House divided-For the motion, 310; against it, 264; majority for Government, 46. June 26. The second reading of the COUNTY RATES Bill was discussed for some time, but the result was the abandonment of the measure for the present session. The LARCENY SUMMARY JURISDICTION Bill, which stood for the third reading, was opposed by Sir G. Strickland; but, after some discussion, was carried on a division by a majority of 119 to 25.-The Bill was then read a third time and passed. The second reading of the COPYHOLDS ENFRANCHISEMENT Bill was also opposed and discussed at some length. On a division, the measure passed the third reading by 103 votes to 84. The second reading of the ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS Bill was moved by Mr. Newdegate. This measure was designed so to alter the law relative to the compensation paid for damages sustained through accidents upon railways, as to render the company more strictly liable for the acts of their servants.-Mr. Ellis moved that the measure be read a second time that day six months.-The House divided-For the second reading, 53; against it, 108. July 1. In answer to a series of questions put by Mr. T. Duncombe, respecting the GREAT EXHIBITION of 1851,-Lord J. Russell stated that it was intended that the latest period to which the exhibition should remain open was the 1st Nov. 1851, seven months after which date the contractors were to remove all the materials; that at two very full meetings of the Commissioners, the reasons for and against the selection of Hyde-park as the site of the exhibition had been well considered, and they had drawn up their reasons for adhering to that site in the form of a report to the Lords of the Treasury (for a copy of which he moved); that it had never been in contemplation to ask any grant from the public, and his persuasion was that if the exhibition took place in Hydepark, the subscriptions of individuals and the money taken at the door would be sufficient to meet the expense. July 2. Mr. Pusey moved the third reading of the LANDLORD AND TENANT Bill.-Colonel Sibthorp opposed the measure, and moved that it be read a third time that day six months.-The House divided-For the third reading 53; for the amendment, 17.-A second amendment was moved by Mr. S. Crawford, for exempting Ireland from the operation of the Bill. This was also negatived by a majority of 64 to 16, and the Bill was then passed. July 5. Lord John Russell stated the fate proposed by the Government for the various Bills now in progress through the legislature. He designed to proceed with the Stamp Duties Bill; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Bill, which the Lords had already considered; the Mercantile Marine Bill; the Parliamentary Oaths Bill; and the Charitable Trusts Bill. The measures which it was intended to drop comprised the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland Abolition Bill, the Securities for Advances (Ireland) Bill, the Merchant Seamen's Bill, the Woods and Forests Bill, the Railway Audit Bill, and the Landlord and Tenant Bill.-The Chancellor of the Exchequer declared his intention to go on with the Savings Bank Bill; adding, however, that the measure need not be hurried through the House, as it would not now come into operation before the expiration of another quarter, upon October 5th. Colonel Sibthorp moved that the report just presented respecting the proposed EXHIBITION OF INDUSTRY to be held in Hyde-park be referred to a select committee. Mr. Alcock seconded the motion, and suggested Battersea-fields as a less objectionable locality.-Sir B. Hall criticised many of the acts and intentions of the commissioners, censuring particularly their cutting down trees belonging to the public, and concluded by moving that an address be presented to the Crown, praying her Majesty not to sanction the erection of any building in the park for the purposes of the Exhibition.-Mr. Stephenson, as a member of the building committee, explained the reasons which had guided the selection of Hyde-park for a site, and combated the objections that had been adduced against it.-Sir B. Hall expressed his willingness to withdraw his motion, but several members having insisted on coming to a vote, the House divided-For Sir B. Hall's motion, 47; against it, 166: majority, 119.-A second division took place on the motion of Colonel Sibthorp, which was also rejected by a majority of 166 to 46. Lord Naas moved the second reading of the HOME-MADE SPIRITS IN BOND Bill. The Chancellor of the Exchequer reiterated the arguments he had urged upon the first reading against the measure, and declared his intention of again taking the sense of the House upon it.-Mr. Wyld moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House divided-For adjourning the debate, 95; against it, 135. July 8. The House went into committee on the ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION Bill.-On the first clause, Mr. Horsman moved an amendment, by which the whole administrative and financial duties of the commission were to be placed under the control of three paid and responsible commissioners.-Lord J. Rus sell remarked that the amendment proposed a wide departure from the course recommended in the report of the committee. The arrangement as it stood in the Bill was, he contended, preferable. Two commissioners, one nominated by the Crown, and the other by the Archbishop of Canterbury, would represent the highest interests of the Church and State; and their authority would have the greatest weight. Many of the objections urged against this plan were, he added, directed against the general system of Church establishment, rather than the special case of the Ecclesiastical Commission.