The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-08-14 00:00:00

‘ik 'trl, `~ Imperial Parliament. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAY. The business of this day consisted principally of presenting betitions in favour of and against the muncipil corporations ill, some of which were discussed at some length. On the presentation of the Manchester petition by Lord MELBOURNE, who said that in the course of ten hours it had been signed by 23,000 persons, The Duke of NaWC4STLE read a letter on the subjectof that petition ; which he had received that morning from Manchester The writer said—" The inhabitants of this town are getting up a petition in favour of the municipal corporations bill, in conse quence of the proceedings in the House of Lords. Let me explain how it is filled up. Tables are placed at the end of different streets, and all persons who can scribble their names put them down.. Boys from schools and factories are called on to sign. You see what tricks are carrying on by the whig radicals. Great part of the persons signing are only £lohouse holders, and are by no means respectable. Such is the effect of the proceedings of our blessed House of Commons. The property and respectability of our borough are decidedly con servative, although the very contrary is asserted. With respect to the petition, if persons cannot write, the keeper of the table writes for them." The writer or the letter was not a very great scholar (a laugh,) but he dealt in facts. The noble duke then alluded to the report of the commissioners, and declared that they ought to be punished for daring to .make a report which was grossly false in many points; and he declared that if no other noble lord took ue the subject he certainly would. Lord BROUGHAM detended the conduct of the commissioners. When the proper time arrived he would undertake to show that there was not one thing of the slightest importance laid to their charge. Lord MELBOURNE on presenting some other petitions in favour of the bill, said he could. not avoid saying a single word withrespect to what had fallen from the noble duke oppo site (Newcastle) on a previous day. The noble duke had been pleased to say that any zeal or anxiety which prevailed on this subject in the country had been fomented and excited by His Majesty's Governnient. He (Viscount Melbourne) begged to say that such ayes not the case, and that he most entirely denied it. (Hear.) He thought, on the contrary, that these petitions emanated from the spontaneous feeling of the country arising from what (and he spoke it most respectfully) the people con ' ceived to be a sudden interruption to the progress of this mea sure, with which the course the house had telten was supposed to interfere. (Hear, hear.) The Duke of NEWCASTLE had never intended to chargs his Majesty's government with fomenting those dissensions, or the 'agitation in the country. He put it, however, to the noble vis count whether such assertions as had issued from a newspaper, which, on the authority of the noble and learned lord opposite, might be called a ministerial paper (he meant the Morning Chronicle) had not that tendency. The article tei which - he re ferred contained the following sentiments:—" We will not so far libel the character of our countrymen as for a moment to suppose that when victory is about to crown their efforts, they will weakly turn their backs on the foe and submit to be tram pled on by infuriated oligarchs, Throughout city, town, and village, we expect. to see the people once more at their posts, prepared to crown the work which added so much to the na tional glory in 1832. Repose from incessant and most haras sing agitation they never can expect till they humble the oli garchy in the dust; for submission would only make these tyrants more insolent in their exactions.- With a hostile court and a hostile peerage, they must have no truce till they have deprived both of the power of doing mischief." He (the Duke of Newcastle) called upon the noble viscount to state whether he intended to direct. the Attorney-General to prosecute the publishers of this most villainous article, affecting, as it did, the dignity and safety of the crown. He quoted this article from the Standar d of the sth of August, b u t thi s art i c l e was a ll o f a piece with those emanating from the publication (the Morning Chronicle.) He contended that it was the duty of the govern ment to prosecute such diabolical observations as these—obser vations calculated to deprive the crown of all favour in the minds of the ,, people. (Hear.) Viscount Miteeouesme said he was not responsible for that or any other article which might be sent forth to the public through the medium of the public press, nor was he called upon to pro nounce any opinion upon the article which had been quoted by the noble duke. (Hear, hear.) It was unnecessary that he should now go into any details as to the principles on which the governtisent would act; he would merely say that he had heard of many articles sent forth to the public of which he did not ap prove, and that with respect to that quoted by the noble duke it was not his intention to institute any prosecution. THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. The Earl of ABERDEEN presented a petition from the town of Caithness praying for protection to the church of Scotland. The noble earl took that opportunity of calling the attention of the house to a commission which had lately been appointed by his Majesty's government to inquire into'what opportunities fur public worship, for public instruction, and pastoral superin tendence, were afforded to the people of Scotland. The com position of its members had already excited a great degree of alarm and dissatisfaction among the members of the church of Scotland. He did not complain that the commission was wholly •. composed of whigs, or (as had been said on another occasion) of whigs and something more; nor did be complain that the paid portion of the commission, to whom the active part of the •business was left, were lawyers of small repute, but what he did complain of was, that the majority of active paid commissioners attached to this commission were known to entertain sentiments hostile to the establishment altogether. One of these gentle men was an avowed supporter of what was denominated the voluntary system ; he had not only spoken in favour of it, hut he had published a work in support of his opinion. Another of these gentlemen, acting upon the principles of honour and con sistency. had declined being elected a member of the General Assembly of the church of Scotland, in consequence of having come to conclusions. hostile to the connexion of church and state. Now, he would ask, was it right, was it fair, was it decent, that the interests of the church should be intrusted to individuals holding such opinions? The deputation of the General Assem bly of the church of Scotland, which was recently in London„ bad reason to expect the appointment of a commission of a very different description; and, therefore, their surprise was great ndeeti, whets they saw, contrary to the assuranqs that had been given them, bow the commission was filled up. He knew that there were some respectable names on that commission, but the majority of the commissioners were such - as he had described. The standing committee of the church of Scotland lost no time in meeting when the tact came to their knowledge. They came to an unanimous resolution, in which they declared " that the commission, as at present constituted, was such as to excite the apprehension of the members of the church." That resolution, expressive of their feelings, was officially communicated to his Majesty's government. Now he intreated the noble viscount, if it were meant that this inquiry should be carried on to really useful purpoies, if it were intended that it should be beneficial to the country (and here he would observe that his Majesty's ministers had cut out work enough for this commission, work, he would say, far beyond the power of the members of which it was composed,) he would humbly recommend to the noble viscount to add to the commission a certain number of men whose hostility to the church was less problematical than that of the majority of those who constituted the commission as it at present stood. Lord Metosounsee was not aware of the hostility complained of, or that the appointment of the commissioners had given dis satisfaction. He could not help sayiug that on this, as well as on other occasions, great stress was laid on what men's political opinions were, instead of looking to what were their moral feel ings and their capabilities for performing the duties assigned to them. The greatest possible mistakes were cmintinually occur ring in consequence. He certainly had met very distinguished members of the church of Scotland on the subject. He hail had much conversation with them, and he had promised them on that occasion that the commission should be impartially se lected. By impartial he meant a selection of men fitted to fulfil the purposes generally contemplated by the commission, viz., to inquire into the whole state of religious education in Scot land. To effect that object he thought it was necessary that there should be on that commission representatives of all opi nions. That was the course which he deemed it advisable to take. He would contend that the commission was most re spectably constituted, and would, he doubted not, perform its duties ef f iciently. 