The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-21 00:00:00

FRENCH CLAIMS.

Mr. MACKINNON gave notice that he should move
for a Morning Sitting on Thursday next, to consider the sub-
ject of the French claims.
FACTORIES BILL.

Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the factory
labourers of Tewkesbury and Barnsley, praying the House
to pass the Ten Hours' Bill. The Hon. Member also
presented a petition from Joseph Fielding, schoolmaster of
Middleton, praying the House to protect the public in those
cases wherein persons were supposed to die from one cause,
but in reality from the practice of medical men.—(A
laugh.) The petitioner prayed that when a person
died under doubtful circumstances, and under the
operation of a medical man, the medical practitioner him-
self may not conduct the examination. The Bill which
he had before the House would remedy this evil, if his
Majesty's Ministers would allow it to pass this session.
LAND LOOM WEAVERS.

Lord D. STE WART presented a petition from 900
land loom weavers of Kilmarnock, complaining of distress,
and praying the House to pass some measure of relief.
The Hon. Member also presented a petition to the same
effect from Pollockshawes, in Renfrewshire.
SOUTH LONDON CEMETERY.

Mr. HARVEY brought up the Report of the South
Metropolita❑ Cemetery.
Mr. POTTER begged to know if the necessary amend-
ments had been made in the Bill ?
Mr. HARVEY replied in the affirmative.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.

Mr. BAINES had to complain of a very serious
grievance which every Member of the House must have
felt.

SPEAKER inquired if the Hon. Member had any
specific motion to make ?
Mr. BAINES intended to give notice of a motion.
The SPEAKER—Then the Hon. Member will please
to state what it is ?—(A laugh.)
Mr. BAINES would have been very glad to state his rea-
sons, but they were too well known. His motion was,
to prevent the necessary interruption of the business
of Parliament from forty Members not being present when
the Speaker takes the chair, that a quarter of an hour be
allowed in order to assemble the suitable number of Mem-
bers ; and that when it is observed that the proper number
of Members are not present, then a quarter of an hour be
allowed before the House is counted out. He begged to
give that notice for Tuesday next.
Mr. ROBINSON gave notice that on Tuesday the ?6th
instant, he should present a petition from the underwriters
and others interested in the wreck of his Mjesty's ship .
The dropped Orders of yesterday were read over for
the purpose of being fixed for other days.
Mr. WAKLEY complained of the non-attendance of
the Members of the Government yesterday, there being
only two present, and hoped they would condescend to state
when they would have a House on Wednesday ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought
the rain was much more to blame than the Government
for there being no House.—(Hear and laughter.) He
was as much disappointed as any one, for he had a notice
on the books, and though it was not a Government Bill, he
was very anxious to get on with it. He was, therefore, one
of those unhappy persons who were suffering from the non-
attendance of Members.
STAMP DUTIES BILL.

Mr. ROBINSON said the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had promised that he would then be able to inform the
House, whether it was his intention to proceed with any
other part of the Stamp Duties Bill than that part of it
which related to Newspapers. It would be very conve-
nient for the House to know what course it was intended
to take with regard to it.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sail
he did not think that he would be enabled to pass the whole
of the Bill during the present Session. There were certain
parts of it, however, which he thought it would be his
duty to endeavour to carry into a law this session.
Mr. WALTER said he had a very important petition
to present, and he hoped he would be allowed to do so then.
The SPEAKER said it was now 5 o'clock, and the
Hon. Member could not present a petition so late.
Mr. WALTER said he had given notice of his intention
to present it on reading the Order of the Day.
The SPEAKER said if the Hon. Member were allowed
to present his petition now, other members might claim the
same liberty, and they would never get into public business.
AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEE.
Lord DARLINGTON wished to know from the
Noble Lord opposite (Howick) whether this Committee in-
tended to report this Session ? He had heard with
no less regret than astonishment, that the Com-
mittee had come to the conclusion not to make a report.
He was sure if this were the case, that the agri-
cultural community would feel extreme dissatisfaction.
He wished also to hear whether, as it was not intended to
make a report, any motion would be brought forward so as
to lead to a general discussion of the subject, so that the
public might be informed of the reasons that had prevented
the Committee from making a report ?
Lord HO WICK, as the question had been put to
him, had no hesitation in saying that it was certainly
a matter of no less surprise to him, to hear that the
Gentlemen of the Committee were not prepared to adopt a
report.—(Hear, hear.) The motion to this effect had been
by the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Cumberland
(Sir James Graham), and seconded by the Noble Lord
the Member for Buckinghamshire (Lord Chandos). The
members of the Government were perfectly prepared to
discuss the proposition of a report which had been made by
his Hon. Friend the Member for Hampshire (Mr. Le-
fevre) ; in deference, however, to the opinions of those
Gentlemen immediately connected with the agricultural in-
terests upon the Committee, they (the Government) ac-
quiesced in the strong desire that was expressed that there
should be no opinion whatever reported.—(Cheers) He would
take that opportunity of stating that, previous to this con-
clusion being adopted, he had ventured to state his sur-
prise that in a Committee of 25 persons present (IS being
county Members), not one of them took any interest in
bringing forward any proposal for discussion with a view
to relief. If, therefore, the Noble Lord (Darlington)
felt disappointed, for that disappointment the members of
the Government on the Committee were not responsible.—
(Loud cheers.)
Sir J. GRAHAM said that as he had been alluded to
personally by the Noble Lord, he felt it due to himself to
state how the facts really stood. The Noble Lord had
entered into disclosures of the reasons given by individual
members of a Select Committee, and of the conduct of in-
dividual members.

