The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-24 00:00:00

MARKET BILL.

Mr. CHARLES FORSTER moved that the order that
the Weston-super-Mare Improvement and Market Bill be
committed, be read and discharged ; that the bill be with-
drawn ; and that, in the case of the Sunderland Dock
PNo. 2) Petition for Bill, the Examiner of Petitions for
rivate Bills have leave to sit and proceed forthwith ;
which were severally agreed to.

PETITIONS.
Petitions were presented in favour of a comprehensive
measure of parliamentary reform ; the repeal of the paper
duty; and the extension of Christianity in India.
CHURCH-RATES ABOLITION BILL.
On the motion of Sir J. TRELAWNEY, the second
reading of this bill was postponed till Monday next.
CHURCH-RATES COMMUTATION BILL.
On the order of the day for the second reading of this
bill,
Mr. WALPOLE suggested that the hon. member
(Mr. Alcock) should postpone the bill until next Monday.
Considering that the other measure on the subject had been
put off until that day, he thought it would be very incon-
venient to have the present bill discussed on that occasion.
Mr. ALCOCK regretted that he could not comply with
the request of the right hon. gentleman. At the end of
last session, when it was found that the hon. baronet (Sir
J. Trelawney) could not effect the passing of the Church-
rates Abolition Bill, he communicated with him, and he
(Sir J. TrelaWney) consented to his introducing his•(Mr.
Alcock's) measure. It had been read a first time, and he
did not consider it was fair to him to propose to interrupt
the progress of the bill at its present stage. His bill pro-
vided for the raising of a fund to meet the purposes to
which a church-rate was applied, and it was entirely volun-
tary and permissive. By the bill of the right honour-
able baronet the incumbent and churchwardens of a
parish were constituted a corporation in perpetuity to
maintain the fabric of the church; but he could not
see how such a body would be able to effect what
they had already failed in accomplishing. The chief dif-
ference between his bill and that of the hon. baronet was
that he proposed to call to his assistance the Charity Com-
missioners already existing. That body administered no
less than £1,200,000 annually, and had to deal with charities
some of which were of the value of only 10s. a week, while
others amounted to no less than £35,000 a year.
Mr. COLLINS moved an amendment that the bill be
read a second time on Monday next.
After a few words from Mr. D. GRIFFITHS and Mr. S.
ESTCOURT, the motion was withdrawn and the bill was
ordered to be read a second time on Monday next.
ELECTIONS, &c., BILL.
Mr. COLLINS moved the second reading of this bill, and
stated that the first clause proposed to assimilate the law
relating to voting in Ireland with that of England, and
that the other clauses had for their object the shortening of
notices at elections in the latter country.
After some observations from Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD,
the second reading of this bill was postponed till Wednesday
next.

JURIES (IRELAND) BILL.
The second reading of this bill was postponed for a fort-
night. _ _

MANOR COURTS, &c. (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion that the house go into committee on this
bill,

Mr. WILLIAMS objected to the allowance of compen-
sation to the stewards of these courts, and suggested that
the committee should be postponed until the resolutions
allowing these compensations were discussed.
Mi. WHITESIDE explained that the object of the bill
was to do away with the jurisdiction of the seneschals of
those courts in matters relating to the administration of
justice, and to transfer it to the County Court magistrates
and other judges in Ireland. These manors were a rem-
nant of feudalism, and of no benefit whatever in the admi-
nistration of justice ; and in many instances a nuisance to
the country.
After some discussion, in which Mr. Kirk, Mr. Do Vere
and Mr. Williams took part, it was decided that the bill
should stand over until after the other orders of the day had
been disposed of.
RECEIVERS IN CHANCERY, &c. (IRELAND)
BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD complained that both this
bill and the Sale and Transfer of Land (Ireland) Bill were
not in the possession of Irish members to enable them to
determine on their respective merits, and suggested that
they should be postponed for a week.
Mr. WHITESIDE said he had no objections to the pro-
posed postponement, but he wished to 'state that he would
not bring in any other Irish bills until the discussion on
these were disposed of.

MANOR COURTS, &c._(IRELAND) COMPgNSA-

TION BILL .
The house having resolved itself into committee On-the
resolution for awarding compensation to the stewards of the
Manor Courts, the preceding debate on Manor Courts was
resumed by
Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD, who called the attention of
the committee to the case of those compensations. From the
returns of 1842 it appeared that in 25 counties there wore
193 manor courts. He was unable to name the number of
these courts in the other seven counties. His proposal wits
that they should not appoint any more judges of these
courts when the present judges died, which would provide
for their gradual extinction. He considered it would be
most unjust to leave the humble suitor without a court that
would supply the place of these tribunals. It would be desir-
able to increase the jurisdiction of the county court judges,
and to give magistrates at petty sessions power to adjudicate
on claims that involved debts amounting to 20s. ' however,
these alterations should be concurrent with the abolition of
the manor courts. These courts, amounting to 300, were
spread through tho country, and he thought they should
be supplied with information in a tabulated form respectinr,
these courts, and the amounts of compensation that would be
required.
Mr. WHITESIDE expressed his surprise at the opposi-
tion offered to the bill on this subject which he (Mr. White-
side) had introduced. He thought they should apply the
same principle in dealing with these courts that they had
done when they abolished certain courts and established
county courts in this country with respect to granting com-
pensation. They might not like these courts, but they must
take them as they found them, and it was only equitable that
what was vicious in principle should cease to exist in prac-

