The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-13 00:00:00

THE BALTIC MAIL.

Lord BEAUMONT wished to ask the Postmaster
General, whether it was true, as had been stated in
several of the public papers, that on the 9th of June the
Baltic mail was "again too late," having reached Sheer-
ness 12 hours too late ?
Viscount CANNING was happy to say that the
statement was perfectly untrue. The Holyrood steamer
had taken off a heavy mail, but it was the custom to
continue forwarding supplementary mail bags until the
post-office authorities were apprised that the ship had
actually left port. The mail referred to was one of
these supplementary bags, and would of course be
for-
warded by the next mail.
THE EXCHEQUER BONDS (6,000,000/.) BILL.
Earl GRANVILLE moved the suspension of the
standing orders with a view to this passing through all
its stages.
Lord MONTEAGLE was opposed to proceeding
with such haste with so important a bill.
E:rl GRANVILLE had no objection to postpone the
bill until to-morrow.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE thought the Go-
vernment ought to explain whether the loan was neces-
sary, and if so, whether any other loan would be
proposed during the present session??
• After some further discussion, the motion Was post-
., lioned until to-morrow, when it was arranged the dis-
cussion should take place.
SINGAPORE.
The Earl of ALBEMARLE presented a petition from
the Asiatic and European merchants, traders, and in-
habitants of Singapore, praying that a resident profes-
sional judge be appointed to that settlement, and that
certain other ameliorations in the administration
of justice be introduced. The noble earl then
detailed some of the grievances which the petitioners
complained of, and said he trusted our present reform-
ing Government would adopt means to redress them.
Earl GRANVILLE said the subject was now under
the consideration of the Board of Control.
VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a petition from the
inhabitants of "Vancouver's Island, complaining that the
Hudson's Bay Company, in whom the Government of
the island at present vests, have neglected their duty in
not taking proper steps to colonise the island, and pray-
ing for a legislative council, and that a governor may be
appointed by the crown. This, he said, was a very
remote dependency of the British Crown, but it was one
which would probably hereafter he of great importance,
for not only was there a large supply of coal in that
island, but he had every reason to believe that it was
the only coal to be found on the north-west coast of
America. It was because he was desirous of seeing this
island colonised that he had undertaken to present this
petition, and he trusted that the serious attention of her
Majesty's Government would be called to the subject.
He did not know whether he was right in calling the
attention of the noble duke (the Duke of Newcastle) to
the subject, as the noble duke was no longer Secretary of
the Colonies.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said be was quite aware
of the importance which his noble friend rightly attached
to Vancouver's Island. It was now of small compara-
tive importance only because of the few inhabitants at
present located on it. The question affecting Van-
couver's Island were by no means new to him, for he
had entered fully into the consideration of them before
he ever anticipated that he should fill the office of Secre-
tary for the Colonies. The colonisation of that island
had not advanced as much as he should wish. At the
same time it must be borne in mind, when they looked
on the proceedings of the Hudson's Bay Company, that
they had laboured under great disadvantages in conse-
quence of the discovery of gold in California. Any one
must see the difficulty of colonising under such circum-
stances in a cold climate like that of Vancouver's Island.
He believed there were mineral advantages in Van-
couver's Island, and that immense importance attached
to it in consequence of the great amount of coal of the
most valuable description contained in it. He trusted
that before the expiration of the company's charter they
would make,due exertion, so that Government would be
disposed to deal with them more favourably than at the
present moment they might feel disposed to do.
THE NEW SECRETARY AT WAR.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, as allusion
had been made to his noble friend being now Secretary
at War, and no longer Secretary for the Colonies, he
would put a question to the noble earl at the head of
the Government respecting that office. His noble
friend was aw'.re that at present, under the act of
Queen Anne, two secretaries of state only could sit
in the House of Commons, and that it was absolutely
necessary that one should sit in the House of Lords.
Now, undoubtedly, at the present moment they had two
secretaries of state in that house, and no practical incon-
venience arose from the statute, but a great inconveni-
ence might arise if they were constituting a new Go-
vernment. If it were possible by law to place three
secretaries of state in the House of Commons, that
might facilitate the formation of a new Government.
lie must say a bill ought to be introduced for the pur-
pose of enabling a third secretary of state to sit in the
House of Commons, and he asked the noble earl if it was
intended to bring in such a bill.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said there was no intention
at present to bring forward such a bill. The matter was
fully considered, and there appeared to be some doubt.
They took the proper opinions, and consulted the best
authorities, and it appeared there was no reason to pro-
ceed by bill to effect that which had taken place, inas-
much as two secretaries of state remained in the House
of Commons, and the Queen, by her prerogative, if she
thought proper, could place a fourth secretary of state
in this house. Therefore he admitted with his noble
friend, that he could conceive a case in which inconveni-
ence-might arise from the absence of power to have a
third secretary of state to sit in the House of Commons,
but he could only say that at present there was no in-
. convenience, and there was no intention at present to
remedy the inconvenience that might arise. At the same
time, he fully admitted with his noble friend that a case
might arise in which inconvenience might be felt. It
was a subject worthy of consideration.
VACCINATION ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
PIPE SEWERS.

