The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-06 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 5.
RAILWAY AUDIT.
(Continued frt in our Third Edition of last night.)
Earl FITZ WILLIAM was glad to hear the announce-
ment made by the Noble Earl who just sat down. He
regretted this and the other House of Parliament did
nut intend to go further, but to leave the matter to the
directors of these railways. His Noble Friend (Lord
Monteagle) seemed to think that the depreciation of
railway shares was owing to the malversation of the
directors; but believing, as he did, that railway pro-
perty was, like other property, and liable to the same
changes, he could not agree with him, The directors
of the North-Western Railway were entitled to great
respect for good management, and yet its shares had de-
preciated, as well as 'others. He thought, however, that
some measures ought to be taken for the better manage-
ment of those companies than already existed.
In answer to a question from Lord BEAUMONT,
Earl GRANVILLE stated it was the intention of the
Government to introduce the Bill which did not pass
last session, enabling railway companies, which could
not proceed with their undertakings, to wind up their
affairs, and that measure would be so introduced early
in the next week.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid on the table of
the House returns from the Poor-'aw Commissioners,
showing a decrease in pauperism.
After a few words from the Duke of RICHMOND and
the Marquis of SALISBURY, impugning their accuracy,
their Lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 5.
ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION.
Mr. lIORSMAN then rose to move "that a Commit-
tee cf this House, to which was entrusted an inquiry
in to the composition and management of the Ecclesias-
tical Commission, having recommended the appointment
of three paid commissioners for the management of the
property under the commission, it is expedient that
(Area be given to that recommendation." Ho !ald that
from the nature of the Committee, which was appointed last
year, he had expected that the recommendattonawh.e
they would send fot th would be without bias or pr j ud ce,
but he regretted to say that ho had been deceived. The
events cf every succeeding day proved more and
more the necessity which existed for placing the
temporalities of the Church in safer hands.
He was, therefore, csompelled, however reluctantly, once
more to call the attention of the House to the subject.
It was unnecessary for him to state what the Ecclesias:ti•
cal Commission was, as, unfortunately, they were all ac-
quainted with its ch aracter and proceedings. They knew
it to be a very pow erful body, exercising most important
functions, and enjoying the administration of vast fund?.
They knew there was hardly a county in the com.try
where it did not ex.?rcise control over estates, or a parish
where its influence, for good or evil, was not felt. Indeed,
as regards the temporalities of the Church, it wields
more power than had been
possessed by any body since
the Reformation. Then, did it not become Parliament to
keep a vigilant eye upon its movements, so as to take pre-
cautions against postable abuses. It could not be denied that
tho duties of the CQIIAM/SE/011 cast additional burdens upon

--- ------7---..
our ecolesiestical diguiteries, %those sheulders weie not
able to; hoer them. Their spiritual duties were suffi-
cient-te tecupy the whole of their time and attention,
and -When, therefore, they Fee-ceded to Isle] themselves
witkr4itlier outer of an entirely oppo:ite (Ammeter, it
nil-manifest that one set of duties must be imperfectly
diteliarged. Therefore it was a matter of importance,
ifedeed of tecessity, that a choice should be made between
pieeca two incompatible duties, as a conviction was gain-
?ing ground in the public mind that the more oar eccle-
eastical dignitaries confined themselves to the spiritual
duties cf the Church, and the less they meddled
with its secular concerns, the better it would be.
Another party perceives that whilst the cause of the
complaint is nest so much that we have not bishops
enough, as that those we 1 are
were not labouring in
their tight vocation, and that h
voting themselves to the
administrationre in Lootudteenm p
)d e
..-
ralities in Whitehall toznortehe manife-st neglect
It
tf
visuptiroibtuviaoluitsirsthiant
tthhaetirth,
would rever be ac-
cepted by Parliament as an a-
deficiency out cf the Church's feds. r, ihutilliltieg 11,at
sphere.
another party, and ho him :I If
helm gi d to thtatem el
las
who tea- still higher ground. ney
said
whethip.rartL,
duties were t 0) onerous or too lght, the
fit:eulemriceyzattperopriate
i ecuniut ye concerns of our Church Establish-
inent involving the manGgement, among other
things, of distant (states, were altogether alien to the.
vocation of ecelc siasties.—(Ch(( rs ) It was - tic a
bishop's vocation to be " a !erver of trader." His „tve.,
tion was of a higher order, and the calls on his time were
more sacred and more imperative, and he :should leave
to other men the intricacies of secular business. it was
f r him to be familiar with the concerns ( f every pariah,
c emiztnt (f the character of every clergyman, supplying
all' pants by his energy, controlling all tibia-es by his
vigilance, encouraging all that seas good by his ex-
ample,—it was for him to live as a father among
his people, spreading around him an atmosphere
of love, and reverence, and -religion. Such, in
its earliest days, was the Church's notion of
what a Christian bishop, ought ,to be, and such
he wished to see her practise again. But there
was a third and more numerous party who pointed to
the Ecclesiastical Commission, and said that it was in-
competent to discharge the duties that it "had under-
taken to discharge, and to the enormous injury:to the
Church's revenues which had resulted from its manage-
ment. It would appear, then, that from the expressions
which had been used, and from the protest which had beau
entered, as well as the expressions which had been eased
against the continuance of a system that was pregeent
with nothing but evil, that there was no body through-
out the country more opposed than the Airy '
of the Church of England to a continuants-it .of
their hierarchy in a position which placedl Them
so invidiously before the people They wished their
diocesans to be removed from this board of commiesion,
because they felt that their presence there was neither
creditable to them nor beneficial to thenaselves. It had
bees hoped that either a sense of justice or of honour,
would have inducted these members of the Ecclesiastical
Commission to have been sensible of their duties, and
that each of the talents committed; to their charge
would produce its ten talents; but it was now ascer-
tained that no such principle could move these men,
that no souse of justice, no influence of principle, was at
all likely to alter their future line of conduct, and that
the only remedy that could possibly be adopted for evils
so loudly and justly complained of, and so mischievous
in their tendency, aas to compel the several members
of the bench of bishops to retire from the Commission;
and he could only, therefore, appeal to the justice and
intellect of that House. This Commission was estab-
lished in 1836, or rather be ought to say that it was
the result of Commissions previously issued
by which its constitution had been recommended.
Consisting only of thirteen, the Commission came in
course of time to give great dissatisfaction. The Bishop
of London assigned as a reason for this dissatisfaction
that there was not in the board a sufficient numbersto
represent the Episcopal Bench. The popular versiOti,
however, was somewhat different. The Commissios
was charged with matters that were of some
consequence not only to the interests of the Church in
general, but of the Bench of Bishops as well. All
matters contacted with the incomes cf bishops,
with the building of palaces, the selling of
estates, and many little things relating to the
convenience and comforts of the bishops were in
the hands of the Commission. A seat on the
Commission came at last to be considered one
of the great prizes of the Church, and a violent agitation.
was got up by the excluded bishops against their
brethren, whom they called monopolists - and in course
of time the doors of No. 5, Whitehall, were thrown
open, and in rushed the whole Episcopal Bench. How
it was that the deans and canons did not get
in too had always been a matter of wonder.
The Commission consisted originally of eight laymen
and five ecclesiastics, but the number had since been in-
creased to 29 ecclesiastics and eight laymen; and what
had been the result of their proceedings? Poor pastors were
left half starving, and poor congregations were allowed to
go untaught, while vast sums of the Church's treasures
were spent in palaces and luxuries for the
bishops. The alteration in the constitution of the
Commission had resulted in no good whatever,
and as if to render confusion worse confounded,
they hod no permanent chairman.. Tho Commissiot:er
present who was highest in rank occupied the chair, so
it happened that when a junior bishop presided he got
hardly warm in his seat before he had to give way to
a senior bishop, and thus s series cf it.teirup-
Lions took place 'until the Archbishop of Canterbury
made his apteirance, and jumped over the heads t f all
the rest. Now, he would like to know, with such a
system as this, how the business of the Commission
could be properly carried on? Could the proceedings
of that Hausa, for instance, prosper, if the Speaker
had no fixity of tenure, and was compelled tO
leave his seat every few minutes? Flu', as if to make
tee waster won', a number of select committees had
been appoint. d, ei e-v one e f which was composed of a
gre lor number ( f members than the number
which formed the average attendances of the Nste!.
But this was only the beginning of the absurdity; the
turther they went the more absurd they found it. Al-
ready he had observed that, in conducting inquiries by
Members of the House, parties with personal interests
were strictly excluded from the Committee appointed to
make the inquiry, but this was the democratic notion
of his Hon. Friend near him, the Member for Montrose;
no such innovation had demoralised the proceedings of
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. With them, whenever
arty bishop had an interest in the matter be sae especially
summoned on the committee, and when he attended its
dpliherations he was permitted to speak and vote just .
as much as though he were a member of the committee.
But not only was '64.0, but every one of the Episcopal
Bench may attend any committee,lspeak and vote, and in
fact at any time they could swamp the ctber members
of the committee by the number of their votes.
—(Hear, hear.) He had directed some months'
deliberation to it, but he had never been able to
realise for himself the advantage of such a system. The
Bishop of St. Asaph told them that a bishop being cpn-
versant with the subject to be inquired into wit the
best party to give information and form an opinion
upon it, while the secretary to the Commission tat
them that any bishop took up whatever question be
had a mind to, and, as he practically ex-
pressed it, "he worked it through the committe."
So that, whenever there was any question affecting the
interest of any particular bishopric, the bishop took
it and worked it through in every sense el the
word. In the palmy days of Toryism, when the
working-through system was well understood, the
workings-through could not surpass those of the Eo-
clesiastical Commission. Under such a system
the Home would not be surprise] to hear
that the business of the Commission was not particu-
larly well transacted, but it could not be aware
of the revelations of carelessness, peculation, and
waste which the evidence exhibited (Hear).
What did the House think of estates being sold without
any valuation being taken or authorised by the Commis-
sion, or of large estates being bought without the
ordinary precautions of a survey, or of important works
being executed without the architect of the Commissioners
supplying any estimate of them, or ofsolicitors, architects,
and sure eyers being employed without any stipule
Lion of the remuneration they were to receive? The
consequence had been that they charged as they pleased,
and the taxation of a bill which the solicitor sent in
some years ago still remained unfinished. The funds
committed to their charge were grossly mismanaged.
The Commission met once a week, but then they had as
much to do as could well occupy them for a month. The
Bishop of London stated that the secretary Ills the only
party who knew anything about its affairs. It is well to
know that the Board had a secretary, or rather that the
secretary had a board of commissioners under him. He,
in fact, did everything. It was he who drew up the or-
ders in council. Did any one require an interview with
the commissioners, it was he who arranged the meeting.
Was it required to mystify or bamboozle Parliament
with regard to the incomes of the bishops, it was he who
"cooked up the accounts." 'When any explanation was
to be made in the House of Lords, it was he who prIP7
ted the Archbishop of Canterbury, and when the
was. r.
who supplied the Prime Minister with
formation. He never gave notice t
upon the subject in that H nse that he
theo_rel imiotiion
did not
to
" Yesterday the secretary the
newspapers. see the usual paragrapho in the
officialresidence •
of
the Treasury, at his is
First Lord
Ecclesiastical Commission had a long interview with the
Downing-street."—(Laughter.) (Leughter.) It had been remarked
thati
the history of nations might be learned from the
e
history of their eminent men, and in like manner the
°wning-tre(t."--
history of the Commission might be known from the pro.
ceedings of their secretary. The affairs of fhe Commis..
sion spread over all parts of the country; the secretary
did all. He bad to select persons for all appointments
whoa anything was to be done, and he appointed his own
relations, It was thought that Mr. Knight Murray en-
gaged the Commission in law in order to put business in
the hands ( f his brother. He went to the vicar—he sup
gested his brother acted as solicitor, and Murray Tar-
tius, with his wig on, stood as counsel in the cause. He
would ask, was there any truth in the suspicion that he
plunged the Commission into litigation for the benefit of
his relatives? He was as fortunate as he was active, and
found friends where he little thought they would tog
up. When he came before the Committee to be IT'
amined, they were much surprised to hear
he held
,
was not a servant during pleasure, bat thatthe_
his appointment for life. A Bill bad been in rodueed
fur remodelling the revenues of the cathedrals end col-
legiate churches, which had no connexion or relation w
the secretary of the Ecclesiaitical Commission, but b 7
' some chance or other a clause was introduced in the bat
Bishop
The
stage of its progress through the House of,Lorde which
made the secretary's appointment for life.
of London knew nothing about it, neither did the 1100rIN
tary, and it remained a profound secret to the present
moment who was the kind friend who rendered him 'this
service.—(Hear.) He now came to another point,
which would make every hair on the h0,.1 A the Hon.

Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) stand on end—(A'
laugh)—or he was not the man he used to be. The
Commission took no cognizance of the immense sumslB36 t
of
which they were the authorised trustees. From o
1845 they kept no accounts, they had no audit, and these
fends for public purposes were paid in to the private
eceotiat of his secretary, and paid out by his cheque.—
(Hear.) He bad that rom the evidence of the secre-
tary himself. There was no supervision or control
by any party whatever. If any balance remained, it
was paid into the account of the Commission. But
there never was any balance to speak of. The dexterity,
of the secretary and the extravagance of the Commis-
sion took good care of that. The secretary did what he
pleased, and the funds which passed into his hands did
not amount to much less than a million sterling. That
was Vie system till 1845, and no thanks to the Com-
mission that it did not continue so. An accident led to
a change. The Honourable Member for Paisley, he be-
lieved, brought under the notice of the authorities, that
the name of the secretary figured in a railway list of
shareholders as the holder of shares to the amount of
580,000/.—(Hear, hear.) The Commission then opened
their eyes to the extraordinary and unlimited power of
the secretary over the funds, and some alteration took
place in consequence. They should pause for a moment
and consider the injury which this mode of management
inflicted upon the Church. The funds of the Commis-
sion were intended to be a grew, national provision f,r
the highest purposes, to diminish the ignorence and pro-
mote the spiritual improvement of an uncultivated and
rapidly-increasing population. The Commission was
the result of a vast social and spiritual revo-
lution, and it was to be the source, the strength, and
the stay, of a mighty movement for the spiritual regene-
ration of the masses. It was to be the life of every en-
s ,:prise and the soul of every organisation for the fur-
teerance of the one grand object, namely, that the poor
might have the gospel preached to them. With a know-
ledge of all this, of the importance of the enterprise,
and the responsibility of the work, Parliament entrusted
those funds to the management of the Commission. And
•ebat did that Commission do? Why, immediately
handed over the funds to their own subordinate without
instituting a single check against fraud or injury.—
(Hear, hear.) The House would not be surprised when
he Besse(' that from such a mode of doing business the
usual consequences followed—their affairs were ill ad-
reinistered and their confidence much misplaced. The
two facts that brought these matters prominently fur-
enrd were these:—first, it was notified to the public that
the Commission was bankrupt, and
.te the Prime Mi-
nnter that the secretary had run away, taking with
him as much money as he could lay his hands
upon. With the circumstances connected with these
fa eta the public had as yet a most imperfect
Izoowledge. No vacancy had been declared,
but, through the usual channels of information, they
neredefermed of the deficiency of the funds. Perhaps
Atte Prime Minister, or one of the Commission, would
isenrm the House whether it was true that the late se-
erotary had left the country? Whether there was any
defalcation in tho funds, the amount of that defalcation,
and whether any steps had been taken to recover it?
And, lastly, whether the Ecclesiastical Commission had
beereasked to make up the loss to the Church out of their
oweepockets?—(Hear, and a laugh.) He had taken the
facts stated from evidence taken before the Committee.
11,,eleaddisapproved of the character of the composition
oteabat,Committee of the House of Commons. He had
been informed, but he spoke under correction, at he had
no-knowledge himself OA the subjectethat the?Comenittee
wesseppointed on two uonditiens--that there should be
no:e.dieeteesion. >in the House, and that the onembetet
should be approved by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
That Committee was nominated by arrangement,
and every Ecclesiastical Commissioner in the House
was placed upon it. Of the members of the Com-
mittee, five Ecclesiastical Commissioners were named
to conduct a judicial inquiry into their own pro-
ceedings. The bias of the other members, if they
hai any, was well known to be entirely in favour
of the Commission. That Committee conducted an in-
quiry throughout two sessions of Parliament. They
then agreed upon a report condemning the Commission,
and proposing the appointment of paid Commissioners.
Whether the Commissioners should be paid was the
subject of a very long discussion, and he believed that
the Committee, with two exceptions, was unanimous in
recommending the appointment of three paid Commis-
sioners to take charge of the temporalities of the Com-
mission. The two Cabinet Ministers, members of the
Committee, assented to this proposition. They thought
that paid and responsible Commissioners, in whose
hands and under whose direction the practical working
of the objects of the Commission should be, was prefer-
able to the body as then constituted. The Bishop of
London wished to have one paid Commissioner from
the Government, but that arrangement would
have given more power to the Bishops, while
the whole responsibility of the administration
would have been thrown upon the Government. That
would have been contrary to the opinion of the Com-
mittee, whose feeling was that three paid Commissioners
would practically supersede the Episcopal Board, and
instead of having only one day in the week for the
business of the Commission, as heretofore, additional fa-
cilities for transacting business would be afforded, and
proper information given to parties who sought it,
at the offices of the Commission, in the same manner
as it was obtainable in other public departments under
the control of Government. But it was obvious that
an attempt would be made to defect the intention of the
Committee. The effect of that effort was visible in the
Bill introduced into Parliament. The Commissioners
to be appointed were reduced to two, and one of them
vas to be nominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
That was a very different thing from the concession
which he (Mr. llorsman) was induced to make, namely,
that one out of the three Commissioners to be appointed
should be nominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
They were also to have an Estates Committee, the pro-
pcsed composition of which would throw more power
into the hands of the episcopal bench. Now, could any
MU be introduced into that House better calculated to
deteat the object of the Committer? He asked the
House thus early to support the Committee. The Com-
mission had exercised no control, and had trifled with
eft the responsibilities of guardianship. They had given
immense dissatisfaction, were bankrupt, and could not
f&fil their obligations. Their secretary was a bankrupt,
and had run away with their money, and, above all, in a
Parliamentary Committee, composed of their own friends,
there had not been found one single 'Wernher to hold up
his hand in their favour, and they had unanimously re-
commended a change in the Commission as essential to
the interests of the Church. The duty of every man in
that House could not be mistaken. They were called
upon for a prompt declaration of their opinion, that
could not be mistaken, to put an end to a state of things
so discreditable to the Church and injurious to true re-
ligion.—(Cheers).
Sir G. GREY said the Hon. Member had stated with
greater accuracy than he had exhibito3 on former occa-
sions the composition of the Ecclesiastical Commission.
That Commission had been charged with the administra-
tion of funds not provided by Act of Parliament, but in-
trusted to them by Act of Parliament. With regard to the
composition of the Commission he had already stated that
the Commission was too large for the convenient trans-
action of the business intrusted to them. The Commit-
tee pointed out the defects of the Commission and its
system, and made some recommendations and amend-
manta which had his concurrence, but the Hon. Gentle-
men had not truly characterised the circumstances. The
composition of the body of Commissioners was too large,
he admitted, and this naturally led to the irregular per-
formance of the business, and to the placing in the
hands of the secretary a greater share of responsibility
than ought to have been the case considering the
importance of tho business; He was prepared to
concur In any reasonable propesitien for an alteration
of the composition of the Commission, and a Bill was
i ntroduced three years ago for that purpose, the object
of which was to concentrate :the management in the
hands of one paid commissioner. This Bill met with
considerable opposition in that House; a Committee was
appointed, and nothing bad been since done with it. As
far as the appointment cf the Committee was concerned,
he could give a distinct denial of two conditions having
been acceded to—that there should be, no discussion, and
that the Archbishop cf Canterbury should approve of
the names.—(Hear, hear.) It was the first time he had
heard of such conditions.—(Hear, hoar.) He utterly
disbelieved there was any foundation for the statement,
except in the fertile imagination of the Hon. Gentleman.
--(Hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman then entered
nit an explanation of the circumstances of 'the appoint-
roe r tof the Committee, and the'accident -cf its being
agreed t i withotit discussion. The unworthy suggestion
of the Hon. Gentleman ought not to have been reserved
until now. The Hon. Member was present in the
'louse when the Committee was agreed;to; and if he
lied suspicions on the subject, why did he not suggest
them at the tinad?--(Hear.) He was not prepared to
follow the Hon. Member into all the charges ho had
melee If it were necessary for the individual vindica-
Iton of the Commissioners that the charges should be re-
plied to, he bad no doubt that would be done by Hon,
Gentlemen in that Islousewho were more conversant
with
the facts than he was. In the substratum on which
the Hon. Geotleman's charge seated, he agree 1, He
tepeatel, the composition of the Commission was bad,
end led to too great a share of Confidence being placed
in the secretary, which confidence, he regretted to say,
had been, abused. The secretary had left the country,
sect his defalcations amounted to somewhere between
seem,,!, and 7,oool,—(Hear.) Measui es had been imme-
oiKtely taken to recover as much le,s possible of the
P'aiount through the Secretary of the Treasury, who
was endeavouring to ascertain what could be re-
soiered back out of the secretary's private pro-
P?rtn. He could not state the amount of defalcation.
Tome had put it as high as 70,0001., but be might say
it was under 7,000/, though it would probably be
found to exceed 6,0001. The Honourable Gentle-
manhad asserted that secresy had been used in this
transudes. ll
,
He (Sir G Grey) had made no conceal-
ment of the matter; many' had spoken to him on the
subject, and he had never sought mystery. He
was not aware cf the steps taken by the Ecclesiastical
Cot.innissioners, but a Committee had besn appointed,
end no doubt what was proper would be door. The
Mob. Membt r had said the vacancy
haddnOt been filled
up.- The reason was that Government
ifel not intend to
fill up the vacancy cf the joint office
Woer r e
dto by the
secretary and
tee surer. The clause in the Act
He Member he must
n: would be repealed, and
say ho
regfetted the clause had ever been so unadvisedly passed,
as if bad been productive of much mischief and ill
enckes Until this matter was decided no new c"":ni-
merest would tako place, and the Commissioners were
unteiffieg to fill upon the vacancy, as they did not
desikeeise take any step that would fetter the free
disdhatiort of Parliament. He was, however, bound
to 4!it3r4, while he concurred :in much that had fallen
frowtthe•Honourable Member as to the composition
of *to :-eornmission he must be understood to do
so 'lifill'oPt- tioilftt%lit in the sarcasm he had
threisktL4outenot. cod taste. The Hon. Member
able ungalunsas*.y_ •
ita.i.
to the prelates, in his speech,
ir
ail"4"l°-4 the good work nothing but
:A. :' ,A.•:-:.: .- —.,'
"I"r\ -/,'i)-z
'--1._.i.,.;'-' -`;--...,/
't• .-
4,,,,
, 4 9..1

