The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-16 00:00:00

Rf ~~estySs
alinisterJ had deserted the party in Ireland, who
had always endeavoured to promote and preserve the union
of both countries, and had tent themselves to the views of
men who, too impatient to await the effects of the Irish
Reform Bill, had already raised the standard of repeal.
Deprecating as he did the system which bad been
thus adopted by the Irish Government, he could not avoid,
however, returning his thanks to the Right Hon. Gentle-
man (the Secretary for Ireland) for the kind spirit in
which he had spoken of the Irish Church, and be promised
to devote his best attention to the various stages of the
inquiry which was about to be instituted on the important
subject to which the present motion referred.
Mr. J. GRATTAN said, that the statement of the
Learned Gentleman who had just spoken, that the oppo-
sition to tithes in Ireland was of recent origin, or was in
any respect attributable to the conduct of the existing Go-
vernment there, was, to say the least of it, a most incor-
rect one. The Right Hon. Gentleman near him, the late
etbancellor of the Exchequer, would have reminded him
that, some years ago, owing to the opposition which then
existed to the collection of tithes in Ireland, he was
obliged to bring in his Tithe Composition Act. The fact
was, that an opposition to tithes in Ireland had existed
hog before many Hon. Members in that House were born.
Nearly half a century ago, as a speech then made by his
(Mr. Grattan's) father in the Irish House of Commons
abundantly proved, an extensive opposition to the collec-
tion of tithes prevailed throughout almost the whole of
Ireland. He was ready to admit that the clergy should be
paid, but he would maintain that it was impossible to pay
them in the present mode under the existing circumstances
of the country. Allusion had been made by the Hon.
Member for Louth (Mr. Sheil) to the quarta pars, and
the mode of its distribution in former times. Upon that
point he (Mr. Grattan) would only say, that be trusted
that whatever should be done with regard to tithes in Ire,
I ind would be accompanied by an arrangement for a pro-
vision for the poor of that country.---(Hear, hear.). He
was a Protestant, and ardently attached to the maintenance
of his religion, and as such he would express his convic-
tion, that so obnoxious were tithes in Ireland, if the pre-
sent system were continued there, the downfall of the Pro-
testant religion in that country must be the consequence.
The fact was, that it was absolutely necessary that the
whole state of the Church property should be reviewed
and examined.—(Hear, hear.) The feeling against
tithes in Ireland was not the creation of the present or of
any preceding Government,—it had existed there for
centuries.

The motion was their put and agreed to, and the Com_
mittee accordingly appointed.

STEAM PACKETS.
On the motion of Mr. Alderman W 001), leave was given
to bring in a Bill to regulate the speed of steam vessels
in the port of London.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER IN SCOTLAND.
The LORD ADVOCATE moved for leave to bring in
a Bill for the better disposal of business in the Court of
Exchequer in Scotland, and in doing so stated that the
object of
,the Bill was ultimately to do away with that
Court there, on account of the exceedingly small quantity
.f business which it had to perform. That course was
adopted instead of abolishing the Court at once; for in
such case, the learned persons who presided there would
Ile entitled to retire upon full salaries. As an exemplifi-
cation of the state of business in that Court, he might
state that the amount of defended cases disposed of there
during the last twenty years was 124, making an average
of about 7} per annum. During the last ten years the
annual average was so low as four ; and in the course of
the last two years only two cases had been tried in that
Court. For performing all that business there was a
Chief Baron with 4,0001., and three Barons with 2,0001.
a year each. . . .

Leave was given to bring in the Bill.
Mr. HODGES obtained leave to bring in a Bill to
amend the laws relating to sewers.
Mr. HUNT move for a return of the number of per-
sons confined in prison for smuggling in the United King..
(tom, specifying the offence for which each prisoner was
convicted, and the amount of fines in which they were
condemned ; stating, if married, the amount or number of
each person's family, who are kept by the parishes, and to
what parishes they belong.—Ordered.
VESTRY ACT.
Sir J. HOBHOUSE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to
tmend the Vestry Act of last session.
Mr. B. EVANS moved for returns relating to taxes
upon knowledge, comprising stamp duties on newspapers,
'he number of them conveyed through the Post-office, the
❑umber of colonial newspapers received in this country,
with the Post-office charges, &c.—Ordered, so far as the
same could be made out.
Mr. FRESHFIELD obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to amend the Bankrupt Act, 6, Geo. IV.
SMUGGLED SILKS.

