The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 1/, 1853.

TUESDAY 31ORNING, APRIL 12, 1553.

THE WEEK.

Mr. BRAmAH, Clerk to the Birkenhead Dock
Trustees, has published a letter, denying that his
patrons have made, or intended to make, an offer
of the Birkenhead Docks to the Li,. erpool Dock
Committee. Whether the Trustees have conde •
scended to make an offer or not, they will be
oblivious of their own interest, if they do not cor-
dially join in any scheme for transferring the
Birkenhead Docks to the Liverpool Dock Trustees.
We have alluded in another place to the several
important questions which have been brought under
discussion during the week, and which possess
more than an ordinary degree of interest. The
Town Council, on Wednesday, elected a Receiver of
Town Dues, and entered at some length into the
charges brought by the Magistrates against several
Town Councillors for alleged interference with an
Inspector of Police. The Select Vestry rejected
Mr. BANNER'S proposition for re-building St.
Peter's Church in a style worthy of the town of
Liverpool. The Dock Committee, on Thursday,
listened to Mr. GRANTHAM'S remonstrance against
the objections to his High-level Railway scheme,
and announced that the important conference on
the amalgamation of the Birkenhead with the Liver-
pool Docks would take place to-morrow (Wed-
nesday) in London.

REPEAL OF THE PAPER DUTY.
THE interval during which the CHANCELLOR of
the EXCHEQUER is preparing his Financial State-
ment is the fitting time, according to the modern
system, for the agitation for the reduction or repeal
of those taxes which appear to bear the most
oppressively upon the interests of the community.
We have on a previous occasion stated that the first
relief should be from the Income-tax, which bears
with greater inequality and injustice upon certain
classes than any other of the public burdens. We
adhere to our convictions on this subject, but at
the same time we feel confident that, with the
several interests demanding relief, some attempt
will be made to divide the surplus income, which
seems destined never to be permitted to accumulate
for the reduction of the National Debt. It will,
therefore, not be out cf place to bring before the
public attention a tax, the repeal of which possesses
more than ordinary claims to consideration. In
recent agitation the duty on Paper has been, for
certain purposes, mixed up with other questions
under the comprehensive term of Taxes on Know-
ledge, but it will be found entitled to the attention
of the Finance Minister, for reasons very distinct
from those advanced by the promoters of that
ho movement.

In the first place, Paper is applied to multifa-
rious uses, beyond that of forming the material for
books and newspapers; and its use would be still
farther extended, were it relieved from the surveil-
lance of the Excise. It has a claim to priority of
notice ; for, many years since, a Committee of the
House of Commons, appointed to take into con-
sideration the various duties upon articles in general
consumption, decided, after a minute investigation,
that the Excise duties upon Leather, Glass, and
Paper ought to be first repealed. The effect of the
repeal would be to give an impetus to an important
branch of Home Manufactures, as was shown by
the reduction of duty in 1836, to the extent of one-
half, which led to the amount of manufacture
being nearly doubled. The tax is unjust ; for while
other manufactures have been relieved from all
duties upon foreign raw materials, Paper has to
bear a burden of above twenty-five per cent. It
inflicts great injustice upon the honest trader, on
account of the facilities for evading it by those who
are dishonest, and the strong temptation to col-
lusion by the Excise officer. The extension of the
manufacture would add materially to the sources of
employment for the population in rural districts,
where the majority of paper-mills are necessarily
situate, besides giving a large amount of additional
employment to the numbers already engaged in the
various processes connected with the dissemination
of literature. It would tend to improve the social
condition of the humbler classes, by the diffusion of
a superior kind of cheap publications, from which it
has been proved they are now debarred, solely
through the operation of the Paper Duty. It
would give very important relief to the Agri-
cultural Interests, by the increased employment
It would

operating to diminish the Poor
also ren

's Rates.

e the competition to which the Paper
Manufacturer is now:exposed, through other articles
similar to Paper—though:not liable to the duty—
being substituted for it.