On the motion of the Earl of HARROWBY returns
were ordered of copies of any communication from the
Genaral Board of Health, or of any reports from super-
intending inspectors of that board, made to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department, in relation to any'
representations from the chairman or officers of the Me-
tropolitan Commissioners of Sewers in respect to the
operation of pipe sewers.
RAILWAY AND CANAL TRAFFIC REGULA-
TION BILL.

On the order of the day for the third reading of this
bill,

Lord LYNDHURST said he thought it only fair to
insert a clause to limit the liability of railway companies,
and he would propose it, if he thought he should have
the slightest chance of carrying it. He wished to in-
troduce a clause rendering it competent for the Board of
Trade, when they thought proper, to allow any railway
-company to introduce such conditions in their carrying
of goods as they considered reasonable and just. The
noble lord who had charge of the bill did not entirely
approve of that clause, but he had thrown upon the
companies, in the first instance, the declaration of con-
ditions, and the Court of Common Pleas was to have
jurisdiction to declare whether the conditions were rea-
sonable, but the consequence of that was that there
would be litigation in the first place.
The Earl of DERBY asked what was the intention of
the clause.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said the clause
enabled the railway companies to make conditions as to
what they should carry, and the terms.
Lord CAMPBELL suggested that the rules should be
settled by the courts before rather than after litigation.
After some further conversation,
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said that the
clause was not his, and he should prefer the bill as it
stood originally. As there seemed to be a wish to give
some further consideration to the clauses, he had no ob-
jection to postpone the easing of the bill until to-mor-
row, and to allow the clauses to be printed before taking
the next stage.
Some suggestions with regard to the details were
made by the Earl of Derby and Lord Redesdale, and
g
the bill was read a third time, on the understanding that
if any further discussion took place, it should be on the
question that the bill do pass.
NUISANCES REMOV AL AND DISEASES PRE-
VENTION BILL.
On the report of the amendments of this bill,
The Earl of CLANCARTY suggested that there were
some omissions in the bill. The power for carrying it
out by the local authorities_ inlreland wasogiytenonlztroe
town councils and boardislwoafy
guardians.and Dundaik,Nw there were
which were
some towns, such as u
municipal boroughs, but had no town councils, their
local affairs being managed by commissioners for paving
and lighting. He thought some provision should be
made for such cases.
The Earl of Sl3
i said that the best
aut.korities, nc
the secretary to the Poor-
SPBooljr-RlaYw Commissioners and
by town
consulted, and they were loafvroßpionsaiftrodnislreland,
discharged
posed by the bill would be be .
that the duhtaidesbiemen-
councils and boards of guardians.
were no town councils, the duty would devo
beards of guardians. In cases wherehr e
onthtehree
The report was then agreed to.
DUBLIN PORT BILL.

This bill was a read a third time, and passed.
The Income Tax (No. 2) Bill, the Church Buildings
„Acts Amendment Bill, and the Industrial and Provi-
llertc Societies Bill, severally passed through committee.
, , Their lordships adjourned at 20 minutes past 7 o'clock.

-C•iIiOUSE OF COMMONS--(YESTERDAY.)
'.:.11,:;e SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
44.: The following bills were read a third time and passed
Ardrossan and Glasgow and South-Western Railways,

Camden Town Cemetery, Cork and Waterford Railway,
Inverness and Nairn Railway, Horncastlo and Kirkatead
Junction Railway, Leominster and Kington Railway,
London and North-Western Railway (Flaydon-square, &c.),
Newport and Pillgwenlly Waterworks, Swinnerton's
Name, Thirsk and Yarm Road, Tralee and Killarney Rail-
way.
The following bills wore considered and ordered to be
read a third time :—Caledonian Railway (Wishaw and
Coitnese Railway, &c.) Bill, Selkirk and Galashiels Rail•
way, Stockport, Disley, and Whaley Bridge Railway.
PETITIONS.

-
Petitions were presented by Mr. HENRY BERKELEY, from
Bristol, in favour of the ballot ; by Mr. DEEDES, from
Kent, against the Drainage of Lands Bill ; by Mr. DUN-
LOP, from a place in Scotland, in favour of reformatory
schools ; by Colonel BL AIR, from the parishioners of
Frome, complaining of the conduct of the Vicar of Frome
in reference to the solemnis ition of marriages between
dissenters ; by Mr. FITZROY, from the College of Surgeons,
against the graduates of the London University BilL
NEW WRIT.

On tho motion of Mr. HATTER, a new writ was ordered
for Aforpeth in the room of Sir G. Grey, who has accepted
the office of Secretary of State for the Colonies.
REVOLT AT SHANGHAI.

Mr. HUME asked whether any information had been
received from Shanghai of an attack by the English and
American forces on the Imperialists on the 4th day of
April, 1854 ; and how far the British neutrality has been
compromised by that and other acts of British subjects.
Sir C. WOOD had received no intimation of the kind ;
but if such an attack had taken place, it would be commu-
nicated to the Foreign-office, and not the Board of Control.