attributable to our recent commercial legislation. He went through all the statistics by which Lord George had endeavoured to support his theory of trade, pointing out its fallacy in every instance, and concluded by expressing his satisfaction that " the bit was now in his lordship's mouth." His commercial opi- believed that if parliament coma consent w place useu under his lordship's guidance, its measures would soon receive a check by the disgrace and ruin which they would bring down on the country. Mr. NEWOEGATE followed on the same side as Lord G. Bentinck, and Sir G. CLERK defended the policy of Sir R. Peel at considerable length. He was, he said, anxious for the production of these returns, for the more informa tion was given on these different branches of trade, the more the wisdom of Sir R. Peel's commercial policy would become apparent. Mr. LABOUCHERE defended his department from car tain charges which Lord G. Bentinck had alleged against it as to the accuracy of its returns, but expressed his wil lingness to furnish all the papers which formed the subject of his lordship's motion. - - Mr. M. GIBsoN and Mr. HENLEY also spoke, and after a few words in reply from Lord G. BENTINCK the returns were granted Mr: HumE_then postponed his motion for a sweeping Mr. F. O'CONNOR moved the adjournment of the house in order to deliver an objurgatory speech against Mr. Hume, for which he received a severe castigation from Mr. Cobden. Lord JOHN RE sent , ELL expressed his opinion that at pre nr tonricin, elacAPq tviahpri fnr the " People's Charter," or for that which came very near to it. The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn, some other business of minor importance was transacted, after which rest plan of reform the house adjourne HOUSE OF LORDS.-' THURSDAY The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the second read ing of the Jewish Disabilities Bill. lie admitted, at the outset, that this measure, though it affected the interests of some of her Majesty's most loyal subjects, was not of a nature to excite the s me interest as other measures for removing civil disabilities. It was but a small voice which endeavoured to make itself heard ; but the ques tion was, whether that voice uttered a claim for justice. The noble marquis then took a view of our legislation upon the subj‘xt from the reign of Queen Elizabeth, ob serving that the bill made no change in the constitutional law of this country, which recognized no such disabilities, and those who objected to the measure were bound to make good their grounds of opposition. His lordship showed that the policy of the test the effect of which excluded the Jews from parliament was directed not against the Jews, but against the Roman Catholics. The justice of removing the practical disabilities of the Jews had seen advocated by statesmen of great authority, and this bill came to their lordships recommended by the House of Commons, whose opinion had been expressed by three successive majorities. He denied that this was a religious question ' - no precept of religion, no part of the revealed will of God, precluded their lordships from entertaining this measure of relief in favour of a people who, although not Christians, were a people between whom and Christians there existed direct, important, and unquestionable relations; and whose character for benevolence, charity, and humanity, gave them the strongest title to such relief. His lordship showed the inconsistency of permitting a Jew to act singly, as a magiStrate, and excluding him from a popular assembly, where he would be but a unit, and that the policy of England in respect to the Jews was at variance with the practice of other nations. _ _ _ The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH moved that the second reading of the bill be deferred for six months, contending that the small amount of good which the measure would confer was utterly disproportioned to the enormous mag nitude of the sacrifice. The principle which this measure would proclaim, namely, that whatever be the religion of a man he would be entitled to be a member of parliament, was destructive of one of the most important principles of the constitution. Christianity was parcel of the com mon law of the land, and he foresaw political dangers in this measure, arising from the national and social charac ter of the Jews, who were citizens of the world, and could never identify themselves with our institutions. We were in a great crisis of the fate of this country; warnings of various kinds had been given by the direct interposition of Providence, and the political evils which had visited other countries were not likely to be averted from this nation by a legislation for private purposes which would desecrate and unchristianize the British parliament. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE briefly expressed the high respect he entertained for the Jews, whom he had known in Hanover, as well as in England ; but as long as this remained a Christian government, he could not consent to the admission of Jews into parliament. After a speech from Lord CANNING in favour of it, _ The Archbishop of CANTERBURY opposed the bill, founding his objection upon the inherent and peculiar cha racter of the Jews in relation to Christianity, and upon the 'suspicion with which this measure was viewed by a large portion of the most valuable members of the com munity. The Earl of WINCISELSEA followed on the same side. after whom the Duke of ARGYLE, in a maiden speech of considerable ability, supported the bill, whilst he admitted the remarks of the Earl of Ellenborough, that this was a religious question, and dissented altogether from the doc trine that Christianity had nothing to do with legislation in this country. The Bishop of ST. DAVIDS supported the bill, after whom The Bishop of OXFORD said it was painful to the feel ings to seem to stand in the way of granting a right to any class of people in this country ; and if what was asked was a right he should be prepared to give it in spite of ulterior consequences. But be contended that this was no right withheld from Jews. What was called the right of sitting in parliament was no right at all ; it was a trust given to a representative to be exercised in favour of the repre sented. The right rev. prelate quoted extracts from writ ings of modern German Rabbis, to show that the Jews had no identity of political feeling with the people with whom they were domiciled, but were a nation within a nation. This was no theoretical doctrine; it had been prectically adopted by the Jews in Russia, who assisted the shattered army of Napoleon, and, in the war between France and England, an English Jew was found ready to contract a loan with the French Government. He con tended that the Jews of England had come to sojourn amongst us upon an express understanding that they should not be admitted to political privileges here, and he ascribed this bill to a private motive, to the position in which the Prime Minister had found himself at the last election. That it would unchristianize the legislature of this country, in the very truest sense of the word he fully believed. It would admit into parliament not merely dis believers, but enemies and haters of Christianity. ' The principle upon which this country made laws to govern half the globe was, that the law of England, as all our jurisconsults declared, rested on the New Testament, and this bill would overthrow the basis of the law, and impair the strength of every one of our institutions. A small band of sturdy Jewish members might decide the fate of a ministry, and he warned their lordships, if they passed this bill, that it would lead, sooner or later, to the separ ation of church . and state; that it wou ld woun d th e reli gious sympathies of the people of this country ; would in jure all and strengthen none. The Earl of ST. GERMANS, in supporting the bill, re plied to some of the arguments of the Bishop of Oxford, and denied that the Jews were incapable of feeling an in terest in the affairs of the country in which they resided. The Earl of EGLINTOUN supported the amendment, and Lord L T ruvrozi She bill, without mooting any new point. The Earl of HARROWBY, in opposition to the bill, com bated the argument deduced from the admission of Soci nians into Parliament. Socinians were admitted, not as Socinians, but as Dissenters, who took the oath upon the faith of a Christian. He concurred with the Bishop of Oxford, that the admission of Jews into Parliament would lower the religious tone and standard of that great as sembly. The Earl of YARBOROUGH advocated the measure, as relieving the Jews from a species of persecution. The Earl of DESART took a different view of the mea sure, and supported the amendment, considering that the bill was a violation of the constitution. .