The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-01-31 00:00:00

TIAL 'opgregation of St 3. Cottle Silas' bare in addition t the Re robes presented their minister, £lOO, which they purpose adding annual► The following is a copy of the letter address_ gentleman by the churchwardens, expressive of the sentiments of the congregation, which must have been as gratifying to him as to the trustees who made the appointment : stipend d to the reverend " Dear Sir " Liverpool, Jan. 25th, 1843. , As the churchwarden s o f S t. Sil as ' , t h e pleasing duty as devolved on us to request, `in the name of the congregation,' your acceptance of the - sum of one hundred pounds, as a small token expressive of their high estimation of your pains -taking exertions in fulfilling the sacred duties of your office, net only in imparting spiritual instruction frem the pulpit, but in vour unwearied minister ing to the necessities of the sick and destitute, in the district assigned to your pastor a l care . "We feel assured we only record the prayer of the con gregation when we add, ' May you through Go4's great mercy be blessed with health and strength to continue in well doing; and may we all through his bounty to us be enabled to make up annually this addition to the respected and valued minister.'—We remain, &c, " H. C. CH IPMAN " J. R. COOPER, stipend of our Churchwardens ATTEMPTED ROBBERY AND VIOLENCE.—At the Police court, yesterday, a young man, well known to the police, was charged with having violently assaulted and robbed James Forrester, a flour-broker, residing in Key-street. Forrester stated, that, about half-past eight o'clock on Sun day evening, he was returning home with a young woman, named Catherine Burns, from the Park, where he had been taking tea. In order to go the shortest way, they agreed to go across the fields, the entrance to which was over a long wall near North-street. He mounted the wall with the in tention of assisting his companion over, ;Ind the same mo ment the prisoner and another man jumped over the wall after them. The prisoner immediately seized him by the neckerchief, and demanded sixpence from him, which being refused, he was knocked down, and greatly abused by both the men. They threw him down several times, and kicked him about the face till it was frightfully disfigured. He contrived, however, to give his purse (con , ' Burns, who, by calling out " Robbery ! • . alarmed policeman No. 301, who came to their assistance. The prisoner and his companion then ran off, and, after a smart chase, he was secured, but the latter escaped. The prosecutor lost a silk handkerchief from his hat during the outrage. This statement was corroborated by Burns and the police-off►oer, who added that, on searching the prisoner, he observed that blood was upon one of his arms. The pri soner, in defence, said he was coming from his brother's in the Park, when he met the prosecutor and Burns ; the for mer jostled against him, on complaining of which he struck him, and all he had done was to strike him in return. He was committed for trial at the assizes. ining 20s: " Murder Is STIT —The middle LIVERPOOL COLLEGI school of this institutio pupils, on which occ. - ecture hall was for the first time used for divine service. A voluntary was performed whilst the pupils were entering ; after which the professors and masters, attired in collegiate costume, having taken their places on the platform, the selection of prayers used at King's College, London, was impressively read by the mverend principa. Aout 500 of te parets and frieds of the pupils were pr l esent b in the lower h gallery, n (which has been set apart for the accommodation of those who may wish to be present at the morning service,) and, one and all seemed highly delighted with the proceedings. The appearance of the pupils'as they passed to and from the lecture hall in their collegiate gowns, was an interesting exhibition, and afforded much gratification. Lord Francis Egerton will nominate, free of expense, to the upper school, the pupil who shall pre eminently distinguish himself during the present year, and has also generously placed £lO a t th e disposal of the direc tors, to be awarded in such prizes as they may deem fit. William Potter, Esq., has announced his intention of giving two free nominations to the middle school, to the most dis tinguished boys of the present year. The privilege of com peting for the preceding prizes will be confined to three pu pils, who may attend during the present quarter. The in ducements to enter the Collegiate School are thus becoming powerful, and when John Gladstone, Esq., carries out his intention of founding for them an university scholarship, they will be materially increased. The upper school is announced to open on the ]3th February. Ali,ny of the most opulent and influential of our townsmen have already entered their children as pupils, and several of the gentry of the neighbour ing counlies purpose sending their sons to it. In a few years, therefore, under the able guidance of the reverend principal, and the eminent and experienced professors whom he has been so fortunate as to engage, we may expect to find the pupils of this institution taking a high stand in the universi ties of the country, and, thereby placing the Liverpool Col legiate Institution in an honourable position with respect to the preparatory colleges of the country. )pened yesterday with nearly 200 sion the 1 CORRESPONDENCE TO RICHARD COBDEN, ESQ., M.P. SlR, — Before we meet to-morrow night, I am desirous to call your attention to some facts which seem to con nect themselves with the present position of our manufactur ing population, and the miserable low state of our outward mercantile trade, and, as truth will in all things ultimately prevail, we shall assuredly arrive at a sounder view of the corn-law question by sifting the following facts carefully— for two obvious reasons, viz.,—To ascertain how far the manufacturers and merchants have executed their orders with the nations of the world, nationally, knot barely indi vidually,) by the manufacture and sale of such goods as were honestly made, or likely to he sought for a second time ; and, secondly, how far such goods will be taken, in future, in pay ment for corn •, however simple these questions may appear at first sight, they are, to my mind, all important in the con sideration of the corn-law question ; not looking at that question in a spirit of tenderness towards; the landlord or tenant, for in that spirit there is no safety—the food of the people is a subject so momentous, as, next to their moral condition, to be paramount to all others. Now, the popular question of " free trade in corn " sounds sweetly, I grant, and I admit it may, for a time,(or for ever, if you value the admission), render that commodity cheaper. Next comes the question, in what do you propose to pay for it? You will reply, in manufactures. In manufactures? " Manchester goods? " But have not the goods hitherto classed as export goods already disgusted many of our foreign customers, and will they not rather sell us their corn for cash, and buy manufactures at an honester market ?—lower prized they cannot find. The conjurors, who talk about laying down land depend ing upon a cheaper market for corn, fancy that if we wanted corn on an emergency, it would be supplied from our own soil as quickly as mushrooms, and that laying our land down in permanent grass, we should produce more beef and mut ton. To this it may be observed, what pretty little fat sheep of 6 lbs. a quarter would our excellent neighbour, Michael Ashcroft, of B an k -h a ll , produce upon his presenthighly cul- 1 tivated farm if it were driven into permanent turf ; but, say you, there would be no deficiency in this supply if the trade were free; perhaps not, if we were always sure that we could payfor it; but if our manufactures, and most particularl th it portion with which you are connected, have already, by their artificial character, disgusted the wearers of them, how do you mean to cure th a t ev il? Do you advise the practice of honesty in future ? If so, our manufactures will again survive the present depression, without your interference with the home customer; and, if not, they had better be for gotten, because, for the last thirty years, they have been so conducted in principle, as to enrich the few by the slavery of the many, whilst they have encouraged the over-production of a rascally bad article, which has afforded a beggarly remu neration for the labour of the working classes, and reduced the demand of sound goods, by the encouragement thus af forded to the export of materials and machinery. Look back on the character of Manchester prints so called, which have been exported !—piles of thousands of-pieces— possessing neither cloth nor colour—merely dipped cobwebs —your shirtings filled up with rubbish, and sealed with a no torious lie in the English tongue. Could any one be surprised that such a trade must lan guish in the long run ? Even supposig such goods hav been furnished to the rudest barbarian, n the first tim e to he be e came possessed of an honest-packed article, he would treat the Britisher and his goods with derision. Examine the enclosed patterns, value seven farthings per yard, fine glossy satin-faced printed Manchester cambries : dip them in warm water—alas ! your fine piece is gone, cloth and colour, and you are left with a mere cobweb. These, although improve ments on the rubbish of twenty years since in appearance, form still the same fraudulently -packed stuff, which starves him who labours at them at home, and destroys the character of the nation abroad. They may earn a very large profit (once) for the merchant or manufacturer, but benefit no other party. Do you expect to buy corn with such trash ? Fudge Nor is this kind of fraud confined to Manchester. Look at the trash got up by your Yorkshire neighbours in cutlery for our foreign customers, wherever they can be forced ; and blush to see a cast-iron knife or razor, a box of tools, and various other trumpery, polished up and marked in our own tongue as of finel quality ! Do you, my noble cotton lord, suppose foreigners are such dolts as to prefer English trash to goods of honester make ? I remember full well a glove-manufacturer, who, acting upon this principle, reduced the sewer's price to 12d. per dozen, (for which the poor people burnt him in effigy,) and cut all the rejected leather he could procure, and produced a lower-priced article than was previously known. A dozen of them were about the size of two bricks, stiff and scabby. No hand could be introduced !No matter!