Monmouthshire Merlin

A DAY WITH THE LLANGIBBY HOUNDS. The meet on the 6th inst. was at Penrheolbin Gate at nine. t The Llanyravon woods were drawn blank. Re-crossing the wl|?1'CC roa(^ we w*re «oon cheered by a capita* drag ;—two old hounds, Rambler and Racer, as we heard say, after con- sulting their noses one instant, turned their sterns to the pack < who were hunting up wind, and with unerring notes proclaimed Vy6 ^ent way to the woods of Madam de SoKnal. I e trotted to the end of the cover, and anon the quickening j cry proclaimed the fox unkenneled. To us the most exhila- I rating sight in nature is the dash of the foxhound on a high. scenting morning, and we shall never forget the present scene. ree noble hounds abreast topped the covert hedge, and for one moment missing the scent, each made his cast. 'Twas larmer had the luck. Poor hound, how changed that luck e ore the chase was done Racer and Rambler sprang to >■imnT no'fn caM and again they topped a hedge with one t.if.V'V.. aPParently with one bound. Hark off, there, luiJoL j°y°us echo and although we are exnurion n a an(^ Krey in the service, and have had some ni.fstipa^ 111 e8i.e malters» we confess ourselves still unso- n rUgh.to.['wrer <•" Llangibby cheer to .H th. tiumpeU in Leicestershire. The fox was indeed Skirt S| £ 'Zool Zt'lh?r0ke lgain the bot om< 2d cross- Skiboreen Her* r k "u an into t,le thick«* Cwm lie were but twen J °m 7 the tail hounds ™ though i i yea> 8 old, and the cry became terrific A °CCUr7d in tl?e lane atthe t0P of the CwTwhich east oftheirSnCm^ °ke-n'jy" Tlie hounds made a splendid any other na as the like is never seen with led ov Jr « WC kn"W,' antl Tartai' h[t off- 'J'he fox now Pettemo- l nC near Trostrey. and passing the I ^.e wood, bore away from Cordypane. As we gal- nrf?k Wn- ie. Vrow' we v>ewed him making his best pace f °PPos'te an(l, as we thought, for the Darren earth U/i v n s Pfe«sed him too hard for this open country, jj S? turned 8hort for Cwmbwrwch again crossing the StOvart, made straight for Pantague Church and alas be it I ■ntten, for the preserves of Hanbury Leigh. He found no rest, however, in these fine covers, and we had splendid hunt- Jng on to White Hall, when he again refused the open and returned to the wood, where we unkennelled him. It now became evident that he could not break again; and after dodging about for some time, a fresh fox got on foot, and away we went without a moment's delay for Mr. Prothero's plantations, and on to Llanvrechva house, where he wheeled to the left; and crossing the Criguck and Candwr at a pace that made gentlemen scarce, bore away for Cwm Georsin Oeorseand Pentoppin thence by the Gutlas to Peny Bank and leaving Pall Pennys wood on the right, he crossed the oar bro°k above Pontybevor. The chief part of the field was now more than a mile from the hounds, who still held ,eir Pace over Clomendie and Bullundaeg, up to Llanhenor i'H-s, through Coedurvon and the Ton. on to the river Usk, y Newbridge. Here in the large meadows the hounds over- uolcinm. He could not cross the river, for Racer was at his brush, when he earthed in a drain, out of which the eager pack drew him, and at once put a stop to his care. Thus ended as fine a run as ever was known in Monmouthshire. The sport had long been crushed, and the face of every gen- tleman in the field had been turned from joy to piteousness and disgust at as cruel a scene as ever was witnessed. Our avounte Charmer was leading through a brake of Mr. Leigh'?, joining the parish road, when he ran upon one of the dog 8pears with which that gentleman's property (it is to be hoped and believed, unknown to him) is disgraced. The spear It h7Sebark »Afthe "brave old bound'" and out the Lorrt T'- ? °,N THE 8Pot Rambler, A dog that half next hnf i leutena"t s fortune cannot match, was wounded his lea an«le Ino^e luckily escaped—a spear had only grazed man C^t ll.t0 tbe b°ne* Sure we are that this gentle- _L 0se "earing is the county bye-word for liberality— fluh n jme. Srace8 the head of the Monmouthshire Hunt of th' w purse so handsomelyproclaimsjhis approval f V,* ase—canr*ot be aware of the unwarrantable practices 01 his lazy servants. Lazy, most lazy, we repeat; for great as the expense of fortifying these woods is said to be, we saw but one solitary head of game, while twenty couples of houndi; ran through the best covers-and that a miserable looking phea- sant, with half a tail. The owner of this fine estate, is. perhaps, the only gentleman in England whose name heads a fox-hunt- ing club in his county, while his keepers trap foxes in gins, and openly sell the mangled creatures at half-a-guinea a head to be baited by the Pontypool bull dogs. We lately heard of one of these unfortunate animals, whose foot was so lacerated as to require amputation; and these ingenious gent emen sup- plied its place with a cork in a socket of tin on the raw flesh, before they turned it out of their bag We really think (independent of the uselessness of trapping foxeis uiider pre- tence of preserving game, for when we see the withy beds at Berkely and Swan Grove, at Badminton, where pheasants swarm like magpies in the Pontypool estate, and foxes are as thick as spears), that common humanity, if no lighter induce- hient can prevail, should put a stop to such unmitigated cruel- ty.-Correspondent.

ANTI-CORN-LAW MEETING AT MERTHYR. Mr. George Price, the chief constable of the town, in com- pliance with a requisition, signed by twenty-two of the leading merchants and tradesmen of Merthyr, convened a public meeting of the inhabitants, at the Assembly Room of the Bush Inn, on Wednesday, the 4th inst., with a view to petition the legislature for the immediate abolition of the Corn Laws. The Chief Constable having declined to preside. Mr. D. W. James Was called upon to take the chair. Having read the requisi- tion, he expressed his gratification at seeing so numerous, respectable, and intelligent an assemblage ot his friends and townsmen and the pleasure he felt in having to preside over 8 meeting, having for its object a total and immediate repeal of the Corn Laws. Mr. Edward Morgan, merchant, in a brief speech, setting forth the advantages of free commercial intercourse, proposed the first resolution That the Corn Laws are productive of deep injury to all classes of the people ;-to the working classes, because they depreciate the value of labour, and raise the price of food to the commercial interests, inasmuch as they prevent inter- changes of products between nations; and to the farmer, be- cause they have held out delusive expectations of prices which these laws have been unable to sustrain, whilst they have in- creased the burden of his poor rates." This was seconded by Mr. 'I'ho inad Thou, as. of Dowlais, and carried unanimously. Mr. Thomas Stephens, druggist, in proposing the second resolution, remarkt-d that the present state of public opinion on the Corn Laws, rendered it unnecessary to point out the "its of protection. Men of all classes, and shades of opinion on other subjects, unite in adopting free trade principles and since the Prime Minister of England has become a con. Vert to the truth, protection has little else to do than quietly to take its place in the history of popular delusions. It be. Comes the meeting, therefore, to turn its attention to another "»atter; and it is hardly necessary to inform those who are Present, that they are met to decide whether they will wait three years, or have the corn duties abolished without any fur. ther delay. This is the only question on which there can be any difference of opinion. Some persons may think, that if they petition for immediate repeal, they may risk a dissolu- tion of parliament, and thereby delay the obtaining ot free trade for a longer period than that now proposed.^ j. °"' jection possesses little or no force. By asking for immediate, We still place in Sir Hobert Peel's hands the very best justifi- cation of ultimate repeal: for if the united voice of the country demands the abolition of the Corn Laws now, it certainly warrants him in terminating their existence at the end of three years. The advantages of free trade will be none the less for having been enjoyed three years prior to 1849. But the rea- sons for an immediate abolition are not simply negative other countries are watching very closely the progress of the great commercial cause which is not only destined to give cheaper food and increased employment to the inhabitants of Britain, but to pass into a law of nations, and assume the form of a political principle, to be appealed to and applied by other Rations. Several European countries are making rapid pro- gress towards free trade, and America is only waiting for the justification of our example to repeal her hostile and injurious tariff. 1 hese alone are reasons sufficient for immediate re- peal but the case does not stand on these grounds alone. As free traders, we might be content to wait till the expiration of that time; but there is another class whose direct interest it undoubtedly is to have the Corn Laws immediately ttfuck off thp statute-book. The present high price ofcoril is peculiacly | favourable to the farmer, as he will not in any way feel any ill1 effects from the removal; while the chances are, that at the end of three years he may be in a far more disadvantageous position. All the Welsh farmers with whom I have conversed, fail to see any advantage in the delay and are unanimously c of opinion, that it would be .better to have the question settled as speedily as possible. Holding these opinions, I feel great, ] pleasure in proposing for your adoption— t That, in the opinion of this meeting, the immediate and 1 total repeal of the Corn Laws is enforced by the present con. dition of the United Kingdom, in reference to the supply of 11 food, and by the interests of the tenant-farmer, who, in the uncertainty of the effect of their abolition, will be deterred from investing his capital and labour in the cultivation of the soil." Seconded by Mr. J. W. James. surgeon. When the last speaker had concluded, Mr. Matthew John stepped forward to propose an amendment. After denonnc- ing the League as being only anxious for free trade in corn, and the meeting as having been convened for the purpose of opposing Sir Robert Peel's measure, he dwelt in terms of very high praise upon the ministerial plan, and proposed- "That the meeting approve ot Sir Robert Peel's measures, and will give them their strenuous support." This was seconded by Mr. W. Gould. The Chairman pointed out to Mr. John that his amendment in no way clashed with the resolution, and suggested that it should be put as an addition, and not as an amendment. Mr. John declined this and on being put to the meeting, the original motion was carried by a very large majority. Mr. John Jenkins, M. A., replied to the insinuations directed against the League, and very concisely pointed out the real question at issue. The ministerial plan was a series of sug gestions, thrown out with a view to elicit expressions of public opinion, and Sir Robert Peel would shape his course accord- ingly. It became them, therefoie, well to consider whether they would wait three years for the blessings of free trade, or have them without further delay. Sir Robert has nothing to .ear from liberal opposition, but everything to hope lor from liberal support. Petition, therefore, for repeal im- mediately, and it is extremely probable the cause would be gained. Converted by defeat, Mr. Matthew John volunteered his services to pro jJose- That a petition, embodying the foregoing resolutions, be drawn up, and when signed, be presented to the House of Commons by Sir John Guest, Baronet, the member for the borough This was seconded by Mr. Lewis Lewis, and carried. In acknowledging the thanks of the meeting, which had been voted to him for the kindness and impartiality which he had evinced, the Chairman signified his dissent from the high praise which had been bestowed upon Sir Robert Peel. The thanks of free traders were due neither to Sir Robert Peel nor to Lord John Russell, but to Mr. Richard Cobden. The meeting then broke up. SiHHowy.—On Tuesday se'nnight, a very numerously" attended meeting of the inhabitants of Tredegar and it* neigh bourhood. took place in a chapel at Sirhowy. Very eloquen' addresses weie delivered in English, by Mr. John Jenkins M.A., Swansea, and N. Coates, Esqrs.; and in Welsh, by the Rev. Richard Jones, Rev. R. Williams, and one or two othe Dissenting ministers. Resolutions were agreed to for the immediate abolition of the Corn Laws.

