The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-13 00:00:00

EVENING,

a satisfaction to those who were obliged to expatriate
themselvee, that he trusted her Majesty's Government
would pl.iee oar ce!onies in the same position as Ireland
on the Channel IA 4,llds,—(flear, hear.) It might be
done without increase of charge for the service, though
be antici;2atcd a reduction of receipts; but when the
House saw bow inconsiderable these receipts were, ho
was sure there would he no objection to placing our co-
loeies within the range and facility of penny postage.
Mr. FRENCH would be very happy to take the re-
turn in any way the Admiralty might wish; but surely
the Hon. I}lniber for Montrose had not been in the
House when he (Mr. French) made the statement that
270,000/. a year was heing paid fora service tendered at
80,0001 or the Hon. Member would not have expressed
himself ix:rice:ly content with the explanation of the
Admiralty, which left the statement unanswered. If the
Hon. Mern'iser was content, he was the only person that
was content.
The return was then agreed to.
REGULATION OF TOWNS (IRELAND) BILL.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE moved for leave to bring in a
to make better provisions for the paving, lighting,
cleansing supplying with water, and regulation of towns
in Ireland.
Mr. MONSELL called fur an assurance,from the Chief
Secretary for Ireland that the same course would not be
pursued with this Bill as was pursued last session, when
within three days of the prorogation it was abandoned,
and all their Lbeur was found to have teen in vain.
Mr. ROCHE hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman would
also give some iefurmation of the mode in which he pro-
posed to carry other important Bills relating to Ireland
through the House. He suggested setting aside some
portion oF the week for Irish business.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said it did so happen that
at the end of last session it was found impossible to
carry a great number of Irish Bill successfully through
the House. That very important Bill, fur the bettee ad-
ministration of justice, was carried, but the Bill now
ewore the House was abandoned. For himself, he could
only say it was his full determination to omit no effort
which should bring this Bill to a successful issue during
the present session. He had fixed the second reading
for this day week, and should name an early day for
going into Committee. In the last session many clauses
were inserted in Committee, which occupied a great des'
of time; but many of those amendments were now in.
eluded in the Bill.
The motion was agreed to.
QUALIFICATIONS OF PHARMACEUTICAL
CHEMISTS.

Mr. JACOB BELL said the Bill for regulating the
qualifications of pharmaceutical chemists, which he
asked leave to bring in, was the same he introduced in
the last session, with amendments, to meet objections
then raised against it. To comply with the forms of the
Hotta() ho would move that the House resolve itself
into Committee for the purpose of giving leave for the
introduction of the Bill.
The motion being agreed to, the House went into
Committee, and a resolution was proposed for giving
leave, upon which
Mr. HUME asked whether anything had been added
to render the Bill more acceptable, and whether it had
received the approbation of her Majesty's Ministers?
Mr. BELL slid he bad been in communication with
the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Home
Department; he had no objection to bringing in the
Bill, and as soon as he had seen it he would state
whether he would support it or not The objections last
year were that the Bill gave too much power to the body
which it created, and it had since' been altered to meet
those objections. He hoped the Hon. Member would
allow the Bill to be printed.
The resolution was then agreed to, and, on the House
resuming, was reported to the Speaker.
Mr. FREWEN moved for leave to bring in a Bill to
extend the powers of justices of the peace regarding
dangerous animals.
Mr. SOTHERON asked whether the dangerous ani-
mals went on two legs or four? For his own part, be
would support the Bill, either for the one class or the
other.—(Laughter.)
CUSTOMS INQUIRY.
Mr. MITCHELL moved the Select Committee on
Custome to consist of Mr. Mitchell, Mr. C. Lewis, Mr,
Goulburn, Mr. Gladstone, Sir J. Yarde Buller, Sir G.
