The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDA Y MW TI NG, KPRIL 11, 1344.

was greeted with thre,r: hearty cheers. In the course of
a lone, and eloquent speech, he said—l am determined
never to rest ti.l we have the Ten Hours' Bill, and never
to place any confidence in any set of men who may be ap-
poin:ed to govern us, who refuse it. But when we knock
with so loud a voice at the door of the Cabinet, I trust that
Sir J. Graham himself will he disposed to yield ; and if
not, we must, in the name of that great cause we are met
to supocu t, bid him begone.—(Lund cheers.) He also .
adverted to the nickname of " Jack Cade," which Sir
James Graham had applied to Lord Ashley and his sup-
porters. Ho (Mr Oastler) had made many prophecies
none of which had been falsified ; and when he saw that
Sir James Graham had been reduced to the beggarly
necessity tf calling nicknames, he exclaimed, " Twelve
months hence you are out, Sir James ;" and he intended
to mark the time carefully, to see whether he was cor-
rect or not. Mr. Oastier conclule Iby quoting a beau-
tiful passage from a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Thomas
ohn Ilu:sey, Rector of Hay, s, Kent, and sat down .
amidst vociferous apidanse.
The resolution passed unanimously.
Mr JoSHUA HOBSON read a long petition, embodying
the resolutions, and containing much additional argu-
ment in favour of a Ten Hoars Factory Bill. He con-
cluded by moving its adoption, an 1 that it should be
sent o Mr. W. Beckett for presentation, and that Mr.
Ferrand and Mr. Thomas S. Duncombe should be re-
quested to support the same.
Mr. JOHN SMITHSON seconded the motion.
A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and the
meeting broke up shortly after eleven o'clock.