CARDIFF. LLANDAFF FAIR. -This fair was held on Monday last There was a tolerably good supply of stock, and considerable business was done. Prices were rather high for beef and mut- ton. Several horses changed hands. TAFF VALE RAILWAY. At the half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of the Taff Vale Railway, held at the White Lion Hotel, Bristol, on this present Wednesday morning, Walter Coffin, Esq., in the chair, the following gratifying report was sead by the secre- tary, Mr. Morcom, and was received by the numerous body of shareholders present with much satisfaction In presenting the usual half yearly statement of account. the directors have much satisfaction in being enabled again to congratulate the proprietors upon the prosperous and improv- ing state of their undertaking. Upon reference to the accounts, it will be seen that the gross receipts for the half year were £ 29,750. 15s. Od.; and that the increase, as compared with the corresponding half of last vear. has been in Passengers fl,382 11 5 GeneralMerchandize. 613 16 0 Iron. 364 8 5 IronOre. 348 13 1 Coal and Coke 4.122 14 1 Sundries. 226 4 10 Showing a total increase of £ 7,058 7 10 The result of the experiment made in reducing to so low a rate the fares on third class passengers, continues to afford proof of its success. After payment of all working expenses, interest on bonds, preferential shares and stock, there remains a clear profit of £ 9,856.4s. 5d., which, with £ 229. 2s. 4d. undivided last half- year, leaves a balance of £ 10,085. 6s. 9d. applicable to the payment of a dividend on the original shares. Your directors recommend a dividend of f 3. 3s. perfshare (less income tax) on each original share, being at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum on the amount of each old or f 126 share, which is six guineas per cent, ou the amount actually pa'u up. • The directors having considered the expediency of creat- r&A k rmf^t depreciation of stock, recommend that £ 750 be applied from the profits of the last six months to this purpose. The directors have paid off X12,600 of the first deben- tures, by raising the money on the same security at 4 instead of 5 per cent, interest. A large amount of the stock created by the late specia general meeting has been obtained at 41 per cent., and there is every reason to expect, that when the money market is relieved from the slight pressure produced by the railway de- posits, there will be no difficulty in procuring the remainder on he same terms. The application to Parliament for an Act enabling the company to make new branches, is in as forward a state as a compliance with the standing orders will admit. Upwards of 18,000 of the new shares have been taken by the proprietors, and the deposits thereon paid, which, considering the very short notice that could be given, evinces the strong confidence entertained in the soundness of the undertaking, bv those best qualified to form a correct opinion on the subject. The formation of the double line of railway to Navigation House is proceeding satisfactorily. The portion from Cardiff to Llandaff has been completed and open for traffic since October last. The remaining portions are in a very forward state, many parts of the permanent way being already laid, and great part of the remaining distance being ready for receiving it. Notwithstanding the inconvenience of executing the works in connection with doubling the line, and at the same time conducting a heavy traffic, your diiectors are happy in being enabled to state, that this has been accomplished without any accident of importance, and without delaying the traffic for a day." On the motion that the report be adopted, a conversation respecting the wharfage charges at the Little Dock, Cardiff arose out of a question asked by Mr. Hill, but was closed by the chairman deciding that the discussion was irregular. The report and statement of account were then received, adopted, and ordered to be printed. The Chairman then proposed-" That a dividend, at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum be now declared upon each £ 126 share, being f3. 3s. per share for the half-year; that such dividend be payable on the 5th day of March to the proprie- tors of original shares whose names appear on the register of the company at the closing of the transfer books, oil the 4th of February instant." The resolution was carried with loud cheering. Mr. Mogg inquired what balance would be left in hand after paying the dividend. The Chairman; f923. Mr. Prideaux said he held in his hand a copy of the Railway Record, in which WAS an article reflecting on the directors of J Railway. He was anxious of giving the Direc- tors the opportunity of replying to the article, and he would therefore, as it was short, ask the secretary to read it. he Chairman said he should be sorry to attach so much consequence to the calumnious attack, as to have it read.- (Hear, hear.) The directors bad been subjected to the most rollll abuse by some of the railway papeis, but they thought It the best way to meet it with silent contempt. If the direc tors were worthy to sustain the position in which they were placed by the proprietors, then they were the best judges of the matter to which the report referred to alluded. If the pro- pnetors thought their business could be better managed—if they thought they could get better judges of the Conduct of the servants of the company-then let the proprietors replace the present directors by such but if they continued their confi. dence in the directors, then in their handll they must leave the exercise of the powers invested in them by their Act of Parliament. Mr. Prideaux said, in naming the subject, he had no wish to cast reflections on the directors. For himself, he felt the greatest confidence in them and the highly-satisfactory re- port which they had been enabled to present to the share- holders that day, entitled them to their warmest thanks. Hav- ing, however, seen the observations in a public paper, he thought it due to the shareholders, to the directors, and to himself, to direct attention to iL The Chairman: These charges are the tax which public men must pay. When those papers have nothing to interest the public besides, they proceed to cram them with these matters. Generally speaking, in raiiway matters, a good divi dend is like what charity is in religion —it covers a multitude of sins—but ours has not been so permitted to operate. Mr. Prideaux If the dividend be good, one can hardly be brought to beliete that the direction is bad.—(Hear, hear.) Thanks having been voted by acclamation to the directors and the Chairman having acknowledged the compliment, th meeting broke up.-Brisiot Gatetle.

HONFSTY THE BEST POLICY.-Last Tuesday, the ChiefCom- :T„8,10n"0[th.e '"solvent Debtors' Court, in the case of an into cm'vtf l 31' out of £ 190* on going to prison, DSV hU made him an allowance of £ 25 to ing rnC^ 4 8UPPort himself in prison until his hear- .ha« no person .Ml ,5l gL" "S'SV.ifZTer nnle" such person be lord or lessees/ a "censea aeaier, uniess his gamekeeper, as the oWnL or rcCunl°rrnfei,Ut ""n' °A ar thp loa.t till • occupier ot — acres of laud at the least (the number is not yet fixed). Nothine however herein, is to affect or take awav th» „ V,ol"ln8i nowever, keeper or tavernkeeper to sell ginf L "„n y ° T' house. Licensed dealers are toTep a book tnT'0" m inspection; and pet sons in possession of game or sn^es" are account for it to justice, if called on so to do. Damie done by game .s to be apportioned among neighbouring proprietors and a right of appeal is given to the next quarter sessions The provisions of the former Act are to be extended to E ks re! gards penalties, &c. c s- as re On Tuesday the 10th instant, a general assembly of the academicians of the Royal Academy of Arts was held at their apartments in Trafalgar square, when Thomas Webster, Pa, trick M'Dowell, and John Rogers Herbert, Esqrs., were duly elected royal academicians, in the room of Sir Augustus Wall Callcott, Robert Smirke, and Tbos. Phillips, Esqf deceased SPANISH WHEAT—There has just been delivered at this port a catgo of extremely fine wheat from Cadiz (being the first that we lemerr.ber direct from Spain into tnls vast emporium of corD). It weighed 641 bs. to the bushel, and was very dry. The Jane Pope, of Bridport. Captain Symonds, brought the caigo for Messrs. Grutt, Helmsing, and Co., and the captain reports that twenty-three other cargoes were toadipg at Cadiz when beteft.— Hull paptr,

11 0 U.S. E 0 F LOR D S. MONDAY, FZB. 9. Several petitions were presented on either side of the corn question. The Earl of St. Germains moved the peeond reading of the Pnblic Works (Ireland) Bill, which he said would bring home to the very doors of the peasantry, the means of profitable em- ployment. Lord Monteagle approved of the bill, and drew attention to the general distress in Ireland, which could be alleviated only by measures such as this. After a short discussion, the bill was read a second time, aad ordered to be committed on Friday.—Adjourned. TUESDAY, FEB. 10. The Earl of Aberdeen, in answer to a question from Lord Kinnaird, respecting the cruelties alleged to have been perpe- trated on the Polish Nuns at Minsk, stated that he had no doubt the persecutions in question were grossly exaggerated; and that, whatever might be the state of the case, her Majesty's government had no power to interfere. The Earl of Besborough gave notice that on Thursday, he would move for a return of the murders, or attempts to mur- der, committed in Ireland since the 1st of January, 1842, spe- cifying the counties in which the murders, or attempts to mur- der had taken place; also a return of the rewards offered by the government in Ireland, for the discovery of the authors of those offences since January, 1842, with a similar specification of the county or district in which such offences took place. The Duke of Richmond and Lord Beaumont presented peti- tions in favour of protection. The house adjourned to Thursday. The Lords did not meet on Wednesday, and there was no businesas of importance on Thursday.

