The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-25 00:00:00

If not Previously Disposed of by Private Contract.
AT LLOYD'S COFFEE-HOUSE, CORNHILL,
I'
two On Ti Oct. 30, at half-past t,
11E good Barque HECTOR, 324 tons per
Trade register ; built at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for the Jamaica
with
.., ja which she has always been employed; has a flush deck,
t,p,oetr°Lert odious poop, and neat bust head, copper-fastened and
dew plai,`"k3 titersad extensive repairs to the hull and outfit in 1828,
''w Joker-marts' ' waterways, paint strokes, channel wales, with all
earl.; and bowsprit, is a vessel of excellent properties,
IleiZtli,sa large cargo, good heights between decks, adapted to
INN,
and may proceed on any voyege, at a moderate
INN, ; JAMES FIELD, Commander. Now lying in the West
rorrPert Dezk•
nventoeies and further particulars apply to
'----------.Y.,_____Vn W M
OOLCOBE, 1, Freeman's-court, Cornhill.
AT LLOYD'S COFFEE-HOUSE, CORNHILL, on TIMES-
. DAy, Oct. 30, at Half-past Two,
aiE fine Ship INGLIS, 1,321 38-94 tons per
0, register; built at Prince of Wales Island, by the present
1/44-,teril:iii,:larnthe year 1811, of Rangoon teak, for the Honourable
tiiw 1A!'.(11.4 Company's Service (under the superintendence of Cap-
Hav, her first Commander, and Mr. C. M. Taylor,
atOcrienced hip-builder of London,) and was 'doubled with 4
aSati-din4l.l Rangoon teak, won patent felt, and new coppei:ed with
14'der tc° °?• copper on fitting for her eleventh voy?ge in. 1832
an,
xtr(iie direction of the Company's surveyors. Sne.carri,es_ t
Niibi nary large cargo, at an easy draft of water, is in th, bes
1/4,1 ise order and condition, (had a new main-mast last voyage),
';'edirj:erfectly ready for immediate service: her stores are ehx.-
ci,lats 0?:,,,,!-InPf.o, correspondent with the usual liberal indent of t is
%-till,,,,""'lVing, and in excellent order ; Joseph Dudraan, Es,
Pot 7"-ier• Now lying in the East India Docks. -
Inventories and further particulars apply to
AT
Wl/. lIL)01,COmB.E, 1, Freeman's-court, Cornhill.
prLLOYD'S COFFEE-HOUSE, CORNHILL, on Timm-
/it nfianye, Nsc;lviembevrillkaitilsliaj-fta,st
IT:T3Og 8
tons
per
for the r,egr.ister ; river bupilt, by ;Ir. Barnard, at Deptford,. in. 1818,
1144 oldl,nourable East India Company's Service, in uhich s e
with throeompleted seven voyages, is thoroughly copper-fastened
Prarnecigh bolts in lieu of treenails above the first fultocks, and
.I'Ql, tt 141:, Preceding her last voyage) was doubled with three
lte,t:4 doubling, coPper-fastened, new sheathed with wood ever
~eli know' and coppered with heavy coupe-; this fine ship is so
f(), sto,''a in the service for her excellent properties, great capacity
is':i'ry t?"Ot and uniform good delivery of cargo, that it is only ne-
; to„ 'serve., that she may be immediately dispatched marine
e is ..:;e'e with the least possible outfit ; her inventory of niarin
t.,1,
.teat 014 in every respect ; her armament complete to the full
I,Lgibl --i " usual indent of the Company's ships ; she is also very
n 6 for toy Foreign power as a ship of war • R. F. PROCTOR,
o;.?:niMander• NOw lying in th East India Docks.
ventories .andifurther particulars apply to
Messrs. GEORGE CLAY and SON, Salvador House,
Bishopsgate- street; or to
'"s--.....___VM• WOOLCOMBE, 1, Freeman's-court, Cornhill.

