The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-12 00:00:00

the regulation of the wages of labour according to the
price of corn.
Lord FARNHAM presented a petition from the cork-
cutters of Dublin, praying for a repeal of the Union. He
found, be said, that he had mistaken the object of the peti-
tion from Nayan, in the county of Meath, which prayed
fortheimposition of a tax upon absentees.

Lord GOWER presented a petition from Milton, in
Staffordshire, and from a place in Devonshire, praying
for retrenchment and the reduction of taxation.
All the petitions presented in the course of the evening
were laid on the table..—Adjourned till Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FEBRUARY 11.
Several private Bills were forwarded a stage, and a
number of petitions for the repeal of the duty on coals
were presented.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
Mr. BRISCOE moved for a return of the number of
private and public lunatic asylums, and' the number of
persons confined in each.—Ordered.
Alderman WOOD presented petitions from the Ward of
Cripplegate, praying for a reduction of taxation and Re-
form in Parliament, and one fi om Malmesbnry, which stated
that the petitioners were of opinion that the House of
Commons was badly corrstituted, and praying for a com-
plete radical Reform.—(Laughter.) The Hon. Member
presented another petition from the farmers and graziers
visiting the Annual Cattle Show, praying for relief from
tithes.

A New Member took the oaths and his seat.
Mr. EVANS presented a petition from Leicester, pray-
ing for the abolition of capital punishments.
Sir M. S. STEWART presented petitions from Stir-
ling, Greenock, and several other places, praying for a
Reform in Parliament.
IRISH AFFAIRS.

On Mr. LEADER'S presenting a petition from a parish
; in Ireland (the name of which we could not learn), on
the 'subject of distress,
. An Irish Member gate notice that be also should be
• obliged in a few days to present a similar petition from his
constituents, complaining that they were actually perishing
for want of food.
O'GORMAN MAHON should take that opportunity
to question Government respecting a late affray with the
police in the west of Ireland, in which a life had been
sacrificed. He had already stated that 3,031 individuals
were suffering under absolute starvation in the county of
Mayo, and he had now to add, that at a time when the
people were in a state of natural excitement under the
influence of such dreadful privations, the Magistrates of
the country were aggravating their calamities and rousing
their indignation, by acts of ferocity and despotism. rn
the county alluded to a Magistrate, only a few days ago,
had threatened to shoot the Rev. Mr. Hughes, a Ca-
tholic Clergyman, whom he had the impudence to
call " a bloody rebel" publicly, although the Rev.
Gentleman was at the time doing his utmost to preserve
the peace in his parish, and promote the tranquillity of the
country. Such exertions, however, he feared, would
prove unavailing, when the recent bloody declaration which
had emanated from the Treasury bench came to be known
generally throughout Ireland.—(Cries of " No, no.")--
The Member for Limerick might bawl " no, no," but he
would say, "yes, yes ;" for torrents of blood most indubitab'y
would flow if the House did not interfere betimes to pre-
vent it.—(Coughing and blowing of noses.) Another
Mayo Magistrate had threatened to rush, at the head of a
band with " open arms," into any assembly that should
meet with a view to petition for a repeal of the Union.
Was language like this to be any longer endured by a
people possessing the slightest particle of bravery and
spirit? It assuredly would not, but he trusted that Go-
vernment was not prepared to follow up the prosecution of
Mr. O'Connell and his friends under a bad, bloody, and
unconstitutional act.—(Loud cries of " Hear.") • He fully
understood the conciliatory spirit which was conveyed by
those cheers, but would nevertheless conjure Ministers to
stop these abominable prosecutions, and retract their bloody-
minded expressions.--(Order, order! Chair, chair!)
The SPEAKER here rose, and addressed the Hon.
Member, who he was sure would perceive that such lan-
guage was highly offensive, indecorous, and unwarrantable.
—(Cheers.)

