Rice, a return was ordered of the common council of Dublin, distinguishing such as belonged to the guild of merchants: also, copies of proclamations by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, regarding dressing the statue of King William, and of the resolutions of the common council relating to the same. It was also ordered that the town clerk of Dublin attend the house on Friday se'nnight. Mr. H. G. Bennet, in pursuance of previous notice, rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to abolish punishment by whipping. He contended, that this species of infliction was neither exemplary nor reformatory: it was one of the last relics of barbarism, and it was high time that it was got rid of. If there existed no secondary punishments for minor offences, there might be some reason for retaining it; but the secondary punishment of hard labour was more effectual in every way; it neither brutalized nor disgraced the criminal, but gave him habits of industry, or at least showed him what industry was, and its advantages. The hon. gent. challenged any man to produce an instance in which the punishment of whipping had done any thing but mischief: he had made many inquiries, and nearly all persons admitted it to be a positive evil. By returns upon the table, it appeared that no less than 6,959 persons had been flogged for various offences within the last seven years. The hon. gentleman concluded by stating some objections to the 20th Geo. II., which enabled a single magistrate to commit a refractory servant to be flogged; he had known many instances where the guilty had escaped, because magistrates were reluctant to subject them to such a degradation. Mr. Curwen in a few words seconded the motion. Mr. Alderman C. Smith asserted, from his own experience, that many prisoners at the Old Bailey would rather submit to twelve months' imprisonment, than suffer a whipping. The Attorney-general was aware that any person opposing the motion, must subject himself to the charge of inhumanity: nevertheless, he felt called upon to say, that, as far as his inquiries had gone, he had been led to think that whipping was a very salutary punishment. Mr. Lennard observed, that the principle had been admitted in the abolition of the practice of whipping females, and he saw every reason for carrying it farther. It was a punishment that might have different effects upon different minds; and it might be slight or severe, according to the pleasure of the executioner. Mr. Dawson saw no sufficient ground for the motion, and, if ne cessary, he would take the sense of the house upon it. Without whipping, magistrates would not be able to compel subordination and discipline in prisons. Mr. Hobhouse called upon the hon. gent. who spoke last, or upon any other member, to show any statute by which magistrates were authorized to flog, for the purpose of keeping up the discipline of prisons. Whipping was the sentence of a court, and, he believed, could not be inflicted without it. Most of all he disapproved of private flogging, since all the beneficial effect of example was lost to the public. It was then nothing else but torture, which was totally repugnant to the spirit of the English law. Whipping, whether public or the hon. member for Westminster. He thought it impossible that the story could be well founded. He had himself commanded the Melampus, during the late war, for fourteen months, and during the whole of that period punished only one man. Mr. Hobhouse said, that he had not been on board the ship in which the fact was stated to have occurred. or private, destroyed that self-respect which rendered men useful members of society. In the navy he was convinced that it did great injury, and he had known an instance of the captain of a ship who was obliged to sleep with armed sentries at his cabin-door, because, as he himself said, all his men were so hardened by frequent flogging, that they were prepared for the commission of any crime. Mr. N. Calvert saw no reason, Mr. Peel, Dr. Lushington, and why, if flogging were abolished in other members, afterwards spoke, prisons, it should not be abolished when the house divided-For the in schools. If it were true that it motion 37, against it 70. destroyed all self-respect, he was surrounded by hon. gentlemen who could not have a particle of it remaining, from the many castigations they had suffered in their youth. Mr. S. Bourne agreed that the punishment of whipping, in order to be salutary, ought to be public ; but objected decidedly to the total discontinuance of it. He thought that in the case of a hardened of fender, it was often attended with most advantageous effects. Mr. J. Smith supported the motion upon principle. He thought that the flogging at public schools had nothing to do with the question. Still, the practice at schools was a good deal changed of late; there was not so much flogging in those establishments as there had formerly been. Mr. Holme Sumner opposed the bill, and hoped it would not be brought in. At all events, he trusted that there would be a clause continuing the punishment as it regarded juvenile offenders. Sir Isaac Coffin declared that in the whole course of his naval experience he had never heard of such a case as that described by Mr. Bankcs postponed his motion for the estimates of the British Museum, which he had intended to move in the committee of sup¬ ply. Mr. Hume moved for an account of the promotions which had taken place within the year in the navy. -Ordered. The bringing up the report of the beer bill-the committees of supply and of ways and means, were postponed till Monday. The report of the Irish estimates was brought up, and various resolutions respectively agreed to. On the motion of Dr. Lushing→ ton, the house went into a committee on the slave-trade acts' consolidation bill, and the report was ordered to be received on Friday next. The house then resolved itself into a committee on the miscellaneous estimates, when the several resolutions were agreed to, and the report ordered to be received The order of the day was then read for the adjournment of the debate on the subject of foreign affairs. The Speaker having read the original resolution and the amend ment, Mr. C. W. Wynn rose, and at considerable length supported the amendment. Mr. Leycester thought ministers well-intentioned, but that "they had been too civil by half." Mr. W. Williams supported the motion. Mr. Peel defended ministers. Colonel Davies supported the motion. Mr. Twiss opposed it. Sir F. Blake deprecated neutrality, as did Lord Folkestone. Mr. E. J. Littleton thought the majority of the country in favour of peace. Mr. Canning next spoke at very great length; he defended every point of the negotiation, and concluded by observing that both the interests and the honour of the country were preserved by the course of neutrality. Mr. Brougham deprecated the conduct of ministers, but advised his friend (Mr. Macdonald) to withdraw his motion, and that the house should not divide upon it, as he feared, in the present