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

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening,
ROYAL COMMISSION.

The following bills received the Royal assent by Corn-
mission, viz.:—Consolidated Fund (£15,000,000)—Bille of
Exchange and Promissory Notes (Ireland)--Convey-
ances (Ireland) Malt for Animals— Union Relief
Aid Acts Continuance Warehousing of British
Spirits—Hull Docks—Llanelly Railway and Docks—
Newry and Greenmore Railway—Southwark Park—
Folkstone Water--Matlock and Bath Water—Marple New
Mills and Hayfield Junction Railway—Chertsey Gas—
liingston-upon-Thamas Gas—Southwark and Wrexhall
Water—Tunbridge Wells Water—Dublin and Belfast
Junction Railway—Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway—
Dover Gas—Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market—
Caine Gas—lpswich Gas—and Swansea Vale Railway.

The Lords Commissioners were the Lord C. lamicellor,
Earl St. Germans, and the Duke of Argyll.
Their Lordships adjourned during pleasure.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
a five o'clock.

REGISTRATION OF TITLES TO LAND.

The Earl of LEINSTER presented a petition from the
corporation of Dublin in favour of a bill to amend the law
relating to the registration of titles to land.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Wrexham Water, Lancashire and Yorkshire Rail-
way (additional powers), London, Brighton, and South
Coast Railway (Kemp Town Station), North Eastern,
Lancashire and Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire Railway
Companies, and North Eastern Railway (Alicklefield
branch) were read a second time.
The Herne Bay, Hampton, and Reculver Fishery, and
Great Northern and Western (of Ireland) Railway Bills
were read a third time and passed.

INDIA.

In roply to a question from the Earl of ELLENBOROUGIi,

Lord CVO DEEIOUSE said that no official information
had been received from India in reference to the orders
given as respects the disposal of the dead.
Sir Charles Wood had received a private note from
which it appeared that an order had been given, with the
sanction of the Governor-General, to discontinue throwing
dead bodies into the Ganges. Arrangements had been
made to burn the bodies of those whose friends were
too poor to do so themselves. It would be a great sani-
tary improvement. He further said that no resolution had
been come to to change the seat of Government from Cal.
cutta to the upper provinces.
PUNISHMENT OF RAPE BILL.
On the motion that the bill do pass,

Lord WODEHOUSE moved an amendment to one of the
clauses, the effect of which was to make the punishment of
whipping those found guilty under the act discretionary
with the judge, and not compulsory.

After a short discussion their lordships divided, when
there appeared—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority —3s
The amendment was then agreed to, and the bill passed.
THE REGIUS PROF ESSORSHIP OF GREEK
(OXFORD) BILL.

The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second reading
of this bill.

The Earl of DERBY said he did not intend to oppose the
bil', as he understood the University desired that it should
pass. At the same time he entertained considerable objec•
tions to some of its provisions, especially to that which re-
quired the professorship to be held by a clergyman. If such
a limitation had existed in bygone times, Professor Porson
could never have held the appointment, and he thought that
the professorship of Greek was not one that could at all
times be advantageously held by a clergyman.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH opposed the bill on
tho ground that it took away from the hard-working clergy
one of the few rewards which had hitherto been allotted to
them, and applied to a peculiar secular object.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, speaking in defence of the
bill, observed that it was regarded as satisfactory by the
University, who had accepted it as the best remedy for the
painful scenes that had recently occurred. He had no ob-
jection to the insertion of a provision to the effect that, in
the event of the University endowing the Greek professor-
ship to the amount of £3OO a year, the canonry he proposed
to attach to the chair should be placed at the disposal of the
University.
The Earl of HARROWBY supported the bill.
Earl GREY concurred with the Earl of Ellenborough,
that it would be unwise to withdraw a valuable piece of
Church preferment from the position it had hitherto occu-
pied of being a reward for peculiarly clerical services.
After a few observations from the Earl of Carnarvon,

The 13,shop of LONDON remarked that he had no doubt
the clerical body would be always able to supply a gentle-
man fit to undertake the duties of the professorship; and
he could only express a hope that all the canonries might
be as well disposed of as beisg conferred upon a man who
must necessarily be one of the most eminent Greek scholars
of the day.
The bill rias read a second time.

