The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, June 8.
GREAT YARMOUTH DISFRANCHISEMENT.
The Earl of DEVON rose to move the order of the
day for the house going into Committee on the Great
Yarmouth Disfranchisement Bill.

The Earl of REDESDALE remarked that there was
no petition from Yarmouth against the Bill.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE thought that the
Bill was expedient, and believed the general opinion to
be that there was no hardship in it.
The Bill then passed through Committee, and the
report was brought up.
PETTY BAG OFFICE BILL.
This Bill passed through Committee.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

The Marquis of LAINSDONN NE gave notice that ho
should to-morrow move that the llouse at its rising
adjourn until Thursday next.
The House then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, June 8.

THE CONDUCT OF THE POLICE IN BISHOP

BONNER'S-FIELDS.
(Continued from our Third Edition of last night.)
Mr. G. THOJIL'SON—The nature of the question
was this he had to ask the Right lion. Baronet whe-
ther be was in possession, from any quarter, of
information alleging that on Sunday last, the 4th
instant, certain outrages had been inflicted by
the police upon peaceable, loyal, and well-
coLditioned individuals living in the nvighbourhood of
the Tower Hamlets.—(llear, hear, and partial laughter.)
Ile put the question because he held the testimony in his
hand of 60 witnesses, all of whom he had reason to

believe were respectable persons, following decent uccu-
pations—many of them were respectable inhabitants, and
shopkeepers in the Tower Hamlets. Their testimony
was consistent and concurrent, and agreed i❑ this, that
the most brutal outrages were committed by the police,
nut only in Bishop Banner's fields, but even more than
a mile from the scene where the Chartist outrages took
place; and they stated, that unless the Government
instituted a searching inquiry into all the facts of the
case, and adopt means to prevent the recurrence
of similar outrages for the future, that great
dissatisfaction would continue to exist in that

neighbourhood. In putting this question to the Right
Hon. Baronet, he begged to assure him and the House
that he had no sympathy with violent language and
disaffection. He simply asked the question, at the re-
quest of his constituents, who had placed an amount
of evidence in his hands which deserved !the
serious consideration of the Government, and he
was sure the Government would be of his
opinion when they were in possession of the facts.
He therefore begged to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman
whether he had any information sustaining that com-
plaint against the police, or intended to adopt any steps
to prevent a recurrence of it if proved?
Sir G. GREY said the Hon. Gentleman had given him
notice of his intention to ask whether any information
had been received complaining of alleged attacks made
by the police, on last Sunday evening, on individuals in
the neighbourhood of the Tower Hamlets and Bethnal-

