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    ( Con&ntisdfront oar Sixth pape . J fines imposed * ip ° n J ^™ . but how trifhng tfm theii amount -rfcen they loosed ' at file insult be had infiicled on fcnmwity 1 Sat , listen again to what this inspector Bid— " ^ ° defence was attempted , except the ofttn repeated one of ban ? pressad to complete aa order for shipment , the profits of which -would have been lost if jfcey badnofBsdertaKentoscpply the-whole quantity regmred . The magistrates -would Dot entertain this plea v affording sny justification for so gross an abase of the power an employer can exercise over the operatives in % district where labour is redundant I regret to say ibe mHI-occupiera & ° ^ o * stand alone responsible for Bii 3 cruelty towards the young females . " No ; the parents bad been driven by the surplus labour of the ¦ oath to yozk their own offspring to death forexistenca . :===============

    *» Ifsras proved tkat a pirent had not merely consented to sjcrince the physical powers of his child for money , fcnt obliged his tender girl to exert herself to the last . j ) arin £ the period the mill-was at -work , some of the girls were obliged to "withdra-w . from physical inability to work longer . Ths parent of one young woman , about ninsteen jeara of age , -was determined to brave the punishment consequent npon opposing tie -will of the it& 3 ter , Tit dismissal from -work for the fntnre . He proceeded at four o ' clock on Saturday afternoon to tire jniH , fortunately obtained bccessto thSTOOm "where las jul bad been -working from five o ' clock on Faday Bioming . and insisted on "withdrawing her . He ultimately succeeded , but not . is he informs bk , until iotb . the managing partner , Mr . Thrclfall . and h ; s son .

    tad endeavoured forcibly to remove bim from the 1 premises . This and the other cases of overwork -which | fcave occurred -within the lasl two years in the Brad- i ford district must surely convince the most sceptical of > the absolute necessity of a strong la-sr to protect "the i labouring class in these districts ; and the ofiloera employed may r « -asonably deem such cases as indicating That is to be txpected among a certain class of mills sadera more active state of trade . ** There -was not a member in the House , he lilr . Perrand ) < iid cot care to , vhat party he might belong , -who could have heard this i statement , and -who -wonld sot bluah for ths honour of ; his country . ( Hear . ) There » ever -was , ho would Ttn- | tare to ssy , in the history of England , so disgraceinl a j piece of condnst draped to public light in the House I « f Commons by a 3 I « nber against a man -who had the )

    poser of ira-. ctiBiJ such horrors on his fellow-country- ! men- The J « ew Poor law had placed this power in ! tb&i man ' s biuirtft . He had low that po-wer over the i people in the neighbourhood of his railL The Right ! Bon- Baronet smiled ! Prom plundering and perse- J . eating to death the -working classes in the neighbour- ; kood of his mill the -working classes bad strnck against j him ; they had refused to be any lo-ger his alaves-, > bis mill stood still . He "was enabled to pro-ride the ' sissns once more cf -working it ; and -where did hei fnd this ? Under the r * ew Poor Law . He applied to the Skipton - wsrkhoase , aad they supplied him ¦ wiin twenty hands . He -would ask the Bight Hon . j Bjronet -where those twenty hands bow -were ? The : Bight Hon . Baronet had a heart , he rMt Ferrand ) \

    toe * , within his breast to -which the dies of these poor ¦ wretches -would nst plead in -Jain . He had stated some of the consequences of this New Poor Lair spon the masses in the north of England . If the House TrcnW allow him he -would stais -what -was the conduct of tbs Assistant Poor Law Commissioners in ths admixLtr&tkra of this la ~ w ; and in doing so , he < Mr FtrisbS ) doubted not that the Fiat Lord of the Treasury would render an act of justice to him as weil as to the parishioners of the township -where he lived , "when he had explained the * candalwis conduct of the Assistant Poor Law Commissioners . Darin *; the discussion of tfee 2 ftw Poor law in that House Hon . Members would remember -with -what glee the Bi « hi Hon . Baronet the Piret Lard of the Treasury had opened the red box

    be-fure him , and dragged out a statement from Mr . Mott . Paragraph after paragraph he rend , bringing charges the most tmtrue against the Ksighley Board of ( Haitians . He Q&i . Rrrand ) had sat perfectly composed behind him , feedng that he should have very litUa difficulty to prove to his conviction , that -the siate-Sifcats marie by Mr . Mott "were untrue , and contradictions had passed between the light Hon . Baronet and himself . This had ended in a challenge on the part of the Ri « ht Hon . Baronet to him O&x . Fcrranfl ) to move for a committee of inquiry , -when the gallant commodore the Member for Maryleboce , always ready for the fight , gave notice of a motion for a committee rf inquiry , and be ( Mr . Femtau ) -nndersxosd that he had brandished his stick above his head on leaving the house , and

    said " hfi had < -mg *»< - tbe Hon . Member for Scaseahoronsh in a trap it last . ' That irqairy had taieo place , snd eo convinced -was he ( Mr . Fcrrandj that he could disprove the statements of Mr . Mott that he had assented to the » embers of the committee proposed by the Right Hon . Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury at once ; for he -was convinced that half-atii-x ^ n ¦ witnesses connected -with tne Keighiey Union * ould prove every irord of Mr . Jiott * s statement to be false . The « oHHnittee had been moved for and appointed . The n ^ xt day when he < 24 r . Ferrand ) came to the House as Hon . Member bad said to him " WhT , von ieolish fellow , you have agreed to a pocked committee ; they-will report against you . ' Ha { Mr . perrand ) had repYi ^ -d . he did not care what sort at a

    committee there was , the -witnesses -would > rove the truth . Two magistrates , both Whigs , -who had taken an active psrt in The -forwarding of the measure , and TPho were stMLBDUs supporters of the New Poor Law , lesal and mp « ti ^ i&cers connected -with the union , had been examined as witnesses , and every one of thsm , Trithaut exception , had declared that ill . ilotta report -was untrue . The committee had reported that" Mr . M ott ' s ¦ report -was borne ons ia las impert « it allegationa . " He ( Mi . P ^ xsssd ) iesT * tie «* thai there should have been an attempt in that committee to -whitewash that public cSier . Let any man read the evidexce given before that committee ; the Hon . Member f or FiMibury aat on it , and woold bear him our in what he * tata 3 , and he would be convij-eediiiat the evidence -was-oppoied to the rtport . f

