The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-28 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESD AY EVENING, MA. Y Q 3, 180.

will succeed him, and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is to
be appointed Grand Marshal of the Kingdom!"
The Risorgimento of the 221 inst. announces,
under date Florence the 18th, that the Nazionale,
which had been suspended at the request of the
Neapolitan Government for libelling the King of
Naples, was allowed to resume its publication on
the 17th.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, May. 27.
(Before Mr. Commissioner HOLROYD.)
!IN RE JAMES KILLICK.
The bankrupt, a carpenter and builder, of Dorking,
applied for his certificate.

Mr. BUTLER (Basinghall-street) prepared the ba-
lance-sheet, which showed that the bankrupt owed
1.914/. ; assets about 2301. The profits were 734 ;
losses, 605/.; interest and expenses, 5871.; deficiency
February, 1848, 5741.
Mr. Linklater appeared for the assignees to oppose;
Mr. Lawrance supported the bankrupt.
The main grounds of objection were, that the
bankrupt had allowed his stock to be seized in exe-
cution shortly before coming to this Court, and that
he bad been guilty of a preference to a certain cre-
ditor.

His HoNoun said, that parties coming to this Court
must be taught that they could only receive its pro-
tection upon giving up all their property. Instead of
the bankrupt calling his creditors together, which it
was his duty to do when he was in difficulties, he had
allowed one creditor to obtain possession of his stock.
The bankrupt had also made a preferential payment
to his father, and although the sum had been reco-
vered, it did not purge the offence. Upwards of a
twelvemonth had elapsed since the case came into
Court, and six months since the first application for
certificate. Taking into consideration all the facts of
the case, a farther suspension of the certificate for six
months must be ordered without protection, till he
had been three months in prison.

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT, May 27.
(Before the CHIEF COMMISSIONER.)
IN RR JOHN LEWES.

This was a rule calling upon the assignees to show
cause why a creditor should not be allowed to prove
a debt against the estate, although it was not inserted
in the schedule. The insolvent was discharged by
this Court so long ago as 1825, and several dividends
hare been paid amounting in the whole to 93. in the
pound.

Mr. SARGOOD, on behalf of the assignees, contended
that the debt could not be admitted, being barred by
the Statute of Limitations.

Mr. NicaoLs' in support of the rule, argued that
the insolvent (whom the assignees represented) could
not avail himself of his own wrong in omitting the
creditor from the schedule, and that, therefore, the
statute could n,t apply. -
The Cum COMMISSIONER thought that the insol-
vent could not be permitted to avail himself of his own
omission to resist the debt, and therefore made the
rule absolute for allowing the proof.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Law.)
IN RE JOHN KIRBY.

This insolvent, who bad carried on business in
Buckingham street, Strand, as a bottled beer and
wine merchant, under the style of Kirby and Co.,
was opposed by Mr. Sargood for Mr. Waters.
The case was heard on a former day, and the com-
plaint was contracting Mr. Water's debt without
reasonable expectations of payment. The insolvent
had been bankrupt in 1823 and in 1828 ; on the lat-
ter occasion did not obtain a certificate. He had
twice previously petitioned this Court.

Mr. Commissioner LAW ordered the insolvent to
be discharged after the lapse of 11 calendar months
from the date of the vesting order.

SURREY SESSIONS, May 27.
These sessions commenced this morning, at
the Sessions House, Newington-causeway, before
Thomas Puckle, Esq., and a full bench of magistrates.
The calendar was rather heavy, containing the names
of 70 prisoners for trial, the majority of whom can
neither read nor write.