green. Now, he was able to bring down to the House
some evidence on that subject which ho could not have
brought on a former occasion. Ile would proceed, how-
ever, to answer the question of the Hon. Member in the
first instance. He should say he had received a com-
plaint of the conduct of the police. In a letter
which had been sent to him, dated last Monday, the
sth of June, written by an individual named W.
Higgins, from the neighbourhood of Victoria park, the
writer stated that, in his opinion but one feeling
was entertained in the neighbourhood—namely, that
the conduct of the police was most brutal, and as bar-
barous as ever beheld.—(Hear, hear.) He had
received other communications to the same effect.
He had also received two other letters, one signed
James Fox and the other Arthur Mathew, which cor-
tained a similar statement to that which he had already
read to the House. That was the substance of the com-
plaint he had received in reference to the alleged brutal
conduct of the police, but it would be an act of injustice
to that body it' he did not slate that he
had also received evidence of a contrary nature.
to that which he had just read, and which showed clearly
what were the nature of the meetings held in in Vic-
toria park and other places in the neighbourhood.—
(Cheers.) Meetings of this nature had been held pre-
viously to last Sunday, which had given rise to great
disturbances and to the stoppage of trade in various dis-
tricts; and information having come to their know-
ledge that similar meetings were to be held.
last Sunday in the neighbourhood of the
Tower Hamlets, the Commissioners of Police,
under his directions, stationed an additional force
in the vieinity of the places of meeting. The
instructions given to the police were, that they must
be prepared to act immediately, but that they were not
to interfere with the meetings so long as they
remained orderly, and so long as their pro-
ceedings were conducted in a peaceable manner.
The Commissioners had previously issued a notice that
these meetings were illegal if they were continued after
dark, and the police had instructions to disperse them if
that rule were violated. He now held in his hand
the report of the inspector under whose immediate
charge the police acted, and from this report it would
appear that a meeting of the Irish Confederates took
place at three o'clock on Sunday, and a meeting of the
Chartists was held at five o'clock the same day. In-
spector Waller was stationed with a body of men out
of the public view, in the St. James's Church district.
An inspector who made the report was in attendance
at the different points where the meetings were collected
throughout the entire day. The inspector stated teat
at the latter meeting no loss than 3,000 persons of all
descriptions had assembled, who remained orderly until
25 minutes past seven o'clock, when the meeting
broke up, and then between 400 and 500 pro-
ceeded to the church, and broke nearly all the
windows, and when the inspector passed he was received
with the shouts end execrations of the mob, many of
them pelting him with stones. The people were called
upon to disperse quietly, but the intimation was an-
swered by another shower of stones, and the police
were therefore compelled to interfere. One sergeant
and seven police-constables were severely injured, and
several had been rendered unfit for duty. The
inspector stated, in addition, that several per-
sons who witnessed the proceedings were ready
to corroborate the statements in his report. Ile
(Sir G. Grey) had received a letter from a Mr. Houghton,
complaining, not of the interference of the police, but
showing the great danger which might have resulted from
their not interfering earlier, and therefore more effectually.
That letter concluded by the writer complaining that
the rate-payers of the parish should be subjected
to the annoyance, insult, and injury to life and property
which these meetings were calculated to bring about.
He (Sir George Grey) held in his hand S l
letters from different inhabitants of the die-
trict, concurring in the statement with respect to
the inconvenience of those meetings, and as to the
forbearance with which the police had acted; and
he was assured that there was but ono opinion on the
subject throughout the whole district in which the
meeting had been held, and that the police were
entitled to the greatest praise.—(Hear, and cheers.)
Several persons had been committed to the Central Cri-
minal Court for having been parties to the disturbances.
He had that very day received a deputation of gentle-
men from the neighbourhood of Bethnal-green to re-
quest him to present for them a loyal address to
her Majesty, assuring her that they viewed with abhor.
rence the scenes that had lately taken place in the
metropolis, and assuring her of their loyal determine:-
don to uphold the Crown, the Government, and the law.
He had also read a memorial from the inhabitants of
the neighbourhood of Victoria-park, stating the occurence
that had taken place in the neighbourhood on Sunday
last, and expressing their hope that the Government would
immediately adopt some course to suppress such meetings,
and thereby remove the alarm and danger that existed.
He would only say with respect to the statements which
the Hon. Member had made against the police, that
the parties making them had the same means of
proving their truth as the police had of justifying
their conduct.—(Cries of "Hear, hear.") A tribunal
had been sitting to hear any complaints on either side,
but he was not aware that any had been made
against the police.—(Hear, hear.) He could assure
the Honourable Member that there was no
disposition on the part of the Government to interfere
with meetings of a legitimate character—(Bear, hear)
—but he thought all would admit that the
meetings that had lately taken place in the
metropolis were anything but of such a description.
The police had orders from the Government to afford
every protection to persons and property, and to
put down such illegal and improper meetings,
and he was sure from the course they had hitherto
adopted, they would not hesitate to do that which the
safety to the property and life of her Majesty's subjects
imperatively demanded.—(Hear, hear.)
NAVIGATION-LAWS—ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Sir JOHN WALSH then resumed the adjourned
debate on the navigation-laws. He said he was sur-
prised that no attempt had been made on Friday night
to answer the able and convincing speech of his lion.
and Learned Friend the Member for Whitehaven (Mr.
Hildyard). He observed that the advocates of free trade
had not on this occasion resorted to their usual argu-
ment—that the interests that would be affected by the
alteration of the navigation-laws were class interests,
and, therefore, that it would be beneficial to the comma
tt,
nity to abolish them. The argument they used o
occasion was this, that the measure would not bedetri-
mental to the mercantile marine of the country. Under
and Under
this view of the case, the statements of his HLearned Friend respecting the increase of the Prussian
commercial marine became very important. They should
not look merely to the positive effect of an alteration of
the navigation-laws. If an alteration of them were
likely to give a relative increase to the marine
of foreign countries, as compared with their
own, that House ought not to consent to make
such alterations. The Hon. Member for Westbury
alluded to the augmentation of their commercial
marine since the passing of Mr. Huskisson's measure,
but be forgot that there was a natural increase of that
marine, which was not at all connected with the mea-
sures of that statesman. He would only refer to the
increase which had taken place in consequence of the
traffic to the east of the ,Cape, to China, Penang, and
Singapore.—(Hear, hear.) Hon. Gentlemen opposite
seemed to him to fritter away the advantage of their
commercial marine to the royal navy. The evidence of
SieT.Stirling alone was taken before the Committee with
respect to this important question. That one person
only was examined he considered to be a proof that the
sttbject had received too little consideration. But he
had a plan of his own, namely, that they should main-
tain a larger naval establishment in time of peace. He
thought it was too much to be called on to decide on so
important I point on the evidence of a single indivi-