Clerk, Mr. W. Brown, Mr. Alderman Thompson, Mr,
Forster, Mr. Macgregor, Mr. Archibald Hastie, Mr,
Alderman Humphery, Mr. Moody, Mr. Anderson, and
Mr. Tennent.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS thought there was already suffi-
cient evidence to satisfy the, Government that there
ought to be some change in this department. Three
years ages commission was appointed, including officials
and Lords of the Treasury, and they reported that the
Commissioners and officers of Customs had been guilty
of neglect of duty, and had shown their incompetency in
the issue of orders which it was impossible for officers
under them to carry out. The Customs presented such
a scene of mismanagement that frauds had to au un-
known extent taken place, in which officers of the Cus-
toms of high rank had been concerned. There was
overwhelming and, if possible, stronger evidence before
the Committee appointed last session of the total incom-
petency of the Board. The blame rested, he believed,
more with the mode in which the Board was constituted
than with the individuals of which it was composed;
though when they looked at the appointments
to that Board—not in reference to the present Board
more than to any former Board—it did appear the
Commissioners—of which there were nine—were not
appointed for their competency to discharge the duties
of the offics, but merely to fill places, and he had heard
it often described as a sort of refuge for the destitute.—
(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) The cases of the St Katharine
and Londuu Docks further showed that the Board of
Customs (mot not any longer to be entrusted with the
management of that important department, and he was
surprised that the Noble Lord at the head of her Ma-
jesty's Government, having seen the report of that case
—having seen the report of the Commission, and having
heard the statements which bad IN en made before him
by the leading merchants of the city of London and Li-
verpool, shewing the total inefficiency of the present
system for the collection of revenue, did 'not propose
any change. With regard to the proceedings against the
dock , to which he (Alr. Williams) had alluded, the
Customs—witeout any justification, without any evi-
dence save that picked up, in the first instance, from
discarded servants, and afterwards obtained from up-
wasds of sixty of the dock servants, who were-paid
for giving evidence against their employers—sent a
body of their effieers through all the warehouses, con-
taieiug twelve or fourteen millions of property, threw
everything. into confusion. made seizures of packages
to the value of 20,0001. without duty, and issued
120 informations against these docks fur defrauding the
revenue. Every means were taken by the dock compa-
nies to bring on a speedy trial. The Customs threw
impediments in the way. At last the case was brought
to trial, and after occupying eleven days,
and costing the
dock company 10,000/.—he supposed the costs to the
public on the other aide would be as much—the jury
found there had been only irregularity, without any in-
tention to commit fraud, on two packages of the value
of 6/. Every means were then taken by the dock com-
paniea to go to trial on the other informations; but after
numerous delays the Custom-houss Board came forward
and offered to compromise these charges of fraud to the
amount of 20;000/. for 51, and which, owing to other
influence, was eventually compromised for 100/ in each
of the cases. Having charged the decks with having
committed these gross frauds, and having offered to
compromise them for 51., the Customs had been
guilty either of great calumny and oppression, or of
participating in compounding for frauds on the public
of a most serious amount. In either case they were
unfit to manage a department through which 22 mil-
lions sterling of duties, 65 millions sterling of imports,
and 71 millions sterling of exports passed through
last year. But if such was their conduct to the prin-
cipals, their conduct to the servants of the dock was
much worse. He, learnt from a petition which he had
presented, that servants of the company, who had for
36 years, 28 years, 20 years, and other periods respec-
tively occupied situations of trust, and borne irreproach-
able characters, were arrested like common felons, and
taken, not before a magistrate, to ascertain whether their
detention was just or not, but to the Central Criminal
Court, and some were absolutely committed to goal, be-
cause they were not prepared with bail on the instant.
These men demanded a trial. The trial was first put,
off, and when the time fixed arrived, was removed to an•
other court, to the incurring a great expense for their
defence, and at last these men were set at liberty, the
whole char fie was abandoned, and the amount of robbery
charged turned out to be the sweepings of the warehouses,
of the value of 41., and supposing duty to be payable,
only of the value of 27e. For a year and a half these
men were kept with the charge hanging over them, and
put to the expense of some hundreds of pounds.
After these circumstances were known could her Ma-
jesty's Government hesitate in making an instant
change in the Customs, or did thsy really think these
men were fit to have the management of the most im-
portant department in a commercial country ? During
the last year the public newspapers were teeming with
complaints of the unjustifiable conduct of the Custom-
house officers in the examivation of passengers' luggage.
