The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-12 00:00:00

Imperial Varliament.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY.
Mr. Tomline, the new member for Sudbury, took the
oaths and his seat
Mr. PLUMPTRE gave notice that on the 23d inst. he would
submit a motion declaratory of the expediency of discontinu-
ing the grant to the Roman Catholic College at Maynooth
after the present year.
Mr. MACKINNON said, that, as it was understood that this
country was on the eve of concluding a commercial treaty
with France, by which the duty on French wines would be
reduced, he asked whether, in the event of that treaty taking
place, and a reduction of duty ensuing on French wines im-
ported into this country, it was the intention of the govern-
ment to make a proportionate reduction of the duty on the
wines from other countries—from Spain and Portugal, and
also on Cape wine?
Mr. Lauor!euEnE answered, that he must follow the
course he had adopted with regard to other treaties during
negotiation, and decline, at present, to give any answer on
the subject; he might, however, observe, that he conceived
it would be extremely bad policy to conclude a treaty with
any power with regard to wine which would resemble the old
treaty with Portugal, called the Methuen treaty ; and, also,
that it was not the intention of the government to conclude a
treaty with any foreign power but on the terms of reciprocal
benefit.

Lord MORPETH, in answer to Sergeant Jackson, said it
was the intention of the Government to discharge the claims
on the Irish Clergy Million Fund as early as possible.
Mr. B. WALL asked, whether it was intended to make any
enclosure in the Green Park, or to abridge the privileges the
public now enjoyed ?
Mr. E. J. STANLEY answered, that there was no intention
to make any alterations that would abridge the enjoyments of
the public.
Mr. AGLIONBY inquired, whether the Under Secretary for
the Home Department was prepared to make a statement,
or to lay any papers on the table relative to York Castle, and
the relaxattion of the punishment of Mr. Feargus O'Connor ?
Mr. Fox MAULE said, that he thought the best way would
be to lay on the table the correspondence between the Home-
office and the magistrates, and he would do so on Thursday.
Mr. GOULBURN asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
when he intended positively to bring on the third reading of
the Tobacco Trade Regulation Bill, as he wished to make
some suggestions relative to it?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER fixed Friday, ob-
serving that the trade, generally speaking, were satisfied with
the bill.
Sir R. PEEL asked Mr. Ellice whether he proposed on
Friday, on the third reading of the bill for the Union of the
Canadas, to move the omission of those clauses that related
to district councils, and whether he proposed to divide the
house upon such motion ?
Mr. ELLICE answered that he intended to state his objec-
tions to those clauses, but he could not say that he should
go further until he saw the feeling of the house. If the
feeling of the house were in his favour, he hoped the secre-
tary of the colonies would not persevere in retaining those
clauses, because it was desirable that the bill should go out
to Canada with the unanimous consent of that house.
Mr. MILLS moved the second reading of the Seduction
(as regarded paupers) Bill.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL opposed it.
After some discussion the house divided on it, and the se-
cond reading was carried by 57 to 56, giving a majority of 1.
On the motion of Mr. PAKINGTON, the Sale of Beer
Bill (No, 2) was recommitted, and called forth a good deal
of desultory discussion, occupying much of the remainder
of the sitting.
Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD again deferred the Copyright
Bill till Wednesday. the 24th instant.
The remaining orders being disposed of, by being fixed for
other days, the house adjourned.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM CHINA.

(From a Fourth Edition of the Times of Monday.)
We have received by a second extraordinary express the
Indian mail, with despatches and journals, which left Bom-
bay on the 30th April.
The troops to form the expedition against China were em-
barked at Madras on the 16th of April on board the John
Adam and Rustomsjee Cowajee without a single accident,
.nd_All the other preparatory_ measures were in progress.
pation. The accounts from China, brought by these papers
and correspondence, come down to the 13th of March. They
state that an order of the Emperor for suspending trade with
all foreign nations, without exception, reached Canton on the
12th of February. The Emperor, moreover, ordered Com-
missioner Lin to give effect to that interdict, without refer-
ring to the Government at Pekin. Several attempts to burn
the British fleet in Toonkoo Bay were made by the Chinese,
but they miserably failed.
Many Chinese families were flying from Macao.
In the mean time a spirit of discontent and rebellion,
among the inhabitants of Pekin and of the second capital
Moukden, has excited considerable alarm, and several of the
mandarins have been degraded for having neglected to seize
the criminals.

CHINA.

ATTEMPT OF THE CHINESE TO BURN THE BRITISH FLEET

IN TOONGKOO BAY.

About ten o'clock on Friday morning two small junks
were observed to arrive among the shipping in Toongkoo
Bay. About half-past one on Saturday morning, they were
observed coming down from the eastern end of the bay in
flames • but the wind being too southerly, they drifted in-
shore of the shipping, through the mass of small Chinese
boats and foreign schooners : one touched the Devil schooner,
and set fire to her forward; but the crew succeeded in extin-
guishing the fire with the loss of the jib and damage to the
bowsprit. These junks, or rafts, were filled with all kinds of
combustibles, cotton, oil, bamboo guns, or rather tubes,
thickly mounted in several tiers, that threw out fire balls as
the fire reached them. Some of the ships slipped their ca-
bles, and the Cawasjee Family was aground for a few hours,
but without receiving any damage. It is the opinion of an
experienced eye—witness that had there been 20 such junks
chained together, the shipping would have been greatly
injured. . . .

This abortive attempt, however, has had the good effect of
awakening the captains and officers of the ships to the danger
to which they are exposed, and they are therefore more on
the alert ; several have bent sails, shifted their berths, and
got springs on their cables.
Since writing the above we have been told another attempt
was made to bunt the fleet on the succeeding night. but,
from some unknown cause, was not persevered in.—Canton
Register March 3.
On Friday night, the Sth of February, at about 10 o'clock,
two junks ou fire, to which a number of smaller boats
filled with combustibles were attached, were seen to drift
towards the.• shipping from the Cap-sing-moon passage,
but wind and tide carried them clear of the shipping,
nearer in shore, among a number of small Chinese boats,
some of which we hear were. burnt. The only damage
sustained was by the schooner Devil having her jib and
bowsprit set on fire, which was, however, soon extinguished,
and by the Cowasjee Family, in slipping her cable to avoid
the fire-ships, having got ground, but got oft' again with-
out sustaining any damage. We hear the boats of her
Majesty's ship 'V
silage were employed in towing
these fire
ships out of the line of danger. They burnt out, after
having drifted on shore without explosion, though, it is said,
they were filled with bamboos stuffed with gunpowder,
broken glass, small stones, &c. On the following night
another attempt at tiring the fleet was made, but without suc-
cess. The title on Friday night was very low, and the wea-
ther fine, two circumstances much in favour of the fleet,
which might have suffered considerably had the attempt of
the Chinese been on a larger scale and better managed. As
it is, however. this first trial will but too likely be followed
by others which way possibly be more dangerous, the Chinese
from experience being enabled to give a truer direction to
their fireships ; and it is hardly necessary in us to recommend
the greatest vigilance.—Canton Press; March 7.
A memorial had been issued from the Grand Military
Council, addressed to bin, Viceroy of Kwantung and
Qwangse, recommending the massacre of the English, and
the stoppage of the foreign trade.