The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

in of the House—(Cheer;)—in wishing a long
and a happy reign to her Majesty, and that her lineal
deiecendants, he hoped, might long occupy the thrcne
of these realms.—(Cheers.) Every one in this house'
I am sure feels, and I think the country sympathises
with the conviction, that while her Majesty has
evinced an earnost zeal to promote the best interests of
her people, and secure to them the rights of the
constitution in a political sense, she has, at the same
time, set them a brilliant example by always7pursuing a
virtuous and upright course in domestic life.—(Cheers.)
The address was then agreed to.
WAYS AND MEANS—REPORT.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved the order of the day for receiving the report of
the Committee of Ways and Means.
Viscount DUNCAN inquired if his Right Hon.
Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer intended to
oppose the motion he had on the paper, for the appoint-
ment of a Committee to inquire into the expenditure
and management of the Woods and Forests, and
other revenues of the Crown.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER re-
plied that he did not intend to assent to the motion,
as he believed the House had ample means of judging
of the way in which the department referred to was
managed.
The SPEAKER having put the motion that the
report be received,
Mr. APGREGOR then rose to propose the fol•
lowing motion, of which he had given no.ice :
" That in the event of this House agreeing to the re-
imposing of the income-tax for three years, it is just
and expedient to extend to Ireland, during the two
years ending the sth day of April, 1851, the same
rates of income-tax, excise duties, window duties,
and other assessed taxes, which shall be at the same
time levied in Great Britain."

Mr. GOULBURN interrupted the Hon. Member
by stating that the motion could not be made in the
way he proposed it—it was utterly impossible accord-
ing to the rules of the House to iindoe a tax except
in a Committee of the whole House.—(Hear, hear.)
He begged, therefore, to suggest to him the propriety
of withdrawing his motion. He interrupted him as
believed he would thus be saved the trouble of en-
tering into a long discussion on the subject.
Mr. M‘GREGOR acceded to the suggestion, and
withdrew his motion.

Mr. BERNAL then brought up the report.
Mr. fIUAIE said, after the diEtinet manner in
which the House had assented to the imposition of
the tax for another three years, it was not his inten-
tion to offer any further opposition to it; he begged
merely to suggest that before the Bill was passed, a
Committee should' be appointed to consider the best
means of removing some of the anomalies shown to
exist in its former working.
Sir R. 11. INGLIS was understood to agree with
the lion. Member.

Mr. SLANE Y said, as one of those who
voted. with her Majesty's Government, he
wished to press upon the Government the
absolute necessity of making some improve-
ment in the way in which the tax was imposed. He
trusted, therefore, her Majesty's Government would
"give ear" to the statement of the Hon. Member
for Montrose, and, after due deliberation, so
improve the measure as to make it acceptable
to the great body of her Majesty's subjects. He
believed the tax to be just in principle, as the rich
were compelled to pay their full share, whilst the
humbler classes perceived clearly that this was so,
and that they were free from it on account of their
position in life. He trusted that nothing would be
left undone to remove the anomalies complained of.
Sir DE LACY EVANS was of the same opinion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that he could assure the House that her Majesty's
Government has not been indifferent to the subject,
and that their attention had been turned to the modi-
fication of the income-tax. He would not say that in
some of the suggestions which had been made for
that purpose, there was not something plausible
at first sight, but her Majesty's Government
had found that the more the object had been inquired
into the less they felt able to devise any plan in which
the injustice would not be more gross and apparent
than by the system at present established. All he
could say was that any plan which might be suggested
would receive his most attentive consideration.
At present he had come to the conclusion that no
propositions had as yet been made which did not,
when examined in detail, appear more objectionable
than that which had in variably been adopted at all
times and in all countries where an income-tax had
existed.—(Hoar, hear.)
Dr. BOWRING thought that the Right Hon.
Baronet had not answered the question of his Hon.
Friend the Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume).
He had stated that no plan had as yet been suggested
which was preferable to the present mode. He (Dr.
Bowring) was, however, of opinion that, unless some
great modifications of the plan were introduced, it
would be impossible to collect the tax without such
an amount of resistance—(Cries of " Oh, oh!")—
as would prove very annoying to the Government.
He thought that the request of his Hon. Friend
was a very reasonable one, and one which ought to
be acceded to. Jt would show, at all events, some
desire on the part of the Government to defer to the
wishes of the great majority of the people out of
doors if a Committee were appointed to inquire
whether some modifications could not be introduced.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that he did not understand that the Hon. Member
for Montrose had put any question to him upon the
subject:; he had only given notice of his intention
upon some future day of bringing forward a motion
on the subject.
Mr. COBDEN felt bound to say one word at
least upon a question of matter of fact, he understood
the Right Hon. Baronet, the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer to say with considerable emphasis, at the
close of his first remarks, that the income-tax
was levied in this country in the same manner as in
all other countries. Now, a remark had been made
by the Hon. Member for Glasgow (Mr. Macgregor)
upon a former occasion, which was well founded, to
the effect that in no other country in the world was
there any income-tux at all. There were pro.
perty-taxes levied to a heavy amount in
France and other places—(Hear, hear)—but in no
civilised country in the world was there any instance
of a tax being levied upon property. This was a
fact that should be borne in mind, because the Right
Hon. Baronet the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
stated that the tax was levied in the same mode in
this country as in others.—(Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
stated that he had made his statement upon the
authority of the Hon. Member himself, who had
stated that in South Carolina, in the United States,
for the purposes of the State, an income-tax was
!eiied upon profits resulting from trades and prefes-
sions.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. lIORSMAN said that it appeared to him that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer was at direct issue
with the public at large on the subject of the impos-
sibility of modifying the inequalities of the income-
tax He certainly thought that it would be paying
a most judicious deference to the wishes of the public
if the subject were referred to a Committee.

