The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-15 00:00:00

man had no power to give life he had no right to take
it away.
Mr. MUNTZ remarked that the very worst use you
could make of a man was to hang him.—(A laugh.)
lie was influenced by no morbid sympathies. If he
found a man breaking into his house he would shoot
him.—(Great laughter.) But that was a very different
thing from hanging a man in cold blood. To justify
hanging you must prove that it prevented crime. And
there was no proof that that was the result. It was far
better that one thousand guilty men should escape than
that one innocent man should be hanged, and they
also knew how fallible juries were, and that innocent
men had often been convicted on circumstantial evidence.
Except in the case of punishing by death, they might
in some degree remedy the injustice of a false conviction;
but if they hanged a man they could not unhang him.
Ho knew what it was to be tried by a jury. He had
been once tried by a jury for an offence of which he
was as innocent as the Speaker of that House—(Hear,
and a laugh)—and yet that jury had determined before-
hand to convict him, and would hare done so but for
the charge of the Judge.
Mr. E WART shortly replied, and the House divided,
when there appeared—
For the motion 66
Against it 122
Majority —s6
COMMITTEE ON MILITARY EXPENDITURE
Sir H. VERNEY moved an instruction to the Select
Committee on the Navy, Army, and Ordnance Estimates
to consider whether the character of the nary and army
might not be elevated by the more frequent employment
of discharged sailors and soldiers, who are duly qualified,
in subordinate offices of various public departments, for
instance, in the Customs and Excise, offices under the
Admiralty and Horse Guards, dockyards, victualling-
yards, arsenals, &c., so that additional prospect of re
ward fur meritorious conduct might be held out to
sailors and soldiers, and that during their employment a
portion of their pensions might be saved to the country.
Whether means are afforded to the troops for spiritual
and moral instruction, particularly to those on active
service in India. Whether sufficient provision is made
for the intellectual employment and instruction of
soldiers in barracks. To consider the best mode of
applying the proposed grant of 150,000/. for re-organ-
ising the militia, and whether that force appears to be the
best that can be devised for the defence of the country in
time of war.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did
not think it would be wise to impose on the Committee
the duty of inquiring into the subjects referred to in the
motion, though he did not mean to say that the depart.
ments to which they related might not properly turn
their attention to them.
Mr. HUME thought it was necessary the House
should have some knowledge of the matters to which
the Committee were really to turn their attention.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
Committee was appointed to investigate this depart-
ment of the public expenditure.
Sir H. VERNEY then withdrew his motion.
KILLING OF HARES (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Mr. MACKENZIE obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to enable owners and occupiers of land in Scotland,
having a right to kill hares on that land, to do so them-
selves, or by such persons authorised by them, without
being required to take out a game certificate.
REDUCTION OF SALARIES IN STATE DE-
PARTMENTS APPOINTMENTS.
Mr. HUME moved an Address to her Majesty, that
she will be graciously pleased to direct that in all ap-
pointments to office, in every department of the State,
both at home and abroad, the appointments to be made
subject to a reduction of salary and allowance, and even
to the abolition of offices, if such be deemed necessary,
after a careful inquiry into the state of the finances of
the country, in order that in cases where such reduction
of salary or emoluments, or such abolition of office be
made, no claims for compensation be founded thereon.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not
think it advisable to address her Majesty on the subject,
although he admitted that the spirit of the resolution was
good, and ought to be carried out. He could only say
that the rule is granting appointments in the Treasury
was, that in any change which might result from any
pending inquiry, no compensation should be given.
Mr. HUME said hi would withdraw his motion if
the Government would promise that that rule should be
general.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could
only speak of the department with which he was con-
nected.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the Government did
not at all object to the principle of the Honourable
Gentleman's motion, as they considered it would be ex-
tremely improper of the Government to use their
patronage so as to cause the least obstruction to any
pending scheme of economy, but to its present form he
could not consent.
Mr. HENLEY approved of the motion, but thought
that the best course would be to postpone it until the
Noble Lord at the head of the Government should be
present.
Mr. HUME said be would withdraw it for the pre-
sent, reserving to himself the power of reviving it on a
future occasion.
Motion by leave withdrawn.
BOROUGH OF HARWICH.
Mr. BAGGE moved that a new writ be issued for the
borough of Harwich in the room of John Attwood, Esq.,
unseated on the ground of bribery.
Mr. BLACKSTONE opposed the issuing of the writ,
on the ground that a special report had been issued by
the Committee appointed to try the merits of the late
election. He considered that the practices which bad
for some time prevailed in Harwich, were such as loudly
to call for the interference of the House; and that, at
least in the present instance, nothing should be done
until the special report and the evidence were in the
hands of the Members.—(flear, hear.), Tho Hon. Mem-
ber proceeded to quote the evidence taken before Mr.
