The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-26 00:00:00

SUICIDE BY A GENTLEMAN.

On Tuesday evening an inquest was held at Bath, be-
fore Mr. English, coroner for that city, to inquire into
the death of a gentleman who had committed suicide at
one of the first hotels in that city on the previous even-
ing. It appeared that the deceased went to Bath by the
down mail train on Monday afternoon, and prcceedod to
the hotel, where he took dinner, and a pint of bitter
ale. About four o'clock in the afternoon, at his own
request, he was shown to his bedroom by oce of the
chambermaids, to whom he remarked; " What a confu-
sion the town seems in to-day." She said, " Des it,
Sir; I have net been out to-day." Us replied, " Yes,
it is; it is all through this bothering election; it is a
pack of nonsense." The chambermaid, about eight
o'clock the same evening, tried the door, but found it
locked. She took no notice of the circumstance,
suebo'sing the gentleman had gone out and
taken the key with him. Next morning, however,
as the gentleman did not make his appearanee, his door
was tried and found locked, and, as no reply could be
obtained from'evithin, a police,constable was seat for and
the door forced open. The unfortunate deceased was then
discovered lying on the flier in a large pool of bload,
with hia throat frightfully cut, and quite dead.
Upon the dressing-table was found a razor covered
with blood, with which the melancholy act had
been committed. The deceased's gold watch was
also found upon the dressing-table, and 1/. o'. Qd.
in silver and copper coin upon the mantel-shelf.
ail coat and waistcoat were off, and in the pocket
were found prescriptions, signed by Sir James Clark, so
late as Saturday last, showing the deceased to have been
under medical treatment. A letter, directed to " Mr.
Underwood, architect, Oxford," was also found upon
the unfortunate man, which is the only means by which
his identification can be traced, as he was a perfect
stranger to the hotel. A messenger was dispatched to
Oxford as soon as ths melannholy elieenvPry was made.
but as he nad not returned at ten o'clock on Tuesday
evening the inquest was adjourned. On Wednesday
evening the inquest was resumed upon the unfortunate
gentlemen when it appeared that the deceased was Mr.
henry Jones Underwood, architect, of St. John's-street,
turd. The jury returned a verdict of " Tem2orary
utnitye,

gg!itit SEABORNE MAILS.
es that the at' are sent Crone the General rost-otflae
by th,:
taS hi
the rnorning-41spatch.]

~..................\ v1.4.03r.a. When made tip in ; Frem what
• • General roit-office! port die-
London: I patched.
..,..--...-I

When
due.

AmArc:rricoaa((bbyy.Burriost:pPlc_ti,t?l'iNtzuehtl26 .. .. Liverpool •
BAAAritemeasui3canrairdriiv,(aeobia..t.uce....sas....tp.)::::)mmizsli•l;i:rth:B6.l,l:
taathielnii;;o.9.fnn2....:,:isopLsolioynivunvettchainipor o:otiiipintt...
Belgium' •° ".. NI Daily .. . ~„0,-0, ..
SJ 9th of the oath iSouthampt.
:!,i_l `JAI& 17th of month lSouthatnpt
CalifencrrniaAY(vig:Cillrer)
Cape of Good 110 N 14th of monttrnth
•IZ 7th 17 th 27th t" 11.17 mouth
Constantinople* •• • • —i • eme Dov_r
2cl & 17th of men. 44., '
Central America • • M. —••tha
?lion.,N'Wed., 86 Fri- aotahammPt'
Channel Isles •• •• 4-
ChiliFraa
Greece*c : . ... ... ..
. 3 .1.
;86 :f."'T 72" WI
t 7 lit il
ileitfha i.t2ll7left hi month
1-
Arnt ii.
o. , 6 °fp; car PP!
....
I:lamb:ugh .. N i Tuesday
Holland ' .. •. .. Mi WednoB;
81Fsraidtaray.ItoLonnddra
..
Irellb3ndatld'iral .... ... Bac 1514 iTSI Tie: fdaltileyE.a.on!iislipZtt =emit:.
Indla (via Southump.) Mi•2oth of the monthiSouteh;ap.L.
Inc" (li aMuseilles) N,tith& 24tia 0 (Mon to i DOv
Meditcn•ancan (via 1
Southatr•ftn) .. 3(2oth of the month 'Bolitn• ainpt.
Modltenanean (via I
Idarsallles) .. .. I,l' 8 th& 24th of mont h ; Dover
Mc/leo .. .. .. 1,1 2d of the menth..lBouthampi:LApPrirl :
X3`te:ra • • • • .. M tith of the month iSouth=pt. JAW' 115
Malta* .. .. r 7th,17 th,l9th,27th I ? Dover March 28
( 1 &30th of month I_l -
Naples* .. .. -- 14 j.f•th 15th 25th of me i Dover • • April 2
Papal Citates* .. .. S isth 15th 25th ofmo ! Dover .. i April 1
11.eninsular .. .. .. llti 7th 17th 27th of molSouthampt. /April 6
Pezu .. .. .. .. hi; el the mouth Isouthampt. March 20
Taicany* .. .. .. N;sth 15th 25th ofrno;Dover .. April 2
West Indies .. i. 11117th of the month 'Southampt. March 20
Weet Inds (except
ilavaßna & 14assan) 111;2,1 of the month Sonthimpt. April 5
* The mails to those c ountries thu.7 marked (+) are conveye4 by
Fri:ncli packet via 'Ma rseille3.

