The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-27 00:00:00

COMMON PLEAS.—(THIS DAY.)
LORD WE PAGET t'. THE EARL OF CARDIGAN;
CUIM.
The 80titifOrt-GE)iEn.A7., (in continuation fro n our After-
noon Edition) said—Lord William's son was in Queen-street,
and Lord William takes this boy out with him, and waits in
a cab until Winter should come to him. So, according to
Winter, Lord William makes the appointment) goes out ib
his cab knowing the adttltery is to be committed, waits
quietly in his tab Until it is committed, and then goes home.
And after all this, on the Monday night he meets his wife at
the Duchess of Richmond's. He sends his wife to Ports-
mouth ; he goes to Portsmouth after her, and after that
brings this action. Lord Wm. Paget was not on terms of in-
timacy with any of his family, but Lady William had been
on terms of intimacy with the Duchess of Richmond, Lord
William's sister. The Duchess had heard the story on the
Sunday night. She had investigated it, and so convinced
was she of its falsehood, that notwithstanding the plaintiff
was her brother, the intimacy had subsisted up to the present
hour. The first thing to be considered was the character of
the witness Winter. Was he worthy of credit ? While in
Mr. Hamer's service he had been acquainted with those per-
sons whose names they had heard. He left Hamer's and went
to Bartlett's, and thayhad heard him state the reasons for his
leaving Bartlett's. He would not swear that he did not
k fraudulently appropriate Mr. Bartlett's money for his own use.
He was dismissed from Bartlett's in February, 1843, and from
that time to August he had not had any regular employment.
He was in a state of the greatest distress. Lord W. Paget
was aware of the cause of his dismissal from Bartlett's, and
being aware of Winter's Poverty and of his character, he em-
ploys him to watch in the manner stated. He sent Mr. Fishe
to him, and Winter at once agreed to do it, but on what terms
did not appear. Now he was in the back drawing-room under
the sofa on the Saturday; the folding doors were closed, and
yet he would make the Jury believe he could hear what was
going on in the front drawing-room. He now came to the
second day, on which day the doors were all left open. Now
could they suppose an act of criminal intercourse to have
taken place under such circumstances. It seemed they put
Winter under the sofa in the back drawing-loom, and shut
the folding doors, so that he was in precisely the same situa-
tion as he had been on the Saturday. Lady W. Paget then
went into the room where Lord Cardigan was, opened the
folding door, and left it open during the time the criminal in-
tercourse was taking place ; so that any one coming into the
it back drawing-room could see all that was going on. She had
closed the window, it appeared, but had left the door open.
Winter said that he heard kissing, breathing, and conversa-
tion, and among other things he heard Lady William ask
Lord Cardigan, to procure a place for a person, which had been
the purpose for which he had been sent for to the house. Now
he did not doubt but that Winter had been placed under
the sofa by Lord William Paget ; but Winter had stated to-
day that which he had not previously stated. He had told
Lord William Paget, in the presence of Major Close, that he
had not seen more on the Sunday than he had seen on the
Monday. That statement had been taken down in writing,
and was in the possession of Lord W. Paget. Now, after his
visits for the last fortnight to Lord W. Paget, they found
him to-day adding to the statement that he had drawn him-
self out from the sofa, gone to the folding door, and seen
Lord Cardigan and Lady W. Paget. Now, could that be
, true? Had he always told that story? He admitted that
he told Mr. Fishe that he was under the sofa in the front
drawing-room, where the act was represented as having
taken place, and that he was nearly scratched by Lord Car-
digan's
spur. It did not appear that anything of the
kind had been seen by the witness Thomas ; the whole
% case rested upon the uncorroborated evidence of Win-
ter. There was no single fact to implicate Lord
Cardigan and Lady William- Paget, except those deposed
to by Winter, and Winter:alone. How came:Lord W. Paget
to place Winter under the sofa? Had his suspicions been
' excited by any previous information—by any acts of indis-
cretion? There was nothing of the sort given in evidence;
34 no such thing had ever occurred, for if it had occurred, it
would have been given in evidence. Lady W. Paget had
been in Portsmouth for the last twelve months; Lord Cardi-
gan had never been there, and the only thing given in evi-
-234 deuce was, that twelve months before Lord Cardigan had
sometimes called on Lady Paget while Lord W. was from home.
54 This matter commenced by Lord W. Paget bringing his Lady
up from Portsmouth the Bth of August,-;and then placing
the man under the sofa. It appeared that on one occa-
sion Lord William Paget had used personal violence
5% to his wife, and had frequently used abusive language.
5% and a night or two before Lady W. Paget's arrival in town,
534 he had passed the night with a prostitute. He alluded to
these facts to show that he was not the affectionate and at-
tentive husband that his Learned Friend had represented him
3s. to be. It was utterly incredible that he could have been
living on terms of affection with his wife. He cared not for
7% his wife—for her reputation, or her happiness ; he cared not
8 for the infamy he might bring upon her if he could wrest
N from a rich nobleman—and he fixed upon one who was in some
4 degree of unpolurarity with the public—he cared for nothing
5 so that he might wrest from him a sum of money. Could
7 they believe that the offence had been committed? He was
5 sure they did not give credit to the testimony of the witness.
This witness had received regular pay from Lord W. Paget
s since, on the morning of the last trial, he bad
come to give evidence. He thought he had not been
well treated, and because he had not been subpoe-
naed, he did not come. He went to Mr. Powell's, Lord
I% Cardigan's solicitor. Did he expect Lord Cardigan would
buy him 'off ? That witness who would make an affidavit

