The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-09 00:00:00

PENSION TO GEN. WILLIAMS, K.C.B.

The LORD CHANCELLOR informed the house
that her Majesty, being desirous to confer some
signal mark of her approbation upon Sir
William Fenwick Williams for his eminent and

list►nguished services as her Maje.sty's Corrirnis-

sioi2er in Asia, and particularly for his gallant
defened of Kars, she recommends to the Honse of
Lords the propriety of making a provision of 1,0001.
a-year to that distinguished oflicer during his natural
life.

Earl GRANVILLIE said that her Majesty had been
graciously pleased to confer upon Sir W. Williams the
dignity of a Baronet of the United Kingdom, under the
title of Sir Wiliiam Fenwick Williams of Kars.
THE MARITIME LAWS.

The Earl of COLCHESTER, gave notice of his inten-
tion, on the 2:3d inst., to bring under the consideration
of their lordships' house those articles of the treaty
agreed to at Paris which affected our maritime laws.
Lord 11110IIGHA.M expressed a hope that the noble
lord would not include in his motion the arrangements
entered into fur the abolition of the practice of pri-
vateerinz.

The Esrl of COLCHESTER, said he would lay on
the table a copy of his resolution in ample time for the
noble and learned lord to fully consider it.

THE MURDER OF MISS HINDS IN IRELAND.
Lord LYNDHURST presented a petition from
Thos. Dunn, who had been convicted of the murder of
Miss Hinds in Ireland. He stated he had applied to
the Attorney-General fir his fiat to obtain a writ of
error under the circumstances, which he set forth in his
petition. That fiat having been refused by the Attorney-
General, he prayed their lordships to take his case into
their consideration.

On the motion of the noble and learned lord, the peti-
tion was read at length at the table.
Lord CAMPBELL said it was his opinion that, under
all the circumstances of the case, the Attorney. General
had acted properly in so refusing.
The LORD CEI.A.NCELLOR was of a similar opinion,
and observed that it would be impossible to carry out
the sentences in such cases if writs of error were to be
allowed to all persons who, like the prisoner, were con•
victed of the capital offence.
MERCANTILE LAW AMENDMENT ACT.

Tne LORD CHANCELLOR said in deference to
the wishes of the merchants and bankers of London,
as well as to other parties, he wou!d consent to refer the
bill to a select cntnwittee.

Lord CAMPBELL said the measure was a very valu-
able one, and regretted the referring of the bill to a select
committee, as it would now be very uncertain as to
whether this bill would be proceeded with any fuNher this
session.

After a short discussion, in which Earl Gray, Lord
Overstone, and Lord St. Leonardi took part, the bill
was ordered to be referred to a select committee.
THANKS TO THE ARMY AND NAVY.

Lord PANMURE, in movinc, that the thanks of the
house be given to the Army and Navy and Marines em-
ployed in the operations of the late war, and to the em-
bodied militia, said the house had that day presented at
the foot of the throne its thanks to her Majesty for the
announcement of the return of peace ; but before they
surrendered themselves to the enjoyment of that peace,
before they hung up their sword against the wall, from
from which, he trusted, it would be long ere they should
take it down again, there was a duty which remained for
them to perform—namely, the duty of returning
thanks to all the branches of her Majesty's service
for for zeal, their courage, and their endurance dur-
ing the war from which they bad just emerged.
(Hear, hear.) In so doing be should endeavour to
avoid •very controversial point which might tend in
any degree to lead them from that unanimity which
he was quite sure their lordships would with to ob
serve on the present occasion. The first branch of her
Majesty's service to which he would refer was the
Navy. They had on this occasion no great triumph to
celebrate ; but they had services on the part of her Ma-
jesty's navy to acknowledge which, though not brilliant
were nevertheless of the utmost importance, and must
. .

command their gratitude. In the Baltic they had seen
the navy maintain in that inhospitable sea one of the
most difficult blockades which he believed could possibly
be, and yet they had maintained that blockade under all
difficulties without the sacrifice of a single one of her Ma-
jesty's ships, and alinost without injury he might say, to
any individual. They had distinguished themselves by re-
ducing one of the strongholds, they had blockaded with
success the strong fortresses and harbours of the enemy,
they bad swept from the sea every vessel belonging to the
enemy, and confined within its ports the navy of the ene-
my. Such were the deeds done by the navy in the Baltic.
In the Black Sea, although, again, no brilliant action
had been performed by the combined navy, yet by their
attack on the fortress of Sebastopol, their attack on
Kinbourn, hand the manner in which they twice
swept the Sea of Azoff, they had rendered the greatest
service to the army. But the services of the navy had
❑ot yet been generally known in a direction which he
should take the liberty of explaining to their lordships.
The assistance which the navy had rendered to the com-
bined army in carrying on the war, by furnishing the
means of transport of the army and its stores, he thought
ought to be more publicly known. The following was
an account of the troops, horses, stores, &c., conveyed
in British transports, ships-of-war, during the years
1854 and 1855 :

L—TuooPs.
British, from Great Britain (including
militia) to Mediterranean, Foreign
Legion, Transport Corps, (te 123,105
British, from Mediterranean to Black Sea 26,659

Total British
French, from France to Baltic and Mediterranean 52,919
Sardinians

221,984
170,634
43,185

435,803