The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-16 00:00:00

THE SIJN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVE,NING, JULY 16, 1844

But too often, he believed, that had arisen from a belief
in the minds of the people that the persons committing '
those crimes had suffered grievous wrongs, for which
the House would afford them no relief, and this secured
them their sympathy. Considering the importance of
the proper administration of justice, he thought it of the
utmost importance that the House should endeavour by
every means to restore the confidence of the people in
the administration of the law. The petitioners brought
a charge of fraud in relation to the forma-
tion of the jury list. Surely nothing could be more
reasonable than to give them an opportunity of proving
their allegation before a Committee of that House. If
they failed in their proof, or if Government could dis-
prove the allegation, then it would be impossible to dis-
turb the country on the subject. But if they should
prove those facts, surely the House would not allow
such a state of things to exist without attempting to de-
vise some remedy. He felt strongly the necessity of
inquiring what would be the feelings of the
people of England if, when an Englishman
were tried, every Protestant were to be
struck off the jury? But in England a man could never
be placed in such circumstances as in Ireland, because
in this country, fortunately, religious and political ques-
tions were not so mixed up together. They had not had
in England a Church question as they had in Ireland.
He would say, that Mr. O'Connell could not have a fair
trial in Dublin, with a jury exclusively Protestant. He
did not mean to cast any imputation upon the jury, but
Mr. O'Connell had been known for years, for his at-
tempts to pull down the ascendancy of the Protestant
Church. The members of the jury, on the other hand,
had always endeavoured to support it. Each believed the
other to be the enemy of Ireland. How could he have a
fair trial under such circumstances? The Member for
the city of Dublin would not deny that party feeling
existed to a great extent among the Protestants of that
city. He did not mean to say that the jury would not
endeavour to do justice. He did not mean to say but
that they would act according to their oaths. But they
would be biased by their prejudices, and it should be
recollected that this was a political trial. It was the
duty of the House to inquire. He felt strongly on the
subject, and he besought the House not to refuse the
motion. They were told they might obtain redress by law.
What satisfaction, he would ask, would it be to those
who had suffered their imprisonment, if the officers
should be fined 100/. ? He should like to know how the
wrong was to be remedied, and if there were no means,
in similar cases, by which parties aggrieved might be
enabled to restore the omitted names to the list imme•

diately, it was the duty of Parliament to devote its im-
mediate attention to the subject, in order to remedy such
a crying evil.—(Cheers.)
Mr. GROGAN said that the evils complained of by
Mr. O'Connell in 1825 had been remedied by Act of Par-
liament. With regard to the case before the House, it
had, on three different occasions, been brought before
the courts at Dublin ; every fact had been deposed
to on oath, and it was useless to go into Com-
mittee, as no further evidence could be elicited.
One circumstance had given him pain, that Hon. Mem
bers had said the jury had not done justice to the parties
—and this because they were Protestants. He thought
that was not fair, and Hon. Members should have con-
fined themselves to the facts and justice of the case,
without impugning the motives by which respectable
jurors were actuated. The Hon. Member then defended
the conduct of Mr. M‘Grath and Mr. Kemmis, and the
other Crown officials, from the charge of evincing au,
unfair and disobliging disposition towards the accused,
and sat down by protesting against the motion.
Mr. J. O'BRIEN said, justice had been withheld
not only from a popular leader in these trials, but from
the whole people of Ireland. That people had at all
times evinced the most loyal disposition even in their
monster meetings ; and did they not show a ready obe-
dience to the law i❑ regard to the Clontarf proclama-
tion? Mr. O'Connell was only the mouth-piece of the
people—he only gave utterance to their sentiments—and
the prosecution of him, only made the people who loved
him, cherish the more the cause for which he suffered.
Mr. O'Connell had always been the advocate of peace,
and the greater portion of his life had been engaged in
struggling for the same objects as many Hon. Members
in that House—Catholic emancipation, reform, and an
extension of the franchise. It could not be denied that

