The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARI 20, 18413

he would honestly and fearlessly say that the rich
ought to be urged much more strongly than they
were at present to pay the taxation of the
country. —( Hear.) He would not use harsh language
when speaking of the conduct of the Anti-Corn-law Leaguers,
but he would venture to say that they went about the coun-
try addressing the agricultural labourers in language of the
most deceitful kind. —( Protectionist cheers and cries of " No,
no," froth the Opposition.) They told those deluded people
that if the ecru-laws were repealed, they would have cheap
corn aid deer labour. But those two things did not exist
together.—(Protectionist cheers.) Cheap corn and cheap
labour might, however, exist together.—(Protectionist
cheers.) The labourer might be well off if they re-
leaaed him from the payment of those burdens under which
he at present laboured. But would the Anti-Corn-law Leaguers
vote for any proposition a hick would have for its object the
real benefit of the labourer ? whilst the members and lec-
turers of the League were addressing agricultural
labourers, they omitted to tell them that whilst the manufac-
turers were seeking for foreign trade they were at the same
time destroying the home trade.—( Hear, hear.) They did
not address them in the same honest terms as he did when he
went to speak at agricultural meetings. He spoke to them
honestly, because he looked upon them as his friends.
—( Protectionist cheers. ) But the manufacturers consi-
dered their labourers as mere machines.— ( Protee-
tientst cheers. ) They taltaed to. them in no such nonsensi-
cal terms as he (Mi. Bennett.) did in addressing the
:agricul t ural labourers. —( Hear, hear.) The Honourable
Member for Durham ( Mr. Bright) had said something
of the late mereinge of agricultural Labourers which had
been held at Goatacre and one oz- two other places. Now he
(Mr. Bennet r) happened to know something about those meet-
ines est the Goatacre meeting there were breween 34 4) and
400 people, a t l no more; and by whom were they addres eat?
The Han. Member for Durham had said that the Anti-Corn-
law League did not pay their emissaries, but he ( Mr. Bennett)
keew that they did.—( Loud cheers from the protectionists.)
They canes o his own county, and said they would have a
•' flare-up" there.—( Hear hear.) The attempt to have a
'• flare-up " had been made long since, but it had failed. At
t ..e last attempt there was a Mr. Edwards, who, to the best of
his (Mr. Bennett's) information—he was not sure whether
that information was correct, was a journeyman tailor, at Marl-
borough. That man attended all the League meetings
'here; and at the last meeting he put a labouring man, named
Pedlar, in the chair, who made a speech, which was printed at
a tremendous length in the organ of the League, whilst
the speech which he (Mr. Bennett) had made was
eomplet. ly hurked.—( Cheers and laughter.) Edwards
admitted that he received a guinea a day for what he did.
Where he got it he (Mr. Bennett) did not know. God forbid
hat it should be from the League.—(Cheers and laughter.;
That men's business was to get " flare-ups" in the country for
the Anti-Corn-law League.—( Hear, hear.) And it appeared
that the Hon. Member fur Durham was disposed to have a
flare-up" with him (Mr. Bennett). But he believed that
the time had come when this deception of the League wss
about to be brought to an end.—(Protectionists' cheers.) The
agricultural labourers were a very intelligent and respectable
body of men ; they were men whom he called and treated as his
friends.—( Hear, hear.) And such men could not be deceived
much longer. Ha admitted that at the Goatacre and other
such meetings; and, indeed, there might be found in every
parish in the country, a set of idle fellows who, for a certain
remuneration, would cry out " cheap bread and free trade"
for the Anti-Corn-law League, but the agricultural labourers,
as a body, were too intelligent and respectable to do any such
thing. He believed that the tide amongst that body
was turning very rapidly against the advocacy of free
trade. He was old enough to remember the excite-
ment which was caused many years ago in Wiltshire
about the property-tax ;at that time he was young, aspiring,
and active—he could not bear to see the deception which was
practised upon the labourers. There was a meeting held in
Salisbury, at which Mr. Hunt and Mr. Cobbett made them-
-elves most active. He (Mr. Bennett) said to a shrewd, re-
spectable, and elderly gentleman, named Mr. Burton, " We
are neglect ing our duty ; here's Hunt and Cobbett upon the
hustings at Salisbury, and they are running down the pro-
perty-tax." The object of those agitators was national bank-
ruptcy.—( Laughter.) Mr. Burton said, in reply to him, that
he (Mr. Bennett) was a fool for taking any notice of them,
because the were doing the work of the wealthy against
whom they spoke se vociferously and fiercely. " We, 'said he,
"have property, whilst those fellows have none, and they are
doing our work in running down the property •tax." So he be-
lieved were the Anti Corn-law Leaguers doing the work of the
landowners of the county. There might be at Goatacre and at
one or two other places a cry of " Free-trade in corn—sub-
iivision of farm—ssmall farms," and the like ; but the poor
wretches that made those cries did not know that the " free
trade in corn" and " subdivision of farms" would bring ruin
upon themselves and the farmers.—( Hear, hear.) A
gross deception was practised upon them. The farmer would
be the man that would be ruined.—( Hear, hear.) He
was the man that would be crushed.—( Hear.) And had not
the great manufacturers already crushed the little manufac-
turers ?—(Cheers. ) Last year the price of wheat
was 445. per quarter. The little farmers sold all
their wheat at that price because they could
not get anything more. But the great farmers
that had 4,ooosacks of corn, obtained 765. per quarter. That
was done by a rich farmer at Marlborough.—( Hear, hear.)
The colonies, which he (Mr. Bennett) looked upon as a portion
of the United Kingdom, would also be ruined by this measure
—( Hear, hear)—and the labourers at home would would be
screwed down to the lowest point of remuneration. There
would also be a very large confiscation of property in this coun-
try. if the mauufacturer found that his bu-iness was not re-
inunerating, he had nothing to do but to extinguish his fires and
discharge his labourers. But not so with the landlord—his
capital was invested in his land, and he must go on
whether he was prosperous or not.—(Protectionist cheers.)
Whatever might be his loss, he was compelled to stick te his land.
fie believed that if the present measure were passed into a law,
ease price of wheat would be ultimately as low as 40s. per quarter.
l'he manufacturers seem to consider they are safe, but they
may be assured that as soon as this measure shall have passed,

that the sooner they make up their books, extinguish their
tires, and bid adieu to the tall chimnies and crowded factories
he better, it would be for them. They might depend upon it
there was a time of severe and great distress coming upon them.
—( Cheers from the protectionists.) They are already manu-
tacturing more than the world can consume, and foreign
nations are rising into competition with them, and bid fair to
out-rival them in their supplies of the markets of the world.
He would briefly allude to the question of wages. The Anti-
Corn-law League maintained that it was the duty of all persons to
buy in the cheapest and sell in the dearest market. That prin-
ciple should be adopted with reference to wages —vraNtees are nre
however governed by the farmer they are grwerned by the
demand for labour. He considered that the assertions of the
Anti-Corn-law League were a mass of contradictions. To the
farmer they said the repeal of the corn laws would not reduce
the price of corn. To the labourer it would not affect the price
of wages, and to the landlord they said, rents would not be
lowered. Such was the conduct of the League.—(" Hear,
hear," from the protectionists.) He must say one word with
reference to the county he represented, Wiltshire. There is no
county better farmed than Wiltshire ; everything is going on
well, science is doing wonders among them, every man is
exerting himself to the utmost, every thing is thriving, and
the labourers are employed.--( Hear, hear.) The Hon.
Member went on to state that it was a matter of astonish-
ment to him that so small a circumstance as the partial failure
of the potato crop should have been the means
of bringing forward such measures at present.—
( Hear, hear.) He had much respect for Hon. Members
on both sides of the House ; he considered them honest ; nor
could he impute any dishonourable motives to them. He con-
sidered it, however, very extraordinary that Hon. Members
on his side of the House could makelsuch speeches ; that they
could take up such an argument as this, and say—" There must
be a Government, but I have more confidence in the Right
lion. Baronet on this side of the House, than I have fur the
Noble Lord the Member for the City of London ; and as there
are but two parties, I shall abide by the Earty on this side."
What a lamentable state—continued the Hon. Member—what
a misfortune is this !—( Hear, hear.) No man would be more
distressed than I should, if there were no party to conduct the
affairs of Government; but I still think that the principlef
which I advocate would become paramount, even if both parties
—the present parties in the State—would form a coalition.
The lion. Member concluded by stating that he would oppose
the motion.

