The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-22 00:00:00

THE SUN,.. LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1847.

With respect to the Court of Review; it was
already substantially abolished, and he proposed that it
should be altogether, as he saw no reason why the busi-
ness of this court should not be transacted by the Com-
missioner; themselves ; with regard to the appeals re-
lating to matters ot.lasv, they could as before be taken
before the—Ltird Chancellor or the Vice-Chancellor,
He ought tosdd that in 1831 the Court of Review was
continued by the measure he proposed ; that measure
was much opposed at the time, but ultimately it was
carried with the Court of Review. It was not possible
for him then to predict that there would be no business
for this court, as it had so happened.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. PERFECT took the oaths and his seat for the bo-
rough of Lewes, in the room of Sir H. Elphinstone, who
has accepted the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds.
The Hon. Member was introduced by Lord Marcus Hill
and Mr. Parker.

the Act of last session relating to the treatment of per-
sons afflicted with fever in Ireland.
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND).
Mr. S. O'BRIEN inquired if the Government intended
G adhere to the rule which they had laid down,
that, on the 20th of this month, the number of persons
employed on the public works in Ireland should be re-
duced 20 per cent.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Hon. Gentleman had
correctly stated the rule which the Government had
laid down, that the number of persons so employed
should be reduced 20 per cent. on the 20th inst. The
Government, however, bad not thought proper to
adhere to this plan throughout the whole of Ireland.
It had not been observed in every part of the country.
The Government had instructed the Irish Go-
vernment to make this reduction in the number
of persons so employed ; but they had left
the matter in their hands, so that they would use
their discretion as to the best period when the rule could
be best observed.
Mr. HINDLEY suggested that a week's wages should
be given to those employed on the public works who
wished to obtain employment as farm labourers.
DUBLIN RATING BILL.
Mr. GROGAN wished to know whether the Govern-
ment intended to leave this Bill in the hands of the cor-
poration of Dublin, or whether they intended to give it
their support and to conduct it through the House ?
Much anxiety prevailed in Dublin with respect to it.
He trusted they would take it into their hands, and
wove the appointment of a Committee to sit upon it.
Mr. LABOUCHERE was not then in a position to
reply to the question. A deputation we old wait upon
him on the subject on Thursday, and until they had
done so he could not give a satisfactory reply.
PARISH SCHOOL-MASTERS IN SCOTLAND.
Mr. FOX MAULE moved for a return of the num-
beri of parish schoolmasters in Scotland, who hold the
office of session-clerk.—Agreed to.
IMPORTATION OF CORN FROM RUSSIA.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished to state, with re-
ference to a report that was abroad, to the effect that
no corn was allowed to be exported from Russia, that he
had received a letter from Lord Bloomfield, from St.
Petersburgh, in which he stated that there was not
the slightest foundation for such a rumour, and that
there was no restriction whatever.
POST- OFFICE DIRECTORY.
Mr. MOFFATT wished to ask the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, what steps had been taken to prevent pub-
lic servants employed in the Post-office being also em-
ployed in a private speculation, called the " Post-office
London Directory?"
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER who
spoke very inaudibly was understood to say that no
servants in the Post-office should be employed in that
undertakingin future under pain of dismissal, and that the
compiler of that undertaking was prohibited from being
occupied on it during Post-office hours.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE was glad to hear that Mr.
Kelly was to have no compensation. If anything was
to be done it ought to be restitution on the cart of Mr.
Kelly, who, instead of receiving 1,2001. from the
" Directory," had been reaping 12,0001. a year from it.
Now Mr. Rowland Hill had got an appointment in the
Post-office, and he lived some where in a room in the
Post-office, surrounded by two or three clerks. He
wanted to know what Mr. Rowland Hill's duties
were, and what his salary was, because he was
told Mr. Rowland Hill was perfectly powerless. A
notice had recently been put up in the Post-office,
staffing that if any of the letter carriers had
any suggestions to make to Mr. Rowland Hill upon the
subject of improving the post-office system, they were
to convey them through the heads of their department.
