The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-26 00:00:00

bISCUSSION ON PETITIONS.

Mr. WALLACE postponed the folloWing motion till
Tuesday, which he had given notice to bring for-
ward to-day :—That the usage which has prevailed
of late years, of abstaining from discussing the
petitions of the people at: the time of their pre-
sentation, shall not be sanctioned in tbe present Parlia-
ment, but that the practice which prevailed in the House
prior to the period referred tO, of discussing Petitions at
the time of their presentation, shall be restored:.-
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS..

On the motion of Sir M. -WC)OBthefolloVin,, ;-.Mem-
bers were appointed as a Select Committee to take into
consideration any plans for the improvement of the me-
tropolis which they may demn worthy of their con-
sideration; and also the petitions ' which had been
presented to this Ilouse in the last Parliament for
the purchase of the interests of the proprietors of Wa-
terloo, Southwark, and Vatixhall Bridges, in order to
their being immediately opened to the use of the pcblie.
free from toll, and to ,report their 'Opinion as t&the
expediency of adopting any of the said improvements ;
antr'alsa, its to the best means of carrying she
same'into effect' :—Sir 'Matthew Wood, Sir Robert Peel,.-
Sir Hobert Harry Ing,lis, Viscount Lowther„Mi. Pen-
darVei, Sir William Clay, Colonel Thomas -Wood, Mr.
George Palmer, Mr. Tufnell, Mr. Barnard, Mr. Rigby
Wason, -Mr. Wakley, Sir Benjamin Hall, Mr. Planta,
Mr. Kemble, Mr. Alderman llumphery, and Mr. Hawes.
Dr. BOWRING had reason to know.that the Noble
Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs had instituted
extended inquiries on the subject of quarantine gene-
rally. The correspondence on the subject- would be of
much use if made public, and therefore he hoped
no opposition would be offered to the motion
of which he had given notice. He then moved ,
for " Copies of any correspondence, from the
year 1837, which may have taken place between the
Foreign-office and the British authorities in the Levant,
on the subject of the plague, and quarantine as a protec-
tion therefrom ; also, any correspondence with Foreign
Governments with a view to regulating and improving
the quarantine system."—Agreed to. The Honour-
able Gentleman then said he believed great errors
existed in the public mind as to the amount of taxation
levied on land in the different countries of Europe and
as a perfect knowiedge of the facts, and greatly assist the
debates which must ensue, he trusted the assistance of
the Government would be given in obtaining it. He
moved for a " Return of the amount of taxes levied on
land in the different States of Europe; distinguish-
ing the taxes raised for the service of the State
from those levied for local purposes ; the Re-
turn to show the amount in the moneys and
measures of the different States, and to be rendered into
British moneys and measures. Also, returns exhibiting
the proportion borne by the land-tax (as approximatively
as it can be estimated) to the value or rental of land in
the different countries of Europe.

LABOUCHERE wished to call the attention
of the House to the nature of the return which had been
moved for. It was a return not for any information
connected with this country but with foreign countriea.—
(Hear, hear.) He did not mean to say but that he
considered it very desirable that such information should
be laid before the House, as he considered it calculated
to throw great light on many subjects on which they would
be called on to legislate ; but they ought to be careful
in what shape they asked for information of this decrip-
tion. It could only be obtained through the medium of
our consuls, and he doubted if they could obtain
accurate information. He took blame to himself
for not having considered the nature of the returns,
and spoken to his Honourable Friend on the sub-
ject, but he would suggest to him to move for them in a
more general shape. If his Hon. Friend would postpone
his motion until to-morrow he would in the meantime con-
sider the subject, and endeavour to put itinto such a shape
as to obtain the intOrmation desired ; but he cer-
tainly must object to asking for information of a defi-
nite and precise nature from our Consuls abroad, when
it could hardly be expected that the information
which they could furnish would be accurate. He, there-
fore, thought it would be better to postpone the motion,
and bring it forward again in a more general shape.
1)r. BOWRING acceded to the request of his Right
Hon. Friend, and would bring forward the motion to-
morrow.—Motion withdrawn.
NAVAL HALF-PAY.

Mr. J. PARKER moved for leave to bring in a Bill
to amend Acts as to Naval Half-pay. The object of the
Bill was to enable mates and naval instructors to draw
bills at three months for their half-pay on the Account-
ant-General, instead of six months, as at present.
Leave was given, and the Bill was brought in and
read a first time.
ANTARCTIC DISCOVERIES.

Lord ASHLEY moved for Copies of such Extracts
from the Despatch of Captain James Ross, from Van
Dieman's Land, as will show to the House the nature
and extent of the brilliant discoveries which are said to
have been made in a high southern latitae by .4er Ma-
jesty's ships Erebus and Terror.—Ordered.
On the motion of Mr. TUFNELL, Mr. Patrick Stew-
art was added to the Printing Committee.