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    { Continued from xmr Sixth j > age . J in-posed -npon him , but how trifling "was their **!! mtwh 6 n they looted at the insult he had indicted * f ^ aEity i But , listen again to Tvhattbb inspector ^ -F ^ w-So defence vras attempted , except the oftenre-^ Is ffija of being pressed to complete an order for ^ Sneiit , the profits of which -would have been lost if * 7 jjsd v ° l undertaken ta supply the -whole quantity re-^ Lfi . The magistrates would not entertain this plea ^ r ^ din ; any j ustific&iio n for so gross an abase of the J £ n ** apl ° y ercsnecBrcjB 8 otct the operatives in ^ gsSsct where Jsbnor is rednndant . I regret to say * iSs-occupiers do not stand alone responsible for *^ crnel ^ toTtards the yonng females . " 2 fo ; the jjJb had been driven by the surplus labour of ihe jo irort tneir own to aeatn i or existence

    {^ k onspncg . J ^ ras proved tha t a parent had not merely consented * esrlSce the physical powers of his child for money , tliDh 5 i ? 33 ^ ten < ier P * 1 to exert herself to the last . ^ h , ? lie period the mill -was si -work , some of the -S ^ ereo bEsed to -withdrew , &om physical inability ffjrork longer . The parent of one young woman , about *? _ ¥££ I j jeszs of age , was determined to braTe the ^ S jjaject consequent upon opposing the win of Sister , viz dismissal from work for the future S > T 3 seeeA £ d at four o ' clock on Sitnrday afternoon to

    fh » in 31 , fortunately ot-sunea access to the room where vferirlhsd been Brolly from five o ' clock on Friday Z ^ mssS , ** & i 11 ^ 3 ^ on withdrawing her . He nlti-^ jj succeeded , but not , as be informs me , until SjjtSe jtsan'ginjf partner , ^ Ir . Threliall , a = ; d his son , v ia en £ s iTOared forcibly to remove him from the - ¦ zissi . This and the other cases of overwork which vUscoErre ' -srithia ths las * two yean in the Bradtei districl nmst surely convince the most sceptical of fS ^ Hse ' . nie necessity of a strong law to protect the Serin ? das Li these districts ; and the officers em-$ Vved may reasonably deem such cases as indicating

    SjjiBiote txpected among s certain class of mills —ga a more active state of trade . " There was not a —giber ia 2 ie House , he ; Mr . Perrand ) did not care to S ai tarty he nughi belong , who could have heard this j jjanest , and who would not blnah for the honour of Ya cenntrj- { Hear . ) There never was , he would ventes to say . ™ ^ history of England , so di ^ gracef n ] a Xeaoi tsm&uci dragged to public light in ti . 8 Honse ^ Qammass by a Member against a man who had the MwertifiJiS'S ^ such horrors on his teDow-conntxy | ^ Tbs' Ssv'PMZ law had plaeed this power in « » : insB " s hands . He bad lost that power over the jgiple in the 3-eighbourbood of his milL The Right j _ Baronet smiled ! From plundering and perseto the classes in the

    p ^ sg death workiirg neigbhourvgj cf bi 3 mill the -soiiing classes had struck against jjj ; ihev had refused to be any lo-ger his slaves : £ siin stood Etai . He was enabled to provide the ^^ 35 cms more cf working it ; and where did he js 3 tfc » ? Under tbe rfew Poor Law . He applied » s its Siiplon iroikhoEse , and they supplied him ^ a t % xS ? J bands . Ee would ask the Rght Hon . Sjjonii where those twenty hands bow were ? The jggjij Boe- Baronet had a heart , he iMr Femnd ) ba » , -Bitlan bis breast to which the cries of these jaa -wretches would n&t piead in vain . He had stated ^ 223 of t £ = coESrqumces of this Sew Poor Law upon the masses the north of England . If the House

    ¦ scalSiiaw him he woitfd state what was the conduct jj jju ^ issisisat Poor law Commissioners in file admixisirsnaa of this law ; aad in doing 30 , he ( Mr Fct--raif , godb ^ a not ihst the ' First Lord of the Treasnry » cda rsjd £ r an act of jastiiK to him as weil as to the jsjafclauers d the township where he lived , when he ja 3 explained the scandalous coDdnct of the A sMKfcint ? i » r lai Conimisdoners . During the discussion of tfiB 5 t » Poo 1 Jiv * ™ tbat . Euase Hon . Members would sssa&er with what glee the R'ght Hon . Barocrt the J 5 ct Lord of the Treasuiy had opened the led box lefGrs him , and dragged out a statement from Mr . Mott jtograph aiier paragraph he read , bringing charges 2 b most untrue against the Keighley Board of ftardlans . He lilr . Fs ^ randi had sat perfectly

    compiEed behind him , feeling that he should have very 35 £ e difficulty to prove to his conviction that the statt-BE-3 ma 4 ? iy Mr . Mott were us true , and contradictions lad passed between the right Hon . Baronet and himself . da had entrid in a challenge on the part of the Right Ssa . Baronet to him iMr . Fenand ) to more lor a comsSice of inquiry , when the gallant commodore th = MaEba for Marylebone , always ready for the fight , preiDtice t ^ a motion for a committee of icquiry , and ig jMz . ? ei-ssdi ¦ sndtKiosd that he had brandished la ititk » bo ? e his head on lsiving the honse , and e& "ha had canght the Hon . Membrr for Knaresiaoffih in a trap sX lasL" That icqairy had taken pjsee , and fo convinced was he { Mr . Ferrandj that le ecnld disprove the statements of Mr . Mott that is iaA assented to the xt * mbers of it ° committee

    jjspasd by ihe Bight Hon . Baronet the First Lord of SsIrasDiy at once ; for he was convinced thathalf-a-£ sai wksessea connected with the Kdghley Union tsM prove every word of 3 Ir . Hott's statement to be frH » . Ths CGmmitfece had been moved fer and ap-¦ psEial . Ths next day when he { Mr . Ferrand ) cam 3 to fetlsmse an Hen . Member had said to him " Why , 722 ijcJisb fellow , yon have agreed to a packed coms 2 t «; they will report against you . * " He ( Mr . Ferjssfli lad replied , he did cc-t care what soil of a com-JEtes there ttss , the witnesses wcusd pTove the truth Its EEgistrstes , boih Whigs , who hzi taken an active isft is thfc fi ^ warding of the meaEure , and who were trenaus ecj i > 0 Ttcr 3 of the New Poor Law , legal and

    Tnwftrai linsas cosnicted "With the union , had been asmined as ¦ vfitttscs , and every one of them , without eceptiDii , h ^ a ^ eejared that Mt Motfs report was mime . Ths ccamitXee had reported that " ilr- Motfs lepart was bo n * cus 1 b nis Imports aliegationa . * ' He i ^ z . Fe rrscdi r ^ rttte ^ that there Bhculd have be « n an iSempt in th ^ emmittee to whitewash that public iSjec . L&t any man read the evide _ Bce . given before that tsmm £ ttee ; lis Boa Member for FJusbory sat on it , and ~ mM bear him out in what he stated , and he would be tnrrfceed that the evidence was opposed to the report

    IhECcnmutteehad reported that Mr Mott ' . s statemer-t was &B £ . Mr . Mctt . inhis report , amongst other things , said : " 233 April , I 542 . I sstendtd a meeting of the board dfnadisns ^ f the K ^ jgUey Union on Wednesday , the lfch instant , and it ^ ret to have to report to your losrf , ftzt the proceedings of the guardians are very ¦ EnMactury ; in ihort , they Ere entirely at variance ¦> Si Ibe proviaons of the law , and the directions of TrarbtBTjj .- E- < Mr . Ferrand ) had put it to the vote is that committee , ni ? on the evidence of every witness , fisi of wion had proved f b ** do instructions whatever i » 3 besa received from the Poor Law Commissioners .

