The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-23 00:00:00

THE RIVAL SHANNON.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved that the reports
of Mr. Bateman and Mr. Beardmore upon the river Shannon
be referred' to a" Select committee, and that the committee
be instructed to inquire how far the Shannon and its prin-
cipal affluents can be improved, both *as regaids navigation
and drainage, at a reasonable cost ; also how far the pro-
visions of the Act 2d and 3d Viet., a. 61, wore complied
with by the commissioners appointed under that and sub-
sequent Acts ; and also how far the results anticipated in
the reports laid before Parliament previous to and during
the execution of works by those torataissioners havo boon
obtained.

The motion was agreed to.
SEWAGE UTILISATION BILL.

In moving that the house should go into committee on
this bill,
Lord RAVENSWORTII explained its provisions in
some detail.
Earl GRANVILLE said it seemed to him that it was
just the kind of bill which might advantageously be re-
ferred to a select committee.
Lord REDESDALE said that it was a measure which
would require much careful consideration, and considerable
amendment before it could be made to work. It was very
imperfectly drawn ; and he certainly thought that it would
be desirable to refer it to a select committee.
After some observations from the Duke of CLEVE-
LAND,

Lord RAVENSIVORTH said that he was perfectly
willing to refer tho bill to a select committee.
The bill was then referred to a select committee.

PHEASANTS (IRELAND) BILL.
The Earl of BELMORE, in moving the second reading
of this bill, explained that at present it was lawful to com-
mence pheasant shooting in Ireland on tho Ist Soptember,
the shooting season lasting until the 10th January. He
proposed to forbid the destruction of these birds between
the Ist February and the Ist October.

The bill was read a second time.
TORIES, ROBBERS, AND RAPPAREES BILL.
The Earl of DONOUGIIMORE moved the second read-
ing of this bill.

The Exchequer Bonds (S1,000,000)Bill was read a second

time.

The Oxford University (Vinerian Foundation) Bill, and
the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill, were read a third
time and passed.

The report of amendments on the Police Superannuation
Bill was brought up and agreed to.

THE NOXIOUS VAPOURS ACT.

The Earl of DERBY called attention to the recent re-
port of Dr. Angus Smith, the inspector appointed under
the Noxious Vapours Act. That act had only been in opera-
tion nine months at the date of that report, but it had been
completely successful. Vegetation was sensitive to the
minutest portion of muriatic gas given off in the process of
alkali manufacture. It was therefore desirable that the
completest condensation of this gas should be obtained.
But before the act came into operation, sometimes 40 per
cent., and frequently 16 per cent., was given off. The act
required that 95 per cent. of tho gas should be condensed,
and the inspector now reported that the average condensa-
tion of gas was now 98.72 per cont. Every alkali works
was now condensing the minimum required by the act.
There wore only five in which the escape of gas wasl per
cent. ; while in twenty-six works the whole of the gas
was condensed, and there was absolutely no escape. Dr.
Angus Smith reported that there was the best disposition
on the part of the manufacturers to carry out the act;
and ho stated that he had no doubt that a still further
improvement might be effected. Dr. Smith said that
before the passing of the act ha had zip doubt that 4,000
tons of muriatic acid were weekly poured into the atmo-
sphere. That quantity had now boon reduced to 43 tons.
After entering into details with respect to a particular
district in Lancashire in which he was particularly inte-
rested, the noble earl said that no difficulty whatever had
been encountered in carrying out a system of inspection.
Dr. Smith stated that ho was informed by one manufac-
turer that the cost of making the requisite improvements
to carry out the act would be repaid in two years by the
saving of the sums which he had previously paid for
damage. He thought that this bill was only one part of a
great system which must before long engage the attention
of the public. He hoped that the result of this experiment
might be to encourage the Government to proceed cau-
tiously, but steadily, with measures which, without injur-
znS manufactories, might diminish the injury to health
which at present unnecessailly zesulted from the mode in
which they wore carried on. Copper works, for instance,
'required attention, and he was informed that it would be
Perfectly easy to prevent the injurious consequences
vhieh too frequently resulted from them. Ho thought it
would be worth consideration whether Dr. Angus Smith
should not be authorised to inquire as to the practicability
of extending to other manufactories the system which had
been applied to aika •
h works, with a view to the benefit of
the public health.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY congratulated the
house upon the success of the Act, but
ts.aid that he thought
that they must proceed with great
;en thought on
inextending its
principles to other manufactorim
very probable that Dr. Angus Smith it, however,
might be able to sug-
est some mode of doing this in cases where it was required
by the public health.
The house adjourned at five minutes before seven
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING,
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

-
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Barry Railway ; Bishop's Castle Railway ; Inverness and
Perth Junction, and Inverness and Aberdeen Junction
Railway Companies; and North and South Wiltshire
Junction Railway.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Rude Canal and Launceston Junction Railway ; Buck-
fastleigh, Totnes, and South Devon Railway; Bristol and
Exeter and Devon and Somerset Railways ; Glasgow
Markets and Slaughterhouses ; London, Brighton, and
South Coast Railway (Additional Powers); North London

Railway ; Llanelly Local Board of Health; Ross Improve-
ment ; and the Mersey Dock and Harbour Board.
MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE COLLECTIONS.

Sir C. DOUGLAS asked the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer if the reasons which had led to the opinion he ex-
pressed (after stating that the clerk of the patents and the
clerk to commissioners of patents might hold just as much
public money as they think fit, and pay it if they thought
fit, and if they paid nothing at all there were no means of
calling on them to account for such non-payment), that
" it would not surprise him at all to find there were a great
number of other officers in a similar condition," had led
him to make any inquiry into such matters generally, or to
any such case in particular; and whether any and what
check her Majesty's Government proposed to make with
regard to those other officers, if any, who might be in a
similar condition with the clerk of the patents as regards
the power of paying nothing, or holding public money in
his hands just as he pleased.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
words referred to were embodied in a question put to him
by Earl Derby while under examination before
the committee of the House of Lords, and he
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) gave an answer
in the affirmative, The reply had no reference to the col-
lection of the revenue, but roferred to numerous miscella-
neous matters and to moneys held in public trust. Tho
matter was being inquired into, he believed, by
the committee on public accounts. Tho Govern-
ment would not determine what should be done
until the committee of public accounts had sent in their
report. Some inquiry, ho felt, ought to be made. (Hear,
hear.) The matter was under the consideration of the
Treasury, and the hon. member might rest satisfied that it
would not be allowed to sleep.

Mr. ELPHINSTONE asked how long the right hon.
gentleman had been aware of the irregularities.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
difficult to say. He had been acquainted with it for years.
He believed the case which had led to the inquiry would
be attended with the best results as far :as the collec-
tions to which he referred were concerned.