The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-08 00:00:00

Distress, but in conseuence of the lion. Member for
Statiurd having stated that ho would end avour to ar-
range with the Government for a day to bring on the
discussion, he had consented to withdraw his notice.
MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND.

Mr. IIUME presented a petition from Sir E. Cod-
rington and a Mr. Baker, respecting the administration
of the Merchant Seamen's Fund, and asked the President
of the Board of Trade whether any measures had been
taken, now that the 8,11 on this subject had been with-
drawn for the present session, for the purpose of better
securing that fund.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Honourable Member
was probably aware that the whole question respect-
ing the Merchant Seamen's Fund hats been very fully
brought under the consideration of the Commissioners
appointed by the Crown, and they had reported that,
although the funds were not invested in Government
securities, yet the securities upon which they were
invested were, no doubt, capable of realization. It
was proposed to constitute a new body for the
management of the fund ; but he regretted that
it would be impossible to give effect to the recommenda-
tion of the Commissioners this session. He was of opi-
nion that no advantage would be gained by taking any
intermediate proceedings in the matter.
DESERTION OF BRITISH SEAMEN.
Mr. MONSELL said he presented a petition the
other day from the Chamber of Commerce at Limerick,
with reference to certain difficulties which occurred to
the petitioners, in common with other shipowners of the
United Kingdom, in carrying on their trade, by reason
of the desertion of seamen. The time usually
chosen for desertion was when the ship was
ou the point of sailing, and the shipowner
was obliged to give large sums of money to
the seamen, in order to get their vessel brought home.
Ile, therefore, wished to know, taking into account the
peculiar i' —.stances which would arise by the passing
of the measure on the subject of the navigation-laws,
whether it was the intention of the President of the
Board of Trade to introduce some measure to relieve
shipowners from the difficulties which at present they
had to contend with.
Mr. LA BOUCHERE was quite aware of the exist-
ance of the grievance to which the Hon. Member had
alluded, and the subject had frequently been under the
consideration of the Board of Trade. He believed the cause
of the grievance was, that Quebec, to which the question
applied, was a ship-building pert, and the higher rate of
wages which was given there afforded an inducement to
the seamen to desert their ships. It would be a matter
of extreme difficulty to apply any remedy
to a grievance of that description, but the
attention of Lord Elgin, the Governor of Canada,
had been specially directed to the matter, with the view
of applying some remedy.
ANNUITY-TAX (SCOTLAND).
Mr. HUME presented a petition from Montrose com-
plaining of the annuity-tax which was payable to the
minister, and praying that as it was a very unpopular
tax, and that as Edinburgh and Montrose were the only
two towns which were called to contribute it, the House
would take some measure to abolish it.
THE SUGAR DUTIES.
Lord G. BENTINCK inquired if the Government
intended to proceed with the Sugar Duties this evening?
The Bill stood thirty-five on the paper. The mat-
ter was one of great interest, and it was desi-
rable that the public interested should have the earliest
intimation of the period when the Government intended
to proceed with the Bill?
Lord J. RUSSELL feared (as we understood) that it
could not be taken to-night; it would, however, be pro-
ceeded with as soon as possible.
COMMERCIAL DISTRESS.

Mr. URQUHART wished to knew from the Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Stamford (Mr. Herries) if he
had arranged for a day on which to proceed with his
motion with respect to the commercial distress.
Mr. HERRIES (who happened to be sitting next but
one to the Premier, and in the place usually occupied
by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, rose amidst some
laughter to reply to the question. He said he happened
to find himself on the wrong side of the House.—(Laugh-
ter.) He appealed to the Noble Lord for information
The subject, he need not inform him, was one of para-
mount importance, and an opportunity should be afforded
of discussing the reports of the Committee before the
House separated. Unless this opportunity were
afforded, the House and the Government would not
stand well with the country. If that opportunity
could not be afforded, he hoped early in the ensuing
session the subject would receive that consideration to
which it was entitled.
Lord J. RUSSELL could not in the present state of
the business fix a day, but suggested that Tuesday, the
only open day, might be taken advantage of by the Hon.
Gentleman to bring on his motion.
EMIGRATION.—THE WEDNESDAY SITTINGS.
- Lord ASHLEY inquired if the Government were
prepared to take the subject of emigration into their
serious consideration during the recess—he meant more
with a view of diffusing inforniation than by aiding
emigration by votes out of the public money.
Lord J. RUSSELL replied that it would not be desir-
able at present, if the Government had the means, to pro-
pose any large grant for the purpose of aiding emigration.
Persons wishing to emigrate should concert amongst
themselves as to the best means of doing so. The Go-
vernment would be happy to afford all the information in
their power with respect to emigration.
Lord G. BENTINCK hoped the Noble Lord had not
forgotten the promised loan of half a million to the colo-
nies for the purpose of promoting emigration.
Lord J. RUSSELL replied that he had not forgotten
the matter. He was anxious •to take the r .ual votes in
a Committee of Supply, and with a view to facilitate the
public • GDFC,L.P, Lc cLuUla to.
morrow move that the standing order be suspended with
respect to the Wednesdaysittings, and to propose that the
Speaker take the chair at twelve, and sit till three ; then
to adjourn till five, when he should resume it, in order
that the House might sit during the evening. The usual
business would be
.proceeded with until three, and at five
go into a Committee of Supply. On Wednesday,
at five o'clock, the Navy Estimates would be moved.
He should move Committees of Supply on Wednesday,
Monday, and Friday, at five o'clock.
AMERICAN POSTAGE.
In reply to Mr. CARDWELL,
Lord PALMERSTON stated that the correspondence
with the American Government had not been brought
to a close. On its termination he should feel happy to
produce it, but it was not the custom for the Government,
unlike that of America, to produce documents of the kind
before the matters to which the correspondence bad
reference were brought to a close.
• -Mr. -MILNER GIBSON said he had pressed for the
production of the papers, because he had seen the
correspondence published in the newspapers, the Ame-
rican Government having done so. He was thus led to
believe that the correspondence was concluded.
SARDINIA AND AUSTRIA.

