The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-03 00:00:00

--..----.„.- --,--
had had some previous information, which would enable !
him to answer the questions put by the Hon. Baronet.
He was also prepared to allow that great excitement did
prevail in Leicester on this subject. Ile had had copies
of the petitions sent to him at the Home-office, and on
receipt of these, he had thought it his duty to make in-
quiry into the circumstances of the case. He had re-
ceived a return on the day before yesterday in explana-
tion, and he (Sir J. Graham) was bound to say that
that explanation was not satisfactory.—(Hear, hear.)
He thought the committing magistrates were wrong in
not allowing the parties to appear at the sessions. They
had been summoned to appear before the judges but they
were not allowed to enter the room. They were asked
if they brought the money and when they answered in
the negative they were sent to prison. He conceived this
a gross violation of the liberty of the subject. On the
non-payment of the rate it was competent to issue a
warrant, for not only the amount of the poor-rate but
the amount of costs also. In this case a warrant had
been issued and a return made of n!dla bona. It was
then competent to issue a warrant to attach the person,
but the parties ous ht to have been admitted into the
presence of the magistrates before they were committed
to prison. He had felt it his duty in this case to edvise
her Majesty to order the immediate liberation of these
persons from prison, and he only regretted that he had
not been enabled to recommend this course at an earlier
period.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE thanked the Right Hon. Baronet
in the names of those persons. The parties who repre-
sented the petitioners had called upon him last week,
and he had recommended them to adopt the course of
bringing the subject before the House. The Right Hon.
Baronet (Sir J. Easthope) was out of town, but he (Mr.
Duncombe) assured those persons that the Hon. Baronet
would be very happy to present the petition. He (Mr.
Duneombe) believed that every circumstance stated in
that petition was perfectly true. The parties were now
suffering imprisonment with bard labour, and that, too,
after they had been liberated on payment of the original
debt. They were not allowed by the police to enter the
magistrates' court ; and their committal, under these
circumstances, be contended was a gross act of illegality
and oppression. Unfortunately for those parties, the
remission promised by the Right Hon. Baronet had
come too late, for the terms of their sentences
expired the day after to morrow.—(Laughter.)
Were these persons then to have no redress ? Was this
unfortunate widow, fifty-eight s cars of age, who had
lost her husband by an accident in a coal-mine, who was
only a lodger with her daughter, and who had been sen-
tenced to imprisonment with hard labour—was she, he
asked, to have no redress? He trusted that the Right
Hon. Baronet would go further, and advise her Majesty
to strike these magistrates off the commission of the
peace, thus preventing in future their power to commit
those gross acts of tyranny and injustice.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BUCK, as chairman of the Leicester court of
quarter sessions, could not allow the remarks which had
just been made upon the conduct of two of his col-
leagues to pass unnoticed. They had, to his own know-
ledge, been in the commission of the peace for a con-
siderable time, and it would be extremely harsh to dis-
miss them for this single act of indiscretion. They were
Highly respected in Leicester, and he was sure their dis-
missal would result in serious inconvenience to that town.
He could assure the House that it was quite impossible
those Gentlemen could have been actuated by any cor-
rupt or unworthy motives in dealing with the case then
under discussion.
Mr. HUME was sorry to soy anything against the
character of two individuals of whom he knew a thing,
exceptin; of course this single act ; but he should be ex-
ceedingly glad to know if the Right Hon. Baronet agreed
with the recommendation of his Hon. Friend the Mem-
ber for Finsbury. Was there no means by which these
poor persons could obtain redress ? If there was not, he
hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would mark his sense of
this Act, by making an example of the magistrates.
Sir J. GRAHAM said it would be unbecoming in a
Itkinister of the Crown to make any declaration upon
the conduct of these magistrates, until they had had
some opportunity of vindicating their character, or
making some recompence to the aggrieved parties. He
should take the earliest opportunity of releasing those
parties, and for the present it would be most unwise for
him to do more.
Mr. HUME remarked, that under those circumstances
the Right Hon. Baronet had done every thing he could,
with an alacrity that did him credit.—(Hear.)
After a few words from Mr. F. FRENCH, which were
not audible In the gallery,
Sir JOHN EASTHOPE rose simply to express his
acknowledgments to his Right Hon. Friend for the hand-
some manner in which he had met the case, and to im-
plore him not to allow even the first post to-morrow to
pass without giving an order for the release of these
poor persons.
Sir J. GRAHAM had not power to accede to the
'request.
Mr. ESCOTT wished, if any further investigation
wok place, the Government would ascertain whether,
and,: the existing law, these magistrates had the power
of muleing these poor defendants to the amount in
which they P
lifid fined them. The Act of arliament
hem costs, but it d_ id not specify the
certainly gave
much doubted whether the law
amount, and he veil,'
sanctioned so heavy a fin° as IL
to if he rightly tin-
Mr. GISBORNE wishes !.43 know
t to say that
to know
he had
derstood the Right Hon. Baron:'
made a personal application to these :
~eistrates
ni
the grounds upon which they acted ?
4 wade
Sir JAMES GRAHAM replied, that he hae.
