The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-01-27 00:00:00

•M A " MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, finprrial Vartiament. HOUSE OF LORDS.-THIIRSDAY. Her Majesty opened the session in person. The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the Earl of Jersey (Master of the Horse), entered the state car riage at Buckingham Palace, about half-past one o'clock, and proceeded through St. James's Park, with the usual escort, to the House of Lords. Her Majesty and her il lustrious Consort were loudly cheered by the thousands who had assembled on the line of road to witness the gor geous spectacle. The liveries and carriages of the Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers, and those of the principal nobility, were exceedingly splendid. The Royal cortege baying arrived at the House of Lords, the band of the Life Guards played the national anthem, and a discharge of cannon announced the Queen's entrance into the house. In a few minutes afterwards her Majesty, having taken her seat on the Throne, read the following most gracious Speech : " It gives me great satisfaction again to meet you in Parliament, and to have the opportunity of recurring to your assistance and advice. " I continue to receive from my allies, and from other Foreign Powers, the strongest assurances of their desire to cultivate the most friendly relations with this country. " I rejoice that, in concert with the Emperor of Russia, and through the success of our joint mediation, I have been enabled to adjust the differences which had long pre vailed between the Ottoman Porte and the King of Per sia, and had seriously endangered the tranquility of the East. " For several years a desolating and sanguinary war fare has afflicted the states of the Rio de la Plata. The commerce of all nations has been interrupted, and acts of barbarity have been committed unknown to the practise of a civilized people. In conjunction with the King of the French, I am endeavouring to effect the pacification of those states. " Tne convention concluded with France in the course of the last year for the more effectual suppression of the slave trade, is about to be carried into immediate execu tion by the active co-operation of the two powers on the coest of Africa. " It is my desire that our present union, and the good understanding which so happily exists between us, may always be employed to promote the interests of humanity, and to secure the peace of the world. " I regret that the conflicting claims of Great Britain and the United States, in respect of the territory, on the north-western coast of America, although they have been made the subject of repeated negotiation, still remain unsettled. " You may be assured that no effort, consistent with national honour, shall be wanting on my part to bring this question to an early and peaceful termination. " Gentlemen of the Rouse of Commons, " The estimates for the year will be laid before you at an early period. Although I am deeply sensible of the importance of enforcing economy in all branches of the expenditure, yet I have b en compelled by a due regard to the exigencies of the public service, and to the state of our naval and military establishments, to propose some in crease in the estimates which provide for their efficiency. " My Lorels and Gentlemen, - . _ " I have observed with deep regret, the very frequent instances in which the crime of deliberate assassination has of late been committed in Ireland. " It will be your duty to consider whether any mea tures can be devised calculated to give increased protec sion to life, and to bring to justice the perpetrators of so dreadful a crime. " I have to lament, that in consequence of a failure of the potato crop in several parts of the United Kingdom, there will be a deficient supply of an article of food which forms the chief subsistence of great numbers of my peo ple. The disease by which the plant has been affected has prevailed to the greatest extent in Ireland. " I have adopted all such precautions as it was in my power to adopt for the purpose of alleviating the sufferings which may be caused by this calamity ; and I shall con fidently rely on your co-operation in devising such other means for effecting the same benevolent purpose, as may require the sanction of the legislature. " I have had great satisfaction in giving my assent to the measures which you have presented to me from time to time calculated to extend commerce and to stimulate domestic skill and industry by the repeal of prohibitory and the relaxation of productive duties. " The prosperous state of the revenue, the increased demand for labour, and the general improvement which has taken place in the internal condition of the country, are strong testimonies in favour of the course you have pursued. " I recommend you to take into your early consider ation whether the principles on which you have acted may not with advantage be yet more extensively applied, and whether it may not be in your power after a careful review of the existing duties upon many articles, the produce or manufacture of other countries, to make such further re ductions and remissions as may tend to ensure the con tinuance of the great benefits to which I have adverted, and by enlarging our commercial intercourse to strengthen the bonds of amity with Foreign Powers. " Any measures which you may adopt for effecting these great objects will, I am convinced, be accompanied by such precautions as shall prevent permanent loss to the revenue, or injurious results to any of the great in terests of the country. " I have full reliance on your just and dispassionate consideration of matters so deeply afEcting the public welfare. " It is my earnest prayer that, with the blessing of Divine Providence on your councils, you may be enabled to promote friendly feelings between different classes of my subjects, provide additional security for the continu ance of peace, and to maintain contentment and happi ness at home, by increasing the comforts and bettering the condition of the great body of my people." The business of the session was commenced in the House of Lords by Lord HOME, who in reply to her Majesty's speech, recapitulated its several topics, and recommended for the adoption of their lordships the opinions it expressed. After briefly noticing the conti nued maintenance of peace, the settlement of differences between Ottoman Porte and Persia, the intervention of France and England on the River Plate, the co-operation of the two powers for the suppression of the slave trade, and expressing a fervent hope that the conflicting claims of Great Britain and the United States to the Oregon ter ritory might still be amicably adjusted upon such a basis as the Ashburton treaty, he adverted to the failure of the potato crop, and after mentioning, without discussing, the last important paragraph of the Royal speech, concluded by moving the address, which, as usual, was a very faith ful echo of the speech. Lord DE Ros, in seconding the address, went over nearly the same topics, noticing, with especial commen dation the suggestion that more effectual means should be taken to check the practice of assassination in Ireland. The question that the address he adopted was then put by the Lord CHANCELLOR, and declared to be carried in the affirmative. The Duke of RICHMOND expressed some displeasure that the discussion had been so abruptly concluded. He had, however, heard enough to know that ministers in tended to withdraw protection from the industry of the country, and he challenged them to show any cause for rescinding the solemn compact made with the agricultural interest in 1842. He could see no difference between the Anti-Corn-Law League and the Government, and no rea son why they should not create Mr. Cobden a peer. He denounced the League as the author of all these changes, and warned their lordships y the example of Ireland, still unappeased by the concessions of 1829, not to be inti midated into a surrender of their opinions. He called upon the great towns, too, to observe that if protection was taken away from agriculture, Sir R. Peel was bound by his promises of 1839 to remove it from every other ar ticle ; and asked how, if this complete revolution in our system were achieved, the public creditor was to be satis fied, the farmer to pay his tithe, or a single salary or pay ment to remain unaltered ? He solemnly protested against the clause of the address which referred to protec tion, as being directly contrary to every principle and every speech of the present government, and challenged it to test the amount of public confidence it enjoyed by an appeal to the country. He declared that he would resist by every mean , in his power—factious, if necessary —any diminution in the amount of agricultural protection ; and concluded by calling for an explanation of the mysterious resignations and counter-resignations which had lately surprised the world. The Duke of WELLINGTON declined to defend the con duct of