The Sun.
London, England, 1833-06-11 00:00:00

ROYAL SWEDISH AND NORWEGIAN GENERAL

CONSULATE.

17, Grat St. Helen's, June 10, 1633.

Sir,—l beg to acquaint you, for the information of those
concerned in the trade with Sweden, that I am officially
informed that his Majesty, the King of Sweden and Nor-
way, has been uraciously pleased to declare all French har-
bours in the channel and the Atlantic sea free from the
cholera morbus ; and accordingly vessels from those ports
are admitted in Sweden to immediate pratique, after the
bill of health has been examined, but prior to which no
communication must take place with the shore.
The cholera having appeared at Lisbon, that and all
other places in the Tagus have, in Sweden, been declared
as infected. I remain respectfully, Sir,
Your most ottedient servant,
CHARLES TOLLIE.
To John Bennett, Esq., Secretary, Lloyds.
ST. JOHN'S, NEW BRUNSWICK, APRIL 30.—The
Daniel, Kilby, from Eastport to New Yolk, was driven
on shore 24th inst., soon after sailing bilged; and filled
with water.

MAY 10.-The Campo Bello, Eskdale, in going out
of the harbour yesterday, grounded on the bar, but was
got off this morning, and it is supposed has not received
damage to prevent her proceeding.
ELSINORE, JUNE 4.—The Planter, Blackburn, from
Memel to Portsmouth, and the Nancy, Taylor, from
Memel to Bristol, have arrived in these roads, after being
on shore on the grounds, but assisted off without appa-
rent damage.
BORDEAUX, JUNE 4.—The Calcutta, Saliz, from
Bengal to this port, which put into the 'Mauritius leaky,
had discharged Ler cargo 23d February, and was expected
to proceed about 21st March.

The Cove, Lewes, from Liverpool to Newfoundland,
put into Ilfracombe with her pumps choked, cargo shifted,
and is discharging.

HAMBURG PAPERS.

HAMBURG, JUNE 7,—.BORSEN-HA LLF, HALF PAST
Two, P. —Wheat has advanced a shade, owing to a
short supply; Rye has been better in consequence of pur-
chases for the Dutch market ; and Barley has also im-
proved on the strength of the reports from England. For
Oats there has also been more demand.

From the 2bth ult. to the Ist inst. twenty-two cargoes
of corn passed through the Sound—two were bound for
England, six for Holland, one for Belgium, eight for
Sweden and Norway, and of five the destination was not
known.

Rix-dollars.
Wheat, Anhalt, white 96 to 96
--- red BO to 90
Marks
- Mecklenburg
- Holstein
Rye, Upland 6B to 73
Danish GO to 64
Petersburgh and Riga — to 75
Barley, Mecklenburgh 4O to 45
- Holstein 4O to 45
Oats, Mecklenburg
-- Lower Elbe 26 to 32
Malt, Pomeranian 42 to 45
Buck Wheat 9O to 54
l'ease, Upland, yellow 6O to 80
Beans 45 to 55

A decline at Amsterdam, and a heavy market at Berlin,
owing to a scarcity of money, have tended to depress the
stock market here. Some purchases of Austrian and
Russian stock were nevertheless made to-day.
Discount l per Cent. End ofJune.
Anglo-Danish Loan, three per cent 72%
Anglo-Russian
Russian Inscription, 5 per cent., 182,1 9314
Ditto, ditto, 1831 9-11,
- d 3
Ditto, ditto, 1832 92 ~ti
Austrian Bank Shares 19.59
Ditto Metalliques 95%
New Austrian Four per Cents 1,6%
Spanish 3 per Cents
—Hamburg Reporter.

THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

We have no arrivals of any consequence up to the pre.
sent hour; consequently, we are destitute of information.
We hear that the departure of AI. Dedel, which was to
take place to-morrow, has been postponed until Friday next.

IMPERTALPARLIAMENT

THIS DAY. TUESDAY, JUNE 11.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The gallery was opened at a quarter past 12 o'clock,
at which time we found about forty Members in the
Ho use.

SIR THOMAS TROUBRIDGE.

