The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-17 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Sneyd's Branch Railways, Birmingham Naviga-
tion, Liverpool Improvement, Middleham and Tonge Im-
provement, Sowerby Bridge Gas, Thome Moor Drainage,
Newcastle-under-Lyme Marsh Lands, Nantwiah, and
Market Drayton Railways Bills were read a second time.
The Victoria Docks Gas, Glasgow (City) Life Assur-
ance Company, Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Boodle
Branches), Oldham and Ripponden Roads, Neath Water,
and Ryde Water Bills were read a third time and passed.
The Princess Alice Annuity Bill was read a third time
and passel.

The Smoke Nuisance (Scotland) Amendment Bill passed
through committee.
INDIAN CUSTO MS DUTIES.
The 17...r1 of AIRLIE rose to ask the Under Secretary
for India whether her Majesty's Government had ad-
dressed any representation to the Local Government on the
subject of the Customs Duties which were imposed last
year on manufactured articles imported into India ?
Earl de GREY and RIPON thought the well known
free-trade sympathies which characterised the late Mr.
Wilson ought to be a sufficient guarantee 'that the Indian
tariff was not intended to be a protective one. It had been
his first duty to endeavour to restore the finances of !India
to a state of equilibrium, but the sources from which to
draw a revenue in trade were very few and within narrow
limits, and therefore, having swept away all differential
duties, he established, as a matter of necessity, the present
tariff, which had in the course of a year increased the re-
venue of the country to the extent of a million. The
moment it was found that any of those duties acted as de-
scribed by the noble earl, it would be dispensed with.
Earl GREY looked witch no jealousy upon the manufac
turing industry of India, but he considered it highly im-
politic to misdirect the capital and energies of that country
by a productive system which it would hereafter be a diffi-
cult thing to get rid of. India should be enenuraged to raise
the raw material for exportation to England, but not to
manufacture it for her own use. He believed that under
the system now in force in India they took more out of the
man's pocket than they brought into the Treasury, and the
sooner those duties which acted as a protection were abo-
lished the better.
The subject then dropped, and their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—YESTERDAY.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Frosterly and Stanhope Railway ; London and North-
western, and Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire
aßnadi aiynss
1(11 a
Rn cohaeds t;e risLnocindlvoain
`'Pales
oa d
RailwayStati o)
;nf, ;ribicea,snephaetsetenrt
Candle Company.

CIVIL BILLS (IRELAND).
Mr. MAGUIRE moved for returns, from the clerks of
the peace of the several counties and counties of cities in
Ireland, of the number of civil bills entered for hearing in
the courts of the assistant barristers, or chairmen, for the
five years previous to the Ist day of January, 1851,
distinguishing the number of the same decreed,
dismissed, and nilled in each respective year. Of Civil Bill
ejectments entered for hearing in the courts of the assistant
barristers, or chairmen, for five years previous to the Ist
day of January, 1851. distinguishing the number of same
decreed, dismissed, and nilled in each respective year; of
the number of civil bills entered for hearing in the
courts of the assistant barristers, or chairmen, for the
five years previous to the Ist day of January,
1861, distinguishing the number of same decreed, dismissed,
and nilled in each respective year; and, of the number of
Civil Bill ejectments entered for hearing in the Courts of
the assistant barristers, or chairman, five years previous to
the Ist Jan., 1861, distinguishing the number of same
decreed, dismissed, and nilled in each respective Year•—
Ordered.

PETITIONS.
of encourag-
in favour
of the
Several petitions were presented
ing the growth of cotton in India, in that article from
probable decrease in the supply of thauLutry ;
in favour of
Ame-
rica, owing to the dissensions thatinedu
free exercise of their tion of Roman Catho-
lic ocvhidilindrgenm;eaannsdf:Orrtsheecubne"tntgertiliencv:irorkhouses, &c.
reli-
gious worship by pauper aduItsSECUTIONS IN SPAIN.
RELIGIOUS
:Bos.
vu
obrPEELnjeem te.
ntg ahvaPed terminated the contract entered into
lon wEEN GALWAY AND AMERICA.
MAILS BET
TER asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Mr. BAXTER
if the to-
with the Atlantic Royal Steam Company for carrying
mails between Galway and America ?
Lord DUNKELLIN wished further to ask whether it
was in accordance with the recommendations of the com-
mittee upon contracts that a contract ratified by the House
of Commons should be put an end to without being brought
under the consideration of the house P (Hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.—I think
what my noble friend asks me is rather a matter of opinion
upon a matter of duty ; but I have no hesitation ira saying
that I think it is the duty of the Government, if it believes
there is a necessity for exercising its lawful powers, to put
an end to a contract between the executive and f i company
without in the first instance consulting the Hou;se of Com-
mons, but subsequently placing the house in a position to
pronounce judgment upon their conduct: (Hear.) As to
the question of the hon. member for Montrose. I would
recommend him to read the closing words of a notice ad-
dressed by the Postmaster-General to the secretary of tho
Galway Company, and a note which I have just received
from the secretary of the company. My noble friend, through
his secretary, yesterday wrote a letter ending in this man-
ner :—" tinder all the circumstances, and on a review of
the whole case, the Postmaster-General feels that in tll
discharge of his public duty he has no alternative but to
exercise the power reserved to him, and to declare the csnt;
tract at an end. I am desired accordingly to tranmarit to you
the aceerapanyin Notice to that effect." (Hear.) Theno le