The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-07-19 00:00:00

had seen—(Hear, hear,)—and that he should not know at all
whether the riots were owing to the absence of magistrates,
or the absence of troops, or to the fault of the troops stand-
ing by, or to anything similar to that which had happened
some few years ago, at Nottingham— (Hear, hear). The
noble lord knew nothing at all about the matter.—(Hear.)—
Was this the way in which the country ought to be governed?
—(Hear, hear.)--He (the Duke of Wellington) had never
known a town taken by storm so ill-treated as Birmingham
had been the night before last. The noble viscount said that
some riot had taken place, and he supposed that two houses
only had been burnt. Why houses had been gutted, the
property being carried out and burnt. It wt a lamentable to
see these things going on in the north of England : but the
government took no part in the matter.—(Hear, hear,)
Viscount MELBOURNE—Why does the noble duke say
that ?—(Cries of hear, from the ministerial side.)—When did
these things happen ? The night before last.
The Earl of WARWICK—Ten days ago.
Viscount MELBOURNE—How is it possible that the go-
vernment could have hitherto done anything in the matter ?
(Hear, hear.)—Why does the noble duke say that nothing
has been done ? Why should he suppose that nothing will
be done by the government ?—(Hear, hear.)—During the
time these riots have occurred in Birmingham, every step pos-
sible has been taken by the government to prevent such out-
rages. What is the reason:that the noble duke imagines the
government will neglect their duty ? My lords, I say that the
government have never neglected their duty—(Laughter
from the oppostion)—with regard to the preservation of the
peace of the country—(Hear, hear.)—and the noble duke has
no right to assume that we shall neglect our 'duty in future.
—(Hear, hear.)
The Duke of WELLINGTON—I say, my lords, that these
riots have prevailed for the last ten days, and no stt pi have
been taken to put them down effectually—to punish the ma-
gistrates who have neglected their duty, or those who have
taken part in the riots, several of whom are now in Warwick
Gaol—(Hear, hear.)—l say that nothing of this kind has
been done by her Majesty's government.
Earl FITZWILLIAM expressed his conviction that the
present state of Birmingham ought to excite no surprise, in-
asmuch as similar scenes had been enacted there in 1789.

_
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY could not help being struck
with the degree of lightness with which the noble viscount
had treated this subject, and also the nature of the answer he
had given to what had been stated by the noble duke.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE was surprisedthat the noble viscount
should suppose that the people of Birmingham, who had been
all their lives used to agitation, should all at once calm down
and obey the authority of the law. The manner in which the
magistrates of that town had been appointed and acted, was
not at all calculated to appease the people, and it was his firm
belief that the manner in whichimagistrates had been ap-
pointed in all the towns that had received corporations, and
the party course they had adopted, had led to all the dis-
turbances that had taken place. (Hear.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that the last accounts of
what passed in Birmingham were up to half-past twelve from
the mayor of Birmingham, and at half-past two accounst
were received from the superintendent of police. Both the
mayor and the superintendent of police stated that it was im-
possible for them to bring the whole of the facts under the
consideration of the government, because they were actually
engaged in preserving the peace of the town.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said, after what the noble
Marquis who had just addressed their lordships had asserted,
he begged to offer a few further remarks. It was said there
were plenty of troops, but yet a gross outrage had been com-
mitted ; the town had been burnt, houses gutted, and the
property brought out into the streets and consumed ; and he
would again repeat that that peaceable town—that rich manu-
facturing town—was worse treated than any town had ever
been treated when taken by storm. He said that from his
own knowledge, and he recalled the noble Marquis to cor-
rection for venturing to deliver that opinion. Another state-
ment that had been made was that there were plenty of troops
—that there was a detachment and superintendent of police;
all that they had learned from the newspapers, but they knew
nothing, aid it was clear that the ministers knew nothing.
(Laughter.) They had just been informed by the ministers,
and he would venture to draw this conclusion from what they
had stated, that those magistrates, who did not bid the troops
interfere until the town was burnt, and the property of the
merchants destroyed, were irresponsible—(cries of ' hear,
hear")—and it appeared that there were no means of bringing
these parties to trial. The noble Earl (Fitzwilliam) had told
their lordships that similar misfortune had befallen that town
some years ago. Why, if the town was liable to these un-
fortunate scenes so often that was a reason why her Majesty's
ministers should have taken the utmost precaution to preserve
the public peace. (Hear, hear.) What he said was, that
there were means—such as issuing a special commission—of
marking the sense of the government in regard to those tran-
sactions. There might be an inquiry instituted into the con-
duct of the magistrates. The noble Marquis knew something
of this manner of proceeding (though in a contrary sense),
and something ought to be done to mark the opinion of
government in relation to this important subject. It would
appear, however, that he was all abroad respecting this
matter—(here)—and nobody had any right to notice these
things. (Hear, hear.) Let their lordships take care what
they did upon this subject, lest they should fall under the
lash of the noble Marquis. (Laughter.) A town might be
burned, but their lordships were to say nothing, otherwise
they might be charged with being unjust in asserting that
wrong had been done. All that he hoped was that no other
instance might occur to afford him another opportunity of
making similar observations. (Hear, hear.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE stated, that the accounts
received by the Government were dated at half-past twelve
o'clock on Monday night, and half-past two o'clock on
Tuesday morning, and contended that government ought not
to act on imperfect information, received only ten hours after
the transactions had occurred.
The Duke of WELLINGTON observed, that he did not
talk of the magistrates who had been guilty of what he
thought improper conduct, but he spoke of those who nad
been guilty of the riots ten days ago. The conduct of the
magistrates might have been the subject of inquiry, and the
persons who were guilty of the riots might by this time have
been brought to trial by a special commission or some other
mode.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, a great number of
persons had been taken up, and were awaiting their trial ac-
cording to law. The conversation then dropped.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY.

