The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-22 00:00:00

RATION ACTS. TEST AND CORPC.

unity of mentioning a
Mr. DENISON took this oppot:
very small opposition to which he liappiOed to belong, re-
lating to hackney-coaches ; and he ventnreci Pa predict to
the lion. Member for Somersetshire, that he old find
himself in a much smaller opposition if he persisted in is e
;irregular course of opposition he was now pursuing.—
(Hear, hear.)-:-The petition which he rose to present, was
from one of the wealthiest and most intelligent parishes in
the county of Surrey. It was a petition praying for a re-
peal of the Test and Corporation Acts, and he had the sa-
tisfaction to state, that it was signed by a Clergyman of the
wish, and that one-third of the persons who had subscribed
the petition were persons of the Established Church.—
(Cheers.)-1 his was satisfactory, as it shelved they could
live on amicable and charitable terms, notwithstanding a
difference of religious opinion. Ile regretted that the Right
Hon. Gent. opposite (the Chancellor of the Exchequer)
had expressed such determined opposition as he bad
done to Reform and to the Repeal of the Test and Corpo-
ration Acts, desirous as he was to support the Administra-
tion of that Right Hon. Gentleman as far as was consistent
with the principles upon which he had always acted, and
by which he would ever hear.)—lf the
Right Hon. Gentleman would only support Reform—
repeal these Acta--introduce economy into every depart-
ment of the State—be would do more than by any other
"um, if not for the strength of his Administration,
certainly for ot increase of his future fame ; and might
laugh to :Torn" the opposition of those, high in
rank and influence, h0,,,-.ever strongly, he might almost
say however personally, aerse they might be to the
tiZ
Right Hon. Gentleman. He tn:_ust say he did not regret
the secession of those who had resigneJ: and who were, in
'his opinion - he meant no disrespect to the Right Honour-
able Gentleman (Mr. Peel) on the bench below him--full
fifty years behind the rest of the world, in intelligence, in
civilization, in liberty, and in all those leading principles
which contributed to the greatness and happiness of man-
kind—(Loud cries of hear.)
The petitien was ordered to be printed.
SALE OF BREAD.

Mr. Alderman THOMPSON moved for leave to bring
in a Bill for the Regulation of the Sale of Bread in Lon-
don.—Leave granted.
Mr. Alderman WAITTIMAN presented a petition from
the Bakers of the East Division of London, praying for the
obcervance of the principle of Free Trade in the article of
Bread, as it had been introduced into the sale of other ar-
ticles. The petition (as we understood) was against the
Bill introdue.?d by the Hon. Alderman Thompson.
ADMISISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
Mr. PEEL (who appeared for the first time on the
Opposition side of the House, and sat in the place on
the lower bench usually occupied by Mr. Brougham)
rose to apply for leave to hcing in a Bill for the
better administration of Justice criminal cases.—
He commenced by stating it to be Ilia intention at
first to propose the abolition pf all those Eornas ip the
administration of the Criminal Le,w, the observance of
which was unnecessary, and may be omitted with
advantage. For instance, he would propose, ia the first
place, that a practice which seemed to him to be continued
„,r no useful purpose, should be abolished ; namely, the I
practice of asking a prisoner after he has pleade,d " not
"suilty," " how will you be tried ?" This question seemed
to hfo to have the effect only of puzzling or confuting the I
prisoner for instead of giving the prescribed answer, he
usually gave pne either exhibitinglerity, es that "he would
rather not b' triefi at a 11," or one inconsistent Alike with
the question put to him and the gravity and solemnity of
the occasion; or he rffuse4 often to answer at all, and some•
times the gaoler answered fpr the prisoner. Now he would
appeal to the conariou sense of an, if it were neces-
sary to continue that form.—(Hear, 114,i-, hear.) ?—He
would propose instead of that 9uestion, that after tke plea
of " Not Guilty" was entered, no further question or in-
_ _ _ _ - _
quiz The
next repeal,