Ireland was treated on a different principle from that of
England—inefficient representation—a Church, the
Church of the minority, obliged to be supported by the
majority—a Church, the ministers of which had, in
many instances rendered themselves odious to the
people. But why need --he recapitulate those
grievances which had been s• often and un-
availingly discussed? Justice had not been done
in the recent trials—that was admitted by every man not
blinded by party; suppressed lists, a Protestant jury, end-
less obstructions to the solicitors for the traversers in
preparing the defence, and every unfair and unworthy
advantage taken by the Crown lawyers and by the
Crown officials. Those alone were responsible for the
result, who brought a peaceable and kind people nearly
to the condition of rebellion. The Catholic hierarchy
had appointed a day of prayer for the release of the
traversers. Look to the dominant Church, which was
the great evil of Ireland. The whole feeling of England
was anti-national to Ireland. The people of Ireland
were confederated by a bond which no Act of the Legis-
lature could dissolve. They asked for justice, and no-
thing short of justice would meet the emergencies of the
case.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the Committee 73
Against it 9l
_ _ .

Majority —lB
CHURCH ENDOWMENT ACT.
Sir R. PEEL, in moving for leave to bring in a Bill
to amend the Church Endowment Act of last session,
said that a sum of 600,0001. had accrued from the funds
rendered available for the purposes of the Act, and that
there had been 246 applications for the building of
churches in new districts. Thirty-four new dis-
tricts had already been formed, and engage-
ments had been entered into fora hundred more.
In the districts already formed there was a population
of 130,000 persons, and in the districts which they had
engaged to form was a population of 344,000 persons ;
so that, under this Bill, spiritual consolation would be
provided for no less a number than half a million of our
countrymen. As such had been the effect in so short a
time, he was not, he thought, too sanguine in hoping
that still greater benefits would arise from it. One of
the leading provisions in the proposed Bill was to exempt
the clergymen appointed under it from certain charges
upon their stipends on account of the smallness of their
amount. as they did not exceed 150/. per year. With
the exception of these clauses the Bill was merely formal
in its provisions, and he would not, therefore, upon that
occasion, trouble the House further upon the subject,
but merely ask leave to bring it in.—Leave given.
DUCHY OF CORNWALL.

Sir R. PEEL having moved the second reading of
this Bill,
Captain PLUMRIDGE said there were several
Members absent from the House at that moment who
took a deep interest in that Bill, and who could not have
supposed it would come on at that hour of the night, if
at all. He trusted that, under these circumstances, the
second reading would not be then pressed. There was no
doubt the Bill was a very favourable Bill to the county,
and that it would be very acceptable, but there were
some clauses in it which would have a very injurious
tendency in certain quarters. For instance, there was
a lessee who would be most seriously affected, and who
had as much right to his lease as the Duke of Cornwall
to his title. The Bill, too, contained no less than ninety-
two clauses, thirty of which had been added to it so
late as Saturday last. The Bill itself had only been be-
fore them since June, so that, in fact, there had not
been fair time allowed for its consideration. He (Cap-
tain Plumridge) certainly believed that the Duchy was
favourable to the Bill ; but if it were postponed for
further consideration it would be better, inasmuch as,
however advantageous it might be in some points, it
would bring certain ruin on one individual. This person
had given 18,5001. for his lease, and now, when he was
going to derive some benefit from his outlay, he was to be
totally ruined by his Bill. He did hope the Right Hon.
Baronet would consent to postpone the Bill, or he
(Captain Plumridge) would feel it to be his duty to move
that it be read a second time that day six months.
Sir R. PEEL said, one reason why they never made
any progress was, because when a measure was brought on
it was almost always made as an excuse for delay, that
Hon. Members deeply interested in the matter were un-
ortunately absent from the House. It was really hard
on the Government that because some parties interested
in a Bill were absent, that public business should suffer
in its progress from that absence. This Bill was framed
by his Noble Friend (Lord Granville Somerset) and
himself, to prevent the evils that had existed—they were
anxious to apply that great principle of prescription
which had been applied in Church matters. The Bill
had been framed with the consent of the Counsel for the
Crown, and he (Sir R. Peel) had reason to know that it
was hailed with great satisfaction by the inhabitants of
the county generally. There certainly was an in-
dividual whose interests would be affected, but his
case would be best considered in Committee, for
any objection he might offer, applied rather to the de-
tails than to the principle of the Bill. There would be
ample opportunity in Committee for a fair discussion of
those clauses which affected that gentleman's case. He
(Sir R. Peel) thought he might appeal to all parties who
knew anything of the Duchy affairs, whether this Bill,
speaking generally, was not an acceptable one. It did
make very great concessions, her Majesty and Prince
Albert being both most anxious for the peace and well-
being of the Duchy. To this end it was most desirable
that the principle of prescription should be applied to
the Duchy, the same, as to church-lands and to lands of
the Crown. Therefore, he hoped that the Gallant
Officer (Captain Plumridge) would not, on account of
some individual interest, take the extreme course of at-
tempting indefinitely to postpone a Bill so calculated to
be of advantage to a large class of the people.
Mr. VERNON SMITH hoped that his Hon. and
Gallant Friend would not persevere in his objection to
the second reading of the Bill, because he thought that
any objection would be much better taken in Committee
than at the present time. He thought his Gallant
Friend had a right to complain of the Bill being intro-
duced at so late a period. When it was introduced the
Right Hon. Gentleman said nothing with respect to it,
nor did he intend to say anything at that time but for
the statements of his Hon. and Gallant Friend. As he
said before, he thought the objections might be made to
the measure in Committee much better than at the pre-
sent moment.

