The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-13 00:00:00

J .)4 . # *mptrial Varliantent. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAY. After several petitions had been presented against the ra ting of workhouses, The Duke of RICHMOND adverted to the importance of the subject, and to the bringing in of a bill forthwith (if relief were to be afforded), so that it could be passed before the sth of April. • The Marquis of NORMANDY answered that a bill had been prepared providing the required relief, and that it had been presented to the Commons, or soon would ho. The Marquis of WESTMEATH inquired whether there was any truth in the rumour that a man, recently convicted of a murder committed some years ago in Dublin, and for which his accomplices were executed, had received a commutation of his sentence' The Marquis of NORMANBY said that he had not heard of any such ocurrence, but that he would institute inquiries respecting it. The church building act amendment bill went through committee, after the adoption of an amendment proposed by the Bishop of London. The horse racing act amendment bill was read the third time and passed. The Marquis of NORMANBY entered into explanations as to the character. end signatures of a petition from Newport, presented on a former evening, in favour of Frost, Williams. and Jones. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. —MONDAY. Mr. MounrsoN, the new member for Inverness (who was formerly the member for Ipswich), took the oaths and his seat. A number of petitions on the subject of the corn laws were presented. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS, (IRELAND.) Lord MORPRTH moved that the municipai corporations (Ireland) bill be read the third time. • Sir G. &Nei,Ant opposed the motion, and proposed, by way of amendment, that it be read the third time that day six months. After a short discussion, in the course of which, however, several members spoke, the house divided. The numbers were, for the third reading, 182 ; for the amendment, 34, giving a majority of 148 in favour of the third rea di ng It was e ventually passe d . PRIVILEGE. Lord JoHN RUSSELL moved the second reading of the printed papers bill. Sir EDWARD SUGDEN offered several suggestions for pre venting the publication of objectionable matter. There was one clause of the bill with regard to pending actions which he felt to be most objectionable, and which he hoped would not be retained, as he had no conception that it would be agreed to elsewhere. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL defended the c?inse respecting actions, to which objections had been taken by Sir Edward Sugden. Sir ROBERT PEEL read a passaze from the report of 1837, to prove that those who were most anxious for the mainte nance of their privileges were equally desirous to abstain from inflicting any unnecessary pain. Sir R. IN GLIS objected to the bill as ex post facto legis lation. Lord Josh RUSSELL said there was a suggestion from the honourable member for Ripon, which he should- certainly take into consideration, though he was not then prepared to enter on the point. The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Friday. In answer to a question from Lord Sandon, Lord PAL MERSTON said, that Dr. Bowving's report on the subject of the Prussian Commercial League had been received ; buti he thought it right to look it over himself before publishing it. SUPPLY, On the question for going into supply having been put and carried, Mr. Hu ME entered on the financial position of the country. The deficit, he said, was caused, not by any falling off iu the revenue, but by an increased expenditure. If her majesty's government did not give some explanations as to the neces sity for increased establishments, amounting to 137,000 men for army, navy, and ordnance, he should certainly divide the ]louse. In addition to the military force, a large police was to be provided for ; and the latter was by far the more efficient body for maintaining the peace of the country. 1 - le should certainly propose the reduction of the army estimates to those of last year. Col. SIBTHORP complained that though the honourable gentleman examined the items of the estimates very narrowly, he never would join in any measure for throwing the go vernment fairly over. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the hon. member for Kilkenny ought to have made his proposition last year, when he (Lord J. Russell) stated his reasons for an augmentation, which met with the general concurrence of the house. In reference to the American boundary question, he said we had no rea son to complain of the general projects of the American go vernment, or of the acts of the president, because they had done every thing that was friendly to this country ; but we had to take some precautionary steps to guard against the incursions of very disorderly gangs of persons on a territory which they looked upon as not belonging to either party. He was sure the house would not refuse to place the army in such a state of efficiency as to provide for the wants of this great empire. The house having resolved itself into a committee of sup ply, Mr. MACAULAY said the whole force estimated in Feb ruary, 1839, including the force for India, was 109,818 ; and this year it was 121,112, making an addition of 11,294 ; but of these 7746 were employed in the defence of India, and chargeable on the revenues of that country. There remained au increase of 3548 to be added to the 5000 men voted last August. The right hon. gentleman proceeded to describe the mode in which tha additions to the force would be dis posed of. The additions to the number consisted chiefly of men; sixty-five men, consisting of four serjeants, four cor porals, and fifty-seven privates, having been added to every one of the eighty-one battalions of infantry in the United Kingdom, thereby raising them from 835 to 900 men. He wished the house to understand, that if the number of 4,408 which were to be added to the army were struck off, no means of disarming opposition, or gaining support, would be taken away from the Crown ; for if any gentleman took the trouble of looking through the different ranks of the service he would find that the charge for officers this year was dimi nished by £2,000. Of the 121,112 men composing the mili tary establishment, 28,213 would be charged on foreign reve nues, leaving 92,899 to be provided for by the country. The right honourable gentleman described the effect of the system of giving additional pay and badges for good conduct. The number of men wearing the good conduct badges was about 13,000. The right hon. gentleman having entered into several further explanations, concluded with moving, that £3,511,870 2s. Bd. be granted to her 'Majesty, to defray the charge for the land forces for the United Kingdom and the colonies. Mr. HumE contended that a small regular force was at all times more efficient than one composed of men who were only half soldiers and half civilians. He should propose to reduce the number of men to what it was in the year 1837-8, namely, to 81,319. Mr. WILLIAMS (Coventry) seconded the amendment. General SHARPE pointed out the inadequacy of a police force to preserve the peace. Lord HOWICK, so far from thinking that the vote ought to be reduced, was rather disposed to regret that it was not larger. He could hardly understand how it would be in the power of his right honourable friend to provide during the present year for that relief which, in justice to the army, ought to take place. :Sir H. HARDINGE concurred with Lord llovvick as to the absolute necessity for providing a better system of relief for the troops employed in the colonies. Upon the whole, he approved of the vote. On a division, the amendment was lost by a majority of 100 to 8, and the original resolution put and carried. The Prisons' Amendment Bill was read a second time, when Mr. WARBURTON gave notice " that, in committee on this bill, he should propose the insertion of a clause, enact ing that p ersons conv i cte d o f a po liti ca l lib e l s h ou ld not be treated, under the regulations of the prison, as those con victed of criminal misdemeanours." In proposing this clause, he referred more particularly to the treatment to which Lovett and Collins had been exposed in Warwick gaol. Adjourned. HOUSE OF LORDS.—TuEsnAY. Lord MORPETII appeared at their lordships' bar, and pre sented the municipal corporations (Ireland) bill. 'On the motion of Lord .. N.{ vtELBOURNE that bill was read the first time, and ordered to be read the second time on Monday, the 30th inst. The Marquis of NORMANDY presented returns respecting Irish peerages created since the union, and of peerages sup posed to be extinct. The Marquis of •LANDSOWNE presented a petition from the London Medical Society, praying for the adoption of means to secure the further success of vaccination. It was suggested that a bill should be brought in to provide the required facilities for medical aid among the poor throughout the country. The Marquis of NORMANRY considered the subject so im. portant that he should cause all possible inquiry to be made, in order to ascertain how the evil complained of could be re medied. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COM LIONS.