• The Earl of ELLESMERE said, if he could believe that this bill would create an indifference towards religion, still more if it would unchristiauize the Legislature, no induce ment should prevail upon him to support it ; but he could not believe that such a consequence would result from Emitting a ews into arliamen' Lord STANLEY began by paying a compliment to the able arid unanswerable speech of the Bishop of Oxford, which was sufficient to justify their lordships in throwing out this bill. He denied. with the right rev. prelate, that the privilege of sitting in parliament was a right ; it was a trust, the withholding of which was no punishment and no persecution. The noble lord attacked with some se verity the argument which the Bishop of St. David's had founded upon the analogy between the Unitarian creed and Judaism, and he drew a distinction between those civil functions which a Jew could exercise as well as a Christian, and the office of making laws binding upon Christians. The argument in favour of the bill, drawn from the fact of the election of a Jew by the city of Lon don told the other way ; suppose the city had elected a pauper, a minor, or a woman. He did not apprehend any immediate danger by admitting four or flve*Jews into the other house of parliament ; but, on the other hand, what was the great object to be gained by the admission of that number of rich Jews, for which their lordships were to set aside what had been for centuries the principle of the legislation of this country ? The question was, whether their lordships would maintain that principle, or would fly in the face of the deliberate judgment of the country, repudiate the Christian character, and let an inference be drawn that this house was indifferent to the profession or non-profession of Christianity, which would produce a deep effect upon the public mind, and especially on the minds of the soundest and most religious portion of the country, alienating their hearts from the legislature of this country. Lord BROUGHAM, in supporting the bill, addressed his remarks to the speech of the Bishop of Oxford, which and after a reply prom the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, in which his lordship, with much energy, defended Lord John Russell, their lordships divided, when the numbers were :—Contents— Non-contents Majority Present, 96; proxies, 32; total, 128 —Present, 125 ; proxies, 38 ; total, 163 lst the bill, 35. Their loidships then adjourned HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY After a variety of questions had been answered by her Majesty's Government, of which the most important re lated to the conduct of Sir H. Bulwer in Spain, and to the negotiations now pending under the auspices of Great Britain between Denmark and the German Confedera- lion, the order of the day was ma( the Public Health Bill. On the question that the Speaker do now leave the he committa Mr. SPOONER moved the postponement of the commit tee for a fortnight, on the ground that Lord Morpeth bad taken the committee by surprise in striking out six clauses relative to waterworks, which he had pledged himself to Air. AfuNTz supported the amendment, as did Mr. NEWDEGATE, Mr. W. PATTEN. Mr. HENLEY, Sir W. CLAY, and Mr. P. Woon ; on the other hand, the course adopted by the Government was defended by Lord MOR PETH, Mr. S. CRAWFORD, and Mr. HUDSON, who re commended Mr. Spooner to withdraw his amendment. With this recommendation Mr. SPOONER complied, having first received an assurance from the Attorney- General that the bill, after it had gone through commit tee, should be reported immediately and then reprinted; and that it should be reserved for future consideration after it was reprinted. The house then resolved itself into committee, and was engaged for some time in the discussion of the remaining clauses of the bill. The bill, with its amendments, was then reported to the house. The report was received forthwith, the bill was recommitted, the amended clauses were inserted, and the report of the amended bill was also received forth with. The bill was then ordered to be printed and re- considered on Thursday. On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, the Joint Stock Companies Bill was read a third time. A clause proposed by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL was added to it by way of rider. Another clause, proposed by Mr. HEAD. LAM, giving a power to shareholders to stop creditors, by the intervention of the Court of Chancery, from proceed ing against them, individually, for the recovery of their just debts, was opposed by Mr. M. GIBSON, Mr. G. J. TURNER, and the SOLICITOR-GENERAL, on the ground - It nat it was not founded either on justice or on equity. was supported by Mr. AGLIONBY ; but, on a division, was negatived by a majority of 94 over 9 voices. The bill was then passed. . - On the motion of the LORD-ADVOCATE, the Law of Entail (Scotland) Bill was committed. Considerable dis cussion took place in committee on the bill, after which the house resumed, and the report was ordered to be re- ceived on Fiiday The other orders wcre then disposed of, and the house adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS-FRIDAY The preliminary subjects referred to were, the suggested abolition of grand juries within the limits of the jurisdic tion of the stipendiary magistrates of the metropolis ; the taking of Lord R. Grosvenor into, and his discharge out of the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the noble lord, from an accidental circumstance, not having appeared at the table at the usual hour to be sworn on the Dublin election committee ; Mr. Ewart's motion relative to the substitution of direct for indirect taxation ; and a conver sation relative to the Windsor Castle and Town Improve ment Bill. On the question of going into committee of supply, Mr. HOME asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what manner he proposed to provide for the £3,000,000 defi ciency of last year—a question which the right hon. bart. declined to answer at present. The house then went into committee, when, on the question of further grants on account for the naval service, a discussion ensued relative to Mr. Cobden's previous statements as to the inactivity of British men-of-war on foreign stations, the hon. member deducing from copies of the logs of the ships referred to, the accuracy of the infer ences he had drawn. _ _ After observations in explanation from Admiral Dundas, and Captain Berkeley, and a personal attack from Mr. B. Cochrane on the hon. member for the West Riding, the growing storm was allayed by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, who urged that, inasmuch as the latter hon. member's original statement was fully borne out by the evidence adduced, it would be a waste of time to pursue the subject further. Various items of the miscellaneous estimates were pro- ceeded with, the only one giving rise to a discussion, being the reformatory establishment for juvenile offenders, at Parkhurst. The Irish Franchise Bill was read a second time, after which the Borough Elections (N 0.2) Bill passed through committee, Colonel Sibthorp's opposition, and that of other hon. members, proving unavailing, as, on a division, the original motion was carried by a majority of 88, the numbers being 166 to 78. The Tobago Relief and Immigration into British Guiana and Trinidad Bill was read a second time ; after which Lord Palmerston laid the further correspondence relative to the recent transactions in Spain upon the table. and the house adjourned. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. THE OVERLAND MAIL Advices, in anticipation of the Overland Mail, have reached London, bringing dates from Calcutta to the 6th of April, Madras the Bth, Bombay the 15th, and China, March 29. This arrival communicates no political news of interest—suffice it to say, that the most profound tran quility reigns throughout India. The rajah of Sattarah, brother of the deceased rajah, died on the sth of April, leaving no heir; consequently his dominions fall into the hands of the British government. The rental is said to exceed £150,000 a year. The judgment of the Supreme Court of Calcutta has affirmed the validity of the Union Bank post-bills, thereby fixing the shareholders of that disastrous concern with a million sterlihg of liabilities, of which they hoped to have been exempted. The firm of Carr, Tagore, and Co., of which the cele brated Dwrrkenouth Tagore was the founder, has failed — to them no one imputed dishonourable conduct. No further failures had taken place at Bombay or Madras, and markets at both places were improving, and credit and confidence reving. The Boogtie chief, Islam Khan, who had been assigned lands near Larkhanah, in Seinde, on his surrender after the murderous victory of Lieut. Merewether, has fled with his family to the hills, where he will, it is said, be joined by the remnants of his retinue, intent on focay, and eager for revenge. Lord Dalhousie continued at Calcutta, quietly pursuing the wise and peaceful course of policy he seems to have chalked out for himself. Commercial matters both at Bombay and Calcutta were in much the same state as at the departure of the previous mail. The papers from China acquaint us with the arrival at Hong Kong, on the 29th March, of the new governor, Samuel George Benhom, Esq., where he was received with all due honours. His excellency took the oaths and his seat as governor on the following day. Trade dull, and much distrust in commercial dealings. FRANCE. Whilst the French Commission is ruminating over the fabrication of a constitution, protected in its de liberations by a fine army of 50,000 soldiers, the bour geoisie of Paris are filled with an alarming sense of in security. It seems that neither Communists nor the sections are extinct notwithstanding the failure of the outbreak headed by Barbes, Raspail, and Sobrier. It is apprehended that the Terrorists may make another at tempt at any moment, and although the clubs are being suppressed one by one, and there is present the powerful army which we have just mentioned, both the Govern ment and the peaceably-disposed are ill at ease. The finance committees would, it was understood, re port strongly against the government propositioa for the redemption of railways. A protest of the Orleans Princes against the project of banishment has excited much in terest. Lists of candidates for the twelve vacant seats for Paris are published in the government papers. The con test will be a warm one. The Reforme Evpports avowed emmunista. The general principles on which the Constitution shall be based have been agreed to by the committee. There is to be but one chamber, with triennial elections by uni versal suffrage, as at present. The Republic will have a president, to be elected every three years. The magis tracy, including judges of all courts, are to be submitted to election every three years. All these elections for pre sident, and representatives, and magistrates are to take place, on the same day, every third year. It is suppo.ed that the stipend allotted to the clergy will be continued. The instability of public men and public measures among our Gallic neighbours, seems to have imparted a ray of hope to Prince Joinville, who has put forth some feelers in La Presse newspaper, in order, apparently, to complicate the prevailing confusion, and to precipitate a crisis, which may terminate in calling the ex-royal sailor, and the denouncer of Englisi. naval supremacy, to the throne which his father filled for eighteen years. The decree banishing Louis Philippe and his family for ever from France and her colonies, was passed in the Na tional Assembly on Friday, by a majority of 632 against 63. The Mayor of Havre has given notice that, in conse quence of the straitened condition of the city coffers and the prolonged continuance of the financial crisis, all pub lic warehouse dues must be discharged previous to the removal of any description of merchandise. _ . A COINCIDENCE.—The Univers calls the attention of its readers to the following extraordinary coincidence, and asks can it be purely fortuitous :—" The attack on the National Assembly was made on the 15th of May ; the revolution in Vienna was accomplished on the 15th of May ; and the insurrection at Naules took place on the 15th of May." The Univers might have added that a movement at Berlin was meditated on the 15th of May. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND THE FRENCH RAIL ROADS.—The project for the dispossession of the railway companies, and the forced purchase of the lines by the Government, is at length brought forward by the Govern ment. It is presented to the Chamber, and appears in the Moniteur of Sunday morning. The following are the conditions recommended :-1. To take their prices at the last settlement of 15th February. 2. Their prices on 4th April. 3. The average of their prices for the six months preceding the revolution of February. It is proposed that the last should be adopted by the assembly. The indem nity to be given in stock, at the price of the Bourse for the corresponding period to that selected for estimating the value of the shares. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. ITALY Letters from Civita Vecchia represent the intelligence from Rome as being of an alarming character. The ministry was resolved, and there were fears that the events of the Ist of May would be repeated. Bozzelli was in trusted with the formation of a new ministey. It was stated that the French Jquadron at Naples threatened to bombard the royal palace. The Piedmonese Gazette of the 22d, states that the council and committee of public safety of Mantua had sent two deputies to offer to King Charles Albert the homage of the districts evacuated by enemy, and that his Majesty received the deputation most graciously, de claring that he would make all the efforts which the ne cessity of the war would permit for the defence of the province. INSURRECTION AT NAPLES Naples was the scene of an insurrection on the 17th instant, which was only put down after a severe contest. It appears that the struggle between the rioters and the troops lasted upwards of six hours, during which 400 of the latter were killed. The same letters add a circum stance, but which we cannot credit until further confirmed, that the Government had allowed the troops to pillage the city for several hours. All the beautiful villas and pa laces which skirted the bay have, it is said, been reduced to ashes. The King has ordered Prince C...riati to form a new Ministry, and has disbanded the National Guards. Letters from Messina of the 3d May state that, not withstanding the armistice, the Neapolitans continued to make sorties from the citadel, but the Sicilians received them. with a shower of balls. On the 30th there was a fight which lasted all night to the next day. The Sicilians suffered but little loss, although the enemy's was severe. The Neapolitan Major Flores, mortally wounded on the 24th, died in Reggio a few days afterwards. The loss of the Neapolitans on that day was twenty-six killed and forty wounded. The citadel has been reinforced with troops and provisions. The Comforti Ministry has resigned, and the following is the composition of the new Ministry :—Bozzelli for the Interior and, provisionally, Public Instruction ; Prince Ischitella, War and Marine ' • Torella, Agriculture and. Commerce and, provisionally, Ecclesiastical Affairs ; Ca rascosa, Public Works ; and Paolo Ruggiero, Finances. This news is, no doubt, premature, but ere many days are over, we expect a general insurrection of the provinces. The Chamber of Deputies is dissolved, and the Govern ment has informed the deputies from the provinces that that they shall be escorted to their homes. To the preceding, we add the following from the Italia of Pisa : _ _ _ " The Civic Guard of Naples has been