additional exhortations. If the Hon. Member would
take the trouble to acquaint himself with facts, he would
find that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop
of London did contribute liberally towards the ecclesias-
tical fund.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to the appro-
priation of the funds. Parliament had described the way
in which they were to be appropriated; and though the
funds may not in every instance have been distributed
with the soundest judgment, still an immense amount of
good had been done. The former had been made available
to a greater extent than had been expected, and by their
aid religious instruction had been given to many be-
nighted districts.—(Bear.) This would be seen when
Parliament obtained a return of the benefices aug-
mented, and the number of clergymen appointed to new
churches. That much room for improvement still ex-
isted he was not disposed to deny. It was
desirable that funds for such purposes should
be administered with scrupulous care, and he
fully believed that throughout the Commissioners
ha .l been actuated hut by one desire, that of effecting as
much mood as possible with them.— (Hear, hear.) With
rc gardto the proceedings in committee, he must correct
some mistakes made by the Hon. Member, whose tone
evidently meant to impugn the fairness of the composi-
tion of that committee. The Hon. Gentleman alluded
to five Ecelssiaetical Commissioners and two Cabinet
Ministers being on the committee, besides the chairman,
who drew up the report, being a brother of the Prelate.
No one could assert that any attempt had been made to
prejudice a fair inquiry, or that the unanimous report
was entitled to less value on account of the presence of
those members.—(Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman bad as-
serted that the committee recommended there should be
a separate board of three Commissioners, to whom was to
be referred all estate funds. Such, however, was not his
impression; The committee, after full consideration of
the evidence, concurred in recommending a change in
the composition of the Commission—that there should
bo a separation of powers in the general affairs and in
the management of the property. The great feature in
the interests of the Church was to be confined to the
larger body, the management of the funds to the smaller
body. Three paid Commissioners were named, two to
be nominated by the Crown, and one by the Archbishop
of Canterbury; but these Commissioners were not to
supersede the other Commissioners. They were to give
increased weight to the exertions and views of the gene-
ral body of the Commissioners by the nature of their
appointment, which would demand that their whole time
and attention should be given to the affairs of the Com-
mission. The Hon. Gentleman had said that he (Sir
G. Grey) concurred in that resolution. He did cer-
tainly. He gave full credit for the suggestion ; and
if he had been present himself on the 4ccae
sion he would have supported the motion for
the appointment of three paid Commissioners.
The Bill of last year was founded substantially on the
report of that Committee. The Hon. Gentleman was
inaccurate as to the Church Estates Commission. It
authorised three Church State Commissioners; one
t o be named by the Crown, and one by the Archbishop
of Canterbury, and he thought there were objections to
placing persons in official situations on such committees
as members or commissioners. He thought that such a
Committee should be a small body, composed only of
those who could give their undivided attention to it.
On further consideration during the last session the
Bill became the subject of modification, aed his Noble
Friend proposed last session to commit the Bill
pro forma, with a view to introduce various altera-
tions' before-the rneieure should come eo the House
for consideration ,;, and one of theS,o alterations 'went
to correct what wai required, because it reduced the
committee to the official: numbers, Now, the Hen.
Gentleman asked the House to anticipate the discussion,
which had much better be taken in the Committees on
the Bill, the second reading of which was fixed for next
Monday in the House of Lords. He did not exactly
know what might be the position of business in the
House of Lords, but there was every reason to suppose
that the Bill would come down to the Commons in a
reasonable time. If the Hon. Gentleman thought that
there should be three paid Commissioners receiving
salaries, he might ask the House to reject the Bill if it
did not provide accordingly. But he hoped the House
would not on the present occasion do that which would
be almost an unprecedented act, namely, before a Bill
now in the other House had come down to them, to
pledge themselves that the Bill should not pass that
House without it retained the clause for retaining three
paid Commissioners. He thought it was inexpedient to
anticipate a discussion which would most prorerly
arise in the Committee. He would not say any-
thing in favour of two or three paid Commissioners,
but whenever the time came the Honourable Gen-
tleman should have ample opportunity to go into
detail. He asked the House not to discuss now
whether there ought to bo two or three paid Commis-
sioners, and.here he must be permitted a word or two on
soother matter. He was almost ashamed to allude to a
latter which had been written some little time since to
the Hon. Gentleman's constituents at Cockermouth—he
could scarcely condescend to notice it. But the Hon.
Gentleman had not thought it expedient to repeat in
that House the personal charge be had made of gross
dishonesty, and of a wilful fraud having been practised
upon him in reference to the Bill of last year by him (Sir
G. Grey). The Hon. Gentleman had not maintained
the charge in his presence, and therefore be would net
condescend to notice the matter further; but if he had
abstained from doing so it was because, so long as the
words formed part of a column in a newspaper, or were
identified with a newspaper controversy, he did not think
them worth commenting on, because every Hon. Gentle-
man must know that the Hon. Gentleman must have
been drawing largely on his imagination in his descrip-
tion of a scene which never could have taken p!ace in
moving the Bill pro forma. He abstained from baying
more, because the Hon. Gentleman had not thought
',roper to reiterate what he had asserted.
Mr. HUME thought the country had a right te com-
p'a'n of the Government for allowing such abuses to
continue so long. It was the duty of the Executive to
have interfered, and his Hon. Frond was entitled to
credit for persevering in bringing this subject under no-
tice.—(llear, hear.) He hoped the time was coming
when Parliament would exclude the Bishops from having
any share in the administration of the ecclesiastical pro-
perty.—(A laugh.) He (Mr. Hume) felt it his duty
twenty-five years ago to overhaul the Church—(A
laugh)—and no man in the country was more vilified
in consequence. He was proclaimed from altars and
from pulpits as an Atheist—and this was dome by the
clergy to cloak the abuses of the Church.—(Hear, hear.)
But it had no effect upon him.—(A laugh, aed " Hear,
hear.") The House had abolished sinecures in the army
and navy, and why should they continue to allow sine-
cures in the.Church?—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. AGLIONBY agreed with the Hon. Member for
Montrose that the House and the country were indebted
to his Hon. Colleague for having brought forward this
subject. He was sorry to see that a soreness existed on
the part of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Sir G. Grey) on
the subject of a letter which his Hon. Colleague had
written, and he trusted the Right Hon. Gentleman
would also be sorry for the expressions he had used.
Lord J. RUSSELL (in a low tone to the Hon. Mem-
ber)—A Cabinet Minister cannot be sorry for his ex-
pressions.
Mr. AGLIONBY thought, nevertheless, that the
Right Hon. Gentleman would be sorry for the expres-
sions he had used when he came to reconsider them. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had spoken of the assertions of
his Hon. Colleague as having no foundation except in
the " fertile imagination" of his Hon. Colleague. Now,
these assertions were both true as matters of fees, be-
cause it was true that there was no discussion upon the
appointment of the Committee, and it was also true that
the lIIIMe3 were submitted to the Archbishop of Canter-
bury. His Hon. Colleague, he believed, did not intend
to represent that the Committee was an unfair Commit-
tee.—(" Hear," from Mr. Horsman). It should also be
remembered that his Hon. Colleague had given notice
of his present motion before the Bill was brought
into the other House. He believed that if the public
bad known the large amount of money that was about
to be vested in the Commission it would never have
been appointed. Anything more pernicious than locking
up so great an amount of property, to be managed by
an ecclesiastical commission, could not well be conceived.
The best constituted commission in the world ought net
to have possession of the vast a.motintsef property which
had come into the hoods of this Commission. It would
get into its management, or rather into its mismanage-
ment, 8,000,000/. or 9,000,000/. of Property, and no
commission could give satisfaction in its mode cf ad-
ministering such vast estates.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY hoped the Hon. Member
for Cock ermouth would consent to withdraw his motion.
He had always regarded the composition of the Commis-
sion as highly dangerous, and wAs,efrom the first,.pree
pared to expect that great mischief would arise from it.
The fact that the secretary was closely connected with
railways, and that he was it nneovabJeesin a commission
composed of about 50 membarlikeht have led to the
idea that mischief would follow, and he thought it was
the bounden duty of the House to place the Commission
on a sefsr footing.