an application to the Clerk of the Peace, who had fa=
warded a very full explanation.
The matter then dropped.
ARMY 'ESTIMATES.
Me. HUME had come down to the House that even-
ing, fully expecting that the Hon. Gentleman the Se-
cretary-at-War intended to make some statement
oft the subject of the Army estimates. Be understood
now, however, that it would be more convenient to
the Right Hon. Gentleman to take the vote for the pre-
sent, without discussion, but if he consented to this
course he hoped the House would consider them as not
being prejudged —(Hear, hear.)
Mr. B WILLIAMS reminded the House that, pre-
viously to the Easter recess they quietly voted up-
wards of 2,800,0001., without any account being given of
its intended disposal. True, they were then told that an
opportunity would be afforded them for entering :at
length into the question, but no discussion afterwards
. took place. He remembered, too, that about three years
ago, his Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose assented
to a similar course to the one which had been proposed
that night, but when, on a subsequent occasion, his Hon.
Friend proposed to reduce the army by 20,000 men, he
was met by roars of laughter. Now, it' they voted these
79,000 men they, in point of fact, voted away the whole
of the army estimates, for, after voting the number of
teen, they could hardly refuse the money to pay for
them. But a vote of this nature had never, to his know-
ledge, been taken on a Wednesday, and he could see no
reason why they should, on the present occasion, depart
from their former custom. If, therefore, the
Bight Hon. Gentleman the Secretary-at-War was de-
termined to proceed at once with the vote, he should feel
it to be his duty to propose a reduction ; but before pro
ceeding to state the nature of it, he should be glad to
know if the Right Hon. Gentleman had any objection
to postpone the vote till another time.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER in-
formed the Honourable Member that the precise number
of men required for her Majesty's service could seldom
or never
ascertained, and therefore it was that a larger
:.`e
number was I,:iways specified in the vote. But it did not
follow from this :hat the whole of them would be re-
quired, indeed it was qt.: te evident they would not, and then 1
the Hon. Member had an
ample check on the number to
be implied in voting the mon:sy to pay them ; for upon
the amount voted of course depcetded the number to be
raised for the service. The Hon. Gentleman, however,
" did 'not appear to be aware of the inconvenience he
would cause by throwing obstacles in the way of
taking the votes that night. • The Hon. Member perhaps
was not aware that it was absolutely necessary that the
- Mutiny Act should be read a first time and printed be-
fore the 25th instant, but this could not be done until the
rate of men had been agreed to.
s s Mr. WILLIAMS said it was impossible for any ac-
eountant in England to calculate the expense precisely
of 10,000 or 20,000 men, and he therefore had no means
of ascertaining how much a vote ought to be reduced to
effect a saving of so many men to the country. In fact,
• the whole question rested with the number of men, and
not the money.
4 The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER would,
for the Hon. Member's satisfaction, undertake to furnish
him with the exact cost of any given number of men.
Mr. WILLIAMS would state then the number of men
he wished to reduce from the army. Ever since he had
heard any arguments in favour of the vast extent of our
standing army, he had always understood that it was
easa kept up tor the purpose of relieving the regiments sta-
tioned in the colonies. Now he could show them that
they could just as well accomplish that object if they
consented to reduce the present army by 11,000 men.
There were for instance three regiments of Life Guards
which performed no duty in the colonies, and there were
also three regiments of Foot t: nerds which never per-
formed any duty whatever in the colonies. None of the
Morse Guards had performed any duty whatsoever in the
eelonies since the termination of the war, with the ex-
ception of one battalion in Canada. These six regi-
ments consisted of 6,561 men, and cost the country up-
es ards of 110,0001. per annum. It was not his desire
`'..' to deprive her Majesty of any display which might be
pleasing to her. But he was cons inced that all the pur-
poses of royal display could be answered, and a reduc-
tion effected equal to the cost of 10,000 men.
11,1 r. S. HERBERT understood the Hon. Member for
--." Covettry to suggest only a reduction of cost, and not a
t reductioa of men.
Mr. WlLLlAMS—Precisely so.
. The House then went into Committee, and a vote for
1,111 men, excNsive of those employed in her Majesty's
territorial possessiens abroad, was agreed to.
The House resumed, the CHAIRMAN reported pro-
gress, and obtained leave to sit again.
PUBLIC MUSEUMS—DESTRUCTION OF
TREASURES OF ART.
I 4
111.011 the reading of the order of the day for the Com-
Ittee of the whole House upon this Bill,
Sir J. GRAHAM moved that it be an instruction to
the Committee to introduce a clause extending its provi-
sions to the protection of works of art in the possession
of private individuals.
I‘ s blr. BOUVERIE thought that the provisions of the
vat A .a. LORD ADVOCATE moved for leave to bring in
Bill fur the
of t he la
there was amendment and better administration
It had often and long been complained of that
14, poor in
no adequate provision for the relief of the
14 in Scotland. He did not speak of the poor in cases
Bill ought tpocoboeueeLteAndsve(st to(scthoeTpLrAotNecDti)o.n of private
property of every kind.
Tho Bill then passed through Committee pro Plat.
land. Iwe relating to the relief of the poor in Scot-
land.
distress, which must be met by extraor-
dinary efforts—but of the poor in their permanent con-
"" 111 1838, the General Assembly of the Church

