The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.

The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

An HON. 21Emnrat gave notice that on Friday he won

ask the First Lord of the Admiralty a question with re•
frrunce to the Admiralty Steering and S.ciliug fiules.
ANNUITY TAX ABOLITIOS (EDINBURGH,
PARIS .I OF CANONGATE) BILL.
On the order for the second reading of this bill,
Au lloN. MLMBEIt presented a petition from the church
of St. Gorge's, Edinburgh, against the bill.
31r. Ii`LAREN presented a petition from the corporation
of Edinburgh, under the city seal, in favour of the
bill. The petition stated that the bill was well cal-
culated to settle the vexed question -of the Annuity-tax
and to restore peace to the city. Ito also presented
a petition in favour of the bill signed by 11,330
ratepayers of the city of Edinburgh, of whom
about one half were electors, and on moving the second
reading of the bill the hon. member said it was
founded on an Act passed in 1860. That Act professed to
abolish the Annuity-tax—the ministers' money—that was
then levied in Edinburgh, and it did so, but it imposed
two other church rates in place of the Annuity-tax, which
was abolished. That bill was strongly opposed by the in-
habitants, the Corporation, and all public bodies in Edin-
burgh, and was protested against by large bodies of the
electors. After it •ts as framed, another meeting was held,
with the chief magistrate in the chair, in which a solemn
protest was signed by nearly 8,000 inhabitants—of whom
4,000 were electors—declaring that they never would be
satisfied with its provisions, and that they would continue
to urge its repeal.

SirJ. FEI:GUSON opposed the bill, and moved that
it bo read a second time that day six months.
Mr. BAXTER thought that the hon. member who had
introduced this bill was quite justified in the course he had
taken, notwithstanding the act which had been passed in
1860 ; and he thought if the house passed the bill now
before it, the security of the clergy in Edinburgh would
be increased, and the ministerial charges would be abo-
lished, which, in his opinion, were not at the present time
required—the keeping up of which was only a source of
ill feeling and irritation.
Mr. W. MILLER seconded the amendment.
Mr. MONCRIEFF said such a thing as an annuity tax
did not in fact exist. The tax that now existed was purely
a municipal impost, as the clergy did not receive
one farthing of it. He regretted that his hon. colleague
should have introduced the bill, and without he framed
his bill so as not to.upset the compact and arrangement
come to in 1860, he could not give his vote in its support.
If the bill was lost he would endeavour to introduce a
measure which would deal solely with the borough of
Canongate, which was an omission iu the bill of 1860, and
also with the penny impost which was now levied through-
out the municipality. He thought the house was bound
in honour to respect the arrangement come to in 1860.
W hat his colleague in his opinion ought to have done was
to take measures to repeal the act of 1860, which would
Place all parties in a fair position to start afresh in the
contest that must arise. He hoped his hon. friend would
not press his bill to a division, because it had not the
slightest chance of success. If he did he must give his
vote against him.
After a discussion, in which Mr. HADPIELD and Mr.
CRUM-EwING took part, the house divided, when there
appeared—
For the second reading
Against it
Majority 33
The bill was consequently lost.
CRIMINAL LAW BILL.

Mr. R. GURNEY moved the second reading of this
bill, the object of which was to improve the administra-
tion of justice. As the bill was not to meet with opposi-
' "

tion, ho would merely, at that stage, state the two novel-
ties introduced into the bill. The first was that when a
prosecutor determined to go on with a prosecution after a
magistrate had decided that there isnot sufficient evidence
to warrant a conviction, that he should be called upon
to pay the expenses of the person against whom he pro-
ceeds. It was now comp ,tent fur any person to go before
a grand jury, get a bill of indictment returned against a
person,who was then arrested on what was termed a bench
warrant, and then when the easel came before the petty
jury for trial the counsel engaged fur the pro-
secution stated there was no evidence, and the
p, rson was discharged. Ile thought such a
instituting such a prosecution could only be actuated by
malicious feelings or an attempt at extortion. The other
new principle in the bill was, that power should be given
to enforce the attendance of witnesses who could prove
the innocence of a prisoner, and to provide for the proper
payment of such witnesses. Some hon. members might
entertain objections on the ground of expense, but ho felt
that it was in the highest degree important that any per-
son accused of any particular crime should have the means
provided him of proving his innocence.
Mr. HURST objected to the bill, and thought that the
best way of getting over the inconvenience of obtaining
a bill by representations before the grand jury was to abo-
lish the grand jury system altogether.
Mr. DENMAN thought the bill contained some very
good provisions, and he hoped would soon become the law
of the land.

