The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-11 00:00:00

IMPRESSMENT.

Mr. HUME rose to bring forward his promised Motion on
the subject of Impressment. After. a few general observations
on its importance, the lion. Gentleman proceeded to state that
he had been deterred from bringing it sooner before the House
in consequence of the pressure of other business. All that he
should now ask, would be for a resolution of the House to
inquire into the subject next Session, and for certain. Returns
to afford the information which would then become necessary.
He contended that the present system could not be justified
unless it were shewn that the very existence of the Navy de-
pended upon its continuance. He had no wish to cripple the
power of the Navy; on the contrary, he thought the changes
which might he introduced would iucrease its power, and the
number of volunteer sailors. It was admitted on all sides that
voluntarily service was preferable to that which was coerced. He
thought he could prove that the system of impressment had done
much mischief to the service, by causing it to be viewed with
apprehension and dislike. Even should this prove not to be the
case, still the House, /by inquiry, would be enabled to shew
that they respected individual rights, and had
_at least at-
tempted to remedy the present admitted evils. The present
practice of seizing and compelling persons to serve had con-
tinued for many years; and many opinions
,of. an opposite na-
ture had. been given as to its legality. Lott legal or not, he
objected to it on account of its being inconsistent with our
Constitution ; and he therefore cared not if it was legalized by
five hundred Acts of Parliament. The subject had been
ably argued (though he thought eroneously decided) by
Judge Foster, on a question which came before him in conse-
quence of a press gang being resisted, and one of them killed ,
The Learned Judge thought the practice of impressment was
legal through the prerogative, of the Crown, provided it was
not inconsistent with any statute, or with public utility. He
(Mr. Hume) fully concurred in this; and was prepared, in a
.Committee, to shew that the practice was really inconsistent
with public utility. It was generally admitted that there was
no express law to justify impressment. It was founded en-
tirely upon the practice of the Crown. Even if it were
thought to be generally useful this would not justify it,
unless the utility was of a- degree to override all the con-
stitutional rights of the subject. Sailors in time of war were
declared to be the best defenders of the country, but there was
no class of men whose rights were so little attended to. The
practice was generally justified under the plea of necessity,
but necessity was too often the argument of tyrants. The
fleet of the great Admiral Blake was manned chiefly by volun-
teers,
and we ought always, if possible, to man our ships in
the same manner. Whenever the practice had been complained
of on former occasions, the complaint was always met by a
called for postponement until peace should have arrived. A bill
in 1779 had been brought in to alter the practice, but it had
failed, because it was brought forward during a time of war. 1
(The Hon. Member here referred to Captain'Manby and other 1
writers on the subject to spew their opinion of the inefficacy
Of impressment.) The .naval service had many advantages
which the merchant service had not; and, yet the disadvantage
arising from, force and the length of service counterbalanced
the advantages, and caused a disinclination for oar service.
—There were, however, some disadvantages even in the
naval service. Irregularity of payment of wages had, he ad-
mitted, been greatly remedied by Lord Melville's Act. The.
amount of pay, however, was small compared with that of the
merchant service. He feared also that there was too much
reason fur us to look at the practice in America. In the
naval service of America, there was no impressment; so'
that when the two navies canie into contact,, they were rat
upon equal terms. It was impossible to say, that in such
a case it was freemen lighting against freemen. Besides,
America gave better pay than we did. Another objec-
tion to our practice was the length of service; a length so
great, that it was difficult to distinguieli the case of an im-
pressed British seaman, dragged from his home, from that of
the African black dragged from his. He (Mr. H.) really be-
lieved that the sufferings of the former were greater than those
of the latter. Ile thought, on the whole, there could be no
doubt that such a system ought to be put an end to ; but, at all
events he thought they should inquire whether it was practi-
cable for them to abolish it or not. It caused an appearance of
imprisonment on board a ship, which was irksome and discou-
raging even to volunteers. Another objection was the mode of
punishment which was followed at present. Ile knew this was
a very delicate subject; but he could not forbear noticing it.—
One great object would be to inquire whether punishment could
not be rendered more defined and less arbitrary than it was by
