The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-27 00:00:00

DISTRICT CHURCH TITHES BILL.

The Duke of MARLBOROUGH movedthe second read.
ing of this bill, which was agreed to.

EAST INDIA GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S POWERS

&c., BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
THE TREATMENT OF A BRITISH CONSUL.
Lord CHELMSFORD called the attention of the house
to the imprisonment and severe treatment to which a
British consul and other British subjects had been exposed
by the orders of the Emperor of Abyssinia, and asked the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps had been
taken to relieve our fellow countrymen from the severities
to which they had .been subjected, and were still sub-
ject, and he moved for certain papers on the subject.
The noble lord entered into some details to show that the
Emperor of Abyssinia exhibited a hostile disposition to-
wards Europeans, and that his conduct towards British
subjects, under circumstances which have already been before
the public, was most unjustifiable. He condemned the
conduct of the Government in allowing the letter
from the Emperor of Abyssinia to remain un-
answered from February, 1863, to June 1864. He
thought, also, that the autograph letter, with the sign
manual of her Majesty, should have been presented to the
King of Abyssinia by some person of position ; and, al-
though intrusted to a person of respectability, he was un-
fortunately the very person to whom it should not have been
entrusted. He read a letter from one of the parties who was
suffering from the severities of the imprisonment and ill-
treatment they had to endure and were still enduring in
Abyssinia.
Earl RUSSELL said that the noble lord was under a false
impression if he supposed it was so easy to have replied
immediately to the letter in question, us the kingdom of
Abyssinia was in a very unsettled state. He contended
that the gentleman selected to deliver the letter of the
Queen was a person in every way qualified for the dis-
charge of that mission. (Hear, hear.) The King of
Abyssinia was engaged in constant war with neigh-
bouring chieftains, and unfortunately there were persons
who took advantage of his position to poison his mind
against French and English subjects. Her Majesty's Go-
vernment had done all in their power to effect the liberation
of the parties imprisoned, but the matter was surrounded
with difficulties, and he hoped the noble lord would not
press for the production of papers, as that would tend to
increase those difficulties.
The house then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--TGIS EVENING.
The Srai.imt took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Buckfastleigh Totnes, and South Devon Railway ; Edg-
ware, Highgate, and London Railway ; Glasgow and
South Western Railway (City of Glasgow Union);
Great Torrington Roads; London, Blackwall, and Mill-
wall Extension Railway ; Scottish North Eastern Rail-
way ; Sunningdale and Cambridge Town Railway; and
Whitehaven Junction Railway.

THE ASSASSINATION OP PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
Sir G. GREY said, in order to give the house an oppor-
tunity of expressing an opinion on the assassination of the
President of the United States, his noble friend Lord
Palmerston, on Monday next, intended to move an humble
address to her Majesty expressing its sorrow and indigna-
tion at the assassination of the President of the United
States, and also for conveying its sympathy to the Go-
vernment and the people of the United States under the
lamentable calamity.

CROWN DEBTS.
Mr. HADFIELD asked the Attorney-General whether
he intended to bring in a bill to amend the law respecting
the registering of Crown debts, so as to render it unneces-
sary for bone fide purchasers of real estate to make searches,
at considerable expense, before they could safely complete
purchases from persons who were the apparent owners
thereof.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it was not the in-
tention of the Government to introduce any such measure
during the present session.

MOROCCO.
Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN asked the Under Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs whether it was true that the
Emperor of Morocco had withdrawn the firman, delivered
last year to Sir Moses Montefiore, promising to the Jews
in Morocco the security and protection of regular
justice ? Whether any information had reached the Go-
vernment of the imprisonment of twelve chiefs of the
Jewish community of Tetuan for the alleged non-payment
of a Moorish guard at the gates of the Jewish quarters ;
and whether any steps had been taken to ascertain
whether a of the twelve chiefs were British subjects.
Mr. LAY"ARD said he had na reason to believe that the
firman referred to had been withdrawn. On the contrary,
he believed it was the wish of the Emperor that it might
be carried out. No official information of its withdrawal
had been received by the Government.