Sir. R. Peel, or any measure of his government. The question before their lordships was the address ; other measures would shortly be submitted to them, but they had now only the address to discuss, and an acqui escence in that bound them only to take into considera tion the measures it suggested, upon which the Duke of Richmond would hereafter have ample opportunity of ex pressing his opinions. As to explanations, he reminded the noble duke that he had been himself a member of the Privy Council of his sovereign, and must know that, without her permission, he was bound to keep her coun sel secret. He should, at least, therefore, have given no tice of his question. Lord STANLEY, being called upon by the Duke of Richmond for an explanation of the grounds upon which he bad retired from the government, declined lo enter in to details, upon the plea that he could not explain the mo tives of his conduct without stating what were the mea sures contemplated by the other members of the Cabinet, or with justice to his late colleagues, but stated that upon one question only—one relating to the degree and amount of agricultural protection—was there any difference of opinion. Upon that question a measure was proposed which he considered uncalled for by any change of cir cumstances since 1842, and which, therefore, he could riot undertake to recommend without a sacrifice of his own consistency and honour. He cast no imputation upon the conduct of others ; but conceiving it his duty to dis sent from a project approved by a majority of big col leagues, he had tendered his resignation; and with this explanation of his motives, and the courae he had adopted, he trusted that their lordships would be satisfied. Lord HARDWICKE said, that as he saw in the address a direct advance towards free trade, he must form an ex ception to those who approved it. He thought that un less a change of circumstances could be proved, they were bound to adhere to the adjustment of the corn laws made only three years since, and he denied that there had been any such change as to render the measures it was intended to bring forward necessary. Ile would rather that it were proposed to put aside protection altogether, than to make a gradual diminution of it, for many would unite to Opp - ose the former measure who might be i n d uce d to ac quiesce in a series of alterations. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that, having, like Lord Stanley, obtained her Majesty's permission to ex plain the circumstances of some political transactions in w hich he had latrly taken a part he should avail himself of that permission as soon as the members of the govern- -` % . e . . .) • even though his conclusion might be erroneous, he pro ceeded to defend himself against the charge that he had been guilty of treason to the agricultural interest. He had seen it stated over and over again, that the power which had elevated could also displace him, and over and over again he had been menaced with that penalty. Now, he valued not power for its patronage. Personal objects he had none. He had served four Sovereigns, and to each of them he had stated that he required no other re ward but the assurance that he had served them as a faithful and a loyal subject. Power for personal objects he wanted not—to be relieved from it with perfect honour, so far from being a penalty, would be to him the greatest of boons. He did not wish to be the Prime Minister of England ; but, whilst he was so, he would hold office by no servile tenure. He would hold it by no other obliga tion than that of serving the public interests. He con cluded his speech with an eloquent defence of his own Conservative policy both at home and abroad, contending that he had put an end to the murmurs of disaffection, and had done his utmost to perform no easy task, namely, that of reconciling the action of an ancient monarchy and a proud aristocracy with that of a reformed House of Commons. Lord J. RUSSELL next rose to give an explanation of his conduct during the recent interregnum in the Minis try—an explanation which he would have postponed to a future day had not Sir R. Peel informed him that it would be for his convenience if he made it at an early period of the session. Ile then stated the circumstances under which he had been called upon by her Majesty to form an administration on the Bth of last December. On the 10th he saw her Majesty on that subject. He should have declined under ordinary circumstances to accept office himself, as his party were in a minority of 90 or 100 in the House of Commons, and as that fact alone must have led before long to a dissolution of Parliament. When he mentioned to her Majesty that such was his feeling, she placed in his hand a document signed by Sir R. Peel, in which he promised to give every facility in his power to his successor, whoever that person might be, for the set tlement of the question of the corn laws. He then told her Majesty that the case was altered, and that he would consult with his former colleagues on the subject. He did so, and they thought the new Government ought to know what were the intentions of the late Ministry on the subject; but Sir R. Peel had given him (Lord J. Russell) to understand that he did not think it for the benefit of the public service that he should communicate to his suc cessor the details of his intended measure. He (Lord J. Russell) had then drawn up an outline of his own mea sure, and had wished to communicate it to Sir R. Peel, in order that he might, if possible, obtain his consent to it along with that of Sir Robert's late colleagues. Sir R. Peel, however, had thought it not reasonable that a per son not in the service of the Crown should be consulted on the details of a measure proposed by Ministers of the Crown. The noble lord then stated at great length the various steps which he afterwards took to form a government on the principle of the immediate repeal of the corn laws, and his subsequent failure. In so doing he referred to a writ ten communication from Sir R. Peel to her Majesty, in which he declined giving such a previous pledge to sup port Lord J. Russell's plan for settling the corn laws as Lord John Russell required. After stating the objections which Earl Grey had stated to one of his colleagues, and the impossibility of overcoming it, the noble lord pro ceeded to express his gratitude to her Majesty for the confidence with which she had treated him throughout these transactions, and for the facilities which she had given him throughout them. In justice to Sir R. Peel he stated, that there was nothing in his communication which would have rendered his (Lord J. Russell's) task of settling the question of the corn laws more difficult; and in justice to Earl Grey, that his objections to one of his colleagues arose from nothing but public motives. He hoped that on the corn laws the house might soon come to such an agreement as would enable them to set tle the question. Famine might come upon the country, and would they have the settlement of the corn laws de ferred till a period when they must submit to a humiliat ing capitulation ? When Sir R. Peel brought forward his measure in lieu of the existing corn law, which he con demned as a failure though he was the author of it, he (Lord J. Russell) would offer such observations as he might think necessary upon it. At present, however, he would abstain. The noble lord concluded his speech by expressing his disappointment that Sir R. Peel had not brought forward a comprehensive plan for the pacification of Ireland, and by declaring his intention, whether in or out of office, to give his hearty assent to all measures for the benefit of the country. He hoped that the freedom of industry and commerce might date from the commence ment of the present session. Mr. DISRAELI expressed his intention of adhering to the principles of protection which had sent him into that house, and which would have compelled him to resign his seat if he had conscientiously relinquished them. He did not envy Sir R. Peel his feelings in the apologetic address which be had that night delivered to those who were once his party in that house. The opinions which Sir R. Peel had that night expressed might as well have been expressed when he held a position in that house scarcely less influ ential than his present—namely, when he was the leader of the Conservative opposition. What could the house think of a statesman who, having served four sovereigns, was at last compelled by the observation which he had made in the last three or four years to change his opinions on a subject which must have been repeatedly brought under his consideration in every point of view in the ma nifold debates of nearly 20 years ? Such a statesman might be conscientious, but he was at any rate unfortu nate, and ought not to address his former friends in the tone of menace. He knew of no parallel to Sir R. Peel's conduct save that of a late Capitan Pasha of Constantino ple, who having received the command of a fleet from