almost annihi lated, after a valorous resistance. After the struggle, all who were taken with arms in their hands were shot, by order of the King ; many others were carried, bound hand and foot, on board a ship, where there are at present more than 500. The National Guard has been suppressed, and an order issued that whoever did not give up his arms within 24 hours would be shot. Naples is become a charnel house, and is governed by martial law. The white Bour bon flag is subjected for the tricolour." PRUSSIA. The first session of the National Assembly of Prussia was opened on the 22nd instant, at Berlin, by the King in person. The time originally fixed for its meeting has been anticipated on account of the pressure of affairs, political and financial. The great task of the present Assembly is to frame this constitution, of which the form has been already laid before it by the ministry ; it is ex pected that some parts of the plan will be rejected, or greatly modified, and that most of them will be warmly debated. His Majesty having made a speech to the se nators, retired, and the Assembly was declared opened. M. Schon, an ex-Minister, was elected president. A serious collision took place, on Sunday, between the Prussian soldiery and the citizens, aided by the Burgher Guard, at Mayence. Several were killed and a large number wounded on both sides. The soldiers were beaten into the fortress, and then General Von Huser issued a proclamation declaring Mayence in a state of seige, and threatening bombardment if the citizens did not surrender their arms. Besides this measure, the trains on the railroads were stopped, the steamers prevented from departing, and ingress and egress to and from the city compelled to cease. At the instance of the civic authorities, the people on Monday delivered up their arms, and the Civic Guard was dissolved. The exasperation of feeling against the Prussians is represented as intense. SPAIN • The Espano of the 20th of May states that amongst the causes of the dismissal of Sir H. Buhver there are some which very gravely compromise his character. The same paper states that Sir H. Bulwer, before his departure, sent another note to the Spanish government, declaring that he would withdraw with the whole of the legation, and that the reply was, that the passports which had been sent were intended for him and for him alone; because he alone and not England, nor the English government, nor any other agent or functionary of that government at Madrid, could have given cause for the unfortunate but indispensa ble step which had been taken. Lieutenant-General Comte Mirasol, on a special mission from Spain to the British government, arrived on Thursday, at the Hanover Hotel, in Hanover-square. AusmlA.—ln Austria a most astounding event has taken place. The Emperor suddenly left the capital on a plea of ill health, but really because he had been filled with mistrust as to the sentiments of the people towards him. There were some who looked upon the matter as a mere ruse on the part of the Emperor to test the loyalty of his subjects ; if that be so. it answered its purpose, for the people were clamorous for his return, and when he made his appearance again at the Palace in Vienna, the people were in raptures. THE WEST INDIA MAlL.—These advices gave a melan choly account of the state of affairs throughout the islands. The colonists rt Jamaica, however, are bestirring them selves in the defence of their property, and are at length faking decisive means to represent their depressed and ruined position. A meeting had been held for " taking into consideration the alarming state into which the plant ing and agricultural interests of the islands are thrown by the announcement of the determination of her Majesty's ministers to adhere to their ruinous measures of 1845." Resolutions explanatory of the impoverished state of the island, the destruction of property, the decline of trade, &c. were passed, and finally it was determined to forward petitionsfand memorials to her Majesty and parliament. The New York Legislature has passed an act to abolish imprisonment for debt, and limit imprisonment for fines, allowing each day's imprisonment to liquidate eight dol lars of the fine. So active is the slave trade in Brazil, that 5,000 negroes were lately landed at Bahia, within two months, while about 7,000 others were disembarked in the neighbour hood of Campos, Rio Grande, and Rio de Janeiro. . . . , THE CHOLERA.—We are informed that the Asiatic cholera had 'ippeared at Constantinople. The pestilence has also reappeared at Moscow. By prior information, derived from the official returns, it appears that during the last year 300,000 persons had been attacked, and about 100,000 persons had perished in Russia. In certain towns in Russia, comprising a population of 411,245, 21,295 per sons had been attacked, of whom 11,361 had died, the number attacked being 1 to 19.5 of the population. In nearly the same towns, but with a smaller population, 305,329, the number of sick on the former visitation in the year 1830-31, was 15,550, of whom 9,018 died, the number of sick being then Ito 19.6 of the population. The late course of the disease in Russia is agreed to have been in all respects similar to the course in 1830-31. It was then abated by the frost, and re-appeared with the spring. It was hoped that it had spent its force at the period when the frost sets in, but its revival at widely distant points, under similar circumstances to the former, is regarded with great interest by the medical authorities, and gives its own warning, which, it is to be hoped, may not be needed.—Tirnes. _ _ . --- PEACE POLICY.—On Tuesday, in the National Assem bly, M. de Lamartine delivered a long speech on the Italian and Polish questions. He regretted the irregula rities that had been committed on the frontiers of Bel gium and Baden, as they had militated against the Polish cause by chilling the sympathies of Germany. With re gard to Italy, he declared that as soon as aid should be demanded there were sixty thousand men ready to cross the Alps ; but unless the Italians themselves demanded French intervention, it would be against their own avowed principles in favour of the independence of people, and re spect for nationalities, to obtrude such aid upon them. Ile then read several communications from eminent Italians, deprecating French intervention. Neverthe less, although they had not as yet been called ~upon to support the cause of Italy, yet they had ,hy-theirsourse of policy stimulated and animated the cause of that country's independence. Here he went over the sys tem pursued by the old Government, which tended to crush and choke the efforts of the Italian people, and contrasted with it the course pursued by the Govern ment of the Repulic. The democratic spirit had spread from Rome through Naples, Tuscany, Modena, and, in fine, throughout all Italy ; and he concluded this part of his speech by declaring that, cost what it would, Italy should be free. Coming to the Polish question, he read the instructions forwarded to the agents at the northern courts, and he was enabled to state that the reply of the King of Prussia and of Baron d'Arnim to the sustained correspondence kept on the subject of Poland had been most satisfactory. He could assure the Assembly that the language of the King of Prussia had never wavered from the commencement. Before the revolution of Berlin the King assured the French representative of his intention to accord to Posen a separate organisation, and to recognise • the indepen dence of that province. After the revolution of Ber lin, he held precisely the same language, and if the King's promises had not been carried out, the blame was to be attributed to other circumstances. Here M. de Lamartine detailed the unhappy collisions that had broken out in Posen between the Poles and Germans,and which the Poles had, by their own intestine divisions, brought about : nevertheless, the King of Prussia had again renewed his promise with regard to Posen, so soon as the restoration of order would enable him to accomplish his intentions. He then turn ed to the state of Germany, and dwelt on the general marks of sympathy manifested throughout the German States in favour of Poland, as elicited by what took place at Cracow, and he proceeded in the most eloquent terms to point out what would have been the consequences of an attack by the French Republic on the German States for the sake of Poland. He spewed that all nationalities would have been armed against France, and that the cause of de mocracy would have been ruined beyond hope: and the first victim would have been Poland herself, who would have been crushed before France could come to her relief. He proceeded to show that the restoration of Poland should take place with the consent of the northern powers, acted on by the moral efforts of the people of Germany, stimulated by democratic France. M. de La martine concluded by speaking in a most energetic man ner in favour of moral intervention through Germany, and showing the folly and uselessness of armed invasion. IRELAND Mr. Walshe, the man who stood out for Meagher's acquittal, had, it seems, no right to be on the jury at all, but did duty for his father, deceased. REPEAL GOODS.