Monmouthshire Merlin

SENDING FOR NEWSPAPERS BY POST.—The new plan of postage has thrown great facilities in the hands of the pub- lie for obtaining casual copies of newspapers that contain articles of interest. A person may now obtain a news- paper, if its price do not exceed 6d., from any town in Great Britain or Ireland for 7d. That is, he may inclose a 6d. in a letter, which will still be under half an ounce, and prepay it for Id. Or he may inclose 6d. and 4d. of silver, and obtain two copies of any paper not exceediug 5d. in price. A person in town this week sent a 4d. piece and a £ d. in a letter, ordering a copy of an Edinburgh pa- per, but his letter being above half an ounce, was charged 2d. He had thus to pay 6jd. in all. The thing would have been done genteelly by inclosing a 6d., and it would have cost him but a halfpenny more.—Scotch paper. THE BRADFORD CHARTISTS.—The final examination of the ten men committed to York Castle for safe custody, took place in the magistrates' room at the Castle of York, on Monday and Tuesday. Afer an examination, which occupied nearly two days, the whole of them were com- mitted on the charge of high treason. We understand that the authorities of Bradford will be enabled to sub- stantiate similar charges against some other individuals implicated in the transactions of Monday morning, the 27th of January.— Yorkshireman. Two MORE CHARTISTS ARRESTED,—Yesterday a man named Paul Holdsworth, and a brother named John, resi- dent in Little Horton, were arrested, in consequence of evidence which transpired at the examination at York, on Monday and Tuesday last. As the evidence against these men has been detained at York, the prisoners have been removed there for examination.— Bradford Observer. THE CHARTIST TRIALS.—It ts expected th"t the Attor ney-General will attend York Assizes on the trials of the Chartists charged with high treason.—Leeds Mercury. STEAMERS TO THE WEST INDIES AND THE COLONIES. A memorial to the Lords of the Treasury is now lying for signature at the Exchange, Underwriters'and other pub- lic rooms in the town, praying that Liverpool may be se- lected as the port from and to which the steam vessels to be employed in the conveyance of the West India and Colonial mails shall depart and arrive.—Liverpool Chron. IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL OF MINISTERS!—A member of the town council of Wigan, is about to take the sense of that august body of at once calling for the discharge, with- out notice, of her Majesty's advisers, in consequence of a sufficient number of Conservative peers not having been invited to the royal marriage. Private letters from Constantinople to the 27th ult. "have arrived. They confirm the report that England, Russia, and Austria have entered into a convention to preserve the independence of the Porte for ten years and that measures are in progress to carry the result of their deli- beration into effect. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.—Stocidale v. Hansard. This case having been put down for the trial of the writ of inquiry on Thursday morning, the Court was rather full, though by no means so crowded as might have been anticipated. Mr. Burcheli took his seat at 11 o'clock, the usual hour, and a jury was sworn. Some undefended cases having been taken he said—In the case of Stockdale v. Hansard," the matter is now, in consequence of a notice served upon the Sheriff, before a Judge; and it must stand over, as it is not likely that the answer will arrive before 12 o'clock. A few minutes afterwards he said-Are any parties here in the case of Stockdale and Hansard 1" No answer About 12 Mr. Chadwick Jones entered the Court, and addressed himself to the Under Sheriff who thereupon said—In the case of Stockdale and Hansard Mr. Chadwick Jones, who appeared before the Judge, informs me that the Learned Judges postpones the writ of inquiry till next term. ANOTHER COMET.—Anothercomet was discovered at Berlin, by M. Galle, on the 25th ult. According to a letter from Schumacher, read at the lastsitting of the Academy of Science. it is to be seen between the constellations of the Dragon and Cepheus. Its right ascension at the time of its discovery was « 304 degrees, and its declination 63. Its diurnal motion is very rapid in the direction of the equator, while its perpendicular progress is almost imperceptible. The elements of its orbit could not be ascertained. The comet never sets within the I horizon of Pans, and remains visible throughout the night. Its i light is much weaker than that discovered the 2nd December. f AN IRISH COMPLIMENT.-A lovely girl was bending her head over a rose tree which a lady was purchasing from an Irish basket women in Covent Garden Market, when the woman ] looking kindly at the young beauty said, I ax yer pardon, young lady but ,f ,t s plasing t0 ye, I'd thank ye to keep yer cheek awy from that ro,8( |fc | d f J i w)th or Mower."

