The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-07 00:00:00

INDEMNITY BILL.

On the motion of Earl ST. GERMANS, the Indem-
nity Bill was read a third time.
THE MIDLAND AND GREAT WESTERN (IRE-
LAND) AND THE CORK AND WATERFORD
RAILWAYS. _ . .

Lord MONTEAGLE, in rising to present two peti-
tions from shareholders in certain railways, said that
they both illustrated a mistake under which the public
laboured with respect to the power and right of share-
holders in railways generally. These were both petitions
from shareholders who objected to the further progress
of Bills in which they themselves were interested ;
and the misapprehension that he alluded to was, the
common mistake that shareholders could not petition
against Bills to which they had given a previous assent ;
so that it was perfectly competent, and, in fact, was in
the power of the shareholders of a railway, if they sub-
sequently saw reason to alter the favourable opinion
which they had formerly expressed with respect to it,
to take steps to prevent its receiving the assent of the
Legislature. He could not bring himself to believe that
the allegations contained in these petitions were un-
true, because they appeared to be supported by
good grounds. The first petition was from a num-
ber of shareholders in the Midland and Great
Western Railway of Ireland, and was signed (as
we understood) by one of the Members of the city
of London, and set forth that a great number of those
who had signed the contract deed were not persons in a
condition to do so, as immediately before depositing the
list several persons subscribed their names for very large
sums in which the shareholders admitted no deposit was
paid by them, and that it was their belief that they had
no intention to subscribe the amount of the capital which
they had so engaged to pay. If this were true, and he
could not doubt it, the Company, in the event of obtain-
ing their Bill, would be left without the means of
completing their works. He therefore trusted the
Noble Lords to whom the Bill bad been re-
ferred would take the trouble to read the petition in order
that they might ascertain whether it contained any just
grounds for impeding the progress of the Bill. The
other petition was from the city of Cork, against the
amalgamation of the line with the Limerick and
Waterford.

The petitions were ordered to be referred to the
Committees on the Bills.

LONDON AND YORK (EASTERN COUNTIES).
The Earl of lIARDWICKE presented a petition
against this line, and praying, in the event of its
passing, that proper clauses would be inserted in the
Bill tor the protection of the proprty of those through
which it would puss.
SCOTTISH GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

The Marquis of BREADALBANE presented a pe•
tition from Glasgow, in favour of this line of railway,
He also presented a petition from the Presbytery of the
Free Church of Biggar, in Lanarkshire, complaining of
the proceedings of the labourers employed on railways
in that neighbourhood, and the desecration of the Sab-
bath. The petitioners prayed for an investigation.
LIMERICK HARBOUR.
The Earl of CLARE presented a petition from the
Bridge Commissioners of the city of Limerick, in favour of
the deepening and improving of the harbour of that city.
The Noble Lord, in doing so, called the attention of the
House to a report of the Tidal Commissioners, setting
forth the great necessity for the alterations and improve-
ments prayed for. 85,0001. had been expended on the
harbour of Cork, and about half a, million on the upper
estuary of the Shannon ; therefore, he thought some-
thing ought to be alone for the harbour of Limerick.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said he was not prepared
then to give an opinion. He believed that gross abuses
had hitherto prevailed in the management of that har-
bour, but if a Bill was introduced to effect a change, or
tarry out an improvement of it, it w-uid receive every
attention from the Board of Admiralty. The Noble
Lord then presented a petition from the corporation
of Newry against the Newry and Roscommon Railway.
He was only made acquainted on Saturday night that
the Bill was before Parliament, and he was informed
(and he believed correctly so) that it would be read a
third time to-day. He was at the same time informed
that the consent of the Admiralty had in the usual way
been given to the passing of the Bill, but that a report
had appeared directly adverse by the Tidal Commission-
ers. Ile (Lord Ellenborough) had requested the en-
gineer to make a report en the subject ; that re-
port had been presented, and it was favourable,
and as the consent of the Admiralty had been given to
the Bill, perhaps the best course would be to allow the
Bill, which has gone so far in that House, to pass, and
when it had been sent down to the House of Commons,
inquiries could be made during the recess into the true
merits of the Bill, and such amendments could be need°
as might be found advisable.
