The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-07 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

There is not any striking news under this head.
The New York Express of the 16th contains the fol-
lowing :
Freights are very dull. Cotton is taken to Liverpool
at 5-32 d, Grain sd. Exchange on England is dull at
109 f to 1091.
The money market is tight. Stocks have fallen off,
and there is less disposition to purchase.
By the last official return of the Secretary of the
Treasury, viz., 21st February, the amount then on
hand subject to draft, in all the Sub-Treasuries,
was only 2,097,188 dolls.; the amount in this
city was 188,499 dolls. This is running the balances
down very close. It shows one thing pretty clearly
that, although the Government may receive a large
amount of specie, it cannot keep it long. In this city the
balance has at certain periods run up to two millions,
but its vaults have retained it but a short period. The
Government can now afford to run its balances closer
than usual, as they can turn their stocks into money
instantly.
A large amount of money has been lying idle to be
invested in the loan of the Government, and the parties
not being suceessful, are now directing the amount to
other objects. A large batch of merchants' paper was
taken to-day at nine per cent- per annum.

THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.
The National Convention re-assembled yesterday
morning at nine o'clock ; Mr. P. M'Grath in the chair.
The Government reporters sent on Wednesday again
attended this morning. The hall was crowded to excess.
The CHAIRMAN requested the delegates to abstain
from the expression of such terms as were but too
commonly indulged in yesterday in reference to his own
particular duty, which had bean designated as harsh and
despostic. He would endeavour to fulfil his duties im-
partially and fairly, and give every man a fair hearing.
.....
ADDRESS TO THE COUNTRY.
Mr. KYDD then brought forward a motion that an
address be issued to the country, laying before the
working classes the social condition of the labouring
men throughout the empire, and the necessity that
exists for improved legislation on the part of the Govern-
ment.
Mr. FUSSELL seconded the motion.'
Mr. FRANCIS and other delegates supported the motion.
Mr. CUFFAY did not see that any necessity existed for
the promulgation of such an address. The condition of
the working classes was well known, and it seemed to
him that it would be premature to issue it (even if
thought otherwise advisable) before Monday or Tuesday,
when they would be better able to say whether or not it
would be necessary at all.
Mr. Clarke, Mr. Ernest Jones, and Mr. Gleniston
supported the proposition.
After some discussion, the proposition was carried,
and a committee was appointed to prepare the address,
consisting of the following delegates, namely :—Kydd,
West, Doyle, Marsden, Grant, Leach, and Wild.
FROST, WILLIAMS, AND JONES.
Mr. FEARGUS O'CoNNoR wished to know what peti-
tions were received, or preparing, in the different districts,
praying for the restoration of Frost, Williams, and
Jones? He also moved that a committee, consisting of
three persons, be appointed to prepare a petition to be
signed by the members of the Convention for the same
purpose.
The following were named as the committee:—
Messrs. Reynolds, Wild, and Dixon.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE CHARTIST EXECUTITE.
Mr. CLARKE then read a series of resolutions proposed
by the Executive Council to be adopted by the demo-
crats throughout the country, in the event of the petition
being refused.
The first resolution—That in the event of the petition
being refused, her Majesty be memorialised to dismiss
from her councils her present Ministers, and to call to
her aid men whose principles would be in consonance
with the people's charter.
Mr. WHEELER seconded the resolution.
Mr. ADAMS, by way of amendment, proposed that the
Conference should consider the steps necessary to be
taken previous to the presentation of the petition. He
thought it would be premature to think that the petition
would be rejected at all. In the event of its rejection
he would be prepared to go on with the majority of the
Convention, were it even to the scaffold.
Mr. CUFFAY said that the sub-committee in London
had prepared the ceremonial required for conveying the
national petition to the Houses of Parliament.
Mr. F. O'CoNszoa said that he had not been idle on
this occasion. He had prepared two carriages, one
20 feet 4 inches long, decorated with flags and mottoes,
for the conveyance of the deputation, and another for
the carrying of the petition. These would be drawn by
12 horses.
Mr. WHEELER thought that an address should be
issued to the shopkeepers on the line of route, assuring
them of the determination of the Convention to use
every exertion fur the protection of property, but re-
commending them to shut their shops during the passing
of the procession.
Mr. ERNEST JONES thought that that portion of the
address which recommended that the shops should be
shut should be withdrawn. Several delegates joined in
the same request, and