Sir R. H. INGLIS was certainly somewhat surprised to
hear the Hon. Member for Cockermouth (Mr. Aglionby)
state that such was the mangement of the Ecclesiastical
Commission that he thought in the course of a few
years it would have under its control property to the
amout of 9,000,000/. or 10,000,0001., for he apprehended
that it the whole ecclesiastical revenue of England in the
hands of laymen, of corporations, and
,of. bishops was
vested in the hands of the Commissioners it would not
amount to one-tliird of that sum.—(Hear.) He was not
there to defend the Ecclesiastical Commission; for ever
since its institution he had opposed it, asa great violation
Of the rights of property vested in the ecclesiastical body,
and in the hands of individual pastors and rectors of
parishes—vested in theuttietby the state, not by kings,
but by private individuals. He should be ashamed of
himself, however, if he could sit in that House and hear
such language as he had heard from the Hon. Member
for Cockermouth (Mr. Herman), believing it to be un-
substantiated in fact, and not rise to give it a decided
denial. The Hon. Member spoke cf the treasures of
the poor having been squandered and exhausted by the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Ho denied the charge as
emphatically as the Hen. Member could make it. The
" treasures of the poor" had not been in the hands of
the Commissioners. and therefore they could not ha►e
squandered aid exhausted them. Then the Hon. Gen-
tleman spoke of the bishops having given exhortations
to the laity to contribute ; but did he mean to say that
they gave nothing but their exhortations?—(Wear,
hear.) If he did not mean that, what did he mean ?
(Hear, hear.) His object clearly was that the House and
the country should be left under the impression that the
bishops were ready enough to take from the pockets of
other people, but not to dip into their own. Now, he
would state as a fact, his belief of which he had not
ventured to make public Ix fore, that, in order to insti-
tute the bishopric of Manchester, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, now deceased, the Bishop of London, hap-
pily still preserved in life, and, he thought, the late
Archbishop of York, contributed each a sum which
amounted is the aggregate to 2,5001. a year.—(Heir.)
'The Hon. Member had drawn a powerful contrast be- I

tween a primitive bishop and one of the present day;
but perhaps the Hon. Member would draw a similar con-
trast between the laity of a primitive age and of the pre-
sent. In Apostolic times the primitive Christians set an
example which it would be well for all to follow; but
the Hon. Gentleman forgot that in the altered constitu-
tion of society, and above all in such a state of things as
existed in England, they had different ranks of society
and different duties t perform; and he defied him to
produce a single year in the history of England since
the first outlines 'of its existing constitution began, in
which the bishops did not hold a prominent place as the
first estate of the realm.—(Hear, hear.) He objected
to these Commissions,because their tendency was to con-
vert the hierarchy England, and indeed all the hum-
bler
.clergy of the establishment, into stipendiaries.—
(Hear.) That he knew to be the object of the Hon.
Member for Montrose, and he believed it to be the object
also of the Hon. Member for Cockermouth—Arcades
ambo ! The Hon. Member for Montrose told them that
twenty-five years ago he was the only Church reformer.
Mr. lIUME—Not the only one.
Sir R. 11. INGLIS—At least almost the only one in
that House. He wished he was the only Church re-
former now. The Hon. Member for Cockermonth said
the bishops would not Withdraw their "grasp" from
the property of the Church. Did he mean to say that
the bishops had not a stetuts.ble right to the property
committel to them ?—and did he expect that they
would withdraw their grasp from their own property?
Protesting against the language used by the Hon. Mem-
' ber for Cockermouth, and protesting against the ten-
dency of these measures, he trusted her Majesty's
Ministers would be prepared to resist the present motion,
and that the House would concur in such resistance,
leaving the discussion of the whole question till the Bill
' which had been referred to came down from the other
House.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. EVELYN DENISON said, as the House had
done him the honour, on his motion, to grant a Committee
to inquire into the condition and management of the Ec-
clesiastical Commission, and as the Committee did him
the honour to desire him to draw up the report, he felt
that perhaps he had failed in his duty in not taking an
earlier opportunity to bring the whole matter before the
House. But it was a case of great difficulty, of great
magnitude and importance; and as the Government bad
consented to take the matter into their own band.,
and adopt the recommendation of the Committee, he
felt he should best accomplish the object he bad in
view, and best discharge his duty both to the Committee
and the House, by leaving the Government, which was
really the proper medium for doing so, to carry the mea-
sure through the llouse.—(Hear, hear.) He endea-
voured iu that Committee to conduct the inquiry to the
best of his belief—searching for the truth, at the same
time being desirous of not creating unnecessary per-
> sonal annoyance to any one.—(Hear, bear.) And he
I must say, as something had been :aid in the course of
the debate of the Members of the Committee, that he
felt he owed a great obligation to the two Right Hon.
Gentlemen opposite for the fairness and candour with
which they entered into the inquiry and the great ser-
vices which they performed on the Committee.—(Hear,
hear.) If he had erred in not bringing this matter for-
' ward he had only to say that he was anxious to save
the time of the House, and as it was entirely contrary to
his habits to snake a speech, merely for the sake of a
speech, he refrained from doing so, as he believed that
everything that was necessary would to done by Go-
vernment.—(Hear, hear.) Some evestions had been ad
dressed to him by the two Membeii:roc OiCker-
, mouth. The Honourable Gentleman Ahos, ktro-
. duced"ther asked *Min Viligiiier; as re•
garded the composition of the Committee, a sort of bar-
, gain had been made that the subject should be introduced
without discussion; and he also asked him whether
; it was not another bargain that the names of the Com-
mittee should be submitted to the Archbishop of Can-
terbury. The Right Hoc. Baronet (Sir G. Grey) bad
explained satisfactorily to the House what really was
the state of the case as regarded the first question. So
far as he (Mr. Denison) was concerned, the only bar-
gain he made was, that if they gave him his Committee
as an unopposed motion, ho would be content; and he
did not find it necessary to make any observations.—
(Hear, hear.) As to the second question, lie would an-
swer it by giving it the most straightforward contradic-
tion. The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Horsman) had come
to him aal asked whether he did not remember some-
thing that took place in the lobby cf the House that led
him to make the statement that the names of the Com-
mittee were to be referred to the Archbishop of Canter-
bury. The Hon. Gentleman stated positively that some-
thing of that kind had occurred. All he (Mr. Denison)
could say was, that he would not speak positively, but
that to the best of his recollection nothing of the sort
ever occurred.—(Hear, hear.) He had asked his Noble
Friend at the head of the Government if he would
be so kind as to refresh his recollection as to whether
any reference of the names of the Committee was
to be made to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He could
state positively that he had no direct communication
with the Archbishop in regard to this Committee. His
Noble Friend said he had positively no communication
with the Archbishop with regard to the names; and,
therefore, what the channel of communication with the
Archbishop was, if such communication there was, he
could not tell.—(Hear, hear.) He must say that he
should have thought he was not acting fairly by lion.
Members if he was to ask any gentleman to outer into a
committee of inquiry which was to be .bound by any re-
strictions whatever.—(Hear, hear.) Ho asked that
House whether in the course of the time he had had a
seat in it there was anything in his conduct that oou'd
lead them t suppose he was capable of acting in such a
manner.—(Cheers.) He would go a step further. It
had been said that the gentleman who was chairman of
the Committee was the brother of a prelate. 11. would
ask if any gentleman in that House had observed any-
thing in his conduct that could justify such an imputa-
tion as that statement might imply.—(Cheers.) It had
also been said that several members of the Ecclesiastical
Commission had nets in the Committee. Now, in
selecting the members of the, Committee he wished to I
have gentlemen upon it who were cognizant of the sub -
jest, and he was anxious that gentlemen connected with
the Ecclesiastical Commission should take part in the
inquiry. He bad confidence in the strength of his case;
and he would ask if it was not a great deal more satis-
factory to that House, and to the country, that the re-
port should emanate unanimously from a Committee
composed of all sides, and some of them members of the
Commission, than if it had come from a Committee
differently constituted ?—(Hear, hear.) With regard to
the subject which had been introduced to the notice of
the House, he would pursue the course taken by others,
and refrain from entering upon a discussion of it. He
must state, however, that any gentleman who diligently
read the inquiry would find many painful facts—many
things that must excite regret.—(Hear, hear.) It might
be necessary to have a full discussion of the details of the
Bill introduced into the other House when it:came be-
fore them. He would, however, observe, that since the
Committee sat, and since the report was made, two cir-
cumstances of some importance had occurred. One had
Leen referred t) the defalcation of the secre-
tary.—(Hear, hear.) The Commission was so jealous of
the funds committed to their charge, so scrupulous of
the expenditure of every farthing, that they would not
consent to have a commissioner whose salary would be
raid from the funds of the church. He must say that
he should have thought a commission intrusting such
large sums of money to any individual would have taken
those precautions to procure that proper amount of
security which was always expected ,from any persons
into whose hands money was placed.—(Hear, hear.)
Ho hoped, however, that this money of the Church would
not be lost. There was another point to which he
would re fer. A Commission had been issued to inquire
into and report on the better management of Church
property, and the Noble Lord had told them that the
report of that Commission would be laid on the table of
the-House that evening. He would for a moment assume
that for the better conduct of these matters, for the pro-
per management of the affairs of the Church, some cen-
tral board, to act as an arbitrator and an umpire, should
be :appointed ; and he would ask the Noble Lord
whether it was possible that the Ecclesiestical Com-
mission, as now constituted, could be that board of
reference? Ho had no hesitation in saying, that
it was impossible.—(Hear, hear.) He must frankly tell
the Noble Lord that if he proposed to have two Com-
missioners instead of three, he would, of course, be ready
to hear all the arguments that might be urged, but his
impression was that it was absolutely necessary they
should have that number of Commissioners,' and no
fewer.— (He ex.) Ho trusted, in conclusion, that after
what had occurred on both sides of -the House;the Hon.
Gentleman would not think it necessary to ask the House
to divide upon his motion.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. MANGLES felt that a hard measure cf justice
had been dealt out to his Hon. Friend the Member for
Cockermouth. In one essential respect his Hon. Friend
(Mr. Horsman) had been entirely misunderstood, not
only by the Right Hon. Gentleman (Sir G. Grey), but
by his Hon. Friend (Mr. EeDenison), as to the observe-
I tions made by his friend (Mr. Hartman) in regard to
the constitution of the Committee whose report they
were considering. He most clearly understood his Hon.
Friend to speak of the constitution of the Committee, not
as at all disparaging it—far from it—but as an argument
a fortiori in support of its own recommendations. His
Hon. Friend said, "Here was a Committee composed of
a great number of the members of the Ecclesiastical
Commission, and of several Ministers of State, and whore
chairman was a brother cfa Right Rev. Prelate; if these
Right Hon. and Hon. Gentlemen had any prejudices,
they must be supposed to have a leaning towards the'
proceedings of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; there-
fore, if such a Committee had come to the conclusion
that it was absolutely necessary that three lay Commis-
sioners should be added to the Ecclesiastical Commission,
it was an argument a fortiori (and in that sense only,
and not at all invidiously, was it urged by his Hon.
Friend) that the measure of legislation :which the Go-
vernment intended to bring forsCard sshould be based
upon that foundation—namely, .that there should be
three lay Members on the Ecclesiastical Commission.
The Honout able Member for the University of Oxford
had dealt somewhat hardly with his Hon. Friend. They
all knew that Hon. Member's affection for the Church,
but he (Mr. Mangles) was cet tain that there was not a
name^ friend to the Establishment than the Member
for Coekerneouth. They might have different views as
to the test means of promulgating the Gospel, or by
which the Church might Le best supported—the Hon.
Paronet might be for giving greater power and greater
weafth to the heads of the Church, while his Hon.
Friend, though far from wishing to reduce the heads of
the establishment to a stipendary condition, might be of
opinion that the best way of st:enehtening the establish-
ment was to increase the means, power, and efficiency of
the working clergy of the Church; and he (Mr. Mangles)
very believed that those views had the support not only
of a great part of the body of the working clergy, but
also of a very large majority of the laymen of the Esta-
blished Church.