Two new writs ordered, 1, for Aylesbury, in the room of
W. M. Praed, Esq., deceased ; and, 2, for Totness, in lieu
of J. Parrott, Esq., who had accepted the stewardship of the
Chiltern Hundreds.

Several petitions were presented from coach proprietors
and others on various lines of roads, complaining of the heavy
and peculiar taxation to which they were exposed, while con-
veyances propelled by steam were comparatively free from
taxation, and praying for a more equitable adjustment of
such burdens.

Mr. Fox MAULE rose for the purpose of giving a satisfac-
tory answer from the visiting magistrates to the complaints
of John Thorogood, confined in Chelmsford Gaol for 4s 6d
church rates, but he was prevented by Mr. Wakley, and
others, from reading it, on the ground that it was an informal
course. It was, however, laid on the table and ordered to be
printed.
Mr. FRESUFIELD rose for the purpose of moving for a re-
turn on a very ticklish subject—namely, the state of business
in our courts of equity ;—for a " return of the number of
days the Court of Exchequer, as a court of equity, sat for the
despatch of business for ten years, ending 1838 inclusive ;
showing the number of days the court, sat in each term, and
at the sittings after each term," &c. In support of his mo-
tion, he proceeded to say that there were now set down for
hearing before the lord chancellor and the master of the rolls
712 causes! That the lord chancellor had recently asserted
if there were not another cause fixed for the next three years,
there was business enough to occupy that period ; so that,
the hon. member argued, for all those causes that might have
worked their way through all the preliminary stages, and be
now ready to be set down for hearing, without calculating
those that would hereafter accrue, there would be an absolute
delay (which he considered worse than a denial) of justice for
at least three years!
ill The arguments—or the weather—however, became so op-
pressive, that it was moved to count the house, and it was
" counted out."

HOUSE OF LORDS.—WEDNESDAY.
The House of Lords did not meet this day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY.