—Among the wares which the Dublin tradesmen have prepared for the especial use of ardent repealers, besides pikes and rifles, are repeal shirt studs," " repeal letter paper," and " repeal wafers." An unfortunate lunatic at Cove, named Grannell, for many years a respectable tradesman, has murdered his wife, who has been frequently recommended to have her husband taken to an asylum, which she always declined. Mrs. Mitchel, the wife of the Wild Irishman, has told the Dr. Doyle Club, in answer to an address, that they ought not, by any means, to allow John, if found guilty, to be sent away in a convict-ship, and the Doyleites, of course, promise that they won't. MORE ARRESTS.—A warrant has been issued for the arrest of C. G. Duffy, and informations charging T. D. Reilly with having committed felony under the new act, have been sworn to. On Tuesday, Mr. Reilly was brought up at the police-office, and after a great deal of discussion was admitted to bail, to appear at the next commission, a couple of months hence. THE BEGGING-BOX AGAIN.-A meeting of the Con ciliation Hall repeaters was held on Monday. when the individual who acted as foreman of the jury in the late case of Smith O'Brien was installed as chairman. Mr. John O'Connell stated that the Association was now destitute of funds, and he called on " the young blood of Ireland—the children now growing up," to become col lectors, and if they could not contribute a penny a-month, to give at least a halfpenny. True bills were fo - und on Wednesday against Patrick Fogarty, Andrew English, Patrick Kelly, J. O'Brien, J. Brenman, Michael Murphy, C. Macnamara, Frederick Bridgeman, Wm. Bell, Peter Devey, Bernard O'Sullivan, Patrick Farrell, and Wm. Maclogher, for having been en gaged in drilling and training in Ship-street, in the city of Dublin, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the castle. The parties charged are connected with the con federate clubs. THE CROPS IN IRELAND.—With respect to potatoes, it is gratifying to know that a considerable width of them has been got down in the district, and that the early planted ones are doing well ; exhibiting, where they have been examined, proofs of a luxuriant and healthy germin ation. Wheat is most luxuriant in appearance, and bids fair, so far, to vie with the crop of last season. Oats, in rich, well pulverized land, are looking remarkably healthy. Early sown barley has a very healthy hue. Grass lands and young clover beds are remarkably promising.—Drog heda Argus. On Tuesday week, a man named Harty, living near Limerick, died of fever, and before life was extinct, his brother went with a party of ruffian 3, and entered his house and pillaged it of everything, and then drove the cattle off the land, without leaving his wife as much as would bury her husband. The Sunday after they again visited the house, took the corpse of the dead man, flung it on to the dunghill. and beat the unfortunate widow and her friends. The police afterwards obtained possession of the cattle, which they gave to the widow, and eight of the ringleaders in the barbarous act have been committed for trial. There is no limit to the ferociousness and fanaticism o f the Irish Confederates. At a meeting held in Dublin cut Sunday, a Mr. R. O'Gorman. jun., hazarded the bold idea that Mitcherp advocacy of murder by vitriol squirts and ginger beer bottle grenades was a direct act of Divine inspiration. " Perhaps" said the brilliant orator " that glorious enthusiasm which has swept him so far ahead of us may have come from God, and as yet we do not perceive its light." The idea was greeted with tre mendous cheers ; and fired Mr. Mitchel's colleague in guilt, Mr. T. F. Meagher with still more brilliant con ceptions. _ THE " UNITED IRISHMAN." The renowned priest of Templederry, the Rev. Father Kenyon, has arrived in Dublin, for the purpose, it is said, of superintending the editorial department of the United Irishman, in the event of that journal being deprived of the services of its pre sent staff. Mr. Kenyon has been relieved of his ecclesi astical duties, and as it is added that he has no intention of taking any steps to induce Bishop Kennedy to with draw the sentence of suspension, the rev. gentleman will have ample time to devote to the pursuit of newspaper literature. He is possessed of property in the county of Limerick sufficiently ample to render him independent of the income derivable from the parish of Templederry. THE STATE PROSECUTIONS IN IRELAND In the case of the Queen v. Mitchell, on Wednesday, at Dublin, Mr. Holmes, counsel for the prisoner, applied for a postponement of the trial on the ground of the absence of a material witness. An affidavit was put in supporting the application. The Court agyeed that the matter should stand over until next day, when the trial of the prisoner proceeded, before Baron Lefroy and Judge Moore. The attorney-general, J. Monahan, Esq. ; Mr. Henn, Q.C. ; Mr. Whiteside. Q.C. ; and Mr. Perrin, appeared to con duct the prosecution ; and Mr. Holmes, Sir Colman O'Loghlen, with Messrs. Pigot and O'Hagan, conducted the prisoners defence. A challenge mas made to the array on the part of Mr. Mitchell, and the matter was referred to the jury, who, through their foreman, found that the panel was fairly and impartially made out by the Hi g h Sheriff and his officers. A jury was then sworn in, and the indictment was read at length. The prisoner was in dicted for two distinct publications —one a speech delivered at the Limerick soiree, and published in the United Irish 9nan of the Gth of May ; the other a letter addressed to the Protestant farmers, labourers, and artisans of the north of Ireland, published in the same journal, on the 13th of May, of which the prisoner is the proprietor and publisher, the object of both articles being to take away the style, honour, and royal name of our sovereign lady the Queen ; and to compel her to change her measures. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. The court then ad journed to Friday, when the case was fully gone into, Mr. Holmes making a splendid address in favour of the pri soner, and contending that it was perfectly legal to recom mend the public to arm, on account of the oppression exercised by the Saxons. Mr. Henn then replied, and after Mr. Justice Moore had charged the jury, they retired, and after about two hours and a half consultation, returned a verdict of guilty. Mr. Mitchell was then removed, and on Saturday morning he was brought up to receive sentence, and on being asked if he had any objections why it should not be passed, he said he had ; it was because he had been found guilty "by a packed jury; by the proceed ings of a partisan sherif, and by a jury which was packed—was juggled—not by a sheriff, but by a juggler." He was proceeding in this strain when he was interrupted by Baron Lefroy, who then in a lengthened address passed sentence on the prisoner of fourteen years transportation. The learned baron, in the course of his address, said that the jury could not have come to any other decision, and condemned the line of defence adopted by Mr. Holmes for the prisoner, which his lord ship said amounted very nearly to matter as objectionable as that for which the prisoner stood