The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

1...?"*

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1344.

for the
The }ease of Commons met last evening,

first time after the recess, and when the S
PEAKER. had
taken-the chair, new writs were moved for the borough
of nantingdon, in the room of Sir FREDERICK
POLLOCK, whohaci been appointed Chief Baron, and
foy the city of E;mter, in the room of Sir WILLIAM
FDLLETT, who bad accepted the office of Attorney-

General.
a motion for the estab-
Mr. gave hotioe of
lishment of a Court of Appeal, in criminal easel.;
On the Order of the Day beipg read for theAlouse
going into Committee of: Supply, Mr. Airrsii naked-
Sir ROBERT PEEL whether he would postpone the
second reading of the Irish Registration3ill for a
fortnight, in order that many Irish Mernheis,who
could not be present iITI :Frld y might have an oppor-
titnity of expv6ssing their sentiments on a. measure of
• so much importance to his native country.
Sir Ronnar :Para.. said he:was always•unwilling• to
press.forwarct any measure -prematurely, and as the ;
Right Honourable Gentlernan had stated that the I
• Irish Members had not had an oppoitunity of fully I
considering the measure, he would postpone the se- I
Bond reading, and state at a future day en it would
w,
take place. .

In answer to a question from Mr. F. T. %800,

Sir Ron,Eirr PEEL said the Budget would be brought
forward on Monday week, the 29th instant.
A brief discussion took place relative to the late
delivery of letters in the Midland Counties, when Sir
ROBERT PEEL stated that the Government were most
anxious to afford every facility to the speedy trans-
mission of letters, but they were hampered by the
great expense to which the public were put by making
terms with railways. He at the same time intimated
that railway proprietors would best consult their own
interest by facilitating communication through the
Post office.
Mr. WILLIAMS said if railroad companies refused
to give every reasonable facility for the transmission
of letters, and every other communication, they ought
to be compelled by law to do their duty.
After some questions and notices of motions, the
House went into Committee of Supply, and on the
motion that a vote of 59,3501. should be passed for
salaries and other expenses of the officers of the two
Houses of Parliament, Mr. WILLIAMS objected to it,
on the'ground that the House of Lords did not give
in an estimate, like other establishments, for what
they might want. After some discussion, Mr. Hums
moved that the vote be reduced by 15,0001., and, on
a division, there, were for the amendment 13, and
against it 69. A number of other votes were agreed
to, and the House resumed.
On the motion of Sir J. GRAHAM, the County
Courts Bill was read a second time.
A new writ was ordered for the borough of Wood-
stock, in the room of Mr. THESIGER, appointed
Sol icitor- General.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed
of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Twelve.

The Trish Registration Bill was last night post-
poned, and an attempt, as atrocious as any that our
times have witnessed, to deprive the Irish people of
their fair share of political privileges, and to fritter
away the little semblance of justice which a Tory Go-
vernment can afford them, is for the present sus-
pended. Never was anything mere monstrous than
the Tory notions of justice to Ireland. Justice, in-
deed !--injustice is the English of it—one-sided legis-
lation on every subject ;—law making, with a view
only to the benefit of the party, and with an entire
denial of all equality, or claims to fair dealing. For
years the Tories have been annoyed by the state of
the Irish representation ; they have cursed the liberal
majority which that kingdom sends and 'Mist send to
Parliament, so long as the grievances of 'lreland re-
main unredressed, and its cry for justice is unheeded.
But instead of removing the cause, they seek to re-
move the effect—instead of giving justice, they seek to
perpetrate woful wrong—and, regardless of the voice
which proclaims injuries and evils, existent and
pressing, they seek to stifle the power of complaint,
and to smother the complainants. The constituency
of Ireland, small as it is; at present is beyond the
Tories to manage. They have long sought, and they
now seek, to cripple, and to destroy it. Their Regis-
tration Bill is only a continuance of their attempts to
govern Ireland by means of their own ; by the supl
pression of the public voice, and by the domination of
Tory landowners and Tory tools. But we know
little of Irish perseverance if this Bill, this worthy
follower of the Irish Arms Bill of last session, be
allowed to pass into a law; and disgraced indeed will
the Irish. Members of the House of Commons be, if
they do not in one body join to repel such an insult,
and prevent such an injustice as the PEEL-and-
STANLEY Registration' Bill. Registration for Ire-
land, in Tory phraseology, means annihilation .of the
constituency; and no man more bitterly hates in
Ireland, that which in England the Chandos clause,
and the reservation of old and corrupt rights, enabled
him to use for his purposes, than does Sir ROBERt
PEEL.

