The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-30 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

- -
MANCHESTER, APRIL 28.—Although the accounts from
London and other parts of the kingdom speak. of an ameliora-
tion in the state of business generally within tho last few
days, the improvement does not seem to have reached this
market. The demand for yarn to-day has been very limited.
and, on some descriptions, prices are a little in favour of the
buyers. In the goods' market, however, there is a little more
activity,
erpecially in the better qualities, but without change
in prices, whilst the inferior qualities remain in very limited
demand.

ROCHDALE, APRIL 27.—There has been a steady demand
for flannels, but prices have been low and unremunerating to
the manufacturer. The wool market has been in much the
same state as last Monday.
LEEDS, APRIL 28.—We are happy to say our markets
keep improving, and a very fair quantity of business has been
done to-day. Wool is much firmer in price, and some low
descriptions very much sought atter, and decidedly higher.
HUDDERSFILD, Arm'. 28.—We have had a good attendance
of buyers to-day in the market, and sales to :come extent
have been effected, but at such prices as to leave little or no
profit to the manufacturers. Several orders have been re-
ceived that will give employment for some weeks. The
weather is such we have but few buyers for the home trade.
ETON COLLEGE.—George roniarEsq., M.P. for
Shrewsbury, and the son of the late Bishop of Winchester, who was
eld,..:Tect at Et,,n, just annnunc,ed his intention of founding an
aialu..l inatheinadcat prize at I:t.nt CoheAe. Mr. Toinline has pre-
sented the sum of 1,000/. to the Provost and Fellows, the interest of
which is to be appropriated to the purism contemplated by the
'Mal @Quer.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN T.
HOUSE OF COMMOIVS, April 29.-
The'SrEAKER took'the Chair at Twelve o'clock.
THE EDINBURGH, LEITH, AND GRANTON RAIL-
WAY (EXTEMSION ANb BRANCHES).
was re4l4 seconignie, and ordered to be com-
mitted. •

GROUP No. IV.
Mr. G. HOPE moved that the Committee on Group No.
W. have
Committee,leavet porceeseedutaesd 2s
recothmAmpenri.dled in the report
from that
The motion was agreed to.
• RAILWAY BUSINESS.
Mr. R. 110DGSON moved that the order, dated 23d
" That it be an instruction to the Committee on every
private Bill originated in this House, relating to any rail-
way,ebde i
discharged,g with themeritasof such
verifiedßill,by the
promoters," to re-
quire to before
fo
producednbefore
and in lieu the following
resolution be introduced, That it be an instruction
i be
e 0.,e
to the Committee on every private Bill originated in this
House relating to any railway, to require to be produced be-
fore them and verified by the promoters," &c.
Mr. DUNCOMBE objected to the original order being dis-
charged. Be could easily understand that some of the reso-
lutions might be inconvenient to come of the railway com-
panies ; but they were intended to be inconvenient, in order
that those bubble schemes, which could not stand the test of
a scrutinising examination, might be exposed. He had no
objection to the resolution so far as to allow the Committee to
report immediately after the preliminary inquiry on any
scheme, without keepirg the report back.
Sir G. CLERK had no objection to the alteration of the
resolution as far as regarded those particular Committees
which had not been appointed until Monday last. He thought
those Committees might be allowed to proceed with the
merits of the Bills before them, without specially inquiring
into their compliance with the resolutions of ths House. It
was due to the promoters of bond fide schemes that some dif-
ference should be made between those projects and those
bubble schemes which were intended solely to promote the
advantage of the projectors. He hoped the Hon. Member
would so far modify his resolution as to the restriction of
those Committees only which were appointed on Monday
last.

Mr. HODGSON was not disposed to press his resolution
any further, and proposed to ,o it hdraw it.

Mr. GREEN E: before the House cams to any decision in
the matter, thought it extremely desirable that the services
of counsel in the preliminary inquiries before the Committee,
as provided by the resolution of the lion. Member for Fins-
bury (Mr. buncombe), should be dispensed with. It would
only contribute to increase the expenses of the inquiry.
Mr. DUNCOMBE was of opinion that the services of
counsel en most occasions should net be dispensed with, as
by their assistance the truth of the documents required to be
produced was more likely to be ascertained.
Sir G. CLERK thought that if there was any doubt as to
the truth or authenticity of those documents, there would be
ample opportunity afforded before the Committee to prove
their authenticity by the parties either appearing themselves
or by counsel.

After a few words from Mr. T. Duncombe. Mr. Cardwell,
Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Bernal, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Wakley, Mr.
Gi4Jorne, and Sir R. Peel, Mr. Entwhle, the Speaker, and
Sir John C. HAhouse, the motion was withdrawn.
Mr. ESTCOURT moved that Committees have leave to sit
during the sitting of the House. A question was asked
whether it was in the power of Member:, to attend the. House
after havinge been appointed to a Committee. He did con •
eider that the dutyof attending the House was a higher duty,
and therefore the interests of a Committee might. yield, pro-
vided that Members considered it necessary for the interests
of the country that they should attend, and take a part in
the debate. Members, of course, would use a proper dis-
cretion in their attendance, and not put parties to an in-
creased and unnecessary expense, by repeated adjournments.
Lord G. SOMERSET having seconded the motion,

Sir G. GREY and Mr. ACLIaIIY made a few observations
on it, the latter Hon. Member having taken the opportunity
to call upon the House to adopt some measure by which the
Members would be relieved from the very laborious and
sometimes almost ridiculous duties which they had to per-
form with respect to ralway Bills in the committee-rooms.
Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE repeated the observations which
he had made on the previous motion.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said it appeared to him that the
solution of the difficulty would be found in this, that the
House anti the Committee could not sit at the same time;
they must evidently sit at different times, that Was an
inevitable alternative. Now his Hon. Friend the Member
for Salford ( Mr. Brotherton) seemed to think that if the House
determined that it should sit from twelve till six, and that the
Committees should also sit ou the same day; the Committees
should undoubtedly sit from eight in the morning until
twelve.—(Laughter.) His Hon. Friend was really prepared
to do that, and unless they did something of that sort, he
(Mr. Gibson) really could not sei how the difficulty was to
be got rid of. His Hon. Friend (Mr. Mark Philips) and his
other lion. Friend the Member for Durham (Mr. Bright),
who were sitting upon Committees, were especially desirous of
being present during the discussion on so important a Bill as
that which would shortly come before them ( the Factory Bill).
But, on the other hand, they would not like to adjourn the
Committees on which they sat, as the Hon. Member for Ox-
ford had suggested, because if they did so they would put
he parties that had business before the Committees to con-
iderable expense.—(Hear, hear.) He, therefore, thought
that in the end they would be compelled to have recourse to
the proposal of the Hon. Member for Salford, or they would
have to give up the Wednesday sittings from twelve till six.
—(Cries of " No, no.") However, he had given his solution
of the difficolty.—The motion was then agreed to.
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY.
Mr. BROCKLEHURST presented a petition in favour of
the above railway.

- FACTORY BILL.
Mr. WILSON PATTEN presented a petition from the
clergymen of Warrington processing the Roman Catholic re-
ligion, in favour of the further repeal of the disabilities under
which they labour. The Hon. Member also presented a peti-
tion from Burnley in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill.
Mr. CRAWFORD presented a petition, signed by 7,000
of the inhabitants of Belfast, in favour of the Ten Hours'
Bill. The Hon. Gentl,2itian also presented petitions from
Rochdale. Bolton, Huddersfield, and Littleborough, to the
ame effect.

