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    «_« imposed -upon ! & * , » nt how trifling Ts-as their *^ mt trhen they looted at the insult he had intlcted ^ " ^ jBity i But , listen again to -whatihis inspector C . ^ yt , defence vnis attempted , except the oftenie-*^ ffli 8 of bang pressed to complete an order for J ^^ ent , the profits of which Tronid have been lost if * V } jsd not undertaken to supply the "whole quantity re-^ Ld . Tie mscistrates would not entertain this plea ^ g ^ ain ; any j nstific&tion for so gross an ahnse of the * r « j a 3 employercsn exercise otct the operatives in ^ X ^ jrt TThe re Isbnnr is redrmdaut . I regret to say i . mSD-occnpiers do not stand alone responsible for S » eruekv towards the yonng fsmales . " 2 To ; the ^ IjjJb tad fceen driven by the surplus labour of 4 he kaeatn i existence

    *« * to Trort their own onspncg > or J ^ rss proved list a paren t had cot merely consented ¦ MBoiSis the physical powers of his child for money , vltj ! hSis sd hi 3 tender girl to exert herself to the last . ^ L gg the period the mlD "wss si -work , some of the : S ^ crtODl ised to "irith < lra-w , from physical inability ffinsi logger . The parent of one young -woman , about - - » sen yes 3 ° * ^ S * determined to brave the S ^ B ^ ect consequent upon opposing the -will of ? Tnaster , viz dismissal from -work for the fnture . i ? rr * eefed at four o ' clock on Sitnrday afternoon to tae

    *» miflj fortnn&teiy ocaunea access xo room -wfcere &nrltad been tro . tlng from five o ' clock on Friday ijLjajjg , and insisted on vrithdra-wing her . He nltiff ^ jj Ea eceeded , bnt not , as he informs me , until SfciSs xo 2 M ~ gmg partner , } Ir . Tfcrelfall , s = ; d his son , Ca ejggaToaxed ierctbly to remove him from tbe " ^ isss . This and the otber cases of overwork -which vUs occ urred -srithbi ths las * two years in the Bradtrf district must snrely convince the most sceptical of jt eab £ C * n ! iB necessity of a strong law to protect the jSccrsng clss 3 Li these districts ; bb 3 the officers em-Swed may r * asonab ) y deem such cases as indicating

    jhjj jj to bs expected among a certain class of mills ^ jjgr a more active state of trade . " There -was not a I ^ be ria 2 » Bense , he ; Mr . Ferrand ) did uoi care to Sai Tarty he might belong , who could have heard this jsjsnei a 1 " ^ x 0 wo ^ r > ot Wn * h for the honour of S ^ jutry . ( Bear . ) There never -was , he -would vented to » y , in * & e history of England , so difgracefol a ^ ea o ! -eonfocS dragged to public light in the Honse 'fcajjunoas by a Member against a man "who had the wir er ' jdS-sS ^ s such horrors on his feBo-B' -conntry * L The 2 few Poor la-whad plaeed this power in rtjgjastfa hands . He had lost that power over the .. gjjple in the Leighbonrbood of his mSL Tee Right vm . Bironet smiled ! From plundering and perseto the in the

    j ^ ej dea& -wortteg classes ntighbouTvjgj cf hi 3 aill the -Hoiking classes had struck against ga ; * hej had refused to be any lor . gei his slaves : £ siin stood stQL He vras enabled to provide the s 3 S 5 ones more cf worXiBjf it ; and where did he fj > tbls ? Under the rtew Poor Law . He applied j , jhs SKpton -sroikhouse , and they supplied him , 2 a tsesty bands . Ee would ask the Ulght Hon . jjfontt -where thosa twenty hands sow were ? The wrfct Bon- Baronet had a heart , he fMr Femndj ^ jja- * , -within his hreast to which the cries of these jksb iretehes would ntt piead in vain . He had stated ^ 223 of i £ = coEsrqutnces of this Ses Foot J ^ aw apon the masses jb the north of England . If the House

    irouia i Id * Kid he would state what was the conduct of 2 ii 2 Assistant Poor law Commissioners in the admixjsirajjaa of this law ; and in doing 30 , he ( Mr Ftry ^ - . gosbizd not that the "Fusi I ^ oni of the Treasnrj »; oia Tg ^ -T an srt of justice to him as weil as to the paddosfeM d the township where he lived , when he jad esy iiined the scandal-Es conduct of the Assistant ? ior laT Commisaoners . Itoring the discussion of tee j ' fw P «> r i ** i ° ^ - Eonse Hon . Manbers would sssabar with what glee the B'ght Hon . Baroaet the fist I ^ r 3 0 : the Treasury had opened the red box fcefas aim , and dragged out a statement from 21 t . Mott . jcagnph afrer paragraph he read , bringinjf charges " a ni (» t untrue against the Keighley Board of

    $ 23 rdi 3 ns . He tilr . Fs ^ rand ) had sat perfectly compised behind Mm , fes ; ing that he Ehoulrt havfi very gfis diSiculty to prove to his conviction that the staieass 3 -mac-e by Mr . Mott were ustrue . and contradictions Jad passed between the right Hon . Baronet and himself . 3 Ss had ea&id in a challeEge on the part of the Ri ^ ht Ssa . Esronet to him ( Mr . Ferrand } to move for a comjfites of izqairy , when the gallant commodore th = MaEba for Marylebone , always ready for the fight , jrreisiice t ^ a motion for a committee of inquiry , and is ( Ms . FcT-sndj ssdtrsioid that ~ ns had brandished £ j iStt above his head on leaving the honse , and e 8 "hs h 3 d canghi the Hon . Membrr for Knaresiaondi in a trap * t last . " That iEqairy had taken

    jjjee , and «> convineed was he { Mr . Ferrand ) that jg ecnld ciiprove the statcmsnta of Mr . Mott that la lad assented to the members of the committee tngraed by ths Bight Hon . Baronet the First lord of 2 s Treasury at once ; for he vres convinced thathalf-afeidi witsesses connected with the Kaghley Union ¦ Baa prove every word of Mr . Hotfs statonent to be ^ H » The committee had been mored fer and ap-3 « ESd . Tis next day when he < Mr . Ferrand ) cani 3 to SLtBcJue eb Hen . SJembfer had said to him " Why , jm jy ^ . sb fellow , you have agresd to a picked conisS «; they will report 3 gainst yon . * " He ( Mr . Ferjad ) lad replied , he did cot care what sort cf a com-Entse there ttss , the witnesses would prove tha truth

    Ito EEgistrstes , boih Whigs , who hid taken an active jsit is the forwarding of the measure , and who were Erenjous ecj porters of the New Poor Law , legal and Esdieai iSsus connccied Tfith the nnioa , had been Exsmiced as witttss- ^ s . and every one of them , " without excepdon , haa Ceelared tha = Mr . 2 Jott"s report was mtme . Ihs cosmattee had reported that •• Mr . Motfa report w « s borne cniln tislmpoTtant allegations . " He ( 2 Ir . Ferrsndj regretted that there should have been an sSempfc in that committee to whitewash that public i&xl . Let acy man read the evideace given before that tomizuttee j ths Hon . Mtmber for Finsbury sat on it , and ¦ RJBia bear him out in what he stated , and he would be

    eemfceed that the evidence was opposed to the report . Ikccnmuttechad reported that Mr Moll ' s statement was Sue . iilr . 31 ctt . inhis report , amongst other things , B 3 id ; " 233 April , 1 * 42 . I aitendtd a meeting of the board rf-pardisnsof ths E ^ gLlay rnion on Wednesday , the l&h isstsnt , and i ^ rei to have to report to your &ffl 4 , that the proceedings of tht guardians are Ttry "ESifijfactory ; in ihort , they are entirely at variance * Si lie provisions of the law , and the directions of jcnlosaL- Be * Mr . Ferrand ) had pnt it to the vote is Oat committee , uj ? on the evidence of every witness , fia of wion had proved that no instructions whatever bdlieca received from the Poor Law ComHiissioneT 3 .