our present maritime code. Government had sent out orders
respecting the black slaves, but he begged to appeal to them in
behalf of their white slares.—(Hear, hear!}—He did not care
for " Hear, hear !" He repeated the expression ; and be thought
sonic regard ought to be shewn towards the white slaves.—
As to the former (the Blacks) it was ordered that no more than
three lashes should be given without a regu:ar entry. Ile de-
sired, therefore, for the sailors, that a man should not be liable
to be punished in the Navy without a Court Martial, except I
in cases occurring in the face of the enemy. Re believed that
the best and most humane officers entertained opinions unfa-
vourable to the practice of flogging. The chief argument used
by the Hon. Member for Bramber (Mr. Wilberforce), was di-
rected against the giving of arbitrary power. In one case it
had been carried to such an excess that there was no man in
the ship who had not suffered corporal punishment. It was
impossible to suppose that men would become volunteers un-
der such a system. In one case he found it was a practice to
flog a man who happened to have a dirty shirt. A contrary
practice had been found most beneficial to the interests of the
service. That such severity was not necessary to the disci-
pline of the Navy he had the authority of a very intelligent
Naval Officer who had written a pamphlet, in which he stated,
that for 18 months that he was on board a 71 gun ship, not one
instance of corporal punishment occurred. At the same time
this Gentleman challenged any ship ii. the navy to surpass the
ship of which he spoke in discipline and good order. The Ho-
nourable Member quoted other instances of a similar nature,
and one in which a considerable increase of corporal punish-
ment had been found unavailing to suppress the practice of
drunkenness. It was absolutely necessary to be attentive in
the appointment of experienced officers to the exercise of such
a discretion as that of arbitrary punishment over their fellow
subjects. If this were done, volunteers would be found suffi-
cient to man the nary, and thus the odious system of coercion
might be done away with. Another thing to be observed, to
induce men to volunteer for the navy, was, a better distribu-
tion of prize money. In the case where the Captain had for
his share 3701., the crew had 2.101. Surely this was not a fairpro-
portion, and some other ought to he adopted, if the system of 1
impressment are to be done away with. Another important
topic to be considered on this subject was, the consequence of
enforcing the right of search in case of any quarrel with a
foreign power. It was evident to him, as far as he was a I
judge that it was the sole cause of the last American war, and
thus the cause of ninety millions of debt which that war cost.
If they looked at the Message of the American President, it
certainly was number one there, and there could be no doubt
that this was the great exciting cause in that country which
lighted up the.fiame of discontent. A Newspaper was ac-
tually started for the sole purpose of recording all the cases
of impressment from American ships which occurrecL The
Honourable Member here read the affidavit of a man named
John Clerk, who stated that he had been taken from an
American ship by force, imprisoned on board a British ship,
flogged three times, and chained by the neck because he re-
fused to serve under the British flag. •He did not mean to say
this not exaggerated ;he did not believe it himself, but lie
contended that there should have been no cause given for any
such statement or exaggeration. lie knew it was impossible
to assimilate our navy to that of other nations, but some-
' thing like an approximation to a parity of reasoning, might
show that the thing was possible. So long as there was one
hundred thousand men in the merchant service, lie could not
see what difficulty there could be to man the Navy without
impressment, if adequate inducement were held out. But in
the present state of the service no man would voluntarily enter
a---he shunned it as he would his greatest curse. The ag-
gravated sufferings of the unfortunate men who suffered im-
pressment, ought of itself to be sufficient ground for in-
quiry: Besides which it involved a violent infraction of the
liberties of the subject, and whilst their attention was drawn
on one side by the situation of the slaves in the West Indies,
aud on the other by the sufferinas of the brute creation, he
thought a little time might be "'devoted to inquiry into the
soffeeings of the seamen of England. The Hon. Member con-
cluded by moving as a Resolution—" That this House being
well aware of the difficulties in the way of manning of the
navy, and of the evils to which forcible impressment of sea-
; men must lead, arid considering that a time of profound peace
is the, beat for the consideration of so important a question,
resolve, that early in
.the next Session they will take the sub-
ject into serious consideration, with a view to such steps ae
shall afford efficient means to man the navy, and ensure the
best interests of the nation:"

