The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 21, 1847.

authorised by the Mexican Government to issue letters
of marque and acts of naturalization. He was aware
that an advertisement had been tendered to the Times
newspaper, and he believed it had been refused. A
letter had been also sent by a Mr. Marr, who wanted
to make known that there was a shop opened on
Tower-hill, in which might be obtained information
showing that the Mexican Government had authorised
the issuing of those litters of marque. Ile (the writer
of the letter) did not know whether the person on
Tower-hill was authorised by the Mexican Government
to issue those letters, in fact he did not know that any
person was authorised to do se. A correspondence had
taken place between the United States' Government
and her Majesty's Government, and the Minister of the
former country had alluded to something of this sort
taking place ; and he expressed a hope that the British
Government would not allow such a proceeding in the
present state of affairs between Mexico and the
United States.—(Hear, hear.) He assured the
American Minister that he was unacquainted
with the circumstances to which he had adverted, and
that, as far as the law of the land furnished, he would
adopt such measures as he might think the occasion re-
quired. He might add, that he thought it right to put
a question to the law officers of the Crown whether,
if such letters of marque had been issued, what step
the British Government should take, in order to prevent
a rupture. With respect to the other question, it was
perfectly true that some time ago notice was issued to the
United States, that any foreigner found on board Mexi-
can ships should be summarily dealt with, and he (Lord
Palmerston) had communicated with Mr. Pakenham his
expectation that the United States Government would
not apply to British subjects the execution of that law.
Dr. BOWRING wished to know from the Right Hon.
Baronet, the Home Secretary, whether the report from
the Channel Islands' Commission had been received, and
whether, and when, it would be laid on the table of the
House.

Sir G. GREY replied that there had been no time to
make a digest of the report as yet, but as soon as that
could be done it would be laid upon the table.
Mr. lIUME wished to ask the Lord-Advocate of
Scotland what measures were intended to be brought in
relative to the law of Scotland, in consequence of the re-
commendation of previous commissions.
The LORD-ADVOCATE replied, that the subject
was under consideration.
SUGAR DUTIES.

Mr. MOFFATT moved for a return of the amount of
duty received on sugar from the sth day of April, 1846,
to the sth day of January, 1847 ; specifying the amount
received under the different rates of duty.—Agreed to.
The HON. MEMBER also moved for a return of all
sugars that have been stopped for alleged inaccurate
entry at the Custom-houses of London and Liverpool,
between sth April, 1846, and sth January, 1847; specify-
ing the number of packages in each parcel so detained,
the respective dates of stoppage and release, and whe-
ther colonial cr foreign sugar. Also, the amount of
money now held in the said Custom-houses as paid tin-
der protest upon disputed claims in regard to' these
sugars.•—Agreed to.
Mr. I3ANKES presented a pc tition from Landford,
in I)orsetshire, against the Poor Removal Bill,
OPENING THE PORTS.

