The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-11 00:00:00

SITTING OF SATURDAY.

At one o'clock, the prisoners of Lyons were introduced,
escorted by double their number of municipal guards.
Lagrange. dressed in a blouse, particularly fixed the atten-
tion of the spectators. His long flowing black hair fell in
curls on his shoulders, and showed out his noble and manly
countenance. He was given in charge to four municipal
guards. Each of the other prisoners had a soldier placed
on each side, with the exception of Caussidiere, the father,
who was treated with the same favour as Lagrange. M.
Beaune took his usual seat in front of his colleagues, and
was, on this occasion, separated from his friend Martin by
a brigadier of the municipal guards. The prisoners of Pa-
ris, and the sub-officers of Cuirassiers, were next brought
in, and placed in the back seats, each guarded by a couple
of soldiers. The prisoners, when seated, were entirely
concealed by the shakos of the military, whose number
could not be less than 250. None of the accused of Paris
occupied the places they held on Thursday. M. Cavaignac
had also four soldiers to guard him.
Within a quarter to two the Court entered with the
usual ceremony. The prisoners uncovered, but remained
sitting. About fifteen lawyers, dressed in their robes,
were in attendance, but begged of the Journalists not to
publish their names. M. Feistamel, the Colonel of the
Municipal Guards, placed himself in front of the accused,
to be at hand, no doubt, to transmit the necessary orders
to his men.
M. Cauchy, the Secretary, then called over the names of

the Peers. Four of them did not reply.
The President proceeded next to read the decision of the
Court. After enumerating the different breaches of re-
spect committed by the accused against the Court, consi-
dering, moreover, that they had been found guilty of con-
tempt of the law, in declining to reply to the questions of
the President in preventing the decision of the Court which
denied them the choice of their Counsel, and the bill of in-
dictment being read ; in repeating, during the three pre-
ceding days, that clamour, and showing by their obstinate
and boisterous interruptions, that they were determined on
impeding the course of justice, in preventing the Attorney-
General reading the conclusions he had thought proper to
take against the most riotous, and placing the Judges under
the necessity of adjourning, from the impossibility of pro-
ceeding on with the trial, the Court, he said, had come to
the resolution, in case such scenes of disorder were re-
peated, to empower their President to order the removal
from the hall of those prisoners who should hereafter act
with indecency and disrespect towards the Court, and
have them tried together or individually at a future day ;
and further, to direct that the bill of indictment be read in

their absence, and the trial be continued as if they were present.
The prisoners listened to the reading of this arr'dt in the
greatest silence, but no sooner was it concluded than they
-all rose and protested their determination not to lend them-
selves to the mockery of a trial without being aided by
Counsel of their choice. Another of those scenes which
had marked the preceding audiences here took place.
Beaune, Cavaignac, Lagrange, Guinard, and Thomas, ad-
dressed the liveliest and most energetic interpolations to
the Court, and the President finding it impossible to obtain
silence ordered the dock to be cleared, and the accused to
be conducted to their prison. On hearing this decision all
the young barristers rose and left the hall in a body. The
removal of the prisoners was effected in great confusion.
Some of them having put on their caps the soldiers tore
them off, and in one corner of the hall a struggle occurred
between one of the Paris prisoners and the guard by his side.
The Court remained sittinc, for about an hour. M. Mar-
tin (du Nord) and the four other prosecuting officers of the
Crown appeared to be busily engaged drawing up some
paper. The most profound silence prevailed in the hall.
None of the Peers left their seats.

