The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-04 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY.

On the order of the day for the committal of the Ec-
clesiastical Courts Bill,
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE, in a very amusing speech, moved
--" That it be an instruction to the committee to abolish
all ecclesiastical courts, and to transfer the jurisdiction
of those courts to civil tribunals."
Mr. HUME seconded the motion.
Dr. Ishcnott, advocated the retention of the courts in
the modified shape proposed by the bill, and denied that
be had any personal interest in the passing of the bill.
Sir G. GREY said that, seeing those courts were to be
not reformed but re-constructed and perpetuated, he
would support the amendment of Mr. Duncombe.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL thought it requisite that the
testamentary and other jurisdictions of the ecclesiastical
courts should be retained, and if there were any defects
in the bill they might be remedied in committee.
The house divided, and Mr. Duncombe's amendment
was negatived by a majority of 115 to 70.
Mr. BORTHWICK contended that they ought to have
obtained the sanction of the church to a well-digested
reform of the ecclesiastical courts, and, not having done
so, he opposed the motion that the Speaker should leave
the chair. On a division, however, he was defeated by a
majority of 62 to 25, and the house went into committee.
On the first cause, Sir G. GREY proposed an amend-
ment, to the effect of abolishing the criminal jurisdiction
of the ecclesiastical courts.

Dr. NtctioLL had no objection to abolish all that was
vexatious in ecclesiastical jurisdiction, but thought it ad-
visable to retain the power of restraining brawling in
churches, and also that of ecclesiastical admonition.
The committee divided, and the amendment of Sir G.
Grey was negatived by a majority of 62 to 14.
Sir G. GREY then moved an amendment to the effect
that cases of brawling in churches should be decided by a
civil tribunal.

This led to a second discussion, in which it was con-
tended by Mr. WATSON, Mr. ROEBUCK, and other hon.
members, that there was no case of offence or disturbance
to a congregation which might not be punished by the
common as well as by the ecclesiastical law.
The SoLicyron-GENEnaL thought this at least ques-
tionable. After a desultory discussion of some length,
Sir R. PEEL said he could conceive many cases in which
the courts of law could not interfere, and instanced the
case of a Quaker who rose to speak in the House of Com-
mons with his hat on. The Speaker interfered and com-
pelled him to remove it. He did not know that in such
a case as that any court of common law could interfere to
punish the party so offending.
The committee, after a few words from Sir G. GREY,
divided, and his amendment was negatived by a majority
of 109 to 61.

Sir G. GREY then moved, as an amendment, that the
jurisdiction of ecclesiastical courts in church rates shall he
abolished.

Dr. NienoLL opposed the amendment.
The committee again divided, and the amendment was
defeated by a majority of 107 to 66.
Another division took place upon an amendment of Mr.
C. BuLLza, to transfer the testamentary jurisdiction to
the common law courts, the amendment was negatived by
a majority of 121 to 58.

The CHAIRMAN reported progress, and the other orders
of the day were then disposed of.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

The Bristol and Gloucester Railway will be opened
throughout to Gloucester on the Ist of July next.
The Blackwall Railway Company now take passengers,
including the boat, from London to Gravesend, for eight-
pence.

The ceremony of laying the first stone of the Dublin
station of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway was per-
formed yesterday week, by the Lord Lieutenant. The
engineer, Dr. Macneill, was knighted on the spot.
THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.—The union of the North
Midland, the Midland Counties, and the Birmingham
and Derby Railway companies having been just com-
pleted by act of parliament, the first meeting of the board
of the consolidated company, now called " The Midland
Railway Company," was held at Derby last week, when
Mr. Alderman George Hudson, of York, was elected
chairman. Mr. Hudson now holds the very first place
amongst the long list of railway chairmen and directors.
As Mr. M'Adam obtained the cognomen of the " Colos-
sus of Roads," Mr. Hudson has been designated the
" Colossus of liallroads," holding under his sway as
chairman, in addition to the Midland Railway, the York
and North Midland, the Leeds and Selby, the Newcastle
sad Darlington. the' ork and Scarboroug 1, and the Leeds
1t..1,11th of upwards of 300
and Rradford .a

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.

ARRIVAL OF THE HIBERNIA.

