The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, March 15.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
•;aek at Five o'ehietc.
LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
The Earl ut presented a petition
from Bradford against the law of settlement as passed
last year.
The Earl Sr. G ERNI AINS presented a petition from
t'le Chairman and board of guardians of St. ,C er L MIS
tgainst the lAw of settlement. They also ;prayed that
he whole expense of supporting the poor might not fall
upon St. Germans alone, but that an union sot emeLS
might be established.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from nine-
teen justices of Hull, calling the attention of the House
t., the presant state of the law as affecting juvenile
offenders, and praying for a remedy. He would move
hat the petition be referred to the Committee on Cri-
minal Law.

POOR REMOVAL AC r.
The NOBLE LORD presented a petition from Beverley
against the Poor Removal Act ; also, a petition from
Barbush, in the county of Wilts, to the same effect.
RATING IN IRELA.ND.
The NOBLE LORD said he wished to call the attention
,f the House to a statement which he had received from
.ho town of Wexford, setting forth the great inequality
tf the system of rating there. They had sent a
oecimen of the rating in the shape of the official
advertisement of the rate. This notice stated that there
Nere two dislr.c-s, one in the town and the other in the
tdunty. Now, while the rate for tee one was but 2d in
he pound, the other was Is. 7d. in the pound. He hoped
ler Majesty's Government would take this matter into
t,neir serious consideration in their present measure. The
earties to whom he referred also prayed that, if the
rates wero paid by the landlords, they should have the
cower of appointing the guardians, who would have tne
:uperintendence of the rates.
NATIONAL EDUCATION.
The NOBLE LORD presented petitions from the
Protestant Dissenters of Birdrush, Wilts, against the
jovernment scheme of national education. His Lord-
•hip said that there was an unfounded prejudice raised
gainst this measure, which was one of a most tolerant
haracter to all sects, of whatever religious persuasion.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that nothing
amid be more unfounded than many of the statements
contained in the petitions presented against this scheme.
Et was characterised as intolerant, and framed with the
intention of excluding the Dissenters from its benefits.
le should not have been at all surprised at the jealousy
shown by many classes if half of what was stated in
hose petitions were based on truth, but the facts were
thogether opposed to these statements. It was alleged
that the measure was only intended to give a monopoly
.0 the Church, but with all his (Lord Lansdowne's) re-
•pect for that venerable establishment, he should be the
ast man to give them unlimited powers in the matter of
education.
Lord BROUGHAM confirmed the remarks made by
he Noble Lord. He had often seen intolerance and
prejudice, but he had never witnessed so much misrepre-
• ntation as on this measnre. He remembered that in
1820 he was borne down on the Parish:Schools Bill, because
tie was supported by the Church, and consequently op-
posed by the Dissentsrs. The result had been, and would
tail be, that education would be lost between them.
FLOGGING IN THE ARMY.
The NOBLE LORD presented petitions from Braintree
and Bucking, in Essex, against flogging in the army.
LAW OF PATENTS.
The NOBLE LORD presented a petition from Mr. Ros-
;ott, of Edinburgh, praying fur an alteration and reform
in the law of pat( nts.
MEDICAL SECRETS.
The NOBLE LORD also presented petitions from Mr.
?atriek Maxwell and other members of the medical
trofession, praying that the same indulgence might be
;ranted to them, in the matter of secrets connected with
heir profession, that was extended to barristers and
gentlemen in the practice of the law.
THE CASE OF JOHN ROCKEIAM.
The NOBLE LORD moved for a return of copies of the
Jommittal, and the correspondence with the Secretary of
State, in the case of John Hockham, a prisoner corn-
:flitted by one of the NH idlesex magistrates.
SALE OF FIRE-ARMS IN ULF:LAND—RAIL-
WAYS—EMIGRATION.
Lord STANLEY said he had three petitions to
present, which, as they referred to most irnpor
rant subjects, were well worthy the serious con-
sideration of their Lordships. The first was from
(Ale (High Sheriff and the grand jury of the
South Riding of the county of Tipperary, agreed to at
;'le last assizes. They stated that they viewed with
farm the unprecedented sale of fire-arms in Ireland,
aid that Justice Jackson had alluded to the sub-
ject in his charge. Many of f
thbead arms wer
er e
to the possession of pearact.
