The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

Imptrial artta mut. HOUSE OF LORDS.--Mo"•- The Labouring Poor (Ireland time Nvit§ikeaa *o6-ika . Earl GREY lai- 1 for the upon. the table a hill to 'amen a the law , .__ . -.stodv of oirettiltis, and a bill for the better , 50 vernment of '3,llllbank Penitentiary, Parkhurst Prison, and Pentonville Prison, the details of which he proposed to state on moving the second reading on Friday next. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.- -MONDAY Lord J. RUSSELL announced that it was her Majesty's intention to summon a Privy Council, and take their opinion as to the propriety of appointing a day for a national fast. _ _ In committee of ways and means, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that he had entered into arrange blears for the loan of £8;000,000 for the relief of the distress in Ireland. He was now about to move a resolu tion in committee in confirmation of that loan. It ap peared to he the unanimous opinion that the best mode 'of raising the loan was at the highest price in Three per Cent. Consolidated Stock. The rate at which the loan had been contracted for was £B9 lOs. for every £lOO 'stock, which, on the best consideration he could give the subject, and after communicating' with various parties conversant with it, appeared to be as favourable a bargain as he could expert to make in the present state of the money. market. The interest upon the sum borrowed did not equal 31 per cent., and he might add, that the terms were even more favourable than those on which the West India loan had been contracted. The interest would be as nearly as possible £3 7s. 6d. per cent., and the whole charge for interest upon the public revenue would be £268,156 Bs., which with bank and other charges would make the sum £270,000. As the money was not wanted immediately, no discount would be allowed for prompt payment, and stock would be given, if required, for the ilifferent instalments, except the first, as they were paid. If all the instalments were made in July, the contractors would then be entitled to a half year's dividend ; the other half yearly dividend to be paid in the following January. If all the instalments were not paid in July, the whole interest would be paid in the following January. Resolutions agreed to. Lord J. RUSSELL then moved that the house do go into committee pro forma on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill, and briefly adverted to the substantial amendments which he proposed to engraft upon the present Poor Law. He proposed to go into committee on the bill on Monday next, with a view to the discussion of its details. It had been suggested that the following case might arise under the provisions of the bill for e npowering the guardians to relieve the able-bodied poor out of the workhouse, when the workhouse was full, or when fever raged in it, so that the guardians might refuse to give admission to the number sufficient to fill the workhouse, and then refuse to_give relief to the destitute able-bodied without. He proposed to add additional words to the clause, in order to prefent such an abuse. An amendment was also to be introduced into clause 2, with reference to the enlarge ment of the workh6uses in certain cases. With regard to.clause 9, he proposed to alter .the liability for out-door relief in each union. He proposed to place the charge for relief up to a certain amount upon the electoral dis tricts. Where the charge exceeded 2s. 6d. in the pound per annum, then the extra amount would be charged upon the union at large. He also proposed to introduce an alteration relative to the number of ex officio guardians, and to give the Poor Law Commissioners power to remove Mead, in it guardians, and appoint paid ones in their stead, in defau. ofcthe former not performing their duties. It was pro --a 4,, 1;..,;. vc.lipf to nersnns not possessing above Cilla;e - ;f - fana: Some'limit was necessary, but per sons possessing a cottage and small patch of ground, when destitute, ought not to 'be disqualified from re ceiving relief. Mr. SHAW thought if they gave a right to relief, they ought to accompany it with a law of settlement. In reply to a question from Sir R. Peel, Lord J. RUSSELL said the right to relief in Ireland would not be exactly the same as in England, as in the foriner the relief would be in food. After some conversation, the bill went through com mittee pro forma, to be re-committed on Monday. In committee of supply Mr. F. MAULE went through the army estimates for the present year. The number of men to be voted was 138,195 ; for which the charge would be £5,155,818; the charge for non-effective service would be -£2,175,227 ; making a total charge of £7,331,075. From this was to be deducted 30,000 men, bore on the charge of the East India Company's service, and amount ing to £972,211 ; appropriations in aid, £53,175 ; and other smaller sums, amounting in all to £1,056,100; leav ing a gross sum to be provided for of £6,275,074, and the number of men, 108,308.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS.—TuEsnme The Duke of RICHMOND, on moving for a select com mittee on the lace of settlement, expressed his regret that parliament should have been induced to pass a measure which defied the possibility of any persons putting a sa tisfactory interpretation upon. Lord riaouGuANl was of opinion that acts of parliament woup never be properly drawn until a board was specially appointed to assist the legislature in preparing them. Lord CAMPBELL urged their lordship; not to condemn the act because it was badly drawn, its object being to as similate the law of England to that of Scotland, which had been found to work so well. Lord 13EA.UMONT contended that the defect of the act was that it gave no settlement at all. The committee was then appointed, The presentation of a petition by Earl FITZWILLIAM from the grand jury of Athlone. in favour of measures for stimdlating the employment of labour in Ireland by the construction of railways, led to a discussion on the mea sures already in progress, and the suggestion of others for affording permanent relief to that country. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY After a sharp discussion, a select committee was granted to inquire in the alleged refusal of sites for churches by the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Macdonald, and others. Mr: BANKES, in a speech referring generally to the operation of the measure, called the attention of the house to the report of the select committee on settlement and pooeremoval, and moved for a copy of the case submitted by the poor law commissioners to the law officers of the crown for their opinion, with reference to the construc tion of a clause in the Poor Removal Act. A discussion of some continuance on the principle and operation of the act ensued after which the motion was withdrawn. ' Lord G. BENTINCK, in moving for certain returns re lative to the amount of capital expended by various rail- accumulating working stock, originated a discussion which occupied the remainder of the sitting, the motion being agreed to. -,....--..... HOUSE OF COMMONS 'WEDNESDAY On, the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair, for the purpose of the house going into committee on the Factories' Bill, Mit. B. Escorr rose to bring forward the amendment of which he had given notice, that the house go into com mittee on the bill that day six months. After a long debate, the house divided, when there ap peared—For the amendment, 100 ; against it, 190 ; ma jority against the amendment, 90. The. hence than snlinurnati. HOUSE OF COMMONS. THURSDAY f.