BOOKS.
A ty Al TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,
"tth 'r r'srs• SOUTHGATE, SON, and GRIMSTON, .
likt1;„ —"lts, .2, Fleet-street, on SA TIT Ur AY, Oct. 2ai,sell 5.34,
Woliowing days, at Flalf-past Twelv.e. o'cloc:kprec 0 _
A ICS) comprising an el:tens-ore Collection f
14 fi,ii,, ,—..merican Literature, uniformly bound in 217 vols. Also,
~C) 4111 sec Fran ' 4 cols., morocco; Boydeil's Shakspeare,
li'''krisiliTec'eriy• MonifeaaUsceo'n's Atuities, 15 vols. in quarto Todd'sii'hl'sor Dictionary,Eanlo vols., calf gilt ; Scott's Bible', 6 vols. ;
'iv% v, 3 vols. ; Ottley on Engraving, 2 vols. ; Ca-
1.:,-,°rks, 2 vols. Np: r's Life and Times, 1834. And in
itl'.l4%),—"gewortll's Works,;a'e vol. 1 to 13 ; Bingham's Christian
.i.kf, 27, s vole • New Monthly Magazine, 27 vols. ; Gentleman's
°l', teint''' 153.v'ols•M hly Review, 209 vols. Best Editions
17°°et,"i;t of_ Ilu.rn' e aonndt Smol,ltett,_Raobertson, Gibbon, Rollin,
}:"Y, Lar.,_ ' l'aley, Bacon, Sco, , Sh kseare &c. ; Family Li-
.i '''lti 'nee* Cyclopmdia ; Bibles and Prayer Books ; Hood and
.‘4tild,4n,.'' Coinic, Amulet, Forget-Me-not, Landscape, and other
lid the "*x 18-34'• Ar ith's large Maps of England, India,
143i,c1:, iiold, on' sprinrrrmollers and mahranv cases; Music, by
'144 'rt, Corelli, Handel, Pleyel, &,..b. ; upright Pianoforte,
,\/ in, &e.
hs'''.l4ll he,',iewed, and Catalogues had at the Rooms, price Is.
Zilt ,rth..vlluations of every description of pro2erty for the pay-
‘`.......-v -Legacy Duty, &e.
_ ----....

Died, on the 19th of April, at Mahableshwar, in
the East Indies, Lieutentant W. Buckley Hinde, of the 4th
Light Dragoons, eldest son of the late William Hinde, Esq.,
of Lancaster. It appears from his companions, of whom there
were were several, that on making his way through a jungle,
that was almost impenetrable, followed by two others, who
were within a few yards of him, a wounded gyal was roused
from his place of concealment, and came so suddenly upon
him that it was impossible to avoid his attack. The animal's
horn entered his chest, and though immediate assistance was
at hand, when his compenions reached the spot to which he
had been tossed, it was only to witness his death.—Liverpool
Advertiser.

WHAT Is POVERTY P—His Majesty finds po-
verty in a resignation of the pension list. The proud Peer
will tell you it consists in the inability to rebuild one of his
many mansions after the latest fashion, or in being obliged to
give up his danseuse and opera box The fat rector will say,
it is being obliged to lay down his carriage and horses I The
country squire will tell you it is the exchange of a kennel of
fox hounds for a couple of greyhounds. The wealthy trades-
man will tell you it consists in his change of town-house and
country-house for a year round cottage in the suburbs. The
retail dealer will tell you it consists m losing his annual visit
to a watering place. The mechanic of large earnings will tell
you it consists in losing his hot supper and grog, and having it
replaced by meagre bread and cheese and heavy wet ; and the
poor weaver thinks the times very hard indeed when he can no
longer afford a salted herring to season his potatoes. To
suffer the privation of warmth, to suffer the privation of cleanly
and sufficient clothing, to suffer the privation of whole-
some food, to be obliged to reside in a dwelling where the
common necessities of nature must be unpleasantly obtruded
on each other, owing to want of space or want of arrangement,
to be deprived of books, or of intelligent or Moral beings with
whom to associate ; to suffer any of these privations is poverty ;
and, to suffer the whole of them united, as so many of our un-
fortunate fellows do, is a condition of the lowest human misery ;
and, while any of these wants are ungratified, no human being
ought to sit down content.—Monthly Repository.

