The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-11 00:00:00

ifilS II CORPORATIO..S.

Mr. REYNOLDS gave notice that after the
recess he should move for leave to bring in
a Bill to place the municipal corporations of Ireland
upon a more equal footing with the rights and privi-
leges of those of England and Scotland.
PRISON DISCIPLINE.

Lord NUGENT, seeing the Secretary of State for
the Home Deparsment in his place, begged to put a
a question to him of which he had given notice. It
Was with reference to the Act sth and 6th of
Victoria, which gave power to magistrates assem-
bled in quarter sessions to frame codes and rulei for
the regulation of the prisons within their jurisdic-
tion Which should become law after they had been
sanctioned by the Secretary of State for the Home
Department:
whether the The question he wished to put was
given by that
power of imprisoning separately,
prisoners waiting for
Act, both prisoners convicted and
trial, had come under
the consideration- of Right Hon. Baronet, and
whether it was his the
cation of the Act, intention
s to propose any modifi-
separateloy.as to take away the power: of
imprisoning
Sir GEORGE GREY said the Noble Lord had
oiovntssiociiif the Act, and i in
correctly stated the provisions
regulations had
accordance with thee*
sancpwprisonmeilt,
been framed relating t° seParast:a
which had received the
Home-office. It was certainly not the intention of the
the Government to propose any alteratioi of the of
but he might mention that prisoners separately° 'f4‘ct,
fined who were waiting their trials were allowed
greater privileges and indulgences than were enjoyed
by those who had been convicted. ,
COPYHOLDS ANEO CITSTOMART TENUR4s,
Mr. AGLIONBY, pursuant to notice, asked the
Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Hope
department whether it was the intention of Govern-
ment to introduce any measure for the compulsofy
enfranchisement of copyhold and customary tenures ?
Sir G. GREY said the Committee originally ap
pointed to enquire into the subject were preparing? a
Bill to accomplish the object which the Hon. ;Gentlo-
- had in view, though it 'would not go to
the length ho proposed i. and when that Bill
had been transmitted to him Li should be. prepared

to give the Hon. Member a satisfactory and definite
answer.

PRIVATE BILLS.

Mr. AGLIONBY, pursuant to notice, asked the
President of the Board of Trade whether it was the
intention of the Government to propose any measure
for carrying into effect the recommendations of the
Select Committee on Private Bills of last session, and
for enabling towns, or parishes, or districts, to adopt
the provisions of the general Consolidation Acts,
without coming to Parliament by Bill for that
purpose.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said, with regard to the
Consolidation Acts, he had to state that a Bill was in
preparation for consolidating the two Acts ; but with
regard to the latter portion of the Hon. Member's
question, he doubted whether it was expedient to in-
troduce any Bill for the purpose the Hon. Member
had in view. With regard to the recommendations
of the Committee generally, he could only say
that the report had but recently come
into his hands, and he could assure the
Hon. Member they should hare his best attention, and
the best measure should be adopted for carrying
them out.
Mr. GOULBOURN wished to know if the Right
Hon. Gentleman had any objection to lay upon the
table a return of the expenses which were incurred
last year on account of private Bills.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said he had not the least
objection.
ROME AND ENGLAND.

Sir R. H. INGLIS wished to ask the Noble Lord
the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether there was
any truth in the report, that a convention had been
signed in Rome by the Earl of Minto, Lord Privy
Seal, on the part of her Majesty, with any authority
of the see of Rome ? He understood that
the Noble Lord to whom he referred had
been for Some time in Rome, and as it had
been publicly stated that he had gone thither
for the purpose of entering into negotiations with the
see of Rome, he wished to give him an opportunity
of denying it, as he (Sir R. Inglis) believed the state-
ment untrue. Was the Noble Lord's colleague, the
Keeper of the Privy Seal, in Rome with the authority
of the Government ?
Lord PALMERSTON was glad to have an early
opportunity of replying to the question. • It was well
known that for some time Lord Minto, who held
the Privy Seal, had been in Rome. That
Noble Lord was not in Rome in any official capacity.
—(Hear, hear)—he had received no instructions to
enter into negotiations with the Court of Rome,
nor had he been sent thither as the organ at the
British Government. The statement, therefore,
to which the Right Honourable Baronet referred
was utterly destitute of foundation.—(Hear.) It
was unnecessary for him to say, that so long as
doubts were entertained as to the legality of diplo-
matic relations with the see of Rome her Majesty's
Government had too much respect for the law to do
anything which could by any possibility infringe it.
The misunderstanding chiefly arose from the mis-
construction put upon the word "communion."
This country was not in " communion " with
the Court of Rome. Until the doubt which
existed with respect to the term was removed by the
House, he was authorised to state that no step would
be taken with respect to any diplomatic relations be-
tween the Court of Rome and this country.
GREECE.
In reply to Mr. B. COCHRANE,
Lord PALMERSTON said that a half-yearly in-
stalment of the loan made by this country to Greece
had been paid. Another instalment, due in September
last, had not yet been paid. The entire
amount of the loan was, he understood, 990,0001. No
immediate demand had been made for the repayment
of the money, because, though the Greeks might not
be unable to pay it, they might nevertheless be
unable to pay it at once. An arrangement would
be made for the gradual liquidation of the amount.
ADMISSION OF JEWS.

Mr. GLADSTONE inquired if the Government
intended to proceed with the Bill to legalise the ad-
mission of Jews on Thursday next ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER re-
plied that he had no reason to doubt that his Noble
Friend at the head of 'the Government would not
bring it forward that day.
IRISH BUSINESS.

Sir G. GREY intimated that he intended to pro-
pose that the House should meet to-morrow at
twelve, to receive the report on the Irish Bill, which
he confidently hoped would pass though Committee
to-night.