Lord MONTEAGLE thought it was not consistent
with the wisdom or decorum of their Lordships' pro-
ceedings, to allow Bills to pass a third time, which
would have to be amended in the other House.
He hoped that this Bill would be postponed until the
Admiralty should be put in possession of the reports
and plans on this subject. He thought that a wise and
wholesome control on the part of the Admiralty was
necessary to secure the interests of the public. He
knew from his own knowledge that many mischief's had
arisen from the inefficiency of public works with re-
spect to tidal harbours. Their Lordships sometimes
passed Bills, leaving out certain parts to be
under the control of the Admiralty and the Board
of Public Works for the time being. Now, although),
he (Lord Monteagle) had every respect for these Com-
mittees, although he had every cuutidence in the mode
!n which they exercised their functions, yet he thought
that every Bill which passed that House' should be
perfectly cemplete, and that no public office should
have it in their power to alter or amend it.
The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH said that he would
have no objection to adopt the course reconatnentled.
The Board of Admiralty had then before it the report
of their own engineer, in favour of the railway. An-
other report had been presented to himself personally.
by a gentleman against the Bill, and, under
these circumstances, it would hardly be fair for the
Admiralty to decide either one way or another without
further investigation. He might state for the satisfac-
tion of his Noble Friend, that an officer had been ap-
pointed for the purpose of examining into these matters;
he reported afterwards to the Board of Admiralty, who
decided on a full consideration of the case submitted to
them.
The Earl of ROSEBERY said that, -as Chairman of
the Committee before which this Bill had been inves-
t tgated, he might say that they had given it their ut-
most consideration, and no Committee of their Lord-
ships, he was sure, could have taken greater pains to com-
pare the evidence with the view of arriving at the truth.
:aptain Washington had been examined by the Com-
mittee previously to the Committee having come to a
decision. He thought it necessary to say these few
words upon the subject.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH understood that Captain
Washington was present when Mr. Walter was ex-
amined before the Committe ; he, however, dissenting
from the opinions of that gentleman, had volunteered
his evidence upon the occasion.
The Earl of ROSEBERY had no recollection of the
circumstances alluded to by the Noble Lord.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE thought it was a
case calling for the interference of Parliament.
The motion was then agreed to.
THE LATE VICTORIES IN INDIA.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose, pursuant to
the notice he had given, to ask a question of the Govern-
ment upon the subject of the great and glorious
events which have recently taken place in India. Before
he put that question, he would however perhaps be per-
mitted to express personally the regret which he felt at
not having been present upon the former occasion. It
was perfectly impossible for him to attend upon that oc
casion. He thought the motion had been brought on
without sufficient notice, owing to the circumstance of
their Lordships not sitting upon Wednesday. It would
have been impossible for him or any other person to add
anything to the valuable testimony which had been borne
upon that occasion to those great and glorious services
by the Noble Duke connected with her Majesty's Govern-
ment. The Noble. Duke (the Duke of Wellington), who had
been on the scene, and had won those victories which
added honour to his name, hoped he had lived to see the
maintenance of our territory on the banks of the Sutlej
brought to a final consummation by the gallant victories
which had crowned the exertions of Sir Henry
Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough.—(Hear.) Know..
ing this, and confirmed in it by the expressions
of his Noble Friend (the Earl of Auckland)
who sat behind him, who, from his acquaintance
with India was well able to estimate the difficulties of
that service, and who, on the occasion of passing a vote
of thanks to the army, confirmed, in a most clear and
satisfactory manner, the statements then made. Having
ventured to say this, in excuse for himself, he begged to
ask a question, whether' any communications on the
subject would be produced, or that they might
have some additional information to that supplied
in the newspapers ? Was it the intention of
her Majesty's Government to produce all the papers re-
lating to those military transactions ? But he was par-
ticularly desirous to know whether the proclamation of
Sir H. Hardinge, the Governor-General of India, after
the last and decisive battle and the treaty which
it was stated he had concluded with the Seikhs,
after the battle of the 17th of February.
