The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-08 00:00:00

ARMED INTERVENTION IN PORTUGAL.

DESTRUCTIVE FlRE.—Between twelve and one
o'clock on Sunday, a mostdestructive fire, and which, it is
supposed, has been attended with loss of life, broke out in
the residence of a person named Adams, residing at 61,
Theobald'a-road, Red Lion-square. Before the fire was ex-
tinguished the interior of the house was reduced to a com-
plete ruin, while from rumours it would appear that some one
of the inmates had fallen a prey to the devouring element.
The fire was first discovered by police-sergeant Fryer, 16, E
division, who, with some of. the constables, was passing the
house, and whose attention was attracted by a strong light in
the ship. This induced them to listen at the door, when
hearing the snapping of wood, they instantly alarmed the
inmates, and in a few minutes several persons, male and
female, appeared at the windows in a state of nudity. As
soon as they were made acquainted with their perilous situa-
tion a rush was made to the door, which in the mean time
had been forced open by the police. The fire, which origin-
ated in the shop (a chandler's), from being fed by the air, in
an instant burst forth with redoubled fury, and but for the
coolness of the police several must have perished. In the
meanwhile the fire proceeded to run through the house with
astouishiug rapidity, and by the time the engine from the
Holborn station arrived, which was within ten minutes from
the discovery, the flames were to be seen rushing forth from
out of every window, and through the roof. Within twenty
minutes after the first discovery the Chandos-street, Well-
streets,uFpaprlyrinogfdwona-tsetrreweas obtained
Watling-street,, County. and West
of England engines were on the spot, aad, although a plen-
tifulthe firemen could only prevent the flames unitedfes
the adjoining houses. To add to the confusion which inva-
riably attends a fire, the whole of the carriage way was
m extendingexertion to of
s
broken up, and this rendered it difficult for the engines to get
near the place. A large body of the police of the C and E
divisions were on the spot, and rendered material aid to the
Fire Brigade and inhabitants.
VISCOUNTESS PALMERSTON'S ASSEMBLY.-011 SS-
-1 sl
s "whena
yno2woa,
anowsdflstriwhs4i
apparentt
1847."—Wexford
s.ee:en,r—ioe'ds
turday night Viscountess Palmerston had an assembly at the
family residence in Carlton Gardens. His Royal Ilighnees•
the Hereditary Prince of Lucca, attended by the Marquis
Provenzali, and his Royal Highness Prince Oscar of Sweden,
accompanied by Boron Rehausen, the Swedish Chargé
d'Affaires, and attended by Colonel Berkeley Drummond,
and Captain Haffner, honoured her Ladyship with their
presence.
The Admiralty have officially announced that
Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8., is to command a
squadron of exercise during the ensuing summer, the ships
to consist of the St. Vincent, 120 ; Howe, 120 ; Caledonia,
120 ; and Queen, 110. Not any steamers have yet been
named, but it is expected those fitting and nearly ready for
sea, viz., Amphion, Avenger, Dragon, Odin, Terrible (en
her return from the special service on which she is about to
be employed), Centaur, and Retribution (the two last not
yet commissioned). will also be placed under Sir Charles
Napier's orders. The Admiralty have directed the Rear-
Admiral to receive and distribute on board the squadron such
half-pay officers as may wish to go, and are desirous of gain-
ing experience by the cruise. They are to be victualled as
usual, but to arrange in other respects with the officers of the
mess which they may join.—Hampshire Telegraph.
CURRENTS IN THE SEA.—A slip of pasteboard
with writing on both sides, put into a bottle, was found near
the larger of the Saltee Islands, off our coast, on Monday.
The writing on one side is—" Barque Mohawk, from Singe.
pore to London, March 8, 1847. Current papers—Please to
coatWobir
regard,
oyi
egfnzadeftt
roh,r"
rne:
send to the editor of the Nautical Magazine when and where
found. Latitude 49 degrees 00 minutes north ; longitude
12 degrees 29 minutes west. W. Douglas, master." On
di
"West
feal
ohlilrant9p.dtcioe:e.
the other side—" Latitude 49 degrees 00 minutes north ;
longitude 15 degrees 29 minutes west. W. Douglas, mas-
twoefirt.Ll'a
Large
gh Underneath nsdaelrt ne
requeste
sea ttloa this
Island,state
oPwE rt
sessions sheiS and-eo
rtildl others sr
psmee n ice
nuietoinoft
n.
PUBLICcis
uta
or
Etsehxr
public purse, they are never heard to say a word about the
serious train of expenses incurred on account of the game
preserving and thegame prosecutions. No, not a word of
h
complaint on that head ' It is high time those gentlemen
became sensible of the extreme strong feeling whichi
setting in against them because of the game preserving s now
the ga
and
me-law nuisances.
HARVEST PROSPECTS.—In the Exchange News-
room, on Saturday, a clump of wheat was exhibited
from Mr. Neilson 's farm, at Halewood. It was ow
the first week in October, is now upwards of threesn
feet high, and beautifully shot into ear. Mr. Thomp-
son, of Sutton, near Easthate, states, in a letter to
the Mail, that he cut a field of grass last Mon-
day, and was carrying it on. Saturday. The crop was
so heavy that the mowers laboured to deliver it from the
scythe. An old practical farmer who was present stated
that he had never seen a finer crop, and it was in first-rate
condition. lie intend-, to teke a second crop from the same
field. " Grain," he adds, " looks excellently well. As con-
cerns the potato blight,my crop is not enough advanced to
give any opinion at present. I can detect no symptoms
The plant looks well." Haymaking commenced near
Beth above a week ago, and in the neighbourhood of
Holmfarth heavy aid luxuriant crops have been housed."
The Leeds Intelligencer says, "On Tuesday morning last
a gentleman called at our office with a fine stalk of rye,
with the ear shot, which he ha i plucked on the previous
day in a field near Addle. We should doubt whether
that ancient of men, 6 the oldest inhabitant,' ever knew
rye shot in the month of Ms)* before."—Liverpool Albion.
BODY FOUND.—We are requested by the superin-
tendent of police at Margate to insert the f Mowing notice:
—“ Found at sea this morning, near Margate, the body of a
respectably dressed man, about five feet tea inches high, wall
in vie and very much decomPesA, dressed in slate Or gray'
-is ckled trousers, Albert slippers, cotton socks, black dress
coat, and Mixed LaSitnere waistcoat; supposed to live been
in tae water about two mouths." .

