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    ( Confinutdfrom our Sixth Tpagt . ) « nes imposed upon him , but bow trifling -was their Sawmt ^ nen S * ey looked at the insult he had inlicted ^ hnmanity I But , listen again to what this Inspector ^^_ i . jfo defence ^ was attempted , except the often ie-IgU > a one of being pressed to complete an order for SsTHnent , B » profit of VMch vrouia have been lost if Sy bad not undertaken to ropply the whole qoanH ^ y re-^ nfcei . The tmafiBtr&tes -would net entertain this plea f ^ jgbrdnis any justification for bo ^ ross an abuse of the -rower an employer can exercise oTer the operatives in Jaistiici irtiere labour is redundant I regret to say Ihe miB-occnp iers do not stand alone responsible for - ** 5 s crnelty towards the yonng females . " No ; the Zsrents bad been driven by the snrplns labour of the ^_ _ ^ v- ^ T Al ^ mt ^ f Turn mm ** Af » M _ VS" »» # F » mn . r *~*^ \

    ijjgs to -srork their own offispnng to death foreastence . * Itwss prored that a parent had not merely consented * o scrifiee the physical powers of Ms child for money , taj ohn ? ed his tender girl to exert herself to the last Oafae ihe period the mill was at work , some of the rids » ere obliged to withdraw , irom physical inability IjTrDii longer . The parent of one young -woman , abont mBBteen years of age , was determined to brave the -jjjjdunEnt consequent npon opposing the will of ^ Tmsster . * & . dt « ni » n 1 from work for the future , g pKxaefled at four o ' clock on Saturday afternoon to « ie mill , fortunately obtained access to the room where Ks prlbad been working from five o ' clock on Pnday ^ njBg , and insisted on ^ withdrawing her . He Tlltf . bnl linforms

    j ^ idy sieeeeded , jiat , as > e me , until j ^ th the managing partner , Mr . Thwlfall , and Mb son , vjg -endeavoured forcibly to remove him from the —anises . This and the other cases of oTerwork which Cj ^ eocearrea within the last two yean in the Bradjtafl 8 &m& mast sorely convince the most sceptical of » a absolute necessity of a strong law to protect the jjjjonring class in these districts ; ant the officers employed may reasonably deem * ucn eases as indicating % iaSi » t ° bB expected among a certain class of mills Older a JO" 1 * MfiTe state of trade . " There was not a jnember inaieHonse , he ( Mr . Perrand ) did not care to whs * P *? "he might belong , who could haTe heard this s Ktenject , and who wonld not blush for the honour of

    his coffirtJy- ( Hear . ) There never was , "he would ventnre to ray . * & * history of Sogland , so disgraceful a . piece of eontnet dragged to publio light in the House tf CowEDBS by a Member against a man who had the pover of inflicting such horrors on hla ieHow-eonntryyga . The New Poor Law had placed this power in yat man ' s hands . He had lost that power over the -people in the neighbourhood of his milL The Right -jot Baronet smiled I Prom plundering and persegt inp to death the working classes in the neighbour-ItHd of his mill the working classes had struck against lam ; flssy had refused to be any longer his alaTes ; tamin steed still . He was enabled to pro-ride the siaas once ¦ more of working it ; and where did he

    faa this ? "Dndtr the . New Poor Law . He applied to the SKpton -s-arkhouse , and they supplied him » I 2 i twenty hands . He -would ask the Right Hon . Bsronei where those twenty hands now were ? The Blent Hon . Baronet had a heart , he ( Mr . Perrand ) knbr , wiihin bis breast to wMch the cries of these poor -wretches would net plead in Tain . He had stated some of the consequences of this New Poor Law upon g } 8 masses in the north of England . If the House wonld allow him he wonld state what was the conduct of the At * " *" Poor Law Commissioners in the admijasJzaSou of this lswj and in doing so , he ( Mr . Per-Had ) doubted not that the First Lord of the Treasury wonld render an act of justice to him ^ a "well as to the

    parishioners of the township where he lived , when he had explained the 2 candal » &s conduct of the Ag » M i ^ t Poor ivw Commissioners . Daring the discussion of fee 2 few Poor liw in ibat House Hon . Members wonld reaembsr with what glee the Right Hon . Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury had opened the red "b ox before h ™; and dragged out a statement from Mr . Mott Paragraph after paragraph he read , bringing charges the most ustrue against the Keighley Board of guardians . He fill . Psrrand ) had sat perfectly composed behind 1 dm , feeling that he should hare Tery litilB difficulty to prove to his conviction that the stateiiMiis made by ilr . Mott were mrtme , and contradictions lad passed between the right Hon . Baronet andbimself .

    UHas isa" ended in a challenge on the part of the Right Hon . Baronet to him ( Mr . Perrand ) to more for a committee of inquiry , when the gallant commodore the Member for Marylebone , always ready for the fight , pre notice of a motion for a committee of inquiry , and hs { Mr . Perrand ) xcndersrowl that he had brandished ins stick spore his head on leaving the house , and Bid "he had caught the Hon . Member for Snaresiorosgh in a trap st last * That Irqniry had taken place , and so convinced was he { Mr . Perrand ; that hs could disprove the statements o ! Mr . ilott that hs hid assented to the members of the committee proposed by the Right Hon . Baronet the Pirst Lord of fla Treasury at once ; for he was convinced that

    half-a-« Wan -Ritnessea connected with the Ksighley Union wdfl prore ^ very word of lax . Hottfs statement to be fis . The committee had been moved for and appointee . The next day when he | Mr . Penand ) came to fiaHonss an Hon . Member had aid tahim " "Why , yon feoosh fellow , you have agreed to a packed committee ; they will report against you . * - He ( Mrs . Ferxsod } had replied , he did not eare "what sort of a comnnSee tbsre was , the wi 6 aessea would prove the truth . T » o magMr&tea , both "Wings , who had taken an active part in thaiorwarfiiug of the measure , and who were strenuous sappurltia of the New Poor Law , legal and medial cmcers connected with the union , had been examined as witnesses , and every one of them , without

