The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-08 00:00:00

IIUERIAL PARLIAMENT

MOUSE OF LORDS.—LAST EVENING.
THE DUNDEE GAS BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this bill, an amend-
ment was proposed that the discussion should be post-
poned until after Whitsuntide. The bill, with a few tech-
nical amendments, was read a third time and passed.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES (SCOTLAND) ACTS AMEND-
MENT BILL.
The report of the amendments in this bill was received.
METROPOLITAN POLICE BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
BREECH-LOADING GUNS.
Earl SPENCER, in asking the intention of the
Government to amend the proof bills this ses-
sion, so as to make them more applicable to
breech-loading arms, said that in every part of the con-
tinent the attention of the most scientific men had been
milled to the question of breech-loading guns, and that
ininiensi impr)versents had taken place, and that,
as far as this country was concerned, it was of the
most vital importance that all our energy should be de-
voted to the question. Therefore he trusted that his noble
friend would turn his attention to the subject in the bill
he was proposing this year.
Lord LONGFORD said that there were two companies
who had the power of proving these guns, and they had
.received notice that in consequence of the change in fire-
arms they would be required to exercise greater vigilance.
These bye-laws, which they could put in operation, would
be equal to law. There was great difficulty in avoiding
accidents from cartridges.
The subject then dropped.
DISTRICT PROT HONOTARIES, &c. BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
CONSOLIDATED FUND.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. •
The house then adjourned till Monday, the 17th inst.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. —LAST EVENING.
Tjio SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed:
—Newry and Armagh Railway, Waterford and Passage
Railway and Ferry, and Wolverhampton and Walsall
Rail way.
• NORTH WESTERN AND CHABING-CROSS
RAIL WAY BILL.

Mr. C. FORSTER moved that the order (6th May)
that the North Western and Charing-cross Railway Bill
be read the third time, and discharged.

The motion was agreed to, and the bill was accordingly
withdrawn.

STORM SIGNALS.
Col. SYKES asked the Vice-President of the Board of
Teade whether any and what action had been taken to re-
store " Storm Warnings," consequent upon the deputation
of members of Parliameut to the President of the Board

of Trade.
Mr. CAVE said Colonel Sabine, the President of the
Meteorological Society, has undertaken to do so as far as
possible, and a committee was now considering the best

means of doing so.
DISASTERS AT SEA.
Mr. J. A. SMITH asked the Vice President of the
Board of Trade whether, in reference to the copies of
memorials "on the subject of disasters at sea and their
prevention," presented to the house this session by the
Board of Trade, it was intended to take any steps to carry
out the recommendations or suggestions contained in such
memorials, particularly in reference to the urgent want
which is represented to exist of inspectors of mercantile
shipping ?
Mr. CAVE said the subject was then under the con-
sideration of the Board of Trade with a view to future
legislation. The inspection of ships previous to their
putting to sea was a matter of great difficulty.
SALE OF LIQUORS ON SUNDAYS BILL.

Mr. J. A. SIIIr a said he intended to move the second
reading of this bill that evening if possible, but he should
bring the matter forward after half-plst 10 o'clock.
Mr. ROEBUCK said, a number of members had left
town under the impression that the bill would not be taken
previous to the Whitsuntide holidays, and, therefore, he
should :wail himself of every form of the house to oppose
the progress of the bill.
WHITS UN HOLIDAYS.

Oa the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
it was t,rced that the hoase at its rising adjourn until
Thur/lay next.
THE GREENWICH SIXPENCE.

Oa the motion for going into Committee of Supply,
Mr. TREVELYAN called the attention of the House
to the case of the old seamen who paid the Greenwich
sixpence before the year 183 L He said he had presented
a petition from the old sailors of the merchant service
who had for a length of time had sixpence
a month deducted from their wages towards the
support of Greenwich Hospital. The old men had never
reciivid any benefit from such contribution, and they
prayed that the case might be taken into favourable consi-
deration by the house. The Government had stated they had
proposed that a portion of Greenwich Hoipital should be
appropriated as an infir.nary for the mercantile mariner,
but the old men would rather have the money they had
paid returned to them, as it was now very unlikely that
seamen of the merchant service would ever receive any
benefit from Greenwich Hospital, which was now wholly
appropriated to aged seamen of the Royal Navy. He
would not conclude by making a motion or moving for
papers, but he would resume his seat after asking the Go-
vernment to take the claims of the old seamen into their
favourable consideration.
Mr. LIDDELL said if doubta existed as to the rights of
these aid men, he hoped the Government would give
the benefit of the doubt to the petitioners.

After a few obseryations from Mr. 'NomAm in favour of
the appeal,
Mr. CHILDERS said as ho had the honour two years
ago to introduce the bill under which the Greenwich
Fund was administered, he would like to make ono
or two observations. At the time that bill was under
discussion this matter was touched upon, and it was
thought then that those persons had no ground for
their appeal. If the house elected to give those men any-
thing, it must be done by direct vote of the house, as there
was no part of the Greenwich Fund available for such
purpose. In 1711. it was enacted that no person but those
s'n-ving in the Royal Navy should be entitled to the ad-
vantages of the hospital ; but some time after it was
enacted that merchant seamen maimed or disabled
in the defence of the country should be ad-
mitted to the hospital provided they produced
cortidcates of good character, therefore the hospital was
not altogether appropriate to the men of the royal navy.
Mr. CORRY thought the merchant service had received
more advantages from Greenwich Hospital than was equi-
valent to their contributions. He did not think that
the claims of the petitioners rested on any valid ground.
Mr. CANDLISH said it was evident these men had no
legal claim, or they would have a legal remedy without
applying to Parliament. He thought it was a great hard-
ship that men for thirty years should have the sixpence
taken from them by law, and then when they stood in
need of assistance that they should be refused the slightest
help. _ _ _

