The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-14 00:00:00

PAR LI A ME NT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 13.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, having move the second
reading of the United Gas Company's.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE eXpressed a wish to have it
postponed, as he had objections to the measure, arid intended
to propose some amendments.-The second reading was post-
poned without any day being fixed.
The Alien Bill was committed, reported, and ordered to be
read a third time to-morrow.

The Transfer of Diiitlends Bill, the Flint Glass Duties
Bill, and other Bills, alSo- passed through Canniittees.—
.
Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Colonel WHITE presented a petition from the Inhabitants
of the parish of St. George, Dublin, against the Bill for a New
Valuation of Houses.— Referred to the Committee on the said
Bill. •
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a petition from the Water-
men of Rotherhithe against the Thames Tunnel • Bill.—Re-
ferred to the Committee on the ssid- Bill.
Mr. BAGWELLpresented a petition from 2,000 Inhabitants
of Carrick-on-Suire, in favour of .Catholic Eitiancipation.
Mr. LOCKHART presented a petition from Oxford, pray-
ing for the reducticn .of the Assessed Taxes.
Lord STANLEY presented a • petition from the Tanners of
Manchester against the Hides and Skins Bill.
• BEER BILL.
Lord STANLEY also presented a petition froth Bury, in
Lancashire, against the Beer Bill(
Similar petitions were presented from Worcester, the Staf-
fordshire Potteries, Alloa, Gainsborough, and Kettering.
Mr. SYKES presented a petition from Hull, against the
Bonded Wheat Bill. _

Similar petitions. were presented from Carlow and Ennis.
corthy.

HIS MAJESTY'S EXCISE OFFICE.

Mr. WATSON TXl7..l4ollceitTest;d the particular atten-
tion of the House to a petition which he had to present from the
Principals, Clerks, and other Officers of his Majesty's Excise-
office. The object of the petitioners was to be relieved from
the contributions at present taken from their salaries, for the
support of a Superannuation Fund. They were small before
the provisions of the late Act for this purpose, and still more so
in consequence of a previous Act of Parliament, which ope-
rated a diminution for a similar object. The Hon. Member
dwelt upon the injustice of a second time taking a fine off the
small stipends of the petitioners, who were thereby made to pay
double the rate paid by others for the same advantage. lle
need not descant on the respectability of the parties to this pe-
tition. Their vigilance and attention to the interests of the
State, as well as the connexion of their important duties with,
the great question of Revenue, were well known. Ile sincerely
hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer would see the propriety
of taking the prayer of the petitioners under his special care.
Sir JOSEPH YORKE admitted the meritorious services
of these petitioners, but feared it would be a bad example to
accede to their prayer.
The petition was then read, laid on the table, and ordered to
be printed.
Mr. MABERLEY presented a petition from the Curriers
of Feversham against the Bides and Skins Bill.—Referred to
the Committee on the Bill.
• • IR IS II ASSESSMENTS.

Mr. GOULBURN presented a petition from the Noblemen,
Gentlemen, and Occupiers of Land in certain Baronies of the
County of Tipperary, complaining of over assessment. In one
barony the assessment hail been raised, since 1809, nearly
4,0001. He thought the case well deserving attention.
After a few words from Lord A LTIIO tip, Sir J. NEWPORT,
and Mr. GRATTAN, the petition was laid on the table, and
_ordered, to be printed.
Mr. BEAUMONT presented a petition from Hexham
against Negro Slavery.
Mr. HUM presented a petition from several inhabitants of
Beverley in Yorkshire, praying that the House would initiate
some law for the promotion of free discussion.
The Hon. Member also presented a petition from the Tan.
ners and Curriers of Aberdeen against the Hides and Skins
Bill ; from the Journeymen Printers of Salford against the
Combination Laws; from the County of Kincardine, praying
for. the equalization of Duties on Spirits.
11r. LAWLEY presented a petition from the Parish of Fur.
aivan, in Warwick, agairiat Negro Slavery.
Lord FOLKESTONE presented a petition from the Cur-
riers of- New Sarum against the Hides, and Skins Bill.—Re-
ferred to the Committee on the Bill,
JUDICIAL OnsIIS.
Lord ALTHORP presented a petition from an Individual
Dissenter, called a Separatist, praying for an exemption, simi-
lar to that enjoyed by the Quakers, from the necessity of tak-
ing an oath in a Court of Justice. The Noble Lord said he
hoped this petition would meet with a favourable reception.
Mr. ELLIS supported the prayer of the petition, and bore
testimony to the respectability of the body of Separatists.
Lord A LTI-lORP presented a petition from the Inhabi-
tants of Burnley, in Lancashire, in favour of the County
Courts Bill.
Mr. CURTEIS presented a petition from the Agriculturists
of Lewes, against the Bonded Wheat Bill:
Mr. V. FITZGERALD presented a petition from the Se-
paratists of Carlow, praying an exemption from oath-taking in
Judicial Causes. _ .