A new writ was last night moved for Woodstock,
vacant by the promotion of Mr. THUMB tQ be So.
licitor-General. But it would seem that the Learned
Gentleman must get into the House of Commons by
seine other means than Woodstock, for the Marquis
Of BLANDFORD stands for that place. His address
to the electors, dated yesterday, pledges himself to
nothing but to oppose the aims and objects of Whigs;
ltadicals, and Destructives. He is canvassing the
borough, and with very little success, from the good
feelings of the constituency ; but the powers of the
Duke will be put into full force for his son, and no
doubt their votes will be given to the Marquis at the
poll. But where is Mr. THESIGER to be returned
for ? It was supposed that the safety of his seat gave
him the call before Mr. KELLY, but it was not so, as
it now seems, and Sir ROBERT PEEL must find a
place in Parliament, as well as at the bar, for his new
Solicitor-General. Will he try Horsham ?

It is a curious fact, no less strange than true, that
Tory jobbery and mismanageinent have been found
out, even in the highest quarters ; and not only found
out, but exposed and corrected. Up to the time of
the Liberal Government quitting office, the QUEEN'S
Household was conducted on a scale of great liberality,
-but at the same time its expenditure was kept within
the bounds of the income allotted to it. No sooner,
however, was a Tory Government installed, than, from
some unexplained cause, Tory tradesmen are substi-
tuted for Liberals, and, either from a too profuse sup.
ply of articles, or from a general want of management
and economy, the cost of the Royal. household be-
comes alarmingly increased. To such a pitch
did matters get, that the Qum.; herself took
the matter in hand, and, under the orders
of Royalty, the most searching inquiry took place
into the cause of the very great additional expencii-
tore. Some very extraordinary results of this in-
quiry have reached us, but the summary may be
stated in a few words. It was found that a system
of jobbery, and of something very like peculation, had
been introduced, and that a total want of manage-
ment had been shown by those who ought to have
I attended to the details. The dismissals and the
changes in the Royal Household, and the various
I other reductions in the Palace expenditure, have all
t been done by the express orders of her MAJESTY, who
has shown that she will neither sanction waste in her
household, nor allow her servants to rob their mis-
tress, and through her, the country.

An important Meeting of Delegates from the Lan-
cashire Districts was held at Manchester on Sunday
morning last, at which, among other resolutions, one
was moved " expressiie of regret." that the Delegates
should have been compelled to meet on the Sabbath
—a circumstance to which Mr. HIGGINBOTHAM
alluded in' the following terms :---" His experience
among the working classes of England convinced
him that they were as anxious to keep sacred the
Sabbath-day as any other class of society ; but the
' Factory Bill question was one upon 'which a united
expression of opinion from the representatives of the
manufacturing districts could not be given,unlessupon
that day." Highly creditable as this resolution of
"regret" for meeting on Sunday is to the religiodi
feelings of those who passed it, we cannot but thik
that it was in a great measure superfluous, for who
but the veriest fanatic could possibly have blamed the
Delegates for holding their meetinx on the Sabbath—
more.eSpecially when the selection Of that day was
one, not of choice, but of stern necessity ? Had the
question which they assembled to discuss been one of
an ordinary business character,;—had it involved none
'but pounds-shillings-and-R#e considerations, their
conduct might then have been justly reprobated as being
—to say the least of it--7-grossly and wantonly irrever-
ent ; but the object of their meeting was of a far higher
and nobler order—if Was to assert the sacred rights
of humanity—to Make known the temporal, aye, and
tspiritual wants, tao, of thousands of toil-worn, neg-
lected,
moredancldefenceless women and children—and to
what
righteous purpose than this could the
Lard's Day,l be possibly dedicated ? If, however; the
prejudice, of the ultra-orthodox should, chance to
receive a shock on hearing of this Sunday meeting of
the-Factory Delegates, .we would remind such well-
] intentiened,-but bigoted persons, that to advocate the
rights.of the poor is at least as Creditable an act as
I giving a fashionable dinner party on the Sabbath'
flguringon the promenade in Hyde Park, or counting
i the pleasure•wherries,- from ,a palace-v.indow at
Fulham, that may 'happen to be iloating•
along the Tharhes,! But , to' pass from matters
of pure cant'to' those of charity and beneid
lence—tolhoie, in short, which intimately concern
the dearest interests of huTin nature. At the Delo-
,
gate meeting in questiOn, it 4as proved, by incontro-
vertible evidence, that the anxiety for a Ten Holm
Bill was general among the operatives in the manu-:
factoring districts, who were gage prepared—to:,