tice.
Mr. WILSON said that the proposed compensation was
reasonable enough, but he objected to its being charged on

the consolidatedhind.
Lord NAAS said that Government had no objection to
adopt the suggestion of the hon. member, and moved that
the resolution should be withdrawn, on the distinct under-
standing that those compensations should be paid out of
the annual vote.
The resolution was then withdrawn.
MANOR COURTS (IRELAND) BILL.

The house then went into committee on 'this bill.

J. D. FITZGERALD again advocated his proposi-
tion for the gradual extinction of these courts, and con.
tended that some approximation to the cost of the proposed
compensation should be supplied to the house by a respon-
sible officer of tho Crown. He denied that the increase in
the stamp duty in consequence of the small suits that
would be tried before the petty courts would realise the
amount expected. He concluded by moving the omission
of the compensation clause.
Mr. WHITESIDE opposed the amendment, and con-
tended that it would be most impolitic to adopt one course
with regard to England and another for Ireland. There
were no less than 570 petty sessions courts sitting weekly
in Ireland, and the stamps that would be demanded for the
extension of the business of these courts must necessarily

realise a large amount.
After some conversation the amendment was withdrawn

and the clause was agreed to.
Mr. GROGAN moved in clause 4 that the word " offi-
cers" should be substitued for seneschal or steward, the
for
the of his amendment being to obtain compensation
compensationendment, and consi-
dered inferior officers of these courts.
could show that they had a legal
to any
clued it would Mr. WHIITdEbeS
impoEst°uPufP°ltiredtothgeivaem
h they would be deprived by the abolition
fee, of which
of the courts.
officers except when they
After some discussion the amendment was withdrawn,
and the clause so framed as to include the marshal, or such
other officers as were created under charter in the proposed
compensation.
Mr. KIRK moved an amendment, to the effect that no
compensation should be granted on emoluments, but only
on fees.
The house divided, and the numbers were—
For the amendment 46
Against it
Majority —6
After some further discussion the clause was agreed to.
On clause 5 being read,
Mr. MAGUIRE moved an amendment to the effect that
the jurisdiction of petty sessions should be extended to the
recovery of £2, instead of being limited.
Mr. WHITESIDE did not oppose the proposed altera-
tion, and the clause as amended was agreed to.
The remaining clauses were also agreed to, and the house
resumed.

POPULATION, &c. (ENGLAND, &c).
Mr. DUNLOP moved for an address for return of (1) the
present estimated population of England, Scotland, and Ire-
d, respectively,. according to the most recent data pos-
sessed by the Registrar-General; and (2) the total amount
of revenue derived from taxation of England, Scotland, and
Ireland, respectively, for the two years ending Dec. 31, 1858,
under the departments of inland revenue, customs, and post
office, respectively • showing, also, the number of represen-
tatives which eac'h'of these divisions of the United King-
dom would have,
_if the 658 members of the House of Com-
mons were allotted to them-1. proportionately to such po-
pulation ; 2. proportionately to such revenue ; and 3. pro-
portionately to the mean of such population and revenue.—
Agreed to.
The house then adjourned at ten minutes to five o'clock.

CITY COMMISSION OF SEWERS.—On Tuesday a
court was held, Mr. Deputy Christie presiding. Dr.
Letheby reported on the state of 205 houses that had been
inspected during the week, and submitted a list of 81 places
that required sanitary improvement in various particulars.
The state of the public health as indicated by the mortality.
returns is highly favourable, for there were but 55 deaths in
fact, the
trrlete-
the course of the week, although the number for
th
sponding periods of the last three years is 70; in
mortality has fallen during the last three weeks front 82 to
5
pnofonthseofd6eo aliathsdwuepre among infants, and 12 were
among ward 8. _
The principal causes
of death were affections of a chronic
i.°nollYd persons
dies which are produced or aggravated character. The mala-
dies
had greatly diminished, for there by the cold weather
were 1 ut seven deaths from
consumption, although in the
were 16. Pneumonia had first week of the month there
these were infants, and been fatal in only four cases, and
bronchitis in three cases. Of the
)
zymotic class there were
ut six deaths—mmely, two from
whooping cough, one from
one from diphtheria, one from al:nail-pox,
no deaths from measles,and one from scarlet fever. There were
fever or diarrhoea. The number of births
in the week was 74,
disposing of which 39 were of boys and 35 of
girls. The court, after of a good deal of routine
business,'
adjourned.

• _
BOILER EXPLOSION AND Loss OF LIFE.—CAR-
r4PP, Feb. 22.—The boiler of the steam tug Black Eagle,
of this port, exploded this morning when she was about to
-tow a vemlfrom the East. Dock ; five persons are reported
to be killed and as many injured, including the owner.