The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-02 00:00:00

ye auena(
The LORI

jcted ith the ro-
m the case of the Earl or uardigan,w moved thapt a
committee be appointed, consisting of all the lords attending
during the present session of parliament, to inspect the jour-
zh- nals of the bous
him, and to report tl —vs in criminal cases

respectinE,
r proceedings
ne committee was ordered to meet

is of p,
o the hous

2 o'clock on

On the motion of Lord BROUGHAM, the copyhold enfrar
i.errip”* read a first time.

'he Earl

NGTON incinired whether it was tl.

tion of her

...rnment to propose any mea-
id which so unhap-
ce to the question between
church of Scotland and the civil courts in that country. the
Lord MELBOURNE admitted the very great importance of
subjeet, but did not deem it expedient to propose any
it would be left to the courts to administer
nt stood.—Adjourned.

)r allaying the; fe

pity prevail

with re

new measur

the law as it at pres

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--THURSDAY.
The House of Commons met at a quarter before 1 • but
it was near 2 before a sufficient muster could be made to 'form
a house, and therefore before the address could be carried to
the Queen,
The house was adjourned till Friday.

HOUSE OF LORDS

-FRIDAY

Lord DUNCANNON laid on the table the ordinances of the
Governor and Special Council of Lower Canada.
Lord NORMANBY brought in a bill for the better draining
and improving buildings in large towns and cities. The bill
was read a first time, and ordered for a second reading oil
Friday, February 12.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE, alluding to the treatment of the
convicts Frost, Williams, and Jones, an account of which
hag appeared in the public journals, required some explana-
tion on the subject. The state of the case will be understood
by the answer of Lord NORMANDY. " The noble lord
(Wharncliffe) had asked him, first, whether the report was
true, that these persons were no longer treated as convicts,
but were employed under Government ; next, whether any
special instruction, with reference to them, had been sent out
by the Government ; and, lastly, what information, if any,
had been received from Sir J. Franklyn on the subject ? He
could assure the noble lord that no time had been lost by her
Majesty's Government in showing their determination to
carry fully into effect that secondary punishment by which
the capital one had been' superseded. No special instruc-
tions whatever were given as to the treatment of the pri-
soners. The usual code of instructions were adhered to.
As to their treatment in' the colony, be had a letter from Sir
J. Franklyn, of the 3d of July, acknowledging the arrival of
the male convicts by the Sligo and Mandarin, and stating
that they had been placed in the penal gangs on the roads,
with the exception of Frost, Williams, and Jones, who had
been sent to Tasman's Peninsula. Frost, being more accus-
tomed to write and read than to dig, it was very possible that
he had been so employed. If that turned out to be the case,
no doubt it was done by Sir J. Franklyn, according to the
usual and common course, and was not intended in the way
of favour. If the appointment were out of the ordinary
nurse, Sir J. Franklyn would, he supposed, have reported

it at once

Lord NORMANBY added, that he should have no ob-
jection to lay on the table any further information which
might be received.
The house adjourned to Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAY.
The house having met, the SPEAKER read the answer of
her Majesty to the address of the house.
Papers from the Governor and Council of Lower Canada
were laid on the table by Lord J. Russell.

Several notices of motion were given, after which
Mr. Serjeant TALFOURD moved the ordei of the day for
the adjourned debate on the motion for leave to bring in a
bill to amend the law of copyright.
Mr. WARBURTON opposed the bill with the same argu-
ments which he used last year.

Mr. Humz supported AV. Warburton ; but the motion for
negativing the introduction of the bill was rejected by a ma-
jority of 112.

- Lard JOHN RUSSELL then asked leave to bring in a bill
for amending the Poor Law, and continuing the commission
for ten years.

Mr. GRIMSDITCH protested against the unconstitutional
character and tendency of the bill. It had been originally
understood that the great powers the commissioners pos-
sessed were given them merely for a temnorary purpose, and
he contended that they should not now be renewed. So far
from having produced satisfactory results, he would contend
that the system had introduced confusion into almost every
union in England. The great extent of the unions rendered
it impossible that the law should 'work well : in the north of
England, especially, it could not be carried out.
Mr. WAKLEY objected to the continuance of the commis-
sion. He wished to know what duty the commissioners were
to do—whether the law was to be in their will or in the sta-
tute'book ? He held in his hand a book of " amended rules"
from Somerset-house. In that book he found, under the
head `• discipline and diet," a provision enjoining silence dur-
ing meal-times. The silent system was considered one of
the severest punishments in our prisons ; it was now intro-
duced into our poor-houses. The office he filled gave him
opportunities of knowing how much the present poor law was
disliked by the middle classes. They covider that you have
made the workhouse a place for torture instead of protection,
with a view to deter the poor from asking any assistance.
Among the poor also the abhorrence to the only species of
relief the law allowed of was still more strong. He knew of
two instances occurring in one week of persons who preferred
death rather than go into the workhouse. They declared
they would rather die than be separated from their children
in the manner proposed by the new poor law, and they did
die rather than go into the workhouse. What, again, was
the humane system of classification adopted in the Kensing-
ton Union ? There were- four houses, that for fathers at
Kensington, that for mothers at Chelsea, that for daughters
at Fulham, and that for sons at Hammersmith. The unions
were made so large that paupers must travel a considerable
distance to reach a workhouse. The parish of Kensington
consisted of 40,000 persons ; but that was not considered
large enough to form one local government, and it was formed
into an union consisting of 120,000, so that, the poor had to
travel several miles, from Kensal-green to Kensington, for
instance, before they could apply to the workhouse. There

was no workhouse in the parish of Paddington. In onein:
stance a remarkably fine- child, twelve months old, having
been exposed at the door of a house in the Edgeware-road,
was found by a policeman, who took it to the station-house.
It was still alive, although it was in the first week of Decem-
ber. The policeman, however, took two hours to find his
way to the workhouse, and the child died. He would not
divide the house, because he wished the law amended ; but
he should oppose the continuance of the commission.
Mr. H. HINDE thought that, though large discretionary
powers were originally necessary, the regulations of the work-
house might now, after the experience of several years, be
properly submitted to a committee.