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAV, FEB. 17. v The Lord Chancellor informed the House that her Majesty f lad appointed the following day at two o'clock, to receive their j address of congratulation. (, Lord Ellenborough suggested to Lord Melbourne that he f should lay before Parliament all possible information about the Hill Coolies the last despatch from Lord Auckland and General Willshire concerning the capture of Kelat, and that | the name of the Brigadier General ought to be included in the ] vole of thanks. t Viscount Melbourne concurred with Lord Ellenborough. On account of the indisposition of the Duke of Wellington, I the Marquess of Londonderry postponed his motion respecting ( Spanish affairs. ( Some conversation took place on the subject of Socialism, in t which Lord Melbourne, stated that he was very unwilling to { enter into argument upon the question. Indeed he much doubted the prudence of the course the House had already adopted. COSTS IN CASES OF LIBEL, ETC. I Lord Denman laid on the table a Bill to remedy an evil ( which had been felt for centuries, and which had been of laie more frequently experienced, He had shortly to state that the object of his proposed Act was, that in every case were the da- mages were no more than 40s. costs beyond that sum should not be allowed. His Noble Friend near him knew that there were provisions for that purpose at present, but they were not effectual. He proposed to enact that in actions for trespass, unless for the right, and unless the same be certified by the Judge and in all actions for libel and slander, unless the plaintiff recover damages in more than 40s. he shall not be al- lowed moie than 40s. costs. Such actions for libel as the Bill; referred to, were, on account of their insignificance, absolutely a nuisance in the way of the public business, and were of no advantage to the parties themselves. The Noble and Learned Lord said that he would move the second reading on Monday next. He also laid on the table a Bill for removing doubts as to the power of rating inhabitants. Lord Denman, in the absence of Lord Brougham, moved for copies of the Charters of the Universities of London and Durham, and King's College.—Ordered. The House then adjourned at a quarter to six o'clock. TUISDAV, FEB. 18. The house met this morning for the purpose of proceeding to Buckingham Palace, with the address of congratulation voted to her Majesty on Friday last. The benches on both sides of the house were numerously oc- cupied. Among the peers present were the Dukes of Sussex, Cambridge, Norfolk, Somerset, and Sutherland, the Archbishop of Ganterbury, the Marquess of Northampton, Londonderry, Choimondeley, Huntley, Anglesey, Bute, and Westminster, the Earls of Amherst,«Aberdeen, Shaftesbury, Catdigan, Ripon, Jersey, Wilton, Brecknock, Haddington, Galloway, De la Warr, Mayo, Eldon, Bandon, Seaford, Howe, Sandwich, and Verulam, Viscount Sidney, the Bishops of London, Rochester, Exeter, Ely, Norwich, Salisbury, and Lichfield, and Lords Arundel of Wardour, Say and Sele, Willoughby d'Eresby, Stuart del Rothsay, Cowley, Colchester, Kenyon, Wynford, Sudeley, Camoys, Dunsaney, Ashburton, Fitzgerald, Canning, and Colborne. Their lordships did not wear their robes, but were principally habited in regimentals. On the motion of the Earl of Shaftesbury the Transfer of Aids Bill was read a second time. The report on the Prisons' Act Amendment Bill was re- ceived, and the amendments agreed to. ADDRESS OF CONGRATULATION. At half-past one o'clock the names of tbe peers present were called over in the order of their precedency by the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod, and they left the house in the same order, followed by the Lord Chancellor. As soon as the pro- cession was formed in Palace-yard, their lordships proceeded through the Horse Guards, and along the middle walk to Buckingham Palace. As the carriages of the Dukes of Cam- bridge and Sussex passed the persons assembled at the palace gates, their royal highnesses were much cheered. Their lordships adjourned to Thursday. WtllNESllAY, FEBRUA HY 19. Their Lordships did not assemble this day. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20. The Marquess of Normanby laid before the house a general order of the Poor-law Commissioners, relative to out-door relief. On the motion of the Noble Marquess, the Prisons Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. ADDRKSSES TO Pr.INCli ALBERT AND THE DUCHESS OF KENT. The Marquess of Lansdowne represented to their Lordships the answers of Prince Albert and her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, to ilie addresses of congratulation presented by their Lordships. The Prince declared that he heard win. the liveliest satisfaction the approval which their lordships ex- pressed at his union with her Majesty, and that it should be the study of his life to merit the confidence reposed in him. The answer of the Duchess of Kent was, as far as could be collected in the same terms as that which her Royal Highness returned to the Message from the House of Commons.