The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-24 00:00:00

1846.

Bill to amend the Acts for the extension and promotion
of public works in Ireland.
Mr. HUMg approved of the facility proposed to be
given for granting loans of money, to be expended on
public works in Ireland. It would however, he thought,
be satisfactory to know how the public money had been
expended by the Board of Works in that country.
Sir T. FREMANTLE observed that returns would
soon be laid before the House, showing the sums of mo-
ney expended since the passing of the Act 1 and 2 Will.
IV.

Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH denied that any
public grant of money was requisite to promote the ob-
jects to be attained by the Bill for amending the Acts
for the extension and promotion of public works in
Ireland. A grant of .50,000/. had been made upon a
former cccasion of national distress in Ireland, but
the money had been improperly applied. The grant
was rendered inoperative because the money had been
given to help private individuals to improve their
estates, and not to prom-Ae public works.
Sir R. FERGUSON said the Hon. Member was
mistaken, the money was really expended on public
works.

Leave was granted to bring in the Bill, which was
read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on
Wednesday.

The House then adjourned at Half-past Eight o'clock
until to-morrow.

PARLIAMENTARY ENTERTAIN-

MENTS.

On Wednesday evening the Duke of Wellington, as the
Ministerial lfaier in the House of IA Hs, gave his cus-
tomary Parliamentary banquet at Apsley Hour• to the
supporters of the Governmpnt.
Above 4p Peers assembled at the banquet, among
whom were--

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Lyndhurst.
Dukes—Rutland, Cleveland, Beaufort, and Buccleuch.
Marquises—Exeter, Salisbury, Cholmondeley, Aber-
corn, Hertford, and Winchester.
Earls Shaftesbury, Ellenborough, Haddington,
Aberdeen, Liverpool, Jersey, Verulam, Harewood,
Dalhousie, Clare, Powis, Bathurst, Cardigan, St. Ger-
mans, Lonsdale, Ripon, Delawarr, Brownlow, Eldon,
and Clanwilliam. a a

Viscounts—Strangford, Hawarden, and Canning.
Lords Wharncliffe, A-hburton, Forester, and De
Ros, the Earl of Home and Lord Farnham, the mover
and seconder to the Address in the House of Lords,
w are also present.
As usual, immediately after the dinner had finished,
the Duke of Wellington read her ligjesty's Speech to
be de!ivered to-day at the opening of Parliament. It
was after ten o'clock when the company separated.

Sir Robert Peel, as First Lord of the Treasury, gave
a grand full dress banquet on Wednesday, at the Right
Hon. Baronet's private mansion, in Whitehall-gardens.
The entertainment was sere( >d up in a style of consum-
mate elegance in the noble picture gallery. Lord
Francis E7,crton, who moves, and Mr. Beckett Denison,
who seconds, the Address in the House of Commons,
were present.
Among the guests were the Right Hon. the Speaker
of the House of Commons, the Right Hon. Sir James
Graham, the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn, the Earl of
Lincoln, Lord Granville Somerset, the Right Hon.
Sidney Herbert, the Right Hon. Sir Tho ass Fre-
mantle, Sir George Clerk, lion. Henry Manners
Sutton, Hon. William Bingham Baring, Mr. Young,
Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Henry Baring, Mr. Mackenzie,
Mr. Cripps, Hol. Henry Corry, Admiral Sir George
Cockburn, Rear-Admiral Bowles, Hon Captain Gordon,
Hon. Henry Fitzroy, Viscount Jocelyn, Viscount Mahon,
Sir Frederick Trench, Colonel Peel, Lord Arthur Len
nox, the Attorney-General, Sir Frederick Thesiger ;
the Solicitor-General, Sir Fitzroy Kelly ; the Attorney-
General for Ireland, the Lord Advocate for Scotland,
the Right Hon. J. Nichol!, Sir Charles Douglas, the
Earl Jermyn, Lord Ernest Bruce, Right Hon. Lieut.-
Colonel Lionel Dawson Darner, Lord Charles Wellesley,
Capt. Meynell, Hon. Capt. Duncombe, and Mr. Greene.
Sir Robert Peel, at the conclusion of the dinner, rose
and read the Speech to be delivered by the Queen;to-day
at the opening of the Parliamentary session. The com-
pany separated at half-past ten o'clock.

Lord John Russell entertained a party of twenty at
dint er on Wednesday at his Lordship's family residence, in
Chesham-place, comprising the Noble Lord's leading
political friends in the House of Commons. The follow-
ing noblemen and gentlemen constituted the party
Viscount Palmerston, the Right lion. Sir John Cam
llobhouse, the Right lion. Sir George Grey, Lord
Marcus Hill, the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, Lord
Seymour, the Right Hon. Edward Ellice, the Right Hon.
T. B. Macaulay, lion. Colonel Anson, the Right Hon. Fox
Maule, Mr. C. Wood, Mr. Tufnell, Mr. Vernon Smith,
Mr, Ward, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. B. Hawes, Mr. Orel,
and Rear-Admiral Dundas.