—they were glovesfor export. They could not be worn. What was the consequence? In a few years the trade was annihilated. But we may illustrate this shabby practice nearer home, viz., Yorkshire broads. Time was when the Britishers at home were not so skilful in their knowledge of such cloths. What was then the practice? Why the pieces were about a foot narrower than theßest of Englands, and this fault was hidden by folding the cloths in a fraudulent manner, so as to appear to an inexperienced eye as of full breadth. To such an extent was this practised, that old Joe Grimaldi made one of his whimsical hits in a Christmas pantomime, by pro ducing a supposed piece on the stage, so folded with fine black list, and the words thereon in yellow silk, " Yorkshire Broad." The Yorkshire folks ultimately gave up the prac tice, and by turning their attention more to quality than de ceit, now rival the West ; but they too have lately been practising a new fraud, of tearing old rugs to make new coats. Do they expect to buy corn with them ? That there has been much suffering in the manufacturing districts all humane persons lament, while all patriotic per sons must have made strange comparisons of the loyalty and patience exhibited by the poor men, and by their rich mas ters ; and in justice to these poor men, I trust the facts herein stated will be properly inquired into ere the consu mers of bread plunge themselves into irretrievable ruin by destroying the home producer and consumer, who require goods that will pay the maker for the labour of his hands, rather than by pursuing a system which has already paralyzed the spirits of the manufacturing population, even if with the knowledge of their past sufferings, you could reasonably be lieve that foreigners would be such fools as to continue to take such rubbish as that forming the great proportion of export goods, in exchange for the next thing to gold, viz., corn, the article you propose to discourage the production of. Will China take them for her crapes, nankeens, teas, or silks. Pshaw ! Turn your attention to excellence of quality, and fairness in packing, and China may be a splendid cus tomer, and if so, the goods they will buy will enable the poor half starved weavers to earn the wages of comfort to which they are as much entitled as the farm labourer. How is it that th e y h ave b een d e p r ived of it, whilst their employers have become rich as Nabobs. There is the rub ! The cure for our disease is to discon tinue the use of substitute as the staple of our manufacture ; no longer to practise deception in packing, and then you will no longer require to stamp a continuous lie on the produc tions of your looms, and foreign nations will soon exhibit better feelings, and more confidently rely on the honour and honesty of our dealings than they seem inclined to a t p resent. I perceive Mr. O'Connell is to figure away at thi s gran d Muster of philosophers ; he will probably describe to the meeting how his countrymen have lost inosittehnes, to which their oncebealut,ivfiulll manufacture of their honestly packed listen with attention, and:how he proposes to recove r it b y the:introduction of cheap corn. As 1 have extended my observations far beyond my fi rst intention I will briefly add that I a dmire your appare n t zea l for the public good ; but your one idea is fallacious, the rest appear to me to rest upon fallacy . Yours, respectfully, JOHN JONES. Liverpool. January3oth, 1843. " Why are soldiers on foot more liable to err than ladies on horseback?" Dy'e give it up ? Because soldiers muster and ladies canter. TOXTETI3•PARK. PROTESTANT OPEHATIVE ASSOCIATION Last night a crowded meeting of the members and friends of the Toxteth-park Protestant Operative Association was held in the Toxteth-hall, Mill-street, for the purpose of con sidering the propriety of adopting a petition to parliament, praying for the discontinuance of the annual grant to the popish College of Maynooth. The Rev. Hum' 'APNEILL, patron of the association, presided. The Divine blessing having been implored upon the pro ceedings, in an appropriate prayer, by the Rev. NV. BUTLER, incumbent of St. Thomasis, Warwick -street, The CHAIRMAN addressed the meeting nearly as follows : —A petition for inquiry Into the principles and practices taught in the College of Maynooth is in course of signature in this town at this time ; and the immediate objects of the present meeting are, first to give you an opportunity of attaching your names to that petition; secondly, to supply you with such information, in addition to that you already possess, as will satisfy you it is a Christian duty so to do ; and thirdly, to excite such interest in your minds upon the subject as will induce you to endeavour to cause your fellow townsmen to attach their names also to this petition. (Hear.) It has been told me by some who have come to me from this side of tha town that there exists among you a feeling of dis appointment and even of despondency. Ido not participate in any such feeling. Ido not think there is the slightest reason why you should abate, in the smallest degree, the energy, the earnestness, the activity, the perseverance of your efforts in the cause of Christian truth and Scrip tural education. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) You have been taught, and I hope that you are well and fully persuaded, that duty is not to he measured by success; but that it rests upon a principle which remains unchanged, whether the All wise disposer of all events be pleased to crown the cause with I present and practical advance, or to try its advocates by pre. sent exercises of patience. (Hear.) If, therefore, it could be shown that our cause had made no advance ; if no friends had been gained to it in parliament or in the country ; if it stood precisely where it did ten years ago, still our duty would remain the same, equally obvious and equally urgent. But our cause is not in this position. (Hear, hear.) It has advanced. (Cheers.) Documentary evidence, supporting our strongest assertions in reprobation of the principles in culcated in Maynooth College, have been laid before the Public and largely read : the standard books which contain the leading features of that evidence have been lodged by the official consent of the proper authorities in the public libra ries of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge,—(A VoicE—And in Dublin),—yes, and in Dublin too. (Hear.) Petitions from various parts of the country, with vastly increased numbers of signatures, attest the progress the cause has made out of doors ; and in the House of Commons, the minority of those who boldly voted with us upon this point is increased from seven or eight to forty-eight. (Great cheering.) Our cause, therefore, does not stand where it did ; it has advanced; and advanced perhaps as rapidly as it was reasonable to expect such a cause could advance against the tide of " conciliation," as it has been falsely called, and liberality," equally falsely called, but indifferentism and infidelity, properly called, which had spread through the country. (Cheers.) A `''DlCE.—May God increase it further. (Hear, bear.) The CHAIiestAN.—A very extraordinary principle, if it can be called a principle, has been gaining ground in this country with regard to public men—namely, that, although it is their duty as private individuals to avow their real sentiments, yet as public men it is not their duty to avow their real senti ments--(hear, hear) ;—and that they may have certain sen timents upon which they act as individuals, while unfortu dately they may act upon a different set of sentiments in their public capacity as rulers of a mixed community. You will not understand me to suppose I approve of such a sentiment. (Hear.) I am telling you it has spread in this country, and I want to make you understand the evii nature of it ; I want to expose it; and, in order to expose such a subtle sentiment to an audience such as I now have the honour to address, it is necessary to speak very plain. One of the greatest diffi culties that gentlemen have to contend with upon such occa sions as this is, in point of fact, that we are speaking to two auditories at once—an auditory like yourselves which, without meaning any disrespect to you, I may say, requires plainness of speech, and an auditory such as the reporter for the news paper is busy getting ready for, who require critical nicety— (hear, hear) ;—so that, in point of fact, 1 must remember that I have not only to address the parties assembled in the Toxteth-hall, but also the parties_ who will read the LIVER POOL STANDARD to-morrow morning. Now upon the subject of this " liberalism ;" I heard a strange anecdote of three gen tlemen, one of whom said " Two and two are four." Another said " No ; two and two are aresix." (Laughter.) The third was appealed to as an umpire ; he was a liberal gentleman, and he said, " My good friends it is necessary to conciliate in these times, and not to drive matters to extremes ; it is necessary to be kind in the construction put upon other people's words,—the friend upon my right, perhaps, did not mean all that he said when he said `two and two arc four,' and it is possible that my honourable friend upon the other side may have exaggerated a little when he said that two and two are six—(Laughter)—and I propose, as a real verity of the case, for peace sake, that it be laid down henceforth that two and two are five !" (Loud laughter.) " If," he con tinued, " I was speaking in my individual capacity, knowing as well as the life within me that two and two are four, I would agree with that gentleman ; but I have a public charac ter to sustain, in the which it is necessary to conciliate various parties—to remember the conscientious objections of dissenters, and to maintain the first dignities of the church ; therefore in my public capacity I dare not say what I know to be true, two and two are four, that would be dangerous and indiscreet : to say that two and two make six would be false • and, therefore, I come t o th e le g iti ma t e , th e di screet, and the parlitnentary conclusion that two and two are five." But not only has our cause as respects Moynooth prospered in the face of this enemy, but the kindred question of Scrip tural education has also prospered. (Hear,) It is true that no change is contemplated in the system adopted in Ireland, but in the only town in England, where that system was in troduced, a change has not only been contemplated but com pletely effected. (Loud Cheers.) It is true that some of our representatives appear to have changed their mind since they were elected, but what then? Our majorities are not so scanty as to be affected by such changes •, we have gained our point as touching the schools, and you have been gaining as electors. (Cheers.) You should take care to whom you give your votes, because, remember, a representative iu a British deliberative assembly is not a fettered delegate, but he is a free debater. (Cheers.) You cannot at once confer and withhold your confidence—(cheers) • you send a member to the House of Commons, or to the Town -council, but being there, he no longer consults for you only, but according to the best of his judgment for the whole kingdom or for the whole town. (Cheers.) This is a general principle of our constitution as laid down by its greatest lights. (Cheers.) There may, indeed, be peculiar cases of voluntary and plain declarations on one side, and sudden and unexplained votes upon the other side, which may render it unspeakably dis graceful for a man to screw himself behind this generous principle while he is practising deliberate deception; and in such causes it may be very proper for constituencies publicly to mark their reprobation of such conduct. But, then, they must remember that even in an extreme case like this, with the exception of public opinion, they have no strictly con stitutional remedy till the next election. (Cheers.) With these few remarks I must content myself, and call upon my friends who bath joined me, and kindly undertakers to address you this evening ; but there is another point upon which I wish to offer a few remarks, because I have heard that some of you have been unsettled by it. I have heard. but perhaps I have been misinformed, that some of the emissaries of the Anti-Corn-Law-Leage have been among you—(hear)--a republican faction, making up by perpetual motion for the want of weight in their numbers, their cha racters, and their respectability in th e coun t ry . (L ou d cheers.) Rest assured that the question between these men and the aristocracy of England is a question between repub licanism or monarchy, and nothing short of it. (Hear.) But they talk of regard for the poor, and they talk of cheap bread: what is the reason they do not talk of cheap labour? (Hear, hear.) They deny that cheap bread will lead to cheap labour ; but " facts are stubborn things," and since the influx of foreign corn of late, and the great, and blessed, and plentiful harvest we had last year—since provisions have been cheaper, wages have been lowered. (Loud cries of " hear, hear.") That is a matter of fact : it is a fact. (Hear.) I saw a gentleman to-day from Bolton, who told me that there are men working there for 4s. 6d. a week— (hear, hear)—and yet these gentlemen will say in the Am phitheatre to-morrow evening that the price of food has no connection with the price of wages! (Hear.) I want you to ask them this, if you have an opportunity. (I do not want vou to go to their banquet for the purpose, though) will they be content to agitate for a clause in the act of parliament, which shall repeal the Corn-law for the regulation of wages, a clause prescribing a point, below which the mecha nic shall not be required to labour ?