The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-22 00:00:00

eiltninS

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1846.

The Lords met at Five o'clock, for the first time since the
recess.

The Earl of Dauloystt gave notice that on Thursday
he should bring in the Government Bill on the subject of
railways. On the motion of the Noble Earl, all proceedings
on railway Bills were ordered to be postponed until Monday,
the 27th April instant.

The SPEAKER took the chair at Four o'clock,
Viscount MILTON took the oaths and his seat for Maldon,
in the room of Mr. CIIILDERS ; and Mr. Riot, for Richmond,
in the room of Mr. R. COLBORNE.

Sir R. PEEL gave notice of his intention, on Thursday
next, at the time of private business, to call the attention of
the Ifotke to the state of railway legislation, and to propose
eel taro resolutions, one f n hid' would be to the effect that
nu Railway Bill should be read a third time, unless the corn
pany had met, according to previous notice, and come to the
resolution that the undertaking could be carried into effect
with advantage to the shareholders.
Sir it. PEEL, in answer to a question from Slr. BAILLIE,
said it was the intention of the Government to propose the
erection of a monument to Sir John 111Caskill, as well as
Sir R. Sale, both of whom fell in the war in India.

Sir JAmas eibmult, in answer to a question from Mr.
Wyse, said that every precaution had been taken by the
Government to prevent the occurrence of further outrages in
Ireland. He was happy to say, from the accounts the
tioverament had received, that the representation of the out-
rages had been e-.aggerated.
Lord G. BENTINCK complained of the inaccuracy of a
return that had Seen laid on the table of the Huse with
respect to timber. He thought the officer who had male
the return should be called to ate bar to explain the reasons
of its inaccura%.
slem, hittaimitted that there was an error in the re-
turns, whielx be to be corrected, and the accurate
returns would be on the table of the House to-morrow. He
Was sorry that the errorliad occurred, but the officer in whose

lipartuint it had oecattia, Ws, rlspeatiblatbrits azdnOt the
ios.otAll%lllt.

The Committee on the Corn Importation Bill, and the ad-
journed debate on the tirst reading of the Irish Protection of
Life and Property Bill, were re-appointed for Friday.
Mr. CHRISTIE then moved, pursuant to notice, for copies
of ad correspondence between W. DAY, Esq., last Assistant-
Commissioner of the Poor-laws and the Poor-law Commis-
sior.ers, and the Secretary fur the Home Department, relative
to his involuntary resignation of his A,ssi-tant Poor-law Com-
missionership, and of all minutes relative to Mr. DAY'S re-
signation, and to the appointment of Colonel Wade as his
successor; also, that it should be an instruction to the Com-
mittee on the Andover Union to inquire into all the circum-
stances under which Mr. DAY was called upon to interfere.
Mr. C. POWELL seconded the motion.
Sir J. GRAHAM would offer no objection to the motion,
thinking it highly desirable that investigation should take
place into the matter.
The motion was then agreed to.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE then moved for a Select Committee to
inquire into the allegations of the petition of Mr. Jonathan
Duncan on the mal-administration of affairs in the General
Post-office. If it was not for the mal-administration in the
General Post-office, the public of London might have their
letters delivered an hour and a half earlier than they were at
present ; and this assertion he would undertake to prove. Ihe
mal-administration of which he had to complain was not of
yesterday, but many years' standing. He was ready to
prove, that the private undertaking, called " Kelly's Post-
office Directory," was a job that gave great dissatisfaction to
the officers in the Post-office, and was highly detrimental to
the public sere ice.
Mr. WILLIAMS seconded the motion.
Mr. CARDWE LL defended the course adopted by the
Post-office authorities, and opposed the motion.
Mr. MOFFATT supported the motion, being convinced
that inquiry into the course pursued by the Post. office would
tend to the public good, inasmuch as it would lead to some
alterations in the mode of conducting business at that great
establishment.
After some observations from Mr. Protheroe, Mr. Brother-
ton, Mr. Christie, Mr. F. Baring, Mr. Wakley, the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, Mr. B. Escott, and Mr. T. Duncombe
in reply,
The House divided, and the motion was lost by a majority
of 43, there being for Mr. Duncombe's motion 49, and against
it 92.
Mr. S. O'BnrEN then moved, pursuant to notice, that after
the present session all inquiry with respect to Irish Railway
Bills, which at present took place in London before both
Houses of Parliament, should be proceeded with in Ireland.
Mr. F. FRENCH seconded the motion.
After some observations from Sir R. Peel, Mr. C. Powell,
Mr. Wakley, Lord Claude Hamilton, Colonel Connolly, Mr.
Maurice O'Connell, and several other Members, the motion
WAS lost, npon a division, there being 25 in favour of it and
69 against it.
The Polling Places (Ireland) Bill went through Committee,
and the House adjourned.