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY, FEB. 17. A considerable number of petitions for Church extension, for the abolition of Church-rates, for the release of the Sheriffs, and for the pardon of Frost, Jones, and Williams, were pre- sented. Mr. Wallace withdrew his motion relative to the returns of those persons who had furnished information concerning the Post-office. Mr. Herries took the opportunity of vindicating the officers of the Post-office from the implied charge of having acted im- properly in furnishing him with information. They had not done so. Notices of motions were given by Mr. Sergeant Jackson to limit the Municipal Franchise in the Corporation Bill for Ire- land to those who possess the parliamentary franchise by Mr. Hume, for returns of the Legacy Duty; by Mr. Langdale, to place Catholic and Protestant children on the same footing in the Asylum Schools at Greenwich, Chelsea, and Southampton by Sir J. Graham, to ask questions about China and Persia and by Sir R. Peel, for a return of pensions granted since 1834, and for the number of men and quantity of stores sent to Spain under the Quadruple Treaty. In reply to questions, the Lord Advocate stated that he had not received instructions to prepare a Declaiatory Act relaiive to patronage in the Scotch Church. Sir J. Hobhouse stated that no decision had yet been come to concerning the deposi tion of the Rajah of Sattara and Lord John Russell stated that he hadlno official information that Mr. Howard had com- menced an action against the Sergeant-at-Arms. Lord John Russell presented another petition from Messis. Hansard, stating that a writ of summons had been served on them on the 14th of February, and that Thomas Burton How- ard was the attorney of Mr. Stockdale, in the action. The noble lord then moved that the former petition of the same par- ties be taken into consideration, and proceeded to move, in order to protect and vindicate the privileges of the house, that the sheriffs, sub-sheriffs, bailiffs, clerbs, and others, not jurors, or judges, who should be instrumental in levying any damages in such actions, would be guilty of a breach of privilege, and contempt of the house. After a few objections from Sir E. Sugden, and a few re- marks from Sir C. Grey, the motion was carried by 146 to 75. Lord John Russell then moved that a copy of the resolutions be served by the sergeant-at-arms on the sheriffs of Middlesex the under-sheriffs, and their officers. A brief debate ensued, in which Lord John Russell said, the main object they had in view in these proceedings was fo main- tale the power of publication for useful purposes—to maintain the power of ordering the publication of that information wlich should be useful to the country and the constitution, and which would be published not for private objects, not for the gratifica- tion of private malignity, but for the purpose of giving informa- tion which might be useful to the country in general, and which might improve our legislation and our government. (Hear, hear.) Their right to that power had been disputed, but he had an authority which he found ill the newspapers of the day, and which had a high name affixed to it—it was an opinion of Lord Denman, in a case of Lord Beresford against Easthope and Black, and which he wished to refer to.—Lord Denman is reported to have said, that No question had been made at the bar, and that none could now be made anywhere, that free dis- cussion ought to be encouraged and that the facts in which all were concerned should be communicated to all. An account for instance, of the proceedings of that day would be held by all courts not to be actionable, though it might reflect severely on the character of individuals if it should appear to be a bona fide report of the proceedings which had taken place. That principle was founded on the advantages the public derived from the publication of such proceedings—(loud cries of hear heai,)—and, from the importance and interest which be- longed to them. Nobody, on the other hand, could publish, on his own account, anyrenection on the private character of individuals, without being able to substantiate the statements he had made." (Loud cries of hear, hear.) Now that was precisely what he (Lord J. Russell) was contending for.—The quotation he had given was, according to the newspapers, part of a judgment-delivered by Lord Denman no longer ago than Saturday last, What the House of Commons had to complain of was the Courts of Law took it for granted that the House of Commons had been engaged in a series of libels for the sake of publishing libellous matter. The House of Com- mons had no interest but to make public certain proceedings of theirs. They had no animosity against individuals to gratify —they had no desire to make a gain or piofit by the sale of such publications. They had merely contended that the House of Commons should be allowed to publish its proceedings, and that what they thought to be a privileged publication should be held to be $0 by the .courts of law. The charge brought agamst them was the same as if they should say that the courts of law had made statements reflecting on individuals, and that slander against private persons should not issue from the bench. The Judges, in the course of their duties, are often obliged to say that which reflects most severely on the character of indi- viduals, and they now acted as if they should say—" True it is that continually happens, but it is done in the course of our judicial duties but it is not done for the sake of reflecting on any individual, or for the purpose of injuring private character, 1 and we therefore think the Judges are commendable for pursu- ( ing the course they have taken." The House of Commons said that the same respect ought to be paid by the Judges to one of the high courts of the land-to the House of Commons of the empire an thatjthey ought not to have wantonly believed that it cou have been the object of the House of Commons to publish private libels (hear, hear.) He had said this because ] right hon. gentlemen. opposite had again raised the question < and it appeared to him that the opinion which had been ae, < livered by Lord Denman was applicable to the present case. f The motion wa. then put and ^arried> After Mr. Hansard had been examined at the bar to ascertain who served him with the writs ;n ,hese new actions, the Attor- I ney-General moved that Mr. Pearce, Mr. Howard's clerk, and Mr. Howard, jun., should attend at the bar this day, which c was ordered. The house was subsequently counted out, about eight o'clock, J jn Mr. Barnes ringing orward his motion on the subject of o First FruIts and lenths. J t TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18. Lord Ashley^gaye notice that on Tuesday, the 3rd of March. 