—(Hear, hear.) If Mr. Cobden will agitate a minimum clause of wages, he may the n call himself th labouring man's friend ; but while he agitates for free trade in corn, he agitates for free trade in wages too —(hear) ; and when he has got down the loaf so that you can buy it for sixpence instead of a shilling he will get down your wages, for he will tell you "you can live for so much less now than before."—(Hear, hear.) He will tell you then " Were you not a fool not to see this sooner?—(Hear, hear.) Did we not tell you we wanted to compete with foreign manufac tures, but we could not do it while bread was so dear ?" What does that mean but this—" How can we compete with the foreign manufacturer but by manufacturing at home cheaper, and how cheaper but by paying you less ?—(Hear.) I understand there is a celebrated countryman of mine coming to join them to-morrow. (Laughter.) You must not be sure of him, because there was a very convenient blast of wind this evening, just about the time the Dublin packet sails. (Loud laughter.) I want to read you a passage from a very significant letter he wrote lately, with regard to this subject of free trade that is so much talked of. " Within little more than twelve months no less than six tariffs have been proclaimed against English manufactures. In November, 1841, a Russian tariff against her worsted, her woollens, and her cotton goods. In December, 1841, a Por tuguese tariff against her woollen goods. In June, 1842, a French tariff against her linen-yarns and linens. In July. 1842, a Belgian tariff against the same articles. In August, 1841, a, United States tariff against her woollens, worsted, and cotton goods. In September, 1842, a German League tariff against one of her largest articles of British export, namely, her worsted goods, printed or figured. There is one thing exceedingly curious, which looks like a hallucination over the minds of our great statesmen. It is this. In the face of these tariffs our ministers have gratuitously, and of their own mere motion, opened our markets, either at no duty or at a low duty, for many foreign articles which we ourselves can and do produce. Thus, whilst foreigners close their markets against us , we retaliate by opening our markets freely for them. I am certainly an advocate for free trade ; but it must be a just and generous freedom, not that bastard free trade that throws all the burdens upon our produce, and leaves all the advantage .to foreign articles." (Hear.) Now, here is the man who wrote this for a purpose in Ire land coming over here to speak at a " free trade banquet ! " (Cheers.) Why if he uttered this in the Amphitheatre to morrow night, they would probably turn him out, great a man as he is ! (Great cheering, and laughter.) " Free trade "—yes, but it must be really free ; but these mighty manufacturers do not desire that; they do not desire that there should be any protection for their manufactured goods, but they desire that there shall be no protections for the farmers. " Anti -monopoly " is their cry ; and " Citizens of the world " they call themselves. Now, I ask them why should England monopolize manufactures ? (Hear.) If you are an anti-monopoiy man, why crush the manufactures of other nations? Keep it at home. That is monopoly ; keep it at home, but apply the same principle to everything. We are the opposers of monopoly, for we wish to have both manufactures and agriculture, and not manufactures only ' (hear)—we are th e opposers of monopoly, for we wish other nations to have both manufactures and agriculture, and not agriculture only ;—(hear)—so, then, we are the opposers of 1 monopoly, and they are the monopolists! (Loud cheering.) _ Now if we are to h ave f ree tra d e , as Mr. O'Conr.ell says here, let it be a real reciprocal freedom, and let us not have what he calls " that bastard free trade" which would allow American corn to come into our ports without duty, while the Americans will not allow British cotton goods to go into their ports without duty. (Cheers.) You cannot force every people ; therefore you cannot have "free trade all the world over." (Hear.) Fair play is a jewel. (Hear.) But suppose you could force every people, and have real free trade all the world over, I wish you just to look at the con sequences. (Hear.) There is no limit to what may be pro duced by mac hi ner y : a machine w ill d o as much with two or three men to work it, as two or three and twenty men, or two or three hundred men perhaps, could do without it. There is a limit to what man can produce, but there is no limit to what machinery can produce. If all the ports of the world were open to England free, machinery would produce in a little while what would supply and glut all the markets of the world. While doing so the manufacturers of England would be multiplied a thousand fold ; and when that was stagnation and glut came, there would be ao agri. culture to fall back upon. (Hear.) The whole nation would be a starving nation. (Hear.) Instead of bringing some only to the starving point, they would, when stagnation came, bring all to the starving point, and leave none to feed them. What can be done, fhen ? Ido not intend to weary you by going largely into this question ; but I wish very much that those gentlemen who talk so very feelingly about the distre,s of the poor would slew that they really have the in- terests of the poor at heart by cordially joining in a clause for the regulation of the minimum of wages. I believe, however, that that would be impracticable. I believe that the la bouring man is influenced by so many things as well as the price of provisions, that it would be impossible for a mind willing legislature to regulate by any act the wages of the poor. These men know this. They know how to manage in order to gain their own points, and they have managed to gain them. Ido not charge them with having caused the disturbances which took place a few months in the manufac turing districts ; but I state a fact that during those distnr bances they got rid of their old stock of goods; they sold them off; the men struck ; they would not work ; they got no wages ; they withd rew th e i r b a l ances f rom the savings' banks, and lived upon their savings. No good was pro duced ; the home market must be supplied ; the old stocks were brought out, and they kept the people at bay ; and in stead of giving them wages, they were obliged to live upon their own balances out of the savings' banks. lam stating a fact; I ds not accuse any person of wilfully bringing about his state of things, but the fact resulted so that many stores were cleared of the old goods, and the master manufacturers pocketed as much as would realise the £50,000 they now want, while the poor people were getting no wages, but liv ing upon their own savings. (Hear.) This was one cause of the smaller consumption of articles of food in England during those few months, a cause of the fall in prices, not from any larger quantity of the article, but absolutely be cause there was less of it eaten. (Hear.) There is a passage here before me from a speech of this same Mr. Cobden, who has been mooting this question with so much animation in various parts of the country, a passage from a speech he delivered in Edinburgh, which comes to this subject of wages ; and I am willing you should hear what he has to say :—" When the late corn law was passed, I asked if they were also going to pass a law to keep up the rate of wages. I brought before them, from the votes of their proceedings, that they had declared, in answer to the peti tions of the hand-loom weavers, that there was no power in parliament to regulate wages of labour."—lt was, perhaps, an evil hour that that was made known to him. He has led us into a scrape here—it is in evidence that it is not in the power of parliament to regulate the wages of labour. He is not afraid of a wages clause; but if it were in the power of parliament to regulate wages, he would not be so ready to ' force it upon parliament to repeal the laws for protection of agriculture. (Cheers.) " I asked if they were now going to pass a bill to raise the rate of wages ; and proposed a mo tion in which I declared that it was unjust to raise the price of corn while the house had declared it had no power to raise the rate of wages." It is unjust to lower the price of corn, therefore, if the house have no power to Prevent the lowering of wages. (Loud cheers.) They laugh at us for saying that the labouring man is better off when bread is dear than when it is cheap ; but, neverthe less, it is true. (Hear.) Dear bread is better than cheap bread ; you must get wages enough to buy b rea d, an d you may rest assured, my frends, that whatever collateral in fluence may be brought to bear upon this subject, and how ever difficult it may be to take clear views of it divested of those influences, upon the right side and upon the left, and however temporary effects may be produced by extra neous causes, yet in the long run, and upon the broad scale, the price of food will and must regulate the price of wages. Therefore when food is cheap the poor man is worse off than when food is dear, because, if even he can get his food for half the money, if lie only gets half the wages, he is worse off, because he has but the other half of the smaller sum to devote to everything else he wants besides food. (Loud cheers.) I endeavoured to make this as plain as possible in a little dialogue I remember giving to a meeting in this town, and which was printed; that dialogue , which had a large cir culation, contai ns an argument which these gentlemen have never condescended to answer, yet they now crow as if they had answered it. They crow like a cock that has all his own way throughout the whole yard—(laughter)—and they are persuading people to believe them because the respectable portion of the community do not take the trouble of con tradicting them. They are going through the whole country from town to town; they have come here now, and they had a gathering to-day to settle what is to be done, and they will have a much greater to-morrow. They state things with as much boldness and effrontery as if they had never been re futed ; they argue as long as they can get the smallest bodies to believe them, and whilst they are endeavouring to make persons believe them they are gaining converts. The re spectable part of the community, on the other hand, have not thought it worth while to get up a counter agitation, to argue against these men, and to enlighten the mass of the people. The gentlemen of the country have paid you a high compliment; they are satisfied with you r goo d sense , an d they do not think it necessary to send lecturers among, you to keep you from the fallacies and the misrepresentaions of the lecturers of the Anti-corn-Law League. They have given you credit for common sense in this matter; and I should be very glad if you would justify in this town the opinion formed of you, for while there are many gentlemen in the town who disapprove of this agitation, none of them have co m e forwa r d to say so,—(hear)—th e y have called no counter meetings, which they might have done ; for it would be as easy the day after to-morrow, or the first day the Amphitheatre may be disengaged, to fill it with the friends of good order, the monarchy, the church, and the corn-law—(hear),—as it is for them to have it full to-morrow of the friends of repeal. (Cheers.) Why do we not do it? You do not require it; 'you are satisfied already. (Cheers.) Before I conclude, and in order to bring you back to the special subject of the meet ing, I wish to mention another topic introduced by Mr. O'Connell in his letter. " The people of Ireland have a direct and immediate interest in the misers and misfortunes of England. When England is strong and prosperous, she is uniformly harsh, cruel, and unjust towards Ireland. When England is in distress, she courts or conciliates the Irish people, or submits to the necessity which then arises of doing sonic injustice to Ireland." The public mind in Ireland is favourably influenced by the thorough knOwledge the Catholic clergy and laity have, that the Catholic church in that country cannot possibly be free, without the restoration of an Irish parliament ! (Hear.) He describes what he means by freedom to the Catholic church, by the restoration of an Irish parliament; and one thing he aims at by this resto ration is what he calls " the fixity of tenure." I think it highly probable