The steam-ship Hibernia, Captain Judkins, arrived in
the Mersey on Tuesday afternoon, with New York papers
to the 15th, and Boston to the 16th instant, inclusive.
She brought home upwards of 60 possengers, a list of
whom we subjoin :
Front Boston to Halifax.—Lieut. F. Shaitland, R.N.,
Mr. Codman, Mr. Archibald, Mr. G. Gray, and Rev. Dr.
Barnes.
From Boston to Liverpool.—Mr. Snyder, Mrs. Cleve-
land, child and servant, Miss Spring and servant, Mr.
W. F..Scholfield and lady, Mr. W. Ward and lady, Mr.
John S. Henry, Mr. Manning, Mr. E. N. Perkins and
servant, Mr. H. A. Pierce, Mr. Charles Fay, Mr. Frank-
lin Jones, Mr. J. Hoare and lady, Mr. Joshua Colt, Mr.
G. J. Cross, Mr. D. S. Hasluch and lady, Mr.A.Fielden,
Mr. John M. Bradbury, Mr. James Owen, Mr. Rabean.
Miss M. H. Willard, Mr. E. Jackson, Mr. G. Winslow,
Mr. E. Levering, Mr. George Gibson, Mr. W. Haber.
shaw, Mr. W. M. Gibson, Mr. H. Winkley, Mr. John
Gordon, Mr. A. Sampago and servant, Mr. G. W. War-
ren, Mr. J. E. Kendall, Mr. Brown, Mr. A. Metcalf,
Mr. J. G. Cassey, Mr. A. Sellers, Mr. J. D. Buycer,
Mr. W. Duncan, Mr. J. M. P. Lewis, Mr. Francis La-
rillie, Rev. W. M. Harchmore, Mrs. Harchmore, three
children and two servant maids, Mr. Charles Luther,
Mr. E. Pleasant, Mr. J. F. Powell, Mr. Charles Elliott,
Mr. Henry Morris, Mr. J. R. Mees, Mr. J. Whitehead,
Gov. John Davies, Mr. Thomas Robinson, Mrs. Brand,
Mr. M. Jones, Dr. H. N. Chipman, and Mrs. Isaac.
From Halifax to Liverpool.—Mr. Crofton Uniacke
and four ladies, Mrs. Mackintosh and two children, Miss
Lydrard, and Mr. John Wright.
The most important intelligence by this arrival consists
of a series of dreadful riots which occurred in Philadel-
phia, and in which fourteen persons were killed and thirty-
eight wounded—two Roman Catholic chapels were de-
stoyed by fire, and property to a considerable amount da-
maged. Three outrages took place in the district of Ken-
sington, and appear to have originated in the following
manner. A meeting of the native American citizens was
held in the Third Ward, Kensington. They were at-
tacked and dispersed by a superior force of Irishmen. In
consequence thereof, a mass meeting was called of the
American republicans. S. R. Kramer and General Smith
addressed the meeting, when it commenced raining. It
was then adjourned to the Washingtbn market house,
distant only about 200 feet. Some of the natives entered
the market-house, when they were addressed by a man
named Fisher, who desired them in an authoritative tone
to keep on their own ground and not come into that place
—a scuffle ensued between Fisher and one of the natives.
The meeting being organized, Mr. Levin commenced
addressing it—in a short time several brickbats were
thrown at the crowd in the market-house, soon after a

pistol was fired from a street about 100 feet west of the

market-house. This was followed by a volley of brick-
bats and stones from a large number of persons from the
rear of the Hibernia Hose-house, and was quickly fol-
lowed by the discharge of some 20 or 30 muskets and guns.
the balls and shots from which took effect upon the crowd,
and instantly killed a young man 19 years of age, named
George Shuffler, several buck shot lodging in his right
side, and one of them passed through his heart. Several
other persons were severely wounded ; one of them, named
Joseph Cox, very severely in the right thigh, and another
named C. Jackson.

