The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-03-13 00:00:00

OF COMMONS.-

HOUS

-THrwQrkl

Viscount MAHON called the attention of the house to
the instructions issued in the years 1846, 1847, and 1848,
with respect to the transportation and discipline of con-
victs. The noble lord entered at great length into the
whole question of transportation to our colonies, pointed
out many of the inconsistencies in the experiments of the
Government, and said that Earl Grey had altered many
of the plans of his predecessors in office without due con-
sideration. His object was to extract explanations as to
the motives influencing the Government in the exercise
of their discretion in carrying out the systems of trans-
portation and prison discipline, and he should not, there-
fore, seek to obtain the opinion of the house upon the
subject, but would content himself with moving for
papers, to which he believed there would be no objection.
Mr. HERBERT seconded the motion, and complained of
the badly regulated condition of the gaols in Ireland.

Sir G. GAY said that every person at all acquainted
with the subject, would admit the difficulties by which it
was surrounded. With regard to the inconsistencies
which Lord Mahon had charged upon the present head
of the Colonial Office, the noble lord was aware that the
system required great care and great caution in carrying
out; and at the time that system was resolved upon, it
was distinctly understood that many important modifica-
tions might hereafter be required. The right hon.
gentleman then proceeded to detail the various alterations
and modifications which had been introduced into the ad-
ministration of the penal settlemements of this country,
and defended the course pursued by'Earl Grey in carrying
out the system of separate confinement amongst the con-
victs at home. He also expressed his conviction that that
system had beers attended with the most beneficial conse-
quences in effecting the reformation of criminals.
Mr. HUME said the interests of the country had not
been attended to, or a proper system would have been
long since adopted for the transmission of convicts to our
colonies, free from the objections which were now so
justly urged against that mode of punishment, or rather
against the want of system which at present prevailed in
its application.
After some observations from Sir J. PAKINGTON,
Mr. GLADSTONE defended the course pursued by Lord
Stan!ey, and complained of the inconsistency of some of
the orders sent out to the Australian colonies by Earl
Grey. He feared, as regarded the application of the
punishment of transportation, that we had degenerated
from the wisdom of our ancestors. They had sent out.
transports so sparingly, that they were quickly lost in the
community to which they were transmitted, whereas we
sent them to so limited an area, and in such numbers,
that a convict character was imparted to the whole. The
chief thing to be attended to was to establish as many re-
ceptacles as possible for our convicts, as otherwise such a
system as had existed in Van Dienien's Land must ren-
der the punishment so odious as to lead to its abandon-
ment altogether.

After some observations from Mr. Ewart, Nrr. Alder-
man Sidney, Mr. P. Scrope, and Sir G. Grey, the papers
were ordered to be laid on the table.
Mr. DIERAELI then rose to move certain resolutions
declaratory of the unequal burdens cast upon real property
the House to iake
equitable apportionment of the public burdens. He said
he hoped to induce the House to consent to a great mea-
sure of conciliation, of justice, and of policy. Assuming
the admission of great agricultural distress in the country,
he declined discussing the causes of it, as unnecessary for
his argument, or to enter upon a controversy as to the
policy of the changes by which, according to Mr. Cobden,
the agricultural class had not been fairly treated. He
still thought that our new commercial system was founded
upon erroneous principles, and he shortly enumerated
some of the reasons upon which he founded that opinion ;
but he looked not to a sudden retrogression, but to legiti-
mate means, for remedying the evils of this new system.
The question before the House was extremely simple.
No less than £10,000,000 was levied last year by direct
local taxation upon real property, independently of
£2,000,000 land-tax ; that is, a direct taxation of
£12,000,000, from which other property was exempt, was
levied upon a rental of £67,000,000. The whole income
of the country was £249,000,000; on v.hat principle of
justice could £12,000,000 of local taxation be cast neon
little more than one-fourth of that income ? Who
would suppose that this burden was cast, in the
teeth of the law, upon the proud and rapacious
aristocracy, who always made laws for their own
advantage ? He exposed the confusion of terms
which annexed the idea of locality to these taxes,
whereas they were of a much wider and more comprehen-
sive character; and he illustrated this argument by an
ingenious exposition of the nature and objects of these
so-called local rates, and the local causes of some of our
general national taxation. The grievance and anomaly
of these two forms of taxation had been long felt, and, as
a remedy, a system of national rating, had been recom-
mended ; but to this he objected. He would not resist
an inquiry into the subject of the probate and legacy du-
ties, for the result would show that a large proportion
was paid by the land, or the property of the farmer ; but
this was beside the question as to the justice of throwing
£12,000,000 of taxes upon one-fourth of the property of
the country; and if the house would go into committee,
he would offer a plan to remedy this inequality. In a
spirit of compromise and conciliation, he should propose,
the present system of local administration remaining, the
present levy of rates continuing, that the local districts
should be responsible for one moiety, and that the other
should be paid by the Consolidated Fund. Mr. Disraeli
then described, in forcible terms, the treacherous manner
in which the agricultural interest had been treated on the
subject of the malt-tax, the repeal of which he neverthe-
less persuaded them not to press for, but to be content

with the measure he proposed—a measure founded in
justice; and he concluded with an eloquent picture of
the claims and wrongs of that interest, of the insults
they had received, and the forbearance they had displayed,
warning the House, however, that the blood which had
refused ship-money was not to be trifled with.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-FRIDAY

