The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-07 00:00:00

THE ADDRESS.

Lord M an M
r, brouzht up her alley, answer
tha Address, which was ati follow' :—" have
received
with mach satisfaction your loyal and dutiful address,
and you may rely on my earnest desire to co-operate
with you in any measures 3:ou any deem necessary to
promote, the welfare and happiness. of my people
The answer was ordered to be entered en the journals
of the House.

THE CENSUS
slr. DISRAELI gave notice of his intention next
weplc to move for
a return of the pollation of each
county in England and Wales
given in tho same form as
the census of 1841.

ESTIIINSTER BRIDGE.
Sir R. H. INGLIzi wished to know whether there
would he any 613.1,cti0n to lay before the House tile re-
port of tho Commission appointed to select a bet-
ter site for Westaain6ter bridge.—( Hear, bear.)
The recommendation of the Commission had, he
no&rstooti, been confirmed by the reports of two
enceessi vo Committees of the House that hid at upon
the subject, and he shoul,l,thereton, glad to know
tvither it was in tendad to introduce a Bill to carry out
that recommendation?

no-
Lord SBYMOUR said the report recommended that
a new bridge should be conii,ruoied, and he had, in
couleur!, with that ree )rnmendatiori, given th 4 urcess!iry
notice fora /3111, which would be brought in if he found
the House tVh3 in fa.v6.ar of it.--(hear, hear.)
Sir B. H. ItiGLI adted i it was intended to bring
in a Bill to truusfer the Brit' E.“.ates from the Com-
missioners who now held it to the Commissioners of
Wo..da?--(Hear.)
Lc" SRYNIOUR did not think a separate Bill
would he neees.ary
ot for that ohjoet, es it would be incor-
porated with the her Bill.--(Cheery.)
The, report was then ordered to
ani bruit? be laid on the table,
ht n 9 by Lord ;3..valour forthwith.
Sir R. H. INGLIS agaiti tvi4,11.41 to know from the
Icloh!e Lord if he was prepared to introduce a Bill at once,
be,buse if the bridge ought to be removed, it was of im-
portance that it should be done with as little delay as
possible.—(Hear,
hear.) He waq sure the Noble Lord
would find no objection made to it in the House.
Lord SEYMOUR be that it was of importance
that no time should be lost, and he would give a decisive
answer on Monday.
POLITICAL REFUGEES.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL brought up a correspondence
which had
g ees residing talvinti
this country ace on the subject of political refa-
wiaich was ordered to be
,
printed.

THE FLORENCE (TTRaGE.
Lord DUDLEY S rLTART Wished to ,it a question
to the Noble Lord at the head of the Government
respecting the outrage that wag committed some

