The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-12 00:00:00

the Report of tire Cott-ilssioners appo'nted to consider
tlic method of preventing ships being, struck by lightn'ng.

POOR-LAW.
Sir EARDLEY WILMOT tat, hatke that in the
Committee on the Poon.hov big ho should move an
arneedment on the opprenticeship clause, requiring the
['lavers of apprentices to produco the paupers in their
empoyment before the Guardians every half year, in
order that their condition tn:ght be inquired hitt).
Colonel WOOD gate notice that on the Och clAuse
of the Poor-lt,v Bill being discussed it Cnmtnittce, be
should ''..".ev3 that all cottage; the annual rental of which
did s.iot exceed V., should be exempt from Poor-rates.
Air. WHITE, Lord GRANi,ILLE SOMERSET, and Mr.
DAltßy also give notice of their intencion of proposing
amendments in the Committee on the New Poor•law

Mr. 'WALLACE gave some notice on the subject
of the County Courts' Bill. Toe Hon. Gentleman also
gave notice of his intention of bringing forward a mo-
tion en the subject of the expense of conveying mails by

RETURNS OF THE POOR-LAW COM.
MISSIONERS.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET wished to ask
the Hon. Under-Secretery of the Home Department
when it was probable that certain Returns relating to the
Poor-law Commissioners, for which he had moved,
would be laid on the table.
Mr. FOX MAULS would make inquiries on the
subject ; he should see the Commissioners to-morrow,
and would ascertain when it would be probable the
returns in question would be made.
LORD KEANE.
Lord J. RUSSELL gave notc-2, that to-morrow he
should move a Committee of the whole House to con-
sider her Majesty's Gracious Message relative to Lord
Keane.

Mr. HUME gave notice that on that occasion he
should take the sense of the House against the proposi-
tion of the NoHe Lord.
THE NIGER EXPEDITION.
Lord INGESTRIE said he had been given to un-
derstand that a great delay had taken place in the
sailing of the Niger Expedition, and that it would not
start for a month or six weeks. In such case it was
likely to arrivo at its destination in that unhealthy
climate in a most unhealthy season of the year. He
wished to ask the Noble Lord whether he had been
correctly- informed.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the delay had arisen
from the circumstatietof' the last steam-vessel that
went up the Niger rhaVingibren detained in consequence
of the river not being high enough. It had conse-
quently been deemed expedient that the vessels should
not enter the river until the end of June. He should,
however, make inquiries on the subject.
Mr. HU iNIE wished to aik whether the Noble Lord
had any objection to lay before the House a copy of the
instructions under which the expedition was to sail.
Lord J. RUSSELL believed the different objects
of the expedition had barn 'stated in a letter which had
been laid before Parliament by the Colonial Office in
the last Session of Parliament. He was not prepared
to state what the precise instructions were.
Lord INGESTRIE said that June or July was the
most unhealthy part of the year, and what he wanted
to know was, whether the expedition would go out
at that season or not ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said that doubts now arose as
to what was the fittest tune for entering the river. The
matter under consideration at the present time, was
what might be the most h'eathful season for entering
the river.

CONSTA BUL A RY.
Sir EDWARD KNA.TCHBULL moved for leave
to bring in a Bill to provide for the appointment and
payment of parish constables in England and Wales.
Mr. F. MAULE would not object to the intro-
duction of the Bill, although he should reserve to
himself the right of objecting to it upon its future
stages.• He hoped, however, that it would not have
the effect of resuscitating the old system' of consta•
bulary in England.

After a fey.; words from Mr. L. HODGES and Sir
E. KNATCHBULL, leave was given to bring in the

PORTUGUESE CLAIMS.