•~,~t.i.~Lfr+s~r.

quote the language of the Report—" to let the quesi
tion of wages, about which so much has been saki,
find its own level." It was proved also that the
labour of women and children, so far from diminish-
ing, was greatly on the increase in the factories, and
that Lord ASHLEY, in his speech in the House of
Commons, rather underrated than overrated the
extent of the evil. In reference to this subject,
we quote a few significant passages from the
Report which 'was read at the meeting :—" MAN-
CHESTER : Female labour is here very much on the
increase; in one mill, which may be taken as an
average of the whole, there are five hundred and
forty-two pair of looms, and of this number there
are upwards of four hundred women. The propor-
tion of women and children. to adults, is about four to
one of the whole employee'—" STOCKPORT : Women
are on the increase ; and in some mills, where there
are two thousand looms, there is not a single man at
Work. The proportion of women and children is at
least four-fifths of the whole employed."—" BOLTON :
The number of women is on the increase, and is now
at least six to two."—" BURY : The people here are
determined to do all they tan for the Ten
Hours Bill ; and one of our largest manufacturers is in
favour of it, as well as some others.'—" HYDE : The
feeling is universal in favour of Lord ASHLEY'S Bill,
and the operatives are willing to sign petitions ; but
many are afraid to be seen doing so, lest they should
be discharged!" Discharged ! And for no worse
crime than endeavouring to protect the interest of
their families, and secure the, comfort and happiness of
their own oppressed wives and children Was there
ever a greater libel on humanity than is im-
plied in this natural apprehension on the part
of the operatives ? We quote one more pas-
sage from' the • Report, which will show how
little attention is paid to considerations of mere
feeling, when they come in: collision with those of
grasping avarice :-- "BLACKBURN : The number of
women is here much on the increase. The propor-
tion of women and children employed, as compared
with adults, will be upwards of four-fifths. The Dele-
gate was authorised by an overlooker in this town to
say, that when a woman leaves her work to be con-
fined, her husband, who is himselfapower-loom weaver,
and cannot obtain employment on account of
,his sex,
is not allowed to work for his -wife during
her confinement, and the consequence is that she is
fften compelled from necessity to return to her work
a few days after her confinement." After reading
statements like these, vouched for by unimpeachable
evidence, who shall presume to say that the period is
not arrived when the Ten Hours Bill should be
brought into full operation, and a partial stop, at least,
be put to that system of excessive and unnatural labour
on the part of women and children, which, in
order to gratify the insatiable demands of Mam-
mon, makes a total wreck of health and happi-
ness among lamilies ; brings on in youth all the
infirmities of age ; blunts and demoralises the
character; sows the seeds of distrust, hate, despair,
and every species Of crime ; and annually consigns
hundreds—perhaps we might add, thousands—to a
pauper's grave in a union work-house ! Be the oppo-
sition of Ministers what it may, we must, ere long,
have' Lord ASHLEY'S Ten Hours Bill, and as a fitting
—indeed an inevitable—sequel to this, a total Repeal
of the Corn-laws !

We ha►e accounts from Madrid of the Bth inst., by
which we are sorry to learn that a frightful calamity
occurred on Palm Sunday at Felanitx, a town in
Minorca. On the occasion a sermon was preached in
the old cemetery of the place, when an old wall gave
way and buried a vast number of persons under the
ruins. The Alcalde (Mayor) six members of the
municipality, and the priest were killed. According
to the Corresponsal there were not fewer than 605
sufferers, 414 being killed, and 191 woimded. The
journals contain no other intelligence.
The Bourse was closed on the Bth, it being Easter
Monday.

