The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-11 00:00:00

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

On the motion that the House at its rising adjourn
till Monday,
Sir G. GREY said he wished to correct a statement
which he made yesterday, in answer to a question from
the Honourable Member for Montrose, with respect to
the admi.sion of the public to St. aul's Cathedral.
He stated yesterday that an arrangement had been made
by the Dean and Chapter and the Ecclesiastical Com-
missioners for the purpose of throwing open the area of
St. Paul's to the public free of charge. That statement
was perfectly correct, but he then went on to say that in
anticipation of the order of the Privy Council the Dean
and Chapter had already opened the area of the cathe-
dral. Lie had received a communication from the Dean
to-day, saying that this was a mistake, and that
it was necessary to adhere to the present charge for a
short time longer, pending the carrying out of the new
arrangement, but that he had every reason to hope that
the building would be opened to the public without
charge by the Ist of May next.
PATENT LAWS.
In reply to Mr. CARD WELL, _ _ _

Mr. LABOUCHERE said it was the intention of
Earl Granville to introduce a Bill this evening into the
House of Lords for the improvement of the patent laws.
The motion that the House at its rising adjourn till
Monday next was then curried.
JEWISH DISABILITIES BILL.

In answer to a question from Mr. AGLIONBY,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he proposed to take
the second reading of this Bill on Monday, the 12th of
May.
ST. ALBAN'S ELECTION COMMITTEE.
Mr. AGLIONBY moved that Henry Edwards be dis-
charged from the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms,
without payment of fees. The ground of his motion
was, that the proceedings of the Committee were
entirely informal, in consequence of their having
adjourned over more than twenty-four hours
without having obtained leave from the House.
Well, they did adjourn for more than twenty-four hours.
This might have been an act of kindness, but it was il-
legal to come to any decision without having reference
to the orders of the House. There had evidently been a
breach of those orders, and therefore the House could
not act upon the decision of the Committee. They had
adopted a cour.e which no doubt was quite in accord-
ance with the impulse of gout ;Rulings, and which was
calculated to save cxpense and the keiings of the par-
ties concerned.—(Hear, hear.) But they should re-
member that they were not to act upon feelings, but
upon the directions of Parliament. He would, therefore,
simply content himself with putting the motion.
:he
ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that this was
without doubt a great and important question. It ap-
peared to him that certainly a mistake had been com-
mitted by those appciatcd to make the inquiry. Were
even Lhn Act of Vtxrdaulent eut,rely curop.ied with by
the Committee, it was perfectly evident that the state-
ments made before it could not be gainsayed. He did
not desire to enter at all into the question, but it was

plain that Edwards had been duly committed to the
custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms, and that he could not
be released under a month without an express order of
the House

Mr. G. BANKES wished to know whether the Hon.
Member for Cockermouth had any parr icular interest in
relieving Edwards from his present confinement?
Sir F. THESIGER said that the facts of the
case were all patent to the House, and it was
clear a breech of the privileges of the House had been
committed. Yet, notwithstanding this, it was quite com-
petent for the House to entertain the question as to
whether Edwards should be retained in custody or not;
but on constitutional grounds it was his impression that
the House should come to no decision until they had the
evidence before them.

Mr. WALPOLE regretted that Mr. Edwards had not
been called to the bar of the House and questioned upon
the allegations contained in his petition. His petition
denied the eharge imputed to him, and though ho (Mr.
Walpole) dil not think it expedient to raise the question
of t he validity now, he yet thought it would be decidedly
unjust to retain Mr. Edwards in cuts,tody without at
once questioning him upon the matters brought
against him, He should therefore move as an
amendment that Mr. Edwards be called to the
bar of the 'Luse, andEquestioned by tbe Speaker upon
the truth of the allegations contained in his petition.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded the amend-
ment.