Sir R. PEEL last night gave notice that he would,
on Thursday night, propose certain resolutions, as
sessional orders, in reference to the several railway
Bills still pending before Parliament. These resolu-
tions, which at a later hour of the evening were laid
upon the table, appear to be founded on the suggestion
of Mr. LABOUCLIERE, who, when the measure pro-
posed by Sir ROBERT PEEL, previous the recess,
was brought before the Hou•e, stated the difficulty
that there would be for parties wishing to put
an end to any scheme, but unsupported by the
directors, to assemble so large a number a 3 one-
half of the persons holding the scrip to express their
opinion on the project being carried into execution; and
gave it as his opinion that the onus should be on the
directors to obtain the consent of a fair proportion of
those interested therein to the further progress of any
Bill before it should receive the ultimate assent of the
Legislature.

The present plan appears well calculated to effect
this object, and furnishes an additional security to
that afforded by the measure then mentioned, that no
Bill shall receive its third reading until the shareholders
shall have full time maturely to weigh the advantages of
the undertaking, and the probabilities of their being
able to carry it into execution, notwithstanding the diffi-
culties to which it may be subjected by the present
depressed state of the money market, and the unwilling-
ness on the part of the public to invest any part of their
spare capital in the construction of new lines of railway.
The former measure is intended to enable persons
(whether original shareholders or persons not parties to
the Parliamentary contract, but who have, by the pur-
chase of scrip, acquired an interest in the projects), who
are the actual holders of at least a full moiety of the
stock, to have the measure wound up, the assets of the
company vested in an official assignee or trustee, and,
after ascertaining the liabilities of the company, to ob-
tain r, return of the amount of the deposits, less the fair
expenses already incurred, to the parties entitled
thereto. This was hailed with universal approba-
tion as a just and wise course, by which parties,
who had incautiously involved themselves in railway
speculation, would be enabled to extricate themselves.
with as little additional loss as possible, and also as an
indirect means by which the absorption of too large a
portion of the capital of the country, in such enterprises,
to the great injury of the great cornravreial interests,
might be prevented.

The present Pl'ari ii not intended to interfere with that
power; 'but Driivides that the House will not read a
third time any Bill to empower any company
(whether intended to be incorporated by such Bill,
or already incorporated by Act of Parliament); to
construct a railway, unless a certificate, signed
and authenticated, shall have been deposited at the Pri-
vate Bill-office, there to be open to the inspection of all
parties, three clear days before such third reading, and
stating the following facts, viz.:—

1. That a copy of the Bill was submitted to the considera-
tion of a meeting of the scripholders of the company, or (in
case of a c,mpany already incorporated) of the shareholders
or stockholders of the company, specially called for that
purpose.

2: That such meeting was called by advertisements, in-
serted once in each of two consecutive weeks in the London
Gazette (if the railway be an English or Scotch railway),
or in the London and bublin Gazettes (if the railway be au
Irish railway), and in each case in at least three London
daily newspapers, and not less than three times in each such
paper, in each of such two consecutive weeks.
3. In the case of the company being intended to be incor-
porated by the Bill :—That such meeting was constituted of
persons producing thereat scrip of the company representing
not less than one-third part of the whole capital proposed to
be raised by the company under the Bill (such scrip having
been actually issued, or the deposits in respect thereof having
been paid before the 31st of March in the present year).
"4. In the case of the company being already in-
corporated :—That such meeting was held, except so far as
is herein otherwise provided, according to the constitution
of the company, and was constituted of shareholders or
stockholders thereof competent to vote at the ordinary
meetings of the company, and representing either personally
or as proxies not less than one third part of the whole
capital or stock of the company.
5. That at such meeting the Bill was approved of by per-
sons producing thereat scrip equal to at least three-fifths of
the total amount of scrip produced at the meeting ; or, in
the case of a company already incorporated, by three-fifths
at least of the meeting, the votes being given and computed
accordiag to the constitution of the company.

