The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Sudbury, Mefferd, and Clare Railway and the Hay
Railway bills were read a third time and passed.

THIRD READINGS.
The Postage, Army and Navy, the Nuisances Removal,
the Common Law Procedure (Ireland) Amendment, the
Crown Debts and Judgments, and the Inclosure bills were
read a third time. _ _

SMITHFIELD MARKET BILL.
Lord CHELMSFORD said he had charge of this bill,

and he intended to move its second reading on Monday

COLOURED PASSENGERS ON BOARD MAIL
PACKETS.
Lord BROUGHAM said about a fortnight ago a state-

ment was made to the effect that a coloured lady
had been refused a first.class passage by one of the Cunard
steamers, and was told she might go second. He should
like his noble friend to inform him, however, whether it
was to be understood that coloured passengers would not
be allowed to travel first-class on board those steamships.
Earl GRANVILLE was not surprised that the noble
lord had asked the question, but it was one in which the

Government could not interfere.
Lord BROUGHAM observed that a similar case oc-
cured some years ago, and the person brought an action for
damages under the Common Carriers' Act, but it was com-
promised, as the parties felt they had no defence for their
conduct.
COLEWORT BARRACKS (PORTSMOUTH) BILL.
On the motion of Earl DE GREY, this bill was read a
second time.

ANNUITY TAX (EDINBURGH) BILL.
The Duke of ARGYLL moved the second reading of
this bill. The objects of the measure were so well known
that he would detain them but a short time in the observa-
tions he should have to make. Various attempts had been
made in Parliament to arrange this vexed question, and in
the measure now before them, which had received the as-
sent of the other house, he thought a most satisfactory
arrangement had been come to. The chief object of the
bill was to give £6OO a year to 13 clergymen in Scotland ;

and, as that amount was securely guaranteed under the
measure, he hoped it would receive the assent of Parlia-

ment. The bill had been opposed by several parties, and

as he should have another opportunity of going into the
details of the bill when it was in committee, he would
simply then move its second reading.
The Earl of DERBY said he hoped there would be no
opposition to the second reading of the bill.
The LORD CHANCELLOR highly approved of tha
measure.

The bill was then read a second time.
BURIAL GROUNDS (IRELAND) AMENDMENT
ACT.
This bill was read a second time.
METROPOLITAN BUILDING ACT AMENDMENT
BILL.

This bill passed through committee, and was reported
without amendment.
BLEACHING AND DYEING WORKS BILL.
On the motion that their lordships go into committee,
Lord OVERSTONE thought the committee on this bill
ought to be postponed for a few days.
The committee was postponed until Friday.
LEITH HARBOUR.
This bill passed through committee.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES ACT AMENDMENT
BILL.

On the motion of Lord PORTMAN this bill was read a
second time.
TITLES TO LAND (SCOTLAND) ACT.

