Frbatto auh firoruhiugl, in Vartianaut.

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OF THE WEEK.

Hausa or Lome. Monday, May 27. The Queen's Answer to the Lords' Address on the Birth of another Prince—Chancery Arrears, and Conversation on the Chancel- lorship—Agricultural Distress ; Petitions and Conversation. Tuesday, May 28. Payment of Office by Fees ; Fees (Court of Common Pleas) Bill, read a second time.

Thursday, May 30. Privilege; Libel on Lord Brougham—Administration of•Cri- =Mal Justice Improvement Bill, committed and amended.

.Friday, May 81. Royal Assent to the Alterations in Pleadings, West India Ap- peals, Defects in Leases Act Amendment., Process and Practice (Ireland), and other Bills—Distress for Rent (Ireland) Bill, read a second time—Sheriff of Westmoreland Bill, read a first time—Sunday Trading Bill, recommitted, and clauses agreed to— Australian Colonies Government Bill, read a second time. . HOUSE or COMMONS. Monday, May 27. The Queen's Answer to the Address of the Commons—Supply Votes ; Conversations on Economy ; Motions for Reduction negatived—Court of Chancery (Ireland) Bill, read a third time and passed—Metro- politan Interments Bill and Vestry Clerks Bill, considered in Committee and re- ported—Petty-Sessions (Ireland) Bill, and Court of Prerogative (Ireland) Bill, read a second time, and referred to a Select Committee—Technical Objections Restrain- ing Bill, withdrawn—Acts of Parliament Abbreviation Bill, considered-in Committee and reported.

Tuesday, May 28.' The Derby Day Adjournment—The Chancellorship; Statement by Lord John Russell—Emigration of Pauper Orphan Girls; Mr. Miles's Motion ; House counted out.

Thursday, May 30. Experimental sitting in the New House from noon till three p.m.—Elections (Ireland) Bill, read a third time; a clause added; passed at the evening sitting—Evening sitting: in the Old House—Exchequer Bills (8,558,7001.) Bill, read a third time and passed—Sunday Labour in the Post-office; Lord Ashley's Motion, carried against Ministers, by 98 to 68—Oath of Abjuration (Jews), con- sidered in Committee; Bill brought in, and read a-fitsttime—Compound Household- ers Bill, read a first time.

Friday, May 81. West India Question; Sir Powell Bustan'sMotion, negati.vedly 275 to 254—Report of the General Board of Health on the supply of Water to the Metropolis, presented—Public Health(Scotland) Bill ; withdrawn—Court of Session (Scotland), Police Improvement (Scotland), and At of Parliament Abbreviation Bills read a third time and passed—Supply, report brought up ; Maynooth Vote, carried by 68 to 55.

TIME- TABLE.

The Commens.

Hour of Hour& Meeting. Adjournment. Monday 4h ..(an) ram Tuesday Sh hut Wednesday No Sitting. Thursday

Noon • hon bh . . . iih

Friday 4h ....ho)2h

The Lords.

Hour of Hour of Meeting. Adjournment. Monday bh.... Tuesday —61120m Wednesday No Sitting.

Thursday eh eh 6m Friday — .... 10h Mm sittings this Week, 4; Time, lab Din SMOOSS this "Yr'eek, b ; Time, 29h 42m — this Session, 66; —112h 20m this Session, 75; —MU Wm THE CHANCELLORSHTP AvituARS IN APPEALS. rws fe On Monday, Lord Bruce:ram moved for a return of the arrears in the =eery and in the Appellate Jurisdiction of the House of Lords. 7-130* card it said that there is an enormous amount of arrears in the 'orals : to .that report he gave the most positive and absolute appellate jurisdiction of the /louse of Lords is entirely without

arrears. He could not say the same with rapid to Chancery ; but the1

arrears are much less there than when Lord Brougham took the great seal melba 22d ofilsaember.4830: .It is whispered that the great seal is to be

is comarmallin for maw& time. If so, he.hoped that it would be consi-

credal fittinriportunil *die seized hold. of to make a good, and on sound griaftles asponsonentAmitio the public, tollieprofession, and to the law, a beneficial arrangement rif Ike duties dealkat -high officer of state, who is placed not only at the heasr et our judges, but also at the head of the ad- ministration of justice in this country'. Such an opportunity-, if wisely and judiciously taken hold of, would diminish the sorrow which all their Lord- ships must feel for the temporary absence of that most learned, upright, and admirable judge, the present lord Chancellor.