The Moniteur of Simlay contains the dispatch of
Admiral DUPETIT THOUARS, addressed .to the
Minister at Marine, Admiral MAcxxtr, relative to the
affairs of Otaheite. It is a lengthy document, and
not very impartial, as one of its objects is to impute
all the blame of the misunderstanding between the
QUEEN and the French to English intrigue. It will
appear evident, says he, that the only object of the
English in wishing to make us abandon this archipe-
lago is to put themselves in our place. This, the
French Admiral ought to know, is contrary to fact,
and contrary to. the declared sentiments of the British
Government. The Protectorate, or the Sovereignty,
or by whatever name full power over the country may
be described, it is well known was offered to England,
and it is equally well known was positively rejected.
We refer our readers to the dispatch, -which will
be found under the proper head, and simply
express our regret that a French officer of high rank
should, in a public document, seem more anxious to
impugn the, motives of England than to justify, the
severe and Unjust measures which he adopted towards
the unfortunate and helpless QUEEN. On Saturday, the
affair was brought under the notice of the Chamber
of Deputies, when a violept and angry discussion took
place. On the Minister of Marine presenting copies
of the dispatches,: M. BILLAULT asked Ministers for
other reports—namely, those forwarded to Govern-
ment by junior officers, and among others, by Captain
BKUAT. " Why," said M. BILLAULT, "is not his
account laid before us ? How is it possible for the
Chamber not to be in a state of the greatest distrust
towards the Government, when it sees in what a man-
ner the Admiral, who was placed over the new pos-
session, has been treated? lam aware that the Min-
ister of Foreign Affairs can keep silence by pretending
to be the depository of State secrets, but the Govern-
ment ought not so to act, for it had commenced the at-
tack itself, in accusing an officer of misconduct. Let the I
reports sent in two months back be laid on the table,
so that they may ,be compared with those now pre-
sented.
In fine, this matter ought to be brought to
an end. If the -Admiral has acted improperly, there
are articles in the penal code of the navy to punish
him.—(A loud burst of disapprobation from the
Centre, and cries of That is not the question.') Why
not allow the officer who has just arrived to be in-
terrogated ?—(Loud cries of ' Hear, hear,' from the
Left.) You keep him to yourselves. No person
but yourselves has seen him !—(Fresh cries of Hear,'
and marks of disapprobation from the Centre.) The'
termination of this matter must be either a judgment'
according to the articles of war, blaming the Admiral,
or a decision of the Chamber, throwing blame on the
Ministry. It
,is because we want to come to this
point that we 'demand to have all the papers laid before
us, in order to fix our opinion, and they are now re-
fused without any serious motive."
41:Guiaor replied to these remarks with great
firmness, though frequently interrupted, and refused
:to furnish all the papers transmitted to Govern-
` ment. "We cannot," he said, " make communica-
tions beforehand, as' You seem to deMand, without
knowing at what point of information you aim.
To make those communications in the general and
confused manner that you require is impossible.
We do not inform you beforehand in an absolute
manner, that we shall communicate to you every-
thing ; .nor, on the other hand, do we tell you before-
hand in, an abioltite manner, that we will refuse all.
When you 'shall have read the report, you can ask
what questions you may deem requisite, and we shall
know what we ought to do. Until then wenught to up-
hold our rights and the true principles of Government."
These replies 'were received with very general ap-
plause. M. ODILON BARROT admitted the right and
the power of the Government to refuse the docu-
ments, but the question was one not of principle, but
of honotir and of good faith: However, as the Mi-
nister for Foreign Affairs reftised to furnish more
than one dispatch, they would examine that carefully,
in order, if possible, to arrive at the real facts, and
.
afford some consolation to - the country. M. GUIZOL
made some further remarks for the purpose of showing,
that ISlembers would have a full opportunity of con-
sidering the question, and that the Government were
ready to Meet them in debate. The discussion' would
have ended here quietly ltut for that singular per-
sonage, of repeal notoriety, 111. LEDEU ROLLIN, who:,
thus showed his correct knowledge of Parliamentary
procedure in England. The Minister is always
quoting
England," said he. " Why does it not follow
its example in this matter ? In such a case the House
of Commons would appoint a Committee to receive
the communications of the Minister.—(Cries of No,
no.') The country will judge you, for it is now evi-
dent to every one that at the moment the Ministry
was compromising a brave officer, by a measure