the Sultan to attack Mehemet Ali, steered that fleet at once into the enemy's port. The admiral was called a traitor; but he defended himself from the charge, on the ground that he was an enemy to war, that be bated a prolonged contest, and that he had terminated it by betraying the cause of his master. He denounced the speech of Sir R. Peel that evening as a glorious example of egotistical rhe toric, and censured him in the severest terms for the shameful manner in which he had turned round upon his former party. It was not the favour of his sovereign which had placed Sir Robert in office, but the sacred cause of protection, by which a parliament had been dis solved, and a nation taken in. Sir Robert Peel a great statesman, who was always marching after the events of his age! He was just as much a great statesman as he who had got up behind a carriage was a great whip. Both were the disciples of progress; and both were anxious for a good place. Who was he that dared to tell the House that an ancient monarchy and a proud aris. tocracy were useless lumber. and that he was the only man who could reconcile their action to that of a re formed House of Commons, whose reforma ion he had resisted to the utmost ? When Sir Robert said that hir Conservative policy had put down agitation, notwith standing his (Mr. Disraeli s) kno w l e d ge o f th e extent to which Parliamentary face could sometimes go, he was perfectly thunderstruck. When he said that, too, in the presence of Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright, he had achieved one of the great attributes of an orator, for he had made an impression on the House. He wondered how Sir Ro bert could assert that his proposed legislation had no re ference to the agitation on the Corn Laws; and he con chided a bitter invective against Sir R. Peel, who, he said, had been deserted by Lord Stanley because he had deserted all the principles by which the Ministry had ob tained office,—by declaring that he was not the Minister who ought to abrogate the Corn Laws. He hoped that, whatever might be the opinion of the House as to free trade, it would resist to the utmost the free politics of such statesmen as Sir R. Peel. . A noble Lord protested, in the name of the people of Ireland, against the total repeal of the Corn Laws. Mr. MILES said, that no amendment had been moved on the address, because on an early occasion next week an opportunity would be given to the House of expressing a decision on the extraordinary change of principle avowed that night by Sir R. Peel. What had become of those members of his Cabinet who had first objected to his plan ? Were they determined to sacrifice everything to their idol? If so, he hoped they would sacrifice their seats, and make an appeal at once to their constituents. He gave notice on behalf of himself and several other members that the strongest constitutional opposition would be given to his plan, and that every impediment would be made use of to prevent its passing into law. After a few words to the same effect from Colonel SIBTIIORP, the address was agreed to without a dis sentient voice. went had tendered an explanation. He bad only at pre sent, however, to express his cordial approbation of -that portion of the address which related to the differences with the United Sta'es upon the subject of Oregon. Lord BROUGHAM heartily concurred in this opinion, and then, at considerable length, and with his accustomed ability, claimed for himself the credit of perfect consist ency upon the great question of corn-law repeal. He strongly condemned, however, the conduct of the league, especially in the course it had lately adopted, of endea vouring to procure an overflowing influence at elections by the purchase of qualifications, which he denounced as most dangerous to the constitution ; and concluded by ap proving the reference to the state of Ireland in the ad dress, and recommending their Lordships to disregard all considerations of party and strengthen the hands of the executive government. Lord M A LMESBURY protested against the opinion that the great mass of the people were iu favour of a repeal of the corn-laws. They had not changed their opinions be cause Cabinet Ministers had changed theirs, and it was their constitutional privilege to have a veto upon such a measure. Lord RADNOR defended the League from the attacks of Lord Brougham, and especially denied that their con duct had been in any degree unconstitutional. He re gretted that it should be necessary to force right measures upon a government from pressure without, but if even Lord Brougham's arguments were unsuccessful, the pres sure was necessary to reinforce them. The Marquis of SALISBURY and the Duke of BEAU FORT deprecated any diminution in the amount of agri cultural protection, and their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TIIURSDAY. After receiving various notices of motions for future days, the house commenced the business c f the session at half-past four o'clock, by listening to a copy of the speech from the throne, which was read, as usual, by the Speaker. The address upon the speecii was moved by Lord F. EGERTON, who, after alluding to the fact that it was now twenty years since he had stood, under the auspices of Mr. Canning, in the same position which he then occupied, congratulated the house on the continu ance of amicable relations between England and France, the two great countries which were at the head of the ci vilzation of the world. He should look with deep anxiety and regret to the possibility that England might be called on to maintain her rights in any part of the world, how ver distant, by any other means save those of patient and friendly negotiation ; but he should look at that possibi lity with still deeper anxiety and regret in case, of a dif ference arising between England and the United States, a country united to our own by a community of laws, and language, and lineage. After declaring his concurrence in that part of her Majesty's speech which suggested the increase of our jiational defences, he passed to other to pics, which enasssed at present more of the public atten tion. He was ddressing the house at a juncture when an invitation has been offered by her Majesty's ministers to reconsider the whole state of the laws which regulated the importation of foreign commodities into this country. If he had not concurred in the propriety of that invitation, he could not have undertaken the office which he was then discharging. The time was now arrived when the house aught to avail itself of the earliest opportunity to reconsi der the whole state of our laws regarding manufactures, hr •tih a view of ultimately departing from th e p r i nc ipl es o f ti action and prohibition for the sake of protecting the uctions of our home manufacture. Protection, in his opinion, should be applied to, or withheld from, all the prOductions of the country with strict impartiality. In former years he had opposed the imposition of a fixed duty as a permanent impost upon foreign corn ; for he thought that, if a duty were to be imposed, a sliding scale was better than a fixed duty. He had, however, arrived at the conclusion that restriction as a permanent system ought not to be applied to any foreign commodity. It had been supposed in some quarters that some vast con federation of foreign states !night deprive us at some fu ture contingency of all foreign supply. He could not think that such a general raising of bucklers against Eng land was very probable. Indeed, the universal voice of history was against it. In 1810, when there was a fear of scarcity in England, and all Europe was almost closed against us by the power of France, we imported 1,200,000 quarters of corn from the ports of Europe, and 500,000 quarters from France itself. That it might be necessary to make some sacrifice for the legislation to which be in vited the house he was not prepared to deny; but some penalty must always be paid for some time for past er rors. He was convinced, however, that ultimately no class would reap more benefit from there changes than that higher cl .ss of manufacturers who were called the landholders of England. Whatever might be their throes in the interim, he believed that their remuneration would be ample, in the removal of that general dissatis faction which was renewing the war of the Roses in the reign of Queen Victoria, and which, if it were pro longed much further, must, whenever it terminated, leave the country in a state of exhaustion, which could not fail to attract the notice of our enemies. The noble lord con cluded an eloquent speech, which was loudly cheered throughout, by moving an address, which, as usual, was a mere echo of the speech. Mr. BECKETT DENISON, in seconding the address, commented with satisfaction on the first heads of her Ma jestv's speech, and alluding to the state of Ireland, which had been threatened in the last few months both by fa mine and by murder, expressed a hope that the danger of the first was exaggerated, though