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    & — — ( Continues from our Sixth page . } * jjgs imposed upon lam , bnt how trifling -was their gmonni when they looked at the insult he had in £ icted HiiiniMBi'J But , listen again to-wh&tthis inspector _ jj yo defence "was attempted , except the often repeated one of being pressed to complete an order for Sjpmeni , the profits of -which "weald haTe heen lost if % * gj had not-undertaken-to supply the -whole quantity rej—jjed . The sapBtr&tes would net entertain this plea s afibrdinf any justification for so gross an abase of the w ^ er an employer can exercise oYer the operatives in iflistrict where labour is redundant . I regret to say « jb mjD-occapiers do not stand alone responsible for « ag crnelty towards the young females . " No ; the parents had been driven by lie surplus labour of the ijntb to -jrofk their own offspring to death for existence . ^

    * U »» s proved that a parent had not mereiyconsented * o jacnfiie the physical powers ot his child for money , jai obliged his tender girl to exert herself toiiiB last Paring the period the mill was at work , some of the gfcjssrere obliged to withdraw , from physical inabilijy fa vork longer . The parent of one young woman , about jBneteen years vt age , was determined to braTe the tunaibment conseqnent upon opposing the will of fas master , viz . flismismT from work for tbe future . He proceed aV four o ' clock on Sitnid&y afternoon to the mill , fbrtEQ&tely obtained access to the room where jjs giil bad been working from five o ' clock on P / iday Siorning , and insisted on withdrawing her . He nisijniteiy ^ succeeded , but not , as he informs me , until jxrth the managing partner , Mr . ThrdMl , and his aon , to

    jad endeavoured forcibly remove him from the premises . This Bnd tbe other cases of overwork which tare occurred within the last two year * in theBradjord district must surely convince the most sceptical of the absolute necessity of a strong law to protect the jjbouring class in these districts ; and the officers employed may reasonably deem inch cases as indicating irb&t is to be expected among a certain class of mills under a more active state of trade . " * There was not a member in She House , he ( Mr . Ferrand ) did not care to * bat pa 11 ? i 6 might belong , who could have heard this jtslemeEt , and who would Dot blush for the honour of iis country . { Hear . ) There never was , he would venjnre to xsj , in the history of England , so disgraceful a cisee of conduct dragged to public light in the Bouse

    * _ ^_ „ ^ " % W -. - ^~ —__ _ ^__ 2 ^^ » __ _ * v Hh « h ft [ Gammons bj a Member against & man who had the power of infliCtinz soch honors on his leUow-eorizitr ; nsgo . The New Poor Law had placed thia power in gat man's Tynd * . He had lost that > apower over the people in the neighbourhood of hi * milL The Bight Bon . Bsronet smiled 2 From plandering and peraeecfing to death the working classes in the neighbourhood of his mill the working classes had struck against Jam ; they had refused to be any locger his slaves ; jas mQl stood £ tQi . He was enabled to provide the jagBiii once more of working it ; and-where did he fad this ? Under the Jfew Poor Law . He applied to the Sdpton weikhonse , and they supplied him vith tTrenty hands . He would ask the Right Hon . Bsronei where those twenty hands bow were ? The

    BSibi Bon . Baronet had a heart , he ( Six . Ferrand knew , -sithin his breast to which the cries of these poor -siettfces wonld n&t plead in vain . He had stated some-of the consequences of this New Poor Law upon gje masses in tbe north of England . If the Honse Tponldsflow him he wonld state what was tha ^ ondnct < if the Assistant Poor L ^ w Commissionara in the admiristrition of this law ; and in doing so , he ( Mr Feraad ) donbted not that the First Lord of the . TEre&sury would render an act of justice to him as well as to the paridBouers of diB township where he lived , when he sad explained the scandalens conduct of the Assistant Poor Lsw Commissioners . Daring the discussion of the Ke" » Poor Law in that Honse Hon . Members wonld remember with what glee the BAghi Hon . Baronet the

    Erst Lord of the Treasury had opened the Ted box before him , and dragged out a statement from Mr . MotL Paragraph after paragraph he read , bringing charges the most untrue against the Keighley Board of Guardians . He ( JLr . Ferrand ) had . sat perfectly' composed behind him , feeiing that he -should have very little diSculty to prove to his conviction that the statements made by Mr . Hott were untrue , and contradictions had passed between tbe right Hon . Baronet and himself . Tftr * had ended in a challenge on the part of the Right Son . Baronet to him ( Mr . Fenandj to move for a committee of inquiry , when the gallant commodore the yrmbpr for Msrylebone , always ready for tbe fight , pve notice of a motion for a committee of inquiry , and he lUr . Ferrand ) ¦ understood that he had brandished

    Ma stick above his head on leaving the house , and Bid " he had caught the Hon . Member for Knaresborocgh in a trap at last . ' That inquiry had taken place , and so convinced was he ( Mr . Ferrand } that he «> uld disprove the statements of 2 dr . ilott that he had assented to tbe members of the committee jjBjposedhy the Bight Hon . Baronet the First Lord of Ss Treasury at once ; for he was convinced that balf-adtcn witnesses connected with the Seighley Union * ciald prove every word of Hr . Mott ' s statement to be fiha . The committee had been moved for and apposted . The next day when he tilr . Pczrand ) came to SsHouse an Hon . Member had said to him " Why , yen feoBsh fellow , jou have agreed to a packed committee ; they will report against you . ** He / Mr .

    Ter-3 snd } h&d replied , ha aid not care what sort of a committee there was , the witnesses would prove the truth . Two magistrates , both Whigs , who had taken an active part in the forwarding of the measure , and who were strenuous supporters of the New Poor Law , legal and medical rfiiwrs connected with the ¦ union , had been examined as -witnesses , and every one of them , without exception , had declared that Mr . Mott ' a report was untrue . The coamittee had reported that" Mr- Mottfs report TPza borne out in his important allegations . " He tSIt FarssiQ ) regretted that there should have been an attempt in that committee to whitewash that public tficei . Let any man read the evidesce given before that committee ; the Hon . Member for Finsbury sat on it , and Would bear him ont in what he stated , and he would be

    ecnrnreed that the evidence was opposed to the report Toetommitteehad reported that Mr Motfs statement was toe . MtHott , inhi 3 ieport , aniongstotherthing 8 , iaid : " 23 d April , 1842 . 1 attended a meeting of the board < & guardians of the Xeigoley Union on Wednesday , the 23 $ instant , and regret to have to report to your beard , that the proceedings of the guardians are very BEssEEfactoy ^ in short , they are entirely at variance * iia tbe provisions of the law , and the directions of yenr board . " He tMr . Ferrand ) had put it to the vote ffllhit committee , n ^ on the evidence of every witness , tsSi of -whom had proved that no Instructions whatever ia& been received from the Poor Law Commissioners , s-eepi the original instructions , and that therefore the board ef guardians had acted in direct accordance with

