The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-01 00:00:00

NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Mr. 1-I.oLmas, a new writ, was ordered
for the borough of Dorchester, in the room of Lord
Ashley, who bad accepted the Chiltern Hundreds,
CHURCH BUILDING RATE.
Sir J. NEWPORT presented a petition from an inha-
bitant rote-payer of the parish of Sr. George iu the county
of Dublin, complaining of the conduct of the trustees of
that church, and stating, that without any previous notice
he had been recently proceeded against for no less than 22
years' arrears of church building rate, of the existence of
which he previously knew nothing. The Hon. Baronet
went into a statement of the expence of this church, which
cost nearly 100,0001., being five times the amount of the
original estimate, and contended that the trustees should
be comrelied to account for the appropriation of so large a
sum of money.
Mr. O'CoNNELL assured the House that this case
was one of the grossest exaction, and he entreated his
Majesty's Government to institute an inquiry, so that if
the tarts Staten! were borne our, the law officers of the
Crown might be instructed to tile an injunction against the
trustees, to prevent the prosecution of their claims upon
the rate-payers until all the accounts were produced.
Mr, CRAMPTON promised that the law officers of the

Irish Government would give the subject their most atten-
tive consideration..—( Hear. )
The petition was hid on the table, and ordered to be
printed.
VESTRIES' BILL.

Sir J. HOBHOUSE moved the order of the day for the
House resolvi,g itself into a Committee on the Bill fur
the regulation and appointment of Vestries.
Mr. HUME begged to be allowed this opportunity to
present a petition from the parish of St. Pancras, in sup.
port of this Bill, and praying the House to piss it with-
out delay.—Ordered to lie upon the table.
Colonel LINDSAY, previous to the Speaker's leaving
the chair, begged to advert to a statement made by the
Hon. Member for Middlesex (Mr. Hume) on a former
night, on the presentation of a petition upon this subject.
That Hon. Member, he understood, had been male to
say, that he had as well as others refused to pay
the rates levied by the Select Vestry. With respect
to the statement that the rates bad been levied illegally,
that was not the case, the rates had been due at Christmas
last, and the parties had been legally summoned for them,
but the collector not wishing to put the law in force with-
held the warrants until lately, when they were issued, and
the goods of several were seized, but the s..le of them was
prevented by the assemblage of great numbers of persons.
Ile (Colonel Lindsay) had applied to the collector toknow
if it were true that the Hon. Member for Middlesex had
refused to pay the rates, and he learnt that it was not. It
had, however, gone forth that he bad refused, and looking
to him as an example, others had refused to pay the rates
likewise. He therefore took this occasion on the part of
the Select Vestry to give the Hon. Member an opportu-
nity of correcting that mis-statement. He belonged to
the Select Vestry cf Marylebone, but he did not solicit
the appointment, he accepted the office in order that he
might endeavour, if possible, to remedy some of the sub-
jects complained of. The Select Vestry were anxious
that all future vestries should be elected by the rate-payers,
and therefore trey did not in that respect oppose the pre-
sent Bill, introduced by the Hon. Member fur Westmin-
ster. In all other respects they conceived they were justi-
fied in opposing the measure, because they conceived it
was inapplicable to the metropolitan parishes. In that
lie (Colonel Lindsay) perfectly agreed with them.
Mr. HUME said it was true that in the report of what
he had stated on die occasion alluded to by the Hon. and
Gallant Colonel diere was a little mistake. He did not
say he had refused to pay the rates. He had seen the
collector, who called upon him to represent the state
in which the parish was, and the prospect of a breach
of the peace being committed, and he in consequence
wrote to the Secretary of State for the Home Department
upon the subject. He certainly had stated that he
concurred in the prayer of the petitioners, who
stated they would not pay rates levied by an
irresponsible body, and appropriated illegally. The Hon.
and Gallant Member did not deny that the goods of many of
the rate payers hid been distrained, and that no broker
had bun found to sell them by auction. The state of
rancour and dissatisfaction in that parish was at its ut-
most height. He strongly complained, not of individuals,
but of time vestry system, and he hoped that good order
and peace would be speedily restored in the parish. He
Lad one of the resolutions agreed to unanimously, which
declated that one and all at a public meeting would not
pay a single rate. The parish of 'Marykbone was not
singular in this respect, the parish of Islington was simi-
larly situated, and indeed there was scarcely a parish in
London which was not almost in a state of civil war.

Mr. HUNT wished to ask a question of theUnder-Secre-
tary of State for the Home Department,whether any inquiry
had been made, or proceed;ngs adopted, relative to a pau-
per of the name of Somers, who, on a late Occasion, when
brought before Mr. Walker at L imbeth-street, had been
sAlt to the House of Correction to hard labour, and had
died, according to the verdict of the Jury, from starvation.
Mr. LAMB stated that the inquiries he had made sa-
tisfied his own mind, that although the individual referred
to had died from starvation, it was not in consequence of
the refusal of assistance by any parish officer.
On the motion of Sir J. C. HOBIIOUSE, the House
went into Committee on the Select Vestries Bill.
Mr. PROTHEROE suggested a verbal amendment,
which was acceded to. •

Lord ALTHORP moved as an amendment, that
in place of a simple majority, two-thirds of the
parish should be had in its favour, before the introduction
of this change was to be considered obligatory.
Sir J. C. 110BLIOUSE stated, that it would be most
difficult to gain such a majority as two-thirds in any pa-
rish upon almost any subject, and he therefore hoped that
the amendment would not be pressed. A simple majority,
he submitted, was all that should be required. He had been
recommended by some to make the Bill imperative upon
every parish, but thinking that impracticable, he wished
every facility to be afforded to its general adoptien.
Mr. J. CAMPBELL considered the Select Vestry sys-
tem fruitful in jobbing, and detestable in itself. Continual
encroachments and complaints were produced by it, and
the sooner a complete and final end was put to it the better,
Lord ALTHORP said, no man could object more
strongly than he did, to the disgraceful system of the
close vestries. It was certainly, therefore, in his view
desirable that a system much less objectionable should be
adopted ; in some cases, however, it appeared that close
vestries did actually work well, and where an extensive
alteration in the entire parochial system was proposed, it
would be well, he thought, if the approbation of a great
majority of the parish were obtained previous to its in-
troduction. This was the principle on which his amend-
meat proceeded.
Mr. HUME hoped the Noble Lord would not persevere
in his amendment. It would he extremely difficult to get
the majority of two-thirds in any parish to vote in favour
of any change, so completely were the parishioners under
the controul of the Select Vestry.
Mr. PROTHEROE deemed the Select Vestry system
so abominable and so contrary to the principles
of all good government, that he would have the Bill intro-
duced into every parish upon a bare majority.

Mr. HUNT took the same view.
Lord ALTIIORP did not wish to press his amendment
against the general sense of Hon. Members.
Mr. ESTCOURT expressed Ids desire that the Noble
Lord would persevere in his amendment.
Mr. BYNG thought the most straightforward and
honest way was to allow all the rate-payers to have a vote,
although be certainly considered that to demand two-
thirds of a majority was not too much.
Mr. LAMB was decidedly of opinion that his Noble
Friend's amendment ought to be adopted.
Lord ALTHORP was quite satisfied that there
ought at least to be a decided majority of the
parishes in favour of the change before it was introduced.
Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE explained. The Bill did not
propose to alter the constitution of parishes so much as
was supposed, although the original Bill did. The
change would only be partial at first, but progres-
sive. Even when it was introduced, the former Ves-
try would still remain in office, at least they would
only go out by thirds every succeeding year, so
that it would be four years, even where the Bill
was adopted, before it would come into full operation. The
main object proposed by the Bill was, that each parish
should have the power of choosing those who were to rate
them.