The resolutions further provide, in the event of there
not being a sufficient attendance at such a meeting, that
the chairman shall be empowered to cause the votes of
the persons constituting such meeting, approving or dis-
approving of the Bill, to be taken and recorded, and
then to adjourn the same for a period of not less than
three days, or more than ono week, from the original
day of meeting, and which adjournment shall be adver-
tised twice in each of three London daily newspapers ;
and that the chairman shall be empowered at
such adjourned meeting to cause to be taken and
recorded the names of such of the persons constitut-
ing the same, as shall not have voted at the original
meeting, and the total amount of votes given at the
original and adjourned meeting shall be received as it
given at one and the same meeting. The additional
matters required by the resolutions are respecting the
form of the certificate, which shall comprise particulars
showing that the meeting has been held in accordance
with the spirit of the foregoing regulations, and the
manner in which the certificate shall be signed and
authenticated. Such is the scheme of the Minister, and
it is only to be lamented that it was not promul-
gated at an earlier period. The outline appears
clear and simple, and couched in aspirit
of fairness towards those interested in the several
ra.l-
ways on the one hand, and the public at large upon the
other; as, while there is no difficulty placed in the way
of any well-devised or prudent project, the directors of
which wilt easily be enabled to procure the requisite
attendance and approval, no plan can be proceeded
F with contrary to the wishes of the majority of the share-
holders, although, from difficulties in their way, they
/ may be unable to procure signatures sufficient to ensure
the dissolution of the company in sufficient time to stay
its further progr.'ss.

The news from Poland is of a very contradictory cha-
racter. The Post Ampt Gazette, under date of Posen,
April 13, states that though order has been to all outward
appearance restored, there still reigned a kind of dull feeling
of uneasiness. Excesses had been committed at Itagusen
where several of the public functionaries had been insulted'
A sentinel on duty had met with some indignity, and had
discharged his musket at the party, who had taken to flight.
No one was wounded, but the military authorities had pub-
lished a notice cautioning the inhabitants to refrain from such
conduct for fear of more fatal consequences.

A letter frcm Lemberg, the capital of Austrian Galicia,
dated April 7, states that the greater portion of the bands of
peasants who continued under arms had been dispersed, but
that assassinations were daily taking place. Count GOLE-
VWSKI had been attacked on the prevkus day by a body of
the peasantry, and murdered. In the town of Styria, a pea-
sant, who had taken a very active part In attacking the
chateaux of the nobles, had died of his wounds, and was in-
terred with extraordinary pomp. The public authorities
both civil and military, attended, and military honours were
given—a circumstance so unusual and improper, that it dis-
gusted not only the Poles, but the Germans, and especially
the officers of the army.
On the other hand 'another letter from the same place,
dated the day following, says :--
"We receive the most gloomy news from the circle of
Jaslen. The public minds are cast clown, for there i.e not a

dread of political outbreaki alone, but of a civil war, which
might decimate the population, if the promptest succour does
not arrive. The work of pillage and incendiarism has "again
broken out with the peasants. They have mustered from
5,000 to 6,000, and it is said that they have repulsed the
troops sent against them. The military had received orders
to act with moderation, and even to fire in the air; but the
peasants were in no way intimidated, and fell on the troops
and killed 50 of them. They then tied to the woods, and
are now carrying devastation throughout the country."

Madrid journals of the 14th have arrived. Although that
city continued tranquil, it would appear that the authorities
feared, or pretended to fear, some outbreak, for not only has
the Government adopted every possible precaution to guard
against an outbreak, but domiciliary visits had been made in
many instances, and several persons had been arrested, among
them an ex-provincial Deputy, and. one of the editors of the
Eco del Gnnercio. They are charged with having propa-
gated false news, and distributed proclamations subversive of
order. The Eco del Comercio had again been seized. As
an excuse for these proceedings, the authorities state that
they have received information that a conspiracy was plotting
in Madrid ; that the 13th had been fixed upon by the con-
spirators as the day on which the emeute was to take place,
and that the first object of the conspirators was to seize on the
arms taken last year from the National Guard, and which
are stored in the depot of artillery.
The Heraldo stated that the Duke of SOTOMAYOX, the
Ambassador of Spain at the British Court, had applied for
permission to return to Spain on account of the state of his
health.

