The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-04 00:00:00

had=; learnt that in many of the mills throughout
England and Scotland, the masters, being anxious
to be quit of all the burdens of the provisions
of the law, had determined to employ no children- un
the age restricted to eight hours a day. He, therefae,
wished to know whether this was one of the mills. He
put the question, and having received the answer he
was satisfied. Flow was it possible, with a charge so
indefinite, he could give a more definite answer.—(A
laugh.) The Noble Lord might smile, but he (Lord Za.)
would say, on his word of honour as a gentleman, that
he had no other motive.—(Cheers.) He had no inten-
tion of going into the Factory Act, and he had no view
distinct, or indistinct towards an exhibition of the in-
operative parts of the Factory Act. He merely wished
to ascertain that simple fact, and having ascerta!,,ed
it, there he left it; and yet on this, then, was halt
such an ric,:arsation. That, if he was to ju :go
from what appeared in the Morning Papers, a pe;',:on
more never figured in this House.
Now in u
question, in page 54, in the exa-
mination mia unquestionable,
combined cotton spinners and Mr. A :di-
son, t
oti of ettsiitee i oen next
oaribl
son, it was said that it was conducted in such a way as
that it could not fail to inform the witness of the an-
swer that would be most agreeable to the inter-
rogation. He was extremely sorry to delay the
House, but he thought it was necessary that he should
do ao considering how he had been attacked.
(LEFT SPEAKING )

HOUSE OF LORDS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Weol-
sack at Five o'Clock.
Lord EBRINGTON took the oaths and his seas. as
Baron Forteseue. The Noble Lord was introduced by
the Duke of A 7 gyle and the Mei quis of Conyngham.
Earl SHAFT ESBURY presented a petition from
the Magistrates of Brentford, in Quarter Sessions as-
sen bled, praying for an alteration in the beer laws.
CANADA
The Marquis of NORMANBY laid on the t :ble
the conclusion of the papers respecting his Noble
Friend's mission to North America. The Noble Mar-
quis stated that he had now laid on the table all the
papers at present in England. He understood there
were some more in North America, and a search lad
been ordered to be made for them.
Lord ABERDEEN said the Noble Marquis had
talked on a former occasion of completing the Nele
Lords case, and he wanted to understand whether till
present were ail the papers that were intended to he
produced.
The Marquis of NORMANBY saib these were the
remaining papers.
Lord ABERDEEN wished to know if it was the in-
tention of the Noble Marquis to produce any further
papers previous to tho House legislating on the sulej et.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said, Certainly eot.
The Bishop of St. ASA PH presented petitions f. om
Llangollen and various other places respecting The
state of the Church in North America.
Lord KENYON presented a petition from Den-
bigh and from another place in Wales, compleinie
of
the wants of the Clergy in that part of the country.
The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a petition
against any alteration in the Correlaws.
A NOBLE LORD presented petitions from Stamr'erd
and other places against any alteration in the Corn laws.
Lord HARDWICKE presented a petition from the
Magistrates of tl o county c f Nor:elk, in Quarter Ses-
sions assembled, praying their Lordsl fps to adopt some
measure to prevent the consumption of beer on premises
on Sunday. The Noble Lord also presented 57 Teti-
tlons from places in the county of Gloucester against any
alteration in the Corn laws.
Lord DUNCANNON laid upon the Table certain
returns from Ireland.
Lord GLENELG presented a petition from a ',Lice
in the connty of Inverness, praying for church ee ten-
sion ; also a petition from Inverness praying for a total
repeal of the Corn-laws.
The Duke of ARGYLE presented a petition pray-
ing for the alteration of the Corn. laws.
THE NAVY.
Lord MI NTO presented alpetition, as we understood,
from Chelmsford, praying for a repeal of the Corn-laws.
The Noble Lord said he should take this opportunity of
troubling their Lordships with a word or two on a
subject of considerable importance, both in refereime
to himself and others. Their Lordships might re-
member that on a late occasion considerable doubt
was expressed by a Noble Earl, not now in his
place as to the accuracy of certain returns which he
(Lord Minto) had occasion to submit to the House,
in reply to the same observations of that noble Feel's.
Their lordships would not be surprised to be informed
that some of the officers, and some officers high in
had.felt exceedingly hurt by the statements that pro-
ceeded from the noble Earl ; and be (Lord Minto)
was authorized by them, and particularly by Admiral
Sir Philip Durham entirely to confirm the ac-
curacy which be bad made and which lie
received of them. There were two pints
chiefly upon which that Noble Earl seemed to suggest
that there might be some error. The first was as to the
fitness of some of the ships for a state of operation, and
which he (Lord M.) had represented as favourable.
The Noble Earl mentioned the Revenge in particular,
and stated that the masts of that ship were not in
a state of preparation. He (Lord Minto) had requested
the Admiral Superintendent to inform him in what state
the masts of that ship were when that Noble Lord visited
her. The reply was that there were five first rate masts
ready. Three were unappropriated, and there e. ere
other masts fit to be put into her. Another statement
was, that there was no sufficient provision of sails foe the
ships of the line at Plymouth. He (Lord M.) had also
desired an application to be made to the Admiral Su-
perintent at Plymouth, and the reply to that applica-
tion showed that that Noble Earl must have been
greatly deceived in the application he reoeived. The re-
ply stated that so far from there being no topalls
for the ships of the line, there were seven complete
suits of sails for each ship besides a great number of
imperfect suits, amounting to no less than sixty-
six topsails for ships of the line. He did
not doubt but that the Noble Lord believed this in-
formation which he had received to have been accu-
rate. But that Noble Lord did not visit all the sail.
rooms, and he had to trust to others for his inforam-
tion.—(Hear, hear.) He (Earl Minto) thowdLt it
wan due to the officers concerned, to state v.hat
he had stated. He was perfectly satisfied with the
accuracy of their reports, and be thought it was of im-
portance that no unnecessary discredit should be shown
upon the returns of public officers.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from
some place in Scotland, pray ing, that no alteration might
be made in the existing system of Corn-laws.

