The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser

ATTACK ON THE SOLOO PIRATES. The expedition, consisting of her Majesty's ship Cleopatra, the steam frigate Semiramis, and the war steamer Pluto-the latter two vessels belong- ing to the East India Company-returned to Singa- pore after an unsuccessful attempt to meet with and punish the Sooloo pirates, on the east coast of Borneo, who were concerned in cutting off the schooner Dolphin, and in the murder of Mr Burns and his companions. Much discussion has of late taken place on the subject of piracy in the Archipelago, and who are and who are not pirates but of the charac- ter of the men against whom the expedition under Captain Mas3ie, of her Majesty's ship Cleopatra, was sent. there is not the least doubt entertained. The head-quarters of the Soloo, Lanun, and Illanun pi- ratical prahus, which scour the Indian Archipelago, have frequently been pointed out from the days of Dalrymple to the present time, but it was not until the recent outrage on Mr Burns that the English authorities adopted a single step to punish the pirates in their strongholds, and on the present occasion they have been completely unsuccessful. The following particulars show what manner of people these marau- ders are. Having coaled both steamers at Labuan, the expedition sailed for Maluda, the Cleopatra a short time in advance. Mr St. John, acting commis- sioner, and Captain Brooke, better known as the Rajah Muda of Sarawak, were on board the Cleopatra. Captain Massie's boats proceeded up the Menggatel river to the houie of a chief who was known to be in league with a party of Lanun pirates, but nothing was done, the object being merely a demonstration. At Maluda information was received of the murder of Mr Wyndham, at Sooloo, by the chief Minister of the Sultan, but on inquiry at Singapore the report turned out to be untrue, Mr Wyndham being at Mainla at the time. After much difficulty the Cleo- patra was taken through the Malliwalli passage, and at length reached Tungku, the principal head- quarters of the Soloo pirates. The steamer's boats tried river after river before reaching the one they were in search of. Having anchored below the river, an expedition was formed of 16 boats in two divi- sions, the light boats being under the direction of Captain, of the Pluto, and the heavy boats under the command of Captain Stephens of the Semiramis. Captain Massie, accompanied by the acting commis- sioner, proceeded in the Cleopatra's gig. White flags were hoisted in most of the boats and after two hour's pulling they reached the chiefs house, and on the top of the room they placed a white flag in token of a peaceful visit and to induce the inhabitants to approach not one, however, appeared, they having fled before the boats reached the place. While they were meditating on the step next to be taken they were suddenly saluted with a shower of balls, or rather shots, issuing from the jungle, killing one of our men and wounding two others. Having thus shown a hostile disposition, Captain Massie imme- diately directed preparation to be made for acting on the offensive. A smart fire was returned from the marines, firing in the direction whence the smoke was observed, but without any effect. The boats then returned to the shipping. On the 17th the flo- tilla proceeded to the place, with the view of inflict- ing a severe punishment for firing on the flag of truce. The small armsmen were placed on one side of the river, and the marines on the other. The stockades were reached, but the guns had been le- moved. Scouring parties went in all directions, but not a man was visible. Some of the pirates, how- ever, advanced stealthily through the jungle to the stockades, and fired on the boats, wounding three men, one mortally. Yet not a soul was observable. Whenever smoke was seen to issue from the jungle the place was immediately invested, but the daring, adventurous Lanuns managed to escape. Finding this mode of warfare very discouraging, orders were given to deetroy all the buildings made of bamboo and cadjau, and soon replaced, together with large granaries of rice, which, being accomplished, the flo- tilla returned with the loss of several men killed and wounded, without the satisfaction of knowing that they had even wounded a single Lanun. From the absence of their prahus it is believed the pirates were absent on a piratical expedition, but it is equally pro- bable that their prahus and themselves were con- cealed up some ot the numerous and to us unknown rivers abounding in that quarter.—Singapore Paper. «

SECRETS OF THE WINE TRADE.-The London correspondent of the Liverpool Albion gives the following account of the evidence already taken before the Committee of the House of Commons on the Wine Trade. He says :—" Really it is enough to turn one's head, or rather one's stomach to hear portions of the evidence as to what is done with some of the stuff called wine before it gets to this country at all, saying nothing of the doctoring which then begins, but which has not been come to yet by the witnesses. Those hitherto examined have been only the Forresters (the famous Alto- Douro "farmers," so well known in Liverpool ;) Mr. John Forster, (Sandemans, of London and Oporto;) Mr. Gassiott, of the house of Martinez, a famous Peninsular firm ;) Mr. W. E. Tuke, the wine-broker, of Tower-hill; and Mr. T. G. Shaw, winn-merchant, of London and Manchester. Of the room there is in the trade for drenching the viscera of Bull we may judge from the admission of Mr. Gassiott, that plenty of sherry is bought at Cadiz for £19 a butt, while be has sold sherry to the trade at £209 a butt; and without making any very great profit on the latter commodity either. It appears from the evidence of all the witnesses that good wine was never so scarce and dear, and bad wine never so plentiful and cheap as at pre- sent. Mr. Tnke says that be lately made a con- tract for 600 pipes of Sicilian red wine at £.1 a pipe !