that many of those I have now the pleasure to address, may not be in possession of the meaning of this phrase " the fixity of tenure." Mr. O'Connell wants the people of Ireland to feel they have hold upon their farms whether the landlord choose or not—that they are all pro prietors ; and he gives this description of it himself : " I am greatly obliged to my friend, Mr. Moylan, for af fording the information that the tenant who plants trees, and registers those trees, possesses a property in them, even after he has left, or has been driven from, the farm on which they are planted "—So he has a property in the trees upon the farm, after he gives up the farm to his landlord ! He says then—" This opens a new view to my mind, and I think that there is no improvement which the tenant may make that be may not equally secure to him a property in it if he should adopt the same means of registering it. (Hear, and cheers.) Let him, therefore, register every improvement, whether in planting, draining, or whatever else he does, and he may possess a like praperty in it, whatever be the improvements he may have effected." Here is a " fixity of tenure !" He wants the poor man to have real possession of the land ! But here what follows : I may be in error, but the principle is a vital one—one of vast importance to Ireland —one which cannot be too wisely carried out, and I, therefore, say that it demands attentive consideration (hear and loud cheers.) Let it be known that almost all the proprietors of the soil in Ireland have their possessions by force and fraud. (Cheers.) I told you at first that the movement was a revolutionary one against the aristocracy and the monarchy o the kingdom. (Hear.) It is so ; and now I come back and show you that this part of it is in the very language I have last read is based upon essential principles which we have always told you belong to the Roman Catholic Chcrch in Ireland. She holds the principle which maintains, as we have often shewn you, that the proprietors of the land being Protestants, have no just title to that land—that it was not in the power of the King of England to give that title—that they possess their land by fraud or force, and not of just right. This it the principle which lies at the root of all good govern ment, peace, and quietness in the land. There is just cause, then that the lovers of order in this land. (Hear and cheers.) should, calmly and constitutionally, peaceably and plainly, address the legislature—that they should in well-arranged petitions setting forth the grounds of their alarm, and stating the principles on which they wish to be governed, to inter pose between this republican party that is raised up against England and Ireland, and agoinst the constituted authorities of our limited monarchy—(cheers) —for you may rest as sured that the question is not merely the repeal of the union between England and Ireland, though that is put forward, nor a repeal of the corn-laws, though that be put forward. (Hear.) These would be taken as " instalments;" but the question behind and beyond both of them' is, whether we shall remain a limited monarchy and a Protestant church— whether there shall remain a circulated and a honoured Bible —or whether there shall be a prostration of all regulated authority in the lands before a rising republican revolution, that would sweep away the altar and the throne, and take our Bible and our church from us, under the pretence of giving cheap loaves to the poor. (Tremendous cheering, when the reverer.d gentleman resumed his seat.) The Rev. W. BUTLER commenced by reading the resolu tion, to the effect—" That thi s mee ti ng , conv i nce d of the high and paramount duty of using, in the defence and for the furtherance of the pure Gospel of Christ, all those means which are providentially and constitutionally placed within their reach as Christians and British subjects,—and fully sensible that such duty remains unchanged in its principle and obligation, whatever changes may take place in the go vernment of the country,—do now determine to renew their application to the Imperial Parliament on the subject of the College of Maynooth, wherein they firmly believe that prin ciples and practices are taught repugnant to the Word of God, hostile to the Protestant monarchy of Great Britain, and such as, if prevalent, must prove subversive of the civil liberties, as well as of the Scriptural privileges, of English men." This resolution, he said, set forth the cause why the meeting should petition parliament—namely, that the prin ciples taught at Maynooth, if carried out, would subvert their civil and religious liberties, especially that religious liberty founded on the Scriptures, which they enjoyed as English men. There were differences of condition amongst men in their worldly pursuits, those of the greatest ability and energy necessarily holding the highest stations; but reli gious liberty taught them that they were sinful and all alike in the sight of God. If we possessed this liberty, all other liberties would follow in its train ; and other liberty was valueless without that which they derived from their Bibles. Ancient Greece was refined in literature and art, but not having this humanising and redeeming liberty, she had her slaves. Sparta, too, had her Helot. Even at the present day, !f they crossed the Atlantic, America toohad her slaves ; and he rejoiced that England, protestant England, was the first, through the influence of religious liberty in the true sense of the word was the ffrst to show an example by emancipating the slaves from bondage. if schools were so conducted that scriptural education formed a great part of the instruction to youth, they would be) subversive of all liberty both civil and religious. Let them remember tlAt " example swayeth more than precept ;" and it was not enough that they should talk of the Bible ; they must show that they read, marked and resyected the truths contained in the sacred volume, without which all the noble qualities of the mind became corrupted. They should not only deeply study the scriptures themselves, but having imbued their minds with what they contained, lead others to entertain similar sentiments of the saving grace. He cordially moved the resolution. The Rev. THOMAS NOLAN, in seconding the resolution, said that as on the last occasion when he had spoke from that place, he had to congratulate them on having met in such numbers again to welcome amongst them their worthy chairman. He concurred with that distinguished individual that they ought not to give up principle, or to relax in their exertions to attain the object in view, although there was certainly some points to discourage them. They were taught by that book on which their faith rested, that it was theirs steadfastly to perform their duties, and that the results were in the hands of the Almighty. On this principle they were now banded together. The argument they had heard was not so obviously a Scriptural one as at first sight it really was, and it might be said that it touched too strongly on po litics. But they must speak out, for the question was, was the church to be or not to be; whether, in fact, our noblest institutions were to be overthrown and supplanted by a re publican--a revolutionary form of go vernment, and tho ward of truth wrest e d f rom their hands, which would be.the result of popish encroachment, and the abrogation of the corn- Connell might *rite one thing in Ireland, and suppress it here for his own purposes ;—(hear, hear s hear)—and Lord Morpeth might show a sympathy for the slave-holders of America, and give, when called on, a muftiad tone to the "liberty bill ;" but to this it would come if they did not bestir themselves. Protestants must maintain their vantage ground, and repel them. It was even mercy to themselves to check them in their career. The institute Maynooth, and every thing connected with it, they v.ere especially called upon to deprecate. It was a snutuary for carrying out all those principles, the re sults of which were found in the harrowing details from time to time in the columns of the Irish newspapers. With respect to the cor❑ laws, their repeal would be fraught with destruction to the Irish population. We had manu factures which they had not the advantage of—as they de pended almost solely on the soil. Here the Irish agricul turist got a ready market and a good price for his pro duce, and the removal of the corn-laws would involve that country in utter ruin. The petition had already been passed by a very large meeting, who were unanimous in its adoption, and as they all knew its contents, it was unnecessary again to read it. The recent change of go vernment did not effect the principles upon which it was founded; and they were still in open hostility to Maynooth, whose priests had forsworn the Word of God. After a va riety of other remarks, he concluded by seconding the mo tion. The motion was put and carried unanimously and enthu siastically. The Rev. F. PARRY moved the second resolution in an in teresting address; but we have not space or time, on the eve of our publication, to report his arguments or furnish any details of the subsequent proceedings. The resolution was to the effect that the petition was such as ought to be signed by every Christian man. The Rev. Mr. FALLOON seconded the motion, in a very animated address. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. The Rev. CHAIRMAN then addressed the meeting in sup port of protestantism, in a very animated address, which was received with great enthusiasm. Mr. JOHN SHEPPARD, in handsome terms, then proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, for his zealous and eloquent support of the cause. This was seconded by Mr. H ARBORD, and carried by acclamation. The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, referred to the Protestants of Ireland, who were ever ready to support their brethren in England, and were in truth " noble fellows." The petition, which had previously obtained many signa tures, was then numerously signed by those present, and the meeting dispersed. SIR CHARLES WOLSELEY AND THL LEAGUERS TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING CHRONICLE DEAR SlR,—Will you, for a few minutes, take your mind's eye from off the promised (by the Corn-law League) £50,000, and attend to a few observations I may make, and answer certain questions that a matter-of-fact man has an inclination to put to you ? I will first premise that I have no confidence in the Anti- Corn-law Leaguers. They belong to a caste which, in a letter I addressed to the Agricultural Association of the year 1836, I spoke of in the following terms, viz., " I observe the most strange discordance in your views, (naming the landed proprietors,) even now in the days of your noviciate, and long before the trying season, when you will be front to front with the crafty enemy—namely, the moneyed, mercantile, and ma nufacturing i n t erests . I n their f orces you w ill fi n d no re semblance to your condition and conduct ; full of envy and rivalry, as they are one with another, you will on the day of trial be astonished at their adroitness." I have uo confidence in them, because their language,when speaking of the landed gentry, is coarse and vulgar, branding them with tyranny, selfishness, and of being gorged with wealth torn from the working-classes of their country. Now, sir, I defy the whole league itself to point out one individual who has made a fortune out of his estate in land ; and, as to their wealth, I am convinced that, as a body, they are on the wrong side of the page! Would, there, however, be the same difficulty in showing up the riches and wealth of those of their own body? And let me ask from what source have they procured that wealth, unless it be from the sweat of the brow of the working manufacturers ? And is it not proved so by the conduct of their own men in the innumerable " strikes and turns-out" for these many years past ; and did not men prove it positively by their conduct in the late disturbances, iu their attacks on the property of their own dear friends? And have I not seen a report of a whining speech of Mr. Cobden's on that very subject—aye ! asking why they did not go and destroy the property of the landlords, instead of at tacking that of