    OSEpt the original instructions , and that therefore the j XB 2 & fcf gUTrdiy . nt Lad acted in direct accordance with SsaaiEalmstmcnens ; bet the committee had come j fe » vot * a ^ kst th = fcvidence- He must tell the House , t * ktet , tnst the sillant commodore iSir G- Kapier ) j a 3 voted by mislaie , that his opinion was not rt that ; « Hett "» report was borne out in all its most im- ' l * sz , tsErgations by ths evidence of the witnesses ? * m fcaa come fcrward to impugn it , " and when he j aJfeca oat that this was the * -ease he had protested ' Hag his Tute being recorded ; bnt this op ' mion of the ; ^ aSieslud gene forth to the world as the convic- ' « a cJf a Htm . and Ga . l _ at Commodore . But he ( Mr . iassQ v ^ noi 2 man to be jni down by the white-^ a ^ ijfem . He came to the House and he tola the £ «* ai } J 2 BSee had not been dmethat the public

    ; » 3 KQpjj . ^ gjjaj expense for the purpose of coming , » as truth , and that be still wonM seek for it in thax 1 * &-& . He was iaforHied that oppoation was to be «»>• toajLttion cf wilA he had given notice for 3 ; ^*? - tirsin pai > era yelstive to this questaon ; but « % tt Eon . Baronet the First Lord of the Treasary , [ ^^» iat straithtiorward mia » line 6 s of conduct for ' ^¦ is had al ways given him credit , said he would S > fc--Sh « the papers should be granted . Thtre j Q 1 beea a driving down cf th& Memkers of that j l ^ sstes to oppose hL- motion ; bnt the Bight H * n . i ** js > ttiaasa ; d that the papers should be granted . ; fX * h 2 ihad be moved for by way of coming at the i £ * f vJT ^^ moTf c * i for " copy of all orders which j r ^ fen issued by the P oor Law Commissioners of ) rfOtt-brCse to thk "Rf . a « 1 r . f OnaminTiB in the ¦ ¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ *! of

    ia * V \ u t- - — ~—— - *— — t ^ union since the formation the same , in £ W f -bt 13 a day of April , 1 £ 42 ; also , copy of JV& * Bpon th = procetdfcvs cf the Board , and i ^ g ^ ttereoa during that period , -srhicb have been ] r «* 7 ths Ajsiitant Poor L 3 w CoamissiontrB Mr . OKiiiilr . ilottto the Poor Law Commissioners < 1 ? ^^ cait of the particulir instances in which i J 2 Btard oI GaaxQiiiis have acted contrary to the - ~ amj of the Cmaal Board at Somerset-house ; , > Ktern ol the utaber of limes the said Assistant j ^ t *^ Commissioners , Xr . Po wtr ai--d 31 r . ^ lott , have ] ^^ « a aid Raid and the p jorhouses of Ktighley ; 2 = *?^ ' ^^ tiiE dHleE '&-eibof ' > b ^ 0 * a return of ! « p « ta thrV have ¦ n ^ r ' p f , -a the raiil -noorrioUEes . i

    ~^ hrn ^ saaitfcI ' - ° icsiatfes within the * ame on ; li ^ T ^ ^ ^ be uiaon , ind on the Is : day of June ,, 1 ^ w * ' ' " * fc ^ d" the House think the return g ^ ^ a aftei tie coaniittee of the Hc-nse had j "fit aaa « v exact eppcation to the evidence of eVtry ; jr ^ Sj ^^ . b ^ dteen . Ximired before them , cf all ^ tfHajUs !? ' bothfoT ^^ s ^ ml the law , that 30 r .. ^ i i ^» . ^^ ^ hatwasuntme ? The Commissioners . SSdtr * TEtnzn to ifce HoQ £ e of Ccmmons , — " That \ etiaT ® 33 ***** - iJo ^ t had made scy report ; 3 Ei tf f ^ Apnl , Igi 2 '^—atieh had been brought jEfcrf Z **" * the Bitbt Hon . Ba * ontt for the pur- , " ssaiSf ?* i : ^ - Ferrand ) down in the House ;' , ^ ete feT ^ - ^ Hiiesioners tad not any written j ^ to show in what spirit the said KsigfcltJ ; ^^^ i ^ dians had ccted . " Sow he ( Mr . Ptrtand ) **« && «» ^^^ S'iaidians to listen to what was ; —uuag uf ^ _ jj to » -u p ___ -1 __ / VmiTnission- i of to

    ^ tt ^ ^ * ** " * HoMe bad been appointed \ ^ i ^^^ th of iisallegatiuns ; the committee ; * 2 j . p * * fy "were true , and this was the retsm ] "K * SM iv "* Commissioners of Somerset-houBe J . . ^ Vfa L . ^ f " * ay the Poor Law CommissioneM j * Qa » fa T ^ ^^ 3 ' ? Were they to gratify private ^^» araw tp a statement which -was false from i fe ^*" &a , atd then , -when put to the teat if ; ^ 6 e tt » v ^ Cume ^ Twara and deliberately J * ^ " rLf ^ Etattments had not been made ? ] ?*** iffiT ^^* Tstere ¦* " m * Mott m *! S ^ SdT + ? ec 0 Ble of him ? T ^ 6 country had , « M bTLr ^ - *** 6 ifiaiiBsed from office , ; 08 7 T .. ^^^ iJsEed on account of his conduct ' es , * . quot um ? HiB 'Mi F ^ rand ' s ) firm ; " ? k ffifl » tbat he had had notice that ; fe ^ aaiLa 1 ; chouse Io » sign , he weuld : J « iSS fr ™ L *^ » 7 conouct 2 fo w , one ^ WrT ^ S ^ B ^ w ^ r the First Lord of v . and jf Usat Rigtt Hun . Baronet would

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    give him his kind attention for cna minute , he thought he could cenvince him tfcat he was in honour bound to do him an act of justice—( hear . ) The Bight Hon Baronet quoted from the Poor Law Commissioners ' report , which he drew from his red box ; a <; d when he did so he turned round and looked at him { Mr . Ferrand ) , a member of that House anxious to do his " daty according to the best of his ability , and said , " Lettbe Hon . Member , instead of babbling- about green fields and alLsucb trzah , go down into his own neighbourhood and inquire into the state -of the workhouse there . " And the Hon . Mtmb ? r for HaU&ix shouted © at . Within three-quarters of a mile of Mb own house" ! a laugh ) . He ( Hr . Ferrand ) assented thatitwaa so and how loudly was the Right Hon . Baronet cheare . 1 by

    certain Hon . Members opposite , who gloried in seeing him put aown by the first Minister of the Crown- ( hear , and a laugh ) . But at the Bame time he felt cocscious that all the horrible scenes described by the B'gbt Hon . Baronet , and horrible thty were , could not have taken place ; ana he aaid that it was a disgrace to the country that Poor Law Commissioners , for party purposes , should so deceive the Right Hon . Baronet—( hear , hear ) . He was also determined to test the truth of the assertions of Mr Power , as well as to justify himself in the sight of the Right Hon . Baronet and cf the Hous « ; and to show , therefore , that they were not such Bionsiera in the parish of Bingley before tbe Poor Law , as to compel the living to companion with the dead , 01 to sleep four in a bed—and oh , how

    eloqntnUy did the Right Hon . Baronet describe those horrors !—he { . ilr . Ferrand ) moved that there be laid upon the table cf the House returns of the nuzabers oi times Ihe assistant-commissioners Power and 3 tloit had visited the boards of guardians of which the Sight Hon . Baronet had spoken , of how many reports they had made concerning them , and of ths number of inmates in the union from the first day of its formation to the year 1842 . Well , what was the fact ? Why , that previous to that report not oae single commiasioser had visited the pec house from the time of the formation of the union !—( hear , hear . ) But if there were tvils in that poorhouse now , who was to

    blame ? It was placed under the entire control of the Puur Law Commissioners and their assistant cuminissioners . The » - >» srdians and parishioners dnrst not inttifcre ; if th ' . did , they would act illegally . They were bound dc . in the strictest manner by the blessed Nsw Poor Lac -thear , hear . ) But wimt was the treatment of tbe -poor tbere under the old law , and what was it under thenew ? The number of inmates in the p . vorboase of Bindley , at tbe formation of the union , was 12 ; no : enr-ngh to fiU nU the beds . —ibear , hear . ) Would the Right Hon . Baronet believe tbat , UD'ier tbe new law , the number had increased to 56 ? —{ hear , hear . ) And that crowded state of the honsa