charged. Mr. Mitchell was then allowed by the court to speak, when he went on to say that he had several weeks ago promised Lord Clarendon that his lordship should either pack a jury to convict him, or he (Mitchell) would provoke his lordship to a contest in another field. He was then going on to speak of " packed juries, partisan judges, and perjured sheriffs," when he was stopped by the court, and told that he could only" be heard within the limits of public decorum. He then said that he retracted nothing and repented of nothing which he had said or done, and that hundreds were ready to follow his course, but on this Baron Lefroy ordered him to be removed. The turnkey then caught Mitchell by the arm, and as he was taken away his friends crowded round him, but during the whole time he deported himself in perfect composure and deli berate self-possession. At this moment a scene of ex citement ensued, which, we believe, for centuries has not been equalled in a court of justice. It was nervous and thrilling in the extreme. The personal friends and adherents of Mr. Mitchell, who thronged the vicinity of the dock, rose, and, in a rush to get a touch or a sight of the prisoner, created a commotion at once reckless and energetic. They seemed to have lost all idea of the presence of the judges or the police authorities. Gentle men of the bar, who wore the costume, disrobed themselves and entered into active resistance to the police, by whom several persons were taken into custody, amongst whom were Messrs. Meagher, Doheny, and Richard O'Gorman, jun. During the excitementAllat prevailed at this period of the proceedings, in which the crowded court seemed completely absorbed, Baron Lefroy.rose and retired from the bench, but Judge Moore .remained unmoved by the excitement. The learned judge was evidently affected by the distressing circumstances under which the prisoner was placed. - After order had been restored, Mr. Doheny, a barrister, and Mr. T. F. Meagher, were brought up in custody of policemen, charged with creating a disturbance in court. At first they both said, that though they did not intend to offer any contempt to the court, they adopted every word that Mr. Mitchel uttered. They were allowed a few mi nutes to consider whether they would not make an apo logy • but, on refusing to do so, they were remove d i n custody, but after the lapse of a little time, they were again brought up, when, on stating that they did n o t mean any disrespect to the court, they were allowed to be discharged. When the court were about to proceed with the ordinary business, Mr. Holmes rose and said that he begged to repeat all that he had stated the day before, with respect to the treatment of Ireland by England, and that perhaps under the late Act of Parliament the At torney-General might think it right to proceed against him. Loud applause followed.—On Saturday afternoon Mr. Mitchell was conveyed in irons in the prisoners van, escorted by a party of horse police, supported by a squa dron of Carbinee rs , t o th e N or th Wall, where he was placed on board the Sheerwater, which immediately started for Spike' Island, Cork. The proper,y of Mr. Mitchel at the United Irishman office, has been seized by the Crown. We have not heard of any disturbance in Ireland. Mrs. Mitchell and her children had an interview with Mr. Mitchel on Saturday. The scene was Ira-rowing in the extreme. For some time the convict preserved a stern composure until subdued by the presence of his wife and artless children, he bent into tenderness. COURT AND FASHION. The Court returned to Buckingham Palace on Friday, from Osborne House. Queen Victoria attained the 29th year of her age on Wednesday, the 24th of May ; but the event was not publicly kept until Saturday, when her Majesty held a drawing room at St. James's Palace. Lady Sarah Lindsay was safely delivered of a daughter on Friday, at the Earl of Balcarras's mansion, in Berke ley-square. The Queen has conferred the honour of ;knighthood upon John Romilly, Esq., M.P., her Majesty's Solicitor- General. The Committee for Privileges, on the Saye and Sele Peerage claim, have resolved that the Rev. Frederick Twisleton has made out his claim to be Baron of Saye and Sele. Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia died at her residence, Kensington, on Saturday evening, aged 71. Her Royal Highness was the daughter and twelfth child of George the Third. THE QUEEN'S DRAWING-ROOM.—Her Majesty's draw ing -room on Saturday was the most brilliant this season. The foreign ambassadors, the Queen's cabinet ministers, the archbishops and bishops, and the chief judges were present. The Queen's costume was very magnificent ; the dress of white satin, tastefully ornamented with gold blonde and lace, all the articles being of British manu facture. Her Majesty wore on her head a very brilliant diamond circle. The dresses of the royal duchesses were also of great beauty ; that of the Duchess of Kent was of silver striped, ornamented with lace; and the dress of the Duchess of Cambridge of white glace, trimmed with lace. The stomacher and head-dress of the former duchess were richly adorned with diamonds ; and those of the latter duchess were adorned with brilliants and emeralda of great value. The dresses of the duchess of Sutherland, Lady Porman, Lady Gainsborough, Lady Canning, Lady Douro, Lady Charlemont, and the other ladies of the Court, were all of British manufacture. On being intro duced, the Archbishop of Canterbury delivered an address of congratulation on the auspicious return of her Majesty's natal day. LAW INTELLIGENCE. TRIAL BY JURY.—in the third report of the Common Law Commissioners, p. 70, it is recommended that if, atter a deliberation of 12 hours, the jury are unable to agree, the verdict of 9 out of the 12 should be received. Had this suggestion been carried into effect by parliament, Messrs. O'Brien and Meagher would be now receiving the due reward of their deeds. IMPORTANT TO LIVERY - STABLE KEEPERS AND OTFIERS.—In a horse case tried on Friday, in the Court of Common Pleas, the Lord Chief Justice, in summing up, said,—" There were two very prevalent errors against which the public should be guarded. One was that a per son had a lien on a horse for the payment of money due for its keep ; the other that a party might sell property left with him, to pay the expenses incurred in keeping it. In neither of these caaes did any such right exist, though, from the appearance of advertisements in the papers, stating that property would be sold to pay expenses, the public seemed to be of a contrary opinion." RAILWAY AFFAIRS, No fewer than 102 railways have had further time granted —generally two years—for completing their works. At a spec's` meeting of the Lanaster and Preston Jun .- tion, after some discussion, the usual dividend of 15s. 2d. on the whole shares, 10s. Id. on tne three-quarter shares, and 4s. on the quarter shares, was declared. Mr. Meacham, one of the persons injured by the acci dent on the Great Western Railway, died on Wednesday, from erysipelas brought on by exposing himself to cold, at the Swindon station. THE GUAGES.—The commissioners appointed to en quire into the merits of the guages, kave reported that the mixed guages should have a fair trial under their in spection, and that if it answer pretty well in practice, then that the broad guage should go to Birmingham. The Edinburgh and Northern Railway is now open from Ferry-Port-on-Craig to Burntisland, and to Edin burgh, making the communication complete between the Tay and the Forth. On the Perth side also a communi cation has been opened between Edinburgh on the one hand and Perth on the other, as far as Abernety road. The special meeting of the London, Brighton, and South Coast shareholders on the steam-boat question, took place on Friday, but came to no result, the declara tion of the votes being adjourned till the next day. The meeting was very decided in the expression of disapproba tion at the proposals of the directors. The Sussex Express mentions a locomotive of a novel kind, and one likely to be very useful for occasional pur poses. On the Lewis line, a velocipede is propelled by is propelled by paddles and worked by the porters of the establishment. The object of this portable locomotive is to enable the officers to pass along the rail without the expense and incumbrance of a steam eng i ne . Th e s p ee d attained by this means was from fifteen to twenty miles an hour. From official returns it appears, that the amount of traffic for the last week, on 3,710 miles of railway, was £192,238, thus accounted for :—£98,175 for the convey ance of passengers only, £50,532 for the carriage of goods, and a remainder of £43,531 for passengers and goods together, not respectively apportioned ; being an increase of £24,569 over the corresponding week of last year, when the mileage was 2,862. The average earnings per mile last week were £52, whilst in 1847 they were £59. RAILWAY RESULTS.