The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-21 00:00:00

BILL.

On the motion of the Marquis of LANINTOWNE, the Lu.
natics Asylum and Pauper Lunatics Bill was read a second time

BRITISH. POSSESSIONS BILL.
• The Earl of CLARENDON moved the second reading 01
the British Possessions' Bill.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH objected to the principle of the
Bill. Under its operation the duties in one c‘dony might be
abrogated, diminished in a second, and retained in a third.
Bur for that purpose time was necessary. And on the earliest
meeting of Parliament, her Majesty's Government might come
down to the House and overturn all those arrangements. But
there was another matter to which he would invite the atten-
tion of Government. They thought it but fair that the woods
of the colonies and of foreign muntries should be admitted
on equal terms. That was free trade. But he could not
see how, if there were to be an equalisation of du-
ties, there should not also be an equalisation in
the use of ships as well as in the admission of woods. He
mind not see how the claims of the colonists could be resisted
for the free use of ships as well as of the rate of duties. It
was notorious that, although the number of our ships had
largcly increased, yet the number of ships of other countries
had been much more than proportionably increased. All
force was relative, and it was not on our position, but on our
relative, superiority that our pre-eminence and our safety rested.
He was, therefore, anxious to know, whether in granting this
principle of free trade, the Government were ready also to sa-
crifice the navigation laws.
Earl GREY thought that the Noble Earl had not, in those
observations, sufficiently attended to the relative merits of the
subject. He had had an opportunity .•f talking with one of
the principal Members of the Legislative Assembly in Ca-
nada, and had certainly heard from him that the abolition of
the differential duties would not only very distasteful, but
in all probability very unprofitable to the colonies. But it
should be recollected that the colonies had not, with all the
duties levied, been able to satisfy their own expenses. It was,
therefore, clearly evident, that whatever the difference might
be that was occasioned by the present regulations,
they in no way invalidated the right of the mother
country to regulate their trade.—( Hear. ) With respect
to the question of the navigation laws, he did conceive that it
was highly inexpedient that any inquiry should be entered upon
at the present moment. The colonial shipping interests were,
as they were in this country, of the utmost importance, and it
was of the highest consideration that they should be fully upheld.
Te do so, it might be matter of thought whether these colonies
should or should not be endowed with any peculiarly private
privileges, but still he could repeat that it was highly inexpe.
dient at the present moment to enter upon such a subject.
The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH had net one word to say
in reply, but he might observe, that he trusted in those mea-
sures the Government would not forget the claims of India for
the admission of its sugar as colonial sugar.
The Bill was then read a second time.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.

Messengers from the House of Commons came up, soliciting
a conference with their Lordships wiih that Houze, on the
Baths and 'Washl,ouses Bill, which was agreed to.
The Public Works (Inland) Bill, the Turnp:ke Roads
(Ireland) Bill ; the Public NVot ks, Fisheries, &c., ( Ireland)
Bill ; and the Colonial Po!sessions Bill, were severally re4d a
second time.