would be laid on the table of the House ? He did not
ask that question with any idea that those papers could
be made the foundation of anything objectionable to the
policy of the Government in that quarter of the world.—
(" Hear, hear," from the Duke of Wellington.) On
the contrary, if ho felt any anxiety to see those papers
produced, it was because they contained the proclama-
tion to which he had referred, which was issued by the
Governor-General on entering the Seikh territory, and
because he felt his policy would be found satisfactory
to the Parliament and to the country.—(Cheers.) He
felt satisfied that this great conflict was not produced by
any invasion on the part of the British.—(Cheers.)
It had always been the safety of the Indian Govern-
ment to depend on the satisfaction and protection which
they gave to the natives of that quarter of the world,
the prosperity given to their trade and commerce, and
the improvement effected in their social existence.
(Hear, hear.) Next to that should stand the fact
that all the nations of Asia should under-
stand that the Indian Government were not
desirous of conquest, but security ; and that it was not
with them a question beyond this, whether those Go-
vernments were perfect or imperfect, Mahometan or
Hindoo ; their only desire being to recognise them as
allies, and to treat them as equals.—(Hear, hear.) He
felt, therefore, peculiar satisfaction when he saw those
principles laid down in the procl irnation alluded to.—
(Hear.) No doubt in doing so the Governor-General had
but acceded to the views of her Majesty's Government ;
and in doing so they (as aGovernment) might challenge

the world for an example to such a course.—(Loud
cheers.) So much it was his duty to state on the present
occasion ; they would see that security and not conquest
was the motive that led to the late great and glorious results.
He was aware that the reports had reached Government,
and he was consequently surprised that no mention had
been made respecting rewards to be conferred upon the
several officers engaged in these operations. Ile hoped
that some such communication as that to which he had
alluded might be made in that matter as to set every
one at rest with regard to the intention of Government,
and that no long time would elapse before her Ma-
jesty's most gracious intentions were communicated
to the House. He wished that the unusual course which
had been pursued in this business, of making a communi-
cation to this House without laying the requisite papers
on the table, had not been adopted.
The Earl of RIPON said that it was impossible to
express his regret at having been unable to enjoy the
benefits of his Noble Lord's attendance when the vote
of thanks to the officers of the Indian army was so
unanimously and satisfactorily carried through
the House. The facts were that he had
asked this question on Tuesday evening,
at which time the official accounts had not reached her
Majesty's Government, and when no answer could be
given. Those accounts were received on Wednesday
morning, and, as the House of Commons were sitting on
that day, it was thought better to give notice in that
House, and so to depart from the usual course. He was
not at that time aware that his Noble Friend
was out of town, and he bad addressed a
letter to him accordingly, but, on discovering that fact,
he had added another communication to his Noble
Friend, who was confined to his bed by the gout. That
was the reason why sufficient notice had not been given
to his Noble Friend (the Marquis of Lansdowne) of the
motion for Thursday evening. He was truly rejoiced to
find that the conduct of the Governor- General, and that
of the several officers associated with him, had met, as
it deserved to meet, with the full approval of his Noble
Friend. With respect to the question which his Noble
Friend had put, he might say that, in point of fact,
all that had been received up to the present
time was that which had been already pub•
lished in the Gazette. All the arrangements
however with regard to the remainder of the intelligence
had not been reduced to proper form, but as soon as they
were care would be taken that they should be
immediately laid before their Lordships. Until
those documents were ready, it would be impossible
for him to lay any further intelligence before them.
