The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-17 00:00:00

ST. KATHERINE'S DOCK
COMPANY.

The general half-yearly meeting of the Shareholders
and Proprietors in this Company, was held at the Deck-
house, Tower-hill, yesterday, Mr. Tooke, in the Chair.
After some preliminary •routine business had Leen
gone through, a dividend of 21 per cent. for the half-
year, ending June 30, last, was declared payable on and
after the 22d instant ; the amount of income-tax pay-
able thereon to be defrayed by the Company.
A ballot was then taken for the election of Directors for
the ensuing year, when the present members of the direc-
tion were unanimously re-elected. In consequence of the
Act of Incorporation only requiring a statement of ac-
counts to be submitted once a year—namely, at the
January meeting—no formal report was read, but the
Chairman stated that the affairs of the Company were in
a most prosperous and flourishing condition. After a
vote of thanks to the Chairman and Directors, and to Sir
John Hall, the Secretary to the Company, for the sucees-
tul management of 'the interests committed to his care,
the meeting separated.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, July 16.
CASE OF MR. O'DRISCOLL.

Earl FORTESCUE then rose to move for information
respecting the grounds upon which Mr. Alexander
O'Driscoll had been restored to the commission of the
peace. Mr. O'Driscoll was a magistrate in the county
of Cork. It appeared that, while out hunting, he
saw two or three boys on a portion of his lavd, who
upon seeing Mr. O'Driscoll, run away. Mr. O'Driscoll
pursued them and overtook one of the boys, upon show
he inflicted severe punishment with his whip. The
matter was brought before the other magistrates, and
Mr. O'Driscoll was fined £2 and costs. Upon this
decision being announced, Mr. O'Driscoll declared
that his brother magistrates had not done him justice,
and some altercation ensued, and the result was that the
matter was brought under the consideration of the Lord
Chancellor of Ireland, and Mr. O'Driscoll was dismissed
from the magistracy, but was ultimately reinstated in the
commission of the peace. It was respecting this restora-
tion that he (Earl Fortescue) moved for information.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE did not think the Noble Earl
had laid any Parliamentary grounds for the production
of papers relating to this case. He would not, however,
meet the case upon technical grounds. He thought it
would be evident to every one who had read the letters
that had passed between the parties in this case, that
much exaggeration had taken place. There could be no
doubt that the boy in question hul been made a tool of
in order to get up a case against Mr. O'Drisc.oll. There
could be no doubt that Mr. O'Driscoll had been guilty of
excessive warmth of temper. It would, however, be
remembered that he was interrupted in his field sports,
by a lot of boys, and their Lordships must all feel how
very annoying it was to be treated in the way these
boys had treated Mr. O'Driscoll.—(Laughter.) Mr.
O'Driscoll was, however, removed from the bench ; but,
after having been suspended for some time, the Magis-
trates of the county memorialised the Lord-Lieutenant,
praying for his restoration to the commission of the
peace. After this it was not thought that Mr. O'Dris-
coll was unfit to hold a seat on the bench of magistrates,
and he was therefore reinstated in the commission of the
peace. lie (Lord Wharncliffe) must, therefore, resist
the motion:

The Marquis of NORMANBY was surprised at the
speech which the Noble Lord had just delivered. He
totally differed from his Noble Friend when he said that
no Parliamentary ground had been laid for the produc-
tion of the papers. The facts stated by his Noble Friend
(Earl Fortescue) had not been at all contradicted, nor
had it been attempted to meet them any way ; and
therefore he said that ample ground had been shown for
the motion which his Noble Friend had made. With
these facts before him, he (the Marquis of Normanby)
would never have restored such a man as Mr. O'Driscoll
to the bench, and he referred to the course which he
had taken when in office with respect to the case of
Colonel Verner.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE said, if the Noble Earl very
much wished for the production of these papers, hs, would
produce them.—(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of RIPON would not defond the conduct of

