The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-11 00:00:00

NAVIGATION-LAWS.
The committt e on these laws re-assembled on Tuesday in
Room No. 2. There were present—Mr. M. Gibson (chair-
man), Mr. Ricardo Mr. Liddell, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Ls all,
Sir Robert Peel, dr. Hume, Sir G. Clerk, Admiral Dundas,
Mr. Alderman Thompson, Sir Howard Douglas, Mr. C. P.
Villiers, Mr. Thomas Baring, and Mr. Macarthy. On the
commencement of the business the room was cleared for
some time, and on the readmission of the reporters, Mr. Hume
was urging on the committee the necessity of confining the
examination of the witnesses to mere facts, and not asking
for opinion,.
Mr. Al-Gregor was then called, and examined by the
Chairman—ln 1815 there were higher tonnage duties on
British ships in the United States than on American ships,
and in England the duties on American ships were higher
than on British ships. The reciprocity treaty put an end to
the differences of the duty, but did not affect the navigation
laws of either country, it merely placed equal charges on the
ships and the cargoes of both countries. According to the
English navigation laws an American ship must be built,
owned, manned, and commanded in a particular way to en-
title it to the privileges of the reciprocity treaty. The 16th
clause of Victoria 8 and 9 provided that no American ship
should be deemed national unless built in America, owned,
manned, and commanded by Americans. Unless this clause
were complied with, the ships would not be considered Ame-
rican ; they might, however, claim to be admitted under the
treaty. The British navigation laws prevented foreign coun-
tries from competing with the United States in bringing
Amern produce to England. If the English navigation
laws, by providing that English ships should be manned and
owned by English sailors, give an encouragement to British
shipping, they also give encouragement to American ship-
ping, by providing that the American ships should be manned
and owned by Americans.
By Mr. Liddell—Our intercourse with the United States
was based upon the strict footing of reciprocity by treaties,
and it was necessary to define by such clauses and regu-
lations what should constitute reciprocity between the two
countries. There was an article in the Treaty of Hob•
land which defined what a national ship was. Questions
certainly did arise with rega-d to the nationality of South
American republic ships, after the declaration of indepen-
dence on the part of the Spanish American provinces.
By Mr. Ricardo—The object of the navigation laws with
America was to obtain, in conjunction with America, a
monopoly of the trade between the two countries ; it ex-
cluded all other vessels from the carrying trade between
the two countries except for the purpose of warehousing.
By Mr. Villiers—The object of the navigation-laws was in
part defeated by the Warehousing Bill. Articles warehoused
were not for home consumption.
By Mr. Ricardo—The bulk of the articles warehoused we;
imported in British ships.
Mr. M•Gregor, in continuation—Very great difficulties had
been represented and reported to the Congress of the United
States by the Committees of Commerce and Navigation, as
existing in the colonial intercourse, that the ships of the
United States were not on the same footing in the British
colonies as British ships arriving from the colonies in any
United States port. Complaints had also been made by
English merchants from the Canadas and at different periods
from the other colonies. They complained of the restrictions
that were put upon the intercourse between the colonies and
the United States. The great whale fisheries in the South
Seas had certainly fallen almost entirely into American
hands; but he believed that the majority of the vessels em-
ployed in the South Sea whale fishery were employed at a
loss, especially in the sperm fishery. The black-finned
whale fishing was profitable. The Americans had above 700
vessels employed in the whale fishery. He did not think that
the decline of the British fishery was owing to the removal
of the protection ; certainly that would have been the case if
the Americans retained all the oil for home consumption, but
they looked more to its exportation than to home consump-
tion for a return.
By the Chairman—The object of the 16th clause of the
Navigation Act was the encouragement of B itish trade and
navigation. It might appear at the time to have been the
policy of England that every foreign country should have a
mercantile marine of its own, but its policy was quite dif-
ferent. He was not prepared to say that the effect of the 16th
clause would be the encouragement of foreign mercantile ma-
rines. There was not the least difference in the principle,
why it should not encourage other ships in the same manner
as our own. With respect to the tariff of 1842, be could say,
having had much correspondence on the subject, that a simi-
lar reduction of duties had been immediately made in the
United States' tariff, and that in every case where relaxa-
tions had been made in England, a corresponding reduction
had taken place in the United States. Reduction had re-
cently been made in many articles on which a very high
duty was levied, mainly for the purpose of revenue, which
he was certain had been done in consequence of the measures
past last session. The cause of the decline of the British
whale fishery lie attributed to the much more formidable
competition with the chemical discoveries, and with vegetable
oils now in use.