After a few words from Mr. WALPOLE, the bill was
read a second time, and ordered to be committed that day

week.

ASSOCIATION OF WORKMEN BILL.
Mr. NEATE postponed proceeding with this bill unti
ho Ist of March.

SUGAR DUTIES.

The report on the reduction of the sugar duties was
brought up and received.

SUPPLY.

Upon the bringing up the report of the committee of
supply,
Mr. B. OSBORNE, on a vote of .£6OO for an altera-
tion in the Houses of Parliament being read, said he
trusted the noble lord the First Commissioner of Works
would take into consideration the state of the ladies' gal-
lery, as at present it was perfectly disgraceful. The House
of Lords adopted a very different system with great ad-
vantage, and lie thought it might be very advantageously
adopted in that house. A more inconvenient or objec-
tionable apartment did not not exist in that house than
the ladies' gallery. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. BOWYER concurred with the hon. gentleman

who had just down. He hoped that the First Commis-
sioner would be of opinion that the time had arrived
when the gratings in front should be removed, and
that the gallery should be made more wholesome and
agreeable to the ladies who oocupied them. At present

the accommodation offered to ladies in the house was
disgraceful, and the sooner it was altered the better.
(Hoar, hear.)

THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

On the sum of £116,000 being mentioned as for the ex-
penses of the British Commissioners,
Mr. B. HOPE thought the Royal Com•nissionars were
more puppets in the matter. They held their meetings, it
was true; but anything like a balance sheet had never
been presented to them. .The Executive Committee seemed
to have all the matters relating to the expenditure of
money confided to it.
An Tor. MEMBER asked the namesof the persons who
composed the Executive Committee?
Mr. B. HOPE said the secretary of the Science and Art

committee was the Executive Committee. (Laughter.)
Mr. B. OSBORNE asked the Secretary for the Treasury
whether he could say that the sum of £116,000 would
cover all expenses, and that there would bo no further call
for money?
Mr. HUNT said he really could not. He had felt sur-
prise and indignation, he had tried protestation, and at
last he had come to Christian resignation on this vote. He
could give no guarantee for the future. The late nor pre-
sent Government was not responaible for the outlay.
Sir G. BOWYER said as neither the late nor the pre-
sent Government was responsible for the vote, he should
like to know who was. Some one, more than likely some
subordinate, was the real party, and he should like to
know who he was.

Mr. WALPOLE said, of course, the Government would
be r,sponsible for the expenditure.
Mr. SCOURFIELD said what the home wanted to
know was, who was the person who had incurred this
outlay.

Mr. Sergeant GAZELEE said what was wanted was to
know who authorised the expenditure. There was, no
doubt, somebody behind the scenes, and what the house
wanted to know was who it was. He should like to know
who was to be responsible for the future.

Mr. RUNT said the late President and Pico-President
of the Council had sent out some engineer officers to frame
the estimates, and they had been acted upon after exami-
nation and modification.

The vote waR again read, when
- ..

Mr. DILL WYlNsaid he did hope that some assurance
would be given to the house that the estimate would nut
be exceeded.