-Sm in . an explanatory speech: moved that in order to assist an( Li encourage the colonies, it was expedient to increase the importance and agency in Great Britain and Ireland, and promote their 'vigilant superintendence of the passage and future location of emigrants. The motion was seconded by Mr. MA.CKINNON, and supported by Mr. LEiROY and Mr. KERR. Me. I-lAwEE, in reply to the arguments of Mr. V. Smith, observed that there was already an active and vi gilant superintendence at the ports both of embarkation and landing. Some questions put by Mr. Smith O'Brien on the sub ject of emigration from Ireland having been answered by Lord J. Russell, Mr. V. Smith withdrew; his motion. IltatE then proposed four resolutions on the sub ject or - Cracow. He commenced his observations by giv ing the house a history of the proceeding's, contending that Lord Palmerston had so completely demolished the Austrian document that no man in future could have the audacity to pretend to give it the slightest credit. As we had in our power, under legislative enactment, a sum of money which we had intended to pay to Russia, under certai,n stipulations, which she had broken, he saw no rea son why we should keep our part of the treaty, and allow the other part of it to be violated. He considered that we were liberated from the obligation of the Russo-Dutch Loan .by the reckless manner in which the Emperor Ni ehola, on whose Polish policy he passed the bitterest condemnation—had broken through all the arrangements of the Congress of Vienna for the independent existence of Poliind. . . . Lord SANDON Alla not often called Upon to second a motion iade by Mr. Hume, nor could heon the present bad ued, especially with respect to a sovereign with whom we were at present in friendly alliance. Still he agreed so mttch in the main purport of Mr. Hume's resolutions, that lie felt justified in coming openly forward to second them. The most curious circumstance in these diplo matic' papers was the undiseised consciousness of the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian ministers that they were engaged in A transaction which they could not justify to the wprld, much less to France or England. He con cluded by declaring, that, if we were :tit liberty to with hold payment 'of the Rosso-Dutch loan, we ought to do so, as: the mildest wayet expressing our disapprobation of the gyoss breach of contract committed by Russia. For some time no one rose to address the hot Lord JOHN RUSSELL concurred in the view of Mr, Hume, that the three powers were not justified by the treaty of Vienna in.deeiding by themselves the quest whether the free state of Cracow should be maintf , ' not. The existence of Cr g tainecT, he thought that when c,ompl its cow haling thus hick i been tuilty of Majesty's goY4 )lafion of the Treaty of Vienna ent. had directed Lord Palmei It reign Aff t Commons should ritrial;i7esolutiono condemnatory 01 1110 L:uuuuu. vi a u), r eign Rower, unless it was prepared to follow that step u p by some act of an, executive character. He raw ,no ad . 7 vantage in the home altering its usual course on - this oe; camon—it would gain nothing by it in .dignitYP lore°, or ...-pect - --ittid, therefore, while he did not hesitate to de ttimge, that he adhered to his former opinions as.to the un jitstifiable extinction of Cracow as a fre%4tate, he shou ld move the preNious question, if the same opinions were in corporated into a resolution of the House of Commons. Though in some of the late transactions in Europe our protests had been disregarded, our moral force had been increased and fortified • for there was no treaty, either an cient or modern, which had either violated, disregarded, or set at nought. On the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON, the debate was then adjourned to Thursday. HOUSE OF LORDS FRIDAY, Earl GREY rose to move the. second reading of the two bills relating to convict discipline, of which he had given notice on a preVious evening, and at the same time wished to avail himself of the opportunity to state the determina tion to which the government had come with regard to the whole subject of secondary punishments. They had resolved, then, to make a change which amounted to no thing less than a total abolition of the system of tran sportation which had existed for so many years. After premising that this change would not affect the deporta tion of convicts for purposes of punishment to Bermuda and Gibraltar, where the term transportation meant an entirely different system than that exercised in Australia, the noble lord proteeded to review the latter system, and the various modifications it had undergone down to the present time ; and having shown that it had been ineffec tual, expensive, and ruinous both to the convicts them selves and the colonies to which they were transported, went on to state the new regulations which it was pro posed to adopt for the punishment of offenders. Instead of being transported, they were to be kept at home, at first for a certain period in:separate confinement, and afterwards, when discharged from this preliminary state, employed for a stated time on public works ; the principle of this em ployment would be that the convicts were to be subject to a system according to which they would have a great and direct interert in their own good conduct, notonly to abridge the period for which their punishment was to last, but also to enjoy certain immediate and positive advantages, It was also intended that every convict who really conducted himself well, who worked industriously, and did not incur any fresh punishment for misconduct, should be enabled to obtain his discharge at the termination of half the pe riod for which he was sentenced. When this period was expired a pardon would be granted to the offender, on condition of his. emigrating from England ; and to, assist him in carrying this intention into effect, the government proposed that criminals, during the latter period of their employment on the public works should be allowed wages to nearly the full value of their labour, the money being allowed to accumulate until the time for granting the pardon had arrived. After entering into further details, the noble earl concluded by stating, that in the course of the present year it was - calculated that means would be avail ,t I able in Great Britain by which every convict sentenced. to transportation could be made to undergo the proposed preliminary period of separate confinement ; and, with respect to the employment of convicts in public works, that the govenment were preparing wooden buildings, which could be puf up where great public works were in progress, and removed, after their completion, to another site. Lord ltgotiGn Am expressed great admiration at the statement made by. Earl Grey. Generally speaking, he had come to the same conclusion, that transportation ought to cease; he was not, however, sure that it might not be beneficially retained in certain cases. In his opinion, it would be most safe to confine the punishment to persons in a superior rank in life, because to such per sons it was indeed a most awful infliction, while to persons of a lower grade in society it was no punishment at all. He was not at all pleased With that part of the noble earl's propositionwhich rendered compulsoryexile a consequence of penal imprisonment, and thought our neighbours, the French, would put a high prohibitive duty on the importa tion of offenders under the new system. Lord STANLEY entertained doubts as to the policy of abolishing transportation, which he believed was that secondary punishment most dreaded by hardened offenders. As for the plan of imprisonment proposed to be substi tuted instead of transportation, he ventured to say that such a system must break down—a system which, in the first place, would revolt against the feelings of the people of this country ; and which, in the second place, must, if fully carried out as it ought to be, interfere with the demand for labour. It would throw the whole of the government employment for the public works, which was now held by an honest and deserving population, into the hands of a convict population, who would be well fed and kept, and perhaps, at the end of their sentence, be sent ont as free labourers, or as emigrants to the colonies or elsewhere. Lord DENMAN was extremely rejoiced to hear that the Norfolk Island establishment was to be broken up, but could not refrain from expressing the greatest possible dismay at the prospect of the total abolition of transpor tation. He hoped no great change would be adopted in the system without the most serious deliberation. The Duke of RICHMOND hoped that the government would reconsider their plan, and seriously reflect upon the expediency of following the advice given them by his no ble and learned friend the Chief Justice. Earl Grey replied to the various objections which had been made to his propositions ; and after some further discussion the two bills were read a second time. HOUSE OF COMMONS. FRI D AY Mr. MILNER GIBSON, in answer to Dr. BOWRING, stated that the only new quarantine regulation which had been adopted, was with respect to Turkey importing mon enumerated