The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-13 00:00:00

LONDON:
FRIDAY, NIARCH 13, 1840.

In the House of Lords List night two petitions were
presented from West India proprietors against any
alteration of the duties on East India produce, which
were referred to the Committee sitting on the subject.
This was to be expected, and the Lords will find it an
impossible task to content the rivals for protection. In
truth the whole theory of protecting duties proceeds
on tha impossible eupposition that legislation can, by
establishicg them, do justice between all classes, and
content them all.

Lord ELLENEOROUGH brought in a Bill, which was
read a first time, to promote vaccination, in compliance,
we presume, with the petition of the medical men no-
ticed a few evenings ago, who wished that sums of
money should be devoted to this purpose.
Tho Marquis of Nonstaleav explained that four per-
sons had already been executed for the offence for com-
mitting which Lynam was recently pardoned. Such an all•
sufficient reas' n for mercy, did not, however, quite satisfy
the Marquis of WESTMLATH. Their Lordships sat for
a wry abort time.
For pardon to FROST, WILLIAMS, and JONES, for
the abolition of the Corn-laws, for the abolition'
of
Chnrch-rates, against the intrusion of ministers,
were re
1 tl,e chief objects of the petitions presented last night in
'1:. Commons.
(J privilege, there is never, apparently, to be
an
end. Lord JOHN RUSSELL presented another petition
troai Mr. HANSARD, informing the House that he had
be,:n served with another writ to assess damages, and
praying protection. The Noble Lord also stated
that another action had been commenced, and the
venue laid in Hertfordshire. All these actions are for
one and the same libel, and the law, that blessed
law, which the Tory journals uphold, permits all
these actions to be brought in vindication of Mr STOCK-
DALE'S character. If privilege be a farce, law, as he works
it, is a greater farce. If he were so to persecute an
individual, the monstrous injustice of the law would
be immediately perceived, but applied to the House of
Commons, even these continued and successive outrages
against common sense find advocates.
The House was also informed by the Sergeant-at-
Arms, and much surprised, apparently, by the infor-
mation, that four of its officers had been served with
notices of action on behalf of Mr. BURTON HOWARD.
Lord J. RUSSELL had only heard of the matter on
Wednesday; it is to be taken into consideration
this day.

Mr. HUME gave notice that he will move, on next
Thursday week, to suspend the pension of the King of
HANOVER. That will teat the new-born attachment of
the Tories to economy.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in answer to Mr. PAKING-
TON, stated that he had received the Clergy Reserves
Canada Bill, and would lay it on the table in a few days.
In answer to questions, Lord JOHN RUSSELL stated
that Government had no official account of war having
been declared against China ; that the Governor-Ge-
neral had received orders to make certain preparations,
which was probably the origin of the report that war
was declared ; and Lord PALMERSTON stated that the
communications with China would be made in the name
of her MAJESTY, and not in that of the India Com-
pany ; and that no message would be sent down on the