he was compelled to ad mit that the latter had been walking unpunished in broad daylight for some months past. It was very desirable that ministers should propose measures which would prevent and arrest the perpetration of such atrocities in future. He then declared himself friendly, on the experience of the last four year, to a further relaxation of the protec tive duties now imposed on foreign commodities ; and hoped that Ministers would propose a plan which would deal justly and liberally with all parties. Sir R. PEEL hoped that, though his course might be deemed unusual in rising at so early a period of the de bate, he should be considered as acting in conformity with the ordinary practice of the house in explaining at once the grounds which had led him, and those with whom he acted, first to tender their resignation of their offices to her Majesty and then to re-appear in the house as the mi nisters of the crown. The immediate cause of their re signation was that great and mysterious calamity which had befallen Europe—the failure of the potatoe crop. But it would be untair to the house if he were to spy that he attached exclusive importance to that particular cause. It had gained, however, additional weight by its forcing an immediate decision upon the laws which governed the importation of grain. He would not deny that his opi nions on the subject of protection had undergone great change. He did not feel himself humiliated by making that confession; on the contrary, he asserted and claimed for himself the privilege of yielding to the force of reason and argument, and of acting upon his enlarged experience and upon his more matured conviction. He must cmfess that a change in his opinions had been forced upon him by the experience of the last three years. During that period he had watched day by day the effect of the relaxa tion of duties on all the social interests of the country ; and the consequence was that he thought that his former arguments were no longer tenable. He did not now think that protection of native industry was in itself right and advantageous, nor did he believe that it was impossi ble for this country to compete with foreigners because it laboured under a heavy debt and severe taxation. Du ring the last three years prices bad been low, and yet at no time had wages been higher. During the three previ ous years prices had been high, and the lowness of wages had produced universal distress among the labouring po pulation. He next proved from statistical returns that the result upon trade of removing protective duties had been a great increase in the foreign exports of the country, and that the result upon the revenue, though in the last four yearsa reduction had been made in the Customs duties to the amount of £4,000,000 and upwards, and in the Ex cise duties to the amount of £1,000,000., bad been equally satisfactory. He then adverted to considerations which he deemed of more importance than those of either trade or revenue—namely, to considerations of morality ; and showed that in 1842, when high prices and high duties were in existence, there had been an alarming increase of crime, but that in 1843 things had taken a favourable turn, and that in 1844 and 1845 the decrease of commit ments bad been very large ; and he inferred from the re turns, which he quoted, that low prices and comparative abundance contributed greatly to the promotion of mo rality. He showed that these advantages had not been purchased by any detriment to the agricultural interest. Protection to that interest had been diminished ; and yet it had not suffered any damage in consequence of that diminution, He proyed this position by reference to the diminution which had taken place in the duties paid upon foreign flax, foreign wool, foreign cattle, pigs, lard, &c., and to the prices which every one of those commodities was now fetching in ihe markets of Great Britain. He contended that he was justified in proceeding with the further removal of protecting duties by the gratifying re sults which had been produced by the removal of those which be had already repealed. It was right that he should state that, notwithstanding the conviction which was thus forced upon his mind, he bad been of opinion that the charge of altering the corn laws ought not to devolve upon him as Minister of the Crown. He felt that with that conviction, which he could not control, he could no longer meet the annual motion of- honourable members opposite with a direct negative, and that there fore he could no longer continue the contest on the sub ject with any advantage to those who had hitherto ho noured him with their confidence. During the course of last autumn a great calamity had visited the United Kingdom. There was a great danger of a scarcity of that article which formed a considerable supply of the food of the country. It was the .duty of Government to meet that danger; and the house should now have an oppor tunity of judging whether with the information of which the Government was in possession, it was possible for them to maintain in their present integrity . the existing corn laws. His opinion was, that it was quite impossible for them to do so. He then described the circumstances which induced him early in November to think that it was necessary to meet the impending evil by a suspension of the duties on the importation of foreign produce ; and read consecutively the information which Government had received from various parts of the United Kingdom, and also from abroad, and which he considered as justi fying him in the conclusions to which he had come first early in November and afterwirds early in December. He next read the information which he had received from England, Scotland, and Ireland, relative to the failure of the potatoe crop ; and hoped that those who had so pre cipitately condemned the Government would now make some allowance for its difficult position. ,The right hon. baronet then entered into a lengthened statement relative to the resignation of the Ministry and their reinstatement in office, and proceeded to state that he had given notice that evening that on an early day next week it was his intention to submit to the house a measure of the greatest importance relative to our commer cial policy. He would not anticipate the discussion on it that eveninz, as he was anxious to disconnect that which was a great national question from any party or personal considerations. After expressing a hope that he had satisfied the house that his motives were honest, ' THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. Lord J. RUSSELL reminded the Chancellor of the Ex chequer that the time was nearly at hand when the rail way deposits must be paid into the Bank of England. Last year these deposits amounted to three millions, and this year it was expected they.would amount to nine mil lions, a large sum to be withdrawn from circulation. He wished to know whether it was the intention of the go vernment to bring in a bill to alter the existing law upon the subject, or whether they were convinced that no in convenience would result from the maintenance of the law as it existed ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that an application was made to him in November last to so far alter the law as to allow of the deposit of the stock, India bonds, bills of exchange, and other valuable securities, instead of cash. He would not assent to the proposition, nor could he hold out any hope of recomme n di ng an al teration in the standing orders, having reason to believe that the apprehensions on the subject were not founded in fact, and that they were greatly exaggerated. Mr. MANGLES and Mr. MASTERMAN expressed their opinions that a severe pressure would be felt in the mo ney market in the course of the next fortnight. Lord FRANCIS EGERTON brought up the report on the address, which was read a first time. On the motion for its second reading— Mr. COLQUHOUN made some observations on the course pursued by Sir Robert Peel, in abandoning the principles upon which he had originally obtained office. The agriculturists h a d a right to complain of his present policy. Hon. gentlemen on the other side of the house might deem him (Mr. Colquhoun), and those who acted with him, as bigott e d i n religion and fanatical in their ideas of protection ; and they had a right to entertain that opinion, while he h a d a right to stand by his own ; but the right hon. baronet having agreed with the protectionists, having obtained power on their principles, should have appealed to the country before attempting to act upon those which he had, recently embraced. He challenged the treasury benchei to say that the right bon, bart. had not stranded every great principle of which he had at any time been the champion ; and be would pre dict for Tuesday next, that he would address the house with a world of mystification; with compensation here, with change there, but still having but one card to play— repeal of the corn laws. The hon. and learned gentleman