Mr. FERGUSON recommended the imperative adop-
tion of the measure.

Sir C. WETHERELL objected to the Bill, as allowing
persons who paid only a rate of a few shillings the same
power and the same privileges as those who paid as many
pcunds. It could not be slid that thit was equalizing the
interests of the inhabitants of a parish. In many parisl.es
it was not the practice to put into the rate the very
inferior tenants, but this Bill would give 100 voters of bs.
a-head each, the same power and interest as 100 persons
paying as many pounds.
Mm. HUNT was in favour of the Bill, but he was con-
vinced that good order would not be restored in any parish
until Mr. Sturges Bourne's Act was wholly repealed.--
(Cr;es of '• Question.")
Mr. CAMPBELL had heard it laid down by Lord
Tenterden over and over again, that by the common laic
of the land every rate-payer should be entitled to vote in
parish affairs.
Sir C. FORTIES spoke against the Bill.

Sir R. V Y YVAN disapproved of the Select Vestry sys-
tem, but though to a certain extent an Anti•Refor►ner be
should not oppose tbis Bill, which gave to the rate-payer
the power of voting for the election of vestrymen.
After a few words from Colonel LINDSAY, the gallery
was cleared for a division.

We understood that during the time the doors were
closed, another amendment was made that the majority in
the parish should be three-fifths, instead of two-third..
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For a majority of two-thirds
For that of three-fifths
Majority —2 5
On our re-admission into the gallery, several clauses
were put and agreed to.
Sir H. VYVYAN rose to move as an amendment to
one of the clauses, that no person should possess more
than six votes, which was a similar number to that pro-
posed by Mr. S. Bourne's Act.
Sir J. C. HOIHIOUSE stated that that was the great
evil which was now so generally complained of. He con-
sidered that property would be sufficiently protected by

persons hiving one vote each, and ettang►y objected ti
those accumulated votes.

Sir R. V YVYAN agreed to reconsider this amendment.
He would withdraw it for the present, and if he saw any
thing in it, would bring it forward again on the presenta-
tion of the report.
The qualification clause was agreed to without any
amendment.
The CHAIRMAN was proceeding to read the other clausts
seriatim, when
Mr. HUME proposed the insertion of a proviso, that the
decisions of the vestry should not be considered valid until
confirmed at a subsequent meeting, which was introduced
accordingly.
On the question that this be a public Act,
Mr. MILES said, he bad been requested by a Select
Vestry in Bristol to move the insertion of a clause, pro-
viding that nothing in this Bill should interfere with the
rights of Select Vestries over charitable I equests. The
lion. Gentleman made a motion to that effect i❑ compli-
anc' with the wishes of the holy alluded to.

....„ _
Mr. PROTHEROE opposed the introduction of such a
clause, and stated that the opinions of the people of Bristol
in general were favourable to the Bill as originally
brought forward Its' the Hon. Baronet, the Member for
Westminster. Indeed, the fact that this proviso came re•
commended by a gentleman who was not regul trly con-
fleeted with that city, sufficiently proved that the majority
of the inhabitants cr,uld be adverse to its adoption.
Sir C. WETHERELL observed, that the Hon. Baronet
might accede to the proposition of his Hon. Friend the
Member for New Romney, if he deemed it otherwise un-
oitjectionable, as it would not in any degree impair the
principle of the Bill.
Sir J. C. HOIHIOUSE thought the Select Vestry unfit
to he trusted with the distribution of the funds of charitable
i,istitntions, and had reason to believe that the people of
Bristol particularly desired to be included under the opera-
lion of the measure. He therefore could not consent to
comply with the request of the lion. Member opposite.
Mr. PROTHEROE adverted to the alleged misappro-
priation of charitable funds by the Mayoresses of Bristol,
and defended those ladies from the charge, the correctness
of which he begged leave to state no person could possibly
substantiate who had not had access to the civic archives
of the Corporation.
Mr. HUNT replied, that he could fully prove the truth
of the accusation ; for he had inspected those archives in
the year 1812, by virtue of a warrant from the Speaker,
as he had petitioned the House during that year Itelative to
an election return for Bristol at the time. It clearly
appeared from those documents which he had established
a right to exatnine, that the Mayoresses bail applied to
election purposes the monies which they ought to have ex-
pended in pea-soup to be administered to sixty-two lying-in
women, according to the stipulations of the bequest. 'I he
women were defrauded of their porridge, and a Member was
returned to that House out of the lying-in pea-soup fund,
and this he was prepared, if necessary, to substantiate.
Sir C. WETHERELL indignantly repelled the accusa-
tion, and said he had no doubt that the Mayoresses would
have provided the pea soup if such had been the intention
of the original testator. _ _

Mr. HUNT persevered in his former statement, and in-
sisted that the pea-soup had not beau supplied, the funds
having been perverted to el,z..tionetring by the Miyotesses
to whom their distributions had been intrusted.

The House resumed, and the report was ordered to be
received on Monday next.

GAME BILL.

The House then proceeded to the Order of the Day for
considering the Lords' amendments to the Game Bill.
Lord ALTHORP said, that although he was sensible
the amendments which had been made in tl.e other House
had ❑ot improved the Bill, yet as the main principles re-
mained as the Bill had been sent from this House, it was
most desirable that the amendments should ba agreed to.
He hoped, therefore, that although some gentlemen might,
like himself, differ from these amendments, yet as it was
a great point gained to get rid of the anomalies in the
existing liw,—he hoped they would agi-ee to them, and
without delay, seeing that the Bill was intended to take
effect on the Ist of November. Considering the state of
the law at present, and the advantage gained by the Bill
even as it now stood, and that when the principle was
once adopted by the Legislature, it could not be receded
from although it might be improved, be trusted the amend-
ments would not be rejected.

Mr. Serjeant WILOi admitted the justice of the Noble
Lord's remarks. At the same time he thought the House
ought to be aware of the nature of some of the alterations
which had been made in the Bill, and which, to his asto-
nishment, considering the place where they originated, in-
vaded the rights of property.—(Hear, hear.) By one of
the amendments, proprietors of land were not only autho-
rized to enter upon the premises of a lessee for life, but
to appoint other persons who could do the same ; and this
was not all, for the occupant was deprived of the right he
now possessed, and was not permitted to kill game on his
own land, unless a stipulation to that effect was inserted
in his lease, which, as it was not necessary under the exist-
ing law, would not of course be found there.—(Hear.)

