The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS--This Evening,
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PRIVATE BILLS.

The following bills wero read a second time :—Westou-
super•Mare Pier, Salisbury Gas, Salisbury :Railway and
Market House, and West Riding and Grimsby Railway.
Tho following bills were read a third time and passed :
West London Dock and Warehouses, with an amendment

—Railway Passengers Assurance Company—and Dublin
and Meath Railway (Amendments).

POLAND.

The Earl of DERBY said the noble lord who had just
taken his seat (Lord Stratheden) had a motion on the paper
with respect to Poland, the frequent postponement of which
had occasioned considerable inconvenience. It stood
now for Monday next, and he should like t. know whether
ho intended to proceed with it on that day, or whether it
was again to be postponed.
Lord STRATHE DEN said ho was only anxious that
the subject which stood for discussion in another place
should be considered there before it was taken up by their
lordships.
THE SEIZURE OF THE STEAM RAMS.
The Earl of DEItI3Y rose to call attention to the pub-
lished correspondence between her Majesty's Government
and Mr. Laird as to the steam rams. His lordship, it would be
recollected, some time ago, asked the noble earl, the Secre-
tary for Foreign Affairs, for certain copies of correspondence
relative to this subject, but that was refused on public
grounds. Shortly afterwards a motion was made tor the
production of the papers in the other house, which were
produced. In reviewing the circumstances under which the
correspondence had arisen, ho characterised the conduct of
the Messrs. Laird as everything that was commendable,
seeing that they had withheld nothing from her
Majesty's Government, while tho conduct of the
Government, on the other hand, he considered
highly censurable, seeing it had been most unfair,
ungenerous, and he feared illegal. The noble earl
the Secretary for Foreign Affairs first received
information from the American Consul at Liverpool
respecting the nuns on the 7th of August.
From that time to the let Sept. the noble earl seemed to
have been weighing the facts to see if he could find any
evidence to justify the detention of the rams. Pressing
letters had in the meantime been sent by the representatives
of the American Government, and on Sept. 3 the noble earl
was informed, that one of the rams was almost ready to
proceed to sea. He seemed to have made up his mind that
the rams should be stopped, and they were eeized on the
sth of September, and no information to that effect was
furnished to Messrs. Laird until the 9th. He thought
those gentlemen had been badly treated in the matter, be-
cause they had done everything in the most open and un-
disguised manner. Before that time, however, a message
it appeared had been sent to the United States,
previously informing the Government; that the frame
had been stopped, After this a correspondence ensued
between the Messrs. Laird and the Government, relative to
the persons for whom the two ironclads were being con-
structed, in the course of which the Messrs. Laird said it
was unusual to furnish the names of parties for whom ships
were being built; but, notwithstanding that, they at once
informed the Government that M. Brave, of Paris,
was the person for whom the vessels were constructed,
and accordingly a Government agent was at once de-
spatched to that gentleman in Paris, when he, with-
out the slightest reserve, showed that person everything
connected with the iron-clad, and he returned to London
and reported to the Government that he had concluded his
inquiry, and that all the matters connected with the owner-
ship of the two vessels was satisfactory.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—This Evening,
The STEAXER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BU SIN ESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Iledon and Patrington Road, Newport and (Monmouth-
shire) Turnpike Trust, and North Eastern Railway (Addi.
tional Powers).
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
Mr. CAIRD gave notice that he would call the atten-
tion of the house to the subject of agricultural statistics.
HER MAJESTY'S DOCKYARDS.
Sir J. ELPIIINSTONE gave notice that on an early
day he would call attention to the expediency of the
orders lately issued as to the management and control of
her Majesty's dockyards.
UNCLAIMED WRECKS.
,Mr. ROGERS asked the President of the Board of
Trade, by what authority the proceeds of unclaimed wreck,
to which the right of private owners has been acknowledged
by the Crown, have been retained by the receivers since
such acknowledgment of claim.
Mr. M. GIBSON said that this matter was in dispute,
and so long as that was the case, the Board of Trade could
only give the work to the parties legally entitled to re-
ceive it.