The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

THE PAPER DUTY.

Mr. W. EWART asked the Secretary to the Treasury
whether the Treasury had considered the propriety of ex-
tending to school books generally the exemption from
paper duty which is now allowed on books in the Latin,
Greek, Oriental, and Northern languages printed by the
universities ; also, what books are considered to be free
from duty under the description of books in the Northern
languages ?
Sir S. NORTIICOTE said that it would be impossible
to define strictly what were school books ; and with refer-
ence to the last part of the question, the books described as
in the northern languages were Russian, Scandinavian,
Danish, and Dutch.
MARINE ENGINES.

Mr. HENRY GORE LANGTON asked the First Lord
of the Admiralty whether, as her Majesty's Government
had thought it ;necessary to apply for tenders for the
supply of marine engines from Liverpool, Scotland, and
most of the eminent houses engaged in this particular busi-
noes, Bristol was included amongst the places to which invi-
tations for tenders had been made ?

Sir J. PAKINGTON said that no tenders had been ac •
cepted from America, but there was no desire to exclude
any locality or any respectable house from participating in
the business alluded to.
CLAIMS OF BRITISH TRADERS.

Mr. CRAWFORD asked the Under Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, whether steps were being taken to induce
the Portuguese Government to satisfy the claims of British
traders for injustice done to them on the African coast ?
Mr. S. FITZGERALD said that endeavours had been
made for the last sixteen years to obtain a satisfactory
settlement of the claims in question, but up to the present
time they had succeeded only in getting promises.
TREATIES WITH FOREIGN POWERS.
Mr. HORSMAN asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, whether the treaties which, subsequent to
the Treaty of :Vienna, had been concluded between the
Emperor of Austria and the different sovereigns•of Italy,
and having reference to the internal government
of their dominions or their military occupation by
Austrian troops, had been communicated to the
British Government ; and whether there were copiei of them
in the Foreign-office; and, if the answers were in the
affirmative, whether there was any objection to lay them
before Parliament.
Mr. S. FITZGERALD said that some of the documents
referred to were in the library of the house, but that only
the substance:of others in possession of the Government
were in the library.
ROYAL MARINES.
Mr. HORSMAN moved for a tabular statement of sea-
men (including officers), boys, and marines, voted for naval
service, and actually borne, from the year 1756 inclusive to
the present time (1859) inclusive; and of the amount of
money voted in each year for the service, and specifying
the different periods of warr ands peace Agree
—d to.
S. EPARK.

Mr. KINNAIII) asked the Chief Commissioner of
Works whether he was preparedto recommend and to carry
out the widening of the passage leading from Spring-
gardens and Cockspur-street into St. James's Park, so as
to allow carriages and persons on horseback to enter and
leave the park by that route, the Metropolitan Board of
Works having announced their intention of immediately
widening so much of the said passage as fronts Berkeley
House. _

Lord J. MANNERS said that the subject was under
attention.

PUBLIC OFFICES,
Lord J. NANINILIi* obtaiited leave to brills a bill to

' make further provision for enabling the Commissioners of
her Majesty's Works to acquire a site for additional offices
for the public service, near Whitehall and her Majesty's
Palace of Westminster.
COURT OF PROBATE.
Lord J. MANNERS moved for leave to bring in a bill to
enable the Commissioners of her Majesty's Works to ac-
quire a site for the purposes of her Majesty's Court of Pro-
bate and other courts and offices.—Agreed to.
ASSISTANT-SURGEONS IN THE EAST INDIA
COMPANY.
Mr. RIDLEY asked the Secretary of State for India,
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government
now to confer any mark of distinction upon those Assist,-
Surgeons, late in the-service of the East India Company,
who formed part of the garrison during the whole of the
siege of Lucknow, and who were recommended in the
despatch of General Inglis, of the 26th September, 1857,
to the particular attention of the Government of India • or,
if the rank of assistant-surgeon does not allow such 'dis-
tinction conferred at the present time, whether he will
cause that recommendation to be noted in the books, so
that on their obtaining the rank of full surgeon they may
receive a corresponding distinction to that already con-
ferred on the four surgeons named in the above cited
despath ?
Lord STANLEY said that the assistant-surgeons were
only regarded in the light of other subalterns, and there-
fore were not eligible fer any such distinction as that al-
luded to ; but, on the part of the Government of India, he
could assure the hon. member that they were very desirous
of recognising the claims of those who were entitled to such
recognition.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY

APPOINTMENTS (IRELAND).
Mr, BEAMISH asked the Attorney-General for Ireland,
whether it was the fact that the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
had recently appointed Mr. Charles Henry James, an officer
in the Ayrshire Rifles, one of the two official assignees of
the Court of Bankruptcy and Insolvency in Ireland ; and,
if so, whether the Attorney-General could inform the house
what were the qualifications of Mr. James for the office, and
what was the amount of the salary or emoluments ?
Mr. WHITESIDE said the gentleman in question was
appointed because he was the fittest man. (Laughter.)
The hon. and learned member read a letter from the Lord
Chancellor of Ireland, stating that Mr. James was recom-
mended to him by some of the principal merchants of
Dublin, and that he believed the salary was about £6OO
a-year.