    as original instrnciisHJs ; but the committee had come » a vpt « against the evidence . He must tell the Honse , t »* eTer , that the gallant commodore iSir G Napier ) h » a voted by mistake , that his opinion was not «* that «?¦ HotKs report was borne onfc in all its most inJjwtei allegations by thi evidence of the witnesses « hn ia& come forward to itnpngn it , " and when he raai frarad ont that this was the -a&e he had protested > S = i « MsvotBbeh 5 g recorded ; but this opinion of the ^ ffliSee hsd gone forth to the world as the convic-B ^ rflhe Hon . and Gallant Commodore . Bat he ( Mi . « nand ) was not a man to be put d . own by the

    white-™ 8 % sj 5 tem . Hs came to the Honse and he told tbe ^^ ttat justice had not been done ; that the pnblic EM b&en pnt ts great expense for the purpose of coming ** i £ e truth , and that he still would seek for it in that " - ?*• S 6 " ¦^ s informed that opposition was to be "m *^ to a modon of whidi he had given notice for a "am of certain paperB relaiave lo this question ; bnt * to Kijit Hon . Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury , ¦ SB that straightforward manliness of conduct for Tfa hehsd always given him credit , said he would ^^' ii—that the papers should be granted . There ™? «* n a driring down of the Members or that f * omaee to oppose his motion : bnt Uie Rieht Hon . the be

    ^ oethadsaid that papers should granted . f « J' * h 3 t had he moved for by way of coming at the ^^ - Be had moved for " copy of all orders which jf ^ e been issued by the Poor Law Commissioners of ^ ssei-bouse to the Board cf Guardians in the r * p 3 e 7 Union since tbe formation of the same , in *?* - Bp to ihe 13 th day < if April , 1842 ; aiso , copj ol t ~^ P ° ri 5 ¦ npon the procBedings of the Board , and ~® P « HBts therecn during that period , -which haTe been ^^» 7 the Assistant Poor Law Gommiraionera Mr . 2 *» 5 ndilr . Mottto the Poor Law Commissioners ; r * y * statement of the particular instances in which £ L ™? £ 3 $ < ard of Guardians hare acted contrary to the " T ^ a of the Central Board at Somerset-house ; ± »* ntaa of the cumber of times the said Assistant J ? ^» Commissioners , Mr . Power and Mr Mott , have ^^ tte sai d Board and the p- > o rhonses of Kughl ey fe S ^^ ' the data t ^ 6 " ** ; sih 0 ' return of

    ci tfce number of inmates within the Fame on is . il ;? 1 ^? 011 oI ^ e union , and on the 1 st day of June , i 5 ~ w ! ' " 5 rl 3 at ^ ^^ HonBe ^^ the rfcta--n jgffJ *? ^ the committee of the House had ^^ m « act opposition to the evidence of evtry $££ . " ** tad been examiDed before them , of all ^ f ^ rties , both for and against the law , that Mr . taa 't ~ 5 ^ ted w hat was -cntrne ? The Comm issioners fcfla \ Tetam to tt 16 House of Commons , — " That atlL , sp I > ear ttat Mr . Mott had made any report ostrf tvv Apiflj 1842 ' *—which had been "brought fcae rt ^ S ™ of a - e Ri ? ht Son . Baronet for the

    purjgo ^ the commisioners had not any ¦ srritten ^ Zr ^ «> ^ jow in what spirit the said Keighley ^ . ^ f ^ iaM had acted . " Now he { Mr . F « arand ) 6 * fe ^ TL ioard of guardians to listen io what was ^^ net of Mr . Mott to the Poor Law Commission-^ 4-waxHittee of that House had been appointed to fljjj ^^ oihe truth of his allegations ; the committee y ^ ABatthey were true , and this was the return Tpj , b ^ , Law Commissioners of Somerset-honsel * 8 » fc ^ . " ^ y tb 8 Poor la'ff Commisidoners le ^ r ^^ t House ? "Were they to gratify private l ^ jggT T * ° P a statement which was JalBS from J ^~ ~»» end , and then , when put to the test t-f i ^ bjJ * " ^ Te thE 7 tn Nmu # - »» t- ««^ _—A ^ ainvcMtJ ?

    *« te ^^ rtattments hsd not been made ? TPiMf v , I ° ~ »*» ^ here was Mi . Mott now ? hea ?^ a . « C 0 « lB of him ? The country had Baa la ^ Ir ** he " was dismissed frem offioe . on tjg . beea diEinissfcd on account of his cocdnet coj ^ jj ^ qnEstion ? His iMi . Perrand ' E ) firm S *( L ** be ^^ tad Dotece th 2 t ** ^ Q ^ p ^ ° J ^ "osa to resign , he weuld ^ ¦ "eth S -R-t . S ™ T £ 37 *>***<*¦ yow > ° ~* V * ? i&snrT lg *' B - ° * L baronet the First Lord ol " **'> 2 Ed if that B-ght Hen . Baronet wonld

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    give him Ms kind attention for one minute , he thought he could convince him that 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 j and when he did so he turned round and looked at him ( Mr . Ferrandjj a member of that Honse anxious to do his duty according to the beat or his ability , and said , " . Let the Hon . Member , instead of babbling about green fields and aH such trash , go down into his own neighbourhood and ingnire into the state of tbe workhouse there . " _ And the Hon . Member for Halifax shouted » ut , * ' Within three-quarters of a mile of his own house" ( a langh ) . He iMi . Ferrand ) assented that it was so and how loudly was the Bight Hon . Baronet cheered by

    certain Hon . Members opposite , who gloried in seeing him put down by the first Minister of the Crown— ( hear , ana a laugh ) . But at the same time he felt conscious that all the horrible acenea described by the Bight Hon . Baronet , and horrible they were , could not have taken place ; and he said that it was a disgrace to the country that Poor Law Commissioners , for party purposes , shonld bo deceive the Bight 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 s % fet of the Right Hon . Baronet and of the Honss ; and to show , therefore , that they were not such monsters in the parish of Bingley before tbe Poor Law , as to compel the living to companion with the dead , oi to sleep four in a bed- ^ and oh , how