The returns were ordered.

In reply to questions by Mr. Nkrusoir P.orrvx and_Mr...13ouveaus, on Tuesday, Lord Joan RUSSELL atmounced, with very great regret, the in- tended resignation of Lord Chancellor Cottenham.

The state of his health is such that it will not be possible for him to con- ' tunic the performance of those dutaes which he has discharged with:such

credit to himself and advantage to the country. As soon, therefore, as he shall have given his judgment on various cases which have been under his consideration, Lord Cottenham will Reel himself called upon to resign the- great seal.

Lord John stated the general intentions of the Government with re- gard to future incumbents of the office.

In filling up the office, I shall have it understood that any person taking the great seal shall take it subject to any regulation which Parliament may adopt on the report of the Committee. With respect to the fees of any officer appointed by the Lord Chancellor, which may become vacant when the Lord. Chancellor resigns the great seal, persons shall be appointed with fees and salaries subject to the determination of Parliament." As to the separation of the judims1 and political functions of the Lord Chancellor, "I can only say, it -is a subject which has engaged the attention- of her Majesty's Go- vernment. It is, however, a question of very considerable diffitTilty. rhave no doubt myself, that the object is one very desirable to attain ; and I trust we may.be•able to -propose a measure to Parliament on the -subject. But, considering the nature -of the offiee—eonsiderin,g-how closely connected it has been with the political history of this country—how much it has been connected with our political adminiatration, and with the performance of the highest functions in the state—it is a subjection which I should be loth to propose any measure without very serious consideration " Further answering Mr. Hymn, Lord Joan RUSSELL repeated— Re meant distinctly, that any person accepting the great seal must take it subject to the decision of Parliament with respect to the amount of pen- sion. Without saying that 5,000L a yearis the exact amount to be granted, he should feel it his duty to resist any reduction of pension to such an ex- tent as should not enable Government to secure the highest legal talent ex- isting in the country.

PAYMENT OF OFFICE BY FEES.

On the motion, by Lord BEATiMONT, to read a second time the Fees (Court-of Common Pleas) Bill, Lord LANGDALE expressed himself in fa-

vour of the abolition of all fees in courts of justice. Justice ought to he administered without any expense to the suitors ; midi persons engaged in its administration ought to be paid by salaries and not by fees. Lord STA:LIMY thought that such bills as the present ought to be introduced under the responsibility of Government. Individual Peers ought not to be allowed to introduce bills regulating offices, some on one principle, some on another. Earl Guar understood that the bill originated with a Committee of the other- House, appointed to examine into the whole question of fees and'salaries. The Chairman of that Committee had in- troduced the bill, and after its introduction it had been supported by the Solicitor-General as a desirable measure. Bill read a second time.

AGRICULTURAL DlarRESS.

The weekly conversation in the House of Lords on agricultural distress was opened by the Marquis of SALISBURY, with -the presentation of a complaining -petition from the county of Hertford, and a question to Earl Grey, in the absence of the Marquis of Lansdowne, '" How long is the experiment of free trade to be tried, and what period will be deemed sufficient for a fair trial ?" Earl GREY remained silent. The Marquis of SALISBURY repeated his question. Earl GRRY said—" I am not aware that the act of 1846 contained any clause limiting tbatitot to any fixed period ; and I never heard that there was any intention, inany quarter, to repeal that act, or to make any alteration in its provisions." The Earl of MALMPSEURY said, that answer, from "a man who generally says what he means," would have better befitted a minister of the ancient empire of the Merles and Persians than the constitutional government of Great Britain.

