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

783
769

THE SUN, LONDON,

Manchester District Court. Hobson, official assignee,
Manchester ; Norris, Allen, and Simpson, Bedford row,
London'; Turner and Son, Preston.

RAILWAY COI\IIMITTE

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
LORD SHAFTESBURY'S COMMITTEE.—NORTH
STAFPORDGHIRS (Ashbourne Branch). Preamble
proved and clauses agreed to.
GROUP No. 2.— SALISBURY AND YEOVIL.—The
general evidence in favour of this line was closed, and
Mr. Locke was examined to-day on the engineering
features of the line. His examination had not concluded
when the Committee rose.
GROUP No. lII.—GREAT WESTERN (Extension of
the Berks and Hants lice from Hungerford to Westbury).
—The Committee were engaged the whole day with the
opposition of the landholders, who contend that the line
was not only unnecessary, but:that it would never yield an
adequate return for the outlay, while the Salisbury and
Yeovil which they say is a cheap line, wouid take a far
more preferable route, and was much more calculated to
serve this district of country.
GROUP No. 4.--GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY
(Isle: of: Axholme Branch).—The case for the pro-
moters of this Bill was opened, and evidence taken in
its favour.

ELECTION COMMITTEE.
(THIS DAY.)
DUBLIN.
The scrutiny into the validity of Mr. Reynolds' ma-
jority was resumed, and in the course of the day the
petitioners succeeded in striking off two additional votes.

EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.)
(Trial at bar, before the full Court and a Special Jury

ATTORNEY-GENERAL V. ITALLETT.
This was a trial at bar to try the right of the defend-
ant to enclose an estate near to Epping Forest. It ap-
peared from the evidence that a few years ago the
defendant bought a freehold estate of 73 acres of arable
and woodland, on the borders of Waltham Forest, and
subsequently he enclosed the wood portion of the estate.
The Woods and Forests, however, interfered to prevent
the enclosure being completed, resting their right to do
so on the ground that the wood wasp. portion of Walt-
ham Forest,f but the defendant disputed the title of
the Crown, and the present trial was had for the pur-
pose of deciding the question.
The evidence adduced proved beyond all doubt that
the land formed part of the forest up to the time of the
defendant taking possession, and he therefore consented
to allow a verdict to be entered for the Crown.

THE CHARTIST TRIALS.
The trials of the Chartist prisoners are fixed by the
Treasury to commence to-morrow morning at the Cen-
tral Criminal Court. The Attorney-General has not
yet decided which case is to come on first, but it is ex-
pected he will lead with Fussell's, it having been inti-
mated last sessions that his would be taken before the
others.
Lord Chief Justice Wilde, Mr. Baron Parke, and Mr.
Justice Maule are the judges who will preside.

OPENING OF SAINT GEORGE'S
CATHOLIC CHURCH, SOUTHWARK.
(THIS DAY.)
(molt A CORRESPONDENT.)
This magnificent gothic structure, which has been so
much admired of late by all who have had the good for-
tune to view its interior as well as the exterior, was
opened this day with a solemn pontifical high mass,
which commenced at eleven o'clock, and was attended by
sixteen bishops, and upwards of 200 priests and monks,
who flocked from all parts of England and the continent
to assist at this great national Catholic festival.
The whole ceremony was gone through in a manner
worthy of early Catholic days, and, but for the wretched
chanting, we might have imagined ourselves in one
of the continental cathedrals on a grand ate day.
The church itself is a structure which reminds one of
the Cathedral of St. Gudul at-, Brussels, only it wants
the gorgeously-carved pulpit and magnificent altar-
piece. The church was filled, and the receipts will
amount to 4,0001., the tickets having been sold at one
guinea each; north and south aisles, 10s. 6d. each; in
addition to which there was a collection. The sermon,
by the Rev. Dr. Wiseman, was the most appropriate one
we ever remember to have heard; his eulugium of the
late Archbishop of Paris was most impressive. The
lamented ecclesiastic was to have been present at the
solemnity. The exterior arrangements, were admirably
managed by 200 of the L division of police, under the
superintendence of Inspector Rutt. The whole service
lasted from eleven till three o'clock.

1,100

35q

51%
52

LONDON DOCKS.—(THIS DAY.)
The general annual meeting of the proprietors was
held to-day at their offices in Princes-street, Bank (J.
Catley,:Esq., in the ohair), for the purpose of submitting
the report, declaring a dividend, and electing the di-
rectors for the ensuing year. The list of directors sub-
mitted to the meeting was approved, and the
statement of accounts showed the number of
ships entered during the last six months was
554, measuring 154,693 tons, being last year during the
same period 548, measuring 150,570 tons. The earnings
during the six months up to the end of May was
197,701/. 2s. 3d.; in the corresponding period of last
year it was 198,626/. lls. sd. The expenditure was
107,5181. I Is. 7d.; last year during the same period it
was 108,1141. 33. 3d. A dividend of 2/. Ios. per cent.
was declared, leaving a balance in favour of the com-
pany of 133,505/. 16s. 3d.; and thanks having been voted
to the Chairman, the meeting was dissolved.

