The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

ROUSE OF LORDS—LAsT EVENING.

The LORD CRANcraLott took his seat ou the woolsack
at five o'clock.
PARTNERSHIPS AMENDMENT ACT BILL.
Lord ST. LEONARDS presented a petition from the.
Chamber of Commerce of Edinburgh, praying that provi-
sions for the registration of special partnerships be in-
cluded in the bill.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a second time :—Barry
Railway ; Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway ; Carnarvon-
shire Railway ; Drayton Junction Railway ; Dumfries-
shire Roads; Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay (Dee
Valley Branch); Newry and Greenow Railway ; Port
Glasgow Police and Water.; Skipton and Wharfdale
Railway; West Riding and Grimsby Railway; Lancashire
and Yorkshire Railway : and Stonehouse and Nailsworth
Railway.
The following bills wore a third time and passed :—Rat-
tray's Estate ; Cromford and Belper Road ; Manchester
Corporation Water ; Heysham Pier; Rickmansworth,
Amersham, and Chesham Railway ; Sutherland Railway ' •
Barnstaple Roads; Crays Gas; and Belfast New Streets.
RAILWAY DEBENTURES, etc., REGISTRY BILL.
The house went into committee on this bill, and the
different clauses were agreed to.

The house then resumed.
PUBLIC HOUSE ACT (1864) AMENDMENT BILL.
The report of the amendments on this bill was brought
up.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that the bill
would act with great hardship on a very large and indus-
trious portion of the community, including the market gar-
deners, who had to rise unusually early, and who neces-
sarily required refreshment at the hours when public
houses would be closed. He considered that the bill was
most arbitrary in its character, and vested the police with
a judicial authority which was never contemplated when
they were originally constituted. He referredto large towns
to show the injurious operation of certain provisions of
the bill, and moved that clause 5 be re-inserted, so as to
give the power of granting all licences in special cases to
magistrates sitting in Petty Session instead of to the
police.
Earl GRANVILLE said there was no doubt as to the
principle of the bill, but the clause in question would natu-
rally affect its operation.
The Earl of DERBY said that there was more objec-
tion in fact to the form in which the bill was presented
than to the principle.' The act of last year was intended
to apply to London alone, and he believed it had effected
much benefit. It appeared from the statement of the noble
marquis (Clanricarde) that there was a class who suffered
from the power vested in the police, with regard to whom it
was desirable that the licensing power should be entrusted
to the magistrates. He had great respect for the police,
but he did not consider a chief of that body a person to be
clothed with the powers given him under the bill, and he
knew a case in which a chief constable had announced that
he would not grant a special license under any circumstances.
No doubt that was an exceptional case, but it showed how
authority might be abused.
Earl GRANVILLE suggested that the license in Lon-
don should be- given to the police, and in the country to
the magistrates.
The clause was-then reinserted, with an understanding
that another clause would be inserted embodying the
suggestion of Earl Granville.
The remaining clauses were then agreed to.
LOCOMOTIVES ON ROADS BILL.
This bill went through committee.

ADMIRALTY ACTS REPEAL BILL.
This bill was reads second time.
DOCKYARD PORTS REGULATION BILL.

This bill was read a second time.
Their lordships shortly afterwards adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-L%ST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 20 minutes past 12.
FIRE. BRIGADE (METROPOLIS) BILL.

In clause 11,
Mr. BARING moved to add tho following words to the
clause :—" Provided that any insurance company which at
the time of the passing of this act contributes to the ex-
penses o: the said fire engine establishment may, in re-
spect of all payments to be made by it in the year one
thousand eight hundred and sixty seven, but not after-
wards, contribute after the yearly rate of thirty-five
pounds in one million pounds of the business in respect of
which it contributes to the said fire engine establishment
for the present year according to a return which has been
furnished to the chairman of the said Metropolitan Board,
instead of in the manner in this act provided."
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. AYRTON objected altogether to the clause. He
believed it had been slipped into the bill by some of the
companies in order that they might escape their just amount
of taxation.
The committee divided upon the proposition.

Ayes
Noes

Majority
The amendment was then agreed to ; and the clause was
also agreed to.
Clauses up to 15 inclusive were then agreed to.