Twenty-eight of the prisoners of Lyons were then.intro-
duced, and after they had been seated for some time the
President directed M. Cauchy to read the act of accusation.
Lagrange, who was among the prisoners in the dock,
here rose and repeated his protest.
M. Martin (du Nord) the Attorney-General (without
allowing time to proceed with his address) invited the Pre-
sident to execute the decision of the Court, and order the
exclusion of Lagrange.
The President, agreeably to this injunction, commanded
the municipal guards to remove the prisoner, who continued
protesting, in his name and that of his absent comrades,
against the tyranny of their Judges. The municipal guards
seized on him, and lifted him from his seat, but could not
stop his address in the least. He concluded his apostrophe
by calling on them to take his head, and add it as a trophy
to that of the bravest of the brave, for whose murder, he
said, they would some day be brought to a severe account.
Lagrange then left the hall, escorted by his four guards.
M. Cauchy then proceeded to read the acte d'accusa-
lion, without any opposition from the prisoners, who all
of them appeared to belong to the lowest order. None
of them, however, were attended by their Advocates.
[Left sitting at half-past three.]

We hear from Paris, that the Comtesse de Fl—h—t
is anxiously looking out for some new English beauty to orna-
ment her saloon, and captivate a certain Royal Duc, whose
taste she has lately shown such, an amiable desire to gratify.

Within the last five months nine paupers have died
in Blandford workhouse, whose ages averaged 75 years, and
there are at this-time in the same house exactly the same num-
ber whose average age is 74.

PRICE 7D.

WINDOW TAX.

DEPUTATION TO THE CHANCELLOR OF TOE
EXCHEQUER.

On Saturday afternoon, at three o'clock, a very numerous
and highly-respectable deputation from the nine parishes of
Westminster waited, by appointment, on Mr. Spring Rice,
Chancellor of the Exchequer, for the purpose of pressing on
the Right Hon. Gentleman the propriety of abolishing the
Window Tax.

The deputation having been seated,
Mr. ATECKET stated to the Right Hon. Gentleman the
purpose for which the deputation waited on him. They
came to represent to him the inequality and severe pressure
of the window tax. Some idea might be formed of the
inequality of this obnoxious impost when he stated that, in
the parish of St. Ann, Westminster, there were houses
which only paid a rental of 401. per year which paid as much
window tax as the mansions of Noblemen in the country
whose rental was 6001. per annum. In the parish of St.
Margaret again, there were houses which only draw a rental
of 30/., which pay as much window duty as the houses of the
aristocracy in Great George-street, which let at a rental of
300/. per annum. He (Mr. A'Beckett) did not wish the
Right Hon. Gentleman to give any specific pledge on the sub-
ject of the repeal of the window tax : all that he expected, and
all that the deputation expected, was, that he would take the
subject into his serious consideration. He was sure that if this
tax were taken off, the revenue, instead of being diminished,
would increase by the change, in consequence of the addi-
tional consumption of glass, which is heavily taxed, and the.
greatly increased employment it would give to all classes of
workmen, which would enable them to purchase taxed arti-
cles. There had been a great deal of agitation on the sub-
ject of this obnoxious impost for many years past. Peti-
tions had been got up in all the parishes of the metropolis,
praying for the abolition of the tax, and those petitions were
signed by seven-eighths of the inhabitants of the different
parishes. They had only ceased to agitate on the
subject, because the Reform Bill was introduced in 1832 ;
and they being great friends to that measure, from which
they expected to derive great benefits, were unwilling to
retard it by pressing their demands for the abolition of this
duty. So obnoxious was the tax, that to save a few shil-
lings many houses were locked up in the metropolis, and in
others light was excluded, though so injurious to health.
Sir John Cam Hobhouse, and Lord Althorp and Sir Ro-
bert Peel, who severally filled the office which the. Right
Hon. Gentleman now occnpied, were all acquainted with
the facts connected with the oppressive operation of the
window-tax, as they had been submitted to them by Depu-
tations similar to the present, who waited on them at diffe-
rent times. The gentlemen present were all friends to re-
form, and also to the present Administration ; and he
therefore hoped that the Right Hon. Gentleman would
take the subject into his serious consideration.
Mr. WALKER, churchwarden of the parish of St. Paul,
Covent-garden, said that he would rest the case, which
the Deputation begged to submit to the Right Honour-
able Gentleman, on higher grounds than the gentleman
who had just spoken. He would rest it on the high
grounds of its injustice, as well as the inequality of its
pressure. He was prepared to show the window-tax was
as unequal and unjust as the house-tax. Houses having
from one to forty windows were charged Bs. 6d. for each
window. The consequence of this heavy pressure on
houses occupied by tradesmen and others in humble cir-
cumstances is, as is well known, the exclusion, in a great
measure, of light and air, not only so conducive to health,
but even necessary to existence. In house% where the
windows are from 40 to 100, the tax on each window is
ss. ; from 100 to 180, the tax is 4s. ; and where the
number is above 180, there is no tax at all.
Mr. S. RlCE—Pardon me, Sir, but you will find you are
mistaken in the last statement.