THE LONDON AND GREENWICH

RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
A meeting of the company was held to-day at the
offices of the company in Coleman-street (W. Shadbolt,
Esq., in the chair), when a dividend of 3s. 9d. per share
on the unprivileged shares, and the election
.of J. F.
Maubert to the directory, in the place of Mr.
Hughes Hughes, was confirmed. The report, which
was very short, merely recommended the measures just
mentioned, the statement of accounts, showed:that the re-
ceipts, including the lease of the line, were 5,7351.85. 6d.
The receipts up to 31st December last were, including
interest from bonds and other sources, 19,721/. Os. 9d.,
which was consumed to the extent of 5,8321. lOqin pay-
ment of bonds, and 5,5681. in the interest of the prefer-
ence shares.
A question being asked by one of the shareholders as
to the necessity of continuing the board of direction, it
was explained that the whole of the office expenses
during the last half-year were only about 601.

SALTPETRE.—To-day there was a considerable falling f
off in the demand for Rough ; and at public sale 1,632
bags were taken in at the former value—good grey 4:.f
per cent refraction at 28s, and middling q per cent 273
per cwt. There were no buyers within is of these
quotations.
TALLow.—Russian on the spot cannot be called
cheaper, but on the part of the trade little desire
has been manifested to do business, and 44s 6d
to 45s per cwt are the rates accepted for fine P.Y. Candle.
On the part of holders there appears to be a desire to sell.
For delivery in the last three months of the year; there
has been little passing, and sellers are willing to accept
43s to 43s 6d. Home made is not much required, and
can be obtained at 44s to 44s 64 nett cash, as the
supply continues to increase. Other sorts of Tallow are
brought freely to market, and prices have slightly given
way. At auction 484 casks of New South Wales were
nearly all sold. American nearly all found buyers. On
Friday 200 casks of Tallow will be offered at public sale,
Rough Fat is dull of sale at 2s 6d per stone.
O us.—This afternoon Linseed Oil was in excellent
request, and prices advanced to 23s to 23s 3d per cwt on
the spot.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Their Lordships met at Five o'clock.
The Earl of BANDON presented a petition from the
merchants and inhabitants of Cork against any altera-
tion in the navigation-laws.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented a petition from
Ayr against the Scottish Registration Bill.
Lord CAMPBELL presented some petitions with a
similar prayer.

JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented petitions with a
similar prayer; also a petition from the city of London,
complaining of the increase of juvenile offenders. The
Noble Duke said that if the Government did not intro-
duce a measure on the subject, he should lay on the
table a Bill for the purpose of withdrawing juvenile
offenders from trial, and of consigning them by a sum-
mary process to a place of reformatory punishment.
Lord KINNAIRD urged upon their Lordships the
necessity of attending to the condition of the vagrant
children with which the metropolis and the large towns
were infested.
Earl GREY admitted the necessity of some alteration
in the method of treating juvenile offenders, but was not
prepared to discuss the subject at the present moment.
After a short conversation the petition was laid on
the table, and several other petitions to the same effect
were presented by the Duke of RICHMOND.
LAW OF MARRIAGE.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid on the table
,he report of the Commissioners on the law of Marriage,

NORTH WALES RAILWAY.

Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition from an
individual, complaining of the conduct of the directors of
the North Wales Railway Company.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IBELAND) BILL.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition).
The SOLICITOR. GENERAL was very desirous, in
a few words, to- explain the objects of the Bill; but as
the principles of the measure had already been amply
discussed, he hoped the House would not raise another
debate upon it before they went into Committee. The
simple object of the Bill was to make land marketable
in Ireland. At present land was not a marketable com-
modity in Ireland, owing, he supposed, to the peculiar
state of the country. From returns which had already
been laid before the House, it appeared, even during the
time of the greatest distress in Ireland, capital was con-
stantly coming over to be invested in this country which
would have been applied to improving the land in Ireland
had the law relating to the transfer of that commodity
been simple and easy of attainment. Under
the present system there were two registries of property,
but they were so exceedingly defective that it was most
difficult and embarrassing in effecting a transfer of
landed property in Ireland. These registries, for in-
stance, contained accounts of the encumbrances which
rested upon the land of Ireland, and before a piece of
land could be sold the vendor was obliged to prove that
all the registered encumbrances had been satisfied. The
complicated nature, however, of the law of mortgaging
in Ireland rendered it extremely difficult and expensive
for the vendor to do so. In this country that difficulty did
not exist, and by this Bill it was proposed so to
simulate the law of the two countries that the difficulty
which had hitherto existed in proving that old encum-
brances had been satisfied should be removed. It was
proposed to do this through the medium of the Court of
Chancery, which would have power to order the sale of
encumbered estates upon the owner and purchaser com-
plying with certain regulations to be established by
this Bill. Provisions had been introduced into the Bill
to prevent anything like an improper or fraudulent sale
of property. It was proposed to give the fullest notice
to every person who might be interested in the property
before any sale could take place, and on its being proved
satisfactorily that these notices had been given the pur-
chase-money was to be paid into the hands of
the Accountant-General. If, however, there should
be any fraud the whole proceedings would be
perfectly bad and void, and the sale might be
set aside at any time when such fraud was discovered.
The effect of the Bill, in fact, would be to give the real
owners of the property a much better price than they
could obtain under present circumstances, and it there-
fore would be a great boon to the landlords of Ireland.
It had been urged as an objection to the Bill that it
would have the effect of depreciating the
value of property, by throwing too much
land into the market at once, but that was easily an-
swered, by stating that persons so thinking might delay
the sale until the market price was higher. There
no doubt would be a good deal of legal opposition in
that House to the Bill. He was one of the profession, and
considered that it would certainly be the means of taking
a great deal of business out of their hands—(Laughter)
—but he supported the Bill on public grounds, think-
ing that it would confer a great benefit upon Ire-
land. It would not interfere with any other Bills
which had been proposed for giving relief to Ireland, it
having been thought desirable to confine it exclusively
to the emancipation of land, and not to incorporate with
it anything with respect to tenant-rights, or
the improvement of land. The Bill would
give to persons a full, expeditious, and safe
mode of investing capital in Irish lands, and it
was well known that a vast amount of capital through-
out the country was seeking for investment at the
present moment. There could be no doubt that if
persons could get a clear title to property in Ireland it
would be the means of bringing a great influx of capital
to the country, and thus tend in a great degree to im-
prove its condition. He was sure that there was
but one common feeling in the House to make it
an efficient Bill, and the Government would be thankful
to receive any suggestion which could make it more per-
fect, it being a matter of considerable complication and
difficulty. There was a great deal of technicality neces-
sarily involved in the measure, but the Government had
endeavoured to avoid that as much as possible, in order
to lay down broad and intelligible principles. He,
therefore, was of opinion that it would fully meet the
object it was intended to accomplish without doing
serious injury to any person, and trusted that it would
receive the general approbation of the House.—(Cheers.)
Mr. NAPIER deprecated the provisions of the Bill,
which he said would be destructive to the sacred rights
of property in Ireland. The real effect of it would be to
compel the sale of every estate in Ireland, because there was
no estate in that country which-, under the designation
contained in the Bill, would not be considered an encum-
bered estate. The Bill, therefore, would be appli-
cable to every estate ; and a more reckless
and injurious measure, and one more ruin-
ous in its ultimate, result, he could not conceive.
In the Court of Chancery, he understood that a pur-
chaser is not expected to complete his purchase, unless
it could be shown that the title which was about to be
vested in him was good; but under the Bill this salu-
tary power would not prevail.—(Hear.) He denied
that the Bill would be a boon to the landlords of
Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) They could not be too careful
with respect to right titles, because if they did not do so,
endless litigation would be the result. The Hon. and
Learned Gentleman they gave several technical and legal
grounds to show that the Bill would operate most injuri-
ously, if not ruinously, on the landed interest of Ireland.
He bad the authority of Sir Edward Sugden for saying,
that proceeding by means of a bill instead of a petition,
as provided by this measure, were the most inexpensive
and oonclusive.—(Cheers.) He felt it his duty to oppose
the Bill.

Mr. MONSELL said it would be a matter of sincere
regret if it went forth to the public that the sentiments
enunciated by the Hon. Gentleman who had just re-
sumed his seat were those entertained by the majority
of Irish Members—(Hear, hear)—because the Bill, he
sincerely believed, would be the means of mitigating
much of the misery that prevailed among the tenants on
encumbered estates in Ireland. When the House
considered the condition, the social position of Ire-
land, they would pause, he was sure, before they
threw out this Bill, which was looked to as their only
means of relief by the poor. If in other countries the
onus probandi rested with those who desired change, in
Ireland the onus probandi rested with those who wished
to preserve a system fraught with the greatest
misery. Having read the testimony of Mr.
Booth in support of his view, he proceeded
to say, if landlords and tenants knew their
interests and wished to promote their welfare, they
would agree in desiring such a remedy as this, in order
that the present system might be put an end to.—
(Hear, hear.) The Ilonourable and Learned Gentle-
man said such a measure could only be justified
by an " overwhelming necessity."—(Hear.) What
did he mean by such a statement? Surely an " over-
whelming necessity" existed for this measure at the pre-
sent moment—(Hear, hear)—for the state of things in
Ireland were such as to threaten a bloody revolution.
They had to consult the interests of the living rather
than those of the dead, or the indefinite wishes of poi:-
terity.—(Hear, hear.) The landlord would derive little
advantage from the sale of his estate. He could not
commit any trickery in respect of it, neither could he
expend the money it might realise as he thought pro-
per, as it was to be paid into the Court of Chan-
cery, and appropriated to those who had the
greatest claims to the proceeds. He considered that the
selling of small portions would also tend to the
advantage of the country, because it was :most essential
that a class of persons having an interest in the same
should be fostered.—(Hear.) He hoped the Govern-
ment would pass the measure with all convenient haste,
but not, however, without listening to all reasonable
amendments.
Sir GEORGE GREY hoped the House would
rise (the time being half-past three) until five
o'clock, as the Speaker had been some time in the