E'he head constable of Clonmel had furnished
a report, giving the names of twelve persons (whose
tames he would not read, but he should be happy to
dace the list in the hands of the Noble Marquis), who
were importing large quantities of guns, pistols,
.tayonets, &c., which they sold at from 2s. to 30s
•ach ; tour of them were in the habit of disposing
.if them by public auction on the market days. As the
Birmingham manufacturers had been unable to meet
-he excessive demand, they had obtained them, at a re-
duced price, from the pawn-shops. The arms, they
went on state, were frequently in the possession of ser-
vant-boys, and of persons employed on the public
works, who devoted a portion of their earnings
o their purchase.—(bear, hear.) He (Lord Stanley)
;ould state, from a private account which he had
received, that at one of these auctions in the Clonmel
,narket-place. the seller endeavouredto induce persons to
ouy guns and pistols by such expressions as these—
'. Here's a receipt in full for the last November rent,"
old " Warranted to bring down an agent at one
nundred and fifty yards' distance."—(Sensation and
laughter.) The petitioners concluded by praying
coheir Lordships to pass a law which would prevent ill.'
disposed persons from having fire-arms in their posses
ston, and which would prevent them from having their
lives thus placed in continual jeopardy. He (Lord
Stanley) would also state that a number of persons
.vho were employed in the public works recently
assembled in a field in the neighbourhood of Clonmel,
mud amused themselves by practising shooting with ball
it a hat, each successful shot being received with loud
sheers. The second petition was from the same per-
sons, in favour of a general scheme of
tworailays for Ire
but
B-
and, as they considered they would o ly prcie
nost beneficial to the people, provide
Licrative employment for them for many. years.
The third, which was also from the same parties, was
in favour of a general scheme of emigration, under the
auspices of the Governnaent. He knew that there
vere great difficulties in the way of carrying out
uch a scheme, because great expense would be en-
hailed upon the Government, and the colonies would be
teluged with thousands of destitute persons. It was right
that a mistake which prevailed with respect to the pos-
sessions of the Government, for the purposes of emigra-
tion, should be rectified, as the Government had not an
acre of land for that purpose in the North American
colonies. It was in the possession of the local legisla-
. lire. and they viewed with alarm an increase of emi-

gration.
Lord BROUGHAM expressed his disbelief that any
general depletion of the system, such as that referred to
ay the Noble Lord with regard to Ireland, was possible.
there could be any means of ascertaining the number
of marriages that had taken place in that country during
ale last six months, compared! a ith the correspo
period last year, some light might be thrown upon this
übject. lie was apprehensive that if they took away a
large number of the population, as it was proposed to
le. they would in a short time be as swarming as they
were now.
Lord STANLEY wished to know if there was any
ruth in the statement that a tax had been lately imposed
upon all emigrants into the states of America.
Earl GREY sail that he understood a measure of
that kind had been under consideration in Congress, in
;onsequence of some abuses that had occurred in con-
-lexion with emigration from German, not British ports.
['hese emigrants had been landed on the quays of New
York, uud an immense number of them were utterly
unable to labour. He did not think, however, that any
ibstruction would be given to the ordinary emigration
rum this country. If no means were taken on this site
to stimulate, there would be no attempt on the other side
o ch• ck ernivration. Before Lord Elvin had left for
Canada, he understood from him thatevery exertion would
be made to facilitate the distribution and absorption of ail
toour into that colony, and he was happy to say that
this h id been attended with the best results.
Lord AS EIBURTON said that he had faith in the mode
of relief proposed for the rebel of destitution iu Ireland,
pro, ided caution was observed on the arrival of the
emigrants at the several points on the other side
of the Atlantic, he slid not think any evil would
,rise from the increase of emigration. Mr. Bu-
chanan, the agent in Canada, stated that, pro-
viding the emigrants were sent westward as soon
As they came, they would soon be absorbed in the mass
of the population. Seeing the deplorable state of Ire-
land, and the distress which prevailed in many pl.aces of
England, with the possibility' of the same happening this
year, it behoved them to look carefnuoltly tbnoto tehxeteqnudee
tion whether emigration could
sd-
further. The vast capabilities of the valley of the Mis-
sissippi were such, as to grow food in greatertabuonulddanbcee
than any other portion of the globe ; and
hadthwemat
?we whoi-
the u
d greatestnot o b
tain humanityn maintenanceto l place thheere p. e
ap lee
i-
!ion of a remarkable character to present on this subject.
The petition was signed by 1,500 of the pewest people
of the barony of Ardagh, in the county
hey were cottiers, who had no connexion whatever
of biona4han.
with the land, and they were not instigate d by any one
in their present course. They petitioned entitely on
their own account, and complained that the measures
at present proposed were only of a temporary nature;
and they further stated that as much would be required
for the poor rates during the next eight months to
maintain them as would pay the expenses of their emi-
gration to the colonies. lie was aware that there was
a sufficient stimulus to emigration without the govern-
ments furnishing additional incentives; but all he meant
was that they should take care that the emigrants did
not sutler any unnecessary hardship on landing in
America. Some hints had been thrown out that
some possible interference might be given on the other
side. They were well aware that Canada and their
colonies would be unable to absorb the tide of emigra-
tion to the new continent ; the majority choosing rather
to go on to Michigan, Illinois, lowa, Ohio, the Urkansas,
and the other states on the Mississipi, He thought that
this petition was eminently deserving of their Lord-
ships' attention. He would take leave to direct their
Lordships attention to another point, and that was the
matter of registration. He found that the excess of
births over deaths was only some 160,000 in the last
three years, and, when they took into consideration the