The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-23 00:00:00

SCOTCH BUSINESS.

Mr. BAXTER called the attention of Government to the
inconvenience arising in the transaction of business in the
house in consequence of the absence of the Lord Advocate.
Colonel Sykes and several other hon. members also com-
plained of the inconvenience.
VENTILATION OF MINES.

Mr. CLIVE called attention to the report of the Com-
missioners appointed to inquire into the condition of all the
mines in Great Britain to which the Act 23d of Victoria
did not apply.
A motion by Mr. BRUEN for a select committee to in-
quire into the justice of a claim for compensation to the
late inspectors of weights and measures in Ireland for the
loss of their offices was resisted by Lord Naas on behalf of
the Treasury, and on a division negatived by 134 to 41.
The intrepid conduct of the Irish constabulary during
the recent Fenian attempt at insurrection was brought
under notice by Mr. MONSELL, who inquired whether there
was any in' ention to confer special rowards on those mem-
bers of the force who had distinguished themselves by
meritorious services. He suggested that the men who de-
fended their barracks against great odds should got the
Victoria Cross, and that steps should b 3 taken to make the
outlying barracks defensible against any sudden attack of
an armed mob.

Mr. BAuwELL:and Mr. C. FoTerzscuz having borne tes-
timony to the bravery and loyalty of the Irish police during
the late critical conjuncture,
Lord NAAS observed that he thought the country
ought to be deeply indebted to the constabulary for having
nipped the insurrection in the bud, and that it was pro-
posed to ask the house to vote a sum of £2,000, to be placed
at the disposal of the Inspector-General of Constabulary
for rewarding the men who bad specially distinguished
themselves. With regard to the barracks, they would be
placed in a state of defence without delay, and the force
would in future be armed with the breech-loading rifle.
Among the other subjects discussed was the report of
tho commissioners appointed to inquire into the condition
of mines in Great Britain, the alleged outrage committed
on _fishermen on the Lower Shannon by the Knight of
Glin, and the circumstances under which a pension was
granted to a certain Mr. Robert Young, of Fermanagh, de-
scribed as an "agricultural and historical poet."
The latter subject led to considerable discussion, Mr.
O'Reilly contending that tho pension of Lit) awarded to
this illiterate person was a gross abuse of the public money,
as he had devoted the greater portion of his life to abusing
and maligning the great majority of his fellow-country-
men.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER took the
opportunity of removing a misapprehension widely enter-
tained with regard to the nature of the fund from which
pensions are granted to literary and scientific persons. He
explained that the Sovereign, with the consent of Parlia-
ment, had the power of distributing pensions to the amount
of £1,500 per annum, but they were not devoted to literary
or scientific purposes. It was only indeed by the consi-
deration of the Crown that a large part of this sum had of
late years been apportioned to these purposes, and he
thought that on the whole the pensions for literature and
science bad been granted with much taste and discretion.
The house eventually went into committee of supply pro
forma, and Mr. Corry announced that the navy estimates
would be taken on Thursday evening, after the Mutiny
Bill.

The other business on the paper was disposed of, and
the house adjourned at five minutes to one o'clock until
Monday.