Mr. H AWES rose to order. If this discussion were
continued, any Member of the House who entertained
opinions opposite to those of the Right Hon. Baronet
would, he hoped, have an opportunity of stating them.
Sir J. GRAHAM claimed a right to be heard in expla-
nation of what had fallen from the Noble Lord (Howick).
It was not possible to conceive a subject of greater im-
portance to the country than this, at the time the motion
for a Committee was made. By whom was that motion
made ? By the Noble Lord, the Secretary of State for
the Home Department. Did the Government undertake
the management of the agency ? When a similar inquiry
was instituted during the Government of Earl Grey, aCabinet
Minister presided over it, and it was carried on under the
control of the executive Government. What was done on
this occasion ? Did any Membei of the Government take
the chair ? and did the Members of the Government on the
Committee give a constant attendance during the progress
of the inquiry ? The chair was filled by an Honourable
Member who supported the Government, but he was

not connected with them ; and as to attendance, a note
had been taken of every day's attendance, and by that
it would appear what the attendance of the Members

of the Government had been. ThO Noble Lord (Howick)
said that the Member ' the _ Government had
acq&ieseed in there beit
No* Lord himself did , . -
sie , but he appealed 'o the other •'i • ,
(the Committee, as ,en the course pur-
sued by the Noble LI 'y of State for the
Home Department.—(Lord J. Russell.) He asked whether
any Member of the Committee commented in more sovere
terms on the proposal that a report should be made than
the Noble Lord (Russel) It was, therefore, with astonish-
ment that he heared from the Noble Lord ( Howick) that the
members of tlxovernment had barely acqu:eseed in there
being no report,,—(Loud cheers.) He understood the
Noble Lord himself (Howick) that nothing would induce
him to agree to the report proposed, but that there was
a report o another description which he favoured. The
Right Hon. Baronet sat down amid cries of " Move, move."
Sir J. GRAHAM—Sir, I move that the other Orders
of the Day be now read.—(Cheers.)
The Marquis of CHAT DOS said that he had opposed
this report, and he had done so believing that if the
arr 4 report had gone before the countr. as it existc.d_before the
Committee, it wgtl alifhqv''e nio farm to the farmer
than any one could posiibly eke e, If there was any
blame in doing so he would take upon himself the whole of it.
Mr. S. LEFEVRE was sure there was every en-
deavour on the part of the Committee to sift every ques-
tion of agricultural distress. He had himself taken
every pains upon the subject, his only object being
that every person connected with agriculture, who had
any thing to complain should have their complaints sifted.
With respect to this unfortunate Report, all he could say
was, that it was framed with an honest conviction that it
was supported by the evidence adduced. He might be
right or wrong ; but he certainly thought if the Committee
had done him the honour to go on with the Report, every
paragraph in it would have been supported by evidence. No
one had a greater interest in the property of the farmer
than he had ; but the great mischief, in his opinion, was
that the farmer's had never been told what their real inte-
rest was. They had been taught to place great dependence
upon the Corn. Laws, and such things—( Hear, hear)—and
therefore it was that he was anxious to disclose to the
farmer that they must not look solely to Parliament for a
redress of their grievance, but to their landlords—(Cheers)
—who should reduce their rents.—(Continued cheers,
and cries of " Hear.") He really thought that any report
to be satisfactory to the House or the public should have
been unanimously agreed to by the Committee.—(Cheers.)
It was his belief that it was not in the power of the Le-
gislature to do the farmer any great good, and he hoped
ere long they would be convinced of that.
Mr. HUME said the Committee was moved, at the-
earnest and anxious desire of the country gentlemen
on the other side of the House.—(Cheers.) And if a
Committee was to be appointed on so important a
question—the Government were right in acceding to the
request. He was glad to hear that it had ended as it had ;
it was nothing more than he expected.—(Cheers-) But
with respect to the statements of the Noble Marquis he
would tell him that the parts of the evidince he had seen,
instead of supporting, destroyed his case altogether.—
(Cheers.) The labouring man was now in a better condi-
tion than he was before, or had been for many years.
The great object of the Noble Lord was to take taxation
off the landed interest. Why, what taxation did they
bear?—(Cheers.) None, except for a few horses, and so
on.---(Cheers.) The landed interest did not pay one-fourth
of the taxes that other members of the community did.—
(Cheers.) He differed with the Noble Marquis on the
point of allowing the evidence to go forth to the public ; he
wished it to do so, because he was sure it would make a
case against the Noble Lord.—(Cheers.)
Mr. E. DENNISON said the real question before the
Committee was not whether they should agree to the report
of the Chairman, but whether they should agree to any
report at all. The course pursued was before the Chair-
man's report was considered, and the motion made that
it should be taken into consideration, the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet, in order to save the time of the Committee, as he
stated, said he would state his opinion on the subject, and
on that motion he was seconded by the Noble Lord op-
posite.

