The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-14 00:00:00

I.he parties punished, nr, if they were not guilty, they
would be slequttted, and the minds of the public set lit

rest upon these alleged abuses under the- New Poor-

law. If that plan were pursued it would do more good
than any investigltion before a Committee.---(Hear.)
The Duke of RICHMOND explained. He wished
to see the price of iaboor very much ii!ereas,d, and did

he could, where h- had any influence, to increase
bee',Ause he thought it ecnnomy to do so. Great
misrepresentations had been made as to %he conduct of
the Westbourne Guardians. If the Westbourne Guar-
_ _

dians were indictable, let the Noble Earl indict them.
He challenged him to do so. What he (the Duke of
Richmond) complained of was, that gentlemen, not hav-
ing seats in this House, should be attacked in this man-

nor, and shown up through the whole press for doing
things that they were quite incapable of doing. The
Noble Earl, however, would not indict them, for he

knew that their conduct was right and proper through-

out the whole transaction.

Earl STAN HOPE replied. He hollered the Noble
Duke to be entirely wrong, and that the statements

contained in the petition were perfectly correct.
Lord MELBOURNE did not wish to prolong this
debate, for if it continued for three hours they would
not come to a more satisfactory conclusion with respect
to the facts. But as statements had been made injurious
to the character of a gentleman of the highest respeeta•
bility, Isho had discharged his duties in a most exetn-
plary manner, he could not help reading the explanation
which had been afforded by him. Captain A'Court
stated that what he said was, that cases might oc:ur in
which it was absolutely necessary that en officer should
interfere, and that he never intended to convey the im-

pression that a man must be ready to drop in the streets
before he was legally entitled to parish relief. He

- -
(Lord M.) was sure that it was entirely from misinfor-
mation that the expressions complained of had been at-
tributed to Capt. A'Court.
The Duke of WELLINGTON was happy to hear
the explanation which had been given, for he was
quite certain the expression could never have been
used. He thought it very desirable that the Noble
Earl should take the recommendation of the Noble and
Learned Lord near him (Wynford), and bring in a
Bill to amend this law. Attempts had been made by
some of the greatest men, by Mr. Pitt amongst others,
to amend the Poor-law, but they had all failed, and
the present law was passed principally by the exertions
of the Noble and Learned Lord not now in his place
( Brougham). Previously to its passing, there existed
abuses in every parish a hundred times greater than any
which the Noble Lord had brought before the House
in his petition. The administration of the Poor-laws
had been most satisfactory, he believed to all parties,
and more especially to those that were likely to become
objects of it. Notwithstanding the statements of the
Noble Earl, he considered that part of the Bill
appointing the Poor-law Commissioners to be one
of its best provisions. He was astonished at the course
adopted by the Noble Earl, because he knew perfectly
well that he could have obtained all the information he
required by moving for papers. He considered the at-
tempt of the Noble Earl to traduce the character of
the Hon. Member most uncalled for.
The Duke of RICHMOND would move that the

Poor Law Commissioners should be ordered to lay on
the table of the House the result of the examination of
the Clerk of the Union at Westhourne, relative to the
publication that had appeared in the newspapers. He
alluded to the petition that had been presented by the
Noble Earl.
Earl STANHOPE did not consider that he was
entitled to the appellation bestowed upon him by the
Noble Duke of traducer, because he had brought for-
%,ard the present case.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said the Noble
Earl was bound, when he made charges against indi-
viduals, to bring them forward in such a shape as would
enable them to defend themselves.
Earl STAN HOPE said the papers had all been
read, so that, had he moved for them on presenting the
petition, the Guardians would have been no better pre-
pared for their defence. What he had before stated
was, that he would give the papers every publicity, but
that he would have no direct communication with the
dictators whose powers he thought illegal.
The Duke of RICHMOND said the people of
Sussex and Hampshire would not be intimidated
by any one. if his Noble Friend believed
any one of these charges to be true, he would at once
—he would not lose one hour in bringing in his resolu-
tions. But no ;he was aware that the cases were
greatly exaggerated, and he proposed to let them lie over
until next Sesiion. The Noble Duke then moved for
a copy of the examinations taken in the case of Thomas
Coombe*, which was ordered.
Earl STANHOPE then presented a petition from
the Guardians of St. George, Southwark, complaining
of misrepresentations made by the Poor-law Commis-
sioners respecting the rates in that parish. He thought
great praise was due to the Guardians of St. George's
for the steps they had taken.
Lord MELBOURNE said there had been an error
in computing the accounts of that parish, but it was
not attributable to the Poor-law Commissioners, but to
the Clerk of the Board of Guardians. The error, ho w-
ever, was only 7 per cent., and could not materially
affeet the general conclusion.
Lord STANHOPE moved for copies of three let.
ten, addressed to Lord John Russell by Mr. John Day.
in December, 1838, one of the Guardians of St. George,
Sou thwark.—Ordered.
Their Lordships adjourned at a Quarter before Nine
o'Clock.