Mr. AGLIONBY could not agree 'with the amend-
ment. Mr. Edwards ought to have been called to the
bar before he was committed, and he zhould, contend
that the House had no right to do it now. The question
now to be considered was sim ply had the
Committee lamer to report? He, for one, certainly
thought they sad not; and therefore the committal of
Mr. Edwards was illegal. He had no dojection to the
ourse proposed by the Hon. and Lt,a,rned Attorney-
General, and he hoped the House would adopt it and
Postpone the discussion until after the meeting of the
Committee.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL told the House that,
had it not beet for the technical objection raised by the
Hon. Member for Cockermouth, Nlr. Edwards would
long since have been called to the bar, and questioned
about the truth of his allegations. He felt the inconve
nieuce of keeping that person in custody until Monday,
but still, if the Hon. and Learned 'Member for Cocker-
mouth were authorised by Mr. Edwards to sanction
that course, why there was an end of the difficulty.
He thought de right course to pursue,, and the most
agreeable to precedent, was to call the r risoner to the
bar of the House, and to read to him the t ainutes of evi-
dence, and then if he could clear himself of that evidence,
he had no doubt the house would order his, discharge.
Mr. AGLIONBY considered that as all the injury bad
already been done to Mr. Edwards, it would be much
better to continue him in custody until Monday.—
(Laughter.) He was perfectly satisfied drat he would be
liberated on Morday on the legal questi.ec, and without
being made liab!e for costs, and thereix To he was in
favour of an adjoarnment of the question until that day.
Sir H. INGLIS reminded the House ths It the prisoner
was convicted on the express testimony of two creditable
witnesses, who were examined in his presence.
'®Mr. ANSTEY said it had been assumed by some
Hon. Members that Edwards had been committed for
the purpose of compelling him to do soul etbing to fur-
ther the proceedings before the Cummiteae , but that was
not the case; he had been found guilty by the Com-
mittee of a successful attempt of tampering with
the evidence of important witnesses, who, thanks
to his exertims, had abscondedi, and were
now perhaps beyond the jurisdiction of the House.
He thought the petition of the prisoner t:onsiderably ag-
gravated the contempt of which he had been guilty, and
his denial of the charge was anything but satisfactory.
After a few words from Sir F. TIIESIGER, the
further consideration of the petition was adjourned until
Monday next.
ASSESSED TAXES ACT.

Mr. COWAN presented a petition l!rom Edinburgh
against the house-tax.
On the motion that the Speaker do have the chair,

Mr. BANKESwished to know whethE ir the Chancellor
of the Exchequer had yet made up his mind upon what
principle he menat to ascertain the as sessment for the
house-tax.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that the rating vimild be made on the =Datil value of the
house, to be ascertained *Li it best could, be.

Mr. DISRAELI, after presenting some petitions pray-
ing for a relief of agricultural distress, t hen proceeded to
say that after the notice which had be en taken of the
distress existing acknowledgedly amc mg the agricul-
tural classes, he felt that her Majesty's Govern-
ment, and he night say the House of Commons,
also had refused to give their attention, still less their
support during the present session of Parliament, to that
which, he would assert, was one of the na oat important of
the classes in this country.—(Hear, he sir.) But while
the discussion of those oppressions occupied the House,
the people were suffering, and he might stay that while the
session was passing over without any re lief the country
was suffering. It was expected that wb en the Govern-
ment was making a declaration the t there needed
relief at the same time it was understood
that the Government should show a synspathy far the
distress of those with whom and for whom the
sympathy was felt. It was no liaht matter for
a Government to refuse to ful fil this pledge.
A proposition was made in the House, expressive of its
opinion that, after that acknowledgment, and the un-
doubted excitement :of the distress, it was the duty of
Government to take immediate steps for its removal.
What was the result of that motion? Why
it bad been confessed that it was the eau se and not the
consequence of the recent Ministerial crisis.—(Hear.)
That crisis being got over, there was a mutual under-
standing between the House and the Government that
something should be done at once to relieve the distress
which the owners and occupiers of land were suffering
from, and it autos quently became the duty of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer to propound his financial
statement, in which he disclosed a plan for the
relief of the agricultural interest. That state-
ment, however, met with little approval, it did not
give that satisfaction which Government had pre-
viously anticipated, and it was welcomed by the
friends of the Chancellor of the iii:chequer in a
manner not very flattering to a Mini star of Finance.
There was no tern of abuse or vituperation strong enough
to be hurled at the head of that Minister, and from one
end of the country to the other there ar see a cry against
his plan which ultimately led to its decisive overthrow.
The supporters of the Government, many of whom were
remarkable for always threatening to stop
the supplies, but never for carrying out
their threats, denounced the whole scheme in
the most unmeasured terms ; butt those who
generally acted in opposition to the Government con-
tented themselves with remaining sil,snt, because the
Budget itself admitted the principle which they had seen so
long contending for. The scheme nevortheless rendered
the Government unfit impopular both is and out of doors,
and eventually they were forced to resign their
trust into the hinds that give it them. And then
came the suppression of public business to which he had
already referred to, but he should pass over that
chaotic interval, Ind come down to events of more
recent occurrence. After putting off .the evil day as
long as be possibly good, the ChanceLlor of the Ex-
chequer at length asclosed his revised B udget; but this
time it was introduced in language of flippant abuse,
indulged in at the expense of an interest which it
was affirmed had refused the concessions offered to it,
and which, therefore, was not entitled to any relief at
all; and the proposal which had been before propounded
for mitigating the sufferings of the owners and occupiers
of land was withdrawn. Now it was impossible to pass
over that refusal of relief.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

