The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-18 00:00:00

844.

very ridiculous and erroneous idea, because I do not
believe that any person so i"-;
his sersit've
body r' to commit suicide, cares one straw how-that
body is treated when deal. In the case beCore you,
I ask, whether it is possible for you, with the
evidence you have, to determine the state of mind the
woman w.,s in when she took the poison ? I am of
opinion that it is impossible, and I think it world be
a mark of insr7ity to come to any determination of
the sort. lem r'so of opinion that the proceeding.'
of our law courts are t'ngccl with insrrity. Counsel,
in cares of murder, plead that the murderer acted
under unconi -ollable impulses, and the pl"a succeeds,
and the culprit is pronounced insane and provided for
during lire; but if a poor hi suffering from hunger,
and I think such privation most likely to produce un-
controllable impulses, steels a loaf of breed, the plea
of insanity: will avail him nought, and the House of
:Col action -will be his lunatic asylum. Think you, if
MtNairghten„ instead of murder;ng the unfortunate
Mr..1)1 almond, had stolen his horse, or his ox, or
his ass, or-anything that wes his, would be guilt-
less of the crime on the plea of insanity ? No, gentle-
men. I adVise you, then, in cases of this sort to pass
a medium verdict—one neither of sanity or insarlty.
The jury instantly acquiesced, and said, " Deceased
had destroyed herself, but the state of her mind when
she did so was not known to them." •

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.
EMIGRATION.
Return of Ships, their Names and Tonnage, em-
ployed in carrying Emigrants since the passing of
the Colonial Passengers Act. Ordered by the
House of Commons to •be printed, July 17, 1841.
No. 503... •
This return does not. suggest to us any more
favourable impression of the advantages derived from
the establishment of what is called the "Land and
Emigration Commission". than we have found Our-
selves able to announce on former occasions. .It -is
difficult to perceive why the Colonial Department
should have been relieved at all of a branch of .busi-
ness so legitimately coming under their cognizance
as the superintendence of free emigration from this
country; and it is not less difficult to discover in
what consists that superior management and energy
of official administration which shall reconcile' the
country to the cost of maintaining such a Commission
and its staff. This return comprises-
-1. A Return of all Ships, with their Names and
Tonnage, that have been employed in carrying Emi-
grants from the United Kingdom since the passing of
the last Colonial Passengers'Act, as far as the same
can be made up ; together with the number of such
ships of which the Emigration Commissioners have
had information of or. noticed.
2. A Copy of all the Correspondence which has taken
place between the Public Boards and Public Officers,
in the • year • 1843, respecting the emigrant ships
Catherine' and John and Robert, conveying emigrants
to' Cape Bieton and Canada.
3. A Return of the Number of Emigrants, distin-
guishing men, women, and children, shipped on
board the ship Catherine; and a similar return of
emigrants transhipped on board the ship John and
Robert.
Now, No. 2 regards the case of a party of emigrants
from Tobermorey, one of the poor and overpeopled
estates, if we mistake not, of the Duke of Argyll.
The second letter of Lieut. Stark does appear to .us to
disclose facts which called for some very signal repre-
hension on the part of the Government Commission.
But we subjoin both this gentleman's letters, that our
readers may form their own judgment on the matter:
" Government Emigration-office, Belfast,
August 24, 1843.
" Sir' —I beg to acquaint you, for the information
of the Board, that the ship Catherine of Belfast has
just put into this port. in a very leaky state. • She
sailed from Tobermorey for Cape Breton and Quebec
upwards of four weeks ago. . A store is provided for
the reception of the poor people, and of course they
will receive the requisite 'provisions, according to the
Act, until the defects of the ship are either made good,
or another ship prepared for their reception: They
amount to about 220 adult passengers.—l have, &c.
iSigned) "PETER STARK.
" Stephen 'Walcott, Esq."
" Government Emigration-office, Belfast,
August 26, 1843.
Siv,—l beg to acquaint you that some of the
poor people in the Catherine (reported by me in my
letter of the 24th instant to have put in here in dis-
tress) having determined to return home, requested
would endeavour to get their head-money restored to
them. Upon my urging them to proceed, and that
they had always the ship's allowance of a ?ound of
bread a day to depend upon, a most extraordinary in-
fringement of the Act was disclosed.
" It appears that the bread in the master's charge
was paid for by the passengers themselves, and in
such proportions as their means admitted of. Thus,
the greater number received half a pound per day,
some feW the whole pound, and others none. I at
once compelled an issue of the full allowance to all
for three days, and finding I could obtain no other
redress, I* consulted with'the magistrates as to whe-
ther they would grant me a summons against the
master, with a view to the recovery of the hcad-
Imoney, as well as to make good the deficiency of the
1 bread withheld. It being their opinion that they
could not enforce it or assist me to obtain my object,
I then demanded a summons against that individual
for the infringement of the 6th clause of the Act,
which was at once granted, and which had the effect
of suck, an arrangement being made with the com-
plainants as to render my summons completely null,
as I could not procure. any evidence ; the passengers
lin a body acknowledging they had no cause of com-
plaint; that they were satisfied, and had been well
treated by the captain in all their trials; &c..
" Many of the poor people embarked from four to
five weeks previous to the ship's departUre, daring
which 'period they neither received provisions nor
any other compensation.
" Every possible exertion is being made to get a
ship just returned from Quebec ready for the pas-
sengers, and I hope to get them off at the farthest
upon Wednesday next.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) "PETER STARK.
" Stephen Walcott, Esq., &c., &c.
" P. S. It is almost superfluous to state, that I will
take care the necessary. water, provisions, &c.; &c.,
for the full ten weeks is made good; ere the required
certificate is granted for the ship's clearance."
A more diluted affair than the response of Mr.
Walcott, the Secretary to the " Colonial Land and
Emigration Commission," we have not often chanced
upon:—