    Thecommittee bad reported that Mr Motis statement was true . Mr . Mott . inhisreport , amongst othez things , aaio : " £ 3 d April , 1642 . I attended a meeting x > l the board rf ^ uardiana of ths Keigbley Union on Wednesday , the 13 : h instant , and regret to have to report to ycnr board , that the proceedings of xbe-guardiana are v ^ ry TOoal&aetoTV ; in thort , thty are entirely at variance Trith die provisions of the law , and the directions of jour board . " Ee iMr . Ferrand } had put it to the vote in that committee , upon the evidence of every witness , eaeh of -whom had proved th ^ t no instructions whatever had been received irom the Poor Law Commissioners , except the original instructions , . and that therefore the board ef guardians had acted in direct accordance with Mm original instruetiDns ; but the committee had come

    to a vote against the evidence . He musk tell the House , however , that the gailant commodore ( Sir C Kapler ; 2 »< t -rcrted bj aii ^ taie , xtai las opiDion waa not " that Hi 2 t 5 ctfs rtport iras bonw oat , in all its roost importiii aUegations by ths evidence of the witnesses " » bo had -come forward to impugn it , " and when he had found out that this was the rase be had protested against his vote being recorded ; bet this opinion of the committee bid gone forth to the worid as the conviction of the Son- and € tatlant Commodore . Bnt he f Mx . Perracd ) was sot a man to be put -down by the wbiu > - * Mhic £ system . He came to the House and he told the Sense thai jnsiit * had nut been ricue . ; that the public hwl been pat t * great expense for the purpoie of eoming Jt the trcih , and that he still would seek for it in that

    House . He was informed that opposition was to be Slide to a motion of which he had sjven notice for a return of certain papers relative to this question ; but the BiEht Hon . Baronet the First Lord of the Tressnry , with that 2 trai 2 htforward ro&nlin ££ B cf conduct for - » iacii he had a / w ^ ys given him crodit , said he would » ot allow it—that the papers shonla be granted . There had heea a driving down of ihe Jiemfcers of that committee to oppose his motion ; but the Bight Hon . Baroset had sajd that the p -ptrs shonid be granted , -aad what had he moved for by wsy cf -comisB at the tomh ? He had moved tor " copy of all orders which have been issued by the Poor Law Commissionexs of 5 oiBerset-bf > use to the Board of Goaroiana in the K'ajhity Union since the formation of the same , in

    1838 , up to the ISth day of April , 18 * 2 ; also , copy of attrtportB upon the proceedings of the Board , ana Wnnlaintg ttexeon during that period , ^ hiehbavts been " nade by the Assistant Foot Law Ck >» niissiocfcra Mr . I ' o ^ erandMi . llotito the Poor Law Commissioners ; sJ * 0 j a statement cf the particular instances in which tf » said Board of Guardians have acted contrary to the diree&ms of the Central Board at Somerset-honse ; ^ o a return of the number of times the said Assistant Poor Law CommiaiioBers , Mr . Vcsa and Mr . M ott . have Tinted the said Board snd the pjorhoHses of JLeighley *^ dBmgley } and the dates thereof ; also , a return of ths reports they have mace on the wid poorhoosea , •^ « f the number of itmaies within the tame on the fonnston of the nDion , and on the 1 st day of Jnne ,

    I £ i 2 . " ^ fow , -what did the House thini the return k * d been after the eonsnnttee of the House bad ported in exact opposition to the evidence of every "" ^ aB fh ? t had been tximiced before them , of all J ^ Ktieal yarties , both lor and against the law , that sir Mott had statea what waa untrue ? The Commissioners fM sent this retnrnto the Hwise of Commons , —*• That & did not appear that Mr ilott had lead e any report * & the 30 aTof April , 1842 "—which had been brought ** & of the box of the BVht Hon . Barontt lor tia por-P « e el puning jum ( Mr . Ffcrrand ) down in the House ; and that the comBusEioxiers had not any -written fleece to show in Tsbat spirit the saia KtighWy wad of gnaxdianB had acted . " Now be { Mr . Fcirand ) ^ jaia as k the board of guardians to listen to what was » oeccEnfi-nct of Mr . Mott to the Poor Law Commission-?*¦ _ A committee vf that Bouse tad been appointed to * f 3 nire into the truth of feis allegatiu-Es ; the committee kkred

    <« that they were true , and this was the return j w the Poer Law Commissiouera of SomerEet-hou « i ! "M this the waj -the Poor Law Commissioners ] * ere fc treat that Huust 2 Wese they to gratify private j ^^ g to draw up a slatem ent which was falsa from I ?^ 2 hig to enQ , ai . d then , when put to the testtfj t ft&h , Trere thej to come l ^ rwsxti » id defiberately j ^^^ that Kicb . EialtmcnlB had not been made ?! ** te wculd ask , -srbtw was Mi Mott now ?) > aat tad become or him ? The conntry had ] ^* a told that he -aaa dismissed from office . ] ^ " he been dismisEed on account of his conduct i ™ «! i 3 qufcstion ? Bib tMr . Ferrand-s ) firm j ^¦ CTl ttiQj , -ffs ^ tn&t j . g j ^ jj bad jiQJ-. ce tbit , « cid not thooBB to resign , he would : ^ L ^ P ^ sd for this very conduct Now , one ^^^ ah the Bight Hon . Baicnei the First Lord of ] Jl e 66 ory ; sa 4 if Uat BigU Bun . Baronet would

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    Stive hto his kind attention for one minute , be tbousbt ba nm convince him that he was in honrar bo 4 d ^ 4 o ium an act of justice— < hear . > The Bight Hon . Baronet quoted from the Poor Law Commissioners repart , which he drew from his red box ; a :, d when he did ao he turned round and looked at him ( Mr . Ferrand ) , a member of that House anxiouB to do his duty according to the best of his ability , aBd said . Let the Hon . Member , instead of babbling about green fields and aU such trash , go down into his own neighbourhood and inquire into the state of the workhouse there . " And the Hon . Menrtwr for Halifax shouted out . Within three-quarters of a mile of his own h- ^ use" ( a laugh ) . He ( i ! r . FerraBd ) assented that it was so and how loudly was the Right Hon . Baronet cheered by

    certain JHon . Members opposite , who gloried in seeing him put tiowa by the first Minister of the Crown— ( hear , 4 ni a laugh ) . But at the same time he felt conscious that all the horrible scenes described by the R ; gfct Hon . Baronet , and horrible they w » -je , could not have taken place ; and he said that it was a disgrace to the country that Poor Law Commissioners , for party purposes , should bo deceive the Right Hon . Baronet—( hear , hear ) . He was also determined to test the truth of the assertions of Ml Power , as well as to justify biinseif ill the aigkt of the Right Hon . Baronet and of the HttUSk ; and to show , therefore , that they were not such xjonaiera in the parish of Bingley before the Poor Law , as to compel the living to companion with the dead , or to sleep four in a bed—and oh , how