Mr. WHEELER expressed his readiness to withdraw it.
Mr. M'CARTHY objected to their taking on themselves
the duty of.the police. These were paid for the pro-
tection of the lieges, and he thought that they should be
allowed to conduct their own duties.
The proposition for an address was carried with only
two dissentient voices.
Mr. WILD reminded the Conference that by taking
motions handed in by delegates, they were throwing aside
nCe asideAnabey at gainh e
in
trreoaddu
et ht
ieo
nresolution
hweheiicehr, hs amdo been
,
the resolutions proposed by the Executive.
throw
and moved that it be adopted.
Mr. WHEELER seconded the proposition.
Mr. REYNOLDS thought they should have no more
necessary constitute
the themselves
example
I.—
(liar, hear.)
of that Parliament that sat in the reign of Charles
submission, no more procrastination. If the people's
petition were rejected they should consider it a declara-
tion
ptioneoopflew,sair,aargiajammsetntth, countryeandi
fy
copy
nee
e;
insteadw•as therefore
that
th
e opposedconfer
Conference
tehsi
should
or
ue
;do 1
bue-
tione,and proposedie l
permanent.
Mr. CUFFAY supported the amendment. The Execu-
tive shrank from the responsibility imposed upon them
now that the crisis was come, instead of being prepared,
as they ought to have been, to lead the Chartists of the
country to the death if necessary.
Mr. BRCrNTERRE O'BRIEN dissented both from the
programme and the mode of Mr. Reynolds' amendment.
He maintained that they only represented a small section of
the people of this country. There were vast numbers of
the working classes who placed no dependence upon
Mr. O'Connor or himself. These men should be in-
vited to join them, and for that purpose he proposed
that this Conference should be held to be only the pre-
cursor of a truly national convention to be called at
some future time.
Mr. LOWRY seconded the amendment proposed by Mr.
O'Brien.—(Hisses.)
Mr. FEARGUS O'Cototott denied that the Executive
desired to shrink from any responsibility that might
attach to them. So far from it, he declared that he
was prepared to abide by the decisions
of the majority of this Conference. The
object of the Executive was not to retard or delay this
movement, but to secure and strengthen it. Did he
wish to retard this movement ? Was he not to be found
always in the front of danger ? Would he not be the
first mark for the finger of the law, or the mark of the
enemy ? Some men looked to posthumous fame rather
than to the ease of an ignominious life, and so help him
God, he would rather die a martyr than live a
slave.—(Cheers.) Ile prayed them now, and he
felt that he could beg it on his knees, not
to damage their good cause by any pre-
mature step, which might be found irretrievable.
Mr. CHILD rose to move a third amendment—That
the motion now before the Conference be adjourned till
after Monday next.
Mr. DomovAN supported the original motion.
Mr. TATTERSALL said that
this question was more
important than many members there seemed to consider
it. It was simply a question of peace or war. If they
said war, were they prepared tor this ? Lord John
Russell was, to all intents and purposes, king of
England, Scotland, Ireland, and Vales, for the
Queen would not oppose his and the Cabinet's
wishes. Were the Conference,then,
prepared to
thrust themselves forward in opposition to the
Government. He represented Lancashire, and he
knew that the lads of Lancashire, if the petition
were rejected, would say, " We'll fight for it;" but he
did not wish this. He would, therefore, move another
amendment:—" That the people should hold meetings
over the country on the 12th of April, to consider their
present circumstances, and to give instructions to the
Conference for their future guidance."
Mr. LINNEY seconded the amendment.
Mr. E. JONES moved onother amendment--" That
in the event of the petition being rejected, the people
should hold simultaneous meetings to demand the disso-
lution of Parliament and the dismissal of Ministers ; to
elect delegates to a new Convention, and to instruct this
conference to sit permanently until the meeting of the
new National Convention.
Mr. CLARKE seconded the amendment.
Mr. STtrizEtrsat; supported it. li© protested against

.

any sacrifice of human blood when they were not pre-
pared to carry out their intentions successfully.
➢lr. LUNN supported Mr. Tattersall's amendment.
Mr. ERNEST JONES, Mr. SIIIRRON, and other dele-
gates, supported the amendment proposed by Mr. Jones.
The Conference afterwards adjourned.

At the re-assembling of the Convention, at half•past
two o'clock, the discussion on the resolutions and amend-
ments before the Conference was resumed, and each
delegate whoj addressed the meeting gave his reasons
for supporting one or other of these.
Towards the conclusion of the sitting Mr. Tattersall
and Mr. Child withdrew their amendments, and gave in
their adhesion to that proposed by Mr. Ernest Jones.
Mr. CLARKE withdrew the resolutio❑ proposed by the
Executive, and accepted instead the same amendment.
The whole series of resolutions as amended was after-
wards agreed to.
The Conference then adjourned till to-morrow at nine
o'clock.