time ago on an English gentleman at Flo-
I rence by some Austrian officers. The Noble
I Lard related the eircutastiLeeS attending the
1 outrage, as they have already appeared in print,
1
and added that the British Minister at Florence had
made representations to the Austrian coaareander-in-
! chief and the Tuscan Governmen', on the subject; but
I he had failed to obtain any satisfactory explanation.
All the information he could get was, that
the officers would have been justified in putting Mr.
Mather to death upon the spot, and the question he
wished to ask the Noble Lord was whether it was his
intention to take steps to obtain some satisfactory re-
dress in this matter?—(Hear, hear.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the accounts given
in i the newspapers of the transaction were, he
believed, substantially correct, though there was some
difference between the English account and that given
by the Austrian authorities.—(Hear, hear.) It ap-
peared that Mr. Mather, the gentleman in question,
was walking behind the band of the regiment to which
the officer belonged, listening to the music, and there
being a slight crush in the street he was brought nearer
to the commanding officer than was allowed by the rule
of the service, and the commanding officer struck him
with the back of his sword. Mr. Mather turned round
and was about to explain how it was that he came to be
so near the officer when he was struck in the face by
another officer, when he put up his hand to cover his
head, and the officer who struck him first thereupon
drew his sword again and struck him down. He bled
very mach, and was ultimately taken to the hospital,
where he obtained every assistance that he required.
—(Hear, hear,) Now, it was a usage iu the
Austrian army not to allow an officer to be insulted
while on duty without steps being immediately taken
to correct the offender, and several officers hsd been dis-
missed from the army for neglecting to carry out that
rule. In this particular case, the officer, finding that
he could not march at the head of his regiment owing to
a person walking before him, who, he presumed from
the shape of his hat, was an Italian Liberal—(A laugh)
—used the flat of his sword to direct him out of the way.
The officer therefore touched him on the shoulder re-
quiring him to stand out of the way, which he not doing
at once, another officer struck him on the face, and then,
as the Austrian account stated, Mr. Mather put himself
in a posture of aggression, when, according to the rules
of the Austrian service, the officer cut him down with his
sword. The result was that this gentleman, walking
quietly after the band, and intending no insult, was
seriously injured, and was obliged to remain some days
in the hospital under medical treatment. It appeared
that the Austrian officers now said that it was a mistake
on their part that any insult was intended by Mr.
Mather, and as he (the Noble Lord) would have thought,
when they became aware that there was no such
intention, they would have been ready to come
forward and offer a reparation.—(Hear.) Mr. Mather
was told, however, that he must say that he did not
intend any insult before any reparation would be
offered. This he very naturally refused to do, and
asked for a judicial inquiry, which was now proceed-
ing. He should mention that the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs, Lord Granville, as soon as he
heard of the occurrence, and before he got the report of
the affsir from Florence, wrote to direct that the circum-
stances should be inquired into, and satisfaction required.
Mr. Scarlett had, however, before these orders reached
him, taken steps to comply with the request of Mr.
Mather, in order to obtain for him a judicial inquiry.
The result of this had not yet reached this country, but
he (Lord J. Russell) certainly thought that Mr. Mather
was entitled to some reparation.—(Hear, hear.)
NATIONAL EDUCATION (SCOTLAND).
In answer to a question from Lord MELGUND,
The LORD ADVOCATE said that he could not at
present say at what period it was the intention of
Government to introduce a Bill on the subject of Na-
tional Education in Scotland.
EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER.
_ _

rilr. ANSTEY rose to ask the First Lord of the
Treasury when the Committees on the East Indian
Charter were to be moved for.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he would state in the course
of next woak.
TRANSPORTATION TO VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.
Mr. ANSTEY asked the Under-Secretary of State
for the Colonies whether any late dispatches from Sir
William Denison, on transportation, had been received,
and how soon they would laid before the House?
Ur. F. PEEL said that dispatches had lately been re-
ceived from Sir William Denison, but he could not say
when he should be able to lay them on the table of the
House.

PERFORATED POSTAGE-STAMPS.
Mr. GROGAN rose to ask the Chancellor of the
Exchequer if any arrangement had been made with the
patentee relative to the
if
supply of perforated postage-
stamps to the public, or it be the intention of the Go-
vernment to purchase the patent, or agree for the use
thereof, so that the public may enjoy the convenience of
these stamps?
Mr. C. LEWIS said that some time ago a gentleman
named Mr. Archer had offered an invention for per-
forating postage stamps to the Government. 600/. had
been offered him, which he refused; and subsequently,
by the advice of the Post-office authorities, a further
sum of 2,000/. was offered him. This he refused also, and
no further communication had taken place on the subject.
PATENT AMENDMENT LAW.
In answer to a question from Mr. CARDWELL,
Lord J. RUSSELL said, the Government would not
make any opposition to the moving for a Committee on
this subject ; and would postpone the introduction of
their Bill until its inquiry had terminated.
METROPOLITAN INTERMENTS ACT.
In answer to a question from Mr. LUSHINGTON,
Lord SEYMOUR said that it was his intention to
bring in a Bill on this subject early in the session.
UNDUE ELECTIONS.