Mr. HUNT had disliged the Bill at first, and he did not
think the amendments of the Lords had produced the
slightest degree of improvement in it. He particularly
objected to the clause respecting night-poaching, in which
the penalties, which were severe enough at first, had been
still further increased, and he should take the sense of the
House on the clause.
Mr. J. CAMPBELL considered, that though the Bill
was a much better Bill as it formerly stood, still it was
better than the old law, and was a great boon. He
thought his Hon. and Learned Friend was in some degree
of error respecting the clause giving proprietors and their
appointees the right of entering and sporting upon the land
of a lessee for life, and excluding the occupant, because,
if lie paid a fine on renewal, which is usual, the occupant
retained his right. He hoped that the consent of the
Lords to this Bill was a presage of their intentions in re-
spect to another Bill, and if no more serious amendments
were made in it, be should be content.—(Hear.)
Mr. HUMS would submit to the House whether, after
what had been stated by the Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man (Mr. Serjcant Wilde), the Commons of England
were authorized to pass a Bill which interfered with pri-
vate rights of property.—(Hear.) He doubted whether
it would not be better to reject the Bill altogether, and
trust to another year.—(No, no.) It was nothing less
than robbing persons of their rights. The Peers of Eng-
land ought to be the last persons to set an example of
taking away private property. If they began with spo-
liation, and he did think this was a spoliation, let them
not complain if it reached themselves.
Mr. PAGET said a few words which were inaudible.
Mr. HUNT felt it his duty to persist in dividing the
House.
A division accordingly took plice, when there appeared
For the Lords' amendment
Against it 3
Majority —C4

theN objectinggallery, wte. foundtbe
clause respecting
andlords and their appointees entering upon the lands of
/
their lessees.
SirOt On returning t usr nui nGgo toE
the amendments, for the sake of the advantage of getting
Hon. Lord ALTHORP re.urged the propriety of adopting
the Bill passed. He hoped the and Lamed Gentle-
man would be satisfied to let the clause stand as it did, and
the Bill piss into a law.
Sir E. SUGDEN expressed his unwillingness to prevent
the passing of the Bill.
The amendments of the Lords were then agreed to
without a division.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
Lord ALTHORP moved the order of the day fur the
House to resolve itself into a Committee of Supply.
Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS, before the Speaker left the
chair, put borne questions to the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer (scarcely audible in the gallery) relative to the
mode of inquiry to be pursued by the Commissioners of In-
quiry into the state of the West India colonies.
Lord ALTHORP had certainly given notice of a 'no-
tion upon the subject, but it was not usual to call for ex-
planations in such cases, until the motion was brought for-
ward. The object of Ministers was to inquire into the
distresses, and the causes of distress prevalent in the West
India colonies, and to consider what remedies could be ap-
plied to the relief of those distresses. It was not intended
in the Committee to go into the subject of slavery. Mini-
sters had appointed the inquiry, for they really did not see
what relief they could afford to the West India interests,
consistently wit;" their ilutio; to the House. His wish
was to give to gentlemen connected with the East India
interest an opportunity of stating their views upon the
if possible, to adopt some measures calculated
to ul m
e evils they complained of.
sllrdelerc.te'dyand,
th
BURGS believed that the course resorted to by
Government was merely meant to protract the case, whilst
immediate relief was wanted and ought to be afforded. He
wished to ask his Majesty's Ministers whether they had
received any official accounts of the nature and extent of
the devastations that had been occasioned by the late hur-
ricane in the island of Barbadoes, and whether they had
taken any measures, or intended to take any measures, to
relieve the sufferings of the inhabitants.
Lord ALTHORP said that his Majesty's Government
certainly had not received any direct information t rom the
island, but that an official letter, which mentioned the hur-
ricane, certainly went to confirm the previous accounts that
had appeared in the papers, Until official accounts wtre

received from Barbadoes itself, he torrid give no answer
the lion. Mem!ier.

Sir C. WETHERELL put a question to Lord Althorp
relative to the Bankruptcy Court Bill, the precise nature
of which could not be heard in the gallery.
Sir E. SUGDEN complained (as we understood him)
that a copy of the Bill had been supplied to him only that
evening.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL assured the Learned
Member that he should be able to explain the delay he
complained of.
Sir C. WETHERELL said he would oppose the Bill
by resorting to every expedient that was cansistent with the
rules of the House.
The SPEAKER then left the Chair.

Mr. f.',4PRING RICE moved, that a sum riot. exceeding
120,0001. be [panted for the paym nt of certain salarics
and allowances heretofore paid cut of the Civil List of
England and Ireland, and out of the hereditary revenues or
Scotland and the 44 per cent. dutits, and for the payment
of whioh no provision has been made Out of the Civil List
for the present year.
Mr. HUME said that these charges were now under
the examination of a Committee, and he was happy to say
that Ministers had afforded to the Committee every means
to investigate the nature of the charges.
The sum was then voted without opposition.

Sir J.
aGmnouAnlit,Aths. said, t
olugho fthath
some
t eimrops(crttao monceinve a sum,
smell in rept,,
t()
principle. It teas a vote in aid of the general naval ser-
vice. Ile preferred having a separate vote for the service,
rather than to take the suns required out of the surplus of
any odor fun.; ; for, otherwise, he should not be follow-
ing the principle which he himself laid down. The M-
miralty had issued orders to the subordinate boards to
give in their accounts and estimates under the special heads
of service, and not to run one service into the expences of
another. Upon the service for which he now required a
vote, no separate estimate had hitherto been made out. He
would incidentally state, that the system of accounts at the
Victualing Board was not correct, for that Board audited
its own expenditure, and it drew for money without any
superintending power to check or examine the drafts.
By a better system of arrangement the Exchequer might be
made a Beard of Audit, and every draft upon it ought to be
made to express the service for which the money was drawn.
The Exchequer ought to give to the Admiralty a monthly
statement of the sums drawn, and a statement of tine
balances left on elch vote of service. By this system no
excesses could be committed without the knowledge of the
Board of Admiralty. The vote he now required would
be made up of the following items. First there was
6,000/. relating to outstanding contracts ; and a large
amount of 74,0001. due for the machinery of a bakery,
an extensive work undertaken without any estimate what•
ever, and which had erns. quently proved very expensive.
An expense of 4,2001. had been incurred by a failure in
the work itself, for a principal wall had been so badly
built that it had given way, and Sir John Rennie had
been consulted, and he bad pointed out the necessity of
building the wall in a stronger manner. This would
make up about 20,0001., and a further sum of 7,000/.
would be necessary to complete the service. He should
therefore move that the sum of 27,000/. be granted to
complete the works in the Royal Clarence yard at Gosport.
Mr. HUME thought that 60,000/. a year might he
saved if the Victualling Board would purchase cattle in
the Irish markets, instead of making their purchases in
London.

The resolution was then agreed to. The House re-
sumed : report on Monday.

BANKRUPTCY BILL.