SEABORNE MAILS.
(N Signifleg that the nails are sent from the General Poet-081041
by the night—and M by the morning—dispatch.]

When made up in From what
PLACES. General Post-otice port dis- """
due.
London. patched.
America (by Brit. pkt.).N April 11 .. Liverpool .. April 20
America (by U.S. pkt.) N April 29 .. Liverpool .. April 13
America (by U.S. pkt.) k April 23 .. Southampt. April 10
Africa (West coast)•• N 14th of the month Plymouth Alma
Alexandria* • • Nl9ll & 30th of mo. Dover .. April 18
Belgium ......Daily • • .. Dover .. Daily
Brazil .. • .. 31;9th of the month Southampt. April 12
Buenos Ayres • • .. M9th of the month Southampt. April 12
California(viaChagres)llf 17th of month Soutbani pt. Apr 1 5
Cape of Good Hope N 14th of month Plymouth.. April 3
Constantinople* .. • • T 7th 17th 27th of mo Dov,.!r .. April 20
Central America .. M2d & 17th of mon. Soul hampt. April 5
Channel Isles .• N Mon., Wed., &Fri. Southampt. To. Th. S a
Chili . 31'17th of the month Southampt. April 20
France .. & N Twice daily Dover • • Twieedaily
Greece* • • .. N 7tlll7th 27 th elm° Dover •. April 20
Hamburgh N Tuesday & Friday London .. Tues. Sat
Rolland •• Wednes. & Satur. London ..
Honduras . N 17th of the month Southampt. April 20
Ireland • • ••M & N Twice daily .. Holyhead .. Twicedaily
India (via Southamp.) 11.20 th of the month Southampt. April 28
India( via Marseilles) N. 7 th& 24th of month Dover .. April 23
Mediterranean (via
Southampton) 1.1 20th of the month 'Southampt. April 28
Mediterranean (via
Marseilles) N 7th& 24th ofmonth Dover • • April 23
Mexico .• 2d of the month.. Southampt. April 5
} Madeira • • .• .. 11 9th of the month Southampt. April 12
Malta* '•
'70,17 th,l9 th,27th Dover April 20
• & 30th of month
Naples* .. .. • • N sth 15th 25th of mo Dover . • April 12
Papal States* .. N 5 di 15th 25th of rno Dover .. April 12
peninsular M 7th 17th 27th of mo Southampt. April 14
Peru „ •• 1117th of the month Southampt. April 20
Tuscany* • • N sth 15 th 25th of mo Dover • . April 12
West Indies .. M 17th of the month Southampt. April 20
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nassau) Mr2d of the month .. Southanapt. April 5
* The mails to those c ountries thus marked (5) are conveyed by
French packet via Marseilles
Cizinon.NlA. Mails to and from California, via the United States
are now despatched and dare by every American packet.