Mr. WALKER—I may be mistaken ; I am liable to
error; but 1 copied my statements from a printed docu-
ment this morning.
Mr. S. RICE—You will find, Mr. Walker, you are in
error. I will get the last report on the subject.
[Mr. Spring Rice here sent for the work in question ;
but, on his return, did not say whether he or Mr. Walker
was correct. The general impression was, that Mr. Wal-
ker's statement was the correct one.]
Mr. WALKER resumed.—But there is another view in
which the question may be considered. It had been ad-
mitted by all the statements which the Right Hon. Gentle-
man and others had made on the subject of taxation, as
well as proved by experience, that, owing to the conse-
quently increased consumption of exciseable articles, the
revenue never loses above one third by the repeal of any
tax. Now he could prove that the revenue would lose no-
thing by the abolition of the window-tax ; for if, in conse-
quence of the additional consumption of taxed articles, two-
thirds of the 1;200,000/. derived from this tax would find
its way to the Exchequer the remaining one-third, or
400,0001., would be made up by the country being saved
the expense of the machinery necessary for collecting the
tax ; he therefore trusted the Right Hon. Gentleman
would take the case into his serious consideration. If the
one half of the tax were only taken off now, and the re-
mainder in 1836, the country would be satisfied.
Mr. ABBOTT said that another reason for the repeal of
this tax was the impediment it offered to the working of the
Reform Bill, as no one can vote for a candidate who has
not paid his taxes.
Mr. SPRING RICE then spoke to the following effect :
The case has been very ably and fairly stated by the gen-
tlemen who have just spoken, but the position in which the
country stands just now, prevents me from saying anything
further than that I will give the case my best consideration.
It will be in the recollection of all the gentlemen present,
that my Right Hon. predecessor, Sir Robert Peel, has sta-
ted that the surplus in the revenue this year would only be
250,000/. Now, as Lord Althorp, during the few years
he filled the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, practised
economy to the greatest possible extent, I cannot with so
small a surplus do anything towards the feduction of taxes.
It is as much my inclination as it is my duty, to pursue the
same course in this respect as the Noble Lord. If there
were a large surplus, it would be but fair to reduce i;:ose
taxes which press most severely on the lower and middling
classes, to as great an extent as is compatible with the safety
of the institutions of the country. If yottlook at the large
debt which wo have contracted, and of which we have so
much reason to complain, it will be found that the great
body of those who are the public creditors are not noble or
aristocratic classes, but such persons as yourselves, your
own friends and acquaintances. It is therefore as much
the interest of the middling and lower classes as it is of
the higher, that faith should be kept with the public cre-
ditor ; and while I have the honour to be Chancellor of
the Exchequer, I will always take care never to do any-
thing for the sake of popularity, or from any other conside-
ration incompatible with the safety of the institutions of
the country. You would in the highest degree disapprove
of the conduct of any man who in private life would be
guilty of a breach of faith, and I am sure you would be
ashamed of your Chancellor of the Exchequer, if I did
any thing inconsistent with public integrity. Ido not see,
as I have already said, what I can do towards the reduc-
tion of taxes, with so limited a surplus as 250,0001. ; espe-
cially, I do not see how I could take off such a tax as
this, which yields a revenue of 1,200,0001. I just wish
to say a word with respect to what has fallen from Mr.
Walker. It is quite true that in various cases the reve-
nue only loses a third of what is derived from a certain
tax by the reduction of that tax. But that only holds
good where a great consumption of the article follows
the reduction of the tax. That could not be the case
in the present instance, because the tax is proposed to
be abolished altogether. Ido not defend the principle of
the window tax ; it is bad, as all taxes are ; they are
necessary evils, which is the best description that can be
given of them—but I wish to convince you that it was
not for the purpose of favouring the rich that the present
scale of the Window Tax was fixed on. I will give the
subject the best consideration in my power, and while saying
this, let me add that I have felt it my duty to give you as much
information on the subject, and to speak to you as frankly as
if I had been addressing the House of Commons. ]When
the Right Hon. Gentleman concluded, it was with difficulty
the deputation could suppress audible manifestations of ap-
plause in consequence of the intelligence, frankness, and
urbanity of manner he displayed.] _ _