-and he has no doubt that a great deal of it was consumed as racy old port, and at port prices, of course after being cooked and made pleasant in the Hudson and Waddlington fashion. All the witnesses thus far appear to concur in the belief that by the reduction of the wine duties from 5s. 9d. to Is. per gallon, and the general introduc- tion of wines at Is. a bottle into Z, England, which would then be the case, the first loss to the revenue would be very speedily made up. This anticipa- tion, however, is somewhat controverted by Mr. Charles White, one of the principal suppliers in the kingdom to private families, clubs, and large establishments, including, according to the list be read, some 600 merchants and bankers in Lan- cashire and Yorkshire, and selling only the higher-priced wines. He contends that at least 2s. per gallon ought to be the duty on all sorts ot wines wiihout any exception, and then he thinks there would be such increase of consumption as would compensate for the fiscal reduction proposed. White's port, as every one who knows anything, is the primest of prime wines, and he seemingly can recommend it on Horace Walpole's principles because he makes it himself. He said on Mon- day last, when under examination, We have our wines generally from 13 or 14 of the principal Z, houses, and we taste the wines, and our judgment goes principally upon their having a fine bouquet and a good colour—a ruby, not a black colour we think the black colour objectionable in port wine, for when it is particularly black it lies in the bottle, and goes to sleep there, and when it wakens it is heavy and wants to go to sleep again :-it is not fit for table sometimes till it is 18 or 20 years old; many gentlemen get tired of it before that; when we choose the wine in the way described, it comes round better, and there is a cheerfulness in drinking it, whereas heavy vvines produce quite the contrary :-We always avoid the black wines." THE DrooINGs.-Midas, with his ass's ears, starv- ing amid the gold to which he turned everything he touched, was but a type of the Australian Colonies at this moment. The universal labouring population- and many of the better clas-ses-have shouldered pickaxe and spade and are off to the diggings," leaving the bewildered stockholders to see their fields remain unfilled, their cattle run wild, and their sheep die of the scab and rot. Heaps of gold are piled up by bad men, who will soon have neither grain nor meat in their own land, nor wool, tallow, and hides, to purchase them from other countries. Like their ass-eared prototype, they will starve amid their dar- ling gold. Even the Mother-country is menaced bv their insanity more than half the wool that now gives employment to our manufactures is the produce of Australia, and the withdrawal of this moiety will throw half our woollen-mills and their workmen idle. The evil might have been alleviated had a rationa' system of land-grants and efficient local self-uovern- ment been timely introduced in Australia. Even in that case, however, the gold mania might have de- feated all calculations and arrangements at any rate the time for making them has now passed. There is no adequate force in the Colony to support tht Governor, Legislature, and Magistracy when it n considered that the gold region appears to extend fron- the north of Sydney to the vicinity of Adelaide, am force would probably be unavailing.Speclator.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAY, MAY 21. In answer to a question from Earl GrMivillfi, the Earl of Malmesbury said the intelligence which had been received of the resignation of the Mar- quis d'Azeglio was perfectly correct, but their Lordships would be glad to learn that on the 17th ultimo the King sent tor him again, and requested him to take his accustomed seat at the board. His Majesty had, moreover, given him a cane blanche to choose what Ministers he liked. He hoped this act of the Sovereign was an earnest that he intended to continue a constitutional form of Government. The Duke of Wellington moved for an address to her Majesty for copies of. or extracts from. any reports made to the Master-General of the Ord- nance on the inventions of Captain Warner. The Earl of Derby reminded the Noble Duke of the circumstances under which Captain Warner came before their Lordships. That gedlleman had consented to appear before a Committee of their Lordships, and to reveal the secret of his invention without fee or reward. Now he (EarJ Derby) thought they would be acting hard towards him, notwithstanding such an offer, if I hey were to deny him the opportunity he asked for of testing the merits of the invention. A discussion then took place, the result of which was that the mo- tion for the papers was agreed to, Earl Talbot con- senting not to press for the nomination of the committee. In reply to the Marquis of Breadalbain, the Earl of Derby repeated his former statement:- i that it was not his intention at present to propose any alteration in the law respecting the grant to the College ot Maynooth.