SHORT OR LONG HOURS OF

LABOUR?
After three distinct decisions against the twelve
heues' clause, Sir James Graham has withdrawn the
Ministerial Factory Bill, and introduced another as
nearly as possible resembling the one at present in
force. Lord Ashley has given his consent to tnis
course, promising to " take the discussion on the ten
hours' clause after Easter."
Lord Ashley, it appears to us, was terrified at his
own success last week, and determined to take the
first opportunity of retreating—at the same time pre-
serving, if possible, his reputation for philanthropy
and benevolence. As Mr. Bailie Cochrane—one of
Lord Ashley's own followers—observed on Friday
night, the Ministry were really in earnest in their
opposition to the ten hours' clause ; suggesting, at the
same time, that Lord Ashley was not in earnest in
proposing it. We leave the Noble Lord himself to
settle this question with his own followers.
In the meantime the country will have time to
study the proposal of a Ten Hours' Bill, and to speak
out upon the subject. As yet there has been no ex-
pression of opinion worthy of notice. We-do not yet
hear of any public movement either for or against a
Ten or a Twelve Hour's Bill. 'We should like to
know what the operatives themselves say as to the
shortening of the hours of labour for the women and
children.
It is very easy for Members of the House of Com-
mons, as well as editors of newspapers, to say—" Oh !
let there be a Ten Hours' Bill by all means." This
costs them nothing, and looks very philanthropic. But
it is a very different thing to the operative himself,
whose weekly income (already too scanty) it may
cut down by one-sixth. We should, therefore, wish
the working classes now to speak out, and lose no
time in declaring their opinions on this important
question.
We can easily imagine an operative thus arguing :
—" You propose a Ten Hours' Labour Bill, and I
hail with delight the prospect of working ten instead
of twelve hours a day ; but at present ffind that my
weekly wage is not more than sufficient—and some-
times very insufficient—for the maintenance of my
family. What with dear sugar, dear tea, dear bread,
and everything dear because taxed, I find that my
wage is altogether swallowed up in simply subsisting,
and that a reduction of my weekly income would only
drive me into a lower abyss of pauperism. Now,
will you assure me that my wages shall not he
lowered by a Ten Hours' Bill—will you guarantee to
me that t shall obtain for the short period of labour
the same amount of remuneration that I now obtain
for the longer ?"
Now,. we believe this to be the present dilemma of
the operative classes. They feel that their hours of
labour are already by far too long ; but they fear that
the reduction of the hours of labour would only lead
to a proportional reduction of their weekly wages.
It is necessity which compels them to work long
hours—it is necessity which compels them to send
their wives, sons, and daughters, into the factory—
and if you take them out, or reduce their hours of labour
by one-sixth, there is unquestionably also the immi-
nent risk of cutting off the sixth of their weekly in-
come. It is possible, therefore, that in passing a Ten
Flours' Bill the Legislature might be acting a philan-
thropic part at the cost of the suffering operative
themselves. Indeed, Lord Ashley himself stated, in the
House of Commons, that some workmen had declared
to him that they would accept the change with terror.
We confess that, much as we desire to see the time
of working in factories greatly curtailed, so as to af-
ford to the operative classes the opportunity of moral
and intellectual cultivation, as well as for the enjoy-
ment of the social and domestic pleasures of life, we
do not look upon these compulsory regulations of the
hours of labour without considerable apprehension
and alarm. We are really reduced to so lamentable
a position as a nation—the competition in the race of
manufacture has grown so intense, and the commer-
cial rivalry between nations so keen—that it is quite
possible that such a reduction as that contemplated,
might inflict a great blow on the manufacturing
prosperity of Britain. Sir James Graham and Sir
Robert Peel both assert this. Then, our whole social
:y stem is so artificial—one part so bangs upon
another—the soundness of one portion of the capitalist
system is so necessary to the soundness of the whole
—that such an injury to manufacturers might prove
the immediate forerunner of the most extensive and de-
structive mischief.
" Whilst property," says the Nonconformist, " is
distributed as it is, poverty must be the lot of the
many ; and so long as the many are close pressed by
destitution, the universal scramble for employment
will put the workman at the mercy of his employer.
In the case of factory labour, master and men will be
driven by the same relentless necessity. The first
effect of Lord Ashley's interference would be to raise
the price of goods—the second, to close against them
every neutral market—the third, an incalculable
diminution of employment—the last, a permanent de-
pression of wages beyond their present level. Then
come panics in the money market—failures of bank-
ing establishments —increase of poor-rates---•general
discontent, and, in all probability, social insurrection."
Well, then ; and is the fate of these poor women and
children of the factories inevitable ? Is there no
alternative for them but consuming toil and bondage ?
Does the integrity of the empire really depend on
their two hours' extra labour per day ? Are our
institutions in Church and State all worthless, with-
out this twelve hours' labour for factory women and
children ? Is England, the pride of the world and
the envy of surrounding nations,' unable to rescue its
overtaeked and helpless poor from consuming toil,
without the risk of a general overturn ? Surely, such
were not the excuses made, when it was proposed, a
few years ago, to rescue 800,000 human beings from
slavery! It was decided that justice ought to be
done, whatever the consequences..
Is it just, is it fair, on the part of the Legislature to
interfere to prevent the physical, moral, and intellec-
tual deterioration of the people ? If so, it is just and
fair, 01 their part, to interfere in the inordinate work-
ing of women aed children in factories. The principle
has been established—it has been already acted upon ;
all that is -asked is, that it should be carried out to
its legitimate extent. And if it be proved that the
consequences of the interference of the Legislature
has been to diminish the gains of the factory opera-
tives, why, they must themselves be prepared to con-
cede such measures as will amply make up for the loss
they may have sustained. The repeal of the corn-laws,
the reduction of taeltion on articles of consumption,
would far more than repay the working-classes for any
diminution in their weekly wages by the enactment of a
Ten Hours' Bill. It will not do for the landowners
to cast the burden and the blame on the manufac-
turers ; both must be prepared to make sacrifices to
avert the evils of our present social position, but es-
pecially the former. The manufacturers have already,
in numerous instances, been sacrificed and crippled
by the Legislature ; heavy taxes have been imposed
upon them; their places of production have been
subjected to the strict supervision of the Govern-
meat, and have been repeatedly interfered with by
Legislative enactment ; instead of being " protected,'
they have been hardened and restricted in ;all
conceivable means ; and, though so essen-
tial to the welfare and prosperity of the
country, they have been treated as if they
were its greatest enemies. Now, the landowners
-have been called upon to make no such sa-
crifices, to bear no such burdens, to suffer no such
restrictions on the employment of their capital or their
property. They have possessed the exclusive power
in the State, and have done everything for themselves
at the expense of others. They may now—and we
hope they will (for the sake of our common humanity)—
diminish the hours of labour for women and children;
but we warn them that they must themselves be pre •
pared to make the necessary sacrifices before such a
measure can be regarded as "a boon" by the indus-
trious classes. They must be prepared to give up
their bread-tax—to give up the taxes on consumption
—and to abolish most of the existing restrictions on
the trade and industry of the country.

CATCHING AN Own.—On the 26th ult., four young
awn, whilst strolling in Marlborough Forest, espied an
owl sitting on her nest in the hollow of an oak tree, and
being fully determined to capture the bird, they tried
various experiments without success, at last one of them
hit upon.the hazardous plan of setting fire to the tree ;
this was no sooner proposed than carried into effect, and
the parties had the satisfaction of catching the owl,
which they afterwards sold for 41, but the tree, valued
at 10/., was quickly iu a blaze of fire and totally de-
,
stroyed.—Devizsg