    eloquently , did the Right Hon . Baronet describe those burroti > —he ( ilr- Ferrand ) moved that there be laid upon the table of the House returns of the numbers of tiatss the assistant-commissioners Powtr and Mott had visited the boards of guardians of which the Right Hon . Baronet bad spoken , of how many reports they had made concerning them , and of ths number of inmates in the union from the first day © f its formation to the year 18 * 2 . 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 1—( hear , hear . ) But if there were evils in that poorhouse bow , who was to blame ? It was placed nnder the entire control of the Poor Law Commissioners and their assistant

    commissioners . The guardians and parishioners durst not interfere ; if t&i . did , they would act illegally . They were bound dev in the strictest manner by the blessed Nvw Poor Lav . - -thear , hear . ) But what was the treatment of tbe poor there under the old law , and what was it under thenaw ? The number of inmates in xhe poorbouse of Bindley , at tbe formation of the naien , was 12 ; not enonj > h to fill all the beds . —thear , hear . ) Wcuid the Right Hon . Baronet believe that , under the tew law . the number had increased to 56 ? —( bear , hear . ) And that crowded state of the honse was uasier the sanction yf tbe Poor Law Commissioners themselves , for their directions to the Board of Guardians wtre that the poor should be crowded into that building , including the poor belonging to two other

    townships in that union . —( hear , hear . ) He would , therefore , ask the Right Hon . Baronet , not as a matter of favour bat as a matter of right , did he not think h ~ was bsund to give some explanation of the attack which he made npon him ( Mr . Ferrand ) on a former occasion ?— { hear , hear . ) As long as we had ths 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 vnth justice , allowing them the enjoyment of every thing . they had a right to expect by tbe lawB of Engiand , and what by the laws of God they had a right to demand iu a land professing to be Christians and to be influenced by the precepU of the Bible , i A cry of "Oh » " and " hear , bear ' •> 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 * description of the condition of Huddersfield , he thought - that Hon . Members connected with the agricultural interest wonid say to themseives , •• It is high tme for us to place our houses in order , for the New Poor Law will soon eper&ta in the Bime manner upon us . " n * At the Guildhall , Huddersfield , on Tuesday last , January 31 , the overseen of no fewer than nine townsaips that were in arrears with the payment of the calls of tbe hoard of guardians appeared to answor to summonses which had been issued against them hy order of the board of guardians . The following is the iist of the differences : —Go ' . car , £ 34 2 b ., old arrears ,

    beside the last call of £ 200 ; Cumberworth arrears , £ 2»—call £ 60 ; Cumberworth half-arrears , £ 20—call £ . 70 ; Shelly arrears . £ 20—call , £ 80 ; Tb . urator « land amen . £ 60—ealL £ &o - , Licthwsute arrears . £ 95—call , £ 100 ; Whitiey , ( Upper , ) arrears £ 52 10 s . 6 d — rsM . £ 70 ; Scammoden arrears , £ 27—call , £ 100 ; Kirkhtaton arrears , £ 52—call , £ 300 . The am four of th-ae cases were arranged with Mr . Floyd , the clerk of the board ; in tbe oUier five cases the overseers were convictfed in penalties for the neglect . Mr . Bejton , the overseer of the last-named township , told the rnasUtrsU-s ihat it was absolutely impossible to get the rates coils-cltd , as tbe pe » ple ¦ wera so very , very t > oor ; and that - » iUiui the last fortnight he had taken oat no less than one hundred and twenty summonses , and that

    last Wctk be was compelled to take out sixteen warrants of d : str& !* s for the rate , which they were unable to pay . " He would ask , then , was noi the Huvldersfitld Union in a state of insolvency , when 156 summonses were issord against poor persons who had not the means of e-iiTcing their daily bread , which they would if they cou ! d , and sixteen distress-warrants were servtd npon men who had committed no ofiVoce , who bad not one hafpanny to help themselves with , whose furniture was gone , whose houses were stripped , who were sold up . tfijo iud become bouselesa wanderers , and were reduced to a eiate of misery qualifying them to be admitted as inmate of the workhouse ?—( bear , hear ) Bat the Poor La ?? Commissioners had lately discovered a new light , in the person of a Mr . Clements , whom they had sent

    down in the place of Mr . Mott ; and tbe manner in which he had treated the guardians waa such as to raise the bluod of any man of honourable and ri ? ht feelings—( hear ) . The insolent and oveTb--3 ring manner in wnich that person treated those who had grown grey in the service . of the poor , respectable men , members of board * of guardians for years , telling them that they were igzii > rzsl of their duty , an ^ that through them the conntry to being eaten sp by the poor , was almost unendurab !* —( bear ) . This Mr . Clements had told them that he went dewn to set them to rights . Aad how wai he going to do that ? By catting down a hill—( " hear , hear , " and a lasgb ) . He had gone to Bradford and Halifax , and told the euardi ma that they must compel the working clasps , who had not the means of earning their daily

    br .-ad in their own honest manner , to cut down a hill , and if it were four or five miles long , to much the better—it would give them more exercise—( hear . hear ) . Thai was the behaviour of that—what should he call bra ? —tha-s Assistant -Poor I ^ air Commissioner , —he tould call Mm nothing -worse—( cheers , and laagbter ) The guardians inquired what was to be done after the task was accomplished f Must they find another hill 7 " OS no" said he , " let them put the earth bark again " —( h ^ ar , hear ) . Such were some of the effects of the new law , bat not alL Parishes were rapidly becoming insolvent ; the land was already eaten up by tbe poor rates . In his parish they had doubled and increased to the extent of £ 200 over that sine * the year 1836 ;

    and iu twelve mouths more the rental of the small fanners in the parish would be wholly consumed . He •» onU ask the Ritht Hon . Bironet , was that the n > tj , !> od to be pursued to relieve the conntry from pauperism ?—( bear . bear ) . If such was the state ol thugs in the North , where the people bad manufactures to enable tbtta in some measure to bear up nndei the utw law , what wonid be the resmt in the agriculteral districts , where the profits on the growth ol corn wwt ! jvdnced , and the wages of the agricultural labourers diminished in proportion ?—( hear ) . Thanking the Honss for tbe indulgence he hao received , he would now conclude by declaring his intention to support the xesolu £ JDl > &

