The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-09 00:00:00

THE RELIGIOUS DISTURBANCES IN,
IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
THE EAST.

•I`

At the Thames Police-court yesterday the hear-
ing of the summonses against the Rev. Bryan
King, and others, for assaults, were heard before
Mr. Selfe. We are now enabled to give the result
of these proceedings. _ _ _

The Rev. Bryan King, the Rector of St. George's

the Rev. Mr. Dove, the curate, and other gentle-
men connected with the choir of St. George's-in-the-
East, were summoned for assaults, arising out of
the notorious proceedings of last Sunday after-
noon. The case occupied the attention of the
magistrate six hours, but owing to the lateness of
the hour no full report could be given. We there.
merely state the result.
The Rev. Bryan King was fined ss, on the com-
plaint of assault on Mr. Littlejohn, son of a vestry-
man.

Mr. Dove, the curate, was fined 40s. for the as-
sault on Mr. C. Herbert.
The rest of the defendants were admonished 4nd

dismissed.

TIIE EXTRAoRDINARY HIGH TIDES.

The prediction of a high tide, or rather a succes-
sion of high tides, at this time, from the planetary
influences favourable to such a result, has been fully
verified, in the Thames at all events. The first in-
dication of this phenomenon showed itself on Wed-
nesday afternoon, when at two o'clock the usual
high water mark having been reached, the tide still
kept rising, and the waters continued their onward
flow till many portions of the banks of the river
were laid under water to an alarming extent.
But yesterday's tide, as was anticipated, far out-
stripped that of the previous day ; and notwith-
standing the precautions taken by occupiers of
property on the waterside a great amount of damage
has been done.

The wind, which had been blowing for the pre-
ceding 24 hours from the north-east, had driven an
immense volume of water from the North Sea into
the estuary at the month of the Thames, and sud-
denly shifting on the flood to nearly due east, the
accumulated waters rushed up the river with a ve-
locity seldom known in European rivers, and more
resembling "the bore" not un frequent in the
Ganges, the Hooghly, and other Asiatic rivers. Its
velocity continued to increase, and at three-quar-
ters flood was such that several vessels were driven
from their moorings or dragged their anchors, caus-
ing considerable confusion in the Upper and Lower
Pools, and the tiers of vessels lying between Rother-
hithe and London-bridge, many of which breaking
adrift, occasioned numerous collisions, which re-
sulted in the loss of spars, rigging, and sails, and
damage to boats and bulwarks. Above bridge the
velocity of the current was equally disastrous,
several barges and lighters having been driven
from the wharfs, causing much damage, and one
laden barge was sunk. The lighter and watermen
not without considerable difficulty, succeeded in
securing the drifting craft. Providentially at this
time—half-past one o'clock—the wind shifted so as
to obstruct in a great measure a greater influx of
water, and thereby prevented a larger amount of
damage. As it was the damage was extensive ;
the halfpenny steam-boat pier was overflowed
in a similar manner to the preceding tido, when
passengers were compelled to be embarked and
landed at Waterloo-bridge pier, and the carriage
road on the river side of the Adelphi arches was
partially inundated. The low-lying wharves and
landing-places, particularly on the south side of the
river, were laid under water, and buoyant articles
swept away. It also inundated the basements of
many waterside premises, and damaged the con-
tents.

At Woolwich, in consequence of the precautions
taken during the week, the high tide of yesterday
caused comparatively little damage at the dock-
yard. The wharfs were partially overflowed, and
the floor of the mast-house under water. At the
Royal Arsenal the swell of the river inundated a
portion of land near the canal, but no serious
damage resulted.
On the Medway, at Chatham Dockyard, the tide
on Wednesday rose to 22ft 10in. high-water being
ten minutes past one o'clock. At two o'clock yes-
terday, the time of high-water, it was 19 feet 4
inches. There were a considerable number of acres
of land under water, and much damage has been
done. A farmer, of the name of Gale, living at
Stoke, unfortunately lost a horse and upwards of
100 sheep by drowning ; and the rifle practice
ground used by the troops was under water, cover-
ing the targets. Several small craft in the river
have been seriously injured, both in their rigging
and hulls.

