The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-27 00:00:00

CHELTENHAM.

The case for the petitioner was opened by Mr. Ser-
geant KINGLAKE, Rho stated that the allegation against
Sir Willoughby Jones was that he obtained his return
by resorting to gross bribery and corruption, while his
agents carried on a system of treating to a most extrava-
gant extent, no less than sixty public-houses having been
thrown open to the electors during the election. The
bribery consisted of engaging a great number of voters
as committeemen, messengers, and Wig carriers, at ss.
a day- while in
other instances the electors were paid
large sums of money down upon the nail upon their
engaging to go forthwith and poll for Sir Willoughby
Jones.

A number of Liberal voters were called in the course
of the day, who proved that upon an offer being made to
them by an agent of the sitting Member to put their
names down on a list of the employed for ten days, at
a day, they consented to ♦ote for the Tory side, but
after the election good faith was not kept with them, as
they were only paid forhalf the specified number of days.
The Committee rose at two o'clock, to enable the
Members to attend the Drawing-room.

DUBLIN.—
The Dublin Election Committee met pro forma this
morning, and adjourned till eleven on
Monday.
..—....—____

FREE LABOUR IN THE BRITISH
COLONIES.—(THIS DAY.)
A very numerous public meeting was held this' day,
at the London Tavern, in pursuance of an advertisement
largely signed by some of the most influential men in
the City, calling together all persons who were desirous
of upholding the system of tree labour in the British
Colonies, and of preventing the country from becoming
dependent for its supply of sugar and coffee upon the
extension of cultivation by means of slavery and the
-
slave trade.

Tflossas•BAßlNG, Esq., was unanimously elected to
take the chair, and stated that he had received letters
from Mr. Lushington, Mr. J. Pattison, and Mr. A.
Hastie, of apology for their non-attendance at the
meeting. The commercial community of London, he
observed, were not often in the habit of meeting for
political discussion, and were ever dilatory in agitating
public questions of importance, but it became their duty
to express an opinion on those occasions when the
prosperity of a portion of her Majesty's dominions,
and the means of existence of a vast number of
her subjects were threatened with annihilation. It
was impossible for the most cursory observer of
events not to see that at the present moment the inter-
ests of our colonial possessions were in the most cri-
tical danger. Not only had the value of property been
depreciated, but the progress of civilization had been re-
tarded,
and that social system to which they looked
forward fer a gradual advancement in the well-being
and morals of the people, had been disturbed. Such
being the state of the colonies, if some protection was
not afforded to them, they might not only soon become
valueless, but expensive appendages to the mother colo-
nies. The question was not whether there should be a
charge of a penny a pround upoa sugar, whether millions
upon millions of money should be expended upon the
colonies, which we ourselves had received. If we gra
dually destroyed a colonial produce with which
this country was now mainly supplied, was
it not evident that eventually it would have
the effect of enhancing the price of that produce?
And, independently of that, if free labour in the colo-
nies was swept away, the produce which they now sup-
plied us with would come from foreign countries, eho
must consequently have an increase of labour,N., and
that increase would be the means of extending the slave
trade, which it had always been the deaire of this
country to suppress. That was not a party meeting;
in fact, he hardly knew where parties nlw were, aid
their only object was to prevent the colonies from anni-
hilation and the policy of the Government from contempt.
This he would say, that if any interest had been vic-
timised by party feeling and party squabbles for power
and place, it was that of the colonies.—(Cheers.) Tne
times were now too important fur them to einbarrasr,
the Government, bat it was their bounden duty to
check such au extreme stretch of the free-trade doctrine
as was calculated to effect so much injury. lie thought
that the majority of free traders themselves would.
under the extraordinary difficulties in which the colo-
nies were placed, consent to some measure of relief being
conceded to them. The lion. Gentleman was loudly
cheered in the course of his address, and concluded by
calling upon
Mr. SAMUEL GURNEY, who said that he had to pro-
pose a resolution, which was most satisfactory to his
own mind, and which he was sure would receive the ap
proval of the meeting. It was to the following effect.--
" That this meeting, consisting of merchants, bankers,
and others, of the city of London—assembled without
regard to the political views or private interests of any
class of her Majesty's subjects—is of opinion, that,
while it is an object of great importance to the people of
this country to obtain an abundant and cheap supply of
sugar and coffee, it is no less desirable to combine with
that object the maintenance of the system 01 free labour,
which has been established at so great a sacrifice in the
British Colonial Possessions."
If ILn unrestrained admission of slave•grown sugar
was allowed they would find that a great decrease would
take place in the supply from our own colonies, and that
the greater proportion of sugar imported into this
•

