The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-05-13 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY.

Lord BROUGHAM, on presenting a petition from a gen-
tleman in Rutland, complaining of the Syston and Peter-
borough Railway, provoked another of tbos conversa-
tions on railway speculation of late so prevalent in the
Upper House. The Dukes of Wellington and Grafton,
and Lords Fitzwilliam, Redesdale, Campbell, and Win•
chilsea, took part in the discussion. The general result
of their lordships' observations was, that though every
reasonable facility ought to be afforded to railway compa-
nies, yet care should be taken to secure full compensation
for proprietors, especially for such of these as were poor,
and unable to assert their rights. Lords Stanley and
Dalhousie defended the principle of the Railway and Land
Clauses Consolidation Bill from an attack made on it by
Lord Beaumont.
One or two bills were then forwarded a stage, and their
lordships adjourned till Friday, the 16th inst.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THURSDAY.
Mr. Hurl' moved that the house should resolve itself
into a committee of the whole house, for the purpose of
considering the following resolution :—" That it is expe-
dient to permit grain and flour, the produce of Australa-
sia, to be imported into the United Kingdom on payment
of the same amount of duty as is now levied on grain and,
flour the produce of Canada." He commenced by ob-
serving, that those who impugned this motion must prove
either that the resolution was incompatible with the wel-
fare of Australasia, or that the advantages which Aus-
tralasia would derive from it were insignificant in cornpa.-
rison of the evils which it would produce upon the inte-
rests of agriculture at home. Australasia was very fa-
vourably placed for the production of wheat, and actually
did produce wheat of superior flavour, quality, and weight.
Aloreovcr, it produced more wheat than its inhabitants
could consume themselves. All that they wanted to make
this beneficence of Providence a source of inestimable
advantage to them was a market. That market they fan-
cied they had found in this country. The voyage was
long, but the fineness and dryness of the Australasian
climate rendered its wheat able to endure so long a voy-
age without injury. It was true that we did not prohibit
Australasian corn in the British market, but after it had
traversed 15,000 miles of ocean, we placed on it a duty
which was equal to 20 or 25 per cPnt. on its original value
in Australasia. The peope of Australasia complained of
this duty as unequal and unjust. They saw all the pro-
ductions of Great Britain imported into Australasia duty
free, and they complained that their only staple produc-
tion was placed on its importation into Great Britain
under a duty which, in point of fact, amounted almost to
a prohibition. In 1843 the Imperial Parliament had
passed a law admitting Canadian corn into Great Britain
duty free. In 1844 the Imperial Parliament refused this
same boon to Australasia. This was not only unwise and
impolitic, but also a monstrous injustice. He now
brought forward once more the motion which the house
had rejected last year, and called upon hon. gentlemen to
consider the responsibility which they would incur in
sanctioning again such an act of injustice and misgovern-
ment. He then reviewed the arguments employed last
year against his motion, and, in reply to the observation
that it was unfair to bring it forward again because the
corn law was a settled question, reminded the house that
the corn law was, above all others, the great unsettled
question of the day. It had likewise been said, that Ca-
nada had asked for this boon, but that Australasia never
had done so. He read a memorial from Mr. Grey, the
Governor of South Australia, and also from Sir Eardley
Wilmot, the Governor of Van Dieman's Land, to Lord
Stanley, for the purposeof showing that the colonists
were fully alive to the importance of this measure, and
were most anxious to obtain it. lie insisted that, by im-
posing this discriminating duty on Australasian wheat,
you were placing a brand of inferiority on the inhabitants
of Australasia, and were telling the world and them that
they were less worthy of encouragernent and protection
than their brother colonists of Canada. He then pointed
out the advantages which would accrue from acceding to
his present proposition. It was due to Australasia as a
matter of justice and good government. If acceded to,
it would be twice blest: for it would bless both the par-
ties that gave and those who received it. In Australasia
it would open new avenues to improvement and prospe-
rity. In this country it would extend our commerce,
give an impulse to our manufactures, and tend to relieve
the distress of agriculture. It would do more—it would
knit together Great Britain and her Australasian colonies
in the bonds of mutual interest and affection.
Sir W. JAMES seconded the motion.
Sir G. CLERK was compelled by a sense of public duty
to meet the motion with a direct negative. Tire hon.