—TUESDAY, Several private bills were read a first time, and a number of petitions presented. The Taff railway, after opposition and a division, was read a second time, by a majority of 129 to 126. On the motion of Lord SANDON, Promott's naturalization bill and Hausberg's naturalization bill, were read a second time. Several notices of motion were given, and others post poned. Sir J. WALSH withdrew his notice of motion in favour of a resolution declaratory of the expediency of " a legis lative enactment" to authorize the publication of Parliamentary Papers, Lord J. Russell's Bill having superseded the ne cessity for such a step. THE SYSTEM The CHANCELLO R . of BANKING the EXCHEQUER • then rose to move for a committee upon the effects produced on the circulation by the various banks is su i ng notes paya bl e on d e mand. The subject, he said, was one of which the consideration could not have been deferred Lnuch longer ' • for in 1844 the charter of the Bank of England world expire. The general conduct of that bank, as well as of all others issuing notes payable on demand, would come within the scope of his proposal, not with a view to vindictive, but only to remedial legislation. There was now a general feeling in the country that a time had arrived when parliament should do something for the settlement of the banking system, and this feeling was cer-. tainly a very reasonable one, after two periods of distress in the monied world succeeding each other with so short an in terval. He had never thought for a mo men t o f exempting the Bank of England from the proposed inquiry ; that would have been to act the play of Hamlet with the omission of Hamlet's character. The present was a favourable period, for the public were disposed to approach the subject in a calm and temperate spirit. It would be an important question fur the committee, whethet the present privileges of the Bank o f England ought to he sustained, or a syste m of tree banking substituted; and whether its present powers were such as they ought to be. With respect to the Bank of Ireland, he . should wish t o ren d er it s charter coterminous with that of the Bank o f E ng l an d, w hi c h wa s the object of last year's dis continued bill, but h e did not just now introduce another bill to that effect, because this would be to prejudg e a part of the policy which was to be referred to the committee. Mr. GIS BORNE was d es i rous to i nc l u d e those banks which, though they issue no notes of their own, yet issue the notes of the Bank of England. The Bank of England was under contract to supply then, with notes at three per cent. ; and these notes, at this low p r i ce , were o f course m ost largely calledd for in times whe n money was scarce an d d ear ; s o that theissues of the Bank of England were increased just when the state of affairs required.their contraction. MI. ELLIS objected to the principle of getting up a coin mittee for the purpose of shifting responsibility front ministers. Mr. HUMS wished . the committee t o go i nto the quest i on of currency , with a view of coming as near as possible to a metallic circulation. Mr. GECTI". was desirous of a committee, which he thought would be n , 4' . nl chiefly for ascertaining what are really the obligation! .f the Bank of England and other banks with reference to the currency. Mr. M. Arrwoon wished the committee to take cogni zance. of other paper as well as that which payable on demand. He said that nine-tenths of the circulation i n Lancashire consisted of paper not payable in that manner, and it encouraged speculation just as much bank notes. -.' ja.3 1 is. ?~., 'fl.,Z~~~ \'N' The people wished to bee. soalething dotie bat v.bat they wanted was a measure, not a committee. Mr. CLAY said the appointment of a committee was con formable to precedent, and was particularl , fitting now, because the public mind was not so near to a state of unani mity as to give a hope that there would just yet be any general agreement in any measure which could be proposed. The former committee bad produced no actual result, but it had brought out much valuable information. Sir ROBERT PEEL hoped the scope of the committee would not be made so comprehensive as to become useless. There were certain leading considerations which should be kept in view, else the attendance on the committee would be desul tory, and doubt and embarrassment would be thrown over all the business of the banks. It would be useful to examine the relative advantages of limited and unlimited responsibi lity ; to examine the proceedings of the banks which issue only the notes of the Bank of England ; to examine the dis tinction between banks of issue and banks of deposit, and the policy of rendering them separate. But it would not be use ful to investigate the management of particular joint-stock banks; and least of all to go into any inquiry which could lead to a notion that parliament had any thoughts of unset tling the basis of the currency and the standard of value. Mr. C. Woon was inclined to expect much useful infor mation from a committee. Mr. HAWES thought it should include the law of partner ship in its deliberations. Sir JOHN REID rejoiced in the temperate tone of the de bate, and assured the house that the Bank of England had no jealousy of the joint-stock companies. Mr. &LANEY wished, for the sake of the poor, that the banks should be obliged to give security for their circulation. Lord SAN DON observed, that since the discontinuance of the small notes, very little bank paper was in the hands of the poor. The motion was then agreed to. - - THE CONVICTED TRAITORS. Mr. LEADER next brought on his motion for a free par don to Frost, Williams, and Jones. He did not ground himself, he said, on the merits of the case, for he admitted the full extent and magnitude of the crime ; but he proceeded on the ground that the law had been strained against the prisoners. That was a general feeling among the working classes, and the petitions for free pardon proved it, being signed by 120,000 persons. The only authorities entitled to determine the question of law raised at the trial were the three judges before whom that trial was held; and it had turned out, when the subsequent decisions of the fifteen judges were made known, that the opinions of two of those three were In favour of the objection ; so that if they had decided on the spot, an acquittal would have been the result. Mr. HUME seconded the motion of Mr. Leader, whose arguments he repeated. Mr. F. MAULE regretted this attempt to make the house a tribunal of appeal from the prerogative. The offence was far more than a political one : it struck at the very roots of scciety and of the constitution. On the question whether the prisoner was entitled to the benefit of the judges' opinion, as he would have been if given on the spot, a memorial had been presented to the home department from Frost's council, Sir F. Pollock and Mr. Kelly ; and to that memorial the three judges had sent an answer, which Mr. F. Maule now read to the house. They therein stated, that the usage is to decide any doubtful point against the prisoner, in order that the trial may proceed, and to reserve the point. If there be a verdict of guilty, and the judges to whom the reserved point is referred decide against the prisoner, the verdict takes effect ; if they decide for him, the judge who tried him makes application to the secretary of state, who gives effect to the objection ; and thus, in either event,there is no failure of justice. That two of three judges at the trial inclined towards the objection made no difference ; for the law is taken from the majority of the judges, before whom the re served point is heard. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE admitted that their crimes had ren dered their lives forfeit. But that was not the question ; the question was,-had they had the full benefit of the law ? In Williams's case the objection was taken in time before the trial began ; yet the attorney-general had proceeded. Mr. Duncombe regretted that in the debate Frost's counsel had not attended, to give their client the benefit of their speeches and votes. Dr. LUSITINGTON congratulated the house that the crime was on all sides admitted to be incapable of palliation. He deprecated an appeal from the prerogative to parliament on questions of punishment ; the circumstances whichguided the secretary of state were often such as it would he most injuri ous to make public. In this case the prisoners had been gainers rather than losers by the irregularities they complain ed of, in the delivery of the two documents at separate peri ods ; for as one had been delivered earlier, and the other not later, than the law required, the prisoners had, as to the earlier of the two, a longer time for preparation than the law entitled them to claim. The learned gentleman then en larged on the expediency and fitness of the rule as stated by three judges. The absence of Sir F. Pollock was evidently with the kindest intention. He had made a splendid defence, and exerted his great faculties with an independence and an industry unexampled, but well knew that be should little serve his client by the opinion he would have to express if he were to speak as a member of parliament. Dr. Lushington added, that he wished to see no mom of these attempts, not only because he disliked the interference of the house with the prerogative, but because he thought the house uncompe tent to discuss any legal question of depth and difficulty. Mr. WA KLEY made an unsuccessful attack upon the judges, but extolled the extraordinary ability and zeal of the prison ers' counsel, in whose absence this motion should not, he thought, be pressed to a division. Mr. LEAnr.n., however,. declined to take his advice, and the motion, on a division, was negatived by a majority of 68 to 5. The house soon afterwards adjourned. COURT CIRCULAR.—TuEsDAY Her Majesty gave a state dinner, yesterday, at Bucking ham Palace to the Queen Dowager. Her Majesty arrived from Marlborough House at the palace a quarter before eight o'clock, and was received iu the grand hall by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, and also by the Hon. Miss Murray, and the Hon. Miss Lister, Maids of Honour in Waiting on the Queen ; the Earl of Erroll, Lord Steward; Lord Lilford, Lord in Waiting ; and Col. Wemyss, Equerry in Waiting. His Royal Highness Prince Albert conducted her Majesty the Queen Dowager to the state rooms. The dinner party consisted of her Majesty and Prince Albert, the Queen Dowager, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, his Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Coburg Gotha, tine • Duke of Wellington, the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Earl of Erroll, Lord Steward; Earl of Uxbridge, Lord Chamberlain ; Countess of Uxbridge, and the Ladies Eleanora and Constance Paget. Earl Howe, Lord Chamberlain to the Quean Dowager; Viscount Mel bourne, Lady William Russell, Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, Lady Barham, Lady in Waiting ; Frances Lady Clinton, Lady in Waiting on the Queen Dowager; Lady Fanny How ard, Lady in Waiting on the Duchess of Kent ; Hon. Miss Murray and Hon. Miss Lister, Maids of Honour in Waiting ; Hon. Miss Mitchell, Maid of Honour in Waiting on the Queen Dowager; Baroness Lehzen, Lord Lilford, Lord in Waiting ; Hon. Charles A. Murray, Master of the House hold ; Viscount Beringdon, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Prince Albert; Col. Armstrong, Groom in Waiting; Col. Wemyss, Equerry in Waiting ; Col. Wylde, Equerry ; and Mr. Seymour, Groom of toe Bedchamber to Prince Albert ; Baron de Lowenfels, and Baron de Graben. The Band of the Coldstream regiment of foot guards was in attendance during dinner. Her Majesty had afterwards an eveninc , party. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess oeCambridge, and the Princess Augusta of Cambridge, attended by Miss Kerr and Baron Knesebeck, arrived at ten o'clock, and were received by the Honourable Misses Murray and Lister, and Colonel Wemyss. Weippert's royal quadrille band attended in an ante-room over the Picture Gallery, and performed in the course of the night the Rainbow and Coburg waltzes, composed expressly for the occasion, Le Triumphale, and two entirely new sets of quadrilles. WEDNESDAY. Her Majesty and Prince Albert honoured Covent-garden Theatre with their presence last evening. The royal suite included the Hon. Miss Murray, Lord Lilford, Colonel Armstrong, Col. Weinyss, Col. Wylde, and Mr. Seymour. The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg, attended by Baron Lowenfels, accompanied the royal party. Viscount Melbourne had an audience, yesterday, of the Queen. _ _ _ _ Her Majesty the Queen Dowager had a dinner party, last evening, at Marlborough House. The Duchess of Kent took an airing in the parks, yester day, in a carriage. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager rode out on horseback, Yesterday, attended by Frances Lady Clinton, Hon. Miss Mitchell, and several gentlemen of her household. His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge arrived at Cambridge House at half-past three o'clock yesterday afternoon, from Brighton. The Princess Augusta took an airing, yesterday, in a car riage-and-four fur the first time since her recovery from her indisposition. THURSDAY. The Queen held a court yesterday afternoon, at half-past two o'clock, at Buckingham Palace. Sir Claudius Hunter, Sii George Carroll, Mr. Frederick Huth, jun., and Mr. Josiah Wilson, a deputation of the Court of Lieutenancy of the City of London, had an audience of her Majesty to know her pleasure when her Majesty would receive the Lieutenancy of London with a dutiful and loyal address. The Queen was pleased to name Friday at two o'clock, as the day for her Majesty's receiving the address from that body. The court was attended by Lord Lilford, Lord in Waiting ; Colonel Armstrong, Groom in Waiting ; and Colonel We myss, Equerry in of Norman Waiting. The Marqui s by and Viscount Melbourne had audiences yesterday of the Queen. Her Majesty aiiid Prince Albert honoured the Concert of Ancient Music with their presence last evening, at the Han over-square Rooms. The Royal party arrived in four state carriages. His Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Coburg Gotha, attended by Baron de Gruben, accom panied the Queen and Prince Albert. The Royal suite consisted of Lady Barham, Hon. Miss Murray, Hon. Miss Lister, the Earl of Uxbridge, Lord Lil ford, Viscount Boringden, Colonel Wemyss, and Col one l Wyld e. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent was a al a i t n t y en H de o d . C. 8., First onseirld. during the reception of several addresses by on L es a ss I Ho ward, Lady in Waiting, and Colonel Cowper, Equerry, and Controller of her Royal Hi Sir Moses Montefiore was prevented by indisposition attending the presentation of the addresses to their Ro rom Highnesses Prince Albert and the Duchess of Kent yester day, day, from the several congregations of the Jews in London (as one of the deputies appointed by the congregations), and also from the Court of Lieutenancy of the city of London. The Duke of Cambridge had a dinner party last evening at Cambridge-house. T he com p an y were the Archbishop a York, Earl Howe, Lord Burghersk, the Dean of Carlisle, Sir William Curtis, Sir Astley Cooper, Sir Gore Ouseley, Sir Andrew Barnard, General the Hon. Arthur Upton, Mr. Berkeley Paget, Mr. Salomons, Mr. Hammersley. and Sir . G. Smart. The Duke of Cambridge afterwards went to the Hanover-square Rooms to receive the Queen and Prince Albert, his Royal Highness being the director for the even- IV. The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and the to Princess Augusta of Cambridge, and all the guests also went Dowager, Concert of Ancient Music. Her Majesty the Queen of ii attended by Lady Charles Somerset, the Countess ____:jbiii, Hon. Miss Mitchell, the Earl of Denbigh, and vu.((-1 other Concert of Ancient Al • t n i t i l e etn 4 e u n eue o isi f her household, also honoured the Glocester at Giocest--rl7lemvulecsiDleing. Her Majst g y e with their presence last s at Cambridge-house, d i g i e etri I li evp a i s n iut o ce : di e e r st - si s l Hanover-square u f ar Duchesseß o Cambridge Rooms i n o s f Prince George of ucant ) yesterday. ridge visited the Princess Augusta INCREASE OF LETTER 'WRITING Of the extent of the possible and probable augmentatio n of some idea may be conveyed ' s hy the follothweing facts. The daily reduction e might be average number of letters before , many lettersr to estimated at 205,000. Assuming each let ions represent one of f n proceeded letter writer (though, in fact Scotland,sls daily about one the from one person), above twenty-six mill made no use of the post. In England and proportion of daily general post letters waswhenfloort every 500 individuals. In Ireland the proportion s d:i n d e exceed one in 500. It is computed by Mr. Hill that there shall be an average of fourteen letters a year to each individual in the United Kingdom, the post will again fur nish it s million and a halt' of net revenue.—Westminster Rerive. -\ i--6; LECTURES ON THE CHURCH Or ENGLAND, The Rev, Hugh M`Neile delivered, on Tuesday afternoon, at the Hanover-square Rooms, his second lecture on the Church of England. The room was, as at the first lecture, crowded in every part. Among those present we observed the Marquis of Cholmondely, Lord Bexley, Lord Kenyon, Viscount Strathallan, Lord Calthorpe, the Bishop of Salis bury, the Bishop of Chester, Lord Radstock, Lord Teign mouth; M.P., the Right Hon. Sir James Graham, the Right Hon. F. Shaw, M.P., Sir R. Inglis, M.P., W. E. Glad stone, Esq., M.P., Sir Charles Lemon, M.P., Pringle, Esq., M.P., C. Shirley, Esq., M.P., J. Hardy, Esq., &c. The reverend lecturer was, as on the previous occasion, warmly cheered on presenting himself to the crowded audi ence. He said that on occasions like the present there was a strong temptation to feel impatient under any protracted examination of the Holy Scriptures. The source of that im patience was a secret longing after something more practically —perhaps politically—exciting. To yield to this were to ha zard a superstructure without having duly and carefully made good the foundation, which was the characteristic description of a foolish builder. Similar to such folly would be an at tempt to point out the duty of subjects or rulers towards the Christian church without having first carefully examined the nature and claims of the church herself. (Cheers.) We were all deeply interested in the duties of professedly Christian rulers towards the church, but a preliminary ques tion met us in the way. If there Were no visible society now in England, whose constitution, fundamentally as a Christian church, was in accordance with the will of God, as revealed in the Bible, then the Christian ruler seemed to have no duty in the matter. But if there were such a church, then the ruler, re ceiving the Bible as the word of God, had no choice. (Cheers.) Before, therefore, we could satisfactorily discuss our con nection with the state, we must carefully examine whether our church was in accordance with the Bible. To overleap this part of the subject would be to open the door for the pretensions of every society, however constituted, which chose to call itself a Christian church, and put in its claim. (Cheers.) If the legitimacy of all such claims were admit ted, then the civil ruler must either receive all equally, or reject all equally ; or, by receiving some and rejecting others, expose himself, and justly too, to an outcry of partiality and injustice. The rival claims could not be adjusted at the bar of the state ; they must be adjusted at the bar of Scripture. (Cheers.) We said, " Let the ruler prefer and establish, by all means, that Which is scriptural because it is scriptural; and let those who doubt it rigidly examine our system with the light of Scripture." (Cheers.) Our opponents say " No : let the civil rulers prefer nothing, arid establish no thing. Have done with all invidious distinctions." This was, as we interpreted it, " Let them (the civil rulers) make DO difference between scriptural and unscriptural, true and false." (Cheers.) It might be consistent in persons who held such seutiments to feel impatient under a scriptural investigation, and to rush at once into general discussion, and in an indignant tone appeal to equal rights and unjust preferences. We could not do so, because we felt that if there were any church constitution, concerning which God had said " It is right," then it was not equally right with others, but pre-eminently right above all others. To prefer it was not injustice ; not to prefer it was infidelity. (Loud cheers.) Under this conviction lie had already entered into an examination of our ecclesiastical system, and pointed out, in some particulars, our happy accordance with the Word of God. Our object was to recommend for cordial adoption, and for prompt and vigorous extension, what we conceived to be correct, rather than expose or condemn what we be lieved to be erroneous ; and therefore, if he referred to the opinions and practices of dissenters, whether of Roman or British growth, it was not with any feelings of factious par tisanship, but simply by way of contrast, to exhibit more clearly what he conceived to be our own central and scrip tural position. (Cheers.) He now resumed the considera tion of the church visible or baptised society, chiefly in reference to its appointed executive or Christian ministry. This divided itself into four branches—first, the mode of appointment of the Christian ministers; secondly, the suc cession of persons appointed; thirdly, the nature of the com mission originally given to the apostles ; and fourthly, the nature of the commission derived to their successors in the ministry of the church. With respect to the mode of ap pointment, there was a difference between the apostles and their immediate successors. " Our Lord Jesus Christ went on to the mount, and called unto him whom he would, and they came to him, and of them he chose twelve that they might be with him, that he might send them forth to preach and to cure diseases, and to cast out devils." To them he said, " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." And, again, " Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me even so I send you : and he breathed on them, saying receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sin 4 ye remit they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained. Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo ! I am with you always, even unto.the end of the world." These were the portions of Scripture in which the commission was given. The only outward ac t on re cord accompanying this original appointment, was that " He breathed on them," in timating thereby that the government and the spirit of the church proceeded from his Human nature, risen from the dead, the conqueror of the works of ratan; the restorer of man to fellowship with his God. We had no other direction given by our Lord as to the mode of the apostles appointing their successors. But they (the apostles) did not leave their successors as their Lord had left them, without any written or recorded directions on this point, intimating thereby that their -- successors would not possess the same inspiration that they possessed, and would therefore require more specific direc tions than they (the apostles) had required. The outward and visible mode adopted by them and enjoined on their suc cessors was not breathing on the candidates for holy orders, but the mode confessed their dependance while it assumed their commission—it was prayer, with thelaving on of hands. By the prayer they acknowledged that the spiritual blessing was not theirs to give, but their Lord's—by the laying on of hands they proclaim that the outward office was theirs to designate and perpetuate among men. The first instance of the practice on record was the case of the deacons in the 6th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. It belonged to the lay members of the church to select, but not to appoint. The Apostles said to the people, " Look ye out meu whom we may appoint." They did so ; the men were thus selected, but they were not thereby made ministers of the church. The next step was to set them before the Apostles, and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them. It was of consequence to remark here that the selection by the people was made in reference to the character of the individuals suitable for the ministry generally, and not in reference to themselves personally, or locally, as to a particular flock over whom a particular individual was to be placed. If judged fit for the ministry at all lie was thereby pronounced fit for any locality where it mig4t please God to place him. (Cheers.) He was not appropriated to any particular flock, as being acceptable to them, but given into the hands and placed at the disposal of the church to be an instrument and witness of the Lord. (Cheers.) And, accordingly, we found Philip, who was recommended to ordination by the lay members of the church of Jerusalem, immediately proceed ing to preach the Gospel, not to them, but to the people of Samaria. The rev. lecturer cited other proofs, and proceeded to observe that we have no distinct information as to the mode of selecting individuals, but in every case the appoint ment to office was the laying on of hands. We had'no authority for saying that such a mode was in any case dispensed with ; there was no Scripture authority for be lieving that any person not so appointed was acknowledged by the church as a qualified teacher. With respect to the practice of dissenters on this point, some insisted that the ordination of their ministers was in accordance with the Scriptures, and others acquiesced for the sake of uniformity. To disprove the importance of ordination, considered as an outward ceremony designating to an office, dissenters said that the persons spoken of by the apostles were men of per sonal piety and preachers of sound doctrine, and that they were chosen in virtue of their character, and not in virtue of their office. We said it was highly probable that the first pastors of the church were men of piety and preachers of sound doctrine, but it did not follow that their character was the qualification for office. If all were made members of the church, or if character without ordination qualified for the ministry, then all were made ministers, and the distinction disappeared. He had now reached the second branch of the subject—the succession of the persons appointed by the apostles. Here the rev. lecturer touched upon the adMission by all historians—Milner, Mosheim, Gibbon, and Hallam — of the fact, that in every successive generation since the apostles there have been officiating ministers of the visible church. Where was the evidence, then, he asked, of those bishops being appointed at any time in a way different from that practised in the first stage of Christianity7-viz., by the laying on of hands. There might have been irregularities and failures, but these did not interfere with the general suc cession. That any essential change took place we denied, and the onus probandi was thrown upon them who asserted ' such a change. But while we denied this, we did not deny that a very grievous change took place in their manner of living, and in their manner of preaching. He then glanced at the corruptions and heresies in the church, and proceeded to observe that the commission given to the apostles included the working of miracles, healing the sick, casting out devils, raising the dead. The transmission of these was not pretend ed. But though these were not claimed, the power of the keys, as it was called, was claimed. He would proceed, therefore, to ascertain the nature of this part of the commis sion. Previous, however, to entering upon this part of the subject, the rev. lecturer spoke at some length upon the mode in which the ministers of our church are ordained—that the highest testimonials as to character, and their literary and theological qualifications, are required, and that the congre gation is thrice publicly appealed to as to whether any cause exists why the candidates should not be admitted to the sacred office. He now came to inquire into the nature of the com mission given to the apostles. themselves—" Whatsoever sins ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; whatsoever sins ye remit they are-remitted." After glancing at the in fallible power claimed by the Church of Rome, he referred to the power of the keys, 20th chap. 22d and 23(1 verses of St. John—" Receive ye the HOLY GHOST; whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained." This was, they were to have the power of doing or forbearing to do some acts in virtue of w hich sin would be forgiven or remain unforgiven. Our LORD'S language is, " Whosoever sins ye remit," without any reference to an intervening act ; but if the minister had power to do, or to forbear to do—baptism for instance—then, however obnoxious pretensions might be glossed over, it did amount, in fact, to placing forgiveness and non-forgiveness at the disposal of a man, who had the power to do or not to do that act, and therefore of making all around him who be lieved it his slaves, abject in proportion to their sincerity.— The other view of the commission was, that Jesus Christ gave to the apostles power and authority to speak his truth so infallibly that their statements would he found in accord ance with the God of Heaven ; as if He had said " Go forth among men, preach my truth to men of God. When you declare on earth what description of men are penitent, God declares the same in heaven ; when you declare what descrip tsijoo. nnof 'life most t a , re condemned, God declares the same. It is, in t ru th, not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost that sp legitimate These were mode th of twoe trying views this of question this com commis sion. i wass to trace the apostolical history, and see in which view the apostles-acted When St. Peter and St. John were brought before the Jewish Council, l l , 'n consequence of the commotion h at h exalted l . t i e e d r u withsa em Saviour, for to give right h e priests , hand te t b h e e a y i s )r a i i n d e , repentance w h t i n sy to Israel also the Holy Ghost, whom es Go s obey him." Here forgiveness w-oars t d h e e a s c e rib th d ings, and .ft so f is sins. And we are his d yre.ferNotot 00 sut d .l bath ho g;v m e ,e n re t o describedthe that a a a t the Saviour, not from th li e e a w p to gift o . pen them to th? , i G ii e m iit'i4c e s ti and the e t 0 0 a a te l s i centurion,tahgipeople, n w th i e tne k s e se y s s, of an t d he , Cornelius. St. Peter was sent to him to make use of apostle thus concluded his sermon : the third day, and showed him openl raised up but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to e us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the deadl he commanded us to p reach unto the people, and to te s tif y whosoever believeth in hi m s h a l l that it is lie which was ordained of God to be th e j u d ge q uick arid dead. To Him give all the prophets wit ness, apostle's ow n ac count of what the Lord c ommanded him to do, to pr T' s!" Here was an each and that e testify v e through r e iin,ais to declare th at whosoever believeth shall rec eive remission of sills. W hen n s idoHnni His came, t f n s to a i forgive sins—no, but St. Paul was allowed an oppo rtunit y of preaching in the Jew ish synagogue at Antioch he thus wound up his noble dis course :—" Be it known unto you, th er efore, men and bre thren, that through this man is preached unto you the for giveness of sins. And