Sir C. 13. VERE thought it was the bounden duty of
the Government or the House to draw a Report from this
Committee. After agricultural distress had been so uni-
versally acknowledged—after the Legislature had been
called upon by the Government to inquire into the nature
and the causes of the distress—it certainly would be considered
most strange that the Government had not taken any pains
had not taken any step to induce the Committee to have
laid some Report upon the table of the House. What, or
to whom, were the agricultural body to look if they were so
deserted by the Government and by that House--they
will enquire how it happened, and the conclusion they
must come to will be a very disheartening one.—
( Hear, hear, hear.) The Report which had been
drawn up could never have been sanctioned by the agricul-
tural body, it was preposterous. It was now said that the
evidence was to be communicated to that body, but what
possible satisfaction could that give them ? As the present
Government refused to do justice as their duty by that
body, lie hoped he would soon see another Goverutment
in their places, who would do so.
Mr. WAKLEY could not allow the statements which
had been made with regard to the welfare of the labourers
to go forth without enquiring whether any labourers had
been called before the Committeee ; and if so, from what
county were they selected.
Several Hon. Members rose, but there was a general
cry for—
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, who said he was sorry that
he had not been present at the commencement of the dis-
cussion, for he felt bound to afford such explanation
as was in his power, after what had fallen from the
Hon. Baronet opposite. The case stood thus—the Noble
Lord, the Member for the county of Buckingham. had
given notice of his intention of moving for a Committee to
enquire into the causes of Agricultural Distress. The
Government thought that from the many complaints which
had been made of distress from the owners of land, but
more particularly from the occupiers, it was fit that
a Committee should be appointed at the same
time in proposing that Committee, he did not state that
there was any permanent measure of relief which could be
pointed out by such a Committee, but that certain burdens,
such as county rates and poor rates, they might inquire
and point out whether those measures lately passed by the
Legislature had been beneficial in their operation. The
Committee had prosecuted its inquiries with great dili-
gence. He had said in Committee it would be unwise
to put any fetters on the inquiries of. the Committee,
and the consequence was that he believed the Committee
went into an inquiry more extended than the Committee of
1833 had done. At the conclusion of their labours, but at
the same time while there were a sufficient number of the
Members of the Committee still in attendance, his Hon.
Friend the Chairman of the Committee proposed the draft
of a Report. That draft of the Report was communicated
to him, along with other Members of the Committee. A
meeting of the Committee was summoned to consider it,
and at that meeting not less than 25 Members of the Com-
mittee attended, of whom 18 were Members for counties.
chiefly representing agricultural districts. He had gone to
the Committee, in the expectation that the draft Report
was to be considered point by point, and he was then
ready to give his opinion upon every sentence of
it.—( Hear, hear.) To his great astonishment he found
the Chairman of the Committee of 1833, his Right Hon.
Friend (the Member for Cumberland) proposing to the Com-
mittee that the whole report should be suppressed, that not a
word of it should be taken into consideration, but
that a Resolution should be passed, saying that they
should report only the evidence. He had thought
that that was rather extraordinary, but his surprise was
lessened, and his opinion was certainly a good deal changed,
when the Noble Lord the Member for Buckinghamshire
seconded that proposition.—( Cheers.) He was astonished
to find that not only was it proposed to suppress that Report,
but that those who had been calling out for months,
not only for months, but for years.—(Hear, hear.) With
respect to the distress of the agriculturists, he had no
proposal to make—(Cheers)—had no definite remedy
to propose upon Agricultural Distress.—(Renewed cheers.)
He had stated to the Committee it was his wish
they should give their opinion with respect to the
Poor Laws, and the new Poor Law Bill was
in operation. that they should give their opinion with
respect to a remedy regarding tithes, and that it was his
wish likewise, that they should come to some opi-
nion or other with respect to the question of
the currency, which had been much inquired into by that
Committee. He had declared himself ready to enter into those
questions, and that he would endeavour to make his opinions
prevail, but if his opinions did not prevail, he
was ready to say the Committee agreed to a re-
port stating the opinions of the majority of
that Committee. Under these circumstances, he did say the
Government were not responsible that the Committee had not
come to any other result. His Noble Friend had stated that
the Committee not coming to any other report, nega-
tived the statements that had been made with re-
gard to agricultural distress, and the remedies that
had been proposed.—(Hear.) He concurred in that
opinion.—(Cheers.) The result of the whole was, that
admitting, as he must do, the distress that had
existed for some years among the occupiers of land,
a distress which he had always lamented, but which

he hoped was now diminishing, that it was'noi by a change
in the currency, that it was not by a repeal of the Malt Tax,
that it was not by any specific measure that Parliament could
apply that that agricultural distress could be relieved.
He had not been forward in calling himself an advocate
of the agricultural interest—(Hear, hear.)—he had not
been forward in summoning meetings of farmers—(Hear,
hear, hear)—he had not been forward in saying that

one party was the friend of the agricultural interest.—
as a member of the Administration,
,assing a Bill that wotld prevent abuses.
administration of the Poor Laws, and
would benefit the agriculturists.
hoped that the fact of the Committee

port would not be considered as a
proof that great distress did not exist. He
thought that the Committee were not doing their
duty in separating without making a Report.--(Loud
cheers.) The farmers throughout the country could not
spare time to wade through the whole or the evidence, and
therefore the Committee ought at best to have drawn up a
summary.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir R. PEEL, as a Member of the Committee, thought
it necessary to say a few words. When the Committee
was appointed, he gave a reluctant assent. He gave an as-
sent to it upon these express terms. He knew that
distress prevailed in many parts of the country, and he
knew what were the feelings of those who witnessed that dis-
tress, and who were suffering from it., he therefore acceded to
this inquiry upon this single ground, that it might
in some degree reconcile the parties to endure the distress
that could not be remedied. He could not con-
ceal from himself the fact that the only public
tax bearing directly upon the agricultural interest
to any important amendment was the Malt Tax. That
was a subject of so much importance, connected as it was
with the whole financial concerns of the country that he
felt satisfied the House would reserve to itself a deliberate
judgment upon it, and would not take the report of a
Committee with respect to its reduction.—(Hear, hear,
and loud - cheers.) He was not disappointed that
the Committee had not agreed upon a report. He was
sure that his Honourable Friends would naturally
feel surprised at the absence of a report, but he was
equally sure that their surprise and disappointment were
comparatively small to that which they would have felt if
the Committee had presented a Report.

LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The Lord CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
at five o'clock.

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.

A Message from the Commons brought up the Hunger-
ford and Lambeth Suspension Bridge Bill and the Swansea
Harbour Bill.

TREMONTHA RAILWAY HARBOUR.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY laid on the table
the Report of the Committee on the Tremontha Railway
Harbour Bill.

The Bishop of EXETER presented a petition from
Northumberland against the appropriation of the revenues
of the See of Durham.

also a petition from the Provincial Synod of Aberdeen, ex-
pressing their strong objection to the Scotch Universities
Bill ; and a petition praying that the interests of the Church
of England might be preserved in any measure introduced
for the regulation of marriages, from the Archdeaconry of
Exeter.

Viscount MELBOURNE presented petitions from con•
gregations of Protestant Dissenters praying for the redress
of grievances.

SEE OF DURHAM.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented peti-
tions from Hartlepool, Stockton-upon-Tees, South Shields,
and about twenty other places in the e*O-iristy of Durham,
against any appropriation of the revenues of the See
Durham. The Noble Marquis then presented a petition
from the Clergy of the Diocese of Durham, to which he
begged to call the serious attention of the House. The
petitioners who comprized all the working*Clergy of the
Dioceses, prayed that any surplus revenues which
might arise from the new arrangement relative to
that See, would be appropriated to local purposes.
He regretted that the Noble Duke (Cleveland) was
not in his place, that he might hear what his opinions upon
that subject were, so far as the first Report of the
Church Commissioners went, he did not find that it went
to the extent of abstracting the whole revenues of a dio-
cese from local purposes, although it certainly did recom-
mend the appointment of two new Bishops. In the
second report the amount to be abolished from each
Bishopric was stated, but in three eases the Commissioners
had appropriated the surplus to local purposes. He com-
plained, however, that in the case of Durham, the entire
surplus amounting to a sum of 41,000/. was to be
taken away from that country.---(Hear, hear.) The
Noble Marquis then entered into some statistical
details relative to the diocese of Durham, for the purpose
of showing that the spiritual wants of the people were un-
attended to, and that they also required a sum to be set
apart for their education, there being upwards of 23,000
children now without the means of education, a great portion
of whom had been educated at the expense of the late
Bishop. The Noble Marquis concluded by moving for the
appointment of a Select Committee, to whom should be
referred the petition from the county of Durham,
and the statements of the clergy of that diocese, and
to report whether it would not be expedient to make
further i iquiries previous to appropriating any portion of
its revenues, and to delay any legislative measure on the
tul)jett till next Session.

After a few words from the Archbishop of CANTERBURY;
Lord MELBOURNE rose, and was

LEFT SPEAKING,

REPORT from SELECT COMMITTEE

ON LONDON AND DUBLIN ROADS.

Ordered,—That a Select Committee be appointed to in-
quire into the existing communication between London and
Dublin, and to consider what improvement could be made
therein :—And a Committee was appointed of—
Mr. O'Connell. Sir Love Jones Parry.
Mr. Shaw. Mr. Williams Wynn.
Mr. E wart. Mr. Ormsby Gore.
Captain Paget. Mr. William Crawford.
Mr. Edward John Stanley. Mr. Thomas Attwood.
Mr. Jervis. Sir Henry Parnell.
Mr. Lloyd Mostyn. Lord Viscount Clive.
...

Mr. Assiieton
Ordered,—That the Committee have power to send fcr
persons, papers, and records.
Ordered—That five be the quorum.
REPORT.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the exist-
ing communication between London and Dublin, and to
consider what improvement could be made therein, and to
whom two petitions from Brecon and Cardigan were re-
ferred, have considered the matters referred to them,
and agreed to the following resolutions :
Resolved—That the Chairman be directed to move the
House, That an humble Address be presented to his Ma-
jesty, requesting that his Majesty will be graciously pleased
to direct that an immediate survey be made of the harbours
of Liverpool, Holyhead, and Port Dynllaen, and of such
other points on the western coast of England and Wales as
may appear suitable for a direct communication between
London and Dublin, so as to ascertain the respective qua-
lifications and capacities of improvement of each as a packet
harbour between Dublin and London, and also as a har-
bour of refuge for the trade passing up and down the Irish
Channel, with a view to such surveys being laid before
Parliament.

