The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS---Last Evening.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at the usual hcur.
METROPOLITAN RAILWAYS.
The Earl of DERBY presented a petition from the inha-
bitants of the parish of St. Bride's, praying their lordships
not to sanction the making of any more new railways in the
metropolis.
ANOTHER. NEW GUN.

The Earl of DERBY trilled the attention of the Seers•
tary of War to a des, ription, which had appeared in the
Liverpool papers, of some experiments that had been made
with a guu invented by a gentleman of the name
of Clay. The shot sent from the gun had
passed through one of the massive targets, drilling out a
piece of iron from the plate outside, and carrying it through
and casting it many yards beyond the target. The sand
upon which the shot tell showed that the spiral motion was
kept up to the last.
The Earl DE GREY and RIPON said he had sent an
officer down to Liverpool to witness the effects of the gun
in question, and a report had been received which eobfirmed
the principal points mentioned in the public newspapers.
The rest of the experiments made were curious and in-
teresting, and it would be advisable to make further in-
quiries as to the va►ue of the invention. No decision had
been come to with respect to the gun, as the distance at
which the target was placed was short, but the effect of the
shot fired from the new gun had been such that further ex-
periments and trials would become necessary before he ex-
pressed a decided opinion upon it.
The Earl of HARD WICK E condemned the Armstrong
guns on board some of the ships in the royal navy, and he
considered the proceedings at Kagosima showed that these
guns were worse than useless. He advised the noble duke
the First Lord of the Admiralty to remove them, and
replace them with guns similar to those of which he was
the inventor.
The Duke of SOMERSET said he was not the inventor
of a gun. He had offered certain suggestions, and a gun
had been constructed in conformity with those suggestions
In a short time he hoped to be able to communicate to their
lordships which was the best gun for the service, the rifled
or smooth-Lore. The ships would be armed with which-
ever gun proved to be the best.
[LEFT SITTING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. BREMRIDGE took the oaths and his seat for Barn-
staple, the committee having decided that his opponent
Mr. Thomas Lloyd had been euilty of bribery through
his agents, and therefore that his election was void.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
North and South Western Junction Railway—Salisbury
Gas—:,alisbury Railway and Market House—and West
Riding and Grimsby Railway.
NEW WRIT—QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
Mr. BRAND moved that a writ should issue for the elec-
tion of a member for the Borough of Merthyr Tydvil in the
room of Mr. A. Bruce, who had accepted the office of Vice•
President of the Committee of the Council of Education.
Sir W. HEATHCOTE drew attention to the question of
their being five Under Secretaries of State in the house,
and moved as an amendment that the motion for a new writ
should be postponed until the constitutional question should
be decided.
Mr. HEADLAM contended that such a course would
be most inconvenient.
_ _ _

After some remarks from Mr. WHITESIDE,
Sir W. DUNDAS sail that if it were proved that five
under secretaries of state ought not to be members cf the
house, that the last appointed under secretary (the Marquis
of Hartington) was the member who was not occupying a
place in this house according to the provisions of the sta-
tutes. (No, no.)
The A LTORNEY-GENERAL said that the course pro-
posed by the bon. baronet (Sir W. thathcote) was a most
necessary proceeding. It would be improper to postpone a
writ until after a subtle and refined discussion had taken
place on a constitutional question, He referred to a casein
point in 1808, when there wero only three Under-Secre-
taries in the hmse as a precedent in the present case.
Mr. DISRAELI and Sir GEORGE GREY made a few ob-
servations, and the motion was then withdrawn.
THE GOVERNMEN r POLICY IN REGARD TO

THE DANISH QUESTION.
Mr. DISRAELI gave notice that when the hon. member
for Liskeard brought on his motion in regard to the policy
of the Government in regard to the hostilities between Den-
mark and the German Powers, that he would move the pre-
vious question.
THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION.
Mr. H. SEYMOUR asked tke Secretary of State for the
Home Departmint if the Government intended to introduce
this session any bill relating to the Ecclesiastical Commis-
sion.
Sir G. GREY said that he had communicated with the
commission, but he was not prepared to pledge himself to
introduce any bill on the subject.
NATIONAL SCHOOLS IN IRELAND.
Mr. O'REILLY asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland
when the return relative to religious instruction in national
schools in Ireland, ordered loot session, and again early this
session, will be laid upon the table.
Sir R. ['EEL said that the return had been received at
the Castle last Saturday, and would shortly be laid on the
table.
CAPTAIN GORDON,
Col. SYKES asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Aff.tirs whether any information had been re-
ceived at the Foroign-cffiee that Captain Gordon, of the
Royal Engineers, who was in command of Chinese troops
in the service of the Frani of Shanghai, had condoned the
treachery of the Futai in putting to death the Taeping
princes at Loochow and plundering the city, and against
which Captain Gordon himself, Major-General Brown,
commanding the British troops in China, and all the
European Consuls at Shanghai, had published an indig-
nant protest; whether he has consented to continue in
the service of the Futai notwithstanding these indignant
protests.
Mr. LAYARD said that the Government were in com-
munication with the Chinese Government on the subject.
CORN RENTS.
Mr. HUBBARD asked the President of the Poor-law
Board whether his attention had been directed to the deci-
ceion. in the Common Pleas on the sth Feb., to the effect
‘' thet lands elle; ged with corn rents payable free of rates'
should be assessed at the full annual value, without making
any deduction for the corn rent charge : ' whether the
board accept that decision as declaratory of the law, and