ATJCEITERARDER CASE.

(From the Scottish Pilot of 'Wednesday.)
The " collision " goes on rarely. If the Church has
been daring, the civil authorities are resolute, and Dr.
Chalmers will probably very soon see the effect of his
last experiment on that " gullibility" which he seems to
consider as characteristic of statesmen and judges, as of
the " Christian people," A petition having been pre-
sented to the Court of Session by the Earl of Kinnoul
and Mr. Young, praying the Court to apply the judg-
ment of the House of Lords, their Lordships pro
nounced an interlocutor accordingly, and remitted the
case to the Lord Ordinary to be further proceeded in.
When enrolled before the Lord Ordinary, permission
was given to the pursuers to give in a minute, stating
what further deliverance they wished. This was done,
and in the minute the pursuers craved his Lordship.
" To find decree, and declare that the Presbytery
are still bound and astricted to make trial of the qualifi-
cations of the pursuer, the Rev. Robert Young, as pre-
sentee to the Church and parish of Auchterarder ; and
if, in their judgment, after trial and examination in com-
mon form, he is found qualified, to receive and admit
him as Minister of the said Church and parish, accord-
ing to law, and that the decree be allowed to go out,
and he extracted as an interim decree."
The minute was ordered to be answered, but this the
Presbytery declined to do ; and, in consequence, on the
Bth current, the Lord Ordinary (Murray) pronounced
the following interlocutor :--.

" The Lord Ordinary, in respect no appearance is
mule for the defenders, finds, decerns, and declares, in
in terms of whit is craved in the minute given in for
the pursuers, and allows the said decree to go out, and
be extracted as an interim decree."

So the unfortunate Auchterarder Presbytery must
make up their mind whether they will obey the Court
of Session, or the General Assembly ; they must, of
necessity, violate the order either of the one or the
other. They cannot serve two masters.

SELECT COMMITTEE on CHURCH

LEASES.

The Report of this Committee was delivered on Sa-
turday. The concluding paragraphs contain the gist
of the whole Report :
" Although fully sensible of the vast importance of
this subject, which affects so much of the property of
the country, and involves so many interests and consi-
derations, even beyond those with which your Commit-
tee have thought themselves competent to deal, they
cannot close their Report without recommending that
the Legislature will direct its attention as soon as posh,
sidle to the settlement of this important question, as
at present, since the publication of the first Report of
the Church Commissioners, and the discussion of the
-sutiect in Parliament, such is the state of uncertainty
among the Church lessees, that they find considerable
difficulty in selling or borrowing money upon their pro-
perty, and all improvement is suspended, to the injury
of both lessors and lessees. _

" Your Committee thought it due to the importance,
rather than the number, of their recommendations to
state, at some length, the nature of the evidence and
arguments upon which they are founded. It may be
convenient to conclude with the briefest possible reca-
pitulation of them. They recommend,
" 1. The abolition of the injurious system of fines
upon leases for lives, and also upon leases for terms.
" 2. The substitution of a fee•simple, for a leasehold,
tenure, throughout the property of the Church.
" 3. An Act to provide for the conversion of Church
leasehold into fee-simple, commonly called enfranchise-

rnent.
" 4. The customary confidence of renewal by the
lessee to be considered according to local circumstances,
by the authorities established under this Act, In the
principles of enfranchisement laid down by them.
" 5. The interests of the Church, present as well as
'inure, to be provided for by a combined system of
,ayments and corn rent-charges."

mone:

LANDLORD AND TENANT.

When a well authenticated history of a particular
farm, like that which we subjoin, can be made public,
it serves to prove, more than a thousand abstract argu-
ments, the real object and effect of the Corn-laws.
During his visit to Hereford, Mr. Paulton was waited
upon by the writer of the following letter, who, it will
he seen, gives the history of an estate which was rented
by his father's predecessor for 200/. a-year, and is now
letting for 700/. ; and it is instructive to observe that,
whilst the noble currier is luxriating upon a more than
threefold rental, as compared with his forefather,—the
son of the tenant dates his epistle from an hospital!
Equally edifying is it to remark, that the labourer who
earned six shillings a week when wheat cost 4s. a bushel,
and butcher's meat 2d. a pound, now receives eight or
nine shillings weekly, with wheat at 9s. a bushel, and
meat sd. the pound ; in fact, he is getting, at the ut-
most, a bushel of wheat now instead of a bushcl and a
half sixty years ago.
To A. W. Paulton, Esq.
Sir,—l an► going to give you a true account, which
will prove your cause to be true, as far as agriculture
goes. In the year 1778, a Mr. Nelms went from an
estate called Livers Odle : his rent was 2001. per year.
My father, Richard Stephens, entered on the same
estate, and gave 300/. per year. At that time wheat
was 4s. per bushel, malt 4s. per bushel ; beef, mutton,
and cheese were 2d. or 20. per pound ; fall goose
Is. 6d., and a duck 9d. ; a pair of man's shoes 55., and
all clothes in proportion. Then a farmer's labourer had
six shillings per week, and a cottage, with a large garden
worth two or three pounds per year, to live in. When
MY father's lease was out, Livers Ocle was let to a man
of the name of George Croose for 500/. per year ; and
when his lease was out, his son took it again for 700/.
per year. Livers Ocle is six miles from Hereford, and
belongs to Lord Bateman, of Shobdon.
It this account will be of any service to you, I
be in the room, and if you call upon me I will vouch for
the truth of it.
I am your humble servant and well wisher,
WILLIAM STEPHENS.
Williams' Hospital, April 27, 1839. Aged 74 years.
.Corn-la to Circular.

