The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-18 00:00:00

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

The winner of the Ascot Cup has been named Emperor,
in cornl liment to his imperial majesty of Russia.
Thursday, the 4th of July, has been fixed for opening
the appeal to the House of Lords in the case of O'Con-
nell and the other traversers.

THE MILITIA.—This constitutional force is to be re-
modelled, completed, and placed on a more efficient
establishment.—Standard.

A pinch of Peruvian guano put into the water contain-
ing cut or pulled flowers, will keep them fresh for a con-
siderable time.

The ball of Socialists, at Huddersfield, after every effort
to sustain it, is in the market, and is about to be pur-
chased by the NVesleyans for a chapel.
At Stockingford, the other day, for a wager of a shilling,
a woman ate a peck of radishes, with a pound of bread
and butter, and ale ad libitum, in half an hour.

THE SHIFTING INTEREST.—Shipping to a value ex-
ceeding £40,000 has changed owners at Sunderland
within the last month.

POST-OFFICE ROBBERY--On Saturday last John Ni-
cholson, the second clerk at the Carlisle post-office, was
committed to Carlisle gaol, being charged with stealing a
letter containing a £4O Bank of England note, which
passed through that office in May last.
COLLISION.—On Thursday a collision took place on
the Thames between the Antwerpen steam ship and a
fishing smack, when the latter was literally smashed to
pieces, and two little boys about thirteen years of age lost
their lives.

iNCENDIARISM.—A fire supposed to be the act of an
incendiary took place at Sherwick Barton Farm, in Corn-
wall, when all the valuable ricks of corn, hay, straw,
together with the whole of the outhouses, barns, &c.,
were totally consumed. Fortunately, the farm hiouse
escaped.
THE DUKEDOM OF SussEx.—The House of Lords
sat on Thursday morning in a committee for privileges,
to take into further consideration the claim of Sir Augus-
tus D'Este to the Dukedom of Sussex; Earl Shaftesbury
chairman. The attendance of peers was very numerous.
Most of the judges were also in attendance.
On Monday last, Christopher Dermott, a clerk in the
Treasury, was found dead in his bedroom, with two razors
near him. His throat was cut most frightfully' the wind-
pipe being severed entirely through, and the wound reach-
ing to the bone. The act is attributed to religious
melancholy.
ROBBERY OF SIR CHARLES PRICE.—On Sa
belonturd ya,
James Richards, charged with stealing a parcel ging
to Sir Chas. Price and Co., containing notes to the amount
of between £1,700 and £2,000 of bills, from the Bedford
coach, was fully committed for trial by the Luton magis-
trates, on the charge of receiving the notes well knowing
them to be stolen.
DEATH FROM SWALLOWING A MARBLE.--011 Sun-
day week a child not ten years old, the son of a person
named Arnold, living at Chorlton-on-Medlock, swallowed
a marble, and died on Wednesday night from inflamma-
tion at the top of the throat, caused by the pressure of
the marble, which had to be pushed down, the surgeons
not being able to extract it.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—On Tuesday morning, about
ten o'clock, a fire broke out at a thatched house, in the
village of Newnham, about five miles from Faversham,
Kent, which totally destroyed 14 or 15 houses and cot-
tages, besides a carpenter's shop, lodges, stables, &c. The
fire is supposed to have originated in the falling of sparks
from the chimney on to the thatch of the house.

SECOND EDITION.

Standard-office, Nine o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Last Night.

Statement of Sir Robert Peel on the
Sugar Duties Bill.
Before five o'clock the house was exceedingly full with
members on both sides, and the space below the bar ap-
propriated to strangers was also crowded. Amongst
those present we noticed Lord Morpeth, and a. number of
Peers.

Sir R. PEEL entered the house a few minutes before five
o'clock. After a short pause,
The [tight Hon. Bart. said it was probable the house
would expect some statement from him of the course her
Majesty's government intended to pursue in consequence
of the vote on Friday night on the subject of the sugar
duties (hear, hear.) He had a statement to make, but if
the house had no objection, he would make it after they
had resolved into a committee on the Sugar Duties Bill,
Lord J. RUSSELL said, there could be no objection to
the course proposed by the right hon• bart.
The house then went into committee, Mr. Greene in