By Mr. Hume—Lord Cathcart, in a dispatch to Mr. Glad-
stone, dated 12th May, 1816, said that the prosperity of the
British colonies on the St. Lawrence depended mainly on an
alteration of the regulations of the inland trade.
Mr. .51`Gregor, at Mr. flume's desire, quoted several pare-
grrraaiddei s
Afsrsooncii a
tain
againstnior i memorial ptrhees e
at evdi g
abtyi tnh
lea
wAslo(ntthree aml en!
rial being ar
.pi‘aip,Ge rr
epgioirn printed bs
pyr
nocredeedri
nogf
teh 1
tl ohne s eof Com-
mons).
memorial,
Liddell
when air. objected
,and evidence.
The committee-room on our re-admission
Mr. Hume said that he should not continue the examination
on the memorial.
was to
cleared,
ltehaer
ed
e
ev the United States,
n alvliy tion Ricardoa„.s had b
Mr.-Ceoemn p
g amade
et s f
roofm theitu s
si stringencya?
Prussia,
Den-
mark, the Manse Towns, till 1849-, . en- h.
could go from any
the fist instance, that a British ship
nt
iotut
egehs nnfo t to this
Congress.
min-
U • ed States
the room, continue her voyage from the mt to
oßfrii is,Aip cargoo r t
there,
ranyeapnodr t t
ht
the
eUnited a
remainder, e
ti
es cr hfialrlgine
gp aurit)
asindpsßgriotiinsgh idasigeetestioonnalTitixey, aalnsdo
fcrnommptlhaienreedtoofano3u,rpostretaimn
the United States. Russia complained that we limited her
trade to the direct trade between Russia and this country.
Prussia's complaint was similar to that .of Russia ; but
Pr =ilk Alen complained of the priYilege grailt{4 tCs the

DIABOLICAL ATTEMPT at RAPE.
During the night between Saturday and Sunday last
an occurrence of the most atrocious character took place
close to the Bath Hotel, Lockwood, and which, but for
timely assistance, might have ended in murder. Between
the hours of 12 and 1 o'clock on the above night Mr.
John Ellam, lanelord of the Bath Hotel, and his son,
John Oxley Ellam, were in their stables attending to a
horse which had been brought in late that night, when
they were alarmed by loud shrieks of " Murder," and
cries for help, proceeding from the turnpike-road nearly
in front of the hotel. They instantly ran round to the
front, and, when within a tew yards of the spot from
which the sounds proceeded, they saw three ruffians
forcibly holding a female up against the wall surround
ing the quoit ground. and a hairth standing at a short
distance, apparently keeping a look-out or watch; there
were also two " navvies standing by, but they did not
appear to touch the woman. The night being fine, and
the moon shining brightly, Mr. Ellam and his son bad a
distinct view of the villains, and saw one of them (who
was also holding the woman) kick hor a most tremendous
blow on the abdomen, making use at the same time of
the most violent threats against her for not suffering him
to effect his abominable purpose. One of the ruffians
also held her by the throat, and the imprints of his
finger nails were clearly visible for hours afterwards.
On perceiving succour at hand, the ruffians let go their
hold of their victim and fled, taking the road to Hud-
dersfield. The poor woman then sank down from sheer
exhaustion and fright, and was taken into the hotel more
dead than alive ; in tact, for some time after her life
was despaired of. More assistance arriving, the villains
were pursued, and young Ellam, outstripping the rest
by at least fifty yards, cane up ith the hindermost near
Spring-gardens, with whom he fearlessly grappled and
secured till the rest of the pursuers came up, when he
was given into the custody of Hoistall, the constable.