Mr. MACGREGOR concurred with his Right
lion. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the
statement he had made, that there was a
great difficulty with respect to making a
distit.ction between different species of income
but he thought that some difference ought to be made.
It was not his intention to offer any further factious
opposition to the adoption of the Report. •
Mr. TRELAWNEY said he had given his vote on
the subject after full consideration, although it had
not met with the approbation of his constituents.
Lord JOIIN RUSSELL would not now discuss
the question of the propriety of referring the subject
to a Select Committee, but he felt bound
to say, after what had been stated by his
lion. Friend the Member for Cockermouth, that the
disapprobation of the public was universal against
the tax as at present proposed, that he felt no doubt
that the approbation of the public to the Hon. Mem-
ber for Cockermouth's proposition would not be
universal.—(Hear, hear.) He thought that those
who were to be taxed Bd. instead of 7d. would cry
out most loudly against it.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD thought it his duty, on the
part of his constituents, to pretest against the con-
tinuance of the tax.

The report was then agreed to, and leave was given
to bring in a Bill founded upon it.
Lord DUNCAN then repeated the question he had
asked of the Chancellor of the Exchequer with
respect to the expenses of the Woods and Forests.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the subject was under the consideration
of a Committee, and until they had made their report,
he could give no other answer than he had done.
After a few words from Dr. BOWRING,

The CHANCELLOR cf the EXCHEQUER said
it was useless to overwhelm the Committee with more
subjects than it could conveniently decide upon.
Lord I)UNCAN said the subject he proposed to
submit to the Committee was an exceedingly simple
one, but in order to save the time of the House he
would give notice that, on Friday next, on going
into Committee of Supply, he would make a motion
for a Committee on the subject.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee
of Supply ; Mr. Bernal in the chair.

NAVY ESTIMATES.
Mr. WARD in rising to bring under the consi-
deration of the Committee, the naval policy which he
considered was the peculiar province of the Crown and
Parliament to pursue trusted he should have the indul-
gence of the Committee for a few minutes, while he de-
tailed the number of men that would be necessary
for the service of 1848-49. He could not separate
from this point the whole naval policy of the coun-
try, because in the question of the number of men
to be voted for the year was involved the whole

subject of the n ivy estimates. He hoped they
would not begru lge the means that were necessary
to place the navy in an efficient state. What
some Honourable Members called an extravagant
expenditure, he called a necessary and just one, and
before he concluded he should show that this was
so. He admitted that much of the moneys
voted might have been better spent, if those
entrusted with its expenditure had had more
time to consider how this might be done. If
the service was reduced some thousands it could not
fail to be impaired. The number of marines had been
constantly varying; but so satisfied was the House
of the necessity of keeping up the proper number,
that no division of the House had taken place on the
subject during the last 20 years. Any increase that had
been necessary had been invariably acceded to.
as the circumstances of the times had rendered the
number sought necessary. He proposed to take a
vote to increase the naval force 1,500 men,
making an aggregate of 43,000 men: for the
service. Such a force for a country with such vast
possessions across the s2as did not appear to him
a large one. his Hon. Friend behind him (Mr.
Cobden) would no doubt cite the number employed in
other countries ; but really no other nation required
such a naval force as they did.—(Hear, hear.)
That was an important consideration. He knew
much of the new world, and looking at tha democratic
connexions in general, he did not think they were
so moderate as their admirers claimed for them. lie
was an admirer of the wholesome English principle—
to depend entirely upon its own resources, and trusted
the House would adopt it in this case.—(Rear.)
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.
WESTERN CIRCUIT.—Exeter, March 18.
The Commissions for the county of lllev3n, and the
city and county of Exeter, were opened here on
Thursday, by Mr. Justice Wightman and Mr. Baron
Platt. The Learned Judges were escorted into the
city by the High Sheriff, John Sillifant, Esq., and
his train, with the usual formalities. Yesterday both
the Learned Judges attended Divine service in the
Cathedral, after which they proceeded to the Castle,
and the business of the assize commenced.