    eloquently did the Bight Hon . Baronet describe those horrors 1—he ( Mr . Ferrand ) moved that there be hud upon the table of the House returns of the numbers of times the assistant-commissioners Power and Mott had visited the boards of guardians of which the Bight Hon . Baronet had spoken , of how many reports they had made concerning them , and of the number of inmate * hi tbe union from the first day ef its formation to the year 1842 . Well , what was the fact ? Why , that previous to that report not one single commissioner had visited the poorhonse from the time of the formation of the union !—( bear , hear . ) But if there were evils in that poorhouse now , who was to blame ? It was placed under the entire control of the Poor Law Commissioners and their assistant

    commissioners . The guardians and parishioners durst not Jntosfer © j If * & ? = dia , ttey would act illegally . They were bound do-w » in lie strictest mannex by the blessed New Poor Law ^ -ihear , hear . ) Bnt what was the treatment of the poor there under the old law , and what was it under the new ? The number of inmates in the poorhonse of Bingley , at tbe formation of the union , was 12 ; not enough to fill all the beds . —( hear , hear . ) Wonld the Bight Hon . Baronet believe that , under the new law , the number had increased to 5 ( 5 ? —( hear , hear . ) And that crowded state of the house ¦ was -under Use sanction of tbe Poor Law Commissioners themselves , for theii directions to the Board of Guardians were that the poor should be crowded into that building , including the poor balonging to two other

    townships in that union . —( hear , hear . ) He would , therefore , ask the Bight Hon . Baronet , not as a matter of favour hut as a matter of right , did he not think he was bound to give some explanation of the attack which he made upon him ( Mr . Ferrand ) on a former occasion ?—( hear , hear . ) As long as wa had the management of the poor ( continued the Honourable Gentleman ) we toek care that the living did not companion with the dead : we treated them with mercy and with justice , allowing them the eDjoyment of every thing they had a right to expect by tbe laws of England , and what by the laws of God they had a right to demand in a land professing to be Christians and to be influenced bj tbe precepts of the Bible . tA cry of " Oh V and " hear , hear . ") He

    wished to bring under the notice of the House the dreadful state of the north of England in consequence of the operation of the New Poor Law ; and when he read a description of tbe condition of HuddersSeld , he thought that Hon . Members connected with the agricultural interest would say to themselves , " It is high tame for us to place our houses in order , for the New Pool Law will soon operate in the same manner npon us . " " At the Guildhall , Huddersfleld , on Tuesday hist , " January 31 , the overseers ef 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 guardians . The following is the iisi of the differences : —Golcar , £ 34 2 s ., old arrears .

    besides the last call of £ 200 ; Cuiqberworth arrears , £ -2 »—call £ 60 ; Cumberworth half-arrears , £ 20—call , £ 70 ; Shelly arrears , £ 20—call , £ 80 ; Thuretoaland arrears , £ 60—call , £ 90 ; Linthwaite arrears , £ 95—call , £ 1 QO ; Whitley , tUpper , ) arrears , £ 5 E 10 a . 6 d . — call , £ 70 ; Seammoden arrears , £ 27—call , £ 100 ; Kirkheaton arrears , £ 52—call , £ 300 . The first four of these cases were arranged with Mr . Floyd , the clerk of the board ; in the other five cases the overseers were convicted in penalties for the neglect . Mr . Heaton , the overseer of ihe last-named township , told the magistrates that it was absolutely impossible to get the rates collected , as the pesple were so very , very poor ; and that within the last fortnight he had taken out no less than one hundred and twenty summonses , and that

    last week he was compelled to take out sixteen warrants of distress for the rate , which they were unable to pay . " He would ask , then , was not the Huddersfleld Union in a state of insolvency , when 156 summonses were issued against poor persons -who had no ; the means of earning their daily bread , which they would if they could , and sixteen distreBS-warranU were served upon men who had committed no offence , who had not one halfpenny to help themselves with , whose furniture was gone , * whose houses were stripped , who were sold up , who had become houseless wanderers , and were reduced to a slats of misery qualifying them to be admitted as inmates of the workhouse ?—( hear , hear ) . But the Poor Lot Commimonenh&d lately discovered a new light , in the person of a Mr . Clements , whom they had sent

    down in the place of Mr . Mott ; and the manner in which he had treated the guardians was such as to raise tbe blood of any man of honourable and right feelings—( hear ) . The insolent and overbearing manner in which that . person treated those who had grown grey in the service of tbe poor , respectable men , members of boards of guardians for years , telling them that they were ignorant of their duty , and that through them the country was being eaten up by the poor , was almost unendurable —( hear ) . This Mr . Clements bad told them that be went dewn to set them to rights . And how was he going to do that ? By ratting down a MU—( "hear , hear , " and a langh ) . He had gone to Bradford and Halifax , and told the guardians that they must compel the working classes , who had not the means of earning their daily

    braad in their own honest manner , to cut down a hill , and if it were foux ot five miles long , » o much the better—it would give them more exercise—( hear , hear ) . That was the behaviour of that—what should he call him?—that Awristant Poor Law Commissioner , —he could call him nothing worse—( cheers , and laughter ) The guardians inquired what was to be done after tbe task was accomplished ? Must they find another hill ? " Oh no" said he , " let them put the earth back again " —( hear , hear ) . Such were some of the effects of tbe new law , but not alL Parishes were rapidly becoming insolvent ; the land was already eaten up by the poor rates . In his parish they had doubled and increased to the extent of £ 300 over that since the year 1838 ; and in twelve months more the rental of the small

    farmers in the parish would be wholly consumed . Hewould ask the Right Hon . Bjronefc , was that the method to be pursued to relieve the country from pauperism ?—( bear , hear ) . If such was the state of things in the North , where the people had manufactures to enable them in some measure to bear up under tbe new law , what wonld be the resnlt in the agricultural districts , where the profits on the growth of corn were redneed , and the wages of the agricultural labourers diminished in proportioD ?—( hear ) . Thanking the House for the indulgence he had received , he would now conclude by declaring his intention to support the resolutions . Mr . Sbaehas Crawfoed cordially Bnpported the resolusionsj considering them to be borne out by facts .