The noble Earl seemed to entertain a great dislike to these discussions;

but so long as the different Parliamentary papers are delivered, he must•ex- pect to have them thus incidentally discussed. They serve to correct the most fallacious dictum of the Premier that pauperism hus decreased in the last five years. Pauperism has increased, in England and Wales alone, by 125,000 persons ; although wheat was 64s. in 1846, and is now 386. rn Cheltenham, the paupers in 1846 were 990, in 1850 they were 1,819 ; in Liverpool, they had increased from 12,200 in 1846 to 17,800 in 1850; in Manchester, from 13,900 to 13,926; in Preston, from 3,021 to 5,187; in the Isle of Portsea, from 3,200 to 6,200. The corn sold in 1846 was 1,200,000 quarters less than in 1846. Earl Guar justified the refusal of Government to enter into these inci- dental debates on the Corn-laws until the object of them were- avowed.

In the debates before the repeal, there was no doubt about the object of the discussions, whether main or mcidental—it was either the-qualified or the total repeal of the Corn-laws. Whenever the Protectionists pleased, Lord Grey would debate whether the measure of 1846 should be changed or not, but at present they leave the House in a singular state of ignorance as to what they advocate or wish. In the House of Commons, one high authority desired the 8s. duty, so scornfully rejected in 1841 ; another gentleman wanted an alteration of the various burdens on land; the -very notion of re- lief by which, on the contrary, was denounced as altogether nugatory, by Lord Stanley, in a very eloquent and remarkable speech in reply to certain memorials. When. the }Dusters know the specific remedies to be proposed by the other side, they will no doubt be able to show good reasons against their adoption. (Ironical cheerio and laughter.) As to the returns, the increase of pauperism in comparison with 1846 is

quite independent of the price of corn ; the returns rather show the lowness of 1846 than the highness of 1850. In 1846, the railway mania was at its height, when the companies were spending more millions of money in labour than they are now spending hundreds of thousands : and since that tune the famine in Ireland has been the means of bringing into all our great manu- facturing towns very large numbers-of Irish paupers, who have to be main- tained. Nevertheless, 1850 shows a reduction compared with every single year since 1846. The wheat sales' of 1849 are compared with those of 1845 to show a diminution ; but the sales of 1849 were of the crop of 1848, and it is notorious that the crop of that year' in the South of England, was one of -the most ever known. But the question is far too important to be -settled by the imperfect data of a few months. If you /oak to the effect of .protection during a period of thirty. years, and to the melancholy con- sequences of raising expectations which were constantly. disappointed, it is -mmoseible to deny that the interests of agriculture were injuriously affected. On the other hand, there never were greater exertions to improve cultivation and diminish cost, than under the new policy : those efforts will certainly meet the success they deserve. Lord STANLEY was not surprised to hear-that Lord Grey, with regard 'to measures which had not been confided to 'him, was satisfied, without -knowing what they are, that good reasons-can be shown against them. Doubtless the question is not to be settled upon the imperfect information now possessed, nor by incidental diecussions: he did not call on their Lord- ships to come to any decision ; but the intention of Lord Stanley and-his friends is, by these very discussions to impress upon the public mind, week by week and day by day if need be, the practical operation and working of the system introduced by the revision of the import-duties on agricultural produce. He would not answer what form or amount of duty would be pro- posed, but would saythat a change is certainly coming over the public mind: numbers who are watching the pleat experiment" are gradually arriving at the conviction that in some shape or another we must...revert to .protective duties. As to the returns, he believed they understate the pauperism. The returns of exports are very deoeptive : they make an increase above five millions sterling in 1849 over 1845 ; but between two and three millions of additional articles have been introduced in the returns of the later years. The consuming power is diminishing, as compared with last year and the year before : cocoa, coffee, currants, raisins, figs, unrefined sugar, and tallow, have all diminished ; and at the same time that the imports of tallow have :fallen the exports have showing a still further diminution of the con- suming power of home purchasers. Lord Stanley will continue to point at- tention to these results, and to call on 'Government to justify its perse- verance in the policy which produces them. The country will not again be prosperous till we not only deal with-the unjust...Nam-ion which oppresses cer- tain interests, but till we return to a just, moderate, and equitable system of import-duties, for the protection of British industry of all descriptions. ' Earl GREY was glad to think it dear from these last observations, that the sliding-scale is abandoned. Lord STANLEY would not feel bound by any inferences which the noble Earl might choose to draw from his ob- servations.