enormities that we would adjure our transatlantic kins-
men that they should not still further disgrace the
131Lialti bath 6 by ft deed from which, all legal
as it is, even our Bullet's and our Garrows
would have recoiled in horror, and Which, if
it be really done, will open between America and
England a gulf of moral separation far wider
and more impassable than the ocean which now divides
them. That ocean seemed yesterday but as a strait,
on the further side of which there abode among a
kindred people the spirit of Christian love, the feel-
ings of civilised humanity. To that spirit and
to those feelings, and to the many there who own
their sway, we still confidently appeal—not as assum-
ing to originate or to promt the indignant protest
which ere this they must have put forth, but as ready
to rejoice in their indignation, and to cheer them
on, if we may do so, to the rescue of their country's
honour. Soon, no doubt, will the sound, the welcome
sound, of their remonstrance be wafted to our shores.
We wish but to return it hence with increased and
more wide-spread urgency, and to mingle with the plead-
ings of American humanity the cry of applauding sym-
pathy with which the universal heart of England is pre-
pared to re-echo its voice !

that they did not wish for the relaxation in the case of
theological professors.
Lord CAMPBELL concurred in the prayer of the
petition, and he hoped the Noble Marquis would bring
in a Bill to carry it into effect. In truth the law was is
a great measure obsolete in the four universities of Scot-
land, and if it had always been observed they could not
have attained their present high position. Some of the
most eminent professors of languages and science had
been persons who could not subscribe the confession of
faith.—(Hear, hear.) If the law had been enforced the
Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir Robert Peel, Lord Stanley,
and Sir James Graham could not have filled the office
of Lord Rector.— (Hear, hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM said that those eminent and
most useful professors, Sandford, Moore, Young, and his
own distinguished and revered relative, Dalzil, were
Episcopalians.—(Hear.) In fact there was no end to
the number of such names which he could repeat.
After a few words from Lord HADDIN GTON, in
favour of the petition, the conversation dropped, and the
House adjourned at Half-past Five o'Clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour,
CORN-LAWS:-

THE LONDON GAZETTE
(THIS EVENING.)

Col. SIBTHORP presented twenty-five petitions from
places in Lincolnshire, praying that no alteration might
be made in the existing corn-laws.
ST. ASAPH AND BANGOR.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, Fza. 26,1644.

Lord CLIVE presented a petition from a plain in
North Wales, against the union of the sees of St. Asaph
and Bangor.