These are reasons why, in any remission of
taxation to be proposed, Paper should not be
omitted, as it would be difficult to find any article,
r subject to duty, the:repeal of which would
confer so extended an amount of general benefit,
remove' so much of present injustice, and at the
same time do so little to impoverish the Revenue.
Under these circumstances, we cannot doubt that
the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in his
cogitations, will give this question a prominent place.
We have alluded to-, the agitation for the relief
from what are called Taxes on Knowledge; and
while-on this subject, we:may refer to another item
which is specially recommended to the favourable
consideration of the Finance Minister. It is well
known that the Duty on Advertisements presses
with great inequality upon the several classes
subject to:it, while its repeal would not form any
serious amount of loss to the National Income. By
the present system, the rich man who advertises
the sale of property worth tens of thousands, pays
no more in the shape of duty than the poor servant
who anxiously seeks for another
soiututatoiof place,
i\e''or is this all..the injustice—for the
duty is evaded in every possible way ; the interior
of railway carriages, public conveyances, the dead
walls, and other means being resorted to, for giving
publicity to announcements, in order to avoid the
payment of duty, which is only levied on Advertise-
ments'which appear in Newspapers and other pub-
lications. It is proved by the Journals published
in the Colonies, in America, and other places
where Advertisements are not subject to duty, that
the public freely adopt this mode of communication,
and there i 4 no doubt they would largely avail

themselves of the advantage in this country, if the
ribcrp,ol *tanVittV, impost were removed. It is a question in which all
=
have some degree of interest, and it is to be hoped
7MY 31ORNi 2, that the CHANCELLOR of .the EXCHEQUER will
not be forgetful of it in the preparation of his
-"
H E Budget. —...........—
ONE of the most interesting topics at the present A WAVERING BRIGADE.---If the Tablet were as
certain authority about what the Brass Band will
time, when there is, so to speak, a transition do, as it is peremptory about what they ought to
between Winter and Spring, is the state of the do, we might number the days of Lord Aberdeen's
weather, and in this respect even a disposition to omnium-g.atherion almost to the hour. That un-
compromising servant of Rome demands the down-
grumble would find itself at fault. The days have fall of another ministry, without heeding the neces-
been sunny, and though the winds, which have sity that may immediately arise for tripping up a prevailed from the north and northwest, have been third and a fourth. "Impatience and Shuffle the
cold, vegetation has asserted its prerogative, and
Cards," seems to be the
principle, by which it is
the opening buds and growing grass have given expected that Spade will turn up at last, in the
shape of a thoroughly Popish premier. Out, then,
those pleasant tokens of Summer which are ever with the present men, before they get "insolent and
grateful to the lovers of rural delights. hardened by an overweening sense of security."
On Saturday the new steamer Hope, which has
Half a dozen rolls in the mud may render statesmen
been built by Mr. LAIRD, of Birkenhead, for the
amenable, who are already beginning, like Falstaff,
to forswear sack and live cleanly, in the confidence
African Steam Navigation Company, made a trial of having reached an elevation above the vile trip down the Mersey, beyond the Northwestern degrees by which they rose.—Dublin Evening Mail
Lightship, and fully justified the most sanguine --
expectations of those interested in her success.
The measured six miles from the Rock-light to the
Lightship was performed in half an hour against a
head wind, and the easy motion of the ship and
really comfortable appointments, left no doubt that
a voyage in such a vessel to the coast of Africa
would be as pleasant as one to Dublin in the
Iron Duke.

ENGLAND INVADED BY A FOREIGN ENEMY.—
His name is Anacharis illsinastrunz. He—she
rather, for only the lady has yet reached these
shores—is from America. The Anacharis is a weed
which has found its way into our canals and rivers,
which is choking them up in some counties, and is
spreading alarmingly. This water-weed (says the
Atheneum) threatens "an entire blockade of-our
ports, and,to arrest our navigation." The invader
in question, we are further told, is not a number of
water-weeds, but parts of the same individual.
"The plant is dicecious, and it appears that the lady
only has arrived in this country." The weed, we
have elsewhere heard, is giving immense trouble in
some of our midland counties. In the north, too,
as we have read in a letter from Dr. Latham to the
Atheneum, goitre, cretinism, and idiotcy, are so
extending in certain districts as to call for govern-
ment attention with reference to a remedy for the 1
evil.—Church and State Gazette.