Now, the beads of the department were Mr. Kelly
and others, and as the chief complaint related
to the " Directory," it was not likely that the
carriers would send any suggestion through Mr. Kelly
upon that subject. Mr. Rowland Hill had nothing to
expect from Mr. Kelly or Colonel Mabberly, for in 1842,
when Mr. R. Hill left the Post-office, a notice was
stuck up anneuncing that if any officer communicated
directly or indirectly with Mr. R. Hill he would be dis-
missed the service. Now, it was important to know
what were the salary and!duties of Mr. Rowland Hill.
Thu CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
that at present Mr. Kelly was permitted to carry on the
Directory himself, he being, at the same time, de-
barred from the services of any person in the Post-office.
By so doing the ultimate claims to a compensation
of that gentleman would not be at all affected. It
would have been much more convenient if the Hon. Mem •
ber bad given notice of his intention to ask the questions
as he had gone into & number of statements of things
which had taken place a number of years since, whic
at that moment he was not, of course, able to express
any opinion upon. The business of the Post-
office had of late years most enormously in-
creased, from a return made to tbat House
of the number of letters which passed through the Post-
office in the first week of February, it appeared that the
number had more than doubled during the last five
years. The Government had, therefore, thought it
advisable to give some additional assistance. Her Ma-
jesty's Government, being of opinion that Mr. Rowland
was the most qualified person in the country for
that duty, and they had accordingly appoint him Secre.•
tary to the Postmaster- General, not to the Post office, at
a salary of 1,2001. per annum.
Mr. DUNCOMBE—What was the salary of the
clerks?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped
that the lion. Member would excuse him if he stated that
it was not in his power to give him the information he re-
quired. If he had moved for a return upon the subject, he
should have it, all the information that he could give
him was that the salary of 1,2001 per year was given to,
Mr. Howland Hill. He believed that there were three
or four clerks employed, but he knew nothing whatever
of their salaries.
CUSTODY OF OFFENDERS' BILL—EARLY
SIT TING OF THE HOUSE.
Lord MAHON wished to know when it was the in-
tentionesty's Government to go on with the
and the Custody of Offenders' Bill.
GEORGE GREY said that it was the intention
Prisons's ir oßf hir M9j
of the Government to take the further consideration of
the Report upon Thursday next, at the early sittings of
the House at 12 o'clock.
PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.
Mr. BRIGHT wished to ask a question of his Right
Hon. Friend the Secretary of the Home Department. A
statement had appeared in the papers respecting the
execution of two men at Morpeth on Wednes-
day last, and it was stated, that by the ex-
cessive bungling of the executioner, the punishment
was rendered more barbarous than it. Now he desired
to know whether that account had been brought
under his attention. This question ho could answer,
although he had not given a previous notice of it
There was another question which he wished to ask,
and which he did not expect the Right Hon. Gentleman
to answer then. He wished to know whether he had
received any intimation from the judges that there had
been of late an increasing disposition on the part of
juries to return verdicts of not guilty in cases where
capital punishments were likely to be inflicted. He also
wished to know if any circumstance had come to his
knowledge with reference to the late trial of three men
for a murder and robbery at Barnard Castle.
Sir G. GREY said that he had received no informa
tion as to the first circumstance alluded to by the Hon.
Member. Neither had he received any intimation as to
any :indisposition on the part of juries to convict in
capital cases.
RAILWAYS BILL.
BENTINCK wished to know the intentions
Y ernment respecting a Bill about which some
excitement LthoredG Go
was felt. He wished to ask whether it was
the intention of the Government to bring on the Railway
Bill before Easter, or to postpone it until afterwards ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that Friday evening next would be occupied by the
and he did not think it fair to bring in a Bill
under circumstance which wonld
forbid a fair discussion. It was therefore the intention
oesftirhaa estimates
importance,
of the Government to postpone the Bill until after
Easter.
Sir B. HALL wished to call the attention of the
Government to a letter which he had received, coin-
plaining of the extraordinary influx of strangers which
had taken place into Liverpool. There was also a state-
ment to the same effect from the town of Newport,
complaining that their streets were crowded with hun-
dreds of the starving Irish who had lately come over.