    Bcceptkm , had declared that Mr . Mott *» report was sntrne . The committee had reported that "Mr . Motfs report wu borne out in his important allegations . " He ( MtTemnd ) regretted that there ahonld have been an attempt in that committee to -whitewash that public daeec Let anymanread the eridence given before that eonmlttee ; ihe Hon . Member for Pinsbury sat on it , and * oald bear Mm ont in what he ^ stefl , and he would be tcaniLCed thai the eridence iras opposed to the report . Ttecommitteehad reported that Mr Mott'a statemestwss tas . 5 Ii . 3 iDtt , inhisreport , amongst other things , said : ° 23 d ApnL 18 i 2 . I attended a meeting of the board ft nnrdisns of the Kaghley Union on "Wednesday , the 13 th instant , and regret , to have to report to your

    load , that the proceedings of the guardians are teiy raafiffartory ; m short , ihty are entirely at variance * i& the provisions of the law , and the directions of Jso board .- He ( Mr . Ferrand ) bad put it to the vote is that committee , npon Hie evidence of « very witness , Sdiof -whom had proved that no instructions whatever laabeeireeeiTEd from the Poor Law ComHiiBsionerB , Etsept the original instructions , and that therefore the « sm ef gandians had acted in direct accordance with iis original instructions ; but tie committee had come V&svoU againstthe evidence . He must tell the House , »* erer , that the gallant commodore ( Sir C . Napier j » 3 voted byTnistake , that hi * opinion was not that «• Heft ' s report was borne ont in all its most im-P ^ toS allegations by the evidence of the witnesses

    «» lad come forward to impugn it , " and when he EMiosBd ont that this was the -sase he had protested ^ Sssaiai Tolebeing recorded ; but this opinion of the ep&naSBeiia gone forth to the world as fee convic-Kffl of the Hon . and Gallant Commodore . But he { Mr . 5 ~^ *** a man * ° ** P ^ o " 5 " J tee wMte-^* a ?^ iteiu . Hs came to the Honse and he told the ^* ftaiiuBtic 8 had not been done ; that the public ri ™ Pat Ugreat expense for the purpose of coming 5 ™ truth , and that he stin wonld seek for it in that f ^ B - He was informed that opposition was to be ^ fo iaoB oa of wMeh he had given notice for a - |* ra of certain papers relative to this question ; but ^ ~ Sbt Hon . Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury , Jr " . that straightforward manliness of conduct for ¦ te had

    ^ a always gifen him credit , said he wonld ^*^ 7 ^ --that the papers should be granted . Th ere rzjr 60 a dming down of the Members or that ^^ a « to oppose his motion ; hut the Bight Hon . |^™» iad Haa that the p apers shonld be granted . £ * r » fcat had he moved for by way of coming at the v ^~ - 2 e had moyed for •* copy of all orders wMch k ^ wra issued iy the Poor Law Commissioners of jgaetionae to the Board of 0 naraians in the j . Xr ^ ^^ ion ance the formation of the same , in - ¦» , Tip tothel 3 tlnlayof April , 1842 ; also , copy of t spon the proceedongB of thB Board , and ^ tota thereon during that period , wMch have been jlT ** «» Assistant Poor Law CommiBsionera Mi . ^ JoaadMr . siott to the Poor Law Commissioners ; Z /^> * Z ^ tgTTtPVtf nf 4 > ia Tw *^ iim 1 » v TrtrfBTiAov In ^ ar > i ? K > i of to

    g ^* Board Guardians haTe acted contrary the B&VSL ? tte C ^^ ral Board at Somerset-house ; j » retcm o ! the number of times the said Assistant ^^» ConaniasionerB , Mr . Power and Mi . Mott , have tilr ; T ^^ Soard and the poorhouses of Keightey 5 fe ^ BH' Bnd ^ dates thereof ; abo , a return of fc-i tf o ? " iaTe made vn ihe raid Pooth 0 *** * SsfoiW ^ lniIni * ° * ^ mates within the tame on I ' lt "" ™ * of the union , and on the 1 st day of June , iaa W * * 'ffhat did the House tMnk the retain j ^ ojj T ? *** & the committee of the House had ^ sa ™ exaci opposition to the evidence of evtry jug- . ™ t had been examined before them , of all Ssj . ?^^ both for and against the law , that 2 £ r-Ha ^ f ^ T ^ " * ^ as untrne ? The Commissioners *« a »^ T etMn to ttB House of Cranmoni ,- " That * 3 a'S >?' pear aat JlT - Matt had made any report ^^^ °£ Aprfl , 18 i 2 ''—wMch had been ¦ brought j ^ tf ^ yi ? of the Suit Hon . Baronet for the pur-- a ^ ^®^ Kiim Odx . Perrand } down in the Honse ; tfiagj jTj *« commissioners had not any written \<^ r * » show in Tfhat spirit the aid Keighley "kBQjif ^ ttM had acted . " Now he ( Mr . Fetrand ) ^ ts ^* ;^^* 13 of S ^ wdians to listen to what was ¦ that

