The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-04 00:00:00

STRANGERS IN THE HOUSE.

Mr. MUNTZ gave notice that, on the Bth instant,
he should move for a select committee to inquir
whether reporters and strangers might not be allowed to
remain in the house during divisions, except on special
occasions, and also to determine the time that ought to
I,e allowed between the taking of a division and the
closinff of the doors.
METROPOLITAN SEWERS.

Mr. BUTLER wished to ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department—first, whether it is the inten-
tion of her Majesty's Government to introduce any mea-
sure for the appointment of local commissioners of
sewers by the ratepayers of the metropolis ; and secondly,
whether it is the intention of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to introduce any measure for the purpose of ena-
bling the present commissioners of sewers to borrow
money on the security of the rates.
Lord PALMERSTON said, with regard to the first
question asked by the hon. member, the course which he
should recommend the house to pursue in this importint
matter would depend very much upon the result of an
enterprise or undertaking tvhich had been planned by a
private committee. The house
was probably aware that
there was an , association of capitalists who had either
brought in or intended to bring in a bill to enable them
to construct two great arterial sewers under the town,
beginning at some distance above London and ending
some distance below London, one on each side of the
Thames. This they proposed to construct out of their
own funds, as a commercial speculation, if the project
should be approved of by Parliament. Now, if that
scheme was sanctioned by the Legislature, it would ren-
der unnecessary any loan from the commissioners for
the purpose of constructing any great or general system
of sewers in the metropolis, and therefore the intentions
of the Government with regard to that branch of the
subject must of course depend very much upon the re-
sults of that bill in Parliament, and, if approved of,
whether the scheme which it authorised was found prac-
ticable or not. (Hear.)

THE IRISH MAIL.
Mr. FRENCH wished to ask the Secretary to the
Treasury if any arrangements are in contemplation to
shorten the time occupied in the transit of mails from
London to Dublin, and if any communications have
been received from parties now employed in this duty ?
Mr. WILSON was not aware that any communica-
cation had been made to the Treasury upon the subject
of the postal communication between London and Dub-
lin by the parties who now held the contract for carrying
the mails, but there had been a communication made by
another Steam-packet Company, criticising the present
arrangements, but not making any distinct proposition
with regard to a new one. He might state, however,
that the Postmaster-General was fully alive to the un-
reasonable time which the transit of the mails now
occupied, and the matter was now under his seri-
ous consideration ; but as neither the Treasury

nor the Post-office had had any communication with
the contractors, he could not say that there was any in-
tention on the part of the Government of making any
change in the system at the present moment.
Mr. H. HERBERT gave notice that, on Monday, he
would move for a copy of a letter, dated the 31st of
January, 1853, and written by the secretary of the
City of Dublin Steam-packet Company to Sir Charles
Trevalian relating to a proposed improvement in the
transit of mails.

CONVOCATION.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he was now in a position to
answer the question put to him last night, by the right
hon. baronet the member for Droitwich, on the subject
of the proceedings of Convocation. The prorogation •f
Convpcation was different in its effect to the prorogation
of Parliament. The prorogation of Convocation was the
act of the archbishop, and there was no such term as
" adjournment" known to Convocation. When it broke
up, therefore, it always took the shape and form of
prorogation, and the law officers of the Crown had ascer-
tained that it had been customary, on the eve of a pro-
rogation, to appoint a committee to watch over the in-
terests of the Church. There could be no doubt, under
these circumstances, of the legality of the course taken
by the Upper House of Convocation; and it was not
the intention of Government to take any steps upon
it. (Hear, hear.)