The cause list is unusually heavy for this county,
there being thirty-one causes entered for trial in the
county, and three in the city of Exeter—of these nine
are to be tried by special juries.
The case of the Queen on the prosecution of the
Bishop of Exeter v. Latimer, the editor of the
Western Times, for libel, is again entered for trial ;
but as it is entered to be tried in the city, it cannot
be taken until after the county venues are tried, and
therefore there is a great probability of its again
being made a remanet.
Through the kindness of the clerk of arraigns, we
have been enabled to see a calendar, and give our
readers hn analysis thereof; but it is worthy of u-
miak, that such is the parsimony of the magistrates
of this county, under w hose direction the calendar of
the prisoners is printed, that only a sufficient number
to supply themselve., the judges, and the officers of
the court is allowed to be printed. The bar, the
attorneys, and other persons connected with the busi-
ness of the court must obtain any information they
require in the best way they can. We are happy to
say, that this is the only county in this circuit where
such a state of things exists. The number of prisoners
in the calendar is 71, and the crimes charged are,
for the most part, of a serious description. There are
—murder, four; manslaughter, two; rape, three;
unnatural, one ' • cutting, with intent to murder, four ;
concealment of birth, l ; assault, with intent to rob,
four ; burglary, eight; arson, five ; bigamy, three ;
stealing from the person, three; sheep-stealing, four;
night poaching, two; threatening letter, one; sacri-
lege, one; embezzlement, one ; false pretences, one;
larceny, 23. In examining the calendar to see the
amount of education stated to be possessed by the
prisoners, we perceive that a considerable amount of
ignorance appears to prevail, showing the sympathy
between crime and ignorance ; out of 71 pri-
soners there is not one possessing superior edu-
cation, only two can read and write well, 38 can
do so imperfectly, while 27 can neither read
nor write ; of four there is no account. Since the
calendar was printed ten mere prisoners have been
brought in for trial. _ _

NOthing. of the slightest interest has been taken in
the Nisi Prius Court up to this time (Saturday
evening). _ _ _

March 17.

CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron PLATT.)
Matthew Lowe was indicted for having, on the
14th of June last, at Devonport, stolen a gold cross,
set with diamonds, value 501., the property of Jane
West.

Mr. Slade conducted the prosecution; Mr. Bird de-
fended the prisoner.
It appeared by the evidence adduced on the part of
the prosecutor, that the prisoner had formerly been a
footman in the service of the father of the prosecutrix,
Admiral Sir John West, who was in June last Port
Admiral at Plymouth. On the 14th of that month a
ball was given by Sir John West, at the Admiralty
House at Devonport, at which the prosecutrix, Miss
Jane West, wore a diamond cross, and during the ball
she missed the cress, and, although the servants sought
for it during the ball, and a minute search was made
afterwards, it could not be found. The prisoner, who
it appears bore an excellent character, and conducted
himself with great propriety whilst at Sir John
West's, afterwards left his service, and was not heard
of until the Superintendent of the Manchester Police
arrested him, he having had information that some
one was offering diamonds for sale at a jeweller's,
and on going to the shop he thought that there was
something suspicious about the circumstance, and
arrested him. The prisoner at first told a story of
having purchased the diamonds, but he afterwards
said that the truth was, he had been a servant of Ad-
miral Welsh, and at a ball at his house had found a
diamond cross, and the diamonds he was endeavouring
to sell formed part of the cross which he had found.
Mr. Beswick, who had known him for fourteen
years, also gave him an excellent character.
The jury fuund him Guilty, and he was sentenced
to imprisonment for six months.

NORTH WALES CI RCUlT.—Carnarvon,illarchl

(Before Mr. Justice EaLE.)
MALICIOUS STABBING.—MichaeI O'Donnel was
charged with wilfully and maliciously cutting; and
stabbing Henry:Jones, in the parish of Llanlrechid,
on the :ad of January last.
Messrs. Townshend and Egerton conducted the
prosecution, and the prisoner was defended by Mr.
Welsby,
The prosecutor proved that he was working on the
railway, near Bangor, when he had a slight dispute
with the prisoner concerning a spade, the result of
which was, that both men were discharged from their
employment. In an hour or so afterwards the prose-
cutor crcssed the river Ogwen, and proceeded in the
direction of Talybout. As he was passing along he felt
a stab. Turned round on receiving the wound, and
perceived the prisoner. Had not heard any one
approach, in consequence of the noise made by the
water.

The police-officers deposed to finding a knife on
the person of the prisoner. He said, on being appre-
hended, " Well, if I have done so, I must suffer for
it." The knife was a common cheese blade. The
surgical evidence proved that the wound inflicted was
on the left side of the chest, oa the fifth rib. The
point of the knife had met with an obstruction in the
rib. Had the blow been aimed a little lower, the
steel must have passed between the fifth and sixth
ribs, and instant death would have ensued. The
blow appeared to hare been struck from behind. The
prosecutor fully identified the prisoner as the party
who had struck him.

Mr. WELsar addressed the jury for the prisoner,
and called evidence to prove that he was of quiet end
peaceable habits.
The JuDos summed up, and the jury returned a
verdict of Guilty, with a strong recommendation to
mercy, on account of previous good character.
Sentence, to bt transported for ten years.