San Francisco, causing the markets to be well supplied
with goods. The accounts from the mining districts are
of the most cheering and satisfactory character. Two
Mexicans commenced sinking a hole on the 16th Feb.
below Campo Seco, and struck a pocket from which they
took out, by twelve o'clock on the 21st, aT5,700 ; one
piece of gold weighed eight pounds. In one' hour they
washed out 200 ounces in their Mexican battaias. The
accounts from the El Dorado state that gold dust con-
tinued to pour into Placerville in extraordinary quanti-
ties, and seventy thousand ounces per week may be set
down and safely relied upon as a fair average purchase by
the regular dealers in gold dust, and the coming season
bids fair to be one of unprecedented prosperity. At
Negro Point and Shaw's Point the average value of the
gold found by each miner was from 43'6 to --8"8 per day.
CUBA.—We have advices from Havana to the 22d
ult. The slaver Lady Suffolk is reported to have landed
a cargo of Negroes on the island. Her Majesty's steam-
frigate Devastation arrived at Havana on the. 21st. The
weather in Cuba was excessively hot. It was rumoured
that serious disturbances had taken place among the
troops at St. Jago de Cuba, or some other port in the
Eastern department of the island.
From Vancouver's Island we have advices to the 12th
February. Two ships arrived there from Liverpool, in
January, with a large number of immigrants.
Sandwich Island advices, of the 7th February, state
that the fever still continued to rage throughout the island.
Business was very brisk at Honolulu.
The English mail steamer Lima arrived at Panama on
the 13th ult., with Valparaiso dates to the 19th, and
Callao and Lima to the 17th February. She also had
=8190,000 in bullion on freight. Every thing was quiet
in Lima, A revolution was expected to take place shortly
in Bolivia. The fall of Belzu was considered certain.
Chili was flourishing under the auspices of peace.
COMMERCIAL.
NEW' YORK, MARCH 29.
MONEY MARKET.—There was an increased demand for
money, but no change in rates of interest. The market
is well supplied with capital. There is little doing in
foreign exchange, as remittances go forward slowly on
account of the pressure in the money market. Leading
drawers on London ask 10.94- ; and on Paris, 5.16.-} to 5 ;
Amsterdam, 40i to 41 ; Frankfort, 40i ; Hamburg, 36k
to 36.1-; Bremen, 794 to 794.
COTTON.—The Courier and Inquir(r, of the 29th
March, says, " The sales since our last review per Africa
of the 23d inst., have been daily large, and in excess of
the quantity reported. The unfavourable advices per
Asia to hand, p.m. 25th inst., produced no effect, being
counteracted by the continued falling off in receipts at
Southern ports. The only change in price during the
past four days has been a hardening in quotations of
good middling and upwards, which grades are very scarce
of all growths. Owing to incessant rains and tempes-
tuous weather throughout the South, the wires have
worked only at intervals, and the latest dispatch through
from New Orleans that we have seen is of the 23d :
" Middling, 91 ; freight, 9-16t1 ; excess, 440,000." One
of a later date is reported to have been received from
Savannah, further reducing the excess to 439,000. Seven
mails are now past due from New Orleans. Considerable
sales, although not reported, have to-day been effected ;
the market closing firmly at the annexed quotations :
New Orleans Other
and Texas. Gulf Ports. Atlantic.
Inferior nominal. nominal. nominal.
Low to good ord 94 to 94 9to 94 9 to 94
Low to good mid....
Mid. fair to fair 11:1 121 111 124 114
Mr. W. P. Wright, in his circular, of the 29th ult.,
says, "As we are without a mail from New Orleans and
Mobile, since 16th, I am unable to give the usual table
of receipts, exports, &c., for all the ports. The approxi-
mate receipts for the week under review will be 73,000
bales against 118,000 bales in the corresponding week
last year. The total receipts at the ports will, therefore,
be about