Mr. ROBERTSON secoutle the motion. An enquiry he
thought might lead to a mitiptloo of the evils of impressment,

but he was convinced that it would be impossible to abolish
impressment.
Sir GEORGE COCKBURN said, that in rising to oppose
this motion, he should not follow the Hon. Member for Aber-
deen through the extensive range which he had taken. Although
the question involved in his motion was impressment, the state
of the nary seemed to he the topic upon- which his speech
had turned. lie should, however, class what he had to say
under impressment and discipline. Upon the
first
the
Seconder
had really scarcely left him any thing
the
Icon. two heads
to say, for he had given it as his opinion that the Navy could
not do without it; and if no good were to be derived from ac-
ceding to the motion they had really better not go into any in-
quiry to excite hopes which they were satisfied they could not
realise.—(Hear e was sure lie spoke his own and the senti-
ments of every Naval Officer in the House when he said that
he had much rather man the ships of war without impressment.
(Hear !)—But, with this feeling, after the best attention he had
been able to give the question, he must say that it was his opinion
that they could not do away with what he must call this leer,
with safety to the country. When the Hon. Member declared
that it was illegal, was he aware that Lord Mansfield, when a
• sailor was brought before him who had been impressed, de-
. d ared that he had not shown that lie was exempt from impress-
ment under any statute, and ordered him back to the ship irons
which he had been taken. Lord Kenyon also had stated that
there was a right to impress recognized by the common
to which all persons in seafaring employments were subject.—
There was one clear reason why it should not be abolished—it
was impossible that there should at the same time be enough of
men to man the navy and the merchant service. It was out of
all reason that more men than were wanted should be afloat ;
and unless they were to keep the men that would be re-
quired in time of peace ready for a war, they could not
do without impressment. What was the state of this coun-
try when a war broke out ? The seas were covered with
our merchantmen ; the ports, no thanks to the Honourable
Member for- Aberdeen, were full of ships, well appointed
and ready for service, and the arsenals were full of - stores.
They had a good corps of marines also, no thanks for it, how-
ever, to the Hon. Member for Aberdeen. Under these circum-
stances they had nothing to do but go out as the ships came
into the Channel, and take the men they wanted. Any men
would do for the merchant service to replace those they thus
lost; besides which, the Navy from that moment took them
under their protection. In the last war the country was put to
no expence for the Navy, for the ships were all ready in dock
wanting only men, whom they could get at a short warning.
It was a total mistake to suppose that impressment was car-
ried on during a period of peace. It was never resorted to
but in cases of great emergency. It was not fair for the
Hon. Member to speak of the navy in the way he had done, for
it was a profession, in spite of what he said, which had great
claims upon that House. So far from there being an aversion
to join the .King's service, the Admiralty had been forced to
give the most rigid orders that volunteers should not be taken
from the merchant vessels, and it was a most difficult thing to
keep the crews of the merchant ships away from tlae men of
war on a foreign station. While this was the facteit was rather
unfair - for the Hon. Member to make the statements he did, re-
lative to the great disi .e he declared there was for the navy.
America was his favourite, but he knew that there was great
difficulty in preventing the desertion of their men, and many
had offered to serve on board the ships of the British Navy.—
The condition of the British sailor was now snperior to that of
any class on the same footing, and it was the daily study of the
Admiralty to iniprove it. He should therefore oppose any
motion for such a purpose, especially one which went to pledge
them to do the next Session, which they all agreed would lead
to no good. He next came to the question of discipline. The
Hon. Member objected to Captain's having the power of flog-
ging; but the Hon. Member ought to have observed the dis-
tinction between having a power and using it. What would be
the situation of a few officers over a large body of men, many
of them the worst characters, if they had not the power, to de-
ter them from offence. But the r:xecutive was doing all it
could do to check severity in corporal punishment. They
had succeeded as far as they had hitherto gone, so that this
was a practical answer to the Honourable Member's proposi-
tion. Besides which, lie did not think diet House the fittest
to deal with such a question. It required soma nautical know-
ledge, the ignorance of which would really always prevent a
Committee of that House from laying down rules for the con- •
duct of a ship. If the Navy were paid as the Honourable
Member suggested, once a week, they would not, he was Sure,
like it so well as receiving their whack of money when they
came home. The naval service lie contended was now the most
popular, and it' not made discontented the Navy would con-
tinue very contented. They had got one boon which would
do them more good than all the Hon. Member's speeches.
This was the long service pension, which gave every man a pen-
sion for fourteen years' service, atal enabled him to demand-
his discharge and an increased pension. These things were
dom.: since 1614, so that it was realty a r = ist unfair thing for the
Hon. Member to come down there to make statements of what
occurred forty yet:l.s ago against what existed at the present pe-
riod. He should certainly oppose the motion.
Sir ISAAC COi'FIN said he , should never raise his flag
again, therefore the House might safely take his opinion. If
the lion. Member had not called the Navy White- Negroes, lie
should probably have said nothing upon the subject. There
was Admiral Mitchell, Admiral Trowbridge, and the celebrated
navigator Captain Cook, were all men who had been impressed.
So much, then, for men who were slaves. He had no doubt
but 20,000 such slaves would be found on the records of the.
Navy. For his part he. cared not for the legality of the thing,
the Navy must be manned, and lie would neveradmit that there
was any slavery in obliging a man to wear a good coat on his
back, a belly full of good victuals, and good medicine when lie
was sick. He concluded by declaring that lie should give his
vote for impressment.
Mr. 11013110 USE said, he could very well conceive that a
man might have a good coat on his back, good victuals in his
belly, and good medicine when lie was sick, and yet be the ve-
riest slave alive. It was not the absence of these that made his
Honourable Friend call the seamen of the Navy white slaves.
It was the precarious situation they were in liable to be
dragged away from his home . and friends at a moment's
warning. lie had never heard of the exploits of the Gal-
lant Admiral opposite when afloat, but lie must inform him
that the country knew what his Honourable Friend had done
on shore, and expected much more from him than from the
Gallant :Admiral. Even the. Gallant Admiral admitted that
every Officer in the Navy desired a cessation of impressment.
This of itself he should have thought would be sufficient.—
The Judges had shown what they were by the decisions they
had made in the impress cases which came before them. All
who had written on the English Constitution considered the
impressment of seamen the greatest blot and injustice to be
found in the annals of the country. An Hon. Member had
seconded the motion in a way not very favourable; but still
the Hon. Gentleman could not withhold his support. On the
whole he thought they ought to grant inquiry. The question
was whether it was not a great acknowledged evil ? It could
only be answered one way—What objection could there be to
inquiry ? The gallant Admiral had said it.would excite dis-
content. It would not create discontent. Could it be said the
seamen were satisfi..d, contented with the system ? With re-
spect to punishment in the navy, it was said men had been so
flogged in the merchant-ships that they ran to the nary for
protection. That very statement made out his Hon. Friend's
case.