Mr. STRICKLAND presented a petition from the work-
men employed in Messrs. Gardner's factory at Preston, in
favour of the 'Ten Hours' Bill.
Mr. BAILEY presented six petitions in favour of the re-
peal of the Count• Lunatic Asylum's Act.
Mr. WAKLEY presented SIX petitions in favour of the
Ten Hours' Bill. Amongst the petitions were two from
Leeds and Manchester, signed by the principal physicians
and surgeons in those places. The petititioners stated that
the effects of the present hours of labour upon the constitu.
tions of the children employed was attended with the worst
consequences hi after life.
Mr. DENISON presented a petition in favour of the Ten
Hours' Bill.

Mr. AINSWORTH also presented petitions from the in-
habitants of Bolton, Chorley, Manchester, and other places
to the like effect.

LORD'S-DAY OBSERVANCE:
Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from the clergymen
and other inhabitants of Bradford, praying the House to take
measures to prevent the Eale of intoxicating liquors on the
Lord's-day.

Mr. COLQUHOUN presented a petition from the persons
professing the Roman Catholic faith in the north of Eng-
land, praying the House to protect them against the domi-
neering spirit of the Vicar Apostolic of the Pope.
The petitions were severally ordered to be laid on the table

FACTORIES BILL

Mr. HINDLEY pre;entedEBiTetrti;n; from various places
in the neighbourhood of Mauchester in favour of the Ten
Hours' Bill.

THE RIVER CLYDE.

Mr. HUME moved for certain returns respecting the
amount of debt, and the progress of the debt, of the River
Clyde Trust, with the revenue and expenditure of the navi-
gation.—Agreed to.
THE FACTORIES REGULATION BILL.

On the order of the day far the second reading of this Bill,
Mr. HUMP: said he wished to ask the Hon. Member for
Oldham a question, in regard to his motion on this Bill. It
was important that the fullest freedom should be given to
capital, and it was also an essential of commercial prosperity
that there should be the same freedom given to labour. On
that ground he was sorry to see the system of attempting to
interfere with the free application of capital which prevailed
in certain quarters in the country. To that he was directly op-
posed, and seeing that it was going forward to such an extent
he could not let the matter pass over without calling atten-
tion to it. In a question of such importance he begged leave
to suggest that it ought not to be discussed in such a thin
House, and at the time when there were twenty Committees
sitting. Members could not in consequence attend, and in
order that there should be the fullest and fairest discussion
he thought the Government might be prevailed on
to allow a Monday '.or Friday evening for the discus•
sion of the question.—(lronical dries of " Hear, hear.")
Well, if that could not be arranged, then some other day
might be fixed on. What he meant was, that the question
should not be dealt with in such a thin House. On that
ground it was that he had made a suggestion.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir R. PEEL concurred with the Hon. Member as to the
importance of the question, and would be willing that some
other Government days should be set apart for the discus-
sion of it ; but, in the present state of the business, he could
not make a promise of any day. It was out of his power to
give any pledge in the matter.
Mr. HUME thought the Bill might be postponed till such
time as the Corn Bill was disposed of. The factory question
was next in importance to that question, and it could come
on in due course then.

Mr. BANKES 8311 ed the Hon. Member if, in the event
of the Corn Bill 'wing carried, he would vote for the pre-
sent measure?

Mr. numE intimated that he would oppose the Bill in

Mi.. BANKES hoped the Hon. Member for Oldham
would persevere in his motion. Wednesday wag, in fact,
andth ohaelrliddnaoyt 84eme wivliiiNi•eitthePaltililc
had lately been applied to by several
tive classes interested in ths
i ni g
d businesstel notega t wasbs e
of
taken. He
apeetHreade:
e re-
spectingeed ed w
with
he conducttke b
ettpelrta,lci
aeevs
onaf
his humble opinion, that'Bill, asking his advice ought to pursue. He gave them
former occasion the delay
cwollilisceliquhe
na dc e toafkt
Bill, after being carried by was
votaetaolf ItTo the measure. The
the sooner the measure was pro-
ceeded
delay lost, and t)he
IHouse thereby brought
suggestion fordelay, he traded the Hon. Member Hon. Membns, was in
into great discredit.--(Hear, hear.
would bring forward the measurelt once • ndi for Oldham
:if meeting aKy
a could be could
not finish the discussion that day, it
pro-
tracted till to-morrow night. It' it was aljeounc
tin to-morrow evening, he had no doubt the
lion. and Learned Member for Cork, and other Hon. Mem-
bers, who had motions on the paper, would give way, so as
to bring the discussion to a conclusion. If the lion. and
Learned Member and the other Hon. Gentlemen who had
motions did not interfere, he (Mr. Bankes) had no
doubt the debate would be concluded by that time.
He hoped that his Hon. Friend would persist in Lis motion.
What he had principally risen for was to express a hope
that the Right Hon. Gentleman would take the Thursdays
to himself at once.
Mr. FORSTER said this was a most importi:.nt question;
but before it was decided he certainly thought that they
should adopt measures for giving the people food. His Hon.
Friend the Member for Durham had, at the commence-
mencement of the session, presented a petition, signed by
7,000 of the inhabitants of Shetland. He was not surprised
that those people should leave petitioned that House. He
had, on Monday last, received a paper which detailed the
state of distress which was existing in the Shetland
Islands. The inhabitants of those islands were 32,000 in
number, depending chiefly upon fish. Their agricultural
produce was very scanty, and during te la seaon ws
more scanty than ever.- The Hon. Gentle hmanst heres reada a
document which stated that great distress existed in the
Shetland Wands. The inhabitants only traded in fish, and
their chief customers were the Spaniards. The Spanish mer-
chants would be glad to send corn in exchange, but the corn-
law prevented it. A Spanish vessel was actually now on her
way to Shetland in ballast, and she would have taken corn
lif the repeal of the corn• laws could be depended upon.
Mr. coWPEII rose to order. He thou;lit this was an
I unfair mode of getting rid of the discussion on the Factory
I Bill.

The SPEAZER was understood to say that the liou,

Gentleman was in order, as the question was whether the order
of the day should be proceeded with. The Hon. Gentle-
man was at liberty to show that in his opinion another'
order of the day ought to be taken.
Mr. FORSTER was again proceeding, when
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE lose to order. He must say that the
Hon. Gentleman's reading the document, from the Shetland
Islands, looked very like an indirect mode of defeating the
discussion on the F;ctory Bill.
Mr. FORSTER repudiated this charge, and said he had no
such intention.

The SPEAKER decided that the Hon. Gentleman was in
order.