HOUSE OF 0 COMMONS. MONDAY, FEB. 9. The interest excited this evening by the expected discussion on the government measures, was nearly as intense as on the evening when the premier opened them to the house. The strangers' gallery was densely thronged long before the arrival of the speaker. On the floor and on the seats near the mem- bers, were piles of petitions against the corn laws. On the Speaker taking the chair, Lord Morpeth appeared at the bar to take the oaths and his seat for the West Riding of Yorkshire. The noble lord was welcomed with the loud cheers of the opposition. He was accompanied by Lord John Russell and Mr. Byng. A vast number of petitions, for and against the corn laws, were presented, and amongst them, Lord Morpeth, who, on rising, was received with voetferau* cheering, presented the Leeds petition, signed by 19,000, and the Bradford petition, signed by 14,000, and 103 others, from various towns in the West Riding, in favour of the premier's measures, excepting that they prayed for the immediate aboli- tion of the corn laws; the signatures to which, in reply to Mr. Ferrand, Lord Morpeth said, were, his conviction was, the free and unbiassed acts of the persons whose names were appended. Some questions having been put, respecting miscellaneous business, Sir R. Peel took the opportunity of correcting a false im- pression, that the present duties levied on the importation of foreign corn would cease, as soon as his resolutions imposing the new duties had received the assent of the committee, and had been approved by the house. He had thought that parlia- ment had been accustomed to deal with the corn as with other duties; but as it was not so, he would make the reduction of the duties take place from the passing of the act. Government had determined, however, to give the corn bill precedence over all other public business. It would be taken without waiting for the bills necessary to give effect to the other alterations in the tariff, and would, if it passed the House of Commons, be sent forthwith to the House of Lords. On the motion that the Speaker do now leave the chair, Mr. Philip Miles rose, and moved, as an amendment, that the house do resolve itself into committee that day six months. He made that motion, not because he wished to inflict oa the house the tediousness of a long debate, but because he consi-r dered that the most fitting time for taking the discussion on the question which had been raised by the measures proposed on the part of the government. It was a question which touched the interests of every man in this country, the highest and the lowest, the merchant and the agriculturist, the landlord and the tenant, the operative and the artisan; and it was a ques- tion of far greater magnitude then the Reform Bill, because it implied a change in the policy which had been pursued in this country from the earliest period of its history, and under which it had risen to great eminence—a policy which all nations had long followed, and which all still continued to follow. (Cheers). Whether this country was prepared for this great change—whether the constituencies were prepared to give their sanction to the measures of the right hon. gentleman—he would not venture to say; but he (Mr. Miles') could not hesi- tate to declare that on a question of such vital importance to their interests they ought at least to be consulted. Undoubt- edly the majority of this parliament was elected on protec- tionist principles. (Hear, hear.) Notwithstanding the expla- nations given by the right hon. baronet (Sir R. Peel) at the commencement of the session, he (Mr. Miles) could not but agree with the noble lord the late secretary for the colonies, and, he might add, with the majority of the right hon. baronet's colleagues, in thinking that there was no peculiar necessity for the measure-that though there was a failure of the potatoe crop in Ireland (which no one could more sincerely regret than he did himSelf), yet there was no failure in the harvest of this country, for every report showed that the crop was very large. From the reports which had been published, it appeared that between the 5th of July, 1845, and the 5th of January, 1846, nearly 100,000 quarters of grain had been imported, and more than 100 cwt. of meal. That there was no apprehension of famine was shown by the fact that wheat was at 66s. a quarter —a price which in 1842 the right hon. baronet had thought a fair price. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Miles) did not underrate the responsibility of the minister. He could understand that the hon. baronet's anxiety would be increased by the mare idea of a famine. Then the hon. baronet had not only the earliest reports from different quarters, but he was receiving such re- ports continually. The right hon. baronet had read some alarming paragraphs; but he ought likewise to have taken into consideration the state of the markets in this country; for no parties watched the progress of the nation so closely, or know the chances of abundance or scarcity so well as the leading corn merchants. If all parties had Aw*n 1IS tv the matter of fact, the farmers of England would, he was sure, have all heartily joined in saying, likopen the ports und drive away famine, whatever may be the consequence." (Cheers.) The right hon. baronet's colleagues had equally with himself the means of judging whether the emergency was such as to demand the measure he proposed in November; and when those colleagues were seen refusing to open the ports, and de- claring the reports of famine exaggerated, he (Mr. Miles), with- out wishing to impute improper motives, could not but say he felt that the cause of protection had long been doomed in the mind of the right hon. baroaet, and that the pro- positions now made by the right hon. baronet had at last sealed its fate. Upon that principle he (Mr. Aliles) was prepared to take his stand, and give hit most decided opposition to the right hon. baronet. But he did not mean to deny that there were parts of the measure from which the country would derive benefit. He thought a moderate protection, however, due to native industry-a moderate protection, he said, for he had never been, and would never be, the advocate of any but a fair and just protection. He had brought forward his motion not on account of the agricultural interest only, but on account of all the interests of the country; he belonged to no particular interest, for he was equally engaged in all. He knew the diffi- culty he should have in bringing this question before the house, and in advocating opinions which the right hon. gentleman had given up after having supported them with all the force of his talents, for 30 years. But such difficulties should not dishearten him (Mr Miles); for a large party in that house-a large and influential party beyond its walls—held opinions xn accordance with his own. Had he, three months ago, asked many of those hon. gentlemen who were now sitting on the treasury benches, whether they were prepared to vote for a repeal of the corn-laws and the principle of free trade, he should scarcely have expected an affirmative answer. (Hear, hear.) Even the hon. member for Wolverhampton (M-r, Villiera) must be surprised at the mi- raculous accession of numbers to his party. Were those ho- nourable gentlemen watching the country's progress towards free trade, and did they hasten to accomplish the popular with ? Were they prepared to act in concert with the honourable mem- ber for Stockport ? What were the opinions they were elected to support, he (Mr. Miles) could not say.—He left them to set- tle that with their constituents; but he could only say, that if his opinions had undergone such a change he should have been prepared to follow the example of the noble lord the member for Dorsetshirc (Lord Ashley,) and resigned his seat His chief objection to the measures of the right honourable baronet was that he saw no termination to them. Every session would bring on additional change. It was proposed to effect great changes; and greater still must follow. The more he consi- dered the question, the more was he convinced that tho«e mea- sures ought not to be allowed to pass through parliament before the deliberate opinion of the country had been taken on the subject by an appeal to the constituencies. (Hear, hear.) The right honourable baronet entered office supported by a strong majority in parliament. Trade had been in a bad state owing mainly to a succession of bad harvests. But at the pe- riod of the right hon. baronet's accession to of&ee, the great experiment of railroads had been found to succeed. They attracted the notice of capitalists—they gave employment to labourers. An impulse was communicated to the iron trade so that prices had doubled within the last two or three years. Then the termination of the wars in India and China had given a great impetus to trade; and coupling these circumstances with the consideration that there had been a succession of good hai vests, since the right hon. baronet's accession to office, he could not admit that the prosperity of the country was attribu- table to the right hon. baronet's policy for many of those cir. cumstances would have taken place had the noble lord been in power. (Hear.) If the right honble. baronet considered his measure essential to the best interests of the country, he (Mr. Miles) for one would not blame him but he could not consent I to follow him. The corn law, it would be admitted, had work.d weu, so far as a law could work well. (Laughter and cheers.) So far as calculation could go, it had, he thought, answered the right hon. baronet's expectations. The object of that law wits to give a (air price to the farmer. What did he consider a fair price now ? If he was right in his views of the effect that would attend the repeal of the corn laws, what became of the "cheap-loaf" argument of the honble. gentleman opposite? There was a vast difference between the cheapness produced by a good harvest, and the cheapness produced by the introduc- tion of foreign corn ? The right honourable baronet had over- looked the distinction. When these measures were passed, free trade would be the principle of the government, and protection could not be taken from one interest without its being taken from all. What would be said of the navigation laws, of reci- proci'y treaties ? Where the sweeping current was to pass, when once the barrier was broken down, he could not say; but if justice were done te all parties, protection ought to be con- tinued. The right hon. baronet had laid great stress on the protection he was taking from the manufacturer—(hear)—but the amount of it was altogether insufficient. There were other circumstances, which gave the manufacturers great natural ad- vantages over the agriculturist. His establishment was much better conducted. (Ironical cheers from the opposition.) He meant that the manufacturer could survey all his workmen at one glance, and therefore had them more under his controul than the farmer. Whether the sun shone, or the rain poured, the factory went on the same; but the farmers were subject to the vicissitudes of the weather. The manufacturer had many advantages over the farmers, which was unjust. The agricul- turist would almost have been better pleased, had the right hon. baronet offered them nothing at all. In 1844-46, advan- tages were given to free-grown over slave-grown sugar, and now without giving it sufficient trial, the growers of free-labor suga'r were told they could stand a little more competition. This measure of the right hon. baronet was one most unfavour- able to the colonies generally. Extend the principle of the Canada corn bill generally, and he (Mr. Miles) would not then object to vote for the plan. If free trade principles were to prevail they ought to be extended to the colonies and the manufacturer of this country ought not to be allowed to have a monopoly of the colonial market. (Hear, hear, from Lord John Russell.) It was said that it was desirable to extend ma- nufactures in this country. The evidence of Horner's report proved that their activity was sufficiently alarming. (Hear.) Upon the whole, he believed they would be acting for the best interests of the country—for the benefit of commerce, of the colonies and of the working classes, by advocating protection for every branch of British industry. The hon. gentleman concluded by moving his amendment. Sir W Heathcote, in alluding to the amendment, said, that the scheme professed to be a large and comprehensive system of free trade. If it were so, he should consider it as a step in a downward direction, and therefore one which ought not to be taken. But it was not so; on the contrary, it was partial in ap- pearance, and still more partial in reality. It did not take equally from all classes the protective duties which they en- joyed, but left agriculture, which requirtdpiOttOtiOlth»p 9TB«{ WTWFT, FUTILE LRITIIVTTT TF. Mr. W. S. Laseelles briefly explained the grounds on which.) 