proceeded at considerable length, in the same strain, to condemn the policy of the right hon. baronet, admitting, however, that his financial measures were conceived and carried out with great wisdom, with great prudence, and great success. Mr. Hurisz wished to know what Sir R. Peel's former course had to do with the wisdom and propriety of his present measures ? He, for his own part, highly approved of the course pursued by the right hon. baronet, who had the manliness to declare that he had for years been wrong, but that he was now ready to give the country every re compense in his power for the error he had fallen into, by doing that which ought to have been done before. He would feel very happy if the result of all this should be that the business of the country should be henceforth car ried on upon the principle of benefitting, not a particular party, but the whole country. He approved of the speech of her Majesty generally, but the best paragraph it con. tained was that recommending an increase in the army and navy (hear, hear) ; for, when he saw a country for getting all the ordinary principles which should govern its conduct towards other states, he thought it was but right that those states should be prepared at any sacrifice to maintain their own honour and integrity. Sir R. PEEL regretted that the contrast between what had on a former occasion been said that in that house, and the language of the chief magistrate of the United States, should be so great as to lead to the inference that the for mer should have been mistaken. The English House of Commons would feel no hesitation in saying that every effort, consistent with the honour of the country, should be made to settle this question of the Oregon territory peacefully. The speech of the hon. member for Mon trose, the strictest advocate for economy in that house, convinced him that any proposal which the government might make for the maintenance of the honour and inter ests of the country would be readily agreed to ; but at the same time they would not disguise the fact that they would consider such a necessity the greatest misfortune which could befall the country. With respect to the attacks which had been made upon himself personally, he would only say that he would not suffer them to ruffle his tem per. The subject to be discussed was far too important to be disposed of by a system of recrimination. The right hon. baronet then repeated many of the circumstances which he had narrated on the previous evening, respecting the recent changes; and while defending the course he bad pursued, said he was in no way responsible for the causes which prevented his successor from forming a mi nistry. The hon. member for Newcastle-under-Lyne had said that his financial measures were carried out with great wisdom, prudence, and success. If so, was not that a proof that they might carry them still farther? But however this might be, he could understand how some hon. members might have the right to say he had abandoned them but of all men, the last that ought to have done so should have been the hon. member who, in 1838, had supported the annual motion of Mr. Villiers in opposition to Lord John Russell and himself (Sir R. Peel). An in advertent expression which had fallen from him on the previous night had been laid hold of and misrepresented. He alluded to the words " proud aristocracy." He must be permitted to say that he used the words in the heat of debate, and the word " proud" he only meant as convey ing the idea of a body having attributes and qualities of which they might well and justly feel proud. He could wish that in the heat of debate there could be time to weigh every word ; but as that was impossible, it was scarcely fair to fasten upon an expression for the purpose of misrepresentation. (Cheers.) He would forget the bitterness of the hon. gentleman's speech in consideration of the personal compliments he had paid him for his wis dom, and prudence, and success, and he would not allow his temper to be disturbed by any future references to personal inconsistencies. Lord J. RUSSELL asked if the government proposed to lay upon the table any papers illustrative of the reasons for interference in the war in Rio Grande. He also wished particularly to know the exact position of the Oregon question. Sir R. PEEL said he was not at the moment prepared to answer the first question. With respect to the present position of the Oregon question, this country had again repeated its former offer of referring the matter to arbi tration, but to that offer an answer had not yet been re ceived. . . Sir R. Nous said that few persons could feel more strongly than he did the importance of preserving peace, but yet he was happy that the observations of Mr. Hume bad been received with such cheering from both sides of the house. The O'CONOR DON approved of the references to the state of Ireland contained in the speech ; but he hoped the right hon. baronet would turn his attention to intro ducing some measure calculated to place upon a better footing the relations of landlord and tenant. Mr. BANKES approved of the financial measures of the right hon. baronet, and gave him great credit for the pros perity which had followed them ; bu. there was no reason why they should follow him in the course to which they believed there was a limit. Under the circumstances the right hon. baronet should have appealed to the coun try, and in that case the agriculturists would have been prepared to abide by the decision, if the appeal were made in a legitimate manner. Mr. S. CRAWFORD bore testimony to the extent of the failure of the potato crop, and believed the scarcity would be severely felt in the course of a few weeks. The report was then agreed to. FOREIGN AND COLONIAL. The export duty on Bohemian corn has been raised, with o ders to continue so until the Ist of June. The demolition of the British Queen steamer in the basin at Antwerp is proceeding with much activity. It is said the Pscha intends reopening the ports for the exportation of grain and pulse in four or six weeks. There is no foundation for the rumour, brought by the last Indian mail, of a serious misunderstanding between Sir Henry Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough. Letters from Warsaw state, that the Emperor Nicholas in his passage through that capital, had treated Prince Paskewitz with great coolness, and bad even expressed to him his disapprobation of the late political arrests. The Queen of Portugal opened the Cortes on the 2d instant. The only point worthy of notice in the royal speech is the declaration that the government are resolved to adhere to the treaty with this country for the suppres sion of the slave trade. ALGERlA. —Letters from Marseilles bring news of fresh razzias in Algeria, and mention a rumour that a division, consisting of 2,500 men, under the command of General Levasseur, whilst making a razzia in the province of Con stantine, were overtaken by a snow storm, on the night of the 3d instant, of so violent a character, that the greater part of them perished. A Protestant conference is now being holden at Berlin, to which all the Protestant States of Germany have sent delegates. Their mission is to restore uniformity of be lief and of worship. But many so-called Protestant congregations have already publicly disclaimed being bound to belief in any stated creed, by whomsoever pro mulgated, and the labours of the conference will, pro bably, prove abortive. NEW ZEALAND.—An extra number of the Straits' Times states that intelligence has been received by the Hawk of another conflict between Heki and the British troops ; and quotes an extract from the South Australian Journal, to the effect that the New Zealanders had again repulsed the troops sent to attack his pah, killing and wounding 127 men. He retired during the night from the pah unobserved, with all his fo4s. Capt. Fitzroy considers the island to be in such insr ity that he sleeps within the barracks every evening. . AN EGYPTIAN MARMAGE.