We regret to state that Thomas Mayhew, Esq., son of
Francis Mayhew, Esq., of Fitzroy-square and Carey-street,
Lincoln's Inn-fields, committed suicide at his chambers,
No. 2, Barnard's Inn, Ilolborn, on Thursday night last.
The deceased was proprietor of " Barnett's Library of
Music," "The Parterre," and a number of other literary
publications, and formerly connected with the " National
Library." He left his residence at Camden Town, on
Thursday morning about nine o'clock, when he appeared in
a very cheerful mood. Not returning at night, Mrs.
Mayhew, accompanied by her brother and sister, went yes-
terday forenoon to his chambers, when.they found the door
fistened. They then applied to the porter at the lodge,
a.nd inquired when he had seen him last ? Ile informed
them that Mr. Mayhew had brought him the key of his
chambers about nine o'clock on Thursday night, and he had
net seen him since. Mrs. Mayhew 's brother having some
misgivings from its being known that he was in embarrassed
circumstances, determined on having the door forced open,
which was accordingly -done. On entering the apartment,
they •found the unfortunate gentleman lying on the floor
qaite dead. It is supposed be must have been dead some
time, as the body was quite cold and stiff ; and from the
tonell in the room there is no doubt be had taken prussic
adi.. The deceased was about thirty years of age, and ex-,
rented next month to have been called to. the bar. It is'
siTposed his inability to honour a bill which he had given
to a music-printer, and which became due on Wednesday
last, was the cause of his committing the rash act.—The
nody remains at the chambers until a Coroner's iequest has
1_ eon held.

EXTENSIVE FRAUDS ON THE BIRMINGHAM
GAS-LIGHT COMPANY.

The general topic of conversation in Birmingham and
the neighbourhood, during the past week, has been the re-
cent extensive forgeries andb frauds committed by Mr. Thos.
Isumby, the well-known confidential clerk to the Birming-
ham and Staffordshire Gas-light Company. At our Police
Office, on :Monday, he was examined and committed on two
charges for feloniously uttering two forged transfers, pur-
porting- to convey five shares in the Company from George
Burdon, Esq., of lladdon Hall, near Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, to Mrs. Ruston, a widow lady of this town ; and five
shares from the same gentleman to Mr. Robert Packer, of
Edgbaston. Although the prisoner at present stands com-
mitted upon these two charges only, he has similarly sold to
various parties, by means of forged transfers, not fewer than
fifty shares, held by Mr. Burden, and by this means rea-
lized and appropriated to his own use the sum of 4,8551. 10s.
We regret to state that even this amount, large as it is,
ftlis far short of Lumby's defalcations already discovered.
The mode in which Lumby's frauds were discovered was
extremely simple. Lumby, to conceal the transfer of the
shares from Mr. Burdon, was obliged to make good the full
amount. of the dividends on one hundred shares, though Mr.
B.'s name was entered in the books as proprietor of only,
fifty ; and he, therefore, paid half the dividends in
cash, and half- in .a check from the Directors. This
at length excited suspicion ; and Mr. Burdon was
sent for, and confronted with Lumby, when the
latter was least prepared for such an encounter, and being
unable satisfactorily to explain the entry in the books, and
reconcile it with the payment of the cash to the bankers, he
was consigned to the custody of the police. It is singular
that Lumby, like •Fauntleroy, kept a list of his various de-
linquencies. Such a list was found in one of Lumby's
desks, headed " Business I must immediately attend to."
On searching the Company's house in the square, in which
Lumby resided, everything was found as if in a state of pre-
paration for the -reception of some distinguished company ;
and on Thursday these appearances were fully and satis-
factorily explained. On the evening of that day no less a
personage arrived as a visitor than Feargus O'Connor, Esq.,
the Member for the county of Cork, whos it is said, is on
the eve of marriage to the niece of Mrs. Lumby—the in-
tended bride, too, no less a personage than Mrs. Nesbit, the.
accomplished and fascinating actress, who is now residing
with her much-afflicted aunt. It is due to Mr. O'Connor
to state that, notwithstanding, the very unpleasant circum-
stances in which he has been placed by the conduct and
melancholy situation of his expected host, he has, through-
out his stay in Birmingham, evinced the most laudable de-
sire to assist him in his present emergency.—Birnaingbam
Advertiser.

