The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-03 00:00:00

LORD PALMERSTON.

Considerable interest has of late been excited in the
public mind, by those exhibitions of independence of his
Ministerial colleagues which Lord Palmerston has recently
made. We all know how, that one fine morning, three
months ago, he suddenly, to the surprise as much of the
other members of the Cabinet as of the country, severed
his connection with the Government ; and we stated yes-
terday, that at a meeting of the Cabinet, held on the
previous day, he declared, in the plainest terms, that
he would vote for Sir E. Dering's proposal to post-
pone the new Reform Bill till next session, what-
ever might be the decision to which his colleagues in
Council assembled might come. We have now to add that,
on Tuesday evening, when the house was on the eve of
dividing on Mr. Chambers's motion, relative to conventual
establishments, his lordship coolly walked out, although
Lord John Russell and all the leading members of the
Government gave their most strenuous opposition to the
motion,—the noble lord by a speech, as well as by his
vote, and the others by their votes. How Lord Palmer-
ston's colleagues relish these displays of his independence,
is more than we can tell.—Morning Advertiser.

EXTENSIVE SEIZURE BY THE EXCISE.

Last evening great excitement was caused in the neigh-
bourhood of the Caledonian-road by the report of a seizure
by the officers of her Majesty's Excise of an illicit dis-
tillery, which had been carried on on a most extensive
scale. The premises on which the seizure was made are
situated at the top of Tivyford-street, where it was till
yesterday believed the business of a colour maker and lin-
seed oil manufacturer had been carried on, under the style
of Batley and Company, and at the door of which two hogs.
heads, smeared over with linseed oil, were placed as a
blind. From information received, the officers of the Ex-
cise, accompanied by the police, obtained an entrance to
the premises from the garden of the adjoining house, and
found three large stills, bearing all the appearance of
having been lately in active operation. Two men at work
at the time were taken into custody, and au inspection
then commenced. The whole of the distilling apparatus
was of immense size, and at a moderate calculation from
between forty to fifty gallons of illicit spirits could be run
per day. The mode of carrying on the business had been
very successful. It appears that for some time past a
cart covered with tarpauling had been known to leave the
premises early in the morning, but from the fact of the yard
being p. otected from observation by a large pair of gates
bearing the inscription, "Batley and Co., colour manufac-
turers, and linseed oil merchants," not the least suspicion
was entertained but that oil and ochre were being con-
veyed from the premises, the workmen on leaving the yard
at meal-times being coloured as if employed in manufac-
turing the article. The amount of manufactured spirit
seized amounted to upwards of one hundred gallons. Be-
tween eleven and twelve o'elock last night the removal of
the whole of the utensils employed took place, and occu-
pied three large vans in its conveyance to the office of the
Inland Revenue. One large van left the premises entirely
filled with hogsheads, piled one above another, each large
cask containing a number of smaller ones, the other vans
being filled with the stills, receiving pans, &c. The cart,
which until yesterday had been used in carrying on the
contraband trade, conveyed away the hogshead containing
the spirits. There was a great quantity of fuel also found
on the premises. The house remains in the occupation of
the police.