The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-10 00:00:00

EAST COAST (No. XX,

It is intended by the promoters Of this Bill to construct a
railway communication between Lynn and Boston, with
branches from Holbeach to Spalding, and from Long Sutton
to Wisbeach. _ _

The length, including the branches, is 45-1 miles, the esti.
mated cost 500,0001., and the amount subscribed 399,000/.
Parliamentary agent, Mr. Webster; engineer, H. H. Tul.
ton, Esq.
Standing orders complied with.
The Committee then adjourned until twelve o'clock to,
morrow.

STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEE.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
:(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

r; GREAT LEINSTER AND MUNSTER RAILWAY.
After hearing the usual evidence,
The Committee reported that in this case the standing
orders had been complied with.
THE CARLOW TO KILKENNY AND KILKENNY TO

CLONMEL RAILWAYS

Were also reported to have fulfilled the standing orders.

WATERFORD AND TRAMORE

The Committee, after a lengthened examination of wit-
nesses, decided that in this case the standing orders had also
been complied with.
The Committee adjourned at half-past four o'clock.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Durham, March 7.
... . .

This being the commission-day at York, Mr. Justice Cole-
ridge left Durham at two o'clock, and proceeded to York for
the purpose of opening the commission. Mr. Justice Patte-
son remained for the purpose of disposing of the few cases
remaining in the calendar.
Anthony Headlam was indicted for wilfully setting fire to
a certain dwelling-house at Gateshead, certain persons being
therein. In another count he was charged with setting fire
to a house with intent to defraud and injure William Harri-
son. In a third, the intent was laid to defraud and injure
John Lister, his landlord.
_ _ _ _

Mr. Matthews and Mr. Pashley conducted the prosecu-
tion ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Segeant Wilkins.
The prisoner, it appeared, is a bricklayer, and also at the
time of this occurrence kept a public-house adjoining the
High-street of Gateshead. His house formed part of a larger
tenement, and consisted of three rooms on the ground
floor. Adjoining was a shop occupied by William Harrison,
a butcher, who also had in his possession the rooms
above, which were occupied as a dwelling-house. The
access to these rooms was by a staircase which projected
into that part occupied by the prisoner. Under the first
flight was a coal cellar used by the prisoner, and under the
return flight was another cellar forming part of Mr. Harri
son's holding, the two being divided by a thin brick parti-
tion, which, at the time of this occurrence, was in a rather
dilapidated state. To the side of this partition which ad-
joined the prisoner's cellar was attached a wooden screen or
brattice, the cellar having at one time been apparently used
for a pantry. On the night of the Ist of August last, about
11 o'clock, the prisoner was seen to open the door of the house
with a key, and go in. There were at that time no other
persons in the house, his wife being in custody for nonpay-
ment of a fine which had been imposed upon her for an as-
sault, on which occasion Mrs. Harrison had been one of the
witnesses. He came out in five or six minutes and spoke to
some persons whom he met in the street, asking them if they
had seen his dog. He then went down the High. street. Mr.
Harrison it appeared had retired to rest about 11 o'clock.
There had been a fire in Newcastle on the opposite side of the
Tyne, and he had been engaged looking at it, so as to
be up rather beyond his usual hour. He had been in
bed about 20 minutes, when he was awakened by a
noise as of the crackling of sticks, and getting up went
down stairs. He was then able to see through the
cracks in the stairs that there was a blaze in the pri-
soner's coal-cellar, and he immediately gave the alarm.
He enlarged a hole in the brick partition. and then saw
flames rising from some stick?, which had been piled on the
top of a gridiron, and which adjoined the wooden brattice
at the lower part of the wall. This was on fire. He got
some water in a quart pit, and succeeded in putting it out.
In the meantime the prisoner, it appeared, had been in Swan-
street, and an alarm of fire being given, he went in the direc-
tion indicated in company with a policeman, with whom he
was in conversation at the time, and found it was his own
house in which the fire was. He opened the door, and he,
the policeman, and several others, went in just at the time
that Mr. Harrison had nearly succeeded in extinguishing the
flames. According to the statement of the policeman, there
was hardly anything in the house, and Mr. Harrison having
charged the prisoner with setting fire to his house, he was
taken into custody.

The prisoner alleged that he had that evening had a red-
herring for his supper, and, after broiling it, put the gridiron
in the coal• cellar. He then went out, and came back shortly
after and went in as the witnesses h>id deßribed. He called
the dog. but could not find him. He then went down the
street, to inquire for him at a friend',,, whose house, however,
he found shut up; and on his return to his house stopped to
speak to a policeman, when he heard the alarm of tire.
Mr. Justice PATTs,ox was of opinion that the prisoner
could not be found guilty on the counts alleging a setting fire
to a dwelling-house, .persons being therein ; inasmuch as
Harrison's house, which was a separate one. had not been on
fire. On the other counts the prisoner was acquitted on the
merits.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

A young man named John O'Flaherty was brought before
the Lord M.,yar upon the charge of having forged a letter,
purporting to be an application to the Comntroller-General
of the Coast Guard for an appointment for him by Sir Valen-
tine Blake, Bart., M.P.

Mr. Phipps Hornby, Comptroller-General of the Coast
Guard, and Captain in the Royal Navy, stated that a letter,
purporting to he written by Sir Valentine Blake, was
brought to him on Monday last while be was in his office at
the Custom-house, and he was informed that a person was
wilting. The person, who proved to be the prisoner, entered
being called, and in answer to questions put by witness,
saV.ai.ilt,.lievras the man who brought the letter, and whom Sir
ne Blake recommended to a situation in the Coast
wellGuard,_tnetriat he WBB a native of the town of Galway, and
I oto Sir Valentine Blake, and that he had been oc •
caaionally employed both in the Customs' duty and in the
coast guard of that tlowornciin off and on, for the period of
five years. The v
cir-
cumstance of his that he
the letter, and the stating that he had been employed by
the coast guard of Galway, convinced witness that he
was an impostor. Witnes3. therefore wrote to Sir Valentine
Blake npon the subject, and received aznowledge whateveryersation which
answer from that
gentleman denying that he had any
of Mr. O'Flaherty. In the course of the took pine on Monday week, the prisonere that he lived
that inquiry
at No. 30, in the Strand, atiildimw,i
andtnetitloalilBh7.elltrliv
if vas to ttohcall on
the 11
should be made respecting
the following Monday at the Custom-house,
time he should hear nothing from witness. The prisoner
called accordingly on the appointed day, and was taken into
custody.
The letter alleged to be a forgery was here read. It had
all the evidences of being the production of a person who had
not received a charity school education, although it desig-
nated the individual whom it recommended as a good scholar
and an excellent young man.
The following was the note which Mr. Hornby received
from Sir Valentine Blake, in reply to his inquiry about the
prisoner :

