The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-10 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS (REPAY-
MENT OUT OF CONSOLIDATED FUND)
BILL.
On the question that this bill be committed,
Sir W. JOLLIFFE said there were grave objections
to the principle of the bill. It proposed to capitalise the
interest of the Landon Bridge Approaches Fund, but be
could not consent to that until he had been satisfied that
there had been no misappropriation of that fund.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
when they got into committee, which would be the
proper place to make it in, he should be prepared to de-
liver a statement of the objects and principle of the bill.
Mr. HUME objected to place a tax of 296,0001. upon
the Consolidated Fund, and suggested that the bill
should be referred to a committee up-stairs.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
bill would not in any way affect the taxation of
the metropolis or the coal tax ; but its simple
object was to decide the department that should have
the management of the fund. The public was paying
1501. a-day as long as this bill was delayed from
being passed. The case stood thus :—A sum
of 895,0001. had been borrowed for the improvements
of the city of London, and upon that sum 134,0001. of
interest had been paid. Now this bill was to enable the
Government to save to the public tie payment of
that interest, by paying off the original debt
out of the balances which stood to the credit
of the improvements which have been carried out
in the city, and were now in the national ex-
chequer. The absolute liability at present was
895,0001. for principal, and 134,0001. for interest ;
but the Westminster and Southwark improvements
which had been carried out by loans were likely to get
into the same favourable position as the City improve-
ments, and it was ;therefore proposed to take the
maximum charge upon the Consolidated Fund
at 1,216,0001. The assets which would be derived
from the revenues of the London-bridge approaches
fund would yield about 1,240,0001., and by making the
arrangement which the bill proposed, would save the
public 1501. a-day.
Six o'clock arrived before the discussion closed, and
the Speaker, therefore, declared the house to be ad-
journed.

ELECTION COMMITTEES—March 9.

'ON.

The committee resumed its sittings at 11 o'clock this
morning ; Mr. Sidney Herbert in the chair.
At the sitting of the committee a witness of the name
of Bower, who refused to take the usual oath yesterday,
was brought in, and beinc, asked by the Chairman, if he
still persisted in his refusal' to take the oath,
Mr. Bower said he had conscientious scruples, founded
on the New Testament, against taking any oath what-
ever.

The Chairman said that in that case all the committee
had to do was to report the fact to the house, and it
would be for the house to deal with the matter as it
thought fit.
The witness having refused to take any oath whatever,
although he was neither a Quaker, Moravian, nor Sepa-
ratist, he was commited to the custody of the Serjeant-
at-Arms until the pleasure of the house should be known.
The committee then adjourned for the purpose of re-
porting the refusal of the witness to the house.
On the committee re-assembling,
Several witnesses were called and examined, the sub-
stance of whose evidence was that Mr. Andrews, the
Mayor of Southampton, at the time of the election of
1852, had been seen conversing with voters, attending
public meetings, and in the case of a voter of the name
of Oakley, that he had said to him that if he voted for
the Liberals it would be all right.

The committee adjourned shortly before 4 o'clock.

DERBY.

The room was then cleared, and on parties being re-
admitted the committee announced that they had come
to the following resolutions :
" That Michael Thomas Bass, Esq., is duly elected a
burgess to serve in this present Parliament for the bo-
rough of Derby.
" That Thomas Berry Horsfall, Esq., is not duly
elected a burgess to serve in the present Parliament for
the borough of Darby.
" That Lawrence Heyworth, Esq., was duly elected,
and ought to have been returned, to serve as a burgess
in the present Parliament for the said borough.
" That the committee have altered the poll at the last
election for the said borough by striking therefrom, for
having received bribes, the names of William Harris,
William Morley, Thomas Blake, Richard Walcop,
Francis Radford, John Taylor, Henry Needham, John
Swan, F. Staley, Charles Cockayne, Edwin Cockayne,
William Oliver, and H. Sharrack.

" That Thomas Berry Horsfall, Esq., was, by his
agents, guilty of bribery at the last election for the said
borough ; but it has been proved to the satisfaction of
the committee that the bribery was committed without
the concurrence or privity of the said T. B. Horsfall,
Esq.
" That William Harris, Thomas Blake, Richard
Walcop, Francis Radford, John Taylor, Henry Need-
ham, John Swan, Francis Staley, Charles Cockayne,
Edwin Cockayne, and H. Sharrack were bribed by the
sum of 21. each ; that William Morley was bribed by
the payment of 21., with the supplementary payment
of 1/. in the month of October last, subsequent to the
election, and that William Oliver was bribed with the
payment of 1/.
" Than Thomas Morgan appears to have been the
person principally engaged in the above acts of bribery,
and that the funds for that purpose appear to have been
furnished to Morgan by the intervention of a man named
Lund.