Sir J. GRAHAM rose to address the House.
Mr. COBBE CT objected to the Hon. Member speaking
on the adjourned debate, on a point of order.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said_ be thought it was incum-
bent on him to state to the House, before it came to any
decision on the subject, that he was in possession of cer-
tain fact., from an official source, which would entirely
set aside the allegations of those who had signed the peti-
tion brought into the House by the Hon. Member for
Oldham, upon the faith of whose assertions that Hon.
Member had principally rested his case.—( Hear.)
Mr. COBBETT—The Hon. Member had certainly
seconded the adjournment of the debate, but be thought
that he should first wait to see if any other Hon. Member
intended to speak on the question.
The SPEAKER—The Hon. Member for Oldham was
not a very old Member of that House, and therefore not
very conversant with 'the practice of that House.—
(Hear, hear, hear.) If the Honourable Member who
wished to address the House, did so with the
intention of communicating to the House information de-
rived from official documents, which would controvert
any previous statement made to the House, that Hon.
Gentleman bad an undoubted right to make such a state-
ment before the House could be called upon to decide the
question before it.
Sir J. GRAHAM said the first name to the petition
was that of Capt. Owen. What he was about to state
was from official documents which were lodged at the
Admiralty. On investigating them, he found that Capt.
Owen received his promotion in 1794, file certificate then
stating him to be 22 years of age. In 1822, the Admi-
ralty issued circulars requiring every officer to send in
a return of the age he was at that time. He found on
looking at Captain Owen's return that he stated himself
to be 47 years and 6 months ; now this would make him
to have received his promotion at the age of 191-, in place
of 22 years of age, as his certificate stated, so that one or
both of the statements must be incorrect.—( Hear.) He
further found that in 1795, while acting as Lieutenant
with Captain Stanhope, he brought that officer before a
courtmartial upon a variety of charges—the principal of
which was far fraudulent conduct in the management o'
the slops and unofficer-like conduct. The Court were of
opinion, upon consideration of all the charges, that
they were frivolous, inalicious—(Cheering)—and per-
fectly unsupported, and tended much to subvert the discipline
of the navy.—(Hear, hear.) The Captain, therefore, was
most honourably acquitted. Captain Owen was after-
wards at the instance of Captain Elphinstone, brought
before a courtmartial for behaving to Captain Stanhope
i❑ a most insulting manner, as well as to him (Captain
Elphinstone), for sleeping on his watch, and for behaving
riotously and in a most unofficer-like manner. The Court
found him guilty of the first and last charges, and partly
guilty of the others.—(Great cheering.) Captain Owen
was sentenced to be dismissed—(Hear, hear)—from the
service. Upon an investigation of the manner in which he
had been restored, he found that great irregularity
had taken place. The law, as it then stood, was,
that no officer who had been dismissed from the
service could be restored without an order by the King
in Council. Now he found that that had not been com•
plied with—the order for his restoration being signed by a
single Lord of the Admiralty.—(Hear, hear.) He
might be allowed to ask, whether he hail much right
to complain of any irregularity ?—(Hear, hear, hear.)
The other who had signed the petition, he found,
was a Mr. Edward Edwards. Now, be found, on looking
over the official documents, that he was a midshipman in
1814, and on the sth of January was tried before a court-
martial for behaving in an insulting manner to his C Iptain
and for riotous conduct. Of those charges lie was found
guilty—(Hear, bear)—and sentenced to be dismissed,
and rendered for ever incapable of being promoted in
his Majesty's service.—(Great cheering.)
Sir E. CODRINGTON said he would second the
motion to reject the petition, conceiving that the object
of the petitioners would injure rather than benefit the
service. He could give his testimony to the great advan-
tage which had been derived from the irregularity com-
plained of. He admired the address which had been
made by the Right Hon. Baronet, particularly that por-
tion of it which stated what was due to the son of such
an officer as the late Sir Thomas Troubridge ; for if ever
reward was due to the generation of any man, it was to
the generation of that gallant man.—(Hear, hear.) He had
the honour of serving under him, and could bear testimony
to his worth ; but when the House considered who were
the people who brought such charges as the present, lie
thought they could only come to one conclusion. As to
the aspersions against two such men as Captain Baker and
Sir James Yeo, the country would do them justice. Even
the Americans did ample justice to the bravery of Captain
Baker, whose ship was captured by an accident to which
all officers were liable; his mizen-mast being cus
away, his ship was placed in such a position at
to be exposed to the raking of the enemy ; but
the Americans bad borne testimony to the Captain's
bravery. As to the regulation which had been broken,
it was no doubt originally made to be adhered to, and to
prevent early promotions; but the House should recollect
that sometimes in a period of war there was a great de .rth
of officers. He knew of a case in which so great was that
dearth that a purser was employed in keeping
watch and in cutting out vessels.—( Hear.) The House
should preserve some recollection of what officers the
country had had, and of the services they had rendered.
He again begged to express his admiration of tie conduct
of the Hon. and Gallant Officer (Sir T. Troubridge), and
also of numbers of other officers who were his t Sir