their dear friends ? I have no confidence in them, because they either seem, or pretend not to know what they are about; and at a meeting, the other day, at Birmingham, Mr. Muntz, M.P., told them very quaintly, " they had begun at the wrong end !" And this from a friend ! Now, sir, there are two certain printed letters, very well known ; the one signed " Civis," addressed to Lord 'John Russell, the other to Sir Robert Peel, signed " Miles," both written by the same person, to get the poor league out of the dilemma of "having begun at the wrong end." It would be well were they to take a lesson from " Civis," although the consequence might be that they would know whether they stood on their heads or their heels; but never mind that, " Civis" points out to them the right " end," and will prove to them that the doing away of the Corn-law is only as a drop in the sea towards the desired " end." And here let me ask those aspirants to the estates of the landlords, if the price of wheat at this moment is not as low, aye, lower than it was previous to the Bank Restriction Act of 1797, when out rushed the paper money, and which was before the great bulk of the national debt was contracted? And is the rent of land higher than in any other country, in proportion to the cost of living? And have not the manufacturers re ceived as much protection as we have—nay, have there not been prohibitions in their favour? And now, because the continental powers have begun to rival them in manufactures, is not all their appeals to the people about cheap food a cloak to ruin the agricultural interests, in the hope of saving them selves at the expense of the landlords? Once more before I finish let me recommend " Civis" and " Miles" to these gentlemen ; and, though an enemy to all monopolies or " corn lords," although I cannot attend to the trash I see emanate from the speakers on the anti-corn law side, I will not begin at the wrong end, and am, dear sir, yours sincerely, CHARLES WOLSELEY. Wolseleji, Jan. 21. _ _ • _ _ [The abo're was addressed to the Editor of the Morning Chronicle, but not inserted.] CARTHAGENA AND NEw GRNNADA : IMPORTANT IN FORMATION TO MERCHANTS.—AYe have learned from good authority, that it is in contemplation to declare Carthagena, in New Grenada, a free po r t, for the importation of goods from all parts of the world. This measure will be discussed by the Congress, to meet on the lst of March next, h av i ng been already debated l as t year w hen it passed the House of Representativ ; es and remained in the Senate for want of time. We shall hail this measure as an augur of f u t ure prosperity to our y oung s i ster re public, in whose welfare we have always take n a d eep i nterest. —New York H era ld . JUDICIAL DEClSlON S. —C oD piderable difference of o pi n i on has lately exi s t e d amongst the ma gistrates of Buckin g h am _ shire, as t o th e l ega li ty of mag i stra t e s deciding up on cases, or summarily co nv i c ti ng at t h eir p r ivate residences. In con sequence Sir James Graham has been written to on the sub ject, and he s t a t es i n rep l y, " t h a t in any district in which there is a regular an d fi xe d p l ace for holding the petty ses sions, to which the public have access, the most desirable course to adopt is that the cases which are to be brought be fore magistrates should be there heard and adjudicated, though, certainly, it is not illegal for the magistrates to hear cases at the office of their clerk.—On Friday, in the Queen's Bench, the Solicitor-General showed cause against a rule which had been obtained against two Staffordshire magistrates for a criminal information, for refusing to accept the names of two persons who had been tendered as bail for a Chartist rioter, named O'Neill, who had been very active during the late riots in Staffordshire. The court took time to consider the case. THE LEAGUE REGISTRATION.—The "registration sys tem" of the League has received a capital expose in the Derby Mercury of this week. " Men, women, and children," says the editor of that excellent paper, "are registered in a re markably wh o l esa l e manner; and that whether they are wil ling to appear in the character of National Anti-Corn Law Leaguers or not." And he gives one. instance as a sample of many in Derby, with which we will close this article. "We have a registration card before us," he writes, " of which (we suppress the name, though we will show it any one who may please to see it) the following is a copy NATIONAL ANTI-CORN -LAW LEAGUE. " is a Registered Member. " Joseph Hickin, Secretary. " No. 2,342. Registered by Thomas Madeley." Now will it be believed that the individual here named is a child scarcely seven years of age, an orphan, and under the guardianship of a near relative, who himself is a staunch Conservative, and a despiser of the League and all their cun niny and disreputable proceedings? and yet we declare that such is the literal truth. We ask any man what will be the value of the League's demonstration in Parliament, so far as the number of their alleged supporters is concerned, got up by means so thoroughly baseas these ?"—Halifax Guardian. TESTIMONIAL TO J. E. TENNENT, ESQ., M.P.—On Fri day last, upwards of seven t y gen tlemen sat down to dinne r atthe to Albion eMotr Esri forches,teNti,.p.,a service of plate f or the purpose of pre sentinghis zealous advocacy of the act passed to obtain protection for copyrights in designs. The plate consists of upwards of a hundred pieces, weighing more than three thousand ounces, all of silver, and, when arranged in order, would completely cover a large dining table. The largest piece of plate is a splendid centre-piece, about three feet in height, and costing, we believe, about £5OO, manufactured by Messrs. Garrard, Brothers, of the Haymarket, London, from a design by that eminent artist, Mr. Cottrell. It represents a scene in the desert, the story of the Turkish merchant endeavouring to purchase of a poor Arab his favourite brood mare and foal. In the centre of an oasis rises a large banana tree, with its broad spreading leaves, beautifully represented in frosted silver ; beneath its shade,C upon his carpet, is seated the Arab, smoking his long pipe, and the mare and foal are standing near. The merchant holds in his hand a well-filled purse; a handsome Turkish gun rests against the stern of the tree, a scymetar and a large roll or piece of fine cloth lie on the ground, as if to tempt the Arab's love of weapons and finery ; a large chest behind the merchant also contains a quantity of cloth tendered in barter for the " Arab steeds ; " but all in vain ; for their poor owner rejects the glittering prizes with a resolute mien, and. with his hand motions the merchant to take away his treasures ; valueless, when offered in barter for his priceless mare. The costumes, grouping, and elegance of the whole design, with the spirit with which it tells the story, attract the eye at once to this splendid centre-piece. It is placed on a decagonal base of ebony . , on one side of which (in front of the design) is placed a silver shield, on which is engraved the following inscription; this being the only piece of plate bearing one :—" This service of plate was presented to James Emerson Tennent, CR, &C. to I: is di s i n t e r es ted, zealous , a nd successful advocacy in par liament, of copyright of desi g n, in all branches of art and 3 With &c., member of parliam ent for Belfast, as a testimonial manufactures.—Manchester, 27t January, 184.' the exception of this centre-piece, h the whole of both services of plate has been furnished by Mr. Benj. Smith, of Duke street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, London. The dinner service consists of two candelabra, two soup-tureens, four sauce tureens, eight salts ; four side dishes,ovidoeeraod ate with covers to correspondyersandwarm ers ; one venison dish, it one 21-inch fish-dish ; two 1 7 -inch flank dishes ;36 ; coffee-jug, - l i m gi e teapot, ewer, and ago, a number of table plates, and 18 soup.plates . The breakfast service includes b a r s e lie fa r s t tea-kettle and and stand A • sohf foi r e t t c overs. gentlemen in Ireland presented to M r. T ennent two large and splendid ice-vases of silver, which were also furnished by Mr. Smith ; and Mr. Tennent's wishes having been con sulted as to the style and patterns of these services, be ex pressed a desire that they should_ a ll b e made to correspond with these two vases , the form and pattern of which had been copied from the celebrated Warwick vase. In accord ance with this wish, all the tureens and salts have been made of the form and pattern of the Warwick vase, which is so well known as to render further description in this respect unne cessary. The candelabra are very elegant, about 30 inches in height, each having a centre candlestick and five branches. The stem springs from so me vine leaves ; the base is a tripod upon which three sportive boys are represented, in frosted silver, gathering clusters of g ra pes ; and ar oun d the stem of the candelabrum is twined a fruitful branch ofthe vine, with its with its graceful tendrils. Upon the covers of the larger dishes and tureens is beautifully embossed Mr. Tennent's coat of arms, with the family motto on the scroll, " Deus protector nosier." His crest—a demi-lion, rampant nassant, b • eating in his fore paws a battle -ale—forms the handle of each cover, and is beautifully executed in frosted silver. The whole ser vice is richly chased. with a border of reeds bound with a fillet, and here and there a cluster of grapes, with vine leaves. CLAIM AGAINST THE OWNER OF THE JESSIE LOGAN. On Saturday certain of the crew of the Jessie Logan, which vessel was recently abandoned in a sinking state, and after wards went to pieces on the rocks near Boscastle, appeared before Mr. Rushton, at the Police-office, to prefer a claim for wages against Mr. James Logan, the owner of that vessel. Mr. Davenport, soli c it or , appeared on behalf of - Col lins, one of the crew, the adjudication on whose claim, it was understood, would settle all the others ; and Mr. James, bar rister, attended on behalf of Mr. Logan. Mr. Ellis read the terms of the articles, which showed that the crew had engaged to proceed from Liverpool to Calcutta, or any other port of discharge in India, and on a trading voy age, not to exceed two years, to China, and back to a port of discharge in England. Collins resumed his testimony. They arri% ed at Calcutta, after a passage of 112 days, and discharged their cargo. They took in a general cargo, and sailed on the 4th September on the homeward voyage. They put into St. Helena, where they delivered part of their cargo ; namely, 150 bags of rice, 24 bags of paddy, 82 boxes of cigars, some tobacco, shoes, and hats. Money came on board for these goods, and was saved when they abandoned the vessel. The rice was cargo, but the paddy and other articles belonged to the master, and was on freight. They lay off St. Helena three days, and did not put in any where else. When the vessel was sinking, with twelve feet water in the hold, the Lynx schooner came to their assistance, and the crew abandoned the Jessie Logan, under the command of the master. He (witness) lost all. The money at St. Helena was taken on board in bags. The master took it away in a box. There was about £l5O. A. chronometer and barometer, with several cases of ivory or naments, and a pair of epaulets, were also taken from the sinking ship. The sum of £l4 Bs. was due to witness when he left the vessel. By Mr. James.—A man went ashore sick at St. Helena. Three men were shipped there. Witness did not know that it was money that was brought on board at St. Helena, save from its outward appearance. Had received £6 15s. advance, besides stores. The vessel left St. Helena on the 29th No vember, and was abandoned on the 15th instant. Richard Cowburu, second mate of the Jessie Logan, con firmed much of the evidence of the last witness. They de livered 150 bags of rice, part of the cargo, at St Helena. The master said he sold it at St. Helena, because he could get twice as much for it there as at Liverpool. The log-book was lost. [The Captain.