Several others were wounded with balls, as the firing
was kept up for some time from several houses in Cad-
walader-street. The natives retreated, but soon rallied,
and drove back their assailants that were not in the
houses : and while engaged in carrying off their comrades,
another attack was made upon them, and a hard fight
with brickbats, stones, clubs, and bludgeons took place,
in which a number of persons were injured.
About ten o'clock an attempt was made by a part of
the crowd to burn down the fence which encloses the
Nunnery. They were fired upon by a party of Irish, and
five of them shot. Shortly after this a frame dwelling-
house next to Hose-house was fired, and from that time
up to nine o'clock in the evening the flames continued to
spread without stay until twenty-nine houses were con-
sumed. About seven o'clock the market itself caught
fire, and at nine o'clock lay in a heap of ruins.
At seven o'clock the first brigade and two companies of
the third brigade came on the ground, under the com-
mand of General Cadwalader. Cannon were stationed so
as to range on the street fronting the market, and on
Master-street, westward. The fire was•then stayed, but
not until a vast amount of property was destroyed.
Philadelphia was under martial law.
The city and county are responsible for the damage—
estimated, we see, at 250,000 dollars—done to property.
The persons killed or wounded are almost all citizens of
Philadelphia, and all Americans. They were all peace-
able people, and had assembled there chiefly to see what
was going on. They were fired upon by the Irish from the
various houses occupied by that class in the neighbour-
hood. The native Americans being unable to dislodge
them, fired the buildings. A fine new Catholic church,
and a parscnage adjoining, inhabited by the priests, was
saved by the energy of the military. The police of the
city was of no avail.
The loss of life on the part of the Irish is very small.
They were all within their buildings, where they could not,
except with great difficulty, be disloged.
Between two and three o'clock St. Michael's Catholic
church, a large, new, and handsome edifice, was discovered
to be on fire, the military at the time being in the imme-
diate neighbourhood. It was evidently set on fire by
stealth, as there was neither riot nor outbreak at the time.
It burnt with great fury. and by half-past three the roof
fell in with a tramendous crash, which was hailed by the
shouts of the multitude. The church is now a ruin.
Several houses in the immediate vecinity were also de-
stroyed by fire. At the time the church was burning,
three houses about a square to the westward of Second-
street, were also set on fire. Between three and four
o'clock, the scene of conflagration was terific. It conti-
nued throughout the evening.
During the afternoon. the large school, formerly con-
ducted by the Sisters of Charity, at Kensington, was
burnt to the ground by the populace, together with seve-
ral neighbouring houses. St. Michael's church and the
school-house, and 50 private dwellings, all in Kensington,
are now in smouldering ruins.
On returning into the city, we found an immense mul-
titude in front of St. Augustine's Church, Fourth-street,
below Vine, in the city. They were addressed repeatedly
by Major Scott—but still the riot kept on, although a
large body of police did their best to prevent it. At half-
past nine, the windows were dashed in. At this moment
a troop of horse charged through and dispersed the crowd.
They rallied, attacked the church with fury and forced an
entrance. A second charge, and they aga'n dispersed—
and all the windows, doors, many seats, &c., shattered.
By ten o'clock the church was in flames, which conti-
nued to burn until all the wood-work was destroyed.
The firemen were present, but did not play upon the
burning church, although they did upon the neighbouring
property. The upper part of the two houses on the south
side of the church were somewhat injured. The roof of
St. George's Methodist Church opposite was also slightly
burnt. At eleven o'clock, the firemen were busily at
work, saving the surrounding property.

RECEIPTS AND STOCKS OF COTTON.—By a private
letter received from New York, we learn ihat the re-
ceipts of cotton of New Orleans and the different other
American depots, this season amount to 1,829,821 bales,
—last season, 2,151,997 ; and that the stocks this, season,
are 496,940 bales,—last season, 289,431. The following
circular will be read with interest :—" since the date of
our circular, issued on the 30th April, our cotton market
has been dull and unsettled, and prices have gradually
given way I to H per lb. on all qualities, except middling,
and good middling, which have been in good request for
shipment, and have therefore, not felt the decline in as
great a degree as the qualities below, which have now
become abundant in this market and are comparatively
neglected. The account from Liverpool to the 19th
April, per Hibernia, were received on the 6th instant,
but having been to a great extent anticipated, produced
only a temporary effect; the decline as noticed above,
having risen more from local causes than the influence of
foreign accounts, and which still continue to depress our
prices. The sales since the 30th April, have been upon
on average of 2000 bales per day, chiefly for shipment.
Spinners taking their usual supply, speculation in the
article has entirely ceased.