'rhe noble earl asserted that the interests of the church of Scotland were pieced in the hands of those com missioners. Such was not the case. The commissioners were merely called on to inquire into the ptasent state of the church of Scotland, and to report thereon, , He could not state what the opinions of the commissioners Were on the points alluded to by the noble earl, but he 'Jul not believe that they were hostile to the church of Scotland. In his opinion the commission was prudently, wisely, and impartially constituted with respect to the duties to be performed by them. The Earl of ABERDEEN did not complain of the political opi- Mons, but of the unfriendly disposition of the commissioners towards the church of Scotl,:nd. One of them had printed his -sentiments, and another declined b e i ng a mem b er of the gene rat assembly, because he was unfriendly to a church establish anent. If ministers intended to uphold a church establishment sn that country or in this, was it proper, was it decent, to ap point persons who professed such sentiumeuts to inquire into its situation ? He was grieved when he was informed of that com mission. The names of the active paid members were totally unknown to him. They were lawyers of very small repute; because he was certain that he should have known them, if thev had had any great standing or character at the Scotch bar. If the noble viscount wished to give satisfaction to Scotland, he would infuse names into the commission that would give con fidence to that country. He left political opinions entirely out of the question. He merely wished such men to be appointed as, fioin their calm and deliberate feelings, were likely to give satisfaction. The petition was laid on the table. OD ,the motiou of I.,Qrsl F.titsnan. the larceny kg Clkelikucl). bill went thrdugh committee. ' On the motion of Lord A uceLAND, the postage bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. Carter, front the corporation of Coventry, presented co pies of the correspondence with Lord Melbourne on the subject of the chief constable of that city. Mr. Wren presented a return of time annual income of certain charitable societies in the city of Coventry. Adjourned at a quarter to seven o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS,—MONDA Y. The Speaker took the chair at four o'clock. On the motion of Lord G. Lv.NNox, the amendments isade by the lords in the Bognor improvement bill were agreed to. LIGHTHOUSES. Mr. A. CHESSMAN asked the member for Middlesex. Mr. Hume, whether be intended proceeding with the lighthouse bil►. Mr. RuntyEN, referring to the bill now before the house, said that all the members fur Ireland were opposed to any alteration in the management of lighthouses in that country. If the Scotch lighthouses were transferred to Dublin, they would be much better taken care of. (A laugh.) Mr. Hosts: said he ceztainly would go on with the bill. THE NIARYEEI,ONE VESTRY—MANUFACTURE OF COUNTY VOTES. The Marquis of CIAANDOS presented a petition from certain freeholders of Marylebone complaining of the improper inter ference of the select vestry in the registration of votes for the county of NI iddlesex. petitioners complained that 42 names had been surreptitiously inserted in the list of voters iu that boretigh for the county of Middlesex; that they stated that those 42 navies appeared in the printed lists affixed to the church:l.loor, and, though they bad never been inserted in the • list wade out by the overseer, that the Marylebon e b ea dl e after wards paid forty-two shillings to the overseer on the account of those names; that no claim hat Lever, been made to the over veer by any of the parties whose names thu s appeared uu the. list to have them inserted there ; that one of those names was that of the hon.. member fur Marylebone, (Sir S. Whalley;) and that the said 42 persons claimed the right to v o t e from a certain burial•ground and a yard belungiq to the parish. The petitioners prayed the house to adopt some measure to prevent -such a surreptitious mode of proceeding, and such a gro ss in fraction of the provisions of the reform kill. The noble marquis .observed that such was the statement made by the petitioners. •lt e trusted that the hun. member for Marylebone would be en abled to give such an explanation of this matter as would lead the hoase to believe that those names had not been improperly inserted in the list of voters. He was bound, however, to state that he had it upon the most respectable authority—authority that he had no reason ha doubt — that those names had been im properly insetted in the list by the select vestry after the over seer had made out and sent in that list. If that were the case, sod if such a ~ ,urse of proceed:ng were to be tolerated, theme could be no faith placed in the list of any overseer in ny part of the kingdoin.__ Sir SAMUaL WHALLEY thought the house ought not to re ceive the petition. The rate-books by the law were placed in the hands of the select vestry of Marylebone, the overseer had no access to them, and it was not in his power to complete the lists of voters without first submitting them to the select vestry. The select vestry had made out the lists for the last three years, and during that time there had been no suspicion that names were either inserted or omitted improperly. It was true that 42 persons, acting not as a vestry, but in their individual ca pacity, had claimed to be inserted in the register for a property belonging to the parish, from which they, as members of the vestry, thought they derived the right of voting. That claim had still to be decided upon by the revising barrister. The Marquis of CHANDOS said that - ell the petitioners ques tioned was the right of those names)n,he on the list of voters at all. Mr. C. Ross said that the charge in the petition was this : that after the overseer had closed the lists, and sent them to be printed, the vestry took possession of the lists, and that, at a tone when no more names could be sent in to the overseer, 42 claimants were put upon that list. After some further conve►satiun the petition was laid upon the table. PORTUGAL. Mr. G. ROBINSON gave notice, that on an early day he should ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs some questions respecting the notice which the Portuguese had given the Brit ish government of its intention to discontinue the treaty be tween the two countries. ROBBERY OF TtiE COUNTRY BY THE UN STAMPED PRESS Mr. ROEBUCK presented two petitions, the first from a man named Lovete, and the - second from two persons of the names of Cleave and Hethering. They complained that the officers of the government had seized the presses. types, and other ma terials used in printing, foknd in the premises of Lovete, under the notion that they belonged to Hetherington. The articles in question did not belong to these parties but to a person upon whom the crown had no right to make a seizure. Ministers had oh this occasion acted en a bad law which that bad minister, Pitt, had contrived in spite of the opposition of the whigs in his day to get passed in the year 1799, for the purpose of suppress ing the Corresponding Society. By that law, if any printing press in London were not registered at the office of the clerk of the peace, it was lawful for the officers of the government to seize the press. Lovete had not registered his press, and the government wishing to reach Cleave and Hetherington, had seized the press. The law had been permitted to sleep in obli vion for many years. After ping at length into the particu lars and merits of the c a se, Mr. Roebuck implored ministers not to throw any damp by . their measures upon the spirit of the people who were now rising in their favour, iby which spirit alone they could be supported. 'When the people were ready to support them, surely ministers would not l cast them off and say " We will deny you the meana.of Obtaining - what you want —cheap knowledge for yourselves and your children." The petition having been brought up and read, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER would first treat this matter as one of finance. As a matter of revenue, it was his duty to see that this law, like any other of the same kind, was not evaded in any way that he could prevent. He was bound to do so, not only with a view to the interests of the revenue, but in justice to those who obeyed the law, and paid the stamp duty, and who would be exposed to unfair competition, if such as did not pay the duty were pefmitted to contend with them. The fair trader had a right to claim and obtain from the govern ment the best protection which the law could give. (Hear, hear.) He had then a double duty to perform in respect to this matter; first, as regarded the public in taking came that no fraud was permitted upon the revenue; and secondly, on the point of principle and justice, in as far as he was bound to see that the individuals who obeyed the laws should not be under sold, and thereby defrauded by persons who broke the law. The hon. member for Bath hadstated, that in this case the go had displayed an unwonted degree of activity—they had been active to a degree which they had never before shown. The hon. gentleman's accusation was in some degree a compliment to the present government; be, however, disclaimed any such compliment, and utterly denied that any greater activity had been displayed upon this occasion than had been formerly dis played in similar cases. No instance had been brought under the notice of the treasury during the four years he had the ho nour of being connected with that department, in which the ut most activity was not shown on their part to vindicate the law. This, however, was not simply a vindication of the law, but it was an enforcement of the payment of the ordinary rights of the crown, and it was the duty of the treasury to recover the pe nalties from such persons as defrauded the revenue by publish ing unstamped newspapers, as it was their duty to punish per sons guilty of a breach of the excise or custom-house laws. The hon. member had alluded to one of the acts which bore upon the question, and said that it had been passed in unfortunate times arid by an unfortunate minister, and he therefore argued that it should be differently construed from an act passed under more favourable circumstances. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) could not admit the propriety of any such distinc tion (hear, hear!) How could those who had the administra tion of the law say that such and such a law was passed in such and such times, and under such and such a minister, and should therefore be differently interpreted from the same act if passed by different persons? (hear, heart). It was enough for him that the law was the statute law of this country, and be was on that account bound to enforce it. It might be a wise or it might be an unwise law—that had nothing to do with the question ; but as long as it continued to be law, nothing could be more impolitic or dangerous than that the government should be per mitted to give it any interpretation different from its plain meaning, or that they should not be hound to administer it as the statute law of the land (hear, hear!). The petition was laid upon the table. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE Mr. PEASE► prelented a petition from William Prentice, then in Newgate, for refusing to answer questions put to him by the Yarmouth election committee, praying that he might be al lowed to appear before the committee to be examined in all matters not criminating himself. The petition was received, and on the motion of Mr. PEASE, Mr. Prentice was ordered to be brought before the committee on the following day, THE SPANISH EXPEDITION. Mr. GOULBUNN wished to put a question to the noble secre- , tary for foreign affairs. He bad heard that a large number of soldiers had deserted from the garrison of Portsmouth, and had entered the service of the Queen of Spain. They bad been tempted t0..d0 so, iu consequence of the expectation of great advantage to-. be obtained by those who entered the Spanish service. When attempts were made by the authorities of Ports mouth to recover these deserters, great impediments were thrown in their way by those who were intrusted with the management of the recruiting. In some instances it could ho proved that false information had been given to enable the de serters to escape. The commander of one of the vessels in the service of the Queen of Spain was asked whether certain de serters who were named to him were in his ship; and he replied that they bad been on board, but that they had gone on chose. After this they were seen in the vessel, and were enabled to make their escape in consequence of the false statement made. These persons were known subsequently to have joined the ex pedition. He wished to know whether his Alajesty's govern ment bad appointed a ship at Portsmouth to receive the recruits for the service of the Queen of Spain ? He wished also to know, whether those persons who had secreted deserters from the garrison would not be brought to justice for such a serious offence. He would not enter further into the question, but wished to know whether the government was aware of these proceedings ? and whether any steps had been taken on the subject ? The conduct of those men who deserted was not nearly so blameable as that of those who encouraged them to do so, an protected them from th e p ursu it o f justice. Viscount PALMERSTON said that the facts of the case were shortly these. The Spanish ambassador had applied to the go ' vernment to allow depots to be formed at the outports for the reception of recruits for the Spanish service until they could be embarked for the Peninsula. The government thought that it would be better, both for the recruits and for the inhabitants of the places from whence they were to embark, that they should not be allowed to wander about or assemble in large numbers on shore, but that they , should he kept on shipboard until their final embarkation. On these grounds it was that the hulk had been allotted for the temporary use of those parties who managed the enlistment for the service of the Queen of Spain. These persons not only allowed a constant search of the vessel for deserters, but they . manifested gr e at anx i e ty th a t no vesse l should be allow e d to aepart from Portsmouth, or any other port, with Spanish troops on board, s;ntil it had been strictly searched by the proper authorities. (Hear, hear.) Mr. GOULRURN observed that he was in a situation to give an unqualified contradiction to the statement of the noble viscount, that lie commanders of vessels in the Spanish service afforded any facilities for the search of their ships. On one occasion, when some deserters from the garrison were on board a vessel, the officer in command said that it was true that such men had been on board, but that they had left it ; they were afterwards put on shore, and subsequently went out to the Peninsula. Viscount PA 131ERSTON stated that he had beets informed last week that matters were in a very different state to what they were described to be by the right lion. gentleman. What was the date of the transaction alluded to by the right honourable gentleman? Mr. Gout.ev aN replied the 18th of July. Lord Bowleg admitted that some subordinate persons em ploNed in enlisting troops for the Queen of Spain had induced some of the soldiers of the garrison of Portsmouth to desert and enter the Spanish service (but this was done not only contrary to the desire of the officer in command of the Spanish auxiliary force, but against his express orders. Lord 1-Idl had issued an order for the trial of the ipdividuals who had deserted, and pro ceedings had been instituted againft those who had encouraged them to desert if the parties guilty of this conduct were not . .in...the British army; they would ba -Oroccuscled against fur the penalties. • THE SHIP LANCERS. Grove. PRICE putti011131Q1;;J() the noble Foreign Se• cretary respecting a vessel whi c h h a d b een t a k en i nto Gibral tar on the 15th July last. This ship had 153 Spanish subjects on board, and had been seized by those persons, who mastered the crew and carried it into Gibraltar. The name of this brig was the Lantlero, fitted out at Barcelona, nominally for convey ing 153 persons to the Havanna. These men were merely suspected of Carlism, and had been seized in different towns in Catalonia, Arragon, Valentia, and Murcia. lie said that the ship was nominally consigned to the Havanna, for he had re ceived information which left little doubt on his mind that those 113 unhappy persons were to be disposed of in a different man ner. • When those persons became conscious of what was likely to be their fate, they rose on the crew and mastered it, and car ried the vessel into Gibraltar. lie understood that the resto ration of this ship, and the persons on board of it, had been de manded by the Spanish government. Ile wished to know whe ther this vessel hail really been demanded by the Spanish au thorities, and whether the persons who had so taken refuge in Gibraltar were to be given up Ly the British government to the tender mercies of the per son w h o now a d m i n i s t ere d the affai r s of Spain. (Loud cries of" Hear hear.") These unhappy men had taken refuge in a place which had formerly been an asylum to many members of the present Spanish government, who were now so anxious to persecute those who differed from them. The other question he wished to ask was, whether any information had been received flour the British consul at Tan giers, as to some dead bodies that had been washed on shore near that fort, which were linked together with iron chains, two and two. These persons were not natives, but Europeans. This occurred shortly before the vessel he had alluded to had been carried into Gibraltar. Was this the way persons were to be treated who did not choose to be governed by liberals guilty of such conduct ? Ile would not trouble the house further, but wished to hear from the noble lord whether it was intended to give up these 153 Spaniards, who had not been convicted of any crime, to the tender mercies of the Christinos ? Lord PA LmEnsroN, in reply to the first question, said that his majesty's government had received a communication from the authorities of Gibraltar on the subject. He (Lord Palmer ston) had likewise received, that morning, a letter from the British minister at the court of Madrid, detailing the facts of the case. The vessel that was taken into Gibraltar had on board 153 persons, to be conveyed to the Havanna, and a crew of fifteen or sixteen sailors, which certainly was too small, con sidering what was the object of the voyage. These persons were not taken up on mere surmise, as was supposed by the hen. gentleman, but had been tried and convicted - by due process of law. The proper authorities in Madrid bad informed the British minister that those men had been fairly tried and con victed of the most serious offences against the government, and had been sentenced to transportation to the colonies. It sip- geared that the Spanish authorities did not apportion a sufficient number of guatds to' the number of persons who were to he COU • veyed to the Hairannah.; they, therefore, rose on the crew, anti four or five of the latter were wounded. They then carried the shipinto Otbraltar;.and were landed there. The Spanish con sul claimed them as subjects of the Queen of Spain, who had been tried and convicted of certain offences; this claim, how ever, was refused. He then demanded that they should be de tained on the charge of seizing, by violence, a vessel belonging to the Queen of Spain. The English authorities at Gibraltar feared that these persons might be liable to-.some charge of piracy for seizing the ship; they had, therefore, sent home to this country for instructions. His - noble friend the secretary for • the colonies had consulted the legal advisers of the crown on the subject, and they had declared that these men could not be put on their trial ou a charge of piracy, and instructions had been sent out to release them. With regard to the question as to whether these men were to be given up to the Spanish go vernment, he would say that he did not believe that any man, either in or out of the house, could entertain the slightest doubt that such would not be the case. (Cheers.) It had never been the practice of the British government to give up to other g, ! - vernments persons who had taken refuge in the English terri tories from prosecutions for political offences. (Hear, hear.) To borrow an expression of the hon. member, when Ferdinand was the person who administered the affairs of Spain, (cheers,) this country constantly persisted in refusing to give up the Spanish liberals to the government of that country, (hear, hear, ) and it was also the intention of his majesty's ministers to-refuse to give up to the Queen of Spain. as he (Lord Palmerston) per sisted in calling her, notwithstanding the objections of the hon. member—those persons who were now in the garrison of Gibraltar. (Cheers.) With regard to the other matter, it was also true that his noble friend at the colonies had received statement from the consul at Tangiers, in which he observed that it was report e d i n th a t pl ace th a t some bodi e s of Europeans had been washed on the sea shore some miles from Tangiers, and it was his intention to send a person to make inquiry as to the real facts of the case. He would not condescend to answer the insinuations which the hon. gentleman had thrown out, which had not the slightest shadow of anything like fact to sup port them. (Cheers.) He could not he'lp feeling that the pri vileges of the house were abused and the character of Parlia ment lowered by pursuing such a course. (Cheers.) SUPPLY. • The house then resolved itself into a committe of supply, and the Irish estimates were voted. The second reading of the Irish municipal corporations' bill was postponed to Wednesday. Mr. S. RICE obtained leave to bring its a bill to improve