by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." When St. Paul was applied to by tlle gaoler at Philippi, saying, " What must I do to be saved ?" Si;. Paul laid; "believe en the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." If the apostle had possessed the power to remit sins, here was a golden opportunity to exercise it. St. John declared, "That which we haye seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us." He now asked, was the commission in its fulness denied to their (the apostles') successors ? In re ply to this he desired to invite attention to the difference between the language of St. Paul and Timothy and the lan guage of our Lord to the apostles. St. Paul said to Timothy, " Till I come, give attendance to reading; to exhortation, to doctrine. Medidate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine ; continue in them ; for -in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." What said our Lord to the apostles? " Take no thought how and what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what- ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." The reverend lecturer here proceeded at great length to show that our church exercises the power of the keys in the true scriptural sense in her forms of absolution. He distinguished with great minuteness between the word " absolve' ? and the word" forgive," as used in those forms; and after expressing his belief of the sense in which the term " absolve" was used in our church, he proceeded to observe, that notwithstanding the defence which he had read of the opinion adopted by him, still as the meaning of the word was equivocal, being synonymous with a declaration of absolute re mission, he could not withhold his honest conviction that the expression " I absolve thee," should never have been retained • in our service (loud cheers) • that it was an unwise oversight, and prejudicial to our church (cheers). If such a statement should occasion pain in any mind, he would respectfully inquire, Have any of our best and most devoted sons ever claimed absolute infallibility of arrangement for the church?" — (Cheers.) After contrasting this spirit of our church with the infallibility claimed by the church of Rome, he proceeded to treat of the departure from apostolic doctrine, and ob served that while such a departure took place, the canon of Scripture containing a sufficient standard was completed. He compared the Bible as a dial by which watches of the godly were regulated. But in the course of time the sun-dial, he observed, was shut up within the walls of a convent, the watches went wrong, till the watches pointed to pictures in stead of realities, and to the other abominations of the Romish church. The achievement of the Reformation was to break down the cement walls, and bring out the sun-dial to the gaze cf the people. (Immense cheers.) There was nothing • in all this but what had been distinctly predicted in the Holy Scriptures. The reverend gentleman cited the predictions, observing that our law hadlleclared, however, " that the gates of hell should net prevail against her ;" and, after dwelling at some length upon the harmony of the predicted apostacy of the Church, and the promised preservation of the Church in truth and holiness, he concluded the lecture by showing that the grace of God was magnified in the ar rangement. _ _ _ _ The rev. gentleinan was loudly cheered on the conclusion of the lecture. [lt was considered that scarcely anything could exceed in interest the lectures of Dr. Chalmers in 1837; but in the present instance the room is more closely packed, and the attention of the auditory is retained during a longer period, :than could be reached even by that justly celebrated man.] DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST CHINA (From the Sun of Wednesday.), Intelligence 'has just reached town that the Governor- General of India has, in the name of the British government, declared war against China. This important news is con tained in despatches from Bombay, dated January 31, and was brought to Marseilles on the 7th inst., not by the Vul can, as already mentioned, but by the Volcano, Captain Volger. Our information further states that the most ex tensive preparations were making in the Indian harbours. His lordship had advertised for 40,000 tons of shipping for the transport cf the troops to China, 14,000 of which were to be supplied by Calcutta, and the rest by Madras and Bombay. The expedition was to rendezvous at, and sail from, Calcutta. Seven regiments quartered in this last pre sidency had been ordered to prepare for embarkation, and the whole expedition was to consist of 16,000 men. Its destination was not known, but it was deemed probable that it would be directed against Canton or some other point on the coast, of which forcible possession would be kept until the Chinese government should be brought to reason. The last accounts from Canton are dated December Bth. 'The Emperor had addressed to Governor Lin a decree pro hibiting the importation of all British goods, and the trade with China was consequently at an end. The Americans continued to pursue their trade unmolested, and their ships were arriving and departing as usual. The intelligence received in Bombay from our Indian pos sessior:s was of a satisfactory nature. Our army had stopped in its triumphant march through Cabul, on hearing of the advance of the Russians against Chiva, and remained in quiet possession of Ghuzni, Kelat, and our other conquests in Affganistan. The new King of Lahore evinced the most friendly dispo position towards the British. Lord Keane, having been obliged by illness to resign the command of our forces in Cabul, had returned to Bombay. On his passage through Lahore he was too ill to pay his obeisance to the King, and his Majesty, on hearing of his situation, waited upon him, sat a long time by his bed-side, conversing with him in the most friendly manner, and treated him during his stay in his capital with the utmost distinction. • The advices from Alexandria, received by the Volcano, come down to the 24th ult. The Pacha was still actively en gaged iu making preparations of defence. The plague had nearly subsided. Colonel Campbell, formerly Consul-General of England in Egypt, arrived at Marseilles in the Volcano on the 7th. BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY lIALF YEARLY MEETING. The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors in this company was held in Bristol on Tuesday week ; F. Ricketts, Esq., in the chair. J. B. Badham, Esq., the secretary, read the re port, which, after noticing the causes which had operated to prevent the more rapid progress of the undertaking, stated that a revised estimate had been made of the cost of com pleting the railway to Bridgewater, which, including land and all other expenses, would be, for the thirty-four miles, from £720,000 to £730,000, for a single line of rails, and between £BOO,OOO and ,f.;820,000 with a double line ; but although this amount might appear large, the directors had every confi dence that the returns calculated on the present coach traffic would fully compensate. for the outlay. The directors had, it appeared, been placed in considerable difficulties by a large number of shares having got into the hands of irresponsible parties, and they impressed upon the bond fide shareholders the importance of supporting them in their present emer gency, by which means the line would be completed to Bridge water within the present year; after which, as soon as the finances of the company would justify them in doing so, it would be carried forward to Taunton, and thence westward. The report next referred to the project of leasing their line to the Great Western Railway, as soon as a portion of it should be finished and ready for working. The interests of both undertakings being identical, the directors anticipated much mutual benefit from such a measure, should the meeting in vest them with powers to conclude the arrangement. The directors in concluding their report, expressed their unabated confidence in the productiveness and ultimate success of this line of railway. The report of the engineer, describing the state of the works, was then read ; as also the statement of accounts to the end of December, 1839. The total receipts had amounted to £406,000 9s ld, and the expenditure to £397,561 5s 6d, leaving a balance in hand of £8,439 3s 7d. It appeared that 1,055 out of the 15,000 shares had been de clared forfeited, and that on the eight calls, amounting alto gether to £4O per share, the arrears were £165,555. In the course of the proceedings, it was announced, that of this sum more than £30,000 bad been received since the end of December. The report, considering the peculiar difficulties in which the directors were placed, appeared to give general satisfaction, and was unanimously adopted. It was then resolved, after some discussion, that the directors should pro ceed with the negotiation for leasing the line to the Great Western Company, and when a decision has been come to, to submit the terms of such agreement to the shareholders, for their sanction or otherwise. The retiring directors hav ing been re-elected, and the other business disposed of, votes of thanks were passed to the chairman and directors, and the meeting separated. The resolutions adopted by the meeting appear in another column.—Midland Counties' Herald. A WOMAN SHOT.