    e » i w ar - - » oK to tha Poor Law Commiasionite ^^^ ttee of Honse had beenappointed to ^ J ^^ tarth of iis allegations ; the committee «^ p ^ ^« J -were true , and this was . the return ^ % ttT * Cammisaoner * of SoniBraet-honseJ ^ Ufe-v 1 ray ** "e Poor Law Commissioners ^^ tortl a ° ns Were they to gratify private b ^» «»» up a itateaent which was false from bBT ^ w end , and then , when put to the test of Ssa ^ g 5 ° they to come fuiward and deliberately ^ is » ??* "tatementa had oot been made ? jTat iJ ^ f ** ' ^ Qeie was Mi . Mott now ? k * to ^ vC 601 ^ of ^^ "H * country had 2 « fc t » at he was dismissed from oflBce . 01 not TrJ 1180125 ^ <» * ccount of Ma cocdnct . « i&m V *^? ^ W * - Fenand ' s ) firm * as aa " ^ tha " he i » d had notice that 16 sna » ed , < io ? to " ^ S ^ he ^ enld l ^^ frl-D- lila Teiy conduct Kow , ose ^^ f ^ aRrT ¦^ MHo 11 - Baronet the First Lord ol *> ana if thai Right Hon . Baronet wonld

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    give him his kind attention for one mlnate , he thought he could convince Mm that he was in honour bound to do him an act of justice —( hear . ) The Right Bon . Baronet quoted from the Poor Law Commissioners report , wMch he drew from Ma red box j and when he did bo he turned round and looked at Mm ( Mr . Ferrand ) , a member of that House anxious to do his duty according to the beat of his ability , and said , " Let the Hon . Member , instead of babbling about green fields and all snch trash , go down into his own neighbourhood and inquire into the state of the workhouse there . " And the Hon . Member for HftiifaT shouted eut ; rt Within three-quarters of a mile of Mb pwn house " - — { a laugh ) . He ( Mr . Ferrand ) assented that it was so and how londly was the Right Hon . Baronet cheered by _» « . *•¦ ___

    certain Hon . Members opposite , who gloried in seeing him-pntdownbythe first Minister of the Crown—( hear , and a laugh ) . But at the Bame time he felt conscious that all the horrible scenes 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 , tor party purposes , should so deceive the Right Hon . Baronet-, ( bear , hear ) . He was abo determined to test the truth of the assertions of Mi . Powei , as well as to justify himsslf-in the sight of the Right Hon . Baronet and of the House ; and to show , therefore , that they were not such monsters in the parish of Single ? before tbe Poor Law , as to compel the living to companiaa with the dead , or to sleep fonr in a bed—and oh , how ete quently did the Right Hon . Baronet describe those horrors!—he ( Mr . Perrand ) moved that there be laid npon the table of the House returns of the numbers of

    times the assistant-commissionew Power and Mott had visited the boards of guardians of which the Bight Hon . Baronet had spoken , of how many reports they bad made concerning them , and of the number of inmates in the 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 poorhouse from the time of the formation of the union !—{ hear , 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 commiv Eioners . The giardiana and parishioners darst not interfere ; if iibiy did , they would act illegally . They were bound dewa in the strictest manner by the blessed Nsw Poor L » Wv * -ihear , hear . ) But what was the treatment of the poor there under the old law , and what-was it under thenew J The number of inmates in the poorhouse of Bintley , at tie formatioB of the

    umen , was 12 , not enough to fill all the beds . —( hear , hear . ) Wonld the Right Hon . Baronet belieVB that , under the new law , the number had increased to 56 ? —( bear , hear . ) And that crowded state of the house was under the sanction of ihe Poor Law Commissioners themselves , for their directions to the Board of Guardians were that the poer Bbould be crowded into that building , Inelnding the poor belonging to two other townsMps in that union . —( 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 think he was bound to give Borne explanation of the attack wMch he made upon Mm ( Mr . Perrand ) on a former occasion ?—( hear , hear . ) As long as we 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 enjoyment of every thing they had a right to expect by the 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 by the precepts of the Bible , iA cry of "Oh ! " and " hear , hear . ' *) He wished to bring under the notice of the House the dreaafnl state of the north of England in consequence of the operation of the New Poor Law ; and when he read a description of ihe condition of Buddersfield , he thonght that Hon . Members connected with the agricultural interest would say to themselves , ' It is high time for us to place our houses in order , for the New

    Poor . Law will soon operate in the aame manner upon us . " •* At the Guildhall , Huddersfield , on Tuesday last , 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 ii « of the differences ;—Golcor , £ 34 2 a ., old arrears , besides the last call of £ 200 ; Cmnbertrorth arrears , £ 21—call £ 60 ; Cumberwortb half-arrears , £ 20—call , £ 70 ; Shelly arrears , £ 20—call , £ 80 ; Thuratonland arrears , £ 60—call , £ 90 ; Linthwaite arrears , £ 95—call , £ 100 ; WMtley , ( Upper , ) arrears , £ 53 10 a . 64—call , £ 70 ; Scammoden arrears , £ 27—call , £ 100 ; Karkheaton 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 the last-named township , told the magistrates that it was absolutely impossible to get the rates collected , as tbe peeple were so very , yerj 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 wonld ask , then , was not the Huddersfield Union in a state of insolvency , when 156 summonses were issued against poor persons who had not the means of earning their daily bread , which they would if they could , and sixteen distress-warrants 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 state of misery qualifying them to be admitted as inmates of the workhouBe ?—( hear , hear ) . But the Poor Law Commissioners had lately discovered a new light , in the person of a Mr . Clements , whom they had sent down in tbe place of Mr . Mott ; and the manner in -which he had treated the guardians was such as to raise the blood of any mas of honourable and right feelings—( . heary The insolent and oveitwaiing manner in which , that person treated those who had grown grey in the sendee of the poor , respectable men , members of boards of guardians for years , telling them that they were