the navigation of the Shannon. Mr. liume's motion respecting Orange lodges was adjourned to the following day (Tuesday.) The house adjourned at d quarter to four o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS, TOESDAY . MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL• The Earl of FALMOUTH rose to present a petition frdm the corporation of Evesham against the municipal corporationo bill. Their lordships would recollect that he had presented a petition the other day from the same parties, but it was withdrawn iu consequence of one paragraph, which designated too minutely the composition of the majority by which the Municipal Corpo rations Bill was carried ill the other house of parliament. Ihe objectionable passage was now altered. As no charge had been brought against them by the municipal commissioners, the pe titioners did not pray to be heard by counsel at the bar. They declared,, that though they were hostile to this bill, they were at all times Willing to adopt any wise plan of improvement for the benefit of the borough. They entreated their lordships to bear in mind that by protecting their rights and privileges, they at the same time protected the authority of the source from which they derived their own nobly achieved honours. The noble Earl also presented a petition from inhabitants and resi dents of the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis against the bill. He bad previously presented a similar petition from that select body. This petition, however, came from two hun dred-and-forty most, respectable inhabitants, including some . per sons who belong to the corporate body; but two hundred Judi viduals had signed who were not connected with that body. If their lordships chose to have the allegationS contained in the petition established at the bar of their lordships, the present mayor and the individual who served that office last year were in town for that purpose. • The Earl of Radnor. Viscount Melbourne, and Lord Brougham presented petitions in favour of the bid. The Duke of NEWCA ST LE.—I wish to know whether the noble viscount means to-morrow to move that the house go into com mittee on the Municipal CoiTorations bill ? Viscount Met.nouttNE.—(certainly, to-morrow. The Duke of NEWCASTLE.—Then 1 give notice that I shall take that opportunity to make the same motion that I did the other night, and 1 shall take the sense of the house on it.—The motion was—" That it is the opinion of this house, that though this house will at all times be prepared to take into its consider ation (and to give it every support to which it is entitled) any measure founded upon constitutional principles which may be brought before it, having for its object the extension of the mu cipal rights and privileges, or the correction of any abuse proved to exist in the management of any property attached to the municipal borough towns embraced in this bill, yet we feel it our bounden duty to withhold our assent to this measure on ac count of the unconstitutional principles by which it is charac terized, which subvert the hereditary rights and privileges of a considerable body of our fellow-countrymen, and destro) s the ancient charters of upwards of 240 municipal borough towns, without that evidence having been laid before this house which can justify such a measure." POLLS AT ELECTIONS BILL. - - On the motion of the Earl of RADNOR, this bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Thursday. ROMAN CATHOLIC MARRIAGES BILL. The Marquis of CLAN RICARDE moved the second reading of the Roman catholic marriage bill. He called for the support of the house to a measure which was founded upon humanity, justice, and policy. The law, as it at present existed,*affixeda stigma upon the Roman catholic population of Ireland, and it was the object of this bill to remove the last remnant of the penal code which had so long afflicted that portion of the com munity. The bin would take away the power now, in some instances, must barbarously used by parties of the marriage contract, of invalidating and setting aside that contract, and 'would thereby give security to property without the litigation to which the present law exposed innocent parties. The noble marquis quoted several cases of great hardship and oppression which had come within his own knowledge, as resulting from the present state of the law, and proceeded to observe, that the only objection wheenht to aidadheard against c ultagneddestinemarriages the iag bil e l s w i a n s t l h re e la a n ll d e : alle gation that a r l l r t e a a t d a y l 1 esgaai said, t n h h e e i d n e v n a i l e id d a . into. The means of clandestine marriages were fully afforded tionhiusfbicilownternatcttso psorleevmennti,yasehnetehraedd in Ireland by the class of individuals well known to many of their lordships as "couple-beggars," who were to be found throughout Ireland. On the grounds of humanity, morality, and expediency, he recommended the bill most strongly to their lordships for their adoption. Lord CARBERRY, after briefly stating his objections to the bill, moved that it be read this day six months. Lord PLC NKETT supported the bill, which only went to annul and repeal that law under which marriages solemnized bv Roman catholic priests might be invalidated either by the fraud of the parties or by other means. The Earl of LIMERICK opposed the motion on the ground that he was unwilling to increase the power and influence of a body of men who would not be disposed to use either with any friendly feeling to the protestant church in Ireland. His lord• ship th'en read a letter from a catholic bishop (Abraham) to the foreman of the grand jury of Waterford respecting the appoint ment of a catholic priest for tie gaol of that county, which we printed iu a former number. The Earl of Wicasow said that a more presumptuous, arro gant, and insolent letter than that of Bishop Abraham had never been penned. This was not the only case in which some of the Roman catholic clergy had attempted to browbeat those who dared to oppose their will. A prelate of that church, Dr. M'Hale, had called the establiihed church a sinking'and falling religion, the bane and curse of the country. With the hope of improving the bill he had no objection to a second reading. The Bishop of LONDON admitted that a revision of the law respecting marriages both in England and Ireland called for legislative interposition. But looking to the necessity of a inure general measure he would vote for the amendment. Lord BROUG II ANT supported the motion at some length. His lordship maintained that a Roman catholic priest was much less likely than the protestant clergyman to abuse the ceremony of matrimony, because the former looked upon it as a sacrament, the latter regarded it only as a civil ceremony. ("No, no.") In proof of this statement, he quoted the authority of Lord Stowell, in the case of "Dalrymple v. Dalrymple." He was of opinion that proselytism was much more likely to take place under the present system than that which was proposed, and in conclusion conjured their lordships to pass the bill. The Bishop of EXETER denied that marriage only was a civil contract. It was a holy estate, into which individuals could not enter without a civil contract, but this contract was merely the gate; when entered upon, it was a holy and religious state; and there was also a religious contract, because it was instituted by God—commended by God—blessed by God—and rendered irre vocable by God. So did the law of England regard it also, except only in the case of adultery. If it were merely a civil contract, it might be dissolved upon the mutual consent of the parties. He cited the case of Miss Turner, to show that their lordships would not entertain the question of dissolving a mar riage on account of fraud, they having ordered a new bill to be sent up, founded on the ground that there really had been no marriage. He disputed the fact that the authority of Lord Stowell was against his statement o f th e l aw . H e quote d t h e opinion of Lor Holt to the same effect, and also a passage from Mr. Croly's pamphlet, to show that, according to the canettft el 1- hereenci 1 of Trent, the lirantion g ht to be - proetriim ea; but this was dispensed with, for the advantage of the bishop, who was paid fur his dispensations. result of the measure would he, not simply to induce people to prefer the services of a certain religious officer, but to occasion the substitution ut the Roman catholic marriage law for the present, which law was highly objectionable on account of the dispensing power of the Pope on the one side, in permitting marriages which without that dispensation would be held to be incestuous, and on the other side in preventing marriages between persons connected with each other to a greater extent than in the Levitical degrees, which would have a l amen t a ble e ff ec t i n b astar di z i ng the inno , cent progeny. In conclusion, he declared his determination cordially to support the amendment. The Bishop of HEREFORD would vote for the second reading of the bill in the hope that it might be improved in committee, if not, lie would vote against the third reading. The Marquis of CL A NR ICA RD E briefly replied. On a division, the numbers were— Content Not content 42 Majority agaimst the bill HOUSE OF bOlll - IVIONS.—TUESDAY. The Speaker took the chair at twelve o'clock. The house was occupied during the whole of this sitting in committee on the metropolitan public carriages' bill. The house resumed at five o'clock. DISCHARGE 01 , MR. PRENTICE. Lord F. EGERTON appeared at the bar as chairman of the Yarmouth bribery committee, and stated th a t Willi am P rentice had answered the questions which, in the opinion of the com mittee, he ought to answer. The report was received, and, on on the motion of the noble lord, Mr. Prentice was ordered to be discharged. MARYLEBONE CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION. Sir SA MUEL `VALLEY presented a petition from the vestry of the parish church of Marylebone complaining of the inquisi torial and vexatious proceedings of the conservative association established in that parish. The hon. gentleman denounced these societies as formed for the purpose of forming a predo minant conservative influence in that house, and to keep alive the recollection 6f events which ought to sleep forgotten in the annals of history. The petition, after some discussion,.was laid upon the table. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. TREATY WITH PORTUGAL. from." Mr. G. RouiNsom, seeing the uoble Secretary for Foreign Affairs in his place, availed himself of the opportunity to put a, few questions to him. The first question which he would ask was whether his majesty's ministers had received any official notification from the Queen of Portugal respecting the suspen sion, or he should rather say the annuituent, of the treaty made between the two countries at ltio Janeiro, on the 10th of Febru ary, 1810? The ecoud question was, whether tbit. uotilication had been acannpanicd by explanation of the motives or ulterior , vieµ•s of the frortilgtrp. , .e . govermneut. with respect to the future commercial regaiatoins of this country and Portugal? The third and last question Was, whether the noble lord intended to lay on the table such notification or communication as his nia jest v's government had received from that of Portugal? Lord PALNIIIRSTON said that 'he had received, two days ago, from Lord Howard de Walden, our minister at the court of Portugal, a copy of a connnunication which he had received from the Portuguese government, giving notice under one of the articles of treaty of 1810 that the government of Portugal would consider that treaty suspended at the expiration of six months, that is, from the (oth of January, 18.36. That commu nication was accompanied by a notification that the government of Portugal was ready to open a negotiation with this country for a new treaty founded ou terms of reciprocal advantage to both countries. (Hear.) lie had no objection to produce a copy. of the communication which he had received from Lord Howard de Walden, or at least an extract from it; and if the hon. member fur Worcester chose to have it for himself he (Lord Palmerston) should make no objection. Mr. G. ItoarNsoN then moved that there be laid on the table " a copy of any correspondence or notification received from the Portuguese authorities." Lord PALiteastoN (interrupting.)—" Or any extract there- Mr. G. ROBINSON (still going on.)—" Relating to the sus pension of the treaty between England and Portugal, signed at Rio Janeiro in 1810." He was sorry to find that there was any thing in the communication which the noble lord wished to con ceal Lord PALMERSTON.—There is not anything that I wish to conceal. (Hear, hear.) But the despatch relates to more sub jects.than this one. (Hear.) I tun ready to give the hon. member all he asks for on this subject. (Hear.) The motion was then agreed to. The house then passed the militia-staff bill through com mittee. ORANGE LODGES. On the motion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL. the adjourned de bate for the a pp o i ntmen t o f a s el ec t c om m ittee to inquire into the progress of urange lodges in England and Scotland was re sumed. Mr. FINCH moved an amendment against the resolutions, which, after a lengthened debate, was lost, 183 voting for the resolutions of Mr. Hume, and forty against them. Several hills were advanced a stage, and the house adjourned at three o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS.-WEDNESDAY The VICE-CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack as speaker at live o'clock. The sheriffs' deClaration bill was read a third time and passed. -Petitions. against the corporation bill were presented from Bury St. EdniOnds, Colchester, Bath, Scarborough, Osweitiy, New Sarum, Bewdley, anclGreat Yarmouth. in favour of the bill from Portsmouth. ADMINISTRATION OP JUSTICE IN 11tRLAND The Earl of WicicLow called the attention of the house to the circumstances attending some recent convictioLs for assault, in which he thought the lord-lieutenant had interfered injudi ciously. The noble earl, in the course of his observations, said that Ireland generally had an experienced secretary when she had a young lieutenant; but at the present moment she had the infliction of two young and inexperienced men. The conver sation was proceeding when the report was closed. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY After a considerable number of petitions had been presented, the Irish municipal corporations bill was read a second time, and ordered to he committed to-morrow (yesterday.) The house then weut into committee on the prisons' regula• tion bill. MEETINGS OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN DUBLIN. (Abridged from the Dublin Evening Packet and the Dublin Evening Mail.) This distinguished body, which numbers among its members all the eminent scientific and literary men in Europe, com menced its sitting on Monday, in Dublin, being its fifth annual meeting, and the first that has been held in this country. For several days past the city presented an unusually animated and bustling appearance—crowds of strangers pouring in from all parts to attend the meeting. On Friday last a number of dis tinguished strangers arrived in Sir John Tobin's steamer, which that gentleman had very liberally placed at the disposal of the association, for the conveyance of its members. On Saturday a vast number of Scotch and English professors ' from the Uni versities of Oxford, Camb r id ge , an d Edinburgh, assembled in the theatre of Trinity College, to meet their literary brethren of our own country, who have arrived in town in great numbers. It is anticipated that the session will be more remarkable than any that has yet taken place. The association has already enrolled as members all the distinguished members of the lite rary and scientific bodies that our country can boast of, besides the members of the different learned professions. The Examination Hall and Courts of Trinity College were yesterday crowded with members of the association, as well as with strangers anxious to obtain admission. Among the gen tlemen enrolled were the following : Duncan Macpherson, M.D., Inverness; James Clarke Ross, London; It. S. Bradshaw, Belfast; \V. R. Gregg, Delegate for Manchester; C. W. Boase, Dundee' David Don, Libra rian Linnean Society, London ; Chas. J. B. Williams, Medi- Cal and Chirurgical Society, London; W. Oliphant, Edin burgh; W. Dick, Edinburgh • Thomas Thomson, Glasgow; Viscount Adare and W. Hall, Edinburgh; Andrew Liddell, Glas gow; Frederick Tuckett, Bristol; Edward Sabine, London; W. H. Duncan and G. R. Waterhouse, Liverpool; W. Lucas, Sheffield; S. Kennik, Birmingham; .1. it. W. Vose, Liver pool; W. L. Wharton, Durham; It. Graham, Edinburgh; J. Glendenning, London; E. Foster, jun., Cambridge; George Fitzgerald, London; Charles Keys and J. Frazer, Edinburgh; It. Taylor, Cornwall ; It. 1. H. Cunningham, Edinburgh; Henry H. Wason, Bolton-le-Moors,- Rev. C. Boyton; G. E. Paget, Cambridge ; Jas. Smith, F.R.S., Glasgow ; Thomas White, Edinburgh ; Professor Daubeny, Oxford; H. Raikes, Chester; J. D. - Broughton, F.R.S., London; J. Laurence, Leicester; John Harman, Glasgow; Hon. Thomas Barnwall; Isaiah Deck, Cambridge; W. I. Birch, London; Holmes Ivory and' Doctor Seller„Edinburgh; Thomas Hopkins anU lA Richard Rorts, Manchester; A. I'. J. Gtvynne, Cardigan ; Doctor Townsend. Cork ; John Pother, Manchester; B. C. Furniss, Edinburgh; D. Wilkie, R.A., London; J. Pretious, Pembroke; W. Scriven, Hastings; Doctor R. - B. Todd and It. Adams, London- Lord Talbot; Sir Thomas Staples; Gen. J Brown, Clayton ; J. Smith, Manchester; Birney Clark and G. T. Haydou, R.A., London; T. 11. Potter, Liverpool; A. Melley, Alanchester ; H. Holt, Notton-on-Wakefield ; H. Romilly, Manchester; A. Marcot and H. Aston, London; Rev. Dr. Williams, Somerset; G. F. W. Bordes, Bristol; B. Mauno, Bromsgrove; C. Blackburne. London ; J. Barnes, Hants; George Lloyd, Leamington; Wm. Bingham, Oxford;. C. B. Vignoles, C.E., London ; Dr. Brown , Glasgow • Captain H. M. Denham, R.N. N. Connell, Edinburgh; 'Professor Clark, Cambridg-e ; • W. Al`Nati, Edinburgh; W. J. Bayne, Suffolk ; Col. W. Smith, Woolwich; R. Neilson and S. 'tur ner, Liverpool; Professor Whewell, Cambridge; Jas. Rennie, London; L or d Huntingdon; E. Lear, A.S.L., London; J. and E. Osborne, Bristol; W. Jerdan and J. J. Hawkins, .Lon don, &c. &c. SECTIONAL PROCEEDINGS, usual hour Shortly after twelve o'clock the business sittings of the society commenced, and the sections were opened in the following places A. Mathematics and Physics, the Philosophy School, Tri nity College. B. Chemistry and Mineralogy, Chemical School, Ditto. C. Geology and Geography, Theatre of the Royal Dublin Society. D. Zoology and Botany, Board-room, ditto. E. Anatomy and Medicine, Council-room, Royal Irish Aca demy. P. Statistics, Divinity School, Trinity College. The different places of meeting were densely crowded at an early hour. GENERAL MEETING AT THE 140TONDA,--AtONDAT EVENING At a quarter past eight o'clock the Lord Lieutenant, attended by his suite, took his seat on the right of the chair, which was taken by the outgoing president, Sir Thomas Brisbane. Sir Thomas addressed the meeting at some length, and concluded by calling on Dr. Lloyd to take the chair, which he vacated. Dr. Lloyd, on taking the chair, vindicated modern science from the charge of impiety, and proved that scientific investiga tions, so far from throwing doubt on the accuracy of revelation, tendeci.more and more to confirm it. This must always be the case, that the more we sought after the truths of nature, the more illustrations and confirmations would divine truths ieceve. The God of nature was the God of revelation ; and science, which developed the laws of nature, could not trace anything contrary to revelation. He repudiated the notion that the cause of religion could he served by ignorance i • it was exploded absurdity, m e nd ac i Dee gracitim. Dr. Lloyd (we believe) con tinued to expatiate, at considerable length, upon the advantages of an association which formed a bond of union between scien tific men of different countries. He made several quotations from Bacon, the purport of which only those close to him could catch, as he was perfectly inaudible at the distance of a few feet, and at last he concluded by calling on Professor Hamilton, one of the secretaries, to present the annual report. The learned professor read from a paper a very diffuse and very eloquent statement of the origin, progress, and completion of the British Association—its objects, and the mode by which it purposed to effect them, which appeared to give very general satisfaction. The provosts then called on the presidents of. the different sections to report the respective proceedings during the day. Dr. Romney Robinson detailed the proceedings of the,physical m 'arid ath e matical section. - 31 r. 