The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-10 00:00:00

SCOTCH SPIRITS

In reply to Lord NAAS,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated
that there was no present intention on the part- of the
Government to allow a drawback on home-made Scotch
spirits in bond.
EXCHEQUER BILLS BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
PERSONAL LIBERTY'.

Or. T. I 'II A NITERS: tope 10 toil% r tor Irlo.
to 'twing in a bill to idehii,b, th. i•-...‘ -ry of
lilo•rty in ,•ertt.ii. anti I.L,vint, the
ilnonald'udiegne":;eu :hi; h tel;rolejeoeudseed tow state teh tthatd,elini "mreacikinga
this motion, lie had no desire to wound the religious
feelings of any one. Still it would be his duty to touch
upon theological topics, because there was a class of
persons in the state who were subject to undue restraint and
hardship, and it was in respect of this class that he wished
now to legislate. There were institutions existing in
this country which were beyond the reach of all the
enactments to be found on the statute book, and which
were used for the purpose of keeping females in
restraint. His bill, in fact, would point at
monastic institutions ; and, as the Legislature had
more than once passed enactments in that spirit,
there could be nothing novel or strange in this motion.
The law as it now stood, however, was a dead letter, and
lie wished to bring in a bill to render it more stringent. It
was too much the practice to describe nunneries and mo-
nastic institutions as places of calm retreat, where females
could retire to who were anxious to quit the pomps and
vanities of the world, but it frequently happened that
so far from being places of this character, they were little
better than prisons where females were detained against
their will, upon th) lame pretence that such detention was
for their spiritual welfare. In the majority of instances,
no doubt, these institutions were places of peaceful and
comfortable retreat for persons who wished to lead a se-
cluded life, but the public mind believed that many
of these convents were full of those who were dis-
contented. Most of these convents were built like
prisons with bolts and bars, and porters at the doors
watching all day and night. All these architectural
features resembled those of an ordinary prison. They
had high walls, and other guards against intrusion,
besides cells and dungeons, and the public mind
was strongly opposed to such establishments. But
his bill was not intended to be directed against
Roman Catholic convents. It would embrace alike
Agaperrtanie& and Anglo-Catholic nunneries. Monastic
vows were not recognised by the constitutional law of
the land ; but setting that argument aside, he would
come to something that told much stronger in
favour of his motion. It could hardly be said that
there were no discontented nuns in the country,
or why should there be so much rhetoric wasted in ex-
horting those already in nunneries to keep their vows.
If there was not a class of discontented nuns in this country
who sighed for liberty, how came it that the Roman Catho-
lic clergy were continually admonishing or denouncing
persons who were anxious to abandon their vows. The
fact that such a class existed was a strong argument
in favour of this bill, but there was another argument
which he must adduce in support of his motion.
(Hear, hear.) Almost every other country in
alnrepmreudsysia,fofror the
cEasuerowpehichbutthisEbnigillacnodntepmr
stance, no novice could take the veil without the consent
contemplated.
of the civil authorities ; while in Russia no nun could
enter a convent without the permission of the Synod of
Moscow. In Bavaria vows could not be taken for a
longer period than three years, while the State reserved
to itself the right of visiting these monastic institutions,
and setting those persons at liberty who were anxious
to return to the world. The same practice prevailed
in France • and though he did not wish to follow
the example of foreign countries, he thought these proofs
were conclusive against all these monastic institutions
being simply places of peaceful retreat. No doubt he
should be met with the objection that the bill
was opposed to religious liberty, but it was no
such thing. All that it could do would be to se-
cure civil liberty to parties who wished it. The
Roman Catholic Relief Act entirely prohibited the exist-
ence of monastic institutions for males, but a reservation
was made in favour of some half-dozen establishments that
were in existence at the time the act was passed, and which
were confined to females. According to the Roman
Catholic Directory and Almanac, for 1853, it appeared
that there were no less than 75 nunneries in England
attached to the Roman Catholic Church, while of those
belonging to the Anglo-Catholic Church he believed there
were not less than a hundred, containing something like
3,000 nuns. Now, at the present moment, the law of
England stood helpless at the porch of a nunnery
just as much as centuries ago the Emperors stood help-
less at the gate of Rome. It could not enter, and to a
party who once got within the walls of a nunnery, there
was no prospect of liberty ever being again regained
but through the instrumentality of the law.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

ELECTION COMMITTEES.

