The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-14 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented in favour of an alteration
in the Irish Poor-law, for providing better means of reli-
gions education for Roman Catholic children in workhouses,
for the restoration of the Galway subsidy, for opening rail-
way communication in India, &c.
CANADA GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Lord J. MANNERS moved an address for copy or ex-
tracts of correspondence between the War Department and
the Canadian Government respecting the transfer and sale
of land at Sarnia, for the use of the Grand Trunk Railway
of Canada.—Ordered.
MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS.
Sir 11. STRACEY asked the Secretary of the Board of
Trade it ho would name a day when he would introduce
hishill to amend the Shipping Acts ? He understood from
.the right hon, gentleman that he would bring in the bill
this week
tuents, with whom he had compromised himself.
Mr. M. GIBSON said that he was very anxious to bring
forward this bill, blithe could not command public business,
and therefore he could not Ray on what day he would intro-
duce the bill, or whether he would bring it forward at all
this session. But in a few days he 'would be able to give
the hon. baronet an answer.

MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANIES,
Mr. GREGORY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty.
the number and date of the different breaches of contract
committed by the Cunard,
.Peninsular and Oriental, and
West India Companies during the first two years of their
service, and the number of penalties imposed ; an.d, he also
i
asked the Secretary to the Treasuryn how many instances
such penalties were remitted by the
Treasury?
Col. FRENCH said that before that question was
answered he wished to ask wky returns for which he had
moved, and which had been ordered, relative to the subject
had not been produced ?
gt
Mr. PEEL, in the absence of Lord C. Pas
h
the orders referred to were being prepared, b
tell when they would be laid on the table ee' couldeeid [ha
not
t
)
With reference to the other question, owin
of time that had elapsed from the time to which he had to
o(.f the.
length
of t o the
house.
refer, there was some difficulty in tracing out the informa-
tion required. Taking the Cunard Company, in the first
instance, which had been in existence since 1840, he found
that during the whole time they carried the Government
mails they had incurred no penalty, and therefore had not
asked for any indulgence on the part of the Government,
but had carried the mails a ith undeviating regularity.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company had been equally
regular. There was only one instance of that com-
pany having failed in executing their contract, and that
was with respect to the communication between Malta and
the lonian Islands in 1841, and a fine of £l,OOO was im-
posed and enforced. 'With regard to the West Indian Mail
Packet Company, they should have three voyages in 1841
according to their contracts, but in consequence of some
delay in the completion of their vessels they were granted
another month to commence their operations. As far as the
conveyance of mails from this country by the company was
concerned, there was only one other failure, and that was a
delay of four days in leaving Falmouth, for which they had
been fined £3,500, which had been paid. He referred to
the evidence of Captain Chapple to show that out of 180
mails which that company had carried from this country,
they had been most regularly conveyed, and he thought in
the case in question they had been unjustly fined. With
regard to inter-colonial communication, they were
fined in one instance £B,OOO for a failure of
contract, which the Government considered was produced
by their not having sufficient vessels, but on their repre-
sentations this penalty was remitted. In another instance,
in the same department of their service, they had failed to
fulfil their contract, and they were fined £2,715. He be-
lieved that this was a correct statement.

MEDICAL OFFICERS IN THE LATE EAST
INDIA COMPANY.

Mr. BLAKE asked the Secretary of State. for India if
he had any objection to state what arrangements had
ieU made with regard to the position of the medical