On the motion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the House
went into Committee, to consider the propriety of tem-
porarily suspending the laws relating to the importation
of corn ; Mr. GREENE in the chair.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said—Mr. Greene, so favour-
able a feeling was shown by the House on Tuesday
night to urge adopting the motion I am about to make,
that I will not trouble the House with any lengthened
detail upon the subject. I will, however, state, as well
asl am able, what has heretofore been, and what is now
the general prospect of the country with regard to a sup-
ply of food, and the reasons why I propose to advise the
House to susp'end the corn-laws. The same reasons may
be urged with equal force in favour of the navigation
laws, the two subjects being closely connected together;
and immediately after Mr. Speaker resumes the chair it
is my intention to propose that the House do
resolve itself into a Committee of the whole
House to enable me to move the suspension
of those laws. With the permission of the Committee, I
will now proceed to state what were the results of the
last harvest. Upon the termination of the harvest state-
ments were made that the crop, with regard to corn, would
be considerably below the average, while the produce in
barley and oats in parts of England was very deficient.
But the greatest calamity with which we have been
visited was the failure of the potato crop, which has
been most considerable in extent in Scotland.
It has been stated to have extended to three-
fourths of the whole crop, but the exact amount
cannot be correctly ascertained, yet I have no doubt in
saying that it has extended to considerably more than
half of the whole produce of that country. Of course,
Sir, this great and general failure of the potato crop has
had a material influence upon the prices of food. It was
impossible not to expect that the prices of corn required
for consumption in Ireland would be materially affected
by this failure of the potato crcp. But, on the other
hand, there wss, in the course of last year, a very large
importation of foreign corn, and of corn and flour
from the British dominions. The amount alto-
gether so imported appears, by a return which will
shartly be in the possession of Honourable Mem-
bers, to amount to the large quantity of 4,800,000
vary IarCIEI sunray_ hut it lid
not for some time come into consumption, notwithstand-
ing the reduction of the duty to 4s. on the passing of
the corn-law. It was for this reason that there
was not a very considerable rise in prices.
There was not a general apprehension that there would
be insufficiency of food. With respect to this country,
the prices in October and in the course of November did
not show any very considerable apprehension with
regard to the increase of the price of food,
as the prices of corn in the first week
of October last year was 545., in the second week
555. 10d., its the third 595. 101, and in the fourth
618. 9d. ; in the first week in November the price
was 61s. 3d., in the third 595. Bd., and in the
fourth 595. This shows rather a decline than
an increase of prices from the middle of October to the
end of November; but, Sir, from that time there has been
a very considerable rise in prices—a rise of prices very
considerable indeed, and of alarming character, when
the nature of the calamity is considered, coming,
as it did, immediately at the time of the har-
vest.—(Hear.) The price of wheat in the month
of August, I think, was 478.; on the Ist of September
it was 495.; but the price has risen in the course of the
present month—in the first week in January to 645. 4d.;
in the second week to 665. 10d., and the week's average,
to the 16th of the present month, was 70s. 3d.
The returns show that for some years past there has
been a, great increase in the price of barley, In Janu-
ary, 1312, the price of barley was 295. 7d., in
1843, 264. 5d., its the first week of 1844, 325. 7d., 1845,
34,. 2ds, 1846, 31s. 11d.; in the first week of 1847, 445.
3d., second week, 465. 5d., third weele, 50s. This 508. did
notrepresent the trueprice at the present'time. Sir, I have
said that this rise in the price has been in a great degree
unexpected by those, who are engaged in the trade. I
will draw attention also to the state of the grain market
in France. I hold in my band the report of the Minister of
Agricultural Commerce in France. In last year there
was a restriction on the supply in the grain of this
country ; nor was it in these countries alone
that the deficiency in the supply of grain was
experienced, to which he would immediately refer.
I have mentioned that in various parts of Scotland and
Ireland there had been, as was well known, a great fail-
ure of the potato crop, which has given rise to that great
distress of which we have heard so much, and which we
all so deeply deplore. lam speaking now of the effect
which this great failure has produced upon the general
supply of 'food, and the want which it has caused of an
additional supply of corn and other grain in the country.
Various statements have been made as to the actual
amount of the loss occasioned by the- failure sof
the potato crop. In money value, however, I
think that the general average estimate is not less than
twelve millions sterling. I do not hesitate to say that
a less sum than from four to five millions
would be required for the purchase of food,
of one description' or another, to supply the de-
ficiency. I have already stated, that during the
past year we have had a supply of 4,800,000 quarters of
corn from foreign countries ; but, with reference to the
supply that we may have to obtain during the
remainder of the year, and before the next harvest, it
is to be considered that there are but very few parts
of the world from whence that supply can come,
There has been a great deficiency in the harvest in
France, termany, and a great part of the west of Eu-
rope. Measures have been taken in most of those coun-
tries to supply that deficiency by the admission of corn
free of duty. A law has lately been passed in France
by which the importation of wheat is allowed free of
duty, and also allowing all ships of foreign
nations to enter the ports' of France. Similar measures
have been passed in other countries, and in others the
exportation of corn has been prohibited. The stock
on hand in this country was very low, and it
was naturally expected that prices would be
high. There are two quarters from which a
quantity of corn may be expected to this country ; one
of those was Odessa. A large supply had already
been sent to France from that port, in conse-
quence of the importation having been so
greatly encouraged. We cannot speak accurately
of the quantity which has been imported, but at least
700,000 quarters have been imported, and there is no
doubt that a further supply will be sent in the spring, and
made available to meet the deficiency of this and other
countries. There had been a pretty fair average crop in
America of all sorts of corn. The harvests of wheat had
been abundant," and the quantity of Indian corn grown
was, perhaps, the largest ever known ; but, at the same
time, we required a very great part of that
supply to be sent to this country. However,
ships had been sent from Liverpool and other
places over there with the intention of bring-
ing to this country that supply of Indian and other sorts
of corn. Now, it appeared to him that such being the
state of the supply to this country, and such being the
deficiency, it had been found that they ought to remove
every impediment which was in the way of a supply to this
edeu
tyn t
or sc f4r3o. p
na
er fo
quarterreign onne,sa.s
notlt
considered appeared
very first
thatr, la rgtbee
and the importation of last year showed that it did
not prevent considerable importations of corn ; but
there were eircuttldttllCUS and cases in which that