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

NEW ZEALAND COMPANY.
In answer to Earl GREY whether it was the intention
of government to institute an inquiry into the conduct
and proceedings of the New Zealand Company, the Duke
of NEWCASTLE said that last year he had been of opinion
that investigation was desirable before fresh concessions
were made to the New Zealand Company ; but parlia-
ment had decided that no inquiry was needed. Now that
those concessions had been made, he thought an investi-
gation useless.—The subject dropped and their lordships
adjourned.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8.
MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented a petition from
master mariners, mates, and seamen of Hartlepool, against
any repeal of the act of 12th Vic., which restricts the
number of foreign seamen in British ships.—Lord GRAN-
VILLE said that the petition was merely founded' upon a
rumour of the contents of a bill which was not yet before
their lordships' house. lie disclaimed any intention on
the part of the government to introduce any measure
which would tend to injure British seamen.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESD„. Y, APRIL 5.-
Mr. FIELDEN took the oaths and his seatl, r the borough'
of Blackburn.

1853. 1852. 1851. 1850.
2,685,000 2,253,000 1,845,00@ 1,693,000
From which it is seen that the excess is reduced again this
week and now stands at 432,000 bales over the same period
last year. It should, however, be borne in mind that the
bad state of the roads during the past two weeks, weeks of
very heavy receipts last year, has not been without influ-
ence in this reduction of excess."

BREADSTUFFS.-A further decline in the price of flour,
to the extent of 184, cents per barrel, was submitted to
last week, subsequently to the 22d inst., but the market
has assumed a firmer aspect, and the quotations are rea-
dily obtained. Wheat was iu better demand for milling,
and the market a shade firmer. There were also some
orders fur exports, but very little choice offering. Indian
corn is in fair demand, with sales of 20,000 bushels at
58c. to 59c. for unsound; 60c. to 61c. for Southern
mixed ; 61c. to 621 c. for white, ditto and 64c; to 65c. for
Southern and Jersey round yellow.
PROVISIONS.-Quite a moderate business has been
done in provisions. Pork sold in limited quantities at
$l5 25c. Beef is steady at Sll. Cheese Bc. to 81c.,
fair to prime 81c. to 94-c., and choice 9ic. to 91e.
NAVAL STORES.-There has been no movement in
naval stores of any importance. Spirits of turpentine is
unsettled ; sales have been made at 60c. to 61e. Common
rosin, =B'l 40c. to SI 65c. Tar, S 2 25c. to S 2
IRON.-Iron was unsettled. Scotch pig was offered on
the spot at S3B, and to arrive at 8'32 to $36 per ton, on
six months' credit, but buyers were reluctant to take it on
such conditions. English bar was nominally quoted at
SG3 for common and SB5 for refined, per ton.
FREIGHTS.-To Liverpool, cotton, 4-d. to 5-16 d.; flour
and meal, per brl., 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. ; rosin, 2s. 71-d. to 2s. 9d. ;
heavy goods, per ton, 255. to 355. ; grain, in bulk, per
bushel, 7d. to 71d. To London, tobacco, per hbd., 30s.
to 325. 6d. ; flour, per brl.. 2s. 9d. to :Is. - tntnpnt;np. t+.”
2SUlbs., ou. ; measurement goods, per ton, 305.; heavy
goods, oil, &c., 255. to 30s. ; cheese, 30s. to 355. ; beef,
qs. ; oil cake, per brl., 3s. To Havre, cotton,
per lb., le. ; ashes, per ton, -88 to =SIO ; rico,
ditto, £10; whalebone, &c., per lb., .;5,c.

Mr. CnAs. TURNER, presented a petition from the in-
habitants of Wavertree,, near Liverpool, against the ad-
mission of Jews to Parliament.