mr. Alderman V ENABLES, in moving for a specifi-
cation of the goods seized, and returns of all papers con-
nected with the prosecution of Messrs. Leaf and Co. by
his Majesty's Attorney-General, for an alleged breach of
the revenue laws, observed that this was a case strong and
peculiar in its features. The silk trade of this country, it
was well known, was greatly depressed, and the exposure
of those unfair traders who injured the country and the re-
venue would he the best means of putting an end to such
i :practice. The persons injured in this respect were,
therefore, disappointed that any compromise had taken
place in the instance before the House, although he be-
lieved that in a pecuniary point of view it might have been
advantageous.
Mr. HUNT seconded the motion, and said that the
Government had pledged themselves there should be no
compromise.
Mr. P. THOMSON said, that all the papers connected
with this case would be furnished with pleasure, excepting
of course the brief given to the Attorney-General, which,
being a document of a confidential nature, could not be
expected. The case had been misunderstood by the public
for the Government had redeemed its pledge, which was
that the guilty parties should he prosecuted. That hail
een done, and proceedings bad gone on in Court until
almost the moment of trial. At that stage the whole
hadm at matter
acceptedw a in
te
rtnhe hands of
is
verya dva
ntthaeg e
oAutst otron
tehye- GnGeoveerral ,
Government,
e nt,
although now, from the feeling that had been excited, it
might be a matter of regret that the case had not been
proceeded in. There were, in point of fact, several cases.
In one, goods landed from a barge in the river, to the
amount of 7001 , had been seized, and were abandoned
to the officers of the Customs. They were confiscated ;
hut as no claim was made, the crime could not be
traced. Much misrepresentation. had gone abroad 19
to the amount of the penalties, which had bee,A
stated so high as 90,0001. The whole value
penalties which could possibly have been vvoyero
by the Crown was 24,500/.—(Hear)—and 'they hatd Gum..
promised for 20,0001. So that there was a difference of
4.001., besides the value of the voila (about 5,0001.)
which had been returned. Gorerment bad, therefore, re-
ceived 20,000/. instead of 99,0001. He trusted that thy,
House would think that Government had done justice,
Mr. GOULBURN observed, that if the effect of Oa cone
promise would be to keep out of view two or three other
houses, which, he understood, had received the smuggled
goods, the compromise would be injurious to the public
if not, he agreed with the Right Hurl, Gentleman that it
was judicious.
The ATTORNEY,GENERAL said that the compro•
mite would not extend to those houses, if t'ley were
guilty. The public interests had been best sezted by the,
compromise.
Mr. ELLIS, in reply to a remark of Mr. Alderman
17mq/times, said, that when the papers were laid upon the
table, it would be seen that the house referred to had put-.
sued a systematic course of smuggling to a very great ex,
of
tent, independent the present instance.
After a few words from Mr. Alderman TaloalesoN and
Mr, HUN, the papers were ordered,
WEST INDIA COMMITTEE.

Mr. P. THOMPSON moved the re-appointment of the
'West India Committee (not the East India Committee, as
printed by mistake in the votes.)
SCHOOLS OF ANATOMY.
Mr. WARB,URTON moved for leave to bring in a Bill
to regulate schools of anatomy. He reminded the House
that in 1829 ha had introduced a Bill of the same kind,
which had passed this House, but had been rejected ig
another place. The political changes which had occurred
since had occasioned him to defer the renewal of the at-
tempt. The Bill he now proposed to introduce differed in
thehe
Home Secretary, to whom
proposed the appointment
some respects from the other. ft was more simple. In,
stead of requiring anatomical professors to obtain licences,
w
and who should inspect the
schools ejeof htauioncroha,
sts.oh
mawdielertbaeleheaitnodo sop
ebbbejeeetcmantreasobected to the former Bill that it
dd,
r
I to,
nude a distinction between the poor and the rich ; his pre-
.,nt Bill was equally applicable to all ; and he hoped, when
it was considered what had been the enormous and neces-
sary consequence of the present law,—the law was one
thing and necessity another,—prejudices would give way,
and that schools would be supplied with the subjects ne-
cessary for the promotion of science, and at reduced prices.
Mr. HUNT said, that unless this Bill was materially
different from the last, he should opp)se it to the utmost.
He hoped that a clause would be introduced to legalize the
sale of a person's own body, which was now the property
of his executor.
Mr. SADLER said that so far from the repugnant?. re-