The Sun.
London, England, 1836-06-15 00:00:00

TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE.

The HoN. MEMBER also presented a petition from the work-
men in the employ of the Messrs. Williams and Co., of Isling-
ton, praying for the total repeal of the Stamp Duties upon
Newspapers. The Hon. Member proceeded to state that he
wished to ask a question of the Right Hon. Gentleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on a subject on which there ex-
isted considerable anxiety, viz., when the arrangements with
France on the subject of the Post-office regulations were likely
to come to a termination ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that
in the course of last week he had received a letter, stating
that the treaty was almost completed—it was in fact signed,
but it had not yet been sent over. He could also state that
steps had been taken, in conjunction with the Admiralty, to
carry into effect that part of the Report of the Commissioners
which referred to the steam packets, which was the most press-
ing and urgent point. He could not, however, state the par-
ticular day on which he would be able to lay the treaty on the
table of the House.
PRISONS OF THE HOUSE.

Sir F. TRENCH said he had a complaint to make, and
the House and the Speaker would be surprised to find that
the complaint he had to make referred to him (the Speaker).
—( A laugh.) He ( Sir F. Trench) had had the misfortune
to be the first inhabitant of the prison of the House of Com-
mons.—( Loud laughter.) He did not complain of the new
apartments or of the new paint; but what he did complain of
was, that from the construction of the prison, it was owing
to a mere accident, that he and the Hon. Member for Ipswich had
not been confined together in the same apartment.—(Great
laughter.) The prison was so constructed that it would have
been impossible for them to have remained there without im-
propriety or indecency, as one Member to get out would 4ave
been pbliged to pass through the apartment of the other.
He was very much indebted to fortune, because the Hon.
Member for Ipswich, instead of being on the road to Dover or
Calais, happened to be in his own apartment.—( Loud
laughter, and a cry of hear, hear, from Mr. Wason.) He was
not therefore subjected to the necessity of running the risk of
a disagreeable collision with him.—( Loud laughter.) The
Hon. Member remained in his lodgings, and he ( Sir F.
Trench) occupied apartments in prison.—(Renewed laugh-
ter, and hear.) But: he must state that he was sure the
Honourable Member for Ipswich would have treated
him with all possible courtesy—(" Hear," from Mr. Wason,
and a laugh)—as he ( Sir F. Trench) would have treated
that Hon. Member with similar courtesy ; but still he
would have been under the necessity of passing through
the Hon. Member's apartments, as he ( Sir F. Trench) had
the misfortune to he labouring at the time under severe in-
disposition.—( Loud Laughter.) This, it was obvious,
would have been attended with extreme inconvenience.
He begged oho to state that this prison was a very bad place
to send quarrelling Members to—in fact, he never knew any
thing more idle. The keeper was placed outside, and the
Hon. Members were left together inside. He did not pre-
tend to be an architect, but it was obvious to any person that
this was extremely inconvenient. He feared very much from
the tone of the debates in that House of late, that a greater
number of cells ought to be prepared.—( Laughter.) Accord-
ing to the adage that " a burnt child dreads the fire," he should
endeavour to conduct himself in future as not to incur the
displeasure or the Speaker.—(Cheers and laughter.)
M. R. WAS ON complained of the Order of that House,
which could direct any Member to be taken into custody with-
out having transgressed the rules of the House. He had also
some right to complain of the Noble Lord, the Member for
Norwich, who at•;; o'clock in the morning had, contrary to all
precedent, moved that he be taken into custody.
Lord STORMONT was about to address the House, but
was interrupted by the SPEAKER, who said there was no ques-
tion before the House.
BREACH OF PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE.

