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

LONDON,

SICILY.

TUESDAY EVENING-, AUGUST 8, 1848.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, August 7.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock.

Lord STANLEY gave notice that he should, to-
morrow, inquire whether any orders had been given
to the British fleet to interfere with any attempts of the
King of Naples to recover Sicily ; and whether any of
the British authorities had at all interfered with the
election of the King of Sicily?
REPRODUCTIVE LOAN FUND INSTITUTION
BILL (IRELAND).
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved the second
reading of this Bill._

Lora' MONTEAGLE asked his Noble Friend to post-
pone certain clauses of the Bill, which, if enacted, would
impose an unfair responsibility on the trustees.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE had no objection
to postpone the Committee on the Bill until Monday,
in order to give time for the consideration of the
clauses. He thought the liability of trustees ought
not to be diminished, because nothing was more com-
mon in Ireland than for persons to lend their names to
schemes, and such persons ought to be rendered liable to
the expenses of those schemes.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed on Monday.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS (IRELAND) BILL.
Lord MONTEAGLE then moved the second reading
of the Juvenile-:Offenders (Ireland) Bill, which had
come up from the House of Commons.

Earl-GREY did not object to the principle of the Bill,
but he thought the measure one of too important a na-
ture to be considered hurriedly. He thought it would
be advisable not to press it at this late period of the
session.

The Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed to•morrow.

Earl GREY said that to-morrow he should lay upon
the table some additional papers connected with emigra-
tion to Australia, and take that opportunity to make a
general statement as to what measures had been adopted
on the subject.
•
THE RUM DUTIES BILL.

The Duke of ARGYLL, before the order of the day
for the second reading of the Rum Duties Bill was read,
wished to know whether it was the intention of the Go-
vernment to use their best exertion for the purpose of
obtaining the sanction of Parliament to the British Spi-
rits Warehousing Bill.
The Earl of GRANVILLE said the Bill was before
the other Rouse of Parliament, and it was the intention
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to proceed with it as
speedily as possible. The Bill had been reported. The
Noble Lord then moved the second reading of the Bill.
After a short conversation, in which the Duke of
ARGYLL and Lord MONTEAGLE took part, the Bill was
read a second time and ordered to be committed to mor-
row (this day). -
The Caledonian Canal Bill was read a second time.
The Salmon Breed Preservation Bill and the Public
Works (Ireland) Bill went throukh Committee.

The Corn Markets (Ireland) Bill was reported, and the
third reading fixed for to-morrow.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, August 7.

REGISTERING BIRTHS, &c., (SCOTLAND) BILL.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. HUME was not opposed to the principle of the
Bill, but to the defective nature of this Bill. It was
remarkable that these Bills bad been introduced with-
out any demand for them on the part of the people of
Scotland.—(Hear, hear.) If the Government thought
these Bills were so necessary, why did they leave
them until this late period of the session, when
the attendance of Scotch Members was extremely
meagre?—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord ought to
be satisfied to have the Bill read a second time, and
defer its further progress until the ensuing session. The
registration in England was merely an approximation
to a good system of registration, unlike the efficient plan
adopted on the continent, where no birth or death was
registered without sufficient evidence ; here a man could
register his own death or that of any of his children,
so defective was it—(Hear, and laughter)—yet the ex.
pense was enormous; it would be 9,5001. in Scotland, if
this Bill were passed, and if that large sum were to be
expended the measure should be an efficient one. The
Bill said that session clerks should be registrars. Now
they were the very worst parties. (Hear, hear.)
Medical men should be appointed, because they were
the best parties to judge. The measure was altogether
defective, and like the Prisons Bill, would not only work
inefficiently, but lead to the expenditure of more money
than that estimated. The Noble Lord had not met the ob-
jections of those who had waited upon him respecting the
Bill. He said the objections ought to be discussed in Com-
mittee, but he objected to doing so when the House was
really in articulo mortis; As the measure took the people
of Scotland by surprise, he pressed the Noble and
Learned Lord to obtain the affirmation of the Bill by

getting it read a second time, and to-defer proceeding
further with it until the next session. If it was an ac-
ceptable measure more petitions than five would have
been presented in favour of it.
The amendment having been put,
Mr. LOCKHART agreed with the Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Hume) in considering that it was a matter of re-
gret that the Noble Lord bad thought • pioper at this
period of the session, and when so many Scotch Mem-
bers were absent, to press a Bill which' would tax the
people of Scotland with the payment of a considerble
sum. The Hon. Member concluded by moving that the
house be counted. -
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, but there
being more than forty Members present, the discussion
proceeded on the Bill.
1/11. .1.1141.xm,c.za0 taavo A4C4llllell Juorti would post-
pone the further, consideration of the Bill to another
session.