'had 'reed a magnifi cent paper on the subject of electricity, proving that its laws could be made the subject of mathematical investigation. It appeared that a theory, which had been recently published in France as a new discovery, had been known seventy years ago to an Irishman. (This statement was received with true na tional feeling--with loud applause.) The learned professor said that hitherto electricity had been a kind of scapegoat among the powers of nature ; every thing, for which no explanation could be given, had been set down to its account; but Mr. Whe well would deprive philosophers of this convenience, and the laws and motions of this power be made subject to the same in vestigation that disclosed the other operations of nature. Mr. Snow Harris h a d ex hibi te d a new construct i on o f balance, formeasuring electrical forces. It seems to be on the principle of Coulombe's balance of tort ion, but is less complicated in its contrivance, anu more accurate in its result. (Just as Mr. Harris was about to exhibit some electrical experiments during the day a sudden flash of light ning seemed as if to furnish an apt illustration of his subject; perhaps to warn him that the state of the atmosphere was not such as to permit him to trifle with the electric fluid.) Mr: Powell made a communication with regard to the polari zation of non-luminous heat. It seemed to gratify the Irish audience to be informed that Mr. Powell, suspicions of an inac curacy in a very intricate calculation connected with some of his • experiments, had selected our countryman, Mr. Murphy, of Cambridge, as the best person to whom' he could submit it. Dr. Hudson read a paper on the radiation of heat. Ile I stated, as illustrative of the advantages of the British Associa lion, that it was by these meetings he had been excited to make the experiments, the results of which he now submitted. Captain Sir John Ross had occupied the section with a new theory with respect to the aurora borealis. The gallant cap tain supposes it to be caused by a double reflection of the rays of the sun, first from the snow and ice, and then from the clouds. We do not believe that he has succeeded in making many pro selytes to his opinion. Mr. Mallet had exhibited an application of electric magnetism to the separation of iron filing s from copper. The reports from the other sections were then made. In the geological section the exhibition of Mr. Griffith's map was the chief business of the day. Messrs. Seclgtvick, Murchie son, and Greenough expressed themselves in very high terms of the great research and talent displayed by Mr. Griffith. This is, perhaps, the most important subject brought under the no tice of the association, as may lead to the development of the rnan!,e mineral resources of Ireland.. Dr. West read a paper un the geographical position of Cape Farewell. Dr. Ceulte . who bas just returned from Mexico, made many interesting observations on the natural history of that country. In the anatomical section Dr. Greaves's paper has been very much admiral by the profession. The statistical section is not ; pe!ltaps, the most generally in- ~~ .~ teresting, yet certainly it is not the least important. The laws of population, and the proportion of foundlings to the general poputation, were illustrated by a variety of tables. Dr. Maun sell, Professor of Midwifery to the Royal College of Surgeons, read a paper . .exhibiting the results that would be gleaned from the reports of the Foundling Hospital in this city, After the different reports had been made, professor Sedg wick addressed the chair in a very effective speech, in which he descanted on the success that had as yet attended the British Association. He moved a vote of thanks to Sir John Tobin for his_liberality and munificence. _ The resolution, having been seconded by Professor Murchie son, was carried amid loud acclamations, and/ the meeting adjourned at eleven o'clock TUESDAY. All the sections met. at eleven o'clock, and closed at the In the evening the Rotunda was crowded in every part to ex cess, but no chair was taken. The attraction of the night DOCTOR LARDNER'S LE.cruitF. ON STEAM CARRIAGES. The learned doctor commenced by speaking generally of the properties of steam. A solid inch of water, in being converted into the invisible power called steam, (for the vapour which we see is not the steam, but smoke,) raises a weight of 16 pounds nu feet, or of 150 times 15 pounds one foot; and hence we might obtain as a simple formula easy to be remembered, that a solid inch of water in evaporation raises a.ton one foot; and it pos sesses the same power in the reconversion, so that by- this principle we have a double mechanical agency ; first, in the conversion of water into steam, and, secondly, in the re conversion of steam into water. In the common steam eugines both these agencies are employed. The learned professor then referred to the beautiful model of a steam-engine which w on the platform, and explained the principles of its constfirction and action with great minuteness of detail. Speaking of the speed of the locomotive engine he said its speed depends altogether on the heat. The inquiry, therefore, as to the speed of locomotive engines is simply an inquiry how the greatest degree of heat can be applied to the, generation of steam. heat acts in two ways; it acts first by radiation, just as the lamps communicate their light; the particles of heat are •radiated against the sides of the boiler, and so the water becomes hot; but, besides, the air which is employed in sustaining com bustion escapes at an intense temperature. If this air were, therefore, allowedaospaes away without any diminution of its temperature, it would be a waste of fuel; it is, therefore, con trived by making it pass thrOugh intricate passages, that it shall not pass away without being reduced to the temperature of the water. Here, then, was difficulty—so to regulate its escape, that it might just be reduced to the proper temperature—and it was interesting to observe the struggles of invention to attain this object. Iwo or three expedients bad been employed,— the first plan he would endeavour to explain—(here he referred to a diagram placed in o conspicuous position d upon the wall, ) round about the'fire-iflace'there was a hollow its& filled with Water, against the sides of this the heat radiates, and the steam bubbles, being generated, the steam is conveyed into the cham ber prepared tor its reception—the air, however,' employed in combustion is not permitted to escape at once—a round vessel filled with water is placed between the fire and the chimney-- through this vessel run a hundred tubes open at both ends— and these are so contrived in their diameters and arrangement that the heated air which rushes through them is reduced, by the time it reaches the chimney, to the temperature of the water; by this all waste of fuel is prevented; and the air having reached the chimney, although in its cooled state it does not retain sufficient tendency to ascend to bear it up with suffi cient rapidity, is caught by the blast produced by the admission of the steam, and carried up the chimney with great force. This was the contrivance adopted in locomotive engines; and by this an engine, weighing itself 10 tons, and with a train attached of 100,.200, or even 240 tons, moves along a railroad at the rate of 12 miles an hour. Of the violence of the com bustion employed no idea could be formed by those who only knew fire in its culinary and domestic purposes. Of the in tensity of the heat some notion• might be formed fsom an in stance of which he (Dr. Lardner) had been himself a witness. In an experimental trip from Manchester to Liverpool, new grate bars had been absolutely melted away by the violence of the heat. Dr. Lardner then proceeded to mention several other contrivances, one in which a number of concentric cylin ders were employed, the spaces between being alternately filled up with fire and water; but the object sought in every such contrivance was to expose as large a surface of water as possible to the action of the heat. Having thus given a rapid outline of locomotive engines, he would proceed to explain the principle of railroads. The difficulty of employing steam on common roads arises from a principle pervading . all inert mechanical agency—every species of power but animal exertion—that it could not vary its energy without loss. There is no mecha nical contrivance by which you can obtain superior power when occasion may require; on a common road the resistance is variable. Dr. Lardner then proceeded to make some observa tions on roads in general, and on what he termed M'Adam's paradox, that a road through a bog was as good as over a rock ; this was by no means the case, and the newest plan of making roads is to have for them all a paved foundation; the perfection of a road is that it should be perfectly hard, smooth, and level. The first requisite, railroads possess alsnost to perfection—the second is disturbed by the joining of the rails; this is not ap parent on the Kingstown railway, where the rails are new, but on the Manchester and Liverpool it is possible to count the number of rails by the jolts of the carriage. To obtain the level is the most difficult part of all—on a level railroad the power of nine pounds is sufficient to draw a ton; that is, in round numbers the same as I to 230; this_ proportion of weight upon a level would be equivalent to the resistance of an acclivity rising! foot in 250—an acclivity of so gentle ascent as not to be perceptible to the eye, and yet requiring double the power which is , necessary on a level road. Engines have been constructed so as to surmont this difficulty; in fact, at one time to put forth double the power which they do at another; but when the rise is one foot in 125, it requires treble force to sur mount it, and this is beyond the power of the profitable apreica tion of locomotive force. If the rise is less than one foot in one hundred an additional engine is added, that pulls the train up the hill; but if it be greater than this, it is beyond the power of locomotive engines forthis ascent. Another and more power ful species of engine must be employed, which remains sta tionary at the top of the hill and pulls up the train by a rope. To illustrate how slight were the acclivities that to locomotive engines were formidable hills, Dr. Larduet stated, that to draw a weight of a ton up Sackville-street, wheee the rise ie one foot in five hundred, a force of thirteen poundi instead online won't& be required. Up the lower