was
ihroi

general

Guile

who,
pose in
Id be a
'6 Not
.rey, and

with reason, that he should be considered so, merely for
being mute, rather than otherwise—that his trial should
take place, and a verdict of acquittal, or of guilty follow
according to the facts proved in evidence. In former
times, when prisoners persevered in being mute, the an-
cient punishment, known by the name of "peine forte et
dare," was resorted to. Although it was sometimes re-
laxed in practice, yet in cases of treason, the continuing
obstinately mute was equivalent to a conviction, and two
such convictions had taken place, and execution followed ;
one of these was on a charge of murder, and the other one
of burglary ; the former occurred in 1777, and the latter
in 1793. Now he thought the extreme sentence of the
law was too great a punishment to inflict for this offence;
and he submitted, that in all cases whatever of treason, or
other crime it would he more consistent with justice and rea-
' son, and more satisfactory to public opinion, if the punishment
were to follow, and to be apportioned to, the evidence
given at the trial.—( Hear, hear.) Although Mr. Justice
Blackstone considered it to the honour of our laws, that
the 'seine forte et dure was abolished by the statute of 12th
Geo. 111. c. 20, yet in his opinion, it was necessary to go
beyond that statute which determined the standing mute
in cases of felony as well as of treason amounted to a con-
structive confession, and to adopt a contrary rule of enter-
taining evidence and opportunity of defence on all occa-
sions.—(Hear, hear.)—The next alteration he would pro-
pose was that which incurred conviction from the party
persisting to challenge beyond the number to which he was
entitled. In cases of treason, to challenge beyond the
number was also enacted to amount to legal conviction,
and was attended with all the consequences of the accused
party being found guilty. In other cases, the challenges
beyond the proper number were declared to be null and
void. Now he would propose as a general rule, that those
challenges that were made after the proper number was
exhausted, should in all cases be declared null and void.
He would next propose the correction of a great practical
abuse—namely, that of pleading a former attainder in plea
' of an indictment. Now he would propose that a previous
conviction in future should not be a bar to an indictment,
unless it were a conviction for the same offence to which
the indictment referred. The last change he would pro-
pose was, perhaps, the most important ene—it was the
total abolition of what was called " without benefit Of
Clergy."—(Hear, hear, hear.)----This was a most useless
and unmeaning form. To every capital offence it was an-
nexed—it was, in' fact, a mere mockery, and ought no
longer to be permitted to continue to encumber the Sta-
tute-book. There were some offences to which, " with-
out benefit of Clergy" was annexed, in which cases
immunities were provided for Peers ; but as these cases
were only two, namely, " sacrilege" and " horse-
stealing," he thought, with respect to these two, it
was not necessary to observe any particular exemption,
and the abolition of this form might be general, and
extend to all cases. In all crimes of a capital na-
ture, where it was intended that the punishment of
death should remain, that punishment was to be declared,
without mentioning benefit of Clergy. When, in addi-
tion to the present, the offences against the person and
forgery were comprehended, nearly the whole of our Cri-
minal Law would he consolidated. He meant to introduce
a clause to prevent all the endless repetition of singular
and plural, masculine and feminine, &c. This clause had
been drawn up by a gentleman from whom he had re-
ceived the most invaluable assistance in the whole of his
undertaking—he meant Sir James Richardson. (Mr.
Peel here read the clause, which provided that singular
and plural, masculine and feminine, a body corporate as
well as an individual, should be subject to the provisions of
the Bill.) He apologised for having trespassed so long on
the attention of the House, but it was necessary for the
purpose of explanation. The Bills last Session had stood
for commitments. Under the circumstances which had
since taken place, he regretted the delay which had oc-
curred in their progress. He had since, however, submit-
ted them to some of the most learned men in the country
—men whose talents and experience qualified them to give
the best opinions on the subject, and had received from
them a number of valuable suggestions. The Right Hon.
Gentleman concluded by moving, " for leave to bring in a
Bill for the further improvement of the administration of
justice in criminal cases."
Mr. WYNN had not the slightest intention of opposing
his Right Hon. Friend's motion ; but was anxious for the
explanation of that point which related to an accused per-
son standing mute. If it were found that he stood mute
by malice, then he allowed that it was proper that lie should
be proceeded against, as if lie had pleaded not guilty; but
he might be mule, and incapable of understanding what
was going on, and in that case he ought not to be put on
his trial. A jury ought to be impanelled, to ascertain
whether or not he had sufficient use of his reason to make
a defence against the charge brought against him. With
respect to Peers guilty of clergyable offences, there were
other offences of that nature besides those comprehended in
the Bill. The Duchess of Kingston, when she was con
victed of bigamy, first pleaded benefit of clergy, and them
the right of Peerage, and thereby escaped punishment, al•
though she was told that if she committed the same offence
again, if she married two more husbands, the right o
Peerage would no longer avail her,
Mr. PEEL said that he had introduced in the margin 01
the bill a clause, empowering the Court, in a case of stand
ing mite, to have a plea of not guilty entered or not en-
tered, at their discretion.

Mr. BROUGHAM thought the suggestion of his Right
Hon. Friend the President of the Board of Controul on the
subject of a prisoner standing mute, a good one. If a tiry
found a person mute for malice, to enter a plea of guilty,
as was the practice at present, was a most harsh proceed-
ing; ,since the person was punished for obstinacy. It was
the old law that he should undergo the pressure of a heavy
stone on his breast in a damp apartment; and Mr. Justice
Blackstone had very properly considered that alteration of
the law, by which so savage a practice was abolished, a
great comparative improvement in our Criminal Laws.._._.
New, if the Jury found the prisoner mute by malice, he
was put on his trial ; but he thought it would be better, in
cases where the prisoner was found mute by the visitation
of God, to let the law remain as it was, than to give so
large a discretion to the-Court as that proposed by the
Right Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. STURGES BOURNE said, that the House and
the country were under the greatest obligations to the Right
Hon. Gentleman for the attention which he had bestowed
upon this most important subject ; a subject which he
should be sorry to see in any but such safe and able hands.
The abolition of the benefit of Clergy would be as import-
ant an alteration in the law, and as entitled to he applauded
by every one, as was the increase of the punishment of fe-
lony for a second offence. The House and the country
must, he was sure, feel the greatest gratitude to the Right
Hon. Gentleman for his exertions.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL concurred in praising
the meritorious exertions of the Right Hon. Gentleman.—
_