    Sir R . Peel said , he wished very briefly to advert to » statement which bad fallen from the Hon . Gentleman tbe member for Knaresborongh . The Hon . Gentleman had referred to a former debate , in the course of which he ( Sir R . Peel ) had addressed the Honse , and had stated that , in allnding to the repor ; of the committee of that House respecting the reports of Sir John Walsham and Mr . Mott , he had misconstrued , the expressions contained in the reports . The * Hon . Member farther quoted that report , and having addnced certain passages in it had expressed a hope that he ( Sir R . Peel ) wonld now alter his opinion , and , being convinced that the construction put on the expression was erroneous , ¦ would explain his error to the House . Now , be ( Sir

    R . Peel ) was sure that if he had misconstrued any expressions , he should be quite ready to explain away his error , bnt since the Hon . Gentleman had spoken he had referred to the report , and he did no $ find that such error of construction existed . The Bon . Gentleman said that the report gave a complete contradiction to what he had stated . Now , he had referred to the report , and what did he find there t He found that Dr . Nicholl was in the chair , and thai on the question being put" that this report , as agreed to , paragraph by paragraph , be reported to the House , " Mi . GrimsdUch moved a long eeries of resolutions of a tenor opposed to that of the report , and on a division there were three for the amendment , and eight against it . The Hon . Member for Maryle bone ( Sir C . Napier ) voted with the majoritv . So much , then for the general view of the report bj the Hon . Member . Now , what as to its particnlax references 1 With respect to Sir John WaJBham ' s

    report , it said , " No attempt has been made to impugn ihe general accuracy , nor , frith one or two trifling and immaterial exceptions , any of the details of Sir John Walsham ' s report . ** ( Hear , hear . ) With respect to the dead body story , it Baid , " At Keighley frequently , at Bingley only once , and then vfhhthe full consent of the other oconpantB of the room , -dead bodies of paupers have been left till burial in the beds which they occupied whibt living , and in tbe room where the other paupers , who had been their companions duriBg life , still continued to sleep ; but sheets were suspended round the bed in which the corpse lay J and the expression , that the ' corpse companioned the living , ' was not intended to conrey that the same bed -was at the same time occupied Itj the dead and the living . " Then with m-ptct to Mr . Mott ' s report , what was the evidence of the committee ? They saio , " Your committee is

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    of opinion , that hie report is borne out in all its most important allegations , by the evidence of the witneBes who came forward to impugn it ; though undoubtedly it contains some expressions which are too general and unqualified . " In what respect , then , be asked , had he ( Sir R . Peel ) misconstrued the expressions in the report 1 He did not really understand what was the point of the Hon . Member ' s charge . Mr . Fbrrand explained thai what he had asserted was to the effect that the report was in opposition to the evidence taken before tbe committee ; and he would refer to that evidence , as published , to shew whether his statement was true or not . With regard to the Keighley union , be had not denied all the statements of Sir John Walsham , but what he

    had particularly dwelt on was , that in the Keighley 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 was consequently raised to fifty-five . Sir R . Peel said the question was whether Sir John Walsham's repor ^ was or was not generally correct . That _ wa 9 the tnestien . He found that the committee affirmed that report , and he could nat help ihinking that it was substantially correct . Mr . Pehxaa-d remarked that Sir John Walsham 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 Hon . Baronet in blaming them , speaking of course upon the allegations of that report .

    Mr . G . Wood said he perfectly remembered stating that the Hon . Gentleman , the Member for Knaresborough , was chairman of the Keighley board of guardians , and had been from the formation of the union an ex efficxo guardian in conseqaence of his being a justice of the peace j and he also remembered remarking on the singular faot 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 offido guardian as before stated . ( Hear , hear . ) Mr . Febeand again explained . Although he was certainly an ex qjficio guardian , he had refused to be a patty io enforcing a law of which he so highly disapproved ( " oh , oh 1 " *) , and it was 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 . Walteb then replied as follows : —After all the debate that has taken place , the question is simply this—whether the House will support a law resting upon and embodying as it were the very soul and spirit of this unnatural report—a soul and spirit which will affect the future practice of the law for ever—or whether by , sanctioning my propositions , or some one of them , they will impress upon the Government the necessity , if not the duty , of adopting a more Christian and humane principle as the ground of legislation ? ( Hear , hear . ) Now , Sir , as to the Right Hon . Baronet the Home Secretary—with

    regard to the manner in which 1 acquired possession of this document , I do not know that I am called upon to give the satisfaction herequiroa ( hear , hear : ) and I beg to say , further , that I hold myself perfectly competent to judge of the propriety or impropriety of making use of any document I become possessed of . ( Hear , hear . ) Nor do I come here to beschooled on points of delicacy or decorum by the Right Hon . Gentleman ( hear ) , but feel inclined to adopt and act upon my independent convictions of duty . ( Hear , hear . ) Here is a moat scandalous communication ( hear ) , upon which is founded a most unconstitutional and most oppressive law . ( Hear . ) Others have spoken of this communication—I have dragged it to light and branded it as it deserves ;

    and i am told , forsooth , I ought not to have done bo , because the authors of the mischief had chosen , in order to screen their effence , 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 acting confidentially , and therefore nobody must take any notice of it , neither while we are so acting nor for years after . " ( Hear , hear . ) The names of the Commissioners , it is true , are not attached to this report , but this is not uncommon , for I have other documents of theirs , undeniably authentic , to which their names are not attached . ( Hear , hear . ) Besides , any document printed at the public expsnee , I submit , ought to be at the disposal of the public . ( Hear ,

    hear . ) I should like to know how long the word " secret" is to be in operation . ( Hear , hear . ) I can conceive secresy to be necessary during a short time for the completion of an act ; but the act being in this case completed by the Poor Law itself , it \ b the duty of every man to know by whom and by what means this legislative provision has been hatched . ( Hear , hear . ) But their most authentic acts I find are now disputed , even the dietary of the Cirenoester Union , which bears the signature of the three Poor Law Commissioners , but which , on its being published , appeared so horrible , that they dared not to act long upon it . There was a similar suppression of a document during the Poor Law Inquiry of 1837 ( hear , hear ) , and I called the attention of the House

    at the time to bo reprehensible a proceeding . ( Hear , hear . ) Evidence was in that case tendered and and taken , which , when those who tendered it , found that it did not answer their purpose , or rather would prove the contrary of what they intended , they effected its suppression . The chief of those who urged this wppressio veri—as indeed his activity in favour of the law would in no case suffer him to be second—was the present Right Hon . Home Secretary , ' who , though he acted as one of the commntee , was really mistaken by one of the witnesses , as he will we ll recollect , as counsel for the Poor Law Commissioners . ( " Hear , hear , " and laughter . ) The Right Hon . Baronet at the head of Her Majesty ' s Government said . I had given no intimation of what