Horrible Murder and Suicide.----This Day,

e._- -

A murder of a very horrible description was this morn-
ing discovered to have been perpetrated in No. 5, Leigh-
street, Burton crescent, in the occupation of Mr. Ashley,
a woollen draper and tailor.

That gentleman informed the police that ha and his
family felt some alarm from the fact that they saw
blood trickling down the wails of the kitchen, wh:ch is
below the back parl,ur. Mr. Ashley, thinking that
something was wrong, had tried to gain admission to
the back parlour, but this ho could not do, nor could
he make anyone hear. He also said that the room
was occupied by a man of the name of James Pearce and
his wi'e, whose name it is stated was Elizabeth.
On the police gaining an entrance into the room a
most fearful sight presented itself, for on the ground,
lying side by side, lay the bodies of Mr. and Mrs.
Pearce, tneir throats cut in a most fearful manner, and
weltering in a pool of blood. By the side of the man was
13 ing a long sheath knife, covered with blood, and it was
very evident from its condition that it bad been recently
sharpened- From the appearance of the bodies it would
appear that the man had first murdered his wife and then
cut his own throat.

The police at once sent off for medical aid, and Mr. J. T.
Paul, of 26, Burton-crescent, divisional surgeon of the E
division, immediately attended. He made an examination
of the bodies and perceived life was extinct, but gave it as his
opinion that death had not long taken place. He also made
a cursory examination of the bodies (which he had found
lying on their backs in separate pools of blood) and found
on the female a tremendous cut on the top of the head,
extending down to the bone, and which he had no hesita-
tion in saying had been inflicted by some blunt instrument,
There was also an immense cut extending from the front of
the neck down to the spine, her head hanging only by a
small piece of skin and the bone. This wound alone would
have caused instantaneous death. The man had also a very
deep cut extending- half across the throat, and separating the
windpipe, and it was of such a severe character that death
must have been instantaneous.

Both bodies were fully dressed; and it was evident that
the husband and wife had retired to rest, as they were seen to
go into the house last night, and the bed plainly showed that
two parties had lain there. Not the slightest disturbance
of the room had taken place, and no noise or screaming was
heard, although it is stated by the parties in the house that
►he deceased got up about half-past 5 this morning.
The deceased are supposed to lie about 35 years of age, and
the cause of this dreadful occurrence is supposed to be jea-
lousy

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE---This Day.

CITY BETTING.-THIS DAY.
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
11 to 4 agst Fille de l'Air (taken)
Bto 1 agst General Peel (taken)
Sto 1 agst Sir Roger (taken)
10 to 1 agst First Flight (offered)
12 to 1 agst Claremont (offered)
15 to 1 agst Copenhagen (taken)
16 to 1 agst Durham (taken)
16 to 1 agst Hollyfox (offered)
20 to 1 agst Laomedon (taken)

CHESTER CUP.
10 to 1 agst Change (taken)
10 to 1 agst Lord Zetland (taken)
12 to 1 agst Little Stag (offered)
15 to 1 agst Greenland (taken)
16 tc 1 agst Hersey filly (offered)
16 to 1 agst Gordian Knot (taken)
20 to 1 agst The Clown (taken)
25 to 1 agst .Welcome (taken)

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

Market rather quiet. Sales probably 5,000 bales.

SHIPPING—This Day.

LONDON, April 18.—Wind this day at noon—South-
West ; moderate breeze and fine weather.
FALMOUTH, April 17.—Wind N.—Arrived—Partheon,
from Zanzibar.
COWES, April 16.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Lady Bea-
trice, trona Bahia.
DOVER, April 15.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—Phonia, for
Richibucto.
MILFORD, April 17.—Wind N. E.—Sailed— Jamaica
Packet, screw steamer, for Jamaica.
OFF OROORHAVEN, April 18.—Arrived—China, screw
steamer, from New York.