—lt was washed overboard.] When the vessel was abandoned, the captain took from her a box of money, some cases of ivory ornaments, a barometer, a chro nometer, and some other goods. The box of money was given into his (the mate's) charge, and was taken on board the schooner, which landed them at the Cove of Cork. By Mr. James.—The rice was consigned to Liverpool. The paddy, hats, shoes, and cigars were the captain's, who took them to sell at St. Helena on his own account. He (the captain) said he sold the rice there because he got more for it than he could get at Liverpool, and he would have sold more rice, but he did not know that Mr. Logan would be pleased with him. Did not know that the captain sold it to pay the man who went ashore at St. Helena. There were two bags of money. They were placed in the cabin. The one felt like dollars, the other like shillings or sovereigns. When the captain gave me charge of the box, he said, " Be sure and don't forget that box of money." I believe the vessel was insured. Mr. James said he did not know to what period the man claimed. Mr. Rushton : He claims up to the period of the loss. Mr. James : I cannot conceive upon what ground. Mr..Rushton : on the ground that goods saved were the property of the owners, on which the mariner has a lien. Mr. James.—The law on that subject is involved in some doubt. Mr. Rushton read the law as laid down in Abbott, which was, that the claim of the seaman on goods saved ought not to be as salvage, but for wages, as a seaman had a right to cling to the last plank of a ship for his wages. Considering the risk that he ran of losing his all, without the opportunity of insurance, it was surely a moderate compensation that he should be entitled to property saved in satisfaction for his wages. The question here was, Mr. Rushton said, had the vessel earned anything since she sailed from Calcutta ? Mr. James.—The goods were consigned to Liverpool. Part of those sold were the captain's own property. The rice was sold to raise money to meet existing exigences. Mr. Rushton.—That may be heard in explanation. If the rice was sold by the captain with authority, as merchandise, the vessel earned money ; if for the necessities of the ship, it is another matter. But, then, there is the box of money saved, and every thing saved must be appropriated to the payment of the seamen, for it is to be borne in mind, that the great object of the maritime law is to induce seamen to cling to the vessel. Mr. John Major, late master of the Jessie Logan, was cal led by Mr. James. He said the rice, of which they had 500 tons on board, was shipped and consigned for Liverpool. Some of the men were ill with scurvy on the homeward voyage. At St. Helena he discharged one of the crew sick, and others wished to go. He took three fresh hands on board. He sold 150 bags of rice to pay the man whom he discharged, and to enable him to make advances to the three men, to pay the doctor's bill and other charges. He sold more than was necessary for his immediate purposes, because he expected to have more men to discharge, and he wished to place himself in funds. He had no other reason whatever for selling the rice. A box of money was saved from the vessel when she was abandoned. It was the overplus of the rice, amounting to about £9O. The chronometer saved was his own property, the barometer belonged to the ship, and was stolen out of the schooner at Cork. By Mr. Rushton : I have not opened the box, as I do not know whose property it is. It may belong to the under writers. About £33 of it is my own, being the proceeds of the paddy. The hats and shoes saved are my own. They are at the Custom-house at Cork. Mr. Rushton said the balance saved belonging to the ship appeared to he £55, which must go to the men. Mr. James It must only be an apportionment.. Mr. Rushton : It must be on this principle :—The men are entitled to their full wages up to the 29th of July, when they arrived at Calcutta. They are then entitled to a divi sion of the £55. the balance of the proceeds of the rice, i❑ proportion to their wages. After some further conversation, from which it appeared to be Mr. Rushton's opinion that the stores delivered on the homeward voyage should be set off against the amount falling to each under the apportionment, it was understood that the men would he paid on the principle above laid down, Mr. James remarking that Mr. Logan had no desire to act other wise than with liberality, though he had allowed the case to be brought into court, in order that he might avoid commit ting any error. CASE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER On Friday last, at the Police-court, a man, named John Whalley, having the appearance of a countryman, was charged with attempting to cut the throat of a man, named Watkins, a lodger in the house of one Rowe, in Greetham-street. It appeared from complainant's statement, that on Thursday night he retired to rest as usual, and nothing occurred to dis turb him till about a quarter past one o'clock, when he was awoke by a sort of scratching sensation about his neck. On jumping up to ascertain the cause of this strange visitation, he discovered the prisoner (Whalley) with a knife in his hand, which he brandished about, and with which he threatened to cut the complainant's throat. Prisoner also said he would have his life, and made a thrust at him with the weapon, and his lip was cut by it in the scuffle. He immediately ran down stairs, :in a state of nudity, the prisoner following after him wills the knife in his hand, and attempting to stab him. He warded off the blows aimed at him with a stick which he picked up, and thus saved himself from Whalley's deadly pur pose until he met with a policeman, when the prisoner was taken into custody. The officer corroberated the latter part of the story. The prisoner, on being asked what lie had to say in his defence, said that he found the complainant in bed with his wife, and, in the heat of his passion, he had acted in the way stated. Evidence was called which disproved the charge made by the prisoner as to his wife's infidelity, the landlady of the house and a girl related to the prisoner's wife deposed that nothing of the sort took place. The prisoner was not drunk, but had had liquor. Some material evidence, not then present, being deemed necessary, Mr. Rushton in timated his intention of adjourning the case till Saturday, when he would give it a thorough sifting. The prisoner was accordingly remanded. Mr. Wardle stated, in court, that the prisoner's wife was a most respectable woman, having been well brought up, and connected with a clergyman of the highest respectability in the south of England. She had, un fortunately, married the prisoner, who had since led a most abandoned life, and persecuted her in every imaginable way. The prisoner had squandered away a handsome property since the lady became his wife, sold everything he could lay his hands upon, and had had repeated assistance from his wife's friends until he had completely tired them out, and they would do no more for him or her. On Saturday last the prisoner was again placed at the bar. A Mr. Shaw was called, who stated that he lived in the same house as Watkins, and remembered him coming home about half-past one o'clock on the morning in question. Shaw did not know how he got in, but he opened the door of the room in which he (witness) slept, and, stepping in, said, " It's me, Shaw ; hush, hush ! " Shaw struck a light, and gave it to him. A female inmate of the house stated that the prisoner's wife slept with Mrs. Rogers. Mr. Rogers deposed that she did not hear the prisoner enter the house. The first thing she saw was the prisoner with his hand on Watkin's throat. The prisoner's wife went to bed with her. She was out of bed, and had told her (witness) that she went down stairs from necessity, having taken medicine ; that, as she was re turning, she saw a glimmering of light, and, believing it to her husband, she hastened up stairs, and got on the bed, where witness found her when she awoke. Police-officer 120 recapitulated his former evidence. The prisoner said, if the knife had been sufficiently sharp, he would have cut both their throats (alluding to his wife and Watkins), and if he had had a gun he would have shot them, for he found them in bed together. Police-officer 292 stated, that, while Wat kins was dressin ,, himself, the prisoner ran at him again, saying, he would kill him. He (the officer) asked him why he would do so. The wife was then down stairs. He (the officer) went to her and said, "Your husband lays all the blame upon you—what is the meaning of this? " She hung down her head, and, upon his intimating to her more plainly the nature of her husband's accusation, a gentleman, who had been attracted to the spot, said he was sure she was guilty from her manner. She said, " No, I was not in the bed, I was only sitting on it." Mr. Rushton again questioned Mrs. Rogers, who deposed that the prisoner had behaved very ill to his wife. She (Mrs. Rogers) knew that the wife had taken salts on the preceding night. Mr. Wardle said if this oc currence had not taken place, lie must have applied. on Fri day, for a warrant against the prisoner for abuse of his v.!lo. Mrs. Rogers continued her statement, saying, that the language of the prisoner to his wife was usually of the most gross and abusive description. Mrs. Rogers repeated some of the prisoner's expressions, which were excessively dis gusting, The case was adjourned about an hour, at the end of which time the girl above alluded to was produced. Her evidence was not, however, taken. Mr. Rushton said he should remand the prisoner till Monday. Yesterday the prisoner was again brought up and committed to the assizes for trial. APPOINTMENT OF A POOR-LAW COMMISSION FOR SCOT LAND.—The Queen has been pleaSed to direct letters patent to be forthwith made and passed under flit; Seal appointed by the Treaty of Union to be kept and made use of in place of the Great Seal of Scotland, appointing Robert Viscount Mel ville, K.T., Robert Montgomerie Lord Belhaven, Henry Home Drummond, Esq., James Campbell, of Craig,ie, Esq., Edward Twisleton, Esq., the Reverend Dr. Patrick Maclar lan, Minister of Greenock, and the Rev. James Robertson, Minister of Ellon, in the county of Aberdeen, her Majesty's Commissioners for inquiring into the practical operation of the Poor-laws in Scotland. The Queen has also been pleased to appoint William Smith, Esq., advocate, to be Secretary to the said Commission.—Friday's Gazette. INSANITY AS A PLEA FOR CRIMINALS.—The Times has opportunely republished Lord Mansfield's remarks on insanity as a plea for criminals, in the case of Bellingham, who shot Mr. Perceval. The following is the material pas sage:—" If a man was deprived of all powers of reasoning, so as not to be able to distinguish whether it was right or wrong to commit the most wicked or the most innocent transaction, he could not certainly commit an act against the law. Such a man, so destitute of all power of judgment, could have no intention at all. In order to support this de fence, however, it ought to be proved by the most distinct and unquestionable evidence that the criminal was incapable of judging between right and wrong. It must, in fact, he proved beyond all doubt, that at the time he committed the atrocious act with which he stood charged, he did not con sider murder was a crime against the laws of God and Nature. There was no other proof of insanity which could excuse mur der or any other crime." "PEACE WITH CHINA.' SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT OF OUR TRADE AND INTER COURSE WITH THAT COUNTRY, WITH INDIA, AND WITH OUR SOUTH SEA COLONIES, BY STEAM-SHIP COMMUNI CATION VIA THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. In our publication of the 20th instant we noticed, in the favourable terms that then suggested themselves, an able article in the colonial Magazine on this highly interesting subject, from the pen of Mr. ROBERT WisE, formerly of this town, and now of Allonby, a gentleman in whom is united the experience of the merchant with that of the sailor, and whose knowledge of the East, as well as of our South Sea dependencies—rapidly rising in national importance— entitles his opinions to the deepest consideration, not only of that portion of our community who carry their enterprise, for the general weal, to the remotest quarters of the globe, but