gentleman Ind greatly exaggerated the benefits which
would accrue to Australasia from the course whirls he
wished the house to adopt ; for it was almost impossible
that the corn trade could be advantageous to such distant
Possessions of the crown of Great Britain as our Austra-
lasian colonies. Besides, he considered it unwise to be
perpetually tampering with an article like corn, on which
FO large a portion of the proprietors of Great Britain had
expended so large an amount of capital. He might be
asked, if that were so, why had the government made this
exception in the year 1842 in favour of Canadian wheat?
He jtistitied that exception by showing that Lord Stanley
had introduced it on special and peculiar grounds which
did not apply to any other of our colonies ; for instance,
the peculiar situation of the Canadas at the time, their
contiguity to the United States, and the permission then
accorded to the United States to introduce flour into the
Canadas free from duty. On the authority of Sir E.
Wilmot, he affirmed that the colonists of Van Dieman's
Land did not produce sufficient corn for their own con-
sumption ; for in the very document which Mr. Hutt had
read, Sir E. Wilmot admitted that the people in Van
Dieman's Land could import and did import corn from
Valparaiso cheaper than they could grow it in their own
country, and that such importation enabled them to send
their own corn, which was of superior quality, to this
country. He therefore contended, that Mr. Hutt had
not made cut such a case for the Australasian colonies as
ought to induce the house to alter in their favour the ex-
isting corn laws. Such an alteration would create great
alarm in the agricultural interest at home, and would not
be productive of any great traffic in corn with such distant
colonies.

. ....
Sir R. PEEL, in declaring his intention to vote against
this motion, observed, that there were now two proposi-
tions on the subject of the corn laws in the notice-book—
one for a total repeal of them, to be brought forward by
Mr. Villiers; and the other for a modified alteration of
them, to be proposed by Lord John Russell. Not satis-
fied with the prospect of the extensive proposal of Mr.
Villiers, and of the more limited proposal of Lord John
Russell, Mr. Hutt had thought it expedient to submit to
the house a motion still more confined in its extent, viz.,
a proposal to admit the corn of Australia to the same pri-
vilege which belonged to the corn of Canada. Sir R. Peel
then explained at some length the reasons which induced
the government to pass the Canada Corn Bill, and ex-
pressed a doubt whether it would be for the advantage of
the Australasian colonies to fulfil the conditions which
Canada was called upon to fulfil on receiving the privilege
conceded to her. The Australasian colonies now received
foreign corn duty free. It was now proposed that they
should bring into Great Britain corn duty free ; but Nlr.
Hutt had not called upon the Australians, as government
had called upon the Canadians, to levy a duty of 3s. per
quarter on all foreign corn brought into their country.
He thought that that gentleman, from allowing his mind
to dwell long upon this subject, had greatly over-rated
the benefits which the course recommended by him would
confer upon Australasian agriculture. He would rather
consider the question of allowing the introduction of corn
duty free from all our colonies, than that of allowing it
to come in duty free from any one colony in particular.
He considered the present motion to be the precursor of
many other motions of a similar character, introduced for
no other purpose than that of producing a constant dis-
cussion on the corn laws; and as such he would meet it
with the most decided opposition. His belief was, that
as this motion, if carried, would excite great alarm among
the agricultural interest of this country, and would not
create any additional trade in corn between the colonies
and Great Britain, the evil would far outweigh the ad-
vantage anticipated from it. He repeated, in conclusion,
that the case of Australasia was not ideni ical with that of
Canada—that Australasia had no claim in justice to the
boon now asked for her, and that on grounds of expedi-
ency and policy it was not fitting that he should disturb
the settlement of the corn laws, to which parliament bad
assented in 1812.