instance, the division would leave a false impression upon the public mind of the opinions of the house. The Lord Mayor (Mr. Heygate) supported the amendment. Mr. Macdonald asked leave to withdraw his motion, which was refused. Mr. Canning then rose and said, "After having suffered for three long nights, the constant, unremitting, unsparing, lectures of gentlemen opposite, for a too ready concession to the views of foreign powers, it is now incumbent upon us to say, that we have to profit by the lesson of experience which these gentlemen have taught us, in return for our former alleged facility of concession, and to decline assenting to the proposal for withdrawing the original motion. I am ready to admit with the hon. gentlemen opposite, that their motion is now unintelligible, and I am satisfied with the amendment of which they partially complain. I repeat, however, that I cannot concur in the suggestion of withdrawing the original motion." The gallery was then cleared for a division, amid a great noise, and cries of "Divide, divide." The opposition, who had determined not to divide, in order that there might go forth to the world an unanimous expression of abhorrence of the conduct of France, rose in a body to leave the house. Some ministerial members below the bar, however, called for a division, in consequence of which the doors were closed, and the opposition were compelled to remain in the house. This event was hailed by the ministerial members with loud and repeated cheers. The Speaker then put the question on the original motion, which was carried in the negative. He next put the question on the amendment -the ministerial members cried "Ay:" the opposition remained silent. The Speaker declared that the question was carried in the affirmative. Some members on the Treasury-bench, anxious that a division should take place, called out that the "Noes" had the majority, The Speaker was then compelled to divide: he ordered those who in tended to vote for the amendment to to go into the lobby, and those who meant to vote against it to remain in the house. The opposition proceeded into the lobby, together with the ministerial voters; but a few members on both sides were shut in the house in consequence of the lobby being too small to contain the united numbers. This caused an appearance of a division, when in fact there was none." The numbers were announced to be as follows:-For the amendment 372-against it 20. Upon the motion of Mr. Peel, the house adjourned to Friday. CHAPTER IV. The Warehousing Bill.-Sheriff of Dublin.-Occasional Freeholders Bill. HOUSE of Lords, May 1. Earl Stanhope presented a petition from C. A. Thomson, of Chiswick, which stated that the petitioner had, in 1811 and 1812, purchased two estates at Northaw and Pontry las, for which he had paid, in part, upwards of 80,000l., and granted a mortgage for 60,000l. for the remainder of the purchasemoney. Being unable to pay off the mortgage in 1821, he offered the estates for sale, but was unable to get for them (in consequence of the altered value of the currency) so much as would pay off the mortgage of 60,000l., and the mortgagor was in consequence now applying to be put in possession of the two estates. The petitioner, therefore, prayed their lordships would be pleased to suspend the operation of the law by which the nortgagor was enabled to take from him his estates, and to pass a law for the equitable adjustment of all contracts. His lordship, in moving that the petition do lie on the table, expressed his approbation of the principle of an adjustment of contracts, and intimated his intention of making a motion on the subject at an early period. The petition was read at length, and ordered to lie on the table. The weights and measures bill was read a second time. The profane swearing bill was read a third time, and passed. The other bills on the table were forwarded one stage.-Adjourned. House of Lords, May 2.The royal assent was given by commission to the grants of aids, the military and naval pensions, the the innkeepers' allowances, the revenue consolidation, and several private bills. The lords commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Redesdale. The Duke of Northumberland presented a petition from New castle-upon-Tyne, praying the repeal of the duties on coal carried coastways. The Earl of Shaftesbury presented a petition from Blackburn, complaining of agricultural distress. A person from the East India Company presented an account of salaries and pensions granted by the company. The several bills on the table were forwarded one stage. On the third reading of the warehousing bill, The Earl of Harewood rose, and said, that though it was not his intention to oppose the present bill, yet at a time when, on the liberal principles of trade, they were relaxing every restriction on foreigners, it might be expected that every facility would be given to our own manufacturers. He now announced to the house, that it was the intention of the woollen-manufacturers in a short time to request their lordships' attention to the situation in which they were placed by the duties on foreign wool. It was ridiculous to suppose that our own growth of wool was encouraged by that measure, whilst our manufacturers were seriously injured by its operation; and the consideration became still more important from the present state of Spain. Within these few hours, information had arrived from that country of a new duty of 5d. per pound having been laid on all wool exported. The bill was then read the third time, and passed.-Adjourned. House of Commons, May 2. The Speaker, on his return from the House of Lords, whither he was summoned to hear the commission read, notified the bills that had received the royal assent. On the motion of Mr. Jones, the second reading of the Welsh judicature bill was ordered to be postponed till Monday. Petitions were presented for the Southwark court of requests bill, (which bill was read a second time) - against the repeal of the Irish union cotton duties for a duty upon foreign tallow against the coal duties upon the subject of agricultural distress-from the coroners of the county of York, praying for an increase of their salary (ten guineas per annum). The house then went into a committee upon the motion of Sir F. Burdett, for the investigation of the conduct of the sheriff of Dublin. Sir R. Heron took the chair, and several witnesses were examined. The chairman afterwards brought up the minutes of the proceeding, which were ordered to be printed. Mr. Goulburn was quite anxious to introduce the question of the Irish insurrection act as soon as possible; but he was entirely at the mercy of hon. gentlemen on the other side, who had notices of motions fixed for every day for a considerable time to come. If they would give way, he should be happy to fix an early day. Mr. Hume said, a motion of his stood for the 6th, which he should be very willing to give up, on condition that his Majesty's ministers would agree to the appointment of the committee for which he should |