duty might, to a certain extent, limit the supply
brought to this country. For instance, it was for some
time a very nice balance between the prices of corn in
this country and France. For a short time, English
wheat was sent from the eastern counties of this country
to France, but that exportation lasted a very short time,
as the prices rose, and the balance was the other way.
When prices rose in France corn in bond here rose to
within ls. of the price, so that the 4s. duty would mate-
rially alter the destination of many cargoes. For instance,
supposing the price at London to be 625., and the price
at Havre to be 605., the price at Havre would make
it bettei worth the importer's while to carry it there
than to bring it to London with a duty of 4s. Supposing
that the same circumstances occurred to France, and a
similar duty existed, it would hardly prevent any
great quantity from being brought to this country,
but at present the restriction imposed by the
4s. duty causes a considerable difference.
It is hardly in my power to say what quantity may
possibly come into this country through the suspension
of the present duty, but, whatever the quantity
may be, if it adds to the stock of food for the
consumption, it is worth our while to legislate
for it. Sir, in order to afford every facility for the in-
troduction of foreign grain, we propose that in regard
to corn the duty at present levied shall be suspended till
the Ist of September in the present year. That is the
proposition of her Majesty's Government. We shall
leave to Parliament afterwards to consider whether it is
expedient to continue the suspension, or shall revert to
the law which is at present in operation. Ido not think
that any party in this House should oppose the proposi-
tion we have made.—(Hear, hear.) In regard
to the advocates of the corn-laws, it has never
been contended by them it was not admissible to suspend
the principle when great emergencies arose. In 1756,
in 1766, in 1790, in 1791, and in 1800, these laws were
suspended, and yet the Governments of those times
were advocates of protective principles. With regard to
those who are opposed to restriction, and who have
argued that in February, 1849, the duty shall be
reduced to ls., they can have no difficulty
in relation to this proposed suspension because they
cannot hold that that which they consider a bad law,
even in times of good harvests and abundance, should be
a good law now, when there is a great pressure, and a
lamentable deficiency of food.—(Hear, hear.) Sir,
I now pass to another subject intimately connected
with the present question—l mean the navigation
laws From the Baltic the freight was 33. 9d. to 4s. 61
There are some instances of freight still more remark-
able and still more affecting the supply of corn to Ire-
land from foreign countries. I shall quote one
instance ; the freight of a quarter of wheat from Lon-
don to Cork vried generally from ls. to 13. 2d.,
per quarter, at the present moment it averaged from 3s.
to 3s. 6(1., and there is considerable difficulty in finding
vessels for the purpose of exportation. By a lower rate
of freightage we will be able to employ some more of
our vessels, from whence we anticipate much good to
result.7(llear, hear.).

