The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-14 00:00:00

BASINGSTOKE CANAL.

The Marquis of CHANDOS presented a petition from the
Basingstoke Canal Company, against the Southampton Rail-
way Bill.

SOUTH LONDON WATER WORKS.

Mr. TENNYSON moved the second reading of the South
London Water-works Bill.
GLASTONBURY NAVIGATION.

Mr. MILES brought up the report of the committee on the
Glastonbury navigation petition.

HEBBER RAILWAY.
Mr. HODGSON brought in the Hebber Railway Bill.
LEEDS GAS COMPANY. _ _

Mr. BAINES moved the second reading of the Leeds Gas
Company Bill.
DISSENTERS' PETITIONS.

Mr. PEASE presented a petition from Stockton.upon-Tees
for a reform in the church establishment, and for the removal
of disabilities affecting Dissenters.
Mr. WIGNEY presented two petitions from Brighton for
the better observance of the Sabbath.

Mr. BISH presented a petition from the Dissenters of
Leominster, praying for relief.

IRISH FISHERIES.

Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from the fishermen
of the salmon fishery on the rivers Barron and Nore, signed
by about 1,000 persons, complaining of great distress. They
stated that they obtained a good livelihood until about five
years ago, when a company was formed in Scotland to fish on
those rivers with stake-nets. That company was, in his
opinion, perfectly illegal, by two statutes, namely, the
28th Henry VIII. cap. 22., and the 10th Churls I. cap. 14.
Some time ago a private individual prosecuted a party for using
those nets on the Shannon, and a veruict of 40s. damages
was obtained, thereby estab:ishing the illegality of the use of
stake nets. As, however, the statutes did not give cysts, the
plaintiff was put to the expense of 4001., and, consequently,
persons, particularly in the condition of poor fishermen, were
deterred from further prosecuting. The former statute em-
powered the sheriffs and his olhcers of the three counties of
Kilkenny, Carlow, and Wateriord, on notice being given to
them, to destroy Weirs. '1 he petition. rs had applied to the
Sheriffs, and on their refusing to act, applied to the
government, who, however, postponed any reply until
a case between the Duke of Devonshire and Mr.
Smith, which was then pending in the Court of King's Bench,
was decided. The Court of King's Bench did decide in favour
of the noble duke, and thereby again established the illegality
of the Weirs. They applied to the Lord Lieutenant again,
and were informed that the government would not interfere
What was the consequence? Two statutes were distinctly
violated by a wealthy company, who could easily contend against
a poor man, as the notion of a poor fisherman going to law,
who never in his life, perhaps, could scrape together as much
money as would pay for the first process, was as wild as to dream
of paying off the national debt. He submitted to the house
whether this was not a case in which the prayer of the
petition ought to be attended to ? They might proceed
against those who violated the statute by indictment, and in
the present case there could be no difficulty. Though he had
not the honour to be the legal adviser to the Irish Govern-
ment, yet he had no hesitation in stating that no lawyer who
saw the statutes but would tell them at once th::t there was a
distinct mode of proceeding, and an easy remedy.
Mr. LA MBERT supported the petition. He knew instances
of more than 200 families being thrown into a state of destitu-
tion, in consequence of the evils alluded to in the petition.
Mr. LI rfLETON said he would pledge himself to inquire
into the statements, with a view to the revision of the bill.

Mr. O'CONNELL said he desired no more.
KINGSTOWN HARBOUR.

Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from the county
of Dublin, signed by several of the Irish nobility and
gentry, praying for certain improvements to extend the
Kingstown harbour to the port of Dublin. There was
no chance of executing the work by subscription, or a joint-
stock corn, any. A lottery had been spoken of, but there was a
prejudice against that plan. It would be better to make it a
government undertaking, and lie hoped the committee of last
year would be revived.—Laid on the table.
• '

Mr. SHAW supported the prayer of the petition, and
expressed his wish that means might be devised to raise the
money necessary for that purpose. He could not say whether
he could agree to its being raised by lottery.
Sir E. CODRINGTON supported the prayer of thepetition,
and could not see why the money, for so valuable a work,
should not be raised by lottery, as well as the money going to
Hamburg.
Mr. LITTLETON admitted the practicability of the work,
but would not express an opinion whether the large sum of
money requisite to carry it into effect might not be applied to
works more beneficial to the public. He thought the work
would be a great benefit to the city of Dublin, as it would have
the effect of connecting the two harbours.
Mr. O'D WYER complained of the pusillanimous conduct of
the government in refusing a sum of 3001. for a survey.
Mr. SPRING RICE defended the refusal on the part of the
government of the grant of that sum, thinking that they con-
sidered it was not the duty of government to interfere, the
measure being a private one, and affecting private rights.
Mr. RUTHVEN followed on the same side with the hon.
member for Drogheda. .

Mr. SHEIL observed that the previous approbation of the
committee should have insured the grant of 300/. for a work
of great utility. On Charing-cross and Windsor the crown
lands of Ireland were expended.

Mr. O'CONNELL said that a passage from Kingstown to
Ncw York was made in twenty days ; and it took twenty-one
days to navigate from Dublin to Kingstown—just one day more
than crossing the Atlantic. 472,0001. of Irish money was ex-
pended on Charing cross, and the wretched sum of 300/. was
denied to Ireland. As to the patriotism of the hon. Secretary
to the Treasury, he (Mr. O'C.) doubted it much. The Scotch
members took care of their country. They did not vaunt of
their patriotism, but they attended to the interests of their con-
stituents. On Tuesday next he would give notice for referring
the bill to a committee of the house.