With respect to what his Noble Friend had asked
as to whether any communication had been re-
ceived from her Majesty with regard to the honours
to be conferred upon those great men who had
achieved those great victories, he could only say that at
the present moment he was not authorised to make any
statement upon that subject, but this he could say,
that no sooner had her Majesty become
aware of the events which had occured, and the services
which those two individuals had rendered. then she gave
her commands for the patent of Sir Henry Hardinge and
Sir Hugh Gough—(Cheers)—a proceeding which would
confer honour not only upon those two individuals, who
had so richly deserved it, but on the country for which
they had fought.—Cheers.)
THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

Lord BEAUMONT said that he had given notice to
the Noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs that it
was his intention to put a question to him to-day, and he
understood from him that he had no objection to his doing
so. The question that he intended to put to the Noble
Earl regarded recent events in the provinces of the
Austrian empire. In putting that question, he should
not apologise to their Lordships for bringing it before
them, nor should he pause to ask them to reflect
avhether there was combination, any treaty, or
any international custom which gave him the
privilege of bringing the subject before them in that
place. He claimed the privilege and the right to do so
on far higher grounds ; he claimed it on the ground that
he believed that all European states had entered into a
tacit compact to advance civilization, and to
arrest the continuation of any barbarous custom or
law, which had hitherto existed in Europe. A re-
volution had recently occurred in some of the Aus-
trian provinces, which all must deplore.—(Hear.)
The subject he did refer to was the practice they had there
established of creating a kind of servile war, by the authorities
encouraging the peasantry to rise against their masters. A
series of wholesale slaughter against their lords and masters
had been the consequence, and he found that in the province
of Galicia, at the instigation of the Prefect of Tarnow, the
peasantry, and even the very serfs, had advanced against thssir
lords, and in the expectation of a reward for every head, they
had committed murders by wholesale, and castles had been
wasted. Now he might be required to give his authority for
those statements. At the present moment he confessed they
were founded on private letters, and on the public statements
contained in twenty or thirty of the continental journals. But
there existed no doubt on the minds of any person who had at-
tended to the subject, that the cases thus put forward had not
been exaggerated, and with their Lordships' permission he
would read a short extract from one of those letters. It was
published in the Journal des Debats, a journal which he
scarcely need remind their Lordships, admitted no statement
of this character until it had taken measures to ascertain
whether it were correct or not. It stated that in the third circle,
one of the most dense in the whole province, there was scarcely
a single landed proprietor to be found—their
lives had been taken, or they had been
compelled to flee, leaving their houses to be pillaged. The
writer thee went on to mention the names of those who suf-
fered. He proceeded subsequently to state, that in some
places the peasantry had proceeded with certain farms, which
seemed to show that they had been tutored for the purpose.
When they presented themselves before the chateau of —,
they told the proprietor to come out ; and when he, who had
been a father to the district, did so, they told him to prepare
to die. He asked time to fullll the duties of a Christian, to
which they assented, and after he had confessed to the priest,
they killed him with blows from pikes and poniards. They
then assailed the chateau of the Countess —, and murdered
her brother, ber mother-in-law, and other relations. She
darkened her children's faces with soot, dressed them in mean
clothes, and concealed them in a loft. She managed to escape,
antighid herself in a wine-shop. They forced her thence, and
then committed on this young and fair woman, the most infa-
mous of all offences. They afterwards, when she was insensible
threw her into a ditch, where she was found by an Austrian offi-
cer. He has found similar scenes repeated in different journals,
he could not, therefore, consider that they were altogether un-
founded. He had looked in several papers on the other
side, to see if there had been any instance of the parties being
punished, or whether the Government had disapproved of this
conduct or no. He had found instead a proclamation encou-
raging this state of things, and he did not think that such
language, as had been used in these proclamations should be
addressed to troops who had acted in that manner. He would
ask if they had received any information as to the truth of
what had taken place in Austria; and if so, whether they
have taken any means to let them know the pain and disap-
proval with which these things have been viewed by this
country.