Mr. FORSTER proceeded. He had already said .hat he did
not deny the importance of the Factory Bill, but he thought
their first duty was to legislate to give the people
an increased supply of food. He could assure the House
that the utmost stagnation existed in commercial
circles, in consequence of the delay which had taken
place in the progress of the Government measures.
He understeod that a Noble Lord in another place, not very
successful in his legislative measures, intended to hoist the
standard against the Government measure? What would he
the effect of any mutilation of that measure. It was a gene-
ral opinion among the greet body of the merchants that
something of that sort would take place. Commerce was a
timid bird, and would not take its flight in a storm.
r. GIBSON—TiIe question brought before the House was
a pressing emergency—a question of present starvetioe—a
question of people not having a sufficiency of food l'r their
subsistence. The Factory Bill was not of such a pees:leg na-
ture as that of the Hon. Member's with reference to the
Shetland rides. Irish distress had been brought Le--fore the
House, why should not the c'ise of the people of the
Shetland leies he considered? lie thought that Hon. Gen-
tlemen on the opposite side came down to the House for the
purpose of putting the Government in a minority rather
than to support the Factory Bill.— (No, no, and hear, hear.)
The House should bear in mind that the people of the Shetlend
Isles did not conic to Parliament intimating in their eeti-
lion that they wanted a grant of money fur the promotion
of public works, or for giving the means of employment to
the people of the Shetland Isles. All they ask is that the
House would remove those prohibitions which prevented
them from exchanging the fish which they catch for the
corn and meal of other countries. It is their opinion that
much of their distress would be alleviated if those prohibi-
tions were removed. Could the Right Hon. Baronet explain
to the House the grounds of his refusing to allow these poor
and starving inhabitants of Shetland, the power of ex-
changing their fish for the corn and meal of other countries?
Had he provided them with ships or with fishing tackle. Or
in any way facilitated the progress of their industry? Why
did the Right Hon. Baronet insist upon their paying tolls on
their fish for the benefit of himself and other landed proprietors
of this count:y? It would be of great benefit.to the people if
they were allowed to exchange their fish for corn and meal.
Many families were on the very brink of starvation. The
potato crop had failed. There were Spanish ships which
could deliver them a slimily of corn if they were allowed
to do so. Hon. Members opposite were delaying public busi-
ness night after night in that House.—("No,no,"from the Op-
position.) The Home was entitled to call upon them to relieve
the starvation of the people. While theywere persevering in
their opposition to the Corn Bill they were contributing to
the starvation of those , people.—(" No, no," and cheers.)
He was discharging a public duty in thus - pressing
on the attention of the House the condition of
the inhabitants of the Shetland Isles, and he considered
it was as sacred a duty as could be performed by any Member
of that House. He thought that the House should first settle
the great questions which were then before them (the
Corn and Customs Importation Act) before they proceeded
with the consideration of other business. He hoped that the
Factory Bill would not then be interposed between the Corn
and Customs Bill. The public mind could not entertain so many
measures at one and the same time, neither could that House
legislate upon several questions at the same time in a proper
manner. No delay should be allowed to intervene in the
carrying out of the measures brought forward by her Ma-
jesty's Government.
Sir R. H. INGLIS said that motives had been imputed to
Hon. Members on his side of the House that it was their in-
tention to place the Government in a minority rather than
to support the Factory:Bill. lie begged to state that they
would • not yield to any person on the other side in
attachment to the sacred -cause which had brought
them down to that House to-day, and which
had brought them together upon other occasions when they
were more happily united, and when it was still more painful
for them to differ from the Government.

Mr. FIELI)EN, after presenting two hundred and thirty
petitions in favour of the Factories Ten Hours' Bill, proceeded
to draw the attention of the House to the deplorable condi-
tion of the factory children. The Honourable Gentle-
man—as he always is—was perfectly inaudible in
the gallery, and in consequence of his not having
favoured us in a similar manner as he did the other morning
papers with a copy of his speech, we are wholly unable to
give anything like a report.
Mr. AINSWORTH seconded the motion of the Hon.
Member for Oldham. lie believed that if the Government
consented to the passing of this Bill they would satisfy all
parties. Some change was evidently necessary for the people
employed in factories, scarcely any time being allowed for
their instillvt ion.
Mr. HUME sa!d that this measure would no doubt be
satisfactory to the greater part of those employed in the
cotton manufactories. From the number of petitions that
had been presented to the House, he was hound to believe,
that this Bill would be desirable to the working classes. But
it was because lie thought that a more dangerous proceeding
to the interests of the country could not possibly be enter-
tained, that he thought it was the duty of those who be-
lieved that such a proceeding should • be opposed, that he
came forward to oppose this measure, which, in
his opinion, was calculated ultimately to bring
ruin upon the beet interests of the country ;
He had on no occasion shown himself indifferent to the inter-
ests of the working clas,ee—(Herr, hear)—on the contrary.
he prided himself on having, on various occasions, en-
deavoured, as far as he was able, to free the labouring artizan
from all the trammels of monopoly under which be existed.—
(Hear, hear.) And he did wish to submit to the House what
had been the consequence since that great and important change
which he had been instrumental in effecting. He submitted,
too, that if the House assented to this Bill, they would be
aciing in direct contradiction to the great priticiale of fres
trade, which they had lately adopted.—(Hear, hear.)
This Bill was contrary to the common sense and the good
sense of the House, to remov,, at trammels on the capital
of industry whilst they proposed at the same time to impose
trammels on what was equally important—the capi,al of the
labouring man.—(Hear, hear.) It was not only an imposi-
tion on the capital of the labouring man, but also on the
capital of the manufacturer, who employed him,
and he ventured to say that if this principle
were carried out it would end in the destruc-
tion of the interests of both employer and employee,.
—(Hear, hear.) And it was on this grinned that he opposed
any compromise on this question. He objected to anything
that would admit the principle that the House had
toentmeretatnrec_th(He
consider-
ation of
ftt whatever
hisnost
injurious
any right
)
Although he had paid the greatest attention whilst the
Hon. Member who moved the second reading of the Bill was
speaking, he could not hear one single word of what he
said.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He, therefore, knew no-
ear, onhsiedaerr.
c
thing of what had fallen from him, but he knew his
opinions, having seen reports of his speeches deli'
vered in other places on' this subject. He was therefore
compelled to confine himself to the opinions expressed
by the Honourable Gentleman that had seconded the
motion of the Honourable Member for Oldham.—( Hear.)
But he hoped that they had arrived at that time when the
principles of commercial restrictions would be clearly
understood.—(Hear, hear.) It did not appear to him,
however, if they put shackles on the manufactures, they
would be able to meet the demand in the markets
which has given employment to so many millions
of their fellow-countrymen. The result, would b% that they
will be thrown out of employment and the manufacturers
will remain idle. You will then have not complaints that
they are over-worked, but that they cannot get work. Again.
if the manufacturer is limited, what would be the result ?
The millions must stand still, and they would re-
gret the day when they besought you to impose
these restrictions. He was against this Bill. No trammel
&mold be imposed on the manufacturer save in the case of
children of tender age; and when a Bill was brought in for
their protection, he well remembered, telling the
Right Honourable Gentleman that it would be used
as a precedent, and the principle would not be limited,
but would go on from stage to stage. It they agreed to a
Ten Hours' Bill, they would have one fur eight hours pro-
posed before long. It was true it was a hard thing that men
should be compelled to labour fur twelve hours, and
that no limitation should be enforced to alleviate
their hardships; if he considered that it was possible
to enforce any limitation, he would be the very first to afford
it—lie meant any alleviation which could be afforded with-
out destroying the principle on which their livelihood de-
pends. And it was because he could judge of results,
and because he felt that if they carried out their request, that
they would be laying the foundation of future distress, that he
opposed the present aseasure. He would like to know on
what principle they claimed a right of interference in private
rights. He would suppose a case. He had three hundred
people on his estate; he had no means of employing more
than one hundred at agricultural labour; how would he
employ the other two hiandrod? why, by manufactures alone
There was no mole by which he could empl.T ::hem unless
he was placed in a position, in regard to the produce of fo-
reign countries. that he could give them employment in ma-
nutactures. Unless he was able to supply his produce at a
rate by which he could co•npete with foreigll manufacturers,
the effect would be that he could not employ then in manu-
factures, and they would be driven back on agricul-
ture for support. With regard to a glut in the market,
there would not be any, but the want of the
means of purchasing. The cheaper the article the larger
would it be purchased, and the greater the demand. It was .
net fair to the manufacturers of this country to be stopped
in working their machinery two hours a day, when it was
n
in order to compete with foreign
necessary they should do .so g
producers. It was the right of a manufacturer, in the first
his
own interest as a capita ist, and in
place, to attend to ..
the second place to regulate his affairs as to the part ieswhom
he employed. In such circumstances it was not fair to step in
and say that they must not employ their machinery for
twelve hours a day. The prosent Bill confines a maeufac-
turer only to work his machinery ten hours
a days or else not
to employ parties, in which case the latter would be driven
to the union. Toe principle which was inapplicable to one
case was inapplicable to the country generally •
, and in
his opinion they could not take a worse step than to
interfere with the industry of the coutitr
3. Hence
it was that, in a measure of such
national
importance, he suggested that it should not be disc4sed in
a thin House and while so nutty Committees were
He appealed to the House if such a principle of interference
sitting.
as he had cited was admissible, and if nut Why
seek to
extend it; to the whole country 2—( Hear, hear,)l
deplored more than he did the long hours and hard labour of
No one
the English operatives, and none could be more anxious to
support any measure to expand their minds
them in the scale of being, but he and elevate
present Bill because he believed it woulOtlppbo:ed the
injurious. Master and labourer should be left ahighly
' feet liberty to make the best bargain they could withoutt per-
interference. If such a measure was carried, it any
impossible to continue the same rate of wages. Mr.
rogld 1e
and three other gentlemen, had been sent down intenior,
manufacturing districts, to inquire into the effect Novi the
which
the reduction of one hour per day would have on the
and the rate of wages. They had inquired into the reesaipiectal
tive influence of 12 hours, 11 hours, and 30 hours daily •
and Mr. &ilia had repeated that a large proportion of ;
the
profits of machinery arose from the 11th and 12th hour's work.
If that was the case the House would see how
vain
it
was
to
limit the home of labour in factories. If Hon. Members on
the other side would provide a fund to supply the
those who would be turned out of employment in consequence
of
of such bad legislation, he would then be prepared.equence
port the measure. He protested against any doctrinesup-
that
interfered with the capital of labour. The Him. Member
concluded by moving, " That the Bill be read a . .
second time
this day six months."
Mr. WARD eccoaded the amendment.
Sir G. STRICKLAND was of opinion that many who had
opposed legislation on this subject were rather shaken in
their convictions. Even
the Hon. Membe r who had last
addressed the Howe (BIL 40:09d upon uo ye
ry high