SUPPOSED MURDER IN GRAVESEND.

Monday an inquest was held before Mr. J. Dennet,
Mayor, upon Sarah Patrick, a twin infant, aged eight
months, reported to have met its death by swallowing large
lumps of corbonate of soda. Dr. Richards sworn—Was
called on to attend the deceased. The mother stated to me
that both children had been vomiting salt. She produced
a number of pieces, which I found to be corhonated soda.
(Here a bottle was produced containing the soda vomited,
weighing I.oz. 7 drills.) The vomiting lasted nine or ten
days. On inquiry the mother informed me that she used
soda for washing, and usually kept some by her. The soda
was ejected from both infants. Deceased appeared in great
pain. The child died on. Sunday noon. Examined by a
juror—Soda is a slow poison. I think it possible that an
infant might swallow lumps as large as those produced. At
this period the Jury considered it necessary to have a post
mortent examination, but it was determined in the mean
time
,to proceed with the examination of the witnesses.
Ann Patrick, the child's mother, was called, and eau_
tioned against saying anything that might convict
herself. She stated that on the first appearance
of sickness she was greatly alarmed. The soda came
from the children's mouths in lumps, and their screams
were dreadful. She had two pounds of soda in
the house at the time, for the purpose of wash-
ing. Never left the children for more than half an hour
at a time. The soda was kept in the cupboard, beyond the
reach of the other two children. Sent for a medical gentle-
man, who attended the deceased till death. Mr. Simpson
gave similar testimony. Mrs. Phillips, cousin to the mo-
ther of the deceased, had seen two pieces come away from
the deceased. The last piece she could swear came from
the mouth. The child had not been fed while she was pre-
sent, and that was ten minutes. Jane Patrick, sister to the
deceased, stated that she had nursed her sister, hut never
gave her any loaf sugar. The soda was kept on the top
shelf in the cupboard. Her father sometimes fed the child.
Patrick, the father, was then called in and asked by the
coroner why he had that morning objected to a post mortenz
examination ? He replied, that reports had been circu-
lated that the child had been poisoned, and he was desirous
of having some medical gentleman present as well as Dr.
Greatrex. The jury adjourned, and Drs. Richards, Great-
rex, and Jones, attended to inform the jury of the result of
their examination. Dr. Richards stated that marks of in-
flammation were distinct in the lining membrane of the
stomach, which was otherwise in a healthy state. The
contents of the stomach had been tested, and no signs of
soda discovered. The jury, after long consideration, re-
turned a verdict " That death had been caused by carbo-
nated soda, but by whom administered is unknown.'

It is to be hoped that on rebuilding the Houses of
Parliament the same error will not be committed that occurred
when the Parliament House was burnt in Dublin. Upon that
occasion the Lord Chancellor (Lord Clare) superintended the
erection of the House of Lords, and the Speaker (Mr. Foster)
that of the House of Commons ; but as those two eminent
persons differed entirely in their taste, the two new Houses of
Parliament, though forming one building, were of totally
different orders of architecture. The Irish House of Com-
mons was sitting when the fire took place, and Mr. Foster
gained great credit for the coolness with which he went through
all the forms of adjourning the House, although the dome was
in flames over his head.

THE ARROW STEAMER.---Last week was launched
from the premises of Messrs. John Linton and Co. of Selby, a
beautiful iron steam-boat, called the Arrow, built forl Mr.tiJohn
Leathern, and intended to ply to York. When afloat, her
draught of water was somewhat less than twelve inches, and
when complete with engine, boiler, and stores on board, it
will not exceed twenty-two inches, which will enable her to
navigate the river at all times of the tide.—York Chronicle.
The Oldstock sheepstealers, whose cave in the
centre of a wood has lately been described, were convicted at
the late Wiltshire sessions, and transported for life.