goods, which were to be exempted from quarantine if they were provided with clean bills of health, and the crews and passengers free from suspicion in a sanatory point of view. . _ Mr. LABOUCITERE, in answer to Lord DUNCAN, replied that the Poor-law Commissioners had issued explicit orders that all defaulters in the payment of rates in Ire land should be summarily dealt with, the collectors throughout that country having been directed to require immediate payment. Capt. LINDSAY moved an address for an inquiry into the canteen system in barracks, and as to whether it would not be advantageous to the discipline and to the moral im provement of the troops to prevent the sale of spirituous liquors therein, .or within the precincts or proximity of barracks. On an assurance from Mr. F. MAULE, that the whole canteen system should undergo the most rigid investiga tion with a view to rendering it next to impossible that it should tend to the deterioration of the morals or health of the army : and after some observations from other honourable members, Captain LINDSAY withdrew his motion. Mr. J. O'CONNELL in an explanatory speech, drew• the attention of the house to the advisability of employing he labouring population now engaged on the public works in Ireland in the tillage of land. Mr. I 11 d the immucHERE was not at at surprised that honourable gentleman should avail himself of the forms of the house to bring the calamitous condition of Ireland under its notice, but as regarded the proposals made by the honourable gentleman, he conceived it to be the duty of the Government unreservedly to state, that it would be impossible for them, as well as impracticable, to act upon them. Lord JOHN RUSSELL lamented very much that, in cer tain districts, tillage had not been proceeded with, but he still hoped it would be found more general than was anti cipated, that hope being grounded upon the well-under stood determination of the Government not to interfere in the manner pointed out by the honourable member for Kilkenny. len went into committee of supply, Colonel A.NsoN moving the ordnance estimates ; after which, the navy estimates were proceeeed with, the discussion on which occupied the remainder of the sitting. house t' UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS OXFORD, MARCH s.—Mr. John Ryce Byrne, COM moner of University ; and Mr. Bull, from Rugby, were this day elected to Scholarships at University College. Mr. Charles B. Scott, of Trinity College, Cambridge, is the successful candidate for the Pitt sclolaplip. the Cambridge Chronicle, the organ of_thep_nivers l i o t r y - , Yince ship, has "for the most part given satisfaction." Earl Howe has placed at the disposal of the Society for the Building of Churches and Parsonage Houses the mu nificent sum of £2,000. _ _ The , Rev.' John'T. Pigot, M.A., senior curate of the parish of Wigan, has been appointed by the dean and chapter of Roeliester to a minor canonry in the cathedral )f that town. The Liverpool Church Building Society have purchased two sites for new churches—one in Great Nelson-street, in All Saints' district, and the other in Bond-street, in Bevington district. The Bishop of Chester has appointed the Sty. Thomas Remington, A.M. Incumbent of Cartmel, to be Rural Dean of the Deanery of Cartmel comprising the parishes of Cartmel an►i Colton. A provincial journal shows that in the diocese of St tisaph, which abounds in poor curates of . long standing £7,600 per annum is held, in sinecures, by Englishmen rho do not know one word of the language of the parishe, from which they derive their incomes:" - nix CAUSE OF SECESSIONS TO POPERY.--A weekly informs its readers that all saner gravel the late secessions to Popery have arisen in consequence of the Bishop of Worcester's determination not to allow the " Confessional," nor to . sanetion the abvolute forgive nees of sins by the _priest, in his diocese ! A TS PRINCE'ALBER ANSWER TO THE CAMBRIDGE UM VERSITY.—The gracious answer of his Royal Highness, Chancellor elect, to the letter announcing his Royal ness's election into that office, col - whales in the following words:—.l have resolved to accept the trust which the University is willing to confide to me, In forming this decision I have been influenced by a respectable deference to the wishes of a majority of its members, by a great un- less to involve the university in the ,m6able ne- cessiti of another contest ; but aliove all, by an• earnest hope that through a zealous and impartial discharge of the trusfwbich I undertake, I shall succeed in establish ing a claim on the confidence and good-will of toe whole «►1 body The Lord Bishop of Exeter has given notice that in Aire he will not object to - receive at his general ordina 1-is, as candidates for the order of deacon►, those young engl ioirin the dioeeie of Exeter. From such pt Ish:p will require a knowledge of Latin, but will forego nowledge of Crock. The Right Rev. Prelate has inti- must not expect,tb.reeeive priest's orders for many years ; ao that they will be debarred from rising to any eminenve in "the church; the canons• prthiding that without having -c holding a benefice' or sole ministerial charge. this new arrangement will commence from. Trinity Sunday, on which day his lordship will hold his next general ordina tion in the cathedral church of hi diocese. FOREIGN tar COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE. ll,i A We have.received; by eifraordinary express from Mar seilles, our despatctes in anticipation of the mails which left,BombayAn,..the Ist ult. They bring interesting in-. telligence. The affairs of Lahore were going en slowly ; the Governor-General, having regulated the government of that. country, and placed Colonel Lawrence as resident, and Sir John Littler at the head of the,British troops; left that capital_on..the .11th of January, and_proceeded to the protected Sikh States, and was expected to reach Puttee tilli,h7oti the Ist Of - February: 'lll - r: jr."l:ziwiefice'has been' named commissioner and superintendent of the Trans- Sutiej provinces, and the Major F. Mackeson of the Cis- Sutlej districts. It was not known if the Governor-Ge neral would proceed to Delhi or would return to Simla. The latter was supposed the more probable, The' Lahore army has been ordered to be redueid, and Cortlandt's battalions were ordered to be disbanded. Some of the edd . Sikh soldiers were unwilling to'retire, but the Durbar, of which Tej Singh is one of the most in fluential members, being supported by the British troops, had enforced their dismissal. The Lahore government was resolved to limit its expenditure, yet its difficulties were considerable, in consequence of the properties of the gOvernrnent beini held by persons unwilling to giVe tip their " jagheers, ' or life-rents ; but government was about to resume some of those " jagheers!! The state of the frontiers of Affghanistan was precarious, but the Bri tish agents were on the alert ; and even the Nazim of Moulton had repressed some inroads of the-Beiooches. The turbulent Akbar Khan had proceeded to attack the chiefs of Candahar, who are his own relatives, and, ac cording to -the statement published in a Bombay paper of the 27th of January, on good authority, he had succeeded after some severe fighting, in capturing the chiefs, and in making himself master of Candahar. It is said that the Persian monarch was to be applied to on behalf of the dispossessed chiefs, but nothing positive is known on the subject. The proceedings of this unprincipled vizier, whose name must be ever infamous from his being the promoter of the murder of Sir W. H. M`Naughten, are likely to cause some commotion in Central Asia. From Scinde nothing remarkable was known. Some regiments of the Bombay troops had left it, on their return to their own Presidency, as also a portion of her Majesty's 86th Regiment, and the whole of her Majesty's 17th Regt. Sir C. Napier was to leave Kurrachee in the beginning of February, and to proceed to Hyderabad. The reports re lative to his immediate removal had died away ; particu- larly as it was stated that Sir W. Gomm, the present go vernor of the Mauritius, was to be the new commander in chief of the Bombay Presidency. In the interior of India tranqUillity prevailed. In the once-distracted provinces of Bundelkund order and regu larity were beginning to be permanently established. In the Nizam's dominions there was considerable dissatisfac