On the motion for the second reading of the Navigation
Bill,

Mr. llERans rose to oppose the further progress of the
bill, it being his intention to conclude with moving, as an
amendment, that the bill be read a second time that day
twelve months. It was a sweeping abrogation of the
navigation laws, with some such trivial reservations as
only served to render the bill more absurd. That discus-
sion was in the nature of an adjourned debate, for in the
last session of Parliament this question had been very
ably argued ; and in the intervalwhichhadsinceelapsed they
had had time for enquiry and consideration. They now,
therefore, approached the object with the advantage of
having in the petitions on the table from all parts of the
country an expression of public opinion which was not to
be mistaken. They had had communications from Cana-
da proving that public opinion in that colony was de-
cidedly the adverse of what it had been represented to be
in the quotations made in that house from documents,
which documents had been judiciously selected for a pur-
pose, while other passages in the same documents had
been omitted with equal judgment, because they would
have militated against the purpose for which the docu-
ments had been quoted at all. Public opinion, at home

and abroad, he believed to be adverse to this unfortunate
proposition, and from all that could be gathered from
foreign powers, there was but little hope that they would
meet us even on terms of reciprocity. The right hon.
eman then proceeded to contend that the navigation
country enabled us to keep up a great corn-
md that a great commercial marine was,

J marin,

al powe

ling this measure they would

dustry Of the country—they would be dealing with the
sea as they had already dealt with tho load, exposing both
to ruin, for the benefit of foreign nations, who would not
be slow to profit by the delusions under which we were
acting. The right. hoa. gentleman concluded by moving
his amendment.

Mr. J. WILSON supported the second reading of the
bill, maintaining that Canada was very anxious to have the
restrictions removed which the navigation laws placed
upon the navigation of the St. Lawrence. Several foreign
contended, had returned favourable answers
ures respecting the principles of free trade,
ild not bring his mind to believe that the
powners were not capable of maintaining a
ompetition with the shipowners of any other
or that they required higher freights in order to

to our over

meet their expenditure. The -hon. gentleman argued
against the principle of reciprocity, because no country in
the world had an equivalent advantage to give us for our
throwing our ports and colonies open to them, but still he
was of opinion that we should repeal our navigation laws,
because it would be doing justice to our colonies, and
sugar and other articles could be bought by the London
refiner two or three shillings a cwt. cheaper when coming
by a foreign vessel than when it came in a British bot-
tom, and also because a Belgian vessel could bring wool
from our Australian colonies cheaper than it could be
brought in a British vessel.
The Marquis of GRANBY said, the real question was
whether it was possible for the British shipowner to com-
pete with the foreigner, if the navigation laws should be
repealed, and to this question he was prepared to answer
in the negative. Everything in this country was dear, and
even in Sunderland ships could not be built so cheaply as

they could be constructed in foreign countries. The re-
sult, therefore, of a measure like this would be to throw
out of employment all the labourers in the kingdom en-
gaged in that branch of trade. The government was ready
enough to attend to the petition of ten or twelve persons
in Canada, though by no means ready to listen to the
petition of 27,000 of the inhabitants of Liverpool, and over
20,000 of the merchants and traders of London. In com-
peting with the Americans, the latter would have every
advantage, in order to establish which position, he quoted
passages from Mr. Mackay's " Western World," to show
that the Americans possessed greater facilities and resources
than the British shipowners, though he could not agree
with that gentleman in the conclusions he indulged in as
to the future prospects of England suggested by that fact.
Mr. CARDWELL strongly supported the second reading
of the bill, and in order to show the prejudicial way in
which the navigation laws operated against Canada, stated
the case of a gentleman who had asked for his interference
at the treasury under these circumstances. He had re-
ceived a cargo of flour by an American vessel, and on look-
ing at the brands, found that the flour was Canadian. He
made no secret of the fact, and as soon as it became known
the delivery of the flour was prohibited. Had the flour
been American it would have been delivered ; so that it
was clear that Canadian, as compared with American pro-
duce was placed at a disadvantage in our markets, and all
because the navigatiion laws would not allow American or
foreign vessels to enter the St. Lawrence for the purpose of
bringing the produce of Canada to this country. He
hoped, therefore, the house would not stop the further pro-
gress of the bill, but allow it to go into committee, where
all parties could be heard, and whara such alteration,:
might be made as would consult the interests of all parties.

