The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-14 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)

The SPEAKER. took the chair at twelve o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Lords amendments to the following bills were
considered, and agreed to :—Darlington Local Board of
Health ; Dublin and Wicklow, and Dublin and Kings•
town Railways ; Inverness and Nairn Railway ; Lon-
donderry Port ; Ouse and Derwent, ttc., Drainage;
Shropshire Union Railways and Canal ; Wells and
Fakenham Railway.
The Ratcliff Gas Company Relief Bill was read a third
time and passed.

PETITIONS.
Several petitions were presented against the opening
,of public•houses on Sundays, and others praying for 4
a more stringent enforcement of .the Ten Hours' Act.
DRAINAGE OF LANDS BILL.
This bill was read a third time.

Mr. OHRISTOPFIER moved to insert the following
clause in lieu of clause 43 of the original bill —"The
Inclosure and Drainage Commissioners shall not autho-
rise the execution of any work whereby any dwelling
house or ineloPed park, garden, or pleasure ground, or
ornamental waters, adjoining thereto, would be taken or
interfered with , • nor shall it be lawful to construct • any
open drain within one hundred feet of any dwelling
house except with the consent, in writing, of the owners
of such dwelling house, park, garden, pleasure ground,
or ornamental .waters respectively."—The clause was
agreed to.
Mr. HORSFALL moved to strike out the word
"injuriously" in clause 59, so as to preserve the rights
of Canal Water Companies, &c., whether effected in.
juriously or otherwise.

Mr. W. MILES opposed the amendment, contending
that they might as well give up the bill altogether as
agree to it.

The house divided, when there appeared—
For the amendment
Against it
Majority
The word was accordingly struck out
Some other amendments were made in the Bill, which
was afterwards passed.

. ..... 57
-. 55
-2

CONVICT PRISONS (IRELAND) BILL.

The committee on this bill was then resumed.

On clause 12,
Mr. I. BUTT moved an amendment, as follows
"Provided always that nothing herein contained shall
interfere with any authority or power now vested in the
Court of Queen's Bench to visit or regulate any such
prison, nor with the right, power, or authority of any
coroner or justice of the peace to enter such prison, upon
any occasion upon which he now lawfully might." Ho
was very unwilling to take away the power of the Queen's
Bench over any prison in the United Kingdom, parti-
cularly as political prisoners might be confined in them,
and corporal punishment could be inflicted.
The amendment was opposed by Sir J. YOUNG, and
supported by Colonel DUNNE.

After some discussion, the amendment was withdrawn,
on the understanding that it should be moved on the
third reading of the bill. The clause was then agreed
to, as was clause 15.
On clause 16,

Mr. I. BUTT moved an amendment to leave out
" with the approval of the Chief Secretary," and from
line 27, down to the end of the clause, and add the fol•
lowing :—" Provided that no such rule or regulation
authorising the infliction of corporal punishment shall
be valid unless and until same shall have been approved
of and signed by three judges of the Court of Queen's
Bench." He said, by the bill as it now stood they were
delegating power to three commi-sioners, removable at
the pleasure of the Lord-Lieutenant, to decide upon the
flogging of prisoners ; and to prevent that monstrous
power was the object of his amendment.
The committee divided, when the numbers were—
For the amendment lO
Against it
Majority --129

The amendment was consequently lost. •
The remaining clauses were agreed to, and th• bill
passed through committee, and the house resumed.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE BILL.

This bill went through committee pro forma, with the
view to introduce amendments.

It being now four o'clock, the sitting was suspended.

The house resumeA at six o'clock.
PETITIONS PRESENTED.

ASSISTANT-SURGEONS IN THE NAVY.--By Mr. C. P
VILLIERS, from the medical profession, to improve the po-
sition of junior assistant surgeons in the navy.
BILLS OF EXCHANGE.—By Mr. HORSFALL, from the
notaries of Liverpool, against the re-enactment of a clans.
in Bills of Exchange Bill, giving attorneys the privilege of
notaries.

SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAYS.—By
several hon. members, from various places, against the
sale of intoxicating liquors on Sundays.
Sir F. THESIGER also presented a petition from a
number of solicitors, st ding that by orders of the Court of
Common Pleas made in 1834, deeds by married women had
been acknowledged before two commissioner s, one of whom
was disinterested in the matter, but that by recent decision
of the Court of Exchequer, it was required that both the
commissioners should be disinterested, thus rendering in-
valid the deeds executed in conformity with the orders of
the Court of Common Pleas, and praying th ,t the house
will take measures for the purpose of rendering those deeds
valid.
PRESENCE OF ALIEN ENEMIES IN ENGLAND.
Mr. I. BUTT gave notice that on going into committee
of supply, he should submit a motion that this house con-
siders it necessary to declare that to encourage the presence
of an alien enemy of the realm, except with the license and
safe conduct of her Majesty, is inconsistent with the spirit
of the law and dangerous to the security of her Majesty's
dominions. (Cries of " Oh.")
BLOCKADING OPERATIONS IN THE BLACK BEA.
_
Mr. SUPT asked the Lord President of the Pouncil
.
what was the actual state of the blockading operations s s
ena,
an
and whether the Government contemplatedim
dertaken by the British Government in the Black
me
blockade of all the ports in the Black Sea and the Sea ofdiate
Azofl ?
myLohrod J.
n.
I have to give is, that there is
question of
blockade of the mouths of the Danube, silijcis
au effective
friend RUSSELL—In
the
but with regard to the 80:X.114
has been regularly notified :
answ t
er respect to he
question, namely, what are the intentions of the Govern',
ment with regard to an immediate blockade of all the ports
in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff, I am obliged to
speak with reserve. Admiral Dundas came to an agree-
ment with Admiral Hamelin on this subject, but it was
necessary that the proposition should be submitted at
Constantinople and at Paris, as well as here, for the
purpose of coming to an agreement on the subject.
On the arrival of the proposition at Constantinople,
Lord Rratford had some doubt whether the propo-
sition as made by the two admirals was in strict confor-
mity with the law of nations, and he thought it necessary
to refer it to this country. My noble friend, the Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, has taken an opinion on the subject
which is now being transmitted to Constantinople, and
after that the intentions of the Government will be
declared.