Mr. LIORSMAN, in reply, observed that if the pro-
perty of the Church was not (as the Hon. Baronet had
admitted) the property of the bishops, hen he would
ask, whose property was it? If the bishops were not

the proprietors then they must be trustees. He (Mr.
Horsman) contended that the funds were not the pro-
perty of the bishops, but of the Church. The differ-
ence between the Honourable Baronet and himself was
shortly this: the Honourable Baronet considered the
bishops to be the masters of the Church, while he (Mr.
Horsman) considered them to be its servants. The Right
Hon. Baronet (Sir G. Grey) and the Hon. Member for
Malton (Mr. E. Denison) had shown considerable adroit-
ness in leading the House away from what was really the
point in discussion. 'The Right Hon. Baronet had most
materially misrepresented what he (Mr. Horsman) had
said as to the character and feelings of the Members
constituting the Committee, whose recommendation he
was des,irous of seeing carried into effect. He assured
the Right Hon. Baronet that he had never said that the
Members of that Committee had entered upon their la-
bours with an intention not to do justice; or that they
had motives unfriendly to the Ecclesiastical Commission.
What he said wan, that the Committee was composed of
gentlemen of the highest character, the greatest experi-
ence, and of the most extensive influence in this coun-
try. If he had nc t expressed himself correctly, he
most certainly had intended to say that it would be
impossible to select a Committee against whom it would
be more difficult to find an objection, or whose con-
duct it would be more impossible to impugn. With re-
gard to what had. fallen from the Hon. Member for
Malton (Mr. E. Denison) he begged to observe that
as to whether there was an arrangement that the names
of the Committee should be submitted to the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, he had made no positive state-
ment on the point in his opening speech; he only said
that he had bea given to understand so. There was
only one further observation which hed fallen from the
Right Hon. Baronet upon which he (Mr. Horsman)
wished to say a word. The Right Hon. Baronet had
said that he (Mr. Horsman) had not ventured to reiterate
the assertions he bad made in the letter he had addressed
to his constituents. There was one good reason why he
had not done so. He had in that House a public ques-
tion to discuss, and he did not think it right that a
public question shoultl be mixed up with personal mat-
ters. 'The Right Hon. Gentleman had charged him
with having shrunk from repeating in that House that
which he had asserted elsewhere. Now, he had been a
Member of the House of Commons for fifteen years, and
that man must have been in that House for fifteen years
to very little purpose if he did not know that in ventur-
ing to make such a statement as he had made out of
doors he was doing'an act which might be attended with
very serious consequences. He (Mr. Horsman) was
fully aware of that. - He knew that by making such a
statement he placed himself in a position of great
responsibility and of no small peril. He knew that the
very publication of such a statement was very dangerous,
' and was likely to place him in a very critical position,
because, in the first instance, it must prejudice every
impartial person against the man who made such an ac
cusation; and must enlist the sympittbieli of every right-
minded man in favour of those who were so accused.
But, notwithstanding all thsto—notwithstanding the
knowledge he Lad of the responsibility and of the
perils ho might incur, he deliberately wrote his state -
inset, and published it as a letter; and on the first day
that Parliament met be gave notice of his present mo-
tion. Having done se, he thought the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet might have taken a different course from that
which he had thought it fit to adopt ; he might have
avoided all allusion to the subject, or he—(Here the
Hon. Member sunk his voice so low that he became
inaudibleiu Ahe,gallery.) • But 4aes had no- disposition
to fnalcA kify further.. remarks vitons slaty uubject
Right Hon. Baronet having, however, insinuated th'at
he (Mr. Horsman) had shrunk from repeating the state-
ment he had made elsewhere, he did not wish the House
to be under the impression that he was at all disposed to
retract any portion of that statement.—(The Hon. Gen-
Veman here made some further observations, but
none of which reached the reporters' gallery.) He con-
cluded by saying, that since he had given notice of his
resolution a Bill had been introduced in the House of
Lords on the subject, and he was not therefore disposed
to go on with his motion at present; but when the ques-
tion came down from the other House Le should be ready
to give it a full discussion.
The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn.
Mr. H. DRUMMOND obtained leave to bring in Bill
to facilitate the transfer of real property.
On the motion of Sir R. INGLIS, a standing Com-
mittee of sixteen Menabers was appointed to assist
the Speaker in the direction of the library, and to whom
should be referred all matters relating thereto.
Mr. MOFFATT moved for leave to bring in a Bill
to amend the law relating to bankrupt Members of the
House of Commons, and to facilitate the recovery of
debts from such Members. The Hon. Member said the
Bill was the same in principle as the one he introduced
last year.
Sir G. GREY had no objection to the introduction of
the Bill; but, after the experience of last 3 ear, he could
not promise the Hon. Member his support.
Leave was then given.
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Sir R. INGLIS moved for copies of any reports or
statements from the officers employed in the Arctic ex-
peditions, or from any other persons, which have been
laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
in respect to the resumption of the search for Sir John
Franklin's expedition ; of any plan or plans of eserch,
whether by ships or boats, up to the present date; copy
or extracts from any correspondence or proceedings of
the Board of Admiralty in relation to the Arctic expe-
dition (since the date of the last return to this louse in
1849) ; copies of the orders issued by the Board of Ad-
miralty to Captains Collinson, Relic t, and Moore, and
to Lieutenant Pullen ; and also copy of the instructions
' given to Dr. Rae through the Hudson's Bay Cora-
l. any ; of any reports made by any officer or office s
employed in the late expeditions and addressed to etc
Board of Admiralty ; end of the latest chart of the
I'.l ,r Sea compiled by order cf the Board of Ached-
tatty. It is as not necessary, in making this motion,
that he should quote any precedent in its sup-
port. It was one in respect to which he hoped
he should have the same cordial concurrence of the
House as he experienced in respect to the last motion
he made on the subject. At the same thee, though ho
as aware that there was not, technically, any opposi-
tion to the production of the papers, yet he would not
nonce 11 from the House that his object was not simply
to obtain those papers, but to induce the House to ex-
press the same sympathy with the subject to which the
papers adverted as had been done on a former occasion.
Ho was desirous of exciting an expression of sympathy
with those of their fellow-countrymen who were now
passing their fifth year—if God should have spared their
lives—amid the horrors of an Arctic winter. Ho would
earnestly urge upon her Majesty's Ministers to take
such measures for the relief of their fellow-countrymen
as their own zeal and as the science of those by whom
they were surrounded might teach them es be the most
applicable for the purpose—that of rescuing Sir John
Franklin and those who were associated with him;
that they would, in fact, do what they had on a
former occasion done in sending forth an expedition
in search of that gallant officer and his gallant crew.
The Government ought but slightly to esteem
that person who could move for even a slip of paper
in reference to future proceedings, who did not at
the same time acknowledge what they had already done
upon the subject. At the same time ho was bound to
urge upon them not to lose a month, a week, a day, or
even an hour in seeking to release those gallant men
from their perilous position; for every farmer expedition
had failed, if not entirely, or
principally, yet in some
measure at least from not having been sent forth from
this country at an earlier period. He believed that
during last month all the crews of the whalers were en-
gaged for the ensuing season; and that hardly any
whalers would remain in this country by the end of March.
In order that the search might be effectual, it ought to
commence is Baffin's Bay at the end of May, or the
beginning of June, so that it might take advantage of
the first opening in July. He ventured to hope, without
wishing to disparage any other mode of search, that her
Majesty's Government and the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty would take into consideration the expe-
diency of applying steam navigation directly and prima-
rily in the search. It was not the suggestion of Sir J. C.
Ross, but of his predecessor Sir John Ross, that steam-
paddles might be used with great advantage, provided
they could be adapted to the vessels. He (Sir R.
Inglis) had learned from high authority that the mea-
sure was not only practicable but might be easily
adapted and applied most usefully in such an enterprise.
He woUld also-suggest that instead of two vessels being
employed the same amount of tonnage should la distri-
buted among four vessels. The object was not so much
to go from one point to another as to make a search in
all directions. Supposing four vessels should go out, he
would suggest that each vessel should be independent of
the others. A stimulant would thus be given to the
energy of each, and greater results would probably follow
than could be secured by any other mode. He bad not
said a word on the subject as being one connected
with humanity, with national honour, se with science;
but the cause of humanity ought to compel them, and
a feeling of national honour ought to induce them to
do what ho now urged upon her Majesty's Goverc-
ment, without a word being said about science. Fur
what did they hear at the close of the last
session P That the Governments of two other Stat
were engaged in making preparations for rescuing our
own countrymen. He beliesal there was no precedent
in history of one nation sending forth an expedition to
rescue the lives of the subjects of another nation. Ho
did not know whether, either in the case of Russia or of
the United States, their hopes had been realised, but the
honour of England required that efforts should be made
by England herself to rescue her own countrymen. It
had been suggested that the use of small balloons would
facilitate the search. He gave no opinion upon the sub-
ject, but he understood that such a mode might be made
subsidiary to the other means employed. This was not
a private question; ho would not, therefore, introduce
private considerations, but when ho reflected on the
extraordinary conduct of the wife of Sir John Franklin,
of her self-denying efforts in the cause of her husband
and of his companions; when he considered the hun-
dreds of persons who were interested in the fate of
the husbands and brothers now engaged in that
expedition, he thought he did not unreasonably
prefer his suit to the First Lord of the Admiralty when
he expressed a hope that ho would take the subject
into consideration, not merely from a sense of humanity
toe ands those who were missing, or from a seesc el na-
tional honour, or from a consideration for the cause of
science, but a!so from a sympathy for the anguish end
suspense that had been lett by so many t f those wile,
though breathing
the same genial air with ourselves at
home, were suff,ring for those who were now separated
from them, and were existing in the regions of an ice
bound zone. He bad reason to hope that his Right
Hon. Friend was not only prepared to concede the
papers he had asked for, but to indicate to the House at
once that it was the firm intention of the Government to
comply with the suggestions that had been made.
Mr. ANSTEY, in seconding the motion, said he
wished to draw the attention of the Right Hoe. Baronet
to a proposal which emanated, he believed, from a gentle-
man named WCormack,who was formerly surgeon of the

zrehus, one of the missing vessels, when it was engaged
in the Antarctic expedition, that there should beran ex
pelt-ion to be carried on mainly by boats having a vessel
as a Point d'appui at the head of B,ffin's Bay, to loves-
tigite Smith Sound, Jones's Sound, and the Wellington
Channel. The impoi tsnce of the suggestion rested on
the hypothesis that from the long time that had elapsed
since the missing vessels were seen, they might conclude
that if any of the officers or men were now in existence,
they were arrested at some point between which and the
habitable regions of the globe there was no communica-
tion, and, therefore, probably they would be found in the
neighbourhood of Parry's Island, that being in the direc-
tion in which Sir J. Franklin was to proceed. The author
of the suggestion had volunteered to take the command
of the boats engaged in the very arduous enterprise, and
as the only question of expense was the outlay necessary
to enable him to reach the poir:t indicated on board a
whaler, which might be employed to carry out the object
in other quarters, he hoped that it would not be neg-
leCed.