Resolved—That the Chairman be directed to move the
House. That an humble Address be presented to his Ma-
jesty, requesting that his Majesty will be graciously pleased
to direct a survey to be made of the country intermediate
between Holyhead, and also between Port Dynllaen har-
bours, and also between such other ports as may appear
upon such surveys desirable as such packet station, and the
nearest railroads already sanctioned by Parliament, with
the view of ascertaining and reporting the best and most
convenient line of railway communication between Dublin
and London.

SALE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE
LATE BARRY O'MEARA, ESQ.

SECOND DAY.—Tuesday morning the sale of the highly
interesting and varied effects of this Gentleman was re-
sumed, at his residence, No. 16, Cambridge-terrace, Edg-
ware-road, by Mr. George Robins. The rooms of the
house were, as on the previous day, crowded with the elite
of the neighbourhood, and with the same sprinkling of Jew
brokers as heretofore.

Mr. ROBINS, after a few general prefatory observations,
proceeded to submit to sale the Lots enumerated as pre-
sents, relics, and curiosities._ _

Lot 1. A magnificent Turkish sabre, with a real Da-
mascus blade and chased handle—which, Mr. Robins
stated, had been worn by Napoleon in Egypt, who pre-
sented it to his brother, Prince Louis, by whom it was given
to Mr. O'Meara, and which, therefore, must be considered
as a most important and curious relic. This lot was
knocked down for 15 guineas.

2. A richly chased silver-gilt snuff-box, with curiously
engraved entablatures ; 211. 2s.
5. A most exquisitely carved full-length ivory miniature
of Napoleon, standing on a plinth, which represents a beau-
tifully raised carving of his tomb at St. Helena--61.65.
29. A beautiful Pontifical ring, consisting of an ame-
thyst set in gold, on which is engraved in relief the head of
Christ, and presented to Mr. O'Meara by Cardinal Fesch,
who, it is said, considered it the most costly curious relic in
his possession-121. Is. Gd. _

33. A tooth of Napoleon Bonaparte, extracted by Mr.
O'Meara at St. Helena-71. 17s. Gd.
34. The instrument with which the tooth wa3 extracted—.
31. 3s.

The sale will terminate to-morrow, when the paintings,
arms, armour, and wines, presents at different times from
Napoleon and his family to the late possessor, will be dis-
posed of. Several of the " Swell Mob" were in atten-
dance ; but owing to the timely caution of Mr. Robins at
the commencement of the auction; their efforts were, as it
wa4 understood, rendered ineffectual.

