The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-19 00:00:00

. .
Sir GEORGE GREY was understood to s,,y that
the subject %%ould be r••err..c.l to 3 ::elect Commictee.
FRENCH HOSPI TAL :VT I'OR .NIAHON.
Mr. BOR IHWICK was deLirous to put Es qu,,slion to
the 6,cret,,ry of State for Foreign Affairs, on the sub-
ject of an ullrged arrangement be-twenn the Govt rn
merits (A France and Sp an, by which a French military
hospital and a store of coal are said to have been esta-
blished in Port
(LEFT !PEAKING.)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
HOME CHWUlT.—Maidstone, March IS.
CROWN COURT;a4 Before Chief Justice WILDE.)
Joseph Erall, 28, formerly the clerk to the board of guar-
dians of the Tenterden Union, was indicted for feloniously
embezzling various sums of money to a large amount, the
property of the guardians, his masters; and he was also
charged upon several other indictments with forging accept-
ances to bills of exchange to the amount of 5011., with in-
tent to defraud a lady named Edwards.
Mr. Horne appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Charnock
defended the p harrier.
At the sitting of the Court the prisoner p!eadt d "Not
Guilty," but he subsequently retracted that plea and pleaded
" Guilty " to two of the indictments fur forgery.
Mr. L'HARNOCK addressed the Court and said, that having
looked over the depositions., he felt it would be hopeless to
attempt to struggle with the evidence in support of the
charges against the prisoner, and he therefore considered
that it would not be proper for him unnecessarily to occupy
the time of the Court, especially having regard to the pres-
sure of the business before it, by attempting to make a de-
fence when lie felt assured that only one result could be ar-
rived at. He begged to say, however, on behalf of the
prisoner, that having filled the office of clerk to the board of
guardians between six and seven years, there could be no
doubt that before this unfortunate transaction lie had borne
a high character for integrity, and Ire could also state that
it did not appear that the money obtained by the prisoner
had been squandered away in any debauchery or extrava-
gance; but it seemed that the prisoner was exceedingly fond
of philosophical pursuits,-..arul had a great love of science,
and in pursuing these objects be had expended considerable
sums in purchasing expensive mathematical and other instru-
ments. Ire aduition,he was instructed that the prisoner had an
aged mother and a sister, who was a cripple, entirely de-
pendent on him for suport. The Learned Counsel concluded
by stating that he felt he had no defence to make to the
charge, and he must leave the prisoner in the hands of the
Court, trusting, under all the circumstances, his Lordship
would pass as lenient a sentence as he considered would sa-
tisfy the justice of the country.
His LORDSHIP said he would look over the depositions,
and consider what judgment ought to be pronounced.
William Piety, 39, and Abet Harsman, 33, were indicted
for a robbery, with violence, upon James Pearson.
Mr. Deedes and Mr. Rose prosecuted, and Mr. Mellor de-
fended, the prisoners.
It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutor is a
farmer residing in the neighbourhood of Tenterden, and on
the 12th of February he was returning home from market,
on foot, accompanied oy another fanner, named Avann, when
they were attacked by five men, who used considerable vio-
lence toward • them, and the prosecutor was robbed of a 51.
note, his watch, and some gold and silver money. The men
all got away, but they were traced to Canterbury- and other
places, and the prisoners were soon afterwards apprehended,
when they were identified, and part of the stolen property
was traced to their possession.
The jury convicted both the prisoners, and Piety, who had
been before convicted of felony, was sentenced to be trans-
ported for fifteen, and the other for ten years.

MIDLAND CLUCUIT.—I.erby, March 18.
(Before Mr. Justice PATTESON. )
James Cross, aged 54, was placed at the bar, charged with
the wilful murder of Ann Cross, his wife.
➢ir. Sergeant Clarke and Sir. Hildyard conducted the case
for the prosecution, and Mr. Macauley appeared on the part
of the prisoner.