tion. The new Minister has a difficult task to please the conflicting factions. _ _ It is said that in consequence of the conquest of Lahore the government of India feels itself strong enough to dimi nish the native armies, viz. of Bengal by 25,000 men, and of Madras and Bombay by 5,000 each. This reduction is to be effected by stopping all recruiting until the native regiments are reduced from 1000 to 800 men each. The government of India has ordered the completion of the Ganges Canal, on which only £20,000 a-vear used to be bestowed. Henceforth for four years 4'256,000 will be expended, by which means it is expected that within a few years 8,000,000 of acres will be rendered productive. There is another canal parallel to the Indus, which can be opened from the Sutlej, and which will fertilise other ne glected districts. This canal was stopped by the govern ment of the Ameers, and can be opened with great advan tage, and at a very small expense. The new governor of Bombay, Mr. G. R. Clerk, had arrived there on the 23 of January, and assumed the reins of government. His first acts appear to give universal satisfaction. The disturbances amongst the Goomsoors in the Khoond are stated to be nearly put down. They wew caused by some wild fanatics, who imagined themselves called upon to assert their rights to uphold human sacrifices as a mode of gaining the favour of the Deity. There are no later advices from China. Two convents in the Swiss canton of St. Gall, have been . convicted, under a recent statute, of giving soup to the poor, and fined seven or eight florins each. This is Mal thusianism run mad, FOOD DISTURBANCES IN SPAIN.—In Galicia the armed force is constantly employed in repressing the disorders of the peasantry from the dearness of corn ; but the govern ment has deposited quantities in the several prefectures to be sold at the cost price. A man, condemned to death by the court of assize of the Ardeche, has petitioned the French minister of jus tice to permit him to undergo his punishment by inhaling ether, as he understands that death by such means is without pain. The directors of lunatic asylums at Vienna are trying the effect of music, singing, and dancing, upon their pa tients. A masked and costume ball was lately given in one of these establishments, and it is intended to be fol lowed by concerts. _ Another German theatre has become the prey of the flames. On the evening of the 28th ult., a fire broke out, just before the performance, at the theatre at Carlsruhe, in the grand duchy of Baden, and at nine o'clock it was a heap of ashes. Seine lives were lost. Wheat rose from two to three francs in the Paris market on Wednesday, barley, rye, and oats rising in proportion. Flour was sold at 110 fr. or 88s. per sack, with a tendency to rise. The advises from Marseilles were less unfavour able, showing a slight fall. No further supplies, however,- are expected at that port from the Black Sea until next month. GUN COTTON AS A PROPELLER OF MACHINERY. — Isaac 'Vickie, Esq., of Camden (New Jersey), is applying gun cotton to the propulsion of machinery in his factory. The engine is constructed on the plan of the ordinary steam-engine, only there are two cylinders, one working in the other. The gun cotton is ignited by electricity, engendered and applied in a novel manner. Any degree of power may be obtained. It is safer than the ordinary steam-engine, and one person can run it. THE GERMAN CATHOLICS.—I sincerely regret to say that the chief elder of Czerski's flock at Schniedemulil has been here, and that their union with Rouge's party has now been finally consummated. There is not at present one single flock among the late seceders from Rome in this country which has adhered to the faith of the Gospel, excepting that called " the Apostolic Catholic," under the Rev. Dr. Jettmer, in this city, which, I am happy to say, has much increased and conti nues to receive constant accessions. The union between the German Catholics and the infidel Friends of Light is at hand, and a direct motion to that effect was brought forward at the synod recently held at Magdeburg.— Letter from Berlin. MINING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.—The Adelaide Ob server, in a lengthy article on the labour market, says— " Although we have an abundance of copper and iron in our hills, the colonists have not yet attempted to supply their own wants with the pig, or malleable iron, which might be produced here in great abundance ' and of a quality not to be surpassed. Sheet and pig-lead the colony will soon cease to import; and may supply, for exporta tion, to a considerable extent, as soon as labour, applicable to this species of mineral productions, is more plentiful." Miners employed at day work. do not consider themselves sufficiently paid at 30s. per week—many are requiring 40s. to 425. In consequence of the increased demands bf miners in some localities, proprietors and explorers have felt themselves compelled to resist what they consider palpable encroachments, and prefer suspending operations for a time. At tutwork, tribute, or ton-work, the earn ings of miners have been very considerable. Quarrymen labour under great temptation to turn miners---but they may earn, in their own employment, 21s. to 2.55. per week. PARISIAN GOSSIP.—The religious world arc all on the tiptoe awaiting the result - of a negociation pending be tween the highest ecclesiastical authority in the kingdom and a lady of the most illustrious rank--the Duchess -sle Talleyrand, known in this country as the Duchess de Dino—who has announced lies determination of return ing to Protestantism, from which she had been persuaded some years ago. You can form no idea of the excite ment to which this determination has given rise, and I am told that in the church of her parish, in the.FaboUrg St. Germain, litanies to the Virgin are put up night and day in her behalf. Her' object in again changing her he to procure a ivorce If from husband, 'he having fixed her affections upon a young Polish gentleman, whom she is about forthwith to marry. Meanwhile the lady's family stand aghast, and know not where to call for aid. The event will cause much interest. among the fashionable world of England, where the fair duchess accompanied her uncle, the late Prince Talley- rand in Ins embassy; and where s with the admiration due to her great genius antfromantic beauty.—Letter in the Atlas. rememl IRELAND. There are now 153 persons in Clonrnel gaol for trial at the assizes. Many others are out on bail. Several valuable freehold estates in Kerry were sold by auction last week at rates varying from 23 to 27 years purchase. - - ANOTHER NOBLE AGENT FOR DISTRIBUTING RELIEF TO THE Irish.—Lord James Butler, brother of the Mar quis of Ormonde, has humanely placed his services at the disposal of the iociety for relieving the Destitution in Ireland. Lord de Vesci, at his own expense, has sent out several families, numbering in all about 80 persons, to America, the neighbourhood of. Abbeyleix. Ills lordship pro- Kies sending many more as soon 'as the necessary ar rangements are completed. In the Cork Conglitytion of this day week, there were 14 advertisements of sales of flour, potatoes, and Indian corn. In times of scarcity people do not usually adver tise their goods, as the demand is greater than the supply. We again repeat our opinion that there is no scarcity of food. • SOYER'S ABRIVAI tN SC , Yer arri ved in• Dublin on Monday night, and on Tuesday had inter views with the Lord-Lieutenant and the Commissaries GeneniLSir It. Routh and Sir J. Burgoyne, lie is im mediately to erect a kitchen on the plan of the model which he made in London previous to his departure.. SCENE AT THE MULBINGAR ASSIZES, ""t k most extra- Shortly ordinary scene occtuTeC after Mr. Justice Crampton had taken his scat upon the bench, the Hon. W. Pakenharn, foreman of the grand jury, entered the court, and stated that Mr. Cooke, of :COi,itsborongh, had called Sir Richard Levinge a liar, and -other opprobrious names. The judge ordered the attend :-ance of Mr. Cook and Sir Richard in court, and upon their --appearing, they were ordered to enter into recognisar.ces, eachin the sum of XlOOO, to keep the'Peace. The much respected baronet; as a matter of course, ; CoMpried with the order of the Court ; but Mr. Cooke :doggedly refused compliance, whereupon he was committed-to the custody .afthe.iijghtheriff. THE LIVERPOOL STANOIRi . SELF-RIL.LiANer.We learn,b Belfast y the Belfast that Mtricn- is the only county in I ieelan d whith has not touched itfarthing_or the Go` ernment money.. On the contrary, besides . meeting their own Wants by their own exertions, the inhabitants have contributed largely in aid of the suf ferers elsewhere, from funds collected by subscriptions, by ladies' committees, bazaars; and through other charitable devices. MORTALITY Vol IRELAND.