E. Codrington's) superiors, and again declared that the
country had derived great benefit by the irregularity which
was complained of. The regulation certainly was, that
no person should be a lieutenant under twenty years of
age ; that he should first serve six years at sea (and six
years at sea was a pretty good servitude) ; he
was then to serve two years before he could be
a commander, and another year before he could
be posted, so that by the regulation an officer could not be
a post-captain before he was twenty-three years of age.
But if a war broke out and they got rid of officers as they
had been doing for some time past, they would be obliged
to get rid of the regulation altogether.

Captain YORKE also supported the motion for the
rejection of the petition un two grounds; the technical
allegations of the petition were undoubtedly true, and the
petition was respectfully worded ; but at the end of it a
Gallant Officer, and a Member of that House, was charged
virtually with felony, although there was nothing in the
body of the petition to support ruck a charge ; secondly,
. .

the grievance complained of in the petition had been long
a4o remedied, and therefore there was nothing in the
petition to grant. He thought the Hon. Member for
Oldham (Mr. Cobbetr) if he had refrained from bringing
forward such sweeping charges would have shown better
taste than he bad ever yet shown in that Hou,e.
The charges he had made against Captain Baker were most
unfounded, as ev,ry person at all acquainted with that
Gallant Offic-r were perfectly aware.
Sir H. VIVIAN said that, as a member of the service,
. _

he felt called upon to say a few words. lie felt sorry to
see a petition like the present brought forward to the no•
rice of the House. by an lion. Member who set himself
up as a pattern of everything that was pure and correct.
--(Laughter.) He would undertake to say that no
Gentleman, besides thc Hon. Member, out of the 658
Gentlemen sitting in that Hou,,, would have any other
opinion with respect to this petition, than that it should
be kicked out of the House. It was a most gross libel
not only on the living but the dead. Now, the Hon.
Member had said yesterday that the malpractices he had
complained of had been the result of improper manace-
ment. He had had the curiosity of looking into the
works of that Hon. Member, and by those he foural that
the Hon. Member had but lately imbibed those sentiments.
He should move as an amendment, that the petition should
be rejected, as frivolous and vexatious.—(Hear.)
Mr. COBI3ETT said that after the severe shots that
had been aimed against him, he felt called upon not only
to say something in his own defence, but of that also of
the petition. Nobody denied the existence of these mal-
practices—nobody denied the technicAl correctness of the
statetnents of the petition ; indeed, the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet bad admitted it, and had brought forward instances
of the promotion of naval officers proving it---( Hear)
--showing promotions and violation of the law.—(liear,
and cries of " No, no.") Well then, it was a neglect of
duty on the pat of the Lords of the Admiralty—
(Hear, hear, hear)--and that was set up as a
defence of the course pursued towards the Gallant
Member against whom the petition had been presented.
Why, if the present Lord Chancellor was charged with
bribery—a thing that, in his opinion, was not at all likely
to take place—would he he allowed to say, in extenuation
of that offence, that such a line of conduct had been
practised by the great and learned philosopher Lord
Bacon ? Such a defence at the present day would be
ridiculed and laughed at. When he presented the
petition yesterday, he had stated that he would not take
upon himself to vouch for the accuracy of all its state-