MANUFACTURE OF SNUFF

BOXES AT CUMNOCK.

Cumnock has long been famed fir the ingenious and
beautiful manufacture of wooden snuff-boxes, which has
been carried on in it for the last thirty years. It rose
from n very small and rude beginning to its present
state of perfection. An ingenious artist of the name of
Crawford caught the first idea of them from a box made
at Laurencekirk, which had been sent to him to repair.
Tue distinguishing excellence of the Cumnock snuff-
boxes lies in the hinge, which is extremely ingenious in
point of contrivance, as well as exquisitely delicate in
point of execution ; so that it is with much propriety
styled " the invisible wooden binge." The principle on
which the hinge is formed, as well as the instruments
employed in making it, were for many years kept a se-
cret, but are now no longer so. The wood used in the
manuf icture is plane tree, it being preferable to all
others by reason of its close texture. The tree is first
of all cut from the centre towards the circumference
into triangular pieces. These are then put to dry, and
season, fur at least five months under cover. One set
of artists make the boxes, another paint those beautiful
designs that embellish the lids, while women and chil-
dren are employed in varnishing and polishing them.
The process of varnishing a single box takes from
three to six weeks. Spirit varnish takes three
weeks, and requires about thirty coats, while copal var-
nish, which is now mostly used, takes six weeks, and re-
quires about 15 coats to complete the process. When
the process of varnishing is finished, the surface is
polished with ground flint ; and then the box is 'ready
for the market. These ingenious and elegant specimens
of art have been brought by successive improvements
to an astonishing degree of perfection ; and the skill of
the artists, sharpened and stimulated by keen rivalry is
continually advancing this curious and beautiful
manufacture to a higher pitch of improvement.
At one time a single box, without either painting or
varnishing, but just as it came from the hands of the
maker, sold for 305., whereas at present seven such
boxes can be had for 123. A. few years ago, a solid
I foot of wood that cost only 35., could be manufactured
into boxes worth 1001. sterling. And then the work-
manship increased the original value of the wood nearly_
700 times. But at present a solid foot of wood will
only yield in finished boxes about 9/. sterling. The
workmanship thus only brings at present one-eleventh
part of its former price. In consequence of this great
decline in the price of the boxes, the wages of
artists have also been much lower, A few years ago the
box-maker made 11. Is. a week, the painter 25., the
varnisher los. ; whereas now the box-maker only makes
10s. to 125., the painter 155., and the varnisher ss. to Gs.
a-week. A system of chequering has now almost super-
seded the painting of the boxes. It is done by very in-
genious and nicely adjusted machines, that are worked
by boys, and is much less expensive than painting. In-
genuity creates endless and ever increasing varieties of
cheques ; and many of them arc most beautiful in point
of pattern and figure, as well as of the most exquisite
delicacy in point of colouring. The yearly value of the
boxes made in Cumnock may average about 1,600/.
sterling ; while fifteen years ago, the same number of
boxes would have brought 6,000/. sterling. The total
number of persons employed in this manufacture is
about 50. The period of work is eleven hours a day.
—New Statistical Account of Scotland.

" Butke's Peerage and Baronetage for 1839"
has at length appeared. " Every new edition of this work
(observes the Literary
.Gazette) is essentially a new book,
not alone from the peculiar nature of the subject matter it-
self, changeable and
progressive though it be beyond almost
any other, but from the persevering research and industry
of the author, who brings to every revision such a fresh
store of information as enables him, while correcting er-
roneous and clearing up disputed statements, to add greatly
to the extent and importance of his labours. Tim!,
within a very few years has a small duodecimo grown in
size to the compass of the large volume now before us—
a royal octavo of some twelve or thirteen hundred closely i
printed pages—a veritable dictionary in bulk as n fashion.'