" 154, Oxford-street, March 3, 1846.
" Sir Valentine Blake presents his compliments to Captain
Hornby, and begs leave to inform him that the letter which

he inclosed to Sir Valentine is a forgery, and that Sir Valen-
tine never heard of the individual who wrote in his name to
himself as a fit and proper person to serve in
fa T; g fr.- • uard. Sir Valentine thinks it right further to
I.:trhat is at present unable, from indisposition, to use
his right , and is therefore obliged to employ an
amanuensis.'
The lictx-D iYou—Prisoner, do you wish to ask Mr.
Hornbr any. stions? The prisoner—I can produce wit-
, nesses from, ay, where my family resides, that lam a
respeetablit pa n, and•that I never committed myself before.
The Lortp IiASOR—Sir Valentine Blake, you see, denies
that-, he rite the letter you presented to Mr. Hornby, and
!Ns says that he knows nothing at all about you. The prisoner
.—I knew he did not write the letter.
The Lout) 31.1.vort—you don't pretend that he authorised
you to write the letter ? The prisoner—No, he did not au-
thorise me, but he knows well my family, and that I am re-
spectable. He signed a memorial to the Lords of the Trea-
sury for a place for me, and I have the answer from the
Treasury, saying they regretted that there was no vacancy.
The LORD MAYOR-But that did not justify your conduct

~~

in writing the recommendation. The prisoner—Sir Valen-
tine Blake knows me well, and he knows that he ought to
do what he could to procure me a situation. I never com-
mitted an offence before in my life, and I intend never to
commit another.
The LORD MAYOR—My colleague, Alderman Musgrove,
and I are of opinion that you have committed a very grave
offence, and that we are bound (in order to warn others who
may be disposed to try similar experiments to inflict the
penalty of 201. upon you, and if you do not pay that fine, to
imprison you for one month, where you will undergo hard
labour.
The prisoner said he had no doubt that his friends would
pay the penalty when they should hear of the circumstances.
The LORD MAYOR—You can apply to them as soon as you
please. Captain Hornby is by no means ii. i uencel by any
vindictive feelings tow ards you.—Commi,
Sir P. Laurie handed a letter to the Lo ' • or, which he
had received from Ireland, and from whit., i e said, it ap-
peared that Joseph Ady had struck out a new plan of
4recom-
mending applications to himself for news about pecuniary
claims which he alone was cognizant of. be letter which
inclosed one of Ady's circulars, ins-Wag son addressed
to accept aco Isulerable sum f money u e payment of
a single pound, was as follows :
" No. 2, Sussex-place, Kingstown, and
150, Capel-street, Dublin.
"To the Right Hon. Sir Peter Laurie, Lord Mayor of

London.

"My Lord,—l have just received the inclosed letter. The
writer is unknown to me. Mar I beg your Lordship's reply
if you know anything of it, as I would go to London in that
case, if necessary. I can only say, about six months since a
person called on me in Capel-street, at my office, and said a
property was left me by a person in Germany, but I have not
since had any communication on the matter. I have lived
is Capel-street for the last thirty-three years, in the spirit
trade. I now live in Kingstown, but have the Capel-street
trade yet. I hope this trouble will be excused by your Lord-
ship, having so many things to mind.
" I remain, my Lord, your obedient servant,

" CHARLES KENNEDY,"
The LORD MAYOR said, that if it could be ptoved that the
person who called upon Sir Peter's correspondent was an ac-
cessory of Mr. Ady's, the ease would be a clear case of con-
spiracy. His Lordship stated, that the extensive exposure
of Ady did not seem to operate as successfully as was ex-
pected amongst the public, for letters poured in daily from
various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, soliciting
information about him from the chief magistrate.
It is believed that a prosecution will in a short time be in-
stituted against Ady in a quarter from which he apprehended
but little danger, and that the circumstance to which it refers
took place some months ago.
WORSHIP-STREET.

Mr. John Rofe, a middle-aged man, of respectable appear-
ance,
described as a commercial clerk, and residing at No.
41, Roxton-square, was placed at the bar before Mr. Brough-
ton, charged with cutting and wounding his son, a youth 15
years of age, with intent to murder him.
Edwin Rofe, a very intelligent lad, whose hand and throat
were bound up with adhesive plaster, stated, that his
mother had been dead about four years, and that he and his
brother and sister, who are both younger than himself, re-
sided with their father at the above address. On Friday
night he and his brother retired to rest at 11 o'clock, in a
back room on the second floor, and between 5 and 6 on the
following morning he was awoke by some person's arm
round the back of his neck, and felt the edge of a sharp in-
strument being drawn across his throat. He instantly
started up, and observing the prisoner bending over him with
a razor in his hand, called out " Oh, father, what are you
doing? Do you intend to kill me?" and at the same time
seized the blade of the weapon, and bent it downwards, in
doing which he received a severe cut in the hand. The pri-
soner on this dropped the razor upon the bed, and exclaim
ing, "Oh, God, what have I been doing!" asked to examine
his throat, and on seeing that it was bleeding, burst into
tears, and kissing him and his brother very affectionately
hurried into his own room. On the family coming down to
breakfast, the prisoner expressed the greatest horror at the
act he had attempted to commit, and having procured some
strapping, dressed the wounds he had inflicted in the wit-
ness s throat and hand, .and both of which were fortunately
not of a dangerous description. In answer to the magis-
trates questions, the youth further stated, that his father
had for a considerable time past been labouring under ex-
treme despondency in consequence of pecuniary difficulties
and inability to procure employment. He had at length
succeeded in obtaining a situation about four days pre-
viously, but had up to then been obliged to turn his acquired
talents to account, by giving instruction in music and draw-
ing, in both of which he was a proficient, to the members of
several respectable families, among which was that of Dr.
Alexander, the late Bishop of Jerusalem.
Mr. BROUGHTON having asked him if he wished to put
any questions to his son, the prisoner, in a tone of deep
melancholy, replied, "Ne ; all he has stated is perfectly
correct."