March 30
April 1
pr!! 3
March 23
Daily

!April 16
!April 16
March 20
April 3
March 30
March 20
Ta. Th sat
arch 20
Tortecdaily
March 80
Tat% Bat.
' MoA.Thar
• March 2.0
Twlcedaily
April 21
!Apill 2

lApril 21

THEI Bi5:101. OF OXFORD AND STONE ALTAES.—
We learn that the Bhhop of Oxford has directed the removal
of the stone altars erected in the several cemetery chapels in
that city, and that in consequence they have been converted
into communion tables, by being separated from the walls to
which they were attached, so as to become moveable tables
according to the rubrics Of the Preteatallt
University Paper.

LONDON,

IiVIRERIAL PA RLIAMEN T.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 25.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
On the motion ct the Earl of LONSDALE, the
Commons Enclosure Bill was read a second time and
ordered to he committed to-morrow.
COUNTY COURTS EXTENSION.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Dol-
gaily and other places in Wales, in favour of the County
Courts Extension Bill.
EXTENSION OF COUNTY COURTS JURISDIC-
TION TO BANKRUPTCY CASES.

Lord BROUGHAM said he had a Bill to lay on the
table, to which he besought their Lordships' attention.
They must remember that the County Courts Acts, im-
proved as they had been by successive legislative
enactments, and received with such favour by the
public, applied as yet only to solvent claims,
and that there was, in cases of insolvency, the
same denial of justice which there had been before
in all other cases.—(Hear, hear.) The consequence
was, that in all the districts there were two distinct and
independent local jurisdictions, that of the County
Court and the Bankruptcy Court. How far it was
possible to amalgamate the two jurisdictions, their
Lordships had had an opportunity of consider-
ing last session, when ho had brought before
them a Bill to effect this purpose—a Bill which made
considerable progress last session, but, owing to the
state of the public business, was not then passed into
law. The Bill to which he had now to call their atten-
tion, and for which he had to ask a first reading, was of
the same nature, and bad for its purpose to extend the
jurisdiction of County Court judges to bankruptcy cases.
—The Bill was then read a first time.

The NOBLE LORD mentioned, in reference to the
Bill which he had laid on the table the other night with
regard to the shortening the time between the dissolu-
tion and the assembling of a now Parliament, he had
heard some discontent expressed as to his having named
thirty-five days as the minimum space to elapse between
the two events. It appeared to him that this was the
shortest space in which a new Parliament could bo got
together after a dissolution.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

The Earl of GLENGALL presented a petition from
the South of Tipperary praying that thellouse would
take means to relieve the present state of distress exist-
ing in Ireland.
The Earl of WICKLOW presented a petition from
a place in the North of Ireland to the same effect.
THE WAR IN AVA.

The Earl of DERBY rose to ask the Noble Earl op-
posite (Ellenborough) to postpone a question of which
he had given notice with respect to the war in Ave. It
appeared to him that this question was, to say the least
of it, premature, and as it appeared to him incorrect in
its terms, as relating to what the Noble Earl called the
war in Ave. Undoubtedly hostile collisions had taken
place between her Majesty's forces and the Governor
of Rangoon, but no actual war had broken out, and he
was not without hope that such a misfortune
might be averted. The first account of what
had taken place had only reached this country
by the last mail, and though accounts of a second colli-
sion had reached this country it had been by the medium
of the Admiralty, and no account had yet reached the
Board of Directors from the Governor-General, conse-
quently the information which the Government possessed
was very imperfect, and they were not in a state to give
anything but a very imperfect account of these
t,ansactions. Under these circumstances he would
propose that his Noble Friend should postpone
his question until the arrival of the nest mail,
which would probably put them in possession of what
the state of affairs was at present, and what opinion the
Governor-General had formed upon them.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said it was impos-
sible for him to refuse to postpone his question; but he
hoped that he should be allowed to bring it on before the
departure of the next mail. While he was upon
the subject of this war he would call tbo
attention of the Noble Duke at the head of the Admi-
ralty to the relations existing between the Governor-
General of India and the Commodore cf the blockading
squadron. The Commodore was in the position of the
commander of an allied squadron, and though he might
receive a suggestion from the Governor-General, he was
rot bound to act according to his instructions. In fact, the
Governor-General might advistabut could give no orders to
the Commodore. This was au anomalous position, and he
hoped that orders would be issued from the Admiralty to
remedy it.
The Duke of NORTHUMBERLANDsaid that Com-
modore Lambert had received instructions from the Go-
vernor-General in Conncil, and had acted upon them
strictly and carefully.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said that might be,
but it was in the Commodore's option to have neglected
and disobeyed those orders altogether if he had chosen.
That was a position of responsibility in which the Com-
modore ought not to be left.
Lord MINTO said that he apprehended that the cum-
mender on this station was placed in exactly the same
position as all other commanders on foreign stations: he
was obliged to act according to the instructions of the
Admiralty.
Lord BROUGHTON confirmed the statement of the
Noble Earl behind him (Ellenborough). Shortly before
he had left office he had received a letter from the Go-
vernor-General complaining of this anomalous position,
and hoping that when the East India Company's Char-
ter again came under the consideration of Parliament
some provision would be introduced to remedy it.
The Earl of DERBY said with reference to this sub-
ject he had to give notice that on Friday, the 2d of
April, he should move for a Committee to inquire into
the operations of the Act under which the East India
Company held their Charter.
LAW OF WILLS AMENDMENT.