    •* ts under the sanction of the Poor Law Commiai-ioners themselves , for their directions to the Board of Guardians w ^ re that the poer should be crowded int-j that buDdini- . itclu-Jing the poor belonging to two other townships in that uuion . —( hear , hear . ) He would , therefore , ask the Right Hon . Baronet , not as a matter of favour but as a matter of right , did he not tt > ink h was bound to give some explanation of the attack which he made npon him ( Mr . Ferrand ) on a former occasion » —( hear , hear . ) As long ts wa had the management of the poor { continued the Honourable Cbntteraan ) we toek care that the living did sot companion with the dead : we treated them with mercy and iritb jastice , allowisg them tbe e » joyment of every thin ? they bad a right to expect by the laws of

    Engjand , and what by the laws of God they had a right to dsmatid in a land professing to ba Carisuans and to be influenced by the precepts of the B . bie . \ A CTy of ¦ ' Oh ! " and hear , h&ar . ") He wished to bring under the notice of the Honse the drea ^ fol st&te of the north of England in conKquence of the operation of the Ji e * Poor Law ; and when he read a description of the condition of Huddersfield , he thought that Hon . Members connected with the agricultural interest would say to thomseives , It is high thse for us to place our houses in order , for the New Poor Law will soon operate in the same manner upon us . " •* At the Guildhall , HndoersSeld , on Tnes-Jay last , January 31 , the overseers of no fewer than nine townships that were in arrears with the payment of the calls of the board of guardians appeared to answer to summonses which had been issued against them by

    order of the board of gnardians . The following is the list of the differences : —Golcir , £ 34 2 s ., old arrears , besides the last call of £ 200 ; Cumberworth arrears , £ 26—call £ 60 ; Cumberworth half-arrears , £ 20—call . £ 70 ; Shelly arrears . £ 20—call , £ S 0 ; ThurBtoi . land arrears ; £ 60—call , £ 90 ; Linthwaite arrears . £ 95—call , £ 100 ; Whitlsy , lUppar , ) arrears £ 53 lfi * . 6 dcall , £ 70 ; Scammoden arrears . £ 27—call , £ 100 ; K-rkheaton arrears , £ 52—call , £ 300 . The first four of th-se cases were arraDged with Mr . Floyd , the clerk of the board ; in the other five cases the overseers were convicted in penalties for the neglect . Mr . Heston , the overseer of the but-named township , told tbe magistrates vhai it was absolutely impc&dfele to Ret the rates collected , as tbe peeple were so very , very poor ; and ; that wilhin the last fortnight Le had taken out no i less than one hundred and twenty summonses , and that , last woek he Wis compelled to take ont s-xtcen warrants

    ; of distress for tbe rate , which they were unaUe to pay . " He would ask , then , was no ; the Hudders'ield Union in a state of insolvency , when 156 summonses were issu-.-d against poor parsons who had not ths means o ! earning their daily bread , which they wonlil if they . could , and sixteen distress-warrants were servt d upon men who had committed no r ffenca . who had not one ha fpenny to help tbemielvee with , whose furniture was . gone , whose houses were stripped , who were sold up . ¦ who had become houseiees -wanderers , and -weru reduced 1 to a slate , of misery qualifying them to be admitted as j inmates of the workhouse ?—( hear , htar ) But the Poor Law CommissionfcTshad lately discovered a new light , in i the psr 3 o * n cf a Mr . C-ements , whom they had sent

    ; down in the place of air . Mow ; and the manner in 1 wuich he had treated tha guardians was such as to raise ' ¦ the blood of any man of honourable and ri ; ht feelings—( hear ) . The insolent and overbearing manner in wfcich thai person treated those who bad grown grey in the : service cf the poor , respectable men , members of boards j of guardians for years , tellins them that they were ig-; n ' -raut of tbeir duty , an 3 tbat through them the conntry ! was being eattn up by the poor , was almost unendurable —sibfar > - This 23 . T . Cements had told them that he went dewjp to Stt them to rights . And how was he going to l do £ Lz' ? By cutting down a hill—( " hear , hear , " and a iui £ b ) . Hfc fcsd gone to Bradford and Halifax , and ! told tbe gnardi . ns that they must compel the wciking

    classes , who had not the means of earning their daily br ^ aa in their own honeet manner , to cut down a bill , and if it were four or five njles long , so much the better—it would sive them more txercise^—ibear . hear ) . Ti-at was the tthaviour of that—what ahonid he call him- ?— that Assistant Poor Law Commissiionei , —he coulti call him nothing worse—( cheers , and laughter ) . The guardians inquired what was to be dene after the task was accomplished ? Must they find another hill ? Oh no"said he . " let them put the earth Hck again '' —( hi-ar , hear ) . Such were some of the tfivcts of the new law , bat not aU . Parishes were rapidly becoming iiiioIveDt ; the land was already eaten up by the poor rates . In his parish they had doubled and increased

    ! to the extent o ! £ 300 over that sinca the jear 1836 ; and in twelve mouths more the rental of the small fanners in the parish would be wholly consumed . He wonld ask the R'shfc Hon . Bironet , was that the mevhod to be pnrsned to relieve the conntry from pauperism ?—( bear , hear ) . If such was the state of thir-g 3 in the North , where the people had manufaoturts-to enable them in Bome measure to bear up under the ntw law , wbnt would be the remit in tbe agricultural districts , where the profits on the growth of corn were reduced , and the wages of the agricultural labourers diminished in proportion ?—( hear ) . Thanking the House for the indulgence he had received , be would now cor . ciuce by declaring his intention to support the resolutions .

    ;; Air . Sbasmax Crawfohd cordially supported the resoinnons , considering them to be borne out by facts . Sir R Peel said , he wished very brieff ^ to advert tn a statement ¦ which had fallen from the Hon . Gentleman tbe member for Knartsborongh . The Hon . Griitl ^ EiEa had refe rred to a ionner debate , in the course of which he ( Sir R . Peel ) had addres&ed the Hoiise ; and had stated that , ia alluding to the repor ; of the committee of that House resiling the reports of Sir John WalEham and Mr . Mott , he had miMJODStraed the expressions contained in the xenons . Tbe Hon . MembeT farther quoted tbat report , and having adduced certain passages in u had expressed a hope that he ( Sir K . Peel ) wou ! d

    now alter his opinion ,-and , being convinced that the coDftrncuon put on the expression was erroneous , wcuid fxpiain hi ? error to the House . Now , he ( Sir R . Ped ) was sure that if be had misconstrued any expressions , he fboalci be quite ready to exp ! am away his cror , but since lie Hpu . Gentleman had spoken he had referred to the report , and he did not find that such error of construction existed . The Hon . Gentleman Baid that tber port gave a complete contraciction 10 ivhat he had staled . Not ? , he had referred 10 the repor ? , and what did he find there 1 He found that Dr . Niehoil -was in the chair , and thai on the qnestion heiug put " that this report , as agreed to , paragraph by paragraph , be reported to tbe House , " Mr . Grnnsditch moved a Ions series of

    resolutions of a tenor opposed to that of the report , and on & division there were lhree for the amendment , and eight against it . The Bon . Member for Marylebone ( Sir C . Napier ) voted with the majority . So djucd , then for the general view of the report by the Hon . Member . Now , what as t o its particular references ? With respect to Sir John Walsham ' s reporr , it gaid , No aiteapt has been made to impugn the general accuracy , nor , with one or two infliD ^ and immaterial exceptions , any of the details ol Sir John Walsham ' s report . " { Hear , hear . ) With r . spec ; to the dead body story , it said , "At