he proposed, in certain easee, to make distinctions as to the
provisions to be made for the accommodation of lunatics.
Regarding a question which had been put to him about
lunatics conveyed to the island of Arran, he had to say
that in July 1843 he learned there was an extraordinary.
number of lunatic in Arran. A communication to that
effect was made to the Sheriff, who, upon inquiry, found
that lunatics from various parts of Scotland had been sent
there in a clandestine manner because the expense of
maintaining them there was less. Means were forthwith
taken for the removal of the whole of them, 68 in number,
to the respective parishes to which they belonged, and
the parties sending them were obliged to pay the entire
cost of their removal, and threatened with prosecutions.
He had made other inquiries lately, in coast quence of
the statement of the lion. Member for Lambeth, and it
was ascertained that no person who could come under the
designation of a pauper lunatic was then in Arran. The
Learned Lord then recapitulated the provisions of the
Bill, and concluded by moving for leave to bring in a
Bill for the amendment and better administration of the
laws relating to the relief of the poor in Scotland.
Lord DALMENY commended the Government for
bringing in the Bill, but thought it was susceptible of
much improvement.
Mr. E. ELLICE said the subject was not one of
greater difficulty than importance to the people of Scot-
land ; but he doubted whether the measure proposed
was sufficiently comprehensive in details. Ile doubted,whe-
ther anything like a voluntary assessment would answer
in Scotland. No system could be effective unless it was
compulsory. He would reserve his opinions on the
present measure, but would simply observe that the
present mode of treating pauper lunatics in Scotland
was a disgrace to a civilised country.
Mr. HUME differed from the lion. Gentleman who
had just sat down, and thought the voluntary system
would be successful. He did not think any compulsory
power was necessary. He would reserve his opinions on
the details of the measure until its second reading.
Mr. HAWES said that he had listened with great
pleasure to the able speech of the Lord Advocate, and
being one who was unaffected by local incumbrances or
local prejudices, he was perhaps in a better position than
one immediately connected with the country to express
an opinio❑ upon the nature of the plan. But there was
one point of it which he thought required some atten-
tion—he alluded to that part of the Bill which referred
to the management of pauper lunatics, and the compul-
sory assessment for the relief of the poor and for their re-
moval. Now it appeared hy the Bill that it was not neces-
sary to remove a pauper before he was relieved, but that
where he had not a legal title to settlement, the guardians
were to he empowered to grant him relief. With regard
to settlement, he might observe in passing, that he thought
a seven years' residence a very long time, but as the Bill
gave a power of relief, and if the relief was not deemed
were sufficient by the pauper, there was a right of appeal
the other authorities, who could alter the allowance if
they thought it insufficient, this did, in fact, institute a rate
of relief, and establish the compulsory assessment by im-
posing punishment where the requisite relief was not
given. With respect to the case of the lunatics
in the isle of Arran, cited by the Honourable
and Learned Lord Advocate, he would merely
observe that he conceived the establishment of a lunatic
asylum would prove anything rather than an unnecessary
expense. In Surrey, where they had gone to an enor-
mous expense in the erection of an asylum, believed to
be more than 100,000/., and where they were subject to
a heavy rate for its support, which was likely to continue
for four years longer, the chief of the expenditure had
been occasioned by the delay in providing a place for
the reception of the persons subject to the unhappy
malady. It was decidedly the opinion of medical men,
that the sooner the compla►nt was taken, the more easily
was it cured ; and he thought, therefore, that the more
amply the provision for the necessity of this nature was
laid down, consistently with the necessities of the case,
the better, but he could not sit down without thanking
the Government for having taken up this very important
subject, and for the able and lucid manner in which it
had been treated by the Lord-Advocate, than whose
address he had never listened to a more lucid and com-
prehensive one in that House.
Mr. F. FRENCH inquired if there was any provision
in the Bill for the relief of distressed Irishmen in Scot-
land, who were not entitled to residence, and whether
there was any intention of extending any of the provi-
sions of this Bill to the Irish poor-law.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that her Majesty's present ad-
visers were not responsible for the introduc•
tion of the present poor-law into Ireland, though
they were desirous of progressively introduc
ing as many improvements as possible into the
Irish poor-law. But this was a Bill for Scotland only,
and its provisions were adapted only for that country.
The lion. Gentleman must recollect, with respect to the
other part of his inquiry, that when a number of Scotch-
men were located in Belfast, and requiring relief, that
no provision had been made for them ; and he could not
expect that any greater burden should be imposed on
Scotland, than Ireland had been ready to bear. lie
would not sit down without thanking the Hon. Member
for Lambeth (Mr. Hawes), for the very handsome testi-
mony which he had borne to the able manner in which
this Bill had been introduced into the House. He
(Sir J. Graham) must himself say, that a more
able, lucid, and complete statement, had seldom
been made to that House by a Minister of the
Crown. Her Majesty's Government had thought them-
selves exceedingly fortunate in securing the able assist-
ance of the Hon. and Learned Lord-Advocate in r re-
paring the Bill, which he believed would be likely to be
of great utility and importance to the people of Scotland.
Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. The Bill
was brought up and read a first time, and the House
adjourned.