meats, but that be believed them to be true. He did not
fn, an to say it was proper on the part of any petitioner
To apply such harsh ternas—(Hear)—but when an Hon.
Member had such a petition put into his hand, what
was he to do with it—must he either refuse to present
it, or be answerable for every word it contained?—(Hear.)
Since Parliament had met the House had been told by a
Member of the Petition Committee, that a petitioner had
no right to leave his petition to the House, and no right to
have it printed. If, in addition to this, no petition was
to be presented containing any words which the
Member who presented it would not be answerable
for, there would soon be an end to the presentation of
petitions altogether.—(Heir, hear.) The orders in
Council had all been flagrantly violated by that to which
the present petitioners referred. It had been said by
the Hon. Baronet opposite that there was a scarcity
of lieutenants and officers at that period, but he
(Mr. C.) would refer to the papers then laid before the
House to see in what that scarcity consis'ed. The
return was made in 1825,—purported to be a return
of the midshipmen and mates (the persons out
of whom lieutenants were made) who had passed
their examinations, and had net been promoted to the
rank of Lieutenant in each year from 1804 to that time.
This return, then, of course, went back to 1806, the
period at which the Honourable Baronet, the Mem-
ber for Sandwich, was made a Lieutenant of.
What bad the country then to pay? Why, it had to pay
for 2,608 lieutenants, 1,488 of whom only were in ser-
vice, leaving, therefore, 1,120 more than the service
required, but which th,: country, notwithstanding, had
to pay for.—(Hear, hear.) It was imperative to take
this return to he true, because it came out of the Hon.
Baronet's own office.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) The
Hon. Baronet was promoted to the rank of lieutenant—
no doubt on account of the scarcity of lie utenants—
(Hear, hear)—at a time when many midshipmen and
mates, who bad produced their certificates, and passed
their examinations, were left without promotion. He
(Mr. Cobbett) would now like to put a question to the

Hon. Biron,t. He (Mr Cobbeft) gave a list of names

to the Honourable' Baronet, and asked him if he
would have any objection to have those names printed and
laid on the table of the House, among which were the
names of the Lords of the Admiralty. The Hon. Baronet
replied, that at that time the frauds were notorious ; and
as those things were not practised now, it would be for
him (Mr. C.) to consider whether it would be fit that he
should now move for that which would show up those
officers in the way that such a proceeding would do ?
The Hon. Member had considered this, and had deter.
mined merely to pre,.ent this petition, and there let it rest,
but he could not do so now. The Hon. Baront added
that at that time there was a man at Somerset House,
whose business it was to forge, to fabricate, and—
Sir JAMES GRAHAM—Not to forge; I did not say

to forge.
Mr. COBBETT said it might be that the word
" forge" had not been used, but certainly to make up and
to fabricate certificates, for the purpose of getting naval
officers and men promoted, &c. But did the Hon.
Baronet not know that that very man had b en tried for
that c,nduct, had been found guilty, put into the pil-
lory, whipped, and punished severely for it?—(Hear.)
Had not also every pensioner who had got into Greenwich

Hospital through his instrumentality been turned out of
that hospital? ad he not know also that every man
who had received a pension through his means had
had that pension withdrawn ? But could the Hun.
Member say that a single officer (and many there had
been) who bad been promoted through that inm's inter-
ference, fabricated certificates and workings, been broken
or brought back to the rank he bad held before ? Not
one; and this was what animated him (Mr. C.) on the
present occasion.—(Hear, hear, hear.) It was the
diff,lrence of conduct that was shown to men

to that which was shown to officers.—(Hear, heir.)
Many a man and many a woman had been punished
severely for forging certificates even of their births; the
men to which he had alluded bad been punished in the
way he had stated, but the officers who had risen by
these malpractices bad been suffered to benefit by
them, and thereby rendering justice a mockery—(Hear.)
He objected to the motion for rejecting the petition, be-
cause it was not founded upon the assumption that the
allegations it contained were false; and it would be there-
fore like flinging it back in the faces of the peo-
ple.—(Loud and continued laughter.) If the House laid

it down as a law that Hon. Members should be held re.
spon,ible for the contents of every petition that was pre-
sented, it would go eventually to the exclusion of the
privilege of petitioning altogether.—(Hear.) He again
expres•ed his decided objection to the rejection of the
petition.

Mr. D. W. HARVEY did not, he said, see the same
objections to the presentation of such a petition as had
been made, because it not unirequently happened that
individuals suffered under a secret and undefined im-
putation, of much greater amount than they could
possibly endure by the bringing forward of a charge in
such a way as to give full opportunity to have it rebutted.

