The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-09-03 00:00:00

that spirit of industry and obedience to the law, and that moral
worth which constitutes the safety and happiness of nations."

His Majesty having concluded his speech,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, it is his Majesty's royal will
and pleasure that this present Parliament be now prorogued,
and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued until Wednes-
day, the 3ist day of October next.
His Majesty then left the House in the same state as he en-
tered.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, THURSDAY, AUG. 29.,
The Speaker, habited in his full robes, entered the house a few
minutes before two o'clock. On the gallery being opened, we
found
Sir It. INGLIS addressing the house, on bringing up the 41st
report of the committee on public petitions. The hon. baronet
took that opportunity of calling the attention of the house to the
duration of its sittings during the present session, and those of
preceding sessions of parliament' It appeared from a state-
ment, which had been prepared with great care, that the house,
during the present session, tad sat more than twice the number
of days and nearly three times the number of hours that were
occupied in the session of 1826, during which the house sat 64
days, or 457 hours. Even the great reform session of 1831 sat
only 98 days, or 9LB hours; while in the present session the
house had, up to yesterday, sat 142 days, or 1,270 hours. (Hear,
hear.) The session of NA it appeared, had occupied 125 days,
or 645 hours, giving an average proportion of 5 hours each day;
the session of 1807, 86 days, or 431 hours, giving also an average
proportion of 5 hours each day. In 1811 the parliament sat 135
days, or 588 hours, which gave an average of only 4-1 hours each
day; and in 1814 the sittings occupied 127 days, or 476 hours,
which was not 4 hours each day. It was a cruel -mockery to
compare factory labour with the labour of the house, for from
these statements it would be seen that, during the whole session,
the house had been occupied 9 hours a-day on an averag, and
for the much larger portion of the session, namely, since Easter,
very considerably more than 12 hours a-day. (Hear.) He
begged to observe that these facts had not been collected by
himself, but by one of the most able and intelligent officers of
the house, whose presence prevented him (Sir H. Inglis) from
saying more. The hon. baronet concluded by moving that the
report be printed.
Mr. COBBETT inquired from the Solicitor-General whether
the men who had been illegally tried at Clerkenwell, and who
were now at Portsmouth, under sentence of transportation,
were to be tried again before the sentence was carried into
effect.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL was not in possession of any recent
information on the subject. Those individuals who had been
iu the same way convicted at the Old Bailey had all been tried
again under the special commission, and with respect to those
who'had been tried at Clerkenwell, he (the Solicitor-General)
had applied to. the Secretary of State for the Home} Depart-
ment, and had been informed that none had been transported,
awl that the sentence would not be carried into effect.

Mr. COBBETT said that he understood the men were now at
Portsmouth, on board the hulk.
The report was then ordered to be printed.

WARWICK ELECTION.

Colonel EVANS rose and said, that even at this late period he
felt it his duty to submit a resolution to the house on - the sub-
ject of the alleged conduct of the Earl of Warwick at the last
election. The noble earl was now returned, and had made a
statement upon the subject in another place. It was certainly
matter' of astonishment to a great portion of the country that
the noble lord opposite (Lord Althorp) should not yesterday
have stated what course the government intended to pursue on
the subject. In consequence of the answer given by the noble
lord yesterday, he thought it was due to the dignity of the house,
and to the rights and privileges of the Commons at large, that
it should be stated what was to be done in the matter. With-
out impeaching the conduct of the noble peer alluded to in the
report of the select committee, but with an earnest hope that
that noble personage might be able to make good the statement
he had put forth in another place, he (Colonel Evans) should
move the following resolution :—" That it appearing by the re-
port of the select committee appointed to make inquiry into the
circumstances of the late election for the borough of Warwick,
that the right hon. the Earl of 'Warwick, lord-lieutenant of the
county, and a peer of the realm, in violation of the resolutions
and standing orders of this house, and of the law of the land, is
deeply implicated by his agents, and the application of large
sums of money in various corrupt and illegal practices during
the last election for the borough of Warwick, and that Alexan-
der Brown, the steward, and various aldermen and burgesses
of the borough were implicated in various illegal practices, the
Attorney-General be directed to prosecute the Earl of Warwick,
and all others named or described in the report of the said se-
lect committee, as concerned in the unlawful proceedings afore-
said."

Mr. CORBETT seconded the resolution.
Lord ALTHORP had certainly not expected that any motion
such as the present would be brought forward on the last day of
the session (hear), and more particularly that it should be done
without notice, and in the face of- a notice now on the votes for
the next'session, when the charge which had been made against
the noble earl could be fully investigated. The hon. member
by his, motion called upon the house to direct a prosecution
without affording it an opportunity of investigating• the merits
of the case. (Hear, hear.) It was observed by tie hon. and
gallant member that his (Lord Althorp's) answer had caused
ffreat astonishment amongst a great portion of the country.
&.ow, as that, answer was but given yesterday, though it might
be known in the metropolis and in the city of Westminster,
yet it scarcely could be known, if read at all, by the great por-
tion of the country. It was not the wish of the government to
protect any person guilty of a violation of the rights and privi-
leges of the house; on the contrary, the government was deter-
mined, whenever a case was, brought before them, to examine it_
carefully, and would be perfectly ready to deal with it next ses-
sion. The hon. gentleman now asked the house to give judg-
ment upon a' case not heard, and to direct a prosecution totally
unprecedented, without any means of discussing the case.
(Hear, hear.) He objected to the motion for want of notice,
and for want of information on which to act; in point of form,
too, it was irregular, for the proper mode would be to• move an
address to the Crown, to-direct such a prosecution, but, at the
present moment he (Lord Althorp) conceived the best course
he could pursue was to move the previous question. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. CORBETT observed, that though there was information
contained in the report quite sufficient now to proceed upon, yet
he felt great satisfaction iu hearing what had just fallen from
the noble lord opposite, whom he believed to he sincere in his
declaration to do justice to the dignity of the house:
Sir S. WHALLEY hoped the hon. and gallant member for
Westminster would rest content with the declaration of the
government, and not persevere in his motion at this period of
the session. . -
-Mr. C. FEnGusoN said that if the facts disclosed before the
committee could be made out, it would be the duty of the govern-
ment to take the subject into its consideration. The high rank
of the noble earl was an additional reason why, if guilty, an
example should be made.
Sir R. INGuts said that if the allegations contained in the re-
port could be made out, the noble earl was even now liable to
indictment. • The hon. baronet was understood to oppose the
motion.
Colonel EvAics again rose, but was called to order by the
Speaker, in consequence of the appearance of the Gentleman
Usher of the Black -Rod (Sir Augustus Clifford,) who ap-
proached the table, and in the usual terms summoned the atten-
dance of the house to the House of Peers, to hear his Majesty's
speech on the prorogation of Parliament.
The SPEAKER accordingly, attended by all the members pre-
sent, then proceeded to the House of Lords. - After an absence
of about half an hour,
The SPEAKER returned, and, standing at the table, read to the
house the speech which had been delivered from the throne, for
which see the lords report.
The SPEAKER, after shaking hands with Lord Althorp, Sir
James Graham, and other members of the government, then
retired, and the members separated.