Orders for the Coart's change of mourning, on Thursday,
the 7th of March next, for his late Royal Highness the
-Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha, father of his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, and uncle aad father-in-law to her Majesty,
viz.:—The ladies towear black silk, fringed or plain h-
nen, white gloves, necklaces and ear-rings, black or
white shoes, fans and tippets. The gentlemen to wear
black, full trimmed, fringed or plaid linen, black swords and
buckles. The Court to change the mourning further, on
Shuraday the 14th of March next, viz.—The ladies to wear
black silk or velvet, coloured ribbons, fans and tippets, or plain
white, or white and gold, or white and silver stuffs, with black
ribbons. The gentlemen to wear black coats, aad black or
plain white, or white and gold, or white and silver stuff waist-
coats, full trimmed, coloured swords and buckles. And, on
Thursday, the 21st of March next, the Court to go out ()-
mourning.

SUPPLIES.

Mr. BLEWITT presented a petition from Newport,
in Monmouthshire, praying that the supplies may be
withheld until the grievances of the people shall have
been considered.

POOR-LAWS.
Mr. WILSON PATTEN presented twenty petitions
from Gersten; and other places in Lancashire, praying
for an alteration in the present poor-laws.
CANADA .CORI4I- BILL.
Mr. HUTT presented a petition from the Chairman
and Directors of the South Australian Banking Com-
pany, stating that they had invested a capital of
230,0001. in their business with South Australia, and,
praying that the provisions of the Canada Corn Bill
might be extended to that colony.
TOBACCO.

Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented a petition
from Rochdale, with 525 signatures, praying for a reduc-
tion of the duty on tobacco.
CORN-LAWS.
The House having remained a considerable time
without business,
The SPEAKER proceeded to the notices of motion,
and first called the order No. 7 on the paper, which was
the notice of Mr. Cobden, of a motion for a Select Com-
mittee to inquire into the effects of the corn-law protec-
tion upon the tenant-farmers and agricultural labour-
ers.—(Loud cries of " Cobden, Cobden.") No answer
being given for some time, the Speaker then called on
No. 8 upon the paper, which was Mr. Ferrand's
notice of an amendment on Mr. Cobden's
motion, the amendment being to the effect that
it be an instruction to the Committee to inquire also into
the effect upon the:condition of the manufacturing ope-
ratives by the immigration of agricultural labourers into
themanufacturing districts, and the treatment ofsuch im-
migrants by the master manufacturers who promised
them employment. No answer to the Speaker's call
being given, the cries for Mr. Cobden were renewed. At
length
Mr. COBDEN postponed his motion till this day fort-
night.—(Hear, hear.)
EDUCATION IN IRELAND.
. .

Mr. WYSE gave notice that on this day fortnight he
would bring forward a motion for the purpose of pro-
moting the universal education of the Catholics of Ire-
land, and especially of those who were intended for the
priesthood ; also for the purpose of rendering the
honours and advantages of Trinity College equally ac-
cessible to Roman Catholics with others of her Majesty's
subjects ; and of elevating the College of Maynooth to
the rank of a theological college, with the power of con-
ferring degrees.
STATE TRIALS IN IRELAND.—SECRET SER-
VICE.—THE PRESS.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE gave notice that on reading
the Order of the Day for going into a Committee of
Supply on Friday next, or on the first Supply day after
Friday, he would move for a return of all the moneys
paid to Frederick Bond Hughes, Charles Ross, and John
Jackson—(A laugh)—on account of any communications
made by them to Government relative to the repeal
agitation in Ireland, distinguishing the amount paid
to each ; also the dates of the several pay-
ments, specifying the respective periods at which
they commenced together with copies of every instruc-
tions given to the above named F. B. Hughes, Charles
Ross, and John Jackson, with respect to the duties to
be performed by them in Ireland.—(Laughter.) Also
a return of the amount paid for expenses during their
attendance at the trial of the Queen v. O'Connell
and others. Also a return of all moneys paid to
the late proprietor, or proprietors, managers, con-
ductors, or agents of the Morning Herald and
Standard newspapers, or any of them—(Laughter)
on account of commuications or information made or
given by the said parties, or any of them, to the Govern-
ment, in reference to the repeal agitation in Ireland, dis-
tinguishing the times at which the said communications
or informations were furnished, and the period at which
the several sums of money were paid ; also the name
or names of the short-hand writers appointed to furnish
the Government report of the proceedings of the trial
of the Queen v. O'Connell and others.—(Laughter.)

