The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-16 00:00:00

NAVIGATION-LAWS:

Mr. LABOUCHERE said that he intended to move
the second reading of the Bill for the amendment
of the navigation-laws; but having received an intima-
tion from the Hon. Member for Stamford (Mr. Herries)
that such a proceeding would be inconvenient to him, he
intended to postpone the second reading until Monday,
March 5.

Mr. RICARDO wondered why there !should be any
such unnecessary delay. He thought that if postponed
to this day week it would be quite long enough.
Mr. HERRIES trusted that the Noble Lord would
not be impelled by any pressure from behind to proceed
in a way which must be productive of great inconve-
nience. If from no other inducement, surely respect for
the House would be sufficient.

Lord J. RUSSELL said that as the prolongation was
only from Friday to Monday, no unnecessary delay
could be imputed.
Mr. WAWN wished to ask the Right Hon. the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he was prepared
to state what concessions Government were prepared to
make in the shape of a reduction of taxation.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was
not prepared to state now what reductions would ho
made, but they would be developed in the course of the
discussions on the estimates.

Mr. HUME thought the Right Hon. Gentleman ought
to answer the question then. Did Government mean to
take the duty off timber, because if they did not, this
measure on the navigation laws wonld give the foreigner
an advantage over the British shipbuilder, which would
be a most unjust proceeding.
The MIA NCELLOI4 of the EXCHEQUER thought
it best to defer disclosing the nature of the reductions.
The Bill was then ordered to be read a second time
on Monday the sth March.
ARMY ESTIMATES.

Mr. FOX 2vIAULE brought up the army estimates,
which were ordered to be printed.

NAVY ESTIMATES.

Mr. WARD brought up the navy estimates, which
were ordered fo be printed.
Mr. lIUME wished to know, in reference to these
estimates, whether Government would lay upon
the table at an early pericd, and before the discussion
upon the estimates a❑ account of the difference between
these estimates and those of last year, so that the House
might see what reduction had been made, in accordance
with the recommendation of the Committee which at
last year.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was
surprised at such a question coming from the Hon.
Gentleman, who surely must be aware that the esti-
mates were frequently altered before they were passed.
CHANNEL ISLANDS.
Mr. EWART wished to ask the Right Hon. Gentle-
man the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it was his
intention to introduce any measure this session for car-
rying out the recommendations of the Commissioners who
had reported on the state of the Criminal Law in the
Channel Islands. _ _

Sir G. GREY said the matter was now under his
consideration, and he hoped shortly to be able to intro-
duce a Bill upon it.
COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Mr. CAYLEY wished to put a question to the
Right Hon. Baronet the Home Secretary relative to a
painful occurrence which had recently taken place in
the county which be had the honour to represent.
It must be in the knowledge of the Right
Honourable Baronet that an explosion had taken place
at one of the Derbyshire Collieries which had resulted
iu the :loss of many lives. Similar accidents had fre-
quently happened before at the same place, and it was
the opinion of the coroner and the jury who had sat upon
the bodies of deceased sufferers, that they were caused,
and caused alone, by unskilful and defective ventilation.
The question he wished to put to theißight Hon.:Baronet
was this—whether he had received a report of the in-
quest upon the unfortunate persons that had been
killed; whether he was prepared to recommend
to the House any mode for the, regulation and
inspection of mines, and whether he could suggest any
other course by which a repetition of such a fearful oc-
currence might be avoided ?
Sir G. GREY said he had received a communication
from the clerk of the magistrates in the district im-
mediately after the accident happened, accompanied by a
suggestion, that it was desirable that some gentleman
should be sent by the Government to attend the ad-
journed inquest. He (Sir George Grey) communicated
immediately to the coroner, and told him that Mr.
Horner Smith and Mr. Tremenhere would be sent down
to inspect the pit in order that they might give evidence
at the inquest with respect to the cause of the accident.
He had received a local newspaper containing a report
of the proceedings at the adjourned inquest in the evi-
dence given by those two Gentlemen, the summing up of.
the coroner, and the verdict of the jury, which was "•

dental death," accompanied by a recommendation that
pits and mines should be placed under the inspection of
responsible officers appointed by the Government. That
however, was not the first time that the subject had been
brought under the attention of the Government. A Bill
had been submitted to the House by the Hon. JI. mber
for Finsbury, but the House declined to entertain it, en
the ground that the provisions were too complicated. It
was extremely difficult to secure the proper inspection of
mines in order to keep them in a proper and fit
state for working. He had, however, placed Mr. Tremen-
here, who; was an inspector under the act relating
the employment of children in mines, in communication
with various persons largely interested in mining opera-
tions in this country, and in communication with large
establishments on the continent, and that gentleman had
furnished him with an interesting report, which would
be laid before the House in a few days. The regula-
tions which it recommended were too strict and minute
to lead him to hope that they could he adopted in this
country, but at the same tittle he thought, it would be
desirable that the Government should have power to in-
spect mines where the safety of the persons working in
them was endangered, and to compel owners to udept
some measures for their protection. The subject was
still under the consideration of the Government, but the
difficulty was to provide an efficient system of superin-
tendence without involving a large amount of expen-
diture.
THE " COUNT OUT " LAST NIGHT.—COM-
MITTEE OF WAYS AND MEANS.
Sir JOHN 11' ALSH referred to the " count out" last
night. He said he wished to know whether the course
adopted by an lion. Member last night in counting out
the House was not a most unusual one.—(A laugh.)
It was unnecessary for him to remind the liouse, that
in the past disputes had taken place, and that long dis-
putes had occurred thereon, as to whether forty Members
had been present or not when a House had been counts d
out. It was equally well known, that when debates that
were not of much public interest were before the House,
or were expected, that Hon. Members had exercised the
privilege which they possessed, and moved that the House
be counted. He submitted to those who were
acquainted with the forms of the House, that it was
most unusual for an lion. Member to move that a
House be counted after ono had been made,
and during the time of private business.
If any Hon. Member thought that by obtaining the
counting out of the House that he thereby suppressed
the discussion on some matter he assured them that
they were much mistaken—(Hear, hear)—as such dis-
cussions would press themselves before the attention
of the House on thousands of inconvenient occasions.
Mr. HUME had intended to have offered some ob-
servations on the subject. He had looked carefully
through the orders of the House, and was convinced
that any alteration of the m might be productive of evil
instead of good.—(Hear, hear.) He would suggest
that whenever Hon. Members moved that the House be
counted that his proposition should be seconded.
Major BLACKALL said he was prepared to take a
part in the discussion which was likely to have, come
on last night with respect to the passing ot auxiliary
measures for Ireland ; but he confessed after the pro-
longed discussion of Irish matters since the commence-
ment of the session, that he expected a disinclination to
listen to them. He denied that there was any truth in the
statement that influence had been used with him to thwart
a discusssion upon these matters.—(Hear.) On the con-
trary, he was most anxious to discuss them.—(Hear.)
Lord DUNCAN referred to a " count out" last ses-
sion before five o'clock, when the Alien Bill was ex-
pected on.

The SPEAKER could only say that whenever an
Hon. Member took notice that there were not forty
Members present, it was his duty to count the House.
—(Hear, hear.) It was not, however, usual ter Hon.
Members to make such a motion before the private busi-
ness had beeu transscted.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL merely wished to observe
that many of the Ministers frequw•ntly came to the House
at four o'clock in order to make up the requisite num-
ber, and retur4ted to their offices whilst the private
business of the House was being transacted.
After some observations from Mr. J. O'CONNELL,
the third reading of this Bill was postponed till Monday.