Mr. WALKER said the government should consider whether
this was not a most important work, which would make Dublin
instead of being a place of destitution and distress, as it was at
present, a great trading town. It would be one means of putting
an end to the cry for a repeal of the union, to countenance some
of these great national measures of improvement.
Mr. JEPHSON said the effects of the proposed measure had
appeared very doubtful to the committee as to its beneficial
effects upon the trade of Dublin- He objected to its being
considered a national question.
Mr. WALKER explained.
CHOLERA AT SKIBBEREEN.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from a -place in
Wexford, complaining of distress. With reference to a state-
ment made by the hon. member for Mallow, as to the condition
of the inhabitants of Skibbereen from cholera, he would
read a letter which had been left with him by
the hon. member for Cork (Mr. Fergus O'Connor.) The
hon. and learned member proceeded to read an extract from the
letter, which stated that all the details of the misery and desti-
ution of the inhabitants, made by the hon. member for Cork,
in that house, had been fully substantiated at a public meeting,
at
whinch hil
tni
hahe ng t
njeoo
bnrn
nly
r. hpwalcandrnss aodtnre
dteseandnpd:retodnp.yirvi
ewe Ats
hoe
proprietors
csi
present
ooai
tfd
dsaucp, bofpensencat rdrriiepbdttuhi
toteer:
dnas
Mr. JEPHSON reprobated the practice of dragging before
c
ames of
anone
pu
selves.—(Hear, hear.)

Mr. O'CONNELL said the hon. member had seen the docu-
ments at his house, and never made any objection before to the
production of them.

Mr. JEPHSON then proceeded to advert to the difference
between his statement and that of the hon. member for Cork
(Mr. F. O'Connor) on a former day, as to the extent of the exist.
ence of cholera at Skibbereen, and as to a subscription to the
amount of SOL The hon. and learned me nber had now brought
a document, to disprove his (Mr. Jephson's) statement on that
occasion, but that referred not only to Skibbereen, but to the
adjacent towns; and his (Mr. Jephson's) statement had refer-
ence only to the former place. He complained that it was ex-
tremely unfair and uncandid to bring forward new matter upon
the present occasion.

Mr. LITTLETON said, that Major Miller had abstained
from applying for a board of health, for fear of publishing the
fact and injuring the trade of Skibbereen. He (Mr. Littleton)
had not been in consequence aware that cholera existed to such
an alarming extent, and the misery and distress there were cer-
tainly extreme; 2001. had been applied to relieve it, tents had
been forwarded, and a board of health, he believed, had now
been organized. As soon as government heard of the extent
of the cholera, Major Miller was requested to examine into it,
and to report thereon ; on his report steps were immediately
taken to stop the ravages of the aisease, and to relieve the
misery which unfortunately existed.
Mr. O'DWYER said that he was informed that no Board
of Health had been established.
_ .

---- -
Mr. SHAW said he agreed with the hon. member for Mal-
low, that it was very unfair to drag the names of individuals
before the house, as had been done in the present instance.
He put it to hon, members, whether, If they chose to re.

fuse any application that was Made to them in ignorance of theld
nature of the application or its justice—whether they wou
like to have their names exposed to the public as refusing to do
an act of charity ?
After a few words from Mr. WALKER, Mr. LirrLEToN, and
Mr. S. BARRY.
Mr. O'CoNNELL replied, and the petition was ordered to lie
on the table.

REPEAL OF THE UNION. •I,
Mr. O'CONNELL then presented a petition from IC"
lateeny, in the county of Wicklow, for the repe.il of the
union ; and from Kilmore May, in the county of g3r;
toll
complaining of the state of exhaustion to which the populat
was reduced by the increase of absenteeism, and also Pray
ins for a repeal of the union.—The petitions were ordereo
to lie on the table. The same honourable gentlein
a4l
then gave notice, that on Tuesday next he would move
for
leave to bring in a bill for the improvement of the rivers.
lakes, and fisheries in Ireland.
BRADSHAW WEAVERS.
Mr. HARDY presented a petition from thd weavers of
Bradshaw, in the county of Lancaster, praying for relief;
DISSENTING PETITIONS.
in favour
Also a petition from
of a better observance of the Sabbath.
the Protestant dissenters of the same county, praying for the
Col. WOOD presented a petition from Brecon,
removal of al! disabilities affecting them. He could not
jfiouhpi;
port the whole of the prayers, but should supportll". f r
tax
Russeil's Marriage Bill. The hon. member also presentee' our
petitions from towns in the county of Salop, comp tax
agricultural distress, and praying for a repeal of the Malt
Mr. E. B. KING presented several petitions from congreb
,h.a
lions of dissenters in the counties of Warwick and Sout
ampton, praying for the removal of all disabilities. in the
Mr. SHAW presented a petition from Weatherfield,another
county of Essex, in support of the established church ;
from the Lord Mayor and corporation of Dublin, in favour of
the Irish Navigation Bill : and a petition from certain
tiates of Apothecaries' Hall, against medical abuses.
Lord DALMENY presented a petition against the stampduties, and one against church patronage, from the city of
Perth.

Mr. A. JOHNSTONE supported the latter petition.
LAMBETH BRIDGE.
Captain GROSVENOR brought up the report of the Cone,
of
mittee, and obtained leave to bring in a bill for the erection
Lambeth bridge.
After the presentation of several other petitions, the
SPEAKER left the Chair at three o'clock.