The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-12 00:00:00

MR. HUME AT MONTROSE.

The Member for this district of burghs having been
called hither last week to attend the funeral of a sister,
took an opportunity of holding an interview with the
Town Council. Most of the members were present, but
the meeting was more of a private than a public nature—
the Provost remarkidg, that although Mr. Hume, under
other circumstances, would have been happy to have
entered fully and publicly on a review of his conduct al
their representative, he had no intention at present of
appearing before the constituencies.
Mr. HUME rose and stated, that it was not without
pride that he now looked upon the realisation of the
principles which he advocated thirty years ago, when he
first came before them. When he was first elected for
Montrose he was the only Scotch Member who stood
forward to condemn monopolies. At his now advanced
period of life--almost three score and ten —he might
naturally be expected to court retirement ; and
certainly, bad not a chance taken place in the policy
of the Executive, he would have bid adieu for ever
to public life. But he conceived, now when it was
probable that, in one year, more good may be done
than in an age, that he would sacrifice much of
the public advantage were he- to decline giving the
benefit of his experience and information to the Legisla-
ture. His energy and zeal for the public good were
still unabated. And, satisfied that much• might be
gained in the next Parliament for the working classes,
by the abolition of those taxes which press most heavily
on them, he was prepared once more to become the re-
presentative of the burghs. He had b.en instrumental
in getting a resolution passed to sweep away all sine •
cures—all offices where money was paid without services
rendered ; and whenever a sinecure fell in, he took
special care to remind Government of the fact. When
the Custom-house was thoroughly reforme3, like as the
Post-office is to some extent, he anticipated great and
lasting benefits to the mass of the people. Sir Robert
Peel had been blamed for laying on as many taxes as he
had taken off. This was unfair. He had taken off eight
millions of taxes, and he had laid on five, but these lat-
ter were laid on- upon capital, and the middle and lower
classes had been relieved. He (Mr. H.) expected to
see the whole of the assessed taxes removed, beginning
with that odious impost the window lights, and includ-
ing all taxes on carriages, railroads, canals, and, in
short, everything which sets industry in motion. He
regretted much that Sir Robert Peel bad seen it neces-
sary to retire from office. But of late he had been en-
couraged to put more confidence in till present Admi-
nistration; they were likely to pluck up mere resolution,
and there was no chance of their going backwards. If
the burgh constituencies, numbering abcut 365, would
only act honestly towards themselves, all would be right.
The next Parliament was destined to effect great and

salutary changes in our social system; and he thought
that, if his health permitted, his experience would be
useful in maturing these changes. For a con•
siderable time he hsd been turning his attention to the
expediency and nece,sity of relieving the shipping in-
terest from all /y:rt and light charges whatsoever; and
from the circumstance that Lord Palmerston, Admiral
Dundas, &c., took the same views with himself in the
Committee on light dues, he augured the happiezt re
sults. At present the shipping of Britain is taxed
365,0001. per annum for lights, whereas he had shown
that 75,0001. would be amply sufficient to maintain
the lights efficiently. He thought nothing was more
practicable than to place our shipping on a footing
to compete with the shipping of the world.—
(Hear.) He had succeeded in getting an important
reform effected in the unwieldy. composition of Com-
mittees of the House. Nineteen years ago, convinced of
the corruption that prevailed in these Committees, he
ATUS hooted wl7:,n he proposed to change their character
and to limit their numb, r; he had lived to see them re-
duced to five; so that no one ought to despair of accom-
plishing good. Henceforward no private evidence would
be received in support of any local Bill, as Government
must now be sati,fied by the report of a commissioner
specially appointed to make the necessary inquiry as to
all the facts and ciroumstanus set forth in said all.
Education, he believed, would be the great measure of

the next Parliament. Something was abiolutrly neces-
sary to be done, in order to repress crime. The penal
colonies were surfeited with convicts; and we have now
almost arrived at the pass—unable to punish criminal:;
for it was his opinion, that capital punishments would
soon be abolished. He thought a system of instruction
similar to that which obtains in Holland ought to be
introduced. There all go to the same school, and no
sectarian religious differences are introduced. He c)n-
ceived that it was the duty of the S:ate to provide edu-
cation as well as food for the multitude. Ile would like
to know what were the feelings of the constituency on
the subject. He might be wrong in his views; if he were
told so, he would at least think it necessary to reconsider
them. As to the Free Church, he regretted the steps
its ministers had taken; but now that they had gone out,
he respected their conscientious views. He thought it
highly essential to bring the Kirk and the Free Kirk
together on this important question. The Hon. Gentle-
man introduced sundry other topics, in a discursive
style, and sat down by thanking ;he Council for the
kindness he had always received at their hands.—Mon-
trose Review.