The LORD CHANCELLOR, in moving that this Bill be
committed, said that the first cleave in it was the great ob-
ject which he wished to carry at present. He should move
in Committee that the second and third clauses should be
struck out of the Bill; but he should afterwards introduce
them as separate Bills, and take the sense of their Lordships
upon them.
The House then went into Committee.
The first clause was then read. It is in the following
terms:—" That whereas, by an Act passed in the Ist year
of the reign of her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled An
Act for the Amendment of the Laws with respect to Wills,'
it is enacted that no will shall be valid unless it shall be
signed at the foot or end thereof by the testator, or by
some other person in his presence, and by his direction;
every will shall, so far only as regards the position of the
signature of the testator, or of the person signing for him
as aforesaid, be deemed to be valid within the said enact-
ment, as explained by this Act, if the signature shall be
so placed at or after, or following, or under, or beside, or
opposite to the end of the will, that it shall be apparent that
the testator intended to give effect to the writing signed as
his will by such his signature, although the same shall not
follow or be immediately after the foot or end of the will,
and although a blank space shall intervene between the con-
cluding word of the will and the signature, and although
the signature shall be placed among the words of the
testimonium clause or of the clause of attestation, or shall
follow or be after or under the clause of attestation, either
with or without a blank space intervening, or shall follow,
or be after, or under, or beside the names, or one of the
names, of the subscribing witnesses, and although the
signature shall be on a side or page or other portion of the
paper or papers containing the will whereon no clause or
paragraph or disposing part of the will shall be written
above the signature, and although there shall appear to be
sufficient space on or at the bottom of the preceding side, or
page, or other portion of the same paper on which the will
is written, to contain the signature; but no signature shall
be operative to give effect to any disposition or direction
which is underneath or follows it, nor shall it give effect to
any disposition inserted after the signature shall be made in
any blank space in the will."
Lord CRANWORTH was afraid that this clause, as now
worded, would create as many difficulties as it was intended
to correct. The fault at present did not arise from the state
of the law, but from the decisions of the judges upon it. As
to the regulation which his Noble and Learned Friend had
made for the case of persons making wills in extremis, he
thought that their case should be made the exception, and
not, the rule. He repeated that the language of the existing
law was clear. Here the Noble and Learned Lord read the
following clause from the Ist of Victoria, c. 21 :
" And be it further enacted, that no will shall be valid
unless it shall be in writing and executed in manner here-
inafter mentioned ; (that is to say), it shalt be signed at the
foot or end thereof by the testator, or by some other person
in his presence and by his direction; and such signature
shall be made or acknowledged by the testator in the pre-
sence of two or more witnesses present at the same time, and
loch witne.,.3 shall attest and shall subscribe the will in the
presence of the testator, but no form of attestation shall be
necessary."
It was the judges of the ecclesiastical, courts, and not the
judges of the courts of common law, who required that
the signature of the testator should be at the toot of the
rill, and who declared that whenever a large blank was
left at the foot of it the will was invalid. Perhaps they
might be justified in this; but the subsequent cases had
gone much further—ay, even to the length of saying that
if a testator signed his name at more than an inch below the
will itself that will was thereby invalidated. His Noble and
Learned Friend's clause provided that, "if the signature
should be so placed at or after, or following or under, or
beside, or opposite to the end of the will, that it shall be ap-
parent that the testator intended to give effect to the writing
as his will by such signature, although the same should not
follow, or be immediately after the foot or end of the will,"
it should be deemed valid; anti then followed a long string
of althoughs, which the Noble and Learned Lord read,
which showed that his Noble and Learned Friend on the
Woolsack bad carefully read through all the existing deci-
sions, and had framed his language to meet them. Now,
was not his Noble and Learned Friend opening a door by
such a profusion of language to further difficulties? He
thought that it would bean amendment of the clause to
make it stop before the first "although" (so, at least, we
understood).
• The LORD CHANCELLOR had not expected any ob-
jection to this clause, especially after he had agreed to in-
troduce the two other clauses of this Bill as separate mea-
sures. his Noble and Learned Friend said that this first
clause would increase a hundred times over the present (btu-
cultiei about wills. If that were so, he (the Lord Chan-
cellor) must be a very bad draughtsman indeed, and ought to
hand over his measure for improvement to his Noble and
Learned Friend. But he believed the language of the clause
objection to his toso -
_be correct as it stood. He had only one object in bringing
fworizerduetlaii:lecinlanuiste;
valid.an d th
If his Noble
emaankde
Learnedall ev wills s
enne
d
d
could improve the language of the clause he should have no
sant with this subject
it, and he had carefully had not been doingg is
though recently
Th• gh pro-
duced,oatllu up in haste. He had been conver-
with as much
riemd impartiality, life; he had written a book upon
could command. Hecaasreeu,
y perused and reviewed all the deci-
sionsy,and precision
Friend
sienhde
11Naloitble and Learnedd
that the clause, as altered by hiai
ac-
complish the object which he hadLw would
voluew by no means
After a short conversation, in Ivifich Lord LYNDHURST and
Lord CHANWORTH took parr, but of
was inaudible in the gallery,
The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH suggested that the Noble
and Learned Lords should meet in Select Committee to-
morrow morning, and there settle the language of the clause.
After making himself merry for some time with the multi-
plicity of adverbs somewhat.e)ntradictcrY, contained in the
first part of this clause, he concluded by stating that they
ought to be carefully considered, as the omission of one of
them might jeopardize the iLlheritance of many.

