The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-18 00:00:00

AMENDMENT BILL

On the motion that this bill be read a third time,
The Earl of DERBY objected to one of the clauses,
which he thought would injuriously affect Crown land
bonds.

Lord ST. LEONARDS defended the clause.
After a short discussion the clause was expunged, and
the bill was read a third time and passed.
CROWN EXCHANGES.
The Earl of DERBY laid on the table a bill for enabling
the Crown to exchange a living for a living now in the
hands of a subject. At that time he would not go into the
question whether a bill ought not to be brought in dealing
with this subject generally, and enabling the Crown to
make these changes without a special act of Parliament ;
but, no doubt, much might be said in favour of such a plan.
In the present case the exchange was manifestly in favour
of the Crown, which would be a considerable gainer in point
of value of the living to be recovered by it. The occasion
for the change arose out of the fact that a lady had consi-
derable property near the Crown living, and was desirous of
greatly improving the church there, and of erecting schools
in connection with it. This lady was the owner of the ad-
vowson of the living now to be exchanged, and she desired
therefore to give her advowson in exchange for the Crown
living. He introduced this as a public and not as a private
bill in accordance with former precedents on the subject.
Lord BROUGHAM thought there ought to be a general
measure on the subject.
The bill was read a first time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
__
NEW MEMBERS. _ _

Mr. Alderman SALOMONS took the oaths and his seat for
Greenwich, and Mr. LEVER for the borough of Galway.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time and ordered
to be committed :—Malden and Sheen Valley Drainage,
North and South London Junction Railway, Victoria Sta-
tion and Pimlico Railway, and West London Railway.
The Atlantic Telegraph Company and several other bills
were read a first time, and in a number of others it was de-
clared that the stonding orders had been complied with.
The following bills were considered and ordered for se-
cond reading :—South-East and West London and Dul-
wich Railway ; North Staffordshire Railway ; Ruabon
and Denbigh Railway (Llangollen Section) ; Llyfni Vale
Railway ; Thames Embankment and Railway.
Colonel W. PATTEN moved that the select committee
on standing orders have power to report on the cases re-
ferred to them in respect of private bills originating in the
House of Lords, notwithstanding the petitions for the same
shall not have been presented to this house, which was
agreed to.

PETITIONS.
Several petitions were presented for the removal of unne-
cessary restrictions on the shipping trade, in favour of the
repeal of the duty on paper, and of Dissenters being allowed
to act as trustees to grammar schools and other foundations
when not excluded by the will of the founders.
NEW WRIT.
_ _

On the motion of Sir W. H. HAYTER, a writ was
ordered for the borough of Marylebone, vacant by the re-
tirement of Viscount Ebrington.
THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE AND SUPREMACY.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE gave notice of his intention to
move that the resolution agreed to in reference to the oath
taken by members of Parliament should become a standing
order of the house.
Mr. GILPIN gave notice that on an early day he would
move that the Government traffic in opium in India should
be discontinued.
THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION—THE INDIAN

, &c.
Col. SYKES asked theARMY Secretary of State for India,
whether extra batta would be given to the troops of the suc-
cessful Persianexpedition, having reference to the privations
and inconveniences to which the force was exposed on board
ship, particularly the native portion of the force : Whether
the recommendations by Brigadier-General Jacob, dated
Bushire, July 13, 1857, of certain officers and men for the
Victoria Cross, is to be carried into effect : Whether the
civilians who have distinguished themselves in a military
capacity during the mutiny in India were to have any specific
mark of the approbation of her Majesty's Government ?
Whether the report of the Commission on the re-organisation
of the Indian army would be laid on the table of the house ?
And, whether, as the maintenance of a standing army un-
der the Crown, independently of the annual Mutiny Act,
involved a constitutional question, time would be given to the
house to consider any recommendations in the report be-
fore they were carried into effect ?
Lord STANLEY said, with reference to the first
question, that it was not usual to grant such an
indulgence as that to which he referred, except on
the recommendation of the Government of India, and no
such recommendation had been received. With regard
to the second question, no such report as that alluded
to had been officially received from India ; and as
to the next question, no list of civilians who•
had distinguished themselves in India had been received.
He would lay the report referred to on the table, and as re-
garded the last question, he considered it would
be most impolitic for the Government to take any step
without affording an opportunity for the expression of pub-
lic opinion on the subject. (Hear, hear.)
BALLOT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.
Mr. DILLWYN asked the Secretary of State for the
Colonies whether a bill or act, establishing the ballot at
elections in the colony of New South Wales, and passed by
the Legislature of that colony, had been sent over by the
Governor for the Royal assent ; and, if so, whether such
assent had been given ?
Sir E. B. LYTTON said that the subject was under the
consideration of the Government.

REAL ESTATE INTESTACY.
Mr. LOCKE KING, in moving for leave to bring in a
bill for the better settling the real
estates
that the object of his bill was to orfeinndte:rtautenis,fosainud
the law in reference to real
estate,
away with the anomalies that at present ex and to do
ed. The hon.
member then cited some cases whicinh. came under his
own observation, to show the
was
sustic9 in opera-
tienpriansaeid
of the present law. It
he
negociiture, but
that he intended by his bill to abolish some
that he utterly denied, and indeed
how this law could be done away with not see
The bill in no way interfered to prevent testators' leaving
)
their property to their eldest sons if they wished to do so,
and it merely applied to those cases in which persons died
without having made a will. Having quoted the opinions
of eminent jurists in favour of his vifws, he stated that in
bringing forward this measure, which merely proposed to
deal with freehold estate in the same Way as the law did in
regard to personal property, he did not wish to injure the
House of Lords; that he had no hostility to that august
body ; but that was a stale argument, and was not one that
should inducethehouse to reject the measure. Ile denied that
ho had any wish to introduce the French law, for he consi
dered that law as most repulsive in some points. He believed
that the people of this country were anxious to be freed
from the feudal law, and that they were in favour of the
present bill. He concluded by moving for leave to bring
in the bill.

Mr. lIADFIELD seconded the motion.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL proposed that the bill
should be laid on the table, in order to enable the house to
see how it could deal with difficulties which he considered
to be insuperable. He would not, however, offer any oppo •
sition to the introduction of the bill.
_ ~Lord HARRY VANE said he also would offer
n . opposition to the introduction of the • bill,
wlueh, liwozetz,e cnsidredwould make such an altera-
tion as developed in the speech of the hon. mover,
and he denied that there was any desire on the part of the
public for a dn.,
After a few change
in the existing law.
in support
of then l s from Mr. MELLOR and Mr. HLDPIELI
motion,
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
NEWSPAPERS.
Mr. AYRTON moved foro leave to bring Ma bill to repeal
certain acts and parts
srelating to newspapers,
pamphlets, and other publications,
founders, and reading-rooms. Adturrnd to printers, type-
to ugh there was no op-
position to the bill, yet he wished
gernorttike a few remarks,
as it was the wish of the right hon.
knoeman opposite that
the objects of the bill might be made vnials.ofThe subject
carried him back many years in the
ltegislation,
for the statutes which he wished to repeal were h
of evil times, and it was necessary to discover howe gr°w2ll-1,
laws were placed on the statute-book. As early the--e"
reign of Queen Anne, the Ministry imagined thatYthe
pe-
riodical press was injurious to the interests of the State--p-
that publicity was given to documents which they thought
seditious, and it was deemed necessary that the House of
Commons should take steps to redress what was imagined
to be a great public 'grievance. He said ho saw, as he
looked JAW the prey (I that by, and him' Wit