1 ie supported the commercial policy of her Majesty's Govern- ment. He had no opinions on this subject himself to recant, tor previously to the general election he had supported the mea- ture of Lord J. Russell for a free trade in corn. He also de- ned that there had been any sudden change in the policy of the government, for it was impossible to read the speeches of 3ir-<r' ?e,e<L*> Gladstone in proposing and defending the tariff of 1842, without seeing that it was their intention, and that of their colleagues to uphold the principles of tree trade. He thought Sir R. Peel entitled to the gratitude of his country for the change which he now proposed Lord Norreys was compelled to declare that, though he had long been a supporter of Sir R. Peel, he could not place any confidence in him for the future. Mr. B. Cochrane supported the motion for going into com- mittee. ° After a short speech from Mr. B. Hope in favour of the amendment, Lord Sandon startled the house by declaring that though he eel disapproved of the scheme proposed by her Majesty's Govern- ment, he had made up his mind to vote in favour of it. Lord J. Russell: I believe, sir, that I am the first member who has risen on this side of the house--( cheers)--on this im- portant—this very:important-questiorl now before us; and, while I shall give my vote on the same side with the noble lord who has just addressed the house, I can say that I shall do it with better heart and hope than the noble lord-(cheers)-as to the task we are about to undertake. I will not attempt to underate the importance of this question. Hon. gentlemen whom we have heard speak on the opposite side of the house, end who object to the propositions made to us by her Majesty's Ministers, seem to consider that they have said what is quite conclusive, when they say that for centuries a system of protec- tion has been the system of legislation adopted in our public policy. (Hear.) I am not at all terrified, sir by that denun- ciation. We know that for oenturies the system of religious disabilities was the system of legislation adopted in this country; we know that for centuries the want of security for the liberty of the person was the legislative system adopted in this country; but happily we live to acknowledge the great be- nefits which have flowed from the destruction of those systems, (hear, hear)—and I hope that we are now at the commence- ment of the destruction of another system which has been most injurious to the cotry, and that we shall hereafter feel proud that we have participated in laying the foundation for a new and a better order of things. (Cheers.) It appears, sir, that the question, with respect to the corn laws, which in former years was almost exclusively confined to the particular question of corn, has of late—especially in meetings and discussions in the country—been widened to the principle of protection; and those who defend the preset corn laws, and who wish to maintain them—avoiding all appearances of selfishness or of legislation for a particular class, have said that they wish all native industry to be protected—(cheers from the ministerial benches )-but the hon. gentleman who seconded the amend- ment, this night, seemed to confess, at least he was sensible that protection to all native industry waa a mere plausible word, that it rested on no solid foundation, because he asked how could protection be found for many great interests in the country ? The great cotton manufacturers of this country, the great woollen manufacturers, the great linen manufacturers of this country, are sent abroad to compete in markets at a great distance from us; they are sent to the markets of America and Asia to compete with the fabrics of other countries we there- fore, want no protection for them in Sussex or in Lincolnshire. ( Hear.) If that be the case, and if the great branches of our industry want no protection, they are not benefited by the tri- fling 4c the trumpery protection which remains on your statute- book, and they are not benefited by that protection which ssems to give an advantage to one particular class of industry. Considering the plan of the right hon. gentleman as a great measure, as a measure that is to lay the foundation of a com- pletely new principle with regard to our commercial legislation, that principle being neither to foster one trade nor the other,, neither to attempt to promote agriculture nor manufactures but to leave them to flourish or to fade," according to the energies and skill of the people of this country, and believing that ia the sound principle, I am prepared to give every support I can to the plan brought forward by the right hon. gentleman. (Cheers.) But, sir, I think it incumbent upon me to say, with regard to the mode in which he has introduced it, that of hav- ing a new systsm of corn duties for three years, that the opin- ion I had formed in December has been more and more strength. ened by everything I have heard since the right hon. gentle- man made his plan public in this houte. (Hear, hear.) I hear from all parts, from Devonshire, from Roxburghshire, from various parts of Scotland, and from various of the midland counties of England, that the farmers who have been consulted upon this subject say everywhere—" If we are to have the sys- tem of free trade instead of the system of protection, let us know at once what that system is to be—(hear, hear)-we would rather have the duties immediately repealed, than take the chance of this new corn law which you propose, as breaking our fall, and as intended for our benefit." (Hear, hear.) Sir, I think there is great reason in that. In the first place, I think the tenant farmer will be better able to arrange with his land- lord as to the particular sums he will have to pay, if he knows at once what the state of the law is, and has not to wait till February, 1849, to take the chance of what may then happen. In the next place, I think there is some danger to the farmer- but it is according, of course, to what the seasons may be- that in 1848J if the price is low, there may be a very consider- able accumulation of com, and that a glut which would not happen if trade were then free, may happen if there is a sud- den reduction from 10s, to Is. in the beginning of 1849, not owing to the price of corn, but owing to your previous legisla- tion. In the next place, I have always thought, that if there be a danger of competition to the English farmer, the danger will be far greater after the lapse of two or three years than it is at the present moment. (Hear, hear.) It so happens that, in the present year, we know, owing to the bad harvests in some of the countries in Europe, there is very little stock of corn re- maining at Dantzic and Hamburgh, or those parts of the conti- nent from which corn is usually introduced, and there is no rea- son to suppose that there is any great stock in the United States; there is, therefore, no apprehension on the part of the farmer. (Hear, hear.) I think the way in which the immediate prospect of the duty being reduced to 4s has been encountered in the market, — for, I believe, the price of corn has generally rather risen than otherwise, is a proof that there is no great danger at the present moment. (Hear.) If there be any danger to encounter, it is when, both on the continent of Europe and in the Catted. Spates, preparations are made, IHe ground has been cultivated, and the seed has been sown, with a view to send in large supplies to the English market, and then, at that very moment, the duty is to ceaae. It is as if the right hon. gentleman were to furnish the farmer with a great-coat, provided he wore it only in the summer, and were to make it a condition that he should take it off when Christmas arrived. (Hear, and a laugh.) The provision, I think, may expose the agricultural interest of this country to a danger which it would not otherwise encounter. But I would put it to the right hon. baronet whether he will not reconsider that part of his plan ? (Loud cheers ) The right hon. bart. has frequently alleged, when bringing forward subjects of this importance, that it was almost impossible to know the exact effect of the duties proposed, until they had been by himself stated in this house, and the opinions of those who would be e'% most affected by them taken and collected. It does appear to as far as I have heard, that with respect to this, which the right hon. baronet intended, no doubt, as an advantage to the cultivator of the soil, the general opinion is that it would net be that advantage. (Loud eries of "hear, hear. But, as I have already said, I wish the plan of the right hon. gen- tleman to succeed; I wish to see his measure, with respect to corn, successful in this and the other house of parliament, and no vote of mine ahall tend in the least to endanger a measure of such a character. (Cheers ) If, therefore, when we come into committee, the right hon. gentleman tells me that he has considered the representations made from various parte of the country, but that, upon the whole he considers the delay of three years and the duty to be imposed in the meantime, an part of hi# Plan» I, for my part, shall go out with the right hon. gentleman upon it. (Cheers.) The right hon. gentleman has proposed to give certain relief with respect to local burdens, and especially with respeet to the expense of prisons and of prosecutions. I think then amendments in the law art iust; I think they are improvements in the existing law • I did not hear the right hon. gentleman eay that they were offered ae compensation, and I do not think any compensation of that kind could be offered. (Hear.) But I confess I do not feel sure, that with rweet to the general V^COuntrJr> th« landed interest, the ow»ers and the occupiers of land, may not have more