He lamented it as a misfortune, that owing to his having
been on circuit, and to other circumstances, he had been
unable to render himself master of the details of the
Although the principle of consolidating so many statutes in
one Act was admirable, yet it was obvious that if the exe-
cution were out good, the whole design must fail. Unless
the object in view ware accomplished by the most clear,
distinct, and intelligible provisions, instead of saving labour
to the Judges and the Professors of the Law, it would very
much increase and multiply their present toils. He by no
means intended to say that such would be the consequence
of the present Bill; he only wished to guard himself against
being considered a party to it, if in its result it should be
found not to be so good as was expected. He would not
oppose it, or throw the least obstacle in its way.
Mr. PEEL observed, that if the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman had undertaken the management of the Bill,

he should have had his (Mr. Peel's) hearty co-operation.'
He entirely concurred with the Honourable and Learned
Gentleman that if the execution of the Bill were not good,
the principle would Le useless. He could only say that
there had been some experience of a Bill of a similar de-
scription, by which eighty or ninety statutes had been
consolidated ; and which had now been two years in ope-
ration; and yet not a single representation had been made
to him of any objection to that pleasure. He had consul-
ted upon the subject a number of persons concerned in the
administration of the law ; and he must say, for the ho-
nom- of the legal profession, so frequently exposed to.vul-

. .
gar abuse, that he had never met with a Member of that
profession who was net always ready to give him every
possible assistance and advice. ' tlessrs. Russell and Star-
kie, and many others, bad devoted days and nights to the
purpose cf suggesting remarks which might be available to
the promotion of his object. With respect to the Bill
which he was about to have the honour to introduce, he

had !to right to ask any Hon. Memiiew to abstain from
proposing any Amendment ; but he hoped that no sadden
Amendment would be proposed so as to prevent hini from
having sufficient time to consider it.

Mr. FERGUSON, while he admitted that the exertions
of the Right lion. Gentleman were most meritorious, ob-
served, that when a proceeding, consolidating 127 Acts
of Parliament, was proposed, they ought to knoW the
legal authority on which such proceeding was founded.—
lie thought that it would have been very important if the
Hon. and I,eicried Attorney-General had had an opportu-
nity of considering the measure from beginning to end,
and if it had been brought forward iir4r bis responsibi-
lity. The best plan, however, Would have been to have

referred the subject to the consideration of a Commission

of eminent and 'learned persons thoroughly conversant with

;he criminal law, and who would have immediately known

What were the precise parts of the existing,laW Which it-
was desirable to retain. When so many statutes were
swept away, the probability was that in the new measure
provisions might be omitted which it would be most expe-
dient to preserve. At the same time, he was far from
opposing the motion, taking it, as he did, on the Right
Hon. Gentleman's word, that lie had consulted numerous
learned and eminent persons on the subject; although he
)nfessed that he doubted 101,e-her they had examined all
the existing statutes with sufficient care and accuracy. He
regretted that one of the three offences which that learned
and excellent person, Sir Samuel Romilly, wished to
except from the punishment of death—namely, stealing in
a dwelling-house, under the value of five pounds, and un-
accompanied by putting in fear, or any other circum-
stances of aggravation—was not excepted. He also thought
that if the opinion of the Learned Judges had been taken,
the punishment for larceny and the punishment for ob-
taining money under false pretences would not have been
confounded. It should be considered that by this pro-
vision the person charged with obtaining money under
false pretences was deprived of the benefit of Counsel ; and
that if found guilty, his punishment' was accompanied by
forfeiture of goods and corruption of blood. If those two
last circumstances were guarded against, he should not so
much object so the provisions. He wished that the Hon.
and Learned Attorney-General would bestow his attention
on these points. Such was the confidence in that Hon.
and Learned Gentleman, in his talents, his knowledge, and
his experience, that if he merely said that the provisions
were necessary, he (Mr. Ferguson) would be ready imme-
diately to adopt them on his word. He must again, how-
ever, press the appointment of a Commission of learned
persons; that on their high authority Parliament might
proceed with the greatest alteration that had ever been
made in the laws of England. At the same time, he felt
the greatest obligation to the Right Hon. Gentleman for
his having so frequently abrogated the punishment of
death. When the Right Hon. Gentleman entered upon
office, he met the good sense and feeling of the country on
that subject, and had gone with it. The country at large,
And he (Mr. Ferguson), as one of the country, owed him
the greatest of all possible obligations for having in so many
instances abrogated that punishment which had so long
been the disgrace of our Criminal Code.
Leave was then granted to bring in the Bill.
„ .

On the motion of Mr. PEEL the House then resolved
itself into a Committee on the Larceny Laws' Consolida-
tion Bill.

Several Clauses of the Bill were discussed seriatim, and
agreed to.

A conversation across the table took place upon some
other Clauses, which were at length agreed to, up to the
13th.

Mr. SYKES objected to the clause making the attempt
to kill deer punishable, when there was no such provision
with reference to the attempt to kill sheep.
An Honourable MEMBER, who stated himself to be a
Magistrate, residing about the middle of the New Forest,
said, that notwithstanding the severity of the law, the
crime of deer stealing had increased prodigiously, and if
the law were relaxed, the greatest confusion would ensue.
Mr. SYKES said, that the circumstance stated by the
Hon. Member who spoke last, only convinced him that the
law was too severe to be rigidly executed.
The Clause was then agreed to.

Several other Clauses having been agreed to, the Chair-
man reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again on
Wednesday.

The Orders of the Day were then postponed, and the
House adjourned at one o'clock this morning.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
NOTICES OF MOTIONS FOR THIS DAY.