Time ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in moving the order
of the day for the second reading of this Bill, said, that he
'elt relieved from the necessity of making a long statement,
in order to show the necessity of the present measure, by
the circumstance that its general provisions bad already re-
ceived a minute investigation before several Committees of
that Howe. Without going further back, he would remind
the House of the full inquiry which our bankruptcy laws
had received from a Committee of that House which had
sat in 1817. That Committee had examined barristers
and professional men most conversant with that branch of
the law, and merchants and traders beat acquainted with its
practical operation ; and the result of all their evidence
was, that the present system bad no tendency other than to
defeat the ends of justice.—(Hear, hear.) He would par-
ticularly refer • to the evidence of Mr. Cullen, who fur
twenty years devoted his exclusive attention to the subject,
and whose evidence was above all suspicion. That gentle-
man stated, that it would be impossible for the human
ingenuity at man to devise a machinery less ae'equate
to its avowed object, one, in fact, snore conducive to
fraud, and to defeat the beneficial administration of
the law, than that of the various lists of Commis-
sioners, who had no connexion with each other, whose
decisions were of no assistance to each other, and whose
only business it would seem was to add to the expense, and
to place obstacles in the way of a speedy determination of
the cases submitted to their adjudication. Mr. Cullen
proposed the easy remedy, a remedy which in principle
and that was to do away with
was adopted in the BM,
the several independent, and as it frequently happened,
contradictory lists of Commissioners, substituting for them
one permanent body of Commissioners, to sit and dispose
of all bankruptcy eases. Evidence to the same effect had
been given by Mr. Montagu, and others acquainted with the
working of our bankruptcy laws. A few facts, however,
would better satisfy the House of the necessity of the pre-
sent measure than a thousand authorities. There was the
case of Mr. Bartholomew Thomas, a brewer, which
turned upon the facts, whether or not he was a bankrupt,
that is, whether the petition of his creditor to the Com-
missioners established a valid legal debt or otherwise?
Numerous actions were institued in the courts of law
with a view to determine the simple question of tact, and
after much delay and still more expense, the decision of
the Commissioners was set aside by a court of equity, and
Mr. Thomas was a ruined man.—(Hear.) After calling
the attention of the House to the circumstances of Charn.
bers's bankruptcy,—to various other cases of the same
kind, in which, after years of vexatious delay, the whole of
the respective estates had been swallowed up in legal proceed-
ing, the lion. and Learned Gentleman proceeded to notice the
opinions of the most eminent lawyers respecting the
grievous and oppressive defects of the present jurisdiction
in bankruptcy. Lords Radesdale and Eldon, Mr. Charles
Bell, Mr. Montagu, and Mr. Cullen, had all expressed
themselves desirous of removing these defects; but no
attempt had been made to remove them until the present
Bill was brought in, atd that Bill was now offered to the
House as a measure which erected an efficient and satis-
factory tribunal for the adjudication of cases in bankruptcy.
11.,2 did not feel it necessary to call the attention of Hon.
Members to the provisions of the Bill, as it was before the
House, and as it had been so much talked of, that few
Hon. Members, perhaps, were unacquainted with the
nature of its enactments. Upon one or two points of the
Bill it was necessary that be should touch. The first
was the augmentation of the retiring pension of the Lord
Chancellor. As this Bill would deprive the Chancellor of
so vas; an amount of patronage, and as it would so ma-
terially diminish his income, it was proposed to increase
his retiring salary from 4,000/. to 6,000/. a year. The
retiring pension of 4,0001. had been fixed in the time of
Lord Lougl,horough, when the patronage of the Chancel-
lor was much greater, and when the income of the Chan-
cellor was much larger than they would be under this
Bill. As Lord Chancellors were persons who usually
' gave up a much larger income than 6,0001. a-year on
taking the seals, it had been thought—and he believed
pretty generally—that in the event of this Bill passing,
it would he right to increase the retiring pension
of the Chancellor to the amount lie had mentioned.
Now with regard to the Court which it was proposed by
this Bill to establish, he was authorized to state—and he
was sure time House would be please to receive the informa-
tion—that one of the most Learned Judges in Westminster
Hall had consented to preside over it.—(Hear, hear.)
There were some money clauses, which the formalities of
the two Houses prevented the Lords from inserting in the
Bill, but these had been printed, and if they were allowed
to go into the Committee to-night pro forma, he should
move the insertion of them. These, of course, regulated
the salaries of the Judges, and other persons appointed by
the Bill. The Chief Justice was to have 3,0001. a year ;
the three other Judges were to have each 2,0001. a year ;
and the six Commissioners were to have 1,5001. a year
each,—making in the whole 18,000/. a year. The two
chief registrars were to have 800/. a year each ; the eight
other registrars were to have 600/. a year each ; the secre-
tary of bankrupts was to lave for himself and his clerks
2,000/. a year ; and there were a great variety of sundries
amounting to 1,8001. ; so that the whole amount of the
expense of this machinery would be about 28,200/. a year.
With regard to the official assignees, they were to be paid,
not by a salary, but by a per tentage on the estate which
was distributed. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman con-
cluded by moving that the order of the day for the second
reading of the Bankruptcy Bill be now read.
Sir C. WETHERELL moved, as an amendment, that
the order of the day,be postponed till Tuesday next.
The SPEAKER—The Hon. Gentleman will find some
difficulty in doing that. An order of the day belongs ti
a particular day—to a day fixed, ant it would be rather
an inconsistency, therefore, to postpone an order of the day.
The Hun. Gentleman con meet the motion by a direct ne-
gative, or when the order of the day is read; be can wave

that the debate be adjourned; but he can hardly trove Ow
Postponement of the order of the day.—(A laugh.)
The order of the day was then read, and on the motion
that the Bill be read a second time.
Sir C: WETHERELL addressed the House, contending
that there was not a single statement of the Attorney-
General which did not admit of a full answer. In the
first place, Lord King, Lord Camden, Lord Erskine—all
Whig Chancellors, and as clear-sighted as Whigs were
generally supposed to be,—had never discovered all these
errors, and mischiefs, and corruptions in the bankruptcy
jurisdiction, which had been acted upon and approved of
for a century past. " But," said the Attorney-General,
" I have the authority of great men for what I propose-.. 1
have the authority of Lord Eldon." Now was the At-
torney-General not aware that Lord Eldon had placed
upon the Journals of the House of Lords a protest, i
which his Lordship plainly stated, that the preamble of this
very Bill was false; inasmuch as it would not diminish ex-
pense, delay, or uncertainty. So neither had the Attorney-
General the authority of Mr. Cullen or Mr. Montagu, for all
that those gentlemen had said was, that there were defects
in the bankruptcy jurisdiction, and so said he; but he de-
nied that any eminent lawyer had gone to the extent of
approving of a new tribunal of this kind. For his own
p t,-boutar hte allowed
heunfo alrtunlattehactasesthe Attorneyb-General had said
and others,--.-
and he should be happy to agree to a statute of litnitation
upon bankruptcy proceedings ; hut what had this to do
with the establishment of an entirely new Court, at the
eapense of 28,200/. a year to the public ? He ss'onld
readily adopt any improvement in the bankruptcy juris-
diction ; but this Bill destroyed that principle entirely,
and swept away every vestige of the existing system.
With respect to the machinery of the Bill, he did not
know, how it would work, nor had the House had any in-
formation on the subject. Every one, however, who had
given a practical opinion upon the subject of administra-
tion of the bankrupt laws, agreed that it (night to be kept
in the hands of the Lord Chancellor:; all said, do not se-
parate bankruptcy from the Court of Chancery. This
Bill, therefore, violated the principle laid dawn by every
practical and economical person. The preamble of the
Bill came under the description of Mr. Pope's line—
" Like a tall bully, lifts its head and lies."
That was Mr. Pope's description of the preamble of this
Bill.—(A laugh.) It was an abortive and ridiculous mea-
sure; and if not abortive and ridiculous, it would be an
expensive measure, which was not consistent with the
economical maxims of an Administration that attended to
the saving of cheese-parings and candle-ends, and made an
extensive use of save-alls. The eminence of the Judges to
be appointed to the new Court bad nothing to do with the
question. His objection was not to the Judges, but to the
whole establishment of this new forum, as entailing an un-
necessary and superfluous expense upon the country. Then
the next consideration was, where the expenses were to
come from ? The lion. and Learned Attorney-General
had hinted at the Consolidated Fund, though the Noble
Lord beside him had not very cordially echoed him. But
he (Sir C. 'Wetherell) declared that if one shillinc, or one
farthing, was to come from the Consolidated Fund, he
should object, because it was a principle of tee bankruptcy
system, that, like suits between parties, every case
should pay its own expenses. The amount of the
expenses n Lich would be saddled upon the plop,rty of
bankrupts by this measure would be about 3d. in the
pound ; them. ore, if one halfpenny was charged upon
the Consolidated Fund, he should object, and he
:oily calculated upon having the Noble Lord with him,
because bankrupts' estates should be subject to the costs
incidental to the due and proper administration of jus-
tice. With respect to the expense of the establishment,
the lowest estimate he had had an opportunity of forming,
during the fear hours he had been enabled to consider this
Bill, was forty thousand pounds a year. The Attorney-
General said " Nu;" but he had omitted one thing in his
computation, which was the salaries to the retiring gentle-
men. Another point be wished to advert to was the re-
tiring pension of the Lord Chancellor, which was to be six
thousand pounds a year.—(Hear, hear.) In his opinion
it did not correspond with the maxims of unflinching eco-
nomy and retrenchment to increase this retiring pension
from four to six thousand pounds. He regretted he did
not see in the House the Hon. Member fur Middlesex,
who took these matters under his special care. Somehow
or other it happened, however, that when some of these
financial questions came on the Hon. Member for Middle-
sex was not in his place.—(Hear.) He hoped that when
this Bill was re-considered, they should have the benefit
of the Araus-eyes of that Hon. Member. The Hon. and
Learned Gentleman then commented on the extensive pa-
tronage which would be thrown into the Lord Chancellor'a
hands by the operation of this Bill—a result obviously
at variance with the profession of the Government.
(" Hear, hear," from the Opposition.) But the truth
was, that no Administration since the days of S:r Robert
Walpole had ever presumed to arrogate to themselves one-
fourth of the patronage which the Whigs now in power
had ventured to assume, notwithstanding all their specious
declarations to the contrary---declarations which were at
once a mockery to those to whom they were addressed,
anal a discredit to the parties who bad the assurance to put
them forth.—(Cheers from the Opposition.) He should
now move that the second reading of this Bill be adjourned
to Tuesday next.
Sir E. SUGDEN hoped that an early hour would be
appointed for the renewal of the debate, in order that ade-
quate opportunity might be afforded for ample satisfactory
discussion.