The Earl of LINCOLN said that the Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite was mistaken in supposing that his
pig,ht Hon. Friend, in introducing the Bill, said nothing
With re§pe;:t to it. The fact was, that in introducing
the measure he had shortly stated its objects, and in the
interview had by himielf and his Right Hon. Friend
with qv parties interested,lthe scope and Object of the
Bill hid been fully detailed to them. In the course of
the last several days be had had interviews with the gal-
-4.0 person (Captain Crease) whoni 'the Galia4 pffiCei-
Qppditeyekresen',-pd? the lessee of .the. litiChy, 'Arid -he
(Lord Lincoln) 14a_ no doubt, that, from those inter-

views, he should be able to satisfy him that his interests
would be regarded. Nothing had been more honourable
and fair than the way in which Captain Crease had
acted with respect to this measure. He had seen that
gallant gentleman within the last few minutes, and he
thought that he had convinced him that his interests
would be respected. If the lion. and Gallant Member
was determined still to object to the Bill, it was per-
fectly competent for him to do so.
Captain PLUMRIDGE was afraid, if the Bill passed
in its present shape, it would be the ruin of the lessee.
Mr. HAWES said that he had had strong representa-
tions made to him that afternoon against the Bill. Since
the 13th of June forty Bills had been introduced by the
Government ; and such being the case, how, he would
aik, could Honourable Members do their duty, and be
always in the House to watch them ? Almost
every day this week the House would sit at twelve
o'clock. To-morrow they would meet oti the Metro-
politan Improvements Bill, the next day on the Poor-
law Bill, and probably on Thursday the Railways Bill.
Now, under such circumstances, he would ask how it was
possible that Hon. Members could always be in attend-
ance? It was more than human strength could do to
bear up against it.
Sir R. PEEL said that the Bill was brought in before
the 18th of June, and it was expected that there would
be no objection to it.

The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed.

LAND-TAX COMMISSIONERS NAMES BILL.
The House went into Committee on this Bill; Mr.
PRINGLE in the Chair.

Lord WORSELEY thought the names on the Com-
mittee ought to be unconnected by property with the
object of the Commission.
Captain PECHELL also objected to the constitution
of the Committee.

Sir G. CLERK said he believed'ithis was the first time
there had been any discussion on adding names to the
Committee.

Mr. WILLIAMS moved that two names be added to
the list.