of her Majesty's government, who by well-directed mea sures, and, if need be, pecuniary aid, may enable private companies or individuals to extend the field of our profitable traffic—the best and surest mode of submerging those politi cal discontents, and mutual recriminations of party, that affect our yet especially favoured and indomitable country. A second perusal of the article has induced us to recur to the facts adduced by our author, and more particularly to his new, bold, and (we think) practical proposition for the ex tension of our intercourse with the Chinese empire and our South Sea colonies, and the cementing of the friendly rela tions already arrived at with the former—by the establish ment of a regular line of steam-ships between them and England, via the Cape of Good Hope. We may recapitulate that he introduces his subject by some congratulatory remarks on the achievement of an ho nourable peace with China, and pays a high and merited compliment to the British forces employed in that perilous, and, for some time, doubtful service, for the skill, courage, and p?rseverance which they displayed throughout. He also compliments the home authorities for their judicious arrangements for (if we may so term it) the opening of the campaign last year ; and after stating that the Yang tse, the largest river in Asia, has been successfully explored and traversed by a victorious British fleet, from the sea to where it is crossed by the Grand Canal, above Nankin—a distance of 250 miles from its mouth—thus giving us the key of the canal navigation, and also noting our new possessions in that country, he thus concludes this part of his subject : " Our success in China will exercise a most beneficial in fluence in our favour in the Cochin China, Siam, Birmah, and the Malayan States, for they have all hitherto been strongly impressed with the idea that, however we might be able to deal as suited our purpose with themselves, or Ilin dostan, China was more than a match for us." Under the head of our " Prospects of an improved trade with China," our author urges " every possible honest effort within our reach, to extend the trade profitably and honour ably, and to endeavour to cement friendship with China," and through proper fiscal and other regulations for the pro motion of trade, the protection of life and property, and the redress of grievances at the ports newly opened, and the establishment of a mutually beneficial understanding on all essential points between us and the Chinese, before our forces move one foot homeward, he anticipates the greatest advantages: " Then," (he exclaims) " from the great resources and wealth of China; from the persevering industry of her 360 million inhabitants, and from the fixed and resolute national trading propensities, and the ceaseless commercial enterprise of the plodding Chinese part of the population, (above ninety nine parts of one hundred of the whole,) it is not too much to anticipate confidently, that the result of the China war will be to the effect of affording more relief to the industry and enterprise of our overflowing population, and of infusing more new life, in motive for active commercial (and no doubt profitable) operations, than any other one measure whatever, and prove in the result highly beneficial to both countries." Mr. Wise considers that the four additional ports opened to us by war for trade in China, are admirably selected in point of position, for the extension of our commerce with the most populous and wealthy parts of that Empire. Shanghai is especially so, from its being the sea-port of the capital— Nankin, and also the Tang-tse river, which passes through the richest and most populous part of China. His only ap prehension is, that the Mandarins and Hong merchants may thwart the terms of the treaty of peace. On the other hand, should the Tartar government show good faith, and remove all restrictions on trade, he anticipates an immense extension of our China trade in goods and merchandise, particularly suited to the wants of the Chinese. He appears to have at tained a knowledge of their requirements, and points out the various articles of manufacture, &c., in most extensive de mand, and for which we can at all times obtain teas and silks. He winds up this section of his observations with the follow ing passage : " Some of the South American States, which possess little or nothing else but gold and silver for foreign trade, have for a great number of years taken largely of our merchandise annually, and paid us mainly in the precious metals; China has gold, silver, copper, and other ore mines in abundance, her population is certainly both the largest and the most in dustrious on the face of the earth, she therefore possesses all the requisites for obtaining the needful to pay us for our merchandise to a very large amount annually; doubtless the industrious millions of China, can do as much in proportion to their numbers, in this respect, as the indolent thousands in some of the South American States, have done for a series of years past." We now come to the grand proposition of our author, namely, the establishment of a line of steam-ships between England and China, and England and Australia, via Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope. On this important point we must permit the author, who has drawn up his calculations with the accuracy of a skilful navigator, to speak to some extent for himself. He says— " From the Lizard Point, in the English Channel, to Sal danha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, is 5650 miles by the shortest route that can be taken, viz., direct from the English Chan nel to the west coast of Africa, rounding Cape Blanche and Cape Verd, Africa, as near as is prudent ; thence close past our own colony on the river Gambia; and thence again di rect onward to Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, which voyage can be made in twenty-six days, at the average rate of speed at which the Atlantic Ocean steamers perform at present—say'about nine miles per hour—and if steamers can be made to navigate faster, the length and expense of the voyage will, of course, be shortened in proportion. " From Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, to the British settlement of Hong-kong, China, is 7010 miles, by the near est route that can be taken, viz., direct from the Cape of Good Hope to Acheen Head, Sumatra; thence through the straits of Malacca to the British colony of Singapore ; and thence again up the China Sea to Hongkong, which voyage may be performed in thirty-two, say thirty-two days, at the average rate of speed at which the Atlantic Ocean steamers make their voyages between England and America at present. " Hence the steam-voyage between England and China, via Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, can be performed in sixty (lays, allowing two days to take in coal, at the average rate of speed performing at present, all the year round, in the stormy Atlantic Ocean : it is therefore only reasonable to expect that a very considerable higher rate of speed will be obtained on the comparatively I - city-FINE-weather voy age from England to China, via the Cape of Good Hope." He recommends, as the first place of call for coals o❑ the outward voyage, the new position near the mouth of the river Gambia, in Africa, recommended by the Parliamentary• com mittee last session to be colonized by the West India Afri cans, and considers that a few hours stay at such a point would not subject to nearly so much risk of health as an overland trip through Egypt. The Island of Ascension, which is healthy, and nearly midway between the west coast of Africa and Brazil, would, he thinks, form a convenient sta tion for our African squadron employed in the suppression of the slave trade, and in the protection of our mercantile ma rine trading round the Cape of Good Hope, and round Cape Horn ; but, as touching these would lengthen the voyage to the former by about a day's run, he prefers making the run direct from Gambia to Saldanha Bay, of which, as well as of the other suggested stations, he gives the following interesting particulars : "Saldanha Bay, Cape of Good Hope, is a spacious, safe, deep-water, land-locked harbour, has few equals in any part of the world, and no equal in Africa, south of the line; in it any number of ships, of the largest size, may lie anchored, secure from all winds, at all and every season of the year ; and, for a coal depot, it cannot be surpassed, if equalled : fresh seater (its supposed want formerly, and which has been the cause of its neglect) has been lately found to be (all the year round) both plentiful and pure on Schapen Island, (in the bay,) and also at the residency ; supplies of poultry, cattle, sheep, vegetables, fruit, wine, &c., are plentiful and cheap; the soil in the neighbourhood is fertile, and the cli mate is both most delightful and most healthy ; no delay need be occasioned here beyond a few hours to take in coals, &c. ; this safe and beautiful harbour, in fact, lies in a different cli mate altogether from Table Bay itself, although only about a degree distant from it, northward, as every observant naviga tor will have noticed, on his passage home from India, by the sudden change from unsettled to fine weather, after rounding the Cape of Good Hope. Saldanha Bay is capable of being made as valuable and vulnerable a naval station and rendez vous as Trincomale has been made, and it is as much superior to either Table Bay, or Ealse Bay, Cape of Good Hope, as Trineomale harbour is to Madras roads. When our immense trade east of the Cape of Good Hope is considered, and when the protection required for the great number of our merchant ships that 1, ass round the Cape yearly is also taken into the account, it is to be hoped that the attention of our Govern ment may, at an early period, be seriously drawn to this va luable position, situated in a most fertile part of the Cape of Good Hope colony, than which none is capable of producing greater wealth, nor of returning greater benefits to the mo— ther-country, for any outlay or attention which she may bestow upon it. Port Louis, Isle of France, and Singapore, Malacca Straits, these two good and safe British harbours are both well known to possess all the requisites as depots for coal, and also for affording every facility in giving quick despatch to the passing steamers. Both these healthy and delightful British har bours lie in the direct route from the Cape of Good Hope to China, rendering it unnecessary to deviate from a direct course either out or home. Good water, poultry, vegetables, and every other article of refreshment, may be obtained at both harbours. " Point de Galle harbour, Ceylon, though affording suffi cient room and depth of water for a moderate number of vessels in safety at once, is not the most desirable anchorage at all times for sailing ships, on account of sundry detached small rocks scattered over its surface, and on account of a swell which tumbles into the harbour with a high south-west wind, but it nevertheless possesses all the necessary capabili ties for being made into a safe and excellent coal-station for steamers, which class of vessels in these latitudes can always choose their anchorage, and thread their way in and out. Calling at Galle would lengthen the passage from England to China 23J miles, or about one day's run by steamer." Our author supplies tables of the courses and distances between the proposed stations on the respective steam voy ages out from England to China, and from England to Aus tralia, vid the Cape of Good Hope, which will be perused with much interest by nautical men. These he follows by the following table and remarks:— " Comparisons respecting Steam Routes to Ceylon (Point de Gale Harbour.) By steam from Falmouth, by Mediterranean, overland journey through Egypt, and by steam' down Red Sea and Indian Ocean to Galle, Ceylon .......................... By steam from English Channel to Ceylon, by Cape Good hope, calling for coals at Gambia and Ascension, Saldanha Bay, and Isle France . ...... 431 days' pass Leaves in favour of passage yid Falmouth .. 