Mr. BANKS said -he felt no difficulty in rising to
second the resolution. The Noble Lord had stated, that
from this suspension of the corn-laws he anticipated no
discussion. He was not wrong in his anticipitation, but
it was his opinion that the Noble Lord could
not expect much benefit should be derived from the
passirg of this measure, otherwise Parliament would have
been called together at an earlier period.— (Hear, hear.)
The Prime Minister could not but he aware that if he,
in the course of hia duty, thought it expedient to pass
such a measure, it was in his power to have called the
Legislature together—it might, indeed, be true that
such a course would have been inconvenient to
the Irish Members—but the English representatives
would have at once cheerfully consented on the behalf of
Ireland to the proposition, or any other, which would have
been proved to them was for the benefit of Ireland
But he thought the Noble Lord had less excuse for
not calling Parliament together at an earlier period
for an alteration in the navigation laws. They had
been told that there was plenty of grain to be found in
different parts of the world, and consequently the only
difficulty that was to be met with was a want of the
means of conveyance, and that difficulty could only be
obviated by the suspension of the navigation laws. The
Ministry might have obviated that inconvenience by
calling Parliament together shortly after the proroga-
tion last year, and, as he had before observed, if it had
been inconvenient for the Irish Members to attend, the
English Members were ready, on the Dart of
Ireland, to attend for the sanction of the sus-
pension of the navigation laws. His information
differed from that of the Noble Lord with respect to the
last harvest. He believed that there was more than an
average crop of corn in the west of England, although
it might be deficient in quality, but he believed
that there was more than average quantity, and indeed
sufficient to supply the deficiency of the potato crop.
A view had been taken by the friends of protection,
that at a period when the want of corn would be felt in
this country, the prices of corn in other nations
would be guided by the prices in the English
markets. Such appeared to be the case now, and it
was to other and more distant countries that they
now required to look for the supply which was now
required. He had the sincere satisfaction of
expressing on the present occasion a full, a free, and
entire concurrence in the proposition of the Noble
Lord. He shared with him in the apprehension
that no great benefit would result from the suspension
of the duty, but if there was the smallest benefit
to be derived, he agreed with the Noble Lord in saying
that they would be to blame if they withheld
the supply of corn for one moment.—(Hear, hear.)
One of the measures in regard to which the
Right Hon. Member for Tamworth bad met oppo-
sition from them was the Coercion Bill. lie did
not indeed know whether his Hon. and Learned Friend
of oho Coercion Bill would
considered that the psasing
relieve the famine in Ireland, but he would beg leave to
remind the Hon. and Learned Member, and indeed all
Members in the House, that as regarded the famine in
Ireland, the Right Hon. Member of Tamworth had met
with no opposition whatever that promised relief to that
unfortunate country, for the agricultural Members had
over and over again expressed their desire to consent to
all suspension of the duty on corn, but their over-
tures were rejected by the Right Honourable Member.
Ireland had, therefore, nothing to blame any agricultural
Members for, and the committee might rely upon it
those Members would never stand in the way of any
measure that was calculated in the slightest degree to
bedefit Ireland.

Sir IL W. BARRON regretted that the present mea-
sure had not been brought forward before. In many
parts of Ireland

which existed in every part of that neighbourhood. Par-
liament had no idea of the terrible destitution that
pervaded Ireland, while, from what he read in the public
prints, the people of England appeared yet unconvinced
of the dreadful condition in which the unfortunate millions
of Ireland were living. On Thursday lest, in the City of
Waterford no less than 107 applicants were refused ad-
mission into the union workhouse solely on account of
the want of sufficient room to locate them. The phy-
sician reported to the board that it would be dangerous
to the lives not only of the applicants themselves but of
the inmates of the house from the crowded state of the
wards if they_wore admitted. Under these circumstances
they were forced to refuse admission to the 107 applicants,
but lie was glad to say that the board, upon their own
responsibility, had since taken another building, capable
of accommodating