    Esigbley frequently , at Bingley only once , and then wi * -h the foil consent of the other occupants of the room , dead bodies of paupers have been left till bnf ; al in the beds which they occapied whilst living , and . in the room where the other paupers , who had been their companions duriBg life , still continned to sleep ; bm-shbeis were suspended round the bed in which the corpse lay ! and the expression , that the ' corpse compasioaed the living , ' was not intended to coBTty thav the same bed was at the same time occupied by the dead and the living / ' Then with re .-pt ct to Mr . Mott ' s report ^ what was the evidence oi \ he committee ? They said , " Yonr committee is

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    of opinion , that his report is borne out in ail its most important allegations , by the evidence of the witneees who came forward to impugn 11 ; though undoubtedly it conains some expressions which are too general and unqualified . " In what respect , then , he asked , had he ( Sir R . Pee !) miseonstraed the expressions in the report ? He did sot really ) indcrstaad what was the point of the Hon . Member ' s charge . Mr . Ferbam > explained that what he had asserted was to the eflfcot that the report was in opposition to the evidence taken before the committee ; and he won ! d refer to that evidence , as published , to shew whether his s ' . a-. ement wag true or not . With regard to the Keighley union , he had not denied all the statements of Sir John Wi ? sham , bnt what he bid particularly dwtlt on was , that in the Koi ^ hley workhouse , under the old law , there were only twelve inmates , whilst under the new law the poor of two townships went into it , and the number waa consequently raised to fiity-fiye .

    Sir R . Peel said the question was whether Sir Joan Walsham ' B report was or waa not generally correcr . That was the question . He found tbat the committee affirmed that report , and he could not help thinking that it was substantially correct . Mr . Fehsakd remarked that Sir John VValsham made it appear that the inhabitants of Keighley were to blame for the state of their poorhouse , and he perfectly remembered that the Hon . Member for Halifax had joined the Right lion . Baronet m blaming them , speaking of course upon the allegations of that report .

    Mr . C . Wood said he perfectly remembered stating that the Hon . Gentleman , the Member for Kaaresborough , was chairman of tbe Keighley board of guardians , and had been from the formation of the union an eje afficio guardian in constquenoe of his bf ing & justice of the peace ; and he also remembered remarking on the singular fact that the abuses stated by Sir J . Walsham occurred within , he believed , a quarter of a mile of the Hon . Member's own door , he being either chairman of the union , or ex nfficio guardian as before stated . ( Hear , hear . ) Mr . Febrand aeain explained . Although he was certainly an ex officio guardian , he had refused to be a party to entoroing a law of which ho so highly disapproved (" oh , oh ! r ) , and it waa without his consent or knowledge that the abuses complained of occurred . ( Ironical cheers . )

    Mr . Miles declared his conviction that the Poor Law had saved the country from destruction , especially the agricultural districts . Mr . Walter then replied as follows : —After all the debate that has taken place , the question is simpiy this—whether the Hou » e will support a law resting upon and embodying a- > it were the very soul and spirit of this unnatural report—& soul and spirit which will uffrct the future practice of the law for ever—or whether by sanctioning my propositions , or some one of them , th . y will impress npon the Government the necessity , ifnot ihe duty , of adopting a more Ghristian and humane principle as the ground of legislation ? ( Hear , hear . } Now , Sir , as to the lii «; ht Hon . Baronet the Home Secretary—with

    regard to the manner ia which I acquired possession of this document , 1 do not know that I am called upon to give the satb ' action he requires ( hear , hear : ) and 1 btg to say , further , that I hold myself perfectly competent to jud »; e of the propriety or impropriety of making use of any document I become possessed of . ( Hear , hear . ) Nor do I come here to beschooled ou points of delicacy or decorum by the Ri ^ ht Hon . Gentleman ( hear ) , but feel inolined to adopt and act upon my independent convictions of du = y . ( Hear , hear . ) Here is a most scandalous communication ( . hear ) , upon which is founded a most unconstitutional and most oppressive law . ( Hoar . ) Others have spoken of this communication—I have dragged it to light and branded it as it deserves ;

    and 1 am told , forsooth , 1 ought not to have done so , because the authors of the mischief had chosen , in crcer to scrt-eu their sffeoce , to put the words " private" or " confidential" to their production . Why , in that case no project of guilt whatever can be detected . The authors have only to say , " We are actiug confidentially , and therefore nobody must take any notice of it , neither while wa are so acting nor for 5 . ar 3 after . " ( Hear , hear . ) The names of the Commissioners , it is true , are not attached to this report , but this is not uncommon , for 1 have other doousients of-hdri :, undeniably authentic , to which vheir names are pot aUached . ( Hear , hear . ) Besides , any document printed at the public exp&iice , I submit , ough * . to be ai the disposal of the public . ( Hear ,

    hear ) I should like to know how long the word " secret" is to be in operstion . ( Hear , hear . ) 1 can conceive secresy to be neoessaiy during a short time fv > r the completion of an act ; but the act being iu this case completed by the Poor Law itself , it is the du . y of every man 10 know by whom and by what means this lejjislaiire provision has b-. cn hatched . ( Hear , hear . ) But their must , authentic acta I find are now di-pu d , even th « dietary of the CirencflRtcr Union , which bears the sign turc of the three Poor Law Comnrs-doners , but which , on its being published , appeared so horrible , thdt they dared not to act lung upon it . There ) vras a similar suppression o' a document during tha Poor Law Inquiry of 1837 ( bear , hear ) , and I called thea'tention of the House

    at the time to so reprehensible a proceeding . ( Hear , hear . ) Evidence was in tbat case tendered and and taktii , which , when those who tendered it , found that it did not answer their purpose , or rather would prove the contrary of what they intended , t * iey effected its supj-r . s-moij . T ^ e chief of those who urged tbia \ uppressio veri—as indeed his activity in favour of the law would in no case suffer h : ra to be second—was ihe present Right Hon . Home Secretary , who , though he acted as one of the comtni tee , was reaily mistaken by one of the witnesses , as he will well recollect , as counsel for the Poor Law 1

    C-ommii : Moner : > . ("' Hear , hoar , ' and laughter . ) TUe R : ght Hon . Baronet it the head of Uer Majesty's Government takl , I had given no intimation of what 1 iniended to do if these resolutions were agreed to . Why , Sir , the Right Hon . Baronet himself supplies me with an answer . " 1 have not . " said he " rcc-oivod my fee for attending the patient . " So neither am I obligfd to tender as . » is ance to those who , so far from offering me a fee , are previou- ^' y detei mined not to take my help . ( " Hear , " aad a laugb . ) Now a- for the relaxations " . shich have been spoken of . Tnat must be a bad bw , in the first plac ? , which cannot bearits own < Dactment . The relaxations hitherto

    have been owing to no humane c ^ nsidtrations on the parts of those to whom the execution of the law has been intrusted , but to iheir inability to enforce it . They lrequently indeed allow a miserable out-door relief , but why ? Because the workhoHses at this period of nou-employment and public distress cannot receive those who are dri ? en to its doors by suffering . In like manner , they seDd those whose life it ; extinct to be buried in the churchyards of their different parishes ; but only because the churchyard near the ua ! on-bou > ea cannot contain them . ( Hear , hear . ) The Right Hon . Baronet , bpoke of the county of Bedford , which my Hon . Friend haa called his petcountj . (** Hear , hear , " and a laugh . ) 1 willju ^ t mention a pe ; union of his ( hear , hear)—the