DREADFUL FIRE-FIVE PERSONS BURNED TO

DEATH.

On Wednesday night last, about half-past eleven o'clock, a
most alarming and destructive fire broke out in the house of
Mr. Josephs, hatter and general salesman, living at No. 19,
Monmouth-street, Seven Dials, which burned with such fierce-
ness and rapidity, that the safety of the surrounding neighbour.
hood was for a long time in imminent danger, and we regret
to state the melancholy fact that the lives of five persons fell a
sacrifice to the devouring clement, and that three others are
missing, who, it is much feared, have shared a similar fate.
The following account we have gleaned from the neighbours
and others who witnessed this lamentable occurrence : At
about half-past eleven o'clock on Wednesday night Mr. Spencer,
bricklayer and plasterer, residing at No. 73, Monmouth-street,
was just retiring to bed, and was in the act of fastening his win-
dow, when his notice was suddenly attracted by a dense smoke
issuing from the front of Mr. Josephs' shop. He directly
crossed over, and on examining the premises found the shutters
so heated that he could not bear to hold his hand to them.
Feeling convinced that the hous.l was on fire, he ,nave an alarm,
and a number of persons having quickly asseMbled, they suc-
ceeded in forcing down one of the shutters, but the moment the
rush of fresh air was admitted, the whole of the internal part
of the shop burst into one body of fire, and blazed forth with
such violence that the flames reached half across the street.
Every effort was made to arouse the inmates; but the progress
of the devouring elenfent was so rapid.. that iu less than five
minutes from the commencement it had reached the first floor,
and was2quiekly.extending itself to the upper stories. in a few
seconds after this a female in her night clothes, with an infant.
in her arms, made her appearance at one of the second-floor
windows. She threW up the sash, uttering the most piercing
shrieks for assistance, at the same time holding her child out
at arm's-length to save it from the heat, and calling to the per
sons in the street to rescue her. On perceiving the wretched
parent thus imploring protection for her offspring the crowd
below stood horror struck, and no endeavour was made at the
moment to procure a ladder or other convenience to assist her
escape from so perilous and appalling a situation, The dense
cloud of smoke which shortly afterwards arose from the lower
part of the premises obliged her to retire from the window, and
in less than a minute after the whole apartment was filled with
flame, and the unfortunate woman was seen by the neighbours
opposite struggling with her babe in her arms, until she sank
on the floor, apparently in the greatest agony, which a most
horrible death in a few seconds terminated. The most painful
I anxiety was then felt as to the fate of the other inmates, as the
whole of the house was let out to lodgers, two or three families
occupying every floor, and there being' no means of escape but
from the top of the house. The Phoenix engine speedily ar-
rived, and was quickly followed by several others belonging to
the London Fire Company; but, owing to some mismanage-
ment, either respecting the water or some other cause, the roof
of the house was in flames before they could bring any one of
the engines to play upon it. The efforts of the firemen were
then directed to prevent the adjoining houses catching fire,
which they, with very great exertion, succeeded in doing, and
in about an hour the tire was sufficiently got under to prevent
any further mischief occurring. A large body of police congre-
gated on the spot on the first alarm, and rendered very effectual
aid by co-operating with the firemen, and keeping off the crowd.
A scene of a truly heart-rending description was witnessed
amongst the lodgers, some of whom having missed a child, or
other relative, were to be seen running about the streets half
frantic, making anxious inquiries of every one they met, while
others were only restrained by force from again entering the
burning premises in search of those who were absent, although
their death by so doing was inevitable. At present the exact
number of those who have perished has not been ascertained;
but, yesterday morning, about nine o'clock, five bodies were
dug
.out of the ruins, so dreadfully disfigured, that scarcely any
vestige of a human being remained distinguishable about them.
They were conveyed to St. Giles's workhouse, and have since
been identified as those of a family occupying the front room on
the second floor, consisting of a man named Collins and his
wife, who sold fruit in the street, (the same female who was seen
at the window, and who had only lain in thirteen days,) her
infant, and her husband's brother, a very fine young man ; the
fifth is that of a female who occupied the back room on the se-
cond floor. Three other persons are now missing, and there is
no doubt but they • have met with a similar fate. Various ru-
mours are afloat respecting the manner in which the fire ori-
ginated, but it is generally supposed to have been caused by the
gas having been negligently attended to.—London Paper.