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH wished to ask the
Noble Marquis opposite (the Marquis of Lansdowne)
what system it was intended to pursue in the armed in-
tervention in Portugal, if it were necessary; whether the
command of the combilied fleets was to be committed
to the senior officer; in other words, whether the com-
mand of the British fleet was to be given to the Prince
de Joinville?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that he could
not reply directly to the inquiry of the Noble Earl, and
all he could say was that the British fleet would be com-
manded by their own officers.
POOR REMOVAL (ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND)
BILL.

Lord CAMPBELL moved the second reading of this
Bill. He said the present Bill proposed what was but
equitable justice to both countries—England and Scot-
land. The law for the removal of paupers first originated
in the reign of Charles 11., when power was given to
remove paupers out of the parish on which they had no
claim. In the reign of George 11. the necessity was felt of
a law giving the power to remove the paupers that had
come from the Channel Islands, Ireland, and Scotland,
and had become chargeable to England. Laws more
stringent had been enacted from time to time after-
wards, until the enactment of the law as it at present
stood. But there was great difficulty in putting that
law in execution ; for, first, the pauper must be brought
before a court by summons ; if the pauper did not heed
the summons a warrant was issued against him, but
before that could be done the pauper was out of the way,
and the law could not be carried into effect. The Noble
and Learned Lord read a statement from a private in-
dividual to the effect that up to the 31st of May last
176,462 Irish paupershad gone over to Liverpool, and
that previous to January there were already 160,000 in
Liverpool. making in all 236,462.
Lord BROUGHAM was understood to say that he
entirely concurred in the view which the Noble Lord
had taken of the subject.
Atter a few words from Lord ELLENBOROUGH and the
Marquis of LANSDOWNE,
Earl FITZ WILLIAM said that there was an ambi-
guity in the Bill which he would wish to see removed •
the Bill did not state where the paupers were to be re-
moved to.
Lord CAMPBELL was understood to say that pro-
vision would be made to meet that case in some clauses
which it was proposed to introduce into the Bill.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM thought that considerable diffi-
culty would arise in carrying out the provisions of
the Bill even acceding to the proposed clauses.
Irish paupers would be removed from Liverpool to
Belfast, and upon Belfast would devolve the duty of
forwarding the pauper into the interior of the country.
It was quite clear, therefore, that the Bill did not treat
with the Irish pauper in the same way that it did with
Eugli-h paupers.
Lord CAMPBELL said, the case suegested by the
Noble Earl was provided for by another Act.
Earl EITZ WILLIAM wanted to know whether the
whole of the expense of the entire removal was to fall
upon the parish of Liverpool. His Noble and Learned
Friend had not answered that question.
The Earl of WICKLOW contended that the Bill was
most unconstitutional, and ought not to be passed.
His Noble and Learned Friend who had introduced
the Bill justified it by producing a letter he had re-
ceived from certain magistrates of Liverpool, who
found it too much trouble to carry out the law as it
pi esent stood. Under an existing law a man could not
be removed from one place to another unless it could be
proved before a magistrate that he had become
chargeable to a parish,:and he thought it would be
extremely dangerous if not impolitic to repeal that pro-
vision. He deeply regretted that Liverpool had suffered
so much from the influx of Irish paupers ; but looking
at the immense advantages, the great wealth that town
had derived from the importation of corn from all parts
of the world, for the use of Ireland, he did not think, after
all, that the people of Liverpool had so much cause t o com-
plain. This Bill arose out of the clamour and pressure
to which the Government were now subjected, but it was
a Bill which would not have the slightest tendency to
promote the objects which the parties had in view. It
bad been said that the existing law bad become
inoperative. The Bill was inoperative, solely in conse-
quence of the misconduct and neglect of the magistracy,
and it was not right, upon that account, to pass a mea-
sure so unjust and unconstitutional as the present.
But he contended that the existing Bill had not alto -
gether failed in carrying out the objects for which it was
passed. lle begged their attention to the effect of this
Bill on Londonderry. That town and district was as
much unprotected as any part in England now was.
After the passing of this Bill, therefore, swarms of Irish
paupers from the west might come in upon that district
and swamp the wealth of the place. The Bill was un•
'constitutional, and gave powers over the pauper which
were never allowed except in the case of felony. He
must oppose the further progress of the Bill.
Lord BEAUMONT said the question was how an
Irish pauper stood now in England, and how he would
stand if the Bill passed. A pauper now applied f( r relief
and obtained it. The guardian, if he chose, complained
to the magistrate, and got a summons against the pauper,
who forthwith appeared under the summons. After
this Bill, all that would be effected was the doing away
with the formal ceremony of complaint to the magis-
trate. In all other things the proceeding was the same.
If this was the result they were encouraging mendicity
of the grossest kind, and thus by travelling ingeniously
through the whole of England the pauper might live on
the alms of the poor-house, without being removed
to the place from whence he came. This Bill, therefore,
only prevented a great evil by dealing with it summarily,
so that a pauper might be passed at once to the parish from
which he was entitled to relief. In his opinion the poor
law of Iselaud and England ought to be placed precisely
on the same footing as the poor-law stood between
town and town in England. He had not, therefore,
entered at all into the spirit of the complaint of the
authorities of Liverpool, fur it stood upon entirely dif-
ferent grounds from those on which this poor-law was
built, and ought not therefore, in his opinion, to be en-
tertained. Yet this did not in the slightest degree effect
the serious question which had been so seriously and so
forcibly put by the Noble Lord, as to that where the
instance showed that there was no means of subsistence
whatever, and where the pauper would have to be passed
to the place where the means of a livelihood might be
obtained, for he thought that such a case was far out of
the pale of all minor considerations. Neither would he
enter into the sanatory state of the country, although
it was intimately connected with the question. For
these reasons he thought that the observations of his
Noble Friend were needless and uncalled for.
The House then went into Committee without a
division.