Sir G. COCKBURN, in explanation, denied that he had
ever said men were dragged to the navy like felons. Such a
statement never escaped his lips. He had never said sailors
were so degraded as to require flogging more than other men.
He had stated candidly the effect of his professional experience.
Mr. HOBHOUSE explained.
Capt. GORDON was desirous of saying' a few words on the
subject of impressment. He wished it could be dispensed with,
but unless the Hon. Member, for, Aberdeen could change the
whole system of the Naval Service, it would be found impos-
sible to induce men upon emergency to quit merchants' ships
and enter into his Majesty's service. Twenty-five sail of the
ling might be fitted out for service at short notice, but not
wit-bout pressing. He was aware it might be said, the practice
of impressing seamen was unjust, and lie was ready to admit it
was only justified by necessity, but at the same time, should
the exigency of the country require it, every individual would
lie liable to serve. He expressed a hope that Parliament would
never strike a death-blow to the Navy, by taking away the
power of impressing
men to defend the commerce of the eoun.
try. Without that power, the Navy, which had so long been
a terror to surrounding nations, would be reduced to a state of
insignificance.
Mr. W. SMITH was surprised the proposition of the Hon.
Member for Aberdeen was not adopted. The present practice
was attended by many evils, and. it was reasonable to suppose
there would be a disposition to inquire how far the evil could be
removed. The question had been argued in that House over
and over again, and lie believed much good had arisen from the
discussion. The Hon. Member saw no reason why the pro.
posed inquiry should not be allowed.
Sir G. CLERK admitted that it was in the power of the
House to enter into any inquiry of this sort, but the majority of
Members were not so competent to decide upon the
.question
as persons whose lives had been passed in the service. The
Admiralty had taken especial care to remove and alter
those causes of complaint which made seamen unwilling to
enter into the Navy. They found no disinclination now to en-
en at a lower rate of wages than they ob-
ttaerinetdheinNthaevy, even
merchant
service. Impressment had not occurred
during the last ten years. With regard to the difficulty of ob-
taining pay, it was true there was no possibility of paying sea-
men on foreign stations ; but it ought to be remembered that
he preferred taking his pay in the whack when he came
borne. lle had also the power of letting his relations re-
-1 cciye lialf his pay whilst he was abroo4. rile only inconye.