" Colonial Land and Emigration-office,
9, Park-street, Westminster, Aug. 29, 1843
" Sir,—l am directed by the 13oard to ackno*ledge
_he receipt of your letters of the 24th and 26th inst.,
on the subject of the arrival of the Catherine at
Belfast in a leaky state from Tobermorey on her way
to Cape Breton and Quebec.
" With respect to provisions during her detention
at your port, while the Commissioners regret that
your summons against the master failed from want of
evidence, they are glad to perceive that ariangercents
have been made in consequence, which are satisfac-
tory to the people ; and they approve of your inten-
tion of requiring that the full allowance of provisions
and water be made good before the ship be permitted
to renew the voyage."
What possible object was to be gained by the
printing of so very satisfactory and remedial a reply
to. Lieut. Stark's communication, we cannot divine.
Oqr-admiration,too, at the usefulness of thiCommis-
sion itself Wakes stronger and stronger on perusing
suchimportant announcements as these. It is grafi-
tifyiiigto learn, however, that those of the Tobermorey
intending emigrants who persevered in their original
design; safely reached-their Canadian destination.
"Extract of a return from the Chief GoVernment
Immigration Agent at Quebec, on the ship John and
Robert :
," ¶ A good vessel, and all well supplied according
to law, and -landed in good health. The passengers
by this vessel-are a part of the unfortunate emigrants
who embarked from the Western Isles in the sh;p
Catherine inithe month of May, and put into Belfast
n distress, when they were re-embarked:on board
this vessel.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) " A. C. BUCHANAN,
" Chief-Agent."'

The first prize' in the list, that of t'o large silver rneda, I
fu the twelve dattfias,, dissimilar blvoos, was award, d
to Lady Paget. Extrr, pritcs s cte tbos anat.:N(l
large silver medal, given by Mr. Groenu fuy the best spe-
cimen of 'ilium lancifulium (of which thrit gt.ntlemen had
himself several splendid examples), to Mr. Schroder_
The Linnwan medal, given by Mr. Iliff for the best floral'
device, to Mr. Henbrey, jun. A prize of 51., given by
Mr. Tyler fur the best forty eight dahlias, dissimilar
blooms, to Mr. Thomas Brown ; and a silver eup, value •
51. as., for the best twenty-funrclahlias,discimilaOlooms.
to Mr. John Cook.
The Directors of this Society judiciously -encourago,
enterprise and competition amongst all grades of contri
butors ; for while they stimulate the emulation of
amateurs with the prospect of silver cups and medals,
they are willing to commute the honorary reward for a
pecuniary premium, which, to many of the professional
exhibitors would no doubt prove a mare influential hr.
centive. Altogether the arrangements of the day's ex- •
hibition were of the most gratifying description. The
day's entertainments were closed with the " Great• Fire •
of London," represented with appropriate eclat, and with
a startling resemblance to reality.' Thi se who havo not
yet seen this vivid representation, would do weir to
seize an opportunity of visiting it bei'vre its final v-itll.-
drawel, at the close of the present season, as it F On! 3,
that preparations for the ensuing coo paign are alrc:-dy
in progress • and a subject (said to have been Stig4asted
by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, end to be of uni- •
ver-sal iaterest, and treated, 13 a novel: and magni-
ficent style) is destined to supersede the present gorgeors
exhibition.

•
BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS.
It has been-pointed out to us that in the remarks
on_ the Bank of England, returns inserted last Mon-
day, account .was taken of the item of " seven days'
and other bil!s," amounting to 1,030,354/. The de-
scription of notes comprised tinder:this designation is
chiefly composed -of those minerally termed " Bank :
post-bills," the principal difference between' ivlol and ,
ordinary notes is, that the former are payakle
to the
" order of a certain party, and the latter pay::tble to
kearer." This species of note was formerly' in-
eluded among the general mais of " circulation' in the
Old returns, but is now classed under a separate head.
.To find the actual circulation at the present time,
in order. to compare it ,with previous periods, we
must take from the new return - the amount of notes -
issued ... £28,351,295
Deduct notes with the banking
branch . ........ 8,175,025

Add seven days' and other bills