TURNPIKE JUGGLES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sta,—New turnpike roads are generally projected
by parties, whose property will be most materially
improved by the new road. I verily believe that no
new road ever was made but that if the property a
mile right and left of it, on the completion, were
submitted to auction, it would obtain a much greater
value than the whole line of road cost in the purchase
of the land, and all expenses of obtaining the Act of
Parliament, and every expense of completing it. Yet,
although this is generally the case, the landowners 1:
them Selves are the most backward in advancing cash
to promote the object; they try to rival each other in
their exorbitant demands of price for the small por- •
tion of land required, and it is a singular fact that,
when the line is laid down that the piece required for
the new road is instantly discovered to be the very
best hit of land on the estate. Well, Mr. Lando Nner,
instead of being paid cash for his bit of land, say
worth 201., is very readily ;ranted a, poll deed or
mortgage for 50/., and cash is obtained from strangers
in the neighbourhood, who have no direct interest in
the road itself, but merely look for remuneration from
the tolls, in order to afford interest for the money.
Now it must be taken into consideration, that
although Mr. Landowner does not happen to get any
interest whatever for his Fill deed or mortgage, yet
his land is increased in value more than the value of
the land taken away, so that he is uninjured, if the
amount of tolls will not yield him an interest. The
road is commenced perhaps when only one-half or
two-thirds of the money required is subscribed. Now
when this money is expended, how is the road to he
completed ? A meeting of the subscribers is called
together, and they are told that there will be no pro-
bability of their ever having their money back again
if they do not agree to make some sacrifice ; a propo- •
sition is brought before them, that the money re-
quired shall be borrowed on mortgage, the present
subscribers entering into a bond or agreement to
forego any claim until the money so borrowed is paid
off, together with a certain interest then to be deter-
mined on. The landowners holding poll deeds, pres-
sing on this agreement and voting for it. Then
there is no difficulty in obtaining the money,
and the road is completed, the whole of the
tolls going to pay the principal and interest on
the latter sum advanced, the original cash sub-
scribers not having, a penny—many of these parting
with their original 100/. claims for 501., 60/., or 70/.
I—these are bought up by the wide-awake ones.
When the latter sum is nearly paid off, it is disco-
vered that it would be highly desirable to extend the
line on four other new roads in the immediate neigh-
bourhood. under the same trust. The Act is ob-
tained, and the new juggle begins. More subscrip-
tions are entered into for the new line. The party
who advanced the money, by way of loan, is com-
pletely paid off, but this payment of the loan does not
lessen the debt. Nay, the cost of the original road
was 12,000/., and 4,0001. was borrowed to complete
it, and this 4,0001. effectually discharged. Now comes the
juggle—the landowners, who have had poll deeds or
mortgages granted to them for double the value of the
land given up, and whose property has been posi-
tively increased in value by the new road, and whose
real interest would have been to have given the land,
and also those who have purchased poll deeds or
mortgages at perhaps half price, together with the
few original subscribers, are made claimants for the
amount of the arrear of interest from the very
first commencement of the original. Act, and
granted fresh poll deeds or mortgages for
the whole amount of interest, so that, if there were
ten years' interest due, at 5 per cent., the debt which
was originally 12,000/., 4,000/. of which has been
paid off, then appears to be only 8,000/. ; but
when the new poll deeds are granted for the ten
years' arrear of interest, the debt instantly becomes
12,0001. again, the subscribers to the new line of road
are not told the rig, so these old parties come in for
an additional security by being entitled to share the
tolls, not only on the line for which they had advanced
their money, but also on the new line of road autho-
rised by the new Act. From this time, they obtain
interest upon interest. In some instances, I believe
it may be found that poll deeds have been granted to
the amount of compound interest from the advance of
money to the date of the new poll deed. Very curious
things would come out if Parliament were to appoint
a Commission of first-rate accountants, to investigate
the proceedings of Turnpike Act trustees. In too
many instances, no trustees attend any meeting but i
thoseimmediately interested.—l am, Sir, &c., &c.,
ONE BEHIND THE SCENES.
April 2, 1844.

THE WELSH CHURCH.

" And the poor have the Gospel preached to them."
Such was the closing fact appealed to by the
great founder of our faith, in testimony of his Divine
mission, and the truth of the dispensation he was
about to usher in. And this Divine characteristic
has been from age to age most devoutly preserved by
every ecclesiastical body of people down to these last
and degenerate days. Even the Church of Rothe in
the plenitude of its despotic power, howsoever high
its pride or deep its corruption, never once forsook
that grand principle of its original formation. What-
ever might be its derelictions in other respects, it,
never neglected the poor; their temporal wants were
attended to in a way that might often shame our so
mueh vaunted Reformation improvements ; and as to
their spiritual requirements, such as the Church of
Rome believed the truth to be, such a Gospel as it
acknowledged, it communicated of it to the poor
bountifully, assiduously, and with earnestness and
good-will ; and it was reserved for the Church of
England, or rather for that half-withered branch of

it, die Church of Wales, openly and without disguise
to discard this great principle, and adopt its opposite.
For here, were the message of the Prophet delivered,
the answer would often be, " And the rich have the
Gospel preached to them." Should any doubt the
correctness of this statement, let them at once repair
to \Vales, and note the conduct of the Church there ;
for, in many parts of that ill-used country, this is the
precise principle acted upon. In one valley alone,
in a mineral district, in the diocese of Llandaff, con-
taining a population of 10,000, up to a recent period,
there was no place of worship belonging to the Esta-
blished Church for many miles. About five years
ago, in consequence of the repeated remonstrances re-
specting the neglect of the people by the Church, and
the numerous Dissenting chapels continually spring-
ing up, it was determined to make an effort to erect
one place of worship belonging to the Establishment.
Accordingly a subscription was set on foot, and urgent
were the appeals to the benevolent public, and the
friends of religion, &c., and loud was the clamour re-
specting accommodation for the poor, and every
hackneyed canting expression known
,was enlisted on
the side of the working-classes and the labouring-
classes, &c. ; and in order to insure this accommoda-
tion, it was 'expressly covenanted for, that the service I
was to be performed alternately in Welsh and Eng-
lish, the former being the language of the great bulk
of the people. Under these assurances the amount of
some thousand pounds was raised, to which the
Church Building Society liberally added another
thousand, and thus a church was erected, capable of
holding two thousand people, and every expectation
held out that the shepherdless sheep on the mountains
should at last be securely folded. And so they were
for some time ; and no doubt would have continued,
had the original contract been honestly observed, in
which it was stipulated that the Welsh service should
be regularly performed every Sunday alternately with
the English. But this order was soon laid aside ; and
as the iron masters and their families were English,
the Welsh service was often entirely dropped, or else
partially performed, and that generally only once a fort-
night, so that the Welsh people gradually deserted
the church, and now, where it was intended that two
thousand should assemble in worship, it is a rare oc-
currence to find more than two hundred, exclusive of
the school children ; and the Communion service is