of Scotland appointed a Committee to inquire into the
condition of the poor, and the provisions for their relief,
and that Committee reported that the provision was in
most of the parishes utterly inadequate. In 1843, a
Commission was appointed by the Crown to inquire into
the same subject, and the report was to the same effect.
(The Right Hon. Gentleman then read extracts from
the report of the Commissioners, which were to the
effect that the provision for the poor and
the infirm was lamentably insufficient.) From
no inconsiderable experience of his own, he was able to
say that the statements were undeniably correct.—Hear,
hear.) He would not delay the House by reading over
the evidence, as he thought the coincidence of the re-
ports was conclusive.—(Hear, hear.) The first Act,
relating to the support of the poor in Scotland, was that
of James VI., passed in the year 1571, and it provided
only for the relief of the aged and infirm, or of those
who were either pattially or totally incapable of sup-
porting themselves. There were four kinds of settlement
entitling the pauper to relief—birth, parentage, resi-
dence, or marriage. A settlement once obtained could
not be lost, except by the acquirement of a settlement in
another parish. The funds which existed for carrying
that law into effect were contributions at the parish
church, other voluntary contributions, and when
necessary a general assessment of the parish.
In Scotland, there was a full power of relieving the
poor ve..ted in the parochial authorities, which they
could do by assessment. The statute which gave them
that full power was passed in the year 1579. It was an
unlimited power as they were enabled by that statute to
procure as much as was required for needful sustentation
of the poor. It had been the law ever since 1759, and was
now the law, in several parishes the law was still acted
upon to a large extent. The assessment was laid on in
this manner—the proprietors of land paid one-third and
the inhabitants and householders paid the remainder ;
the former paid it according to the rents and profits, and
the latter paid the rates, as a property and income-tax.
He (the Lord-Advocate) was aware that there were
parties who objected to this mode of assessment ; but
though he had many circumstances on that point, he had
not received any authenticated case from any party that
he had been assessed beyond his circumstances. In
boroughs, there was not one-half the assessment laid as
in -other parishes, where the tax generally fell upon the
landlords. The law made a full provision for the sup-
port of the poor ; it put in the hands of
certain parties a discretionary power of as-
sessing as fully as it required. In towns,
the assessment was voluntary with the magistrates, and
the ministers of the Kirk Sessions could not interfere
with the administration of the law. In the parishes
which were not towns the administration belonged to
the proprietors of the land. As to the nature of the
relief given to the poor, it was not prescribed by the
statute that it should be afforded in any particular form.
The statute required that there should be needful sus
tentation. It may be given in money, or in any way
that may be considered advantageous for them, and the
amount depended upon the opinion of the administrators
of the law. It should, however, depend upon the condi-
tion and style of living of the labouring classes in that
part of the country in which the poor exist. It could
not be contended that in any place the support given to
the poor should be greater than was given to and re-
quired by the labourers in that district, who supported
themselves. That discretion existed in reference to the
amount of relief. It may, however, happen that a poor
person is denied relief, and the parish may refuse to
hear his case, or listen to his application, as it often
occurs; but then the local judge has power under the
law to require that the local authorities should meet and
take his case into consideration. If, having met, those
parties denied his right to be admitted into the list of
the poor of the parish, or if they gave him what was too
small, then he had the power of applying to the Supreme
Court, which could compel the local authorities to do their
duty honestly and faithfully. That being the state of
the law, every poor person had a right to relief, there
was a body armed with the pow er and charged with the
duty of administering that relief, and if they neglected
doing their duty there was the Supreme Court to compel
them to do it. There was the right, there was the ob-
ligation, there were the parties to perform the obliga-
tion, and the parties to compel them. It could not be
said that the state cf things found in the report arose
from the circumstance, that the law was formed when
the country was in a different condition, and that the
improvements of the country had outstripped the law,
for the law had been most full, perfect, and efficient in
those districts which had advanced most. Not that the
improvements had outstripped the law, but that the law
had received assistance from those improvements. lie
almost forgot to mention that the law of Scotland went
further, it provided for the education of the poor. It was
strange that extemporaneous enactments similar in both
the countries should have such different results. It
arose out of the poverty of one country and the wealth
of the other. At the same time they were not desirous
in Scotland of obtaining such a law for the administra-
tion of relief to the poor as existed in England. He
thought that the state of things described in the report
was mainly to be attributed to the effects of the
machinery of the law, it was not owing to any
unwillingness to disburse for the maintenance of the
poor, or to any hardheartedness. There were several
cases where exceedingly small sums were given, not suffi-
cient to afforded relief. The relief afforded ought to be
in accordance with the habits and mode of life of
the labourers who live in the district. The expense
was different in one place from what it was in another.
For instance, they did not possess the same wealth in
Scotland as they did in this country. Why was it