    Wfsi Hampneti Uuion . A day or two ago I received a letter , stating that "in the We ^ t Hampneti Union several parishes raise voluntary ratos , by which poor persons are relit ved to whom the Poor Law Commissioners w ; ll not allow relief to bo given out of the compulsory rates . Able bodied men are prevented being tested , as is is termed ; and tbe payers of these voluntary rates t-ay that a considerable saving is effected by this sjstcm . The above information I had from iwo collectors of voluntary rates . I could send you strong cases of the Poor Law being the cause of thofts aud mendicity , and perhaps something worse . 1 cannot now omit stating that not long ago , in one of the parishes of the W < 3 ^ t Hamtmett Uuion , I saw in one day six women

    employed in leading horses , drawing loaded dungcarts into tbe fields . Though I have lived in Sussex all my Ji / e , I never saw anything of the kind before . " The Hon . Member for Somerset had spoken of the benefit derived by the agricultural district * from this law . Now , I happen accidentally to bave copied out of an old Manchester newspaper a passage which bears very strongly upon this . It is as follows . — " Yesterday afternoon , shortly before the sitting magistrates ai the New bailey left the Court , a case of extraordinary novelty and hardship was brought beiore them . Two healthy , fresh-countenanced , but emaciated agricultural labourers , presented themselves hi tbe witness-box , whilst at the extremity of the conn were ranged in view of the female

    magistrates sixteen individuals , one of them a about thirty , with two infanta in her arms , eight cbilaren , apparently all of them under ten years of age , and three whose ages might be from thirteen to rixicen years , two of them giris and the third a boy . There were two others whom we uid not see , miking up a party of eighteen . One of ihe men stated that they came from Towersoy , in Buckinghamshire . The farmers , he said , called a meeting to know if ajiy of the parishioners would go down to Manchcsur , as every body there was doing well . Several of us said we would go They told ns that they thought our famiJies would do well to come down . They said there would be houses for us to go into when we got there , and everything ; provided for our use . They employed a man named Clark to see after people who would go down , and we went to him . He asked what families we had got , and said we should do well indeed to 00019 ; we started accordingly to

    Mr . Waterhouse ' s , at Glossop . In answer to questions , the man said , &ix of the children whom the magistrates saw belonged to him , and two were his brother ' s . The other man said , two of the rest were his own , and four belonged to another person ; but he had promised to take charge of them to bring them down , and do the best for them he could . ' The first speaker then continued his story : —* We were brought , ' he said , * from our own county to Glossop in a boat , and from Glossop , Mr . Water house sent us forward in a cart . When we got there , there were forty-five of ns ; we were put in a bit of a warehouse j and I have bf en there with my fam ly three weeks , lying on a bit of straw , which ia the only bed I have had . The parish , ' he said , ) n answer to questions , * paid the expense of our journey down . We went by the boat to Marple , where they told us there was to be a can to meet u ? , and take us forward to Mr . Waterhouse ' s . We did not know to what person in

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    Glossop we were coming when wa lef ' , our own parish . We were sent from our own parish to Codduigton , where We met with a gentleman named William Clark . We travelled nearly forty miles , P u V ? ? gon > t 0 the boat to where we embarked . Clark came back with us to tho boat , and wheni we 1 had r-mbarked he told us that we were going to Mr . Waterhouse ' a , at Glossop . Two oth ^ r fammes came with us . I cannot tell whether Mr . Waterhouse had desired our overseer to 82 nd any hands . I worked at Mr . Waterhouse ' s throo weeks , but yesterday he hired a can and sent us in it to Manchester . The carter put us down in the street , and lett , ua ; he has sent another cartload this morning . 1 havrtseen them in townand he would have

    , sent thorn yesterday , but the oarfc wauld not hold us all ; so-he told one of the women he would send th « m this morning in his own cart . I don ' t know what has become of them . I saw them in town this morning , and they said they were going to the boat . We two ( the men ) are farmers , and the children are lacemakers ; we were in work at the time wo left Buckinghamshire . The magistrates expressed much indignation at the deception which had been practised upon these unfortunate people , and iniimatcd that the parties principall y concerned in tima alluring them from their homes ought to be prosecuted . Mr . G . W . Wood stated , that there happened now to be in town ( engaged in making inquiries on the subject of labour ) Mr . rfuggridgea gentleman

    em-, ployed by the Poor Law Cominission < rs ; and it was arranged that the ovcrseera should go up to him , represent the case , and obtain his assistance , t f possible , in taking measures for returning tho families to their native parish , from which they had been thus unnaturally cast off . In the meanwhile it was ordered that due care should be taken of them by the overseers of Manchester . We understand that the party , eighteen in number , w <» re set down on Thursday evening at the Cotton-tree public house , in AncoatB , ot course entire strangers , without means or resources of any kind . Tlu y were , however , taken to the workhouse and there provided for that

    night . ' I have documents that will overturn nearly every proposition that has been advanced on the other side ; but at this late hour of thu night I decline bringing them under the notee of the House . The resolutions which I now propose I consciensciously believe to assert truths . They may be unpalatable to the present Ministers , as all propositions I have made oa this subject were to the last Administration ; but that is no reason why I should not propose them , or why those who think with me should not support thim —( cheerp . ) To rruet the views of many Hoa . Gentlemen near me , I will withdraw the first four resolutions , and take ihe division only upon the last—( cheers . )

    The House then divided—Against the resolutions ] 2 G For the resolutions 58 Majority ga Fbiday , Feb . 24 . Lord John Russell presented the petition of the Bombay merchants , for indemnification ' for the opium c jufkeation in China ; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer , in reply to a question , intimated that tba settletuent of those demsfnds waited tho exchange of the ratifications uf the Chinese treaty . On the order of the day for going into a committee of supply ,

    Mr . Hume called the attention of the House to the charge of tho public establishments , and to the stata of the revenue aud expenditure of past years . He dwelt on the decay of the revenue , the increaso of the national debt , tbe heavy burden of our military and naval establishments ; and on thei necessity for the reduction of onr ntate expeacea , and for tbe adoption of such measures aa will furnish th « mean * of employment to tbe labouring population , and resuscitate the revenue derived from articles of consumption . He pleaded especially for a free trade in corn , and warned tbe Government of the consequences ¦ which would ensue if nothing were done to relieve the country .

    Mr . Williams contended that the Budget ought t « be opened to the House before they were called upon to vote away public money . Formerly , tho different departments had their estimates rigidly revised by the Treasury ; but such whs not the case now . Until some system of control was adopted , it was hopeless to expect economy or retrenchment . He compared our expenditure in different past years with the present ; complained of the great increase in the half-pay aud pensions , and contended that our expenditure should be made to conform to onr rev&nue .

    Sir R . Peel thought that many of the topics nrged might have bean reserved for explanation , until the t'Siimates were actually under discussion . The increase in the amount of naval pensions was accounted for by the fact that formerly Greenwich Hospital had Independent funds ; and ; tbe increase in the charge for widows and orphans was the result of the recommendation of the parliamentary committee . Mr . Williams bad omitted tbe charge fur tho Irish estimates , in comparing the expenditure of 1791 with subsequent years ; and fa considering the necest-ary expenditure of a great

    country like this , rtft-ronce must be had to other considerations than revenue as th « i dispositions of foreign powers , and the necessity of upholding oar dignity . He admitted the great importance of endeavouring to reduce our expenditure as far as was compatible within the limits of our income ; and denied the position of Lord Ho wick in hin speeeh of loot -week , thai thio country , in proportion to its means , was more lightly taxed than other natiuns . But it did not follow tbat because peace had been established we could immediately reduce onr establishnieiits ; good pol ' cy required that we should still maintain a fores on the coast of China .