-57

On clause 16,

Mr. BLACKBURN said by the clause it appeared that
the quota to be paid by the Government offices was
£lO,OOO. Instead of that he thought that the Government
property should be assessed at tI rate of one halfpenny in
the pound levied upon all property rated to the relief of the
poor.
Mr. BARING opposed the amendment.

After a short discussion the amendment was rejeoted.
_
On clause 17 being proposed, *

Mr. CLAY moved that the following words be added to
the clause :—That the proportion of any such payment by
the overseer of any parish which shall be attributed to
rates paid by any water company in respect of their pipes
or works may be deducted by such water company out of
the next payment of rates demanded by such overseer, and
shall be allowed by him accordingly.
Mr. BARING opposed the amendment.
Mr. H. LEWIS also opposed the amendment. He said
the water company lv.td got acts of Parliament such as
they never would succeed in getting at the present time,
and they used the public most mercilessly. Ho for one
would be glad of any opportunity that would lead to the
breaking up of the monopoly.
The amendment was negatived, and the clause was or-
dered to stand part of the bill.
Mr. AYRTON moved thefollowing clause :—The Board
shall maintain as many steam fire-engines on the River
Thames, within the limits of the metropolis, as may by
them be deemed necessary as part of the said Fire Brigade,
the Conservators of the River Thames paying out
of the funds in their hands, to the said Board, the
sum of £3,000 annually, provided they had a surplus,
The Conservancy Board, ho believed, spent all the re-
venue they received; but if their accounts were watched
by the Metropolitan Board they would soon have a sur-
plus instead of deficit. They kept a steamboat to go up
and down the river, and he did not see why they should
not be called upon to contribute to the fund.

Mr. BARING objected to the additional clause, because
there was no surplus or fund out of which it could be paid.
The proposition was negatived without a division.
The preamble was then agreed to, and the bill was re-
ported witb, amendments.

HARWICH HARBOUR BILL.
This bill passed through committee and was reported.
CARRIERS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

This bill passed through committee without amendment.
ROADS AND BRIDGES (SCOTLAND) BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.
Lord ELCIIO moved that the Chairman report pro-
gress.

After a short discussion, in which Mr. BLACKBURN and
Mr. STIRLING took part, the bill was virtually withdrawn.
The sitting of the house was then suspended.
The house resumed at six o'clock.
BRIGANDAGE IN ITALY.

Mr. 0. STANLEY asked the Under Secretary of State
if any communications had taken place between the Secre-
tary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Italian Govern-
ment with regard to the detention of an English gentle-
man by the brigands.
Mr. LAYARD said the accounts which had appeared in
the papers last week wero an entire fable. There was not
the slightest foundation for the statements which had been
made public. Her Majesty's Government had been in con-
stant communication with the Italian Government on the
subject, and the Italian Government wore doing all they
could to procure Mr. Moens's release. News had reached
the Foreign-Glace to-day that the camp of the brigands had
bean captured, and that the chief himself was among those
captured.

CHINA.
Mr. LIDDELL asked the, Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether any communications had passed
between the Foreign_offi,c
and her Majesty's representa-
tive in China, relative tothePermission said to have been
given by the Chinese Government to its subjects to own
foreign vessels and sail
themundere the Chinese flag ; and
whether, with a view of affordinli
at protection to the crews
Government and cargoes of such vessels,
her
flag be
its
and
an-
ticipates the necessity of any increase Y,
ofs
our naval forces
in Chinese waters, or whether the protection of
left exclusively to the Chinese Government,all risks
attending such trade, coastingorotherwise, left to be borne
by such Chinese owners.
Mr. LAYARD said he had seen a report to that effect in
the newspapers, but no official information on the subject
had been received by the Government.
THE TRUCK ACT.

In reply to Sir R. CLIFTON,
Mr. M. GIBSON said it was not his intention to intro-
duce a bill to remedy the hardships said to have been in-
flicted by the Truck Act, as he hadnot received any repre-
sentations on the subject.
LIEUT. JOHNSON AND THE ARGENTINE
REPUBLIC. _ _

Admiral WALCOTT asked if any particulars had be en
received by the Government respecting the arrest of Lieut.
Johnson on the south-east coast of America.
Mr. LAYARD said the occurrence to which the gallant