EXTRAORDINARY PIIENOMENA.--Yesterday
evening Mr. J. Parker, Mr. J. Rogers, Mr. A. Scott, and
several other persons, being at Three Mile-house, observed
something in the air, winch they at first took to be mist or fog,
but as the evening was clear, they were induced to take more
notice of it, and by holding their hands above their eyes, so
as to exclude the rays of the sun, they could distinctly see the
bodies of insects, apparently of a red or crimson colour. They
were in sheets, with trains after them resembling that of a
comet ; each sheet of these insects appeared by itself, and
they were moving in a direction from west to cast, about 25
or 30 feet from the earth, and at least 20 yards in width, fol-
lowing each other in flocks like the pigeons ; they observed
the passage of these insects for more than twenty minutPs, the
sun at the time being more than one hour high.—Halifax
Scotian.

Sir FRANCIS PALGRAVE had before him yesterday
some important evidence relative to the injurious conse-
quences which result from Trades' Unions. It was given
by Mr. Peachey, the clerk of the Felt-makers'
Company.
The style by which the charter denominated the
company was " The Master, Wardens, and Com-
monalty of the Art and Mystery of the Felt-makers of
London." There were only two classes of members—
' liverymen and freemen. The Company was managed
by a master, four wardens, and twenty-one assistants.
No attempt had been made either by application to a
court of law or in any other way to throw open the
right of suffrage. The replies of the Court of Assist-
ants
relative to the internal management of the com-
pany did not differ materially from those given by other
companies.
Mr. PEACHEY alluded to the injurious effects pro-
duced by the _Union which existed among the hatters,
and asked the Commissioner if evidence upon that point
could be received ?
Sir F. PALGRAVE considered evidence of this na-
ture would be most important, and he should be glad
to receive any information that could be given.
Mr. Peachey said the union which existed among
the workmen in the different branches of the hat trade
was most oppressive. They had considerable funds,
and were extremely severe in their regulations. The
by-laws of the Company were disregarded by the Union
in regulating the number of apprentices taken by
partners in a firm. If there were. any number of
partners in a firm in the hat trade, the Union would not
allow more than two apprentices, though there shculd
be 100 men working on the premises. Efforts had
been made to put down the power of the Union, but
without success ; only three men in London had with-
stood the opposition of the Trades' Union. One case of
the exercise of the power of this body was so remark-
able, that he would mention it. A workman took home
to his employer three hats he had been ordered to
make ; the hats were badly made—and he might here
mention, that a wide door was opened to fraud in the
extracting beaver from the fdt,—and the master com-
plained, and would not pay for the work. The master
was summoned before the Court of Requests, and
after. the case had been fully gone into, the Commis-
eioners decided against the claim for pay, as the work
was so badly done. The man, however, applied to the
committee of the Trades' Union, and they decided
that the Com Missioners of the Court of Requests
had not acted right, and directed the master to
pay the man for the work, and if he failed,
threatened him that all his men should strike. A
strike did take place among all, the men, and a bill
of indictment for a conspiracy was preferred against
the Unionists, but owing to some unfortunate circum-
stances, it was not proceeded with. Their funds were
so large, that strikes injured them but little. They
provided tickets for men out of work, when they went
round the country for employment, which ticket franked
them to a bed, a good breakfast, and a shilling. An-
other instance of the arbitrary conduct of the Union,
was where a hat manufacturer of London had an esta-
blishment in the country, where he did not employ all
Unionists. The Unionists required the manufacturer to
discharge the men who did not belong to the Union,
and on a refusal a strike took place. The effect of
the Union upon the hat trade was most injurious and
oppressive. The men were enabled by it to keep up a
rate of wages which were very high, and this shut out
the English manufacturers from competing with fo-
reigners in the markets abroad. Hats were expected
soon to be imported from America. There were, no
doubt, persons in the trade who could give the Com-
missioners most important information upon this sub-
ject ; but they, no doubt, did not like to appear, lest
they should be marked by the unionists.
Sir F. PALGRAVE said the subject was one of so
much interest, that the Commissioners would, receive
written information.
Mr. Peachey said it was his opinion, as well as the
opinion of most persons in the trade, that the Union
was very injurious to the trade of the country.
Sir F. PALGRAVE asked whether, if increased powers
were given to the Company, they possessed the ma-
chinery for settling the disputes between the masters
and the unionists ?
Mr. Peachey said he should not like to give an
opinion on such an important point. The subject had
certainly been considered by the members of the Com-
pany, but it had never been brought formally before
the Court. _