    A reduction would be effected in our Mediterranean establishment , which wou ' . d be done in perfect dependence » n the good faith and feeling of France . There was a great intere-t growing up in that eou try interested in the maintenance of peace ; newgpnpers ware not always the organs of pubHc opinion , and we might despise the ravings of those who were clamourous for war . In the army , navy , and ordnance estimates there would be a reduction of £ 832 , 1 00 ; and he could assure tbe House that tbe estimates underwent the closest inspection and control of the Tre ; it > ury , and they were reduced to as low a point as wao compatible with the interests of the country . Mr , Francis Baring then rnso to move for papers respecting the dismissal of Mr . Hosfcins from acting as Deputy Judge-Advncate at Portsmouth . He was the last person in the House to interfere with the prerogative of the Grown : but there were certain situations

    dependent on the royal pleasure which were not considered as removeable on merely political grounds . Mr . iio&kins had been appointed by the late Government , and his qualifications had been admitted by the present ; but he had been summarily dismissed , without complaint and without reason , ex' - > . pt that his situation was not one for life . He ( Mr . B . iring ) believed that Mr . Hoskins had been dismissed because he was a Whig , and bis successor appointed because be was a Tory . No stain rested on his professional or his private character , and he now filled the office of Mayor of Portsmouth by the uranirnous wish of his fellow townsmen . His appointment had a judicial character ; bat he had been dismissed with as lit le or less courtesy as a petty officer of the Customs or clerk in a department . He wished to ascertain the reasons of it , or to hear what explanation or defence could be

    given . Sir George Si a union seconded the motion , and bore teut'inony to the character of Mr . Hoskins . Mr . Sydney Hkrbekt explained that Mr . Hoskins held no appointment under the Crown . The office of Deputy Judge Advocate being in abeyance , Mr . Hoskins had for eleven years acted , pro hac vice , on the election of courts martial , the members of which could choosy whom they pleased . He had on one occasion been set aside by a court martial ; and the Admiralty , having

    determined to re-establish the permanent office of Deputy Judge-Advocate , in order to obviate poshible public iBconvenience , the Board chose the son of the previous functionary who bad filled the office , he having filled the office when his father ' s ago and infirmities had rendered him wnfit for the duties of the office . The character of Mr . Hoskins was all that Mr . Baring had described it to be , but no injustice had been done to him , for as ho held no office under the Crown , bo it followed that the Admiralty had not displaced one officer by another , on tho score of political opinion .

    Mr . Chahlbs Wood thought that Admiralty should havo offered the office of Deputy Judge-Advocate to Mr . Hoskins , and that political considerations had restrained them from doing bo . He had an equitable claim to ihe situation-Sir Charles Naimbr said it was always ugreeaWn to have secretaries pitted against each other , as then the cat got out of tbe bag . He regrottad that Mr . H « rbert should have attempted to defend this notorious job . Hi : narrated various cases of jobbing , as occuring within hie own experience . Several of the naval officers in the House joined in tbe debate , aftsr which .

    Lord Palmerston remarked that tbere nevur was a clearer case , in which one perdou bad been dismissed , and another appoi ; ted , on political considerations . Mr , Greet ham , who had been appointed to supersede Mr . Hoskins , held different appointments , being agent for Customs , Excise , and ths Admiralty , and was , therefore , not more eligible than Mr . Hoskins , who was held not eligible , as filling the office of Mayor of Portsmouth . By the very letter dismissing him , the Admiralty irecognised the official nature of tbe situation held by Mr . Hoskins . He admitted that In appointments a Government might properly recognise its friends , but it should not punish those opposed to them . After 5 few © bservaUons from Mr . Ewott , Government bad

    Sir Robert Peel said , that as the agreed to give the papers asked for , the whole transaction would be distinctly understood . He admitted that the letter of Sir John Barrow , dismissing Mr . Hoskins , did appear to recognise him as Deputy Judge-Advocate . But there was a previous letter , intimating the intention of conferring the revived office en Mr . Greetham , whose father bad previously filled it for thirty-five years . He admitted the general principle of recognisiDg service , and of not changing officers filling responsible situations , and he claimed foi hia Government the merit of having tn . de as few changes as any Government , even where they might bave been most entitled to do so , namely , in diplomatic appointments .

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    Mr . Labouchere was satisfied , frem the speech of Sir Robert P ? el , tnat if he had been consulted , this transaction would ot have taken place . He had been a junior lord when Sir Jiraes Graham was at tho head of the Admiralty , and he then tritnessed a graat pab ' . lc department admirably conducted . Such a let ' . er as that of Sir Johu Barrows dismissing Mr . H ^ skins . would not then have been pt > rniUt ? d to bave i-fc tbe office . He looked upon the aff . vir is an uni ^ enerous attempt to cew the elrctors of Portsmouth , ¦ where government influence was notoriously ! great . Mr . Baring withdraw his motion ! as all the information waa before the House which he desired . Mr Blewitt called the attention of the House to the state of ttie North Boundary question between this country and th <; United S ' . ates , and asked information as to the course which the Government meant to pursue with respect to it ;

    Sir Robert Peel hoped that Mr . Biewitt would not inf- ^ r the disposition of ths American Gjvernm- nt from thd speech or bill of a metn ' oer of tho Sjuate . Friendly communications were now ! passing between the two Governments on the subject , i The House then went into a Ctmmittee of Supply ; and Mr . Sydnet Herbert rose to move the N . ivy E tlmates . Compared with the previous year , there is to be a " -eduction of 4000 men , and a decrease in « rxpe te of £ 143 000 ; and on the entire estimates there will be a saving of £ 435 000 . A discussion followed , which lasted the remainder of the evening , after which the vote was agree ! to , ani the House adjourued .

    mondat , Feb . 27 . Lord Asfiley presented some petitions ac . iinst any interference » ith the beneficial working of the Collieries ' Regulation Bill , passed last session . ' Mr R . Y 0 RK 2 wished to ask the Right Hon . Gentleman the Home Secretary , whether the Po . r Law Amendment Bill which he intended to introduce was to be precisely and identically the same as that laid before tbe House last year , with the exceptinn , of course , of those modified clauses recognized by the House at the close of last session . Sir J . GkaiiaH said , that the principle of the biil would be identically the same , but in some of the drtails various alterations would be made , and thero « ould be some omissions with respect to the clauses introduced at the close of last session , and some al ' -eration as to the apprenticeship alause , and there wouldiba some additional clauses .

    The Speaker then said , "I understand that tbe Serjeant-at-Arms has a communication to make to the House . " The Serjeant-Ckt-ArmB then apppeat * d at ttv . bar , and on heing calbd upon by the Speaker , said , " I have to acquaint tbe House that William Bellamy , a messenger of this House , and myself , have been served with a writ of summons to appear to an action of [ trespass issued by Thomas Burton Howard by Thomas Howard , h ' s attorney . Aa the writ drd not state the nature of tho trespass , I thought it proper to enter an "appearance to the action . On Saturday last I was served with a declaration , which shows th » t the suit was jin consequence of my having taken into custody Thomas Barton Howard , and w « s against William Bellamy forjbaving taken him to the prison of Newgate : but aa bot ' s thesw acts were done U ' der the order of tbe House and under your warrant , Sir , I hope we shall have the iprotection of the Hcu 80 , and the direction of the House as to the course we aha ' . l pursue" —( hear , hear ) .

    The writ of summons and declaration were then laid on the table and rea < - > by the clerk . The Solicitor-General said , he did Dot rise for the purpose of miking any motion onjthe mi !> j -ct of the communication which tad been made by tbe Sargeantat-Arms ; but he thought that it would be more satisfactory that the papers presented fby the Seigeaat- . t-Arras should be printed with the votes , and that thyy shonld take them into consideration to-morrow , and ^ , e then gave n / ticu tbat he should tormurrow submit a motion on the subject to the consideration of the house — ( hear . ) ;

    Lord J . Russell said he believed that som 9 action took place in the course of the recess with n gard to the S . rgeant-at-Arms and some of bis deputies , and in which be understood tbat a sum of money had been paid to the plaintiff in that action by order of the Treasury . If that were so , he thought , that although that proceeding wiH ^ t be perfectly right , these papora should be laid before , the Honse Sir . R . Peel said that whatever information the Government possessed upon the subject should be laid before the House . The papers laid before the House by tbe Sergeant-at-Arms were then ordered to be printed with the votes .