    OKpi ihe or ; gical instmctaons , and that therefore the ^ JETd *? gBnfJTr . Tit h&d acted in direct accordance with -liitcpjsal instmctjens ; bet the committee had come 5 s » vot * against th = evidence- He must tell the House , •** rrei , that the csllant commodore ( Sir C- Kapierj a 3 Toted by mislaie , that his opinion was not that " MetfB report was borne out in all its most im-Ptstt sEegations by th « evidence of the witnesses £ » hsd come forward to impngn it , " and when he aJfeEa oat that this was the-ease he had protested M » i £ Ms Tcte being rtc-jrded ; bnt this opinion of the ? sa 5 iselid fene forth to the world as the

    convic-« aolfhe Hon . and Ga . l _ nt Commodore . But he ( Mr 1 erase ) v ^ uot a man to te yut down by the wbite-^« 2 |! j £ ea . He came to the House and he told the ^* 2 ^ J 2 sSc « Lad not been dme ; tha t the public * M ! KQ yK tt » great expense for the purpose cf comin ? Sfia trail , ana thatht still wouM seek for it in that 5 ^* - He was raforsied that opposition was to be ^ e toamtUon a which he had given notice for a ^™ e ! t = r = ua pape rs relative to this question ; but " ?* ¥ « Eon . B-aioiict the First Lord of the Treasury , * £ * thst straithtfarwaid manliness of condnct for o ^ tehad a ; waj 3 given him credit , aaid be would cs & 3 ow ii—that the papers should be granted . There l tea a drrriES daini cf th& Members of that

    £ n = e to oppose hi > » otion ; bnt the Right Han . j ~ j ° a- hafl said that the papers should be granted . w , *^ ^^ " moved for by way cf coming at the ujrvJ ^ - ^ ^ 'JTfc *! ior " copy of all orders which ' - tea issued by tie Poor Law Commissioners of |? s * i-brase to tfct Board of Guardians in the £ ^« j Union since the formation of the same , in £ * . * pto ! ht l 3 &d £ yof April , 1842 ; also , copy of jspsrtg BpoE tvj . proeetafefs cf the Board , and rgta&s riereos durinf that period , -srhichhave been t " *? thfc Ajsiitant Poor Xs ^ t fV . Tr , TniKsionerB Mr .

    aafi ^ i . iiottto the Pi > or Law Commissioners ; ^? * flaB £ E t of the particular instances in which >^ a B « srd of Gaaraiiiis have acted contrary to the --acs of the Cm ^ ral Board at Somerset-house ; £ *» retcm of the surtber of times the said Assistant ^*? t ^ Cottmissioners , Mr- Power ai .-d Mr . Mott , have ^~ Tf « £ aid B-sid and the p > orhouses of Ktighley ^ iw ^^ ' ^^ ^^ fiates tJ 1 *** * > al&o ' r ^ " of S tf «^ tfciy llsTe Di £ - ' ? e fca tbe raia poorhcuses , ^ l ^ - ^^ nrtfcti <> f ianatfcs within the tame on wS ^ ^ union , sad on the 1 st day of June , ^ j ijj * * ' " ^ tat dia the Hcuse think the return w ^^ after the eomaiUfce of the House tad ¦ J ^ a ^ r ]? ^ ° PPtati on to the evidence of evtiy >^ S - iadfceen ' ^^ i ^ e ^ before them , cf all ¦ k " " ^? J ^ rtJM b < , th . friT = T < fJ -. « -u ; T . i + VJ-. o late t > mt Mt _ was The

    iy j ^ - ?*^ 'Bb&t untrne ? Commissjontrs * $ a ^ r + retBm to Ste Houie of Ctrnmons ,- " That e «^?* S > aa that itr . Jlott had made sbj report 3 £ ntvTl . pTa ' lS 42 '^ - -atieh Lsd been bronghl Ufcrf ^*** the Ritht Hon . Baronet for the pur"aa ^^ K tan ( Mi . Ferrand ) down in the House ; ^ eutt t ^ ^ ' ^^ sJCEers tad not any written Wrf JL ^^^ " » ' srLal 'Fint the said Ktighlty *« a al ^^ tad scted . " J . 'ow he ( Mr . Ftrrand ) fee jt ^** * ward ol guarQians to listen to wfeat -was ^ Aj ^ - - - Mott to the ^ Poor la'w ConimiBsion ^^ C 161111 ^** of that House had been appointed to ^ J ^ o the truth of iis allegatiuns ; the com mittee tf ^ p * * 3 'w « e-trne , and this -was the return lT s -fig , iv "* ConimkBioners of Somerset-houBe J > & 8 V iw ^ . "**> the Poor Law Commissioners ^ tofl ^ BcESc ? Weretteyto « a * yy private i ^^ oraw up a statement which - was false from fcjg r ^ sw ena , atd then , when pnt to the test if to

    ^*» iw ^ Cume *» Tward and deliberately * * iis ^ Lf ^ ^^' - fcments had not been made ? ?** iafl ^^ ' 'Btere waB ^ -M 01 * now ? ?• Ma + v ec 0 Ble of tim ? ^ b country had £ » d ^ Ljr - ^^ dismissed from office . 08 5 fc TT ^ P ^ niisEed on account of hia conduct c ^^^ ^ ton ? h ^ lMj , FOTand . fani ? ^ fia » t ^ te had had notice that ^ fiaaitedt * Choose t 0 rt ^ > te T ^ euld ^^^ ¦ tTl lhls Tsjy tondncL 2 fow , one ^ WT B 2 roD ^ ^ K » t Lord of l' - aa if uat B ;^ Hul , _ Baronet vrould

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    give him his kind attention for cob minnte , he Ibooght he could csnvince him Uiat he -was in honour bound to do him an aet of justice—( hear . ) The Right Hon Baronet quoted from the Poor Law Commissionersreport , which he drew from his red box ; B' ; d when he did so he tnrnea round and looked at him ( Mr . Fer rand ) , a member of that House anxious to do his " duty according to the best of his ability , and said , " Letths Hon . Member , instead of babbling * about grean fields and alLsuch tresli , go down int o Ms own neighbourhood and inquire into the state of the workhouse there . " And the Hon . 3 Itmb ? r for Halifax shouted eat . * ' Within three-quarters of a mile of his own house "—! a lauzh ) . He iMr . Ferrand ) assented that it -was so and hosr loudly was the Right Hon . Baronet cheere > i by m « & V ? tt * V ^« . « . ; a -u . — . u ~_ * *

    certain Hon . Members opposite , who gloried in seeing him pnt Jown by the first Minister of the Crown— ( bear , and a lau ? hu But at the same time he felt conscious that all the horrible scenes described by the Right Hon . Baronet , and horrible thty were , could not have taken place ; and he aaid that it -was a disgrace to the country that Poor Lm » Commissioners , for party purposes , should so deceive the Right Hon . Baronet—( bear , heaT ) . He was also determined to test the truth of the assertions of Mr . Power , as well as to justify himsalf in the sight of the Right Hon . Baronet and of the Houst ; and to show , therefore , that they were not such monsters in the parish of Bingley before the Pooi > Law , as to compel the living to companion with the dead , 01 to sleep four in a bed—and oh , how

    eloqutntiy did the Right Hon . Baronet describe those horrors !—he ( Mr . Ferrand ) moved that there be laid upon the table cf the House returns of the nuzabers of times Ihe assistant-commissioners Power and Mott had visited the boards or guardians of which the Kight Hon . Baronet bad spoken , of how many reports they had made concerning them , and of the number of inmates in the union from the first day of its formation to toe year 1842 . Well , what was the fact ? Why , that previous to that report not one single commissioser had visited the pec house from the time of the formation of the union !—( hear , hear . ) But if there were tvils in that poorhouse now , who was to blame ? It was placed under the entire control of the ¥ * jut I . j . w Commissioners and their assistant