Mr. H. BERKLEY rose, and said that his Hon colleague
had advocated sternly and strongly the necessity of protect ion.
He (Mr. Berkley) had noted down some of the lion. Mem-
ber's remarks. He ( Mr. M.) bad stated that there was no special
necessity for the removal of protection, and that he considered
protection was a benefit to the country, and to the colonies, as
well as to every branch of native industry, and he advocated
protection to the utmost possible extent ; and he also severely
attacked Hon. Members who had ventured to change their
opinions on that subject. He (Mr. Berkley) thought that his
Hon.:Colleague's anger would be abated if he looked to his own.
conduct and opinions a short time since, and compared them
with his present course. The lion, Member, a short time
since, had been addressed by his constituency at a public meet-
it,g held in Bristol, the chairman of which w• ote to the Hon.
Member, requesting him to support the measures of Govern.
merit. IL- replied to the effect that he could not give his
vote in favour of that measure, but did not give his
vote in favour of that measure, but did not hesi
e
to say that he thought it would be better for i
parties if the repeal of the corn-laws had been imme-
diate, ,nstead of the measure proposed by the Government.
His colle,gue said that he had much reluctance in deserting his
political leader, but he would ask Mr. Miles, was it not th
opinion of the majority of the constituency that he represented—
a majority of that constituency that returned him to
Parliament—that free trade principles would be bale-
deist to the country.—(Cheers.) It was riot for him
to say what were the opinions of the constituency when he
( \lr. Miles) was returned, hut he would say that the con-
stituency would now return free-traders for the city of Bristol.
Look to the important petition which he ( Mr. Aides) presented
from the county, signed by 16,000 persons. He undertook
to state to his Hon. Friend that that petition showed that the
I population of Bristol were for tree trade. He would say this
much for the people of Bristol. that the great moral had not been
thrown away upon them—of seeing two of the first statesmen
of the day standing forth united against the opinion of his Hon.
Friend (Mr. Miles), of whose integrity of purpose and honesty
of principle there was no doubt.—( Cheers.) Of the honest
convictions of the Noble Lord the Member for London and the
Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government
no one now, he thought, could entertain any doubt, for it was
clear the change which had taken place in their opinions was
the result of honest convictlin.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.)
With these observations he would conclude by saying, that he
would give his hearty support to the measure now brought for-
ward by her Majesty' Government.
Mr. TOLLEAI ACHE rose and said that the Hon. Member

for Durham (Mr. Bright) thought proper to express his
opinions respecting the county of Chester. Perhaps he might
be allowed to express his opinions in reply. If the lion.
Gentleman had been as well acquainted with the cultivation of

the soil as be was with the manufacture of cotton goods
he (Mr. Tollemache) had no doubt but the Hon. Gentleman
would be of a very different opinion. The Hon. Member for
Durham he believed to be a most determined and decided op-
ponent of the corn-laws, and well acquainted with manufac-
turing interests, but he felt that the Hon. Member knew little
with regard to agricultural affairs. He (Mr. Tollemache)
was intimately connected, both as a landed proprietor and a
practical farmer, with the county of Suffolk, and he could say,
especially with regard to that county, that agricultural im-
p! ovement was going on as rapidly as in any other c miry
whatever.—(Cheers from the protectionists.) He (Mr. Tolle-
mache) believed that the agitation got up by the Anti-Corn-
law League owed its influende entirely to the vacillating policy
pursued by her Majesty's ministers.—(Loud cheers from
the protectionists.) He strongly recommended him (Mr.
Bright) to make some amends, and vote as he should vote,
against the free-trade principles of her Majesty's Ministers.—
( Laughter from the Opposition.) The Hon. Member spoke
of the proud aristocracy of Cheshire ; he (Mr. Tollemache)
supposed he meant the term to apply to the protectionists; but
he would not further notice the ob,ervations. With regard to
the Government question before the House the opinions he had
long entertained remained unchanged, and, therefore, he felt it
his duty to oppose the measure brought forward by her Majesty's
Government. If there were a scarcity of food existing in
Ireland, he should be most anxious that an effectual remedy
should be applied, and that the opening of the ports, for a
limited period, should be one of those remedies. If, during
that period, her Majesty's Government pursued a consistent
course of policy, he had no fear but that the corn-laws would
be maintained.—( Protectionist cheers.) Ha did pot attribute
the present prosperous condition of the country to any relaxation of
protective duties. He believed that it was entirely owing to
the great increase consequent upon a succession of successful

harvests, the formation of railways and other public wetly, the
increased employment of labourers, and the expenditure of large
sums of money. He believed, also, that had no relaxation
taken place in protective duties, they would have
had much larger revenues. It was his firm
belief that it was impossible with free trade
principles to obtain remunerating prices for agricultural pro,
duce.—( Great cheers from the protectionists.) After the
policy pursued by her Majesty's Government with respect to
agitation in Ireland, it was his painful duty to declare that he
could not any longer be one of their supporters. He should
support them when he believed they were right, and though
he had the greatest possible respect for the Government as
individuals, he had no confidence in them as a Ministry.
The change of opinion that had taken place he was perfectly
satisfied with, although he did not concur with them. He did
not say but that change was caused from honest conviction—
but as that change had taken place, he (Mr. Tollernache)
thought that the Government were hound, as honest and
honourable men, to take the sense of the country, and
see what view their constituencies would take of
such changes.—( Loud cheers from the protectionists. )
He thought the Government were decidedly wrong in holding
office without making an appeal to the country. He could
not but fear that they laid themselves open to a charge of
making use of their power as a Government to cverthrow
the principles of free trade. This was a serious charge,
and he thought they would have great difficulty
to TYI:. intain their cor.sistency, but he did hope
and trust that that ch,rue would be satisfactorily answered.
He was well aware that this measure was brought forward by a
Government prolee-ing to he Conservative, but as he knew he
was to fall, he should fall ssith honour to himself, and nupport
those opinions which he had always entertained, and which
would never involve disgrace.—(Great cheering from the
Proteetionionists. )
Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE observed that he highly approved
of the measures proposed by the Government, and believing
that they were of such a nature as would not only (10 honour
to the Minister, but would reflect credit on the Parliament
that adopted them ; and, believing the statement !wide by the
Right Hon. Baronet, " that by public opinion, and through
the influence of public opinion alone, could he hope to over-
come the difficulties by which he was surrounded," or contend
with the obloquy with which ignorance and bigotry had assailed
him—( Loud cheers)—he considered it unbecoming those
who did not hold their seats through the nomination of
Peers, and who were therefore not removable at pleasure—but
who owed their seats to the free choice of the people—
on an occasion like this, to give to the Ministry either a silent,
jealous, or lukewarm support.—( Hear, hear, and cheering.)
Far be it from him to permit—in the few remarks he was
about to make—those Hon. Gentlemen on the other side of
the House to imagine that he was insensible to the painful and
false position in which they were placed, by reason
of their inability to keep pace with the changes of
opinion which they saw going on around them. It (lid not be-
come those on his side of the House to cavil or quarrel with
!hose changes, it was enough to feel grateful for it, and he for

his part atfmired the ability with which it was carried out.—
( Cheers.) But he would tell those gentlemen for whom he
had to express sympathy, that they were not taking the
right course to extricate themselves from the position in
which they were placed. Why, instead of indulging in every
personal abuse, could they not pursue some straightfus ward and
manly course?—( Hear.) But, no, they adopted a sort of hypo-
crital cant—" We give you every credit for your conscientious-
ness"—" We are sure you are quite sincere in your change of
opinion, but still we have no confidence in you as a Minister."
—(" Hear, hear," from Mr. Shaw.) There (continued the
Hon. Member) was the Learned Recorder, who called his as-
sociates and colleagues, " political cowards."---( Loud cheers. )
His words were, " I have no confidence in these political
cowards."—( Hear. ) Why, then, he (Mr. Duncombe) would
say, if it be the case, why did they not come forward and at
once move a vote of want of confidence in the Ministers.—

(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Such a course would be
matly—it would be intelligible—and it would be Par-
liamentary, because they themselves had pursued it in
1841. What did they then vote ?—and why did they
vote ? Because it was proposed to meddle with this very ques-