---
On a division, the motion was negatived by a majority
of 147 to 93.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,—FRIDAY.
Sir J. GRAHAM stated the plan contemplated by the
government for the promotion of academical education in
Ireland. Various attempts had, he said, been made to
extend the blessings of education to the people of Ireland,
and he had no hesitation in saying that these attempts
had failed whenever they were based upon the principle of
interfering with the religious belief of the people. This
was the opinion of the commission appointed to inquire
into, the subject of national education in Ireland in 1812,
and it was in accordance with this opinion that the plea-
sure he was now about to introduce was founded. The
tame opinion was held by the commission which was ap-
pointed in 1826, and in 1828 a committee of the House of
Commons recommended separate religious education for
Protestants and Catholics, the literary education being
combined. The matter was again referred to a committee
of the house in 1830, and by that committee the sugges-
tions of the committee of Itb;2B were adopted, and in the
course of the following year the present system of na-
tional education in Ireland was agreed to. Previous to
its adoption large sums of money had been voted for edu-
cation in Ireland, of which the great bulk of the people
had declined to avail themselves. In the year 1839, after
its adoption, there were 1581 national schools in Ireland,
and 2u5,000 scholars ; and at the close of 1811, the num-
bea of schools was swelled to 3151, and of scholars to
395,000. The proposition he was about to make would
only affect the middle and higher classes of society, and
thus all classes would now have the benefits of education
within their reach. Upon the principle he had stated,
her Majesty's government were now prepared to recom-
mend the establishment of three provincial colleges in Ire-
land—one of them in Cork, another in Limerick or Gal-
way, and the third either at Belfast or Derry. Ile esti-
mated the outionig and founding each of these col-
leges at about £30,000, or in round numbers at £lOO,OOO
for the three. The annual endowment of each college
would be about £6OOO, which would include for the pre-
sident a salary of £lOOO, and for each of the ten or twelve
professors a salary of £3OO per annum. As he attached
great importance to the establishment of medical schools,
the professors would include lectures on anatomy, &c. Ile
proposed that the professors should be nominated by the
c.own, and that they should be removable for cause. This
latter power was deemed requisite in order to prevent any
undue interference by the lecturers with theological opi-
Mons. He proposed that the president should reside in
the college, and that the instruction should be by lectures
and daily examinations. He did not propose that there
should be any professors of theology or lectures on di-
vinity in any of the colleges, but the crown would not ob-
ject
to the private endowment of such professors, subject
to the inquisitorial visitation and controul of the crown.
A question would arise as to whether there should be one
central college for granting degrees in arts, science, and
medicine, or whether the crown should endow all three
colleges with that power. On that question, however, it ,
was unnecessary to come to any definite arrangement, but 1
his opinion was decidedly in favour of one central col-
lege. The question was, however, full of difficulties ;
one of which related to Trinity College, with which they
were resolved not to interfere. It was a strictly Protes-
tant foundation, established by Queen Elizabeth for
avowedly Protestant purposes. Mr. O'Connell, himself,
in his evidence before the House of Lords, had given it
as his opinion that the scholarships should not be given
to Roman Catholics. He feared that any attempt to in-
troduce Roman Catholics into the college would be at-
tended with the greatest difficulty and inconvenience.
The bill, however, did not propose to establish a univer-
sity, and it would be open to the wisdom of parliament
hereafter either to endow the three colleges, or establish a
central university in Dublin. The right hon. baronet
then complimented Mr. Wyse upon his long-continued
efforts to promote education in Ireland, and said that to
his exertions must fairly be attributed much of the merit
of the benefit which the present measure was calculated
to confer upon his country. He then concluded by
moving for leave to bring in a bill to enable her Majesty
to endow colleges for the purposes of academical educa-
tion in Ireland.
Mr. NYSE approved of the Government proposition,
but suggested several modifications of some of its propo-
sitions.
Mr. E. B. Rocus:, repealer as he was, felt thankful for
the proposition, though he did not think it sufficiently
comprehensive, and in one point objectionable—in not
opening Trinity College.
Si, R. INGLIS was entirely opposed to the measure of
the Government, on the ground of the total absence of all
provision for religious instruction. It was a gigantic
scheme of godless education undertaken by a Protestant
Government, and it was a matter of regret that such mea-
sures as had recently been introduced had not been advo-
cated at an earlier period of the political lives of those
who now proposed them. If he stood alone, he should
say " No" to the proposition, and would endeavour to
defeat it as far as was within his power.
Mr. SHEIL contended for the justice and sound policy
of throwing open Trinity College, for so long as its pre-
dominance continues, so long would the Catholics be dis-
contented. The right hon. baronet (Sir R. Peel) had said
that Ireland was his difficulty, hut such was not the case
—his difficulty was the established church, which met him
at every step, and sought to thwart and render nugatory
every beneficial measure of conciliation which he attempted
to confer upon the country. He agreed with Sir Robert
Inglis that the absence of religious education was a defect
in the plan, but that might be remedied by some commu-
nication with the Catholic bishops. He, however, cor-
dially praised the plan on the whole.
Sir It. PEEL said the right lion. gentleman had proved
the truth of what he (Sir R. Peel) had predicted, when he
said that Ireland would be his chief difficulty. It was
impossible to give Ireland the bentfit of academical edu-
cation if they combined with it religious education, and
yet the right hon. gent. united with his hon. friend Sir R.
Inglis in asserting that the absence of this religious edu-
cation is a defect in the plan. Ile attached every import-
ance to religious education, but under the circumstances it
became necessary either to give up the idea of giving the
advantage of academical education to Ireland, or to leave
the religious education of youth to their parents and guar-
dians, by whom, of course, it would be attended to. They
were not to live in the college—they would reside with
their friends or relatives, and the government did not pro-
pose to relieve the parents and relatives of the children
from the obligation of paying attention to their religious
instruction.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.

