The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-03 00:00:00

GUNBOATS.

Mr. R. LONG asked the Secretary of the Admiralty
whether it was the intention of the Government to replace
immediately the gunboats now stated to be in a rotten con-
dition; and, if so, whether any addition to the naval esti-
mates would be necessary ?
Lord C. PAGET answered the first part of the question
in the affirmative, and said that it was not intended to make
the addition alluded to.

THE POLITICAL CORRUPTION AT WAKE-
FIELD.

In reply to Mr. E. JAMES,

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that some persons
were very much in error in reference to the course that was
intended to be pursued with respect to those persons who
had been guilty of corrupt practices at the late election for
the borough of Wakefield. The statute was clear in refer-
ence to such offences, which were misdemeanours, and the
delinquents in the present case would be proceeded against
at common law. He had that morning given instructions
that criminal informations should be filed against Mr.
Leathern and Mr. Charlesworth, the candidates at the last
election at Wakefield, as the principals, and other persons
as abetting and aiding in the corruption practised at that
election.
THE ISLAND OF SAN JUAN.
Mr. FITZGERALD asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, whether he was prepared to give the house
any inormation as to the present position of the negotia-
tions between this country and the United States, with re-
ference to the Island of San Juan ; and, whether he had
any objection to lay the correspondence with the United
States Government on that subject upon the table of the
house ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said he was not determined as to
whether ho should lay the correspondence on the table.
He had little else to add to the statement ho had previously
male in reference to this matter. He considered it would
not be prudent then to enter into a full explanation on
the subject of the compromise proposed. The
Government made a • proposal last August, which
was not acceded to by the Government of America.
From the last intelligence received it appeared that General
Cass had received instructions on which he had acted. It
appeared also that General Harney thought it necessary to
place 800 men and a battery of guns, but General Scott,
exercising his discretion, considered tkat neither party
should have exclusive jurisdiction, and the number of men
was reduced to 100. The Governor did not think it right
to enter into any compromise, and 100 soldiers were also
landed by him on the island.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.—
ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Mr. MACAULAY, in resuming the adjourned debate
for the second reading of this bill, referred to the opinions
entertaiaed by Sir James Macintosh in regard to the
subject of Parliamentary reform. He contended that
the present bill would not have the effect of extending
the franchise to the working classes in large and populous
towns. These classes were chiefly dependent on weekly

wages, and practically could not be included in the a
franchise. He strongly objected to the principle of
an uniform and monotonous franchise ; which, how-
ever, was merely transposed and presented in a
more aggravated form in the bill of the noble lord the mem-
ber for the city of London. Referring to the details of the
bill, he said it did not contain the elements of stability,
and in practice would satisfy neither its opponents nor
its advocates. He deprecated most strongly the state•
meats made by some of the supporters of the bill,
and alluded in particular to the hon. member for
Birmingham (Mr. Bright). These gentlemen evidently
considered the bill merely as a commencement of more ex-
tensive alterations in the franchise of the country. The
hon. member for Birmingham at a meeting composed of the
advocates of universal suffrage and vote by ballnt had asked
that meeting to go with him in the adoption of the bill, and
that he would go with them afterwards for what they re-
quired. The same feeling was exhibitedin the case of other
persons, and therefore they were placed in this position in
reference to this measure that a large number of its sup-
porters considered it only as a preliminary step to more
sweeping and more organic changes, and its opponents were
satisfied that it would not effect what the former antici-
pated, it would be productive of most injurious results.
The noble lord (Lord J. Russell) was represented as hav-
ing a paternal interest in the subject of reform,
and had redeemed his pledge in bringing forward this mea-
sure of reform. But asked that noble lord, with the feel-
ing that was exhibited in regard to this bill even amongst
the ordinary supporters of Government, he was justified in
pressing it forward. Having vindicated his position, he
should now act with wisdom, and withdraw a measure which
he contended was unusually unpopular. The hon. and learned
menih..r then argued at some length in support of his views
and concluded with an earnest appeal to the Government
not to press the bill this session, but leave the question of
reform to the consideration of another Parliament.
Mr. GREGORY believed the convictions of 40 out of
every 0 members of that house were adverse to the
bill. He contended that the result of the bill would ba
to transfer power from the hands of employers to operatives,
and would tend to a dangerous extension of democratic prin-
ciples. Referring to America, he asserted that the spread of
democratic principles in that republic so far from promot-
ing the happiness or prosperity of the people had an effect
directly the reverse. He based his statement on
personal experience recently acquired. He saw
much in that country that was deserving of adoption
here. Some of his friends at Washington expressed much
surprise that he should at the time have been favourable to
an extension of the franchise to the working classes after
having seen the operation of the democratic principle in
the United States.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