SCOTQA APPEALS.
The Earl of ABERDEEN asked the Lord Ch:in.
cellor whether judgment would be given in cel:ain
Lental appeal cas':::; before Easter? It was desir:tble
that the questions connected with them should be se at
rest before the meeting of the General—Assembly.
Lord BROUGHAM said it was important
,jl,lg-
rnent should be given before E:ster, on account of the
meeting of the General A.sernbly in May.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said judgment wwild
be goven at the earliest opportunity consistent with t!:cir
Lordships' convenience.

POOII4,AWS.
The Earl of DEVON presented a petition from
Guardians of the Union of St. Thomas, Plymoutl.,
ing that the Poor-law would be rendered more effe:
e ive
by some alteration in the law of settlement, and pi ey-
ing that such alteration might be made.
LORD FORTESCUE'S EXPLANATION.
Lord FORTESCUE—IIIy Lords, I know not w::e-
tiler, as there is no question at present before your
Lordships, I am quite in order in addressing 30 ee
Lordships ; but whether I cm stt ictly in ortlei-
not, I feel I shall not appeal in vain to your Lf,l'• 1-
ships' sense of.- justice. If I ask you to peneit
me to offer to yoer Lordships a few obste a-
tiOns with regard to what passed in this
on Thursday last in matters of the greatest consequeeee
regarding not myself only as an individual, but these
great and important interests in the administration of
which I have been called upon to take a share. I sedc
not to deprecate the political hostility of the Noble
Lord who thought fit to originate this discussion ; I
complain not of the Noble Lord having brought forward
this discussion ; but I do complain of the Noble arid
Learned Lord founded his attack, without givir g
me any notice, on unconnected, and I must Say
an incorrect report of words which were spoken
in the other House of Parliament at a time
I had not en opportenity of being heard in my
defence, or if the zeal of the Noble and Learned
Lord for the Protestant Church in Ireland wes
such as could not wait until I should be press ;t
It would have been more candid on the part of th :t
Noble and Learned Lord to have informed me of Lis
intentions, and to have given me an opportunity of
stating to some friend the expressions really used by me
hire nthteo
offeroccasiosnooh andrefeerxrpeldantaot,ionas I might in my necee.,
thereby have endied
debate,hs
sary absence have wished to have been given. I shall offer
those explanations to your lordship's presently, but before
I offer to your lordships the cerrect explanatieni
of the speech referred to but before I do this I
would wish to ask that noble and learned
lord, whether not withstanding his
iog his well grourklcd
great talents
varied
tandilst a
nhdis well-known tact in
confidence in his varied powers—it has never
happened to him in the heat of debate to let fall
expressions which have been construed in a sense
very different from that which in his cooler ma
mews he would wish to have attributed
to them, and does the Noble and Learned Lord con-
sider that the use of those expressions amounted to
disqualification from holding any oMoe Conncutc,l
witil that country to which those expressions related.
My Lords, I asked the Noble and Learned Lord, as a
la wye, whether he thinks it fair, without proof of ao
offence—for the Noble and Learned Lord did not pro-
fess himself to have heard the words refeere4 to__
whether he thihki it fair' td asitiale an offence, and then
to pass judgerMnt and call for execution without
giving tile individual charged the opportunity of