—At Coachford, the-mortality is so great that forty adults died in one day. During the' week ending on Monday; the Ist inst,_lDUlersong ilia in Corkiferkholre. — FioniCliine - 4, - in Fermanagh, there are very alarminpaccounts..- Lwt week, , -the -, . - tiumber:'of deaths in the workhouse was not, on any day, less than twenty ; and there are, it is iaid,scarcely as many healthy persons in iti§ are sufficient to attend the sick. SOWING. OF THE SPRING CROPS.-0111' selections pre sent the same gloomy aspect. Famine is still at work, and many more deaths from starvation are reported in Mayo, Clare, Cork, and other counties in the south and west. We believe that great progress has been made, in various counties, in sowing of the spring crops; but we deeply regret to find, in Mayo, in parts of Tipperary, and other counties, that the cultivation of the land is, even yet, almost wholly neglected.—Dublin Post. A Joint-stock - Bakery commenced operations at Cork on Wednesday, and in the course of the morning sold 9,6001b5. of bread, at the rate of Std. the 41b. loaf. The price of bread at the private bakeries of Cork was. upon the same day, 10d., 91d., and 91d. the 41b. loaf, of the same description. Thus, the people of Cork, by a little exertion of private enterprise, have accomplished a daily saving of £56 or thereabouts, while the enterprising are sure to realise a handsome dividend on their specula tion.. - At the meeting of the Repeal Association, on Monday, a letter from Mr. John O'Connell to " my dear Ray,"was read as a substitUte for the ordinary epistle of " the Li berator" himself, winding up with the time-honoured hurrah for the " repeal of the accursed Union." The rent for the week sunk to the lowest figure ever quoted since the formation of the association, namely, £6, being £2 less than the weekly salary allotted to the secretary. The dismal announcement, oddly enough, was received with laughter. The bubble has clean burst. THE GUN TRADE AGAIN ! — Wednesday being fair-day the market was brisk Ten new establishments have been opened, and the blunderbus sign has superseded several others. There was an auction of all descriptions of fire arms in the Main-street, and another at the corner of Duckett-street, and,.in fact, the usual business of the fair lost all its interest, when compared with the anxiety evinced by the country people to possess themselves of arms. In a civilised country such a state of things is, to say the least of it, frightful.—Tipperary Constitution. CONVERSIONS FROM ROMANISM. —MORE PRIESTS FROM ROME.-It will be gratifying to the friends of truth to learn that another class of converts were received into the communion of the United Church of England and Ire land in Soint Audeon's, Dublin, on Sunday last. Two of the class are priests ; one of them is a D.D., and was edu cated at Rome for eight years, where he received his or dination at the hands of his holiness the pope, the late Gregory the Sixteenth ; the other was educated in May nooth, and ordained by the most Rev. Doctor Murray, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. WINDOW BREAKING.---On Wednesday evening, four young ruffians broke two panes of glass in the window of Miss Kerner, in Patrick-street. Miss K., who was in the shop at the time, immediately ran, and asked why, they did it. ' They replied, "To be taken." There was no po liceman present, but a gentleman went for one, by whom they were "taken," and lodged in bridewell. In the morning, however, they were discharged, and when Thursday evening came, they again presented themselves to Miss Kerner, who was at her door, and told her that if she did not give them 2d. they would break two more. Terrified at the threat, Miss Kerner turned in to get the shutters put up, but, just as she turned, she heard a crash, and, on looking round, two other paneswere gone. Is it not intolerable that respectable ladies are to be annoyed and alarmed in this way ?—Cork Constitution. At "the Cavan Assizes, on Tuesday, Rose M`Garry, aged twenty-five years, was found guilty of causing the death of her illegitimate child, John M`Garry, five years old, by starvation. Sentence was not passed on the day of the trial. The policeman who was examined at the trial said that on the 29th January last he saw the unnatural mo ther setting plants in the garden near the house, and in quired from her when she had planted the gooseberry bushes which he had pointed out to her, and she replied that they had been planted there for some years previously and he then turned them up and found the dead body of the deceased buried under them at full length, covered with a shirt and some cloth on its head, but without a coffinil found the other prisoners in the house, and on making further search found milk; butter, and some meal seeds steeped to make flummery; the prisoner, Rose, admitted that the deceased child was her illegitimate off spring, and stated that it had died a natural death—of a decline. REPEAL PROSPECTS.—It is currently reported that the days of the Repeal Association are (wilfully and for a pur pose) numbered ; and that the whole fabric, which has been tottering to its foundation since the accession of the present ministry to office, will shortly only be remem bered as among the things that were. Many circum sances have of late combined to hasten this consumma tion,. but the grand pretext for dissolution will be, of course, the want of the funds necessary to conduct the machinery of the association, the absence of which has -now reduced the working staff to a mere skeleton. The general distress, too, and the impropriety of further draw ing on the resources of the starving millions, will he urged as strong reasons for the break-up of this once formula ble.confederacy. As an instance of the decline of its in fluence, owing to the empty state of the exchequer, it may be observed that the metropolitan registry has been all but abandoned by the Repealeri, and their opponents left in undisputed possession of the field. At the sessions now sitting the Conservatives have obtained a majority of over 250, and it is calculated that before the close the .number will considerably exceed 300. The reation is partly attributable to the apathy and distrust created by the memorable schism of July last. GRIEVOUS SIGHT.—Lord Dufferin and the lion. Mr. Boyle have visited Skibbereen for the purpose of taking a collection made in Oxford for the distressed, and also to see if the accounts of the destitution were correct. The following is one scene which they , witnessed in company with the Rev. Mr. Townsend. We give it in the reverend gentleman's own words :—" In the church-yard they saw the mode of sepulture now common, of throwing the bo dies out of the shell into a pit, and covering them so slightly that a few scrapes of a shovel soon laid bare the abdomen of one that was the uppermost ! You may be sure this sufficed for so far. We passed from these to the place occupied by their more fortunate fellow-sufferers from the workhouse. These had coffins. They were, however, scarcely covered! and the ends of one or two of one tier,of coffins (for there are three placed one over ano ther in a grave about two feet deep, and the upper one comes level with the surface !) were exposed. There was a pit being in progress of being filled by bodies from the same house at the feet of these, and I asked why it was left in that uncovered, unmade state ? The men employed . digging a lengthened pit, said that the persons employed by the workhouse authorities had brought four bodies as yet, and as they expected six more that evening, they left the pit unfinished . His Lordship never saw such a sight before ;' and after some other equally melancholy scenes, his Lordship left, convinced that the destitution was greater - than even was represented." _ . SUPPLIES OF PROVlSlONS.