nience was the want of pocket-money going on shore. He
admitted that impressment should not be resorted to, unless
there was no other means of manning a fleet. When press-war-
rants were issued, some sudden emergency required a large
naval force, which could not be raised by any other means.—
From the earliest period of our history, the practice of impress-
ing men had prevailed. The Hon. Member for Westminister had
said it was not consistent with the principles of the Constitution
to drag meri from their homes, but the Hon. Member should not
forget that men were liable to be dragged out to serve in the mi-
litia. The only persons exempt were seamen, because they were
required in the fleet. The plan of a general RegiStry was tried
in the reign of William 111., and abandoned, because it was
found inefficient. It was necessary the Government should
have the power to commence war, when the interest of com-
merce and the country required that step.
Mr. WA RRE supported the motion. Press gangs had clone
wrong many instances. A Naval Friend had told him that
an unfortunate coachman, with his box-coat and whip was im-
pressed on one occasion, and .sent out to a foreign station.—
The Hon. Member deprecated the manner in which an officer
had been mentioned by a public writer in a calumnious article,
entitled " Blue and Buff."

Admiral HERVEY;id, he had taken part in many discus-
sions where the object was to get rid of impressment which he
found impracticable. In all cases of sudden armament; the
only effectual mode of raising a navy was by impressment.
' Sir R. WILSON supported the motion.
Mr. HUME replied, and the House divided—
For the motion - 38
,',gainst it 108
Majority against tile motion -—7 O
CATHOLIC BOARD.
Mr. BROWNLOW rose, pursuant to notice, to refer a Peti-
tion concerning the Roman Catholic AssOciation to the Com-
mittee on the state of Ireland. The Honourable Member stated
that on a former evening he presented a Petition to the House
respecting the Roman Catholic Board in Dublin., Several
Hon. Members on this occasion objected to his mode of pro-
ceeding, and chief among them was the Right Honourable
Attorney-General for Ireland. He thought there was a serious-
ness in the affairs of Ireland which might have warranted less
objection as to points of mere form. His object on the occa-
sion -to which he alluded, was to make known that this Ca-
tholic. Association had extended its influence over all parts of
Ireland, and he had introduced the subject in the hope that
after the notice of Parliament had been fairly called to it, an
opportunity would be taken by the Executive Government to
get rid of the great evil. The principles of the .Constitution
had been violated, and the public peace disturbed by inflam-
matory speeches addressed to deluded and prejudiced persons.
He knew not what there was to recommend this Association
to the protection of any Members of the House. He spoke in
strong terms of the misconduct of the Catholic Association,
describing it to have assumed the functions of Parliament, and
to have taxed the people of Ireland. If that House were to
pass resolutions to protect their privileges, by puffin,* down the
Association, in his judgment Association, it would not overstep the exigency
of, the case. By • the motion he-was about to make, he hoped
the attention of the Irish Government would be drawn to the
subject. He concluded by moving that the petition should be
referred to the Irish Committee.

Mr. H. 'MISS seconded the motion. In doing so, he dif-
fered in some points from his Hon. Friend the Member for Ar.
maigh. He had always given his humble support to die Catholic
claims, and he hoped he should not incur the suspicion of
having become lukewarm in their cause when he expressed a
hope that the Catholic Association would dissolve itself; as if
it continued its sittings the friends of the Catholics would be
found rapidly to diminish. He considered that an honest friend
to the Irish Catholics was bound to say that he disapproved of
the Catholic Association on the one side, as he did of the
Orange Associations against which they petitioned on the other.
Mr. Secretary CANNING said, the House recollecting the
part he had taken with respect to the Catholic question, would
not consider it other than natural that he offered a few words in
explanation of the reasons which induced him to vote for the
present motion. He supported it in redemption of a pledge
which he had given on a former evening, not for the purpose
of exonerating the Irish Government or the Government gene-
rally, from responsibility, but because the Catholic Association
had been represented in England to be one of the causes of
the disturbed state of. Ireland. On this account he voted
for the present motion, as he should for that which the Right
Hon. Baronet opposite proposed to make respecting Orange
Associations, without fettering himself by any pledge as to the
course which he should subsequently pursue. He should now
have said all that was necessary for him to say, if his Hon.
Friend had not seemed to consider him pledged to give an
opinion on the case of the Catholic Association. He hail
given no pledge, and could only now repeat what he had said
on a farmer night in declining to speak on this point. He
did not think an Honourable Member had a right to call
on a Minister of the Crown for a legal opinion in a case like
this, where it was a question of great difficulty whether the
la* had been infringed, or very nicely evaded. He would ad-
mit that it constituted a case to be watched, but he was not
prepared to say, that if the law had been evaded, it would in the
present state of things be prudent to come to Parliament for a
new one, which might reach the Catholic Association. Whether
that would eventually be necessary, was a matter of deep and
serious consideration on which, at present, he would give no
opinion. He was awake to the grave responsibility which at-
tached to the Government on this subject, but must say that at
present they were not prepared to come to Parliament for a new
law that might apply to the case. Ile advised, or rather hoped,
that whatever there was of a mischievous character in the Asso-
ciation, would exhaust itself before it became necessary to in-
quire how nearly they approached a violation of the present
law, or whether it would be desirable to frame a new one to meet
the evil.