-The Committee divided-For the amendment, 22; against it 60; majority, 38.-Several clauses having been passed, a prolonged discussion ensued upon the clause introduced in the House of Lords for providing the gradual appointment of a series of Suffragan Bishops, who are to receive a reduced scale of income, and enjoy no parliamentary privileges, but to fulfil a minor and auxiliary range of episcopal duties.-Lord J. Russell moved an amendment, whereby the operation of this clause was considerably restricted. The committee then divided, and the Government amendment was carried by a majority of 163 to 111. The INCORPORATION OF BOROUGHS CONFIRMATION Bill and the POPULATION (CENSUS) Bill went through committee. On the order for going into committee on the HOME-MADE SPIRITS Bill, the Chancellor of the Exchequer moved to defer the committee for three months. Upon a division this motion was carried by 121 to 120, so that the Bill was lost by one vote. July 9. Mr. Locke King moved for leave to bring in a Bill to equalise the FRANCHISE in counties and boroughs, by giving the right of voting to occupiers of tenements of the annual value of 107. The condition and circumstances of the nation had very materially changed since the passing of the Reform Act, and our system of representation should be amended, because the people had altered and improved in their ideas.-Mr. Hume seconded the motion, which, he said, the House might safely adopt without alarming the most timid reformers. The House divided, when the motion was negatived by 159 against 100. Mr. Anstey moved for a select com mittee to inquire into the declining state of the COFFEE trade, and whether such decline is attributable to any frauds practised by the sellers of coffee.-The Chancellor of the Exchequer opposed the motion, which was negatived by 205 against 60. Mr. Locke moved an address to Her Majesty praying for an inquiry whether the amount of Sunday labour in the Post OFFICE might not be reduced without completely putting an end to the collection and delivery of letters, &c. on Sundays. Mr. Roebuck seconded the motion; which was opposed by Lord Ashley, -Mr. Gladstone said, nothing had a greater tendency to disparage the authority of the House than to rescind a motion, especially one so recently passed, before the result of the change could be seen. He objected to the preamble of the motion, referring to the great public inconvenience which had arisen from the total cessation of any delivery or collection of letters on Sunday.-Mr. A. Hope moved the omission of the words objected to by Mr. Gladstone; which proposal was put as an amendment, and carried, on a division, by 233 against 92; and, after some explanations respecting the course that would be taken when the inquiry was completed, the House divided upon the motion, which was carried by 195 against 112. July 10. On the order for the third reading of the MARRIAGES Bill, Mr. Walpole moved, that it be deferred for three months, observing that if the bill passed it would utterly subvert the best interests of society by destroying the confidence and happiness of families.A division gave a majority of 10 against Mr. Walpole's amendment, there being 134 ayes and 144 noes. The bill was read a third time.-Mr. Oswald moved a clause exempting Scotland from the operation of the bill. This was opposed by Mr. S. Wortley, and negatived by a majority of 137 to 130. July 11. The CONVICT PRISONS Bill was read a third time, and passed. Mr. Ewart moved for leave to bring in a bill to abolish the PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.-Mr. Hume supported the motion.-Sir G. Grey deprecated the abolition of a punishment which formed, as he believed, a necessary safeguard to human life. Practically speaking, the only crime for which the life of the criminal was taken was that of murder.-The House divided For the motion, 40; against it, 46. SPAIN. FOREIGN NEWS. The Queen of Spain, on the 12th July, gave birth to a prince; but the infant lived only a few minutes after its birth. The Queen's health is good. The Conde of Montemolin, the son of Don Carlos, has married the Princess Caroline of Naples; and in consequence the Duke de Rivas, the Spanish Ambassador at Naples, has left that court. The Duchess of Berry has negotiated this marriage, with the disapproval of the Royal family, except the King and the bride, who, being thirty years old, was naturally not indisposed to contract matrimony. In the marriage contracts no other title has been given to the bride-groom than that of Conde of Montemolin. DENMARK. Advices from Berlin of the 2d July, announced the conclusion of a definite treaty of peace between Denmark on the one side and Prussia acting for herself and Germany on the other; and that the Danish ultimatum has been accepted with some trifling modifications. The general conditions, in so far as relates to Schleswig, are agreed to, and Prussia and Germany are bound to maintain peace and neutrality, supposing that Holstein should still offer resistance. This, it has appeared from subsequent events, they were fully determined to do. They have assembled their forces between Kiel, Rendsburg, and Schleswig; and were attacked by the Danes at Ickstedt on the 25th of July. The engagement is said to have been severe, but finally the Holsteiners were overcome by superiority of numbers, and the Danes occupied the town of Schleswig. INDIA. A dreadful calamity has occurred at Benares. A fleet