16 should PP°mtment of a select committee to I nquire >n,o he °Pera,lon "f 'he act for regulating mills and v actones, and to report their opinion thereupon to the house. q CHINA. R Sir James Graham put the question respecting China to I Lord Palmerston of which he gave notice yesterday. No infop. d nation whatever h;ad yeiLuh to lhe house 00 ,l,e 1 iubject of the pai.r and ,he conduct of the t superintendent, now been sitting a » wwib} aQd. be had to \11" Iqrtj WM „ lared to name a day when he would lay upon the table papers hat were so interesting to this country ? i Lord Palmerston observed that the right honourable baronet < vas aware that the papers alluded to, had already been moved t or, and ordered by the house. He had made it his business to < nquire when they would be ready for presentation, and he ould state that they would be ready in the early part of next veek. RELATIONS WITH PEKSIA. Sir James Graham next asked whether there was any pros- Ject of a restoration of friendly relations with the Court of Te- leran, and 'whether an alliance had taken place between Kamran Shah and the Shah of Persia, in consequence of which he former had become hostile to the British. Lord Palmerston stated, that in consequence of information eceived indirectly from the Shah of Persia, and from subsequent :ommunications, it appeared that a change of intentions on :ertain points, with respect to the mode of giving satisfaction ,0 the British Government, had taken place. This rendered mother communication necessary to the Court of the Shah, md an answer to it had not yet been received but he had no reason to doubt that the answer would be satisfactory. With respect to Kamran Shah, he could not state the precise relation existing between him and the Governor-General of India. Probably his right honourable friend, the Piesident -of the Board of Control, would be better able to give him the requi- site information on that head. He had not received any in- formation tending to prove the existence of the closer commu- nication between Kamran Shah and the Shah of Persia, to which the right honourable baronet referred. PRIVILEGE. The question of privilege having been gone into, Mr. Howard, jun., was called in and examined. He stated that he was 19 years old, and clerk to his father, and that he had served three copies of writs on the three Messrs. Hansards. The Attorney-General moved that he had been guilty of a high breach of the privileges of the house. Sir Edward Sudgen, after some allusions to the mode of ex. amination pursued in this case, proceeded to notice the obser- vations of the noble lord (Lord J. Russell) on Monday night. The question was not, he said, as to whether they possessed the privilege of publishing these papers but how the privilege. if it existed, was to be enforced. He agreed with the noble lord that there were many things done, both by the Long Parlia- ment and by the parliament of Charles II., which were most worthy of commendation, and he therefore went so far along with the noble lord but he did not think their conduct in cases of privilege was worthy of the commendation which had been be- stowed on them. The noble lord, he contended, was wrong in the view which he took of the cases of Eliot and Williams. In the case of Sir John Eliot, who had been fined £2,000. by the Court of King's Bench, for words spoken in the House of Commons, the house resolved that the proceedings were illegal, and that the information in the Court of King's Bench for matters done in Parliament was against the law and privilege of Parliament, and a gross contempt and breach of privilege. But how were these proceedings respecting the infringement ot their privileges got rid of? First of all there was a joint reso- lution of that house and of the House of Lords on the subject and then there was a writ of error issued by the House of Loids reversing the judgment. This, be it recollected, was done, not by acting against the law, but by acting with the law, and by appeal to the supreme tribunal, the House of Lords, for the reversal of the proceedings in the case. The proceedings against the Speaker Williams had never been reversed, but the decisions were quashed in effect and upset by the Bill of Rights, a declaration in which met the case of Williams. The pro- ceedings of the Convention Parliament, which ordered Pem. berton and Jones, two of the former judges of the Court of King's Bench, to appear for acts done by them some years lie- fore, and resolving that these proceedings were illegal, and that a bill be brought in to reverse the judgment, had been regarded by all the judges and lawyers since that time as illegal, though the point had been thereby settled. In the case of Ashby and White, all the steps taken by the house were most objection- able, and the result it was signally defeated. The right hon. gentleman cited in detail the case of James Naylor, to shou that when a representative or other popular assembly had un- controlled power it knew not where to stop. If the Attorney- General pressed the resolution he should oppose it to the utter- most. The Attorney-General observed that the right honourable and learned gentleman seemed to have entirely forgotteu that il was for the fourth action against Hansard that Mr. Howard was committed te Newgate, Lnd it was for the proceedings in the fourth action that the son had been called there. The young man had taken part in the fourth action as well as the subsequent one. With respect to the general subject, the right hon. gentleman should have reserved the