Mr. CHAS. TURNER presented a petition from the
pilots of the port of Liverpool against the Pilotage Bill.
Mr. CHAS. TURNER presented a petition from the
trustees of the Liverpool Docks, under their common
seal, praying that the Merchant Shipping Bill may not
Pass into a law as it now stands,•and that they may be
heard by counsel against the same ; also from the Mayor,
Aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Liverpool,
under their common seal, against the provisions of the
Merchant Shipping Bill, by which•it is intended to pre-
vent the dues or tolls leviable on ships or goods being
charged in any manner without the consent of the Board
of Trade; and also from the Liverpool Health of Towns
Association, praying for the repeal of the duty on soap.
Mr. WILSON PATTEN announced his resignation of the
office of Chairman of Committees.
DESERTION FROM THE NAVY.—In reply to an inquiry,
Sir J. GRAHAM said that, since January, a considerable
number of desertions had taken place from the squadron
on the home station, which were attributed to the
unusually high rate of pay in the merchant service. No
perceptible increase of desertions had taken place since
the case of flogging of a petty officer in the fleet referred
to, which was in punishment of very gross insubordination
on the part of that petty officer.

UF,CINIAL COINAGE

per tierce,

In answer to a question, the CHATTCELi:OR of the Ex-
ctiEQuEß said there was no intention on the part of Go-
vernment to make any change in the immediate arran4e-
ments that had been adopted with respect to the supply
of additional copper coinage, which had become absolutely
necessary both in this country and in the colonies. With
respect to the general question of a decimal coinage, the
Government were very sensible of its great importance,
and they likewise felt that the utmost attention was due
to the recommendations and opinions of those who had re-
commended a change.. At the same time they were like-
wise of opinion that the matter was one of very great deli-
cacy as well as importance, and that altering the value of
these particular coins, which were in point of fact the
measure of value, and the basis of the whole idea of value
to the mass of the population, was a serious measure indeed,
and one not to be undertaken in obedience to mare ab-
stract speculations, without ascertaining what would be the
just character and effect of such a measure. A member
of the House had expressed his desire to move for a select
committee on the subject, and that motion would receive
the qnneeve- thp dial7Pl..•:.ont
HULL ELECTION.
.• -

square bale

CHARLES-TON, ARC 27.
Sales of cotton yesterday and to-day, 1,000 M
bales H ; quo-
tations Bc. to 10!,c. MOBILE, MARCH 25.
Sales of cotton for the week, 13,000 bales ; receipts,
8,000; exports, 14,000; stock, 130,000. We quote mid-
land, 91C. NEW ORLEANS.
MARCH 24.—Sales of cotton, 4,000 bales ; prices firm.
Strict mid., 91C.
MARCH 25.—Sales of cotton, 7,000 bales. The Atlan-
tic's news has produced no effect on the market.; prices
firm. Sales of the week, 40,000 bales. Increased receipts
at all southern ports, 431,000 bales.
MARCH 26.—Sales of cotton, 6,000 bales. Market
steady. Stock, 307,000 bales. Sterling ezchange, 81.
Freights to Liverpool, 9-16 c.
MARCH 28.—Sales of cotton, 6,000 bales, at firm prices
for better qualities. Mid., inc. _ _

A motion of Mr. LABDUCHEHEwas agreed to for an ad-
dress to HER MAJESTY, to appoint ~F

he borough o

RAILWAY LEGISLATION.
A motion of Mr. BROWN respecting the duty of the Go-
vernment to take more effectual measures for the preven-
tion of Railway Accidents, was after some discussion with-
drawn. BRECON COLLEGE.

.... LIT.•
Mr. GOULBURN obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the
regulation and permanent endowments of the College
of Christ, Brecon. WINE DUTIES.

A resolution moved by Mr. OLIVEIRA to reduce the duty
on Foreign Wine to 19. per gallon was after -some discus-
sion withdrawn.