most generous nation, that there was not among the
gentlemen who Attended there one dissentient voice
when the proposition was made for taxing himself for
the relief of those 'poor persons who were suffering
under the distresses that had been justly and eloquently
set forth. Ife was one of those who had imposed
upon himself a taxation of 28s. in the pound on the
property of the baronies for the support of the poor
for only three months of the year. He attended regu-
larly at the sessions where he resided, and other places
where the country gentlemen were accustomed
to assemble, and where these matters were re
gulated, and he had not seen one single instance
where a landlord had set himself up in opposition
to the principle that property was bound to support
the poor ; and yet they were told gravely by the press
of this country, and that statement was retailed second-
hand in that House, by some second-hand lawyer—
(Laughter)—that they had not performed their
duties in reference to the poorer classes of their country,
and that they were miserably deficient in all the duties
which they owed towards those who were entitled to
relief from the more affluent portions of the community.
He asserted it without fear of contradiction, that there
was not in the whole world a class who had come more
liberally forward towards the support of the poor,
or had acted more magnanimously towards them
than the landlords of Ireland on the present oceasion.
They had clone this in the mode that was most accept-
able, and which clothed the act with proper grace and
dignity, for they had done it liberally, and without any
distinction of party or sect.—(Hear.) So great was
the calamity that impended over his unfortunate country,
yet he could not help thinking that it might yet be of
considerable advantage to that country, and rescue it
from many of the horrors that were inherent in the
organization of the country, and the vitiated state of its
political condition, and he trusted that speedily it would
be delivered from the horrors that now cast a gloom over it
Mr. GOLTLBURN would not follow the Honourable
Baronet throughout the details of his address, because
he had recently arrived from a place where the greatest
distress prevailed, and consequently he was well
able to depict the nature of the sufferings of the people
to the House. It was perfectly natural for a gentleman
so situated, to press, in warm language, upon
the House the dreadful nature of the calamity
which had visited his country, and it was
equally natural that he should feel irritated
at statements .4 hich, in his opinion, reflected upon the
character of his countrymen, and that he should take
the earliest opportunity of contradicting them. But the
Henourable Baronet would not suppose that he was
in the least degree indifferent to the sufferings of
that country if he (Mr. Goulbourn) expressed
his opinion that that was not the occasion on which he
should have taken an opportunity of entering into such
a discussion.—(Hear) They all knew and felt for the
distress existing in Ireland, and considered that it
was the duty of England to come forward and
to relieve the distresses cf the Irish people. He
had but a single observation to offer to the House. He
entirely concurred in the measure which the
Noble Lord had proposed, and ho thought
al,o that it was most essential that that concur-
rence should be universal, and that that concurrence
should carry with it to the people a conviction of the
interest which England felt in the welfare of Ire-
land. He would not, however, avail himself of that
opportunity to advert to the past proceedings of the
House with respect to this subject, except to state
that the such a step a.t an Errlier varied
would acne far to have alleviated thc
which it was not prepared to meet.—(Hear.) The
question they had to consider was—were they likely f

or not to derive advantage from the measure?
To it he gave his entire assent, and he could not, in
doing so, help expressing his regret, that the adoption
of such a course, at an antecedent period would have
been most advantageous ; as at the present time the
grain of the foreign countries to whom we looked 1
for supplies, was alrealy engaged by other
purchasers who were competing for its;p a ,essfen; yet it
was most desirable to obtain possession of whatever sur-
plus remained through the suspension of the duties, as
the continuance of the duty might divert those sup-
plies from 'our shores to other countries. With re-
gard to the suspension of the navigation laws
this argument applied even with greater force, as France
had suspended her navigation laws for the purpose of
getting corn into France; and, therefore, they had not
the same advantage with their ships as they
would have had if France had not adopted
such a course. Corn from America, for instance,
would be carried to France when the American
ships were informed at the nearest port that
the navigation laws of France had been suspended.
He thought that in order to keep themselves on an
equal footing with other countries, the suspension of the
navigation laws during the urgent period of distress was
a measure quite necessary, and from which no one could
dissent, and for his own part he did assent to it
more freely. At the same time he was sure that the
Noble Lord and the House wou!d not suppose him about
to throw obstacles in the course about to be pursued if
he took the present opportunity of preserving entirely
to himself the question of any further suspension of
the navigation laws, or of prohibitirg any interference
with them hereafter, either in the matter of corn or
in respect of any other commodity. He must
not be considered to be precluded from adhering to the
strictness of their navigation laws, by the vote he should
give that night; nor should he be precluded from consi-
dering any point that might arise with regard to
them, by what might take place on the present
occasion.
lie
thought it right to put in this reservation
With respect to these laws, he had only further to ex-
press his hope that the measures they were then about
to take might be the means of allaying the cry of
famine in this country, and that those nho were now suf-
fering under the greatest depths of privation and dis-
tress would see, in the readiness 'with which the dif-
ferent interests in this country had given up those
points which they had heretofore contended for as most
important. Without a moment's hesitation on it, an
evidence of the strong and liberal feeling of a British
Parliament to thoae of its subjects in any part of its em-
pire who might be suffering under the severest calamity
Which could be inflicted on the country. He trusted
that the unanimity with which they had acted on this
particular occasion would carry with it a degree of sa-
tisfaction vihich would tend to alleviate that misery, to
remove which they had acted.
Mr. EWART rose, but *as for some time inaudible.
The conduct of the commercial Minister of France in
the suspension of the navigation laws had been worthy
of all praise, and yet although the example had long
been before the eyes of the Government, they did not
follow it until three or four months after the necessity
had occurred. He had been one of those Mem-
bers who had supported the principles of free
trade from the first in that House, and he was
cordially pleased to find that the Hon. Member for Dor-
setshire had voted for a temporary suspension of the
navigation laws. As an advocate for a total repeal of
commercial restrictions, he preferred that plan to a
temporary suspension. He only regretted that her
Majesty's Ministers had not come to a resolution for
that total repeal ; and he thought the same obser-
vation might be applied to the navigation laws.
Since, however, the Government would not consent to
the total repeal, however much he regretted it, he would
assent to the temporary measure. There were no old
associations to justify the retention cf the navigation
laws. They only took their rise in the reign of Henry
VII., and were confirmed in the time of Charles 11., and,
he believed, simply in consequence of our connection with
the Dutch at that time. He repeated that he would much
rather if the Ministry, had for temporary suspension
substituted that temporary suspension of those laws, yet
he did not wish to disturb the unanimity of the debate.
But he could not help observing that labour in this
country could never be sufficiently rewarded until
they did away with the restrictions en external commerce.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEEN'S B EIV CH, Jan. 20,