tion, viz., the commercial interests of the country. And Their
vote was to this effect—" That a Government who legislated on
such a question ought to possess the confidence of the House."
—( Hear, hear.) They moved this, and they carried it. In
their address to the Queen on that occasin, they said, " that
it was their urgent desire to consult the interests, and promote
the welfare of her Majesty's Government; but that. her
Majesty,s Government should possess the confidence of the
House and of the country, and that that confidence was not
reposed in her Majesty's present advisers." Well, that was
their opinion in 1811. What did they do now ? Why, they
said that these gentleman did not possess the confidence of
the House or country.—(Hear.) Why, then, he would ask,
did they not move a vote of want of confidence?
Sir J. TYRRELL—Because you won't support us.—
( Great laughter. )
Mr. DUNCOAIBE.—How did the Hon. Gentleman know
that?—(Continued laughter.) What right had he to assume
that he would not support such a motion ?—( Hear.)
Sir JOHN TYRRELL—Your party would not.—( Hear. )
Mr. DUNCOMBE continued—He had no party—his party
was that of the country—a party which he would never desert.
But what did they do? Why, they exhausted themselves in
throwing every kind of obloquy and censure upon the Govern-
ment, and some went so far as to charge the Right Hon.
Baronet with treason.—( Hear, hear.) He wanted to know
what they would have done under the circumstances in No-
vember last—how would they have met the emergency? They
had been often urged to state how they would have dealt with
those circumstances, but they had never yet explained. (Hear,
hear, and cheers ) The Right Hon. Baronet explained the
course which he proposed to adopt on that occasion, but ob-
stacles with which they were till acquainted occurred to pre-
vent him from carrying it out. He then resigned office.
He (Mr. D.) would ask them, were they prepared to take
the reins of Government when the Right Hon. Baronet
gave them up ?--( Hear, hear.) No, they were not. Mr.
Gladstone, in his address to the electors of Newark, had stated
that the overnment of the country was offered to the Noble
Lords and Gentlemen who were the advocates of protection,
hut they refused to accept it.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble
Lord on his right was then called upon to construct a Govern
ment, but for some season or other he failed too.—( Hear and
laughter.) He (Mr. Duncombe) supposed that Hon. Gen-
tlemen opposite would admit, that some kind of Government
was necessary. How, he would ask, could the country be go-
verned under any other circumstances than those under which
the Right Hon. Baronet resumed the seals of office. He con-
sented to accept office untrammelled by the fetters of party, anti
sustained by public opinion alone. He wished that the
Noble Lord ( Lord John Russell) had acted in the same way,
and he was quite confident that public opinion would have sus-
tained him also in carrying out such measures as the exi-
gencies of the occasion demanded.—( Hear, hear.) The
Right Hon. Baronet had been taunted with change
of principle and even with treason—treason, he
would ask, to whom t Treason to his party, trea-
son to the people, and treason to his own honour.
What does that mean? It meant that the Right Hon. Baronet
preferred the interests of the people to those of his party, and
the safety of the country to the confusion and misery which
was the consequence of adherence to the present system of corn.
mercial policy. (Cheers. There was one treason
only which the Right Honourable Baronet could be
guilty of to his country, and that treason was to vacillate in
the eourse which he had propose.) to adopt in the measures
at present under the consideration of the House.—( Cheers. )
The protectionists, however, said that they had the country
with them in the maintenance of protection. He would ask them,
where was protection lately in the West Riding of Yorkshir; ?
Where was protection yesterday in Westminster? Now it
did not signify two straws which of the two gentlemen who
were candidates on that occasion were returned. It was
simply a question of protection. Had a protectionist remained
up to his knees eating cabbages in Covent-garden yesterday,
he would not have been successful. He knew that a great out-
cry had been made on the part of the tenant-farmers, and
agricultural labourers, and the Hon. Member for Oxford had
stated that protection could not be interfered with on the
ground that the tithes must be taken care of.---(" Hear, hear,"
and laughter.) It was a curious circumstance that no sooner
was anything for the good of the people proposed in that
House, but some Honourable Gentleman or other got
up and said, " Oh, you must take care lest this proposition
may interfere with the interests of the Church."—( Hear,
hear, and laughter.) He ( Mr. Duncombe) was given to un-
derstand that a cry was got up that the tenant-farmers and the
clergy were up in arms against the Ministerial measure.
Let the tenant-farmer get vote by ballot, and they
would no longer be found voting at the beck of Noble Dukes,
but for those measures which were conducive to their own and
to the public advantage. The tenant-at-will clause, however,
put an end to that, and left them to be influenced by the selfish
and tyrannical dictation of the landlords. He contended that
the clergy had not the slightest complaint against the measure,
and his authority for such an assertion was one which the Right
Honourable Baronet (Sir Robert. Inglis) would con-
sider of some weight. The authority to which he
referred was the charge of the Bishop of Rochester,
which was made in 1837, and reported in the Times news-
paper at that time. The laws relating to tithes had been ar-
ranged a short time before, and they had entered into a com-
pact at that time with the Church that tithes should not be
(p lt‘isicre. withou . respectrnbe had to the c
joined corn-laws. rn
deteriorated by any alterations which might subsequently take
Itso . n
.h happened
(Sirt t he
e
-wlaiwths. the h
Inglis) in the support of that measure. He had also joined
the Elstn. Baronet on a recent occasion, when
posed the Maynooth grant, but they
were influenced by very
different motives in taking the same side
on those
occasions. With respect to the Maynooth grant he
(11r. Duncombe) objected to it becauseit was opposed
to
the voluntary principle ; but the Hon. Baronet, because it was
distasteful to the feelings of the high Church party.—( Hear,
hear.) With respect to the tithes, one motive for the line or
uotidur:t which be pursued was that ifcertain lands were thrown
out of cultivation by a change in the corn-laws, those lands
would by that measure be saddled with a rent charge.
Another reason was because it gave to tithes a prior
claim before any other charges. Tithes were no
lien on the land before, but by that measure they became a
rent charge. (The Hon. Gentleman then read the extracts
to which he relerred, from the Charge of the Bishop of Ro-
chester, to the effect that the Tithe Bill was as reasonable a
Bill as the clergy ceuld expect, and proceeded to say,) The
only argument used by the Vonourable Gentleman opposite,
to which he thought it necessary to make any allusion,
was that drawn from the state of things in 1842. In
184'2 the country was in a state of great distress; agitation
was rife, and the people, the poor of this country, were going
about without the means of employment, and many occur-
rences took place which resulted in the punishment of
those who had offended through the force of circum-
stances against the laws. When those dreadful occurrences
took place, he told the gentlemen on the other side of the
House, that if they were to give the country those mea-
sures which would do away with that monopoly which had so
shackled its industry, they would have prevented the results of
the great depression of that period. He had himself brought
a motion before the House which would have saved the Go-
vernment from the policy they then adopted. He had told her
Majesty's Government to give the country such measures as
would prevent the consequence which had taken place. That
measure was rejected. The Right Hon. Baronet, instead of
adopting his (Mr. Duncombe's) motion, sent down a regiment
of the guards and another of artillery. If the Right Hon.
Baronet had then proposed such a measure as the present, he
need not have sent down his army to quell disturbances
simply and solely occasioned by the distress of the people.
He would have prevented much, if not all, of that misery and
suffering which had taken place. The people of this country
Were a noble and a generous people ; they were a forgiving
people, and they would forgive those acts of the Right Hors.
Baronet in the hope that they would benefit by the measure
now before the House ; and he (Mr. Duncombe) was quite
satisfied they would benefit by its results.—( Hear, hear. )
There was one part of the Right Hon. Baronet's speech which
was cheering, and that was when, in answering the Hon.
Members who had expressed themselves favourable to a total
repeal of those laws rather than to accede to the present mea-
sure, he expressed himself that he was willing with them
to repeal them altogether.—(Hear, hear.) Now he could tell
them that a part of this measure, which was important and
should not he lost sight of, was that which would make the
question a law of settlement. If they did not adhere to that
part of the measure, it would be a failure altogether.--( Hear,
hear.) A report had gone abroad in the manufacturing dis-
trict, and he hoped it was true, that the protectionists intended
to make the law of settlement a future consideration.
If they were to do this, there would be such an
agitation in the country, that the measure would be of no be.
neat :it all, and it would not conciliate the people. There was
the question of the Foot;-latest and he trusted that the Govern-