The subject then dropped.
THE SALE OF LIQUOR ON SUNDAYS BILL.
In reply to Col. EDWARDS,
Mr. J. ABEL SMITH postponed the motion for the
second reading of the bill until the 26th of June.
Mr. TREVELYAN, on the usual motion for supply,
called attention to the case of the old seamen in the
mercantile marine, who, having paid 6d. a month out of
their wages to the support of Greenwich Hospital prior to
the year 1834, when the payment ceased, complained that
they had derived no advantage from that institution. The
hon. member argued that, if this payment had been made
solely for. the benefit of the seamen of the royal navy, with-
out. the merchant service participating in it, the proceed-
ing was one totally opposed to the commercial policy of the
country; whilst if it were intended that both classes should
share in its advantages, the seamen of the mercantile ma-
rine had been treated with injustice.
Aftea few observations from Mr. Liddell, Mr. Ingham, ,
and Mr. Candlish, all of whom supported the claim set up
by the hon. member for Tynemouth,
Mr. CIIIDLERS, who opposed it, stated that a commit-
tee of the house had reported that no case whatever existed
for this appeal, and that the revenues of Greenwich Hos-
pital were appropriated to what was considered their proper
destination, namely, the maintenance of sailors of theroyal
navy, and in aid of officers' pensions. If the hon. gentle-
man were to succeed in proving that the claim was a
charge upon the country it would become the duty of the
House of Commons to make provision for it; but the act
of 1865 set the question completely at rest. Moreover,
going back to a remoter date, the act of 1711, describing
the purpose to which Greenwich Hospital was to be ap-
plied, directed that no seaman should be admitted besides
sailors of the Royal navy, whilst the act of 1721 extended
the institution to others who had been wounded in action

or in resisting pirates at sea.
Mr. CORItY supplorsented this explanation by saying
that the sixpowt.) a month was not paid with arty- benevo-
lent intention, but as a c..msid.tratioa for the protection
which the navy gave. to the comuit3rce of the country.
The subject here dropped.
Sir J. G 1 AY put some questions to the Chief Secretary
for Ireland relative to the distress prevailing in the west of
Ireland, and
Lord NAAS stated the measures which had been taken
with a view to its alleviation. These were the commence-
ment of three or four public works connected with fishery
Piers and the supply of considerable quantities of In-
dian meal to the district, whilst the poor-law authorities
and the Law Life Assurance Society were doing all in
their power to find employment for the people.
The house then wont into committee of supply, and re-
sumed the consideration of army estimates.
-Ou the vote for barrack establishments, services and
supplies,4,l.. • Alderman LLTSK took an objection to the
item of £2,000 for the furniture of billiard rooms, which
he muved should be-struck out, The item was defend°

by Sir J. Pakington, Col. North, and other members, and
opposed by Mr. Otway and Mr. Monk. On a division the
motion was rejected by 72 to 12.
A conversation of some interest to the members of vo-
lunteer corps also took place on the vote in aid of this
force, in the course of which Sir J. Pakington, alluding to
the delay which had taken place in the payment of the
capitation grant, said that it was caused by the obvious
necessity for a careful investigation by the military autho-
rities of the state of the regimental accounts. With the
view of avoiding such delays hereafter there was at this
moment a proposal under consideration at the War-office
for putting the capitation money in the hands of the com-
manding officers, to be disposed of at their discretion ; and
if that step were adopted he had no doubt that all ground
for future complaint would be removed.
On the House resuming, after agreeing to numerous
votes for the military service, the order was moved to con-
tinue the adjourned debate on going into committee on the
Bankruptcy Bill, and Mr. Ayrton proposed the amendment
of which he had given notice, to the effect that it was un-
just to pass a measure by which an insolvent person who
had contracted a debt amounting to £3O, or several amount-
ing to £lOO, should be discharged from liability for all his
debts, except as regarded his future acquired property or
earnings, to the extent of half the amount of his debts,
while insolvents who had contracted debts to a less amount
would be liable to repeated imprisonment to compel them
to pay their debts in full.
Mr. HENLEY did not regard the bill as affording a pro-
per opportunity for raising a debate on this important
question. As an expression of opinion, however, he quite
concurred with the amendment, though he hoped it would
not be pressed to a division. He was well aware that there
were many thousands of persons annually imprisoned for
very small debts under the county courts system, and that
they were treated not merely as debtors but.subjected to the
same gaol regulations as fraudulent debtors. He looked upon
it as a crying injustice, that whilst the House was endeavour-
ing to abolish the practice of imprisonment for debt it
should be continued for small people, and that under a
false pretence. He hoped, therefore, the Attorney-General
would give the matter consideration, and see whether it
was fit and proper that these people should be kept in gaol
in this manner. For his part he did not understand why
a man who owed a hundred thousand pounds and did not
t pay it should be allowed to go scot-free, while the wretched
I man who owed a five-pound note was locked up. It was
wrong to sontinue such a state of things.
Mr. Norwood, Mr. Barnett, Mr. Alderman Lusk, and the
Solicitor-General also took part in the debate ; and even-
tually Mr. Ayrtin allowed his amendment to be negatived
without a division.

The house then went into committee, but immediately
resumed. _ _ . .

Tho Judgment Debtors Bill and the Bankruptcy Acts
Repeal Bill were also committed pro forma.
The Railway Companies Bill was read a third time and
passed.
The amendments to the Court of Chancery (Ireland)
Bill were considered; and after the remaining orders bad
been gone through, the house, at eight minutes to one
o'clock, adjourned over the Whitsuntide holidays until
Thursday next.