The Court took the Crown paper to-day. None but
disputed pauper settlement and parish cases came on for
argument during the morning. They involved no points of
public interest.

BAIL COURT, Jan. 20.
LIABILITY OF PROVISIONAL COMIIITTEE3IEN.
FLOWER V. ROPER.

This was an action brought 'to recover the sum of 881. due
from the defendant to the plaintiff, for work and labour done,
and upon an account stated.
Mr. Wordsworth appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. New-
ton, with whom was Mr. Hatherton, appeared for the de-
fendant.

The facts of the case were very brief. It appeared from
the statement of counsel, and from the witnesses examined,
that the defendant, Mr. Roper, was a gentleman of
property, and the plaintiff, Mr. Flower, is a soli-
citor. In the year 184 G a railway company. called the
Liverpool, Gloucester, Salisbury, Devizes, and Southampton
Railway was started. The defendant, amongst other gen-
tlemen, gave his written consent to have his name placed
upon the provisional committee. The written consent was
dated the 13th of Dec., 1845, although the registration of
the company did not take place for some time afterwards.
The attorneys and solicitors were appointed for the company
on the very day upon which the defendant had given his
consent. 'fhc plaintiff was one of those solicitors, and in
the duties consequent upon that appointment the present
expenses were incurred.
_ _ .

On the cross-examination of the witnerses, it was admitted
that Mr. Flower had, by way of showing that he had not
selected the defendant by any undue preference, brought six
other actions for this Gil. A managing committee was ap-
pointed soon after the defendant joined the provisional com-
mittee. The sum of three guineas was charged by the
plaintiff for each attendance at the board of directors of the
company. The Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, and South-
ampton Railway Company was amalgamated with the
railway of which the defendant was a member, on
the 13th of December, the day on which the defendant
placed his name on the provisional committee of the joint
company called the Liverpool, Gloucester, Salisbury, and
Devizes, and Southampton Railway Company.
Mr NEWTON objected, on the part of the defendant, that
he was in any case not liable for more than the amount
of the bill from the 13th of Dzcember to the appoint-
ment of the managing committee. lie also objected that it
did not appear what number of the provisional committee
were to form a quorum, and therefore many of the proceed-
ings of that committee might have . been illegal, as it had
not been shown that the proper number attended.
He also objected that a great many of the proceedings
for which charges had been made had taken place
before the 13th of December, when, although the de-
fendant was in the habit of attending meetings of the
company, there was nothing to render him in any way liable.
Mr. Flower had also neglected to prove the attendances,
which comprised the heavier portion cf his bill.
Mr. Justice EseLE said that if the Counsel on either side
would allow him to consider of the case until to-morrow
morning, he would decide whether the plaintiff should be
nonsuited, subject to the objections of Mr. Wordsworth, or
the defendant should be rendered liable, subject to the motion
of Mr. Newton. The only question was as to the amount.
Both Counsel expressed their readiness to come to an ar-
rangement.

