The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-19 00:00:00

REPEAL OF TAXES.

Mr. BEAMISH asked the right hon. member for the
University of Cambridge when the report of the com-
mittee, appointed on the 25th of May, to inquire into the
practice of each House of Parliament with regard to the
several descriptions of bills imposing or repealing taxes,
might be expected to be laid upon the table of the house ?
Mr. WALPOLE said the committee had beQn unceas-
ingly employed ix the discharge of the duty entrusted to
them and had completed their labours, the result of s hich
would be shortly laid before the house.
CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS.

Mr. HUNT asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department if he was now prepared to state the intentions
of her Majesty's Government as to the introduction of a
measure for the prevention of corrupt practices at elec-
tions ?

Sir G. C. LEWIS said that a bill on this subject would
be introduced in about a fortnight, but if it was not likely to
be passed this session, he would merely bring in a Continu-
ance Bill, which was necessary, as the present act would
expire this session.
ANCHORS FOR THE ROYAL NAVY.

Viscount RAYNHAM asked the Secretary to the Admi-
ralty why the description of anchor reported by the Anchor
Cominittee of 1852 as the most approved, and now used on
board her Majesty's yacht the Victoria and Albert, had not
been generally adopted in the Royal Navy ?
Mr. S. HERBERT said that, with very few exceptions,
the captains in the navy were opposed to the use of the de-
scription of anchor in question.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.

Lord PALMERSTON moved that upon Friday next,
and upon every succeeding Friday during the remainder of
the session, orders of the day should have precedence of
motions, and that the Government orders should have pre-
cedence of any other business on the paper on those days.
The noble lord said that, considering the advanced stage of
the session, and the amount of important business to be
transacted, this course should be adopted in accordance
with the practice of the house.
OFFICERS PROMOTED FROM THE RANKS.
On the motion for going into committee of supply on the
Army estimates,
Mr. M'EVOY moved that an humble address be pre-
senbed to her Majesty, praying that she may be graciously
pleased to order that those officers in the army who have
been promoted from the ranks may be allowed to reckon
their previous services in the ranks, in the same manner as
is now permitted to paymasters and quartermasters, so as
to enable them to avail themselves of the 30th section of the
Royal Warrant of the 14th October 1858, which regulates
the retirement of competent officers in the Army and Ord-
nonce corps.

Col. DUNNE seconded the motion.
Mr. S. HERBERT said he did not think the hon. mem-
ber (Mr. 31‘Evoy) had drawn a proper distinction be-
tween the officers who had been raised from the ranks in
order to fill situations as paymaster or quartermaster, and
those who were promoted without any such object. Im-
periant qualifications were required for the offices in ques-
tion, which very few privates in the army possessed. Officers
promoted from the ranks were not compelled to undergo an
examination which was required of civilians desirous of en-
tering the army. The right hon. gentleman then entered
into details to show that officers raised from the ranks had
different other advantages.
The amendment was negatived without a division.

Mr. D. SEYMOUR drew the attention of the house to
the position and the pay of the civil assistants employed
upon the Ordnance Survey. The hon. and learned member
entered into a statement to show that the body to which he
referred were not treated properly.
Mr. S. HERBERT denied that the class in question bad
any just ground for complaint, and explained at some
length the position which the civil assistants in the Ord-
nance Survey-occupied ; after which the subject dropped.

ENLISTMENT FOR THE POPE'S SERVICE.
Mr. E. JAMES called the attention of the house
to the fact of the enlistment now going on in Ire-
land to furnish the Pope with troops in Italy, and
to ask the Government what measures they have adopted
or intended to adopt, and. what official communication they
had received upon the subject. The hon. and learned
member said the matter to which he alluded was exciting
great attention in the public mind, not only in this country
and Ireland, but in Europe generally. He contended that
this enlistment was a flagrant violation of an act of Parlia-
ment, and while disclaiming an intention to deride the re-
ligions enthusiasm of any class, he thought it was impora-
tive'on the part of the Government to furnish satisfactory
information in regard to this subject.

Mr. CARDWELL, having referred to the proclamation
issued in Ireland on the discovery that on the pretence of
being hired for employment on a railway in Ancona per •
sons were engaged for the service of the Pope, said in-
quiries were made, but in no single instance had Govern-
ment received such information as would justify them in
instituting a prosecution. Having said thus much in re-
spect to Ireland, ho might add that the Secretary of State
for the Home Department was in precisely the same posi-
tion with regard to England, not being in possession of any
evidence that would justify prosecuting any persons on the
eharge of being agents for the purpose of obtaining recruits
for the Pontifical Government. They had given fair notice
as to what the law prohibited, and the penalties to which
those who were guilty of its infringement rendered them-
selves liable. But having no evidence before them on which
to base prosecutions, they certainly had not taken the course
of bringing cases into court on mere rumour, and the re-
sults of which would be to weaken the hands of the Go-
vernment by a series of ridiculous failures which would
only tend to bring the law into contempt. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. V. SCULLY said it was a most unfortunate thing,
if such numbers of persons were notoriously going out from
Ireland to enlist in a foreign service, by which they, and
,those who procured their enlistment, became guilty of a
misdemeanour. He was not prepared to deny the state-
mentjlectsb ofe of
of the hon. and learned member for Marylebone, that
persons, who would have been excellent sub-
her Majesty if they had been kept at home, were
going out to support the temporal dominion of the Pope.
11: te foundin a Dublin pew the Celtic Catholic Telegraph,