that the Scotch proprietors had parted with
their /;:operty and that English proprietors
purchased it ? Because one was poor and the
other was rich. The power of assessing was in accord-
ance with the wants of the poor, and if they facilitated
the mode of administering to the relief of the wants of
the poor, what could be more desired ? He thought
that, in the first place, the means of obtaining relief
should be facilitated in the parish where the poor man
became destitute ; for, very frequently it occurred that
the pauper was very. far away from the parish
in which he could claim a law settlement.—(Hear.)
He proposed that each parish should have the power of
ascertaining and establishing its own liability, and by
that means the pauper not only got relief in the parish
in which he applied for it, but be got it immediately.
Then suppose the parish in which a poor person was
found refused to give him relief, at present his only
remedy was to appeal to the superior courts. Instead
of that he proposed that the sheriff should
have the power to decide the right of the party
to relief, and if it should be in favour of the appli-
cant, then the relief should be immediately granted, and
the parish should be liable until a decision to the con-
trary should be had from the local court. The next
point he wanted to draw attention to was as to the
amount of relief to be given, and who were the parties
whose duty it should be to see that due relief had
been administered. At present the relief to
this were, that there was a want of some
central power or authority for this purpose. The
remedy he proposed for this evil was, that there should
be in each parish a person to attend to the claims made
by the poor, and to keep a list of them ; and that, in ad-
dition to the central authority, there should be local
boards in each parish, who should make constant re-
ports to the central board of all applicants for relief; and
in this way a knowledge of all the poor of
of teach parish
would, in a short time be acquired, and hose
had and who had not received relief. Ten ae th
question of what was to be done by those h
localc amuethori-
ties in cases of parties complaining that they had not suf.
ficient relief afforded them. At present, in such a case,
the poor applicant had the superior court opened t h
o im
as a court of appeal ; but then t was often at a great
distance, and it had many other disadvantages ; besides
which the expense was great, and before a decision could
be had, perhaps the applicant might starve ; and even
if he did get redress, it should be considered that the
money expended in defending the complaint would be
much better applied in affording relief. These were
evils which the Commissioners had recommended should
be done away with ; and they further recommended that
the amount of relief to be given was a matter which
should be entirely left to the local board ; they also said
that there should be a board of supervision sitting
in Edinburgh. He agreed with them in that sugges-
tion ; but it should be a board composed of men who
should have some inducement to attend it, and who
should be also possessed of legal knowledge, as well as
a general knowledge of the affairs of the world and of
the country. He proposed that this board should con-
sist of nine men, three of them to be appointed
by the Government and to be paid, and to give
their constant and daily attendance. The other six
should be ex officio members, and the Lord
Provost of Glasgow should be one of them.
The other ex officio should be the Solicitor- General for
the time being, be being a lawyer whose advice on all
questions of law would be of value and importance. The
three other ex-oflicios should be the three sheriffs of the
three most important counties; and their services should
be commanded by some small addition to their salaries.
One of those should be the sheriff of what was
belled
the Yorkshire of Scotland ; another should
sheriff of the Highland county of Ross, in which there
was great agricultural distress ; and the third should
be the sheriff of Renfrew, as it was an agricultural
county and came almost on the verge of Glasgow. All
these were men, who from their education and position
in the country were such as would render useful services
to the board. With this board, tluis constituted, he
would now state how he proposed to dispose of all ap-
peals made to it. lie proposed that all appeals should
be referred to it, and in such a case as that of a poor
man appealing on the ground that the relief he bad had
was not sufficient, then the decision of t.
board on the case he proposed should be fine,
He proposed to give the power to the board, where they
saw just cause for relief, to determine what was a rea-
sonable amount of relief for a pauper, and to afford that
relief. He proposed that the board should have the
power of inquiring and investigating into all matters
connected with this subject. Ile also proposeil to Five
the board the pow er of dismissing inspectors who might
neglect their duty. lie proposed also that the parochial
hoardsb should be elected by the rate-payers ; and
proposed that the term for giving a legal settlement
in a parish shoula lr extended from three to six years.
With regard to the maisner of raising the necessary
funds, he did not think it requisite to maize it cpnipulsory
on the parochial boards to make assessments. lie
thought that if the funds were provided, and the poor
received adequate relief, it wgs a matter of no general
importance in what manner the funds were provided.
This was the substance of the Bill which he was about
to introduce. It would give speedy and effectual relief
to the poor, and give the power to parishes to proceed
against other parishes whose poor might be thrown upon
the former. It would also give the power of removal to
parishes; anti it gave the power of providing medical
relief, and also pr providing education for the pauper
children. Provision had bepis Rsda in the Bill with re-
gard to lunatics. He. did not propose to deal gimerally
with the law relating to that subject, althOugh tlie law
was Hoed ltogether satisfactory to him at present. and
proposein this Bill to provide for pauper lunatics, and

