The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at the usual hour.

CHURCH RATES,

A number of petitions were presented against the aboli-
tion of church rates.
WINDING-UP ACTS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR introduced a bill for the
regulation and winding-up of joint. stock companies. It was
substantially the same as the two bills already agreed to.
Its object was to consolidate all the laws at present in
existence on the subject.
The bill was read a first time.
COUNTY CCITRTS.
Lord BROUGHAM called the attention of the house to
the subject of county courts, and wished their limits to be
increased. The noble lord explained the powers at present
possessed by them, and cited the number of cases tried.
He also threw out a suggestion for the consideration of
their lordships as to whet her it would not be advisable to ex-
tend the equitable as well as the legal jurisdiction to sums
exceeding £oo, The noble and learned lord concluded by
moving tin some returns to show the number of plaints en•
tared for sums between £4O and £5O for the years 1858-o.
The returns were ordered

RIFLE CORPS.
In reply to Lord VivrAN,
Earl de GREY and RIPON said the Government highly
appreciated the patriotic motives that had actuated those
who had come forward for volunteer service. The corps
had been constituted in such a wanner as to give hopes
that they would form a valuable addition to the defences of
the country. It was, however, undesirable that the volun-
teer corps should be allowed to become a charge upon the
revenue. The present Government had gone further than
the late Government intended to go in assisting those corps.
All the corps had been supplied with a full compliment of
rifles, and it was not thought desirable to furnish them with
ciothing. It was intended to assist the volunteers, in
order that they might obtain the services of paid
adjutants. The number at present embodied amounted to
between 60,000 and 70,000 men. With respect to the
volunteer artillery, the Government intended further assist-
ance, but they did not intend to pay the men for their
drill. The drilling for both corps was attractive, but to pay
the volunteers would be to oppose the principle on which
the corps W.lB raised.
Lord WENSLEYDALE asked whether it was intended
by the Government to pay the drill sergeants ?
Earl DE GREY said the Government intended to allow
tho time of non-commissioned officers engaged in drilling
volunteer corps to count as time for pension, but expenses
attending the engagement of those persons must, as at pre-
sent, still be borne by the respective volunteer regiments.
THE ANNEXATION OF SAVOY.
Lord NORMANBY stated the precise terms of the mo-
tion which stood in his name for to-morrow evening with
respect to the alleged project for the annexation of the
duchies of Nice and Savoy to the dominions of the Emperor
of the French.

COURT OF CHANCERY BILL.
This bill, after a few observations from the LORD CHAN-
CELLOR and Lord CEANwoRTu, was read a second time.
THE TREATY WITH FRANCE.
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE asked whether the ac-
count given in the Independence Beige of the Government
treaty was correct.
Earl GRANVILLE said had the noble lord given him
due notice he, no doubt, would have been in a position to
have given him a satisfactory answer. With respect to the
statement in the Independenceßeige, he could give him no
information, as he did not take that paper in, nor had he
seen the statement alluded to. The delay in laying the
terms of that treaty before the public was occasioned by the
postponement of the financial statement of his hon friend
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Earl DERBY said he could not acquiesce in the state-
ment relative to the postponement in making the terms of
this treaty known to the public. The making of the terms
known would, no doubt, take the gloss off the honour-
able gentleman's statement ; but the treaty possessed both
a political as well as a commercial importance.

ST. GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST.
Earl DERBY said to-morrow he should ask the Go-
vernment whether they had taken any steps to put an end
to the disgraceful proceedings that have now been going on
for some time in the paris of St. George's-in-the-East.
It was of the highest importance that these disgraceful
scenes should be speedily put an end to.
Lord BROUGHAM entirely agreed with the noble earl
that such proceedings should be immediately checked.