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

municants who shall be prpsent thereat, shall by a plurality
of voices elect one of their body to be chairman of
the meeting, with a casting as well as a dc,.
liberative vote, and shall also elect a clerk of
the meeting, and a committee not to exceed 25 persons, a
majority of whom shall be a quorum, and the committee
sliall forthwith proceed to frame regulations as to the time
of calling and holding future meetings of the heritors as d
communicants, and of voting thereat, feud as to any other
matters or procedure necessary in order to carry
into effect the purposes of this enactment ; and
•bhe regulations so made shall forthwith be published by
advertisement in such newspapers as the committee may
direct, and shall, after such publication, be submitted for
the approval of the Sheriff of Midlothian, and when tip-
proved by him shall be valid and effectual, and the whole
future procedure shall be regulated thereby; and when any
election of a person to be a minister shall have been made
under the said regulations, it shall be sufficient
that the deed of presentation be subscribed by the chairman
of the meeting at which the election shall be made, and by
any three members authorised by the meeting to subscribe
the same along with him, and such deed of presentation,
when so subscribed, shall be as valid and effectual as if the
same had been subscribed by all persons entitled to vote in
such election.

The clause was agreed to and added to the bill.
The preamble, with amendments, was agreed to, nd
the chairman was ordered to report the bill.
HERRING FISHERIES (SCOTLAND) BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.
Several clauses were agreed to, and the chairman re-
ported progress.

The house suspended its sitting shortly before 4 o'clock.
The house resumed at six o'clock.
GROUNDS FOR RIFLE PRACTICE.
Mr. SELWYN asked the Secretary of State for War
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government
to introduce any measure for facilitating the acquisition
by volunteer corps of grounds for rifle practice, by pur-
chase with their own money, or by voluntary grants from
landowners, pursuant to the suggestions made in that house
on the sth day of July, 1859, and the Ist day of July, IE6O.
Mr. S. HERBERT said when a similar question was
put on a former occasion he thought the subject was worthy
of consideration, but upon giving it consideration he found
there were several points to be settled before a bill could
be introduced ; and, first, there was a question of giving
such power to persons who were not responsible to Parlia-
ment, and against whom no remedy could be provided in
case the ground taken for rifle practice should prove to be
dangerous to the public, or objectionable to the landowners
or inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Then, again, it would
be necessary that these grounds should be vested in some
authority of a permanent character. These things required
much consideration, and, as he had a good deal of business
on his hands, he could not attend to it; but if the hon. and
learned gentleman would undertake to bring in a bill, the
Government would give him all the assistance they could

THE LONDON CORPORATION BILL.
Mr. NORRIS asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department whether he could name a day for going int
committee on this bill ?

Sir G. C. LEWIS said, in consequence of the unexpected
manner in which the debates were adjourned, Government
could not name ar y particular day.

INLAND REVENUE.

Mr NORRIS asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government
to take steps for the transfer from persons locally appointed
to the officers of Inland Revenue of the duties of assessors
and collectors of income, property, and assessed taxes, and
collectors of land tax ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply,
said the subject was one of considerable importance. The
exact state of the question he would describe. There was
a feeling in the country favourable to a transfer of the
kind. At the same time, it was quite evident that what-
aver might be its abstract merits it could not be carried
into effect except with the general c,neurrence of those
who would be affected by it. The course which had been
taken was this :—A circular had been sent out by the Board
of Inland Revenue to G 99 Boards of Land Tax Commis-
sioners. From about half of the number answers had been
received, and another circular had been sent to spur those
who had not yet answered. So far as the answers had been
received, the greater number of the boards were favourable
to the transfer. Speaking generally, the boards in the
larger towns were unfavourable to the change, while those
in the counties, and in the small towns, were favourable.
The Government would not be justified in passing a coer-
cive measure with reference to those boards that were un-
favourable ; but the Government would come to a decision
as soon as all the answers were received.

INDIAN AND AUSTRALIAN PACKETS.
Mr. BAILIE asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whe-
ther it was the intention of the Government to continue to
compel the Indian and Australian packets to use the har-
bour of Galle, or whether they would be allowed, if they
wished it, to use for the future the harbour of Trincomalee ?

Lord C. PAGET said he was not prepared to state that
:he Government intended to make any alteration.

'ATROCITIES IN SICILY.

Mr. SHERIDAN asked the noble lord at the head of
Foreign Affairs whether he had received any official ac-
count of the atrocities said by a noble lord in another place
to have been committed by Garibaldi and his associates in
the Island of Sicily, and whether such atrocities having
been committed, her Majesty's Government could have re-
mained ignorant of the circumstances ?
Lord J. RUSSELL replied that her Majesty's Govern-
ment had received information with reference to various
murders that had been committed by a mob of armed pea-
sants, who had attacked the police of the former Govern-
ment. There was, however, no account connecting General
Garibaldi in any way with the affair, or stating that he had
favoured or protected the proceeding. (Loud cheers.) It
seemed to have been more an act of vengeance committed
by those who had bent, previously to late events, governed
by the police.

PROPERTY SEIZED IN THE INDIAN MUTINY.

In reply to Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN,
Sir C. WOOD said the property referred to in the ques-
tion of the hon. member was that which had been seized at
Delhi, and he was quite unable at present to give any defi-
nite information regarding its disposal.