THE IRON TRADE.
Some correspondents express great apprehension of
the consequences that may arise to the general trade in
articles manufactured from iron, from the great con-
sumption and enormous price caused by the railways.
They observe that within a few months bar-iron has ad-
vanced from 51. to 121. per ton, and pig-iron from 355..
to 130 s.—an advance unprecedented and highly injurious
to the best interests of the country. The prospect of
the railroads requiring nearly the whole " make" of iron
for the next three years is viewed with alarm, as it is
said that one year more, with iron at its present price,
will totally destroy foreign trade and the manufacture
of the article. The manufacturers of the iron districts,
having worked off their stocks at low prices for their
spring orders, are unable to execute any fresh orders,
except at rates corresponding with the current price of
the material, and these, it seems, will not be given.
America is viewed as a dangerous competitor, likely to
take advantage of the diminution of our foreign trade
created by this absorption of iron by the railways. Tho
capital that is in new York and Boston might easily find
its way into American iron districts, and the " make "
might be increased to such an amount as to supply mar-
kets now completely dependent upon Great Britain.
The following is a statistical argument on the same

THE S N, LONDON, THURSDAY _EVENING, APRIL 3, 1845.

• •SHREWSBURY, • • WOLVERHAMP-•
TON, AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.
A meeting of the Shareholders of this Company was
held yesterday in the London Coffee-house, Ludgate •
hill, tor the purpose of taking into consideration the re-
port of " the t,!ommittce of Inquiry," and to come to
a decision then on. The proceedings were fixed to take
place at eleven A.)l , but for some time before that
hour a considerable number of persons had assembled in
the room. For a short tirne before the chair was taken, and
for a long time afterwards, a great deal of confusion pre-
vailed at the entrance-door of the room, owing to the
fact of the party entrusted with the power of testing the
eligibility of those wha presented themselves fur
admission as Shareholder;, having been directed
not upon any pretence whatever, to admit
any one (reporters excepted), who had not a scrip
about him and produced it. The consequence was that
several individuals applied for admission who had no
snch document to produce, not having been aware that
such would be necessary, and were refused admission,
and retired at once—oth-_rs, apprehending some
mistake, remonstrated ; but one or two wore
resolute than the rest, resolved that in they
would go, and thence followed a trial of
physical strength between the applicant and the door-
kc the one pushing, pummelling, and vociferating,
the other holding in his iron grasp, round the waist, the
what he conceived to be the would-be-intruder. Amid
the din and confusion that such a scene created,
Mr. ANDREWS was called to the chair, upon taking
which he said—Gentlemen, this meeting of the scrip-
holders of the Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton—
(Laughter, and cries of " Scrip-holders, indeed, ' and
great confusion.) I presume that the gentlemen who
have called it are here, and will say why it has been
called ; but I cannot be expected to go into the—(Con-
fusion at the door.)
A GENTLEMAN here stated that he should have been
refused ada.ittance if he had not haprened by mere
chance to have had a scrip about him ; but his brother-
in-law, who was also a large shareholder, was now at the
door, but could not be admitted without t e scrihp, not
having brought it ; if he had bad any intimition that
such was necessary, he would have done so, but he had
not.