—Notwithstantling the large arrivals of graM and other bread stuffs at the various sea ports, there is as yet no corresponding reduction in prices of provisions, the speculators appearing still to have it all their own way. The Mayo Cotstitation says :—" We daily perceive a frightful rise in our markets. On last Saturday oats rose to 15s. 6d. per cwt., and barley rated at from 21s. to 255. 6d. per cwt, for seed. The scarcity of seed threatens a further increase in prices, owing to the demand which is made for grain. We believe there were but half a dozen pigs offered for sale, and, what is more extraordinary, that each market presents the ap pearance of a fair, the poor farmers being most anxious to. dispose of their cattle, either to avoid paying rents or to support themselves." The Limerick Chronicle and the_ Derry Journal announced extensive importations at says the first-named journal, ' since our fication, with provision, notwit arrived in this harbour of the number lstanding the loca retain a famishing fixity. Bread, meat, and other articles of domestic use, such as butter and milk, are becoming unapproachable by. the middle classes. -In the last week, of Indian corn, were landed, ex-ship, free of _duty'. , The arrivals at Derry consisting of 1,066 barrels of Indian corn from Liverpool, besides two vessels laden with pro- -viflions he use a he poor on t Iletatt SAVINGS BANKS.-Leinster, excluding the City of Dublin itself, exhibits a total increase •in the deposits on January 1, 1847, as compared with that day the previ ous year, of not less than £36,000. This would excite no remark in ordinary years. The total deposits in the pro vince on the latest of those dates' are £965,315; and 1.36,000 is not much more than proportionate - to the usual increase of population. The only remark to be made now is that famine has not affected the saings of the people. In Ulster the increase is greater, the total deposits under the two above-nientioned dates be! and £668,787. Even in Carman verally £621,338 l►t the deposits ha melancholy notoriety-as... in it. - In - Munster the deposits have improved from £1,045,584 to £1,107,280, and even at the focus of desti tutiOn,-Castle Townsbead; for the special relief of which every parish in the empire has been privately, as well as pubbely solicited, there" line been s most unaccountable rise fr0m..41,571 t0 , 42.5m 51. It it wdrthy of remark, that • the poitt exhibit theinoSt striking improvement. Drag. hede, Thittdalk, Weiford, Belfast, Newry, Sligo, Cork. and 'Waterford are among the chief examples of mented deposits. Limerick, however, stands head. Thera the totals at the two dates are .£l, and 4189,37$ ' • the difference in favour of the later a.. being nearly £23,000.* Undonbtedly" the thought that would first cross the - simple English mind, at the mentioir Hof the savitiga'banks,is that they would exhibit, - in di proportion, the drain on the general resources. A fain;- people one expects to be poor. • A population - millions, ourof whom three fir f""' Lay°, R largo por !,ciatally dying, or dead, in (lit( I As for taxes:they have , lon !:trarice. What vat) they pon, 1 . a situation van 'be lit Ji the poor. creatures t run away p; 1 founged-enA. t.t -estimate - of the 113;11 eharacier Irish gentlemen are ao fond of telbn nothing about;th4 " that Iv Ju ntAfile YePrile Timet: kit& WAY AFFAIRS. The Paikrate;Chesteri 'and Birkenhead Railway Bill has passed the Standing Orders. The Manchester and Southampton railway bill has been thrown by the committee on standing orders. The portion of the Newcastle and Berwick line betweefi Newcastle k and Morpeth_was opened on Monday. At the Meeting of the Thames Tunnel proprietors it Was stated that uegotia ions for selling it to a railway, had storytor,fclav Mr. James Walter, the able-Liverpool correspondent of the Maiming Herald, has been appointed superintendent of the South Eastern and Dover Railway. At a meeting of the shareholders in the London and Manchester (Remington's) line, held on Saturday, a mo tion was made for dissolutio n , but not carried. The first sod of the Waterford and Limerick railway was cut last Tuesday, near Caher, by the Earl of Glen gall. On Saturday, at an extraordinary general meeting of the Birkenhead and Chester railway proprietors, the bill for incorporating the line with the Birkenhead, Lanca shire and Cheshire Junction was agreed to by the share holders. At a meeting of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company on Friday, there was a majority in favour of the directors; that is, against the running of the Sunday trains. The numbers on the division will not be known for a day or two._ ROBBERY OF. RAILWAY SCRIP.—The police have re ceived information that a robbery of one - hundred and thirty scrip shares, in the Worcester, Warwick, and Rugby Company, had been effected' from the office of Messrs. Oldaker, Pershore, Worcestershire. The numbers are all between 9041 and 26,020. WIDENING OF THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.—The works for widening this line, from the point where it leaves the Olive Mount cutting to the point where the new•Runcorn and Warrington Branch is to turn off at Huyton, are now in progress. The object is to form four lines of railway instead of two, and for this purpose the Broad Green embankment will be made as wide again as it is at present, and all the other works will be increased in proportion. So uTn -E ASTERN. — Messrs. Golderand Lucas have con tracted for three hundred houses to be built at Ashford, seventy-two to be finished by the end of July next. The carrying out of the horn o or jetty, at the extremity of the Folkestone harbour, has caused the sea to encroach on the East Cliff, and to wash away large quantities of beach and sand near Copt Point. The wreck of a ship has been dis covered, supposed to be the Grantham East Indiaman, 1500 tons, wrecked there about 110 years since. She was laden with a general cargo. An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders in the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway, was held at the Clarendon Rooms on Saturday. The drafts of the following bills were submitted to, the meeting and agreed to :-Ist, to enable the Company to make a deviation in their line from Chester to near Hels ley, the deviation to Warrington having been abandoned in consequence of the directors not being able to make terms with the Grand Junction Company ;-2d, to incor porate the Company with the Chester and Birkenhead line ; and, 3d, to take an interest in the Mold Railway to the extent of £20,000. RAILWAY TRAVELLING AND COACH TRAVELLING.— Upon referring to the time-bills of the old coaches in their high and palmy days, before railways were con structed, we are struck by the vast reform which has been achieved, and the immense advantages which the public have derived by the establishment of railways. It is worth while to compare the existing charges by railway, and those which were imposed upon travellers by the "fast coaches " between London and Birmingham. The charge by the old coaches for each inside pas senger was 425., and each outsider, 215., and the journey occupied the entire day—that is, from six in the morning until eight or nine at night. What is the cost at present ? The first-class fare Is 205., and the second class 145., being a saving of money of upwards of one half on the first class, and of time eight or nine hours out of twelve. But it must be borne in mind, that in our calculations we have made no allowances for expenses on the road—expenses which, under the old coach system, never could be calculated upon with accuracy before hand. There were the guard and coachman to be satis fied—all most voracious pikes—and there were sundry breakfasts and luncheons, and dinners on the road, all which expenses are entirely avoided now ! But this ad vantage is not all. A commercial man may run down from London to Birmingham and return the same day for 245. RAILWAY MEETINGS.—Detailed reports of progress of the works, of negotiations with other companies, and of intentions, are given by the Gre a t N or th ern. F rom London to untingdon is to be opened in July, 1849; to Peterborough in November, 1849. Mr. Brassey will lose £5OOO per month if he fail, and gain that sum per month if he accomplish the feat. We are glad to see the hand of alliance offered to their neighbours on all sides. The report will repay attentive perusal.—Discord so prevailed at the meeting of the Birmingham and Oxford Junction, that it was adjourned for a fortnight.