The LORD CHANCELLOR again rept:ate'', th ;t 111 (.1!d
not expect such an opposition as this to the present clause,
especially as the view which he had taken of the existing
law was perfectly accurate.
Lord BROUGHAM objected to sending the Bill to a Se-
lect Committee, as he doubted if that proceeding would be
productive of any benefit.
The Bill then passed through Committee.
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER.

The Earl of EL LENBOROUGH inquired if the Noble
Lord at the head of her Majesty's Government was prepared
to fix a day for the consideration of the East India Com-
pany's charter ?
The Earl of DERBY replied, that he had already stated
he proposed to take the subject Into consideration on Friday,
April 2.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, he had observed in
one report, and in one only, of the remake in another place
of the Right Hon. Gentlemen the President of the Board cf
Control, that it was his intention to state his views on the
subject of the East India charter on proposing the Committee
of Inquiry. He could hardly think his Right Hon. Friend
(Mr. Herries), who had been so short a time in office, could
come to any final decision on so important a matter in such
a limited period. It would be a great satisfaction to him
to hear that his Noble Friend at the head of the Govern-
ment was not prepared to commit himself to any specific
arrangement or to the details of any measure in reference
to the East India Government without full inquiry.
The Earl of DERBY said he would state iu general terms
the course her Majesty's Government thought it expedient
to take when he brought the subject before their Lordships',
but that he would not feel justified in entering into details
on that occasion, and that his observations would certainly
be of a very general character. He was anxious that the
Government should be guided in their final determination by
the information which was to be derived from the labours of
the Committees of Inquiry.
THE IRISH DEBT.