Air. C. HUTCHINSON opposed the motion, and described
the objCct of the meetings of the Catholic Association to be to
make known in the language of freemen, though oppressed,
the grievances of which they complained to the public and the
Parliament. He could not consent, on any account, to refer
this Petition to the Secret Committee. '

_ Sir J. NEWPORT thought, if this Petition were sent to the
Committee, the Petitions from certain Parishes in the County
of Westmeath, and the Freeholders in the County of Cavan,
against Orange Associations, ought also to go before them at
the same time. He then read a paper descriptive of the proceed-
ings of an Orange Association at the commencement of the
present Session of Parliament affecting to assume all the func-
tions of that House, and establishing a system of delegation
throughout Ireland, with Committee of Finance, &c. This
meeting was attended by the Grand Treasurer and Deputy of
Ireland, Sir A. Bradley King and Sir H. Lees. He proceeded
to read some of their resolutions, on which he proposed to
ground the motion he intended to make.
Mr. H UTCHINSON explained.
Mr. H. SUMNER thought to refer the Petition to a Com-
mittee would be only putting off the evil. In a case of such
danger' he thought the House ought not to separate without first
obtaining an opinion from the Law Officers of Ireland whether
the present laws could reach the Catholic Association. In the
event of their not doing so, a new law ought to be framed for
the purpose of meeting the case.
Mr. Secretary PEEL was in favour of the motion. He
thought the petition ought to be referred to the Committee as a
matter of course. Assenting to the motion for not referring the
petition to the Committee, he should not consider himselt re-
lieved from any responsibility ; but when any act occurred
which might render it necessary, he should consider it to be his
duty to subject the Association to the steady march of the law.
Tins he should do in every case where the law was infringed,
whether the parties were Catholics or Orangemen. He
avowed himself an enemy to all secret and affiliated Societies,
and from his heart he wished the Orange Associations were at
an end. The formation of such societies formed a precedent
for the establishment of others whose principles were different.
True leyalty might find other ways of shearin itself; and he
believed the Government sufficiently powerful' to protect the
loyal without the aid of such associations. He thought it would
be premature now to give an opinion on the character of the
Catholic Association. _

Mi. S. RICE spoke againit Associations, and announced it
to be his intention to vote for the motion of the Hon. Gentle-
man, and also for that of the Right Hon. Baronet.
Sir P. BLAKE called on the Hon. Member for Armagh to
use his influence, as he had avowed . himself to be an Orange-
man, to put down Orange Associations. There was an appa-
rent change in the language of the members of that Association
lately, but he doubted their sincerity, remembering the words
of the Poet—

" Convince a man against his will,
" He's of the same opinion still."
Mr. DAWSON thought it right to say, that he believed the
imputations thrown out against the Orangemen of Ireland were
unfounded and unjust. They wished their conduct to be in-
quired into, and he was confident that they would come out of
any inquiry that might be instituted with honour. He should
vote for the motion. _

The motion was agreed to.
Sir J. NEWPORT then moved that the petitions respecting
the Orange Societies should be referred to the same Committee.
The motion was agreed to.
The other Orders were disposed of, and the House adjourned
at THitEE o'CLoc this morning.

An Officer on half-pay is about to be tried at
Bordeaux for the murder of his wife, whom he is said to have
detected in an act of adultery..

A peasant lately digging under a great stone
at Balla, near Archuis (Jutland), found a piece of the finest
gold of hi ounces weight, fashioned into the shape of a brace-
let, or ornament fur the leg or neck,