Colonel THOMPSON thought that something shoUld
be done to put an end to the irregular marriages that
took place in Scotland.

Mr. F. SCOTT did not object to the principle of the
Bill, but thought its machinery unnecessary and expen-
sive. He trusted the Learned Lord would postpone both
the Bills to another session.

Mr. MACGREGOR, was in hopes the Learned Lord
would accede to the wishes expresssed by so many
Scotch Members, and merely read these Bills proforma
a second time, and bring them in again in another
session.

Mr. H. DRUMMOND said that the only objection he
had beard to the measure was on the score of expense.
He thought that was a reason why the Bill should
be read a second time, in order that the- House
might go into Committee on the Bill, and
in Committee remove the expensive machinery
of that measure. He thought they ought to remove all
the religious part of the ceremony out of the Bill alto-
gether, in order to make it work well, and make the
registration the evidence of the fact.
Mr. ELLIOT returned his thanks to the Lord Ad-
vocate for bringing forward this measure. Considering
that the present law of marriage in Scotland was a dis-
grace to that country, he thought the objections
urged to the measure • were weak compared
with its importance. It had been made 'a com-
plaint that there was so thin a House. Considering
that this was a Scotch question, he thought they had a
very full one.

Mr. S. WORTLEY felt no hesitation in admitting
that it was essentially necessary that some great change
should take place in the law of marriage in Scotland;
but, feeling that it was totally impossible to
discuss a measure of such importance 'at the
present period of the session, he trusted that the
Learned Lord-Advocate would be satisfied with the dis-
cussion that had taken place, and would withdraw both
measures for the present session.
Mr. EWART' thought that no grounds had been
shown why either of these measures should
,be hurried
through during the present session, and he hoped,
therefore, they would be withdrawn. Added to this,
the arguments were strong against proceeding with
heiatdhebreeonf
ptrheeeemnteeadsaugreasin;
eat ntdh
emas,
tthoe sayingtrn no
th p
was
that
tittiimones
had not been given for doing so.
Admiral GORDON trusted the Lord-Advocate would
aneosmts
ipersevereE
Rw ist ho
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ar
so of thealso
inßills
f a
vdouurri ring the
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ienngt
both measures.
Mr. URQUHART also expressed a hope that the
Bills would be postponed to another session.
The LORD-ADVOCATE would take the second
readings of both Bills unconditionally, and would after-
wards consider what had fallen from Hon. Members.
After some further discussion,

The Registering Births, &c. (Scotland) Bill was read
a second time, and erderea to be committed on Friday.
MARRIAGE (SCOTLAND) BILL.

On the motion that this Bill be read a second time,
Mr. F. SCOTT moved, as an amendment to the mo
tion for the second reading, that the Bill be rend a
second time that day three months.
After a short discussion the amendment was with-
drawn, the Bill read a second time, and ordered to be
committed on Friday.
INSOLVENT DEBTORS' COURT BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
TURNPIKE ACTS CONTINUANCE BILL.
This Bill was ordered to be committed ou Wednesday,
at twelve o'clock.
EXCHANGE OF ADVOWSONS IN THE COUN-
TIES OF WARWICK AND STAFFORD BILL.
This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed.

DUBLIN POLICE.
The Dublin Police Bill was ordered to be committed
to morrow (this day) at twelve o'clock.
The House then adjourned until Five o'clock.

The House resumed at Five o'clock.
Mr. LUSIIINGTON presented a petition front the
Baptists of the United Kingdom against the Regium 1).9-
num grant.
Mr. DUNCAN presented petitions from places in
Scotland against the Marriages (Scotland) Bill.

CRIMINAL LAW.
Mr. ANSTEY gave notice that tomorrow he should
put a question to the Noble Lord the Member for the
City of London, or any other Member of the Govern-
ment who might be in his place, with respect
to the report of the Criminal Law Commissioners.
The question ho should put would be whether it was
the intention of Government to bring in a Bill to con-
solidate the criminal law as proposed by the Criminal
Law Commissioners, or to take any other measure to
carry into effect the suggestions contained in
the report of the Commissioners, more particuln►rly
with reference to the enactment of the penalties of
transportation for life against Roman Catholic priests,
or against ministers of the Church of England who re-
fused to obey the Queen's cove d'elire for the election:
of a bishop. •
COMMERCIAL DISTRESS.

In reply to a question from Mr. URQUHART,
Mr. HUME said he had given notice to call the atten-
tion of the House this day to tho Report on Commercial