I. Mr. Michael Angelo Taylor—Motion tending to sepa-
rate the jurisdiction in all matters of Bankruptcy from
the High Court of Chancery.
2. Sir John Wrottesley--Bill to give cc,,-.!urrent jurisdic-
tion to the Magistrates of Warwickshire in the City
of Coventry.
3. Mr. Charles Pallmer—Bill to consolidate and amend
the laws relating to Saving Banks.
4. Mr. Henley Eden—Bill to amend the Bankrupt Act.
5. Mr. George Bankes—Bill to relieve certain persons pro-
fessing the Roman Catholic Faith from double Assess-

ment of the Land Tax.
6. Lord John Russell Select Committee to inquire into
the cause of the increase of crime in England.
7. Mr. Herties—Bill for carrying into effect the Treaty
with Sweden relative to the Slave Trade.
8. Mr. Moore—To bring under the consideration of the
House the Petition of the Mechanical Operative
Classes of the City, liberties, and vicinity of Dublin
(presented 12th April), and praying the establish-
ment of a Loan Fund.
9. Mr. Hume—Bill to repeal Act 60 Geo. 3, e. 9, subject-
ing certain publications to the Duties of Stamps on
Newspapers.
ORDERS OF TUE DAY FOR THIS DAY.

I. Coventry Election Committee Report—To be consi-
dered.
2. Grahame's Divorce 8i11...-Committee ; Counsel and
Witnesses.
3. Prerogative Court (Ireland) Bill—Second reading.
4. Edinburgh Oil Gas Company Bill--Petitions for Com-
mittee of Appeal to be considered.
5. Church Rates (Ireland) Bill—Second reading.
6. Foundlings (Ireland) Bill—Second reading.
7. Parochial Settlements (Scotland) Bill—Further consi-
deration of Report.
8. Insolvent Debtors (Ireland) Bill—Report.
9. Roads and Bridges (Ireland) Bill—Report.

NOTICES GIVEN YESTERDAY.
Friday, May 25.
I. Mr. Herries—ArmyExtracq ,linaries, Commissariat, and
to pay off Exchequer Bills for Public Works. (In
Committee of Supply.)
2. Mr. William Lamb—lrish Miscellaneous Estimates.
(In Committee of Supply.)
Wednesday, May 30.
Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer—Budget.

Tuesday, June 19.
Sir Henry Parnell—Renewal of the Bank of England
Charter.

CONFESSION OF MURDER.—We under-
stane that a man, named Littlewood, who is at present in
our City prison, under a charge of being a deserter, had
made a voluntary confession before Mr. Alderman Blackall,
of having poisoned his wife, by mixing arsenic with some
medicine, about three years since, at Leicester. There
is, however, great doubt, whether this is not a fabrication
to prevent being sent to the depot of his regiment. The
authorities at Leicester have been written to, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of his story.—
Exeter Gazette.

A SPARE DIET.—" There was a friend of
mine," says Mr. Abernethy, "who was supposed to be
dying of a hepatic affection--a thorough break-up; he was
advanced in life ; his liver was all wrong, and he was (lying
—at least so his doctor said ; but as he was dying, and as
a drowning man will always catch at a straw, he expressed
a particular desire to see me, to know if I could order any-
thing that would do him good. I was sent for, and I went
into the country to see him. I said to him, ' Upon my
life, Sir, I should be most happy if I could suggest any
thing that was likely to do you good, but I am very igno-
rant of the medical profession, and if I were not, I really
don't think I could suggest more judicious treatment than
has been prescribed; but, Sir, I shall give you a lecture
on your diet, in the presence of your medical man.' I
knew the man before ; be prided himself on his virtue ;
be drank no wine, but he did that which, for any thing I
know, is as bad—he eat most preposterously—was a
perfect glutton. Now, said I, I know you like milk ; I
shall give you a cup of milk for breakfast, and you may
put a piece of bread in it, but not one drop of the milk
displaced by the bread must be replaced in the cup ; you
may take a new-laid egg to dinner, and a piece of bread
and butter; about four o'clock you may think some
soda-water, and then have done fur the day. Continue
that for some time, taking it at the distance of every six
hours in the day. He did so, and, egad, the man got well ;
he seemed to have grown young again ; he got quite
active, and really it was quite astonishing to see him.
—About three months afterwards he asked me to dine
with him ; I went, and I saw him just at his Old trick,
stuffing most enormous quantities of food into his mouth.
After dinner, we walked in the garden ; lie was a mer-
chant, and in the course of our walk I said to him.
' Pray, Sir, what would you think of a Man, who from
nothing had raised a small capital, and who might, if
he chose to go on, increase that into an immense fortune,
but who did not choose to go on, but squandered that
capital away; what would you thing of him?' Why,'
said he, ' 1 would say he was a d—d fool ..' then said I,
' what one may think of wealth, another may think of
health, and thou art the man.' I say health is like wealth,
extremely diffieu:t to get ). little of; but when you have
got it, if you take care of it, it will increase, and 'increase,
too, with compound interest; but it is the nature of man
that he will not do well unless he is compelled ; and I be-
lieve you will find this to be the lesson of human life. If
people will not take care of health, and do well from in-
clination, they will be obliged to do it from compulsion ;
but there are those who will even defy necessity, and those
people go to the devil of course."—Abernethy's Lectures.

xiAikcgi sTCiCKS 'tins
Bank Stock 0933i 3
3 per Cent. Red. ......
S per Cent. Cons. 93.
3tto peßedr Cent
98%
Di
4 per. Cent. New' 99% 100 99%%
Ditto, 1846 913%g
Bank Long Ann........... 19
India Stock
Ditto Bonds '76 pm.

PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS
Austrian Bonds, 5 percent.
Brazilian Bonds" 594
Buenos Ayres BOnds.
Chilian Bonds, 6 per ct.
Colombian Bonds
Ditto, 18'24 .31
Danish, 3 per cent.
Greek Bonds

Ditto, 1826 —
Guatunala —
Mexican Bonds —
Do. 1835 681,4 %%%

FRIO/CS OF IRISH
Bank Stock 943%
Consols, 3 percent........ 82%.;
Gov. Stock, 3% per cent sr.)
Ditto, New B9
4 per Cent. 9314,N0i
Gov. Deb. 3% per cent.
Royal Canal Stock
Grand Canal Stock
City Deb. 4 per cent
Ballast Office Deb. 4 p. ct

' MAY AT ON2 o'CLocr.
South Sea Sao&
Old Annuities
New Ditto
Ex. Bills, £l,OOO 2d. 49 50 pm.
Ditto . . . 500 2d. 49 50 pm.
Ditto Small . ... Vd. 49 50 pm.
Ditto Commercial _pm.
Bank for Account
India for Account
Cons. for Account 83

THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Neapolitan, 18.21
Peruvian Bonds
Portuguese Bonds
Prussian, 5 per cent cent
Ditto, New
Russian, New
Spanish, 1821 123; 3,4
.Q 9.2

0...3
French Renter, sp. c. —t —c.
Exchange —f..—c.
3 per cent —f. —e.
Exchange —t. —c.

3TOCES, MAY 19,
St. Patrick Instil'. (per sh.)
Royal Irish Ditto
National Ditto
Patriotic Ditto —
Hibernian Bank —
Provincial Ditto —
Royal Irish Mine —
Imperial Mine —
Mining Co. of Ireland
Commercial Buildings —

_.--.,.
Arrived. Due. Arrived. Due.
0 America 0 0 Hamburgh 0
0 Brazil 0 0 Holland 0
0 Buenos Ayres
I Dublin
0 Flanders 0 I Lisbon 0
I France
0 Gottenburgb 0 0 Mexico 0
0 Guernsey. & Jersey. 1 I Waterford 0

HIGH WATER Ay LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
Morning ... 6 minutes after 0. I Evening ...32 minutes after 0.

• ft
rtir

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 22, 1927.

An express has arrived from Paris this after-
noon, bringing the Etoile, dated yesterday
morning. It does not, however, contain any
important intelligence. An article from St.
Petersburgh, states that the Emperor of RUSSIA
is about to proceed to Weasmar for the purpose-
of reviewing 60,000 cavalry.
The intelligence from Lisbon, in the Etoile,
comes down only to the 9th inst.

The debates of last night in both Houses of
Parliament, again displayed the powerless ran-
cour of the Ultras. The Marquis of LONDON-
DERRY seems resolved to die at his post. His
Lordship evidently wishes to be the JOSEPH
HUME of the House of Lords. He moves for
returns almost every evening, and bids fair to share
popularity with the Member for Aberdeen, as a vi-
gilant guardian of the public interests. But there
is something very pitiful in thus harrassing the
Government by putting stupid questions without
having the courage to come to a division, and
we sincerely trust that Mr. CANNING'S taciturn
system, of which he has given notice, will be
adopted in the House of Lords.
NV e think that the Bishop of LONDON should
get Lord HARRoWItY'S speech by heart.
Being communicative is not one of the requisites
most sought after in a Member of the Privy
Council, and whether the question and answer
were preconcerted, or simply the result of a
strange coincidence, ,the_ whole proceeding was
certainty most extraordinary..
4.—gieat'lnicenix' of Opposition"-'in the
Flonse of CoMmons was frequently on his legs,
notwithstanding his avowed antipathy to public
speaking. The, worthy Baronet amused the
House extremely, . by. saying that he considered
a disinclination to join him as a very bad sign
of the times: This appears to have been spoken
in the simplicity of his heart, and does not give
one the impression of proceeding from any un-
due self-estimate on the part of the Member for
Somersetshire.

We congratulate Mr. PEEL on having so
valiantly acknowledged himself the Compeer of
the Baronet, called for by Mr. CANNING as a
seconder of Sir THOMAS LETIII3RIDGE'S mo-
tions. It seems that the Right Hon. Gentle-
man stalked across the House and took his
seat by the Hon. Baronet, at the conclusion of
Mr. CANNING'S speech, where the Premier ob-
served, "He did also think that his Majesty's
Ministers ought to know who their opponents were
—(Cheers)—and if' the Hon. Baronet were
not alone in his opposition—if he were not
himself the one great phcenix of opposition—he
(Mr. Canning) challenged him to get a com-
peer, and bring these questions regularly be-
fore the House, in the shape of a motion."
This is indeed a melancholy specimen of the
bathos, and feeling much gratitude for Mr.
PEEL'S exertions when in office, we sincerely
regret to see him avow himself a member of such
a fraternity. His business habits still stick to
him, and he last night brought in a Bill for the
better Administration of Justice, thereby follow-
ing up his former amendments of our cumber-
some Statute Book.

