The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-27 00:00:00

GAS.

In reply to Mr. BYNG,
Mr. M. GIBSON said that the Board of Trade were not
responsible for the act on the subject of gas, which had been
passed by Parliament. All that the Board of Trade had to
do with:the matter was that when they had been written to by
the Treasury to know whether the act was practicable, and
having conferred with the Astronomer Royal, they returned
an answer in the affirmative. The Board of Trade could
not give any legal explanation of the clauses of the act.
ASSESSMENT TO THE POOR.
Sir M. FARQUHAR ashed the President of the Poor
Law Board, whether, in obtaining returns of male persons
resident within each Parliamentary city and borough in
England and Wales, or within seven miles thereof, assessed
to the last poor-rate made before the 7th Nov., 1859, at
£6, £7, £B, £9, and £lO and over, instructions jwere not
issued for returns, and returns made, of male occupiers at
£5 and under £6 ; and, if so, why such. information was not
given in the return of male occupiers, No. 124, of the pre-
sent session. He contended that the returns on which the
Reform Bill was based as regarded rating were not accu-
rate. The rated rental did not represent the actual rent
which in many was a third lower as in the case of Windsor.
Mr. VILLIERS said that the instructions alluded to had
been issued and extenicd to all cccupiers. These returns
were not made to the house, but procured solely
for the information of the Government prior to
introducing the Reform Bill, and when Government
decided on a £6 franchise it was not thought necessary
to bring forward any information relative to any
amount of rental besides that specified. However,
it had been moved for and would be laid on the table. There
was not the slightest reason for alleging any inaccuracy in
the returns, and when they had been impugned they had
been inquired into and found quite correct.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that he did not deny the ac-
curacy of these returns, so far as being correct with the
rate books ; but ho complained that they made an erroneous
impression in the house. Did the hon. member (Mr. Vil-
liers) mean that these were merely correctly copied from
the rate-books ?
Mr. VILLIERS—Yes.
Sir j, FAZINCiTON—Thew, a, correct newer had riot

been given to the question asked on the subject. He had re-
ceived communications from different parts of
the country corroborating his (Sir J. Pakington's)
statement. The writers said the returns afforded
no information whatever rel xtive to the effect
on the franchise. He had also received a letter from a re-
vising barrister, which not being stated to be confidential,
he would communicate the contents to the house. The writer
said he revised three of the most important boroughs in St f-
fo -d, and that the Home Secretary was in mror,in saying that
these returns represented the real value of rental. In some
oases the rental was described as £lO, while it fell short of
£6.

After a few remarks from Lord STANLEY and Mr. HEN-
LEY,
Mr. PAGET said that in reference to Nottingham in a
great number of cases the gross estimated rental accurately
represented the real rental, and the effect of the £6 fran-
chise would be to increase the constituency of Nottingham
to the same extent that was described by the returns.
Mr. J. EWART also bore testimony to the correctness
of the returns, as giving a fair representation of the increase
that would result to constituencies.
Mr. WALPOLE and Sir S. ESTCOURT argued on the other
side.

DMr. BRIGHT said that he agreed with hon. membErs
who considered information should be afforded with respect
to those paying a rental of £5, which would show what
a vast amount would be excluded from the franchise by
the Reform Bill. (Laughter.) In the borough which
he represented he saw the instructions that had betn
sent by the President of the Poor Law Board,
and he referred them to a gentleman better acquainted
with those matters, and he stated that nothing could
be devised in a mere comprehensive or more
likely to realise a correct result. That borough contained
hundreds and thousands of parishes, and he made similar
inquiries in reference to Birmingham, Manchester and Sal-
ford, and his information was similar. He did not deny that
it was probable that in certain cases from want of intelli-
gence the parties to whom these instructions were entrusted
might not have been accurate in their returns. He contended
that hon. members opposite were not pursuing a fair course
towards the• Government in this matter.

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

TEE VICTORIA CROSS.

(From the Gazette of this evening.)
WAR-OFFICE, APRIL 27.

The Queen having been graciously pleased, by a warrant
under her Royal Sign Manual, bearing date December 13,
1858, to declare that non-military persons who, as volun-
teers, have borne arms against the mutineers, both at Luck-
now and elsewhere, during the late operations in India;
shall be considered as eligible to receive the decoration of.
the Victoria Cross, subject to the rules and ordinances
already made and ordained for the government thereof, pro-
vided that it be established in any case that the per-
son was serving under the orders of a General or other
officer in command of troops in the field, when he per-
formed the act of bravery for which it is proposed to confer
the decoration; her Majesty has accordingly been
pleased to signify her intention to confer this high distinc-
tion on the undermentioned gentleman, whose claim to the
same has been submitted for her Majesty's approval, on
account of an act of bravery performed by him in India, as
recorded against his name ; viz. :
Mr. George Bell Chicken, Indian Naval Brigade—For
great gallantry on the 27th September, 1858, at Suhejnee,
near Peroo, in having charged into the middle of a consi-
derable number of the rebels, who were preparing to rally
and open fire upon the scattered pursuers. They were sur-
rounded on all sides, but, fighting desperately, Mr. Chicken
succeeded in killing five before he was cut down himself.
He would have been cut to pieces, had not some of the men
of the Ist Bengal Police and 3d Seikh Irregular Cavalry,
dashed into the crowd to his rescue, and routed it, after kill-
ing several of the enemy.

LONDON GAZETTE-(THIS EVENING.)

WAR-OFFICE, APRIL 25.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to give orders for
the appointment of James Ranald Martin, Esq., Examin-
ing Physician to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for India in Council, to be an Ordinary Member of the Civil
Division of the Third Class, or Companions, of the Most
Honourable Order of the Bath.
ST. JAMES'S PALACE, APRIL 24.
The Queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
Knighthood upon Colin Blackburn, Esq., one of the Judges
of her Majesty's Court of Queen's Bench.
CROWN-OFFICE, APRIL 25.
MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PRESENT
PARLIAMENT.

Lieut.-Col. the Hon. Richard Thomas Rowley, of No.
47, Berkeley-square, Middlesex, in the room of the Hon.
William Frederick Campbell (now Lord Strathden), called
to tho House of Peers.