LANCASTER ELECTION

Mr. W. BROWN moved for a new wri for tho Borough
of Lancaster in the room of the unseated member. After
some discussion the motion was agreed to.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6.
PROBATE COURTS.

_
HAVANA, MARCH 21.
Considerable demand for sugar during the fortnight
ending 19th instant. Stock over 120,090 boxes, and re-
ceipts daily increasing.

Mr. HADFIELD moved the second reading of the Probate
of Wills and Grant of Administration Bill.—The Solder-
TOR- GENERAL said the present Bill was directed to only
a fragmentary part of this large subject, and was so imper-
fectly expressed that, instead of remedying the existing
evils, it would render them ten times greater than before.
fie proceeded to sketch out the principal alterations con-
templated by the Government. It was p.r.oposed to abolish
all the peculiar testamentary jurisdictions, and the metro-
politan court of York, establishing one court of probate in
all matter of contentious jurisdiction, reserving to the
diocesan courts the power of granting probate of wills
within a limited amount in common form, under certain
conditions, and that every will proved in a diocesan court
should be transmitted to a general registry of wills to be
establisheti-in London. It would be also proposed to give
to County Courts a certain extent of- jurisdiction in cases
of testacy and intestacy. The metropolitan jurisdiction
it was intended to transfer to the Court of Chancery,
which would become the great court of probate, the proc-
tors, registrars, and clerks of seats being officers of the
Court-of Chancery fcr the purpose of administering the
new jurisdiction. After some discussion, the second
reading of Mr. Hadfield's Bill was postponed fora month.

FOREIGN MISCELLANY.

AN EXPORT Tax of 2s. per cwt. is levied on Cuban
sugar. This impost is levied to support the troops, found
necessary to prevent a rising of the slave population.
AT LAST !—Daniel Tucker, who has been so often
warned to " git out of the way," is said to have been run
over by a train of cars in Arkansas.

THE KING OF PRUSSIA has offered the Madiais an
asylum in his country, but it is thought that they will
prefer proceeding to England:

THE MARQUIS Ricci, the Legate from the Apostolic
See, who arrived in Paris on Sunday last, brought a
cardinal's hat, which the Emperor is, on Sunday next,
to bestow on the Archbishop of Toelouse.
A DANISH ARTIST at Copenhagen, named Scholer,
has just produced a brilliant specimen of a new art—a
large portrait of Thorwaldsen engraved in stylography—
drawn with a stylus on a black mass with a thin white
coating, and thence transferred to copper by means of the
electrotype. The effect is very fine.
FEMALE LYNCH LAw.—The Cleveland Herald says
that on the Ist ult. some 30 women, well backed by
gentlemen, proceeded to a grocery in Ashland, and asked
the owner to discontinue the sale of liquor and the use of
a bagatelle board, which had enticed many of the youths
and some of the married men from their homes. He re-
fused, and the " ladies " chopped his bagatelle table into
firewood, and emptied his liquors into the street. They
then visited another grocery and a tavern, both of which
capitulated.

AGGRAVATEL

ASSAULTS

In committee upon the Aggravated Assaults Bill, the
first clause underwent much discussion and some altera-
tions ; an amendment, to add to the penalties imposed by
the bill corporal punishment, was negatived by 110 to 52,
and the committee adjourned.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7.

MR. DRUMMOND complained of the libels on Sir Jas.
Brooke, published through the returns moved for by Mr.
Hume. Lord J. RUSSELL coincided, and said he was
inclined to move for rescinding the order for the returns.

BIRTH. OF A PRINCE.
On the motion of Lord J. RUSSELL, seconded by Mr.
DISRAELI, an address was ordered to be presented to
HER MAJESTY, congratulating HER MATESVE, on the
birth of another Prince.

THE BORNEO PIRATES.—The amiable Proteges of Mr.
Flume, the bloodthirsty Borneo pirates, have again been
slaughtering peaceful English residents in their vicinity
and plundering their property. Lord Clarendon has
ordered the Admiral on the station to revenge the bloody
deeds lately perpetrated ; and we suppose Joseph will in-
dite the Admiral for wilful murder. Their late outbreak
against life and property was caused solely by the reports
which reached them to the effect that the British Parlia-
ment were about to punish Sir James Brooke for his at-
tack on the pirates in 1849.