SUPP'LE VOTES : CONVERSATIONS ON ECONOMY.

The House of Commons gave itself wholly on Monday evening to dis- cussion of Supply votes ; in which the remarkable retrenchments were proposed chiefly by the Opposition, and resisted by the Government, with assistance, generally, of the Financial Reformers.

Mr. linen proposed the first reduction—on the vote of 92,300/. for the artistries and expenses of the two Houses of Parliament : how did it hap- pen that the expenses of the House of Lords were 21,9001. in 1849 and 82,4001. in 1850 ? The CHANCELLOR of the Exenexama explained, that fees in past years had gone to diminish the charges ; the expenditure of the House of- Lords is in course of reduction; the fees were exhausted last year, and a greater proportion of the salaries has now to be voted : a Committee of the House of lords is now conducting a searching revision. Mr. Iluare saw at present no proof of the searching investigation; and, dividing on a retrenching amendment, wasedefeated by 110 to 48. On the vote of 56,100/. for the salaries and expenses of the Treasury, Mr. FoRBES moved that the salaries of the.Assistant-Secretary, clerks, and other persons, amounting to 30,836/., be reduced ten per cent ; as the necessaries of life have sunk in price, and profitahave gone down. Colonel Timms's= begged to remark, that in his borough, Bradford, profits have gene up twenty per cent ; and that not from a wrong to any other class, but from cessation of wrong to themselves. MT-. Hews would rather reduce the number of clerks than the salaries : is there any need for twenty mes- sengers, at a cost of 2,3151. a year ? Mr. M'GREGOR agreed with the ehencellar of the Exchequer, that the messengers at the Treasury, as also at the Board of Trade, are too few. Mr. Menem observed, that two Circumstances render it impossible to carry any motion of financial reform —the existence of the Select Committee, and the existence of the Finan- cial Reformers : these obstacles remaining, motions are futile : he there- fore advised Mr. Forbes to withdraw his motion. Mr. Foams acknow- ledged the melancholy truth, and agreed that his motion should he with- drawn.

Colonel THOMPSON hoped the Financial Reformers would assent to no motion coining from the other side of the House—(Ironical cheers from the Protectioniets)—prefaced, as he was going to say when stopped, by the assertion that they are founded on sufferings created by the recent changes of commercial policy. So far as the ability to bear taxation is concerned, the country is vastly better able than ever. Economy should be pursued, but not ongrounds to which the Financial Reformers cannot subscribe.

Mr. Hume protested : he would support economy from any side. Are the salaries more than necessary ? that is the only question. Mr. COBDEN repeated his recent dune, that the object of the Protec- tionists in proposing a. percentage reduction of salaries includes a reduc- tion of wages.

• Now., the Government is the largest employer at wages- in the country : this would be a general war on wages. Are gentlemen prepared to carry out this principle Mallen own private eaalaialimentea How in common justice el- feu:nese can they.propose to deal with the Government servants differently fioni their Own ? He would be no party to & universal reduction of wages in the country. So far from the commercial' policy' heels's, disabled the country from paying the same wages or reduced the' value of labour, it is quite the other way : iu Yorkshire at no former time havealeepeople been so well employed or got such ample remuneration as now ; 1=1 while the tendency of wages in the last twelve months has been tterise the purchasing power of money is greater than ever. If agriculteril labourers are in a different state, why not employ them ? Bring in mote capital on the land ; but don't come to the House calling /or a reduotion of wages. He would join to promote true retrenchment in every way,. but would never nipped them in giving what he must call a spiteful, &hero= vote, intended, in the most miserable and petty spirit of retaliation, to make free trade unpopular in the country. Mr. DISRAELI remarked upon the considerable disturbance on the benches opposite which these"occasions) conversations on economy" seem to create.