Urban John Rofe, the prisoner's younger son, was then
examined, and stated, that he was awoke by his brother's
screams for assistance, and, seeing a man in the twilight
stooping over him with a razor in his hand, the witness in-
stantly leaped out of bed and ran down stairs to seek his
father; but finding his apartment empty was returning to
his own room, when he heard his father's voice inside, and
immediately awoke his sister, desiring her to get up, as his
father was murdering them. On again entering the room
he found the prisoner, who had flung himself upon the bed,
expressing the greatest penitence for the attempt he had
made upon his brother's life, and his sister having bound up
the wound in the boy's throat, which was bleeding, with a
handkerchief, his father embraced all the children and left
them, but was wandering about the house all the next
evening in a state of distraction.
Sergeant Dubois said, that shortly before two o'clock the
preceding morning one of the prisoner's neighbours came to
the Robert-street station, and having apprised him of the occur-
rence, he repaired to the house of the prisoner, the don of which
was partly open, but secured by a chain. Hearing the
sound of footsteps pacing hurriedly about up-stairs, he called
several times for admittance, without receiving an answer ;
but the prisoner having at length presented himself at the
door, undressed and with his stockings in his hand, he
told him he was apprehensive that thieves were in the
house and insisted upon searching the place. The pri-
soner on this readily admitted him, and having dressed
himself accompanied him to the police-station, on the road
to which he acquainted him with the nature of the charge
against him, and the prisoner made no reply. Witness after..
wards returned to the prisoner's house, and asked the eldest
of the boys for the razor his father had u.ed, but it appeared
that the prisoner had replaced it in a box with seven or eight
others, and the youth could not select it. The prisoner's
daughter, he ascertained, had been removed that night to the
house of one of the neighbours, who was apprehensive that
something fatal would ensue from the prisoner's violence, and
both of the sons had been fastened in the bed-room by their
sister, before she left, to insure their safety.
The prisoner, who had remained with his facebnried in his
hands, and seemed in a state of stupefaction, was then asked
by the magistrate if he wished to make any observation, and
in a voice which was scarcely audible, and delivered with r
spasmodic effort, he replied that his mind had been long
filled with such horrible images that he was not aware of
what he did.

Mr. W. Gill, a relative of the prisoner, said that the ac-
cused was a person of most exemplary character and habits,
but he was satisfied that his intellect had latterly become
impaired from the pressure of pecuniary difficulties and in-
ability to obtain a respectable situation.
Mr. J. Pearson,. an upholsterer, deposed to having several
times rendered the prisoner temporary assistance, and, after
speaking in the highest terms of him, also expressed his
conviction that the prisoner's mind had been shaken lsy his
misfortunes.

Mr. BROUGHTON said it was certainly a most melanchol7
case. It was manifest, from the description given by his
children, that the prisoner, so far from entertaining ally
malice, had the warmest affection for them, and though he
entertained no doubt the accused was labouring under a
species of monomania, amounting to partial insanity, that
was a subject wholly for the consideration of a jury, and it
was, therefore, his painful duty to commit him for trial for
the attempted murder of his son, when, should insanity be
satisfactorily established, it would remain for the Crown to
adopt such a course as would insure his own safety, together
with that of his unfortunate family.
The Magistrate then ordered the depositions to be taken
on Wednesday next, and the unhappy man was led out of
the duck in a state of utter bewilderment, and apparently
almost unconscious of all that was passing around him.

SOUTH WA
George Robert Sizmur, a well-dressed man with a large
quantity of dark curly hair hanging down on his shoulders,
was charged with committing an indecent assault on Enoch
Hine, a shoemaker's apprentice.
The complainant, a youth of fifteen years of age, was sent
with a message to the prisoner's house, 75, Freesehool-street,
Horsydowa, on Saturday last. The prisoner invited the
lad into his parlour, and while there exhibited to him some
pictures of a most disgusting nature. The boy, ashamed of
what had been shown to him, was about to leave the apart-
ment, when he was detained by the prisoner, who subse-
quently behaved towards him in a manner totally unfit to
mention, and which had the effect of frightening him to
that degree that he ran out of the house. When the lad got
home, his master could perceive by his appearence that
something had happened to him; and when he was ques-
tioned, although he was at first ashamed to tell, he after-
wards described the particulars of the gross and immoral
behaviour of the prisoner. The boy's master, on being
made acquainted with the circumstance, gave information
to the police, and the prisoner was subsequently taken into
custody.
The prisoner denied the boy's statement, and declared it
was a tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end ; that he
was willing to have his home searched to see if there were
any such pictures as those described by the lad; amd that he
(prisoner) was satisfied to bear the stigma if any such were
found ; that he had always supported a good character, and
that when he was informed of the nature of the charge the
boy brought against him, he was conli6ent that had he
been within his reach at the time he would have murdered
him. However, as it was, be was now glad that the com•
plainant had escaped his vengeance, and he again repeated
the utter groundlessness of the accusation.
The boy's master was called, and he gave him a most ex-
cellent character—that his behaviour was always most
proper, and that while his apprentice he never knew him to
utter a falsehood.

The prisoner said that a married woman lodged in his
house, who was present at the time of the alleged assault, and
she would prove his innocence.
The woman alluded to was called, but she failed in bear-
ing out the truth of the prisoner's assertion.
Mr. CoTTLIGHAM said, that from the demeanour of the
boy, and the manner in which he gate his evidence before
him, he was convinced he had spoken the truth. That the
prisoner's conduct was of that disgusting character, that he
should have committed him for trial had he not been im-
pressed with the opinion that it was better to deal summarily
do such offenders, than to have the ears of the public pol-
teed by. the repetition of the evidence in another Court.
bTeh s
drnesaagctiltur,ai
6tein
gthen inflicted tteetri
into
tfion of
owns/. on the
recognizancepriso fir
50/. and find two sureties of 25/. each to keep the peace, and
be of good behaviour.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
fIOUSE OF LORDS, March 9.