-PLEA OF SOMNAMBULISM. On Sunday morning week, Catherine Demanist, a young woman about 23 years of age, a cap maker, in the employ of Mr. Turner, St. George's Road, was shot in the temple by the person at whose house she lodged, under circumstances of considerable mystery •, and the injury she received was such as to cause her death, which took place at the Infirmary, about ten o'clock yesterday morning. From the inquiries we have been able to make upon the subject, we believe the following is the account of the circumstances connected with this very curious affair, given by the woman herself previous to her death. She lodged at the house of Nicholas Fleming, a law-stationer's clerk, living at 72, Thompson-street, St. George's Road. Between five and six o'clock on :the Sunday .morning in question, she was awakened by a noise in her bed-room, and saw Fleming in his shirt and.trowsers beside the window, stooping down beside a bag which contained some money belonging to her. She asked him what he was doing there, and without speaking, he approached her, and immediately shot her with a pistol. She called out, " Oh, Fleming, you've shot me." He still did n ot speak, but put his hand on her mouth, threw her back in bed, and tried to strangle her. She tried to put his hand away, and called out " Hannah," that being the name of his wife, who came, and said, " Oh, Catherine, lie must like you, or he would not have done that." The poor woman then said, " Oh, Fleming, take me to the Infirmary, you've shot me ;" and he replied, " I will if you will not tell who it is, and say it is a man with a white coat." One of them then threw her cloak over her head, and Fleming went with her to the Infirmary. she walking there, and having only, besides her cloak, her chemise arid nightgown on, and one stocking. We believe that, when they arrived there, neither she nor Fleming stated how the injury was received; but when he was gone, she told a nurse that he had shot her, but no informa tion was sent to the police. On Tuesday she sent for Ann Shore, her washerwoman, related to her the circumstances under which she had been shot, as given above, and requested that Fleming might b e t a ken into custody. This woman gave information to the police, and Acting-Inspector Austin, we believe, went to the house where Fleming lived at the time the circumstance occurred, but he had removed, and no one knew whither. On Thursday, however, Inspector Lip sett, by emplOying a person to trace his sister from the In firmary, found him in lodgings in Fetter-lane, near Portland street, and he and Superior Sergeant Burton took him into custody. On Thursday night, when they went to apprehend him;the.people of the house denied him, but they found him up stairs • and when asked if his name was Nicholas Fleming, he said Iris Christian name was John. On Friday he was brought up at the. Borough Court, when Lipsctt stated the circumstances above related •, and the prisoner, on being asked what lie had to urge in his defence, stated that on Sa turday night he went to bed with his wife and went to sleep as usual, and he recollected no more till he found himself by her (Demanist's) bedside, and that he had fired a pistol, upon which he said, " Oh ! Catherine," lifted her out of bed, and said, " Come to the Infirmary." He did not re collect what he had done, nor did he know any thing about it till the report of the pistol awoke him. She said at that time that she did not think he was in his senses. He added that they had lived together like brother and sister, and never had a word in their lives. The prisoner was remanded till Monday, when he was again brought up, and further re manded for a week. We believe an inquest will be held upon the body to-day. We understand that, .in consequence of the deceased dying more suddenly than was expected, Mr. Mande has not taken her deposition, as lie expressed an in tention of doing on Monday last; and, of course, the only evidence that can be procured is the statement of those who have heard the deceased relate the circumstances under which she received the fatal shot, if any of those declarations should turn out to have been made when the deceased believed her death to be certain.—Manchester Guardian. NOVEL PAprn MoNEy.—These stamps will, moreover, be a very convenient and novel paper currency for sums of small. amount. Indeed for any sums whatever under a pound ster ling. A sheet of the adhesive stamps, minus two cut off, will he good paper for 18s 10d ; a sheet minus live will be good for 18s 7d, and so on. Correspondents will pay small debts of pence through the medium of these penny stamps. You wish to order a twopenny pamphlet or a fivepenny newspaper ; by transmitting in an envelope the required number of stamps . you effect the payment, which, for such sums, there.are no ready means of doing atlpresent.— Westminster Review. Ebr Ltbrrpocl klanbarb. FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 13, 1840. By the transient ship Hibernia, Captain Cobb, and the packet-ship George Washington, Captain Burrows, both of which vessels arrived here on Tuesday last, we have received New York papers to the 7th ultimo, in clusive. We briefly acknowledged the receipt of these papers in our second edition of Tuesday. The George Washington brought £20,000 in specie, and about 20 cabin passengers. The monetary and commercial intelligence from all parts of the state is of a chequered character. The Courier and Inquirer states that, on the sth ultimo,' there was a decided improvement in the stock market at New York, and that prices had generally advanced. United States Bank closed at 77, being an advance of nearly 2 per cent. A few purchases were made in sterling bills, principally at The amount of good bills offering was very trifling. In domestic exchanges little was doing, at nominal rates. Uncurrent money was becoming scarce. The prices of flour remained nominal. About 500 bales of cotton were taken at previous rates. On the 6th ultimo the transactions in stock were to a considerable extent, and at advanced rates. North American Trust, Delaware and Hudson, Harlem, and Stonington, advanced from 1 to 11 per cent, and United States Bank 3 per cent. There were no heavy transactions in foreign exchange, and not many first rate bills offering. The sales were principally at 8?-, for sterling, though, in a .few instances, 9 was obtained. Domestic exchanges were dull, at the following rates : Philadelphia 6 to 6, Baltimore 6to 61, Richmond 7 to 71, Charleston 3+ to 31, Savannah 6 to 8, Augusta 81 to 9, Mobile 7 to 71-, New Orleans 4 to North Carolina 7to 71. Good paper, and no other was looked at, and this was scarce, and readily bought at 1 per cent per month discount. No transactions had taken place in flour, except for city use. Holders were, however, more firm. The sales of cotton amounted to about 500 or 600 bales. The lower qua lities had declined about + per cent per lb., whilst the finer .descriptions remained firm. The quotations were—Upland at 71 to 91, New Orleans at 71 to 101-, Florida at 8 to 91, and Mobile at 81 to 101. Rumours were prevalent at New York, relating to difficulties which had occurred in the Manhattan Bank. It is said that the cashier of the institution had ad vanced money on the hypothecation of a large amount of shares in Kentucky bank stock—it is stated 500,000 dollars—on which there was a heavy deficiency. The cashier alleged that he made the loan for the bank, but the directors refused to recognise it as such, they hav ing had no knowledge of the transaction. This tran saction would not affect the solvency of the bank, as it possessed a surplus fund more than adequate to meet the deficiency. The Legislature of Illinois having refused to legalise the suspension of specie payments by the State Bank, it was presumed that that institution would be com pelled to wind up its affairs. Arrangements were in train in Philadelphia for pay ing the holders of Pennsylvania State stock the defi ciency in their dividends, arising from their payment in the actual currency of the state. At Philadelphia, on the 6th ultimo, stocks continued to advance in price, with a degree of confidence and good feeling quite foreign to the state of the market during the month of January. The New York Morning Herald. while remarking on the progress of the great revulsion in monetary affairs, says that in the State of New York, the vast reduction of bank loans, equal to twenty million dollars in a year, he caused a reduction in prices, rents, real estate, pro duce, and every thing. The City Bank of Buffalo was shut up, and many more banks would follow. The legislature at Albany was deliberating on the best means of making bank money par over the State, which would only aid the progress of events. In Pen sylvania they were in a worse condition. The banks had all suspended; and " he who talked of honesty and good faith in that state was stigmatised as a scoun drel." In Maryland, and throughout the south and west, " the same financial conflict was going on—the same effort to sustain extravagance and continue fraud and speculation, by borrowing to-day to pay the debt of yesterday." The Herald proceeds to say that " the system of negotiating fresh loans to pay the interest of past debts, can only end in utter and final explosion." It predicts, as the result of the present system, " a more decided civil revolution in half the states of the Union than ever has been experienced in the bank rupt states of South America." The debt of the United States to European capitalists alone is estimated at about £25;000,000 sterling, most of which has been dissipated in ruinous speculations. The, House of Representatives at Harrisburg had unanimously passed a resolution, authorising the pro per authorities to issue certificates of stock (bearing an interest of five per cent.) for the interest falling due upon the state loans. The resolution was expected to meet with strong opposition in the Senate, but would undoubtedly pass. The President had transmitted to the House of Re presentatives a message relating to the imposts upon the importation of articles composed of silk, cotton, and wool. The brig Atalanta had arrived at Philadelphia, from 'Tampico with 112,000 dollars in specie, mostly on New York account. The bills of the Chelsea Bank were redeemed in Albany, at par, under the direction of the comptroller. The Bank of Pennsylvania was to hold a meeting of its shareholders on the 13th, to devise measures for its safety. There was no doubt that the Pennsylvania suspension would continue. At the south, beyond the jurisdiction of the United States Bank, public opinion was strongly in favour of resumption. The news from Canada is very meagre. An Ame rican, named Livingston Palmer, had been arrested 6114 imprisoned at I'm7onto, -for distributing commis sions in the " patriot service." The Toronto - Patriot I says, that a party..of four privates and a sergeant of the United States army, from Fort Gratiot, crossed over to Point Edward, in pursuit of a deserter. Find ing him in a fishing shanty they seized him, and were about taking him back to the fort, when they were arrested by the guard