The grand jury having been sworn, and the Chair-
man having addressed them, the Court proceeded to the
trial of prisoners ; but no case of importance occurred
during the day.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A BET ON THE "DERBY."—William Cooper, of
No. 23, Rathbone-place, described on the police-sheet
as of "no occupation," was brought before Mr.
Bingham, charged with having obtained from Thomas.
Clifford, landlord of the Three Doves, Berwick-street,
the sum of 51. by fraudulent pretences.
The complainant said the defendant, who was a
stranger to him, came into his house on Sunday and
had some brandy-and-water at the bar. The de-
fendant talked about the Derby race on Wednesday,
and boasted that he had got odds to the extent of 1001.
to 21. on Clincher, and had in his possession a ticket
from Searle': the Salisbury Arms, Strand, as a
voucher for the bet. The defendant asked him Which
horse he thought would win, and he replied Clincher.
While this conversation was going on, a person came
to him, and, in a confidential whisper, advised him
"to get all he could on Clincher;" and, as the gentle-
man at the bar had made a good bet, he would per-
haps give good odds to make himself safe, and
witness would have quite security enough if he con-
sented to deposit his betting ticket with him. Wit-
ness then asked prisoner if he would make him a bet ?
The prisoner said he would, and ultimately it was
agreed that witness should pay 51., to receive 301. and
his 51. back in case Clincher won the race. Witness
gave the prisoner five sovereigns, and received what
purported to be a ticket from Searle of a bet of 1001.
to 21. on Clincher. As soon as the prisoner had got
the money he was in a wonderful hurry to be off, for
the purpose, as he said, of backing Bolingbroke. The
prisoner left the house in such a hurry that he did not
finish the brandy-and-water. Witness felt some mis-
givings about his security, and he mentioned his fears
to his wife. After a few minutes' counsel he decided
on going to the Salisbury Arms to inquire about the
ticket. When he showed the ticket to the person in
the bar of the Salisbury Arms, he was told it was a
forgery. Yesterday morning having found the pri-
soner in a betting-house in Jermyn-street, he gave
him into custody.
Mr. Woolf, who appeared for the complainant,
contended that a clear case of fraud had been com-
mitted, inasmuch as his client had parted with his
money on the faith of that which now turned oat to
be a mere piece of pasteboard being a valuable se-
curity.
Mr. Harris, for the prisoner, argued that the trans-
action throughout was illegal on the part of the
complainant.
Mr. BINGHAM said the line of defence was, in fact,
going so far as to say that thief might rob thief, and
gambler rob gambler. He doubted very much that
this was the law. At all events he would take time
to consider the question.
Mr. Bishop, the clerk, banded to the magistrate
the Bth and 9th Viet., cap. 109, sec. 17, which made
it punishable to obtain money by any kind of false
pretence from a person on account of any game,
sport, or pastime, and whioh applied exactly to the
case before the court.
The prisoner was remanded; but admitted to bail
in two sureties of 501. each.
CLERKENWELL.
Mary Honin, a young woman, with a child in her
arms, was charged with having assaulted one of the
overseers of Clerkenwell pariah.
The overseer said that• the prisoner came to the
board-room to ask for relief, and •request a pair of
shoes for her child. He told her that that was not a
shoe-Warehouse, and ordered her to be put out. She
insisted on having relief, and be ordered the gate-
keeper to force her out, when she struck him (the
overseer), and he gave her into custody. Her bus•
band, who was outside, threatened his life. He was
an idle, desperate fellow, and would not work.
The prisoner, crying, said She was in great dis-
tress, and her child.was without shoes. She did not
deny the charge, saying she waatreated with violence
first.

TYRWHITT discharged her, and ordered her
husband to find bail to keep the peace.
An elderly man, evidently afflicted and in great
distress, complained that the overseers hadrefusfeodr
to relieve him or admit him into the workhouse,
Clerkenwell.
Mr. TWYRITITT—What reason do they assign
their refusal ? Applicant—They say lam an Irish-
' man, and they will not relieve or admit me unless my
wife goes into the workhouse with me, which she will
not clo, as she can scrape a scanty living for herself
by washing.
Mr. TYIEWIIITT—I suppose they think that she can
support -you and herself through her washing labour.
Applicant (crying)—Perhaps so, Sir ; but she can
hardly sup port herself, and she would rather do any-
thing than go into the workhouse, and I am very ill.
What am Ito do?
Mr. Tr tWHITT--Pray how old are you? Appli-
cant—l an 169 years of age, your Worship.
Mr. TYE .WIIITT—How long have you -lived in the
parish (AC lerkenweil? Applicant—Upwards of 30
years.

- Mr. T YICWHITT considered it strange conduct on
the part of the parish in refusing to relieve or admit
him into the workhouse without his wife. long
residence entitled him to consideration and relief, and
he direc:ed an officer to accompany him to the work-
house on t he day of his first application. The poor old
man Eaten, led on the following day, full of grief, to
say that t' ae parish officers were obdurate, and still
were deb ermined not to admit him without his wife.
Mr. T.l -RWHITT censured such a course of proceed-
ing, and a lid the overseers would hr'ng odium on the
parish ifs hey pursued such proceeding's, and the case
of the applicant should be attended to.
The oli l man was thankful, and left the court.
Other r vases of a similar nature have occurred, with

reference to this and other parishes; which hive led to
some severe remarks from the Bench.
LAMBETH.

William Turner, a rough-looking fellow, was placed
at the bar before Mr. Elliott, and charged, on suspi •
cion, with stealing a vast quantity of massive plate
found in his possession.

Police-constable Thomas Hepburn, 308 P, deposed
that on that morning, about four o'clock, while on
duty on the Brixton-road, he observed the prisoner
going along with a bundle slung over his shoulder,
and, suspecting all was not right, asked him what he
had got ? The prisoner, in a gruff voice, replied,
that he had better see. He then stopped him and ex-
amined the bundle, and found, tied up in two hand-
kerchiefs, the following articles of massive plate,
viz. :—A teapot, a coffeepot, a sugar-basin, a cream
jug, a pair of sugar tongs, a salt spoon, a pair of salt
stands, ten table spoons, twenty forks, four silver knives,
two knife-rests, a pair of 'nut crackers, and a china
scent-box. The witness asked the prisoner where he got
the property, and his reply was, " I'm b-- if I
tell you."