REVOLTING OUTRAGE.
(From the Cork Reporter.)
CORK POLICE OFFICE —TnunsnAv.
(Before the Mayor and Capt. White.)
It will be remembered that in our last imptes.ion we
made allusion to a charge which had been brought
against two officers of the 67th Regiment, for having
perpetrated a brutal and unmanly outrage on the person
of an unhappy woman of ill-fame. The woman con-
cerned in this case had sworn informations before the
magistrates on Monday last, but afterwards, from some
cause then unknown, refused to substantiate and follow
up those informations. It has since been said that she
had been induced, by a considerable bribe, to forego the
prosecution.
On Thursday last the unhappy woman was again
brought before the bench, when the magistrate, havina.
ordered Vie Court to be cleared, demanded whether the
woman would follow up the informations.
She replied, that she would take to further steps in
the matter.
Captain White advised the woman to pause and con-
sider before she came to such a decision.
The woman still persisted in refusing to prosecute.
Captain White said it was not in his power to force
her to substantiate the informations against her will ;
such a proceeding would be opposed to the principles of
the constitution. But he was sorry that such a shocking
crime should escape due punishment. It was his duty as
a magistrate to believe the parties accused guiltless of
the charge, as the complainant withdrew her informa-
tions; but though the woman, in her first informations,
might have unintentionally exaggerated the circum-
stances, still he had no doubt she had sworn truly. If
the indecent outrage sworn to by her were perpetrated,
it stamped with deep disgrace the parties guilty of it.
They held a respectable position, and must have known
the duties appertaining to that position. They held the
rank of gentlemen, and must have been conscious of
what belonged to g.,ntlemen. They were British officers,
and as such they were aware of the indelible disgrace
that must attach to them from such conduct. Under
these circumstances, and as the woman had withdrawn
the charge, he was unwilling to believe that gentlemen
holding her Majesty's commission would be guilty of an
'offence that Outraged humanity.
His Worship seemed very much moved while address-
ing the complainant.
Mr. J. J. O'Brien said he could bear testimony that
the bench had now, as on all occasions of which he was
cognisant, fully discharged its duty. As the woman
had refused to follow up her first informations, it was to
be presumed that the parties were innocent of the
offence, and if she again, after once refusing, were in-
duced to substantiate her informations, it would mate-
rially damage the effect of her evidence with a jury.
For the sake of public morality it was better that the
matter should end there. It was not in the power of
the bench to compel the woman to proceed.
The MAYOR replied, that it was the knowledge that it
was out of their power to compel the woman, and also
the wish not to outrage public morality, by the publica-
tion of so shocking a business, that induced them to
suffer the woman to withdraw the charge ; for an accu-
sation of so disgusting and revolting a nature never
came under his cognizance ; but the bench could do no
more in the matter.
The woman was then permitted to withdraw from the
Court.

The incumbency of St. James's Church, Bermond-
sey, has been conferred on the Rev. William Nowal.
MILITARY PUNISIIMENT.-Tuesday evening a meet-
ing of the gentlemen who have formed themselves into a
committee for " purchasing the discharge of Privates
Mathewson and Cook, witnesses at the late coroner's
inquest at Hounslow, from the 7th Hussars," took place
at Mr. G. Walters's, the Blue Posts Tavern, Shoe-lane,
Fleet-street. Mr. Justins, the honorary secretary, stated
that a penny subscription had been commenced. Between
thirty and forty boxes had been distributed by the com-
mittee among licensed victuallers. The committee at
present had about 151. in hand. In addition there were
between 61. and 7/. in private hands, and about 101. in the
boxes. Mr. Beheny a,ked what was the amount required
to purchase the discharge of Mathewson and Cook. The
chairman replied 501, being 30/. for Mathewson, as he
had not been in the regiment but a few months, and 201.
for Cook, as he had been in the service about ten years.
Mr. Beheny—Have the authorities at the War-office the
power to refuse the money when tendered for the dis-
charge of privates? Upon this a discussion arose, and
it appeared that the War-office had the power, but seldom
exercised it. The meeting soon after separated.
SERIOUS RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Sunday night
last an accident of a dreadful character took place on the
Lancaser and Carlisle Railway, near Kendal, which is
likely to terminate in fatal consequences, and by which
valuable property has been destroyed. It appears that
on the above day a party of sub-contractors and other
persons engaged on the line decided on having a plea-
sure trip to Shap, a distance of about sixteen miles, to
celebrate the completion of the railway, so far as the
practicability of travelling was concerned, and for that
purpose procured two engines belonging to the company
(we understand entirely without their consent), and
started at an early hour in the day. On returning, one
of the
therefore,ecede d the other for a considerable dis-
tance, and,
rived at its destination sooner,
and was incautiously left standing on the ' rails in the
direct path of the one was &hind ; and the fearful
consequence was thnt aw collision ensued, which dashed
the former engine to atomel, and dreadfully injured those
who were being con„
.of on the latter, they being
thrown off it by the force
on it,
shock in all directions.
Gawth, a smith, who was
naceit, was dashed with tre-
mendous fore:: into the fur of the engine, and dread-.
1 ully-rtsicW about the upper parts of his body and
yelseliajtitle4. so much that two ....C.,
pas
out of the three sur-
who atteadefildiim stated
that they had no hope
44 'itever'rof his redivery. Another
. person had his thigh
r , ,
A.llacerated, and others were injured to a great extent. The
engineer has abse'onled.
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