than the share that properly belongs to them. (Hear, hear.) It w a point upon difficuUr. because, although my opinion certainly was that they were thus unduly burdened, I found that when- ever a proposition was made—(cheers from the opposition benches )-when my hon. friend, the member for Sheffield, AL1 making a statement adverse to4hat opinion, asked for a committee, none were so ready as the agricultural gentlemen to oppose inquiry; and to declare that they would not submit the question to investigation. When, about a year 7exTt ai°. was a TJery]lar&e su/P11" <>f »bout £ 3,500,000. m the Exchequer (or indeed more, for there were increased estimates afterwards), I suggested that it aught be worth the while of the agricultural interest, if they :ould at all perceive what was coming on, to have their :ase as to burdens investigated, with a view to obtaining relief with regard to some taxes -I mentioned the malt-tax for I nstance, which I though pressed heavily upon them; but they would not hear of such a proposition: they said, i'rot. at on nust be kept just as it is." (Hear, hear.) When the ri^ht i ion. baronet came to distribute those £ 3,600,000., he distributed hem no doubt advantageously to many interests of the country, ( rery advantageously to the trade of the country, but with no c peculiar regard to the agricultural interest—(hear, hear)—and t L, for one, felt no sympathy for them. I could not vote that 1 hey ought to have even the E250,000.1 which the hon. member f or Somersetshire proposed they should have granted to them, c )ecause I thought, as long as they clung to this protection, and 1, nsisted upon having what I considered an unfair advantage c Lgainst their fellow-countrymen, they had no claim for having L peculiar relaxation of burdens. I have said that I concur in c he general scheme of the right hon. gentleman. (Cheers.) I 0 wish that the repeal had been immediate instead of deferred. g Cheers.) But in the present state of affairs, seeing the attach- i meat that there' -th meat that there is on the part of the community to the protec- meat that there is on the part of the community to tne protec- tive system, I think the advantage so great, of getting rid of that system, as respects eorn, in three years, and of almost every other protection giving way immediately afterwards, unless It be really some case which will bear argument, that I am unwilling to disturb, in any way the settlement of the ques- tion. (Renewed cheers.) But J cannot forbear taking notice remark, which fell from the hon. member for Wakefield (Mr. Lascelles) with regard to these plans proposed by the first minister of the crown. The hon. member said, that without meaning anything (I am sure he did not) discourteous to those who sit here, he thought the right hon. gentleman more able to carry these measures successfully than we were likely to be. ?n°^wi!\an obs«vation which compels me to state, that I ao tnink that measures of the kind would have been sue- cesefully carried, if the right hon. gentleman, and those who sit with him, had supported plans brought forward by those Poetical opponents in the manner in which we support plans brought forward by ours. (Cheers and counter cheers.) This matter of free-trade and protection, as it has J"? »tated, I think, by the hon. member himself, ProPerly one of those questions which should come within the domain of party. When Mr. Huskisson brought forward his plan, many of those who sat on his own aide of the r-?™e wer« opposed to him: many of us who sat opposite to mm gave him our support Plans of moderating duties, and WM^img a tendency towards free trade, are not properly Th. tbey not exclusively Tory plans. (Hear hear.) T hit*T hon* gentleman opposite, when Home Secretary, as al*ay# understood, and as he himself has stated, acted CorJ?Iat'yiwith Mr. Huskisson in the promotion ofsuoh mea- when the Whig party were in power, and Lord Althorp attempted a reduction of the timber duties, he was met by a party opposition. (Hear, hear.) In 1840 when we all of u* who were then in office, two Secretaries of State, the Tra^ J 0f the; Exchequer, the ^esidents of the Board of for w* fnd the Board of Control, voted with the hon. member for Wolverhampton (Mr Villiers) for going into committee to consider the wrn-laws,' with a view, as we ail stated, ofpro- gu.modwate duty, we were met then by a party onposi- tion which prevented us going into committee. (Hear, hear.) 1841, when we came forwfrd as a Government to propose reductions with regard to corn, and sugar, and timber, we were met by an united party, containing »any members who repre- sented commercial places —many who, I believe, if they had not been bound by Sarty ties, would have acted according to their convictions that it would be for the benefit of their con- •tituents, tW »J« frM principles of commerce should be adopted. (Hear hear) My opinion is, that if that had not K* jn».the groun"of opposition, if the Government of that day had been defM ».i in »nr other measure, and those measures had >»>n ,K«T'««>"? 18« Would have been avoided-(bear ;)-the right hon. gentleman would have avoided for himself much "ectlTe 1118 reproach now east upon him, ae having betrayed somebody or other—(hear, hear)—when he has been, if not consistent with ttt 99QQI wtivTitf W m t9 ft» WtfWH conntry. (Cheers.) But, air, when the hon. gentleman, the f member for Wakefield, tells me that the right hon. gentleman opposite will be more successful in carrying these plans than we should, I say again that it is by our aid,—(cheers)—and in consequence of the couduct that we shall pursue, that the measure will attain its success. («' Hear, hear," from Sir R. Peel and some other members.) I think myself bound to say so, in justice to those who act with me. (Hear, hear.) And if the right hon. gentleman has the glory of adopting plans of commercial freedom which will benefit his country, which will enable the poor man to get a better reward for his labour, which will increase the demand for all the productions of this country, and which, after these questions are settled, will, I hope, open the way to the moral improvement of the people of this country, hitherto prevented by their want of adequate means of comfort—(cheers),—if the right hon. gentleman has the glory of carrying a measure fraught with such large and beneficial results, let ours be the solid satisfaction that, out of office, we have associated together for the purpose of aiding and assisting the triumph of the minister of the crown. ( Loud and continued cheering.) Sir R. Inglis congratulated Lord J. Russell on the gallantry with which he had come to the rescue of the ministry after nine gentlemen had arisen one after another on the ministerial benches to direct their fire, not against a common enemy, but against each other. Captain Fitzmaurice followed on the same side, in a speech in which he dwelt on the inconsistency of Sir R. Peel with re- spect to the Corn-Laws. Mr. S. Herbert frankly avowed his opinion that the law of 1842, when it was first tested by adverse circumstances, had absolutely failed of its object. Seeing that the law had failed, that food in the country was deficient not only in quantity but in quality, that the disease of the potato was not pecul'v&r to this country, lhat all other nations had opened their ports for the importation of grain, and that some of them from which we drew our supplies had closed them against us, he had agreed with the government in thinking that it was necessary that some measures should be taken to relieve the distress which was fast approaching. He had made his change of opinion slowly, deliberately, reluctantly, honestly, and he called upon the house to do the same. He called upon it to repair the greatest error that ever had been committed by human legis- lation—he meant the act of 1815—and to accede to the propo- sals of government, which were intended to join in one com- mon bond of union the agricultural and commercial classes. On the motion of Mr. S. O'Brien the debate was adjourned to the J,cxt day. The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the house adjourned at one o'clock. TUESDAY, FEB. 10. The adjourned debate was commenced by Mr. S. O'Brien, who denied that there existed, as Lord J. Russell represented, an impression among the farmers that the repeal of the Corn Laws, if it took place at all, should take place immediately. He regretted that the agricultural interest had not an oppor- tunity of publicly and constitutionally declaring their opinion. He could not agree with the proposition of Lord J. Russet, thai protection was no longer defensible; and, in reference to his assertion that labour was the property of the poor man, observed, that it was well for those who had used up that {►roperlpr most cruelly in the manufacturing districts to come orward and say now that we ought to let it alone We were propounding the most selfish doctrines when we brought for- ward measures of which the avowed object was to leave the poor man without protection, and so to consign him to unmiti- gated ruin. He had been accustomed to consider the present as a landlords' question. He was convinced that he had been wrong. It was not a landlords' question, but a tenant farmers' question and being such, he refused to alter the existing law relative to the importation of foreign corn. He then drew a highly coloured picture of the ruin which would fall upon the tenant farmers and the labourers whom they employed—whose honest hearts were worth more than all the heaviest volumes of political economy—if the new fangled doctrines of Mr. Cobden should be carried Into execution under the auspices of Sir R. Peel. The great fault was that they, like their landlords, had trusted in the faith of the legislature; and the misfortune which they would most deplore in tbeiT common ruin would be the loss of all confidence in public men. Mr. S. Crawford considered that the eloquence of the last speaker was much greater than the power of his arguments for though he professedly took great interest in the welfare of the working man, he showed the value of his professions by refusing to give to that working man cheap food. Nothing would promote the prosperity of the aountry so much as cheap corn, and therefore it was that he wished to repeal every tax which was imposed on its importation from foreign countries. Mr. H. BaUlie lamented that this question should have been made the war cry of a party, as it. rendered it more difficult to discuss with calmness, and without acrimony, one of the most difficult questions within the whole range of political economy. After pointing out the fatal results produced by free trade in India, where the free importation of British ma- nufactures had destroyed the native manufactures, and had caused greater numbers to perish by famine than had ever perished under the sword of any conqueror, he asked whether we could be surprised that foreign governments, witnessing such results, should refuse to try the experiment of free trade upon their own people, and should impose barriers against the free introduction of our goods into their dominions? He did not, however, conceive that this determination on their part ought to induce us to try that experiment upon our own coun- trymen. It was an old axiom, that there was an intimate con- nexion between agriculture and commerce, and that any mea- sure which injured or