When asked by the magistrate if he wished to say
anything to the charge, the prisoner replied, that it
was no use as the police would say anything.
SOUTHWARK
_ _ _

William Morley, a well-dressed man, apparently
between fifty and sixty years of age, wearing specta-
cles, was brought before Mr. A'Beckett, charged with
uttering a fictitious cheque for 251. on Messrs. Drum -
tnond's, in liquidation of a tavern bill he had run up
at the Bridge-house Hotel, Wellington-street, Lon-
don-bridge. The primer is suspected of having
uttered several other cheques of a similar description
to other tavern keepers in the metropolis.
Mr. T. W. Burrell stated that he is proprietor of
the above hotel, and that the prisoner came there in the
course of last week, bringing with him a portmanteau,
and engaged a private sitting-room as well as a bed -
room. He did not mention where he came from nor
how long he intended to remain, but he ordered and
was provided with the best the house afforded up to
last Saturday, when some suspicion being excited
his bill was made out and sent to him. When it
was placed in his hands he merely glanced over
it, and then said that he had not sufficient change
to discharge, it, but added that he would give a
cheque on his bankers for the amount. He
theH called for pen and ink, and in the presence of the
waiter, wrote out a cheque on Messrs. Drummond's
for 251., desiring him to take it to his master, and
added that, as it was then after banking hours, if it
was presented on the following Monday it would be
cashed at once. Complainant, upon the faith of the
cheque, supplied the prisoner with further refresh-
ments, amounting since Saturday to 1/. 125., and
when he took the cheque to be cashed that morning
the messenger was informed that the drawer of it
bad "no effects" there, nor was he even known to the
establishment. Upon this discovery the prisoner
was given into custody, and the complainant added
that he had since every reason to believe that the
prisoner had been carrying on a system of plunder
on hotel and tavern keepers by similar means ; and
that he had recently run up a bill at the Hotel de
Paris in the Haymarket, and uttered one of his spu-
rious cheques in payment.
Mr. A'BECKETT asked the prisoner what he had to
say in answer to the charge ? _ _

The prisoner, who is very deaf, or assumed to be so,
stood at the bar, apparently quite unconcerned, with
a smile on his countenance, and, when asked the
question by the magistrate, he shook his head and
said, "I am extremely deaf. I can perceive your
lips move, and imagine from the movement that you
have asked me what I have to say ; but I have not
beard a word, either proceeding from yourself or from
my prosecutor."
The complainant said, that the prisoner did not ex-
hibit such a total deprivation of hearing whilst en-
joying himself at his house, and as it since turned out, at
his expense, as he did upon the present occasion ; and
that, in his opinion, it was now in a great measure
assumed, to suit some particular purpose.
The prisoner, who still kept shaking his head and
expressing his inability to hear a word, begged that
he might be permitted to real the evidence given
against him.
Mr. A'BECKBTT at once assented to the prisoner's
request, and the minutes of the evidence having been
placed before him he read it attentively, and at its
conclusion merely said, "It is perfectly correct." It
was then announced to the prisoner that he was sus-
pected of giving a wrong name, and he was asked
whether he would now divulge his right one. He,
however, refused to give any further account than he
had already given, and as it was stated that
it was strongly suspected he was in the habit of
practising similar impositions, he was remanded
until next Monday, on which day it is be-
lieved that a number of tradesmen who have been
duped by him will attend.

THE COUNTRY MARKETS.

The following is the official statement of the quantiti
corn, &c., received in the port of London from the poi
Essex, from the 20th May, 1850, to the 25th May,
both inclusive :

ies of
its in
leso,

4.1 .
CS 1
il 4N 2
1 g
Colchester lB6;i 24 350? 14 95
Harwich
Leigh
Maldon .. 825, 100 , 2831 64 1000
CHELMSFORD, MAY 24.—Prices to-day were as follow:
Wheat, white, old 36s to 465; new 37a to 475; red, old

CHELMSFORD, MAY 24.—Prices to-day were as follow:
Wheat, white, old 36s to 465; new 37s to 475; red, old
34s to 40s; new, 33s to 395; barley, 23s to 25s ; chevalier
24s to 26s ; grinding 2ls to 23s ; oats 15s to 20s ; malt 53s
to 555; chevalier 54s to 568 ; peas, partridge, new 25s to
275; old, —s to —s ; white, new, 26s to 23s ; old, —s to —s ;
dun, new, 24s to 265; beans, tick, new 23s to 261; old, 24s
to 27s ; harrow ticks, new 24s to 27s ; old 25s to 235; ma-
zagan, new 22t to 24s ; old 23s to 25s per qr.
COLCHESTER, MAY 25.—Wheat, white 42s to 463 ; red 401
to 423; barley 221 to 241; beans, mazagan 24s to 255; middle
and small 26s to 235; peas 24s to 28s per qr.
HADDINGTON, MAY 24.—The following are the prices of
grain at our market to-day:—
Wheat. I Barley. I Oats. I Bean'.
. 4's Od I 24s 6d 22s 6d 32s Od
_ .