He himself came from Ostend, and had to wait two
hours and a half to get his portmanteau, and his was the
first examined from amongst the baggage of 170 passen-
gers, who were detained he knew not how long in the
dirty, filthy room. He wrote to the Lords of the Trea-
sury, and it became perfectly evident that those most
important gentlemen thought him guilty of great pre
sumption in complaining, for he had to send four letters
before he could get an answer to the most ordinary
question, and the whole tone of conduct was such as
would not be expected towards any Member of that
.House. He knew not why those gentlemen
Were so important, unless it be that they were re-
ceiving a vast deal of money, more than they had
either the ability or industry to deserve. Ile did
,lie,nsteyN's
eGholevLereermd(antt
thfoeritdpoufrptoh,oeGoelvedrenlmaye.n—t
hope this Committee would not be grained by her Ma-
barasaing impediments totheinconveniences,
re-
ceived a v,,,ry large numb°
rof the most important mer-
chants of London, and they had represented to h(hillamdeatrh.e
inflicted by the present system,
perfect inefficiency, the endless
hoped the Noble Lord would and the
After
such
evidencethe
and effected a thorough reform, have taken up the question
that department i6'l;ldernber of this House
unless he placed at
ofathnt:ilattead
member of the Cabinet, it would never be found
already satisfactory to the merchants or efficient in the collection
Committee, but he
of revenue. He did not object to
theeiComeme
houghtoeert an entire change in ther ex-
whelmning de
present
n
s)cetrsettd: iof
ot t h'
nly thought
:necessityin en a gees en e
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the Government had
as-sated to the appointment o; the Committee with the
view that it would be enabled to point out such changes
e useful to the commerce of the country and
in the laws, and such alteration in the management, as
on.elaborate report frQui the
would b
conducive to the public service. Having heard the de-
putation Gentleman bad alluded, and
aviag to
roodlyieehrythlL Hg
and

Board of Customs on the subject, he (Lord J. Russell)
was ready to appoint a Committer, and to take the
matter into the bands of the Government; and because
he had essented to the appointment of the Committee ho
was toll by the lion. Gentleman it was only for the pur-
pose of delay--
Mr. WILLIAMS—I slid I hoped it was not for the
purpose of delay,
L-)rd J. RUSSELL—With regard to the narrative
which the lion. Gentleman had given, it would be un-
necessary for him to enter into any detail, though ho
might mention that the Board of Customs had allega-
tions to make at variance with the narrative given by
the Hon. Gentleman. Ho woald not, however, enter
upon that now—(Hear, hear)—but he agreed to the
re-appointment of the Committee, in the hope that they
would apply themselves to discover some useful reforms
which might be made in the administration of the law.
He had no doubt that the very able gentlemen whom
the Honourable Gentleman had named as members of
the Committee would apply them:elves to that question,
and would produce a report that would be useful to
the country at large. lle might state, however, that he
could not agree to the pla i suggested by the Hon.
Gent'emais, teat the chairman if the board should
be a Member of this House, end have a scat in the
Cabinet. He had no doubt that if he had made such a
proposition he would be told it was merely for the sake
of the patronage and to strengthen the Goverment in.
fiance in the House.—(ffear anti a laugh.) With re-
gard to the present chairman of the board, Sir Thomas
Fremantle, he was no political friend of his, because,
when that gentleman was a Member of the House, he
1 was generally entirely opposed to hina.(Lord John Rus-
sell). But at the same time a man or greater honour
and of more indefatigable industry he believed did not
exist.--(]tear, hear.) en
ase was placed by the late Sir
Ireland, Robert Peel in that high and responsible situation, and
with regard to certain legal questions which occurred
between the board and the dock companies, he consi-
dered he was bound to take legal opinions, which did not
turn out to be well founded; but there was nothing
which ought to induce this Neese pr the Government to
injure a meritorious public servant, and a man of unsul-
lied honour.—(Hear.)