Notwithstanding the repeated assurances given in the
official papers that tranquillity was completely restored
in Galicia, it would appear that such is far from
the fact, for, notwithstanding the defeat of IRIARTE
by Concua, the insurrection, if we may judge from
the proclamation of General VILLALONGA, which ap-
pears in these papers, still continues to spread. This pro-
clamation declares the four provinces of Galicia in a state of
siege, and also -declares that the insurgents at Lugo, and all
those who may join them, are traiters, and that the soldiers,
who have joined the movement, and who may return to their
duty in twenty-four hours, shall be pardoned. The General has
also issned an address to his soldiers calling upon them to
remain true to their allegiance, and not to be led away by
revolutionary firebrands—from all which we gather that
Lugo is still in possession of the insurgents, who have been
joined, and aided, and assisted by many recruits, including
among them several of the soldiers of VILLALONGA'S own
army, and that the insurrection is spreading from
Lugo, as from a centre, over the whole of Galicia.
Catalonia also is in a very disturbed state. Attempts have
been made to gain over the garrison of Barcelona, and procla-
mations have been circulated in the barracks headed "Con-
stitution of 1837," and "Prince Henry for- Queen Isabella."
No outbreak, however, had taken place, although if anything
can cause an outbreak, the following bando, issued by the
Captain-General of the province, the sanguinary Don
MANUEL BRETON, will most assuredly do so

" The disturbers of public order still endeavouring to de-
prive us of the tranquillity which we have the happiness to
enjoy, and it is so necessary to maintain in this populous and
commercial capital, I order the following;—
" First and only Article.—Any person belonging to any
class that shall spread news tending to disturb order, shall
immediately be delivered up to the military commission,
which shall permanently sit in the royal citadel of this city,
in order verbally to judge the 'accused, and, after obtaining
proof of the offence, condemn him to be shot."
Anything more tyrannical and violent than this never
before was issued even by a Spanish Captain-General; and
the past conduct of BaErox shows that he is fully capable of
carrying out this bando to the very letter. The whole popula-
tion of the province is at his mercy, fur, be it observed, the
court-martial, composed of his creatures, is to judge what is
to be considered as " news tending to disturb order." He
seems to have taken the French revolutionary tribunal as
his model. and to be ambitious of acting the part of FOUQUIER
TINVILLE on a small scale. Several persons have already
been arrested on suspicion, among whom are several, who in
1843, proclaimed the Central Junta.

MADatp BoLsa, APRIL 14.—The Funds are higher to-
day 1% per cent., which would appear inexplicable were the
Boise of Madrid like that of any other place. The Three
per Cents. are 31% cash, and 3134 for the 30th inst. ; thirty-
three millions done. The other funds are not quoted.

We have received the Paris papers of Monday. They all
attack the Debats for its article of Saturday, in which it
more than insinuated that LECO3ITE had been excited to the
commission of his atrocious attempt by a political con-
spiracy, of which he was the mere instrument. As might
have been expected, all the Opposition papers are indignant
at this attempt to give a political complexion to the crime of
the assassin, and even the Ministerial papers disavow the
Journal des Debats on this occasion. The Moniteur officially
contradicts the assurance given by the Journal des Debats,
that anonymous letters had been received by the authorities
in some of the provinces, stating that the attempt was to be
made, and the Epoque, the Ministerial organ, thus comments
on the article in the •Debats