Mr. -THURSTON said that if the Window Tax were re-
pealed, tenants and lodgers would get their rents reduced.
Mr. SPRING RICE.—If tenants and lodgers expect that,
they will be mistaken. The terms between landlord and
tenant will always be regulated according to their mutual
necessities, and not by the repeal of this tax. The landlords
alone would benefit by that repeal.
Mr. THURSTON was satified that rents would proportion-
ably fall were this tax abolished. It was a war tax, and
was to have ceased on the return of peace. The Deputa-
tion are the friends of the present Government, and—
Mr. SPRING RICK.--I am sure of that, and lam dis-
cussing the subject with you in the most friendly manner.
The bst way to deserve your friendship is to do justice to
all parties, and:l am anxious to consult equally the interests
of all.
Mr. THURSTON—We are convinced of that, and I am

Cl4l/1-1
0 Veggio, a to, . .toom er of the *est-
minster Conservative Club calla ty's!and paid,
" Oh, we have a Governmeninow who vffi break faith
with the public !"
Mr. SPRING RICE, slightly smiling—Oh ,Do, we mean
nothing of the kind. We are most anxious to pr;eserve the
institutions of the country, and will do •
faith with the public creditor. everything o keep
Mr. THURSTON—I am glad to hear you say so ; we
shall now have an answer to the Tories.
The Deputation then rose and were about to depart,.
when the Chancellor of the Exchequer, taking two beau-
tiful glass plates out of a secretaire, handed them to
,-, the gentlemen for inspection, remarking that they weire
of British manufacture, and that but for the high tax
on glass, a trade might he carried on in this country
in the manufacture of that article, which might in a few
years equal in extent the woollen and cotton trades.
At present the Americans having no tax to operate
agaimt them, we were wholly unable to compete with
them. He mentioned this as an illustration of the many
conflicting 'laims presented by different branches of trade
to a repeal or reduction of taxation, could Government
only afford to diminish the public revenue. When they
looked at the beautiful workmanship in these plates, which
were made at Birmingham, it must be matter of deep re-
gret to all that the glass trade should be destroyed by the
tax on glass.
A GENTLEMAN—What, Sir, is the amount of annual
revenue derived from the tax on glass ?
Mr. SPRING RlCE—About 600,0001.
The glass plates were admitted by all present to be the
most beautiful specimens of workmanship they had ever
seen. They were richly ornamented by a variety of gilt
devices worked into the glass, which produced the most
pleasing effect.
The Deputation then withdrew, after more than an hour's
interview.

THE EUPHRATES EXPEDITION.

( From the Malta Gazette, March 18. )

The George Canning transport arrived here on Thursday
last, having on board Colonel Chesney, with the Officers an&
men who are about to proceed to Syria for the purpose of
establishing a steam communication to India by the river Eu-
phrates. This arduous and important undertaking having been
authorised by Parliament, and approved off by his Majesty, has
been entrusted to Colonel Chesney, of the Royal Artillery,
who has already passed through the countries he has to ex-
plore • and we sincerely wish him every success. There are
man/difficulties to be overcome, but from the known talents:
of the Officer chosen to command the expedition, and the cha-
racter and experience of its members, the most sanguine hopes
may be entertained of its satisfactory result. The following is
a correct list of the Officers and scientific gentlemen compos-
ing

-Colonel Chesney, R. A., commanding the expedition.
Lieutenant Lynch, of the Indian Navy, second in command-
Captain Estcourt, 43d Light Infantry, for magnetic and
pendulum observations.
Lieutenant Cleaveland, R.N., from his Majesty's steamer
Phoenix.