—( Hear ) Looking at the circumstances in this point
of view, he could not but congratulate the Hon. and
Gallant Officer on the opportunity which had been afforded
to hint to negative the charges which had been brought
against him.—( Hear, hear.) Had he (Mr. Harvey) been
asked out of that House if he knew a Gallant Officer,
who was a Member of the House, and (the Gallant
Officer having been mentioned by name) that he was
charged with having committed a forgery, he could not
have avoided feeling a prejudice against the gallant officer,
which such a discussion as the present could not fail to
have removed.—(Hear.) But be thought it harsh and
most unjust that any sentiment should be entertained
towards the Hon. Member who had presented the
petition, after the discussion was concluded, other than

that that was entertained towards the Hon. and Gallant
Officer..—(Hear, hear.) And it should be borne in mind
that such Members of that House who were supposed,
like the Hon. Member for Oldham, to represent particu.

larly, but not exclusively, those classes whose employment
was of &subordinate description—(Hear)—that such Hun.
Members should have some allowances made to them for
being called upon to present petitions from such parties.
—(Hear, hear.) The discussion would also have the
effect of stowing that, although such practices as those
alluded to had formerly existed to a considerable
extent, yet that the Admiralty was found to have
discountenanced the practice of many years, and
that it was now discontinued.—(Hear, hear.) Whilst
he differed from the opinion that no attention should be
paid to the statements of those whose characters did not
stand clear of taint, he could not subscribe to the doc-
trine that the evidence of any man should be received with-
out some degree of suspicion, who had himself been guilty of
that which he charged against another, and yet came for ward
as a specimen of individual purity iu his own character.
—(Hear.) And, without mixing up the Hon. and
Gallant Member in the assumption, which he (Mr.
Harvey) intended to be only general in its application, if
it happened that any individual bad, at an early period of
his lifetime, committed himself in such a manner as had been
described, he thought it was too much to say that no
reference should be made to the subsequent conduct of that
inoividual, to his fats of bravery, and noble bearing
against the enemies of his country—(Cheers)—and
especially when that individual had received the stamp of
public approbation, by being returned the representative of
a free constituency.
Captain ELLIOTT was sorry to trouble the House at
that late hour, but he had a duty to perform, both on his
own account and on that of his brother officers. He
would at once state that the plan complained of was a
necessary one, for there were no other means to be found
for obtaining a proper supply of officers at the time. He
had lo• ked a little into the suject since it had been brought
before the House, and he found that in the six years
previous to 1800 there had been 900 appointments to the
rank of Lieutenant, and he further found that so great
was the drain upon that rank, that at the end of six years,
it had only added 200 to the nnmber of such officers—he
further found that during the first four of those six years
900 had been appointed, out of which there were only
nine names that could be at all traced to be at all
connected with the Aristocracy.—(Hear, hear.) So
much for the statements of the Hon. Member for 0 dham,
that the system was for the exclusive benefit of the higher
classes. So very great was the dearth of officers, that in
many instances commanders were obliged to take common
seamen from before the mast. In a ship in which he was
serving, five seamen were promoted to the rank of
officers, only one of whom did well ; the rest be-
haved so badly that his Captain frequently said, " Give
me boys, rather than drive me to the necessity
of taking men from before the mast, however well behaved
in that situation. He would defy the Hon. Member for
Oldham, or any other Member, to produce one single in-
stance of a ship being lost, or any other casualty that bad
happened in consequence of the officer in command not
being eligible on account of age ; therefore that Hon.
Member ought not either in justice or candour to make use
of such unfounded statements.—(Hear, hear.) As for
the cruel and uncalled for, as well as untrue statement
in reference to his (Captain E's) Gallant Friend, Captain
Baker, he would only say that he bad served 6 years as
Post-Captain before he had the misfortune to be captured.
In 1806 the new regulations were promulgated, and they
were twat strictly carried into effect, as proved by themselves.
The Gallant Officer here read from the regulations a
clause which stated that if any officer „was promoted by

