The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-02-25 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY

Mr. BANKES gave notice, that he will take the sense of
the house on the propriety of remitting the auction duty.
Mr. MILES also gave notice, that he would move an
amendment on the introduction of the proposed Customs'
Acts, to the effect that in any remission of taxation it is
expedient to consider the claims of the agricultural inte-
rest.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated to the
house that the reduction of the sugar duties and the aboli-
tion of the export duty on coal would take place from the
day on which the resolutions should pass the house, and
not from the day on which the bills should receive the
royal assent.

The debate on Mr. Duncombe's motion respecting the
opening of letters at the post-office was resumed.
Mr. R. COLBORNE would not support the motion for
another inquiry, although he tbd regret that the informa-
tion sought for respecting Mr. Duncombe's case had not
been given either by the government or the secret com-
mittee.

Nlr. FeRRAND observed that Sir James Graham had
said at the time the committee was appointed that he
should reserve to himself the right of appealing to the
house if the secret committee did not do him justice; and
he could not, therefore, understand why he should deny to
Mr. Duncombe the right of appeal which he reserved to
himself.

Mr. STRUTT gave his testimony to the straightforward
manner in which Sir James Graham had given his evidence
before the secrrt committee. He had only acted like those

who had preceded him, and yet had been pursued with
great harstin-ss and injustice. Considering the effect pro-
duced by this vo% er of opening letters, he thought it ought
not to be coot inlet'.

Mr. COLQUHOUN said that, if the house deemed the
power to be impolitic, it should alter the law upon the
subject ; but hile the law remained as it now stood they
should pro.ect the public functionary who acted upon it
from no other motives than the public safety.
Mr. WATSON had looked into the law on the subject,
and could find no authority whatever conferring this
viwer on the Secretary of State. The whole system was,
in his opinion, illegal, and no usage whatever could confer
the force of law upon warrants to open letters at the post-
office. They could only use the power on positive infor-
mation, and in such a manner as to enable the parties to
obtain redress in a court of law if they felt themselves
wronged. It eas no justification that the same practice
had prevailed under the government of the Whigs, for it
was alike discreditable to all parties. He thought that
further inquiry was necessary in order that they might
more accurately understand the grounds on which their
liberties had beet) encroached upon.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, felt that the legal question
was irrelevant o th- motion before the house, but lie must
say he could riot subscribe to the law laid down by his
hon. and learned friend. The fact was, that general war-
rants bad been issued under statute down to 1694, when
the act expired. Although the act was never renewed, ge-
neral warrants were still issued down to 1763. wh,n the
practice was declared illegal by the judges of the land.
The statute of Anne, however, renewed as it had been by
the act of Victoria, gave a specific power to open letters to
the Secretary of State, and it was consequently a legal
power. The matter was placed on slightly different grounds
by the privilege of parliament, for the House of Commons
in 1735 resolved it to be an express breach of privilege to
open the letters of members of parliament without a war-
rant which constituted its legality. It was true the power
might be abused, but that was no argument against the
proper and judicious use of it. He thought it extremely
unfair that the members of the late government had not
stepped forward to rescue Sir James Graham from the
odium which was heaped upon him for continuing a prac-
tice with which they were themselves perfectly familiar.
In fact, the committee of secrecy had reported that Sir
James Graham had improved on the practice of those who
had preceded him. He considered the motion of the
honourable member for Finsbury was a personal attack,