huon t ry,
had
1 Mr. HUME did not believe there was a man con-
nected Eng lEngland,
d,
Scotland,
dtrade
or I
ornd
f this
made up his mind that the Board of Customs onght
long ago to have been remodelled. This was not a
question of' politics ; every class of the mercantile
community had already expressed their condemna-
tion of the present se stem, and he could only regret that
with her Majesty's Government, whether
h er
fully in
Such a mass of evidence
before them, should still hesitate upon the subject. He
also had long known Sir Thomas Fremantle, and had
been opposed to him for years. Ile could also bear his
testimony that he had always considered him to act like
a gentleman.—(Hear, hear.) But his observations were
directed against Sir Thomas, not in
his personal charac-
ter, but as the head of a board which had made itself
notorious for causing delays in the transmission of all
sorts of goods, whether exports or imports. Indeed, he
had lived long enough to say that he now began to doubt
all boards—(Hear, hear)—he was for ono or more re-
sponsible individuals in every department. Since, how-
ever, her Majesty's Government wished to have the
opinion of the Committee, he trusted that the Committee
would go into the whole question, and particularly that
they would review the whole proceedings respecting the
compromise, which he considered discreditable to both
parties, and which ho believed had been come to in order
to prevent this Committee from ofinriug any opinion upon
the conduct of the board. But he trusted the Committee
would go into the whole question andsee who was in fault,
whether the companies had been guilty of fraud, or
whether the Board of Customs bad acted ignorantly or
maliciously in bringing against them a criminal charge.
The Noble Lord had given the Committee a fair chal-
lenge, and he trusted the Committee would accept it,
and inquire not only into what was fact but with regard
to the future remodelling of the Board, and whether
any reductions could be made in its staff, for he re-
gretted to say, that though Sir Robert Peel had reduced
or abolished between 600 and 700 articles of Customs,
yet no reduction whatever had taken place in the number
of officers.
Mr. C. LEWIS said he was unwilling, after the
severe censure which had been passed upon the Board.
of Customs, to remain altogether silent. He entirely
questioned the statement that the Board of Customs
had thrown any impediment in the way of the trade
of this country. lie believed the present administra-
tion of the Board was at least as liberal as any other
that had gone before them.—(lronical cheers.) But
it must be remembered that they were responsible
to the Crown and to the public for the collection
of twenty-two millions of revenue; so that a heavy
responsibility was thrown upon them to see that the law
was punctually and faithfully exercised. In the course of
their administration they had come in contact with two
powerful bodies, the London and the St. Katharine Dock
Companies, and representations were made to them that
certain irregularities and breaches of the law had been
committed by these companies. On that question they
took legal advice, and they were told that they would not
discharge their duty if they did not take legal proceed-
ings, and legal proceedings were consequently instituted.
With reference to the compromise to which his lion.
Friend had applied such strong epithets, and which was
intended, he said, to prevent inquiry, and to screen the
conduct of the Commissioners, he (Mr. Lewis) could
state in answer that the proposal of a compromise came
not from the Chairman of Customs, but from the Lon-
don Dock Company. How, then, could it be said, with
any appearence of truth, that this compromise was
effseted to screen the Commissioners from inquiry? This
compromise was by no means unprecedented—a similar
course had been taken about twenty years ago with the
London Dock Company, and he was not aware teat any
censure was at that time pronounced upon the proceed-
ing. The re-appointment of the Committee would give
lull opportunity for an inquiry into ell grievances, and
for suggestions as to an improvement of the law; and,
as his name was on the Committee, he could only say
that, so far as ho was concerned, he would do his utmost
to promote these objects.
Mr. MITCHELL would not have taken part in this
conversation but for certain inaccuracies into which both
the Noble Lord and his Honourable Friend who had
last spoken had fallen. It had been stated that if any
mistake had been committed, the chairman of the Cus-
toms was led into it by legal advice. Now, the evidence
abundantly proved, by the admission of Sir Thomas Fre-
mantle himself; that though an opinion was taken as to
the mere law of the case, yet he was left to exercise his
own discretion as to the application of the law; and
that every step that was taken was done on his own
responsibility. lle must therefore protest against
its being now said that the lawyers were to blame.