Mr. HENLEY commented on the inconsistency -ot the
hon. gentleman, who was prepared, in order to improve
the navigation laws, to vote for sweeping them away altoge-
ther. With respect to the Canadian question, he would
observe that the Canadians asserted that freights to E❑g-
land must be reduced 50 per cent. in order to enable them
to compete with Americans. If such were the case, was
it to be inferred that this measure would reduce the freights
of the shipowner 50 per cent. ? And if it would do so, was
not that an argument to show how injurious it must be to
all interested in British shipping ? He then proceeded to
exhibit the gross inconsistencies of the arguments of Mr.
Wilson, who repudiated reciprocity, and yet paraded the
fact that the government was corresponding with foreign
courts, in order to attain their assent to reciprocity treaties.
Mr. GLADSTONE then moved the adjournment of the
debate until Monday, which was assented to by Lord John
Russell, on the understanding that there should be no fur-
ther adjournment.
It was then arranged between Lord J. Russell and Mr.
Disraeli that the adjourned debate on that hon. gentle-
man's motion respecting the burdens on agriculture
should be resumed on Thursday, instead of Wednesday,
as previously arranged.

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL

FRANCE

In the Assembly, on Thursday, M. Buvignier called at-
tention to the state of foreign affairs, which he said could
not be viewed without alarm. He called on the Assembly
to ratify its vote of the 24th of May, and to declare against
interference in Italy.—M. de Lamartine was sure that the
best policy for that country to pursue was that of non-inter-
vention.—After further discussion, a vote was passed in
favour of non-intervention either for or against the Pope
by a majority of 438 to 341.
A sensation has been created on the Paris Bourse by
the failure of one of the largest speculators there. He
was a Bear to the amount of 1,800,000 rentes, which re-
present a capital of 50 millions of francs. His deficiency,
at the settlement amounted to no less than three
millions of francs. One agent de'Change is a loser to
the amount of £120,000 sterling. One or two other fail-
ures are spoken of.

The distress in Paris, we are told, is almost incredible ;
40,000 individuals are out of work, and the assistance given
to the poor is to be abridged.

UNITED STATES AND CALIFORNIA

The Niagara, Captain Stone, arrived in Liverpool on
Tuesday, with intelligence seven days later than that
brought by the Wisconsin. The news by this conveyance
is of an interesting character, particularly as regards
California. The sessional proceedings had not been im-
portant. Mr. Benton, the senator, from Missouri, has
introduced a bill for a national road from the state of
Missouri, at or near St. Louis, across the continent of
North America, to the bay of San Francisco, on the
Pacific Ocean, with a branch road up the Sacramento and
along the base of the Sierra Nevada, to the tidewater of
the Columbia river. This great highway is neither to be
confined to a railway or a macadamized road, but a noble
track of a mile in breadth, within which may be embraced
thai'all kinds of ti=itisefling;V gfht`aP,ll,7t9alida,c(Adt:.:
case may be, shall henceforth and for ever be free, across
the Prairies, the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada,
mountain passes being now known that are entirely prac-
ticable, and easy of ascent and descent. This grand
scheme will no doubt be carried into effect, perhaps with
some few modifications, either in the present or next ses-
sion of Congress; and that it may be accomplished with
comparative ease, and even with an outlay by no means
extravagant, will be readily seen, when it is remembered
that the property in land (a few Indian claims to be
allowed for) along the entire line is now vested in the
United States.

LATEST ADVICES FROM CALIFORNIA.
The following are the advises from the land of gold,
brought by the Niagara, which arrived on Tuesday last :
(From the National Intelligencer.)
Extract of a letter from an officer in the navy, to his
friend in Washington, dated

" SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 28.—You would be surprised
that in this region an enthusiasm could be excited by any
thing. The gold mines in this neighbourhood have stirred
up the natives to a galvanic activity. This little village
is literally deluged with gold, and common labourers are
refusing to work in the mines for a hundred dollars a day.
The stories told, you will take it for granted, must be all
fabulous ; but were you to see the vast quantities hawked
about the streets for sale, you would look upon the tale of
the " Arabian Nights' as quite a probable narrative.
There seems to be no exhausting the vein, which is said
to extend over a district as large as Virginia.
" To give you some idea of the state of things here, I
will mention the prices of a few of the necessaries of life.
Flour has been selling at :S"300 per barrel ; pork, 70 cents
per lb. ; brandy, B`6o per gaMon, and washing .86 to -8-8
per dozen, and most other things in proportion.
"The officers are becoming nervous and excited, while
the men desert by the dozen.
" Young 8., of Baltimore, is hard at work making his
fortune, and will return in a year or two a rich men. I
saw Dr. M., also of Baltimore, and he is also coining
money ; he is highly popular and esteemed, 1 think he is the
first man in the place.
" I trust J. will not take it into his head to emigrate.
Gold hunting is a most dangerous amusement. The mor-
tality is really frightful among the diggers, and the poor
beggarly looking creatures returning from the mines,
have, no doubt, paid dearly for their peck or two of gold."

(From the Brooklyn Eagle.)
FROM THE GOLD REGION.—We are indebted to Mrs.
Lozier of this city, for the following extract of a letter