    Mr . Sbxb ^ uji CiutwroBD cordially supported the resolutions , considering them to be borne out by facts . Sir R . Pkkl said , be wished very briefly to advert to a siatement which had fallen from the Hon . Gentleman Ihe member for Knartsboroujtb . Tbe Hon . Geutkman had referred to a former debate , m the course ei which he ( Sir B- Peel ) had addres&ed the House , and bad staled ih » i , in alluding to the report of the committee of that Hom . e respiting the reports of Sir John 'Wabbain and Mr . Molt , he had misconstrued the expressions contained in the reports . The Hon . Member further quoted that repoix , aiia having adduced oertain passages in it bad expre&seo a hope that he ( Sir K . Peel ) would

    now aiter his opraiOD , and , being convinced thai the construction put on ihe expression wa 3 erroneous , would explain his error to the Honse . Now , he ( air B _ Petl ) was eure that if be had misconstrued any trxprts > ions , be fchouid be quite ready to explain away his error , but since the Hon . Gentleman bad spoktai he had jeierred to the report , and he did uoi find that such error of construction existed . The Hon . Gtntluman said thai ther-port gave a complete coiitradicvion to what ho had ttattd . Row , he had retcrred to the report , and what did he find ihere 1 Ha found that Dr . Nicheil was in the chair , ana thai on the question btiufi pui " that this report , as agreed io , paragraph by paragraph , be reported to the House"' Mr . Gnmsditch moved a long series of re

    so-, luuons of a tenor opposed to that of the report , and on & division there were three for the amendment , ami e ) ght against it . The Hon . Memberior MarylebuuB ISir C . Napier ) voieri wiih the majority . So mueli , then for ibe ^ jeneral view of the report Dy the Hon . Member . Now , wbat as to iis particular refererees ! "With respect to Sir Jehn Waisham ' s report , it Eaid , ** No attempt has been made to impugn Jae general accuracy , nor , with one or two tniiuig and immaterial exceptions , any of the details of sir John Waisham's report . " ( Hear , hear . ) Wits rttpecl K > the dead body story , n said , " At XcKbiey frequentlyat Bingky only once , and then of of

    . , w , ^ me full consent tbe other occupants the room , dead bodieB of paupers have butn left till bur'ai in the beds -which thej ooenpied whiisi living , aca in the room where the other paupers , who had been th * -ir companions during life , still continued to sleep ; but sheets were suspended ronnd the bed in which tbe corpse lay ! and the expression , that the ' corpse companioned the liTing , ' was noi intended to court y thai the same bed was at the same timeoocnpieri Lj me dead and the living . Ihen with Tf-v , ci to Mr . MotlV report , whs . ; was the tTidtuce ot 4 e cvm&utee ? They saia , " Your commutee is

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    of opinion , that his report is borne out iu all Us most important allegations , by thoevidenoe of the witneses who came forward to impugn iv ; though undoubtedly it contains some expressions which are too general t * " ^ i alifie d - " !» what , re 3 peot , then , be asked , had he ( Sir R . Peel ) snisoonstraed the expressions in the report I He did no : really understand what was the point of the Hon . Member ' s charge . Mr . Fbbrakd explained thai 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 that evidence , as published , to shew whether bis statement was true or not . With regard to the Keighley union , he had not denied all

    tne statements of Sir John Walsham , but what he had p articularly dwelt on was , that in the Keighley workhouse , nnder 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 . Pbel said the question was whether Sir John Waisham ' s report was or was not generally correc \ That was ihe quesiion . He found that the committee affirmed that report , and he could not help thinking that , it was substantially correct . Mr . Fewusd remarked ihat Sir John Walsham made it appear that the inhabitants of Keighlt-y 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 m blaming them , speaking of course upon , the allegations of that report .

    Mr . C . Wood said he perfectly remembered stating ihat 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 et officio guardian in constquenco of his being a justice of the peace ; and he also remembered remarking on the singular fact that the abuses stated by Sir J . Walsham occurred within , he believed , a quarter of a mile of the Hon . Member ' s own door , he being either chairman of the union , or ex njficio guardian as before stated . ( Hear , hear . ) Mr . Febband again explained . Although he was certainiy an ex officio guardian , he had refused to be a parly to enforcing a law of which he so highly disapproved (* oh , oh !') , and it was without his consent or knowledge that the abuses complained ofocenrred . ( Ironical cheers . )

    Mr . Miles declared his eon fiction that the Poor Law had saved the country from destruction , especially tho agricultural districts . Mr . Waxtbk then replied as follows : —After all the debate that has taken place , the question is simpiy this—whether the Hou # e will support a law resting upon and embodying as it were the very soul and spirit of this unnatural report—a soul and spirit which will afivct 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 tho 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 Ri « ht Hon . Baronet the Home Secretary—with

    regard to the manner iu which I acquired possession of this documenr , I do not know that I am called upon to give the satisfaction he requires { hear , hear : ) and 1 btg to say , further , that I hold myself perfectly competent to judge of the propriety or impropriety of making nse of any document I become possessed of . ( Hear , hear . ) Nor do I come here to bep chooled on points of delicacy or decorum by the Right Hon . Gentleman ( hear ) , but feel inclined to adopt and aci upon my independent convictions of duty . ( Hear , hear . ) H « re is a most Bcandalous 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 :

    aud 1 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 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 y . ars after . " ( Hear , hear . ) The names of the Commissioners , it is true , aro not attached to this report , but this is not uncommon , for I have other documents of theirs , " undeniably authentic , to which iheir names are not attached . ( Hear , hear . ) Besides , any docamenv printed at the public oxpence , I submit , ough ; to bo at the disposal of the public ( Hear ,

    hear ) I should like to know bow long the word " secret" is to be in operation . ( Hear , hear . ) I can conciive secresy to be necessary during a short time for the completion of an act ; but tbe act being in this case completed by the Pour Law itself , it is the duty of every man \ o know by whom and by what means this legislative provision has b . en hatched . < Hear , hear ) But their mosc authentic acta I find are now disputed , tven the dietary oftheCirencuster Union , which bears the sign . ture of the three Poor Law Commissioners , but which , on its being published , appearoJ so horrible , that they dared noi to act long upon it . There was a similar suppression o' a document during the Poor Law Inquiry of 1837 ( hear , hear ) , and I called the a > tension of the House :

    at the time to so reprehensible a proceeding . ( Hear , hear ) Evidence was in that easa tendered and and taken , which , when those who tendered it , found that it did notanswet their purpose , or rather would prove the contrary of what they intended , they effected its puppr--psion . Tke chief of those who urged this mppressio veri—as indeed his activity in favour of the law would in no case suffer hm to be second—was the present Right Hon . Home Secretary , who , though he acted a * one of the commi tee , was really mistaken by one of tbe witnesses , as he will well recollect , as counsel for the Poor Law Connnissionera . ('' Hear , hear , " and laughter . ) The R « ht Hon . Baronet at the head of Her Majesty ' s Guvernment 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 in ? fee for atrindrng the patient . " So neither an I obliged to tender assis . ance to those who , so far from offering mo a fee . are prevwusly determined not to take my help . (** Hear , " aud a laugh . ) Now an for the relaxations which have been spoken of . Taat mast be a bad law , in tbe first place , which cannot bear its own enacment . The relaxations hitherto have been owing to no humane considerations on tho 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 ! Because the workhouses at this

