The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-12 00:00:00

SPAIN,

The paralyzed condition of the Cabinet of Madrid has put
it out of its power to take advantages of the horrible massa-
cres at Estella. The Exaltados were doing all in their power
to urge on a dissolution of the Cortes, as in that case the re-
sult of the elections would give them the means of dictating
to the ministry. Espartero was quaarelling with the admi-
nistration for having dismissed Count Clonard from the Cap-
tain Generalship of Andalusia, and for having taken other
measures with a view to propitiate the Liberals.
The effective strength of the Christino army is estimated
at 153,000 men, including 3,000 cavalry, Espartero having
80,000 men in the north, Van Halen 40,000 in Aragon and
Valencia, and Baron de Meer 30,000 in Catalonia.
On the 26th of February, Cabrera made a rapid movement
over the Ebro, levied contributions in many villages, and car-
ried off some National Guards as prisoners.
Notwithstanding his proclamation denouncing Maroto as a
traitor and outlaw for his sanguinary conduct at Estella, Don
Carlos joined the latter at Tolosa, confirmed him in his com-
mand, and has approved of the execution of the Generals. It
is evident that the whole affair is a concerted thing between
Don Carlos, the Princess de Beira, Father Cyril, and Maroto.
The triumph of the latter is complete,_ and his surviving
rivals, consisting of theßishop of Leon, Tejeiro, and Laban-
dero, the Ministers Pardo, Pecomdar, General Uranga, seven
other Generals, four Colonels, and two Confessors, Larraga
and Domingo, have been escorted to the French frontier by
order of the cruel, imbecile, and treacherous Pretender.
A special courier has arrived in town with letters from
Madrid of the 27th. This courier has brought Lord Claren-
don's answer to some pressing demand of the government—
a demand which brings Lord Clarendon instantly to London

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TRURSDAY.
Lord REDESDALE presented petitions in favour of the
corn-laws from Yorkshire, and other places.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition, most numeroudy
signed by all classes of the inhabitants of Manchester, against
the beer act. The noble and learned lord presented similar
petitions from the Leigh Union, Lancashire, and another
from the Boroughreeve of Manchester, with othera of the
corporate officers of that large and populous town.
RAILWAYS (IRELAND).
Lord BROUGHAM then presented two petitions from lip-
perary in favour of a grant of money in aid of railways in
Ireland. The noble and learned lord said that though he
presented these petitions, he would most certainly give his
entire opposition to any bill or resolution having for Its ob-
ject the granting of two millions and a half sterling far the
construction of a railway from Dublin to Cork ; such a grant
would be most impolitic, as interfering with the enterprise
of private capitalists. (Hear, hear.)

THE NAVY.
The Earl of HARDWICKE confessed, after visiting the
yards, and seeing what the actual state of things was, he was
led into an expression which was, perhaps, too strong, "that
the returns supplied to the Admiralty were false." He was
sorry to have said any thing that could be supposed to reflect
personally on any gentleman, but he certainly impugned
upon that occasion, and did still impugn, the accuracy of the
returns, as quoted by the Earl of Minto.
The Earl of MINTO said that, not expecting the subject
would be introduced, he had nor brought the documentswith
him.

The Duke of WELLINGTON remarked, that those who
were inquiring whether such a vessel had or had not three
masts, or whether there was a sufficient store of Sails In our
dock-yards, were on an entirely wrong scent. They had
been talking of demonstration ships, and the noble earl op-
posite (the Earl of Minto) maintained that these demonstra-
tion ships were ready ; while another noble earl opposite to
him insisted that they were not ready. Demonstration ships!
Why this country was at war—(hear, and cheers))--she was
at war in two quarters of the world. She was at war in
America and likewise in Asia ; and what he said was, that
when a country was at war, the establishments of the country
should be war establishments—whereas ours were all peace
establishments—(cheers)—nay, he believed they were all re-
duced peace establishments ; and we were pretending to carry
on war in two quarters of the world with such means. He
had warned their lordships a year and a half, now nearly two
years ago, against such a result. His grace maintained that
with reference to the army and all our establishments, they
were unequal to the exigencies of the crisis. If our army in
North America had been sufficient, we should not have been
obliged to call men as volunteers from their proper occupa-
tions to join in the profession of the army, for which they
were quite unfit. But in Asia we were conducting warfare
in the strangest manner. Not only our European but the
native troops were infinitely below the usual standard, and
more particularly the Queen's troops. These thitEgs, he
added, were known throughout the world, and, he repeated,
it was quite out of the question that, either in thit nrany
other-operation undertaken by a country like this, we muU
succeed, nnleiss we dried it on-with !liminess, and unleSktbe
government and Parliament showed that they were deter.' -
mined to take such steps as might bring our dispute to an
early and honourable conclusion.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was impressed with the im-
portance of the statements made by the noble duke, and re-
gretted that they were made in the absence, from fndieposi-
tion, of his noble friend (Viscount Melbourne.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR presented the report of the se-
lect committee "on the petition of .L J. Lawson, for the
production of certain evidence taken before a select com-
mittee of the House." The report stated that the House saw
no reason to comply with its prayer.
Lord LYN DHURST gave notice that he would, on Monday
next, call their lordships' attention to the report just pre-
sented.