The Earl of ABERDEEN would be happy to give the
Noble Lord the information be might require upon this or any
other subject. In the present case, the multitude of asser-
tions, and the contradictory statements were such that it was
very difficult precisely to state what was the truth or falsehood.
The subject was one in which this country was not directly
concerned, neither were British subjects or British interests
effected by the events, whether true or false. With re-
ference to the accusation, that the Austrian authorities had
excited the peasantry of Galicia against the propietors of land.
He had the happiness for a great many years to live on terms of
intimacy and friendship with the eminent person by whom the
Administration was represented in this country, and he could
only say that he felt certain that policy of that kind was as
impossible for the Government to adopt as any of your Lord-
ships. It was undoubtedly true that the Austrian Government
in Galicia had always been the friend of the peasantry ; to
them the peasantry had always looked for protection. It
was now seventy or eighty years since the province of Galicia
came under the Austrian dominions, and he believed that
during that time the condition of the peasantry had been
improved by the reforms introduced by the Austrian Government.
During the time of Joseph 11., and his predecessor, their con-
dition was greatly improved compared with their condition in
life when they ascended the throne, and, therefore, it was na-
tural that they should apreeiate all the advantages of their
form of Government—that they should enjoy everything
that was liberal, humane, and considerate which prevailed
under their sway. Was it not natural, then, that they should
feel that loyalty and attachment to the Government to which
the Noble Lord had referred in his address? He (the Earl
of Aberdeen) had, however, very. little information on the
subject beyond that possessed by their Lordships. Besides, he
did not think it was incumbent on him—he did not think it
was the duty of this country to interfere in the administration
of states, situated as Austria was at the present moment. A
revolt had broken out, and her Majesty's Charge de Affaires in
that country had, from time to time, no doubt, sent him ac-
counts of the transactions which had taken place ; but the
statements which they contained were very different indeed
from those which the Noble Lord had referred to as having
recently taken place. He would read extracts from two or
three of the statements contained in the communication which
he had received. Mr. Maginus, writing, Feb. 28th, said, " The
peasantry of Galacia have shown themselves most opposed
to the revolutionary movement, and have resisted the threats
of the proprietors and their followers to join them ; and al-
though unsupported by military forces, have in many places
opposed the insurgents with force of arms, and have made pri-
soners of many of them who wished to use them to acts of vio-
lence, and have denounced their proceedings." Again, on
March 3, he said, after speaking of the revolt at Cracow,
" The peasantry continue to assist the soldiers and the Govern.
ment to arrest the leaders of the insurgents, and the number
of prisoners is so great as to cause serious embarrassments to
the Government ; and if they did not remain in captivity, al-
though they had many opportunities of escaping, they would
be massacred by the peasantry, thus increasing the embarrass-
ment to a much greater extent." The last accounts which he
had received from Limberg, the capital of Galicia, were
very satisfactory. " The peasantry continue to evince
the best disposition in support of the Government,
and in arresting the instigators to the revolt." In
many places the peasantry established *uards to protect the
property of parties, thus showing their disinterested conduct.
There was nothing in these letters to show that the Austrian
Government deserved the stigma of the Noble Lord. The
peasantry had proved themselves faithful during the revolt,
there , and
In doing that they may have taken away some life, but
was nothing in their efforts to warrant such condemnation as
had been made against them. Having said so much, he was
not prepared to say what amount of the reports circulated were
true, and what were false. What he said was on the faith of
the information he had received from the party alluded to.
Lord KINNAIRD thanked the Noble Lord for what he had
stated in reference to the matter, and agreed with him that the
accounts were very conflicting. He was forced to state that
the peasantry of Galicia had been peculiarly well treated by
the Austrian Government; different from what had been the
case in the provinces under the other Governments. But that
the Governor of Galicia had issued a proclamation, offering a
reward for bringing in the nobles, dead or alive, could not be
denied. In doing so he believed the Governor was acting en
the authority of the statute law of Austria. There was one
statute law which declared that all deserters should be
brought in dead or alive, and another law, declaring that
all rebels should be treated as deserters. Still he hoped, fur
the sake of the character of Austria, that the Government never
sanctioned so barbarous a proclamation. Ile was also glad
that the matter had been brought under consideration, as it
would be shown that the feeling of this country abhorred such
barbarous proceedings.