of 30 boats containing ordnance stores, including no less than 3000 barrels of gunpowder, had reached Benares on their way to the Upper Provinces, and anchored, late in the afternoon of the 1st of May, off the principal landing-place, and close by the hotel in the centre of the town. About 10 o'clock a burst of flame was seen for an instant to proceed from one of the boats, followed by a terrific explosion. The boats themselves were of course destroyed, houses shaken to their foundations, and doors and windows blown in; 420 human beings were killed on the spot, and the list of killed and wounded includes no fewer than 1200. All the houses fronting the river, for an extent of several hundred yards, including the Begum's palace, were entirely destroyed. She was one of the royal family of Delhi, and with her family, slaves, and all inmates, was smothered in the ruins. The Rev. Mr. Small's mission-house is also destroyed, and Mrs. Small killed. On the river, all the 35 ordnance boats were sunk or destroyed, together with 28 boats laden with beer, the property of Messrs. Crump and Co.. of Cawnpore, and also 12 or 15 laden with merchandise belonging to natives. The crews of these boats, with very few exceptions, perished. AMERICA. The President of the United States, General Taylor, died on the 9th July, the very day the remains of our own statesman, Sir Robert Peel, were laid in their last resting-place. As is usual under similar circumstances, the Cabinet Ministers resigned, and Mr. Fillmore, the Vice-President. SOUTH AMERICA. The returns of deaths at Rio, from yellow fever, gave 14,000 inhabitants, 120 English residents, 150 English seamen, including eight masters and eighteen mates; a great number of foreign seamen, not computed. The Portuguese line-of-battle ship Vasco de Gama lost 150; and the Constitution 100. Her Majesty's ship Tweed, 18 officers and seamen; and the Cormorant, 12. CALIFORNIA. Accounts have been received of another destructive fire at San Francisco, occurring on the 14th of May. By some it is supposed to be the work of an incendiary. It broke out in the United States House, in Kearney-street, aud spread rapidly in every direction. The property destroyed amounted to the value of five or six millions of dollars. Yet, in a few days, new buildings, of greater value, and of more strength and beauty of construction, supplied their places, scarcely leaving a trace of their ruin. Gold is still found in great abundance. CANADA. Two dreadful fires have occurred; one of the steam-ship Griffith, trading between Buffalo and Toledo, which was burned on Lake Erie on the 16th; 200 lives were lost on the occasion. The second conflagration was at Montreal, on the 15th. The church of St. Ann's and upwards of 200 houses were consumed. DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. LONDON AND ITS VICINITY. June 24. The church of St. Stephen the Martyr in Westminster, which has been built and endowed at the sole cost of Miss Burdett Coutts, was consecrated by the Bishop of London. It is well-known that this munificent lady, being desirous of raising a memorial to her father, the late Sir Francis Burdett, conceived the idea that no more appropriate mode of carrying her wishes into effect could be adopted than that of building and endowing a church in the heart of that city with which her revered parent's name had for so many years The idea been intimately associated. once conceived, Miss Coutts lost no time in carrying her intentions into effect; and the Bishop of London having been consulted on the subject, an ecclesiastical district was formed in the centre of the united parishes of St. Margaret and St. John's, an Incumbent appointed (the Rev. W. Tennant), and a site for the new church liberally granted by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Miss Coutts's plan includes not only the erection of a church and incumbent's residence, but also of a school-house, or rather two schoolhouses, capable together of accommodating upwards of 500 children, with apartments for the masters, &c. The first stone of the church was laid on the 20th July, 1847 (as noticed in our vol. XXVIII. p. 306) the architect is Mr. Ferrey. The edifice consists of a nave 79 feet long by 21 feet wide; north and south aisles of the same length, and 12 feet wide; and a chancel, 43 feet in depth by 21 feet wide. The height from the floor of the nave to the ridge of the roof is 54 feet, that of the chancel 40 feet, and that of the side walls of the aisles 20 feet. The tower, at the north-east angle of the nave, opens into the chancel by a moulded archway, within which stands the organ, the front presenting a screen of diapered pipes. The chancel has a polygonal ceiling, divided into panels; the ribs are enriched by carved bosses, and the panels are coloured blue, and powdered with stars in gold. The walls are decorated with texts, and the reredos is composed of the Canterbury diaper, picked out in gold and colour. There are three sedilia. The chancel is paved with Minton's encaustic tiles, and fitted up with oak stalls on each side; the westernmost stall on the south side being advanced a little more towards the centre as a reading desk. The lessons are read from a lectern. Over the chancel arch in the nave, the words "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will to- June 27. As her Majesty was leaving Cambridge House, (where she had called on her uncle, the late Duke of Cambridge,) in an open barouche, a man standing at the gates struck at her with a small cane, so as to cut through her bonnet and wound her