The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS EVENING
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :-
Ayr and Maybole Junction Railway; Bangor Waterworks ;
Bethesda and Llanlleched Improvement ; Cork and Ban-
don Railway ; South Devon Railway.
The following bills were considered and ordered to be
read a third time :—Caledonian Railway (Lesmahagow
Branches, itc.); Chesterfield Market; Exhibition of 1851
Commissioners ; Kirkby. Lonsdale, Kendal, and Miln-
thorpe Road ; Lowestoft Improvement (No. 2) ; Oxford
Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway (Chipping Nor-
toe Branch; Tacumshin Embankment ; Tormoham and
Saint Mary Church Gas ; Traethbach Bridge and Road
Bills.
The Portland, tee. Chapel Bills was read a second time.
PETITIONS.
Petitions were presented by Lord NEWPORT from a place
in Shropshire against the Friendly Societies Bill ; by Mr.
SCOTT, two petitions from Halifax in favour of a decimal
coinage ; by Mr. WHITESIDE, from Mullingar, praying
that where the number of inmates in a Union work-
house in Ireland is small, the officers may be allowed
to shut up the house and transmit the paupers
to the next adjoining workhouse ; by Mr. C OLLETT, 25
petitions from Lancashire, praying for inquiry into the
hours of labour into factories ; by SirW. CLAY, from a very
large number of mercantile houses in the city, expressing
their gratitude that the duty on refined sugar is not to
come into force until six weeks after the sth July, and
praying that the measure may pass into a law.
PATENT LAW.
Sir J. sa)Luzy asked the Attorney-General, whether
any measure will be introduced during the present session
far arranging, under the new Patent Law, the mode of
extending letters patent for inventions to the colonies
when required, and to remove the practical defects in the
Patent Law.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the subject had
been under consideration, but the difficulty of the matter
was this—some of the colonies required to have the Eng-
lish patent law extended to them, while others did not. At
present it was not in contemplation to introdnce any
measure disturbing a work which Parliament had so re-
cently accomplished.
THE GOVERNOR OF NEW ZEALAND.
Sir J. PAKINGTON rose to ask the Under Secretary
of State for the Colonies, 1. Whether it is true that the
Governor of New of Zealand, having proclaimed the new
Constitution of that Colony on the 17th day of January,
1853, postponed till the latest possible day allowed by the
Constitution Act, viz., till the 17th day of July,
1853, the issuing of Writs for the Election of Mem-
bers of the Legislative Assembly ; and, notwith-
standing the direction of the Act, that the Assembly
should be convened " as soon as conveniently may be after
the return of the first writs," had taken no steps for con-
vening thus Assembly, np to the time of his leaving the
colony in January, 185 t, although the provincial councils
were in full action : 2. Whether the last revenue appro-
priation ordinance passed by the former Legislative
Council, did not expire on the 30th day of Septem-
ber, 1853 ; whether the Governor did not, subse-
quently to that date, appropriate revenue by his own
sole act, ; and, if so, whether such appropriation was not
illegal 3. Whether Governor Sir George Grey did not
contierue to dispose of land under new regulations, after
and n otwitstanding a decisioa by the Supreme Court at
Wel/ ington, that such regulations were illegal ; and after
au ;_njunction by the said Court to restrain such disposal
OE land : 4. If all or either of these allegations are cor-
re ct, whether it is the opinion of her Majesty's Govern-
rient that the course so taken by Sir G. Grey admits of
satisfactory explanation, end meets with their approval : 5.
Whether the Government have received any information,
or have issued any instructions with respect to the Legis-
lative' Assembly of New Zealand being convened by the
acting governor : 6. Whether Colonel Winyard, the com-
mander of her Majesty's forces in New Zealand, and
now acting Governor of the Colony, offered him-
self as a candidate and was elected as Superintendent
of the Settlement of Auckland ; and whether her
Majesty's Government approve or have expressed dis-
approbation of such a combination of offices.
Mr. PEEL paid a high compliment to the general zeal
and efficiency of Sir G. Grey, who was one of the most
valuable servants of • the Crown in the' colonies, and said
there was no other course open to him than he had
done. As to the second question, he said Sir G. Grey had
not appropriated a sinew idenny, the money having
been apportioned chiefly' by the Provincial Council for the
purposes of the Colonial Government. In reply to the
third question, Sir G. Grey had reduced the pnce of land
to a uniform rate of 10s. an acre, in pursuance of power
conferred upon him by the right hon. gentleman (Sir J.