Lord BEAUMONT thought that the reason assigned by the
Noble Lord was anything but sufficient to account for or to
jus' ify the outrage that had been committed ; for it was his
firm belief that the Noble Lord would have preferred remain.
ing in captivity to being subject to such violence as they had
endured. If such were the state of the law, he trusted that it
would soon be assimilated with the law of Turkey.

INTERFERBNCE WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY. I
Lord DENMAN presented a petition from a gentleman of
the name of Smith, which purported that on the 19th of I
December last his private house had been invaded by three

persons of the Excise department, who stated that they eame
in search of a private still. The offence was aggravated by the
fact that the gentleman whose premises had been intruded
upon was a special pleader. There was nothing to justify this
offeace, for it had been committed under the authority of an
anonymous letter. Now, this gentleman was aware that he had
no redress by an action at law, for the authorities seemed to
think that it was not contrary to the law, and he was there-
fore aware that be could obtain no damages. Such being the

case he:thought that his only remedy was to petition that HOuse,
and he busted their Lordships would entertain its prayer with

a view to an amendment of the grievance of which ihi; gentle-
man complained. If the law were permitted to be enforced in
its present shape, no man's property would be safe. He would
on a future day bring forward a Bill to amend this law as it
stood at present.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE said, that if this petition had
been received merely on the statement that bad been made that
night, nothing would have been further from his thoughts than
to make any reply to it, further than to answer the question
put by the Noble and Learned Lord ; but the petition which
had been read by the Clerk at the table was, in point of fact,
a direct attack on one of the public departments of the coun-
try, which, if any of the departments were so, was well and effi-
ciently executed—he meant the Excise ; and when the Noble
and Learned Lord the other night very kindly informed him
that he intended to present this petition, and draw the attention
of the House to the statements contained in it, he (Lord Dal-
housie) took care to inform himself as to the whole of the sub-
ject. He found that the person whose name was affixed to this
petition had had another presented to the Commons House of
Parliament, very similar in substance. He found, however,
that the petition that night presented to their Lordships was,
as compared with the other, greatly modified in its language
sad siittatMotate. With respect to the facts on which the peti-
tion itself was founded, namely, that the petitioner's house was
entered by an Excise officer, armed with a search warrant,
that fact was undoubtedly true. He was quite ready to say so
much with respect to that ; and with respect, also, to the con-
duct of the officer in obtainining the warrant, he did not wish
to advance ore word of defence. The conduct of the officer
was blameable in the eyes of his superiors, and they punished
him. But the allegations in this petition did not merely attri-
bute blame to the officer—they inculpated his superior
officer also. The petitioner, in the first place, stated
that the man, in executing what he called his duty, had effected
a forcible entrance into his house, and when his warrant was
demanded, he refused to produce it; that these proceedings
alarmed and dismayed the persons in the house, and that the
health of the inmates was then, and was still, placed in jeo-
pardy. To each and all these statements, he ( Lord Dalhousie)
gave an unqualified contradiction. How stood the facts ? An
anonymous letter was received by the Commissioners of
Excise ; but no measures were taken, no instructions were
issued on that letter. On the contrary, it was remitted to the
officer of the district, with instructions to carefully inquire and
report upon it. The officer did not report but from the cir-
cumstances connected with the letter itself, he fancied that
there existed sufficient grounds for suspicion. He, therefore,
proceeded to the nearest magistrate, to make, as the law re-
quired, a deposition. That magistrate was from home, and he
then proceeded to the next, and procured a warrant, after
making the oaths required by law. He proceeded with this
warrant to the petitioner's door, which was not forcibly entered.
