The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-13 00:00:00

SMALL TENEMENTS RATING BILL.

Mr. P. SCROPE moved that this Bill be read a third
time this day six months, on the ground that its object
was to rate the houses of the poorer classes who were
now excepted from paying rates, which was a
most unjust principle, and would ba most in-
jurious in operation. One million of the poor occupiers
of cottages in this country were already exempted from
the payment of rates on the benevolent assumption that
such was their poverty that they were wholly
unable to pay them; but on that great number of
poor persons this Bill would inflict a serious grievance.
The object of the Bill was to get from one party or
another the rates, either from the landlord
or the occupier; end hence its being alai:-
ported by the Government. The result would
be that ha:f U. million ef money, now paid by the
higher and middle classes in the shape of heal
tax.ition3 would be transferred to the poorer class
of people, r-, hose inability to pay rates the
Legislature had already charitably assumed. if
this Bib were to pass, the landed proprietors, having to
pay the rates on their small tenements, would be de-
prived of almost all inducement to build small cottages
on their estates for their peasantry; so aico would the
great class of builders ho diseoura!,;ed from building
small houses; aoel the conseqtynee would be that the
increasing; poor population of this country would be
driven to live in Ir,ezlitier. already too densely populated.
Mr. HUME said the House ought to proceed very
cautiously with this Bill, because it was introducing a
dangerous precedent, iLasrauela as it chanted the princi-
ple of taxation from the occupier to the owner. Ile
would vote against the Bill.
Mr. BROTiIERTON supported the Bill on the
ground that it was meant to meet the Faction of collect-
ing the rent of small houses weekly by the landlord,
which was formerly collected quarterly, by which prac-
tice the landlord defeated the tax gatherer.
Mr. ROBERT PALMER opposed the Bill.
Mr. BAINES supported the third reading of the Bill.
All that this Bill did was to flier the principle which
had been recognised in local Acts of Parliament
applied tor by the inhabitants of those localities; and one
object of this Bill was to giro powers under a
general Bill which had already Lean given in many
local Acts, and so prevent the necessity and
expenses of parties constantly coming belbre Parliament
to ripply far local Acts. He did not think that this
13ill would be injurious to the poor; if he thought so he
would be the lar.t man V) rupport it.— (Hear, hear.)
hir. S. CItA.WFURD supported the amendment of the
Hon. Member for Stroud (Hr. P. Scrope), from his
knowledge of the operation of a similar principle in Ire-
land.

Sir G. PECIIELL would give a conditional suppor.
to the

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY opposed the B 11.
Tile House than divided, when there appeared—
For the third reading... 94
Against it ... ... 15
Majority in frl.vcur of the third reading —79
Mr. COJKBURN moved the insertion of this clause—
" And bo it enacted, that where the owner of
any tenement shall be rated to the relief of the

poor by virtue of this Ace, instead of the occupier
thereof, and such owner shall have paid all money
due on account of such rates in respect of such
tenement, such occupier shall be entitled to all privi-
leges and franchises to which Le would have been

en—titled. if he himself had been rated, and had
paid such rates ; and if such owner so rated
as aforesaid shall not have paid such rate or rates,
it shall be lawful for such occupier to ten-
der to the overseers of the pour or other
person authorised by law to receive the same, the
amount of any rate or rates then due from such owner
in respect of such tenement; and such overseer or other
person so authorised as aforesaid shall be bound to re-
ceive th© same ; and such occupier shall, on the
payment or tender of such amount, be en
titled to exercise all such privileges and frau-
chites as liereinbzfor‘ mentioned : provided always,
that any occupier so paying any rates in respect
of any tenement where the owner is rated to the same,
dicli be entitled to deitict and retain the amount so
paid by him from the next payment of rent to he made
Iby him to such owner, or to recover the state nom such
owctr us money rid to and for the use i•isuch owner."

Sir J. GRAIIAM sug,gestcd, as it* was only three
min a es to s2x. 4/closlc, that tnc consideration of the clause
stionici he postponed.

Sir GEORGE GREY thought it would be better to
postpure3 the clause.
The clau9e having been witArawn,
The further considerarion o the Bill was then post-
poned until this day three works.
The House then aJjournel at Six o'clock.

