The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-15 00:00:00

LEPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OP LORDS—Last Evening.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at the usual hour. _ _

PETITIONS.
Lord DARNLEY presented a petition praying for an
amendment of the Highway Act.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a second time:—Lea
Bridge District Gas—Northiteet District Gas—Tunbridge
Wells Gas—Huntingdon Cias—Ashton-under-Lyne--and
Stalybridge Water.
The following bills were read a third time and passed
Shrewsbury Bridges—Llanelly Railway and Dock Com,
parry—Newry and Gremore Railway—Southwark Park—
Folkestone Water—Matlock Bath Water—Marple New
Mills and Hayfield Junction Railway.
SETTLED ESTATES ACT AMENDMENT BILL
(IIAMPSTEAD-HEATH ENCLOSURE.)

This bill passed through committee with amendments.
VESTRY CESS ABOLITION (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee and was reported.
PUNISHMENT OF RAPE BILL.

Ou tho motion of the Marquis of WESTMEATH the
holm went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1,

Lord WENSLEY DALE moved that instead of the
word " may," the word "ahall" be inserted, in order to
make the punishment of whipping compulsory, instead of

optional.
Lord RAVENSWORTH did not object to the punish•
men.t of whipping in reference to other crimes, but as the
crime of rape was seldom or ever committed with premedi-
tation, he did not think it would be advisable to resort to
whipping as a part of the punishment.
Lord CRANWO EtTH thought that whipping was a
most undesirable punishment; but if it was to be resorted to,
they ought to pass a general measure applying it at once in
all the cases in which it appeared to he desirable, and not
proceed to apply it to one case after another by piecemeal
The Marquis of WESTMEATH supported the bill.
The Earl of CARNARVON admitted the objections of
piecemeal legislation, but said that, although this was not
a satisfactory way of proceeding, it had become so much the
habit of Parliament, that he did not think its adoption in
the present instance was a valid objection to this bill. Prac-
tice had proved that the infliction of whipping had a power-
ful effect in darer ing from crime. He trimight this punish-
ment should also be inflicted in the case of an attempt to
cemmit rape.
After a conversation, in which the Lord Chancellor, Lord
Cranworh, the Earl of Derby, and other peers took part,
the amendment was adopted, and the clause as amended

was agreed to..
The remaining clauses were agreed to.
The Lill passed through committee, and the house

resumed.

The report on the Charitable Assurances Enrolments
Bill was received.

The Improvement of Laud Act, 1864, Bill was read a
sound time.

THE HIGHWAY ACT.

Lord RE DF.SDALE presented a petition from the way-
%N.-arch-as and ratepayers of the Morpeth highway district, in
the county of Northumberland, complaining of the size of
the district, and the refusal of the justices to alter the same,
and praying the house to adopt such measures for their re-
lief as might seem expedient. The noble lord also naked
whether Government intended to propose any amendment
of the Highways Act in the present session ?
. .

Lord (:T. aA:NVILLE was understood to reply in the

negative.
Earl GREY eaid that the Act was extremely defective,
and required amendment.
HICHAF,L DONEGAN, PATRICK DONEGAN,
AND PATRICK EGAN.

The Marquis of WESTMEA.TH moved for copies of
certain correspondence relative to the pardon of three Irish
convicts, named as above.
Earl GRANNILLE consented that a portion of the cor-
re:Tondence should be produced.
THE CHALMERS TARGET.

The Earl of HARDWICKE presented a petition from
Mr. James Chalmers, the inventor of a new mode of con-
strucion of ships of war. The petitioner camplained that
the Board of Admiralty had long refused to try his inven-
tion—that his target was afterwards subjected .to a trial
much more severo than had been applied to any other target
—that it successfully stood this test ; that, nevertheless,
the Board of Admiralty had declined to adopthls invention;
that the Chief Constructor of the Navy had pirated its
most important features, and had adopted them in the con-
struction of the Bellerophon; and that all compensation or
reward had been refused him by the Board of Admiralty.
The Duke of :iOIIERSE said that, although Mr.
Chalmers' plan produced an excellent target, it was not
applicable to:the construction of a ship. It was heavier than
the Warrior target, it was more complicated, and it was
users costly. Then it was very desirable that as much of
the target as possible ebould contribute to the structural
strenzta of the chip, Now, out of five parts of which the
Warrior target consisted, only two did not so contribute ;
but of the seven parts which composed Mr. Chalmers's
tarat, four did not so contribute. He admitted that the
Chalmers target had a greater power of resistance than the
Warrior target; and on that ground the Admiralty had
consented to pay the cost of its construction. But, as he
had already said, it was not suited to the construction of
ships of war. He denli'i that Mr. Chalmers's inv ntion
had been pirated in the Bellerophon. The two targets were
entirely different; and the latter contributed much more
than the former to the structural strength of the ship. The
test to which the Bellerophon target had been subjected at
Shoeburynees was in many respects more severe than that
to which Mr. Chalmers's h.d been exposed. Althou,;h
Mr.:Chaliners's target was in some degree an improvement
upon those which had preceded it, it was not much better
than the Warrior target. He did nut desire to do injustice
to any inventor, but the truth was that Mr. Chalmers's so-
called invention was not new, and was not suitable for
application in the construction of a ship.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOT.TSE OF COMMONS--Last Evening.
The SPFAXER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