O'GORMAN MAHON had not meant any offence, but
merely employed the phraseology which most appositely
expressed the sentiments which he honestly entertained to.
wards his Majesty's Ministers. Their declarations were, in

his opinion, [goody declarations; but God forbid that he
should think the gentlemen from whom they had proceeded
more bloody-minded than himself. If Ministers imprisoned
Mr. O'Connell, he would be look-•d upon as a martyr by his
fellow-countrymen, and the table of the House of Commons
would creak beneath the weight of petitions for his libera-
tion. Fully 7,000,000 of hearts would insist on going into
prison along with him, but it was to be hoped that Govern-
ment would relent, in consideration of his being the father
of a family.

Mr. STANLEY was sure the House would not deem it
necessary that he should reply to the speech of the Hon.
Gentleman.—(Hear.) He presumed, however, that the
Hon. Member intended to ask a question touching the death
of a certain individual to whom he had made allusion. On
that subject he had only to state, that the party in question
was one of a band, some of whom were armed, and that the
result of the coroner's inquest left it very doubtful whether
the police were at all implicated in.his death.
O'GOIIMAN MAHON then referred to the expressions
of the magistrates already noticed.
Mr. STANLEY disclaimed any previous knowledge of
the language complained of.

Mr. BROWNE also denied having heard that any
Mayo magistrate had said what the Hon. Member ascribed
to them, and therefore doubted the correctness of his infor-

ma!ion.
O'GORAIAN MAHON replied that what he had men-
tioned was publicly stated in a Mayo paper, with the addi-
tion that Mr. St. George, the first magistrate, had actually
stigmatized the priest of the parish by the epithet of " mad
dog."—(oh, oh.) Sir S. O'Mealey was the other; and
Government would do well to remember that it was by
letting out such tyrants as these that the people were
driven into insurrection in the year 1798.
[The truth of this assertion was questioned by another
Hon. Member, whose name we could not learn.]
Lord EBRINGTON insisted that gentlemen in the com-
mission of the peace, if accused at all, ought to be ar-
raigned on a specific motion, and not attacked with vague
vituperation in an incidental discussion of this nature.—
(Hear.) The measures in prcgress against Mr. O'Con-
nell were, in his opinion, absolutely necessary, and he was
quite willing to abide by his full share of the responsibility
incurred by their adoption.—(Cheers.)
After a few words from Sir J. BURKE, the petition was
ordered to lie on the table.
[The Hon. Member for Clare has returned, since Tues-
day, to the Opposition side of the House.]
THE FINANCE.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved
the Order of the Day for the whole House to go into a
Committee of Supply.
The SPEAKER having left the Chair, and the whole
House having resolved itself into a Committee,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, I
rise, Sir, on the present occasion with great diffidence. I
feel I am undertaking a task, which gentlemen, however
much accustomed to it, might have felt extremely difficult,
but which I, who have not been accustomed often to enter
into a statement of long detail, fee' more peculiarly difficult.
I am quite certain the Comm.ittee will give me credit for
saying, I shall not be inclined to detain them longer
than is absolutely necessary. At the same time 1
am afraid henourable Members are aware I shall
not be able, during the time I may detain
them, to relieve the dryness of the financial details.
It is my intention to state to the Committee, on the pre-
sent os;.easion, the financial plans which are to be submitted
to the ronsidirution of Parliament. I have taken a
very early opportunity of doing this, knowing the anxiety
of the House and of the country to be informed upon the
subject. I have taken the opportunity so early, that on
taking what is the statement of the expenditure of the
present year, I find the estimates of the whole are not yet
before the House but, nevertheless, I shall be able to state
the rough totals we intend to name as composing the finan-
cial statement. Before, however, I go into the statement, and
detail tie aiteeation in the financial state of the country
which it is nty intention to submit to the House, I
shall take the liberty of stating ,-he.t.rthe Government
have been about with respect to reductions since they
have been in office. We have not been in office long
enough yet to be able to propose to the House all the
reductions which we hope to have it in our power
to make ; hut already have we ascertained that there are
many reductions we shotrld be able to effect more im-
mediately, but the greater part undoubtedly requiring le-
gislative measures to enable us to carry into execu-
tion. I shall state to the House now some of the names
:i
of the offices we think we can reduce without detriment
to tiro public pert/ cp, j[ shall state them, Sir,—and 1 wash'