At Liverpool yesterday the river Mersey presented
a very interesting appearance in consequence of the
high state of the tide, the water reaching up until
within two feet of the dock and harbour piers. It
is many years since there have been such a suc•
cession of high tides, and in some parts of the town,
which lie low, the cellars were flooded, owing to
the sewers leading into the river conveying the
water to the low ground. Fortunately there was
but little wind at the time, otherwise the result
might have:been anything but agreeable. Last night
the water rose a little over 21 feet, and many of

the vessels looked as if their keels were resting on
terra
.firma, instead of a more congenial element.
At Southampton the tide at high water at noon-
day yesterday was not higher than the usual spring
tides.

Wind N.E.
(BY SVBItikEINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.)
GRAN RsEN n, Friday Morning.
Wind, ; tide, labt hoes ebb ; weather fresh and
frosty.
DEAL, Friday Morning.
Wind, N.E., stront ; snow, and squalls.
No arrivals.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
NORWICH.
The committee appointed to try the merits of the election
petition in the case of this borough were sworn in, and wile
meet to-morrow at one o'clock.
EAST INDIA.—INDENTURED LABOURERS.
Mr. CAVE moved an address for copies of correspendence
between her Majesty's Government and the Government of
France in respect to legalising the exportation of natives or
British India as indentured labourers to French colonies.
Lord J. RUSSELL made an explanation, to the effect
that the treaty was intended to prevent a revival of the African slave trade, but it was not yet signed. The corres-
pondence was very voluminous, but he had no objection to
produce any extracts that might be required.
PAPER DUTY.
In answer to Mr. BRIGHT,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said an
arrangement of a modified nature Tied been come to between
the hon. member for Somerset and himself, to the:effect
that the discussion on the proposal for the repeal of the
paper duty should be taken to-morrow if the business of the
House should permit. If, however, the discussion on the
subject of the treaty should not be brought, to a close that
evening, he should propose to take that on the paper duty
on Monday next.
THE TREATY WITH FRANCE—ADDRESS TO
HER MAJESTY.
Mr. BYNG said that the house would feel he was about
to address it under circumstances of no ordinary nature.
Under any circumstances a responsibility such as his would
be a serious one, but in the present case it was much in-
creased by the discussion which had taken place on a former
evening. If the shortness of his first notice had occasioned
any inconvenience to hon. members he deeply regretted it—
still he could not but remember that on the 17th February
a notice of a very serious nature was given under similar
circumstances, with this difference that the not ice of the 17th
of February appeared only in the votes on Saturday morn-
ing, whereas he (Mr. Byng) took every pains to give pub-
licity to his notice, and sent copies to the right hon. mem-
ber for Buckinghamshire and the hon. member for Sunder-
land. He was glad to know that in making his motion he
was treading in well-known steps. lie found that on the
21st February, 1787, Mr. Blackburn, of Lancashire, moved
and Capt. Barclay of Gloucestershire, seconded, a motion
for an address thanking the Crown for the Pitt treaty; and.
in his own time he recollected the address of 1856 on the
treaty of peace with Russia. Under even ordinary circum-
stances it would be difficult to separate the commercial
from the political features of a treaty like the present ; now,
ho knew it was impossible, and he did not shrink frora the
alternative. Under ordinary circumstances he might havo
contented himself with quoting the words of Lord Cowley,
and expressing a hope that the treaty might be the means
of drawing closer the bonds of amity between the two na-
tions. But he must go further. Ile was merely an inde-
pendent member of Parliament, he was not in the secrets of
Government, but he believed that in negotiating this treaty
the Ministers had mainly negotiated a treaty which had
been predetermined on by public opinion throughout the
country. He for one would never have given it his
support had he not been firmly convinced that it
was sure to be beneficial to the country. (Hear.) *With
regard to our foreign policy, we ought to act with dig-
nified forbearance, calm consideration, and promote a
friendly intercourse with all nations, and we ought also to
neglect no reasonable opportunity of extending our com•
mercial and trading connections with other countries.
(Hear, hear.) With regard to peace, we should use every
means in our power to preserve it, and with respect to war
we should act up to the Spcnish proverb—" Do not draw
the sword without reason, and do not sheath it without
honour." (Hear.) We should respect treaties, but, above
all, we should not interfere unwarily, unnecessarily, or lin-
eal:, d for, in the internal affairs of other states. (Hear,