    period of noa-employment and publio distress cannot receive those who are driven to its doora by suffering . Ia 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-hoases cannot contain them . ( Hear , hear . ) The Right Hon . Baronet spoke of the-coanty ol Bedford , which my Hon . Friend has called his pet county . ( " Hear , hear , " aud a lnugh . ) I will jast mention a pei union of his < hear , hear)—the Wesi Hampneti Union . A day or two ago I received a letter , stating that "in the West Hawpnett 'Union several parishes raise voluntary ratts , by which poor persons are relieved to whom the Poor Law Commissioners will not allow relief to bo givun

    out of the compulsory rates . Able bodied men are prevented being tested , as it is termed ; and the payert of these voluntary rates say that a considerable saving is effected by this system . The above information I had from two collectors of vo untary rates . I could send you stroug cases of the Poor Law heing the cauns of thefts and mendicity , and perhaps something worse . I cannot now omit stating that not loug ago , in one of the parishes of the West Hampneu Union , I saw in one day six women employed in leading horses , drawing loaded dungcart * into the fielos . Though I b * VB lived in Sussex all my life , 1 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 bave copied

    out of an old Manchester newspaper a passage which bears very Btrongly upon this . It is as follows ;— " Yesterday afternoon , shortly before the silting magistrates ai the New Bailey left the Court , a case of extraordinary novelty and hardship was brought before them . Two healthy , fresh-countenanced , bat emaciated agricultural iabourers , presented themselves in the witness-box , whilst at the extremisy of tho court were ranged in view of the magistrals sixteen individuals , one of them a ieinale about thirty , with two infants in her arms , eight children , apparently all of them under ten years of age , and three whose ages might be from thirteen to rixteen years , two of them girls and the third a boy . There were two others whom we did not tee , making

    up a party of eighteen . One of the men s'ated 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 Manchc < tt r , as tvery body there waa doing well . Several of us said we would go They told us that they thought ; our families would do well to come down . They said there would be houses for ua to go into when , we got there , and everything provided for our use . j They employed a man namea Clark to see after peo- j pie wjio would go down , and we went to him . He . asked what families we had got , and said we Bhonld do well indeed to oome ; we started accordingly to Mr . Waterhouse ' s , at Glossop . Jn answer to ques- , tions , the man said , bix 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 bad promised to take charge of them to j bring them down , and do the best for them he could . ' j The first speaker then continued his story : —* We ; were brought , ' he said , * from our own county to ; Glossop in a boat , aud from Glossop , Mr . Water j house sent us forward in a cart . When we got j there , there were forty-fire of us ; we were put in a j bit of a warehouse ; and 1 have be en there with mr fam ly three weeka , lying on a bit of straw , which , is the only bed i hare had . The parish , , he said , in answer to questions . * paid the expense of our josiney flown . Wo went by the boat to Marple , where they told us there was , to be a cart to meet u- > , aud take us forward to Mr . | Waterhou&e ' a . We did not know to what person in

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    Glossop we were coining whea we left our own K 17 U u were ¦"" rt-from o « r own pariah to Codwl& n ^ e "f ™ w't& a gentleman named WiUiam Clark . We travelled nearly for ty miles fmkL ^ , RK » n . to the boat to where we embarked . Clark came b * ok with us to the boat , SS £ ^ . M w < iS emoarbed he told us that we were going to Mr . Waterbouse ' * , at Glossop . Two other families came wit ^ ua . I cannot tell whether Mr . waiernousa had deaired our overseer to send any hands . 1 worked at Mr . Waterhoaae ' s three week / , but yesterday he hired a , can and sent us in it to Manchester The carter put ua down in the street , and left us ; he has sent another cartload this morning . ¦ i havnseen them in town , and he would have sent them yesterday , but the cart would not hold u& ail ; so he told one of the women he would send them this morning in his own cartI don ' t know what

    . has become of them . ' I saw them in town this morning , and they eaid tb « y wore going to the boat . We two ( ihe men ) are farmers , and tbe children are lacemakers ; we w « re in work at the time we left Buckinghamshire . The magistrates expressed much indignation at the deception whioh had been praetuedupob these unfortunate people , and intimated that the parties principally concerned in thus alluring them from their homes ought to ba prosecuted . Air . tr . W . Wood atated , that there happened now to be in town ( engaged in making inquiries on the nhSl ? kJ ! t ° D r "kwwfeo . » Kentleman 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 , ii" possible , in taking measures for returning the families to their native pariah , from which they had been thus unnatura ly oast off . Ia the meanwhile it waa

    oraerea mat due care should betaken of them by the overseers of Manchester . We understand that the party , eighteen in number , were set dowa on Thursday evening at the Cotton-tree publio house , in Ancoats , of course entire strangers , without mean 3 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 has been advanced on the other side ; but at this late hour of tbe night I decline bringing them under the notice of the House .

    The resolutions which I now propose 1 oonscien-Bciously believe to assert truths . They may be unpalatable to the present Ministers , as all propositions I have made on this subject were to tf e last Administration ; but that is no reason , whs * should not propose them , or why those who think with me should not support them—( cheer ? . ) To meet the views of many Hon . Gentlemen near me , I will withdraw the first four resolutions , and take the division only upon the last ^( oheers . ) The Hoase then divided —•

    Against the resolutions 126 Fur the resolutions 58 Majority , ... ... 68 Fbidat , Feb . 24 . Lord JOHN Russell presented tbe petition of the Bombay merchants , for indemnification for the opium confiscation in China ; and the Chancellor of tbe Exchequer , in reply to a question , intimated that the settlement of thoBe demands waited the exchange of the ratifications of tbe Chinese treaty . On the order of the day for going Into a committee of supply ,

    Mr . Hume called the attention ef tbe House to tbe charge of the publio establishments , snd to tbe state of the revenue and expenditure of past years . He dwelt on the dec *? 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 * tal « expences , and for the adoption of such measures as will furnish the mean * 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 whioh would ensue if nothing were done to relieve tbe country .

    Mr . Williams contended that the Budget onght to be opened to the House before they were called upon to vote away publio money . Formerly , tho diffjrent departments had their estimates rigidly revised by the Treasury ; but suoh was not the case now . Until some system ot control was adopted , it was hopeless to expect economy or retrenchment He compared our expenditure in different past years with the present ; complained of tbe great increasa in the half-pay arid pen-Dions , and contended ihat our expenditure should be made to conform to our revenue .

