The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-02 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

• HOUSE OF- LORDS-(YETERDIY),
Their Lordships did not assemble this evening, in con-
sequence of ita being Ascension-day.

HOUSE 01? COMMONS.---(YEsTERDAY.)
• The SPEAK= took the chair at the usual hour.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Dewsbury, Batley, 'ard Heckrnondwike Water
Bill and the Scarborough Water Bill were severally
read a third time and passed.
EAST KENT RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON the order for
the committal of the East Kent Railway Bill was read
and discharged, the bill baying beien withdrawn.
IMPERIAL HOTEL 'COMPANY BILL '

On the motioti. of. 11irTBROTHERTON the order
for the committal of the linoerial Hotel Company Bill
was reaciand discharged, the bill hating been_withdrawn.

THE CHARGES AGAINST. Mk AITICIN.

Mr. COWAN asked when the papers and correspon-
dence relating to charges preferred by Governor Ken-
nedy against Mr. W. N. Aitkin, late colonial snrgeos
at Sierra Leone (for which an address was voted on the
26th of May last) were likely to be laid on the table of
the house ?

Mr. J. BALL said the papers would be laid on the
table next week.

POSTAL CONIMUNICATION WITH IRELAND.
Lord NAAS asked whether it was intended to make
any alteration in the present mode of conducting postal
communication in the north of Ireland ?

Mr. WILSON said he presumed the question related
to Ballymena, Coleraine, and Londonderry ; difficulties
had existed with respect to the live of railways ip that
part of Ireland, but they had been overcome, and 'an im-
proved postal communication would commence on the
9th inst.

Captain L. VERNON asked when the vacancy of
Colonel Commandant in this Royal Engineers, caused
by the death of General Wright on the sth of March
last, would he filled up ?
' Mr. F. PEEL said it was intended to fill up the
vacancy. The Commander-in• Chief had not yet made
his selection.

Col. DUNNE asked when the Land Transport Corps
woeld be disbanded

Mr. F. PEEL said the subject was under the consi-
deration of Government.

THE CRIMEAN INQUIRY.
Mr. PALK asked the Uadei,Seeretary for War
whether the examination already taken before the court
of inquiry now sitting, and presided over by Sir Alex.
Woodford, would be laid upon the table of the house,
and when ? and whether her Majesty's Government con-
templated any measures for the more efficient organisa-
tion of the Medical and Hospital Staff, and of the Com-
missariat, or whether it was intended to reduce those
departments to the same peace establishment which was
found so ineffieieot at the breaking out of the war ?
'Mr. PEEL said by the warrant constituting the
Board of _ General Officers, they ware to transmit their
report to the Horse Guards ; but nothing bad yet been
sent from the board. It was, of course, intended to
reduce the army in consequence of peace, but it would
be maintained on a secure tooting.
Mr. LIDDELL asked whether the attention of her
Majesty's Government had been called to the refusal of
the Spanish Government to refund to the firm of Messrs.
Clementson (Newcastle-on-Tyne) the amount of the ex-
cess of duties levied at Tarragona in October last upon
a cargo of iron shipped by them to that port ; and
whether, after the repeated remonstraLces that had been
addressed by Lord Howden to the Spanish Government
upon the subject, her Majesty's Government were pre-
pared to take steps to insure the payment of the money,
and to protect British merchants in future from the ex-
tortions of the Custom-house authorities of the Spanish
ports ?_

Lord PALMERSTON said the subject alluded to
had occupied the serious attention of the Government
at home and her Majesty's Minister at Madrid.. The
justness of the demand had been admitted by the
Spaniih Government, and they bad promised that the
overcharge should be repaid. That promise, he was sorry
foamy, had not been fulfilled. The noble earl the Secretary
of State for. Foreign Affairs had been in communication
with the Spanish Minister on the subject, hut it was
peilectky well known that Spain was not the first of the
powers to recognise any pecuniary claim. (Hear, hear.)
The Spanish Government had not shown that prompti-
tude which they ought to have done on the subject, but
hon. gentlemen might rely that every exertion in
this or similar cases would be used to obtain the fulfil-
ment ()fall just demands.