Price

Price

45
41 Os,

J,

dual, who, it was evident, had peculiar views re-
specting it. It seemed to him that the fallacy of Sir
Stirling's evidence was clear on the face of it, for he eppsared
never to have taken into his consideration the circumstanc°e
that an emergency might arise for a sudden clement
lion of the navy. Where could they find, on a sudden
emergency, some 70,000 or 80,000 persona to man the
navy? Landsmen vveuld Le merely an impediment. The
mercantile marine must be their main reliance in time cf
war. They were a kind of national guards, which were
free, too, from those objections which existed sgainst
such a body in other countries. He had listened atten-
tively to the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman the
Member for the University of Oxford, which was d
vered with more than his usual clearness, and it be
understood his Right Ilon. Friend's plan, it was merely
a permission to negotiate with foreign powers on the
terms of reciprocity. Ile preferred that plan to the
measure of the Government, which went to the almost
total abrogation of the navigation-laws. It seemed to
him to be the height of absurdity to yield adrantageg t°
other states without receiving any benefits in return.
It seemed to him that the Government could not have
chosen a worse time for introducing a speculative
measure like the present, whilst the continental states
were in sueh confusion. Was this a proper time for
them to try such rash and doubtful theories ?
would advise them to wait at all events till they knetri
what would he the result of the storm. If they h
foreseen what hail since occurred in the states et,
Europe, ho did not believe the Government worilet
hare introduced such a measure. The promoters of this
„
measure were altogether mistaken in their sanguineh
Utopian views, that wars would no longer exist, ao
me
(!
that they were to have a universal peace. Ile cautone
the House to pause before they passed a measure
on whith
would weaken the foundation which the naval supre•
macy of England rested.—(Hear.) the
Mr. MACGREGOR considered the results which
0_
opponents of the resolutions predicted from an alterete
in the navigation-laws to be at variance with all Oro.
rience. They believed that if the measure was 55.1,-
4
tioned by Parliament the inevitable consequence
be the ruin of their shipping interest, and the total
Whoa
e.
wa.
tinction of their maritime power. H* s hs
e"
sceptical with respect to any such consequence;
-vest!
•
examined the question on its principles. B tmrest of
gated the facts with regard to the shipping intewhich
other countries; and he could not find a single ohnev were
would lead him to the conclusion with which t'eln the
threatened by the opponents of the measure. Teith
contrary, he believed the effect of the Bill, counie_ Bight
the measures eGaesuurtleesmoafucommercial freedom passed by theke the
(Sir R. Peel), would be to ma idest
ports and docks of the United Kingdom thegr.:aid'
emporium that ever existed for the produce of the oopfe
—([leer, hear.) It was said that their maritim with
ase
rity and naval grandeur were concurrent veitdb whets
caused by the navigation-laws, from the Pert,. de'
they were passed by that stern ruler to whom the,
nied a niche in their palace at Westminster. ge ° tfinity,
the concurrence, but he denied the cause. Their tte
eionp,
ywra3smliks te
el'inudaisPttbetie
so far as prosperity was in
nity which existed betweegnuetsht
fertility of the banks of the Nile. Those wt
weft-
on the dependence of their naval power on the
exceed
tion-laws would discover that their naval power
if
these
that of any other country before the existence
'l3Alfted,
laws. Without going so far back as the time °-ed over
he would mention that a victory had been ,gain eel, tell;
the French fleet in the time of Edward 111., 3° 11416,
English fleet destroying 15 French vessels; lo es dir
Duke of Bedford, who commanded the Eoglishcr b
troyea
tested 500 ships in the Channel; in 1415, the Detc,e
the Dutch fleet; again in 1512, they learnt; and
