The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-01 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS. JULY 31.
The SNIAKER entered the House shortly before Four o'Clock.
The Usher of the Black Rod appeared at the table, and summoned
the House to the House of Lords, to hear the Royal Assent given by
Commission to several public and private Bills ; for which see our Lords'
report.
On the motion of Sir J. GRAHAM, the Committee on the Duke of
Hamilton's Estate Bill had leave given them to sit on Friday next.
Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from the city of London in
favour of an increased grant to the Church of Canada. Also one praying
fur the repeal of the Catholic Relief Bill.
Captain PECHELL presented a petition from the Fishermen of
Brighton, complaining of the aggressions of the French upon their fish-
ing boats.
Mr. BRA MSTON presented a petition from Chelmsford praying for
the repeal of the Beer Bill.
Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from a Wesleyan Congrega.
tion in Monmouth, praying that the English soldiery might not be com-
pelled to attt.nd the idolatrous worship of India.
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN presented a petition from Limerick, corn.
. .

plaining of the effect of the Boundaries Bill.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER presented petitions from
the Beer Sellers of Warrington, against any alteration in the Beer Act ;
also a similar petition from Stockport. The Right Hon. Member also
presented a petition, praying that the Botanical Garden at Kew might
be thrown open to the public for the purposes of science.
On the motion of Lord SANDON, the Liverpool Clergy Endow-
ment Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Militia Ballot Suspension Bill was read a second time, and or-
dered to be committed.
The West India Prisons Bill was reported.
The Transfer of Funds Bill went through Committee.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the order
of the day for bringing up the report of the Committee of Supply.
Mr. PAKINGTON wished to ask a question on the subject
of two Hospitals in Canada, at Kingston and Toronto. They pos-
sessed considerable funds, but further assistance was required,
and it was considered there was strong ground for applying
fox assistance to this country on the ground that the parties receiving
the benefit were poor and destitute emigrants. An application
was accordingly made in 1835, to Lord Aberdeen, who made
a promise that a recommendation should be given to the Lords
of the Treasury to direct an annual allowance from the casual
and territorial revenue of Canada. The question s hich he
wished to put was, whether on a repetition of this application from Ca.
nada the pre.sent Colonial Government would feat disposed to recom-
mend a similar annual allowance.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that when this application was made
it was for assistance in the shape of land, but it was re.
fused; but Lord Aberdeen thought they had a claim on the
casual and teritorial revenue an.l directed the Lieutenant-Gover.
nor to bring the subject again under the consideration of the Governor,
in the event of that revenue being capable of bearing the additional
charge. No subsequent application had been made, and there was not
at present any prospect of a.sistance being afforded.

The report was then 13: ought up.
On the grant bein proposed for printing in Ireland,
Mr. HUME inquired what had been done on that subject. The
country was paying 6d. per sheet for printing done there, whilst in
England the expense was only l Id.—(Hear, hear.) This appeared to
him to be a waste of the public money.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that an alteration
had been made within the last year or two which was not only likely to
lead to a diminution of expense but to considerable improvement.
Mr. NVALLACE said the Statutes were charged at such a high rate,
that the poorer classes could not procure them.—(Hear.)
Mr. HUME said, by the evidence taken before a Committee of the
Treasury, it appeared that Parliamentary Papers could be printed for
V2d. per sheet ; yet the Lards of the Treasury still persisted in giving
the public printers I Id per sheet.
The vote was agreed to.
On the vote for the expenses of the late insurrection in Canada,
Mr. iIU ME observed, that these expences had been rendered neces.
sary, entirely through the indiscretion and fully of the Govern-
ment. Lord Durham had been sent over to tranquillize that
colony. He (Mr. Hume) hoped his Lordship's efforts would be sue..
cessful. In the meantime he protested most earnestly against the vote
which was now about to be passed.
Vote agreed to.
Mr. II A WES ni,j,t,d to the vote to the Trustees • f the lb itish Mu.
um, on the grcund that the resolutions ado: ted lry the House had not
been coniplict wi• h , many cfthe oircers of that establishment having been
passed by. Ile thought that the exp:nditure of the public money fur
enlarging the Eritish Museum was totally unnecessary. The returns
that had been Lid on the table on the subject contained great omis-
slang, wMch he hoped would be rectified.
Sir R. PEEL, as one of the Trustees of the British Museum, could
a,sur2 the Hon. Member and the House that the recommendations of
the Committee bad in es far as pos.ible been complied with, and the
otters were still tinder consideration by the Trustees.
Mr. \V A RC.' itTON reeommemle that cacti °filar of the Museum,
s:‘culd ir Eke a repErate report of the state of Ills department.
Mr HUME wz, more and more confirmed in his o,dnion that offi-
ckil residenc.s ought not to be pi ovichrd, but a liberal house rent allowed
to every c lam
Mr. II A WES rema:ked that en the evidence of Sir It. Sof Eke, it
appeared that ea:b of the official residences in the British Museum
cost f.,000/.
The report was then rreeived.
Cn the motion of the CHA NCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER!, the
rep,rt on the Civil List Act was received.
Mr. HUME !aid when the Bill founded on the report was intro.
ductd, he should feel it to be his duty to make some statement, with
reneet to it.