"That George Clayton, John Ford, and Henry
Ackerman were also engaged in various act of bribery
and corruption.
" That it it has been proved to the committee, as to
several of the above-named persons, that at former elec-
tions also they have received money for their votes, and
the committee have reason to believe that such corrupt
practices have been prevalent iii the said borough, and
they desire to state their opinion that the parties reported
to the house as guilty of bribery should for the future
be disqualified from the exercise of the electoral franchise.
" That it appears to the committee that the petition
of Wm. Poole, so far as regards the return of Michael
S. Bass, Esq., was frivolous and vexatious."
The proceedings then terminated.

STATE OF TRADE.

(Front the Manchester Guardian of yesterday.)

MANCHESTER, March 3.—At the latter end of last
week, and also yesterday, there was a tendency in our
market to become steadier, to stop, apparently, in that
declining course which has been gradually in progress
for some time. This arose from the remarkable firmness
exhibited by cotton above "middling," under the pres-
sure of increasing receipts at the American ports. The
steamer which arrived this morning, however, has sur-
prised our Exchange by the extent of the receipts reported
in the last week, which have swollen the excess, as com-
pared with the same time last year, to the enormous
amount of 540,000 bales. As this excess points to a yield
of something like 3,500,000 bales, its effect on our market
is to cause buyers again to hold back their orders, or to
offer reduced prices where they bid at all ; and, taking
the medium and lower counts of water and mule yarns,
they are to be had on rather lower terms than were prac-
ticable this day week. Twist and weft cops, such as are
used at Blackburn in the manufacture of jacconets,
shirtings, and printing cloths, are more affected than
other kinds, having lost .Id. to id. per lb. Warps and
pincops for domestics, being already much cheaper, have
not suffered in the same degree ; nor have reeled yarns,
with certain limited exceptions. The finer spinnings
from Sea Islands are still hardening. In domestics there
is no alteration, but other cloths are slightly in favour
of buyers. In both yarns and goods the day's transac-
tions have been altogether inconsiderable.

MACCLESFIELD, March 3.—Since our last report there
has been a fair inquiry for those descriptions of
Bilk manufactured goods which are suitable for
the spring trade, , and prices are a little better.
Thrown Silks.—There is no alteration ; the market is
still very bare of stock. The advices from Lyons report
a large demand for throwns, with prices still advancing.
Raw Silk.—The operations in Chinas are to a mode-
rate extent, and prices are firmer—the last advices from
Shanghae reporting an advance in price, with the ex•
change also higher. • Bengal Silk.—Without alteration.

NEW CHURCHES.—A Parliamentary paper just issued
contains the following statement of the expenditure and
receipts of the commissioners for building new churches
since the year 1840, in continuation of a Parliamentary
paper of that year. The receipts during that period
have been 1,050,1451. Bs. sd. derived from the follow-
ing sources :—The balance Of receipts and expenditure
contained in the above return, 100,990/. 7s. 7d. ; sub-
scriptions from voluntary contributions, local rate,
loans, &c., 871,5021. 3s. lid. ; interest and profit in the
building account from the sale and exchange of Ex-
chequer-bills, and upon loans due since the above men-
tioned period, 3,876/. 11s. ; drawback of duty allowed on
materials used in churches built by the board, 4,7661.
12s. 9d. ; amount of interest and profit on the drawback
Account arising on Exchequer-bills sold and exchanged,
25,6081. 7s. sd. ; received by the board in further part
payment of sums advanced on loans on church rates,
41,311/. ss. 9d. ; legacies left to the board, 2,0901. The
expenditure during the same period has been as follows :
—Amount expended in the erection and completion of
273 churches and chapels, and on account of three other
churches and chapels in progress of building or about to
be built by the board, and for sites, plans, law and other
charges since the 26th of March, 1850, as per statement,
0n°?7,8391. 17s. 3d. No moneys have been advanced
on Ptl
7es e db u
iuldriidnegr
account,the
7, following234l. threel2 s.
sheadsd
comprised
since this date. The balance is 42,305/. lls. 2d.,
drawback; cash on
account, 1,4701. 18s. 9d. ; Exchequer-
bills account, 33,6001. The
estimated amount of
the present means of the board either applied or
I applicable to further church
accommodation is as fol-
lows :—Balance as above i
Exchequer-
bills, 42,3051. 11s. 2d. ; amountn of
unpaidcash and
15s. 3d.,• unpaid subscriptions, l
o loans, 15,4841.
6s. 6d. The liabilities of the board' s°l.
; total, 58,8401.
Estimated outstanding claims respecting
thus estimated :- -
seven churches
in which the accounts are not yet
settled, 15, a.
9 •
estimated value of certain annuities to clerks and' sexto 8.
59 Geo. 111., sec. 134, 2241. 48. 6d. ; condiiioalns,
n
on certain terms being complied with for grants
building 93
other churches and chapels, 21,6221. ; special subscri
tion towards building a parsonage-house in the parish Poi
in the receipts above and n
Margate, included . ot appli-
-2001. • balance in favour of the com
cable for grants,
loans and subscriptions be realised,
sinners, if the unpaid
• making the present estimated amount
21,771/. 12s. 11d. ,
of the liabilities, 58,8401.65. sd.