STATE oF TRADE.
(Prom the Manchester Guardian.)
MANCHESTER, TUESDAY.—The transactions of the
day in yarns have been on a limited scale. The home
consumers of medium numbers have hesitated to pay the
required advance, which is now considerable; the Ger-
man and Mediterranean merchants have also proceeded
very charily, executing, it would seem, only such orders
as were required by the customers in the way of assort-
ment; while the Indian houses have shown little incli-
nation to operate. The dulness of yesterday's cotton
market, giving, as it did, an advantage of about per
lb. to the buyer, has contributed to this inanimate state
of things with us. But the spinners have maintained
their ground with unflinching firmness, and the full rates
of last week have been obtained to the extent of the
business effected; indeed, the spinners of the better qua-
lities of No. 60's and upwards, suitable for the Yta.k-
shire and Russian trades, have realised a fair advance.
Throughout the whole of the year, the latter market
has taken from us a greatly diminished supply, as will
be seen from the table of exports given below• ' the
apparent commencement of an improved demand has,
however, arisen to-day. The buoyancy of this depart-
ment of our market springs, on the one hand, from that
growing home demand which the great extension of
weaving power has occasioned, together with the in-
creasing requirements (not more than moderately sup-
plied) of norehern and central Germany ; and, on the
other hand, from such an • indifference about sel-
ling as is naturally manifested by a body of pro-
ducers, who, while possessing considerable orders for
various articles, and holding out little stock of any kind,
still find themselves placed, as regards the great bulk of
yarns, in a most unsatisfactory position, by the dispro-
portionate value of the raw material. The sales of goods
have been of small extent; and there is not the same elas-
ticity of prices in this department as in that of yarns,
although the quotations are unaltered. The contracts
for 40-inch shillings and other English fabrics are con-
stantly coming to a close; and the merchants show no dis-
position at present to renew them. Light twilled print-
ing cloths are still wanted and scarce; and the lower
qualities of plain 7-Bths continue in request, but the ex-
treme rates of a week ago are less easily obtained than
they were then. Some purchases of T cloths have been
made; and the manufacturers of domestics look for a
continuance of that advance, which, hitherto, has hardly
at all diminished the loss attending this branch of trade,
the effect of which is beginning to show itself in the
failure of three or four small firms within the last week.

ROCHDALE, MONDAY.—Considering the time of the
year, we have had a tolerably fair business doing to-day
in flannels, with little or no change in prices. The wool
market has been more unsettled, owing to the extensive
colonial wool sales in London, which commence on
Thursday next. The more timid, or perhaps the
more speculative, of the manufacturers, hove pur-
chased more freely, which has induced the seller to hold
out for better prices; while the more wary and cautious
have acted upon the reserve, thinking that an exten-
skievte sale,i s
0 ins the face of a new clip coming into the mar-
a time hence, may give a backward
tendency prices.tollor
MACCLE P
...FIELD, 7... trEaJAY Th •
manufactured goods, . e improved market for
subsided ;but there
isnoticed in our last, has somewhat
silks. The raw sill a little more inquiry for thrown
qualities of all descriptions, is market for good and medium
considerable purchases havingl been made for shipment
c reported very firm, some
to the Continent. Important p
to take place in London on the 26th sales are announced
instant. The mills
continue working full time, with the
exception of one or
two, which have stopped entirely for the
as we understand, to the relative prieresent, owing,
thrown silks not having a sufficient Bof raw and
margin to meet
wages and expetree.
HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.--The market here
con-
tinues flat. Thu.() has been nothing doing eitheri
plain ; or fancy goods. Most of the manufacturers are
-whilst•
working for stock, some are 'working up back
orders. It is generally expected wo shall begin to be
brisk again for the winter st aeon very shortly.
HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—There was rather more done
to-day, in the Piece Hall, in some descriptions of fancy
goods; but the advanced price of cotton has checked
the demand for those sorts of mixed goods in which
that material is used. For lastinge, of fine quality,
there is very little inquiry; but, for low qualities, the
demand continues. So few, however, are now made
that they are difficult to obtain. The spinners are very
busy ; and the quota:ious for yarn have undergone a
slight improvement. The quantity of wool that is
changing hands just now is nut large, us purchasers are
waiting for the new clip ; but it is expected to come
int.!o the market with the late rates fully maintained.
LEEDS, TUESDAY.—Th,J market has not been so well
attended te-d• •
done in a.l, but on Saturday a large business was
the ladle and ve • ' 1 • have been
ensive Ge iser:es
mode direct ' •ry e;'
- .
. to the mercuants. The shipping houses con-
.tinue ver
tn
trade. y busy, and there is 9ie doing - for the home

VIEWS OF THE AMERICAN CON-

GRESS ON SUNDAY MAILS.

