The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-06 00:00:00

from the parish during the same period has not . ex-
ceeded 10s. _

We know not how long this affecting condition of
affairs is to be permitted to exist. We believe there
is a remedy which is within the power of the Govern-
ment, but we are not sure that they have the wisdom
and the courage to apply it. The circumstances
which are gathering around us, however, will soon
compel that attention which the magnitude of the evil
requires.

DISTRESSING SUICIDE AT CAMBERWELL.—The
quiet of the inhabitants of Church-street, Camberwell,
was !early this morning interrupted by a cry of
"Police," proceeding from the house of Mr. Crowder,
a respectable baker, near the Grove. Upon the police
entering the shop, they found Mr. Crowder in a
state of excitement, and the body of Mrs. Crowder,
the wife of Mr. C., with her throat cut, quite
dead, and saturated with blood, . which was. yet
issuing from the wound. The deceased. who was a
fine healthy young woman, of about twenty-six years of
age, was the mother of four children (one an-infant of a
few months old), and remarkable for the cheerfulness
of her disposition, the industry of her habits, and
affection for her family. So late as half-past ten last
night, she was engaged in friendly conversation with a
neighbour, to whom she offered some fruit she had just
purchased at a neighbouring shop, when her manner
was perfectly collected, and her spirits good. Of no one
would the idea of suicide have been regarded as more
improbable than of the deceased. The husband, it ap-
pears, missed her from the bed ; and on her not return-
ing, he proceeded to search for her, when he made the
sad discovery we have described. The event has occa-
sioned deep regret in the neighbourhood. where she and
her husband were much respected.
'From all we can learn, the harvest promises to be
early, abundant, and good ; a little more rain, however, if it
pleased Providence to bestow it, %ould apparently produce
much benefit.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, July 5.

DEAN FOREST ECCLESIASTICAL BILL.

(Continued from our Third Edition of last night.)
Mr. WILLIAMS opposed the Bill as impolitic and
ill-timed ; he regretted that such a Bill should have
been brought forward at a period of such distress as the
present.
The House then divided, and the numbers were—
For the original motion 177
For the resolutions 44
Majority-
The Report was then further considered in Committee,
and the House resumed.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Lord STANLEY moved that the House resolv4t itself
into a Committee upon South Australia, for the purpose
of coluidering certain resolutions.
The Mouse having resolved itself into a Committee,
Mr. GREENE in the Chair.

Lord STANLEY said that, in rising to propose the

present resolutions, he was doing what, perhaps, more
properly belonged to his Right Hon. Friend the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, as they had more relation to the
finance department of the colony, than the political.
The Noble Lord then referred to the circumstances under
which the colony was established. The management of
the colony was vested in in the hands of unpaid Commissioners,
over whom there was no control, who undertook to carry out
the objects of the colony, on what was called the self-supperting
principle. They were to defray the expenses of the colony,
without referring to the mother country, but it was necessary
that some funds should be provided in the outset, and the
Commissioners were, for this purpose, empowered to borrow
sums on credit. They were empowered to borrow 200,0001.,
and were required to place 20,0001. as a guarantee fund in the
hands of trustees. The consequence was, that the money was
borrowed at an extravagant rate of interest; he believed at 10
per cent. interest. Independently of this, the machinery for
carrying out the objects of the Commission was one likely to
into
the dissatisfaction. • Political differences also entered
the matter, and these divisions tended to counteract the objects
of allparties. (The Noble Lord then proceeded to read the re-
commendations of the Committee of last year, on which, he
said, he had strictly founded his Bill. These were, that the
former Act for governing the colony be repealed ; that the
colony be placed on the same footing as other British pisses-
sions • that the Government should take into consideration the
expediency of introducing the popular element into the
Colonial Council, by admitting a proportion of non-
official members, and other recommendations of a
similar kind. The Noble Lord then traced the financial
embarrassments of the colony, and the proceedings of Colonel
Gawler with regard to them, which he stated were always
taken from a deep and imperious sense of their necessity.) He
would not go into the point, so much argued before the Committee
last year, whether he was justified in drawing on the treasury
in the manner he had done. Captain Grey had succeeded in
making a reduction in the expenses of the civil establishment
of the colony from 94,0001. to 34,6001. One of the conditions
on which emigrants went out to the colony was, that they
should be furnished employment sufficient to maintain
themselves. The effect was to throw the resources

of the Government open to a large proportion of the
population, so as to render
__matters_ in a con-

iliaon similar to that which prevailed in England in the
worst times of the old Poor-!aw. The result was, that out of a
ropu'ation of 15,000 persons 2,000 were maintained at the
public expense. Captain Grey, however, had received the
most positive instructions that no workman who refused to ac-

cept of employment, even at wages below those given ordi-
narily to colonists, should receive relief. The course her Ma-
jesty's Government meant to pursue was, that those who went
out to the colony, having gone on the faith of Government, it
was but justice to support them now. The number of colonists
was now 15,000, and they possessed a vast amount of fixed
capital,-and he trusted that when they were now relieved they
would become what they had not been heretofore, a self-sup-
porting colony. What he meant to propose was an advance to
the colony of 153,0001., at the same time he could nct hold out

