The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-08 00:00:00

AGRICULTUR U. DISTRESS.

At the request of Earl GREY,
The Duke of RICHMOND postponed his motion on
the subject of agricultural distress from Friday to Mon-
day next, as the second reading of the Rate in Aid Bill
was fixed for Friday.
NAVIGATION LAWS—ADJOURNEDIDEBATE.
The Earl of CARLISLE then rose to resume the ad-
journed debate on the Bill for the repeal of the naviga-
tion•laws. He felt that he was labouring under greet
disadvantage in having to follow the eloquent speech of
the Noble and Learned Lord last evening, which was
so calculated to excite those prejudices by which
their Lordships were supposed to be actuated. He could
not suppose that their Lordships were actuated by p• r-
ootlet motives, and ho granted to his opponents that
which he claimed for his friends and himsel,, viz., th,
being actuated solely by what they considered would br
for the benefit of the country. It he believed the mea-
sure would h• prejudicial to the maritime or naval in
terests of the country, he should say that h
ought to encounter, not only defeat, but ignonsin
for supporting it. He believed such an idea to be utterly
groundless. Ho supported it because lie believed it
would promote the progress of the commerce of the
country. That commerce was the principal support of the
mercantile marine, and that marine was tine main support
of the naval supremacy of the country. He agreed with
the Noble Earl in denouncing those who would sacrifice
every thing for wealth, but the wealth which they sought
to promote was only the proper reward of honest in
dustry, and would tend to promote the peaceful inter-
course of nations.—(Hear, hear.) He would not go invi
the history of the navigation-laws, nor into that whir
was more properly the affair of his Noble Friend the
Secretary for the Colonies—the bearing of these
laws upon the colonial interests of the country
He could rot look upon a navigation code with the reve-
rential awe which had been professed by many. At first
it had been fruitful only in disasters. Its enactment had
been dictated by jealousy of the Dutch, and its
first fruits were two sanguinary wars with Hel-
land. What bad been its effect ? R. striction
had necessitated restriction, until those restrictions
had been extended to Ireland and the colonies, and bad
goaded Irelind into discontent, and Americ t into a re.
volt and war, which ended in our being forced to
acknowledge her independence. This law had
thus founded our great rival, and these
ought to be set down as off-sets when
any 'panygeric was made upon our navigation laws.
He was, however, inclined to let bygones be bygones,
and to consider whether, in the circumstances of the
present times, in our present maturity of wealth and
power, it was worthy of this country to maintain those
restrictions, which in former times she had thought
necessary. If the navigation code was the wisest
that the wit of man could have devised at
the time of the enactment, they shout I consider
whether it was profitable now to maintain them.
The battle of Trafalgar effectually cleared the ocean for
our ships more than any maritime code could have done.
It was long after the peace before continental nations
could create a marine, but there was a growing spirit
of resistance to monopoly of trade on th 3 part of any
Power. That resistance had been met by the recipro-
city treaties. That spirit was now reviving. It should
be remembered that Russia and several other nations
could, by giving twelve months' notice, put an end
to those treaties. The Noble E irl had said that, if
the affairs of this country were properly administered,
th, re would be no fear of such improper threats. Would
the Noble Earl consider that we should be justified in
treating such a motion as an improper threat? The
Noble Lord then went into lengthened statistical details
as to the comparative tonnage of Russia and other foreign
shipping as compared with British shipping.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the :glair at Fuur o'clock.
REPORTS.

The rPpnrts on the following Bills were considered
and agreed tn:—
_

Reading, Guildford, and Reigate Railway (Branch to
London and South Western Railway—No. 2)
Windsor Extension of the Windsor, Staines, and
South Western (Richmond to Windsor) R.tilway (with
power to the London and South-Western Railway Com-
pany to subscribe).
London and South-Western Railway (Extension of
Time for the Purchase of Lands and Completion of Works
on the Basingstoke and Salisbury, and Farnham tend
Alton lines). The consideration of the.report ou this 13111
having been moved,
Mr. COLES moved that the Bill be re-committed, and
that it be an instruction to the C:.mmittec on the re-corn •
mated Bill to entertain the petition of certain residents
in the town and neig,hbourhood of Andover, deposited in
the Private Bill-office upon the 7th day of this instaut May.
The Hon. Gelid' man stated the grounds oa which he
sought the House to relax its standing orders, but the
motion nut having been seconded it of course fell to the
ground, and the report was agreed to.
Colonel VERNER presented a petition from Armagh
in favour of lid for the Churg,h Education Socii-ty.
Colonel MURE pr,sentud petidoaJ.apinst trAvellig
on Sundays.
An lioN. MEMaER presented petitions in favour of
national arbitration.

Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition from Birmingham
in favour of local boards of trade in order to arrange
terms between misrer and man.

Sir J. TROLLOPE presented a petition from Lincoln
complaining that protection had been departed from.
Mr. PLUNIPME presented a petition from Kent to
the same effect.

Mr. P. W OOD presented a petition praying that
measures might be taken to supor.•ss prostitution.
Mr. LACY presented a petition against the ALE ration
of Oaths Bill.

Mr. CHRIS TOPHER presented a petition praying
for the restoration of a moderate import duty and the
abolition of all local burdens which pressed unju3tly
upon the agricultural interest.
Mr. COWAN presented several petitions from Scot-
land against the R.gistration Bill, Marriage Bill, and the
Lunatic Asylums Bill.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented a petition from the Society
of Arts praying that they might be permitted the use