The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-14 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN WATER BILL.

Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY presented a petition
from Southwark against the Metropolitan Water Bill,
and praying to be heard against it by counsel.
Mr. MO WATT presented a similar petition from the
ratepayers of Marylebone.
Sir G. GREY presented a petition from Finsbury in
favour of the Bill. On the motion of the Right Hon.
Baronet, it was ordered that it be an instruction to the
Committee of Selection to refer the several Bills con-
nected with the supply of water to the metropolis to the
same Committee to which the Metropolis Water Bill is
to be referred.
Mr. Alderman HUNIPBERY presented a petition
from the parish of St. Olare'a also against the Bill.
Sir B. HALL presented similar petitions from St.
Andrew's, Holborn, and St. George the Martyr.
All these petitions were ordered to be referred to the
select Committee on the Bill.

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.
On the motion of Mr. C. LEWIS, it was agreed that
the House at its rising should adjourn till Monday next.
BRITISH MERCHANTS IN VENEZUELA.
Mr. DISRAELI presented a petition from Mr. Ward,
a British merchant, resident at Caraccas, complaining
of the oppression of the Government of Venezuela.
The petitioner stated that, after having been established
at Caraccas for more than a quarter of a century he was
suddenly arrested at his private residence by the Govern-
ment of Venezuela, and thrown into the common pri-
son, and there kept a prisoner for the space of twenty-
six days, on a groundless suspicion that he was con-
cerned in some revolutionary project.—(Hear, hear.)
On his liberation from the common prison he was not
allowed to depart from Caraccas for seven months, and
the consequence was his affairs and his coffee estate went
to ruin. This imprisonment was contrary to the con-
stitution of the country, and a violation of the law of
nations. He applied to the Venezuelan Government
for redress, and one of the local tribunals assessed the
damages which he had sustained by the loss of his
coffee estate at 35,000 dollars, but the Government
had neglected to pay either that or another claim of
25,000 dollars which he had against them. He had,
therefore, come over to this country and appealed to
our Government to interfere, but hitherto without
success, and as he had been advised by the highest legal
authorities in England that his imprisonment was a direct
violation of the law of nations. He prayed the House to
take his case in hand and cause it to be fully investi-
gated. The Hon. Gentleman gave notice that on Mon-
day he would address a question to the Under-Secretary
of the Colonies on the subject of this petition.
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS.
Lord J. RUSSELL moved that on the let of July
next the orders of the day have precedence of notices of
motion on Thursday. The Noble Lord observed that
at this period of the session it was desirable that the
House should •be enabled to proceed with those Bills
wasvmaertbYe Members,
os
which were already on the paper.
Mr. DISRAELI said when the arrangement was first
proposed some sessions ago the Government had a
f
t
of
frenaiti ssawcraisfi cbe
desirablemb ue
tas
hshuoeruewl measures of
sobfen
ov
te rayv
aware
passed.great h
Theat such
o u s.o importance
on
that.which 0
ei
numberra
t"Nwi"s cheerfully agreed to the motion, notwithstanding
e foofr the
e the privilegesouse this
s independent
sessi
session
as
a prodigious
would justify the Government in bringing forward this
motion. He should, however,f 11
nottformally oppose the
motion, though he considered' i
gerous precedent if they agreed _ world be a very dan-
to it 48 a matter of
course.

------
Mr. FRENCH observed that the Government had to
propose several measures which were of very great im-
portance Mr. W. WILLIAMS thought the Government were
treating the lietise very unceremoniously in asking the
to Ireland.