" The Debats has created a phantom in the honest but
puerile idea that royalty Snd the Government required this
phan!9.•n tr.!tii defence. The Government and France have
no need of such evocations. Their strength is in the
country, and the country does not require to be alarmed.
For the last five years its reason and its wisdom have been
skate appealed to, and for five years it has more than at any
other period given its confidence and its adhesion to the Go-
vernment. But there is in this something more serious ;
are told of optimism, and of culpable and fatal indifference;
we are told that the blow which would have struck the per-
son would have also touched the institution, and for the pro-
fit of present royalty the Lamle his not hooit.tod to bring
the safety of that of the future into question. Yes, the pre-
sent King has saved royalty, and this is not the first time
we have stated the same; he has also saved liberty, which is
the consequence of order; but now, should the King be struck
by the arm of an assassin or by the hand of God, royalty and
liberty would net be shaken, for all France would rise to de-
fend them. Those know little of the great King who governs
us who think to flatter him by telling him that he has only
founded his personal royalty. Louis Philippe wished to found
a dynasty, and he has succeeded. That is the reason Why
he remains so calm whilst the balls are whistling past his
ears. He knows that they might kill the King, but could
not destroy royalty. The Count de Paris, supported by the
Duke de Nemours, would lose nothing f the strength of
Louis Philippe. And what, good God I would be a constitu-
tional Government if it were otherwise, if it were always
necessary to have a great man to render a nation strong and
prosperous, if it did not draw its vitality from its own con-
stitution. That after a revolution a man of genius should be
necessary may be readily conceived, but it would be a con-
demnation of it to say that he was always necessary. The
country, moreover, is perfectly tranquil. Look at the Bourse,
that thermometer of the emotions of the capitalist, who has
such a dread of revolutions; it has been scarcely affected by
the two shots of Lecomte. It' they had been successful the
great capitalists would have thrown all their millions into
he scale to prevent a fall, because .hey are convinced, from
the knowledge which is acquired by having great interests
at stake, that. their millions would be of no value without
order in France—an order on which the peace of Europe
depends. These capitalists have mote instinct than many
political men. They invest their millions in railroads on
the soil of France, because they know that it is not on that
soil that the volcano of revolution will burst forth. France
is calm, calm as the King, and both have reason to be so, for
the one has patiently founded a dynasty which the other has
resolutely adopted."
The Presse, after giving the addresses to the Knic,
and his MAJESTI'S replies, on his return from Fontein-
bleat', says :---

"In all these expressions it is easy to perceive that there
is not a word tending to transform into a political attempt
the abominable crime of Lecomte. This is an additional re-
ply to the ill-imagined article which the Debuts published
on Saturday, and against which the whole press protested
yesterday with great reason. This article is an anachron-
ism, and that is the least of its faults. Fortunately, and for
the honour of our country in presence of Europe, which is
only but too much inclined to distrust, the morals of parties
are notably ameliorated for some time. There is not one to-
day, however desperate may be its cause, which would con-
sent to find a last resource in a cowardly assassination.
There was a time when the journals of the extreme Opposi-
tion did not fear to insinuate that the police might not be
strangers to the attempts of a really political character
which then periodically threatened the -King's life, alarmed
the world, and caused doubts to be entertained of the future
prospects of the country. Henceforward this odious system
of tactics is given up. The National declared yesterday that
such a course would be ridiculons at present, thus 'itself
treating as it deserved a discussion to which for a long time
it certainly was not a stranger. The progress of public
reason is therefore evident and incontestible, and the fact
must be stated with pleasure, in place of denying it, as the
Debats did on Saturday in that inconceivable article, which
we have heard blamed by men of sense of all opinions."
The following is the justification of the Journal des
Debats