Mr. Woodthorpe put in copies of orders of the
Court of Common Council of the 6th of June, 1759,
ordering that persons exercising the art and mystery of
a felt-maker, must become free of the Company. Mr.
Woodthorpe stated that persons in the hat trade, ap-
plying to become free of the City, often slipped through
his fingers by their declaring that they were haber-
dashers of hats. A felt-maker was one who made the
hat, and the haberdasher of hats was the person who
prepared the linings, &c. The charter of the Felt-
makers' Company was originally denied, the Haber-
dashers'r Company opposing it, as interfering with their
a
being an ancient Company. In 1613 it
craft,
they
was ordered that the felt-makers should pay 1,5001.
for their being admitted into the Corporation, but pre-
viouSly their charter had been denied in direct opposi-
tion to several messages from the King, ordering that
they should be admitted. This was in the time of
James I. ; but the Corporation would not obey the
orders, and foreign felt-makers were allowed admittance
into the Haberdashers' Company. Thus arose those
constant disputes between the haberdashers and felt-
makers. In 1650 the felt-makers were admitted into
Corporation.
Sir F. PALGRAVE said this was certainly a very
strong case as to the power of the Corporation over the
Companies, and of comparative recent occurrence.
The evidence was then proceeded with. The Com-
pany of felt-makers were empowered by their charter to
exercise control over felt-makers in London, and
within four miles, but that control was never exercised
only in the city. The remainder of the evidence con-
sisted chiefly of details relative to the internal arrange-
ments of the Company.
Sir F. PALGRAVE asked if the Company were ready
to al! mw their accounts to be inspected.
Mr. Peachey said, he could not state whether the
would agree to that. He would, however,
Company
mention it to the master and Court of Assistants.
Sir F. PALGRAVE thanked Mr. Peachey for his
information.

THE GUNMAKER'S COMPANY.
The master, &c., of this Company have returned full
answers to the questions submitted to them by the
Commissioners. The master, Mr. Thomas Ashton,
the upper-warden, Mr. Pritchett, Mr. Holmes, the
clerk of the Company, and some members of the Court
of Assistants attended, however, to furnish the Corn-
nissioners explanations and suggestions relative to the
important trust held by the Company of proving guns,
pistols, &c., before they are legalized for sale.
The principal facts developed in the course of the
reading of the answers sent in by the Company, and
the evidence furnished by the master, wardens, and
clerk to the Commissioners, are these :--
The style of the Company is the " Master, War-
dens, and Society of the Art and Mystery of Gun-
makers of the City of London." There were two
classes of freemen—liverymen and freemen. Female
were admissible. The livery was granted to the Corn
pany on the 4th of November, 1778. The numbe
of the livery was limited, and the actual number wa
now below the limit. The Court of the Company wa
always kept full. The Court of Assistants were kept
full. There was no religious disqualification. The
officers of the Company were the master, wardens,
Court of Assistants, and stewards of view and proof

