The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-22 00:00:00

AFFAIRS IN NAPLES.

The Marquis of NORMANBY said he wished to ask a
question with respect to the demand made by Mr. Elliot
to the Neapolitan Government with respect to the restora-
tion of the two ships seized freighted with armed men
whose intention was to join the movement going on in
Sicily. He should like to know whether Mr. Elliot had
interfered at all, and, if so, on what grounds.
Earl GRANVILLE said her Majesty's Government had
no informatisn on the subject other than that conveyed in
the telegram which had appeared in the newspapers.
Lord BROUGHAM said he hoped the report that
Austria had forwarded soldiers to assist the tyrant of
Naples would also turn out to be fallacious.

COUNCILLORS OF BURGHS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
CHURCH TEMPORALITIES (IRELAND) AMEND-
MENTS BILL.

The report of the amendments on this bill was brought
up and received.

PLEA ON INDICTMENT BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM moved the second reading of this
bill, which was founded on the petition of the Metropolitan
and Provincial Law Societies, and it was approved by the re-
corders and chairmen of quarter sessions generally. The object
of the bill was to substitute for the plea ofguility or not guilty
the following question, which was to be put to the prisoner,
namely, "Do you wish to be tried, or are you guilty ?"
The LORD CHANCELLOR approved of the measure.
The bill was read a second time.
ADULTERATION OF FOOD BILL.
This bill passed through consmittee.
FISHERIES (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The report on this bill was received and certain amend-
ments agreed to.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

following, bills were read a third time and passed :
Caithness Roads, Dublin and Drogheda Railway, Egham
and Woking Railway, Great Northern and Metropolitan
Junction Railway, London Railway Depot and Storehouses,
Morayshire Railway, North British Railway (Stations, &c.),
and Waveney "alley Railway.

PETITIONS.

Petitions were presented againstthe provision in the Cen-

sus Act relative to enforcing a declaration of religious pro-
fession; against Sunday trading, from Edinburgh and
other places; against the alleged undue assumption of
power by the House of Lords ih rejecting the bill for the
repeal of the paper duty ; against the Highways Bill ;
against the Metropolitan Local Amendment Act, &c.

RESTORATION OF PARLIAMENT TO IRELAND.
The O'DONOGHUE presented a petition from the in--
habitants of the borough and town of Youghal, praying for
the restoration of a separate Parliament to Ireland. The
hon. member read extracts from the petition, which set
for

h that the threatened famine in Ireland caused less in-
terest in the minds of the legislative rulers of the country
than the condition of the most remote dependency of the
Crown ; that £10,000,000 were extracted annually from
Ireland, and that country was required to con-
tribute towards the prosecution of wars in which
she had no interest; that £5,000,000 were spent out of the
country by absentee landlords, and that the only chance
for the recovery of the prosperity of Ireland was in a native.
Parliament.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS AND THE PAPER DUTY
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said he had to present a petition
or rather remonstrance, from parties assembled at a public
meeting held in the borough of Finsbury, against the course
which the House of Commons had adopted in appointing a
committee to search for precedents on the subject of taxa-
tion bills instead of taking a more direct step. The hon.
member moved that the petition be read by the Clerk at the
table.

Sir W. MILES—What is the prayer?
The CLE EIK then commenced reading the petition. "To

the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom in
Parliament assembled ; the respectful remonstrance of the
undersigned." (Order, order).
Mr. DISRAELI—I rise to order, sir. I conclude it is
against our order that, instead of a form of petition praying
for anything, a remonstrance should be, addressed to this
house. I believe that to be an irregular proceedihg. (Hear.)
The SPEAKER—I understand that it concludes with a
prayer. . .

Mr. DISRAELI—Then, I put it to you, sir, whether a
prayer can be received which comes in the shape of are-
monstrance ? (Hear.)
The SPEAKER—I believe there are precedents for the
cue now before the house, and that when a petition concludes
with a prayer, properly and respectfully worded, the house
does receive it. (Hear.)

The Clerk then proceeded with the reading of the,, peti
ion:—

" Showeth—
" That from time immemorial it has been the right of
the British people to be taxed only with their own con-
sent, and by and through their own representatives. That
the non-assent of the Lords to the abolition of a tax, which
the Crown no longer required and the Commons had deter-
mined should no longer be imposed, is in direct contraven-
tion of that right, and is in effect a re-imposition of that
tax by the sole authority of the House of Lords. That the
impos tion of taxes on the sole authority of the Lords is a
thing wholly without precedent in the history of this coun-
try—is in direct and flagrant violation of the laws of the
ealm as inscribed on the rolls of Parliament for ages past,
and tends to a total overthrow of the British constitution.
"That, in circumstances of such gravii y—a revolution by
the single vote of one estate of the realm, already an accom-
plished fact—prompt and determined action on the part of
the House of Commons became au imperative necessity, and
preliminary investigations into precedents and cases, a
needless waste of time and a perilous postponement of a
vital question, inasmuch as no precedents or cases, how-
ever numerous or authentic, can have any force or effect
whatever as against positive laws and the fundamental
principles of the constitution.
" We, therefore, pray that your honourable house will
no longer thus trifle with the just expectations of the
people, but will forthwith assert and vindicate the law, and
restore the constitution, by the immediate adoption of such
measures as shall compel the Lords to withdraw their ille-
gal opposition to the abolition of the said tax, or enable
your honourable house effectually to abolish_ it without
their concurrence."