THE IRON TRADE—BIRMINGHAM, May B.—The ex-
travagant height to which the price of iron had reached
has been followed by a reduction equally suth'en, ah hough
by many persons confidently expected. This, like pre-
vious events in the iron trade, shows that little faith is to
be placed in the declaration of prices fixed at the quarterly
meetings. One great house in the district has issued a
circular., intirnrting a reduction of 10s. per ton on pig
iron. The reduction, however, according to the best au-
thority, may be taken at 20s. Pigs were stated at the last
quarterly meeting to be £6 10s. ; they are now to be
bought at 1:5 10s. In merchant iron there is a reduction
of .1:2 per ton. It is altogether unnecessary to speculate
upon the cause of this sudden depression.

PutLEIGN AND COLONIAL.

ARRIVAL OF THE GREAT WESTERN.
The tine steam-ship Great Western, Captain R. B.
Matthews, left the Wharf at New York, at 3 P.M. on the
24th ult., was telegraphed at Liverpool early On Thursday
afternoon, and arrived off the Rock at half-past nine
o'clock, thus making the
passage in fourteen days one
hour. She brings 141 passengers. Tne papers by the
Great Western are ten days later than those previously
received. The Caledonia arrived out on the 21st ult.,
containing the important debate on the Oregon question.
The New York Herald of the 23d ult. gives extracts from
the English papers, but there is nothing beyond the
blustering of the newspapers upon the subject The New
York Herald and all the democratic papers " go the
whole hog " for Oregon, even at the hazard of war with
Great Britain.

Under the head " The crisis come at last. War with
England !" the following occurs :—" President Polk and
Sir Robert Peel have assumed diametrically opposite po-
sitions with respect to the Oregon territory. It is impos-
sible for either to recede, and the crisis, which we have
been anxiously awaiting for some time past, has at last
arrived. As for us, we go for Oregon at all hazards. If
war is to come, let it come. As we have said a hundred
times, the day must come, sooner or later, when a trial of
physical strength will take place between Great Britain
and the United States. Oregon is unquestionably ours,
and we are surely not to be bullied out of the assertion
and vindication of our claims by the threats of the British
Minister?"