ground in his opposition. If the law were to be left in its
present state it would have the effect of requiring a labour of
fourteen hours, instead of twelve. He thought the Hon.
Member had done well in putting this as a case of humanity.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that although upon personal grounds
he was unwilling this morning to interpose himself in the
course of this debate, yet, as the question now stood, it was
expedient that some member of the Government should state
the course that Government intended to adopt. The
Honourable Member who had just sat down
had truly remarked that this subject had undergone
much consideration in the course of the present Par-
liament. On former occasions, when it had been fully dis-
cussed, it was his duty to state to the House the principles
which guided him in coming to a discussion on the question
which they were then debating. That question was of'
paramount importance, and most decidedly of great
interest. It had been his duty carefully to re-
consider all these opinions upon the subject, 'and
he was bound to state to the House that his
opinions had undergone no change, after the most careful
consideration he could bestow on the subject, refore
it was his duty to concur with the Hon.
Member 'noer rord eMon-
trose in resisting the further progress of the 811 (Hear.)
Now, he would shortly refer to some of the topiic.s—broeched
in the course of the debete. It was urged by some Hnn.
Members, and particularly by the Honourable Member
for Preston, that they ought to make some
compromise
on this question, but he thought that the time haile' gone by
when it was prudent to adopt any such course. Already the
Legislature bad restricted the hours of labour for children
to
twelve hours, while children under the age of eight years
were restricted altogether from working infactoriesvcon-f
con-
nected with four branches of the
manufacture
the country—cotton, woollen, silk, and fle T;le
hours of labour for persons between the aces of
twelve and sixteen were limited to twelve,
rid in
some factories the hours of labour for children between the
ages of six and thirteen were restricted to six hours and a
h if per day, while the Acts of Parliament, which made these
reetrietione, provided most amply f,r the edueatien of the
c'iiidree during the leisure hours. Having said
thus much, he would entreat the House to
consider the immense magnitude of the subject
they were discussing. First, with reference to our
trade. What proportion did the four branches of manufac-
ture he had mentioned bear to the exports of the country?
He said fearlessly that three-quarters of the value of' the
whole exports, amounting to between thirty and forty mil-
lions, were connected with these four branches of
manufacture. Now, with regard to wages. How
did these four branches stand? They paid in wages
225,000/, a week, while at least half a million of the popula-
tion of the country were dependent for their livine on these
four branches of manufacture. He .sithr,—therefore, if they
committed an error in their legislation upon this subject it
was no trifling error, as it touched the staple menu-
factures of the country, a great portion of the. foreign
trade of the country, affected the industry of half a
million of the most industrious of their population, and
touched also the circulation to the amount of nearly a
quarter of a million per week.—(Cries of" Hear, hear.") It
was impossible, therefore, that they could consider a question
of more frightful importance as bearing upon the interests of
either the whole country or particular classes, hut he
objected to the time at which they were called to
discuss this matter, or in its being discussed at all now,
because it had already, in the course of the present. Parlia-
ment, undergone the most full and ample consideration.—
(Hear, hear.) It had been stated by one Hon. Member that
the working classes were disappointed in the conduct of that
House, but he for one absolutely denied that the House
had ever pronounced an opinion in favour of a Ten
Hours' Bill. It was true, Lord Ashley, on a former
occasion moved an amendment to a factory Bill that the
hours should be limited to ten instead of twelve, but that
amendment was negatived by a majority of 395 to 158.
(Cheers.) And this Bill, in fact, was to carry out that
amendment of Lord Ashley. But, as he had before observed,
there were circumstances which rendered the discussion of
this matter at the present time most inopportune. There were
in the first place, the Government measures of the present
session, some of which had already come into operation, while
others had not. The resolution authorising removal of the
restrictions on the importation of corn, and articles
used in, the making of bread, had not yet come
into force, while our home manufacturers had at once been
placed in free competition with their foreign rivals. Ten
per cent. of the duties enforced on the cotton, and 15 per cent.
on the woollen- trade, had already been removed.—(Hear).
What were capital and labour ? Somebody had said,
" Don't treat this question as one of pounds, shillings, and
pence."--(Hear, hear.) What were wages, and what was
capital? Was there any difference between them? They
could not consider the questions of capital and la-
bour separately. And now, with respect to the effect
of this measure, if they attempted to abrido the
hours during which machinery was in action from 12 to 10
hours, they would diminish the time of labour one .fifth ;
and the effect of the measure, if they adopted it, would be
a reduction either in the profits or the prices.—(Hear, hear.)
He believed the intensity of foreign competition actually
prohibited a rise in the price of all our great branches of
manufacture—(Hear, bear)—and he, therefore, held that a
rise in price was a part of this question. There must be a
reduction in the profits or in the wages •, and what would
be the effect of a reduction of the profits? The capita-
' list's only resource if his profits were diminished would be to
reduce the wages of his work-people. That was the only
justifiable and necessary course for him to take.—(Hear;)
Now he hail heard something said about the possibility that
the slime amount of work would be produced even if the
hours ef labour were reduced from twelve to eleven hours per
day.—(Hear.) He had heard an Hon: Gentleman cheer,
and seeing the quarter whence that cheer came, he
must say that he had every possible respect for the
opinions of the Hon. Member. But he held in his hand a
statement respecting the results of the experiments f Messrs.
Horrocks, the extensive manufacturers. who had recently
reduced the hours of labour in their mills from twelve to
eleven hours per day. That statement appeared in the