any sanguine expectation of its repayment. He also
meant to propose an estimate this year of 15,0001. to carry on
the current expenses of the Government. It should also he re-
collected that, in the first instance, the Commissioners raised a
sum of 85,000/. for which they paid from seven to ten per cent.
interest. The bonds were to bear interest at 34 per cent. The
remaining debt of the colony was 84,000/., on which, during
the present year, this country would be called on to pay 5,9001.
This, he hoped, would be the last demand that they should re-
quire to make on Parliament to put the colony in such a condi-
tion that it would be able to carry on its own affairs, on its own
expenditure. The Noble Lord concluded by moving the re-
solutions.
Mr. DIVETT approved of the system of administration pro-
posed by the Noble Lord, and considered that the House was
greatly indebted to him for the statement he had laid before it.
Mr. WILLIAMS said the statement of the Noble Lord was
a most extraordinary one. When one saw propositions like
these brought forward in the present state of the country, he
despaired of anything being done for the relief of commerce.
He thought that the course proposed was one which would
cause a continuance of the useless, reckless extravagance which
had commenced under Colonel Gawler, who spent a sum of
24,000/. in the erection of a Government House, He knew it
was quite useless to oppose the Bill, but he could not allow such
proceedings to go on without raising his voice against it.
Lord S J'ANLEY stated that from what had lately come
to his knowledge, he could state that no such sum as 24,000/.
had been expended by the late Governor in the manner stated
by the Hon. Member ; and he should further state that Colonel
Gawler was most anxious that his conduct should be inquired
into, it any doubts were entertained as to its propriety.
Mr. MACKINNON combatted the opinion of the Hon.
Gentleman opposite that he should give up the colony of South
Australia altogether. He had been one of the unpaid Com-
missioners of this colony, and he must say he was surprised to
hear an Hon. Gentleman connected with trade advise her Ma-
jesty's Government to give up a colony which had been pro-
gressing for the last six years, and which, in a short time,
might equal the United states in extent and importance. Was
not the Hon. Gentleman aware that productions might fail in
our own country, and then where were we t• look but to our co-
lonies fir our supplies?
Mr. WILLIAMS briefly explained. Here was a colony
which had been in existence six )ears ; there were 15,000 in-
habitants, and 20,0001. a year was required for the maintenance
of the colony. This was the result of employing unpaid Com-
missions, and he did hope that the Noble Lord would never
employ unpaid Commissions again.
Mr. MACKINNON said that it was not the Commissioners
at home who incurred the expenses ; the expenses were incurred
by the people in the colony.
Mr. V. SMITH perfectly agreed with the Hon. Member for
Coventry that we should give up this colony altogether. He
could not sit down without expressing the highest satisfaction
at the manner in which the Noble Lord had spoken of the vigour
and energy displayed by his friend Capt. Grey since he had had
the management of affairs in South Australia.

Mr. WARD thought there was now a prospect of the colony
regaining its healthful state. Already the income nearly
equalled the expenditure; to throw away such a colony he
thought would be an act of insanity, as well as inhumanity. He
was of opinion that it would be well if in these colonies the ma-
chinery could be constructed so as to be of a less expensive na-
ture. He cordially approved of the resolutions of the Noble
Lord.

The question was then put, and the resolutions were agreed
to without adivision, and reported.—The House then resumed.

MINES AND COLLIERIES BILL.
On the motion of Lord ASHLEY for the third readrng
this Bill,

Mr. AINSWORTH presented petitions against the Bill.
He believed that every man in the House and in the country
would be glad to see an end put to the employment of females
in collieries, as soon as a termination could be put to that em-
ployment, in the present distressed state of the working
classes. But he believed that it would send into the workhouse
hundreds of families, if that part of the Noble Lord's Bill
which prevented the employment of boys under thirteen years
'of age, were carried into effect. The Hon. Member read
several communications from Manchester and Bolton, in
which the writers said, that if the provisions of the Bill were
carried into effect, it would be impossible to work the
mines in that district. He had received similar information
from other parts of England and Wales, and from Scotland.
The manufacturers were indifferent about the Bill, because
they regarded it as a labourer's question which could not in
the least affect the interests of the capitalist employer. There
was also a question to be taken into account—whether the
employment was really so injurious to the health of children as
was represented. He admitted that there were objections to
the employment of children of a very tender age, as he had
shown by the notice which he had given of a motion that no
child under ten years of age should be employed. It was the
general opinion of the working miners themselves that the
Report of the Commissioners was overcharged ; and
that the condition of the women and children employed
in mines was infinitely superior to that of children employed in
other kinds of work. The Hon. Gentleman then quoted
largely from the Reports, to establish the fact that all the per-
sons engaged in the working of coal mines were superior to
their neighbours employed in agriculture, and, beyond com-
parison superior in health and appearance to the people em-
ployed in factories. Moreover, the workers in factories
and the out-working agricultural labourers in his neigh-
bourhood (Bolton) were receiving parish relief last
year in this ratio-373 spinners, 390 weavers, and
116 out-door labourers, but only nine colliers. The
Noble Lord's Bill might be sent up to the other House,
but it was impossible that the Bill in its present state could
become the law of the land. It was well that there was
another House to correct the hasty, and he must say false
legisl,tion of the Lower House in this matter. The Hen.
Gentleman concluded by asking leave to withdraw the amend-
ment of which he had given notice.—Amendment by leave
withdrawn.

Mr. BENETT said that he entirely differed from the Hon.
Member who had just sat down, who stated that this was a
matter which did not concern the poor. This was, a Bill
which did great honour to the Noble Lord who
had originated it, and would do honour to the
Legislature if they passed it into a livr.' t was a )3111 that