The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-06 00:00:00

ADJOURNMENT OF THE lIOUSE.

On the motion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, it was
agreed that the House, at its rising, do adjourn til
Monday.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Mr. HUTT moved for a return of all moneys received
in England and in the colony for sales of lands in South
Australia, or on account thereof; specifying (where
practicable) the parties from whom received, and the
lands purchased; also, for the expenditure of the said
moneys, and the authorities for such expenditures; also,
of all liabilities for balance of passage-money of emi-
grants; also, of the balances of the Land Fund, both
in England and the colony, and where deposited; also,
specifying the amount available to further emigration,
and the reserve for other objects (the said returns to
commence from the last accounts of the Land Fund pre-
sented to Parliament).—Agreed to.
MILBANK PENITENTIARY.
Mr. B. ESCOTT, in reference to the report which ho
had drawn up, as one of the Milbank Penitentiary
Commissioners, wished to call the attention of the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Sir George Grey) to the matter in
question. The Right Honourable Gentleman had
refused to receive his report, differing as it did
from the report of the other two Commissioners, but he
expressed himself willing to receive the substance of it
in the shape of a letter. He (Mr. B. Escott)
objected to do so, and in order to be satisfied
that he had acted right he had taken the
advice of two eminent members of the bar.
The first learned gentleman applied to was of opinion
he had done perfectly right, but,:in order to be sure that
he was right, he next took the opinion of Mr. Sergeant
Manning. That opinion was confirmatory of the first.
Und( r these circumstances he (Mr. Escott) mustpersevere
in sending in the report.
Mr. DUNCOMBE said that neither the House aor the
public were in possession of the report twice sent and
twice rejected by the punctilio of the Home Secretary.
He should move that the report be brought up and laid
upon the table.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir GEORGE GREY said he was quite ashamed to
delay the House by repeating the arguments he had al-
ready advanced respecting the practice adhered to in re-
ceiving reports of Commissioners who did not join in a
common report. He did expect that the Hon. Member
would have pat it in his power to have laid the document
before the House verbatim et literatim, the same merely
altering the commencement and the termination. He
had merely to say, that no such document as had been
moved for, was in his possession.
Mr. B. Escott here rose, and placed a document
in the bands of Sir George Grey, who threw it from
him upon the table, and Mr. Escott retired.
Mr. HUME said that it was a pity that the House
should divide upon such a subject. The Hon. Gentle-
man must know that her Majesty's Government had
pursued a certain course from time immemorial, and that
they could not now depart from that course. The Hon.
Gentleman could not blame them for not doing that
which was not according to practice. The document
should be read as a letter instead of being read as a
report.

Mr. O'CONNELL thought it unnecessary to divide
the House upon such a subject.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE did not understand now in
what light the Right Hon. Gentleman held the document
of which he was in possession.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that he was in possession
of a paper placed in his hands in a very unusual manner,
and really, at the present moment, in the discharge of
the duties of the office he held, and as a Member of that
House, he had not as yet been able to read one word
of it.
Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE said that he should withdraw
the motion, and bring it forward at some future period.
Mr. B. ESCOTT assured the Right Hon. Gentleman
that nothing was so far from his intention as to do
anything disrespectful or out of the usual course. He
was content to refer it to the highest legal authorities,
and take their opinions upon it. The House would re-
member that the Right Hon. Gentleman gave it as a
reason for not laying the paper before the House that he
was not in possession of it, and it was that statement
which induced him to act as he had done.
The motion was then withdrawn.
CHARITABLE TRUSTS.

Mr. HUME wished to ask the Right Hon. Secretary
for the Home Department a question, of which be had
giyen notice. He wished to know wuother they were