The officer knocked, as he would in any other case, when it
was opened. He inquired for the master, who did not happen
that day to be at his chambers, and when be came, no warrant
was asked for, because it was at once shown. They afterwards
proceeded to look over the house. The Noble and Learned
Lord said that any inquiry on the officer's part in
the district would at once have proved that no
suspicion could attach to this gentleman's house,
but he (Lord Dalhousie) could inform the Noble Lord that
this would be, in every case, very insufficient ground to go
upon. He could tell the Noble and Learned Lord that in
another house—a house of better appearance than this, and
more like a gentleman's seat—a small still was found in full
operation in the drawing-room. The officer, after proceeding
through several of the rooms, did perceive that there was no
cuse for suspicion, and be left. The family did not once see
him. The gentleman happened to be at dinner, and when he
offered to open the door of the dining-room, the officer said it
was unnecessary, he apologised for the trouble that had been
given, and then departed. This happened on a Thursday, and
on the Friday Mr. Smith, the petitioner, addressed a letter to
the Commissioners of Excise, complaining that no re-
dress had been given him—that no apology had been
tendered, although the Commissioners must have been in pos-
session of the report of their affair. No such report had been
made by the officer. The gentleman added that he desired an
investigation into the proceeding. He said that if he did
receive from them a specific assurance before three o'c'ock on
the next day that their officer would be reprimanded, he
should take no proceedings; but otherwise he would place the
matter in the hands of his attorney, and have public opinion on
the subject. Now although it was perfectly necessary and
proper that this subject should be brought before the Commis-
sioners, still it was equally necessary that 'the" conduct of the
officer charged should be inquired into, lest he might have been
improperly impugned. To the petitioner's demand the Com-
missioners made answer on the same day. They stated that before
pronouncing judgment on the conduct of the officer, they would
call on him for an explanation, after which they would com-
municate with Mr. Smith without delay. The Commissioners
of Excise, he considered, were right in their proceeding, be-
cause they did not wish to sanction proceedings of an unjust
and arbitrary character. Nothing, surely, could he more rea-
sonable than that statement. Until they had ascertained the
facts of the case they could not with propriety tender an
apology. Why no person would flog his hound until he had
reason to believe that his hound had committed a fault, and
surely they could not be expected to render less justice to a
fellow man than they would to a dog. Ou the same day the
Commissioners received a reply from the gentleman who peti-
tioned the House that night. He said that the reply the Com-
missioners had sent to his letter could not be received by him.
The outrage perpetrated by their officer on a private
gentleman had been one for which, as gentlemen, they were
hound to make every satisfaction. He required, most distinctly,
an ample apology from them ; and further, he would require
101. before two o'clock to-morrow, to cover the cost of
counsel, and other contingent expenses. Now he would ask
what these expenses had been? This was written on the 19th,
and on thellBth, the day before, the very transact ion which had
given rise to the correspondence had taken place. Now he asked
again, what expenses had been incurred? The letters to the
Commissioners of Excise had been written from the gentle-
man's own chambers. He had not even to pay sixpence to the
messenger, because, in his former letter, he said that his clerk
would wait the reply. Where, then, were the expenses ? He
(Lord Dalhousie) understood that lawyers had even a sort of
charitable regard for one another, and that they prescribed
for other's ailments in the same way that medical men did not
charge those of their craft for attendance on their bodily
ailments.
Lord CAMPBELL seemed to express dissent.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE said the Commissioners wrote
Mr. Smith again, that his demand of an apology and 101.,
was inadmissible ; and on the same day be, in a letter,
charged them with having eommitted and sanctioned a gross
act of tyranny. He (Lord Dalhousie) thought that it might
have crossed the imagination of this Mr. Smith, of Hare-
court, Temple, (for he was anxious that he should be de-
scribed thus in his petition), that plain-spoken person, on
reading his letters, might have called his demands an attempt
at extortion, but he could not press this opinion upon
their Lordships.. AII this happened upon the Friday.
