The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN T.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Jug 22.
NEGRO SLAVERY.
Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a great number of peti-
tions from Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, and other districts,
praying for the immediate abolition of Negro slavery.
BRITISH COMMERCE.
Lord ASHBURTON presented a petition from Liverpool
(we understood), praying that better protection than at present
was afforded might be given to the commerce of this country,
in relation to Foreign Powers. The Noble Lord (who spoke
so indistinctly as to be hardly audible) called the attention of
the Noble Viscount at the head of her Majesty's Government
to the blockade of the ports of Mexico and Buenos Ayres.
Lord MELBOURNE said the subject of these blockades
had not escaped the consideration of the Government.
SCOTCH CHURCH.
On the presentation of a petition from the General Assembly
of the Church of Scotland by a Noble Baron—we believe
Lord Belhaven,
The Earl of ABERDEEN said he had been requested to
support this petition, which he did most cordially.
Lord MELBOURNE said the Government had seen no
reason to alter its opinion on this subject ; but there were
many circumstances which rendered it inexpedient to proceed
with the measure this Session.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE FOR THE
CORONATION.
Lord MELBOURNE said he had intended to move the
adjournment of the House from Tuesday till Monday.; but for
the advancement of the public business, he should propose that
their Lordships meet on Friday.
IRISH POOR-LAW BILL.
Their Lordships then went into Committee on this Bill.
On Clause 64, Lord PORTMAN said, at the proper time
he should propose words giving the right of appeal to the As-
sistant Barrister against the Poor-rates.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH thought the giving such right
of appeal would be most desirable in Ireland.
Clauses to 69 were agreed to.
On this Clause, Lord MELBOURNE proposed that
parties under 5/. rent he exempted from paying the Poor-rates,
at the discretion of the Guardians.
Lord WICKLOW considered this would be placing the
Guardians in a most invidious position.
lifter some discussion, Lord MELBOURNE withdrew his
proposition, and the clause was agreed to.
Lord WICKLOW then moved a clause, positively ex-
empting all persons rated under 51.
Earl FITZWILLIAM objected to the clause.
Lord ELLENBOROLGH supported the clause.
After a few words from the Earl of WICKLOW,
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE urged that the broad
ground for excluding the 51. clause was founded on the princi-
ple that all property should be rated.
The Marquis of BUTE said that many petitions had been
presented from England, praying that tenements from 51 even
up to 101. should not be rated ; and in point of fact scarcely a
year passed in which private Bills were not carried providing
that tenants under la should not be rated. He admitted that
the principle was perfectly correct, that all property should be
rated without any exemption, but he contended that in prac-
tice that was not feasible.
The Duke of WELLINGTON begged to ask whether
it would not be worth while to postpone the proposition for
re-inserting this 51. clause, in order that the whole subject
might be considered between this and the report or the
third reading.
The Earl of WICKLOW was ready to adopt that
suggestion.
The proposition was accordingly withdrawn.
The remaining clauses in the Bill, from clause 71, were then
agreed to with a few verbal amendments.
On the question that the Chairman report the Bill with
amendments,
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE wished to call the at-
tention of their Lordships to the estimate of the expense of
carrying this Bill into effect, which had been laid on the table.
The estimates in question were absurd, and he did hope
that they would be revised, not by anybody merely acquainted
with the operations of the English Bill, but by some person
familiar with the price of commodities in Ireland. In the first
place, no sum was put down for relieving, although in the
Bill it was stated that for many parts of Ireland there at pre-
sent existed no valuations. He would not go through all the
details, ',nit every one must know that an estimate of 150/. to
2001. must be entirely insufficient. The estimate in relation
to many cases of expenditure was low to a degree of absur-
dity. He hoped that full estimate; would be laid before the
House previously to the final determination upon this Bill.
The present estimates were low and insufficient to an extreme
degree.
Viscount MELBOURNE did not place any great degree
of trust in the estimate generally. However, he would say
that it was as perfect as most documents of a similar descrip-
tion were. It was highly probable that some items appeared
in it which were too low in their amount. In such a case the
bett r course would be to chinge those items distinctly ; it
did not require a separate estimate to remedy a few items.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH thought that the best mode of
curtailing the xpenses attending the operation of the Bill was
to have a sufficient number of relieving officers, and to have
them well paid. -
Tll-, House then resumed, and the report as amended was
ordered to be brought up on Monday.
The House then adjourned at Half-past Seven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 22.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual Lour.
Mr. BARNARD brought up the 110-port of the Committee
on the Blackwall Small Debts Bill.
On the motion of Mr. NICHOLS, the Trahern's Estate
Bill was read a second time.
On the motion of Mr. B ROT H ERTON, the Lords' amend-
ments to the Grand Junction Railway Bill were agreed to.
Captain WOOD, in the absPnce of the Chairman of the
Middlesex County Courts Bill, begged to move a further ex-
tension of time to cimble the Committee to make its report.
The special circumstances which required it were that the
Committee had come to the resolution that the Chairman
should be paid by a salary instead of fees, and it was necessary
to enquire into tseir arnount.—Agreed to.
Mr. BROTHERTON brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee on the Barnsley Small Debts Bill. The Bill was then
ordered to be recommitted.
Mr. PEASE moved for leave to bring in a Bill for esta-
blishing a Colonial Sugar Coml;any. The Bill was brought
in and read a first time.
On the motion of Mr. RE D-DINGTON, the Lords' arnerd-
ments to the Dundalk and Dunlear Roads Bill were agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. BARNARD, the Lords' amend-
ments to the Lee Church Bill were agreed to.

Mr. D. BROWNE presented a j7:etition from Kilmaine,
praying for the total abolition of tithes.
Mr COLQUIIOUN presentel petitions from Kilmarnock
and Dumbarton, praying. for the reduction of the rate of
postage. Also a petition from Glasgow against the Bill for
the alteration of Licenses.

Mr. H. SMITH presented petitions from Braintree in
Essex, in favour of the abolition of negro slavery. The Hon.
!Member also moved for a return of the compensations paid to
town clerks, in consequence of the passing of the Municip,il
Reform Bill.
Colonel VERNER presented a petition from Armagh,
pre) ing that the franchise might not be less then 101.
Captain PECHE LL presented a petition from the Brigh-
ton Railway Company against the Mail Railway Bill, and
praying to be heard by Counsel at the Bar against it.
Petitions to the same eff,yet were presented by Mr. PEASE
from the Eastern Counties Railway Company, and by Lord
GEORGE LE NNO X, from the Croydon Rail way
Company.
An Hon. MEMBER presentel a petition from the Sun Fire
Assurance Company, praying to be heard against the Royal
Exchange Bill.
Sir R. INGLIS had a petition to present, praying that the
Ilouse would restore the Church of England to its former state
of protection in the North American provinces, but it was
withdrawn on an informality. The Hon. Baronet then pre-
sented one from the parish of St. John's, Leeds, praying that
the State would afford adequate protection to the Church of
England in Canada.
Captain A LSAGER presented a petition from the water-
anon of Gravesend, praying they might be protected in their
avocations.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL presented a petition from
the inhabitants of the southern district of the city of Edinburgh,
against any alteration in the Scotch Municipal Bill, so far as it
applied to them. The Hon. and, Learned Gentleman also
presented a petition from the Royal College of Surgeons,
Edinburgh, in favour of the Irish Medical Charities Bill.