ment would make such an alteration in those laws as would
make a repeal of the corn-laws a perfect aneasure.—( Hear.)
Not long since it was well known that in Stockport
there were persons thrown out of employment— many
of them were Irishmen—arid through the poor-laws
they had no claim upon that place, and they were sent back to
their own country, to which they were almost perfect strangers ;
they were entirely disowned, they were quite wretched and
unprotected. These poor men were, after having assisted to
make the fortunes of great capitalists—( Hear, hear, from the
protection party)—they were by these great capitalists sent
adrift. Now this was a period when the people were starving
through the country, and all this was occasioned
by the poor-law. He trusted the Right Hon. Baronet would
look to this detestable law.—( Hear, hear.) He believed that
her Majesty's Government were sincere in this measure, and
that they would neglect no important feature of their policy.
It was with such views that he would give his most cordial sup-
port to the measure before the House. He was satisfied that
it was calculated to uphold the character of the country, and
better its condition. As to the agricultural portion
of the House, he believed that when they would
consi:ler the real merits of the measure, they would,
he believed, see that they were wrong in the errors
which they had so long and so pertinaciously adhered to.
Sir T. D. ACLAND said lie was very thankful for having
had the honour to have been so fortunate as to hare caught the
Speaker's eye from amongst the large number of Hon. Members
who had risen at the same moment to address the
and the reason he felt se was because it
afforded him an opportunity of responding to the
observations the Han. Gentleman opposite had
thought proper to address to the agricultural Members on this
side the House. The agricultural Members had been told by
the Hon. Gentleman that they had bsen a long time in error,
and that he hoped they had at lenath seen their error on this
question. Igo &alit, if t: .e agricultural Members did see that
than to endeavour to amend that errorgiv e
themdgsroefaaterrfsroamtisfection
evinc-
ing a wish to persevere in it, they would, on the contrary,
be foremost in their desire to see carried into effect a measure
which it had been said was en fraught with all those blessings
which it had been stated it would confer.—( Hear.) But his
Right Hon. Friend, the Right Hon. Baronet near him, when
he began his speech, by assailing the agricultural body and
calling them ungrateful and bigoted, he appeared to have for-
gotten that when he introduced his measure of 1842 they were
amongst the first and most firm cif his supporters, when they
began to discern the great troth of its utility, of which they had
been deemed so ignorant--( Hear, hear) - and be was one of
that unhappy set. But he could assure the Right Hon. Baronet
that for the time he ( Sir T. A.) had been in Parliament—during
the last thirty years—he had never heard a measure introduced
into that [base which he had looked upon with greater anx'ety
than the measure now before the House. He had never been
a supporter of excessive protection either in that House or else-
where, and be welcomed the measure of 1842 as a boon to
the country, though it had the effect of reducing the amount
of protection that the agriculturists had so long enjoyed.—
( Hear, hear.) He now wished to explain what were the rea-
sons that operated upon his mind in inducing him to vote as he
intended upon this question. When the reduction of 1842
took place, though he was told it was for the benefit of com-
merce, he did not, when it was once decided upon, make any
difficulty about it, or the appending of Canada ; on the con-
trary, he believed that the Right Hon. Baronet was sincere in
his expressions of a desire to benefit the country, and therefore
he gave him his support. What was the difference between
the position of the Government then and now? Whatever
might have been the motives of the Government then, it was
quite clear that they now thought they could not consistently
discharge their duty to their country so long as they allowed
protection to continue.—(Hear, hear.) The position of the
farmer now and in 1815 was very different. Up to that time
the farmers made fortunes by means of the war prices; but
then, on the commencement of the peace, the war prices
ceased, and the ruin of the farmer would have been the
result had not the protective laws been enforced for the pro-
tection of the agr'culturist. Subsequent to that period—that
was in 1822—the protection was diminished to 75., and in
1828 a further reduction was made after a discussion of the
question as to what amount could be considered a remu-
nerating price to the agriculturist. A price was fixed
on them, but it underwent a further reduction in
1842 ; but still the cry was that these much villified corn-
laws had not yet beer, sufficiently reduced. The speech of his
Right Hon. Friend upon this subject was, no doubt, dis-
tinguished for its forensic talent, but it had failed to satisfy
him as to the expediency of the present measure—
( Hear, hear)—and, therefore, he would ask what
other reasons could be adduced for taking such a step?
The reasons stated might be deemed by some to have
had great excellence ; but to him they only aepsared to possess
the merit of putting others in the dark.—( Hear, hear.) It
had been stated there were three reasons of policy and one of
justice for the measure; but his opinion was that the dictum
of Mr. Huskisson was the only basis of justification for that
restrictive in licy which that statesman had deemed necessary,
but which he afterwards said could not be defended, though
this country ought to he in such a position as not to be de-
pendent on a foreign country for her supply of food.—( Hear.)
It had been said by Mr. Huskisson, " Let corn be cs cheap as
it will, I care not, if it be not of native growth.—(Hear,
hear.) The princip!e on which every Legislature had acted
since 1815 had been such as to ensure that amount of protec-
tion to native agriculture as enabled the country to look to
itself and not be exclusively dependent on the foreign market
for the necessary supply of food.—( Hear, hear.) It was a re-
markable thing—though he only complained of it for his own
satisfaction—that the main and centre spring of the entire
movement had not been mentioned, nor even alluded to, in the
three very able speeches of the Right Hon. Baronet at the
head of her Majesty's Government.—( Hear, hear.) He ( the
Hon. Member) fairly owned that he did not possess the
wit to discover what the reasons were that altered the previously
expressed convictions of the Right Hon. Gentleman in the
year 1845, when lie had avowed himself adverse to such
measures throughout his entire career. Even the Noble Lord
the Member for London, when he introduced his fatal proposi-
tion on which his Government was defeated, acknowledged the
principle, to a certain extent, of protection.—( Hear, hear.)
He, and Hon. Gentlemen who agreed in his view of the matter,
did not want to shut out corn, nor did they wish to see starva-
tion and fernine.—( Hear, hear.) He doubted not they all
possessed humanity, but they should protect their people; there-
fore he contended that it was humanity, not personal interest,
that led them to take the position they did on the question.
They did not want high duty at a period of high prices, but
the time they required it was when the price of corn went down.
That was the plain matter of fact. They wished to give com-
petent remuneration for the investment of capital, which, if not
given, the soil would cease to be culivated. Now, what had
they been told by the Right Hon. Baronet at the head
of her Majesty's Government ?—why, " that the prosperity of
agriculture did not depend on the high price of wheat."
That was one of the reasons why the agriculturists above all
others should in ju•tice have time given to them. And if a
scanty harvest should occur at ho ee with a scanty supply from
abroad, at the moment when their estates were going back in
their produce, they would find themselves in the very situation
which it had been the object of all legislators for the last thirty
years to guard against. They might depend on it that
the low prices they then enjoyed had arisen from the exer-
tions of the agriculturist, and if the times and seasons were
unfavourable the agriculturists placed their reliance on their
favour. Let that be his answer to the Hon. Member for
Durham, instead of rendering railing fur railing ; and to the
speeches of all others who chose to rat!, both in his presence or
in his absence. He felt it due to the Hon. Member to say,
that he had very much improved of late in his way of speaking,
and that he used his talent. in a more temperate manner. He
( Sir T. Arland) did say that the Hon. Member for Durham and
other, had in the course of the debate indulged in personal
reflections and attacks on the great body of the country gentle-
men, and had almost imputed to them the consciousness of con-
tinuing in the policy which eventually led to misery and starva-
tion. He said to the Hon. Member, and to all others, that
that was his answer to all objectors to the corn-laws, on the
ground that they would cause starvation to the labourer in
order to benefit the landlords. In the year 1815 the price of
wheat was 975. 6d., and if they took the average of the five
succeeding years, they would find that the price varied
from 104 e. to 105 s. 6d. per quarter all the year round.
Under the protective laws the prices descended rapidly, so that
in the last four years the price had become us low as 51s, per
quarter, so that during the last thirty years the price of corn
was reduced more than one-half. That was his answer to all
those who accused him of making the bread of the people dear
for his own benefit. He would take the average of the im-
ports during the years 1822, '23, '24, as compared with the im-
ports in the years 1842, '43,'44. During the first three years the
average imports amounted to 35,000,000 of tons per annum,
and during the last three years the average of the
same imports was no less than 70,000,030 tons per
annum. The value of the imports during the years 1822, '23,
'24, was 55,000,0001., and during the years 1842, '43. '44,
the value of the imports was from 141,0a0,000/. to
145,000.0001. That showed that the mercantile
community had more than doubled their trade. With
regard to the shipping Imports during the year
1842, they amounted on the whole to 4,501,000 tons.
Now he would ask what had happened between 1842 and 1846
to justify the change now proposed ?—( Hear.) The serious
matter the Right Hon. Baronet had stated as influencing him
to his present course—the apprehended famine in Ireland. He
( Sir T. D. Acland) thought he might dispose of this reason
by simply stating what he was sure every one would agree
to. Had the Right Honourable Baronet in last Novem-
ber, when he was apprehensive of coming famine from the
failure of the potato crop, by an Order in Council opened
the ports, and come down to that House the first day of the
session, and asked for an indemnity, not a single voice would
have been rained against it.---(Hear, hear, and cheers from
the Conservative benches.) If he had thus proposed a tempo-
rary measure, he would have received the unanimous support
of the House. He (Sir T. D. Arland) grieved, for the Right
Hon. Baronet's own sake, as well as for their sakes,
that he had introduced a most leigated question to meet
the emergency, instead of acing in this manner. By the
course he had taken he had done himself great
injustice. He (Sir T. D. Acland) remembered the Noble
Lord the Member for the City of London haanvdingill placedfeei n
he
him-
self in a similar difficulty, with regard to the tithe question in
Ireland. In attempting to arrange it, he introduced a mode
which excited the greatest opposition
gh
itsh ecolleagues propositionth
that
to
thedo
meant the appropriation clause.—( Hear, hear.) The Right
lhaatewet dhs
laws.—(lleac.
a a r
}tear.)
Hon. Baronet had placed himself in an analogous posi-
tion. In November last he might have opened the ports,
had he wished to have done so, and he (Sir T. D. Acland)
was sure the House generally wished he had' seen the pro-
heuedet ihnthademleo ion of the whole
taioklidoensiderat:
torts to his (the Right
y
would seem that the opening of the
Pthat,iet
openingi tofwooft would seem
peoorutrsa teih.navtoßl
RthigehtHon. Baronet. did
Hon. Baronet's) meaning was a repeat corn-laws. That
laws that related to the importationtaofftfhmaid. From that it
during
the
ee
.sessiou.
Hon. Friend found I
no wonder then that his Right
him. What he (Sir 'l'. D.
again.—(Loud
if g
at hi
ne.
_ ports(L o u d were
cheers oncefr
oomp etnheed
Opposition
tiwouldon
henneehveesr.2nbye
itths
washreuet
Members of the Cabinet to support
immediate distress,
in point of time.
Acland) complained
repeal
an
no
dt separateta
leave
questionbranches
hoafodf
been
ehtehene
mpqueurcemhs
permanent
tat
influenced least
absyt
r.) The
andof tthoeallocwornParliament to sa) time was
Right Hon. Baronet, no doubt,
in Ireland, and scarcity in this coun-
trythe apprehended famine
First,ef w as
to that
relievetbe
to that House •
; still he had not done justice
come to do aw-laaymwitthe thebe codr'enwb-
'nth—
all united with one heart and one mi ( Hear, hear.)
pos.ng a measure of relief in which they could have
a u couldof
earn would give food to 4,000,000 of persons for one quarter of
a year. These were his views on the general merits of this
He had one thing more to say, and it was, to ask what this law
had done for Ii elacd ? 't here were 1,000,000 quarters of corn
at present in their ports, and why were these not sent to
hlreelanohdv?iatedSurheyly
atuheeh
a eed
necessity for
This rth
this
measure n t
t
s quantity
y
law, and he was not prepared to accept it
at the hands of the
Right Hon. Baronet. He could not, like him, in three short.
week:, learn this new lesson • and though the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet might be willing to lead, he (Sir T. Ackland) could not
in principle follow. There were circumstances to be taken
seriously into account on the other side, but he would retain
the opinions that had hitherto guided him, till he were con-
vinced that another course was calculated to do more good to
the country. He was convinced that the agitation that at
present existed would be successfully met, if men were
but firm and resolute; and he was sure he would be for-
given if he said that the Anti-Corn-law League
would never have progressed to a settlement of this
question, had the Right Hon. Baronet been true to the
principles on which he had accepted Government. He (Sir