Their Lordships met to- day at Five o'clock.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.

A messenger from the House of Commons brought up
several Bills.

PROTECTION TO AGRICULTURE.

The Earl of STRADBROKE presented several peti-
tions from places in Staffordshire in favour of protection
to agriculture, and against the Government measures.
They complained that the attempt now made to re-
peal the corn-laws was a breach of faith with the
agricultural interest, as the measure of. 1842 was re 7
presented to be a final settlement of the question. They
also complained of the compensation proposed, which
they considered altogether inadequate.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
the hop growers of the county of Sussex against the
measures proposed by the Government, which the peti-
tioners stated would be ruinous to their interests. The
Noble Duke likewise presented upwards of thirty peti-
tions from the county of Derby, praying that protection
to native industry might not be withdrawn. He also pre-
sented petitions to the same effect from different places
in Devonshire.

,EDCLIPF CHURCH.—it g'
tnths aoat
of dismissal.
are
.3.-
esnus ireasure to learn
azicliff has been thrown
________________,.......,...._____
that the noble church of St. Attivr
order of the
no't allowed to
open for inspection to the public;
vicar and churchwardens, the attendpaani
receive any fee for admission, upon
lovers of " sublime and beautiful" in art, and the connoisseurs
The
in ecclesiastical architecture, have thus an oppco)rntnoisseurs
visiting'an edifice pronounced by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
to to be "one efthe most famous, absolute, fairest, and goodliest
parish churches within the realm of England." The room
where Chatterton affirmed that he discovered the Rowleian
M.S S , and indeed all portions of the edifice, are open to in-
spection, with the exception of the tower and. spire, which,
from their dilapidated state, it is dangerous to ascend. At the
same time we may remark that those who visit the church,
and who will probably be struck with a feeling of sorrow at
witnessing the breaches which time has made in the sacred
edifice, will have an opportunity afforded them of voluntarily
contributing, according to their means, to its repair. The
churchwardens, committee, and all who have taken part in
the restoration of itedcliff-Aurcb, deserve great credit for the
zealous and indefatigable manner in which they have laboured ,
to effect that object ; and the throwing open the church to the
public is in harmony with the spirit which has throughout 1
animated their proceedings.—Bristol Mercury.

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVEN NG. MARCH 10, 1848.

Ireland as in England. The practice of the Court of
Queen's Bench, in his opinion, ought to be made gene-
ral, and he would, therefore, submit this point to
the consideration of her Majesty's Government.
With regard to the 20th clause, he had every objection
to its becoming a part of the Bill, for it appeared to him
that it should not be a local or temporary Act. It was
one of the greatest offences which could be committed,
and he did not see why they should have the
odium of making it a particular instead of a
general Act. He had great regret in, finding that
partioular circumstances rendered it necessary
that it should be applicable to any part of the United
Kingdom ; but he submitted that it was an offence which
should be made the subject not of a particular but of a
general law. He also felt that the punishment of trans-
portation was one which ought not to be lightly in-
flicted.