The gallery was cleared for a division, but none took
place, the motion having been negatived without a
division.

BIRMINGHAM ELECTION.
MONDAY EvEXLma.—To-day this Tory triumph has been
finally completed.
THE DECLARATION OF THE POLL.
At ten o'clock the Mayor and official authorities assembled
in the Town-hall, to open and cast up thi poll-books, and it
was twelve o'clock before they had completed that task. At
. this hour several thousands, electors and non-electors, had
assembled in the hall. Mr. Sturge and Mr. Spooner, on
making their appearance, were received by their respective
friends with loud cheers ; and, indeed, the greatest harmony
and good humour seemed to prevail throughout. One of the
side galleries was reserved for ladies, of whom the attendance
was rather numerous. Order having been proclaimed.
The MAYOR said it *as now his duty to announce the
numbers, which were--
Spooxer 2,095
Scholefield
Sturge
It was his duty, therefore, to declare Richard Spooner, Esq.,
duly elected to serve in Parliament for the borough of Bit,
rn in gham.—( Cheers.)
Mr. SPOONER then briefly addressed the electors,
thanking those in warm terms who had honoured him with
their support. He went, he said, to the House of Commons,
not to serve any party, nor to truckle to any Ministry.. On
the other hand he did not go there through any factious op
position ; but he would uphold the present Government
where he conscientiously could, though he would oppose
them whenever he had equal reason for opposition. He stated
that he should never on any occasion unnecessarily obtrude
himself on the attention of the House of Commons, but that
on all questions of importance, when it was necessary that
the voice of Birmingham should be heard, he would endea-
vour to give effect to it to the best of his ability. Though
returned by the electors, he would never forget the interests
of the non-electors, and any subject which they submitted
to his consideration should receive from him as anxious an
amount of attention as though it were submitted to him by
some of his most influential supporters.—(Cheers.)
Mr. STURGE also addressed the electors.
After voting thanks to the Mayor, which was briefly ac•
knowledged by that officer, who observed that the good hu
mour and good feeling evinced by the men of Birminghan
on this occasion deserved the highest praise, the meeting se•
parated.

ROYAL COMMISSION OF FINE
ARTS.

The following is a copy of the circular addressed to each
of the artists selected by her Majesty's Commissioners to
execute certain designs for the decoration of the new Houses
of Parliament. The document is in itself so clear and in-
telligible as to render further explanation of the subject quite
unnecessary :

" Whitehall, July 15.
"Sir,—l have to acquaint you that her Majesty's Commis-
sioners on the Fine Arts, with the sanction of the Lords Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Treasury, have resolved that six
arched compartments in the House of Lords, each measuring
9 feet 3 inches wide, by',l6 feet high to the point of the arch,
shall be decorated with fresco paintings ; that the subjects of
such fresco paintings shall be illustrative of the functions of
the House of Lords and of the relation in which it stands to
_ .

the Sovereign; that the subjects of three of the said freso.
paintings shall be personifications or abstract representations
of religion, justice, and the spirit of chivalry; and that the
three remaining subjects corresponding with such representa-
tions, and expressing the relation of the Sovereign to the
Church, to the law, and, as the fountain of honour, to the
State, shall be—the Baptism of Ethelbert ; Prince Henry,
afterwards Henry V., acknowledging the authority of Chief
Justice Gascoigne ; and Edward the Black Prince receiving
the Order of the Gartar from Edward HI.