    Sir R Peel thought that many of the topics urged might have be « n rysorved for explanation , until the estimates were actually under discussion . The increase in the titnuuut of naval pensions was accounted for by the fact tbit formerly Greenwich Hospital had independent faucls ; and tbe increase iu the charge for widows and orphans was the result of the rt-omraeniJation of the parliamentary committee . Mr . Williams bad omitted the charge fur tbe Irish estimates , in comparing the expenditure of 1791 with subsequent years ; and in considering the tieoeswary expenditure of a great country like this , reference must be had to other considerations than revenue , as the dispositions of foreign powers , ami the necessity of upholdina our dignity . He admitted the great importance of endeavouring to reduce our expenditure aa far as was compatible within tbe limits of our income ; and denied the p ^ aition of Lord Howlck in bis oneetih of last week , that this

    country , in proportion to its-means , waa 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 r < quired that we should still maintain a fores on the const of China . A . reduction would : be effected in our Mediterranean establishment , which would be done iu perfect dependence on the good faith and feeling of France . There was a great interest growing up in that country interested in the maintenence of peace ; newspapers were not always the organs of public opinion , and we might despite tile ravings of those who were clamourous for war . In the- army , nttvy . and ordnance estimates there would be a reduction of 4832 , 000 ; and he could assure the Honse that the estimates underwent tbe cloBest inspection and control of the Treasury , and they were reduced to as low a poiiit aa 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 tbe prerogative of the Crown : bat there were certain situations dependent on the royal pleasure which were not considered as removisable on merely political grounds . Mr . lioskins had been appointed by the late Government , and his qualifications bad been admitted by the present ; but he bad been summarily dismissed , without cumpl&Ant aud without reason , except that hia situation was not one for life . He ( Mr . Baring ) believed that

    Mt- Hoskiift bad been dismissed because he was a Whig , and hia successor appointed because he was a Tory . No stain rested on his professional or bis private character , and he now filled the < fflce of Mayor of Portsmouth by the unauiruous wish of his fellow townsmen . His appointment had a judicial character ; but he bad been dismissed with as lit . le or less courtesy as a petty officer of tbe Customs or clerk in a department . He wished to ascertain the reasons of it , or to bear what explanation or defence couid be given . Sir George Stacnton seconded tbe motion , and bore testimony to tne 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 . HoskinB had for eleven years acted , pro hoc vice , on tbe election of courts martial , tho members of which could chooBe whom they pleased . He bad 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 , be having filled the office when his father's age and infirmities bod rendered bim unfit for tho duties tf the office . Tbe character of Mr . Hoskins was all that Mr . Baring had described It to be , but no injustice had been done to Mm , for as he bold do office under the Crown , bo it followed that the Admiralty had not displaced one officer by another , on tile score uf political opinion .

    Mr . Charles Wood thought that Admiralty should have offered the office uf 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 wbich Lord Palmbrston remarked that there never was a clearer cose , in which one person had boen dismissed , aud another appointed , on political considerations . Mr . Greetham , who fend 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 . HoskinB , who was held not eligible , as filling the office of Mayor of Portsmouth By the very letter dismissing him , tbe Admiralty recognised the offioial nature of the situation held by Mr . Hoskins . He admitted that in appointments a Government might properly recognise its friends , but it should not punish those opposed to them . After & few bsfervattons from Mr . Escott ,

    Sir Robert Peel said , that as the Government had agreed to give , the papers asked for , the whole transaction woold ba distinctly understood . Ho admitted that the letter oS Sit 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 . Greotham , whose father had previously filled it for thirty-five ytars . He admitted the general principle of recognising b \ rvice , and of not changing officers filling responsible situations , and he claimed for bis Government the merit of having made aa few changes as any Government , even where they might have been most entitled to do so , namely , in dipiuiaatic appointments .

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    Mr . Labouchere was satisfied , ifrem tbe speech of Sir Robert Peel , that if he had been consulted , this transaction would ' ¦ ot have taken place . He had been a junior lord when Sir James Grahira was at the h « ad of the Admiralty , and he thon witnessed a great public department admirably conducted , j Such a letter as that of Sir John Barrow ' s dismissing Mr . Buskins , would not then have been permitted to bave left the office . He looked upon the affair as an ungenerous attempt to caw the electors of Portsmouth , where government influence was notoriously great . Mr . Baring withdrew bin motion , aa 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 and the United States , andi asked information as to the course which the Government meant to pursue with respect to it j

    Sir Robert Peel hoped that Mr . Blewitt would not infar 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 . Sydnei 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 yws agree : ! to , and the House adjourned .

    Mondai , Feb . 27 . Lord Ashley presented some petitions against any interference with the beneficial working of tbe Cullieries ' Regulation BUI , passed last session . ] Mr . R . Forks wished to ask the Right Hon . Gentleman tbe Home Secretary , whether the Poor Law Amendment Bill whiah he intended to introduce was to be precisely and identically the ; same as that laid before the House last year , with the exception , of coarse , of those modified clauses recognized ! by the House at the close of last session . Sir J . Gbahau said , that tbe principle of tbe bill would be identically the same , but in some of the cUUIla various alterations would be made , and there would be some omissions with respect to the clauses introduced at the close of last session , and some ; alteration as to the apprenticeship clause , and there would ba some ad ditional clauses .

    The Speaker then said , "I understand that the Serjeant-at-Aruis has a communication to make to the House . '' i The Serjeant-at-Arms then apppeared at the bar , and on being called npon 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 ot summons to appear to aa action ot trespass issued by Thomas Burton Howard by Thomas Howard , bis attorney . As the writ d'd not state the nature of tho trespass , I thought it proper to enter an appearance to the action . On Saturday last I was served with a declaration , whieh sbowB that the suit wna 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 : but as bot * these acts were done under the order of tbe House aad under your warrant , Sir , I hope we Bhall have the protection of the House , and the direction of the House as to the course we shall pursue "— ( bear , hear ) . j

    The writ of summons and declaration were then laid on the table and read by tbe clerk . The Solicitor-General said , he did not rise for the purpose of making any motion on the sul > j > ct of the communication which bad been made by tbe Sorgeautat-Arms ; but he thought that it would be more satisfactory that the papers presented jby the SergeaDt-ai-Arms should be printed with the votes , and that thwy should take them into consideration to-morrow , and > . e then gave noticu that he should to-morrow submit a motion on the subject to the consideration of the house — fbear . ) •;

    Lord J . Russell said he believed that some action took place in the course of the recess with regard to the Sjrgeant-at-Arms and some of his deputies , and in which he understood that a sum of money had been paid to the plaintiff in that action by order of the Treasury . If that were so , he thought , that although that proceeding wiuht he perfectly right , ; these papers should be laid before the House . ; Sir . K . peel said that whatever information tbe Government possessed upon the subject should be laid before the House . The papers laid before the House by the Sergeant-at-Arms were then ordered to be printed with the votea i