Mr. Cobden seemed an every occasion to confound wages and fixed sala- ries. Mr. Henley and other gentlemen are not attacking wages; they only say this—that the country being-in an alteredpetition,-theleaymg power of 'the country being reduced, and the middle classes being in a state of great distress, all fixed payments should undergo the ordeal of a severe and well- considered revision; none of them says a word about wages. The House would be glad to hear that Yorkshire is so much more flourishing than it imagined- other districts are not quite so flourishing : the wills of the hon- ourable Member for Manchester, one of the most important employers of la- bour, are at this moment closed ; and that is not an isolated fact. Hare not the gallant Colonel's constituents, too, lost a great deal of money ? Colonel THOMPSON—" Gained a great deal ! They are in a better condi- tion now than ever in their lives."

Mr. Manama would rejoice if it, were so—if what they were told the other night, that there is not a large town in the North of England which is not ruined by railroad; was not the fact. Mr. NEWDEGATB wondered why Mr. Cobden is so tender on the civil service and so severe on the military : is it that, looking forward to some future day, he might have at his disposal rewards for those who aided him in effecting his purposes ? Mr. Forbes's amendment was negatived, and the vote agreed to. ,

The vote of 71,0001. for the salaries and expenses of the Foreign Office called up Lord Mama, with some strictures on the practice of exacting 21. 2s. 6d, at our own Foreign Office for a British passport, whereas the Foreign Ministers resident here grant them gratuitously. Mr. Roenecii added criticisms on the slowness of our couriers. Lord PALMERSTON ad- mitted the passport anomaly, but excused it : it operates to no serious die- advantage for a gratuitous foreign passport obtained here can be ex- changed abroad " on easy terms " : to alter the system would increase ap- plications, and require more clerks at further expense. Our couriees are not less expeditious than those of other countries : on one occasion, Colo. nel Townley, in a journey to Constantinople, never left the saddle for three days and nights, in the worst weather ; an almost superhuman in. stance of what these gentlemen will do when an extraordinary effort is required. Vote agreed to. The vote of 227,5001. for Poor-law administration was much canvassed. Mr. BRIGHT compared the salary of the two Secretaries-1,6001.—with that of the President-2,0001. : without disparagement to Lord Ebrington, one of the Secretaries, who had a seat in that House, he thought it absurd that a Secretary should have 1,5001. while the President had only 2,0001, Alderman SIDNEY calculated that the Poor-law Inspectors get 21. 10s. a day for travelling expenses, supposing they travel 300 days in the year, Mr. Iterwes defended the expenses, as diminished from 6,0001. for the old Board to 5,0001. for the new ; and defended the Inspectors, for the great value oftheir services—their daily allowances are part of. heir understood salary. A motion by M. ARKWRIGHT, to reduce the Inspectors and their salaries, was negatived, by 157 to 36. Alderman &nape- moved to re- duce the number of the Auditors, and their salaries from a total of 13,500t. a year to 5,5001. a year. If the unions audited their own ex- penses, he felt assured that the accounts of each union would be audited for 501. Mr. BRIGHT found on calculation, that as there are about 600 unions in this country, the Poor-law Board already audit the unions for about 221. 10s. per union : it was impossible for the Committee to go sen- sibly through the estimates and agree to such random motions as this. Amendment negatived, by 181 to 56.

Colonel Snaramie took a division on a motion to reduce the salary of the Chief Secretary for Ireland, from 6,5001. to 5,0001. Negatived, by 156 to 46.

In the course of discussion on votes concerning the Mint and the Re- cord Office, Mr. SHELL stated that it is now decided to issue the "florins" with " those additions which the public opinion appears to demand," and to coin and issue immediately a large quantity of threepenny pieces ; and the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUBR repeated a former ateinrance, that a vote will be taken for the erection and duo custody and care of the public records, whereby the well-founded complaints on that score will be ob- viated for the future.

EMIGRATION OF PAUPER ORPHAN GIRLS.