In the scuffle young Ellam was severely bit by the mis-
creant he had captured, but still kept hold of him with
the utmost tenacity. The fellow was conveyed to the,
lock-up, and proved to be one Jame s Wood. a noto-
riously bad character. Horsfall, with the assistance of
the watchmen, succeeded in capturing the other two
fellows before tour o'clock the same morning, and whose
names are James Parkinson and Booth bugden, alias
" ltaggy," both equally notorious bad cha[acters, the
latter in particular, who has been several times in prison
at Wakefield, and all three were the most callous-looking
ruffians we ever beheld. The woman having been
carried into the hotel, had every attention paid to her
by Mr. and Mrs. Ellam. Mr. Dow, surgeon, was sent
for, A ho, on examining the patient,found she had received
a tremendous blow on the face, closing up and blacking an
eye—her neck and breasts severely bruised and scratched
by the fingers and nails of the tie peradoes—her sides
much bruised and lacerat, d, and she was otherwise most
dreadfully injured. On Monday morning the prisoners
were placed at the bar before Messrs. Vs . W. Batt) e and
J. Sutcliffe, on tho rharge of violently assaulting with
infect, &e. The poor woman was too much injured and
too ill to walk, at d was, therefore, brought in a cab to
the office to give Ler cvid, nee. She stated her name to
be E:iza Mathews, the wife of a miner, and that she
came to Huddersfield on the previous Wednesday with
her husband, who was in search of work at the Lock-
wood tunnel. On Saturday afterncon he went to Lock-
wood, but not returning at night, she set out to look for
him, and te,ter searching most of the public-houses in the
town, she went on to Lockwood, about twelve o'clock,
and was followed by the prisoners, who ill used her as
before stated. The prisoners were committed to York
Castle for trial at the assizes, bail being refused. Their
Worships were now somewhat at a loss how to dispose
of the woman; from this dilemma they were, however,
relieved by Mr. Ellam offering to provide for her at his
house fur Is. a day, until the assizes, and, to prevent the
husband from going away, he would (being a surveyor)
employ him upon the roads. The magistrates thanked
Mr. Ellam for the kindness and humanity which he had
displayed throughout the entire case. Too much praise
cannot be given to young Ellam for the persevering
courage he displayed in the capture of Wood; and but
for the accident of he and his father being in the stables,
and their prompt assistance at the rescue, the poor
woman would, in all probability, been left dead on the
road.

DEATH OF A GENTLEMAN FROM POISON.---TUeStbly
evening Mr. William Carter held an inquest at the Prince
Regent Inn, Dulwich, respecting the death of Christopher
Graham, Esq., aged 82 years, who died at his mansion,
Dulwich, on Monday morning last. The deceased gentleman
was for many years chief partner in the firm of Graham,
Simpson, North, and Co., New Bridge-street, Blackfriars.
Henry Keniance, the decea,ed's late footman, deposed that
his master had been very ill latterly with lumbago, for which
complaint he had been under the care of Mr. English, sur-
geon. On Monday morning last a female servant came,
hi and
said, " Master is very bad, and the stuff they have sent m
inutes
to take almost choked him as he was twenty min
taking it." Witness then told her that she must have given
him the wrong medicine. Witness ran up to must b
and found that she bad given the deceased embrocation in -
stead of the draught. Mrs. Graham was instantly made
acquainted with the fact, and ordered Mr. English to be sent
for. He attended with the stomach pump, but the deceased
became insensible, and died in four hears afterwards. The
lotion was labelled, with directions for use. The female shoo
administered the same was in the habit of being called into
their bed-chamber at all times of the night, and on the pre-
sent unfortunate occasion she had in haste taken upst the
wrong bottle.—Arthur William English, of Forehill,
Dulwich, surgeon, stated that he was called ind
on the morn-
ing in question to see the deceased. Ile foun the d
easel
eceased
gentleman lying in a partial state of coma. Witness y
detected what be had taken, and deemed it necessary to
withdraw the contents of the stomach. He had swallowed
a large quantity of the embrocation or liniment, which con-
sisted of laudanum, camphor and ammonia. IV itness made
him acquainted with the melancholy tact. but he soon be-
came insensible after the use of the stomach pump.
of Irri-
the
tation came on, which was followed by inflammation
stomach, which resulted from the ammonia
effect. Hse conti
son.
nued
to sink, and died about noon from the of po
Other evidence having been taken, the coroner remarked on
the deplorable nature of the affair, after which the jury
agreed to a verdict of Accidental Death.