His object in bringing this forward was to ask the Right
Hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home
Deparment whether he had had his attention directed to
this statement, and whether the instance he had stated
was, or was not, a solitary instance ?
Sir G. GREY replied that he had received informa-
tion on the subject ; but that he was assured by persons
who might be looked upon as authorities, that this was
a solitary instance, and that it was the only one which
rested upon authentic evidence.
NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
Mr. HUME wished to ask the Noble Lord the First
Commissioner of Woods and Forests a question which
appeared to him (Mr. Hume) of a very important nature,
not only to that House, but to the country. That
House was required to attend her Majesty when-
ever summoned, and it was most desirous that
the Speaker of the House should go up to
the House of Lords with that decorum consistent
with the high character which had heretofore attended
every proceeding of that House. He might refer to past
periods, not very far distant—(Hear, hear)—when the
House proceeded to the House of Lords, when sum-
moned, in a way consistent with the high character
which the House to maintain—(Hear, hear)—but
now the personal safety of Hon. Members, especially as
regarded their coats—(Laughter)—for he had seen
several injured in their progress to the Upper House ;
he did not, however, allude to any part of the Speaker's
garments ; but it was perfectly well known that
the House was greatly inconvenienced. From inquiries
and from personal investigation he had ascertained that
the
place under the bar would not contain one tithe of
the Members ; and he submitted if they were to be
put into such straightened circumstances.—(Laughter.)
They must do one of two things—either not to go at all,
or else to appoint a certain number to do so ;
but, if a certain number went, they must be
appointed by ballet, and that was a most ob-
jectionable course ; but one of these courses would be
necessary, as the compartment could not contain more
than 22 without considerable pressure. Mr. Barry
admitted that the limits were narrow, but he thought the
galleries above would afford the required room. They
might afford room to those who wished to attend
the House, but he thought that the House, when sum-
moned to the presence of her Majesty, should have seats.
He considered it too bad that, after so much expense,
and after so long a delay, the building was not calculated
to accommodate more than 30 members. He hoped
measures would be taken to remedy the inconvience,
and that provision would be made in time for that
purpose.
Major LAYARD wished before the Noble Lord re-

plied to the question, to ask him another that was
closely conneP.r.ed with it. He wished to khoW whethrr
r.ny WLIS for th? :"14. Ait'-
tinguisheci strangers. parate from
the Members llUudß a Cothln,-,us.
Lord MORPETH stated that the accommodation
would be on the same footing as it was at prsent, only on
a largsr scale, The space below the bar was never in.
tended to accommodate all the Members of the House of
Commons, nor did he think so enlarged accommodation we;
necessary,
_With respect to the question of the other
Mon. Member (Major Layard) he thought there should
be accommodation 'separate for those persons to whom
he referred, but there would be also galleries in addition
to the spaces below the bar.
Mr. HUME thought that there should be a committee
appointed to superintend its arrangements, that the
Members should not appear there like a rabble
altogether inconsistent with
_the dignity of the House.

ARMY SERVICE
On the order of the day for the second reading of this
Bill being read,

Sir H. W. BARRON rose for the purpose of making
some explanations relative to a statement made by him
in the House on Friday night, on the subject of the Irish
Poor-law, which had been, however, misrepresented in
some of the public journals. What he had stated was,
that the value of the property in England assessed to
the poor-rates amounted to 62,000.0001.; the sum at
which it was assessed was 5,000,000/. That, accord
ing to the calculations of the Poor-law Commis-
sinners, the number of paupers in Ireland in
ordinary years was between 2,300,000 and 2.400,000.
He took the estimase at 2,200,000, the expense of
supporting which would amount to 5,000,0001 ; and
what he then stated was, that if an assessment of
5,000,000/, were to be made upon Irish property, it
would be taxing Ireland to four times the extent
to which property was assessed for a similar
purpose in England. And that, if the pros
perty of England were to be rated at the same ratio as
Irish property would be under the Bill, the annual
assessment would be not 5,000,0001 but 23,000,0001. ;
and _this, he said, would be an act of gross injustice
towards Ireland. In consequence of the confusion which
existed in the House at the time when he was speaking,
he could easily account for the misunderstanding having
taken place.
