The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-14 00:00:00

1 I

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

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

CHURCH RATES.
Several petitions were presented against the abolition o.
church rates.

THE SEE OF ROCHESTER.
Viscount DUNGANNON gave notice that en Friday he
should ask the noble earl the President of the Council
whether there was any intention of dividing the vacant see
of Rochester so as to constitute a bishopric of St. Albans,
or whether it was intended to transfer the see of Rochester
to that of St. Alban's, so that a portion of that diocese
migia be added to that of Canterbury.
POOR LAWS.
The Marquis.of LONDONDERRY presented a petition
from Wicklow, complaining of the action of the Poor-laws
in Ireland.

SUNDAY TRADING.
Lord CHELMSFORD said it would be in the recollec-
tion of their lordships that a few evenings ago he pre-
sented a petition, signed by 20,000 persons residing in dif,
ferent parts of the metropolis, against Sunday trading
an i that he also promised to bring in a bill on the
subject. There hare been a number of committees on this
subject, and nearly all reported in favour of legislation
to !put an end -to such a pernicious system. The
several reports of these committees had been so volumi-
nous, that legislation had been up to the present time im-
possible. it was true a bill had been introduced in the
other House of Parliament, but it did not pass into a law,
and the measure he had the honour now to introduce he
trusted would go far to improve the state of affairs. The
extent to which Sunday trading was carried on their
lordships could imagine, and ho had been in-
formed that, in many parts of the metropolis,
more money was turned on Sunday than on any other day
of the week. It was his earnest desire to put an end to such
a state of things as far as it was possible. But one of the
circumstances that tended more than anything else to the
encouragement of Sunday trading was the payment
of labouring men late on Saturday night which
left the poor man only the Sunday morning to make his
little purchases. He was glad, however, that in many of
the highest establishments of the Crown, in the Arsenal,
and at the different docks, the workmen, he believed, were
now paid on Fridays. Until that system be more ge-
neral, he proposed to limit the hour of Sunday
trading until 9 o'clock in the morning, when it was to cease.
The bill was not one of coercion, but one of protection, and
he trusted that it would be so looked upon, as his only de-
sire was to benefit all patties, and endeavour to put down a
system which was fraught with such evil results. •
The bill was then read a first time.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Blackburn Gas, the Silverside and Newcastle Rail •
way, and the West Middlesex Water bills were read a
second time.

TIIIRD READINGS.
—Therfollowing bills wero read a third time and passed :
Finn Valley RAitway, Dublin and Wioklow-
Grunty Fen Drainage and Improvement, Dublin and King-
ston Railway, Belfast and County Down Railway, Clearing-
house (Ireland), and Grand t urrey Docks and Canal.

ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS BILL.

The house then went into committee on this bill.
Lord CRANWOR,TIIpropmed an addition to one of the
clauses, to the effect that no attorney or solicitor should be
eligible to act as a magistrate in the county in which he
carried on a practice.
The amendment was agreed to, as were the other clauses,
and the bill passed through_committee.
BENEFIT SOCIETIES AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted on Monday.
VALUATION OF PROPERTY (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill, on the motion of the Duke of ARGYLL; was
read a second time.

TILANSFER OF CONTRACT'S BILL.
' The Duke of ARGYLL moved the second reading of this
bill, which was for the transfer of all contracts for the pos-
tal service from the Admiralty to the Post-office.
Lord COLCHESTER asked for an explanation of some
provisions of the bill.

The Duke of ARGYLL stated in answer, that the con-
tracts would be entered into by the Board of Trade, under
the direction of the Admiralty.
Lord MONTEAGLE wished to have a return of the
contracts which would be transferred by this bill.
The Duke of SOMERSET gave some explanations,
from which it appeared that the main object of the bill was
to transfer the contracts of the Board of Trade.
The Earl ofELLENBOROUGH expressed his approval
of the bill.

In answer to Lord COLCHESTER,
The Duke of SOMERSET Said that the naval officers
in charge of the packets would still be under the orders of
the Admiralty.
The bill was then read a second time.
ADMINISTERING OF POISONS BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
MEDICAL ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
PETITIONS.
The Bishop of OXFORD presented various petitions
against any alteration of the law of church rates without
providing some equivalent.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. PADMORE took the oaths and his seat for Worcester,
on his election, in the place of Mr. Laslett, who had retired.