Eleberd nal 3roarttin0 in parliament.

L POOR LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.

After some preliminary conversation, the House of Commons went into Committee on this bill last night. The second clause, which re- fers to the principal powers to be vested in the Central Board, was then moved by Lord ALTHORP. Sir SAMUEL WHALLEY, after deli- vering a long speech—defending the conduct of the Magistracy, and Vestries generally, and maintaining that if the bill passed in its present shape none of the managers of the poor would be prevailed upon to act a month longer—proposed an amendment, the object of which appeared to be, to authorize the Central Board to prepare rules and bills to be laid before Parliament, and subsequently to enforce the observance of such laws as Parliament might think tit to pass on their recommenda- tion.

Sir EARDLY WILMOT, Mr. EWART, Lord ALTIIORP, Mr. CAYLEY, Mr. HAWES, and Mr. CLAY, opposed the amendment, in brief speeches. Lord Gitareviut: SomEnsrr, though he was strongly op- posed to the bill, could not support the amendment. Lord A urnoite agreed, on the suggestion of Mr. GonsoN, to insert a proviso that no :Umber of Parliament should be a Commissioner ; and he also adopted the suggestion of Colonel TORRENS, which limits the duration of the Commission to five years. Sir SAMUEL Witat.LEv then withdrew his amendment.

Mr. CLAY said, that ten miles was the proper limit of the distance from which witnesses might be summoned by the Commissioners ; and the clause was so amended. The power to commit for contempt was struck out ; and after a good deal of desultory conversation, carried on in a very indistinct tone, especially as regards Lord Althorp, who was nearly inaudible during the whole evening, the second clause was finally agreed to, and ordered to stand part of the bill.

When the third clause was read, Sir SAMUEL WHALLEY proposed, that after the words "seal of the said Board," the words "sic yob, sic Me° " should be added. The amendment.was withdrawn, amidst cries of " Nonsense," laughter, and much disapprobation.

The third, fourth, and fifth clauses, were agreed to.

The sixth empowers the Commissioners to appoint nine Assistant Commissioners. Colonel Woon contended, that if the assistants were to be the same in fact, only different in name from the Central Com- missioners, time was too large a number; if they were to be an ambula- tory board, it was ridiculously small. He proposed that visiters should be appointed, whose duty should be to go once every year to each parish in order to ascertain how far the rules of the Commissioners were complied with, giving the Magistracy the power to call for an extra visit. Lord ALTIIORP said, the machinery of the bill, if found to be insufficient, could hereafter be improved, and the number of Assistant Commissioners be increased. Mr. WYNN said, that one of them ought to understand the Welch language; at which the House laughed ; but Mr. 1VYNN observed, it would be found to be a qualification absolutely necessary nevertheless. Mr. SLANEY and Mr. GROTE supported the original clause. Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said, the Assistant Com- missioners should be appointed by the Magistrates ; which Colonel TORRENS and others disapproved of. Mr. HonoEs said— He hoped that any difficulties that might arise in the course of the winter, would not render it necessary for there being a sudden summons of this House to meet the unpleasant emergency. He thought that the measure would tend ma some degree to wean the people from looking .towards their influential neigh- bours as heretofore, amongst whom he would number the Magistrates, for pro- tection. This was a consideration which he thought worthy of more attentioi than Members seemed to be aware of. There was a district within twelve miles of where he lived, the people of which, if deprived of the power of obtaining protection in the quarters in which they had hitherto sought assistance, would, he feared, unite for their mutual protection. (Cries of" Oh, oh!") Colonel WOOD spoke at length in defence of his proposal to appoint visiters ; and Lord ALTIIORP replied in an inaudible tone. Mr. CLAY strongly deprecated the appointment of the Commissioners or visiters by irresponsible Magistrates. Lord ALTHORP, in reply to a question from Lord G. SOMERSET, said he thought the salaries of the Commis- sioners (we presume of the Assistant Commissioners) would be about 10001. a year. The clause was then agreed to without amendment. The clauses from seven to twelve were agreed to. Owing to the constant murmur in the House, few of the observations of iembers reached the reporters. On the motion of Sir S. WHALLEY, the Chair- man then reported progress, and the Committee rose.

