The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-10 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY•)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
fire o'clock.

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CHURCH RATES.
A. number .of petitions were presented by the Earl of
''ARDWICKE and sevsral other peers against the aboli-
on of church rates.

COOLIE LABOURERS.
The Earl of ELLENBOUGH said, as the House of
''ommons had agreed to grant extracts of the correspon-
. ewe between her Majesty's Government and the Govern-
, lent of France, in respect to legalising the exportation of
.atives of British India as indentured labourers to French
oloaies, he presumed there would be no objection to lay the
tine papers on their lordships' table.
Lord WODEHOUSE said there would be no objection
to such a course.
CENTRAL ITALY.
The Marquis of NORMANBY moved for a copy of any
istructions aildressed by the Secretary: of State to her Ma-
esty's Charge d'Affairs at Florence, directing him to am-
ress 'upon the Provisional Government the duty of ab •
taining from any arbitrary acts calculated to destroy
.11 freedom of action in connection with those fresh
elections which her Majesty's Government had thought
'roper to recommend. He had no idea that
do very shortly after peace had been arranged that
the English Government had dropped the mask of neu-
trality and assumed the attitude of strong partizans.
He complained very much of the conduct of her Majesty's
Government, in shortly after the conclusion of peace be-
tween Austria and France giving instructions to Mr. Corbett
calculated to prevent the accomplishment of that object.
He was strongly of opinion that the letter written by
Lord John Russell to the Charge d'Affaires at Flo-
rence, dated the 19th of July, was directly at variance
with the terms of peace. In that letter he had spoken
of an attempt to suppress popular feeling in favour of the
Archducal Government as unjust. He should like to
know whether a statesman, who had so much horror of cor-
ruption at English elections, could not find a harder expression
to apply to such proceedings. The noble lord then
proceeded to notice the present state of Tuscany, and
said that for the last three months, until that day,
no single letter had ever been allowed to leave the
Tuscan Post-office. It had been customary for him
to receive three or four a week, many of which bore the
appearance of having been opened, but the letter he had
received that day was the first that had for some time, as
he had stated came to hand. The letter in ques-
tion came from an English lady at Florence, who had
married an Italian gentleman, who had been torn
from her by the Provisional Government of Tuscany,
and confined in prison without the slightest appearance of
trial, or without knowing the nature of the charge against
him.
Lord WODEHOUSE said the principle on which her
Majesty's Government acted was non-interference, and he
thought it improper to ask either the house or the Govern-
ment to go into minute details with respect to the character
and conduct of the Government of another country. The
noble lord entered into a detailed statement, to show the
unfounded charges which had been made by the noble
marquis against the Tuscan Government and against the
authorities in Milan and Leghorn, and read a number of
documents to bear him out in that statement.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE defended the charac-
ter of the existing Government of Tuscany, declaring that
the result of the elections would in a few days more prove
to Europe that it possessed the confidence of the people.
After a few words from Lord DENMAN and the Earl of
MALMESBURY,
The Duke of ARGYLL said it was the desire of the
Government that the affairs of Italy should be settled with
a full regard to the wishes of the Italian people, without
which no settlement of them could be satisfactory or per-
manent.
The motion was finally withdrawn.
The Consolidated Fund Bill (£407,6-10) was read a third
time and passed.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the ehair at four o'clock.
DOVER ELECTION.

Mr. GASKELL, the chairman of the committee ap-
pointed to try the merits of the petition against the return
of Admiral Leeke and Mr. Nicol, brought up the report,
which was to the effect that the sitting members were duly
returned, that bribery was committed, but without their
knowledge or that of their agents, and the charge of undue
influence at the election on the part of Ministers or other
servants of the Crown was not proved to the satisfaction of
the committee.

PETITIONS.
Sir J. GRAHAM presented a petition, signed by 1,000
graduates and under-graduates of the Aberdeen University
praying that in any measure of reform, that university
should be admitted to Parliamentary representation.
Several petitions were presented from ladies in favour of
legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister ; against
licensing eating-houses, &c.; against different details of
the budget; by Mr. BBIGHT, from inhabitants of Dunmow,
in Ireland, in favour of vote by ballot as adopted in Aus •
tralia ; and by Mr. HALIBURTON, from New Brunswick
against the abolition of the timber duties.
WEXFORD HARBOUR.
Mr. REDMOND moved that the order (Feb. 17) for a
return relative to Wexford Harbour be discharged ; and
instead thereof copy of report upon Wexford Harbour by
Mr. Coode, C.E., and of the plan connected therewith, and
of other papers on the same subject, to the Lords Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty.—Ordered. _ _

GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE.
Mr. GREGSON asked the Secretary of State for India
if her Majesty's Government had arranged with the Viceroy
of India to transfer the control of the Government of Sin-
gapore and the Straits from Bengal to the Colonial Office ;
and, if so, when it was proposed to complete the same
transfer.
Sir C. WOOD was understood to say that he had formed
an opinion favourable to the transfer, but it was impossible
to furnish the information required by the hon. member.
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S EUROPEAN