The Commissioners wrote again upon the Monday, stating
that the officer had been sevei ely censured, and regretting the
annoyance to which the petitioner had been subjected. He
might inform their Lordships that the officer was a most re-
spectable man, who had served in The department for thirty or
forty years; and he might further add, that the term
" censure," carried in the Excise a much weightier
meaning than their Lordships probably attached to it. It
meant suspension from promotion for three years, and no re-
wards for any meritorious conduct. But this gentleman, on
the 12th of January, changed his tactics, and taking up the
cause or the officer whom ^he had formerly been in such
a passion with, he charged the Commissioners with the
offence against him. He said that he did not
Wish the officer censured, because he had no doubt
that he had, under the circumstances, acted with the
view of pleasing them ; and on the idea that his conduct
would be altogether ascribed to seal. But would their Lord
ships believe, that immediately afterwards, this gentleman
commenced attacking the excise-officer himself, that he de-
manded from him that he should sign an ample apology, and,
in addition pay him a sum of 251. On those conditions
only were the actions to be stopped. Now, this officer had
been thirty-two years in the excise, he had then a salary of
2001., out of which he paid his travelling expenses, so that
his salary at the utmost only amounted to 1501., and yet this
man demanded a sixth of his salary, and an abject apology. It was
dated January 17th, yet an action was commenced on the 16th.
Had this gentleman not gibbeted himself, he (Lord Dalhousie),
would not have drawn him further before the House and before
the country. The 25/. were not paid, the money was inde«.4
tendered but not paid. The officer refused to sign the apology,
and the gentleman wrote a letter saying that he had quibbled
and endeavoured to defer the settlement from time to time.
Now he would read the apology required, and the quibble as
the petitioner termed it. and he would put it to the House to
say whether Peter Mann,the excise officer, with 1501. a year
was not the honester and the better man than Mr. Smith, in
his house, Weodlane, Highgate. He had never heard of any
charge against an officer of excise, and he questioned if any
of their Lordships had. He would give the Noble. Lords
the assurance he asked, that the department of the excise
would not act upon any anonymous information ; they had not
done so in times past , they had not done so than. These
were the facts of the case, and he would leave their Lordships
to draw their awn conclusions from them.
Lord DENMAN said that he had known nothing of the sub-
ject matter contained in the petition, further than as he bad
been informed by some of the gentlemen connected with the
Excise, who had called upon him yesterday. He should still,
however, have felt it necessary to present the petition, if he had
been asked to do so. He did not believe that the gentleman in-
tended to place the amount of money he had demanded in his
pocket ;he intended to give it to some charity. !ri conclusion
he earnestly hoped that the Noble Lord would limit the powers
entrusted to inferior officers. IRELAND.
Lord GREATRE D
Es
DWESTERNALEpresented
RAILWAY
a petitio OFn
fr,om
R E
in D.
par-
tiesthe
e Great Western
the Grand Canal of Ireland, praying that
Billnb.e re-committed.
Their Lordships R
s then adjourned. djoured

HOUSE OF COMMOIVS, April G.
The SPEAJCER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
SECOND READINGS.

The following Bills were read a second time, and or-
dered to be committed, viz.:—
Inverness and Elgin Junction Railway.
Dunblane, Doune, and Callander Railway.
Tramore Embankment.
Sidmouth Market.
Severn Navigation.
Manchester Markets.
Caledonian, Insurance Company,
Carshalton Rates.
Hull and Lincoln Direct Railway.
Westruther Roads.
Port Ellen Harbour.
Edinburgh Paving.
Leith Paving.
Airdrie Police.
Greenlaw Roads.
Sligo Ship Canal.
Halesworth and Norwich Railway.
Sheffield, Buxton, Leek, Potteries, and Crewe Railway.
East and West India Docks and Birmingham Junction
Railway (by order).
London and Windsor Railway (by order).