Lord BROUGHAM agreed with some of the obser-
vations made by the Noble Lord who had just sat down,
and be especially agreed in every opinion he bad expressed
that the law should be general, nut particular. He
would not now refer to his own amendments, but would
come to the punishment of tran‹portation. Now, he
denied that the punishment of transportation was one
inflicted for a light offence. In the first place
the case was one where a discretionary power
was given to the Judge who should try the pri-
soner, and it could not be inflicted unless the
individual apprehended was arrested under suspi-
cious" circumstances. To be convicted even then,
it must be proved to the satisfaction of a jury
that. the individual was out not on a lawful occasion.
Unless the jury were satisfied that such was the fact they
could not act on it. It had been said that there would
be no possibility of a party droving the lawfulness of
the occasion on which ho was out, but it was
not from being out that a man would be
taken up because he would not be under any
apprehension unless in a dititrict that had
been proclaimed, and in such a district nothing could be
easier than for a man to provide himself with evidence
by which to prove the lawfulness of the occa-
sion.—(flear, hear.) The fact of a man beine
*at merely, would not be sufficient to warrant
h's arrest ; but if a man were found with
a pistol, or a bludgeon, or a dagger, and with a band of
fifty others, then indeed he would be liable
to be arrested, and should account for himself.
Why, the fact of being out with others under such el:-
curnstances, would render any individual liable to the
imputation of being out for treasonable purposes. Me did
not mean to say that this being out would amount to
a treasonable act, but he could not but say that many a
lesser act had amounted to rebellion against the Queen's
authority. The individual charged was not to be liable
to transportation for being out at night, but for being so
under suspicious circumstances. He was glad, however,
that in consequence of the suggestion of his Noble
Friend the duration of the Act was to be confined for
three years. He thought there was very good reason
assigned for such a decision of the Legislature, for if the
Act was sufficient for the purpose, the sooner it was
repealed the better, and if it were insufficient for that
object they would then have it in their power to provide
a more efficient remedy for the subject.
Earl GREY could not help believing that the Noble
and Learned Lord who had just sat down had entirely
misapprehended not only his own motion but the amend-
ment of the Lord Chief Justice. He thought the Noble
and Learned Lord had conceived that the fact of au
individual being out at night was a far more serious
offence than it was ; and unless there was also the ad-
dition of very suspicious circumstances, the serious sen-
tence of transportation was far too grave for the offence.
Now it was very easy to create suspicious circumstances
where they never existed. A man might go out under
the pretence of meeting a friend, whereas, his real ob-
ject might be to join a party of Whiteboys. Another
might go out with the real intention, it might be, to
commit an act of Whiteboyism ; and he thought it was
too heavy a punishment to subject a man to trans-
portation for a mere act of thoughtlessness, aad for
leaving after nightfall the miserable cabin to which
during twelve or sixteen hours they confined him. The
more he considered the subject the more he felt it con-
trary to justice that so heavy a punishment should be
given to so slight an offence. They might say that it
would not be a slight offence if a man were found out
at night with a pistol and a dagger in his pocket, and
evidently going to the commission of some offence. If
he was taken up there could be no difficulty in providing
that, he should be searched, and if he was found to be
armed or disguised, it would be easy to make that a se-
parate offence by a clause to that effect. It was not just
that so severe a punishment should be given equally to
men guilty of a serious offence and men only guilty of
a breach of police regulation. He had been surprised at the
way in which the Noble Lord had bolstered up his view
of the case, but while he had had the honour of s seat
in that or the other Howe, he had never seen so slight
an offence visited with a heavy punishment.
Lord BROUGHAM said, that if the Noble Lord
lived much longer, he would see much stranger things.
He had taken to himself all the credit of the proposi-
tion of the Lord Chief Justice, but he should remember
while he was talking of heavy punishments for slight
offences, that for the venial offence of being out after
sunset he had proposed that a man should be imprisoned
for three years.
Earl ST. GERMANS suggested that the discussion
of the measure should be postponed until to-morrow,
when several amendments would have to be taken into
consideration. The Noble Lord, while complaining of
the power given to the Lord Lieutenant, had proposed
to give him a larger discretionary power than the Bill as
it, at present stood allowed him. It seemed to him that
the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland might take, upon his
own responsibility, the power of proclaiming any par-
ticular district ; and he thought it was a sufficient limit-
ation that he could not proclaim any district in which
the crime of murder, or a crime approaching to murder,
had not been committed. He confessed, then, that he
did not see the advantage of adopting the suggestion
made by the Noble and Learned Lord ; but he at the
same time was free to confess that he would like to see
the amendment which the Noble and Learned Lord
proposed on the subject. With regard to changing the
venue, he had taken the liberty of suggesting to the
Noble and Learned Lord on the woolsack to witodraw
his amendment, because be considered that the matter
called for the general consideration of Parliament,
whether they should not make this a general measure,
as he was convinced that the amendment did not do
justice to this important subject. With regard to the
20th clause, he coincided in the opinion expressed by
the Noble Lord, and if the Bill whicla the Noble and
Learned Lord had introduced were passed this session,
he should altogether agree with him that there was no
necessity for this clause. But they all knew that the
passing of any measure through both Houses of Par-
liament in the course of a session was a matter of great
uncertainty, and therefore he thought it better that the
20th clause should be allowed to remain in the Bill.
With regard to transportation, he also agreed in a con-
siderable degree with the Noble and Learned Lord.
The Noble Earl who sat opposite had drawn a very
forcible picture in his speech the other evening, and he
lad been so much pleased with his own performance that
be had again presented the same picture to them. He
had presented a picture of an innocent man, who had
been out after sunset for the purpose of seeing a sick
friend, and of a guilty man, who had used the same pre-
text, but had been really out for the purpose of joining a
party. The Noble Earl asked if it would not be very
hard to transport the innocent man who had been found
out under such circumstance., but in his conscience he
(Earl St. Germans) believed that the Noble Earl's own
amendment of three years with bard labour, was much
worse than seven years' transportation. He to a certain
extent agreed with what had fallen from the Noble Lord,
for he had supported the alteration of the clause to the
form in which it now stood. He also concurred in the
observations of the Noble and Learned Lord (Denman),
in regard to the introduction of his Bill, and would be
happy to see what he wanted done in the present session.
Lord STRADBROKE made a few observations, which
were perfectly inaudible.
Lord CAMPBELL would support the Bill of the
Noble and Learned Lord (Lord Denman). Its object
was to prevent the intimidation of juries and witnesses ;
and any person who was guilty of such an offence, in his
(Lord Campell's) opinion, deserved transportation. It
was a Bill that ought to be made a permanent law, and
applied to every part of the United Kingdom. He re-.
joiced that he had the concurrence of the high authority
of his Lordship in the objections he (Lord Campbell)
had made to the Government Bill. He had al--o to com
plain that important amendments, which had been agreed
to on Friday night last, on two clauses, and that one
especially where " suspicious circumstances" had been
agreed to be inserted, were not to be found in the Bill
as it now appeared. In neither the one clause nor the
other did these amendments appear. The 21st clause
also had been amended, but the alteration had not been
made.
Earl ST. GERMANS intimated that it was an
omission in one case, and that the other clause bad been
postponed.
to know that there
Lord CAMPBELL was happy
wa' a mistake, as he felt much annoyed that the Bill did
tnoo;
Noble a pHpgeetta
rr
ihwwe
pi
who
ehod
ht hatedh asj amendments
naw.e
iocehuel
edh abnide
det
teeenn
hdayge
dr et
to.
These
oe.
These suggestions entirely agreed with those which he
e(
eLso,ri (Lord
oa f
Campbell)ew d ay
days
had g
em. a
What
hwe when ehne the
elo s Bt.
el
xi wasoo
anxiously
underwished
for was an amendment in reference to the change of
venue. No doubt it would be very desirable that in cer-
tain cases the venue should be changed, but then
would be only fair that the prisoner should have the ad-
vantage of being able to avail himself of this privilege as
well as the prosecutor ; and it would also be very de-
sirable that the power of changing the venue should be
vested in the Court of Queen's Bench, before which
good cause should be shown before the change was
made.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said it was quite
apparent that the Noble and Learned Lord who
theh had just sat e
down,the pwasropnoostalin
ofthethHe ousaemuepeodn.
meat to which he had alluded, or he would not
have addressed the observation that had fallen
from him to the House. He (the Lord Chancellor) en-
tirely concurred in the necessity for this Bill, and
therefore he would give it his most hearty support. He
begged to remind his Noble and Learned Friend that a
similar Bill, introduced by him three years ago, had a
clause in it condemning a person convicted of being out
at night to three years' imprisonment, and he was to be
tried, not by the ordinary courts of law, but by a court
martial.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord talked of the
limits of discretion, and he said that they might impose
an imprisonment of three or four years for lighter
offences ; that they should limit the punishment in all
grave cases to seven years' transportation. Now he con-
ceiver, that the law in this country was carried out with i
leniency and great discretion ; and he thought that t I
might be safely left to the ordinary functions of the law
to understand with what severity they should visit the
offenders who might be brought befcre them, whether
for the simple offence of being out at night, or whether

out, not armed, with what are called weapons, but in-
struments of husbandry, that he thought would meet
the objections of the Noble, Duke on the cross benches,