CHESTER RACES-(THIS DAY).

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
THE DEE STAKES.

Brother to Rainbow
Sir William

Nine ran.
CHESHIRE WELTER CUP.
Irish Emigrant
Tommy Noble
Lady Mary gelding

Four ran.
SCURRY HANDICAP.

Brandy Ball . - - ----
- -----
- ----
"
Norman ,
Layton 3

Five ran.
MARQUIS OF WESTMINSTER'S PLATE.
Horace
Golden Pippin
Firs ran.
THIRD BIENNIAL STAKES.
Big Ben walked over.
STAND CUP.

Brandy Ball
Golden Pippin

Black Cloud

• 3
Six ran.

LATEST BETTING.
DERBY.
7to 2 agst The IVizard (taken)
sto 1 agst St. Albans
7to 1 agst Umpire
10 to 1 agst Buccaneer
11 to 1 agst Thormanby
15 to 1 agst Nainstone
20 to 1 agst Nutbourne
20 to 1 agst High Treason
35 to 1 agst Cramond
1000 to 30 agst Horror

1000 to 15 agst Brother to Rainbow (taken)
1000 to 15 agst Sir William (taken)
10,000 to 100 agst Traducer (taken)
10,000 to 100 agst Upperhand

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, WEDNESDAY MORNING.
A THIRD MORTARA. CASE.

Before the Judges have had time to finally dis-
pose of the cases of the Sherwoods and Mary
Mathews, another application was made yesterday
for an absolute writ of habeas corpus, directed to
one Henry Corr, of Donnybro9k, ordering him to
bring up the bodies of Patrick and Alicia Murphy
within the usual period. The motion was grounded
on the affidavit of Alice Murphy, the mother of the
children who had been spirited away under the
following circumstances :