. .
country comes from Brazil and Cuba. He was a free
trader in principle, but cases occurred where there ought
to be exceptions to that principle, and he thought no
exception could be so well based, and so meet the
opinions of the people of this country, as that based upon
a desire to prevent the greatest crimes, the greate.t
miseries, and the greatest destruction of human life
which anything could possibly produce.—(Cheers.)
The motion was carried unanimously.
The following resolutions were subsequently passed
with great unanimity:—
Proposed by WILLIAM COTTON, Esq., and seconded
by TnemAs WlLsore, Esq.:—
" That it appears from the evidence taken before the
Select Committee on Sugar and Coffee Planting ap-
pointed by the House of Commons iu February last, and
from the published dispatches of the Governors of her
Majesty's Tropical Possessions, that the competition
consequent upon the Act of 1846 between the forced and
unrequited labour of slaves in Cuba and Brazil and the
paid labour of our emancipated negroes, has already
brought the British Colonies, which bad been previously
struggling with the difficulties of their new position, to
the brink of ruin, and endangered the existence of those
civil and religious institutions on which the future wel-
fare and progress of their inhabitants depend."
Proposed by CHARLES MILLS, Esq., and seconded by
JAMES 0. IlAusox, E,A.,
" That the inhuman traffic in slaves, which in the
years 1844 and 1845 had been more effectually checked
than at any antecedent period, has—accerding to the
evidence
hergiven before the Committee by Lord Pal-
merston,Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs—actually doubled in amount during the last two
years."
Proposed by Joust G. HOARE, E q , and seconded by
HENRY S. TmostuTos, &.q.:—
" That to stimulate, on the one hand, the demand for
slaves in Cuba and Brazil by enhancing the value of the
products of their labour, and on the oth, r hand to make
a show of checking the supply of slaves from Africa to
those countries by armed intervention, is an inconsis-
tency which impugns either the honesty or the common
sense of the people of this country, and renders their
Policy a matter of suspicion to f'oreign powers."
Proposed by WILLIAM Tnomrsost, Esq., Alderman,
and seconded by A. W. BOBA.RTS, Esq.,
" That unless the Sugar Duties Act of 1846 be
promptly and materially altered, it is manifest that the
production of the British possessions will greatly decline
—that we shall speedily become dependent for our sup-
plies of sugar upon slave.trading countries, and that the
consumer must pay an increased price, at least until
additional slaves can ba transported from Africa to ex-
tend cultivation in Cuba and Brazil."
Proposed by R. D. MANGLES. Esq., M.P.,
and
conded by H. Surrou, Esq.:—
" That the interests and the honour of the British
empire are alike concerned in averting the destruction
of the
eagriculture and trade of the colonies, and in se-
curing the full success of the great experiment of eman-
cipation—the failure of Is hick would indefinitely post-
pone the abolition of :laver) throughout the world."
Proposed by Sir ;E. N. BUXTON, Bart., and seconded
by C. BARCLAY,
" That this iLeeting, while it would most
strongly deprecate any system of immigration which
might lead to a renewal of the African slaw-trade,
by s Payment in money cr otherwise for a
supply of labourers from that continent; and; while it
would be opposed to any enactment in the colonies which
may be incompatible with freedom and the Act of
Emancipation, •
3.`! nevertheless of opinion, that
in order to enable the British colonies to
compete successfully with slave-trading countries,
it is highly desirable that her Majesty's Government
should give prompt encouragement to the introduction of
suitable free labour under yrciper supervision-4bat

S
I just relations should be maintained between employer I'-- -t-
I and labourer, to secure to both the benefits of freedom. is,e\-,.
! and ioduvry, and that every local improvement which ‘t.:-.4-,'.,PF'- -'--- - -‘7
can tend to reduce the cost of production, should be pro- n'f:::/' j';'-'i'''%-.,;'
rooted by generous assistance on the part of the mother dt-f.tvt(e-4.0, .I'-',-' ' -,.-
country. ' .6, :%, 4.4•,- :' IF `'':::
'1
.\ %, ~:, -....e. ... Propoled by J'OBN MASTERMAN, Esq., M.P. and ~‘_,l.:\ - t-,-,,,,s ----_,,,
seconded by Sir C. PRICE, Bart.:— -,-.A,l_-q.l-j--.;,,
" That until these objects can be fairly accomplished, fixacrviisma
and ;he colonies placed in a position to encounter a '
competition which must under the most favourable cir-
cumstances prove formidable, they have a just claim to
such support as shall put them upon a footing of virtual
(quality, in respect to the cost of labour, with those
countries in which slavery still exists."
A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chairman.
and the meeting separated.