part of Grafton-street an additional engine would be requisite; from Anne-street to 'Stephen's,- green, level as it might appear, the ascent is beyond the power of locomotive engines on a rail-road, and should be,accomplish ed by a fixed engine •at the head of the ascent ; and all the power of steam could not bring any weight up by a railroad laid on Cavendish-row. Another difficulty is, that rail-roads must be straight—they cannot go round corners, or even make any I Considerable curve, because, in passing round a curve with such tremendous velocity, the carriages receive a centrifugal force, anti will be very likely to fly off at the convex side of the curve. This was the only blemish in the Kingstown railway, which, of all railways, was the must perfect in design. There was just at its termination a curve, with the small radius of half a mile; no curve should have a less radius than a mile; at present this blemish was of no consequence, because this curve occurred at the termination of the . railway, where the carriages slackened their rate. If ever, however, the railway is carried farther, as he hoped and was confident it would, this curve must be re moved. He knew, however, that the distinguished engineer who had so admirably planned the line was perfectly aware of the circumstance of the curve, and had only yielded to inevita ble necessity in making it, even where at present, from the cause already mentioned, it was not dangerous. It was not from any inferiority in railways that a curve or a hill, which would be of no consequence in a common road, became so eerie ous here. It was in consequence of their perfection, just as , a slight gash that would scarcely injure a less perfect instrument would utterly destroy a.razor. He had trespassed very long, (here the learned professor was interruptedlaysalong and enthu siastic burst of applause,) but' he would only . detain them by glancing briefly at the great lines of communication which are projected: the most forward is the line between Liverpool and London—a railway is to run from Liverpool to Birmingham and firm Birmingham to meet the' Manchester railway at a point about half way to Liverpool; this railway will be two hundred miles long; there is a magnificent viaduct over the Ouse, a mile and a quarter long; anti several tunnels, one under Primrose-hill, close to the Regent's Park, of half a mile, another a mile and a half, with some of shorter lengths. By this raihroad, even were no further improvement to be effected in the speed of the engines beyond the ordinary rate of travel ling, the journey front London to Liverpool would be effected in ten hours; but, as it is probable that carriages built express ly for the purpose of speed, which has never vet been made the object of attention, could keep up during the whole way the rate of forty, fift y , or even sixty miles, whi c h speed had been attained on the Kingstown railway in experimental trips, the mail might be conveyed from London to Liverpool in thee hours and a half. Dr. Lardner then referred toa map on which all the projected rail-roads are marked—one from London to Southampton, another frotn London to Bristol. It was impos sible to calculate the moral political, and commercial effects of these rail-roads. It was found that the making of a rail-road trebled the intercourse on the line. The intercourse between London and Liverpool was 1,300 persons a-day, as ascettained by stamp returns. The intercourse between London and the three towns he had mentioned was annually a million and a quarter—very nearly the amount of the whole population of London. Other rail-roads were projected to York, and Edin burgh, and Lincoln; and last, not least—one that he trusted yet to see—the highway to New York, Itremendous cheering,) he meant the projected one to Valentia. (Renewed and loud cheering.) From this the greatest good must follow ; steam packets could ply from Valentia to Halifax in twelve days, and thus the whole intercourse with s koaerio e lle.leroughtistithin the reach of steam navigation ; all passengers from the western world would then pass through Ireland, and he (Dr. Lardner) knew of no project more calculated to tranquillize and enrich it than the construction of the proposed railway, in the line of which there is no insuperable obstacle.• (Great cheering.) Our transatlantic brethren had done much in constructing rail roads, which were not inferior to ours, as had been erroneously stated—forty-six were completed, and one hundred and thirty seven either completed or in progress; one was now projecting from Baltimore to the vale of Ohio, which would be three hundred and thirty miles in length. [The learned professor concluded his interestinglecture, which was one of the most po pular and the clearest exposition of scientifice principles that we ever had the good foitune to hear, — ainid the loudest plaudits of the highly respectable crowd which filled the room.] The sectional meetings were continued through this day, but no report of their proceedings was made in the evening. WEDNESDAY. At 9 o'clock the College of Surgeons entertained, the distin guished strangers then in Dublin, and a great body of 'Visitors, at their splendid college, in Stephen's-green. The library, ex amination-hall, and museum, were thrown open as reception rooms, and the dejeune, on a scale of princely magnificence, was laid out in the boarl-room, committee-rooms, and other apartments, in this chaste and magnificent building. Every luxury that taste could suggest., or munificent outlay procure, was in variety and profusion, and the members of the profession, wholly regardless of their own pereonal convenience, devoted their attention exclusively to the accommodation of their guests. About six hundred persons were present, and we will venture to affirm, so admirable were the arrangements, that not a wish or want of any of the numerous persons assembled was left un gratified. Notwithstanding so vast a body, the entertainment had all the quietude and comfort of one given in a private house, and to an ordinary party, and was spoken of in terms of the highest approbation by its partakers. Mr. Read, the president of the College of Surgeons, was un remitting in his attentions, and unceaeiug in his exertions. After the dejeune all the rooms in the college' were thrown open for inspection. The party having assembled in the theatre, Dr. Hart read an abstract of time proceedin g s of this section yesterday. Dr. M•Donuell, of Belfast, reada paper on the pulse; after which some observations were made in connexion with the sounds of the heart by Dr. Carlile and Dr. Cori igen. Surgeon Harrison then read a paper \On the junction of the heart in various classes of animals. Papers on the ruminantia, by Dr. Bowes; on hydutods, by Surgeon i Houston; on entazoii in human muscles, by Dr. Harrison ; a report, by Dr. Collins, and a paper on atmospheric pressure, by Sir J. Murray, M.D., were then read. The president of the college, Surgeon Read, presided at the general meeting; and the surgeon-general at the meeting of the section. We take the following observations on the association from the Dublin Eteniny Mail of Wednesday : We cannot but he highly gratified with the progresa which AUGUST 14, I 5:35, British association has made in this country ; and certai n we are, that the learned and eminent stranler.e who have visite l our shores, will be equally pleased with the reception they have met, and the effects which their presence and labours have al ready produced at the present, and those likely to arise from the mental excitement they have set in motion. The Irish are an intellectual people—and intellect needs but the impulse of example, and the spur of glory, to arouse its activity and draw forth its vigour. These outward appliances have 'already been given; and we doubt not th e i r h a ppy resu lt s w ill b e soon visi ble through all the educated classes of society. We need Site , nothing of the exertions made, and the mental powers exhibited by our own countrym en on th e occasion. Hamilton, Robinson. Lardner, are names whose celebrity does honour to the land of their birth, and are , econd to few, perhaps to none, in that bril liant galaxy of worthies o f w h om they are the fellow-associates. But we speak of that general and promiscuous body who, with inferior pretensions, contributes• their full quota to the general enlightenment of the age, and of such as, without, pretensions to distinction at all, show a readiness of comprehension, and au aptness to appropriate instruction, which indicate the very broad basis upon which science founds its' prospects of future greatness in this country. The more recondite discussions are, of course, reserved for those, and they are a numerous body, whose minds have been disciplined and prepared by previous study for the reception of new truths and wider generalizations. But the association, adopting a most useful system, opens' its stores even for the uninitiated, and its evening reunions are de voted to the information of those who as yet are groping in the twilight for further knowledge. These lectures are, very pro perly, of an elementary nature; and we cannot too earnestly impress on the gentlemen engaged in these discussions the importance of this branch of their system. Were we to give an instance of what we consider wanted—and at the same time of what has been admirably performed, we should refer to the lecture on steam-engines, and locomotive carriages, and rail roads, delivered at the Rotunda yesterday evening Dr. Lard ner. Such was the fullness, the cleat ness, the simplicity of this eminent gentleman's statements, that we venture to say they were comprehensible to the humblest intellect in his auditory— and to all they carried conviction with the force of demonstra tion. We can be accused of no partialities towards Dr. Lunt ner ; but we repudiate injustice towards his merits or any other •man's; and what we have said, we have said under the impres sion of his great powers as a popular lecturer, and a strong con sciousness of benNits likely to result from a similar treatnient of such subjects. MUNICIPAL REFORM.