arguments for another occasion. Sir Edward Knatchbull observed, if the fifth action had not been proceeded in, they would not have taken any notice of the young man. It did not appear that he had taken an active part prior to the imprisonment of the father. Mr. O'Connell said he should be very sorry to commit till they endeavovred to obtain from him a promise that he would not be guilty of a repetition of his former conduct. If there was a motion made for his committal, he should move that he be called to the bar and the vote read to him, and that he be asked whether he had anything to say. He was sure that the right hon. baronet could not have attentively listened to the questions put to the young man at the bar, for he admitted that he had gone on with the fourth action after he knew that his father had been committed to gaol for it. The hon. and learned gentleman denied that was a House of Commons that had been guilty of the proceedings adopted in the case of Nay- lor it was an assembly of persons, called together from the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, by writs sent by Cromwell to such places as he pleased, the elections having been in most cases carried on under the control of u file of grenadiers. Colonel Wood thought the house ought not to punish the lad for obeying the orders of his father. Mr. T. Duncomb observed that this was the fifth week of the session, and nearly the whole period since the meeting of th house had been occupied by miserable questions like the pre sent. He thought there was an easy way of getting out of the difficulty by having a committee of membeis of both Houses of Parliament to consider the whole question, and what was to be done under the circumstances. He proposed that the house should request a conference with the House of Lords, and that a joint committee should be appointed that a resolution should be drawn up for the consideration of bOlt. houses; but if the joint committee should report that legislation was necessary. that then the committee should be empowered to draw up the basis of a bill for that purpose. The honouiable gentleman read a resolution embodying those views, which he subse- quently proposed as an amendment to the motion of the hon. and learned gentleman. Mr. Leader seconded the amendment. Dr. Lushington animadverted with much severity, on the in- consistency of Mr. Leader. After some observations, the motion was carried by 134 to 41. The Attorney-General then moved that Mr. Howard, jun., be committed to the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms. Mr. O'Connell having suggested that if the young man ex- pressed his sorrow for what he had doue, and gave an assurance that he would not take any further step in jhese actions, Lord John Russell thought that the best course was that he be com- mitted to custody, when he might have an opportunity of peti-. tioning the house and stating what he proposed to do in refe- rence to the privileges of the house. On a division, the motion was carried by 134 to 41. Mr. Pearce, the clerk to Mr. Howard, was next called in and examined. The Solicitor-General moved that he was guilty of a breach of the privileges of the house. Sir E. Sugden observed that the house could not go lower. The motion was carried by a majority of l35 to 53. The Solicitor-General then moved the committal of Pearce. Sir Edward Sugden opposed the motion with some warmth. The motion was carried by a majority of 134 to 45. Mr. Fox Maule brought in a bitt to amend the County Con- stabulary Act, and after some discussion, the motion was agreed to. FREE PARDON TO FROST AND OTHERS. Mr. Leader then rose to bring forward his motion for an ad- dress to her Majesty, praying that, under the circumstances of the case, a free pardon should be granted to Frost, Williams, and Jones. The hon. member first presented petitions in favour of a free pardon from 1,300 inhabitants ofStroud, from a place in Sussex, from Stonhouse, Kilmarnock, Glasgow, Lewes, Bridgetown, Hamilton, Aylesbury, and other places. Similar petitions were presented by two other hon. members. Mr. Fox Maule then said that he had to state to the house the difficulty which would arise in the event of the hon. mem- ber proceeding now with his motion. He should 4e sorry in a case of this kind to offer any interference, but, from the wording of the motion, it was clear that the hon. member intended to enter into 'the whole Istale of the case, as to the occurrences during the trial, and also as to what took place between the Judges, subsequently. In answer to such a case, he (Air. Maule) should have to enter into a detailed statement, and he did not think that, either to those persons who were interested in the discussion, or to those who would have to reply to the observations of the hon. member, it would be fair to proceed at that hour of the night. Mr. Leader Would the hon. gentleman say that the pri- soners should not be removed from Portsmouth until after the discussion had taken place'! If he would do so, and yield to him the power of bringing forward his motion first on Thursday, immediately after the presentation of petitions, he would at once obey the suggestion which he had thrown out. Mr. Hume did not think that his honourable friend could bring on his motion now. The object he had in view was to procure a full discussion of the case; but if he proceeded in the present thin state of the house, he should fail in that object. He suggested that he should postpone his motion till Thursday. Mr. Leader said that he would at once yield to the recom- mendation of his hon. friend but it would be exceedingly un- fair if the prisoners were transported before the discussion had taken place. He begged to state that his motion was upon a point of law, which, as he was informed, afforded very good grounds, and not upon a question of mercy, and'he hoped that le should have an opportunity of bringing the matter under dis- cussion on Thursday. Mr. Fox Maule said that, so far as he was concerned, the lonourable member should have every opportunity of bringing orward the question.— Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19. A considerable number of petions were presented for Church Extension, for the release of the Sherriffs, for the repeal of the [Jorn-laws, against the intrusion of Ministers (Scotland,) in avour of copyiight from authors and publishers of London, and rom Mr. Stockdale to be heard at the bar in his own cause and hat of the Sherriffs. Lord Seymour brought down Prince Albert's Answer to the Message of Congratulation. On the 27tb Mr. Ewart is to move for a Select Committee in the School of Designs Bill. On the motion of Mr. Ord after a short conversation, the Hembers contained in the panels on Election Committees were rdered to attend on the 12th and 15th of March, and be in at- endance till the Committees were sworn. SA r E OF BEliR BILL. Mr. Pakington moved the second reading of the Sale of Beer I let Amendment Bill. In doing so, he said, he had endea- oured to persuade the Government to take it up. He had re- vested the Right Hon. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Ex- hequer) to take the matter into his own hands; but the Right Ion. Gentleman declined to do so, and he professed to hold: lifferent views upon the subject from those which he (Mr. 'akington) entertained, There were two points connected with he subject which had arisen since last Session, which he rished to ftllude to, and which would go far to strengthen the ««9 he 9-4 jg m»inuip feefort tp, Hewe, pohu. vert, first, the circumstance of the late rebellion in Monmouth- ihire, and how far the beer-houses had been the cause of it; md next, certain observations and opinions of the noble lew he Secretary of State for the Colonies. In consequence of tae disturbances that had taken place in Monmouthshire, he had thought it his duty to obtain certain returns with respect to pub- lie and beer-houses in that county, and from those leturns I s found that in Abergavenny, containing the large district f Nantyglo, with a population of 6,000, there were 41 bet houses in addition to the tegular licensed houses. In Ponty- pool, in which there were nine parishes, and 14,000 inhabitants, there was no less than 229 houses for the sale of intoxicating liquors and in Duke's Town, which had been the chief seat of Chartism, the results were nearly the same. He did not know the population of that town, but the number of houses alto- gether was 151, and of these 151 there were five public-houses and 28 beer-shops, making 3J houses for the sale of intoxicat- ing liquors, or one house in every five being either a public- house or a beer-shop. No doubt he might be told that if the people were disposed to rebel, whether there were beer-shops or not these disturbances would have taken place, but no man could deny that they held out great temptations and opportn- nities, and he would add that, with two exceptions, &]t the Chartist meetings had been held in beer.shops. He asked wÎ1e- ther it could be considered essential to the comfort, welfare, and the rational enjoyment of the working-classes that every fifth house should be a beer-shop or a public-house ? The second point to which he wished to allude w;,s the statement made by the noble lord, the Secretary for the Colonies, viz., that the present system of beer-shops was injurious to the interests of the country, and that he looked for a remedy, not to legislation, but to an improved system of police. (Hear, hear.) He had stated on a former occasion that he thought the Government had conferred a great benefit on the country by the improved police system which they had introduced but he warned them, and he warned the noble lord not to expect from that improved system of police a degree of benefit it was never likely to confer. It was absurd to place the youth of both fexes in positions where their minds would be contaminated, and where they would be brought into daily and hourly intimacy with poachers, drunkards, prostitutes, and thieves, and then to say, if they transgressed the law, there was a police to punish them. In his opinion, prevention was better than cure. He would now proceed to mention the provisions of his bill. The principle oa which he proposed to proceed was, that no one should be al- lowed to sell intoxicating liquors unless they were possessed of a property qualification sufficient to guarantee in most esses their respectability. (Hear, hear.) He had last year pro- posed two classes of ratings for qualification. The first class of rating was XIB., for large towns, and £ 10. for the country districts. He had admitted that it might appear high for some country districts, but over and above the city districts there were large populations-as, for instance, in Monmouthshire, where there were no large towns and no municipal authorities. In these districts he did not think £10. too high a qualification In the present bill he should propose three classes of qualifica- tions instead of two, and he thought he had reason to complain of the conduct of the Government last year, when they proposed certain amendments to his measure, that those amendments had been proposed without any knowledge whatsoever on the sub- ject, A qualification of £15. had been proposed for the metro- polis; they ought to have known that that would hardly have touched a single beer-house £10. had been proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as the qualification for cities and towns. The right hon. gentleman was uraware that that had been the law of England for five years, and had been found totally inefficient. He had proposed, in