Sir. F. T. BARING said he was much obliged to his
Friend for giving him the opportunity, and he had
intended to take the first, of stating the course the Go-
vernment prcposed to pursue with regard to this expe-
dition. He had thought it right, however, as the time
for sealing the expedition had arrived, that the Govern-
moot should take upon it:e'f the responsibility of not de-
laying the expedition to I3ehring's Straits. He would
now state that it was the intention of the Government
to send out an expedition in search of Sir J. Franklin
from the eastward of Lancaster Sound; but he thought
it better to reserve the details of the course adopted by
the Government, and to lay them on the table in the
shape of a minute or paper, as they were not at present
entirely fixed. He could assure the Hon. Gentleman
the Member fur Youghal, that although he was quite
ready and anxious to give the most respectful attention
to every suggestion on the matter, many of the proposals
which he had heard that evening had been previously
made to the Government, and had been much con-
sidered by them, and they would endeavour to adopt
those which they really believed to be the
mot efficient for the object they had in view. He
thought it right to state that he had never done the
House of Commons or the country the injustice to sup-
pose that expense would be an obstacle when the lives of
their fellow-men were at stake.—(Hear, hear.) The
time might unfortunately come when they would have
no right to risk lives in such a service, but he did think
eee still temained such a hope of the existence of these
persons from the advice and opinion of those who were
better able than others to form an opinion on the sub-
ject, as justified the Government in taking every mea-
sure which they could fairly and properly take to give
assistance if possible—at any rate to ascertain the fate
of our unfortunate countrymen. At the same time,
whilst he did not underrate the value of the extension
of science and of geographical knowledge, he had not
atdertakect these expeditions for the purpose of such ex-
tension, but for the sole purpose of saving the lives of
the men engaged in Sir J. Franklin's expedition. His
Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia had most cor-
dially and kindly afforded every assistance in his power,
tied he was also bound to state that the Hudson's Bay
Company had not only acceded to every repreientation
that was made to them, but bad volunteered several
me satires which they thought might secure the object in
view.

Mr. WYLD was extremely gild to hear that it was
not the intention of the Government to make any greater
qterifice-of life and money upon expeditions conducted
like the former one. Ile believed that all persons who
bad paid any attention to the subject knew well that, the
state of the current being from west to east, the expe-
dition had to encounter not only the perils of the season,
but an immense accumulation of ice from the west to
the east, caused by the flow of the tide. He entertained
a confident hope that Sir John Franklin was still alive,
and that ho was most probably detained at the southern
portion of Melville Island. It ould be presumptions in
him, of course, to suggest what course the Government
ought to adopt; but, at the same time, he thought it
very desirable that a communication should be attempted
with the portion of that country not hitherto explored,
by means of a land expedition. A large sum of money
bad already been expended to no purpose, but in futui o
searches the chances of success would be far greater if
the discoveries were made from the land and not from the
sea.—(fie .r, bear.)

Sir B. H. INGLIS thanked the Right Hon. Gentle
man, tte First Lord of the Admiralty, for the state
ment he had made, which he was sure would give satin
fiction to the House and to the country.
The motion was then agreed to.
COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS.

Mr. M. GIBSON moved fir leave to bring in a Bill
to establish county financial boards for the assessing of
county rates, and for the administration of county ex-
penditure in England and Wales., but made no further
observations upon it.
Mr. FREWEN simply seconded the motion.
Mr. DISRAELI said, before this question was put
he should like to inquire of the Right Hon. Gentleman
who had moved it in a manner so suspiciously quiet.—
(A laugh.) Last session, when he (Mr. Disraeli)
bt ought before the House his motion on total taxation,
the Right Hon. Gentleman favoured the House with
an ingenious speech, the object of which was to prove
that the occupiers of land did not pay the rat•Ns but the
owners of the soil paid them. Now he wished, before
leave was given for the introduction of this Bill, that
the Right Hon. Gentleman, with that eassiowr which
distinguished him, would answer the question he was
now going to put to him. What was his opinion iu
proposing to introduce this project of law? What was
his opinion on this highly important and interesting sub-
ject?—(A laugh.) Was it his opinion that the occu-
piers cf land did pay those rates? He supposed that
to be the Right Hon. Gentleman's present opinion, as
I e was now proposing a representative government
which coald only be the consequence of that conviction.
But if that were his real opinion, then he (Mr. Disraeli)
should take leave to remind him and his friends that on
another occasion they would have the opportunity of
supporting a proposition which he should make to the
House.

Mr. M. GIBSON said that that was not the time to
enter int) such a discussion as the Hon. Gent!eman in-
vi:e I him to commence—(Hear)--but if it were true, as
he had often heard, that the interests of the landlord and
tenant-carmers were one, the Hon. Gentleman could not
object to the tenant-farmers having a voice in controlling
the expenditure of the country.—(Hear, hear.) It must,
however, be admitted that, although the occupier would
in the first instance pay the rate, in the ultimate settle-
rai-nt between the landlord and the tenant it would fall
on the owner.

Mr. NEWDEGATE wished to ask whether, consider-
ing the smallness of the sums administered by the ses-
sions, it was worth while to overturn a system which
had existed fir years and establish a nominnl control in
the rate-payers? Almost all the expenditure of counties
eas now under the control of the Home-office, and it
would be absurd to establish groat machinery, for an in-
significant object.
HUME said that the principle of the Bill was
the same as that which was before the House last ses-
sion, and its object was, simply, to place ratepayers in
counties on the same footing as ratepayers in boroughs,
by giving them some countrol over the expenditure.
Sir R. INGLIS made a general suggestion to the
°frost that when there was anything in the title of a Bill,
or the speech of the Member moving for leave to intro-
duce it, which indicated that it was one which the Go-
vernment could not support, Ministers should at once
oppose its introduction.—(Hear, hear.) It was the
custom at present to allow a number of Bills to he in-
troduced, which, after occupying several Wednesdays in
unprofitable discussion, finally met the fate which they
merit d at first—rejection.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir G. GREY expressed his concurrence to a certain
extent in the suggestion of the Hon. Baronet; but, as
to the present Bill, he was net prepared to express op-
position to its principle.
Mr. STAFFORD said that the question was whether
the incidence of taxation fell upon the owner or the
occupier of land, and with respect to this question the
Hon. Member for Manchester blew hot and cold. It aas
too much the habit of Hon. Gentlemen opposite to an-
nounce what they called a great principle—to declare
that they were determined to stand by it, and on the
following evening to do that which would practically
abrogate it. It was only last week the mover of the
Address told the House that the incidence of property
fell upon the owner of the I,nd. Now this great prin-
ciple was qualified by the Right Hon. Member for Man-
chester and the Hon. Member for Montrose.—(lloar,
hear.) The principle was a vital one, and Hon. Members
melt not be permitted to blow hot and cold with respect
to it.
Mr. AGLIONBY concurred with the Hon. Member
for Oxford University in thinking that Government
ought not to indulge the propensity of certain
Members to introduce useless Bills fur dull Wednes-
day debatep.—(Hear, hear.) If Ministers were bound
to support all the measures which they allowed t
be,brought in they. would soon see the necessity of
checking the practice. As it was they caused Hon.
Members to suppose that these Bills would obtain
their support, but in the end they found that, although
they might have their good wishes, they could not get
their votes. With respect to the question before the
Mme, he would not undertake then to determine
whether the rates fell upon the owner or the occupier;
but whoever it was, that party ought to have the control
of their expenditure.—(" Hear, hear," from the Oppo-
sition benches.) In his opinion there could not be a
worse body for administering the rates than the magis-
trates. They were appointed by the Lord-Lieutenants,
and had no! interest in common with the ratepayers
except in as far as they were owners of property.
Sir J. PAKINGTON agreed with the last speaker
that the rates should be administered by the persons
whO paid them, and those were the owners of land. The
change proposed by the Bill involved most important
considerations connected with criminal justice, and ho
hoped that the Government would not support it.
Mr. FREWEN said he was compelled to oppose his
Hon. Friend the Member for Buckinghamshire on this
occasion. When the Bill was before the House last year
he supported it ; and he had since received resolutions,
adop:ed at several farmers' clubs in his division of Sus-
sex, approving of the course which he had taken on that
occasion. The expenditure for the East Division of
Sussex had doubled between 1834 and 1843, and Lal
considerably increased again since the latter period. In
the present mode of raising and administering county-
rates, that principle of the British Constitution which
&clan d that the people should not be taxed except
through their representative; was wholly disregarded.
In some counties an extraordinary system of favouritism
preivailed as regarded the appointment of magistrates
fir it was found that gentlemen of large property were
passtd over, whilst others who were possessed of compa-
ratively little property were nominated.—(Hear.)
Mr. DISRAELI said that the Hon. Member for East
Sussex was not in the Muse when ho (Mr. Disraeli)
spoke, otherwise he would have known tLat he had
not, at present, said a word against the Bill, but only
called for a definitioteof the principle on which it was
introduced.

Mr. HENLEY requested that Government would no
leave the um,gistracy responeibl f tb vice cf the
country and the care of gaols, and deprive them of the
means denoting those ohj-els.—(lic:zr.)
Sir G. GREY said that he would not consent to ex-
clee the magistracy from all control cv3r county rates.
Mr. HEYWOOD said that the Bill would leave a
large share of power in the hands of the magistracy.
Leave was then given far the introduction of the Bill.
Mr. HALSEY moved for and obtaiee 1 leave to bring
in a Bill to amend the rating of small tenements.
On the motion of Mr. THORN ELY, the Select Com-
mittee on Public Petitions was appointed.
Mr. ANSTEY obtiined leave to brine, in a Bill to
consolidate and amend the Irish Fishery Acts. Ile de-
scribed the Bill a; being founded on the recommenda-
tions of the Committee of last s(:ssion.
Mr. MONSELL obtained leave to bring in a Bill to
amend an Act of the last sessiln for making, prolision
for the collection of county cess in Ireland, and f..r the
remuners Von cf the collectors thereof.
Mr. FRE [YEN moved for leave to bring in a Bill t
amend the law relating to the holding c f benefices in
plurality. He had been confirmed in the opinion that
such a measure was necessary lay observing that dispen-
sations had for some time past been gra! to, for holding
plEralities at the rate of more thitu one per wetly, and
that among these was one in favour of a ckrgyrnan who
was allowed to hold tTO livings—one worth 1,1004, and
the ether worth more than 1,0004

Sir G. GREY oble_tA to the Bill of last session, not
bccause he thought the law relating t) pluralities did
not admit of amendment, but because he thought the
Bill defective. 11, should be happy to assist the Hon.
Gentleman in perfecting the measure; but le hoped
that an early day would not be fixed for the second
reading, as there were various points which required
careful investigation.
Leave was given to bring in the Bill.
The Lords Commissioners' Speeeh having been con-
sidered, a Committee of Supply was fixed for tc-
morrow.