The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second reading
of this bill, which was one to simplify the law and diminish
the expense of the transfer of land held by burgess
tenure. One of the improvements was to abo-
lish long rentals which were perfectly useless,
and another was to empower persons to refer to cer-
tain legal documents elsewhere, instead of requiring
them to be entered in the register. There were other minor
improvements which he would not allude to at any length
at that time, as in committee there would be ample oppor-
tunity for going into details.
The Earl of DERBY said it might be quite true that the
facilities now for passing bills through the house were
greater than formerly. He saw a great desire on the part
of the noble and learned lord to pass the bill, and in the face
of the great irregularity that marked its course he did not
think he was unwarranted, on a former evening, in saying
that it appeared to him very much like an attempt by the
learned lord to " smuggle" the bill through Parliament.
Lord BROUGHAM said the houses were upon occasions
nothing but what was called a " Parliamentum," that was
" talk, talk, and nothing but talk." As he understood,
thou) bills had been "hung up" since May last, and no
effort until now had been made to pass them. He thought
it wrong in the noble earl to have charged the Lord Ad-
vocate with irregularity.
The Earl of DERBY explained, and assured their lord-
ships that he did net mean to charge the Lord Advocate
with wilful irregularity in relation to those bills.
The LORD CHANCELLOR could not but express his
surprise at the noble earl having charged him and the Lord
Advocate with having entered into a " conspiracy" to
smuggle those bills through Parliament.
The Earl of DERBY again 'explained.
The bill was then read a second time and ordered to be
committed.
LAW OF MARRIAGE (SCOTLAND) BILL.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had now to intro-
duce to their lordships " the brother bill" of the one which
they had just read a second time. It was a bill to amend the
law of marriage in Scotland, which was now very defective.
After a short conversation upon the objects of the mea-
sure, the bill was brought in and read a first time.
MASSACRE OF THE CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA.
Lord WODEIIOUSE regretted ho was not in the house
when, as he was informed, a question had been put by his
noble friend (Lord Stratford de Redcliffe) respecting the
reported massacre of Christians in Syria by the Druses and
other tribes. He lamented to say that the reports in the
newspapers of the cruel massacre of Christians was con-
firmed. Five hundred persons—men, women, and children
—according to a telegram received from Paris, had been
massacred. The Dutch consul was killed and the American
consul was wounded. It was not, however, correct that the
house of the English consul, as reported, was burned. With
regard to the papers on the subject asked for by the noble
lord, they would be laid on the table in a few days.
The business on the paper having been disposed of, their
lordships adjourned at half-past six o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.)
The S2EAKE& took the chair shortly after 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Lords' amendments to the Haylin g Railway Bill
Were considered and agreed to.
EPSOM AND LEATHERHEAD RAILWAY.

On the motion for the consideration of the Lords' amend-
ments to this bill,
Sir W. GALLWAY objected to these amendments on
three grounds. In the first place they would create a new
description of preference shares, they would offer temp-
tations to directors to abuse their powers, and they would
afford facilities in dealing with preferential stock that would
be injurious to the interests of shareholders. For instance,
directors might expend money on other purposes than
paying their debenture debt or their preference share-
holders.
Mr. MASSEY considered that if this question was dis-
cussed at all, it should be in a full house.
The amendment was negatived, and the amendments
were considered and agreed to.
EDUCATION BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Mr. PEASE moved that the bill be read a second time
that day three months. He said the chief clause of this bill
was the first, and it enacted that children under twelve
years of age should not bo employed without having a cer-
tificate that they had received a certain amount of
scholastic tuition, or that a guarantee was given
that they should bo placed at school for twenty
hours in the month. He considered it would be
unjust to deprive children under 12 years of age of the
benefit of employment, because they had not obtained a
certain amount of education. H 3 objected also to the bill
that it had not machinery to carry out its provisions.
Sir G. LEWIS said that this bill was connected in
principle with the Mines Bill, which had recently been
before the house. Exceptional legislation in refer •
ence to persons employed first took place in re-
spect to those engaged in factories, by which children
under a certain ago were not allowed to be employed
without having obtained a certificate from a school-
master of having attended a certain time at school. Some
years afterwards there was a bill introduced for the regu-
lation of mines, and the employment of women was pro-
hibited as well as children under a certain age. It was
thought desirable to go further, and accordingly this
"mien the bill was brought forward requiring a
cecate of the attendance of children under 12
Years of age at schools prior to their obtaining employment in
rain"' He agreed to the abstract principle of the extension
°f a similar regulation in regard to children generally, but
it was not theraetice in this country to proceed upon
theory, but to select
experimentally. Under
extreme cases and then legislate
the circumstances he felt bound to
support the amendment.
Sir Sir S. ESTCOURT considered that the house should
affirm the principle and discuss the details in committee or
postpone it till next session Ile considered the present
system of education was deficient, and that it required
amendment.
The CHANCELLOR of the ExeREQ7CEIt said that
this question was one of as great difficulty 48 even
liarnentary Reform Bill, and they were called on to discuss
its Par
its principle in a thinly attended house. Had the cmestiosn
been taken up by Government the house would have been
crowded, and it could not be expected that it would have
passed without several nights' discussion. The present
debate was, in fact, a mere exercitation, in which hon.
members might make abstract speeches, be t which at this
period of the session would lead to no praciif 11 result. With