The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-25 00:00:00

POOR-LAW.

Mr. FERRAND gave notice that, on Thursday next,
he would move for the appointment of a Select Com-
mittee to inquire into the mode adopted by. the Poor-law
Commissioners and their Assistant-Commissioners in
drawing up reports, and their treatment of boards of
guardians, and what control the Right Hon. Sir James
Graham, Bart., exercised over the Poor-law Commis-
sioners and their Assistant-Commissioners, during
the time he held the office of her Majesty's principal
Secretary of State for the Home Department ; also
whether under the enforcement of the new poor-law
wages had not been reduced ; whether crime had not
increased, and whether a system of terror instead of a
system of kindness, had not been adopted towards the
poor, and whether the favourable anticipations ex-
pressed in Parliament by the promoters of the new poor-
law had not entirely failed, and whether the principle
upon which the new poor-law was founded was not a
direct violation of the constitution of England.
CHARGES AGAINST THE LATE HOME
SECRETARY.

The HoN. MEmaEn also gave notice, that on Thurs-
day next, he would, in his place in Parliament, make
certain charges against the Right Hon. Sir James
Graham, Bart., Member of that House, lately holding
the office of her Majesty's principal Secretary of State
for the Home Department, affecting his character as a
Minister of the Crown, and also as a Member of the
House of Commons.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENTS IN HONG-KONG.
Dr. BOWRING said, during last session, when great
interest was excited on the subject of the infliction of
corporal punishment, he called the attention of the
Under-Secretary for the Colonies (Mr. Hawes) to the
infliction of a similar punishment in the colony of Hong-
Kong, and referred to a particular case, in which fifty-
four persons were so dealt with. He (Mr. Hawes)
stated on that occasion that in his opinion the punish-
ment was unauthorised and illegal, and expressed his
intention of taking an early opportunity to inquire into
the matter. A sufficient time bad elapsed to enable him
to do so. He wished to inquire whether any answer
had been received to the communications made from the
Colonial office as to the infliction of corporal punish-
ments by the police-courts at Hong-Kong, and whether
any steps had been taken to prevent the infliction of
corporal punishment, whether by flogging, bastinadoing,
or cutting off the tails of the Chinese, when they have
been unable to pay pecuniary fines.—(Roars of laughter.)
It was necessary to explain this. The newspaper pub-
lished in the colony stated that, in addition to the punish-
ment of flogging, the authorities had inflicted the addi-
tional punishment of cutting off the tails of the natives.
—(Continued laughter.) He also wished to ask whether
an ordinance, circulated in the Chinese newspaper (No.
10, of 1844), had been brought to the notice of her
Majesty's Government, and obtained their sanction ;
such ordinance appearing to authorise whatever bar-
barous and brutal punishments might be inflicted
under the Chinese code, or according to Chinese
usages. The ordinance was to this effect:—" And be it
enacted, that in lieu of the whole or any part of any
penalty provided by the law, statute, or ordinance what-
soever, it shall be lawful for the Court of Justice before
whom the matter shall-be adjudicated upon, to sentence
any offender, being a native of China, or a native of
Hong Kong of Chinese origin, to undergo such punish-
ment in conformity with the usages of China, as has
hitherto been usually inflicted on natives of China
committing offences in this colony."
Mr. HANES said, in reply to the questions put to
him by his Hon. Friend, he had first to call the attention
of the House to what passed in that House last session.
His Hon. Friend drew his attention to the case of a
Chinese on whom corporal punishment had been in-
flicted, and he told him, in reply, that all the cir-
cumstances connected with that case would be inquired
into. His Noble Friend at the head of the Colonial
Department had sought an explanation from tho autho-
rities of the island, which was to the following effect :
The Chinese in question had been guilty of felony, and
Was arrested. A rescue was attempted by a large
number of Chinese, which was attended with consi-
derablean violence. They were, however, all arrested,
wasa carried to the police-office, where the question
li,orheard,to razed
iothers
twentyw er e
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nfi.v”e d
He
dol-
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) The
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of their tails.—(
however that this punish
must confess, howe
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a-
wweerse there infested by gangs of law-
punishment at all found
very
swhmasenihtiet difficult to devise any
commensurate with their offences.—
t(oH e
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pot
power of the magistrate
inflicted in this case.
With respect to the ordinance,wgZtoodhaddeato state that it
otof considera-
. _admit that
was sanctioned in 1844 after a
tion, but he was at the same time bound
it was impossible to assimilate the putushm„t, ba.

flicted under a Chinese code with those inflicted
under an English one, as they were extremely barbarous.
He had promised his Hon. Friend to procure further
information on this point, and when he received it, he
should lay it before the House.
THE CHANNEL SQUADRON.

Sir C. NAPIER gave notice of his intention to-mor-
row to ask the Hon. Gentleman, the Secretary to the
Admiralty (Mr. Ward), whether it was the intention of
the Government to employ any part of the Channel
squadron to import corn into this country on account of
merchants ?