—The Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley, in reporting progress with their contracts, announce that their line is to be on the double gauge. If Parliament will not give leave this year, they will try again and again until they get it.—The Bristol and Exeter divide their usual per tentage per annum of 41 on paid up capital.—At last the atmospheric has been tried on the South Dev ,, ,, mid the success of the experiment reported to the ' elf yearl meeting ,A dividend of 5 per cent. on the capital ar ing from the traffic of the North British ann alkeit Branch was declared.—At.the half yearly meeting of the North Bri tish, it was stated that Mr. Hudson's second offer to lease the line at 8 per cent. in perpetuity had been rejected by the directors.—The East and West Yorkshire directors offered to amalgamate with the Leeds and Thirsk on equal terms, which the latter have accepted, but the meeting postponed the decision. —The North Wales meeting was unsatisfactory : no information on future prospects could be given. Disputes on debts and liabi lities were reported to exist.—Notwithstanding the aug mentation of capital, the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr declare a dividend of 7 per cent. per annum.— Thus early after its opening, the receipts enable the Furness to pay a dividend of 4 per cent. per annum. — Railway Chronicle. THE BENCH AND THE BAR. DISTRICT COURT OF BANKRUPTCY IM RE STOCKDALE AND ANOTHER. This important - case has come to a close, so far as re gards the Liverpool District Court. On Thursday Mr. Norris, on the part of Thomas Stockdale, stated, as against the bankruptcy, that there was no sufficient petitioning debt to support the bankruptcy, or acts of bankruptcy to support it at the time; and, thirdly, that the fiat had been issued against good faith, and could not be supported in a court of review. An act of bankruptcy had. indeed, been proved against Mr. John Stockdale, but nothing of the kind had been proved against the father. On the other hand, Mr. Harvey contended that the conjoint acts of the parties proved an act of bankruptcy. On Friday, Mr, Commissioner Perry delivered his de cision at great length. It was to the effect that the bank ruptcy of John Stockdale was admitted, and that, as re garded Thomas, the father, he had committed an act of bankruptcy by absenting himself from his place of busi ness and not returning. There had besides been a delivery of palm oil, subsequent to the 17th February, to one party, and this was admitted by Mr. Norris to be a fraudulent preference on the face of the depositions. He considered himself bound to confirm the adjudication. Mr. Norris and Mr. Falcon each thanked the learned commissioner for the attention which lie had given to the Case, and the proceedings ended. VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, MONDAY SHARPE V. TAYLOR. This was a suit to- recover the plaintiff's share in the earnings and proceeds of sale of an American ship, called the Victoria, which was strands d TIP9M T .Ivr.rntinl in 1A2.1 ..••• • ucuLautllll, .111111 - Cl/1111 - Ull at their expense. The ship was afterwards sold in America, under circumstances which showed, according to the case been before the Master, and it N%as contended, on belialf of thn +LAI r‘rd..ccol+ fat. rd +hp chin did not ,'cted to I ived some ad- Merl' Lillll WIII.IIL, LUG vantage from the ship subsequently to the alleged sale. The defendant, on the other hand, insisted that the plain tiff had , adopted the sale and was bound by it. J udgn►ent ARCHES - COURT, TVEFADAY TilE COVNTE.SA Or DYSART EARL OF DYSAILT. Sir Herbert Jenner Vustgave judgment in this case. It was an appeal from the.decisioa. of. the Learned Judge of the Consistory Court of-London in a suit for restitution of conjugal rights, brought by the Earl against the Countess of Dysart,_iu which a charge of cruelty Was set up against his Lordship as a . defence to . the . suit. The Learned Judge of the Court below (Dr. Lushington) was of opinion that the plea of Lady Dysart was not established, and that she was bound to. return to cohabitation.• - Against that decision the present appeal was brought; and, in pro- mat minuteness into the ficts the ease—which have more than once been laid., in extenso, before the public. i'lw Learned Judge concluded by saving that he felt grant a separation betiwen the Earl and Countess of Dysart, • as praYt , d by the latter.--:Notice of appeal was then given on behalf of the Earl. ' • The judges arrived at York ori Saturday n the Vice-Ch, ,neellor's Court; on was giver tiff belongs to Liverpool. If was a bill filed by tne pituu tiff, alleging that the defendant had surreptitiously and fraudulently obtained copies of his account% by bribing hi 4 clerk. The bill prayed that the plaintiff might be re - - - • • ..% cm. tilt, 41114 R Lig no proof of it intention to use the accounts, and strained trunt publishing sum of the suit. His Honour• held t.,at ther the defendant's prest, _,,tiOn to use dismissed the bill with costs. LIBEL.—GIMIONS Lt. BELLERDY . AND ANOTHER. • - 1 1-..sf.re Mr. Justice Patteson and a Monday. The . plaintiff -chant at Stamford: This case w olflBhir 3f Sept : : last a Ritr?grap!' pren- who congregated there in , nsidCrable LtligLa ; the in question' wint - hovie, and w.as generally 11( . 4 . d.up to tiie rt riili - atiotiof the le, and On question was an exceedingly well-conaueied Awe frequented by tome of the lost respectable men in March 1, 1147. • the town, but that since the publication of the article is question, the plaintiff's business had beeiventrrely broken up, and the place in question shut ; the parties who Were accustomed to frequent the same having cleaned td do so for the future, on account of the notoriety given- to the place by the paragraph in•question. The lefendants, in support of their plea of justification, put the chief .siver intendent of police of Stamford, and some of his company, into the box. Their evidence, however, proved that it was one of the best conducted places in Stamford. Many other persons were called, but failed to establish that the house of the plaintiff was conducted less resr ' eetably than any other public-house in Stamford.—Mr. JustieelPitte son, in summing up, said there was no doubt the matter charged was libellous ; the only question would be, whether the averments in the plea were made out.—The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict in favour of the plaintiff.—Damages, BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY.---.-LOrd Bro'ugham's bill to amend the law of bankruptcy and insolvenCy, which was read a first time on Monday, has just been, printed. It contained 27 provisions, and it is proposed to repeal the jurisdiction of the cou r t of bankruptcy and.the district courts of bankruptcy ; to abolish. the court ofreview, and to reduce the number of commissioners'. In future, the judges of the small debts courts in the country; 'with cer tain exceptions, are to have jurisdiction in matters of in solvency, but the insolvent debtors' court is .to have. jurie diction in the several counties of Middlesex, Hertford, Kent,- Surrey, Sussex, Hants, Oxford, Buckingham, Bucks, Bedford, Northampton, Huntingdon: Cambridge,. Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. There is a provision-in the act to give a protection from arrest on the filing a petition by'granting an interim order. Hitherto the court has had no power to entertain a petition until a person was in custody, but now it is proposed to give a similar . power to the one at present exercised by the court' of bankruptcy. The court of review is about to be abolished, as' arse •suh division courts, and appeals are to be made in certain cases to the Lord Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor, which is rather an expensive mode of proceeding. The commis sioner acting under the fiat is to decide on matters before him. As vacancies occur, the commissioners, in London are to be reduced from six to three, and in the-country to nine. Provision is made for the registrars of. the court, and in order to carry out the intended act rules are to be framed by the insolvent debtors' court, and to be sanc tioned by the lord chancellor. Such are the principal features of the bill, which is entitled "An Act to repeal the Jurisdiction of Her Majesty's Court of Bankruptcy and . District Courts of Bankruptcy, in matters of Insol vency,to abolish the Court of Review, and to reduee.tho number of Commissioners." ' LAW AND JUSTICE.