    cuminissioners . The » \ srdians and parishioners durst not intwfere ; if tri \ . did , they would act illegally . They were bound dc . in the strictest manner by the blessed S * w Poor Lat -thear , hear . ) But what was the treatment of the ^ poor there under the old law , and what was it under thenew ? The nnmber of inmatea in The pvorhoase of Bindley , at the formation of the onion , was 12 ; not enough to fill all the beds . —ihear , bear . ) Would the Right Hon . Baronet believe that , unitr the new law , the number had increased to 56 ? —( hear , hear . ) And that crowded state of the houss ^ as under the sanction of the Poor Law Commi&Moners themselves , for their directions to the Board of Guardians were that the poer should bs crowded inu > that buDdinx . iEclu-Jing the poor belonging to two other

    townships in that uuion . —( hear , hear . ) He wonld , thcr

    wished to bring urjder the notice of the House the dreadful state of the north of England in consequence of the operation of the New Poor Law ; and "when he read a description of the condition of BuddersBrid , be thought that Hon . Members connected with the agricultural interest wonld say to themselves , " Lt is high tirae for us to place our houses in order , for She New Poor Law will soon operate in the same manner npon us . " •* At the Guildhall , Hudoersfield , on Tuesday last , January 31 , the overseers of no fewer than nine townships that were in arrears with the payment of the calls of the board of guardians appeared to answer to summonses which had been issued against them by order of the board of gnardians . The following is the list of tbe diffsrences : —Golcir , ^ 34 2 a .. old arrears .

    besides the last call of £ 200 ; Cumberworth arrears . £ 28—call £ 60 ; Cumberworth half-arrears , £ 20—call . £ 70 ; Shelly arrears , £ 20—call , £ S 0 ; Tbnrstoi . land arrears ; £ 60—call , £ 90 ; LinthW 3 ite arrears . £ 95—call . £ 100 ; Whitley , tUpper , ) arrears £ 53 10 s . 6 icall , £ 70 ; Scammoden arrears . £ 27—call , £ 100 ; K-riheaton arrears , £ 52—call , £ 300 . The first four of th-se cases were arranged with Jlr . Floyd , the clerk of the board ; in the other five cases the overseers were convicted in penalties for the neglect . Mr . Heaton , the overseer of the last-named township , told tbe magistrates vhat it was absolutely impc&dfele to get the rates collected , as the pseple were so very , very poor ; and that wilhin the last fortnight te had tafcen out nc less than one huuered and twenty summoaBes , and that

    last week he Wis compelled to take out s : xt « en warrants of distrp'S for the rate , -wh ' -ch they were un 3 i > le to pay- " He would ask , then , was noi the HuddersSeld Union in a stote of insolvency , when 156 summonses were issu-.-d against poor persons who had not ths means of earning their daily bread , which they woulil if they conld . sud sixteen distress-WArranJa were servt d upon men who had committed no effenca . who had not one ha fpenny to help themselves with , whose furniture was gone , whose houses were stripped , who were sold up . * io had become houseless -wanderers , and -waru reduced to a slate , of misery qualifying them to be admitted as inmates of tbe workhouse ?—( hear , htar ) But the Poor Law Commissioners had lately discovered a new light , in the psT 30 * n of a Mr . Cismenta , whom they had sent

    down in the placa of Sir . MoU ; and the manner is wtilch he had treated tha guardians was such as to raise the blood of any man of honGurabla and ri ? ht feelings—( hear ) . The insolent and overb-arine manner in which that person treated those who had grown grey in the service cf the poor , respectable men , members of boards ol guardians for years , tellina them that they were ignorant of their duty , and that through them the country •» iis being eattn up by the poor , -was almost unendurable —sibf ar > . This Mr . Clements had told them that he went detfii to Set them to rights . And how was he going to do tL = ? ? By catting down a bill—( " hear , hear , " and a Io 3 i £ b > Hfc had gone to Bradford and Halifax , and told the gnardi-nsthat they must compel the wciking classes , who had not the means of earnlne their daily

    br ^ ad their own honest manner , to cut down a hill , and if it were four or five miles long , so much the better—it would i > ive them more exercise—ihear . hear ) . Ti-at was the ithaviour of that—what should he call him- ?—that Assistant Poor Law Commisbionei , —he eouta call him nothing worse—( cheers , and laughter ) Toe guardians inquired what was to be dene after the task was accomplished ? Must they find another hill ? " Ob no"said he . " let them put the earth Kick again '" —ihrzr , hear ; . Such were seme of tbe tff ^ ts ol the new law , bat not all . Parishes were rapidij becoming insolvent ; the land was already eaten up by the poor rates . In his parish they had doubled and increased to the extent of £ 300 over that ainco the jear 1836 ;

    acd in twelve mouths more the rental of the small fanuers in the parish would be wholly consumed . He wonld ask the K ? ht Hon . Bironet , was that tbe nieihod to be pursued to relieve the country from pauperism ?—( hear , heai ) . If such was the state of thir-g 3 in the North , where the people had manufactnrts-to enable them in some measure to bear up under the ntw law , wbnt would be the result in tbe agricultural aistricts , where the profits on the growth of corn were redBced , and the wages of the agricultural labourers diminished in proportion ?—( hear ) . Thanking tfcfe Honse for the indulgence he had received , be would now cor . ciuce by declaring his intention to support ttie resolutions .

    Air . Sbahmas Crawford cordially supported the resoinrions , considering them to be borne out by facts . Sir R . Peel said , he wished very briefl ^ to advert to a statement ¦ which bad fallen from the Hon . Gentleman the member for Knartsborongh . The Hon . Griiii ' iaaii had referred to a former debate , in the course of which he ( Sir R . Peel ) had addres&ed the House ; and had srated that , ia alluding to the rtpor ; of the committee of that House respecting tbe reports of Sir John WalEfcam acd Mr . Mott , he had miiCODEtraed tbe expressions contained in the Ttfons . The Hon . Member farther quoted that rcpon , and having adduced certain passages in ii had expressed a hope that he ( Sir R . Peel ) would now alter his opinion ,-and , being convinced that the

    conrtrucuon put on expression was erroneous , would explain hi ? error to the House . Now , he ( Sir R Peel ) was sure that if he had misconstrued any expressions , he should be quite ready to exp ' ain awaj' his eiror , but since tbe Hpii . Gentleman had spoken be had itfeired to the report , and he did nov find that such error of construction existed . The Hon . Gentleman said ihat ther port gave a complete contraciction to what he had staled . Notv , he had referred to the report , and -what did he find there 1 He found that Dr . Niehoil -was in the chair , and thai on the question heiug put" that this report , as agreed to , paragraph by paragraph , be reported to tbe House , " Mr . Grnnsditch moved a long series of resolutions of a tenor opposed to that of the report , and ou a division there were ihree for the amendment , and eight against it . The Bon . Member for Marylebone ^ Sit C . Napier" ) voted with she majority . So maca , then for the general view of the report by the

    Hon . Member . Now , what as to Us particular references ! With respect to Sir John Walsham ' s report , it said , " No aiteapt has been made to impugn the general accuracy , nor , with one or two tr-fliD g and immaterial exceptions , any of the details ol Sir John Walsham ' s report . " { Hear , hear . ) With rtspeet to ihe dead body story , it said , " At Ksighley frequently , at Bingley only once , and then wi-. ii the full consent of the other occupants of the room dead bodies of paupers have been left till burial in the beds which they occapied whilst living , and . in the room where the other panpers , who had been their companions doriBg life , still continued to sleep ; bnt-sheeis were suspended round the bed in which lie corpse lay I and the expression , that the ' corpse compafiioned the living , ' was not intended to court ) - thai the same bed was at the same time occupied uy the dead and the living / ' Then with re .-ptct to Mr . Mott ' s report , what was the evidrnce ol \ he oommitteo ? They said , " Yonr committee is

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    of opinion , that his report is borne out in all its most important allegations , by the evidence of the witneses who came forward to impugn ii ; though undoubtedly it conains some expressions which are too general and unqualified . " In what respect , then , he asked , had he ( Sir R . Peel ) raisconstrned the expressions in the report 1 He did not really understand what was the point of the Hon . Member ' s charge . Mr . Ferba-nd explained that what he had asserted was to the effect that the report wa 9 in opposition to the evidence taken before tho committee ; and he won ! d refer to that evidence , as published , to shew whether his statement was true or not . With regard to the Keighley nnion , he had not denied all the statements of Sir John VVdlsham , but what he had particularly dwelt on was , that in the KeigbJey workhouse , under the old law , there were only twelve inmates , whilst under the new law the poor of two townships went into it , and the number was consequently raised to fifty-five .