Second ••• .. 383 id 230 2d 1 20s 9d I 283 2d
Third ... .. 343 Od 22s 6d 193 Od 233 Od
Total quantity of Wheat iu market 396 qrs., 391 sold
Do. Barley do. 124 qrs., 124 sold
Do. Oats do. 279 qrs., 266 sold
Do. Beans do. 75 qrs., 75 sold
KIRKALDT, MAY 25.—The following are the quotations
up to this date t--
Wheat. Barley. Oats. Beans. Peas.
First 423 Od 22s Od 21s 6d —3 Oil —s Od
second 393 Od 213 Od 20.1 01 —s Od —3 Od
Third ..... 353 Od 173 Od 173 Od —s Od —s Od
Oatmeal, per bag of 2801bs imperial, 263 Od to Os 01
GLASGOW, MAY 22.—Provisions—Cheese, 363 to 445 Od
per cwt ; retail, 5d to 6d per lb. Skim milk, 23. Od to Os per
cwt. Country fresh butter, 10d to Od per lb. Irish pow-
dered, in lumps, 8d to Od; country powdered, wholesale, 81d
to 9d. Country eggs, 7d per dozen ; carried hen ditto, 4s tid
per 120, or 64 per dozen. Hens, 21 6d per pair ; Ducks,
211 Od.
PERTH, MAY N.—Wheat, 36s Od to 41s Od; barley, 18s
Od to 20s Od; oats, 16s to 19s; peas and beans, 22s Od to 2.5 s
per quarter. Oatmeal, per sack, 22s to 245.
STIRLING, MAY 24.—Wheat, foreign, 20s to 235; ditto,
home, Os to Os; ditto ditto new, ISs 6d to 22s Od; barley, per
boll of 6 bushels, Os Od to Os Od ; ditto new, 14s Od to 18s 00.
Oats, common, Os Od to Os Od ; ditto new, II s 0,1 to 13. 6d ;
ditto, Flemish, Os Od to Os Od; ditto ditto new, Os Od; malt,
distillers, 32s Od to 341 ; ciitto brewers, 34. Od to 35s ; beans
per boll, Os Od to Os Od ;ditto new, 13s Od to 14s Od ; pease 12s
6d to 13s; flour, new per sack, 31: 6d to 32s 6d; ditto common
ditto, 18s 6d to 20s Od; oatmeal, per load, Os Od to Os Od ;
ditto new 26s Od to 26s 9d ; ditto per peck of 71bs, 7V. to Sid ;
fresh butter per lb, 7d to 8d; eggs per dozen, 7d to Od;
hay per ton, Os to Os.
FALKIRK, MAT 23. —The supply of grain in this day's
market was 384 bolls; wheat at 16s 6d to 2016 d per boll. ;
barley, 14s Od to 18s Od ; oats, 14s 9d to 155 9d; beans, 13s 9d
to 151 Od per boll ; oatmeal, Os to Os per load.
Ricawrcic, MAT 2.3.—Wheat, 36. 4id ; barley, 18s 8d ;
oats, 16s Odd ; rye, 00s Od ; beans, 22s 1/d ; peas, 00s Od
average per imperial quarter.
HAWICK, MAT 23.—Wheat, new, 241 to 31s Od; barley,
nOe Oa tow 02.
to 357 ;
new, 15. to 17s Od ; ditto old, 00s to 00s ; potato oats,
003 Od to 00s Od ; common oats, 11s to 153 0d ; peas, 20, Od
to 2.3. Od; beans, 19s Od to 221 Od per boll of six imperial
bushels.
K27Od ;
so, MAY 24,.—Wheat, otlod,l7ogsotdo
;Ods
i;ttdoiottiod:
potato oats, 00s to 00s; ditto new, 12s to 13s sa ; common
oats 0,4 to 00s Od; ditto new, lls 6d to 13s; peas, 00s Od
to 00s Od; beans, 181 to 004 per boll of six imperial bushels. 1
DALKEITII, MAY 23.—The relative weight per four bushels 1
of the three prices of wheat were 18st 91b, 18st 31b, and 17st
71b. Oats, 13st Ilb, 19st 51b, and lOst 91b. Barley, 16st 61b,
16st 01b, and 14st 121 b. Peas and beans, 19st 01b, 18st 51h,
end 17st 131bs.
Qrs. Best. Current. Inferior.
234 Wheat ... £2 2 0 £1 18 0 £1 14 6
783 Oats
225 Barley
49 Peas and Beans 1 9 0 1 7 0 1 6 0
Average of wheat ........... 38s 34d.

East Adairs 15ClOaiAn.L.. .M.
Hasting's Hartley 133 3d Lumley
glioEd:l2J.o—naYssEosh7simair,
14s 64
Holywell
Tanfield Moor
123 9d
13s Od,Cownden Tees ... ..... 14s Od
‘rNa.ensfitellvdylkilao Butes l2s 9d
morlWhitworth
Wall's End, &c. , Maclean's Tees
1 13s 6d
Acorn Close
Elm Park
i 145 0,1
Gosforth .. .
Hilda l3s 3Gl' Hartley
Eden Main
Bell
Belmont lss OF Cardiff .... ......... 205 0 I
Creswell ... .... .
Hetton
Ships at market. 61.

