The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-18 00:00:00

SCHOOLS OF DESIGN.

Mr. IVAKl.lisaidttiere was a second question, and
he hoped he should have a more satisfactory answer
than to the first. It was with reference to the school of
design, and he wished to know when the evidence taken
before a Special Committee of the council of the School
of Design, as to the state and management of the school,
is to be presented to the House?
Mr. M. GIBSON said that ho regretted that such
delay had taken place, but he thought that in ten days
at furthest he might be able to furnish these returns.
Mr. 11. BAILLIE said that he had asked the Govern-
ment the other night, whether it was their intention to
restrict the amount of grain in distilleries until the pre-
sent crisis should be past?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the Government did not think it politic o❑ their
part to interfere with the commerce of the country, by
placing any restriction upon one of its most important
channels. He found that the distillers had stated to the
Government, that they were about to use a large quan-
tity of sugar for the purposes of distillation, and had
requested that several of the preliminary inve,tigations
might be dispensed with. Under his (the Chancellor of
the Exchequer) direction, it had been notified that all
the obstacles that could be dispensed with should be re-
moved, for he considered it exceedingly desirable.
Mr. HUME said that this day week he would put a
question to the Noble Lord at the head of the Govern-
ment, as to whether it was his intention to take any
measures for reducing the prices of tea, coffee, and other
articles of similar nature? If so, whether there was to be
any reduction of the duty?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the Government had received notice that a consi-
derable quantity of molasses was required for
tion ; but there had been a consideration of other arti-
cles, with a view to ascertain whether they should re-
duce the duties on other articles mentioned in the Cus-
toms Duties Act, and they had found that although the
importation of the articles had increased, the prices had
not been raised. Among those especially were the arti-
cles of sugar and tea.
ENLISTMENT OF MARINES.

Captain LAYARD moved for returns connected with
the enlistment of marines during the last five years.
Mr. EWART wished to know whether the Noble
Lord at the head of the Government had any objection
to lay upon the table of the House the address of the
board of winegrowers, presented a short time back ?
Lord J. RUSSELL replied that there would be no
objection whatever.
COLONIAL GOVERNMENTS.

Mr. HUME said he wished to ask the Under-Secre•
tary for the Colonies a question, of which he had given
notice. It would be remembered that last session he
presented a petition from Van Diemen's Land, signed by
6,000 persons, praying the House to apply the repre-
sentative system of government to that island. Now the
question he wished to ask was, whether Government had
been maturing any plan for extending the privilege and
rights of representative bodies to that island and the
other colonies ?
Mr. HAWES said, in answer to the question of his
Hononourable Friend, he had to state that the subject
to which he had referred had net been lost sight of.
There was a measure in contemplation—hemight say, in
preparation—with the view to give the benefits of the
British Constitution to the Australian colonies, which
had generally included Van Diemen's Land. He did
not think, however, that the measure could be intro-
duced in the present session.