The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-16 00:00:00

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LONDON:
TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1639.

In the House of Lords yesterday, petitions were
presented by the Bishop of HEREFORD and the Duke
of CLEVELAND, from the Mayor and Corporation of Here-
ford, from the inhabitants of Stockton-on-Tees, and from
Worthington, in favour of Mr. Roweeen HILL'S plan of
Penny Postage. We are glad to find the people every.
where beginning to stir upon this question. The present
rate of postage is so enormously high, as to operate as a
check upon commerce, and as a complete preventive of the
interchange of kindly feelings among the humbler classes
of society. Were an attempt made to explain the com-
parative high rate at which the conveyance of letters,
more than any other commodity, is charged in this
country to an inhabitant of China, he would at once con-
clude that writing was a crime among us, which the
Government, unable to eradicate, took this mode of
checking.
' The Earl of RODEN presented a number of petitions,
praying that soldiers in India might be relieved from at-
t,indance on Idolatrous worship. We believe that soldiers
are only required to assist in maintaining the peace at the
religious festivals in India, and therefore their attendance
is a civil duty. The same Noble Earl presented petitions
against the Government system of Education in Ireland.
Earl Da GREY presented a pe'ition from Bedford
against the eppointrnent of Catholic and other
Chaplains in gaols. Not having heard the prayer
of this petition we are unable to state on what grounds the
petitioners seek to exclude criminals from the benefit of
the Clergy. Lord Peuelion presented thirteen petitions
in favour of the Corn-laws. Petitions were also presented
by the Earl of ABERDEEN and the Archbishop of CANTER-
BURY, against any system of education opposed to the prin.
ciples of tile Established Church ; and the by Bishop of
CHESTER a;ainst the Beer Bill, and infavour of Episco-
pacy in Canada. After reading the Mutiny Bills
a second time, and receiving a Report from the Ecclesias-
tical
Commission for Ireland, brought up by Lord DUN-
CANNON, their Lordships adjourned.
The
a journed.
The business in the Commons commencedckndand with the
P
second reading of the Bishop Auckland Weardale
Railway Bill. Sir E. Wiestoepresente'd a petition from
the agent of the London, Birmingham, and Manchester
Railway Company, complaining of and denying allegations
in petitions presented to that House by Lord LICHFIELD
and others, of unnecessary detention of the snails on these
lines. The Hon. Baronet intimated that he would again
bring the subject before the House.
The Aberdeen Harbour Bill was read a second time.
Mr. B. D'ISRAELI and Sir R. DONKIN presented peti-
tions against the South Eastern Railway Bill. After the
presentation of a few other petitions in favour of
penny postage, those relating to the real business of
the evening—the question of the expediency of continuing
to govern Ireland according to the principles of justice, of
lenity, of impartiality, and of conciliation, which guided
the popular Administration of Lord Normanb,„ began to
be poured upon the table. The petitions in favour of the
only just and impartial system of Government which
Ireland has experienced for upwards of three centuries,
were presented by Mr. SOMERS, from parishes in Sligo; by
Mr. G. Epees, from Dublin, Coleraine, and Queen's
County ; by Mr. BODKIN, from Galway ; by Mr.
M. J. O'CONNELL, from Kerry ; by Mr. CURRY,
from Armagh ; by Mr. JEPIISON, from Kildare ; by
Sir CHARLES STYLE, from Donegal; by Sir \VILLI.saI
SOSIERVILLE, from Meath ; by Mr. D. BIROWNE,
from Mayo ; by Mr. VIGORS and Mr. ASHTON YATES,
from Cerlow ; by Mr. BELLEW, from Devon ;. by Mr.
I-1 GRATTAN, from Down, Monaghan, Fermanagh,Armagh,
and Dundalk ; by Major 'MACNAMARA, from Clare; and by
Mr. POWER, Mr. BARRY, Mr. REDDINGTON, Mr. WALE En, sir.
FITZSIMON, Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN, Mr. SHEIL, Mr. ROCHE,
the O'CONoR DoN, and by Mr. O'CONNELL, from all
parts of Ireland. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman who
entered the House, literally bent under the weight of the
prayers of the Irish people, in favour of the policy adopted
by her Majesty's Ministers in that country, had a brush with
Mr. LUCAS, whose extreme sensitiveness whenever any allu-
Si" is made to the crimes of the Orrange conspirators, is often
a subject of merriment in the House. The Hon. and
Learned Member for Dublin is, however, not a person to
be rashly meddled with, and the rebuke which he admi-
nistered to Mr. LUCAS, will ring in his ears for a month
to come. The petitions got up by the Orange faction
were presented by Colonel VERNER, Mr. DUNBAR, Sir
ROBERT BATESON, Mr. LYTTON, Mr. BLACKBURN, and
Lord STANLEY, most of them merely calling upon the
House to come to no resolution abridging, or condemning
by implication, the conduct and jurisdiction of tha
House of Lords.
While these petitions were in the course of presenta-
tion, Mr. CRAWFORD complained of a breach of
privilege on the part of the Sergeant-at-Arms, who had
forcibly prevented himself and two other Members from
voting on a division on Friday last. The SPEAKER said
that officer acted by his orders, as the Hon. Gentlemen
were not in the House when he put the question. After a
few words from Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. HUMPHERY, Mr.
STEUART, Sir R. Noels, and Mr. GODSON, the matter
dropped, with an implied understanding that it might be
again brought before the House.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL then rose and brought forward the
motion of which he had given notice. After a debate
which is elsewhere referred to, the subject was adjourned.

Lord JorrN RUSSELL brought forward last night
his motion for a resolution declaratory of the con-
tinued confidence of the House of Commons in the
policy pursued by the Government as to Ireland
of late years. In introducing it, the announced
amendment of Sir ROBERT PEEL, referring to the
conduct of the House of Lords, which his own re-