The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

WEST INDIA MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, MAY 30.—The La Plata steamship
arrived at Southampton this morning, with the West In-
dian and Mexican mails. She brings *139,000, of which
$7,526 are on account of Mexican dividends. Dates :
Jamaica, 12th ; Barbados, 13th ; Vera Cruz, sth ; St.
Thomas, 17th instant.

JAMAICA.—Th 6 general health of the country was
much the same as by last accounts. There were a few
fatal cases of yellow fever. The weather was extremely
sultry, and much more rain was wanted. Some com-
plaints from the agricultural districts.

Barbadoes was healthy.
At Dominica the troops were being moved higher up
the mountains, the town being sickly.
At St. Thomas several cases of fever, but principally
amongst coal ships.

AUSTRALIA

PLYMOUTH, MAY 30.—The ship Blackwall passed up
channel during the night. Left Melbourne on the 25th
of February. Made her passage in ninety-four days.
Brings 67,000 ounces of gold. Gold found in as great
abundance as ever, and at the diggings things in general
are getting better. The Bombay was to leave Melbourne
two days after the Blackwall, with a great quantity of
gold on board.

LIVERPOOL ELECTION COMMITTEE.
[A Full Report will be found in our Second Page.]

The committee met at eleven o'clock this morning, for
proceeding with the petition against the return of Mr.
Turner and Mr. Mackenzie ; all the counsel engaged in
the case were present. Mr. Sergeant Kinglake opened
the case as one of bribery and treating, and in a speech
two hours long, described the circumstances under which
it was sought to void the election. He detailed cases of
bribery, spewing that, in many instances, freemen had
received sums of ss. each for their votes. He also de-
scribed the means adopted of bringing up voters, and
concluded that they disclosed an organised system incon-
sistent with the idea that the election was pure. He
mentioned names of parties by whom several sums of ss.
had been paid, and argued that if these circumstances
were proved to the satisfaction of the committee they
would have no other alternative than to unseat the pre-
sent members.

Mr. William Rathbone, jun., one of the petitioners
against the return, was, after formal evidence from the
Crown-office, the first witness in cross-examination. He
said he had had some conversation with Mr. Bold, in re-
lation to the Petition being withdrawn, on the condition
of one seat being given up, so that the members might be
Turner and Cardwell.

Mr. Ronald, the other petitioner, stated that this was
the first time he had heard anything of a compromise,
and lie had only consented to sign the petition on the
understanding that it should be prosecuted.
On a witness, named Dodds, being about to be called
to support the allegation of bribery, it was objected to by
Mr. SMITH, for sitting members, that he was not suffi-
ciently identified by the list which had been put in of
cases of bribery, as there were two Dodds upon the elec-
tion, and that the lists, as put in, did not vie with the
committee's own resolution.

A good deal of argument having taken place on this
question, the room was cleared for the committee to
deliberate.

When parties were called in, the CHAIRMAN saidilhe
committee had passed a resolution, to the effect that the
counsel for the sitting members should now state the
names of all the voters on the list alleged to have been
bribed, as to whom they required further information,
and that the agent for the petitioners should identify such
parties by the register before the rising of the committee,
and that no such votes should be inquired into before
Wednesday next, (to-morrow.)
Felix M`Levy, a freeman, was next called. He had
received ss. for loss of his day's work at the election.
Robert Cook was next called. There were three men
of this name called, alleged to have been bribed, and the
committee resolved that this was a case which must be
identified under the above resolution.

Two or three others who had voted for the sitting mem-
bers, and received 55., were then examined, and the com-
mittee adjourned till to-morrow.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The House met at five o'clock.

The Earl of HARDWICK& put a question to the Earl of
Claarendon whether instructions bad been sent to our
admiral commanding in the Mediterranean to hasten his
departure from Malta for the Dardanelles.

The Earl of CLARENDON declined altogether to give
any answer to the question.

The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition from
Kingston, Jamaica, complaining of the importation of
slaves into Cuba, and said he wished to put a question to
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs respecting the
observation of treaties by the Government of Spain. The
question was, whether the Government could lay upon the
table any despatches upon the subject ?
The Earl of CLARENDON, in reply, admitted the im-
portance of the question, and referring to his answer to a
question the other night, said further communications
had been received from the court of Spain on this subject.
They were to the effect that the Ceptain General of Cuba
bad rather exceeded than otherwise his power in endea-
vouring to put down the slave trade, and that the govern-
ment of Madrid had sent him still further instructions to
continue and increase his efforts in this respect. At all
events, the attention of the government of that country
would continue to be directed to that subject, and our
cruisers would not relax in their efforts.

The Bishop of OXFORD attributed this extension of the
slave trade to the existence of free trade in sugar, and
said he thought the noble earl almost repented of the step
he had taken in that measure.

Lord BROUGHAM expressed some doubt whether the
assurances given by the court of Spain were sincere : at
all events he should suspend his belief of them until he
had some proof of the fact.
Lord WHARNCLIF7E, on the contrary, thought these
assurances were a great step gained ; for it was the first
time they ever had been given.
The subject then dropped.
. .

The Earl of ABERDEEN moved that the house epee
with the House of Commons in an address to the Crown,
to inquire into the existence of corrupt practices at the
last election for Maldon. _ _

The motion was opposed by Lord ST. LEONARDS, who,
being met with some adverse cheers, complained of the
interruptions to which he was exposed.
The LORD CHANCELLOR supported the address, and
whilst he was speaking Lord St. Leonards left the louse
apparently under some excitement.
The Earl of DERBY took the same view as Lord St.
Leonards, and said that, looking at the high position of
his learned friend and the importance of the subject, the
interruptions he had met with were very unseemly. He
was surprised that the noble earl at the head of the
Government should permit his subordinates to meet the
case with sneering laughter.

The Earl of ABERDEEN said he had listened to the
noble and learned lord with unfeigned respect, and he did
not know what the Earl of Derby meant by " permitting
his subordinates to interrupt with sneering laughter."
Every noble lord in that house was at liberty either to
laugh or cry. (Laughter.)

• -
Lord CAMPBELL said the object of the address was for
a further inquiry merely, for which a prima facia case had
been made out.

The motior
journed at a

was then agreed to, and the house ad.
uarter to eight.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

The House met at a quarter to four o'clock.
The SPEAKER stated that he had received a letter from
the agent, stating that it was not intended proceed
with the petition, complaining of the ret,an of Wm.
Greene for Lancaster.
Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition ffiom a number of STANDARD GENERAL 1 P NT
manufacturers and others in Manchel':ter, engaged in the No. 4, ST. GEORGE'S.
RPG R'
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EVERY

AMP
MORNIN
BY THE PROPRIETOR, ROBERT PEARSON THACiag'

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