The House adjourned at. a Quarter to Ten o'clock.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE

BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On Monday the 4th, the question which formed
the principal point of contest on the Address, was de-
bated over again with a sort of bated breath, on occa-
sion of what is termed bringing up the Report. In the
course of this something was done towards throwing
light on portions of the subject in which you and yours
are so peculiarly interested, and among others, upon the
following.
I wish you would invite the attention of your thought-
ful workingmen,—and I know you have individuals of
that class able to grapple with any subject it is possible
to lay before them if they have time to take it orderly
from its beginning,—to the following view of their ease,
and finally take their opinions on its troth.
That their position in general is much improved, no-
body when I was with you attempted to deny. Why is
it improveJ? Is it not distinctly traceable to this fact,
that more custom has come to the shop? That they
can get more food for the same money than they used to
do, may be one part of the reason; but this 'night have
taken place, and still their position have been no bett:,r,
if the quantity of custom to the shop had falltn off as
there were some to prophesy. We will not enter into
any exact calculation of how much or how little altera-
tion in the custom might have kept them as they ore;
but they know full well, that what has happened at
Bradford, is that Bradford trade is good, which means
that Bradford 'goods are in good demand,—that some-
body will buy them and pay for tht m, and that the con-
sequence is that workmen in general aro in good em-
ployment, to the extent even of finding occupation for
the hand-loom weavers, who a few years ago stood for-
lorn, as men whose mode of working was such as none
could afford to entertain.

Who is it, then, that buys Bradford goods and pays
for them, and did not do it a year or two ago? I will
tell them who it is, if any of them have not guessed it
themselves. It is the people who eat foreign corn, and
pay for Bradford goods to go abroad in exchange. The
corn-eaters give their money to the merchant; but the
merchant, or two or three merchants playing into one
another's hands, buy your Bradford goods, aed send
them abroad, where through a process of the same
kind with the foreign merchant or merchants,
they clothe the people who grew or sold the corn.
One-third of your trade at this moment, is to go abroad.
Stop the corn coming in, and as you were told a few
weeks ago, you will be put three upon two, or three of
you will have to divide the employment that now falls to
two. Do not puzzle the case with questions of Socialism,
and whether it would not be better if all Bradford were
their own masters, and appointed a commit t,:e
to divide the profits to every man according
to his deserts. This will not be the case this
year, nor next. In the mean time, look to the thing
that brings grist to the mill to-day. Set this down as a
settled point, that as far as the existing state of things
is concerned, living at Bradford depends on keeping
open the foreign trade, and if you cannot prevent its
being shut up, you must get ready for going three upon
two, with such patience as you may.
The inference I draw from all this is, that in this ques-
tion of foreign corn the battle is not between the English
corn-grower and what he calls the "untaxed foreigner,"
but it is between the taxed corn-grower and the taxed
Bradford man, who Las as good a right to exercise his
trade as the ether has, and will make as great exertions
to do fe,id it. To put this in the broadest light, it shall be
supposed,if anybody please, that it is absolutely true that
the foreigner pays no tuxes, and pays no wages either, or
that inhis country it snows corn, and the price of it con-
sists of nothing but the expense of shovelling it up and
putting it on board a ship. And still, I say, there will not
be the shadow of pretence, why because the English corn-
grower pays taxes, he should stop your trade of making
corn at Bradford, who fay taxes as well as he.
One thing more, if you lave time to attend to it. I
have no doubt you would consent to shut up shop at
Bradford and go into the strette, if you thought the
good of the country carol for it. Now then for the good
of the country; and I submit to you whether the good
of the country would not to affected by the stop-
ping of your trade, exactly as it would be by stop-
ping omnibuses to make every man pay five times
as much fur travelling in a coach by himself.
The coachmen are deprived of their receipts; but does
not some other person get them? If you save two shil-
lings out of half-a-crown by riding in the omnibus, do
not you expend them on the baker or the butcher, or in
some way that makes it exactly the same to trade? The
end then is simply this, that in one way you get some-
thing for your two shillings, and in the other you get
nothing. Add together therefore all the shilling's
wet ths that are thus got by Owe who ride in omnibuses,
and yon have the measure of the national loss which
would arise if ere were an Act of Parliament to put
them down.
Of exactly the same nature would be the results to the
balance-sheet t f the community, if your honest trade
were stopped. So go on with good consciences, as men
who are struggling for your country's good and for your
own. If I hale made a single man's view clearer by
this letter, it has not been thrown away.
Oa Tuesday, a long debate on the Ecclesiastical
Commission, ending in the withdrawal of the motion.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN OLD REFORMER.

London, Feb. 6, 1850.

THE SUSPECTED POISONING AT HACKN EY.--
Ye terday morning, at twelve o'clock, the adjourLed
inquiry was resumed, for the third time, at the Foun-
tain Tavern,UpperClapton, relative to the death of Jam( a
Merritt, aged 34 years, a turneock in the employ of the
East London Water Company, who died on Thursday,
the 24th ult., from the effects of meanie, alle4ed to have
been administer(d to him by his wife, Ann Merritt, who
now stands remanded until Saturday next, charged with
having caused her husband's death. The Coroner said,
tore he proceeded in examining the numerous wit-
nesses, he would inform the jury that since their last
meeting he had received a communication from Mr.
Andrews, the summoning officer, that the de-
ceased's father had died suddenly under precisely
similar circumstance', and that considerable sus.
picion attached to the accused that site had
poisoned her father-in-law as well as her husband.
He had, therefore, deemed it necessary to order
the disinterment of the body, a post mo, tem examine-
tion, and also an analysis of the contents of the stomach,
to ascertain, if possible, if there was any foundation for
the rumour. He did not intend to call witnesses in that
case at the present inquiry, but should empanel a fresh
jury at a future time. The following additional evi-
dence was then adduced:--Mary Gillett, the wife of a
labouring man, residing in the adjoining house to the
deceased, said that on Thursday last, after the adjourn-
ment of the inquest, Mrs. Merritt entered the house,
and asked her if she had heard that poison had been
found in the deceased's stomach. Witness replied in the
affirmative, when Mrs. Merritt exclaimed, " I am in-
nocent ; he was a dear good husband, and it is not
likely I should do such a thing." She' then added,
" Dear creature, if that is the case, he has done
it by his own hand." Witless remarked at
the time that it was not very likely, as he had pur-
chased a new pair of boots the night previous to
his death. Witness also knew the deceased's father, and
saw him alive on Saturday, the 29th of September last.
He died on the following day; and for the last few hours
previous to his death he was suffering from pains, and
under similar circumstances as the deceased. By the
Coroner—The deceased belonged to a benefit society,
and early on the morning of his death Mrs. Merritt ap-
plied to the society for the burial money, and received
31. 155., a portion of the sum she was entitled to on the
death of her husband. By the jury—Witness could not
undertake to say that the deceased's father belonged to
the society. Other witnesses were examined, but their
evidence was of no public importance. The Coroner said
some further time was necessary to enasle the police to
make further inquiries, and it would therefore to nect
sary to adjourn again. In the interim the body of the de-
ceased's father would be thoroughly examined, and the
results laid before another jury. The inquiry was ac-
cordingly adjaurned until Monday next.
THE MONSTER FISH IN THE CHANNEL —We last
week noticed that some of these fish had become entan-
gled with the nets (f he fishing boat, named the Crite-
ri arid that the crew, fearing their lives were
jeopardise.l by these monsters being near their boats, cut
the nets a !rift and returned to this port without them.
We aro glad to learn tint the nets hive since been picked
up by another boat, and will be returned to the proper
owners, who are poor men, and could ill-afford to sIU.-
tain such a loss. Some gentlemen of this neig,. hbourhood
(among whom is Mr. J. Dymond, f George-street), it -
terested themselves in the poor fishermen's behalf, and
have obtained subscriptions t) provide a new set of nets
for them, which, of course, is now rendered unnecessary.
The loss however to the fishermen is considerable, by the
damage done to the nets, and by their being thrown out
of employment for some time, but we hope the sum al-
ready subscribed is sufficient to prevent the poor fellows
being sufferers to any material extent by their misfor-
ttme.—Devonport Independent.