" She states that she resides at No. 3, Eccles-
lane, Dublin, and that she was married on the 20th
of January, 1849, to Patrick Murphy, of the city of
Dublin, tailor, who died in the month of November,
1856 ; that there were issue of the marriage three
children—Martha Murphy (deceased), Alicia
Murphy, and Patrick Murphy ; that Alicia
Murphy was born on the 2d of Fobruary,lB49, and
is now aged 11 years ; that in October, 1857,
deponent, at the instance and request of several
gentlemen—the then Governors of the Josephian
Female Orphan House, situate at Wellington-road,
Dublin, and some of whom used to visit deponent's
husband previous to his death—put her daughter,
then aged eight years and four months, into the
school, to be maintained and educated; that depo-
nent, up to September, 1858, was always allowed
access to her daughter, but that since that time she
made several applications to see her daughter, and
on each occasion was informed by the matron (Miss
Byrne) that the child was not there, and could not
be seen, as she was gone to the country with a
monk; that in January, 1859, deponent went to
the school, accompanied by one Henry Tagart,
shoemaker, residing in Eccles-lane, for the purpose
of seeing her child, but was again informed by Miss
Byrne that the child had gone to the country ; that
at the time the said Alicia was placed in the Jose-
phian school, she (deponent) did not sign or execute '
any form of application for admission for the child
into the school, nor was any such at any time ever
tendered to her for such purpose ; that since Sep-
tember, 1858, deponent has not been able to see her
child Alicia. That deponent's child Patrick was
born the 22d of April, 1852, and is now aged eight
years ; and on the 28th of July, 1858, the Rev.
Denis Heffernan, of Phibsborough Chapel, came to
deponent's then house, in Dispensary-lane, off Dor-
set-street, and asked her to visit the schools at'
Denmark-street, to see if she would like to have her
son placed there ; that the Rev. Mr. Heffernan came
to her house about the 28th of July, at about half-
past 1 o'clock, and repeatedly asked her to allow
the child to go to the said school ; that about 2
o'clock deponent, in order to get the Rev. Mr.
Heffernan out of the house, consented to visit the
school with him, but on going away she left her
1 son Patrick in the house in the care of one Anne
Taaffe, who resided in deponent's house, in Dispen-
sary-lane (and who was at that time on intimate terms
with the deponent), until she returned from said
' school. That when deponent got to the school, the
Rev. Mr. Heffernan left her, saying that he
would return in a few minutes. That she waited
in the school-room nearly half an hour, and find-
ing that the• Rev. Mr. Heffernan did not return,
she left the school to return home. That on the
way back she met the Rev. Mr. Heffernan, but
did not speak to him. That when she returned
home her son Patrick was absent. On making
inquiry from Anne Taaffe in the presence
of one Rose Short and Katharine Connolly, where
the child was, Ann Taaffo replied that the right
owner of the child had it. That on the evening of
1858, deponent repaired to Phibs-
borough
where the Rev. Mr. Heffernan the 2Bth
Chapel,of July,
re-
sided, but was told by the porter at the chapel-
house that the rev. gentleman was not at home.
wdentht that if him
she w
That seeing the Rev. Alr. Heffernan coming up
and asked
go dforawhaey
the police. her
he would get her charged to That
after making several endeavours to find out
where the child was placed, she ascertained.
in November last that Henry Corr, of Simmon's-
court, Donnybrook, had taken upon himself the
care and guardianship of the two children, alleging
that he did so under a will stated to be made by
deponent's husband ; saith that she has never seen
such will ; that Henry Corr has offered to let depo-
nent see her children, provided that she agreed to
sign a paper undertaking not to interfere with
the education of the children, which deponent
refused to do, considering that he had no right
to make any such demand ; that she was pre-
vented from making an earlier application to
the Court in consequence of a difficulty of obtain-
ing professional assistance, and from the fact
that until November last she did not ascertain
with certainty who had the custody of the children.
On the above statement counsel submitted that the
Court would grant an absolute habeas corpus.
" The Chief Justice said the affidavit read was a
very voluminous one, and stated the fact that the
children are in the custody of a person who claims
to hold them upon title. He should show what
that title was: The Court would grant the order.
" Mr. Norwood said he supposed the Court would
grant an absolute order.
"Me. Justice O'Brien said the applicant was
entitled to an absolute order.

(From the Quarterly Return of the Registrar-General.)
This return comprises the births and deaths re-
gistered by 2,197 registrars in all the districts of
England during the winter quarter that ended on
March 31, 1860 ; and the marriages in 12,402
churches or chapels, about 4,228 registered places
of worship unconnected with the Established Church,
and 631 Superintendent Registrars' offices, in the
quarter that ended on December 31, 1859.
The marriages at the end of the last year ex-
ceeded the usual number.

The first quarterly return of the year 1860 pre-
--,
Bents nearly average results. The birth rate is above
the average of the ten preceding winter quarters.
The death-rate is slightly above the winter average,
but below the rates of the two previous winters.
The weather in the beginning of January was
warm, but remained so cold and ungenial after-
wards as to retard vegetation and to swell the re-
turn of deaths. The prosperity of trade and the
sanitary improvements of towns produced a coun-
tervailing effect.