-MR. HOGG'S PROTEST. We have now before us a copy of Mr. Hogg's much talked of protest, the production of which was so obsti nately resisted ,by his Majesty's ministers until they were forced to_ vield to the .coercion complained .of, so pathetically in the House of Lords by Lord Melbourne. Mr. Hogg's protest is a long, and in some respects a la boured commentary on the report of his learned brother commissioners, upon which the corporation bill is found ed ; but, divested of its verbiage, contains the remarks. ffa sensible and shrewd observer. The subjoined ex traCt% are taken from the several divisions of the protest which'We have classed them under. CORPORATE BODY. " It may he desirable that there should be few of the principal Tate-pavers in any town who are not burgesses, but it may be doubted whether it be equally desirable that there should be no other burgesses than rate-payers. They who pay fates and other direct taxes have undeniably an interest in the good government of towns, but they are not the only persons so in terested. A prudent antiquity loved the thrifty contract of ap prenticeship, and although it may not accord with the restless spirit of modern innovators, it seems that the young journey man, who probably pays no direct tax, having subscribed seven years of his life to good order, usefulness, and wholesome re straint's, may justly claim to assist in the choice of the mayor of his town, and to partake of other municipal duties The democratical principle forming a principal ingredient in our mixed constitution, a discretion, not unacquainted with the science of government, permitted persons of humble station, but who had proved themselves to be of good conversation by a prescribed servitude, to perceive at an early age that they -also had a stake in the state. It has been sagaciously re marked by an experienced observer, that workmen are far more independent than the small tradesmen; and the majority of rate-payers in towns is commonly composed of the latter class. Custom has been used more extensively and more effec tually to influence votes than employment. The artisan may be discharged, and so put to some inconvenience, but the shop keeper may, be ruined; the one is tree, the other adtcriptus ,stleba, fixed to the curb-stone in front of his shop: if the latter offend, he must encounter bankruptcy, or the borough gaol; whilst the former, with the wide world before him, quickly ties up ,his moveables in a handkerchief, and after a short ramble finds a new master, and wages, r7ood, or bad, according to cir cumstances, which patrons and candidates cannot control. Freemen by birth obtain the franchise in a truly independent manner, by the uncontrolled title of inheritance; and their birthright commonly gives local attachments, as well as liberty; it is complained that persons, who make a little money in a country town, are often strangers and foreigners, ignorant of its usages, and wanting in municipal patriotism: where free dom is acquired by marriage, considerations of locality have also their due weight. Choice, to be made by the burgesses, or at least by some persons connected with the town, appears to have been accounted an important element in the assump tion of new burgesses; the father does not choose his son, it is true, but he, a burgess, may fashion him as he will, and the master may train up his apprentice into the form of a brother burgess. If it be ordained that every householder, every male inhabitant, every rate-payer, all of a prescribed rental, com plexion, age, or stature, shall be burgesses, choice is swallowed up in a new and vast experiment." " The tone of the report of certain of the commissioners, wherever it touches the rights of the freemen, is peculiar and remarkable; it is accounted a crime in a freeman to seek to ex ercise those franchises which the laws of his country and the usages of his forefathers have given to him ; it is ahinist parri cide in him ? although inhabitinga populous town where the workmen being assembled in large bodiei, are animated-by end less political discussion and gratuitous excitement, to desire to have a vote for the boraugh." GOVERNING BODY. " It is further complained that 'since the repeal of the cor poration and test acts, and the removal of the civil disabilities of the catholics, very few instances occur in which either , catholics or dissenters, who often form a numerous, re spectable, and wealthy portion of the inhabitants, have been chosen into the governing body of the corporation.' The dis senters are generally numerous in English and Welsh towns, many are wealthy, and all, it may be truly said, are respectable, for very few members of their large and miscellaneous body are of ill conduct and character; it must be admitted, indeed, that republics are favourable to decency and to the ordinary vir tues. The real question, however, is this: are the disseuters generally accounted to be so friendly to the English constitu tion, as by law established, by those persons, in whom the choice of the common council is vested, that they might con scientiously have chosen them into the governing body of their town? Certain sects of protestant dissenters are supposed to differ, but little fl in doctrine, if at all, from the church of Eng land, their discipline only is not the same, but more strict, for this and doctrine and pious observances they extend and en force further than ordinary churchmen are wont; reverence for and submission to subsisting authority they also carry so far, as - to seem incapable of active resistance. To these dis senters, if such they arc to be called, there would perhaps be no objection on the part of orthodox electors; but in proportion as men devote themselves conspicuously to religion, they seent to withdraw from secular affairs, and it might well be doubted whether an eminently pious burgess would desire to be intro duced into the council, or would attend heartily to the business of the borough. The corporations of England and Wales have long been and still are distinguished in a remarkable manner for the most dutiful and affectionate loyalty, for an equal attach ment to each branch of the constitution, with a steady regard for whatever is established; their tastes and their toasts are for church and , state, and especially d o th ey h armon i se we ll w i t h the established church, the authorities Usually attending divine service with much pomp a nd th e b est example. It is too much to expect that such bodies, which in truth move but slowly in any case, should in a few short years fill their senates with dis senters, professing open hostility to the church and suspected of republican tastes in civil government, partly perhaps be cause they are sticklers for democracy in ecclesiastical polity. Historical recollections linger in provincial towns; the people look upon the first years of the reign of King Charles 11., a period which is sometimes styled the Commonwea:th, and the days that immediately preceded it, as the administration of the dissenters; and the remembrance of such times being odious to Englishmen, a je a l ous y, m or e v i g ilant possibly than is needful, torments all who dread to recall them.'* PROPERTY. '• The doctrines respecting corporate property promulgated in the reports are raw and juvenile and of a foreig❑ hue; they cannot be grateful to minds mature and manly and nourished by the assiduous contemplations of English laws and of Eng lish institutions; the municipal corporations of England being in their spirit neither Scottish, Irish; nor French, but eminently national and exclusively English. To the chapters on property every reader should be referred, who would exactly estimate the the temper in. which the report has.been drawn, that he may :earn with how much caution its conclusions and suggestions are to be received_ - "One expression occurs in this part of the report which is so highly tilibecoming that it. were unfit to pass it by. 'Few cor porations,' say the commissioners, 'admit any positive obliga tion to expend the surplus of their income for objects of public advantage. Such expeuditure is regarded as a spontaneous act of private generosity, rather than a well-considered application of the public revenue, and the credit to which the corporation. in such a case, generally considers itself entitled, is not that of judicious administrators, but of liberal benefactors. Even in these cases party and sectarian purposes often prevail in its ap plication.' It is not pretended that any corporation h a s ex pended the surplus ofincome in constructing lavatories for ana baptists, or in erecting houses of gathering for quakers, presby terians, or unitarians, but it is notorious that many have be stowed much iu building, repairing, and endowing churches; the munificence of the corporation of Liverpool in this respect is almost incredible. It is plain, therefore, that the epithet sec tarian is applied to the pious benefactions of orthodox church men. If it were deemed expedient to inculcate that all modes of faith and of worship are alike precious, the very i n t e lli g ible proposition might be propounded in terms; but it cannot surely serve any end of utility, or of decency, to fling an obliqne insult at the public establishment, by insinuating that it is but a sect, and its adherents sectaries." • In his general notice of the report, Mr. Hogg says :-- "A copy of a printed bill, intituled, 'An act to provide for the better government et certain boroughs, when incorporated.' was sent to each of the commissioners at the commencement of the inquiry under your Majeste's commission, as a part of big instructions. Several parts of general report of certain of the commissioners seem to have reference to this bill; it may be fit therefore to notice it particularly hereafter, especially ag it would create constitutions altogether new and different from any, as it is believed, that have hitherto existed in any borough of England or Wales. It is true that the attention of the com missioners is not commanded to embrace this matter by the terms of your Majesty's commission.. but they are enjoined to discover the defects to the constitotien of the municipal corpo rations, and if the constitution prescribed by the bill he the best that can he devised, it follows that every departure from it must he a defect, and ; that it is their duty to mark it as such ; and it is otherwise, of course, if the new constitution be itself objectionable." In other words AU, the commissioners were despatched for the purpose of mataufacturing such a report as would further the views of their employers who had predzter mined on the aestruction of all municipal bodies, and. like Balaarn, the son of Fleor, when sent for by the King • ()f Moab to curse the children of Israel, were almost corn' rmantled by Lord John to "curse me these corporations." Mr. Hogg will not get another cemmissionership Iraq his lordship.