NAVAL
ATHE SUPPLY OF SPIRITS TO SEAMEN: i
s..rcommittee of flagofficers, and captains with .Adanr_t
riaa Pa) am :alai tin in the chair, is noW sitting at the ka
all
to pronounce on the expediency of reduchig te,s
present allowance el grog which is daily served cot.`o
üb: eeamen e f her Majesty's navy, a fair comp in
being made to them by a proportionate increase,
thuslo
arneutit c f the pay. That the object which it s ~.
preposed to arrive at is a great and important d sl,ue.t
rtattito there can be no doubt, as it is a notorious nt'e
Bbe t 0 e otejority of punishments which take place resultS
rstish navy at e either directly or indirectly the fo
o! drunkenn, se; and the transition from " the esbeeeer:s,e-e
can" to the cat-o'-nine tails is but too frequentlY
1 "rience ef the inevitab!e laws of cause and effect. the
Intensle,l reform is, howeuer, not entirely a new chet°l/o',
the result ef modern temperance preaching. As esrs
1 iu 1824, when teetotalism was a thing not dreamt 0
so
our philosophy, and the daily allowance of rum PeVess
wasv no less than half a pint. a committee of flag
who h re'
was assembled, with Lord Exmouth at its 'Jai, weer,
pee tad it as their unanimous opinion that` he diseip Ire
e f the fleet and the health of the seamen ould be nti f
tonally benefited by a reduction in the allowance itcla
spirits, and they reported to the Board of Admir"
:bat the allowance of rum should be reduced nearly
n -half, it, just equivalent for the reduction being Co.
to the seamen in money. The decision of the coo
- mittee was adopted, and there was every exeeeniiieg
that the most favourable results would ere long 50,,5,
from. the new system. These hopes were, Weser, ut;vo
tined to be crushed in the bud—a Bill being Passed •
mirasc,ulboyu,sslvhich the present la]
syueraers af,er, in 1826, for the equalisation of liquid Ow
yaerdestthcreeds,eaumr aun'esaral
teblished •
yllotsvoa,ncteo otfie gfrelfiro;
pto!tioes of which it had just been curtailed, an" -foe-
fhas retained :up to the present day. There is.e the
thing so natural, so familiar to British ears, 1° eta
association of seamen with grog, that it would, ro°
Imperial measure wasicse
ha"'
he a hopeless task to endeavour giber.
that one is not a necessary adjunct to the 0 or
Yet in the American navy grog is noltnew 'tee-
at least the exception and not the rule—the coffee orients .
pot is the sober substitute to the grog-can; and '
evidence that there is no disadvantage in the systemg la a
that the case in fact is the reverse—is thesfset bat skiii
service requiring all the energy, hardihood, :Is erre
that
a seaman can possess—namely, the who,' es a jog
the ships of the United Strates have confessedly :rhos
the English out of the South Seas and Pacific, °branch
monapolised that once flourishing and profitable
( f our commerce.
Evident, however, as are the advantages
temperance movement in our navy would be e,,!itebe er
and reatly as its efficiency and character weal .4011 '
hanced by it, there are certain consideratione • b
nit and whie
render it a delicate question to apprae-,
mob the tc;
shoul ' d dictate caution as to the mode lo wa- for tes
firm is to be introduced. It will be necesearf sose i
committee in proposing their measures to 3.sdpr his
guardianship of what the seaman would Null a,"•alits
rights, and whilst the advancement of better cut-e'best
is held in view it should be made evident that tal", sea
interests, as well as the the true well-being, Of
with whole:ea:
man are being attended to. la onli sc
The officers s ho compose the committee, lviaatisibis
riistineuisbed not only in his professional, Teller
administrative character as the Admiral of the,g tbes° ~
their president, form a sufficient guarantee that tio
considerations will be held in due regard. ,"„`'.. eaPe'
fullest evidence as well as the weight of their 0
rience will be brought to bear upon the
PORTSMOUTH, FEB. s.—Capt din George rksreaerial
questioa•ederiolt
Rich (1823) is selected to succeed to the sueeri%7anifei '
of the Royal William Victualling-yard aosst1:11,
Hospital at Devonport, vice Captain TouP i'"ce-eas.ander
The Hercules, 72, store ship, Master C°ll.--01 the
Fulton, arrived at St. Helen's in the night, 'are the
Mediterranean, and came up to Spithead ht,'
She
sailed from Malta on the 7th ult , and Gibralta! fall
24th. She has brought home 'a
companY, of 460
Artillery, and detachments of the 56th, 67th,
a.-- ,
regiments invalided. Skirit'''
The Hydra steam-sloop, Commander G. 0 int°
arrived to-day at Spithead, and soon after 0%00.
harbour, from the south-east &eat of AraCriCa 6 4 0-
She left four days before the packet Linnet, whic pre?
rived last Friday week; her packet
newF, thert'reeti
has been forestalled. She brought the draft cf f', ba tbe
from the Republic of the River Plata for apere"'` leaned ,
from
Government, all that is to be at present g, 000
ttohetuLtrAhhedonaiteo7rnapsitotryluice3t,ion of which is, that :vti,t,lhaobr aep,srsee:aeoneirdt,itie
Brighton with Commanderhi s
I, f 00/I°'
Hydra sailed from Rio on the 13th of DecegoveS'aearf,
and South Coast Railway this afternooe. ~..,1
at Ascension on the 29th, Goree on the 12th of efrolard
and Teneriffe on the 23J. The Tortoise store al),betere,
ship, Capt. Hutton, and the Spy brigantine, Lieu it inland •
were the only men-of-war at Ascension, which
the
were the only men-of-war at AzceniBiO
news 01 the 0,:
was very healthy-. She brings no later news ° frecem
cent engagement on the Gambia. At Gorse tLe .. /eV
Commodore and the bulk of his squadron were ab",„ tee
drzvous. The only passenger brought b°nle i.,' oti
Hydra is M. Figuet, late master (f a merchant s'lgPillea
tile coast of Africa. The Hydra has caPtoreci loos,
slavers since she has been out,yand liberated 35° %seas
whom she took off a wreck. She is ordered to bee'
to
Tbeteparidrinouffe.
Regent, 90, Commodorearrived
th Ow
at Lisbon,
,from Malta, on the 24th ult., to take "---°
mand of the squadron of evolution. d cif.
The Scourgesteam-sloop, Commander Lor
al
t•
sailed from rom Lisbon for Malta on the 30th ult. 60
flea/ •e, a.
The squadron was daily
ex., ciscd, and the leaellestn.
(steam guard-ship), ' ip), is reported to be the su arte° il
whole
.The Commodore intended edivg 0°
proce
cruise in about ten days from the above date•
lGefltadyieasttourr,dlaiyaviiunrg
minaueira
and
Wind S.W.; strong
PLYMOUTH,rMarti'', _.
'ED. 5. her Majesty's goon— -el
tow her tender the Jackal s
lir
APPOINTMENTS. NV
Wooawacn FEB.
M.D. ( ' s.—Surgeon Alexanclee glare
1849), to the Wlas vote- '
i me}, S, sloop, at ' .ship'
Naval Caskt John T. Swann, to the Fisgard toe
at Woolwich.
suirvsheyeiningemvehsesresl 0 f if Of
Acting Gunner David ero ,
Mackley, to the Seaaa,
havinguldo
reon the south-east coast of 'relocated 10
Eautdmeitdrhi
the
visit Wool • the Board cfth e
coast Admiralty
their Lordshicpb;
wich Dockyard did not arrive here CO;
importantnen business to transact in tatso•aßeorma
kit Wool Wiry had a lengthened interview
boa
studitdLieutenant Thomas B. Christopher 0941)' XPI.(4
steam ;;ti the facts at Woolwich Vekeo, or
was 'e
sista
txaminedSAndpmeririnaltetyn.dent of this pith
sa 1 passed to-Jay by Mr. Trie order tblit
n to the chief .
engineer. The recent oruld pr.
aah e .6 •
all efficers studying steam at this dockyara ---naeasiee.•„
ceed to Portsmouth to be examined previous. t° Y 00 •
has
been rescindedand a - a wll ei ceor
, lr. Trickt . d
and pass them • in future, or until further orders aolote ~.
inuantder John H. Woolwich) who wag ePt' 1949,
aidt tidy steam at factory is Joill81;901 htoi.'
s, a attended four months, but subsequentif of 0.-
to be present at the experimental trisle so pis':
Niger and the Basilisk, has again joined be:Augeeo),
his course of study on the • of e'i- ,a
passing
Christopher. basw
of the el'
The Niger steam-sloop is tote taken out.if he Dam`s
on Friday, and on the following Tuesday will te
bee sa•
gated to
.Portsmouth by the crew of the PSS A' r Tee
vessel, under Lieutenant Parks, their conaloanmee;iergaeo-
commander and crew of the Dasher will brivg the so e-
steam sloop round from Portsmouth to the rive
aof
fitted with her engines by John Penn and Sena 41- '
Tee Monkey steam-vessel, M —astor-Commanoc- isaera
0 the ea
is a dn. orders to accompany the Niger dove lee
erlY °pd°
The Grappler iron 1
'l,ames
55 01
on service on the coast of Africa, under 7, for 0
Lysaght
, was sold out of the service last
at the vino, */
The Rocket, announced for sale 51/113° $
not disposed of.
_......

, it
gisrt--- . t ..,
THE NEW N
tt
ami
thant a a stated,
t su c-c
be
yAs
sv.Altt Admiral
iNs s vl
seldom 1. h—e
(says:;T 1 I t seem
et
ebffieFsa} rel ti
aidektreel l'ig aspectrfit°
gdil '
the ;alien hat an of a literary chief 0 4„ ale 0
by as
. potent a successor; but, f astely lu' , 11; •A
ortur before e" eat '
rimers of tales of the " deep," the vvork JO" .00
exception to the rule, de mantle t f the late it or
rl itse til
Captain Marry adjuste-, eviclerloto
the _ at having gracefully
shoulders of a gallant fla-officer, vib° isio is °alf
capable of wearing it with honour. ~ The reto- .00 ''
it bri,,h er
than a more tale of the sea; it is, in fact'. it
ofe
constructed narrative, abounding With balm e se° the
sea and Ian 0•
capes and dangers by - TO 8-e ber 00 1
ll' 6
chiefly laid in the Mozambique Chorine , e3eOP so
Petrel 'is cruising in search of • The 0/.ll'l
pirates. 01 the bri '
the crew and
, passengers of an Indiatnan fr crest is t pg,
len:Ands us of Cooper's best effort • its 'cid: 1
mg and absorbing. The volume's' are full °` 0 /040.
possess many highly dramatic scenes, and bilenv°tl;ibe°llo4.
quiet humour running through the whole; •- sI f •
last, not least, its characters are portrays with tree "°
are portra) , e
dit
ness and graphic
power which does cre Ap
I: ter' -
ary sailor."— Weekly News. 6sl4slg
~,v Teeth
ADVER
TISEMENT.]—THE TEETII `",--f tbo ijtbt
,REACT].—It may fairly be said, the stn 'JO he 0
a nPcl( n ' greatly upon the state of the be greedy 11,
Poi
the state or the bodily as g•- • ipo3
health dep,ll . , none our
the state of the T cell]. •
The Hemet °p r a per &heti
infinitesimal doses in all cases of weakness sect aoti,no'" tli
(nwess, is no doubt the right one as culture is a,
To
or
_ oerpowersfl, but assisted. The'United Doti, socd.oo,
Pthowder carries this out to its utmost ext„,e,ilit'ecies• °Aea 111/„‘
most strengthening articles in the 012:--0,1.1gr0"- PP '
absorbed
econtained in it, and a small portion beLe'',o3oo the
, every day, not only strengthens theieboses Isi
the wnole system. It likewise thoroughlY coo brehol ito '
teeth, gradually removing the tartar, putiie 101,'
thereby precedinginfection, and corrects acidityo9 0
mouth and stomach.—Address, Ross and Soue'
j,,,z 01
120, thshopsga,tc-Ate t, London. •,, iofoS.,';Pg
[ADVERTISEMENT.] Bell's. Life ••- or- 1.i.:
S”uanday, Feb. 10, will contain a Review 01 s3iit;iieoF"'
ii nclicaps, by Pegasus; the pccba of EgYP's.,;iie, P 4(
0
Impo*.H. t
•• 1, Correspondence ho:,ween . re" yriced,
and the Jcckey Club; the Challenge diclined! woo
hell' Pie " 10'
Bell's Lit- '
-,e, S:xpecce. The sale of s ;en.; ,t
27,u00. A sixpence erclosed to Mr. Clement,
ail co.
poSt t°
8 rand, will cnsure a copy by return of
or the United Kingdom.

--"--"-------------""a"--.'—" ----
ieß
- :e f Pri •
tOirprcio.tehaeve3sl,sll:sugl.t.,,i‘aigaVfie2l4d:DA:nDiti.olns.abellito the I"r'e °
JI(/1.'
Tqldrell. _iv
On the Ist inst., in'Charles-kq Joshua 1., ~ _boo
uare, ~ ~soi
On the Ist inst., at Brixton. hill,
aged 27, the youngest son of Mr. J. lialdren, 01 " i
..
Wife
°
court, Basingball-street.
607,
T. Boorman, Esq. too, sg COI'
On the ' Ist inst., at Sydney-street, BratuP /04'0
Duncan F to
erguson, Esq., late House PhySiCian
lege 110:'pital. _ ;„1-.01
—.- 1-0/5101
London •P• ed
. nut and Published by '' 0 '
No. 112, Strand, -063' 110/ .
.::t„nd.
in the Precinct of the Savoy. in vs-.
Middlesex, Wednesday, February 6,
Mrs. Boorrnan, the .
_, i .

i
i