MORTALITY AMONG TUE -ROMAN CATUOLIC CLERGY.
—According to the Limerick Chronicle, mortality and emi-
gration have so thinned the ranks of the Roman Catholic
priests in that diocese, that the Bishop (1)r Ryan) has not
a clergyman to fill the vacant curacy at &Inf. Indeed, of
late there is rarely a publication of the country papers with-
out an obituary notice of the class alluded to. There can
be no question that, in the distressed districtis of the south
and west, many priests hwl been reduced to sore privations
by the utter inabiility of their congregations to pay the ordi-
nary dues. With yi hole villages depopulated, and the people
either fled to other lands or become the inmates of the work-
houses, of course the priest has no choice left but to follow
their example or starve.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, May 27.
Their Lordships mt at F.ve o'clock.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from the me-
dical men of Fite, praying for better accommodation f,r
tho surgeons in the navy ; also against prisoners being
called on to plead gui,ty or not guilty.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented a petition
against the Removal of Districts (Scotland) Bill.
BIRTH OF A PRINCE.

The Marquis of WESTMINSTER announced that
the address of congratulation to her Majesty on the birth
of a Prince had been presented to her Majesty, and that
she had been graciously pleased to receive the same,
and that she had condescended to return the
ing most gracious answer :—" My Lords,
I have received your loyal and affectionate
address with much satisfaction. I thank you most cor-
dially for your congratulations on the birth of another
Prince, and for the assurance of the interest which you
take in my domestic happiness."
On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, the gracious
answer of her Majesty was ordered to be entered on the
journals of the House.
ARREARS OF APPEALS IN CHANCERY.
Lord BROUGHAM took the opportunity of deny-
ing the statement which had been made, that in conse-
quence of the illness of the Lord Chancellor there had
been an arrear in the appeals of that House, The ap-
peals in arrear in that House were, he contended, none.
The same could not be said with regard to'appeals in
the Court of Chancery, but they were much legs than they
were on the 22d Nov., 1830, when he (Lord Brougham)
took the seals, and that would be proved by the returns
of appeals for which he moved. He deeply regretted
that his Noble and Learned Friend would not be soon able
to resume the public performance of his duty. He be-
lieved that some temporary arrangement would be made,
and he hoped this opportunity would be taken of the
forced absence of this most able, upright, and learned
judge, to make a permanent arrangement for the exe-
cution of the functions of this the highest judicial officer
of the country.
The motion for returns were agreed to.
ECCLESIASTICAL APPEALS BILL.