T. Acland) considered men who could expend their money in
the manner that the supporters of the League did, had no right
to complain of the distress that at present pressed upon the
country. He had no doubt that if the opinion of the Govern-
ment had been expressed at an earlier period for or against
protection, they should not then be in their present position.
When he last met his constituents he told them that he would
dispassionately consider this question when it came before the
House. He had dono so, but he had heard no reason given
for the change which had been proposed. He would, however,
offer no factious opposition. If that House should sanction
the measure by a considerable majority, he would offer no
further opposition ; but if, on the contrary, the division
should he a close one, then the sooner the Right
Hon.' Baronet sent them to the right about the better.
Lord ALFRED PAGET had listened with a great deal of
attention' to this debate, and Hon. Gentlemen opposite would
forgive him for saying that he thought a great many of them
had been a little hard upon the Right Hon. Baronet.—(Hear,
hear. )—No doubt they had causes of complaint, but still, when
they came to consider what the Right Hon. Baronet had sacri-
ficed, he thought they must be convinced that nothinti but a
sense of public duty could have induced him to have brought
forward this measure. The Right Hon. Baronet had had a
strong Government, had been supported by a large majority '
in that House, and yet now, north, east, west, and south,
nothing but the renegade Minister was talked about.—( Hear,
and laughter.) He thought the Right Hon. Baronet had
made as large sacrifices as ever had been made by any
public man, and for conscientious motives. The Hon. Gen-
tleman who had just spoken had said, that the Noble Lord
( Lord John Ru,sell) was the most proper person to bring this
motion forward; and so did he (Lord A. Paget) think. He
always supported that Noble Lord, and he hoped long to do se.
Wii h regard to the measure of the Right Hon. Baronet, he could
only say that he should give it his support. Ile did not, how-
ever, do so because his opinions had undergone a change, for
he had long been attached to the broad principles
of the forlorn hope that had been led on by the
Hon. Member for Northampton, and lie hoped shortly
to see the corn-laws repealed altogether. His family derived
their income entirely from land, and in conclusion he would
assure the House that they did not feel any alarm at the mea--
sure of the
G said the Hon. Member
BRliNghGt
HHAonI.I Bet
made some allusion to Catholic Emancipation. Now,
did the Hon. Member recollect how that measure
was carried? D:d he remember that it originated
with a small party, and that the Government of the time al-
lowed the question to convulse the whole nation before they
yielded to the pressure from without ? Now, did the Hon.
Member wish this question to be carried to that point? if so,
he could only assure him, that to gratify his wishes would be
endangering property, and sacrificing the best interests of so-
ciety. Under these circumstances, was it not better for them
to settle the question at once, now that it was a
mere topic of discussion amongst thinking men ?—( Hear, hear. )
A very large class of agriculturists had themselves declared
that protection was unnecessary.—(Loud cheers.) In
order that the decision might be unanimous, it
was necessary that the House should be unanimous ;
otherwise the country would not have much confidence in
their deliberations. He hoped, as the House would in
a great measure be acting as a judge in its own
cause, the Members would act in such a manner
upon this question as to gain the credit and
esteem of the country.—( Hear, hear.) Their decisions had
beer, hitherto respected, and he trusted that Hon. Members
would not forfeit the high character which they- had hitherto
possessed.
On the motion of Mr. C. BRUCE,
The debate was adjourned till to-morrow.

BURGHS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be corn
mated.

The House adjourned at Twelve o'clock.

MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS.
(From The Sun of Last Night.)
The sales of Cotton at Liverpool yesterday were 3,000 to
4,000 bales, all to the trade. There was no alteraaion in
prices, but buyers rather had the advantage. The sales in-
cluded 300 bales of Egyptian at s:rid. to 7d. per lb., 200
Surat at 2j/d. to 3d., and the rest American at 33/id. to
534 d. per lb. There was but little done in Shares, but pre-
vious rates were current.
The Commissioners appointed to report upon the most ad-
visable gauge to be adopted in the case of all new railways,
having mate a statement in favour of the narrow gauge, the
Great Western shares have suffered to some extent, and the
Hues which will obtain branches on the gauge recommended.
benefit, of course, by the decision. It is some time since
this matter was first debated, and it is greatly to be re-
gretted, seeing its importance, that Government did not
two or three years ago endeavour to enforce uniformity.
We say this without any reference to the merits of the
broad or narrow gauge, and simply on the assumption that
one general gaups for the United Kingdom is highly desir-
able. From the known talent of Mr. Brunel, and the excel-
lent working of the broad gauge, one might almost be dis-
posed to think that he looked more to the future, when the
extraordinary increase of traffic may require the most ex-
tended accommodation, than to the present time.
Some relief for the substantial, but at present most cruelly
inconvenienced class of the commercial community, holding
what are termed second-class bills, is expected to accrue
from the stated intention of the Bank of England to extend
the deviation of its loans to the 9th of April. By that time,
no doubt, the money market will have become much easier,
if indeed the pressure does not entirly subside ere then.
The efforts making to procure an amendment of the bank-
ruptcy-laws, are still actively pursued in the City; and the
result, it is hoped, will be to place the credit system, which
is unavoidable in such a country as this, on a sounder and
safer basis.
The Funds are looking decidedly better to-day, thanks
to the anticipated easing of the money market. Con-
sots have been 964 to 96% for present transfer,
and 964 to 1/2 for time. This is to 1/2 per cent.
better than yesterday. The Reduced Three per Cents. have
been 961/2 to 967. Bank Stock is up to 208% and 209,
and East India Stock to 259 and 260. The premium on
Exchequer. bills has been :16s. to 395.
The formaft in of a Ministry has not improved the value
of Spanish Stock, the Five per Cents. being 2674 yy, and the
Three per Cents. 3714 %. Mexican Bonds have been quoted
at 31, and Grenada 23 ; Dutch Twc,-and-a-half per Cents.
are 434.
Shares have been a little firmer.

ONE CLOSING
BRITISH FUNDS. 'O'CLOCK. PRICES.
Bank Stock .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 208 4 209 '209
Three per Cent. Annuities .. .. .. ........964 96%
Three per Cent. Consols Annuities .. .. 9614 IA % 96%
Three per Cent. Annuities, 1726 .. .. 96!4 9648
New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Anus. 95%% • 98%
I,olig Annuities, Expire Jan. .5,1660 .. 10% 11-16 10 11-16
India Stock .. .. • • • • • • • • • 259 260 20

India Bondi, 1,0001,
South Sea Stock .

38p

38 p

Ditto. Old Annuities 961,4
Three per Cent. Annuities, 1751 .. 9”,4
Bank Stock for Account 2041,,j
Const.ls for Account .. .. • • 961' Vl4 961‘

Exchequer Bills. 13,4 d. 14d
1,0001... .. -- •• • • 36 39 -- pm. 39
5001... •• • • 36 39 pm. 39
Ditto, Small •••• 3G 39 pm. 39
ONE CLOSING
FOREIGN FUND!,. O'CLOCK. PRICES.
Equador Bonds .. •• • • • • • • 3!•4 34
Grenada, 1 per Cent .. • • ~. .. 23 23
Ditto, Deferred .• • • .. .. 4 .7,i 4N
1837, 5 per Cent .. 31
Mexican Bonds, 31
Ditto, for the Account .. .. .. 31 31
Ditto, Deferred • • . • .. .. 16 1f.%
Russian Bonds .. • • • • • . • • 112
Spanish Bonds, 5 per Cent .. „
Ditto, for the Account .. .. .. 26:7,i It 2714
Ditto, Three per Cent .. .. „ _
...._,
Ditto, tier the Account .. „ „ 37 N :,...i
374
Venezuela Minds, 2 per Cent .. .. 45 45
Dividends on the above payable in Loudon.
Belgian Four-and-a-Half per Cent .. 974 4 974
Dutch Two-and-rt-Half per Cent .. 59 5934
Ditto, 4 per Cent. Certificates .. 954 95 •.'i
Ditto, for the Account .. .. „ 95 95

PRICES OF RUMNESS
RAILWAY SHARES. PAID. DONE AT CLOSING
ONE O'CLOCK. PRICES.