Lord ALT HORP assented, and the debate accordingly
stands over to Tuesday, on the understanding that the de-
bate should he resumed at an early hour on that day.
The other Orders having been disposed of, the House
adjourned at Half-past One o'clock.

ARMY AND NAVY.—We are requested to
state that the United Scrrice Journal, and Naval and
Military Magazine, for October, will contain, among
various other interesting Papers :-1. A Coronation with-
out a Brevet.-2. Letter from Captain BASIL HALL on
ltlassEv's Sounding Machine.-3. Reply of Col. NikriEtt
to Count ALTEN en a Passage of his History.-1. On the
Actions and Merits of the French and English Cavalry.--
5. On the Loyal►ty of Military Men.-6. Considerations
on Gratuitous Military Educations and its effects upon the
Royal Regiment of Artillery, by a Field Officer.-7. A
Dialogue between the Prussian General GNEISENAIi and a
British Officer.-9. A Plan for Providing Seamen for the
British Navy without resorting to impressment.-10.
Nautical Reminiscences of the late Admiral Sir Jostrie
YORKE —ll. Memoir of the Services of the late General
LorTus-12. Memoir of General CIIURCII.—I3. On the
Importance of Steam Navigation.—l 4. Record of the 71st
Regiment Highland Light Infantry, &c. &c.
COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.—On Thurs-
day we surveyed the interior of this (now) splendid dramatic
temple ; the decorations have been under the direction of
Mr. FINLEY (the gentleman who managed all the orna-
mental department of the late Brunswick theatre.) The
prevailing colours of the theatre are rose colour and buff;
the relief ornaments are of burnished gold. The ceiling is
divided into hexagonal compartments, forming eight beau-
tiful pannels of corresponding colours with the fronts of
the boxes, relieved with burnished gold mouldings, en-
riched by elaborate ornaments representing foliage, fruit,
tic. Amid many very admirable devices are antique dra-
matic masks surrounded by wreaths of gold. The appear-
ance of the house is both gorgeous and classical.

TILE OLYMPIC THEATRE.—The prevailing
colour in the friezes is white, which is, perhaps, better
adapted than any other for uniting brilliancy and chaste-
ness of effect. In the lower circle this is bordered with
belts of rich dull gold and bright red. The pannels, se-
parated from each other by massy gold mouldings, are
filled with very pretty paintings after designs or engrav-
ings by BARTOLOZZI, representing the sport! of Cupids.
In the second circle red lozenges, bearing classic designs,
are separated by small winged figure►, vases, at►d light ara-
besque tracery in the gayest velours; below which are
festoons of variegated flowers. Slender gilt pillars sup-
port the projections. The ceiling represents a pink goss,-
mer drapery floating Pound the lustre, from which descend
garlands of flowers, supported by a circle of Cupids. The
interior of the boxes is fitted up with dark crimson, and
the private boxes have copious draperies of the tame colour.
There is a new drop-scene of considerable merit, repre-
senting a palace, river, and mountain scenery. A new
green curtain has also been introduced, which excited the
approbation of all who saw it, in consequence of its fill-
ing from and being drawn up to the sides of the stage in-
stead of rolling down.

MR. PALILDING.--Few novelists of the
present day have so suddenly started into popularity 0
this writer, who has long been a great favourite in the._
United States. " The Dutchman's Fire-side," indeed, bids
lair to attain a high rank among modern weiks,o,f.fah.,:teloant_
" Many American writers," says the .Examine, ,_13,,_
....„.1
etupted to depict the appearance of the country
ucanoantfpittlgian:libgs'
e`po:cvaoll
work.
i rounds
,tate, when it was but employed for the .h
b d to murtra
s_ 1 .-oure . i
.. y
of the Indians; and others have
the true Indian character;
Cloneft:s p haveict
ur e
ss succeeded elle du edd, betterkoni
.s they are now, Lhdicf
scenery before
bb,otehtfahoerreeatuliiitteak:inoedbr s c a p e s
of
the
many of his Indian portraits, and
'igliestbentyge;neral notion of' the Indian character, are
'bore all,
we think highly discriminative and ingenious."

~-

11.8FoRNI MEETINr,.

S UAnE Y.

Yesterday a meeting of the gentry, freeholders, and in-
habitants of the county of Sorrey, was held in the front
of the Spread Eagle Inn, at Epsom, for the purpose of
adopting a petition to the House of Lords, praying their
Lordships to pass as speedily as possible the Reform Bill
which is before their Lordships' House, and the considera-
tion of which stands for Monday next.
The chair was taken shortly before one o'clock, by the
High Sheriff, HARVEY CoSISE, Esq.
Mr. MABErtLy having been requested to propose the pe_
tion which was intended for the adoption of the meeting,
willingly rose to do so. He would ask any man of com-
mon sense whether such a system as the present was one
that sbould be suffered to continue, and whether the mea-
sure of Reform which had been introduced by his Majesty's
Government and passed by the House of Commons, did
not propose, as it appeared to him that it did, a most dis-
creet, necessary, and beneficial, alteration in that system ?
--(Hear.) He wished, he said, to speak with that respect
for the Lords which he entertained for them as a consti-
tuent portion of the Constitution ; but this he would say,
that if they threw out this Bill, which they had a perfect
right ana power to do, they would throw it out contrary
to tlie expressed opinion of the entire nati,,n.—(Cheers.)
'ihe Hon. Gentleman concluded by reading the petition
Avhich he proposed for the adoption of the meeting.
Mr. LEACH, as one of the oldest Reformers present,
having been a supporter of Reform for the last forty years,
begged leave to second the motion.
Mr. GOSSE also addressed the meeting in support of the
petition.
Colonel MasERLY was also of opinion That this was a
crisis when it behoved every friend t,i the peace and hap-
piness of the country to come it,rward in support of the
Reform which had been in*-roduced by his Majesty's Go-
vernment.