Manchester Guardian of' the 4th of April, and it appeared
from that statement that the effect of the reduction
of the hours of labour was a reduction of 6i per cent. in the
' amount of goods manufactured—(Bear, hear)—and he
' thought that he was quite correct in his calculations that the
effect of the reduction of the hours of labour would, to the
extent sought by the Bill, have the effect of reducing
the profits of the ',manufacturer 16 per cent. But,
as he had already said, he believed that in a series
of years the employers of the labourer in the manufac-
turing districts would, in self-defence, propose a reduction
of wages to the extent that this Bill was calculated to effect.
Let them also take into their consideration the other
view of the case. What would be the effect of that
reduction of the wages of the labouring. poor? The
capital of the working man was his lahour.—( Hear,
hear.) It was the hard lot of mart " that by the sweat of
his brow he must earn his bread," and it was also the curse
of mankind tbat in sorrow and hard labour was it that
breed must generally be earned. Then let them take care
that whilst acting, no doubt with the purest and most phi-
lanthropic motives, they did not increase that sorrow and
toil.—(Hear, hear.) He knew of nothing mare ho-
nourable, more laudable, or more worthy of the en-
couragement and admiration of the higher classes than to
endeavour to shorten the long hours of the patient
and industrious of the labouring classes.—(Hear. hear.)
But let them take care that they did not throw any
impediment in the way of the poor, patient, and hard-
working man, who strived to obtain a living for himself
and his family.—(Hear, hear.) If they increased their
poverty (as he contended would be the effect of this Bill),
they would run the risk of corrupting their morals.—(Hear,
hear.) If they degraded their station he was satisfied they
would corrupt their morality.—(Hear, bear.) Any measure
of this kind was fatal to the independence of the working
classes and the destruction of that independence
would be surely fatal to their morals.—(Hear, hear.)
Nothing could be more fatal to that independence than the
alteration of the present system of labour. He had received
several petitioue from all parts of the country, stating that the
effect of such a measure would be to reduce the amount of the
profits of the manufacturer 16 per cent. Whatever the mea-
sures of the Legislature might be, the effect of that measure
would be, not to mitigate this evil in any way. All he asked
was, that they would proceed with caution, and not
depart' from any decision of their own aid down,
so as to cause a violation of a principle.
to which the House of Commons had, in its legislative
capacity, already acceded. He, as a member of the Govern-
ment, acting in conformity with the other Members, felt it
his duty to oppose this Bill.
Mr. COWPER moved that the debate be adjourned.
Mr. COLQUHOUN thought that it would be better if the
debate were continued till six o'clock.
Dr. BOWRING said there were a number of other orders
of the day to be disposed of, and he really considered that it
would be hard if the debate should be continued so as to
make them dropped orders.
Sir ROBERT PEEL did not see why they should adjourn
the debate at so early a period, therbvy losing half an hour.
Mr. COWPER said if the sense of the House was against
his motion he would not persevere with it, it was to prevent
the other orders of the day from becoming dropped.
The motion was then withdrawn.
Mr. M. PHILLIPS said, that frequently as the present
subject had been introduced there had been no attempt
made by its advocates to disprove a fact which he considered
of the utmost importance. In former times they were
frequently attempted to be seduced into a support of the Ten
Hours'Bill by the allegation that there would be an equal
quantity of work done in ten as there was in twelve
hours. But now the fallacy of that statement had been
entirely exposed. Experiments had been made by ma-
nufacturers, and he was then able to rtand up in
his place, and say that it was utterly impossible
with ten hours' work to perform the same amount of business
as was done in twelve. Well, then. it comes to this plain
question, can the persons employed in the different branches
of trade live on ten hours' pee-F—(ll2er.) lie stated iii that
House formerly, that if they would take the question by ballet,
of the working classes whether they would prefer ten hours'
pay to twelve hours the question would ba at once settled,
and they would unanimously prefer the latter. It was very
singular, in the number of strikes which had taken place amoug
the working classes, if they were so anxious for the measure.
that they had never attempted to obtain it. Taking the
question in a political and economical point of view, he con-
sidered, that in agreeing to it, they could do nothing that
would tend so much to inflict evil on the labouring com-
munity of this country. He cordially concurred in what had
fallen from the Right Hon. Gentleman (Sir J. Graham), and
he was persuaded the Government, in deciding to oppose the
Bill, were doing the best thing, not only to protect the com-
mercial interests of the country, but also the best interests of
those who lived by labour. On these grounds he opptsed the
second reading of the Bill.—(Hear, hear).
Mr. GEORGE BANKES then moved the adjournment of
the debate till to-morrow night.
The SPEAKER said it was not competent for the Hon.
Member to Drew it to any precise time.
Mr. BANKES then simply moved the adjournment.
He hoped Hon. Members who had motions would postpone
them in order to allow the debate to come off. He hoped
also the Government, who had the Coercion Bill adjourned
debate for the same night, would give way to this arrange-
ment.
Mr. HAWES said he had a motion, the first on the paper,
to-morrow night, and as he had already twice given way he
should certainly not do so on the present occasion.
Sir R. PEEL would be willing to fall into any arrange-
ment that might be come to, to allow the present debate to
come off to-morrow night; still there was an understanding
with the Irish Members, that if there was any time to-morrow
night, the debate on the Irish Protection Bill should be resumed
He'must say, however, to Hon. Members, that when the
Corn Bill was under discussion there was no disposition
shown to allow the eiscussion on thatißill to proceed day by
day. Still he would be willing, with the concurrence of the
Irish Members, that the debate on the Irish Bill should be
taken on Friday, at five o'clock, so as to liberate to-morrow
night.
After a few words from Mr. T. Duncombe, Sir R. Peel, and
Mr. Fielders, the debate was adjourned.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and
the House rose at six o'clock.