Lieutenant Murphy, R.E., Astronomer, and Director of
the Trigonometrical Survey.
Mr. Eden, Mate R.N., from his Majesty's ship Excellent.
Lieutenant Cockburn, R. A., Assistant Draftsman and Sur-
veyor.

Mr. Charlewood, Mate R.N., from his Majesty's steamer
Salamander.

Mr. Fitzjames, Mate R.N., from his Majesty's ship Win—
chester.

Mr. Hector, Master and Purser, who was in the expedition
to the Niger.
Dr. Staunton, R. A., Physician and Naturalist.
Mr. Ainsworth, Surgeon and Geologist.
Mr. Staunton, Chemist and Assistant in Natural History.
Mr. Vincent Germain, First Draftsman and Interpreter.
Mr. Thomson, Second Draftsman, and in charge of the in—
struments.

With Assistant Interpreters, Assistant Engineers, &c. &c.
The experiment of a steam communication between our In-
dian possessions and the mother country was first tried, at a.
great expense, in the year 1825, by the Enterprize steamer,
which made the voyage by the Cape of Good Hope to Calcutta.
in 113 days ; but as the average of a sailing vessel is not more
than 120 or 130 days, no advantage, adequate to the sacrifices,
was to be gained by the old route. Ever since that period it
has been a favourite speculation to establish a communication
across the land between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterra-
nean, by which a great saving of distance and time may be
gained in the transmission of mails, and the passage of tra-
vellers to and from India. This object was considered so de-
sirable by the last Parliament that a sum of 20,0001. was voted
to promote it. Two lines present themselves; namely, that,
by Egypt and the Red Sea, and that by Syria, the Euphrates,
and the Persian Gulf. The former of these lines is in the
course of experiment, by the new arrangements of his Majesty's
Government in England, for carrying on the Mediterranean
mail, by a monthly branch packet from Malta to Alexandria ;
whence, with the co-operation of the enlightened Pacha of
Egypt, it is immediately to be transmitted to Suez, there to
be again taken up by periodical steamers, which, it is expected,
the community of India will be able to send up the Red Sea
to meet it. The line, however, by the-Euphrates, it is calcu-
lated may be shorter. Both are subject to physical difficulties
which it is of consequence should be investigated and tried.
On the whole subject there is a detailed article in the " Edin-
burgh Review," published in January last, which seems to
prefer, as far as distance is concerned, the line by the Eu-
phrates.
" The most direct run," says that publication, "which
steamer could possibly make to Bombay (by the Cape of Good
Hope) would be ! 0,700 miles; the actual run of a sailing
vessel is seldom less than 14,000, and is sometimes very nearly
17,000 miles. But some deviations there must be ; and if we
reduce the distance for a steamer to 12,000 miles, we presume
it will be as much as we can reasonably do, in the present state
of our experience.
" A line drawn on a Mercator's chart of the world, from
London to Bombay, runs a little south of Constantinople, a
little north of Aleppo and Bagdad, and just south of Shiraz,
and north of Ormus. This line indicates the shortest practi-
cable route to ludia, which does not materially deviate from
it ; and which, crossing the Continent of Europe to Constan-
tinople, and proceeding by Aleppo, the Syrian Desert, and
the Persian Gulf, gives of actual travelling somewhat less than
5,000 miles.