" It appears that we have made ourselves guilty against
society, perhaps against the dynasty and even the monar-
chical system in Franee, by having said that we found it
difficult to believe that the crime committed by Lecofnte was
purely a private crime, perpetrated under the inspiration of
private vengeance, the motive for which was unaccount-
able. We shall not reply to the silly invectives thrown
upon us on this occasion. Let those wire will believe that
in firing at the King of the French the assassin did not
seek to kill the chief of the state, but only the head of a
family. We, for our parts, do not think that we deceived
ourselves in expressing a contrary opinion, in declaring that
we saw a political crime in as attempt at regicide. We
base our excuse most naturally on the past. Were the at-
tempts of Fieschi, of the Pont Royal, of Ahbaud, of Meunier,
of Darmes, and of Quenisset, private.crimes ? Justice, we
trust, will succeed in bringing to light what has passed in
the mind of the wretch who has added his name to this list,
which was, alas already too long. Justice will tell us
whether he conceived his crime in solitude, or whether the
idea came from. out of that dark abyss whence have already
sprung so many conspiracies, so many attacks. The magis-
trates will do their duty. tut whether the crime from which
the King has again so narrowly escaped being the victim,
be a private crime, or whether it be, like those which have
preceded it, a political crime, the people of France will
equally condemn and mourn over it. It will not, in the one
case more than in the other, Lave to justify itself or to blush
for it."
Duke Pasquttft, the President of the Court of Peers, and
M. HEBERT, the Procureur-General, were engaged on Sun-
day, at the Conciergerie, in interrogating LICOMTE.
The old prison of the Luxembourg having been pulled
down with the other ancient buildings in the Rue Vaugirard,
workmen were on Sunday employed in converting a room
of the Luxembourg Palace, into a prison, to be used as a
Place of confinement for LECOMTE. He was transferred
thither on Monday, and is now in the custody of the Court of
Peers. The Peers met on that day at one, in secret committee,
to hear the Procureur-General's reguesnoire relative to the
attempt made on Louts PHILIPPE'S life, on Thursday the
16th instant. When last accounts left, the Court had not
yet issued their arrat. LECOMTE'S spirits seemed to hare
deserted him. He at first exhibited a great deal of bravado,
reassed.
hope I:hoarttwheo days
he has refused all food, an
l appearance also is greatly
persona
die of exhaustion ; his
but latterly he has appeared
dmueh expressesdep
altered. Two keepers watch him day and night.

. The Chamber of Deputies mat on Monday, and when the
post left they were discuss,ing a proposal of M. DE MORNAY
for indemnifying the posting-masters of France owing to the
detriment. they suffer from railways.
. _

On Sunday, at one o'clock, the KING, accompanied by the
QUEEN, the Prince, and Princesses of the Royal Family, and
holding the Count of PARIS by the hand, received in the
throne-room the Municipal Corporation of Paris, who
were presented by Count DE TLLXRIITEAU, the Prefect
of the Seine. The Count expressed to the KING the
profound indignation with which the attempt on his
MAJESTY'S life had inspired the population of Paris, and their
affliction that such an act should have taken place. The
Count's expressions were warmly responded to by the accla-
mations of the members of the Corporation. The KING,
much moved, replied to this striking manifestation by
thanking, in warm language, the municipal body for their
loyal and affectionate sentiments. The conclusion of his
MAJESTY'S address was greeted with loud cries of " Vice le
Roil Vivent le Famille Royale!"

Thanksgivings were offered in all the Protestant churches
in Paris, on Sunday, for the Kusta's escape. Lord, and Lady
PAutensToN dined with M. and Madame TIIIEII, on Sun-
day. The Marquis of NORMANBY has arrived in Paris.

The Bourse was rather firmer on 'Monday, although there was a
trifling change in the quotations—Three per Cents. closing at 83f.
40c. ; Five per Cents. are rather lower, leaving off at 119 f. 70c. The
market closed as follows :—Three per Cents., for cash, 83f. 40c. ; for
account, 83f. 40c.: Five per Cents., for cash, 119 f. 50c. ; for account,
1191. 70c. ; Bank of France Shares, 3,410 f. ; Neapolitan, 101 f.;
Spanish Threes, 36% ; Ditto Fives and New Lean, not quoted.
RAILWATB,—The Share-market was also fire c; , most o; the lines
closing at about the same as on Saturday. For cash—Paris and
Orleans, 1,2101 ; Paris and Rouen, 1,025 f; ltouen and Havre, 740 f. ;
Avignon, 900 f ; Strasburg and Bale, 225 f. ; Boulogne and Annex's,
.505 f,; Northern, 753 f. 75c. ; Bordeaux, 613 f. 75c.; Paris at .d Lyons,
5661. 25c.; Paris and Strasburg, 515 f. ; Nantes, 545 f. ; Dieppe, 460 f.;
Moutereau, Fampoux, and Vlerzon, not quoted.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STUCK EXCHANGE, Aran. 21.
6—East Indian, %—Lyons and
Boulogne and Amiens, 12—Bordeaux, Toalouse, and Cette
—Namur and Liege, 1 —parts and
N'nen and Havre, 2934--Tours and
A(N:tvanrSiaspgiteeLosenutca,r
g0)2,,
:C2:olAtriu.- -stxte
Constituted,
ot
Constituted,
:114n R
os—h
West Flanders, 2.