The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-05 00:00:00

THIRID EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, Scum o'clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(Tms EVENING.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

CHURCH RATES.
The Archbishop of / onx. presented a petition from Scar-
borough against the abolition of church rates.
CONSOLIDATION OF STATUTES.
In reply to some observations by Lord BROUGHAM and
other noble lords,
The LORD CHANCELLOR entered into some ex-
planations relative to the bills that had been introduced
into Parliament on this subject, and expressed a hope that
it woul i be passed this session.
Lord BROUGHAM expressed a similar hope.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Stockton and Darlington Railway (Capital), Bir-
mingham Improvement, Margate Railway (Ramsgate Ex-
tension, &c.), and St. George's Harbour Bills were read a
second time.
The Stockport, Timperley, and Altrincham Junction
Railway Bills were read a third time and passed.

INDIA.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY moved that an humble
address be presented to her Majesty, expressive of the
approbation with which the house regarded the progress of
public works in India, and that she will be graciously
pleased to consider the best means of extending the system
of internal irrigation and navigation. Ho proceeded
to enter into details to show that India presented
peculiar facilities for the progress of public works calcu-
lated to develope her resources. it had been proved by
the report of Dr. Watson and other competent
authorities that the great deficiency of India was the want
of proper irrigation. They had, however, to provide not
only for a deficiency of water, but for an excess,
from which the inhabitants of India suffered quite as mnc h
as they did from drought. The question of internal
navigation was of the greatest importance, and he
referred to America as an illustration of the great value in
the development of the resources of a nation, what an
efficient system of that navigation could accomplish.
But India presented greater advantages for that naviga.
tion than America, for it would afford facilities for its being
continued throughout the year, while in America navigation
was suspended for three months in the year. The noble
lord then contended that if there had been a proper system
of irrigation adopted the famine with which India
had been visited would have been averted. He showed
that where irrigation and canal communication had been
provided, an immense increase in the traffic, and an actual
regeneration of the district ensued. Localities that had
formerly been in an impoverished condition were
changed into a state of great prosperity since
the introduction of improvements in these points. The
noble lord then cited various statistics bearing on the ques-
tion to show the moral and physical advantages that had
resulted from the adoption of the system in India, the
extension of which he advocated. The noble lord then
referred to the existing mode of conveyance by cattle
in India, which was not only slow, but most
defective, and yet in districts where that mode of
transit prevailed, there were broad and navigable rivers
flowing uselessly along the territory traversed by travellers
and traders.

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(Tins DAT.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSIN ESS.

The Lords' amendments to the following bills were fur-
ther considered :—Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway ;
Midland Railway (0 tley and Ilkley Extension) ; New Ross
Port and Harbour ; North Eastern Railway (Extension to
Otley, &c.) ; Parsonstown and Portumna Bridge Railway;
and West Cheshire Railways.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
The Glasgow (City) Life Assurance, &c., Company, the
Great North of Scotland Railway, and the South Essex
Water.