3 " Comparisons respecting Steam Route to A By steam from Pal:11°QIII to Swan River by Mediterranean, overland journey througl► Egypt, and by steam down Red Sea and Indian Ocean to Point de Galle harbour, Ceylon, and thence again by steam to Sway River By steam from English Channel to Swan River by Cape Good hope, calling for coals at Gambia and Ascension, and Isle France - - 1-6 Leaves in favour of route by Cape Good Elope . By steam from England to Swan River via France, Egypt, and Ceylon By steam from England to Swan. River t Cape and Isle France Leaves the passage equal, or f day favour Egypt route. By steamers froni England to Swan River by Falmouth, Mediterranean, Egypt. and Ceylon ........... By steamers from England to Swan River via Cape Good Hope, Isle France, and Ceylon (say by India) .......... _ 52-1 days' pass 53 do 1-6 days' 62 do. do ----- Leaves in favour of the Red Sea and Egypt passage ................... 5 -6 days. " Note.—The average differen ce b e t ween t h e F almouth and via France passages, appear to be 6 days, arising, no doubt, from the Falmouth steamers sailinr on the Ist or each month, and the-French post-letters being not regularly sent off on the 4th of each month, because if that had been the case, the difference should only have been 3 or 4 days instead of 6 days. " From the foregoing Tables it will be seen that England possesses within her own valuable and healthful colonies, a full and complete unbroken chain of the requisite positions, all admirably situated at convenient distances from each other, for the purpose of coal depots and refreshing ports, in the whole direct line of steam route between England and China via Cape of Good Hope, as well as between England and Australia via Cape of Good Hope, either via Ceylon or otherwise. _ " That by means of a grand direct monthly steam line route between England and China via Cape of Good Hope, the most extensively valuable and lasting benefits may rea sonably be expected to accrue to both countries, (especially to England,) by bringing the two empires into so mucl► nearer and closer contact with each other; the immense commercial advantages of such a measure have been made fully apparent in every case where steamers have been so established between two great and wealthy empires." After pointing out some of the great advantages that would accrue from the establishment of such a line, as regards China, be adds : " It will open up (without causing any extra outlay of money or loss of time on the voyage,) a regular and speedy communication with our rich trading possessions in the straits of Malacca, Malay, India, (Penang, Malacca, and Singapore,) with the productive colony of the Isle of France, and with our valuable possessions in the Cape of Good Elope colony, and by sacrificing one day on the passage, Point de Galle, Ceylon, can be touched at, an d th us a grand junction line of steam communication can be opened (at nu further expense) between all parts of India and China, as steamers are already plying between Ceylon and Bombay, and between Ceylon and Calcutta via Madras." He expresses a hope, that should government see fit to take the initiative in the project, and to bear a considerable portion of the expense, for the first five years, the country will, in such case, see its interest in cordially responding to such an effort—" an effort to open np, by peaceful enterprise, for the benefit of every British subject, a full and free inter course and trade with one-third of the human race in China —a mighty effort worthy of being undertaken and persevered in by Great Britain." By the proposed line of communication, vie/ the Cape, we should, as our author observes, avoid being under obligation to any other nation for the transit of our despatches ; and pas sengers save all fatigue of overland journeys, and also avoid the inconvenience of change of vessel, and consequent tran shipment of luggage or goods. He might have Added another advantage, and that is, that they will not, on arriving in Europe, be subjected to the annoyance of quarantine deten tion, which is no minor consideration, Mr. Wise, in the course of his remarks, twice expresses his opinion that the proposed undertaking (thc employment of large-steam-ships to and from the countries and colonies stated) cannot fail to yield a handsome return, period, for the capital embarked in it. We would fain con cur with him on this point; but past experience of ocean steam navigation, even under circumstances the most favour able for its prosecution by private companies—and with the aid, too, of large government grants from the conveyance of mails—lead us to entertain a less sanguine expectation of the project, at least it' priori. The expense of running large steam ships on long voyages—the cost and great expenditure of fuel, of manning, repairing, &c. is known to be immense— more particularly as from the bulk of coals they must carry, they have but little stowage room for goods on freight, to help up the credit side of the account, if we except fine goods, such as silks, indigo, and the like, or the precious metals. We are not without hopes, however, that improvements in the propelling power, or the mode of applying it, and a con sequent large saving of fuel, may in this age of science and invention, be ere long developed, so as to render such a spe culation immediately profitable to the parties pursuing it. And, even as it is, we consider Mr. Wise's suggestion (we repeat) worthy of the utmost eoneickretion of the govern ment and of the mercantile community, in a general and na tional point of view. We must not look for our reversion, in the first instance, from the freights or passage-money made by the ships, but rather to the increased commercial prosperity - and national safety, which the openingout of more proximate intercourse through them with the vast and proli fic regions of India, China, and South Sea Colonies, w ou ld assuredly realize. This is an object worthy of the wisdom and blameless ambition of a great country, and for which government itself should have the hearty concurrence of the nation in making to achieve it, a considerable pecuniary sacrifice—beyond the means of private speculators, who, we doubt not, would liberally join in the eeterprise. They must " throw the bread upon the waters, but they will find it after many days." it an early THE BRITISH AND IRISH STEAM-PACKET COMPA N The annual general meeting of the proprietors of this com pany was held on Wednesday, at the office, 9, Eden quay, when the directors' report was read, and a.statement of ac counts submitted. A dividend of 6 per cent. per annum was declared as usual, and a surplus added to the reserve fund. The company's vessels continue to be insured. The direc tors going out of office by rotation, were unanimously re elected, and three auditors having been elected, the meeting broke up. THE COURT.—WINDSOR , SUNDAY EVENINGSir R. Castleaaui i a few en at Bow_ minutes • Peel left town yesterday , immediately after thet;onclusion tli a the assassin the iti M`N g street, for Wi n dsor, proceeding to si o , by the Great loivf'etsit'eernexlalmaiilnwaatylo,n of arrivedand before three o'clock. The right hon. baronet diate audience of her Majesty, and remained at th e C as tl e fur upwards of an hour. The Queen w as day, for the first time, that the murdererof informed yester had admitted that he had imagined it Mr. Drummond whom lie had shot, and not the unfortunateas Sir Robert Peel had fallen a victim to the murderous attack of gentlenian who Her Majesty, upon this circumstance being'of the prisoner. is said to have evinced the most gratif‘ • related to her, providential escape of the right hon, gratifying emotions at the feelings of the deepest pain and regretaronet, mingled with fate of Mr. Drummond. Sir Robert Peel for the melancholy from the Castle for Slough shortly took his departur returned to town by the railway. after four o'clock, and THE MANCHESTER FREE-T RADE —This vast building is n HALL, PE ow nearl • TER-STREET. completed, the ceiling is to be l covered in • and, when which will greatly add to the drynessi) astered and whitewashed, The committee have decided that and comfort of the hall. along both sides and one end of the hall gallery shall be carried to project about nine feet, and the hall ; the side galleries six inches. The side galleries end one about eleven feet will end one three seats, in depth. The have two seats and the prices of tickets to the grand banquet. committe have fixed the as the banquet is to extend ove 'We understand that, have resolved on entertaining 4,oooprodigious a day. For that purpose thirty-five in the interior. hall, forty-five yards by the roof; and that there Rows of cast iron pillars support enormous quantitytray be accommodation for the of stores streets are to be roofed i and attendants, three adjoining waiters, 150 _ nas store rooms and lobbies. For men are Potteries, 10,000 being drilled for the occasion. In the made for the dinnerplates and le and 3,000 other dishes are being the same 12,000 fork dessert. Sheffield .is preparing for spoons. Lancashii e s and knives, and 800 salt and mustard 4,000 wine glasses • is making the glass, 4,000 tumblers, first day there will 400 salts, and the mustard pots. On the 200 dishes of h be put on 400 tables 200 dishes of tongue, sandwiches, 200 n, 200 dishes of veal pies, 200 dishes of cabin ' dishes of sausages, 4,000 small loaves, 4,000 canister,) 20 biscuits, 200 canisters of wine biscuits (314. each 2,400 Bath 0 dishes o f sponge and seed cakes, 4,000 pies, bung 9 grapes, 2 ,400 or , -00 dishes of almonds and raisins. 100 of wine as it ina‘ b anges, 2,400 apples, 200 dishes of nuts, and are t ' be e ordered by the guests. The tickets of ad mission7s. Gd. for gentlemen, and ss. for ladies. On the second day, ' one half. It is all the provisions will be increased by are to be for not yet ascertained what the arrangements admission the third and fourth days ; but the prices of on are calculated so as to pay all expenses, and leave an overplus for the league fund.—Afanchester Guardian. CRIMINAL ASSAULTS BY THE TEACHER OF A NATIONAL .—A Scuoo t . t the Dungannon quarter sessions, the crown cases were of very little importance, save one, at the prose cution of The Queen against Hugh Lonny, a teacher of a National School near Dungannon. The prisoner was in dicted in two numbers for assaults on two female children which excited a good deal of interest, and occupied the court from ten o'clock on Friday morning until six o'clock in the evening. The jury having returned a verdict of guilty without leaving the boy, the learned banister, Richard Nunn, Esq., before pronouncing sented tie, asked the prisoner if he was a married man ? Ile repliet was His addressed the prisonerffect : worship then —Hugh Lunny, you h ave been co nvict ed, most .gatinvicted, after a on, cond uc ted patient, lengthened , and scrutinising inv e stigation, ' w ith the most zealous per severance, and defended with great :zeal and talent, of an assault upon females of tender years, aggravated by the circumstance of their having been place d under your charge for th e p ur p ose of education. The i cir cumstances that have been broug ht out n evidence have been of a most revolting and debasing nature' It is monstrous that a person entrusted with the education of youth ought not to be more circumspect in their conduct than if placed in o th er s ituations, and, 1 am sorry to say d , that what has ap peared in evidence does not tend to raise the character of • • 'lnch you hold your situa the tuitional institution undo u situa tion. Why should an unmarried man, be placed ov er th e female department o f the school? W by should not their education be entrusted to a female ? I trust the circumstan ces that have apppeared before us this tiny will influence those who have the management of this national establish ment. to take such measures as will give a female superin tendent for the female department of those schools -,,_ defence you have set up " that it was a conspiracy 1: The you," tends to aggravate your offence ; a y brought thereby attempted to show that the children of a you have committed to your care have come forward to tender Years and deliberate perjury. In that defence I com m i t Wilful altogether failed. The sentence of the , towever, you have court Ilugh Lunny, be imprisoned for two i 5, that Omagh. years in the gaol you. e gaol of