—The marriage of the Pa cha of Egypt's daughter to Kiamil Pacha, has been cele brated in the Pacha's peculiar fashion, and while it wa s going on, the Egyptian public, native and foreign, could think of nothing else. The Eastern Harem was made as far as possible into an European court, with " European ladies lodged there for eight days," and " received at din ners and soirees,"—the " restaurateur department under the direction of a committee of French ladies; and music and balls, with a Mad. Hekykian (query, native or fo reign ?) for lady patroness." Outside the palace, there was the Hall of Justice, turned into an Italian theatre, with harlequin exhibitions, and bits from operas and bal lets ; free ingress for all ;—the Pacha in his state box, and the other boxes filled with ladies of all denominations— Jews, Greek, Turkish, and French. On the same princi ple, among the Pacha's dinner parties was an ecclesiasti cal one, where " the Catholic bishop, the Greek patriarch, the Jewish Rabbi, and the idahomedan cadi, were to be seen seated side by side." The tastes of his Mahomedan subjects were consulted by exhibitions of mountebanks and necromancers ; firing of cannon ; nightly illumination of 1,800,000 lamps; the distribution of 500 tons of beef and mutton and £5OO worth of small coin, scattered among the crowd ; and processions of the bride's jewels" and slippers, worth £7,000, "in glass cases." The mar riage procession was as magnificent as crowds and mili tary poms. Arab horses, beys without number, and white satin wedding favours and orange flowers could make it. The first day of the festivities there was a grand banquet at the citadel of eight hundred covers. The ladies were admitted to a magnificent supper given by the eldest daughter of the Pacha, where, including the slaves, not less than three thousand five hundred women, from all nations, &c.. were present. All sorts of dances were per formed, Greek, Arabic, Bedouin, &c., and the last were an European quadrille and waltz. THE COURT (5- FASHIONABLE WORLD. The QUEEN and the Court left Windsor Castle on Wodnesday for Buckingham Palace, to be in readiness for the opening of Parliament on the following day. It is un derstood that her M....lEs' r and a select circle will re move to the Isle of Wight for a short visit, in the course of a day or two. Her Majesty, after the investiture of the Marquis of Camden and the Marquis of Hertford, on Monday, as Knights of the Garter, honoured the Duke of Richmond with an audience, at which his Grace presented addresses from the District Agricultural Protection Societies of the County of Sussex, praying for a continuance of the exist ing protection to agriculture ; and also from the undeco rated Peninsular officers, praying for permission to wear some commemorative mark of their services. Lord and Lady Stanley and family arrived in London on Tuesday, for the season, from Knowsley -hall. A matrimonial alliance is said to be about to take place between the Duke of Marlborough and Lady Ann Loftus. Viscount Morpeth, after attending the funeral of Earl Granville, went to Sandon-hall, on a visit to the Earl of Harrowby and Viscount Sandon. Hooton-hall is still full of company. The circle last week included the Duke and Duchess of Montrose, Lord and Lady Frances Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. A. Callaghan, Miss Sylvia Doyle, Mr. and Mrs. John Stanley, &c., &c. The Marquis of Salisbury, on Friday, returned to Hat field House, Herts. The noble marquis shortly expects Mr. J. M. Balfour, M.P., and Lady Blanche Balfour, at Hatfield, from Scotland. (Cambridge -house, Kew-green, had on Monday evening a narrow escape from fire. The window curtains in the Duke of Cambridge's bed-room were found in flames, and the fire was extending itself from the fire-place up the side of the room, when the smoke in the house led to its discovery. The damage was confined to that and the adjoining room, and the room underneath. The fire arose from the hearth-stone in the bed-room having become heated by the grate being lowered, and a beam under neath had consequently ignited. IRELAND. Mr. Daniel O'Connell, jun., a highly accomplished youth no doubt, is to be the repeal member for Dundalk. Mr. Sheridan Knowles, it is stated, will be appointed to the professorship of elocution in one of the new Irish colleges, probably Cork, of which city he is a native. No fewer than 260 outrages, many of an alarming cha racter, were committed in the disturbed districts of Limerick within the last three months. It is said that government have sent 250,000 quarters of Indian corn to Cork, to be distributed to the various ports, as a preparative for the apprehended scarcity, owing to the partial destruction of the potato crop. At Gouran, Kilkenny, the other day, a substantial farmer, named Miller, being jealous of his wife, beat her with a spade handle until he thought he had killed her, and then hung himself. The name of the Right Rev. Dr. Crolly, the Roman Catholic Primate, and those of all his clergy, are attached to the requisition for free trade meetings at Belfast and Drogheda. Messrs. Warren and Henn, the former a sergeant-at law, and the latter a Queen's counsel, have been each tendered the office of Solicitor-general for Ireland, and each have refused the distinction. A melancholy, and to one, fatal accident took place last week in the neighbourhood of Cattle Blayney.. Some men were felling trees, which in felling became entangled, by which two of the men were struck, and one of them killed. The jury who tried Bryan Steery, at the - Westmeath special commission, for shooting at Sir Francis Hopkins. were unable to give a verdict after being locked up for thirty-six hours. Two of the jurymen were released at the request of a medical man, who pronounced their lives to be in danger. SHOCKING CASE OF INFANTICIDE.—A. few days ago, an inquest was held on the body of a male infant, about a week old. The body was discovered near Clerihan ; the head was literally battered in, and the doctor deposed that it must have been struck against some hard substance.— Limerick Chronicle. RELIGION D'ARGENT.—A very elaborate description of the imposing ceremony of the consecration of Dr. Maginn, as Roman Catholic Bishop of Derry, concludes with the following announcement :—" The proceeds of the tickets of admission amounted to the magnificent sum of £l3l and upwards." Money ! Money ! Money ! The atrical display, and " tickets of admission." At the weekly meeting of the Repeal Association, on Monday, in Conciliation Hall, Mr. D. Callaghan, M.P., was in the chair. As the repeal members for Irish-con stituencies had been requested to attend, unusual int2r.kst was excited, but several of them were unavoidably A - sent, and it was ultimately arranged that they should assemble at Raby's Hotel, on Friday. The rent for the week was announced sts £367 3s. 11d. STATE OF IRELAND.—The Limerick papers again con tain a frightful list of " agrarian" outrages, and from the Clonmel Journal we learn that in the south of Tipperary two murders have been committed. One of them was perpetrated on a servant man, named Crotty, who was shot through the left breast, and when discovered pre sented a shocking spectacle. ABDUCTION.—On Friday night, the daughter of a farmer residing near " the Devils Bit," was forcibly taken away by a party of fellows, who broke into her father's house. Her screams awoke a neighbour, who ran out to remonstrate with the aggressors ; but they turned out and beat him severely, and fractured his skull, and his recovery is not expected. The noise attracted other neighbours, upon whose appearance the marauders fled, leaving the "abducted maiden" behind them. — Tipperary Vindicator. SCRIPTURAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND. —From an interesting paper lately published by that excellent insti stitution, the Sunday School Society for Ireland, it ap pears that 566 schools, containing 54,585 scholars, have received gratuitous assistance in books during the last six months; and that 27,867 Bibles, Testaments, and portions of Scriptures, besides 26,692 Scripture reading hooks and spelling books containing reading lessons se lected from the Sacred Scriptures, have been issued to the scholars during the same period. It is also a striking fact that the number of Bibles sold during the last six months exceeds, by 2748, the number dissemi nated during the corresponding period of the year 1814. FIRE-ARMS.--FATAL ACCIDENT.-011 Wednesday John Sterling, a watchman, employed at Mr. Orr's bleach green, whilst proceeding homewards, at the above period, overtook a man named Smiley, who was driving a horse and cart in the same direction. The watchman put his loaded gun into the cart, and immediately afterwards Smiley took it up, and asked Sterling if he were going to get it repaired, placing, at the same time, his finger on the trigger. As the gun was cocked, it went off, and two men, who were passing in a milk-cart, fell wounded ; one of them named Patrick Armour, mortally, as he died shortly afterwards; the other, John Roberts, was so much injured, that his life is considered to be endangered. Smiley and Sterling are in custody.—Belfast Paper. UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS. Prince Albert has appointed the Rev. G. 1 - 1. Liddell, M.A., to be one of his Ris Royal Highness's Domestic Chaplains, in the room of the Dean of Westminster, pro moted to the See of Oxford. Dr. Symons, the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, in an swer to a letter from Mr. Golightly makes the heartsick ening confession that he must forbear to re-impose an oath upon Dr. Pusey, because, an oath taken by a person, holding the opinions which Dr. Pusey has not scrupled to declare he has adopted, is no test whatever of the sincerity of him who makes it—" Proh pudar !" AWFULLY SUDDEN DEATH.—OR Sunday, immediately after giving out the text, the Rev. W. H. George, of Spaxton,t Somerset, suddenly dropped in his pulpit, to the great consternation of all present, and especially when it was ascertained that life was extinct. The Rev. gentle man was about fifty years of age, and much respected. IMPORTANT STEP.