    Sir R . Peel said the question was whether Sir John Walsham ' s report was or was not generally correcr . That was ihe quesuen . He found that the committee afBrmed that report , and he could not help thinking that it was substantially correct . Mr . Fer&akd remarked that Sir John Walsham made it appear that the inhabitants of Keighley were to blame for the state of their poorhouse , and he perfectly remembered that the Hon . Member for Halifax had joined the Right lion . Baronet m blaming them , speaking of course upon the allegations of ihat report .

    Mr . C . Wood said he perfectly remembered stating that the Hon . Gentleman , the Member for Knaresborougb , was chairmau of tbe Keighley board of guardians , and had been from the formation of the nnion an ex officio guardian in constquenoe of his bfing & justice of the peace ; and he also remembered remarking on the singular fact that the abuses stated by Sir J . Walsbam occurred within , he believed , a quarter of a mile of the Hon . Member ' s own door , he being either chairman of the union , or ejr officio guardian as before stated . < Hear , hear . ) ilr . Febrand again explained . Although he was certainly an ex officio guardian , he had refused to be a party to enforcing a law of which ho so highly disapproved (" oh , oh ! r ) , and it was without his consent or knowledge that the abuses complained of occurred . ( Ironical cheers . )

    Mr . Miles declared his conviction that the Poor Law had saved the country from destruction , especially the agricultural districts . Mr . Walter then replied as follows : —After all the debate that has taken place , tha question is simpiy this—whether tbe Hou » e will support a law restiug upon and embodying a- > it were the very soul and spirii of this unnatural report—a soul and spirit which , will uffrct the future practice of the law for ever—cr whether by sanctioning my propositions , or some one of them , th . y will impress upon tho Government the nt-cessity , if not the duty , of adopting a more Ghristiiin and humane principle as the ground of legislation ? ( Hear , hear . ) . Now , Sir , as to the Right Hon . Baronet the Home Secretary—with

    regard to the manner ia which I acquired possession of this document , 1 do not know that I am called upon to give the sa ' . b ' action he requires ( hear , hear : ) and 1 btg to say , further , that I hold myself perfectly competent to judse of the propriety or impropriety of making use of any document 1 become possessed of . ( Hear , hear . ) Nor do 2 come here to beschooled on points of delicacy or decorum by the Right Hon . Gentleman ( hear ) , but feel inclined to adopt and act upon my independent convictions of du .= y . ( Hear , hear . ) Here is a most scandalous communication ( . hear ) , upon which is founded a most unconstitutional and most oppressive law . ( Hear . ) Others have spoken of this communication—I have dragged it to light and branded it as it deserves

    i and 1 am told , forsooth , I ought not to have done so , ' , because tbe authors of tha mischief had chosen , in order to screen their effence , to put the words ** private" or " confidential" to their production . Why , ; in that case no project of guilt whatever can be ' . detected . The authors have only to say , " We are aciiug confidentially , and therefore nobody must take any uoiiec of it , neither while wa are so acting nor : for y . ar 3 after . " ( Hear , hear . ) The names of the CvQiEiissioners , it is true , are not attached to this ' report , but this is not uncommon , for I have other doeuHients of ' heirs , undeniably authentic , to which I i-heir names are not aitached . ( Hear , hear . ) Besides , J any document printed at the public expauce , I submit , 1 oughi to be at the disposal of the public . ( Hear , hear ) I should like to know how long the word " secret" is to be in operation . ( Hear , hear . ) I caD conceive secresy to be necessary during a short time ! fur the completion of an act ; but the act being iu

    tuid case completed by the Poor Law itself , it ia the du-y of every man 10 know by whom and by what ! means this legislative provision has b-. cn hatched . . ( Hear , htar . ) But their mus :. authentic acta I find are now dispu ^ d , even th > dietary of the Girenc « Rtcr Union , which bears the sign turc of the three Pour Law Commssioncrs , but vshien , on it 3 being published , appeared so horrible , thdt tbey dared not to act lung upon it . There was a similar suppression o' a document during the Poor Law Iuquiry of 1837 ( bear , heaT ) , aii d 1 called thea'tention of the House at the time to so reprehensible a proceeding . ( Hear , heaT . ) Evidence was in that , case tendered and and taktii , which , when those who tendered it , found that it cid not answer their purpose , or rather would prove the contrary of what tbey intended , t * iey effected its supj . r . s > jon . T ^ e chief of those who ; urged tbia yuppr ess ' o veri—as indeed his activity in ! favour of the iaw would in no case suffer h : m to be

    , second—was the present Right Hon . Home Secretary , who , though he acted as one of the commi tee , was really mistaken by one of the witnesses , as he will well recollect , as counsel for the Poor Law I Commissioner . -. ( ' Hear , hoar , " and laughter . ) Tue R : ght Hon . Baronet st the head of Uer Majesty ^ Government feaki , I had given no intimation of what 1 iniended to do if these resolutions were agreed to . Why , Sir , the Right Hon . Baronet himself supplies I me with an answer . " 1 have uot , " said he " received I my fee for attending the patient . " So neiih . Br am I j obliged to tender as > is ance to those who , to far from ¦ off ; ring me a fee . are previou-Zy detei mined not to j take my help . ( " Hear , " and a laugh . ) Now a- for the relaxations " . shich have been spoken of . Tnat

    must be a bad law , in the first plac ? , which cannot bear its own enactment . The relaxations hitherto have been owing to no humane c » ndidt rations on the parts of those to whom the execution of the law has been intrusted , but to their inability to enforce n . They frequently indeed allow a miserable out-door relief , but why ! Because the workhoases at this period of nou-employnient and public distress cannot receive those who are driven to its doors by suffering . In like manner , they send those whose life ik extinct to be buried in the churchyards of their different parishes , but ouly because the churchyard near the uaion-nou ^ ea cannot contain them . ( Hear , hear . ) The Right Hon . Baronet bpoke of the county of Bedford , which my Hon . Friend has

    called his pet county . (** Hear , hear , " and a laugh . ) I willju ^ t mention a pe ; union of his ( hear , hear)—the Wtsi Hampnen Uuion . A day or two ago I received a letter , stating that "iu the We = t Hampneti Union several parishes raise voluntary ratos , by which poor persons are relit ved to whom the Poor Law Commissioners w ; ll not allow relief to be given out of the compulsory rates . Able bodied men are prevented being tested , as is is termed ; and the payers of these voluntary rates say that a considerable saving is effected by this sjstem . The above information I had from two collectors of voluntary rates . I could send you strong cases of the Poor Law being the cau .= e of thol ' ts and mendicity , and perhaps something worse . 1 cannot now omit

