The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--This Day.

The SPEAKER took his seat at the Clerks' Table at 12
o'clock, but a house was not made until 20 minutes after 12.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
_ _ _

Private business occupied aportion of the earlier part of-
the sitting.

INDIAN ARMY.
Col. SYKES presented a petition from officers of the
Indian Army, complaining of the operation of the amalga-
mation scheme—one that he had served for 14 years, and
that an officer who had served only 8 years had been placed
over him, and praying for redress.

FISHERIES.
Mr. S. FITZGERALD presented a petition from
Armagh in favour of the Irish Salmon Fisheries Bill.

An HON. MEMBER presented a petition from Carrick-
on-Shannon to the same effect.

GAROTTING.
Mr. ADDERLEY gave notice that on Monday next he
should move for leave to introduce a bill to afford greater
protection to her Majesty's subjects from violence.
SALMON FISHERIES (IRELAND).
Mr. M'MAHON, in proposing the second reading, ob-
served that, up to 1842, the taw of England and Ireland
with respect to the regulation of fisheries was identical.
Up to that period every person had a right to fish in the
tidal waters of the country, as, indeed, they had from time.
immemorial. Assuredly up to that period there had been
no encroachments upon their undoubted rights by wiers, or
otherwise. From the very earliest times enactments had
been passed against the setting up of all obstructions to the
free passage of the fish. The hon. member cited the various
acts, and explained the nature of the numerous re-
ports of the Commissioners on the Salmon Fisheries of
England, Scotland, and Ireland. For many years past all
obstructions or nuisances in the rivers had been strictly
forbidden by the Crown and the Legislature. The act of
1842, which this bill sought materially to modify, was hur-
riedly smuggled through the house, conferred the most
monstrous powers on the owners of lands abutting on the sea,
shores, and estuaries, and rivers ; in fact, it empowered
them by allowing the use of stakes and bag nets,
to virtually enclose the water and its produce
like a gentleman's park. Ile c ,uld not find that any dis-
cussion took place on the Pill of 1842; indeed an hon.
member present, ho learned, observed at the time, " This
must be a monstrous Irish job, as no Irish members have
spoken against it." (Laughter.) The act was a complete
violation of the common law of the land and the rights of the
people, as defined by the Great Charter. The act had com-
pletely ruined many people who had made a living out of the
fisheries before it became law. The new bill would not in-
terfere with a single vested right. It might be said that
some people had bought property, with the fishing powers
given by the bill, in the Encumbered Estates Court, and
on the assurance of the commissioners that those powers
would not be disturbed; but if any commissioner had given
such an assurance he ought to be dismissed from his office.
However, he did not believe that any suggestion of the kind
had been made. As there had been endless commissions and
reports on the salmon fisheries,he didnot see what good could
arise from the amendment intended to be proposed by his
hon. and learned friend.
Mr. BUTT then proposed the following amendment :
"That any legislation affecting the rights of the owners of
property secured by the existing laws regulating Irish
fisheries, ought to be preceded by a full and complete
inquiry, either by a royal commission or a committee of
this house." He said the whole question amounted to a
contest between the owners of the upper and lower fisheries,
and if the bill was passed it would virtually confiscate a
multitude of undoubted rights, clearly and deliberately
deprived of the Act of 1842. A full and exhaustive in-
quiry was urgently needed,
Colonel WHITE seconded the amendment. It was
most important that there should be further inquiry
as those, like him, interested in the low fisheries
were not satisfied with the enquiry of last year; indeed
they were not fairly represented in it. He read extracts
from several official reports, setting forth that the stakes
and bag nets had not had a detrimental effect, and that
the fisheries were greatly improving. He was not opposed
to legislation on the subject, and would readily meet
the supporters of this bill half-way, but he objected
to the property enjoyed under the Act of 1842 being
suddenly taken thus forcibly from its owners. A large
Act of of Parliament
amount of capital had been invested in these fisheries in
purchases in connection with the _Encumbered Estates
rightsu
they
n-
rAmertoh
,aasendd
oitn
wasthe f
imaipthossiobfle
an
nthaAt
orted the second reading, con-
Mr. LONGFIELD supp
bcoausTedbeintgankierny.from them without, at least, full and
tending that there had been ample and exhaustive inquiry.
There had been commissions and committees out of number.
This bill was !presented for the sole benefit of the public.
He ridiculed the idea of a Royal Cornmmission, moved by
the gallant colonel, and probably headed by him. The
public had been too long robbed by stake weirs and bag
nets, utterly unauthorised even by the act of 1842; in fact,
these destructives injured the fish, and interfered with the
navigation. No 'one save those interested in the present
defective state of the law could honestly object to the bill.
The legislature of 1842 completely nullified the interests of
the public. Even in Waterford estuaey alone 1,000 poor men
who obtained their living by the fisheries were thrown out
of employment. Two of the most eminent judges that ever
sat on the Irish bench had decided that the putting up of
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his scat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

