The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-17 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Mr. HENRY presented two petitions, one from Pres-
ton, and the other from St. Helens, in favour of the
repeal of the navigation-laws.
Mr. SPOONER presented a petition from the soli-
citors of Warwickshire, praying for the abolition of the
attorneys' certificate duty.
Mr. FRENCH presented a petition from the grand
jury of the county of Roscommon against the proposed
alteration in the Irish poor-law.

Mr. CLAY presented a petition from the captains
and sailors of Kingston-upon• Hull against the rcpeal of
the navigation-laws.
Mr. MILES presented several petitions from places
in Somersotshire against the Bill for legalizing marriages
with a deceased wife's sister. _ _ _

Sir W. VERNER presented several petitions against
the rate in aid.

Mr. HUME presented several petitions, praying for a
reduction of the public expenditure. The Hon. Mem-
ber also presented the following petitions:—From a
numerous meeting of the inhabitants of the parish of St.
Luke's, Finsbury, held on the 14th February, adverting
to the present state of the country, and to the
defective state of the representation, and praying
for an extension of the suffrage; another petition from a
meeting held in the National Hall, Holborn, on the
evening of Feb. 15, adverting to the distress of the coun-
try, and complaining principally of the manner in which
the poor-law is carried oat, tend praying the House would
take steps to prevent the farming of pauper children;
another petition from a number of Chelsea pen-
sinners at Chippenham, complaining of a per-cent-
age having been taken off their pay; and another
petition from Mr. M'Dowell, who is now in prison, and
who was tried at Liverpool on the 28th of August last,
and condemned on a charge of conspiracy on the evi-
dence of certain policemen, some of whom, as he al-
leged, were not present, and could not have witnessed
the transactions to which they deposed.
Sir C. BURRELL presented a petition againt the re-
peal of the navigation-laws from a place the name of
which was inaudible in the gallery.
Mr. SCUOLEFIELD presented a petition from the
congregation of Dissenters assembling in Zion Chapel,
Birmingham, in favour of referring national disputes to
arbitration.
_ _

Mr. BOURKE presented a petition from the grand
jury of Sligo complaining that the inhabitants of that
county, and particularly the poorer portion, suffered
from constant depredations on their cattle and sheep, and
praying for relief.
Mr. P. SCROPE presented a petition from the inha-
bitants of Stroud in favour of referring national disputes
to arbitration.

Lord H. VANE presented a similar petition from the
county of Durham.

Mr-. SCULLY presented a petition from a place in
Ireland against the Rate in Aid Bill.
An HON. MEMBER presented a petition from the Town
Council of Cupar, praying for a reduction in the national
expenditure.
Mr. GOULBURN presented a petition from the inha-
bitants of certain hamlets in Surrey, against the Bill
for legalizing marriage with a deceased wife's sister.
An Hort. MEMBER presented a petition agreed to at a
large meeting in Cornwall, praying for a more equal
apportionment of taxation on agricultural produce.
Lord MAHON presented a petition from certain soli-
citors, praying the House to remit the tax to which
they are annually liable for the certificate to practise
their profession.
An HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from New-
castle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead, for the repeal of the
duties on paper, newspapers, and advertisements.
STEAM-VESSELS.

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to ask the First Lord
of the Admiralty if six steam-vessels, the Myrmidon,
the Torch, the Zephyr, the Otter, the Adder, the Dot-
terell, hare been sold, and if sold, for what sum, and to
whom, and if such sale was by private contract or public
auction.

Sir F. BARING said the vessels had been sold in
consequence of the purposes for which they had been
used having been put an end to by alterations at the
ports of Holyhead and Harwich. He had no objection
to lay the papers on the subject before the House.
THE LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE AND
SOUTH LANCASHIRE RAILWAYS.
The Ear) of ARUNDEL and SURREY said, in con-
sequence of a dispute between the above-named compa-
nies, a disgraceful and discreditable scene bad taken place
on the 12th inst.—(clear, hear.) He wished to know
from the President of the Railway Board whether his
attention had been called to the subject, and if so, whe-
ther he intended to take any step to prevent the repeti-
tion of such an occurrence.

