The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-20 00:00:00

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The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
he wished to make a statement with regard to an error
in the custom resolutions he had laid on the table,for which
he took blame. Among the class of articles on which
he proposed to reduce duties, was that of soap, and in
the resolutions it appeared that the duty on hard soap
was to be reduced to 16s. ; on soft soap, 18s. ; and on
Naples soap, 16s. These figures were prepared by him
before he had an opportunity of submitting to the
S-overnment his proposition for abolishing altogether the
Excise duty on soap, and before it had been determined
to submit that proposition to Parliament, and owing to
the pressure of business, it had escaped him to strike
these duties out of the resolutions. It was his intention
that the duty on the importation of foreign soap should
cease altogether when the Excise duty, was remitted at
home. (Hear.)
PUBLIC HOUSES (SCOTLAND) BILL.

The house then went into committee on this bill, Mr.
Bouverie in the chair.
On the first clause being proposed,
Sir F. H. DAVIE moved the insertion of an amend-
ment for the purpose of preserving the life interest of
grocers in the sale of spirits, on the ground that some
protection should be afforded to those who had invested
their capital in business in expectation that they would
be allowed to deal in spirits.
Mr. F. MACKENZIE considered that grocers could
not have a vested interest in the sale of spirits in Scot-
land, as their licenses had to be renewed every year.
His object was to put an end to a practice which was
productive of the greatest mischief in Scotland ; he
alluded to persons who went to shops to purchase small
groceries, spending their small balances of coppers, or
the discount they received, in whiskey. The principle
of the bill was the separation of grocers from dealers in
whiskey, and to this the amendment of the honourable
gentleman was directly opposed. He considered that
combining grocers and victualling shops was the cause
of the chief evils which existed in Scotland in regard to
drunkenness.

Mr. JOHN MACGREGOR supported the amend-
ment, and protested against the principle of the bill,
which he did not think would have the effect of remedying
the evils of drunkenness which he grieved to say existed
to a great extent in the country.
Mr. EWART said every Scotch member must be
anxious to remove from their country the dreadful stigma
which now rested upon it, hut he had very great doubts
of the governmert success of Legislation upon such
matters, for it was contrary to the principle of freedom
of trade.

Mr. C. BRUCE, considering that the main cause of
drunkenness in Scotland was to be attributed to the
facility of selling spirits over the counter in grocer's
shops, he would vote against the amendment, because if
it were agreed to, it would defeat the real object of the

Mr. ROME suggested that the bill should be post-
pond in order that an inquiry might be made by select
committee into the licensing system in Scotland, similar
to that which was about to take place on the same sub-
ject in England.
Mr. F. MACKENZIE said a select committee was
appointed many years ago on the Scotch licensing sys-
tem. It was composed of men of all parties who were
well acquainted with Scotland, and the present bill had
been founded on their report. He could not assent to
the suggestion of the hon. member.
Mr. S. WORTLEY hoped the house would not con-
sent to any postponement of tha bill. He knew that
intemperance in Scotland was greatly on the increase,
and it was absolutely necessary that some remedy should
be immediately applied.
Mr. COWAN opposed the amendment, but admitted
that in remote villages and towns, where there were no
public-houses, grocers might be allowed to sell spirits.
He would have no objection to the amendment if it were
limited to that object.
Mr. Craufurd, Mr. Dunlop, and Mr. Fergus sup-
ported the clause as it stood.
The LORD ADVOCATE did not think it was fair to
ask for the postponement of the bill at this stage of its
progress. The subject matter of the bill was a crying
evil, almost great enough to overshadow almost every
other in Scotland, and he would gladly have seen a more
efficient remedy than that provided by this bill. He
believed, however, that it would tend to remove one
very great and injurious temptation to the lower classes.
He would not enter into the causes of drunkenness in
Scotland, but he met it] at every step he took in his ca
pacity in that country, and it was impossible to conceal
from himself that it was on the increase. He could not,
under these circumstances, refuse to give his assent to
the clause.

Mr. L. HEYWORTH gave his hearty concurrence
to the bill, and only regretted that it had not gone
further.