    ignorant of their duty , ana that through them tbe country was being eaten up by the poor , was almost unendurable —( hear ) . This Mi . Clements had told them that he went dewn to set them to rights . And how was he going to do that ? By cutting down a hill—( " hear , hear , " and a laugh ) . 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 bread in their own honest manner , to cut down a hill , and if it were four or five miles long , so much tbe better—it wonld give them mora exercise—{ hear , hear ) . Teat was the behaviour of that—what should he call him?—that Awnsfetnt . Poor Law Commissioner , —he could call him nothing worse—I cheers , and laughter ) . Tbe guardians inquired what was to be done after the 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 the

    new law , bnt 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 1836 ; and in twelve months more the rental of the small farmers in the parish wonld be wholly consumed . He would ask the Right Hon . Baronet , was that tbe method to be pursued to relieve the country from pauperism ?—( bear , hear ) . If such was the state of things in tbe North , where the people had manufacttzres to enable them in some measure to bear up under the new law , what would be the result in the 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 Honse for the indulgence he had received , he wonld now conclude by declaring his intention to support th * resolutions .

    Sir . Shabmah Crawfobp cordially supported the resolutions , considering them to be borne out by facts . Sir R * . Pkkl said , he -wished very briefly to advert to a statement which had fallen from the Hon . Gentleman the member for Knaresboxongb . The Hon . Gentleman had referred to a former debate , in the course of which he ( Sir R . Peel ) had addressed the Honse , and bad stated that , in alluding to the report of the committee of that House respecting the reports of Sir John Walsham and Mr . Motfcj he had misconstrned the expressions contained in the reports . The Hon . Member further quoted that repori , and having adduced certain passages in it had expressed a hope that he ( Sir R . Peel ) would

    now alter his opinion , and , being convinced that the construction put on the expression was erroneous , wonld explain his error to the House . Now , he ( Sir R . Feel ' ) was sore that if he had misconstrued any expressions ,- he should be qnite ready to explain away bis error , but since the Hon . Gentleman had spoken be had referred to tbe report , and be did not find that such error of construction existed . The Hon . Gentleman said that tbe report g&re a complete contradiction to what he bad stated . Now , he had referred to the report , and what did he find there He found that Dr . Nicboll was in tbe chair , and that on the question being pnt" thatthiB report , as agreed to , paragraph by paragraph , be reported to the Honse" Mr . Grimsditch moved a long series of

    reso-, lutions of a tenor opposed to tbat of tbe report , and on a division there were tbree for the amendment , and eight against it . The Hon . Member for Marylebone ( Sir C . Napier ) voted with the majority . So much , then for the general view of tbe report bj the Hon . Member . Now , what as to its particular references 1 With respect to Sir John Walsaam ' s report , it said , " No attempt bas been made to infpngnihe general accuracy , nor , with one or two trifling and immaterial exceptions , any of the details of Sir John Walsbam ' s report . " ( Hear , hear . ) With respeet to the dead body story , it said , " At

    Keighley frequently , at Bingley only once , and then with the foil consent of the other occupants of the room , dead bodies of pabpers lave been left till burial in the beds which they occupied whilst living , and in the room where the other paupers , who Bad been their companions during life , still continued to sleep ; bnt shbets were snspended round the bed in which the corpse lay ! and the expression , that the ' corpse companioned the living , ' was not intended to conTev that the same bed was at the same time occupied £ y the dead and the living . " Then with respect to Mr . Mott ' s report , what was the evidence of the committe * I They said , " Year committee is

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    of opinion , that his report is borne out in all its most important allegations , by the evidence of the witneses who came forward to impugn it ; though undoubtedly it contains some expressions which are too general and unqualified . 15 In what respect , then , he asked , haa he ( Sir R . Peel )" misconstraed the expressions in the report ? He did not really understand what was the poiut of the Hon . Member ' s charge . Mr . Ferrasb explained that what he had asserted was to the effect that the report was in opposition to the evidence taken before the committee ; and he would refer to tha \ evidence , as published , to shew whether his statement was true or not . With

    regard to the Keighley union , he 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 twelre inmates , whilst under the new law the poor of two townships went into it , and the number was consequently raised to h'fty-five . Sir R . Peel said the question was whether Sir John WalBham ' s report was or was not generally correct . That was the question . He found that the committee affirmed that report , and he could not help thinking that it was substantially correct . Mr . Fbrkand 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 . C . Wood said he perfectly remembered stating that the Hon . Gentleman , the Member for Kuaresborough , was chairman of tbe Keighley board of guardians , and had been from the formation of the union an $ x efficio guardian in consequence of his being a justice of the peace ; and he also remembered remarking on tbe singular laot that the abuses Btated by Sir J . Walsham oconrred within , he believed , a quarter of a mile of the Hon . Member ' s own door , he being either chairman of the union , or ex officio guardian as before stated . ( Hear , bear . )