Mr. Mines having presented a petition from the Guardians of the Union of Berwick-on-Tweed for assistance from the Colonial and Land Emigra- tion Commissioners to enable them to send out some pauper girls as emi- grants, moved, in pursuance of notice,

" That it is expedient that the Government, with the consent and assist- ance of the Boards of Guardians throughout England and Wales, should take immediate steps to forward the emigration of orphan girls, inmates of the several workhouses, and capable of entering service, to Australia as appren- tices."

He intended his arguments to apply only to the case of New South Wales. Returns delivered three months ago' show that in Sydney and Port Phillip there is the utmost want of female domestic servants : such servants are hardly to be had at any wages whatever; girls of from eight to sixteen years old obtain from 121. to 201. a year. Mr. Tufnell's reports of what he found to bethe state of things in Ireland showed that girls suffer less from the comparatively sedentary life of workhouse children ; indeed, they are more employed and lees sedentary than the boys ; therefore workhouse girls are better suited to be emigrants than workhouse boys. In Somersetabire Mr. Miles issued circulars "to sixteen of the workhouses, and found that 270 children out of the five divisions" are capable of useful. employment. Similar returns for other counties will show an analogous state of things. Now Sydney would be prepared to receive 800 such female emigrants, and Melbourne 1,400, every year. There would also be a good demand for boys. Mr. Miles pro- poses that each parish should provide the young female orphans with an out- fit, send them towards the port of embarkation, and contribute 51. towards the expense of their transit to the colony intendedfor their ultimate destaia- tion. Such further sum as might be requiredfor the expenses of the voyage should be defrayed out of the colonial fund: Thus the parishes and" the colonies would contribute jointly to the benefit of both. The cost of emi- gration would be about 121. 108. a head for adults, and about half for chil- dren : the whole sum required to carry out his proposal would be not more than 7,0001. Of the 300,0001. advanced to New South Wales, 180,0004 hes been repaid, and an application for a payment on account has always be& nset.by remittances. Mr. STAFFORD moved as an amendment, to substitute the words " United- Irmgdom " for the words " England and Wales" in the resolution; =a, at some length enforeedthe claims of Imland.to be included in the motiOn... Mr. Hewes did not formally oppose the motion, but he laboured- to., discourage it indirectly. Female emigration, he contended, has already been conducted on a sue- cessful scale; so that the disproportion of the sexes, once a crying evil and: the cause of 'dreadful social disorders, has been corrected.; and at last the- equality of the sexes in New South Wales has almost been co letely effeda. ed." The funds are limited : if they were unlimited,_ pre y Earl lime might again do well in further promoting female emigration,—always keep- ng in mind the power of the colonies to absorb that particular class of emi- grants; but there is now a very trifling available balance in the hands of the Commissioners for the ensuing year. He could not avoid mentioning, too, that the Boards of Guardians have not hitherto manifested any strong desire to contribute the 51. a head which Mr. Miles proposes as part of the arrange- ment ; and, speaking as regards Sydney, and he believed he might extend the remark to New South Wales generally, unless that contribution were made, the proposition would be considered neither advantageous nor accept- able. " On the whole," Mr. Hawes " considered the motion of the ho- nourable gentleman as a friendly admonition to the Government—as an intimation that his eyes were upon them, and that the attention of the House would be kept alive to stir up the Colonial Office to a right discharge of its duty. He should move the previous question with great reluctance. He hoped, after the statement he had made, the honourable gentleman would withdraw his motion. (Mr. Miles indicated dissent.) Then, after the num- ber of emigrants already sent out, and after the Colonial statements of the difficulty of finding employment, as he thought that to pass the motion would excite expectations that could not be gratified, he should move "the previous question." Mr. Stafford's amendment was first negatived, without division • and then Mr. HAWES moved " the previous question " as a new amendment on the original motion. Mr. Mortszu. was addressing the House, when "notice was taken" that there were fewer than 40 Members present. The number was found to be only 35; and the SPEAKER adjourned the House.

SUPPRESSION OP SUNDAY PO8T-OFFICE LABOUR.