—There were 32,000,000 passen gers on the railways in Great Britain and Ireland in the six months ending the 31st of December, 1847. The traffic for the year ending June, 1847, on 3.036 miles of railway, produced above £5,150,000 from passengers, and above £3,330,000 from goods, or together £8,500,000 sterling revenue. The passenger traffic was in the follow ing proportion :—First class 16, second class 20, third class 7 ; Parliamentary class 5 ; undefined 14. The rates of fares average on the Midland lines—first class 3d., se cond class 2d., and third class ld. per mile ; on the Great Western 21d., 11d., and Id. per mile ; on the North- Western 21-d., 14d., and 9-10.—per mile.—Nash'a Sta tistics. FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.— On Tuesday evening last, a dreadful accident occurred on this line, by which three persons were killed—two of them instantaneously. The express down train from Carlisle for Edirhurgh did not reach the latter place until half an hour beyond the usual time. The train then left Carlisle at 7 3 p.m., consisting of an engine and two carriages, and, owing to some circumstance which has not been clearly ascertained in consequence of the death of all the men in charge of the train, it ran off the rails when within a short distanceof West Calder and Torphin station, which is about 15 miles from Edinburgh, and the engine became embedded in the earth to a very considerable depth. The engine-driver and the fireman were killed on the spot, both being at once crushed and scalded. The guard had one of his legs broken, and was; otherwise E 0 much injured that he died shortly afterwards. There were 11 passengers, only two of whom were injured, and that but slightly. The cause of the engine getting off the rails can only be imputed to the sheerest accident, aided probably by the jumping motion to which engines are subject when running at a very high speed. Another account states The engineer was driving at a very rapid speed, far beyond that allowed by the time table ; and thus the poor man, in disobeying the printed rules of the company, which positively • forbid making up lost time, has forfeited his life by his temerity. The driver's name was Nicholl, that of the guard Taylor, and that of the stoker M'Lean. ENGLISH DEFINITIONS FOR AN IRISH DICTIONARY. UNITED IRISHMEN.—Natives of Ireland, who are always quarrelling with each other, and every one else. CONFEDERATES.—A political party, bent on dissolving all existing ties between Ireland and the rest of the world. MORAL FORCE.—Brickbats, fruit in an advanced stage of decomposition, blazing tar-barrels, and shillelahs. PHYSICAL FORCE.—Threatening to use pikes and rifles, and running away from them when used by others. A SAXON.—Every man who receives rent from land, follows an honest calling, keeps a civil tongue in his head, a whole coat on his back, and does not subscribe to Mr. Mitchel's paper. SAXON OPPRESSION.—Paying Irish debts out of En glish pockets, feeding Irish famine with English subscrip tions, and supporting Irish labour out of English wages. IRELAND'S OPPORTUNITY.—MateriaIs for a row, and no police " convanient." ENGLAND'S DANGER.—Not Mr. Mitchel's.hluster. AN IRISH PARLIAMENT, SITTING IN COLLLGE-GREEN. —A convention of Kilkenny cats. MARTYRDOM.—Circulating 40,000 of yolli newspapers per week, and pocketing the profits. y LIBERTr.—The absence of locks, gaols, writs, and policemen FRATERNITY throats. Encouraging men to cut each others EAVALITY.—AIIowing nobody r to keep anything that anybody else can take from him. IRELAND FOR THE IRISH.---A country of quarrelling voters, unemployed labourers, and rifle clubs ; or, in other wotds, electoral divisions, extension of eulrezing, and•v'ote by bullet.—Punch. May 30,1848. POLITICAL MISCELLANY; NORTH CHESHIRE ELECTION.—The nomiilloo 3l take place to-morrow, and the friends of Mr. G. Leh are confident of his success. CIRENCESTZIL ELECTION.—Oa Wednesday this elece' tion terminated in the return of Mr. Mullings, the con 262; ' servative. The poll was stated to be — Mulling Ponsonby, 130 ; majority, 132. EMIGRATION.—It is said that the Government contenl-' plates an immediate application to Parliament for auth.o; rity to raise a loan for emigr a tio n . The a mount, it is sa id will be at least 4500,000, perhaps 4100,000. Lord Portman has been appointed by Lord Morpeth churchwarden for the Cro w n i n M ar yl e b o ne, instead„„ (°, Lord Kenyon, who has fill e d th e o ffi ce un d e r every All" nistry, for thirty years. The Right Hon. T. B. Macauley has now neither a seat in the Cabinet nor Parliament. The hon. gentleman bt s withdrawn into private life, much to the relief and sat''' faction of the Grey section of the Ministry, who have long owed him a grudge. OUR DIPLOMATIC ,lip Ga.—Our well-informed con . temporary, the Morning Post, contains the following ' ll, its correspondence from -Madrid The British IU have been taken down at th e Embassy, and its members, including his Excellency, are busily employed !akin , ' leave of their mistresses and paying accounts. the LANCASHIRE ELECTION.—The petition against return of Mr. Armstrong for Lancaster was withdrawn , ° p Monday, in consequen c e of a decision by the commit te e' upon a whole class of cases, the admission of w hich viol% have given Mr. Stanley a majority, bein g a d v erse to th petitioners. The amount subscribed for Mr. Cobden, a ccording t ° ' the treasurer's accounts, was 476,761. Th e expenses w ere 46,500, and the balance has been handed over to - 511 ;:. Cobden. who says that " through this liberality, he is 1 0 " in possession of an ample competence; •atrd that havin.fi; 'retired from the risks and anxieties of business, he vil° ddvote himself to public life." pg : RUPTURE OF SPAIN WITH ENGLAN D .—The °Lucias' meddlesomeness of Lord Palmerston in Spanish politico has produced its natural and expected effect. The Spanish Ministers have refused to guarantee the immunity Of British embassy, which Was the open focus of disaffection ' against themselves. Mr. B u l wer , the re f ore , rec eived his passports, and arrived at Dover on Wednesday . -Woul d that Mr. Bulwer's mischi ev o us p rom pt er , L or d Palmers ton, could be as summarily banished from the Foreign' Office. • a NAVIGATION LAWS.—A very numerous meeting seamen was held in their Hall, Sunderland, on MondaY; to adopt petitions to Parliament a ga i ns t th e propose ° alterations in the Navigation Laws. The greatest appre hensions are entertained of the working of the free trade system in shipping affairs, and the sailors are unanimou s in rendering all the opposition in their power to the fatal measure which impends over British maritime supremaeY: and which will deprive our br i .ve tar s o f th e employmen t and comforts they now enjoy under those provident law; that have been tested by the experience of centuries, an d which are now to be sacrificed to senseless clamour. _ THE " GOOD TIME" NEAR. — Nine-tenths of our fel low citizens will be glad to hear that the bill for the trans fer of the Docks passed the House of Commons without, further opposition on Tuesday, and that it was read a first time in the House of Lords on Thursday last. A meeting of the Dock Company (probably the last) will be held this day, to obtain the sanction of the present proprietor s, preparatory to its being read a second time by their Lora . - ships. In all human probability, therefore, the bill vri become law in about one month from this time, an d BY OR BEFORE THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER NEXT TO DOCK DUES OF BRISTOL WILL BE REDUCED BELO W THOSE OF LIVERPOOL !