whose observations would always be entitled to the
utmost consideration and received with the utmost re-

spect. But he believed that the remarks had been fully
answered ; and he, therefore, proposed to bring up the
reports as soon as possible; not to-morrow, but Thurs-
day, or Friday at the latest.
The Duke of RICHMOND said, he gave an unwill-
ing support to the Bill ; but he did not like to see the
postponement of it, for the purpose of making it more
palatable to the House, and he hoped the measure would
not be made more stringent than was absolutely neces-
sary to meet the state of Ireland.
Earl St. GERMANS quite agreed with the Noble
Duke, that the provisions of the Bill should not be
more stringent than the state of crime in Ireland de-
manded ; and he was as anxious as any one to snake it
meet the preseot exigencies, without, if possible, in
fringing the liberty of the subject.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that if the Bill
was necessary, no time should be lost in carryints, it
through the House. and if unnecessary, he thought the
Government should not have brought it forward; and it
so he would very much regret the vote he gave the
other evening, which vote he gave because he felt that
the whole of the arguments brought forward were fully
sustained on that occasion—otherwise the measure
should not have received the sanction of his vote. He
gave his vote for the protection of that party who
seemed to be left out of consideration altogether -the
innocent people who were oppressed, and ,hose liberties
and whose lives were safe neither night nor day in those
disturbed districts of Ireland, where crime was so
common and so difficult to put down. He could
prove, from evidence he received that day—
he di l not like to name names, fur it was
very well known it was not safe to do so—and their
Lordships he was sure would not require him to do so—
that in a considerable town in Ireland there were per-
sons employed in the bank, who were obliged to take
exercise at an early hour, because they were afraid to
remain in the town after nightfall. With such a state
of things no other measure ought to interfere, and he
thought the Government were bound to prosecute the
present Bill, and let no measure in the other House
interfere with such a Bill as the one before their Lord-
ships. He regretted it should be found necessary (if it
was necessary) to proceed with such a measure, but the
Government were responsible for the protection of the
property and lives of her Majesty's subjects in Ireland,
and were bound to act in the best way to meet that
responsibility. If they said the measure was necessary
he would support them, but if not, then he would vote
with pleasure against the passing of such a law as
that which they proposed. He always thought it
much more dangerous to see Government straining the
ordinary law, than to pass a measure of a stringent na-
ture for temporary purposes, especially when it was for
the purpose of protecting the British subject. With
respect to the Bill under consideration, he must say it
was a very stringent measure, although recommended
by his Noble Friend (Denman). If their Lordships
looked at some of the clauses they would see that any
person offering a bribe was liable to be transported, but
still, as they had the authority of the highest, as well as
the lowest, for saying, that life and property was inse-
cure in Ireland, he could not vote against it, and' he
thought there should not have been such a bother made
about its passing into a law. They had the authority of
the Repeal Association, who were, he believed, more ac-
tive than her Majesty's Government in putting down
crime in Ireland, for they actually sent down a gentle-
man,who was called,he believed, the " Head Pacificator"

(from having been very suecessful on former occasions
in tranquillising the people), for the purpose of stopping
the outrages so frequently committed, and he returned
from -his mission and acknowledged that he had sig-
nally failed. If such authority was seen to fail
in Ireland, he thought their Lordships need not be
afraid to grant her Majesty's Government the power
which they demanded. for the purpose of suppressing
the crimes and outrages which unhappily prevailed at
present to a considerable extent in Ireland.

The Earl of WICKLOW said he was exceedingly
sorry his Noble Friend withdrew for that night the
further consideration of the Bill, on the ground that
there was business of greater importance before the
other House of Parliament, and of so imperative a
nature as to supersede all other measures for the
present ; and he (the Earl of Wicklow) quite agreed
with his Noble Friend (the Marquis of Clanricarde)
that if the measure was not of immediate necessity it
ought not to pass at all, but should be postponed to some
future occasion. His Noble Friend said he should post-
pone the further consideration of the Bill until Thurs-
day, and he hoped that in the interim he would turn his
mind to the amendment which was proposed respecting
persons found out after sunset. The magistrates
at petty sessions are to meet only once a-week,
and a person might be arrested and kept in prison for six
days and seven nights, although perfectly innocent.
In every previous Bill persons ware immediately brought
before a magistrate, but it was st.:ted that a single ma-
gistrate would not like to take a responsibility on him-
self, and that he would not be safe in doing so ; now it
was very well known that the people were never disposed
to visit magistrates with punishment for simply the per-
formance of their duty. He believed a case of the kind

never occured, and he believed no magistrate would suf-
fer from such an apprehension. If there was any great
ground for entertaining such a belief, he would call the
attention of his Noble. Friend to the amendment for
the change of venue, as one of great importance, for if
magistrates were in danger for doing their duty, how
much more dangerous would be the position of jurors
and witnesses. He believed that it was imperative that
the petty sessions should sit more frequently, in order to
meet the objections which he had made, but how were
they to make unpaid magistrates attend for the per-
formance of judicial duty. It may be said that stipen-
diary magistrates could attend, but there was no pro •
visio: in the Bill to that effect, and they had not a
power to do it. The people he apprehended might be
kept for a week, and during that period there might be
no petty sessions, but their Lordships would have an
opportunity of discussing the measure when it came
before them.
Lord MONTEAGLE said it was a just and legiti-
mate thing for his Noble Friend to throw out the sug-
gestions which they had heard, but great inconvenience
might arise by giving the power to a single magistrate ;
and yet if they did not, how could the magistrate decide
on the cases brought before him ? By bringing, a man
who was innocent immediately before a neighbouring
magistrate, and taking bail for him, the party accused
might easily perhaps prove his innocence at the petty
sessions, and give an explanation which would be quite
sufficient without keeping him in prison.
The LORD CHANCELLOR wished to know whe-
ther the Noble Lord would make it imperative on the
magistrate to bail the party accused ?
Lord MONTEAGLE said that he would not make
it incumbent on the magistrate to take bail.
Earl ST. GERMANS said that they would have
time to examine the amendments, and should, be
able to present them for consideration on o-morrow
evening.
Lord BROUGHAM said that it appeared to him, as
the Bill then stood, that a person might be sent to Botany
Bay for taking a stone out of a wall or a stake out of a
hedge, provided he had been before prosecuted.
Lord DENMAN said that in committee the Bill would
require a great deal of consideration, and as it would
go before a Committee, then they would be at liberty to
modify it. The Government were bound to put down
intimidation, which was at present practised to prevent
jurors and witnesses from doing their duty, and he
thought there was not the slightest analogy between the
two cases—that of the necessity of changing tho venue
awl protecting witnesses from intimidation. He did not
wish it to be said, because he had introduced some
amendments of the Bill that, he was, therefore, an advo-
cate for unlimited privileges.
Lord BROUGHAM said, he had no doubt but his
Noble Friend would alter his Bill, although it was a

dangerous thing to prophecy—(A laugh)—at the same
time he did not object to the measure.
The House then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 9.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at a few minutes before
FOur o'clock.