the chair.
Sir R. PEEL said, the house having resolved into a
committee, he would state the views which her Majesty's
government entertained on the subject of the Sugar Du-
ties Bill, and the course they intended to pursue (hear,
hear.) The right hon. bart. proceeded to state his opi-
nions upon the queAtion of slavery as connected with the
duties on sugar, and reviewed the various discussions
which had taken place. Her Majesty's government
thought it would be unjust to the British planter to enter
into competition with the foreign grower who used slave
labour. He could not, however, help thinking that if they
encouraged the introduction of sugar from Cuba, Java,
and perhaps China, the produceof freelat our, itwould tend
to discourage slavery in those parts. The house was aware
of the plan which they had proposed to effeet this intro-
duction. They proposed that there should be a differen-
tial duty between foreign and colonial sugar of 10s. per
cwt. They wished the growers of free labour sugars to
know the opinion of uarliament on this subject, in order
that, at some future period, no party should be taken by
surprise. What they had proposed they believed to be a
safe treasure as regarded the revenue and the consumer,
and not injurious to the West India interest. They had,
however, been met by a counter resolution, proposed by
the hon. member for Bristol, who proposed a different scale
of duty. Her Majesty's gove:nment had considered the pro-
posal of thehon. memberprevious to and since they had been
left in a minority (hear, hear.) The rt. hon. bart. said, after I
full consideration her Majesty's government retained
their former opinions ; they could not adopt or acquiesce
in the proposition of the hon. member for Bristol ; they
were of opinion that their original resolution would be
most advantageous to the revenue and the public, and
not injurious to the West India interest. (Hear, hear.)
His hon. friend proposed to make a reduction of about
o ie-sixth in the duty on sugar. He believed that reduc-
tion would not benefit the West India planters; the sub-
jects of their commiseration, but the benefit would go
into the pockets of the retailers of sugar. (Hear. hear.)
The West India proprietors ought not to complain of
being taken by surprise. Lord Sydenham told them in
the year 1839 that they must prepare themselves for some
alteration. Next year the property tax expired. and then
the question must be raised, whether it was to be renewed
or discontinued ? And this question must greatly depend
upon the continuance of the sugar duties. Another ob- •
jection to the motion was, that the government could not:
consent to a discriminating duty of 14s. on certain de-
scriptions of sugar—they could not consent to give in-
creased protection to the West Indian colonies. (Hear.)
He differed with the hon. member for Bristol on the me-
rits of his proposition, and he felt bound to oppose it on
political grounds. If the question was one of unimpor-
tance, it carried with it distrust in the government, and
had a bearing on their existence as an executive; and if
acquiesced in by them, it was giving encouragement to
future attempts. He believed, however, the motion was
carried by preconcert—(hear)—with hon. gentlemen op-
posite. (Hear.) He did not complain of combination ;
parties had a right to combine if they pleased—(hear ;)
but as a minister of the crown, be had a right to say whe-
ther he would adopt the recommendations of such com-
binations or not. He declined acquiescing in the propo-
sition of the hon. member for Bristol, let the consequences
be what they might. Under these circumstances the
course her Majesty's government intended to pursue was
this : for the purpose of giving the house another oppor-
tunity of reconsidering the question, if the hon. member
proposes to make 20s. as the amount of duty, he (Sir R.
Peel) shall propose that the duty be 245., and on that
question he should take the sense of the house. (Hear.)
He was not answerable for the state they were in as re-
garded the progress of legislative business. Many of the
government measures had been opposed, and they had
not been carried, and there must be an arrearfor the close ,
of the session, which he deeply regretted. The wish of
the government had been to protect the great institutions
of the country, at the same time to reform them as much
as consistent, to relax as much as possible restrictive
dot es, and to mend the ecclesiastical establishment.. He
deeply regretted if they had lost the confidence of friends,
but he could not ask for their voting that night under
professions, which could not be realised. Her Majesty's
government would go on in the course of steady legislation.

Considerable anxiety has been displayed in the metro-
polis, caused by the movements in the neighbourhood,
and various rumours were in circulation on Saturday and
Sunday as to the course to be pursued by ministers. On
Sunday a numerous meeting of conservative members was
held at the Carlton Club, which was adjourned until yes-
terday, when a resolution of entire confidence in Sir R.
Peel's government was proposed and carried unanimously.
A Cabinet Council was held on Sunday, after which Sir
Robert Peel proceeded to Buckingham Palace, and stayed
to dine with her Majesty; and another Cabinet Council,
summoned by Sir James Graham, was held yesterday, the
result of the deliberations of which is, no doubt, the mi-
nisterial determination above. The London Standard
of last night urges the Conservative members to retrace
their steps, and intimates the retirement of Sir Robert
Peel as the result of their remaining intractable.