The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-12 00:00:00

THE MALT -TAX.

Mr. CHUTE presented a petition from the county of
Norfolk, praying for the repeal of the malt-tax.
thra all proceedings would be
im Armagh, and certain
t
TENANT RIGHT.
,
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented several
petitions
Ipfarsaty,inAgnt
places
England,
stayed upon the Landed Property (Ireland) Bill, until
the tenant right should be finally secured.
MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND.
Mr. HUME wished to ask a question of the Right
from
B e
Hon. the Vice-President of the Board of Trade. He
wished to know if the Government had as yet deter-
mined to appoint a commission to take into considera-
tion the subject of the Merchant Seamen's Fund ; and,
if so, when the House might expect to receive the report?
Mr. M. GIBSON said that the whole subject of the
Merchant Seamen's Fund was under attentive considera-
tion, and a commission would be appointed immediately.
Mr. WAWN moved for a return of the revenue re-
ceived by the Commissioners appointed under the Act
11 Geo. 4, c. 49, intituled, " An Act for the Improve-
ment and Preservation of the River Wear and Port
and Haven of Sunderland, in the county palatine of
Durham," in each year since the year 1842: list of
the Commissioners now acting and qualified under that
Act, stating their names and places of residence ; also,
the number of meetings of the board, and the names of the
Commissioners who have attended each of the meetings of
the board, in each year since 1842. Account of the debt
owing by the Commissioners, the dates of contracting
the same, and the rate of interest paid (in continuation
of Parliamentary return, No. 514, sess. 1843). Also,
an explanation of the account for the year 1832, where
~ the arrears of river duty, due December 31, 1831,
were . £1,141 16 3
Disputed in Lord Londonderry's
‘stone
account 75 11 1

Are made to amount to the sum of
Also a particular and detailed account, in each year
since 1842, of what has been paid in salaries; also in
law expenses, in promoting and opposing Bills brought
in or threatened to be brought before Parliament, and
under what clause in the Act 11 Geo. IV., c. 49, or
other authority, the same was paid.—Agreed to.
Mr. GROGAN moved fora return, showing the num-
ber of loads of hay and straw forfeited in Smithfield
Market, Dublin, for the five years ending the 31st day
of December, 1836, 1841, and 1846, and how the same or
the proceeds thereof were disposed of.
THE WELLINGTON STATUE.
Mr. CRAVEN BERKELEY gave notice that, qn
Monday next, he should ask the Noble Lord, the First
Commissioner of her Majesty's Woods and Forests,
what the final intentions of her Majesty's Government
wero with respect to the removal of the Wellington
statue.

RETAIL BREWERS.
Mr. MUNTZ moved that the petition he had yester-
day presented from the retail brewers of Birmingham
be printed with the votes.--Agreed to.
The liox. MEMBER gave notice that, on the 23d of this
month, he should bring in a Bill to enable retail brewers
in the midland districts to keep open their houses till
twelve o'clock at night, as they were permitted to do so
in th• metropolis.
POOR-LAWS (IRELAND).
Mr. FITZGERALD presented a petition from the
guardians and rate-payers of Thurles, praying that thg
poor-rates should be levied on union instead of electoral
districts.

PUNISHMENT BY DEATH.
Mr. EWART presented petitions from several places
n Scotland, praying for the abolition of all capital
punishment.
RELIEF COMMITTEES IN IRELAND.
Mr.STAFFO RD O'BRIEN, seeing the Right Hon. th
Secretary for Ireland in his place, wished to know wbei
ther the circular which had been issued by Mr. Redingi
ton was to be the sole guide for relief committees relative

to the time when public works should be discontinued.
He saw by the papers of that morning, that there were
60,000 men at present engaged, and if that circular
were to furnish the only rule, he thought the number
would require to be increased instead of diminished.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the Treasury had
issued directions to the Board of Works of a very precise
nature regarding the manner in which they were to dimi •
nish the number of men engaged on the public works.
He had no objection to lay those directions on the table,
when the Hon. Gentleman would be put in possession of
the views of her Majesty's Government upon the subject.
RUSSO-DUTCH LOAN.

Mr. HUDIE presented various petitions praying the
House to discontinue the payment of the Russo-Dutch
Loan.

DESTITUTION IN. IRELAND.

Mr. P. SCROPE wished to know from the Secretary

for Ireland whether the Government had taken met;
sures to prevent the families of those persons who were
confined in prison for offences from starving. He re-
ferred to one case in particular—that of a woman, who,
having been confined in prison for stealing some articles
of bread, found, on her release, that her husband was
dead. He wished to know if, in such cases as these,
Government had provided any resource ?
Mr. LABOUCHERE complained that the Hon.
Member had given no notice of his question. He
thought, however, that such a case as that named by
the Hon. Gentleman should be the first to command the
attention of the relief committees.
NEW WRIT.

Lord MARCUS HILL moved that a new writ be
issued for the election of a Member for the borough of
Lewes, in the room of Sir Howard Elphinstone, who had
accepted the office of a steward of the Chiltern Hun-
dreds.
CASE OF SIR THOMAS BRISBANE AND