PRISONERS IN IRELAND.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH entered on the subject of ,
the liberation of prisoners in Ireland by the Marquis of Nor.
manby. From returns laid before the House of Common*,
it would be seen that 27 prisoners had been pardoned under
sentence of death, 33 of transportation for life, two for 14
years, 63 for seven years, and 690 for minor offences, out of
the whole of which bail had only been taken in 41 cases.
concluded with moving for the memorial for the liberation of
Thomas Cook, from the gaol of Mullingar, sentenceeto 15
months' imprisonment, and the order for the liberation of
Cook.
The Marquis of NORMANDY stated in detail the grounds
on which he had been induced to exercise the prerogative of
mercy ; and referred
,to a statement of Sir Robert Peel,
when Irish Secretary, that in 1823, in one year, out of 8,312
criminal convictions, there had been 2,400 applications for
the royal mercy, and in 400 of the capital cases alone the
sentences had been set aside—to show that the prerogative of
mercy had been exercised to a much greater extent by many
of his predecessors than by ,himself.
The Duke of WELLINGTON, in the course of the discus-
sion, observed that it had been urged as an argument for mi-
tigating the severity of the criminal law, that it would lead to
greater certainty of punishment, and he questioned the
policy of allowing the notion to go abroad that the law would -
not always take its course.
Lord WESTMEATH did not press his motion to a division,
and the House adjourned at half-past eight.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAY.
Petitions praying for the repeal of the corn laws were
presented by Mr. WALLACE, signed by 3,845 inhabitants of
Greenock, and one signed by the Provost of Hamilton, on
behalf of 10,000 of those over whom he was called upon to
preside ; by Mr. Grote, from Woodstock ; by Mr. Parrott,
from a parish in North Devon ; and by Mr. Sergeant Wilde.
Petitions in favour of the present system were presented by
Mr. Grant, for Inverness; by Sir J. Y.Buller, from Kings-
bridge, in Devonshire ; by Mr. Barneby, from several pa-
rishes in the county of Worcester ; and by Mr. O'Connell,
from the Chamber of Commerce in Dublin.
Mr. CHAPMAN presented petitions from Epping, Stam-
ford, Croydon, and several other places, against a repeal of
the corn laws ; as did Mr. G. PALMER from a great number
of parishes in Essex.
Sir A. DALRYMPLE presented a petition from Brighton,
praying the house not to sanction any system of national
education unless it were based upon the articles of the
Church of England.
Mr. HUME postponed from the 14th to the 21st instant,
his motion on household suffrage.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE deferred till the same day his motion
on the poor laws, as did Mr. F. FRENCH his on railroads in
Ireland.
Mr. PRYME gave notice that on the 25th he would move
for a gradual reduction of the duty on foreign corn.
Mr. O'CONNELL gave notice for the 21st of motions on
the denization of foreigners ; the coal-meters of Dublin ;
and the number of days ou which the Recorder of that city
had sat during the last five years.
IRISH RAILWAYS.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY gave notice that to-morrow he
should move for a return of the number and names of all
landowners through whose property the proposed railroad
between Dublin and Cork would pass, specifying those who
were members of either house of parliament.--(Hear, hear.)
Sir E. KNATCHBULL gave notice of a motion on Thurs-
day next, on the subject of the beer bill.
CRIMES IN IRELAND.
Mr. SHAW moved for a great many returns relative to
the state of Ireland, the offences committed in the rural.
districts, their nature and numbers, and began by giving an
appalling picture of the country, in many parts of which it
was, he said, notorious that there was neither security for
person or property ; and civilisation itself could scarcely be
said to exist. He went into a number of details to show
that official returns of crime in Ireland, with which the
house were furnished, were inaccurate, insufficient in extent,
and in many respects delusory. But even if accurate, they
would still fail to convey a correct idea of the state f Ire-
land ; for the great evil in that country was, that persons
made amenable to justice, bore but a small proportion to
the number of offences and the number of offenders con-
cerned in them. Therefore he should move for a return of
all outrages, crimes, and offences in the several counties,
cities, and towns in Ireland for the last four years.
Mr. O'CONNELL said he intended to move, by way of
amendment, to the first return required by the right hon.