" I have further to acquaint you that the Commissioners
have resolved, with the sanction of the Lords Commissioners
of her Majesty's Treasury, to employ six artists, selected by
the Commissioners from the present exhibitors in Westminster
Hall, to prepare designs for the subjects abovementioned, and
that the Commissioners have selected you as one of the six
artists to be so employed, under the following conditions :
" You are requested to prepare a cartoon, being a design
for one of the aforesaid subjects. The size of the cartoon is
to be nine feet three inches wide, by sixteen feet high to the
point of the arch, and ten feet three inches high to the
springing of the arch (outlines in lithography, showing the
form of the arch in the compartments referred to, may be
obtained in the architect's office, New Palace-yard). You
are further required to prepare a coloured sketch, not less
than eighteen inches in its shortest dimension, of the entire
design represented in your cartoon, and a specimen of fresco
painting, no less than three feet in its shortest dimension, re-
presenting a part of the design in the full proportion.
"You are requested to send in such cartoon, coloured
sketch, and specimen of fresco painting, darting the first
week in June, 1845, for exhibition, to Westminster Hall.
" You are to be remunerated for the works aforesaid with
the sum of 4001. ; but the Commissioners do not bind them-
selves to employ you finally on the fresco paintings in the
House of Lords.

"I have further to acquaint you that the six subjects are
distributed among the six artists as follows :
"The subject of Religion-is given to Mr. Horsley.
"The subject of Justice is given to Mr. Thomas.
" The subject of Chivalry is given to Mr. Maclise.
" The subject of the Baptism of Ethelbert is given to Mr.
Dyce.
" The subject of Prince Henry, afterwards Henry V.,
acknowledging the authority of Chief Justice Gascoigne, is
given to Mr. Redgrave.
"The subject of Edward the Black Prince receiving the
Order of the Garter from Edward 111. is given to Mr. Cope.
"I have further to acquaint you that although the six
subjects are required to be undertaken by and among the six
artists, the artists are at liberty to exchange subjects; and
that although the cominissbn given to each artist is for ono
only of the aforesaid subjects, each artist is at liberty to treat
any other of the said subjects, in addition to the one subject
which he is commissioned to undertake.

"I have further to acquaint you that a general competi-
tion is invited among artists for designs for the same sub-
jects, to be prepared by the time before specified; and that
the six commissioned artists are not allowed to be competi-
tors for the premiums offered for such designs.
"I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" C. L. EASTLAKE, Secretary."
It will be observed from the last paragraph of this letter,
that. a general competition is invited, and as-an encourage-
ment to artists who have not been selected, the Commis..
sioners offer three premiums of 2001. each for the best sub.
jects produced. Thus another exhibition, doubtless far ex-
ceeding in interest either of those already opened, will take
place in the summer of next year.

POST-OFFICE MISREGULATION
WITH VOTERS' CLAIMS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Six,—Last year Mr. Aglionby, M.P., at my suggestion,
c stompalmaipnendotoifcetshoef Post-officeclaimsforvoters,
authorities
and on w
beingnotto
prepared
to occasions
raised a discussion with Sir James Graham in the House of
Commons, complaining that the Post-office did not make the
arrangements the law required.
To-day I applied at the General Post-office, St. Martin's-
le-Grand, at the money-order office, conformable with the
statute 6 and 7 'Victoria. cap. 18, to get thirty notices
stamped. I was first sent to the Inner-office, from thence to
No. 1 in the Lobby, from thence to two doors off, from thence
to the end of the passage, from thence to the Secretary's
office, where I was detained a quarter of an hour, and was
then informed that Mr. Smith was the only person who
understood the matter, I must see him on returning to the
lobby again. I inquired for Mr. Smith, and was asked what
Mr. Smith ? Seeing the absurdity of inquiring for such a
name in such a large public building, I presented the notices
at the place they receive paid letters at. My notices were
returned, with the answer that only three could be taken
there, as the remainder belonged to the local post. By this
time it was past four o'clock, and on my presenting them at
the other office, I was told that it was now too late, I must
bring them before four o'clock ; and they refused to receive
them.

Should this impediment be thrown in the way of claimants,
is it possible for strangers ignorant of the minutiae of regis-
tration matters to make a legal claim ?
The only inference to be drawn is, that it is done to serve
the present Tory Government party.—Your obedient servant,
W. H. JAMES.
Middlesex Reform Registration-office,
15, Bridge-street, Blackfriars, July 15.

ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.---.Yesterday
a quarterly general court of the subscribers to this institution
was held at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's-street.
Admiral Maugin in the chair, supported by Admiral Lord
Radstock, &c. After some introductory remarks from the
chairman Captain Dickson, the secretary read the quarterly
statement of receipts and disbursements, from which it ap-
peared that the total funds during the period were 1,356/.
19s. 2d. Deducting the expenditure. a balance of 798/. lls. sd.
remained. The secretary next read a letter from Sir George
Cockburn, Bart., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, approv-
ing of the manner in which the printed report of the Society
had been compiled. Several other letters connected with the
affairs of the Society, but of no public importance, were next
read and placed on the minutes. One it may be necessary
to state, was forwarded by the Governor of the Queen s
Bench Prison, stating that two ladies, the daughters of naval
officers, who had been detained therein for debt, had been re
leased through the benevolence of her Majesty the Queen
Dowager, and assistance from the funds had consequently
been dispensed with. A vacancy in the list of vice-presidents
was next announced, and Lord Radstock was unanimously
appointed to that office in the room of Admiral Sir Courteney
Boyle, deceased. Captain Dickson said that the Society has
also lost a very munificent supporter by the decease of Ad-
miral Jahleel Brenton, and a resolittion expressive of the
feeling of the members was unanimously adopted. The
cases for relief, amounting to about 80, were then considered,
and the sum of 5001. was distributed. A vote of thanks was
then unanimously passed to the chairman, who, having ac-
knowledged it, dissolved the meeting.
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.—DOVER, JULY 15.
About one o'clock this afternoon a most melancholy loss of
life occurred in Dover-bay, by the upsetting of a small
pleasure-boat or punt. The party in the boat consisted of
Mrs. Bentley, two of her daughters—one about ten, and the
other eight years of age—a young gentlemen, said to be the
nephew of Mrs. Bentley, but whose name we could not learn,
and the two men who were in charge of the boat, named, we
believe, Fox and Lewisham. The boat was under sail and
tacking about a mile off the land, when she was observed to
upset, there being rather a brisk breeze of wind blowing at the
time. On observing the accident, several boats were imme-
diately launched from the beach, but before they could get to
the sufferers, a fishing• smack that was about half a mile to
windward bore down, and sent her boat to the spot. The
fishermen fortunately picked up Mrs. Bentley and the two
men, Fox and Lewisham ; but, the gentleman and the two
young ladies had disappeared. The boatmen saved them-
selves by swimming, and it is supposed Mrs. Bentley's
clothes kept her obove water. Mrs. Bentley was brought
on shore almost lifeless; but on being taken to Mr. Marsh's
bathing-house, she was placed in a warm bath, and by the
application of the means recommended by the Humane So-
ciety, she was fortunately recovered. Mr. and Mrs. Bentley
are strangers here, from Freston (we understand), and have
been living for some time in lodgings at No. 3, Stroud-
street. Mr. Bentley was absent from Dover at the time of
the melancholy event, he having gone to Folkestone this
morning by the South-Eastern Railway, and was not aware
of his loss till he arrived by train late in the afternoon. The
distressing occurrence has cast a gloom over the place, and
the beach is even now crowded with persons anxiously in-
quiring respecting it. None of the bodies have yet been
found.

RISE IN THE PRICE or SOAP.---At a meeting of
"the soap trade" of Glasgow and Paisley, last week, we un-
derstand it was unanimously agreed to Eavance the price of
soap to the following rates per cwt. :—White, 535. ; pale, 48s. ;
second or bright, 465.; yellow, 42s.—Edinburgh paper.
SOLDIER KILLED.—On Tuesday night, between
ten and eleven o'clock, a ;nelancholy accident happened
the Castle. John Dow, a private in the 26th Regi-
inept; whO had been observed to he somewhat intoxicated,
it appears endeavoured to escua from the garrison by
descendiug the Tc;o4 opposite to West Port; but at this
Poitt the rock is almost perpendicular, and the unfortn-
tlate man fell to the Castle 1 oadt Anti crag kilted on the
spot.—Sco,istaa4, •