Mr. PENRHYN addressed the meeting to the tame eirect.
Mr. MOReYSON also supported the adoption of the
petition.

The r:iotion for the adoption et the petition was then
put, n-nd unanimously agreed to.
It was also carried, on the motion of Mr. MABERLY,
that the petition should he signed by the High Sheriff) on
behalf of the meeting, and intrusted to Lord King for pre-
sentation to the House of Lords.

The Hum SHERIFF WOVla put his signature to the
petition with the greatest pleasure, as he conscientiously
and sincerely believed, that without a thorough Reform
in Parliament, there was no chance for the salvation of the
country_.—(Cheers.)

• •
The Rev. Mr. COURTENAV moved the thanks of the
fleeting to their county representatives, Messrs. Denison
'end Briscoe, for their constant attendance to their Parlia-
mentary duties during the progress of the Reform Bill in
the House of Commons.

The resolution was seconded by Mr. GossE, and carried
by acclamation.

Mr. DENISON—He had been a Reformer for 35 years,
and he thought therefore that he might well put in his
claim to he considered a veteran in the cause.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BRISCOE also briefly returned thanks.
The meeting then separated.

KENT.

A public meting of the freeholders and inhabitants of
the county of Kent was held yesterday at Penenden-heath,
for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety
of petitioning the House of Lords to pass the Reform Bill.
The requisition, which was dated the 23d of September,
contained upwards of 300 signatures, including a large
number of the wealthiest and most respectable landed pro-
prietors of the county.
The attendance was twice as numerous as that held at
IlJaidstone, in March last, to petition in support of the Bill.
The business of the day was opened by the High
Sheriff, who stated the object for which the meeting was
assembled.
E. Rica, Esq. came forward to move the first resolution.
It had been busily circulated abroad that the Bill would not
pass. He did not believe it ; but, much importance as
be attached to it, he would rather it should be deferred for
the present—he would not say defeated, for defeated ultia
mately it could not be—(Cheers)—but be would rather
it should be deferred for the present than that it should be
passed by means of a large creation of Peers, which he
looked upon as an unconstitutional precedent, which, in
the bands of a less patriotic Sovereign than the present, or
in the administration of less honest advisers, might be
turned to purposes most dangerous to the liberties of the
people. If the House of Lords were to exist at all, they
ought to have the full powers of a deliberative assembly ;
but they would cease to exist as a deliberative assembly if
their powers were to be controlled in that way. lie con-
cluded 1;v moving a resolution to the effect that the opinion
whit*, the county bad already expressed as to the necessity
au'., importance of Reform was still unchanged.—(Cheers.)
The Rev. Dr. KNox considered it particularly his duty
to come forward and join in an address to the Lords
spiritual, and to implore them, as Members of the Legis-
lature, for the sake of that religion and church of which
they were the guardians, to assist in passing a measure
which was to produce peace and goodwill amongst their
fellow-men—(Cheers)—for it was not difficult to see,
that if the report which he had heard within the last hour
was well founded—that the Bill would not pass—it would
be productive of consequences dangerous to the present
peace, and to the future prosperity of the country; that
it would have the effect of producing dissensions—possibly
fatal ones--between the different orders of the State.—
(Cheers.) Sincerely did he hope and pray that such
consequences might be averted. It was not the ancient
Aristocracy of the country who were the opponents of
Reform. They need not look for the decided Anti-Re-
formers amongst the descendants of the Barons of Runni-
rnede. We saw them in modern ereations,—those mush-
rooms of a day—those funguses which had shot suddenly
up in the hot-bed of corruption, who had been created by
Mr. Pitt to carry his measures ; and certainly it was not
to be expected that they would willingly kick down the
ladder by which they had ascended. We had ample ex-
perience to show that we could not expect any support to
the Bill from one Peer who was the venerable defender of
all ancient abuses; but let us hope that his opposition to
it would be as fruitless as his pitiful attempt to decry the
Herculean lahours of his present successor in office.—
(Cheers.) He would have them approach the Lords and
demand redress of their grievances, with firmness but
with temper, and their cause must be ultimately triumphant.
Mr. Gives next presented himself to the meeting, and
was received with much disapprobation. The Rev. Gen-
tleman, he observed, preached peace, yet part of his lan-
guage had a tendency the reverse of peaceable, and of this
class was his attack on a large body of the Peers, whom
be had designated as mushrooms generated in the hot-bed
of corruption. The Peers thus attacked had been created
by George the Third, than whom no Monarch of this
country was ever more free from corruption.—(Laughter
and disapprobation.) He would say, that the name of that
revered Sovereign would ever be entitled to the respect
of Englishmen, as in his reign this country had been
raised to the highest pinnacle of glory.—(Roars of
laughter.) When he heard this sort of comment on this
observation, he was inclined to believe that the nature of
Englishmen had become changed. With respect to the
object of the meeting, he thought that the best course
would be to leave the House of Lords to act on the Bill
according to their own discretion.—(A voice in tl-e crowd
Did you follow this advice on the Catholic business ?")
Be did not object to the right of petitioning, but he did
strongly protest against the suggestion thrown out that the
King should be advised to resort to the expedient of a crea-
tion of Peers for the purpose of carrying the Bill. If the
Crown could swamp the House of Peers in that way,
amend was and of that body as a deliberate assembly.
If the thing were dope for one purpose it. might for
another, and in that way the Crown would absorb the
whole power of the Lords.—(A voice in the crowd,
Serve e'm right too.") But he was sure the descendants
of the ancient Barons of England would not submit to
such a violation of their rights.—(Much disapprobation.)
The resolution was then put and carried nearly unani-
mously, there being only eight or ten hands held up
against it.
The Hon. T. FINEs moved the next resolution, to this
effect That after the ample discussion which the Re-
form Bill had undergone in the House of Commons, the
meeting were more firmly convinced of its sound policy
and necessity, and they therefore should agree to a petition
to the Lords spiritual and temporal, praying them to give
their assent to it."
Mr. HUGHES seconded the motion.
Lord Marron contended that they were about to pull
down the old fabric of the Constitution, without being
agreed as to what was to be set up in its place. He re-
minded the meeting that all the Catholics were in favour
of the Bill,—that Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Sheil, who,
they might remember, at a former meeting, were all in
favour of the measure.---(A voice in the crowd, " So
they ought." Another, "It won't do, my Lord; it
won't do.") As they were not certain of what should
supply the place of the Constitution they were going to
pull down, the best way would he to let the old building
stand as it was.—(Laughter.)
Mr. Honoas, M.P. for the county, found in the meet-
ing no change as to the great question, from which they
were not to be diverted.—(Cheers.)
Mr. RIDER, M.P. contended that Mr. Pitt had set the

example of cleating Peels for the purpose of carrying a
great political measure, by the number of Peers he created
in two days to carry the measure of the Irish Union.
Mr. PRENTIS (of Rochester) went on to contend that
no re-action had taken place in the country against the
Bill, but, on the contrary, it was even more earnestly de-
sired than before.

The question was then put, and carried with the same
number of dissentients as before,

Mr. DARRELL next moved the petition to the House
of Lords in favour of the 13ill.

Mr. Ns CoLTANowoon seconded it.