benefitted the one must also injure or benefit the other. As our master manufacturers had made greater profits during the last year than during any year pre- viously, it would not be irrelevant to inquire into the causes of that prosperity. Were those causes to be found exclusively in the new tariff? No; they were also to be found in three good harvests which had successively followed each other. Under such circumstances, he should support the proposition of the government, from a conviction that in so doing he was support- ing the beat interests of the British empire. Mr. Lefroy declared himself compelled, as an Irish member, to oppose the proposition of the government, which he de- nounced as a most rash and hazardous experiment. Lord Clements should give his support to- the government proposition for the alteration in the Corn Laws. The Marquis of Granby believed that Sir Robert Peel was actuated by the most pare and honourable motives; but if he had promulgated in 1841 the same opinions which he now en- tertained, he would not have proposed them now as minister of the crown. He should support the principle of protection, which had mainly conduced to the greatness, the happiness, and welfare of Great Britain. Mr. Gregory gave his cordial support to the commercial policy of Sir R. Peel. Lord Brooke, as the representative of a large and important county, explained the reasons which induced him to give, on this his first entrance upon public life, his decided opposition to the commercial policy proposed by Sir R. Peel. Lord Worsley observed that this measure was not brought forward by her Majesty's government as a measure which they deemed right, but as a measure which peculiar circumstances had rendered expedient. The question, therefore, would not be settled, even if the present measure (were passed; but he hoped that it would not be passed even by the present parlia- ment, which was elected as a protection parliament; for it was not either wise or equitable to enact a permanent law to meet a mere temporary evil. Sir James Graham considered that this question was one of vast importance, which demanded from all who were engaged in bringing it forward the most frank explanations. He then avowed most explicitly that he had changed his opinion on the subject of the Corn Laws and with that avowal he disposed of all the speeches which he had formerly made, and which Lord Worsley had just quoted against him. He then proceeded to explain the reasons of the change which had taken place in his opinions, and to apply certain tests to try the honesty of that change. The first test would have reference to his private interests in this question. He must, therefore, inform the house that his private position as a landlord who had inherited a large portion of inferior land, exposed him, if this change should prove injurions, to as great risk as any laudowner in the conntry. Lord Worsley had insinuated that the govern- ment had brought forward the present measure, not because it was right, but because it was expedient. Now, he distinctly Mserted that the government had brought it forward, not only because it was expedient, but also because it was right. He denied that this alteration would be injurious to the poor, and contended that it would give cheaper bread to the working po- pulation. The question, therefore, narrowed itself within this compass :—" Is the maintenance of the Corn Laws conducive to the interests of the majority of the community, and is it calculated to procure for the population a cheap and abundant supply of food V and that question he proceeded to argue at considerable length. He admitted that the unforeseen circum- stances which occurred after the close of the last session had great influence in producing the change of opinion which he was now about to defend. Those unforeseen circum- stances were the condition of the harvest, which, though not deficient in quantity, was variable in quality, and the great failure of the potato crop through all the domestic dominions > ij* In Ireland the failure was so universal that it would become necessary before many days elapsed to make a grant of public money to purchase food for its inhabitants. cou'<l *ny minister take upon himself the responsibility of asking the people of Great Britain to submit to a tax for such a purpose whilst their own food was enhanced in price by arti- ficial regulations ? He certainly could not; and, therefore, he had proposed that the law should be suspended; but he foresaw the necessity of abolishing, if you once suspended it. Since the year 1842 those whose duty it was to watch public 1 events had had experience leading to the most decisive con- elusions. He might confess, now that the danger was passed, that the year 1842 itself was a vear of the greatest danger. It c was a time of high prices and of scarcity, and the danger arose 1 from the want of the means of subsistence among tiie working f classes. What an alteration had been accomplished in the i last two years! We had had abundant harvests—with them u came abundance of employment, and low prices. Perfect tran- a quillity and comparative happiness now prevailed, and nothing t could be more striking than the contrast between the content v °f 1845 and the disaffection of 1842. After comparing the p statistics of crime in the six counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, c Warwickshsre, Gloucestershire. Cheshire, and Staffordshire. c in the years 1841 and 1842, when the prices of a quarter of wheat varied from 60s. to 57s. with those of the six same coun- 2? durin& the years 1844 and 1845, when the prices averaged 60s. a quarter, he proceeded to impress upon the landlords the necessity of having a settlement of this question, and reminded them that that settlement could only be accomplished by an abolition of the duties. Such an abolition would render the law certain, would give steadiness to prices, and would rid the landed interest of a reproach which had often been cast upon it, of wringing troiu the poor for their own advantage a paltry increase of rent. It had been said that by proposing this abo- lition a great party had been broken—social relations had been dissevered—and that a powerful administration would be broken up. Though he should regret the two first results, he should be consoled for the last, if it took place, by his belief that the proposition of his right hon. friend would save a great and powerful nation from misery, anarchy, and ruin. Lord Clive briefly expressed his intention of voting for the amendment of Mr. Miles, aud of opposing the commercial pro- ject of government. On the motion of Mr. Colquhoun, the debate, after a short discussion, was adjourned till Thursday next. The house then adjourned. WEDNBSDAT, FEB. 11. Various railway bills having been introduced, the order of the day for the house resolving itself into a Committee of Sup- Ply was read on which, in answer to a question from Mr. Shar- man Crawford, it was stated by Sir James Graham, that al- though the government did not intend to propose any measure authorising the poor law authorities in Ireland tor grant out- door relief, yet full and ample arrangements had been made to meet the danger of approaehing famine, and that if, unfortu- nately, that calamity should arise, the government would not be taken by surprise. A shoit discussion ensued, in which Mr. French, Mr. Shaw, Colonel Connolly and Mr. More O'Ferrall took part. The County Works (Ireland) Bill was read a second time. The Fisheries Piers, and Harbours (Ireland) Bill was com- mitted. Various returns were moved for, and ordered, and the house adjourned. TitugSDAIr, FKB, 12. The house met at four o'clock. The Marquis of Chandos took the oaths and his seat for Buckingham, and Lord Henry Lennox for Chichester. On the motion of Lord Grenville Somerset, the second report of the committe on railways was agreed to after a short dis- cussion. Admiral Dundas said that he understood it was intended to send Captain Johnstone, who had been tried for murder re- cently at the Old Bailey/to the colonies. The man certainly ought to be hanged, and he hoped he would not be transported. He also wished to know if it was intended to institute an exa- mination of persons before they were permitted to &83UHM the I „ Wf 9| MWtti 9f VtfWW Sir J. Graham said the government had no power over Capt. Johnstone, he having been acquitted on the ground of insanity, except to keep him in a state of close confinement in Bedlam for life. He also stated that it was the intention ot government to take measures for examining the masters of merchant vessels before their appointment. Mr. Sidney Herbert, in answer to a question, stated that the subject of providing a retirement for staff officers was under the consideration of her Majesty's government, and that the China medals, to the amount of E17,000, would be ready for distribution in the course of a short time. The adjourned debate on the corn question was then re- sumed by Mr. Colquhoun, who assured the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the government that he was mistaken in stating that he ( Mr. Colquhoun) had at one time held opinions in favour of the doctrine of total and immediate repeal of the Corn Laws. and that now he held doctrines of protection. He had not been in favour of total and immediate repeal, but he had been in favour of a fixed duty and in 1838 and 1839 he had voted for the mo- tion of Mr. Villiers for a committee on those funds, and in that division he had voted with Lord John Russell, Mr. Labouchere, and Mr F. Barinfi, all at that time advocates of a fixed duty and at the time that he had contested Kilmarnock with Dr. Bow- ring, he had declared himself in favour of a fixed duty. and of the principle of protection to agriculture. He believed it would be impossible to maintain the principle without the sympathy and consent of the manufacturing classes, and he believed that at that time those classes had been in favour of a fixed duty, and he could not help thinking that seven years ago a fixed duty would have afforded a sstis actory settlement of the question. (LIFFT SPFAKING.)

Latest Intelligence from Political Head Quarters. (From our own Correspondent.) HOUSE OF COMMONS, THURSDAY NIGHT, Half-past Six. Mr. Colquhoun has just opened the third night's discussion on Mr. P. Miles's motion—the effect of which, if carried, would postpone, for the present session, any consideration of the Corn Laws. The house is very full, but there is no expectation of a division to-night. Possibly the house will divide on Saturday morning, but this is by no means certain. Some think the debate will be continued until Mon- day or Tuesday next. There has been nothing of any public interest in the early proceedings of the house this evening. The Marquess of Chandos and Lord W. Lennox took their seats this evening for Buckingham and Chichester. The death of Gaily Knight, announced to-day, creates a vacancy in one of the divisions of Notting- hamshire. His probable successor has not yet been named. There was a general report to-day that Cobden was dead or dying, but happily it proved without foundation. He is suffering from a severe cold, but is not in any danger. Colonel De Lacy Evans opposes Mr. Rous, ap- pointed one of the Lords of the Admiralty, for West- minster, and it is expected that the Colonel will succeed. I have no other news to communicate.

