The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-03 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

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Several petitions were presented from various parts of
Scotland in favour of the Public House (Scotland) Bill.
Mr. HASTIE presented a petition from 42 old soldiers,
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Mr. M. lselthNlcs, Mr. BRIGHT, and several other hn
members presented petitions in favour of the bill hen.
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legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister.
Mr. MOFFATT presented a petition from Bradford
in favour of the budget.
Mr. O'FLAHERTY presented a petition from an
Irish county against the proposed extension of the in-
come tax to Ireland.
Mr. C. BRUCE presented two petitions from places
in Scotland against the repeal of University Tests.
Mr. CAYLEY presented a petition from Sunderland,
praying for the repeal of the malt tax.
Mr. ALEXANDER presented a petition from Car-
low against the proposed extension of the income tax to
Ireland.
TOTNES ELECTION.
Mr. LASCELLES brought up the report of the
select committee appointed to try and determine the
merits of the Totnes election petition, declaring that
Mr. T. Mills had been duly elected.
CUSTOMS DUTIES.
Mr. HUME moved for lists of all articles on which
customs duties were payable in the year 1851, on im-
portation into the United Kingdom, showing in columns
the name of the article ; the quantity imported, ex-
ported, and retained for home consumption in ISSI ; the
net amount of duty received •, the present rate of duty;
and the proposed rates of duty ; and, of all articles

imported duty free in 1851 ; and of such articles, then
subject to duty, as it is proposed shall be adinitted duty
free under the new tariff.
Agreed to.
ISLE OF MAN.
Mr. EWART wished to ask the Seerntary to the
Treasury whether the measures proposed to be adopted
in reference to the fiscal changes in the Isls of Man are
yet prepared ; and, if so, when the Government pro-
poses to lay the same before the house ? Also, whether
it is intended that such measures shall affect importations
made under the licences ending the 30th. day of June
next ? Also, whether any and what measures have been
adopted to promote a more frequent communication by
mail with that island during the winter months ?
Mr. WILSON said the proposed changes with regard
to the import duties of the Isle of Man were in a state
of forwardness, but he was not prepared to state exactly
when they would be brought on. The import duties,
however, would be extremely small, while the system of
licences would be abolished.
PRISON DISCIPLINE.

Sir H. HALFORD wished to ask the Secretary of
State for the Home Department, with reference to a
petition from the Justices of Peace for the county of
Leicester, in Quarter Sessions assembled (presented 20th
April), whether it is in contemplation by her Majesty's
Government to introduce any measure for adaptation
of the law regarding prisons to the system of the
individual separation of prisoners, as applied to those
under sentence of hard labour, and generally in order
to carry out the recommendation of the select com-
mittee of this house on prison discipline in 1850 ?
Lord PALMERSTON said he presumed this ques.
tion applied to a communication which was made
to his predecessor by the magistrates of Leicester.
The magistrate of the Leicester Prison established a
rule in the prison, that persons sentenced to hard
labour should be employed eight hours a day turn-
ing a crank, and if they objected or refused to
do so they should be deprived of a certain portion of
their daily meals. That regulation his predecessor, how-
ever, decided was contrary to law ; and if the hon. baro-
net who put the question wished to know whether it was
the intention of the Government to bring in an act to
legalise such a regulation, his answer must be that it was
not.