Lord MONTEAGLE moved for a Select Committee to
which shall be referred the Treasury minutes providing for
the debts due from the counties and unions in Ireland by the
imposition of a consolidated annuity for a period not exceed-
ing forty years. He did not mean to find fault with the
generosity cr the prudence displayed by this country, and
the Parliament of this country, with reference to the noble
aid they had extended to Ireland, to enable her to meet
the most distressing calamity that had ever befallen any
country; but the subsequent arrangements which had been
come to with reference to the re-payment of advances to
Ireland had been productive of great, if not permanent,
inconvenience. One of the mistakes most often heard in
discussion and met with iu print was the assertion that
money advanced to Ireland was to be regarded as a gift for
*the repayment of which it was useless to look; whereas the
fact really was, that of the various sums advanced to
Ireland, under the Acts passed for the purpose within the
last few years, and which sums it had been asserted
were not very likely to be repaid, no less an amount
than 6,065,879/. had been repaid. And since the poor-
law had been introduced into Ireland, notwithstanding
the distress which pressed upon the country, sums amount-
ing in the whole to upwards of 7,000,000/. sterling had
been raised by Ireland out of her own resources for the
relief of the distress afflicting her people. Owing to the
peculiar circumstances of Ireland, and her being almost
wholly an agricultural country, the agricultural calamity of
a failure of crops had fallen on her with excessive hardship.
The value of land between 1841 and 1851 in Ireland had
exhibited a considerable decline. In the former year it
was set down at 13,076,0001.; in 1851 it had fallen to
11,580,0001.—a fall of 1,5C0,000/., or 10 per cent. on the
whole. This decline in value had been experienced princi-
pally in Connaught and Munster, where, in a valuation of
.5,199,0001., the fall was 1,026,0001. In like manner the
population had greatly decreased. In the period between
1841 and 1851 it had decreased 20 per cent., or
1,600,000 souls. Emigration had no doubt con-
tributed to that result; but the emigration was of a pre-
judicial character, for the persons emigrating carried
away out of the country a greater amount of capital in pro-
portion to the capital of the whole country, than the
number of persons emigrating bore to the whole population
of the country. The consequence of this state of things
was that the country felt most severely the amount of rate
and local taxation, and that pressure was likely to be felt in
augmented degree under the operation of the Treasury minute.
The powers given to the Treasury were extravagant in their
nature. The Act did not provide for any Parliamentary
revision on the subject, and though objections were taken
by certain Noble Lards, and himself amongst the number,
they were precluded from proposing any amendment by the
fact of its being a money Bill. The Act was passed on the
17th of May, and the first minute was issued on the 4th of
June. That minute pointed out the mode in which the
money was to be repaid, as well as established the machinery
for its distribution ; and although the Treasury made the ad-
vances, and no account had been rendered the board of
guardians, yet when these bodies, upon repayment being de-
manded, begged respectfully to be informed of what the
items consisted, the imputation was thrown cut against them
that they refused to pay their just debts. The Noble
Lord then referred to the Labour-rate Aet, under which, he
said, a debt was contracted to the extent of more than
2,000,000/. ' - but that debt was so excessive that no indi-
vidual in his senses could by possibility have dreamt
that they would have the power of enforcing it. The ex-
penditure was not administered by any local authority
whatever, but by officers of the Government, appointed by
the Government, responsible to the Government, and acting
under the direction and control of the Government; and
there were some Noble Lords now present who well knew
that, when the gentry, landowners, and occupiers felt it ne-
cessary occasionally to call the attention of Government to
the abuses which were prevailing. under the public-works
system, so far were they from receiving any of their state-
ments with candour or courtesy, that they were directed to
mind their own business.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He
granted that where there was such an army as 73,000 per-
sons employed, under the authority of 1,500 engineers and
officers, abuses would arise ! but he made no imputation on
the gentlemen at the head of the Board of Public Works on
that account, for the operations were, undoubtedly, beyond
their management and control. Having observed that his
object in proposing an inquiry was to ascertain whether the
claims advanced were just claims, and in the next place
in what manner the 4,000,000/. sterling had been expended,
the Noble Lord concluded by moving the appointment of a
Committee.

