The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-30 00:00:00

LONDON:
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1840.

The Peers did not meet yesterday.

The Commons met as Usual.

Amongst the petitions presented we must mention
one by Mr. HUME, from Leeds, with 16,000 signatures,
for Extension of the Suffrage, Vote by Ballot, and
Triennial Parliaments ; and petitions from Paisley and
Kirkaldy, complaining of distress.
A. new writ was issued for Cavan, Mr. MAXWELL
having accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
On Mr. FOX MAULE giving notice that he should
to-morrow move for leave to bring in a Bill to enable
the Treasury to advance money for carrying on the
administration of justice in Birmingham, Sir ROBERT
PEEL asked Mr. Manx the nature of the communi-
ication which had lately passed between the Secretary
of State and the Magistrates of Birmingham, directing
them to suspend the Borough Sessions. Mr. MACLE
(lid not give a direct answer, but it is to be inferred
from what he said that the Sessions were suspended
because the Treasury would not advance any more
money without the authority of Parliament, which the
Bill is to obtain.

Sir E. WILNIOT inquired whether it would contain a
provision to pay the county 2,000/. which Birmingham
is indebted to it, but Mr. MAULE declined to answer.
We see by a return just laid before the House, that
Birmingham is afflicted with a large number of paupers,
and an extravagant system of providing for them ; that
the number relieved was, in 1839, threefold the num-
ber relieved in 1838 ; since then trade has not improved,
and we have every reason to believe that the expense
which will fail altogether on Birmingham will be ex-
tremely heavy. Of course whatever is advanced by
the Treasury the town will have to pay when the dis-
pute about the Charter is settled.
Mr. EASTHOPE gave up the case Of NATHANIEL
CAVE for the Session.

In answer to Mr. G. PALMER, who pointed out the
great expense which might be caused by vessels sent
from the coast of China to Singapore to be adjudicated
and released, Lord JOHN RUSSELL stated that he had
consulted Lord PALMERSTON and Lord MINT& on
the subject, and every facility possible would he given.
On Sir R. PEEL putting some questions about the
coffee duties, Mr. LABOUCHERE announced his inten-
tion of giving up the proposed alteration in those duties
for this Session. The delay in signing the Commercial
Treaty with France,for which Mr. LABOUCHEItE wished
to wait, rendered. it' impossible to bring forward the
measure so soon us he wished, and he, therefore, gave
it up. This is good news for the memorialists of
Mincing-lane, but not good news for the people, for the
alteration would have been a reduction of the duty.
In reply to Mr. KEMELE, Lord PALMERSTON said
that the Government was sensible of the value
of Captain DOUGLAS'S services, who, our readers
will recollect, armed a ship at Singapore and
proceeded to Canton to help Captain ELLIOT, and was
in communication as to the means of acknowledging
those services.
Lord J. RUSSELL explained the provisions of the
Regency Bill.
s hearty
m a
dconcurrence. t
hMorr.
FRSEIsrtuRIE.
PE
D wished
disqualification of the REGENT during the time Parlia-
ment was not assembled, but not much heed was given to
Lhed a gave
provisionit his
what the Hon. Member said, and the Bill was read a
second time without opposition.
Mr. KELLY moved the third reading of the Abolition
of the Punishment of Death Bill.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL epposed the motion. He ob-
jected to the Bill because it was intended to pave the
way for the total abolition of the punishment of death.
He pointed out two cases of maiming with intent to
kill, which had fallen under his observation, and neither
of which called for any mitigation of punishment. '1 here
was no longer any reason to believe that Juries thought
the law too severe, and were therefore unwilling to
convict. A great alteration had been made in the law,
of which they had not yet sufficient experience. On
these and other grounds, he was of opinion that the
Bill ought not to be passed this Session, though
some alteration should be made in the law next Session,
and therefore he moved that the Bill be read a third
time in three months.
Sir C. BURRELL coincided in the Noble Lord's
opinions, and seconded his amendment.
Sir S. LUSHINGION showed that it was not the me- j