Mr. CANNING'S and Mr. BROUGUAM'S
speeches will, as usual, fully repay the trouble
of reading them.

The Paris Papers of Saturday, with the
Etoile, dated Sunday morning, reached us last
night. They are entirely destitute of political
intelligence, and contain little else than the re-
newed Debate in the Chamber of Deputies, on
the 18th, upon the Budget. The discussion,
however, like some of those which have recently
taken place in our House of Commons, had not
a very close connection with the subject which
gave rise to it. M. B. CONSTANT, after com-
menting on that part of the Budget, which re-
lates to Ecclesiastical Affairs, and pointing out
several instances of gross partiality shewn by the
Government in favour of Catholics against Pro-
testants, particularly in respect to the regulation
of the National Schools, proceeded amongst
violent interruption, to allude to the recent riots
amongst the Students of the College, and to
accuse the Ministers of having by their
agents excited these riots. He declared that the
Government had sent spies amongst the Students
for, this purpose, and that papers had been
found on the person of a man who had been
seized by them, which proved him to be an agent
of the Police. His attack on the Ministry was
answered by M. de CORBIERE and M. de PEY-
BONNET, who accused M. CONSTANT of insti-
gating such outrages by his speeches. Order
being in some degree restored, M. CUVIER vin-

dicated the conduct of Government towards the
Protestants, and with his speech the sitting closed.
M. CONSTANT was, however, subsequently
summoned before Le Juge d' Instruction to de-
liver up the documents which he stated to have
been found on the person of the Spy ; and we
may therefore expect that this subject will give
rise to renewed discussion on the next Sitting of
the Chamber.

We subjoin a few extracts from the Etoile
(From the Etoile, dated Sunday, May 20.)
~ .

" ALEXANDRIA, APRIL 11.—A few days ago a vessel
arrived here which had been dismasted in the equinoctial
gales, and belonged to a squadron which sailed from our
port on the 2d, to convey to his destination the new Pacha
of Candia. Our Pacha having been appointed Commander--
in-Chief of the Ottoman forces employed against the Greeks,
the Egyptian fleet, which has been for some weeks in our
port, has been reinforced by a squadron of the Sultan's of
17 sail. They expect 20 other ships from Constantinople,
so that more than 100 ships of war will be assembled here
for an expedition which the ,Turks expect to be decisive.
It is said that 11,000 new troops will be embarked, and
that this great force will make an attack upon Hydra. The
Pacha has been here these five or six days, but the disorder
and bad condition of the fleet, the emptiness of the treasury,
and the want of obedience to the orders of the Pacha, have
attained to such a point, that notwithstanding his activity,
it is not probable that the expedition will be ready to put
to sea in less than two or three months. Will the enemy
be idle during this time? It is feared that Lord Cochrane
may attempt, with his fire-ships, a coup-de-main against
our port. If ke should succeed, the damage would be in-
calculable, and the loss would likewise be very great to the
European merchants. However, we take courage from
the reflection that some English and French men-of-war
are always stationed here ; and if we cannot dispute the
brilliant courage of the new Admiral of the Greeks, on the
other hand we have great confidence in the resources and
ability of our Governor.—Augsburg Gazette.
" PARIS, MAY 19.—His Royal Highness the Dauphin
arrived at Angers on the 17th, and immediately received
the authorities and public functionaries. His Royal High-
ness was pleased to permit a detachment of the National
Guard to do duty about his person, along with the troops
of the line.

" M. Benjamin Constant has been summoned before M.
Leblond, Judge d'lnstruction, to deliver the documents
mentioned in his speech in the Chamber of Deputies.
" The Duke de Villa Hermosa, late Ambassador from
Spain at Paris, after stopping two days at Bordeaux, set
out on the 15th for Madrid."

FRENCH FUNDS, MAY 19.—Five per Cents., 100 f.
40c. ; Three per Cents., 70f. 55c. ; Bank Stock, 2,022 f.
50c. ; Neapolitan Rentes, 77f. 85c.

By the arrival of His Majesty's packet, the
Duke of Kent, from Lisboii, Gazettes from
the 7th to the 12th instant, inclusive have
reached us. They contain the successive Bul-
letins which had been issued relative to the
health of her Royal Highness the INFANTA
REGENT, from which we may infer that the
imminent danger in which that Princess was
considered at the date of the preceding accounts
had passed over, and that ifall fears for her Royal
Highness's life are not yet removed, still the
hopes of her ultimate recovery are much in-
creased. The fever under which she has suf-
fered appears to have left her in a state of very
great debility. Public prayers, for the recovery
of her Royal Highness, were put up on the 6th
in all the Churches in Lisbon.
The Gazette of the 7th contains a notice from
the War Office, stating the profound grief of the
INFANTA REGENT, on account of the scan-
dalous mutiny of part of the garrison of Elvas
(in which none of the officers joined), and re-
turning thanks to General CAULA for his firm-
ness and resolution, and ordering him to thank,
in her name, the officers, subalterns, and privates
of the regiments that remained faithful, for their

exemplary conduct in quelling this disgraceful
mutiny. And a further order of the day from
the War Office commands the publication to the
Army of the Decree of the ISth of April, and
gives directions for proceeding with respect to
the cases of persons included in the amnesty.
These Gazettes furnish us with no political
news—nor with any information relative to the
state of affairs, military or civil, in Portugal. '
We subjoin the Bulletins issued respecting
the INFANTA REGENT :

