The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-13 00:00:00

RETURNS.

On the motion of Mr. C. FOSTER, the usual annual
returns of Divisions of the House, Select Committees,
And Private Bills, wgre ordered.
SMOKE NUISANCE (SCOTLAND) ABATEMENT

BILL.
On the motion that the bill as amended be con-
sidered,
Mr. BUCHANAN opposed the-bill on representations
that had been made to him that its operation would
natcrially interfere with the manufactures of Scotland.
By the hill the great aggressors would escape its penal-
tiee' while the smaller ones would be caught in its
meshes. He moved the further consideration of the
bill till this day three months.
Mr. KINNAIRD expressed his surprise at the
motion of the honourable member for. Glasgow at
this stage of the bill. In London, where every branch
of manufacture was carried on, a similar act had been in
operation for some time, and had been found to work
well, both for the manufacturer and the public gene-
rally. This bill had been for a contiderable time before
the people of Scotland, yet not one petition had been
'presented against it. He expressed his regret at any
exceptions, having been introduced into the bill, but he
pelt certain that in a year or two hence, the persons
engaged in the trades excepted would apply to be
brought within its provision. He opposed the motion.
The amendment was negatived without a division.
The bill, as amended, was then considered.
Mr. BUCHANAN moved the substitution of the
words " 200 yards" for " a quarter of a mile" in refer-
ence to the distance of factories from a town to be ex-
empted from the operations of the bill.
Mr. KINNAIRD opposed it.
he boas° then divided. The numbers were-
-For the amendment 3
Against it 57
Majority —s4
The ameuduient was consequently negatived.
The bill as amended was then ordered to be read a
third time to-rnorrow.

SALE OF OBSCENE ROOKS, So. PREVENTIVE

BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill and the
clauses were agreed to.
Sir E. PERRY proposed to bring up a clause to
exemplfScotland frnm the operations of the \bill.
Mr.' ROEBUCK protested against proceeding -with
the bill in such indecent baste. If the bill was good for
England, it was equally good for Scotland ; but a more
preposterous piece of legi,lation was never sent down
from the House of Lorde, and that was saying a good
deal. It was an attempt to make people virtuous by
act of Parliament, and he was afraid it would b 3 made
use of to establish a sort of magisterial inquisition.

Sir G. GREY supported the bill, observing that it
was brought in by the Lord Chief Justice to correct an
abuse which had come under his own eye.
M. ROEBUCK called attention to the celebrated
classical works which would come within the category
of works calculated to excite the passions of youth, and
asked where a line of prohibition could be drawn. They
should depend upon the hone:4, upright feeling of the
country to lout an end to the evil, and in that way more
would he done than by all their inquisitorial acts.
Mr. AYRTON had given notice of an amendment
to the mover of the bill, whose approbation it had met
with, and he was surprised to find that the bid was
about to he rPoorted without it.

Sir G. GREY suggested the withdrawal of the clause,
leaving it to the Lord Advocate to introduce a clause
at a future day applicable to Scotland.
Sir E. PERRY consented to withdraw his amendment
on that understanding.
Mr. NAPIER, gave his cordial support to the bill.
After some discussion, in which Mr. M. Milnes, Mr.
Malice, Sir E. Perry, and other hon. members took
part,
Mr. LOCKE said that the word " exhibition" in the
clause was a dangerous thing, and might be applied to
persons showing a friend a picture, Sec. If it was to
be applied only to a public exhibition, for money, care
should be taken to guard the innocent portion of the
public against the police acting beyond their duty.
The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER re-
minded the committee that the question was whether Scot-
land should remain in the biil. It would be better for the
house to consider that point only, and reserve the other
matters for consideration till another stage of the bill.
Mr. ROEBUCK alluded to the existence of gamb-
ling-houses and houses of ill-fame. The latter were to
be found in the best streets of London, and if they were
i.npotent in putting down houses of ill-fame, he thought
they would be found equally so in putting down the
publication of obscene books, &c. Would any hon. mem-
ber dare to say that houses .of ill-fame were not as
objectionable as the publications referred to. Some
persons considered naked statues indecent, and he was
inclined to believe with Swift, " the nicest people have
the nastiest ideas." Many, he said, believed these
statues to be indecent, especially those representing the
female figure, and he had heard persons complain of the
Greek slave, but he should have thought that persons
could have looked upon it as cool as the marble itself,
but it appeared there were many hot and prurient
people who looked upon it otherwise, and went so far
as to state that all nude figures should be destroyed or
covered with aprons. The Venus and Adonis in the
National Gallery, might under this bin be considered as
an obscene production, and any canting hypocritical
justice cause its destruction. Nothing would, there-
fore, he safe, and it would be useless to erect buildings
for their reception.
Alter some discussion, on the suggestion of Sir G.
GREY the bill passed through committee pro forma, on
the understanding that it should be recommitted for
further discussion.