The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

THIRD READINGS.
On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, the following
bills were severally read a third time and passed :—Dun-
dalk and Blackrock Railway ; Gloucester Water and
Local Board of Health ; LOndon and Blackwall Rail-
way ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway
(Lincoln Branch) ; Livesay's Estate ; Nottingham and
Newham Road ; Warrington Water; Glasgow Water;
Ayr Harbour ; and Exmouth and Exeter Railway. •
SECOND READINGS.
The following bills were zyad a second time :—Car-
marthen and Cardigan Railway ; London and South-
Western Railway; and Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton Railway.
Lord BROUGHAM presented several petitions from
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in favour of the abolition of
church rates ; also a petition, numerously signed, from
the county of Denbigh, in favour of the jurisdiction of
County Courts. The noble lord took the opportunity
of condemning the system under which so large an
amount of fees was charged in those courts.
The Marquis of WESTMINSTER presented some
petitions from various parts of the metropolis against
trading on the Lord's Day.
Earl FITZ\VILLIAM presented a petition in favour
of administrative reform.

UNION CONTIGUOUS BENEFICES IN CITIES
AND TOWNS BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
INFANTS MARRIAGES BILL.
On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR this
bill was road a third time and passed.
CARNEGIE'S RESTITUTION BILL.
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read-
ing of this bill, the object of which was to remove the
attainder against the peerage of Southesk, which had
existed since the year 1715.
The bill was read a second time.
ASSIZES AND SESSIONS BILL.
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read-
ing of this bill. It was for the purpose of having ses-
sions for the trial of offenders held more frequently than
was now the case under the present system, and there-
by prevent the expense, inconvenience, and sometimes
great injustice ,of det-dning such persons in prison
for seven.' months before trial. The noble and learned
lord having stated the details of the measure, moved that
it be read a second time.

Lord BROUGHAM highly approved of the bill.
He viewed it not only as an instalment, but a very con-
siderable instalment, of the benefits of the resolutions
he moved the other night. By the latest returns it
appeared that of 28,000 persoias brought to trial, 6,200,
atter a long period of confinement, were either acquitted
or discharged for want of evidence. This was a mon-
strous system to those persons, and he hailed with great
satisfaction the; measure now proposed, which would no
doubt reineci7 this evil in our criminal procedure.
Lord CAMPBELL said, on the part of himself and
his learned colleagues, they would do anything in their
power to favour this measure.
After a short discussion, the second reading was
agree.' to.
The Weights and Measures Bill went through com-
mittee.
The Edinburgh Lands Bill was read a second time.
The stamp Duties Repeal on Matriculation and De-
grees (Oxford) Bill passed through committee.
The Charitable Trusts Bill was reported, with amend-
ments.

The Grants of Lands Bill went through committee.
The Public Libraries and Museums (Ireland) Bill went
through committee.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE asked whether the
Baltic fleet had been provided with the apparatus neces-
sary to attack maritime fortresses, in the manner recom-
mended last year to the Admiralty and the Board of
Ordnance by Colonel Bethune ? An engine of great
power of destruction had been strongly recommended to
the notice of the Admiralty and Ordnance ; but those
authorities were of opinion that the use of the engine
against forts in the Baltic would be too hazardous—an
opinion, coming from such a quarter, that was worthy of
respect. Now he thought it would be advisable to have
this engine in readiness to be used if an opportunity oc-
curred—especially as men of military experience had
spoken highly in favour of its adoption.
Lord PANMURE said the invention was one of those
innumerable suggestions offered to Government on the
breaking out of the war as the best means of destroying
the enemy and ending the war. The engine had been re-
ferred to Sir C. Napier, who said it might do very well,
but it required some gentleman to "bell the cat."
(Laughter.) The Ordnance was appealed to, and they
gave it as their opinion that it would not be effectual,
and could not be applied as stated to the purposes of
war.

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said the noble mar-
quis's suggestion was one of great importance. The
noble lord (Panmure) said numerous inventions had been
offered to the notice of Government, but none had been
accepted. It would be a fatal mistake for Government
to assume that nothing that could he invented would be
of advantage to us is the war. It was customary for
difficulties to attend first inventions, but time and ex-
perience usually overcame them. His suggestion was
that there should be a committee to whom all these in-
ventions should be referred, Rho should examine fairly
and report thereon.
Lord PANMURE said nothing had fallen from him
to warrant the noble earl saying that Government ne-
glected to consider these inventions. Several inven-
tions had been tested and adopted, and others refused as
of no value. The practice was to refer all such inven-
tions to scientific authorities at Woolwich, who investi-
gated them, and adopted any portion that might be of
use.

After a few words in reply front the Marquis of
CLA.NRICA.RDE, the conversation dropped,
And their lordships adjourned.

ROUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)

The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
The Lords' amendments to the following bills were
considered :—Glasgow and South Western Railway ;
Great Northern Railway (increase of capital by the pro-
moters) ; International Life Assurance Society ; New-
castle-upon-Tyne Improvements ; Newton in Macker-
field Improvement ; South Wales Railway (Consolida-
tion).

The following bills were read a third time and
passed :—lpstones Mineral Branch Railway ; London
and Brassington Road ; Wisbech Port ; East of Fife
Railway.

The following bills were considered, and ordered to be
read a third time :—Barrow Harbour ; Furness Rail-
way ; Westminster Terminus Railway (Clapham to Nor-
wood).

The Southampton Paving Trust (Saint Pancras) Bill
was read a second time.
PETITIONS.
Petitions were presented (several) by Mr. T. bun-
combe, from Clerkenwell and other places in the metro-
polis for the repeal of the Sunday Beer Act, and against
the Sunday Trading Bill ; by Mr. Roebuck from Shef-
field, for administrative reform ; by Mr. Scholefield,
from the Senate of the University of Cambridge, against
the Cambridge University Reform Bill ; by Mr. Swift,
several petitions from places in Ireland in favour of the
Tenants' Compensation Bill ; by Mr. Fox. 17 petitions
from Oldham, praying for th extension of the Beer Act
to the whole of Sunday ; by Lord Elcho, from a place
in Scotland, praying for the appointment of a Secretary
of State for Scotland ; by Mr. Headlam, from the
Chamber of commerce, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in favour of
the Limited Liability in Partnerships Bill ; by Mr. C.
Bruce (several), from places in Scotland against the Lord
Advocate's Education Bill.
PARTNERSHIP AMENDMENT BILL.
Mr. HORSMAN gave notice that on the second
reading of the above bill, fixed for this evening, he should
move that it be referred to a select committee.
VOTE OF CENSURE ON THE GOVERN-