    stating that not long ago , in one of the parishes of the We ^ t Hampnett Uuion , I saw in one day six women employed in leading horses , drawing loaded dungcarts into tbe fields . Though I have lived in Sussex ali my life , I never saw anything of the kind before . " The Hon . Member for Somerset had spoken of the benefit derived by the agricultural district ? from this law . How , I happen accidentally to have copied out of an old Manchester newspaper a passage which bears very strongly upon this . It is as follows c— " Yesterday afternoon , shortly before the silting magistrates ai the N « w bailey left the Court , a case of extraordinary novelty and hardship was brought belore them . Two healthy , fresh-countenanced , but emaciated agricultural labourers ,

    presented themselves iu the witness-box , whilst at the extreuiiiy of the court were-ranged in view of the magistrates sixteen individuals , one of them a female about thirty , wiih two infants in her arms , eight ibiloren , apparently all of them under ten years of age , and three whose ages might be from thirteen to fixt ^ ca years , two of them girls and the third a boy . There v » ere wo others whom we uid not see , talking up a party of eighteen . One of the men stated that ibey came from Towerssy , in Buckinghamshire . The farmers , he said , called a meeting to know if any of tbe parishioners would go down to Manchester , as t-Tery body there was doing well . Several of us said we would go They told us that they thought our families would do well to come down . They

    said there would be houses for us to go into when we got there , and everything provided for our use . They employed a man named Clark to see after people who would go down , and we went to him . He asked what families we had got , and said we should do well indeed to ooni 9 ; we started accordingly to Mr . Waternonse ' s , at Glossop . In answer to questions , the man said , &ix of the children whom the magistrates saw belonged to him , and two were his brother ' s . The other man said , two of the rest were his ora , and four belonged to another person ; but he had promised to take charge of them to bring tbe ' m down , and do the best for them he could /

    The first speaker then continued his story : —* We were bronght , ' he said , * from our own county to Glossop in a boat , and from Glossop , Mr . Water house sent us forward in a cart . When we got there , there were forty-five of ns ; we were put in a bit of a warehouse j and I have bf en there with my fam ly three weeks , lying on a bit of straw , which ia the only bed I have had . The parish , ' he said , in answer to questions , * paid the expense of our joHiney down . We weDt by the boat to Marple , where they told us there was to be a cart to meet u . , and take us forward to Mr . Waierhouse ' a . We did not know to what person in

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    Glossop we were coming when wo lef ' , our own parish . We were sent from our own parish to Codw-fe Si f ! ° met W M a gentleman named Witham Clark . We travelled nearly forty miles , p u VS a fa ? S ° n > *<> the boat to where we embarked . Oark came back with us to tho boat , and when we had f-mbarked he told us thafc we were going to Mr . Waterhouse ' s , at Glossop . Two oth » t femmes came with ub . I oaunot tell wither Mt . Waterhouse had desired our overseer to 82 nd anv 1 ~~~ ' ¦ - ' " ~ — ~

    hands . worked a « Mr . Waterhouse's thi * o weeks , but yesterday he hired a can and sent us in it to Manchester . The carte * put us down in the street , and left us ; he has sent another cartload this morning . Ihav « seen them in town , and he would have sent thorn yesterday , but the cart would not hold u& all ; so-he told one of the women he wouJd send them ( his morning in his own cart . I don ' t know what has become of them . I saw them in town this morning , and thBy said they were going to the boat . We two ( the men ) are farmers , and the children are lacemakers ; we were in work at the time we left Buckinghamshire . The magistrates expressed much indignation at the deceptien which had been practised upon these unfortunate people , and int-ioi ^ tcd that the

    parties principally concerned in th « w allurm * them from their homes ought to be prosecuted . Mr . G . W . Wood stated , that there happened now to be in town ( engaged iu making inquiries on the subject of labour * Mr . rfuiorridge , a gentleman cmployed by the Poor Law Comtnissionu-s ; aud it was arranged that the overseers should go up to him , represent the case , and obtain his assistance , ii possible , in taking measures for returning tho faialies to their native parish ; from which they had been thus unnaturally cast off . In the meanwhile it was ordered that due care should be taken ofthem by the overseers of Manchester . We understand that the party , eighteen in number , were set down on Thursday evening at the Cottoiv-tree public house , in Ancoats , of oourse entire strangerswithout means

    , or resources of any kind . Th * y were , however , taken to the workhouse and there provided for that night . I have documents that will overturn nearly every proposition that has been advanced on the other side ; but at this late hour of tbu night I decline bringing them under the not ce of the House . The resolutions which I now propose I consciensoiously believe to assert truths . They may be unpalatable to the present Ministers , as all propositions t have made oa this subject were to tbe last Administration ; but that is no reason why I should not propose them , or why those who think with me should not support thtm— ( cheerp . ) To rrnet tho views of many Hoa . Gentlemen near me , I will withdraw the first four resolutions , and take i , ho division only upon the last—( cheers . )

    The House then divided—Against the resolutions } 2 G For the resolutions 58 Majority 68 Friday , Feb . 24 . Lord John Russell presented the petition of the Bombay merchants , for indemnification ' for the opium confiscation in China ; and the Chancellor of the Exchequer , in reply to a question , intimated that tba settlement of those demcinds wailed tho exchange of the ratifications of the Chinese treaty . On the order of the day for going into a committee of Buoply ,

    Mr . Hume called the attention of the Houbo to the charge of tho public establishments , and to the stata of the revenue aud expenditure of past years . He dwelt on the decay of the revenue , the increase of the national debt , the heavy burden of our military and naval establishments ; and on thej necessity for the reduction of onr state expeacea , and for the adoption of such measures as will furnish tbe means of employment to tbe labouring population , and resuecitate tr > e revenue derived from articles of consumption . He pleaded especially for a free trade in corn , and warned the Government of the consequences which would ensue if nothing were done to relieve the country .

    Mr . Williams contended that the Budget ought tc be opened to the House before they were callert upon to vote away public money . Formerly , tho dfff Tent departments had their estimates rigiftly reviswl by the Treasury ; but such wus not the case now . Until some system of control was adopted , it was hopeless to expect economy or retrenchment . He compared our expenditure in differeut past yeara witii th © pr « sent ; complained of the great increise in the half-pay m . d pensions , and contended that out expenditure should be made to ceaform to oat- revenue .

    Sir R . Peel thought that many of the topics nrged might have bean reserved for explanation , until the i > 8 Liuiate 8 were aciually under discussion . The increase in the amount of naval pensions was accounted for by the fact that formerly Greenwich Hospital had independent funds ; and ; tbe increase in the charge for widows and orphanu ¦ was the result of the recommendation of the parliamentary committee . Mr . Williams had omitted the charge for thf > Irish estimates , in comparing the expenditure of 1791 with subsequent years ; and in considering the neces .-ary expenditure of a great country like this , rtft-ronce must be had to otber

    considerations than revenue as thti dispositions of foreign powers , and the necessity of upholding our dignity . He admitted the great importance of endeavouring to reduce our expenditure as far as was compatible within the limits of our income ; and denied the position of Lord Ho wick in hin speeeh of lost -week , thai this country , inpoportioa to its means , was more lightly taxed than other nations . But it did not follow that because peace had been established we could immediately reduce our establishments ; good policy re quired that we should still maintain a fore ? on tbe coast of China . A reduction would be effected in our Mediterranean

    establishment , which tvoti'd be done in perfect dependence on tbe good faith aud feeling of France . There was a great iDtere-t growing up in that ecu try interested in the maintenance of peace ; newspapers ware not always the organs o ^ public opinion , and we might deBpise the ravings of those who were clamourous for war . In tbe army , navy , and ordnanca estimates there would be a reduction of £ 832 , t'OO ; and he could assure the House that tbe estiniafs underwent the closest inspection and control of the Tresibury , and they were reduced to as low a point as was compatible with the interests of the country .