Sir S. NORTHCOTE said it was very difficult to give
such an assurance. The Government would do all they
possibly could to keep the expenses within the estimate.
__ The report was then received.
. __

HABEAS CORPUS SUSPENSION ACT (IRELAND).
Lord NAAS said that, in moving for leave to bring in
a bill to renew for a short period the act for the suspension
of the Ilabeas Corpus Act in Ireland, he felt that the
better course for him to adopt was simply to confine him-
self to moving for leave to introduce the measure, and to

The following bills were read a second time :---Denbigh,
Ruthin, and Corwen, and Mold and Denbigh Junction
Railway Companies Amalgamation ; Central Cornwall
Railway (No. 1), Devon and Cornwall Railway.
WHITWORTH RIFLES.
On the motion of Major JERVIS, an address was ordered
for a return respecting the steel of which the Whitworth
rifle barrels, which have been used in the army, were mule;
awl copy of reports of officers comnytudin; .regiments or
battalions to whom the Whitworth rill ,s were issued, re-
specting the ollicioncy of these rifles for the service.
STEERING AND SAILING RULES.

dofer uny statement7l;7;77a re to make 7 ta.
morrow.

Mr. BRADY and Mr. COGAN complimented the Govern-
ment on the exertions they had made in putting down
Fenianism, but they hoped that they would continue the
good work, and proceed with remedial measures W hich
wore so much required in Ireland.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
MARRIAGES (ODESSA) BILL.
Mr. WALPOLE obtained leave to bring in a bill for re-
moving doubts as to the validity of certain marriages be-.
tw•eon British subjects at Odessa.

CRIMINAL LUNATICS.
Mr. WALPOLE obtained leave to bring in a bill to
am,,nd tho law relating to criminal lunatics.
SUSPENSION OF THE HABEAS CORPUS (IRE•
LAND) BILL.
This bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read
second time to-morrow.
The house then adjourned.

SPORTING IN rh L LIGZNOE. —This Day.

VICTORIA CLUB BETTING.--Tins DAY.
Though but comparatively a small muster assembl
to-day and business was not brisk, the doings were not
altogether devoid of interest. The Rake's progress was
once more decidedly with a downward tendency, for offers
of 11 to 1 met with no response. Plaudit, on the other
hand, vtas backed for over £3OO for the Two Thousand
and Derby, and the "dark" Master Butterfly found sup_
port as recorded below, nothing else important trans-
piring.

LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.
15 to 1 agst Columbia (offered)
20 to 1 aget Surney (taken)
25 to 1 agst Shakespeare (taken)
63 to 1 agst Havelock (offered)
40 to 1 agst Little Frank (offered)
TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
660 to 200 agst Plaudit (taken)
6to 1 agst Julius (offered)
20 to 1 agst Vauban (taken)
DERBY.
11 to 1 aget The Rake (offered)
1300 to 100 agst Plaudit (taken)
100 to 3 agst Master Butterfly (taken)
100 to 3 agst Vauban (offered)

NOTES

FROX

TRAINING QUARTERS.

NEWMARKET.

The Rake continues walking and trotting, and nothing
more has been done to his off hock since it was fired a
fortnight back, but ho will never stand a Derby prepara-
tion; nor will the Hermit either, and, as he merely trots
and canters about, he will not be fit for the Two Thousand,
The Brothers Bloss, therefore, will have to trust Knight
of the Garter for the Rowley Mile Spin, and he is under-
going a careful preparation, doing long steady work.
D'Estournel, who has been iu physic, is cantering again,
and a better looking Derby horse, or a finer goer, there is
not on the Heath. Fripounier is leading Van Amburgh
mile and a quarter gallops. Julius is a much-improved
animal, but up to the present he has not commenced strong
exercise. Of the elder horses Tormentor, Tourmalin,
Sealskin, and Lothario appear to be doing the most, and
are exceedingly forward in condition. The stables are
healthy, and the Heath is now getting into fine order, the
winds drying up the moisture beautifully. Vandervelde
was " a good thing" for the Lincolnshire Handicap, and
kept very quiet ; but large stakes have been won here by
John Dawson's intimate friends, whom he Gave the ()Moe
to at the eleventh hour.