never performed at all in Welsh.
Are the Welsh, then, an irreligious race ? Quite
the reverse, when they have their religious services
performed in their native language. And, as a proof,
there are within almost a stone's throw of this very
church, no less than eight Dissenting chapels, in which
the 'Welsh is the language of the ministry, with ser-
vice in each twice at least every Sunday, and often-
times on other days of the week as well. In one of
these chapels alone the average attendance exceeds
a thousand, and the communicants amount to five
hundred. And what does the Bishop say to all this ?
Nothing. He probably knows nothing about it.
How should he. And if he did, he would only say
that the Welsh are obstinate, and must not be in-
dulged with Welsh prayers—once in three weeks
will do for a Welshman, or once a month.

Ts it to be wondered at that the sheep are scattered
with such shepherds ? No. But the wonder will be
if they are ever recalled; and it is well the world
should know how these matters are managed by the
Anglo-Welsh Bishops, who fatten on the dioceses of
the aboriginal Britain. We are prepared with more
facts hereafter of each one, and all of them, which
shall be made known, if they cannot be altered.

FALMOUTIf, APRIL 7.—An inquest was held to-
day. at the Temperance Hotel, in this town, on the re-
mains of-Mrs. Trewarnas, of Penzance, whose husband
is owner and in command of the Magic, at present in the
port of Dublin, and for which place the deceased had
taken her passage on board the Royal William, Dublin
steamer. It appeared in evidence that she had left the
hotel in apparent perfect health, but that shortly after
she got on board the steamer, then in our inner harbour,
she exclaimed to the second mate, who was sitting near
her, " Oh, how faint I am!" and fell a corpse. A me-
dical examination was made at the request of the jury,
the result of which was that her sudden death was the
consequence of apoplexy.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT SELF-DESTRUCTION AT
BLACKYRIARS BRlDGE.—Tuesday night, at about nine,
another attempt at self destruction was made at Black- '
friars •bridge. It appears that a middle-aged man, who
was standing on the above bridge, said to a person pass-
ing at the time, " Yes, I. must, and I will do it," and be-
fore the party in question had time to look round,'the
unfortunate man mounted the seat in one of the recesses, '
and instantly plunged head foremost into the river. An
immediate alarm was raised, and several persons put off
in boats, and after some minutes had elapsed the man
was found near Southwark floating-pier. He was re-
moved to the Trooper public-house at Bankaide, where
he in a short time recovered, and was able to state that,
he lived in the neighbourhood of St. Giles. He wag
afterwards taken to Christchurch Workhouse.