13:1 following bills were read a third time and passed :
Andover and Chilton Pond—Downs (the) Docks—Oke-
hamptou Railway—South Yorkshire Railway and River
Dun Company—Stirling Water—Stockport District Water
Taornset Road.
THE MALT DUTY.

A very large number of petitions was presentee in favour
of the repeal of the malt duty.

CANDIDATES FOR THE MEDICAL DEPART-

MENT OF INDIA.

Mr, BAZLEY asked the Secretary for India, how
iDany candidates for employment in the medical depart-
ra,_nt for India were presented, and how many were the
vacancies at the time of the competitive examination in
January last, and again how many at the recent examine.-
?

sir
CHAS. WOOD said there had been no competitive
examination for the department in question for the last
three or four years.

STREET DEALERS IN THE CITY OF LONDON.

Mr. Alderman SA.LONIONS asked the Secretary of State
for the Home Department if he had yet approved the pro-
posed bye-laws for the City of London, and especially if he
intended to sanction bye-law No. 12, which virtually pro-
posed to withhold the common law right of way through
the principal streets of the City from dealers in fruit, fish,
and vegetables.
Sir G. GREY said that these bye-laws had not yet been
sanctioned, and he considered the question of such import-
ance that he had referred it to the law officers of the
Crown.

MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL HIGHWAY
BOARD.

Mr. R. LONG asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, whether Magistrates, resident in places which
are exempted from the operation of the Highway Act, are
or are not ex-officio members of the General Highway
Board of the dimtrict in which they reside.
Sir G. GREY replied in the negative.
THE IRISH CONSTABULARY.

Cap!. ARCHDALL asked the Chief Secretary for Ire.
land it the Irish Government had directed the Inspector-
G,neral of Constabulary to recall the instructions issued to
the Police on the 27th of October, 1862, with reference to
the Act 25 and 26 Vic., c. 114, and to issue fresh instruc-
*4l3 ia conformity with the provisions of the said act.
Sir R. PEEL said the subject had been referred to the
Irish Crown law officers..

LIGHTS FOR VESSELS.
Mr. BBNTINCK asked the President of the Board of
Trade Whether any penalty attached to vessels not carry-
ing the proper lights prescribed by the Merchant Seamen's
.Act ; and if vessels infringing those regulations were sub-
ject to penalties, what those penalties wore, and what was
the proper course to take for recovering them ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said that, by the Merchant Seamen's
Act, any infringement of the regulations relating to the
.
placing of these lights vessels subjected parties so offend-
ing to ludic:LT:tent._

HARBOUR OF HOLYHEAD.
Mr. STANLEY asked the President of the Board of
Trade what steps wore being taken to mark more distinctly
the Platter Rocks in the Refuge Harbour of Holyhead ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said that buoys would be placed so as
to mark distinctly the situation of these rocks, but there
was no decision as to any plan respecting the placing
of
lights in the harbc.ur.
VOLUNTEER DRILL INSTRUCTOIts.
General BUCKLEY asked the Under Secretary of State
fcrW4r whether it was in contemplation to provide the
drill instructors of volunteer corps clothing and accoutre •
meats in the same manner 33 if they were in a regiment of
the line?

Thelkiargois of HARTINGTON explained that if, in
addition to the pay which these inspectors received, they
were also to get clothing, it would place them in a better
position than serrauta of the regiments of the line, which
was not intended.

ELECTION DISTURBANCES AT LISBURN..
Nr. WHITESIDE adicd the Chief Secretary for Ire-

land, by whose directions, and whether upDn the recom-
mendation of any local magistrate, and whether upon any
representations of breaches of the peace co ttted or
apprehended, 150 additional police were recent :y dered to
proceed to the town of Lisburn, and there to remain?
Sir R. PEEL said that in consequence of the report of
a magistrate of the neighbourhood it was 4pv t hended that
political feeling was so strong in Liabura hat disturb-
ances would take place. This magistrate stated that
there were placards posted in the town bearing the inscrip-
tion of "Verney for ever, and down with the petitioner,"
and that the town was paraded by persons with guns and
sticks, and 107 policemen were sent to preserve order, a
course which was approved by another magistrate in the
neighbourhood.