a for two guineas, but not for one—who would not give evi-
dence unless he were well treated—who had promised to pay
l%- his creditors with the money he was to receive after this trial
—would get no money from Lord Cardigan. Lord Cardigan
and Lady Paget defied him, and said, let him say his worst—
; let him go into a jury-box, and see if a jury will believe him.
Ili It was impossible to call any party to contradict his testi-
mony, for the only persons who could contradict it
were Lord Cardigan and Lady William Paget, and
neither of those could be called. It was, therefore, for the

jury to test the truth of the story—to consider his character,
1 to consider the improbability of his story in the different
versions he had given of the same transaction, and to ask
themselves if they could act upon his evidence, and blast the
character of a lady who had hitherto passed through life
without a stain, and to convict Lord Cardigan of having
seduced the wife of his friend. They had seen the witness ;
they had heard him give his testimony ; and in their hands
114 he left the case.
Immediately after the Solicitor-General had concluded his
address, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant.
The announcement was received with applause, which was
instantly checked by the officer of the Court.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
STANDARD.—Mr. Sharman Crawford last night
divided the House of Commons upon a motion to post-
pone the consideration of the navy estimates until after
Easter. This is, we believe, in part fulfilmeut of a
factious and vexatious opposition, threatened of the
Member for Rochdale at the commencement of the
Vi session. The motion was, of course, rejected by a great
9 majority-105 to 11; but Mr. Sharman Crawford's ob-
si( ject, the only object he could propose to himself by
34% such a proceeding, was gained—the public time
was wasted, and Mr. Sharman Crawford's name
appears in the newspapers befor a speech and
5
7 at the head of the debate. The occasion was also
1 convenient to Colonel Rawdon and Mr. E. Roche, who
were safely delivered by two superfetations upon Lord
John* Russell's motion. Now, all this is very well in
a February, but surely such proceedings ought to be re-
° membered in August next (that is, if Parliament can be
adjourned so soon), when complaints will be made of the
6 small amount of business transacted during the session.
How can the session's really useful business be otherwise
9 than small, when every, say every Mr. Sharman Crawford,
5 feels no scruple in obtruding himself and his crotchets upon
0% the public time ? It would be a delicate and difficult,
o but a very useful analysis, to separate the number of the
0434 Members of the House of Commons into the several
5 classes of those who go there to serve their personal
7 interests, those who go to serve a faction, those who
,3, go to gratify their personal vanity, and those who
4 enter the house with the honest and sober purpose
of serving their country. The last class would, we
fear, be found a very small minority: and yet all the
I public business is really trausacted by this class, not
IN merely without help from, but in defiance of, the most
pertinacious opposition of the other classes of all politi-
cal parties, for they pervade all parties, though happily
the Conservative party numbers but few Borth-
wicks, D'lsra ells, and Monckton Milneses. In
S proportion, however, to the number and activity
of the really honest and intelligent men of business on
one side, and the factionists, fops, crazy dotards, &c., on
the other, must be the amount of useful work done in the
;3,6 course of a session. We have only to look back for
l% proof to so much of the present session as has already
passed. Nearly a month has been consumed, and what
13„ is the result of that period's labour ? Why, we have
Ri had a long Irish debate of nine nights, in which
three-fourths of the speeches have been one tissue of
lc fallacy and nonsense—not less nonsense than it was in-
flammatory and mischievous nonsense—while the other
fourth was extorted from reluctant speakers, by the ne-
cessity that falsehood should not pass unanswered and
;il unexposed; these nine nights, wasted in speeches, making
a a full half of the sitting nights since the opening of the sea-
!A, sion. Well, at the end of the long debate, the servants of
7 the Crown come forward to try if the House of Corn-
-14 mons will at length engage with the public burthens, and
96 forth comes Mr. Sharman Crawford deliberately to un-
buckle his budget of treasured grievances, modestly
requiring that the public business shall not be entered
upon until after Easter (say the 15th of April as
i the earliest day), that is, until about eleven weeks
5 of the session shall have elapsed, and Colonel Rawdon
and Mr. Roche follow with their superfetations.
Mr. Sharman Crawford's request is, indeed, ridicu-
lous, but it is characteristic. What are we to think of
5% the patriotism—we say nothing of the sense—of a gen-
B tleman who professes to exclude all public business from
1 the first half (according to old practice, more than the
N first half) of the Parliamentary session ? We entreat
our readers not to forget last night's proceedings when
they shall, about August next, hear solemn speeches in
Parliament,. and read grave Edinburgh Review, coin-
; planting that little or nothing has been done during the
5.34 session.