stationed at the Point, who took them to Port Sarnia, whence they were sent off as prisoners to head quarters. The officer commanding at Fort Gratiot sent to demand them, but before his messenger arrived, they were already on their march. The expenses of trying and confining the Prescott . prisoners amounted to 10,000 dollars. The House of Assembly had appropriated f 40,000 to indemnify.those who had suffered by the late outbreaks and invasions. Letters from Vera Cruz to the 4th of January state, that the Mexican government was determined to carry the war into Texas. Bustamente was to head the expedition. To pay expenses, a duty of fifteen per cent. had been imposed upon all goods carried into the interior. By a late arrival at Norfolk, from Rio Janeiro, it was understood that two French bomb vessels had arrived, and that three thousand French troops were hourly expected at the latter place. Information had reached Rio from Buenos Ayres that General Lavalle was pressing General Rosas in the rear. By the transient ship Scotland, Captain Robinson, which arrived here yesterday, we have received intel ligence from New York to the 15th ultimo inclusive. We have been politely favoured by the consignees with a file of the New York Morning Herald, to the above date, from which we derive the following summary of the news. The Morning Herald of Feb. 10 gives the following intelligence from the frontier of Maine :—"The British have a large building .at Madawaska for the reception of their soldiers, and . have a few men there to take care of it. It is one link in their chain of communi. cation. They have about 300 men at the lake. They are determined to hold on to that part of the territory. Every movement of theirs declares such a determi nation. They are building a strong fort on the St. Lawrence, which is another link in the chain." Another paragraph states that Col. Golddin had been ordered to take the command of the British troops within the disputed territory, and 250 additional soldiers had been sent thither. By the arrival of the United States brig Boxer from Rio Janeiro, news had been received from that port to the 12th of December. An arrival at that place from St. Catherine's reported that Laguna had been taken by the Government forces, commanded by Marsha Andrea. The rebels, previous to retreating, assassi nated their prisoner, Lieut.-Colonel Tavares, by pluck ing out his eyes, and then ending his life by repeated stabs. They also set fire to the schooner Itaparico, in ,which they had confined a number of prisoners, who consequently perished. It is said that the rebels lost 200 men, among whom were the commanders. On the part of the Government troopS only 53 were killed or wounded. News had been received from Mexico, confirmatory of the fact that Metamoras had not been taken. On the 18th of December, the federal army, amounting to 1,400 strong, encamped within two miles of Metamo ras. After ten days' stay before the city, they put off for Mortterez, where there were only 400 Centralists. A report bad reached the federal army, on the 18th of December, that Santa Anna had declared for federalism, and had raised 3,000 men. Emigrants were pouring into Texas from all direc tions, and in very great numbers. The Governor-General of Upper Canada, on the subject of the estates of convicted traitors, is said to have announced that the estates of such as had incurred this penalty were now vested in her Majesty. The Morning Herald of the 18th ultimo says that Sir John Harvey's speech, on the opening of the New Brunstvick Parliament, had been received. He says that measures were in progress for a canal to connect the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Some of the frontier battalions of militia had received a cer tain degree of training, with a view to future contin gencies. He expresses a hope that the recent explora tion of certain parts of the _disputed territory would enable her Majesty's Government to advance such propositions to that of the United States, as the basis of the settlement of the momentous question involved, as must lead to its early, amicable, and final adjustment. In the mean time, he hopes that sentiments of inodera tion and forbearance might prevail on either side. The number of stores and houses to let at New York is said to be truly astonishing. A great number of merchants and tradesmen had given up business, and an immense number of private families had given up housekeeping, and had either removed to the coun try or taken up their residence in boarding-houses. From the Morning Herald of Feb. 13, we learn tha the number of persons who had perished througl steam-boat accidents, during this year, in the whole o the States, amounted to one hundred and fifty—an ap, palling sacrifice of human life in so short a period. The New Orleans correspondent of the Morning Herald states that that city was in a state of excitement on the 29th of January, in consequence of the failure of several of the supposed wealthiest merchants, among whom were Mr. James Irwin, Mr. W. M. Beale, Messrs. Pope, Powers, and Co., Messrs. Taylor, Gar diner, and Co., and Messrs. E. and J, Andrews. Trade is described as exceedingly dull, money being scarce, and credit having gone. The monetary and commercial intelligence brought by the Scotland is highly important. On the Bth of February, the stock market was dull, and prices re sumed their downward tendency. United States Bank declined one per cent. There was a growing anxiety for accounts from Liverpool. In the meantime there was very little business doing, Specie to the amount of 64,000 dollars had reached New Orleans. The Governor-General had sent a message to the Legisla ture of Upper Canada, stating, that the act passed last session, affixing a certain value to British gold and sil ver would not be allowed by her Majesty's Govern ment. It was stated that heavy orders for wheat and flour had been received at the West from Canada, in consequence of which the Bank of Upper Canada had raised its rates on New York at ten days' sight to five per cent. The low prices to which produce had fallen, were beginning to exercise their natural effect, that of drawing money into the country. A bill had passed the Mississippi Senate making it felony to issue post notes. On the 10th ult. the stock market at New York was dull,. and the change of prices trivial, with the exception of the United States Bank, which had declined two per cent. On the 11th ult. there was but little done in stocks. In sterling exchange there was but little business, but the rates were advancing : there was, consequently, no disposition to ship specie. On the 12th ult. there was a little more buoyancy in the stock market, and prices had generally improved. The affairs of the Manhattan Bank continued to be the subject of conversation. . On the 13th ult. there was a better feeling in the market. United States Bank Stock sold at 75f-t, being an improvement on previous rates. On the 14th ult. foreign and domestic exchanges re mained as before. The state of the markets had un dergone no material change. There were some trans actions in bills on England, at prices varying from 8 to 9 per cent. The barque Ana Eliza had brought 126,000 dollars in specie from Vera Cruz. The aggressions of the Prench Papist Government, in all parts of the world, aro becoming increasingly impudent and intolerable. It was only the other day that intelligence reached this country from the Sand wich Islands, stating that the French had coerced the Government of those islands into submission to their exorbitant demands, and insisted upon permission for the introduction of Popish missionaries and the erection of Popish chapels, contrary to the wishes of the popu lation. The last arrivals ftom Sydney put us in pos session of the particulars relating to a similar instance of tyrannical interference on the part of the French. It appears that L' Artemise, French frigate, was com pelled to make a call of necessity at the Island of Tahiti, in order to repair damages occasioned by the ship striking on a sunken reef of rocks, which had so disabled her that it was with the greatest difficulty sh( was kept from sinking, even after she had floated into Papieti harbour, when about 200 of the natives were. traployeriOtt d pumps, Mtec rocr)tved every agqigtance in thellower of Queen Pomare's Government and her subjects, to repair the damaged vessel. :which. occupied about two months, Captain La Place suddenly changed his hitherto respectful conduct towards the Queen, and authoritively, and not less insolently, de manded her Majesty instantly to repeal the law then in force, which prohibited religious instruction according to the doctrines of the Church of Rome, and to cause, at once, a church to be built in the capital for worship in that religion, and others wherever in the island there might be a Protestant church. A non-compliance with this requeSt, or rather demand, it was further stated. by this French Captain, would cause her Majesty's palace, together with the Protestant Church, to vanish like smoke before the thunder of his nation's cannon, which had been made to gape, for this particular occasion, upon the comparatively defenceless city. To give force to these threats he gave Queen Pomare to understand that, unless his orders were obeyed, he would depose her, and place the Tahitian crown upon the brow of a Roman Catholic ! The Queen, of course, had no al ternative left but to comply with this outrageous demand. The employment of men of war for the propagation of Popery is a somewhat novel and startling expedient. It clearly proves that Popery is semper eadem : if fair means and coaxing will not do, intimidation and per secution must he resorted to, as instruments of con- LIVER THEATRE, CHURCH.STREET, MR. CONY AND MR. BLANCHARD, The celebrated Pantomimists and Melo. Dramatic Perform er's, and their Celebrated DOGS, for One Fortnight only. LAST WEEK OF THE SEASON BUT FOUR. Which will be conducted under the Sole Management of Mr. Raymond. MR'S present FRIDAY EVENING, an d T o - morr ow, will be presented the Grand Historical Drama, adapted from the celebrated Novel of Sir Walter Scott, called THE KNIGHTS OF THE CROSS !. Sir Kenneth Mr. Blanchard. . Conrade Mr. Cony. Misses Thomassin and Lidia will Dance their admired