SECOND READINGS.

The following Bills were read a second time and
ordered to be committed, viz. :
Dundee New Gas
Dover and Deal Railway
well-cum-Welney Rectory
Northumberland D ,cks
Congleton and Crewe Railway
Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway Ex-
tension (No. 2)
Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston Direct Railway
(Branches to Thornliebank, Househill, and Hurlet)
Ely and Bury Railway
Southport Improvement
Dundee Gas Amendment
Colchester Navigation and Improvement
Bury Gas
Bury Waterworks
Monmouthshire Railways
Rugby and Huntingdon Railway
Derby and Crewe Junction Railway
Woodstock Roads
Chichester. Portsmouth, and Fareham Railway (by
order)
London and Birmingham Railway and Birmingham Canal
Arrangements (by order)
Eastern Union Railway—Ardleigh to_ Colchester (by
order) •
Gravesend and Rochester Railway
Great Western Railway
Huddersfield and Sheffield, and Manchester and Leeds
Railways Amalgamation
Liverpool and Bury, and Manchester and Leeds Rail-
ways Am algama,ton
Mitcham and South-Western Railway (by order)
General EVANS presented a petition. signed by 170
shart:heliers, praying. that the Great North and South
Wal'.s Railway Bill might not pass into a law.
NEW WRIT.
Mr. YOUNG moved for a new writ for the borough

it should be established to their satisfaction that the T of Windsor, in the room of Ralph Neville, Esq., who
parties have been guilty of a more heinous crime---for has- accepted the office of one 'he Lords of the
instance, individuals that had been brought before them Treasury.
might have surrounded the house for the ostensible pur- Mr. ENTWISLE prls a•: I petition, signed by
pose of demanding arms, but for the ultimate intention the Mayor, 10 alderman, aii 39 of the principal in-
of murdering or ill-treating. He would readily admit habitants of Manchester, in favour of the West Riding
with the Noble Earl, that the simple offence of being Union Railway Bill, and praying that the standing
out at night in a proclaimed district would be sufficiently orders might be dispensed with.
punished with two or three years' imprisonment ; but Several other lion. Members also presented petitions
as these offences were to be tried by judges of.the ordi to the same effect.
nary tribunals of the country, who had always admi- THE GOVERNMENT MEASURES.
nistered the law with great lenity and kindness, he Mr. 0. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the
thought that cases subject to the charge of aggravation North Riding of Yorkshire against the measures proposed
might be safely left to their own discretion. by the Ministry.
Earl St. GERMANS thought that the case was Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL presented a petition from
materially affected by the peculiar circumstances of the county of Clare praying for the establishment of a
it, as for instance, a number of individuals might be loan office in that county.

FREE TRADE.
Mr. BRIGIIT presented several petitions in support
of free trade. •

PUBLIC FUNDS FOR HORSE-RACING.
Dr. BOWRING presented a petitiontri,m a place in

the north of England, the name of which wee:lid not
catch, against the granting of any public funds for the
encouragement of horse-racing. Also a petition against
the West Riding Union Railway Bid.
Sir J. TYRE.ELL presented a petition from Cegshill
against calling out the militia.
THE POST-OFFICE.
Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE presented a petition
from the proprietor of the Sentinel newsp.per (as we
understood) complaining thet when any inquiry was
entered into by that House with respect to the Post-
office, the Post-office authorities withheld information.
He also complained of a publication called the
Post office Directory, by which he said the
public were injured. Mr. Kelly, the proprietor of that
publication, had stated that the profits of the work
amounted to 1,2561. per annum, whereas the petitioner
was prepared to prove that they amounted to 10,000/.
per annum. He, therefore. prayed for inquiry.
MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND.
Mr. HUM.E presented a petition from a meeting pre-
sided over by Sir E. Codrington, praying for an inquiry
into the state of the Merchant Seamen's Fund, with a
view of founding some substantial and proper establish-
ment, which would include all merchant seamen, and ap-
plying the funds, which were now disposed of in five or
six different ways, to their proper purposes.
THE RAJA OF SATTARA.
The HoN. MEMBER also presented a petition from an
Association in Dublin, praying for an inquiry into the cir-
cumstances which had led to the deposition of the Raja,
with the view of removing the injustice which seemed
to have been exercised in his case.
STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTRALIA.
Dr. BOWRING begged to put the question of which
he had given notice, namely, whether any measure had
been taken in ord r to give to the colony of Australia
the advantage of steam navigation ?
Mr. CARDWELL said the subject was a most im-
portant one, and the attention of Government had been
directed to it, but he was not tin n in a position to inform
the Hon. and Learned Member that Government had
determined on any Sxed plan, with regard to the afford-
ing steam communication to Australia.
FAMINE IN IRELAND.
Mr. O'CONNELL hoped the House would allow him
to correct a mistake into which some of the news-
papers had fallen respecting the statement which he
made on Friday evening concerning the failure of the
potato crop in various parts of Ireland. On that even
ing he produced a letter from the Rev. Mr. Doggett
(as we understood), which set forth that the potato crop
had failed in many parts of Ireland. He (Mr. O'Connell)
also stated that he had received a communication from
Queen's County, with respect to which he was reported
to have said " that he regretted the absence of the Hon.
Member for that County (Sir Charles Coote), than
whom a better landlord did not exist, because
he would have been able to corroborate the
information which he had received, that his
tenants had lost half of their crop." Hie stated this
much because nothing could be more correct. He was
then reported to have said that " whole families werecom-
pelled to subsist on charity, for it was well known
that an Irishman would share his last potato wit his
unfortunate neighbours." He did made such a state-
ment but, it applied to other parts of Ireland. The
Right Hon. Baronet to whom he referred took care that
~is tenants were not dependent upon charity for their
existence.—( I Tear, hear.)