2. PLURALITIES; AND NON-RESIDENCE BILL In the House of Lords, last night, the Earl of HARROWBY asked what course Lord Brougham intended to pursue in regard to the bill introduced by him for preventing Pluralities and Non-residence of the Clergy? Lord BaoUGIIAM replied, he proposed to take the next stage of the bill on Monday fortnight. Lord MALMESAURY then made some strong remarks on Lord Brougham's conduct, in introducing such a measure, not only without previous consultation with the Bishops, but in the absence of them all. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY admitted that Lord Brougham had sent him the heads and Ostmet of his bill, but without any intimation as to the time when it was to be brought before the House. That was the reason of his absence. He was very much opposed indeed to several parts of the bill ; and thought that the Bishops were very ill used by Lord Brougham, as from their absence the public would infer intentional remissness on their part. He entered into a long account of the reasons which had induced him to defer bringing forward a bill on the subject of pluralities himself; the principal of which seemed to be, that the press of business was so great, he did not think he should obtain the attention of the House. Lord BROUGHAM defended his conduct in bringing forward his bill without notice : it was the established custom in the House of Peers, as he was reminded of by their Lordships when he had formerly moved for leave to bring in a bill, now the law of the land. On that occasion, Up started some fifteen noble persons,—some of them, no doubt, solely actuated by the good-natured idea of setting him right as to the forms of their House; but others delighting in the idea that they had caught tripping in some of the little forms of their House one who had been sent to preside over them without their high and mighty will and pleasure having been at all consulted on the matter : however, up came these noble persons crying out that "no such thing had ever been heard of in their House as a Peer giving any previous notice of Ids inten.. tion to bring in a bill ; that such might be the practice in the House whence he had come, but in their House never."

But then he had made a speech on the occasion of introducing his bills. Well, suppose lie had laid them on the table, and got them printed without explaining their object : how ninny would have remonstrated with him, saying-

gi What ! bring in two bills like these—one to do away with Pluralities, the other with Non-residence—trundle such bills as these into the House, all of a sudden —have them printed, and before the public, without an opportunity having been

given to any noble Peer of expressing his opinions on them ! Here's a to ! here's a shame ! " It was asserted, too, that he had brought his bills into the House at a time when no Prelates were present. He denied the truth of the assertion—two or three Prelates were present at the time. (" Hear, hear ! " and erg of " No no ! "from the Duke of ('ambetland.) The Illustrious Duke cried, No, no ! but he said Yes, yes, yes ! and yes again! and he said yes ! be.. cause he knew what he had stated to be the fact, being present on the occasion. The Illustrious Duke said No! but the Illustrious Duke was absent at the time. (" Hear, hear !.") There had been an Archbishop and a Bishop present ; and for the information of the Illustrious Duke, he would name them.

( It appeared that the Archbishop of Cashel and the Bishop of Derry were present.) Lord Brougham continued to speak at length on this subject ; and sarcastically alluded to the Archbishop of Canterbury's Pluralities Dill; which, he said, no power on earth could have induced the House of Commons to pass.

Lord MALMESBURY, the Duke of WELLINGTON, Lord WICKLOW, Lord WiscumsEa, and Lord Hatutowar, all expressed their strong disapprobation of Lord Brougham's conduct. Lord WicaLow said, that although Lord Brougham had given no intimation of the contents of the bill to his brother Peers, he had sent an abstract of it to the Times. This assertion Lord BaotoorAat denied : the abstract he had /lever seen but in print, and it was as unlike as possible to his bill in many respects ; arid he would tell Lord Wicklow, with the utmost sincerity--and he might take it with him—that he would never humble himself to go one inch or hair's breadth out of his way to save any bill or speech of his from any reply which could be made thereto, either by him, or by the Duke of Cumberland, or by the Duke of Wellington.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE wished to know, whether the bill was sanctioned by Ministers? for that was a very important matter.

