The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, June 16.
,7 -

The SPEAKER took the Chair_at Four o'clock.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented two petitions from
Salford in favour of household suffrage.
Mr. JACKSON, Mr. JOHN Evass, and several other
Hon. Members presented petitions in favour of Perlin-

mentary reform.
Mr. HENRY BERKELEY presented a similar peti-
tion from the West London Reform Association, and
several to the same effect from Bristol.
Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a petition from West-
minster in favour of the Health of Towns Bill.
Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON presented a petition
from Clerkenwell is favour of Parliamentary reform.
THIRD READINGS.
The following Bills were read a third time and passed:
Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Junction Railway
(Burnley and Colliery Branches).
Londonderry and Coleraine Railway (Deviation of Line
and Amendment of Act).
Londonderry and: Enniskillen Railway (Relinquishment
of line between Omagh and Enniskillen, &c.) Bill.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS.
The following reports were considered and agreed to:
Dundee and Perth Railway (leaso of the Dundee and

Arbroath Railway Bill):
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, and Glasgow, Airdrie,
and Monklands Junction Railway (Amendment of
Acts) Bill.
Dr. BOWRING presented three petitions from
Bolton in favour of Parliamentary reform.
Sir E. BUXTON presented petitions from various
parties in the West Indies against any extensive emi-
gration from Africa. The Hon. Baronet also presented
petitions in favour of Parliamentary reform.
Mr. COWPER presented a petition from Hertford in
favour of an extension of the suffrage.
Mr. HASTIE presented a petition from Paisley
against the sale of intoxicating liquors on Sundays;
also a petition from the same place in favour of Parlia-
mentary reform.
Mr. COBDEN presented a large number of petitions
to the same effect. _ _

Mr. BANKES presented a petition from the county of
Dorset praying the House to pass an Act to define the
right of the Church and the Crown in the nomination of
bishops.
FRAUDS IN THE SALE OF BREAD.

The HoN. MEMBER then brought up a Bill for more
effectually suppressing frauds in the sale of bread and
other articles of food, which was read a first time, and
ordered to be read a second time on the 3d of July.

SLIGO ELECTION..
The Committee appointed to try the merits of the
petition against the return for this borough was sum-
moned to the table and sworn.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

Lord DUDLEY STUART presented a petition pray-
ing for Parliamentary reform.
Mr. HUME presented a petition, signed by persons
resident in the metropolis, stating that the present con-
dition of the country made it absolutely necessary that
there should be some retrenchment, and praying that the
suffrage might be extended, that the voter might be fur-
ther protected, and that the duration of Parliaments
might be shortened.
THE RECEPTION OF PRINTED PETITIONS.
The HoN. MEMBER. also stated that he had received
several petitions from different parts of the country,
praying for Parliamentary reform, but they were printed;
and agreeably to the rules of the House, he believed
that printed petitions could not be received; and if that
were so, it was important that it should be generally
known, as it would save parties a good deal of trouble.
He therefore begged to ask whether it was consistent
with the rules of the House that he or any other
Member could present printed petitions.
The SPEAKER said the Hon. Member was quite
right in his supposition, because it was a rule of the
House that printed petitions should not be received.
Mr. HUME apprehended that lithographed petitions
could be received ?
The SPEAKER—A petition must be written.
BOROUGH OF DERBY.
Mr. STAFFORD proposed the following motion:—
" That Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant to the Clerk
of the Crown, to make out a new writ for the electing
of two: burgesses to serve in the present Parliament for
the borough of Derby, in the room of the Right Hon.
Edward Strutt and the Hon. Edward Frederick Le-
veson Gower, whose election had been determined to be
void."

Mr. lIUME rose amidst cries for a division. He said
he thought after the decision which the House came to
last night with respect to the issuing of the writ for
would
Li,:itteiensgteroTo, six having voted in favour of the
not thehawrit—that the Honourable Gentleman
seemed to hin,"
House to bring r pressed his motion to-night. It
the expression of forward be trifling with the time of the
whole
on the part of the House yes-
a similar motion to-day after
terday. As the
the
write of
fatter in relation to this and
other places,
which had been suspended,
would come before the Hon
suggest to the Hon. Gentle on
Monday, Gentleman the propriety of post-
poning his motion until that dr. He he begged to
of
dividing.
Mr. STAFFORD said so large a number
because hoped he would
not put the House to the trouble'
rlaer voted against
the issuing of the writ for Leicester
the report
re it had
of the Committee and the evidence adduced before
motion
not been laid on the table. He should press
to a division.
The House then divided, when there appeared--
For the issuing of the writ
Against it
Majority against issuing the writ —53
The issuing of the writ is consequently still further
suspended.

lIIGIIWAY BILL.
Sir G. GREY, in answer to a question from Sir J.
Trollope, stated that he would consent to the Highway
Bill being referred to a Select Committee, although he
had originally opposed it ; but he did not think that
chat Committee could be appointed on Monday nex.

WEST INDIA DISTRESS.
The SPEAKER then called upon
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, who spoke as followa:—I
will now proceed to make the statement which I have
promised to the House that I would make on this day
with respect to the state of the West Indies, and the
distress prevailing there. I mean to-day to end by a
mere motion of form, and to propose that on Monday
next the House should resolve itself into a Committee of
the whole House, for the purpose of considering the
propositions which I will this day have the honour of
stating to the House. Sir, in considering the present state
of the West Indies, and generally of those parts of the
British dominions in which the production of sugar is
carried on, I think it will be necessary, although I wish
to enter iuto arguments as little as possible, to take some
general view of the past course of our legislation.—
(Hear, hear.) In my view, in considering this
question, it will not be sufficient that we should
limit our attention to the mere operation of the Act
of 1836. I am confirmed by the opinion of a gentle-