15 - GLOBE.--When we hear of a New Zealander making
a feast of his enemy—when we read of the nurer can-
aT4
theirniba felsollfeowldmemna—kitnhge thheerriredr whichyood we feel at h
onth e flteseh
act
elee r, ba y e
dr
inc-
-09% is greatly softened, perhaps too removed,easilyrace,e
1 fleeting how wide is the difference, in
habits, between the actors and ourselves. But when we
5% hear, as wo did but yesterday, that among a people
r sprung from the same race that we are, speaking the
, same language that we do, and looking to the outward
1 eye even as we look, whose religion is one with ours,
I whose laws are derived from the same source, whose
oi justice (so to tail it) is clothed in the same forms, a
man has been doomed to die for assisting in the escape
' of a female slave—who had, too, that claim upon
,% him which springs even from an unlawful passion—
' in the midst of our indignation and disgust, we tremble
to think how small may be the interval which divides
even ourselves from the savageness of the brute !
This is not the occasion nor the theme for indulging
in any thoughts of our own superiority; and still less
is it the time to utter them in the shape of taunts, or by
the suggestion of any threat to give to the pride of a
susceptible nation a pretext for throwing its shield around
the crime which it contemplates. Rather does it be-
hove us to reflect how far our own bad example,
our own bloody laws, not so long disused, may
pi have paved the way among a people sprung from
r% our stock, for the perpetration even of such atro-
% i
lasteit i e,
s as
and
uedegwreees,havferombeetnhere;taiilmt reclaimed ata
ferocious legislation ; but it is still with a deep
bthyis. slowTr
sense of shame at the remembrance of our own past

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 27, 1844.

question, respecting the appointment of an assistant
Commissioner for the superintendence of such revision,
it was necessary to appoint one for that purpose.
With regard to the third question we understood the
Right Hon. Gentleman to say that it was intended that
there should be a revaluation.
Sir D. NORREYS then gave notice that he would
move for a Select Committee on the poor-laws in Ireland
unless the Government took the subject into their con-
sideration.
STATE OF PAUPER LUNATICS IN WALES.
Mr. W. 0. STANLEY said he wished to put a ques-
tion of great importance to the Right Hon. Baronet
the Secretary of State for the Home Department, re-
specting the state of pauper lunatics in Wales.
There were 157 lunatics in Wales, and only twenty
of them were in any asylum or licensed house.
There were 31 lunatics in the county which he repre-
sented ; not one of whom was in a proper place of
confinement ; and, in many instances, they were treated
in a most improper manner. The question he wished
to ask, was, whether the attention of Government had
been called to the treatment of pauper lunatics, or
whether any compulsory steps could be taken to make
several counties join together to support lunatics, which
they were enabled to do under the Act of the 9th
George IV.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that he quite agreed
with the Hon. Member that it would be desirable if the
smaller townships combined together under the Act to
which he referred, for the purpose of erecting lunatic
asylums. No object could be more important; but, as
at present advised, he was unwilling to render it com-
pulsory upon them, and he was not prepared to say that
he would introduce any measure on the subject.
Mr. W. 0. STANLEY then gave notice that he
would, on a future day, bring the subject under the con-
sideration of the House.
THE LATE OUTRAGE AT BRIGHTON.