    Air . Febband again explained . Although he was certainly an ex officio guardian , he had refused to be a party to enforcing a law of which he bo highly disapproved ( " oh , oh ! ' ) , 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 . Waltbb then replied as follows : —After all the debate that has token place , the question is simply-ihis—whether the House will Bupport a law resting upon and embodying as it were the very bouI 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 I acquired possession of this document , I do not know that I am called upon to give tho satisfaction he requires ( hear , hear : ) and 1 beg to say , further , that 1 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 tbe Right Hon . Gentleman ( hear ) , but feel inclined to

    adopt and act upon my independent convictions of duty . ( Hear , hear . ) Here is a most scandalous communication ( hear ) , upon which is founded a most unconstitutional and moat 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 so , 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 projeot of guilt whatever can be detected . The authors have only to eay , " We arc 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 1 have other documents of iheirs , undeniably authentic , to which their names are not attached . ( Hear , hear . ) Besides , any document printed at the public oxpence , I submit , ought to be at the disposal of the public . ( Hear , hear . ) I should like to know how long tbe word " secret" is to be in operation . ( Hear , hear . ) 1 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 is the duty of every man to know by whom and by what means this legislative provision has b ? en hatched . ( Hear , hear . ) But their most authentic acts I find are now disputed , even the . dietary of the Cirencester

    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 so reprehensible a proceeding . ( Hear , hear . ) Evidence was in tbat 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 tuppressio veri—as indeed his activity in favour of the law would in no case suffer him to be second—wa 3 the present Right Hon . Home

    Secretary , who , though he acted as one of the committee , was really mistaken by one of tbe witnesses , as he will well 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 I intended to do if these resolutions were agreed to . Why , Sir , the Right Hon . Baronet himself supplies me with an answer . I have not , " said he" 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 . ( " Hear , " and a Jaugb . ) Now as for the relaxations which have been spoken of . Tiiat must be a bad law , in the first place , 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 dut-door relief , but why ! Because the workhouses at this period of nou-employment and public distress oannot 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-honses cannot contain them . ( Hear , hear . ) The Right Hon . Baronet spoke of the county of Bedford , which my Hon . Friend haa called his pet countj . ( " Hear , bear , " and a laugh . )

    I willjast mention a pet union of hisfhearjbear)—the West Hampnett Union . A day or two ago I received a letter , stating that "in the West Hampnett Union several parishes raise voluntary rateB , 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 this system . The above information I had from two collectors of voluntary rates . I could send you strong cases of the Poor Law being tbe 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 dungcarts into tbe 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 upon this . It ia aa 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 abont thirty , with two infants in her arms , eight ohilaren , apparently all of them under ten years of age , and three whose ages might be from thirteen to sixteen years , two of them girlB and the third a boy . There were two others whom we did not Bee , making ap a party of eighteen . One of the men stated that they came from Towersey , ; in Buckinghamshire . The farmers , he said , called 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 tts that they thought our families 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 come ; we started accordingly to Mr . Waterhouse's , at Glossop . In answer to ques tions , the man said , six 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 brine them down , and do the best for them he could . '

    The firBt 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 us ; we were put in a bit of a warehouse ; and I have bf en there with my family three weeks , lying on a bis of straw , which ia the only bed I have had . The parish , ' he said , in answer to questions , * paid the expenEe of our journey down . We went by the boat to Marple , where they told us there was to be a cart to meet us 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 SEL u were 8 eat from 09 R own parish to Cod-& $ ? - ! ¦ # * £ ° with' a gentleman named WUham Clark , We travelled nearly forty miles , ^ Zlt 5 a wag& °° » to the boat to where we embarked . Clark came back with us to the boat , and when we had embarked he told us that we were going to Mr . Waterhouse ' s , at Glossop . Two other families came with us . I cannot tell whether Mr . Waterhouso had desired our overseer to send any hands . 1 worked at Mr , Waterhouse ' s ; three week / , but yesterday he hired a cart aud sent us in it to Manchester . The carter put us down in the street , and left us ; he has sent another cartload this morning , l aavrt seen them in townand he would have

    , T 'Jfu yf ! terday ' but the cart would not hold u& all ; so he told one of the women he would send them t ^ h ^ T ^ tH hi 8 ° r 0 Brt ' l d 0 n > i kD 0 W 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 Buckinghamshire . The magistrates expressed much indignation at tha deception which had been praotvsed upon these unfortunate people , and intimated that the parties principally concerned in thus 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 inanirien on th «

    E £ hi It ° p r ) M T * *** & ** ** * gentleman employed by the Poor Law Commissioners ; and it was arranged that the overseers should go up to him , represent the case . and obtain his assistance , if possible , la 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 careshould 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 Cottoa-tree publio house , in Anooats , of course entire strangers , 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 propositioa that has been advanced on the other side ; but at this lato hour of the night I decline bringing them under the notice of the House . The resolutions which I now propose I consciensoiously believe to assert truths . They may be unpalatable to the present Ministers , as all propositions I have made on 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 them —( cheerp . ) To meet the views of many Hoh . 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 12 G For 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 tbe 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 tbe publio 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 for the reduction of our fitate expencea , and for the adoption of such measures as will famish tbe 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 the Government of the consequences which would ensue if nothing 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 diffjtent departments had their estimates rigidly revised by tbe Treasury ; but such 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 the present ; complained of the great increase in the half pay and pensions , and contended that our expenditure , aheuld be made to conform to our ruveniifi .

