The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-15 00:00:00

being afforded by our own possessions are most satts,
As far as I can see, also, the stock of sugars in hand are quite
sufficient to guarantee the country against any sudden dearth
of this article, for, on the sth -of March, the quantity of Bri-
tish plantation, Mauritius, and East India sugars in the
storehouses in London was 410,000 cwt., and at the outports
the stock was 480,000 (query 180,000) cwt., making together
a total of 590,000 (query 890,000) cwt. In 1843 the amount
of the crop was estimated at 2,400,000 cwt. in the West
Indian colonies, at 800,000 cwt, in the Mauritius, and at
1,700,000 cwt. in the East Indies, making together, with the
stock of 1"-"' ,dy -'

_ ouo,ooo cwt. already in hand in .fond 1n and ti
Jutports, the total amount of 5,490,000 cwt. ; which, when
compared with the consumption of the last year of 4,610,000

sumption of somewhere about 1,200,000 cwt. .1
do not wish
to he understood as saying that this is a conclusive argument

against the admission of foreign sugar for consumption into
this country, even if that question were not embarrassed by
the present state of -the slave colonies; but it would be a
most painful circumstance if her Majesty's government, en-
tertaining the opinions which I and my colleagues expressed
last year on this subject, were to see ourselves compelled to
resort to the admission of foreign sugar in order to enable
the proper supply to be afforded. There are numerous in-
tricate questions involved in the negotiations which are now
on foot with foreign countries as to the abolition of slavery,
and there are various plans in agitation for its gradual aboli-
tion, upon the success of which the noble lord had calculated
in his proposal of lost year ; but in my opinion-them would
rest a very serious imputation en the honour and good faith
of England as to the reality a the efforts she professes to
make•for the abolition of slavery abroad, which have disin-
clined me to incur the risk of encouraging the continuance

of slavery, and of reviving the-horrors of the slave trade, by

admitting any portion of foreign slave-grown sugars to con-
sumption in this country. (Hear,. hear.) These were the
grounds upotr which Lbased my-opinions last year, and these
reasons why her Majesty s government is un-
turb the present arrangements in the'article of

are now t

ground I vindicate the proposed reduction. In addition to
this I shall propose a reduction of the duties payable by mas-
ters of job-coaches, which may be taken to be about £9,000
a year more, forming a total of £70,000, making a total loss,.
including the deficiency of £2,500,000. of £3,780,000. By
the new taxes he calculated he should have £4,300,000, so
that after deducting' this loss he should still have a surplus
of £52,000 to meet the increased estimate which would be
necessary, from the state of affairs in.lndia and China. The
right hon. baronet, having thus stated the whole of his plan,
and enforced it by powerful arguments, resumed his seat
amidst general cheering from both sides of the house.
Lord J. RUSSELL complimented the right hon. bart. on
the great ability which distinguished his statement. It had,
whether correct or otherwise, the characteristics of a great
measure, worthy of a great nation like this. It was not a
paltry, quibbling measure of detail, and he should use his
best ability in forming an opinion as. to whether it was cal-
culated to be the most useful to the country.

Mr. O'CONNELL approved of the tax onlrish spirits.
Lord HowicK thought the question of much too great im-
portance to express an immediate opinion upon it.
Mr. WAKLEY, while lie gave credit to the right hon. bart.
for the ability of. his statement, yet felt confident that the
public would not receive with satisfaction a tax on income,
though quite prepared for a tax on property. He thought
the right hon. baronet might with great advantage have ap-
plied his sliding scale and proportioned the ratio of the tax
amount of the income to be taxed.
After some observations from Mr. F. BARING as to the
danger of attempting to impose a war tax in time of peace;
and from Mr. H. Hinde and other hon. members, some of
the resolutions proposed by Sir R. Peel were agreed to, and
the house resumed.
On the motion of Lord STANLEY, the West India clergy
bill went through committee.—Adjourned.

TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE IN ALDERMANBURY.

(From yesterday's Morning Herald.)
Yesterday morning, at a quarter to nine o'clock, one of
the most appalling and tragical events that has taken place in
the City within our memory occurred. The principal actor
in the melancholy affair was a man named George' Lucas,
and the scene
.ok.the friglittul _act was at the Louse No. 3,
Zion-gardens,-Afd€rtnanbury."' -
It appears that Lucas, who was 38 yeari of age, occupied
-the whole of the house in question, and let out.all parts of it
but the kitchen and attics ; and his family consisted of his
'wife and threi. children--namely, George, a line boy, aged 10
years; Ann, aged-7; and 'Alfred, aged'4 ; and Ann Hammond,
the niece of Mr. Lucas, aged 18. - •

Lucas, who is described as a steady, sober, arid well-con-
ducted man, hvid been employed for many years as ware-
houseman, in different situations in the City, but owing to
the slackness of trade has been out of employ for the last six
months. This circumstance has preyed so heavily upon his
mind that he has once or twice lately expressed his fears that
he would lay violent hands upon himself; and upon those
occasions his wife, who is a very decent arid sensible woman,
used every effort and argument in her power to dissuade him
from harbouring such a thought, and was in hopes that she
had succeeded in doing so, as he latterly appeared more
cheerful. The fourth floor or attic of the house-consists of
three bed-rooms, the first of which was occupied by Lucas
and his wife as a bed-room; the second by the eldest boy,
George, who slept in a small cot ; and the third by the two
youngest and Ann Hammond.
At seven o'clock yesterday morning Lucas got up and went
down stairs as usual, leaving his wife in bed, and in a few
minutes afterwards was followed by Ann Hammond, who
also left the two younger children asleep, and at eight o'clock
Mrs. Lucas came down stairs, and found her husband and
niece. At this time LucA was employed in cleaning his
boots and those of his children, and up to a .quarter to nine
o'clock nothing particular was observable in his manner More
than usual. When he had done cleaning the boots and
shoes, he shaved himself in the kitchen, and when he had
done, Mrs. Lucas, having still some tears of his laying
violent hands upon himself, asked him if she should put• up
his razors for him. He replied that he would put thaw up
himself, and having wiped the one he was using, he went to
the drawer for the purpose, as Mrs. Lucas supposed, of
putting them up ; but, as it afterwards appeared, he did not
do so, and from this circumstance there can be no doubt that
at this time he contemplated the frightful act which he in a
feW moments afterwards committed. _ _

• It was his custom on every Sunday morning to bring his
children down stairs to be dressed preparatory to taking them
to church, and at the time before mentioned he asked his
wife in the calmest manner if he should go up for the chil-
dren, and she requested he would. He then proceeded to
the attic, and as it appeared, his first victim was the little
girl Ann, whom he wrapped up in a shawl, and carried from
the further bed-rooM to that in which himself and his wife
had slept, and placing her on the front of the bed, cut her
throat from ear to ear.

He next carried the little boy Alfred to the same place,
and, placing him on thebed, also cut his throat. in the same
manner.
_ _