fleet; in 1545 they defeated the French fleetj
0. it 05
, 1653 the Duke of York beat the Dutch f1eet,.1,1651'
impossible that the navigation-laws, which Prolhsvigi'
could have had any effect. Other countries ha" deco haul
Lion laws at all, and yet they had a great naval ,ut with'
land had the greatest difficulties to contend with, usidereble
out the aid of navigation laws she became a c3lteges
maritime power, whilst Spain, with vast advale tnioes,°e
rived from her West Indian possessions and tbesiteerenli
Mexico, and with a code of maritime ant,lset her 0,111,
laws of the most stringent character, had te)°,„eet nes
strength. He believed that at the present I°°'"ev;er thaw
land was considerably stronger as a naval rebel:la:a
Spain and Portugal together. He should BPP el
danger whatever from the repeal of these eta 'in cOese,,
not believe British shipping had ever sulferevt info Cote;
quence of relaxation. When the House Wen,ereards,he
mittee on these resolutions he should bring Tatige of lot,
tistics in proof of his position. As repro° in the em
largest ship-building constituency but on* Ott int, be
pire, he should give this measure bie:sllPPesoelaeing
most perfect confidence that 'tie csr'hei
acceptable to his constituents. liege eon`'
out these laws, however, he did n:weele 00s
auxiliary measures would be required. The 1, 1100
toms system of the country must be ebtingeeltlash C
monstrous to thick that no vessel, even in seingri°Tecen
enter or sail from any port of the United o
cept under the superintendence of a custom peed le itie6
He thought also that all duties on timber the ces° the
building must be repealed. With respect tooted /oleo be
trade he thought no harm was to be elietreder bursa
competition of any vessel in the cosisting,b dutis tend to
did fear that in consequence of our hievould Rot
wine and spirits the opening of that trade
ot in tl?erity,
a great amount of smuggling. He was n sopet illSt
afraid of the effect of repealupon our 0512 se tn ees
Mr. WILLIAM MILES had listened fie neerieg
speaker with very great astonishmen. biro, subject'
pected very different arguments from the stisf
the amount of study he had given t,t.',,,titeent„„ht t°
but he had not heard one single 111505 iierbe"
weight in proof of his position that these estionl3-o°lir
be repealed. What was the state of then Vnted °report;
ttyririegichT bw,',3tecenitideer)ter:
fore the House? The House had aPPealeee eqjo-toe'
mittee of Inquiry; that Committee had in then ,'-ot
A Committee, however, was now
Lords. It was receiving evidence
cessible to the House of Commons. ef this re, mot
would go far to prove the in dvisabilitY eseeee tiot
a eery hew 0
It would show that Danish ships cost Let t red
to build and to work than British shiPs•bsut teo'dieeet;
let the world conceive that they were eeente The 1"/;.
the wages of British seamen to 5' 10035gu uertei
With regard to American vessels, he e° teat q
• froth • the $ll
not so much afraid of competitene ei he ein
In the time of war, however, there coml_ed to b of cSy,
that the mercantile navy would be reqtellit cesewo nev,
its integrity. What would they do 10901 0 1,
gency? The feeling throughout fated 130
universal in favour of the contenipl,c_`,,hecle4 the
0
represented by the Hon. and Learned ine7iionsis
ton, for, while there were scarcely where sorer rot;
_ecs Ise
for it from the commercial classes,
seenstr3u seb
other hand, very many urgent reeee
eels ts• f the ge.
from our most important shiening -i°ation :0 ch°flelsi
Mr. MOODY, after much consider
mater he
00-e
jest, had satisfied his mind that solve old be jjoil6i;
were necessary in our navigation-lawtefore theiutrillto
therefore support the original motion the
It was perfectly clear, that vvhatevercrthe laewt
value of the free-trade principles, Mae awe the
Sic°, eote
land under the suerintendence ot ins co con eetee;
Member for Tamworth, these prine'Pe; now cefells
fairly tested without the further
effect of thee; rl°o
plated.—(Hear, hear.) As to the enftei at prese dote,:
upon our shipping interest, we seem'gee heri7o