Her Majesty's Levee on Wednesday was brilliant. The Bristol and South Wales Junction Railway and Ferry Bill has been reported, and ordered to be presented by Sir John Guest, Mr. P. Miles, and Mr. H. Berkeley. A tea meeting was held at Bristol on Wednesday evening in aid of the Quarter-of-a-Million League Fund. The philanthropic Lord Ashley is to be called to the Upper House. The Marquess of Chandos was returned on Wednesday for Buckingham. Railway shares are decidedly looking up, particularly in the lines that have complied with the standing orders." A pair of wood-pigeons having established their nest upon a tree within a short distance of a house at Spylaw, near Kelso, there was on Monday discoveied in it two young cushats fully fiedged. It is stated that the Duke of Richmond intends to show his abhorrence of the Premier, by resigning the Lord-Lieutenancy of Sussex. We know not where our calamities will end! Will his Grace will not think of abolishing the county when he quits it, for good and all?" The Maltese barque, Patriot, has been wrecked on the west coast of the island of Cagliari-second mate and one seaman drowned. Anti-Corn-law meetings are still being held in all parts of the country, attended by large masses of the people and peti- tions are pouring into the house tor immediate repeal, with an unprecedented rapidity. The Duke of Wellington is expected to leave Apsley House on the 26th inst., for Strathfieldsaye. for the purpose of giving his annual banquet to the judges going the Western Circuit. The Newmarket Triennial Stakes have closed with 161 sub- scribers, the first race for which will be run in the first October Mteting, 1848. The demand for goods, at Leicester, owing to the extraordi- hary open winter, is somewhat slacker than usual; but the orders for the spring trade are fully an average and a fair American demand for the fall trade is expected. BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, FEB. 12.-The sales of the week amount to 250 hhds. West India, and 1000 bags of Mauritius and Bengal, at previous prices. At the New Court, Bristol, Richard Cooke, surgeon, was last week sentenced to seven years' transportation, for bigamy. There have been serious riots, owing to the failure of tLe po- tato crop and the scarcity of food, at Inverness, where both are severely felt.

HORRIBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE! Between six and seven o'clock on Thursday morning, the inhabitants of Arbour-square, Commercial-road, were alarmed by screams of murder issuing from the house, No. 16, in the square, occupied by a respectable man, named Baxter, em- ployed as a clerk on Templeman's coal wharf. Police constable Sutherland immediately entered, and on descending to the back kitchen, received in his aims the body of a young woman in the last gasp of de at I, from a fnghtful wound on the right side of the throat, which gaped to the extent of several inches. She died almost immediately, without uttering a word. Having laid the body on the floor, he proceeded to the next apartment, and there lay the body of a man, about twenty-six years of age, with his head nearly severed from his body, his "throat beiag cut quite across. A pool of blood had issued from the wound, and where the woman lay, in the other apartment, the place was also deluged with blood. The deceased had not attained her sixteenth year, and was the daughter of Mr. Baxter the proprietor of the house. Against her father's consent, she married her murderer, Joseph Spence Stark, about nine months since. Though averse to the match, her poor father took them into the house, in the hope that he might further their future prospects; but the son-in-law was of a gloomy and morose temper, and apparently idly disposed. The only discoverable grounds for the terrible tradgedy, which has fearfully alarmed the neighbourhood, are these :—A little brother of the young woman Ellen Baxter, alias Stark, slept in the same apartment with her and her husband, and, on the previous night heard the latter abusing her, and calling her odious names. This he told to his father, who mildly remonstrated with Spark on the impropriety of his conduct. It would seem this galled the fellow, and must have rankled all night in his mind. From the appearance of the front kitchen, which seemed to be the breakfast room of the family, the young woman must have been at work in the place when Stark made the attack upon her, and the silent struggle between them must have been terrible. Her hands were cut in several places through the gloves which she had on doing her work. The poor young woman, who is supposed to have been in the family-way, is said to have been a sweet and goad-tempered girl, of very p're- possing appearance, and her life might have been saved had not her too great love for the murderer and suicide prevented her giving a timely alarm. The horrid deed was committed with a black-handled carving-knife.

A lecture on the works of Handel was last week delivered at the Truro Assembly Rooms, by Mr. Charles Hempel, organist of the church, in that place. The lecture was delivered on behalf of the Literary Institution of the town, to the most crowded audience ever assembled in the rooms; and some idea may be formed of the grand scale on which the lecture was arranged, when we state that no less than FIFTY amateur vocal performers had been in training by the talented lecturer for three months, to give proper effect to his subject A MISPLACED AMEN."—Not many Sundays since a ludi- crous incident occurred at a. parish chuich not many miles from Ipswich, owing to the clerk, whose drowsy propensities are pretty well known to the inhabitants, takins an untimely nap. The clergyman commenced his Sel mon and the little man below, as us lal, fell back into the corner of his seat, and was soon in the arms of Morpheus; when the clergyman had delivered about two parts of las address, the clerk awoke, and in a stentorian voice exclamed—"A men." The effect produced on the younger portion of the congregation may be better imagined than des- cribed—a suppressed tittering was audIble from one end of the church to the other; nor could the risible feelings of ihe more senous be quieted without much difficulty.— ipswicli Express. MUNIFICENT DONATION.—Miss Burdett Coutts recently forwarded to the Bishop of London a blank check, with her signature attached, for his Lordship to fill up with such an amount as would include the entire cost of building a church, endowing it with jg300. per annum, and for the building of a parsonage-house and schools. It is said the draft has been honoured to the amount of £ 30,000 for these objects, iae church is to be built in the city of Westminster, m compliment to the munificent donor, who possesses considerable property The Marquess and Marchioness of Douglas (late Princess Marie of Baden) intend to remain at Rome until the close of this month, when they return to this country for the fashion- able season The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company have estab- lished an electric telegraph Ween the two cities which has been successfully worked for some days in connection with the share market THE LATE DUKE OF YORK'S CREDIT.-On llmrsday at the auction-mart, Mr. G. Robins offered for public competition a bond given bv the late Duke of lork.to Mr Gilpin, to secure the Davmont nf £ 1953 12s., of which £ 665 12s. balance of pnn- «•» thron ,rom '■16ih of September 1826 The bond was secured on property in Nova Sco'tfa M'r Robins asked £ 100 for the lot remarking that the balance, with the interest, was above E 1200. After conside- rable delay in getting an offer, a gentleman bid 20 guineas This was eventually increased to 180 guineas at which sum it was purchased by Mr. Sykes, of the firm of Messrs. Ransom and Co. „ It is deserving of notice, that the announcement of Sir R Peel s intended change in the Corn Laws has produced scarcely any effect on the corn market. The price of wheat, instead of going down with a run, as it ought to have done according to the confident assertions of monopolist writers and speakers, has slightly risen in several of the markets, and remains sta- tionary in most, and has not anywhere sunk to a serious ex- tent.—Liverpool Times. A new method has lately been adopted by some of the Railway Companies, in endeavouring to enforce payment of the allotment of shares as originally made; which is, to give the names of all the best allottees to pressing creditors, to sue them for the debts of the company. In several cases, we know the threat has been made, but we were hardly aware it had been put into execution. Circular letters, however, seem to have been issued by the solicitors of one of the creditors of the Erewash Valley Extension Railway, stating that proceed- ings will be taken against each allottee who has not paid upon his shares for the recovery of the claim made by him against the coin pany.- Times. There were fifty cases of felony tried at the last Kirldale Sessions, in which the total amount of property stolen was ten youodl fajitld Courier,

OUR LETTER BOX. CHURCH RATES. To the Editor of the Monmouthshire Merlin. Sir.-The last number of the Beacon was heralded hy a large placard, announcing that two letters on the above subject, aris- ing out of a statement in the MERLIN, Jon. 31, would appear to the former print. Public curiosity was, of couise, roused on the occasion. It was expected that a luminous defence of church- rates would, at least, be put forward or that some new light would be thrown on this vexatious question. But, no There were, indeed, two letters but in no respect satisfactory as to the matter in haD. The first, signed A Looker-on," was temperate it quoted scripture against scripture, and, on the whole, was a fair retoit upon the statement. It is with the second letter, signed Vmdex." that I have to do. As I do not concern myself with church-rates, or any other rates," (as the Duke woold siy ). it was with some surpiise I noticed in this letter a malicious inuendo, applied to me as the agent for the MERLIN. VIZ. It matters not, whether the com- munication, in last week's MERLIN, was the production of Mr. ReI, or of the ngellt of that paper, in this town: it does but small credit to the sagacity of either." Here is evidently an uncalled-for attack upon iiie for the most obtuse intellect, one would suppose, might be able to discover the author of the obnoxious communication," owing 10 the pe- culiar phraseology adopted by the author. There was, indeed no attempt to disguise therefore I think I have reason to com plain of the ungenerous remark made upon me by an unknowa slanderer. I take the liberty of informing Mr. Vindex (by the way this is a very learned, althoogh odd, signature, on such an oceision as the present) and the public, that, although I have been known in this town for about eighteen yeats, as agrnt for the MKIILIN, I am not to be deemed responsible for all the communications that pass through my bands. You know, sir, that my signature always attends the articles of inielligence, &c., supplied 10 your paper, when I deem the same to be correct. Whatever notices are sent to you by other parties, in the shape of letters or para- graphs, I have nothing to do with. You will, I hdvo no doubt, air, exonerate me from having pen- ned the effusion in dispute and, as I do not think the elegant epistle of Vindex worthy of further notice, I subscribe myself, Sir, your obedient servant, J. CLARK. Chepstow, Feb. 10th, 1846. NOTE. Vindex an avenger ol wrongs, a redrester of griew. ances, a headman or hangman—Littleton. [If VlDdex 10 has very unjustly rated our correspondent, who had no more to do with penning the" obnoxious communica- tion," than Beau Clerk of old.-Ei). M.]