Sir T. COCHRANE, the new member for Ipswich, took the
oaths and his seat, introduced by Mr. Fitzroy Kelly and Sir
T. Fremantle. He was warmly greeted by the conservative
members present.
Mr. MACKINNON inquired whether it was the intention of
the government to institute any inquiry into the conduct of
the magistracy of Birmingham, who had evinced such ex-
traordinary apathy for several hours, on Monday, during the
sacking and burning of that town ?
Lord. J. RUSSELL, previous to answering this question,
went into some extended details as to the applications of the
magistrates for aid, and as to the transference to Birmingham
of portions of the metropolitan police. In answer to Mr.
Mackinnon's question, his lordship said that a memorial
from Birmingham, just received, represented that from half-
past eight till a quarter before ten o'clock, on Monday night,
THE MAGISTRATES DID NOTHING, although they had
warning of what was taking place; and that such an allega-
tion, of Course, DEMANDED A STRICT INQUIRY.
An interesting conversation followed, in which Mr.
SCHOLEFIELD and Mr. T. ATTWOOD (the members for
Birmingham) took part.
All parties concurred in the propriety of abstaining from
remarks on the conduct of Birmingham magistracy, as Lord
.1. RUSSELL had declared that the matter should be " in-
vestigated."
The Soldiers' Pension Bill and the Loan Fund (Ireland)
Bill severally went through a committee.
The Timber Ships Bill was read the second time.
The second reading of the Payment of Rates Bill was
deferred till Thursday.
The Ecclesiastical District Bill was read the second time.
There was considerable discussion on the Shannon Naviga-
tion 13111.
The Metropolitan Police Courts Bill was read a third time
and passed. The other orders were then disposed off, and
the house adjourned at half-past one.

EASTERN COUNTIES' RAILWAY.—The Railway Times
of Saturday gives the following return of passenger traffic on
the portion of the line now opened from Devonshire-street
to Romford, from the 20th of J une to the 10th ofJuly, 1139 :
June 20 (opening day) 1415 ; 21, 580 ; 22, 393 • 23 (Sunday)
2075 ; 24,1345 ; 25, 894 ; 26, 686 ; 27, 715 ; 28;412 ; 29, 471 ;
33 (Sunday) 3645 ; Jury 1, 957 ; 2, 859 ; 3, 1027 ; 4, 908 ; 5
(Friday, Fairlop fair) 3048 ; 6, 1022 ; 7 (Sunday, Fairlop fair)
6582 ; 8, 983 ; 9, 640 ; 10, 845. Total,-29,502 passenger
conveyed on the railway during the first three weeks.

TELEGRAPH AT HULL.—Lieut. Watson, who established
and still manages the telegraph from Holyhead to Liverpool,
proceeded last week to Hull—being the first passenger whose
place was taken by the Manchester and Leeds railway on the
opening of that line to the public on Thursday—with a view
of establishing a system of telegraphs from Hull to the York-
shire and Lincolnshire coasts. This rapid mode of transmit-
ting intelligence, almost equalling the velocity with which
sound travels, cannot fail to be of advantage to the port of
Hull, which is situated at so considerable a distance from the
mouth of the Humber. We do not know how far it is pro-
posed to extend the line of telegraphs ; but we should think
it desirable to carry it for some distance along the Yorkshire
and Lincolnshire coasts. The telegraph is of use in appris-
ing merchants of the approach of inward-bound vessels, the
progress of outward-bound vessels, and of all occurrences to
shipping along the shore in stormy weather. In time of
war—should that calamity again scourge our country—the
telegraph might be the means of communicating intelligence
of great importance. Within three or four minutes, a brief
announcement may be conveyed a distance of forty or fifty
miles !—Doncaster Gazette.

- -
NEW YORK " CHANGE."—The distress (at New York)
for change has produced a curious remedy there. Every man
is now his own banker. Go to the theatres and places of
public amusement, and, instead of change, you receive an
1.0. U. from the treasury. At the hotels and oyster-cellars
it is the same thing. Call for a glass of brandy and water, and
the change is 15 tickets, each " good for one glass of brandy
and water." At an oyster-shop, eat a plate of oysters, and
you have in return seven tickets, good for one plate of oysters
each. It is the same everywhere. The barbers give you
tickets, good for so many shaves • and were there beggars in
the streets, I presume they would you tickets, in change,
good for so much philanthropy. Dealers, in general, give
out their own bank-notes, or, as they are called here, shin-
plasters, which are good for the dollar, and from that down
to two and a half cents., all of which are redeemable, and
redeemable only upon a general return to cash payments.—
Ctzlitc Morryat'a