Mr. P. HOWARD asked the Foreign Secretary,
pursuant to notice, whether it was the intention of her
Majesty's Government, either singly or in concert with
her allies, to mediate between Sardinia and Austria for
the pacification of the north of Italy.
Lord PALMERSTON said that her Majesty's Go-
vernment were deeply sensible of the importance of
seeing a termination put to the unfortunate warfare in
Italy, and he believed that that desire was equally
shared by the Government of France. It was the intention
of the British Government to take steps, he trusted, in
connexion with France, for the purpose of endeavour-
ing to bring that warfare to an end.—(Hear, hear.)
BRITISH SPIRITS WAREHOUSING BILL.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER in an-
swer to a question from Mr. M. J. O'Connell, said he
should not be able to proceed with the Bill for the
present.
SUGAR DUTIES.
Lord G. BENTINCK wished to know from the Noble
Lord, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether
he was not in possession of an offieial report of the Bel-
gian Government, giving a distinct contradiction to the
statements of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the
Honourable Member for Westbury with respect to the
premiums given by the Belgian Government upon dried
sugar?
Lord PALMERSTON would make an inquiry on the
subject.

HAYTI.
Mr. GLADSTONE wished to ask the Noble Lord
whether any measures had been taken to protect the lives
and property of British subjects in Hayti during the
prevalence of the disturbance in that island ?
Lord PALMERSTON said, instructions had been
given to an admiral in command of one of the vessels of
the line to go out to Hayti with power to take what
measures he thought might be necessary for the protec-
tion of British subjects.
Mr. GLADSTONE would be glad to know whether
the admiral had sailed yet?
Mr, WARD replied in the affirmative.
PUBLIC HEALTH BILL.
The House then went into Committee on this Bill, for
the purpose of considering the Lords' amendments.
Viscount MORPETH said ho should propose the
adoption of all the amendments up to clause 8.
It was subsequently arranged, however, that the
amendments should be put seriatim.
On clause 8 being proposed,
Viscount MORPETH said he did not wish to inter-
fere with the just right of the other House of Legisla-
ture to make amendments in the sanitary code by which
the country was to be governed. The amendment to
this clause was made in the other House by a Right
Rev. Prelate, whose care and anxiety for the welfare of
the poor could not be exceeded, and was well known.
He did not object to the amendment, but he considered
it was drawn up in a way which was not the hest that
could be adopted. He thought it was possible to re-
model the amendment so as to do away with the objec•
tion to it in its present form. He proposed, therefore, to
take the proportion of 93 deaths in 1,000 and that pro-
portion, he considered, would exhibit such an amount of
unhealthiness in the district where this rate of mortality
prevailed, as to take away any difficulty that might be
supposed to exist in applying this Bill to those places.
He did not wish to spread alarm in the mind of the
public as to the progress of the cholera, but he con-
ceived he should not be acting fairly, nor be discharging
his public duty, if he did not state facts which had come
to his knowledge—the same precursors to the cholera
which appeared in 1832, such as influenza, diarrhoea, &c.,
had also shown themselves recently in this country. He
would state the information which he had received re
specting the progress of the cholera in certain countries
of Europe. The following letters had been received by
her Majesty's Government:--
Extract of a letter from Dr. P. Leonardi, of the quaran-
tine at Angora, dated June 26, 1848.
" During the last week the cholera has manifested
itself in this city. The cases have averaged from four to
five daily. The mortality here has not been great, but
I regret to say that at Balgat, a village distant one hour
to the west, nearly the whole population has perished."
Extract of a dispatch from Mr. Consul Gardner, Jassy,
July 26, 1848.
" The cholera is diminishing at Jassy, but raging with