- Sir C. GREY vindicated the general principle 'of the poor
law. as tending to prevent undue applications for relief; but
he thought it bore too hard on the meritorious poor. To re-
fuse all provision to such a class of sufferers, except on con-
dition of entering a workhouse, did not become a Christian
country. He wished to see some power of giving relief in
meritorious cases.

Sir F. BURDETT said he had always disapproved the prin-
ciple of the new poor law, as unconstitutional, and repugnant
to the habits and feelings of the people ; and he did not think
the proposed bill could be so framed as to render it a perma-
nent measure, or one which the country ought to adopt.
The system could never be made palatable to the people of
England. Men who loved the public liberty could never be
reconciled to the tribunal at Somerset-house, and it was the
universal feeling, that that at any rate should be abolished.
It was impossible to frame unbending laws for remote places
and unknown circumstances without the greatest mischief.
He thought that parliament had done a most dangerous thing
in introducing so cruel an experiment, and he would support
any motion for its repeal.
Mr. HUME urged the gross abuses of the old system, and
the necessity for some such reform as this law had intro-
duced. The rules were not unbending ones—the commis-
sioners had been intrusted with a discretion. Great benefit
had been produced by the law, and the house ought to do
their best for making it still more useful. He doubted, how-
ever, the expediency of extending the continuance of the
commission to so long a period as ten years.
Mr. A. WRITE seemed to think that the public feeling
was favourable to the principle of the poor law.
Mr. LIDDELL controverted that opinion. What was
called relief on just principles was too apt to lead to unjust
practice. He would oppose the continuance of the commis-
sion for ten years, or even for one.

Lord J. RUSSELL observed, that it would of course be for
the house to determine the duration of the commission. It.
would have been the easiest course for himself to let the
powers of the commissioners expire ; but he thought his
duty required him to ,deal positively with so important a
subject. The labouring classes must depend on wages, on
public relief, or on private charity. The old system con-
founded all these, and put the honest and industrious on a
level with the idle and vicious ; and it pretended to do that
by public relief which only private charity could effect. It
was easy for the parish officers to be charitable at the ex-
pense of others; but their alms did not create the mutual
good feeling which real charity begets. The amendment of
the old law had proceeded, therefore' upon the principle that
wages should' be a just reward for labour : and thereupon it
was presently found that persons, before regarded as idle and
worthless, became industrious and useful. The wise princi-
ple was that of the act of the 43d of Elizabeth, which distin-
guished the relief of destitution from the wages of work. To
execute the amendment of a system so essentially vicious,
there was a necessity for assistant as well as for general com-
missioners. Lord Althorp had proposed to make the ex-
periment under those commissioners for five years ; but had
not intimated that their office was necessarily to determine at
the end of that period. He should be deceiving the house if
he were to hold out that there was any intention on the part
of government to propose any considerable alteration or re-
laxation in the main principles of the existing system.

The venerable Earl Grey continues quietly located at his
seat, Howielc, in this county, in the enjoyment of excellent
health, and surrounded by several members of his family.
So little regard has the noble lord for the Melbourne admi-
nistration, whose measures he is not slow to condemn, that
he has no intention at present of repairing to town, and
giving itA members the benefit of his countenance and sun-
port.—Newcastle Journal.
ELOPEMEN

-We are sorry to find that tte rumours dur-
k. , • about a certain builder and a fair lady,
before several large audiences at some con-
certs given in this town, proves too true. Independent of a
wife being deserted, we understand that many of our trades-
.be considerable sufferers. It appears to be one of
a e most deceptive cases (even of its kind) we ever remem-
)er to have heard of. America is said to be the destination
of the parties.—Birmingham paper.--[ln the Ten Towns'
Messenger we find it stated that the parties are Mr. Inston
and Madame Schiller. It says—the perfidy and scoundrelism
)f the fellow Inston, and the hypocrisy, ingratitude. and bp-

ing the past wee
who lately sung

men

_
ness of the woman Schiller,are unparalleled. The last act o and baseflnston to his wife was to take a valuable ring from her finger
he wish of this German strumpet, expressed in one
s to her paramour, found in a pocket-book he ac-
' behind him. A meeting of Inston's creditors
-,and a fiat in bankruptcy has been issued
The petitioning creditor is Mr. Ainsworth,
wove-grate manufacturer, Snow-hill ; and Mr. Harrison,
solicitor, is retained to work the commission. Two days
before he absconded the Rev. Mr. Nunns paid Inston a check
on Messrs. Taylors and Loyds, for £260, for which he're-
ceived sovereigns at the bank. It has been ascertained that
Inston and Madame Schiller, on arriving in London, again
changed the names they had assumed on leaving Birmingham
to Mr. am' Mrs. Godin. Mr. Blews, the warm-hearted and
generous friend who has rendered himself liable to a very
large amount for Inston, by accepting bills for him, has
offered £5O reward for his apprehension ; and it is said that
the 'creditors intend to offer a further reward of £5O. We
sincerely hope that the heartless scoundrel may be appre-
hended, and the ends of justice obtained against him, and
that his punishment may be commensurate with his criminali-
ty."'

ainst him