Viscount SA NDON rose and said he was
very sorry to be obliged again to trouble the House
with a question which had - already too often
occupied its attention. He had hoped from what tran-
spired last Session, that the claims of British subjects
upon the Portuguese Government were in a fair way of
being adjusted, and would require no further interfer-
ence on his part. But on his return to London
he found that the settlement of the claims
of British officers and soldiers upon the Crown
of Portugal were exactly in the same position as when
the Parliament closed. He faund that there was not
one claim settled, and that no step had been taken
towards the final adjustment. In order to show the
House that he was not needlessly complaining of
delay, he would remind them of the state of this
question.—( Hear.) In the first place, these claims
had naw remained unsettled for the space of six years.
In the month of March last year, his Noble Friend the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, announced in
that year, that the Portuguese Government had at
length agreed to appoint Commissioners for the
purpose of settling these claims. In answer to a clues.
tion which he (Lord Sandon) put to his Noble Friend, he
stated that a Commissioner had been appointed by that
Government, and ott the 30th March that a Commissioner
had also been appointed by the British Government.
In May the Portuguese Commissioner arrived, and in
the month of June the claimants applied to the British
Commissioner for information how they were to pre-
med. On the 29th of June he ( Lord Sandon) took the
liberty of putting to his Noble Friend farther
questions, and the reply was, in a few days the Com-
missioner would be able to begin the investigation. The
first sign of life which the Commissioners publicly
gave was an announcement in the month of Novem-
ber that they were appointed, and even then they did
not say that they were prepared to investigate
claims. It was not till the month of De-
cember that they invited the claimants to
bring their claims before them. Now he (Lord
Sandon) had discovered that up to that very moment
there had not :been a single claim investigated. A
question still existed, he believed, between the Com-
missioners, or between the Governments upon what
principle these claims were to be adjusted, or what was
the contract upon which they would rest. Consider-
ing that it was stated in the early part of last Session
that there was then no question at issue that might not
be settled in a few days, and that if the Portuguese
Government did not proceed with the matter within
fourteen days the British Government were prepared
to take the question into their own hands, he was sur-
prised that the British Government should not have
made up their mind earlier what was the contract upon
which rested the claims of British subjects ; and if they
bad not yet done so, he thought the earliest steps
should be taken for the purpose of effectig an adjustment.
He was most anxious to call the attention of the House
to the condition of the question, and he should therefore
take the liberty of moving for the following returns :
Copy of the mixed British and Portuguese Commission
for investigating and determining the Naval and Mili-
tary Claims on the Government of Portugal, arising out
of the late war of restoration ; also a copy of the Con-
vention between the British and Portuguese Go-
vernments relating to the issuing of such Commission.
Copy of the Instructions and Rules framed for the
guidance and direction of the Commissioners. Return
of what has been done by the Commissioners, and what
progress has been made in the investigation of claims,
and the number of claims, if any, which have been
investigated and adjudicated ; and, if not any, the
causes of the delay.
Lord PALMERSTON assured his Noble Friend
he much regretted that he Was not able to state that
these claims were yet finally settled, but his Noble
Friend was much mistaken if he fancied this
matter was in the same state as when he

(Lord Sandon) had left London late last Session.
On the contrary considerable progress had been made,
and he hoped that no great length of time would
elapse before this matter would be brought at last
to a final conclusion. The House was aware there
was a long correspondence between the two Govern-
ments as to the appointment of a Commision
At length the Portuguese Government appointed a
Commissioner who had served in the English army, and
was acquainted with the English language. When the
Commissioners met in London, the first object was to
draw up rules to guide them in the performence of their
duties. This occupied some time, but at length a satis-
factory code was agreed to. The question of
contracts of service was the first difficulty
which the Commissioners had to encounter, and
it could not be settled in a few days, as his Hon.
Friend supposed. In order to prepare for any difference
of opinion that might arise, the Commissioners appointed
the Belgian Minister as an umpire to decide upon all dis-
puted points. Tnat functionary accepted the office with
great readiness, although it was certainly one of greater
labour than pleasure. He was eminently qualified
to discharge the duties that he undertook, not
only by his habits of business, but by his
high character, which save to both parties the fullest
confidence in his decisions. The first subject which the
Commissioners had to refer to bum was that of the con-
tract of service, and it was now under his consideration.
The argument on the subject had been come to by
diplomatic communication, partly written and partly
verbal. He would have no objection to lay before the
House the papers moved for, with the exception of
the two first, which could not then be produced.
Lord SA NDON thought there was no reason for
refusing the documents ; and he saw no excuse for the
delay which had taken place on the subject.
Lord PALMERSTON said that it was obvious
there could be no use in going into an examination of
the details of the claims until they had settled the
question of the principle.
Sir DE LACY EVANS said that he had reason to
believe the 'motet- e,s now in a VPr" fair e
settle:ineut ; and he trusted it would be soon brought to
a satisfactory conclusion, He wished to observe that