y fain entitles* he gosh,. whatever rank he mixt e
I & attained to, instantly on its be ng toun t out. he
dismissed and rendered incapable of ever again serving is
Majesty. Therefore he considered that it was 'sof tr
the Hon. Member to take cases that occurred before -e
regulations came into effect. He had no hesitation in
stating that he was one of those who were raised in such
a manner, and he was not ashamed to own it, as he MAI
aware that no other plait was possible to recruit the ser-
vice, except by taking common seamen. As a Mem-
ber of that House, and as an officer, he complained of
the conduct of the Hon. Member for Oldham ; he was
justified in calling these statements most unjust and
•oul charges. That was not the first time the Hon.
Member had indulged in such a course. When the civil
retirements were before the House, he stated that an
officer of high rank in one of the dock-yards was dis-
placed in the vigour of life, in order to make way for the
brother of a Cabinet Minister. Of course the House na-
turally concluded that the case was a recent one, and he
and some other Honourable Members called out
for the name.—(Hear.) Then what was the surprise
of the House, when they found that the Honourable
Member had to go back 27 years for his instance, which
was, that Sir Charles Saxton had been displaced to make
way for the late Sir George Grey ? Now the facts of
that case were these—Sir G.Grey,theibrother of aCabinet
Minister now, was appointed to the situation in May,
1804, and Sir C. Saxton applied to the Admiralty in July,
1806, to be superannuated on account of incompetency,
age and infirmities, having served his Majesty sixty-one
years, and being at the time seventy-six years of age.
This was the man who, according to the candid stste-
merits of the Hon. Member, was in the full vigour of
life.—(Laughter.) He trusted that when the Hon.
Member arrived at that age, he would live longer to
enjoy his vigour than did that Hon. Baronet, for he
died of old age in leas than twelve months after.
The successor to Sir C. Saxton, was a gentleman who pos-
sessed no family influence and no interest, excepting that to
which, by his merits as an officer, he was entitled,--lie
meant Captain Locke. The Hon. Member for Oldham
must have gone greatly out of his way for an instance, in
order to throw a slur onithe characters of t wo gallantofficers,
and also for the purpose of attacking a Nobleman now at
the bead of the Government, who was far above the cen-
sure of that Hoo. Member.—(Hear.) He hoped the
House would endeavour to put a stop to such a practice as
permitting the freedom of debate to extend to an attack
upo❑ the character of individuate.

Sir R. INGLIS (amidst cries of " Question") said
that the Hon. Member for Oldham appeared to think
that any petition, which was respectfully worded, ought
to be laid on the table of the House. He (Sir R.
Inglis) however contended, that although the language
might be respectful to the House, an Hon. Member
should use his discretion in not giving his sanction
to any unfounded charge against an individual.—(Hear,
hear.) Here the Hon. Member bad come forward and
m de a charge, if not of felony, at least of fraud, against
an Hon. and Gallant Officer, although he admitted that
he knew nothing of the facts of the case.--(Hear,
h•ar.) The Hon. Member had asked what would
become of the right of petition if the present petition were
rejected ? The right of petition certainly had not been
much interfered with this session at least, for more peti-
tions had been presented this session than at any previous
one. Nearly 10,000 had been presented, and as for their
quality at no former period had greater licence been
allowed. The House had, however, exercised a 'mood
discretion in deputing to a Committee the examination of
those petitions, so that nothing should be published that
contained matter offensive to any party. As to the
attack on Captain Baker, he would just read the position
in which that Gallant Officer's vessel was placed.—(Here
the Hon. Baronet read an extract to show the crippled
condition of the vessel.) He would ask, after this, whe-
ther Captain Baker sacrifice his ship ?—(Cheers.) He
should support the proposition to reject the petition.
Colonel EVANS suggested to the Hon. Member for
Oldham to withdraw the petition.—(Cries of " No, no ! ')
The Right Hon. Bart. (Sir James Graham) had unneces-
sarily evinced a degree of soreness at the attack on an officer
in the service, for he (Colonel Evans) thought that, so far
:mom an officer's reputation being injured by such a dis-
cussion, it would be benefited. That was his opinion, as
a general principle. As to the Hon. and Gallant Officer
(Sir Thomas Troubridge), he admired his conduct,
having had the honour of serving with him
during the war.—(Hear)—and be also thought that gal-
lant officer entitled to some regard from the high merits of
his father.—(Hear.) The cause, however, of his ad.
dressing the House was in consequence of having bten
requested by some of his constituents to do so.—( Hear.)
The Right Hon. Baronet had alluded to the promotion of
boys in the navy ; he did not mean to complain of that,
but he could assure him that in the army promotions
highly culpable bad taken place.—(Hear, bear, hear.)
He did not make this observation with regard
to himself, but as it related to brother officers,
who had had young men placed over them after most ardu-
ous duty on their part. In conclusion the Gallant
Colonel earnestly recommended the Hon. Member for
Oldham to withdraw the petition.