SIR ROBERT PEEL TRANSPORT.—MUTINYr This vessel sailed from the Downs last July, having neatly 200 troops on board, and arrived in Bombay towards the latter end of November. We have seen a letter from a gentleman on board, mentioniog that there had been very serious doings in the course of the voyage. After being about six weeks at sea. two or three of the soldiers were put into irons for misdemeanours. i hey had, however, contrived to get hold of one of the carpen- ter's tools, through the agency of so tie of their comrades, and were thus enabled to get Irae of their shackles these they threw overboard, and vowed to serve their officers in the same manner. They were immediately seized, when murmurs broke forth among the great body of the soldiers, and at length they rushed towards the front of the poop, shouting and threatening vengeance to all who resisted them. The ship's company, along with the military officers, however, on the first sympoms of the stonn, put themselves in a position of defence by immediately securing the boarding-pikes and fire arms. Thus equipped, the gallant tars assembled on the poop ready for action. One soldier ascended the poop, waving a long knife, with which hetbreatned to stab the first man that approached him. This desperado was immediately charged and ran through the body he died on the spot. The soldiers, who fortanately were unarmed, becamed overawed by the determined attitude of the crew. The more conspicious of the revolters were then seized. and chained down to the deck, where a chosen guard, with loaded muskets, were placed over them. Discipline having been thus restored, the vessel touched at the Isle of France, where nine of the prisoners were landed, in order to be forwarded by another vessel to Bombay, there to take their trial before a Court-martial.—Caledonian Mercury. THE MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH IN AMKRICA.—In the course of a year from this time, there is reaon to believe that the most distant sections of the Union will be connected by magnetic telegraphs. The Newark Daily Advertiser says that Messrs. Stephens and Thomas, of Belleville, New Jersey, have under- taken a great proportion of contracts for furnishing copper Hire for the various lines of the magnetic telegraph now in progress in this county. Subjoined is a list of th hoes they have alleady or nearly completed, with the number of miles ot telegraph, the routes, it should be noted, not being in all cases the most direct:— New York to Philadelphia 150 miles, Boston to Lowell 28 Buffalo to Lockport 30 Utica to Little Falls 20 Harrisburgh to Lancaster 39 New York to Buffalo. 450 Pluladelphiato Baltimore 150 New lork to Boston 240 1,107 miles. The wire averages about 17,000 lbs. to a hundred miles so that these contracts will amount to about I88,190lbs. of copper wire. Messrs. Stephens and Thomas have just entered into a contraf for furnishing the wire for the Atlantic, Lake, and Mississippi Telegraph Company, which has recently been organized for con- necting the Atlantic States and the Mississippi Yralley, including the Ohio and Lake country. The route between the Atlanta and the Ohio will constitute the first sectioi. lhat between thr Ohio and the lakes (at Detroit) the second section, that betweer Wheeling an Cincinnati the third section and so onward in thu prolongation of these and pother lines to the Missiiisil-pi at St Louis and elsewheie, which continuations will be divided ini.) sections of proper extent: including, in the south-westeily branch, Frankfort, Louisville, Evansville, Kaskaskia, Sic. and in the north-westerly route. St. Joseph's Chicago, Milwaukie, Dubuque. Burlington, Quincy, &c.; while central Melons will, in due time, be continued between Columbus, lndianapoiis, and Spiingfield, thence to St. Louis, so as to include state capitals as far as practicable in connection with the commercial cities.— Lexington True American. A NEW PROJECTILE.— Mr M'Cartey, who it connected with the navy-yard at Brooklyn, (U. S.) has invented a new species of artillery. which will discharge thirty balls in a minute, or one every two seconds, for hours together, in succession, and this by mechanical power alone, without gunpowder, chemical sub- stance, or any other preparation. It M effected by merely put- ting the balls into a hopper and letting the ordnance thiow them out with immense momentum at the rate of one every two seconds. On one occasion, Mr. M'Cartey exhibited the operation of this in the navv-yard. From twelve to twenty pieces of solid timber wereunned together, torming one compact body Against this piece of wooden breastwork Jr. M-Cartey opened the bat- tery of bui piece of ordnance, and in less than ten minutes the whole solid breastwork was utterly demolished and shivered to splinters by the powerful and rap-d succession of discharges upon it. I he simplicity of this invention is one of its most sin- gular features. 1 he secret of it is known and recorded in history trom the time when David went forth with sling and stone to co,nbat the proud Goliath. I he pnnclple of this new invention is simply a modification ol the pnnciple of the sling, applied to machinery, in connection wuh a tube or gun, tlnowing out a dis- charge of balls. The n.achtne is so constructed that on putting in at one end the balls to be discharged, a rotary motion is pro- duced by means of a crank, and, by a few revolutions, each ball receives a force and momentum equal to that communicated by any quantity of gunpowder. When this has been done, a slide starts and allows each ball to escape in succession from the chamber into the tube, when they are thrown to almost any dis. tance and with unerring aim. For this invention a patent has been taken out at Wasbington.-New York Herald. THE PKINTINO or RAILWAY BILLS.—Owing to the short period allowed by the House of Commons for the pjesentation of private Bills this session, the printing trade during the last week or two hat been m a state of activity. Many clerks and agents of lines took up their abodes in some printing-offices dur- ing the whole of last week, and sustained an amount of fatigue truly astonishing, never quitting their duties until the dehvery of the Bills on Friday night. Six o'clock was the hour appointed for that purpose as late as five o'clock many of the subscription contracts, &c., were in the progress of correction by the solici- tors, after which they were printed off, and, in one instance, folded and stitched by clerks while riding rapidly in cabs towards' St. Stephen's, which they reached as the speaker was about to take his seat, and fortunately succeeded in placing the Bill in the hands of he Member engaged to introduce it. In the prepaia- tion of the documents there was an utter recklessness of expen- diture, and railway honour was sorely tried, lIIany of the agents offering handsome graiuities to the managers of offices to accel- erate their Bills to the prejudice of their opponents. Many promoters failed in presenting their Bills, owing io the inability of the printers to accomplish the work.—Sun. MINES. One of the most important features in the case of South Australia, is the discovery of great mineral wealth, in different parts of the Province. The following is the official Return of Mines, in the Province of South Australia, at the close of 1814 ;Lead mines, 4. Copper mines, 4. The following is a statement of the quantity, and estimated value, of the respective ores exported during the year 1844 — Lead—203 tons estimated value, £ 2427. Copper—277 tons estimated value, £ 4009 ;0s. Total, 480 tons value, £ 6136 10s' Only six of the above mines are in active operation—3 of lead and 3 of copper. A. M. MUNPY, Colonial Secretary Colonial Secretary's Office, 31st January, 1845. Since the date of this return further discoveries have I)Pen made, particularly of rich copper lodes. In one case a section of 100 acres was sold by public auction, for £ 2201. And in London, a Joint Stock Company was formed some time ago, under the title of The Australian Mining Company," who paid to the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS, in order to secure a special sur vey of 20,000 acres, in a mineral district. By ^hese sales of land, the emigration fund has been re- plenished, arid free emigration to South Australia has been resumed, and is likely to be continued, at moderate intervals of time.

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS. BIRTHS. At Newport, on Thursday, the 12tiil the wife of R. Cull urn, Esq., Comptroller of H. M, Customs in this port, of a daughter. On the 5th inst., Mrs. Edward Quelch, High-street, Cardiff, of a daughter. c MARRIAGES On Saturday, the 31st ult., at the Independent Chapel, Newport by the Rev. T. Gillman, Mr. J Griffin, of the Com PmgweiUW. Cllarles-8treet> t0 Miss Elizabeth Scott, of V;?nVhT (°'th jnstant, at Llanvihangel Church, by the Rev. TWnnot ♦ JU1V» Es1-> Gilvach, Crickhowell, ■Ren nf -p16'I88 ^ar.V Jones, only daughter of Lewis Jones, On tVin near Pontypool, Monmouthshire. w 1 Mr. William Bittington, of Cwm Cclyn Iron Works to Miss M. Slater, of Birmingham! D 11th instant, at Blaina Church, by the Rev. Daniel nees, Mr. William Needham, of Beaufort Iron Works, to Joanna, second daughter of Mr. Solomon Chilton, Nantyglo. nr ednesday, the 11th instant, at Holt, by the Rev. Edwi?. W alwyn Foley, M.A., Incumbent of Trinity Church, Tewkes- bury, the Rev. John Bath Gabriel, M.A., Vicar of Chepstow, to Anna Maria, youngest daughter of the Rev. John Foley M. A.j Rector of Holt, Worcestershire. On Tuesday, the 10th instant, at Newcastle Church, by the Rev. H. L. Blosse, Mr. T. Williams, chemist, Bridgend, to Anne Elisabeth, youngest daughter of the late M. Moses, Esq., Tondu. DEATHS. On Thursday last, at Monmouth, agetl 29, Hannah, daughter of Mrs. Sarah Harris, of that town. On Saturday last, at Newcastle, near Monmoulh, aged 35, Mr. James Grundy. On Friaay last, aged 70, Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Job Davis, aildei, Monmouthshire. On Saturday last, at Pencraig, near Ross, aged 84, Mr vaughan. On Saturday, the 31st ult., at Clifton, the Rev. Jamos Wil- liams, of Matherne, near Chepstow. Not only the poor of that neighbourhood have sustained a great loss in the decease of r their worthy pastor and liberal benefactor, but a numerous body of relatives and friends deplore the removal of as bright and Yftluftjtle ft member of ivcitty M flyfl graced huw&aity.