,IGENCE.

DUTCH MAIL.
THE HAGUE, MARCH 30.—According to the accounts
last received, the ice in the several rivers was ever).
where broken up and cleared away, and thus the danger
that had beer► apprehended had vanished.
We learn that the visit with which their Majesties
usually honour the city of Amsterdam soon after Easter
is deferred this year till the end of April.
FROM THE 11ELDKR, MARCH 28.—Ilis Majesty's fti-
gate Jasur, is to proceed to Flushing on the Ist of May
next, and on the 15th of that month, to sail for the East
Indies, having on board Mr. Rochussen, the new Go
vernor- General.
Timittac, MARCH 30.—We expect the pleasure of
a visit from his Majesty to-morrow.

DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTMIDAM, MARCH 31.
Money. Bills.
...... 644 64
•• • 7844 79ii
... 904 100

Actual Debt, per Cent •
itto, 3 per Cent • . • • • • • •
Ditto, 4 per Cent.• • • • .• • • •
Ditto, 5 per Cent.............. _
Amon Syndic, 4r4 per Cent.......... 9914 16014
Ditto, 3!,,i per Cent.. .• •.• • • ....... 934 04
Commercial Company, 4!,i per Cent 151 1504
IIINIBURGII 11011,WNHALLE, MARCH 27.
Bills. Money.
Austrian 5 per Cents ••••• • • • • 104
11ank Shares ..... ............. •• 1670 1665
Anglo-141Am' Loan ..... ........ 115
Russian 5 per Cent., Hamb. Certificate. 1053; 10514
Ditto Ist series Inscription • 10514
Ditto, Tiopv and Co., 3d and 4th series• • 90!4
Ditto, in Certificate... ••• • • •
New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. ••• • .. 92N 1121,
Ditto Stieglitz •• • •
Spanish New S per Cent ••••• .. • • • 2.2!•i 22
Ditto 3 per Cent • • • • .• • • • • 40
Ara,lo-Portuguese loan, 21. i per Cent •• 66
Dutch Actual Debt, 2 per Cent.. •• • • 63?,i 63
Ditto 3 per Cent. •• • • • • ...... •
Polish New 4 per Cent. 3.oan, 1844..
Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent
National Bank Shares • •

87N _
_ 148

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert walked yesterday morning
in the royal gardens of Buckingham Palace.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the Princess
Royal, and the Princess Alice, accompanied by the Dowager
Lady Lyttelton, were taken an airing yesterday in an open
carriage and four.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred was taken an airing
yesterday in the royal gardens.
Colonel Arbuthnot has relieved Colonel the Hon. Charles
Grey in the duties of Equerry in Waiting to her Majesty.
The Earl of Jersey, Viscount and Viscountess Jocelyn, Lord
George Lennox, and Captain Francis Seymour had the
honour of dining with her Majesty yesterday at Buckingham
Palace.
A military band was in attendance during dinner.
Ilis Royal Highness Prince Albert went in the evening to
attend the performance of the Concert of Ancient Music, at
the Hanover-square Rooms. The Prince was attended by
Lord George Lennox, Captain Francis Seymour, and Major-
General Sir Edward Bowater.
Her Majesty, the Queen Dowager, attended by her suite,
left her residence, Witley Court, Worcestershire, at twenty
minutes before twelve &clock yesterday for Droitwich. Her
Majesty and suite left that station at half-past one o'clock
by a special train for town, and en arriving at the Euston-
square terminus proceeded to Marlborough House, Pall-mall,
where the Royal party arrived at seven o'clock. Her Ma-
jesty's suite included Frances Lady Clinton, the Hon. Miss
Eden, Lady Georgiana Curzon, Earl Howe, Sir David Davies,
and the Rev. G. T. Hudson.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge gave a dinner
to the Noble Directors of the Concerts of Ancient Music yes-
terday at Cambridge House. The Duke of Wellington and
Earl Cawdor were present. A select party, including Miss
Vernon Harcourt and Lady Shelly, were also present.
In the evening the Royal Duke, accompanied by the Noble
Directors, went to the Hanover square Rooms, his Royal
Highness being the Director for the evening of the Concert
of Ancient Music.
Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess Stephanie of
Baden.—Her Royal Highness, attended by the Baroness de
Strumfeder and-Baron Roth de Schreckenstein, visited St.
Paul's Cathedral yesterday, and was accompanied by the
Chevalier Bunsen, 'Prussian Minister, during her inspection of
the sacred edifice. Her Royal Highness, accompanied by
his Excellency, also vibited and inspected the Royal
Exchange.
The Duke de Broglie paid his respects to the Grand
Duchess on Tuesday, at the Duke of Hamilton's residence in
Portman-square.
The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton had a select party at
dinner yesterday, to meet her Royal highness.
A deputation, consisting of Mr. Spooner, M.P., Mr. Ben-
bow, and Mr. Summerfield, had an interview with the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his official residence in
Downing-street.
Lord Ashburton had an interview with Lord Stanley yes-
terday at the Colonial-office. •
The Dean of Westminster had an interview with Sir
Robert Peel yesterday.
The Commission on the subject of the Slave Trade sat
yesterday at the official residence of Sir Robert Peel in
Downing-street. The Duke de Broglie and the Right Hon.
Stephen Lushington, D.C.L., attended.
Mr. Thomas Summerfield, of Birmingham, had an inter-
view with Sir George Clerk yesterday, at the office of the
Board of Trade, on the subject of the glass Customs' duties.
Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Excise, had an inter-
view with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday.
Dispatches for the Governors of Hong-Kong, and of the
Falkland Islands, were sent off yesterday evening from the
Colonial-office. Dispatches were also sent off last evening
for the Lord high Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and
for the Governors of Malta and Gibraltar.