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY, MAY 19. In reply to inquiries by Sir R. Inglis. Mr. Her- ries said he was prepared to lay upon the table, in a very short time, the papers relating to the impending hostilities with the Burmese Empire and that no delay, as had been rumoured, had taken place in the despatch of the expedition, which would have ar- rived at Rangoon at the time determined upon by the Govern or-General of India, who bad addressed a let- ter of warning to the King of Burmah, giving him until the 1st of April to.make such reparation as would avert hostilities. Mr. Walpole stated that it was not the intention of the Government to go on with the Charitable Trusts Bill this session. On the order of the day for resuming the debate, adjourned on the 28th of April, upon the second reading of the Colonial Bishops Bill, Sir J. Pakington—adverting to an intimation given by Mr. Gladstone, that, as the Government intended to oppose the bill, he wished for a delay of fourteen days to consider what course to pursue-said he should be glad if he should be spared one of the most painful and difficult duties he had ever undertaken, that of stating the views he entertained regarding a bill which, though brief, and at first sight simple in its phraseology and enactments, was, when closely looked at, one of the most important measures in re- lation to ecclesiastical matters ever submitted to the House, and which, if passed in its present form, would be the first step towards changes which, how- ever desired by a certain party, were decidedly op- posed to the opinion of the great body of the people, not only in this country, but in the colonies. The speech of Mr. Gladstone, in moving the second read- ing was addressed to a point upon which he (Sir John) agreed with him, namely the expendiency of giving greater freedom of action to the church of England in the colonies, which laboured under cer- tain disabilities, the great defect being the want of power to carry out its discipline, the authority of the bishops being autocratic and he was prepared to concur with Mr. Gladstone, that there ought to be a change in the law, and that the church in the colo- nies required some legislative assistance that would prevent the bishops from retaining a power at once dangerous and invidious. The attention of the Archbishop of Canterbury had been directed to this subject, and. thinking the time had come for placing the church in the colonies upon a better footing, his Grace had opened a communication with the Bishop of Sidney, as Colonial Metropolitan, respecting the mode and form in which ths Imperial legislation for that object should be conducted. Pending these com- munications he would, independent of other consi- derations, suggest whether it was desirable to press the bill during the present session. But it was im- possible for him, Sir John added, after the wanner in which Mr. Gladstone had urged the measure, to re- frain from entering into what he believed to be its scope, object, and tendency, the terms in which the bill was drawn being so indistinct that he questioned wether any two lawyers would agree in their con- struction of its language. He could not doubt that Mr. Gladstone's object was to place the church of England in the colonies upon the same footing as other religious denominations but he believed, if carried out, its effects would be, first, to exalt the church of England in the colonies into a state of do- minance secondly, to break it up into small separate I churches and thirdly, to destroy the supremacy of the Crown, and even to overrule all legislation, Im- perial and colonial. The last clause introduced an important alteration of our ordination service by dis- pensing with the oath of supremacy-the first at- tempt ever to enable persons to hold that the supre- macy of the Crown in ecclesiastical matters did not extend to the colonies; but this doctrine would be repugnant to the statute 1st Elizabeth and to the ex- press words of the Quebec Act. Mr. Gladstone lested his case, Sir John remarked, upon demands made by the colonees themselves, but had not sited a j single application for the passing of such a bill, or for seperating from the church of England, or for re- nouncing the Crown's supremacy whereas he (Sir John) could show a contrary desire on their part; and with that view he read extracts from memorials and resolutions transmitted from different colonies in Australia and Tasmania. With these facts and views he could not consent to the farther progress of a bill involving such grave considerations. He would, even as a private citizen, be no party to the breaking up of the Church of England into branches, or the impugn- ing the supremacy of the Crown, which, he believed was one of the surest guarantees for the religious li- berty we enjoyed. He entreated Mr. Gladstone to abandon the bill. and moved that the House proceed to the other orders of the day. Mr. Gladstone complained that Sir J. Packington had, unintentionally, grossly misrepresented him as having dispensed with the oath of supremacy, inas- much as the bill required subscription to the Thirty- nine Articles, one of which the (37th) declared the supremacy of the Crown, and was presicely equiva- lent to the 36th canon so that the oath of