gentleman, that a similar return should be made with regard
to England, Scotland, and Wales.—(Hear, hear.) He sub•
mitted that this was the proper time for moving.
Viscount MORPETH entered into very lengthened details
of the state of Ireland for the last sixty years. He passed
in review the measures adopted by the present administra-
tion, for the amelioration of the country, and stated that,
with the exception of the returns relative to ribaudism, the
others should be forthcoming.
Mr. COLQUHOUN protested against the ministerial argu-
ment that outrages had prevailed in all times, for former
governments had always come to parliament to repress
those outrages ; but the present administration had hitherto
been boasting that there was nothing to repress. He then
proceeded to specify a great variety of grave crimes, proving
the insecurity of Ireland, and enlarged on the system of in-
timidation by which witnesses are deterred from assisting to
get those crimes punished.
Mr. Pigot, Mr. E. Tennent, Col. Conolly, and Mr.
O'Connell, spoke at great length, and at a quarter to two
the further debate was adjourned till the next day.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRTDAY.
The ecclesiastical pluralities restriction bill was read athird
time and passed. '
Lord RODEN gave notice that on the 21st of this month be
should submit a motion to the House on the state of Ireland.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH wished to know whether the gOv&Q•
ment had any papers connected with the education and tau.
nicipal institutions in Canada in its possession.
The Marquis of NORMANBY stated that no such reports
were in the hands of the government; two reports on the
administration of justice in Canada would be presented, and
one connected with the clergy.
Lcrd BROUGHAM moved for divers returns connected with
the Bankruptcy Court.
Lord LYNDHURST inquired whether any satisfactory apo-
logy or explanation had been received from the French go-
vernment for the insult offered to the British by the French
admiral at Vera Cruz.
Lord MINTO repeated what he had before stated on the
subject. ; and regretted that he could not give any more ex.
plicit answer now, as there was a correspondence still pro-
ceeding on the subject/ He was in daily expectation of re-
ceiving further and satisfactory dispatches on the subject.
In answer to questions put to him in a conversation which
ensued, the noble lord admitted that a pilot had been taken
out of the packet.
Lord COLCHESTER said he was unwilling to interfere in
the matter at present, and would wait until Comodore Doug-
las's dispatches arrived.—The House adjourned at 7 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—FaII:owI%
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, in his robes of office, appeared
at the bar with a petition from the corporation of Dublin for
the preservation of their privileges in the Irish Corporation
Reform Bill.
Several petitions for and against the corn laws, were pre-
sented.
Sir John C. Hobhouse laid on the table various returns
connected with India, and remarked, in reference to a state-
ment of the Duke of Wellington, that instead of the military
force in India being lower, it was in fact, higher than it had
been for some preceding years, and there had been a consid-
erable augmentation. No less than 24.000 native troops and
3,000 Europeans had been recently added.
In answer to a question as to the distribution of the "Dec-
can" prize money, Sir John C. Hobhouse said that no report
since 1836 had been received from the Indian government ; he
would only further add, that even when the parties came to
receive their Shares, they would find they woulct amount to
much less than they expected.
In reply to a question from Sir R. Inglis, Lord PALMICA•
STON stated that the negotiations with Portugal for the abo-
lition of the slave trade had failed.
Mr. LABOUCHERE remarked, in answer to some questions
by Mr. James and Mr. Hume, relative to alleged outrages in
Canada, that all the information in the possession of govern-
ment was already upon the table of the house.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE gave notice, that on the first supply
day, he should siibmit a motion relative to the neglect by the
government of the resolution of the house on the subject of
theatrical entertainment in Lent.
The Municipal corporations (Ireland) bill was read the se-
cond time, after a division, ,the numbers of which were—
ayes, 300 ; noes, 39.
Sir F. ,TRENCH brought forward resolutions respecting
the mode of lighting the house, but they were ultimately
withdrawn,
The further consideration of navy estimates, after some
conversation wo' postponed till Monday. '