The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-17 00:00:00

PASSENGERS' BILL.

Earl GREY moved that the House do resolve
itself into Committee on the Passengers Bill.
Lord STANLEY complained of the emigrant tax
which was levied in Canada upon emigrants, which
in some cases amounted to 30s. a head upon each
person imported into the colony; whereas in New
York the emigrant tax could not under any circum-
stances amount to more than a dollar and a half. The
effect of this system would be to transfer the whole
tide of emigration from Canada to the United States.
Earl GREY thought it was necessary for the
colonies to adopt some method of preventing
the immigration of old and helpless pau-
pers, who would from the moment of
their landing become burdens on the colony.
In many instances, grandfathers, crippled and help •
less, and totally incapable of earning their living, had
been sent out from Ireland to Canada with their grand-
children, and had, from the moment of their landing,
become burdens upon the colony, and it certainly
was the duty of the Colonial Legislature to prevent
the emigration of helpless paupers who were incapable
of undertaking the labour necessary to maintain
themselves.

The Earl of HARDWICKE complained that the
Bill placed the shipowner between two fires. He was
to allow twelve feet space to each passenger if his
ship carried a surgeon, which surgeon would
be a great expense to him, but if ho
did not carry a surgeon, he was to allow fourteen
feet space to each emigrant, which would prevent his
carrying out as many passengers as his ship was
capable of accommodating.
After a short conversation, in which Earl Grey,
Lord Stanley, Earl Fitzwilliam, and Lord Lyttelton,
took part, the motion was agreed to, and the House
resolved itself into Committee on the Bill.

On the first clause being proposed,
Lord STANLEY objected to the provision with
respect to cooking on board emigrant ships, and
moved an amendment to strike out the words in the
clause relating to the subject.
After a short conversation across the table, the
amendment was withdrawn.

The several clauses were agreed to, and the Bill
reported without amendments.—Adjourned.

ROUSE OF CWILVIONS, Marsh 16.

The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four
o'clock.

Mr. Sheriff Hill appeared at the bar, and presented
a petition from the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and
common council of the city of London, in common
council assembled, against intramural burials.
COMMITTEE OF SELECTION.

Sir W. HEATHCOTE moved that the order of
the 10th February, containing an instruction to the
Committee of Selection to delay the appointment of
Committees on certain private Bills, be discharged.
Sir DE LACEY EVANS presented a petition
from the various charitable institutions of the me-
tropolis, prating that the legacy duty of 10 per cent.
might he remitted in their favour.
Sir R. 11. INGLIS presented several petitions
against the admission of Jews into Parliament. The
Right Hon. Baronet also presented several petitions
against the Bill for establishing diplomatic relations
with Rome. _

Mr. WILCOX presented a petition from Falcon•
bridge against any increase in the naval and military
establishments of the country.
Mr. B. CABBELL presented a petition, praying
the House to adopt some more equitable mode of
levying the poor •rates.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR presented a petition praying
for the repeal of the attorneys' certificate duty.
Sir W. HEATIICOTE presented a petition from a
place in Hampshire against the Bill for the establish-
ment of diplomatic relations vk ith the Court of Rome.
Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from a place
in Ireland, praying the House to take measures to
suppress horse racing.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD:presented a petition from
Rochdale against certain clauses of the Health of
Towns Bill. _ .

_„...._
Mr. CIIAPLIN presented a petition from the
solicitors of Salisbury against the certificate duty.
MEDICAL OFFICERS.

Lord D. STUART presented a petition in favour
of the appointment of paid medical officers to super-
intend the sanitary condition of the poor, and to give
them medical relief. .

Mr. P. SCROPE presented a petition from medical
practitioners in Stroud, praying that they might be
employed under the Health of Towns Bid.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ROME.
Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a petition from
Rothesay against diplomatic relations with Rome.
ODD FELLOWS. _ _

Lord MAHON presented petitions from six lodges
of Odd Fellows, praying that they might be placed under
the provisions of the Friendly Societies' Act.
HEALTH OF TOWNS BILL.

- - - Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from a
place in Monmouthshire in favour of this Bill.

THE RECENT RIOTS.

Sir WILLIAM CLAY—Sir, I beg to give notice
that I shall to-morrow ask the Right Hon. Baronet
the Secretary of State for the Horne Department,
whether, in consequence of the explanations recently
given by the Attorney-General of the state of the
law as to persons having a remedy against the hun-
dreds or counties in which they reside for damage
done to their property by riotous proceedings, it be the
intention of the Government to introduce a measure
to amend the law in that respect.

STAMFORD.
Mr. WOOD gave notice that on Thursday, the
30th of March, he should move the appointment of
a Committee to inquire into a petition of the electors
of Stamford, complaining of the conduct of the
Marquis of Exeter at the last and former elections.
He
.begged to move that the petition be printed.
Sir R. 11. INGLIS said the Committee on Public
Petitions met now twice a week instead of once, as
formerly, and that, no doubt, the petition referred to
by the Honourable Member would be in the
hands of himself and other Honourable Members
as soon as it could be by a motion to that
effect. The necessity for making motions for the
printing of petitions
with the votes was now in a
great measure superseded, in consequence of the more
frequent meetings of the Committee. He hoped,
therefore, the Hon. and Learned Gentleman would
withdraw his motion.
Mr. WAKLEY hoped that his lion. and Learned
Friend would not be caught in the trap set for him
by his Right Hon. Friend. Ile had himself been
" wheedled " out of a motion to have a, petition
which he had presented printed, on the ground
that it would no doubt be printed by the
Committee. That Committee decided that the petition
should not be printed, He sub,equently moved that
the petition should be printed ; the Chairman opposed
it, and, there not being forty Members present, the
motion was lost.
Mr. THORNELY said that he had the honour to
be the chairman of the Committee referred to by the
Hon. Member for Finsbury, and he could assure the
House that the reason Why the petition was not
printed was because it stated no personal
grievance, nothing more than a mere indi-
vidual opinion, founded upon a vast amount of
statistical information furnished in various Parlia-
mentary papers. If the House were to adopt the
plan of printing such petitions, the House would be
inundated with them. Upon great questions of
public, importance, such as currency or bank-
ing,individuals would have only to embody
their opinions in the form of a petition,