Lord BaouGoaar replied, that he had consulted his colleagues on the subject; but refused to say whether it was a Cabinet measure or hot. He also said, that if the parochial clergy, possessing small livings, should petition against the bill, it might perhaps be the most advisable course to defer it, till the report of the Ecclesiastical Com- missioners had been laid before the House. And here the matter dropped.

3. OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.

Mr. Hesketh Fleetwood's Lord's Day Bill was rejected in the House of Commons, on Wednesday, by a majority of 77 to 45; after a brief debate in which Mr. FLErrwoon, Mr. O'CONNELL, and Mr. POULTER took part, Mr. O'Cozeisest. said— This bill made, like its predecessor, a distinction between the rich and poor nun. The coffee-shops were to be shut up on Sundays, but there was nothing to prevent the club-houses from being open. He wished Mr. Fleetwood would Postpone the second reading of his bill, till that which was now in r ogress in the miter House came down to them, and then the House might decide at once on the whole batch. He asked Mr. Fleetwood, was his bill necessary ? Had lie not shown himself that it was quite unnecessary ? There prevailed a greater feeling of reverence-for the Sabbath than had formerly subsisted. The reason Was this—that the more you had of statute law, the less you had of practical observance. The details of the bill were absurd. The provisions were so framed at a man must go unshaved unless he could shave himself; and if he shaved himself, he must warm his own water. (Laughter.) In the course of the evening, Mr. POULTER'S bill—which mesely goes to prevent shops being opened or wages paid on a Sunday—was read a second tame: for it, 52; against it, 12.

4. JEWISH DISABILITIES.

Mr. ROBRRT GRANT moved the second reading of the bill for the removal of Jewish Disabilities, on Wednesday. Mr. CUMMING BRUCE moved that it be read a second time that day six months. He said that its tendency was to unchristianize the Legis- lature, and take away the recognition of that highest allegiance, which, as a Christian people, we owed to Almighty GO, as the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr. PETER gave the bill his warmest support. Mr. Pout:rips also supported it; and referred to France, Holland, and the United States, as establishing the perfect competency of the Jews to perform the func- tions of civil and military offices.

Sir DANIEL SANDFORD would oppose the measure.

He for one would not go to Arne, ica for an example in a matter of religion to that America whose example had been so fatal to all kinds of religion. ("Oh, oh !") He trusted that the Member for Dublin, who had just cheered is such a peculiar way the sentiment he had uttered, would shortly bring forward a mo- tion respecting the union of Church and State, which he was so much iu the habit of denouncing ; and then it would be seen whether he could not bring his- tory to show how America had afforded an example fatal to all religion. He could not recognize any thing like the spirit of true toleration in this offspring of a false liberality. He opposed this measure on the ground that this was a Christian country ; that they had Christian institutions; that they were a Christian Legislature, giving a Christian sanction to the laws which they passed ; and that it was incumbent on them as a Christian people not to do any thing that might remove that sanction and desecrate those last's. They had been told, in- deed, that Christian clial ity called on them to pass such a measure : but he could find nothing in the Scriptures to show that Christian charity demanded the concession of political privileges. (A laugh.) It had been said that there were Infidels in that House, and there were no means of excluding them— Was there, he would ask, any avowed and open Infidel there? ("Oh, oh ! ") Was there, lie would ask, any man who would dare to stand up in that House and say that he was an Infidel ? (" Oh ! " "Question, Question !") Let hint who would proclaim himself an Infidel not dare to do so there: let him go to the last scene of unfortunate and depraved humanity—let him go to theDld Bailey—(Lampliter)—and there, amongst felons and the associates of felons, let him get up and declare himself an open and avowed Infidel ; and he would be diiven from the court amidst a storm of hisses by an indignant and Christian auditory. He did aot put an imaginary case—lie did not tanijure up an imagi- nary scene: a man did so avow himself at the Old Bailey, and what was the con- sequence? He was driven from the court, amidst groans and hisses. Such would be the fate that awaited any man who should have the brazen effrontery in a Christian assembly to stand up and declare himself an Infidel. Mr. BUCKINGHAM deprecated this allusion. In his judgment, there did not exist the slightest analogy between such a case and that of a professor of the Jewish faith : on the contrary, the Jew was constantly received as a witness, in both civil and criminal cases.