at sea on that point, for while one led sppeticel
professional men, and therefore, it w.ee deneveitere-s,
the 'I! rerel, e° art'
a claim to attention for their opinion•Linflies thsr_a
another
twholly
gentlemen,destructive a
equally
eessioe-
distin e, ass
m 10
the
fore equally entitled to attention,Pra°s
that the change would do good rather te
Petition
rstionte
shipping interest.—(Hear, hear.) theirTb dcel:01 Pe
flee,
subject were equally discrepant in rocessi
and, therefore, it seemed to him, nenoluto COlll dea
son, very desirable, at all events, tog be moo. thr
that the details of the matter mig,sesen beiTe see
cussed—(Hear, bear)—Hon. Gen _ems( !.01,fi.,
at full liberty to give their final decisto
cui....,(1
.0
sure as it should then be developed to thiti: 0,0;0 ti,
Sir G. CLERK said that it was liaon 101 steel`ti
mind that some change in the navig°l
quisite, and he could not, therefore, suite, ou ~_e f
it
the 140 r,
ment which was equivalent to a declar
rtivi"as essoll_excet;
of the House that no change whatevesoseet Yytto_,f
Hon. Gentlemen who supported the o°,,e edi6ere'lier?;,
our navigation-laws as of some venerecneeteet ; 7401,
came perfect from the hand of its ar
been
hnd osta
in point of simple fact, this edifice .00 co
almost from the period of its constructt tefer, frect, 0
rations and remodellings, which, helenoreeeeo,ol,/j
ample room and verge for further ase"ene of t,'sear,''ils
changes. One thing was manifest, tha.t de
etPoi
who had, from time to time, revised ti_cieioslole
upon any distinct or comprehensive pla,",tcrepae,,,s
were disfigured by the most glaringss %/cubit!, e co/
contradictions, all of them more or le 'L5,00°040
of them eminently,so—to impede ourepysizprobsPe eTe,
rying nation, and our general comp T'
hert,oetirlf
(Hear, hear.) He repudiated a tog corerecetS,,,s
which Hon. Gentlemen expressed ofetiLs, pa
under a change of the law, of foreignivo7„
as regarded their tonnage, with our o
s.j'eliieeeeptsef
trade. Even as it was, with all then re
.telts ib
pediments under which our presentY
iflllY'esl3fl
competed with the foreigner succes etc! he 0,01,
the entire tonnage that passed into the "fi"tt iiiincreetoioe
—and our success would of course, 10 1`„ were 1. cloven,
more complete when these restrictioa7 totee, sfsero
Competent evidence proved that evert a! tostee.setbcoe
ling of our ships, the facilities afforderlit'be eilowith'e
sels by the late changes in our tariff, as ;duce' ss I,ets
to obtain provisions out of bond, /lade; eieced ere eats
of this item fully thirty per cent., an'„rr, ,ctieoPeol
nearly on an equality—practically
o', any olieso
equality—in this respect with the steps..eld'oetho ineceo
country. The same proposition aPPIII3. Prte.itiroPici
equal force to the construction of Ys° with J. slier
respect he feared no real competitioen,enied teebets;er
ships; and as to American vessels, he
there
et f tiettret
of equal excellence could be built "WI tic e o r 0
e The be lee
rate than they could be built her •
ere, butt ht' oo"
might, perhaps, be so:nething less
o,
.hiperrgeoe 4e,
was not so good, and the wagesrorl:lo.
far heavier, averaging at New e_es was Pthereve
elsewhere Bs. 4d., a far higher sum v",i,ue.r *its
wages of our awn merchant seamrietir,
00e 0
The wages of the seamen wereeentnon.ert'sgairnl reoltriogf
York not less than 60:. a month. sethat unless eeteeeceri
was one thing, however, clear,
eof roan Bali ros'
was done to improve the syst m
should ar Cfll,°
our commercial marine,
referredP to tb:ith so!t,ecoe
dnvsl
Right Hon. Gentleman then
pmeucct ihv e nadvantages
itered int° sat fee t re
le
cations which Mr. Murray had et
to state °' b
floss a,
t
of our Consuls, and took occasien 03ig
gortohuern:rreesweheattse.l----er01;:r003)
seeded, the late Governmentcommunications, in
ted that thc orate
Mr. Murray had distinctly sta
whateverwalTll:
ntou'vray te•oeroseolieetitteori
ult of a Prcon° Co'
to se .0 ot
speCti
er Irre or,
lions he had received were the res
_vertti
tbs
addressed by
his own acquaintance vie
' evidence, bp ,
vernment. Mr. Murray
h irn°lf
altosth personally,