par
13%
21

Buckinghamshire 425. .. • • • • • •
Caledonian •••10 .... 14
Ditto Extension
Chester and Holyhead .. .. 20 .... • •
Direct Manchester (Rastrick's) .• 51,1 .
Direct Northern .. 2% •• . • 25 ?9i 5•• • • •
Dublin and Belfast Junction .. 5 .... 5%
Dublin and Galway .. • . • . 4 .... 4% •
Eastern Counties .. .. 141. 16s. 21X
Ditto New .. 165. •• • • 65 p
Ditto, York Extension .. 105..... 1 ..
Edinburgh and Glasgow .. .. 50 .... ..........
Ditto Shares .. .. • . .. 5 .... 16 .
Great Southern & West. (Ireland) 15 .. .. 171'y . .
Great Western .. 85 • • ..149 cx div...... 130 x d
Ditto, Half Shares .. .. 50 .... 83 ex div
Ditto, Quarter Shares .. .. 5 17% x, 18 x d 18 x d
Leicester and Bedford .......... 225.....
Liverp., Manch., & !COST. J unct. 215.. • • 314 • .
London an 1 Birmingham .100 .. ..219 222.. 222 x. d.
Ditto Fifths 2 .... 24 ex div..
London and Brighton .. 50 .... 651, 66 ex div 65.)j, xd
Ditto, Consul. Eighths • • .. 40 .... 54
London and Croydon .. 13/. 15s. 9d. 2213 . 22%
London and Greenwich .. 121. 15s. 4d. 9%
London and South. Wes'ern.. 41/. 6s. 10d. 78 ••..• • • •
Dttto, Consolidated Eighths .. 28 .... 43 44
London and York .. .... X
London, Warwick, & Kiddermins. 23k .... IX
Londonderry and Coleraine. .. 5 .... 5
Londonderry and Enniskillen .. 5 .... 2)4
Lynn and Ely .. . 6 . •
Manchester and Leeds 82 ....
Ditto, Half Shares .. 38 .... 61
Manchesterand Birmingham .. 40 . 78 .. •
Ditto, Quarter Shares (B) .. 2 .... 10% 9% 1014 1014
Manchester, Brixton, & Matlock 425. .... 1% p • l% p
Manchester and Southampton .. 2 .. .. 2
Midland .. ..100 ....150 151 l5l
Ditto, New .. .. 12 .... 2711'.•.•.., 2714
Ditto, Birmingham and Derby 109 ....118 120...... 120
Newcastle and Darlington Junct.
Ditto, New .. 1 .... 10% .. . .
Newcastle and Berwick .. 10 .... 21
Newark, Sheffield, and Boston .. 2%.... 214 .......
North British 171; .... 241 25

„.
21/2
53
414
2174
die P
_l%

10%
25
27i
69%
4p
1%
1414

Ditto, Carlisle Extension .. 11,4 ....
Northern and Eastern .. 50
North Kent and Direct Dover .. 2i3 .... .. •• •
North Staffordshire .. 425. .... 3% 4 p
Northmpton,Banbury,&Chelthm. 2 . .
Oxlll.,Worcester,& Wolverlimptn. 12 .... 14;4 •• • •
Portsmouth I)lrect .. • • • • 3% •• • • 3% ••••• • • • • •
Rugby and Huntingdon .. 2 •
Scottish Central .. .. • • • 71Y' ••" 16
Ditto New - • .. .• • • 214 •• • • 9 •••••• • • ••
Shrewsbury and Birmingham .. 2;4..
Shropshire Union .. • • • • 42'• •' • • ' • •"• • • •
South Midland .. 425..... 2;. % p
South Eastern and Dovor • • •• 3:33 •• • • •• •• • •
Do., New (do. 33/. as.Bd.) No. 2. 10 123‘
Do., New (do. 151.) .. No. 4. 21% .... 314;4 ........
Teen and Dove Valley.. • • • • 1% •• • •
Trent Valley .. • • • • • • 5 .. • • 2613 253 26..
Waterfd., Wexfd., Wick., & Dub. 133 •• .. 1 .•• • • •
Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth 234 334 14........
York and North Midland .. .. 50 .... .....
Ditto. Extension .. .. 15 .. .. 32 31%
FOREIGN RAILWAYS.
Boulogne and Amiens 10 .... 1134 .. ••• • • •
Bord., Tout., & Cette (Mackenzie) 2 ....
Ditto, ditto (Espelete) .. 2 ... 23 ...
Central of Spain .. 2 .... I
East Indian .. • .. ss. ... „ ,
Grt. North. of France Constituted 5 ... 15y. %
Great Western Bengal .. ss. •• • • ..... . „
Jamaica South Midland Junction 1
Louvain and Jcuieppe • • • • 4 .. . 2 „
Lyons and Avignon . • • . .. 2 „ 234
Luxembourg .• • • • • • • 4 2%%
Madrid and Valentin .• . • .. 2
Namur and Liege • • • • .. 4
Orleans and Vierzen 10
Orleans and Bordeaux „
••111'4
Paris and Rouen 20 .... 4034 ...
Rouen and Havre . .. 20 .... 29;4
MINES.

2

3}4
dis.
'2!,1 P

12!4

..... I
15t4
•• 314
, 9
2%
• •• 17N
•••••
40q
29

Real del Monte, Unregistered .. .... 4 ......

A committee of the Treasury was, it appears, held
at the Bank on Wednesday morning, at which it was settled
that the period of accommodation by leans shall be extended
to the 9th of April, a period of seven weeks. This is a well-

timed and judicious measure; and it will unquestionably en-
courage the private bankers to deal more liberally with their
customers. In all descriptions of trade, however, prudence
will prescribe the drawing bills for some time to come at no
longer dates than can possibly be avoided. At the period to
which Bank loans are now extended the dividends will be in
course of payment, and assist, as far as they go, in restoring
the equilibrium to the money-market.

THE LINEN ;RAPERS AND SILK-
.4sERCERS' INSTITUTION.
The fourteenth annual Okla of the Institution was held last
evening at Exeter-hall.
Mr. PEARCE, the President, took the chair at half•past
reven o'clock, and called upon the secretary to read the adver-
tisement calling the 'fleeting.
The SECRETARY afterwards read the report of the directors
for the past year, stating that the capital stock of the institution
amounted to 16,847/. Three per Cent. Consols, and 10,0001.
Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Consols, besides a sum of 2441.
in the hands of the treasurer, showing a slight increase over last
year. The report further stated that seventeen applications for
relief ha.l been received and met, and that a total of 4591.
12s. had been expended in annuities and temporary relief, most
of the sums being upwards of 301.
Mr. FAIRBANKS then came forward, and moved, according
to notice,
Ist. That the secretary should be requested to put up in the
ballot-room a list of the names of the directors, and the times
they have attended the Board; and, 2dly, that the class and
name of the medical attendants, a list of the cafes, and their
nature, attended on by them, should be printed and' circulated
among the members of the Institution.
The first of these motions uas before the Court for some
time, but was ultimately lost. Mr. Fairbanks withdrew his
other motion, as he had heard it was impracticable.
Mr. Swirra Le moved the following resolution :—" That this
Court, agreeing that an asylum, as projected in a circular from
the Secretary some time since will be for the interest of the
institution, recommend it to the reconsideration of the Board."
The gentleman supported his proposition on the general
grounds of benevolence, and on the necessities and grounds
peculiar to the class of trades connected rith the Institution.
Several gentlemen, directors, and members of the Institution,
expressed their opinion of the proposition, and
The SECRETARY, as the originator of the scheme, was
called for by the meeting to set the reasons before them which
had indmied him at first to commend it to their attention. Ile
said, the conclusion to which he had come, and which thew might
b astonished At, was derived from experience of other trades
as well as their own ; and he had to say that he did not think there was any class of trades more asleep to their own interest
than theirs. He believed that the class of trade to which he
belonged had the means and the power, but neither had been as
yet called into action. Others far inferior in these had accumu-
lated great advantages for themselves, and conferred immense
benefit on the public—be begged to refer to the licensed
victuallers. Under that conviction he was earnestly desirous
that their energies should be called out. Since publishing,
his scheme he had heard arguments which had led him to re-
consider it, but he still clung to what he had proposed. He
would specifically observe, however, that it would be the ob-
ject of those who adopted his proposal not to impair or to
clash with the object of those who were the originators
of the Institution—(Hear, hear,)—but he felt it was
perfectly practicable to get a large fund without infringing
at all on the Institution. The asylum, he said, which he pro-
posed, would not be confined to the members of the Institution.
He wished that it should be open to the trade, and that every
person in the trade who gave one guinea should have a vote in
filling a vacancy. He hoped in this way to make the scheme
more popular, and he believed the effect would be to excite more
favourable attention to the Institution itself.—( Hear, hear. )
The discussion having been continued some time longer, the
motion was put, and carried by a large majority.
It was moved and seconded that the thanks of the Court
were due to the medical staff of the Institution, which was
carried unanimously.
A vote of thanks to the directors and to the president were I
severally moved and carried unanimously.

WESTMINSTER ELECTION.
(YESTERDAY.)

DECLARATION OF THE POLL.

Two o'clock having been appointed for officially declaring
the. result of the polling, at that hour the High Bailiff of
Westminster, accompanied by the successful candidate and
Captain Rous, appeared on the hustings.l
The HIGH BAILIFF then stated the numbers. They were—
For General Sir De Lacy Evans 3,843
For Captain Rona

Majority
It was his duty, therefore, to declare General Sir De Lacy
Evans duly elected.
The Gallant GENETIAL then came forward and thanked
the electors fur the honour they had confered on him. In a
somewhat lengthy speech, embracing no great variety of
topics, he condemned the policy pursued by that portion of
the public press which had supported Captain nous in the
election. He complained also that the oath of identity had
been tendered to every voter, not even the venerable Mr.
Byng, Member for Middlesex, being excepted. The speaker
concluded by again thanking the electors.
Captain Bova then came forward amidst great uproar and
partial cheers. He said it was not his intention to enter
upon the discussion of the topics his Gallant Friend had ad-
verted to in his address, but simply to express his thanks to
those who had recorded their votes in his (Capt. Roues) favour.
He hoped his Gallant Friend, now that the electors had re-
turned him, would give them more satisfaction than he had
done. Now that the battle was over, he (Captain lions) de-
clared that he had no ill-feeling, but that he wished the electors
every happiness and prosperity, and that his gallant antagonist
would live long to enjoy their sympathy and support.
Though he (Captain Rous) was down now, he hoped to rise
soon again in some other place, and in the meantime
he would beg leave to bid them adieu.—(The Gallant.
Captain, who was assailed with every manifestation of ill-
feeling, as far as uproar and noise were concerned, and
whose remarks, in consequence, were most imperfectly
heard, then retired.)
After a short speech from Mr. Healer, a fanner from But-
landshire, in support of free trade, on the motion of General
Evans, a vote of thanks was given to the High Bailiff; which
being duly responded to, the assembly separated.