Mr. BANKES rose to ask the Attorney-General
whether the indemnity given by the Act of last session
to witnesses whose testimony was received by the Com-
missioners on the St. Alban's inquiry has the legal
effect of indemnifying those who, having been witnesses
on that inquiry, were also parties concerned in obstruct-
ing the proceedings of the Election Committee, by in-
ducing persons summoned as witnesses to abscond and
withdraw themselves beyond the jurisdiction of the
House? The Attorney-General not being, however,
present, the Hon. Member said he hoped his Learned
Colleague, the Solicitor-General, would reply to the
question?
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he had seen the
Attorney-General that day, and expected him every
minute, and he would rather the question should be re-
plied to by him.
Sir DE LACY EVANS asked if the Hon. Member
for Dorsetohire intended to renew his motion for a Com-
mittee on the corrupt election proceedings at Harwich?
Mr. BANKS said he had originally proposed the
Committee in consequence of a most respectable peti-
tion he had received from the borough. If he received
a similar petition this session, he should renew his mo-
tion for a Committee; but the Hon. and Gallant Mem-
ber had given a notice which appeared to supersede this
motiob.
The SPEAKER then requested the chief clerk to
read the following instrument of appointment, signed
by the Right Hon. Gentleman:—" Pursuant to the
provisions of the Act of Parliament, I do hereby ap-
point Lord Seymour, Sir G. Clerk, Mr. W. Patten,
Mr. Thornely, Sir R. Ferguson, and Sir T Y. hullers,
Members of the General Committee of Elections for the
present session."

The instrument was then recorded on the journals.
Mr. BANKES gave notice that, on the earliest possible
opportunity, he would move for a Committee to inquire
into the subject to which his
of the Crown had reference.question of the law officers

E GUM BERED ESTATES BILL.
Mr. F. FFRENCII gave notice that he should on
llonday next ask how far the Government intended to
carry this Bill. It it were carried out, how were the
proprietors liable to a mortgage to pay the money to the
mortgagees? He should, therefore, ask that question on
Monday.

STAMPS ON PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said that Messrs. Bradbury
and Evans, the eminent printers, had been pursued by
au action at law, for the imposition of a stamp on a IR,-
riodical work which in its entirety only appeared once a
month. If he was rightly informed, it was against the
law to levy any stamp on a publication like that to which
he had al:udecf. He wiAled to know whether aay Bill
was to be laid upon the table upon that subject?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
thatt it was not the intention of the Government to intro-
Court of T' any particular measure, and that for the present
litt'
Exchequer.
Wait they intended to rest upon the judgment of the

THE MILITIA.
forma
On the motion for the organization of the Militia pro
,
Mr. liumE
said that he would take that opportunity of
inquiring the
no sums would be
21110(1:leant of the rt,cessary expense for the
embodiment of
pose without the detnmilaintited of the country for this pur-
At any rate, ho hoped that
subjected to the jurisdiction of the House
proposition of the whole of the ex-
penses being
Sir G. GREY said,
into that
I:ecessary
of Commons.
unnecessary
there was no intention what-
Id rise, of increasing
niovefo
ever of entering
was simply brought in to
_uuponat: but without any in-
theelfteanffs oe i thTehmisilßitiiall,
and of course to providefosrlse
tendon, unless necessity
outlay to the country,
the practice in th leathyoe
The Bill was then read a first time.
COURT OP CHANCERY.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL rose t
haaßncilrjlrfyo,r improving
and said that, no twithstandienHigh
improvements which had bean made in the the
many Ct°oubrqrlogf
con.
duct of the law courts, mach remained to be effected in
the reformation of the superior courts of law.—wear
hear.) The first of these was the Supreme Court
of Equity. In that much bad been accomplished,
by Lord Brougham, whose efforts were always admir-
ably useful; but of coarse could only be available for
the time. Lord Brougham left office,
and
was succeeded
in the end by Lord Cottenbarn whose unhappy illness
Lod caused - -
- the business to fall into areenr.—(Hear,
hear-) It was not owing to any deficiency of that
Noble
Lord, but to the necessity of the case, and
consequently many causes were left on the paper
which it would have been better to dispose of. The
object of the Bill which he • dto la on the table
desire
theY
of the House wasevil which
to obviate
there was an evident necessity
sion of :nto meet. The Bill
provision would further contain a import-
ant
nature, which was not recommended by the report of
upon this subject. the Committee which had sat
It
_
would, in face, abolish the fee system..—(Hear, hear.)
Now, the fee system had been a great nuisance
Court
to the suitors of the of Chancery,
and he had no remedy, for the Committee uon look..
ing into the matter, had found this startling It
that in the course of a year a suitor he resn --
upon something like 330.000 transactions. Ito pay fees
there had been paid 2981. in 393 pi a one case
YERenta _..(s ear, lav
ear,