We find a report on this subject in the journals of
Congress, and we annex extracts from it for the in-
formation of the 90 Members who supported Lord
Ashley in his motion. We simply ask them to read
the report, and decide by their own judgment, and
not by the pressure of any petitions.
Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, from the committee on
the post-office and post-roads, to whom had been re-
ferred memorials from inhabitants of various parts of
the United States, praying for a repeal of so much of
the post-office law as authorises the mail to be tran-
sported anti opened on Sunday, and to whom had also
been referred memorials from other inhabitants of
various parts of the United States, remonstrating
agaiest such repeal, made Lila following report :-
1)) not all men in this country enjoy every reli-
gious right which mart.) rs and saints ever asked?
Whence then the voice of complaint? Who is it that, in
the fail enjoyment of every principle which human laws
can secure, wishes to arrest a portion of these prin-
ciples from his neighbour? Do they complain that
men, less conscientious in relation to the Sabbath,
obtain advantages over them by receiving their
letters and attending Ito their contents ? It' so their
monve is worldly and selfish. But if their motive be to
induce Congress to sanction by law their religious
opinions and observances, then their efforts ought to be
resisted, as in their tendency fatal both to religious
and political freedom. Why have the petitioners
confined their prayer to the mails ? Why have
they not requested that the Government be re-
quired to suspend all its executive functions on that day?
Why do they not require us to enact that our ships shall
not sail; that our armies shall not march; that officers
of justice shall not seize Vie suspected, or guard the
convicted? They seem to forget that Government is
as necessary on Sundays as on any other day of
the week. The spirit of evil does not rest on that
day. It is the Government, ever active in its func-
tions, which enables us all—even the petitioners—to
worship in our churches in peace. Our Government fur-
nishes very few blessings like our mails. They bear
from the centre of our republic to its distant extremes
the acts of our legislative bodies, the decisions of the
judiciary, and the orders of the executive. Theis
speed is often essential to the defences of the coun-
try, the suppression of crime, and the dearosts interests
of the people. Were they suppressed one day of the
week, their absence must be often supplied by public
expresses; and, besides, while the mail bags might
rest, the mail coaches and rail trains would pursue their
journey with the passengers. The mail bears from one
extreme of the country to the other letters of relatives
and friends, preserving a communion of heart be-
tween those far separated, and increasing the
most pure and refined pleasures of our exist-
ence ; also the letters of commercial men convey
the state of the markets, prevent ruinous specula-
tions, and promote general as well as individual interest;
they bear innumerable religious letters, newspapers,
magazines, and tracts, which ream almost every
house throughout this kingdom. Is the conveyance
of these a violation of the Sabbath ? The advauce
of the human race in intelligence, in virtue, and reli-
gion itself, depends in part upon the speed with
which a knowledge of the past is disseminated.
Without an interchange between one country and
another, and between different sections of the same
country, every improvement in moral or political
science, and the arts of life, would be confined
to the neighbourhood where it originated. The
more rapid and the more frequent this inter-
change,
the more rapid will be the march of intel-
lect, and the progress of improvement. The mail is the
chief means by which intellectual light irradiates to the
extremes of the country. Stop it one day in seven, and
you retard one-seventh the advancement of our country.
So far from stopping the mail on Sunday, the committee
would recommend the use of all reasonable means to
give it a greater expedition and a greater extension.
What would be the elevation of our country, if every new
conception could be made to strike every mind in the
Union at the same time? It is not the distance of a
province or state from the seat of Government which en-
dangers its separation, but it is the difficulty and unfre-
quency of intercourse between them.
"To stop the mails one day in seven would be to
thrust the whole of the distant parts of this kingdom
tahne
cane t
to
of
the Government.transmission
of
oree
diatyexpedient
y
to from
put
letters and newspapers on Sunday, because it violates the
law of God, have not the petitioners begun wrong in their
efforts? If the arm of Government be necessary to
the heads of families possess infinitely more
potter
in
compel men to respect and obey the laws of God, do not
this respect? Let the petitioners turn to them, and see
if they can oblige their children and servants to respect
the observance of the Sabbath within the respective
houses; for, if it be sinful for the mail to carry letters
on Sunday, it must be equally sinful for individuals to
write, carry, receive, or read them. It would seem to
require that these acts should be made penal to complete
the system. Travelling on business or recreation, ex-
cept to and from church, all printing, carrying, receiv-
ing and reading of newspapers—all conversations and
social intercourse, except upon religious subjects, must
necessarily be punished, to suppress the evil. Would it
not also follow, as an inevitable consequence, that every
man, woman, and child, should be compellesl to attend
church or meeting-house? And, as only ono sect, in the
opinion of some, can be deemed orthodox, must it not be
determined by law which that suet is; and compel all
other sects and persona to hear those teachers and con-
tribute to their support? If minor punishments would
not restrain these practices, would not the same system
require that we should resort to imprisonment,
banish-
ment, the rack, and the faggot, to force men to violate
their own consciences, or compel them to listen to doc-
trines which they abhor? It is the duty of this Govern-
ment to afford to all classes the protection and the ad-
vantages of our beedgettra institutions on Sunday, as
well as en every day of the week. If the Almighty has
set apart the first day of the week as a time which man
is bound to keep holy, Intidevote exclusively to his wor-