The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-28 00:00:00

SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM BILL,
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This bill passed through committee, and was reported
without amendments.

INDIAN LICENSE TAX
Thr, Earl of AIRLIE asked her Majesty's Government
whether it was true that the Indian License Tax had been
al.,olishel. The tax yielded about £500,000, and ho was
?glad the finances of India were in such a flourishing con-
dition to enable the Government to remit it ; but there were
other taxes which pressed very heavily on the people of
that country which he thought ought to have been dealt
with before the License-tax.

The Duke of ARGYLL said no official information had
arrived from India as to the course taken by the Indian
Government with respect to the License-tax; however, he
thought it extremely probable that the informa-
tion which the noble lord had received was true.
The license tax had never been, as far as he could discover.
collected throughout India, although it had been paid in
certain parts of that country. It would however be more
likely that the collection of the tax had been deferred rather
than altogether abolished. He believed it was the inten-
tion of the Indian Government to modify certain customs
duties and to abstain from collecting others ; and it must
be satisfactory to every one that the finances of India were
in such a, hopeful condition.
That lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS,
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Barnsley Local Board of Health, Garston and Liverpool
Railway, Ileckmondwike Gas, Kington and Eardisley
Railway, London, Chatham, and Dover Railway (Junction
Railway at Battersea, &c.), New Chappel, Lindfield, and
Brighton, &c. Roads, Tendring Hundred Railway, 14 are-
ham Roads, Weymouth and Portland Railway and Exten-
sion to Harbour.

The following bills were considered and ordered for third
reading : —Coventry Poor Act Amendment, and Launceston
and South Devon Railway.

PETITIONS.
Several petitions were presented against the Local As-
sessment Bill—against the Revised Code—in favour of an
alteration in the Poor Law in Ireland—in favour of an
amendment of the Grand Jury Laws, &c.
COMMITTEE OF SELECTION.
Sir W. MILES was sworn in a member of this committee.

COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH BELGIUM.
Mr. FORSTER gave notice that to •morrow he would
ask the First Lord of the Treasury why the Commercial
Treaty with Belgium relative to the differential duties on
Englifsh goods imported into Belgium had been suspended.
RZGISTRATION OF MARRIAGES (IRELAND).

_ _
Itt reply to Mr. LONGFIBLD,
Sir R. PEEL said he had given notice that he would
introduce a bill for the better registration of marriages in
Ireland to-morrow.

ALLEGED GRIEVANCES OF OFFICERS IN THE

CIVIL SERVICE IN INDIA.

Mr. VANSITTART asked the Secretary of State for
India whether he had received any and what memorials
from those members of her Majesty's covenanted civil ser-
vice who are now in India, praying for the redress of cer-
tain grievances ; and, if so, whether he had any objection
to place the same on the table of the house ?
_ _

_ .
Sir C. WOOD ,said that a memorial on_ _ the subject had
been received by Government. Ultimately he would have
no objection to lay all the papers bearing on the matter on
the table.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE SECRE-
TARY FOR WAR AND THE UNIVERSITIES.
Mr. SELWYN asked the Secretary of State for War
whether the undermentioned letters were not omitted from
the "copy of correspondence between the Secretary of State
for War and the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and
Dablin;relatingto military education," ordered by the House
of Commons to ",be !printed March 11, 1862; and whether
there was any objection to the production of those letters,
viz,, letter dated Cambridge, April 23, 1861, signed Latimer
Neville, Vice Chancellor—Letters from Lord Herbert,
dated War-office, April 30, 1861—Letter dated May 6,
1861, signed Latimer Neville, Vice Chancellor; and in-
closing a scheme for Military Education, signed by L. Ne-
ville, Vice Chancellor, W. Whewell, G. E. Corrie, W. H.
Bateson, and by twelve other members of the Council of
the Senate?

Mr. LEFROY asked the Secretary of State for War,
whether a letter of the Vice Chancellor of the University
of Dublin of Feb. 10 was not omitted from the copy of cor-
respondence between the Secretary of State for War and
the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, relat-
ing to military education, ordered by the house to be
printed 11th March, 1862, and whether there was any ob-
jection to the production of that letter ?
Sir G. LEWIS said that the correspondence alluded to
by the hon. and learned member (Mr. Selwyn) had been
considered by Lord Herbert as private, and there was no
copy of it in the War-office. With reference to the ques-
tion of the hon. member (Mr. Lefroy) the letter in question
had been omitted by inadvertence.

THE RIOTS IN MALTA.
Mr. GRIFFITH asked the Under Secretary of State for
the Colonies whether a memorial or petition, signed by 30
gentlemen of Malta, had been addressed to the governor
of that island, complaining of the conduct of the
police there in not effectually preventing, or con-
niving at, the riots which took place on. the
9th and 10th of February : Whether they were desired, in
answer, to address any "evidence or explanation they pos..
sees" to the Superintendent of Police, which they declined,
on the giound that the inquiry should be made by autho-
rity "independent of the department of the executive police:"
and, whether it was the opinion of the Secretary of State
for the Colonies that the chief of the police was the proper
authority to be appointed to inquire into the conduct of his
own department, as between the inhabitants and that esta-
blishment, in case of a complaint publicly preferred against
it.

Mr. C. FORTESCUE said that the Governor of Malta
had instituted an inquiry into the subject, from which it
appeared that the repous which had reached this country
were much exaggerated, and the riots in the island were of
a trifling character.