bear.) He believed that a policy of this kind would ensure
respect abroad and confidence at hone. But if we pursued
this line of policy, there was no reason why we should not,
on all legitimate opportunities, endeavour to extend our
trading and eommercial relations with other countries—
(cheers)—more especially, as in the present instance, where
it might go far to wipe out ancientprejudices. (Hear, hear.)
There was another subject with regard to our foreign policy
which was of a very painful character. He would certainly
have wished to postpone any observations he might make
with respect to the am- exation of Savoy to a more legiti-
mate opportunity-, but as he believed the motion to-night
involved :to a certain degree an expression of opinion of
confidence in her Majesty's ministers, this much he would
sly, that he believed with regard to this question our foreign
policy and the best interests of Europe were in safe and
trustworthy hands. (Cheers.) To say more on that subject
at present would be inopportune. (Hear, hear.) He would
ask the house to go for a few moments into the considera-
tions and arguments which had been made during the last
eight nights of the debate. He had heard with some sur-
prise a statement made by the right hen. member for Bucks
that the course taken by her Majesty's ministers was nei-
ther a right nor a fair one with regard to that house. He
believed the right hon. gentleman said that the house
should have first been invited to express its approbation or
disapprobation of the treaty of commerce end proceed to
move an address to the Crown, and then, supposing that
question to be decided in the affirmative, they might dis-
cuss, object to, and reject various items in the tariff. The
house, however, decided otherwise, and they had had
lengthened debates, but he was surprised to find that the
course which met with the approbation of the right hon.
gentleman was the very course which the leader of the op-
position in 1787 both denounced and deprecated. On that
cccasion Mr. Fox stated that of all courses of proceeding
that by address was the most alarming, sinceit endeavoured
to tie up the hands of ministers and to render null and void
all those reforms which our ancestors had obtained to secure
freedom in our Parliamentary discussions. The Chancellor
of the Exchequer introduced his financial scheme at the
same time that the provisions of the treaty of commerce
were laid upon the table of the house. The expectation of
the public was naturally excited, and time was given to the
country to decide. Deputation after deputation waited on
the right hon. gentleman, all the great trading and monied
interests of the country wire consulted, ninny amendments
`were proposed, and many deficiencies detected. He could
t help being struck with what took place during the de-
bate. Upon that occasion hon. gentlemen representing
such great and important constituencies as South Lanca-
shire, Liverpool, Cornwall, the Potteries, an-I other places,
declined to follow the right hon. memberfor Bucks. (Hear,
lwar.) What inference could be drawn from this but that
they wisely preferred what they believed to be for the true
interests of their constituencies and of the country to any
advantage that might be gained by a party victory. (Loud
cheers.) In glancing at the treaty he would endeavour
not to over estimate its advantages, and he would pro-
mise the house not to undervalue its correspond-
ing disadvantages, nor to gloss over its defects. He
supported the treaty, in the first instance, because he saw
that on our part it involved an almost entire removal of pro-
tective duties, and :ft simplification of the tariff which had
long. been urgently asked for. (Hear.) He believed that
200 years ago there were no less than 1,630 articles charged
with duty. In 1787 there were 1,425 articles so charged.
In 1;26 the number was 1,280; In 1811, 1,163 ; is 1815,
1,052 ; in 1853 the number had decreased to 468 ; in 1859 it
was 419 ; and if this treaty came into effect, in 1860 there
' would be bat 44 articles charged with duty. (Hear.) Ile
valued the treaty also on the part of France for this reason,
because he saw an abandonment of prohibition and a great
equalisation of the duties levied upon import articles of Eng-
lish produce and manufacture. But be had heard during
the late debate, and probably he should hear it to-night,
that those who argued this treaty would do good were
making a very bad bargain for the people of England. In
answer to that he would say, if these were questions of how
much, on the one hand, you would give, and on the other
hand, how little you would take, the assertion of the Oppo-
sition might have some weight ; but he denied that these
negotiations had been entered into in a spirit of mere barter
or as a bargain. (Hear, hear.) The treaty was nothing of
the sort. It was not even a treaty of reciprocity. (Oppo-
sition cheers) But it was one of mutual benefit. (Hear,
hear.) In this treaty the ,people of England spoke to the
people of France, and said that past years of distress and