The resolution was put and carried,
Mr. LARKEN, in a speech of considerable length, which
was loudly cheered, proposed an address of thanks to his
Majesty, acknowledging the gratitude of the meeting for
his Maj •sty's patriotic recommendation of Reform.
This was seconded by Sir W. COSWY, anti carried by
acclamation, and followed by four titles four hearty cheers.
Sir W. COSWY prorostd a vote of thanks to Earl Grey,
which was carried amidst loud cheers.

thanks Were then voted to the two Members for the
county, who severally acknowledged this mark of the con-
fidence of the county.
Thanks were also voted to the Rev. Dr. Knox and the
Rev. Dr. Joyno%
A vote of thanks was then passed unanimously to the
nigh Shelia', who briefly expressed his acknowledgment.
The meeting then gave three times three hearty cheers
for Old England, after which it separated.

Att, SAINTS, POPLAR.—On Thursday evening a
numerous meeting of the inhabitant householders. of this
parish took place at the Town-hall, and a petition to the
House of Lords, worded i❑ earnest and energetic terms,
calling upon their Lordship to pass the Bill, was unani-
mously adopted,
BIRMINGIAM.—The Council of the Political Union
have called a general meeting of inhabitants of the town
and neighbourhood, to be held in the open space at the
foot of the New Hall Hill, on Monday next. They have
invited the manufacturers to shut their workshops at ten
o'clock on the morning of that day, to enable the whole
population to attend the meeting.
lOW, MIDDLESEX.—A meeting of the inhabitants
of this parish was held on Thursday last, at which Mr. J.
K. Cheese, senior churchwarden, presided, when a peti-
tion to the House of Lords, couched in very strong but
constitutional language, imploring them to pass the Reform
Bill without delay, was moved by the Rev. Dr. Barclay,
and seconded by Mr. Alderman Scales, and unanimously
adopted.
BRIDGEWATER.—On Wednesday a public meeting
was held at the Guildhall, convened by John Evered, Esq.,
the Mayor, in compliance with a requisition most respec-
tably signed, for the purpose of adopting a petition to the
House of Lords, praying them speedily to pass the Reform
Bill. The worthy Mayor having been called to the Chair,
a series of resolutions to the above effect, and a petition
founded thereon, were unanimously agreed to. Within
twenty-four hours upwards of eight hundred names were
attached to the petition, being about double the number
of signatures which has ever been obtained to any peti-
tion from this place.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE.—The High Sheriff has de-
clined convening a county meeting for petitioning the House
of Lords on the subject of the Reform Bill.
CHEAP WARD.—Yesterday afternoon a meeting of
the inhabitants was held at the Queen's Arms Tavern,
Cheapside, Alderman Thompson, M.P., in the chair. A.
petition to the House of Lords in favour of the Reform Bill
was unanimously agreed to.
GLOUCESTER.—A numerous and respectable meet-
ing was held on Wednesday, to take into consideration the
propriety of petitioning the House of Lords on the subject
of the Reform Bill.

HERTFORD.—Yesterday a meeting of the freeholders
of the county of Hertford took place, pursuant to public no-
tice given by the High Sheriff, for the purpose of petition-
ing the House of Lords to pass the Reform Bill. The
meeting was held in Plough Mead, a field contiguous to
the town of Hertford. The number of freeholders pre-
sent, though not so large as when the county last a.s-
semb!ed to petition in favour of Reform, was still very
considerable.

HENLEY-ON-THAMES.—A public meeting of the
inhabitants of this town and neighbourhood, in compli-
ance with a requisition signed by 61 respectable househol-
ders, was held yesterday (Friday) in the Town-hall, the
Mayor in the chair, for the purpose of expressing their
sentiments by petition to the House of Lords on the Re-
form Bill, and the respectability of the attendants fully
negatived the assertion that " the country was indifferent
to the success of the Bill." Several resolutions and a pe-
tition in favour of the measure were proposed and seconded,
and the whole were passed without a single hand being
held up against them. The petition was requested to be
presented by Lord Brougham. The thanks of the meet-
ing were given to the Mayor, and also to the two popular
county Members, George Verson Harcourt, Esq., and
Major R. \Veyland, for their assiduous and persevering
attention to the progress of the Bill, whilst passing the
House of Commons. The meeting then broke up, giving
three cheers.

MONMOUTHSHIRE.—A county meeting is an-
nounced for Monday.
SOMERSET.—A requisition to the High Sheriff of
the county, requesting him to call a meeting for the pur-
pose of petitioning the House of Lords on the Reform
Bill, is in course of signature. On Wednesday, Sept. 28,
it had about 500 signatures attached to it.

ST. GEORGE, MIDDLESEX.—Last night a nu-
merous and respectable meeting of the inhabitants, house-
holders of this populous parish, was held at the George
Tavern, Commercial-road, for the purpose of petitioning
the House of Lords to pass the Reform Bill. Some most
able speeches were delivered by Messrs. Burford, Morris,
Hobbs, Schwartz, Cliff, Douglas, Saker, and other gentle-
men, and a more spirited Reform meeting has not, per-
haps, yet taken place. The utmost unanimity prevailed.
Resolutions were passed indicative of the earnest desire of
the people and the meeting for the passing of
,the Bill,
and a petition, praying the House of Lords to pass the Bill
with all possible despatch. Four cheers were given for
the King and Reform, and a groan for the Rector, the
only Anti-Reformer in the parish, who has, it seems, ren-
dered himself excessively obnoxious to the parishioners
by his peevish opposition to their views in respect to this
great measure.

TEWKESBURY.—A petition to the House of Lords
in favour of the Reform Bill having been agreed to at a
numerous meeting here on Saturday, the Tories, afraid to
meet their more liberal fellow-townsmen, have got up a
counter-petition, in a manner which out-does all former
hole-and-corner manoeuvres. This notable production
was concocted by a banker's clerk. It lies for signature
at a magistrate's office, where persons of the true prin-
ciples are whisperingly asked to repair and sign it au secret.
This petition, so got up and so signed, will doubtless be
presented by some Noble Lord or other as emanating from
the worthy inhabitants of this ancient and loyal borough
assembled at a public meeting.
WILTSHIRE.—The requisition calling this meeting
has the names of three Peers, three Baronets (singular
enough, both the Members for Westminster), and several
Members of Parliament. "In the long list of names ap-
pended to it," says the Devizes Gazette, " we find the
signatures of nearly thirty of our county Magistrates,
many of whom are descendants of the most ancient and
most influential families in Wilts, and who, until very re-
cently, have been considered as decided Anti-Reformers.
WORCESTER POLITICAL UNION.—This body
met on Monday, and unanimously resolved to petition the
Lords, praying them to pass the Reform Bill. The peti-
tion is to be presented by Lord King.
WYMONDHAM.—The inhabitants of this place have
once more distinguished themselves, by transmitting to the
Earl of Albemarle a petition, for presentation to the
House of Lords, in favour of the Reform Bill. The sig-
natures affixed to it amount to 1,068, one of the most nu-
merously and respectably signed petitions ever transmitted
from this town. It contains the signatures of many who,
a short time since, when a similar petition was
presented to the House of Commons, could not he
prevailed upon to affix their names; but on the pre-
sent occasion the inhabitants came forward as one
man, not only to record their names, but to prove their
unalterable attachment to this great and salutary measure,
and that they consider it essential to the peace arid pros-
perity of the country.
YORK.—A Reform meeting for the county will take
place on the 12th instant. The requisition for that purpose,
which is most numerously and respectably signed, appears
as an advertisement in this day's paper.
In addition to the numerous meetings noticed in our
Paper of yesterday, we find that petitions to the Lords in
favour of the Reform Bill have also been agreed to at the
following places—viz.:—
Manchester Horneastle
Deal Kirton (near Boston)
Warminster Burgh
Devizes Sutterton
Chippenham ilelpringnam
Leominster Wrangle
West- I lam' Sibsey
Romford Coningsby
Salisbury
Storehouse Iriskney
I.eake
Worcester Quadring
Penzance Wainfleet
Abergavenny Swineshead
Spalding Tattershall

Donington
Gosberton
Heckinton
Lyme Regis
Castle Carey (Somcr-
setshire)
Havering Bower
(Essex)
Wingham (Kent)
Wolverhampton
Islington
Cork
Belfast
.I.4merick, &c. &c,

Etf
-74 4314.