Mr. Roemer GRANT said, lie was not aware that any thing which had fallen from the opponents of the bill required an answer. The House divided; and agreed to read the bill a second time, by a majority of 123 to 32.

5. NEWSPAPER TAXES.

A resolution proposed by Mr. E. L. BuLwra, that " it is expedient to repeal the Stamp .duty on Newspapers at the earliest possible period," was discussed on Thursday, in a thin House. In bringing forward the subject, Mr. Billwer sulverted to the argument which Lord Althorp had used last year—nainely, that the newspaper proprietors did not themselves complain of the burden. Now this was very easily accounted for ; inasmuch as the continuance of the duty enabled the principal newspapers to retain a monopoly of the business : for it rendered the expense of establishing other journals so heavy as to frighten away competitors. To establish a daily journal, required a capital of from 30,000/. to 40,000l. At present a few monopolized tlie business, and were eilabled to make heavy charges for advertisements ; and who ever heard of those who benefited by a monopoly wishing to have it retnoved ? Mr. Bolwer dwelt on the mischievous consequences of al- lowing cheap publications of the worst description to circulate among a class, who were prevented by their dearness (which was owing to the stamp-duty) from purchasing others which might counteract their effects. It had been abundantly proved, that the law could not put down the cheap publications; for although between three and four hundred persons had been imprisoned, during the present Administra- tion, for selling unstamped papers in the streets, stilt as many were sold now RS ever. He did not propose, while he wish.ol to repeal the news- paper stamp-duty, to leave the revenue without an equivalent. He would lay a cheap postage on newspapers, tracts, arid periodicals of all descriptions under a certain weight. In America, there was a weekly newspaper to every fourth person. Suppose that in England there would be one to every eighth person only, this for the United Kingdom would give 150,000,000 of sheets of weekly newspapers annually. Ifs postage of a penny was levied upon each, 416,666/. would be derived from weekly papers alone. But if the daily papers and periodicals were taken into account, it might fairly be supposed that double that amount would be raised by this postage. It had been calculated that 2000 tracts and periodicals would be despatched daily through the Post-office. But, putting out of view the revenue from postage, the increase in the consumption of paper would be so enormous, on the supposition that only half the number of newspapers were sold in this country that were sold in America, that the revenue would gain at least 690,0001., or about 150,000/. more than the produce of the tax he wished to repeal. Mr. Bulwer concluded by describing the dangers which in the present state of the public mind would ensue from persevering in shutting up the path to sound political knowledge ; and by calling upon Lord Althorp to remember his former pledges, to exert himself, in favour of the diffusion of really useful information.

Mr. ROEBUCK seconded the resolution ; and alluded in strong lank. guage to the inconsistency of Ministers, who had exhibited so much eloquence on the subject when in Opposition, but would do nothing now they were in power.

If any words in the language, were adequate to express, or rather, if tbstfits ting and appropriate language would come at his call, none would be sufficierp to express the deep indignation he felt at the conduct of that class of men who could use the subterfuge of such expressions to creep into power, and then, when in place, did not dare to go on with the measures of which they had previously been such ardent advocates. The times were now more favourable to the pro-. posed measure than at the period when the speeches were made. There wes not now the same spirit abroad which was urged in 1819, as an apology for the bills then p noting against the liberty of the mesa; an I those who could advocate the principle of the plot/used measure then could not surely shrink from its main. tenanee now.

He said that 130,000 copies of unstamped newspapers were old every week. He exhibited a bundle of them to the House, and read some extracts, in which the soldiery were called "man-butchers," the authorities " the cannibalocracy," and the upper classes " the scoun- drelocracy."