    1 intended to do if these resolutions were agreed to . Why , Sir , the Right Hon . Baronet himself BupplieB me with an answer . * ' I Have not / ' Baid hei" received my fee for attending the patient . " So neither am I obliged to tender assistance to those who , so far from offering me a fee , are previously determined not to take my help . ( H Hear , " and a laugh . ) Now as for the relaxations which have been spoken of . Tnat must be a bad law , in the first p&ce , which cannot bear its own enactment . The relaxations hitherto have been owing to no humane considerations on the parts of those to whom the execution of the law has been intrusted , but to their inability to enforce it . They frequently indeed allow a miserable out-door relief , but why 1- Because the workhouses at this and

    period of no ^ -employment public distress cannot receive those who are driven to its doors by suffering . In like manner , they send those whose life is extinct to be buried in the churchyards of their different parishes ; but only because the churchyard near the union-houses cannot contain them . ( Hear , hear . ) The Right Hon . Baronet spoke of the county of Bedford , which my Hon . Friend has called his pet county . 0 Hear , hear , " and a laugh . ) 1 will just mention a pet union of his ( near , hear)—the West Hampnett Union . A day or two ago I received a letter , stating that "in the West Hampnett Union several parishes raise voluntary rates , by which poor persons are relieved to whom the Poor Law Commissioners will not allow relief to be given

    out of the compulsory rates . Able bodied men are prevented being tested , as it is termed ; and the payers , of these voluntary rates say that a considerable saving is effected by thiB system . The above information I had from two collectors of voluntary rates . I could send you strong cases of the Poor Law being the cause of thefts and mendicity , and perhaps something worse . I cannot now omit stating that not long ago , in one of the parishes of the West Hampnett Union , I saw in one day six women employed in leading horses , drawing loaded dungcaxU into the fieldB . Though I have lived in Sussex all my life , I never saw anything of the kind before . " The Hon . Member for Somerset had spoken of the benefit derived by the agricultural districts from this

    law . Now , I happen accidentally to have copied out of an old Manchester newspaper a passage which bears very strongly npon this . It is as follows . — "Yesterday afternoon , shortly before the sitting magistrates at the New Bailey left the Court , a case of extraordinary novelty and hardship was brought before them . Two healthy , fresh-countenanced , but emaciated agricultural labourers , presented themselves in the witness-box , whilst at the extremity of the court were ranged in view of the magistrates sixteen individuals , one of them a female about thirty , with two infants in her arms , eight chilaren , apparently all of them under ten years of age , and three whose ages might be from thirteen to sixteen years , two of them « irls and the third a boy .

    There were two others whom we did not see , making up a party of eighteen . One of the men stated that they came from Towersey , in Buckinghamshire . The farmers , he said , caUed : a meeting to know if any of the parishioners would go down to Manchester , as every body there was doing well . Several of us said we would go . They told qb that they thought our families would do well to come down . They said there would be houses for as to go into when we got there , and everything provided for our use . They employed a man named Clark to Bee after people who would go down , * nd we went to him . He asked what families we had got , and said we should do well indeed to come ; we started accordingly to Mr . Waterhouse's , at Glossop . In answer to questions , the man . said , eix of the children whom the magistrates saw belonged io him , and two were bis

    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 bronght , ' he Baid , * 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 us ; we were put in a bit of a warehouse ; and I have been there with my fam'Jy three weeks , lying on a bit of straw , which is the only bed I have had . The parish , ' he said , in 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 cart 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 we left our own parish . We were sent from our own pariah to Codw ; Fm «^ oi her u w ° m ° t with a gentleman named William Clark . We travelled nearly forty miles , E ™ waggon , to the boat to where we " } a'kei da * came back with us to the boat , ™ : ™ ?^ .. ^ ad embarked he told us that we were f 3 D *** ' Wa . " " h 0 U 8 e ' 9 > at Glosaop . Two other families came with us . I cannot tell whether Mr . waternouse had desired our overseer to send any hands . 1 worked at Mr . Waterhouse'a three weeks , but yesterday he hired a cart and sent us in it to Manchester . The carter put us down in the street , and left us ; he has sent another cartload this morning . I nav « seen them in townand he would have

    , sent them yesterday , but the cart would not hold u& all , so he told one of the women he would send them this mornmg m -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 we left Buokmgba mahire . Tae magistrates expressed muoh indignation at the deception which had been practised upon these unfortuuate people , and intimated that the parties principall y concerned in thus allur-15 * n Ur ° ^ he , ir homes ought to b « prosecuted . Mr . G . W . Wood stated , that there happened now to be m town ( engaged in making inquiries on the subject of labour ) Mr . Mucgridee . a centleman

    employed by the Poor Law Commissioners ; and it was arranged that the overseers should go up to him , represent the case , and obtain himassistance , if possible , in taking measures for returning the 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 , were set down on Thursday evening at the Cotton-tree public house , in Ancoats , of course entire straneers . without means

    or resources of any kind . They were , however , taken to the workhouse and there provided for that night . " I have documents that will overturn nearly every proposition that ha 8 been advanced on the other side ; but at this Jate hour of the night I decline bringing them under the notice of the House . The resolutions which I now propose I conscieneciously believe to assert truths . They may be unpalatable to the present Ministers , as all propositions I have made on this subject were to tbe last Administration ; but that is no reason why I should not propose them , or why those who think with me 6 hould not support them —( cheers . ) To meet the views of many Hoa . Gentlemen near me , I will withdraw the first four resolutions , and take the division only upon the last —( cheers . ) The House then divided—Against the resolutions 126 Fur the resolutions 58 Majority 68 Friday , Feb . 24 . Lord John Russell presented the petition of the Bombay merchants , for indemnification for the opium confiscation in China ; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer , in reply to a question , intimated that the settlement of those demands waited the exchange of the ratifications of the Chinese treaty . On the order of the day for going into a committee of supply , Mr . Hume called the attention of the House te the

    charge of the public establishments , and to the state of the revenue and expenditure of past years . He dwelt on the decay of the revenue , the increase of the national debt , the heavy burden of our military and naval establishments ; and on the necessity tot the reduction of our state expences , and lor the adoption of such measures as will furnish the means of employment to the 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 notbltfg were done to relieve the country .

    Mr . Williams contended that the Budget ought to 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 auch was 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 tbe present ; complained of the great increase in the half-pay and pensions , and contended that our expenditure should be made to conform to our revenue .

    Sir R . Peel thought that many of the topics urged might have been reserved for txplonation , until the estimates were actually under diseussion . The increase in the amount of naval pensions was accounted for by tbe fact that formerly Greenwich Hospital bad independent funds ; and the increase in the charge for widows and orphans was the result of the recommendation of the parliamentary committee . Mr . Williams had omitted the charge for tbe Irish estimates , in comparing the expenditure of 1791 with subsequent years ; and in considering tbe necessary expenditure of a great country like this , reference must be had to other considerations than revenue , as the dispositions of foreign powers , and the necessity of upholdina our 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 Howick in bis speeeh of last week , that this

    country , in proportion to its means , was more lightly taxed than other nations . But it did not follow that because peace had been established we could immediately reduce our establishments ; good policy required that we should still maintain a force on the coast of China . A reduction would be effected in our Mediterranean establishment , which would be done in perfect dependence on tbe good faith and feeling of France . There was a great interest growing up in that eountry interested in the maintenance of peace ; newspapers were not always the organs of public opinion , and we might despise the ravings of those who were clamourous forwa ^ In the army , navy , and ordnance estimates there would be a reduction of £ 832 , 000 ; and he could assure the Houso that , the estimates underwent the closest Inspection and control of the Treasury , and they were reduced to as ' : low a point as was compatible with the interests of the country .