    Mr . T . Egerton wished to make one or two observations on a statement made the other evening by the Hon . Member for Fmsbnry with respect to the treatmant of prisoners coofiaed In Knatsford House of Correction . Since tbat statement had gono forth there had been a meeting of magistrates , and an examination of tho prisoners , tbe result uf which he would , with tbe permission of the House , staie ; as the ( charges of the Hon . Member aff-cted the discipline of the gaol aud the character of the magistrates , i'lhe Hon . Mumbtt stated , in the first place , tbat one Samuel Le * -s had been ordered on the treadmill for the amusement of some ladies and gentlemen . Now , Lees had been examined , and he stated that he bad only been twice on the treadmill , and tb » t only in the first week he

    came . Both times were in the af , terno « n . Lees said . " I don't know tbat I ever was p \ it on on any particular occasion . " On neither occasion waa he there more tban half an hour . The Hon . Geatleman hail also refersed to the case of Robert Wild , another prisener , woo declared that on entering the gaol "he was told by the gaoler that the jitBcipline was very severe , that be would take care he I 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 be went to the gaol the governor read the i rules , at the same time telling him that he did soi because they were severe , and they would find tbem so ; that if they were not attended to the punishment would be severe .

    and that as to the stopping of tbejbread allowance , it would have such an effect en their csnstitntions as by the time he had done with them their constitutions "would not be worth twopence . ' * Jit was the duty of tbe governor to cause those rules to be read . They were ordered by the Home Secretary . Tbe prisoner in question went on to add that they made no complaint of any of the officers , or of tbe treatment they received , that the quality of the food was good , but that they complained of the shortness of the quantity . They never applied to the governor for any thins ; but they were sore to be attended to immediately , or be showed a disposition to attend to the r * quest . He ( Mr . Egerton i could assure the House that the magistrates were most anxious in their administration of

    the affairs of the gaol , while they ( wished to enforce discipline , to afford as muoh indulgence as possible , and to insure forbearance on the part of the officers . Mr . T . DUNCOMBB thought the House ought to receive such statements , when obtained from prisoners through the magistrates , with veryj ^ rest caution . Tbe account he had read the other evening was made and signed by the prisoners , who were prepared to come forward and repeat at the bat tbe conversation that took place between them and tbe gaoler oa bttins taken into the Hoase of Correction . He jwas not surprised at the version which had now been received through tbe gaoler and the magistrates , from prlsonera who had two years' imprisonment to undvr ^ o , end who might , well be supposed to have the 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 tbe truth , he should move for a return on the subject , which he believed would [ prove the truth of What he had stated with reference to the Knu&ford House of Correction . It was rather singular , that the statement he made had appeared I in the newspapers some time at , o , and bad never till the present hour been contradicted . He bad also seen tbe 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 txposed the cruel treatment and suffarings they had endured . He himself bad written to Mr . Allison , a person living at Stockport , and desired him to gp over to Kuutsford and see the prisoners , in order to ascertain the troth of their statements . Hia correspondent paid a visit to Knutaford on the 9 th of February , ' and applied to the

    governor for permission to see the prisoners . Tho turnkey , however , stated , that prisoners were only allowed to see their friends once in three moQtbs , and all the prisoners having been seen within that time except Wild , he was allowed about ten minutes' conversation with bim 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 , his bones , from inadequate diet , now almost protruded througn the skia He jeomplained 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 cortect , and if hecouW only get a committee to inquire [ into the 8 t » te of Knutsford cool , he had no doubt ] he would be able to substantiate all the charges which he hod made against it j -

    Mr . T . EGERXON said the Magistrates eouttad the fullest investigation into tbeir conduct . With rwapect to the Knutsford House of Correction , he had only to say that tbe Hon . Gen tie man on looking into tbe reports of the prison inspectors would find it described as one of the best conducted gaols iu the country . Sir J . Graham felt tbat the statement made by tbe Hon . Member for Finsbury on the evidence of Mr . Allison , who was described to be a creditable witness , was directly at variance with tbat ] made by feis Hon . Friend behind { Mr . Egerton ) . If Mr . Allison was to be believed , he should only say , that the conversation

    which passed between the gaoler and . the prisoners waa very much to be regretted . — ( Hear , bear ) There 'were also other parts nf the statement made by Mr Allison well worthy of investigation . It was , therefore , expedient th » t inquiry should take place ; and if the Hon . Member for Finsbury would give him a copy of Mr . Allison ' s statement tie would undertake that an Inspector should , on the part ef the Government , immeri iately proceed to Knutsford and inquire into all tin circumstances of the case ; whose report , when presented , should be laid en the table of tbe House . —( Hear , hear . )

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    Lord ASHLEY took that opportunity of caiiinn tha attention of the Ritht Hon S = crofc * iry of State for tne Home Department to a subject of considerable importance . He had jnst received a letter from a very respectable gentleman , signed Thomas Barber , an-iitir of the Halifax Union , which was in these words : — " Halifax , Fib . 2 j . " My Lord—Permit mo moBt respectfully to direct your lordship ' s special attention to tne iast page of , aa Halifax Guardian of this day . where you will find a statement of facts relative t > tbe cruel treatin-nt a h > y has undergone , or endured , at the hands of his inhuman master , a collier , residing at Blacklay . four miles fri-n this place . It is not in the power of language to c ascribe , or of imagination to conceive , tbe spectacle prysented to my view when I examined his back on We lnesday lost at the union workhouse . With a fi : n

    determination of transmitting an acc-, UDt to you I wrote bis statement , but afterwards deemed it exo ient to request tbe editor and publisher of tbe Ouatdiim to report it in the paper ; he yesterday accompanied ie to the workhouse and has s ; ivan the substance of liis boy ' s narrative . I bave just returned frum the ieh £ 3-trate ' s office , where the master bas appeared unrtt-r a summons from the overseers for the purpose of freei ;< j the lad from his parish indenture . The lad gave a cleir and succinct statement of tbe treatment ami sufferings he had endured for some weeks back , with sn artl' -saness that carried an irresistible conviction of its trutafulness to the mind of every individual present < tie master was not able to disprove or controvert » ne iota of the statement , though defended by a prof-ssiona ! gentleman , and the justices disckarged the i .-. d from bis apprenticeship , according to the 20 th of George II ., c . 19 .

    " To Lord Ashley , London . " A ) nn % with that letter he had received a copy of ths Halifiui Guardian , and he thought he was justified in calling the . attention of the House to the case , because he had lost year affirmed the lotal aud immediate c . iacalling of apprenticeships for underground operations , and if that clause had not been reversed elsewhere su h & case as tbe present never could have happened . The Holifam Guardian thus reported the case : —( The rep > rt will be found at length I n another column ) . H-v , ng read tbe statement he had to appeal to the Ki « Qfc Hon . Gentleman tbe Secretary for the Home Department ; , and request him , in virtue of tbe 3 I section of 'he act p . vmed last year , to send down soaie official per ^ m

    to make inquiry into the case , in order tbat hie report might be laid on the table of the House . Such a utep would not only be justified by the act , but by prece'dt nt ; some time ago , when the Nuble Lord the member for London ( Lord J . Russell ) was Secretary for the Homa 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 the table . Two years after another case occurred , into which Lord Normanby also directed an inquiry , tbe result of which was reported to the House ; but , apart front ' all precedent whatever , and from the act nself , ho felt quite sure that the Right Hon . Baronet wonid be most ready t « extend the protection aud aid of his important office to such helpless aud destitute objects—( hear ) .

