The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, June 14.
In answer to a question from Lord WHANCLIFFE,
Earl FITZWILLIAM said that he thought it woulti
be inconvenient to the House to bring his motion on to-
morrow. He should, therefore, postpone it ; but he
could not tell on what day he should be able to bring it
forward. The Noble Earl then presented petitions from
Middlesex and other places in favour of the measeres
proposed by her Majesty's Government, the petitioners
stating that they attributed the present depression in
trade to the state of the import duties.
After a few words feom Earl Stanhope, Lord
Rolle, and Lord Wharneliffe.
Earl FITZWILLIAM said he wished to call the at-
tention of their Lordships to a fact which perhaps had
not come to their knowledge, in reference to the present
depression of trade. lie would only mention the counties
of Staffordshire and Salop, in which not less than sixty
furnaces have lately been put out of blast.
Lord ASHBURTON said that so far from the iron
trade being in a depressed state, it was now and had
been for a long time, one of the principal trades of the
country. He -(Lord Ashburton) had heard of indivi-
duals who from the iron trade were receiving 60, 70,
and 80,0001. a-year.—(Hear, hear.) How, then, could
the Noble Earl say, that the present Corn-laws affected
and injured the iron trade ? If they they made any
enactment whereby to damage that trade, the persons
Who were dependent on that trade would in a few years
petition for the purpose of breaking down other branches
of the industry of the country.
Earl FITZWILLIAM said that he had never stated
that thee distress of the iron Ira& was caused by the
Corn-laws. 'He had never said any such thing, nor did
the petitioners -say see • :What- they said was that trade
Fenerally was injured by the Corn-laws, and that the
iron trade, as one, must be injured to a certain degree by
the operation of these laws. They stated that a syetna
of trade generally restricted with regard to imports was
generally injurious to trade with regard to exports.
Lord HATHERTON presented p petition from West
Bromwich, praying for a repeal of the Corn-laws ; also
a petitiOn from the females of West Bromreiah 'to the
same effect.
SUNDAY TRAFFIC ON CANALS.
The - NoraF. LORD said he had been desired by
the Committee appointed for the purpose of incethy
into the expediency of restricting traffic on canal; en
Sundays throughout the kingdom, to report to their
Lordships the evidence they had taken on the su)ject.
The Committee had Obtained evidence from parties
eapable of giving information relative to the whole lane
of canals from the Thames to the Mersey ; they had
examined the proprietors of those canals, and the car-
riers thereon, and they .had come to the unanimous
opinion from that evidence, that the subject required the
interference of Parliament.
The Marquis of NORMANDY said he had read the
evidence, and he thought a sufficient cease had been
made out to call for some enactment in the next
.Scs-
sien of. Parliament. The Noble Marquis presented a
petition from the parish of Newington, m • favour of a
repeal of the Corn-laws. Also a petition, praying for a
better observance of the Sabbath.
PUNISHMENT OF DEATH BILL.
On the motion of the Marquis of NORMANBY, the
House resolved itself into Committee on the Punishment
of Death Bill.
On clause 2 being read,
Lord WYNFORD moved as an amendment that the
clause be expunged. He thought that for such enor-
mous crimce as arson, the extreme punishment should
still remain in force.
. Lord BROUGHAM said that no one doubted the enor-
mity of the offence; but if for those offences, they enacted
punishments which did not carry thepublic feelings with
them, convictions became seldom :..nd more difficult, which
was calculated to increase the offence.
After a few words from the Marquis of Westmeath,
the Marquis .of Nor mangy, and Lord Wynford,. the
amendment was negatived.
The clause was then put and carried.
On clause 8 being read,
The Marquis of WESTIIEATH said he objected to
that part of it which ream ad the crime of rape from the
list of capital offences. If their Lordships agreed to ex-
tend that portion of the clause to England which it ap-
peared to him would be an net of madness,he entreated
them to pause before they extended it to Ireland. He
found from authentic returns, that the number of as-
saults upon females with intent to commit a capital
offence, which occurred in England in 1840 was 169.
;Several Noble Lords, " Of rape ? of rape ?") Of rape,
or intent to commit an ..assault—(oh, oh)—out of a
population of fourteen millions, and the number in Ire-
land was 173 out of eight millions. He moved that
cases of rape should be omitted from the operation of the

clause.
The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL considered that it
would be a reflection on the character of the Hotte to
pass such a clause.
The Marquis of NOIIMANBY believed that the effect
of removing capital punishment for the commission of
these offences would be materially to leSsen its amount.
That had been found to be the case where capital pu-
nishment had been abolished, and that was the object of
the Government in proposing the present clause..
Lord ABINGER said he had been for a long time
of opinion that our Criminal Code had been too san-
guinary, and he rejoiced in any attempt to mitigate its
severity. In his opinion the certainty of punishment
would tend to prevent the crime more than the law as it
at present stood, where every one calculated upon his
chance of escape, which was in too many instances
realised.
The Earl of WINCIIILSEA supported the amend-
ment.