    Sir R . Peel thought that many of the topics urged might have been reserved for explanation , until the estimates 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 the increase in the charge for widows and orphans rwas the result of the recommendation of the parliamentary committee . Mr . Williams bad omitted the charge for the Irish estimates , in comparing tbe expenditure of 1791 with subsequent years ; and in considering the necessary expenditure of a great country like this , reference must be bad to other considerations than revenue , as the dispositions of foreign powers , and the necessity ot 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 Howick in his speech 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 redoctioa would be effected in our Mediterranean establishment , which would be done in perfect dependence on the good faith and feeling of Prance . There was a great interest growing up in that eountry interested in the maintenence of peace ; newspapers were not always the organs of public opinion , and we might despise the ravings of those who were : clamourous for war . In the army , navy , and ordnance estimates there wonld be a reduction of £ 832 , 000 ; and he could assure tbe House 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 interest 9 of the country .

    Mr , Francis Baring then rose to move for papers respecting the dismissal of Mr . Hosklns from acting as Deputy Judge-Advocate at Portsmouth . He was the last person in tbe House to interfere with the prerogative of the Crown : but there were certain situations dependent on the royal pleasure which were not considered as renioveable on merely political grounds . Mr . Hoskina had been appointed by the late Government , and bis qualifications had been admitted by the present ; but he had been summarily dismissed , without complaint and without reason , except tbat his sitnation

    was not one for life . He ( Mr . Baring ) belioved that Mr . Hoskina had been dismissed because he was a Whig , and bis successor appointed because he was a Tory . No stain rested on bis professional or his private character , and he now filled the office of Mayor of Portsmouth by the unanimous wish of bis fellow townsmen . His appointment had a judicial character ; but he had been dismissed with as little 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 ot defence could be

    given . Sir George Staunton seconded the motion , and bore testimony to the character of Mr . Hoskins . Mr . Sydney Herbert explained tbat Mr . Hoskins held no appointment nndtr the Crown . The office of Deputy Judge Advocate being in abeyance , Mr . Hoakins had for eleven years acted , pro hoc vice , on the election of courts martial , the members of which could choose whom they pleased . He bad on one occasion been set aside by a coutt martial ; and the Admiralty , having

    determined to re-establish tbe permanent office of Deputy Judge-Advooate , in order to obviate possible public iaconvenience , the Board chose the son of the previous functionary who had filled the office , be 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 he held no office under the Crown , so it followed that tbe Admiralty had not displaced one officer by another , on the score of political opinion .

    Mr . Chabxes Wood thought that Admiralty should have offered the office of Deputy Judge-Advocate to Mr . Hoskins , and that political considerations had restrained them from doing so . ' He had an equitable claim to the 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 Palkerston remarked that there never was a clearer case , in which one perBoh 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 CaBtoms , 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 official nature of the situation held by Mr . Hoskins . He admitted tbat in appointments a Government might properly recognise its friends , but it should not punish those opposed to them . After & few observations from Mr . Escott ,

    Sir Robert Peel Bald , that as the Government had agreed to give the papers asked for , the whole transaction would be distinctly understood . He admitted that the letter of Six 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 had previously filled it for thirty-five years . He admitted the general principle of recognising service , andof net changing officers filling responsible situations , and he claimed for his Government the merit of having nude as few changes as any Government , even where they might have been most entitled to do so , namely , in diplomatic appointments .

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    Mr . Labovchere was satisfied , front the speech of Sir Robert Peel , that if be bad been consulted , this transaction would not have taken' place . £ le had been a junior lord when Sir James Graham was at the head of the Admiralty , and be then witnessed a great public department admirably conducted ! Such a letter as that of Sir John Barrow's dismissing Mr . Hoskins , would not then have been permitted to have left the offica He looked upon the affair as an ungenerous attempt to csw 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 . Blew itt called the attention of the House to the state of the North Boundary question between this country aud the United States , and asked information as to the course which the Government meant to pursue with respect to it 1

    Sir Robert Peel hoped that ! Mr . Blewitt would not infer the disposition of the American Government from the 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 . sydnet hebbebt rose tojmove the Navy EstJ . mates . Compared with the previous year , there is to be a reduction of 4000 men , and a decrease in expenEe of £ 143 , 000 ; and on the entire estimates there will be a saving of £ 435 , 000 , . A discussion followed , which lasted tbe remainder of the evening , after which the vote ! was agreed to , and the House adjourned .

    Mondat , Feb . 27 . Lord Ashley presented some petitions against any interference with tbe beneficial working of the Collieries ' Regulation Bill , passed last session . Mr . R . Yorks 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 the exception , of course , of those modified clauses recognized by the House at the close of last session . Sir J . Graham said , that tbe principle of the bill would be identically the Bame , 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 last session , and some alteration as to the apprenticeship clause , and there would be some additional clauses . ¦

    Tbe Speaker then said , "I understand that the Serjeant-at-Artns has a communication to make to the House . " ] The Serjeant-at-Arms then apppeated at the bat , aud on being called 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 , his attorney . As the writ did not state the nature of ihe trespass , I thought it proper to enter an appearance to the aotion . On Saturday last I was served with a declaration , which shows that the suit was in consequence of my having taken into custody Thomas Barton Howard , and was against William Bellamy for having taken him to the prison of Newgate : but 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 the House , and the direction of the House as to the course We shall pursue "—( hear , hear ) . >