After a few words from Mr. STAPLETON,
Mr. HUME thought that nothing effectual could be
i done except by going to the root of the evil,
and by extirpating intemperate habits from domes-
' tic circles where young persons were contaminated
by the expample of their parents. So far from
objecting to take any steps to diminish drunken-
ness, he was ready to introduce a Maine law for prohibit-
ing the sale of all spirituous liquors in England and
Scotland. (Laughter.) What he intended to say was,
that the house was deluding itself iu thinking that the
bill was a remedy when it was not.
After some discussion, in which Mr. MVREGOR, Mr.
ELLIOT, and Mr. DUNCAN took part,
Mr. DRUMMOND said he did not wish to be under.
stood as saying anything which might be supposed to
justify or tolerate what was properly called the desecra-
tion of the Sunday, but he must say that the supersti-
tious reverence which was paid to the Lord's Day in
Scotland was in his opinion one of the very great causes
of drunkenness in that country. People there lost caste
in respectable religious assemblies if they were
seen almost to take a walk on the Sunday. (Cries
of "Oh, oh.") He should be very sorry to pro-
ceed to give instances which had occurred within
his own knowledge. He believed he was speaking in
the presence of many gentlemen who knew tue truth of
what he said. (Hear, hear.) If they restrained the
people from those ordinary recreations which they, in ,
his opinion, were religiously entitled to, they would ,
force them to resort to their only other enjoyment,
which was perpetual drunkenness. (Hear.) He spoke

SUN OFFICE, Seven, o' Clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS DAY).
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly after twelve
o'clock.

BUSINESS.
Mr. SOTHERONPRIVATE moved, that in .the case of the
London and South Western Railway (Basingstoke and
Salisbury branch) petition for a bill, the standing order
No. 151 be dispensed with ; and that the petition for
the bill may be presented to the house, notwithstanding
that more than three clear days have elapsed since the
same was endorsed by the examiner of petitions for pri-
vate bills ; and that on the presentation of the said pe-
tition, the report from the standing orders committee
thereupon be read, and that leave be given to bring in
the bill, notwithstanding more than three clear days have
elapsed since the said report from the standing orders
committee has been presented ; and that Mr. Francis
Scott and Mr. Danby Seymour do prepare and bring
it in.

Agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. HAYTER, the following mem-
bers were nominated to serve on the Select Committee
on Whichwood Forest Bill :—Mr. Wilson, Col. North,
Lord Seymour, Mr. Granville Harcourt, the Marquis of
Chandos, Mr. Langston ; five members to be added by
the Committee of Selection.

PETITIONS.
Sir E. FILMER presented a petition from Kent,
against the admission of Jews into Parliament.
Mr. M`CANN presented a petition, signed by the
Mayor and 496 inhabitants of the county of town of
Drogheda, comprising the influential merchants and
traders of the town, praying for an additional member to
represent its several important manufacturing, commer-
cial, and shipping interest in Parliament.
Several petitions were presented in favour of the
Public Houses (Scotland) Bill ; and a number of peti-
tions were also presented against the same bill.
Mr. F. MACKENZIE presented a petition from
Edinburgh against the abolition of the university tests
in Scotland ; alto several petitions from Liverpool against
the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sundays.
SALE AND PURCHASE OF LAND BILL.
On the motion of Mr. DRUMMOND, the second
reading of this bill was postponed.
PETITIONS.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER presented a petition from Lin-
colnshire, in favour of the alteration of the law of settle-
ment for the poor; also two petitions from Gains-
borough, in favour of the distribution of Parliamentary
papers to literary societies.
Mr. J. MACGREGOR presented a petition from
Kent, against all taxes on knowledge.
Mr. MACAULAY presented three petitions from
Edinburgh, praying for the abolition of the taxes on
gradations in the universities in Scotland ; also, several
petitions, numerously signed, against the Public-houses
(Scotland) Bill.
Mr. FORBES presented a petition from the county of
Fife, against the abolition of the Scotch university tests.
POOR LAW.
Mr. VERNON moved for returns of all applications
made to the Poor Law Board, according to the provi-
sions of so much of the act 13 and 14 Vic. c. 57, as re-
lates to preventing the holding of vestry or other meet-
ings in churches ; such returns to-specify the applica-
tions granted and refused : of all eases where, under the
provisions of the said act, lands or premises have been
taken on lease or purchased, and sales or exchanges have
been effected for the purpose of obtaining building suit-
able for vestry meeting : of all cases where the Poor
Law Commissioners have given authority for money to
be borrowed for such purposes, and charged to the Poor
Rate : and, of all appointments of vestry clerks under
the said act.
Agreed to.
Sir J. WALMSLEY moved for .returns showing the
amount of annuities for lives and for terms of years
granted in each of the years ending the sth day of
January, 1852 and 1853, and the amount of capital stock
cancelled in each of the said years on account of such
terminable annuities : and, of the amount of the annui-
ties for lives and for terms of years which have ceased
in each of the said years, ending the sth day of January,
1852 and 1853 (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper,
No. 657, of Session 1851).
Agreed to.
REPEAL OF DUTIES ON SOAP