SUICIDE AT WATERLOO- BRIDGE.—On Wednesday
night Mr. Payne held an adjourned inquest at the Vestry-
hall, Horsleydown, on the body of Mary Ann Simmonds,
aged thirty-tour, who committed suicide, by
throwing her-
self off Wa erloo-bridge. Laura Jones said she had known
the deceased several years, by having been formerly
abird, under
the protection of Mr. Plummer, the late Mayor of Canter-
bury.
5 s he tog-
witness The last•time she saw the deceased alive was about
half-past one on Tuesday mornin
a favourite bird, rifles,as very
ewritingd-
witness that she had g
ot
desk belonging to Mr. Plummer, and she was
She then seemed very much excited about it. glad.
askedbuts
hhee
or n
li f
smileds liivea swoaun veryl
would
knowing that since the death of Mr. Plummer she itness
much reduced in circumstances,
come on the morrow' and take tea,
of her
shook her head. She was not seen after that by-
ummer
and on.
relations alive. The deceased, who lived with 'lir. aP3I:
thirteen years, aldrays passed as his wife,
about a year and a-half back, she fretted very m his death,
his death his family gitte the deceased lofty pounds,much. After
possession of all Mr. Plummer's papers. Eliza Russell, and got
36, Crown-street, Soho, the deceased's sister, of
corrobo-
rative evidence; and, in rddition, said the deceased,ave
to her altered circumstances, was much depressed owing
and had threatened to drown herself. On in mind,
witness went to the station at Bow-street, and being
missed
tained that a female, whom, from the deseri t- there ascer-
as to her clothing., she bad no doubt Wher lon she gave
seen on the morning she left Mrs. Jones's to •usister who was
100-bridge. Efforts to save her were ineffectual. aroff
Water-
evidence it appeared that the body was found in From other
Cotton's wharf, on the morning of the 2d the river off
lest. In the absence
of positive proof of the deceased being the
off the bridge, the jury returned an oPerson who jumped
pen verdict of " Found
drowned."
THE HULKS AT WOOLWICH.—.Among the Parlia-
mentary papers recently printed was one obtained by IKr. T.
Woolwich. It Duncombe, in reference to the hulks at
ap-
pears that since the Ist of January, 1844, 122 prisoners have
died at the hulks, andt lie verdicts returned
died of consumption. In the period embraced
that many
by the return
for anatomical
it seems that 59 corpses have been removed
examination, on each of which a sum of V. 10s. was paid
to Mr. Dix, undertaker. The corporal
Ist of January, 1843, to 12th February puni l shments from the
The punishment awarded in some cases wag ' numbetripes, and
red 44.
in a few instances by lashes. by s
ST. LEONARD'S, MARCH B.—MT O'Connell ar-
rived at Hastings on Saturday evening, and
immediate
sent for Dr. Duke. The doctor does ng, ly
not think him in the
dangerous state which the papers represent, but reduced by
i11a1101174% and very nervous and depressed.

BRITISH COLONIAL BANK AND
LOAN COMPANY.
The annual general meeting of the pr Trletors of this
company was held yesterday at their offices, 50, M or
gate street.
After the usual preliminaries,
The Seeretary read the Report, which cemmetieed
by stating that the directors had much pleasure in inform-
ing the shareholders that the pro.pects of the company
had kept Rice with the reviving pro:iperity of the Men).
of New South Wales. The report they stated that the
directors had succeeded in making terms favorable to
the company with other shareholders to whein d. be;
tures had been granted, under whic'i eheres to the ex
tent of 18,2001. had been cancel', d, as the result of
which transaction they hail been able to write
off 3,5001. in part liquidation of the preliminary ex •
penses. A further amount of shares, to th' extent of
12,3501. had also been surrendered to the company a 0
cancelled. On the other band, loans to the extent of
14,1011. ss. 11d. had been paid off. From the money
arising from the loans on the seventh call the liabilities
had been reduced in the last year to the extent of
10 300/., of which 5,0001. had been paid since the last
general meeting. The remaining liabilities of the com-
pany were in a train of liquidation. The report con-
cluded by stating, that in the opinion of the directors,
the profits of the company wt Add juetity the declaration
of a small dividend. From the financial statement it
appeared that the profits of the past year were 8 0001.