•
[The mistake arose from the low tone of voice in
which the Hon. and Learned Member spoke on the
evening in question. J
Sir CHARLES COOTE thanked the Hon. Member
for the correction.
OFFICERS IN THE DUBLIN LAW COURTS.
Mr. HUME moved for a return of the names and
salaries of all persona holding offices in the law courts
in Dublin, and of the names and salaries of those, if
any, who discharged their duties by proxy.—Agreed to.

EXPORTATION OF SALT.
An Hos. MEMBER moved for a return of the quantity
of British salt exported during the past year, with the
ports from which the vessels sailed, which wa' agreed to.
THE COM M ERCIAL POLICY OF THE COUNTRY.
Sir R. PEEL gave notice of his intention to•morrow
evening to move for the production of various returns
illustrative of the commercial policy of this country with
Belgium, and of the effect of the reduction of the duty
on flax ; also for various returns connected with the
importation or British and foreign sugars.
MERCHANT SEAMEN'S BILL.
Sir C. NAPIER wished to ask the Right Honourable
Gentleman the Vice-President of the Board of Trade
when he proposed to bring in the Merchant Seamen's
Bill ?
Sir G. CLERK was unable to give any definite or
positive answer to the question of the Honourable and
Gallant Member.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.
Mr. O'CONNELL rose to put a question to the
Right Hon. Baronet opposite with respect to the state of
the potato crop in Ireland and the consequent distress
it had entailed upon the people of that country. Be-
fore, however, he put the question he wished to say a

few words upon the s abject, and to assure the Right
Honourable Baronet that the accounts he had received
from Ireland were really frightful. In the county which
he represented the distress was very extensive, and
he had accounts from men of experience detailing
the rapid progress and increase in the potato decay.
He wished to impress on the Government the fact that
this failure of the potato crop would have a fatal effect
on the people of Ireland ; and also that the sums of
money already voted by Parliament would not suffice to
give relief to the people of Ireland. Ile begged to be
understood that he was not sueing, in formes pauperig,
for money from this country ; he concluded by asking
the Right Hon. Baronet whether he was prepared to lay
upon the table of the House a statement of further mea-
sures intended to be taken, in order to obviate the im
pending famine in Ireland ?
Sir It. PEEL was sorry that the statement read by
the Hon. Memb"r did not at all vary from the impres
sion which had been made upon his mind with
reference to the probable pressure that would be
felt at a later period of the season, and the inability
of the inhabitants to provide themselves with other arti-
tides of subsistence. He had reason to believe from the
accounts recently received, as well as from those which
hid been received in the months of October and Novern-
b-r, that these melancholy facts would follow. Thet
Elon. Member was aware that the first act
of the Government had been directed towards providing
subsistence for the people by the best means, he alluded
to employment. He considered that it would
be far more satisfactory to the feelings of
the people who were suffering under the scarcity
to enable them by payment for their labour
to pay for their food. He believed, in justice to
wards the labouring classes, of those who were in the
grea est destitution, that it would be more agreeable
to their feelings to give them an opportunity of earning
their subsistence by labour than trusting to charity.
'rhe Hon. Member was aware that the first acts of the
Government, preliminary to that measure, which will
be brought under the discussion of the House this even
ing, was to submit to Parliament three or four measures
for the relief of Ireland. They had made advanc,s in
those measures towards erecting piers and harbours
upon the south and west coast of Ireland, in order to
enable the inhabitants, with more security, to carry
on their fisheries.—(Elear.) They had also proposed
to give to the grand juries of Ireland the power
of raising money. The sum of 100,0001 had been
advanced out of the public funds to encourage the grand
jury to make presentments for public works. These
measures involved an advance of public money,
which he believed would facilitate the means
of giving snore employment to the people than was
in general to be obtain If, however, the measures
proposed and the sums advanced by Govrnment should

not be sufficient fur the purpose, while the Parliament
was sitting there would be no difficulty in making fresh
advances ; and even if the House should not be sitting,
sooner than the people of Ireland should be in a starving
condition, he should not hesitate to take upon himself
the :esponsibilitv of making further advances to obviate
the mischief. Nothing could be easier than obtaining
renewed and enlarged powers. The Hon. and Learned
Member, however, would agree with him, that it
was not wise to be too liberal, because after all,
the great a- sistance must be derived from local efforts.
With regard to the introduction of Indian corn, he
had every reason to know that it was used in the
United States very generally for the purposes of
food, and it was admitted that it was a most palatable
article. The Government had provided information as
to the best mode of preserving it for use, and had adopted
every measure in their power to avert the dreaded famine
in Ireland. In the month of November last, on
their own responsibility, they ordered a very large
quantity of Indian corn, and it had since
arrived, and every facility would be afforded for supply-
ing it to those districts where it would be required to
avert the dangers likely to arise from a scarcity of food.
He hoped the Honourable Gentleman would not require
him to explain further at present, as it would not be
prudent at the present time to enter into details. It
would be most important, and he was sure it would be
fully accorded, the concurrence of the landed proprietors,
who should use their exertions to aid the Government
in the carrying out of their intentions. He did assure
the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. O'Connell) that every exer
Lion had been made, and every precaution taken, not
last week, or the week after, but many months ago, to
avert the threatened famine in Ireland.
In reply to a question put by Sir R. H. INGLIS,
Sir R. PEEL, who spoke with his back to the gal-
lery, and in a low tone, was understood to say that in
the event of the present Corn Bill receiving the sanction
of the Lords and Commons, the duties on corn which
shall be received in the meantime should be repaid to
the importers.
Dr. BOWRING wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet
at the head of the Government, whether .any inquiries
had been made by the Government as to the late
potato crops in such countries as usually imported
that article of food to this country?
Sir ROBERT PEEL said that it had been found