The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-21 00:00:00

SHERIFFS' COURT (SCOTLAND) BILL.

This bill passed through committee.
EDINBURGH AND CANONGATE ANNUITY TAX

ABOLITION.

The house went into committee on this subject.
The LORD ADVOCATE said that the bill which he in-
tended to introduce was to abolish a tax at present paid for
the support of clergy, the collection of which led to great
strife and unpleasantness. It was not intended to pay any-
thing out of the Consolidated Fund, but that the city of
Edinburgh should pay a certain sum into the Treasury,
and that it should be repaid from thence to the clergy.
Mr. CO WAN complained that no communication had
been made to him on the subject of the bill.
The LORD ADVOCATE said a few words of explana-
tion. The bill was partly of the nature of a private bill,
and. would have to go to a select committee.
Mr. HADFIELD protested against bringing on such a
subject at such a late hour.
The LORD ADVOCATE said it would be early enough
to discuss the subject when the bill was actually brought

in.
Mr. PELLATT wanted to know whether this was not a
church rate transferred to the Imperial Treasury ?
The LORD ADVOCATE said that it was proposed even-
Wally to pay the money out of the funds arising from cer-
tain ecclesiastical sinecure offices, but in the meantime the
city would have to pay about one per cent. The object of
the present committee was merely to enable the bill to be
brought in.
The resolution was then agreed to.
RESIDENT MAGISTRATES (IRELAND) BILL.

. This bill was read a second time, after a few observations
from Colonel DUNNE, and other Irish members.

PUBLIC WORKS LOAN BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.

SOAP DUTIES BILL.
On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair,
Mr. PELLATT briefly defended the soap trade from im-
putations of a fraudulent intention which had been cast
upon them.
The Speaker then left the chair.
Mr. WILSON said it was first proposed that the duties
should cease on the sth of July ; but it had since come to
the knowledge of the Government that extensive arrange-
ments had been made by the dealers to export largely
under drawback, for the purpose of re-importation. To
defeat this attempt the Government proposed that the bill,
both as regarded foreign and Irish soap, should not take
effect till the sth of July, 1854. It could, however, be
amended if the Government found that there had been
no large exports under drawback. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. PELLATT said the soap trade complained that they
had not been allowed a drawback upon their stocks as had
been done in previous remissions of duties, but as the Go-
vernment had decided against that, he thought the course
mentioned by the hon. gentleman was the best that could
be taken.

The bill then passed through committee, and the house
resumed.

PUBLIC. LIBRARIES ACT, 1850.

Mr. FORTESCUE obtained leave to bring in a bill to
extend this act to Ireland.
REGISTRATION (DUBLIN) BILL.

Sir J. YOUNG obtained leave to bring in a bill to
authorise the appointment of barristers, for the purpose
of effecting a complete annual revision of lists and registry
of voters for the city of Dublin.
The house adjourned at two o'clock till five this day.

LORD PALMERSTON AND THE LATE WAR-ROCKET
SEIZIIRE.—Lord Palmerston has acted very judiciously,
as well as leniently, in virtually abandoning the prose.
cution against Mr. Hale for the illegal manufacture of
war-rockets. The original seizure was at best unpo-
pular, because it bore the aspect of a vindictive pro-
ceeding, directed much more against M. Kossuth than
Mr. Hale. Then followed those disagreeable revelations
concerning spies, which however plausibly they may be
glossed over, can never be rendered palatable to an
English public. However necessary, in certain emer-
gencies, such instruments are not the less detestable ;
and the conviction that they are in daily use for the
purpose of detecting, or it may be entrapping, certain
individuals into a violation of the law, was calculated
to damage any government. Lord Palmerston is not
the man to occupy this position in the public eye a
moment longer than he can help, and his instructions to
the Attorney-General not to call the defendant up for
judgment is a significant sign of a willingness to efface
unpleasant impressions, if not to retrace his steps. In
regard to Mr. Hale further proceedings would have
been absolute cruelty. As he himself says, " The law
has now been sufficiently vindicated ;" and he might
have added, that he has been more than sufficiently
punished by the seizure of his property without the
slightest previous intimation that he was violating the
law.—Sunday Times.
THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.—On Saturday notices
were issued in the city of London, and the boroughs of
Westminster, Marylebone, Finsbury, Tower Hamlets,
Lambeth, and Southwark, that all persons claiming to
vote in the election of members of Parliament in respect
of 101. occupations, must, on or before the 20th of July
next, pay all the poors' rates and assessed taxes clue
from them in respect of such premises previous to the
sth of January last past, or they will not be placed upon
the register now about to be made out. All persons
claiming to be placed on the register to vote for county
members, must send in notice of claim to the overseers
of the parish in which the qualification is situate ; the
notice must state at full length the nature of the qualifi-
cation. the place of abode, and name and surname of the
applicant. Persons already on the register need not
make a new application, unless they have changed their
qualification or place of abode.