METROPOLITAN COURT OF
SEWERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sut,—Under this head it is reported in the Times
paper of this day, that Mr. Chadwick, referring to the
survey of the metropolis by the Ordnance, stated yew-
tvrdsy, " that an Association of Surveyors had offered
to undertake the work on terms apparently lower than
those or the Ordnance, but the work proposed proved
not to be so complete, nor were the securities for com-
pleting it deemed sufficient."
We beg to contradict this statement as totally iIuCCEI-
- we undertook to complete the work within six
months' to the full extent as described in the estimate o(
the Ordnance (of which the Commissioners furnished 't
a copy) for the final sum of 18,2001., their estimate is the
nominal sum of 19,9451., and does not include their
military pay, no time is fixed for its completion, and as
the Ordnance estimates, have hitherto amounted to only
one-third of the actual cost incurred, we say positively,
we should save very many thousands of pounds to the
public; as to securities, we offered any amoent that they
might require, besides stating that we required no money
except upon delivery of the work and its approval.
The prominent reason stated for the rejection of our
proposal was, " that we had not the power of entry
upon private lands without consen!, whereas the Ord-

'lance Department had that power;" the opinion of the
Attorney-General, Solicitor-General, and Mr. Peacock,
read to the Commissioners yesterday, distinctly states
that the Ordnance officers have no more power to enter
lands without consent than ourselves; we therefore re-
quest your kind insertion of this reply, in justice to our
association and in support of our claim to be engaged on
this work.

By direction of the Committee of the
Surveyors' Association,

- E. CHADWICK, Secretary.
68, Chancery-lane, May 26, 1848.