recent years of unexampled prosperity had shown them that
the principles on which their commercial legislation was
founded were wise and just, and, wishing other nations to
be prosperous as they were, they invited them to meet
England in the spirit of free trade. We did not ask France
to melee a bargain in which every article should be weighed
with extreme nicety, but we asked her to remove her pro-
hibition and reduce her protective duties, and thus meet
us in the spirit of free trade—(hear, hear)—and we would
venture to predict that in a short time our wishes on the
subject would also be those of the people of France. (Hear,
hear.) How did the French answer this ? They recog-
nised the justice of our arguments, but said that with
them free trade was a new light. Our argumentswere
novel to many of them and unpalatable to some,
us but iinfowuer
gave them time they would endeavour to imitate us
path of commercial progress and our commercial
to carryoutr ci
legisla-
tion, and honourably and faithfully endeavour
oßxynicagl)asit
anilligthhteisreeengagements.
012(.1
showed its great
enthusiasm on ei eeanrtl e nhterearir .1)1:
ieni:(aMr Paradoxical
be-
lieved that the fact of
e thissid torfearthyeneohahnnel metwith much
He felt confident, however, that
impartiality. (Hear.)
1787 that their natural re-
sources
more anxious than they were in
the people of England and France were at this moment
atgi
oens
ns hf ot nheir ottteon_d neighbour,tieintehbeturwttooo theth alien-
ationo
n countries. ee
n
hvearsivoaussmn
dine destruction
greatl
aeinn tari3irti
ep popular impTovetneti f
t ray ,ett to andhtlen ead
ar-
guments that had been urge against (Hear, hear.) Mr. Pitt, in replyingdt itnh elt7rBe7a ttyo
he French would consent
said it was ridiculous to imagine t
eluding, especially to one that England gave up too much,
d übt but it would be more
gained for her wines
twoneniledldbeadbveannetßaiels
teovitthheotnut
nth, e idea_o_,h,of return. The treaty
ilaer market, we did the
treaty was in the nature
same in a greater degree. h
and advantageousot h other r produce dtiol c tehai s
T
and essence of an agreement between a manufacturing
ne
d ewitehn peculiar productions, and the
country and one blessed
advantage of the agreement must preponderate in favour or
the funnier. We should do well to bear in mind that when
h towards free
that France
we complained did not march
trade with rapidity, we
had ourselves only arrived at it by
slow and painful
,avere
words bearing on this point in the work of Mr. Buckle,
few words
which he would trouble the house. That gentleman
to free trade it should be rember d
said with regard e as a
truth that although the principle of free trade had been
established for nearly a century by a chain of arguments
as sound as those on which the truths of math • ematics were
49 t based, they were to the last strenuously resisted by a power•
491 eue party. (Hear.) Ile believed it would neither be just ner
30 324 right on his part if he were to abstain from • •
25 36 he considered the evils in this treaty noticing what
25 37/ 25 .He could assure the
hon. member for Sunderland that
404. 40he fully sympathised
with hint and deeply regretted that •
121,1 122
122 on an occasion when the
commerce of the country would to a great degree receive
121:
521- I mature development, yet the shipping interest would be
52,
152
subjected to restrictions, but he was also bound to bear in
mind that the treaty was one of commerce and trade, and
not a treaty of navigation. (Hear.) Our navigation, how-
ever, would only stiffer indirectly, because he believed an'
English ship going direct with an English cargo into a
French port would stand on precisely the same footingas a
French ship. (Hear.) No one would more gladly see all re-
strictions and differential dues removed than he would. Ile
must confess that when he first read the articles of the
treaty he looked upon the eleventh article with feelings of
however, he had
North concern and apprehension. The more,
9.—Wind this day at noon Ist had received infor...
Lownes, March MU' t considered the subject, and the more he
andcloudy.
E • moderate breeze
the more
N.N. •motion from competent authorities,
He
CARDIFF, March --Wind, E.N E•— •
I • • Arrived—Sarah, lags of concern and apprehension been removed.be-
fromtic would have nes
ltio Janeiro ; Pocahontas, from ditto. l'eved that in case of war the 11th an
of
tecetient rights other countries.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) force with regard to the an
short time since, that this
provision was merely int
SOUTHAMPTON, Friday Morning. The Lord Chancellor had
said
ded'o a
n both sides for connoercial
purposes, and might
be easide in time of war. But this
was not the only country sete
from
which France deriVed her
stores of coal. The_
Belgium collieries were of largeextent,
supply France with coal. When it
and they could always
shouldnot 11 that •
ly said that we
was pave
•
stand in the treaty because the veins of coal in England
were not sufficient to last the country more than 400 years§