A TIGER STORY.—Early on Friday. morning in
telligence was brought to town that a tiger had bee
caught during the previous night in a pit on a Fambier
plantation, about three miles from Singapore. Iwo or
three gentlemen repaired to the spot; which is
about a quarter of a mile from the public road.
The secretary of the Sporting Club was the first
in the field, and commenced the proceedings by Tut-
ting a couple of balls into the tiger's head, one of which
struck him- in the forehead, and glancing along
the skull came out at the left eye. As a number of
sportsmen were expected, the news having been gener-
ally made known, those who were first upon the spot
agreed to wait until their brethren in arms came up, and
a considerable interval elapsed before any more balls were
fired, during which time some of those present amused
themselves by stirring the brute up with a long pole;
a proceeding which greatly enraged him, as was testi •
fled by the loud growls he uttered, and the fury with
which he laid hold of the bamboo with his teeth. He
made several desperate attempts to reach the top, but
without suc3ess' partly owing to the bottom of the pit
being filled with mud to the depth of one or two feet, by
which he was prevented from taking a good spring.
After having amused themselves in this manner for about
an hour, the party then resolved to give him his coup de
grace, and it was arranged that they should fire in the
order in which they arrived on the scene of operations,
but the first ball fired went true to its aim, producing in-
stant death, and the tiger sank .beneath the mud without
a struggle or dying. groan. A considerable discussion
then arose as to whether it would be safe to raise the lid
of the trap, but at last it was carried in the affirmative.
However, on raising it nothing was to be distinguished
in consequence of the thick smoke which filled the pit,
and the party then dispersed, highly gratified, with
the proceedings of the morning. The tiger was after-
wards brought to town, when It appeared to be
a full-grown animal, though not of the largest
size. The Chinese on whose plantation it was caught
a Catholic convert, received $lOO from the Tiger Club,
and $5O from Government, besides selling the flesh for
some $lO or. $l2, so that it was a very remunerative oc-
currence for him. lie seemed much pleased at having
caught the tiger, independent of the prospect of reward,
as he had suffered from the ravages of those animals,
having lost two men on his plantation, who were de-
stroyed by them,Singapore Free Press, Jan. 4.
DEA.TII FROM STARVATION —An inquest was held
at Rothwell, on Monday, before Mr. Jewison, Coroner,
and a respectable jury, on view of the body of William
Ward, aged 52, when the following . evidence was ad-
duced :—Charlotte Ward, being sworn, said, " I am
own cousin to the deceased William Ward. He resided
in Rothwell; is 52 years of age; was formerly a coal
miner, but has lately been employed three days a week
by the overseers of -Hunslet, at Is. 6d. per day, to
which place he went to work at any kind of labour in
the morning and returned home at night. He has a
wife and.six children, four of whom are unable to work.
The other two, when in full work, earn I ls. a week, but
they were only partially employed, until the colliers'
strike ceased about a month since. The last month de-
' ceased's income has been 15s. 6d. a week for eight per-
sons. I am sure he has sometimes wanted food ; has
often left home to go to his work at Hunslet without
breakfast, and taken nothing for his day's support but a
small piece of bread. He complained on Saturday of
pain in his breast, which continued till Sunday morning,
and then he was better until night, when the pain be-
came worse until Monday morning ; then they fetched
the doctor, who ordered a mustard plaster t?
his breast, but gave him no medicine, and_ d
he was unfit to work, and that it was a shame he
should be set to work. Deceased had very little use
)f his bands when they were cold. He continued
to get worse on Monday, but walked about. He eould
not bear to lie down for pain. I was sent for between
four and five o'clock to his house, when I found him
lying up:in the floor behind the door insensible. Some
Persons raised him up, but he was dying. lie breathed
once or twice, and died. lie has complained of want-
ing food many a time. I think he would have been
living now if he had been better provided with
food. There are no marks of violence upon his
person. The deceased was a pious man, of ex-
cellent character, was well known to the jury, by se-
veral of whom he • had. been occasionally assisted, and
they were unanimously of opinion his death had been
oaused from want of food. The following verdict was re-
' . turned ;—That the said William Ward, on the Ist day
of April, at his own
.house in Rothwell, suddenly
fell down upon the floor, and then and there instantly
• died. That for the_ last twelve months he has suffered
.great privations for want of the common necessaries of
life, and that he 'died from the efleota caused by ex-
haustion and vv4ut of food.--Leeds Intelligencer. •

PROPOSED CREATION OF NEW
VOLUNTARY STOCKS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin—Will you be kind enough, during the present
mess, to allow the space for the publication of the
following crotchets.?
I suggest, for consideration, the propriety of Par-
liament authorising the creation of the following vo-
luntary Stocks or Funds
1. A Two-and-Three-Quarters per 'Cent. Stock,
irredeemable until (say) the ye.ar 1900. 100/. of
stock to be open to the acceptance of parties willing
to cancel 1001. Three per Cent. stock.
2. A Four per Cent. Stock, irredeernabl4 until
(say) the year 1900, open to the acceptance of holders
of Three per Cent. Stock willing to cancel 1331.65. Bd.
on being assigned 100/. of this stock.
3. A Five per Cent. Stock, irredeemable until
(say) the year 1910. 100/. of .this stock to be open
to the acceptance of parties willing to cancel 166/.
13s. 4d. Three per Cent. Stock.
4. A Six Per Cent. Stock irredeemable until (say) the
year 1920. 100/. of this stock to be open to the
acceptance of parties willing to cancel 2001. Three
per Cent. Stock.
The whole of these stocks Or funds to be free from
any future property-tax, and all dividends to be paid
free from any future charge or tax whatever—save
and except that all original acceptors of any of these
stocks shall he at liberty to transfer the same free of
all charge, but that on all second and subsequent
transfers a charge of one shilling per cent. shall be
made, to be accounted for to the Government.
That the Government contemplates a redemption
of the Three per Cent. Stocks at no very distant
period, is most clearly evident by the guarantee
given to the holders of the late Three-and-a-Half pr..r
Cent. Stock, that their new stock shall not he paid
off before the expiration of 30 years. Perhaps within
10 years—nay, rather say less than 5 years, the Three
per Cents. may be redeemed ; in fact, the redemption
should not be delayed too lafe, so as to allow the
Three per Cents. to bear a
.high rate of premium.
Had France proceeded to redeem her Five per Cent.
Rentes, when they were:at or near par, she would have
had but little difficulty in doing so, but having de-
layed until the Five per Cents. are at 120, there is a
most violent oppositicn to the paying the holders off li
at 100, being the amount due from that country to
her creditors. The creditors grumble at being paid
their debts in full ! By the creation of a voluntary
Two-and-Three-Quarter per Cent. Stock, parties would
rush to I); come acceptors when the Three per Cents.
shall belat a premium, so as to lead to a probability of
their redemption, especially if the amount of such new
stock should be limited. The guarantee from re-
demption for 56 years, and freedom from future
taxes, I feel convinced would induce many
long-sighted holders of Three per Cent. Stock to em-
brace the offer much earlier than many persons would
contemplate—the acceptance of this stock would con-
fer an instant benefit to the country.
With regard to the latter propositions for creating
stocks of a higher rate of interest, this conversion, it
must be obvious, would not cause an immediate re-
duction of the expenditure of the country, but will
enable our grandchildren, at a future period, most
materially to benefit themselves by a reduction of the
proposed interest at the expiration of the period limited
by Parliament.
Supposing each new stock, viz. the Four, Five, and
Six per Cent., to be limited to 30,000,0001. each, the
debt of the country on all the new stocks being com-
pleted, would be reduced 60,000,000/., it would take
40,000,000/. of Three per Cent. stock to create
30,000,000/. of the new Four per Cent.-50,000,0001.
of the Three per Cent. stock to create 30,000,000/. of
the new Five per Cent. stock-60,000,000/. of the
Three per Cent. stock to create 30,000,0001. of the
new Six per Cent. stock. The total reduction of
debt would be—
On Four per Cent. stock £10,000,000
Five per Cent. stock 20,000,000
Six per Cent. stock 30,000,000