forehead. He was immediately arrested, and proved to be Robert Pate, formerly an officer in the 10th Hussars, which regiment he joined in 1841, and left in 1845. He was brought to trial on the 11th July, and sentenced to be transported for seven years. DURHAM. June 19. The new dock at Sunderland was opened. The length of the portion just opened is 2,000 feet, average breadth 440; A spacious occupying in all 18 acres. The dock tidal harbour has been formed. entrance is 60 feet wide; depth of water at quays, 20 feet; in middle 24 feet. Length of quays in dock, 5,248 feet; in The dock will half-tide basin, 1,026 feet. contain 260 vessels; half-tide basin, 38. The cost of works yet to complete, viz., sea outlet, piers, and tidal basin, is stated at 60,000.; the whole to be finished in about two years. window embraces six subjects, illustrative of the benevolent and christian virtues of the lady to whose memory it is dedicated, placed under enriched canopies of elegant and appropriate design. The subjects are -first, the healing at the Beautiful Gate --second, little children brought to our Saviour-third, the Good Samaritanfourth, the story of Ruth-fifth, the raising of Jairus's daughter-sixth, the angel and women at the Sepulchre. Through the middle of the window runs the following inscription :-" Mariæ Garnier, fœminæ optimæ, uxori carissimæ, matri pietissimæ, hanc fenestram ornandam curavit Thomas Garnier, LL.D. Decanus A. D. xiii: KAL: IVNII : A. S. MDCCCXLIX.' In the upper portion of the window appear the descending dove, and four of the cardinal virtues-Sincerity, Fortitude, Charity, and Prudence. The arrangement and superintendence of the window were confided to Mr. Owen Carter, architect, of Winchester, who was assisted in the work by Charles Winston, Esq. of the Temple, whose experience and knowledge of painted glass are well known. The window was executed by Messrs. Nixon and Ward, of London; and it is understood that a similar window is in preparation by the same artists, as a memorial to the late highly-respected brother of the Dean-the Rev. W. Garnier, for years Chancellor of the diocese, which is destined to occupy a similar situation in the chapel on the north side of the Presbytery. The new church at Newtown, in the parish of Soberton, was consecrated on the 27th June by the Bishop of Winchester. It is built from the design of Mr. Colson, is in style early-English, and is constructed of flint, with Caen stone dressings. It consists of a nave 60 feet in length, and 25 feet in breadth; a short chancel 18 feet long by 11 feet 9 inches broad; a porch on the south side, a small vestry, and a bell turret, containing one bell, on the west gable. There are three lancet windows at the west end, with an early quatrefoil over the centre one, and a triple lancet window at the east in the chancel. The roof of the church is open, of high pitch, and composed of trussed rafters, boarded on the back, and stained oak colour; the height to the ridge is 43 feet, and to the wall plate 18 feet 6 inches. The seats are all without doors, low, and all free, and stained to resemble oak. The passages are paved with blue and red paving-tiles. The cost of this church is about 12501. It will seat 258 persons. The church at Widley has been rebuilt by the same architect, and was consecrated on the 28th June by the Bishop of Win chester. It is designed in the Norman style of architecture, and very plain: it is constructed of rubble, with Bath stone dressings, and consists of a nave 51 feet in length, and 17 feet 6 inches in breadth, a north aisle 8 feet 10 inches broad, a semicircular apse, a vestry and south porch; there is a bell-turret on the westgable and nave, containing an old bell from the old church. The nave and north aisle are separated by stone columns and arches. The roof is open, and constructed of trussed rafters, stained oak colour; the height to the ridge is 32 feet in the nave. The seats are all low, and stained oak colour. The pulpit, of stone, is circular, and surrounded by an arcade of intersecting arches. The church cost only about 6257. raised by private subscriptions, exclusive of the old materials. It will seat 214 per sons. June 13. The church of St. Michael and All Angels, Shelf, was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon. It has been erected and endowed mainly by the family of Mr. Hardy, late M.P. for Bradford. The design was by Messrs. Mallinson and Healey, of Bradford and Halifax, architects, and is in the early geometric Decorated style. July 3. The formal opening of the new Victoria Dock at Hull took place. The area of the dock and its half-tide basin is about 15 acres. The length of quay round both is 15-16ths of a mile, the quantity of quay-room nearly 20 acres, of which 134 are round the dock, and 6 round the basin. The sill of the 60-feet entrance to the dock is laid two feet lower than that of the Humber dock. The east end of the dock, which is 468 feet wide, is sloped with an inclination of 4 to 1, and laid with granite paving stones. The breadth of slope or quay above high water of spring tides is 200 feet. The north quay is also sloped. The entrance is half a mile eastward of that of the harbour. The form of this dock is irregular, to suit that of the citadel, to which it forms a second moat. The plans for the last link of the present series of docks at Hull, namely, the Drypool Basin, and entrance to Victoria Dock, await the sanction of the Admiralty, which is expected forthwith. Nearly 20 acres of dock will thus have been added of late years to the Hull shipping accommodation, |