A WOMAN SHOT BY A SOLDIER
AT NEWPORT BARRACKS.
A startling event has just taken place at our barracks,
which has produced the greatest excitement asnongst
the officers and soldiers, aud, indeed, the inhabitants of
the town generally. A fine young man, twenty-two
years of age, one of the best conducted and most cleanly
soldiers in he 14th Regiment, had been living in con-
cubinage with a young woman named Agnes Hill, about
twenty-eight years of age, a native of Dartmouth, in
Devonshire, for about twelve months. Kelly, the name
of the soldier, having been out from barracks last night
(as it is stated) drinaing with the woman, he was this
morning confined, and previously to his liberation the
unfortunate woman sent to him for some money, and he
let her have halt-a-crown, with which she went to the
Canteen with two soldiers, whom she freely treated. On
Kelly leaving the guard-room, he proceeded to where
she was, and called her—went to his room, and loaded
his gun, and in the barrack-yard deliberately levelled at
the lower part of her person, shooting her through tha
body, ,near the groin. A soldier named Dogherty was
h ebdo woman
standinglilii by the side of the woman, and in order to avoid
him, Kelly motioned him to stand aside.
Thn!
vireteprooonooduendeedthboy
balla medicalhaving
gentleman to
mortallyis
wounded
passed passed through her body. The '
aoj,t;nt of the regiment
gave information of the event to Mr. English, the chief
of police, who lost not a moment in proceeding to the
baracks and arresting Kell
which he found was reeenii. taking from him the gun,
ing that one a the b c yges discharged, and ascertain-
allartridpouch. was missing from his
We never saw a man under so grave a charge mani-
fest less excitement or agitation. He
barracks publicly that Agnes Hill proclaimed at the
was
to him; he had done the deed, and
ivva
sreadyshamefully false
for it. The road from the barracks to the station,
i to suffer
on, along
which Mr. English conveyed the prisoner, wascrowded
with anxious spectators, particularly of the femuie
who in loud denounciations vented their feelings against
Kelly. He is a native of the county Galway, as we be-
fore said; very well looking, there being a total absence
of any expression indicative of the possession of violent
or vindictive passions. He has been in the Irish consta-
bulary force, stationed in the county Leitrim.
The prisoner will be brought for examination before
the county magistrates to-morrow.
Dr. Young, of this town, was soon in attendance to
assist the regimental surgeon.—Monmouthshire Merlin.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE
OF FRIDAY.
BAN I'iRUPTS.
John Collins, wheelwright, Miudle-yard, Great Queen-
street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, to surrender June 2, at twelve,
and July 7, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Canar,,
official assignee, Birchin-lane, City; Fort), Bloomsbury-
square,
Samuel Henry Whittell, tailor, Vine-street, Regent-street,
June 2, at haif-past twelve, aril July 8, at one, at the Court
o Bankruotcy. Green, official assignee, Aldermanbury ;
Pain and Hatoerley, Bisingbah-street.
James Spencer Gorely, farmer, Ewell Surrey, June 2, at
one, and July 4, at twelve, ht the Court of Bankruptcy.
StanstiAl, official assignee; Jenximon, Sweeting, and Jen-
kinson, Lombard-street.
Thomas Holland Forster, chemist, Haymarket, June 2,
at half past eleven, wad July 6, at eleven, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Turquand, official assignee, Guildhall. cham-
bers; Carlow and Co., PaLice-chamburs, bt. James's-street.
John Broadbent and James Hughes, paper makers, %Val.
mersley-cum-Shuttleworth, June 8, at eleven, and 29, at
twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Hobson, official
assignee, Manchester; Clarke, Gray, and Woodcock, Lin-
coln's Inn-fields; IVhitehead, Bury.
Thomas Page, jun., wheelwright, Banham, Norfolk, June
2, at half-past eleven, and July 8, at half-past twelve, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Follett, official as,iguee, Sambrook.
court, Basinghall-street ; Jay, Bucklersbury ; Jay and Co.,
Norwich.
Alexander Beattie, coal merchant, Forton,a Aluvlay 7,rst a
okei
Southampton, June 2, at halt-past twelve, td July
two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitemore, official assig-
nee, Basinghall-street; Holme and Co., New lan; Cruik-
shank, Gosport.
Thomas %\ right, builder. Poland-street, Oxford-street.
June 2 and July 7, at half-past eleven, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Canna!) official assignee, Birebin-lane; Harting,
Lincoln's Inn-fields.
John Hine Toovey, licensed victualler, Dockhead, Ber-
mondsey June 2, at half-past twelve, and July 3, at eleven,
at the Court of Bankruptcy. Turquand, official assignee,
Guildhall-chambers; Casley, Guildford-street, Russell square.
Thomas Ridsdale, jun., ironmonger, Milton, Kent, June 2,
at twelve, and July 6, at halt-past eleven, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee, Coleman-street;
Matthews, Arthur-street \Vest, London-bridge; Hilder and
Co., Gravesend.
John Bush, coffee housekeeper, Darkhouse-lane, Billings-
gate, June 2, at half-past one, and July 4, at one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee; Wright
and Bonner, London-street, Fenchurch-street.
James Rees, builder, Park-place West, Camden-town
June 2, at one, and July 4, at halt-past twelve, at the Court
of Bankruptcy. Pennell, official assignee; Dale, Furnival's
Inn.

Godwin Pilsworth Kennen, licensed victualler, Philip-
lane, London-wall, June 2, at one, and July 6, at half-past
twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assig-
nee, COleman-street ; Cox anti Co., Size-lane.
Francis Edwin, draper, Frome, Somersetshire, June 2, at
half-past one, and July 6, at twelve, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Turquand, official assignee, Guildhall-chambers;
Sole and Turner, Aldermanbury.
Henry Roxby, ship broker, Lime-street, City, June 13 mad
July 11, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Edwards, offi-
cial assignee, Frederick's-place, Old Jewry; M‘Leod and
Stenning, London-street, Fenchurch- street.
James Pegram, builder, June 7, at half-past eleven, and
June 29, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy; Bell, official
assignee, Coleman-street-buildings ; Cooper, Hatton-garden.
Martha Serle, licensed victualler, Aberavon, Glamorgan-
shire, June 8, at half-past eleven, and July 6, at eleven, at the
Bristol District Court; Acraman, official assignee, Bristol ;
Trehern and White, Barge-yard-chambers ; Sabine, Bristol.
David Simons, general dealer, Trowbridge, Wilts, June 9
and July 7, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court; Miller,
official assignee, Bristol ; Britten and Sons, Bristol.
Robert Dorrington and Thomas Dorrington, cloth mer-
chants, Leeds, June 9 and July 7, at ten, at the Leeds District
Court; Young, official assignee, Leeds ; iliitton and Co..
Southampton-buildings, and Dunning and Stawman, Leeds.
William Evans, table knife manufacturer, Sheffield, June
10 and July 1, at ten, at the Council-hall, Sheffield; Freeman,
official assignee, Sheffield; Rodgers and Co., King-street.,
Cheapside, and Sheffield.
George Wood, druggist, Liverpool, and Toxteth-park,
June 13 and 30, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court;
Turner, official assignee. Liverpool; Dean and Sons, Essex-.
street, Strand, and Gregory and Sons, Liverpool.
(Dividends, &c , in our next.)