rendered still more personal by the amendment of Lord
i-iowick.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that if the power of opening
letters was illegal, the acts of Anne and Victoria could be
considered in no other light than as a trap to the unlearned
in the statutes. The remedy was sufficiently obvious:
the law should be made clearer. He believed that this
power had been used by Sir James Graham in the same
way as it had been used by his predecessors, and for the
purpose only of defeating conspiracies against the public
peace. He did not, however, think that the Post-office
of England should be made subservient to the views of
foreign powers. The fate of the unfortunate brothers
Bandeira, who had been lured and betrayed by a spy,
afforded but slight encouragement to follow the practice
of opening letters at the suggestion of any foreign govern-
ment. It, under the threats of marching troops, which
might never have been seriously contemplated, we were
to give information to the Emperor of Russia against the
Poles, to Austria against the Italians, or to Spain against
the Spanish exiles, this country would cease to be the land
of hospitality which it bad so long been considered by the
world. Acquitting Sir James Graham of the charges
against him, which were so applicable to all former admi-
nistrations, the noble lord proceeded at considerable
length to argue that it would be toe greatest injustice to
Mr. Duncombe, and would be wholly unsatisfactory to
the public, if a further inquiry were, refused.
Sir R. PEEL said he was enabled again to address
the house, in consequence of the amendment moved
by Lord Howick; but he should only avail himself of the
privilege to notice some observations upon which he
wished that the House should be set right. He wished
to disclaim the slightest intention—indeed it never entered
into his contemplation that any one could conceive, from
what he said, that be meant to imply that the hon. mem-
ber for Finsbury had rendered himself suspected of being
in any way connected with the disturbances which the
Government were endeavouring to put down in the year
1842. To attempt, by inference, to affix a stigma on the
hon. member would be much more unpardonable than if
he had openly named him ; but the truth, he repeated,
was, that he never thought his words could bear the con-
struction which had been put upon them, and, of course,
never intended that they should convey such an inference.
The right hon. bart. then replied in the happiest strain
to the sarcasms in which Mr. D'lsraeli indulged on the
previous evening, carrying with him, in every sentence,
the feelings of the whole House. He subsequently con-
tended that if the motion were agreed to, a great injustice
would be inflicted upon the Government, which had
already been acquitted by a committee of honourable
men—a committee to which it had voluntarily submitted
its conduct, when it might have evaded inquiry by taking
the chances of a division. He admitted the exercise of
the power, though that exercise had not exceeded the use
which had been made of it under Lord John Russell—
he admitted that in its exercise mistakes might have been
made—be admitted that a letter might have been thus
opened ; be would admit all this ; but still, if they should
decide, by the aid of the votes of the members of the late
administration, that the Government should be placed
again upon its trial, he would rather be the party defeated
by such injustice, than one of a majority who, by taking
advantage of circumstances, had thus gained a triumph
so miserable against a political opponent.
Sir G. GREY denied that the charges now brought
against the government were the same as those of which
they bad been acquitted. They should have bad the man-
liness to have avowed whether they had opened the letters
of the hon. member for Finsbury, and their reasons for
declining to answer he could only look upon as a flimsy
pretex t.
Mr. DUNCOMBE replied, expressing a hope that the
amendment of Lord Howick would be agreed to. if
defeated on the division his next motion should be to be
allowed to call witnesses to the bar of the house to estab-
lish the fact that his letters had been owned. As he per-
ceived there was but little chance of his motion being
agreed to. he should withdraw it, to make room for the
amendment of Lord Howick. _ _