    The writ of summons and declaration were then laid on the table and read by tbe clerk , j The Solicitor-General said , he did not rise for the purpose of making any motion on the subject of the communication which had been m ^ de by the Sergtantat-Arras ; but he thought that it would be more satisfactory that the papers presented fby the Sergeaot-at-Arms shonld be printed with tbe votes , and that they should take them into consideration to-morrow , and ke then gave notico 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 the Sergeant-at-Arms and some of his deputies , and in which be understood tbat a sum of money had been paid to the plaintiff in tbat aotion by order of the Treasury . If tbat were so , he thought ; that although that proceeding might be perfectly right , these papers should be laid before tbe Honse . Sir . R . Peel said tbat whatever information the Government possessed upon the subject should be laid before the House . i The papers laid before the House by the Sergeant-at-Arms were then ordered to be printed with the votes . '

    Mr . T . Egerton wished to makei one or two observations on a statement made the other evening by the Hon . Member for Finsbury with respect to the treatraant of prisoners confined in Knuteford House of Correction . Since that statement had 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 ; as [ the charges of the Hon . Member affected the discipline of the gaol aud the character of the magistrates . The Hon . Member stated , in tbe first place , 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 ia the aftlernoen . Lees said .

    " I don't know tbat I ever was put on on any particular occasion . " On neither occasion was he there more than half an hour . The Hon . Gentleman had also tefemd to the case of RoWeit Wild , another prisoner , who declared that on entering the gaol " he was told by the gaoler that the discipline was very severe , that he 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 he said that " on the : day when he went to the gaol the governor read tbe 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 such an effect on their icsnatitutions as by tbe time he had done with them itheir constitutions 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 , that they imade no complaint of any of the officers , or of the treatment they received , tbat the quality of the food was good , but that they complained of tbe shortness of the quantity . They never applied to the governor for anything bat they were sure to be attended to immediately , or he showed a disposition to attend to | the request . He ( Mr . Egerton ) could assure the House that the magistrates were most anxious in their j administration of the affairs of tha gaol , while they Wished to enforce discipline , to afford as much indulgence as possible , and to insure forbearance on the part of the officers .

    Mr . T . Duncombe thought the House ought to receive such statements , when obtained from prisoners through the magistrates , with very great caution . Tbe account he bad 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 House of Correction . He was not surprised at the version which had now been reeeived through the gaoler and the magistrates , from prisoners who had two years' imprisonment to undergo , and who m » ght well be supposed to have the dread of additional suffering inflicted on them if they persisted in tbe account they had 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 of what he had Btated wilh reference ! to the Knutsford

    House of Correction . ' It was rather { singular , that the statement he made had appeared id the newspapers some time ago , and had never till ] the present hour been contradicted . He bad also Been the statement of Thomas Clark , a fellow prisoner with Wild and Lees , whose period of Imprisonment having expired bore testimony to the conversation with the gaoler , and exposed the cruel treatment and sufferings they had endured . He himself had written to Mr . Allison , a person living at Stockport , and desired him to go over to Knutaford and Bee 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 prisoners . The turnkeyhowever , stated , tbat prisoners were only

    , allowed to see their friends once in three months , and all the ptiBoueTS having keen seen { within that time except Wild , he was allowed about ; ten minutes ' conversation with him in the presence of the turnkey . In the letter he received , Wild was described as a mere skeleton ; from being plump-faced , as he was when admitted , hia bones , from inadequate diet , now almost protruded through the skin . He complained bitterly of the conduct of Lord Abinger , who , once he heard a man was a Chartist , seemed to think that was enough to sea ! bis 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 Kuutsford eaol , he had no doubt lie would be able to substantiate all the charges which he had made

    against it j Mr . T . Egerion said 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 ot 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 Finsbary on the evidence of Mr . Allison , who was described to be a creditable witness , was directly at variance with that iriade by his 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 , hear . ) There were also other parts of the statement made by Mr . Allison well worthy of investigation . It was j therefore , expedient that inquiry should take place ; and if the Hon . Member for Finsbury would give 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 tbe circumstances of the case ; whose report , when presented , should be laid on tbe table of the House . —( Hear , hear . ) ¦

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    Lord ASHLEY took that opportunity of calling tha 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 . Gumrdian of this day , where you will find a statement of facts relative to the cruel treatment a boy has undergone , or endured , at tbe hands of bis inhuman master , a collier , residing at Blackley , four miles from this place . It is not in the power of language to describe , or of imagination to conceive , the spectacle presented to my view when I examined his 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 me to the workhouse and has given the substance of the boy ' s narrative . I have just 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 tbe treatment and sufferings he had endured for some weeks back , with an artless * ness 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 of the statement , though defended by a professional gentleman , and the justices discharged tbe 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 Hali / itoe Guardian , and he thought he was justified in calling the attention of the House to the case , because he had last year affirmed the total and immediate cancelling of apprenticeships for underground operations , and if that clauao bad not been reversed elsewhere such a case as the present never could have happened . The Halifax Guardian thus reported the case : —( The report will be found at length i n another column ) . Having read the statement he had to appeal to the Right Hon . Gentleman the Secretary for the Home Department , 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 , m order that his report might be laid on tbe table of the Honse . Such a step would not only be justified by the act , bnt by precedent ; some time ago , wheu the Noble Lord the member fox London ( Lord J . Russell ) was Secretary for the Home Department , an analogous case occurred of great atrocity . He appealed to his Noble Friend , who caused an inquiry to take place and the report to be laid on tbe table . Two years after another case occurred , into which Lord Normanby also directed an inquiry , the result of which was reported to the House ; but , apart from all precedent whatever , and from the act itself , he felt quite sure that tbe Right Hon . Baronet would be most ready te extend the protection and aid of his important office to such helpless and destitute objects —( heart .

