The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

LOSS OF STEAM-VESSELS.

Mr. FREDERICK DIINDAS wished to ask the
Lord-Advocate whether he has received any report,
from the local authorities at Aberdeen, of the circum-
stances connected with the Duke of Sutherland steamer,
on entering the harbour of Aberdeen on the afternoon
of Friday, the Ist instant ; and whether it was intended to
adopt any means by which, in future, the rocket appa-
ratus and life-boats usually resorted to in cases of ship-
wreck, 'nay be rendered more available and efficient.
The LORD ADVOCATE said he had not yet received
any report on the subject, but special directions had
been given for a full inquiry into the whole circum-

stances of the case.
Mr. KENNEDY wished to ask the President of the
Board of Trade whether any investigation had been
made by her Majesty's Government into the causes of
the numerous disasters which have recentlrotcurred in
the coasting and channel traffic of the Unit4Kifigdorno
more particularly those having reerenee to ihe following
vessels :—The Minerva, the Prince Arthur, and the
Duke of Sunderland, with a view to the prevention of
such occurrences ? And whether any, or what steps,
had been taken by her Majesty's Government on the
report made. by Captain Walker of the causes attending
the late wreck of the steam-ship Queen Victoria, of
Dublin ?

Mr. CiRDWELL said the local authorities were
constantly instructed to make reports upon the subject
of these occurrences, and the Board of Trade was now
engaged inquiring into the circumstances attending all
of theie cases.

On the motion of Viscount MONCK a new writ was
ordered for the City' of Carlow, in the room of Col.
Bruen, deceased.

CLERGY RESERVES.
On the motion for the third reading of this bill,
CLERGY RESERVES (CANADA).

On the Order of the day for the third reading of this bill,
Dir.WALPOLE moved that it be read a third time that
day six months. The right hon. gentleman said that enter-
taining as he did a very strong opinion on the subject, ho
trusted he should be permitted to state the more prominent
reasons that induced him to resist the further progress of
this bill. He was the mere anxious to do so in consequence
of the discussion that took place in committee, and the
strange admissions then maction the part of the Govern-
'mont, and partly also in consequence of the somewhat sin-
gular, and certainly surprising, announcement made upon
the subject that evening by the noble lord the member for
London. It was clear to him from the discussion in com-
mittee that the principle on which the bill had been recom-
mended to thehouse was not strictly that upon which it had
beeti framed; nay, more, he thought it *ould appear that th
main effect and object of the measure was not exactly what
it was represented to be, and that it would have a different
operation from that which constituted the principle upon
which it was stated to have been framed. At the time of
the second reading they were told that the great object of
the measure was to give to the Canadian Legislature the
fullest powers upon all matters of purely local concern and
interest, but in committee it appeared that it would not be
confined to those matters, but in fact related to investments
made in this country, and enabled the Canadian Legislatu re
t deal with these investments under the plea of local self-
government, though not local interest was in any way af-
fected by them. Again, at the time of the second reading
they were told that the effect of the bill would be to put
the English and Scotch Ch arches on precisely the same foot-
ing as the Roman Catholic Church of Canada, but in com-
mittee it appeared the footing would be different, and the
endowments given to Roman Catholics might not be touched
without the concurrence of the Imperial Parliament, while
ofan
yCanada u couldmeasure
pas s
ebeed
e touched,nd w endowments nt s
dealt givenwit
with, and
etnhde
destroyedPt
by a majority of the Canadian Legislature alone. (Hear.)
reProtestants
tbsy
Again, at the time of the second reading they were told,
and properly so, that there were certain existing interests
reserved for those to. whom they now belonged, of the
tgarinounthdethat the it
te
whenfah othf
etyhe Crow • was
pressedn
herpled
Majesty's
el
3stoinmisateinrs-
for an answer us to the way in which that pledge was given
no answer could be elicited, because they knew that if they
looked to tho act of Parliament the faith of the Crown was
no more pledged to those particular interests than it was
to maintain the whole of these reserves. (Hear.) Again,s
they were told that at the time of the second reading that
the settlement of 1840 was not
tacompact in the sense of
its being a national enbznage.men , but in committee the 3d
clause NtV
fSwithdrawno
was a compact as far as it affected' the lia-
bility of this country. These were epre
issncg:nsuisntde ntchiaest
ant the
,asneot
--
malies which convinced him that this bill was not drawn
up with that consideration which might be expected from
the Government. Now, let them consider upon what
Principle the bill was founded, and what were the con-
siderations which induced the Government to introduce
it. They were most ably stated by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and he thought the argument upon which
the Government justified the measure so put by the
right hon. gentleman might resolve itself into these two
main points—first, that it was the duty of Parliament to
give to the Canadian Legislature the largest powers with
reference to matters of purely local self-government, and,
secondly, that if those powers were diminished or abridged,
there was a danger of provoking discontent in the colony,
or of a collision between the Canadian Legislature and the
Imperial Parliament. He was not going to dispute the
cpiestion of local self-government, for he was for giving
such power in the fullest sense of the word as soon as a
a colony was capable of receiving it, and undertaking the
responsibility of constitutional government ; but he
doubted whether the question of self-government strictly
arose on this occasion, and for this reason, that he thought
there were anterior obligations resting on the Imperial
Parliament, to take care that certain rights, whioh had
been gttaranteed by Parliament should be preserved to
those for whom they were intended. And, if that were
so, it was their business to inquire whether the
_elrempeer Imperial
this case which it could not delegate to other
.pa ,
Parliament had not duties to discharge with
d discharge On
less it was satisfied that those parties would reference
un-