the third place, a qua- lification of X5. for the rural districts such a qualification was a mockery, and worse than useless. He should now propose three classes, which he did with reference to the parish to which he had alluded, for he had no hesitation in saying he had drawn this part of the case with special reference to the distutbances in Monmouthshire—the first, that in parishes containing not more than 2,500 inhabitants, no man should keep a beer-house who was not rated at £11. per annum, the middle class in country districts CB. per ann., nnd in addition to that, he proposed that no man should sell on the premises who did not pay five gui- neas for his license this was part of his proposition last year, and was adopted by the Government. The only further alter- ation was that persons called on to certify to the respectability of the parties, instead of being rated at EG. as now, which was found entirely inoperative, in county districts should be rated at £ 12. per ann. He then moved the second reading of the bill. Mr. Warburton said it appeared to him the course taken on this bill was liable to a primary objection, and called the atten- tion of the house to a Standing Order passed in 1772, by which all laws affecting trade, must be, in the first instance, referred to a committee. This bill had not been so referred it was. therefore, a violation of the Standing Orders, and he moved that it be withdrawn. This proposition was supported and enforced by Mr. Hume and Mr. Baines. The Speaker, however, decided that the standing order ought to be observed, and Mr. Packington, withdrew the bill for the moment, and gave notice that he would, to-morrow, move a committee on the Sale of Beer Acts with a view to introduce his bill in a methodical manner. Mr. Sergeant Talfourd moved the order of the day for the second reading of the Copyright Bill. Mr. Warburton thought this bill, like the beer bill, came under the description of laws affecting trade, and moved that it should be withdrawn, because the standing order had not been complied with. The Speaker, however, held that this bill was not a measure affecting trade. Mr. Warburton accordingly, moved that it be then read a second time in six months, and supported his motion by a short speech. Mr. Sergeant Talfourd replied, the house divided, and the bill was read a second time, by 59 to29. Mr. Warburton gave notice that he would move to refer the bill to a select committee. Mr. Gordon announced that the Navy Estimates would be discussed on Friday. At a quarter past ten the house adjourned.

SPOMM The Monmouthshire Hounds will meet on Jfon<Jay, 24th February Coed Pwl ) Friday, 28th Southwell Arms J at Ten oclock- The Herefordshire Hounds will meet on Tuesday February 25 Berrington Friday f, 28 Bacho Hill Tuesday. March 3 Perrystone Friday 6 Callow Turnpike At Ten each day. DUNCHURCII STEEPLE CHASE, FEB. 1 I.-For 100 Sovertignt added to a Sweepstakes of 25 Sovs. each.-By the middle of the day Dunchurch was crowded with visitors, and soon after one o ctock a general movement took place towards the ground. which was opposite Mr. Kench's house, in the Southam road, about a quarter of a mile from Dunchurch. The field in which the spectators congregated formed the crest of a considerable eminence, beyond which the ground swept down gradually to a valley, through the centre of which runs a brook, called Rain's Brook, which soon after joins the Learn. The winning flags were placed about half-way in the descent from the hill to the plain. A few fields beyond the brook the ground sgain rose gradually towards an eminence near the hamlet of Wolscot, and on the ascent of this the turning-flag was placed. No line was marked out by flags, and the business of each jockey was to use his best means of getting to the turning-flag, and his best means of getting back again. The fences, with a few ez- ceptions, could scarcely be considered difficult, and the brook, particularly in the first part, where it was bounded by a low hedge nn the takiog-off side, was by no means formidable, the heavy, and in some places boggy, nature of the ground, forming the most trying part of the affair. A little before three o'clock the following horses appeared in the field Sir E. Mostyn's Seventy-four (Mr. Oliver). Mr. Andrew Kobertson's b. g. Humbug (Mr. Martin). Mr. Gray's b. g. Patron, late Rowland (Mr. Bretherton). Mr. Aimsworth na. Defence (Mr. Allan M'Donough). Mr. Marshall's b. g. Physician, late Decider (Mr. Powell). Lord Macdonald's br. m. The Nun (Mr. W. M'Donough), Earl Craven na. Dacre (Mr. Lawrence). Mr. Elmore's Lottery (Mr. Mason). Mr. Goodman's Vandyke and Mr.Worley's Ringleaderwere withdrawn The start took place at three o'clock. A I got off very plea- santly together, Seventy-four leading the way to the first fenee, which he refused. All those behind him did the same, but Lottery cleared it without hesitation. He got some distance s- head before the others were well over, but resigned the leader- ship in the course of the next field. Seventy-four then took the lead up the hill to the right, at the top of which there was & stout stake hedge, with a yawning ditch beyond. This was cleared in good style by all except Dacre. Seventy-four kept the lead down to the brook, which he cleared first in excellent style.-Three or four others took it nearly abreast, and Lottery showed he was full of power by springing two or thiee yards before reaching it, and landing at as great a distance beyond. A minute description of the many leaps, and trials of the nags in running, would occupy much more space than we have to spare in our columns, and we must be content to state that, after beating the other horses completely out of distance, Lot- tery won easily by two or three lengths, no other horse, except the Nun, attempting to gain a place.

