The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-22 00:00:00

TENCES AND PUNISHMENTS.

Mr. ANSTEY presented a petition from a person
named Lewis, stating that seventeen persons of the 6th
Regiment of Cavalry, serving in India, had been tried,
convicted, and sentenced on charges of mutiny. It ap-
peared that the offences had originated out of a supposed
order of the Commander-in-Chief, the Marquis of Tweed-
dale, to stop the extra batta. Thay had for four days
refused to saddle their horses, but on the mistake being
explained, they immediately returned to their duty.
For this offence they had been convicted and sentenced
to death, but were afterwards pardoned, returned to their
duty, and for nearly nine months were engaged is the
uninterrupted discharge of that duty, and must of them
chiefly about the person of the Commander-in-
Chief himself. After that time they were again
tried, although they had been previously pardoned,
two of them were shot, and the rest of them sentenced
to be transported for life. Of the latter all received their
pardon except six, whose sentences were commuted to
seven years' transportation. Whilst these men were
being transported, an attempt was made to bring them
up by habeas corpus, but it failed, and these men were
still suffering injustice. He should to-morrow move that
the petition be printed.
BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.

Mr. HOPE wished to call the attention of the House
to a remark he had just heard fall from the Hon. Mem-
ber for Rodmin. The Hon. Member bad made an ob-
servation to his lion. Friend the Member for Wey-
mouth, in reference to the question his Hon. Friend
put a few minutes ago, which he was afraid would lead
to some unpleasant consequences.—(Laughter.)
The Hon. Gentleman's anticipation of a " meeting "
did not appear to be entertained by the House or the
Speaker, and the matter was allowed to drop without
any further remark.
ADMIRALTY COURT.

Captain PECHELL wished to ask the Secretary of
the Admiralty what steps have been taken to reform the
proceedings in the several Vice• Admiralty Courts, and
to remedy the complaints made last session of the gross
abuses that had taken place at St. Helena, Sierra
Leone, Cape of Good Hope, and Sydney, New South
Wales.

Mr. WARD said, in answer to the question of the
Gallant Officer, he had to state that the subject was one
of considerable difficulty, the facts not being so clear as
the Hon. and Gallant Member seemed to suppose. A
practice had grown up of making extraordinary charges
against parties in these courts, for which the law afforded
them no redress, and as the fees these parties had to pay
were excessively high, the Admiralty were preparing a
scale of fees, while they wero in communication with
Sir S. Lushington, with a view of establishing some legal
remedies for those parties.--(Hear, hear. )
Mr. HUME wished also to ask a question in refer-
ence to this subject. In New South Wales the abuses
of these courts had been so great that an ordinance bad
been passed to put a stop to them, and he -wished to be
informed if Government had given their sanction to
that ordinance. If no one was present who could give
him an answer, he would repeat the question to-morrow;
but really if Government could not do anything at home,
he thought the colonies ought to be allowed to take
the abuses into their hands.

Mr. WARD said in New South Wales the courts
had only unnecessarily exercised their powers under the
Act of Parliament.
SICILY AND NAPLES.

Mr. BANKES wished to give notice that to-morrow
he should put a question to the Noble Lord the Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs with regard to a statement
made by him in the House relative to the atrocities
said to have been committed by the Neapolitan troops.
He proposed to ask the Noble Lord upon what authority
he made the statement, and whether he still held the
same opinion.
Lora PALMERSTON had no objection to answer
the question then. The documents upon which
his statement was founded would certainly form part of
the papers to be laid before the House on the affairs of
Naples and Sicily. The opinions he expressed before on
the subject, to which the Hon. Gentleman had re-
ferred, he still retained, and that opinion he could
assure the House was founded upon reports which he
had received from responsible officers of the Crown.
Mr. BANKES—How soon will these papers be laid
on the table?

Lord PALMERSTON said that would depend upon
the progress of the negotiations now pending on the
subject.

COPYHOLDS.

Mr. AGLIONBY gave notice that, next week, be
should move for leave to bring in a Bill on the subject
of copyhold tenures.

RATE IN AID.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said a good deal of anxiety
was felt in the north of Ireland in reference to the
rumoured intention to propose a rate in aid.—(Hear.)
He wished to know whether that impression with respect
to the intentions of the Government was correct or not.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that notice would be
given to Hon. Members as to the course the Govern.
ment intended to pursue.
DISTRESS (IRELAND).
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in answer to a question
from Mr. Disraeli, said that, providing the discussion
on the Parliamentary Oaths Bill was not concluded
before half-past ten o'clock to-morrow night, he should
not proceed with the further consideration of the Dis-
tress in Ireland Bill.

RATE IN AID (IRELAND).
Sir J. WALSH gave notice of his intention to-mor-
row, to ask the Government
whether it was their in-
tention to bring in a Bill to give relief in aid in Ireland.

POOR (IRELAND).
Sir G. GREY, in answer to a question from Mr. J.
i
O'Connell, said that t was the intention of the Govern.
ment to bring in a Bill to give relief to the destitute
poor of Ireland.
MARRIAGES WITHIN DEGREES OF AFFINITY.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY rose, in fulfilment of the
pledge which he had given to the House last session, to
ask for leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the
sth and 6th of William IV. c. 54, so far
as it related to marriages within the de-
grees of affinity. Having entertained, in common
with many, a prejudice against any alteration of the law