    Mr , Fuancis Baring then rise to move for papers respecting the dismissal of M <* . Hoskins fiora acting as Deputy Judge-Advocute at Portsmouth . He was the last person in the House to interfere with the prerogative of the Crown : but there were certain situations dependent on the loyal pleasure which wbtb not considered as removeable on merely political grounds . Mr . iiobkins had been appointed by the late Government , and bis qualifications had been admitted by the present ; but he had been summarily dismissed , without complaint and without reason , ex' - ' . pt that his situation

    was not one for life . He ( Mr . B . iring ) believed that Mr . Hoskins had been dismissed because he was a Whig , and bis successor appointed because he was a Tory . No stain rested on his professional or his private character , and he now filled the office of Mayor of Portsmouth by the uranimous wish of his fellow towusnign . His appointment had a judicial character ; bat he had been dismissed with as title or lees courtesy as a petty officer of the Customs or clerk in a department . He wished to ascertain the reasons of it , or to hear what explanation or defence could be

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

    determined to re-establish the permanent office of Deputy Judge-Advocate , in order to obviate possible public iBconvenience , the Board chose the son of tha previous functionary who had filled the office , be having filled the office when his father's ago and infirmities had rendered him unfit for the duties of tbe office . Tbe character of Mr . HoskinB was all that Mr . Baring had described it to be , but no injustice had been done to him , for as ho held no office under the Crown , so it followed that the Admiralty bad not displaced one officer by another , on tho score of political opinion

    Mr . Charles Wood thought that Admiralty "hould havo offered the office of Depu'y Judge Advocatf . to Mr . Hoskins , and that political considerations had restrained them from doing so . He had an equitable claim to the situation-Sir Charles Najmer aaid it was always ngreeab ' . H to have secretaries pitted against each other , as then the cat got out of tbe bag . Ho tegruttad that Mr . Herbert should Iiave attempted to defend this notorious job . Ho narrated various cases of jabbing , as occuring within his own experience . Several of the naval officers iu the House joined in tbe debate , aftsr which

    Lord Palmerstoh lemarked that there nevur was a clearer case , in which one peraon bad been dismissed , and anotti 8 i appoi ted , on political considerations . Mr . Greetham , who bad been appointed to supersede Mr . Hoskins , held different appointments , being agent for Customs , Excise , and ths Admiralty , and was , therefore , not more eligible than Mr . Hoskins , who ; was held not eligible , as filling the office of Mayor of Portsmouth . By the very letter dismissing him , the Admiralty recognised tbe official nature of the situation held by Mr . Hoskins . He admitted that in appointments a Government might properly recegnise its friends , but it should not puniah those opposed to them . After 5 few abservatjons from Mr . Eicott ,

    Sir Robert Peel said , that as the Government had agreed to give the papers asked for , the whole transaction would be distinctly understood . He admitted that tbe letter of Sir John Barrow , dismissing Mr . Hoskins , did appear to recognise him a 9 Deputy Jadge-Advocate . But there was a previous letter , intimating the intention of conferring the revived office » n Mr . Greetbam , whose father bad previously fllJed it for thirty-five years . He admitted the general principle of recognising service , and of not changing officers filling responsible situations , and be claimed for bis Government tbe merit of having tti . de as few changes as any Government , even where they might have been most entitled to do so , n&mels , in diplomatic appointments .

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    Mr . Laboucherk was satisfied , from the speech of Sir Robert P ? el , tnat if he had been consulted , this transaction wuuid ot have taken place . He bad been a junior lord when Sir James Graham was at tho head of the Admiralty , and he then witnessed a gr « at pnb !! c department admirably conducted . Such a let ' . er as that of Sir Johu Barrows dismissing Mr . H ^ skins , would not then have been psrniUt"x ! to nave i-fc the office . He looked upon the affair is an ungenerous attempt to cew the electors of Portsmouth , ¦ where government influence was notoriously ^ great . Mr . Baring withdraw his motiou i as all tha information w . ia before the House which he desired . Mr Blew / tt called the attention of the House to the stata of ttre North Boundary question between this country and th * TLiited S ' . ates , and aaked information as to the course which the Government meant to pursue with respect to it ¦

    Sir Robert Peel hoped that Mr . Biewitt would not inf ^ r the disposition of ths American Goverran- nt from the ) speech or bill of a mein ' oer of the Sjuate . Friendly communications wer « now ! passing between the two Governments on the subject . I The House tht > n went into a Ciintttittee of Supply ; and Mr . Sydnei Herbert rose to move the N . ivy E timates . Compared with the previous year , ihore is to be a reduction of 4000 men , and a decreasa ia « rxpe be of £ 143 000 ; and on the entire estimates there will be a , saving of £ 435 000 . A discussion followed , which lasted the remainder of the evening , after which the vote was agree ! to , anl the House adjourned .

    Monday , Feb . 27 . Lord Ashley presented some petitions aciinst any interference with the beneficial working of the ( JolUeries ' Regulation Bill , passed last session . ' Mr R . Y 0 RK 2 wished to ask the R ) ght Hv > n . Gentleman the Homo Secretary , whether the Put Law Amendment Bill which he intended to introduce was to be precisely and identically the same as that laid before tbe House last year , with the exception , of course , of those modified clauses recognized by the House at the close of last session . Sir J . Graham said , that the principle of tbe biil would be identically the same , but in some of the details various alterations would be made , and thero « ould be some omissions with respect to tbe clauses introduced ; it the close of last session , and some a ) ' -eration as to the apprenticeship olause , and there wouldiba some additional clauses .

    The Speaker then said , "I understand that tbe Serjeant-at-Arms has a communication to make to the House . " The Serjeant-at-Arms then apppearfcd at th- bar , and on being called upon by the Speaker , said , " I have to acquaint the House that VVillia ? n Bellamy , a roessenxer of this House , and myself , have been served with n writ of summons to appaar to an action of { trespass iasucd by Thomas Burton Howard by Thomas Howard , h ' s attorney . As the writ drd not state the nature of tho trespass , I thought it proper to enter an ' appearance to the action . On Saturday last I was served with a declaration , which shows that the suit waain consequence of my having taken into custody Tiiomss Barton Howard , and w « s against William Bellamy forjhaving taken him to the prison of Newgate : but as bot ' s thesw acts were done U ' . der the order of the House and under your warrant , Sir , I hope we shall have the 1 protection of the Hcuso , and the direction of the House as to the course we aha ' . l pursue" —( hear , hear ) . '

    The writ of summons and declaration were then laid on the table and rea'i by the clerk . Tbe Solicitor-General aaid , he did not rise for the purpose of nuking any motion onjthe :- ; il > j -ct of the communication which hail been made by tbe Sargbantat-Arms ; but he thought that it would be more satisfactory tbat tbe papsrs presented | by the Sergeant-.. t-Arras should be printed with tbe votes , and that thuy should take them into consideration to-morrow , and Ke then gave n . ticu tbat be should tofmurrow submit a motion on the subject to the consideration of the bouse — ( hear . ) ;

    Lord J . Russell said he believed tbat some action took place in the course of the recess with rt gard to the S . rgeant-at-Arras and some of his : deputies , and In which he understood tbat a sum ot ' money had boen paid to the plaintiff in that action by order of the Treasury . If that were so , he thought , that although tbat proceeding Hii ^ btbe perfectly right , these papers should be laid befcre . tha House Sir . R . Peel said that whatever information the Government possessed upon the subject should be laid before the House . The papers laid before the House by the Hergea . nt-at-Arm 8 were then ordered to be printed with the votes .

