The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-20 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

In answer to a question put by an HoN. MEMBER,
Mr. M. GIBSON said, that it was the intention of the
Government to proceed as speedily as possible with the
13111 relating to the collection of agricultural statistics.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS' BILL.

Lord MAHON wished to know what course was in-
tended to be pursued with respect to the Juvenile Of-
fenders' Bill.
Sir G. GREY said that the Bill was proposed to be
read a second time, and that any discussion which might
arise upon it should be taken upon a subsequent stage.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.

Sir R. PEEL hoped the Noble Lord would allow him
to remind him of a rule of the House to which he often
used to call his (Sir Robert Peel's) attention—it was to
give the House distinctly to understand what
order of the day was to have the precedence over
the others.—(Hear, hear.) He believed it was gene-
rally understood that the Poor Relief Bill would be pro-
ceeded with, but it would be certainly an advantage to
have more decisive intimation.

Lord J. RUSSELL admitted the propriety of the
Right lion. Baronet's remark.
WINDOW-TAX.

Lord DUNCAN wished to know whether there was
anything in the Health of Towns' Bill bearing upon the
-window tax? The Noble Lord the Commissioner of
`Woods and Forests had given an opinion, in:which he
expressed a decided coviction that this tax militated
against the health of the population.
Lord MORPETH said that the window-tax was a
financial, as wellias a sanatory question, and as he had re-
ceived no intimation from the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer on the subject, he could not promise that any
alteration would be made with respect to it.
HIGHWAYS.

Mr. AGLIONBY wished to ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department whether it was the intention
of Government to introduce any measure for amending
the law, and providing for the better management of
highways ?
Sir GEORGE GREY was understood to say that
the subject would be referred to a Select Committee.
FRENCH HOSPITAL AT PORT MAHON.

f Mr. BORTH WICK was desirous to put a question to
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on the sub-
ject of an alleged arrangement between the Govern-
ments of France and Spain, by which a French military
hospital and a store of coal are said to have been esta-
blished in Port Ma ion. lie thought when France was
increasing the defences of her shores, and when she
was crowding the sea with ships at a time of profound
peace, and when he looked at other circumstances to
which he would not fully refer, but which would not
soon be forgotten, it was most important that the atten-
tion of the Government should be called to the conduct
of France—that they should watch her proceedings with
jealousy, and that the people of this country should be
informed whether the Government were or wero not vigi-
lantly watching the conduct of that nation. When he looked
at the conduct of France during the last fifteen years,
and at the readiness which her Ministers had evinced to
rival and embroil other nations—to sacrifice European
liberty, if not European nations, he thought a British
Member of Parliament would ill discharge his duty if
be did not call the attention of the Government to such
a matter as this ; but he put the question in no spirit
of offensiveness to any one connected with foreign
policy.
Lord PALNIERSTON said. in answer to the question put
by the Hon. Member, he had only to say that the Government
had received no official information tending to confirm the re-
port, but the tendency of such information as they had received
induced them to believe that such report was unfounded.

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.
On the motion of Lord J. RUSSELL, it was agreed that the
House at its rising do adjourn till Monday.
SEARCH WARRANTS.
General JOHNSON desired to know whether the Govern..
ment had issued instructions authorising policemen to enter
houses and search without warrants ? Several cases of such a
nature had come under his observation ; one was, where two
policemen came seventeen miles out of their district, and ar-
rested two persons fur theft, it was clearly proved that the
parties had been twenty miles distant at the time the robbery
was committed.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that no such instructions had
beer. issued.

MR. MARA.
The Earl of LINCOLN wished to make an explanation with
reference to the appointment of Mr. Henderson and Mr.
Mara, alluded to by him on the previous night. On refer-
ring to some documents in his possession he found that he was
wrong. Mr. Mara had only been appointed six months,
and Mr. Henderson 1-ad held his appointment for nearly five
years.
POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion for reading the order of the day for going
into Committee on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill,
Mr. E. CALLAG HAN said he wished to make one or two
observations before the House went into Committee. It would
be remembered that the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath
stated the other evening, a•:d it was afterwards reiterated by
the Hon. Member for Marylebone, that in the neighbourhood
of Mallow there resided a gentleman of large property with an
income of 10,0001. a year, who kept a great number of dogs—
tweritty-seven it was said—and yet this gentleman had
neglected to subscribe to the funds for the relief of the poor of
the district. Now he held in his hand a letter from that
gentleman, from which he learnt that this statement was un-
true. The truth was, that while in London opposing a
railway which passed through his domains, he was applied to
to contribute to a local fund for the relief of the poor, and he
wrote to his agent to know if any previous application in re-
spect of his farms in the district had been made. Now before he
received an answer to this letter he was surprised to see the letter
of the Rev. Mr. M•Carthy published in the public prints.
He felt exceedingly indignant at this, and did not send his
subscription, but when he did this he employed the people