The Earl of DERBY said, with regard to the proposition
for the appointment of a Select Committee to consider the
subject which his Noble Friend had brought under their
Lordships' consideration, lie (the Earl of Derby) had no ob-
jection whatever to make. His Noble Friend had stated
very fairly the various charges which he had m Ale against
the powers conferred by the Act of Parliament on the Trea-
sury on public works in Ireland. In some of
(the Earl of Derby) was ready to agree. In
t those
fif charges
a t
Noble Friend had bid good ground for, at
all events, questioning the propriety of that portion of the
Act which gave encouragement to an extraordinary expen-'
rlgae place carrying
he
e his
diture on the part of the unions, the effect of which would
enable those unions to evade the just repayment of their
debt to the Treasury, He meant that provision of the
Act which declared that the payment of the annuity should
cease whenever the rates, not only in the union, but in any
particular division of the union, should reach to a certain
amount. That was a point which deserved consideration.
might not be some allowance made in those
cases
Another point was also deserving of consideration, namely,
whether
therethere had been a considerable and unavoidable
wheret h
waste of money, and where the works themselves had not
give employment to and to keep alive large
portions
been of a beneficial character, nor under the control of any
local authority; though, at the same time, they were works
undertaken
population, who, if such works had not
been undertaken, would have been left unemployed
of to
the
and in a state of utter destitution. He (the Earl of
Derby) also concurred with his Noble Friend in
the opinion that it was but right, when charges were
made by the Government against any particular unions
for the repayment of advances, that a full account of the
should be furnished. What
account would be matter of
tee would fairly examine into the case of each
union, and
ctiotrtyne. N..) doubt the Commie-
and weigh the facts deliberately, both on one
rise and the other. He was glad to hear his Noble Friend
consideration
ous particularsrba3tio onf
fordeemed thoisehe
es chargestauiosffiaira
state that there was no intention on the part of Ireland to
ask for a remission of the debt justly due from the people of
Ireland for that for which they had actually received value.
On the other hand, he (the Earl of Derby) could assure his
Noble Friend that the Government was quite prepared to
give full consideration to the nature of the claims arising
cut of charges over which the population of Ireland had not
been able to exercise any controul ; and to make all due al-
lowance for any abuses which had prevailed in the expendi-
ture of the money which had been advanced to meet those
charges. At the same time, he must beg their Lordships to
bear in mind that, if there had been abuses in the expenditure
of those
same advances,on the other hand, been very
large
had produced great good to the
expended therewh which
had,
people of Ireland. This fact ought to be set against any
misapplication of moneys which might in other instances
have occurred. It was not because they might prove that
in certain parts of Ireland abuses had prevailed, that, there-
fore, there existed a claim on the part of the whole of Ireland
for a remission of those advances. To the extent of the
abuses he admitted there existed a claim to consideration,
but, on the other side, equal fairness demanded that where
great aid had been supplied to the people of Ireland in their
utmost need, on those portions of the country the Govern-
ment had claims for repayment which neither justice nor
equity could resist. It would be the duty of the Committee
to tie appuiutea to evimina and sift thacto arentinte, and
strike a balance fairly and justly between the parties.
Having done so, it would then be their duty to report to
their Lordships the result, with a view to some further Par-
liamentary provision being made on the subject. The Noble
Earl concluded by saying he had no opposition to make to
the present motion,
The Earl of GLENGALL thought the appointment of a
Committee would be regarded with satisfaction in Ireland.
There was a debt of 4,500,0001 to be paid by the Irish peo-
ple; but 7,500,000/. were claimed, including interest—inte-
rest at rather a Jewish rate. It was morally impossible for
Ireland to sustain the enormous load of taxation imposed on
her. There were counties where 53., 65., or 7s. in the pound
were charged. 55., 68., or 78., in the pound ! Why, where
was the pound? The pound was not there. Whole tracts of
land were left without a beast upon them, or without a blade
of corn. He spoke of counties in the west of Ireland espe-
cially. They could not support their poor, though they levied
as much as possible oft' the face of the earth. Nobody would
buy in those counties. An Encumbered Estates Act was in-
vented for the purpose of bringing new settlers to those parts.
Those were the very parts to which new settlers had not
gone. A plantation must have been establishei consist-
ing of new people, and no difficulty in carrying out the un-
ertaking would now crise from the necessity of supilanting
the old population, for the whole population were either
gone to America or were dead. The rates levied were no
test of the wants mid requirements of the poor. Lest year
there were 780,000 persons in the workhouses, a greater
number absolutely than in 1848. Pauperism might be said
to be increasing. Nobody wanted labourers, because the
cultivation of grain had been given up. The people were
therefore compelled to go into the workhouses, where they
died exactly at the rate of a thousand a-week. And no
wonder; for they got one meal of that nasty filth called
' Indian corn," which produced dysentery. That was what_r.
was called supporting the poor through the system of
he repeated,
The existing state of matters was attributable,
t of la-
to the want of employment -to that 't displacembeen
Nichols, which had been so lauded as an admirable system._
reduced to
believe so large a number of persons could b, eb
a sudden
indigence and destitution by any cause as
of
lyabour em-
ployed in the cultivation of wheat..
300 000/.
less in 1850 than in 1847, involving a value of
f Leland to
From 1841 to 1845 there were transporte
om
139,000 acres under 'wheat cultivation
01111. Ir,cland
7,500,000 quarters,
there were exported in like manner 7,500,000
in
the preceding
England 14,6)0,00) quarters of grain ; fr
exactly' one-half of the quantity 1845 to 1850
uarters. Coming to
775,009 quarters; in 1850, 168,000wqould find that, in 1847,
the great trade in bacon, the House
in 1850, only '09,000,
Ireland exported 480,000 pigs;
and,3000,00,1. or 4,000,000/.
period. The export of flour froempolreland, in 1845, was
The loss might be estimated at ,
which hod • 1
t tr
great, acta were
hundreds of thousands of pounds, the
annually. In the salt provision trade, involved