    Mr . T . Egerton wished to make one or two observations on a state ment made the other evening by tbe Hon . Member for Finsbury with respect to the treatmant of prisoners confined in Knuteford House of Correction . Since that statement had gone forth theve had been a meeting of magistrates , and iia tx imi'iation ef tbe prisoners , the resuit t » f which he would , with the p . mission of the House , state ; as the charges of the Hon Member affected the discipline of the gaol and the character of the magistrates . The Hon . Member stated , in the first placo , that one { Samuel Lots had been ordered on tho treadmill for the amusbinent of some ladiea and gentlem * n . Now , Leea bad been examined , and he stated that he had only been twice on the treadmill , and tbat only in the first wetk he

    came . Both times were in the afternown . Lees said , " I don't know that I ever was put on on any paitioular oooaeioo . " On ncishur opi-iision wim ho l&oro more than half an hour . The Hont Ge . nloman ha < I also refersed to the case of Rjbert Wild , another prisoner , who declared that on entering the gaol " he wis told by the gaoler that the discipline was very severe , that he would take care he was punished , and that he would not give much for his ^ constitution when he left the gaol . * Now . this prisoner also bad been examined , and be said tbat " on the day when he went to the gaol the governor read the lilies , at the same time telling him that , he did so because they were severe , and they would find them so ; that if they were not attended to the punishment would be severe .

    and that as to the stopping of the bread allowance , it would have such an effect « n their csnbtitntions as by the time be bad done with them tht > ir constitutions would not fee worth twopence . "' It was the duty of the governor to cause those rules to ! be read . They were ordered hy the Home Secretary . The prisoner in question went on to add that they made no complaint nt any of th © officers , ot of tU < s tteatniw \ t th « y received , tbat the quality of the food was good , but that they complained of the 8 b « Ttness of the quantity . They never applied to the governor for anything but they were sure to be attended to immediately , or be showed a disposition to attend to the request . He ( Mr . Egerton ) could assue the House tbat ihe magistrates were most anxious in their ' administration of

    the affairs of the gaol , while they -wiahed to enforce discipline , to afford as much imiulj-PDce as p ssible , and to insure forVurance 00 the part of the t . fficers . Mr . T . Duncomhe thought the House onsht to receive such ntatemtnts , when obtained from prisoners through tbe magistrates with very j , r © at cautioD . Tbe account be bad read the other evening was made and signed by the prisoners , who wtre prepared to come forward and reppat at the bar the conversation that took place between them and tbe gaoler on being taken into tbe House of Correction . He was not surprised at the version which bad now been received through the gaoler and tbe magistrates , from prisoners who had two years' imprisonment to undvr ^ o , and who might well be supp- 'sed to have the dread of additional suffering

    ii . dieted on them if tbey persisted in ttits account they had formerly given to thpir friends .: But , in order to get at the truth , he should mow . for a return on the subject , which he believed would prove tbe truth 1 f what he had stated with reference ito the Kautaford House of Correction . It was rather singular , that the statement he made had appeared in ttie newspapers some time a $ o , and bad never till the present hour been contradicted . He had also seen the statement of Thomas Clark , a fellow prisoner with Wild an t Lees , whose period of imprisonment having expired bore testimony to tbe conversation with the gaoler , and exposed the cruel treatment and Buff-rings they had endured . He himself had written to Mr . Allison , a person livinj ? at Stocbport , and desired him to go over to K . ataford and Bee the prisoners , in order to ascertain the truth of their statements . His correspondent paid a visit to Knutsford on the 9 th of February , and applied to tbe

    governor for permission to 8 « e the pu& \> -. iets . The turnkey , however , stated , that prisoners were only allowed to see their friends once in three months , and al ! the prisoners bavins b en seen within that time except Wild , be was allowed aboutit * n lainutei' conversation with him in the presence of the turnkey . In ibe letter he received , Wild was described as a mere skeleton ; from being plump-faced , as he was when admitted , his bones , from inadrquate diet , now almoai protruded through the sfcin He complained bitterly of the conduct of Lord Abinger . who , once ) iO htsurd a man was a Chartist , seemed to think ] that was enough to sea ! his doom . He firmly believed that what Mr . Allison had stated was perfectly correct , and if be could only get a committee to inquire into the state of Kautsford gaol , he had no doubt he wouM be able to substantiate all the charges ¦ which he had made against it ¦

    Mr . T . Egerton said the Magistrates courted tbe fullost investigation into their conduct With respect to the Kautsford House of Correction , he hud only to say that the Hon . Gentleman on looking into the reports of the prison inspectors would find it described as one of tbe best conducted gaols iu ] the country . Sir J . Graham felt that the statement made by the Hon . Member for Finsbury ob the evidence of Mr . Alliton , who was described to be a creditable witness , was directly at variance with that made by his Hon . Friend behind ( Mr . Egerton ) . If Mir . Allison was to be believed , he should only say , that ] the conversation

    which passed between the gaoler and the prisoners was very much to be regretted—( Hear , bear ) There were also otber parts of the statement made by Mr Allison well worthy of investigation . It was , ! therefere , expedient tbat inquiry should take place /; and if the Hon . Member for Finsbury would give him a copy of Mr . Allison ' s statement he would undertake that an Inspector should , on the part of tbe Government , immediately proceed to Knutsford and inquire into all tbe circumstances of ttra case ; whose report , iwhen presented , should be laid on the tuble of the House . —( Hear , hoar . )

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    Lord Ashley took tbat opportunity of c-iHiug the attention of the Ri ^ ht Hon . Secretary of State fo r ; tne Home Dap-irtment to a Habject of considerable importance , fle had just reeeived a letter from a "very respec ^ bl « gen tleman , s ' gned Thomas Barber , auditor of the Halifax Union , which was in these words : — " Halifax , Feb . 25 . " My Lord—Permit ma most respsctfally to direct your lor iship ' e special atention to the Ia 3 t pmc of the Halifax Ginrdian of tins day , whore you will find a statement of facts relative t > the crud treatment a boy has undergone , or endured , at the banda of bis inhaman master , a collier , residing at B ; ackley . four miles from this place . It is not in the power of lanauage to describe , or of imagination to conceive , tha spectacle presented to my view when I examined his back on Wednesday last at tbe union workhouse . With a firm

    determination of transmitting an accent to yon , I wrote his state i-ent , but afterwards deemed it expedient to requsst the editor snd publisher of tbt Guardian to report it i'i the paper ; he yesterday accompanied me to ? he workhouse and h ; w civen tbe substance of the boy ' s narrative . I have just returned from the magistrate ' s office , where tha master has appeared under a summons from the overseers for the purpose of freeing the lad from hfs parish indenture . The fail gave 0 clear and succinct statement of tbe treatment and sufferings he had endured for some weeks hack , with an artltssness that carried an irresistible conviction of its truthfulness to the mind of every individual present . 1 he master was not able to disprove or controvert one iota of the sUtemont , though defended by a professional gentleman , and the- justices discharged tho bid from bis apprenticeship , according to tbe / 20 th of George II ., c . 19 .

    " To Lord Ashley , London . " Along with that letter be bad received a copy of the Ha'i / aii Guardian , and he thought he was justified in calling the attention of the House to the casa , because he had " last year affirmed trie Votal and immediate . cancelling of apprenticeships fnr under rrounfi operations , and if that elause havl net been Tevt > rs . < d elsewh « rt ) Buub a case as the present nevar could have happened . The Huli / ajr Guardian thus reported tbe case : —( The report will be found at lengtbin another . colu < up ) - Hiving read the statement he had to appeal to the Right H > ii . Gentleman tbe Secretary for tbe Home D partment , and request him , in vi . fuo of tbe 3 J section of the act passed iaat year , to send down sojie ofEctal person

    to ninke inquiry into the case , in order tbat h : 3 r * port might be laid on the table of the House . Such a step would not only be justified by tho act , but by precedent ; some time ago , when the Noble Lord the member for London ( Lord J . Russell ) was Secretary for the Home DapartmenS , an analogous case occurreti of great atrocity . He appealed to his Noble Friend , who caused an inquiry to take place and the report to be laid on the taMa T wo yeai-a after another case oocu cred , irito which L rd Normanby also directed an inquiry , the result of which was reported to ttie House ; bu :, apart from all precedent whatever , and from the act hself , he fell qaito sure that the Right Hon . Baronet would be most ready te extend tbe protection and aid of his important office to such he ! ples 3 and destitute objects—( hear ) .