THE PORT UfIaJESE ELECTORAL

-SY6-r_EAL

The system which exists here is simpile
eno u
mass of the inhabitants of each parish elect de2e,gates in the
h. he
ratio of one to each 1,000 houses : a parish 0t'2,000 re-
turning two delegates ; 3,000, three delegates, and so on. The
delegates, thus elected Ly the various parishes into which'
each province is divided, assemble in the capital of the
province, and elect the whole number of members allotted
to that province, which is in the proportion of ono
deputy to twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Thus the
city of Lisbon alone elects forty-six delegates, who,
together with those chosen by the various rural dis-
tricts, will meet here to elect twenty members for the pro-
vince of Estremadura. The qualification for the first body
of Electors is the possession of 100 milrees, 251. per
annum, or 10s. per week, arising from real property, ca-
pital, industry, trade, or any public office. It is partizularly
stated, that by industry is to be understood employment
both in the liberal professions, and in the mechanic arts,
" A industria se entende ser tanto a das artes liiieraes,
como a das artes mechanicas." With the exception of
minors, sons who, though not minors, are living under the
paternal roof, certain classes of religions orders, hired ser-
vants, and those disqualified by criminal sentence, or phy-
sical or moral capacity, it may be said that every Portu-
guese citizen in possession of 10s.- a week has a vote for the
delegate of his parish. By this extensive constituency,
therefore, the parochial delegates are chosen. Now what are
the qualifications of the parochial delegates ofthis middle class,
who have to elect the representatives-of the country ?-0e
qualification is just double that of the primary constituency',
200 milrees per annum, i. e. four milrees, or 11. per week,
is the qualification required for each of the forty-six dele-
gates which Lisbon will shortly appoint, and which will no
less decide the whole election of the Estremadura. The
only thing that remains is the qualification for deputies,
which, again, is just twice that • for the immediate consti-
tuency, the parochial delegates being 400 milrees, or 1001.
per annum. The revenue of the delegate and of the de-
puty is derivable from the same sources as that of the paro-
chial elector, and the only exclusion is, that with respect to
deputies naturalized foreigners are not eligible.
In looking at this system we perceive an electoral body
more democratic than that of England--while the Deputies
are eligible upon a qualification of the lowest value ; and to
this it must be added, that during the sitting of the Cortes
they receive a fixed sum to defray their expenses. It may,
indeed, be said that the indirect mode of election, by
placing a kind of middle class between the mass of the
population and the Deputy, corrects an undue force which
the system might otherwise give to numbers as compared
with property. But, perhaps, when we consider the qua-
lification of this class, and consider that we have to elect,
not in assemblies of three, or five, or seven, like the delegates
of the Scotch United borough-;under the old system,one or two
members for a town or county, but assembling in large
numbers_ to elect the Deputies for a whole province, we may,
perhaps, come to the conclusion that there is very little,
if any, check given to the democratic working of the
system, while this wholesale mode of election must do
away with those influences of neighbourhood, of personal
respect, and of property, which, however they may be is
sonic instances carried to too great an extent, in England
are, nevertheless, not without salutary effects in their
general and most frequent operation. Another result
of this system is, that those separate interests which are
represented in England are unrepresented here. We have
only to consider this system transferred to England. Make
a province of the metropolis and its surrounding counties,
and instead of the cities of London and Westminster, and
the boroughs of Marylebone and the Tower Hamlets,
&c. &c., having their interests represented, whilst the
people of Kent, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, and their towns
are also represented, imagine them swamped into one
great mass, returning forty or fifty Members chosen in the
way I have stated ; and when we consider that they receive
