The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-20 00:00:00

the 24th instant to propose a vote of thanks to the Go-
vernor-General, the Commander-in• Chief, and the offi-
cers and men of the army of India, for their late eminent
services in the East.—(Hear, hear.)

HOP DUTY.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in
answer to a question from an Hon. Member, stated that
he prop)sed to extend the time for the payment of the
instalment of the hop duties, but he could not then state
to what period.
SICILY, DENMARK, AND BRUSSELS.
Mr. DISRAELI wished to know from the Noble
Lord at the head of the Government, whe-
ther and when the Sicilian papers would
be laid on the table of the House. He
also wished to know whether the Government had
an

objection to lay on the table of the House the papers
relative to the negotiations with Denmark regarding
Schleswig-Ilolstein, and also whether the Government
had any objection to produce the records of the Congress
at Brussels.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that, with regard
to the first question, relative to Sicily, the papers
were now preparing, and would be ready in a
few days. As to the second, the negotiations
with Denmark relative to Schleswig Holstein were still
going on, and it would, therefore, not be advisable to
lay those papers before the House at the present moment.
With respect to the third question, the only answer he
could give was, that although the record of the Brussels
Congress bad been promised, that promise had not been
kept.
Mr. HUME wished to know from the Noble Lord
the Secretary of State fur the Foreign Department,
whether a report that was current was true, that a
messenger had arrived on the 25th of March from Co-
penhagen, with letters to the Noble Lord, which had
remained unanswered for two days, till in fact it was
too late to put an end to hostilities.
Lord PALMERSTON said that, in consequence of
the papers having been mislaid, some delay certainly
took place, but such delay was immaterial, as the propo-
sition contained in the letter was one that could not be
accepted, and the answer would have been the same on
one day as the other.
RUSSIAN TROOPS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.
Mr. ANSTEY—Sir, I wish to ask the Noble Lord
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he
received any information from Constantinople on
the subject •of an alleged demand made on
the Sultan by the Government of Russia for
the removal of Turkish troops from Moldavia
and Wallachia under the menace that if the troops were
not withdrawn, the Russian Ambassador would be in-
structed to ask for his passport.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord PALIIERSTON—Sir, in answer to the ques-
tion which the Honourable and Learned Gentleman has
put, I beg to say that I do not believe that any
such demand has been made by the Russian Govern-
ment; on the contrary, I have every reason to believe
that the report to which, no doubt, the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman refers is totally unfounded. In fact, the pre-
sence of the Ottoman troops in the Danube was invited by
Russia, and the fact that I am in possession of, is that re-
cently Russia sent General Souzglan, an officer of great
distinction, to Constantinople, with the view, as I am in-
formed, of endeavouring to effect a friendly arrangement
of the matter in dispute.—(Cheers.)
THE IRISH INTERVIEW.
On the motion that the orders of the day be now read,
Lord CASTLEREAGH threw himself on the indul-
gence of the House while he introduced to its notice
matters referring personally to himself, and having re-
ferenee to a correspondence which had passed between
himself and the Noble Lord the First Minister of the