Under the head " Our foreign relations," the New York
Herald of the 24th ult. says—" From Mexico, by our last
accounts, down to the 29th of March, it appears that the
Mexican Congress are deliberating on certain resolutions,
proposed to suspend all commercial and diplomatic inter-
course with the United States, in consequence of the
passage of the Texas resolutions by the Congress at Wash-
ington. * * * With regard to Texas, our accounts
from thence, relative to annexation, are somewhat contra-
dictory. No doubt the general feeling of the people there
is favourable to annexation, but the official classes are ap-
parently not in favour of it. Then there is the Brazilian
empire, with which we have a very important quarrel on
hand, affecting the principles of honour, which generally
is more troublesome than even acres or dollars and cents.
* * * * We do not, however, apprehend any diffi-
culty there, and leave it. But the greatest comes the last.
Our difficulty with England is a matter that will create a
deep feeling, greatly increasing, festering, fermenting,
from this until some serious collision takes place. Peace-
able and moderate men think it can be settled very easily,
either by compromise, or by the interference of Russia or
France as a mediator, or in some such way ; but we
greatly fear that the government of the United States will
not venture on a second edition of the Ashburton treaty.
War is a serious thing ; but there are errors in history
where the conflict of great passions and general principles
cannot be arbitrated but by physical force. We feel under
some alarm for the future, in every aspect in which the
question presents itself."
Again, the same paper says—" A prodigious effort will
indeed be made amongst all intelligent men of this coun-
try, engaged in commerce, to influence our government
in relation to this matter, so as to preserve the peace of
the two countries. All rational men connected with the
foreign trade mid commerce of the untry, of course,
regard it as the most preposterous and wicked idea to
think of going to war with England. But yet the position
assumed by both governments is such that that denoue-
ment cannot possibly be averted by any negotiations be-
tween themselves conducted in the ordinary mode. It is
proposed, therefore, that some third party—France or
Russia—should step in to act as mediator. With what
success such an effort at arbitration is likely to meet, it
is difficult at this moment to predict."
COTTON MARKET.—The advices received by the
steamer Caledonia do not appear to have strengthened the
market, which is well supplied with all descriptions. The
sales for a day or two past have been small, and in some
instances at offers which were refused previous to the ar-
rival of the steamer. The demand is principally for Li-
verpool. Our advices from the south confirm the impres-
sion that the crop now coming in will be full as large as
any precious one. The receipts already known amount
to 2,178,2.51 bales. Out of this, 2,039,542 bales have
been received at the principal southern shipping ports,
against 2,('37,329 arrived at the same ports for the same
period the season before last.

INDIA AND CHINA.—The overland mail has been anti-
cipated by express which arrived this morning, the dates
being to the 19th of March from Calcutta, the 10th of
February from China, and the lst of April from Bombay.
The political intelligence describes a state of great confu-
sion in the Panjaub, but the rest of India was in a tran-
quil state. The mercantile accounts are universally dull;
iu the Chinese ports the greatest scarcity of money pre-
vailing, and cotton goods, metals, and hardware, were in
excessive stocks, which was also the state of trade gene-
rally at Calcutta and Bombay. Shipping alone was in de_
wand, the rates of freight to Europe having advanced
about ss. per ton in the course of the month.

NEW ZEALAND.—On Monday, a parliamentary docu-
ment was printed, showing the claims for land in New
Zealand. It appears that the Church Missionary Society
have made claims to .1,8384 acres. The quantity granted
was 3,295 acres ; and the consideration given to the na-
tives was £1,814 Os. 6d. The total of other claims is
366,874, making the grand total 371,714 acres. The
quantity granted was 124,528 acres ; and the consideration
given to the natives was £39,780 19s. 7d. By another
branch of the return it. is stated that the total number of
claims to grants of land referred to the commission ap.
pointed was 1,037, which claims are now under investiga-
tion, and are expected to be examined and reported upon
by the commission in a :port time.