    Mr , Francis Baring then rose to move for papers respecting the dismissal of Mr . Hoskins from acting as Deputy Judge-Advocate at Portsmouth . He was the last person in the House to interfere with the prerogative of the Crown : but there were certain situations dependent on the royal pleasure which were not considered as reznoveable on merely political grounds . Mr . Hoskins had bsen , 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 , except that his situation W 3 s not one for life . He ( Mr . Baring ) believed that

    Mr . Hoskins bad been dismissed because he was a Whig , and his successor appointed because be was a Tory . No stain rested on his professional or his private character , and he sow filled the office of Mayor of Portsmouth by the unanimous wish of his fellow townsmen . His appointment had a judicial character ; but be bad been dismissed with aa little or lees courtesy as a petty officer of the Customs or clerk in a department . He wished to ascertain tbe reasons of it , or to bear what explanation or defence could be given . Sir George Staunton seconded the motion , and bore testimony to the character of Mr . Hoskins .

    Mr . Sydney Herbert 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 , prohac vice , on the election of courts martial , the members of which could choose whom they pleased . He had on one occasion been set aside by a court martial ; and the Admiralty , having determined to re-establish tbe permanent office of Deputy Judge-Advocate , in order to obviate possible public inconvenience , the Board chose the son of the previous functionary who had filled the office , he having filled the office when his father ' s age and infirmities had rendered him unfit 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 be held no office under the Crown , so it followed that the Admiralty had not displaced one officer by another , on the score of political opinion .

    Mr . Charles Wood thought that Admiralty Bhould have offered the office of Deputy Judge-Advocate to Mr . Hoskins , and that political considerations bad restrained them from doing so . He had an equitable claim to tbe situation . Sir Charles Napier said it was always agreeable to have secretaries pitted against each other , as then the cat got out of the bag . He regretted that Mr . Herbert should have attempted to defend this notorious job . He narrated various cases of jobbing , as occuring within his own experience . Several of the naval officers in the House joined in the debate , after which

    Lord Palmerston remarked that there never was a clearer case , in which one person bad been dismissed , and another appointed , on political considerations . Mr . Greetham , who had been appointed to supersede Mr . Hoskins , held different appointments , being agent for Customs , Excise , and the 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 recognised the offioial nature of the situation held by Mr . Hoskins . He admitted that in appointments a Government might properly recognise its friendB , but it Bhould not punish those opposed to them . After a few observations from Mr . Escott ,

    Sit Boberi Peel said , that as the Government bad agreed to give the papers asked for , the whole transaction would fee distinctly understood . He admitted that the letter of Sir John Barrow , dismissing Mr . Hoskins , did appear to lecogniBe him as Deputy Judge-Advocate . But there was a previous letter , intimating tbe intention of conferring the revived office en Mr . Greetham , whose father had previously filled it for thirty-five years . He admitted the general principle of recognising service , and of not changing officers filling responsible situations , and he claimed for hiB Government the merit of having m&de as few changes as any Government , even where they might have been most entitled to do so , o&mely , in diplomatic appointments .

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    Mr . LaboucHERE was satisfied , frem the speech of Sir Robert Peel , that if he had been consulted , this transaction would i : ot have taken place . He bad been a junior lord when Sir Jame 3 Graham was at the head of the Admiralty , and he thou ' witnessed a great public department admirably conducted . Such a letter as that of Sir Joha Barrow ' s dismissing Mr . Hoskins , would not then have been permitted to have left the office . He looked upon the affair as an ungenerous attempt to cew the electors ; of Portsmouth , where government influence was notoriously great Mr . Baring withdrew his motion , as all the information was before the House which he desired . Mr . Blewitt called the attention of the House to the state of the North Boundary question , between this country and th « United States , ; and asked information as to the course which the Government meant to pursue with respect to it

    Sir Robert Peel hoped that Mr . Blewitt would not infer the disposition of the American Government from tbe speech or bill of a member of the Senate . Friendly communications were now passing between the two Governments on the subject . The House then went into a Committee of Supply ; and Mr . Sydney Herbert rose ! to move the Navy Estimates . Compared with the previous year , there is to be a reduction of 4000 men , and a decrease in expense 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 agreed to , and the House adjourned . '

    Monday , Feb . 27 . Lord Ashley presented some petitions against any interference with the beneficial working of the Collieries ' Regulation Bill , passed last session . Mr . R . York . 2 wished to ask the Right Hon . Gentleman the Home Secretary , whether the Poor Law Amendment Bill which he intended to introduce was to be precisely and identically the same as that laid before the House last year , -with ] tbe exception , of course , of those modified clauses recognized by the House at the close of last session . ] Sir J . Graham said , that the principle of the bill would be identically the same , but in some of the details various alterations would be made , and there would be some omissions with respect to the clauses introduced at tbe close of Jast session , and some alteration as to the apprenticeship clause , and there would be some additional clauses .

    The Speaker then said , "I understand that tbe Serjeant-at-Arma has a communication to make to the Hoase . " j The Serjeant-at-Arms then apppeared at the bar , and on being called upon by the Speaker , said , " I have to acquaint the 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 , bis attorney . Aa the writ did not state the nature of the trespass , I thought it proper to enter an appearance to the action . On Saturday last I was ; served with a declara . tion , which shows that the suit : was in consequence of my having taken into custody Thomas Burton Howard , and was against William Bellamy for having taken him to the prison of Newgate : bat as both these acts were done under the order of the House and under your warrant , Sir , I hope we shall have the protection of tbe House , and the direction of the House as to the course wo shall pursue "—( hear , hear ) .