NUMBERS POLLED IN EACH PARISH.
EVANS. ROUS.
St. Anne ... ... ... 346 158
St. Clement Danes ... ... 296 '227
St.:George, Hanover •square ... 1,109 1,015
St. James ... ... ... 595 480
St. John ... ... ... ... 426 208
St. Margaret ... ... ... 381 284
St. Martin ... ... ... 481 413
St. Mary ... ... ... 38 27
St. Paul ... ... ... ... 153 86
Savoy ..
••• ••• ••• 18 ' i
Majority 937.

ELECTION NEWS.
SOUTH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.

NEWARK, WEDNESDAT.—The Earl of Lincoln arrived at
Newark on Monday, from the seat of Sir Robert Bromley, at
Stoke, and has since been engaged in canvassing the voters
at Cottingham, and other places in the neighbourhood.
Quarter before Two o'Clock.—The Earl of Lincoln has just
attempted to address the crowd from the steps of the Town-
hall. His Lordship was received with shouts and groans by
a knot of fellows, who exerted themselves so successfully as
:o prevont him from obtaining a hearing. The farmers took
no part in this demonstration.
Lord Lincoln professes himself sanguine of success. A few
days ago his Lordship looked extremely jaded, but this morn-
ing be appeared to have almost recovered his usual health.

REP4SENTATION OF WEST SOMERSET.
On the 9flh instant a requisition was agreed to at Yeovil
calling upon the members for West Somerset, Mr. Acland
and Mr. Dickinson, for " an explicit declaration of the view
which they take of the Ministerial plan." Mr. Acland, in
reply, states distinctly that he shall vote with Sir R. Peel,
and gives his reason at some length. Mr. Dickinson is le.sA
explicit, but gives the electors to understand that he also
intends to support the Ministers in the coming .division. A
county meeting is spoken of for the purpose of fprinally
calling upon these gentleman to follow the oxample,.of Lord
Ashley and Mr. Stmt.

HIGHLAND SOCIETY of CANADA.,
-(From the Cornwall Observer and Eastern and Ottawa -46'..,
vertiser, Jan. 22.) . , vu 9ni
A meeting of the Highland Society of Canada was held at
Ranald M'Donald's Inn, Williamstown, on JlVfidneadav, the
14th January, 1846—present, the Hon. John M'Gillivrav,
President, Alex, M'Donell, Esq., D. A. C. G. Wlcabb,
Rolland M'Donald, Archibald M'Bean, Alexander M`Bean,-
James M'Cracken, George M'Donell, Duncan M'Donald,
David M'Pherson, A. Cattanach, Alexander H. M'Donell,
Dr. Roderick M‘Donell, John M'Bean, Kenneth M'Donell,
Hugh M'Gillis, John Neil M'Lean—when several new
members were proposed and balloted for, amid after their elec-
tion the committee appointed at the last meeting of the
Society to draft an address to Lord Metcalfe, the chief of the j
Society, on hisleaving the country, reported the following:— )
ADDRESS

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES THEOPHH.ws, LORD
METCALFE, BARON METCALFE OF FERN HILL, IN THA:
COVNTY OF BERKS, KNIGHT GRAND CitOSS OF THE MOST
HONOURABLE ORDER. OF THE BATH, ONE OF root MA-
JESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL, ANI' LATE
GOVENNOR-GENERAL OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, &C.
May it please your Excelleney,—When your Lordship was
graciously pleased to mark your approbation of the aim and
object of "the Highland Society of Canada," by consenting
to become "The chief" of the Society, its members fondly
hoped that you would have been spared to them and to the
country for many years, but Providence bas ruled it other-
wise, and though we bow to the decree as in duty bound, we
trust that it will not be thought presumptuous in us to say,
that we do so in sorrow and regret.
Though resident many miles from the seat of Government
there are many among us (some of whom have had the ad-
vantage of a personal intercourse with your Lordship, who
would gladly have availed themselves of the opportunity of
personally bidding your Lordship adieu, on the eve of your
departure from the shore of Canada, but unfortunately it had
actually taken place before they were aware of the intention.
The members of the Society cannot, however, allow the
opportunity afforded by their assembling together, on the oc-
casion of their annual festival, to pass away, without for-
warding to their revered " chief" the spontaneous expression
of their unfeigned regret at his departure, and their lively
' sympathy with the severe sufferings which compelled him to
take a step which has entailed so great a loss upon the Pro-
vince.
The members of the Highland Society have
of
fv read your
Lordship's touching address to the Canada, and
their hearts have thrilled with emotion while they read, and
if the assurance, that your Lordship's "honest endeavours to
promote the welfare of this Province" are appreciated by its
people, and will be remembered with gratitude by their
latest posterity, be calculated to assuage one single pang of
your sufferings, we pray your Lordship, in all sincerity, to
receive that assurance at our hands.
We now bid your Lordship farewell, fervently hoping, that
under Divine Providence, the air of your native land, and the
withdrawal from the cares and anxieties of Government
may yet prolong your valuable life, in mercy to the poor of
mankind, whose abiding friend you have ever been, and
whose blessings will follow your footsteps to the grave.
Glengarry, Januar), 14, 1846.
When it was moved by George McDonald, Esq., seconded
by John M'Bean, Esq., that the address just reported lie
adopted, that the same be signed by the president and
secretary on behalf of the Society, that it be forwarded to J.
M. Higginson, Esq., to be transmitted to England. and that
copies be sent the Cornwall Ohserrer and Montreal Herold
newspapers for publication.
It was then moved by the president, seconded by A. Catta-
nach, Esq., that the thanks of the meeting be conveyed to
the members of the committee, anpoiuted to draft the ad-
dress to Lord Metcalfe, our chid', for the able manner In
which they discharged the duties imposed upon them.
James M'Cracken, Esq., moved, seconded by the president,
that this meeting do adjourn 4o the 18th June aext, if tbat
day do not fall on Sunday, and if it fall on Sunday, then to
the 19th June, 1846.
JOHN NEIL M'LEAN, Secretary H. S. of C.

_THE SUSPECTED ARSON AT HAMMERSIUITII.—Wad-
nesday, the further examination of the three persona, viz., John
stone, sen., Anne Stone, otherwise Ann Hyde, and John Stone, jun.,
°n a Charge of having wilfully set fire to a house in the occupation of
the elder prisoner, in the Bridge-road, Hammersmith, took place, and,
after hearing additional evidence, which tended to confirm the ins_
Edelen wine. the prisouere. they nen cinUalatea lig WILL
_ _ .

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
T ICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, F.-/. 19.
(Before Vice-Chancellor WicatAir.)
/RANK r. WALLER.
The case of the Welwyn Benefit Society was mentioned
this morning by his HosiotTn, who said he wished to state to
the parties the conclusion to which he had come on the subject
of costs. He was bound to say that he could not give costs
to either party. They had thought proper to enter into a
contract; they had formed a club subject to the most strin-
gent rules. The 19th rule permitted alteration of the rules
so long as there was no tendency to dissolve the club; the
27th continued the existence of the society so tong as three
members were willing to support it; and the Bth said that
any surplus beyond what was wanted for the current expen-
diture should be accumulated. His Honour said they bed
always contemplated an accumulating bend; but that wee
no reason why they should not take into consideration the
expediency of making a division of that fund. One party
had pursued that coarse, and it bad been pressed to a Chan-
cery suit. The act done was perfectly harmless in
itself. The other party sought to enforce an extrema
right, and deprive the seven members of that money
which they had bells paying in . for many year.,
and all for suggesting an act of expediency. The
plaintiffs said they were exeluded, but held that they
were not thereby deprived of the right over the society's
fund. It had been argued on their part that they had a
right to secede and withdraw their money ; but hisiionour
thought there was more difficulty oo that point thou might
at first sight appear to the Learned Counsel. it was ex-
pressly stated in the rules that the society should not be dis-
solved so lo:ug as three members were wilting to support it.
I fere appeared the contradictory character et' these rules; a
member could not secede; whet then must he do? Ile
must continue to make his monthly payments; but if he
failed in these how were they to he enforced? According lo
one of the rules, payment wee to be enforeed by expulsion, So
that the relief sought is at length got by an act that is im-
proper. But as his Honour was net giving a decision in the
ease at that time, he said he would reserve his opinion of the
rules and the means of relief they gave to the members.
As for the defendants, he said, thabr cause was one which
no court of justice could haik at. No court could enforce
their act without being guilty of plunder. His Honour
doubted whether the 19th rule was a regulation which any
court could enforce. His Honour strongly advised the parties
to have recourse to some gentlemen in the neighbourhoo;t,
and settle their case by arbitration ; for if he wound it up,
and divided the finds in proper proportions, the account
would be very complicated and the expenses heavy.
One of the Counsel said that three of the members were
removed from the locality, and there was a doubt as to how
their connexion with the club would be affected by it; but
his Honour refused to give env opinion.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH. Feb. lA.
(Sittings at Nisi Pries, Guildhall, before Lord M.:antis and
a Common Jury.)
Qur3r3Tur V. Dar.
Ibis was an action taken by the plaintiff; who is a Freneh-
man and a lithographic printer in colours, residing at Paris
against the defendant for the recovery of a certain sum, as
remuneration for work and labour done in his (plaintiff's)
capacity as lithographic printe..-. It appeared from coun
sel's statement that the plaietiff sent specimens from Paris of
ornamental lithographic printing in colours to the defendant
to Louden, the result of which was, that defendant wrote to
him, expressing his satisfaction at the specimens, and re-
questing him to come to London, and work for him, for
which he was.. to have &l. a week while in Lor.doa,
and 31 a week, if he should go to Paris, where, it was agreed
upon in writing, that he should not stay longer than four
weeks in any one year. The plaintiff alledged that
the work was done to the defendant's satisfaction,
but that defendant refused to pay him for
certain portions of the work done. in Paris, and also for the
use of certain printing presses, &c. The defendant's executors
contended that they were not liable to any claim, upon the
ground that the plaintiff, when he went to Paris, was not to
come back any more; and also that he had committed a
breach of the agreement, and had therefore put an end to it,
inasmuch, when he went to Paris he remained away several
months, instead of four weeks. Defendant's counsel, them.
fore, contended that the defendants were not liable, arid that
the plaintiff could have the presses whenever he liked; and
that he did not come back to London until after the death of
defendant, and it was only then he made any claim.
Specimens of the prints were exhibited in court, and some
of them were very beautiful.