ROME.
The Marquis of NORMAN BY gave notice that on
Monday next he should thaw attention to the despatches
and correspondence lately laid on the table on the subject
of Rome. At the same time he should ask for some
information relative to a certain phrase used in one
of the despatches of the noble earl, which seemed to
indicate a doubt of the statement of M. llrmlyn do T,'Hnye
relative to the approbation by the English Government of
t intQrvcn-
hKap-Milinatii4 ii&Pan e in Wike r 1;11171
accordance with their policy since the time of Mr. Pitt,
which was that of supporting the independent political posi-
tion of the Pope.
TICKETS OF LEAVE.

Earl STANHOPE asked what changes have recently
been made by the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment as to the system of tickets of leave?
Earl GRANVILLE said it was not thought expedient
by the Government to make any extensive changes until
the report of the Royal Commission which had been ap-
pointed was received, and in the meantime the only altera•
tion was that convicts out on tickets-of-leave and becoming
reconvicted had the privilege altogether withdrawn of ob-
taining a ticket-of-leave.
The Earl of DERBY wished to know whether it was the
practice, when a convict committed a crime during his
ticket-of-leave, he was, when freshly sentenced, bound not
only to undergo that sentence, but to fulfil the original
term of sentence.
Earl GRANVILLE said the second punishment was
not superadded to the original sentence.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGh asked whether it was
true that the notorious Leopold Redpath, who was con-
victed of one of the most extensive forgeries ever known,
and was sentenced to transportation for life, was now, after
serving only six years' penal servitude, at liberty on ticket
of leave, and, in fact, was now enjoying the fruits of his
enormous frauds.
Earl GRANVILLE was not conversant with the parti-
culars of the case referred to. Redpath, he knew, was in
the colony at present, and the ticket of leave he had received
had been granted by the colonial anthonties.
Lord CRAN WORTH said RApath,at the conclusion
of his trial, was sentenced to transportation for life. That
sentence had been complied with, and it was altogether an-
other question how he was dealt with when he arrived in
the colony.
The Earl of CARNARVON regretted the Government,
had not dealt with the subject themselves.
of the
Home
Secretary had had almost the entire charge of the matter
for the last ten years, and the whole history of the question
was one of an incompetent measure by an incompetent Ad-
ministration. Capital punishment had frequently been
relaxed without the slightest apparent reason by the Home
Secretary superseding the judicial functions.
Earl GRANVILLE said Sir G. Grey was not in office
when the measure of abolishinr, transportation was intro-
duced, and the system he had pursued was precisely the
same as that of his four predecessors. It was a matter of
opinion whether remedial measures should be proposed on
theinitiative of the Government alone, or on the appear-
ance of the report of the Commission.
The Earl of HARD WICKE said that one point of im-
portance raised by the discussion related to a matter of ju-
risprudence. The public mind hid ling been directed to
this subject, from an idea that the power exercised by the
Secretary of State rendered it extremely doubtful whether
the sentences of the judges would be carried into effect or
not. He should be glad to know whether the law lords
who were members of that hou-e approved of that line of
conduct, which had tended to lessen the opinion which tho
public entertained of the decisions of the judges.
The subject then dropped.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening.
The SPEARIER took the chair at four o'clock,
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
Private business occupied sonic part of the earlier portion
of the sitting.
PETITIONS.
INDIAN OFFICERS.
Mr. JARVIS, from officers in the Bombay army, com-
plaining of the amalgamation, and praying for inquiry.
Colonel SYKES, from officers to the like effect.
Mr. GREGSON, from certain inhabitants of Singapore,
praying they may be placed in dinct communication with
the Colonial Office.
AUSTRAL:A.
Mr. MARSH, from inhabitants Praying for the soparation
of the two divisions of the colony.
FISHERIES.
Mr. M'MAHON, from Limerick) with respect to the
fisheries.