Spanish Bolero from the Opera of " Masaniello." Madlle. Chevalier will Dance her popular Medley Dance. To which will be added the new Laughable Interlude, called TEN MILES PROM - LONDON; OR, AN INCONVENIENT DISTANCE. Patrick Rooney Mr. Raymond. Mr. Ledger Mr. Tilbury. Misses Thomassin and Lidia will Dance their admired Pas de Deus from the " Devil on Two Sticks." Madlle. Chevallier will appear in her admired Swiss Waltz. The whole to conclude with an entirely original Drama (in two acts, never acted here), partly founded on the popular Irish Ballad, replete with powerful Domestic IntereSt and Effect, entitled • THE OMADHAUN ! OR, THE HARPER AND HIS DOG. Patrick Mr. Blanchard I Andy Mr. Cony. Tray Mr. Cony's Dog Bruin. •-. . . . . Tickets arid places for the Boxes may be had of Mr. BREZE, at the Box-office, from Eleven till Three, and at the usual places. Boxes, 3s ; Pit, 2s ; Gallery, 6d. Second Price at Half-past Eight. Boxes, 26 ; Pit, Is. No Second Price to the Gallery. Doors to be Open at Half-past Six o'Clock, performanee to commence at Seven precisely. REMEMBER THE LAST TWO NIGHTS OF DU CROW'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE, WHICH CLOSES ON SATURDAY NEXT. - THE grand Entertainments produced for Ducctow's night will be repeated this evening FRIDAY, for the BENEFIT of Mr. ELLIOTT, and Mr. CAMPB4LL, Mechanist. THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON Has astonished Liverpool for its splendour and intense effects, with the wonderful feats of Horsemanship. And the increasing Nautical Drama of THE WRECKER'S OF NORWAY; OR, JACK'S THE LAD. TO CORRESPONDENTS. We have been requested to state that the Rev. Peter Browne has been appointed Assistant Curate to the district of Christ Church, by the Pastoral Aid Society, and not (as stated in a paragraph which appeared in our paper of Fri day last, and which was copied from the Blackburn Stand ard), Curate of the Church by the Rev. Fielding Ould. WAR WITH CHINA. Owing to the great interest attached to the subject, we shall, on Tuesday next, present our readers with a beautifully executed MAP of the Canton River, Macao, and the adjacent districts clf China, accom panied with a detailed description of the country, and a full history of the rise and progress of the dispute which has given rise to the present WAR BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND CHINA. version. The question of education has, at length, begun to occupy that share of the public attention which right fully belongs to it, and it is no longer necessary to expatiate on the advantages which attend the cultiva tion of that nobler part of man, his intellectual facul ties. It had long been received as a truth that it was allowable, and almost a duty, to cultivate the clod of the earth : it is now all but universally admitted, that the immortal soul of man, to whom dominion over the earth, and all that it contains, has been committed by the Author of all, is also susceptible of being rendered more fit, by careful training, for fulfilling those high and glorious ends designed for it by its beneficent Creator. We rejoice to perceive in the Liverpool Collegiate Institution the dawning of that day. which it is our hope we may yet live to see in its fuller spleu dour, when not only the advantage resulting to the community from extended education may be, as it has begun to be, distinctly acknowledged, but also that it may be solemnly recognised as one of the first duties of every nation that calls itself Christian, not to allow any of its children to pass from the cradle to the grave with their minds one uncultivated sterile waste, but that instruction shall be afforded to all, and that all shall be brought up in the knowledge of such things as may be needful and advantageous to each, and es pecially in the nurture and admonition of religion. The question whether education ought to be gene rally diffused or not, may be compressed into a very small compass. Ask any man of sense and feeling, who has learned to read and write, for what sum of money, duly told down in pounds, shillings, and pence, he would consent to surrender, for ever, those means of acquiring knowledge and communicating it to others—of expressing his wishes, hia wants, his dis tresses, and—dearest privilege of all—his affections. Can there be a doubt but that the prompt answer would be, that he valued the power of reading and writing beyond all price—that no recompense could induce him to part with it ? And, were it possible to do so, would it not be cruel and unjust in the extreme to deprive him by force of a faculty he estimated so highly ? Now, where lies the difference in moral guilt, we would ask, between forcibly depriving another of the advantages and blessings of education, and neg lecting to communicate them ? It is sufficient for us to remark, with respect to the character of the religious instruction designed for the youth who may enter the Institution, that the decision at which the Committee arrived on this point was formed after much and anxious deliberation, and seems to us to be liable to no serious or solid objection. A standard of belief has been recognised,—that of the Established Church,—and nothing can be taught which is not contained in her Articles. At the safe time, it is not required that every pupil should he instructed in the Church Catechism. Gross e rrors are thus avoided, while the .rights of, conscience stan d in no danger of being outraged. Every- man of Caw did mind, who has calmly. considered the subject, must allow that it was absolutely necessary to come at once to some definite and explicit arrangement on the all-important subject of religion, or it would have been impossible hereafter to have guarded effectually a gainst the introduction of any of the fanciful doctrines of the day, however foolish or mischievous they might be. The walls of the town are again covered with phi' cards, announcing that petitions for the abolition Of the corn laws are lying for signature at the usual lin dical places of resort. We feel, therefore, once mor e ' called upon to state our reasons why the people of verpool should not sign these petitions, or, in other words, why the corn laws should not be abolished. The corn laws should not:tbe abolished, because it is utterly impossible that any country should long pros per if its agriculture is depressed. Now, the inevits' ble tendency of a free trade in grain would be to jure the agricultural interests of Great Britain O a Ireland, inasmuch as it would be impossible for th e farmers of these countries to compete with those o ' , foreign states, burdened as the former are with a far greater amoturt of taxation than the cultivators of th e soil in any other part of the world. Competition i s thus rendered utterly impracticable, and the declension of agriculture in this country must be the consequen ce of a free trade, calling- such competition into exist ence. A protective duty on foreign grain is the onic way in which such a national calamity a s the ruin ° f our agriculture can be averted. The corn laws should not be repealed, because th e landed interest is the greatest and most stable in th e state, and therefore claims the first consideration to he protected by legislative enactment. Any meastn .e 5 tending to the permanent injury of this-important class lrma necessarily injure every subordinate class in t he community. With their interests are bound up the interests of the whole population. The corn laws should not be abolished, becan ea ' their repeal would involve a wholesale robb e ry of vest 1 capital. It may be taken for granted that the capital invested in land in this country and I re l an d amoun t, ~ to upwards of two thousand millions of pounds! 111 . P 0 is exclusive of the capital of th ose w h o are eng aged the cultivation of the soil. Wh at s h ou ld we think °/ the honesty of a proposition to rob the landlords 0 , one-third or one-half of the above enormous amoun t ; Yet such would be th e proximate effect of a free tra d e in grain. A reduction of one-third or one-half on t e , rental of the land would be equivalent to the abs d , tion of the same proportion of capital. The la g .. holder would not be the only one that would sit, from the perpetration of so flagrant a robbery. f' v one who has invested his capit a l i n mor t gages on 1 % 0 w ould ultimately suff e r. Th e re d uct i on o f r ent' d lands and tenements in the co un t r y wou ld b e follO ro ,' by a corresponding depreciation of household li o o pert) , in the t owns . Ch eap li v i ng , - con j o i ne d with of rents, in the country, would operate as an induee l/l ar to draw thousands of the more respectable and i ll pendent classes of society from the towns. The i d effectual pr even ti ve o f thi s sor t o f em i gra ti o n ‘v ()- e d be a reduction in the rents of town houses. holder of fixed property, whether in town or eon ° tfl would thus be subjected to spoliation. lik e The cultivation of l a nd being a slow process, 11-n te d the operations of a manufactory, th e ca pital inv es ,ad, requires years for its full development, and it w% r i , therefore, be highly unjust that th e int e rests of a g u e culture should be unnecessarily di s turb e d. .Anyaptl who knows anything about the rotation of era s e of other agricultural matters must recognise the fo re the preceding remark. Tilt to Laws enacted for the protection of property o i b possess the element of stability, especially if th e ca ble tal invested in such property is not easily conve c _ re e to other purposes. No man would be induced to t he a manufactory, build a ship, or unite with•others 0110( construction of a railway, if he were. labour 0 ! tb e the apprehension that there was. no, senurity tha t a b e laws affecting the value of suckjzitsili " t 3 he • - u° permanent. On_ the same,..prit4Aeifoo4ole co l ?.xpected'to lay:Out ,niotey'7',it - OW',',l ll * ot. es o o do' or the improvement of :the. soil, , .by the expensive : - ver e cess of draining,..marlini;lidejTig , &c.; unlessb e , f o t convinced that the laws which have - beat ..'enacted Pc in C ( C. bi do re t frc Tll Lu r l Bl3ia i r) t il l i°ll' 4h: t :11 ( o ' C t)? Prid by t livet L iu bis / `(sty y Go s I tow four uh} os 4 41, °blies ttact 1 14 ' 0 1 t 6 41 11)7 'lt u' of 7