    Mr . T . Egerton wished to make one ot two obsetvctlons on a statement made the other evening by the Hon . Member for Fiusbury with respect to the treatmant of prisoners confined in Knutafprd Honse of Correction . Since that statement had gone f ^ rtti the . e bad bfcen a meeting of magistrates , and in tx imitation © f tbe prisoners , the resuit ef which he would , with the permission of the House , state ; as the charges of the Hon . Member affected tbe discipline of the gaol and the character of the magistrates . The Hon . Member stated , in the first placo , that one { Samuel Luts bad been ordered on tho treathuill for the amusement of some ladies and gentlem * n . Now , Lees bud been examined , and he stated that he had only been twice on the treadmill , und that only in £ ne fitst wetk he

    came . Both times were in the afternown . Lees said , " I don ' t know that I ever won put on on any partioular occasion . " Ot > ncijhur oornsion waa ho t&oro more thaa half an hour . The Hon . Gentleman had also refersed to the case of Rjbert Wild , another prisoner , who declared that on entering the gaol " he WS 8 told by the gaoler that the discipline was very severe , that he would take care he waa punched , and that he would not give much for his ^ constitution when he left the gaol . '* Now , this prisoner also had been examined , and be said that " on the day when he went to the gaol the governor read tbe niles , at the same time telling him that , be did so because they were severe , and they would find them so ; that if they were not attended to the punishment would be severe .

    and that as to the stopping of the bread allowance , it would have such an effect on their constitutions as by the time be had done with them tbrir corstitntions would not be worth twopence . "' It was the duty of the governor to cause those rules to be read . They were ordered by the Home Secretary . The prisoner in question went on to add tbat they made no complaint of any of the officers , or of ttie treatment they received , tbat the quality of the food was good , but that they complained of the Bh « rtness of the-quantity . They never applied to the governor for any thing but they were sure to be attended to immediately , or he showed a disposition to attend to tbe request . He ( Mr . Egertoa > could assue the House tbat the magistrates were most anxious in their administration of

    the affairs of the gaol , while they wjahed to enforce discipline , to afford as much inftulsruce as possible , and to insure forbearance 00 the putt of the t . fficers . Mr . T . Duncomhe thought the House oiisht to receive such statements , when obtained from prisoners through the magistrates with very f , rjeat caution . The account be had read the other evening was made and signed by the prisoners , who were prepared to come forward and repeat at the bar the conversation that took place between them and the gaoler on being taken into the Honse of Correction . He was not surprised at the version which had now been received through the gnoler and the magistrates , from prisoners who bad two years' imprisonment to undvr ^ o , and who might well be supp . 'sed to have the dread of additional suffering

    iiiflicte < l on them if they persieted in ttie account they had formerly given to their friends . But , in order to get at the truth , he should mow for a re'urn on the subject , which he believed would prove tbe truth * f what he had stated with reference to the Koutsford House of Correction . It was rather singular , tbat the statement he made had appeared in ttie newspapers some tune a $ o , and bad nbvet t \ V \ ihe present hour been contradicted . He had also seen the statement of Thomas Clark , a fellow prisoner with Wild an . i Lees , whose period of imprisonment having : expired bore testimony to the conversation with the gaoler , and exposed the cruel treatment and si : ff-rings they had endured . He himself had written to Mr . Allison , a person living at Stocbport , and desired him to go over to K . utaford and see the prisoners , in order to ascertain the truth of their statements . His correspondent paid a visit to KnuUford on the 9 th of February , and applied to the

    governor for permission to see the piisoners . The turnkey , however , stated , that prisoners were only allowed to see their friends once in three months , ; ind all the prisoners having b en seen within that time except Wild , he was allowed ftboiUjton iainuteV conversation with him in the presence of the turnkey . In ibe letter he received , Wild was described aa a mers skeleton ; from beirg plump-faced , as he was when admitted , liis bones , from inadi quate diet , now aitnoai protruded tbrongh the skin He complained bitterly of the conduct of Lord Ahinger . who , once ho htturd a man was a Chartist , seemed to think i that was enough to seal his doom . He firmly believed that what Mr . Allison had stated was perfectly correct , and if beconid only get a committee to inquire ipto the state of Kuutsfovd gaol , he had no doubt he would be able to substantiate all the charges which he had made against it ¦

    Mr . T . Eoerton said the Magistrates courted the fullost investigation into their conduct With respect to tbe Knuteford House of Correction , he had only to say that the Hon . Gentleman on looking into the reports of the prison inspectors would find it described as one of the best conducted gaols iu j the country . Sir J . Grahah felt that tbe statement made by the Hon . Member for Finsbnry ob the evidence of Mr Alliton , who was described to be a creditable witness , was directly ot variance with that iiiade by bis Hon . Friend behind ( Mr . EgertOD ) . If Mr . Allison was to

    be believed , he should only say , thatj the conversation which passed between tbe gaoler and the prisoners was very much to be regretted—( Hear , bear ) There were also other parts of the statement made by Mr Allison well worthy of investigation . It was | therefere . expedient ttut inquiry should take place * , and if the Hon . Member for Finsbury would give him a copy of Mr . Allison ' s statement h * would undertake tbat an Inspector should , on the part of the Government , immediately proceed to Knutsford and inquire into all the circumstances of tba case ; whose report , when presented , should be laid on tbe table of the House . —( Hear , hear . )

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    Lord ASHLEY took tbat opportunity of ciHiug the attention of the Ri ^ ht Hon . Secretary of Stats for th a Home Dapartment to a subject of considerable importance . He had just received a letter from a 'Very respec ^ M « gentleman , signed Thomas Barber , auditor of the Halifax Union , which was in these words : — ' « Halifax , Feb . 25 . " My Lord—Permit ma most respectfully to direct y . > ur lor iship ' s sp « cial atention to the last pane ot the Halifax Guardian of tins day , whore you will find a statement of facts relitive ti the crud treatment a boy has undergone , or enduns . 1 , at the hands of his inhuman master , a collier , residing at B ; ackley . four miles from this place . It is not in the power of language to describe , or of imagination to conceive , tha spectacle presented to my view when I examined hia back on Wednesday last at the union workhouse . With a n > m account to

    detenaination of transmitting ar . you , I wrote his state ient , but afterwards deemed H expedient to requsst the editor and publisher of the Guardian to report it i'i the paper ; he yesterday accompanied me to 'he workhouse and hrw given the substance of the boy ' s narrative . I have just returned from the magistrate ' s office , where tha master has appeared under a summons from the overseers for the purpose of freeing the lad from his parish indenture . Tbe lad gave a clear and succinct statement of tbe treatment and sufferings he had endured for some weeks back , with an artlessness tbat carried an irresistible conviction of its truthfulness to the mind of every individual present . 1 he master was not able to disprove or controvert one iota of the statement , though demanded by a professional gentleman , and the . justices discharged the lad from h ' . s apprenticeship , according ; to the 20 ' . h of George II ., c . 19 .

    " To Lord Ashley , London . Along with that letter he bad received a copy of tha Halifax Guardian , and he thought he was justified in calling the attention of the House to the casu , because he had last year affirmed ti ; e total and iminediaS *» . cancalling of apprenticeships fnr under -round operations , and if that elause had not been revere d elsewbere suuh a case as the present nevar could have happened . The Hulifax Guurdiun thus repo / ted the case : — ( The report will be found at length in another columc ) . Hiving read the statement he had to appeal to thu Right H > ii . Gentleman the Secretary for the Homo Department , and request him , in vl tuo of the 3 1 section of the act passed last year , to send down sojie official person

    to nirtke inquiry into the case , in order that his r * port might be laid on tbe table of the House . Such a step would not only be justified iy tbo act , but by precedent ? some time ago , when the Nable Lord the member for London ( Lord J . Russell ) was Secretary for the Home DapartmenS , an analogous case occurreti of great atrocity . He appealed to his Noble Friend , who caused an inquiry to take place and the report to be laid on the table . Two years after another case occurred , iuto which L vd Normanby also directed an inquiry , the result of which was reported to the House ; but , apart from all precedent whatever , and from the act uself , he fell qaita sure that the Right Hon . Baronet would be most ready te extend the protection and aid of his important office to such be ! ples 3 and destitute obj : Ct 3 —( hear ) .