—The Times say , that the Dean of Christ Church has deprived the Rev. Thomas Edward Morris, M.A., Student of Christ Church and Tutor, of his tutorship in that College. Mr. Morris is brother of Mr. Morris, of Exeter College, who has just gone over to the Romish Church. The Dean, it is said, being anxious to protect the young men of the College from Romanizing influences, called on Mr. Morris to sign the 39 articles, which Mr. Morris said he had lately done in the sense of Tract No. 90. Hence the deprivation alluded to. ADDRESS OF THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION TO THE DIGNITARIES OF THE CHURCH.—The committee of the Protestant Association have addressed a respectful repre sentation to the Archbishops and Bishops of the United Church of England and Ireland, setting forth the alarm with which the association views the progress of a Ro manising party in the Church, who declare they must re cede from the principles of the English Reformation; the apostacy more recently manifested from the Scriptural truth maintained in the Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy ; and the avowed secession of some of the chief leaders of that party, with many of their followers, to the Church of Rome, &c., and humbly urging their lordships to exert their influence and authority to stay these and other con comitant evils, the onward course of which has not yet been checked by effectual measures. They lament that new and strange doctrines infect both our universities, those fountains out of which the blessings of sound learn ing and religious education should flow ; also that the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church are frequently and avowedly signed in a " non-natural sense," a practice which strikes at the foundations of all honour and honesty amongst men. Finally, after some remarks on the excel lence of these Articles " for avoiding diversities of opinion. and for the establishing of consent touching true religion," the committee express to their lordships their earnest de sire, that the bishops and pastors of our Church " should perseveringly exert themselves to maintain and diffuse among every portion of the clergy a high and holy stan dard of conscientiousness, integrity, and faithfulness, both in taking upon themselves and in fulfilling their or dination vows and engagements ; and to hold up to general detestation all jesuitical reservation and evasion, in regard to an office so sacred and pledges so solemn and impor tant." The committee expresses the readiness of the association to afford any assistance in their power to the Fathers of the Church, in their efforts to banish the erro neous and strange doctrines referred to, and look to their lordships to call upon others to do the same. The address concludes with a prayer, that a blessing may rest on their lordships pious endeavours for the purification and protection of the Protestant Church. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. The Blackburn and Preston Railway is expected to be opened about the Ist May. The first sod of the Taw-Vale Railway was raised last week by Mr. Thorn, one of the directors. A portion of the Whitehaven Junction Railway, extend ing from Maryport to Workington, was opened on Mon day last, for the conveyance of goods and passengers, On Monday evening last, a porter at the Chester station of the Chester and Birkenhead Railway, named Richards, whilst fastening two of the carriages, was severely crushed by the unexpected movement of them. The Lytham Branch of the Preston and Wyre Railway Company will be opened on the 16th of February. The Blackpool branch, it is expected, will be ready for open ing in the early part of May. On Tuesday morning last, as a luggage train on the South Eastern Railway was crossing a bridge near Tun bridge the bridge gave way, and the engine, tender, and two waggons were precipitated into the river. One young man was killed and another dangerously injured. A DEFAULTER.—We find that the brokers of the Leeds Stock Exchange are following the example of the London brokers, in posting the names of defaulters: The first name so posted is that of " Thos. Hebdin, Esq., Justice of the Peace, Redhall Court, Leeds." Such has been the wetness of the weather during the last few days, that there have been no fewer than from thirty to forty slips, some of rather an extensive kind, on each side of the Sheffield and Manchester Railway, be tween Guide-bridge and Fairfield, a distance of two miles. Amongst the various relics of antiquity which have been discovered on the Lancaster and Carlisle line of railway, one of the very rare coins of Queen Elizabeth, a silver groat, was dug up on Friday week, from amidst the ma jectic ruins of Penrith Castle, once the residence of the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard the Third. A joint-stock bank at Newcastle-upon-Tyne stopped payment last week. Its liabilities are about £400,000, which consist principally of bills in the hands of other bankers. There are about 100 proprietors. The bank held a considerable amount of railway deposits, for which a peremptory demand was made. EXPRESS TRAINS. --A n'emorial has been numerously signed praying the London and Birmingham and Grand Junction Railway Companies to run an express train be tween London and Liverpool at, six o'clock every morning, in order that the morning papers may arrive here shortly after twelve o'clock at noon, instead of being delayed as at present till after three. Jan. 27, 1846. General Pasley, on Saturday, made his examination a s to the cause of the late accident on the Midland Railway► at Chesterfield, and has expressed himself fully satisfied that the whole and sole blame rested with the engine driver: The amount of traffic for the last week, on nearly 1,800 miles of railway, was £113,142, thus accounted for: £54,663 for the conveyance of passengers only, £27,2 42 for the carriage of goods, and a remainder of £32,237 for passengers and goods together, not respectively accounted for ; being an increase over the corresponding week of last year of £12,244. THE EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY AND THE CANALS.-11 e hear that the award of the arbitrators for arranging the terms of the proposed amalgamation of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and the Forth and Clyde Canal, and the purchase of the Union Canal, has been declared by Mr. Gregson ; but the particulars have not yet been made known.—Scottish Railway Gazette. A vast field of coal, occupying more than 10,000 acres? and averaging 20 feet thick or workable coal, has beat brought to light on the Midland and Thirsk Junction, by the traverse of this line through the Howden Clough and Cockersdale Valleys. There are at present 6,000 tonS carted weekly ; but when the line is completed, it is be lieved the average weekly supply will not be less than 20.000 tons. The last week was remarkable for the number of amal gamations which have taken place among railway pro jects. In some instances no fewer than from three to five competing schemes have amalgamated. It is sup posed that not more than from 150 to 180 projects will go into a committee of the House of Commons, and that not more than 100 will receive the sanction of the legis lature. The Committee of the London Stock Exchange haYe passed a resolution requiring the members to furnish the names of all the clients that are defaulters, in order that the clerk may enter them in a book which is to be open for tee inspection of the members of the house only. 'v suspect that this resolution has been passed rather late in the day for some of the members, although it may yet have the effect of giving the police less trouble in Capel court. GUAGE EXPERIMENTS.—The editor of Herepalh'S Journal, in a long article upon this subject, condemns the recent experiments as altogether trifling, and as affording no test of the merits o the two guages, and, after takings review of the result of the recent trials, noticing the dif ference in the gradients, and making allowances for the side wind at the narrow guage experiments, says, so far the experiments examined in their naked truth are all in favour of the narrow guage, and advises the Great Wes tern Company at once to order their engineer to change the guage to the narrow. The sanction of a special meeting of the South Western Railway Company has just been given to a large group of extensions, by which it is proposed to accommodate the whole country lying between their present line and the Land's End. There is first to be a line rrom Basingstoke to Salisbury, costing £700,000 another from Salisbury to Yeovil, costing £900,000 ; and then on to Exeter, at a further cost of £l.300,000; and so by the Cornwall and Devon Central to Falmouth and Penzance, at no less an outlay than £3,000,000. At the Newcastle and Darlington meeting, a 9 per cent. dividend was declared. Resolutions were adopted for ex" tending railway communication in connexion with the company's line to Boroughbridge and Beadle, and froze Thirak to Melton, and other places in the intermediate neighbourhood ; and for making and purchasing docks at Jarrow Lake, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland ; and for carrying forward a line through the Auckland district. To carry these various objects into execution, it was de termined to create an additional capital of £1,000,000. by the issue of LI shares upon every £25 share held by the company. _ _ _ MIDLAND RAILWAY.