pay, and have only a nominal qualification, we may form a
pretty good estimate of the working of this system in a
country where political knowledge is so greatly in arrear,
and where that accumulated mass of capital and general
diffusion of affluence, which, without any qualification,
would probably suffice to correct and give stability to anY
system in England, are not to be found. When people,
wonder how the Constitution of England survives amid
the wreck of their more gaudy but less solid structures,
they do not see the ballast that she carries. I have only
further to add, that both parties are confident of a majority,
and a short time will decide this important question.

On Thursday the annual meeting of hop-growers
took place at Lower Hardres, near Canterbury. The muster
was strong, several of the large planters of the neighbourhood
being present. The duty was laid at 250,0001., and an opi"
nion extensively prevailed that if the season continued equally
favourable as at the present time, the duty would exceed
300,0001.
SAGACITY OF A HORSE.—The feJlowing all but
incredible instance of animal sagacity is found in the Plymouth
Chronicle of last Saturday :—As a man was driving a cart'
loaded with lime, from the kiln near Deadman's Bay to Co
side, the lime set fire to the cart. The man, to save his pro-
perty, with great promptitude tilted the lime into the road, and
hastened back to the beach at Deadman's Bay, where he drove
his horse into the water and extinguished the flames, but tho
cart coming into contact with a heap of stones laying under
water, turned over, and precipitated the driver into the see;
A man and boy seeing the accident, instantly put off in an oh!
leaky boat, standing on the shore ; but when they arrived at
the spot, the driver had just hank for the third time. Neither
of the parties could swim, but the man in the boat seeing 01
body about three feet under water, with great presence
mind fixed his leg under the thwart, and by throwing his aro°
and shoulders over, succeeded in catching the poor fellow by
the hair of his head, and held him on while the boy sculled 013
shore, the boat by this time being nearly full of water. May
while the horse, in his alarm, had made seaward with the carts
and he was given up for lost, when, strange as it may seeol4
another horse standing on the beach, with harness on, who 101
been attentively surveying the scene, plui;ged into the watep
and made after his friend in distress, whom Le soon overtoo!t;
and applying his mouth to the affrighted animal's ears, 110,
seemed to whisper something; he then turned about,
loudly to encourage his companion, when the latter also turtle,.
and followed his gallant leader to the beach, where they botP
arrived in safety.
Sunday morning, during the reading of the morning
service in the parish church of Preston, and just whet' tbtl
minister (the Rev. T. Clark) had finished the second lessottf
a noise was heard by that part of the congregation in the bodt
of the church as if of the falling of a portion of the rob
which was in fact the case, part of the ceiling in the soot
gallery having come down with considerable force ; this be!3o
followed with some screaming by the Sunday-school childrfe
who are placed in that gallery, and a general bustle of t!1,9
hearers up stairs to make the best of their way down. P,
those persons who were below had no means of ascertainict
the extent of the danger, a general panic prevailed, and manic
ruddy countenances turned pale as death. The aisles Vt
choked up, and the more nimble of the gentlemen did not
make their egress by the regular way—the pow door---buf
strided over the sides of the seats; and so great a sensel9c
danger prevailed, that husbands (who ought to be of the Me!,
use in such an emergency) very ungallantly left their farnilien
to scramble out by themseves. Meanwhile, some gentleol,ao
in the gallery, who, by this time, had seen the extent of t"
danger, called out to those in the centre of the church to roe
main in their seats. The minister also re-echoed the sam.
advice, and, after a short time, many of them returned to tbell
places, and remained during the service; others, however, b°'
came so agitated and afraid that they went home. It is forth'
nate that the alarm did not occur during the evening lecture"
as the consequences would, in all probability, have been ver.'
serious, and most likely attended with loss of life.—Preston
Pilot.