Captain PECHELL begged to put a question to the
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite the Secretary at War,
respecting the outrage which had taken place some
time since at Brighton, and with regard to which he
put a question on a previous occasion, when the Right
Hon. Gentleman acknowledged that an outrage had
been committed by the troops, but that it was provoked
is consequence of an attack upon a soldier by some of
the inhabitants. A trial was then pending, and was
now over, the result of it being that the soldiers were
convicted. Lord Chichester, who was chairman at the
sessions, in passing sentence upon them, said that
they had been guilty of a very serious of-
fence, and that he would punish them to
show that the peaceable inhabitants of the town
were to be protected from the soldiers, who
had been placed there for the preservation of the
peace. The inhabitants of Brighton felt that a stigma
had been cast upon them by the •Right Honourable
and Gallant Officer. He now wished to ask the
Right Ilonourable Gentleman whether he had
made such an inquiry as would remove his
impression from the people of the town, that the inha-
bitants brought the outrage upon themselves, and
whether the officers of the regiment intended to remune-
rate the parties whose property had been destroyed?
Sir H. HARDINGE said that it was an erroneous
impression to suppose that in any statement of his
he cast any stigma upon the inhabitants of Brighton.
He was led to believe at the time that the
soldiers had received an insult, but from the result of
the trial, it appeared that they had received no previous
provocation of any kind. He had stated before his opi-
nion that the regiment had misconducted itself in break-
ing the peace; it was a serious offence, and he hoped
the sentence they had received would teach them in
future, to observe the laws of the land. They had
been each imprisoned during a period of ten months,
with hard labour, for the assault. What he stated with
regard to compensation was, that the soldiers of the
regiment, and not the officers, were ready to subscribe
to compensate for the injury which had been done. An
order had been issued by the Commander-in-Chief pre-
venting any soldier from entering the town unless
accompanied by a non-commissioned officer.
TAHITI.
Mr. HINDLEY said, that having seen by a second
edition of the Times that the French Government had
disapproved of what had been done in Tahiti by Admi-
ral Thouars, and that it was their intention to adhere to
the Protectorate treaty, he wished to know from the
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (the First Lord of the
Treasury) whether he had received any official informa-
tion on the subject ?
gi Si r R. PEEL said that he had not received any in-
formation on the subject beyond what had appeared in
the second edition of the Times, and which had been
received by express. He had no reason to doubt the
authenticity of the information which appeared
in that journal, for it gave the quotation
from the Moniteur, which was the official organ
of the French Government, to the effect that
it was the intention of the French Government to adhere
to the treaty of 1842. He said he deprecated hasty
questions on the subject, and he had a stroni and con-
fident impression that the French King and the French
Government had acted on the impulse of their own
feelings—(Hear, hear)—and he was rejoiced that they
had acted in a manner which was so satisfactory
to the feelings of many persons in this country who were
interested in the welfare of our missionaries. He be-
lieved the statement in the Moniteur was perfectly
correct, and that the act of Admiral perfectly
correct, and that the act of Admiral Thouars
had not been rat►fied by his Government ; and he
was bound to add, injustice to the French. Government,
that this act was the voluntary act of the French King
and the French Government, and that it was not neces-
sary that any communication should be made on the
subject by this Government.
On the motion of Mr. DUNCOMBE,
A return was ordered of cases of insanity which oc-
curred in the Pentonville prison.
GAMING TRANSACTIONS BILL.
Mr. M. GIBSON wished to know whether it would
not be desirable that the Gaming Transactions Indem-
nity Bill, which stood for a second reading, should be
printed, in order that the House might judge of its pro-
visions before it sanctioned the second reading. He
would also express a hope that the Government would
not bring on the third reading of the Horse Racing Bill
at a late hour.
Sir R. PEEL said that the Hon. Member for Man-
chester seemed to have a most curious notion of what
were measures of the Government, and what not.
The measure he had last alluded to was not brought
forward by the- Government or any person connected
with it. He thought it was but reasonable that the
Gaming Transactions Indemnity Bill should be printed
before it was read a second time.—(Hear.)
Mr. M. GIBSON wished to know what Hon. Mem-
ber had the carriage of the Bill ?
To this question no answer was returned, and after
some further discussion it was agreed that the Bill should
be printed before it was read a second time.
FACTORIES BILL.

Mr. BRIGHT wished to know from the Right Hon.
Baronet opposite, the Secretary for the Home Depart-
ment, when he intended to proceed with the Factories
Bill. At present, he believed, it was fixed for Friday.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, that it was intended
on Friday to proceed with the Committee of Supply ;
but, on that day, ho would state when he would bring
the subject forward.
NEW POOR LAW.

