The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-11 00:00:00

LETTER-CARRIERS.

Mr. T. DIINCOMBE asked the Secretary for the
Treasury whether there was any objection to lay before
the house the report, together with the evidence, of the
commission recently appointed to inquire into the com-
plaints of the letter-carriers and other servants of the
General Post•office ? _ _

Mr. WILSON replied that the report had not yet
been received by the Treasury, but that when it was
there would be no objection to lay it on the table of the

house.

SOLDIERS' RATIONS.
Lord W. GRAHAM asked his right hon. friend the
Secretary at War whether it was true that the rations
of the soldiers were to be supplied to them at the average
price of the last few years ; and if so, from what time
that indulgence would commence ; and whether it would
be extended to all British soldiers, or only to those
quartered in Great Britain and Ireland ?
Mr. S. HERBERT said, in answer to this question,
that an arrangement had been made by which the amount
of stoppage for rations would be reduced. He was
anxious that any statement he might make should be
clearly understood and accurate in every detail, but, as
there were several points yet that required the signature
of the authorities before being finally settled, he trusted
the noble lord would allow him on Monday to state ex-
actly what had been done with reference to this matter.

THE ESTIMATES.
Mr. DISRAELI—The noble lord has fired this day
week for taking into consideration the navy estimates.
It would be convenient for the house, however, if the
army and ordnance estimates were also laid on the table,
so that the house might be able to consider the whole
arrangements for the public service at the same time.
Lord J. RUSSELL—The army estimates will be laid
on the table to-night, with the view that on a question
of so much importance the house may have an insight
into the whole amount proposed by the Government.

PREVENTION OF BRIBERY—TRIAL OF
ELECTION PETITIONS.
Lord J. RUSSELL said—l rise, sir, to ask leave to
bring in two bills on the important subjects of bribery and
treating, and the trial of contested eltions
knows the practices which have prevailedee*
of Everyone
late, tending
to degrade all the parties concerned in th.m, as well as to
lower the character of our representation. (Hear, hear.)
ear,
The right hon. gentleman whom I see opposite to me pro-
posed last year to consolidate the laws on the subject of
,
the great advantage of being able to
and I bad
study the proposals which he made on this subject. In
explaining the course I wish to pursue, I have first of all
to remark that it is a very difficult task for the Legislattu e
effectually to arrest the progress of bribery. With respect
to those offences in which there is any person directly in-
terested, such as assault or robbery, you have a person in-
terested, or at least impelled by his feelings to seek
for redress, on whose assistance you may rely for car-
rying into effect the objects and intent of the
law. But with respect to other offences, such as that
of smuggling for instance, all the parties engaged in
them have an interest in concealing the acts of each
other—the person who sells the goods, the smuggler who
conveys them across the water, the customer who buys
them, are all participators in the crime, and are all desi-
rous of concealing the acts which they have committed.
It is very much the same with respect to bribery. The can-
didate who engages in its practice, the agent whom he em-
ploys, and the person who receives the bribe, may all ob-
tain the object of their wishes, in the seat in Parliament,
the profit received, the money obtained, and are all inte.
rested in concealing the facts. (Hear, hear.) lam happy,
howeves, to say that in reference to that subject we have
certainly made considerable progress in the last few years.
The acts which have been passed to transfer the investiga-
tion of corrupt practices, where they extensively prevailed,
from the committees of that house to the places them-
selves where the offence was committed, and also the
acts by which the persons chiefly concerned, the can-
dictates and their KM% and the persons who have ro.