Pakington) himself. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME rose to order. He said they were not re-
ceiving answers to questions, but statements of conduct
and motives, and thought the precedent a dangerous one.
(Loud cries of " Hear.")
Thp SPEAKER said the hon. gentleman (Mr. Hume)
was not in the house when the questions were put, or he
would have heard that the hon. gentleman the Under
Secretary for the Colonies appealed to the house for their
indulgence on this occasion, and therefore he was not out
of order. (Hear, hear.)
Lord J. RUSSELL said, as the questions put conveyed a
considerable genre of blame on the Government, and there-
fore he hoped the house would hear the explanations of his
lion. friend (Mr. Peel). (Hear, hear.)
Mr. PEEL resumed, and went on to defend the conduct
of Sir G. Grey in every respect. The Government had
not disapproved of his conduct, but, on the contrary, it had
frequently called forth the praise of the Government.
With respect to the 6th question, he did not approve of
officers so situated as Colonel Winyard offering himself for
the situation he now filled, but the case of Colonel Win-
yard Was an exceptional case, and had been approved of by
Sir G. Grey. (Hear, hear.)

VIENNA PROTOCOL.
Mr. BLACKETT asked Lord John Russell, whether,
pending the arrival in this country of the text of the last
Vienna protocol, he will have any objection to state if, by
that instrument, any recognition or sanction on the
part of Great Britain is given to the first article
of the treaty of the 20th April, 1854, between
Austria and Prussia, whereby it would appear that the
Contracting„ Powers "reciprocally guarantee to each other
yaL.4.e Possession of their German and. Non-German
so that any attack made upon the territory of the
a"",°•*110 matter whence it may come, shall be regarded as
nostale attack on the territory of the other."
Lord Z.
friend 'RUSSELL —Sir, the protocol to which my hon.
Ravirefers has arrived to-day. It is dated the 23d inst.
4.
that
(4'lY Been it for a few moments I can only hate that
contain of that, not
of „ any special recognition or sanction
Prussia Which I:T6 Original treaty between Austria and
state that the coY —on• friend refers. It does, however,
and. the convention
convention between England and France,
Le.en received,
the
foetween Austria and Prussia having
a. tendency to eenar Powers recognise in these treaties
which are contained nin and maintain the principles
the integrity of the Turkish the Vienna Protocol, namely,
the Principalities by the Russian
and the evacuation of
of the protocol relates to t atiefrees- The remainder
referencebetween Turkey and
Russia, and there is no special
the treaty to which my hon. mew, has referred,
to that article of
referred (Hear.)
MINISTER OF 'WAR.
Mr. DRITMAIOND wished to ask whether it is the in-
tention of her Majesty's Ministers to take any
steps
ent of one responsiblmeymhinion-.
to-
wards placing the whole of the military resources of this
coiritry under the manage
strJr. (Cheers.)
Lord J. RUSSELL—The subject to which
friend refers has been under the c
consideration of the Go.vernment, but no practical decision has yet been come to
upon it. As soon as a decision shall have. been arrived at,
I will immediately inform the house_of_i_LCE.
(Cheers.)
OCCUPATION OF GREECE.
Mr. M. MILNES wished to ask thenoblGe
e rloreceleby the
aeues-
tion relative to the reported occupation of
allied forces of England aced France. He was desirous of
knowing whether that fact was true ; and if true,
have
lie shon_h_l
wish to usk the noblo lord whether he would
t_he occuapy
objection to state the object and conditions of
tiun of an independent territory during a time of war.
rord J. RUSSELL sail the Government had not re-
ceived any account of the occupation of any part of the..
Greek territories by the alliodlorces. But it was perfect',"
true that a force consisting of 6,000 men had been sent from
France with instructions to occupy the Pirteus, while the
regimeat of infantry that left this country a week ago,
were likewise, at the request of France, to be posted in
the Pirasus. The cause of this measure was some intelli-
gence which had reached both Governments that the
Greek Government had been conniving at the Greek insur-
rection in the Turkish provinces. This intelligence was con-
firmed by a correspondence which was found in possession of
the secretary to the Commander of the Insurgent Forces, by it appeared that the Greek Government had pro-
posed to the leader of the insurrection an arrange-
ment by which Greek troops should be sent to the
frontier, where they would be allowed to desert
and join the insurgents. There were other instances
of this nature tending [to show that the Greek Govern-
went had not been acting with good faith towards her