Rolls
ADMISSION OF SOLICITORS.--The Master of the
Irts appointed Wednesday, May 6, at the Rolls Court, Chancery-
lane, at a quarter-past three o'clock in the afternoon, for swearing
in solicitors ; anti it is intimated that every person desirous of being
sworn must leave his common law atiirris*loll and cer""te at the
laNtgterir's valcs vu or Wore Mu.r

LITERATURE.

THE FOREIGN QUARTERLY REVIEW.

No. LXXIII.
141. de Lamartine, some days since, in the French-Cham-
ber of Deputies, took occasion to advert to the conquests
lately made by the English, and enumerated among
them the isle of Borribo. This is a fact not known to
Englishmen, for the only result of the late war against
the pirates is understood to be the cession of the small
island of Labuan to the British by the Sultan of Borneo.
He or some other chiefs still rule over the whole of the
large island, with the exception of James Brooke, who
happens to be Rajah of Sarawak. It was to the posi-
tion and authority of this singular individual, and not to
the occupation of Labuan, probably, that the French..
man alluded to, and he therefore could not have paid a
higher compliment to the system of colonisation
adopted by the English, and the admirable working of
the system in almost every part of the globe. One
Englishman, first of all, by his enterpri6ing spirit,
humane views, and perhaps romantic turn of mind, gets
a footing on a small spot in Borneo, reconciles the na-
tives to his parson end authority; and the conquest of
the whole island, therefore, M. de Lamartine se-ems to
think must f Bow as a matter of course. In the pre-
sent number of the Foreign Quarterly we have a very
graphic account of this James Brooke, and some of his
adventures up to the period of his settlement in that
country. Speaking of him, tl-e reviewer says, "It is
customary to set up romance as a sort of standard of
comparision, but romance has nothing of the kind to
show. Mr. Brooke is a hero much greater than a
writer of fiction would have dared to invent. It would,
in fact, scarcely have been safe, because it would have
outraged probability to endow an imaginary character
with half the great and good qualities which evidently
belong to this man." His history certainly is remark-
able, and the following sketch, drawn by an old intimate
will
enabletll
plansreader to formof
Thisan ideataj.
Rajah
theof
ganrainfdrie'd'
and philanthropic
Sarawak :
" Mr. Brooke was the second, and is now the only sur-
viving son of the late Thomas Brooke, Esq., the civil
service c'
service of the hart India Company; was boil on the 29th
of April, 1803; went out to India as a cadet, where he held
advantageous situations. and distinguished himself by his
gallantry in the Burmese war. He was shot through the
body in an action with the Burmese, received the thanks of
the Goverament,:and returned to England for the recovery
of his prostrated strenth. He resumed his station. but
shortly afterwards relinquished the service, and in sisatch of
health and amusement, left Calcutta for China in 1830. In
this voyage, while going up the China seas, he saw fur the
first time the islands of the Asiatic Archipelago—islands of
vast importance and unparalleled beauty—lying neglected
and almost unknown. He inquired and read, and became
convinced that Borneo and the Eastern Isles afforded an
open field for enterprise and research. To carry to the
Malay races, so long the terror of the European merchant
vessel, the blessing of civilisation, to suppress piracy, and
extirpate the slave-trade, became his humane and generous
objects; and from that hour the energies of his powerful
mind were devoted to this one pursuit - Often foiled—,often
disappointed, with a perseverance and enthusiasm which
defied all obstacles, he was not until 1838 enabled to set sail
from England on his darling project. The intervening years
had been devoted to preparation and inquiry—a year spent
in the Mediterranean had tested his vessel, the Royalist,
and his crew—and so completely had be studied his object,
and calculated on contingencies, that the least sanguine of
hi 3 friends felt as he left the shore, hazardous and unusual
as the enterprise appeared to be, that he had omitted no-
thing to insure a successful issue. ' I go,' said he, to
awake the spirit of a slumbering philanthropy with regard
to these islands ; to carry Sir Stamford Raffles' views in
Java over the whole archipelago. Fortune and life I give
freely; and if I fail in the attempt, I shall not have lived
wholly in vain.'

" In the admiration I feel for him, I may further be per-
mitted to add, that if ever any man possessed in himself the
resources and means by which such noble designs were to
be achieved, that man was James Brooke! Of the most
enlarged views, truthful and generous, quick to acquire and
appreciate; excelling in every manly sport and exercise ;
elegant and accomplished ; ever accessible ; and, above all,
prompt and determined to redress injury and relieve mis-
fortune, he was of all others the best qualified to impress
the native mind with the highest opinion of English cha-
racter."

He has succeeded far beyond what any imagination but
his own anticipated. In 1838 he set out on his expedi-
tion, and after numerous adventures, now enjoys almost
complete sovereignty over Sarawak, a country of consi-
derable extent, and rich in mineral and vegetable produc-
tions. His exertions, guided by discretion, and deep in-
sight into human nature, have given him dominion over
men of different nations and creeds, and placed him in a
situation in which he may at the same time soften the
asperities of the savage character, and open up im-
portant commercial relations with his own countrymen.
The occupation of Labuan will be of service in that
respect. as it bids fair to become a mostimportant station
ami,ist the countless islands that lie between Borneo and
New Guinea, and Cant-n, and the coast of Australia.
The island abounds with inexhaustible mines of the best
coal, said, with the exception of those of New Holland
and India, to be the only coal mines in that part of the
world, and it may therefore be regarded as an acquisition
—though not so great as that imagined by M. de Lamar-
tine—destined to be of important service in the event of
war, and of immediate use for commercial shipping.
There are several other articles in the Number, that may
be read with advantage. That on the " Progresistas and
Moderados in Spin," will enable the reader to form a
tolerably correct idea of the state of parties in that coun-
try, of the conduct of Narvaez and the Queen Mother,
and some other of the statesmen, all unequal to the task,
who have successively been placed at the head of affairs.
The influence of Narvaez at C. urt, the writr
seemed to think remained undiminished, and
his appointment of Generalissimo gave him more
power than ever. This was written after the downfall
of the Hoses Ministry ; and the writer, perhaps to
show that he was right as to the influence of Narvaez,
announces, in a postscript, that the next Cabinet, that of
Milaflores, had been broken up by the arbitrary will
and pleasure of General Narvaez, who had also suspended
the Cortes and abolished the liberty of the press. He
ought really to have g;ven a second postscript, announc-
ing that Narvaez himself had been dethroned and ba-
nished from Spain. The article on the war in the Pun-
jaub is written in a very unfair spirit, and with a degree
of malevolence and misrepresentation unbecoming a re-
spectable journal. According to the writer's views, Sir
Henry Hardinge is an imbecile, and " has proved him-
self to be a political Don Quixote, who erected immense
windmills, that he might encounter the labour of
overthrowing them." His Quixotism " has studded the
whole land with widows and orphans," and his
great, his unpardonable crime is, that he had not an at my
of 50,000 men posted on the banks of the Sutlej. It is
of no use to reason with a man who can maintain such
an absurd proposition. The only information in the
article is contained in a postscript, giving a view of the
casualties in the modern battles of India as compared
with those of Waterloo. We seleet a few :—At Water-
loo the Joss was 1 in 6 ; at Assaye, 1 in 3 ; Meanee, 1 in
11 ; and at Fc:rozeshah and Moodkee, 1 in 6. The
writer, with characteristic unfairness, does not give the
proportion at the battle at Sabraon (it was not 1 in 10),
nor even mentions that decisive action.