The articles went on to controvert the position that the discipline of the Po- lice end the money at the disposal of the authovities would render them too powerful for the people, and in reply urges the advantage of position which the narrow streets would afford to the latter—that witli hoge paving-stones they could from the house-tops completely inilverize a couple of military ruffians at

a mingle blow—that they .could with cabs, stage.coaches, and gentlemen's car- riugea, in a very short period erect such bat ricades as would astouish the !sharers in the feat of the memorable July ; sad if fire-arner were necessary, thete were plenty lying in the hauds of the gunsimakers which would be easily procured.

Such wee the nature of the publications which were disseminated in both numbers.

Mr. Roebuck wished the House to understand, that the classes svho bought these papers eared little about pictures, literature. and natural history. The Penny Magazine did not circulate among them. It %vas political information and political subjects which iuterested them, and on which it was necessary to give them sound information.

Lord Ai:moue did not think, that when a reduction of taxation 111IS

to be made, the Newspaper-duty ought to be the first to be repealed ; and he was certain that the House went with him in this opinion. It was said that there would be no defalcation of revenue, but he thought otherwise. Mr. Bulwer's calculations were extravagant ; the reduction of the Advertisement-duty had not materially increased the number of advertisements. It should be remembered that the postage of a penny would tend to prevent the circulation of papers by the post. He was by no means sure that good-intentioned cheap publica• ions would su- persede the bad ones. The kind of information respe ting wages, and other similar subjects, to which Mr. Roebuck had referred, could now be circulated legally in unstamped papers. lie had been accused tf inconsistency by Mr. Roebuck in regard to this question— He felt that he was frequently liable to be attacked on the score of inconsis- tency ; he frequently was attacked, much more frequently than he thought he deserved. (Loot/!,ter.) He did not think on this question he could be fairly accused of inconsistency ; for he was not aware that he ever did advocate in that House the repeal of the duty on newspapers; though it was certainly known that his private opinion leas in favour of its repeal, if such repeal could be made consistent with lit public duty. As a public man, however, he had not, he

believed, expressed any op .

Mr. HILL, Mr. BUCKINGHAM, Mr. EWART, and Mr. GROTE, SOD • ported the resolution ; which was negatived, 011 a division, by 90 to ikt. 6. A UTHENTIC REPORT OF DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT.

A discussion of some length arose on Thursday, on a motion by Mr. Tooxe, to instruct the Committee on the Public Business of the house, to consider and report upon the expediency of establishing am authentic record of the debates and proceedings of the House of Com- mons. Although the Mirror ef Parliament was not mentioned in time motion, it seemed to be admitted that the real object was to assist the publishers of that journal with a grunt of public money ; on the ground that Parliamentary proceedings, which were incorrectly or too sparingly reported in the daily papers, were therein fully given, and with ac- curacy. Mr. TOOKE, Colonel DAviEs, Sir S. IVIIALLEY, Mr. Wises, Mr. CuTsaa FseoussoN, mid Mr. Suisse, supported the motion. Mr. BUCKINGHAM had a plain of his own to reconinu mid, which he was ready to detail to the Committee, and which would not cost a shilling. Lord ALTHORP, Mr. STANLEY, RIR! Colonel EvArsa, opposed the motion ; on , the ground that the daily papers published all that the public cared to read' that it would be intolerable to wade through verbatim reports of all that passed in the House ; that the speeches generally were im- proved by curtailment ; and that it was quite unfair to patronize one Journal in preference to others. Mr. Sum. appeared desirous of sup- porting Mr. TOOKE'S motion ; he referred to Sir ROBERT PEEL, who, he said, bad quoted the Mirror of Parliament in proof of some disputed point between himself and Sir EDWARD CODIUNGTON, (amid Sir Robert Peel would be admitted a first-rate authority by Mr. Stanley) ; but it turned out that Sir Robert had quoted the Times and chronicle, as preferable authorities to the Mirror. Mr. SHEIL, however, said that it was quoted on one side or the other ; so that his case was made out. Ile spoke amidst much laughter and confusion. The question was then put to the vote fur the motion, 99; against it, 117; majority, IS.