The Bishop of LONDON moved that the second read
ing of the Appeals to the Privy Council for the Ea:le.
siastical Courts (in matters of doctrine) Bill, be posh
poned to Monday next.—Agreed to.
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Thu Marquis of SALISBURY, in pursuance of the
notice which he had given, presented several petitions
complaining of agricultural distress, and praying for a
return to as 3 stsm of protection. He wished to ask
the Noble Earl opposite how long he would consider
it before the present system had had a fair trial?
Earl GREY was not aware that the law of 1846 con-
tained any clause limiting the time during which it was
to be continued in operation, and he was not aware of
any intention to introduce any measure for repealing or
altering it.—(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of MALMESSURY thought that if the
Noble Earl meant what he had just said—and the Noble
Earl was a man who generally said what he meant, and
meant what he said—he was a minister better fitted for
the ancient empire of the Medes and Persians than for
the constitutional Government of Great Britain.—(Hear,
hear, and a laugh.) The Noble Earl seemed to enter-
tain a great dislike for these discussions, but so long as
the different Parliamentary papers were delivered to
their Lordships for their perusal, he must expect to have
them thus incidentally discussed. The information
contained in the papers recently delivered was at once
most important and most alarming. The return
of ail the in-door and out-door paupers for each year,
from the year 1848 to the year 1850, was most
apalling. It proved the entire fallacy of the dictum of
the Noble Premier in that House, that pauperism had
decreased in the last five years. On the contrary, its
increase in England and Wales within that period had
reached to the vast amount of 125,000 persons. The last
year of protection was the year 1846, the last of free trade
was the year 1850. In 1846 the price of wheat was 545;
in 1850 it was 38s. a quarter; and yet, when the price
of wheat was one-third less than it was formerly,
the number of 'paupers was 125,000 more. The free-
trade Government had made two promises to the people,
when they deluded them into the repeal of the corn-laws.
They had given them a promise of reciprocity and they
had given them a promise of the prosperity of the lower
classes. Reciprocity they had not got; the prosperity of
the lower classes had not happened. He had expected
at any rate, after all the promises they had received, to
find something like prosperity in the agricultural dis-
tricts; but in going through this list [holding out a
paper in his hand] he found no signs of prosperity either
in the agricultural or manufacturing districts, In Chel-
tenham, which was not exclusively either an agricultural
or a manufacturing place, there were in 1846, the last
year of protection, 990 paupers; in 1850, the last year
of free trade, 1,819. Again, in Liverpool, in 1846,
there were 12,200 paupers; in 1850 there were
17,800. In Manchester, in 1846, there were 13,900;
1850, 13,926. In Preston, in 1846, there were 3,021
paupers, and in 1850, 5,187. He would not enter
Into other details on this subject, for it was the
same everywhere; but ho would give their Lordships
just one specimen from a district purely agricultural.
In the Isle of Portsea in 184 e there were 3,200 paupers;
in 1850 there were 6.200, or nearly double.—[A Noble
Lord said "Look to Newcastle."] He had been referred
to Newcastle. Well, he would read the entry under the
town of Newcastle. In 1846 the number of paupers was
49,000. [We suspect that the Noble Lord, in his haste,
quoted the figures incorrectly, for, according to the last
census, the whole population of Newcastle was not more
than 69,430.] In 1850 there were 7,966.—(Crie; of
"Hear, hear," on the Ministerial benches.) With these
facts before them, it was impossible for Noble Lords
opposite to argue that their policy had turned out bene-
ficially. He then read to their Lordships various re-
turns recently laid on their table, all of which, he in-
si,tid, conspired to establish the same point. For in-
stance, in 1845, when the old corn-Laws were in force,
the returns of corn sold in England and Wales were
5,700,000 odd quarters c f wheat; in 1849, the last year
for which the same returns had been received,
they were only 4,500,000, so that the decrease of
the corn sold in England and Wales between the years
1845 and 1849 was just 1,200,000 quarters. With these
papers, showing that all their promises had failed, that
they had not gained the advantages of reciprocity by their
generous system towards the foreigner, that they had
not diminished the amount of pauperism, and that their
low prices had not checked the importation of foreign
corn, he did not think that he was wasting the time of
the House in calling its attention to the facts, or in de-
claring that the old corn-laws must be restored, if their
Lordships had any hope of seeing the country restored
to its former prosperity.
Earl GREY replied, that the Noble Lords opposite
must not be surprised if the Government refused to enter
into these incidental debates on the corn-laws until it
was acquainted with the real object sought to be
achieved by them. It had been stated on a former oc-
casion, that when the corn-laws were on the point of
being repealed, the advocates for their repeal had per-
petually discussed the policy of them with a view of in-
fluencing public opinion, and without submitting any
regular motion to the House. But, at that time,
there was no doubt as to the object of such discussions—
it was either the qualified or the total repeal of the
corn-laws. At present, however, they stood in a differ-
ent situation. He was ready, whenever the Noble Lord
opposite (Lord Stanley) pleased, to debate the question
whether the measure of 1846 ought to be changed or
not; but when he entered upon such a debate he wished
to know distinctly what were the views of Noble Lords
on the other side; for their Lordships were at present
in a singular state of ignorance on the subject. Not one
of the Noble Lords opposite had yet stated distinctly
whether they wished to go back to the old sliding scale
of 1828 or not. Did the Noble Lord (Lord Staaley)
wish simply to repeal the Act of 1846, and return to the
law under which they had the agricultural distress of
1833, 1835, and 1836, or did he want something else?
In another place it had been declared, upon very high
authority, that what was desired was a fixed duty of BQ.
upon wheat—the measure so scornfully rejected in 1841.
Another gentleman in that place had said that what
he wanted was an alteration of the various burdens
upon land; but, on the other hand, that notion of
relief, by altering taxation, bad been denounced
as altogether nugatory and delusive by the Noble Lord
opposite (Lord Stanley), in a very eloquent and remark-
able speech which he made in reply to certain memorials
that had been presented to him. What, then, did Noble
Lords opposite want? A fixed duty, a sliding scale, or a
change of taxation? What alteration in the existing
policy of the country did they mean to propose? Ho
(Earl Grey) could only say that when the Government
knew the specific measures which were to be proposed,
he had no doubt they would be able to show good rea-
sons against their adoption.—(Laughter from the Oppo-
sition.) His own opinion remained unshaken. He firmly
believed that to‘the alteration of their commercial policy in
1846 they were, under Providence, indebted for the safety
in which this country had passed through a period of un-
exampled difficulty. The Noble Earl (Malmesbury) had
quoted returns with respect to the number of paupers
relieved in England and Wales during the last five
years; and he had endeavoured to show that the number
of paupers now receiving relief was considerably greater
than the number relieved in 1846, the last year of protec-
tion. But if the Noble Earl looked at the return he
would find that, though there was now an increase in the
number• of paupers, as compared with 1846, yet that
the year 1850 showed a reduction in the number as com-
pared with 1847, 1848, and 1849. The Noble Earl was
however, well aware that there were circumstances in
the condition of the country, independently of the price
of corn, which might account for the difference between
the number of paupers relieved this year and in 1846.
The year 1846 was the very height of the railway mania,
and he believed that at that time the companies ex-
pended several millions of money mainly in labour.
Now, however, there were not as many hundred thou-
sands of pounds expended in such labour as there were
then millions. Since 1846, also, they had had to en-
counter all the consequences of the famine in Ireland;
and it was notorious that that famine had been the
means of bringing into all our grc at manufacturing towns
very large numbers of Irish paupers, for whose relief it
was necessary to provide. He thought these circum-
stances would fully acount for the increase of paupers
this year as compared with 1846. When he found the
revenue prospering to an unexampled extent, when he
saw trade sound and active, notviithstandius all the diffi-
culties arising from a short crop of cotton, and when he
looked at the general state of the country, he did not think
the returns to which the Noble Lord had alluded gave
the slightest reason to doubt the success of the policy of
1846.—(Hear, har.) The Noble Earl had referred to a
return of the quantities of wheat that had been soh] in
different years, and had stated that the sales of 1849
showed a falling off as compared with 1845 of some
1,200,000 quarters. He should have thought that his
Noble Friend must have seen how fallacious that com-
parison was; for the return for 1849 showed mainly the
sales of the crop of 1848, and it was notorious thlit that

