The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-18 00:00:00

The nouso adjourned at a quarter past seven o'cicck.

ROITSII OF COMMONS--Last
The Speaker took tho dud: at foar o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalyb,idge Water—Huntingdon
and Godmanehester Gas—Laa Bridge District Gas—Lon.
don, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (Kemp Town
Station and Lines)—London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway (Ouse Valley Line)—London, Brighton, and
South Coast Railway (Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne
Line)—Northileet District Gas—Tunbridge Wells Gas---
and Weston-super-Mare Pier.
On the motion of Mr. C. FOUSTER, ate order for the
second reading of the Metropolitan District Railways Bill
was read and discharged, and the bill was withdrawn.

PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented chie2y from Friendly
and Insurance Societies,egainst the Government Annuities
Bill, and from other beclie.3 praying that the bill should be
referred to a select committee, against any interference in
the effitirs of Germany and Danmark, in favour of the
achption of a Permissive Bill, &c.
oFricEns OIL THE iramaN ARMY.

Sir C. WOOD said that no doubt the officers of
the Indian army, as stated in their memorial,
had great grievances to complain of, but in order fo devise
a measure to meet them great consideration was necessary,
but he hoped shortly to be able to lay a bill on the subject
on the table.

SALISBURY CATIIEDDaL.

In reply to Mr. 11. SEYMOUR.,

Mr. "WALPOLE said that the report had been made by
Mr. Gilbert Scott relative to the repairs of the Spiro and.
other parts of the Salisbury Cathedral, far which the Com-
mission ordered £lO,OOO.
GOVERNMENT INSURANCE BILL.
Mr. ItIA.7.'.;liEY asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
with reference to his proposed insurance of lives in c,nnec-
tion with the savings banks, to state what is the amount of
proposed to be charged en the Insurance
of £lOO on lives of the following ages, namely, 20, 30,
40, 50; and also the annual premium to be cllarged for
insurance of iOO on lives of the same ages; and whether
he would lay upon the table of the house a paper giving the
above information ?
The C HAN C

single p

of the EXCHEQUER said this
was a question of great difficulty, bnt not impracticable,
and would rcpaire the f,ssistance of eminent. actuaries as
well as those employed by Government.

in describing the proceedings in Chancery as being
a trial. He would have been happy to have corrected
himself, but he felt bound to adhere to every I, -rticular of
his original statement.
Mr. SHERIDAN, who frequently in rrupted the
right hon. gentleman, repeated his pr_v statements in
substance at length.
The adjourned debate on the Annuities Ilwas resumed
by

Sir M FARQUHAR, who moved that the measure be
referred to a select committee. The hon, baionet argued
that it was but fair that existing friendly societies, especi-
ally those which had been represented as fraudulent and
bankrupt, should be heard before a committee of the house
prior to the State undertaking to deprive them of the greater
portion of their business.
The amendment was seconded by Mr. UORSFALL, who
observed that the bill did not propose to amend the Friendly
Societies Act, while it would take from them the best life
assurances, leaving them with nothing but the sick fund
and contributions from old members, from which little ur
no profit was to be had,

Mr. HODGKINSON and Mr. SALT supported the principle
of the bill as likely to confer a great boon upon the working

classes.

Sir F. GOLDSMID and Mr. GREGS ON likewise spoke in
its favour.

Mr. SOTHERON-ESTCOURT (whose re-appearance,
after his severe indisposition, was cordially welcomed by the
house) said that if he were to consult his own feelings he
would support the bill, but there were many portions of it
which he thought the mature judgment of the house could
not approve, its operation would cease at that point where
life assurance became profitable, and he hoped the Chancellor
of the Exchequer would consent to refer it to a select com-
mittee, by whom the whole of the details might undergo the
fullest consideration.