    The writ of summons and declaration were then laid on the * table and read by the clerk . The Solicitor-General said , he did not rise for the purpose of making any motion on the subject of the communication which bad been made by tbe Sergeantat > Arras ; but he thought that it would be more satisfactory that the papers presented jby the Sergeant-at-Arms should be printed with the votes , and that they should take them into consideration to-morrow , and ke then gave notice that he should to-morrow submit a motion on the subject to the consideration of the house —( hear . ) i

    Lord J . Russell said he believed that some action took place in the course of the recess with regard to tbe Sergeant-at-Arms and some ot his deputies , and in which he understood that a sum of money had been paid to the plaintiff in that action by order of tho Treasury . If that were so , he thought , that although that proceeding wight be perfectly right , these papers should be laid before the Honse . > Sir . R . Peel said that whatever information the Government possessed upon tbe Subject should be laid before the House . The papers laid before the ; House by the Sergeant-at-Anna were then ordered to be printed with the votes . ;

    Mr . T . Egerton wished to make one or two observetions on a statement made the j other evening by the Hon . Member for Finsbury with ] respect to the treatman t of prisoners confined in Knutsford House of Correction . Since that statement bad gone forth there bad been a meeting ef magistrates , and an examination of the prisoners , the result ef which he would , with the permission of the House , state ; jas the charges of the Hon . Member affected the discipline of the gaol and the character of the magistrates . ! The Hon . Member stated , in the first placo , that one Samuel Lees had been ordered on the treadmill for the amusement of some ladies and gentlemen . Now , Lees had been examined , and he stated that he had only been twice on the treadmill , and that only in the first week he

    came . Both times were in the afternoon . Lees said , " I don ' t know that I ever wasjput on on any particular occasion . " On neither occasion was he there more than half an hour . The Hon . Gentleman had also refersed to the case of Robert Wild , another prisoner , who declared that on entering the gaol " he was told by the gaoler that thai discipline was very severe , that be would take care he was punished , 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 the rules , at the same time telling him that he 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 auch an effect en their constitutions as by tbe time be bad done with them their constitutions would not be worth twopence . "; It was the duty of tbe governor to cause those rules to be read . They were ordered by the Home Secretary . The prisoner in question went on to add . that they made no complaint of any of the officers , or of the treatment they received , that the quality of the food was jgood , but that tbey complained of the shortness of the quantity . They never applied to the governor for anything but they were sure to be attended to { immediately , or he showed a disposition to attend to the request . He ( Mr . Egerton ) could assure the Blouse that the magistrates were most anxious in their administration of the affairs of the gaol , while they wished to enforce discipline , to afford as much indulgence as possible ,

    and to insure forbearance on the { part of tbe officers . Mr . T . Duncombe thought the ; House ought to receive such statements , when obtained from prisoners through the magistrates , with very treat caution . The account he had read the other eyening was made and signed by the prisoners , who were prepared to come forward and repeat at tbe bar the conversation that took place between them and tbe gaoler on being taken into the House of Correction . He was not surprised at the version which had now beenjreeeived through the gaoler and the magistrates , from prisoners who had two years' imprisonment to undergo , and who might well be supposed to have tbe dread of additional suffering inflicted on them if they persisted ; ' in the account they bad formerly given to their friends . But , in order to get at the truth , he should move for a return on the subject , which he believed would } prove the truth cf what he had stated with reference to the Knutsford

    House of Correction . It was rather singular , that the statement he made had appeared ! in tbe newspapers some time ago , and had never till the present hoar been contradicted . He had also seen tbe statement of Thomas Clark , a fellow prisoner with Wild and Lees , Whose period of imprisonment having expired bore testimony lo the conversation with the gaoler , and exposed the cruel treatment and suffering ? they had endured . He himself bad written to Mr . Allison , a peraon living at Stockport , and desired him to go over to Knutsford and see the prisoners , in order to ascertain tbe troth of their statements . His correspondent paid a visit to Knutsford on the 9 th of February ; and applied to the governor for permission to see the prisoners . The turnkey , however , stated , that prisoners were only

    allowed to see their friends once in three months , and all the prisoners having been seen within that time except Wild , be was allowed about ten minutes' conversation with him in the presencejof the turnkey . In the letter he received , Wild was described as a mere skeleton ; from being plump-faced , as he was when admitted , biB bones , from inadequate diet , now almost protruded through the skin . He i complained bitterly of the conduct of Lord Abinger , who , once he heard a man Was a Chartist , seemed to think that was enough to seal his doom . He firmly believed that what Mr . Allison had stated was perfectly correct , and if he could only get a committee to inquire ( into the state of Knutsford gaol , be bad no doubt he would be able to substantiate all tbe charges which he had made

    against it . ! Mr . T . Egerion Bald the Magistrates courted the fullest investigation into their conduct With respect to the Knutsford 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 the country . SirJ . Graham felt that the statement made by the Hon . Member for Finabury on the evidence of Mr . Allison , who waa described to be a ! creditable witness , was directly at variance with that [ made by bis Hon . Friend behind ( Mr . Egerton ) . If Mr . Allison was to

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

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    Lord Ashley took that opportunity of calling the attention of the Right Hon . Secretary of State for the Home Department to a subject of considerable importance . He had just received a letter from a very respectable gentleman , signed Thomas Barber , auditor of the Halifax Union , which was in these words : — " Halifax , Feb . 25 . " My Lord—Permit me most respectfully to direct your lordship ' s special attention to the last page of the Halifax Guvrdian of this day , where yon will find a statement of facts relative to the cruel treatment a boy has undergone , or endured , at the hands of hiB inhuman master , a collier , residing at Blackley , four miles from this place . It is not in the power of language to describe , ox of imagination to conceive , the spectacle presented to my view when I examined bis back on Wednesday last at the union workhouse . With a firm

    determination of transmitting an account to you , I wrote his statement , but afterwards deemed it expedient to request the editor and publisher of the Guardian to report it in the paper ; he yesterday accompanied ma to tbe workhouse and has given the substance of the boy ' s narrative . I have jast returned from the magistrate ' s office , where the master has appeared under a summons from the overseers for the purpose of freeing the lad from his parish indenture . The lad gave a clear and succinct statement of the treatment and sufferings be had endured for some weeks back , with an artlessness that carried an irresistible conviction of its truthfulness to the mind of every individual present The master was not able to disprove or controvert one iota ot tbe statement , though defended by a professional gentleman , and the justices disckarged the lad from his apprenticeship , according to the 20 th of George II ., c . 19 .

    " To Lord Ashley , London . " Along with that letter he had received a copy of the Halifax Guardian , and he thought he was justified in calling the attention of the House to the cose , because be had last year affirmed the total and immediate cancelling of apprenticeships for underground operations , and it that elause bad not been reversed elsewhere such a case as tbe present never could have happened . The Halifax Guardian thus reported tbe case : —( The report will be found at length i n another column ) . Haying read the statement he hod to appeal to the Right Hon . Gentleman the Secretary for the Home Depart ment , and request him , in virtue of the 3 d section of the act passed last year , to send down some official person

    to make inquiry into the case , in order that his report might be laid on the table of the House . Such a step would ' not only be justified by the act , bnt by precedent ; some time ago , when the Noble Lotd tbe member for London ( Lord J . Russell ) was Secretary for the Home D apartment , an analogous cose occurred of great atrocity . He appealed to his Noble Friend , who caused an inquiry -to take place and tbe report to be laid on the table . Two years after another case occurred , into which Lord Normanby also directed an inquiry , the result of which Was reported to the House ; bat , apart from all precedent whatever , and from the act iiself , he fell quite sure that the Right Hon . Baronet would be most ready te' extend tbe protection and aid of bis important office to such helpless and destitute objects—( hear ) .

