The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-20 00:00:00

made in the navy since the last return, and an account in
detail of the Royal Marine e.ita',lishtnent.

Mr. JOHNSTONE presented several petitions from the
county of Fife, praying for the abolition of slavery.
Mr. WILKES presented a petition from Ashburton, in
the county of Devon, to the same effect►
Mr. PEASE presented a petition from the inhabitants
of South Durham to the same effect.
Mr. RIPPON presented a petition from the inhabitants
of Gateshead to the same effect.
Mr. Sheriff HUMPHERY presented several petitions
from the borough of Southwark, against Sunday trading.
Lord MORPEra presented a petition from Harro-
gate, Yorkshire, praying for a repeal of the house and
window tax.
Mr. H. GRATTAN presented a petition from the in-
h ibitants of Navan, praying for the abolition of tithes
anti the vestry cess.
Mr. PLUNIPTRE presented a petition from Broad-
stairs, praying for an Act to compel the better observance
of the Sabbath.
Mr. COBBETT said that a great many petitions had
been presented on this subject, but he had not heard the
prayers of any of them read.
The Clerk of the House then read the prayer of the
present petition.
Mr. COBBETT did not see any thing in the prayer of
the petition which the law did not already provide for.—
(Hear, hear.) There was a law in existence which, per-
haps, the petitioners were not aware of, which inflicted
penalties on persons who carried on their ordinary calling
on the Lord's Day. He considered the laws upon the sub-
ject quite sufficient for all the purposes required; and felt
convinced that the House could pass no Act on the sub-
j, et, which would not operate mischief instead of good.
Mr. GILLON thanked the Honourable Member
for Oldham, for having called the subject to the atten-
tion of the House, and expressed his concurrence in the
statements made by the Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. WARBURTON could not agree with the object
of the Committee which sat last year on this subject, in
putting an end to those amusements which the smoke-
dried inhabitants of great towns, so much required. He
thought that a Committee should be appointed on the
subject who would take evidence on both sides ; the last
Committee only took evidence on one, and be thought he
should be prepared to show that many of the statements
made before that Committee were wholly without fouuda-
tion.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME would recommend all persons to read the
evidence given before that Committee by the Bishop of
London ; that evidence supported the views which he
took upon the subject, and did not at all tend to sanction
the measure about to be brought forward.
Colonel TORRENS felt convinced, that any measure
was bad which tended to destroy the recreation necessary
to the health of the labouring population.
Mr. O'CONNELL felt satisfied that piety could not be
increased by an Act of Parliament.—(Cheers.) There were
statutes at present in existence which inflicted punishment
on those who carried on their calling on a Sunday. The
in9rning of a Sunday, by a man of religious feelings,
might be devoted to his religious duties, but the afternoon
of that day was required by the labouring classes for re-
laxation.—(Hear.) The coarse that had hitherto been
pursued, tended very much to drive men into public•
houses.

Mr. WILKS was of opinion that the Committee should
be re-appointed.
Lord ASHLEY bad been one of the Committee ap-
pointed last session, and begged leave to state, that
nothing at all tending to abridge the amusements or recre-
ations of the people had been contemplated. Ag
that they intended was to render the laws already
sanctioned by the Legislature really operative.
Mr. FAITHFULL said, that a great many petitions
bad been presented by journeymen bakers, calling upon
the House to free them from the disadvantages to which
they were subjected, in consequence of the manner in
which they were obliged to spend their Sunday.
Mr. JOHNSTONE, as a Member of the Committee
which had been appointed, begged leave to say that the
Members not having reed their report, it would be a
great want of courtesy to reappoint it. Let them wait
until they were euabled to bring forward their Bi I on
the suhject, and if it was such as not to give e.tisfact on
to the House, farther steps might then justifi 1:.ly he taken.
Lord HENNIKER moved for certain returns relative
to duties paid by taxed stage carts, &c.
Mr. ROEBUCK presented a petition from the owners
and occupiers of houses, in a place in the county of Suf-
folk, against the assessed taxes. The petition in
general complained of the present overburdened state
of taxation, and prayed that it should be reduced by the
House reducing the enormous expenditure of the country
—by abolishing the sinecures, useless places, and un-
merited pensions, which had so long oppressed the peot le.
After a few words from Mr. GORE. L4NGTON, the

