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

PUNISHMENT OF RAPE BILL.

On the motion of the Marquis of WESTMEATH th•
hou3e went into committee on this bill.
On clause 1,

Lord WENSLEYDALE moved that instead of the
word " may," the word " shall" be inserted, in order to
make the punishment of whipping compulsory, instead of
optional.
Lord RAVENSWORTH did not object to the punish..
meat 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 CRAN WORTH 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
legislation.
The Marquis of "WESTMEATH supported the bill.
The Earl of CARNARVON admitted the objections of
piecemeal legislatioa, but said that, although this was not
a satisfactory way of proceeding, it had became 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 deterring from crime. He thought this punish.
ment should also be inflicted in the case of an attempt to
commit rape.

After a conversation, in which the Lord Chancellor, Lord
Cranworth, the Earl of Darby, and other peers took part,
the amendment was adopted, and the clause as amended
was agreed to.
The remaining clauses were agreed to.
The bill passed through committee, and the house
resumed.

The report on the Charitable Assurances Enrolments
Bill was received.

The Improvement of Land Act, 1564, Bill was read a
secDnd time.

THE HIGHWAY ACT.

Lord RED ESDALE presented a petition from the way-
wardens and ratepayers of the Alorpeth highway district, in
the county of Northumberland, cumplsining 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 asked
whether Government intended to propose any amendment
of the Highways Aet in the present session ?
Lord GRANVILLE was understood to reply in the
negative.

Earl GREY said that the Act was extremely defective,
and required amendment.
MICHAEL DONEGA.N, 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 GitANNILLE consented that a portion of the cor-
respondence 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-
struction 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 severe than had been applied to any other target
—that it successfully stood this test; that, nevertheless,
the Board of Admiralty had declined to adopt his invention;
that the Chiet 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 SOMERSET 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
more costly. Then it was very desirable that as much of
the target as possible should contribute to the structural
strengtte of the ship. 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
target, 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 deniel that Mr. Chalmers's invention
Lad 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
Shoeburyness was in many respects more severe than that
to which Mr. Chalmers's had been exposed. Althou,;h
Mr.:Chalmers'a target was in some degree an improvement
upon those which had preceded it, it was not much better
than the Warrior target. He did not desire to co 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.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening.
the SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BU

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Andover and Chilton Pond—Downs (the) Docks—Oke-
laamp'on Railway—South Yorkshire Railway and River
Dun Company—Siirling Water—Stockport District Water
—and Thornset Road.
THE MALT DUTY.

A very large number of petitions was presented in favour
of the repeal of the malt duty.
CANDIDATES FOR THE MEDICAL DEPART-

land, by whose directions, and whether up n the recom-
mendation of any local magistrate, and whether upon any
representations of breaches of the peace co ttted or
,ippreheneted, 150 addi. ional police were recent 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 apprehended that
political feeling was so strong in Lisburn that 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.