The Joint-Stock Companies (Foreign Countries) Bill
was read a third time and paased ; and the Itegi,tration of
County Voters (Ireland) Bill si as read a second time.
Their lordships then adjourned

HOUSE OF COMMONS.---Last Evening,
The SPEAKER took tho chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Bedford and Cambridge Railway, Ely, Haddenham, and
Sutton Railway, Greenwich and South Eastern Docks,
North Cheshire Water, Portmadoc and Beaver Pool Bridge
11,)ad, and the Scarbarough Valley Bridge.

ROYAL COMMISSION.

Colonel CLIFFORD, the Yeoman TJsher of the Black
Rod, eummouei the members to the upper house to hear
the Royal assent given by commission to several bills, for
which see Lords report.

MEDICAL OFFICERS IN INDIA.

In reply to Colonel SYKES,

Sir C. WOOD said that he bad received no circular from
head-quarters addressed to British Army Medical officers
in India, calling for volunteers for the new line corps and
brigades of Royal Artillery, and he was not aware that there
was any such document in existence.

THE STATUE OF RICHARD MGR DE LION.
In reply to Mr. HANILEY,
_ _ _

Mr. COWPER said that the sculptor had sent in his
design for the bas-reliefs for the base of the statue, and it
was still under consideration.

STANDARD OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Mr. LOCKE asked the President of the Board of Trade
whether any communications have been received by her
Majesty's Government from the Astronomer Royal and
Comptroller General of the Exchequer as to the urgent
necessity for an adjustment and reverification of
the Exchequer standards of weights and measures;
and, if so, the date thereof : Whether any steps have been
taken for effecting such adjustment and reverification; and
if so, when the same will be completed : Whether any
representations have been made with a view of re-
laxing the law against tradesmen for small de-
viations in their weights and measures until the
standards have been adjusted and• reverified. And,
whether it is the intention of her Majesty's Government to
submit any bill to Parliament this session in reference to
the present state of the law relating to weights and mea-
sures.

Mr. M. GIBSON said that a communication had been
received on the subject from the Astronomer Royal in 1859.
Since then a report had been made by the committee ap-
pointed to inquire into the reverification of the national
standard of weights and measures, and the subject
was under consideration, but up to the present time
no insrructions had been issued on the subject. With
regard to the last question, it was not considered advisable
to introduce any bill imposing pains and penalties for
infringement of the existing law.
ROYAL COURT IN JERSEY.

Mr. SCLAT ER-BOOTH asked the Secretary of State
for the Home Department whether he had any objection to
produce the correspondence between himself and the Lieu-
tenant Governor of Jersey, relative to proposed alterations
is the constitution of the Royal Court in that island.
Zir G. GREY replied in the negative.
THE SHEFFIELD RESERVOIRS, &c.
FERRAND asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department whether Mr, Rawlinson had sent in his
report ou the state of the Sheffield reservoirs; if so, whether
he would lay it upon the table of the house ; if he had yet
sent in his report on the Bradtord reservoirs; rnd, if he
had been. engaged in inspecting any other than the Shef-
field and Bradford reservoirs under the authority of the
Home Office._

Sir G. GREG repeated in substance the statement he
had made on a Previous occasion, to the effect that Mr
Rawlinson had not yet completed his report on the subject
which he was endeavouring to make as perfect as possible.
He (Sir G. Grey) could state, however, that there was no
danger to be apprehended from the reservoirs at Sheffield
and Bradford.

r
NEUTRALITY IN CHINA.
Mr. LI DDELL asked whether the attention of the law
officers of the Crown had been directed to the report of a
recent trial before the Consular Court at Shaughae, at
which a man named George Waite' charged
as an accom-
plice in the capture of the Firefly steamer, was convicted
and sentenced for a breach of__ the Rang Kong
Neutrality Ordinance, No. 1, of 18ad ; and further to a
statement made on July 1, 1863, by the Duke of Newcastle
then Colonial Secretary, for the information of Earl Russell,
to the effect that there is no ordinance now in force enjoin-
d
ing the observance of neutrality by her Majosty's subjects
between the contending parties in China; and, so, whether
that statement of the Duke of Newcastle was correct or in.
orrect ; and, if correct, whether the conviction of the said
eorge White can be held to have been a legal conviction.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said with regard to the
first question, no authentic information had been received,
and therefore he was unable to afford any information as to
the circumstances connected with the case referred to; and
that answer would apply to the last part of the question.
There was ample provision made for the preservation of