The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-04 00:00:00

OHL BCH RATES.

On the motion that the house at its rising adjourn until
Thursday,

Mr. HARDY said there was no intention on the part of
the Government to bring in a bill to abolish church rates.
Mr. NE WDEGATE moved an address to the Crown for
copy of all petitions or memorials, and of all communica-
tions praying for or recommending the suspension, com-
mutation, or remission of sentences of death or of penal
servitude, received by the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, or at the Home-office, during the six months
ending on the 30th day of Nov. and on the 30th day of June
of each year. The hon. gentleman dwelt at some length
upon the practice now so common of urging for the remis-
sion of capital sentences, and the consequent uncertainty
of punishment. He did not, he said, advocate any change
in the law, but he asked Parliament to obtain such infor-
mation as would enable it to judge of the operation of the
law upon the criminals of the country, and thus lead to the
greater security of life and property.
The motion was seconded by Mr. NEATE.

Mr. HARDY, in opposing it, pointed out the inconveni-
ence of supplying the information which Mr. Newdegate
desired to obtain, and stated that the average yearly num-
ber of memorials presented to the Home-office for the
remission of sentences of death and penal servitude was
1,000. Such publication would also be a grave interference
with the exercise of the prerogative of mercy.
After a few words from Mr. Neate, Sir G. Bowyer, and
Mr. Reardon, the motion was withdrawn.
Leave was given to M:. HARDCASTLE to bring in a bill
to abolish church rates, and to Mr. HUBBARD a bill for the
regulation of church rates.

Mr. WALDEGRAVE-LESLIE obtained leave to bring
in a bill to amend the law relating to the sale and purchase
of shares in railways and gas companies.
The House then adjourned.

THE GALE.

SHIELDS, Monday (Midnight).

The northerly gale which broke on the Northum-
berland coast yesterday afternoon continues un-
abated in violence, and the sea to-night has been
the most tempestuous observed here for many years.
A sad catastrophe occurred off the Tyne this after-
noon. Three powerful steamtugs had gone to sea
this morning in search of disabled ships, but, as the
weather was bad and the gale appeared to increase
rather than decrease, two of them put back. The
third, a new vessel, the Pearl, bad gone north, and
was returning in the afternoon, when within almost
a quarter of a mile of the North Tyne pier she got
among very heavy seas. She raised herself upon
one of them, and then plunged with her bows down.
Another sea seemed to strike her on the quarter
while she was with her stern well out of the water.
It caused her as it seemed to turn a somersault and
disappear out of sight among the broken water.
When there was a smooth sea she reappeared, keel
up. Tho occurrence was observed by the Tynemouth
life brigade, and the apparatus was got out in the
hope that she might drive in shore. But she sank,
drowuing•her crew of four persons. The Pearl be-
longed to Messrs. George and Robert Chisholm, of
North Shields ; she was commanded by Captain
Chisholm, and his brother, John Chisholm, was
fireman. John Walker was engineman, and Wil-
liam Foster, 15 years of age, was the fourth hand.
Foster had only joined the boat that morning, the
regular hand being unwell. A large three-masted
steamship, apparently one of the traders between
London and Scotland, wasoff the Tyne this morning,
and bad a "Jack" up for a pilot. But as no one could
get out she made away south, apparently to Bridling-
ton or the Humber. A good deal of mischief has
been done by the gale inland, and some houses have
been blown down in the neighbourhood of Shields.
In consequence of the destruction of the wires by
the wind there has been no communication by tele-
graph from this town to-day. A good deal of snow
fell to night.

HULL, Dec. 2.

One of the most fearful storms which have ever
visited Hull and the district occurred on Sunday
afternoon, lasting with very little abatement till
Monday night. About 1 o'clock on Monday morn-
ing snow fell heavily, and there was a very keen
frost. It is feared that the shipping of Hull and
the smacks have suffered very severely. During
Sunday night and Monday morning great anxiety
was felt for the safety of the crew of one of the
Customhouse boats. The crew put off about 7
o'clock on Sunday night to board a vessel in the
roads, but such was the fury of the storm that they
could neither accomplish their object nor retur❑ to
the land. After knocking about in great danger
for some time, they were compelled to run for the
Lincolnshire shore, and . they landed in a distressed
condition at Barton, but too late to catch the last
train for Hull. Accordingly, much to the distress
of relatives at Hull, they were compelled to remain
at Barton till Monday morning. About 2 o'clock on
Monday morning the bark Home, of North Shields,
in ballast, from Antwerp, drove on shore at Withern-
sea, a water ingplace about 20 miles north of Spurn
Point. Almost immediately she capsized. The crew,
11 in number, managed to keep a hold outside the
bulwarks, and, being seen from the shore, efforts
were made to rescue them. It was found impossible
to launch the lifeboat, and therefore the rocket ap-
paratus was got out. This was so effectively worked
that in a short time the entire crew of the Home
were safely landed. They were at once taken to the
Alexandra Hotel, most of them suffering severely
from exposure to wet and cold. Two were in an ex-
tremely exhausted condition. They were, however,
soon restored. The Howe was commanded by Capt.
J. Spurling, and was the property of Mr. W. Davi-
son, Liddle•street, North-Shields. The vessel soon
became a total wreck. Early the same morning a
vessel went on shore in Bridlington Bay, and two
of her crew perished.

GREAT YARMOUTH, Tuesday.
A tremendous gale from the N. W. to N.N.E.,
with showers of hail and snow, burst over this dis-
trict on Monday. Throughout the day the wind
blew with tremendous force, the tide rose to an
enormous and unprecedented height, and completely
covered the lower portion of the town. The Yare
overflowed its banks, rising upwards of three feet
beyond the ordinary level, and flooded with salt
water most of the houses and gardens in South-
town, a suburb of Yarmouth. At sea the storm
raged with great fury. Three vessels—an English
bark and two foreign vessels—are ashore at Palling.
the Albion, of Goole, was in collision in the Wold
with a large vessel, and the master, in attempting
to get on board the strange vessel it is said, was
drowned. The lifeboats were cruising in the road-
stead all day, and brought into the harbour many
disabled vessels. The railway station was flooded,
and the train service from Yarmouth and Norwich
was suspended for 24 hours.

Yesterday morning, during the gale, the Gor-
leston lifeboat Rescuer went out to the assistance
of a brig on the Scoroby sands. She rescued 17 of
the crew, and was returning to the harbour, when
just as the lifeboat was about to er.ter, and close to
the bar, a fishing lugger named the James and
Ellen struck her on the quarter. The lifeboat,
which was under full sail at the time, at once cap-
sized. The lifeboat's crew consist_d of 16 men.
Shemat once turned bottom upward . AIM Qf the