£60,000,000
We ought to avoid the inconsiderateness of our grand-
fathers in loading us with such an immense amount
of debt, and endeavour to help our own grandchildren
who will have to work the world in time to come.

If our own fathers and grandfathers had only bor-
rowed money on biddings of interest, instead of bid-
bings for a certain amount- of stock, our debt even at
this present moment would now be very little more
than two-thirds of what it is.= To illustrate this point,
we will say that the Chancellor of the Exchequer in
those days did not obtain more than 66/. 13s. 4d. cash
for 100/. Five per Cent. Stock. Thus, for every 100/.
cash that went into the Exchequer, 150/. Five per
Cent. stock was created; 'so the Government in
reality paid 71 per cent. for the cash realised. Had
the Chancellor declared that" he wanted 100/. cash,
and that he would take the offer of the party willing
to lend it at the lowest rate of interest, and he had
found he must give 71k per cent. for it, he had better
have done so, inasmuch as he would have left the
country a debtor of 100!. only, instead of by the
manner which was adopted, that left the country a
country a debtor of 150/., being 50 per cent. more
than the mode I relate in this little digression.
The most implicit faith should be shown to parties
who should accept any of the offers, but the time for
acceptance should be limited within twelve months
for the purpose of affording Parliament an oppor-
tunity to make such future alterations and modifica-
tions as the state of the money market or other cir-
cumstances may warraat.
These hints are merely thrown out as principles,
not as matters of detail to be carried out to the letter ;
for perhaps a Two Seven-Eight per Cent. stock may
be deemed more preferable than the Two-and-
Three-Quarter one, and a greater or lesser amount of
Three per Cent. stock for conversion into the new
Four, Five, or Six per Cent may be deemed expe-
dient; or perhaps the whole 'scheme may be but
worthy a laugh or a sneer ; but as currency and
finance doctors were to he at full liberty to advance
the most absurd and ridiculous doctrines and sugges-
tions without being severely handled by, the critic,
I venture on making public my crotchets, in the hopes
that, should they be found but worthy oebeing classed
with those I have named, they will be passed over,
with the like insignificant treatment.—l am, Sir,
yours, &e., ROBERT W. DICKINSON.
Ilfracombe, April 8, 1844.

SURREY QUARTER SESSIONS.
REIGATE.
Upon the report of the visiting justices to the
Brixton House of Correction being made to the Court
an Tuesday, it appeared that Mr. Gardiner, the sur-
geon to the gaol, had expressed his intention to re-
sign his appointment, and requested the Court to take
the necessary measures to appoint a successor. The
ground for the resignation, as stated by Mr. Gar-
diner, was incapacity to fulfil the duties of the office,
by reason of bodily infirmity and illness, and a cer-
tificate to that effect, signed by Sir B. Brodie and
Dr. Chambers, was put in to support the statement
as to the condition of his health.

Mr. KERRIcK, before the report was received.
begged to be allowed to say a few words upon the
subject with a view to ascertain the real grounds for
Mr. Gardiner's r.?sivnation. lie had heard that one
of the prisoners who was ordered upon the treadwheel
refused to work, and said that he was unable from
illness. Mr. Gardiner, however, upon examining
him, declared he was able to work, and insisted that
he should go on the wheel, and on his still refusing
he was flogged ; eventually sonic other medical gentle-
men were called in, and they at once said that the
prisoner was not in a fit state of health to go upon the
wheel, and these circumstances led to an intimation
being given to Mr. Gardiner that he had better re-
sign. He mentioned these facts in order that some
explanation might be given upon the subject.
Mr. GossE said he was very glad Mr. Kerrick had
mentioned this saject, because it gave him an oppor-
tunity, as one of the visiting justices, to contradict
the statement referred to. The facts were these : a
prisoner had refused to go upon the wheel, stating
that he was too ill to do so. Mr. Gardiner was re-
ferred to, and he, after examining him, declared that
he was not ill, and upon the man still refusingt_o go
to the wheel, he was ordered a flogging. Be de-
claredstill. that he was ill, and the magistrates calleddi in
another medical man, and his report being ou )tful,
they called in two others, and thay.concurred in the
opinion of Mr. Gardiner, and declared the prisoner was
in a fit condition to go upon the treadwheel. The
magistrates, under these circumsta nees, felt themselves
compelled to enforce the regulations of the gaol ; and
he assured the Court that the circumstance had no-
thing to do with the resignation of Mr. Gardiner,
which was alone caused by his incapacity, from
ness,. to perform the duties of his office.
Mr. KEMDLE begged to confirm the statement
made by Mr. Goase, and he remarked that the disci-
pline of the gaol would be completely at an end, if a
prisoner was allowed
to persist in refusing to work
when he was declared to be competent to do so by
the medical officer.
Mr. PENIIIIIIN remarked, that the surgeon could
have no interest in declaring a man to he in a fit state
of health to go to work, if he did not believe he really
was so. He did not think there was any blame to he
attached to Mr. Gardiner in the transaction, and when
his opinion was confirmed by two other medical men,
he thought he was justified in ordering him to go
upon the wheel.
The report was then received.
Mr. KEMBLE said he thought that there was an-
other matter of very considerable importance con-
nected with this proceeding. Mr. Gardiner had de-
clared himself to be incompetent to perform the duty
of surgeon, and two most eminent men had expressed
the same opinion in their certificate. Three months
must elapse before a fresh surgeon could be appointed,
and he really thought they ought to consider whether
the prisoners should be left for that period in the
charge of a medical man who had represented himself
to be in of performing the duty.

