The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-07 00:00:00

I DEPERIAL PARLIAIVOINT

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening,

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
SHOT PRACTICE AT PLYMOUTH.

The Duke of NIA.RLBOROUGFI called the attention of
the noble earl to the dangerous practice of firing live shell
from Plymouth Citadel. It is now a practice fraught with
the utmost danger, and fatal effects had already resulted
from the practice, as a poor man had been killed owing to his
boat having been struck by a shell fired from the Citadel dur-
ing artillery practice. No person eould sail out of Plymouth
Sound without crossing the lino of fire, and he himself had
experienced the danger of the practice. He wished to know
whether the Government intended to adopt steps to prevent
the recurrence of such lamentable accidents as the one he
had referred to, by providing new practising grounds, which
he believed might easily be done.
Earl DE GREY and RIPON regretted the fatal occur-
rence as much as the noble duke. It was too true the poor
man had died from the effects of a wound inflicted on him

by one of the shells fired from Plymouth citadel. The shot
had deviated from the regular course, and thus the accident
had been occasioned. He felt it but right to the officer in com-
mand of the gun to say that he had waited for saorrthan two
hours for the clearing of the line of fire. Immediately he
heard of the accident ho issued orders, which indeed
were unnecessary, as the commanding officer had acted
on his own responsibility, and ordered a discontinuance of
the firing from Plymouth Citadel. It was not, however,
the fact to say that it was the practice to fire live shells
from the guns. The fact was that they were only charged
with sufficient materials to show the exact moment of strik-
ing the water. The matter was under the serious conside-
ration of the Government, but he would at once say that no
risk to human life would be run in practising with artillery. It
was not quite so easy as the noble duke imagined to procure
fresh ranges, but no considerations of that sort would de-
lay the consideration of measures to prevent the recurrence
of so melancholy an accident.
The Earl of MALMESBURY expressed his satisfaction
at the answer of the noble lord.
SIR ROWLAND HILL AND THE LATE EARL
OF ELGIN.

The LORD CHANCELLOR read a read a message from
her Majesty recommending the House of Lords to confer
with a view of enabling her to grant, as a special mark of
her favour, the sum of £20,000 to Sir Rowland Hill.
Earl GRANVILLE moved that her Majesty's message
be taken into consideration on Friday next.
The LORD CHANCELLOR next road a message from
her Majesty recommending their lorships to confer, with a
view of enabling her to grant to Mary Louisa, the Dowager
Countess of Elgin and Kincardine, £l,OOO per annum for
her natural life.
Earl GRANVILLE moved that her Majesty's message
be also taken into consideration on Friday next,
The motions were agreed to.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time : New.
castle-upon .Tyne and North Shields Roads Dublin,
Wicklow, and Wexford Railway—Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway and Tendring Hundreds Rail-
way—Scottish North Eastern and Alyth Railway Company
—Nlytholm Royd Bridge and Blackstone Edge Rae.d—
Scottish North Eastern and Perth Almond Valley and
Methven Railways—Ribblesdale Railway, Abeiystwith
and Welsh Coast Railway—and Edinburgh and Glasgow
and Alva Railway.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Much Wenlock and Severn Junction and Wenlock Rail-
way Companies, Stirling Water, Wrexham Water, West
Riding and Grimsby Railway, London and South-Western
Railway (Chester Extension), Witney Railway, Salisbury
and Yeovil Railway, •Ely, Haddesham, and Sutton Rail-
way, Watford and Edgware Junction Railway, Great
Northern Railway (No. 1) (Barnet Branch), West Norfolk
Junction, and South Staffordshire Water.