crop in the south of England was one of the most defec-
tive that bad b. en knoein. The crop of 1849 would not,
of course, oppear in the retern until the latter part of the
year; and he believed that the agricultural distress now
so much and, he admitted, so justly complained of, hail
much more to do with the consequences of the very had
crop of 1848 than with the change in the law. If the
Noble Earl compared the quantity of corn sold in the
last six months with the quantity sold in the correspond-
ing six months of the year before perfect free trade was
established, he would find that since the harvest of 1849
came into operation there had been a very
large increase in the amount of corn sold
as compared with the latter period.—(Hear.) He
would only add, that he considered this a question far
too important to be argued upon the imperfect data of
the occurrences of a few months. He believed that those
who would dispassionately and carefully examine into the
practical effects of protection, as it had been tried under
various modifications during a period of 30 years, and
would look to the melancholy consequences which had
resulted from raising expectations on the part of the
farmers which were constantly disappointed, would admit
that—judging even at this early period of their expe-
rience of the new policy—it was impossible to say that
the interests of agriculture had been disadvantageously
affected. He believed there never was a time when
greater exertions were made to improve the system of
cultivation and to diminish the cost of obtaining agricul-
tural produce, and he was satisfied that those efforts
would meet the success they deserved.—(lletsr, hear.)
Lord STANLEY said the Noble Earl (Earl Grey)
seemed perfectly convinced of the merits of the system he
had adopted; he saw nothing in the stets of the country
to cause the slightest apprehension or alarm; and he
thought all interests were at this moment prospering in
the highest degree.—(lronical cries of " Hear," from the
Protectionists.) He (Lord Stanley) W. 13 not surprised
to hear the Noble Earl say that if he and his Noble
Friends on that side would only tell the Noble Earl
what measures they intended to propose, he (Earl Grey)
was satisfied—without knowing what the nature of such
measures might be—that he could show very good
reasons against their adoption.— (Laughter.) The
Noble Earl opposite had said that previously to the abo-
lition of the corn-laws many incidental discussions had
taken place with the object of preparing the public mind
for an alteration_ of the then existing state of things.
Nuw, although he (Lord Stanley) agreed with the
Noble Earl that this question was not to be decided
upon the imperfect information they now possessed, and
still less by desultory discussions like the present—and
he wished to remind the Noble Earl that he and his
Noble Friends did not on these occasions call upon
their Lordships to come to any decision on the subject
—yet he would tell the Noble Earl that his intention
and that of his friends was ty these discussions
to impress upon the public mind, week by week, and
day by day, if need be—(Cheers from the Opposition
benches)—the practical operation and working of the
system which had been introduced by the revision of the
import duties upon agricultural produce. He would not
answer the Noble Earl's question as to whet form or
amount of duty they might think it right to propose.
He (Lord Stanley) would say, however, that he was sa-
tisfied a change was coming over the public mind.—
(Cheers from the Opposition benches.) He did not ex-
pect that change to come over the mind of the Noble
Earl—(A laugh)—but the public, who watched the pro-
gress of events, and that portion of the public especially
who were suffering metier that progress of events, were
beginning to open their eyes to tee real effects of the
system of the so-called free trade; they were watching
the progress of this most dangerous experiment, and
were gradually arriving at the conviction that in some
shape or other an alteration must be made in that ex-
periment, and that they must revert to a system of pro-
tective duties. He would say to the Noble Earl oppo-
site, " You promised us great results, universal em-
ployment, high wages, increased consumption, in-
creased prosperity; but wo find, and prove from your
own papers and figures, that those promises have not
been fulfilled ; and you are compelled now not to
point to the successful issue of your predictions, but to
assign reasons why those predictions have nut been veri-
fied, and why, even if free trade had not been adopted,
we could not have enjoyed prosperity." His Noble Friend
(the Earl of Malusesbury) had compared the pauperism
of this country in 1850 with what it was in 1846. The
Noble Earl opposite (Earl Grey) admitted that pauper-
ism in 1.850 was greater than in 1846; hut he said it was
less in 1850 than it had been in 1847, 1848, or 1849. But