The CHAIRMAN remarked that it would be very
difficult to find a gentleman of competent skill who
would he willing to undertake the diity front the
present time until a fresh surgeon was appointed. Ile
then inquired whether the honourable magistrate
intended to make any motion upon the Subject -
Mr. KEMvr did not wish to make. any 'notion;
but he must repeat that, when their medical offiCfr
declared that he was unable to perform his dut:., tq
the prisoners under his charge, if anything serious
should arise, the Magistrates would be placed in a very
painful. position.
An Hos. litAcnsTairE -then moved, -that the elec-
tion of a successor to Mr. Gardiner should take place
at the usual period, the general quarter session.
Mr. }LEMBLE said that would be .a period of
three months, and as some amelioration be 'should
move that the election take place on the second $4-
journment day.
Mr. JOIINFON had no ajeetion to offer to the
amendment, but he begged to sav that Mr. Gezdiuer
had always performed his duty faithfully, and he was
sure that if he felt any inconvenience was likel-y
arise from his inability to perform his duty to the
priso • ners under his charge, he wunld take care to
I obtain competent assistance.
'The amendment was then put and carried.

THE DESTITUTE POOR.
One of the earliest, and not the least, prominent ef-

fects of the corn-laws, was a -Tapid increase .iu the
numbers of the permanently indigent, who are, at tho
best of times, inseparable from a people exposed to the
vicisiitudes of trade and commerce. The continued
opera Von of a tai, which opposes obstacles to ititeruA•
tioual communication, and professedly augments the
difficulty of obtaining subsistence in a dense -popula-
tion, very soon rendered the additional increase a pro-
gressive one, with the starting, point and every suc-
cessive step of the advance indelibly markediand CQIII.
spicuouily visible. We want nothing to complete.the
history of the permanently indigent, who, for the Last
few months, have painfully arrested public attention.
The comparatively few who are to be found while
trade was less restricted, and bread to be had at its

value. were easily disposed of under the poor-laws ;
but after the tax upon bread they became too legian-
ary to be manageable on the ancient principles of re- •
lieving poverty, and a new system of poor-laws be-
came indispensable. Still the class of permanently
indigent continued to increase ; ALA indeed, become
so large almost. immediately after the imposition of
the bread-tax, as to demand extraordinary measures
of relief. They perished in the fields, ditche:=,•• and
lanes of the country, and the streets of large towns,
under the accumulated miseries of hunger and expo-
sure to inclement weather. The enactment of the
corn-laws was almost immediately followed by the
establishment in London and Liverpool of asylums
for the reception of houseless wanderers, of which the
expenses were defrayed by private subscriptions.
From the books of one of tfiese poor-houses extraor-
dinary, it appears that the vast mass of destitute peo-
ple received into them are artisans and agricultural
labourers belonging to distant parishes. These are
the classes who resort to the larger towns on the fail-
, ure of the means of subsistence at their usual places
of abode, and the reason is obvious : they naturally
expect to find employment where numbers are con- ,
gregated, and relief where wealth most
_abounds. •
They do not expect to be fed and lodged gratuitously;
they migrato in search of work, and, failing in that,
are plunged into misery and destitution in the very
midst: of opulence and luxury. At last, these poor
wretches came between the wind and the nobility,
and "in the nostril smelled-horrible."
A few months back the Times awakened a univer-
se! sensation, too painful ever to be forgotten, by an-
nouncing in a powerful article, that it appeared
" from the report of the proceedings at Marlborough-
street Police-office, that there is an average number