BELLS AND POMEGRANATES. No. VIII.:
and Last. By Robert Browning.
Paracelsus was, alas! delusive; naturally, we are dis-
inclined to believe so ; we looked towards Robert
Browning as one destined to interrupt the general
utilitarianism of the present age with gleams of genuine
and lasting poetry. Our expectations have been woe-
fully deceived, and, as we say this emphatically though
unwillingly, our opinion is a positive one. " Soniello"
afforded us an inkling that the chief excellencies of
" Paracelsus" were promises never likely to be fulfilled,
and this feeling has been confirmed by the successive
numbers of that serial mélange which the author, in a
beautiful spirit of eccentricity, christened "Bells and
Pomegranates," and of which the present part is the
conclusion. It would be preposterous as well as
unju-it to attach such a comprehensive meaning
to our words of condemnation as would embrace the
entire structure of these works : it would be prepos-
terous, since a man with so much imagination and spon-
taneous delicacy of thought as Robert Browning could
not possibly produce fifty lines of blank verse without
somteting choice, and new, and worthy of applause: it
would be unjust, since criticism should forego all
tendency to acerbity, and as readily admit the
success-
fulness, as it condemns the ambitious failure. There
are adroit turnings of phrase, and a certain musical
intonation of the rhythm that charm the ear; there are
fragmentary indications of character and subtle turns
of thought exqoi,itely conceived of themselves. But
what we especially note as a deficiency is that grasp
over the entirety of his subject, that eye to a poetical
oneness which can alone ensure the permanent excellence
of a poem. In this particular—so utterly es:sngal for a
drinker of the hippocrene—Mr. Browning is deficient.
Thepciur
0. t
re
oahp gold Johnson,
oyins
htthehewarte—rich,word
sp
luyerlecto, an
pupdtieedddwpitltoehnstihlua
incrustations,ul —s
pbour plentiful—but, to
bo
debased by impurities, and mingled with a mass
meaner minerals ;"—besides which, as we have already
intimated, it lacks that symmetry of application which
can alone stamp it with such a signet as will enable it
to pass current with posterity. Mr. Browning may re-
deem his position ; we are fain to think and hope so ;
and we turn anxiously towards the future for a con-
firmation of the idea, Infinitely better for him to have
lapsed into a bewildering silence, like the Greatest of
our Young Poets, Alfred Tennyson, than to have pub-
lished " Sordello," and his recent succession of poems.
He may, however, by maturing, by obtaining such a
mastery of his fancy as that to which we have alluded,
produce works more worthy of a judicious enthusiasm—
" things of beauty" that shall " live for ever." We can
do nothing but anticipate and yearn, and we do so
earnestly, because in Robert Browning we recognise an
intellect lavish and exuberant in its riches, but the
wealth of which is rendered null and profitless by some-
thing approaching either to precipitation or carelessness.
Hence do we hie him forward on a less devious path
among the plenteous vegetation of Parnassus. Upon a
fly-leaf of the present number our author bringsßea for-
wardand an apologia for his quaint heading, ~
Pomegranates"—a title, says he, "meant only to
sate an enleavour towards something like an alternation,
or mixture of music with discoursing, sound with
thus
sense,
poetry with thought, which boobs too ambitious
explanation
ex-
pressed, so the symbol was preferred." This
must undoubtedly be accepted as sufficisenut,etheoveunghthwa'ne
vg
rust aeknowledge it somewhat more e
inl wishall
allusion
heen
twoulde the
metaphysics
ythesiisemse xer.f-
-pthll'a‘tsiyomn,b"osla"iditsßeyl-f.ron4,‘
we might apply the same ex
when he actually infers. a distinction
o A Soul's
poetry and thought.
Coleridge;Br (. iwnincr
Tragedy, " Luria," in five
the former
and final number. Without say qu!
spirit of it is a rapid
aePs-,restsiloon between
" in two parts,
efroirtm; the contentsstionof this eighth
has the advantage in m
the
action, but seldom
train of resolves ever tending towards„Bruck). is a
rising into anything but argument.snd no less happily defined.
character happilyimagined
occasionally The languagseloivnesth,icbbutthesomdisatihmgeusesoarrewecomucighttedt
si:

speak) solid and picturesqle. Witness that passage
uttered by the secretary:—

it Here I sit your scribe,
And in and out goes Luria, days and nights;
This Paccio comes; the ''door his other friend,
Husain • they talk—all that's feigned easily ;
He speaks (I woald not listen if I could),
Reads, orders, counsels; but be rests sometimes—
I we him stand and eat, sleep streehed an hour
On the lynx-skins yonder; lull his bared black arms
Into the sun frown the to ; Ilugh
lVhen his horse drops the forage from his teeth
And neighs to hear him hum his Moorish songs :
That man believes in Florence, as the saint
Tied to the wheel believes in God !"
One who can write such spontaneoUs music is surely'
capable of better things than this jumble of bells and
pomegranates ; the keen limning of that single incident
is in itself eminently beautiful—the tawny barbarian
holding his "bared arms into the sun," through the
cool doorway of the tent, laughing when his horse
starts from its meal upon the sward, and neighs to hear
its master humming some well-remembered "Moorish
song," is most happily grouped—grouped as a poet alone
could group it. Besides which it is suffased with a
tender air of melancholy, clearly felt, but indefinable
withal. "Bells and Pomegranates" are finished and
have failed—we would fain cry with Sir Hugh Evans,
There be pippins and cheese,to come yet," trustful that
Robert Browning will in the end afford us some sterling
English poetry.

THE CONFESSIONS OF A PRETVY W OM AN
By Miss Pardoe. 3 Vols.
The title of this novel is no doubt an attractive one,
but the contents are most unsatisfactory. It is brilliant,
effective, certainly clever, but. there is a want of truth in
the pharacters so admirably delineated—of reality in
the incidents so graphically described. Truth is as es-
sential to a novel as to a history; the one is a record of
events, and facts, and dates—of the outward deeds and
doings of men ; the other should lay bare their secret
thoughts and feelings—should give a faithful picture of
life —a veritable history of the human heart. These
volumes may do this, but we can hardly think it. They
certainly convey a moral lesson; they tend to expose
the fatal influence of a worldly spirit and a perverted
education; on 1 every page is stamped •‘ all, all is vanity.
The confessions are supposed to be written by
.ne whose youth was blighted, whosew hole hope end
happiness withered by the moral contagin to which she
beauty;"
tye7o
as exposed
o;uionn,e
aennddao wweodm:ynithof"ftashehiofna
her cradle, panting for admiration,
to obtain them. Everyehlt7p9e
better things without the coura,-
, o pursue. or the hap-
pinessprospec! destroyed, in seclusion and solitude she
r'
a't dreaming
h:: aeeldv,en giftfvrecr' ofomyf
over her sorrows anti the sins which caused them.ouraSos
far a leison, rind a good lesson, may be learned;and
yet we cannot lay aside these really interesting and at-
tractive volumes without feeling considerable doubt as to
the truth of their representations, or having Our good
opinion of human nature greatly lowered—and the
former alternative we should moat certainly prefer. lire
cannot, we will not, believe that the brilliant and fan-
tastic heroes and heroines of the tale are faithful
transcripts of real men and women. We cannot be-
lieie that a Lady Madeleine ever existed—a woman
whose vanity and whose passion for adulation cost a
blight upon all who approached her—friends, admirers,
husband, children ; neither will we believe Sir James
Dornton ever to have had a living prototype. His cha-
racter is revolting, for it is unnatural. Many things
have been done for the sage of gaining money, yet it
will hardly be credited that a man—not a hardened, des-
perate character, but an easy, spoiled man of fashion—
anxious to retrieve his fortune, after proposing to the
rich widow, and being refused, enters into an engage-
ment with her daughter, who loves him devotedly, and
to whom he is also attached, and then, at the capricious
flies
iefeahiri
forts; p
while
ienctlehsbesr itwtol er
s.eot
hiheeetdyforsakenhdaostni
one
ngdi
desire of the mother, becomes the husband of the sister
yiehseref ha
übs
br eakn edn.
despair. We
wpeenedtso ainmtohree phluemasainn
g g at hr
de emne, ; and the ere
eare trust that Miss Pardoe will in future devote her powerful
ufls wt
oe rrse
caesi
vwell
bouquet of sweets from her hand. In the meanwhile
these volumes may interest and amuse
;they will do no
harm, for they carry their own antidote.