Mr. STANLEY amused the House by his speech in this debate. Sir S. WHALLEY, who was strongly in favour of supporting the Mirror of Parliament, and of having a faithful and accurate report of the speeches delivered in the House of Commons, alluded in the following passage to the effect which the opinions and declarations of Members had abroad— The debates in Parliament went to every nation in the world, and were com- mented on in every court in Europe. (Laughter.) Gentlemen opposite might laugh, but it would be recollected that the noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs bad formerly observed that time sentiments expressed by Illembers in that atom would reach the Autocrat of Russia, and read him a useful lesson. On that ground he was entitled to Lord Palmerston's support in the present attempt to procure a full account of speeches in Parliament ; or if he declined to support the motion, he could never again make use of the argument referred to.

Mr. STANLEY said, in reference to Sir Samuel's anxiety on this subject- 4, I can very well understand that there is a class of persons who may have seats in this House, and whose speeches, with all the pains they can take, and notwithstanding their great merits, may not be 80 widely promulgated by means of the public press as the speakers wish. (Cheers and laughter.) I can very veil understand that there may be persons who having risen from being prime orators in a parish vestry, du neveitheless find their inferiority in the house ef Commons. (Laughter.) I can very well understand that there may be reasons why such individuals should repine that their speeches are not reported at Ingth in the newspapers, and complain that their fame is not extensive enough. I can very well understand the grounds on which those gentlemen may think the press wrong in taking a different view of their weight and merits from that which they themselves entertain. I can also understand why, though the speeches of those individuals would be considered entitled to greet respect and ample dimensions in a parish meeting or a country paper-1 say I can undera stand, or at least imagine, why they form but a small part of the printed records of the debates in this House, and are rather underrated by newspapers, us-hose object it is to publish matters generally interesting to the country at large. Such being the case, I can very well understand why the Plenipotentiary of the king- dom of Marylebone calls upon his brother Minister, the Secretary of State for the e Foreign Department, to support a motion the object of which s to circulate widely his important ideas, and give currency throughout all the courts of Eu- rope to his powerful and extensive views. ( Great laughter.) I can very well understand that the dignity of the kingdom of Maryiebone should be properly su-tained by its Plenipotentiary and Representative; that he ought not to yield to the Foreign Secretary ; and I can as readily believe, if the Autocrat of all the Ruasiaa should happen to hear that the honourable gentlenlau had denounced him in the Howie of Commons,—I can easily believe, that in such an event, the Czar would think his empire gone for ever. • • * * • It appears that some of those gentlemen to whom I have alluded, whose sentiments do not carry equal weight along with them, complain that their speeches are not diffused so widely as they might desire. I am instancing the caw which the honourable gentleman himself puts. The honourable gentleman say s—' I, the Representative of Marylebone, call upon you, the Secretary for Fo- logo Affairs, to Join me in this motion for the publication of an authentic re- port of the debates of the House.' [ Sir S. Whalley-...." No, not so! "J Not so? Then I do not wonder that the public press should be occasionally mis- taken. I think the authorized reporter of the honourable gentleman will has-e a hard task. (Larry/dee.) Certainly, if I were his authorized reporter, I should have put down with the utmost confidence that the honourable yeuties man called on my noble friend, the Foreign Secretary, to support the motiou." (Renewed laughter.) 7. MERCHANT SEAMEN'S WIDOWS.

On Wednesday, Mr. LYAILI. moved the second reading of his bill, the object of which is to transfer the sixpences now paid by the merchant seamen into the Greenwich Hospital fund, to the Merchant Seamen's Institution, for the relief of the objects of the latter establishment. At present, the seamen engaged in the merchant service derive no benefit from the Greenwich Hospital fund, although they contribute about 22,000/. annually to it. Mr. Lyall did not wish to reduce the revenue of Greenwich Hospital, and would therefore vote a sum of the same amount to be charged on the Consolidated Fund for the use of that establishment.

Mr. HUTT seconded the motion.

Sir JAMES GRAHAM opposed it.

