The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-04 00:00:00

Cbtrb

SUN OFFICE, Seven. o'Clock.

THIRSE RACES.—(This Day.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
SCURRY STAKES.

Bird in the Buah
Frenzy
Bright
TWO-YEAR-OLD STAKES.

Saunterer
Roulade.
Naughty Boy
Red, White, and Blue .............

Won in a canter•
SPRING HANDICAP.

Gaudy
Shelah
Rajah.....................

Eight ran.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(This Evening.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
Lord BERNERS presented a petition against any al-
teration in the Oath of Abjuration.
Petitions against the abolition of Church-rates until
an equivalent had been provided were presented` by the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Derby, Lord
Redesdale, and several other peers.
OUT-PENSIONERS' BILL.
On the motion of Lord PANMIIIIIII, this bill passed
through committee.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

On the order of the day for going into committee upon
this bill.
The Earl of DERBY said he wished to call their lord-
ships attention to one or two points in the bill which he
thought very objectionable. It would be in the recol-
lection of the house that on the second reading of the
bill he stated his concurrence in the general objects of
the measure. He had, however, considerable doubts as to
the efficiency of the machinery proposed to effect those
objects. He had received many communications from
various quarters upon this subject which tended greatly
to confirm him in his impressions. He bad certainly
received letters from some farmers, containing objec-
tions to the principles of the bill, but he thought, how-
ever, that considerable misapprehension was entertained
by such parties as to the operations of such measure, for
he entertained no doubt whatever but that the objects
in view, if attainable, would be eminently beneficial.
He wholly objected to the employment of the poor-law
board in collecting the information. That board, he
thought, was established for a totally different object,
and were unfit for the discharge of such duties. As
some prejudices existed in different parts of the country,
it was of course desirable to remove everything objection-
able from the bill calculated to remove those prejudices.
He would propose that the information sought for should
be obtained through the petty sessions, whose courts were
scattered throughout the country. Those courts possessed
a peculiar facility for obtaining such information as to the
local circumstances of the various agricultural districts.
He also thought that the measure ought to be amended
"in respect to the mode proposed for sending out for re-
turns, and for their return. He was of opinion that the
Board of Trade should give due notice of the informs-

Lion required by the issue of a circular at particular
periods of the year. The Board of Trade should give
an estimate of the average crops and their average value.
The schedules also should be more simplified by the re-
duction of columns. They should be as simple as

possible. The noble earl then stated some otlier ob-
jections to the bill, and said he thought it better to state
his opinions candidly before proceeding to consider the
bill.

Lord STANLEY (of Alderley) thought that the Poor.
law Board and the Board of Guardians were the most I
efficient machinery that could be proposed to procure the 1
information sought for under the bill. The magistrates
at petty sessions were by no means so well
calculated to carry out the provisions of
the bill as the Poor•law Board. (Hear.) He
very anxious to get the returns as early as possible, and
therefore he thought that the 13t of June should be fixed
as the day for receiving the estimate of the crops planted ;
but if their lordships wished he should not object to the
Ist of July being the day fixed on which the guardians
should forward their returns to the Poor•law Board. He
thought it very desirable that means should exist by
which it could be learned what sort of a crop bad been
grown in certain years, and also whether the crop was
light or heavy. If the provisions of this bill were fully
carried out, this information would exist in the early
part of November in each year after the passing of the
act. The noble lord concluded by stating that in cora-
mitte be should feel great pleasure in explaining to any
of their lordships the other portions of the bill.
[LEFT SITTING.] d

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(This Evening.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
—Doddingtor Ree‘,.l.yDivision ; Lancaster Gas ; Lin-
coln Water • Milton! Junction Railway ; Weynlouth
and Melcombe Regis Gas.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON presented a petition from
Australia, praying that her Majesty would be pleased to
direct that a postal communication be established be.
tween England and the colony, by the nearest route,
and at a speed of not less than ten knots, or nautical
miles per hour.