Mr. ROEBUCK defended the conduct of the Hon.
Member for Oldham in presenting the petition, and denied
the responsibility of Hon. Members for the statements in
the petitions they presented. He trusted the House
would pause before it rejected the petition.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY rose amid loud cries of " Question."
The subject at present under discussion was of too vital
importance to allow him to be put down by cries of
question.—(Hear, hear.) The Honourable Member for
Bath, after he bad been a little longer a Member of
that House, would find that Honourable Members were
answerable for the statements in the petitions which
they presented, more especially when they cast such
calumnies as the present did upon the character of
individuals.—(Hear, hear.) He admitted that the repre-
sentatives of the people were in duty bound to present
their petitions to that House, but at the same time
it was their duty to take care that they were not the
means of conveying calumny and slander. For the present
petition, such was the calumnies and slanders that it con-
tained that he should have no hesitation in throwing it upon
the floor, and trampling upon it. With respect to the
present petition, and with respect to the statement in a
little work called the " Ten Cardinal Virtues," he would
recommend the Hon. Member to exercise a little more
public consistency, and pay a little more attention to
such subjects, before he brought charges against men in
that House who stood far above him in every station of
life.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. RUTHVEN said this was an unfortunate question,
and he, seeking permission to express his opinions in the
midst of the cries he heard of question, question, he only
desirad to have that courtesy shown to him which
he was desirious on all occasions of acceding to
others. He was as much indisposed as any man to re.
ceive petitions that could not be duly presented to the
House, and he objected to the reception of the present
petition, because it contained unbecoming language
towards the Gallant Officer opposite.—(Hear, hear.)
He (Mr. R.) did not believe the statements made in the
petition.

Admiral FLEMING endeavoured to explain away some
of the statements made by Blr. Cobbett, as regarded the
number of Lieutenants out of service when hi
Honourable Friend was appointed to the Lieutenancy -3/4
The Honourable Baronet was appointed on the
E at India station during the war, and he (the Gallant
Admiral) had often, even in time of peace, on the east
and western coasts, been io great want of officer..
Strangers were now ordered to withdraw. When
we got into the gallery again, we found that rather a
curious scene had taken place. When Mr. Speaker put
the question that the petition should be received, and re-
quested that the ayes should go below the bar, even Mr.
Cubbett would u.,t leave his place, so that in point of fact
no division took place.

Sir R. DONKIN presented a petition from the inha-
bitants of Berwick-apon-Tweed, praying for the entire
abolition of slavery, in the prayer of which the Hon.
Member entirely concurred.
Mr. POTTER presented petitions from Manchester
against the house and window taxes and the highway duty.
Mr. G. BERKELEY presented two petitions against
the Beer Bill, and one from the 1204ators con-
fined in the Gloucester County Goal, complaining
of certain grievances which the petitioners alleged to have
been laid before the High Sheriff, who had not attended to
them. The Hon. Member eulogised the character of the
High Sheriff, and begged to be understood as not answer-
in for the truth of the statement of the petitions.
'Mr. PEASE presented petitions from Bishops Audley
and another place against the registration of De.ds Bill;
and from a Dissenting Minister in the city of Dublin
against oaths.
Mr. DUNCOMBE presented several petitions against
slavery ; and one from Waltham, praying for a repeal of
the Beer Bill.

Mr. INGHAM rose to present a petition ; but an Hon.
Member moved that the House should be counte I, tnd
there being but 27 Members present, the Hour; vi sta
adjourned at a quarter pad two o'clock.

FORFAR.—lnfluenza is raging here to a
great extent. Whole families are confined, acid one or
two cans Of death have eveurred,Abtrd:en Herald,