ROYAL MAIL STEAM-PACKET
COMPANY.

The annual meeting of the shareholders of this com-
pany was yesterday held at the London Tavern, for the
purpose of transacting the ordinary business of the
company.
The chair was taken at one o'clock by A. Colville, Esq.
The notice convening the meeting having been read,
the Secretary proceeded to read the report, from which
it appeared that there had been an increase both
upon the receipts and expenditure during the past year.
The charges for cost, freight, and other expenses for
coal, as well as those for wages, port charges, and pilot-
age, coal sacks, and office and law expenses, although
with an augmented business, were in the aggregate
6241. ss. 6d. less in 1847 than in the preceding year.
On the credit side of this account there was a decrease
in the homeward freight, arising from diminished ship-
ment . Mexico, and there was less receipt
onial and homeward passage-money,
fromm e n t
nf
which was also chiefly to be attributed to the hostilities
in that country. The total receipts, however, from
freight and passage-money in 1847, exceeded
those of the previous year by 5,845/. 9s. 6d.
The balance upon the profit and loss account for 1847,
after charging the dividend declared in October last,
amounted to 74,018/. 13s. 5d., subject to the payment of
the forthcoming dividend. New boilers had been re-
quired for the Severn, new side levers and iron beams
for the Avon, as well as extra repairing and materially
strengthening the 'l'eviot, amounting in the whole to
13,5651. Bs. 7d., and were charged in the profit and loss
account as not being properly chargeable to the working
account of the year 1847. By the balance-sheet it
would be observed that the sum standing to the
credit of the insurance account, after deducting
the cost of the Great Western, purchased to
supply the place of the Tweed, amounted to 49,9631. ls.
2d. The investment on this insurance account, how-
ever, had not been diminished, amounting on the 31st
of December, 1847, to 74,2811. 55., to which was added
in January last the sum of 25,0001, making a total of
99,281/. 55., invested in the purchase of 105,8681. 7s. 7d.
Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Stock; the general in-
vestment of 55,000/. remaining as at the end of the year
1846. The directors announced their intention to assimi-
late the working account, in future, to the method
in which the annual accounts were prepared,
as the effect of the company's operations would
by that means be more distinctly exhibited.
Since the last general meeting was held, an arrangement
had been made, giving to the West India Colonies a
direct monthly postal communication with the Northern
States of America, by which the company's operations
were extended to New York ; and this new line, tiff
Bermuda, would be commenced on the 7th of next
month. The company, however, were at liberty to dis-
continue this branch of service, should it be found
hereafter that, contrary to expectation, it could not be
maintained with advantage." The directors having taken
into consideration all the circumstances of the company,
recommended a dividend of 21. per share, exclusive
of income-tax, the same to be payable on and after the 10th
instant.
From the statement of accounts laid before the meet-
ing it appeared that the total receipts of the company
for the past year amounted to 412,9621. 7s. Bd., the dis-
bursements to 300,661/. 185. 1.0 d., leaving a surplus of
112,3001. Bs. 10d. The total balance in favour of the
company, after deducting losses and extraordinary out-
lays for the year 1847, was 99,9881. 13s. sd. The balance
in hand from the year 1846 had been appropriated for
the payment of the dividend, declared Bth of April, 1847,
amounting to 25,9701., and had carried to the credit
of the reserved fund, the sum of 54,594/. 15s. 11d.
The following general balance-sheet was also laid
before the meeting:—
Di. .C. a. d.
To cost and outfit of
steam-ships, &c., Dec.
31, 1846 ... 803,748 13 3
Add the Conway... 39,745 17 11

843,494 11 2

Deduct the Liffey,
sold ... ~, 4,000 0 0

839,494 11 2

To stock of coals, coal
sacks, &c 29,374 0 9
To stock of boilers, engineers' and other
stores ... 21,711 17 8
To London and Southampton pre-
mises, Jamaica wharf, and Pacific
Treasure houses ... ... 4,591 16 9
To insurance investment in Three-

and-a-Quarter per Cent. Stock ... 74,281 5 0
To general investment ... ... 55,000 0 0
To ships' pending voyages ... ... 10,081 13 1
To bills receivable and cash balances 39,453 3 1
To Contract money due this day ... 60,000 0 0

51,133,988 7 6

Ca. £. s. d.
By capital stock, Dec.3l, 1846 £888,835
Arrears of calls received 1847 150

888,985 0 0
By dividends unpaid ...
...
... 3,134 1 3
By insurance account ...
..
... 49,963 1 2
By bills payable and outstanding ac-
counts
::: 7740,,06
118 9 1
13 6 6
5
—•—. ". ". 47,267 15 2
By reserve fund
By profit and loss ::..