Mr. FOX MAULE then rose to move the second
reading of the Army Service Bill. He deemed itin-
cumbent upon him to make some statement to the House
relative to the principle which this Bill contained,
and also to the motives which had induced the Go-
vernment to bring forward a principle of this nature.
He could, by following the precedent of 1806, have
changed the service from unlimited to limited, by a
simple alteration in the Mutiny Bill, but as it had been
the practice to remove from that Bill all that which
gave °cession to continual discussion, and m4ke it
simply contain the law and discipline of the army, and
as the discussion on that Bill had been carried on from
year to year with very little notice, the House relying
mainly on the judgment of the executive Gevernment,
he preferred to call the attention of the House to the
principle involved. It would be in the recol-
lection of the House that a former measure
regulating the service had been repealed,
after two years, when no experience could be had of its
merits. He did think, that no one in that House would
start any preliminary objections to a standing army in
the country. He assumed that, as a matter which
none would dispute. All would admit that
their domestic interests, their extended colo-
nies, our position among the nations of the
earth, require a permanent army in this country.
It was said that the system of recruiting the army was
a voluntary system ; but when his Hon. and Gallant
Friend brought forward his motion last year, he did
not at that time give any distinct opinion on the
subjest. It was promised by his Noble Friend on the
head of the Government that the question should receive
the careful consideration of the Government during the
recess of Parliament. The question had been well con-
sidered, and in considering that question it appeared to
him that there was no system of enlistment that was
voluntary in its name, that had not been by the
practices which had been resorted, to, deprived
of all the virtues of a voluntary enlistment in effect.
He found, on looking into this matter, that there might
be very serious doubts whether any one who ever
enlisted into the army, did so for the purpose of
making it a regular profession for life. He sound that
there were some classes of their recruits who have
very readily gone into the ranks, not with any view to
the future, but rather with the view of ecaping tem-
porary distress. He found that their ranks were very
much accustomed to be recruited by those who were idle
and averse to labour, and who thought that, in the life
of a soldier, they would find that idleness acd indolence
consonant to their disposit.ons. He found that it was
too often the case, that." the' prodigal sought
in the army a refuge from his improvidence,
and it too often occurred that where lads
who had got into disgrace immediately, had
recourse to enlistment in order to avoid their temporary
masters. With that class voluntary enlistment was at
an end. All the rest were voluntary in name, but it was
in reality brought about by the artifices and
promises of recruiting parties.—(Hear.) The place
to which they adjourned was the public-house, and men,
were tempted to enlist by the fallacious promise of
bounty money when they were in a state in which they
could hardly be called amenable for their actions, and
the unhappy man too often found that in a moment of
inebriety be had disposed of his liberty for life.
He did not mean by this that the men became slaves ;
but there could not be a doubt that they surrendered
their own life and disposition to those who com-
manded them, and when a man found himself in
this position he often deserted in the first moment of
disappointment. He is no doubt arrested in
the course of a few days, and the man who had
voluntarily joined the regiment is brought back
in custody and involuntarily made a soldier. Then
they had often heard of men who had maimed them-
selves, under the influence of such feelings as
those engendered by a dislike to the service.
and when they considered that a man was taken away al-
together from domestic ties—when they were severed by
the duties he has to fulfil—when he knew he had no hope
of regaining his fireside except under a high fine,
in the shape of purchase-money. Ile (Mr. Fox Mauls)
did say, that it behoved the House to consider
whether, now that the army was receiving somewhat
more attention than it had done for many years past,
by revising enlistment, and by removing those
painful circumstances which he had described, they
might not make the life of a soldier less objection-
able than at present, and at the same time
improve the condition of the army. He did
not pretend to say that limited enlistment would cure
all those evils, but he did think that it would have
the effect of curing many of them. But with
other measures of improvement such as formed
the subject of the military administration of
the late Government, and with the measures
of improvement being carried on by the present Go-
vernment, he did believe that many of the evils of which
they had now reason to complain would be effectually
cured if they had recourse to limited enlistment. lie
need hardly say a great many of the evils in connexion
with the army had been removed, that the discipline
had been improved, especially now they had so
little of the degrading punishment of the lash.