WEST INDIES.—The Clyde steam-ship arrived at
Southampton on Monday evening, bringing 85 passengers
and a valuable freight, including 486,635 dollars, 27,000
being on account of the Mexican dividends. The Clyde
brings advices frost Mexico to the 2d April. The whole
country is represented as being in a most unsettled and
disturbed state, and from this fact may be attributed the
comparative small shipment of dollars on account of the
dividends. Nothing is yet decisive as to the ultimate fate
of Santa Anna. The mercantile community, in particular,
were highly dissatisfied in regard to the promised altera-
tions in the tariff, which had not yet been ceded to them.
We learn from Jamaica, that the settlement of the sugar
duties, the more the subject is discussed in the island ap.
pears to increase in general satisfaction among the plan-
ters. Indeed, throughout the whole of the colonies, the
matter has made a very favourable impression.
FRANCE.—On Friday week M. Thiers brought before
the Chamber of Deputies the motion of which he had
given notice, demanding explanations from the ministry
for not having enforced the laws affecting the Jesuits and
religious societies generally. His speech on the occasion,
which was an elaborate one, was unusually moderate.
After tracing the progress of the Jesuits in France, and
of the laws for their prohibition, he insisted that the ex-
istence of the society, even on sufferance, was dangerous
to the security of the nation. The discussion was re-
sumed on Saturday, and disposed of by the Chamber pas-
sing '' to the order of the day." The Paris papers of
Monday are chiefly occupied with the bill for providing
the cannon, mortars, and gunpowder for the fortifications
of Paris, the discussion on which, in the Chamber of
Deputies, commenced on Monday. General Leydet, who
opened the debate, expressed his astonishment at the
enormous warlike preparations in progress, at a moment
of profound peace, and when there appeared so little
chance that that peace would be disturbed. lie professed
to consider the bill as perfectly unnecessary, seeing that
the Government had at Vincennes enough materiel to arm
the ramparts of the capital. He added that he had been
friendly to the erection of the fortifications, but was op-
posed to their being armed. Other deputies, among
whom was M. l.asteyrie, who bad been parties to the
erection of the fortifications, expressed opinions similar
to those of General Leydet. A speech from M. Arago
closed the proceedings on Monday, after which the debate
was adjourned. On Tuesday the Minister of Marine
applied to the Chamber of Deputies fur a grant of ten
millions of francs to be applied to the improvement of
the roads of Toulon, and another of two-and-a-half mil-
lions for works to be executed at Port Vendres. The
Chamber then resumed the debate on the arming of the
fortifications, and on Thursday last the first clause of the
hill for this put pose was carried by a majority of 227 to
14 I. On Friday and Saturday the Fortifications Bill was
discussed bs the Chamber, arid on the latter day it passed
by a majority of 227 to 131.

THE JESUITS IN FRANCE.—The French Chamber of
Deputies, who, as will be seen, have been engaged in de-
bate on the subject, have unanimously resolved after two
days' debate on the motion of M. Thiers, that the laws
against the society of Jesuits shall be carried into execu-
tion. This is a strange and refreshing contrast to the
proceedings in the British legislature. The speech in
which the mover called upon the chamber to authorize tbe
government to execute the laws is described by an excel-
lent rie, judiciously managed paper (La Patrie) as full
of precision, vigour, and argument ; and the orator com-
pletely established that the Jesuits exist, as a society, in
France at this day, and that they are rapidly extending
their pernicious influence. lie showed that they were
proscribed by the ancien regime, by the revolution, by the
restoration, and that they are still under the ban of the
law which ought to be immediately applied, if the legisla-
tion had any regard to the permenent safety of the state.
The defenders of the Jesuits were rex ; " and " says La
Patrie, " they form, in France, a new school of liberals,
who put forth strange ideas. According to them, none
but themselves comprehend the true meaning of liberty.
But M. Thiers did ample justice upon these hypocritical
intenders; and the unanimous decision of the chamber
has dissipated the fine terms in which they would define
our liberties—liberties founded upon our laws." The
laws of France, which will now be put into execution,
forbids the existence altogether of the " Society of Jesus,"
and declares that no such society shall acquire, in that
country, any property whatever, real or personal, under
considerable penalties. The whole debate on the subject
is worthy of attentive perusal in the present crisis of
Protestantism in England.
DREADFUL FIRE.--A dreadful fire took place in Pitts-
burg, America, on the Bth ult. Twenty squares, com-
prising from ten to twelve thousand houses, were de-
stroyed. Several lives were lost. The loss is estimated
at two millions. Pittsburgh is a rising and important city
in ptnnsylvania• it is the next largest city to Philadel-
phia in Pennsylvania. Its population is about 25,000, and
was becoming a place of great commercial importance.
Independent of the manufactures of edge tools, which
were by far the most extensive in the union, an idea may
be formed of the progress made in the heavier branches of
machinery from the fact, that during last year no fewer
than 29 steam-boats were built and completed with their
engines at Pittsburg. The town may, therefore, be con-
sidered both the Sheffield and Birmingham of the United
States, and the extensive destruction a severe blow to the
Irma manufacturers.