The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-12 00:00:00

RETURNS

On the motion of Mr. C. FORSTER, the following re-
turns were ordered :—The number of private bills intro-
duced and brought from the House of Lords, and the acts
passed in the sessions of 1859 ; and of all private
bills which, in the sessions of, 1859, have been referred
by the committee of selection, or by the general committee
on railwt.y and canal bills, to the chairman of the com-
mittee of ways and means; return of the number of days
on which the house sat in the sessions of 1859 ; return of
the number of divisions of the house in the sessions of
1859; and return of the number of select committees ap-
pointed in the sessions of 1859.

_MILITIA RIOTS AT KINSALE.
Mr. TORRENS asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland
whether there was any objection to lay on the table copies
of the official reports made by the civil and military autho-
rities who held investigations regarding the recent rioting
at Kinsale, between some of the soldiers of the Regiment
of Antrim Militia Artillery and some of the inhabitants of
that town ?

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND said
there was no objection to produce the documents alluded to.

LABOUR OF CHILDREN IN MINES,

Mr. AYRTON asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whether it was the intention of the Go-
vernment to issue a commission to inquire into the effect
of prolonged labour of children in mines of coal and iron-
stone, as the act for the inspection of mines expired next
year. _ _ _

Mr. CLIVE said the subject was under consideration,
and his right hon. friend the Homo Secretary would give
an answer at the earliest possible period next session.

MILITIA DESERTERS.

Colonel DUNNE called the attention of the house to the
practice of orders being sent from the War Department to
officers commanding militia regiments to release deserters
from their corps who have enlisted into the line ; and asked
the Secretary of State for War if such a practice was not
contrary to the articles of war.
Mr. S. HERBERT said that the orders in question were
strictly regular.

THE BALLOT.
Mr. H. BERKELEY gave notice that next session he
would bring forward the subject of the ballot.
KINGSTON-UPON-HULL.

Mr. MALINS moved that the Speaker should issue
his writ for the election of a member in the place of Mr.
Hoare, who was declared not to be duly elected. The re-
port of the committee did not say that Mr. Hoare had been
aware that bribery had been committed, or that his agents
had been guilty of such bribery, and he trusted that the
sessional order by which this election would be postponed
till next session would not be enforced to the inconvenience
of the electors of the borough.
Sir J. GREY said that he thought the report was
not as explicit as it might have been, but the clear inference
was that. Mr. Hoare had been returned by bribery, and
therefore he could not see any ground for acceding to the
request of the hon. and learned member.
After some discussion,

Mr. MALINS withdrew the motion, but gave notice that
he would move to-morrow that the sessional order should
be suspended, and the Speaker do issue his writ forthwith
for the election of a member for the borough.
LAW ASCERTAINMENT FACILITIES BILL.
The Lords' amendments to this bill were considered and
agreed to.

' GLOUCESTER CITY ELECTION.
Mr. EDWIN JAMES moved an address to her Majesty,
to cause inquiry to be made into the corrupt practices and
bribery which took place at the late Gloucester election.
He had carefully read the evidence, and it appeared that
this was not a case in which there had been a few isolated
instances of bribery, but that a deep system of organised
corruption prevailed at the election in question.
Mr. HADFIELD inquired what would be the expense
of the commission ? He considered that no practical benefit
resulted from such commissions. He believed what was
required to do away with bribery was some stringent legis-
lative act.

Some discussion ensued, in the course of which it was
contended that such commissions as then proposed were
utterly useless.
Mr. MALINS said there had been a number of blue-
books containing evidcncein reference to these commissions
published, none of which were read by the public.
He contended that they should not prosecute the poor and
tempted voter whose necessities induced him to accept a
bribe, but the agents who had been guilty of bribery.
Si; G. GREY said that this commission would not, in
its results, lead only to a prosecution of the poor, but to
the punishment of the rich, if it was proved that
they had been guilty of bribery, In making this
motion the hon. and learned member (Mr. E. James)
was only acting in conformity with the terms of the Act of
Parliament. Some members might object to that act, and
it was perfectly competent for them to move for its repeal ;
but so long as it was on the statute-book they were bound
by its provisions.
Col. SYKES said that in a few years no less than
£67,000 had been spent on these commissions, without any
benefit; and to that amount £33,000 was to be added for
commissions last year. He felt bound to oppose the motion.
Mr. V. SCULLY said that he would go higher than the
agents, and punish those members who had directly, or
indirectly, been guilty of bribery. He remembered
when it was proposed to a former house that
every member, should pledge his honour that he
had not been guilty of bribery and that he had
not paid any unnecessary expenses ; but this propo-
sition was rejected. Until the house determined to act with
independence and uprightness in this matter they could not
put an end to bribery. He was opposed to the motion.
Mr. VANCE considered that the proposition to prose-
cute the briber and the bribed would be perfectly futile in
its operation, because when such a threat was held forth, it
would be impossible for them to procure evidence to esta-
blish a case of bribery.
The house divided, and the numbers were—
_

For the motion ...................... 59
Against ............................ 21
Majority .................... —3B

_ - - -
THE CONVICTS YATES AND LAGDEN.
Mr. MELLOR moved for an address for copy of the con.
viction of Yates and La ;den at the last Rutlandshire Quarter
Sessions, held on the 30th day of June last ; and of the sen-
tences passed upon them respectively. He said the convicts
were poachers, and were convicted upon the evidence
of an accomplice of stealing some oilcake. One of these
men was 64 years of age and was sentenced to 25 years
penal servitude, and the other who was 65 was sentenced
to 15 years penal servitude.
Mr. CLIVE said that he supposed there must bo some
peculiarity in the cases alluded to, but there could be no
objection to the production of the document.
The motion was agreed to.

PONTEFRACT ELECTION.
Mr. WALPOLE brought up the report of the committee
appointed to try the merits of the petition against the
return of the sittin; member, Mr. Ovcrend. The hon. and
learned member said it would be desirable in consequence
of various alterations that had been made in thereport which
would occupy a half an hour in reading, that it should
be printed and the reading be postponed until to-morrow.
The motion was agreed to.

[LEFT SITTING.]

LONDON GAZETTE.-( THIS EVENING )

FOREIGN OFFICE, AUG. 8.

The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint Charles
LOl ,113 x Wylce, Esq., now her Majesty's Charlie d'Affaires
and Consul-General to the Republics of Guatemala, -...N
' ien-
rague Costa Rica,. Honduras, and Salvador, to be her
Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten-
tiary, on a special mission to those Republics.
(FOREIGN OFFICE, AUGUST S.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint the
Honourable Williau3 Gordon Cornwallis MBA, now it