HIGHLANDS.—It is worthy of remark that, sine
the new Post-office arrangement, a person may dine in Edin'
burgh one day and breakfast in Inverness the next. His din'
ner hour must not be quite so fashionable as that of Beall
Brummell, who amused the audience in Covent-garden theatr,
one night by calling out to a person in the opposite box, rt
tween the play and farce, " Where do you dine to-day ?" I,eb
it need not be quite so early as that of Queen Elizabeth, viin't
was exactly at noon. The mail coach leaves Edinburgh „I`f
four o'clock in the afternoon, passes through the fair 60';
Perth, and journeying on during the night, arrives in Invert
ness by half-past ten the following morning. Commerceo
men may thus, after completing their business in the Moder l,
Athens in one day, throw themselves into the mail, and be 1
the heart of the Highlands next day, in excellent time to Or%
mcnce operations in Inverness. This rapidity of movement Ile
a public vehicle so far north, would have seemed improbah,
twenty years ago, and sixty years since would have been Pro
nounced impossible.—lnverness Courier.
CROPS.—The accounts from most parts of Irelo,
concur in representing the appearance of the grain crops:,
very favourable, particularly wheat. We regret to add, hc.)
ever, that there has been an extensive failure in many distric
in the potato crop.
On removing; the western wall of the old Rollol3,
theatre, lately at'Lillebonne, in the Seine Inferieur, a se nuo
circular wall raised without any cement, of the calcareeo
stone of the country, was discovered extending to about, ;t
feet. The stones had evidently formed part of some ancli.
building erected for funeral purposes, as 25 of them are 11_,°01
lowed into rude forms for depositing the ashes of person em
low condition. There are no inscriptions upon any of t
tor,
except four, upon which are the names Mecacus, 5en,.200
Horatilla, and Aprona. Among them were other stones %job
the banks of St. Leu, covered with sculpture, and woe
must have formed parts of rich and important tombs. oof
seem to represent members of families with the emblenlo a
death, and are ornamented with palms and other foliage ,iieb
bold and free style, and some traces of the colours with vr'o of
they have been painted are to be seen. From the reinal9,4o
an inscription on one of the stones, it appears to have 1;7;0
erected to the memory of Marcianus by his father. Tti!ds.
must have been erected at a very early period, as its 10" ed to
tion was laid upon a primitive stratum.. It is suPF°5 f the
have been the work of the times of the first irruptions 0_ or
barbarians, about the period of the decline of the Roman_ be
pire in this country. There valuable fragments are,roolt tposited in the Museum of Antiquities at Rome..--•-c1
aper.

iabers of the Government has (Cheers.) ,But .he,
ing'l6
,had succeeded; in pa:
d object o . -,,rexpect to the
Lto him, and to the Other Y7= uc that
Nti*l to what had been the course pur N'-,%G0-11.E`- .
Lord.theSecretary of State for the not making a rei