FRIDAY EVENING-,

free tr,de, the late Board of Admiralty sent their contract,
not to Cork, but to Galatz, in Wallachia. He only hoped
the Noble Duke at the head of the Admiralty would have the
kindness to deal with Cork.—(A laugh.) 'People had been
endeavouring to effect an impossibility, to make the poor
support the poor. Almost all classes had been reduced to
nearly the same level. It was said property ought to support
poverty ; but property had been destroyed, and poverty was
left. A manufacturer, very largely connected with the
woollen trade in Ireland, had described in conversation the
ruinous depression which existed, remarking that wherever
his travellers went there were shops closed. The question
was as much an English as it was an Irish question. Before
free trade existed Ireland exported 10,1,00,000/. worth of
produce to England, taking back between 10,000,0001. and
11,000,0001. From the statement issued by a Chamber of
Commerce which was in the practice of publishing informa-
tion on such subjects, it appeared that there had been a falling
off in exports from England to Ireland amounting nearly to
4,000,0001. Everything used in Ireland, from a steam-en-
gine to the commonest nail, came from England. When peo-
ple ran down that country, and said the state of matters was
the fault of the landlords, of the farmers, of the Celts, they
ought to recollect that they had themselves destroyed the
English market by their new policy, and were themselves
losers. It was impossible to go on in this kind of way The
more Ireland was distressed the more did Parliament seem
determined to tax her. The system resembled that of the
celebrated Dr. Sangrado ; the more reduced the Irish were
the more did bleeding seem to be thought good for them.
When he reflected on the misery that prevailed, the emigra-
tion which was draining the country of able-bodied persons,
and other subjects connected with Ireland, he could not re-
frain from declaring that he was quite disgusted with the
state to which matters had been brought.
The motion was then agreed to.
THE BISHOP OF COLOMBO.

Lord TORRINGTON said, with reference to the notice
he had given of his intention to inquire whether papers had
been received from Ceylon, and would be produced, relating
to differences between the Bishop of Colombo and his
clergy, he had put himself in communication with the Noble
Lord opposite, and he concurred in the views stated by the
Noble Lord, namely, that under the present circumstances of
the case it was not desirable that those papers should be laid
on the table. It was undesirable also, under those circum-
stances, that he (Lord Torrington) should enter into the
subject ; and therefore he should simply state that, believing
the Noble Lord would be prepared to give the House the in-
formation required as speedily as possible, he should with-
draw the notice he had given, and abstain from putting the
two questions to which it referred, reserving to him elf the
right of subsequently calling attention to the differences that
existed in Ceylon between the bishop and his clergy.
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE had to express his thanks
to the Noble Lord for not having asked for those papers, and
also having abstained from asking whether steps had been
taken by her Majesty's Government on the subject of certain
unfortunate occurrences which had happened in the island of
Ceylon—occurrences to which it would be inconvenient to
give publicity at this moment. The Noble Lord might be
assured that her Majesty's Government would, with the
utmost attention and zeal, proceed to apply those remedies
which they thought most desirable.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

ROUSE OF COMMONS, March 25.
The SPgA.K.ER took the Chair at five minutes to Four
o'clock.

REDUCTION OF FEES FOR PRINTED DOCU-

MENTS.
Mr. W. PATTEN moved to reduce the fees payable
at the House of Commons for copies of papers and docu-
ments, from five shillings and one shilling to two shillings
and sixpence and sixpence respectively.—Agreed to.
METROPOLIS WATER BILL.

Lord J. -MANNERS-moved that it be an instruction
to the Committee of Selection, that they have power to
fix the Ctimmittee on. the Metropolis Water Bill for
Thursday, the Ist day of April next.
Mr. B. COCHRANE said the House was taken by
surprise when this Bill was read the other day a second
time. He considered the Bid was very objectionable,
and if he had been in the House at the
time, he should have opposed the second reading. It
would not remedy a single defect in the present bad sup-
ply of water to the metropolis. The system of taking
supplies of water from the Thames would still be per-
petuated, though the Board of Health had reported that
such a source was very objectionable. He hoped the
Government would see the necessity of introducing a
more comprehensive measure on the subject.
Lord J. MANNERS said he had merely taken up
the Bill which was proposed by his predecessor in office.
If the House agreed to refer it to a Committee, he
hoped they would be able to devise a practical remedy
for very grave and serious evils in regard to the supply
of water to the inhabitants of London.

Lord EBRINGTON protested against a public mea-
sure of this kind being referred to a Select Committee
until the House had expressed an opinion upon the prin-
ciple involved in it.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE did not think this question
would be settled as the House was now going on.—
(Hear.) If the Bill wore referred to a Committee, before
whom the old companies might appear as opponents, no
man of common sense could suppose it would come
out of the Committee this session—(Hear, hear)—it
was utterly impossible. Therefore it was illusory to
hold out any hope that the metropolis could this year
get a better supply of water. He moved to add to the
resolution an amendment to the effect that the Com-
mittee should confine their inquiry to this Bill only.

Sir J. JOHNSTON treatOd the Bill as an absolute
confiscation of the property of the London water com-
panies. They only paid now 4 per cent. upon their ca-
pital, and if the Bill camo into operation, the sharehold-
ers would not get a dividend of a farthing.
Tho SPEAKER informed Mr. Duncombe that his
amendment could only be proposed as a substantive
motion.

Mr. DUNCOMBE—Then I give notice that I will
move it to•worrow.