of fifty human beings; of all ages, who kiddie toge.
ther in the parks every night, having no other shelter
than what is supplied by the trees and hollows of the
embankments." This was in October, and in the fol-
lowing month the number of these destitute people
in the streets of London alone, had so prodigiously
increased, that the asylums for the homeless poor were
opened several weeks before their wonted time, and,
indeed, in c Dutravention to a standing rule of the com-
mittee.
A curious instance of the faculty possessed by some
philosophers, of erecting theories in opposition to fact,
and.of employing the evidence for the existence of a
certain state of things to establish the contrary, has
Just been furnished by Mr. D. W. Harvey, in his
"Report of the City Police Force, for the year 1848."
This gentleman finds that the number of persons
charged with trivial offences is very great, - and
largely on the increase ; a fact which he thinks "may
be chiefly attributed to the inducements held out to
the idle and dissipated to flock to LOndon from re-
mote parts of the country, under a fallacious
sion that food and lodging are easily and gratuitously
to be obtained." Inducements of this kind cannot be
held out undesignedly, and without an active exertion.
The Commissioner of City Police should not make
loose and general accusations ; but perhaps the Police
Commissioner might bear in mind the design of Mr.
Harvey to establish a little speculation in a cheap
lodging-house for the almost destitute in the neigh-
bourhood of Brick-lane, which was abandoned in
of the success of Lord Ranelagh and other
benevolent gentlemen in founding a gratuitous asylum
for the wholly destitute in Ogle-street.
The Commissioner of the City Police now discovers
what did not occur to Mr. Harvey, that there is an-
other evil attendant on inducing poor people to flock
to London. In the report he condemns generally
" the places now open for the relief of the hons.elese
and indigent," and observes that " there is something
obviously vicious in the system, and extremely ha-
zardous to the security of persons and property, which
inundates our streets every morning with hundreds of
persons, who prowl about in every form of affected
distress, seeking and seizing whatever may come in
their way."
It does not occur to the Police Commissiono that

the hundreds who inundate the streets in the morning,
must also have inundated them during the preceding
night, when property was less protected, had it not
been for the shelter afforded them by the asylums •
and that had it not been for the allowance of food

which they receive in them, the propensity to steal,
which be assumes them to posses, would have been
sharpened by extreme hunger. We do not profess to
defend the system on which these charities are con-
ductcd ; but we cannot forget that the starving have
no other resource, and the houseless no other homes
than are provided by them. Until abetter system be
proposed, and approved by long experience, we hays
no right to condemn institutions against which no ob-
jections are alleged, but such as want the corrobora-
tion of fact; and that is egregiously the defect under
which the strictures of the City Police Commissioner
are presented to the public.
The destitution which the present asylums par-
tially relieve is, nearly all of it, the creation of the
corn-laws; its amount is kept up, and annually in-
creased, solely by the legislative protection of artifi-
cial scarcity of food; and the occasion of destitute
people flocking to London and other large towns, is
whole independent of the asylums, which the City
Commissioner injudiciously arraigns. They had be-
come a national disgrace, and an eyesore in the
parks, the streets, and all' places of public resort iu
town, long before the asylums were opened; , and
now that, on Monday next, these homes of the ho,use-
less—thee receptacles of humanity in the last
.sltage
of helpless suffering and devouring famine-7m be
closed for the summer months, a most serious and
most distressing reflection arises—what is to become
of these friendless wretches in the interim? We do
not apprehend any additional
_crimes in consequence,
for notoriously depredators and violators of the peace
are not among those to whom a piece of bread and II
nightly shelter offer temptations; but we do fear for
the desolating- consequences of hundreds of abelterlaike
human beings roaming about in ever' form of distrese
without pity, and enduring every torm Of calamity
without a prospect of relief.—Advertiser. .

ORTIIONEDIC INSTITUTION.—Tuesday a spina' 1
general meeting of the members of this Institution was
held at their house in Bloomsbury-square, the Earl of
Arundel and Surrey in the chair, when Surgeon Law-
rence, of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Wall appointed
medical officer, in place of Dr. Little, resigned.
The number of English visitors at Paris is at the
present moment greater than it has been ever since the
peace, not less than 500 passports are daily presented at
the English Embassy for visa.
AFFLICTING ACCIDENT.—Tuesday, about One 1,12
the afternoon, George Thomas Combder, a sue
fellow; the son of R. brazier, residing at No.. 26, Old
Gravel-lane, after ascending sone steps in front of the
house, by some accident tumbled into the carriage
.waY
in Old Gravel-lane. A waggon, belonging to Mr.Charlos,
the soap-b Oiler, in Wapping, was passing at the instant,
and the poor child rolled right under the vehicle, end
between the feet of the shaft horse. 'The animal did not,
however, touch it, and the little fellow would have avoided
the dreadful fate which just awaited him, bad it not been
for the screams of his affrighted mother. The poor wo-
man, observing the frightfully perilous situation in
which her child was placed, and dreading that the
horse would trample it to death, screamed rio-
I The waggoner,
who, up to this time, was per-
fectly unconscious of what had happened, instantly
stopped his horses, but th,,e.ewig•aigi.gbornizea,s aivtidthtunsatzr
ascendinguatshtettartlis)!.
ittortecheeded 12 or 18 inekes, and one of
f
stoppine
the hind wheeLs backing over the he of the child
pressed it to a mummy. The feelings of the poor
mother, who had witnessed the:dreadful scene, and who
, was the unintentional cause of the catastrophe, may he
imagined. Thomas Willett, the waggoner, wes taken
into custody fur having caused the death of the child,
Ind brought to the station-house in King David-lane. A
gentleman unused Perkins, who had witnessed the acci-
dent, attendee at the station-house, and declared to the
sergeant on duty that not the slightest blame was sr.
tachable to him. Oa hearing this, and the father of the
deceased refusing to make any charge against him, the
sergeant allowed Willett to deingt, on. his promisinf to
attend on the inquest,