NINTH BULLETIN.—Her Royal Highness having passed
tills p. m. without fever, had a fit at that hour, which
ended at 9 this morning, and with a copious perspiration,
followed by spasms, which were removed in a few minutes
by the remedies administered; in a few hours afterwards,
her Royal Highness, of her own accord, desired to take the
Sacrament, which she received in the most edifying manner,
and with perfect presence of mind, at six in the evening.
At seven, the undersigned Physicians held a consultation.
May 5. Signed by seven Physicians.
TENTH BULLETIN.—The Infanta Regent having had
last night a slight fit of fever, remained pretty easy till the
morning, and slept some hours ; but at noon she felt a
shivering, announcing the fit, which was removed by the
application of remedies, and she remains with the same
presence of mind as yesterday.—May 6. _ _ _

Signed by two Physicians.
ELEVENTH BULLETIN.—.Her Royal Highness the Infanta
Regent had last night a slight attack of fever, which ended
at ten o'clock, and she passed the remainder of the night
with tolerable ease, sleeping quietly. To-day, at noon,
there was some shivering, which was removed by medi-
cines ; the slight fever remaining, which is the resalt of
her general debility.—May 7.
Signed by two Physicians.
TWELFTH BULLETIN.—Her Highness passed the last
night very quietly, without any fit, and so remained till
half-past five in the afternoon, when a slight fit came on,
with some shivering.—May 8.

Signed by two Physicians.

THIRTEENTH BULLETIN.—her Highness, after the fit
of fever mentioned in the twelfth Bulletin, which ended at
nine o'clock, felt tolerably easy, and slept very composedly
till the morning : to-day she has had. no fit op to seven
in the evening, feeling, however, a little fever, consequent
on her great debility.—May 9.

Signed by two Physicians.
FOURTEENTH Iluu.Erix.—Her Serene Highness having
passed the whole night without a fit of fever, and with
tolerable ease, continued in this manner till six in the even:.
lug, when, instead of fever, she had some of her old hys-
teric affections, which may be precursors of her improve-
ment.—May 10. Signed by two Physicians.
FIFTEENTH BULLETIN.—Her Serene Highness the In-
fanta Regent, after the hysteric affections mentioned in yes-
terday's bulletin, passed the remainder of the night tran-
quilly, and to-day, up to seven in the evening, there has
been no recurrence of these attacks, nor any fit of fever.
May 11. Signed by two Physicians.

We received the following from our Corre-
spondent at Lisbon, dated May 12, 1827 :

Nothing of any particular interest has taken place here
since my last. The Princess is so much better that she
may be considered out of immediate danger : indeed, so
much so, that the Opera-house will be opened on Sunday
evening (to-morrow.) The Constitutional party seem
highly pleased at the news which the packet brought yes-
terday, of Mr. Canning's baying established himself at the
head of English affairs ; but the generality of the people do
not interest themselves much one way or the other. Every
thing is perfectly quiet, and our soldiers walk about the
streets with as much the appearance of peace and security
as if they were in England, which seems strange enough in
a country, I may say, on the eve of insurrection. No ad-
ditional troops have arrived since the date of my last. Our
Marines, who were doing Royal duty at Belem, have been
ordered on board, and tno companies of the Grenadier
Guards, from Campo de Orique, have gone to replace them.
The 2d Battalion of the Sd Guards continues at the Bar-
racks of the Valde Pereira, where they appear in excellent
health: indeed, no troops can look better, or be kept in bet-
ter order, than the two battalions forming the Brigade of
Guards. However easy their Officers may take the duty in
England, they certainly attend to it in a proper and Officer-
like Tamer here. On the march from Cartaxo, nothing

oould exceed their attention to the comforts of the Si.
have seen several of them relieve such of the soldiers al°
peered very much fatigued, by carrying their knapsack 0
j
firelocks; yet it was impossible they could do thisla i
cases, and some of the men would straggle in the rear v
get drunk, as all English soldiers will do when they c 49
the means, and which, in this country, from the wine
ing so cheap, is easily to be obtained. It is all very 61)e
see a regiment march into a town, with fine music, and„
lours flying, "but thereby hangs a tale." The natu:"
the roads in this country do not admit of wheeled car
following the troops, consequently every article of 10,
and provisions are carried on mules' backs. Some 01_. i
soldiers may probably have a donkey for their wive.oo,
children ; either some of the mules, or these latter poor
.01
animals, may probably break down; soldiers and their int.4l
cannot get on ; some from fatigue and illness, others 10
the effects of strong drink; so that this latter part °f ~fit
scene is sometimes miserable enough. When the l,r
to
left Cartaxo, it was with mutual regret on the part ° 01
inhabitants and the troops. Nearly the whole o,f
former were assembled in the square, to 'Vil
the departure, and bid farewell. The Officers 03
a old
themselves with races and other sports, an tft
intended to have had a bull fight at Santarem °"tbi
16th of this month, where there is a regular place forty
kind of amusement ; some of the English Papers staff/
one took place at Cartaxo, which is not true. The rwisj
are situated much the same as when I addressed 31)utbs
week, with the exception of my omitting to mention to
the 10th Hussars, and the 4th Regiment of Foot, detsc.
from the Brigade at Coimbra, were by the last acconnwrii
Leiria. The Staff of head-quarters are expected to sr
,o,
to-day or to-morrow at Sacavem, a village about se':,
miles from this, either to remain there or come into to;
There are rumours to-day of a war with Spain beingL
avoidable. Count de Villa for, with his army, bave,,,6-6,
to the Alem Tejo ; when I was at Santarem about Alv
night ago, I had some conversation with the SpanisLis
fugees there, who all declared that if the people in
received any encouragement from England to free t
selves, that 10,000 men would declare for sae Calgtoje
tion in one day ;—they stated that nothing can exceed i 6
misery of the people there under the present state of a""
in that country.

