The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-23 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and passed :
Blanc Valley Railway (Lords) ; Edinburgh, Perth, and
Dundee Railway (Lords) ; and Glasgow and Milng,avie
Junction Railway (Lords).
The folllowing bills were considered and ordered for third
reading :—Atkinson's Trust Estate, Cornwall Railway,
Victoria Docks Gas, and West of Fife Mineral Railway and
Charleston Railway and Harbour Companies.
AUSTRALIAN SOVEREIGNS.

Mr. Alderman 3ALOMONS asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer if, in the trial of the pyx which.had just been
made, Australian sovereigns coined at the branch of the
Royal Mint at Sydney were submitted for assay, and if the
quality of such sovereigns was equal to those coined at
Tower-hill ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. said that
his hon. friend must be aware that the Australian sove-
reign was not a legal tender, and was not a coin
of the united kingdom. That being the case the sovereign
in question did not receive the benefit, if there were any, of
the test to which the other sovereigns were subjected. How-
ever, this test was no longer necessary to establish the
value of a coin, and the Australian sovereign had under-
gone a test that proved it fully equal to the sovereign of
this country.
Alderman SALOMONS gave notice that he would draw
the attention of the house to this subject next session.
CONIROLLERS OF CUSTOMS.

Sir S. NORTHCOTE asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer what arrangements had been made for the discharge
in the outports of those duties which were formerly per-
formed by the Controllers, whose offices are now abolished :
And whether provision had been made for employing the
Controllers whose services had been dispensed with upon
duties as nearly as possible analogous to those which they
have previously had to perform, and for securing to them
their fair chance of promotion to superior situations as they
may fall vacant ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
as the principal duties of the offier in question were other-
wise provided for, the office had been abolished. The
former system which had been practised had been discon-
tinued, and the consequence was that some of these officers
had been employed as collectors or clerks, and some had
received compensation. Employment could not be pro-
vided for all these officers who had been reduced, and they
were placed on the retiringpension list. He could assure the
hon. member that there vas every; disposition to provide
as far as possible for 013 reduction in the officials caused
by the alterations that bad taken place in the customs.

MR. LEVER.
Mr. CO'NINGTIAM rose to move the following of which
he gave notico :--That Mr. Irwin's petition, relating to the
Royal Atlantic Mall Steam Navigation Company, be re-
ferred to a select committee, to inquire into the allecations
of the said petition.

; The SPEAKER said that he understood there was no
since
i n
charge against the hon. member (Mr.
Lever)
be-
came a member, and he thought there w
for the present proceeding. Ho would leaveasno precedent
trio
matter
the hands of the house.
Mr. LEVER said that as he was a mercantile man and
engaged in large works it was most desirable that the
charges a ; inst him should be investigated without delay.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said that whatever the period
might be at which the charge was made, he thought the
hon. member should have an opportunity of vindicating his
character without delay. (Hear, hear.)
Sir G. GREY said that he had consulted precedents on
this point, and he found that it was only in cases where the
charge made against an hon. gentleman affected his cha-
racter as a member of this house that an inquiry of this de-
scription was granted.
Mr. LEVER, in accordance with the expressed feeling
of the house, then rose to make his explanation. He went
through the petition clause by clause, and denied the various