-At a trial, touching some railway matter, the following instructive dialogue is reported-to have taken place a few days since, at the Drogheda Spring Assizes :—" His lordship then referred to the opinions, of Sir Thomas Wilde and Baron Rolfe, in recent cases, and said that the present action must be guided by those au thorities. The jury, he therefore thought, ought to find a, verdict for the defendant. The jury then asked leave to retire, as a difference of opinion existed among them.— Mr. Justice Perrin said the case rested on a question of law, and on such questions the jury should be directed by. the court ; but if they wished to consider the case further, they had better retire. After an absence of a quarter of an hour the jury returned.—One of the jury : My lord, I. am deputed by the jury to ask your lordship whether it be a question of law or a question of justice that the jury are called upon to decide ? Mr. Justice Perrin : Law ; I told you so. Juror_: There is a difference of opinion between us on this subject as to what is justice; for if we were at liberty to consider the honesty of the case, we could not agree to a verdict for the defendant.—Another Juror : Is it by justice or law we are to go, my lord ? Mr. Justice Perrin : It is a question of law, and it is the duty of the jury to bow to the court on a question of law. Juror: We bow to your lordship. Mr. Justice Perrin: If I am wrong my decision can be set right. The jury then found, as directed, a verdict for the defendant. The counsel fur the plaintiff shortly afterwards tendered a bill of excepti ons, which was received by hi s l or d sh i p. " Two points in the foregoing strike us with remarkable force. The first is the distinction set up between " law and justice.'.' The second is, the admirable calmness and coolness with which the Judge says, " If I am wrong my decision can be set right. But at what cost, my lord, to the unhappy liti gants ? Who will get the oyster and w h o th e shell in the farther prosecution of the case ? SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. .ERPOOL NATIONAL STEEPLE CHASE, On Wednesday the great national steeple chase carne off at Aintree, in presence of an immense concourse of spectators, numbering many thousands. The sport of the day commenced with the flat race, with 12 starters, Idolatry being the only exception. As soon as the word "Go" was given, Brown Fly led the way at a tremendous pace, followed by Nottingham and Lady Lurewell, Tom Tough lying near by rounding the course, Brown Fly gave way, Tom coming closer, and eventually running at a slapping pace in third place to the distance chair, where he gave way, Nottingham here bega n t o race , and Lady Lurewell, anxious to reach the post, made the attempt too soon and lost the chance. Brown Fly also made an attempt, but could not reach the wished-for post in time, finishing third, Jovial second, Nottingham first. Won by a length. --- Now to the steeple chase. Twenty-eight horses came to the post and started, ran, and not a single accident occur red, barring one mare, who "spilt" her rider. She led the first time round, taking every leap admirably. The 2nd time round she, disappeared. At starting the whole lot got`awaY well, clearing everything that cthne in their way, Red Lancer making play at a tremendous pace closely followed by the Roare r an d Pi oneer. The first tune r o t's(' all looked well, and every one in good places with two el" ceptions, the horse without the rider and Lassie, who came up last, but doing work. At the last push Matthew shewed himself in front, easily defeating St. Leger second, and Jerry third. Jerry ran well. HOOTON STEEPLE CHASE This sport came off on Friday last, at Stourton. The Royal Rock Ferry boats were filled to repletion during the day, and the company on the ground was very nume rous. Mr. Lynn, of the Waterloo Hotel, acted most ably as clerk and judge. For the Hooton Stakes, seven horses started ; and the , result was, that Mr. Abbott's Proceed, which took the lead, came in first, and Mr. Lawley's The Roarer second, after a well-contested race. The betting was 10 to 3 agst The Roarer, 10 to 4 agst Ballyhar, 5 to 1 agst Railroad. The second race was for the Stourton Stakes, for which eight horses started. Mr. Lockwood's Barmaid took the lead, and came in first ; Mr. Fowler's Beggarman, second. The last race of the day was for a stake got up at the eleventh hour, which was called the Hooton Hunt Stakes; and, as often happens with races got up as it was, on the spur of the moment, it afforded as much, or perhaps more amusement than events of nominally greater importance. It was won by Mr. Hind's Jupiter, Mr. Leonard's Coal black Rose running second. WATERLOO COURSING MEETING MARCH 2 AND 4. THE WATERLOO CUP. Mr. 'Woodburn's Will-o'-th'-Wisp beat Mr. J. Robin son's Canino, Mr. Eden's Eleus beat Mr. Ball's Handy, Lord Sefton's Senate beat Mr. Jepson's Flicker, Mr.. Langshaw's Liddesdale beat Mr. Jebb's Tricksy, Mr. Weld -Blundell's Bendigo beat Mr. Jefferson's Fop, Six Mr. Bell, d r g: s -a w y a ' s n, l s ti ti g lnualipadtrlg Snapdragon ea L t or l d ir J. Boswell's Tiny Salute beat Mr. Langtry's Lincoln,- Mr. Webb's Flirt beat Mr. Slater's Original, Mr. A. Graham's Conciliation beat Mr. Sampson's Clown, Mr. E . N gli a n sh tr s ' F s a ß ti T a y i, Edlesten's Tiny Trip beat Mr. Bake's Ambition, Mr. Craven's Clarina beat Mr. Bold Robinson's Blanche, Mr. Gardner's Kate beat .. Mr..P. Taylor's Hannah, Mr. Nash'is Figaro beat Lord Eglinton's Auchinleck; Sir J. BOSWCU'R Netherton beat Mr. Deakin's D o t, H on . C o l one l Wode mat Mr. Barnes's Lady. -Eleus beat Will-o'-thi-Wisp, Senato RlFlithand rip beat ¢o beat Tiny Salute, . FIRST TIES.- beat Liddesdale beat Snapdragon, Flirt heat Conciliation, Tiny Clarion, Figaro beat Kate, Netherton beat Thistle. SECOND TIES .—Senate beat Eleus , Bendigo beat Right hand, Flirt beat Tiny Trip, Figaro beat Netherton. THIRD TiEs.—Senate beat , B9idigo, Flirt beat Figaro, NG COURSI —Senate beak Flirt and won tne THE ALTCAR STAKES Mr. J. Robinson ns Canino, Mr. Jakb ns Tricksy beat Mr. Jepson's Flicker, Mr. Jef: ferson ns Fop beat Mr. Langtry's Lincoln, Lord EgLin ton's Bessy Bell beat Mr. Nash's Fatima, - Mr. Slater no Original beat Mr. Suintson's . Clown, Mr. Bold Robin son' b- t- s blanche beat Mr. bake's Ambition, Mr. P. Taylor ns Hannah beat Lord Eglinton's Auchinleek (drawn), Mr. Deakin's Dot heat Mr. Barnes's Lady. FIRST TlES.—Tricksy beat Handy, eop beat Demo. Bell, Blanche beat Original, Hannah beat Dot. • SECOND T ES .—Tricksy beat Fop, Hannah beatßkinehe. DECIDING Couns.—Tricksy beat Ilannah and won THE WATERLOO PURSE Mr. Nash's Fireaway heat Mr.lialßobinson's Ran= ger, Mr. J. Robinson's Scotia beat the lion. Colonel Wodebouse's Top. Mr. Jebb'a Lapwing beat LOA :`Sef ton's Sailor, Mr. Swan's SParks-ot- Fire beat Air. Octavia',:Mr..!angtry:s Sir Walt- beat •Mr. Deakin's Tiusty, Edlesfon - e'i Epaulette beat Mr. Sampson's; Pantaloon, fir. ,Eden's Harriet beat Mr: ,myth's Havoc, Mr. A. Graham's Confessing Penitent beat . Mr: .114dg *av's Fair Lawn Fias'r Ties.—Scotia beat Fireaway, Lapwing beat. Sparks-of-Fire, Epaulette beat Sir Walter, Harriet beat - Colifessiur Penitent. SECOND LES.— Lapwing beat Scotia, Harriet .beat: Epaulette, I'.CIDING 4 - wasE.--)larriet beat Lapwing and lea* A PPOUTIONING OF THE STAKV. Waterloo Cup.----Lord Sefton X3OO, MV. Webb £lOO. Mr. Weld Blundell £3O, Mr. Nash 1:30, Mr. Eden £2O. 11r. Ridgwa.T £2O, Edleston £2O, Sir J. Bosw ell '9o. Mr. II M I oodhurn £lO, ,r. angshaw £lO, Sir J. Boswell £lO, Mr. Saran £lO, Mr. A. Graham £lO, Mr.. Craven £l9, Mr. Gardner £lO, Hon. Cola Wodchouss, £lO, Mr. Jepson ( beaten by the winner in the till; course) £lO, to be given to the beaten dogs in the first course (the Altcar stakes) £l7O. I.lfizr Stakci.—Mr. Jebb .£lOO, Mr. P. Taylor .00. Mr. Jefferson £lO, Mr. Bold Robinson £lO, Mr. Balt XI £5, Mr. :slater £2, Mr. Deakin .£5-. Jurse.—Mr . . Eden £lOO, Mr. 'Jebb £42, Mr. Mr. Edleston £5, Mr. Nash 4,"2, Swan '172. Mr. Landry £2, Mr. A. Graham £2. Lord said, 11 TIE - . to be twenty yartl3witte and a mile and ei g hteen yards ix wourably of,•tuld will. ground .en very Of lielate:course. new course is - nearer and mora convenient to the town, being ,wily about a mile and half distant from the Exchange. Measures are ahoy& being taken for the immediate .erection of booths and granny staad