The prisoner lived with his wife in Osborn-court, St. Peter's-
street, Derby. He had formerly been a gardener, and being
esteemed clever at his business he had been employed by
some of the most influential men in the county. Some years
back he showed an aberration of intellect, and was under
confinement, and just before the transaction in question he
had only recovered from
.14,serions illness. In December
last loud screams were heard, as though in the prisoner's
house. He had two daughters in shops in the town, and on
the day in question one of the daughters called at her father's
house. She sat with him for some time, and then expressed a
wish to see her mother, whom she understood was up stairs.
She was proceeding to go there, when her father interfered
to prevent her. Upon this the daughter went to the house
of one Mrs. Osborn, living in the same court, and told her
that her father would not let her go up stairs. Mrs. Osborn
went with the daughter to the house of Cross, and through
her interference she gut up stairs, and there found her poor
mother lying on the bed with her throat cut, the floor being
covered with blood. The poor girl ran down stairs scream-
ing, and there found her father in the act of stabbing Mr..
Osborn with a pruning-knife, whil,t she was defending her
self as well as she could. Mrs. Osborn on that occasion re-
ceived many injuries, and her lite is even now despaired of.
It would-seem there was no doubt the man was insane at
the time, and this being clearly proved by the medical man
called this day,
The Learned JUDSE directed an Acquittal on that ground,
and be was ordered to be confined dining her Majesty's
pleasure.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE 01 COMMONS. Mardi 18.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
SECOND READINGS.
The following Bills were read a second time:—
Eastern Counties Railway (Enlargement of Stratford
stations, and Amendment of Acts).
Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway Act Amend-
ment and Branches.
South loevon Railway Extension and Amendment.
QUARANTINE LAWS.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said it was unnecessary for
him to dwell upon the various subjects which had been
introduced iato the speech of his Honourable
Friend, be cause he was riot aware that there was the
slightest objection to the motion which the Hon.
Gentleman had made as to the production of the corres-
poridenee moved for. There was not the slightest doubt
that the querantine regulations in the serious cuuntries
of the world had been prejudicial to commerce, but, as far
as England was concerned, she had reduced her regula-
tions so as in many cases to render theta almost nominal.
For instance, ships from Turkey were now admitted
free of quarantine, provided they were net laden
with suseept'ble articles, and the same regulations ap-
plied to ships from Syria and Egypt. But in a matter
tike this England could not act by herself. She must
have the co operation of the other nations of Europe.
The necessity of quarantine was imposed by the opinion
which prevailed in foreign nations. He would fun her
say that he had every re,,son to believe that those who
had charge of those laws were extremely anxious to make
them as little injurious as possible to the commerce of
the country. He, therefore, hugged to say that there
could bp no objection to granting the returns.
Mr. .FHORNLEY wished to impress on the Government
the necessity of an examination of these quarantine laws, for
he beloved that inquiry wou d lead to their being done away
with altogether.—The motion was agreed to.
ABSENTEEISM IN IRELAND.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN rose to move—" That, inasmuch as
the non-residence of landed proprietors in Ireland is one of the
causes of social disorganisation in that kingdom, it is expedient
to impose a charge by way of special assessment, in aid of local
objects of an useful nature, upon the estates of absentee pro-
prietors, with a view to make some compensation for the evils
resulting from their non-residence." He was perfectly sensible
that he had imposed upon himself a task which was by no
means acceptable to the House, as so many gentlemen in
England derived a large revenue from property in Ireland.
There was no person who had visited Ireland—there was no
person who had lived there—who had not placed on record the
decision at which he had arrived, that Ireland had suffered
greatly from the draughts of propetty from that country.
There were persons who called themselves philosophers and
political economists, who professed that this was no injury.