RAILWAY BUSINESS IN PAR-
LIAMENT.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2.
The following Bills were referred to the Select Committee
on Petitions for Private Bills:
Epsom and Dorking Railway.
Staines and Richmond Railway.

NOTICES GIVEN AT THE PRIVATE BILL OFFICE.
Erewash Valley Railway,—Second reading, Monday,
April 7.
_Eastern Union and Norwich Railway (No.l ),—Committee
on petition, postponed sine die.
Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston Direct Railway,—Com-
mittee on petition, postponed from Friday 4th till Wedne-
sday, April 9.
Kingstown and Bray Railway,—Committee on petition,
postponed from Friday 4th till Monday, April 7.
Shrewsbury and Grand Junction Railway,—Committee on
petition, postponed from Friday 4th till Monday, April 7.
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway ( Worcester Devia-
tion),—Committee on Petition, Monday, April 14.
Runcorn and Preston Brook Railway and Docka,—Com-
mittce on petition, postponed from Friday 4th till Monday,
April 7.
Gravesend and Rochester Railway,—Committee on peti-
tion, postponed from Friday 4th till Monday, April 7.
Waterford and Limerick Railway,—Committee on petition,
postponed from Friday 4th till Tuesday, April 8.
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (Wolverhampton
Line),—Committee on petition, Monday, April 14.
Birmingham and Gloucester (Gloucester 17.xtension, Stoke
Branch, and Midland Junction) Railway,—Committee on
petition, Monday, April 14.
Birmingham and Gloucester (Worcester Branch and Chel-
tenham Extensions) Railway,—Committee on petition,
Monday, April 14.
Midland Railways Company (Birmingham and Gloucester
and Bristol and Gloucester RailwaysPurchase),—Committee
on petition, Monday, April 14.

THE FRATRICIDE AT STAFFORD.
The following is a literal copy of the declaration that
has been made by John Brough, who is now in the
county prison at Stafford, under sentence of death for
the murder of his brother, Thomas Brough, on Friday
evening, January 3, 1845 :
" From the time that Thomas and me went out of
the house at the Whitefield-farm to the time I was in
again, lam certain that 10 minutes had not elapsed.
It was only two minutes' walk to the spot where Thomas
laid after I had struck him. I did not go out of my
way to get the hammer I hit him with, but I went close
to it as Thomas and me walked to the meadow. When
I took up that hammer I had no thought of striking him
with it, lam sure. It was in consequence of Thomas's
saying at last (after I had begged him again and again
to let me have the boxes that night), It is of no use
your speaking any more about them, you shall not have
them again to-night'—it was this that aggravated and
provoked me, and caused me to hit him. Thomas was
very angry when I kept asking him for the boxes. If it
was the last word I had to speak, I declare that I had no
intention to strike him until the moment when I gave
him the blow, and why I took up the hammer I am not
able to say."
The prisoner informed the Rev. Thomas Sedger, the
chaplain of the prison, of the reason why he (the pri-
soner) wanted the two boxes that night. Thomas
Brough, it would appear, had promised to consider
about them, whether he would let him have them by the
morning or noon of the next day. The reason assigned
by John Brough for wishing to have them returned im-
mediately is the following :
" I wanted," says he, " to go with Thomas, and fetch
the boxes from his house that night, because I did not
like to be seen by folks carrying them in the day time.
I did not wish any other person to know about my bro-
ther taking them off, I declare, as a dying man,
that if Thomas had allowed me to have them that night,
I should not have hurt him. I had never intended to
e him."