The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-02 00:00:00

POLITICAL OFFENCES.

Mr. ANSTEYpresented a petition from a public
meeting in Milton-street,City,praying that her Majesty's
pardon might be extended to all persons suffering im-
prisonment for political offences.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
_ _

In reply to Mr. HUME,
Mr. HAWES said that the subject of giving a re-
sponsible Government to the Cape of Good Hope was
under the consideration of the Government.
BURIALS IN TOWNS.

Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON presented a petition
from the Tower Hamlets, praying for the abolition of
intramural interments.
ROMAN REFUGEES.
Mr. MILNES said it appeared from the public prints
that the Governor of Malta had thought fit to prevent
the landing upon the island of refugees from Rome.
Whatever political opinions might be entertained with
respect to the affairs of that city, the bravery
of the Roman people had excited the sym-
pathy of the civilized world. What he wished to
know was, whether the Governor of the island had
shown that want of hospitality of which there were so
many flagrant instances in other countries?
Mr. HAWES said the persons alluded to by the Hon.
Member had arrived in such numbeis at Malta that it
was absolutely necessary for the Governor, upon his own
responsibility, to diminish the number who landed, in
order to preserve the peace and tranquillity of the island.

HUNGARY—HAYNAU'S PROCLAMATION.
Lord NUGENT, seeing his Noble Friend the Secre-
tary of State for the Foreign Department in his place,
wished to ask him a question, one which ho hoped he
would not be reluctant to satisfy what was a feeling of
ardent anxiety in the minds of a great part of the
nation. He had seen a document in the public papers,
purporting to be a proclamation of the Austrian General,
Baron Haynau, to the people of Buda and Pesth, de-
nouncing the punishment of death—instant death upon
the spot—upon persons of either sex who might be pre •
sumed to be taking part in what he terms political
offences, such as were never made punishable with
death, even under martial law, by any chief acting
under the commission of any civilised state.—(Hear,
hear.) Instant death, to persons of either
sex—(Hear, hear)—to be inflicted on the spot. Ap-
pointing, therefore, of course, the soldiery, who
were to be the executioners, to be also summary judges
of the fact! Such as what may be deemed a revolu-
tionary dress, what may be the spreading of false re-
ports, and, above all, what may be deemed an insult to
any soldier under his command. Resistance to any vio-
lence or outrage committed by a soldier coming, of
course, in the estimation of the perpetrator, within the
category of insult, and punished with instant death ac-
cordingly.—(Hear, hear.) He wished to ask, first,
whether his Noble Friend had reason to believe what he
(Lord Nugent) would not trust himself to characterise
by any epithet but that of this—astonishing—document
(he was sure his Noble Friend's generous nature would
deem it deserving of a very much stronger term), was
genuine or not.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said it was unnecessary for
him to say that her Majesty's Government, in common
with everybody else, must have read that proclamation
as it appeared in the newspapers with feelings of pain.—
(Cheers.) He need say no more on that point. He had
had no official communication of that proclamation, and,
therefore, he had no official knowledge whatever whe-
ther it was genuine or not.
Lord NUGENT would now ask whether, if her Ma-
jesty's Government should be satisfied officially of the
truth of the statement, it was prepared, as in the case of
Lord Elliot's intervention between the contending par-
ties in Spain, to interpose its offices, nay its authority if
necessary, to put a stop to the perpetration of such atro-
cities, inviting of course to retaliation on the part of the
Hungarians, revolting to every sense of humanity, and
contrary to all the rules and practices of war in these
our times.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said her Majesty's Govern-
ment would use a legitimate discretion how to act in
any circumstances which might arise hereafter.
Precisely at seven minutes to three o'clock Sir A.
CLIVFORD, the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod, knocked
at the door of the House, and having been admitted,

summoned the House to the House •Of Lords to hear
Parliament prorogued by Commission.
Nearly every Member, preceded by the Speaker, then
left the House.

At twenty minutes to four o'clock the Speaker re-
turned.
_ _ _

He was followed by about forty Members, among
whom were Lord J. Russell, Lord Palmerston, Mr. La-
bouchere, Mr. Hawes, and other members of the Govern-
ment. They all assembled round the table of the House,
and the Speaker having read her Majesty's most gracious
Speech, the Members then left the House.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
METROPOLITAN REFORM. ASSOCIATION.
S;*,—On Monday the 30th, there was no House ;
in consequence, as was understood, of the Ministers
being in attendance on the Queen in the Isle of Wight.
On Tuesday the House sat at noon, and was
occupied till four, principally with a debate on the
right of adoption by the Raja of Sattara. As soon
as the hand had passed the mark of four, the House
was counted out, to the disappointmeat of many who
must have calculated on getting through the remnants
of business which are found hanging about the con-
clusion of a session. The House was appointed to
meet at a quarter after two on Wednesday.
On Wednesday the House met according to ap-
pointment, and the Parliament was prorogued by
Commission, with the usual forms.
So ends a session in which some important mea-
sures have been passed, and a considerable quantity
of private and less urgent business got through. The
efforts made at the beginning of the session to facili-
tate the progress of business had not been entirely
without effect, though of less than was expected from
them. The great source of delay is still the quantity
of needless speaking. The evil is not in the number
of speakers, but in the necessity which a number of
indispensables appear to feel of making their speeches
of a certain length. Good evidently results from the
appointment of fixed hours when the House shall rise ;
a precedent which will et some time be usefully ex-
tended to the prohibiting a House formed on one day
from sitting into another dry ; or, in other words,
the House rising at midnight, as it now does at six,
upon what is called a " morning sitting. In a work-
shop where it is undeniable that a considerable quan-
tity of the private as well as the public business of
the country is to be forwarded, it is of importance
to lay down the fact, that the quantity of work done
is by no means in proportion to the time consumed,
and may sometimes even be found in something like
an opposite ratio.
I am, Sir, you obedient servant,
AN OLD REFORMER.
London, Aug. 1, 1849.