£.1,133,988 7 6
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report.
A PROPRISTOR moved an amendment, to the effect
that the dividend be increased to 2/..55. per share; the
motion, however, found no seconder, and of course fell
to the ground.
Some discussion took place upon the amount of remu-
neration paid to the managers of the company, after
which the report was unanimously agreed to.
Mr. Masterman and Captain Nelson were re-elected
tthheetcainoillainu of one
a h
was elected auditor of the
gentleman was also elected
one of the directors who re-
tired rcet;co sof
andor in
ap C
company.
The thanks of the meeting were then voted to the
Chairman, and the meeting broke up.

- - -
LAW INTELLIGENCE.
HOUSE OF LORDS, April 6.
The
htnoheellaorr, aLpopreda ls. The
Campbell,P Peers
present h:leoruesethseatLtooday
ne
Lord Chancellor,
AND OTHERS V. GUERSON AND OTHERS.
The arguments in this part-heard appeal were re-
sumed and concluded to- day. The case came before their
Lordships upon an appeal against an interlocutor of the
Court of Session in Scotland, and the question at issue
was whether the appellants were the lawfully born
children of one John Lapsley, of Glasgow. It ap-
peared that in the year 1798, one William Lapsley,
a grocer in Edinburgh, died . In 1792, he had exe-
cuted a trust disposition and settlement, by which he
conveyed his heritable property, situated in Virginia-
street, Glasgow, in favour of trustees in behalf of his
children,
William, Robert, James, and John, in life-
rent, and to their children in fee and property, equally
among them. The sons Robert and James died without
leaving any issue. William, the eldest son, settled in
Montreal, where he married and died, leaving two
children, William and Sarah Agden Lapsley. In
February, 1819, these two parties were served
and returned nearest and lawful heirs of provi-
sion to their grandfather under the trust disposi-
tion. William and Sarah, therefore, their uncle,
John Lapsley, not having lett any lawful issue, were in-
feft in the heritable subjects in Virginia. street. In the
course of time, the property was purchased of their
guardian, with their consent, by the father of the
respondent, for 1,4001., and until 1834, the respondent
remained in quiet possession, at which period the ap-
pellants, aBnltos: as
it ee(children
interestof John
i Lita,
and P3ieY' who had died
contended that
William and Sarah bad no title beyond one half.
The appellants raised an action of declarator of legiti-
macy and putting to silence. The respondent, on the
other hand, had brought a reduction of the service
pro-
cesses the judgment appealed
their father, was a woman of the name
of the appellants, and in these conjoined
from was pronounced.
The mother of the appellants, and who was
alleged by them to have been the lawful wife
of John Lapaley,
of Janet 2,l.liinla This female originally married
a baker of the name' of Kidd, and upon his death she
afterwards united herself to
one William Paul, who
subsequently went out to the United States, in conse-
quence, as it was imputed, of the intemperate habits of
his wife. Paul went away in 1801, and settled at New
York, leaving
letter that had been received from Paul was to his
his wife Janet in Glasgow. The last
brother Thomas, and bore the date of 21st of May,
1804. From this period it would seem there had been
no tidings of him. After Paul had been gone some
time, his wife. contracted an intimacy with John Laps-
ley, and of this connexion the appellant Robert, and
the mother of the two other appellants, wero the
alleged offspring, their statement being that, from
the year ISO 7, those parties had cohabited as
man and wife, and were habite and repute married
persons. When the matter had come before the magis-
trateshcleirlsderlef,n as
of Glasgow in the month of April, 1810, three
by
months after the death of John Lapsley upon a memo-
rial from Janet M.'Kinlay, praying for aliment for the
deceasedth
applica-
tion on the
ground mainly that there was no
opposed
the
hanevidence of the death of Paul, her former hue-
d. The magistrates directed aliment, and gave
i_tacoir,mission to America to take proof of the death of
I! ul, of which fact at that moment, they said they had
no satisfactory evidence. The aliment,
therefore, was
awardeda to her children as the illegitimate issue of John
.1-4 PaleY• The matter was
be-
fore the Court of Session when the Court pro-
nounced an interlocutory judgment to the effectthat
the
the appellants were not proved to have been the legiti-
mate issue of a legitimate marriage, and therefore, that
• _