Mr. JOHN A. SMITH had to apologize to the House for
a breach of its privileges oa Saturday morning last, in coming
into the House after the question had been put from the Chair.
He felt that in doing so he had committed a great irregularity,
for which he trusted the Speaker would express to the House
his extreme regret.—( Hear.) There was another person
connected with the affair, for whom he also felt bound to
crave the indulgence of the House, and he regretted that that
person, who was one of the messengers, had been induced
through his (Mr. A. Smith's) anxiety to vote on the question,
to admit him; and as he was the party principally to blame,
he hoped the House would not visit that individual with
punishment.
Mr. AGLIONBY felt very anxious upon this subject, for
the sake of the Messenger who was implicated, as he was
from the county with which he (Mr. A.) was connected. He
was a eery simple and very good natured man, who
out of good nature• had broken the orders he had received.
This was the first occurrence of the kind which had taken
place with him, and he (Mr. A.) would beco.ne his surety that
it would not occur with, him again. Under these circumstances
he trusted the House Would consider that he had suffered
enough of punishment from the intense anxiety he had felt
since the • occurrence, and begged that they would not
Visit him with their displeasure in any higher degree.—( Hear. )
Sir G. CLERK, having been appointed one of the tellers
on the division on Saturday morning, while performing his
duty, was informed that several Members had voted who were
not present when the question was put from the Chair. Of
course, he had felt it his duty to mention the circumstance
at the earliest opportunity. The usual course was, that
the fact being mentioned, Members who had voted in that
way deelareeso, and their vote was struck off.—( Hear.) He
had no wish that anything further should take place than that
the Hon. Member's vote should he struck off. He joined in
the recommendation of the two Hon. Members, that no further
notice might be taken of the conduct of the Messenger. He
trusted that the Speaker would take such steps as would pre-
vent such a proceeding from happening in future.
The SPEAKER said that he should certainly take such
steps as would prevent such a course being adopted in future.
Mr. AGLIONBY hoped the House would intimate to the
Chair that sufficient had been done without calling upon
the Speaker to interfere further.—(Cheers.)
Sir JAMES GRAHAM bore testimony to the excellent
conduct of Mr. Bailey. He thought the best course to adopt
would be to reprimand the individual and let the matter drop.
Mr. W YNNE thoughtathe House was bound in general
cases to visit severely any -dereliction of duty on the part of
any of its officers; but he thought, in the present instance,
some leniency should be shown.—( Cheers.)
The SPEAKER considered that he should have committed
a great offence to the House, if he had retained in his service
a person who had disobeyed the standing rules of the House,
without bringing the subject of the individual's conduct before
it. As, however, it appeared to be the wish of the
House that no further notice should be taken of the
subject, ho of course should bow to the wishes of the House,
feeling confident that the course the House had adopted would
do more to convince the individual that he had acted wrong,
than any punishment they might inflict.—(Cheers.)
The subject then dropped.
TREMOUTHA HARBOUR.

Sir W. MOLE SWORTH moved the Order of the Day,
for taking into further consideration the Report on the Tre-
moutha Railway and Harbour Bill.
Mr. CHARLES BULLER said that this was rather a
singular measure, for it was for the purpose of establishing a
railway over a sterile country to a non-existing harbour, on an
inaccessible coast.—(Laughter.) He thought it important
also for the House to know how the railway had been got
up.—(Hear.) There appeared an advertisement in the
public papers of a public meeting, in which it was stated the
county Members attended andimoved the resolutions : would
the House believe that not a single Member bad been there—
(Cheers)—and he, as a member of the Committee received a
paper making that statement. He should move that the re-
port should be taken into further consideration on that day six
months.—(Cheers.)
Mr. F. FRENCH seconded the motion.
Sir E. CODRINGTON could not understand how it was
that opposition
.was made to the Bill now, when there was
no objection made in the Committee.
After a few words from Lord EBRINGTON against the
Bill,

Mr. G. YOUNG, being one of the Members alluded
to, would merely say that the names of eight Members of that
House were put forth as having moved resolutions in favour of
the Railway at the Crown and Anchor; their names were put upon
the provisional committee, and immediately the shares were at
a premium. They insisted upon a public retractation, which was
given ; but still the original prospectus was circulated. Some-
thing of a similar nature had taken place with the Ship-owners'
Society. The Secretary to that Society took some shares in
the Company on his own account, and signed himself " Agent."
His name IN as then put down as proprietor of shares in the
concern, as Agent and Secretary to the Ship-owners' Society,
thereby making it appear as if that Society favoured the con-
cern. He hoped the House would instantly kick the Bill out
of the House.
Col. SIBTHORP was very glad to hear what had just
fallen from the Hon. Member; he had nothing to blame him-
self with, as he had all along prophecied that such would be
the
end of these bubbles. The statement just made would
open the eyes of the public to the system of humbl',- which
was going on—it was sheerhumbug.—(Laughter.)He was
informed that a gentleman iat hearing
s s t tib
a fewunder
dstwheorGalflreormy whohim
was possessed of 20 .hares, bvu

10 this Pardailian is a distinguished officer ;he commands the Fabert

Courier.