Crown.
Tne SPEAKER—I am sorry to interrupt the Noble
Lord, but it is usual to agree to the motion before the
House as a matter of course.
Lord CASTLEREAGH was quite aware of that, but
he threw himself on the indulgence of the House.—
(Hear, hear.) It will be in the recollection of
the House that a few days ago the Noble
Lord at the head of the Government summoned the
Irish Members, as a body, to receive from him
certain propositions with reference to the rate in aid.
Previous to that meeting, as it was anticipated that the
Irish Members would be required to give an immediate
answer to the Noble Lord, they were summoned together
to determine upon what course they should adopt. At
that meeting the Honourable Gentleman the Member
for Limerick introduced business of an extraneous nature,
and gentlemen present were unable to come to any
conclusion as to who should be elected spokesman of
the body. At the meeting with the Noble Lord he
Ras requested by many of the gentlemen present to
state tin it views, but he was unable to catch the Noble
Lord'a attention, and was, therefore, not able to do
so. He therefore addressed a letter to tie
Noble Lord, which, with the permission of the
House, be would read. It was as follows :—" My Lord:
I beg to state to your Lordship, not only for myself, but
on behalf of a numerous and influential body of Irish
Members, that, whilst in deference to your position as a
Minister of the Crown, we attended the meeting in
Downing street, we were not prepared to pledge our-
selves to adopt any particular tax; we aro, however, willing
to discuss any proposal for that purpose upon its own
merits is the House of Commons, but without hearing
the arguments which may be produced in the discussion
of such a question, we could not put our-
selves in the position of answering for our con-
stituents, and therefore we beg to abstain from offer-
ing any advice to Government on the course they
may think proper to pursue.—l am, &c." In answer to
that letter he received an answer to the following effect:
—"I should have waited to hear your Lordship, but it did
not appear to be the wish of the members present that I
should do so, and I thought it best to retire
otherwise I must have heard other members who did
not belong to that numerous and influential body
to which your Lordship alludes, and I must have assisted
at a debate instead of receiving a decision." He had
thought it his duty to refer to those letters, and he would
now leave the matter in the Isanis of the House exactly
as he had stated it. He would only make one other re-
mark with reference to the numerous and influential body
which the Noble Lord had alluded to in his letter.
fie held in his hand the names of the gentlemen who
constituted it, and, if the Noble Lord chose to see
them, he would find that they were both numerous and
influential. In conclusion, he had to state that the
whole body of Irish Members had come to the reso-
lution, in conformity with the letter which he had the
honour to address to the Noble Lord.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord J. RUSSELL rose and said, as the Noble Lord
had thought it necessary to make that statement he
might be allowed to make a few observations in reply.
He begged to state that after having explained what
the views of the Government were he intimated
that he thought it would be better if the
gentlemen then present should take some further
time to consider their decision, and expressed a hope
that they would favour him with a reply in the course
of this morning. The Noble Lord (Lord Castlereagh).
as he understood, then began to state that he was prepared
then to say what the opinion of the meeting was.
Lord CASTLEREAGH—No, not the meeting.
Lord J. RUSSELL then said that he was prepared
to state the opinion of several persons. He (Lord
J. Russell) was ready to receive the answer—he stopped
to hear it, upon which several Gentlemen called out
" No, no.") He thought that if he re eeived the answer of
the Noble Lord he should not be receiving the answer
of the meeting, and that he should be involved in a
debate with respect to what the intention of the meeting
was. Ile, therefore, adopted his original intention,
and retired into the next room and expressed his
willingness to come back again and make any
other explanation that might be required of
him. He could assure the Noble Lord that he was very
sorry that any misunderstanding should have arisen, but
he begged to say that he wished to cast no disparage-
ment upon any one, and was ready to make any apology
which might be considered necessary.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. DISRAELI then rose and said—l think it highly
unconstitutional to call a meeting in the way in which
the Noble Lord has called one, and I am surprised that
a Minister who is so well known for his knowledge of
the constitution should have recourse to such meetings.
—(Hear, hear.)
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Hon. Member was
out of order.
The SPEAKER said he had allowed the Noble Lord
(Lord Castlereagh) to proceed with his statements, al-
though he was out of order, seeing that it was the general
opinion of the House that he should do so, but the House
would now see the inconvenience of the discussion pro-
ceeding further, and he trusted that he would now be
supported in enforcing the rule of the House.—(Hear.)
Mr. DISRAELI said—l rose to move the adjourn-
ment of the House, and I concluded that I was in order.
I shall, however, take the first opportunity of bringing
forward this subject again, and then a Minister of the
Crown will not have it in his power to say that I had pre-
pared my observations.—(Lsughter and cheers.)
NAVIGATION BILL (AS AMENDED).
On the order of the day being read for proceeding
with the consideration of thel Navigation Bill, as
amended,
Captain HARRIS rose to move to move the following
clause:—"Be it enacted that the master or owner of every
ship belonging to any subject of her Majesty, and of the
burden of eighty tons and upwards, except pleasureyachts,
shall have on board at the time of her proceeding from any
port of the United Kingdom, and at all times when ab-
sent from the United Kingdom or navigating the seas,
one apprentice or more, in the following proportion to
the number of tons of the ship's admeasurement,
according to the certificate of registry ; that is
to say, for every ship of 80 tons, and under 300 tons, one
apprentice at the least, for every ship of 300 tons and
under 600 tons, two apprentices at the least, and for
every ship of 600 tons and upwards, three apprentices
at the least; all of whom, at the period of their being
bound respectively, shall be subjects of her Majesty; and
above twelve and under seventeen years of age, and be duly
bound for the term of four years at least; and if any such
master or owner shall neglect to have on board his
ship the number of apprentices as hereby required, to-
gether with their respective registered indentures, as •
signments, and register tickets, he shall for every such
offence forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds in respect
of each apprentice, indenture, assignment, or register
ticket so wanting or deficient." In moving this clause
he would confine himself strictly to the matter in
hand. He was unwilling to detain the House one
minute beyond what was absolutely necessary
for properly discussing the bearings of the clause which
he had moved. Ile wished to prove to the House that
the question involved in that clause was in all its bear-
ings of the highest importance to the merchant navy, in-
asmuch as the supply of seamen for the merchant navy
would materially depend upon its being carried into law.
The Hon. and Gallant Member then went on to read
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