Presenting a petition from thirty-one thousand inhabitants of Man- chester in support of his proposal, Lord ASHLEY proceeded to develop his case in favour of an address to the Queen praying for an extension to the provincial towns of that rest on the Lord's Day which is afforded in the London Post-office.

He must be by expressing his thanks to the Government and to the Post-office authorities for what they have already done. They have conferred a great benefit on the parties interested, and no greater benefit has been conferred by them than the proof they have given that they could confer still more. All liehoped was, that the Government would now endeavour to ac- complish their own good work and perfectly establish their own reputation. He insisted much on the evidence afforded by petitions and meetings, of the extraordinarily deep, intense, and universal sentiment on the subject. -Up to the 24th of May; petitions were reported with signatures by or on be- half of some 700,000 persons ; a vast number remained to be reported, and he had a right to conclude that the total signatures would amount to no less than 1,000,000. Now, on the subject of the penny postage, Government yielded to a body of petitions representing only 266,511 persons, and gave up a revenue which put them in great financial difficulties.

As it was originally framed, his motion prayed both for the cessation of the collection and delivery of letters in all the pest-offices of the United King- dom on the Lord's Day, and also for the non-transmission of the mail-bags. He was about to alter these terms; but he kept separate his case in favour of his first demand. In support of this, he quoted Mr. Rowland Hill's own testimony, that 4.‘ though the delivery of Sunday in provincial towns is probably the heaviest in the week, still there could be no insuperable obstacle to placing any other town, where the inhabitants in general so desired it, in a similar position." he Surveyors of the Post- office also report, that if the public mmd is prepared to acquiesce in the pro- position, there is no objection on the part of the Poet-office. That mbn of all grades and classes and places do acquiesce in the proposition, Lord Ash- ley assumed to be already shown.

About the second part of the subject of his motion—the non-transmission of the mail-bags—the Surveyors report, that "its operation would be most tmequal' .; being comparatively harmless as to all towns within 2.50 miles of London, and acting with increased severity on all towns beyond that circuit. Now, such a 'circuit will include nearly every great town in England except Newcastle and Carlisle ; and with them it would be merely a change of the blank day from Monday to Sunday. In Scotland, the Monday morning's delivery would be delayed till Monday. evening ; and in Ireland Monday's delivery would be delayed till Tuesday. But from Scotland petitions with 253,157 signatures have been presented. However, there is no doubt the second part of the resolution is more open to doubt than the first ; there is great difference of opinion on the subject. Instead, therefore, of asking for measures to stop both the collection and delivery of letters and the trans- mission of mails, he would move the following resolution-

" That an humble address be presented to her Majesty, representing the great desire which exists in all parts of the United Kingdom for an extension of that rest on the Lord's Day which is afforded in the London Post-office to the post-offices of the provincial towns ; and praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to direct that the collection and delivery of letters shall in future entirely cease on Sun- day in all parts of the kingdom:

And also, that her Majesty will cause an inquiry to be made as to bow far, with- out injury to the public service, the transmission of the mails on the Lord's Day Might be diminished, or entirely suspended."

He felt great comfort in the consciousness that he was speaking the senti- ments of more than a million of his fellow countrymen upon this great sub- ject. He rejoiced that here "vox populi" and " vox Dei " were in strict harmony. No new law was asked for—no restriction upon the freedom or the enjoyment of others—nothing that could in the least interfere with any privileges, rights, liberties, immunities; simply that the power be given to these sons of toil to enjoy, if so disposed, the opportunity of observing the law of their God, and of " remembering the Sabbath-day, that they might keep it holy." (Lord Ashley sat down amidst very general cheering.) Mr. COWAN 8CCOIKled the motion.

The CHANCELLER of the EXCHEQUER opposed the motion.