The motion was then carried.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following Bills were read a third time :
East London Waterworks.
Mansfield Gas. _ _

Patent Solid Sewage Manure Company.
Scarborough Market and Approaches.
Wolverhampton Gas.
LONDON (WATFORD) SPRING WATER
COMPANY.
Mr. HOPE, in moving the second reading of this
Bill, said its object was to give those parts of the metro-
polis now inadequately supplied with water a good and
perfect supply or that important element by rendering
available the water uow concentrated around Watford,
and which, they were asaured.by competent authorities,
perforated by a kinll of under-ground drainage into the
sea, and was capable of yielding an enormous quantity.
Mr. HALSEY moved that the Bill be read a second
time this day six months, on the ground thatit had already
been rejected by the House; 2d, that it was opposed by
every individual and landowner in the neighbourhood of
Watford; and, lastly, becauee he was opposed to its
principle. That the supply of water to the metropolis
was defective and ought to be improved, he admitted;
bM it surely could not be said that the desired object
was to be accomplished by infringing upon the rights of
private indtviduels.—(Hear.) He thought the House
was called upon to reject a Bill when, us in this case, it
committed an injury to property for which no kind of
compensation could be given.
Mr. B. COOHRANE said this Bill would to some
extent eupply the people with water, and he should sup-
port it.
Mr. ROBERT STEPHENSON said ho had been em-
ployed to report upon the subject of the Bill, and with-
out pledging himself to all the allegations of the
promoters, he thought the scheme which the Eill em-
braced was a good one.

Sir R. H. INGLIS wished to have three questions
answered: first, was it proposed to obtain this supply
of water not from the source of a river,
bat by digging a well 600 feet deep which
would injure the district where it was sunk; secondly,
had not the experiments which had been made failed;
and thirdly, whether this very Bill was not thrown out
last year?
Mr. B. HOPE replied in the affirmative to the first
question, but the well would not be so deep as 600 feet.
In reply to the second question he denied that the ex-
periment had failed; while with regard to the last ques-
tion the Bill was not referred to a Committee last year,
because the Government took the subject into their own
hand&

Viscount.EBRINGTON opposed the Bill, and called
upon the House to lay down some settled principle for
the regulation of the water question. He
denied . that the supply of water in the
metropolis was deficient; the fact was more _than
half the aepply was wagtail, find nn the south side of,
the Thames the land was completely deluged with water.
—(Hear, hear.) He blamed the late Government
for not being. governed in this matter by the report
which Lord Carlisle prepared on the subject, and
called upon the House to negative the motion for the
second reading.
Ur. BAILEY also opposed the Bill, on the ground
that ft would inflict great injury on the locality
the water was to be drawn from.
Sir .R. PRICE and Mr. MACGRECO R supported the where
Bill.
on
ly
opposed was
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said the Bill
opposed by the old water companies, and
an:.
siy interest
there were
68 Members of the House who bad apecn
in them, they ought at least to abstain from
this occasion.—(Hear, hear.)
After a few words from Dlr. ttu the 'louse voting
dein_
vided, when there appeared— 196
For the second reading
••• 65
•••
Against it • : "*" ••• —l3l
Majority
HOUSE
The Bill was then restFTHE s second time.
FOR
ADJOURNMENT E ASTER.
.1-4:wished to ask the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer Mr. HUM— • • his intention to propose the ad-
journment on the 7th or the Bth of April
wishedsvh;.h.toehretH.t
journment to know, in the event of the
next? Ile Lth
House adjoUrning on the 7th, what would become of the
motions fixed for the Bth?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
I find that last year—and I wish, of course, to follow
the precedent of last year, if the House has no ob-
jection—that the House adjourned on Tuesday.
But I find that on Wednesday a motion is to be brought
on by the Reit Hon.Gentlernan, the Member for Devon-
port (Mr. Tufnell), for the second reading of the Pro-
perty Qualification Bill. I should be sorry to interfere, of
course, with any vested interest which the Right Hon.
Gentleman has iu the notice book—(A laugh)—but if
he has no objection I will follow exactly the precedent
of last year, Should he, however, insist on maintaining
his position, I will not move the adjournment until
Wednesday; otherwise I will move the adjournment of
the House fromTuesday,the until 6.1) Monday, the 19th
of April.
Mr. 11USIE said the Right Hon. Gentleman had not
mentioned what wcu'd become of the notics down for
the Bth. He asked this question because he had a
notice on the, paper for that day.—(A laugh.)
Mr. TUFNELL said if it were the wish of the House
he would not press his motion for that day.—(Cheers.)
lie hoped, however, that he would be put iii the same

.41 Cs.a iia DZ. • A;,. a :41. a
assNilb

Mr. DEEDES said h 3 was in the same predieam3nt
as the Right Hon. Gcritlemen, and if he got an ear:y
day for his motion, he hoped the same would not be
retused to him.