There were no.witnesses called for the defence.
The jury found for the plaintiff 54/., arrears 'of salary to
the 4th of February, and 654, the value of the presses.

SHERIFFS' COURT, Feb. 19.
(Befor Mr. UndenSheriff Ilencnvee.)
BLUNDEN C. razu.s.
This was an action brought to recover the sum of ad. on a
bill of exchange. The defence was, that the plaintiff had
accepted a machine newly invented by 'defendant. in satis-
faction of debt ; in reply, however, it was contended there
was no such bargain, and that the value of the machine was
not more than V.
For the plaintiff witnesses were called, who proved that
the plaintiff had invented a machine for the blocking of
bet-fronts, and that plaintiff; who was a currier and blocker,
sent to defendant two or three times to induce him to pert
with the machine. It was stated that the invention was
very valuable, as twelve dozen pair might be blocked in a
day, whereas not more than three dozen could be done by
hand. It was particularly adapted to blocking very stiffleather,
which other machines would scarcely affect. A smith, who.
bad made part of the iron• work, had offered 25/. for the in-
vent ion. The only one at all similar was brought out in 1840
by a Frenchman, who obtained 60/. each at the time. De-
fendant's was nut made of such expensive materials, and
wee valued at 30/. ---
For the defendant, the principal witnesses were a person
in the employs of Messrs. Robertson and Co., successors to
Bramah and Co., with whom ke had been twenty years, and
a machine-maker, named Green. The former said he had
never seen a machine like the defendant's before, but although
he did not understand blocking, he considered that it would
not answer the purpose intended, and, as a piece of machi-
nery, it was valueless. Green said he had sold more than 110
machines; his charges w ere 71. and 9/. One oh defendant's
constmetio.,, made of brass instead of iron, wittld be worth
101. 10s. Witness's was on the lever, defendant's on the
screw principle. The matter had moor.' power. Defendant's
was made of iron, which would stain the leather, when damp.
- Smith, a I;ootmaker, said that defendant's ti achine
was only worth N. 10s.
Mr. triomAs, for the defendant, contended that the Ties-
tionof value cold not arise on a bargain to take the article
in liquidation of a debt; but, even if it could, there could be
no doubt it was at least p.o/.

The rxDt:tt-Sitr.yruF left it to the jury to say whether
there had-been a eontract for sale, .tt a tixed price, in
da(bn of the debt, or whether the plaintiff had taken it
nitliont such alt agreement.
jury gave a verdict for the defendant.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
NORTHERN CIRCUIT, Feb. 17.
The assize fur the northern division of the county of Lau-
caqer commenced here this morning. Mr. Justice Patteson
presided on the criminal side, and Mr. Justice Coleridge on
the civil. 15 causes are entered for trial. The calendar
contains the names of 22 prisoners. Of these one stands
charged with infanticide, three with manslaughter, one with
robbery, and four with cutting-, and wounding.
SlDE.—(llef)re Mr. Justice PATTEsox.)
Edward Lrarh,aged 46, was indicted for the manslaughter
of William Day, at Over Damen.

Mr. Whigbrink conducted the prosecution. The prisoner
was defended by Mr. Brandt.
The prisoner and the deceased met, it appeared, on one
evening in the month of January last, at the Red Lion pub-
! lie-house, in Over Damen. They had had some previous
,inorrel, and the prisoner being somewhat intoxicate.l began
to use towards the deceased some abusive language. The
deceased retorted in the same strain, and they finally agreed
to go out into the yard to tight. On getting into (ha
yard: they seized' one another by the collar, and began, u
• the witness expressed it, " rawling" backwards and forward*.
_Jae deceased at last got out of the bands of the prisoner,
-and ~gait up two steps, which led to a back kitchen.
The prisoner ran at him as if to seize him round the middle,
When the deceased, who was a heavy man, leaped upon him,
and bore him to the ground—the head of the prisoner hitting
the deceased in the lower part of the abdomen. They
struggled for some little time on the ground, until the land-
lord of the public-house came out with a Jight, and re-
quested them to desist. They both said they bail had
enough, and ceased fighting. .They went into the public-
house, and deceased complained of being ill. He was taken
home, and became rapidly worse. A doctor was sent fen
but he lingered in great agony till the following day, when
he died. (hi a post mo, tem examination it was apparent.
rle,saettibuchialtdfibifleeanmenalatitsieodnbtf•
trhueptbuorwe
tobif.
the -bladder
ill
Verdict—Not
st
h co
- -
Guilty.

The Court, in the course of the day, disposed of two Mint
cases, and a case of street robbery by a woman of loose el:a-
racter.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.
Michael Ilt;apins, Nary Ifiggins, Elizabeth Copps,
std
William Copper, were brought before the Lordf Mayor,
charged with felony.
William Palmer, clerk to Mr. Barber, wharfinger, at
Galley Quay, stated 'that a truss of linen-drapery was de-
posited in the warehouse on Wednesday week, to be shipped
for Margate. On Saturday last it was lost, but on Wednes-
day night two pieces of calico Isere found bidden. The
truss was gone altogether.
A porter, in the employment of Mr. Barber, stated that
he knew the two male prisoners, as working in the quay.
and they were employed. in that pelt of the ware m
which the truss had been . deposited. He found house
a blue
package and a. brown paper parcel underneath a box.
Charles Fowler, warehouseman to Mr. Stanley, 67, Cheap-
side, stated that thei truss of linen-drapery was sent from the
warehouse, directed to J. Gosling, Margate, to be forwarded
by boy, from Galley Quay. He believed the pieces of
calico produced were part of the goods which were contained
in the truss.

Each OF the prisoners was identified as a person who
Dawned some portion of the fttolen goods.
They were all remanded.

CLERKENWELL.
John withams. a well-dressed, young man, was placed at
the bar, charged with having attempted to commit a robbery
at Messrs. Clarke and Mes.sans, linen-drapers, of 29, High'.
street, Islington.
It appeared that on Wednesday evening, Wright, of the N
division, was is High-street, Islington, in private clothes,
when he KM the prisoner and two other well-known thieves
looking in at shop windows, and following ladies to pick
pockets. He (Wright) concealed himself in a door-
way, until he saw the prisoner and his compa-
nions stop at • the shop window of the prosecu-
tors, when the prisoner broke a pane of glass.
Wright immediately came from hiS hiding place, and on
being seen by the thieves they raised a cry of " Bobby's a-
cooling," anti they ran off. They were pursued, and the pri-
soner was taken into cnstodv. after a resistance.
John M'Gregor, ehopmanto Messrs Clarke and Co ' preyed.
having heard the glass break, and seeing the prisoner with,
his hand through the Window.
Several officers identified the
witnesses, but at
Mr. Vann, the solicitor, questioned
tw'iethwsuch g evi-
prisonerias a known thief.
length said that he would not combati,e
evi-
dence—it would only. be time of the Court.
the cry of "Bobby's a-
' Wright—TheY call the policemen 11-obby.,
:dstil,nraha _
coming''
alter Sir Robert Peel,
was committed to the House of Correction,
wiiihh heaprriilslolle
ahornr, for three months.

CAsg OF STABBING AT CRIPPLE. GATE.—ThiS ease of
brutality wit,
ion Wednesday examined at Guildhall, betore Aldermen I arebrother ar d Hunter. The culprit, a mats
named Feacey, abou!, 50 years of age, was charged with,
running a carving knife into the left side of a man named
Martin, between the 11th and 12th ribs, penetrating to the
lower part of the thorax, within the cavity of the chest.
According to the evidence of Susannah Emberse, the quarrel
originated in jealousy. -Martin was subsequently examined,
though in a very precarious state. The prisoner was con-
veyed in a cab to the Compter, to await the fate of Martin.