The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-19 00:00:00

THE REV. DR. PAYNE.

Mr. O'NEILL asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Government had
taken any steps to obtain compensation for losses sustained
by the Rev. Dr. Payne, in consequence of au assault made
upon him by a Greek soldier in April, 1561 ; and, if not,
whether it was intended to take any steps far this purpose?

Mr. L A.YAR D said that the soldier had been condemned
to Melt's months' imprisonment, and he thought that
punishment was sufficient for his offence.

RURAL PARISHES.

Mr. ROGERS asked the Secretary of State for the
Hom Department, if, after a county had been divided into
highway districts under the Act of 1862, facilities would be
afforded to rural parishes, where the population according
to the last census was more than 3,000, and such parishes
desire to withdraw from such districts by adopting the Local
Government Act of 1858?
Sir G. GREY said that no additional facilities would be
afforded for the purpose mentioned by the hon. member.
QUEEN'S COLLEGE (CORK).

Lord NAAS asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whe-
ther the report of the President of the Queen's College,
Cork, to her Majesty, for the past year, had yet been pre-
sented; and whether that report contained the whole of the
correspondence which had taken place between the Irish
Government, Dr. Bullen, and Sir R. Kane ; and if it did
not whether he would lay the entire correspondence on the
table of the house ?
Sir It. PEEL said the report of the President of the
Queen's College in Cork had been presented, and was laid
on the table of the house yesterday. There would be no
objection to publish the correspondence alluded to.
RELATIONS WITH BRAZIL.
Mr. HUNT asked the Under Secretary of State for Fo-
reign Affairs whether the Portuguese Government had ten-
dered its good offices to bring about a rene :val of diplomatic
relations between this country and Brasil, and whether her
Majesty's Government had accepted those good offices, and
whether any papers upon the subject would be laid upon
the table ? _ _

Mr. LAYARD said that the offers of the Portuguese
G,wernment made last year had been accepted by his noble
friend at the head of the Foreign-office, but he could not
state whether it had been accepted by the other Government
or not. No correspondence had taken place oa the
subject.
VESTRY CESS ABOLITION BILL.

Sir R. PEEL, in moving the second reading of this
bill, said that the object was to abolish a power which the
vestries in Ireland had possessed for a considerable time,
as it was found that these powers were no longer desirable.
The right hon. gentleman entered into some details in
support of the bill,
Sir E. GROGAN would not oppose the bill, but thought
it required much consideration.
Lord NAAS o-ujected to a portion of the bill.
After same observations from Colonel French, Mr. Lefroy,
Colonel Dunne, and other hon. members,
The bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted cn Thursday next,
PENAL SERVITUDE ACTS AMENDMENT.

Sir G. GREY, in moving for leave to introduce
measure
to
amend the Penal Servitude Acts, said that the mewas
founded on the report of the commissioners which l
pre-
sented to hon. members too late last session to enable him
to bring in a bill on the subj2ct. While there had been an
increase last year in a particular description of offence, such
as to justify the alarm of the public, still, notwith-
standing the increase in the population, it appeared
from the report of the commission that there had been a
decrease in crime in the United Kingdom. The recom-
mendations of the commission were of two classes, the first
of which related to administrative details, which no doubt
were very important but required no alteration in the exist-
ing law to give them effect. The second class did require
some alterations, and the bill was so framed so as to effect
tbat object, and amongst that class of recommendations was
that the term of penal servitude should not be less than
seven years, He found that in England, since the act was