supremacy was superfluous. Sir J. Packington contended that his explanation did not touch his objection, that the bill did, in fact, dispense with the oath of supremacy, and that this was the first attempt to ordain to ecclesiastical offices without taking the oath. Ater a few words from Mr. Oswald upon this point Mr. Adderly seeing the urgency of the measure, could not submit to delay upon grounds so wholly futile as those assigned by Sir J. Packington, every one of whose arguments against the bill was based upon a simple assumption. Sir H. Inglis opposed the bill which he looked at with extreme aversion and dis- trust. Mr. A. B. Hope supposed the bill which was he said, merely a measure of exemption, from certain liabilities standing in the way of the colonies taking their own course. The Attorney-General agreed with Mr. Gladstone, that the established church in the colonies was in a most disadvantageous position, deprived of privileges and the freedoi. of action possessed by other deno- minations and by the mother Church. This arose from the colonies not having the ecclesiastical rights which existed in this country, especially the jurisdic- tion of spiritual courts in consequence of which the colonial bishops had an arbitrary and irresponsible power. But as in his opinion, the Act of Submission (25th Henry VIH.) did not apply to the colonies, it was not necessary to permit the clergy and laity there to assemble and make regulations, since no law for- bade it; therefore the bill must be intended to give a legal sanction to something not now sanctioned. Mr. Bethell did not think it was competent to the clergy of the colonies to adopt anything like synod:- cal action, which would interfere with the prerogative of the Crown. He suggested various objections. Sir \V. P. Wood said the avowed object of the hi;, was to enable the Church of England in the colonies to regulate its own matters like any other denomina- tion. If any of the clauses went beyond that ol jec they could he modified, but there was not the slight- est tendency in the bill to make the Church dominan '11 the colonies. Some such measure shun hi be iotro- ineed in order that. the Church of England iu th, colonies should te left unfettered. Mr. Horsman asked what was meant by lenving the Church unfettered « He agreed that perfect re- ligious equality was the best principle that could be adapteo in the colonies; but his objection to this bill was. that while it released the colonial church from restrictions and responsibilities imposed by the State, it left the advantages derived from State con- nection, and save it more than was enjoyed by the Church at home. The amendment not be:.ng opposed by Mr. Glad- stone, was agreed to, and the House passed to the other orders of the day. Lord R. Grosvenor moved the second reading of the County Elections Polls Bill, which, after a brief discussion, in the course of which the Chancellor of the Exchequor avowed himself favourable to its prin- ciples, was agreed to. On the next order, for the resumption on the de- bate upon Maynooth College, which Mr. Newdegate (in the absence of Mr. Spooner) p oposed to defer un- til the 16th of June, an animated conversation took place, in which Lord J. Ilassell characterised the whoie proceeding as a mere mockery. He was not, he said, opposed to a fair and well conducted inquiry but not into the grounds upon which the grant was made and the inquiry should be conducted in the mode pointed out by the Act, hy a Royal Commis- sion. He complained the Government, instead of throwing the subject open, did not pronounce a de- cided opinion upon it. If they were prepared to withdraw the grant let them say so if to maintain it, they should not excite public feeling in relation to the question. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the Govern- ment were not prepared to abrogate the grant. The motion had been brought forward upen the grounds which did not meet his concurrence, and Mr. Wal- pole, while admitting under the crcnmstances an in- quirv should take place, had said it ought to he li- mited to seeing whether the objects of the institution had been fulfilled. Although a committee of that House was not the course he (Mr. Disraeli) should have recommended, he did not think it was the duty of Government to advise Her Majesty to issue a Royal Commission. The conversation was kept up until six o'clock when the House, ipso facto, adjourned. THURSDAY. Notices were j^>f"en respecting the case of the vicar of Frome, and the proceedings of the Bishop of Bath ?.nd Wells in connexion therewith. The Militia Bill and several other bills were proceeded with. On the question whether the adjourned debate on Maynooth College should he further adjourned to the 16th of June or the 2Gth of May, Mr. Reynolds objected to the more distant date, and took occasion to argue at considerable length the main question, condemning in strong terms the lone and spirit of Mr. Spoouer's speech. The same objection was urged by Mr. M. J. O'Connell and the O'Gorman Mahon, both of whom touched upon the merits of the main ques- tion. Mr. H. Herbert asked what fair object could be gained, after the discussion that had taken place in keeping the motion on the paper. Mr. Newdegate repeated what he had before said, that the 16th of June was the earliest dav that could be had for renewing the debate. Mr. Gladstone hoped the House would not con- sent to the postponement of this