Mr. -Thomas Ashton said it was illegal to expose
for sale an unproved gun, pistol, &c.; but the Com-
pany did not possess, as he considered they ought to
have, a right of search for untried guns, &c. The
duty of the Company was to take all guns, pistols, gz.e.
manufactured in the country on view and proof, and if
found perfect, to mark them with the Company's mark.
The guns, &c., of all persons connected with the trade
were proved, though the parties belonged not to the
Company. The Company had Jurisdiction over Ma-
nufacturers within ten miles of London, and all guns
unproved and offered for sale-within that distance-they
could seize, and by breaking and defacinglhem, render
them unserviceable. An Act had been passed to re-
gulate the trade in this particular, but still guns and
pistols were offered for sale unproved.
Sir F. PA LGRA VE—You: destroy, then, all. guns
brought to be proved, if defective ?
Mr. Ashton—The defective pieces destroy them 4 lves.
Sir F. PALGRA vE—And I suppose in manta in-
stances defective guns sold destroy life ?
Mr. Ashton feared the loss of life occurred from par-
ties purchasing unproved guns.
Sir F. PALGRAVEL-Are guns allowed to be ex-
posed for sale without a mark that they have been
proved ? _ _ _

Mr. Ashton—Certainly not, legally ; but they are
sold, to the great danger of the public.
Sir F. PALGRAVE—IS there not also a Govern-
ment mark?

Mr. Pritchet said, when guns, pistols, &c., were
proved at the Government proving places, they were
marked with the broad arrow, and the letters G. R.,
or now W. R. There was a proof-house also esta-
blished at Birmingham.
Sir F. PALGRAVE—IS that a branch proof-house
belonging to the Company ?
Ashton replied in the negative. It bad been
established by Act of Parliament. Great numbers of
guns, &c., were sent up for proof to the Company's
proof-house from Birmingham, Sheffield, York, and
different parts of the country.

Sir F. PA LGRAVE—IS the manufacturer bound to
have his guns proved?

Mr. Ashton—There is a heavy penalty if. *roved
aims are offered for sale. All respectable men in the
trade would not sell an unproved gun. There were
cases in which guns and pistols were sold without
being proved. There could be no doubt but that the
system adopted in proving guns had maintained the
high character of English manufactured guns through-
out the world. Great quantities of foreign manufac-
tured guns were sent to the Company's proof-house to
be proved. The powers of the Company were consi-
dered defective, as their charter was a royal charter,
and not confirmed by the branches of the Legislature.
Some of the trade, therefore, resisted the right of the
company to search, and to destroy unproved guns.
Sir F. PALGRAVE asked whether the safety of the
public did not require that the Company should have
the power to search for and destroy the guns ?
Mr. Ashton considered such power ought to be
given.
_ _

•
Sir F. PALGRAVE read the provisions of the act
for establishing a proof-house at Birmingham, by which
it was provided that guns sold unproved, either at the
proof-houses, in London, at Birmingham, at his Ma-
jesty's proof-houses, or at other places his Majesty
should direct, be liable.to a penalty of 20/. Sir F.
Palgrave asked if the establishment of the proof-house
at Birmingham was opposed by the Company ?
Mr. Holmes replied in the affirmative ; it was cer-
tainly encroaching on the Company's profits.
Mr. Woodthorpe said the Court of Aldermen had
in this Company, as well as others, exercised jurisdic-
tion over it, and named two instances of the kind.

Sir F. PALGRAVE asked if the fact of enrolment of
a charter was the proof that the Company to which it
had been granted was accepted into the Corporation ?
Mr. Woodthorpe replied that that was the case. If
these were no conflicting claims, the enrolment took
place, and the Company was admitted to the livery,
and precepts were issued calling upon the liverymen of
such Company to attend common halls, &c. He had
shown to the Commissioners that the Corporation could,
if there was ground, decline admitting a Company into
the livery, as in the case of the feltmakers, though
many messages were sent by the. King directing that
they should he admitted.
Sir F. PALGRAVE asked whether the Company
would furnish accounts of its income and expenditure
for some few years back.
Mr. Ashton considered the Court of Assistants,
with the Master, &c., must sanction that, before in-
formation could be given. He thought there would he
no objection. Their property consisted of the proof-
house, which was freehold, and cost 5,000 f., :some
funded property, &c.