petition was laid upon the table.
Lord ASHLEY presented a petition from the Sunday
School teachers of Bolling and another place i■ the North
Riding of Yorkshire in favour of the Ten-Hour Bill, and
the better observance of the Sabbath.
Laid upon the table.
Mr. LALOR presented a petition from an individual
residing in the Queen's County, complaining of the
conduct of the police. The Honourable Member read,
first, a letter from a person who had been confined to
his house by the police, who had refused to let
water go into the house or food come out of it, because he
would not surrender to a warrant of arrest of tithes. He
next read a letter from a Catholic clergyman whose house
had been searched for arms without any sufficient reason.
—Hear, hear, hear.) Both the Reverend Gentleman
and the first individual complained of the tyranny
of the police, and the Rev. Gentleman expressed his con-
viction, that that body was urged on by high authority, in
order to afford the Government some colour of excuse for
passing the coercive measure in progress in another House.
The Honourable Gentleman concluded by observing that
if such outrages had been committed on any individual,
front one end of this country to the other, there was not an
individual who would not have risen up and resented them.
The petition was ordered to be brought up and read by
the clerk of the House.
Mr. STANLEY eaid it was impossible for him to
enter upon the merits of this case without ever having
heard a word of it before. The complaint, as
he understood it, was against the conduct of the police
upon some proceeding for the recovery of tithes. The
lion. Member for Queen's County, in presenting the peti-
tion, had unintentionally conveyed an insinuation that
either the Government, or some persons acting under them,
suffered improper p oceedings on the part of the police.
No impression could be more erroneous. When the Hon.
Member next brought forward a complaint against any
Magistrate or person acting under Government, it would
be much more convenient if he would give notice of his
intention to do so. If the lion. Member would intrust him
(Mr. S.) with the particulars of this case, he would take
care to institute a full inquiry into it, and give the Hon.
Member every possible explanation, leaving it to his sense
of justice afterwards to convey that explanation to the
House.
Mr. O'CONNELL was glad to hear the Right Hon.
Secretary declare that it was improper to form an opinion
upo❑ ex parte statements. He hoped that Ireland would
have the benefit of that principle when the House should
be called upon to adopt the measures of severity which it
was supposed would soon be introduced into that House.
_(Hear, hear.) Whilst he was on his legs he would
take that opportunity of intimating, that if any measures
should be proposed in that House for depriving the people
of Ireland of any of their constitutional privileges, he would
move a call of the House, and repeat it, if necessary, every
dty whilst such measures should be before the House.
Mr. LALOR would in future act upon the hint thrown
out by the Right Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR had on a former occasion sent to
Major Miller the particulars of a case of abuse on the part
of the police, wnich the Major informed him be had
transmitted to the Right Hon. Secretary. No answer,
however, had been received.
Mr. STANLEY did not remember having received the
communication to which the Hon. Member alluded.
Mr. E. RUTHVEN should be able to prove at the
bar of the House that the police themselves had introduced
\Vhiteboyism into the county of Kildare.
After some observations from Mr. RUTIIVEN and Mr.
H. GRATTAN,
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. S. MACKENZIE presented a petition front a reli-
gious congregation in Scotland, praying the House to adopt
measures to enforce the better observance of the Sabbath.
Mr. COBBETT observed that petitions of this nature
came from various Protestant congregations, but it was
somewhat singular that none proceeded from Catholics.
Mr. O'CONNELL—Yet ❑o class of Christians were
so strict as to the attendance at divine worship as the Ca-
tholics. Indeed, it was deemed a mortal sin for n Ca-
tholic to absent himself from divine worship.
GRAND JURIES (IRELAND). . .

Mr. STANLEY, after presenting two petitions from
places in Ireland, praying for the revision of the Grand
Jury system, proceeded to say, that in proposing a measure
in accordance with the prayer of those petitions, It would
not be necessary for him to trespass long on the attention
of the House. It bad long been acknowledged that Grand
Jury taxation in Ireland pressed most heavily on the in-
dustrious classes of the community ; but though the evil
was universally acknowledged, great doubts existed in the