Mr. BOTHWICK wished to put a question to the
Secretary of State for the Home Department.
He understood, that in another place of which
they often heard an important conversation had
taken place between a Right Rev. Prelate, and one of the
Members of her Majesty's Government, from which it
was to be presumed that the Government would, in the
course of the amendment of the Poor-law Bill, adopt
some measures for the religious instruction of poor in
unions, by chaplains of the Church of England
only. He wished to know from the Right Honour-
able Baronet whether it was the intention of
the Government to introduce any such provision
Sir J. GRAHAM had no hesitation in answering
the question put to him by the Hon. Member, or in
stating what the decision of the Government was upon
the point referred to by him. Her Majesty's Ministers
were perfectly satisfied with the exercise of the dis-
cretionary power vested in the Poor-law Com-
missioners, with respect to the appointment
of chaplains in workhouses, he was sure that
they would appoint persons according to the
necessities of the different localities in which these ap-
pointments were to take place. He was not prepared to
propose any alteration in the law. As at present ad-
vised he was perfectly satisfied with the state of the law,
and in any discussion that might take place on the sub.
ject he would be prepared to show to the satisfaction of
the House, that the discretion placed in these responsi-
ble officers bad been exercised in a most proper manner.
DUELLING.
Mr, TURNER, in pursuance of notice, asked the
Right Hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury,
whether it was his intention to bring in a Bill for the
more effectual prevention of duelling?
Sir R. PEEL said that her Majesty's Government
had not failed to take this important subject into their
consideration, hut they were not prepared to bring
in any new legislative enactment in reference to duelling.
If the practice of duelling still existed, it was not owing
to any defect in the letter of the law, and her Majesty's
Government greatly doubted whether any good object
could be promoted by altering the law.—(Hear, hear,
hear.) At the same time they had shown
by the exercise of influence and authority,
during the recess, a disposition to discourage the prac-
tice of duelling, so far as it could be discouraged by the
executive power. He believed that the feeling which
had lately existed on this subject had been excited in
a great degree by the unfortunate result of a duel which
took place in the course of last year. He thought there
could be no doubt that the practice of duelling was on
the decline, that the influence of civilisation was producing
its necessary effect; and on this account he should de-

precate any interference on the part of the House. The
officer who lost his life last year had served his country
with great distinction. When his widow applied
for that :pension to which she would have been
entitled had he died in any other way than by
the hand of his antagonist, her Majesty's Go-
vernment felt themselves compelled to refuse the

application. With respect to the survivors, as that of-
ficer did not come forward to answer the charge after
the lapse of the period which was allowed for public
feeling to subside, he was superseded. The widow of
the deceased officer having been refused the pension, and
the surviAor having been superseded, he thought her
Majesty's Government had shown that they were not
unwilling to exercise their legitimate authority for the
purpose of suppressing the practice of duelling ; but
they were not prepared, as he had already stated, to in-
troduce any new legislative measures with that view.
Mr. TURNER said, after what had passed, he should
feel it his duty, on a future day, to move a resolution to
the effect that duelling is immoral in its tendency ; that
it brings into contempt the laws of the country, and is
contrary to Divine command.
Mr. T. DUNCOALBE said it bad been stated by the

Right Hon. Baronet (Sir Robert Peel), that the unhappy
widow of Colonel Fawcett had, from the mode of her
husband's death, been deprived of a pension she would
otherwise have been entitled to. HQ wished now to ask
whether it was the intention of the Government to dis-
continue pensions to the widows of officers who did fight
duels, and to break officers, as was now the case, if they
did not fight duels when challenged to do so.—(Hear.)
Sir R. PEEL said that after the notice of his intention
to more a resolution against duelling, just proposed by
the Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Turner) he thought
it best to say no more upon the subject, but to reserve
his opinions until the subject was brought regularly be-
fore the House.
THE POLES IN PRUSSIA.