METUDC

ELECTION.
An address for a commission to inquire into corrupt
practices in the borough of Cambridge, was agreed to.

A SCENE AT A BALL.—WO read in the Presse :
" An arrest took place at the ball given by the Legislative
Body to the Emperor, under the following circumstances :
—A lady still young, very pretty, and well known in
what is styled the beau monde, under the title of the
Baroness was accompanied to the ball by a per-
sonage in a high position. She had already danced several
quadrilles, when it was observed that she suddenly gave
signs of mental aberration. Her gestures and her re-
marks left no doubt on this head, and she was at first
taken out of the ball-room, and afterwards conveyed to
the guard-house. The commissary of police on duty
having conceived some suspicions as to her legal claim to
the title which she pretended to bear, inquiries were
made, and the result was that she not only had no right
to the title, but that she was the lawful wife of a farrier
in the neighbourhood of Paris, and that she derived her
means of existence from a source not of the most honour-
able kind. On this information the pretended baroness
has been kept in custody."

ACCIDENT.—At some rejoicings at Cunnobie by the
tenants of Sir John Maxwell, the horses of the baronet's
carriage were taken out and replaced by some of the more
enthusiastic of the tenants, when one, named John Fer-
guson, fell beneath the wheels, and was so badly crushed
that his life is despaired of.

SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY.—An accident occurred on
Tuesday, at Dawlish, which was likely to have been
attended with fatal results. An engine attached to a
passenger train ran off the line and was almost preci-
pitated into the sea. Had not the driver turned off the
steam at the moment he did, there is little doubt but that
the whole of the passengers must have been killed. The
scene where the accident occurred was near Breeches
Rock, where the landslips took place some time since.

WILL SCREW-BOATS STEER WITHOUT STEAM ?-Mr.
Robert Young, a passenger by the Australian Royal
Mail Company's steam-ship Adelaide, which sailed from
Plymouth on the 3rd of January, in a letter to the St.
Helena Herald of the 3rd of March, writes :—" The
screw of the Adelaide cannot be lifted, and, in conse-
quence of some peculiarity in her construction, she will
not steer without steam while the propeller is in the water.
Being therefore dependent upon fuel, and not only for
progress, but also for the supply of fresh water by means
of condensed steam, the captain unquestionably adopted
the most prudent emu, We ;wiled this port Qn the
2.1311q-0

HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY, APRIL 5.

Several petitions were presented in favour of the Poor
Removal and Local Assessment Bill, and against the
Jew Bill.
The Bail in Error Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Land Improvements (Ireland) Bill was read a
second time on the motion of Lord Canning.
A conference was appointed with the Commons, with a
view to an address to the Crown for a commission of
inquiry into the proceedings at the late Hull election.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7.
Earl Winchilsea's motion on the Maynooth Grant was
postponed to the 18th April.

BIRTH OF A PRINCE.
The Earl of ABERDEEN announced the birth of a
Prince, and moved an address of congratulation to HER
MAJESTY.—The Earl of MALMESBURY, in the absence
of Lord DERBY, expressed his satisfaction at the
auspicious event, and seconded the motion, which was
carried unanimously.

THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
The Earl of HARROWBY presented a petition from the
native inhabitants of the Bengal Presidency, complaining
of their exclusion from office, and of the general mal-
administration of the affairs of India under the present
system. He supported the prayer of the petition in an
able speech.—The Earl of ALBEMARLE also supported
the prayer of the petitioners, who, he believed, com-
plained of grievances ;vhich it was the duty of the Im-
perial Government to redress.—The Earl of ELLENBO
ROITH also addressed the house in support of the petition,
and especially implored the government, in any future
plan for the administration of India, to take care that
the Governor-General was placed under the direct and
sole authority of the Crown.