Bin NEWTON then addressed the jury.
The Learned JUDGE having summed up,
The jury found found for the plaintill.—Damages, 171.
Ba. 6d., the amount from the 13th of December to the ap
pointment of the managing committee.
The case of Richards r. Lord Maidstone, which stood for
trial this morning, was, by consent, postponed until the sit-
tings after term.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Jan. 20.
CHILTERN V. CROYDON RAILWAY COMPANY.
This cause, which has been brought before the attention
of the Court upon several occasioni, was again brought for-
ward upon demurrer.
The plaintiff; 'it will be remembered, was a passenger from
Sydenham by the Croydon Railway Company, but upon his
journey up it appeared that he had lost his ticket, and upon
refusing to pay the whole fare from Croydon, was given in
charge to a policeman, and brought before the Lord Mayor,
and was finally discharged upon paying the fare claimed.
The action vas brought to recover compensation in da-
mages for the imprisonment complained of.
Mr. KENNEDY was heard at great length against the de-
murrer; at the conclusion of which the Court gave judgment
against the company, on the ground that they had no right
to give a passenger in charge under the circumstances of the
case.

'IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, Jan. 20.
IRON SHIPS OF WAR.
Mr. R. YORKE wished to ask the Secretary to.the
Admiralty whether it was true that sixteen iron ships 'of
war had been ordered without previous inquiry of their.
poWers and efficiency for the service. Also, whether the
report of the Admiralty of France, showing the utter
inefficiency of iron ships for the purposes of warfare, was
not in possession of the Government at the time the said
ships were ordered.

Sir. WARD said the best reply he could give to the
lion. Gentleman was, that the iron steam-ships to which
he referred, were ordered by the House last session, on
the motion of an lion. Member opposite.' He believed
that no report had been made to the Admiralty of
France seeing forth the utter inefficiency of iron ships
for the purposes of warfare, and that no experiments
had yet been made by the naval authorities of either
country to test t heir eap.xity.
Mr. WILLIAMS wished to be informed whether the
progress of the iron-steamers, which Lad been ordered,
had been suTended?
Mr. WARD replied, but was not audible in the gal-
lery.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN wished to ask whether
the Government had fulfilled the promise made through
the Right Hon. Gentleman the Vice-President of the
Board of Trade (Mr. M. Gibson), and directed their atten-
tion to the subject of agricultural statistics during the
recess, and whether they proposed bringing forward
any measure on the subject ?
Mr. M. GIBSON replied that the subject had re-
ceived the attention of the Government during the
recess, and that a measure was now in progress which,
when some of its. details had been decided on, would be
laid before the Reuse--he hoped on an early day.
LIBRARY COMMITTEE.

On the motion of Sir R. H. INGLIS, the following
Committee was appointed to assist Mr. Speaker in the
direction of the Library, and all matters relating
to it: —Sir R. H. Inglis, Mr. Chancellor of the Exche
quer, Lord John Russell, Sir Robert Peel, Mr. Goulburn,
Mr. W. Wynn, the Lord Advocate, Mr. Shaw, Viscount
Palmerston, Viscount Mahon, Major• General Fox, Mr.
Solicitor-General, Mr. Pendarves, Mr. Aclaml, Sir W.
Somerville, and Mr. Monckton Milnes.
POOR-LAW. •