    Sir J . Graham could assure his noble friend , that 3 Kb . ' ugh this case waa entirely nnfcnown co him till the Noble Lord commenced hia address to the H < mse , he most warmly -sympathized with him in the feeling of disgust which such a statement n ; us : create in the breast of every gentleman who beard it ; at the same time , all would « gree with him in hoping tbat there was some exaggeration in tbe facts as stated . He would most readily institute an inquiry into all the circumstances by sending down a person worthy of confidence into tbe district , and if the facts as alleged were substantiated it would be his duty to direct that prosecutions should be commenced against the parties imp'icited —iheaf , hear . ) He was glad to t&fce tb'fl opportunity of stating to the House , that notwithstanding anything which bad occurred elsewhere with respect to the act of last session , no one was more anxious than be w .-s to give effect both to tbe letter and spirit if that act , and adhere most strictly to all its provisions—( Hear )

    Lord J . Russell called attention to tho almost unprecedented circumstance ( with the exception ¦ f the case of General C-. nway / of the Duke of Wellington , as commander -in-chief , holding a stat in the cabinet . As a conspicuous political bias ; and his G'ftce had bim-Btlf , on a former occasion , declared his opinion that the commander-in-chief should not be a member of the cabinet . Sir R . Peel admitted that in recent times it had not been usual for the cotnmauder in-chief , to have a ss-at in the cabinet . But b « did noJ conceive that it was contrary to constitutional analogy for that high functionary to be a member of the eabinet . L-rU John Russell had n-f e ) i ri" 4 to the previous case of General Con way ; and the Duke of Wellington had been , at ene time . Master

    of the Ordnance , and cabinet-minister . On the rtsignatiou of the late Lord Hill , he ( Sir R . Peelj , with the concurrence of his colleagues , had advised h 6 r Majesty to appoint th" Duke of Wellington to the offi . ' o ; andjjliey had also been all of op-aiou that it was dueM 8 | 8 iis Grace " 8 eminent civil services that , in conjunction with tbe command of the army , he should still retain hia seat in the cabinet . On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair , Mr . S . Ckawfojid rose , and said he must entreat the attention of the Government to tbe propositions contained in the resolution of which le had given notice , and which ifc would now become his duty to submit to the House . At such a period as the present , when moot severe and extensive distress prevailed

    ttiroujjbout tbu country , it « m , fao thought , tuo amy of the House to endeavour to alleviate tbnt distress by ! ighttning tbe burden of taxation . This , fee concstved , could not b « effectually done , unless they toofc into consideration the whole public expendi' ure of the country , and thb means by which it was to ba defrayed ; and in bis opinion , before they assented to vctes of the public money , they ought to , kaow what amount of revenue might be drawn from the country without unnecessarily oppressing tbe people . It had been siid tbat the necessary expenditure of ths ceuntry must be defrayed ; but he thought that those who had the controul of the revenue of the country ought , imitating the example of prudent individuals , tirst to look to their resources , and then to regulate their

    expenditure according to their means . He did not object particuiarly to the course pursued by the prtsent Government , but he objected to the system which had been going on fora number of years , under all Governments , ef voting the supplies before they were acquainted with the means to which it might be necessary to have n-course for defraying tbeir votes . He objected generally to the extravagant nature of the preac-nt civil and military establishments ; and he thought this extravagance had ariseu from no regard being had tu the resources of the cou itry at tbe time when those establishments were formed . The Government might think that this doctrine was tainted with the principles of Radical Rbfoim , which he was aware were not very popular in that House ; bat he would

    not hcMtute te a&swt those principles , fov be thought that no man ought to maintain opinions out of doors which he had not courage to support in that House . He found tbat 100 , 846 men were required for tba atmy of this kingdom , 38 , 000 men being retained in Great Britain and Ireland . Now , he -would pus it to thu Government whether it was necessary to keep np such a standing army ! Were 38 000- men required to keep in order the people » f the United kingdom ? He fuund that in Great Britain there was a furce of 25 . men ; and , if the Government conceived t ' uit ^ such an army was requisite in this country , he would ask what rendered it necessary ? If they were compelled thus to coerce tbe people of Great Britain there must be something wrong in their institutions or in their legislation .

    ( Hear . ) He thought a yreat reduction . might bh eff-cted in the number of troops at preaent maintained m Groat Britain , and , if do reduction was made , he considered it a strong p " rocf that the country was in 3 very discontented state . Nearly 13 , 000 troops , he found , were stationed in Ireland . He would ask if this was necessary , when they had in that country a constabulary force of 9 , 000 men , who were quite as efficient as a regular army ? He begged a ? so to call the attention of the Honse to the wanton and extravagant expenditure incurred for the staff , which amounted to the sum of £ lb' 5 . 300 . He wished to know what necessity existed for keeping up such an expensive staff , which iu his opinion was almost useless ! The « xppuee of tho staff at bead-quarters , in London , was £ IK 800 . The

    p ; i . y of the Duke of Wellington as *? ie ! rt-. \ lajrbbal waa £ 16 8 s 9 < i per day , or £ 6 . 000 a year ; and be- must aaj it seemed to him who-ly nnnecsssary that any officer should receive such pay . There were » i the united kingdom fourteen diffrent stations of . h * " staff , the number of w ' bich might , he thought , ba greatly reduced Tbe fxpences of the Commander-in-Chief's office , were £ 17 . 000 a-year ; those of the Adjutsmt-General ' s , £ 12 . 000 ; and of the Quartermaster-GhsnevaVs , £ 6 600 . He considered this an enormous expenditure of the public money ; and he thought thu business might be effectively conducted at a much less cost . He found in tho army estimates an item of £ 117 , 787 for volunteer corps . He would pat it to the Honse , -wfaat services were rendered by these volunteer corps which entitled

    them to such an amount ! Was there any tecord of their eve ? receiving the thanks of tbe House for their services , which most have been the case if thoss sexvices had been important and valuable ? Ut fjund ia the non-fcfftctive Berviea 198 gen&iais , Wao cost the country £ 89 , 000 ; the amount paid to officers retired oa full pay was £ 64 . 000 ; and the pensions allowed to soldiers amounted to £ 1 , 243 , 176 . The allowance to retired servants of the military department was £ 41 , 000 . In the Ordnance Department there were numerous heavy expences , iu which he thought great reductions might be effected , t The effective force of the naval Berviee for the last year cost £ 4 632 , 000 ;

    the non-tffictive , £ 1 390 , 000 ; there being 184 admirals on the non-effective list . Then , in the civil department , he found that the salaries and other expenses of the Home-office coBt tho country £ 75 000 , tha expences of the Exchequer were £ 18 0 'io , and of the Privy Council and Board of Trade £ 32 0 OQ according to the estimates of the last sear . Tho allowances to retired and superannuated < fficers in the civil department amounted to £ 84 . 00 o . To one iUin wnxb appeared in the estimates of last year , tbat of £ 39 , 000 for secret service money , be strongly cbj-cted . He thought , then , after the statements he had made , that some means should be tafeen to alter the existing sys-( Continued in our Eighth page . )

    Untitled Article

    THE NORTHERN STAR . 7

• Citation
  • Northern Star (1837-1852), March 4, 1843, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1202/page/7/