—Bristol Mirror, Saturday. DIVISION ON THE JEWS BILL.—We find the follow ing among those who voted for the second reading of the Jews Bill in the House of Lords :—;Archbishop of York: Bishops of St. David's, Worcester, Manchester, an a Hereford, Duke of Cleveland, Earls Sefton, Ellesmere , and Derby, Lords Canning and Hardinge. Amongs t those who voted against were, Archbishops of Canterbul and Armagh, Bishops of Bangor, Bath and Wells, Carl isle, Chichester, Exeter, Gloucester and Bristol, Lichfie ld ' Linccln, Llandaff, London, Oxford, Ripon, R o chester; Salisbury and Winchester ; Dukes of Wellington an Newcastle, Marquis of Salisbury, Earls Cardigan, Egli''' . ton, Aberdeen, and Harrowby, Lords Delamare, Skehners" dale and Stanley. RUMOURED CHANGES IN THE MINISTRY.—It is " 1 " moured in London that there is to be a modification of the government—that Lord John Russell shrinks from,bl budget (which will, it is said, reveal a defi c it, of some " c ' or six millions !), and that he wishes for the aid of Sir Peel, whether as colleague or substitute is uncertain, but onoi t h nfea etnttrdihheneeiatwore would ios d ceiuhrs i dhtb c wasy u noe l adl t e,r i , ,aee it teli leaders" n dgobe e uerh i sl either h s: e ibssr r huei tocseacuudwelpsdktpso:obrsae shrinkirtfdii found. utnton.hdte;Olejuundlr adjust tri t i s h ae; e nucaola e rntb li : rious, however, that Lord John is heartily tired at; Lord task of government. Another rumour is that Clarendon is to be replaced by Lord Hardinge, with nu I tary rule, in Ireland. YORK CITY ELECTION.—Mr. Milner was elected ell,: majority of 643 over Mr. Henry Vincent. Mr. Serif the Wilkins polled only 56 votes. Between the politie s t - o the returnedti trio i o o f t h coursee r e o w i, eawsteolnlsoakt say that ot much ant : to h choose, dp p me arr.s tob Sergeant u b t e it t h e is t:‘ d o ./oe_ oesoisi d un e evs ; rate man of the three. Vincent, the ChartistZ u n ' i , - i - n pears to have - had a viOlent relapse in his politica l and opinions, for he avowed himself at the nomination In. favour of household suffrage, vote by ballot, electoral districts, triennial parliaments; opposed to the game laws' the present gaol discipline, &c., &c. • and his tergiversa tion obtained for him 56 votes ; a paltry acknowledgme nt, certainly, but quite sufficient for the pretensions it was intended to reward. THE BA Nlc A thatc T . — t h T e h e Lords' expectation Committee s ovf g l , aene ra v I I Y noised abroad, immediately, report that the Bank Act of 1844 bad Innen to do with the distress felt in commercial circles in tlie; last autumn :—and that the Committee of the House el Commons will only be prevented from agreeing in a " similar vote by the continu a l presence and active exertio ns of some members of her Majesty's Government. Wbe n will, ther this is a fit line of conduct for the Ministers of the Crown, let our readers judge. Here is a committee nominated by the Ministry itself, and so nominated as to secure a majority. And yet, so entirely has the case for Sir Robert Peel's bill been broken down, that it will be only by the greatest exertions that a verdict against t he bill will be averted,—if, indeed, it be averted at all. THE JEW BILL.—We are truly rejoiced to find that the House of Lords has rejected this most unchristian measure. The second reading came on for discussion eu Thursday night, when, after a most animated and int e t i resting debate, the House divided, there being feu of —Content : present, 96—proxies 32,—total, 128. -I`" Content : present, 125—proxies 38,—total, 163. MajoritS" against the 2nd reading 35. The Earl of ELLENBOROV GI c r i opened the opposition to the bill in an able speech, a n concluded by moving that the bill be read a second tin le that day six months. The Archbishop of CANTERBUR Y ' the Earl of WINCHILSEA ' the Bishop of OXFORD (i ll great speech), the Earl of EGLINTOUN, the Earl of HA': ROWBY, and Lord STANLEY opposed the bill. The Dn a ' of ARGYLE (in a maiden speech), the Bishop of St. PC e yin's (in a speech that ought to expel him from th bench), and the Earl of ELLESMERE—we are sorry to seY' supported the bill. A SCENE.—There was a famous passage of arras on Tuesday night between Messrs. O'Conner and Cobden in the House of Commons. The former twitted I , ° °l. Mr. Hume severely for deceiving the people by postpoili ing his motion for the Little Charter : " upon his an u a and conscience Ile believed Messrs. Hume, Cobden at Co., only intended to use the people for their own PT . poses." This called up the ex-leader of the League, not only snubbed O'Conner most unmercifully, " u " defied" him, and sneered at his miserable followers' " I have set the honourable gentleman publicly a t den l ance, and all his followers," said Mr. Cobden, " an d never failed to beat them by votes whenever I met 01 at public meetings." To this the Chartist chan3P,_i% replied that he never met the Leaguer but once at a 1) 10 ;1, meeting in his life. " I said the followers of the bonen:, able gentleman," explained Master Cobden. Really it time for the friends of the man of " unadorned eloquee,„ " to look more closely after him. After the Malta at!' these loose assertions have a very 'ugly look. EFFECT OF THE REJECTION OF THE JEW DILL. hail the decision of the House of Peers for more than WS pears upon the face of it. Practically, it excludes .Ireetavi from a seat in the British legislature. Such is the goe fact palpable to all ! But it does infinitely more. 0 0 force of the declaration is not simply negative. For we have been legislating as if divine laws were one t o ar and human laws another ; as if we had one code for r the households, another for our parliament; one creed f° oe. church, another for the cabinet. Religion has been a ,, e hle tion, not a reality ; a bugbear for the million, a )W 1 '4,0 sham to the enlightened few. Clergymen from the P i r o % have warned their congregations of the guilt of del r e- Christ, the source and origin of all our laws, and tuo2, presentative of such congregations in the House of cos mons has dared to refer to that supreme Lawgiver, at the risk of ridicule, pity, and contempt. The hearts ("hob pious have bled, the spirits of the weak have desr,., t he the thoughts of the reflecting have become entangle at 'ibaa presence of the huge anom-dy. Anything is better The falsehood. Infidelity is preferable to hypocrisy. 44, contradiction could not last. God is God, or he is n 1 so If he be the guide in tne household, he is ernnhati cu e ilent in the legislature. If his blessing be needed in chamber, it is required ten thousand times more n, r g re to in the chamber from which proceed the laws wlile" t _ i _ r govern physically, morally, and socially, million " s 'has sponsible and immortal souls. The House of Peaf t has vindicated by its voice the national consistency. -I forlaws said the deniei of Christ!s divinity shall not make ; .,„, is Christ's believing children, but the minor propo-i_uu,oB. contained in a major whi,ch further declares, that tj . or of God are immutable and universal, as he himself is s u " nipotent and omnipresent. We must be permitted of that a true, a believing Jew, " one not wearing would religion, of which he has aandoned the reality, , n ot never have demanded what a Christian parliament " religi ° the power to grant. A Jew more attached to his, , s tow than desirous of worldly honours in the land of his porary sojourning, would shrink from the priv"`"'' ess o f eagerly desired by Baron Rothschild, and dream on ' is not, British parliaments than of final restoration. Lon u v ie rea' Jerusalem, England is not the land of Canaan. . n ,,i r teo disability of the Jew rests in himself. It has been such lt "'ije upon him by bands purer than mortal :by 0 , the oar be taken off. For the Jew two alternatives arecal7enple; believes and becomes amalgamated with aChrisibleF coars e ' he disbelieves and stands apart. There is no m e ., , If he cannot believe, let him not at all events s n" right for a mess of pottage.—John Bull. e dion's " Ireland's cup of misery," says a Pitts bu s rg o h vr ll°. '(apparently an Irishman,) " has been for Year ing, oust it seems not to be yet full :"