Captain PECHELL moved for a return from each.
poor-law union and parish in England and ;Wales of
th 6 number of non-resident families and persons who
were in receipt of relief on the 26th day of
August, 1846, distinguishing those who have since
become chargeable to the unions and parishes
in which they were residing at that period.
Ho said the return referred to the extraordinary ope-•
ration of a Bill passed last session, entitled the Poor-
law Removal Bill, the working of which had proved.'
most injurious to the poorer classes. It had
created the greatest consternation in the coun-
try, and had benefited none save the, legal
authorities connected•with the various unions, who, in
fact, were living upon plunder derived from the poor.
The non-resident had been harshly treated, and had in •
many cases had relief altogether suspended so fur,
as they were concerned.—(Hear, hear). There were
several persons now thrown upon the humane
guardians of certain unions .. for whom they had no
no right to provide, and the Gilbert Union, at the pre-
sent moment, paying both ways. By the operation of this
Act, no less than 1,110 families, consisting 0f1,621 persons,
had been thrown upon the Gilbert Union at au expense
of 285!. per week. In the town of Brighton, with which
he was connected, no less than 1,452 persons had been
thrown upon the rates, and the guardians of that
union, rather than refuse these poor people as-
sistance in their necessity, or of litigating the
case, and voluntarily undertaking their support of the
expectation that the House of Conimons would pass
some measure, during the present session, for their
relief from this oppression. He could not help think-
ing this was a matter which might have been introduced
into her Majesty's , Speech, for certainly it was
of much more importance-than the County Courts Bill.
On the 19th oft January it might well be supposed that
the state of Ireland would occupy a prominent position
in her Majesty's-Speech ;'.but -even that, he considered,
a subject not paramount to the alteration of the poor-
law. He trusted that 'the Government would grant
these returns, as it was fully expected that the House
of Commons would grant the' relief which was -'so
earnestly sought.
Mr. BANKES said that it was with great pleasure he
seconded the motion which had just been made, nod he
look that opportunity of giving notice of an intention
which -he had had previously of ;bringing a formal pro-
position before the House, and on Friday next, he pro-
pose d to do it in the- shape of an amendment to the
,notion of the Noble L'Ord, in svhich he should submit to
the House a proposition for the immediate repeal of the
Poor-law, which was at that moment doing the greatest
mischief in the country. He held in his hand a petition
from his own rarish, which had been greatly injured, in
the county he represented, by the operation of this law,
and he believed that in a .few days he should have
petitions from almost every parish in that county,
speaking of this petition, which he should take that op-
portunity of presentinglo the House ; it purported .to
be with reference to the least 'important portion of the
evil, viz., it had reference to the additional burthen
thrown upon the rate-payers, while the more important
portion by far was that adverted to by the
Honourable Member ;who just spoke, viz., the ge-
neral injury inflicted upon the poor. He believed
that those who ventured to suggest objections to
this Bill when it passed—he was one who suggested
many amendments, everyone of which was negatived—
and those who promoted the Bill had no conception of
the mischief it would create. For that reason he should
be acting inconsistently with his duty if he did
not take the earliest opportunity possible of sub-
mitting to the House the immediate and total re-
peal of these laws. He should tie answered by the
Noble Lord that the question of whether the measure,
should continue was one of the subiects which he pi o-
posed to submit to the Committee, the constitution of
which he should offer to the consideration of the House.
on Friday i.ext. His (Mr. Bankes's) answer would be,
that during the deliberation of the Committee the
grievance ought not to continua- if it were in their
power to put an end to it at once, and sure he was, that
whatever might be the result or their deliberation, that
law, as it now stood, ought not to remain another hour
upon the statute-book. He, therefore, concurred en
tirely in the propriety of the motion of which the Noble
Lord had given notice, with reference to a full
consideration of that law. The amendment which
he shOuld submit That ,`it is necessary to
inquire into the operation of the Act 9 and 10 Victoria,
chap. 66, passed during the la-t session of Parliament,
as to its effects upon the comforts and condition
of the poor." . Such .an enquiry, must neces-
sarily tend to show the necessity of altering the
statute materially, or of removing it altogether.
With regard to the other Subject alluded to by the Hen.,
Member' there was no doubt that some time.would be
required before the full information could be obtained.
lie would, however, support the motion of the—Hon.
Gentleman for that- inforraa.'ion whiCh ho .required.
'He trusted that country MA sseuld.contribute to the
'information of the-House'on this subject by the-restilts
of-their own personal experience, and render unneces-
sary any Committee'on subject.-L-(Hear, hear.)
Sir GEORGE GREY-had no objrcti,in to the pro-
election of the papers moved for by the Hon. Member,.
but'as the HOn. Gentleman opposite -had stated it to be
his intentien'to bring this matter before the House by a ,
specific -motion; he trusted that the House would not
countenance the discussio'n further'at the present time.
POOR-LAW AUDITORS.