debate until the 16th of June, which would render the proceedings of the House redicnlous. The notice should either be withdrawn, or the question should be decided without delay. In such a case there could be no difficulty in obtaining a day, even if the House was obliged to sit on Saturday, or at twelve o'clock. After some remarks by Colonel Gilpin and Mr. Keogh, Mr. Walpole expressed his concurrence with the opinion of Mr. Gladstone. that the postponement of the debate until the 16th of June would render the whole proceeding futile. There were only two courses,-to discharge the order altogether, or to fix upon a morning sitting i'or the continuance of the debate. After some further discussion, it was determined that the debate should be resumed on Tuesday. Lord J. Manners obtained leave to bring in a. bill to amend the law concerning the burial of the dead in the metropolis, after some remarks upon the subject by Mr. Wakley, Lord Ebrington, and Lord Seymour. Mr. G. A. Hamilton obtained leave to bring in a bill for carrying into execution an agreement for the sale of property belonging to her Majesty, ill right of her Crown and of the Duchy of Lancaster, to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and a bill to remove doubts as to the lands and casua levenue possessions of Her Majesty. FRIDAY. On the motion that the House at its rising adjourn until Monday, Viscount Palmarston rose to call the attention of the Government to reports which have lately circulated in Europe as to the exertion of foreign influences with a view to effect, changes in the constitution of Spain. Believing that there might be some storm hovering over Spain, and knowing as he did the great influence exercised abroad by the consciousness that the Government always looked with a favourable eve to the establishment of Constitutional Govern- ment. he had endeavoured to elicit from her Her Majesty's Ministers some declaration on that subject, feeling that no greater support could be given to the cause of Constitutional Government than by a declaration in that place from some members of the Administration of their desire to uphold it. (Hear). Mr. Disraeli said there certainly might bp rn- mours of the nature alluded to, but at present mi one could point to any facts of such a nature as would lead any one to express a decided opinion that powers of importance were combining for the purpose of effecting a revolution in the sovern- ment of Spain. And here he might be permitted to relate a circumstance which occurred shortly after the accession of the present Ministry to office, which would evince the feeling of the Go- vernment with respect to the constitution at. present existing in Spain. The British Minister at Madrid was a lIohlc lord promoted to that hi"-h office by the former Government, and at the time of the change of government here the noble lord thought it his duty to offer his resignation. Con- sidering, however, the high character of that noble lord, his acquaintance with the Spanish character and his sympathy with the constitutional cause iu Spain, her Majesty's Ministers had thought it their duty to advise her Majestv not to accept that resignation. If it were the case, therefore, that forenrn interference was going on for the purpose of effecting a change in the constitutional govern- ment of Spain, he was convinced that such inter- ference would be regarded by that noble lord with a very jealous eye, aud that he would not be slow with that friendly counsel and advice for the pur- pose of averting such a result. If he took a general view of the working of the general system in Spain, it appeared to him that it had been strictly a domestic s\ stem, and conducted for the benefit of the subjects of her Spanish Majesty. (Hear, hear.) No attacks had been made upon the rights of the people, while in Sardinia they had a modern instance "f the success of the Par- liamentary system, which should lead them to hope that our institutions were spreading on the Continent. (Hear.) He trusted no discussion would take place on this subject. The blessings of peace in this country depended upon leaving other nations conduct their own internal affairs in the manner which t jey deemed best adapted to their own disposition, or best calculated to serve their own interests. (Hear.) The committee on the Miiitia Bill was then re- sumed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer pro- posed the omission of the clause 25. Mr. Bright opposed the omission. The house divided, and the number were—for the omission, 151 it, Gl. Majority, !»0. The remaining clauses were then agreed to, and the House resumed. On the order of the day for reading the New Zealand Government Hill a second time Sir \V. Molesworth opposed the bill as buing a 'jub alld also because it was a Broixiignaggian measure to be applied to a Lilliputian colony. M r. Adderlev I supported the bill. Mr. y, Smith contended that a bill involving so many important details could not be property discussed during the short period allotted to the exis.euce 01 the present Parliament Alter some observations irom Mr. E. Denison Mr. F. Peel, and Mr. J. A. Smith, Mr. Gladstone said that on the whole the bill was creditable to 'he Government. After some observations from Sir John Packington, Sir James Giabatn Mr. VIangles, and Mr. Walters, the Hill was read a i second time. The remai;iing business was then ii«oos!:d ot. and t:ie House a,, minutes past one.