Roebuck's Committee, more especially that of Mr.
Bagshawe, the then unsuccessful candidate for the bo-
rough. That Gentleman stated that in the contest in
which he had been engaged Mr. Attwood spent 6,0001.,
Sir D. Le Merchant 1,5001., and himself 1001. That
about thirty voters had obtained Government situations,
and that there were more Harwich people holding
similar appointments than there were actually voters
in the borough,—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Blackstone)
considered, in the face of such testimony, and after the
recent decision of the Committee, the House would de
well to pause before it allowed the electors of Harwich
again to exercise the franchise. He moved, therefore, as
an amendment, that the. issuing of the writ be post-
poned until the 10th of April, and that in the interim the
minutes of evidence taken before the Committee be laid
on the table.
Lord D. C. STUART supported the amendment. He
wished that the House could devise some plan by which
bribery and intimidation at elections‘ might be done
away with.
Sir G. GREY said he had not been aware until that
moment that the Harwich Committee had made a special
report. He thought that the better course would be to
postpone the issue ,of the writ (without fixing any day)
until the evidence taken before the Committee should be
in the heads of Members.
Mr. AGLIONBY considered that the report of the
Committee made out but a very weak case, for the vir-
tual disfranchisement of the borough. Out of 1,0
voters, the Committee had reported only one single ease
of bribery.
Mr. COBBOLD, as one of the constituency, vindi-
cated the general body of the electors of Harwich from
the charge of bribery and corruption.
The ATI ORNEY-GENERAL suggested that the
evidence might be in the hands of Members to-morrow
(this day) when the motion could be renewed.
Mr. BLACKSTONE was willing to postpone his
motion until the evidence was printed.
Mr. BAGGE said, that seeing the feeling of the House,
he should withdraw his motion.
The motion was then by leave withdrawn.
TREATY OF ADRIANOPLE.
Mr. C. ANSTEY postponed the adjourned debate on
the treaty of Adrianople until Thursday next.
THE EXCISE LAWS.
Mr. COWAN wished to put a question to the Right
Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Au
expectation had been prevalent in the country that
the Government•intended to enter into a consideration
of the whole system of our taxation. He was afraid
it was not now likely that the inquiry would
be so general ; but he had some reason
to expect that there would be a very material alteration
of the excise system, and as there were so many persons
interested in the existing system, he should be glad to
hear what was the nature of the alterations which there
was reason to expect, and when they would be likely to
take place ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he
could only repeat what he had stated before Christmas
upon this subject, namely, that the excise system was
under consideration, and that he hoped in the course of
the present session to be able to bring in a Bill to amend
soree of the excise laws. The business before the House
was, however, so pressing, that he could not state when
it would admit of his doing so ; as to a general revision
of the whole of our taxation, it was not practicable to
attempt it at once ; the only practicable course was to
take one subject after another.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and
,he House adjourned at a Quarter past Twelve.

Mr. Beuler's annual soiree is to be held this year
at the Hanover-square Rooms, on Monday, the 20th
inst., and his programme promises much amusement.
The first part, consisting of songs and readings, his own
humorous productions, is to bo by himself. The second
part, a concert, will be by Misses Stewart, Felton, Mrs.
Aveling Smith; Messrs. Sporle, Delavanti, Day, Lee,
Small, F. Chatterton, C. Matthews, and Signor Cittadini.
A third part, very attractive to many, may be calculated
on from past experience, although not mentioned in the
bill of fare, namely, quadrilles, &o. Therefor. if any of
her Majesty's subjects who are afflicted with melancholy,
ennui, the meagrims or blue-devils, will attend her Ma-
jesty's Concert•rooms on Monday next, they may expect
an immediate relief, and to return home much better both
in "mind and body.
-A
letter from Copenhagen says that it is the inten•
tion of the King of Denmark to re•unitc himself in
marriage with his second wife, from whom he was sepa-
rated some time since. The Queen is not indisposed to
this reunion. She has been for some days at Berlin,
with her relative, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburgh
Strelitt. The mortality in Flanders continues .very
great. At the commune of Minello Beke, which con •
tains 8,500 inhabitants, there were in January and Feb •
ruary 116 deaths, and only 17 births. The number of
births at Brussels in Feoruary wore 421, deaths 304.
Brussels papers, March 13.
A LESSON READ BACYWARDS.—The Suffolk
Chronicle says that two countrymen, who lately went to
hear a lecture on the advantages of peace at Ipswich,
were so much struck by the lecturer's account of the
large sums which the Duke of Wellington has received
for his military service, that they instantly went to a re-
' oruiting sergeant and enlisted as soldiers.