The CHAIRMAN said he did not think it would b.- ne
cessary for him to occupy much of their time on the
present occasion. He thought on the whole that
they must admit that they were in a much
more pleasant position than when they had met before.
A reference to the accounts would prove this, and he
would take the liberty of drawing the attention of the
shareholders to some of the items of these ac
counts. The capital stock of the company last
year was 190,465/. Is. Bd. The present year it
amounted to 165,2101. The difference had been
caused by their having been able to cancel stock
to the amount of 30,5501. The liabilities last year
amounted to 8,9001., and they were now reduced
to 8,6001. The loans had been reduced. They
had a debt for preliminary expenses to the extent
of 4,800/, of which 3,550/. had been written
off. As to the immediate profit of the past year, it was
much the same as that of preceding years, or rather less.
One great item in the expenditure was the law exeenees
in Sydney. When he had met the shareholders lest y ear.
he told them that these expenses would lea great, but there
was some comfort to be derived from the tact, that tie
great expense which had been incurred was fir fore-
closure of the property, and if they were able to sell that
property for more than they had lent on it, they
would get back a portion of those expenses. the
estimate which had been submitted to the
shareholders had turned out to be as nearly es possible
true. He then stated that their receipts would be about
8 0001. It had been calculated at 7,500/. With
respect to their position, it was one with which
he thought the shareholders could not be dissatis-
fied, taking into consideration the ell cumetances
under which they were placed. The interest on their
loans was more easily obtained than I.efore in the
colony, and their rents were collected with less diffi-
culty than at former periods. There was every disposi-
tion to advance. He could not say the accounts
were the most agreeable ; but when they con-
sidered the difficulties with which the colony was
beset, it would be evident that they were in a saf.. posi-
tion. He did not wish to say a word more about the mat-
ter, but he could not refrain from expressing his belief that
no shareholder would u,timately sustain any loss. He did
not mean to say that all they might wish could be done
immediately. He would read a few extracts from
the dispatches which had been received from the
colony, to show that if they only waited the proper
time, they would be able to dispose of their
property profitably. The Chairman here reed the docu•
ments in qu• stion, from which it appeared that several
of the properties belonging to the company had been
sold, and realised a consideranle profit The last dispatch
was dated the 7,11 August, 1846 ; since then they had
received further dispatches, from which it appears that
the same results had beets obtained, and that the com-
pany would not be losers. He was not enabled to say
that they would be able to sell all their pro-
perties so favourably, but he had no hesitation
in stating that in the course of time they would be able
to get back all their property. With respect to the
14,0001., the difference between their loans of the
present and the past year, from the statement
made by the directors it appeared that, although
the loans had been reduced to th;.t amount, they
had in fact given up property to the extent
of only 9,403/. The directors were desirous
that the shareholders should not think they
were going on better than they really were.
8,0801 had been purchased for only 1,8601. The se
shares were not taken over to the prat t account
but were appropriated to those particular debts which
they did not think would realise the same sums that had
he en advanced. On the whole he had to congratulate
the shareholders on the position of their affairs.
Lord DEVON sail that he was there as the repre-
sentative of his brother, who had always warmly parti-
cipated in the good opinion that existed as to the con-
duct of their affairs. He would move that the
report then read should be adopted, printed,
arid eh culated among the shareholders. He made that
motion, because he thought it was a report which re-
flected great credit upon those who had brought it for-
ward, and which, together with the spe(ch of his friend
in the chair, presented "a plain, unvarnished tale."
Mr. CUMMING said he felt great pleasure in seconding
the resolution. The report they had heard was a satis-
factory and bonci fide statement of their affairs.
After some slight discussion, the resolution was
carried unanimously.
The Chairman, Sir Joseph De Courcey Laffen, Bart ,
and the Rev. John Howard Hinter), were re elected
directors.
J. Perim-me Esq , moved, and J. D. SMITH. E.q.,
seconded, the following resolution, which was unanimeusly
carried—viz., " That a dividend of two per cent. per
annum, Colonial shares, free of income-tax, he declared
on all the shares, and on the six calls paid up on the
British shares, and upon the seven ca is from the date
of payment."
The Earl of DEVON moved a vote of thanks to the
Chairman and the directors, upon whom he passed a
high eulogium.
The resolution was unanimously agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN having returned thanks, the meeting
separated.