RAILWAY LEGISLATION,
The following protest against the new sessional orders has
been entered by Lord Radnor upon the journals of the House
of Lords:—

QETIENT.
"1. Because I think it i D
sIS unPN
eemly, impolitic, and of bad
example, that the House should, to meet the supposed emer-
gency of! a particular case, alter by ex-post facto resolutions
its own established regulations, and thus enable certain par-
ties to violate engagements which others had entered into
with them on the faith of those regulations. •
"2. Because such a proceeding impairs (if it does not totally destroy) the confidence which should be reposed on
the regulations of this House.
"3. Because the real purport and ultimate effect of these
resolutions are not to bring about any public or national ob-
ject, connected with the construction of the proposed rail-
ways, but gratuitously to relieve parties (whether companies
or private individuals) from engagements which they hare
wantonly and heedlessly contracted.
" 4. Because if it were expedient to put an end to these
engagement,, the responsibility and onus of taking the neces-
sary steps for that purpoSe should be left to the parties them-
selves, and not be undertaken by the House.
" 5. Because the House thus goes out of its way to inter-
pose in, and intermeddle wilh, the affairs of private parties.
" 6. Becanie, iu truth, the parties kiterdetl thus to be re-
' lieved have in many cases incurred their responsibilities
without any view to the public good, but merely in the spirit
of reckless gambling, for their own private gain, and have,
therefore, no claim to so unusual an interposition on their
behalf.
" 7. Because the House thus bolds out an expectation
that on future similar occasions it may be induced to afford
similar relief; and thus, if it does not directly encourage
such a spirit, it does not discourag- it, or throw such a
stigma on it as according to every principle of sound policy
and good morals it is bound to do.
"8. Because this unprecedented and mischievous: proceed-
ing appears to me the more uncalled for, even in the view of
its supporters, as there is now before the House a Bill which
will enable the persons to whom these resolutions apply to
effect the same object directly for themselves, and there is no
reason to anticipate that it will not pass into a law."

DISCOVERY OF SKELETONS
IN MANCHESTER.
The neighbourhood of the New Cross has been in a
state of much excitement, in consequence of some men,
employed in excavation, having discovered two human
skeletons there. The excavators are employed in
digging a branch sewer, near to, and parallel with, the
easterly side of Oldham-road, at the New Cross, to con-
nect the property of Mr. Wolstencroft with the main
sewer. The men came to the first body yesterday morn-
ing week, at a depth of about three feet only from the
surface. It was in a coffin, the skeleton being entire,
and a considerable quantity of dark, pitch-like fluid was
at the bottom, which emitted a most horrible stench,
probably being a portion of the body in a state of de-
composition. The workmen disengaged the skull, which
being exhibited, and purchased from them by some
passer-by, led to the matter being noised abroad, and a
great crowd of people collected to witness the further
operations of the excavators. At length, towards even-
ing, about seven feet from the first body discovered,
and about five feet deeper in the earth, the workmen
touched upon the foot of another coffin. The excitement
upon this became almost past belief; and though there
was no occasion in this case to have disturbed the
repose of the dead, the end of the coffin was broken
off, and one of the excavators actually cropt inside it,
almost to the length of his body, that he might reach out
the skull. When the much-sought prize was obtained
and exhibited, the "fever of speculation" may be said
to have attained its height, for the riot and confu-
sion were so great that the police were obliged to
interfere. At the moment of their intervention, this
second skull bad just been knocked down to a cabmart
, belonging to the adjoining coach stand.
o Wem believe,
ythe
however, it was subsequently Likteernreldr
agaihni
at night,
presence
police, c
eand f bay
strong
police
order.
During the remtahienmderp
remains of suicides 1
law or usage," rio_vratel.f
supposed to be the
Heat halroereicnveenoinngthiet srpertirteodketehpe
the " old
which the bodies of all persons
skeletons
sred there under
These
byslf
committing suicide, and upon which a coroner's jury had
given a verdict of "Febo de se" (being denied a place
in " Christian" burial grounds), were interred in the pub.
crye'
s;i
daendd
for a eht
tot shoemakert
eurp w
parta r d goof f
h7ios fief
ea years otlhde,
~,h i.ch
ohighhaws
neighbourhood, gates that he distinctly recollects two
bodies of suicides being interred near the cross, ap-
proaching to 40 years ago, the ene being a male
and the other a female. The former was a
man named Smith, a boot• closer, who had :worked
for Mr. Tysick, then a flourishing tradesman in
" Market-street-lane." This man was said at the time
to have committed suicide in consequence of an " affair
of the heart" with a female ,if some considerable per-
sonal attractions living in Milk-street, who kept a very
disreputable establishment at the time, and
hwhtia,,
tragic act, and an indictment at the susb
through the public feeling excited against her,,nty
liseelnuiet quitted the
ses-
sions she was compelled to give up, and
run-
ners" of those days officiatingkeep
tothe sad scene. Of the
town. The interment was at near
spectators attracted to witne's.;
known, beyond the fact
midnight'o rde atmheon"gth
female nothing particular
September,
poison, and was buried anntt,hede2st2rdoyoedf herself by
1808. The last interment .e is said to have been the
that she was a domestic lharestreheirelor•
body of
add that another place of sepulture in such cases
may
in the New
a soldier, who committed suicide in 1821. We
hung himself, was
Bailey, named James Massey, who
was Kersal Moor, where, in 1807, a prisoner .
and in
.
tted," was a second
e
buried the same evening near the didistancecheadirin and
th
was a few days afterwards exhumede
ditch where old Grindrod was gibb
ing machine.—Afanchester
time exhumed, and finally bctrruiaerddi
iian
ear. the Salford weigh-

,d,
aS;
bl ayt h
ti thief,"
Col-
burn, lc ...
----'--=-----------
MAnrrox ; Ott, THE SOLDIER AND STATESMAN.
,by the author of " Two Old
313yvoti
hs.e_RTheve.
above 0 Cv
er 0
workl .-,
burn, and may
_now be had at all the Libraries. Mr. Cot-
L.Li; Dpu.
'blaisuhthedorthlfs
Col-
burn has also Jost published the following popular new
Men's Tales," " Mount Sorel, ' &c.-3. Confessions of
Pretty Woman, by Miss Pardoe, authoress of " The City a
novels :-2. Emilia Wyndham,
of
the Sultan," &e.-4. The Robertses on their Travels, by lam
Trollope.-5. Peers and Parvenus, by M
Citizen of Prague, edited by Mary 11 rs:owitt Gore,-6. The
by H. F. Chorley, Esq.—And 8. The .-7. Pomfret.
Queen of Denmark
(Caroline Matilda, sister of George lI
nu once, founded on the private 9,anHistorical
Re.
communications Chamberlain. of the Queen's

The statue of the Emperor Francis, erected on the
Kastell-platz at Vienna, is to be uncovered on the 16th of June
next. The Kings of Naples, Prussia, and Bavaria, are to be Preee"
at the ceremony.
The Birmingham Peace Association have just for-
warded an address to the citizens of New York, signed by th.lr
chairman, Joseph Sturge, and earnestly remonstrating with them on
the subject of the present dispute about Oregon, and urging the
triellthi 9f peace tu that city to use all their intitionCe to prevent war.

IRA ILW AY