The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-12 00:00:00

SECOND READINGS.

The following bills were read a second time :—Bristol
and South Wales Union Railway, Ederfiel t Chapel to
Little Bolton Road ; Dublin, Wexford, and Wicklow Rail•
way.

THIRD READINGS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Weabridge Gas, and Isle of Wight Water.
SUB-DIVISION OF BENEFICES BILL.
Lord LYTTELTON gave notice that on the 18th he
should move that this bill be referred to a select committee,
and on the same day bring in a bill to restrain incumbents
from giving certain leases.
LAW OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES BILL.
This bill passed through committee, and was reported.

THE DRUSE CHIEFS.
The Earl of CARNARVON rose to inquire of her Ma
jesty's Government the decision of the Turkish Govern.
meat in regard to the Druse chiefs now prisoners at Bey-
rout. He wished to know whether the sentences had been
remitted, and whether they had been restored to liberty ?
He condemned the legal proceedings against the Druses,
and said the evidence which convicted them would be worth
nothing in an English court of justice, and he felt if ever
there was an attempt at judicial murder the sentence on
the Druse chieftains was one of them. He considered,
as we had sent oat a British Minister to that country, we
were bound to see that justice was fairly and temperately
administered by the authorities in that distant country.
Lord WODE HOUSE said he should have been glad if the
noble lord had postponed his question until the papers had
been laid on the table of the house. The papers enn-
talneCL the fullest information on the subject. With
respect to the Druse chiefs, there were two dis-
tinct classes. Eleven of them surrendered themselves
up at Beyrout, and were now under sentence of death, and
58 at another place. With regard to those not at Beyrout
it had been proposed to execute some five or six, but the
British Government had recommended that only one or
two should be executed ; and in that recom-
mendation the French Government had concurred.
With regard to those at Beyrout a difference of opinion
prevailed with respect to the fate of the prisoners. He could
not state what the intentions of the Turkish . Govern-
meat were—whether it was intenled to carry out the ori-
ginal intention, or to commute the sentences by some lesser
punishment than death.
MARINE MUTINY BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

The Earl of ELGIN entered the house during the time
the Earl of CARNARVON was speaking, and was most
warmly welcomed by the members of the Government
present. The noble earl took his seat on the front bench
below the gangway.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
METROPOLITAN RAILWAYS.
The Sheriffs of the City of London appeared at the bar of
the house and presented a petition from the Corporation of
the City of London, praying that in the case of these
lines of railways which were seeking to obtain
termini in London, whereby a large number of the working
classes would be displaced from their present habitations,
provision should be made for the conveyance of the work-
ing classes from the stations of such railways at cheap rates.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :.
Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (Additional
Money) • Exeter and Exmouth Railway; Huddersfield
Gas ; Lianidloes and Newtown Railway ; Nantwich and
Market Drayton Railway; Oswestry and Newtown Rail-
way (Branches, &c.) ; Petersfield Railway (Deviation) ;
Hyde Water; and Stratford-upon-Avon Railway.
The Leeds and Ealand Road Bill and Witney Railway
Bill were considered, and ordered for third reading.
The Dean Forest and Hundred of St. Briavcls and New
Forest Bill were read a second time.
PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented against and in favour
of the Parochial Assessment Bill, in favour of legalising
marriage with a deceased wife's sister, in favour of the
Poor Law Removal Act, from the inhabitants of St. Bride's
and St. Dunstan's, London, setting forth the danger that
was likely to ensue from making a low line level sewer
along Fleet. street, &c.
THE CONVICTION AT ARMAGH.
Mr. VANCE presented a petition from the Protestant
citizens in Dublin relative to the conviction of Tate for the
manslaughter of the man Murphy. The petitioners set
forth that the dying statement of Murphy, which entirely
exculpated Tate of any criminality in the transaction, was
withheld from the jury, and that the witnesses Storough
and Hepburn were not produced at the trial; that
the latter had deposed that Tate was not even
present at the time when Murphy was murdered ;
and praying for the dismissal of the Attorney-General and
Solicitor-General for Ireland from her Majesty's service.

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CAPTAIN MACDONALD.
Lord J. RUSSELL laid on the table a correspondence
relative to the arrest of Captain Macdonald.

FIRE INSURANCES.
Mr. P. P. BOUVERIE moved for an aecount of all
sums paid into the Inland Revenue Office in Great Britain
and Ireland for duty on insurances against fire, for the
quarters ending severally the 25th day of March, the
24th day of June, the 29th day of September, and
the 25th day of December, 1860 ; distinguishing
the amount of - allowance made to each office
for collecting the same in the eountry, and in London,
Edinburgh, and Dublin respectively, with the dates of such
payment, together with an abstract showing the gross
amount of duty collected in the year by each company ;
and, like account of sums insured by each office on farming
stock for the same period.—Ordered.
MILITIA OUA.RT.ERMASTRRS.
Mr. SCULLY asked the Under Secretary of State for
War if his attention had been called to the scale of pay and
allowances to militia quartermasters ; and if it was intended
to place them more on a par with other staff officers in that
branch of the public service.
Mr. BARING said that the committee to whom this
question had been referred had reported that the pay which
the Quartermasters received was sufficient, and, therefore,
it was not intended to propose any increase in the amount
of their remuneration.