The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-11 00:00:00

FACTORIES' BILL.

Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from Stockport;
praying for a Ten Hours' Bill, also a petition from the inha-
bitants of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, praying that the pre-
sent Vestry Act might be repealed, and that a new Bill
might be passed, giving every person the right of giving one
vote and no more. The Hon. Member also presented a pe-
tition from an individual of the name of Greenwood, a
Master Extraordinary in the Navy, praying that House to
give him redress, by restoring him to his place on the list, or
by granting him a Court-martial. As this subject would be
fully discussed when the Hon. and Gallant Member (Sir
E. Codrington) brought forward his motion, he (Mr.
Wakley) would not enter into the subject of this petition at
present.

SCOTCH MUNICIPAL REFORM.
Mr. BANNERMAN presented two petitions from
Aberdeen against this Bill.
JOINT-STO'CK BANKS.
Mr. 'E. L. BULWER presented a petition from the
Directors of a Joint-Stock Bank, stating that the more
the proceedings of such banks were investigated, the more
they would be found deserving of protection, and praying
that an inquiry might be instituted into the liabilities, &c.,
of private banks.

BALLAD SINGING.
Mr. POTTER bad a petition to present, to which he re-
quested the attention of the House. It was the petition
of Robert Mortimer, a solicitor of Barnstaple, praying for
some alteration in the Vagrancy Act. The petition stated
that two ..veeks ago two boys of the name of Callaghan were
singing duets at a village near Barnstaple. Their singing
was perfectly harmless and inoffensive. While they
were thus employed the villagers were much pleased,
:nod in some instances they gave the singers refreshments,
and in others sums of money. A gentleman, he was sorry
to say, one of the Magistrates of Barnstaple, ordered them
to he taken into custody, without giving them notice. These
.two performers, the one eight and the other thirteen years
of 11e, were brought before this Magistrate—the younger
escaped, but the other was convicted on the Magistrate's
own view of the case, without any evidence whatever, and
sentenced to be imprisoned fourteen days in gaol.—(Hear.)
The conimittment stated that the boy had been disorderly.
The petitioner represented the extreme cruelty of being in-
carcerated in a dungeon for exercising a pleasing and natural
endowment. He lamented that all the open spaces that were
generally appropriated for the people of England to exercise
t heir games and pastimes upon were taken away, and lie
concluded by imploring' the House to make an alteration in
the Vagrant Laws, so as clearly to define what might be
considered as offences under them. The Hon. Member
stated that he most cordially concurred in the prayer of the
petition, end-that if he could gain the assistance of an
Hon. Friend of his next Session; be should endeavour to
niter the Vagrant Laws, by softening their extreme rigour.
This was not the first time that people had been imprisoned
or singing in the open air, although he could not imagine
::at that could be considered as an act of vagrancy. He
oould recollect when ballad-singing was encouraged by
uthorities, particularly at the commencement of the French
evolution. Perisons were then encouraged to sing loyal songs.
The SPEAKER here interrupted the Hon. Member,
rid reminded Lim that lie was out of order in speaking at
eugth upon the petition.

Mr.
POTTER woull merely move that the petition be
rought up, which was accordingly done and laid on the
Able. -

POOLE CORPORATION BILL.
Mr. PRAED gave notice that he should move the in-
sertion of certain clauses in the Poole_ Corporation Bill
:his evening.