Mr. LABOUCHERE replied that the power which the
Railway Commissioners possessed with regard to a
matter of this kind consisted in this—they had the
power of interfering for the public safety, if the safety of
the public was in danger, on the application of ono of the
two disputing companies. One of these companies had
applied to the Commissioners, but had not made such
au application as would entitle the Commissioners to
interfere. The Commissioners had written to the com-
pany, and when they received their reply, making an
application in the proper form, they would be prepared
to take whatever ste,ps might seem necessary.
The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY inquired if
the Commissioners could, not interfere without an appli-
cation from one of the companies.
Mr. LABOUCHERE replied that he believed they
had no power to interfere without such an application.
Of course if they had committed any breach of the law
they could be dealt with by a magistrate.
BURIAL-GROUNDS.
Mr. URQUHART drew attention to the fact that the
Government had promised to introduce a Bill with re-
spect to burial-grounds, and requested from the Noble
Lord a distinct explanation of what were the intentions
of the Government, and if they intended to introduce a
Bill when they would do so. _ _

Lord J. RUSSELL rePlied that his Noble Friend the
Chief Commissioner of the Woods and Forests had such
a Bill in his possession, but he could not say when it
would be introduced.

Mr. URQUHART inquired if there would be any
objection to a private Member introducing such a Bill ?
Lord J. RUSSELL was glad to hear the Hon. Mem-
ber make the statement.—(" Hear, hear," and laughter.)
IRISH PAUPERS IN GLASGOW.
Mr. AJIASTIE presented a petition from a parochial
board of the city of Glasgow, pointing out the enormous
influx of paupers from Ireland into that city, and praying,
115 one means of preventing this, for the enactment, by
the
—oll3e, of regulations restricting the number of
steerage passengers carried between Great Britain and
Ireland.

Mr. urtgurart, SICILY.
rose to ask the Foreign Secretary
whether the accuracy of statements made by him to the
House had been
King of the Two SieillV by the Government of the
passed any communications
on the subject have, between the two Govern-
ments, and whether he would put the House in possession
of such communications?
very indistinctly
Viscount PALMERSTON (who yi
heard in the gallery) was undnerosteaoosondtrE
ttN!yt:ithr:tandee
strictly speaking, there had been reply that,
by the Neapolitan Government to any statement
had made in Parliament; but the House
General Filangieri, in the Neapolitan Parliament, had
given a contradiction to the statements made by hera
Majesty's Government respecting the conduct of the
Neapolitan troops in Sicily. lie (Viscount Palmerston)
would engage to lay
before Parliament, in the early part
of next week, the papers upon which the statements
were founded, and was only sorry that the great pres-
sure of public business had hitherto prevented him from
doing so.
Mr. URQUHART said that the Noble Lord had not
touched the question in that irT pa tof it which related to
the invitation of I,9xd Atintc, ti? gples.

Viscount PALMERSTON said the Neapolitan Mi-
nister at this court had pointed out to him that he (Vis-
count Palmerston) had made an inaccurate representa-
tion of a conversation they had had together, in which
he (Viscount Palmerston) had understood that the invi-
tation to Lord Miuto had been given by letter. It now
turned out, however, that the wish expressed that Lord
Minto should be sent to Naples was not contained in the
letter, but a wish that he should be sent had been ex-
pressed by th© Prince Castelcicala, and it was in conse-
quence of that wish that Lord Minto had received his
credentials and proceeded to Naples.
Mr. URQUHART was proceeding to press further
questions, when he was interrupted by loud cries of
" Order," and was at length stopped by the SPEAKER, who
intimated that the Hon. Gentleman could not address
any other questions than those of which he had given
notice.

Mr. URQUHART then begged to ask when the
Nobe Lord would lay the papers on the subject upon the
table.

Lord PALMERSTON—This day week.
THE POOR LAWS.

Mr. BAINES, in reply to questions of Sir J. Pa-
kington, as to whether he intended to introduce any
measure for an alteration of the law of settle-
ment, said that Mr. King was at the present moment
engaged in diferent parts of the country in obtain-
ing information, and part of it had already been re-
ceived, but the Board were not yet prepared to make
any further alteration in the law. Further, he might
say that it was his intention to bring in again during
this session the measure which he had introduced during
the last, but he did not intend it to touch the mode of
rating.
Mr. WILSON PATTEN wished to know when the
Bill to which the Right Hon. Gentleman had referred
would be introduced. He was anxious to know whether
it would be introduced before Easter or not.

Mr. BAINES said that the measure would not be
introduced before Easter.

POOR LAW BOARD.
Mr. HUME wished to know whether in the course of
the present year they might expect any reduction in the
large amount that was now appropriated for the support
of the Poor-law Board.

Mr. BAINES said that if the Hon. Gentleman would
give notice of his intention to put the question on a cer-
tain day, he would give him an answer.
Mr. FLUME said that he would put his question on
Monday next.