NATIONAL EXPEiDITURE.
Mr. FORSTER, from Walsall, for reduction of expen-
diture of the duties on tea and sugar ; also for a seduction
of the income tax.
Mr. S. FI rZGERALD, to the same effect.
FIRE DUTY.
Mr. FORSTER, in favour of a material reduction in the
fire duty,
Mr. E. BAINES, in favour of Ile repeal of the duty.
TICKETS OF LEAVE.
Mr. NEWDEGATE,
insecurity
tie justices of Warwick,
calling attention to the of life and property,
which they attributed to the present System of dealing with
offunders—to the is:.u9 of tickets cf leave—which did not
afford criminals sufficient time to reform, and praying for
inquiry.
mr. BRIGHT, from bankers, merchants, and solicitors
of Birmingham, for an amendmeni of the law.
Sir F. KELLY, to the like effee,.

SUGAR.
Mr. BRIGHT, from wholesale and retail grocers in Bir-
mingham, praying that the taxation on sugar might be
placed on the same footing as tea, coffee, grain, &c.
Lord lIOTHAM, from Driffiel4 to the same effect.
RETURNS.
Returns were ordered, on the notion of Mr. BAINES, of
various statistics in regard to Pott-utlice Savings Banks;
on the motion of Sir G. BOWYER, '3opies of an ordnance of
the governor of Malta, regarding the extradition of Italians ;
on the motion of Mr. LOCRE, ertain returns regarding
malt; on the motion of Lord It. o:Lem, the expenditure on
the lonian Islands since 1815; anc on the motion of Mr. J.
B SMITH, some correspondence abut cotton cultivation in
India.

PUBLIC rETIIioNs.
The following members woro Rip:dated a Committee on

public petitions Gregson, Mr. Bonham-Carter, Mr.
Calcutt, Mr. Cnbitt, Sir J. Fergusson, Mr. Chas. Forster,
Mr. Gard, Major Gavin, Capt. Gray, Sir E. Grogan, Mr.
H, johnstone, Mr. T. J. Miller, Mr. H. Russell, Mr. Ald.
Salomons, and Mr. 0. Stanley.
THE ADDRESS.—HER MAJESTY'S REPLY.

Lord PROBY (Controller of her Majesty's Housa',old)
appeared at the bar and read the following rrjply of
her Majesty to the Address : " I havP, received
with. great pleasure your loyal and dutify:, address. I
have received with great satisfaction your,: congratulations
with respect to the marriage of the Plince of Wales. Your
expressions of attachment to my person and family are
most gratifying to my feelings. You may be assured that
I shall always be ready to co-operate with you to promote
the welfare and happiness of my people.
NOTICES OF MOTION.
EASTERN ARMY.
An HoN. MEMBER gave notice thaton the 10th of March
he should move for a select committee on this subject.
MERCANTILE MARINE—SAILORS' HOME.
Sir H. STRACEYsaid, on this -day week, that he should
move to introduce a bill to appropriate some of the funds
belonging to the mercantile marine to the maintenance of
Sailors' Homes not in the neighbourhood of dockyards.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.
Mr. NAPIER said that on the 24th March he should
call attention to the prevalent distress in Ireland, and m ive
resolutions thereon.
COMMERCIAL TREATIES (ITALY).
Mr.S. FITZ GE BALD, on a future day,would call the at-
tention of the house to commercial treaties, and especially
that now pending between this country and Italy.
VOLUNTEERS.
Lord HOTHAM asked the Secretary of State for War
when he would announce the intentions of the Government
with reference to the recommendations of the Royal Com-
mission appointed last year to inquire into the state of the
Volunteer force 1'

Sir G. C. LE WIS replied that it was the intention of the
Government to adopt the suggestions of the Commission.
Tie report would be laid before tho house when the army
estimates were prepared.

LICENSING AND SALE OF SPIRITUOUS
LIQUORS.
Viscount ENFIELD asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department whether it was intended during the
present session to introduce any bill with the view of im-
proving the present system of licensing houses for music
and dancing, and for the sale of spirits ?
Mr. LAWSON also asked the right hon. gentleman
whether he intended to propose any measure during the
present session for amending the laws by which the sale of
intoxicating liquors was permitted and regulated ?
Sir G. GREY replied that the Government had a bill in
preparation with respect to licensing, and especially houses
of entertainment for music and singing. He could not,
however, say when it would be introduced. The licensed
victuallers of Liverpool had framed a bill, and he wished
that measure to be discussed by the house before taking
any further action in the matter.