BF.NIEFICES PLURALITIES BILL.
Lord J. RUSSELL moved that the House should ag, ee to the Lords'

Amendments to tl.e Benefices Pluraltics
Mr. C. LUSIIING CON thought a great portion of the Amendments
were totzaly unintelligdde. The powers of the Ecclesiastical Commis-
sion were greatly cntrenc!‘ed upon, and given to the Archbishop
of Cantert•ury. Ile hoped Ministers would postpone the Bill till
next Session ; and for the purpose of enab!ing tlitin to do so, he should
now move that the amendments should be e,,nsideied that day three

months.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that that Bill hal Leen very much
considered in the House and the Committee. The main principle of the
Bill had beets adopted by the Lords. Certain Clatl,CS had been altered, but
nothing had been done trenching at alt upon the principles of the Bill.
He thought it would Le too much, because the Hots. Member did not
understand the amendments, that they should be rejected altogether.
Mr. WARBURTON thought that an opportunity ought to be given
to Members to ascertain shat the Bill really was.
Mr. HAWES considered the Bill an entirely new one.
Time ought to have been allowed to the Clergy, in order that they
might find out the situation in which their superiors wished them to be
placed. There was one clause in favour of the Curates which much
recommended the Bill to that House, which had been struck
out without ceremony. Yet now the Noble Lord was ready to acquiesce
in all the amendments merle by the Lords. The Noble Lord now
showed the most slavish acquiescence in all that was done in that
House.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") If such slavish conduct
was to go on, the House of Commons might as well
give up their whole legislativeprivileges, and look out of doors for public
spirit. Great additional power was proposed to be put into the !lauds of
the Archbishops and Bishops. Now when he found a Bishop declaring in
a most public place his determination not to obey a law, even if it
became such by the consent of the Legislature, it became them to look
very narrowly at what powers the Bill proposed to give them. It was
a mockery of Legislation to go on its such a way, and allow the House of
Lords to ride paramount over the House of Commons. The Noble
Lord was not discharging his duty to the country by such slavish obe
dience to that House. At all events he hoped the Bill would not now
be forced upon them without any time for consideration.—(Hear.)
Mr. AGLIONBY hoped the Noble Lord would at least allow a little
more time to consider this Bill, and postpone it for a few days.
Lord J. RUSSELL was willing to defer the Bill till Monday for the
convenience of I-lon. Members who wished to have further time to eonsi
der the amendments, but he feared the opposition was to the Bill in tote.
Mr. HEATEICOTE considered a short adjournment of the subject
necessary, in order that the opinions of the laity, as well as those of the
clergy, might be obtained with respect to the amendments.
Mr. HA WES did not require postponement in order to take the sense
of the House against the Bill.
Mr. C. LUSHINGTON agreed to the compromise offered by the
Noble Lord, and deferred his amendment till Monday.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the Order of
the Day for a Committee of the whole House on Joint-stock Banks.
Captain BOLDER() asked what steps had been taken with regard to
the Northeastern Boundary of America.
Lord PALMERSTON said negociations had been for the last year
and a half going on between America and Great Britain, as to whether a
Commission should be appointed by the two countries to trace
the line of boundary. These negociations had not yet come to a close.
The two Governments were now in communication as to the appoint.
ment of a Commission.
The Joint Stock Bank Bill went through a Committee, and the:Repost
was ordered to be received to-morrow.
On the motion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the Ecclesiastical Ap.
pointment Suspension Bill was read a third time.
A clause was added by way of rider, and the Bill then passed.
POST OFFICE BILL