LONDON,
SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 1, 1831.

For at least the twentieth time we are com-
pelled to repeat that we have not space for even
one-third of the reports of the Reform meet-
ings that are of hourly occurrence throughout
the country. They are literally inexhaus-
tible, so completely is the mind of the
whole nation engrossed with the consideration
of the most momentous question that was
ever discussed in, or out of, Parliament. Not
one county alone has caught the flame of
liberty, the:entire kingdom is in ablaze. It is under
these circumstances, at a season of unparalleled
agitation, when even delay—leaving the possibility
of rejection altogether out of the question—
may be fatal, that the Reform Bill comes before
the House of Lords for discussion. What an
awful responsibility devolves in consequence on
their Lordships ! Now dreadful the agitation, or
how complete the tranquillity they have it in their
power to produce. Despite the very prevalent
rumours to the contrary, despite the lists, now
busily circulating about the metropolis, of the
majority who have pledged themselves to oppose
the Bill, we cannot believe but their Lord-
ships will do their duty, and acquiesce in the
wishes of the people. They have such tre-
mendous odds at stake, such awful warnings
held out to them in the pages of history, that
we cannot imagine the possibility of their proving,
at this, the eleventh hour, deaf to their own and
their children's interest. The army and the
navy, we can assure them, whatever their
wishes may prompt them to believe to the con-
trary, hold strong and popular opinions 00
the subject of Reform, knowing as they
do, that the success of the great measure
will ensure his just promotion to the meritorious
defender of his King and country, and rescue
him at once and for ever from the malign influence
of favouritism under which he has so long pined
in utter hopelessness. Let the boroughmongers

then reflect that not only the army and the navy,
but that the majority of men 'of all professions,
of all trades, are opposed to the longer conti-
nuance of their despotism, and resolute to up-
set it by all legitimate means.

The armistice between the LORD CHANCEL-
LOR and the Marquis of LONDONDERRY would
render it ill-timed for us to express all that oc-
curred to our minds on the occasion of the very
grotesque debate on the Belgian question. No-
thing is more notorious than that the practice of
employing foreign officers is common to every
Power in Europe ; and if there ever was a case of
necessity for such foreign assistance, it is per-
fectly clear that it exists in regard to his Belgian
MAJESTY, who has unfortunately had so ragged a
regiment hitherto to defend the liberties of his
adopted country. If it is to be the business of
this country to inquire into, and interfere with
the extent of the foreign aid enlisted in the ser-
vice of Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and other
countries of Europe, the time of our diplomatists
will be not only fruitlessly wasted, but we shall,
in the end, entangle ourselves in investigations
which, we shall ultimately be convinced, it was
no business of ours to meddle with. LEOPOLD
' has done what, there can be little question, was
advantageous for the interest of his kingdom—
namely, to engage experienced French officers
to assist him in the contest of which the pros-
pect is yet before him. The same line of con-
duct has been pursued, not only by Holland
herself, but by Russia, Prussia, and Austria,
the equally inveterate enemies of Belgium. The
Ministers of LEOPOLD have acted bona fide, with
a view to the impending necessities of the new
State, and have adopted a course for which pru-
dence, as well as reason, afford them a sufficient
warrant. Surely Lord LONDONDERRY'S diplo-
matic experience can have served him to little
purpose, if his Lordship is not ashamed of the
public ridicule that will follow his last interro-
gatories upon his eternal theme of still unsettled,
but we trust, soon tranquillized, Belgium.

An unusual number of petitions were last
night presented to the House of Lords in favour
of the Reform Bill, after which the Wine Du-
ties' Equalization Bill passed its final stage,
though not without strong opposition from the
Duke of WELLINGTON and the Earl of ABER•
DEEN. In the House of Commons the CIIAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that the
Lords' amendments to the Game Bill be adopted,
which was agreed to. The second reading of
the Bankruptcy Court Bill was postponed till
Tuesday. The Vestry Bill was committed.

We have received this morning German
Papers, from which the following are extracts.
It will be seen by them that the cholera still
rages with undiminished violence at Vienna:—

PESTI', SEr•r. 11.—His Eminence the Cardinal Prince
Primate of Hungary died yesterday at Gran, it is said of
the cholera. This prelate distinguished himself by erect-
ing at Gran, his archiepiscopal see, a magnificent cathe-
dral, which was intended to he one of the noblest edifices
in Europe ; but it is far from being completed, and who
can tell whether this vast building, which is a source of
such great expense, will he continued after his death.
VIENNA, SEPT. 19.-THE CHOLERA.-.Up to the 16th
Sept. 307 persons had been attacked, 5 recovered, 152
died, remaining 170.
SEPT. 17.—New cases, 92; recoveries, 27 ; deaths,
15 ; remaining 220.
VIENNA, SEPT. 17.—Five per Cent. Metalliques. 79;
Four per Cent. ditto, 67 13-16 ; Bank Shares, 951.
POSEN, SEPT. 21.—The Posen Gazette gives the
following details of the occuption of Kali ch by the Rus-
sian troops, which has already been mentioned :

" Pietrowski, the leader of the Polish detachment,
found no difficulty in repulsing the small detachment
of 152 cavalry, under Colonel Ratasow, left by
General Knorring, when he marched by way of
Petrikan to Krasnowice, in order to restore order in all
parts of those provinces. The Russians, however, did
not retreat till after an action, in which one staff officer,
three officers, and sixteen privates, were taken prisoners,
when they returned by way of Konin to Kolo. On being
informed of this event Lieutenant-General Knorring im-
mediately marched with his corps to Kalisch. He found
the town occupied by the Poles, and in order to prevent
useless bloodshed he acquainted the leader of these troops
with the taking of Warsaw, and the events that had taken
place there, inviting him to quit the town, and to leave
the farther decision to Field-Marshal Paskewitseh. While
the negotiations were pending the Poles thought that the
Russians would be off their guard, and having first sent an
officer to ask time for consideration, sallied out of the
barrier of Kalisch with all their cavalry at full gallop.
This faithless proceeding cost them dear, for they were re-
ceived by the Podolian cuirassiers, stationed on the causeway,
and several pieces of cannon placed near the windmills, so
that after a short action they were obliged to seek for safety
in a disorderly flight, in which they suffered severely from
the artillery in the narrow passage. Their loss amounted
to 150 killed and wounded, and 75 prisoners, among
whom are several officers, one of whom, Karski, the com-
mander of the Polish cavalry, soon after died of his
wounds. The loss of the Russian troops consisted in six
officers and 60 privates killed and wounded. As it rained
in torrents, and it was already dark, General Knorring
delayed a formal attack till the following day. The Poles,
however, took advantage of the night quickly to evacuate
Kalisch, which was again occupied by the Russians on
the 14th. The principal part of General Knorring'a
corps is encamped near Kalisch.
FRANKFORT, SEPT. 23.—Her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Hanover on the 18th,
with the Princess Augusta, in good health, on their re-
turn from London.