He believed that Mr. Alac.kellar was the first person who
broached the opinion, but he believed that he had seen reason
to withdraw it. Ireland was in the sime relation to this
country as if it remitted a large tribute, for the tribute was in
fact remitted in goods or money, and could it be said that the
country would be as 'much benefited as if the goods
had remained in the country. It mattered not
whether the tribute was remitted in grain, in cattle,
or in money, but it was plain that if this property
had remained in Ireland, it would have contributed to increase
the earnings of labour, increase the promotion of art, and re-
ward the exertions of industry as much as it did now in this
country. It was admitted by all moral and political philoso
phers, that the evils of absenteeism could lordly be compen-
sated. Absenteeism created the greatest evils which a country
could suffer, because the natural capital of the country—the
capital derived from the soil - was withdrawn from its legiti-
mate source of circulation, On the other hand, the advantage
of the proprietors of land residing on it were great, whether for
the impose of giving or dispensing charity, for pre-
venting agrarian outi age, and for the purpose of seeing
the law properly carried out, as magistrates or
juries, the advantage of having resident proprietors
were great ; in fact, proprietors whose ancestors had been long
connected with the soil, partook almost of a patriarchial cha-
racter. These, he knew, were all truisms, and he ought
almost to apologise to the House for dwelling upon them. He
should, therefore, proceed to illustrate the difference between,
resident and non-resident landlords, by a single case which
had specially fallen under his own observation.
He wished, however, to premise that he did
not intend to mention the case in any invidious spirit.
Throughout the whole of his observations he wished to avoid
any remarks which could give offence to any one. He had
had an opportunity, by his co flexion with the counties of
Clare and Limerick, of knowing that the late Lord Egremont
received 25,000/. a year front his property in those two
counties. That Noble Lord, he believed, never saw his
estates, and he did not believe that he expended upon
that property, alter discharging the incidental ex-
penses, more than five
.hundred
.pounds a year.
If Lord Egremont therefore resided on his estates in Ireland,
and fulfilled the duties which devolved upon him in the same
manner that he did in England, oho could calculate the
amount of good which would be done to the locality, lie
thought that nothing could exceed the moral heroism exhibited
by Sir Robe, t Gore Booth, and he was glad to see that the
Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Ireland had done
jusiice to it. Now, with respect to the amount of evil which
Ireland suffered from the operation of absenteeism, he would
feel a great difficulty in submitting anything like correct in-
formation ; but, according to the best calculators, it did not
fall short of 4,000,0001. a year, beir.g nearly one-third of the
whole rental of the country. Now lie (Mr. S. O'Brien) had
taken the trouble to go through the Peerage, for, as far as in-
dividual proprietors were concerned, it would be impo-sible to
form an estimate of their rentals, but he had gone
through the Peerage, and he would take the libel ty
of mentioning those Noble Lords who had properties in Ireland.
from which they derived enormous rentals, and who never
visited that country. In the first instance he would take the
London companies, and he would refer to the Irish Society,
which drew a large revenue from Ireland, and the Hon. Mem-
ber for Southwark (Sir. Alderman Humphery), whom he saw
in the House, could contradict him if he was in error. He
would give the names of many noblemen and gentlemen who
possessed large properties in Ireland, and who were absentees
from the country. The Dukes of Devonshire, Buccleuch, and
Bedford ; the Marquises of Hertford, Convngliam, Lansdowne, '
Anglesea, Bath, Ely, Donnegal, and Abercorn ; Earls Fitz-
william, Stradbroke, Beresford, Audley, and Albemarle;
Lords Portarlington, Clifton, Norinanby, Congleton, Ashley,
Stanley, Lisle, Stanhope, Furtescue and Templemere ;
Messrs. Sidney Herbert, Stafford O'Brien, Greville. Fox
Lane, and Mr. Ormsby Gore. All these gentlemen possessed
considerable property in Ireland, and he (Mr: S. O' . )
thought that they should have no objection to aid him in en-
deavouring to impose upon them a tax which would make some
compensation to the country for their absence from their estates.
The mode in which that was to be done appeared to him to be
perfectly simple. To impose such a tax as would induce real.