    Sir J . Graham could assure his noble friend , that although this case was entirely unknown to him till the Noble Lord commenced his address to tbe House , be most warmly sympathized with him in the feeling of disgust which such a statement muat create in the breast of every gentleman who heard it ; at the same time , all would agree with him in hoping that there was some exaggeration In the 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 tbe facts as alleged were substantiated it would be his duty to direct thai prosecutions should be commenced against the parties implicated —( hear , hear . ) He was glad to take this opportunity of statiug to the House , that notwithstanding anything which bad occurred elsewhere with respect to the act of last session , no one was more anxious than he was to give effact' both to the letter and spirit of that act , and adhere most strictly to all its provisions —( Hear )

    Lord J . Russell called attention to the almost unprecedented circumstance ( with the exception of the case of General Conway ) of tbe Duke of Wellington , aa commander-in-chief , holding a seat in the cabinet . ' As a conspicuous political bios ; and his Grace had him-Belf , on a former occasion , declared bis 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 commander in-chief to have a seat in the cabinet But he did not conceive that it was contrary to constitutional analogy for that high functionary to be a member of the eabinet . Lord John Russell had referred to the previous case of General Con way ; and the Duke of Wellington had been , at ene time . Master

    of the Ordnance , auel cabinet-minister . On the resignation of the late Lord Hill , be ( Sir R . Peel ) , with the concurrence of his colleagues , had advised her Majesty to appoint the Duke of Wellington to the office ; and they bad also bsen all of opinion that it was due to his Grace's eminent civil services that , in conjunction with the command of the army , be should still retain his seat in the cabinet . On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair , . Mr . S . Crawford rose , and said he must entreat the attention of the Government to the propositions contained in the resolution of which he had given notice , and which H would now become his duty to Bubmit to the House . At such & period as the present , when -most severe and extensive distress prevailed

    throughout the country , it was , he thought , the duty of the House to endeavour to alleviate that distress by lightening tbe burden of taxation . This , he conceived , could not be effectually done , unless they took into consideration the whole public expenditure of the country , and thb means by which it was to be defrayed ; and In bis opinion , before tbey assented to votes of the public money , they ought to know what amount of revenue might ba drawn from the country without unnecessarily oppressing tbe people . It had been said that the necessary expenditure of the country must be defrayed ; bat he thought that those who had tbe controul of the revenue of the country ought , Imitating the example of prudent individuals , first to look to their resources , and then to regulate their

    expenditure according to their means . He did not object particularly to the course pursued by the present Government , but be objected to the system which had been going on for a 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 recourse for defraying their rotes . He objected generally to the extravagant nature of the present civil and military establishments ; and be thought this extravagance had ariseu from no regard being had to the resources of the country at the time when those establishments were formed . The Government might think that this doctrine was tainted with the principles of Radical Reform , which he was aware were not very popular in that House ; but he would

    not hesitate to assert those principles , for he thought that no man ought to maintain opinions ont of doom which he had not courage to support in that House . He found tbat 100 , 846 men were required for the army of this kingdom , 38 , 000 men being retained in Great Britain and Ireland . Now , he would put it to the Government whether it was necessary to keep up such a standing army . ' Were 38 , 000 men required to keep in order tbe people of the United kingdom ? He found that in Great Britain there was a force of 25 , 127 men ; and , if tbe Government conceived that such an army waa requisite in this country , he would ask what rendered it necessary ? If they were compelled thus to coerce the people of Great Britain there must be something wrong in their institutions or in their legislation .

    ( Hear . ) He thought a great reduction might be effected in the number of troops at present maintained in Great Britain , and , if no reduction was made , be considered it a strong proof tbat the country was in a 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 also to call the attention of tbe House to the wanton and extravagant expenditure incurred for the staff , which amounted to the sum of £ 105 . 300 . He wished to know what necessity existed for keeping up such an expensive staff , which in his opinion was almost useless ! The expenee of the staff at head-quarters , in London , was £ 16 , 800 . The

    pay ol the Duke of Wellington as FifiM-Marenal was £ 16 8 s 9 d per day , or £ 6 , 000 a year ; and he must say it seemed to him wholly unnecessary that any officer should receive such pay . There were i ^ the united kingdom fourteen different stations of < . he staff , the number of which might , he thought , bs greatly reduced . The expencesof the Commander-in-Chief ' s office , wera £ 17 , 000 a-year ; those of the Adjutant-General ' s , £ 12 , ooO ; and of the Quartermaster-General's , £ 6 . 600 . He considered this an enormous expenditure of the public money ; , and he thought the business might be effectively conducted at a much less cost He found in the army estimates an item of £ 117 , 787 for volunteer corps . He would put it to the Hoase , what services were rendered by these volunteer corps which entitled

    them to such an amount \ Was there any record of their ever receiving the thanks of the House for theii services , which must have been the case if thos 9 services had been important and valuable ? He faund In the non-effective service 198 generals , wbo cost the country £ 89 , 000 ; the amount paid to officers retired on 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 expencea , iu which he thought great redactions might be effected .. The effective force

    of the naval service for tbe last year cost £ 4 , 632 , 000 ; the non-eff « ctive , £ 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-ofBee cost the country £ 25 , 000 , the expencesof tiie Exchequer were £ l ^ Mt £ v ^ ltWH . the Privy Council and Board of Trade £ 3 j ! fc « Jww |*» l *** ing to the estimates of the , last year . The S < j |* Stefv > to retired and superannuated , officers in *^§? \ K ? B !*!* i i £ v " * v partment amounted to £ 84 , 000 . To , ^ 4 vrlii [^ Sl * t > . \ appeared in the estimates of lost y ^^ _^^? r ^ rr ** ^ 5 C \ C \ for secretservlce money , he s ^ 8 {* i 22 * @ *?*^^ y ?' ' \ V thought , then , after the statements nWjfHW *» K ^ W > ' ^ - 'r / l some means should be taken to altea . ffig > i ^ KraB \ = ^ i > cLJ ( Continued in our Eighth W * a ^^ rr ^ P « $ / v ^ jyjw ^ i / M' 4 .. Yd £ M' £ NE

    Untitled Article

    THE NORTHERN _ STAR . f

• 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-ncseproduct471/page/7/