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the third reading
of the Post-office Bill.
Colonel SIBTEIORP opposed the third reading, believing the mea.
sure to be a job on the part of the Government ; he considered the Bill
one that no Government ought to sanction. The Hon. and Gallant
Member concluded by moving, that the Bill should be read a third time

that day three months.
Mr. ELLIS rose to second the amendment of the Hon. and Gallant
Officer, that the Bill be read a third time that day three months. Since
he had last spoken upon the subject, reflection had confirmed him in the
objections he first entertained against the measure. The object of the
Bill was to take the affairs out of the hands of the Postmaster-General
and vest them in those of three Commissioners; the first Commissioner
to receive a salary of 2,0001. per annum ; the other two 1,2001. each,
making altogether an expenditure of 4,400/. per annum. The expense
of the present-management amounted to 2,5001. yearly; it was, there.
fore, proposed to incur an excess of expense to the country of 1,9001.
per annum.—(Hear, hear.) Why were three persons required to
superintend this department ? He (Mr. Ellis) had heard no
sufficient reason alleged. On the contrary, power was taken
by the Bill to give the whole of its duties not absolutely to
three—they might be conferred merely upon two, perhaps only upon
one ; and it might so happen, if the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury
should so think fit, that the administration of the Post-office would be
given to no new Commissioner at all, but kept entirely in their own
hands. Moreover, by the Bill, the new Commissioners, if appointed,
were exclusively to follow the instructions of the Treasury, so that, pos.
sibly, they were causing an enlarged payment of 1,9001. a-year for the
sole purpose of placing the affairs of the Post-office in the hands of a
nominee of the Treasury.—(Hear, hear.) Did such an enactment be.
token the wisdom of the Government plan ? The Hon. Member for
Bridport stated the other night that with respect to postage the country
was on the eve of a revolution ; looking, however, to what was likely to
be the nature of the revolution—that it would almost entirely be based
upon increased facilities of communication, demanding, certainly, not
more, if not less, intelligence on the part of the head of the Post-office—
he (Mr. Ellis) thought that was an argument for diminishing rather than
increasing the expenditure of the establishment. But then the Right Hon.
Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer had said that the main object
of the Bil: was to have the Chief Commissioner eligible to a seat in that
House. Why then had he not caused that to be specially enacted ?
At present the Postmaster-General sat in Parliament, though in the
Upper House; yet, by the measure under consideration, it might be
othmsmtainsdsiionngeirt, wnoeuitlhdesrtiil.l boenleeftnoopuesne
hoefirllwtohueldoffitic,ee
of that,
Chief
withstanding
foril ora Pthe ro
tt
Chief Commissioner have a seat—and thus the ' grievance mainly
complained of, that of not having a person in the House of Commons to
answer questions relative to the Post-office department, was liable to be
left without a remedy. Again, he (Mr. Ellis) certainly conceived that
whilst there was no objection for the Government to have a political asso.
ciate in the House of Lords, he entertained a strong desire that the
number of placcfneri should not be increased in that House ; and, con-
sidering that such proposition came with a bad grace from the present
Ministers, he should on that account, as well as for the other reasons he
had stated, • pre;s his hearty disapprobation of the measure.—(Hear.)
ex
After a short conversation, in which Sir Robert Peel, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, and Mr. Labouchere took part,
Colonel SIBTHORP withdrew his opposition, and the BM was read a
third time and passed.
SHANNON. NAVIGATION BILL.
TFeCIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER taid the', a* the tug-