There was another statement* made by the Honourable
Member for Herefordshire (letr. Cornew-a If Lewis)which,
though it might be technically right, was yet substan-
tially wrong, when he said tEat the proposal for a com-
promise originated with the dock company. It might be
true that
would the first letter which proposed the compromise
was written from the dock Company; but if his Hon.
Friend inquire, ho Would find that when Sir
Thomas Fremantle went to visit tho docks in company
with the French Minister of he condescended
to avk Mr. Chandler—tee gentleman whom he had pre-
viously arrested on a charge of smuggling—to accom-
pany him; and in the course of the visit said to him,
" Oh, we shall be as good friends as ever, when this
matter has blown over;" and, at the tame time, other
parties connected with the dock companies were con-
stantly hinting tho propriet• —(Hear,
of a compromise.
hear.) With regard to the matter itself, he expressed
no opinion, but he would f• he discharge his duty
tat uly
in Committee.
Tho Committee was then 'appointed.
PASSENGERS ACT.
Mr. PEEL, in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to
amend and consolidate th
--e laws relating to the carriage
of passengers by sea, stated that certain defects having
some time et
ego been felt in the law as it at present stood,
a Commi had been appointed to ascertain whether
any improvements could be made. That Committee was
presided over by his
Honourable Friend the Member
for South Wiltshire (Rec.
Sidney Herbert), and had
made a report containing st variety
of suggestions of
t
great value. Most of these s
14egestions, so far at least
as they referred to the,proteetion of passengers during
the voyage, had been incorporated into the present mea-
sure; and he anticipated that they would tend greatly
to promote the safety and comfort of the hundreds of
thousands of passengers that wee •year
from this country to Australia and° going every
the United States..
Mr. HUME 'was glad this easure had been intro-
duced. At the same time ho h
Gentleman would lay upon Honourable
te_ s ed the
ue a return of the
number of emigrant ships that hatable
past year. been lost during the
Mr. ANSTEY asked whether the
provisions of this
Bill were confined to steerage Passengers or were ex-
tended to cabin and intermediate passengrs?
Mr. PEEL said it included the ease of the interme-
diate passengers.
Mr. G GOLD thanked the Honourable Gentleman
the introduction of this measure, which for
would prove of
eminent service to many thousands of his countrymen.
On Bill was then brought in and read
ao'fiurntrymen.
On the motion of Sir GEORGE 'Ed //Lath"
lowing returns were agreed to:—.R t
—esern showing the fol.
number of cities and towns, with the Showing
the
same, which are governed by the nennim lion of the
England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland,Pdais Acts for
ing those for each country which have had charters of
incorporation granted to them since the passing of the
Act 5 and 6 IV., cap. 76. Return cfa
ral sums of freight money received by the the seve-
tre
Greenwich Hospital since the 13th da ax treasurer of
with the date of such payments, andwhetsr on 1851,
public
or private account; also, the name of the Ship or vessel
in which the treasure was conveyed, and ee .
the captain
or officer commanding the same.
On the motion of Mr. GROGAN copies of any agree-
ment entered into between the Commissioners of Inland
Revenue and Messrs. Bacon and P etch f m engraving,
postagesuosequent to
printing, and gumming thelabels
the Ist day of May, .1851; and
Rowlan ot any report nettle by
the Postmaster General, or d 11111, Es
4, in
December, 1851, as to utility and advantage to
the b-
lie of the perforated postage label, were ordered. pub-
Mr. Mr. SOTHERON obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to amend and consolidate the lw relating Co friendly
societies, which was read a first time.
relating
House adjourned at a Quarter past Nine
o'clock.

,
TRH CENSORSnzr or THE PRESS.—There is estab-
lished in the department of the censorship the press a
particular bureau for the examination of the Efri fish
papers, and expert lawyers are employed to read the London
may be said of Lbuetl3inleggidi
English
journals, with the object of discovering calumnious' news,
upon which a trial for libel may be instituted before the
British eourta of law. The same
Piedmontese, Swiss, and Portuguese as
ference between the treatment of the latter and the
papers is, that in the Belgian and others the leading articles
will furnish subjects of representation, to the respective Go-
vernments, and procure, it' they attack Louia /shy-oleo, the
"PPresBlo4 of the paper,--Observer.