What he proposed to do with regard to the limiting the
period of enlistment, was to alter the period to ten years
in the infantry, and twelve years in the cavalry, artillery,
and ordnance departments. After that period elapsed
an option should be given to the soldier of re-enlisting
the infantry soldier for eleven years additional, and the
cavalry for twelve years, making, in the whole, twenty-
one years for the one and twenty-four years for the
other—the period when they could claim their dis-
charge. He also took a power in the Bill to en-
able the commanding officer
.to retain the sol-
dier for another year when the regiment was
abroad should the public service require it. The
might be. He asked the reason wky he made any
difference in the terms of the period for infantry and
cavalry soldiers. The difference of France however was
the reason of the extension of the period for the latter.
The Government proposed then that they should
have the opportunity of enrolling themselves for
a deferred pension, and during the time they
were enrolled for that pension they should serve
twelve days in each year, upon the same principle as
the pensioners who were entitled under the 6th, 7th,
9th and 10th of Victoria. The deferred pensions
should equal in amount the lowest sum which was
at present fixed by royal warrant.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

ALLEGED DEATH OP A CHILD PROM CRUEL
TREATMENT.—Yesterday Mr. W. Carter held an inquest at
the Three Stags, Lambeth, on the body of William Ralph
King, aged nine years, a son of a beer-shop keeper living in
Mead's-row. The Inquiry was instituted in consequence of
information having been sent to the Coroner that the child
had died from the effects of corporal punishment inflicted by
his parents. Police-constable Beal, 127 L, said that he had
been residing in the same house as deceased, and about six
or eight weeks since the deceased crept up stairs to one of
the lodger's rooms, and begged for a piece of bread. He
was then in a very dirty and deplorable state. During the
late bitter cold weather witness had seen deceased with no-
thing on but his shirt. Rebecca Ellvin, 5, Asylum-place,
said she knew Mr. and Mrs. King, and had seen the greatest
brutality practised by both towards deceased. On one occa-
sion she saw him tied up by his hands to the skylight. The
last time she saw anything done to him was a fortnight after
last Christmas, when Mr. King beat him with a double rope,
knocked him down, pushed his nose on to the flooring until
the blood ran from his nose into his mouth. Alice Anderson
said that she had been engaged at Mr. King's as charwoman.
She knew the deceased. He was an exceedingly dirty child,
and fond of pilfering anything he could lay hold of. She
had seen his father beat him, but she thought the chastise-
ment was not at all excessive. She did not think deceased
was right in his mind. The jury returned a verdict of
"Natural death."

Mr. Hudson, M.P., had an interview with the Right Hon.
Edward Strntt, on Saturday, at the Office of the Cemusis-
sioners of Railways in Great George-street.
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.—The works on this great
undertaking are proceeding rapidly in the neighbourhood of
this City. A number of houses in Ritson's-lane and Caldew
Damside, most of which were occupied by the poorest de-
scription of tenants, have been removed for the construction
of the line in that part of the town. A temporary wooden
bridge has been erected across the Caldew, immediately
twelve feet.
above the present structure, for the convenience of the public
whilst the present road is interrupted by the alterations
which will be necessary to admit the passage of the railway
underpt.— Carlisle Patriot.
DRAINING WITH ENGINE ASHES.—On the farm
of Daldorch, the property of Archibald Buchanan., Esq., of
Catrine Bank, Scotland, there are drains made twenty-
eight yeers ago, and filled with engine ashes, which are
still
en n 3- fullx
inches,arl
efficientand the
hoepweriadttiloinb.
et
wTeheen deptheaeh
w
The bottom of the drain is cut three inches wide, and the
depth of ashes used in filling them is about ten inches.
The soil is a firm clay. These drains promise to be as effi-
cient half a century hence as they are at the present time.--
Cambrian. 1