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
COW ES, MAY 26, 1848.
ROYAL YACHT SQUA DRON INTELLIGENCE.
AR I tIVALS
May 22.—Gondola Cutter, W. U. Wodehouse, Esq.,
from Channel Islamic.
May 23.—Nymph Cutter, Sir John Bayley, Bart.,
from Portsmouth.
May 25.—Bacchante Cutter, B. H. Jones, Esq., from
Liverpool.
May 26.—Iris Cutter, Lord Rodney, from South-
ampton.

SAILINGS.—None.
YACHTS AT AND ABOUT THE STATION.
Schooners—Fairy, Sybil, Maud.
Cutters—Nymph, Elizabeth, Gond,,la, Bacchante.
FITTING OUT IN HARBOUR.
Schooner—Urania.
Cutters—Lark, Ariadne, Gauntlet. and It*
Sir Bellingham Graham, Bart., Vice-Commodore of
the Squadron.
Lord Mu!grave and several of the members have ar•
rived at the Squadron-house this week.
Her Majesty and Suite embarked from the Beach in
front of Osborne House, at three o'clock this afternoon.
under salutes from Cowes Castle and the Royal Yacht
Squadron Battery.
COWES.—Died this morning, at an advanced age,
Mrs. General Manwairing.

BRISTOL SUGAR-MARKET, MAT 26.—The offices
have been cleared of every lot brought forward, and a
large business has been transacted in the course of
the week, at an improvement of is. per cwt.; prices
ranging between 375. and 440. The refined niarkst is
,ally bu oyant —Bristol Mercury.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, May 36.
Their Lordships rnt:c at Five o'clock.
Lord PORTMAN presented a petition from a board
of guardians DorSetshire, complaining of the great
increase in th:- poor-rates.
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS ADJOURN-
: • MENT BILL.
The Earl of rITARDWICKE, in conscquence of the
absence of Lettd Stanley, moved that the report on this
Bill should be received on Tue:day next.
Lord KINNAIRD presented u petition praying for
the exemption of legacies to charities from the legacy
duties.

SEDUCTION OF FEMALES.
The Bishop of OXFORD presented a Bill to prevent
and punish the seduction ©f females for hire and reward.
At present there was a penalty imposed upon parties
conspiring to seduce a female for hire and reward; he
proposed to extend the penalties to every one person
seducing a female for hire and reward. He moved that
the Bill be read a first time, and should fix Monday
week for the second reading.
The Bill was then read a first time. _

_ .
The RIGHT REV. PRELATE, then presented a petition
from Banbury in favour of the alt.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved that the
House do adjourn to Tuesday next.
The motion was agreed to, and their Lordships ad-
j ourned.

HOUSE OF CUMJIONS, May 26.
Tile SPEAKER took the Chair at Fuur o'clock.

THIRD RE'ADINGS.

The following Bills were read a third time, and
passed:—
Chester and Holyhead Railway (power to purchase, &c.)
Furness Railway.
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (London-
bridge and New Cross Stations, &c.)
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Junc-
tion with the Midland Railway vid Barnsley and
Branches therefrom).
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Station
Approach in Manchester).
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Station
at Shetlteld and Branch to the Sheffield Canal).
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Cross-
ing of Sheffield-street, in Manchester, &c.)
Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway.
Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway (No. 1

—lncrease of Capital).
Vale of Neath Railway (Power to the South Wales
Railway Company to subscribe, and Amendment of
Acts).