The SrEAKER said the better course was to withdraw

both the original motion and the amendment, and then to
move the amendment as an original motion.
This was done, and on a division Lord Howick's
amendment was negatived by a majority of 240 to 145.
Mr. DUNCOMBE then gave notice that he would, on
Tuesday move that the officers of the Post-office be called
to the bar of the house.

Put EIGN AND COLONIAL.

WEST INDIES.
The Royal West Indian Mail Steam-packet Company's
ship Tweed, Geerge Parsons, commander, arrived on
Friday.
The latest days by this arrival are, Jamaica, Jan. 23;
Demerara, Jan. 19; Trinidad, Jan. 19; Barbadoes, Jan.
23; Grenada, Jan. 25; St. Thomas's, Jan. 31; Fayal,
Feb. 14.
The Tweed brings 1,089 dollars ; £l,BlO in British
coin ; 1,5690 z. of gold dust ; pearls, value £1,200 ; a
consignment of West India preserves ; and a considerable
number of passengers.
The Tweed has met heavy weather and continued head
winds since leaving St. Thomas's.
The Royal mail steam-packet Clyde arrived at Grenada,
from Southampton, on the 25th of January, and trans-
ferred the mails and passengers for Havannah and Mex-
co to the Teviot, which sailed the same evening. The
Clyde brought up the homeward mails to Si. Thomas's
where they were transhipped to the Tweed.
Her Majesty's ship Hermes had been ordered to Ber-
muda, to undergo repairs which could not be done at Ja-
maica; and, in consequence, the Bishop had been pre-
vented taking his intended tour.
The governors of the Windward Islands were expected
at Jamaica on the 15th of February, to decide the ques-
tion of a penal settlement for the Windward Islands.
Rattan Island, off Cape Honduras, is stated as the spot
selected. It is of very limited extent. Her Majesty's
ship Spartan, and schooner Pickle, the former at Mon-
tego-bay, and the latter at Falmouth, are conveying
troops from one station to another.
A vessel from Aux Cayes, which had arrived from Ja-
maica, reported matte' e to be all quiet in Hayti.
Captain-General O'Donnell had visited St. Jago de
Cuba, and been received with due honours.
Meetings had been held in Jamaica to memorialize
her Majesty's government on the subject of the admission
of Venezuelan sugar into Great Britain at the same rate
of duty as sugar the produce of free laboul, the agricul-
turists in that island fearing that the produce of Cuba and
Porto Rico would find its way through the United States
into the British market at the lowest rate of duty. The
island of Jamaica was in a very healthy state.
Her Majesty's ships had been all ordered by Sir C.
Adams to meet at Barbadoes.

TETE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE CANADAS.—The
latest account of the state of Lord Aletcalfe's health, pre-
sents a marked improvement, as compared with the dis-
couraging statements which have latterly reached England.
We learn from Hestingfort, in Sweden, that the mag-
nificent observatory lately e-ected in that town has been
destroyed by fire. This disastrous event is attributed to
malevolence.

The German Catholic communion is now formally con-
stituted in Leipsic. The members have adopted the
Breslaw Confession of Faith referred to in a recent com-
munication.

Letters from St. Petersburgh of the 7th, state that the
Empress was suffering under palpitation of the heart.
The intelligence of the death of her Imperial Highness,
the Duchess of Nassau, reached St. Petersburgh on the
sth. It appears that the Emperor is far from being well,
but that he continues his daily walks in the open air.

SPAIN.-Our accounts from Madrid ere of the 12th
inst. The Senate adopted on that day seven articles of
the Clergy Dotation Bill, without any amendment. As
respected the national property already sold, the Minister
of Finance renewed his former declaration, that the Gov-
ernment would tolerate no encroachment on acquired
rights, which should be held sacred.
The Charleston Cow ier states, that the factory girls at
Lowell a, e about to establish a factory, of which they are
to be joint proprietors.
An old opera singer has voluntarily confessed that he
set fire to the Berlin Theatre last August. His motive he
states was revenge against the leader of the chorus,
AN AVALANCHE.-A few days ago a great mass of tho
snow which covered the plateau upon the slope of the
mountain which overhangs the village of Moliere, in the
Aveyron, fell upon the village and buried four houses with
their inhabitants. Several of the inhabitants were dug out
alive, but 11 persons perished.

ROMANCE IN THE LIFE OF A FACTORY GlRL.—Miss
Irene Nicholls, daughter of Mr. Nathaniel Nicholls, of
Monmouth, Kennebec County, while at work in a factory
in Dorchester, Mass., some four years since, was offered
very liberal wages to go to Mexico, and engage in a fac-
tory just established there. She, with eight others, ac-
cepted the offer. While there, she became acquainted
with Ferrera, the present revolting and successful Gene-
ral, with whom she contracted marriage. Ferrera is now
President of Mexico, having his head quarters at the na-
tional palace in the city, and this Kennebec " factory
girl" now " revels in the hall of the Montezumas."
General Ferrara is of German extraction.—Ken. Journal.
THE WEATHER ON THE CONTINENT.—SeveraI of the
French provincial journals contain accounts of persons
found dead on the roads from the effects of severe cold,
and of the ravages of wolves. The Courrier de la Drome
states that near Fay-le-Froid several houses were crushed
by the weight of the snow which had fallen upon. them,
and whole families killed, and that a young girl and two
children had been devoured by wolves. A similar catas-
trophe is said to have occurred near St. Bonnet. There
was a slight thaw on Wednesday morning in Paris, with
indications of a speedy change in the weather, but to-
wards the afternoon the frost set in again, and at seven
in the evening the thermometer marked six degrees two-
tenths centigrade below zero (20-75 of Farenheit).