Mr. O'Driscoll, but he thought there was considerable
palliation in his case. of
The Earl of
_WICKLOW eulogised the government
Earl de Grey, and contended that her Majesty's Goer,,
meat were justified in restoring Mr. O'Driscoll t"
bench. He thought it would have been Unjust to ha:.
subjected this gentleman to degradation for life tnerP.li:
upon the circumstances which ad been detailed wt
respect to his.concluct.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE contended that
Mr. O'Driscoll had been replaced on the bench to st°!,
party views and party purposes. lie thought therehs"
not been the shadow of an excuse offered for the condo
ctt
of this gentleman, and therefore he was of opinion ths
his restoration to the bench was unjustifiable, and not°
be defended.
The Earl of BA NDON said lie had signed the Inr
morial to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, praying
the restoration of Mr. O'Driscoll, and to that mewl,
were attached the names of two Peers agreeing in
P.
tics with Noble Lords opposite.
Lord CAMPBELL throught from what he had hea,
a
that Mr. O'Driscoll was a pees ,n who was unfit to bare'
tained in the commission of the peace.
The Earl of GLENG ALL said there were lot of
paltry, contemptible, pettifogging lawyers in Ireland:.
who were in the habit of frequenting courts of Pe.l',
sessions, in order to pick up charges against the magines
trates, out of which they can gain something in the 511:11;i,
of costs. Mr. O'Driseoll was one of the men
had set their face against the repeal Ocie
tation, and the consequence was that he had map,
himself obnoxious. He asserted that this was aPar
Matter, for the charge against Mr. O'Driscoli had brr.
merely trumped up to suit party purpbscs. '„,
O'Driscoll was an enlightened Roman Catholic, and r.
cause he had opposed the repeal conspiracy, every elde
cumstance was laid hold of, in order, if possible, t°,
him an injury.
The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL defended Mr. 0'1)115.'
colt, as a gentleman who had well performed his moo
terial duties fur a great number of years, and as
tleman every way calculated to exercise judicial -0'1;i
tions. Mr. O'Driscoll lived in a part of the counll
where gentlemen were very scarce—*--(Laughter),
.1 hence he was looked upon with anything but ".
feeling. to. td
The LORD CHANCELLOR defended the -m-4
Chancellor of Ireland, and said that uo man bad
adu inistered justice in that country with greater f;
partiality. He was of the same opinion with 14°4.
Lords on that (the Ministerial). side of the House, ro,
this charge had been got up in consequence of
and
O'Driscoll being a Roman Catholic, a Conservative,
an anti-repealer. It appeared from the papers
had been laid on their Lordships' table upon this 5°
ject, that the assault on the boy was anything but of ;Ir.
aggravated character. He did not mean to justify
O'Driscoll's conduct; but this he would say, thlndi
great deal of exaggeration had been indulged ill II"
respect to it. . .
The Earl of RADNOR looked upon this case as a °I
important one, and one upon which they ought to hb9
the fullest information. If the boy who was assaulted
Mr. O'Driscoll had assaulted that gentleman, the cabe
would not have been treated as a petty assault, but to
boy would have been sent to prison. There ought
be equal justice to rich and poor, and in this mattediii
tice had not been obtained.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE explained.
Lord CAMPBELL rose, but was interrupted by
The Earl of WICKLOW, who appealed to ".,,d
Lordships whether it was in order for the Noble
Learned Lord to address their Lordships twice in tb
same debate.

Lord CAMPBELL said he only rose to explain• the
The Earl of BANDON said, the memorial to •.0
Lord •Lieutenant of Ireland, praying for the restolltid
of Mr. O'Dri,zcoll was signed by parties, of all shad
politics, the numbers being almost equally balanced•
Earl FORTESCUE replied.