    Sir J . Graham could assure his noble friend , that alth' ugh this case was entirely unknown co him till the Noble Loid commenced his addtfss to the H < mse , he west waTra ' y sympathized with him in the feoling of disgust which such a statement mua ; create in the breast of every gentleman who heard it ; at the same time , all -would agree with him in hoping tbat there was some exaggeration in . tbe facts as stated . He would most readily institute an inquiry into all the circumstances by sending down a person Wv > rtby of confidence into tbe district , and if the facts as alleged were substantiated it would be bis duty to direct that prosecutions should be commenced against the parties imp'icuted —ihear , hear . ) He was glad to t&te this opportunity of stathig to the Hoase , that notwithstanding anything which bad occurred elsewhere with respect to the act of last session , no one was more aoxioua than be w . is to give effect both to tbe letter and spirit if that act , and adhere most strictly to all its provisions —; Hear . )

    Lord J . RtSSELL called attention to tho almo « t unprecedented circumstance ( with the exception > 1 the case of General C ; nwayi of the Duke o ? Wellington , aa Commander-in-chief , holding a stat in tbe cabinet . As a conspicuous political bi 3 s j and his G-acs had himself , on a former occisinu , declared his opinion that tbe cnmniander-in-chief should nut be a member of the cabinet . Sir R . Peel admitted tbat in recent times it bad not been usual for the commaiider in-chief to have a aj-at ia the cabinet . But be did noJ conceive that it was contrary to constitutional aua'ogy for that high functionary to be a nVeuibfer of tbe eabinet . L" « l John Russell had rt-ftji r < -d to the previous case of General Con way ; and the Duke of Wellington bad been , at ene time . Master

    of the Ordnance , and cabinet-minister . On tbe resignation of the late Lord Hill , he ( Sir R . Peel ) , with tbe concurrence of his colleagues , had advised h 6 r Majesty to appoint th « Duke of Wellington to the offi ? o ; andgiey had also been all of op i nion tbat it was < 1 ue TOphis Grace ' s eminent civil services that , in conjunction -with the command of tbe army , he should still retain hia seat w the cabinet . On the motion that tbe Speaker do leave the chair , Mr . S . ChaWFOHD rose , and said he must entreat the att + ntion of the Government 10 the propositions eontained in the resolution of which 1 e had tiven notice , and which it would now become his dnty to submit to the House . At snch a period as the present , when mont severe and extensive distress prevailed

    uiroujfbuut tuu country , 16 woo , fao thought , tue uiuy of the House to endeavour to alleviate tbnt distress by igbtt-uing tbe burden of taxation . This , bo conceived , could not b « effectually done , unless tbey took into consideration the whole public expendi 1 ure of the country , and thb means by which it was to be defrayed ; and in bis opinion , before th&y assented to vctes of tbe public money , they ought to , know what amount of revenue nii ^ ht be drawn f rom the country without unnecessarily oppressing the people . It had been said tbat the necessary expenditure of the ceuntry must be defrayed ; but he thought that those who bad tbe conttoul of the revenue of the country ought , imitating the example of prudent individuals , nrsc to look to their resources , and then to regulate their

    expenditure according to their meana . He did not object particuiarly to the course pursued by tbe prtsent Government , but be objected to the system which had been going on for a number of years , under all Governments , ef voting the supplies before they were acquainted with the means to which it might be necessary to have recourse for defraying their votes . He objected generally to the extravagant nature of the preatnt civil and military establishments ; and be thought this extra V 3 ganca had arisea from no regard being bad tj tbe resources of tbe cou itry at tha time when those establishments were formed . The Government might think tbat this doctrine was tainted with the principle of Radical Rbfoim , which he was aware were not very popular in that House ; but , he would

    not hesitate te assert those principles , for he thought that no man ought to maintain opicions out of dooca which be had not courage to support in that House . He found tbat 100 , 846 men were required for tha army of tbia kingdom , 38 , 000 men being retained in Great Britain and Ireland- Now , he would pus it to the Government whether it was necessary to keep up such a standing army ! Were 38 000- men required , to keep in order the people » f the United kingdom ? He fuund that in Great Britain there was a furce of 25 . 127 men ; and , if the Government conceived tua * ' such aa army was requisite in this country , he would ask what rendered It necessary ? If they were compelled thus to coerce the people of Great Britain there must he something wrong in their institutions or in their legislation .

    ( Hear . ) He thought a yteat reduction . might o *> effi-cted in tbe number of troops at present maintained m Great Britain , and , if no reduction was made , he considered it a strong p " roi . f that the conn try was in a very discontented state . Nearly 13 , 000 troops , he found , were stationed in Ireland . He would ask if this was necessary , when tbey bad in that country a constabulary force of 9 , 000 men , who ware quite as fefficient as a regular army ? He begged a ' so to call the attention of the Hoase to the wanton and exirava ^ aut expenditure incurred for the staff , which amounted to the sum of £ 165 . 300 . He wished to know what necessity existed for keeping up such an expensive staff , which iu his opinion was almost uselsss ! The « xppwee of the staff at head-quarters , in London , was £ lfi 800 . The l

    piiy of the Dufee of Wellington 33 Fieirt-. Ja . risljal waa £ 16 8 s 9 ( 1 per day , or £ 6 . 000 a year ; and he- must aa > it seemed to him wholy unnecessary thut any officer should receive such pay . Thera were » i tbe united kingdom fourteen different stations of . b >> staff , the number of which might , he thought , ba greatly reduced Tbe fxpencea of the Commander-in-Chief's office , were £ 17 , 000 a-year ; those of the Adjutant-General ' s , £ 12 , 000 ; and of the Quartermaster-GsnevaVs , £ n 600 . H « considered this an enormouB expenditure of the puhlio money ; and he thought thu business might be effectively conducted at a much less cost . He found in tho army estimates an item of £ 117 , 787 for volunteer corps . He would pat it to the Hoase , wfeat services were rendered by these volunteer corps which entitled

    them to such an amount 2 vV as there any record of their eve ? receiving the thanks of the House for their services , whieh must have been the case if tbo 33 secvices had been important and valuable ? He found ia the non-fcffective service 198 generals , who cost the country £ 89 , 000 ; tbe amount paid to officers retired on full pay was £ 64 . 000 ; and the pensions allowed to soldiers amounted to £ 1 , 243 , 176 . The allowance to retired servants of the military department was £ 41 , 000 . In the Ordnance Department there were numerous heavy expences , iu which he thought great reductions might be effected . The effective force of the naval service for the last year cost £ i 632 , 000 ;

    the non tffict \ ve , £ 1390 , 000 ; there being 184 admirals on the non-tffoctive list . Then , in th ? civil department , be found tbat the salaries and other expenses of the Home-office coBt the country £ 75 000 , tha expenceaof the Exchequer vre / e £ l 8 . O'io , and of the Privy Council and Board of Trade £ 32 000 according to the estimates of the last sear . The allowances to retired and superannuated t fficers in the civil department amounted to £ 84 , 000 . To one it * . in vthxb appeared in the estimates of last year , tbat of £ 39 , 000 for secret service money , he strongly objected . He thought , then , after the statements he had made , that some means should be taken to alter tile existing sjb-( Continued in our Ei § hth p « ye . J

    Untitled Article

    ^^_^ = - T 5 E NORTHERN STAR . 7 r /~ i ^* Zw ** i * J ¦ f'mm HILT AijZ / 1 ivtnff . I vt - * " ' "' '" — '" "" ~ - . - ~ ¦ ¦ ¦ >_ ... — .-. z . s \ -- . -. —

• Citation
  • Northern Star (1837-1852), March 4, 1843, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct792/page/7/