We received this morning the Allge'l
Zeitung of the 15th inst., but it only conuiP
a repetition of agreement between the C°lll-
menders of the European Naval Forces to Una'
in order to check piracy in the Levant.
The Diario di Roma, of the sth inst., C.
ri
firms the arrival of his Bavarian MAJESTY
Rome.

The following are the stations appointee for,
the respective Naval forces in which to cruize.'
d
" The channels about Rodi Scarpanto will be gua el
r
by Austrian ships of war ; one will also be anchored-b;
tween Capo d'Oro and Andros, and another cruize
Capo d'Oro to Porto Mandrize and Zea; an English $lO.
of war will cruize from Zea to St. Georgic) d'Albora,
then from Ceriga to Cape Matapan, and a third from than
Cape to the Islands Sapienza. Two French men of g 4
will cruize between Milo and Cerigo, and between 1161°8°
Cape Spada."
VIENNA, MAY 10.—Aletalliques, 90 ; Bank Shatl4'
1087.

We are happy to find that all intention
voting a grant of public money to facilitate the
,71
emigration of a certain portion of the distre.s,s7
manufacturers of particular districts, is at an ell
We rejoice at it, first, because it appears that 1. f
urgency of the distress which induced the Retie
Committee to recommend this measure is fit
pily diminished ; and, secondly, becaue-
public is saved the expellee which the a4Oll
of such a precedent might lead to. Our reader
will derive with us great satisfaction from the
statement made by Mr. CANNING inelOalio,
Lion of the motives of Government in cornirig'to
he
this decision, that accounts from all parts of ts'
kingdom prove that there has been a visiblf'
sensible, and growing improvement in the state
of trade, so that all willing hands are emploYedi,:e
and we may therefore reasonably entertain .tile"
hope that our industrious manufacturers
will-
able to pursue their honest calling in' thiSjOPY)
land, instead of seeking a more doubtful-60105!
ence by a strange occupation in a foreign

His Majesty's packet brig Sphynx has arrived
with a Leeward Island Mail ; she sailed froill
Tortola on the 13th April, and from St. Tb°llll's
on the 25th.

By this opportunity, letters from La Gulr,
have been received to the 3d April. BoLiv:-5
was still at the Caraccas, and was employing PI:,
time in regulating the Tariff, and in other P
jects for the benefit of the Revenue regui3ti°gs.
In the meantime, trade was almost totally Su/
pended. There was no money, credit was c°lll
pletely gone, and every thing wore a most de.
sponding appearance for the future.

At a time like the present, when the Nati°"9:l
Revenue is inadequate to meet the exigencies
the State, it may be deemed unseasonableto
propose the repeal or reduction of any eistlljefg
tax. But, as it is understood that the Bard
,tit
Stamps, satisfied of the impolicy of the present
exorbitant Duty on Fire-insurance, intend t° pot
pose some modification of this tax, and °s'
ll
any rate, the period when such a measure v“
force itself upon the consideration of G°verre
ment cannot be far distant, we shall
briefly as possible, the nature and operation
the tax in question, the objections to its COtit
nuance, and the advantages which would rest'
from a reduction in its amount. - be
It is needless to enter into a history di! t
origin and progressive increase of this duty. 9,tito
it may be observed that the last addition t° 1t;
amount took place at a time when the Govertl:
ment was compelled to have recourse to everY
pedient for raising a Revenue to meet the
penditure of a protracted war, and when all tor
great interests of the country were in a Etst.,,eith
high activity. It was therefore submitted to
re' e
cheerfulness, from a conviction that as a s°ll
es,
of encreased Revenue it was essentially nee
per
nary, and that it would be continued no "° ,s
state, s.
than the existence of the exigency which it
created to meet.
able/
Such an expectation was certainly reason.
for it will at once appear that the tax is an -
pedient one. It must be the object of all 0. of
Governments to foster and encourage aspir
ate:
prudence and foresight—now this tax 013 -
as a check on the exercise of such a spir't•
; t the
cautious man, who wishes to guard against
dangers to which his property is exposed
fire, finds that he must not only pay a Carl • k
ation to the party willing to undertake the
Wish.l.ls,
but a tax upon the amount which he may

but it is more
to insure.
The tax on Fire-insurance is bad in principie.7
!
0
amount. The premium charged by the Insuranc:
Offices for undertaking the risk of 100/. for 6
whole year, and meeting the necessary chat
especially objectionable from

. _
iry be aaade, hat that the trial be prkeeeded in.
tt part of dm tolld prolauep
s that whie.,,„tai., itisoners
sough obsti . I!tik-411 prop
eases ottr # arig;f h Shout
leral njte thy' °red
311tiwtiA • . •'e \-• , 41!-Inerc:
ro\e*-