it must be remembered that in 1850 they had had an
abundant harvest at home; while in 1847, 1848, and
1849, iu additien to the blessings of free trade, they had
had the blessings of famine also. He (Lord Stanley)
was satisfied that the returns did not accurately repre-
sent the amount of pauperism, which had increased to a
much greater extent than appeared from these papers.
But he (Lord Stanley) called upon the Government, if
the present state of the country did not arise from free
trade, to say to what it was to be attributed. He
would show their Lordships that returns presented to
Parliament were very deceptive. He (Lord Stanley)
would ask their attention to the fact that it appeared,
from returns, that there had been, in 1849, an apparent
increase of above 5,000,0001. in the declared value of
exports, as compared with 1843. But when they sifted
these papers they would find that there were introduced
into the returns for 1849 a number of addition- arti-
cles, to the amount of no less than 2,500,0001, which
did not exist at all in the returns with which the com-
parison was made.—(Elear, hear.) The increase ap-
peared to have been from 53,000,0001. in 1845, to
58,000,000/. in 1849, but from this increase they must
deduct the two millions and a half he had mentioned.
Ile admitted that the export trade had increased, but
the export trade, important as it was, was unimportant
compared with the amount of the home trade. Although
they had statistical means of obtaining the amount of
exports, they had not any corresponding means of ewer-
taming the amount of consumption in the home market;
but it was his firm belief that, whatever advantage the
manufacturing and commercial interests might have de-
rived frogs the increase of their exports had !erect more
than counterbalanced by the diminished power of the
home consumers to become purchasers of their manu-
factures. He would take the case of cotton. In the
first three months of 1849 the imports were 547,000
bales ; in the corresponding months of 1850 they
had fallen to 468,000 bales. The consumption
of cotton at home from the Ist of January
to the 12th of April, 1849, was 432,500
bales; in the corresponding period of this year it was
only 338,000 bales, showing a decrease of 94,500 bales,
or 21 per cent.—(Hear, h(ar.) If then, the consuming
power of the country was diminishing, and Noble Lords
opposite contended that the diminution was not caused
by free trade, upon them rested the onus of showing to
what the decrease of consumption was to be attributed.
He found that there had been a diminished consumption
of various articles which were regarded as luxuries ra-
ther than as necessaries of life by people in a humble
class of life, proving am strongly as anything could do the
petty economy which such persons were obliged to exer-
cise under the universally prosperous system of free
trade.—(Cheers and a laugh from the Opposition
benches,) He would take five or six articles of ordinary
consumption. The consumption of cocoa, which, in
the first three months of 1848, had been 877,0001 b.,
and in the same period of 1849, 922,0001 b., had been in
the first three months of 1850 only 724,0001 b. The
consumption of coffee had fallen from 9,900,0001 b. in
1848, and 9,386,0001 b. in 1849, to 7,465,0001 b. in 1850.
The consumption of currants in 1848 was 73,000 cwt., in
1849, 88,000 cwt., and in 1850, 66,000 cwt. In 1848
the consumption of figs was 4,746 cwt., in 1849 5,304
cwt., and in 1850, 3,911 cwt. The quantity of raisins
consumed in 1848 was 37,000 cwt., in 1849 32,000 cwt.,
and in 1850 it had! fallen to 21,000 cwt. Of unrefined
sugar 1,494,000 cwt. were consumed in 1848; 1,469,000
cwt.,in 1849; and 1,413,000 cwt. in 1850. The quantity
of tallow imported for home consumption in 1848 was
292,000 cwt.; in 1849, 313,000 cwt.; and in 1850 only
194,000 cwt. [We understood these statements to refer
to the first three months of each year.] The diminished
amount of tallow taken into consumption for the home
market was coincident with a very largely increased ex-
port in the shape of candles and soap, which included a
considerable portion of the raw material brought into the
home market, and consequently increased the deficiency
in the actual consumption of the article by the inhabi-
tants of this country. He (Lord Stanley) did not mean
to say that these circumstances afforded conclusive evi-
dence that free trade had failed; but, taking them in con-
junction with increased pauperism, diminished employ-
ment, the fact that a large and increasing number of mills
were at this moment working short time, the tall of wages
in the manufacturing districts and the circumstance
that wages in the agricultural districts had fallen, were
falling, and must fall still further—(Hear, hear)—he
thought they could not congratulate the Noble Earl op-
posite on the success of what he (Lord Stanley) would
still call art experiment.—([leer, hear.) Ile (Lord
Stanley) and his friends would continue to point the at-
tention of the Government and of the country to the
practical results of that policy, and leave the Government
to justify their perseverance in such a system, notwith-
standing the failure manifest from its effects. He did
not bring forward any specific measure; but if it was
any satisfaction to the Noble Earl opposite he would: now
repeat the declaration he had made to a very numerous
deputation who had waited upon him, of his confident be-
lief that this country would not be restored to a state of
prosperity until they dealt not only with the unjust taxa-
tion which oppressed certain interests, but until they re-
turned to a just, and moderate, and equitable system of
import duties for the protection of British industry of all
descriptions.—(" Hear," and cheers.) Ho was satisfied
that policy would prevail in the long run; and confi-
dently as the Noble Earl spoke of the success of the ex-
periment, he (Lord Stanley) felt equally confident that its
failure was becoming, day by day, more manifest, and
that, in some shape or other, Parliament would have to
retrace the steps it had takes, and revert to a sounder
and a wiser policy.—(Hear, hear.)
Earl GREY could not help expressing the satisfaCtion
with which he had heard the Noble Lord's last observa-
tions, for it was clear that though ho desired to return
to a moderate system of protective duties upon all
British industry, he entirely abandoned the sliding-scale
of 1828.—(A laugh.)
Lord STANLEY hoped, if the Noble Earl thought it
necessary to repeat anything he had said, that he would
repeat it accurately.—(A laugh.) At all events he was
not bound by any inferences tee Noble Earl might draw
from his observations.
The discussion then dropped, and their Lordships ad-
journed at Seven o'clock.