" The river Euphrates coincides with part of this line. It
gives, by its windings, a distance of about 300 miles more to
be travelled than the route of the Syrian Desert.
" If, instead of proceeding to Aleppo across the Continent
of Europe and by Constantinople, we make the voyage up the
Mediterranean to one of the Syrian ports nearest Aleppo
( Scanderoon or Latachia), we shall add 800 miles to the tra-
velled distance from London to Bombay. The Mediterranean
and the Euphrates together, therefore, give 1,100 miles more
than the direct route from London to Bombay by Constanti-
nople and the Syrian Desert, but the length of the route will
still be 200 miles less than that of the Red Sea."

To ascertain the real advantages of this route, as well as the
nature of its difficulties, if any, the present expedition is on
its way. The George Canning has on board (for trial on the
Euphrates) two iron steamers, in pieces, divided into cases of
convenient weight and size, altogether nearly 150 tons,
whieL it is intended to convey across the country from the
Orontes, principally on the backs of camels. The larger
steamer, to called the Euphrates, whose engines are of 25
horse power, whefl put together, will measure 105 feet long
by 19 feet on the bea.7ll; the smaller one, named the Tigris,
will be 85 feet long by 16 on the beam, with engines of 10
horse power. The former wii: be armed with two, the latter
with one nine pounder carronade traversing carriages, and
each will have six one-pounder swivels, two tubes for Con-
greve rocks, and four wall pieces, with e proportion of mus-
kets and pistols.
Although it is but common prudence that so interesting an
enterprise should be thus prepared to defend itsebe in case of
necessity, we have the most confident hope that Colonel Ches-
ney and his companions will encounter nothing to disturb their
peaceful dispositions and pursuits; and we are encouraged In
this hope by receiving, while we are writing, the Courrier cis
Smyrna, of the 14th ultimo, which announces as follows, un-
der date of Constantinople, Bth of February :—" The Go-
vernment has just delivered to the British Ambassador the
firmans which he had solicited for the navigation of the
Euphrates. The facility with which these firmans have been
granted, evidently proves that the Divan does not listen to the
insinuations of foreigners; for it is well known that represen-
tations have been made with a view to disincline it to accede
to this request. In the realization of so vast a project, the
Porte only thinks of the means of civilization which it will
afford to the population of the interior, and every privite con-
sideration has given way to this object." There is every rea-
son to believe that the Pacha of Egypt, the promoter of science
and commerce, whose influence is HO less desirable, will act in
a similar spirit.

" A false Knave," once a supporter of Mr. Rooper,
is endeavouring to raise a cry against that gentleman among
the Dissenters generally, as was successfully done at Bedford
among the Wesleyan Methodists, in the case of Lord John
Russell ; but we trust the effort will not be equally successful
in the present instauce.—Cnmbridge Press.
SEA-WEED MANURE.—FIeets of boats, to the
number of 60 or 70, are daily arriving at Galway with sea-
weed for manure from Cunnamara, Arran, and the county of
Clare, which is purchased with avidity, and conveyed in carts
all over the country in various directions, even to the distance
of 40 or 50 miles into the interior.

MR. WINGROVE COOKE'S MENIOIRS OF LORD
BOLlNGBROKE.—Considering the station which Bolingbroke
occupie.. • in our history, both as a statesman and a writer, it
is surprising that no tolerable history of his life has yet ap-
peared. The only connected accounts of him in the language
are the Memorials of his Life and Ministerial conduct, pu-
blished soon after his death, in the form of letters, and con-
taining, as its title imports, little more than a history of his
conduct while Secretary of State ; another, yet more meagre
and less known, to be found only among the politicalpiniphlets
of the time, and consisting almost entirely of extracts from
Bowyer's Political State, and the Parliamentary History; and
a third, which, as it was written by. Goldsmith, is more gene-
rally read. This last is, however, but a sketch. It was in-
tended only for the edition of Bolingbioketa.Works; -to which
it was originally prefixed. Mr. Wingrove Cooke% Life ottbis
distinguished statesman, therefore, supplies a deficiengy, in
English literature. It is written with much imptrAilklicy, and
in a style of great neatness, if not of 'elegance; '