If the object were that no labour should be employed on Sunday, the motion would go but a very small way ; as it said nothing to the case of the police- man, the exciseman, the Coast Guard, the Customhouse-officer, who all work on the Sunday. If the object be that Government should use a minimum of i labour, that is already its sincere desire. Sir Charles Wood thanked Lord Ashley for acknowledging so frankly what Government has done, and assured him that not one felt more strongly than Sir Charles himself that labour on Sunday should be minimized. With regard to the collection and delivery of letters, he explained, that so far as the Post-office is concerned, it is already perfectly easy to close the office : it is a question for the public to determine • and where any district has expressed its wish that there should be no collection and no delivery of letters, that wish of the inhabitants is conformed to.

The second question is one of more difficulty ; but that also is not so much a question for the Government as the country to decide ; the Post- office interposes no difficulty. But Sir Charles could not help suspecting that some portion of the feeling manifested has taken rise in the misstatements which were lately circulated in the country, and which imputed to Govern- ment conduct the very reverse of that which it was pursuing. He be- lieved that the proposed change would cause much hardship upon the great majority of the people; especially upon the poor, who have not the means, by express-trains and telegraphic messages, to alleviate the difficulties that would be created. He utterly disclaimed the revenue consideration. lie hoped the House would take the past performance of the Government as a pledge that they will carry the reduction of Sunday labour to the utmost possible extent ; and he was perfectly ready, with reference to the latter part of this resolution, to undertake that inquiry should be made how far it is possible still further to reduce the conveyance of the mails on Sunday. But he confessed he thought he was faithfully representing the great majority of the people, when he said that the utter and entire discontinuance ought not to be adopted.

The motion was opposed by Colonel Timm-sox and Mr. Foust.= ; but, in its amended shape, gained the support of Mr. hiubirz, who for his 04 is tired of reading and writing letters on Sunday. On a division, the motion in its amended form was carried, by 93 to 68. The result of the division was much cheered by Lord Ashley's sup- porters.

PRIVILEGE LIBEL ON Loan Thioucniam.

Lord BROUGHAM adverted to a matter of privilege on Thursday. An article had appeared in the Globe, and subsequently in the Daily News, calumniously embodying a most absurd tissue of misstatements with re- gard to his conduct on the Earl of Lincoln's Divorce Bill. It was said that he attended all divorce bills, and nothing else : now a Law Lord is bound to attend all such cases. It was said that no such bill could be obtained without his concurrence and consent : as he is generally punctual in his attendance, that may be said of all the proceedings in their Lordships' house. Then it was said that he had announced his mtention to obstruct the passage of the bill by browbeating the witnesses : why, it was his own bill, brought in by himself, expedited on his own motion, and read a second time on his motion according to notice. They might see what a clever and pleasant construction was put on his actions. He had filed an affidavit that there is no foundation for these charges. The respectable proprietor of the Globe expressed his deep regret for the article, and, with the consent of the writer--described as a man of great talent, not to be considered a man of great prudence—a most re- spectable gentleman, a priest of another religion, not only gave up his ovrii name, but put into Lord Brougham's hand a letter which fully accounted for the ;rtiele. That letter was written by a person now residing in another country, labouring under great excitement from belief that a great injury was about to be done to him. The proprietor and editor did wrong at first, but afterwards did right in a most fair and candid manner. But the .Daily Hews had an accurate account one day, and next day chose to go back and insert from the Globe this grossly inaccurate account, merely because it was likely to be offensive to him. He would take time to consider : if at the next sitting he felt as he did now, he would certainly move that the printer of the Daily News be called to the bar.

THE DERBY DAY ADJOURNMENT.

The usual motion to adjourn over the Derby Day (Wednesday)—moved this year by Major BERESPOB.D on Tuesday—met with .a feebler objection than usual from the non-spoAing and industriously-disposed Members. In anticipation, the day had already been made a holyday, by the abstinence from fixing any • business for it. Mr. SHARMAN Csa-wronn protested gravely against the adjournment, as, "discreditable to the House " ; but he made no motion. Mr: HUME disliked the adjournment, but as there was no business he should have no objection to take a holyday himself:

Adjournment till' Thursday agreed to. • .

On the motion of Mr. WILSON PArrvar, leave was given to Committees to sit on Wednesday notwithitanding the adjournment : some of the Com- mittees meant to attend.