111 r. STUART WORTLEY presented a petition from John
Hardy, Eig. Barrister at Law, in favour of the County
Courts Bill. _

The lion. Member also presented a petition from the Butchers
of Bradford, in favour of the Bides and Skins Bill.—Referred
to the Committee on the said bill. _ _

The above petitions were severally read, laid on the table,
and ordered to be printed.
f. *.TURNS.

On the motion of Mr. KENNEDY, a return was ordered,
chewing the amount of Beer Duties in Scotland, for the last two
years.
On the motion of Mr. FUME, a return was ordered of co-
pies of the last annual accounts of all the Turnpike Trusts in
the kingdom.
CORN LAWS.

Mr. CURTEIS moved for an account of the several persons
who had made returns of sales of corn in the markets of Lon-
don, Liverpool, and Boston, during the six weeks previous to
the 15th of May next ensuing. The Hon. Gentleman stated,
that he moved for the papers in question with a view to check
certain most fraudulent practices connected with the striking of
the averages. A system of colourable bargain and sale was re-
gularly organized, by which the nominal prices of grain in the
markets, and consequently the declaration of the averages quar-
terly, was almost controulled. Such practices, it was unneces-
sary to say, were entirely subversive of the intent of the exist-
ing corn laws, and placed the fair dealer, as well as the grower
of grain, in a situation of great uncertainty and clanger ; and he
(Mr. Curteis) trusted, that when the documents moved for
were before the House, some course might be hit upon which
would put a stop to them altogether.
Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE warmly supported the mo-
tion. The system of influencing the averages was most mis-
chievous to the landed interest; and on one occasion it had
nearly succeeded so far as to occasion the opening of the ports.
Mr. HUSKISSON, if he requested the lion. Member for
Sussex to withdraw his motion for a while, certainly did not do
so from any disposition to withhold information on the subject
of the corn averages, but because he wished, before the papers
were ordered, to ascertain how far it would be possible to ob-
tain them. For himself, he had not the slightest doubt that
the practice alluded to did exist ; and he agreed fully in the
mischief and danger which it produced ; but there were
cir-
cumstances of difficulty in the way of putting a stop to it with
which the House was not, perhaps, acquainted. In the course
of the last year, finding reason to believe that nominal sales had
been taking place in the corn-market, with a view to influence
the averages, he had thought it right; to call for the bills of par-
cels of those particular sales, and also for the books of the
dealers. Now, he was free to say, that lie had not a doubt
that the bargains to which he alluded were colourable, and en-
theto
bthooeksspairnidt ofptherescoornbtailanwasi as they erbxeisltaedw.
ad;
buttihre syoa
wasnert contraryil
laying
ge
Crown, those advisers were of opinion that the
as they appeared, were perfectly legal. In fact, ,
is obstacle to stopping the practice—that it was
ttraevenrlisecisth th
next to impossible to fix a bargain or sale as " colourable." In
the cases which had been examined, he had found all the regul?r
forms preserved ; they were transactions between persons ofnst_l ua
stance and character ; and though he had no doubt as to :11 t
tinned) was
the truth was, yet it was quite impossible to make it out. Intact,
his own opinion (the Right Hon. Gentleman eon