(THIS DAY.)

PLYMOUTH.

After a deliberation of two hours and a half parties
were readmitted.

The Chairman announced that the committee had
come to the following resolutions :
That Robert Porret Collier, Esq., is duly elected a
burgess to serve in Parliament for the borough of Ply-
mouth.

That Charles John Mare, Esq., is not duly elected a
burgess to serve in the present Parliament for the said
borough.
That the said election is a void election so far as re-
gards the return of the said C. J. Mare, Esq.
That it was proved to this committee that the said
C. J. Mare, Esq., was by himself and his agents guilty
of bribery at the last election for the said borough, by
promising employment and situations to electors of the
said borough, with a view of influencing their votes.
That it was proved to this committee that George
Knapman was bribed by the said C. John Mare, Esq.,
and Joseph George Churchward, by promising to use
their influence to obtain him a situation in the Excise. •

That Robert Shiers was bribed by the said George
Churchward, by the promise of a situation in the Cus-
toms for his son-in-law' Wm. Henry Bromwich.
That Wm. King was bribed by the said Joseph George
Churchward, by the promise of employment.
That Wm. Geach, being an elector for the said borough,
was promised employment for his son by the said Charles
John Mare, Esq., when the said Charles John Mare was
a candidate for the said borough.
That an attempt was made by Geo. Mennie and
Nicholas Sumpter to influence the vote of Samuel Henry
Lewis Medlar, by the offer of an appointment for his
son if he would vote for the said Chas. John Mare,
Esq. ; and that the offer so made was communicated to,.
and adopted by, the said Chas. John Mare, Esq.
That on the second day of the sitting of this com-
mittee the said Chas. John Mare, Esq., by his counsel,
declared that he should no longer defed his seat, and
that the counsel for the petitioners upon that did not pro-
ceed with the evidence, and that the reasons assigned
by the counsel for taking that course appeared to this com-
mittee to be sufficiently justified.
That there has been submitted to this committee a
list containing the names of 29 electors who were alleged
to have been bribed at the last election for the said
borough by promises of employment and situations, of
which list only five cases have been investigated ; and
also a list of eleven persons who were charged with
having made the same promises.
That considering the nature and extent of the above
allegations, this committee think it their duty to recom-
mend that a further investigation shall be made with
regard to bribery at the said election, in the manner
prescribed by the sth and 6th Victoria, cap. 102, sec. 2.
That this committee does not see any sufficient reason
to offer any recommendation with regard to the suspen-
sion of the issue of a new writ for the said borough.
An application was made by the petitioners to declare
the opposition to the petition frivolous and vexatious,
but the committee refused it. They, however, declared
the petition against Mr. Collier's return frivolous and
vexatious.

THE LONDON GAZETTE.

(THIS EVENING.)

FOREIGN-OFFICE, MAY 7.
The Queen has been pleased to approve of M. Pedro
Nolasco Casis as Consul in Jamaica for the Republic of
Now Granada.
ADMIRALTY, MAT 5.
Corps of Royal Marines—Second Lieutenant Frederick
Herbert Ruel to be First Lieutenant, vice Francis Robert
Newton, dismissed the service.

COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY THE QUEEN.
Warwickshire Militia--Kenneth Mackenzie, Esq., late
Captain in the 3d Regiment of Foot, to be Adjutant of the
2d Regiment, to serve with the rank of Captain, March
26.
Artillery Battalion of the Royal Sussex Militia—Henry
Thomas Settle, Gent., to be Adjutant, from the 9th April.
4th or Royal South Middlesex Regiment of Militia—
James Prosser, Gent., to be Adjutant, April 26.