—On Monday, the half-yearly meeting of this company was held at the Derby Station. The chair was taken by Mr. Hudson, M.P. The report of the directors stated that there was a net balance of £197,897 7s. 3d„ which enabled the proprietors to divide upon each, £lOO of consolidated stock. £3 13s. 9d.: upon each £10) of preferential stock, £3 13s. 9d.: upon each £lOO of Birmingham and Derby consolidated stock, £3; reserving upwards of £14,000 towards the next half' yearly account. The increase over the corresponding half-year of 1844 was as follows :—Passengers, £47.3 44 ; goods, £11,800; minerals, £5,756; parcels, £19,104; cattle, £12,627 ; total increase on the half-year, £86,631. The increase in the expenditure in the locomotive depart ment was attributable to the great increase in traffic, se venty-two engines being required daily to work the line. LIVERPOOL, PRESTON, AND NORTH UNION JUNC' TION RAILWAY.—A meeting of the subscribers to thin projected line was held at Preston on Wednesday, the Mayor in the chair. From the non-deposit of the plane the scheme has failed, and the Committee are about to proceed against the Engineers, Messrs. Gandell and Burton, for breach of contract; while the Engineers, on the other hand, claim £2,310, in addition to £2,300 which they have already received. It appears that the total re ceipts have been £25,368, and the balance at the credit of the Company is now £19,046. Of 13,360 shares allotted, the deposit of £2. 2s. was paid on 12,000. The meeting passed a resolution for the repayment of 21s. per share , reserving the balance (about 9s. per share) "in order to carry out the proceedings against the Engineers." An amendment that 30s. be repaid, had only four supporters, in a very numerous meeting. EDINBURGH, LEITH, AND GRANTON RAILWAY.--D appears from the report of the directors, that the loco motive engines for this railway will be ready in March, but the line was opened on the 19th instant, and is mean while worked by horse-power. The Leith branch is ex pected to be opened by the Ist of May. The tunnel is proceeding rapidly and satisfactorily, 340 yards being nor formed. There were 340 men employed on the works, under the able superintendent, Mr. Patterson. Toe chairman explained the circumstances in which the cora pany had purchased the Excise-office in Drummond place- After noticing various points in the report, be entereu into a lengthened and interesting explanation of the ne gotiations of the company with the Edinburgh and Glas gow Railway Company, and the unfavourable issue of that attempt to amalgamate the companies. The chairman also recapitulated the terms of agreement with the Edin burgh and Northern Company. The meeting was per fectly unanimous.—Scottish Railway Gazette. YORK AND NORTH MIDLAND.—The half yearly meet' ing was held at York, on Friday week. The report? which was a very satisfactory one, recommended a divi dend of £lO per cent. per annum, which dividend will amount to £60,382 ]os., and after paying the same, and £23,000 for the half-year's rent of the Hull and Selby line, due on the Ist instant, a surplus of £19,363 16s. 2d• will remain to the credit of the company. The report having been unanimously adopted, and the dividend de clared as recommended, the Chairman then proceeded to develop his plans of extension, which comprised 71 m ile of new railway, consisting of a communication with Pock' lington, Market Weighton, Driffield, Beverley, and other portions of the East Ridi ng ; 17 m il es i n the propose d lines to Leeds, serving the towns of Tadcastet, Aberfordt &c. • 11 miles exte ns i on f rom th e Whi t b y an d Pickeri ng ßaifway to Danby Dale ; also double lines from Milford to York. The directors proposed a creation of new es' pital to the amount of £1,250,000, for part of which they proposed to create 37,950 shares, which would be appro priated in the proportion of one new £25 share for eyed, £5O share, and o ne new £25 s h are f or every two £7.'' shares. The York and North Midland Company pro' posed to subscribe £lOO,OOO to the Axholme line , £40,000 to the Melton and Driffield Railway, and £200,000 to the Eastern Counties Extension. All the projects were unanimously adopted. ENERGY AND HONESTY THE ROAD TO WEALTH AO INFLUENCE.—The Railway Chronicle of Saturday thus speaks of the indefatigable energy of Mr. Hudson—th e railway king:—" When Mr. Hudson was elected rne o3. ber for Sunderland, it was eagerly asserted by his enerniee and timidly surmised by his adherents, that the energie e hitherto devoted to his railways would be directed fram e that useful channel into the wild cou rses o f p o liti cs . S /11 . 6 , then expressed just the opposite conviction. Some lar„, there are whose talents to d o i ncrease di rec tly as the amount of their work, and who, with moderate employ' ment, would go to sleep. M r . udson is one of those men to whom the existence of difficulties and the array o f for: midable duties merely serves to awaken to a keener seat of his responsibilities, and a more distinct consciousne s ' of ability to cope with them. Already chairman o f orte line from the no r th t o th e sou th o f E ng l an d, h e un d er takeo the formation of a seco n d, p ara ll e l t o hi s own ! O n the ere ,' of a great parliam en t ar y s t rugg l e , we fi n d hi m a dd res sing his railway constit uen t s , p res idi ng a t th ree great mee ting in one day, maki ng at e ac h t wo or th ree l ong speeche., , ' disposing of a million of annu a l revenue , buyi ng up rat', ways and docks in his own name, and handing them oit. as free gifts to one or another of his favoured cornparill; in the midst of a commerci a l p an i c ra i s i ng a f ew and applying for leave to make a few hundred miles of re l ., way as coolly, hnd even as it seem s t o us , w ith m ore e 0.7, fidence than in time of prosperous or over-promising e,:, culation ! When we advocated honesty, openness and 11 berality as the soundest policy for railway-men, we stu"t were not mistaken. Such a week's work as we preo,!A to-day indicates neither diminished energy nor imPan influence !" tit THE LATE RAILWAY ROBBERIES.—DanieI Garreo whose conviction for robb er i es on ra il ways must be fr,e,,, in the memory of our r ea d ers , ma d e a lengthened co nfe ct, sion of his guilt while in th e transport before she se ll t ee The following extract discloses facts certain to receive 4 1 attention of directors :—" When I was living in idlettp close to the railway stati on , I use d to go on to t h e 1 31 : 0 1 form to see the trains co me i n ; an d th ere i t was I 1 , ,4 iota conversation w ith t h e peop l e o f t h e ra il wa y ' fg, joined a connexion. My fi rs t p arce l was a car pet 70 which was taken on the arrival of a train as if I we u a, passenger; but that mode of acting became dangellet as, on several occasions, the owners intercepted l_ito property, and, but for the timely assistance of a COnlj e , derate, I should not have esc a ped so eas ily. Other to thods were hit upon, which, if made known, may Ptel such practices in future. We found it best to wor e I f dark. Sometimes a passenge r wou ld b e wa t c h e d, an, d any parcel of his p r o m i se d we ll, h e wou ld b e doug ai j through to the train, and, when he had passed on, r ic e, the confederate we managed matters easily; for, 11 , 4 0 practicable,, he would put the lu ggage i n a wron g 1 0 "46 , or with a wrong ticket on it, or boldly give it to a 0 ;0 1 derate as his luggage to go with him in the train in e ha tt of in the luggage van ; a conf e de ra t e wou ld r ide a e , it ll‘ or long trip, and then claim the p ar ti cu l ar ar ti c le, or? tb s away with it, with or without the cognisance 01 it guard, depending on his being in the secret or title to was by going as a short pas senger th a t we we re au', tbe.l effect these things ; or else wo u ld, on th e arr ival O , A train, boldly seize anythi ng , an d if s t op p e d, it co a l attributed to mistake. It was a t th e j unc tion 11,0' pecia:ly that we were able t o wor k as we ll w i t hout i 1 401 0 sistance of the railway man as w ith it. Th e pase_„ e atS! were gone out int o th e re f res h men t- rooms , an d the"' P., another by which we could start off to another plan e osf' these various ways the game was played ; first ort e t hef,i then another on one li ne , th en c h ange d a b ou t to any fl a• lintending to change about from line to line in success'