The Earl of WICKLOW could not support the clause,
fur it, if carried, would abolish the punishment of death
in even the most aggravated cases.

Lord BROUGHAM warmly supported the clause, on
the ground that the abolition of the punishment of death
for the crimes included in it, would tend greatly to dimi-
nish the number of offences by making some punishment
certain ; and, life not being at stake, juries would unhe-
sitatingly perform their duty. He wished to see' the
law effectual, and therefore he supported the Bill.
Lord WYNFORD thought the House would do well to
leave the law as it now stood with respect to the crimes
enumerated in the clause. He would therefore support
the amendment for striking out the clause.
The LORD CHANCELLOR defended the principle
of the Bill, which was intended to secure that justice
should be done, and crime prevented. Nothing could be
.more true than that it was the certainty of punishment,
and not its severity, that prevented crime.
The Earl of HADDINGTON had come down to the
House with a strong inclination in.his mind to vote for
the omission of the clause named, but from what he had
heard in that House from those so well acquainted with
the subject, he would now beg his Noble Friend to with-
draw his amendment. He would also hope that the
third reading of the Bill would be postponed till Thurs-
day or Friday, so that words might be introduced to re-
tain the capital punishment in very aggravated cases.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH replied, and with-
draw his amendment in order to support that of the
Noble Bari below (the Earl of Winchilsea) for the re•
jection of the whole clause.
The Earl Of-CHICHESTER supported the clause as
it stood, for if they excepted any one crime from the pu-
nishment of death, they would_ only give the counsel for
the prisoner an additiowl topic for his appeal to the hu-
mane feelings of the jury, and render a conviction almost
imz)ssible.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. The House
divided, when there appeared—
For the clause
Against it
Majority for the clause —4
The Bill then went.through Committee, and was or-
dered to be read a third time on T:lursday.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH wished to ask if
there would be any provision made in the clause for a
private assault ?
The Marquis of NORMANBY said there would not.
Their Lordships then adjourned at a Quarter to Eight
o'Clock.

ROUSE OF COMMONS, June 14.
ELECTIONS PETITIONS TRIAL BILL.

(Continued from our Second Edition of last night.)
Lord HOWICK thought it would be very inconvenient to
Compel a Chairman to preside permanently. The alteration
now proposed was consistent with the previous part of
the Bill, and he thought they should endeavour to obtain
a voluntary Chairman. The experience he had had con-
firmed the opinion he had first stated that the Committee
should have the benefit of professional assistance. He
believed the plan oi,l2.!tving assessors out of the House, and
for thi labon was the roan they must eventually adopt.
Sir R. PEEL proposed WI amendment to the 43d
clause. He trusted the Mouse would express its opinion
strongly in favour of the pr 0,49341, The balance was in
favour of an alteration in the law.
LOA 3, RUSSELL approved of the amendment. The
Right HOti. termict acted judiciously in proposing it.
Lord MAHON isupported the amendment.
Mr. WYNN supported the amendment of the Right
Hon. Baronet the Member for Tamworth.
Mar a few. observations from Mr. C. BULLER, the
proviso Witt agreed to, as were clauses 44 and 45.
The remaining' Clauses of the Bill were then agreed to, ,
the Report was received, arcs the Bill was ordered to be
read a third time to-morrow.
The Winterbourne Parish Division Bill was read a
third time; and passed.
The Register 'of Voters Bill was read a second time.
The House then went into Committee on the. Bill, and
was proceeding with the consideration of the clauses,

when •
Upon the motion of Mr. WALTER, the lictm was
counted, and then adjourned, there being but. 113 Mem-
bers present.

The hay haiv.!st has commenced in this neigh-
bourhood, several fields having been cut and carried off
in prime condition, during the week. The crops in ge-
neral are very abundant, promising more than an all:-
rage yield. There is ever prospect of a fine harvest,
both as regards quantity and quality.—Carmarthen
Paper.
THE WEATHEIV—With the exception of
Thursday, the weather for the- last week has been
ax-
cccdiagly cold and ungenial. Should it continue without
any change, we fear the wheat will suffer. A gentleman
from Knowsley states that on Ttiesflay night he saw a
piece of water on which there Was ice the thickness of a
halfpenny.
SINKING OF THE ROYAL GEORGE,: 1782.

—_We understand that a man and woman arc now living at the
advanced Pge of 85 velts, who eimped out of the third poi t-
hole on the starboard Bide of the lower gun deck. The Sccre-
tary of the Orphan School, Port4a, has recently received a.
communication that the individuals in questiolk,mtend, during
the summer, to be present at one of Colonel Peley'! explosions
on that ill-iated ship.
LONG EVITY. William Munro farmer, near
Urquhart, in Invernes,shire, died on Thu;.day week,. at,ther
extraordinary age of 101.