    Sir J . Graham could assure hia noble friend , tbat although this case ¦ was entirely unknown to hSni till the Noble Lord commenced his address to tbe House , he most warmly sympathized with bim in the feeling of disgust which such a statement niua : create in the breast of every gentleman who beard it ; at the same time , all would agree with htm in hoping that there was some exaggeration in the facts as stated . He would most readily institute an inquiry into all tbe circumstances by sending down a person worthy of confidence into the district , and if the facts as alleged were substantiated it woald be his duty to direct thai , prosecutions should be commenced against the parties imp'icated —ihear , b < -ar . ) He was glad to take this opportunity of stating to tbe 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 tflFaot both to the letter and spirit < f tbat 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 the Duke uf Wellington , aa Commander-in-chief , holding a seat in tbe cabinet . As a conspicuous political bias ; and his Gace bad himself , on s former occasion , declare ! his opinion tbat the cnmmander-in-chidf should not be a member of th » cabinet Sir R . Peel admitted tbat in recent tinus it had not been usual for the commander in-cbief to have a Bc-at in the cabinet . But he did not conceive tbat it was contrary to constitutional analogy for th ; t bigh functionary to be a member of the eabi » efc . Lord J .-hn Rusaell had nfar-eti to ihe previous case of General Con way ; and tho Dake of Wellington had been , at ane time , . Master

    of tbe Ordnance , and cabinet-minister . On the resignation of the late L- > rd Hill , he ( Sir R . Peel ) , with the concurrence of his colleaguss . had advise' her Majesty to appoint the Duka of Wellington to the office ; and they hsA ftlso been all of opinion that it wm duo to his Grace s eminent civil services that , in col . junction with the command of the army , he should still rttain bis seat in the cabinet . Oa the motion tbat the Speaker do leave the chair , Mr . S . Crawford rose , and said be must'ntreat the attention of the Government to the propositions contained in the resolution of which he had given notice , and which it would now bacoine bis duty to submit to tbe House . A . t sucti a period as the present , wh&u 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 the burden of taxation . This , he conceived , couid not ba effectually done , unless they took into consideration the whole public expendi'uiv of the country , and thb means by which It was to ba defrayed ; and in his opinion , before thsy assented to tctes ot the public money , they ought to know what amount of revenue might D 8 drawn from the country without unnecessarily oppressing the people . It had been said that tho necessary expenditure of the csuntry must be defrayed ; bus be thought tbat those who had the controul of tbe 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 noi ohject particularly to the course pursued by the present Governrnent , but he objected to the system wblch bad been going on fora number of years , under all Governments , of voting'the supplies before they were acquainted with tbe 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 s and he thought this extravagsnee had srisou from no regard being had to the resources of the country at the time when those establishment * were formed . Tha 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 ; bnt he would

    not hesitate te assert those principles , for he thought that no wan ought to maintain opinions oat of doors which he had not courage to support in that House . He found that 100 , 846 men were r quired for the army of this kingdom , 38 , 000 men bein # retained in Great Britain and Ireland . Now , he wonid put it to the Government whether it was necessary to keep np such a standing army ! Were 38 . 000 men required to keep in order the people ef the Utited ki'igc ! om ? He found that in Great Britain there was a force of 25 , 127 men ; and , if the Government conceived tbar such an army was requisite in this country , he would ask what rendered it necessary ? If they were compelled thua to coerce the people of . Great Britain there mnsc be something wrong in tbeir , institutions or in their legislation .

    ( Hear . ) He thought & great reduction might be effected in tbe number of troops at present maintained in Great Britain , and , if no reduction was made , he considered it a strong proof that the country waa in a very discontented state . Nearly 13 , 000 troops , he found , were stationed in Ireland . He would ask if this was necessary , when they bad in tbat country a constabulary force of 9 . 000 men , who were quite as ffficient as a regular army ? He begged also to cnll the attention of tbe House to the wanton and extravagant expenditure incurred for the staff , which anieuated 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 1 Tbe expense of tbe staff a * head-quarters , in London , was £ 16 800 . The

    pay of the Duke of Wellington as Fi « sln-Marshal wa « £ 16 8 j 9 d pur day , or £ 6 , 000 a year ; and he must say it seemed to him whoily unnecessary tbat any office should receive such pay . There were >~ the united kingdom fourteen din * rent stations of < he staff , th . 8 number of which might , he thought , be greatly reduced . Tbe expences of the Commander-in-Chief ' s office , were £ 17 , 000 a-year ; those of the AdjoUnt-General ' a , £ 12 , 000 ; and of the Quartermaster General ' s , £ a 600 . Ha considered this - au enormous expenditure of the public money ; and he thought the business might be effectively conducted at a much Jess cost He found in tbe army estimates an item of £ 117 . 787 for volunteer corps . He would put it to the Honse , wfciat 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 their services , whieh must bave been tbe case if those services had been important and valuable ? He faund in tha non-effective service 188 generals , wko cost the country £ 89 , 000 j the amount paid to officers retired on full pay was £ t > 4 000 ; and the pensions allowed to soldiers amounted to £ 1 , 243 , 176 . Tbe allowance to retired servants of the military department waa £ 41 , 000 . In the Oramnoe Beparlment there were numerous heavy expences , in which he thought great reductions might be effected . Tbe effective force of the naval service for tbe last year cost £ i 6 S 2 , 000 ;

    the i ) on-eff , ctive , £ 1390 , 000 ; there being 184 admiral * on the non-efottive list . Then , in me civil department , ' he found tbat the salaries and other ex-PMlfieS Of the Home-offluo cost the country £ 25 . , tbb expences of the Exchequer w ^ s-t £ 18 000 , and of the Privy Conncii and Board of Tiadt . £ 32 ooo according to tbe estimates of the lost > ear . 'lui allowances to retired and superannuated officers Sn tbe civil dep rtment amounted to £ 84 . 000 . To cne itetu which appeared in the estimates of last y < . ar , ti-a ' . of £ 3 S , C 0 O f *» t gecxet SKTvlee money , he sUotgly i-Lj .-cud . He thought , then after the btatenidnttt he hnd mart * , that some rn ^ ins should be taken to ait ^ r th « exhtiug sje ^ ( Continued in our Eightk page . )

    Untitled Article

    ^^ THE NORTHERN S * TAR . r

• 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-ncseproduct978/page/7/