The Member for London had represented his proposition as a measure for the relief of merchant seamen. On that be would join Mlle with him. It was no such timing. It might afford some partial relief to the shipowners, but it could afford none whatever to the men themselves: for if the fid. were remitted to them, there would immediately be a corresponding reduction in their wages; and after all, that reduction would only to a small extent go into the pockets of time owners, for they would in consequence of its removal be compelled to yield something to the consumers; and thus the Hospital would lose, without any particular class in society being a material gainer. But it was still further from the fact that Mr. Lyall proposed to give any practical relief to the seamen ; for his proposition was, that instead of paying 6d. to the Merchant Seamen% Hospital and Gd. to Greenwich, they should in future pay Is. to the fortnere surely that was anything but affording relief. In his opinion, it should be lett perfectly optional with them to contribute the remaining 6d. or not.

He denied the statement that the merchant seamen derived no benefit from Greenwich Hospital— There were 2,700 pensioners in Greenwich Hospital, 1,183 of whom i been in the merchant service; 350 of that number were in the merchant service from thirty to fifty years, and the average of the whole number was thirteen 3-cams befhre they entered the Navy. That, be it remembered, was a practice which

led to the sailors, after they had contracted chronic complaints in the merchant service, coming into the Navy, and availing themselves of its institutions for their relief and protection in old age.

Mr. POUI.ETT THOMSON and Lord ALTHORP also opposed the bill. The latter said— The proposition before the House was simply this—to take 20,000/. from Greenwich Hospital and give it to the Hospital for Merchant Seamen, and then to supply the deficiency thus created to Greenwich Hospital by a charge on the Consolidated Fund. Now, would it not he a more simple and easy way at once to propose a charge of that amount from the Consolidated Fund far the merchant seamen? If such a proposition should be made, he was not prepared to consent to it. He was called upon day after day by Members, slime wanting the remis- sion of one tax and some of another. Hut how could the House expect him to consent to the remission of taxation, while they burdened the Consolidated Fund by such charges as this bill would create?

Dr. LUBHINGTON, Mr. 0. F. Yousio, Alderman THOMPSON, Mr. EWART, Sir M. W. RIDLEY, Lord SANDON, and others, strongly sup- ported the bill ; principally on the ground that it was most unjust to compel the merchant sailors to contribute to a fund from which, as such, they derived no benefit. The House then divided : for the second reading, 94; against it, 57; majority against Ministers, 37.

8. MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS.

WARWICK BOROUGH BILL. Witnesses in behalf of this measure were examined in the House of Peers on Thursday and Friday-.

MARRIAGE BY BANS. Lord BROUGHAM presented a number of petitions from Dissenters on Thursday; and entered into a long argument to prove the great advantage of publishing the bans of mar- riage in the parish-churches ; which was the only effectual mode, he maintained, of preventing clandestine marriages. He stated the law of Scotland on the subject of marriage, which he considered most bar- barous ; and hoped that the rational portion of the Dissenters would withdraw their objections to the publication in churches, as the bill introduced by Mr. Brougham into the House of Commons would remove all the real grievances connected with the subject.

EAST SMITHFIELD ROAD BILL. At the morning sitting yesterdal, the House of Commons refused to read this bill, by a majority of S6 to 22. The object of it appeared to be to enable the London Dock Company to levy a rate on certain houses for the repair of a road which they had made for their own special benefit. HOUSE TAX REPEAL BILL. Last night, this bill MIS read a SPCOTKI time, and ordered to be committed.

IMPRISONMENT ma *DEBT. Mr. Pottoce obtained leave, on Thurs. day, to bring in a bill to " abolish arrest for debt, as to all debts con- tracted after the 1st January 1835, unless the debt be founded upon or

secured by a bill of exchange, a promissory note, bond, or other security in writing." Mr. Pollock said that the bill was very limited in its operation; but he should be ready, with the concurrence of the noose, to extend it, so as to abolish imprisonment for debt in all cases where there was no fraud intended or committed.

Crumeat-RATEs. Lord ALTHOliP stated, on Thursday, in reply to a question from Mr. IVisits, that it was the intention of Ministers to persevere in their measure for the abolition of Church-rates, though he could not name the day when the bill to effect that purpose would be brought in.

NEW WRIT. Last night, a new writ was ordered to be issued for the county of Fermanagh, General Archdall having accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.