    Sir J . Graham could assure his noble friend , that although this case was entirely unknown to him till tha Noble Lord commenced his address to the House , ha most warmly sympathized with him in tbe feeling of disgust which snch a statement musl create iu tha breast of every gentleman who heard it ; at the samo time , all would agree with him iu 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 the district , and if the 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 stating to the House , tbat notwithstanding anything which had occurred elsewhere with respect to the act of last session , no one was more anxious than he was to give effect 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 tha case of General . Conway ) of the Pake of Wellington , as Commander-in-chief , holding a seat in the cabinet As a conspicuous political bi& 3 ; and his Grace had himself , on a former occasion , declared his opinion that the commander-in-chief should not be a member of tha 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 h « did not conceive that it was contrary to constitutional analogy for that high functionary to be a member of the cabinet . Lord John Russell had referred to the previous case of General Conway ; and the Duke of Wellington had been , at one time , Master

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

    throughout the country , it was , he thought , the duty of tbe House to endeavour to alleviate that distress by lightening tbe burden of taxation . This , he conceived , could not be effectually done , nnless they tootC into consideration the whole public expenditure of tha country , and th& means by which it was to be defrayed ; and in bis opinion , before they assented to vctes of the publio money , they ought to know what amount of revenue might be drawn from the country without unnecessarily oppressing the people . It had been said that the necessary expenditure of the country 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 , 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 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 recourse for . defraying their votes . He objected generally to the extravagant nature of the present civil and military establishments ; aud he thonght this extravagance had ariseu from , no regard being had to the resources ot the country at the time when those establishment ? were formed . The Government might think that this doctrine was tainted with tha principles of Radical Reform , which he was awara 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 out of doors which be , had not courage to support in that House . He found that 100 , 846 men were required for the army of this kingdom , 38 , 000 men bein # 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 tbe United kingdom 1 He found tbat iu Great Britain there was a force of 25 , 127 men ; and , if the Government conceived that such an army was 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 n % reduction was made , be considered it a strong proof that 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 the House to the wanton and extravagant expenditure incurred for the staff , which amounted to the sum of £ 165 300 . He wished to know what necessity existed for keeping up such an expensive staff , which in his opinion was almost useless ! The expene ^ of the staff at head-quarters ,, in London , was £ 16 , 800 . The

    pay of the Duke of Wellington as Field-Marshal was £ 16 8 s 9 d per day , or £ 6 , 000 a year ; and he innat say it seemed to him wholly unnecessary that any officer should receive auch pay . There were ir : the united kingdom fourteen different stations of .. bp staff , the number of which might , he thought , ba greatly reduced . Tbe expencea of the Commander-in-Chief ' s office , were £ 17 , 000 a-year ; those of tbe Adjutant-General ' s , £ 12 , 000 ; and of the Quartermaster-General ' s , £ 6 . 600 . Ho considered this au enormous expenditure of the public money ; and he thought the business might be effectively conducted at a much less cost He found in tbe army estimates an item of £ 117 , 787 for volunteer corps . He would put it to tbe House , what services were rendered by these volunteer corps which entitled them to tsnch an amount \ Was there any record of their ever receiving the thanks of the House for their services , which must have been the case if those

    services had been important and valuable ? He faund In tbe non-effeotive service 198 generals , who cost the country £ 89 , 000 ; the amount paid to officers retired on fall pay was £ 64 , 000 ; and the pensions allowed to soldiers amounted to £ 1 , 243 , 176 . The allowance to retired servants of the military departmentjwas £ 41 , 000 . In the Ordnance Department' there were numerous heavy , expences , iu which he thought great reductions might be effected . The effective force of the nasal service for the last year cost £ 4 , 632 , 000 ; tbe non-effwetive , £ 1 , 390 , 000 ; there being 184 admiral * on the non-effective list Then , in tbe civil department , he found that the salaries ^^ Lotberwc- w penses of the Home-office cost the country ^ 8 BQWJl »» sx 5 the expences of the Exchequer were £ 18 , oeo ; : < apono % ; If . the Privy CouncU and Board of Trade £ 32 , fl 0 ftffiflffi ^> - ^ ing to the estimates of the last year . % » TOWI | W ^ to retired and superannuated officers in Wf ^^ gHsS ^ O partment amounted to £ 84 , 000 . To ot ^ mmgmm ^ tJ ^^

    appeared in the estimates of last year , t ° i ^| pa ©*^^« ' 4 ^* i 2 for secretservice money , he strongly , . cfo eM ^ fjpS ^ i ^*; t thought , then , after the statements he ¦^*> g ^^* r- > a ^§' » 7 some nwaus should be taken to alter ta \^ ti ^^|^| ^ ' ^ ^ g J ( Continued in our Eighth P « tf « J ^* i \ to * 7 » aTi > M « t \ t ! SM . ! fNi

    Untitled Article

    __ THE NORTHERN STAR . 7 «••_ . " ' — ' ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ i . ¦ , ,. — ¦ . n . —hi — . ,, —^^^—fc ^ ' ^^ ' ^^^^ MJ ""* " ^ 'M ^ ' —¦ " . ^ ' ^^ " ^^ T ^^^^ " ^^^ ^ *~^ ' ^ m ^^^^ F ^^^ 1 ^ E *^ ^^ ^™ ¦ . ' — nw"

• 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-ncseproduct640/page/7/