The motion was th, n agreed to.
CHARITABLE DONATIONS AND BECZITES.
(IRELAND) BILL. •
Lord WHARNCLIFFE then moved that the re 0
on this Bill be received. Several amendments had baeeetl
made in the Bill in Committee, and he confidently 11°r-to
that the measure would prove a very beneficial one to
Ireland. There were, however, still some amen
which it was thought expedient to make, and for
go;
purpose he would move hereafter that the Bill be redoB
witted. The Noble Lord then proceeded to explainjo
object of the Bill, which was intended to settle the ro,
with respect to charitable bequests in Ireland. It Clip
vided that a commission should be established in Palo
consisting of five Protestants and five Roman Calll°„st,
for the purpose of holding charitable bequests in 1101
He believed that the Bill would meet with the ge,°,,tlf
approbation of the people of Ireland, and he confine—
recommended it to their Lordships.
The Marquis of NORMANBY tendered his thstre,
to the Government for having introduced this Ellet°
which he considered a very conciliatory one. wit)
Lord BEAUMONT expressed his satisfaction
the measure.
Lord CAMOYS thanked the Government for 1311/
introduced the Bill. ice/
After a short conversation the report was reee,„"fisi
certain amendments were proposed, and the Bp'
ordered to be printed.
The Customs Duties (Isle of Man) Bill passed WO°
Committee. e 1
The remaining Bills on the table were adVaPC
stage, and their Lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OP COMMONS, July 16.
THE SLAVE TRADE. bed toViscount PALMERSTON said that he wis-elf
•
make a few observations on the slave trade Its
00
before he entered upon the motion of which he bad glio
notice. It was a subject of great importance not ltet`teil'
to that House, and it still continued to engage the ero,f
tion Of Parliament and the 'country. Many of thout of
enlightened men on both sides of the House and ato
the House had exerted their talents to put an ell thin
slavery, and they at length succeedel in rescuing et
country from the foul stain of slavery, but that pr,,
result was not completed without. much 16000
They must, therefore, look with tenderness on the e in
of other countries who had not yet resolved to folloirv'otti
their footsteps, remembering the long and painful e orb
which it had cost them to wean themselves froth, or
pursuits.—(Hear.) It there were those who had ethe
tracted relations with them, the object of which vvi° 101
suppression of the slave trade, they would make theta6e the
participators in the crime if they relieved them frolli
engagements into which they had entered.
vestigations which had taken place, with their flieg.u,stbil
details, had brought round the minds of men lih'ool°
Country to determine that England at least
adhere to such treaties. The details were well ern'
forgotten, thciugh perhaps all men had a gel'tiol
notion that the slave trade was a cruel thing ; 0.00
it was barbarous to tear men by violence tri;
their homes, their families, and their 000 10
to transport them across the sea, and to doom al to),
pass the remainder of their short lives in pain a" id
under the lash of a foreign tyrant : though these tb
were known and felt by all, yet he believed there wer,tio4
who at that time of day had any adequate concere, It
of the cruelties of which the slave trade was the eat col'
was difficult to make, with any degree of certaintte,e'tow4
culation of the llUMberof persons who were annual) p?
to the islands and continent of America for the Puripieli
of being consigned to slavery. The returns for
he was going to move would, it was true, furnish Prodinformation, but that information was received jet'
their own consular agents.—(Hear hear.) The (3°,v rod
ments of the countries into which these 11e505.
were imported published no returns. Although plc
GovernMents were bound by engagements with ,
land, to prohibit the slave trade, yet Inen,looll
them—the Governments of Spain and Brazil not°r.
—set those engagements at defiance—(Hear, heeT'i)oti4l:
some places they even derived revenue trom the ttio,
of the treaty. Of one thing they must be assur ,00/
all the accounts fell short of the truth.—(Hear' "to V
Exceed it they could not ; and it was reasonable tlit/
lieve that they fell short of it. Now, what Wert, tt
numbers calculated as the annual importation
islands and continents of AmZ,rica ? Mr. Vandertle9o
his able work, compiled. from official doe''nfreo
calculated the numbers of those annually landed at 0,01
120,000 to 130,000. Sir Powell Buxton, M histabe;
interesting and valuable work, stated the 011 oo°l
to be about one hundred and fifty thoustio"'44l,,
whatever calculation they took,w hat an enormous o'7;
of human misery and of human crime did that trnc
statement involve. When they looked at $47
general statements of numbers, represent` t
figures on paper, the mind was apt net.
embrace, in all its details, the extent inv
fact thus ascertained.—(Hear, hear.) But let alt/were;
consider, in his own mind, what 1.50,000 peoPle„,:ttil
Let any man who had seen a large army, ao3°Ligi%
to 150,000 men, assembled at one time, h- ati
that he saw that number assembled together,ol,o'
plain; let him consider that they were travelling
wards, their doom—that that mass of huinan.belngs
going to painful and premature death, and under giirDi
variety of bodily and mental torture•
would not any man who witnessed such ,tl„rs
invoke the' vengeance of Heaven upon the aut."-
such an enormity But if any man looked only t! dot?
ule 14
number of victims actually sacrificed from the poi' w°°
lo
to
of Africa to the avarice and the cruelty of men— •rig
not call them Christian men, but men belong fed,
Christian nations ; he would be fur indee,"
arriving at the truth. It was calculateo,o 0,5
he believed, not without 'good data, th other,
every negro who had been landed two vole;
had, perished in the previous stages of the slaveeo the
that whatever number was landed three 0:5 aelobe
number had been sacrificed on the passage, an
hat ,t fe
they reached the ship. It was well known "flecil,j,
negroes did not colltct in the 11111;0, of
neighbourhood in which they were ehlredri,'De
Many were imported from a great distance, ha° ',0%
miles. Some were taken captive in the voulaetiof
greater number was the result of slave eriOcog
or man-stealing, which prevailed over the intontil e,
Africa. When the time of year came round for /I alng
0 Os
the slaves to the coast, some peaceful Afriee, ja ot
whose unsuspecting inhabitants were burieus, Otos
repose which Nature kindly bestows on TO
him for the useful occupations and innocent °dot'
of the succeeding day7—that village in the dead,
tiye
was surrounded by armed ruffians, the poPula ovel°1;
e
roused from their sleep by the flames which e sip,
their dwellings, and endeavoured. to Wee; or
by flight, some by resistance, but all !4ilie
for they were overpowered, and either on for
captured. Sometimes the village vvnities jed
hill, which afforded great natural fact buci to
escape, and many of the unfortunate creatti_roile be
themselves. in caverng, but these they were eoTir.,, at ice
evacuate, for their inhuman pursuers made a thee
ch°o,
mouth of the cavern, so that they had onlY
w p
between suffocation and captivity. Thus all
0,
pelled to yield. Then came the sele.citiro‘n•
who were pale and unhealthy, chido