FRIDAY'S LONDON GA/ETTE, FEB. 14. BANKRUPTS.—T. R. Harding, Wormwood-street, City, (but now a prisoner in the Fleet), furrier.—J. J. and T. Cooper, Slough, Bucking- hamshire, engineers and smiths.—E. Smith, Great Yarmouth and Nor- wich, linen draper and tea dealer.-E. Cock, Plymouth, linen draper. -J. Drake, Birmingham, bookseller.-Z. Stirk, sen. and jun., and 1. W. Thornton, Leeds, machine-makers.—R. Cawood, Leeds, woollen eloth manufacturer.—W. H. Turnham, Leicester, innkeeper.-W. Tomlinson, jun., Birmingham, iron and steel merchant.—F. Collins Leominster, Herefordshire, scrivener and cider merchant.—P. A. Tealdi* Manchester, merchant.—D. Chalmers, Great Yarmouth and Norwich. Hnen draper and tea dealer.-J. Marsden, Summit, Rochdale, grocer, and Holywell, Flintshire, late manager of coal works.—J. Mayn, Flush" ing, Cornwall, merchant.—T. Robson. Wall, Northumberland, butcher and cattle dealer.-D. Little, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, tea dealer.- T. and D. Greenfield, Birmingham, German silver polishers. DIVIDEND.—March 9: J. Griffiths, Swansea, victualler. DISSOLUTIONS OF PARTNERSHIP.—Thomas and Lewis, Bristol, grocers.-Amos and Son, Wickwar, Gloucestershire, coopers.—R; ifa) lard and J. Gregg, Ledbury, Herefordshire, brick makers.

TUESDAY'S LONDON GAZETTE, FEB. 18. J. Perraton and T. Fletcher, coal-merchants, Macclesfieid-street, City-road.—S. J P. W. Matthews, licensed victualler, Nicholl-squ ire, Cripplegate.—J. Walker, R. Ackroyd, and E Antey, stuff-merchants, Leeds,-T. Jones, draper, Patricroft, Lancashire.—G. Glenny, printer, SUand.—J. Russell, victualler, Stoke Newington.-J. B. P. Cbappe, cotton-spinner, Manchester.-1. Atkinson, butcher, Manchester.-G. Woolcott, builder, Brownlow-mews.—J. Mason, livery-stable keeper, Little Chester-street.—R. Horrox, calico printer, Manchester.—J. Ro- gerson, apothecary, Wigan.—H. Woolcott, marble-mason, Bristol.-B. Murgatroyd, worsted-spinner, Bradford.—E. Charlton, scrivener, New- castle-upon-Tyne.—E. Pimm, jeweller, Birmingham.—J. Britain, jun., jeweller, Birmingham.- W. Humphreys, grocer, Carnarvon.-C. Clarke, innkeeper, Great Malvern.-T Young, otherwise T. Nunn, trader in yachts, Southampton.—J. Horrox, calico-printer, Manchester.

BIRTHS. On Friday, the 14th inst., the lady of Thomas R. Williams, Eaq., of a daughter. On Thursday, the 13th instant, Mrs. Richard Williams, of Alving- ton, Gloucestershire, of a son. 1 MARRIED. Feb. 20, in the Independent Chapel, Abergavenny, by the Rev. H. J. Bunn, Benjamin Cross, to Jane Tuthars. At Monmouth, on Thursday last, Mr. Williams, of Monnow-street, to Mrs. Walker, of Chippenham Gate, both of that town. On Tuesday, the 18th instant, at Merthyr Church, by the Rev. T. Williams. Mr. J. R. Havard, of the Lamb Inn and Posting House, Llandovery, to Margaret Milford, daughter of Mr. David Thomas, Mount Pleasant House, Rumney Iron Works, Monmouthshire. DIED. On the 6th instant, Jane, the beloved wife of Mr. Philip Bennet, .of Brook House, Penhow, aged 27. At Bath, on the 5th inst., after a short illness, and in her twelfth year, Clara Frances, youngest daughter of Elijah Waring, Esq. Cardiff. On Monday, February 3rd, aged 22 years, Miss Elizabeth Williams iress-maker, of Treforest, daughter of Mr. Edward Williams, of the same place. At Chepstow, on the Ilth instant, aged 29 years, Mrs. Mary Morgar, widow of the late Edward Morgan, jun., and daughter of Mr. Jamf s Probert., At the residence of her father, at Troy Farm, Monmouth, yesterday week, in her twentieth year, Sophia, wife of Mr. William Fisher Miles, of this county. On Thursday week, at the Duke's Farm, Penalt, in his fifth year, Henry, son of Mr. Philip Williams. At Hilstone House, near Monmouth, on Friday week, Francis, th. infant sou of — Cave, Esq. On the 18th inst., i# I<ow« BrooJc-ntreet, liondw, Sir Wynt* ft.A.i