EDUCATION.
The Bishop of EXETER rose, pursuant to notice, to
ask a question of the Lord President of Council respect-
ing a communication with deputies of certain bodies of
dissenters, relative to the minutes of the Committee of
Privy Council on Education. He should not feel justified
in enquiring what might have passed bete een any Mem-
bers of the Cabinet and a deputation from the dissenting
body, but what had occurred at the interview to which
he alluded had been disclosed by a colleague of the
Noble Marquis in another place, and he therefore felt
no difficulty in putting his questions. He wished to
know whether any interview had taken place between
the Noble Lord at the head of the Government and the
Noble Marquis the President of the Council, and a
deputation from the Wesleyan body? Whether any,
and if any, what promise of an alteration in the minutes
of Council on Education was made at that interview?

and whether any record had been kept of the same?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said soon after the
minutes of education were laid on the table of this
House, communications connected with the minutes were
made to his Noble .Frtend the First Lord of the Trea-

sury and himself, as Prestdent of the Council, from
various bodies, and a deputation from the Wesleyan
body, attended upon himself and his Noble Friend, to be
Informed upon certain particulars relating to the
minutes. The explanations were given as required, and a
record of the explanations was kept, which would be ul-
timately laid upon the table of the House. In pursuance
of that communication, a slight alteration was made in
the minutes, but not in their spirit. One of the chief ob-
jections urged by the Wesleyan body was that those who
filled the office of schoolmasters under the minutes, ought
not to be allowed to exercise ecclesiastical functions, and
to that extent an alteration bad been made in the mi-
nutes.
The Bishop of EXETER hoped the Noble Marquis
would have no objection to lay on the table of the House
a copy of the paper or communication to which the Noble
Marquis had alluded. Very likely, when that paper
came before them, it might be necessary for him to pro-
pose to their Lordships the expediency of considering
the propriety of expressing an opinion upon some part of
the contents of that paper. It would be found that the
paper contained a distinct declaration that no person
holding any ecclesiastical office, or performing any eccle-
siastical functions, should be eligible to the office of
schoolmaster ; but nothing was said about Dissenting
Ministers being excluded from the same office. It was
extremely desirable that their Lordship's should have an
opportunity of expressing their opinion upon this ques-
tion of education in all its bearings ; but, before they
could do so, it was indispensably necessary that they
should have this paper before them.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to
promise the production of the paper.
Lord STANLEY did not clearly understand the ex-
planation of the Noble ➢Marquis. The Noble Marquis
had told them that Ecclesiastical Masters were to be
debarred from exercising Ecclesiastical functions. Did
the Noble Marquis mean that no schoolmaster must
have taken up holy orders ? If so, ho thought the con-
cession highly objectionable ; what the Church most
wanted, in his opinion, was the services of an inferior
class of ministers. and ho thought no better persons
could be found to perform the functions of such minis-
ters, than those who had filled the office of school-
maiden' under time tainuteu.