Mr. VILLIERS STUART said, the House was
aware that the King of Prussia had allowed fugitive
Poles to take up their residence in the Duchy of Posen,
and had conceded to many of them the rights of
Prussian subjects. It had been lately announced, that
his Prussian Majesty had given directions to withdraw
the protection from these Poles. He wished to ask the
Right Hon. Baronet (Sir Robert Peel), if he could give
the House any information upon the suhject.
Sir R. PEEL said that he was not prepared at present
to give an answer in a definite point to the question
put by the Hon. Gentleman.
SCOTTISH LAW COURTS.
Mr. WALLACE rose to bring forvvaad his motion
upon the above subject. He said that the legal tribunals
in Scotland had been an immense expense to the nation.
Instead of those Courts being called the Courts of
Sessions, the more proper name to use would be the
Courts of Vacation, for they were idle for nearly seven
maths in the year, and during those seven months
the Judges sat only for five days in the week.
He held returns in his hands which would prove
beyond doubt that the law authorities in those Courts
had allowed an enormous amount of arrears to accumu-
late ft om the year 1781 up to the present time. The
number of cases which were in arrear in the year 1838
was 477, and he thought this was sufficient to require inves-
gation. The vacations of the Courts in general exceeded in
length of time the sessions. There was another matter
that called for remedy, namely, the choice of Courts,
and he must say that he thought the delay and expense
incurred in the Courts in Scotland were attributable to the
listlessness of the Judges. I do believe that until a Court of
Review (as we understood) was established, there would
be to satisfaction in the courts of law in Scotland. There
was no court more dreaded, with the exception
of the Court of Chancery, than the Court of Session.
All this waste was at the cost of both countries. He
would now read to the House a statement of the yearly
cost of this establishment, and he believed all
the- Honourable Gentlemen who were friends of
economy would be surprised to hear it. They
had thirteen Judges of the Supreme Court, to a
population of two millions and a half. They might
know by the number of the English judges, whether
this was a justifiable mode of applying the money of the
people. The cost of the judges was 42,700/.; that of
clerks of the court 17,000/. There were also thirty
sheriffs, which cost 16,500/, or, on an average,
5511 each per year. He had no hesitation in
saying that the most vicious part of their
vicious system was the having three times the
number of judges required. When the Noble
Lord the Membor for London introduced his County
Courts Bill, the number of judges he proposed for all
England was twenty-five chief judges, and four
others in the event of illness in the chiefs. The
whole amount of the cost of the judicial establish-
ment in Edinburgh was not less than 150,0001.
You might travel from one end of Scotland to the other,
and you would not find one man who was not dis-
satisfied and disgusted with the whole system
of the administration of the law in that coun-
try. In 1843, and Act was introduced by the late
Government to raise the salaries of the Judges, by
which it was held that it should
.give great
facilities to the means of obtaining justice—the
rules of Court were to be altered, and the time of session
was to be extended so as to do away with
the arrears of which so much complaint had been made,
and so justly. The salaries of the judges were at that
time raised to 1,0001 a year each. The Court of Ses-
sions and the Crown had the power of extending the
sessions for one mouth.

(LEFT STEALING.)

COURSE OF EXCill
Amsterdam CF. 12 6
Ditto, at eight l2 4
Rotterdam 2U. 12 6i
Antwerp
liamburgh M.B. 14 0
Altona l4 0
Paris, 3 days' sight 25 65
Ditto, 3 months 25 85
Marseilles
Bourdeaux.
Frankfort on Maine
___

Petersburgh, 3Us 364
Berlin 7
Vienna, effec. 11.3 M 956
Trieste, ditto., 9 58
Madrid 364

Cadiz'
361
Bilbao 36

BarcelonA 36

►NGE.—(THIS DAY.
Gibraltar

Leghorn 3O 80
Genoa 25 95
Milan —
Venice 47
Naples ........
Palermo, per oz llBl
Lisbon' 531
Oporto 531
Rio Janeiro 23
Bahia 23
Buenos Ayres
NewYork,2ldys sight
Philadelphia

PRICES OF BULLION, PER OZ.
Foreign Geld, bars £3 17 9
Portugal Gold Coin 3 17 5
New Doubloons 0 0 0
New Dollars 0 4 91
Silver in Bars 0 4 Ili

Sevilla —

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 26.
The House sat to-day to hear appeals. The Peers
present were the Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham,
Lord Cottenham, and Lord Campbell.

SANDFORD V. MORRIS.
The arguments in this part heard appeal were resumed
and concluded to-day. The question in the case related
to the law of real property.
Their LORDSHIPS postponed their judgment.